Fail

Watch this amazing stunt and be totally amazingly amazed.  (No sound neccessary.)

Sometimes we get very excited about the plans we have that God is sure to bless.  Sometimes they fail and it's quite frustrating and a little embarassing.

It's not God's fault that they fail.  God's plans will succeed but if we simply have a bright idea and ask God to bless it because we want to look good then we will fall flat on our faces and we only have ourselves to blame.

God is both good and able, He will bring blessing where it will benefit the people who love Him.  We need to search for His will and do it His way.



“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:9-11

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The mighty Rend Collective Experiment with You Bled



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The rival

There's a pretender to the throne and she means business.

For the last six months Rocky Salvador Houston (I just made up the middle name but I kinda like it) has reigned supreme as the the undisputed 'king of pets' in our world.  This was widely acknowledged by anyone who's met him and doesn't have a pet of their own.  His ponchant for leaning, tail-chasing and sitting down almost half the times you ask him too is legendary.  It seemed that his position was secure. Until now...

There's a new kid in town.  Her name is Bailey and she is Roger's new dog.  She's a cross between a Shih Tzu and a West Highland White Terrier. Roger calls her a Shestie or a weshtoo or something (I call her a mongrel, Rocky calls her 'lunch').  She is inferior to Rocky in everyway, of course.  She is small and fluffly (pfff), she can't jump onto the dining room table from a standing start, her poos are tiny, and worst of all - she's a girl!

I'm sure you'll all agree, she's rubbish.

The wife and I have a dog, he is our 'first-love' in the pet world (sorry Trevor, you're a very close second) and no-matter how cute and lovely any other dog may seem, Rocky is ours and will remain number one.

God demands the same courtesy.  He is Number One.  No matter how nice chasing after other things may be, no matter how shiny and bright the latest distraction may seem, God requires us to keep Him on the throne in our hearts.

But why?

Because nothing else, no-one else, no material possesion, human being, clever idea, amount of money or flattery of fame can ever love us with the immeasurable, unequalled and overwhelming love that God has for His children.

Settle for nothing less than the King of the World on the throne of your life.

Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Exodus 34:14

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Bin and gone

It's time to put the bins out.

Every two weeks all the dross and stink from our home gets wheeled out to the front of the house and a team of under-appreciated and underpaid people rock up and take the mess away.

There is stink in our hearts as well.  Happily, you don't have to wait for a slot in a two-week cycle to get rid of it.  Just hand it all over to Jesus.  Ask Him to take away the sin and the guilt.  He'll do it and you'll feel peaceful, clean and free.

Jesus is the only one able to wash out that messy heart of yours so invite Him to do it today.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, 

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

I could be your hero, baby

Superman, Batman, Spiderman and I all have something in common.

I'm not talking about the beautiful love interest (high-five to the Wife) or the oddly dressed and slightly camp side-kick (high-five Rocky).  Oh no, I talking about the secret double life.

That's right folks, by day I am a mild-mannered, bible-thumping, blog-writing, ginger-haired ordinary, run-of-the-mill kinda guy.  But at night I change into a crime-fighting, Lycra-wearing superhero with dayglo tights and my undercrackers on the outside.  I can scale tall-buildings (with the help of a lift) jump higher than a house (houses can't jump) and strike terror into the hearts of bad-guys everywhere...

Oh no wait, that's not me...em...

Unfortunately my secret double-life is not as exciting as the heroes of old.  In fact it's not even always a positive side of me.  The things I do in secret are often done that way because I am ashamed of them.  Am I the only one? Are the rest of you completely good and upright in private as well as public?

The bible says broadly two things about our secret private lives.

1) It's shameful to even say out loud what some of us get up to behind closed doors. (Ephesians 5:12)
and
2) We should be spending our private time with God instead of indulging our pride by praying, fasting and giving in front of everyone for all to see. (Matthew 6)

In short, we are being told to keep our private times pure by devoting them to God instead of shameful 'deeds of darkness' and keep our public lives humble by not boasting or showing of how flipping utterly wonderful we are.

