The wonder of God – psalm 139

Recently I’ve been looking at a few psalms and stuff to look for good lyric content. Where better to get worship lyrics than the word of God?

The other day I was playing my guitar, and working out some chords to perhaps attempt to write a song, or at least figure out a melody to put some words to. Then something unexpected happened; one of the strings snapped. I was displeased at this as it lashed my finger. I took the broken string and threaded it through the hoop bit that goes through the back of the guitar. I don’t know why. Then i scrunched it up in my hand, and it came out in a heart shape as above! (minus a small stem on the bottom which I cropped off the photo). What are the chances? I wondered if the heart shape was a sort of sign or something.

Earlier on today, I opened the bible app that I use from time to time. It opened on this psalm – psalm 139. What a lovely psalm. I will share it with you.

You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you. If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:1-24 NIV)

This psalm outlines just how awesome God is. He knows everything about us-how we think, what we do, everything! Before we speak, He knows the words on our tongue! Isn’t that amazing? It made me think – when we bring God praise, if He knows the words on our tongues and our thoughts and the desires of our hearts, is it in effect a sort of combo-worship session? I don’t know… It probably doesn’t work like that. Anyway, I digress.

Where can I go from God’s presence? Nowhere! He’s with us for the long haul! God is omnipotent and omnipresent, and he loves us! He created us! Before we were born, He set us apart – He made each and every one of us and His love for us knows no bounds. His love reaches everywhere from the highest of heights to the deepest depths, from the east to the west to the north to the south to the planets and across the universe. Absolutely everywhere. Theres nowhere that exists where His love cannot reach. He’s even conquered death! That’s how boundless His love is! Furthermore, He’s so awesome that darkness will not be dark to Him! I don’t know about you, but I think that’s flipping amazing!

I praise Him because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. We are intricately designed by the God of all – everything is! As a consequence, all creation reflects His beauty. And if you take a moment to pause and look out at creation, there is so much beauty there.

God is in creation; the works of His hands are spectacular and breathtaking, from the tulip fields to the snow leopard to the mountains to the coral reefs. Every part of it reflects the beauty and glory of God. Even us! We are blessed with being made in His image.

He has made me and He knows the days of my life – before I was born God was thinking about me! The same goes for you too! Isn’t that great? And He guides me in His holy ways. I feel so loved!

I do not deserve this in the slightest, but I’m so grateful to have such a loving God! His love for us is unending, unfailing and unfathomable. How wonderful is God? When I think of all He’s done… Wow. just Wow. Need I say more? WOW!

Who am I that God is mindful of me?

The other day as I was driving, I noticed some spring flowers beginning to grow. I drive past this place most days but that was the first time that I’d seen the wave of purples and yellows amongst the blades of grass. They were so beautiful. If there hadn’t been a car behind me, I would have stopped and taken a photo or two. God has made so many beautiful things.

I looked up at the sky, and for once there was a blue sky (albeit with two clouds creeping in far away). The world is so colourful and beautiful and sometimes I just like to take in the beauty of what God has made.

The springtime is beginning, and a new season of colour and beauty will soon appear. As I think of the wonder of God and His glory reflected in creation, I am reminded of this psalm:

Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1-9 NIV)

The psalmist writes of the majesty of the Lord; how His glory shines through the earth and causes people to praise Him! And then the psalmist goes on to say ‘When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?’

Think about that for a moment – God created the vastness of the universe! He intricately designed all things from the planets to pea pods. The moon and the stars shine because He gave them cause to shine. By God’s mighty hand, all things were made. So who is man that God is mindful of him? Who am I that God is mindful of me?

Sometimes I feel lonely. Sometimes I feel that I’m just one guy trying to live out my faith as best I can. But I’m one man made by God. I’m one man who is never really alone because Jesus is with me and the Holy Spirit fills me. I’m one man sustained by God, trying to live for His glory.

God is mindful of His creation. He created man in His image! God created us to be in relationship with Him; it’s true that we don’t always make the best choices in life and that we don’t always find it easy to go on, but God is always there for us. Fact.

