Thought-provoking Conversation

I'm currently reading a book called Conversation, by Theodore Zeldin. In it, Zeldin makes the point that conversation can change the way we perceive the world, and even change the world. It's a powerful supposition, don't you think? And here we are in an era where, more than any previous era, we have the resources to converse with people from well beyond our own community, nation or culture. As Zeldin puts it, "Conversation is a meeting of minds with different memories and habits. When minds meet, they don't just exchange facts: they transform them, reshape them, draw different implications from them, engage in new trains of thought. Conversation doesn't just reshuffle the cards: it creates new cards. That's the part that interests me. That's where I find the excitement. It's like a spark that two minds create."*

The following post is from a conversation in email correspondence between a friend, Andrew Wouldham, and myself. Andrew has given his permission to reproduce it here. Andrew's words are in blue. The conversation began with an email from Andrew attaching the first draft of his latest piece of thought-provoking creative writing entitled:


A CHILLING THOUGHT

Imagine you’re standing in an ice cream parlour and a well dressed young man walks up to you as you purchase your raspberry ripple.

“There is only one perfect flavour of ice cream and that is vanilla”. He says.

“Pardon”? You say.

“For your own sake you must eat no flavour other than vanilla”.

“What makes you say that”? You ask.

“Other flavours contain carcinogens; you risk a slow death should you eat them”.

“Why vanilla then”? You enquire.

“Vanilla ice cream is perfect and pure”.

“Why are you picking on me”? You puzzle.

“Your health is at risk and you must be saved”.

“Thanks for the warning but I’m happy with raspberry ripple”. You finish.

“Then I have no choice. You must not suffer a lingering death and you can not be allowed to poison the minds of others with your wilfully misplaced preferences”

He draws a gun and shoots you dead and then proceeds to execute anyone else in the parlour he finds eating flavours other than vanilla. For good measure he shoots the proprietor dead so that he may not sell anyone his tainted products.

Breaking news the following day details the horrific events at the ice cream parlour but ends with the good news that the perpetrator was detained. It subsequently comes out that he has been removed to a secure hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Imagine you’re minding your own business in a newsagent’s shop and a well dressed young man walks up to you as you browse the bottom shelf.

“There is only one true god and his name is Arthur”. He says.

“Pardon”? You say.

“For your own sake you must worship no god other than Arthur”.

“What makes you say that”? You ask.

“Your soul is at risk if you worship false gods”.

“Why Arthur then”? You enquire.

“Arthur is the one true god”.

“Why are you picking on me”? You puzzle.

“Your soul is at risk and you must be saved”.

“Thanks for the concern but I’m happy with my own beliefs”. You finish.

“Then I have no choice. Your soul must be saved and you can not be allowed to poison the minds of others with your wilfully misplaced beliefs”.

He draws a gun and shoots you dead and then proceeds to execute anyone else in the shop he finds who does not immediately convert to the worship of Arthur. For good measure he shoots the proprietor dead for selling literature that may lead the minds of others from the true faith.

Breaking news reports this as a terrorist incident perpetrated by a religious extremist. In later programming discussion is entered into regarding the dogma and interpretation of the Arthurian religion and how it may give rise to extremism.


Please consider: What similarities? What differences?

My response:

Hi Andrew

Yes, your piece certainly set me thinking.

When someone says something to us with the intent to change our behaviour, there are several questions to which we are likely to want an answer, amongst them being:

- what motivates this person?
- is what they are saying true?

If we don't know the answers to these questions, then it is likely that we will take a judgment based on various assumptions - and this judgment is going to be affected by our own experience of life, by our personality, by our own beliefs, interests, values, expectations, attitudes, prejudices, etc.

The fact that the young man is 'well dressed' would reassure most people initially - the opposite of the stereotypical 'nutter'

[When you introduce the 'well dressed young man', you don't state he is a stranger. The reader might picture someone they know ... and this might affect their reading, so for example if I imagined the well dressed young man was my son, with our long-standing history of me encouraging him to eat healthy foods and go easy on the unhealthy foods, then the opening paragraphs take on a whole different meaning (friendly, jokey) to being addressed thus by a stranger.]

