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This is what true Christians are up against

Posted by Shirley Anne on June 1, 2012

There is a war going on in the ranks of human beings and especially those who are Christians. The greatest problems we face as Christians in trying to witness to the unbeliever are generated by ourselves………….

The offices of The Gazette newspaper on Saint ...

The offices of The Gazette newspaper on Saint Catherine Street, Montreal, Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—  with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”        Psalm 103:17-18 NIV1984

Christianity in Transition and Karma (an article written in The Montreal Gazette recently by a friend of mine…..I pray for her daily)

With more than 1,000 people protesting in a demonstration on Sunday against a North Carolina pastor who made anti-gay comments last week, some of his 100 or so congregants applauded him in church, according to a report on msnbc.com. Apparently, though, leaders of other churches are trying to distance themselves from him, feeling that his outrageous statements will hurt their more moderate anti-gay efforts.
Sigh . . .   When will all these folks understand that not everybody believes their Bible is the inspired work of a god and that their interpretations of it are relevant or realistic? Really, where do these folks get off thinking that they can impose their superstitious belief system on everybody else? Of course they have a right to believe what they want, but they simply should not have a right to use their beliefs to spread hate and discrimination.   It’s obvious to me that much of Western society is in transition (there’s that word again). Many people have moved on from the superstitious belief system expounded by people like the North Carolina pastor who preaches fire and brimstone if you don’t believe what he does. But some haven’t moved on.  Still, fundamentalists are not united on these issues — some are far more liberal than others. Those with extreme views are becoming more and more isolated, which is probably why their extreme comments go viral sometimes.   Which is not to say the essential message of Christianity is lost or irrelevant. The bottom line has always been to love thy neighbours, regardless of who they might be. It’s the bottom line in most spiritual schools of thought — and those religious institutions that lose sight of it ultimately lose followers. Which explains why only 100 people are showing up in that North Carolina church while more than 1,000 were protesting against the pastor outside the Justice Center . . . Sounds like karmic justice to me.

Jillian

The great lost chord of modern civilization is forgetfulness of the fact in nature of universal brotherhood, which means not merely a sentimental or political brotherhood; it means that we are all of one common cosmic or spiritual origin, and that what affects one affects all . . . – G. de Purucker (end of article)

Whilst in some respects I understand what Jillian is saying I feel she is missing the point somewhat. Many of us will have heard about the North Carolina pastor who voiced such an unloving sermon and as a result will now thinking his opinions are those of the true Christian Church. They are most emphatically not! In her article Jillian agrees that and indicates that the main anti-gay movement within the Church has been harmed by what this pastor has said and I agree with her on that point. However the Christian message has never been one of hate thy neighbour, whether gay or not. Many Christians think that just because Scripture shows us that homosexuality is a sinful way of life that it gives them the right to judge and condemn participants. It doesn’t! Neither is it appropriate to marginalize people for believing in other things or making a stand against their rights to behave as they wish. A true Christian does not do these things. A true Christian reaches out in love whilst being a faithful witness for Christ Jesus. This means pointing people to what God is saying and what God is commanding from us all. Decisions on lifestyle and belief always should rest with the individual. Being a witness does not mean pushing the faith down the throats of unbelievers but it is a duty and a commandment to explain and deliver the Gospel message to non-believers. From a Christians point of view it should be as an encouragement for sinners to repent, not something to turn them further away!

Jillian mentions (quite correctly) that not everyone believes that The Bible is the inspired Word of God but what she should have said is that non-believers in God think that way. Christians believe it is, or SHOULD do. I read Jillian’s posts quite frequently and I have found her to be very caustic sometimes when writing some of her articles. Firstly, in this article, she appears to accuse all Christians of being ‘fundamentalists’ as if being a fundamentalist was wrong. It isn’t wrong for Christians cannot turn away from the fundamental teachings encompassed in Scripture, they either have to believe it is God’s Word or not. Some conflicts  do arise in interpretation sometimes but the tenet of content is unaffected. Remember, fundamentalism isn’t an invitation nor a free ticket to stir up hatred and discord with non-believers. Secondly, Jillian renders Scripture and belief in the Faith as all superstitious nonsense. This is a personal and direct attack on the Christian faith and ultimately God. Personal opinions should be kept out of good journalism. Present the facts and let the people choose one way or the other. This should be the case in presenting The Gospel too and it would be wiser for all those ‘fundamentalists’ to consider that fact.

