'Christianity...is a religion you could not have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up. It just has that queer sort of twist about it that real things have.' (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
Christianity differs greatly from any other religion.
Where else do you learn of a God who is both holy and gentle, mighty and loving, sovereign and merciful?
A God who became man, died for the wicked who rebelled against Him and then came back to life. Who could make up something like that?
Through this, He provided a way to be right with Him, through grace alone. Just grace. No sacrifices, frequent fastings, regular prayers. None of that will ever make us right, no matter what other religions say.
And because Christians are made right through what Christ has already done, they can be truly confidant that they will go to heaven when they die.
Because it's not about what we've done.
It's about what Christ did.
Thank you Lord for the uniqueness of Christianity!
Tuesday 29 April 2014
Saturday 26 April 2014
98 - Easter Sunday
'He is not here, for he has risen, as he said...' (Matthew 28:6)
'Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.' (Keith and Kristyn Getty)
This post comes a little late, but we can be thankful every day for the joy that first Easter Sunday brought - and is still bringing today.
Imagine the disciples being transformed from the misery and defeat of Friday to the shock and rejoicing on Sunday, when they learned that their Christ was not dead after all. Not only that, He was truly the Son of God and He'd just delivered a death blow to the power of sin over Man.
Without the resurrection of Christ, we would still be despairing over a martyr. We would still be lost in sin, maybe foolishly trusting in a dead Lord.
But He did not stay dead.
He did what no other man could ever do and rose from the dead. He truly is Lord. Through Him, the fear of death has been removed for us.
Thank you Lord for the eternal life we have in You.
Thank you for Easter Sunday!
'Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.' (Keith and Kristyn Getty)
This post comes a little late, but we can be thankful every day for the joy that first Easter Sunday brought - and is still bringing today.
Imagine the disciples being transformed from the misery and defeat of Friday to the shock and rejoicing on Sunday, when they learned that their Christ was not dead after all. Not only that, He was truly the Son of God and He'd just delivered a death blow to the power of sin over Man.
Without the resurrection of Christ, we would still be despairing over a martyr. We would still be lost in sin, maybe foolishly trusting in a dead Lord.
But He did not stay dead.
He did what no other man could ever do and rose from the dead. He truly is Lord. Through Him, the fear of death has been removed for us.
Thank you Lord for the eternal life we have in You.
Thank you for Easter Sunday!
Saturday 19 April 2014
97 - Easter Saturday
'And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. ' (Matthew 27:59)
What is there to be thankful for in Easter Saturday? Yes, the crucifixion had defeated sin. Yet Christ lay dead in the tomb. The disciples must have felt like everything was over.
Yet we can be thankful today, because we knew it was not. The darkness was going to be broken with light. The tears would turn to joy.
We can be thankful because this life we live right now is a bit like Easter Saturday. We're in an 'in-between' stage.
Easter Sunday is coming...
What is there to be thankful for in Easter Saturday? Yes, the crucifixion had defeated sin. Yet Christ lay dead in the tomb. The disciples must have felt like everything was over.
Yet we can be thankful today, because we knew it was not. The darkness was going to be broken with light. The tears would turn to joy.
We can be thankful because this life we live right now is a bit like Easter Saturday. We're in an 'in-between' stage.
Easter Sunday is coming...
96 - Good Friday
For many, that Friday morning in Jerusalem must have felt like any other. The law system moved on, criminals were sentenced to death under Roman law. The sun rose as they slowly died.
Yet how many realised this one day was to change everything for the whole of humanity - past, present and future?
How many knew that this day had been 'determined' by God before the world had even been formed?
How many knew that the man dying on the cross was both the greatest King the world had even seen and the most humble servant it would ever know?
The man on the cross suffered the most agonising death ever, and He did it willingly - because He loved His Father.
And He went further.
He forgave his weak disciples - men who were supposed to be his friends, yet at the first sign of trouble ran, betrayed and denied. He healed the servant of a soldier who came to arrest him. He asked for God to forgive those who mocked Him.
One word to His Father, and all the angel armies of heaven could have swooped to His rescue. But He never asked.
Instead, He breathed His last painful breathe for every sinner that ever had lived and ever would live. Us.
