Florida Day Two

Hey everyone!

So yesterday I logged out before we went out for food with Caitlin's Grandad, his wife and his wife's grand-daughter, We went to this small diner that's local. It was a lot like a place you would find in Britain, the staff were really friendly and the food was good!

We hung out with them watching American Football afterwards but I eventually went to bed early as I was still recovering from the flight and tiredness.

I woke up strangely early this morning but used the time to read and relax a little and today has been a lovely, relaxing day so far :) We didn't do much in the morning but we swam for a couple of hours in the pool in Caitlin's house. It was so beautiful out, to my standards anyway. Caitlin's brother Ian thought we were crazy to swim in 'these conditions'. It is still well over 20 degrees at least!! Probably nearer 30!

We are about go out and explore the local town before going out for food again tonight :) Disney tomorrow!!

Hope everything is great back home :) feel free to ask questions or make comments about the blog or about what you have been up too! I am interested!

Love you all!

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

Florida Day One

I'm here safe & sound and boy is it good to be here in Lake Placid! It is so hot & warm, it is better than any summer's day I have ever had in Britain! The air conditioning keeps it nice and cool too :-)

The flight was better than I thought, 10 hrs 40 mins scheduled time became 10 hrs and I managed to keep myself occupied for most of the flight although I didn't sleep!

Almost as soon as I stepped off the plane in Miami I knew where I was as out of the window there were exciting big city skyscrapers and, for a nice Floridian touch, palm trees!

My flight to Orlando was slightly delayed but was only half an hour. I was so so tired (5 hours sleep in three days) when I got there. However I mustered enough energy for Caitlin to take me to the Cheesecake Factory for food! 

I had almost gone there in Boston 5 years ago and I had always wanted to! It was such a lovely place to be with waterfalls outside the mall, it smelt a bit like Center Parcs inside the mall strangely. I had a burger which was very filling, the food and tiredness meant I took my cheesecake home (where I promptly had it for breakfast this morning!) as I wasn't feeling too great.

I met the family who have been very welcoming and fun, even though I haven't been quite myself until now due to my tiredness. The house is beautiful and I won't be able to resist the temptation of the swimming pool for long!

I am not sure what we are doing later but I hope to get out and explore a bit of the area :-)

Hope things are great back home, loving you and praying for you!

Psalm 136:26
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever

A-Z of Christianity -J-

JESUS! :)

I am sure you can imagine how hard it was finding a topic for 'J', especially at this time of year!

The whole Bible, even the Old Testament, is about this God-man. 100% God, 100% Man. One of the three members of the Holy Trinity of God, Spirit and Himself.

John tells us that Jesus was there at the very start:-

John 1:1-5

The Word Became Flesh. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (If you are wondering if Jesus is who John was talking about when referring to the 'Word' then read verses 14-18 of the same chapter!)

Jesus describes Himself as God or fails to correct those who told Him He was on many occassions (John 8:58 springs to mind).

Jesus was on a mission from the very second He entered earth on the original Christmas Day, He came to save us. Luke sums this up perfectly - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

Throughout the Old Testament God was faithful to a people who fell very far short of that faithfulness of themselves and at points could only be described as wicked, evil and conceited.

God, being just but loving, had only two choices. Destroy or Repair.

Today let's be thankful that Jesus came to repair and wipe us clean of all sin, taking the hit for us and enabling us to know God and be with Him when our time on earth has passed.

John puts it famously - For 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)

Max Lucado wonderfully summaries this with:-

GOD LOVED

GOD GAVE

WE BELIEVE

WE LIVE

Merry Christmas everyone :) x





A Child is Born!

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Today myself, my sister and one of the young ladies from Talbot Green went to Pontypridd to deliver leaflets telling people what Christmas is really about.

These leaflets are called tracts and the ones we had were like booklets and had information relating to each letter of Jesus' Name. I often find tracts quite overwhelming and feel a powerful, true message is a better said without it being in people's faces. I think the key to bringing people to Jesus is first meeting them at their level (no better demonstrated than by Jesus Himself).

It is pretty scary doing this as you don't know what reaction you will get. In some countries you would pay with your life and I'm glad Britain isn't that bad but you read horrible stuff in the News everyday and that tends to be the thing that comes to mind.

When we got to Pontypridd, it was raining and cold and didn't look good.

The answer to both these problems is to give it to God and watch God's Will be done. As it turns off the quite heavy rain stopped for 40 mins and no incident of any note whatsoever happened, we didn't even get any rude comments!

As if to show it was Him, the rain started again as soon as we reached my car!

