Fooled Britannia?

Will Britons ever, ever, ever be slaves?

  Sunday 9th September, 2012.

  So ends a summer to rival all summers. River pageants, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, Fireworks, Grand Ceremonies, British skits and sketches, a skydiving 86 year-old Queen escorted by a fictional super-spy, 65 British Olympic Medals including 29 Gold, 120 Paralympic Medals including 34 Gold, Spice Girls on Taxis (Snakes on a Plane?), Mr Bean on the keyboard, stacks of world records broken… I could go on.

Is it any wonder then that hundreds of people roared out that rousing chorus on Saturday night’s ‘Final Night of the Proms’:

Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!

Examining all the evidence one quickly concludes that London 2012 was a brilliant success. For starters: no major security incidents, something which we should be greatly thankful for (although I imagine most people will be more prepared to praise the skills of G4 than the mercy of God for that particular blessing). I didn’t visit London myself (except for a short trip out of St Pancras for family business), however I have heard loads of first and second hand reports of the great ‘Olympic Spirit’: bucket-loads of friendliness, support, kindness and ‘pulling together’ (remember the stories of Blitz-time London). Just a short while ago, the radio jockeys were describing how, at a concert last weekend, everyone respected one another during the performances and, afterwards, tidied up their litter and left the park spick and span.

  We can certainly say that this ‘Olympic Spirit’ does seem to be a reality and that no reasonable common-sensical soul would mock its positive social aftershock.

  Here it comes…. you knew it would eventually (I’m not normally this positive!):

  But…

  Even in this summer of content, many Britons- indeed many Londoners- are slaves.

  Reading what I have just written has sent a little shiver down my proverbial spine. What an outlandish and repugnant thing to say: that honest, hard-working, cheerful British citizens in this Olympic and Jubilee year are slaves. Its not just stupid and deluded to say such a wild thing- its also brazen and fanatical, is it not? To claim that many Britons are slaves is- correct me if I am wrong- a crazed and arrogant accusation to make. Where, you might ask, did you surmise that from? Your own proud heart, full of delusions of self-grandeur?

  Did I not see, on the BBC no less, those hundreds of British folk bellowing from the deepest depths of their lungs that ‘Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!’?

  Allow me to answer you with another question:

  Do you think that in 50 years time- no scrap that, make it in 10 years time- do you think that in 10 years time Britain will be an idyllic country with no unemployment, no bent politicians, no mega-rich bankers, no murderers?

  Answer?

Another question for you:

   Do you think that in even 5 years time neighbours will be spending time together, sharing laughter and joy together? That is the promise of the Olympic Spirit, after all. David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has said that we must find a way to ‘bottle it up’ and to preserve it for future years.

   Can you picture weekly, or even monthly, street parties? Where will all the bunting come from?

   And what happens when England loses at football? What happens when our cricketers muck up again? Will their be any great Olympic Spirit then? Or does it only work when things are going our way?

   Anyone with an ounce of sense and observance will realise that this world doesn’t always work in a wonderful way. Why not? If we honestly examine this planet then the only conclusion we can reach is this: humans are flawed. The news this week is filled with hate and disruption. It appears in violent and extreme forms- the wicked actions in the Alps this last week are obvious reminders of mankind’s destructive capabilities. Syria. Sudan. Nigeria.  And the extreme cases are not confined to beyond our shores either. I heard of a case of murder not 10 miles from my home only this week. 

  We don’t always do what we should do. No amount of Olympic Sprit- great though it is- will ever solve that problem.

   The bible has a serious term for this: sin. Sin is disobedience to God’s wishes. If we did all live by God’s guidance then this world wouldn’t be flawed such as it is. The bible has a quite graphic picture of our condition, it calls us ‘slaves to sin.’  Although we might wish to break away from our own destructive lifestyles and decisions, we are chained to them. We cannot escape from their hold over us. Outside help is needed.

Will Britons ever, ever, ever be slaves?

   Perhaps when we observe the hatred of one man for another, and the seemingly unending waves of violence, thieving, rioting, deceiving and chaos across every continent and land, we are tempted to blame God. The bible offers several possible reasonings to the problem of slavery to sin. But the most poignant and powerful act in the whole history of mankind, recorded in the bible, is this:

Jesus Christ wore the shackles of slavery and imprisonment so that I could remove mine.

   Through his death- and resurrection from death!- we can find everlasting life, peace and happiness.  I can now boldly say that I am free.

Will Britons ever, ever, ever be slaves?

   Sadly, the answer is yes. Sin is a destructive slave-catcher. Once you are caught in his chains, nothing you can do will free you from sin. Only the death of God himself, for his people, could satisfy the judgement required. Although Britons might well be slaves, Christians can be freed from slavery and can live free lives.

   So enjoy this summer. Enjoy the laughter, the successes, the British victories, the fireworks, the atmosphere and the spirit. But remember that your soul’s safety is of much more vital importance: Are you a slave to sin?

the Colours of Grace

 
  After 15 days away from home- away from the television, the computer, the radio and the daily broadsheets- I have returned to the constant bombardment of a nation engulfed in Olympic fever. Frankly, I feel under-experienced and naive to add my particular views into the already overflowing mix of opinion.

  You will have observed that in the evangelical sphere of influence Olympic sermon illustrations, children’s talks and other miscellaneous ‘messages’ are abounding! It makes me nostalgic for the good old days of Christians ‘putting on their armour’, as appose to ‘running the race’ or ‘going for gold’!

  Having said all of that, I would like to highlight a handy Gospel tool which I have learnt this last week.

  Can you explain the good news of the Jesus Christ using the 5 colours of the Olympic rings (plus the white background)?

  I can!

 

Gold: The colour of Kingship, Wealth and Power; reminding us of the splendour and power of the Lord God. He created all things and is ruler of the whole world.

 

 

 

Black: The colour of sin. Our hearts are black and lifeless, due to our rebellion and wilful rejection of God the King.

 

 

 

Red: The colour of blood. Jesus Christ died on a Roman cross, spilling his blood for our sins. He died so that our black hearts may be forgiven.

 

 

 

White: Pure. Undefiled. Righteous. The colour of our hearts after Jesus has forgiven us our sins. We are whiter than snow.

 

 

 

Green: The colour of trees, plants, fruit, vegetation. The colour of nature and growth. This reminds us that as Christians we are to grow. Jesus loves us as we are, but wants us to grow into holier people- more like himself.

