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PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH
  
SOMETHING TO CHEW OVER FROM THE WORD

I invite all bloggers to read and make a comment on my blog posts. This includes those who agree with me, those who disagree with me and those who are indifferent. The only thing I ask - no, INSIST UPON - is that responses are courteous and respectful. Failure to observe this will result in post deletion and repeated failure will result in your being banned from my blog altogether. In return I will be courteous and respectful back to you even if I disagree very strongly with what you have said.

I prefer you to make short-ish comments and using your own words to express your own opinions. You will of course wish to quote scripture to back up your opinion, but a post consisting of a long list of scriptures, or one which is "cut and pasted" from elsewhere, is almost certain to be deleted.

Peter
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SHELL SHOCKED Nov 13, 2008 2:00 am
Mood: scared, 58 Views
I know that a few of you have noticed I have not been on the blogs for a little while, and I thank you for your concern, and now I am going to tell you why. I am shell shocked as I write this, as I have stupidly allowed myself to be drawn into a very unwise situation involving another member on this site, and have only just in God's mercy been delivered - although there may yet be implications as I will explain.

I exchanged a few emails with a lady from Australia {I have no wish to embarrass her by naming her - I suspect she will be giving you her version on here soon}. We hit it off quite well and also spoke on the phone a few times, but since I live in England I never imagined that we would ever meet. To my surprise she told me a few weeks ago that God was leading her to come over to England as she had no ties back home in Australia. I didn't want her to go to all that trouble to no purpose, so I immediately sent her an email being very honest with her about my failings and all the reasons why it might not work out. For a couple of weeks she was dissuaded but then declared once again her intention to come over.

To cut a long story short she arrived a week ago and the plan was she would stop at my flat {separate rooms of course} for a few days until she was able to find somewhere more suitable. On the first night we began by expressing our wish to be honest with each other, and in that spirit I confessed one of my weaknesses which I hadn't mentioned in the earlier email. If she puts this on the blogs then you are likely to be shocked, but all I can say is that I am grateful for God's grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Within a few days of her arrival it became clear that all was not well. She was full of all sorts of insecurities and fears for all sorts of reasons (I am amazed she was able to travel 12000 miles but there you go) and unfortunately I found that she was pressing all the same buttons that my ex-wife (who had mental health problems) used to press and sadly I realised that she needed help of the sort I wasn't going to be able to give her.

Last night and again this morning (I am typing this at 9:45am on Thursday) the situation broke down and she ended up speaking to someone from a local church who picked her up and took her away about half an hour ago. Unfortunately she got it into her head that I had dishonourable intentions towards her (I hope you can accept my word that was never the case) and mentioned this to the person who came to collect her. That is what I meant earlier by further implications.

I am sharing this incident on this blog for two reasons:

1. To defend my reputation against the possibility of things being said on this blog about me which are simply not true.

2. To urge all of you to be really careful about who you get involved with via this site or any other on the internet. I trusted my discernment in this case and thought everything would be OK, but I was very obviously wrong.

This has been a salutory lesson to me {I know I've been a silly lad - no need to point that out }, but please pray that the lady concerned gets the help she needs - I couldn't give that to her but I know the Lord can.

Peter
0 Comments
Cats!! What are they good for? Oct 5, 2008 4:39 am
247 Views
What is the point of owning a cat? This is not an anti-cat post - I genuinely want to know the answer.

I have never owned a cat or a dog. I quite like dogs, or to be more accurate I like other people's dogs. I don't think I could be bothered to do all that is necessary to look after one properly. But I can see what people get from owning a dog - companionship, loyalty, perhaps a feeling of security if it's a big dog!

But cats? They spend all day wandering off on their own business, come back to get fed, then clear off again. So what is the point of having one?

And another point. My niece, who owns 3 cats, says "You don't own a cat, a cat owns you". If this is true then surely a Christian shouldn't have a cat at all, since "no man can serve two masters" {and our master is God}.

Anyone like to correct my ignorance?

Peter
15 Comments
Really, what IS the fuss all about? Oct 3, 2008 3:13 pm
155 Views
I put this post on earlier today, but just as everybody in America is coming home from work it has disappeared out of sight. So I thought I would post this link to give everybody the chance to take part in this discussion:

What's all the fuss about?

