Ann Marie Thinking Out Loud

BLOG TRANSFERRED

2012-01-05T18:32:00.000Z

This blog has been transferred to Wordpress and, I hope, improved. Please continue to follow me. Just hop over to here.

Thinking Thursday: God's Poem

2011-12-22T21:19:00.000Z

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Christians are God’s “workmanship.” The Greek word is poiema, from which we get our word “poem.” It means “a work of art, a masterpiece.” In Christ, you receive God’s grace and become his work of art.

Michelangelo’s paintings and sculptures testify to his creative genius. Shakespeare’s plays make us mindful of the work of a master. Mozart’s music proclaims the inspired talent of an incomparable composer.

Paul is saying, “Look around. Consider the Christians you know. Think about the difference God has made in their lives. Each life points to the creative genius of God. He has taken wrecked, broken, distorted, misguided lives and made them works of art.”

We are God’s workmanship. Poems, communicating his grace, mercy, and love. Paintings, designed to capture on the canvas of daily living the very essence of life.

God's poem? That's what he has in mind for you!

[The above was posted on 14th July 2009 by Rusty Peterman on his Jesus Apprentice Blog. As we look back over the last year it would be good to reflect on how God is shaping our lives. Merry Christmas.]

Scribbling Saturday: New Blogs

2011-12-17T23:17:00.000Z

Now that things are settling down and I will have more time to concentrate, and now that work on publishing my history book is seriously under way, I have decided that it's time to re-do my blogs.

I am going over to Wordpress, which allows blogs to look more like web sites. I will be converting this blog first, and changing it to reflect my current interests, in order to practice with Wordpress before creating a new blog for Alina and copying most of my White Lady blog posts into it. I have to think about exactly what I want to achieve with each blog, and work out what I need to do.

This blog will still be Ann Marie Thinking Out Loud, but won't include any crafts, for example, as my craft work is now my writing. I am going to do more writing about my faith too, but I haven't decided everything yet. My Alina (aka White Lady) blog will be the platform for publicising the book, when it is published, so has to be carefully thought out.

All suggestions will be gratefully received. Watch this space for further developments and news of when the new blogs are launched. I hope you will follow either or both of them.

Thinking Thursday: Surprised by Answered Prayer

2011-12-15T22:28:00.000Z

Why are we always surprised by answered prayer? Is it because God so rarely does our bidding?

Since my stroke, I have been unable to drive, and I have spent the past few months going through the process of getting my licence back. I had an assessment in August which confirmed that I was medically fit to drive, and have since been having driving lessons in an adapted car.

It proved much harder than I expected to get used to a different way of driving. I got panicky when I lost control for a moment, and sometimes ended up in tears. Friends prayed for me, and I prayed for strength and concentration and calm. On the verge of giving up, it suddenly came together. Thank you Lord.

Today I had my second driving assessment, to determine whether I could successfully control a car and be allowed to have my driving licence back (suitably amended, of course). I was very nervous, and friends prayed for me, and I prayed.

Something I hadn't bargained on was a magnifying of my emotions. A side-effect of the stroke was a condition called 'emotional lability', sometimes rather unflatteringly called 'emotional incontinence'. It is an inability to control emotions, particularly laughter and tears. At first, a small joke would have me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, and a small kindness would see me sobbing uncontrollably. I have regained a lot of control as I have recovered, but not all.

Today I found my nervousness magnified hugely. Michael prayed for me and left me sobbing. By the time we reached the assessment centre I had to rush to the loo where I had diarrhoea and was sick. Yet when I got in the car, I was suddenly calm, and all went well. Thank you Lord.

Help me Lord, not to be surprised by answered prayer.

Thinking Thursday: Persistence

2011-12-01T23:32:00.000Z

Those who follow my Scribbling Saturday blog posts or follow me on Facebook will know that I just finished NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a challenge to write 50,000 words in one month. I succeeded in writing 39,000 words, which was quite an achievement, and 7,000 up on last year.

The question is whether I am going to take the practice of daily writing and make it a habit in my normal life.

I think of NaNoWriMo as being like a Christian Bible Week or weekend celebration. You suspend some of your normal daily practices and have an intense time of learning and spiritual experiences. The trouble is, when normal life resumes, the great things from the time out get soon forgotten.

How long do the things from the Sunday sermon stay with you once the week starts? Will you put things in place in your life so that you can keep on doing the good things, the inspirational things, the things that change your life?

Scribbling Saturday: NaNo Report

2011-11-26T10:52:00.000Z

Including today, I have five days of NaNoWriMo left, and seventeen thousand words still to write. I have to make the decision: do I abandon everything and write like crazy to try to reach fifty thousand words, or do I live my life and settle for what I can get?

This year has been a difficult one. My historical novel did not go well - I fear it may be irredeemable drivel - and I am not inspired by my scifi novel. I think my creativity just gave up on the first and won't revive for the second. Oh well, that's life. To be fair, it has also coincided with having the decorator in, with mess and noise making concentration difficult, and I am having driving lessons in an adapted car, which has been nerve wracking.

Memo to self:
1. Clear the decks next year so there is little going on to distract me.
2. Plan the novel in much more detail.
3. Define the main chacters in detail so that you really know who they are and what they feel.

Memo to other NaNoWriMos:
Learn from my mistakes!

Thinking Thursday: The World Needs People Who...

2011-11-24T22:39:00.000Z

The world needs people who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who don't hesitate to take chances;
who don't lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as they are in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hard-heartedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not afraid to stand for the truth even when it's unpopular;
who say "no" with emphasis, even though the rest of the world says "yes".

Ted Engstrom

Scribbling Saturday: NaNo Panic

2011-11-12T19:10:00.000Z

Twelve days into NaNoWriMo, I have written over sixteen thousand words, which is no mean feat. But it has not been easy. I want to offer some words of encouragement to anyone who may be struggling, or who is afraid to try.

I am trying to turn historical fact into historical fiction, and it is much harder than I expected. I didn't realise how much research I would need, and I keep having to stop and look something up. There is so much I can't make up. So my 1700 words a day is taking several hours, and other important things are getting left out. I have reluctantly decided that I have to limit my writing time, because some other things are important.

Does this mean that NaNoWriMo is too hard? No!
Does this mean that I am a failure? No!

NaNoWriMo is a means to an end: it gets you writing, and writing lots. You always end up with more material than before. Material you can re-work, add to, adapt. Material that is not intended to be fit for publishing, but that you can make something out of that is fit for publishing. Last year I didn't make it to 50,000 words, but I ended up with 32,000 words of a novel which I didn't have before.

So, unless a miracle happens, I will not be making it to 50,000 words this year. But I'm still excited about what I will achieve!

Thinking Thursday: A Prayer to Jesus

2011-11-10T20:17:00.000Z

Lord Jesus, what can we say to someone who has done so much for us? Who has done everything for us that really matters. A man who saves a life is a hero, but you have done so much more. You have saved us from ourselves. You have saved us from the eternal wrath of God. And to do that you had to leave your Father, leave your glory and majesty, and become a man. Praise you, Lord, for such humility.

You lived among us so that we might see God in a way that we could understand. Praise you, Lord, for such clarity. You lived a perfect life that you might represent us before God with no sin to mar the way. And then you went to the cross and took all our sin onto your shoulders. Praise you, Lord, for such sacrifice. How could we ever imagine what that was like? How could we ever thank you enough? Our whole lives would not be enough, but that is all we have. Take our lives, Lord, and use them for your glory.

You did all this for us, and then you rose again, and conquered death itself, and brought us a promise of eternal joy. And now you sit with God the Father, pleading every day for his mercy. Praise you, Lord, for your unceasing love. Help us by your Spirit to submit to your loving guidance, to be transformed into your likeness and become your instruments for good in this world.

Amen.

Scribbling Saturday: NaNo Immersion

2011-11-06T23:08:00.000Z

It's quarter to eleven on Sunday night, and I see I haven't posted for over a week. I want more followers, but I'm not going to attract them with no posts. The reason is NaNoWriMo. I'm six days in, and a little behind on my word count (900 words behind, actually).

Take my advice: if you're going to take up an intensive writing challenge, you need to clear your diary. This week I have been so busy, by this weekend my writing was like pulling teeth. The week to come is clearer, so I hope I can catch up and get ahead. I have also discovered holes in my plot which have been hard to fill.

Because it is a true story, I have all the facts, but what do you do while you're waiting for the next event to happen? And how do all the characters react to what's going on? I am starting to work it out, but it's hard.

Harder still when you're not concentrating properly. Ever tried writing while watching tv? And the last episode of Downton Abbey. Not recommended. I'll probably look at it tomorrow and find it's a load of rubbish. But this is NaNoWriMo and there's no time to edit!

Thinking Thursday: A Prayer to God

2011-10-27T11:32:00.000+01:00

Praise God, all those that belong to him. Apart from the great things he has done, he is worthy to be praised for who he is. He is the only God, the only righteous, faithful, powerful and unbeatable God. To worship anyone else is madness and folly, for he triumphs over all.

And yet, in his infinite mercy, he has done so much for us. He has shaped human history to his designs, yet cares for each one of us and our daily challenges. He has made the whole of creation in all its variety, yet he lays his love on us. He is all mighty, all knowing, yet he tells us to call him Father.

Praise him for his daily love and care towards us, flawed creatures that we are. He made the ultimate sacrifice, sending his Son to live among us and to die a criminal's death, so that we might know him better and be saved from our own folly and rebellion.

Father, open our eyes that we may see and understand your work in the earth, and be a useful part of it. Open our hearts that we may overflow with love to you and to others. Open our mouths that we may stand for you and speak up against injustice and ignorance, especially of you. Change us, Father, into your image.

Amen.

Scribbling Saturday: Alina, the White Lady of Oystermouth

2011-10-22T18:47:00.000+01:00

I don't know when I started writing this book, but it was well over two years ago. Even my stroke didn't interrupt it too much, because I had the book written already, and spent time in hospital thinking about it and planning the rewrite. And now it's on the verge of publication.

I have another blog, all about the writing of this book, which you can find here. My first entry was in July 2009, and I stopped updating it when everything ground to a halt. But I'm going to start it again, because there is going to be plenty to talk about.

As I blogged recently, NaNoWriMo is coming up, and I am going to attempt to turn Alina's story into a novel. I am researching background material and trying to make the characters more rounded. There is no evidence on Alina's character or appearance, so I've got to make it up.

But there are already moves afoot to produce an e-book and self-publish a shorter version. I am getting endorsements from important people, so I am preparing to begin the publicity build-up. All new experiences, so pop over to The White Lady blog to follow and see some of my research.

Thinking Thursday: WGIHE Preaching

2011-10-20T16:26:00.000+01:00

The college near where I live is now called Swansea Metropolitan University. A long time ago it was known as West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education, shortened to WGIHE, and pronounced by its students as 'wiggy.' One day during a free period, some students sat round and decided to think up alternative meanings for WGIHE. It was decided that the best one was 'We Give Indians Happy Experiences', particularly because of the foreign students. To generalise it, you could say 'We Give Individuals Happy Experiences.'

What has this got to do with Christianity? Well, over the years, I came to use that phrase to myself to describe the way that some people preach. When we go to church, ideally we should be informed, challenged and warned, as well as encouraged and uplifted. Sometimes pastors find it easier to only preach the uplifting stuff.

So often I have heard sermons full of anecdotes, with little or no reference to scripture. The aim of the sermon seems to be 'this person had this great experience, and you can have it too.' Anecdotes are great as illustrations to support a sermon based on scripture. Without scripture, they are empty promises. The message that 'God loves you and has a plan for your life', seems to have risen in prominence in recent years. None of this is actually false, but the way it is put over, and the lack of deeper teaching, makes it very unbalanced.

The Christian life is not all about happy experiences. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33). If Christians are not taught how to handle adversity, but expect only good things, it can break their faith when something goes wrong. Jesus goes on to say, "But take heart! I have overcome the world."

There is even greater danger when these messages are preached to non-Christians. Becoming a Christian is not like joining a social club, where we choose to join because we like the people and the activities on offer. God's 'plan' for our lives begins with repentance, and if the bad news of sin is not preached, how will people know they need a saviour?

A favourite scripture used by the 'WGIHE' preachers is Jeremiah 29:11 '"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."' Firstly, this was written to the elders, priests, and other people in exile from Jerusalem (see Jer.29:1), so this verse is not for use among those who do not already belong to God. Secondly, all of God's promises to Israel were dependent on their faithfulness. I have heard this scripture used to lift the hearts of non-Christians and unrepentant Christians, and it is a false hope.

The Christian life has many happy experiences, some of them, perversely, in the midst of trouble. So it is important that we teach the whole gospel, so that we are all fully equipped to deal with life and to serve with faith. "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." (Eph.4:15).

Thinking Thursday: Prayer for Healing

2011-10-13T12:01:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I attended a celebration, where Christians from many churches in this city joined together to praise and worship God and support one another. During the meeting we prayed for one another, and a lovely man prayed for healing for me from my stroke. He called on a loving God, and claimed the promise that Christ's suffering heals us (Isaiah 53:5). I gave my 'Amen' to the prayer, but I don't entirely agree.

No one likes to see someone suffer, and it is a blessing to be able pray for them. There are indeed promises about healing, but claiming them too readily leads to disappointment. How do we reconcile unanswered prayer with a loving God who would not want unnecessary suffering?

For me, the key word is 'unnecessary'. Through my stroke, God has changed my character and given me many blessings I could not otherwise have had. God uses suffering to break down our defences and get rid of bad characteristics in us. He uses it to test us and build new, good characteristics into us. Who am I to determine that He has finished that work?

Sometimes the work that God does through suffering is not only in the life of the sufferer. There are the carers, the family, others who look on and wonder why. What is God doing in their lives? When we pray for healing, we cannot know the greater plan. We ask God to end the suffering, to heal the hurt. But we must bow to His will and trust Him to know best.

Scribbling Saturday: NaNo Planning

2011-10-08T20:18:00.000+01:00

NaNoWriMo time is coming round again. To remind you, that is National Novel Writing Month - participants commit to writing 50,000 words in one month. The month in question is November, and that makes October the month for planning.

The idea is to do all the research and work out each chapter, so that when November comes, you only have to write. The question is, research and plan what? I don't actually have a novel to write. I have a couple of ideas, and I'm working on them both in the hope that something takes off.

I have a science fiction short story that I want to make into a novel, but I'm not sure I have enough plot yet to sustain it. At least, being science fiction, I can make most of it up. The other alternative is to write a historical novel based on my Alina book. But again, the story of her life is not enough to sustain a novel, and although I can make up a lot of it, it does have to be reasonably historically accurate.

So I am doing a lot of reading in the 14th century and desperately looking for some subplots. And in between, I'm looking for subplots in the other novel. I wonder if it counts if you write two 25,000 word novels in a month??? It's still 50,000 words.

Thinking Thursday: The Biggest Question

2011-10-06T12:52:00.000+01:00

I am a big Dr Who fan, and have really enjoyed the latest series, which finished last Saturday (1st October). All through this series ran the theme of The Question. [Warning: spoilers!] I thought we had found The Question when the Doctor said, "I just want to know one thing. Why do I have to die?"

It turned out that he had to die because of The Question, so his query wasn't it. But it started me thinking. "Why do I have to die?" is a valid question for all of us. Life seems so unfair. Even more so when loved ones die, or people die young or tragically.

To answer it, we have to tackle the two deaths. There is spiritual death and physical death. Physical death we are all familiar with: when the body dies, through accident, disease, or old age. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." (John 11:25). So death need not be the end, there is a promise of a resurrection and life to come.

It can be confusing then, when we read that Jesus said, referring to himself, "This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die." (John 6:50). No one lives forever, most people wouldn't want to. Jesus is talking about spiritual death. When we turn away from God, we die spiritually. So turning back to God, brings our spirit back to life.

The story of Adam and Eve shows us what happens when mankind rebels against God. Because of Adam's rebellion, sin and death entered the world. There would have been no hope for us, but God sent his only Son to save us all. Paul said, "For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17).

But what about Dr Who's The Question? The most important question in the universe, since the beginning of time, hidden in plain sight: Dr who? Who is the Doctor is still a mystery. But it is a question we should all ask ourselves. Who am I? Am I still suffering the results of mankind's (and my) rebellion? Or am I free because of Jesus Christ?

"To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12). Who am I? I am a child of God. Who are you?

Scribbling Saturday: The End of Some Things, the Start of Others

2011-10-01T23:12:00.000+01:00

My blog posting has been a bit erratic lately, but I have some good excuses. I have been busy.

My historical biography, Alina, The White Lady of Oystermouth, has been prepared in shorter form for printing, and will be in the original form as an ebook. I have also got together samples of illustrations ready for discussion with an artist (if we ever find one). So I can finally put it down while my friends from the Historical Association find out about getting it published and search for an artist.

My first sci-fi novel, Flight of the Kestrel 1: Intruders, went off over a week ago to the Mslexia Novel Competition. They only required the first 5,000 words, but the rest had to be ready when (if) asked for. So I have been reading a printed copy to give it a last check - mostly a few typos, thank goodness. I finished that last night, and edited the manuscript today.

I have been putting my short stories up on Critique Circle and getting some marvelous advice, and they have all been re-written (all five of them - I need to write some more).

So suddenly the decks are clear, just in time for NaNoWriMo, which is in November. So I have a month to prepare. The question is - what? I have two further Kestrel novels in draft already, one of which I wrote during NaNoWriMo last year, so I don't want to write another one. People tell me I should write Alina's story as a historical novel, so I am researching that like mad, but I have no idea which way to cover it. Unless inspiration strikes, I won't have anything planned, which will be sad, as I'm really looking forward to it.

Watch this space.

Thinking Thursday: Scripture Encouragement

2011-09-29T12:43:00.000+01:00

Since my stroke, there have been certain scriptures which really spoke to me and encouraged me. The first one, which I have shared before, was Philippians 4:7 'And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' During my stroke, I found I was not scared at all, but rested at peace in God's arms.

To go with that scripture, I later found Psalm 34:4 'I sought the Lord, and he answered; he delivered me from all my fears.' And my recovery prayer was summed up by Hebrews 12:12-13 'Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.'

Now God has blessed me again through scripture. On our church weekend away we had teaching from Chris Matthews from Linden Christian Fellowship. He shared two things in particular which struck home with me.