The psalmist goes on to say ‘You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.’

And then, the final line of the psalm is echoed in my own heart; ‘Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!’. AMEN TO THAT!

Think about it. God has done so much! He created everything, including us and He has the power to do all things. Yet, He is mindful of His creation. He’s not just like ‘been there, done that’. He cares for us all! Jesus says in Matthew chapter 10

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31 NIV)

Jesus tells us that God knows the number of hairs on your head. He also tells us that God cares for His creation; every time a sparrow falls to the ground, God knows about it. Sparrows, at the time were two-a-penny and God still cares about them. But he cares for us too! We all turned away from our creator at some point and fell into a life of sin. But God never stopped caring for us for one minute.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NIV)

For turning from God, we deserved death. But Jesus sacrificed Himself to pay our ransom. Whilst we deserved death, Jesus took our burdens upon himself To save us from the penalty we deserve. He gave it all for us. That’s how much He cares.

About 2000 years ago, God sent His one and only son Jesus to save us from sin and death. We do not deserve this salvation, but God offers it to us through His son, who conquered death and rose from the grave and will reign forever! I, for one, am thankful to God for this.

I see the majesty of God reflected in the earth. I see the stars, I see the fields and the animals. I see cats waiting at zebra crossings for a safe time to cross the road. I see wonders of the world like niagara falls. I see the seas and the mountains and the weather and the rolling hills and the skies and the birds and so much more. And through the heartbeat of creation, I see the awesomeness of my creator. And I’m thankful that in the midst of everything, He is still mindful of me.

Stillness

Often, I lie in my bed, motionless. I can’t go to sleep but I can’t sustain being awake. I just lie there.

Sometimes, I think maybe the fact that I can’t sleep is a prompt to prayer. So I pray for whatever I feel is put on my heart and usually get to sleep. Other times, I just lie there and take everything in.

I listen to the noises of midnight. I hear the thunder and the howling winds. I hear the rain lashing down on the world below. I hear cars and vans and lorries driving off into the distance, hurrying along with their schedules. Sometimes I hear people talking, or music in a Doppler effect passing by. I hear the clicks of the cat’s paws as she walks in and out of my room. I hear the sounds of the night time. Sometimes I hear nothing. Sometimes I lie in the silence. I turn my head to gaze out of the window. I see dark colours. Occasionally I see the stars. I see the moon in all it’s beauty.

And in the quiet, I reflect on things. I think of my family and my friends and I thank God for them. For He is in them. I pray for those who do not yet know salvation through Jesus. I pray that i’d be able to make a difference in this world. God is in the difference. I think of the beauty of nature and I thank God for He is in the magnificence. I think of the misty horizons of the future and I pray for guidance, for God creates my future. I think to my life. I thank God for another day that He’s given me. I thank Him that once again I can rest my head in this place. I thank Him for my safety and my freedom and for all He has provided for me. I thank Him for loving me. God is love.

Sometimes, I just tell Him about my day. God knows it all already, but sometimes I just like to tell Him and talk with Him. And in the quiet stillness, He meets with me. God is always there for me with open arms, whatever the circumstances that have happened or no matter how bad the day might have felt.

It reminds me of that passage of scripture in 1 Kings 19:

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV)

God is meeting with Elijah. So Elijah is waiting on the mountain and there’s a wind so harsh that its splitting rocks. But God wasnt in the wind. And then, there was an earthquake, but God wasn’t in that either. After that came a fire but, again, God wasn’t in it. And then came a gentle whisper. And God was in that gentle whisper.

Sometimes, we look for God in extraordinary things, but we overlook where we can actually meet with Him. God doesn’t need to show off with extravagant events – Like with Elijah, He’ll often meet us in the quiet when we still our hearts. God is in the stillness.