Peter
0 Comments
What's all the fuss about? Oct 3, 2008 1:06 am
398 Views
It's become the "buzz-phrase" of 2008:

CREDIT CRUNCH

People are running right and left in a panic because of the financial problems that seem to have destroyed the whole world in a matter of weeks. Funny how everything was ticketyboo at the start of the year but because some people have been too greedy suddenly we are all in a tiswas!

Sadly even Christians, who should know better, are falling prey to this 'disaster' mentality. Why should we know better? Here are a few good reasons:

1. WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE PUT OUR TRUST IN MONEY TO START WITH
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal....for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" {Matthew 6v19, 21}

2. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MONEY TO CONTROL US THIS WAY
"You cannot serve God and MONEY" {Matthew 6v24}

3. IF WE ARE FOCUSSED ON OBEDIENCE TO GOD WE WILL BE OK
"The pagans run after all these things {food, drink, clothes etc}, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" {sorry Julie! } {Matthew 6v32-33}

4. NOT DOING WHAT JESUS SAYS IS A SURE RECIPE FOR DISASTER
"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" {Matthew 7v26-27}

So I repeat:

WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

Happy Friday!
Peter
20 Comments
Law and Grace; Jesus & Paul Sep 27, 2008 5:23 pm
317 Views
"The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" {John 1v17}

The Law defines what is right and what is wrong for us to do. In the Old Testament {e.g. Deuteronomy 28} there are blessings promised for obedience, and curses threatened for disobedience. In the Sermon on the Mount {Matthew 5} Jesus makes it clear that he is not going to abolish the law but to "fulfil it", and that what Moses said was right is still right, and what Moses said was wrong is still wrong.

However, when we read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, we see that by "fulfil" the law Jesus also had in mind the idea that he would actually make clear its true meaning. The law said "do not murder" but Jesus makes it clear that anger and hatred are also wrong. The law said "do not commit adultery" but Jesus makes it clear that lustful thoughts are also wrong. He taught that sin is really a wrong attitude of the heart which leads people to do wrong things. As his encounter with the 'Rich Young Man' {Mark 10} makes clear, it is possible to obey all the commandments outwardly and yet still have the wrong attitude inwardly.

Jesus' words "No-one is good except God alone" {Mark 10v18} agree with Paul's words "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" {Romans 3v23}. Although Jesus can say to the 'Rich Young Man' that it is theoretically possible to attain eternal life by perfectly observing the whole of the law, in reality this cannot be achieved by any of us because of our sinful nature. Paul agrees: "No-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" {Romans 3v20}.

Both Jesus and Paul make love the heart of the law. When Jesus was asked about the commandments he said that the whole of the Law and the Prophets hang on the two commandments to 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength' and 'Love your neighbour as yourself'. He also famously added a 'new commandment' to this when he told his followers to love one another as he had loved them {see John 13v34-35}. Paul agrees with Jesus when he says: "Love is the fulfilment of the law" {Romans 13v10}.

Loving God and doing right is impossible for us, but through the death of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit it is now possible. Jesus said: "If you love me, you will obey my commands" {John 14v15} and in saying this he made it clear that we do not obey in order to achieve grace, but to express our gratitude for the grace that God has poured into our lives. Paul teaches that "If you are led by the Spirit you are not under law" {Galatians 5v18} but is elsewhere very clear that this does not mean we can ignore the law and just carry on sinning: "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" {Romans 6v15}.

JESUS AND PAUL ARE TEACHING THE SAME THING!
Come on brothers and sisters, it's not rocket science.

Peter
25 Comments
Let's take back the moral high ground! Sep 23, 2008 12:35 pm
269 Views
A thought struck me today. I am fed up of hearing people from outside of Christianity tell us we are exclusive, arrogant, we think we are better than anyone else and that's why we're going to heaven and others aren't.

How long are we going to let them get away with this slander? Yes there is only one way into the kingdom, and that is through Jesus Christ, but that way is open to everyone equally without exception. Yes the gate and road to life are narrow but the gate is open to everyone who wishes to walk through it. So far from being exclusive, Christianity is actually the most INCLUSIVE faith on the face of the earth.

