Who on earth am I?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? 

There are many answers and very likely lots of them are true. You are the son or daughter of ‘so and so’. You are a man, woman, married, single, have children, no children, arty, musical, clever, practical and so the list goes on.

There are so many things that are different about each of us but we also have some common traits.
We are all human. This covers a lot of ground. Our birth, our frailty, our fears, our flaws and mistakes, our hurt, our death.

Have you ever stopped to think why there are so many things we have in common? The Bible explains the reason. God created us in the first place ‘in His image’. This among other things gives us the capacity to be creative, think and make choices. The first man, Adam, made a choice
to disobey one of the simple commands of God and as a result ‘sin came into the world’. 

This brings us to another common feature of humanity, we are mortal. We are naturally wayward, the Bible calls this sin. Let’s be honest, we all know that we disobey the law to varying degrees. But we also disobey God’s law. The effect of sin in our lives on a day to day basis is hurt, pain, aging and mistakes. The ultimate common effect of sin in all our lives is death. Death is an awful thing. It separates us from our loved ones, it causes pain and brings dark days into our lives. BUT, death is also the defining moment when we seal our eternal destiny. What we have believed in this life, cannot be changed after death. Death is the gateway to the next world which the Bible describes as being one of two places, heaven or hell. Heaven being a place of conscious enjoyment and bliss, hell of conscious regret and suffering.

So back to the question - who am I? I’m not just thinking of who you are as you see yourself. I’m really interested if you have discovered that you are flawed and sinful. When you make that sad but realistic discovery, you will then become aware that there is a Saviour for sinners. The Bible says ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. This would be the greatest discovery of your life. 

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

Goodnight but not Goodbye

Goodnight but not Goodbye

I have just come back from my Father in Law's funeral. This took place in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. I flew home lat night.

He was an amazing man. The Lord took him home to heaven on Saturday morning at 1:55 am. He is now in heaven, in the presence of the Lord Jesus, in the presence of God, the Father. Psalm 16:11 states 'in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore'. David McMullan is now enjoying the presence of the God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, in a way that he had never experienced before.

For those of us left behind, who are Christians there is a slight feeling of jealousy. To be with the Lord Jesus will be the most wonderful thing we could ever imagine. In fact we cannot even begin to imagine it. The only way to be sure that we end up in heaven is to agree to heaven's terms. Jesus said 'I am the way, the truth and the life no man comes unto the Father but by me'.

Death is awful. It separates from loved ones in this life and can separate us for eternity from the love of God. However if we repent of our sin and believe the gospel nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

As I close let me remind you of what the Bible teaches about dying. This is a great comfort to all believers who have lost a loved one:

Psalms 116:15 - Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

This is true because God delights to receive into heaven those who trust Him.

2 Corinthians 5:6-9 - So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

When we die we are 'away from the body'. We abandon our bodies at death as they were only needed for this life. In the next life we will either be in hell or with the Lord in heaven.

My last verse is this:

Psalm 17:15 - As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

My father in law is finally fully satisfied having looked into the face of The Lord Jesus Christ. Where would you be if you had passed through the 'valley of the shadow of death'? Would you have reached heaven's shore safely or will you one day hear the words of Jesus Christ saying, 'depart from me I never knew you'.

For us the parting was hard but the reality is we have only said goodnight and not good bye. We will see him 'in the morning' when Jesus Christ comes back again. The parting, although painful, is only for a little while. For the scriptures teach in Hebrews 10:37 For yet “in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay".

The Lord bless you.

Stephen

Do you believe in God?

Do you believe in God?

Whatever your answer God loves you and is interested in you. God created us in His image. That is why we have a conscience about right and wrong and an inbuilt sense of justice and injustice.

The world we live in can be a sad and hard place. This is because of wrong doing and sin. Sin came into the world through the first man, Adam. But, God is love. He loves everyone in the world. That is why He sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world!

God is pure and holy. He must punish sin. Yet He has given us a way back to Himself. By asking God for forgiveness for our sin we can have peace with God!
There is only one way. Refusal to come to God by accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour leaves God with only one option. He must judge sinners and will send them to a place of eternal punishment, the Lake of Fire.

Make sure you don't end up there!

Posted from Seek the Truth Bible Media. For more information visit www.seekthetruth.org. We'd love to help you get on the journey to heaven.

Location:Earth - temporarily

You'll never walk alone - LFC Anthem

Liverpool Football Club Anthem

The words 'You'll never walk alone' are well known to every Liverpool fan. Those of us who live in the city see the symbol of Liverpool Football Club so often that we probably often forget that this is the motto.

