I want to discuss a common problem non-believers have about the Bible. This subject is seldom mentioned. It is the subject of how God goes to war when people worship false Gods. He is completely against sin and sin must be destroyed as it comes from the devil. Explaining this to non-believers is a big problem. They must realise that God only goes into battle as a last resort. I get the impression that He pleads and begs them to repent. Accounts of these wars is nasty and maybe needs a health warning. I get upset myself and have learned to skip any reference to war. It just has to be in the Bible as a history lesson. I get the impression that God does not want us to read too much of it as it is recitative. If you read of a war the next account of another war is very similar. I suppose the main message we need to get across to non-believers is that God is love, He loves all and wants everyone to believe in him. What do you think?

Last night with friends from our Church we watched the classic 1970 film, Cromwell. Most interesting and thought provoking we all thought. I have always been extremely puzzled by the amount of people in battles especially in Ireland that Oliver Cromwell slaughtered. He was a Bible believing Christian and I am almost (99.9%) sure that he was saved. He appeared to maybe take the place of God which appears to be blasphemy. Maybe it is not, what do you think. A complex and hard to understand person to say the least.

The present economic downturn can make some of us feel panicy or stressfull.  What I would say (correct me if I am wrong) is that as Christians we need not worry.  As genuine Christians our main concern is with God.  God will provide, if we truly believe.  If our savings get lower and lower, we need to take it to the Lord in prayer.  Anyway the Government will provide benefits and does provide benefits (correct me if I am wrong) for the nnedy.  The main trouble in the US is so slow in being sorted.  Not enough agreement when we wonder that the cant unite at such an important time.  I do believe of course that it is only a number of days now and the will.  I get the impression that this treatened recession will be saved soon.  But it may not and what is the message folks from prophecy.  For me the main message is that we get older, but it shouldent even be like that.  The main thing needs to be that if our faith is strong enough we should fear not.  Our Lord will provide. 

I hape veen watching recently on my BBC iPlayer a prog on the US Capital Building.  The grandeur and size of this building will blow your mind.  No expence spared when it was built.  President Washington was wealthy enough to get it built.  Then President Jefferson added to the splendour with so many beautiful sculpture.  I find especially with sculpture it gives great dignity to the heritage of the great people of the US.  Sadly this building was built by slaves.  That is the only problem so lets hoped they were treated properly.  Lets hope someone wasent standing nearby with a whip to keep them working.  Let my people go as this building was built as a symbol of freedom.  I symphasise strongly with all underdogs.  Anybody who is being unfairly treated needs help.  I get the impression that now today in the US there is more respect for everybody.  Maybe someone reading this can explain the latest on this.

I fully agree with you.  Although years back I lived in N. Ireland I found and all of my family that ime were glued to The Waltons.  I then watched the repeats and thoroughly enjoyed them.  I am very selective with repeats and in general with all TV progs.  In Britain Mary Whitehouse spoke out a lot about bad land, sex and violence.  There does I suppose need to be in drama a true reflection of real life.  To show real life and be really truthfull we have I suppose to allow a certain amount of all 3 nasties.  It's debatable I suppose but it seems the only way.  A health warning after all dramas is essential stating that the drama was as true to life as the writer believes but for viewers to beware.  All this bad lang., sex and violence is to be avoided at all costs.  Live your life as morally correct as you can.  Maye a warning like that would help, what do you think?   