 

 

 

Blue: The Sky. A reminder that, if we are forgiven our sins, we will one day spend eternity with God in Heaven. [N.B. Heaven actually isn’t in the sky!]

3 wishes

 

   It has long been said that  if one should come across a bottle or lamp in which a Genie has been imprisoned, then by simply rubbing the side of the aforementioned article the powerful spirit can be freed and- in view of services rendered- the Genie will be obliged to grant three wishes to the liberator.

   This, of course, is utter nonsense.

   One must ask oneself- why was the Genie imprisoned in the first place? And then- Having been freed, what possibly would convince this powerful creature to submit itself to the  foolish wishes of the human? Before asking either of these questions, it would be prudent to ask- Do Genies even exist; and if so why on earth should a glass bottle or brass lamp be able to contain them?!

   Putting these wise questions to one side, many children have asked themselves what 3 wishes they would have asked for in that situation. Doubtless many adults also have asked that same question.

   If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? *

*Please note: Genie’s do not allow “I’ll have a thousand more wishes, please.” as a wish.

   Its telling, isn’t it.

   Between 5-10 years  ago, without a shadow of a doubt, my first wish would have been along the lines of “Please let me not have to attend another Games or PE lesson ever ever again.” Now that I am freed from the shackles of formal education and no longer can be forced to run around the football pitch and neighbouring famer’s field until my legs feel like lead and my heart is 10000 degrees centigrade, I see that wishing for no more PE lessons would have been foolish. After all, given time my wish came to pass without the requirement of freeing a powerful and probably deceitful Genie from its lawful confinement inside a coca-cola bottle.

   As a Christian, my priorities have changed since those earlier days. Money, independence, a car, a house, a job, possessions: they don’t have quite the same sparkling lustre as they once did. Sure- they have their place. But can I live without them in such wild abundance as I have dreamed? Yes, I can. Paul wrote:

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”_{Philippians 4:12}

   Having been given eternal life in replacement for God’s eternal wrath at his sins, Paul realised that having riches or mansions or food, actually paled into relative insignificance in comparison!

   Its curious to note that Paul says “I have learned the secret of facing plenty….[and] abundance.”  Most folks would say that there is no secret to be learned! We can all face having lots of cash- no problems! However Paul is suggesting here that, if they are our primary concern, then riches and wealth are a serious problem!

   Why?

   Because they distract us from our future requirements.

   Do you remember my wish for no more PE? If I had been given 1 wish and had used it up asking for no more exercise then I would be feeling pretty stupid now that I have finished school (and I would be feeling pretty unhealthy too!). In a similar way, asking for more cash is really short-sighted. We have an entire eternity to spend either with God in Heaven, or without God in Hell. Surely that should be our main priority? And if, as Christians, we have already received the gift of eternal life then shouldn’t we want to be living lives that please our Saviour and that lead others to the wonderful truth about Jesus Christ? Surely that should be our main priority?

   So does the Bible give Christians any hints? What should we actually wish for? After all, the Bible does say:

“You do not have, because you do not ask.”_{James 4:2}

   Interestingly the Bible does offer us some clues.

   King Solomon, at the start of his reign, saw God in a dream:

    “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.””_{1 Kings 3:5}

   Solomon didn’t ask for a long life, a big Kingdom or lots of cash. He asked that God would give him wisdom. He asked that God would make him discerning so that he could understand what was good and what was bad. And the Bible records that God was pleased with Solomon’s request: instead of asking for longevity or possessions, the King had asked for something seriously beneficial.

   It isn’t only the book of 1 Kings which encourages us to ask for wisdom. The whole book of Proverbs is basically falling over itself to tell us the same thing: Above all…get wisdom!

   Imagine if every Christian was wise.

   Imagine if every single believer was discerning between good and bad, discerning between useful and wasteful.

   Its takes some doing, doesn’t it?! If I had wisdom; if I fully understood how much Christ sacrificed for me; if I fully understood how beneficial Bible reading and prayer is for my soul; if I fully grasped the wickedness and folly of my sin…. if I had wisdom then my life would be radically different.

   You know, God is no genie. He doesn’t give grudgingly or because he ‘owes us one’. In fact…

““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened…

…Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”_{Matthew 7:7-11}
  

   It is fairly unlikely that I will ever encounter a Genie. It is doubtful that if I ever met a Genie I would free it from it’s bottle or lamp. It is astronomically unlikely that any Genie I freed would be willing or capable of giving me wisdom.

   It is certain- without any shadow of doubt- that the Lord God loves to give wisdom to those who ask:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”_{James 1:5}

Tools for Effective Living, and other stories

 

Tools for Effective Living

  What a brilliant name for a book on Christian life! Tools for Effective Living would easily find a place on my bookshelf, alongside ‘Basic Christian Living’, ‘Keys for Spiritual Growth’, ‘Growing your Faith’ etc. etc. I can see The Good Book Co. stocking Tools for Effective Living.

  Tools for Effective Living, however, is not the name of a Christian bestseller. It is, quite inappropriately, the tag-line for a brand of dishrack.

Coalition for Marriage (C4M)

 

     Have a look at the C4M website, if you haven’t already been invited to, and sign the online petition. It is unashamedly simple, thoroughly biblical and of vital importance. It will require no more than 2 minutes of your busy schedule to read through and sign up!

    The petition was launched Monday and within 24 hours over 15,000 people had signed up. As of 6pm yesterday, the number was over 18,000. Now, at 12 noon, the number has surpassed 24,000.  Over to you….

 

          http://c4m.org.uk/

 

   P.S.  I hope you haven’t forgotten my plug for Summer Evangelism earlier this year:

http://minibakey.blogspot.com/2012/01/get-up-shake-yourself-act.html

   There is still plenty of time to apply for a position on a UBM team or on any one of the many other opportunities available. If you still need convincing, here is a Beach Mission promotional video…

 

The Lost City of Atlantis

 

  2,300 years ago a man told a story. Today films, books and tv all tell the same story, albeit with different slants and characters and details.

   A city, a continent, a civilisation the like of which the world has never seen. Advanced beyond the rest of the globe; an epic nation built on wealth and technology and art. The hub of the civilisation: a city built to the stars, surrounded by concentric walls and canals and roads; filled with marble temples and courts, statues and fountains. Truly a monument to human endeavour. A city like no other.

