Log in to my account

 How many times have I seen this on the computer - I am so (very often) bewildered by it all. Go to pay your bill and have to press the key which says "Log in to my account," so there you go, it is all over to you - all they ever want is your $$ and be quick about it.

I shouldn't be whining - when you consider what is happening in the world around us, we live in a special place here in Australia, which is pretty comfortable considering what other people are going through. So, I thank the Lord that we are here.

I am so overwhelmed when we see the world around us. So many people take for granted the actual creation of God - the amazing start of each day and the equally amazing end of each day. The creation of the Earth as we know it. The stunning sunrise, then the equally stunning sunset. God's incredible creation.

When we read Genesis and how God created the earth, it really does blow your mind - God was here well before time! Which in itself never ceases to amaze me. He created time when you think about it.

Our beautiful world is amazing, even though many in this world of ours are suffering horribly, and their particular world is falling apart just by looking at it. BUT God's creation of our world, His invisible attributes, His eternal and amazing power, and of course His very divine nature stand out so visibly in all of creation - even though we take it so much for granted.

When, on the odd occasion, we stand back and look at God's amazing creation (if you haven't done it, then I suggest you do), we can just catch a real glimpse, and sometimes it's more than a glimpse - it's a real whack over the head as we consider there are over 100 billion galaxies and when we stand and look we can see the glory and the total might of God.

Even when we consider the very intricacies of life as we know it, well, it never ceases to amaze me.

God's very presence is in every living cell - there are 96,560 kilometres (60,000 miles) of blood vessels all placed in correct and amazing places in each of our bodies - WOW, what an amazing God we have.

So when you think about it, what does it mean to be in the presence of God, or in other words, to be close to God, which in itself is amazing as it sounds.

When Adam and Eve were created, God was with them all the time, personally and spiritually. Then, unfortunately, when they sinned, it meant that no longer could they, and of course, we ever have real face-to-face and heart-to-heart conversations with God. That to me would have been truly awesome. Instead, God had to turn away from them and us because he couldn't look at sin.

That is why God sent His son Jesus to live here on earth in a sinless and holy way and to die and shed his blood for all of us so that He would atone for the whole sins of the world. 

Of course, we have to accept his forgiveness, come to God through the death of Jesus, who died for us to atone for our sins. If we decide NOT to come to Jesus and ask His forgiveness, then we can't or ever will be able to come to God. 

The very fact that Jesus died for us can wipe away any sins we have committed or will commit in the future, BUT of course, we have to ask Him into our lives and make Him No. 1 in every situation where we find ourselves.

Once we have given our lives over to God, we never lose the gift of salvation, no matter how quickly or badly we fail - we never sin enough after giving our lives to God that we lose our salvation. Of course, we must continue to come to God, asking for forgiveness and relying totally on His Holy presence to guide our lives.

No matter how badly we fail through life in our Christian walk with God, we never sin so badly as to lose the miraculous miracle of salvation given to us through the very death of Jesus, who died to save us from our sins. I can imagine how sin angers God so so much, and he can't look at sin, BUT because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and saviour, he will still be our God.

All of us, unfortunately, continue to sin because that is the world we live in, and human nature, being what it is, dictates to us all sorts of weirdness. But God accepts us through the very blood of Jesus, which was sacrificed for us all those years ago.

BUT...Being part of God's amazing family is and will continue to be one BIG JOY! Being gloomy in God's presence is and can be normal, so don't knock yourself out if life's misery can override your happiness, but God, in His wisdom, understands everything we are going through.

Underneath all of what life throws at us, perseverance through countless heartaches is at the core of our salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The very presence of God in our lives increases and really helps us through the many crises we may face, as we often have to travel along life's rocky paths.

So...keep your faith strong in our Lord - keep looking to Him for guidance and encouragement as you travel along this week.

God bless you heaps and hope to see you next time

We are Truly blessed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority

This is an actual case registered by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority...

"Around 9pm, on Monday, 29 September, a Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked by NSW Ambulance and asked to plan for a winch extrication of a passenger suffering a serious medical condition on board a cruise ship off Seal Rocks, northeast of Port Stephens. 

Due to the distance offshore, an aircraft from Essendon in Melbourne was dispatched by AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) and provided top cover during the rescue. The NSW Ambulance critical care paramedic from the helicopter's critical care medical team was winched onto the vessel and treated a man in his 60s, who was stabilised before being winched off the ship and airlifted to John Hunter Hospital."

This is just one of the most frequent cases of paramedics saving lives off our coast here in Newcastle, Australia - we are really and truly blessed.

It happens all too often, unfortunately - many people come to all sorts of grief off our coast. We have so many beaches that it is a constant job for so many people in all kinds of situations. As I mentioned, we are truly and honestly blessed to live where we do.

Grief is an awful thing; so many times we have seen people truly overcome by grief, which can affect all of us in so many ways. What some people see as truly immeasurable grief, to others, it may not seem to be grief at all.  Everybody is so different.

I am truly overawed by the very grief in my own family - sad but true, and sadly, where we have been overwhelmed by sadness and grief, others see it as 'just life', so get on with it.

Our neighbours agree with me that the world is going crazy with all sorts of grief and pain - we are often overwhelmed with the news we hear - the horrible and ghastly things that are happening in our world - none of us is immune to anything that happens.

Grief is an emotion, a huge emotion in our human experience, and I guess we all suffer from grief in our own way as we go through life - heaps of people recorded in the Bible went through grief, and we still are.

Sadly, we all experience all sorts of grief - it is a human experience and is part of life, unfortunately. We lose all kinds of things - and of course, people,

BUT...the amazing part of grief is that we have our hope and trust in God alone, knowing that He is strong and willing to help us carry whatever burdens we may have.

In Matthew 11, God's message to us is that  "His yoke is easy and his burden is light"; in other words, he is strong enough and so willing to help us carry our burdens.