You ask 'What similarities? What differences?'

Seems to me the similarities are in the crime and in the fact that both individuals described in your piece are in a state where the balance of the mind is disturbed. The normal inhibitions that prevent us going round killing people who don't conform to our thinking are inoperative in your two characters.

In your piece, the difference is in the response society makes to the crime and to the unhinged individual. In the first, there is understanding that the person is deranged and needs help - that his mental health is being attacked from within and psychiatric intervention is necessary. In the second, this understanding is not so apparent. Thinking about it, seems like you have a valid point. Would it be better in our society if religious fanaticism were 'treated'? Bearing in mind the results of the BBC Prison Study (in that magazine** you lent me), it struck me that maybe it gives a clue to the way to de-programme religious fanaticism - if a true adherent of the faith (as I understand it, all the major religions value human life) were to appear to be a fellow prisoner and worked through the faith's scriptures and true values of the religion, there would be a greater chance of achieving the sort of rapport that would enable the de-programming, for the benefit of the individual's mental health and for the benefit of society. Would it also be better for society if the 'religious extremism' point were not made - as it has that unfortunate effect of destabilising society and creating rancour against individuals who may be peaceful, healthy, well-adjusted members of society, good citizens, yet adherents to a faith being smeared by the actions of a few?

I mentioned above those questions - motivation and truth - and naturally I spent some time thinking about your own motivation in writing this piece and sending it with a request for specific feedback. Perhaps one of the unspoken questions in your mind concerns the similarities and differences in Christian evangelism.

One of the differences between the examples in your piece and Christian evangelism is that the Christian is seeking to share Good News - the news that there is a loving God who longs to have a relationship with us; that there is the freedom of forgiveness, there is love, peace, hope and joy awaiting those who turn to Christ and accept his offer to buy us back from our slavery to sin. Life in all its fullness - NOW! The Christian evangelist isn't seeking to sell a doctrine or dogma out of insecurity, or out of a need to win points to buy 'pie in the sky' - the Christian evangelist rather issues the invitation out of love: Come and meet Jesus - receive the free gift that he offers, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life to help you in all situations. The motivation is love - love for the other person - and the desire to see the whole of Creation set free from evil, to see honesty, truth, justice, righteousness and love triumph. To see the 'healing of the nations' become a reality.

The question about whether the Christian gospel is true demands more time than I shall give it in this email - which is why I keep trying to encourage you to join an Alpha course. However, I can testify to the transforming power of God's love since I invited Him into my life.

I used to feel very lonely at times as a child - but looking back, it was to do with feeling isolated, alienated, ostracized, ashamed, guilty ... ratherthan to do with being alone. It was about not feeling accepted, feeling unworthy, unloved, unloveable. For much of my adult life things weren't much better, even though on the surface things got better. Looking back at that, I can definitely recognize how the choices I made affected how lonely I felt. Being alone was a relief. Being with other people emphasised the feelings of loneliness, which I have been known to define as 'the distance between who I am and who others perceive me to be'. Can you understand that? The idea that the 'real me' is unacceptable and in order to receive the acceptance and approval of others, I have to pretend to be someone I'm not, someone that fits in with another person's view of what's ok? I'll give you a silly example - I had a friend who had very strong opinions on what was right and what was wrong, and at some point I can remember her saying to me in horror-struck tones, "You don't hoover your kitchen, do you?" and me immediately denying that I hoovered my kitchen even though I did, regularly, and didn't even begin tounderstand why she might consider it such a terrible thing to do! I had developed an unhealthy personal value system, not understanding that lying, stealing and cheating were having an adverse effect on the 'inner me', the 'real me'. Amazingly I still thought I was a 'good person' - after all, I hadn't murdered anyone, and so far as I was concerned, my 'good deeds' no doubt outweighed my bad. The turning point came when I finally acknowledged somewhere deep inside that I WASN'T a 'good' person, much as I might want to be. Only then was the transforming power of God's forgiveness able to reach into my life and set me free from the things that were keeping me in that lonely place, hiding away inside myself. Only then was the transforming power of God's love able to reach into my life and affirm the 'real' me, and lead me to a place where I have learned to enjoy the company of other people, learned to love them.

