Intro to Biog for Blog.

Intro Why do I want to write this? I want my family to know where I am coming from and that I care for and pray for them. Challenge – Why do I want to write, and what do I really want to write about? As an ordinary person, nothing special except that I am a child of God, and as such called by name, and heir to the kingdom, I want to share my walk, and some of the lessons that can be learnt from it. There are so many people out there in the world who are just like I used to be, without knowledge of the Truth, and quite complacent about their life-styles, thinking that they are doing fine. Many would consider themselves to be Christian, if ever the question arose, completely unaware, as was I, that Christianity is not an automatic qualification to those with a so called Christian background of whatever sort, family, country, church or school. It is a position which must be sought with personal conviction of a need. I want to share how I at last heard God’s call to me, and how I had made a mess of things without His guidance in my life. It may be said that because I made a mess does not mean that others are being equally destructive. Some may feel that they have it all together, and can do very well thank you without any so called god to guide them. They may be quite content with the way their lives are taking shape, and having managed well so far, see no need for further interference or changes. Like a sunflower following the sun, and looking to its light and warmth, they look to their own desires, and bask in the provision they have received, wealth, position, status, - what more could they desire? Unaware that the sun is an item of provision they did not manipulate for their comfort, but that it was provided by a source unknown to them. Perhaps they have blindly followed false teachings, either at school, or in the workplace or in their own reading or study. They may have embraced the idea of evolution, or the concept of some spiritual guru who can encourage their self propelled walk into destruction. I want to save them the pain of rejection at the most crucial moment of their lives – death! Some, and I know them well, thank their own drive and abilities for the position they are in. They have worked hard, studied, followed through, impressed employers, enhanced their capabilities, achieved much by their perseverance and wisdom, and are in positions of power and authority; positions they feel they deserve, and are to be envied by those still climbing the ladder of success. Others are feeling the failures they have suffered in their lives, often blaming others for the lack of progress and provision. Concentrating on the paucity of their possessions; partying on the pity of their own position, expecting and hoping for handouts to correct their own losses, they have no contentment, no foreseeable anticipation of improvement in their lot, and are condemned to depression and disillusion in the world around them. Is there a problem with my wanting to spare further grief in such circumstances? If I had a cure for illness, or a workable solution to poverty, or a way to alleviate the suffering of racialism, would people not want to hear of it, and experiment with the working of it, and promote its potential? Well I have the answers to much more than those, but who will hear? Who will respond? Ps 139:1 – 18 (TLB) O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up, You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know! I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your Presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, Even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night – But even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to You. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous – and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your Book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, You are still with me! That I know this God, and He knows me so intimately, is something that cannot be exchanged or put aside. I want others to know Him too, and to know that already He knows them! No other god can build a relationship as He does. No other god can make the promises He makes. No other belief system or religion can give the peace He brings. “Belief” and “Faith” are not synonymous, and we need to examine the claims of those who want us to believe, or place our faith in any direction. I challenge the reader to examine the claims I make in this book/blog, and see if they stand up under closer scrutiny. I am telling what has happened in my life, and relating the good and the bad to the way my God has shaped me; the God in whom I have placed my Hope and Trust. With Asaph, the writer of Psalm 78, I cry out to my beloved family, my friends, and those whom the Lord leads to read these words – O my people, listen to my teaching’ Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past – stories we have heard and know, Stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord. We will tell of His power and the mighty miracles He did’ For He issued His decree to Jacob; He gave His law to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to our children, so the next generation might know them - Even the children not yet born- That they in turn might teach their children’ So each generation can set its hope anew on God, Remembering His glorious miracles and obeying His commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors – stubborn, rebellious and unfaithful, Refusing to give their hearts to God. I have taken up the challenge. In Matthew 28 of the Bible, the New International Version, I read, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Will you, also, take up the challenge, listen, learn, and pass it on! One comment worth considering is that I would rather live believing in my God, and find out that He isn’t, than live believing that He isn’t and find out that He IS!