“Whenever we have an encounter with Jesus we need to turn. We have to re-align our lives with the word(s) of Jesus.”

Revelation 1:2

Tony Ling (paraphrase)

Well I’m off today to the world watch conference in Cardiff so this is my last post until Monday. It involves a bit of a mad dash round to get things ready for the off!! Before I go I am talking to the evergreens (over 55’s group) on Ephesians 6:15. It is about having your shoes on ready to tell people the good news of peace. I have been thinking about what constitutes the good news. It isn’t the words themselves - but the spirit of Jesus’ Lordship that is communicated on with it.

Isaiah 52:6-8 (New International Version)

 How beautiful on the mountains
       are the feet of those who bring good news,
       who proclaim peace,
       who bring good tidings,
       who proclaim salvation,
       who say to Zion,
       “Your God reigns!”

In this verse we see that not only do the feet proclaim salvation as good news - but that God is reigning. There is so much uncertainty around today and people worried about money, relationships, jobs, self image - but if people see Jesus reigning and know he is in charge it can bring tremendous peace.

Be prepared

When I walk the dog I put on my walking shoes, when the girls did ballet or tap they put on the right pair of shoes. I wouldn’t do gardening in slippers - but wellies! If we know how to put the right footwear on for physical activities we shouldn’t be suprised that we have to dress rightly for spiritual ones. We  must be prepared and ready to bring the good news at all times and in all places and dress our spirits correctly. We need to be prepared by knowing the best ways to bring the gospel and know how to explain it clearly.

 Ready to Obey

As we put our shoes on we prepare our hearts and spirits - we open up our ears to our boss to see if he directs us in actions or words. (more…)

Mays full sized lego house is due to be demolished today if no buyer can be found. Talk about the house on the sand.

Zechariah 6

 ¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked……..

Zachariah was set in his own circumstances, with his own challenges and own temptations. Sometimes it is easy to keep on the same path of what we always do- tackling the challenges o life in the same old way and seeing the circumstances with the same eyes. Imagined if we turned,  raised our eyes and looked up. We would have a heavely vision, heavenly wisdom and heavenly strength.

The question is why do we dip our eyes and look down? Have you ever tried walking with your eyes on the clouds? It is scary to do. I sometimes try it down an old farm track full of pot holes and puddles. I walk for as long as I dare without peeping!! If we keep looking up with our spiritual eyes we have to trust that where God tells us to walk won’t land us flat on our face. Sometimes we prefer to peep or look for ourselves as we think that is safer. God asks us to trust him fully with our lives - with all the instructions he gives us of where to put our feet. That is why it is called faith - it is being certain of what we do not see with our natural eyes. Faith is being so sure of what we see in the heavens is true than all the things we see immeditely in front of us seem only like shadows.

Ever had a Wotsit Day??

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

 James 3:13

This post is dedicated to my carrots growing in my garden - they are not ready to pull up yet but will be soon. It is very emotional for me - like birthing my own little vegetables. Growing food in your garden is great and tastes so much better - give it a go! (not yet cos it is nearly winter, but next spring would be good).

Carrots are fantastic vegetables. Whoever thought they would find a sweet vegetable that was orange! What is great about them is that you think they look like any other plant in your garden - all green and bushy - until you pull them up to reveal bright orange!

Here are some exciting carrot facts for you off the BBC website today:

QI: Fact of the Day

Although almost 2,000 wild carrot seeds will fit into a teaspoon, every one contains the following chemicals: acetone, acetyl-choline, alpha-linolenic-acid, alpha-pinene, alpha-tocopherol, apigenin, arachidonic-acid, arginine, asarone, ascorbic-acid, bergapten, beta-carotene, beta-sitosterol, caffeic-acid, camphor, chlorogenic-acid, chlorophyll, chrysin, citral, citric-acid, coumarin, elemicin, esculetin, ethanol, eugenol, falcarinol, ferulic-acid, folacin, formic-acid, fructose, gamma-linolenic-acid, geraniol, glutamine, glycine, hcn, histidine, kaempferol, lecithin, limonene, linoleic-acid, lithium, lupeol, lutein, luteolin, lycopene, magnesium, manganese, methionine, mufa, myrcene, myricetin, myristicin, niacin, oleic-acid, pantothenic-acid, pectin, phenylalanine, potassium, psoralen, quercetin, scopoletin, stigmasterol, sucrose, terpinen-4-ol, thiamin, tryptophan, tyrosine, umbelliferone, xanthotoxin and many other vitamins and minerals.

