Hic!

I'm scared of hiccups.

It's not that hiccups are particularly scary but they are a little bit sore and a whole lot annoying. What really scares me about them is not knowing when they are going to stop.

Charles Osborne, an American pig farmer (not the chancellor of the exchequer!), started hiccuping in 1922 and didn't stop until 1990, that's 68 years! Every time I get the hiccups I wonder will this be me until I'm 97, what a horrible existence that would be!

I mention this because last night I got a dose of hiccups. It turned out not to last too long but it was pretty annoying. Rocky had been naughty and I was telling him off, 'Bad dohukg!, bahuk dog, huk'. My wife laughed, even the dog chuckled, discipline became impossible.

It's the uncontrollable element of hiccups that makes it so disconcerting. You just never know when they will strike. They control you, you are a slave to them. There are many theories as to how to get rid of them but I'm not sure any really work.

Sometimes when we do things we shouldn't we think of it as a hiccup. Just a blot on our otherwise clean paper, just a slip-up, a one off. If our sin is just a series of hiccups Then I have had hiccups from the day I was born until now and it shows no sign of abating.

There seems to be no cure for sin either. In 1 John 1:8 the bible says, 'If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us'. But this tendency to sin is not the same as being a slave to it. We can overcome what we do wrong with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The bible also says, 'count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.' Romans 6:11-12. We do not have to be controlled by the things that are against God any more. By accepting Jesus we can be free from that, we can do good. This needs work, hard work to resist sin, to not let it fester in our bodies, to not indulge in deliberate sin. But the joy of release from slavery and the joy of pleasing the Saviour of the world, is worth it.


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Last night was a quiet one in Rathcoole, we thank God for that.  Please continue to pray for our estate and the people in it.  Also feel free to share any prayer requests you may have, I and others here would be happy to pray for you.

Greater things still to be done

The last couple of days in Rathcoole have been very tense.

On Monday there were a couple of raids on different houses around the estate.  These were in connection with 'historial enquires'.  As a response to these raids rioting has taken place on the outskirts of the estate for the last to nights.  (Read BBC reports here).

The vast majority of the people in the estate are not represented by the rioters but we are all impacted by it.  It is difficult to know what to do about the situation, how to influence it. There is one thing we can do and that is pray.  Rathcoole Presbyterian Church will be holding a prayer meeting tonight from 7:00pm.  If you are willing to come and it is safe for you to do so then please come along.  If you can't make it I would encourage you to pray at that time for Rathcoole.

Some things to pray for:
*God would move in the estate to change the hearts of those causing trouble.
*That young children would not be manipulated into taking part.
*That police, rioters and others would be safe from physical harm.
*That it would rain tonight.
*Church leaders in the area would find success as they seek to influence the situation
*That the reputation of the estate would not disadvantage it's young people.
*That God would send revival to this place.