A Easter thought, Evidence.

1 Corinthians 15

^3-9 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don’t deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God’s church right out of existence.

Yesterday, Easter Day, the reading in church was on this passage. Talking about evidence, most people look for evidence to back up a statement of fact or though these days this is less true and many believe that just because they say it then it must be true.

For me coming to faith in Jesus was based on evidence, I looked at what people said about Jesus and why, on a Alpha course, then thought about it and over some weeks came to the conclusion that their was enough evidence to believe in Jesus as God made man died and raised again to heaven. This fact changed my life.

Paul in this letter to the believers at Corinth is reminding them that there faith is based on the evidence of those who went before, the people who had lived with Jesus and seen him after he died. There were hundreds of people who had seen and recognised the risen Jesus. Paul says that he was but one of the later ones and that he and the others were known and their encounters with Jesus known about so they could have faith in their decision to follow Jesus. Just as I have.

If you do not know Jesus I ask you to explore and find out the truth yourself, just because society doesn’t believe doesn’t mean they are right. I know that Jesus lives, He changed my life and walks with me day by day, I know His love and His strength, you could as well. Talk to me about your doubts if you like and I will try to lead you to know my Jesus as I know Him.

God bless and guide you this Easter to know Him better.

Thanks Giving

Today was my last Sunday Zoom service, I have been running one since just before Covid so for 3 years and 1 month. This week I thought we would finish with thanks.

1 Thessalonians 2

¹³ And now we look back on all this and thank God, a geyser of thanks!

When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers! ^14-16 Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ?

Paul was writing to the Thessalonians and says how he thanks God for them as he looks back on his time with them and how he preached Gods word to them and that word was the same as the first followers of Jesus.

As a group we reflected on the last 3 years and what God has said to us and what we have each learnt.

We thanked God for His love, grace and guidance. We prayed for each other going forward and for the churches we will be going to. We dealt with the sadness of leaving our worship family and the anxiety of joining people again. We prayed about change and blessings. In all things we are thankful to God for the blessings of the last 3 years.

It has been a real joy and blessing for me to lead worship for this time, God has been wonderful to me over this time. He has supplied me with direction as to what to talk about each week, supplied information on that topic and led me to the right music for the service. I might have had to shield these last years to avoid the worst of Covid but as I believed it was right to withdraw from church before lockdowns came so I believe that now is the time to return. I might not have antibodies from the 6 vaccines that I have had, but my consultant tells me that I should be getting some protection from my infusions which will have antibodies in them now.

As to catching Covid, I will trust in my God to keep me safe as I start to mix more over the coming months.

Thank you Father; Thank you Jesus; Thank you Holy Spirit

‘Don’t Throw It All Away’

was this Sundays theme on my Zoom church

Hebrews 10

^19-21 So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.

^22-25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

^26-31 If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit?

I talked about how easy it is to fall into following the path of the world rather than the way of Jesus

In Hebrews we are warned about not give up and turning our backs on all we have learned of Gods way.

Often it is a hard way, going against what the world has decided is the right way, although that changes all the time. Trouble is a lot of the time the world is only following the path of whoever is shouting loudest at that time. As a Christian, a disciple of Jesus a follow of God I try to follow His way not the worlds way or my way or anyone else’s way.

My Hope is in Jesus and His promises, I want eternal life with Jesus in God’s kingdom and only walking the way of Jesus will get me there.

In Deuteronomy 7 we are told

⁶ Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God, your God. God, your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure.

^7-10 God wasn’t attracted to you and didn’t choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you.

He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. 

God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon.

The people of Israel had ended up as slaves in Egypt but God had chosen them as His people and so freed them. God chose me to be in a relationship with Him as He has many over the centuries, I do not intend to throw that gift away by turning my back on Him now.

Abraham was chosen by God and he and his family followed the path laid out for him. One family which became a nation, but often that people turned their back and threw away what they had to go there own way. However God continued to call them back into relationship and in the end came as a man, Jesus, to show us how to live and then again freed us from slavery to sin by dying for us.

