February 24

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37

Do you ever notice the elephant in the room? Let me frame it this way, if I said don’t think about pink elephants, it would take an extreme amount of will power for that thought not to be in your head, even if you are familiar with the concept. See if you can spot the elephant in the room in this blog.

"It's all the best bits of church, but with no religion and awesome pop songs!"

Well this isn’t a church, well actually it is, but a contradiction of the very word.

Nottingham's only atheist church has been celebrating its first birthday. The Nottingham Sunday Assembly has grown to over 200 members since it was established in late 2013.

It is part of a global network of non-religious Sunday assemblies that has now established 63 congregations around the world. The assembly claims it offers the sense of community associated with church, but without belief in God. http://www.nottinghampost.com/Atheists-year-old/story-26041749-detail/story.html

This group meets in a church and want to do all the things a church does but without God. They use the language of church and crave that sense of belonging and awe and wonderment but do not want to acknowledge the very source of their desires.

Do you see it now, the elephant in the room? A group of people wanting a form of god in their lives but perhaps thinking they are too intelligent to need him? It is a clear sign to me that there are those who are still searching for knowledge of the truth of the one true God.

Maybe this might be the conversation opener they are looking for. Tell someone today that God is what he or she needs; even if they do not believe you, you have sown a seed that He will reap at the time of harvest.

 

The song today is 'Lord of the harvest' by The Imperials. Click on the picture to listen.

February 23

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3

Is there any place you would rather go than heaven? It may seem like an odd question but indeed why wouldn’t that seem an attractive proposition? A purpose build house from God, the loving father, who knows what is best for you and what you like. Streets paved with gold and precious stone, lions playing with the lambs. I was stunned to read this week that a man in my home town was contemplating a one way ticket to the planet Mars. In his own words

“What motivates me is the search for life on Mars, which is the age old question. Barring any accidents, we think we can live there a little longer than we would on earth because we’d be living organically, recycling our air and there’s less gravity to cause stress on bones.” http://www.nottinghampost.com/Bilborough-College-student-wants-inspire-new/story-26038576-detail/story.html

Now while that may at first glance seem fanciful and a little far-fetched, could it be that he does not know about the promise contained in the bible? 2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us,

“while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Even so we still need to tell the people who clearly don’t know that this world isn’t it. We have a responsibility; share the good news with someone today.

Our song today is 'Thank you Lord for your blessings on me' sung by the Easters. Click on the picture to listen.

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable" - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

The Olympic legacy had just arrived in my local park.  At first I was annoyed.  Builders fencing went up with photos of a children's play area.  "Do they really need another one?" I thought.

However, as it started to develop I came to understand the rationale.  These were play things focused around exercise and coordination.  There is even some adult outdoor exercise equipment.  

"Impressive," I thought.  "I could use this during my early morning dog walk.

However, that can be difficult as every morning since it has been finished, people have been enthusiastically using the equipment.  These are not gym fanatics.  The age profile and body shapes indicate that perhaps these are exactly the people that this equipment is intended for.

 

I don't miss the paradox either.  This exercise gear is located just 200 metres from a McDonalds – and quite often the queue for chips and burgers stretches right up the hill.  While the fast food industry is doing its best to make residents obese, the local council is balancing it with fun exercise.  I'm all in favour.

I partly walk my dogs for exercise, partly as a time to meditate and relax.  Recently the poor beasts have found themselves having to move faster as health experts encouraged me to reduce my cholesterol level with an improved diet and a boost to the exercise programme.  "Don't just walk, get yourself a bit out of breath," they said.

It was the shock of a friend having a heart attack that finally propelled me into action.  In two months I halved my cholesterol level, and over the past year my weight also dropped by 13 kg.

I'm not sure why it took something like a friends heart attack to make me change my lifestyle.  Yet, as a result, I feel so much better.  I have more energy and – so people tell me – look younger.  It is a lifestyle change that has now become a habit.

