Believing

The word of last weekend was 'believe'. The WRU even had special t-shirts printed with the word. At the stadium, Only Men Aloud! were performing the 'Don't Stop Believin' song with massive pathos. We were told to believe, as if that meant something in itself. I'm not sure what it boils down to. 'Believe' is a powerful emotive word. But unless that believing is connected to something powerful or certain, what does it amount to? We could all believe that Wales were going to win, even in the final, but that possibility vanished on Saturday. Wales could have won for so many reasons but the most controversial was the 'red card' (sending off) handed down to the captain for a dangerous tackle. Gatland, the Welsh coach said, 'We just feel like the destiny of the result was taken out of our hands'. In as much as the Welsh team's destiny seemed to be in their own hands, 'events' took a strange turn, in spite of all the supporters' most earnest 'believing'.
After over three years of treatment, battling against cancer, it may seem strange to some that we are 'dali gredu' (Welsh for 'still believing'), still singing songs like, 'Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father'.

At one level, when we believe in God, we're not doing anything remarkable. It is a mere working out of probabilities. The idea that the elegent complexity and order that we take for granted around and within us could come into being without a designer is a leap of faith bigger than any required to acknowledge that, just as a higher intelligence was required to make the computer this post was written on, a higher intelligence was and is at work around us.
People say, 'It's not fair, what's happened to you and Padi', but what has fair got to do with a universe that is supposed to have sprung out of nothing by chance and for no purpose? Chance knows nothing of right or wrong, fair or unfair. One loses and another wins, one dies and another lives. If you cherish the opinion that the universe is governed by 'chance', why does it matter at all what happens? And. Yet. It. Does.
Ally used to see a lot of this in her line of work. Celebrities that see their end coming have been known to make a great show of fighting cancer. You've got to keep on believing, they say, and Dr's are careful to avoid damaging any vestiges of hope. There may be some psychosomatic benefit to it... But death is inevitable, and the clinging to life in the face of terminally deteriorating health is 'a melancholy spectacle', as one preacher put it, especially if all you have to believe in is believing. All our believing could not prevent the French winning on Saturday. All our believing cannot prevent death. God can, but he has something better in store...

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Do you love God? That is the greatest command, and the one we least regard (cf. Matt 22:37). People say to us, 'I wish I could have faith', but they are not willing to go to the One who can give it to them. The 'believing' that saves is a gift from God. He is more willing to give it than you are to seek him for it: we see that in the giving of his own Son into the world, to be crucified, suffering the punishment our sins deserved so that people could be free to live with and for God, for time and eternity. This quality of believing is created by God the Holy Spirit in our souls. Ask Him for it. The 'immortal invisible, only wise God' (1 Tim1:17) is well worthy of your belief, your praise, your life, your all.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all. (Isaac Watts)

In fact, we believe that God is doing something 'so amazing, so divine' through our 'dark providence', and, although we do not see it clearly, who knows, part of that could be your own salvation.

I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them

This is what the LORD said via Ezekiel (11:5) to the men of Judah who were leading her astray. cf the absence/inadequateness of cctv to control the activities of a mob, each one of us is accountable at a mental level to God. Mere social control? It goes much further than that. As a Christian, I know that ALL my sin is dealt with - even the darkest depths of my memory, will, conscience, affections, - all is covered by the One Sacrifice to end them all... Christ's atoning death on the cross of Calvary.

My sin - oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin - not in part, by the whole!
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Oh my soul!

Halloween greetings

This is what callers to our home will get if I can get to the printer before they get to our door! (first published on my other blog)

Welcome to our home!
Probably you have visited us to impress us with your costume and see what ‘treats' we are willing to give you. As Christians we always like to be hospitable and really enjoy celebrating ‘good' (like birthdays and Christmas) although we do not celebrate Halloween. In our country, Halloween is far more than a bit of fun - people seem to delight in being as evil as they can (lawlessness, anti-social behaviour, invoking the occult, violent and gruesome images). I am sure you did not intend any offence but we try not to encourage or lend any support to evil - there is quite enough of that about anyway...
The Bible we read every day says:
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20)
Our land has become confused about moral standards as the nation has moved further away from its Christian heritage. Many things which would have been considered evil in the past are overlooked today, if not positively encouraged. People want to get on with their own lives without having to worry about their Maker - or their ‘neighbour'. This is the opposite of what God has said is ‘good'. Did you know that Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbour as yourself? Failing to do this is sin - (not just ‘being a bit naughty') which God is offended at and which actually damages us and eats away at the civilised society we value and depend upon.
God sent his Son Jesus to take the punishment our sin deserves so that we can be saved from Hell to live with God in this life and through eternity. That is something so amazingly good, worth celebrating every day, but we do reserve special days and seasons for different aspects of it: Christmas (Jesus being born), Easter (Jesus dying for our sins), and every Sunday (Jesus rising from the dead) we gather as a church to worship and learn about God together (Tabernacle Cardiff, Heath Citizens Hall). We have a wonderful minister and excellent Sunday School (2.30pm) and you would be very welcome to join us (10:30am and 6pm). You do need to prepare to meet God...
Perhaps we'll see you again soon for Christmas carol singing? Start practicing now!

Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ, by highest heav'n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th'incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hail the heav'nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conqu'ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Gone, they tell me, is youth,

Gone is the strength of my life.

Nothing remains but decline,

Nothing but age and decay.

Not so, I'm God's little child,

Only beginning to live;

Coming the days of my prime,

Coming the strength of my life,

Coming the vision of God,

Coming my bloom and my power.

A poem quoted by Amy Carmichael in her book 'Gold by Moonlight'

4ThingsTract

This is one of the best tracts anywhere - simple and direct.

Four Things God Wants You to Know

1. You Need To Be Saved

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

"We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6)

2. You Cannot Save Yourself

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." (Titus 3:5)

"By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12)

3. Jesus Has Already Provided For Your Salvation

"Who [Jesus] his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness." (1 Peter 2:24)

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." (1 Peter 3:18)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

4. Jesus Will Enable You to Overcome Temptation

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." (2 Peter 2:9)

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Your Part:

1. Repent (Turn from your sins)

"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3)

2. Believe

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)

3. Do It Now

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6)

"Behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3)

4. Remember

"Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12)

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews9:27)

"But he that believeth on him...shall not come into judgment." (John 5:24)

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve." (Joshua 24:15)

The Pastor mentioned this quote in a service recently and has just sent it around by email. I found it online too at www.trap17.com/index.php/napoleons-words_t26006.html

Well then, I will tell you. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions will die for Him.... I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you, all these were men, and I am a man: none else is like Him; Jesus Christ was more than man.... I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me.... but to do this it was necessary that I should be visibly present with the electric influence of my looks, my words, of my voice. When I saw men and spoke to them, I lighted up the flame of self-devotion in their hearts.... Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man toward the unseen, that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others to satisfy; He asks for that which a philosopher may seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself. He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable, supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is accountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man's creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range. This is it, which strikes me most; I have often thought of it. This is which proves to me quite convincingly the Divinity of Jesus Christ.