One Positive

There have been many things a Mr. Cameron from the ‘Government’ has done and said. However, on the issue of financial aid to countries abroad I find myself agreeing; if not vigorously. It is ‘for a dead man walking’ a step in a better direction. He has come too far, too quickly for it ever to be a step in the right direction, but I’ll let that slide for now.

Charity begins at home. Harsh words for some, I am aware, but as good old Abe Lincoln said “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. Once we have sorted out our own debt, once we have doused the fires, stemmed the tides and dammed the rivers, will we have enough of a foundation to stand on. How many millions have been poured into foreign aid? Where is the difference? I can only see the richer grow richer, while the needy try and endure.

Look through your town, your city; how many lives could be drastically improved with £67 million poured into community efforts? Once the quality of life for every man, woman and child in England is equal then can we reach, ever the stronger, abroad. Once the safety and security of every teenager, every pensioner, and every helpless baby is assured then we can muck in for the nations. Once we all realise we are human can we start behaving that way.

I once lost faith in Mankind. There were too many people trying to burn the world, trying to inflict pain, for any of the good deeds to matter. Don’t make my mistake. I have Hope now, that we can make the World better, even if it means moving street by street. It will take as long as it takes; the world is changing and people need to start growing up before they are swept away by the tides. Now is a time to get to know your neighbours and show them you care.

Distraction

It is very easy at times to let things in this world distract us:

Matthew 24:6-20 New International Version (NIV)

6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Lots of things will happen to draw our attention and many people will go round in circles looking for the smallest of details in order to achieve some far flung dream to reveal a masterplan. It is the devil's wish that we all be distracted; but if we focus where the devil cannot enter; on the Holy Spirit within us, then God in His glory will guide us and show us what paths to take. Even when the darkness seems to be all around.

Proverbs 3:5-8 New International Version (NIV)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

No matter how low you are feeling, no matter how pointless and useless your life seems, God has a plan!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 New International Version (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

And it is most certainly not one of these mass plans, that makes you feel like your being rushed through the system. It is personal, it is unique and it is FULFILLED! In the End it should be our wish to unite as Humanity, as one body, to come before the Lord and be brought to Heaven.

Romans 12:5-8 New International Version (NIV)

5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

But this physical world will end, and all that we understand shall pass away, and We will then spend eternity with God on the New Earth.

Matthew 24:35 New International Version (NIV)

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Revelation 21:1-7 New International Version (NIV)


A New Heaven and a New Earth
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

So do not be so concerned with the ways of the World. We are called by God only to live in it not by it's ways. If you read the Bible and Keep God's words your perseverance shall be rewarded.

Revelation 3:10-15 New International Version (NIV)

10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

Says the Lord. And so we choose to follow God and bow to His greater knowledge, for He has a plan and He holds us secure all through our lives.

Progress by Default

No person can learn, if they do not see themselves as equal with their teacher. Of course, you may not be equal in knowledge or experience; but you surely have other gifts. This belief, this knowledge allows the student to comprehend what the teacher teaches and thus develop it further; by not being restricted by habit or rigid belief [which may be suffered by the teacher]. It takes a lot of internal change to accept that which is different, but being too open minded can also result in catastrophe.

You can allow yourself to be persuaded by others in order to feel as though you belong. Your morals will suffer for your ego. You should be certain of this: you were made unique to allow yourself a different experience, and for your future to be bountiful. This is how the student becomes the master [I know very corny and feeble] by taking the knowledge from several sources and varying application by experience.

This is how we form wisdom. Understand the knowledge and how it applies, then utilise it in the best way for the situation at hand. No one deserves the 'honour' of being called stupid by your mouth. For there is always someone smarter...always. Your pitiful measurements of intelligence and negligible next to the infinite in which we live each moment.

Why!

There has always been one question I have asked myself in ever situation...why?
Not "why did that happen?" or "why is life not fair?" those are small questions for the children among us. I ask myself, why are you feeling this way?" or "why are you not standing up and doing something?". Usually that gets my mind pointed in the 'right' direction again. (Whichever way the right way is - varied by experience)

I say usually because there are times when you can't ask why straight away. In a way you sort of need to lay down the concrete facts, before you begin the construction of working out where to go. So what concrete do I use? The truths, that are these: I have a family that loves me, I have a home, I am well, I have great friends, I can eat each day, I am secure, I am free. I understand that some of these cannot be said by all people, but that does not matter. Coming at a situation from a point of security will ultimately lead you to success, along with time and preparation, nothing is more important.

Support of friends and family can be a big help when confronting the giant at hand. You have to get used to sharing your fears, your problems with them though. They cannot help you, if you don't give them the right information. Yes it may be hard, it may be humbling and embarrassing, but surely they will see you as a bigger person because you were willing to ask for help rather than go it alone.

