Sutton Shooting

‘A man has been injured in a suspected shooting in a Nottinghamshire town. The victim was found by police with a non-life threatening wound to his leg in Hamilton Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield on Thursday evening’.

These lines taken from the BBC News website are a reminder of how events of a serious nature are getting closer and closer to each one of us. Whether this particular matter turns out to be associated with a crime or not we will have to wait and see. Some of us living in the locality remain a little uneasy.

Those old enough to remember back into the 20^th Century can recall events that became national scandals which, in today’s world, would barely feature. Gun crime is one such event. The sadness is that we have not noticed. When change is gradual, and over a lengthy period, the shock is lost. What can be worse is when decline is seen as ‘progress’, and change for the worse is somehow ‘normal’.

The marital exploits of 20^th Century film stars, like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Zsa Zsa Gabor, were regarded as scandalous by many of the day. Now such exploits are commonplace. How many people do we know who have been married, and remained faithful to their partners, for more than 30 years? Multiple divorces are seen as  ‘progress’. This is ‘tolerance’. The damage to the adults and children caught up in this moral mess is greater than anyone realizes, or stops to calculate.

What we often lose sight of is that the God of the universe does not change, and His standards are unalterable. What society once abhorred but is now prepared to accept and even applaud remains sin in the sight of God. Social views can change. God does not! The laws of the land can change. The law of God does not! The challenge is that measured against the ten commandments we all fall short.

The fact that God does not change is a challenge to all of us but it also offers us hope. Whilst God’s standards remain the same, the way of salvation remains the same. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is still the only way to God. When all around may be changing, and changing rapidly, how reassuring to know that faith in Christ can still being salvation to a lost sinner!

[picture taken from: http://www.deepdotweb.com/]

 

Honest!

For those who have a partner, you will know the dilemma. You are asked, ‘Does this look OK on me?’ Or, ‘Do I look fat in this?’ It may only be that pause that comes after the question that gives away the fact that you are struggling to say what you really think. As you grapple with the difficulty of how to say kindly, ‘You look awful’, someone who knows you well has picked up the fact that there is a problem. Alternatively, as you mumble something like, ‘Yes, er . . . it’s nice’, or ‘No, er . . . you look fine’, the lack of sincerity is obvious. How do we convey the truth without causing serious offence?

Sadly, many of us have grown used to lies. We might single out politicians. We might have other professionals in mind. We have heard lies redefined as ‘being economical with the truth’, or ‘putting a different spin on things’. If we are honest, lies are a devastating thing. It is one thing to be insincere. It is quite another to be told a deliberate lie. Who can we trust?

 

One thing we can rely upon is the Bible. If we want to be persuaded of the truth that it contains, we only have to read it. Atheists have criticised the Bible because of some of the things that it details, and yet the fact that those things are there ought to make them think. If it was simply a man-made book, we would have taken out the difficult bits. We would have removed the examples of God’s judgement as ‘likely to cause offence’!

 

Therefore, when the Lord Jesus said ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’,[1] we can rely upon what He said. The use of the word ‘truly’ twice tells us that what He said is reliable and important. But what did He mean?

 

Every human being starts life away from God. All of us have a problem – sin! We do not have the ability to do what God wants us to do. We all have that desire to ‘do our own thing’. As a result of sin in our lives we are ‘dead’ towards God, and separated from Him.[2] We need to be ‘born again’. We need to have a new life. The old life will never get us to heaven! Note the words of the Lord Jesus again ‘unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ [my emphasis]. This message came as a great shock to the religious man to whom it was spoken. He didn’t think he was as bad as that!

 

How can we be ‘born again’? The answer is relatively simple but is a real problem to so many. First, we need to admit we are sinners before God. In treating those who are alcoholics, it is said that the hardest thing is to get the person to admit they have a drink problem. Do we have the same problem with sin? Second, we have to come to the Lord Jesus in believing faith. Having admitted that we have a problem, we are coming to Him and the sacrifice He made upon a Roman cross some 2000 years ago, and accepting that the sacrifice was for our sin and guilt. What about you? Be honest!

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[1] John chapter 3 verse 3

[2] Isaiah chapter 59 verse 2

Manchester United’s Failure

Image compiled from various sources.

Whether you’re an avid follower of English football or not, it cannot have escaped the notice of most people that Manchester United football club are struggling So soon after notching up another remarkable statistic under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson, the club that had won everything is down in the doldrums. Ferguson’s first successor, David Moyes has gone, and Louis Van Gaal is now in charge. After a 4-0 loss to MK Dons and a goalless draw at Burnley, the questions are still being asked. When will success return? Will this season be as seemingly bleak as the last one?

 

I don’t think anyone would call me a football pundit! 4-3-3 is just a set of numbers. What the best formation might be, I haven’t a clue. However, I am old enough to remember what happened to this famous football club the last time a long-standing manager retired. That manager was Sir Matt Busby, who managed the club for 24 years, returning for a period after his retirement in 1969 to manage the club again between 1970 and 1971. I am tempted to ask, ‘Is history repeating itself?’

