How to avoid a guilt trip!

Most of us feel guilty from time to time. We often wish that we could turn the clock back and do things differently!

There are times when it is right to feel guilty. If we have genuinely wronged someone guilt is the God given mechanism that warns us that ‘action needs to be taken’. Sometimes we can rectify the problem and make amends. Other times it is outside of our power to reverse the effect of our actions. It is only right that we should fix the problems that we have caused where possible.

Having said this, many mistakes in life are not really significant in the general scheme of things and will not make a big difference in our lives. Courtesy and true friendship, decency and honesty will however ensure that we behave in ways that are commendable.

A more worrying aspect of life is that of human beings and their relationship with God. In our current society we are in danger of being unaware that we have disobeyed our Creator (and therefore owner) and that he does not tolerate people who break his law. I was aware from childhood of the fact that God had stated his principles (the 10 commandments in the Bible) and that I was incapable of living up to them. The passage in the Bible that explains God’s standards is Exodus 20. The New Testament passage that states that we are not capable of living up to these standards is Romans 3:23 ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’.

Now, contrary to public opinion God gave his Law to make us feel guilty and not to make us feel good. The Bible says ‘Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God’. The reality is that when you and I hear the Bible preached and become aware that God is holy and has his standards; we then realise that we cannot live up to his standards and get feelings of guilt. I lied, I lusted, I took something that did not belong to me (time, emotions, things etc) and as a result I am guilty and am limited as to what I can do to rectify the situation. My offence is firstly against God (Psalm 51:4) and will also often be against a fellow human being.

So we all need to go on a guilt trip – but not for long. When the awareness of our wrong living is heightened and guilt is triggered we will be forced do something about it. That is God’s plan.

What can we do? Again God in the Bible tells us what there is no point in doing! God says in Romans 3:20 that no action on our part will satisfy him because our problem is one we were born with (Psalm 51:5). The problem is reflected in our actions and behaviours but it is deeper than that. God says rather bluntly in the Old Testament that all the right things we do are like filthy clothes. We can never be good enough for God, ‘There is none righteous, no not one’.

I say again ‘what can we do’? The answer again comes from God. He says ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. The Lord Jesus says ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’. The early Christian preachers preached ‘neither is their salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved’. God’s Son (The Lord Jesus) came to earth, lived and then was put to death on a cross. God was punishing him for sin, sin that he did not commit (for he is God and perfect) but that sin that he was prepared to atone for. He paid the price God demanded to put away sin and to provide forgiveness for us.

Go on a guilt trip? No way - admit your guilt to God and then accept his offer of salvation through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. You will experience inexplicable joy.

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Careless Mistakes Cost - Matthew Emmons 2004 Olympics

Born in 1981, Matthew Emmons is one of the best shooters in the history of American shooting. Across his 23-year career, the four-time Olympian has won numerous titles, including one gold, one silver and one bronze at the Olympic Games, plus a gold and bronze medal at the World Championships.

But he might be better known for the Olympic gold medals he did not win than the one he did. His astonishing performance in the finals of three consecutive Olympic Games made him jokingly admit that “maybe he is more famous in China than in the United States”.

But why would that be?

Quit worrying

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Have you ever wondered how people could look at the same thing but see something totally different? Why do weather forecasters tell us there’s a 30% chance of rain tomorrow? Why don’t they just say a 70% chance of radiant sunshine?

In Bible times, twelve influential men were selected to conduct an analysis of the new country to be inhabited by their nation. They were assigned the task of looking at the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats of the land. A lot was at stake. This new land had been their dream land for quite a while. A million people had been promised a better life in a better land. They were in transition, having left their life-long homes in hope of striking it rich in a new homeland. Just now they were camping in a wilderness – not really the type of a place we would want to call home. The new land was still a dream for them.

So, the Leadership Team of Twelve set out on their mission. It did not take long for some conclusions to emerge regarding the possibilities and threats. However, they could not reach agreement on their findings and a majority report had to be delivered – not an unanimous one! The majority saw only doom and gloom in the new land. The minority report filed by Caleb and Joshua was upbeat and positive with a recommendation for immediate action.

Jesus is alive - Fact or Fantasy?

In this article, I want to share with you five reasons I believe Jesus' resurrection actually took place. 

You can remember these five reasons with the acronym:

R.I.S.E.N.