Faith, the brightest torch I know

There MUST be more than this right? You look around in life and you had dreams...but now your stuck in a dead end job, just because you needed a little bit of money once. What happened to those dreams? Where has the passion gone? It's not that you need a boost, because every time you arrive at the bottom, you somehow manage to pull yourself back up. BUT WHY DOES IT NEVER GO ANY FURTHER?

You just try to survive, to find a way to ignore the bad times. The times when all of life closed in on you and your friends turned their backs. Each time you survived. What was the cost? Does your heart ache less now each night? Do you ignore the desperate plea of another human in a situation you where once in? Where is the joy you once lived for each day? How could it all end like this?

When we were young, and all of life's issues were kept from our eyes we had happy lives. But as age gains on us, we see the truth. That family, friends put their own worries aside to let us have great childhoods. No one ever said life would be easy. Then again; did we ever have a choice? There will never be answers to every question. There will never be a human life of pure joy and no sorrow. We can kid ourselves and look past the pain, filling our lives with useless things to keep us from thinking...what if?

You are individual. You are strong. You have survived. When did you give up on yourself? How did doubt get past your guard? You CAN make it you know. That dream, sitting in sight, but out of reach. It can be yours. It will take more though. More than you want to risk, but as much as you have. Give it your life; give it all you have and see where you end up.

"But where do I get that confidence from?" Look past life. And ask.
He will provide, if you want it enough. Ask God each day for what it takes, what it needs. Then step out. Point your whole self in that direction and walk. Walk without fear, walk with God in your sight toward you dream. Then see where life can take you. And know why there IS so much more than this.

For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Steps on the Pyramid?

It is a rather odd thought to me, that my thoughts (go figure) would feel so much more ordered and understandable when i am the most tired.

Either you a trawling through the senseless ramblings of a tired 17 year old lad; or you are witnessing the well structured and proved prose of a keen young mind. But at times we are called to work with what we are given so...here we go.

Due to my young age, there are many things in life that i have not experienced; as of yet. One situation that has only recently reared it ugly head is, inequality. Sure we see it in films, on television; or hear of it in talk, but up until recently i have never been a victim of it.

On this count i would consider myself blessed, because inequality IS a horrible thing. As just mentioned I did experience it quite recently from someone who is equal to me, and being that I am still young, and forming of opinions and views are not yet set in stone, it shook me up a fair bit.

Now I really know what injustice feels like, and it's only from our own emotional experiences that we can create opinions and perspectives on situations in life. What then, am i going to do?

I am going to give this person and peoples the same respect i give to everyone else. I would consider us equals and try to help, as I have helped others. I would wish them, well and long lives, and show them that I care for their future. Even if they do not.

I'd hope any person reading this would be challenged and also give it a go. For it is not the depths of our wallets, nor the height of power of our acquaintances that make us friends of the people. It is the sacrifices and time, and equality shown to the people. That earns true respect, and that is hard to break.

Necessities of Living

O.K. so it has been a while and I've been busy thinking...or more precisely revising for exams. But that's cool we need exams to test the knowledge that has sunk into our brains to see if we can remember it at pivotal moments [like exams].

There is one point though that nearly everyone seems to come back to. "If we are going to get jobs where we can always check out our writings or statements, why can we not use revision notes in the exams? We will never have to undergo them again, so why the pain?" And I can completely understand where you are coming from, but if that happened the people who don't try very hard would be able to get higher results and, as bad as it sounds, that would hit employers very hard in the future.

Think about it, if they can't be bothered remembering a few facts now and undergoing a little pain, then in the future where the choice is clearer they just wouldn't bother.

Now i know i sound very pessimistic and harsh in most respects but for a society and economy to function EVERYONE has to pull their weight. if we don't then the worlds stagnates and global development and well as social and personal falls. Meaning that we end up with a planet full of wasters who try to live life with as much pleasure and as little pain as possible. But if you undergo, the necessary pains of life at the right times, in the end it will all be worth while.

Another One...Again?

Welcome to a new year, and what do we have to show for it? What developments have been made since this time last year? There have been a few good things, there have been a few bad things, but overall it's been a great year. So the question is "what are we going to do differently this year?" Hopefully it will be something life-building, like spend more time with family or just becoming a friendlier person. I however am going to concentrate on keeping up with old friends and strengthen the friendships I have already. I would hope that they would also be willing to spend more time with a crazed madman like me...even for a little while.