1st CORINTHIANS 1 C6
Here is what Chuck has to say – “Our bodies being temples of the Holy Ghost. We as Christians are posessed, occupied and inhabited by His Holy Spirit. We are posessed by and for God. Our bodies were made for God.” Now my tapesponder, Bill Weaver (also from U.S.) – “Our body is a schrine for the indwelling Holy Spirit. You don’t own yourself, someone paid dearly for you. Let you body be a credit to Him. You can get intouch with God through your Holy Spirit. The greatest gift I ever got was to be Spirit-filled. Read 1st Corinthians 2 v14 or better still 1st Cor. 2 10-15. Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God. To him they ate nonesence. Morever he is unable to grasp them because they are evaluated through the Spirit. John 3 – about being born again and Spirit filled . Then another subject, women in the Church, women not to talk or teach in Church. The reference is actually to Soul and to the Spirit. The Soul is the will of the flesh. Then the spiritual body is connectred to God. If you read the Bible literally you are not Spirit filled. He dosent know anything about the Spirit. He has to read it literally, he can’t read it any other way. The Spirit is like Jesus who is the bridegroom and the Soul is the bride, the Soul is the woman. The Soul of the woman is trying to get ready to meet the Spirit of God and this is your Spirit the husband. If you read the scriptures and substitute the words Soul and Spirit, this is how it would sound – Let your Soul keep silent in the Churches because the Soul is not Spirit filled. It dosent know anything about God. The Soul is something which is you but it dosent know between good and bad and it is always trying to please you. It wants to give you what you want. It works for you whether for good or bad………..
These views are not necessarily my own views as I would go with a more simple view. One of the main things is that God is 3 in one.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Church Week-end to Blaithwaite
As you will see later if you go to the website, Blaithwaite is in the North of England.  Here is part of my account of this wonderfull place to spend a few days:
We set off about 5.30 for Blaithwaite with Sue and Dick and went by the Lakes. Arrived about 7.00 and got registered and shown to our rooms. Lovely as we went up the staircae with a big picture on each side and a coat of arms on window. Two lovely sitting rooms with lovely plaster ceilings and one of the alcoves had a statue. Furnished a bit like a stately home but not as grand. Most rooms apart from the bedrooms had lovely palster ornate ceilings. Supper was at 8.00 in Ellrigg (building behind barn) and we had soup, cheese and biscuit and cake. At 9.15 the welcome session where we met ther staff etc. Then Paul Baxendale started with our theme Seeing what really matters - what Revelation is (and is not) Revelation 1:1-9. We had singing with a specially new hymn to learn and then at 10.15 a short break. Then hot chocolate and bickies in the main house at 10.30 and lots of chat.

http://www.blaithwaite.co.uk/index.htm

Our Pastor is preaching on Ecclesiastes the strangest book in the Bible. When he started this series he remarked that it was his first time preaching on it in our Church. He preached on it once before somewhere else and had an article on it published. He has always found it difficult but seemed to explain it well. We are to obey the commandments and not to hope that on a certain day in the future all will be wonderfull. We are to enjoy and make the best of to-day. He mentioned a book on our affluent society. This writer has given a chapter each to the most wealthy countries in the world. How wealth does not bring happiness. That some of the happiest people in the world are the poorest. Be happy now, live now.

Some clergy stress the importance when we pray to finish our prayer, with if it is your will Lord. What I cannot understand is I have yet to hear any of them putting it into practice. They talk about it but that seem to be as far as they go. When I was told about this I started to think about it. I find it an excellent way to pray and I finish my prayers every night this way. Why do clergy not practice what they preach on this?

MPs in Britain and American politicians could possibly use their laptops to communicate with Parliament.  Whether in London or New York, could they not send all their messages this way and save travelling.  Only possibly travel once per month to Parliament.  Maybe this is being done in the US.  Please tell me as I would be facinated.  Here in Britain it is so important for MPs to be in contact as much as posssible with their constituents.  Especially in N. Ireland the travelling aspect gets tedious when travelling back and forth every week.  Also consider the enviromental aspect.  So much emphasis on this now.  Save energy they say so why could this plan not work.   