The first reason I believe Jesus' resurrection is a fact of history is… 

1. The RISE of Christianity in Jerusalem

It is an accepted historical fact that the Christian faith (a religion built upon the preaching of the resurrection of its leader) originated in approximately A.D. 32 right in the very city of Jerusalem where Jesus had been publicly crucified and buried. This has been verified by historical sources outside the Bible. Now, this in itself is a good piece of evidence that the resurrection actually occurred. Why?

5 Reasons Jesus Rose from the Dead

In this article, I will share five reasons I believe Jesus' resurrection actually took place. 

You can remember these five reasons with the acronym:

R.I.S.E.N.

The first reason I believe Jesus' resurrection is a fact of history is… 

1. The RISE of Christianity in Jerusalem

It is an accepted historical fact that the Christian faith (a religion built upon the preaching of its leader's resurrection) originated in approximately A.D. 32, right in the very city of Jerusalem, where Jesus had been publicly crucified and buried. Historical sources outside the Bible have verified this. Now, this in itself is a good piece of evidence that the resurrection actually occurred. Why?

A message calling people to repent and put their faith in a risen man could never have gained any substantial following amongst the Jews if the tomb had not actually been empty and had the Jewish people not seen Jesus alive after His crucifixion.

'The message of a risen man could not have been maintained a moment in Jerusalem if the grave was still occupied,' Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, 232.

Remember that Jesus' disciples did not run off to Athens or Rome to preach that Christ rose from the dead, where the facts could not be verified. They returned to Jerusalem, where they would have been quickly exposed and disproved—if what they were teaching was false. The critics could have exposed the disciples as liars, and Christianity would never have got off the ground. The local authorities could have said, “Hey! Here is the grave and the body!” and squashed the whole movement.

But that never happened! Not only did Christianity originate in Jerusalem, but it also thrived there!

Luke, whose writings have been confirmed by numerous extrabiblical writings and archaeological discoveries, tells us that 3,000 people believed the first post-resurrection sermon preached a few minutes’ walk from the tomb, Acts 2:41. Later in the same chapter in Acts 2, Luke says that the church was growing daily, Acts 2:47. By Acts 4:4, Luke declares there were 5,000 believers comprising the early Christian church in Jerusalem. By Acts 6:7, Luke just says the number of disciples “continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem". He was apparently losing count!

Not only did Christianity originate and flourish in Jerusalem, but it also triumphed over several competing ideologies and eventually overwhelmed the entire Roman Empire.

By the early fourth century, when the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, historians say there were around thirty million Christians, Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity, 156; Dinesh D’Souza, What’s So Great About Christianity, 297.

Here's a question for you. Is it reasonable to suppose that thousands of people within those early days following Jesus' death were actually deceived into believing a man rose from the dead? I don’t think so.

The best explanation for the immediate rise of the early church, right amid a community that had not only been hostile to Jesus but that demanded His crucifixion, is the resurrection. People had seen Jesus! Acts 1:3 says that Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” 

The resurrection catapulted New Testament Christianity into existence. So, the first reason I believe in Christ’s resurrection is the rise of Christianity in Jerusalem. 

2. The INCREDIBLE Persecution and Deaths Endured by the Disciples

When Jesus was arrested and led away to be crucified, the Gospels tell us that His disciples…

• fled in fear (Matthew 26:56)
• went into hiding (John 20:19)
• lost hope (Luke 24:21) 

A short time later, we read that something amazing happened. These same fearful men went through a dramatic transformation. Within a few weeks of Jesus' crucifixion, these same men were standing face to face with the people who had crucified their leader, preaching that Jesus was alive, telling people that they needed to turn from their wicked ways and know that Jesus was both Messiah and Lord, Acts 2:36-38. 

To prevent this belief from spreading, the same authorities who had Jesus crucified…   

     

• threatened the disciples
• flogged them
• beat them
• imprisoned them
• and forbade them to speak the name of Jesus see  Acts 4:16-18, 5:28.

So, what did the disciples do? They returned and said to the Jewish leaders, “We must obey God rather than men, Acts 5:29.”

After saying, “We must obey God rather than men,” they went on “rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ, Acts 5:41-42.”

But their boldness had a cost.

Flavius Josephus, Eusebius, Tertullian, and other independent extrabiblical sources record for us that many of Jesus’ earliest followers, including the apostles, suffered intense persecution and even death for their ongoing belief and preaching that Jesus was Lord and had risen from the dead. These extrabiblical sources tell us that...