A slithery day

It wasn’t hot today, but I did have to be careful walking along.
The day before yesterday we were blessed with snow – an utter rarity in the place where I live! Today, we are left with the cruel after effects of winter’s touch. Black ice paves the streets. As we walked around from place to place today, we skidded and slipped and slid around on the pavement. It felt dangerous, and we walked on the ice-crystallised grass for more grip.

This evening I sang in my church’s carol service. We did some traditional carols. It got me thinking about other carols; ones we didn’t do but that I’ve sang at other places – o come o come Immanuel, joy to the world, God rest ye merry gentlemen. And then I think to ‘in the bleak mid winter’. As nice as it is, does it truly reflect the story of the first Christmas? I mean, I know that through God anything is possible, but was the earth really standing hard as iron? Were there frosty winds blowing and frozen up waters? I doubt that at the birth of Jesus that there was snow falling; snow on snow. Snow ow ow on snow. In that bleak mid winter Lo-o-ong ago. Bethlehem doesn’t strike me as being a cold place from reading my bible and research. Perhaps I’m wrong. If it was cold, I’m not so sure that a donkey would be willing to comply with travel. But, as I say, anything is possible for God.

A week from now, we will celebrate the birth of our saviour. Jesus came to earth as a little baby. For you and for me. For everyone, past, present and future. Upon reflection, what does the weather have to do with it? Nothing, thats what!

Why I sing

A recent turn of events got me questioning why I sing.

Today, I attended a choir concert that a friend of mine was performing in. They performed a setlist of carols and other songs. One of the songs included this phrase: I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free.

In our church worship band, we used to have a segment where we shared with each other the reasons why we sang. This is an act that sadly no longer happens. I miss it. It was a wonderful and interesting segment. I remember talking at one of these segments, but I have since forgotten the words I said. 3 and a bit years has passed. The church has changed. Things we used to do have been forgotten in favour of new things.

Recent circumstances have got me questioning whether or not I should stay in the worship band. I love to lead worship; I love to sing praise to God. I love to dance in His presence. I love to rest in God’s presence. But I don’t love being told that I should quiet down when I’m worshipping because I’m going for it too much. I don’t love being hindered, or used. Therein lies the dialemma. My love of God is greater than my dislike for limitations. Thus, I presently remain in the worship band.

Earlier on today, I was listening to Freedom Song by Jason Mraz. It’s pre-chorus goes: I feel good; and when I feel good I sing; and the joy it brings makes me feel good. This is true for me when I worship God. Worshipping God makes me feel good and it makes me want to worship God more.

When I was 7 years old, I was in church. I’d grown up in church all my life. At 7, I found myself listening to a sermon, delivered by my Grandfather. That sermon really spoke to me. Correction, God really spoke to me through that sermon. I simply had to do something about it. So that night, as a young boy, I gave my life to Christ on my Grandfather’s knee. And so my spiritual journey began. This is the greatest journey I have ever been on. At school, I tried to live for God the best I could. Where others hid, I stood up for my faith. Where tough spots arose, Jesus guided me through. At the age of 14, I was baptised at a church that I would later attend regularly. In front of strangers and my family and everyone else, I publicly showed that I was prepared to follow Christ.  The next year, I would be baptised in the Holy Spirit. And from there onwards, I’ve been trying to live for Jesus. He shapes my life; He shapes my career and where I go, who I meet and who I have the pleasure of spending time with. He gives me opportunities to tell others about Him. He is always there for me when I need Him, or when I just want to chat. He welcomes me with open arms, despite the guy i’ve been.

Y’see, about 2011 years ago, Jesus sacrificed Himself. He could’ve stayed in heaven, but He chose to come to earth and be born as a baby. He was born in a stable – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords lying in a manger. Jesus grew up and performed many miracles. He taught about many things. He got rid of the old sacrificial system of coming to God by sacrificing Himself. (Y’see, we disobeyed God, who made us and wants to be in relationship with us. We’ve been downright nasty and rude to Him, but He still loves us anyway.) Jesus died for all of us so that we could become closer to God. Then He conquered death. He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us and He promises to take us home at the end of the world, to live with Him for all eternity. We just have to repent and put our faith in Him.