We can give all of our troubles to Him - our hurts and our disappointments - our bereavements and our solitude, and he is strong and willing enough to help us carry them.

If we ask God to help us through our troubles, He will give us, through the Holy Spirit, a special comforter. In John 14 and verse 16, he says: "I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate (helper) to assist you and be with you forever!"

Life can be so short - it wasn't all that long ago as I sat beside a dying man in a nursing home, he held my hand and he said to me, "Is God really there? - Can he see me where I am at the moment?'

It's so sad, isn't it? I always had the impression that this particular man knew God and had asked Him into His life to lead Him - I know He had a quiet time each day and read God's word through his bible, and yet here he was on death's bed and wanting to know if God was indeed real.

Praise God that when we give our lives to Him, He will come in and there He will stay.

You know we need faith, and that's what brings us to God in the first place - if we accept Christ and have him in our hearts like this chap did and ask him to lead us in life, then Christ does come in and will make His home in our hearts.

Praise you, Lord, that salvation does NOT depend on us - if it did, then it definitely could be lost and lost forever. BUT it doesn't depend on us at all!

We can all have doubts, but God's word, especially on the subject of ETERNAL LIFE, cannot be temporary - God won't ever EVER go back on His word - In Titus 1:2 it plainly says "GOD DOES NOT LIE."

In John 10, it says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

So how encouraging is this! God is with us if we truly believe in His word and put our whole faith and trust in Him!

Have you done that? Are you ready to give your life to Christ? Ask Him today!

God bless you this week.

startling gongs

 

What is a GONG?

This from Wikipedia

"Suspended gongs are played with hammers and are of two main types. The gong has been a Chinese instrument for millennia. Some gongs are loud enough to be heard from up to eight kilometres (five miles) away." 

Gongs were also used to summon the slaves from the fields.

Slaves years ago were apparently known as JIANMIN. Apparently, different dynasties used captives and criminals as their slaves.

It was also at that time, that is the Shang and Zhou dynasties,  peasants were constantly in servitude and weren't ever able to own their own land or even leave it without the permission of their 'owners'  - sad really!

Then there were the Qin and Tang Dynasties, when slavery, such as it was, expanded to not only using criminals and war captives but also all prisoners of war and whoever the chief in charge thought was needed to expand public works or to be spared execution to work the rest of their lives in hard labour.

Some people worked as domestics or on all sorts of large-scale public works. Slavery was a persistent and recurring issue.

Slavery was all around the world, even in Jesus' time. Slavery in Greece and Rome during this time was far in advance of what horrible things were happening in China at that time.

Slaves were considered property of their owners and must have faced really brutal conditions. Slavery in those days was really institutionalised and so virtually par for the course, as the saying goes, and everyone just accepted that fact. I can't imagine what some poor people were going through.

Jesus Himself must have seen what was happening all around him, and he was sure that His whole being was totally against slavery of any kind. Exodus 21:16 was so explicit against all kinds of slavery - reading that verse says it all - virtually anyone found selling people at all will be put to death - WOW, couldn't be more explicit.

But here we are in today's world, where slavery is still in existence - pretty horrible. People tricked into or even forced to work for no pay - kidnapped even - it's pretty devastating. 

Wow, even today, there are approximately 27 million people who are subject to slavery, forced labour, sex trade, and so it goes on and on. In the Bible, in Leviticus 25, it says that slaves should be treated as hired workers or temporary residents.

When we become Christians and we give our lives over to Christ, who paid with His life to save us from our sins, our lives are often changed dramatically, so dramatically that our entire life around us changes amazingly.

All women and men are created in God's image - we are ALL loved so intensely by God that slavery really has no place in our world at all. This condemns all who kidnap and sell persons from any race, anywhere, at any time.

In Genesis 1:27, God created us in His own image, which is itself an amazing and truly beautiful concept. It actually says in 1 Timothy that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord, which is very encouraging.

God, in His love and mercy, created us to love and be loved in hugely various forms - his love is evident and with us in all sorts of situations which are available to us when we give our lives to Him. Unfortunately, there are lots of people in the world who refuse to know God at all.

Just recently, Sue and I were walking on the beach, and just on the promenade leading down to the sand. there is a memorial to a young bloke who was savagely knifed in the chest by one of his so-called acquaintances - he died instantly. 

They were apparently vaguely aware of each other, and it was late at night or quite early in the morning, and there was an argument, or what you could call a so-called indiscriminate argument.

Apparently, it wasn't what you would call a savage type of argument, but a guy pulled out a knife anyway and stabbed the young fellow, who died pretty much straight away.

These young people had no idea about God and what he actually did for them all those years ago. In today's world, there are a few people who truly believe in lots of ways that they are really important and, in fact, in God's eyes, they are, but here on earth, we should really be putting others ahead of ourselves.

I know I have had all sorts of trouble with that, so I really can't point the finger at anyone - But this young man really wasn't going to let another young man take the shine off his personality - so so sad, really.

The young guy who was killed so dastardly that early morning now has a tribute along the beach walkway put there by his mum and dad. As a parent myself, I can only imagine what they go through - I really can't wrap my head around that fact.

It wasn't that long ago in a nearby neighborhood that a young man approached a group of noisy young people wrecking garbage bins and things on the sidewalk, and the same thing happened - they pulled a knife and he ended up dead.

When you think of the slaves mentioned above, even today, and also of the families so bereft of their members, young or old, taken from them forcefully and horribly, hundreds of them worldwide, it really gives us a wake-up call!

Where do we go with this? Always makes me really wonder where it will all end.

Putting God first is extremely important for us when we give our lives over to Jesus. In the Bible, in Matthew 22 and verse 37, it says, "Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind." In other words, we have to be totally 100 percent given over to God

Nothing has to come before God - of course, loving your family is awesome, and we are so willing to give up everything for them - the same has to be said for God - he actually comes first in everything. Does that make it hard to live like that?