He told a moving story about a young boy playing 'chopsticks' on a piano and a master pianist reaching either side of him and playing a beautiful piece woven around the boy's simple tune. He reminded us of the story of the five loaves and two fishes that Jesus used to feed more than five thousand people. God can take our seemingly inadequate skills and make something great with them. This was confirmation to me that I can indeed make a contribution at church, even with my limitations.

The other things he shared that helped me was the scripture Psalm 73:26 'My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.' My flesh has failed, in that my stroke has left me disabled, and it would be easy for my heart to fail in the face of the obstacles that present themselves. God has been my strength, although I have not thought of it in those terms before.

As I strive to recover and master my walking in particular, I must not get downhearted and must remember that God is the strength of my heart, and I must lean on him and trust him. Isn't God good!

Thinking Thursday: Context

2011-09-23T15:19:00.000+01:00

If I told you a story about a family who saw soldiers marching through their town, you wouldn't know how to react to it, or what to expect unless you knew the context. Were they Jews in Poland during World War Two seeing German soldiers invading? Were they a modern family living in Wootton Bassett watching soldiers escorting the body of a dead comrade? Were they a Victorian family watching a parade of soldiers in dress uniform at a formal celebration? So should you feel fear, sadness or pride as I tell the story?

When you read a scripture, how do you know how to respond to it unless you know the context? So many of the criticisms levelled at the Bible, especially by non-believers, are of things that have been taken out of context. So many difficulties that believers have with parts of the Bible are resolved or partly explained by looking at the context.

For example, one that is often used is James 2:17 'In the same way faith, by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.' This is used to 'prove' that you have to do good works in order to get into heaven. The answer is only three verses earlier: James 2:14 'What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?' It is the quality of his faith which saves him, but that kind of faith shows itself in good works.

Here is another example. 1 Sam.15:2-3 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: "I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'''

This is one of those passages used to criticise God as cruel and vindictive. To modern eyes, we are horrified that God would destroy a whole nation. But what did the Amalekites do to incur God's wrath? Deut.25:17-19 'Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the Lord God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!'

The problems with the Amalekites continued. Judges 6:3-4 'Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.' God left the Amalekites a long time, but they did not change in their animosity to Israel. They killed Israelite men, women, children, crops and herds. God's judgement makes more sense in that context.

Sometimes, we have to look a little further in the Bible for the explanation, which is why it pays to spend more time reading the Bible and getting familiar with what it says. There is always an explanation. Sometimes we have to search for it, sometimes it is in the very next verse.

Scribbling Saturday: Kestrel - Final Edit

2011-09-10T23:10:00.000+01:00

Well, I've written a fair bit on here about my science fiction novel Flight of the Kestrel 1: Intruders. I have been writing it on and off for some years now. I am just completing the last edit on screen and next week I will be printing it out for the final check before I submit it to the Mslexia Novel Competition.

The competition closes on 30th September, so there isn't much time left. I really can't think of anything else to do with it. I'm all out of creativity. I just hope I don't find any glaring errors in the final read-through.

I'm getting to know my main characters quite well now, and have discovered some unexpected things about them. I hope they are now much more well rounded than the cardboard characters they started out as. There are already two subsequent novels about the Kestrel, but I have put them away until the first one is finished, as I need to know where my characters get to by the end of book one before I can take them onward.

So wish me luck, and here I go!

Thinking Thursday: Echoes of a Saviour

2011-09-08T21:14:00.000+01:00

Gen.22:1-19 The Sacrifice of Isaac

The story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son has many echoes of God's sacrifice of His Son many centuries later.

v2 Echoes of a Saviour's sacrifice

He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell you."

Isaac had been born as the result of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah, when they were already elderly. Along with the promise of a son, God had also promised Abraham that his descendents would be as numerous as the sand on the shore and a blessing to all nations. Suddenly God asks Abraham to sacrifice this very son of promise. It is a sacrifice not only of a beloved son, but the foundation of the blessing.

v6-8 Echoes of a Saviour's provision

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."

It would not have been unusual for them to travel to a high place and offer sacrifices to God. But they would have taken the sacrificial lamb with them. Isaac's innocent question led Abraham to 'fudge' an answer which turned out to be prophetic. God would indeed provide the lamb, not only for Isaac, but one day for the whole world.

v9-10 Echoes of a Saviour's willing sacrifice

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

The amazing event at the centre of this story shows incredible trust on the part of both Abraham and Isaac. I find it astonishing that Isaac does not question his father when he binds him, lays him on the altar, and moves to sacrifice him. And Abraham shows such faith in God, that as He was faithful over His promise of Isaac, so He will be faithful over his promise of descendents, even if Isaac dies. Isaac is willing to die, and Abraham is willing to sacrifice him. In the future God's own Son would suffer and die willingly for the sake of all mankind.

v11-13 Echoes of a Saviour's perfect sacrifice in our place

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Having shown his faithfulness, Abraham doesn't have to sacrifice Isaac. God does indeed provide the sacrifice as Abraham had said. The account particularly points out that the ram was caught in the thicket by his horns – he was unblemished, not injured in any way. The sacrifice of God's Son was powerful enough to save the whole world because He was pure and unblemished by sin. God gave His only Son to satisfy justice in our place.

Often Christians are challenged to give way to other faiths and accept them as valid alternative lifestyles. Scripture's response to why we cannot accept other religions & philosophies is because of what it cost God to provide the way. Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son in the end. Jesus went through to the bitter end to bring us the freedom that could not be gained in any other way.

Scribbling Saturday: So Much To Do

2011-09-03T19:03:00.000+01:00

Suddenly I have a lot to write. I hope I can get it all done. I don't like deadlines.

First, I was asked by the Stroke Nurse to write about my stroke recovery, good and bad, to help them plan future care. Then I was asked to write my testimony for the church magazine.

Yesterday I met with some people who are going to help get my historical biography of Alina de Breos published. And I am in the middle of my final edit of my science fiction novel Flight of the Kestrel 1: Intruders, before I submit it for the Mslexia Novel Competition.

So excuse me if I'm not around much for the next couple of weeks!

Thinking Thursday: Blessed Are The Meek

2011-09-01T22:49:00.000+01:00

Gentle Jesus meek and mild
But was it a meek man who threw the traders out of the temple?

Was it showing meekness to compare the Pharisees with whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones?

Was it demonstrating submissiveness to break the law by forgiving sins, gathering food on the Sabbath, or mingling with sinners?

Was it meek to fight injustice, to stand up for the poor and disenfranchised?

Yet.

He was meek when they abused him, when they whipped him, when they led him to the cross. At this, the greatest injustice in history, the one man who had a right to say, ‘No, stop, this isn’t fair,’ took the punishment.

Not my will but yours

A rallying call to God’s children.

The meek fight battles for those who can’t

stand side by side with the outcast

wash the feet of the dirty

shed tears for the fatherless

defend the unlovely

care for the lost.

The meek are not downtrodden but strong

Not submissive but clear of vision

Not passive but passionate

The meek don’t take unfairness lying down

But take their stand with

Gentle Jesus meek and mild

[Liz Hinds April 2011]

Scribbling Saturday: Critique Circle

2011-08-27T21:04:00.000+01:00

Can I recommend to you all to have a look at the Critique Circle website? Click here. It was set up in Iceland, of all places, with the purpose of giving writers a chance to critique one another's work.

It is also a great place for readers, because you get the opportunity to actually feed back your opinions to the writers. Haven't you often wished you could sit down the author of the book you're reading and tell them a thing or two? On Critique Circle you are asked to be polite and constructive, but the opportunity is there.

As a writer, you have to give critiques in order to earn credits to submit your own work. This means that everyone helps each other out. I have learned things to improve my writing by critiquing others' work - good examples and bad. There is a huge array of different styles and genres, so you can stick to reading what you like.

I have just uploaded my third short story, Dangerous Dreams, which will be rising to the top of the queue in about a week. The previous stories are much improved by the critiques I received, but it was also a great confidence boost to see that people liked them and thought they were good.

If you're a writer, or a reader, why don't you give it a try?

Thinking Thursday: The Parable of the Sower and the Christian Life

2011-08-25T22:57:00.000+01:00

My Pastor preached a sermon on the Parable of the Sower, and applied it to those of us who are already Christians, rather than the usual application for evangelism. I personally found it a wake-up call.

At the end of Matthew chapter 12, Jesus says, "For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Since chapter 13 starts with "That same day" it is possible that he was still speaking of those who do his Father's will. In any case, the lessons we can draw by applying it to ourselves are valid and worthwhile.

The sower sows the seed, and it falls on four different kinds of ground. If we consider the ground to be us, this shows us the importance of our response to what we hear. What is your response to the sermons you hear on Sundays and the scripture you read during the week?

The Path

Matt.13:3,4,19
A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them… When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

Do we feel that we have heard it all before and take no notice? Especially if the passage under discussion is a familiar one (like the parable of the sower). Or we are distracted, and not paying attention. I realised that many times I read my scriptures in a rush to get on and do other things. Our heart becomes hard, like well-trodden earth. The word is heard but the heart does not respond.

The Rocks

Matt.13:5,6,20,21
Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away… As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

We lead such busy lives that we don't take the time to ponder on the word and let it take root. We receive the word with joy on Sunday but lose it on Monday, when we have to think about work and school and housework. There is no chance for the word to be established in our lives. It does not root in our heart and transform us.

The Thorns

Matt.13:7,22
Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them… As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

What we allow to grow up around us, in our cares in the world can choke our growth as Christians. Our experience on Sunday depends on what we do on Saturday. Maybe we need to get to bed earlier in order to be fresh on Sunday morning. The word and our devotional life do not have a high enough priority in our life, and get crowded out by all the other things we try to do.

The Good Soil

Matt.13:8,23
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty… As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

The word bears fruit when it is understood. Notice there is no criticism of the smaller yields, only rejoicing that there is fruit. However much fruit you can bear, if you are receiving the word and letting it root in you, it is enough. So this is how we should receive the word:

1. Listen. Pay attention. Make sure you know what is being said (or read).

2. Sift. Work out how the word applies to you and how you should respond.

3. Act. As the word transforms us, our lives change, and will also impact the lives of others.

Matt.7:20
Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
Matt.13:18
Hear then the parable of the sower.

[based on a sermon by Pastor Pete Orphan, Pantygwydr Baptist Church]

Thinking Thursday: Maybe We're Supposed To Run

2011-08-18T22:25:00.000+01:00

It's funny to think about it now, it wasn't that long ago, but when I was younger, when I was a kid, I used to run. I used to run everywhere, something in me, I wouldn't stop. I ran to my parents, I ran to my bed, I just ran. And I think we're all sort of like that, we're on fire for life, with no responsibilities. Just living, and excited to get places.

And then at some point, I stopped. We all stopped. We just started walking. We started coping, getting comfortable, getting content. We were no longer on fire, we were no longer passionate, there was no longer the burning desire in our hearts. But we kept walking, fitting in. And you can call it whatever you want – proper, easy, normal, but it all just seemed so boring. Is this what it was about?

But maybe we need to get passionate again. Maybe life isn't about being comfortable, or content, or making it easy. Maybe we're supposed to be different, and be passionate, not lukewarm. Maybe instead of walking around, being normal, we're supposed to be radical. Maybe we're supposed to run.

www.sermonspice.com

Scribbling Saturday: Real People

2011-08-13T22:25:00.000+01:00

In my Kestrel novel, I have been searching for ways to improve the depth of the characters, and therefore the plot. I suddenly realised that I have seventeen people from different races, different backgrounds, cooped up in a space ship meant for twelve, on a long, dangerous mission - and they all get on like best buddies!

Oh well, I never said I was an experienced writer! So now I am doing a lot of rethinking on each character to work out how they would react to the others. I want to see who would upset who, rather than arbitrarily making up scenarios. Truth to tell, I don't know my characters well enough. Too many of them are just there to serve the plot, which won't do at all.

But it's HARD.

Thinking Thursday: Wall Jumping

2011-08-11T15:12:00.000+01:00

Have you ever seen a father stand his young child on a wall, then step back and open his arms? Without hesitation, the child jumps off the wall, and the father catches them. They squeal with the scariness and the joy of it.

Why do they jump so readily? Because they know and trust their father that if he asks them to do it, it will be safe. He will always catch them and never let them fall.

When God calls us to do something, why are we so scared? Because, unlike the child, we don’t know the Father well enough to trust Him.

Scribbling Saturday: Character or Plot?

2011-08-06T19:49:00.000+01:00

David Baboulene is an author, scriptwriter, story consultant and PhD scholar of story theory. His book The Story Book features revolutionary new thinking on what makes stories work. He has written a series of articles in Writing Magazine which have been enormously helpful. Here is some of what he says:

Plot is character, and character is plot, because as soon as a character takes a meaningful action, his action is driving your plot whether you like it or not. Conversely, as soon as an event happens which elicits a meaningful reaction from your character, then his true character is developing in the eyes of the audience whether you like it or not.

Note that it is not the event which reveals a player's character, but his reaction to the event. The action he takes defines his character. Similarly, it is not the event which drives the plot (as you might expect), but the action taken by the character that defines the event, and drives the plot.

[You might have to read that a couple of times before you get your head around it. Here's some more:]

A player's character is defined only by his meaningful actions.
The plot is defined only by the actions taken by the players.

Better still not to think about plot or character as independent at all, because they aren't. Join them together and you get unity through thinking solely about Character Behaviours. Stories are about Character Behaviours. What characters do is who they are and what characters do is what happens.

When your writing has this unity of character and plot, your stories will burst into a third dimension of power that comes from consummating their relationship. And you'll know it and feel it when it happens, and you'll never write without it again.

[Extracts from Writing Magazine June 2011. See also http://www.baboulene.com/]

Thinking Thursday: The Plank

2011-08-04T21:55:00.000+01:00

Luke 6:41-42
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Jesus was pointing out that we need to put our own lives in order before we try to advise anyone else. But I want to use another meaning of the word 'plank' to give us a similar warning, related to a desire to witness to the cults.

In the early days of political electioneering, the candidate would go to a public place, find two boxes or chairs, and place a plank across them to stand on. From there he was able to address the crowd and explain his policies. From this, the expression arose that the ‘plank’ of a candidate was the main principle he stood for.

What is your ‘plank’? What do you stand for? It is admirable to desire to help people deceived by the cults, but it is essential that you make certain that you understand the truth first. Are you standing on the wrong ‘plank’? Do you need to get yourself right before you seek to help others? Indeed, many of us do not tell people we are Christians because we feel unequipped to answer their questions. So we need to strengthen our 'plank'.

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Feed on the Word of God so that the truth takes root in your heart. Strengthen the ‘plank’ you stand on. Then you will be equipped to serve God in reaching out.

Scribbling Saturday: Sebu Nefar, Doctor on the Kestrel

2011-07-30T12:12:00.000+01:00

Sebu Nefar is from Kohath and was Tofi Dathan's apprentice. Dathan joined the Kestrel as the Kohathi representative in the search for the alien intruders, and gave his life to help the mission. The Kohathi take apprentices to whom they pass on their skills and learning. The apprentices then carry on the work after them. When the Kestrel needed a doctor after the Intruders mission, Nefar volunteered in order to honour Dathan and continue his work in studying humans and their relationship with the other alien races.

In the early years of study and apprenticeship, Kohathis stay at home and have time to build their marriage relationship and have children. Only later do they begin to travel, initially for short periods, then longer if necessary as they progress. Nefar's children are grown, so he felt that he was most suited of all the apprentices to go into space away from the family.

The number of apprentices depends on the field of work. Labourers will only have one or two, to whom they will pass on their skills. Particularly in the fields of science, there will be at least three, as it is understood that research often branches into many related fields, and the apprentices can specialise in the separate branches of their mentor’s work. Kohathi do not retire, but as they get older, the apprentices take on more of the work and share their findings with their mentor.

Nefar looks like a genial be-whiskered old man, but all Kohathi males look like that. He is in fact quite young for his race, a mere one hundred and two, and much stronger than he looks, since Kohath is a heavy gravity planet. You don't argue with Doctor Nefar.

Thinking Thursday: Humility

2011-07-28T20:27:00.000+01:00

I realised today that God has stripped me of anything which caused pride: singing, dancing, sign language, public speaking. I retired from work, so the whole prestige I got, all the gratitude from people I helped, and the pride in being the breadwinner, is gone as well.

I was already aware of the new qualities I have found through my stroke: perseverance, persistence, determination, even some patience. But he has brought me humility too. I have grieved for these things, but now I can see the blessing.

In addition, my stroke has also enabled me to get away from a stressful job, has given us funds for the mortgage, and has given me more time for writing and study.

Proverbs 15:33b … humility comes before honour.

We have felt lately that God has brought to an end one phase of our lives and will bring us into another.

Proverbs 19:21-22 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that will prevail.

I wonder what the Lord has for us?

Scribbling Saturday: James Tomos, Paramedic on the Kestrel

2011-07-23T20:43:00.000+01:00

At the end of the first Kestrel story, the paramedic Sam Ryan leaves, and James Tomos comes to replace him. Tomos is a Spacer, born and raised in space on his parents' cargo ship. Consequently, although young, he knows a lot about most ship's systems, and has met many alien races, but he is not arrogant about his knowledge and is always ready to help. He also covers as navigator when needed.

Tall and slim, with sandy hair, he is proud of his Welsh heritage from Earth. He appears to be quite shy and reserved, but this is a natural result of life on a ship, where privacy is difficult. He shares a cabin with Roy Stubbs, the assistant engineer, and they get on well together, once Stubbs realises that he is not showing off, but sharing his knowledge and trying to help.

[Since I am working on the latest edit on my first Kestrel novel, this character is not yet fully developed for the second novel.]

Thinking Thursday: Forget Not All His Benefits

2011-07-21T22:26:00.001+01:00

Sometimes life can be hard, and as Christians we need reminding why we are Christians.

Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Let us look at the benefits from God which the Psalmist lists:

1. Forgives all your iniquity
Forgiveness of sins is essential for the Christian life, it is the way we become Christians, and is the greatest gift through Jesus Christ.
Acts 13:38
Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Eph 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

2. Heals all your diseases
We may not have all our diseases healed in this life, but physical ailments can never attack eternal life. One day, you will be whole, and so will the nations.
Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.
Luke 9:11
When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.
Rev 22:1-2
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3. Redeems your life from the pit
Pits are deep and dark and you can't get out unaided. Joseph was thrown into a real pit, and God brought great good from it. Our greatest problem is the pit of sin.
Gen 37:23-24
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colours that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit.
Job 33:26-28
Then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men and says, "I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light."
Ps 40:1-2
I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

4. Crowns you with steadfast love and mercy
When an aircraft hits turbulence, the message comes for the passengers to sit down and fasten their seatbelts. When your life gets turbulent, fasten your seatbelt of prayer and leave it to the Pilot.
Gen 39:21
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Ps 59:16
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
Eph 2:4-7
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

5. Satisfies you with good
God does not just give us the minimum we need, he satisfies us, fills us, with all sorts of good things.
Ps.107:9
For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Ps 91:16
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.
Isa 58:11
And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

6. Your youth is renewed like eagle's
There was a belief that the eagle moults and renews its life, but also eagles fly very strong and very high. In spiritual terms, we can fly high in the spirit.
Exodus 19:4
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
Isa 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

God's benefits to us are not a one-off thing. He looks after us continually. We may find at times that life is hard, but there are so many blessings that we take for granted. I said to a pastor once that it did not seem as if God was blessing me at that time, and he reminded me that I woke up that morning and I was still breathing. God had given me another day to be with my family, to deal with my problems, and to serve Him.

Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The Hobbit Films

2011-07-18T14:24:00.000+01:00

I am really excited about Peter Jackson's new films of The Hobbit, after his triumph with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are to be two films, An Unexpected Journey and There And Back Again. I have been looking up the casting details, and thought I would share them. Click on a name to see the actor's entry in the Internet Movie Database.

Where the same character appears in The Hobbit as in The Lord of the Rings, the same actors have been secured. So there will be continuity:
Bilbo Baggins (old) – Ian Holm
Elrond - Hugo Weaving
Frodo Baggins - Elijah Wood
Gandalf - Sir Ian McKellen
Galadriel - Cate Blanchett
Gollum - Andy Serkis
Legolas - Orlando Bloom
Saruman - Sir Christopher Lee

Bilbo goes off on an awfully big adventure with thirteen dwarves:
Bilbo Baggins - Martin Freeman
Thorin Oakenshield - Richard Armitage
Bifur - William Kircher
Bofur - James Nesbitt
Bombur - Steven Hunter
Balin - Ken Stott
Dwalin - Graham McTavish
Dori - Mark Hadlow
Nori - Jed Brophy
Ori - Adam Brown
Fili - Dean O’Gorman
Kili - Aidan Turner
Gloin - Peter Hambleton
Oin - John Callen

And here are some other cast members:
Azog - Conan Stevens
Alfrid - Ryan Gage
Bard - Luke Evans
Beorn - Mikael Persbrandt
King Dain – (rumored) Brian Blessed
Galion – (rumored) Dominic Keating
Goblin King - Barry Humphries
Lindir - Bret McKenzie
Master of Laketown - Stephen Fry
Radagast -Sylvester McCoy
Smaug/ Necromancer - Benedict Cumberbatch
Tauriel – Evangeline Lilly
King Thrain - Mike Mizrahi
Thranduil - Lee Pace
King Thror - Jeffrey Thomas

An Unexpected Journey will be released on 14th December 2012.

Scribbling Saturday: Tobi Enns, Trainee on the Kestrel

2011-07-16T10:30:00.000+01:00

Tobi Enns is a young man from the first Earth colony, Alpha. The gravity there is twice that of Earth, so the first colonists had to wear powered exo-skeletons, but over the generations the people have adapted by becoming short and stocky. This means they are fast and strong in Earth-normal gravity. Over the years the colony has become insular, having little to do with other humans or alien races.

Enns grew up in a rough area and learned to fight out of necessity. He always wanted to see the rest of the galaxy, but it took a long time to persuade his father to let him apply to PACT. He joined the PACT Training School on Alpha and his enthusiasm quickly took him to the top of the class. He was about to transfer to the main training facility on Earth to do his last year of advanced training, when the Kestrel arrived at Alpha looking for a top student as an emergency replacement crewman.

Before he knew it, he was on board, excited but scared stiff he would do something wrong. Andrew Chambers took him under his wing, and apart from an initial bout of space sickness caused by lack of acclimatisation training, he settled in very well and proved to be a useful addition to the crew. Instead of dropping him off, Captain Martin allowed him to stay, and arranged for him to complete his training on board. He even had a remarkable skill which would prove useful in the future.

Thinking Thursday: Pedometer

2011-07-14T22:41:00.000+01:00

Health experts say we should walk ten thousand steps a day to be fit, so I bought a pedometer. You wear it clipped to your waist and it counts your steps. It is clever enough to know the difference between times you jiggle it doing other things and what are real steps. Then it works out how far you have walked, how many calories you have burned, and how much time you have spent walking.

I was quite shocked at the end of the first day to find that although I had walked over four thousand steps, I had only spent 22 minutes walking – out of a whole day! We take many steps in little ways, but need to spend dedicated time going for a walk to get anything like the right number of steps.

It is the same with prayer. If our thoughts turn to God occasionally during the day, we may feel that we have spent quite some time with Him. But if we had a spiritual pedometer – how much time would it actually add up to?

Just like incidental walking, there is scriptural encouragement to pray all the time, whatever we are doing. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess.5:17), and this links to what he wrote to the Corinthians: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor.10:31). But Jesus himself said, "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret." (Matt.6:6)

Just as it is vital to your health to do some dedicated walking, it is vital to your spiritual health to do some dedicated praying. What are the results of your spiritual pedometer?

Scribbling Saturday: Sam Ryan, Paramedic on the Kestrel

2011-07-09T20:56:00.000+01:00

Sam Ryan grew up on Orion 3, an Earth colony world with little technology. The original colonists wanted to return to a simpler way of life. They were mostly farmers and miners, working the old way, with their hands. Later on they were too poor to be able to afford modern equipment. Sam saw much unnecessary suffering because of the poor medical facilities. When the colony doctor died, no one could be persuaded to take the post in that backwater, and they managed with a paramedic and a nurse.

Sam's brother Jacob was injured in a mining accident and lost his leg. He saw traders with prosthetic limbs leading normal lives, but the colony did not have the technology, and his family had no way to pay for it. Jacob died a bitter man, and he wasn't the only one. Sam became determined to be trained as a doctor and return to help his people, so he left Orion 3 and went to Earth for medical training.

On Earth he had his eyes opened to what was available, not just technology, but the attractions of a modern lifestyle. He completed enough of his training to work as a paramedic and when the opportunity arose to be part of PACT and go into space, he grabbed it. For someone from a backwoods colony everything was is new and exciting, and presents him with a dilemma: he doesn't want to go back. How that dilemma is solved is revealed at the end of the first Kestrel story.

Thinking Thursday: Charismatic Pitfalls

2011-07-07T10:55:00.000+01:00

The charismatic experience can bring worship alive and can bring a new depth and meaning to the Christian’s experience of God. It introduces the dimension of the ecstatic, arousing deep emotions and a very real sense of the presence of God. However, there are two pitfalls into which many Christians and congregations fall.

The first is the idea that ecstatic worship is the only valid form of worship. Worship leaders fall into the temptation of using emotionally charged songs and words of encouragement to “whip up” the congregation. There is a feeling that the meeting has not been a success unless the majority of the congregation has had some ecstatic experience. Individual members of the congregation can feel guilty or inadequate if they don’t “feel it”. I have seen individuals in distress, not because of some conviction of the Holy Spirit, but because they do not feel able to enter into the atmosphere of the meeting, and assume there is something wrong with them.

It needs a sensitive hand both from worship and meeting leaders and from those who may be offering ministry, to recognise that there is more than one way to worship, and to communicate that and accommodate it. Those who are happy to stay in their seats must feel just as accepted as those raising their hands, kneeling, or lying in worship.

The second pitfall flows from the first. There are those who communicate, often non-verbally, the impression that the ecstatic state is the goal for the whole of our lives. That we should always feel that glow, that warmth, that uplift, that we come to associate with the presence of God. For all that God says against it, legalism seems to be built into our bones, and we are always looking for rules and blueprints. Once we adopt them we also adopt the guilt that goes with failure and the misdirection of our efforts into keeping the rules rather than serving God.

God has promised he is always with us and when we are born again the Spirit lives in us. That is true whether we feel it or not. Our lives are in God’s hands even when we are not aware of his guidance. While every Christian should be growing into a deeper relationship with God, there is no one way to define it. Like being in love, there are some common characteristics, but lots of different ways that it shows. Some go dreamy eyed and distracted, some are bubbling with life, some become very serious and committed. Many of us go through all these states at different times. So it is with God.

When I first became a Christian, verses like “pray continually” (1 Thess.5:17) and “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor.10:31), really stumped me. How can you pray while you are working? How can you change a dirty nappy for the glory of God? This is resolved when we stop putting our lives into compartments and realise that our whole life belongs to God. Whether we are ecstatically worshipping in a meeting or washing dishes, God is involved. We are multi-faceted individuals with a whole range of emotions. It is unnatural to try to always be the same.

Let go of your preconceptions and be honest with God however you feel, and let him meet you where you are. Then you can worship him with your whole heart, however you feel and whatever you are doing.

Scribbling Saturday: Roy Stubbs, Assistant Engineer of the Kestrel

2011-07-02T22:04:00.000+01:00

Roy Stubbs joined PACT to escape from the poverty in which he grew up on an Earth colony planet. His mechanical skills were put to good use, and he trained as an engineer. He is slim and rough-looking, but he has a good heart. He has been working on the Kestrel with Blackie for two years, and looks on him as a father-figure. Blackie took him under his wing and helped him to learn some of the social graces that he lacked.

He proved himself to be a very useful member of the crew, often helping in little ways unbidden. He was not afraid of hard work, but was nervous of responsibility. His tough upbringing had left him with little self esteem, though he blossomed when praised by Blackie. Blackie was sure that in time, he would make a good career for himself and be a credit to the service.

Thinking Thursday: Shine a Light

2011-06-30T11:25:00.000+01:00

Have you ever seen a picture of the Earth from space … at night? You don't see land and sea, you see civilization. Pinpoints of light where mankind is living, with electric light. Bright splashes of light for cities, sprinkles of light along the coast and up the fertile valleys, and great swathes of darkness on the oceans, deserts and mountains. It is beautiful and fascinating to look at.

Credit: C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive

With modern technology it is possible to zoom in to different parts of the map, and you can identify your part of the world and even your city or district, and see where the lights are.

But what if there was a map of the light of the gospel in the Earth? Where would the lights be then? And when we zoomed in, where would we find a flickering flame and where a strong, bright light? I bet there would be some surprises.

Would you be happy to zoom in to your town or city, to your district? How bright would the light be there? Would the light from your church be as bright as you expect? Would the light from your home shine bright enough to be seen by others? Would you find Christians among your neighbours, that you didn't know about? Would your neighbours be surprised to find out about you?

Kevin John, a well-known figure in Swansea, spoke recently about his passion for Swansea football team, and his delight that they have won a place in the Premiership. Everyone he meets knows how he feels, and lots of people in Swansea feel the same. The new football kit and other items with the 'Swans' logo on, has already sold out in the club shop. But he wondered if we are just as excited about our Saviour, and let everyone know how we feel.

The news of what Jesus has done, and of the love of God, is far more exciting, far more significant, than the achievements of a football team. Yet we are shy of talking about it. Often, we are afraid we don't know how to answer questions or deal with other people's responses. Yet if someone disagreed with your favourite football team, you would have plenty to say about it. You would share the facts and figures you have remembered from your time as a supporter. How come you don't have facts and figures at your fingertips about Jesus and Christianity?

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. (Matt.5:14-16)

It is my prayer that we all think about how we shine the light of the gospel in our neighbourhoods, and that we take time to learn and prepare so that we can shine more clearly.

Scribbling Saturday: Andrew Chambers, Helmsman on the Kestrel

2011-06-25T21:39:00.000+01:00

Andrew Chambers, the helmsman on the Kestrel, is human, from Earth. He joined the Kestrel a year before the first story. There is an incident in his past which nearly finished his PACT career. Only the captain and First Officer know the details, but there was an accident, and Chambers blamed himself. If he had truly been negligent or careless he would have been prosecuted, so he is not as culpable as he feels he is. But because of it, it was difficult for him to find a posting.
Captain Martin gave him a chance and has been building his confidence. He is still relatively young and has many years of service ahead of him, if he can regain his self-confidence. The helmsman Grey Lanx has just left the Kestrel, so Martin has promoted Chambers to helmsman. Chambers wants to do well, but will his confidence desert him in a tight spot?

Chambers' grandfather fought as a volunteer in the Casparian struggle for independence from Ochra, and when the Ochran representative on the main mission in the first Kestrel story finds out, he demands justice under the Ochran rule of family responsibility. This is another mystery to solve, but he turns out to be a good diplomat.

Chambers takes Tobi Enns under his wing, when he is whisked away from the PACT Training School to fill a temporary gap in the crew, and the two become good friends.

Thinking Thursday: Jesus as Lord

2011-06-23T20:51:00.002+01:00

Matt.27:57-66
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Jesus is buried in a rich man's tomb and the women note where it is. There is no sign of any of Jesus' followers believing that he would rise again as he'd previously told them. But, strangely, it is his enemies who remember this story and act to ensure that their victory over Jesus is fully secure.

Matt.28:1-10
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

The women went to the tomb to anoint the body with spices as would have been the custom. They had to wait for the Sabbath (Saturday) to pass first so that they weren't doing 'work' on that day. They were going to minister to Jesus' dead body, so they would be filled with grief.

Though Matthew doesn't say so, the earthquake and the rolling back of the stone happened before the women got there, not at the same time. The guards may have already collapsed before they arrived. What a scene met their eyes! And then the angel appeared.

They should not have been surprised, because Jesus had told them, but they didn't believe it until it happened. It is interesting that they were told to tell the disciples, because in Jewish law women were inferior witnesses. How their feelings changed! Grief, then fear, then astonishment, then joy and worship.

Matt.28:11-15
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The guards and the chief priests and elders respond to the angel's appearance very differently to the women. This is just what they were trying to prevent, and even though an angel appears, instead of realising the truth, they are only concerned about themselves. People still use this version of the story when talking about the resurrection today, even though it is not true. It is a convenient way to avoid having to consider the implications of the resurrection being fact.

Matt.28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Because of Jesus' resurrection he now has full authority, and he sends the disciples out to spread the Gospel, but promises they will not go alone.

It is important for our faith that Jesus rose from the dead. His crucifixion is not enough:

1 Cor.15:12-21, 56-57
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man also has come also the resurrection of the dead. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul draws out the consequence of Jesus' resurrection in 1 Cor.15:58:
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.
This verse can help us as we seek to obey the command of Jesus in the last two verses of Matthew's Gospel, because it gives us the assurance that by his resurrection, all his promises to us are validated.

[Based on Pantygwydr Baptist Church's Lent Studies]

Other posts in this series:
Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Scribbling Saturday: Shom Reuel, Officer on the Kestrel

2011-06-18T23:26:00.000+01:00

Shom Reuel is the other non-human on the Kestrel crew, along with Balitoth, whom we discussed last week. He is Altairian. Altair has a lower gravity than Earth, and since the artificial gravity on the Kestrel is set at Earth normal (1G), he wears a back brace on board. However, when in a low-gravity environment, there is no-one more graceful or adept than Reuel. The oxygen is also lower on Altair than on Earth, so his skin is very pink in the higher oxygen on board.

Reuel is humanoid, tall and gangly, with long fingers and toes. Instead of hair, his head has cranial spines, like a coxcomb, which rise when he is excited or agitated. Altairians also have a strange kind of singing or humming, which they do unconsciously, especially when stressed. It can be very soothing or very irritating.

Reuel is keen to learn about humans and often asks about some custom or form of words he has not met before. The Kestrel crew do not always have the time or patience to answer his queries. In contrast, there is a lot about Altairians which is not known. Particularly the structure of the family and their mating practices, which are simply not talked about.

Surprising then, to find that Balitoth and Reuel develop such a friendship that they visit one another's families while on leave (in a later story). They do not share what happened or their impressions of each other's families with anyone when they return, much to Captain Martin's disappointment.

Thinking Thursday: Jesus as Saviour

2011-06-16T09:02:00.002+01:00

Matt.26:36-39, 42
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." … Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."

Jesus has finished the years of his ministry, and now comes to the crucial moment of his life. He knew what was ahead for him. He told the disciples more than once that he was going to die (e.g. Matt.26:2, 12). Jesus asked his Father to take away the 'cup'. This recalls Isaiah 51:17 Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
He knows that he is not just going to be crucified, a brutal and agonising death, but he is going to suffer the full weight of God's wrath against sin. No wonder he dreaded it. No wonder he asked his Father if there was any other way. But he knew that there was only one way to save mankind, and he bowed to his Father's will. At the crucial moment, he was obedient. Luke tells us that the strain was so much that his sweat was like drops of blood (Lk.22:44).

Despite Jesus having told the disciples what would happen to him, despite his asking them to watch with him, the disciples did not understand. They fell asleep. And despite Peter's earlier protestations, and maybe the others had said something similar, all his followers ran away. But not before Peter (according to Mark's gospel) drew a sword and attacked.

Matt.26:50b-56

Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled.
It makes Jesus' obedience even more astounding when we realise that he could he saved himself at any point (with twelve legions of angels!), but he did not. He even prevents his followers from violence, and heals the servant's ear. Also, once again, Jesus says he is fulfilling prophecy. This must have angered the religious leaders, as they didn't believe he was the Messiah. But what must it have meant to his followers, who also were raised on the Scriptures? And for us, it is wonderful confirmation that he really was the One who was promised for so long.

The First Trial
Jesus was taken first of all before Caiaphas the high priest. Before all the false witnesses Jesus said nothing. Only when the high priest put him under oath did Jesus respond.

Matt.26:62-66

And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgement?" They answered, "He deserves death."
When Jesus referred to the Son of Man, he was referring to one of Daniel's prophecies.

Dan.7:13-14
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Under oath, Jesus finally declares himself before the religious leaders. They are so adamant that he cannot be the Messiah, that they are horrified at his blasphemy. Their minds were so closed that they were not prepared to consider how closely his life fulfilled prophecy. By coming out with it at this point, Jesus ensures that they will seek his death. We need to think carefully about situations where we prefer to listen to our prejudices rather than the truth.

The Second Trial
Jesus was taken for trial before Pilate, because the Jews were not allowed to sentence people to death. But they had to convince Pilate to pass the death sentence, and he was reluctant.

