doctor who

I like Doctor Who, Tanya and my boys like Doctor Who, something we all watch together, a positive about tv, I'm not particularly enamoured with tv, a bit of a time waster, but the same can be said about the internet, give it your time and see what it gives back.......anyway I digress, Doctor Who, Saturday night, based in New York, the end has a pig man being given sanctuary in Hooverville in Central Park....keep up......The Doctor then quotes the inscription from the Statue of Liberty, which reads;

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

It comes from the poem 'The New Colossus' by Emma Lazarus. I looked it up on the internet.
I thought of Mother Theresa, and looked up her biography, she reached out, but she has her critics because of her stand on certain issues, I try to think of others who reach out or open their arms to the world, does it always come at a price. Like the USA now, is the lamp still lit, for the poor, tired, homeless, tempest tossed refuse, or is there now a price or a shut door?
What about me or any church, or mission, is the door still open, or are we full?
Do we love, or do we love with conditions?

What Was the point of the good samaritan? Why did Jesus use a Samaritan in His parable, a hated figure?
Did the Samaritan ask the man if he was a fellow Samaritan, if he was rich or poor, if he was good or bad, sexually immoral, have any infectious diseases, leprosy?
Did he judge him, question him, throw rhetoric at him?

What did Jesus say about this Samaritan, non jew, obviously unGodly man,showing unconditional, undeserving, unbiased love for his fellow man:

Luke 10;37 'Go and do likewise'

obadiah

i had to write a quick post, got a word , have to get it out.

Obadiah verse 12; you should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune........

Wow, I think that puts things in perspective, God's perspective,

So many issues, issues avoided, judged, debated, here we go.....

homosexuality, abortion, prostitution, drugs, sex, porn, booze, books, films, mediums, money, etc...

Don't look down on your brother or sister, see where you can help, reach out, don't shy away, be there. Read all of Obadiah, see what God thinks of those who just stand by, or jump on a righteous bandwagon.

I have had some time on my hands the last couple of weeks, been doing stuff at home, some prayer with the church, met with some people. That was cool, but I came home last night just feeling, God's peace.
Why?
My group went out and tried to clean up part of an area that has problems. I was with 10 young people picking up litter. It was small, to some it may sound inconsequential, but it was real. Being a physical embodiment of His work in a real world, showing a real God at work. No judgement, and we found needles, no looking down, and some of this stuff smelt. Just getting on and doing it. Loved it.

back the other way, I am really scared for my kids, and this world, i can only commit that to God, but I feel i am being down on them at the moment, angry, judging, what a fine balance it all is.

Doesn't God do a good job. Thanks God

red

I don't like my last post now, as after reading other blogs , it suddenly dawns on me, people will read what I have said, they aren't just thoughts on screen. I can try too hard sometimes, got some really good ideas for books, I'll never write them, they'll never be right, they won't justify the story in my head, if that makes sense. Am I one of the only people who saw Lord of the Rings differently in my head to the film, so thought it lacked something, I use to like the cartoon version, on the other hand I remember reading Hannibal by Thomas Harris, and in my head there was only Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal.

I'm glad I'm not the Author, but I hope I can play my part as it has been pictured. I pray my thoughts will still flow freely.

truth

I'm going now to go the opposite way to my previous post. I think there are people with power who need to be careful about what they say and do, we all do.
Example;
I was speaking to my non christian mother in law yesterday, she was asking me what christians feel about spiritualists. I know she believes in spirits and guides, especially since the death of her father, and she takes comfort from this. I feel that spiritualism delivers false hope and detracts from focusing on God and his voice, instead listening to I do not know what. I did not start preaching at her, condemning her, neither did I condone spiritualism. just listened, explained, non-judgemental, chat

I am not here to condemn, just guide simply towards the truth.

To make an example of non judgemental attitudes, I tried explaining how relaxed yet biblically true, my church is.

Unfortunately, she could not accept the nonconformist movement at all, and started calling my church, a 'mickey mouse ' church.

I then got louder and more argumentative, not letting anyone else speak, and spouting off about biblical truth.

2 points.
1; Did I further Gods kingdom by the way I was talking at first, or second. Did I become a hypocrite. If I am shouting someone down, am I going to reach them with the Good news of Jesus, how would Jesus have acted or spoke?
but,
2;Some people want to know that man is not judging them, that Jesus is there to welcome them with open arms when they submit their lives and will to him, but then they want him back in the box, or pew.

I will try not to move from the biblical truths I know, I will try to be an example of his Love.

Accepting Jesus is about Him invading your being, setting you free, giving you the desire to set others free to the glory of His name.

