From the mouths of babes!

Okay!  The young girl in this video is, in fact, 12 years old.  But she is not an adult.  Yet she speaks on an emotive subject with passion, with articulation, and with evidence of having done more research than many who write comments on online newspaper fora.

It's a five-minute clip - but it's well worth watching, right to the end.

Shining for Jesus.

In Wishaw Baptist Church, our motto for this year is taken from Paul's letter to the disciples of Jesus in the ancient Roman colony of Philippi.  This meant that it was a place in which the majority of the inhabitants were more Roman than people who lived in Rome!  Our motto is from 2:15-16 where we read (NIV): "shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the words of life"

Evangeline Booth, daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, used to tell of an experience that she had at the end of an exhausting day's ministry (no. physically undemanding, internet ministries in those far-off days!).  Someone came to ask her if she would spare a few minutes to see a particular gentleman.  When she appeared to hesitate, the messenger became quite insistent, explaining that the man had travelled a long distance just to meet with her.  "By all means, then", replied the evangelist, "bring him to me."  "He can't come to you." was the answer.  "He is 94 years old!"

Miss Booth quickly made her way to where the old man was seated.  As she greeted him he told her, "I was the lamplighter for your father when he held his first meeting under shelter.  Afterwards, he placed his hand upon my head and said, 'Always be a lamplighter for Jesus'.  I want you to know that I followed his advice, and have sought to be a shining witness for my Lord."

We may aspire to a great many tasks, and desire to occupy various places of responsibility in God's plan but, basically, we are to be light-bearers - "shin[ing] like stars in the universe as [we] hold out the words of life"  Jesus not only said of Himself,  "I am the Light of the world" (Jn.8:12); He also said to His disciples, "You are the light of the world."! (Matt.5:14).  As the moon reflects the glory of the sun, you and I, if we claim to be His disciples, are called to reflect Him, and to allow His light and life to shine through us. We are to keep our lamps trimmed, not allowing them to go out (see Matt.25:1-13).

We may sing songs like "Shine, Jesus, shine" with as much gusto as we can manage. However, it is as we shine for Him, in our daily lives, that we will have an impact for Him on those with whom we come into contact.  Keep your light shining, and He will put it where it can be seen!

And when I die?

Two news items caught me eye, yesterday.  One was, of course, the death of Peaches Geldof; the other of a less well-known Debi Gibson.

Peaches Geldof's death is, as far as I can ascertain, being investigated by Kent Police  as "non-suspicious but unexplained and sudden".  However, it was one front page that caught my eye.  Underneath a photograph of Ms Geldof and her late mother, Paula Yates, was the caption: "Together again", with its implication that, now that both are dead, they are, somehow, "together".

Debi Gibson is not dead - yet!  However, it is reported that she has only weeks to live, after refusing to wear protective goggles on a tanning bed left her with a fatal eye cancer, that has also spread to her liver.  Debi, who lives with partner Darren Gibson, said: "They told me I was going to die. It was horrendous but I came to terms with it. My daughter knows mummy is going to heaven."

Peaches and Paula are "together again"; Debi's daughter "knows mummy is going to heaven."

So what is it about death, or the onset thereof, that suddenly causes people who apparently have shown no particular interest in any afterlife to (a) assume that it is, after all, a reality; and (b) that they, or their loved ones, are all going to be in the better aspect of it?

To the best of my knowledge, every belief system that postulates an afterlife, other than Christianity, does so on the basis of the individuals 'good works'.  In Islam, for example, it is believed that we each (certainly, every Muslim!) have an angel on each shoulder - one totting up our good deeds; the other totting up our bad deeds.  If the good deeds outweigh the bad deeds then, when we die, we go to paradise.  If the bad deeds outweigh the good deeds ... ... !!!   The problem with such a 'system' is that, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, then none of us live lives that would assure us of paradise, heaven, or nirvana.

This is the wonder of the Christian Gospel.  It freely acknowledges that we are all unable to meet the standard that God has set.  (I can't even meet the standards that I set myself!).  "... for everyone has sinned;" writes Paul, "we all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Rom.3:23; NLT).   That means that I an totally unable to help myself.  My only hope is that another comes to my rescue.  And that, as many of us will be remembering in a special way over the coming days, is exactly what that same Almighty God has done, in the Persona of Jesus, the Son, the Messiah.

He came into this time-space continuum in which we live out our mortal lives, as a helpless Infant (Incarnation - the Christmas story).  He lived among us, as a Man among men.  He took my (and your) place on the cross - dying the death that I (and you) deserve, that I might know His resurrection life, here and now.  It's called grace'.

Of course, there is a 'catch'.  This is not some kind of auto-response.  I must make the conscious decision to come to Him, and accept the salvation that He offers.  This involves openly confessing my sins, and my sinfulness to Him.  It involves accepting that I am totally unable to do anything about them.  It involves acknowledging that only He is capable of doing anything about them, and that, on the cross at Calvary, He did it.  It involves submitting to Him as Lord of my life.

I have no idea as to the spiritual state of either the late Ms Geldof, or Ms Gibson.  I do know that, without Jesus, any of us go to a lost eternity - timelessness separated from God, but now aware of His existence, and of what we have missed.

If you were to die moments after you have read this post, are you certain that you would be 'going to heaven'?  Are you?  If not, then I recommend that you "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6); change your ways, and banish the very thought of doing wrong.  Turn to the LORD, that He may have mercy upon you; yes, turn to Him, for He will forgive generously. (see Is.55:7).  You won't regret it - either here, or in eternity!

Hidden creatures.

In a topical message - in the light of the release of the film, 'Noah' - we looked, this evening, in Wishaw Baptist Church, at some of the lessons that may be learned from the true story, as found in the Biblical book of Genesis.

Maybe that's why, as a wee brain-teaser, I've decided to post the following.  Enjoy - solution in a few days' time.

The names of Biblical creatures are hidden in the following sentences (no doublers!!).  For example, "Deborah, are you going to the shops?" contains the word 'hare'.  The names of three creatures are similarly hidden in each of the sentences.  Happy hunting!

1. The Bowling Club at the Green will do very well.

2. If Roger will go at once, it might do good.

3. Are you as sure as I am that he noticed the sign at the entrance?

4. She came late, but I want you to be early.

Are you looking for a pony?

My apologies to any who regularly check out this blog, that this is my first post for this month!  Regretfully, I have been working on the house that we have just placed on the market, and have been reminded of the old Latin motto: "Tempus fugit" (Time flies!).

However, I trust that this will keep you going, for now!

I suspect that most of those who know me well would agree that I am an optimist.  My glass is always half-full, rather than half-empty.   This morning, during my private devotions, the little booklet I am currently using as an aid had this amusing story.

Once upon a time (as I cannot vouch for the total authenticity of the tale!) there were identical twins.  One of them was "an optimist, whose motto was 'Everything's comin' up roses', and the other [was] a pessimist, who always expected the worst. [so they were only physically identical!]

Their parents took them to a psychologist, hoping to balance out' their personalities.  He suggested that, on their next birthday [anniversary!], they put each in a separate room to open their gifts.  'Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford,' the shrink said, and give the optimist a box of manure.'  The parents dad as he suggested.  When they peeped in at the pessimist, they heard him complaining, 'I don't lie the colour of this toy.  I don't want to play this game.'

Next, they looked in and saw the optimist - smiling, throwing manure up in the air, and shouting, 'You can't fool me.  With this much manure, there's got to be a pony'!

Being an optimist may not get you the pony - but it's a healthier attitude to carry through life (and, who knows, that pony might even, one day, appear at the door!).