Matt.27:11-26

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so." But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear the things they testify against you?" But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
The accusation of the religious leaders was not sufficient to convince Pilate to pass the death sentence, but they whipped up the crowd to push him into it. They cannot allow this man to live. We should ask ourselves if we ever bow to pressure over something we know is wrong.

The Crucifixion
At the crucifixion, three charges are levelled against Jesus:
Matt.27:37-44
And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, com down from the cross." So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Pilate, I believe, was deliberately annoying the Jews by putting the charge above Jesus that he was the King of the Jews. He did not know how right he was. The others all urged Jesus to prove who he was by saving himself. They obviously did not believe that he could, but also they did not realise that by saving himself he would be condemning all mankind. What a temptation to show them all his power and do what they taunted him with!

The Death

Matt.27: 45-54
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping, watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
The darkness lasts from noon until three in the afternoon. At the end of this time Jesus cries out: 'My God, why have you forsaken me?' Why should he do this? What could separate the eternal bond between Father and Son? Nothing but sin. God cannot tolerate sin, and when Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world, God could not tolerate him, and withdrew. On top of the physical and spiritual agony he was facing, Jesus saw God turn away. He had to face it all alone.

Notice that when Jesus died, the account says he 'yielded up his spirit.' He had previously said that no one could take his life, he had the power to lay it down and take it up again. When his work was finished, he laid his life down. This also means that until it was finished, no matter the suffering, no matter the strain on his body, he did not allow it to die. It was such a momentous death, that the earth convulsed and the temple curtain tore, and even the pagan Roman soldiers realised that something significant had happened.

Six hundred years before, the prophet Isaiah had seen what a momentous thing it would be:

Isaiah 53:1-12

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgement he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

[Based on Pantygwydr Baptist Church's Lent Studies]

Other posts in this series:

Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Scribbling Saturday: Balitoth, Communications Officer on the Kestrel

2011-06-11T19:31:00.000+01:00

Balitoth is one of the non-human crew of the Kestrel. He is from Zoa, a reptilian race, with a longer jaw than humans and sharp teeth. His blood is cooler than humans too, so he wears an insulated jacket over his uniform, except in his quarters, which he keeps at a higher temperature. He shares quarters with the other non-human crew member, Reuel, who luckily is happier with the warmer temperature.

His face doesn't show emotions well, so he has learnt to compensate with gestures, especially in dealing with the more emotional humans. Zoans are not very emotional, as Balitoth puts it, "My people are … unsentimental." This can make them seem to be unfeeling and callous, so he has also learnt to show some emotions that he doesn't actually feel, but are expected of him. Still, he has never been known to raise his voice or lose his calm disposition.

Zoans don’t have marriage. Couples mate whenever and with whoever they want to, and then the children are raised by the whole community, particularly by the older females. Balitoth has several children, but does not keep in touch with them as they belong to the tribe of their mothers. He pays more attention to the children of the females in his tribe, as their children are his family.

The tribe is dominated by the males, but great respect is given to the females, they are not second-class citizens but recognised to have different roles, more nurturing and organising. Businesses are run by tribal families, with the males making major decisions but the females running the practical side.

In the first Kestrel story, Balitoth is suddenly taken ill and has to be dropped off at the nearest planet for emergency surgery. Which is a problem, as Zoans can only be operated on by Zoans, and this is a human colony. But Dr Robinson manages to get permission for the operation to be done by a doctor who has knowledge of Zoan physiology. His room-mate Shom Reuel is very worried, as they have become very good friends. Luckily Balitoth recovers and joins the crew for the main expedition.

Thinking Thursday: Jesus as Messiah

2011-06-09T20:23:00.005+01:00

Jesus and his disciples, along with a crowd of pilgrims, are going to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. Jesus asks two of his disciples to go and get the two donkeys. (Jesus rode only on the colt, as the other three gospels make clear. The mother would have followed her colt.)

Matt.21:1-7
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
The scripture Matthew quotes is Zechariah 9:9, and would have been well known as a Messianic prophecy. By riding on a donkey's colt, Jesus was publicly announcing that he was the Messiah, and the crowds reacted accordingly. The only problem was that they misinterpreted slightly. In those days, a king rode a horse to war and a donkey to peace. So he was also saying that he came in peace, not to overthrow the Roman occupation, which is what the crowd hoped for.

Matt.21:8-11
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."
This action was a deliberate provocation to the religious leaders, who were already unhappy with Jesus. Throughout his ministry he had shown miraculous power and had confounded his questioners. Now he was making an open claim to be the Messiah, and the religious leaders could see their hold over the people slipping. They were also worried that this would rouse the Romans to crack down, and ruin the status quo that they had managed to establish. Even today, the idea that Jesus was the Messiah is received many different ways.

The first thing Jesus did, having attracted so much attention, was to go to the temple. There, in the outer court, he caused havoc.

Matt.21:12-17
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?" And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
After a peaceful entry into Jerusalem, here is a very different Jesus, but still exhibiting qualities of the Messiah. God's temple should be treasured, and that it was being used for commerce and profit was bound to anger him. He quotes from two prophets:
Isaiah 56:4-7
For thus says the Lord: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
Jeremiah 7:9-15
Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!' – only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.
I have quoted these verses in full because they contain so much to explain Jesus' anger on his Father's behalf. Once again he is attacking the religious leaders, specifically for their allowing the temple to be profaned. And they were indignant, as the original passage in Matthew shows.

So Jesus, without actually saying it, announced very clearly that he was the Messiah, and the religious leaders understood that, and, refusing to accept it, determined to kill him.

If Jesus is king, what practical difference should this make to our lives? How can we show others where our allegiance lies and that we live by the values of the kingdom of God? Do we live by these values? Should we get angry when these values are ignored, and in what way?

[Based on Pantygwydr Baptist Church's Lent Studies]

Other posts in this series:

Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Scribbling Saturday: Matthew Grace, Doctor on the Kestrel

2011-06-04T21:43:00.002+01:00

Matthew Grace had quite a shock to be called up to replace Dr Robinson. He had been working on a space station, and was looking forward to coasting down to his retirement, so he was not well pleased to be drafted in as emergency replacement. He was also not happy to find it was a dangerous mission, and his paramedic Sam Ryan would be sleeping in sickbay. He initially took it out on the poor paramedic.

Grace was an older man, with cropped grey hair and a round face. He was not so fit as Robinson, he was anticipating his retirement. He had a different perspective on getting older when he talked to Tofi Dathan, the Kohathi. He learned that the Kohathi value the learning and experience of the older ones, who never retire, but take apprentices to pass on their knowledge.

At the end of the first book he decides to retire to Sam Ryan's planet, who badly need a doctor.

Thinking Thursday: Offerings

2011-06-02T10:34:00.001+01:00

When God sent Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, He called them to be His own people, and gave them the Law. This included a system of sacrifices and offerings, which to us today seems very strange and even brutal. God wanted to ingrain deep into their hearts, that sin costs.

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. (Habakkuk 1:13)
You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. (Psalm 5:4-5)

If anyone sins, they cannot pass it off with "I'm sorry." That is not enough. Sin requires spilt blood to pay for it. And because we keep sinning, blood keeps having to be spilled. Until the one Lamb came whose sacrifice paid for all sin for all time. The Old Testament sacrifices were not just one lamb on a regular basis, as I found out when I read Numbers 28 & 29. The number of lambs, goats and bulls that were sacrificed was astronomical.

In addition there were food, grain, drink offerings, burnt offerings and more. A large part of life involved offerings. How much of our lives are spent thinking about and giving to God? Check out my summary below, and ponder on your life.

Daily Offerings
2 lambs – food offering
flour & oil – grain offering
strong drink – drink offering

Sabbath Offerings
2 lambs and flour & oil – burnt offering
drink offering
this is in addition to the daily offering for that day

Monthly Offerings
2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs
flour & oil and drink offering for each animal
1 goat – sin offering

Passover Offerings – 14th day of 1st month
7 days not to work
each day – 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs with their grain and drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
this is in addition to the daily offering

Offerings for the Feast of Weeks – the day of first fruits
offering of new grain
no work
2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
this is in addition to the daily offering

Offerings for the Feast of Trumpets – 1st day of 7th month
no work
1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
burnt offering, grain offering, drink offering for the new moon
this is in addition to the daily offering

Offerings for the Day of Atonement – 10th day of 7th month
no work
1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
this is in addition to the daily offering

Offerings for the Feast of Booths – 15th day of 7th month
no work, feast for 7 days
1st day - 13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
2nd day - 12 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
3rd day - 11 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
4th day - 10 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
5th day - 9 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
6th day - 8 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
7th day - 7 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
8th day - 1 bull, 1 ram, 14 lambs with their grain & drink offerings
1 goat – sin offering
All these in addition to the daily offering

In addition
Vow offerings
Freewill offerings
Peace offerings
Individual sin offerings
For a nation of over 600,000 men, plus women and children.

Scribbling Saturday: Quentin Robinson, Doctor on the Kestrel

2011-05-29T22:20:00.000+01:00

Quentin Robinson has been a ship's doctor for twenty years. The crew refer to him as 'Quack' – the nickname wasn't helped by his large nose and long hair. Although an older man, he kept himself fit, and could be quite sharp with any crewman who didn't do the same. Most of the time though, he was quite gentle with his charges. As can be seen when he treats trainee Tobi Enns for space sickness, and promises not to tell anyone.

He has his own secrets, which come out in the first story, and directly lead to him having to leave the Kestrel. Firstly, he didn't pay much attention to his low gravity training, and has avoided needing it ever since. Likewise, he has managed not to need wearing a space suit. He needs both when a casualty from a mining accident needs to be taken to the Kestrel via the surface of an asteroid. His inexperience is his undoing.

Thinking Thursday: Looking For Loopholes

2011-05-26T21:34:00.002+01:00

Peter asked Jesus, "How many times must I forgive?" (Matt.18:21), and the rich young man, who asked Jesus how to get eternal life, went away sadly, because he had hoped that Jesus would say something easier (Matt.19:16-22).

In 1 Sam.15:1-26 Saul was told by God to attack the Amalekites and destroy everything. But Saul spared Agag the king and the best animals. When Samuel confronted him, he first of all said that the sheep and cattle had been spared by the soldiers for sacrifice, and insisted he had done what he had been told to do. Even when he admitted his error, he tried to blame the people.

In Acts 5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira made a promise and then looked for a way out. And in Matt.23:1-4 Jesus condemned the Pharisees because: “They do not practice what they preach.”

In all these cases people were looking for loopholes so they did not have to obey. In work I sometimes had to type legal notices – they have to be very carefully worded to make sure they cover every possibility. Legal documents would not have to be so complicated if people kept the law without looking for loopholes.

Salvation is free, but it really costs us everything. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matt.22:37). When it comes to the gospel, do we live the letter of the law, or the spirit of the law? Are we wholehearted, or looking for loopholes?

It is the same in marriage. Marriage is not just a contract, it involves commitment and love. Love doesn’t need rules and guidelines. Love responds instinctively and gives everything. Our relationship with God is like a marriage. After all, God has given us everything. Paul tells us that God has given us “every spiritual blessing”, he talks of “his glorious grace which he has freely given us”, and “the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Eph.1:3-8). How generous God is! God doesn’t look for loopholes.

Scribbling Saturday: John Blackwell, Engineer on the Kestrel

2011-05-21T10:03:00.001+01:00

John Blackwell, the Engineer, is the father-figure to everyone, especially his assistant Roy Stubbs. Everyone calls him Blackie. A burly older man with a ruddy complexion, he is human, from Earth. Although he looks very jolly, he has no time for fools, and some of the crew have the sharp edge of his tongue when they do something foolish or ask stupid questions. He expects hard work and discipline, but when he gets it he is very generous.

Blackie usually seems to know most of what goes on aboard ship, and is concerned about everyone. He loves mechanics and engineering, and space ships most of all. And he loves his job. He is always tinkering, to get better performance out of the engines and ship's systems. Since his wife died, after a long and happy marriage, he spends all his time with the ship.

Thinking Thursday: Man Makes God in his Own Image

2011-05-19T14:53:00.002+01:00

In the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, one of the books tells of an expedition to see God’s last message to his creation. It is carved into the side of a mountain, and the way up to the viewing platform is quite a trek. Eventually our heroes make it, and as they move along the walkway they come round the curve of the mountain and the message comes into view. It says “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

The story makes a great joke, and takes the unexpected turn that readers of Douglas Adams’ books have come to expect. But the sad thing is that the message makes sense to a lot of people.

Modern society has been called the ‘Me’ generation – everything in life is viewed from the selfish perspective. “What can I get out of it?” “How do I feel about it?” So it is quite believable that if there is a God, and if he created everything for us, that he would be sorry if he didn’t quite come up to our expectations. Man is king, and everything must serve him.

What a challenge, then, to communicate to this generation the mightiness of God and the need to serve Him and bow to Him. He does not need to apologise to us, rather than the other way around.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 'For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.'

Scribbling Saturday: Daniel Hoy, Second Officer of the Kestrel

2011-05-14T21:34:00.001+01:00

Daniel Hoy is a human, from Earth. He is of Asian descent, with a small lithe stature, and short cropped black hair. His family are Japanese, but moved to England when he was twelve. Despite the move, he was brought up with traditional Japanese values of honour and loyalty. Working for the Earth Alliance was all he ever wanted to do. It was a family tradition. His father served on the Harrier.

His parents are still at home, and he will have an arranged marriage to a woman, also from traditional family, so she will expect to stay at home and just wait for when he comes on leave. But will his experiences broaden his outlook and make him rebel against his tradition? Working for the Earth Alliance was all he ever wanted to do - it was a family tradition, his father served on the Harrier.

He studies martial arts because of his heritage, and when he fights he confuses opponents who are not used to his style of fighting. But he can be hotheaded and reckless, and has some maturing to do. When we first meet him he has been with Captain Martin for 3 years and was only made up to Second Officer 6 months before.

Thinking Thursday: Azazel

2011-05-05T10:41:00.002+01:00

In my Bible reading I read Leviticus 16, about the Day of Atonement. The main ceremony involved taking two goats without blemish. One was to be sacrificed for the sin of the people. The other was for Azazel.

This surprised me, as I was used to the expression 'scape-goat,' and had never heard of Azazel. So I looked it up, and it really blessed me. According to Easton's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, the root of the Hebrew word Azazel is 'separation,' and carries an intensity that signifies the total separation of sin. After the High Priest placed his hands on the goat and laid the sin of the people onto it, it was led out into the desert and let go. There was no interest in what became of it – it was totally removed from them and lost.

The two goats were a type, or shadow, of Christ, and showed how he was to deal with our sin. The first goat showed how the atonement was made, the second showed the effect of that atonement. Firstly, by the shedding of Christ's blood and his death, all sin was paid for in full. Secondly, the sin was totally removed and forgotten – Azazel.

Scribbling Saturday: Nathaniel Parks, First Officer of the Kestrel

2011-04-30T22:22:00.001+01:00

When Michael Holland was promoted to captain of his own ship, he was replaced by Nathaniel Parks, a tall, wiry Scandinavian, and an old friend of the captain. Martin asked for him especially, as it was an emergency and there was no one available. He knew that Parks was available because a damaged shoulder made him unfit for active duty.

His shoulder was broken and dislocated, and although they repaired it, they were not able to re-grow all the damage, and there was a weakness in the ligaments, which meant it dislocated very easily. He put his shoulder out again about once a year because he puts the safety of others before himself. Working on Earth, he could get treatment immediately, but if he went into space and was injured, he would be a liability to his ship until it was able to get him to a proper medical facility. He was also more likely to be injured on a PACT patrol than working in Security, where his job was more managerial.

He spent many years in Security, where he was frustrated. He got to meet a lot of other species, but he longed to be out in space. Met his wife in PACT training, but she has an earthbound job, so is able to set up home and raise their two children in relative stability. She found it hard in the early days when he was away on missions, but they were not very long, and he always had time at home in between. When he injured his shoulder and was given the job in Security on Earth, his wife was actually delighted, because it meant he was home with her and the children and they were able to build a strong relationship.

But she knew how frustrated he was, and how much he loved space. When his shoulder was healed by the Prin, she was glad for him, and happy to let him go back into space. The children were older, and they had had several years together, and much as she would miss him, she wanted him to be happy and fulfilled. Martin's request to keep Parks as First Officer was granted, and they were both delighted.

Parks was a stickler for protocol, and always referred to Martin as 'Captain' in public, although they were good friends. He has a strong belief in discipline and decides the only way to cope with the changes in the crew, extra crew, and a dangerous mission, is to be strict. This didn't go down well with the crew, who were used to Holland's easy-going manner. But he soon won them round. He is mature and responsible, but likes a laugh and messing about. Life and soul of the party, given half a chance.

Thinking Thursday: Jesus and Us

2011-04-28T10:02:00.002+01:00

Matthew 28:1-10
After the Sabbath, at dawn, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightening, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go and tell the disciples. 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there they will see me."

* The angel came down from heaven, just as Jesus came down for us.
Many people earn a living as lookalikes of famous people. They act the part, but we are only fooled for a moment. When we look closer we can see they are not the real thing. But Jesus was a real human being.

* The angel rolled back to stone, and Jesus rose from the dead for us.
If you could travel back to any point in history, you could be an eyewitness and see what really happened. The angel showed them that Jesus had already risen when the tomb was opened.

* The angel sat on the stone. His work was done, just as Jesus finished the work and won the victory for us.
After the battle of Waterloo the news was carried to the fleet, and as they neared England they hoisted signal flags to relay the message. 'Wellington defeated…' Then the fog rolled in and they could not read the rest of the message. There was great despair and fear at the thought that Napoleon might be on his way to defeat England. Then the fog cleared and despair turned to rejoicing as the full message could be seen 'Wellington defeated Napoleon.' Our despair turns to joy because Jesus won the victory.

* The angel's appearance was like lightening and his clothes white as snow. At the transfiguration, Jesus showed his true glory in the same way – the glory of God.
The guards were struck down with fear, and Jesus fights for us. He is our advocate in the fight we cannot win alone.

Easter Sunday truly is the greatest day in history.

Us and Jesus
We can respond to Jesus in one of three ways.

* We can try to push Jesus into the past, to say he is not relevant to today. But he is risen and meets us today.

* We can be like the guards, try to seal Jesus in, restrict him. The trappings of religion often do this. But Jesus as the risen Lord wants to have a relationship with us.