   These were no milksops. When faced by enemies they fought great wars and battles. They were a mighty naval power, or so we are told. Rival warriors, when faced by these forces, were beaten back to the very shores of their homeland- and maybe further.

    Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived around the 300BCs, wrote this,

“After the people of Atlantis became corrupt and greedy the gods decided to destroy them.”

    And if the Legend of the Lost City of Atlantis bears any truth then their demise was frightful indeed. Earthquakes shook the island/continent. But that wasn’t the worse of it.The quake was simply the beginning- shaken and disturbed, the sea rose up in anger and a great tsunami tore across the Atlantic towards the defenceless landmass of Atlantis. Waves of huge proportions struck the civilisation, and, when the storms had cleared, the mighty nation was gone.

 

    Did the City of Atlantis ever exist? Has it truly been lost? How did Plato discover the history of an extinct civilisation?

    

    I don’t know.

 

     Regardless of its truth, the legend can help us to see into the hearts of mankind. Why do scientists, geologists, historians and total weirdo's all obsess over finding the ‘lost’ city? I can think of at least 3 major films/books which picture Atlantis as a wonderful place where mankind has achieved his full potential. However when we examine the accounts of the city, it would appear to be a Babel-like place, where man worships his own works more than the God who created all things. If true, then it is a blessing that Atlantis was wiped from the face of the planet. Why do people persist in glorifying a civilisation which attempted, through the use of force, to dominate and enslave the whole of the earth?

    Maybe it is because, when man ‘does away with’ God, then mankind becomes its own God. We need something to worship. Why not worship ourselves, asks the atheist. If an ancient culture could build a vast city, reaching into the skies, then can we not create something much more lasting and glorious here, now?

   The answer, of course, is no. 

   When we read about Atlantis we cannot be sure that we are reading the truth. As a Christian, however, it is a joy to know that when I open the Bible I read only words of truth; words penned by an almighty God who loves me and detests sin. When our forefathers first attempted to build a mighty civilisation which would threaten the power of God they had a shock coming:

    And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

  The text goes on….

    And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.

   Yeah, a real tall tower they built. God actually had to come down from Heaven so that he could see it!

   The Lord confused the workers by giving them each a different language! They rushed to and fro and got more and more confused until they gathered into tribes and clans and scattered across the world.

   But God didn’t abandon mankind to themselves. Instead he offered them something much greater than a really really tall tower (we have such small ambitions!). He granted mankind eternal life in an eternal home! Why settle for playing in the mud when we can live in Heaven?! Why settle for worshiping fallible mankind when we can worship the Lord God who created, not a big city, but the whole universe!

     Reuters News Agency announced in 2011 that a group of scientists had discovered a possible site for Atlantis in Spain: It is amusing that the pinnacle of man’s achievement is now a patch of boggy marshland where newts and frogs spend their days! 

Righteousness

 

   I read this in a novel recently and wasn’t sure as to the truth behind it. After a bit of search-engine work I am satisfied that the Chinese ‘Alphabet’ does indeed reflect Atonement, as pictured by the Bible!

 

 

   Righteousness is depicted, as you can see, by a sheep (or elsewhere described as a ‘lamb’) over ‘me’.

   Biblically speaking, that is spot on. Righteousness is not something we can work towards. We will always fall flat on our faces (try reading the blog below about that!). Righteousness- acceptability before God’s throne- is only achieved through someone bearing our sins and taking our punishment. Jesus Christ  is the Lamb of the world. He was killed on a cross so that his people can be forgiven and can be ‘righteous’.

Can’t find the time?

“YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN, FOR YOU WERE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE…” _{1 Corinthians 6:20}

   
    There comes a point in every person’s life when the future appears to them as if it were a vast open road, or to be more precise, a vast network of open roads, paths, streets, rivers and canals. Clutching a set of car keys in one hand, a credit card  in the other, and a holdall of clothing and essentials seated between his (or her) feet, our hypothetical person has the narcotic of independence in abundance.

    After a childhood of dependence, the stimulating rush of freedom can be capable of greatness or, indeed, not-so  greatness. When each of us reach adulthood, complete with fresh driving licenses, new (albeit second-hand) cars, house keys and (…what appears, at first, to be…) an endless supply of cash we have the freedom to live our lives how we want to.

   Actually, this independence can start years earlier than our 18th birthdays. Remember that first day when you took a biscuit out of the barrel at 5.45pm (15 minutes before dinner) without asking permission?! You were 12  or 13 years old: fully capable of judging your own stomachs ability to digest a biscuit and a whole meal shortly after. You had finally claimed nutritional independence!

   Its funny how highly our society marks “independence”. Broadly speaking, parental authority and even marital responsibility are regarded on an equal par to the dictatorial leadership of certain tyrants from Northern Africa or the Middle East.
  Of course I exaggerate slightly!

    That said, even Christians can be easily taken in by the supreme role of Independence/Democracy in our Western lives. It is strange when we consider how, as we get older and ‘more mature’, we start to label ‘time’ as ‘our time’ (you’ve all heard the phrase “he doesn’t have the time of day for me.”) and we degrade ‘responsibilities’ or even ‘chores’ to ‘something we used to waste time on’.


    Every year since 2004 I have gone on a Christian Camp, starting with 2 Summer Camps for younger folks, and culminating with 5 Easter Camps for the “more mature” teenagers/young adults. It was on the second of the Summer Camps that I first gave my life over to the Lord. Come 2012 I will finally have reached the ‘too-old’ bracket (albeit an extremely flexible bracket, open to interpretation!).

    Thinking back over 7 week-long camps, I find, curiously, that the greatest blessing I have gained (in the later years at least) was that which I have labelled as “loss of independence”.  You see, it is quite humbling to discover that (for one week) your time is no longer ‘your own’. Early morning breakfast duties, coupled with washing up sessions, cleaning rotas and military-precision bible study times rapidly force you to work on someone-else’s schedule. At home, school, or even to a certain extent in the workplace, you can choose who you spend time with. At a camp, however, teams are formed by leaders in charge. While not suggesting that there are people on the camps I have attended who I wouldn’t want to spend time with- which, quite honestly, is not true- it is still a ‘step down’ to be told who to associate with! 

