Michael Finnegan

Begin again!

[are you familiar with the rhyme? Google it! LOL :)]

This is where I am with my Christian walk.  I feel I'm back at the beginning.  But unlike Michael Finnegan I'm hoping this is my only begin again!  Having left a cultish church I am determined to get back to basics.  Right back to Jesus. No more mediator other than Christ.

Something that has excited me recently is the story Mephibosheth.

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”

“Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honour.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“At your service,” he replied.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

~2 Samuel 9: 1-8

Why did David offer such favour to Mephibosheth?  Because of a covenant he made with Jonathan, Mephibosheth's father:

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself ~ 1 Samuel 18:3.

How does that relate to me? God shows kindness to me for the sake of the new covenant made in Christ's blood.  I say, "Who am I that God would notice a dead dog like me?"  God says, "You will always receive My favour and you will always eat at My table".  What did I do to merit this? Nothing, it was all done on the cross of Jesus Christ, and because of that I will always eat at the table of the Lord. So simple. Rest for the soul.

The simplicity of the gospel can be lost in many churches, may I never forget it.

Happy day.

It was lovely to see people still reading here!  It made me happy to see the comments, lol. :)

As I said, I haven't blogged here for a while for personal reasons. It's been good to take time out, to get my head straight about a few things, to take a little private time at a 'secret' blog.  But I don't want to delete this one.  I've taken time out from blogging in the past, for various reasons, and deleted old blogs and have always, after some time, regretted it.

So I've made a decision [long pause in the style of Pop Idol final] and I'm going to keep this blog up.  How often I'll blog I don't know, things are busy, busy.

I've been working through a lot of things.

I've learned a lot of things.

Life has been such a transition since leaving our church last June.

It is hard to describe...but the legacy of being part of a cultish environment has taken it's toll spiritually, emotionally and even physically.

But it's been beautiful to rediscover Jesus all over again.

Freedom is a wonderful thing.

p.s. I loved this preach by Adrian Rogers:

Freedom from the Performance Trap

I'm baaaack!  Well, not quite.  I took some time away from this blog for personal reasons.  I might post here again, I might not.  I've been writing privately elsewhere, but I do have affection for this blog.

I wonder if anyone still reads here? :)

Living Faith

"[T]here is enough loveliness, enough beauty, enough love in this world — enough food in this world —- if we would just share...

[T]he problem of evil in the world isn’t a problem for proof of God —- but a problem of our own turned-in hearts...when we turn our heart outward — we in turn bear testimony to the loving existence of God, of the body of Christ right here…"
~Ann Voskamp

I'm studying the book of James at the minute and have just worked through Chapter 2.  The above quote taken from Ann Voskamp's recent post spoke to me especially because of what I had been meditating on in God's Word.

James speaks of that love in action.  The fruit of faith.  I ought not love anyone for what they can do for me, but simply because God loves them and so I must love.  To care for the poor and brethren who are not able to meet their own needs.  To show mercy because I serve a merciful God.  To have a faith, not of mere intellectual assent ('for even the demons believe') but a living faith in Christ.

It is our living faith that shows the world we serve a living God.  He most certainly exists and He most certainly cares.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
~ Philippians 3:17-21

Distressing times

Hillsborough Memorial, Flickr

I do cry easily, if I see someone else crying I cry.  If I watch a programme where people are distressed I cry.

The Hillsborough Disaster occurred on 15th April 1989, 96 Liverpool Football Club fans were crushed to death at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday's Football club's ground (Hillsborough).

I remember watching the images on TV, where I couldn't breathe for distress at those poor people, many of them were children, being crushed behind those big metal fences that football grounds used to have.

Hubs was going to go to that match with a friend and his dad, but his mom said no at the last minute and so he didn't.  The one time a young lad is glad his mother said no.

Today thousands of government papers are being released and an independent inquiry's report into those documents will be revealed.  The families of the victims are still unhappy with the accidental death verdict. As yet, no organisation has been held to account, though reports have shown that the disaster was at least in part caused by a lack of police control...and those awful metal fences penning people in like animals.

So painful for those families who cannot find peace.  And that's my prayer, that justice be done (whatever that may be, for God knows all), and that these families are able to find peace and resolution at long last.

9/11 Memorial

Yesterday it was 9/11.  This is another human disaster that sticks in my memory so clearly.  I was at my mum's, with my tiny baby Chatterbox, when the breaking news came.  Even now when I watch programmes about it I can barely breathe.  The human cost both to the victims and their family and friends.  So distressing.  I've been praying for those families and friends of the victims - and those who escaped from the falling towers but still suffer physical and psychological sickness as a result.

Oh, a day is coming...

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
(Revelation 21:1-4)

Come Lord Jesus!

(Scriptures from NIV)

God's Rest

“God never asked us to meet life's pressures and demands on our own terms or by relying upon our own strength. Nor did He demand that we win His favor by assembling an impressive portfolio of good deeds. Instead, He invites us to enter His rest.” ― Charles R. Swindoll

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” ― Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions of Saint Augustine

Think on the good things of God.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
~ Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)

Someone read this out in church today and it really spoke to me, particularly the part that I have highlighted.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!