Jillian redeemed herself in her concluding remarks though recognising that what has been voiced by an over-zealous pastor is not what the Christian message is all about nor is it the same opinion of all people of the faith or anyone with an inkling of common sense and humanity. Love thy neighbour even if he has six heads four arms and is green-skinned!

The war is not between human beings. It is a spiritual war being waged out of our sight and it is a war for souls, lost souls who need redemption.

“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—  with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”    Psalm 103: 17-18 (NIV 1984). I just wish Christians would remember to obey his precepts and do all things in love as He commands, maybe then the unbeliever will respond to the Gospel.

Shirley Anne

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Foolish?

Posted by Shirley Anne on May 16, 2012

Getup Get God

Getup Get God (Photo credit: prettywar-stl)

Psalm 14:1-3

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

For the director of music. Of David.

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

From United Christian Broadcasting (UCB) http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today

10 May 2012

Don’t Be a Fool (1)

The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God…’ Psalm  14:1

The atheistic fool. It’s said, ‘An atheist can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t find a policeman.’ Sometimes pride is at the core of atheism. Without God, you become your own god, which means there’s no higher power than yourself! But the God of the Bible proves His existence in three ways: 1) Creation. Many people are in prison today who weren’t caught at the scene of the crime, and no one actually witnessed the crime. What proved they did it? Fingerprints! DNA! Creation carries God’s fingerprints and DNA. ‘Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name…’ (Isaiah 40:26 NLT). 2) Calvary. In creation you see God’s power, at the cross you see His love for you. In creation you see His hand, at the cross you see His heart. 3) Conscience. ‘Gentiles…even without having heard it…demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right’ (Romans 2:14-15 NLT). Conscience is like having a Bible in your soul; no one was born without one. Voltaire, the French atheist, said, ‘It took twelve fishermen to build Christianity. I will show the world how one Frenchman can destroy it.’ After Voltaire died, the home in which he had lived became Europe‘s most famous Bible distribution centre. Bottom line: Voltaire is dead; our God lives! Atheism is the greatest gamble of all. After all, what if there is a God and you stand before Him one day?

11 May 2012

Don’t Be a Fool (2)

‘…Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…’ Luke 12:20

The ambitious fool. Jesus told the story of a successful farmer who said, ‘…I will pull down my barns, and build greater…’ (v. 18). Evidently he was a good businessman and planner. But then he said: ‘I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God’ (vv. 19-21). This man had a plan for time, but none for eternity. He thought about himself, but not God. He paid attention to his body, but not his soul. It’s said that the average body has enough phosphorus to make eight hundred thousand match heads, enough sugar to go into sixty cubes, enough salt to cover twenty spoons, and enough iron to make about ten dollars’ worth of nails. The rest is just dust and water. When you pamper, promote and protect the part of you that will only live seventy or eighty years and neglect the part of you that will live on in either heaven or hell, God says you’re a fool. This man told himself he had ‘many years,’ but God said, ‘This night thy soul shall be required of thee.’ Don’t you realise that an accident, a blocked artery, a stray bullet, a plane with engine failure or a drunk driver could take you out in an instant? Wise up! The question is not will you die, but when? And are you ready to stand before God?

12 May 2012

Don’t Be a Fool (3)

…Died Abner as a fool dieth. 2 Samuel 3:33

The absolute fool. Abner slew a man called Asahel, whose brother happened to be Joab, King David’s number one general. So Joab was out to take Abner’s life. The tragedy of this story is that Abner was within reach of Hebron, one of the six cities of refuge. But instead of running into that city and enjoying its protection, he allowed the enemy to catch him outside the gates and kill him. ‘They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept…and said, ‘Died Abner as a fool dieth?’ (vv. 32-33). Abner was the absolute fool. Why? Because unlike the atheistic fool who did not believe in God, or the ambitious fool who had no time for God, he knew what to do-but didn’t do it. There were no rivers to cross, no mountains to climb, and no price to be paid. The gates of Hebron were open; all he had to do was go in and stay there. Imagine being given a gospel tract with these words on the cover: ‘What must I do to be lost?’ Then opening it and finding that page is-blank. You don’t have to do anything to be lost! But you must do something to be saved: ‘…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…’ (Acts 16:31). When Mary brought the newborn Christ to the temple, an old priest named Simeon held Him in his arms and said: ‘Now I’m ready to die, because I have seen the Saviour of the world…’ (Luke 2:25-32). In order to die right you must meet Christ, embrace Him, and acknowledge Him as your Lord and Saviour. Why don’t you do it today?