Just read the gospels. Jesus is always reaching out to those who are cast out of society and/or regarded as inferior. He was "accused" of being the friend of tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners. I call that a badge of glory not a badge of shame myself! He healed lepers who no-one else would associate with or even touch, and he forgave the woman caught in adultery when everyone else wanted to stone her. He went to eat at the house of Zacchaeus when his tax fiddles had made him universally hated. Although Jesus clearly saw his mission as being to "the house of Israel" he said he had "other sheep who are not of this sheepfold" and on at least one occasion exorcised the daughter of a Gentile mother. And to those who say Christianity is a male dominated faith, just look at the number of women that Jesus ministered to - as well as the woman caught in adultery there were Mary and Martha, the woman at the well, the woman who washed his feet with her hair etc etc.

Maybe the criticism is valid if we are like some of the early disciples. Peter had to be reminded in a vision that the gospel was open to the Gentiles. Paul had to be knocked off his horse {is this the origin of "knock off ones high horse"?} before he abandoned his attitude of superiority as a Jew and a Pharisee. James and John thought so highly of themselves that they thought they deserved the two top seats at the expense of the other disciples. How many of us are like Andrew who befriended a young boy and was thus able to provide the loaves and fishes for Jesus to perform one of his greatest miracles?

Let us take back the moral high ground from those who would sneer of the 'narrow mindedness' of Christians. Yes, sin must be repented of. Yes, those following other religions must abandon them and turn to Jesus alone. But the doors of Christianity are open wide to all who will come. Let us shout this from the rooftops and stop allowing Satan's minions to spread the lie of Christian smug superiority without opposition.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" {Galatians 3v28}

Well that's got that off my chest - at least for now!

Peter
10 Comments
Was Darwin a racist Nazi? Sep 15, 2008 1:15 pm
240 Views
Well I wouldn't like to comment on the man's political opinions, but I would like to explain why I believe his theory of evolution supports racism.

According to Darwin...
All creatures evolved from a common ancestor. Change took place from one generation to the next by means of genetic mutations, which we now understand are 'copying errors' in our DNA. Some of these mutations might confer an advantage on a creature which would make it and its offspring better able to survive. Thus creatures that did NOT have this survival advantage would die out. This simple mechanism produced the entire animal kingdom, including the human race, from a very simple common ancestor.

Leaving aside the fact that neither the Bible nor TRUE science agrees with Darwin's theory, it has very dark consequences if believed to be true. His whole system depends on the process of 'natural selection' which is often described as "survival of the fittest". In fact creationists do not deny that this process takes place in nature - it clearly does - but we do deny that it can be the cause of "microbes to mankind" evolution. But more importantly we deny that God would choose to use this method of creating. The other side of "survival of the fittest" is "destruction of the weakest", and such a policy runs counter to everything the Bible teaches about God and what Jesus expects of his disciples, who are expected to protect the weak not leave them to cruel natural forces.

The full title of Darwin's book "Origin of Species" is "Origin of Species by Natural Selection, or the Preservation of the Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life". He believed that some "races" of mankind were more evolved than others, and therefore some were more primitive than others. This belief was made explicit in Darwin's later book "The Descent of Man". It does not take a PhD to figure out how this led to the belief in a superior race, or the Master Race of National Socialism, and the belief that it was morally OK to eliminate those perceived to be weaker or inferior. There is no doubt that Hitler's anti-Jew, anti-gypsy, anti-Slav, anti-disabled policies were firmly based on Darwin's evolutionary theories.

Peter

Also check out Church of England owes Darwin an apology??
5 Comments
Church of England owes Darwin an apology?? Sep 15, 2008 3:17 am
250 Views
A TALE OF FOUR MADMEN

1. A businessman decided he wanted to make a million pounds. He was no good as a salesman, and was making a loss of £100 each day. Nevertheless he ploughed on optimistically hoping that despite making a loss each day he could still get to the £1,000,000 mark.

2. A mountaineer decided that he would try to climb a mountain, but thought he would try a different way to others. Instead of going upwards, he decided he would go around the mountain and sometimes take a step downwards. After several hours trying this he was further from the top than when he started, but kept going, optimistically hoping that he would eventually get to the top by his revolutionary new method.

3. Another man had a photograph that was slightly imperfect. In an attempt to make it perfect he took a photocopy of it. Then he took a second copy of the first copy. Then he took a third copy of the second copy. And so on. Every time he took a copy the next copy he got was slightly worse than the previous copy, and was looking less and less like the original. Still, he pressed on, hoping that eventually he would get a copy that was better than the original.