• Matthew was slain with a sword in a city in Ethiopia
• Mark died in Alexandria, in Northern Egypt, after having been cruelly dragged through the streets of that city. 
• Luke was hung upon an olive tree in the land of Greece
• John was tortured and banished to the Isle of Patmos, Revelation 1:9
• James, the brother of John, was beheaded in Jerusalem, Acts 12:2
• James the Less, as he’s called in Mark 15:40, was thrown from a pinnacle of the temple
• Philip was hung up against a pillar at Heiropolis in the province of Phrygia 
• Bartholomew was flayed alive
• Andrew was bound to a cross and left to die
• Jude was shot to death with arrows
• Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas, was first stoned and then beheaded
• Barnabas was stoned to death by the Jews at Salonica
• Paul, after a variety of tortures and imprisonments, was finally beheaded in Rome 
• Thomas was run through the body with a spear in east India
• Peter was crucified upside down in Rome

All of this is very sobering, isn't it?

Here's a question for you. Were these men lying?

I find it very difficult to believe these men “made up a story” about Jesus and then spent years enduring persecution, imprisonments, and such, only to die these kinds of painful deaths. Nobody lies to get themselves into these kinds of predicaments! People lie to get out of these kinds of things!

Well, the fact that these men laid down their lives, unwilling to recant or admit falsehood in the face of beatings, stonings, and torture, is another reason I believe the resurrection actually took place.

Easter - Notoriety

The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning of notoriety as ‘Famous for some bad quality or deed’. In April 2015 Andreas Lubitz committed an act of notoriety! Downing the Germanwings plane in the French Alps put him among a tragic group of men. Perhaps he does not equal Hitler’s henchmen in notoriety by murdering millions of Jews and other nationalities in their deliberate plan to conquer the world. But that is no consolation to the 150 families who mourn their loved one’s death caused by this futile criminal act.

Easter Reflections

 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall writes that most people are looking forward to Easter weekend now. It might be just for the extra springtime holiday, but for many of us, it will be another opportunity to look back on something amazing that happened nearly 2000 years ago and hasn’t lost its value. Yes, that’s when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross and then rose again on the first Easter Sunday.

His followers were not looking forward to that weekend. He had told them that He was going to be arrested, condemned, brutally treated and crucified, and they would scatter into hiding. They had not looked forward to all that; in fact, they could not believe it!

Easter and the Cross - Verified and Proven Accurate

Why are Christians so convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and why is it deemed to be so important? It's an excellent question!

Christian belief is laid on a very solid foundation. First, we believe God has revealed information to the prophets who wrote the Bible to point us in the right direction. Our beliefs are not just based on human research or discovery. In other areas of life, when we want to learn about something outside our sphere of experience, we seek information from a trustworthy source. If you are researching space travel for the first time, you should go to NASA or some other space agency to ask them questions. It is wise practice to go to a reliable source.

Five words that explain Easter

The message of Easter is summarised in five words -  "Christ died for our sins". 

The message is clear!

The person who died was Jesus Christ. His death took place roughly 1992 years ago outside the ancient city of Jerusalem. 

As we approach Easter, I wonder if you have ever stopped to think about this. Why did he die? Was it a miscarriage of justice? Was it just the result of an unfortunate turn of events?

Who reminds you of Jesus?

The following anecdotal stories came to my attention many years ago. They remind me of the immense need in the world for people to know they are loved. The New Testament scriptures state, 'But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,' Romans 5:8. 

A day in Woodhall Spa

We have come to Lincolnshire for a few days of R & R. Our cottage is lovely, quaint and very comfortable. We are situated near Kirkby on Bain, Tattershall Thorpe and Woodhall Spa. Yesterday we decided to visit Woodhall Spa.

Seeing it was a day off I got up at 8.25 am and then joined the family for breakfast. It is so nice to take things easy and enjoy eating rather the normal process of consuming food (fuel) to enable to the day to start and to have energy to function. We had a lazy morning enjoying our grandson, watching the farmer moves cows, bulls and calf’s into the neighbouring field and scanning the sky for jets from the local airfield (you could hear the jet engines long before the came into view). What a contrast between the animal creation and the incredible ability of humans to harness the laws of nature to create power and enable flight. If nature did not operate on fixed and consistent principles (Newton’s laws of motion, inertia, force and acceleration, action and reaction plus Bernoulli’s Principle etc). We often ignore the link between the created ordered universe and the grand designer/creator. Without those principles established by the creator nothing would work or be dependable.

There is a passage in the Bible that says ‘Since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them,’ Romans 1. 19,20.

