Handbrake off

What's stopping you?

You see them in movies, hear about them in songs and read about them in books.  They are the ones living your life, the life you dreamed of in school.  The difference is that at some point you decided that those dreams were only flights of fancy - not for the likes of you.

I'm like that. I have a big old fear of standing out and looking silly, I need a good excuse to do anything in public. For example, The Wife and I thought long and hard before we took a trip to the pound to get Rocky in order that we would be confident that we could justify getting him to the people around us, I even struggle to go into a coffee shop on my own in case someone might think I'm an odd ball.  I'm starting to think that I live my life in fear of other people's opinions rather than by what I know to be right or good or, frankly, what I think is fun.

In our street on Saturday night!

I am like a car surrounded by scaffolding with an ironing-board and T.V. on top of it, I am trapped in mediocrity and mundaneness and it is - almost literally - frustrating the life out of me.

Of course if this is true (and not just a bout of grumpiness) it's entirely my own fault.  I am ruled by God not other peoples opinions or my own fears or the judgements of strangers.  I, we, have a great big bucket of potential to fulfil, we are made for greater things, for harder things, for great adventures whether of the traditional high-octane kind or adventures of the heart, adventures of the soul, adventures in the name of Christ.

Jesus did many a miracle in His day but in John 14:12 He says, 'anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these.'  Even greater? Wow...


So turn off the can't do attitude, break out of the Golden cage you've built for yourself and step on to the aeroplane of awesome that is the life God intended for you.  Live fully now.

 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'

John 10:10


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Jars of Clay

This is the extraordinary testimony of Nick Vujicic.  Born with no arms and no legs and yet he can praise God with his words and his life.

How can he, in the face of such hardship, such a debilitating condition still find reason not just to live but to live singing the praises of the God who made him that way?

We each share a common purpose - to bring glory to God.  Nick's incredible physical state has become the means by which he can bring that glory.  Through the inhibitions that his physical disability impose on him he can allow God's perfection to shine through.

In the video above Nick says, 'There is no point being complete on the outside when you are broken on the inside.'

How many of us are in this condition?  Walking around with full use of our bodies but our heats ache.  We are physically healthy and yet mentally, emotionally and spiritually empty.

Even Christian people can feel this way.  We can struggle with doubts, private sin, feelings of inadequacy or harbouring confusing or harmful emotions like homosexual feelings or anger and hatred.

If you're feeling any of these things it's unlikely that I can say anything here that will bring a resolution to the issues you face.  However the first thing is to recognise that Jesus is the great healer, the great Redeemer, the great source of love.

Your situation, no matter how dark it feels, is not too much for Christ.  There is no darkness which can overcome His light.  Come to Him.  If you're not sure how do that then I am certainly here to help (email me) or there are many other Christian people who will not condemn but will help you to be restored through the love of Jesus.  I do not promise a quick fix to any problem you have, it may not be easy but it is achievable.  You can overcome through the power of God.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 

1 Corinthians 4:7

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9

Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17

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(Many thanks to the wonderful Nikki Keating for sharing with me Nick Vujicic's Testimony.)

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.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

My lovely wife is a teacher, a very good one.  To ensure that her high standards are maintained her school is undergoing an inspection and this is getting everyone quite agitated.

I have the dubious pleasure of knowing quite a few teachers and at least four of them have experienced an inspection in the last few weeks.  They are all stressed to the hilt.  The inspection is a dreaded event, spoken about in hushed tones. That is until the event gets closer and then every time the word 'inspection' is said it is accompanied by Eastender's type drums and a look of terror on the face of the one that said it.



From what I understand inspectors are some sort of sub-human creatures with huge teeth and no sense of smell.  They stalk school corridors hunting down teachers who haven't covered every part of their classroom walls with brightly coloured stars and pictures of children pretending to be happy.  If they ever find such a teacher they drag them outside, rip out their hearts with their bare hands and devour their souls raw. Or at least, that's the impression I get.




Inspector (artists impression)



 They've asked me to come and take assembly today because the teachers are too scared, I'm having garlic for breakfast.


It's as well our hearts aren't inspected like that all the time, imagine what lengths we'd have to go to to convince God that we are doing fine on our own thanks, no need for extra help here.  No badness, no brokenness, no laziness, no impurities, just 100% perfection.  I don't think so.

The fact is God has continual access to all the inner workings of our hearts, He sees all the aforementioned weaknesses but He does not condemn any of us.  Or should I say he does not condemn any who have called out to Jesus to save them.  They have nothing to fear.  Those who haven't called to Jesus, well I'm afraid you will have to convince God that you are perfect in every way.  My advice? Call out to Jesus, He's your only hope.

Hated

Yesterday evening (Thursday 23rd 2010) Dougie Mark came to Rathcoole Presbyterian Church to tell about the work of Open Doors.  They support persecuted Christians worldwide in a variety of ways and do an excellent job. 

As he told some of the stories of the persecution of Christians it became clear that these people are hated.  Hated by their Governments, police, the army, school teachers and in some cases even their families.  They are not hated because they are from the west or because of military campaigns or land disputes or anything like that. They are hated because they follow Christ; but they won't turn away, they won't deny their faith. 

Jesus said, 'If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.'  John 15:18

They know that Christ suffered first. He knows what it is like to be persecuted and His love will carry them on . They believe this love is worth going through all the horrors they are facing and as much as they are hated by the world they are loved a thousand times more by Jesus.  What a challenge to me this is, how pathetic my fears of standing up for Christ in this country and what a testament to the immense love of Jesus.