 

People today, as in days of old, refuse to turn to God. Their minds have become corrupt and they follow after falsehood and lies. They worship other gods, which are not gods at all and forget the creator who is God. Believing that all they need to do is be ‘good’ and that will be enough. Believing that their ways are best, rejecting what God actually says and expecting Him to ignore it. They will have no excuse, they will have no-one to intercede on their behalf because they reject the only one who can, Jesus! The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, get wise before it is too late.

Shirley Anne

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Itching ears

Posted by Shirley Anne on May 11, 2012

A woman spying on a pair of male lovers. China...

A woman spying on a pair of male lovers. China, Qing dynasty. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How often I read about people condemning those of the faith for being outspoken, for standing up for Jesus, for upholding the truth that is contained in The Bible, for adhering to God‘s word. They are ridiculed and mocked whenever they open their mouths. Recently, and many times in the past too, I read an article whereby a Christian was being mocked for speaking out against homosexuality, that is the practice of it rather than the condition itself. God tells us in several places in His word that He abhors homosexuality but it falls on deaf ears for some. It isn’t just homosexuality either, it is many things that people do against the will of God. Rather than admit to God’s truth being right they will either simply deny His existence and thus nullify whatever is written in Scripture or they will try to twist the truth to suit themselves. They wish only to hear what they want to hear and disregard everything else. It is to be expected for it says as much in Scripture that people will act this way. They will read this passage too yet it will fail to register with them because there is a veil over their eyes preventing them from seeing the truth of Gods word…..here is a passage from Scripture describing this very attitude. Remember, The Bible is a prophetic collection of writings too……….

2 Timothy 4:2-4

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

2 Preach   the Word;   be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke   and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.   Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

People turn to other faiths and religions because these religions often present them with no challenges. They turn to speaking in the name of love but that love is of the human kind, it isn’t the love for and of God. If it were they would be obedient to His will. ‘Let there be peace on earth and goodwill toward all men, let us live together in harmony, let us tolerate the behaviour of others’ is a recipe for coming against the wrath of God. Do your own thing, deny your Maker, make up your own rules, believe in falsehood and lies for God has even given you that choice but it is to Him that you will have to answer. Do you really want to be facing God’s wrath? It is of no use trying to put your own interpretation to Scripture or accuse anyone who knows God’s word to be the truth to be doing so. What you need to be doing is getting into God’s word yourself, turning away from all that is unrighteous and inviting Jesus into your heart. Then you will be able to see, the veil will be lifted from you eyes and those itching ears will no longer need scratching!

Shirley Anne

Follow me to http://wwwminkyweaselsmusings.blogspot.co.uk/

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Sunshine

Posted by Shirley Anne on May 3, 2012

The sunlight shining through these clouds in E...