What I really enjoyed about doing this in Pontypridd today, and in Talbot Green two weeks ago, is the feeling that this is what Christmas is truly about. Christmas was when God came down to show us that He loved us. He was living in utter perfection in Heaven. He didn't need to come down! But He wanted too. Not only that, He went and paid the price for every stupid and hurtful thing we have ever done as well.

Tomorrow I will recieve a lot of wonderful gifts (and on Boxing Day, too!! :D) but the gift I will be most thankful for is the gift that God gave us in Jesus, the Salvation of our lives forever.

Christmas is about telling others this Good News, imagine the Shepherds, the Kings and everyone who saw that star or Baby Jesus telling everyone!

Maybe one or two or four hundred others are in the same place tomorrow as a result of today and two weeks ago :D

A to Z of Christianity : 'I'

ISAIAH

When I think of the Christmas story and the Bible the obvious thought is to the two Gospels that speaks of the virgin Mary miraculously giving birth to the Son of God. 

My other thought tends to turn towards the book of Isaiah. Isaiah son of Amoz lived around 700 years before Jesus was born yet prophesised about a lot of His eventual life story.

These are some of his correct predictions:-

Virgin giving birth to a Son - Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Immanuel means God with us and Jesus was God with us).

Child born that will rule on David's throne forever, the government will be against Him. Names He is called - Isaiah 9:6-7 -  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (David and Jesus both Kings of God's People, David for a relatively short time..Jesus forever)

From family of Jesse - Isaiah 11:1 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. (Jesus is from Jesse and his son David's family tree - Matthew 1)

Gods spirit with Him - Isaiah 11:2a - The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him

Brings peace - Isaiah 11:6 - The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

Looks like other humans - Isaiah 53:2 - He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Despised, rejected and suffers - Isaiah 53:3 - He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Died for our sins - Isaiah 53:4-6 - Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But 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.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

God's Will to send His Son so we can be forgiven - 
Isaiah 53:10-12 - Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah didn't take a lucky punt, he got everything right and when that happens on this scale and is this specific...who know something Amazing is behind it :)

Isaiah has form, in Isaiah 40 he declares the Earth is a sphere (word 'circle' means in the original language) 2000 years before Columbus!

This Christmas let's be thankful that God had a plan to save us that still stands today. If we haven't done anything about it, why not this Christmas?

Jesus wasn't an accident. God with us, came for us.

Testimony from a major Scientist.

This is a great testimony I found on a favourite website of mine today of a former Atheist Scientist who has come to believe in Intelligent Design and a Creator God, Professor Frantisek Vyskocil of Charles University in Prague, a worldwide renowned scientist in nuerophysiology. Many wrongly believe that faith and science are not compatible. This proves them wrong.

During his school years, he harbored few doubts about evolutionary theory as a logical explanation of life’s origin and development. At that time, he believed that the universe and all life could be explained by natural laws acting on matter. He was outraged by atrocities committed in the name of religion and considered God to be a human invention and religious activities to be wish-fulfillment with only cultural and historical value. When he was an evolutionist Dr. Vyskočil occasionally wondered why many highly educated people, including Dr. Karel Wenig, Head of Charles University Department of Physiology, believed in God—albeit quietly due to the repression by the Communist regime. Vyskočil’s doubts about evolution began during the time that he was studying neuron synapses:

I was deeply impressed by the amazing complexity of these supposedly simple connections between nerve cells. ‘How,’ I wondered, ‘could synapses and the genetic programs underlying them be products of mere blind chance?’ It really made no sense (Vyskočil 2011).

His doubts about the evolutionary scenario were further strengthened in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) where, in the early 1970s, he listened to a lecture by the famous Russian scientist, Professor Yefim Liberman. Liberman concluded that mutations and selection cannot account for the evolution of new species. One idea discussed at the lecture was the theory that so-called retrovirus RNA occasionally invaded a cell’s DNA transcript, altering the cell genome and furthering evolution. After the talk someone from the Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry asked “then where did these viruses come from?” Professor Liberman took out a Bible and said, “Read the Bible, the creation story in Genesis in particular.” Later, in the Institute lobby, Dr. Vyskočil asked him how serious he was about creationism. He answered

Simple bacteria can divide each 20 minutes and have some 2000 different proteins each containing 20 types of amino acids arranged in chains of say 200 amino acids. To be evolved via beneficial variants by single nucleotide mutations it should take, not 3 x 10⁹ years (the expected time life existed on Earth) but some 10⁵⁰ years. There is simply not enough time (Vyskočil 2011).