* We can meet Jesus, as the women did, and bow down and worship him. We cannot visit events in history, and we cannot change our own history. But Jesus can forgive us and give us a new start.

[Based on an Easter Sunday sermon by Pastor Pete Orphan]

Other posts in this series:

Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

The Three Miracles of Christian Faith

2011-04-24T14:43:00.001+01:00

Meditation for Easter Sunday:
The faith of Christians is based on three miracles.

Firstly, the miracle that the mighty God, creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, would voluntarily give up his glory and come to live among us as a human being, and suffer and die for all the sins that will ever be committed by us poor creatures.

Secondly, the miracle that by the power of God, he overcame death itself, and rose again, thus ensuring the promise that those who belong to him will also rise one day to eternal life with him.

Thirdly, the miracle that us poor creatures, who committed the sin that he paid for, are offered the forgiveness that we need in order to be fit for heaven one day, and in the mean time live in newness of life, empowered to serve him and our fellow men.

The words 'thank you' are just not adequate.

Thinking Thursday: Jesus as Teacher

2011-04-21T19:17:00.002+01:00

Matt.5:17-20
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus emphasises that he has come to fulfil the Law and the Prophets, not to abolish them. With his radical teaching, people could begin to think that he wanted to do away with what we know as the Old Testament, so he made sure that they understood what he was saying. The Old Testament wasn't just a list of arbitrary rules, but was also intended to be a way of God's people living a life radically different from the surrounding nations.

The Pharisees were a group of people who thought it was extremely important to keep God's law, and they were right. Most of their teaching was centred on how to do that, but they had focussed their energy in their actions rather than their hearts. When Jesus said that our righteousness should exceed that of the Pharisees, he was deliberately provoking his hearers to think about it in a different way.

Jesus fulfilled the law in two ways: he is the only person who ever lived who was without sin, so he kept the law fully, but also he was the person that the law was pointing to, so the law was fulfilled in him. Since the Pharisees were known for their painstaking keeping of the law, the idea that we could surpass them is impossible. So what did Jesus mean? Since he fulfilled the law, the only way for us to be more righteous would be in Christ. When we come to Jesus as our Saviour, we receive his righteousness.

Jesus was continually challenging people to rethink their assumptions. For example, over Sabbath observance.
Matt.12:1-8
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

The priests had to work on the Sabbath, offering the sacrifices, twice as many as a normal day. But they were serving God. David was chosen by God, and Jesus is the Son of God. These things are more important.

Matt.12:9-14
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" – so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

The Pharisees hemmed every law about with details, and Jesus walked straight through them. It looked as if he was breaking the Sabbath by working, but it cannot be wrong to heal on any day.

So Jesus taught not new things, but new ways of thinking about old things. We need to open our minds to see what he really meant. His teachings were designed to provoke people into reconsidering their ideas, but many people, especially the Pharisees, were not open and resented his ideas. We need to allow Jesus to challenge our thinking today.

[Based on a sermon and Bible study by Pastor Tendai Mbasera]

Other posts in this series:

Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Outside the City

2011-04-17T10:37:00.001+01:00

Today is Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem and was welcomed with great rejoicing by the people. This same people, just 5 days later, called for his death.

The past is Jerusalem. The future is our hearts.

We have built cities in our hearts, where we feel safe. In the city is where Jesus was rejected. He died outside the city.

Jesus wants to destroy our cities, our security, and meet us outside where we die to our spiritual Jerusalems and put Jesus in his right place in our hearts.

[Based on a sermon]

Jesus the Man

2011-04-15T20:29:00.002+01:00

The family line in Jewish culture was considered to pass down through the man, as shown by other biblical genealogies. So Matthew begins his gospel by giving Jesus' genealogy through Joseph (Matt.1:1-17). It established his humanity, and it was important to show that he was descended from David, because God had promised David that there would be a king from his line who would reign forever.

2 Samuel 7:16
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

But a closer inspection of the genealogy reveals some women, and some potential problems. Tamar (v.3, see 1 Chron.2:4) dressed as a prostitute and seduced her father-in-law, Rahab (v.5, see Josh.2:2) was a foreigner and a prostitute, Ruth (v.5, see Ruth 1:22; Deut.7:1-4) was also a foreigner, and Bathsheba (see 2 Sam.11) committed adultery with David. Why would he include such things? Perhaps it was to point out that God's plans cannot be thwarted, and even where there is sin, his purposes will still work out.

Although he wanted to establish Jesus' humanity, it was important that he was not 'just' a man. Matthew points out that Mary was 'with child from the Holy Spirit' (1:18, 20).

Hebrews 2:14-17
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

In Matthew 3:13-17 we read of Jesus' baptism. John knew he did not need to be baptised for repentance, but Jesus insisted "for it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Following his baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness and was tempted (Matt.4:1-11). Both these things show that Jesus was human, and it was important that he experience the same as we do, but remain sinless, as the Hebrews passage above tells us.

So, in order to represent humanity before God, it was essential that Jesus be human, and Matthew takes pains to establish this. He lived as a man but was sinless, so he had no sin to pay for, and thus could take our sin and pay the price.

[Based on a sermon and Bible study from Pastor Pete Orphan]

Other posts in this series:

Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Scribbling Saturday: Mike Holland, First Officer of the Kestrel

2011-04-09T18:29:00.002+01:00

At the beginning of the Kestrel series, Mike Holland is leaving, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't make an impact. He has been on the Kestrel for 5 Holland years, working with Captain Joseph. It was Joseph who promoted him to First Officer, and recommended him for his own command.

Holland has the traditional hero looks - tall, dark and handsome. Martin has used this to advantage on occasion, because when he and Holland stand together, people can easily mistake Holland for the Captain. But Holland is not cocky, he has taken the time to learn all he can from his crewmates. He has taken the time to get to know the crew, which can be a double-edged sword. You can't be friends and their commanding officer too. When he leaves, his replacement finds it hard because the crew are used to a softer approach.

He has been promoted to captain, and due to take over the Falcon, but there is one last mission, and what they discover means he has to take over sooner so the Kestrel can go on a dangerous mission.

Thinking Thursday - Jesus as Divine

2011-04-07T19:52:00.006+01:00

Matt.16:13-16
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
The ordinary people realised there was something special about Jesus, he wasn't just a teacher. But the disciples realised that he was the Christ, the Messiah. But even then they did not fully understand the implications of that, and when he went on to speak of his death, it didn't fit with their idea of what a Messiah would do.

Matt.16:21-23
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord. This shall never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Now that they had found the Messiah, Peter was not going to let anyone kill him or take him away. Jesus was angry, not just because Peter was being hot-headed again, but because it was a temptation to Jesus. Just as Satan had tempted him in the wilderness to use his power for his own good, Peter was tempting him in the same way. It would have been so easy to avoid his arrest and death. This marks a turning point – from now on Jesus turns towards Jerusalem. To prepare himself for what was to come, and to give the chief disciples a glimpse of what being the Messiah truly means, Jesus took them up the mountain and was transfigured before them.

Matt.16:26
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

We need to have our priorities right. If we belong to Jesus, how can we better follow him? With the disciples, we are about to see Jesus in his true form, in his glory. How does knowing that Jesus is God help you?

Matt.17:1-8
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Before their very eyes, the Jesus they knew changed. In Philippians 2:6 Paul tells us that Jesus took upon himself the form of a man, a servant. But here he took upon himself the form of deity. He was accompanied by Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets - Jesus fulfilled the Law and superseded the Prophets. We don't know what was said, but I think they were there to remind him of his purpose and to strengthen him for what was to come.

Peter as usual, not sure what to do and say, says something inappropriate. He is interrupted by the cloud and the voice of God. Here we have the same words as at Jesus' baptism (Matt.3:17), but now God says, "listen to him." This reflects the promise given to Moses – "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers - it is to him you shall listen." (Deut.18:15). We don't need to know what Moses or Elijah said. We just have to listen to Jesus. He must have the glory.

Matt.17:10-13
And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

When it was over and they came down the mountain, Jesus told them, "Elijah has come, but been killed, and the same will happen to me." But the disciples, especially Peter, fail to understand. With hindsight, it all became clear. We have the benefit of the evidence and the disciples' gradual coming to understand the amazing truth about Jesus.

Heaven and earth come together in Jesus. The transfiguration confirms that God will save the world through Jesus' death on the cross. It is a glimpse of Jesus' glory. Our bodies are fading away, but we will be glorified as he was glorified.

[Based on a sermon and Bible study by Pastor Pete Orphan]

Other posts in this series:
Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Thinking Thursday: Jesus as Leader

2011-03-31T20:48:00.002+01:00

Matt.4:12-18
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Jesus crossed into Galilee, which fulfilled another Old Testament prophecy, and he began his ministry by preaching that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And he showed this straight away by healing all manner of diseases and afflictions. Only the power of God can do these things, so God's kingdom is near.
Matt.4:23-25
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Once his ministry had begun, he called disciples to follow him and learn from him.
Matt.4:18-22
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James and John. This was not 'out of the blue' as John tells us that they had met Jesus before (John 1:35-42). Maybe they had been discussing him, and that is why they were so ready to follow him. The coming of the kingdom was too important to refuse. Instead of catching fish, they were going to help Jesus to bring in people to the kingdom.
Matt.9:9-10
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
This is Matthew's own account of Jesus calling him. Matthew was a tax collector, hated because they worked for the Romans, but also because they took extra money for themselves. It shows the effect that Jesus had on some people, that even someone so 'sinful' as Matthew could not only be called but moved to follow. This reassures us that the kingdom is for everyone.
Discipleship for the first disciples meant leaving what they were doing and following Jesus physically. We all have to sacrifice things in our lives in order to follow him today. In my own life, I believed I was part of the truth already, but had to let go of that and accept that I was deceived, in order to embrace Jesus. It meant not only giving up my activities and involvement in another church but also giving up all my friends.

Matt.10:1-8
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus called twelve men to be his disciples, or pupils. From what we read in the Bible few or none of these people were candidates to be part of the new kingdom of heaven according to worldly judgement. They were all weak and made mistakes. But this should be an encouragement to us, because however weak or sinful we are, Jesus will accept us if we follow him.

And following Jesus is what discipleship is about. Once a person has made a commitment and is saved, often they are welcomed to the church and expected to get on with it. But we need to disciple new converts, to teach them how to be a Christian from day to day, how to 'work out our salvation' (Philip.2:12). In our churches we must follow Jesus' example to lead new Christians in discipleship.

[Based on sermon and Bible study from Pastor Pete Orphan]

Other posts in this series:

Jesus as Leader
Jesus as Divine
Jesus the Man
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus and Us
Jesus as Messiah
Jesus as Saviour
Jesus as Lord

Scribbling Saturday: Joseph Martin, Captain of the Kestrel

2011-03-26T21:39:00.002Z

If you met Joseph Martin, you would not think him remarkable. You would probably pass him by in the street. British, with brown hair and eyes, average height and build, if you didn't see his kerchief colour, you would think that his First Officer, who is the tall, handsome one, was the captain. Which he has sometimes used to great advantage.

Martin is in his forties, and married to the job. And he does the job well. His First Officer, Mike Holland, has served with him for 5 years, and when he is promoted, Martin's old friend Nathaniel Parks steps in temporarily. They are both delighted when he is able to stay on.

He has very strong ethics – fair play, honesty, duty & loyalty - to PACT and to his crew. He is level-headed and responsible, he knows right and wrong, and there is no question what he will do. But in the second novel, some of his standards are challenged. Some of the situations the Kestrel crew have got into could have been pretty nasty if he hadn't been so quick-witted and inventive. So far all his risks have paid off.

He has had few dealings with first contact, until ‘Intruders’, the first story. He has a keen interest in current affairs, especially on other worlds. He is the one who puts together the separate incidents which point to the Intruders, after investigating the quartz disappearance & mining accident.

Despite his appearance, he is strong in command. Understanding, but doesn't stand for any nonsense. When the Kestrel plays host to representatives from six different alien races, in adition to the crew, in a space designed for 11 crew, it is Martin who keeps it all together, aided by his old friend Parks.

Thinking Thursday: Jesus - Prophet, Priest & King

2011-03-24T17:54:00.002Z

Prophet
God promised Moses that he would raise up a prophet like him.
Deut.18:18
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
When John the Baptist began his ministry people wondered.
John 1:21
And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not.""Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
But when Jesus came, they knew.
John 7:40
When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet."

Priest
The priests were all from the tribe of Levi. On the Day of Atonement the High Priest had to offer sacrifice for his own sins before he could offer sacrifices for the people, and before going behind the veil to meet with God. Jesus was not descended from the Levites, didn't offer sacrifices, and didn't go behind the veil. But John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb and he offered himself as the sacrifice.
John 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
And when he offered himself as a sacrifice, the veil was rent, so that man had direct access to God.
Matt.27:50-51
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
Therefore Christ was the ultimate Priest. His sacrifice was such that he sat down, because after him there was no longer a need for any sacrifices.
Heb.10:11-14
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

King
God promised David that he would establish his kingdom, and there would be a king from his house forever.
2 Sam 7:16
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.
Because of his sacrifice, Jesus was given all honour and glory as a king forever.
Heb.2:9
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death.

So Jesus is our Prophet, Priest and King, and he still works for us.
Rom.8:33
Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Heb.4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Since he is Prophet, Priest and King, you may wonder how he can sympathise with our weaknesses. As the scripture above says, he was tempted as we are. There were many occasions when he was tempted, such as when the people tried to make him king (John 6:15), but I want to mention three in particular.

At the beginning of his ministry, after 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted directly by the devil (Matt.4:1-11). Matthew Henry tells us that his temptations were: 1. To despair of his Father’s goodness. 2. To presume upon his Father’s power. 3. To alienate his Father’s honour, by giving it to Satan. In every case, Jesus refuted Satan by using the word of God, which is a good example for us. We can always find something relevant in scripture to help us when we are tempted.

At the other end of his ministry, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed to his Father to find another way so that he did not have to suffer, but bowed to the Father's will.
Matt.26:39
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
If we are obedient, we may go through suffering, but it will always be for good.

Something I had not thought of until it was pointed out to me was the temptation Jesus went through at the Transfiguration. In order to come to earth, Jesus 'laid aside his majesty.' He was equal with God before.
Philippians 2:5b-7
Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
At the Transfiguration, Jesus regained his glory, and his body was changed.
Matt.17:2
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
And then the heavens opened and Moses and Elijah talked with him, and God spoke from the cloud (v.3 & 5). At that moment, Jesus could have stepped straight into glory without needing to die. He knew what was coming. He knew what he had to do, quite soon. He could have avoided it, but he resisted.
Matt.17:8
And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

These temptations were greater than any we may face. So whatever we go through, Jesus can indeed sympathise with us and help us to overcome it, as he did.

(With thanks to Pat Francis, Pantygwydr Baptist Ladies Fellowship, 16/3/11)

Scribbling Saturday: The Kestrel and PACT

2011-03-19T12:19:00.002Z

I have mentioned often my science fiction novels Flight of the Kestrel, so I thought it would be good to spend some Saturdays talking about the background, to build the world.

Human life is not radically different to now. More technology, better medical treatment, but sociologically the same. Space travel has enabled colonies to be settled on the Moon and some other planets, some of which are in other solar systems. Enns comes from Alpha, the first colony outside our solar system, which has become very insular. Ryan comes from another colony world (Orion 3) that sought to return to simple pre-technology living, or at least minimal technology and mostly physical labour. This backfired when they lost their doctor and couldn't find someone with the older healing skills, or who was willing to 'rough it' on their terms.

Space travel also brought contact with aliens, and the Planetary Alliance for Co-operation and Trade (PACT) was formed as a sort of United Nations in space. The Kestrel works for the 'peace-keeping' arm and acts as a fast response diplomatic and trouble-shooting force. There are other sections of PACT which we do not meet, which deal with exchange of technology and ideas, shared scientific and other developments, cultural exchange, and trade.

All the fast response ships are named after birds of prey. They encourage diversity in their crews to promote inter-species understanding. Out of 11 crew, two (Enns & Ryan) are humans not from earth, and two (Reuel & Balitoth) are aliens. Dr Grace is from Earth but has worked away from Earth for many years. This may apply to some of the other human crew also.

They also try to keep the ships constantly in service, so crewmen are swapped in and out to have leave, giving others a chance to get experience on a number of different ships. This was found to have a detrimental effect on morale, so crews are kept together as much as possible, with not too many being swapped at a time.

This makes the Kestrel stories different to most 'spaceship' stories, where the crew remains the same all the time. In the beginning of book 1, one crewman has left, one is missing due to illness and a temporary replacement is found, the First Officer has been promoted and about to leave. During the book the First Officer leaves and the doctor gets injured and there have to be replacements for both, and the sick crewman returns. It makes for interesting dynamics between the characters, as well as the challenges faced in the missions.

Thinking Thursday: The Humanity of Jesus

2011-03-17T18:58:00.003Z

Because of the miraculous things Jesus did, it is easy to concentrate on his divinity, but it is vital that we see that he was fully human.

Matthew, writing to Jews, takes the trouble to list Jesus' genealogy through his father (see Matt.1:1-17). Jesus was descended from David, who was promised an eternal kingship. The line was considered through the man, but there are four women listed: v.3 Tamar (1 Chron.2:4) dressed as a prostitute and seduced her father-in-law, v.5 Rahab (Josh.2:2) was a prostitute, v.5 Ruth (Ruth 1:22, Deut.7:1-4) was a foreigner, v.6 Uriah's wife Bathsheba (2 Sam.11) was an adulteress, and David had her husband murdered. At the same time as establishing Jesus' lineage, Matthew pointed out that it included weak, sinful, and non-Jewish people. Not what you would expect for a Messiah. Jesus' heritage was messily human.

The people of his home town, Nazareth, know his background and did not believe. They had seen him grow up and because of that familiarity could not think of him as anything other than human. They asked, "Where did this man get this power?"

Matt.13:53-58
And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honour except in his hometown and in his own household." And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

As you read the gospels, you will find Jesus had
* Limitations of body and mind – he got tired, he needed to eat and to sleep
* Fullness of emotion & experiences – he got angry, he wept
* Experience of a spiritual life – he went alone to pray often

Why is it necessary for Jesus to be fully human?

* Representative obedience
Humanity must provide the way to repair the covenant broken by humanity. Jesus' temptation in the desert was like a reversal of the Garden of Eden experience, but this time with obedience.
Matt.4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Jesus was tempted to use his divine powers for selfish gain, but he was obedient to his father.