We left the cottage at about 1225 and headed for the interesting, pretty and captivating town of Woodhall Spa. The town was a significant military town during the Second World War. One of its many squadrons was the 617 Dambusters. There is a memorial to those who served and died in the ‘617’ in Royal Square in the town centre. This is an appropriate reminder of the heroism and valour of men who gave their life’s to secure our freedom. I cannot help but make the connection with the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ who gave his life voluntarily so that we could have eternal freedom from sin and life in heaven. The scriptures say that ‘while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,’ Romans 5. 8, and that ‘when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,’ Romans 5. 10. Thousands of men and women were based here and at one stage there was a higher number of army than RAF. What is quite amazing to me is that the town does not feel like a military town. I have visited many military towns such as Kinloss in the north of Scotland and you feel that you are part of a military based but not Woodhall Spa. It feels very American and Colonial for some reason.

We had an interesting walk through the town and visited many of the fascinating shops eventually stopping for lunch in Kitchenetta, which produced excellent food and had tables and chairs on the street so we could people watch (a fascinating occupation). After lunch we browsed through the remaining shops and went for a walk in Jubilee Park. This is a beautiful example of a small English town park with its bowling green, open air swimming pool, cafe, tennis courts, children’s play park and wide open green spaces. A very pleasant experience.

The walk back to the car through the woods finished off an excellent day in style. We ended the day visiting the local butcher, Graham Fiding, Traditional Butchers to buy something for dinner. We had a great meal back in the cottage - the traditional butcher lived up to all our expectations.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

This life is not all there is!

When you look through history and consider many of the great civilisations and major religions, they all have one thing in common, they all believe that this life is not all that there is.

Although we may disagree with many of their statements and beliefs, it is interesting that they all seemed to agree about this one point. The Egyptians, in their great pyramids, stored all their treasures in the hope that this would accompany them to the ‘after life’. 

Why would this belief in life after death be so prevalent in all these cultures and religions?

If you were to read in the book of Ecclesiastes, which is found in the Bible’s Old Testament, you would find there that ‘God has put eternity in our hearts’. In other words, deep down, we all know that this life is not all that there is. There is another life. Some people choose to ignore this, refuse to believe that there is a God, pushing away what the Bible tells us they know. Others look around for answers, but they do not know where to look for God and remain doubtful about where they will spend eternity.

Easter in uncertain times

Easter in Uncertain Times

This wasn’t how they thought their Sunday evening would be! They’d had plans for today, and for the future for that matter. Plans that were now dashed with no hope of being achieved. Instead, they were stuck inside, fearful of the hidden danger that sought their lives if they were to venture onto the streets. Not only that, they were grieving. The one who’d brought so much joy to their lives had died on Friday. They hadn’t been there then; they couldn’t be with Him now. What was the future going to hold for them when their whole world was crumbling around them?

The truly amazing Pelican

The sky is the domain of a great multitude of flying creatures that we call birds. One of the most remarkable birds is the Pelican. Found on every continent except Antarctica, there are eight living specimens. The smallest is the Brown Pelican with a wingspan of 2 to 2.3 metres (6ft 6in to 7ft 6in); whilst the largest is probably the Great White Pelican which has a wingspan of up to 3.6 metres (11ft 8in). Yet, relative to their size they are among the lightest of birds. On land they waddle but when they take off, they become airborne with only about five flaps of their wings. Flying majestically they are very clever at saving energy. As they pass over land they use ‘thermal updrafts’ to rise to over 4,200 metres (14,000ft). Then they glide for hundreds of metres/miles searching for suitable places to forage, breed or find another ‘thermal’. By this way the pelican can stay airborne for up to 24 hours. They have a fibrous layer deep in their breast muscles that holds the wings rigidly horizontal whilst they are aloft. A further means of travel is gliding along the crests of shallow waves in calm conditions, just above the surface, taking advantage of updrafts.

Did Jesus claim to be the Son of God?

Did Jesus actually claim to be the Son of God?

What are the claims of Jesus Christ? Did he really claim deity and pre-existence? 

This article will focus on the fact that Jesus did indeed claim to be the Son of God. I know there are many people who say that isn’t a claim that Jesus made, I find that quite astounding actually. 

I have read through the Gospel records many times and it’s very clear to see that all the Gospel writers record that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. 

In Matthew chapter 26 v 63, the High priest speaks to Jesus and says “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said” then Matthew records that the High Priest rent his clothes saying that Jesus had spoken blasphemy. What else does the High Priest mean by blasphemy but that Jesus had claimed to be God.