As we get older we are supposed to know a little about wisdom. My emphasis is on supposed, not that I am that old, I am 55. It is just that a few thoughts have come to me this last while. Francis Hutcheson, 1694-1796 wrote, Wisdom donotes the pursuing of the best ends by the best means. Wise up we sometimes say to someone who does something really wild or outrageous. I often do silly things and often think of myself as as a plonker. Why was I so silly, so stupid? Sometimes we dont appear to think enough about what we are doing and............... How many times do we set off for a drive in the car and then have to come back for something? Getting wisdom is a lifetimes struggle but it comes. Well, a little comes at least I hope it does. I have put down a few things I have learned. I am sure you dear reader, have a better list but here we go anyway.

* As I get older I dont worry about money any more. When I was young it mattered a lot and I worried about being healthy and intelligent to earn enough.

* When we are young we worry too much about trivial things. As we look back on our problems we wonder why we worried so much.

* Life is too short to worry as most problems will sort themselves out sooner than we think.

* Never worry when you go to bed as this will keep you awake. I found this out on the very helpfull websites about problems sleeping.

* When you go to bed try to think of pleasant things. First start by looking back on the happy things you did to-day. Maybe to-day was special, concentrate on that happiness. It will help you relax and before you know..............

* If you are in pain or suffering, rise above it by prayer, hope and pray for a better day.

* Talk to any old people you know as they have years of experience in living. Well, that is obvious, but you know what I mean.

* Life is for living and as our Pastor said while preaching on the most difficult book of the Bible, Ecclesiasteces, live for to-day. Don't plan for tomrrow as tomorrow may never come. It probably will but even if it dosent if you have put your life in order in the Christian way, You have nothing to worry about.

There you have it and lets finish with another quote. Oliver Wendell Holmes 1809-94, It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilagge of wisdom to listen.

I love shopping for groceries.  It's always interesting when we see some new product on the shelves to try it.  Problem is we are spoiled with much too much choice.  I am beginning to wonder if this is giving supermarkets extra expence by more choice?  Products from around the world.  Another thing, supermarkets are continually buying certain products in bulk, really big amounts.  Stacking a product up and up.  So much of a certain product which may not even sell too well.  Is this sensible, I think not.  Incidentally I work in the health abd beauty section of a well known supermarket.  One of our big problems is certain products bought in the past that dident sell so well are put in boxes and stored in the warehouse for months and months.  Hundreds of pounds worth of products going to waste.  Some are reduced to clear but the point is that these are only a very small part of this rediculous amount.  Also monthly promotions of products have bulk buying often.  Many products sell badly so go, yes you have guessed it into store in the warehouse.  What a waste, wehat a sin?

John Knox was known to play bowls on a Sunday. He might have even drank whiskey on a Sunday. Some Christians are very particular about what they will or will not do on a Sunday. I often wonder what happens when clergy run out of petrol on the way to Church. Do the walk to the nearest service station and actually buy petrol or do they abandon their car at the side of the road. Maybe leaving buying petrol to Monday and walk the rest to Church?

I have been reading in my Church magazine of 'Braz' dolls which are dressed in an extremly provocative way. Bright eye shadow, lipstick etc. Almost one in six 15-year-olds in the UK was given contraception last year, despite being too young to legally have sex. 51,000 girls aged 15 attended contraception clinics in 2006-07 with 31,000 aged 13 or 14.
This is such a great pity that these young people are so carried away by the media. They need to live a more wholesome, more innocent lifestyle. We in our Churches need to pray that these young people will not get caught up in a fast moving celebrity culture. Help them to be more sensible and more responsible.

We hear constantly now, and rightly so to turn off all lights as much as possible on radio, TV and the press.  Some of us do, I myself do it as much as possible and my electric bill is always low.  Problem is all over Britain here, first the Council leave lights in city's and town's on sometimes.  Maybe for hours on end by mistake.  It is not good enough and I hope as the puplic report it that it is switched off.  Then when we take shops and businesses's they too sometimes even have too many lights in the building to put on.  Some rooms seem to have just to many lights.  I have noticed over the years at Church sometimes even on sunny days with the strong light from the sun, lights were on.  Incredible ise'nt it.  What I say is the old proverb, waste not want not.