* Representative sacrifice
It could only be possible for Jesus to represent humanity if Jesus was fully human.
Hebrews 2:14-17
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. … Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

* Representative to God
Jesus had to be human but holy. He could not have sins of his own to deal with. Although Matthew began with Jesus' human genealogy yet he made it clear that Mary was pregnant "by the Holy Spirit" (1:18) so that he did not inherit the father's sin nature.
John the Baptist recognised Jesus was without sin.
John 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John hesitated to baptise Jesus because he recognised his sinlessness and therefore he didn't need it, but Jesus insisted because he was obedient.
Matt.3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he consented. …

* Representative to us
1. Jesus shows us how we should live and empathises with our human experience. Jesus was not always human, he is part of the godhead, but he broke into time and history and was born a man.
2. He restores the dominion over creation given to man at the beginning
Matt.28:18
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
3. He also shows us that death is not the end. His resurrected body means we will be resurrected and will have a body like his.

Why does it matter?

1. It is very serious because to deny the humanity of Christ is to be antichrist.
1 John 4:2-3
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
2. Whatever we go through, Jesus has experienced it, and will go through it with us.
3. The truth of Jesus' humanity gives us the opportunity of breaking with the past. Who we really are is related to Jesus and he has set us free from the sin in our past. How we have been related to and how we have been treated no longer has to define us.
4. Suffering: we do not believe in a God who has created and walked away. In Jesus God got involved in our world and understands our suffering. He has provided the ultimate solution and one day he will deal justly with everyone, but until then we only have part of the answer.
Heb.2:8-11
At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Scribbling Saturday: Would You Believe it?

2011-03-12T09:03:00.003Z

From the March edition of Writing Magazine:
According to a poll conducted for the UK's popular book review and recommendations website, Lovereading.co.uk, one in five British men believe that Charles Darwin wrote Oliver Twist and George Orwell's classic novel Animal Farm is a blue movie.

The study of Britain's reading habits also revealed that 25 percent thought that Sherlock Holmes was a real character, and 67 percent thought that the Scottish poet Robert Burns invented the haggis.

The survey of 2,000 men aged thirty and under revealed that on average they take between eight and twelve months to read one paperback.

Thinking Thursday: Preparing The Ground

2011-03-10T23:34:00.001Z

Jesus told the parable of the sower, and explained that it illustrated people's different responses to the word of the gospel, and it is often used in evangelism training to prepare people for the kind of responses they might get. But what about preparing the people we talk to, or preparing us to deal with them better?

Matt.13:3-9
And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear."

When a gardener plans a garden they take into consideration the type of soil, the situation in sun or shade, the nutrients, and many other things. You would not throw seeds on the ground, the rocks, and the path and just expect them to grow. You would examine the ground and prepare it first. Each different type of ground needs different preparation, and there are things we can do to prepare people to improve the chances of a good response to the gospel.

Let us look at each type of response and see how we could prepare the ground to make it more fertile:

v.19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
We are all called to share the good news, but how well do we prepare? When someone asks a question, have we thought out how we would present the gospel and deal with common questions? Or do we muddle through, and risk leaving the person not understanding?

v.20-21 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
When new people come to church, seeking or having just accepted the gospel, what support mechanisms do we have in place to help them? Being saved does not immediately change your personality, your circumstances, or your friends and relations. How can we help them when they are ridiculed for their new faith, their new standards? How can we help them make new friends when the old ones desert them or are left behind? Becoming a Christian is more than a change of mind, it is a change of attitude, behaviour, lifestyle – it can be quite a shock. How can we help them to stick with it?

v.22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
How can we help anyone in the church who has financial or other problems, especially those who are new? Christians are not immune, yet the 'cares of the world' may be the reason they came seeking a better life in the first place. They need to be shown that Jesus gives you a new heart, a new attitude, a new inner strength to deal with these things, but he doesn't take them away. It is so important to build our church members into mature Christians, not just to get people saved and assume they are all right from there on.

v.23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
We must prepare ourselves to understand the word and be fruitful, but also to think through how we will help others to come to maturity too. Then much more of the gospel seed will have the chance to grow in those around us.

Social and Spiritual Revival

2011-03-07T22:03:00.002Z

On Sunday evening I was at the Swansea Hope celebration in Pantygwydr Baptist Church, and the speaker (whose name I unfortunately didn't get) gave a spirited message on something that has been on his heart for some time. He has been sharing ir with the leaders, who invited him to share with the gathered church. Here are the brief notes I took. I hope they are enough for you to catch the vision too.

We had been hearing about all the programmes of social action which Swansea Hope is involved in. The speaker referred to these.

Matt.25:34-40 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

How blessed the people are who are involved in all the Hope programmes. Jesus is preparing something special for you in his kingdom. The great caring heart of the church is evident. The Christian Church is reaching out into the community. We want to know the blessing of God, to rest on the activities, to see a social as well as a spiritual revival.

John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
We can do all we can to help people but each of them also has a spiritual need. We don't want to help them physically and have them end up in hell. "I offered Christ to the people" – John Wesley. Jesus should be the centre of our lives. We should be pointing people to him.

Matt.18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
One of the most powerful statements in the Bible. Not just to encourage us in poorly attended services. Jesus will be there to touch lives. The spiritual challenge we are facing is to lift up Jesus so visitors will meet him.
How important is it that we meet with Jesus in our meetings?
What do we know about the manifest presence of Jesus? Manifest = proof.
When people enter our churches they should say "God is in this place."
There needs to be a fusing together of the social and the spiritual.

Scribbling Saturday: Angry Robot Books

2011-03-05T09:54:00.003Z

Angry Robot Books are having an open door month in March, when they will accept unsolicited submissions. They publish sci-fi, fantasy and such like, so I am working to finish the latest edit on Flight of the Kestrel 1: Intruders, to send it off before the end of the month.

The Kestrel is a first response ship, a kind of police force and diplomatic service, for the Planetary Alliance for Co-operation and Trade (PACT). I have already written three books, in varying stages of editing. I don't know if it is hard-edged enough for Angry Robot, but even if they are not interested, it is motivation to get the book to a submittable state.

If you are interested in submitting your own stuff, you can find the details here. Good luck to all of us.

Thinking Thursday: Adventures of a New Creature

2011-03-03T21:47:00.000Z

I remember vividly when it happened. It was electric. The feeling was amazing, and maybe, looking back, that wasn't such a good thing after all. The newness is a written promise you can lay hold on. It doesn't depend on feelings. It happens, no matter how you feel. But it's hard to believe in if you don't feel anything, if there's no experience.

The trouble is, I had spent 18 years depending on feelings to tell me the truth. And my newness, in that respect, fitted the old pattern, even though so much of the rest had been broken and discarded. Bit by bit, it all got dealt with, but the feelings were always there. I knew God was listening to my prayers, because I felt it. I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and I felt moved to worship. So what about the promises when there are no feelings?

But now I am getting ahead of myself. Adventures have to have a beginning.

My adventures really began a long time before the newness, with a major wrong turning. All of us first become seekers when the need for God awakens. And I don't think we ever really stop. With God, there is always more to know. Unfortunately, when we begin we are usually ill-equipped. We know little or nothing about God and His ways, and often what we do know is inaccurate, distorted, or just wrong.

So how do we judge what we find in our seeking? It is easy to lay down criteria with hindsight, and some new creatures get quite arrogant when speaking to people, especially those who have gone astray, as if the answer is obvious.

So what do you do with the basic understanding that Christians pray to God, read the Bible, go to church, and live good lives? As an outsider how are you to know that these things are the fruit of something deeper, life changing? So when you find an answer to your seeking that fills all these and more, that teaches you faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and obedience, how are you to judge? You have found the answer, haven't you? I thought I had, but what I had found was allegiance to an organisation and a life of outward show of obedience. I was not a new creature, and didn't even know that I needed to be. A major wrong turning.

The eventual good that came out of this was a good knowledge of the Bible and enough understanding of what I was taught to recognise the flaws in it when I finally found the truth. The bad that came out of it was the reliance on feelings.

I was taught that God answers prayers by giving you a warm feeling inside. This personal revelation is stronger than any other evidence you may be presented with. We all know how unreliable feelings are, and how they can be manufactured by circumstances. But when you pray, and that feeling comes, just as you were promised, it is like your own personal miracle, and you're hooked. From there on, whatever people may say against your beliefs, whatever evidence they may present to you, you have your own personal witness - your testimony - which transcends it all. To you, your faith is unshakeable. To those in the light, the shutters are down.

My shutters finally crumbled after admitting that my faith wasn't working and that God would not condemn me for asking honest questions if my heart was towards Him. My renewed seeking led me to realise there was something missing in my life, and to recognise someone who had it. That someone was a new creature who showed me the way.

And so I became a new creature, and the real adventure began. But like the false adventure, it began with a feeling. God is wonderful, God is good, and He blesses us with His Spirit and touches our lives in ways we can sense, especially when we are very new creatures. But the Enemy is always there, seeking to twist and corrupt everything. And sometimes it only takes a very small lever to move a very big rock.

As time went by and I learned more of the truth, all the old teachings and ideas were recognised for what they were. I learned the truth of the promises in the Bible, and that they didn't depend on circumstances or feelings. But that theory was blunted in the practical application because the feelings were always there. And feelings are so deep, so hidden, that nobody realised the problem. Radical measures were needed.

My life encountered a crisis. Instinctively, I turned to God. 'Tell me what to do.' Nothing. 'Show me the way.' Nothing. 'At least give me some comfort.' No word, no sign, no feeling. Nothing. Instant despair. What about the promises in the Bible? No help - no feelings. I prayed every way I knew, tried to find ways to please God so that He would respond. I went through the whole spectrum of emotions: despair, guilt, frustration, anger, bitterness, desperation. Lots of feelings, but all the wrong ones.

Through it all, my life continued. The crisis had to be dealt with. Some things were resolved, some got worse, new problems arose. On several occasions, circumstances worked to my good, the right people appeared at the right time with the right answers. But this could not be God, because I felt nothing. One always had a good feeling when God touched your life. It all had to be coincidence.

The pain went deep. How could He desert me when I needed Him the most? He had promised never to leave me, but He had, because the feelings had gone. This was the darkest part of the adventure, and it seemed to last for ever.

Thankfully, it did come to an end. The crisis was resolved, much was learned, much growing done. Even the feelings came back. But it took a long time to understand why they had gone. And they only returned after I had laid hold of the written promises and believed them anyway, with no proof. With hindsight, I could see where God's hand had been at work during the dark times, but His methods had been new to me, and I had not recognised them.

The adventure continues, but on a much firmer footing. Feelings are undependable. But when a promise is in writing, it is unshakeable. It never occurred to me before that God's plan is always moving on, but He is under no obligation to explain it to us, or our part in it. He has said He will never leave us, and He never does, even when we can't feel it. It is a great strength to me now to look forward to the rest of the adventure on that basis.

Scribbling Saturday: The Last Lecture

2011-02-26T21:28:00.003Z

I recently discovered a book called The Last Lecture. A lot of professors give 'Last Lecture' talks about what they would pass on if this was their last lecture. When Randy Pausch gave his Last Lecture in September 2007, it really was his last, as he had terminal cancer. He chose to give the lecture, not only to pass on what he had learned to others, but as a legacy to his young children.

It became so popular that he wrote it up into a book, where he was able to say more, before he died in July 2008. I found the book very moving, and full of good advice. His lecture was entitled 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.' It is all about the joy of living, and the 'blurb' promises it will change your life. Having read the book, I think it just might.

Here are some examples:
Don't Complain, Just Work Harder
Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I've always believed that if you took one-tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out… Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.

Treat The Disease, Not The Symptom
Years ago, I dated a lovely young woman who was a few thousand dollars in debt. She was completely stressed out about this. Every month, more interest would be added to her debts. To deal with her stress she would go every Tuesday night to a meditation and yoga class… I told her I had nothing against yoga or meditation. But I did think it's always best to try to treat the disease first. Her symptoms were stress and anxiety. Her disease was the money she owed.
"Why don't you get a job on Tuesday nights and skip yoga for a while?" I suggested.
She became a Tuesday-night waitress and soon enough paid off her debts. After that, she could go back to yoga and really breathe easier.

Don't Obsess Over What People Think
I've found that a substantial fraction of many people's days is spent worrying about what others think of them. If nobody ever worried about what was in other people's heads, we'd all be 33 percent more effective in our lives and on our jobs… I used to tell anyone who worked in my research group: "You don't ever have to worry about what I'm thinking. Good or bad, I'll let you know what's in my head."

Be The First Penguin
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted… Failure is not just acceptable, it's often essential.

This doesn't give a true idea of the book. If you want too see it for yourself, there is a web site here, and you can purchase it on Amazon here.

Thinking Thursday: Retirement

2011-02-24T20:39:00.002Z

For a change, Thinking Thursday is about something I have to think about.

I saw the company doctor on 1st February and he recommended a meeting to discuss my return to work. I have set my mind on going back to work as a goal to aim for in my stroke recovery. I realise I couldn't work anywhere near full time, but I have been thinking about what I would need and how I would go about working, with my current limitations.

Then today, my boss came to see me with figures for ill-health retirement, which they are prepared to offer me. So I have a life-changing decision to make. Pray for me, and I'll let you know.

Scribbling Saturday: Character Arcs

2011-02-19T19:17:00.002Z

Being driven by plot as I am, it is difficult to remember that the characters have to progress as well. Characters, must be well-defined and rounded, so that readers can get involved in their story, but the main character(s) have to have their own development, have to go on their own journey. Sometimes I forget that.

So what do you do when the novel is already written, and you don't know whether your characters really have a story arc of their own? 'Intruders' is currently 58 thousand words - that's a lot to pick apart and look for character arcs. Then I had an idea.

I made a spreadsheet! Listen carefully. Column 1: Chapter number. Column 2: Scene number. Column 3: Scene title. Then one column for each character. Then I went quickly through each scene and noted down under the relevant characters what each character did. It only took me a couple of hours while watching TV.

Then, I made a tab for each character and copied columns 1, 2 & 3 and their column to the relevant tab. Having separated the characters, I could go through each tab and delete all the blank scenes (where the character didn't appear). Bingo! Each character's arc. Now I can see where the holes are.

Sometimes they are only minor things, but still important. For example, one crewman is missing from the first part of the story because he is in hospital. I realised after doing the analysis that when he comes back, no one comments. That's odd. So that's what I have to do next.

Thinking Thursday: Man Makes God in his Own Image

2011-02-17T23:06:00.002Z

In the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, one of the books tells of an expedition to see God’s last message to his creation. It is carved into the side of a mountain, and the way up to the viewing platform is quite a trek. Eventually our heroes make it, and as they move along the walkway they come round the curve of the mountain and the message comes into view. It says “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

The story makes a great joke, and takes the unexpected turn that readers of Douglas Adams’ books have come to expect. But the sad thing is that the message makes sense to a lot of people.

Modern society has been called the ‘Me’ generation – everything in life is viewed from the selfish perspective. “What can I get out of it?” “How do I feel about it?” So it is quite believable that if there is a God, and if he created everything for us, that he would be sorry if he didn’t quite come up to our expectations. Man is king, and everything must serve him.

What a challenge, then, to communicate to this generation the mightiness of God and the need to serve Him and bow to Him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 'For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.'

Scribbling Saturday: Another Draft

2011-02-12T11:21:00.002Z

So, another draft of my sci-fi novel Flight of the Kestrel 1: Intruders is almost finished. I have moved some episodes around and added some, and I hope the whole thing flows better. It is now over 57,000 words, which is still really too short for a novel. A story can't call itself a novel until it reaches 50,000 words, but my studies recently have told me that 80,000 words is better.

To reach that I will need at least one more good subplot, if not several. Right now I can't think of anything, so it will have to simmer on the back burner until something pops up. You can't add more than a few thousand words with details.

So when this draft is finished, what am I going to do next? Start the next draft, of course. The last edit was an overview edit, looking for holes and overall structure problems. Now I need to knuckle down and read it through, seeking to improve the writing. And, of course, look for that new subplot.

Wish me luck!

Thinking Thursday: The Best Bits

2011-02-10T19:31:00.001Z

In much of our lives we cannot control what happens to us. But we can control our reaction, how we deal with what happens. A motivational speaker called Skip Ross, when people said they were 'under the weather' meaning not feeling very good, used to say "What are you doing under the weather? You should take charge!" He also used to say, talking about the climate, "Declare yourself independent of the weather." Don't let grey skies or a bit of rain disrupt your plans.

I have noticed that how I deal with life is greatly affected by my mood. The 'last straw' is only breaking point because I am already stretched very thin. In itself it might be something minor, it becomes hard to deal with on top of other things. So the lesson in this is not to let things pile up, and to deal with each thing calmly. It also helps if I think ahead and make contingency plans, and also let others help me.

Here is a challenging saying:
This time, like all times, is a very good one, if only we know what to do with it. [Anon]

Paul promised that God would bring good out of every circumstance (Romans 8:28). Sometimes the good is hard to find, but what a difference it makes to look at whatever happens and look for the good in it. There was a book and a film about a girl called Pollyanna, who had been taught by her missionary parents to look for the good in every situation. She never failed to find it. When a missionary aid parcel contained, not the doll she wished for, but crutches, she decided the good thing was that she could be grateful that she didn't need them.

Nine months ago I had a stroke. I have written previously how God was very near to me when it happened. The experience of his love carried me through the early days especially, but I still had to face the future disabled and not knowing how much I would recover. But looking back over those nine months and, like Pollyanna, looking for the good in them, I was surprised by how much I found:

* I was struggling with new duties in work and praying for a way out.
* We were able to claim on insurance policies which put us on a much stronger footing financially.
* I am now entitled to benefits which offset my loss of pay.
* I had time to think about a historical biography I was writing and completely revise it, and it is now under consideration by two publishers.
* I wrote a flood of poetry, which blessed me and may bless others in future.
* I had the time I had long craved to read the scriptures.
* I was able to attend the Ladies Fellowship at church, which meets in the afternoon, when I used to be at work. This was a great blessing to me.
* I found a determination and persistence I didn't have before.
* I had the chance to reassess my priorities and goals.
* I had the chance to find out just how kind friends and neighbours can be, and how wonderful my kids are.
* My husband's love found a new means of expression.

I am sure there are more. Do I wish I could have gained and grown without having a stroke? Of course I do, but some things you can't get any easier way. You can't refine silver and gold without putting it in the fire.

