Treasured

This is a blog I had to write as part of my Youth President interview day. Thought I’d share J

This week I was visiting my Grandparents. My Grandma is learning to use the computer so she can do things like shopping and checking her bank balance on line, in preparation for the upcoming winter.

　

She's learnt to do emails, and is so sweet as she types slowly with one finger.

　

Jerkily moving the mouse around the screen, looking for the 'little picture that looks like a printer', so she can show my Grandpa the email.

　

Words and phrases like 'cut copy paste' 'scroll' 'Word' and 'icon' mean nothing to her.

　

She writes every step of the process down, from pressing to on button to closing the laptop lid, with little pictures in a special notebook so she can remember what to do.

　

I stood behind her watching over her shoulder, itching to lean over and complete the task of printing the email in 3 seconds flat.

　

Yet so proud to see her tackling the huge

and mysterious world of technology.

So far out of her comfort zone.

Patience. Humility. Courage.

　

A 3 line email from my Grandma treasured above the longest most well formatted document from anyone else.

　

God stands behind you and watches over your shoulder

As you bite your tongue when hurt and think to yourself 'what would Jesus do?'

As you step up into a role that is more than you’ve ever managed before

As you act on that still small voice whispering in your ear

As you give more than you can easily afford

As you speak out against injustice

　

Every time you step out of your comfort zone

Your

Patience

Humility

Courage

Are treasured.

　

Exodus 19.4

If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations on the earth you will be my treasured possession.

　

God is overjoyed in our obedience when we try

Graceful in love when we fail

And filled with pride when we succeed.

　

　

What is God asking you to do that is outside of your comfort zone?

Einstein

Hi!

On the last day of our Beach Hut adventure I read Luke 13:13-34 which you can have a quick read of here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24%3A13-34&version=NLT 

The 2 people walk with Jesus from Jerusalem to Emmaus, settle down for dinner, and when they finally realise who Jesus is, they jump up and walk all the way back to Jerusalem to tell their friends!

What struck me in this was their sense of excitement. They could have waiting until morning to go back to Jerusalem, seeing as they'd just got to Emmaus from Jerusalem! Had a nap, a cup of tea, then gone! But it's like the excitement and adrenelin within them was just bubbling up and they couldn't NOT go - I imagine them skipping, running and jumping all the way back those 7 miles!


When you discover something exciting, you want to tell people about it! When I buy a new item of clothing that I love (especially if it's a bargain!) I want to tell everyone I see about it! I find it so hard not to tell everyone all about my wedding dress! There's that famous (reputed) story of a scientist guy discovering something clever and scientific in the bath and being so excited that he lept out and ran down the street naked! My friend Sophie has recently discovered a new cafe that she loves, and she's telling everyone about it! Good news begs to be shared.


My friend Pete tells a story of an artist who was commissioned to paint a picture of God's salvation. He created an amazing painting of a man clinging to a rock in the sea in the middle of the storm. On the day the painting was to be unveiled, he suddenly said it was wrong and he had to change it. A while later when the painting was revealed, the man was still there, clinging to the rock, but reaching out with his other arm to the people in the water. We have our salvation. We have our foundation. We have our hope. He is good news. And it needs to be shared!

Clothes are good. Scientific discoveries are good. Nice cafes are good.
How much more good is the love of the living God than all of those things?!
Are you sharing the news?

A blank page

I've continued thinking about Judas, and prophecy. Prophecy in the bible is sometimes something that WILL happen, or sometimes a warning of what COULD happen if the people continue to act in the way they do. In the Old Testament when the Jewish people are slipping into the sinful cultures of the people around them who worshipped other Gods and did awful awful things like sacrificing children, God would send them a prophet to remind them that they were his people and warn them what he would do if they continued to ignore him and hurt themselves and others.

God's priority is our relationship with him.
(I sort of wrote about this before, related to bin bags and sledging, in a note which can be found here http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150115041339158)

God does some seriously extreme things in the Old Testament to bring the people of Israel back to him.

Does God still do things like that?

I write a LOT of notes during in sermons and session, because otherwise I get distracted and daydream. Very rarely do I read my pages and pages of notes but they help me concentrate at the time. Somehow though as I was flicking to find the right page recently, something caught my eye which really fitted in.

'The new sensitivity of Judasim'

Ever wondered why the God of the Old Testament seems different from the God of the New Testament?

Here's an idea:

See it?
Just above this.
Blank page.
Nothing.
Silence.

Between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament was about 400 years.

No record of God talking for years and years and years.

After countless attempts to get through to his people with dramatic displays of his power and love, He turns to quiet.

But they weren't quiet.
During this time the Jewish people were living ... breathing ... thinking ... changing.

The Jewish people of Jesus' day were different to the Jewish people of the past.
And we today are different too!

Perhaps God doesn't bring earthquakes, or genocide, or break our legs to get us to stop rushing around and listen to him. Maybe he seems to act differently in the Old Testament because that's what made people stop their bad things and turn back to him. It worked! This is what happened: they would be all good with God. They would be tempted away by sin. God would allow a neighbouring army to take over. They would turn back to God for help. God would free them. Repeat x a million. (slight exaggeration - but it was a lot of times. God was very patient). The people forgot about God SO quickly, and only remembered him when they got desperate. But during the time of the blank page, maybe people changed. Maybe they became more aware, more thoughtful.

God used storms and plagues to get people to listen to him. Jesus didn't act like that. He ate dinner with people. He healed their sicknesses. He talked with them in the temple. He demonstrated his love and power through fishing, and farming, and sheep; things the people would understand.

Jesus and God are the same person. HE didn't changed. WE changed.
And I believe he knows you and me personally.
God in his wisdom and love speaks to us in a way we will understand.