The sunlight shining through these clouds in England is an example of sunbreak. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For a few weeks now we have had dull skies and rain save for some days of bright sunshine and cloudless skies. Generally it has been typical April weather but on this last day of April, when I write this, it is warm and sunny, a precursor to brighter and warmer days ahead. Over the previous week I hadn’t been feeling too good as I explained in an earlier post but now I feel good and the sunshine certainly makes a huge difference. I like sunshine but I like it more when I am feeling down because it is therapeutic I feel. Even so, when it isn’t sunny, when it isn’t cosy and warm, I still have sunshine in my heart. Many years ago I didn’t feel this way but now I do. It isn’t a frame of mind though some would say it is but I have found throughout my life that maintaining a happy disposition was always a difficult thing to do, bad weather always made me feel lousy and miserable. People too had a similar effect upon me sometimes. My job, my family, my health would all have me feeling depressed at times as I am sure is the case for many people. I could put my new-found attitude to life down to personal thought training but I know that isn’t true, I simply wouldn’t last the course! There is a reason for my sense of well-being which isn’t dependent on any outside influences but is dependent on my live-in helper. Have I gone mad? No way. I am of sound mind as they say but it is something within me that gives me the feeling of sunshine in my heart. I laugh at misfortune, I laugh at bad weather and annoying people, nothing seems to get me upset these days as they once did. I put it all down to that live-in helper who is The Holy Spirit. As Christians we are told that The Holy Spirit will be with us once we put our faith and hope in Jesus but many Christians never really experience His presence at all and never thought it possible to receive. Being a Christian does not bring with it a troubled-free life, we still have to face the problems common to all people on this planet but being a Christian should help us to be able to handle them better. The presence of The Holy Spirit in our hearts puts us in the right frame of mind and life’s little problems simply cease to be problems at all. So I can safely say that the sun shines in my heart every day whether it is raining, blowing a gale or whatever. I feel better for it too.

Shirley Anne

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Well treated

Posted by Shirley Anne on April 22, 2012

me and my friend

me and my friend (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A couple of years ago my ex. and I met for the first time with a person I had only previously known via the Internet. Initially we were treated very well but as the time we shared together passed by I could sense some friction between us. It is hard to live with some people even for a short time and I guess she saw us, that is E and myself as being difficult at times. I also sensed it was more to do with E than it was to do with me. When we visited with her she had only two bedrooms and only two beds. This made the sleeping arrangements rather difficult as E and I could not share a bed and E needed the spare bed more than I did. That meant I either had to share the other bed with our host or sleep on the sofa. I chose the sofa. I could not share a bed with my host no matter how innocent the invitation, it just didn’t feel right. I was left therefore to fend for myself. Not very good hosting on the part of my friend I thought however I managed to find some blankets and settled down on the sofa. I spent three nights on that sofa and each night I was disturbed by the cat who wanted to share my sleeping arrangements. E required to eat something in order to take some of her medication which did make it awkward sometimes. I felt my friend found it difficult to accommodate E’s needs at times and it showed in her reactions. My friend, our host, slept in until almost lunchtime each day leaving us to fend for ourselves with nothing to do to wile away the hours. I found an old guitar, tuned it and sat on the veranda playing quietly to kill the time but was scolded later by my friend for disturbing her sleep-in. Some host! It is fair to say that we had some great times together despite all of this. Our visit only lasted three days and my friend had to return to work whilst we continued our holiday from the hotel we had booked. My friend brought us back to the city but not to our hotel, she decided to drop us off on the opposite side of the square from where the hotel was situated which meant that we had to struggle a little with getting back to the hotel with our luggage. I knew from that moment that our friendship had ended but I still love her and she will always be my friend. I still think about her and I do not hold anything against her, in fact she figures in my prayers every day along with all others I know who are not Christians. She ranks amongst those, especially some of my friends and acquaintances, who won’t or don’t accept Christ as their saviour preferring as they do to trust in their own understanding of who God is or believing in some strange philosophy that has nothing to do with God. What they fail to understand is that God says differently for there is no other name under heaven by which we can be reconciled to God other than  through Jesus. It is so simple and yet people cannot see it. It isn’t surprising though as these things are recorded in the Bible but we pray nevertheless. God acts when we pray in accordance with His wishes. My hope is that all those I pray for will eventually realise their need in Christ and turn to him one day.