Here is something you can try to begin changing your attitude to life: I keep a special kind of diary. Keeping a diary can be time consuming and sometimes boring, but at the end of each day I write, "The best thing that that happened today was …" Sometimes it was such a bad day that the best thing was going to bed at the end of it, but there is usually something good, however small. At the end of each month I summarise the best bits, and summarise the months at the end of the year.

Try keeping a 'best things' diary, and you will be looking for the good bits as you go about each day, and keeping your spirits up.

Thinking Thursday: What does the Christian Church have to offer?

2011-02-02T20:26:00.002Z

A lot has been said and written about reaching the members of Christian cults for Jesus. Organisations like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and the Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs). There is a lot of advice available on how to reach them with the gospel. But we also need to talk about the importance of not just getting someone out of a cult, but into the kingdom.

In light of this, I want to consider: What does the Christian Church have to offer a cult member, like a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness? The glib, spiritual answer is the true gospel, salvation, a personal relationship with God, assurance, and so on. But what about in everyday life? What do we have to offer them physically, socially and emotionally?

It is very easy to operate only on a spiritual level and think that making a commitment to Jesus will make everything right. But what happens when you compare “Pie in the sky when you die” with “Cake on a plate while you wait”? People respond more to what they can see and relate to now than to promises about a distant future. Peter said “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15). Many of us are prepared, but nobody asks the question.

I find myself convicted by this too. How often does anyone notice that I’m different because I’m a Christian?

What do people see when they come to church? This applies to everyone, but those coming from a Christian counterfeit background have some pretty good things to compare us to. The Mormon Church puts great emphasis on families and social events. There are organisations for members of all ages, dinners, dances, picnics, and festivals for drama, dance, speech and sport. There is always something going on and lots of ways to get to know people. They are experts at ‘friendship evangelism’. Because they offer a ‘calling’ to a large number of members - even if it is to collect the hymn books - everyone feels important and needed. There are opportunities for many members to give talks and presentations, which develops their confidence, and Sunday School classes for adults, which increases their knowledge and understanding of their faith. Jehovah’s Witnesses attend 5 church meetings a week, where they study their publications, learn more about their faith, and practice their doorstep approaches. The importance of spreading the gospel round the doors is continually emphasised, and everyone is encouraged to take part. Because they are marginalised, they draw close together to support one another against what they see to be persecution.

Then, one day, someone realises that what they have given their life to is not the true gospel after all. They have been deceived, and if they want to come into the truth, they have to give up not just false beliefs, but their friends and their whole lifestyle. They look to the Christians to replace that, and because we have the ‘truth’ they expect it to be better than what they had before. What do they find?

A few years ago I was in the difficult position of having left one church and not yet settled on a new one. But it gave me the opportunity to visit churches as an outsider. I deliberately did not introduce myself or make the first move. I walked in, sat by myself, and waited to see what happened. Praise God, I never went home without someone making me feel welcome. But there is more to it than that. It is a sobering exercise to go to a style of Christian church that you are unfamiliar with and see how you cope when you don’t know what to do in the service.

If you have ever changed churches within the Christian spectrum you will know it takes time to adjust. The new church does things differently, maybe has different priorities. Hardest of all are the unwritten rules - “The way we do things here”. You can unsuspectingly fall foul of all sorts of conventions and taboos.

I remember one church where the minister got up one Sunday morning after a lively hymn and told the congregation that he didn’t want them to clap because he thought it detracted from the spiritual atmosphere. In prayer meetings, some churches encourage everyone to join in the prayers by saying “Yes, Lord!”, “Amen!” and other affirmative phrases while someone is praying. In other places this is considered as interrupting and irreverent. Unlike the principles of salvation, no-one can sit you down and explain the rules, because most people don’t think of them that way, or even at all. They have just absorbed them instinctively in order to fit in. And you can feel very uncomfortable until you do the same.

Now add to that the baggage that ex-cult members bring with them. Most cults teach wrong things about what Christians believe, so they will be confused. They will get their previous beliefs mixed up with their new ones, and not always be able to see why some of them were wrong. I remember one lady who came out of the Mormon Church and went on an Alpha course. She caused so much disruption asking questions the leaders could not answer and bringing up things that no-one had ever thought of, that they eventually asked her not to attend again. It may have saved confusion for the other people on the course, and saved embarrassment for the leaders, but she just felt rejected and lost.

Because they are new Christians, they are not able to serve in any teaching role, like Sunday School, and there may not be many other opportunities to serve. Suddenly, they are useless. They have left behind all their friends and all the organisations they used to go to. Suddenly, they don’t know anyone and have nowhere to go. Their lives, once so rich and full, are now empty. Sunday may be wonderful, but the week is long from one Sunday to another. When I left the Mormon Church I had recently been president of the women’s group and was frequently in the pulpit preaching. I joined a church that had no women’s group and didn’t allow women to preach.

Another difficulty is that, sadly, there are many Christian Churches today that are struggling with internal problems. Members gossip, criticise, and get into cliques. How can they recommend the gospel to others? Other churches are good places to be, but have no evangelism. Someone once said that the church is the only organisation formed principally for the benefit of non members.

Many churches do have a program for evangelism, but no follow-through. Teaching someone the gospel and bringing them to the point where they make a commitment is not enough. Jesus commanded us to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Disciples are not converts. Discipling takes time and effort. Converts need to be befriended, taught, nurtured, and made to feel needed and important.

Years ago I spent time with Premmies and Moonies, and what drew me to both these groups was their love and care for one another. I truly felt they would do anything for me and would share their last meal.

Well, enough of being negative. I hope that as you have thought about your church you have been able to tick off the things they do right. But maybe not. Consider what your church will do with people who come to them, seeking the truth, or answers to life’s questions, or maybe having already made a step of faith. Will you say “welcome” and then expect them to fit in? Let me make some suggestions:

Have ‘Welcomers’ on the door, or nearby, who can watch out for new people and make them feel welcome. This is a delicate task, for they must not be ‘pushy’, just friendly. It is sometimes nice to have someone to sit with you and help you to feel at ease in a strange place - even if you are a long-standing Christian!
Have an introductory course which new people can attend, led by those who are skilled at explaining the gospel and relating to people.
Have a ‘Christian Living’ course for new Christians or those who want to get back to basics. Lots of people never get further than their initial commitment - they don’t know what to do next. The course can include explanations of ‘the way we do things here’ as well as guidance on prayer, worship, Bible study, and service. It is also useful to ask every new member to attend, no matter how long they have been a Christian - it means they get to consider what the church believes and how they do things and make sure they will fit in.
Have a team of people willing to fellowship newcomers. This works for friendship evangelism as well as for helping new people to feel part of the church. This does not require great skills, just a willingness to chat on the phone, go for coffee, help with chores/babysitting/shopping. Any serious questions can be referred to those skilled in apologetics or counselling - which brings me to my next point..
All members should be encouraged to understand the basics of the faith and be able to explain it and defend it. But there should be those who are better able to answer the ‘thorny’ questions or the ‘difficult customers’. There also needs to be a counselling resource - if not in the church, then outside it - where those with deep needs can find help.
House groups or special interest groups are a good way to introduce new people to some members they can get to know better. This will make them feel at home sooner. They should also be a forum for growth for all members.

It is all very well to say the church ought to do something. One pastor used to say “Church is the people of God, gathered around the Word of God, ready to do the will of God.” So that means you, and it means me. What can you as an individual do to help new people? You can be a ‘welcomer’ in church, a friendshipper out of church. How well do you know the members of your church, so that you can spot someone new? And how many times do they come before you have the courage to talk to them? It is a skill that can be learned - and think of the friends you will make as you practice! You can encourage your house group to attract new people. You could even volunteer to run an introductory course or a ‘Christian Living’ course!

The true gospel is “Cake on a plate while you wait” AS WELL AS “Pie in the sky when you die.” When our churches cater for people’s needs, then we will be able to answer the question about the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15), because people will see and ask.

Scribbling Saturday: Sequence

2011-01-29T12:15:00.002Z

When you write, when you put down the story fresh from your inspiration, it seems so right. You cannot see how it could be improved, except perhaps for some spelling and grammar. Why is it then, that left to lie for a while, to go cold from the heat of inspiration, you can see so many things wrong with it?

My historical biography of Alina de Mowbray was quite short, so I put in some chapters of background information. What was daily life like? What did they wear, eat? Marriage customs etc. It gave a fuller picture to the story. The story itself was told in chronological order, obviously, so how could the book be in the wrong order? But it was. I thought about it a lot while I was in hospital with nothing to do. And when I came home I completely reorganised it. The manuscript is now with two publishers who have asked to see it.

I am now editing (again!) the first of my Flight of the Kestrel books. I suddenly realised the other day that an important meeting happens far too late in the story, and a whole sub plot happens far too early. Luckily, with the software I use (yWriter), it is easy to move scenes from one chapter to another, but first you have to decide where they are to go. And then I had to check if I had referred to the rearranged scenes elsewhere in the book which would not make sense now they are moved.

Yet it was so right before. I chose to put the scenes where I did, and I must have had a good reason. But now it's so wrong. It's on days like these that I wonder why I put myself through all this and don't go back to cross stitch. That has a chart to make sure you put everything in the right place.

Thinking Thursday: Doing Silly Things

2011-01-27T14:35:00.002Z

In the Bible there are lots of places where people were asked to do things that didn't make sense. Sometimes they seemed to be really silly. Look at these:

Numbers 21:6-9
The Israelites were bitten by venomous snakes and God told Moses to make a bronze snake – those who looked at it lived, those who thought it was silly, died.

2 Kings 5:1-14
Naaman was the commander of the king of Aram's army, and he had leprosy. Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times to be cured. He thought it was silly, but when his servant persuaded him to do it, he was healed.

John 3:1-21
Nicodemus was told by Jesus he had to be born again. He thought it was silly and Jesus had to gently explain it to him.

Why didn't God explain, or make it simpler? I think there are two reasons.
Isaiah 55:8-9 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
We cannot always expect to understand God's plans, we have to trust him that he knows what he is doing. But the second reason comes from this. We have to humble ourselves to his will. I think sometimes God asks us to do something that doesn't make sense so we can show him we will be obedient, no matter what.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.
When we seek to serve God we often expect Him to call us to something extreme or difficult. God doesn’t always want missionaries to China – sometimes He just wants you to talk to your neighbour. What is God asking you to do that seems too silly?

Scribbling Saturday: New First Officer and the Crew of The Kestrel

2011-01-22T20:45:00.002Z

So, in recent weeks I've talked about editing my first Flight of the Kestrel novel. It has been edited a few times already and improved a whole lot, but over the years I have improved a whole lot too. Whether it's enough to make me a decent science fiction novelist remains to be seen, but I have learned enough to look at this novel with fresh eyes and see the holes in it.

For example, let me set the scene with this excerpt:
As he left the meeting, Martin's head was reeling. Everything was happening so fast, and he was missing a First Officer. There were so many things to arrange. For example, if the other races were going to send extra crew, where were they going to put them? He was so absorbed, that he almost bumped into a figure coming the other way.
"Parks! They let you come!"
"Couldn't keep me down once I heard. How did you swing it?"
Martin grabbed him by the arm. "We'll talk later, right now there is so much to do." He paused in the process of dragging him along. "Am I glad you're here."
As they walked away, they made a mismatched couple. Martin was of average build, with brown hair, rather unremarkable. Nathaniel Parks was tall and wiry, and blond. But despite the difference in their appearance, they were very good friends.
- - - - - - - - - -
Joseph Martin is the captain of The Kestrel and he has just been sent on an urgent mission. The first thing Parks has to do is to assign quarters for all the extra crew from the other races, and since The Kestrel is a small ship with a crew of 11, 6 extra crew is going to be quite a squeeze. So his introduction to the rest of the crew is to upset them all. He tells Martin that he intends to have a quiet chat with each crew member to get to know them all, but here's the problem: When?

In the rest of the novel, I can't find a place to put these conversations without breaking the flow, and although they will be a good place for some 'show, don't tell' about these characters, I don't know what to say. It's driving me mad!

I don't know why I don't just delete the whole thing. Well, I do. It's because I'm a writer.

Thinking Thursday: The Narrow Will of God

2011-01-20T10:44:00.001Z

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. [Matt. 7: 13, 14]

This message was for those seeking to follow Jesus. It goes with his message “no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14: 6) The emphasis is that of the many ways one can live, there is only one way to come to the Lord God. The gate is narrow, there is only one way through.

However, once through the gate, once on the way, many Christians continue to believe that the way is narrow. They believe that God’s will has a very specific, very detailed plan for their life, and they must be careful not to stray from it. They fret their lives away trying to determine the will of God in every situation and worrying in case they miss it. Let us pursue that thought for a moment, and see where it leads.

If God’s will is so narrow, then becoming a Christian puts you in a straight jacket. Where does that leave free will? I do not propose to get into the question of foreordination and free will. That has challenged great minds for centuries. Let us just consider God’s plan for your life.

If God’s plan is so detailed, why are you not aware of his leading in every small decision you make, many times in a day? What shall I wear? What shall I have for breakfast? Which friend shall I call for a chat? You may think that level of detail is absurd. God doesn’t care what you have for breakfast, or maybe only to the extent that he wants you to eat healthily and look after your body. But you know that already, from scripture. (Is it possible that the rest of God’s plan is in scripture too?) If God’s plan does not go down to that level of detail, where do you draw the line? After all, the friend you call may be the one in need who had not thought to call you.

Whatever level of detail you settle on, because you are not aware of God’s direction in every decision, there must be times, many times, when you chose wrongly. That means that God’s purposes are thwarted, and he has to make adjustments to his plan. Can you see God continually having to re-think things for millions of people because they have not stayed within his narrow will? What kind of a God is that? And what kind of a child of God are you, to be outside his will so often?

Can you see that this makes us flawed followers of a flawed God? We cannot tolerate the thought of a flawed God, and though we know we are flawed, to fail God that often is a great burden. The Bible has much to say about our status as forgiven, saved children of God; about the work of the Holy Spirit within us to make us better servants. This idea only gives us a huge burden of guilt for letting God down so often and frustration at not being able to determine his will for us. When you think it through it does not ring true.

Let me give an example. Suppose I am not very happy in my job and have been trying to find another job - so far without success. Is this God telling me that it is his will that I stay in my current job? Or could it be that which job I do is irrelevant to his plan and I just haven’t been good enough for any of the jobs I have applied for? It makes a difference whether I keep trying or not.

I believe that God gave me a mind, and asks me to worship him with it too (Matt. 22: 37). I think he expects me to use good judgement in making decisions, using the intelligence he has given me and the guidelines he has given in the Bible. If he wants me to do or say a certain thing because it is important to his plan, I am sure he will make it plain. If he needs me to be in a certain place, he will make sure I get there. There is no way that God’s plan can be blocked or spoiled, otherwise he would not be God.

“the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:25, cf 5:21). He knows, and foreknows, all things, and His foreknowledge is foreordination; He, therefore, will have the last word, both in world history and in the destiny of every man; His kingdom and righteousness will triumph in the end, for neither men nor angels shall be able to thwart Him. [J I Packer, Knowing God, p.27]

Or as God himself has said:

I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do as I please…
What I have said, that will I bring about;
what I have planned, that will I do. [Isaiah 46:10, 11b]

When I pray to know God’s will, I ask him to make it plain if there is a certain way to take, but otherwise to help me to use what he has already given me to make the best decision. I even think sometimes there is no right way, but I can have free choice of what I want to do. It doesn’t matter. If it did, God would tell me.

The day you decide to live this way, a great burden of guilt and frustration will fall from you and you will be able to serve God better as you learn and grow.

Scribbling Saturday: Planning

2011-01-15T21:01:00.002Z

Last Saturday I mentioned that I am very plot driven as a writer. The trouble is, that it is not usually a very complex plot, which does not make a very long or absorbing story. I add extra bits as I go. Now I am editing my very first Kestrel novel in the light of all I have learned since, and it's really hard to keep track of.

The latest edition of Writing Magazine has the first of a series of articles on developing a story. It's called The Big Idea, and the basic question is, how do you develop your original big idea into a whole story without straying away from it? The answer, which apparently many well known authors use, is to write individual ideas on index cards and arrange them on the floor. As each idea sparks others, you can write more cards and fit them in.

It sounds like a great idea, but my plot is already written, and I have to find the holes and rearrange things. I think I have to write a lot of index cards.

Thinking Thursday: Be Very Careful How You Live

2011-01-13T14:35:00.002Z

Eph.5:15 Be very careful, the, how you live - not as unwise but as wise.

A friend introduced me to the music of Christian singer/songwriter Michael Card. One of the songs gave me pause for thought. The chorus says:
I have decided
Gonna live like a believer
Turn my back on the deceiver
Gonna live what I believe.
I have decided
Doing good is just a fable
I just can’t ‘cause I’m not able
Gonna leave it to the Lord.

This rang true with me, because I have a constant struggle to ‘do good’ and only seem to be able to sustain it for short periods. I get very frustrated when I read books and hear sermons which tell me to ‘trust in the Lord’ or ‘live by the Spirit’, without actually explaining what this means in practical terms. The question is “So how?”

If, in the words of the song, I am “gonna live what I believe”, what does that actually look like, lived out every day? In fact, what do I believe?

Our Pastor used to often say that our lives do not reflect what we say we believe. There is another of Michael Card’s songs which says:
You are the light of the world, O Lord,
You make your people shine.
So how could there be any darkness in me,
If you are the light of the world?

You are the bread of life, O Lord,
Broken to set us free.
So how could there be any hunger in me,
If you are the bread of life?

You’ve overcome the world, O Lord,
You’ve given us victory.
So why should I fear when trouble is near,
If you’ve overcome the world?

I am very wary of lists – of the books that promise 6 steps to holiness, or 10 steps to a better prayer life. There are no easy solutions, as I found out as a teenager when I joined a cult that taught me that I just had to be obedient and I would get into heaven. Having a list of things to do seemed simple, until you really tried to be perfect all the time, then you realised how hard it is in reality. But a list can be a good way to start when you can’t see the way forward. I remember an old saying, “God cannot direct your steps unless you move your feet.” So I have spent some time in the Bible and made my own list as a starting point to “live what I believe.”

1. Seek the Lord
Ps.9:9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Ps.9:1 I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
Eph.5:18-20 … be filled with the Spirit …Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything

God must be our starting point. The more often you think about Him, the more likely that your steps will be in a direction He approves of. Ephesians chapter 5 begins “Be imitators of God.” How can you imitate someone unless you know what He is like?