Trish

Trish, Thanks. The intent of the piece was to do with the state of balance in the mind of the individual. Though largly, I admit, triggered by the issues with Muslim fanatisism (since that seems to be running rampant at the moment) I was concerned with the state regardless of religious affiliation and was not 'having a go' at Christian Evangelism, or even Islam, specifically. The comments on 'stranger' were interesting it may be as well if I make that specific. But the real crux was beautifully described when you came to the differences. It was this I was wondering about. To my mind the incidents are in essence the same but we do treat them differently. The question is why? I was also wondering, as you indicated, if it would be better to ignore the context of the criminals beliefs and deal just with the crime itself. Would we have the current climate of Islamophobia if the terrorists were labelled terrorists and not Muslim terrorists? Taking it further, are over zealous political views similar? The second world war and the rise of Nazism spring to mind, with all the horrors that envoked.

Would I be being cynical if I said, 'emphasising these details sells newspapers'?

I concur that a true adherant would have a better chance of 'deprogramming' a fanatic. I suspect they would simply dismiss atheistic individuals as less than worthy of listening to.

As to the individual's motivation and the truth of what they say. Does it really matter if what they say is true? Do they have the right to impose their view on anyone else? Motivated they clearly are but is their direction correct?

'The distance between who I am and who others perceive me to be'. A wonderful description and I can relate to it greatly. A lot of my adult life has been about how others perceive me and presenting an acceptable front to the world. Playing the part of a constable didn't help, after all people have (or at least I believe people have) certain expectations of their police.

Thanks for your thoughts.


Andrew

Hi Andrew


No, I didn't think you were 'having a go' at Christian evangelism, but I thought the points worth making anyway.

Yes, when thinking about the emphasis the media may give to the context of the criminals' beliefs, the more I find myself questioning whether only evil is served by this. It may lead to stigmatizing a group unfairly. Plus I had the mental image of other terrrorists celebrating the publicity of the crime and maybe thus imprinting other impressionable minds that such atrocity is to be praised.

I think you've missed the point with regards whether something is true or not. Agreed, we have free will - the point is not about whether something is true or not giving one the right to impose it on another in this instance (although of course when you were a constable, that would have been a key point!!!), the point is more to do with responsibility and response.

Research has produced evidence that smoking is harmful to health. There is now a legal obligation upon the tobacco companies to make that truth known each time they sell a packet of cigarettes. A rational response upon learning that truth would be to consider whether one wanted to ignore that truth and smoke anyway. Worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth brings the Christian to the point where he or she is asked to consider that his or her body is a 'Temple of the Holy Spirit' - is it a loving response to my body to do things to it which are not in my body's best interests? I am called to love others as I love myself - and if I haven't understood how to love myself, it will make it difficult for me to love others.

In your two scenarios, on each occasion the conversation wobbles off a rational course with the childish question "Why are you picking on me?" Perhaps you are emphasising that we are all fallible human beings here, I'm not sure. It did remind me of the line from a song I often listen to describing mankind as 'rushing helter-skelter to destruction with his fingers in his ears'.***

So to look at the first scenario, you make the point that the young man is 'well dressed'. He then produces information that suggests that the product is harmful to health. There is no indication that the shopkeeper intervenes at this point to chase him out of the shop or indicate in any way that this young man does not have a right to approach customers and provide this health warning. What is an appropriate response when someone provides information which helps us make a healthy choice over an unhealthy choice? Perhaps "Thanks for that - tell me more. What are the statistics?" (In other words, 'give me more information so that I can better assess my choices') or alternatively in your scenario perhaps to appeal to the shopkeeper: "Is this true? Who is this guy?"