Shirley Anne

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Things to come

Posted by Shirley Anne on April 15, 2012

Go to the Future

Go to the Future (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Where is this world headed? The future of mankind is often the subject of debate with many different views on offer. Some place our future in the hands of science and technology and our own abilities as human beings, others may say it is all in the hands of God, some even think we might be overtaken by aliens and yet others have no real opinion regarding our future or how it will pan out. The secularist will say that our future is entirely in our own hands and in a way that is perfectly true, we do determine our own fate, we are free agents. However, with all the unrest that’s going on throughout the world it seems to me that we do not learn by our mistakes. The idealised ‘utopia’ many consider to be the goal we are aiming for can never be achieved by our own efforts, history shows that we constantly keep making the same mistakes. There is war of one kind or another in many diverse places and according to a report I read a few years ago there are around 34 skirmishes in the world at any one time. We talk about brotherly love and goodwill to all others but we never seem to achieve it. Mankind is inherently sinful, we just cannot help ourselves. We simply find it difficult to live in harmony. Disputes often arise based upon race, religion, ethical standards, lifestyles and a host of other things simply because we are so diverse in our outlook and we are often reluctant to accept our differences. Everyone wants to have their say, promote their views but not everyone wants to leave it there. If we are seen to be different from those around us it can lead to friction, rejection even hatred. There is a future for mankind but it may not be the one we expect. For believers in God and Jesus Christ there is a future that non-believers want to believe, favouring their own but that is to be expected. The Bible is a collection of books covering many things but around one-third of it is prophecy, things that have been foretold before they happened and things yet to come to pass. For instance many of the prophecies have already been fulfilled long after they were written down and based on this fact we can assume with confidence that the remainder of the prophecies will, one day, be fulfilled. Even so just knowing this won’t make a skeptic believe until it actually happens by which time it will be too late to do anything about it. It’s like we have the knowledge that there is a bomb somewhere that is going to explode one day but we turn a blind eye to it and hope everything will be alright. The bomb could explode tomorrow, next year, twenty years into the future but for those who doubt or put the information to one side it will come as a great surprise when it does. To the open-minded amongst us it would be useful to know exactly what these as yet unfulfilled prophecies are so preparations can be made. The link below will reveal that information.

http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/endtime.htm

Shirley Anne

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How blind they are

Posted by Shirley Anne on April 8, 2012

Kingdom

Kingdom (Photo credit: Realistic Imaginations)

The message of the cross is simple but many people are simply blind to it, preferring as they do their version of what it is all about. When Jesus walked this earth he spoke about the coming Kingdom of God, that which is to come. He talked about sin repentance of it for salvation, he talked about baptism. He also talked about love and many people major on this last topic forgetting all the others. Yes, we are told to love one another, to love our neighbour (everyone else) as ourselves but that is not the way to salvation, observing the commandments in themselves isn’t the way to salvation either, neither is doing good works (Ephesians 2 v 8). God told us that we are to have no other gods (set our hearts on anything else) before Him, He alone is to be worshipped. This is the prime directive and from this comes everything else. God loves us and He expects us to love Him. He demonstrated His love in this, that whilst we were still sinners (and everyone is), Christ died for us (Romans 5 v 8). You see, God wants us to have a relationship with Him but our sins get in the way. Even believing in God doesn’t save us from condemnation, for even Satan believes in God, though he is against Him. There is but only one way, one way only, and that is through Jesus Christ. You see, God loves us so much that He doesn’t want any of us to perish and knowing that we are helpless to do anything about it (although many think they can by their own efforts and beliefs) He made it possible. Jesus paid the price for our sins so that he can present us before God as pure and sinless. That is the promise and that was achieved by Jesus’ death and most importantly, his resurrection from death. However we must take hold of that promise before we can be saved, the gift is not ours until we take hold of it. Accepting that Jesus has done it for us is the first step, inviting him into our lives as Saviour is the second step, repenting of our sins and being baptised follow this as we cast off falsehood, false religion, false beliefs, false gospels and only seek the truth in HIS name. God has shown the way. If we want to know God personally we have to come to Jesus. Believing that God is ‘A great Spirit‘ that cannot be known is false. We can know God and that is His desire but we have to do it His way and not through our own imaginings. Let the veil be lifted from your eyes and see the simplicity of the message that Jesus brought, it isn’t complicated, it isn’t just for everyone else, it is for YOU too.

Jesus is risen, praise God.

Shirley Anne

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It’s an ongoing thing!