God loves you.
He longs for you to come close to him.
He comes to you where you are, and speaks.
Are you listening?

Judas

This week I spent 4 days in a beach hut at beautiful Mudeford bay. One of the things we did whilst there was spend the first hour of each day in personal devotional / study time.  In October I was involved in running a conference for young people and many of them said the most striking thing they had learnt was the importance of making time to spend with God. It can be easy to forget this conviction!! I have re-committed to spending more personal time with God - starting now!

So over the next few days I will be blogging my thoughts from my devotional time at the beach hut, and the other guys will be doing the same. We want to 1) be transparent 2) be good role models 3) encourage, challenge and learn together. Hope you enjoy!

Judas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S78_nVXzHds
http://www.footballfancast.com/2010/04/football-blogs/draft-judas-top-10-traitors
Owen Coyles is not a popular man in Burnley after leaving to join rivals Bolton. In the video clip, as he walks out at Turf Moor for a Burnley v Bolton match you can hear crowds chants of 'Judas'. The webpage is a list of the top 10 players who have left their teams, including Sol Campbell who is apparently 'the man simply known as ‘Judas’ among Spurs fans'.

Judas.
A name that has become synonymous with betrayal.

Matthew 26 - 27: 10 The plot to kill Jesus >  Judas hanging himself
Judas betrayed Jesus.
Jesus knew this was going to happen (v21-25)
Jesus choose Judas as his disciple knowing that would happen.
Knowing that he was giving Judas the opportunity to betray him.
A betrayal that would lead to his death.
And Judas' death.
Why?

Why did the elders and priests need Judas to show them which one Jesus was, when he 'sat with them every day in the temple' (26:55)?

Why didn't Jesus try to stop Judas from betraying him, knowing what that would eventually lead to not only for himself but for Judas too?

Did Jesus know what was going to happen before it happened? Did Judas have a choice? Matthew 26:24 says he would have been better unborn - but if he hadn't been born he wouldn't have betrayed Jesus and then would the prophesies have been fulfilled? Paradox!!!!
Is free will free will if God knows what we will do?

Continuing to think about these questions which arose in my mind. I'm challenged to question and investigate things more rather than accept what I hear or have picked up unconsciously. I was amazed when I closely read over the crucifixion and resurrection story how many questions came up! I have definitely found that questioning my faith and beliefs leads to a deepening of my faith and a greater closeness to God. Recognise your questions - let them grow - take them to the Father - listen - learn.

The thing that strikes me now as I finish is not any of those questions, but this one:
Judas is synonymous with betrayal. Thomas is synonymous with doubting.
What is your name synonymous with?

Sledging on binbags

There's trouble for all when there's trouble for one

Last year for my colleague Peter's birthday Jenny, Mary and I concocted a cunning plan: we told him we were going to do an assembly - planned and practised it - then actually went to London for the day! Took about an hour driving up the motorway for him to figure it out!

The moment when Peter realised the truth! -->

We spent the day hanging round London and then went to see Les Miserables in the evening. Such a good day!

I love Les Miserables. I love how it shows the redemptive power of God. My Dad advised me not to watch it - 'it's really depressing. Everyone dies!'. I just love it though - hope, dreams, love, passion, forgiveness, self sacrifice.

There's an interesting line in 'At The End Of Day'. The workers are ganging up on one of the characters, Fantine, to get her kicked out. She has a secret child, and they're saying that she is immoral.
They sing:

At the end of the day
She'll be nothing but trouble
And there's trouble for all
When there's trouble for one!

Joshua 'followed the Lord wholeheartedly', and yet he wandered the wilderness for 40 years because of the actions of the community he was part of.
The people on the boat with Jonah weren't trying to avoid God like he was, but they would still be in the boat if it went down.

Is trouble for one trouble for all?
Are the consequences of sin ever individual?
Who do my mistakes affect, and to what extent?

Is the opposite true too - there's blessings for all when there's blessings for one?

'Halakhah' is the word for the collection of Jewish laws. There are 613 mitzvot - biblical laws - and I've heard that it was physically impossible for any one person to fulfil all of these laws. It was only possible as a community.

Man was not made to be alone.

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God, remind me of the responsibility my life carries. I'm glad you are into community. Help me to be into it too.

Jesus is not saving us from God

Today I was thinking a bit about hell (cheery!) as the Rob Bell book drama came to my attention.

Rob Bell said that we've got this idea that Jesus is rescuing us from God.

Hebrews 7:25 He lives forever to plead with God on our behalf

Does God like us? Does he want us to be saved? I know it's a yes - but why do I know that? Is it one of those things I've heard so many times I think it's in the bible but actually it's not?!

1 Timothy 2:2-4 Pray for all people. This is good and pleases God our father, who wants all people to be saved and know the truth.
'wants' translates as Θέλω or 'thelo' in Greek, meaning:
1) to will, have in mind, intend
-> to be resolved or determined, to purpose
-> to desire, to wish
-> to love
-> to take delight in, have pleasure

Apparently it's a 'present active indicative' word.
"The indicative mood is a simple statement of fact. It is an action that has occurred or is occurring or will occur."

I found various occasions where it has been translated as 'wants' (e.g. Matthew 27:43, 1 Sam 8:19) and various occasions where it has been translated as 'will' (e.g. Romans 9:15, Matthew 9:13, Micah 7:19).

- Is what God wants the same as what will be?
- Sometimes things are different to the way God wants them
- I don't know if God fully controls earth (because he's given us free will) but does he fully control eternity?

I don't understand all this but I know God's heart ... His love for me ... His love for people.

The aim of my life is to get to know Him and his heart more and more.