If we love others and we know a way that promises better quality of life, do we have a responsibility to offer the other person the information which will help them make a better informed choice?

If we love ourselves, don't we have a responsibility to consider our choices and seek further information to better ascertain to what extent something is true?

That was more what I was getting at when I indicated that a person's motives in saying something and whether it was true would be important questions to consider if someone is aiming to change our attitudes or behaviour.

Hope this helps.

Trish

* "Conversation" by Theodore Zeldin published by The Harvill Press p 14

**Scientific American Mind Issue Volume 18 number 4, article on The New Psychology of Leadership

***"Adam" by Don Francisco:
Unashamed and naked in a garden that has never seen the rain,
Rulers of a kingdom, full of joy -- never marred by any pain,
The morning all around them seems to celebrate the life they've just begun;
And in the majesty of innocence the king and queen come walking in the sun
But the master of deception now begins with his dissection of the Word
And with all his craft and subtlety the serpent twists the simple truth they've heard,
While hanging in the balance is a world that has been placed at their command
And all their unborn children die as both of them bow down to Satan's hand.
And just before the evening in the cool of the day,
They hear the voice of God as He is walking
But they can't abide His presence now,
so they try to hide away;
But still they hear the sound as He is calling:
"Adam, Adam, where are you?
Adam, Adam, where are you?
Adam, Adam, where are you?"
In the stifling heat of summer now the gardener and his wife are in the field
And it seems that thorns and thistles are the only crop his stuggles ever yield
He eats his meals in sorrow 'til he sinks in to the dust whence he came
But all down through the ages he can hear his Maker calling out his name.
"Adam, Adam, where are you?
Adam, Adam, where are you?"
And though the curse has long been broken
Adams' sons are still the prisoners of their fears
Rushing helter skelter to destruction with their fingers in their ears
While the Father's voice is calling with an urgency I've never heard before
"Won't you come in from the darkness now before it's time to finally close the door!"
"Adam, Adam, where are you?Adam, Adam, where are you?Adam, Adam, I love you!"

Poster spotted in office

All targets met

All systems working

All customers satisfied

All staff eager and enthusiastic

All pigs fed and ready to fly.

Image courtesy of: http://www.k-state.edu/udguidesite/gx/flying_pigs.jpg

"And pray in the Spirit ..."

One of the useful habits Selwyn Hughes encourages Christians to develop is to keep a notebook with your Bible and to jot down the questions that come to us as we read. Yesterday I made the following entry:
Eph. 6:18 "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests ..." Wondering what that phrase, 'pray in the Spirit' means. Spirit is capitalized - does it therefore mean the Holy Spirit?

Today I was thinking about this again, and also about what it means to worship God 'in spirit and in truth'. I tried googling this phrase and came across an article by Mike Taylor of his teaching on this very subject as presented to NFI Walworth in February 2000.
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/xian/worship.html

Heartened by this success, I then googled the phrase "and pray in the Spirit" and came across some more helpful teaching, suggesting that praying in the spirit doesn't necessarily mean praying in tongues (that interpretation had crossed my mind), but rather contrasts with 'praying in the flesh' - in other words, what is behind our prayers? Are we praying for show? Is it prompted by some sort of mindless religious habit? Or is our prayer prompted by the Holy Spirit, with our mind conformed to the Spirit of grace and truth, in all humility and sincerity?

It seems that praying in the Spirit might be in tongues or it might be in our own language, but it is prayer that is guided by the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness. The Holy Spirit knows the issues in our lives, and knows our needs. He also knows God's perfect will for us and intercedes for us. When we sing praises to God and worship Him out loud, or invite the Holy Spirit to fill us and guide us in prayer and praise, we are drawing near to God and we are promised that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Prayer in the Spirit will be characterized by the joy and power of the Holy Spirit.

