About this Blog Seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
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By Anushka, on 10th March 2012 Living forever is the ultimate goal. The secret of immortality has been the quest of man throughout the ages. In the realm of myth and legend think of the Philosopher’s Stone from which can be produced the elixir of life, or the Holy Grail whose keeper is given eternal life. In the opposite world of fact and science, scientists are always working towards extending our lives and improving our health, and trying to create spontaneous life by themselves. Needless to say, both the fact and the fiction have failed.
But why do we have problems coming to terms with our mortality anyway? Why do people want to live forever anyway? It seems that there is a little something inside most of us that can’t imagine not being there. Call it your mind, your conscience or your ego – its the thing that makes you who you are and its hard to comprehend or accept one’s non existence as a concept. People also dread losing those around them; they want their friends to live for ever so they can go on enjoying one another’s company, and together experience what life has to offer.
There are people who do come to terms with their finite lifespan; people who fully embrace life as it is. They focus on getting the best out of what they have and trying to partake in as many fulfilling life experiences as they can. I suspect many such people are atheist or agnostic and are simply trying to accept life as they see it.
Other people consider that their legacy truly lives on through their genes in their descendants and that this is the real meaning of living for ever – the continuation of the gene pool.
Some people suffer greatly during this life, with physical or emotional problems or disabilities, and it must be difficult in such circumstances to wish that life continues. Maybe the end of life in this case is seen as a welcome relief.
However, when Christians talk about eternal life, they are talking about a perfect life that will never end. They are looking forward to a life without problems and illnesses and disabilities, and without the stress and hassle of life as we know it. This surely is something to look forward to if indeed it’s a real possibility.
As science and legend have failed us the only viable option left to consider on the quest for eternal life is religion. Many people scoff at the thought that a religious writing can truly offer something that the worlds best scientific minds cannot, but can we really afford to ignore a book that states:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6 : 23
Surely its worth checking out. If what that quote says is true then eternal life is there for the asking. God wants to give it to you. That’s got to be better than waiting for a scientist to come up with the answer.
So what are you waiting for? Eternal life may be just around the corner. Open the Bible and have a look for yourself. The quest has begun …
By Anushka, on 11th February 2012 A town council in Devon, a county in the UK, which says prayers before its meetings, is judged to have been acting unlawfully.
I thought this was an interesting story. Firstly, I had no idea that prayers were even held at secular meetings. And now I have learnt that although this practice seems to be fairly widespread among local council meetings, it has been ruled unlawful.
Perusing the article reveals that it is not unlawful as regards breaching human rights, it is unlawful under a particular statute from 1972 which holds that the local council has no power to summon its members to meetings which includes prayers.
Prayers may still be held, but councillors cannot be formally summoned to attend.
So does this represent the further erosion of Christianity in our society, or is it a mere nonsense given the secular nature of our society?
Such a practice is centuries old in England and the article states that it dates from the Elizabethan era. In those times England was a wholly Christian country and it would have been the norm for such a meeting to open with prayer. The King or Queen as head of the church was more involved in political matters in those days, and religion and state were firmly intertwined.
Today only vestiges remain of such a society. The issue with regard to the holding of prayers has more of a historical feel to it than a religious feel. Those who are objecting probably object equally to the tradition being uprooted as they do to the removal of the prayers.
In the 21st century religion and state are in the main separated. Many leading politicians say they are Christian, as do a vast majority of citizens on their census form, but many of these people simply regard Christianity as part of their heritage rather than something practical that affects their everyday lives.
Nevertheless it gives some reassurance to genuine Christians that those who govern the country do try to take the wishes and will of the Almighty into consideration. I myself was pleasantly surprised that such a practice existed, rather than being annoyed that it may now cease.
What matters ultimately it not whether public prayers are said prior to council meetings, but what is inside the hearts of those who rule this country. Do they truly have God’s will as their own? Do they always act in the best interests of others rather than themselves? Looking at the country as a whole the answer has to be no – or at the very least, those who do fall in that category are a minority. Human nature always seems to overrule godly nature these days in matters of politics.
So let us be thankful that a Christian minority does exist out there, and that sometimes its voice is heard. Don’t forget that we can always use our own prayers to ask that those in charge of our countries are ultimately acting in a way that will bring God’s plan for salvation to fruition.
By Anushka, on 6th February 2012 If you belong to any Christian church I can guarantee that there will be someone in your church who will hold a different viewpoint to you in respect of some aspect of Christianity. Given that there are around 50,000 different Christian denominations which have evolved from early Christianity 2,000 years ago, it is obvious that different people interpret Bible passages in different ways, and have different opinions about the way services should be run, whether certain doctrines should be adhered to, and what traditions should be followed.
Dealt with in the right way, our differences can build us up. Dealt with in the wrong way, they can cause division and dissension. Should one attempt to reconcile differences or is it best to “let sleeping dogs lie”?
