Where are you looking?

I have had a wonderful time today, this morning my son-in-law Mark took me for a ride on his motorbike as a birthday treat. My birthday was actually last Saturday but we couldn't do it then as we were both too busy, I had a wonderful birthday too, my family came in the morning and we had lunch together and in the afternoon I went up to the Salvation Army in Ripley as the ladies from the home league were being treated to a pamper afternoon by Esther Johnson who has a business selling Forever Aloe Vera products. Esther is the daughter of Pamela who is our Home League leader (not sure what the official title is), Pamela wanted to say thank you to all the ladies and gentleman for all their weeks of hard work practising for the Home League weekend. I had a face mask and my nails done, when the facemask was off I was quite relieved as it just got tighter and tighter until I couldn't move my lips. I suspect Esther put extra around my mouth she knows what a chatterbox I am. All the ladies thoroughly enjoyed themselves and commented on how soft their skin felt afterwards. So all in all with my presents, my family gathering and the afternoon of pampering I had a wonderful day.

And so it continued today with this great bike ride with Mark to Buxton through the Derbyshire Peak district, the scenery was awesome, sometimes we would go through what my sister Pamela calls, tree palaces and then come out into wide open spaces with fields on either side with sheep, lamas, and cattle. It is so good to see so many cows on our farmlands these days for so long you wouldn't see any because of the awful mad cow disease, I love to see them especially the long horns. There were quite a lot of babies with their mothers who were lying down on the ground chewing the cud. The sky was so blue, the sun was shining but there was a chill wind, but I didn't mind it was so glorious, and with all this wonderful scenery I couldn't help but think of our Creator and to praise Him for all this beauty. Mark treated me to a late breakfast at Morrisons which was delicious and afterward we stopped for a few moments at Wye Valley to take in the scenery and take some photos before we set off again for our ride home.

 We had stopped in a layby and there were quite a few cars parked most of whom were enjoying the view apart from one couple who sat in their car one reading a paper and the other a magazine!!  I guess some people just don't see what I see it reminds me of all the people who search here and there for peace and happiness they look everywhere except where it is. True peace and happiness can only be found in knowing God, how can we know God? Through His Son Jesus Christ. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

You cannot find spiritual truth by searching and looking in the world nothing matches up to it. I don't know if there were any pictures of scenes in the magazine the lady was reading if there was they certainly would not match up to the real thing that was staring her in the face but which she chose to ignore. When we came through Matlock there was a craft fair on so after Mark had dropped me off I went straight out again to get the bus to Matlock I wanted to get a picture of this chap.

I wasn't the only one hanging around in Matlock :) This guy was deceiving the people of course this was for entertainment but as I said earlier so many people are seeking and being deceived.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father expect through Me".

Don't be a Potato

I heard a very interesting talk on ancestors at the Salvation Army, we were asked if there were any in our families who had been instrumental in our coming to know the Saviour. I have to say that my mother and father, I believe prayed for my soul and salvation every day until I came to the Lord, there are times when we have no idea what someone is bringing before the throne of mercy on our behalf.

Both my parents had gone to church from being young, as had I. My mum had a life changing experience when she was fifty, as she was walking home she heard a voice say to her, "There is sin in your life and you can have no part of Me", she realised that it was the Lord Jesus, and that all her years of church going, good works, playing the organ at the church services, leading the choir etc. were of no use to her, she had tried to walk a Christian life on the back of her parents salvation. I found and interesting quote in an old book called A Daily Message from Many Minds:

         

"Never mind who your grandfather was, who are you?

The man who has nothing to boast about

but his good ancestors is a like a potato,

all that is good of him is underground."

Whilst it is a wonderful privilege to have family members who are in the Lord, and who have taught us many spiritual truths, we are not saved just because we are related to them. We all have to come to that place of repentance and trust only in the finished work of the cross. Jesus died on the cross for the world, He will save anyone and everyone who is willing to listen and accept this free gift of salvation.

John 3:16 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.

Believing in Jesus, means that we repent of our sin, we realise our need because we cannot be righteous by our own works, or by going to church, or by praying, or by reading the Bible, all these things are good but they are not good enough for us to have a relationship with God, or to get us to heaven. The only way is by repenting of sin and asking God to forgive you through His son, Jesus, who took the punishment for your sin and mine on the cross, then all these other things will happen because there will be a desire in your heart to want to know God more, to talk to Him on a daily basis, and to serve Him and please Him by living your life through His Son Jesus.

All who are in Christ Jesus, are blood related, because Jesus shed His precious blood for each and every one who would believe in Him. There are no ancestors in God’s family, we are all God’s children, and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Isn't that wonderful.

We can learn a lot from people who have gone before us, their testimonies of God’s grace are inspiring and should encourage us but they can’t save us,  

only Jesus can do that because He is alive.