Scientists now know that unrepaired single nucleotide mutations (STMs) are far too rare to serve as a major mechanism for evolution and most are deleterious or near neutral anyway. Dr. Liberman added that DNA is often composed of repetitious sequences in the form of short tandem repeats that mutate a million to 10 million times faster than STMs. Even in this case, most mutations could not play a significant role in evolution because they are chaotic and dangerous, and usually effectively eliminated by the DNA bodyguards—self-repairing mechanisms. The cell’s many proofreading systems catch most all errors, even double stranded DNA breaks. Otherwise, we would probably soon be extinct or, at the very least, would be surrounded by monsters due to the unpredictable nature of such genetic damage.

Liberman concluded that the Bible’s explanation in Genesis made much more sense. This professor’s comments caused Vyskočil to discuss the subject with several colleagues and friends. Vyskočil eventually concluded that “the Bible, though not a science book, actually harmonized with true science.”

One of Vyskočil’s discoveries, made in parallel and independently of Nobel Prize winner B. Katz in 1977, concerned neurotransmitter releases at the neurosynapse. The chemicals stored in the tiny vesicles inside the nerve ending are released like bubbles sparkling from a soda’s surface. Instantaneous multiple release of neurotransmitters during the nerve impulse can activate the next nerve or muscle cell, thus transmitting a signal forward. His research found that, besides this fast release, slow leakage occurs that regulates the development of synapses. After birth the slow release acts like a local hormone to keep mature synapses fit for their nerve transmission functions.

From studying the synapse, Vyskočil was impressed by the complexity of this supposedly simple connection between two nerve cells. He learned the tiny pair of adjacent pre- and postsynaptic membranes are not like two water bags with holes for quanta and leaky patches for non-quantal release as previously assumed. Tremendous complexity and orchestration of sets of activity exist, starting from the synthesis of a transmitter like acetylcholine, which is pumped into the vesicles. Also involved is vesicle priming and docking, electrical opening of calcium channels by nerve spikes, fusion of the vesicle and nerve membranes, ejection of the transmitter, and the transmitter binding to a receptor, causing ionic channel opening and new spike induction.

Despite a century of research on the morphology and function of the synapse, a complete list of all synapse proteins still does not exist. The number of proteins needed to form the synapse structure and function so far exceeds 1,000, which was far more than anyone expected (Grant 2006). Even if so-called co-evolution caused by mutations and selection of thousands of variants caused by these mutations could occur as evolutionists claim, Vyskočil concluded it was inconceivable that the synapse system could have appeared during the 3x10⁹ years of the supposed evolution of the genome.

Credit: Answers in Genesis

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/aid/v6/n1/frantisek-vyskocil

Vyskočil realized that if he searched for an alternative to his generally unsatisfactory materialistic view of universe and life, he needed to obtain more information about the alternatives. He found there was only one possibility—a supernatural Creator—and realized we cannot measure the supernatural by available scientific instruments. He added

I quickly discarded polytheism, animism, Buddhism, Hinduism and different kinds of spiritualism. In addition I was not ready to accept Allah on the basis of my reading the Quran that appeared in Czech in early 70’s. And what about the Lord of Christendom or the Jewish Adonai? I discussed with several colleagues and friends their faith and religion. One of them was a Roman Catholic physical chemist and another one was a member of local Brethren Church and still another was the son of a Czechoslovak Church bishop (Vyskočil 2011).

He concluded that their faith was based on family or local tradition with little knowledge of the faith source, the Bible. Conversely

quite exceptional was my discussion with a young talented pharmacologist, the son of the former Minister of Education who was known in Academy as a “boy with a Bible.” He guided me and my wife patiently though basic biblical teachings for three years, showed us . . . a method to find unbiblical principles and personally how to “fit best” with God’s demands [1 John 5:3]. We were surprised by . . . the fact that the Bible does not . . . contradict any of the main discoveries made by the natural sciences (Vyskočil 2011).

When asked “Has your change of view hindered your scientific research?” he answered:

Not at all. Every good scientist, regardless of his beliefs, must be as objective as possible. But my faith has changed me. For one thing, instead of being overly self-confident, highly competitive, and unduly proud of my scientific skills, I am now grateful to God for any abilities I may have. Also, instead of unfairly attributing the amazing designs manifest in creation to blind chance, I and not a few other scientists ask ourselves, ‘How did God design this?’ I am grateful for the opportunity to take a very small look inside these tiny miraculous creations, living cells and organs. Instead of exalting an anonymous mother nature I understand the universe, life and mankind as the product of the creative activity of God. Of course, I am aware that He has used and is still using the laws of physics and chemistry . . . and these laws we can study and understand to great extent (Vyskočil 2011).

When asked “How he views the evident similarity among physiological and biochemical systems in such different animals as worms and humans?” he answered from fossils

it is claimed particular species of plants and animals lived for [evolutionists claim] maybe millions of years without any evolutionary changes. This is called punctuated or “frozen” evolution. These species were often extinct and substituted by more or less different species. It is a fact, that some biochemical, cellular and evident morphological similarities can be traced throughout paleontological periods and also nowadays there are identical genes operating in worms, mice and man. This enables laboratory and preclinical tests of many useful medical drugs on laboratory animals or, more humane tests on tissue cultures where cell populations live comfortably in Petri dishes (Vyskočil 2011).