I don't need to be a superhero, I've got one of them already.  I just need to remember that His vision of me is much clearer than even x-ray eyes could see and that He demands the highest level of devotion from those who rely on Him for their safety.  In Jesus' case hero worship is entirely appropriate.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.

Romans 13:12

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:5-6

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A question of faith

High school pupils aren't scary.

I have had the immense privilege of helping out at the 'scripture union' in our local secondary school.  I love it.  It gives me the chance to talk about the nitty-gritty of a life of faith, it challenges me to know my stuff and to communicate it in a way that isn't just a repetition of phrases that churchy people alone understand.

We've been doing a wee series recently of trying to answer questions they have about God or the Christian faith.  The questions are thoughtful, intelligent, challenging and important.  These kids should not be dismissed lightly.

It's got me thinking that it's something we could maybe do here, in the blogosphere, as well.  I know you lot are pretty shy when it comes to asking questions but I'm sure there are a few of you out there with things on your mind.  Now I am not the source of all knowledge and may not answer the way you would like but what have you got to lose? Ask the question you have about life, death, the end of the world, dinosaurs, terrorists, Jesus, Jehovah witnesses... whatever you like.  I'll answer those with broad appeal here in a post and of course you have the right to reply.

Either comment on this post or send me an email to myquestionis@rathcoolepci.co.uk. The authors of any questions will be held in the strictest confidence of course.

It is of course God himself who instructs us.  He sends the Holy Spirit to guide and impart understanding.  It is on God whom I will rely on to keep me honest and on the straight path.  I trust and pray that He will guide us all through the scriptures so we would all come to a fuller understanding of God and His love for us.

I look forward to hearing from you!

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 32:8

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A reformed woman

Classy she ain't.

The Wife and I have a routine.  Everyone has one if they want to successfully negotiate the tricky procedure of getting from sleep to work in the correct time.  Our routine is made more simple by the fact that I live where I work.

It goes something like this:

The alarm goes off and the snooze button is struck. Repeat twice.

The wife (grumpily) gets up and heads for a shower while I pretend to get up but really just lie on for another five minutes.

Then through a mixture of guilt and duty I get up and head downstairs.

I let Rocky out for a widdle and head to the kitchen to make the Wife her lunch.

By this time the Wife has vacated the shower and I hop in, hop out and get dressed while the Wife is doing something chemical with her hair.

All this culminates in us both arriving, washed and dressed, ready for breakfast.

A well-oiled machine.

Yesterday morning was no exception.  While we were fixing breakfast my better half spied the sandwiches I had prepared and let out a little yelp of excitement. 'My favourite!' she said, 'I love that smell.'

'Of the mustard?' I enquired, confused.

'No, the Spam,'

Who would have thought some reformed pigs bits could make such a pretty woman so very happy.  Spam. it turns out, is her favourite thing to put in a work-day sandwich. A woman of simple tastes; I'm starting to understand why she married me.

We should find more pleasure in simple things.  Our genetically modified generation are always looking for stuff that's bigger, brighter, faster and more enhanced than ever before.  Look at things in their raw state.  Marvel at the purity of nature, the wonder of family, the beauty of a human thought.  See how the sun and moon maintain their orbit and be enthralled by it.  Look at what God has made and how he has made it and be satisfied because it is truly satisfying.

In the words of King David, the second king of Israel:

Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Psalm 34:8



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And now for some cheesy mid-week misic. The Afters with Light up the Sky.

OK to be gay

There is only one homosexual professional footballer in the whole world.

Or at least only one who is open about it. (read about him here.)

The bible teaches that practicing homosexuality displeases God. Put another way; it's a sin. I am someone who has sexual feelings but is allowed to act on those feelings (but only with The Wife!); I imagine that obeying the command to resist acting on those feelings for all of life to be a real challenge and those that are trying to obey God and abstain from sex or sexual activity (including kissing and cuddling) with people they are attracted to deserve our support and our respect. 