2. Forgive yourself
Isa.43:18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Accepting God’s forgiveness can sometimes be hard, but forgiving ourselves can be harder. We often handicap ourselves by remembering our faults and failings, instead of looking to God to help us do better. You need to hold on to God’s promises and believe that you can succeed if He is with you.

3. Maintain a spirit of goodwill
Eph.4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

God has promised us “peace … which transcends all understanding.” There is no need for us to be miserable, and especially with non-Christians. Do your work colleagues or your neighbours think of you as a cheerful, kind and helpful person? Often it is our lives they read before they read our Bible. And believe me, doing good to others is a very uplifting experience, and can easily become a habit!

4. Be a person of integrity
Eph.4:17 …you must no longer live as the Gentiles do…
25 …speak truthfully…
26 In your anger do not sin…
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs…
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Eph.5:4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking…
8-9 …Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

These are such basic ways to behave that they often get forgotten, or overlooked in all the ‘more serious’ sins in the lists of which we are not guilty. How easy it is to join in the gossip at work or to make jokes about people. How easy it is to lie to cover our mistakes or to lose our tempers. I am not saying that we can be perfect in these things at once, and we will often slip back, but the more often you keep aware of these things and make a conscious effort, the more of a habit they will become. And don’t forget to apologise when you are in the wrong or have spoken unwisely – it has a remarkable effect on people. Soon these things will be part of your lifestyle.

5. Seek out beauty daily
Ps.8:1a,3a,4a,5b O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth…
When I consider your heavens,
The work of your fingers…
What is man that you are mindful of him…
You…crowned him with glory and honour.

This may seem to be a strange item in the list, but we all need lifting above the mundane and reminding what a great God we have and what great things He has done. Hamlet called man “this quintessence of dust” and wondered at how he compared to God’s creation. But this great, almighty God has given us so much, and sent his only Son to die for us. Find some way to remind yourself of this often – even if it is a picture of a beautiful scene up on the wall.

6. Tell others
Ps.9:1 I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
Eph.5:16 making the most of every opportunity

We need to tell others of God’s wonders, as well as telling God how great He is. I know it is scary, but you have faced other scary things in your life – exams, driving test, giving a speech. In every case you planned and prepared in order to do your best. Take the time to learn how to share the gospel and how to look for opportunities in conversation to make comments that may make people think. You never know what ‘seeds’ may take root and one day you may have the chance to discuss it further.

And if your life is living what you believe, others will notice and will take you more seriously when you explain why you live the way you do.

There is a chorus which I often hum to myself during the day, which gives me confidence:
And your grace clothes me in righteousness
And your mercy covers me with love
Your love adorns and beautifies
I stand complete in you.

Scribbling Saturday: Details, Details

2011-01-08T21:59:00.002Z

It seems to me that some writers over-write, getting everything down that they can think of, and editing it down later; and some writers under-write, getting down the bare bones and adding to it later. I fall into the latter category, and wish I didn't.

My writing is very plot-driven. Only as I have progressed as a writer have I started to pay more attention to characters, and include character development as part of the plot. In the beginning my characters were cardboard constructions whose only purpose was to advance the plot. The trouble was, that no one was interested in the plot because they didn't care about the characters.

NaNoWriMo was a huge help to me. I knew my story outline was not worth 50,000 words, so every day the goal was to write as many words as possible without getting to the end of the scene. I had to put in as much detail as possible. It really changed the way I write - for the better, I hope.

My son was amazed that, after writing three novels about the spaceship The Kestrel, that I had no idea what the bridge looked like. In fact, I didn't know the layout of the ship at all. It didn't seem to be important to know what the surroundings were like. You're probably horrified too.

I am a great reader, yet never took the trouble to pay attention to how the book was written. I think it's about time!

So now I am going through the Kestrel novels again, from the beginning, to add in the details I should have put in originally! (All suggestions gratefully received.)

Thinking Thursday: Elijah and Persistence

2011-01-06T23:35:00.003Z

Reading: 1Kings 17:17-24 & 1 Kings 18:41-46

When we think of the prophet Elijah, we remember the spectacular stories. We think of the widow’s pot of flour and jug of oil that never ran out, and the fire falling from heaven to consume Elijah’s offering on Mount Carmel before the prophets of Baal. But I re-read the stories the other day and noticed something I hadn’t seen before.

Elijah was living with the widow, whose supplies lasted as long as she fed him. Then one day her only son died and she cried out to Elijah. Elijah carried the son upstairs and laid him on his bed. He prayed to God to heal him and then lay down on him. And what happened? Nothing.

Again Elijah prayed and lay down on the dead son. Again nothing happened. What would you have done if it had been you in Elijah’s place? I know I would have begun to doubt. Was God going to answer my prayer? Had I misunderstood? Was I praying for the wrong thing? The widow’s son was raised back to life – but not until the third time.

After Elijah’s spectacular confrontation with the prophets of Baal he told Ahab the king to go home quickly as it was going to rain. Then he went to a cliff top and knelt down and bowed before God in prayer. He sent his assistant to look out at the sky. Nothing.

Elijah’s credibility was really at stake this time. It wasn’t just an unknown widow in a tiny town. He had told the king it was going to rain. And did it rain when he prayed? No.

I was amazed when I read the story. Elijah sent his assistant seven times before he came back and reported that he saw a little cloud “like a fist.”

We often give mental assent to things which we find hard to believe when faced with the reality. We know God has His own timing and His own plans (Isa. 55:8-9). We know we should be persistent in prayer and wait for the Lord. But what have you been praying for and not yet seen? Will you be like Elijah and keep on until God fulfils His promise?

Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Stroke Recovery: New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-01T11:03:00.003Z

I know it's Scribbling Saturday, but it's New Year's Day, and thoughts turn to last year and this year. My goals for my writing and my life in general will follow, but here are my goals for my stroke recovery this year:

Learn to walk without a stick
Walk round the block
Go back to work

And my wishes:

For my throat to return to normal
For my right arm to come back to life

And a very happy New Year to you all!

Thinking Thursday: Begin With Me

2010-12-30T10:58:00.002Z

As we move towards New Year and the ubiquitous resolutions, let me offer these thoughts:

I’m talking to the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
My message couldn’t get any clearer:
If you want to make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and make the change.

So sang Michael Jackson, and he had a point. So much is wrong in our world. Crime, natural disasters, injustice. We say, “Somebody ought to do something” or blame it on the nebulous ‘they’. Campaigning for truth and justice is a noble thing. Not many of us can go off to Africa or Haiti or some inner city jungle and get personally involved. But what about closer to home? What could you do to change things, even something small?

Recently I watched the film of the Dr Seuss book 'Horton Hears a Who.' The world of Whoville is saved because one man believed and stood firm before the people, and one elephant believed and refused to let the animals destroy it, and one boy shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. What could you do or say that would change things for the better?

If enough people just started being kind to others, what would our country look like? If just you started being kind to others, or honest, or helpful, what difference would it make to your life and the life of those around you? In the words of another song:

Let there be peace on earth
But let it begin with me.

We Should Let Our Light Shine

2010-12-26T12:21:00.003Z

We should let our light shine every day for Jesus.

He should glow in our lives like a candle and we should stand firm in God and not let the enemy blow our light out, when the enemy tries to get at us through other people or through our emotions in life. The enemy can be so cunning that he can turn something small to something big, even bring back things from the past and try to make us think that we’re no good, not good enough for God. But this is not true.

When we come to God He forgives us every wrong in our lives. All we have to do is confess and ask Jesus to come in and He will heal us and make us whole. Jesus can take away every mountain in our lives. Jesus loves everybody, never mind what we have done in our lives, how wrong we may have been, Jesus forgives, sets the captives free.

God’s word says, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10), “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

When we come to God we open up the door and let God in. We now must trust and obey “for there is no other way but to trust and obey.” We need to pray and read God’s word more for growth in our lives, Christian growth, being whole again, free from bondage. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering... Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, … He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”(Isaiah 53:3-5)

So let us remember at this Christmas time, at the sharing of gifts and celebration, why Jesus came into the world as a babe at Bethlehem. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, … And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) It is the most wonderful precious gift anybody can have – that is the gift of God in their lives. Jesus shed his blood for us on the cross and all we have to do is let God into our lives.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He will change us, refresh us, cleanse us, and make us whole – a new creation. Amen.

Thinking Thursday: Conviction vs Condemnation

2010-12-23T23:22:00.001Z

Imagine that you decided to surprise your parents or your partner while they were out one day by spring cleaning the living room. All day you cleaned and polished. The picture rail, the lampshade, under all the furniture, in every corner. Then they came home and you showed them the room. How would you feel if they said “It’s a shame you didn’t put the rug back straight”?

That’s what the devil is like. He wants to bring you down and discourage you. Every cup is half empty and everything you do is less than perfect. We need to recognise our faults and failings, but it is important that we know the difference between conviction and condemnation. Satan is our accuser (Rev.12:10) but Paul tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom.8:1). Condemnation brings feelings of hopelessness and despair. If you are feeling like that you need to reject it and look to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit brings conviction (John 16:8) – a sense that there is something wrong, but that we can do something about it. Related words are confidence, certainty, or reliance. The Holy Spirit tells us that the cup is half full, that God has brought you this far and will not let you down (Rom.8:2-4). He will work with you if you let Him.

Making a Happy Christmas

2010-12-20T12:38:00.002Z

We all wish each other "Happy Christmas" at this time of year, but what do we mean? What is a happy Christmas? I would suggest that the key thing is our expectations. Kids are looking forward to Father Christmas; some of us are looking forward to someone's face when they open the present we have chosen so carefully; Mum is looking forward to having all the family together. And the happiness of Christmas will be how far those expectations are met.

So how do you make a happy Christmas? Perhaps you should start well before and find out what people's expectations are, and think about how you can see that they are fulfilled. Or maybe you need to gently help them to adjust their expectations, to avoid disappointment. But most of all, you need to look at your expectations. Are you hoping for too much? Are you asking everyone else to see to it that you have a happy Christmas?

Society today has become so materialistic, that it pains me to hear people, especially children and teenagers, express the thought that their Christmas cannot be happy unless they receive that one special present they are hoping for. The giving of gifts should be more about the expression of love than about the actual gift. I remember one year when our youngest daughter had no money, she gave us a photo frame with pictures of all our children, and a poem on the back. It meant so much because she had put so much thought and effort into it.

Christmas is about love. It all started because of the love of God, sending his only Son to rescue humanity when we couldn't do anything ourselves. The gifts we give, the visits we make, the food we cook, are all to reflect that love in the way we love each other. If we can remember that, we will have a happy Christmas.

Scribbling Saturday Web Site Review: Obooko

2010-12-18T15:49:00.001Z

Obooko has two objectives; the first is to provide a free platform for new and established writers to showcase their work; the second is to offer people, regardless of their means, access to contemporary writing in a wide range of genres and categories. You retain all your rights and they will not offer your work for sale. There are no charges, no contracts to sign and you are free to promote your book wherever you wish.

Whether you are a new writer or an established author wishing to gauge reaction to a final draft, self- publishing on obooko is the perfect way to 'test the water' and receive feedback from members. What's more, because your book will be in digital format you can make corrections and upload new versions of your ebook whenever you wish.

Thinking Thursday: Mary, Did You Know?

2010-12-16T18:07:00.004Z

I wrote last week about not worrying about tomorrow, for God will give us the grace we need when the trial comes. Much as we would like to know the future, actually we only want to know as long as it's not bad news. We want to know who we'll marry, what job we will have, if we will pass our exams, if our children will do well in life. But would you want to know that you will be unhappy in your marriage, you will be unemployed, fail your exams. Would you want to know in advance that you or your loved ones will suffer, or die? I think not. Such knowledge would mar the good times in between. May even be too hard to bear.

At this Christmas season, we think about the birth of Christ, and sometimes realise what an uncomfortable place it was. Sometimes we think about why he was born, and the suffering that he would face on our behalf. There is a powerful song that ponders on how much Mary knew in advance of the destiny of her first child. Written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, it reminds us of the importance of this child, but stresses the joys to come, rather than the pain.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. Ooo Ooo Ooo

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great I Am.

If you want to hear this song, click here.

Scribbling Saturday Web Site Review: Fiction Factor

2010-12-11T19:57:00.003Z

Fiction Factor descibes itself as an online magazine for fiction writers. Every month it features tips on writing better fiction, articles on improving your writing, tips on fiction writing, learn to write a novel and get stories published, promoting and marketing your fiction and much more!

The site is easy to navigate. You can browse some of the writing categories by using the drop-down menu, or if you prefer, you can use the navigation links at the bottom of the page.

There are also courses, a forum, and they also sell books on writing. Fiction Factor is also the home to 9 sister sites, each focusing on a specific fiction writing niche. Here you'll find descriptions of and links to Romance Factor, Sci-Fi Factor, Horror Factor, Fantasy Factor, Erotica Factor, Short-Fiction Factor, Children's Fiction Factor, Freelance Factor and Christian Fiction Factor.

You can subscribe on the site and receive a monthly newsletter. Each newsletter is filled with tips for getting published, articles on better fiction writing, recent updates and additions to the site, current market listings and hints especially for writers.

Thinking Thursday: Do Not Worry About Tomorrow…

2010-12-09T15:52:00.002Z

Worrying about tomorrow is something we all do, and I used to have trouble understanding Jesus' command that we should not. I used to think of planning: life would soon fall into chaos if I didn't think about tomorrow. But since I had my stroke, I have found myself thinking about tomorrow with fear. What if I never recover fully? What if I am permanently dependent on others for care? How will I bear it? And those thoughts are dangerous.

About 50% of stroke victims suffer depression, and I can understand why. With each disability, so much is lost, not only in the present, but in the future. So many plans and hopes will not now be realised. I have not suffered depression, but I feel what I call 'the black pit' looming just out of sight, to swallow me if I dwell on these things or begin to despair. Yet when I look back, the experience I went through in the early days after my stroke should have thrown me in the pit. Yet I bore it all, and even managed to smile.

As I thought of possible futures and how I could bear them, I looked back and thought of how I bore my previous suffering. Only through God's grace. I do not have the fortitude. In worldly terms, I couldn't bear it. But I did. So in the future, my only hope of bearing whatever comes is the same. I have to rely on God.

Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch lady whose family sheltered Jews during the German occupation and who were betrayed and sent to a concentration camp. I remember reading in one of her books that she asked her father what if they were sent to a concentration camp. He replied by asking her "When we go on a trip, when do I give you your train ticket?" She replied that he gave it to her when she reached the station. He said that, in the same way, God would give her the grace she needed when she needed it, and not before.

Now I understand what Jesus meant. If I worry about future suffering, it will ruin my present, because I am trying to bear something that has not yet happened and I have not yet received grace for. I receive grace today to bear today's trouble.

Matt.6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2 Cor.12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Scribbling Saturday: NaNoWriMo: The End

2010-12-04T11:56:00.004Z

Well, NaNoWriMo is over for another year. I took part for the first time, and I didn't win - or did I? The strict definition of winning is to write 50,000 words in a month, and get your word count validated on the web site. I managed 37,045 words, so I didn't win. But the benefits have been enormous, so I feel like a winner.

For one thing, I have never written that number of words in that short a time before - so that's a winner.

The story I wrote was another about my space ship the Kestrel. All previous stories have been around 25,000 words after a couple of drafts. This one was 37,045 after the initial write and a quick review - so that's a winner.

I write when the fancy takes me, sometimes not for days. I just wrote hundreds of words every day for 30 days - that's a winner.

The outline for my stories has been the overall plot and a few cardboard characters, which causes long pauses in writing while I decide each set of details as I come to them. This story was outlined in detail during the month before - so that's a winner.

And the biggest winner was my confidence. Even if my Kestrel stories are never good enough to publish, I have proved to myself that I can come up with ideas and I have the self discipline to work every day, which I am certain will carry over into other areas of my life.

So, all things considered. I'm a winner!

Thinking Thursday: In Christ and Into Action

2010-12-03T13:52:00.001Z

God has no special favourites. He is willing to work through any person who is willing to let him. God has no plans outside of Jesus Christ, and we share in the outworking of those plans by virtue of being 'in Christ'.

When a person becomes a Christian, there are two things which take place in their experience: Christ comes to live in them, and they come to live in Christ.

Col.1:27 … Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Col.3:3 … your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Your body is the means whereby the real you, who lives within it, is able to be expressed, through which your thoughts are spoken, your plans fulfilled, and your work done. Without a body none of these things would take place. When we become a Christian, we become part of Christ's body, through which he will speak and act.

1 Cor.12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it.
Eph.5:30 … for we are members of his body.

Serving the Lord Jesus Christ is not an 'optional extra' to the Christian life, but is an inevitable part of the relationship with Christ into which we have been brought.

Eph.4:16 From him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.

God does not want us primarily to be dedicated to causes, but to be available to Christ! He may call us to give our lives in the interest of some particular cause, but our commitment is primarily to Christ, and consequently, to anything he has given us to do. Every new morning we can anticipate that the Lord Jesus Christ will be free to express himself through us that day, and accomplish some aspect of his work, whether we can identify that he has done or not. This is our privilege, and this is our responsibility.

For Christ to be in us gives us power. But for us to be in Christ gives us purpose.
For Christ to be in us gives us resources. But for us to be in Christ gives us responsibilities.
For Christ to be in us is dynamic. But for us to be in Christ is demanding.

This is the Christian life. Having faced our failure to express his likeness and image in the world, we come to the cross for forgiveness, to become the vehicle for the expression of his life and purpose.

The world desperately needs to know this, but will have no grounds on which to believe it until they see the life and character of Jesus Christ lived out in your life and mine. This is God's purpose for you! It was his purpose when he first created man, and is therefore the only thing that makes life make sense in any ultimate way. Have you found reality in Jesus Christ, or have you substituted it with something else?

[Based on Christ For Real by Charles W Price]

Scribbling Saturday Web Site Review: Write Space

2010-11-28T13:03:00.001Z

Subtitled 'Capture Your Creative Sparkle' this is a simple website with inspiration and advice for writers. Vanda Inman lives in Cornwall and has taught creative writing and english literature, and has had lots of short stories published, mainly in women's magazines. Her web site has details of her distance learning courses and critique service, and copies of her 'Quick Fix' articles which are published as a monthly column in Writers Forum magazine. Well worth a look.