There is no box, I will screw up, there is only one truth, stick to it.

condoms

I have been reading my brothers blog, he is going to give condoms out in welcome packs to workers arriving in ibiza, where he is based doing God work. What a storm this has caused, mainly over the assumption that by doing this he is condoning sin(or condoming sin, haha).
Amazing how quickly people are ready to jump on to making a comment about something like this, and how quick to judge, or come from this wonderful righteous position, that has endeared christians to the world. Might as well go on that course Ned Flanders from the simpsons went 'how to be more judgemental'. John 3:17 'For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.'

Millions in the third world have AIDS, many would have been saved from that if one denomination of christianity had allowed them to use condoms. People will say we did not want them to sin, well now they will die. What would Jesus do.

Jesus would spend time with people, talk to them , eat with them, teach them and point them in the right direction(back to God), he would love them, forgive them, heal them and save them. He would know them inside and out, yet still he never condemned. And the fact of the matter remains that the people Jesus had a problem with were those who condemned, those who judged, those who enforced the rules and made it as difficult as possible for us to come to God, those who sat in power, with wealth and training and education and knew the scriptures and knew how to be a good Jew. Yet they never knew God.

Isn't it amazing how things like to repeat themselves. Where would Jesus be.

I was listening to Premier radio the other day, a program from the states, there was a discussion going on about sending your children to christian college or a secular college. As I listened to some great christians speaking, I realised that some of their kids are home schooled in a christian home or go to a christian school, then go to a christian college and then onto seminary, after which they can get a nice job in a good church. I heard one of the leaders say this was best.

What a pile of crap. This is where you get condemnation from, this is where you get more rules from, this is where you put up more barriers to knowing God. The very barriers Jesus came to knock down. How far away from the lost can you get, talk about ignoring Jesus words. But we have to protect our children, I hear some say. Then bring them up in Jesus, pray for them and send them out there in Jesus name. And God will be in it. This is just one example, but seriously look at things, have you become the judge, well its not you. Do I look down on the world or should I have compassion and love for the world. Well what would Jesus think.

I noticed I sometimes do this judging thing, looking in car windows for disabled stickers for cars that are parked in the disabled spaces, so I can moan at people. Oh bully for perfect me, I can point out someones flaws. That is the point, why am I doing it. Yes it winds me up, and they shouldn't, BUT I AM NOT THE JUDGE.

Doing Gods work is not being God, thats his job. Should people get condoms in a welcome pack. Will it save lives, will it open doors, will it break down barriers. Yes. Don't condemn, condom.

wedding

I went to my little brothers wedding on Easter Saturday. Good day. This is a photo of me and my brothers. I like the photo, Matthew, who got married is the youngest, standing in the middle. I'm the chubby, grey one standing next to him and i'm a little worried that I look the oldest and fattest. Bit of a wake up call, better start looking after myself a bit more. Anyway, I like the photo and the fact that I got to spend the day with my family.
Just to throw in the deep thought, there are a lot of comparisons with Church that could be used there. I'm making notes now.

Driving again

I have a lot of anger when I drive, which seems to be born out of self righteous belief, that I am driving properly and other people aren't. Hypocrisy comes to mind.
One of the first things I think when someone tries queue jumping, or going on the inside lane when I am queueing in the outside lane is.... What right have you to do that????? What right!!!!
What right have any of us. So quick to judge, yet I want mercy, and then I'm in the outside lane and no one is in the inside, we are all overtaking no one and I get self righteous and drive down the inside of everyone to show them how to drive properly, getting angry with all these fools who can't drive. Hypocrite.
Just too much anger in an angry world, too fast , too much self , I am the great I am.
People too unwilling to say, I'm not perfect, I'm not going to judge you, not willing to give up what is bad because it feels good, not wanting to make an effort for the right life, because its easier to find something easier, for a while.
Its a narrow path. No one ever said it would be wide, or easy, but boy what a rush.
I know I got off of driving there, but this is a blog, my thoughts wherever they're going, sometimes it is just about putting a Christian life in a real context in a real world and Putting God first in it...................

money

I have been reading some blogs on Christians and money, and I have even left a comment on my brothers blog, being a bit self righteous and I think if you read it, you might think, I have everything sorted with money and God. What a fool, this is such a big area, that people struggle with, that has so many questions and answers to go with it. I try, but personally i am crap with money, I want to be more generous, I want to have more money. I want to be free of money, WHOOOAAA. See what I mean. I feel called away from a normal life, sometimes I feel it is so I can turn my back on the financial society I live in. That is the problem. The financial society, telling us what we need or what our children need, and they need it now.
There is a book called God Chasers by a guy called Tommy Tenney, in it, if I remember correctly, he talks about his Dad standing up at a meeting in which there was a visiting peacher from Ethiopia, and asking everyone to pray for the preacher in his poverty, the visiting preacher interupted, and asked if he could pray for everyone there, in their prosperity.
Seek God first.