By the same token those who give in to temptation in this way do not deserve the condemnation of others anymore than the rest of us. Open sin is wrong, wilful sin is wrong but, 'If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us' (1 John 1:8), so we need to be careful we don't fall into hypocrisy.

Anyway, back to the football. If someone is a practicing homosexual, engaging in sex outside of a heterosexual marriage relationship is it ok for them to fear their sexuality becoming known because of potential threatening consequences.  Should Christians stand up for gay footballers who want to come out or will that been seen as condoning that particular sin?

I believe that a person's heart cannot be changed by force.  The law will not bring anyone to faith but yet the law is useful for making us aware of what displeases God so do we condemn these men?

If we were to meet Anton Hysen (the gay footballer in question) and he was to ask us, was I right to 'come out'.  What would you say?

Shh...

Silence is golden.

There is chorus we used to sing in primary school whereby we quoted the words of Jesus to His disciples.

I will make you fishers of men,
fishers of men,
fishers of men.
I will make you fishers of men,
If you follow me.

The second verse was all about taking hold of the new life Jesus has given.  It goes like this:

Read your bible, pray every day,
pray every day,
pray every day.
Read your bible, pray every day,
If you want to live.

A wee while ago some of you lovely readers took up the challenge of reading the bible in 90 days.  This was OK but it seemed a little unsatisfactory.  Reading is good but it can't be reading for reading's sake.  The reading is only useful if it is a part of our conversation with God.  This conversation is two way; we talk and God listens (what a ludicrous yet glorious thought that is) and God talks and we listen.

One way, and the clearest way, God talks to us is through the bible. It's important we read it to learn to discern God's way and God's will. It is not the only way God communicates with His people though.  The Holy Spirit sits in the mind and soul of the christian and steers their thoughts in a God-honouring direction.  He helps us to know what to do, how to act, what to say in those situations in which the Bible does not spell it out for us step-by-step. He develops in us a Godly instinct.

We need to listen to the Spirit, listen to what he has to say to us.  But how do we do this?

Silence.

Christians love to talk about 'quiet-time'.  That time of the day set apart for reading the bible and praying.  Into this time we need to place some silence.  A time to fill our minds with thoughts of God, to listen to what He has to say to us. How long you spend in silence is obviously up to you, maybe 15 mins would be an easy start. 

This may sound a little spooky to you, a little monk-ish maybe. I don't care.  We cannot have a relationship with someone we don't listen too, you wouldn't treat your friends or family that way (I hope).

Like all things though, it will take a bit of practice, initially it may feel a little silly but persevere, the reward of discerning the will of God, thinking how He thinks, will be well worth it.

How, though, do we know the thoughts we have are God's thoughts and not just our own?  Well, before the silence, we ask God to speak to us and ask Him to enable us to listen.  Afterwards we ensure that the thoughts we have are in line with the Bible's teaching for God will not contradict Himself.

'Be still, and know that I am God'

Psalm 46:10

'Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.'

Galatians 5:24-26

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I quit

Things get tough.

Whether its money or business, or unfair criticisms, or a task that seems far too big to even start never mind complete, or people moving too slow, or people moving too fast, or people obsessing, or people not taking an interest; there are countless reasons for getting frustrated and wanting to give up.

Somethings are easier to leave than others; a job, a marathon an unloving friendship.  Others are very hard to leave, like a marriage, a church, a friend in distress. 

The bible says we should never quit God. There will be times when we feel like walking away because the path He's leading us on seems too treacherous, too difficult and too painful to cope with.  It feels easier to walk away from Him and do things our way.  But that would be a huge mistake.

God calls us to make Him the Lord of our lives, to worship Him alone and to follow His ways.  He promises that, although His way is often different from how we would plan it but it will be better for us in the end. 

It's not always the wrong thing to quit, but we need to be sure that it's God's will we are seeking and not just an escape hatch.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways my ways,” 

declares the LORD.

Isaiah 55:8

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Paddy whack

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Or is it?