As we approach Easter it is good to remember what God has continually done for His people and not throw it away to go our own way.

God Bless you

Growing in Faith

Growing in Faith was this Sunday’s theme

2 Peter 1 from the Message

² May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Growing in Faith

³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

Peter is pointing out that Christians know that they need to grow into the likeness of Jesus but oen forget to do it.

For many reasons we think we need to do it ourselves and just don’t have the time or knowledge to do it so just sit were we started.

Think about your favourite hobby; sport or interest. I bet you spend a lot of your time learning more and more about it getting together with like minded people to talk about it or play it out.

When I was younger my whole interest in life was the military and history, I would spend so much of my spare time going to military shows, buying and reading books on tanks and aircraft. Then building armies to play out some of the wars I was reading about. I joined clubs and went to wargaming conventions.

Now I am a Christian I spend just as much effort on reading the bible, listening to other Christians, on UCB radio or at church. Singing songs of worship and being in Gods presence on my own or with others.

I do this so I can GROW in FAITH and knowledge of Jesus and start to live more and more like Him.

Gaining knowledge; self-control to use my new knowledge properly; living a moral life and all this coming together in a more Godly life of love for everyone.

So to Grow in Faith what do we need to do?

Worship together

Spend time studying Scripture

Spend time with God and the Holy Spirit

Spend time with other Christians

Work out our new life in the world around us showing Gods love in action.

Be Content

1 Peter 5 the Message

But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for— God has had it with the proud,

But takes delight in just plain people.

^6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

^8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert.

The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.

Keep your guard up.

You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good.

Be Content was Sundays theme for our service

Peter tells us to be Content with who we are and what we have.

Jesus said

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Matthew 6:25‭-‬26 MSG

As followers of Christ we need to have a contentment with our life. Not to worry about what we do not have or want what others have. To trust that our Father knows our needs and will supply it, all we need to do is to walk in His path and do our part by work etc.

But we are also called upon to be content with who we are as a person. That is a more difficult for most people as so many are dissatisfied with themselves physically or mentally.

Psalm 139

^13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Scripture tells us that not only that God loves us but also that He created us as we are and He loves us as we are. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others as we are all supposed to be different and individual, not clones of each other.

Being Content brings peace to our lives as we are not trying hard to be something else or someone else. Or always seeking more stuff in our lives or ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’ which only brings stress and anxiety.

God has had it with the proud,

But takes delight in just plain people.

So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs.

So Peter is only picking up what Jesus and the Bible tell us, know that you are Loved by God and He will give you all you need in life, it might not be what you want or what others have but it will be what you need and striving for more will only lead to envy, greed, disappointment and unhappiness. While knowing that God loves you and has your best interests at heart should bring you contentment and peace.

This song I used in the service

Live Like Jesus

1 Peter 4

⁷ The end of the world is coming soon.

Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 

⁸ Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 

⁹ Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

¹⁰ God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.

Use them well to serve one another. 

¹¹ Do you have the gift of speaking?

Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.

Do you have the gift of helping others?

Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.

Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.

Live like Jesus was the theme for last Sundays service

Peter tells us that we need to continue to be eager and dedicated in our prayer life, just as Jesus needed time alone with His Father so do we. If we want to live like Jesus we need to do as He did.

Pray; Show Love; Share what we have; Use our gifts for the Kingdom not just ourselves; Live to bring honour to Jesus as we live like He did.

God will supply the strength and energy you need to do all of this by the Holy Spirit. I have found that no matter how my health is God will always give me the help I need to do what He is asking of me. So live your Life as Jesus did, walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit to bring the Fathers love to all.

Right Living

1 Peter 3

^8-12 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble.

That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm.

Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
    Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
    run after peace for all you’re worth.

This was my theme for Sunday’s Zoom service ‘Living Right’

Peter is telling us much the same as Jesus and Paul that Right Living requires us to

Be agreeable,

be sympathetic,

be loving,

be compassionate,

be humble.

Each of these are not about just rolling over but taking the loving line.