Posted by Shirley Anne on March 30, 2012

Sunday

Ever since I became a Christian and obviously even before I finally did turn to God I have studied the Scriptures and with each reading I learned more things. In addition to doing this I read what other churches and Christian groups consider to be correct doctrine and practices but in all things I am guided by The Holy Spirit. Being a Christian isn’t just about repentance and salvation, although they are prime reasons in coming to and forming a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. God is to be worshipped and we must do that in the right way. He demands much from us but none of what He asks is burdensome. We try our best to live up to His standards and requirements but we fail miserably, for none of us can claim to have reached that perfection, nevertheless we must pursue the avenues of righteousness. Being a Christian is a learning curve you might say. We are ever striving for perfection through seeking His will in our lives and aiming to do what is right. In all aspects of our faith we must strive to be better and learning about our faith helps us to develop as true Christian believers. Over the last year or so, perhaps a little longer, I turned away from observing Sunday as the day of rest, a sabbath and turned to trying to observe what I considered to be the true sabbath, that is Saturday. I ask God for wisdom in my prayers and He never fails to point me in the right direction, a chance reading (not really chance though is it?), a chance encounter (again not really chance) puts me in the position to hear what God is saying to me. Sometimes He speaks directly to my heart and other times He uses different methods. I firmly believe that God ‘allows’ us to follow certain paths, when we consider them to be correct but reserves the right to show us our error when the time is right. In other words He allows us to make mistakes so that when we are presented with the truth we learn and are built-up. When I considered Saturday as the sabbath I was basing that on just a couple of facts which although remain true do not complete the whole picture. Having since been shown the reasons behind Sunday being the day we, as Christians, come together in praise and worship, I now understand the truth concerning the sabbath day, the fourth commandment of God and what Jesus accomplished on the cross. The sabbath was made for mankind, not the other way round. Indeed I have been shown that we do not observe the old sabbath with all its rituals under the Law but we follow Christ in His victory and fulfillment of the Law. It was Jesus who began the practice of gathering together on the first day of the week, a day we now call Sunday. We are not under the Law, we are under a new covenant with Christ. There are many other things in my understanding which come under scrutiny when I read my Bible, when I read arguments concerning doctrine and practices within the Church and my mind is slowly being shown which is truth and which is error. Being a Christian means being truthful to one’s self as much as being a follower of Christ but it is in Him that we have our being, it is through Him we gain salvation, it is through Him that we can have a relationship with God (there is no other way) and we, as Christians, owe it to ourselves to earnestly seek the truth in all things.

Shirley Anne

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Life’s Good

Posted by Shirley Anne on March 25, 2012

Fred Neher's Life's Like That

Fred Neher's Life's Like That (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I sit here writing this on Thursday afternoon the sun is streaming in through the windows and it is pleasantly warm outside on this second day of the new season. I have nothing to do so I am fixed on enjoying the moment. Still we have had little rain and I hope this won’t continue much longer. It’s not that I prefer rain to sunshine but we simply need the rain to water the land and fill the lakes and reservoirs. The coming month has been traditionally linked to an abundance of the wet stuff and maybe this year this will be the norm. Many things in life make me feel good and make life bearable but as ever I am never content with just physical comforts and delights, I need to be spiritually content too. Life itself, that is the living of it, is different and yet in many ways the same for each of us, we all need food, shelter, relationship, companionship, friendship, something to do and everything that is necessary in making life in today’s societies possible. Many are content with these things, some want more and more and are never satisfied, others are happy with just the minimum. Everything it seems centres on the practical side of life and many forget they need a spiritual side too or they don’t consider that to be true. We are all spirit, all enclosed in our mobile homes but many don’t think on such things, their thoughts firmly stuck in the everyday hustle and bustle of life. It is when we can find time to relax and actually have nothing to do that our thoughts can be free to dwell on things, make sense of what is going on around us. Too many of us use this time just to make plans for the ongoing lifestyles we lead but when I have the time, and that is quite often these days, I think about my faith, I think about my creator, about salvation, about how inadequate and undeserving I am in the eyes of Him who made me. Then I realise how fortunate I am in the knowledge of a love that goes far beyond my thinking, far beyond my deserving, a love that deals with and forgets my mistakes, a love that paid the price for me so that I could be free from my chains, this is the love I dwell in. This love is all I need, it enables me to face life with all its problems and remain happy and content no matter what is going on around me. I don’t really care if it rains or shines for I have something of more value, something I cannot get from just living this life as if everything in it was satisfying. I could have all the riches in the world and remain empty inside but I would rather be filled with a contentment that is not sourced in the physical realm. The love my God has for me is more than enough for me to be content. His sacrifice through Jesus Christ is sufficient. Life is certainly good when Jesus is in your heart.