Mark records in chapter five that even the demons cried out to him, ”What have we to do with Thee Jesus Son of God Most High?” Even the demons admitted Jesus was the Son of God. Their description is just ‘Son of God’ but ‘Son of the most High God’. 

Luke records the same incident as Matthew does (Luke 22). He states that they asked Jesus if He was the Christ, the Messiah? The One sent from God? Again, they ask in verse 17, “Art Thou the Son of God?” He says to  them “You say that I AM” which was the Jewish way of confirming the fact. The Jewish leaders knew what He was saying. Scripture goes on to record their words -  “What need have we of further witness? For we ourselves have heard it from His own mouth.” Luke accepts the claim that Jesus is the Son of God. 

The final and most significant witness to the deity of Jesus Christ, the fact that He is God become man, is in John’s Gospel. John was the disciple who was very close to the Lord Jesus and he records intimate details about Jesus’ life. 

The incident is found in John chapter 9. The Lord Jesus met a man who had  been blind since birth and gave him his sight back. The religious hierarchy were very angry that Jesus has done this and tried to make out that Jesus is a sinner. This was because they could not accept that He could do this miraculous act on their religious day, the Sabbath. The healed man is hauled up before them and questioned. His parents are eventually interrogated but they try and get around the issue by saying that the man is old enough to answer for himself. The zealots turn to him and say “give God the praise because we know this man is a sinner. The blind man says whether he be a sinner or not I know not, but one thing I do know is that I was blind, now I see.” 

Now with all the arguments that I or anyone could put to you about God, Jesus and salvation there is one thing that can never be denied - people have had their lives changed through the power of the gospel. Individuals have experienced forgiveness, their sins have been removed and the power of God in their life was able to change and break habits. This is the practical effect of the forgiveness of sins working in their lives. 

You cannot change, you cannot take away from somebody what they have experienced through faith in God and His great salvation. 

The man who received his sight back was eventually thrown out of the religious establishment by the leaders. Jesus came, found him and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” His answer was, “Who is He Lord that I might believe in Him?” What follows are the words of the Lord Jesus that will shock anyone who still claims that Jesus did not say that he was the Son of God. “Who is He Lord?” says the Man, “Who is the Son of God?” Jesus said, “Thou hast both seen Him and it is He that talketh with thee.” 

The man’s response was to worship Him. Worship belongs to God alone but this man realizes that the one who had the power to give him his sight was the Son of God, 

I would like you to consider the questions:

Who was Jesus? 

Why did He die? 

Did He bear the judgement of God upon the cross? 

Did He rise from the dead on the third day? 

He was declared to be the Son of God with power, He died, “that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17.  

Here are some personal questions to ponder:

Would you get saved? 

Would you trust Him and know your sins forgiven? 

God wants to forgive us, God wants us to have faith in Him but the choice lies with you. 

Over to you!

#Time's Up it's Friday - The Daily Diary of a Bible Blogger

What a week this has been! 

Life is so unpredictable! 

You think you have everything planned out, but nothing goes according to the plan!

You try to make allowances for interruptions, but you still run out of time!

I won't bore you with the details, but I am sure you will know what I'm talking about. 

Why is it so impossible to control our time? For years, I attended business courses and seminars about time management. Eventually, I gave some lectures about the same subject, but I still struggled to manage my time. I can schedule tasks, arrange meetings, and draw up lists, but controlling time is ultimately impossible. 

Now, don't get me wrong; I'm quite efficient. My desk is uncluttered, and I work my way through lists. I get a lot done in a day, but time beats me. 

I think the question really is, is it possible to control time? You can manage what you do with your time, but time never stops. It marches on relentlessly. 

This is true in every aspect of life. Minutes tick away, growing into hours. Hours grow into days. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Months turn into years, and before you know it, middle age has crept up on you. Old age is not a lifetime away, and you think, where has it all gone?

In Ecclesiastes chapter three, Solomon reminds us there is a time to be born and a time to die. 

The scriptures warn us of the end of life creeping up on us rapidly in Psalm 90:9-11 - 'For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years,

yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?

In light of the brevity of time and the suddenness of death, it would be wise to prepare to meet God. 

Have you prepared? You can do this by repenting of your sins and turning to God for forgiveness. The Bible summarises the final stage of conversion in these words: 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved' (Acts 16:31). 

As always, please let me know if I can help you further. You can reach me at www.seekthetruth.org.uk.