We are not Agreeable to others if we are hostile and needy rubbing them up the wrong way etc.

Being Sympathetic is about really caring about other people understanding their needs and what they are dealing with in their lives. It requires hearing them and taking action on it rather than just listening and general conversation. We need to put ourselves in their shoes rather than our own.

Being Loving, Jesus said that we were to love even our enemies and to love them as you would want to be loved if you were in their shoes.

Being Compassionate really picks up on the above, Compassion comes from Sympathy and Love not from your own needs and wants.

This leads to being Humble, giving of yourself rather than expecting. Caring for others without fanfare and advertising. Just caring for others no matter there status, with no desire for reward or recognition.

Peter is telling us that how we live shows others Christ to them. By Blessing others we are Blessed ourselves.

SO lets start living as members of the Kindom of God by Blessings others in how we live.

Living Stones

1 Peter 2 [the Message]

^4-5 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.

I talked on Sunday on this passage.

This is just a short thought on this verse, I am hoping to do a thought a week based off of a reading from my Zoom service

We are supposed to be a living part of Gods temple a temple built on the cornerstone of Jesus. A temple full of vibrant life. Each different in many ways just as stones are all different. Different colours, size, shape etc. Our lives in the world should show that w e are part of a people who have a purpose to reflect Christ into the world. As part of a temple we are all part of a community a community of vibrant life. Not boring fussy moaners but a joyful, caring, encouraging people who know their purpose in the world, to be the home of God.

After all that is what a temple is for to house God and be the place of worship of God. Therefore if we are the building stones of that temple we need to reflect God in how we live.

So today if you are a follower of Jesus, a Christian, start to live as a vibrant living part of His temple. If you do not know Jesus as yet, then ask Him to guide you to someone who can explain how to give your life to Him and become part of the living temple of God. In either case we all need to live a vibrant life of worship to the living God in His living temple.

May God bless you

Healers: The Support Class We All Need, But Few Are Willing to Be

This is a very thoughtful look at Healers in video games

Finding God in Video Games

The surge in popularity of class-based games such as Overwatch and Apex Legends and the continuing dominance of titles like Team Fortress and League of Legends has brought the age-old concept of building a perfect team into the limelight… the days of games that featured identical protagonists with minor modifications such as armor color have been replaced with a deeper, more personalized experience. While every Master Chief in a Halo title plays and controls in a similar manner, these class-based games allow participants to choose roles that are better suited to their play style as tank-like warriors, range-focused fighters, nimble assassins, and more. Every great squad should demonstrate a balanced approach in their loadouts, allowing the team to offset their vulnerabilities with corresponding strengths… a team full of “heavies” may be exceptionally strong, but they typically lack the speed to achieve the mission’s objectives. Classes based on ranged attacks will…

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The Amassing chronicles of the Herald Cam Woodmonger

Chapter One

Beginnings

I, Cam Woodmonger, come from a simple family and started life following my father’s role as a wood-gather but my intellect was spotted by a herald who took me under his wing after we had performed a great service for him. This was a wealthy noble herald, Nicorant Surroy the King of Arms, of influence. As a reward I was taken into that person’s service and started training as a Herald. I have finished my basic training as a herald and been sent to Scancoleas a Pursuivantto report on any wrong emblazons, pick up any news of note and help with any outstanding cases for the Kings Law. I have found that the city bailiff Sir Moribund doesn’t like having me around; I suspect he might have things to hide. His lackeys are making life difficult for me in various ways but nothing I feel I can take to court as yet. I have only been here a week but have met Sir Leatonay who also seems to have annoyed the bailiff. Maybe he would be a good knight to take up with, young and adventurous. I have also met a talking bear a big creature that seems to be staying at the same inn I am, he also seems to have upset the bailiff. I wonder if the Bailiff just doesn’t like those he doesn’t know or have power over.