A wise man once said that before we open our mouths to speak, it is helpful to ask ourselves three questions:

1) Is what I am about to say true?
2) Am I going to say it in such a way that will build up and not tear down? This could relate to a situation or a person. (So often the language we use can be very destructive, and indeed the very way we use it helps create the 'meaning ' of what is going on).
3) If I am speaking about another person who is not present, would I be willing to say it in their presence?

I think these three questions are also pertinent when we are speaking to God.

The Presence of God

I picked up a handful of books to read on holiday, and began with "I dared to call Him Father" by Bilquis Sheikh, the true story of a Pakistani noblewoman who searched for God and was called through dreams by John the Baptist and Jesus into the Kingdom. Bilquis shares her journey, learning the delight of resting in God's presence and how to remain in His presence. This set the stage nicely for the next book I turned to, Selwyn Hughes' "Understanding the Presence of God". I can recommend both of these to anyone looking to deepen her discipleship. Meanwhile I continued to read through the New Testament. Sunday morning, the day of my journey home, I read Acts chapter 18, stopping when I reached verse 18: 'Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.' This last sentence particularly caught my attention and my curiosity. I thought about Jesus saying that we shouldn't swear but to let our yes be yes and our no to mean no. (Matthew 5:33-37). Ok, Paul probably hadn't been present in body at the Sermon on the Mount so hadn't physically heard Jesus speak these words, but nonetheless one gathers Jesus gave him a pretty thorough grounding in the Spirit – yet here was Paul making a vow which seemed important enough for the writer to include in the narrative, yet not so important we're told what the vow was. "So what was that all about, Lord?" I asked, and left the question with Him.

Sunday evening I went to the Prayer Meeting at the Beacon. Simon began by reading Psalm 76 and inviting everyone to say aloud what had caught their attention in the Psalm. For me, it was the first part of verse 11: 'Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfil them;' - I explained about my reading from Acts and the question I'd had. Mercedes' attention had also been drawn to this verse, and she brought some words of wisdom from Ecclesiastes 5:5: 'It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfil it.'

All this talk about vows set me wondering: had I made a vow and not kept it, perhaps? Was this a gentle reminder, a gentle prompting from the Spirit? Even as I asked the question inwardly, a rush of joy bubbled up and the memory came to mind of a time nearly 30 years ago when I promised God that if I could meet a man to whom I could imagine being married, then I would worship Him as He wanted to be worshipped. God had done His part within a year, but at last here I was, with a sincere heart worshipping God, and His Spirit was affirming to me that my vow was fulfilled. Into my mind came the words "Your healing is complete". Alleluia!

On a lighter note...

LOL credit here has run out so will blog the rest when I get home (unlessI really really want to and then I will get more credit!)

I will fear no evil...

I am reminded of Acts 5:15

Where people placed their sick ones in Peter's shadow, such was the power of God upon and in Peter that even his shadow was used by God!

When we are under the protection of a God such as this, we have no need to fear evil.

We musn't fear evil in man either:

Proverbs 29:25

Fear of man will prove to be a snare but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

I wrote a prayer in one of the most darkest periods of my life, I want to share it with you:

The darkness does not have the upper hand,
So, I will not avenge the darkness.
Instead, the vengence belongs to The Lord.

I have learnt that my vengeance is angry, is cruel, is selfish,
God's vengeance is righteous and pure.

I want to bring hurt and pain,
But God wants to cleanse from sin and bring peace.

My vengeance is dark - darkness cannot fight darkness, for they are on the same side,
God's vengeance brings light to darkness,
The darkness is powerless and has no where to hide,
Darkness is defeated by God's light.

I will trust in God's light,
I have a new life now and I will see it as exciting.

Lord Jesus, sometimes I feel that the darkness has the upper hand,
Sometimes I feel it's strong pull,
Sometimes I feel it calling me,
"Christina, Christina, look over here, look at the things you have lost. There is no hope for the future, you have too many ties to the past."

I ask you Jesus, quell that dark voice,
Deafen me to it's call,
Replace the anxiety it brings with peace.