Shirley Anne

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Your love is all I need

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 24, 2012

Your love is all I need
To last my whole life through
For it to me is everything
And in my heart such joy it brings
That all I need is you.

Your love I treasure most
In each and every way
For it brings me such happiness
Like nothing else I must confess
And gets me through the day.

Your love is over all
Against it nought can stand
For it’s more mighty than the sword
And I ask you my dear sweet Lord
To spread it o’er this land.

Your love will conquer all
It is the purest kind
No other love compares to it
For your love is the ultimate
And there for all mankind.

Your love is who you are
The greatness that is you
There is nobody else beside
There is no place that we can hide
From such a love as You.

Copyright Shirley Anne 26 Feb 2004

Each morning I awake I get down on my knees and speak with my love. He is everything I need. He cares for me like no-one else does. Nothing I do surprises Him and He is very patient with me. When I make mistakes He is ready to forgive me. When I present Him with gifts of love He returns it in greater measure. Nothing is impossible for Him. Others let me down but He remains faithful and loving. Who else can compare to Him? No-one. He is the ‘I am’, He is and was and shall be forever the same. He is Almighty God. He is my Father and I am His child. He comforts me in times of sorrow and gladdens my heart in times of joy. Without Him I am nothing. His love for me goes beyond all measure. He gave to me His only Son as an atonement for my sins, the sins which kept us apart. He gave me Jesus. He is wonderful, He is kind, He is forgiving, He is approachable and He waits for those who don’t yet know Him. He never rejects those who earnestly seek Him. Gracious and wonderful God He is. He is my own true God.
Amen.

Shirley Anne

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The end of it all?

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 7, 2012

There have been many predictions concerning the end of the age or the end of the world. Even 2012 has been depicted at some point to be the end of the world. Every prophecy given by various people have failed to predict this event of course for we are still here! Many point to the ancient Mayan predictions or those of Nostradamus looking for the truth of the matter. A few years ago the world was teetering on the brink of self-anihilation because of the threat of a massive nuclear war between the then two major world powers but as it happened we were spared such a demise. The same threat still exists with the rise of the nuclear capabilities of some countries new to the scene of nuclear bomb manufacture. Some of these countries are considered unstable in their political views and war seems inevitable because of this at some time in the future. People are worried that the whole world will become so unstable that another world-wide war will be the outcome and will mark the beginning of the end. According to Scripture the world will not come to an end this way, it will not be destroyed at all. It isn’t the end of the world we should be concerned about but the end of the sinful age of man. This is what Scripture says on the matter…

Matthew 24

Signs of the end of the age

1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2“Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29“Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,    and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky,    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[c]

30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown

36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Not exactly a nice senario is it? Unless of course you are a believer………

Shirley Anne

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Which camp are you in?

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 1, 2012

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Bible (NIV)

We are all in control of our actions. We make the decisions to go one way or the other. Our lives are lived out according to the decisions we have made. There is a price to pay for everything we do, a resulting consequence for our actions whilst we are alive. When we die there will still be a need to explain ourselves and the things we’ve done. Not believing that to be true makes no difference, we cannot deny something just because we happen not to believe it. Live the way you think is best but remember it may cost you in the end.

Shirley Anne

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Forgiven and loved

Posted by Shirley Anne on January 18, 2012

English: David's Joy Over Forgiveness; as in P...

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Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.[a]

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.[b]

5Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;  sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Footnotes:
  1. Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.

How great it is to be loved by the Lord my God, to know that my sins have been forgiven, even paid for. Without such a love and compassion I would be doomed. It is better to be a child of God and to be loved and forgiven by Him than to be outside of His forgiveness because of unbelief. Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” That name is Jesus Christ.