   ‘Camp’ has been a dramatic reminder to me, especially in my adult years, that my time and preferences are subservient to a ‘higher authority’- ultimately the Lord God, but also- to a certain degree- to his representatives as well: leaders, parents, bosses, teachers etc.

   As normal, C.S. Lewis has something useful to say on the subject! In The Screwtape Letters, a senior devil is writing to a junior tempter and advising him how to tempt a Christian man:

“You must therefore zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption “My time is my own.” Let him have the feeling that he starts  each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours…..The assumption which you want him to go on making is so absurd that, if once it is questioned, even we cannot find a shred of argument in its defence. The man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift; he might as well regard the sun and moon as his chattels.”

   It is easy to fall into the ‘independence trap’ of thinking that you have total control over 24 hours a day. In the Bible, James warns us about trusting our own plans for the future. He reminds us that we don’t even know “what tomorrow will bring”. James even goes so far as to describe humans as “a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” When we view our lives with the Biblical perspective, we rapidly realise that we owe all of our time to the Lord God. We simply cannot make our daily decisions without seeking the wisdom and insight which God graciously gives us in the Bible.

    The most amazing incentive for us to live as if each minute belongs to the Lord is given to us in the example of Jesus Christ. Although he was fully God, he “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Do you remember how the night before his arrest Jesus prayed to his Father “not my will, but yours, be done.”  If the King and Author of Life became the sacrificial lamb for his people, should we not then be prepared to live each day for the God who has granted us each tick-tick-tick of the clock?

      “YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN, FOR YOU WERE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE…
… SO GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY.”

Evacuate an Embassy

   No-one ever said that being an Ambassador was going to be easy. Living in a foreign land, surrounded by an alien culture and a semi-hostile- or at the very least, semi-suspicious- people. 
   That is why, in international relations, Ambassadors and Embassies are regarded as sacrosanct. Nations may well despise their enemies, and even their allies, but they must treat foreign representatives with all honour and pomp.
   That is also why the  events of yesterday (Tuesday 29th November 2011) have caused such a stir across the UN and EU. Any situation which causes the USA, Germany, France, Russia, the UK and the UN Security Council to agree must be serious indeed.
   A few days ago the UK, along with Canada and America, imposed new sanctions on Iran. The Iranian Parliament responded with a vote to downgrade diplomatic relations with Britain. Yesterday, coinciding with the anniversary of the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist (blamed on Britain), a mob of Iranian students stormed the British Embassy compound (known as one of the strongest ‘fortresses’ in Tehran). Offices were ransacked, papers burnt and general chaos ensued. Thankfully all the staff have been accounted for and, as we speak, many are being evacuated.
   Step back and consider for a moment.
   Christians are all Ambassadors in an alien land. We are men (and women) on a mission of utmost importance.

    “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

   Moses, Noah, Enoch and many others all lived as strangers and exiles on the earth. They knew that they were foreigners, waiting for the call home.
   However, our mission, our message, is going to cause much more havoc and disturbance than sanctions on Iranian banks ever could. Jesus said:

    “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

     The message of the Gospel is one which causes divisions and anger: All have sinned, all are condemned by “international” law, all will receive the judgement they deserve; but God sent his son to die for the sins of his people, through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance comes eternal life. Before one can realise the wonder of God’s grace they must first be faced with, and acknowledge, the depravity and helplessness of their own soul.
    This message has caused the torture and death of many ambassadors. Before his execution, Paul described himself as an ‘ambassador in chains.’
    What hope can a Christian have then when he is stuck behind enemy lines and facing an angry mob?   
    When I quoted Matthew chapter 28 earlier, I missed the end of the quote off. Read it again and see why a Christian should be encouraged:

    “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

    I don’t want to push the analogy too far, but the hope a Christian bears is this: He is not alone, his Prince and Commander-in-Chief is with him. Our Lord does not leave us unaided to proclaim his Gospel, we have a mighty compound (unimaginably more mighty than an embassy’s walls) encompassing us and keeping us safe.
   Dwell on that for a while.
   Remember this: despite the attacks against our walls, our God cannot be breached, he is our shield and our defender. We may be Ambassadors in an alien land, but we are not alone!

We rest on Thee, our shield and our defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender
We rest on Thee and in Thy name we go

Ozymandias:

                 the Self-proclaimed “King of Kings”

“Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

  My favourite poem (excluding hymns, psalms and biblical wisdom literature) is probably Ozymandias.
  Ozymandias…..
   ….. say the name slowly and roll it over your tongue.
   It is a name filled with ancient dread and power (If you have a healthy and vibrant imagination like me that is!).
  In 1818 two friends wrote competing sonnets with the same name: (you’ve guessed it) Ozymandias. The more famous of the two final articles, written by Percy Shelley, is the most ironic and poignant of the pair. They tell of the fall of nations, and the unequivocal fate of emperors and tyrants. Have a read and see what you think.

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: `Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear --
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.’

     The poem has a ring of Isaiah 39-40 about it. The prophet Isaiah writes an account set in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah. Hezekiah, on the whole, was a good godly King. However we learn that after God had blessed his reign with peace, stability and wealth, a number of envoys (or ambassadors) arrived from the local superpower: Babylon. The King seized the opportunity to show off his wealth and power; he showed the men every storeroom, every treasury and every armoury in his capital. Through his prophet, God rebuked Hezekiah for his pride. Isaiah chapter 40 is a stinging reminder that all of the might and power of men ultimately is worthless. God describes the nations as ‘a drop in a bucket’ and as ‘dust on a set of scales’.  God doesn’t stop there; we are reminded that, just like grass withers and flowers fade, all men will die eventually. To God, Isaiah writes, mankind is like a colony of grasshoppers running and jumping around on the surface of planet earth.

   Horace Smith’s version of Ozymandias helps us to remember that, like the Egyptian super-state before us, the British and American civilisations will eventually crumble (some would say it has already began!).

In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
"The wonders of my hand." The City's gone,
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.
We wonder, and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragments huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.

  Thankfully Isaiah chapter 40 tells us of someone whom we can trust, someone who will never crumble or be forgotten, someone who’s name is mightier than any Empire or civilisation. The Bible tells us that there is one with whom we can entrust our hopes, dreams and even our eternal souls.

