Monday Message

I used to think I'd chosen to follow God. That the choice was mine initially, but I"ve been reading this verse a little lately and I think I may have it backwards. John 15:16 "You didn't choose me. I chose you.I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name." I remember when I prayed and asked Jesus to forgive me and dwell in me. On Halloween of all nights. I felt that I had made the best choice of my whole life. And I still do. I'd be lost without God. However, the more I read and pray the more I realise that I was chosen before I was even born. It just took me 23 years to realise it. I still find it so amazing that there are 7,200,000,000 people on this planet and God cares enough to specifically call me to Him. That He would love me so much that He would send His son to take my sins. I am eternally grateful that I haven't had to earn His love and forgiveness. I am chosen...

Today's message is more of a personal testimony in a way. I was very recently made redundant from my job at very short notice. A couple of people commented on Facebook about it, many offering prayers and sympathy. Two comments stick out to me though. On Facebook someone told me that when a door shuts another opens. Verbally I was told by a friend the following: "When God shuts a door, he opens a window." Initially I thought it made sense in a crazy way, but the more I thought about it the more I realised that it made much more sense if you were Arthur Dent in the towers of the Megadodo Publishing Corporation as they were being attacked by Frogstar fighters. This did remind me of the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which has the words "Don't Panic" printed on the front. Sounds like sound advice. Even though things for me have been uprooted somewhat and thrown into disarray, I am able to remain calm because I'm not in control. I...

Today's message was inspired by my good friend and author , Erik Petersen . Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. I used to think that this was merely an admonition against using God's name as a swear word, which seems to be in vogue these days. However, I was prompted to look at it in a quite different fashion a couple of years ago. Firstly, let's look at the 'usual' thing that happens when you marry; One of you, usually the woman, changes their last name to match their new spouses. I know some don't and some hyphenate, but I'm generalising. This is referred to as taking the other's name. When you marry, you don't marry just a person; You marry a family with it's own culture, beliefs, routines and rituals. And how, you may ask, does this apply to Exodus 20:7? The Church (Capital 'C') is called the Bride of Chr...

Last week I looked at the word image and how I feel being made in the image of God works for us here on earth. The more I thought about it, the more I questioned how it is that we are made in God's image and yet we are all so vastly different? And then it hit me; Facets! Diamonds have many facets which are used to allow light to reflect and refract in pleasurable ways through the diamond. It is these facets that give diamonds their beauty. So maybe, instead of being a direct image of God, each of us is a facet of the image of God. In a diamond each facet looks upon the same space but displays it in different ways. Some facets are there to show light, some for colour, some for patches of contrast. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. Each of us is an image of God, but we show a different facet. All of our different faces, voices, skills, talents and gifts are from the same God, but expressed in individual ways. Another examp...