To know everything you would have to be God by Nathan Jukes

Do you worry with not knowing about what’s going on in the world? It seems to be coming more and more that we hear about something bad on the news. We should not worry about it, but trust God.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is it more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not valuable than they? Can anyone of you add a single hour to his life?  Matthew 6:25-27.

That verse clearly shows that God will provide for us. We do not need to worry about tomorrow, what we will eat or drink, God already knows. By worrying you can’t add a single hour to your life. A life spend worrying would be a loss of life just worrying.  Even we knew that something bad may happen we should not worry. But we still do not know what will happen from one day to the next. We really don’t need to know but trust in God because he knows. To know what’s going to happen every day all the time you would have to be God, Only God knows everything.  I don’t always understand some things that God allows to happen. I don’t need to under why, because I know God is in control. I don’t always understand God and I’m ok with that, because he always understands me. 

Through faith, anything is possible - By Jack Lewis

In life, there are many things that we say are "impossible." There are things that the laws of science and logic tell us can't be done, and, as humans, we tend to follow the pattern of thought that tells us that there is a limit to what we can do with most things; however, that's not in line with what the Bible says. In Luke 1:37, the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that "Nothing will be impossible with God." (ESV)  He doesn't say "Few things are impossible with God," he says "nothing."     

Another place in the Bible that I would like to point out, is Mark 11:20-25. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had cursed a fig tree, and when the disciples passed by it the following day, they noticed that it had withered to it's roots. When they asked Jesus about it he replied,  “Have faith in God, truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea", and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them." Surely that must make us think, "Wow, we have more power then we could ever dream of!"

After reading this verse, one of the questions we are left with is  Why can't I see such spectacular miracles happen, why can't I walk down the street every day and turn all the  cars into dust?" There are three main possible answers: 1. We already do see spectacular miracles. I have heard of or seen many of these happen before, ranging from people having broken bones healed instantly to demons being driven out of people. Even things that we can't see, such as someone gaining a sense of peace that they have been craving, is a miracle, we just don't notice it. Also I expect most Christians have seen someone praying in tongues, it's actually a really common thing; and its also a miracle. So the first thing I would say is that if we actually looked around we would realize just how many miracles are actually happening! 2. We try and do miracles through our own power, not through God's. On our own, we are just as powerless as anyone else, so when hoping and praying for a miracle, remember that it must come through God's power, not ours. 3. God won't allow it to happen if he does not want it to, so if you pray for the world to explode, then you might find out the hard way that God won't answer this sort of prayer!

The shoe boxes and changing the blog post days to Monday and Thursday. By Nathan Jukes

Sorry today we have not got a real blog post. As some of you may know we have started doing Tuesday blog posts as well as the Friday ones. My good friend Jack Lewis can't do Fridays and Tuesdays. So we are going to change to Mondays and Thursdays. The other thing is, in our Church we have been doing shoe boxes. We did 126 this year, 126 children this year will get something for Christmas.  They may not have got anything if people all over the world had not helped to make their Christmas a happy one.

Jesus understands, he's been through it himself - By Jack Lewis

Many times in life, while we are going through hard times, we think to ourselves, "No one understands what I am feeling like inside”; well, Jesus does, not only because he is "All knowing," but also because he experienced it first hand. He wanted to relate to us so much that he became one of us. When he was growing up he did the same things as any other human children; after all, he didn't spend his whole life teaching and doing miracles, in fact he started off as a carpenter working with his dad. So the day to day things that get us down, Jesus probably went through himself. He was probably bullied from time to time, he almost certainly went through illnesses, he probably had troubled thoughts and worries, he would have had arguments with his brothers, he would have had bumps and bruises from falling, and he wouldn't have been a spoilt child who had everything he wanted. And if that doesn't convince you that he understands your situations, then remember he could have used his "God powers," and given himself an easy and perfect life; but he decided instead to endure it all in the same way as us, so doesn't that make it obvious how much he loves you? He also went through death, and no peaceful death either; and before that he was flogged and made fun of, proof that he went through pain and times of people laughing at him.

One particular incident that I would like to look at is Jesus carrying his cross. It is recorded in all four gospels, (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19), and is proof of just how human Jesus chose to became. While carrying the cross up to Calvary, he fell twice under the weight of it, and a man named Simon had to carry his cross for him. There is nothing in this to suggest that he used his "God powers" to become the world's strongest man and carry the cross around with him as if it was made out of cardboard! Also note that this was during the time of Jesus’ miracles, it wasn't like he was still in the stages of preparing for his ministries, in fact only a few days before he had healed the Roman soldier’s ear. (Luke 22:51)

In summary, just remember in every situation "Jesus went through this too, so he understands how I feel and if I ask he will give me the strength to cope!"     