The apostle John tells his readers, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." [3 John 1 KJV]

Health is an important part of the bigger picture – and interestingly I find the health tips from the experts are coinciding with Biblical principles.  Principles of balance, of thankfulness, in the early parts of Genesis an emphasis on plant based nutrition and physical exercise – and in Leviticus and the writings of Paul, an avoidance of those things that will destroy both body and soul!

Yet it can be hard to put into practice.  I see people buy cigarettes with 'smoking kills' messages plastered prominently across the packaging.  It's easy for me to be judgemental on them – yet in effect, the love of cheese, biscuits and cakes was doing the same to my cholesterol as it was to their lungs.

I hope the Olympic legacy does make a difference across the play areas of Britain.  Having seen the positive change in my life I've become quite passionate about it.

Victor Hulbert.

Today's song is from Bryn's collection.  Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither, and sung by The Isaacs, "Healing Stream."

FEBRUARY 17

³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:35-40

I have to admit that I feel uncomfortable when walking past someone with their arms outstretched asking or begging. Maybe it’s just me. This scene has become somewhat sanitized with the introduction some years ago of the ‘Big Issue’ magazine which serves the same need but is well, controlled. So whilst reading through the book of Matthew and coming across this familiar text, I wondered as one who commutes each day by car to work how I could resonate with this text. Then I came across Narayanan Krishnan.

He was a professionally trained chef working at a 5-star hotel in Tamil who gave up his job to feed the homeless, mentally ill and destitute. Every day, he wakes up at 4 am, cooks a simple hot meal and then, along with his team, loads it in a van and travels about 200 km feeding the homeless in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Krishnan feeds, often with his hands, almost 400 destitute people every day. And for those who need it, he provides a free haircut too. He was selected as one of the Top 10 in “CNN heroes 2010″ list.

He asks and then answers this question,

“What is the ultimate purpose of life?”

‘- It’s to give. Start giving. See the joy of giving.’ Narayanan Krishnan

 

Now what we might have to give may not be listed in the key text of Matthew 25:35-40 but as an anonymous writer once said, 

‘If you don’t live for something, you’ll die for nothing.’

 

Live for Jesus and experience real joy today.

The song today is 'Jesus only Jesus' by Billingsley, Penrod, Cottrell, and O'Brien. Click on the picture to listen.

FEBRUARY 16

¹⁶ These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
¹⁷ A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
¹⁹ A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 NKJV

Have you ever had blood on your hands? Even those amongst us who do not eat meat must have had blood on their hands at one stage or another, whether it was from a cut, an insect bite or the cleaning of a fish or animal about to be cooked. Ok so that is just blood on your hands, what about innocent blood?

The English word "innocent" originated from a compound Latin word, innocentis, which means no hurt, or not harmful. It is used to translate the Hebrew word, pronounced naw-kee, which means clean, as in without blame.

“Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen." Deuteronomy 27:25 KJV

David in 1 Samuel chapter 21 and 22 had innocent blood on his hands, the deaths not only of the priests but the entire village of Nob, slain by Doeg the Edomite, because he forgot who God was and is able to do.

The bible commentator Matthew Henry says of this event.

David, in distress, fled to the tabernacle of God. It is great comfort in a day of trouble, that we have a God to go to, to whom we may open our cases, and from whom we may ask and expect direction. David told Ahimelech a gross untruth. What shall we say to this? The Scripture does not conceal it, and we dare not justify it; it was ill done, and proved of bad consequence; for it occasioned the death of the priests of the Lord. David thought upon it afterward with regret. David had great faith and courage, yet both failed him; he fell thus foully through fear and cowardice, and owing to the weakness of his faith. Had he trusted God aright, he would not have used such a sorry, sinful shift for his own preservation. It is written, not for us to do the like, no, not in the greatest straits, but for our warning.

Do we sometimes ask the Lord for something and ignore the answer if it is ‘No’ when it comes?

We must never forget that sin has its roots in our past. Psalm 51:5 NKJV reads,

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Romans 3:23 NKJV

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

Although we might ourselves have innocent blood on our hands, remember Jesus has already paid the price with His blood and is just waiting for us to come to him. I pray that is our desire today.

The song today is a familiar song by Andre Crouch, 'The blood that Jesus shed for me.' Think about the words. Click on the picture to listen.