I will remind the darkness that the blood of Jesus prevails over it.

I will remind the darkness that neither money nor possesions have any hold over me.

The truth is, I have no ties to the past,
For the past has been broken by the blood of Jesus.

I have no need to feel anxious,
I have hope in God,
In Jesus, my Lord.

My future is set before me,
My Jesus leads me,
I will not stumble,
Thought the ground may give way or the storms may gust.

My Lord Jesus upholds me and gives me strength.

I have lost nothing, but I have gained all I need.

But, the ground will not always give way and the storms will not always gust,
Therefore I do have hope for my future,
There is always hope found in Jesus.

Amen

Even though I walk through the shadow of death...

In Isaiah it reads:

'I would have perished under my affliction, if it wasn't for your law.'



God has a law - the law of life.



The universe lives by the law of life, it's a simple law; one law.



It speaks, 'Everything is under and by my authority,' Thus sayeth the Lord.



I look back to all I have been through. I know everyone has a story and one day I shall tell you mine. I think about the language used here and here are some thoughts.


'lived':

Learned, experienced, gained wisdom in, as a result of.

'Through':

Not left behind, no barrier or blockage but a steady way through, passing entrance and exit.

'Perish':

To be crushed under the weight of. To be worn out of use of. Exhausting a resource, to die, to exist no more.

It was by God's law of authority that I 'lived through' my afflictions. God authorised my journey with no detours, he allowed all that happened...

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps

... and I am wiser, more able and mature as a result of this.

I regret nothing, only seeing how God turns all things round, for our good and his glory.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

' I would have perished under my afflictions, if it wasn't for your law.'

Thankyou God for your law.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake...

The girls and I are having a marvelous time here on the Isle of Aphrodite!

It is just simply beautiful. It seems that without fail we quickly become friends with those we meet. We have been shopping along Nissi Avenue and found an Indian shop! Everyone knows how much I love India and someday would love visit.

Oh the smells! So exotic. Giorgos and his sisters Andrea and Aphrodite (nice name!) have quickly come to know us and we meet daily.

We have bought things in their shop but they keep giving us things! Expensive things too, incense, silk scarves and necklaces. I told the girls it's the blessing on our lives.

Thank you Jesus for your blessings, thank you that you are so wonderfully generous to us through people such as Giorgos and his sisters.

Thank you that I see your love for us daily, in your provision and in your company as you walk beside us...Praise and bless you my sweet Lord.

He restores my soul...

What does restoration mean?

To restore anything, is to make it as good as it was before. Before what? Before the fall.

How comforting and hopeful that God is able to restore our soul as good as it was before. Even in a world such as this. It is possible, God can do it. It's rare but it can be done.


We can be as perfect as before the fall - if he, The Lord Jesus restores us to our former glory. And that is a union of his will and our asking of it in prayer.

He leads me by still waters...

Water; without it, there is no life.

Still waters conjure up all kinds of images, beautiful sites like the Lake District perhaps? With the picturesque landscape reflecting in the mirror of fresh waters. Still, tranquil, rest, quiet, peace.

So at a guess, David found rest by such places. He was a shepherd before his kingdom days and this was no doubt one reasons how and why he related toGod as thee shepherd.

David the shepherd more than likely led his sheep to the waters to drink and himself too. As a result of all this nourishment and refreshment he may have found solice and peace.

However, although a quaint, idylic scene, we don't all find peace by still waters. I was in a bay of shallow waters, crystal clear, turquoise with blue fish swimming around. As it is part of the Meditereanen sea it is very warm. my feet resting on white sand with rather large waves lifting me, then a rushing of white as the crest of the waves broke over me. It wasn't quiet or peaceful, yet, I found peace here.

Where do you find peace? Is it in the quiet and calm or is it in the blood rushing activity of life?

We are all different, find your peace. Be at peace with God and drink the water of life such that you will not thirst.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me by still waters...