Of course not - putting God first means we strive constantly to give Him first place in everything we do.

So, where are you with God? Do you think of Him at all? - Is He some sort of mystic being that you are vaguely aware of?

Do we know God at all? Are we going to have to give an account of our lives to God?

Yes, we are!! Are you ready?

Our very salvation is gained by faith. In John 3:16, it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Through faith in Christ and by fully trusting in Him, salvation is ours.

How are you? Ready to give your life to Christ? Jesus' death on the cross fully paid for your sins. Accept Him today and fully trust in Him. Doesn't mean that you will live the perfect life, but what it does mean is that God is there for you. Come to Him, always asking His forgiveness.

Have a great week, and hope to see you next time.

A murmur of surprise went up from the watching crowd

 A murmur of surprise went up from the watching crowd - no one was expecting this - Cameron looked as startled as anyone - he was the one who actually did it - but Ned was the one who now was going to pay the price.

It was Cameron who initiated the fight with the student Jack through his constant taunting and being in the line of sight of his so-called enemy - Cameron whacked Jack a beauty straight across the face, dislocating his jaw and opening up his left eye - laying him straight out on the ground and making him unconscious.

Ned came to the rescue, and Cameron disappeared quickly behind the accumulating crowd. Shocked! the crowd assumed it was Ned who lay into Jack, and because Ned had tried to stop the profuse bleeding of the unconscious Jack, blood was all over Ned's shirt, and everyone assumed Ned was the instigator of the brutal one-hit wonder that left Jack lying straight out on the ground.

Ned was dismayed - in fact, everyone was shocked. Then there was Scooter, Ned's best friend! Or so Ned thought! Scooter gave his evidence, all twisted and disguised, lacking any dignity whatever - Scooter?? Who would have thought it?

Scooter was so convincing, accusing Ned of starting the whole thing. Ned had been convinced that Scooter was on his side - he was THE witness - he actually saw what happened. 

Ned was going to pay the price - obviously going to be expelled from his job as an ambulance driver and told to have severe and complicated counselling. 

Scooter, Ned's friend, came onto the scene later and just assumed, like everyone else, that Ned was the culprit - so much for being his 'bestie'.

Scooter!!! What are you doing? It wasn't me, cried Ned, but it was too late. Scooter was convinced it was Ned and was so prepared to officially accuse him.

Straight away, the ambulance station attendants took young Jack to the hospital, and there he stayed unconscious and almost wavering between life and death. It was pretty nasty.

During the inquiry, not one person backed Ned's version of events - in fact, more and more witnesses came forward to accuse Ned of whacking Jack, and things were getting more and more complicated.

Ned was laid off. His employment was cancelled temporarily, at least while the police were called and he was hauled away to the police station, where he was cautioned and interviewed by numerous police officers. He had to contact a solicitor, and he was bailed eventually - Ned was devastated.

Ned's hands were clean, there was no bruising or anything, and yet the accusation remained, and even more and more of the crowd came to testify that it was indeed Ned who whacked the unconscious Jack.

Oh dear, what do we do in a situation like this?

It reminds me so much of the trial of Jesus - He was accused by so many, and so many lies were told about Him that it was really impossible to see the real truth.

His friends and disciples all left Him, and even one of His closest disciples, Peter, denied ever knowing Him three times, and then took off so no one would recognise Him.

Many Pharisees at the time were totally convinced that Jesus deserved what was about to happen. Stripped in public, beaten with whips, ridiculed and mocked, punched in the face. whipped again, a crown of really horrendous thorns jammed harshly on his head, scorned and wearing the crown of thorns and the 'royal' robe, jeered at by the crowd, and found guilty of what??? Hard to say, really.

Jesus was found guilty and sentenced to death by being nailed to a huge cross, which he had to carry to Calvary.

Why?? Because it all amounted to paying the price of our sins - Yes, even the sins of today, Jesus has paid for them, and all we have to do is to accept His forgiveness and realise what he did for all of us and to make Him number one in our lives which helps us put aside all the things that come into our lives like jealousy, contemptuousness and wanting to hurt and ridicule.

Ned was extremely hurt and so worried. What about Jack? What if Jack died? What of Ned's future? What was to be? A life behind bars? And so it went on.

Jack remained in the hospital with all sorts of tubes and paraphernalia in and out of his body, and there he remained.  Ned was arrested and found himself on bail as more and more witnesses testified against him.

Scooter knew in his heart what was going on - he was actually on the scene when it happened - he saw what Cameron did, but he didn't want to own up to the truth and be ridiculed and made to stand up for  Ned, whom everyone else was totally convinced was the perpetrator.

Ned was his friend, but the embarrassment of owning up to the absolute truth was totally too much to bear.

Peter fled the scene at Jesus's crucifixion, similar to what Scooter was doing - denying the truth and denying Jesus. Scooter denied the truth and, in so doing, denied his friend.

Jack sadly passed away, quietly and unassumingly. Ned was accused of murder and sent to trial.

Cameron and Scooter never came forward to own up to the truth - just like so many sinners today.

Jesus paid for all of our sins on that hideous cross, and he died. Amazingly, He rose again three days after His death, and today He is in Glory. God raised Him from the dead to complete His plan of salvation for all mankind.

Do you want to come to Christ? All you have to do is ask Him to come and change your life so that you can leave your old self behind and become a new creation in Christ.

God bless you this week

Nothings gonna stop me now!

Jimbo was completely and surely adamant when he blurted out that absolutely nothin ABSOLUTELY NOTHIN on God's earth is ever gonna stop me!!

Oh, that can be so sad - Jimbo was determined and absolutely adamant that he should be first come what may. 

Jimbo was like this right from the start - the family was totally and utterly confused as to what they should do - he was a difficult and pushy child. Maybe a solid need in his heart for recognition - common in many, but can be hugely problematic.