Northern Ireland is a country with a long history of hurt.  Wrongs carried out by both sides in a conflict which has reduced to simmer in recent years but has yet to disappear. As a result if feels like everything has become a symbol for something or other, whether it's your choice of football team, alcoholic drink or the shape of your facial hair.  We express our identity through all sorts of things.

St Patrick's day is no different.  It is an optional public holiday which many refuse to take for fear of looking a bit too papish.  Others have adopted it as a day to demonstrate political allegiances - a show of strength if you will. Others still rise above the politics and either simply take advantage of the day off or use it as a light-hearted celebration of Irish culture and leave religion out of it.

St. Patrick was a great man of God, a missionary to this fair land when we were all still pagans.  Through the power of God the word of the Lord was accepted here and the Christian church grew.  St. Patrick's day reminds us of the goodness and strength of God.  Or at least it should.

Christians, let's stop perpetuating the hate.  If someone wants to celebrate in a way you don't like, let them, it's their call.  But let us redeem the 17th of March as yet another day of remembrance of the grace of God and let's celebrate it with praise to our King.

Plastic Jesus?

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

1 John 5:20

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Plastic people?

Is there anyone that fails,
Is there anyone that falls,
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small?

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong.
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong.

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay.
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too.
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them.

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples,
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain?
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken,
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade.

Is there anyone who's been there?
Are there any hands to raise?
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage?

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart.
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart.

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be?

Would your arms be open,
Or would you walk away?
Would the love of Jesus,
Be enough to make you stay?

(Casting Crowns: Stained Glass Masquerade)
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Shaken

Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, New Zealand, Libya, Japan.

Politically, socially and geographically the world is changing.  In the midst of all this change, natural disaster and human brokenness the only safety we have is in the Lord.  Everything else is shifting - moving from the known to the unknown, from the certain to the vunerable.

In spite of all this God is still God.  He lovingly sustains us in the midst of fear, uncertainty and our own sin. Pray for those who do not know God yet, that they would lean on Him; their only hope.  Without God in the midst of these storms we are lost.

Praise be to the Lord.

Bare-faced cheek

Next time, take a deep breath and count to ten.



This is the moment when a supporter ran onto the pitch dressed in a mankini. Classy.

The stewards at the match weren't the most athletic, they were struggling to get the man under-control and the players and supporters were getting a little frustrated. So the manager of Dorchester, who is also a player, decided to take matters into his own hands, tackled the plonker and then got sent off by the referee for violent conduct. Oops.

We do that. Sometimes we don't want to wait for God to sort things out. We really want things, good things, so why wait? The problem is that God has the plan and knows the best timescale. He will not be early and He will not be late.

Stewart Glendinning, preacher extraordinaire, spoke on this very topic last Sunday in RPC. His example was Sarah, wife of Abraham, who did not want to wait for God to provide a child and instead urged her husband to sleep with her servant in order to preserve the family line. A child was born, tension grew and eventually the family was split. Meanwhile God provided a child in His time but the incident had a cloud over broken relationships hanging over it for many years.

The lesson? Wait for God, He knows best - That's living by faith.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

Isaiah 55:8

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lol :-)

Things are getting out of hand.

There I was doing the weekly shop in our nearby grocery megastore, just minding my own business, when suddenly it happened, it was a new low for modern-day society.

The lady was in her thirties. She seemed pleasant enough but she was chatting loudly on her mobile phone.  I have no real problem with this but it was almost impossible not to listen in and I, nosey by nature, was compelled to pay attention.

She was clearly talking to a friend with whom she was having some light-hearted verbal sparring, banter if you will.  It was all pretty harmless until she said something which disturbed me greatly.  Her friend had obviously said something mildly amusing when she replied:

'That's so funny, laugh out loud'

I know.  She actually said in full a phrase used as an abbreviation to show amusement in electronic non-verbal communication.  She also lied, she did not as she inferred, 'laugh out loud' quite the opposite.  She was so far away from the spontaneous urge to lose control with an out-loud laugh that she was able to say the words, 'laugh out loud'.  I was dumbstruck, it was all I could do to stop myself from slapping her in the face with a packet of prawns.  Don't talk about laughing out loud woman; just laugh out loud or be quiet!

