Happy Dance

The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.

 Thomas Huxley

We often hear people talking about and striving for peace and happiness in this world, but the reality is that we nowadays live in times of unprecedented problems and disasters, we can think back to the twin towers bombings, and Bali and what is happening in Afghanistan and the Middle East, the list could go on and on.

Daily we hear of what the world calls natural disasters, earthquakes. Floods and weather patterns like those that we have never really known before.

Ever hear these comments? “What on earth is the world coming to?” “How can we even begin to know what the future will bring? Politicians, Church leaders, motivational speakers, atheists etc etc, all seem to have their theories or ideas about what the future will bring, but do they really believe what they are trying to convince others of?

Many people try to convince themselves and others that there is no God, I believe that we have the doctrine of evolution to thank for that, the sad thing is that when they totally buy the doctrine of evolution they stifle the seeking within themselves to know and trust in God. So then, for them and those they convince, anything goes and there is no fear of what comes after death because sadly they believe that once one is dead then that is it... Nothing after that.

If they were to admit the reality of the living God who created all things and to whom everyone is responsible as the Bible teaches, then that would mean they would then have to face their own sin and the consequence of it.

Yet God, who is righteous and cannot overlook sin, is also love. He showed the world His love when He gave Jesus His one and only Son to die for us, and reconcile us back to Himself.

[John 3:16] ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ‘

God speaks to us in many different ways, sometimes through sickness, sometimes through death and often through what the world would call natural disasters. And very often in the beauty of His creation.  I used to wonder why, if people were so called intelligent and smart, that they never heard God or saw what He is often trying to tell us in these lessons.

I am not saying that God is always the one that sends these trials in life, but He does at times send them. 

He is the only one that can bring a positive from a negative situation or experience. These lessons in life remind us of the fragile hold that we all have on life, and the certainty we all have of death. However, He also reminds us of the glory of eternity with Him.

Hebrew 9:27 ’For it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement’.

Many people depend on baptism, church attendance, taking communion, tithing, and many other things to make them fit for Heaven, none of these things will get anyone into Heaven, the only way anyone of us is fit for Heaven is because of the cleansing and saving power in the blood of Jesus. All we need to do is to repent and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. The work that Jesus did upon the cross is enough. It is finished! He said.

Isaiah 53:5 ‘He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities’

We need to share the truth and light of Christ to a hungry and dark world, we need to show hope to a world that is lost. We need to be the feet on earth of Jesus.

The world needs Christ, we need Christ.

Amen

Staying Young

“If you have left your dreams behind, if hope is cold,

If you no longer look ahead, if your innermost fires are dead

- Then you are old.

But if to God you give your best and if to life, you give the rest;

No matter how the years go by, no matter how the birthdays fly

- you are not old.”

 "For I know the plans I have for you."

declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you

and not to harm you, plans to give

you hope and a future."

[ Jeremiah 29:11 ]

Time is a very precious gift of God;

so precious that its only given to us

moment by moment. 

Amelia Barr