Maybe nowadays he may have been diagnosed with something like narcissistic personality disorder, which is an underlying feeling of being special and, of course, having to receive recognition come what may.

Jimbo pushed his way forward time and time again - nothing was going to stop him, absolutely nothing! Going to school was a huge problem for Jimbo - always pushing himself forward in the classroom, in the playground - pushing his ideas forward to those teaching him, making himself (so he thought)  the beacon of light and wisdom.

Unfortunately, that didn't work for poor Jimbo - having to be number one in ALL situations was essential in his life - he couldn't possibly think otherwise. As far as he was concerned, no one else in the whole world could possibly come anywhere near him in respect of knowledge and wisdom.

The result must have been so lonely - no one could come near him - as far as he was concerned, being No. 1 was absolutely essential; no one on God's earth came even close. Jimbo was also a totally controlling person, telling everyone what they should do and making others do what he wanted them to do.

So sad really - it wasn't long before his life faded away - a terrifying road accident when he insisted that he must be first, pushing himself forward at a set of traffic lights with another person, obviously with a similar personality, and making their own way to the front, and both ending up under a truck.

Life cut short! Horrible! Devastating!

Reminds me of the unfortunate and horrific sinking of the Titanic when the makers said the ship was practically totally and utterly unsinkable. 

Back in 1910, the White Star Line's brochure describing the magnificent Titanic as "practically unsinkable" - Oh what a mistake!

She was a beautiful and really modern ship, which amazed the world with her magnificence. My mind can't really comprehend what those poor people must have gone through that night back in 1911.

Through it all, so many people vanished, never to be seen or heard of again.

It is devastatingly sad when we lose someone we love and who has had a huge effect on our lives - Jimbo's parents must have been devastated, and I can't imagine what the families of the Titanic's victims must have gone through.

Death has really no bounds - losing someone, especially those we have loved, is a painful and horrific experience.

Jesus Himself loved His very best friend, Lazarus, and at his death, Jesus, being so deeply moved, cried when he found out Lazarus had died. Jesus raised Lazarus up from the grave only because He had the very power to do it. 

I am always confronted by the question of how I possibly find any sort of peace after someone I loved has died. Death is certainly not the end for anyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

We still will be devastated when our loved ones die - I can only imagine what the survivors and families of the Titanic disaster must have gone through, and also the family of Jimbo. How sad, and yet those who believed that Jesus is Lord and has prepared a place for all believers, then that is a huge rally of comfort and peace.

When we look back, the impact of our past loved ones who have passed away can have a profound effect on our lives.

I remember so well the impact my Mum had on my life - she loved Jesus as lord and made Him number one in her life - you can look at her testimony here on this blog dated May 23rd, 2013, and titled  "My Mum's Amazing Message."

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die (John 11:25-26). In other words, we who ask Jesus to come into our lives and accept Him as our Lord and saviour will be guaranteed to have everlasting life, living with Jesus even though death whips us away from everything here, which never ceases to astound me. 

You know, apart from what Jesus did on that cross all those years ago, there would be absolutely no eternal life at all.  Death has no power over us once we give our lives to Him. Yes, we will all die here on earth, and sadly, we all experience just what that means, BUT once we have given our lives to Jesus, then death really has no power over us at all.

If we decide not to accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, then we will actually be destined for death (and I hate to think of the consequences). However, having faith in Jesus and asking Him to come into our lives and take first place, we will indeed receive eternal life. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Do you want eternal life after this life on earth is over? If so, pray a prayer similar to this one:-

Dear God, please forgive me for the things in my life where I have turned my back on you. I am sorry for the sins I have committed. Please come into my life and change me. Help me make you number one in my life. I know I will continue to stumble along, but please be there for me and always remind me of your great sacrifice for me. Amen

Have a great week, and hope to see you soon - Huge blessings to you and yours

The Armour of Light

"I've given up on Jane,"  - Gav said sourly. Tossing his head to get all the hair out of his eyes - "Or rather she's given up on me."

This was important news for Phil - "What happened?"

Gav's handsome face twisted in a grimace of disappointment and resentment. "She has jilted me, that's what."

Aww, so sad when someone says goodbye, and you probably won't see them again. I guess in many ways, we have all been in very similar circumstances.

So where do we go from here? That's a pretty good question - we have all heard of really sad circumstances when this sort of thing happens, and unfortunately break ups can have very dire consequences.

Sometimes, there is absolutely nothing we can do when our partner decides to leave us. We can try to speak to them and really encourage them to stay, but often it can lead nowhere. I guess we have all seen it happen.

It can be so sad to be on your own - especially if your ex-partner has taken off and taken the family with them.

You can be so, so scared of the future, especially when you may be on your own and more so if you have been so horribly deserted by your family and/or friends.

Being lonely is horrible and can have a big effect on each of our lives - coming to Christ, on the other hand, can be like an anchor in the rough sea of life - He is there with us no matter what we are going through. He can surround us with an armour of light - an armour designed by Him to give us courage and a huge ability to cope with whatever comes along, regardless of what the world may say.

Hebrews 13 verse 5 says He will NEVER leave or forsake us, which is a remarkable promise and one that I personally have fallen back on many, many times in all the years.

So many people ridicule what they call a COMING TO JESUS moment  - so many times I have heard that said in a joking and ridiculing way. WHY? I always ask myself because that was a huge moment in my life. A moment of huge realisation and huge change in my life personally

To me personally, my coming to Jesus moment meant one huge change to me - it was a decision of mine that changed my life completely around.

Jesus had a secret meeting with Nicodemus, a High Priest who CAME TO JESUS at night because, even though it's not really stated, I reckon Nicodemus didn't want anyone seeing him coming to Jesus.

Anyway, along he came with a heap of questions for Jesus - Jesus answered and said I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again - Nicodemus was horrified -how can a person be born again when they are already born (or along those lines anyway).

Jesus answered him by saying no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and of the Spirit. (a bit confusing for old Nicodemus).