    Have you not known? Have you not heard?   The LORD is the everlasting God,        the Creator of the ends of the earth.
    He does not faint or grow weary;
        his understanding is unsearchable.
    He gives power to the faint,
        and to him who has no might he increases strength.
    Even youths shall faint and be weary,
        and young men shall fall exhausted;
    but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
        they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
    they shall run and not be weary;
        they shall walk and not faint.(Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)

Who really is The Chairman?

 "Have you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;     his understanding is unsearchable."

                                                                                     Isaiah Chapter 40 verse 28

 Last week I watched Matt Damon's "The Adjustment Bureau". I knew, vaguely, that the film asked questions about the sovereignty of God, but I had thought little of it.

   Firstly, I would like to say how good it was to watch a film which actually had a meaningly question at its heart. Matt Damon tends towards staring in 'meaningful' films (with the odd exceptions) and he, I thought, acted brilliantly. It is rare that a film ventures further than pure entertainment: occasionlly we a treated to a political or romantic adventure but nothing of any real 'life or death' substance. This was an exception to that rule. The acting was solid, the backdrops and music was perfect and the effects were just as reliable. The plot was one which, while having a high level of tension and 'on-the-edge-of-the-seat-ness', allowed the watcher to immerse themselves in the drama and excitement. There were however several large- some would say gaping- holes in the questions which, though never faced directly, were implied throughout the plot.
   The film is based around a US Congressman running for Senate. While following his election trail we are introduced to a shady organisation which operates across New York. Men in overcoats in cool hats are always watching and whispering. These men, we soon learn, belong to the 'Adjustment Bureau'. Their job is to make 'adjustments' in peoples lives so that they continue to- unknowingly- follow 'the plan'.

   Early on in the film, however, one of these men makes a mistake and fails to delay the congressman from getting on a bus. This leads to a series of events through which David Norris discovers the existence of the bureau and of The Chairman- someone shrouded in mystery,  the one who actually wrote The Plan. You can see the not-so-subtle allegory here?!
   We soon learn that these people have been running planet earth for some time, and have often intervened- if not entirely manipulated- human history. They know all about us, and each carry a little black book which show both us (small pulsating red dots) and also our own small contributions to the overall plan.

   The story which follows is one in which the Congressman attempts to forge his own plan and to be reunited with the one woman he ever loved.
    By the end of the film we are left with mixed feelings about the bureau and its chairman. One of the adjustment men- angels?- leaves us with some words of- seemingly- great wisdom.

    It was an enjoyable film, if only for its drama (and the cool hats). However, as one would suspect of a secular film group trying to understand God, they really missed the best scene of all!
    By suggesting that Norris's plans were greater than The Chairman's they were greatly underestimating God and his wisdom. The Bible tells us that God was the one who created us and continues to sustain us: doesn't it go without saying that he knows and wants only the best for us?
    Contrary to God binding us in shackles and sending angels to force us into his will, we read in the New Testament that God often allows us to follow our own desires and to see for ourselves the problems and wickedness of our own plans.

"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.......For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.........And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done."

     The Angel-like men in T.A.B. are concerned that men, if left to their own devices, lead the world into war and darkness, (they probably have a point there!) and are more concerned with leading the world to a brighter future than in allowing individual people (like Norris) to flourish and be happy.  This is where the film writers really have missed the greatest scene of all!
  
     The Bible tells us that God so loved people- like you and me- that he sent his own son, Jesus, to become a man and to live among us. God knew that, rather than being slaves to his 'plan', rather we are slaves to our own sinfulness and wickedness. That is why Jesus had to die at the hands of Roman soldiers. So that we- the individual men and women that he created and loves- could be freed from slavery and could be reunited with God!

    In pitching The Chairman as a distant, secret, hidden man who orchestrates world affairs behind a closed door, the film fails to see God as he really is.

    If you really want to know God, then don't watch The Adjustment Bureau; but turn to the Bible, starting in the Gospels, because there you will meet Jesus and, trust me, you won't help but be amazed!

A Brighter Discontent

"But is a brighter discontent
The best that I could hope to find?"

   One of the main topics which regularly emerges in my blogs is that of  'the vanity of a life without God'. Below are a few posts which really highlight this point.

• One Life Remaining.......    
• The Greatest Story     
• P.S. Jesus loves you    
• A-Road Inspiration) 

   

   I think it is probably time to move on from this topic! Why? Because- on the other side of the proverbial coin- a life with God is brimming with purpose!

   I don't know if you have heard of The Submarines? They are a Californian-based duo. Fascinating story behind their music, look it up if you get a chance! In one song Blake Hazard (what a cool name!) sings these words:

"But is a brighter discontent

The best that I could hope to find?"

  I would humbly suggest that, without God, a 'brighter discontent' is indeed the most one can hope for! Without God life lacks purpose and spark. Work, relationships, money, pleasure: they are all, ultimately, meaningless.

   As Christians, however, we can experience true contentedness. An early Christian called Paul said these words:

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him..."

   Paul was prepared to give up his religious status, wealth, health and future all for the Lord Jesus. Why? Because he thought that knowing Jesus was of 'surpassing worth'.

    Contentedness is somewhat elusive. We live in a continual rat-race. Work, work, work, work. Make money, make friends, get qualifications, get power, get prestige. Keep trying harder. We think that if we could just get that next pay-rise, get that next promotion or get that next deal then we will finally be content. But it simply doesn't work like that. When we achieve our objectives we simply replace them with new and higher ones. We are constantly pushing on for the next 'big thing'. People who win the lottery seem so happy and content- you can watch them opening the champagne and celebrating. But I recently read a newspaper article describing how some 'winners' soon found that their lives were harder and less satisfying after winning the lottery than before! Money brings its own problems.

   So how come Paul was so content? What is it that we really need?

   In a recent episode of the British sci-fi series Doctor Who the Doctor's companion realised something about her friend:

"You are looking for Salvation!"

The Doctor replies:

"Aren't we all."

   Is this true? Has the BBC finally caught on?

   Yes I think so.

   In the bible the secret of contentedness is revealed: its Jesus.

   In him we find salvation and freedom. When we discover that God came to earth to suffer and die so as to bear the punishment for our own sin then our lives are transformed. Paul says this:

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

   If you are a Christian then you have such a wonderful gift. You have the secret of contentedness. Christ has forgiven you for your sins and reserved a home in heaven for you. Whatever happens here on earth now is of little consequence- because you are safe with your saviour!