‘You’ll never walk alone - when you walk through a storm hold your head up high’

We all face storms in life. No one said that life would be smooth and easy. But why is it like this? The Bible states that it is because of evil and sin. ‘By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned’.(1)

Does God care?

Did you ever wonder why a God of love would allow the tragedies that occur in the world? Does it anger you that so many people seem to suffer innocently?  

When people suffer they generally question whether God really cares and is a ‘God of Love’. This may be a natural reaction as no-one wants to suffer in any way. I must tell you that it was never God’s intention that the human race should suffer. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden it was a place of tranquility and peace, in fact everything ‘in the garden was rosy’. They personally enjoyed the blessing of God and were there to develop a prosperous earth and to have total control of everything on the planet. Their circumstances could not have been more idyllic.

So why are things so bad now?  To answer this question we must consider God’s relationship with our ‘first parents’ at the beginning of human history. There was no suffering of any kind – WHY? Because there was no SIN! The human will and the right to make a free choice had not yet been used to disobey the commands of God. This however did happen very early in human history and sin became a reality. The Bible puts it very clearly; ‘by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned’. Adam had been well warned of the awful consequences of disobedience: distance between man and God, human suffering of every kind and ultimately death. The physical world would also be affected which we can now see in the current evidences of a deteriorating planet.

The Bible record teaches us that the initial cause of suffering does not lie with God, it lies with man. It is the result of man’s fallen and sinful nature which we all inherited from our ‘first parents’. Our suffering is as hurtful to God as it is to us because God not only sees our temporary sufferings but he knows that if we die without his salvation we will suffer for ever in hell. We are powerless to solve the problem of sin but God took great delight in providing ‘the solution’. The evidence of God’s love is that He sent His Son, Jesus ‘into the world to save sinners’. Why Jesus? Because the person who died for sin had to be sinless! There was only one person who qualified – God’s own Son, Jesus. By his death Lord Jesus paid the price for sin and as a result God can offer forgiveness to everyone. One of the reasons the Lord Jesus ‘rose again’ on the third day was to prove that God was satisfied with the work that he had done.

A final question! Why doesn’t God sort it all out now? Can’t He remove sickness and suffering and make life a lot more pleasant for all of us? Why does he not act in justice now instead of at the end of time? There is no one short answer to this question but here are a few of the reasons why things are the way they are.

1.     The death of the Lord Jesus at Calvary laid the foundation for a full and final solution. You can enjoy personal salvation now but you still have to live in a world of sin until you die or the Lord Jesus comes back.

2.     God has not yet judged the world or removed sin from the world because He is still offering salvation to people. When He withdraws the offer of salvation He will judge the world and all the other effects of sin will be dealt with at the same time.

3.     The final reason is that people often learn lessons through the hard circumstances of life and they can miss what God is saying to them when life is smooth and easy.

In closing – will you take up God’s offer of forgiveness? To do so you need to be deeply aware of your sin and admit to God that you have wronged him. The next step is to turn from your sin (reject it and leave it behind) and believe in (trust in) the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can offer you forgiveness. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’.

To verify this information please read the following passages in the Bible (Romans 5.12, Acts 17.22-31, Acts 16.31)

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

Bad weather predicted!

No one likes to hear that the forecast is not good. Whether it is a business forecast, a weather forecast or a forecast of the outcome of treatment when faced with illness. It is news we do not want to hear.

Can I point to you to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is recorded in Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 that He said 'Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest'. The scriptures explain that He, the Lord Jesus, came 'to preach the gospel to the poor' that is more than financially poor, that he was sent to 'heal the broken hearted', to 'preach deliverance to the captives', and 'recovering of sight to the blind' and to 'set at liberty them that are bruised'.

If you fit any of these categories the Lord Jesus came to help you. If you are spiritually poor, broken hearted, spiritually blind and bruised He can help you.

How is it possible. It's all because of His death on the cross. He suffered the just for the unjust to bring us to God. Will you admit your need, confess your sin, acknowledge His authority and come to Him. He alone can give rest. He conquered death and rose from the dead and those who trust Him alone pass from death to life.

May God bless you,

Stephen

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

Will you dare to be different?

Will you dare to be different?

Do you like to be an individual or do you like to go along with the crowd? Most of us are quite individual in our outlook and will stand our ground if we think we are right. Having said that some people don't like to be different and so would rather go along with the crowd.