Also stop talking about loving God [I'm talking to myself now], or loving your neighbour, or being gracious, or trusting in Jesus; stop talking about it and do it.  They are our text messages but they are not to be meaninglessly quoted in conversation, they are to be acted on.

If we do not 'practice what we preach' we shouldn't be letting on that we do by what we say, that is called hypocrisy and it's not good. 

Anyway, rant over.

ttyl

(Jesus Said) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 7:21

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Isn't God good?

Sometimes life hurts.

I lived for a wee while abroad and where I was there they would always be using the phase,' God is good all the time and all the time God is good, for that is His nature.'  This is one of those truths to establish in your heart in times of blessing so it can sustain you when the blessings are harder to see.

But is it true? Is God always good? The bible says He is. The bible says that even the most difficult things we go through are for our good if we love the Lord.  A friend of mine gave her life to God after a lifetime of resisting.  She has seen the dark side of life, disability, death of young members of her family, her husband is very ill and now she has a form of leukemia and there she was yesterday, thanking God for all His goodness.

I think sometimes the goodness of God can only be understood fully by those who have accepted His love.  We know that He doesn't owe us anything.  All things belong to Him, He gives and He takes away. His plan is deeper and wider than ours, His love for us is deeper and wider than ours for Him, His way is the good way.

 The pain is real, the hurt is real, the confusion is real, the anger, at time, is real.  But in spite of all this head spinning emotion we can say with confidence, even though we don't see the big picture or will ever understand God's way in some things:

God is good all the time and all the time God is good, for that is His nature.  Praise the Lord.


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Casting Crowns: Praise You in This Storm.

Lose weight: fast

40 days and 40 nights is a long time.

Today is shrove Tuesday, we are on the verge of lent.  As we remember Jesus spending well over a month in the desert without food many of us will give something up as well but before we do we are all going to pig out one last time on what we traditionally refer too as pancake day.

The list of stuff that people 'give up' for lent is a long one.  Chocolate, cigarettes, KFC, Facebook, gambling, donuts, clothes shopping... I could go on, but if all we do for lent is give up stuff that is bad for us then we have missed the point entirely.  Lent is much more than a detox program or a weight-loss experiment.  When we put-off the old thing, the bad thing, the thing we feel we need, we are to replace if with a new thing, a holy thing, the thing we know we need.

Some of us had a go recently at reading the bible 90 days.  It was a good exercise, I think, although it was a hard slog at times and a little overwhelming.  The thing is though that simply reading the bible on it's own does not grow us closer to God, we need a relationship with Him to, we need to talk with Him. Lent is an opportunity to develop our relationship with God and put him to the forefront of our lives.

Use lent properly.  When you crave the thing you are fasting from use that as a reminder that God is more necessary to you than what you crave.  When you miss food or cigarettes or whatever, pray.  With God's help when this period of lent has passed maybe we will crave God the way we crave take-aways and that's something we'll never have to give up.

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Matthew 4:2-4

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That Friday feeling

God said 'Yes'!

People pray a lot. They pray about all kinds of things. Some people pray and they don't really believe that it will work but they just want to feel like they are doing something. Others pray believing in the all-consuming power of God.

God always answers prayers, always.  Some times He says no, other times he says wait, these times are a blessing from God. When His will is done all is right with the world - even when it doesn't feel like it. Then there are those other times when God says 'Yes' and your whole world changes as a result.  It's like the 'man from del monte' moment but infinitely better.

No matter what it is, big or small. And no matter how long you have prayed for it, whether it was months or years or if it was was an emergency prayer in the midst of a crisis; when God says 'yes' there is such relief and joy that we can do nothing else than praise the God who can change things.

So what is it you have to praise God for today?  A new job, release from illness, a pay rise, your wife, family unity, new life, the salvation of your soul, the bright new day, a phone call from a long-lost brother, justice, a bill paid, safe return of a parent, food...  The list is literally endless.  When God says 'yes' it's time to celebrate. Let's not forget to be thankful, to give the glory to God and to praise Him with all we've got.