I have been thinking about Semenya today. She is an athlete from South Africa who became the national heroine when she won the gold at 800 metres. There was an investigation into her sexuality and it looks like she may have some hermaphroditic or intersex condition.  How challenging it must be for a young lady of 18 to come accross to another country and in her greatest achievement find so much controversy. She not only has found out that she can not longer compete and do what she has always dreamed of and given her life for - her whole identity of who she is has been shaken. How hard it must be to find out in front of all the newspapers that you can not bear children and you are not perhaps who you thought you were. This happened to another young lady, Santhi Soundarajan, from India who said she was shunned by her local community after being stripped of her silver medal. “I am treated as a social outcast, even in my own local place,” she said.

There is a place for public celebration and public news when it affects whole societies - but this was a private matter. There seems to be such a blurring of the responsibilities in understanding which news is public which is private in the media and amongst society. Why should we always be talking about private things such as love, sex and personal thoughts? Should we really be prying into the living room of some of the famous to see how they live their personal lives? Why do we have programmes on during the day where people shout and scream at each other in front of audiences trying to solve their personal differences? What is it within us that wants to see the mess in other’s lives? Is it pure curiousity? Perhaps to see if anyone is making their life a better sucess than our own? Maybe it is the wish to see someone’s mistakes for our own amusement - like laughing when someone trips up. I don’t know but whatever it is it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

My heart goes out for Samenya and I hope that she finds the support she needs to come to terms with her news. Whatever she decides to do after her running career I hope she finds great success and enjoyment doing.

 Psalm 42 ⁷ I hear the tumult of the raging seas
      as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
 ⁸ But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
      and through each night I sing his songs,
      praying to God who gives me life.  

Psalm 134

 ¹ Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
      you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
 ² Lift up holy hands in prayer,
      and praise the Lord. ³ May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,
      bless you from Jerusalem.

There  are times when the song will be the source of break out, freedom and advance. Even despite restrictions in life, emotionally and practically, the song will bring release  Judges 5:12 Wake up. Break out in song! Arise Take captive your captives

But there is a special place in God’s heart for the song of steadfastness in trials and tribulation. Psalm 134 is a Psalm all about those who minister by night and who minister in his presence. The song is to be ministered to God even during the dark times. Psalm 77:6 says that he remembers the song in the night. The song of the day is the same song sung in the night; it is God and his goodness. The song isn’t  a new song out of the the immediate emotion of events but the source of the song is God. The song is His presence in the darkness.

Psalm 19 (New Living Translation) 

 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.  They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

How does God do it? How did he make all the heavens and earth? All the colours and shapes, all the ecosystems and climates, all the landscapes and horizons, all the animals and birds are amazing. For Christmas I was given the set of CDs of planet earth and everytime I watch a Cd of a different species I am blow over by the variety and creativity. Every morning when I see the sun rise (todays was beautiful with the moon still shining and then a glorious orange sunset opposite) I consider that not one sunset is the same as another.

Creation has a message - its a smorgasbord display board of God and his power. It is a symphony of God’s wonderous character!

Now is the Time 09 09 09 09 09

Great eh?

Psalm 98:7-8 (New Living Translation)

 7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

      Let the earth and all living things join in.

 8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

      Let the hills sing out their songs of joy

Psalm 96:11-12 (New Living Translation)

 11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

      Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

 12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

      Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise

As I have been walking the dog in the mornings I have been thinking about how creation shouts  God’s praise. It isn’t surprising that sometimes we feel close to God outside as the whole of creation is singing anthems to God and deep inside us our spirits join in. Creation is filled with the glory of God and every accomplishment of his handiwork in its colour, shape, sound and depth speaks of a powerful God. It isn’t Mother Nature - she has no song - she groans under survival of the fittest and selfish competition - but creation sings of the salvation and freedom of its maker.

We have done quite a few praise and worship sessions as a church outside in parks over the summer. It has been fantastic joining in with the trees rustling thanks, the clouds shouting glory and the streams speaking of the goodness of God flowing into every home in Huddersfield. Singing outside is great! I guess it is better than meeting in a building as it is made of bricks and we all know that rocks will only shout if we don’t (Luke 19:40) - but creation sings and shouts all the time.

Not only then is our song joining in with all the hosts of heaven and the multitudes of saints - but with the whole of creation. The universe resounds with praise for its creator and as you look at it all in its vast array of spendour you are made away of the greatness of God. This is part of God’s song - He is our song and something of Him is in all he has created. Can you hear it the song?

I stole this off Roger Aubrey’s blogg site and thought you would like to see it