Recently I came across a lot of people who are not prepared to think for themselves. They follow the current trend in our society to 'rubbish' belief in God and to ridicule the idea that there might be some validity to faith. If you are reading this blog you are probably not one of these people but you may come across them from time to time. Just remember that faith is only as good as the one in whom you trust. This is why it is so important to understand the integrity of the Bible and the historical basis of the facts stated in it. 

The Bible states in Psalm 118:8 'It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man'. Incidentally this is the central verse of the whole Bible when you divide it up by the number of chapters and verses - interesting and significant! The Bible also states that it is better that your faith 'should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God'.

Will you dare to be different? Read the word of God, the Bible, today. Start in the New Testament and read the four gospels. Discover the truth concerning the Son of God, Jesus, becoming man and dying 'for the ungodly' - that's all of us, as we did not know God by nature and were disobedient to Him. He, the Lord Jesus, is worthy of your trust as He died to be your Saviour. Pray to Him today, search for Him in prayer and in reading the Bible. Admit your guilt before God and 'call upon the name of the Lord' and you will be saved. Please email me at stepcar61@gmail.com if you need help and I will be delighted to try to help you.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

BBC Children in Need @BBCCiN #CiN

Do you appreciate your children? Do the stories of disadvantaged and ill children that you see tonight pull at your heartstrings because you think ‘that could be my child’? You picture your child in the situation and think about what that child is going through and how you would cope. We should be truly grateful for how well off we are! It’s another reason why we all need to play our part in Children in Need. They do fantastic things for an amazing cause to raise a lot of money.  

BBC Children in Need (@BBCCiN, #CiN) is an annual but amazing event. It happens every year because the need in our world never seems to diminish. I hope that you give generously and the money is well used. 

The question that it raises in my mind is why? Why is there cruelty? Why are there disadvantaged children? How can people be so cruel? What is the cause of the problem? It's one thing to give money to change people's lives its another to consider why the situation exists in the first place? It's just life I hear you say! These things happen? 

The Bible tells us why - it is because of sin. The Bible states that sin, evil, abuse and pain exist because we were born into a fallen race. The first man, Adam, brought 'sin into the world and death by sin'. 
We also are all in the habit of sinning and the Bible states 'sin, when it is finished brings forth death'. We all sin (fail, hurt, lie, disobey etc) and therefore the moral and physical result is death.
But the good news is things can be different! I do not believe that we can reform the whole world as a result of a political solution. The Bible promises ultimately a reformed world when Jesus returns to earth and establishes His righteous rule. Until then change is made on a case by cases basis. This is why the Bible teaches conversion and it's why Christians are keen to see people saved and converted to Jesus Christ (not conversion to the religion of Christianity but to total allegiance to the person of Jesus Christ). This is why Jesus said 'I am come that they might have life'. 
This is actually only possible because 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'. The Bible puts it like this 'The Father (God) sent the Son (Jesus) to be the Saviour of the world'.
Amazing as it is God has intervened to solve the human tragedy of sin, death and all the negative spin-offs of abuse, cruelty etc. God's only course of action, legally, was either to punish the offenders (us) for someone else to die in our place. The only person who qualified to die for us was Jesus. This is because he was, and is, sinless and pure. His death was voluntary because death is as the result of sin and as He could not sin death had no claim on him. So the reality is that He chose willingly to make payment for our guilt and sin. Therefore, the  Lord Jesus willingly died to save us from eternal death in hell and the lake of fire.
Children in Need is tragic but sadly children in need grow up to be adults in need. Adults are responsible for their actions, children are not! I believe children up until the age of understanding (don't ask me to define what age that is - I think it's different for each individual) automatically go to heaven if they die whereas adults have a choice to make. 

Don't only give to Children in Need tonight but give some thought to your need of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Stephen

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

Anti-bullying Week - 2016

This week is anti-bullying week. It’s an annual event, since the problem never goes away. Different bullies, different victims, same old story each time…

Does the weather affect your mood?

When it is cold - we complain that the weather is terrible and wonder why we do not live in a hotter climate.

When it is hot - we wonder why we ever moaned and often find that the heat is more than we can cope with.

Are we ever happy we all ask each other!

The problem is one of contentment. It is great when you meet someone who is truly content and happy. Funnily enough contented people are often the ones who do not have a lot of this world's goods. They have found peace in spite of what they have, not because of what they have.

How about you and me; are we content? When the Lord Jesus Christ was on this planet he was content. He knew that he was facing certain death (in fact, he knew before he left heaven for earth, that he would be crucified) but he talked about his 'joy' being in his disciples (John 15:11) and his wish was for his disciples 'joy' to be full.