   Life without God may be meaningless and vanity. But life with God is a content one. We can truly have more than just a 'brighter discontent'!

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”"

                                                                                Hebrews 13 verses 5-6

1 Life Remaining.....

Okay, so who has ever played The Sims?

I have. In fact, I used to love that game.

For those of you who are totally un-cultured, The Sims is a simulation game (hence "sims") where the player controls an individual and family throughout their lives; building houses, buying furniture, going to work, meeting and socialising, using the toilet, sleeping, making dinner etc etc etc (you get the general gist)

The original game- bought out in 2000- is the best-selling PC game of all time. The Sims 2- its sequel arriving in 2004- is number 2. The Sims 3- a more recent version- is also near the top of the list.

The world loves The Sims.

It is a PC game which can eat away hours upon hours upon hours. But what is the aim of the game? What is it all for?

Hmmmmmm.

Have you, like me, reached the point (countless times!) where you realise that your sim- although physically designed to your own standards of attractiveness, although rich beyond your wildest dream, although sporting over 20 "Friends" and 100 "Acquaintances" (Which in Sim terms is pretty amazing!) and although living the 'American Dream' with a huge house and great job- actually has no purpose whatsoever?

After spending hours building up your sim's social life, work and investments, you discover that actually there is nothing left to aim for. Even if the sim was a real human being his life would still have no point or purpose. It is all futile.

Ultimately there are no objectives, no secondary objectives, no missions to complete, no leader boards to reach.

Hmmmmmmm.

However, it would seem that millions upon millions, countless peoples live in a virtual 'Sim world'. They try to build up their homes, they beautify their faces, they stack up their 'simoleons' (sim money!) and work their way up the corporate ladder.

They are totally 100% engrossed in a game. Except this game is real.

But why?

Will a dream home really satisfy us or are we made
for something better?

In The Sims there is no mission to be completed, no 'level-up' to reach, no 'checkpoint' or 'save game here'. Is it true that in real life as well there is no Final Score? No Scoreboard to climb?

By default we are all living in our own sim worlds.

Conversely the Lord God- who lives outside of time and, so to speak, outside of the game- entered the game. He became 'sim' and walked onto our PC screens.

Perhaps I am taking this metaphor too far, and I don't want to sound irreverent, but God truly did something as astounding as this. He loves us so much that he came into this world to transform us and to give us a purpose.

He gave his life so that we can have his. The Bible says that whoever keeps his life will lose it but whoever loses his life will gain it. Sound confusing?

Well, Jesus is asking you this: Why hang on to your boring, pointless 'sim life' when you can have life everlasting in him?

Are we living simply to keep our
diamonds green and happy?
Or is there a greater purpose?

None of us deserve eternal life. In fact, we all deserve punishment and eternal death for what we have done. We have rebelled against God- rather than taking the life he offers us we have turned up our noses and decided that we can do better on our own. We have rejected God's plan and design and have constructed our own 'sim city' (otherwise known as 'sin city').

Through Jeremiah, God put it like this:

for my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me,

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

broken cisterns that can hold no water.

We deserve God's punishment for our rebellion. But God, loving us so so much, sent his son to die for us. Jesus Christ bore the punishment that we rightly deserve. He died so that we might live. If  we confess our sin- our rejection and rebellion against God- and ask his forgiveness then he will forgive us and give us true life: a life worth living!!

So, are you going to give up your pointless, unsatisfying and pixelated "life" and receive true God-given life or are you going to continue playing the game?

Spoiler Alert: Life without God is not life at all. It gets boring and repetitive and dull. Its tough: there's no easy mode to play.

And, crucially..... there are no cheats in real life!

P.S. Jesus loves you

I flicked on the TV last night at 9ish and watched the first 10 minutes of a film being rerun. About 80 minutes later I turned the TV on again and, faced with nothing else of any interest, watched the last 20 minutes or so of the same film.

I think I got the gist of the story. A young American lady who had married at 19 is faced with the death of her "charming" Irish husband. Already it sounds quite a deep film, however to add some more drama to the proceedings, her husband, Jerry, left a series of letters with family members for her.

I caught the opening of the last two letters, and was intrigued to see how the story might pan out.

If you haven't guessed which film this was then a big clue is in the ending of each letter: P.S. I love you.


When I picked up the story, the lady was faced with trying to discover some meaning or purpose in her life after the death of Jerry. Whatever she did seemed empty. Nothing felt right. Her friendship with a man named Daniel (I joined the film late and have no idea where this feller came from) just lacked something: he wasn't Jerry.

After reading a letter Jerry had left with his mother, we learn- through a flashback- of how they first met. She, a young naive American tourist, was lost in deepest Ireland. Jerry finds her on a roadside. She, full of the youthful vigour of an art student, tells him that as we must pour out all of our creativity into our life (or words to that effect).

Back in the present day, she attempts to rekindle that creativity by designing shoes. Unsurprisingly it doesn't take her long to discover that shoes, on their own, do not hold much meaning or purpose.

Eventually, one year (and one more letter) on, she finds some slight purpose in her creative work and in her friendship with her mother. Jerry is gone but she feels that she can, one day, love again.

The credits roll.

I found this ending very honest; alarmingly honest in fact. Although my sleep-deprived brain failed to pinpoint my worry, I felt that it was too honest. She may have come to terms with her loss of Jerry and her lack of ultimate purpose, but I hadn't. This morning, over breakfast, I managed to realise what it was that I had felt: truthfully, how much meaning can one find in a life without God? All credit to the film producer and script writer- they hadn't tried to insert some pointless meaning in her life. Why? Because they, presumably, couldn't find anything that would work.

Perhaps the one meaning or purpose they had found was in the love between Jerry and the lady (who's name eludes me). Throughout the film she kept looking back and pining after the love they shared.

However I couldn't help but observe- perhaps because I missed the middle of the film- that the beginning of the story disagreed. It had started with a row between the couple. He wanted kids, she wasn't ready just yet. The fight led to Jerry demanding what it was that she really wanted in life. She had no answer. He stormed out.

P.S. I love you has actually managed to highlight the real issue in life. There is no meaning without God. The highest form of purpose mankind has found (without God) is love. But love- if left long enough- appears to end and fail and crumble and decompose.