So here is to the new year and what to expect from it.
[Let's try not to break the Country again]

Observe or Live? And Where God Comes In

A follow-up question then - Do you think it better to observe life, or to live it? In essence, is it better to be an observer on the periphery, or a participant with a purely subjective viewpoint of life? And which of these criteria does God fill (or does He come into a third category? (which I'd hope He does))?
I am sure the only way I can answer that, is to be completely sure of my answer, and here i want you to be completely sure of my response.

If I was brought before the Lord and given that question I would always choose to live life. I would never want to as you put it "be an observer on the periphery". Anyone who does I must say you are sadly deluded. yes it may seem interesting at first, but it gets lonely real quickly being on your own, watching others in friendship and love. And if I don't have friendships then I don't have love, because it requires two participants for love to exist.

I must clear up an issue here though "a purely subjective viewpoint" sounds to me as if you are only looking at one part of life. But the very meaning of living cannot be grouped into one class, one area, as it is all-encompassing. Imagine a diamond. In it's rough form it has a certain attractive quality, but once the jeweller has worked his skill on it, it is beautiful. Each facet, each side are all part of the diamond, but when they are alone they do not emphasise the diamond as much as when they are united. In the same way life cannot have one subjective viewpoint. It can however be the development of one soul in three areas: life, love and eternity.
Only when these three develop together can we begin to really understand and enjoy life.

Some people say "there is a wasted mind", when they see someone going against the law or not achieving their potential. True, but to me a wasted mind is also someone who spends their entire life seeking knowledge, or fitness or spiritual enlightenment, but never seeks friendship or love. That is a wasted life, sure intelligence is great, but physical experiences and memories of great times are surely just as good.
Forgive me if I seemed to drift off topic, but here is the clinch and the answer to your question.

God created man, just as men can create statues. Jesus was begotten by God not created, just as children are begotten of men. Follow this through and we can see that while a statue is a very good representation of a man, it can never be a man. Thus as humanity is created in God's image (like the statue) it can never be God because it was made without something and with an expiry date (i may elaborate on this point later, but it is off topic here). God isn't. God exists in eternity, we don't; so God is able to look beyond time and situations because that's where he is. he is also not restricted by emotions or paths of thought, since he knows all things and thus is able to create them.

If you imagine a line on a paper to represent your life, God is the paper. He is all around but he is also what your life in written on, so not only does he observe from the periphery, but he is also deeply involved in the moments of life. This is because God is within all of us. He inhabits our bodies, like our souls do, but completely surrounding. So although God is able to view from the periphery, he is also intrinsically involved in our day to day lives, because a part of him is part of us. i can only help thinking that this sounds degrading to the infinity of God, but it is the best explanation i can convey.

And so the third category is created. Where God sees all of time, and where he understands every decision he makes and the effects, and the only reason he chooses to do them is because of his Love for us. He has seen every moment of your life and he ha heard every prayer. He has blessed us where he sees fit and has advised us where he knows best. Every deal he has entered he knows the outcome, and the only thing he seeks to gain is our love our praise, and that we can know him more.

The rest he leaves to us. That is why we have freewill, choice. So we can see God's Love and come to understand that what he gave is beyond our repayment. But he only wants our love in return, because he Loves us. This seems logical to me on the basis, if you spend time making something, you put effort into it, you put love into it, you come to cherish it. It becomes special. Like that table you made, or that picture you painted. It will always be special to you no matter what people think, because to you it is more than a table or a picture, it represents a success in your life, or it captures a feeling that you feel every time you look at it. We are the same to God. And that is why he is able to give everything for us to live in eternity with him. Because he loves us, and is delighted every time we choose to stand up and fight "the good fight". Because he believes in us, just as we believe in him.

I hope this answers your question at least in part. And i hope you can see where i am coming from in each part. I would delight in further questions, whenever you feel you need ask.

A Modern Interpretation

One of the duties of the church is to understand politics. Not to take politics on, but to understand the usage of it. For to start using politics will lead to division and malice amongst the members of the church. But to understand the principles and reasons for using politics helps to combat the effects of the government, and under careful guard and development could lead to a better life in the church. As a whole the church would gain a larger place in the minds of individuals, and the congregation would be united in larger decisions made by the church. The works of God would be seen more clearly by the public and the preciousness of them would be understood.

The Climb

From now on my motto is going to be "Achieve the impossible, then the hard things come easily". Why? Because that's how i want to live my life. I want to step out of my comfort zone and do things that most people only dream of. Of course i don't hold any sort of illusion that I'm the best at all things as I'm clearly not. i simply say that if you keep trying at something you will succeed and understanding will come. Thus the harder problems can be tackled easily and you may have already defeated them in seeking an answer to the impossible.
Sometimes it takes knowledge of the topic but if you keep stretching yourself you will achieve more and knowledge will come. But it ALWAYS takes commitment and time.