aftershock.org.uk
devotional mp3 podcasts for young people

Paul’s is becoming a nuisance to these guys, and why not, even one of the governors has said that all the accusations are fabrication. Sometimes you need to take a stand even when there is discomfort involved for you. The Bible has examples all over the place of people standing up for what is right rather then what is popular. From Moses standing up for the Egyptian slaves through to Jesus standing up for Gods Church when he got rid of the merchants in the Temple, to Paul in this passage. We do not need to be told what is right; we know what is right and what is wrong. What we need is to gather up the courage to do what is right. The question is how do we find that courage, and as ever the answer has to be Jesus. Jesus is not a distant person who just points out what you should do. He knows that doing the right thing is sometimes hard, and that is why he wants to provide you the strength to do it. When we face that moment at school, college or work where we can do what is right or what is popular, cry out to Jesus for his help. Only in Jesus strength can we do what it right.

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

If Paul was fed up before then he must be going mad by now. Two years under house arrest and still it doesn’t look like he is going to get this resolved. We just have to be grateful that this type of thing doesn’t happen to Christians today, don’t’ we? Unfortunately not, Open Doors a Charity that serve persecuted Christians report “tens of thousands of Christians are currently suffering in North Korean prison camps where they face cruel abuses.” opendoorsuk.org also reports that religious freedom does not exist in Saudi Arabia, Iran, China and Somalia amongst many others. In many of these places Christians are imprisoned on trumped up charges just as Paul was. Also in the same way as Paul many Christians around the world are beaten and killed because they dare to say that Jesus is their Lord. Sometimes I keep my faith quiet because I may get laughed at and that would make me blush, and yet there are people who are willing to die rather then deny the true God. If you live in a country where you are free to meet with other Christians, praise the Lord. If you live in a country where you are free to speak to your friends about Jesus, praise the Lord. If you live in a country where you are free to buy a Bible, praise the Lord. If you live in a country where you are free to praise the Lord, then praise the Lord with every ounce of energy he has given you.

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

You know sometimes you can just find it hard to hear from God. Here is a long old back and forth between Paul and his accusers and I just don’t know how God would have us apply it to our lives today. So I am going to play it again, why not email us at podcast@aftershock.org.uk and tell us what God tells you about it.

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Is life ever like this for you? Do you think you are getting somewhere only to get knocked back again? This is what is going on with Paul, he is dragged here and there and finally he comes across a new guy who he hopes will make a judgement. I get the feeling that Paul probably doesn’t care by this time what goes on, he just wants a decision. And what does he get, he gets an “Ill see what your accusers say” from the governor. Ahhhhh how many times have you been told “Ill see” or “wait and see” from a parent or leader? It seems that we are just not built that way, we are impatient we want it NOW. In this day of instant information we probably also want instant answers to our prayers. The problem with that is the fact that God isn’t a search engine or prayer engine that always returns the answers in seconds to us. No sometimes God wants us to work through some situations to come to the answer; sometimes God wants us to be our own answer to our prayers. Paul has got to sit on the knowledge that God told him he has more to do. Paul had to rely on that information and see what pans out. In the same way we have to rely on the fact that Gods plans are to prosper us and not to harm us. If our prayers are not answered immediately then we should continue to seek what God has in store for us. Tough I know, but no one said trusting in God was the easy option, it’s just the worthwhile option.

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It’s all going to be OK, that what God is saying to Paul here. God guides Paul’s whole life, so when God says to him that his life is not going to end here, then that’s OK by Paul. Are you sitting there thinking if only, if only God spoke that clearly to me? I know that I do sometimes. Sometimes I think if only I would start my computer up each morning and in my email was a list of things that God wanted me to do. You can imagine it can’t you. “Oh look I have an email from God@Heaven.com” You open up your email and it says. “Hi today I would like you to thank your teacher for a job well done, he’s not feeling so great and his Mum has just died. Next why don’t you pray to me for your mate Julie she is feeling really lonely? Also I would like you to become a doctor in the future and yes you will pass your maths exam next week. Bye for now your loving Father, God” Well that is almost the relationship Paul had with God. You see the more time you spend with someone; the more you understand the way they like to communicate. Have you every heard a young child gabble away in what seems like a foreign language to you. Yet the child’s mother understands. The child’s mother knows what was said, because even though the child hasn’t grasped the language properly yet the child’s mother spends so much time with the child that they can hear the words they are trying to say. If you spend fleeting moments with God as you are entering the exam hall throwing up a quick prayer then don’t expect to be able to understand him in return. God may still answer your prayers but will you hear him? Take some time each day to read Gods notes on life, that is the book some people call the Bible. Pray to him about you concerns, but also take the time to be quiet and listen to him. You might choose to do that in bed, at the beginning or end of the day, or just walking to school or college, but take the time to do it and you will also learn the language that God uses, just like Paul did.

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