Born again literally means born from above - coming to God and asking Him to take over your life. In Ephesians 2 and verse 8, "for it is by grace that you have been saved, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God."

When you first become a Christian, you start on a journey that often has so many twists and turns that it makes your head spin.

One day, you are praising God and really basking in the goodness that he has given us. the next day, you may be overcome with doubts and anxiety that give you the wobbles, which throws off your reaction of becoming a born-again Christian.

BUT...The great news is that even if we find ourselves going in reverse, He still loves us and His Holy Spirit will keep reminding us of that very fact - He will always have you back no matter what sin you have committed. Believe me, I am the worst of sinners in lots of ways, and yet Jesus died for me, and He has taken all my sinful ways and killed them for me on that cruel cross all those years ago.

Does that make me a wonderful free-of-sin person -NO WAY!! Unfortunately, we keep on sinning probably every day, BUT the remarkable and truly amazing thing about salvation is that we can keep coming back to Jesus and asking for His forgiveness, which is freely given.

To me, that is probably the most amazing gift God has given us - the very fact that Jesus died to take away our sins, and all we have to do is ask Him to come into our lives and lead us to where He wants us to go.

So how do we cope with the traumatic and, unfortunately, everyday problems? 

The only way to really cope is to keep our eyes on Christ and keep looking to Him, no matter what we may be going through.

Way back in Genesis, Cain horribly killed his brother Abel (Genesis chapter 4 starting at verse 3), so we can see that even then, sin was beginning to become rampant, and from then on, family conflict became quite a problem and has been ever since.

Jesus's own family became highly embarrassed by His miracles and preaching, and they told him so, and didn't pull any punches, and they let Him have it -  so you can see that family break-ups and hostilities became the 'norm' which is still the norm even today.

Some members of our family accept Jesus fully and He becomes their Lord and Saviour, while others in the family look upon the whole thing as something ridiculous and tell the person so, and so it goes on. It can often break family unity, which is really sad.

Jesus actually said this could happen and says so in Matthew chapter 10, verses 34 to 36 - it's an amazing read and one which clarifies a lot of problems we personally may be experiencing.

Of course, there are many families faced with the situation where some members love the Lord with all their hearts, while maybe brothers and sisters deny Christ entirely, yet nothing seems to come between the love brothers and sisters have for each other, which is truly lovely and beautiful.

And yet, unfortunately, we seem to have to face a lot of trouble in a lot of families regarding the following of Jesus, just like He said would happen.

Please don't take it personally - Jesus died for you and all you have to do is come and ask Him into your life - He will love to come and motivate you in so many ways. 

Your family is still your family, and regardless of how they feel about your coming to Christ, that should not and will not deter you from asking Him into your life to take over all of your life, not just parts of it.

Just remember that a healthy family can provide a safe and secure place, regardless of the individual feelings that they may have towards other members.

God bless you this week - keep your eyes and hearts on God.

Oh No! I've done it again

"I've done it again - I should have learned to keep my big mouth shut. I've caused so many problems, it's totally unbelievable."

Not keeping our mouths in gear often hurts not just one person, but sometimes a lot of people associated with our lives at some point.

Often, we do things over and over again, and frequently it is just what we say rather than what we do, like when Toby shoots off his mouth. He reckons it is always best to reply with the right comeback, which makes you look like you are so intelligent.

Toby reckons it makes you appear strong and intelligent, especially when using funny insults, like when he said to Harry he's one-time mate,  "Geez mate, someday you should go far. I really hope you stay there." and again, " I'll never forget the first time we met. But I'll keep trying hahahaha."

He thought he was so, so funny coming up with these quips time and time again.

Things were going fine until Harry told Toby where to go and how to get there - they had been friends for so long, and Harry finally got thoroughly sick of this so-called friend of his insulting him over and over again.

Toby was devastated. "I didn't mean to hurt him - what should I do - just get me out of here!!  "I've gotta be a man on the run - I've gotta stay out of trouble - I've gotta stop trying to be so funny."

It's so sad when our 'funny' side can destroy what we have and what we did have, maybe for years. 

There are many times when our mouths, hands, and emotions speak and act before our heads are even in gear, or when we give even a little meaningful thought to our actions or even our reactions.

Jesus talked about what it would cost to cause someone to stumble. In Luke 17, Jesus said, "It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So be on your guard." 

WOW, what a horrible way to die - jumping in the sea with a millstone around your neck.

Causing someone to sin or "stumble," as the Bible puts it, has many connotations. It can be physical or emotional; either way, it can have a huge lasting effect on our lives. 

Whatever we do, we need to remember that no matter how big or small we feel our actions may be, they can or could have a lasting impact on other people.

Like Toby and Harry. Their friendship was amazing, and they went back years and years, even while they were at school together.

Toby was ALWAYS funny - always had to be the man in charge of being Mr. Cool - Harry, in the meantime, was the quiet guy, always there helping Toby with schoolwork and accepting everything he did and said.

Must have been hard for Harry. He always just accepted everything Toby did and said until that fateful day when, after all those years, he had had enough.

He thought, "Enough is enough. I'm not taking any more crap from this guy." 

Their friendship suddenly stopped! I wonder if they ever got back together?

Often, what we say or do can have a lasting effect on other people.

Jesus was so aware of how His actions were perceived by other people. He was always truthful and even told many in the so-called authority of the day just exactly how things were.

In Romans 14 and again in Corinthians, we are told we have a responsibility to our fellow believers in Christ. We also have a responsibility to our families and friends who aren't walking with the Lord at all.

Our attitude should reflect the love of God to everyone we come into contact with - our personal convictions towards others are a reflection of what Jesus has done in our lives.

We can have all sorts of disagreements regarding anything from entertainment, smoking, food, drinking - you name it, even when we set aside days to remember what Jesus did for us on that cross - all of these differences really don't matter at all.

