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It seems like belief in angels is very popular today, especially ‘guardian angels’. But a great many people seem to get excited about the idea of angels watching over us, whilst at the same time scoffing at the idea of the Son of God dying for our sins. But when you hear the words that have just been read, doesn’t that seem crazy? For one thing, the word ‘angel’ means “messenger”. That means if angels are real, then the person who gave them a message to deliver must be real. Angels, by their very existence, point beyond themselves to someone greater. So dreaming and gushing about angels, whilst all the time ignoring Christ, is like taking down posters of a great superstar and replacing them with photographs of that superstar’s road crew! Yes, angels are real, and they are sent to watch over us and speak to us. But these citizens of heaven are all delivering the same ultimate message; “Come and meet our king, nothing compares to Him”.

Author - Oli Lea, Hebrews | No Comments »

Hold on a minute what’s this all about. Paul is in jail? What’s he doing worrying about other people when he is chained up in a stinking jail? There he is in the filth and disease that a jail of this would have had been, and he is saying, we always thank God for you in our prayers. Is this guy mad? I know what I would do. I would be moaning and groaning and writing letters saying get me out of here. I am pretty sure I would not be writing letters encouraging others and praying for them. But isn’t that just the way of our world today? At school, college and work, are we not looking out for what is our right? It does seem to me sometimes that I am more worried about what I deserve or what I have a right to, rather then being thankful for what I have. Come to think about I am not sure who is chained up the most Paul, in his physical chains, or me in my mental ones. Maybe a little more thanks for the blessing God has given me, and a little less moaning about what I don’t have, wouldn’t go amiss. Yep get me out of this chain gang, I’m going to be thankful rather then ungrateful. How about you?

Author - Max Cross, Colossians | No Comments »

Some people get really uptight about this passage in the Bible. But then some people get really upright about anything. We hear all sorts of claims that the Bible is saying that women are less important then men and that slavery is OK. Makes me want to shout from the rooftops, just read what it actually says. I wonder if you have ever had anyone say something about you that wasn’t true at school or college. How did it make you feel? Do you get angry, did you want to get back at the persons that had lied about you? Well the bad news is that the message from today’s reading might make you thing about what you would do again. We are told that wives should support their husbands, husbands support their wives, and so on. It is pretty straight forward really, what ever you do at school, college, work, home, church do it as though you were doing it for Jesus. Whoever you meet, treat them as though they were Jesus. By the way just because the message is straight forward, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Especially when the other person hasn’t worked out the same message yet.

Author - Max Cross, Colossians | No Comments »