He added that evolutionists incorrectly believe that similarity and progressive complexity of hundreds of biochemical, physiological and morphological systems are proof of evolution. Evolution is driven—according to neo-Darwinism—by variability, gene mutations and natural selection of the most capable offspring, and evolutionists

try to persuade themselves and the public that every gene and resulting protein, every enzyme and metabolic cascade appeared without any “pre-written” program. That they were refined into relative perfection just by the interaction of a variable population with its changed environment and in competition with organisms that are either food or predators for them (Vyskočil 2011).

He added that it is true that many basic life processes “are almost identical in simple ‘low’ and complex ‘high’ multi-cellular organisms. These include photosynthesis in all green plants (in unicellular algae) or oxygen transport and consumption in almost all animals and plants.” This fact does not document evolution but rather the

existence of such general processes and similarities are actually proof of an Intelligent Designer. Engineers can use successful and well-tried details in their new models whereas unneeded parts are either discarded, or they are left in the new model for further application. We have many genes in our cell nuclei that never form any proteins in our bodies. . . . Engineers also realize that sometimes it is more efficient to construct similar, but not identical, parts in parallel in different models (Vyskočil 2011).

An example is the rotator proton pump in the mitochondrial membrane that is used by the Creator in the flagella in microorganisms to allow them to move around, just as the four round wheels of an antique Ford Model T are still used in Formula One racing cars. Similarity, in apes and humans and living systems across groups of animals (e.g., hemoglobin in worms and mammals) and plants is proof that the Creator used similar principles. Every living system requires energy, depends on the photosynthetic synthesis of sugar, and uses this accumulated energy for building and maintaining their bodies in similar ways. Therefore, it is clear why “one mind designing a universe would almost surely have employed one set of basic principles to govern related phenomena” (Kline 1982, p. 52).

A to Z of Christianity : 'H'

HEROD

The famous story goes of the women who, when hearing about special Christian Christmas stamps, stated that Christians try and get in on everything!

There have always been people who have tried to strip Christmas of it's true meaning and cause. From the supporters of calling it 'Happy Holidays' even right back to the first Christmas.

Judea was ruled by the Romans and their client king was the evil Herod the Great, a man whose greatness is rather muted by the fact he was a mass murderer who even murdered his own family.

On hearing that a 'King of the Jews' was to be born, Herod attempted to nip what he saw as a threat to himself in the bud by ordering the execution of all boys under the age of two - The Massacre of the Innocents.

Today we have organisations who try and make it as if they are acting for those who don't believe in Christmas when they really appear to be acting against those who do. Does the word Christmas actually harm anyone? Does anyone actually have an issue apart from insecure Atheists worried that their militant campaigns against faith are failing with the amount of Christians holding steady, improving even against levels before.

Don't let anyone or anything stop you celebrating the Reason for the Season this Christmas! JESUS :)

A-Z of Christianity 'G'

Being Christmas, it is the time of year where the Christmas tunes come out. I am a big fan of Christmas music and to much people's disdain could listen to it at anytime of the year. Whilst playing on the Xbox with my brother the other day we had some music shuffling on iTunes and my brother gave me a massive look when Cliff Richard's 'Mistletoe and Wine' came on.

I quite like the song although it isn't my favourite ever Christmas song ('Merry Christmas Everybody' by Slade) but contains the following lyrics:-

Its a time for giving, a time for getting,
A time for forgiving and for forgetting.
Christmas is love, Christmas is peace,
A time for hating and fighting to cease.

This is what Christmas is all about and also the main message of Christianity - God's GRACE!

Our relationships with God are strained because of sin. Imagine the problems adultery gives a married couple then times them by a trillion (because we have sinned an awful lot!) and you have the issue between us and God. Our sin keeps us apart from God and from knowing Him. God has every right to punish us but decided to give us a chance, and that chance was Christ.

The coming of Christ was the beginning of God's GIFT to us unfolding in Salvation from the weight of our sin by Jesus taking the punishment for us. Dying through crucifixion was not fun, it was probably the most painful death ever invented and Jesus knew that as He carried his cross, carried it for us.

Unlike the trust and forgiveness issues a married couple would naturally have in adultery situations, when we ask for forgiveness God is so mighty, loving and Graceful and Christ's sacrifice is so great that we are forgiven straight away.