My two new companions and I are having breakfast together getting to know each other as we have only just met and know little about each other. It seem that Yogi, the talking Bear, has come from Black Island over the amassing bridge connecting the island and the mainland, were we are now. Apparently he woke up from his sleep a few days back having been visited by the god Swordbrother and transformed from a normal brown bear to a taking one. He has been given armour to wear when needed over his fur and been made a Divine of the Swordbrother. He was told to come here to help people. He also seems to have upset the local bailiff Sir Moribund, he seems to dislike having a bear in his city. His lackeys have taken any opportunity to stir people up against him. Yogi wonders why the Swordbrother sent him here, maybe to help people against these bullies. However that might require some support and he wonders if I might be that person as I also seemed to have upset the locals in some way. Yogi is staying at the inn where I am also staying. By working here for a few days a week the inn gives yogi shelter in their barn, he is supplying them with eels from the river as the local fishermen do not like him trying to fish at sea. Sir Leatonay, my other companion, is here training under the bailiff after being trained and knighted by his Grace Count Lucan of Black County. He also seems to have upset the bailiff along with his young page Trist, he seems a nice person and one who seems to upholding the proper chivalry of a knight and trying to help those below him in need of help and not throwing his weight around. It appears that Moribund’s sons are Squires under Lord Black’s lordship and that Moribund feels that Sir Leatonay is penalizing his sons and helping Sir Leatonay.

Suddenly, Moribund makes an appearance. He’s a squat, round, pugnacious man with a moustache far more impressive than his personality, who wears an exotic red waistcoat that stretches and strains over an enormous pot belly, secured by three brass buttons threatening to pop at any second. As he sits down, there is a twanging sound and the buttons fire from his impressive belly, shooting in random directions, in the attempt to get out of the way of the missiles the breakfast table itself is upset, causing food to be scattered all over the place, making breakfast a thing of recent memory. Moribund watches this chaos with an implacable expression, and restores order with some loud harrumphing, followed by some theatrical coughing, and then bellowing ‘Order!’ at the top of his lungs. When all are listening, he begins. “The city Ordinances is quite clear on the matter of the civic duty of every individual to assist in the safety and wellbeing of the town. It also makes clear that I have the facility to select those individuals for specific duties when the safety and wellbeing of the city is in jeopardy. It is, and I am, and I choose you.” He wears a smug expression as he surveys us. “Several fishing vessels have failed to return from short trips out to sea. Two days ago, when the most recent missing vessel was seen, one of the good people of the town, watching from the cliffs, said that she saw the boat coming around the headland of Silkspindle Island, where it promptly vanished, dragged under the water without so much as a warning. The boat did not sink. It was tugged under the water. There is no wreckage, there are no bodies. Now, as you may know, Silkspindle Island belonged to Coddefut the magician, sadly no longer with us, and the island has been derelict for more than twenty years. Perhaps it remains so. But it strikes me that the island is the best place to start in investigating what is behind the disappearance of our good fishermen. You are to go there, take a look around, see what you can discover, and report back. Very simple and very civically minded. Your family and friends will be proud of you. You will be able to boast of your adventure far and wide.”

We appear to have no choice in the matter even though we are happy to help, after all it might make our lives easier with the bailiff. We do ask the inevitable question of how we are to reach Silkspindle Island, Moribund smiles the kind of smile usually associated with certain malicious ogres known to eat small children: “Why, by boat, of course…  Even if we didn’t want to help the five Burley Brothers his enforcers, Brutal, Butcher, Bastard, Bonehead and Bludger all nearly as big as Yogi, standing nearby make it clear we have no choice. We manage to argue with him to get a little time to grab armour or weapons, even though Moribund was still spitting out that we need to go and that there is no danger, all of which seems a little confused. Sir Leatonay says that he is sure that his grandmother mentioned him while she was teaching him about magic; he believes that Coddefut came from Lyoness as magicians are under more control there.