Well, I haven't been able to blog on here as the net has been down. It's 5am and I can't sleep as it is so hot. We have air con, but it's still too hot to sleep!

I have been looking at the Psalm 23 and I have asked God to show me a different perspective on this.

When we look at the verse above (made the title of this blog) we have an image of sheep and David having a rest after a long hot day perhaps.

I view these green pastures as a place of nourishment for the sheep. I see it as a metaphor for a place of nourishment for us. The important part of the verse here, is that it reads that God leads us to the place of nourishment. It is God who provides and leads us to spiritual nourishment. As our parent (and shepherd) God knows our need and when we have a need and what will quench that need.

Sheep need grass to exist and we need spiritual nourishment to exist. I find that even non-christians have a desire to seek spiritual nourishment, even though it is perhaps not in the way we do.

I'm not suggesting the non christian way is a good way or the best way, but even if we reject Christ, we, as humans, are spiritual beings desiring to seek spiritual fulfillment in some way.

Note: God leads us to good spiritual nourishment, he shows us the way to it - we can desire to accept it, or not.

What is your spiritual fulfillment?

It may not be rest as David who wrote the psalms found it. It's different for everyone. For me? Just being alone with Jesus, just me and him, that feeds me.

God knows each one of our spiritual thirsts, God knows our exact need. Ask him for it and you'll be satisfied.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want...

I truly thank Jesus, my Lord and my God for blessing me such that I can afford to take my family on holiday to Cyprus.

Woweee! What a beautiful place!

Why are you on the pc, I hear you say? Well, Iv'e already sunbathed for4 hours so I need to have a rest!LOL

I have been looking at the Psalm 23, I haven't really initiated this, as you may know, Ali (from Sweden) and Enriko are living in our home, taking care of it and feeding the cats (I hope! LOL).

Well, you see, before we left, they prayed over us and our home. One of the prayers was Psalm 23. So, although I am actually studying Genesis, I thought it would be nice to go through this popular and wonderful Prayer to God.

Firstly, when I read this prayer I looked at the term 'Lord'. I wondered if Jesus is only the shepherd to those who are 'his'?Or to those who consider Jesus as their Lord.

Then I looked back on my life and of those I know and I remembered that Jesus is always with us, with or without us calling him Lord.

You see Jesus loves all of us. Even if we turn from him, even if we never accept him; he loves us.

This is the beauty of the heart of God, his mercy and his unconditional love for us, his creation.

Let's say that no one accepted the sacrifice of Jesus, Jesus still would have been obedient to the call of his Father, if for whatever the reason God, the father, called the sacrifice to be.

I guess what was going through my mind was, perhaps, I have a God, a shepherd, someone who watches over me and... well... you don't!

After all, it does say 'The Lord' is my shepherd. You have to make him your Lord before 'it works'.

How arrogant can a christian be? As if the sheep chose Jesus as a shepherd, no, the sheep need a shepherd but it is the shepherd who owns the sheep.

I have wanted God to speak to me in a different way through this Psalm and not in the way we usually look at it.

Today I have learnt that Jesus was Lord at the beginning of time, is Lord now and will always be 'Lord'. The same yesterday, today and forever.

So if we read it like this: Jesus is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. It sounds different. Jesus will always be Jesus, The Lord will always be Lord. Regardless of yours or my opinions or decisions.

So, it's not that he is Lord because we make him Lord. It's because Jesus, God, 'The Lord' is just that, 'Lord' and that title remains whether we believe all not.

Whether a Christian or not God decides to shepherd us and how he does it is up to him. If we do find ourselves in lack, it's by his authority, as everything is under his authority anyway. Chances are, as a christian, we will not often be in lack unless it's character building.

However,God can choose, albeit occasionally, to provide just as well for a non christian too if he chooses too...he is 'Lord'.