The Bible doesn't provide instructions, and it is purely a matter of personal conviction as to how God is leading you. In other words, let's not share our individual feelings on how others should worship, as long as they worship Jesus and make Him their number one priority in life.

We shouldn't make it hard for others, and we should really stop passing judgment on each other.  Ways of worshipping God can be different for some people, so we shouldn't stand as a judge in any way at all.

Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7, "Do not judge or you will be judged,"  which seems pretty straightforward, BUT Jesus also gives us the opportunity and ability to tell right from wrong. We just don't and should never accept something that is way out of context with what the Bible teaches.

In other words, we need to be cautious about what we hear and shouldn't accept anything that contradicts what the Bible clearly teaches.

I hope you have a great week. Please keep in mind that the Bible teaches us all sorts of amazing truths. take time this week to study some of God's word, bearing in mind how your actions can often have a marked effect on others.

Jesus is our Lord and God, and how He lived is a great example for all of us.

Huge blessings

Some heroes don’t wear uniforms

The leader of the gang - The king of the school yard delivered a vicious kick, the heavy boot striking the base of the spine. His victim felt his body jolt, but managed to suppress the cry of pain before it could escape. The situation always escalated if he reacted.

His nose was blocked with blood and tears, but he mustn't show his tears. That would be fatal.

The bell rings - finally, and the shouts fade away.

Waiting a minute - he then opens his eyes (well, one of them anyway) and looks around. He is alone in the schoolyard. Getting to his feet, he knew he would get into trouble for being late again!

Hmmm, quite a thing to happen in a schoolyard, but unfortunately, it happens regularly - maybe not a physical fight as such, but emotional bullying - really, it is aggression. 

The bully uses lots of non-physical means to get at their victim. Things such as harassment in torment, name-calling, gossiping to others, and making sure their victim is totally excluded from as many people as possible.

Pretty sad, really!

Totally blessed when we can escape such bullying and exclusion when we go through life.

Bullying can make you feel extremely unhappy and also completely unsafe wherever you are. Bullying can ruin your life if you don't stop it.

We should share our bullied experience with others constantly to prevent bullying from continuing. As adults, we should respond to bullying quickly and consistently, regardless of what sort of bullying is happening.

Talking about bullying can be extremely helpful in lots of situations, like below:-

I am totally gobsmacked when I see parades of men and women in uniform - they astound me as to what they do - there are often marches that include everyone from the Police to the armed forces who are totally committed to their professions.

They look so pristine when in uniform, and they continue in their total commitment to their specific careers. I am completely in awe of so many.

Why am I totally gobsmacked? My friend's grandson, who is just 16 years old, has decided that he really wants to join the police force when he graduates from high school in the next couple of years. I'm so impressed with him. How amazing that he has this dedication so early.

Why does he make this decision? He was bullied so horribly when he started high school - not just verbally and scornfully, BUT physically as well. Hence the story above.

How did he cope with bullying? 

He certainly tried his best at school, but it wasn't good enough - the bullying continued.

He finally told his Mum and Dad, who, in turn, instead of just ignoring the situation and telling him to grow up, they went to the school and had it or with not only the principal but also with the year advisor. 

This is really important - not only about physical bullying but also emotional bullying - Schools should be fully aware that bullying is consistent, unfortunately, and all schools should be aware of that very thing.

I can't help feeling that we here in Australia are so blessed to have the dedication of so many people. People who are aware of what is going on in schools, workplaces, universities, etc.

Seeing parades of people in uniforms is not only encouraging for the populace, but it is also a sign, obviously, that, looking at the parade as such, there must be many who have had heaps of problems and yet they have overcome many things to arrive at where they are today.

And yet....there are so many who aren't wearing uniforms, nor are they attached to any workforce, who are also totally committed in all sorts of incredible ways that help so many people. Many who have been bullied and set upon so many times and yet have outlived it continue in their lives to live for the present and not yesterday.

We are so blessed to have so many people in the armed forces, in the ambulance network, the hospitals. the police forces, etc, and so it goes on  - we are totally so so grateful for the tremendous work they do for us, regardless of what a lot of them have been through.

In the Bible, there are numerous heroes and heroines - here are just a few to name: Abraham, Moses, and Noah. Esther, Joseph, Deborah,  David, Gideon, and Jacob, and so the list goes on.

What had they been through - reading the bible is a real eye-opener - Moses on the run - Joseph bullied and beaten - Jacob scared to come back home after being threatened with death by his brother, and so it goes on.

The biggest hero of the lot, of course, was Jesus - a poor little boy born in a filthy stable years ago - a son of Mary.

Mary, a young virgin found to be pregnant and yet carrying the very son of God. Her husband Joseph was going to cancel the whole wedding thing, but was brave enough to realise just what was happening. Can't possibly imagine what Mary and Joseph must have felt or what they went through, and yet they brought in the Messiah of the world.

You know, regardless of what we have gone through - and I guess we have all got a story to tell - giving our lives over to Christ can have an enormous effect.

The pain caused by bullying can be a silent killer - sometimes, if we have been bullied over the years, our anger can overflow when, in reality, it may be a feeling of rejection!

So what does the Bible say about rejection? In Hebrews 13:5, He says, "I will never leave you or forsake you"- that to me completely blows me away - the fact that God will NEVER leave us, regardless of what has happened in our lives or what continues to happen. 

And then in Jeremiah 31:3 God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love," and then again in Matthew 28:20, "Surely I am with you always."

These verses mean so much to me - God loves us all with a never-ending love. Jesus promised, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11.

God bless you this week - please seek help if you have a burden. Huge blessings.

Toppled Over

Oh, the Tower of Babel

What a story

Here were the people wanting desperately to reach God - what for?

That's a great question!

Did they want to meet Him? - Did they want to confront Him about something? - Did they want to be a god like Him

They definitely wanted to make a name for themselves - they all spoke the same language - they all decided on their own terms exactly what they wanted to do - they also decided, obviously, that they wanted to be like God.