The boat taking them over to Silkspindle is a barnacle covered pinnace owned and rowed by Welchet and his oldest son, Choate. A morose pair, they groan and grumble as we embark, moan and grumble as they row, and do the same as they reach the island. And with good reason, it turns out that several members of Welchet’s family are among the disappeared, and he doesn’t want to add to the tally. It only takes about 20 minutes to row out to the island, but Welchet wastes none of that time with silence. With a sour expression and a whining voice, he moans about how they’ll no doubt join the missing, dragged to the ocean’s depths, be drowned by malevolent currents, or devoured by monstrous sea-eels. When Brutal one of the Burley Big Brothers threatens to break his skull, Welchet ceases only long enough for Chaote to take up the misery and, by the time, Bonehead, another Burley Big Brother has made a similar threat, we are at the island.

We are made to disembark and have only the clothes we’ve arrived with, plus the weapons we grabbed before we left. Bonehead Burley throws a heavy burlap sack onto the shingle beach. ‘Here you might need this’ It contains the following:
Two coils of reasonable rope, 30 feet in length
10 iron spikes, plus a wooden mallet
A round mirror, cracked and chipped
A crowbar, good for forcing doors
A ball of good twine, 70 feet in length
10 candles, each providing light for about an hour
Flint, steel and tinder
A pouch of dried, bitter-smelling herbs, that Yogi tells us that when burned, create a thick acrid
smoke capable of filling a small space for some time
A single hand trowel, of the kind used by avid gardeners
A whistle made of a what looks suspiciously like a finger bone
A bright red kerchief, decorated with yellow spots, it can be used as a bandage, small picnic blanket, or a fetching bandana.
“We will go back now,” the Burley Big Brothers shout at us. “We will be on the beach over there,” and he points to the distant mainland. “We will come back just before sunset, so
you have all day. If absolutely necessary, we will return if someone stands on that rock over there and waves the red kerchief in a vigorous motion like this…” and he demonstrates a frantic waving pattern reminiscent of someone suffering a form of seizure. There is something in the Burley Big Brother’s tone that makes us very aware that this is only to be done in the direst circumstances. So it looks like we have most of the daylight hours or so to see what if anything is happening around here by exploring Silkspindle Island and tower. The pinnace is turned around by the brothers, and Welchet and Choate row back towards the mainland, in a much jauntier mood and with greater speed, than on the outward trip, there is no sign of any reason why boats should disappear.

The rocky island is a lozenge-shaped outcrop of low rocks that is 120 feet wide and 180 feet long. The ground is a mixture of shale, stone, boulders, and packed earth that rises quite steeply up to the tower itself, which is situated at the southern end of the island. We have been deposited on the North West shingle beach, and reaching the tower’s entrance is a simple matter of the following the packed earth footpath, which is helpfully lined with artfully arrange sea shells, guiding the way. There are a few small bushes poking out through the rocks; harsh, stubby and thorny, and at first glance, not in the slightest bit remarkable. However Yogi notices that the bushes seem to have some sort of creeper growing on them, not unusual on trees but a bit odd for a bush. Also these tendrils are greyish green and stand out a bit on the bark of the bushes.

We draw weapons and follow the shell lined trail up to the tower; the path terminates at a door facing south. The door looks sturdy and is made of planks, of Elm according to my knowledge of wood, they are weathered and there is only a knocker on the door, no handle or window. The brass knocker resembles a gurning gargoyle with its head hinged at the neck so it can be raised and banged against a brass plate behind. I use the knocker, rat a tat-tat. The knocker changes to a fleshy face merging seamlessly into the door. It blinks at me licks its bulbous lips with a black spilt tongue and turns its eyes on me with thinly disguised distain. “Have you an appointment?” it asks in a rich voice. I start to say who we are but don’t get far before it lets out a loud raspberry with a lot of spittle and turns back into a knocker again. I wipe my face with my arm and bash the knocker twice with my fail. This has no effect on it so I knock again. Again the face appears and asks if I have an appointment.  This time I say yes and start to name us, it announces that “His Magnificence Coddefut will be available tomorrow after breakfast,” and prepares to resume its inert form. My quick mind realises that this knocker isn’t that clever and say it is already tomorrow.  The knocker licks its lips and a door handle appears and the face turns back to a knocker.  It seems we are able to enter, I wonder what else this tower has in store for us.