Could it be that the love idealised by society is actually not love as it is meant to be?  The Bible says that God is love. Therefore Godless love is, at best, an empty carcass- a shell of the real thing.

Solomon, thousands of years ago, tried to find a purpose in life without God. He tried work, pleasure, power, entertainment, religion and love. In fact Solomon wrote the book on love! Song of Solomon is the world's greatest love song! However, although he acknowledged that all of these things have their time and place, ultimately none of them give us meaning or purpose without God.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

  a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

  a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

  a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

  a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

  The book of Ecclesiasties, writen by Solomon, starts with these words: Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity, says the preacher. Life without God is vanity.

At the end of his book Solomon came to this conclusion: The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.


I don't know about you, but to me that sounds pretty painful. The 'whole duty of man' is to fear God? To keep his rules? Well Jesus tells us that actually there is nothing better to do!

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Bible has no footnote: P.S. I love you. You want to know why? The whole book says it! God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not die but have eternal love! When we realise this and trust in God and love him with all our hearts, souls and minds then we experience love as it truly is. We finally find the truth and purpose in this life.

Solomon found it eventually.

I can't help but wonder if we shall see a sequel...

P.S. Jesus loves you

Who died and made you King of anything?

I hate to break it to you babe, but I’m not drowning
There’s no one here to save

Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

    Fascinating song I heard on the radio a few days ago. Hmmmm. Very catchy actually. Thats the problem, I haven't been able to shake it out of my head. The lyrics have spun around and around like socks in a tumble drier. Hmmmm. But, when you consider what Sara Bareilles is actually singing, how true is it?
   Presumably she is telling us about a relationship which went sour, apparently because of the arrogance and controlling nature of the man: Sara ironically ends with "Let me hold your crown, Babe." (One wonders if there was actually another side to this particular sob story?!)
    On the other hand, the lyrics, especially the chorus, have a curious reflection of many an athiest's response to the Gospel and the people who proclaim it.

    I'm not drowning, there's no one here to save. But what does the Bible say? "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." I think we all need saving! And what did Jesus say about himself? "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
   So if we are all lost and drowning, in need of a saviour, then why can't everyone see it?! Ah, well Paul has the answer:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

    The cross of Christ, where he died as the sacrifice for our sins, where he pulled us out of the deep waters, if utterly foolish to those who are drowning. Thanks be to God for showing us the truth! Jesus prayed and thanked His Father for making the weak and foolish people wise in the things of God! This knowledge should lead those of us who are being saved to have compassion on the lost and to constantly pray for them, not to mention warning them of their predicament and proclaiming Christ's rescue mission!

 
     Who died and made you king of anything?


   Well, Jesus did actually! 


   Not only has He saved us from the dark waters of sin in which we were sinking, but He gave us his own righteousness. We are now co-heirs with Christ, adopted sons of the Lord! 

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.  

    We who were drowning are now Princes with Christ! We are co-heirs with Christ! The Lord Jesus Christ has granted us eternal life and has clothed us in his robes of righteousness. How he loves us!
    This is the news we should be singing about! Who died and made you King of anything? The Lord Jesus Christ did!

December's Delights

   As I haven't blogged in a few weeks I thought I might share a few thoughts I have had recently while reading my bible...

    The God who Reigns


 The sheer weight of common sense and wisdom seems to point toward a being who holds this world in his hand, watering it and tending to it, with love and might and truth. When each of us ponders God, we know that he must surely be.
   When one finally realises for oneself that a God reigns over this world, then they simply must worship and praise him. It goes without saying. The book of Psalms is a hymn book that overflows with praise and adoration- the primary purpose of mankind. King David wrote the words of Psalm 18, rejoicing in a God who reigns and who greatly helps his people; verses 28 to 31 make up my memory verses for this week:

For it is you who light my lamp;

the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

  For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

  This God—his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

For who is God, but the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?—

   I watched a video clip from youtube yesterday which highlighted further mankind's desire to praise and to glorify God. An unsuspecting crowd of shoppers in a food hall are treated to a sudden Hallelujah chorus, as various of the shoppers (cunningly disguised choir members) leap to their feet and join their voices to the beautiful performance.
   It is difficult to listen to Handel's Messiah without being amazed and overawed by the music. (Handel took his inspiration and many of his 'lyrics' from Isaiah and Luke in the Bible). I sat in the Royal Albert Hall two Christmas' ago and heard the whole Messiah, it was stunning. I know very little about music and even less about classical pieces, but the sounds and, more importantly, the words describing our Saviour left me staggered. The thought that God is being glorified- even if many of the choir do not understand what they are singing or whom they are singing about- is great.
    Likewise, the crowd in the shopping precinct sit both dumbstruck and delighted listening to a chorus about the Lord Jesus reigning! Many of the comments left by watchers of the video clips are saying about how wonderful it is to hear God being praised like that, in an almost (paradoxically) spontaneous fashion.  Perhaps Heaven will be something like that?! Angels and saved sinners spontaneously bursting into song and praise!
    At Christmas time the western world thinks, if only briefly, about Jesus Christ, and although few may realise why he actually came to earth (especially as a babe) we must seize the opportunity to thank and worship our God! We must seize this brief window when people are open and willing to hear about Jesus to spread his Gospel of wondersome news!!
 

    Revelation's Blessings  

   During the course of my daily bible readings I have recently been reading Revelation (almost at the end!).
   In the early chapters of the book of Revelation, the Lord speaks to the seven great churches of the 1st Century world, he gives them warnings, rebukes, encouragement and exhortation. Repeatedly, to each church in turn, the Lord ends with a comment "The one who conquers........" or "To the one who conquers........". 
   Throughout the New Testament the Christian's life is compared to warfare. In Ephesians we are told to buckle up and to dress ourselves in the garb and equipment of a soldier. Paul lists every metaphorical item we must wear. At the end of his life, in his letter to Timothy, Paul says "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 
   We are constantly told to "endure" and to continue in our faith- the Christian life is a battle which only ends when Christ returns or takes us home. The Lord Jesus has won ultimately, but the struggle will continue for a short time. The 80's Christian band, Petra, have this to say:

"This means war, and the battle's still raging,

                War. 

       The victory's secure, and victory's sure,

                  But until judgement we all must endure.....

                           This means war!"