I guess thats why I sing. I sing because my redeemer lives. I sing because Jesus loves me and because I love Him. I sing because thinking about the goodness of God stirs up song within me and I can’t help myself. I sing because I am loved. I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free from sin. 

Suiting up

Today, I went to see the film ‘Puss in Boots’. In my opinion, it is waaaaaay better than the shrek movies. But, that might be just because i’m a cat lover. (but I don’t sing songs about cats like this lady…  )

I do love cats. I’m thankful to God for cats. They are a wonderful creation. (see here.) Puss in boots follows the story of the animated cat outlaw/hero. The cat has a sword and a hat, and of course, boots. And those things work for that cat!

(I once tried to put a mini santa hat on my cat, but she ran away.)

If you like cats and/or shrek, then go see puss in boots. BUT THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT THE MOVIE ‘PUSS IN BOOTS’. No no no. I just used it as  a tenuous link to talk about preparedness. Y’see, in the film, that cat is prepared. He has the moves and the style, and he’s good at sword fighting. He has the wits and skills to get out of tough situations.

Sometimes as a christian, our day to day life seems hard. And, to be honest, that is to be expected:

2 Corinthians 4

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

No one said that living for Jesus would be the easiest thing ever. But, lemme tell ya, it is the best decision you’ll ever make. And it is worth it. Trust me on that one.

So, as we live for Jesus, spreading the gospel and leading people to Him, we may feel that we need a hand; we may feel that the world is closing in on us. We may even sometimes feel that our darkest hour is upon us.  But, good news! We have the Holy Spirit living within us! And also we have the armour of God!!! And through God, we can be prepared for these times; God can get us through anything:

Ephesians 6

New International Version (NIV)

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

We may be hard pressed on each side, but we can stand our ground and stand firm in the faith! We have the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness!  Our feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace! In our hands, we have the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Upon our heads, we don the helmet of salvation. We are prepared for whatever life throws at us through the power of God.

Whenever I read this passage, it stirs me up inside! This shows that no matter how bad our day might seem, or how bad we feel, God is always there by our side! Even when we are hard pressed on every side, God gives us armour to help us keep going on. When we feel defenceless, we can always come to God for help! No matter how awful things seem, God is always with us and there for us. AINT THAT SUMMIN? Wonderful!

But you may be thinking ‘breastplate of righteousness? what is this, medieval times?’ No, its not. Its actually 2011. In the AD.  But, if you’d prefer, i’ll show you the passage again in the message version (more up-to-date language).

Ephesians 6

The Message (MSG)

A Fight to the Finish

^10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

^13-18Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

¹⁹And don’t forget to pray for me. Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

 

As we live for God, He wants the best for us. So He gives us things to keep us strong and to help us keep going on. God knows that there are things in life that we won’t be able to handle in our own strength, so He lends us His. And He calls us to read His word and pray. We must pray for each other and love one another; we must help each other to keep going! And as we keep going, we must continue with the mission; we must spread the good news of Jesus to the world! We must spread His love and lead people to salvation in Him. But, not in our own strength;  We do all this  in His! WOOHOO!

 

Carol service

The day before last, I attended a carol service. It was at a CU team-up with another CU and it was held at a church i’d never been to before. Inside, the church was rustic and had a certain oldy-worldy charm (apart from the massive grey computer monitors screwed up under the balcony). Outside, the weather did its worst. Hail lashed down at fierce angles and strong winds blew around. When the hail let up, a torrent of rain pounded the dark roads. I had a thick coat on, but somehow it managed to rain into my pockets. Apparently, this week sees the UK’s worst storms in a while. I braved the elements and ventured forth into the church. I was with some friends from CU, so that was good. It was good in the hood.

