Friday, October 28, 2016

Megalomania, Men and God

Megalomania, Men and God!

History is replete with men who have strived to be recognized as God. The ultimate power sought by many is to rule over other men and women and be worshipped by them.
Before Jesus had reached His second birthday, He had already become the target of an assassination plot by King Herod, the ruthless and paranoid ruler of Roman-controlled Judea. Joseph and Mary, prompted by a dream from God, took the baby and fled to Egypt.
Egypt's history was one proud and glorious procession of kings spanning thirty dynasties and nearly 3,000 years. Egyptian kings--the pharaohs--were powerful figures and rich beyond imagination. They wielded wealth like a weapon, built sprawling cities and commanded huge armies.
Records indicate Egyptian kings assumed, and were given, supernatural status. The pharaoh was thought to be responsible for bringing the floods that watered Egyptian crops, and so he received credit for providing the nation's food. He was idolized in statue, citizens bowed to his image, and in the ultimate act of pride, every reigning pharaoh claimed to be the manifestation of at least one god.
Whether it's the ancient pharaohs demanding the worship of others, or the millions of modern skeptics who reject God, dethrone Him as Creator, and worship themselves, man's inherent pattern has always been to exalt himself. Rebellion against God can take no higher form than self-love; the person who seeks his own interests at the expense of others and places himself at the center of the universe.
And while history is crowded with men who would be God, only one God would be man.

Consider for a moment what it meant for the Lord Jesus to come to earth as a man to secure salvation for mankind. He left His throne and took a stable for a nursery. The very Son of God was hunted by a tyrant king and became an infant exile in Egypt. The source of all wisdom and knowledge was born into poverty and lived without earthly wealth and luxury. In terms of His character He is holy and without blemish. The King of creation willingly subjected Himself to all of what it means to be human--pain, hunger, thirst, sorrow, physical exhaustion, the full range of human emotions--yet did so without sinning.
And in an unfathomable act of selfless, sacrificial love, He left heaven's glory to die on our behalf. He offered mercy to a people who deserved only His wrath. He stooped to accomplish that which we not only could not do, but also would not do. In love, the God of the universe stepped from eternity to intervene in human history and save those wholly unable to save themselves.
The Bible speaks of His mission in John’s Gospel chapter 3 and verse 16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Selfish ambition may produce megalomania, which leads to misery, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(Romans 5:8). Reception of such selfless love through faith in Jesus Christ produces only blessing.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk


This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.


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Thursday, October 27, 2016

Is God to blame for tragedies?


We often hear of tragedies! They shock us and often produce an impulsive reaction. Earlier this year we heard the horrific news that an alligator had dragged a two-year-old boy into a lake at Walt Disney World. Disney closed all the beaches at its resorts. More than fifty law-enforcement personnel searched the lake. They eventually found the boy's body and presume that he drowned.

Some blamed Disney for not posting signs warning about alligators in the water. Others were quick to blame the parents. As with the boy who fell into a gorilla pit in Cincinnati, people on social media lambasted the mother and father who allowed their son to play in the water.

Why do we feel such a need to assign blame when tragedy strikes?

According to the United Nations, 437,000 people around the world were murdered in 2012 (their most recent report). However, National Geographic reports that 725,000 people die every year from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Freshwater snails transmit schistosomiasis, which kills between 20,000 and 200,000 a year. Annually, snakes kill 94,000 to 125,000; scorpions kill 3,250; sharks kill six people. And there's no one to accuse for any of these tragedies.

It's human nature to blame others so we can maintain the illusion of safety for ourselves. I can say that I wouldn't have allowed my children into the Disney lagoon, but how many other times did I unknowingly put them at risk?

Obviously we should prevent every tragedy we can. But we should also admit that much of life is beyond our control:

•    "You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes", James 4:14.
•    "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring",
Proverbs 27:1.
•    "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble", Matthew 6:34.

The same law of gravity that enables us to walk causes us harm when we fall. Alligators are essential to the Florida ecosystem but dangerous to humans. We cannot have natural laws without the consequences of these laws.

So control what you can and trust your Father for what you cannot. Make sure that the biggest danger in life, death, is covered so that when the unexpected happens you are safe.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, Acts 16:31.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.



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Tragedies - who is ultimately to blame?


We often hear of tragedies! They shock us and often produce an impulsive reaction. Earlier this year we heard the horrific news that an alligator had dragged a two-year-old boy into a lake at Walt Disney World. Disney closed all the beaches at its resorts. More than fifty law-enforcement personnel searched the lake. They eventually found the boy's body and presume that he drowned.