 (please note:  I do not advocate, under normal circumstances, taking theological advice from rock bands)

    One thing which we must never lose sight of is this: we only endure, we only conquer through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is him who 'keeps us'  and 'holds us'. Our own works gain us nothing: our Christian walk, like our salvation, entirely rests on Jesus and his mercy toward us.
   If, through Christ's wonderful free gift of life and forgiveness, we do 'fight the good fight' and finally 'conquer' then these are the blessings which the Lord God promises to the 1st Century Christians, and to us as well:  

"To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

"The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death" 

"To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it." 

"The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations..... And I will give him the morning star."

"The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." 

"The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name." 

"The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne." 

...."He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" 

Grace in Nature #3

   Okay, so todays blog is pushing the whole "Grace in Nature" idea a bit far, I know. But, in the word's of the Apostle Paul, "bear with me in a little foolishness."!


   Two weeks prior to my writing of this blog, my laptop experienced some major problems. It all started one sunny day with a message flashing on the screen.
   "AVG: Threat Detected, Trojan...........
     Remove to Vault? Or Destroy?"
  Knowing how much anti-virus programs love to scare monger, I sent the "threat", or "infection", to the dingy and damp hole in the C-Drive which is known, rather melodramatically, as "the vault". I thought no more of the whole issue. Until, one day later.....
    "This program has been closed. Risk of memory damage."
   Annoying, but again I didn't panic. Until, the following evening.....
    "Windows Host Services has been forced to close."
   And then....
     "AVG: Multiple threats detected, Trojan......"
   Of course, being male, I attempted to fix a problem that I neither knew or understood. My efforts fell far far short. So, instead of seeking out assistance, I ignored the problem, hoping that it would eventually go away. I was content to push any "threats" or "infections" into the vault, where I would ignore them, not thinking about the source or cause of all the issues.
    Rapidly things got worse, soon firefox was failing even to open, more and more messages from AVG and Microsoft were appearing: memory failure, multiple infected files, trojan..., Host Services failing, safe mode etc etc etc.
    Finally I realised the extent of the issue. So, I let my mate Graeme do his magic with the laptop. Unfortunately his efforts, although brave and much more thorough than my own, were too little, too late. The damage had been done. After inquiring of various experts and "dealers" whom I am aquatinted with, I was informed that my only remaining option was to entirely wipe the disc, leaving nothing behind, but destroying the virus in the process.
     Unfortunately I foolishly thought that I could continue to muddle through- even though I was told that my laptop's emergency restore system would do all the work for me!  But, eventually, there came a point whereby I acknowledged what I needed to do (albeit after the screen had totally snowed out and nothing would work!).
    I turned to the system that had been put in place for this very situation: Vista Backup and Restore. I pressed the highlighted buttons and then Vista took the whole thing over. The whole laptop was wiped and restored to its original factory settings. The viruses were gone, along with all my "baggage" (programs, files, pictures, documents: Megabytes upon megabytes of rubbish that I never use or need, that had clogged up my computer and slowed down the system.). It was as if the laptop had a new lease of "life"! It was brand new again.

     So, maybe you are struggling to see the "Grace in Nature" link here? My apologies, maybe "Grace in Technology" would be more applicable! Allow me to unravel the metaphor here for a moment:

    A virus had somehow gained access to my laptop. My igoogle dictionary defines a virus as

  Something that poisons one's soul or mind

   I think that a virus is to a computer what sin is to a man. Everyone sins, and sin is a virus. The prophet Daniel said:

All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.

    I ignored the virus, thinking that dealing with it would be such a hassle and annoyance. I allowed it to grow, slowly eating away at Window Vista's functions and programming. Perhaps my metaphor falls short here; in our lives we also ignore sin due to the disruption destroying it would cause, but we also like the sins in our lives- we treasure them (which certainly cannot be said for a computer virus!) Even though they eat away at us, slowly poisoning our minds and souls, we still secretly relish them and hate the thought of "putting them to death". The early Puritans saw the wickedness of sin, here are just a few of the books written by them on the subject:
  The Sinfulness of Sin
  The Mischief of Sin
  The Anatomy of Secret Sins
  The Evil of Evils or The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin
  In his book "Respectable Sins" Jerry Bridges quotes from "The Sinfulness of Sin", and he says that in only a few pages the author managed to describe sin as vile, ugly, odious, malignant, pestilent, pernicious, hideous, spiteful, poisonous, virulent, villainous, abominable and deadly. Thats quite a list! Isn't it time that we saw sin for what it is?
   As I ignored my Vaio's virus, it grew more and more, affecting my internet browsers capabilities, and scuppering "Windows Host Services" (which, incidentally, is quite important!). Likewise, sin is described as "virulent". My igoogle dictionary describes that as:

Capable of causing disease by breaking down protective mechanisms of the host. Intensely irritating, obnoxious, or harsh.

You can see the connection? Sin, like a computer virus, slowly dulls our consciences and tweeks at our ethics. Eventually we are totally compromised.
   However many "good" programs or files we upload to our laptops, the virus cannot be contained or "overshadowed". It continues to grow. I attempted to install a number of anti-virus systems, but the damage had already been done. Likewise, trying to work our way out of sin is bound to fail. Self-help is no help at all.
    The good news is this: a full disc wipe will destroy sin. The catch? We cannot hang on to any "little" or "respectable" sins. Jesus demands it all. Sins is a cancer, none can be left- for our own good! The Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross, to bear the punishment and wrath for his peoples sins, so that they may be wiped clean.

As far as the east is from the west, 

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

    My metaphor certainly fails at this point! Because the Lord does not only (if I can use the word "only" here!) wipe our sins. But he also gives us his own righteousness. We are perfect and complete in the sight of God! When he looks at us, he doesn't see our record of failures and embarrassments and bad thoughts, no: rather he sees Jesus! How marvelous, how wonderful! Hallelujah!
   You know, all the time the virus was on my computer, I had the solution right under my nose, Vista did it all for me, I just clicked the "start" button. The solution to our sin is free. There is no annual subscription charge to this particular software! The Lord has paid the full price, he died and rose from the dead, the payment is made, the debt is gone.
   Does this mean that we are free to sin? Absolutely not! Why would anyone download a virus onto a clean disc? God has saved us from our sin, we love him, praise him, and wish to live a life that brings glory and honour to him.

   

    Let me leave you with a couple of awe-inspiring verses of scripture...

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.

This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.