February 13-14 – Faith counts

Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” - Genesis 22:15-18

Two-year-old Ben has a ritual he goes through every morning before he ventures down-stairs. Getting out of bed he toddles around gathering up his two blankets, his giant stuffed Winnie the Pooh, and his fluffy, stuffed lamb named Chop. It's only then he's ready to face another day. Ben is at his most secure when his arms are full of soft, cuddly things.

Doesn't that sound like us as Christians? - we tightly clutch those things that give us a false sense of security and safety. But, as He did with Abraham, God wants us to trust Him to provide, not cuddlies.- especially when facing life's uncertainties. Abraham's story of his implicit faith in God, and His reward, teaches two important lessons about our relationship with the Lord.

First, What we retain for ourselves, God asks us to release to Him. God wants us to trust Him with our children, our marriages, our careers, and our cherished dreams for the future – everything we hold dear. He is worthy of that trust.

Second, God always honours faithful obedience. He rewards those who believe His Word and seek Him with their hearts and lives (Hebrews 11:6). We must stop clinging to the world and it's ways – to come to Him with empty, open hands, and He will fill them with blessings that overflow. That was true for Abraham, and it's true also for you and for me.

One by one He took them from me,

All the things I valued most,

Until I was empty handed;

Every glittering toy was lost.

And I walked earth's highways, grieving,

In my rags and poverty.

Till I heard His voice inviting,

“Lift your empty hands to Me.”

So I held my hands toward heaven,

And He filled them with a store

Of His own transcendent riches

Till they could contain no more.

And at last I comprehended

With my stupid mind and dull,

That God COULD not pour His riches

Into hands already full.

(Martha Snell Nicholson)

Are you willing to empty your hands to Christ today? Let go with the assurance that the Lord has promised you an abundant supply of blessings in return.

(Adapted from Charles Swindoll, Practical Christianity).

Today's music is chosen from a selection by Bryn, “Lord You Keep on Blessing Me” - Primitive Quartet. Click on the picture to listen. How true these words are!

FEBRUARY 12 - Power challenge

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."… John 14: 5-7

The race for power has really got under way - cut-throat politics -– who come May, will reign supreme as Great Britain's next Prime Minister. I say “who” will reign supreme, because I gain the impression that it's more about the ambition of the individual, than the individual's ambition for a particular political Party! Party Leader's and also-rans jostling for prime position, digging the dirt on the opposition, and, under protection of Parliament rules, not hesitating to use slander as ammunition, confident that, unless repeated in a public forum, they are safe from criminal prosecution. Modern politics! we think. But not so.

Take Pilate as an example, the Roman Governor who presided over the trial of Jesus - – the politician at the time of Jesus. It can be difficult to know what a biblical character was really like, and views are mixed on Pilate. Some feel that he was basically a good man who had got caught up in a difficult situation, while other's consider him to have been weak and indecisive – certainly he didn't listen to his wife's advise when, following a disturbing dream. She sent a note to her husband advising him to have no part in the trial of Jesus.

Two pointers to Pilate's character stand out for me. 1. His over-riding desire ?to please the crowds at all cost by setting Barabbas free and condemning Jesus to death....after all, weren't the crowds his potential voters? 2. This lies in something he said to Jesus. During His trial Jesus had said, “I have come to tell the truth.” And Pilate's reply? “What is truth?”

I am – In the Greek language, “I am” is a very intense way of referring to oneself. It would be comparable to saying, “I myself, and only I, am.” Several other times in the Gospels we find Jesus using these words. In Matthew 22:32 Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6, where God uses the same intensive form to say “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” In John 8:58, Jesus said “Truly, truly I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews clearly understood Jesus to be calling Himself God because they took up stones to stone Him for committing blasphemy in equating Himself with God. When the soldiers came seeking Jesus in the garden the night before His crucifixion, He told them “I am he” and His words were so powerful that the soldiers fell to the ground (John 18:4-6). “I am the way and the truth and the life” is one of seven “I Am” statements of Jesus (John 14:6).