Then...

God, in His wisdom, overruled their total ambition, confused their language, and caused them to scatter.

It would have been very strange - suddenly saying something like "Hey Bill, pass us up the spade will you mate" to suddenly find themselves chatting away in a completely different language that no one around them could possibly understand.

So strange - they probably found others who they obviously didn't know who could speak the same language and understand what they were saying. How odd and how disturbing.

They all had mates and colleagues, and then suddenly no one would understand them - what a shock. Finding other workers in the crowd who could speak the same language and sticking with them was a must, only because no one else could understand them.

This amazing history is one powerful narrative - incomprehensible but truly awe-inspiring.

All those who could speak the same language obviously stuck together and made their way to various parts of the land, and further away from all of the others.

I can imagine exactly why wars broke out after this; there would be rivalry and lots of competitiveness, and I guess as years went on and on, lots of amazing things happened.

I feel humility is something we all learn from this amazing piece of history - humility was pretty much unheard of before the Tower of Babel.

Everyone in those days spoke the same language and was always trying to outdo each other.

God describes humility as an amazing recognition of our dependence on Him, submitting to His will, and recognising others above ourselves. Let's be perfectly clear here, it is not thinking less of ourselves, it is putting others ahead of ourselves in pretty much every situation in which we find ourselves. 

The Bible describes humility as an absence of self - in other words, putting others first - it includes meekness (which doesn't mean cowardice) and a heart attitude. Pride and arrogance really have no part in a life of humility. There are times when we pretend to have a heart attitude, but maybe our hearts are still full of pride and even arrogance.

True humility is really a prerequisite to becoming a Christian and giving our lives to God. When we come to Christ knowing that we are sinners, we must come to Him in absolute humility - if there are any signs of pride or arrogance, then we really need to rethink our way of life.

We desperately need to come to Christ knowing that we have absolutely nothing to offer Him at all - we MUST recognise that what He did on that cruel cross years ago was something that actually paid for our sins. So, to keep asking Him for everything and then getting upset if we don't get it is not what Christianity is all about.

Jesus paid for our sins, and really, that is more than enough. Whatever we get after this is truly a real gift from God Almighty.

Answers to prayer are exceedingly wonderful and truly awesome, but if our prayers don't give us what we want, then we need to thank the Lord God for our redemption that was paid by Jesus on Calvary's cross. And that really should be enough for us.

Our lives can be full of heartache, sickness, and even death, BUT if we have given our lives over to Christ, then our future is sealed - we have paradise to really look forward to.

Does that stop us from praying - certainly NOT! Prayers for our families, friends, and loved ones, and even ourselves, are all a vital part of Christianity. But also accepting God's answer is ALWAYS essential in our prayers.

When Jesus comes back, all of the troubles and heartaches will disappear - then we will be united with Christ in His amazing home He has prepared for us.

This great song by Michael Morrow was created by Him in 2006 and virtually says a lot about our Lord.

"We belong to the day - to the day that is to come.

When the night falls away and our Saviour will return

For the glory of the King is in our hearts. On that day, we will be seen for what we are.

Strong as a mighty rock, our. refuge in the coming wrath

The heart of the bride belongs to Jesus, Jesus.

The earth, in its turning, stops to marvel at the Son of God

And all of that day belongs to Jesus

And all of that day belongs to Jesus, Jesus."

How are you feeling about Jesus and His amazing life that He gave for each of us? When you pray and ask Jesus to come into your life and lead you, you acknowledge your sins and ask Him to take over your life. We may fall over many times and constantly sin, but if we ask God to forgive us, He will - He loves us with an everlasting love.

If you would truly like to give your life to Christ right now, then pray this simple prayer to Him - make sure you mean every word.

Dear Lord Jesus - I know that I am a sinner - I know you will forgive me if I ask you to. Right now, I turn away from my sins and ask you to come into my life and lead me, Amen.

God bless you this week

Man on the run

Ever been "on the run"?  Great question!

I guess in lots of ways we have all been on the run at some point in our lives - we often make little and sometimes BIG mistakes and find ourselves on the run, maybe not literally but on the run trying to hide or correct something we have done that can make our lives an utter horror story,

Way back in the Bible, Judas was "on the run" after he had concocted a huge story to tell the Pharisees about Jesus - makes me wonder just how long Old Judas had been thinking about what he planned to do.

He was probably putting into practice something that he had thought about for a long time.

He was the treasurer of the whole shebang after all - the guy everyone came to when they wanted a few coins to buy what they needed - I guess he made all the others give a full account of what they spent and how they spent it. After all, money is money - and he was the big money keeper - he was in charge,

Makes me wonder why he had it against Jesus in the first place.

Was it because Jesus was ever so willing to share what they had with anyone and everyone? Jesus gave and kept on giving time and time again.

Judas, on the other hand, was trying desperately to keep back the money to pay for this and that and keep them all fed, etc etc, and so he went on keeping his coins and silver in his money bag all safe and sound and I guess he kept it back from the other disciples just how much he actually had all wrapped up neat and tidy.

In lots of ways, I can understand if he was in charge of having to buy things, and of course, Jesus, giving everything away all the time - Judas felt he had to keep money squirreled away so that they would have enough to eat and somewhere to sleep, I guess.

Anyway, as time went on Jesus was giving more and more - treating people well and healing others - Makes me wonder how Judas would have felt when Jesus actually fed the thousands of people, as recorded on the bible, not just once but at least twice given that He had hardly anything to start with and yet he fed thousands until they were all completely full and satisfied.

Surely Judas would have realised that Jesus could have fed them all anyway, and he really didn't need money squirreled away like Judas was doing.

I reckon it was this that caused Judas to betray Jesus the way he did - He saw the chance to gain at least 30 pieces of silver, which he could keep to himself without having to hide it away. 30 pieces of silver! WOW, how about that! - What a great opportunity.