Some blamed Disney for not posting signs warning about alligators in the water. Others were quick to blame the parents. As with the boy who fell into a gorilla pit in Cincinnati, people on social media lambasted the mother and father who allowed their son to play in the water.

Why do we feel such a need to assign blame when tragedy strikes?

According to the United Nations, 437,000 people around the world were murdered in 2012 (their most recent report). However, National Geographic reports that 725,000 people die every year from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Freshwater snails transmit schistosomiasis, which kills between 20,000 and 200,000 a year. Annually, snakes kill 94,000 to 125,000; scorpions kill 3,250; sharks kill six people. And there's no one to accuse for any of these tragedies.

It's human nature to blame others so we can maintain the illusion of safety for ourselves. I can say that I wouldn't have allowed my children into the Disney lagoon, but how many other times did I unknowingly put them at risk?

Obviously we should prevent every tragedy we can. But we should also admit that much of life is beyond our control:

•    "You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes", James 4:14.
•    "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring",
Proverbs 27:1.
•    "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble", Matthew 6:34.

The same law of gravity that enables us to walk causes us harm when we fall. Alligators are essential to the Florida ecosystem but dangerous to humans. We cannot have natural laws without the consequences of these laws.

So control what you can and trust your Father for what you cannot. Make sure that the biggest danger in life, death, is covered so that when the unexpected happens you are safe.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, Acts 16:31.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk



This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.




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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

#GBBO - Can you follow a recipe?




Can you follow a recipe?

I am not much of a baker even though that is my surname. Tonight, I watched the final of the Great British Bake Off with my wife. The pressure that the finalists, Andrew Smyth, Candice Brown and Jane Beedle were under was incredible. Congratulations to all three of them for reaching the final and special congratulations to Candice for winning. 

For me one of the scariest moments was imagining what it was like to bake a cake without instructions. Now for these three this probably was not a problem as they all seem to be expert bakers but for most of us instructions are essential! 

Having said that we are not always good at following instructions, are we! Some people are worse than others! I don’t know about you, but one of the most maddening things that I find about people is that they don’t listen and don’t follow instructions. We all know that happens so often in everyday life. We know that people are told things and they don’t even listen. It could be to do with our health or our money but we often ignore the advice that we are given. Or sometimes people are given guidelines but they ignore them and just do it their own way. This is ok, up to a point, if you are baking a cake; unless of course you are in the Great British Bake Off!


I am writing to point people to what God says in the Bible. But God wants them to listen and to follow His instructions for life. For instance Jesus said one day, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14.6 – the Bible). If you follow that instruction you will become a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ.

If you come to understand that Jesus is the Son of God you’ll believe what he said. He said I am the way to God, you can’t come to God any other way. Why then do people go to religion? Why do people try all sorts of different things?

Peter (one of the early preachers) he said, Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men where by we must be saved” (Acts 4.12 – the Bible). Peter doesn’t give you a choice or alternatives. He says on the authority of what God has said in the Bible there is no salvation any other way.

We need to be rescued, we need forgiveness, we need to be brought to God and there’s only one route because God decided it and it’s through faith in Jesus Christ.

Would you rest on the work Jesus did when He died on the cross. I wonder if today you would simply hear the voice of God and refuse to harden your heart and do what He says:

·      Turn from your sin
·      Obey the gospel
·      Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

    God says if you follow my instructions you’ll be saved. I trust that God will richly bless you today.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.


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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Evil - why does it exist?

The fact of evil in the world is a very disturbing thing and causes many people heartache and problems. It is quite right to question why evil exists, how things came to be the way they are and if there are any solutions to these big issues.

The Bible clearly teaches that God created good as well as evil. This is a puzzle to many and rightly so because we wonder how a God of holiness could create something called evil. As we read the Bible we discover this 'God is light and in him is no darkness at all'. We also discover that God is kind, compassionate, caring and loving. This is all summarised in the statement 'God is Love'. So there is no indication that God acts in an evil way despite the fact that at times we do not understand why he allows certain circumstances in our lives.