What was this “truth” Jesus had come to tell? These words reflect the very name of God in Hebrew, Yahweh, which means “to be” or “the self-existing one.” It is the name of power and authority, and Jesus claimed it as His own. To Pilate, Jesus had thrown down a challenge to his position of power. But what was the “way” Jesus spoke of? The way – Jesus used the definite article to distinguish Himself as “the only way.” A way is a path or route, and Jesus was saying, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The exclusive nature of the only path to salvation is expressed in the words “I am the way.” To Pilate and the crowd, all of this amounted to blasphemy and warranted the death sentence. And “the Life?”

Jesus was claiming Himself to be the source of all life. In John 10:17-18, Jesus declared that He was going to lay down His life for His sheep, and then take it back again. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. In John 14:19, He gave the promise that “because I live, you also will live.” The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death to a life of freedom in eternity.

There are some people who try hard to live by what they believe. They would rather live in obscurity. There are others' who don't hesitate to lie, slander, or wash their hands to get and maintain a position of power. But the really scary ones are those who don't believe that there is any truth, any right or wrong, at all. I think that's the kind of person Pilate was.

(www.gotquestions.org) and Bob Hartman, Bible Baddies.

Today our song will be “Then Came the Morning” - Live, by the Gaithers.  To listen, click on the picture of Jesus and a saved lamb.

February 10

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:44

These two articles concerning education may or may not have caught your attention. Published separately by different media outlets, the online magazine ‘Christian Today’ picked them up.

Article 1
Religious leaders have urged the government to include Humanism in the new religious studies GCSE. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Rowan Williams is among 28 faith leaders who signed a letter to Schools Minister Nick Gibb, calling on him to add Humanism to a list of faiths included in the proposals. Under the current plan, students will have to study two major faiths out of Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. It is hoped that this will increase religious literacy among the younger generations. Critics, however, believe that pupils should have the option to study a non-religious or humanist worldview. christianitytoday February 5 2015

For those who are unsure, Humanism teaches that people should rely on reason, science and empathy towards other people and animals to be good and find fulfilment without the need for a deity or a hope of Heaven. This is a view that does not uphold or support what the bible teaches.

Article 2

The Church of England has indicated it will comply with new rules that will compel all schools including faith schools actively to promote fundamental British values, including tolerance for other faiths and lifestyles.

Inspectors will be able to take action against schools that do not conform to the Equality Act, which encourages respect for lesbian, gay and transgender people along with other religions and races.

Morgan, a committed Christian who has changed her mind and now supports same-sex marriage, told the Sunday Times it was "crucial" that Christian and Jewish schools, as well as Muslim ones, followed the new rules. christianitytoday November 4 2014

We need to have a burden in our hearts for our young people. Living in a media and technology driven age where texts and phone calls replace even the simplest of conversations in the home, schools now are slowly eroding the Christian model of the home and the family. Faith schools are being instructed by a liberal minded government what they should teach. Religious Studies or Education is now evolving to include what is this permissive society deems as ‘progressive thought.’

Even if we are not in the direct line of fire i.e. not of school age or have children at school, there is a need to be concerned. But what can we do? We do not hold office in the government nor have we that level of influence at school. Pray, we can pray. Not only for our young people still in the system but for those who are a part of it. For as the key text says,

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

So, should I have an opinion? Yes I think so, but it nees to be voiced in love, without condemnation and with the facts from the true source, the bible.

'The King is coming' is our song for today by the Gaithers. Thank you for the reminder Bryn.

February 9

Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” John 12:21

The study of apologetics is the discipline of defending your religious position. 

Last week the British actor, comedian, writer, presenter and stanch atheist Stephen Fry, launched a missile of words in the direction of Christians when he was asked this question. ‘What will you say to God when confronted by Him at the pearly gates?’

"I'll say: bone cancer in children, what's that about? How dare you how dare you create a world where there is such misery that's not our fault? It's utterly, utterly evil… Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world, which is so full of injustice and pain? ...The moment you banish him, your life becomes simpler, purer cleaner, more worth living in my opinion."