 

The Bible has quite a few examples of history repeating itself. The verse that comes to mind is this: ‘let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’.[1] It is set against the background of the history of the Jews in the Old Testament and contains the statement, ‘these things were our examples’, and, ‘they are written for our admonition’ or warning. Have we read them, or are we making the same mistakes?

 

What the Bible tells us is that the mistakes that Israel made then cost them dearly. We cannot ignore what God says and not suffer the consequences in some way. The Bible tells us that ‘the wages of sin is death’,[2] a separation from God that could become eternal. If we carry on in our own way, ‘doing our own thing’, that will bring us under the judgement of God for our sin and wilful disobedience. That same passage of scripture warns its readers, ‘let us not tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted’.[3] To reject Jesus Christ, and the Bible record about Him, is to tempt God. Why? The Bible tells us that, ‘there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’.[4] To reject Christ is to turn your back upon the only way back to God from the pathway of sin and disobedience. Peter warned his hearer, ‘Neither is there salvation in any other’.[5] What is your attitude toward the Bible and Jesus Christ? Are you about to make the same mistakes that so many others have made?

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[1] 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 12.

[2] Romans chapter 6 verse 23.

[3] 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 9.

[4] 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 4.

[5] Acts chapter 4 verse 12.

Brazil 1 – Germany 7

Picture taken from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/

If you’ve missed the World Cup 2014, the result detailed above may bring a measure of disbelief. Who would have thought that the host country, and one of the most renowned and successful football nations, should receive such a thrashing in the semi-finals of the competition? Even the Germans, who won the match so decisively, could not have expected to score so many goals and achieve such a victory. What happened?

The football commentators and armchair pundits have made many suggestions. The manager picked the wrong team. The tactics were wrong. Large parts of the team underperformed. Key Brazilian players were missing, either suspended or injured. The strength of the German team was underestimated. I’m sure there are all sorts of reasons and explanations. Few will be enough for the many Brazilian football fans who wept at such a crushing defeat for their favourites.

 

I think it would be an understatement to say that a mistake was made. However, this “mistake”, that was broadcast across the world, and its results witnessed by millions, made me think. I was reminded of a Bible verse: ‘None of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory’. Paul the apostle was writing of a decision that was taken some 2000 years ago. In the face of compelling evidence as to the innocence of Jesus Christ, Pilate, the Roman Governor of Palestine, took the decision to allow the wishes of the people, and order crucifixion. The leaders of Israel had wanted Jesus dead. They got what they wanted.

Pilate thought his decision would pacify the Jews. He was wrong. The Jewish leaders thought the death of Jesus Christ would put a stop to His popularity, and disperse his followers. They were wrong. Both were badly wrong! There has seldom been a place of such turmoil and bloodshed as the Middle East, and Palestine in particular. The leaders of the Jews could never have seen how Christianity would develop and spread across the globe from the death of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection that followed three days later.

Sadly, many are still “writing off” Christianity and Christ. Karl Marx called religion ‘the opium [drug] of the people’. Marxism is now largely dead but the Christian gospel is still being preached.

I wonder if you’ve ever thought about the Christian gospel. Have you ever considered the message of the Bible? There are plenty of messages on the Kirkby Gospel Hall website. Many make the mistake of dismissing it. Like Pilate and the Jewish people, many have consigned Jesus Christ to history, and forgotten that He is alive and His message still being preached! What of you? To reject Christ could be the biggest mistake that anyone could ever make. For anyone to die in their sins will have consequences for eternity!

Exams!

Image taken from: http://blogs.bmj.com

It’s that time of year again. The rows of desks are set out. The students are sat all facing the front. The exam papers are given out and the exam begins. In the next 60, 90, or 120 minutes each student is expected to answer to the set number of questions in the hope that they can secure enough marks to pass and gain the grade they need. The pressure is on! How well have they revised and prepared with practice papers? Have they covered the right areas? Have the right questions come up on the paper? When the exam is over there is the long wait before, sometime in July/August, the results are out and you know then whether you have passed or not, got the grade/degree you wanted or not.

There will be some people who will walk away from this exam period in the hope that it is the last they will ever need to do. Yet in life we are still working ‘under exam conditions’. We will be assessed on our performance in the workplace. It may be that we will be assessed in the doctor’s surgery, or the hospital ward, so that an expert can tell us what is wrong. The reality is that we cannot escape exams!

 
The sobering thing is that God also does an assessment of our life. Paul, writing to Romans, put the ‘marks’ that God gives us in this way:

Criteria	Mark
Personal righteousness or good character	0
Our comparison with others	0
Understanding	0
Seeking after God	0
Obedience to God’s law	0
Good deeds or works	0

The overall mark is zero. We have all failed – ‘come short of the glory of God’. We have missed the mark.

