He cares for you!

Just bought the new album from Lou Fellingham which I heartily recommend, and wanted to share the lyrics from one of the songs which I found particularly moving.

My God cares

Lifeʼs not always as it seems
A different route from A to B
And the plans youʼve made come tumbling down
When youʼre questioning the why
And itʼs hard to see the light
And youʼre praying for the wind to change

And though the pain is strong
And itʼs hard to carry on
I know that this is true
My God cares for you
All hope has disappeared
And youʼre running out of tears
I can tell you He is near
For my God cares for you
Yes He cares for you

When no answers can be found
As the waves come crashing round
And you find youʼre driven to your knees
When youʼre overwhelmed with fear
And it feels like itʼs been years
Youʼve been asking God please rescue me

Donʼt you know that His arms are strong enough to carry you
Lift you up in the safety of his love
Just hold on, He will come, the Lord our God will comfort you
Give you strength enough to see you through the storm

Lou and Nathan Fellingham and Gary Sadler
Copyright © 2009 Thankyou Music & Paintbrush Music/

Is our God safe?

I came across this passage somewhere when I was writing a sermon, and it's worth thinking about:


There is a scene in C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe where the children, learning that Aslan is not a man but a lion are not only startled but down right alarmed. 
"Is he – quite safe?" Susan asks. "I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." 
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," replies Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else silly." 
"Then he isn't safe?" Lucy asks, to which Mr. Beaver responds, "Safe? Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."


"Course he isn’t safe." says Mr Beaver.
 
Is our God safe? 

An odd word, and maybe I ought to say ‘Is our God predictable? Can he be taken for granted? Can we ignore him and hope we won’t be noticed?  You can’t do that with a Lion, I’m not sure you can with God either!

“Therefore keep watch,” says Jesus. “Because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

Mark's View

Started writing a new Bible study this week,  on Mark's Gospel. In a sense it's an odd one to begin in Advent because Mark doesn't give us the nativity narrative! 

However,  all the elements are there to show who Jesus is. There might not be lists of ancestors that Matthew gives us to prove Jesus' Royal lineage, or angels appearing to Mary and the Shepherds, but from the opening words we see that this is going to be the story of the Son of God. 

Not only this but we find that John the Baptist is already looking for the One who is to come, as prophecised in the Scriptures. And John's message is at the heart of Jesus' own words - that humankind needs to understand the need for repentance, a change of heart and mind and to be reconciled to God.

Within the first few paragraphs we see more evidence for the Sonship of Jesus when he enters the Jordan in a symbolic offering for baptism - and both Spirit and Father appear to him, confirming what Mark has already revealed.

And all this within the first twelve verses!

Mark doesn't hang about - he's got a story to tell. It's a story that began a long time ago in the mind of God, spoken through the prophets, identified in the message of John and finally revealed in the person of Jesus!

When Earth's last picture is painted

 

Came across this very evocotive poem by Kipling the other day and wanted to share it:

 

When Earth's last picture is painted
And the tubes are twisted and dried
When the oldest colors have faded
And the youngest critic has died
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an aeon or two
'Till the Master of all good workmen
Shall put us to work anew

And those that were good shall be happy
They'll sit in a golden chair
They'll splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comet's hair
They'll find real saints to draw from
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul
They'll work for an age at a sitting
And never be tired at all.

And only the Master shall praise us.
And only the Master shall blame.
And no one will work for the money.
No one will work for the fame.
But each for the joy of the working,
And each, in his separate star,
Will draw the thing as he sees it.
For the God of things as they are!