Right, back to sunbathing :o)

The Prayer of Jabez

The Jabez Prayer

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,
"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!"
So God granted him what he requested.
1 Chronicles 4:10

I've been reading a book by Bruce Wilkinson about this prayer, sub-titled 'Breaking through to the Blessed life'. He believes this prayer contains the key to a life of extraordinary favour with God, and encourages everyone to pray the prayer each and every day, then look for the results - a life beyond our own limits, fully dependent on God, fully supported by God and fully protected from evil. Sounds good, huh? Look out for this book in a library coming to a church near you soon!

The next scripture to learn!

Numbers 23:19

God is not man that he should lie
Nor the son a man that he should change his mind
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and then not fulfil?

This is all relevance to God's blessings for you. Sometimes we may think we are under a curse when things don't so go so well.

When the accuser accuses, we can use this scripture to use as a shield to bounce off the fire arrows.

When God blesses, he blesses.

When he speaks a blesing over you, he has not lied - it will come to pass.

When he promises something to you and time has stretched too long, he has not changed his mind - it will come to pass.

Trust in this, God is not a man and does not lie, he is not a son of a man that he would change his mind.

We can change God's mind if we are persistent enough, but I wonder if that's all part of his plan anyway?

However, when God decides to bless you, this, he won't change. Live in his promises.

Currently learning

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. After though, it brings a harvest of righteousness and peace by those who are trained by it.

Tithing

Quick question,

Should I tithe my child benefit and working tax credits?
I know its about a cheerful giver, I should take it to God in pray [I have] I wanna know you lot think - I know the bible sciptures on it too.

The Battlefield of the Mind

Following on from Roey's teaching on Ladies' Night re. The Battlefield of the Mind, here is my own recent experience:
I have the little 'Peace Pilgrim' card ...
'Watch your thoughts, for they become words
Watch your words, for they become actions
Watch your actions, for they become habits
Watch your habits, for they become character
Watch your character, for it becomes destiny'
... in front of the computer where I see it every day. Interestingly I've observed that where it says 'watch your thoughts, for they become words' - it isn't always me that voices my thoughts! I'm beginning to think that sometimes the Lord prompts someone else to say them for me, as a gentle way of letting me know "I know what you're thinking - I want you to bring your thoughts to me, bring them into the light, let me deal with them"

Let me tell you a story ...

Back in February I took on an allotment. It was a starter plot in very untidy condition and with some help it was fun to tame it and turn it into a productive plot. I enjoyed that so much that when the site manager approached me with the observation that I was 'running out of space' on my starter plot, I agreed and was very happy when offered a solution. I was shown another plot which had been abandoned mid-season and rapidly had become very overgrown with weeds. The deal was that I take on half the plot now, and a lady on the waiting list who was very keen to get started should take on the other half for the rest of the year, then at the end of the year we would swap so that the other lady would then have my original starter plot, and I would have sole tenancy of the full size plot.

We both set to with a will to try and get the plot weed free, working on our own half. Recently however, I haven't seen her over there and her half is returning to its original overgrown state. I began to turn over childish thoughts, like "That's not fair - she's not doing her 'bit'" and wondering about 'tit for tat' - maybe I shouldn't bother keeping up with maintenance on the other plot, the one that she would be taking on at the end of the year, if she wasn't going to bother with her half of what would be 'my plot'. I didn't say anything to anyone about these thoughts. Then today I was exchanging pleasantries with the man on the next plot and asked him if he had seen my neighbour recently, and he voiced my private thoughts for me, saying something like "It won't be fair if she doesn't hand the plot over in a tidy state". I changed the subject and afterwards in the privacy of my own mind repented of my attitude, asking the Lord to help me have His loving, forgiving thoughts and mind - and praise the Lord, He did - and suddenly it REALLY didn't matter what state the plot would be in because that wasn't what it was all about, it was about love for God being at the centre of everything and the joy that we know when we bring things faithfully back to him for him to transform us inwardly by the healing power of the Holy Spirit, bringing a complete change of heart and mind. How we view the circumstances of our lives affects how we feel about them. Sometimes the change that I'm seeking in the world needs to begin in me.