These are just the highlights from a heated rant he made to an Irish talk show host. Ironically, in his own words, he was surprised by the reaction it provoked from all quarters. However, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, the head of the England, came out in his defence and said that he had a right to say what he said!

The Internet is full of arguments from all manner of people who have differing experiences of Christianity. I have looked and found that the focus of many an argument is the atrocities that have been performed in the name of religion as opposed to the question of the nature of who Christ is. To every argument there is a counter argument, and so the questions that Fry poses, whilst being very real don’t address the fact that sin came into the world and is also very real. At the end of his rant, Fry suggested that he would rather go to Hades, as he was more sympathetic to the Greek worldview and their position on suffering and its meaning.

I think that Christ for Christians, must be more than an intellectual or emotional response to a set of circumstances or stories we have read or heard. Do we need to study apologetics to defend Christ? Does He indeed need our defence and if so, what would that defence consist of? Let us do and be all that we can to show our friends, our family, our community a risen Saviour, as more that ever before, we are the only Jesus some may ever see.

Our music today is by 'The Continental Singers and Steve Green' -  "You're the only Jesus." Click on the picture to listen.

FEBRUARY 6-7

'Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.' (1 Chronicles 4: 9-10)

In the Special Olympics only the most elite athletes who have special physical needs, qualify to take part in the Olympic Games. Special equipment too is part and parcel of these games to compensate for, and assist with, the physical needs of the contestants – i,e. Wheelchairs, leg braces, catheters etc. But the Special Olympians all have in common with Olympic contestants, a desire to compete....total focus on their goal, and the courage to overcome physical obstacles few of us can imagine.

One such person comes to mind is the British artist Sue Austin who features the world's first underwater wheelchair. Sue used the underwater wheelchair in a series of choreographed acrobatic underwater events produced through Freewheeling as part of the London 2012 Festival during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. http://www.wearefreewheeling.org.uk/freewheeling-creating-the-spectacle-home. Sue's aim is to transform preconceptions, and create positive empowering images to inspire people on a Global scale.

Sue says: “I’m thrilled that lots of people have been inspired by the project, many of them telling me how seeing the wheelchair underwater has made them want to try it too....because no one has ever heard of an underwater wheelchair before (and it is about creating new ways of seeing, being and knowing)....they’re realising that it’s actually extending the boundaries for all of us. We’ve created something new and exciting and it’s really getting people talking. As a result, they’re realising that viewing the world from a different perspective inspires them to be free to explore new experiences. I now call my underwater wheelchair 'Portal' because it has literally pushed me through into a new dimension, into a new way of being." Take a look at the video of Sue in the sea, and you will find it as awesome I do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPh533ht5AU.

In many ways Sue Austin reminds me of Jabez – we find his story in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. Jabez was born with a disadvantage – his name. For some reason, possibly a painful birth experience, his mother chose to give him the name Jabez – translated it means “pain.” Another interpretation of his name in other Old Testament contexts is “idol.” Maybe Jabez's mother made an idol of her pain, and thereby her son. Like Sue's physical handicap could have been, Jabez's name could have disqualified them both from any semblance of a useful life. But this wasn't to be.

I don't know if Sue Austin has a faith and believes in God – I would be surprised if she doesn't, because her strength, courage and determination to break barriers of prejudice, and change attitudes towards people with disabilities, in my mind, comes from only one source. Jabez did believe in God – read his prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. There he asks that God will not only bless him, but “bless me indeed.”....and “enlarge my borders”....and “keep me safe.” In common, Sue and Jabez show humility, love, faith, hope, and passion. Instead of becoming victims, they became victors.

Whether we like it or not, in some way or other we were all born with a disadvantage. Charles Swindoll poses the question – 'Will you let your disadvantages disqualify you, or will you get out onto the track and compete? Will you trust God to get you to the finish line? Every race, whether it's a 5K or a marathon, starts with the first step. God is calling you to take that step today – to stop simply “faith talking” and start “faith walking.”

Today's music is very different – thank you Bryn. “No Arms, No Legs, No Worries.”  Cick on the picture - have faith, the waters will part!