What has God said yes to in your life lately?

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Exodus 33:19

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AGM

Last night was our church's Annual General Meeting.

I fear that maybe a lot of people have their own personal AGM, that is their Annual God Moment.  Once a year they remember that they should really tip their hat towards 'the big man upstairs'.  Usually this happens at Christmas or maybe Easter.

When things get really bad, at some time of unplanned crisis (is a crisis ever planned?) an EGM will be called.  A time of emergency knee-dropping to deal with the unexpected danger or hardship.

This is not good enough.

God is well capable of responding to any emergent situation and He knows all about you without you filling Him in; but what God desires from you is a relationship, actual regular quality time not some series of short reports once a year.

Make your relationship with God more than a fleeting visit once a year or whenever. Converse with him daily, hourly even, spend time alone with Him and experience the pure joy of life. Do it today, tomorrow and every day.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, 

who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:19

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The King is alive!

Elvis lives on.

The magnificent city of Budapest is to honour Elvis Presley by making him an honourary citizen.  This is because of his support for the people after the relovution in 1956 (read more here).

While this is a nice thing for Budapest to do for Elvis it isn't much good to him because he is dead (no actually, he is).  There are only two places to be citizen of when we leave this life - Heaven or Hell.

Heaven is by far the better of these two places but they are both very real.  The citizenship of Heaven is kind of an honourary award too.  What I mean is that it cannot be earned and it is not given because of our parents standing.  It is not have geographical or historical conditions placed on it. Citizens of Heaven are given that special status if they love the King of that city, if they honour God and follow Jesus Christ. It's as simple as that.

People love to flatter other people with praise and honours but they will mean nothing after death.  Honour the King now and you will be given citizenship of heaven and eternal joy will be yours.

Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his;
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

  Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 100:3-4

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Size isn't everything

Now it is possible to see the invisible. Sort of.

Boffins at the University of Manchester have developed a microscope which can see objects as small as 50 billionths of a metre. Things so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.  They reckon this microscope will be able to look directly at viruses and the like without having to use slow and expensive imaging techniques. (Read about it for yourself here.)

Now I know that me explaining this to you is like Jennifer Aniston explaining the science of shampoo (although I'm guessing that'd be more fun) but you've got to admit that it's pretty clever stuff.

I wonder if, when we can see the intricate design in things so very small, will more people come to realise that this big universe with it's itty-bitty constituent parts could not be brought about by any other means than by the hand of an awesome God.

Science is not the enemy of God, it is the study of what he has made.  Let's hope that those who practice science don't miss the point and inflate their own ego's rather than seeing the wonder of creation and praising the Lord.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them. 

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

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I accidentally posted some mid-week music yesterday thinking it was Wednesday (oops!).  I'm obviously working too hard.

To boldly go

Last night I met a Spaceman.

Granted, this guy never actually made it to space, that was never his intention, but he did work for NASA on the Mars Rover, and he has the photo's to prove it.  The thing is though that that was probably not the most exciting or interesting thing this guy has done.

He has live in LA and Hong Kong.  He has developed labs in hospitals, designed computers for BAA, taught kindergarten kids to speak English, sired three children and watched God work in the most unpredictable of ways.  The Spaceman and his wife have done a lot.

The thing that struck me though was not the almost unbelievable adventure, not even the photo's of far flung places but the attitude in the heart.

When the prompting comes to do something radical the Spaceman says, 'Just do it'.  That is the attitude God likes.  It is not reckless abandon, it is not pig-headedness or mindless rebellion; when it's God's instruction it is right and proper that we do not dillydally on the way.

I'm not sure I've got that attitude yet but I'm determined to work on it.  It may not take me to the far-flung corners of the world but it may mean more conversations about Christ, more good deeds, more radical God-centred thinking, more change in my life and in the things I do.

Life is short on this earth, we have but a moment to do the things God has laid out for us; lets beat around the bush no-longer.  If God days to do something - just do it.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

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Matt Redman - You Never Let Go.