By the time I was 17 I was losing my passion and excitement for Christmas but coming to know God and thus coming to know the wonderful meaning and incredible news behind it means I will never come close to losing it again! I simply love Christmas, it is wonderful to give and receive gifts, to share fun and memories with close ones and to eat lots of food. But none of that means anything to me without knowing that Christ gave His life in the most horrible way so that I, that we, could be clean before God and know Him once again.

So this Christmas remember how God gave, how God forgives, how God loved and how God decided to end the war between us and sin. Listen to a bit of Cliff if it helps!!

Proof that God exists? Part Three

The basic operations of arithmetic are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Laws of mathematics then, are basically descriptions of what happens within these operations (and more complex ones as well) . For example, with the law of addition we know that if you take 4 things and add them to 3 things, you end up with 7 things.

If you believe that laws of mathematics do not exist, what would you do in the following scenario? Let's say that you walked into a bank and asked for change for a $100 bill. If the teller handed you only 2 $5 bills would you be satisfied with his or her personal interpretation of mathematics or would you appeal to a universal law of mathematics to show that he/she was wrong? I suspect the latter.

You see, you deny that laws of mathematics exist, yet you use them all the time.

How can these laws be explained without a logical being to create them?

Credit: www.proofthatgodexists.org

I posted this last year...

but it is so good I'm posting it again!

It’s Christmas night. The house is quiet. Even the crackle is gone from the fireplace. Warm coals issue a lighthouse glow in the darkened den. Stockings hang empty on the mantle. The tree stands naked in the corner. Christmas cards, tinsel, and memories remind Christmas night of Christmas day.


It’s Christmas night. What a day it has been! Spiced tea. Santa Claus. Cranberry sauce. “Thank you, so much.” “You shouldn’t have!” “Grandma is on the phone.” Knee-deep wrapping paper. “It just fits.” Flashing cameras. It’s Christmas night. The girls are in bed. Jenna dreams of her talking Big Bird and clutches her new purse. Andrea sleeps in her new Santa pajamas.


It’s Christmas night. The tree that only yesterday grew from soil made of gifts, again grows from the Christmas tree stand. Presents are now possessions. Wrapping paper is bagged and in the dumpsite. The dishes are washed and leftover turkey awaits next week’s sandwiches.


It’s Christmas night. The last of the carolers appeared on the ten o’clock news. The last of the apple pie was eaten by my brother-in-law. And the last of the Christmas albums have been stored away having dutifully performed their annual rendition of chestnuts, white Christmases, and red-nosed reindeer.


It’s Christmas night. The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep, but I’m awake. I’m kept awake by one stunning thought. The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed. The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stop watches and weapons. We stepped off our racetracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.


It’s the season to be jolly because, more than at any other time, we think of him. More than in any other season, his name is on our lips. And the result? For a few precious hours our heavenly yearnings intermesh and we become a chorus. A ragtag chorus of longshoremen, Boston lawyers, illegal immigrants, housewives, and a thousand other peculiar persons who are banking that Bethlehem’s mystery is in reality, a reality. “Come and behold him” we sing, stirring even the sleepiest of shepherds and pointing them toward the Christ-child.
For a few precious hours, he is beheld. Christ the Lord. Those who pass the year without seeing him, suddenly see him. People who have been accustomed to using his name in vain, pause to use it in praise. Eyes, now free of the blinders of self, marvel at his majesty. All of a sudden he’s everywhere. In the grin of the policeman as he drives his paddy wagon full of presents to the orphanage.
In the twinkle in the eyes of the Taiwanese waiter as he tells of his upcoming Christmas trip to see his children. In the emotion of the father who is too thankful to finish the dinner table prayer. He’s in the tears of the mother as she welcomes home her son from overseas. He’s in the heart of the man who spent Christmas morning on skid row giving away cold baloney sandwiches and warm wishes. And he’s in the solemn silence of the crowd of shopping mall shoppers as the elementary school chorus sings “Away in a Manger.” Emmanuel. He is with us. God came near.


It’s Christmas night. In a few hours the cleanup will begin — lights will come down, trees will be thrown out. Size 36 will be exchanged for size 40, eggnog will be on sale for half-price. Soon life will be normal again. December’s generosity will become January’s payments and the magic will begin to fade. But for the moment, the magic is still in the air. Maybe that’s why I’m still awake. I want to savor the spirit just a bit more. I want to pray that those who beheld him today will look for him next August. And I can’t help but linger on one fanciful thought: if he can do so much with such timid prayers lamely offered in December, how much more could he do if we thought of him every day?


Max Lucado

What Christmas is really about!

Christmas might be at the end of the year when the nights are dark, the X Factor winner is announced, there are parties for this, that and everything under the sun. Christmas actually celebrates a beginning as well as an end.

The first Christmas was the fulfilment of a promise made to Israel by God that a Messiah would come to save them.

But it was also the beginning of a perfect life of healing, wisdom, love and ultimate self sacrifice.

Christmas - A Saviour has come!

Easter - 'It is Finished'

Let us not forget that this Christmas!

When the Waves come in...

I am very happy to announce that my exams for 2011 are now complete! 


They went well and I feel the two months hard revision was worth it :)


As you can imagine, having become a bit of a social recluse over the last two months it is a big relief to be able to go out with friends and have free time again with no feeling of obligation to revise or guilt if I don't or am unable to do as much as I think was possible.


What has surprised me though is the feelings of relief and freedom have shown me how stressed I actually have been the last month or so. It scares me a little bit that, without realising, my attitude has been impaired by the weight of determination to do well and pressure to succeed that was on me. I am already praying that God would help me handle it better next time.


But what really pleased me is that I actually didn't notice the stress. It didn't overcome me and, actually, didn't even come close. It's like God lifted me up above the worst of it.


It reminded me of a Parable Jesus told:-

Matthew 7:24-29 : The Wise and Foolish Builders

 ²⁴ Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

    ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

    ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

    ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

   

 ²⁸When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

    ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

I am blessed because by giving my life to Jesus and trusting in Him my life is built upon the Rock that Jesus is in our lives. He supports us, encourages us and helps us all the way to the amazing things He has given us to do, even when we don't see it or know it.


When the waves such as exam stress comes crashing into my life, Jesus lifts me up above it and I can go on through the storm.


What is your life built on? A rock that can lift you above the biggest of storms or the sand that will take all the punishment helplessly?

Gary Speed

Gary Speed 1969-2011. RIP.

By now everyone in Britain has probably heard the sad news about the Wales Manager Gary Speed's death. Nothing makes this easier to understand or take in, I still don't quite believe it. Speed was a lovely man and was beginning to prove himself as a great manager with the Welsh National Team. My tribute to Speed is that he is the man who helped me believe in our national side again and I only hope we can complete his good work and make the Brazil 2014 World Cup and dedicate it to his memory.


Depression is considered to be the cause by many and although nobody knows what actually happened, you have to be in a pretty awful place to consider taking your life, let alone actually go through with it.


Not many people really know what depression truly is, not even myself. I can say that there have been some very miserable times in my life where I haven't been happy and really struggled to see a good future. I think all of us have been there in our lives. There appears to be a depression that goes beyond this, which is all consuming and very hard to get through. I can't say I have have ever had it that bad. As a Christian, prayer and putting my hope and mind towards Jesus has been a wonderful, incredible help in getting through my hard times. God has promised us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11), that good will come out of all our trials (Romans 8:28) and a glory revealed in us that goes far beyond our present sufferings (Romans 8:18). Best of all, He promises us Salvation and a happy, painless eternity through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9), (Revelation 21:5). Jesus makes my day everyday and these truths have helped me so much.


This can be very more easily said than done at times. I don't know if you have depression, feel my experiences above are of no help or have come through this similarly yourself but I will post some great quotes from Charles Spurgeon regarding depression which I came across today.


"Before any great achievement, some measure of depression is very usual."


"Fits of depression come over the most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy."


"I find myself frequently depressed - perhaps more so than any other person here. And I find no better cure for that depression than to trust in the Lord with all my heart, and seek to realize afresh the power of the peace-speaking blood of Jesus, and His infinite love in dying upon the cross to put away all my transgressions."


Lastly I have a wonderful verse to share. A major part of depression in my opinion is Satan's ability to lie to you and bring you down. He wants you to be down because he hates you being joyful and doing the things God wants you to do.


2 Corinthians 12 7:10

⁷ To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

    ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

    ⁹ But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

    ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

No matter what your trial, in God YOU CAN OVERCOME!

John 16:33 - I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

   

Proof that God exists? Part Two

WHERE DO THE LAWS OF LOGIC COME FROM?

An example of a law of logic is the law of non-contradiction. This law states, for instance, that it cannot both be true that my car is in the parking lot and that it is not in the parking lot at the same time, and in the same way.

If you believe that laws of logic do not exist, how do you make decisions about the most basic things in life? How do you decide which side of the road to drive on? How do you choose whether to drink water or poison for nourishment?

One interesting aspect of denying laws of logic, like the law of non-contradiction, is that since you DO NOT believe in laws of logic, you actually DO believe in laws of logic. If contradictions are allowed in your worldview then so is that one.

Where do these laws come from?

Logic can only come from a logical source. It cannot come from something illogical, that makes no sense. The only logical source that could have existed before us is God.

Credit to www.proofthatgodexists.org - Check out the rest of the argument there if you desire :-)

A-Z of Christianity 'F'

FAITH

One of those words banded about a lot in society today. There are different faiths, different faith groups. Keep the faith is uttered by leaders. What does this word mean?

The Bible says that 'faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.' (Hebrews 11:1).

Atheists like to claim that faith is 'blind'. That is a load of tripe (not unlike other things said by that group). Faith is  based on knowledge of who God is, a Loving, Faithful, Just & Righteous God and faith is therefore putting our trust in Him because we know we can trust Him. 

My question, like John Lennox's in his debate with Richard Dawkins, is how do you trust your spouse? It always has this element of blindness because we can't know for sure but we do know because of the way they have treated us in the past (God has been so good to me!) and because of their character (God is perfect).

In God, we are sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see as He can do anything and has proved time and time again by His miracles and answers to prayer.

Christianity is about faith because we cannot please God without faith. Our faith in Christ saves us through acceptance of His offer of forgiveness and Salvation.

To finish, I love this definition of faith.

Forsaking

All

I

Trust

Him

Blessings, Mike! :-)

Questions, Questions, Questions

In the Big Issue today, in the letters section, an atheist asks why faith should not be challenged?

I think faith should be challenged, personally. I believe that what I know is true and will stand up to any challenge.

But isn't it funny how many atheists believe that faith should be challenged, but when you want to challenge their beliefs (Teach Intelligent Design in schools and let students make their own choice, Evolution flaws, how do you know anything if you don't believe in God, no idea how the universe came about) they get very defensive.

They're not as much after the truth as they like to think they are.

God is like sticky glue

I have almost no bad things to say about a brisk lunchtime walk through Ponty. The fresh air, the scent, the rush of people is a different place to sitting in my office and I should do it more often!

Today I was reminiscing about recent hard times and how I managed to get through them. I think part of our human experience is to suffer tough times. Some people have it much worse than others, I see things on the News that I just couldn't imagine going through. These tough times are unwanted, yet in many cases, exactly what we need. When things go right all of the time we lose the wonderful feelings and it becomes all so normal and dull. Hard times help us appreciate the good times more.

I also believe hard times help build our characters. The Apostle Paul thought so - ^"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)

James agrees in James 1:2-4  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

There are a lot of things I can't imagine going through, and times that are so hard maybe you don't feel anything good came out of it. I can't disagree with that because I don't know until I go through something really bad, although I rather hope I don't.

What I do know is the Bible also says this...
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Let's not feel guilty or judged if our attitudes aren't up to scratch, as all of us fail in this regard most times. Let's enable God to set our hearts free by choosing to let Him take our problems and make good from them.

When reminiscing I was also reminded of how God is like sticky glue. When everything seems as if it is going to fall apart, He is still with me holding everything together. Even when things do appear to fall apart, it is because He wants to rebuild us better than before. I have been through that, too.

Through all of this God has been with me. He has been faithful, just as the Bible said He would (Hebrews 13:5 - I will never leave you nor forsake you) (Matthew 28:20b - I am with you always).

So I just want to thank God and give Him all the Glory for this, and everything else He has done in my life. There will always be trials, but there will always be God.

Proof that God exists? Part One

In this series, I will attempt to prove God's existence through the existence of universal, immaterial laws that govern the Universe we live in.

To begin I ask the question - Is there such a thing as Absolute Truth?

I find that many people question this with comments such as 'It's true to me'. If it isn't true to everyone then is it really true at all?

The answer is - there has to be!

If you believe there isn't, is it absolutely true that there isn't? This is a contradiction.

If you don't know, it it absolutely true that you don't know? This also contradicts.

So there has to be absolute truth.

Keep checking for the next few parts, or log onto www.proofthatgodexists.org to see it all now!

Blessings :-)

Turn down the Music!

I had a friend whose friend proudly declared once that his response to hearing any mechanical issues with his car was to turn the music up. Most of you will be right to decide that this is a very unwise action. If my car makes a noise it might be because I have left the lights on, if I ignored that the battery would run on my car! Other cars make noises to remind the driver that a seatbelt isn't on or he is too close to another car. It is also unwise to ignore these signs as well as signs of any mechanical issue!

I have been discovering recently that it is like that with our lives. God has a plan for us and when we are not obedient to His Plan He wants to let us know but there are many ways we can block the voice of God out. My friend of a friend was blocking the truth and so can we.

My plan recently has been to stop playing music to and from work so I can just keep my mind clear for God for an extra 30 mins a day. I also find not having a song running through my head all day also keeps my mind more clear! God greatly encouraged me in this time :) What can you do to make more time for the voice of God or just to help it become more clear?