Pilate could find no fault with him. A Roman guard knew. A criminal dying beside him knew.
Yet we so easily forget.
We forget the most pure and holy Man ever died for the vilest of sinners - US.
May we never ever stop giving thanks for the miracle that was Good Friday!
95 - Those who look for the good in people
The truth of it is, there's a lot of bad in people. We're sinners, after all. We're proud. Angry. Fearful. Annoying. Spiteful.
And yet...
There are those who look beyond the sin. I don't mean they pretend it isn't there. I mean they recognise that we are all as bad as each other. They recognise there is still much good to be found - good that God has been growing within them over the years. Any good in people's lives is because of God. How easily we forget that.
These people recognise that the long and boring story someone's telling you might be an attempt to be friendly. They recognise the questions the dentist throws at you as you sit in their chair with your mouth full of tubes might be an attempt to put you at ease and pass the time that could be awkward for them too.
I wish I was like this. All too often I'm quick to see the negative, to complain behind backs, to gossip.
If only I could remember to look with the eyes of a man who saw a heart of love and worship in the social outcast of a woman who cried at his feet, who saw a leader in the disciple who denied him.
I want to look at people as Christ did!
Until I can grow in this way, I will be thankful for the people God placed in my life to remind me to look for the good in people, not tear them down for the bad.
Thank you God for the ultimate example of your Son, for the Spirit who makes us more like You that we can look at people as You do!
And yet...
There are those who look beyond the sin. I don't mean they pretend it isn't there. I mean they recognise that we are all as bad as each other. They recognise there is still much good to be found - good that God has been growing within them over the years. Any good in people's lives is because of God. How easily we forget that.
These people recognise that the long and boring story someone's telling you might be an attempt to be friendly. They recognise the questions the dentist throws at you as you sit in their chair with your mouth full of tubes might be an attempt to put you at ease and pass the time that could be awkward for them too.
I wish I was like this. All too often I'm quick to see the negative, to complain behind backs, to gossip.
If only I could remember to look with the eyes of a man who saw a heart of love and worship in the social outcast of a woman who cried at his feet, who saw a leader in the disciple who denied him.
I want to look at people as Christ did!
Until I can grow in this way, I will be thankful for the people God placed in my life to remind me to look for the good in people, not tear them down for the bad.
Thank you God for the ultimate example of your Son, for the Spirit who makes us more like You that we can look at people as You do!
Tuesday 8 April 2014
94 - Clouds
'...the clouds are the dust of his feet.' (Nahum 1:3)
I personally love the sunny days when the sky is clear and blue best. But the clouds, and their various appearances, contain much to be thankful for.
When they are heavy grey and throwing rain down to the ground, it can be hard to beam upwards and say 'Dear Lord...thank you for the clouds!' But as I mentioned in my very first blog post, we can even be grateful for the rain and the life it gives to our earth.
When the sun breaks through in beams and rays of light, we can look up and be thankful for the beauty; thankful for that the wet misery is not forever. Just like the trials of life - the sun's always there, even if we can't see it.
And when the sun sinks into the horizon and sets the clouds aflame into glorious colours of red, gold, yellow, orange and pink, we can catch our breath and be thankful for the beauty, thank you for the indications of fine weather the next day and thankful for the faint reflection of the eternal splendour we shall one day enjoy in heaven forever, all because of our Saviour.
Thank you Father for the clouds.
I personally love the sunny days when the sky is clear and blue best. But the clouds, and their various appearances, contain much to be thankful for.
When they are heavy grey and throwing rain down to the ground, it can be hard to beam upwards and say 'Dear Lord...thank you for the clouds!' But as I mentioned in my very first blog post, we can even be grateful for the rain and the life it gives to our earth.
When the sun breaks through in beams and rays of light, we can look up and be thankful for the beauty; thankful for that the wet misery is not forever. Just like the trials of life - the sun's always there, even if we can't see it.
And when the sun sinks into the horizon and sets the clouds aflame into glorious colours of red, gold, yellow, orange and pink, we can catch our breath and be thankful for the beauty, thank you for the indications of fine weather the next day and thankful for the faint reflection of the eternal splendour we shall one day enjoy in heaven forever, all because of our Saviour.
Thank you Father for the clouds.
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