The musical items were mainly the gospel choir (the rival gospel choir to the one i’m in) and a brass band. I love brass instruments. Brass bands feel particularly christmassy. I remember all the times i’ve played in them and marched and blasted out a bassline. Ahh… lower brass…. Baritone horns FTW

For some reason, when talking to my friends, the topic of dubstep came up. I think I was saying it was nice to see an alternative music source in church (ie brass band) and then the conversation went from there. I suggested hornstep- a brass band dubstep. I don’t even like dubstep, so I have no idea why I suggested it. Then we discussed dubsteppin’ christmas carols. Hark the herald angels sing sing sing sing sing sing sing sing singsing singsing singsing singsing singsingsingsingsingsingsingsing ssssssss WUB WUB WUB (and so on and so forth). I’m thankful that the music at the service was not dubstep.

The music was lovely. The service’s music was as to be expected – traditional christmas carols. There were also readings from the bible and a short talk by a local pastor in the middle. It was a very nice service. It felt cosy and welcoming. Even though the clouds appeared to be exploding outside, we were warm and cosy in there.

I looked at the order of service – on the back page it said UPCOMING EVENTS in large letters. Then there was a squiggly line. Then it said ‘joy to the world, the Lord is come’ and listed the song lyrics. I thought that this was funny. “oh whats coming up? oh yeah its the birth of Jesus! Hey world, have some Joy!!!” :3 well, I found it funny anyway.

In the talk, the pastor used an illustration of a guy missing a the point of christmas. Apparently, theres some guy in the UK who celebrates christmas every day (by writing himself cards and buying himself presents and watching the queen’s speech over and over and over…) True, this guy has missed the point. Jesus is the point of Christmas. The pastor made a good point. He said “many people think that Jesus dying on the cross to save us from our sins was the only sacrifice He did. It wasn’t. It was a sacrifice for Him to leave heaven and come to earth too”. In the words of one of my friends “tru dat.” Jesus could’ve stayed in heaven – paradise with His Father! But He loved us so much that He came to save us; to restore our relationship with Him and the Holy Spirit and God the Father! There were a few bible readings in the service too. I thought that they were nice, so i’ll share them with you. (I’ll post them one after another so its a bit like a narrative).

John 1:1-14

New International Version (NIV)

John 1

The Word Became Flesh

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Matthew 1:18-25

New International Version (NIV)

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about^[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet^[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[d] (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Luke 2:1-21

New International Version (NIV)

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Mark 15:33-39

New International Version (NIV)

The Death of Jesus

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[a]35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,^[b] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 16:2-7

New International Version (NIV)

² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³ and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Usually, carol services focus on the birth of Jesus, but this one went above and beyond- here we see the birth of Jesus and then His death on a cross for us. And then we see His resurrection. Reading these things, you might feel like its just a story or you might feel theres something more to it. Like the centurion, you might think ‘surely, this IS the son of God’. I implore you, follow this train of thought. Because He is the son of God and He came to earth for YOU and me and EVERYONE. Jesus is the greatest gift we’ll ever receive. This Christmas, will YOU see the heart of it, or will you just be caught up in the commercialism and the wrapping?

In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas

22 and counting…

Its been cold this week. Winter rears its head and its icy teeth clamp down on the country; the freezing breath of the wind penetrates through the thickest jumper. Its been hail stoning this week. Its been down to 2 degrees. What is the rationalisation of this? Its Christmas.

So, today I had a gander at the Christmas offers in the shops. I saw the hideously overpriced 3ds games in a game store (you can get the same ones in asda for like a tenner less), I saw the hustle and bustle of people buzzing around like worker bees, I saw the festive decor and at one point, my eyes were met by two large plastic eyes on a singing christmas tree. The same tree, I might add, that I passed a few weeks ago and saw a child crying out of fear.