4. A scientist came up with a novel idea to try to create human life. He knew that DNA could be compared to a "computer programme for life", and that human DNA contained vast amounts of information whereas the DNA of a simple creature like an amoeba contained less. He decided he would start with an amoeba, and introduce mutations into its reproductive mechanism. Every time he did this the information was lost or damaged, and he had less useful information than before. Nevertheless he decided he would persevere with his system and hope that eventually he would get enough DNA to produce a human being.

Which of the four men described above would reach their goal?
ANSWER: NONE OF THEM

So why does the Church of England feel it needs to apologise to the racist Nazi Charles Darwin who thought God might have followed the method of no.4?

Peter

Also check out Was Darwin a racist Nazi?
3 Comments
HOW CAN AN ATHEIST BE A FREETHINKER? Sep 12, 2008 2:29 pm
318 Views
It always strikes me as ironic that atheists describe themselves as "freethinkers", which is an indirect insult to religious people, especially Christians, who are thought of as being 'brainwashed' and unable to think for themselves.

If God did not exist, then we would all be nothing but collections of atoms that have no option but to move in accordance with scientific laws. Under this scenario our thoughts are not in fact real but illusions which reflect the motion of those atoms which make up our brains. In other words, if atheism is correct then we have no freedom whatsoever to think what we want - our thoughts are predetermined by the laws of science!

Christians are made in God's image, and one of the aspects of that image is the ability to think for ourselves that God has clearly given to us. So we are the ones who ought to claim the title of "free thinkers". The fact that we CAN think freely is a VERY strong piece of evidence of God's existence.

Peter
10 Comments
LIFE ON MARS? MY REVELATION MOMENT Sep 8, 2008 10:35 am
357 Views
"Life On Mars" is the title of a TV Drama series that has been on the British screens in the last year or two. I did not watch it when it was first on but because many of my friends said it was brilliant I bought the DVD box set and have started watching it this week. It is about a police officer {Sam Tiler} who has a nasty car accident and wakes up back in 1973! {The title of the series comes from the David Bowie song "Life On Mars?" which was in the pop charts in that year}.

Sam finds himself working with the Manchester police who are obviously using 1970s police methods. There is a huge contrast between Sam's training in modern procedures and a teamwork ethic, and the instinctive, individualistic, often politically incorrect attitudes of his new colleagues.

I found myself thinking about the message that was being conveyed, and in the middle of one episode had what I can only describe as a "revelation" moment. Hear me out and see what you think.

I have recently been for an interview for a job with a Government department. My brother has done this several times so I asked him what to expect. He told me most of the questions would be aimed at assessing my ability to work as part of a team. For the last 18 years I have worked as a teacher and was well aware of the 'teamwork' ethos in education, so this did not surprise me.

But is there a trend here? We have cop shows deriding personal initiative and promoting superiority of teamwork. We have public service workers being trained to follow procedure and resist the temptation to take unilateral action. In the church we have an emphasis on being part of a 'body' and submitting to leaders and those who express disagreement are censured for 'gossiping'. Much {but not all} of this is correct and right and I do not have a problem with.

But we see an ever advancing march in the world towards globalisation in the economic and political senses. We read the Bible and see that we should expect a world government under the AntiChrist that will tolerate no dissent, backed up by a One World Religon under the 'false prophet' will similar lack of tolerance for dissent. So the question I am asking is:

ARE WE HAVING INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE DRUMMED OUT OF US?

ARE WE BEING SET UP FOR THE REIGN OF THE ANTICHRIST?

I would be interested to know what you all think about my 'revelation' moment.

Peter
13 Comments
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Most Recent Comments by Others
PostPosterPost Date
Cats!! What are they good for?longing4moreOct 12 8:00 pm
What's all the fuss about?Noah235Oct 8 6:49 am
LIFE ON MARS? MY REVELATION MOMENTNoah235Oct 6 12:59 am
HOW CAN AN ATHEIST BE A FREETHINKER?Noah235Oct 1 1:13 pm
Law and Grace; Jesus & PaulNoah235Sep 30 10:45 am
Let's take back the moral high ground!anelehSep 26 7:31 pm
Was Darwin a racist Nazi?PrettyLady35Sep 18 4:58 pm
Church of England owes Darwin an apology??Noah235Sep 17 11:00 am
IS "OMG" ACCEPTABLE?Noah235Sep 11 3:22 pm
ONLY JESUS CHRIST IS WORTHY OF OUR TRUSTnorthernlassSep 7 12:13 pm
WAITING ON THE LORD {Updated}clearwatermailSep 4 5:16 pm