Where did that week go?

I worked on Monday and then we flew to Ireland to see our relatives and friends for a few days. It was half term and the time didn't half fly. Into Belfast International at 11 a.m. , up to Ballymena, then down to Newtonards to see my wife's sister and her family. Back to Belfast at night to visit friends. Home late.

Wednesday - a bit of a lie in, then out for the day with friends (back to Belfast) then home to spend the evening with my wife's Mum and Dad. Our daughter went out for a meal with friends she had been in the Ukraine with and our Son went off to spend the night at our friend's son's house.

Thursday - up and in to Ballymena by 9.15 a.m. , time for an Ulster Fry (good healthy living). Off to Ballymoney to visit my Brother in Law and his wife. There for the rest of the day, back to Ballymena for 7 p.m., collected cases and then off to the airport for the flight home.

Three days off - you must be joking. Three days on a flying visit without hardly drawing breath.

Seems that's how our life goes. Maybe that's how your life goes. Hardly any time to think. Little time to take in what are we doing with our lives. What is all the rush and activity about?

I thank God that I learned early in life why I am on this planet. I thank God for parents who taught me the truth. Why we die? Where we came from? What's next when life is over?

What about you! Have you stopped to think yet? Or are you rushing on and missing the point of your existence. It's not to make money, it's not for success in itself, it's not solely for personal happiness. You were created to bring God glory and when you are doing that you will be fulfilled in yourself and a blessing to others.

Our self centred lives, our sin against God is the reason why we do not know God and enjoy the real things in life (not the toys this world offers but the truth, joy, pleasure, honesty etc that comes from God).

To get to know God you need to confess your guilt before Him and admit your need of Him. He will save you and bless you. In the Bible the way back to God is summarised like this. 'Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ'. That means you turn from your sin and admit it is wrong and that God is right. Then you turn to God's Son, the Lord Jesus and trust him to forgive and save you. He came from heaven, born of the virgin, live a perfect lfie and allowed men to crucify him so that you could be forgiven. He personally paid the price God demanded for sin so that you could be forgiven. Would you trust Him today? I pray that you will.

Kind regards and God's blessing, Stephen

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Losing the will to live!

Sadly my wife and I heard this week of an ex colleague of hers who decided to take his own life last week. It was unexpected and tragic. The lose of a valuable life. He was a lovely man and a great professional nurse and was very good at his job but he could not see the point of living any longer.

I also have been touch with a young man this week who says that he realised that he needs to know God better, to be forgiven and so he got on his knees and cried to God. God hears and saves when a person does this.

What about you? I hope you are not in dispair but you also make a choice every day. We either choose live or we choose to continue being dead to God and the life he has on offer.

Please choose life today. The Lord Jesus said 'I have come that they may have life'.

Choose life and live

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Can you trust what anyone says any more?

I know every one is writing about it but it is big news. When I was a lad, Banks were so secure that we thought that it was impossible for a Bank to "go bust". That's probably why I joined a Bank at the tender age of 16 and spent the next 26 years of my life working in the financial services sector. So here we are in the 21st century and you cannot even trust a Bank. What is left that is dependable? What worries me is that we are told one day that everything is fine by the very people who then have to admit that everything has gone wrong so soon afterwards.

Truth seems to disappear all for the sake of public confidence in something that is already destined to fail.

Well those of you who read my blogs will know that I believe that God can be trusted. The Bible says that 'God cannot lie'. The Bible says about things that God says that they are 'true and faithful' i.e. they are to be trusted.

Can I tell you about one of the 'true and faithful' things that God says in His word. Here it is 'that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'. This statement can be trusted. Firstly it is true historically and factually. Jesus did live, He did die and He did claim that He had come 'that they might have life'. Secondly it is true practically - that is if you come to God and confess to Him that you (like me) got it wrong, that you have broken His law and that you deserve what is coming to you. He will save you. That means He will legally grant you a pardon from God (see Romans 5), He will give you a new beginning and a new power to live (see the Gospel of John chapter three about being born again and 2 Corinthians 5), He will rescue you from being condemned by God on the day of judgement (John 5:24).

You really can trust God when he speaks. Why not take Him at His word and pray confessing your sin to God - He will save.

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