Some might think that we can appeal. We can ask for a reassessment. We can take the exam again and try and do better. Yet, we need to realize, God’s assessment is perfect and accurate and final! There is no appeal. We cannot do better than we already have. Our position cannot be changed by our highest efforts.

What we need to do is confess to God that we have failed. If we give up any of our own efforts, and cast ourselves upon the mercy of God we can be saved from the consequences of our failure. God has provided a Saviour – the Lord Jesus Christ. Of His Son, God was able to say, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’. Yet God’s perfect Son, One who did not and could not fail, died upon a Roman cross to pay the penalty of our failure and sin. He can be our Saviour. First, we have to confess our failure. Second, we have to ask Him to be our Saviour by faith – trust Him! That is the only way that we can ‘pass’, because then we are seen as ‘in Christ’, safe and secure!

The Dark Side

‘Rolf Harris has admitted he is good at disguising a "dark side" of his character as he gave evidence for a second day at his sex abuse trial. The 84-year-old TV entertainer said his wife and daughter had not known of his relationship with an alleged victim. Prosecuting lawyer Sasha Wass QC said the court would need to fathom "how dark that dark side actually is"’. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27600141].

 

This is part of the BBC report of the criminal case taking place in London featuring the once famous Australian entertainer Rolf Harris. Whatever we may think of the case or Mr Harris for that matter, the comments of the prosecuting barrister are interesting. The accused has admitted to having what has been described as a ‘dark side’ and of ‘disguising’ it. In what way that might affect the outcome of the trial we shall have to wait and see.

 

For me the interesting point is that we all have a ‘dark side’, not just Mr Harris. God’s message is this: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’ That is God’s verdict, not the verdict of a barrister, court, or jury. God searches each of our hearts, scrutinizes them in a way that we cannot, compares them with His standard, and declares them ‘wicked’! Like the defendant in the trial mentioned above, we are all capable of disguising the fact of our ‘darker side’. We can dress in our finest array, be ‘on our best behaviour’ in public, and perform all the niceties that will gain us acceptance in society. However, that will only change what is external. It will not change anything inside! We all remain guilty before God as sinners – those who have fallen short of God’s standard!

 

I do not know what the jury will decide in the Harris court case. I haven’t heard the evidence, or even kept up-to-date through the news. However, if the verdict is guilty, Harris will have to face judgement and an appropriate sentence. As guilty sinners, we are all facing the judgement of God – separation from God in Hell. What a sorry situation! The good news of the Bible is that we don’t have to remain sinners under the judgement of God. Seeing our need, God has provided a Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is able to save us from sin and guilt because of His death upon a Roman cross some 2000 years ago. He died there to carry the burden of our sin and guilt, and to pay the price to secure our freedom. The big question today is will you accept God’s offer of mercy in Jesus Christ? Will you admit you are guilty? Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, or will you continue to try and disguise the facts and live on as you are?

Only 25

‘Peaches Geldof, second daughter of musician Bob Geldof and the late Paula Yates, has died aged 25, leaving a husband and two sons’. This sentence heads the report on the BBC website detailing the death. A celebrity in her own right, Ms Geldof was well known as a TV presenter, and writer. With a husband and two children, the death is unexplained, and tragic, particularly for those closely connected to her. Even if we did not know here, and had not followed her career, or seen her on TV, we ought to feel a sense of sadness at her death. 

What I found particularly striking was her age. She was only 25. She was very much in the prime of life. Similarly, on the East Midlands news there was the story of a woman, in her 30s according to the reports, found dead in a Derby street. Then, a man, said to be in his late 40s, was found dead on waste land in Sneinton, Nottingham. What is particularly challenging is when you realize that all of these people are younger than you! Death is no respecter of age, gender, background, wealth, or status! The news of the last few days emphasizes that well-known fact. What I wonder is whether we are prepared for what lies beyond. The Bible states, ‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’ [my emphasis]. Many may say that once we are dead that’s the end. The Bible indicates otherwise. Whether you agree or not, it does not alter the record of scripture. Are you prepared, or are you taking the risk that the atheist is right and you have nothing to fear?

The tremendous news that is found in the Christian gospel is that we need not fear death, or what lies beyond. Although, as the Bible puts it, ‘the wages of sin is death’, we can, instead, know the ‘gift of God’ which is eternal life. We all face death because we have failed to reach God’s standard – we have fallen short, or sinned. As sinners, we stand guilty before God, awaiting the judgement stated above. However, Jesus Christ died upon a Roman cross, bore God’s punishment for sin, and offers forgiveness to you and I. Are we prepared to listen to God’s message? Are we prepared to admit that we are sinners, and accept God’s offer of mercy?

It is easy to think that we have so much of life ahead of us. We can put off ‘the religious things’ until later. After all, we might think, death is for old people. Recent events should teach us otherwise! How long have you got left?