Shirley Anne

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Harsh words

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 31, 2011

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I have never believed that homosexuality (and lesbianism) was right and I have always objected to the association given between the homosexual community and specifically the transsexual community. The two are incongruous. These beliefs are based upon my faith as a Christian and what the teachings are on the subject as far as Scripture is concerned. God clearly states in several places in His word that these things are wrong but the gay community either chooses to ignore it or doesn’t believe it or tries to twist the truth in order to justify the lifestyle. Of course they may not believe in God in which case in their eyes there isn’t a problem. It amuses me when non-believers quote Scripture to defend themselves when they don’t believe in God or when they try to justify what they do by the use of Scripture as if it mattered to them. I do not have a problem with homosexual or lesbian people in the least but I do, as a Christian, have problems with their sexual behaviour which for Christians (and perhaps others) is unacceptable because it is in conflict with what Scripture says on the matter. What is objectionable is the fact that some quarters insist that the Christian Church accepts this behaviour as normal and allows acceptance of individuals into their midst without question. Christians are taught and it comes naturally to them to love their fellow-man but that does not mean accepting their sexuality and lifestyle. How can a Christian believer reject God’s word on the matter? It isn’t a question of love in the way that is often demanded of a Christian either. We get told that we should love those who are different as it is the Christian thing to do. Well it is the right behaviour to expect from a true Christian. However, loving someone doesn’t mean accepting their behaviour.

1 Corinthians 6

Lawsuits Among Believers

1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[b] 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.[c]

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Footnotes:
  1. 1 Corinthians 6:9 The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts.
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit 
    New International Version (NIV)Copyright ©  1973, 1978, 1984, 2011  by Biblica

Shirley Anne

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I must do what I have to do

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 28, 2011

English: Page 53 in Olney Hymns, the verses th...

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Many, if not all of my readers will know by now that I am a Christian. Many will think I am daft and beyond saving but that is because they think I should have the same beliefs as they do. In regard to everyday life in fact I do have all the same beliefs as they do but not in spiritual things. I was watching the news the other day and all those people who couldn’t wait to get to the annual sales, each looking for a bargain, This show me where their priorities lie. They are captivated by the material world, their idols are their possessions. It would have been better to them to spend their money and pay the normal price. In that way they would have been helping the economy but people are selfish and don’t consider what they do is selfish. They do not consider spiritual things either. The Bible has much to say on such things, Jesus said, ‘What shall it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul?’ (paraphrased). Once I went along with the flow, once I was an atheist but now I am a Christian. Now that is a transformation! If anyone knew me as an atheist they would most certainly not be able to understand my transition to Christianity. Everything I once stood for just flew out of the window and something new and revealing flew inward to my heart. Some would call that unbelievable but I know different, I call it amazing grace. My transformation was really something that had to be seen to be believed. Once, totally against religion, totally against the idea of there being a God, totally against everything, against people,  against everything and yet at the flick of a switch, the toss of a coin, in a complete turnaround, I became a new person, a believer and one who puts her whole faith and trust in her maker, the one and only God, creator of all things, Yahweh. From that memorable day I have tried my utmost to be a faithful witness to God and the salvation He offers free of charge. How amazing is that? That He should give me a way out of my separation from Him is remarkable. None of us deserve such love but nevertheless it is there for all who would open their hearts to that fact. It is hard to change one’s beliefs and way of thinking and to be fair it does require a touch from God for anything to happen but for that to happen requires an openness to the fact that He exists and a willingness to invite Him in. God does not act unless invited for a special reason, He requires his creation to worship Him because they want to, not because they have to. So He leaves us with the choice. There are so many things to know, so many things that will be revealed, so many things to understand that will only be known by those who are willing to turn to Him. Once I was lost but now I am saved, once I knew nothing but now I know true love and have been given an understanding of God’s creation, His love and His purpose for all that He has made, which includes you my reader. I can do nothing to persuade you of this gem of truth. Of myself I am nothing but in God’s spirit I am everything for it is through God’s spirit that I reach out to you in the hope that you will consider His love. God sent His only begotten son as a sacrifice for your sins. Believe in Him and in the one He sent, Jesus, and you shall be saved. My hope for this coming year is that you will turn to God and see a better future, one far better than that you have now if you do not believe in Him. May the Lord guide you and teach you what you need to know. Let this year be a turning point in your life and see the difference it will make. Turn away from idolatry and turn to the One who can change your life for the better.

What is the purpose of your life? Why are you here? Click on this link for a video message http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yZstH3iQ0Q

Shirley Anne

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