There are other very clear statements in the Bible which indicate that God expects people to obey his holy commandments and principles for their blessing and well being. But the Bible does state that God will judge all men according to his standard of righteousness on the day of judgement and our only hope of salvation is found in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We know that God created all things. He gave human beings the ability to think, act and choose certain courses of action. God established a principle in the universe of sowing and reaping. There are consequences to actions and outcomes to behaviours and the choices that we make. Bad choices end in bad outcomes and so evil is perpetuated as a result of wrong choices. To say that God wants us to make bad choices and reap evil consequences would not fit with what you read in the Bible. From the very beginning God told us what was good and what was bad. He told the first couple (Adam and Eve) that the day they disobeyed Him they would die. He warned them that breaking His law put them at a distance from him. And so it did. Since the day Adam sinned we live life without God. We hurt and suffer because of the existence of evil activity in our world. And if we end this life without seeking forgiveness and reconciliation to God we seal our fate and face eternal separation from God (bear in mind this includes all that God provides: love, joy peace, safety etc).

It can be so different. God sent his Son (Jesus) into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. God has taken the initiative and in the death of His Son paid the debt of sin. He offers to all will take it the gift of eternal life.

The only condition is acceptance of our condition as guilty before God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the exclusive means of salvation. If we turn from our sin and depend on Christ for salvation we will immediately come into the good of God's great offer of salvation.

I am praying that you will.

Stephen

- Posted from Seek the Truth Bible Media


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Monday, October 24, 2016

The dawn of a new day

Here I am in Northern Ireland. It's Monday. I got up, eventually, at 0430. Left the house at 0445. In case your wondering I showered and shaved yesterday! Once a week is enough - I thought that was the new norm in these days of reduced carbon footprints! I arrived at Liverpool John Lennon Airport after dropping off my car for secure parking at 0520.

I had the time so I settled down to eat a bacon and cheese croissant and a coffee. Getting my priorities right as always!

The flight left early but the lady across the isle from me was in a bit of a panic. She had left her phone, in a bright green case, in the security area and just realised her predicament as we pulled away from the stand. She was phoning on her daughter's phone but seemed to eventually find a solution.

The flight was uneventful. There was the quiet hum of chatter and the steady rise and fall of sleepy breathing as we headed out across the Irish Sea. We were soon passing the Isle of Man in the stillness of the morning finally commencing our descent over Lough Neagh into Belfast International.

We arrived on time, just after dawn had cast its glorious light across the landscape. What beauty to see the gradual departure of darkness and to welcome the light of a new day. This got me thinking about a new day and it's dawning.

We just take it for granted that we will see each new day. When a person has been ill or has come face to face with death they tend to value each day and to be extremely grateful for it. The good book, the Bible, states 'boast not yourself of tomorrow for you know not what a day will bring forth,' Proverbs 27.1.

The freshness of each new day is a privledge that many of us enjoy. However many people dread the dawn of a new day. When you are staring illness in the face and wondering if you'll make it through another day the start of the day can be quite daunting. Having said that the darkness of night can be like an eternity going on for ever and the dawn of the day can be a welcome relief. How do you get through the day when you are in these circumstances? I am convinced that we are designed to need God in our lives not as an external crutch but as an essential vibrant part of our lives. Men, like Paul, in the scriptures faced death on a daily basis. Sometimes through persecution and on other occasions because of the dangers of travel. Paul admitted that he could only carry on in God's strength. Verses such as 'your strength (God's) is made perfect in weakness' or 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'.

What Paul experienced only works if you a believer in Jesus Christ. If you have never had a conversion experience then you are not a true believer. To use biblical language you need to be saved, converted or born again. This happens when you admit and confess your sin (to God, not to a priest) and ask Jesus Christ (by praying to Him) to save you.

The scripture says the following:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 'For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures'

Acts 13:38-39 'Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses'

If you would like to be right with God and know His power for living please get in touch through Facebook (StephenBakerGoodNews4U), Twitter (@TMssingPeace) or by email stepcar61@gmail.com.


- Posted from Seek the Truth Bible Media
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Saturday, October 22, 2016

Life hurts - why?



Life Hurts - Why?

It’s my aim in this article to address some of the questions that people ask in life and to discover what the Word of God, the Bible, has to say about it. I place real confidence in the Bible because I have become convinced that the Bible is God’s communication to men and women and I want people to benefit from what God has said.

I’m sure that most would agree that life hurts! That hurt can be caused by the normal progression from youth to old age and all the problems that come with ageing. Sickness also brings its heartaches! Natural disasters are devastating and destructive! To say nothing of the dreadful treatment that people endure at the hands of their fellow man. War and acts of terror produce unimaginable horrors. I’m sure that at times we all question why life is such a difficult and a hurtful experience.
Is there an appropriate response to this? The first thing I’d like to say is that it's not personal. What I mean is that we are not usually suffering as individuals because of something specific we have done. Before I go any further let me qualify that statement.  There are times in life when we do reap what we sow. There actually are consequences to our actions! But all the awful things that happen in the world are not usually the direct result of our personal actions.