    

Jesus is our Shepherd by Nathan Jukes

Jesus is the good shepherd he will lead us through life. Through the ups and downs he will always to there for us. Even if we go astray, he will come and find us and take us back to the good green grass.  Some times like sheep we see what looks like nice green grass. That looks even better than the nice green grass that is in the shepherd’s field.  Then we look for a hole in the fence go through into the field that looks so good, full of the riches grass. We take a few bites of it a walks on down the field with not noticing that the grass is becoming shorter and starker. Then we come to a dark wood, but we don’t stop we go into it because we have seen some more nice looking grass. After we have eaten it we try to remember the way back. We are like sheep at the point, with no brains and keep walking even deeper down into the dark woods. It is getting dark we get scare, we can’t we the way out. We get count up in some brambles. It is then that we cry for help. Back at the field the shepherd counts the sheep, there is one missing so he leaves the rest to come and find it. When he is still a long way of he hears your cries for help, He runs to you picks you up out of the brambles cutting his hands as he does.  Then he puts you his shoulder and takes you back to the field with rich grass, back with the other sheep. You are home again, back with the shepherd.

Now when the sheep see the green grass that looks even greener then he already got. It’s a lot like temptation. The sheep just wants that grass so much that he goes after it. We sometimes like the sheep get tempted to do something wrong.

After we come through the hole in the fence the grass is nice for a bit, because Sin gives pleasure for a while.

After a while we get caught up in so much sin that we need someone to get us out of it. The sheep would need the shepherd , we would need Jesus to save us.  If we cry out to Jesus he will come and get us back as would the shepherd come you get the sheep. Then he will come and pick us up and take us back to him. 

Oops, misprint!! By Jack Lewis

Usually in this blog we write about slightly more serious subjects, but this week I thought I’d share with you a story I found in the newspaper, and thought it was rather amusing. Basically, it’s about Bible printers who have just slightly misprinted what they were planning to write…

•         “Printers have persecuted me without a cause.” (Should be “Princes have persecuted me without a cause.”) Psalm 119:161 
•         “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (Should be “Shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”) 1 Corinthians 6:9
•         “Thou shalt commit adultery.” (Should rather obviously be, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”) Exodus 20:14
•         “Blessed are the placemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Should be “peacemakers”) Matthew 5:9
•         “Go and sin on more.” (Should be “Go and sin no more.”) John 8:11

And finally my favourite…

        

• “Let the children be first killed.” (Should be “Let the children be first filled.”) Mark 7:27

Well there you have it, a collection of Bible bloopers! As for the last one, if the government wants to find a way to prevent overcrowding on this planet…

Making time for God 2 by Nathan Jukes

Several months back I wrote a post on making time for God. I want to come back it as I feel it’s is a really imported thing to do. How can you grow spirally if you don’t spend time with God every day? There is no better way to get to know God than reading his word.  I have found not reading my bible in the pass draws me away, it made me angry and more likely to hurt other people with my words and my actions. Keeping close to God makes it easily to become more like his son Jesus. As Christian goal should be to be like Jesus, I believe the more we read our bibles the more we should take in the closer we should become to God. If you feel after reading your bible for a long time and don’t ever fell close to God, then maybe you should rethink the way you do it. If you are doing it with a set time that you always have to it on that exactly time. You can it anytime a day God does not take naps or just can’t be bothered to spend time with you, it more the other way around I’ve had times when I hadn’t been bothered to read my bible and pray. I always do now because I want a relationship with God.  I enjoy reading my bible now, it took time to build up to everyday so don’t worry if the start with you can’t manage every day. If you wait and try your best you’ll be able to do it every day. Spending time with should not about being relish but wanting to get to know God better. You don’t even have to decide how long you are going to read it for, it will really dement on how much you want to read it. For me I just keep reading until I feel like I’m going to fall asleep, as I read my bible before I go to bed. I’ve heard the saying if you read your bible for 5 minutes a day you’re a ok Christian. 15 minutes and you’re doing pretty good, if you spend 30 minutes God you’re a super Christian. Don’t base your bible reading on this, not everyone will have 30 minutes a day to spend with God. A good reaction of what you are learning should come off in your daily life. If you’re a Christian and people can’t tell that you are, you’re doing it wrong. Also don’t act like it’s some great sacrifice to make time for God. God made the time so you act like you haven’t God enough time for God, it makes it seem like the other things in your life is more important.  Spending time with God should be less of an obligation and more of a privilege.  God made everything so what a privilege to spend time with him.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105