‘One word in one sentence on one day’



Capitol Building, Washington - Taken from www.senate.gov



These are the words of Todd Akin. He is a man running for office in the American Senate. During a day of campaigning, he made a significant mistake when asked about his views on the topic of abortion. What he said has brought condemnation from across the divide of American politics, from President Obama’s party to his fellow Republicans, including the presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney. Mr Akin made a serious error. Politics is such that errors of this nature are soon picked up and exploited by opponents.

I thought it strange that mistakes in politics can become so important, either to the candidate or their opponents. In other circumstances, would there be such a public furore. Probably not! It seems the public nature of the office that Mr Akin seeks means that anything he does, or says, will be brought into the spotlight. What of our life? Mr Akin’s one ‘simple’ mistake may well cost him his place in the Senate. Do we attach the same importance to the mistakes we make? The Bible calls our mistakes ‘sin’ – we miss the mark; we fail to reach the required standard! Just one mistake, or sin, will keep us out of God’s heaven. Sin is that important – it is crucial that we get a right view of sin!

Mr Akin has publicly apologised for his mistake. He is seeking forgiveness. Whether that will restore his political fortunes remains to be seen. Whether some people will forgive his mistake is also difficult to judge. One thing that we can be sure of is that we have a merciful, and gracious, God who is willing to forgive and to remove the stain and guilt of our mistakes (sins). How? Because the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died upon the cross of Calvary outside of Jerusalem some 2000 years ago! God punished His Son for my sin. He bore the penalty that should have been mine. If I admit my sin, and believe on the Lord Jesus, accepting Him as my Saviour, I can know forgiveness. I can be brought back into relationship with God. This doesn’t get me a place in American politics. It gets me a place in heaven – that’s far better!

What will be the legacy of the 2012 Olympics?

The question has already been asked, perhaps a number of times! What lasting impact will these Olympics have upon this country? It is estimated that £9billion has been spent. What will we have to show for that investment in five or ten year’s time? After the games have finished some of the stadia will be knocked down. Other Olympic cities have seen their facilities lie empty, and, eventually, become derelict. Will that happen here?

Some are optimistic, particularly about the impact the games will have upon junior sport’s people. Others will speak of their memories of the games and some particular sporting moment that they witnessed. It is also worth considering what our handling of such a sporting spectacular has done for our standing in the world sporting community.

We have commented in this blog before about one person who has left His indelible mark on history in a way that no Olympian has ever done. He never won a gold medal at any athletics event. He never rose to fame in any sporting sense. He was never responsible for organizing a major world event involving so many nations and competitors. He was not a politician. He was not really a public figure, although thousands sought to see and hear Him. His name was Jesus Christ!

Since nearly 2000 years have passed since His death, why should He be remembered and worshipped by millions? The answer would fill more space that this simple blog allows! But let us mention just a few points for you think about: (1) He was brutally treated and yet never fought back or abused His detractors; (2) He asked God for the forgiveness of His persecutors; (3) Just prior to His death the sun was darkened for three hours; (4) He died for crimes He did not commit; (5) After three days He rose again from the dead, and is now in heaven.

The real significance of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was that He gave His life in order to pay the penalty for our guilt and burden of sin against God – the things that we have done wrong in the sight of God. Here is a person, the Son of God, who can make a lasting impression upon your life. Here is someone who has left a legacy that will outlive any sporting triumph or event. What is your response to Christ?

Olympic overload?



 Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net



It was interesting that when our speaker at the Family Tea on Sunday said that he wasn’t going to speak about the Olympics there was a deep sigh of thankfulness from certain people that were there. It would seem that some people have already had enough of the non-stop coverage of the Olympics 2012. I suppose that if you’re not a fan of sport then all the different events will be overwhelming. Similarly, some of the things that people might prefer to watch on their televisions or listen to on their radio gets pushed out to make way for this sporting extravaganza.

This is also a possibility in relation to the message of God’s good news for needy humanity – you and me! It’s a message that’s been around for 2000 years. It’s ‘old’ news! In the pursuit for the new and novel such ‘old’ messages get sidelined – whether that be in our minds and priorities, or in the minds and priorities of the news media. But it is still a message of vital importance. It provides a way of escape from the penalty of our sin and guilt before God. It provides news of forgiveness from, and peace with, God.

What makes the Olympics such a major event? Apart from the fact that it only happens once in every four years, this is the first time it has been held in this country since 1948. It is likely to be the only time the Olympics will be in Britain in some people’s lifetime. It’s historic!

There’s a once in a lifetime decision that you have to make as you read this blog. Will you get right with God, by turning your back upon your old life of sin and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? It will be a life-changing, historic event if you do. It will bring you forgiveness and cleansing, a relationship with God which is not limited by time, and a home in heaven. The Olympics will soon slip away for another four years. How sad to let an opportunity of salvation slip away!