I’ve already bought most of/ probably all of my christmas presents this year. Most of them are already wrapped. So why was I there? Was it because bleach season 5 had gone down to 12 quid? Nope, but that was a happy finding! Was it that I needed to buy some christmas presents? Nope. So what was it? I guess i’d say its the ambience; the thrill of the chase; the commercial christmas preparation.

y’know goodwill to men and all that.  But, in reality, its elbow to the face when sales are clearance. I don’t elbow people in the face, but I must admit, I do like a good bargain. And i’m a sucker for a good advert. But talking about the whole rat-race elbow in face mentality, let me whisk you back in time to christmas 2009. It was christmas week. Shops were hectic. Supermarkets – doubly so. I was on the mission for sprouts. I had no luck finding loose sprouts. Bagged sprouts were nowhere in sight. I love a good sprout, but it didn’t look like it was going to be my day… and then I gazed upon a stalk of sprouts. A forlorn, lonely stalk of sprouts with small/medium sprouts on them. A feeling of happiness came across me as I sauntered along to acquire them. Suddenly, a crazed pensioner appeared! (cue the pokemon wild encounter music! do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do dun dun dundundun dun dun dun dundundun dun… etc,etc). This was no ordinary pensioner. What she lacked in hight, she made up for in aggression  lemmetellya! There was a crazed look in her eye. I wanted the sprouts. She wanted the sprouts. I made a dash. I had a family relying on me to buy sprouts. I get to the sprout counter or whatever you call it and my hand reached out for it. The angry oap shunts me on the way and then tries to steal the sprouts. I wasn’t having none of it! I thrust my hand towards them sprouts like my life depended on it. The pensioner’s trolley half-pinned me to the counter as she battled furiously for the last sprout. I’d like to be over dramatic here and say that I sustained actual bodily harm from this sprout conflict, but that would be a lie. So if you’d like to believe that, then do. But its not true. I grabbed that sprout stalk. I grabbed it good. Holding it like a trophy and making my way back to my own shopping trolley, I said a rather loud ‘how rude are some people’/ words to that effect and glared back at the warzone. Forget all that ‘if you love something let it go’ nonsense. If you love something, fight for it! I had sprouts. They were delicious. Nom nom nom.

 

I suddenly forget what I was originally talking about. *glances back at title*… Oh yeah. The commercialisation of Christmas. Let me share this useful tidbit of information with you. Today, I had a chocolate from my captain america advent calendar. It was shaped like a gingerbread man. Yesterday’s chocolate looked oddly like one of those ‘punching nun’ puppets and whatever I ate on the 1st could’ve been anything. Whilst I enjoy a good advent calendar choccie, it occurs to me that it is just rampant commercialism. Yes, we’re counting down to the birth of our Lord and Saviour, but what does captain america or hello kitty or cars 2 or chocolate have to do with it? Another such example is coca cola. Did you know that they were the ones that dressed jolly ol’ saint Nick in red? ‘Its just not Christmas until you see the coca cola holidays are coming advert’ but why is that? Why? (btw, I do love coke, its up there in the pantheon of immortal beverages in my mind) (not that beverages are immortal… they are inanimate.) In the UK at least, and I suspect its the same in most parts of the world, Christmas is highly commercialised. We got cards, crackers, presents, trees, turkey, 3 bird roasts, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, paper hats, coca cola, christmas pudding, VH1 christmas karaoke… But we miss the point entirely. All those things are nice and lovely and tasty, but they are not what christmas is about. I’m not saying that they are wrong, i’m just saying that they are not the ‘fundamentals of Christmas’ that we have been brainwashed into thinking they are. You can’t have Christmas without its reason – Christ.

You might be thinking ‘This guy! He just did a funny quip about sprouts, rambled on about commercialism and now theres sommat about Jesus. Whats with all the commotion?’ Let me explain it to you. You see, theres this thing that happened a long long time ago. It was called creation. No bangs or anything, just God. God was all like ‘let there be light’ and stuff and in 6 days He made the universe and everything. On the 7th day He rested. In this creation period, man and woman were created. They knew their maker. Adam even walked in the cool of the day with God. Adam and Eve had the chance to have a perfect relationship with God. They also had the gift of free will. They disobeyed God, who had made them and given them everything they needed for free. Then they did some bad stuff. Murderers, adulterers and thieves appear. At one point, the earth is so sinful that God floods the world, saving only a handful of people to restart the human race. But God has promised never to flood the earth like that again. Over time, people turned their back on the God who created them, who gave them everything they’d ever need and who loved them. God gave them chances to repent and come back to Him – God provided methods of getting a good relationship with Him back. Some people came back to Him. Others chose to live for the world and drifted away from His arms of love. Lets fast forward some years. God raises up kings on earth. He sends judges to the people. He raises up prophets who spread the word of God. Some people accept these things; others turn away. God reaches out to help people from being slaves to the world. God reaches out to have a relationship with those He created. God offers an alternate way to live. People harden their hearts. It looks like it could be the end. Theres a period of heavenly silence. But wait, whats this? Prophecies of a saviour? God born in human form? A saviour who would get rid of the sacrificial system of repentance to God by being the ultimate sacrifice? A saviour is coming to take away the sins of the earth. We never have to be apart from God again! The saviour will make it easy to be in relationship with God. He will pay the price for all our shortcomings. He will make things right. Years pass… And then it happens! Roughly 2011 years ago. Jesus is born in a stable. Even from birth on the earth, the world tried to reject Him – there wasn’t even a proper place for Him to be born. Jesus grows up. He gets baptised. He goes into the wilderness and suffers temptations. And then He returns and gathers His disciples. He teaches them things whilst performing many miracles and proclaiming the kingdom of His father in heaven. But still, some people don’t accept it. And so, as prophesied, they plot to kill Him. 30 coins to crucify the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. They torture Him. They beat Him beyond recognition. They mock Him and nail Him to a cross. He suffers torture in the physical and torture in the spiritual. The sins of the world past present and future are nailed to Him at that point. The sky goes black. The devil thinks hes won. A final gasp! It is finished. The cross is pulled down and Jesus is put in a guarded tomb. But the prophecies haven’t been fully fulfilled yet. 3 days later, He raises from the dead. He overcomes death and has paid the ultimate price for everyone. Nothing separates us from God now. Nothing. We can ALWAYS turn to Him. Jesus is risen. Some people don’t believe it but He appears to people. He talks to His disciples and gives them (and us) the great commission. Then He ascends into heaven. A little bit later, the Holy Spirit is sent to earth and thats when things get doubly awesome. Suddenly, we can have the power of God running through us! In His name we can do miracles. Fast forward to now. You have a choice to make. You’ve just read a very brief summary of the bible (excl. revelation). Jesus came to earth and conquered death for YOU. Jesus loves you. Always has, always will. He reaches out to you. What will your response be?

Luke 2

New International Version (NIV)

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c]25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

New International Version (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

So lets put the Christ back in Christ-mas. Its not about commercialism; its about a God who loves you so much that He gave Himself for you, so that in Him you might have life to the full. Santa isnt real but Jesus is, and He wants to know you personally. 

Another thought of the evening

So, ive just noticed the time! Aaaaahhhh! I need to blog! So here goes.

Advent Calendar started today. It’s a captain America one. 24 and counting! I’m thankful to God for the chocolate. I’m even more thankful for the event I’m counting down to – the fact that Jesus came to earth for all of us.

This evening I saw a really cute kitten. It looked at me with its adorably massive green eyes. I love cats. Thank you God for cats. Thank you God for my cat!

Tonight I went to a CU pub quiz. Our team lost by 1 point. Apparently, Japan has tea ceremonies. It sounds intriguing. I had a great night – it was great to hang out with Christian friends and meet some new people. Thank you God for this!

I got to the car and checked the temperature. It went down to 2 degrees. I could feel the icy winds blow through the sleeves of my new holiday sweater. I think I’ll dress in layers tomorrow. Maybe I’ll don a hat. A fedora. Winter is certainly here.

24 and counting.

Sleep grows near to me. I must rest my weary eyes.

thank you God for today. Thank you for my family and friends. Thank you for the day You blessed me with. Thank you that You are always there with me.

