Breakthrough series 12: walk the line

Breakthrough series 10: Through the veil

Breakthrough series 9: No double jeopardy

Leaving the desert part 1: Nothing, Nothing, Nothing ... Everything

Pulling back the veil part 1 - do we need tools to reach God?

Prayer 8: God is not a man that He should lie or repent

Practical Christianity 10 - change is needed if we want to reach our spiritual potential

Prayer 7: Come boldly before God and be heard

Prayer 6: A new dispensation founded on a great constitution

Prayer 5: So, who is God?

Prayer 1: Prayer moves the hand of God

Let's start at the very beginning

And now we have a motive too … ISIS felt that Parisians had to die because “that city is a place of infidels and prostitution”, but probably more because of its "crusade" against them.

Of course it didn’t mention the captured women that ISIS regularly sells or the children they feed to its leaders. You don’t need more details – it is sordid, but I do wonder why they don’t sort out their backyard mess before sorting out everyone else’s?

However, it’s not limited to them. Although long-forgotten, Catholicism was as pernicious in the dark ages. Other groups around the world are as intolerant and brutal.

The French connection

In the movie, “Now you see me”, the actors are at pains to remind us that illusionism is about keeping your mind focused there while they do their thing here. It is about distraction.

I might add that the modern illusionist has taken such deception to unprecedented levels, to make planes or bridges disappear, while others walk on water or drive coins through glass.

During the French revolution, the illusionists were never seen. They used a stage hand, Robespierre, to do out there what detracted from what the puppet masters did over here. 

When they had had enough of Mr R, his head rolled as well.

Its a world full of people

A client related a great story to me. A woman accidentally shut herself inside a cold room on a Friday afternoon. 

No one heard her shouts and her body temperature was falling rapidly. Then, a good while later, a security guard found her. "What led you here", she asked? 

"Mam", he added, "of all the employees who work here, you are the reason I come to work. You greet me in the morning, you wave to me at night and when you can you chat or give me some food. So I wouldn't have missed anyone else, but I was expecting you to come out of the building and wave to me as you went home, and when you didn't appear I knew something was wrong. I searched all over until I found you down here, in this cold room".

At my right hand

Years ago I saw a drama in mime, in which Jesus was "nailed" to a man who assumed the configuration of a cross. On the other side of the stage, His father assumed the same position, alone - but as His son winced and reacted to every jolt, so did He.

Rise again and live

Like most believers, I have longed to see the authority of the church restored. I always felt that signs and wonders should flow from the cross.

Last night I was hit by a comparison I had never seen before. Elijah and Jesus were synonymous with incredible signs, which shook a nation. Then they both went up a hill, not to the top, but halfway up: the former to Carmel, the latter to Moriah.

Through the veil

The use of a bridal veil dates back to the dawn of history, but the biblical idea of a veil symbolizes something partially seen and hoped for, as in something yet to be fulfilled.

That worked for both bride and groom, who were limited to a foretaste of what would yet be. Traditionally, once she accepted his contract, he would go to prepare a place for her, but they used two halves of a medallion to hold each other true. She also kept a candle burning in her window to confirm it was so.

Walk in the shadow of a friendly giant

How many live with regrets that, if left unresolved, will go with us to the grave? How many have longed to take the plunge in life, to live an enviable life, to rise to the moment, to be more than we are instead of remaining trapped in a vicious cycle of doubts and fears?

The moment when Israel reached the River Jordan and spied out the land ahead, to decide whether they would push on into their inheritance, reflects the choices facing us all.

They turned back thanks to the negative perceptions of ten not so spiritual, faithless spies, whose influence swayed the vote against the two tried and proven witnesses who only saw possibilities ahead. Let’s face it, for every two voices of faith in you, there will inevitably be six voices telling you to turn back, to doubt, to question or to see giants where others see milk and honey.

Immortal invisible god only wise

One of the hardest things for most Christians is the tussle between the literal account of scripture and the reality of God. It challenges us theologically, as in the creation story, and personally, as in the dissonance between what the bible says and what we experience. 

Many feel that anything less than a literal take on creation diminishes God and deducts from His power. I disagree.

Did Jesus call on ten thousands of angels to help Him at Calvary or marshal a massive show of force? No. Because, as Ephesians 2 confirms, He revealed His WISDOM to principalities and powers. Victory lay in the subtle march to the cross its outworking.

A better refuge

I saw this amazing picture of two hippos fighting. It is a fearsome beast and one of the deadliest animals around, second only to the mosquito.

Aside from being a really angry, territorial beast, the hippo only really feels safe in water, so if you come between it and its watery refuge, it will charge you down. That is especially true if your actions leave it feeling vulnerable or bewildered. It rarely stops to check anyone's motives, just charges. Very few have survived a hippo attack.