The Lord Jesus came into the world 'that we might have life' and the Bible expressly states that Jesus did not come to 'condemn the world' but 'that the world through him might be saved'.

Can I ask you a question? Do you know this type of contentment and joy? If not; you can do. For the Bible states that 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'.

Why not bow your head and speak to God about it now!

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

Who is interested in your problems?

There are a lot of people about who are very private and keep themselves to themselves. They would not trouble anyone with their problems and would not presume that anyone else is interested. Well I have news for anyone who is reading this who thinks like that. I know someone who is interested in you; His name is the Lord Jesus. He is recorded as saying in the Gospel of John - 'I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly'. The Bible also states that God 'is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance'.

So the Lord Jesus is interested in our lives as individuals. If you doubt that then read one of the four Gospels in the New Testament part of the Bible. The record says about Jesus that 'He went about doing good'. He spend his energy for three years bringing the blessing and forgiveness of God to the people He met. He healed them both physically and spiritually. By doing this He was proving that the God who can heal the body can save the soul.

Quietly where you are you can come to Him by praying to Him. We have all sinned against God and need His forgiveness. When we agree with God that we have disobeyed His commandments and ask for His forgiveness then He will save us.

Why and how you may ask? He can save us from his future punishment in Hell because His Son, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The Bible says 'Christ died for the ungodly'. He died for you and I and can forgive us because he took the punishment for sin.

When you believe you will receive salvation - why not believe today. It works - He saved me and has been with me for over fifty years now.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

The deal is done!

The deal is done - The Finished Work of Christ

John 19:28-30 Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished.....said It is finished"

As a result of the death of Christ, on the cross, salvation was made available to all 

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast".

You can be forgiven and saved by repenting of your sin and trusting Christ to save you - there is nothing for you to do

Acts 4:10-12 - "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved".

The rejected and resurrected Saviour, Jesus, is the only person who can save you from your sins.

1 Timothy 2:3-6 - "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time".

God's desire is to save you

Let me tell you about someone who realised how important is was to be sure of salvation

Queen Victoria once attended a service in St. Paul's Cathedral and listened to a sermon that interested her greatly. Afterwards she asked her chaplain, "Can one be absolutely sure in this life of eternal safety?" His answer was that he knew no way that one could be absolutely sure.

This incident was published in the Court News and came to the notice of a minister named John Townsend. After reading of Queen Victoria's question and the answer she received, he prayed and then sent the following note to the queen:

To Her Gracious Majesty, our beloved Queen Victoria, from one of her most humble subjects: With trembling hands, but heart-filled love, and because I know that we can be absolutely sure now for our eternal life in the home that Jesus went to prepare, may I ask Your Most Gracious Majesty to read the following passages of Scripture: John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10. I sign myself, your servant for Jesus' sake, John Townsend

John Townsend was not alone in praying about his letter to the queen. He took others into his confidence, and they offered up prayer to God in Her Majesty's behalf.

About two weeks later he received the following letter:

To John Townsend: I have carefully and prayerfully read the portions of Scripture referred to. I believe in the finished work of Christ for me, and trust by God's grace to meet you in that home of which he said, "I go to prepare a place for you." (Signed) Victoria Guelph

After Queen Victoria's discovery of Christian assurance, she used to carry a small booklet to give away. It's title was Safety, Certainty, and Enjoyment. 

This is what she found in Christ.

Can We Know that we have Sure Salvation?

Many people want to know that they have guaranteed salvation to be in Heaven, many people believe that we can't be sure at any particular time.  Who is right?  Are we to remain without assurance throughout our spiritual lives on this cursed planet earth?

Perhaps this true and publicly known example will help you to know for yourself.

This Salvation is freely offered to everyone -- royalty or not!

During her reign Queen Victoria had a royal physician, Sir James Simpson of Edinburgh, who was a man of deep faith, and knew that "in Christ there was neither slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one and equally valued in the Lord" (see Galatians 3:28).  Simpson was a pioneer in general anesthetic and using it for childbirth.  When Simpson was dying in extreme pain, he commented: ‘When I think, it is of the words ‘Jesus only’ and really that is all that is needed, is it not?’

Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901.  Her reign had lasted nearly 64 years!  She was laid to rest beside Prince Albert in the Frogmore Royal Mausoleum at Windsor.  Above the Mausoleum door is inscribed the following words from Victoria, "farewell best friend, here at last I shall rest with thee, with thee in Christ I shall rise again."

The deal is done but have you accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour to make sure that you benefit from the finished work of Christ.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.