Once again, this is not a question for which I have an answer! There are as many opinions as there are Christians, and none of us have the answers 100%. I know what I think the answer is but many may disagree with me. The only person who knows all the answers is God. So what can we do if we are in a situation where division threatens to spoil unity?
Firstly, remember what you have in common with other Christians, and use this as a starting point for any discussions. Most Christians will believe that:
- The Bible is the Word of God
- Jesus is the Son of God
- The Bible speaks of the Second Coming of Jesus
- Jesus wants us to remember his death and resurrection by taking communion on a regular basis
Then remember why you meet with other Christians. When you are with them, you are either remembering Jesus, or having fellowship with people who also believe in Jesus. How would Jesus want you to behave towards your fellow believers?
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)
Jesus is listening to all your discussions, so don’t say anything you know he wouldn’t like to hear!
Finally, don’t forget that the way you say things is as important as what you say. If everything you say is in accordance with the Fruits of the Spirit – you will probably have fewer differences in the first place!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
If in your discussions you realize that you are not speaking in love, with gentleness and self-control – then your viewpoint is tainted.
I’m not saying its not important to discuss doctrine, or tradition, or church practices, but if you try to remember all the above points, and focus on the heart of Christianity – our common belief that Jesus came to die for our sins, and also pray that God will open your hearts and minds as you read His word and ask Him to guide you, maybe we will find that our differences can be lightened and resolved, and bring us closer together in fellowship with each other and our Lord.
If you find that your problems don’t stack up when looked at in context of the Bible – don’t be afraid to change your mind and acknowledge it may be you who is wrong – if we let Bible teaching guide our lives we will move closer to the Truth, step by step every day.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4 v 8 )
By Anushka, on 26th January 2012 Isn’t 1 Chronicles just a repeat of the Books of Kings?
- 1 Kings and 2 Kings are history books, mainly reciting the facts of the kings of Israel and Judah, and associated prophets.
- 1 Chronicles is in the form of a journal of events, and adds supplementary information and detail to that information provided elsewhere.
- 1 Chronicles only deals with the southern kingdom of Judah, where the line of David is continued and the book actually covers similar ground to 2 Samuel.
- The genealogy at the beginning of the book reminds the people of Judah of their heritage with the Lord, and that they alone are God’s witnesses.
What else is in the book?
- The first 9 chapters are taken up with genealogies, from Adam through to King Saul.
- Many stories seen in earlier books do appear, but with a more spiritual emphasis, including much of the life of King David.
- The temple and temple ritual are a more prominent subject than the lives and wars of the kings.
- There are frequent references to the ark of the Lord and the priests and Levites.
- The preparations for the building of the temple made by David are detailed.
What are the main stories in the book?
- Chapter 10 – Death of Saul.
- Chapters 11-12 – David becomes king.
- Chapter 13 – The ark is transported on a cart to Kiriath-Jearim resulting in the death of Uzzah.
- Chapter 15 – The ark is brought to Jerusalem.
- Chapter 17 – God makes promises to David that he will have a son who will have an everlasting kingdom.
- Chapter 21 – David sins by carrying out a census of the people.
- Chapter 22 – David makes preparations for the temple to be built.
- Chapter 28 – Solomon is given instructions on the building of the temple.
What can we learn?
- The incident of Uzzah’s death upon the incorrect transportation of the ark teaches us that we must respect God and do things the way he wants us to.
- We have the promise of the future kingdom of God reiterated for us again, and we know that we await the Son whose throne will be established for ever.
Next time: Bitesize Book of 2 Chronicles!
By Anushka, on 15th January 2012 At this time of year its easy to feel down. The daylight hours are short, and its probably still dark when you get up and go to work, and when you leave work to come home as well. In the UK this year its been a wet and windy winter so far. Whenever you try and go for a walk outside often the weather sends you back indoors only a few minutes later.
The holiday season is over, and many people will be facing the Christmas bills coming through the door, and the winter utility bills. Most people feel a bit short of cash, and it can feel like winter is going to drag on for ages still because we have the rest of January and February to go.
If you have problems in general in life it may be easier to feel overwhelmed at this time of year, and the lack of sunlight can be shown to have a negative effect on those who suffer from depression and seasonal affective disorder.
So how can we cheer ourselves up? First, a few practical things:
- Spend some time with people you love
- Indulge in humor – watch a funny TV program, or read a cartoon book, or find some jokes on the internet
- Cook yourself some warming stews and casseroles, a bit of comfort food
- Make the most of rainy or cold afternoons by curling up with a good book or film
Next, a few spiritual things:
- Don’t forget to say your prayers and remember that you have a Father in heaven who is always there to listen
- Count your blessings – try and focus on all the good things you have in life – food to eat, shelter from the weather, clothes to keep warm, and central heating if you are lucky enough to have it
- Try and do something nice for someone else – it may make you forget about yourself for a while
- Remember that all things come from God – even the rain and the wind have a purpose, and before too long spring will be on the way
- Find some comforting Bible passages and try and read them every day to remind you of the comfort you have in your faith
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls . For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11 : 28-30)
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