Sunday, October 25, 2009

Real Forgiveness

After being challenged this morning about Real Forgiveness, I decided that it requires actions not just words. After years of not speaking to my biological father I decide to make contact through the addictive and dreaded facebook.

This is a massive step for me to take and requires a lot of faith. But if I truly believe that I am forgiven then I need to learn to forgive. I find this hard in all my relationships, if someone hurts me I tend to hold a grudge. I don't forgive easily, but I should. Christ took all the rubbish and bad things, I've ever done and He has forgiven me. Now that's a lot of forgiveness!

I can't bear the thought of people being able to see my deepest darkest secrets at the end of time, so I don't want to add to them by being unforgiving.

I pray Christ would help me become more like Him by be able to forgive. If He can cry out "Father forgive" them on the cross, after every slap, whip, torture, face full of spit and much more that He endured. Then I should forgive, those who hurt me.

I want to be Christ like, I strive for it, I want to be a more Godly Christian and I know He can change me and make me more like Him.

My prayer is He will do the same for you.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Why?

I never normally ask this question, why does God allow suffering, as I have heard many talks on how it is sin and a fallen world we live in and God gives us all free will. Which I firmly believe.

But this time I am asking why? I just watched a video about Baby P and was horrified by it. The things that poor baby endured at the hands of his so called caregivers/parents are just beyond words!

Maybe his death was an act of mercy from God, by why did he have to suffer so long? Why are hundreds of children all over the world suffering? I know God is more broken hearted about it than I can ever be, as He gave these children life, He knows their souls and suffering more than I will ever.

But why allow people like that to have children, when He withholds children from people who would be amazing parents. Don't get me wrong as a parent I am flawed and am by no means perfect, as are millions of others but we don't abuse our children.

I truly believe with all my heart that God is Sovereign and that His way is best by why, how, can these poor children suffering be a part of that plan.

I wish God would end this evil world and take us all home to Heaven so that their suffering would end and I will pray for them until this happens.

RIP Baby Peter

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Open my eyes

"Open my eyes so that I may see wonderful things in Your law" Psalm 119v18

I love this verse it reminds me that its only God who can open our eyes and change us!

My prayer is He will open all our eyes to see just how truly amazing and wonderful He is because we so easily forget. Yes we are that stupid! (Well I am anyway!)

For God is fantastic "You were once alienated and hostile in mind because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him." Colossians Ch1v21&22.

Because of what He did through the cross we shameful and very much at fault and blame are presented holy before God that is something amazing and worth worshipping Him for!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Addictions!

"How unstable you are, constantly changing your way!" Jeremiah Ch2v36

Lately I have become addicted to a game called Cafe World run through Facebook, its pretty uninteresting in the grand scheme of things but very addictive if you like that sort of thing.


The problem I find is that I seem to go from one addiction to another. Which seems sad, but I feel I am not the only one. My children do it all the time! One minuet, this toys is in, the next its something else. One week they like this TV programme, the next week its something new. One DVD is so loved and worn out one month, the next it never leaves the box (that's if it made it back into the box not down the side of the sofa!)

Why is it that we loved being addicted to stuff, TV, Films, shopping, computer games?

These things in themselves are not wrong but when they absorb all your time so you are getting up at 6 am to play them I feel it maybe time to switch it off! I mean I wouldn't consider getting up at 6 am to read and pray! Much to my shame.

What I long for most is to be so addicted to Christ that I can't get enough of Him! Why is my natural instinct to love everything except Christ!?

Oh that I would long to love Christ and be total absorbed in Him!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The old is gone

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" Esp 5v8(NKJ)

Once we walked as if our lives were our own,
Once we lived for ourselves and our own gain,
Once we knew nothing of God's mercy and Grace,
Once we cared little for others and only for self.

Once we got drunk, swore and got angry,
Once we said hurtful and harmful things to others,
Once we were shameful in the things that we watched,
Once we told lies, stole and wanted what was not ours.

These are the things we used to be, or are they?
Should we strive to not be our former self?
Yet so often self takes over.
Should we not know better, now we know Christ?

Should we not learn from our past mistakes?
Should we care more for others than ourselves?
Should our mouths now have been tamed?
Is it not time we stop playing with sin?

For you were once in darkness,
But now you are light in the Lord,
Walk as children of light,
By command of your Saviour, Redeemer and Friend.

Lorna Holden

Sunday, October 11, 2009

O Church arise!


O Church and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the Devil's lies;
An army bold who's battle cry is "Love!"
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Getty/Townsend

Last night I had an amazing time at our quiz night, I feel we as a church really got to know people outside our normal contact with them, the building was filled with unbelievers and believers all taking part in a fun quiz, eating and listening to a message about religion and Christianity.

It never ceases to amazing me how as a Christian I am constantly trying to do better(religion). As if anything I could do could make me into a better person! As we heard today in Church only Christ can change the heart.
It's like saying Christ's death needs to be added too.

I forget how strong the Devil is at playing with my mind, and telling me I need more, like good living, prayer and Bible reading. Which in themselves are good things, but they don't make me right before God. Only Christ can do that only, His death on the cross can pay for my sins. If I, who have loved Christ for over 15 years now (not always as much as I should have),so easily forget its all about Grace how can I expect others who are unbelievers to just suddenly start believing?

I long for people to know Christ and be saved from the darkness they are living in. But until the Spirit guides them how can they accept it? This then is surely a challenge to pray that the Spirit would work, in them and me, before I can expect salvation to happen.

So I'll put my armour on and start to pray, I wonder what will happen?

Saturday, October 10, 2009

No one will be put to shame

Romans 10v9-11

if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation. Now the scriptures says, NO ONE WHO BELIEVES ON HIM WILL BE PUT TO SHANE.

God's amazing promise is that if we believe, confess and put out trust in Him, we will not be put to shame. So many things in our lives we trust in and put our confidence, let us down but God's promise is He will never let us be put to shame.
Which doesn't mean life wont be hard or filled with troubles but trusting in God and His plan some how gives us a peace we can not get from stuff or things.

In the end, on the last day of time those who put their trust and hope in Christ will not be put to shame.

I'm trusting Christ are you?

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Am I connected?

Lately we have been reading through John's gospel, and I am feeling a deep conviction about how connected to Jesus I am.

I love my kids more than anything, I would die for them! That's a good thing, that's how God wants it to be but isn't that how I should feel about Jesus? More so, as He gave up everything for me, He gave me eternal life, He gave me my kids, home, money, life! I am so ungrateful to Him I wonder why He bothers with me!

I know that the Bible tells me He loves me, and it that is all about Grace. The amazing thing is there is nothing I can do to make God love me more or less He just loves me. To be loved unconditionally in spite of all my faults, is something incredibly precious.