Heroes

I had a wonderful time with my grandsons on Monday 31st December 2012, I had been away for Christmas so it was lovely to spend some time with them. The oldest, Noah who is three directed me straight to his bedroom so that he could show me some things Santa had brought. Now there's a hero if ever there was one, hail, snow, wind, rain he's out there on his sledge zipping through the night delivering all the presents! But Noah wanted to show me his hero, Buzz Lightyear not forgetting Woody who between them saved us from the shark that had lots of sharp teeth. There were lots of arghs, umphs, duffs and not forgetting "to Infiminy (infinity) and beyond!" after we had duffed up the shark we made the bedroom safe, including, mum, dad and little brother, not forgetting the residents in the street and of course the whole town, in fact I can safely say between us and our hero's we saved the universe from infiminy (infinity) and beyond!

So, there you are it is now safe for you to walk out being assured you will not be attacked by a blueish grey plastic shark with two rows of white teeth.

Heroes are great aren't they, they always win the day and every child who has one longs to be just like them no matter what they do, whether they fight battles or play football.

In real life, there have been many people who we consider heroes, they are inspiring and we long sometimes to be able to accomplish what they have or something similar. When we consider our past there have been many people who have challenged us, encouraged us to become what we are today.

If I'm honest the one person I would love to be like would be my mother, she was such a gracious, loving, caring lady who loved the Lord Jesus. This lady faithfully prayed for my spiritual welfare and one day her prayers were answered when I came to realisation that I was a sinner in need of a Saviour.

Not a hero but someone who could save me from my sin and from the punishment for my sin. That is what Jesus Christ did for me and for all mankind on the cross at Calvary, what we must do is repent and believe and having done so a wonderful change takes place, now there is truly someone who is worth our being like!

3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

When we love the Lord Jesus we want to serve Him and be like Him, He is the only person who is worth imitating.

To be like Jesus!

This hope possesses me,

In every thought and deed,

This is my aim, my creed;

To be like Jesus!

This hope possesses me,

His Spirit helping me, Like Him I'll be.

This is my prayer; I hope it is yours too. 

The Farmer

A farmer was sitting at home one winters evening thinking over the words he had with his wife earlier. She had gone out to yet another one of her church meetings they were preparing she said for the Christmas celebrations and he had told her in no uncertain terms what he thought of her Christmas celebrations.

He was tired of arguing but then he realised that in fact it was him who argued she didn't argue really but just spoke very calmly and firmly about her believes when he brought it up. It had all started the previous year when she had been invited to the nativity and she just kept going to church then something changed she came home one day and said she had asked for God's forgiveness and for Jesus to come into her life. Thinking about it now he had humoured her at first but after awhile he just couldn't accept the things she was saying it all sounded to far fetched but the rub was that there was something about her these days, she had a inner peace and a joy that he had never had.

Of course it was all nonsense no way was he going to believe that God if there was a God had come to earth as a baby, ridiculous. His thoughts were taking him all over the place when he heard a strange thud, and then another, and another he decided to investigate, he put on his boots and coat and went outside he could hardly believe his eyes geese were dropping like flies out of the sky because of the snow storm, he needed to get them somewhere warm and dry until it blew over, the barn would be the best place and so he set to trying to round them up, goodness me what a terrible racket they would not go in the barn, he decided to fetch the dog, that didn't work it only made matters worse what on earth was a matter with these geese he only wanted to get them somewhere safe, if only he could make them see that they were in danger out here, but then he realised that they didn't trust him he wasn't one of them the only way he could ever get them safe was to become a goose himself.

There and then in the middle of the storm the farmer fell to his knees in the snow surrounded by geese and asked for forgiveness for his sins and asked Jesus to come into his life and then he knew that peace and joy that his wife had. When he looked up the geese had gone, God can and does speak to us in all kinds of ways and how He rejoices when we respond.
 
Is He talking to you now while you are reading this story? Christmas is all about God sending His Son Jesus to earth as a baby, He became like us in every way except He never sinned in order that we could be saved.  
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. Will you respond?

The Storm

As I sat in my friend Margaret's room the heavens opened and I hoped and prayed that it would be over before I went for my bus, all I had with me was a shower mac there is no way it would be any good in a thunderstorm. When it was time to go, the rain had stopped and I got to the bus stop dry. However, the storm was going in the same direction as me! I was reminded that we must be prepared for storms, trials, tribulations, when we become followers of the Lord Jesus He does not promise a rosy ride, Jesus said:

John16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

“So even though we have these trails etc. we can be assured that we will not be dragged down or taken from the Lord because He is with us through every storm of life, upholding us, sustaining us, building us up and caring for us. As I continued my journey a gentleman at the back of the bus was on his phone to his friend, I had a moment by moment commentary on what the weather was doing, he could see from the sky where the storm was going and how bad it was going to be and all he had on was a summer t-shirt, I did feel for him, he insisted that they would wait in the bus station until the storm had passed. He was ill prepared for what was coming, even though he could see what was coming! Jesus said:

Matthew 16:1-3 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." 

When I got home the heaven's opened 

and we had torrential rain and a thunderstorm 

I was so glad that I was safe at home,

When the storm clouds had gone, the sun came out, it was glorious. I was reminded that there is a terrible time coming upon the earth such that has never been seen before when God's wrath will be poured out upon an unbelieving, rejecting, rebellious people, many will believe but many will not and they will run for cover but there will be nowhere to hide. Not only is this time foretold in the book of Revelation in the Bible but also by the Old Testament prophets. The signs of the times are there for us to read, does this sound familiar? 

2 Timothy 3:1-7 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

The signs are there for all to see and be warned, thank the Lord there is a way out through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross, all who repent of their sins and turn from their sins and receive Jesus as their Saviour and Lord of their life will be saved from sin, death, condemnation and this wrath to come.

After the storm came the sun, and after this terrible time the Son of God will come in all His glorious splendour to rule supreme over all the earth. We who are in Christ have a glorious future, if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, ask Him today, your life will be transformed and you will be new in Him. The world will no longer have any appeal for you and you will be His forever, hallelujah. Jesus said: 

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John 3:15-18 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. For God, did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.