A great Co[mission]

Today I was looking at the bible app on my phone. (I felt that today I should attempt a real proper blog post as i’ve copped out the past few days- i’ve been really tired and still am!) From time to time, I find a piece of scripture and virtually highlight it for future reading. Today, I scrolled through these bookmarks and came across the great commission.

Whats the great commission you say? Well, why not read for yourself:

Matthew 28

New International Version (NIV)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

So, basically, the great commission is the mission in life for christians; wherever you go, tell them about Jesus’ love and point them towards salvation. Teach them what Jesus taught (and still teaches) us! And the final verse is particularly lovely. Lets write it like a script in a movie, or something:

(ELEVEN DISCIPLES STOOD ON MOUNTAIN. SOME WORSHIP. SOME ARE DOUBTFUL. JESUS IS WITH THEM AND STARTS TO TALK TO THEM)

JESUS: ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.

(PAUSE FOR EFFECT)

JESUS: AND SURELY, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE!

END OF CHAPTER.

 

I think that this is wonderful. Jesus tells us exactly what needs doing. And even though its a scary prospect, He assures us that we do not do it alone – He is with us. ALWAYS. Even to the very end of the age! SIGN ME UP FOR SOMMA THAT! Oh wait, already did!

………

However, this is not the version of the great commission that I had bookmarked. No no no!

The plot thickens! Dun Dun DUUUUUUUUUUN!

Mark 16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;they will speak in new tongues;¹⁸ they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands onsick people, and they will get well.”

¹⁹ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heavenand he sat at the right hand of God.²⁰ Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signsthat accompanied it.

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

This version of the great commission is slightly different. It is more subjective fact based than the account in Matthew. We get the mission. Then we get the recipe for salvation:

RECIPE FOR SALVATION

1X belief in Jesus

1X repentance

1X baptism

Mix well. Enjoy.

(enjoy salvation responsibly. hahaha y’know, like the small print on those tv adverts? no? never mind then.)

After this, we get the signs of people who do believe in Jesus. AND HERE IS THE SCOOP! If you’re a christian too, then this stuff applies to us! Jesus says that in His name we will drive out demons! We will speak in new tongues! We will heal people with the laying on of hands! But my personal favourite is this: they will pick up snakes with their bare hands and when they drink deadly poison and it will not hurt them!

OH MY WORD THATS SUPER-AWESOME! KA-POW!

And then, after saying this, Jesus ascends to heaven. The disciples wait for the Holy Spirit.

Lets write this one out like a move script too!

(ELEVEN DISCIPLES EATING. SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN REBUKED BY JESUS FOR LACK OF FAITH.)

JESUS: GO INTO THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL CREATION. WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTISED WILL BE SAVED, BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED.

(PAUSE FOR EFFECT)

JESUS: AND THESE SIGNS WILL ACCOMPANY THOSE WHO BELIEVE: IN MY NAME THEY WILL DRIVE OUT DEMONS; THEY WILL SPEAK IN NEW TONGUES; THEY WILL PICK UP SNAKES WITH THEIR HANDS; AND WHEN THEY DRINK DEADLY POISON, IT WILL NOT HURT THEM AT ALL; THEY WILL PLACE THEIR HABDS ON SICK PEOPLE, AND THEY WILL GET WELL.

(ATMOSPHERE BUILDS SIGNIFICANTLY. ITS A SHIVER-DOWN-THE-SPINE MOMENT)

(JESUS ASCENDS TO HEAVEN.)

(THE DISCIPLES GET TO WORK PREACHING EVERYWHERE, AND AS PROMISED, GOD IS WITH THEM THE WHOLE TIME.)

END OF CHAPTER.

So yeah, that was the great commission. Wait, no. What am I saying???? IT STILL IS the great commission. It still applies today. As a christian, it is my duty to spread the gospel to people and to share God’s unfathomable love. Through Jesus, I have the capacity to perform miracles. And even when I get scared, its ok. Y’know why? Because Jesus is with me. And God is with me. And the Holy Spirit is with me. WOOOP!