As we know, it all backfired on Judas. He betrayed Jesus in the garden by taking the Pharisees with him, telling them that the one he was going to greet with a kiss was actually Jesus, and that he should be the one arrested.

Judas went and greeted Jesus with a kiss, and that betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees, who promptly arrested Jesus and we know what happened after that - Jesus was horribly tortured and killed so ghastly on the cross - actually nailed to a rough hewn splintery cross hewn from a huge tree which would have weighed so much which Jesus had to carry to Calvary.

So here was Judas watching how he had betrayed Jesus. Obviously, he had second thoughts, and while he watched the proceedings, his heart must have broken when he woke up to what he had just done - he threw the silver back at the Pharisees and then went out and hanged himself - end of story for Judas.

The Pharisees were delighted - not only had they got Jesus, but they got their silver back as well!

Judas has gone down in history as a huge betrayer - what a mistake he made - what a mess.

You know, we all make mistakes - that is life, and unfortunately we all do it. It's pretty important after we give our lives to the Lord that we actually need to forgive ourselves for our mistakes, and if we don't, we find it pretty hard to move forward in our lives.

We can have persistent guilt in our lives over past sins and heaps of remorse if we have caused trouble with anyone, and sometimes our decisions can cause heaps of trouble. All of us have sinned - every one of us - God has nothing whatsoever to do with sin - The Almighty God can't even look at sin in any shape.

The amazing thing is that Jesus died on that cruel cross to make the payment for our sins, and everyone who puts their faith in Jesus is fully forgiven of these sins, and God sees us as sinless. 

Does that mean we will never sin again? Of course not, BUT the thing is that we can come to Jesus and keep asking for forgiveness, confessing to Him the sins we commit, maybe often daily. Coming to Christ is essential to have our sins forgiven. (1 John 1:9) 

God's huge forgiveness of our sins gives us the huge ability to forgive ourselves. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and ask Him to take control of our lives, all of our sins are forgiven. Which is amazing - ALL of our sins, both big and small, include past, present, AND future.

God bless you this week. See you soon.

 

The Mystery

What is a mystery?  

Is it a betrayal? Is it a race against time? Is it a vast secret? Is it a hidden meaning? Is it something tucked away that we will never find? Is it something not understood? Is it something unexplained?  Is it beyond anyone's understanding?

Hmmm, makes you think, doesn't it?

1941 Charlotte is smuggled into Paris right in the smack of this huge war, seeking to find Alain. Is he her father that she never knew? Has he got a secret? Could her dad, Alain, be a friend of Hitler? Could he have a vast fortune tucked away somewhere? What sort of man could he be? It just doesn't bear thinking about.

Struggling to find the answer, Charlotte is hustled from town to town seeking and yearning to find the whereabouts of her elusive father.

1943 Charlotte has traced him into the middle of Paris, working her way with a vast amount of underground assistance to find out that indeed, her Dad is the elusive Alain, and is the main target and linchpin of France's liberation. He has gained huge access to high-ranking Axis officials and is working his way across France in huge liberation mode.

Alain ended up organising air-drops of weapons and supplies and coordinating huge rescues of downed fliers and parachute landings.

Was Charlotte pleased with her dad? Was she in awe of Him? What sort of future could they possibly have?

She never did find out what happened to her father; he had to keep his vast secret from his family and the authorities, and so their lives never clashed. They never met, but through it all, the war was finally over - many perished, but many were saved. 

It was certainly a horrible time -  a time when we hope and pray we will never have to go through again.

So many times we go through trauma and huge problems in all of our lives and times. We plough on regardless of the consequences of all things that have happened to us. We struggle, we grapple, we wrestle, we scuffle, and yet we fight on - we have to survive - that is life.

So why is life like this, and why can't we live perfect, happy, and fulfilling lives right to the end? It's hard, isn't it, to live life like we are teetering on the edge of a huge drop-over.

Unfortunately, sin came in and destroyed a perfect life, and things would never be the same again. Sin crept in through poor old Adam and Eve, and because of that, their very relationship with God was broken, and they began to die physically. Their bodies took on the ageing process just like ours do, and they began to die, slowly at first and then faster and faster towards the end.

When we are born, we all seem to be saddled with original sin caused by Adam and Eve's big hiccup. We are all related in one form or another, which is why the sin effect is evident in us all throughout history.

We are born sinners, and if we don't make a wise and shattering decision, we end up dying sinners, far away from God our Father, and doomed to a life of everlasting torment.

Romans 3:23 says, "We ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." So none of us is perfect, not one. And we never will be, not ever, we are totally and utterly doomed to a life of utter torment and destruction. When we die, we will be cast into the lake of fire to live eternally in hell.

Well, that's how it was meant to be because sin entered the world all those years ago. We all have sinned and fallen short of God's amazing love.

That was, of course, until the very fact that Jesus came into the world to save us, to give His life instead of ours and take our sins and chuck them far away, never to be seen and heard of again.

Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me" - you can read it yourself in John chapter 14 and verse 6. Jesus is the only way to come to the Father. Jesus was born, lived, and died just to take away our sins. He took them with Him on that cruel cross and exterminated them for us - all we have to do is to accept His amazing love for us and then ask Him to come into our lives and live through us.

When you think about it, Jesus was the only one who has come and been the sacrifice for sins - he was and will ever be the only sinless person to have walked the face of the earth.

Jesus is the only way to the Father in Heaven, regardless of what others may say and who people worship.

Jesus' death on Calvary was a sacrifice for our sins, and if we decide to BELIEVE and have FAITH, then these two things are critical for our salvation. Jesus died and He bled to death for us, taking the sins of the world on His very life, but only for those who believe and have faith in Him. 

It is believing in the very death of Christ for our sins that we receive eternal life. Ephesians 2 says, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

God bless you all this week, and may you all be so much aware of what Jesus did for all of us on that cross all those years ago.

All characters appearing in this blog are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental