News of the World

If you haven't been following the News recently you would not be aware of the phone hacking scandal currently engulfing NewsCorp & Rupert Murdoch. 

The Newspaper business is a high pressure business where controversy certainly equals cash and News of the World and other reporters have been shown to have gone too far in their attempts to find their news, hacking celebrities or civilians involved in big new stories (such as Milly Dowler and victims of the 7/7 bombings families) phones.

I think this is part of a bigger problem with our news industry, the problem being the strong tendencies towards BAD NEWS. Just look at the BBC News homepage and count up the bad news stories against the good. I would imagine a strong majority of the news stories are bad news for most people or some people.

Sadly, this world is full of bad news. The human race has been corrupted by its sinful actions. Too many selfish and greedy decisions are being made leading to pain for many people.

In reality we are all imperfect and none of us are deserving of anything, let alone Heaven! This is the worst news of all.

But this where the Greatest News of all comes in! The News may not report this, it may not sell papers but it is the very thing that changed my life for good forever and millions more and is still changing lives today.

This is it, Christ took the rap for our sin and we don't have to if we just ask God for forgiveness and repent of our sin. We don't have to meet some great list of tasks, we don't have to memorise the whole Bible and we definitely don't have to be perfect. We just have to be forgiven :)

John 3:16 - 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.

Also, God doesn't need to hack our phones to find out anything about us! He knows our hearts, He formed us in the womb...He even knows how many hairs are on our heads :)

Psalm 7:9
O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

Psalm 139:13-14

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.

Luke 12:7
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Spring Harvest

Last week I went to Butlins in Minehead for an annual event known as Spring Harvest. It is a Christian event aimed at the Church where Christians meet together for worship, teaching, encouragement and fellowship.

I went to accompany a friend and to be honest, whilst I looked forward to it, I wasn't overly excited as I had a few bad memories from being there previously (nothing to do with the event, just a personal situation I was in that partly happened during my previous time there).

Rest is also something that figures way too low on my list of priorities!

But, PRAISE GOD, I had a wonderful time!

The Big Top where the main services are held

So many wonderful things happened during my five days there. Firstly, God encouraged me so much spiritually. The last few months have been very busy and demanding for me so I really needed God to remind me how much He loved me and to encourage me that He is using me for lots of good and will continue to do so. I felt so empowered in pretty much every area of my spiritual walk but most particularly in prayer. I saw that it was a tool from God that I had not utilized enough in my life.

The Bible teacher at Week 3 was Stephen Goukroger. Gaukroger is an experienced Bible teacher who preached coherently, sensibly and humourously showing a great love and enthusiasm for scripture which inspired me in my own love for scripture.

God also helped me rest. I do so much and it was nice just to sit back and let things happen without having to do something myself. To prove He really worked magic, I felt great in work yesterday and was noticeably (in my eyes anyway!) more productive!

My kind of deckchair! Just my size!!

God also helped me banish the bad memories. I was staying with a close friend of mine and also had other close friends on site and we had a lot of great moments...getting our faces painted (or in Adrian's case...his arm...coward :P), mucking about on the fairground rides, Football tournaments, swimming. I can now go back to Spring Harvest and think about those times rather than the past ones. Thank you Lord!

Feeling tigerish

So I just want to thank the Lord for a brilliant time (He always works when we are a bit reluctant to go somewhere...maybe that's something for us all to think about! Think about Jonah..his teaching saved a whole city) and encourage everyone that wherever you are or whatever has happened...God has a way out for you and we just need to keep seeking Him out and walking with Him to find the light in the darkness :)

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”