My main thought when I say it’s not personal is this: ;people don’t die as a result of some sinful thing that they have done; old age doesn’t come because you did something wrong. The fact that we die, that we have sickness, that we grow old is explained to us in the Bible. The bible states that all of these conditions and circumstances exist because sin came into the world. As a result of Adam, the first man in the world, disobeying God the floodgates to all that was evil and damaging were opened. The fact that all of this is the result of the first man’s rebellion to God is explained by the biblical statement by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin”,; Romans 5:12.

The Bible clearly teaches that God gave man a choice:

Obey Him,
Enjoy His presence,
Enjoy all that He created for him….

But, there is a but, God warned him that the day he ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he would die. And that is what happened! Adam didn’t die physically but he died as far as his relationship with God was concerned. He was dead spiritually. Sin, death, pain and suffering became the normal experience of life. He had to work by the sweat of his brow for everything. Childbirth became a painful experience for the woman and the earth was cursed. So life hurts as a result; a fact that we know only too well.

However, what is quite incredible about the biblical story of salvation is that God had already a plan in place. God’s plan to provide forgiveness and to offer salvation to men and women was devised long before time began, 1 Peter 1. 19,20.

God had always planned to send His ‘Son to be the Saviour of the world’. He made sure in the writings of the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible, that we would know Him when he visited earth. In the Old Testament, God told the prophets how to identify His Son. There were specific facts such as what family He would be born into, His distinctive and sinless lifestyle and His mode of death. Normally how people will die is an unknown fact but God was making a point in defining how Jesus would die in advance. See Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, Luke 2: 34,35. All of these passages of scripture speak of crucifixion which at the time was unknown and of the piercing of the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus. All of this information was so that when He came we would know Him.

To me the greatest and most amazing thing about this whole thing is that God came to earth in person. He was a real but sinless man. He suffered, He hurt and He endured death to pay for our sin. God wants us to be forgiven therefore the price and the legal penalty for our sin was dealt with by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died upon the cross.

The Bible explains it like this:  Christ died for our sins,” 1 Cor. 15. 3, “He was despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, Isa. 53. 3.

Today God offers us not hurt but forgiveness;

Today God offers us love.

The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3. 16. The greatest proof of the love of God is that, God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,”  Rom. 5. 8.

I want to point you to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, if you pray to God, today, confessing your sins He will forgive you.

I trust that you will do this.


May God bless you!

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk


This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.


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Friday, October 21, 2016

50 Years on - Aberfan is still remembered!

50 Years on - Aberfan is still remembered!
By John Thorn, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9146083
The Aberfan disaster was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip in the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, that killed 116 children and 28 adults on 21 October 1966. The collapse was caused by the build-up of water in the accumulated rock and shale tip, which suddenly slid downhill in the form of slurry.
More than 1.4 million cubic feet (40,000 cu metres) of debris covered a section of the village in minutes. The classrooms at Pantglas Junior School were immediately inundated; young children and teachers died from impact or suffocation. Many noted the poignancy of the situation: if the disaster had struck a few minutes earlier, the children would not have been in their classrooms, and if it had struck a few hours later, they would have left for the half-term holiday.
By John Thorn, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9146083
There is no easy answer to the question as to why such a thing should be allowed to happen. What had these children done to deserve to die so young? Nothing, apart from living in world where tragedy and sin exist and where disasters are unavoidable due to the fact that we live in an imperfect world. 
Often children suffer because of what adults do. The so called innocency of youth camouflages the fact that they have the same gene pool as each of us - they are also sinners and subject to death. The bible is clear when it states that 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'. There are no exceptions to this rule. Even our little darlings are sinners - time proves this to be the case. 
But what happens to a child who dies so young? Are they condemned for being a sinner without the opportunity to repent and believe the gospel. You have the opportunity to consider God's offer of salvation and may choose to reject it but what of the child who dies without this opportunity?
I believe that the bible teaches that a child, who dies before they are able to understand and accept or reject the gospel automatically goes to heaven. The death of Jesus Christ covers them. If you are interested I can send you details of why I believe this to be the case but I feel this is the teaching of scripture. 
But remember that is not the case for you. You have the capacity to believe the gospel, to understand the seriousness of your sin and repent and trust Christ for salvation.
Have you ever done this?

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk



This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.


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