Blessings to you all! :-)

A-Z of Christianity 'E'

The A-Z series continues with 'E' - ETERNITY

Before I used to really struggle with Heaven. The reason I used to struggle was that I just couldn't imagine it, I couldn't get my head around such a place. The Biblical account is very powerful yet likely to be mostly metaphorical with the mention of  beasts and dragons etc. Throughout Revelation it almost reads as if some final ceremony is taking place. Obviously, it sounds very other worldly.
But that was until I read Don Piper's account.

On January 18 1989 Piper was involved in a horrific collision with a lorry whilst driving home from a conference. Piper states he was crushed by the roof of his car, the steering wheel impaled his chest and the dashboard collapsed on top of his legs. When the emergency services arrived they declared Piper dead and covered him over as they waited for the medical examiner to arrive.
Piper was dead for around 90 minutes and during his time he visited Heaven, an experience explained in his New York best seller book '90 minutes in Heaven'. Piper speaks of the first people he met being the people who helped him find God in his life and obviously he was able to recognise them. He writes of gold paths that you could see your reflection in, a choir of angels and a light on a hill (which makes me excited because maybe that is where God was actually present!). This experience obviously changed his life and he felt his calling was to tell others about it.

This is my favourite description of Heaven from the Bible:-

Revelation 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The main issue most people have with the world we live in is all of the terrible things that happen. God actually created a world without those things but, by giving us choice, enabled us to bring sin in if we wished. Heaven will have no terrible things, there is no death, mourning, crying or pain.

As sinners we are not worthy of such a place but God created Heaven so He could be with us forever. The way in which we can punch our ticket there is by simply trusting in God and accepting the forgiveness for our sins God so clearly offered through Jesus.

I did that over five years ago and it is by far the best decision I have ever made. If you have more questions or thoughts before you commit then please message me - mjw6150@hotmail.com

Hopefully see you all there!

Grace, Peace & Blessings :-)

Stand up and be counted

I was thinking this evening about stuff. This is what the stuff was...I can be appreciate at the moment how hard it is to stand up for something you believe in and how hard it can be after that first step as well. I genuinely believe there is a harvest out there and all of us have the potential to do so much for God. God created us with the ability to do amazing things for Him. After all, Jeremiah says that His Plans are 'to prosper us and not to harm us'.


In Isaiah 6, God asked 

"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

Isaiah's reply is simple yet hugely challenging for us today. He stood up and was counted!

"Here am I. Send me!"

Isaiah wasn't some great perfect man. He had messed up like we all have. In verse 5 he says, on thinking he had seen God,

"Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

GOD ISN'T LOOKING FOR PERFECT PEOPLE, HE IS LOOKING FOR WILLING PEOPLE. 


The challenge for me, and for all of us, is are we ready to respond to the call of God in our lives? 
If not, why not, and let's prepare ourselves for the massive plans God has. This country needs to know the Saviour and we can play a part in the greatest mission ever! Let's go!

A to Z of Christianity : 'D'

The Bible is pretty much all about God's Love for us, manifested through His faithfulness through the ages and most wonderfully seen in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.


If anyone was wondering about what Jesus dying for us actually meant, one man sums it up for us. Paul!


Paul persecuted and was involved in the murder of some of the early Christians, most infamously Stephen. But then he changed and become the persecuted. He became the symbolic apostle of the early Church, suffering persecution himself and eventually dying for his new found faith.


What caused Paul to do this? He had money, power and privilege as a Pharisee and he traded it all for persecution for Christ.


The answer is an experience Paul had at DAMASCUS.

Acts 9

Saul's Conversion

 ¹ Meanwhile, Saul* was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest    ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
    ³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
    ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?
    ⁵ Who are you, Lord? Saul asked. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied.
    ⁶ Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.
    ⁷ The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
    ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.** So they led him by the hand into Damascus.


*Paul's name used to be Saul
** Paul's eyesight was shortly restored by a man of God


Paul had an amazing experience with Jesus, he knew Jesus was real because Jesus had met him and changed his life. Billions of people have claimed the same change since then. I am one of them and maybe you are too.


Here are some of the stories that have appeared on the blog:-


http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-testimony.html - Me!


http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2010/12/testimony-of-week.html

http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2011/01/testimony-friday.html

http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2011/01/tv-testimony.html

http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2011/01/testimony.html

http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2011/06/testimony-from-friend.html

http://michaeljamesjourney.blogspot.com/2011/08/testimony-alistair-mcgrath.html

That's like basically nothing compared to all the amazing things God has done in this world. Not all testimonies are dramatic, but all are precious and amazing testimony to a God who exists are cares for us!

If you haven't a testimony, look to God tonight. I actually promise you won't be disappointed.

So D is for Damascus, a place that represents God's work in a life that seemed immune to it. God can do ANYTHING no matter who you are or where you are at!