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We depart briefly from our current book of the Bible because we want to honour God. Let me explain. We at Aftershock aim to live our lives just as Paul did in this passage. We want to proclaim Gods glorious generosity to the world so that people would come to know Jesus and live their lives in line with Gods perfect plan. God has blessed us beyond what we deserve and we want to manage what time, money and skills he has given us to the very best of our ability. We want the same for you at school and college. We want you to use your skills, time and money to Gods glory in the life you lead for him. This is why at times in our lives we must take stock and ask ourselves are we doing what God wants with His resources. Aftershock is at the point now. Whilst we are blessed beyond what we deserve the opportunities to do Gods work are everywhere and we can not do everything. So we need your help, and it won’t cost you a penny. Two things. Firstly please pray and ask God for wisdom in the direction of Aftershock, and when he speaks to you lets us know, through the second thing which we need your help with. That second thing is to go to Aftershock.org.uk and complete the Urgent Survey. You won’t miss it, as it is linked to from the front page.If you have never responded before, respond now, it could change the very direction of Aftershock. We have ten questions we need you to answer, and if you want to you only have to answer five. Ask yourselves is Aftershock worth five minutes of your time? We believe that God will use both you and us to spread his word, what we need to understand now is how best we can do that.

1 Corinthians, Author - Max Cross | No Comments »

So many adults need to hear Paul’s words from today’s passage. I’m not being mean because I need to hear them as well, and so do you. I love the way that this translation tells us Schools Out now’s the time for living what you have been taught. You study at school or college, but for what? You study so that you can use that knowledge in your future life. There is no point in studying Law at college, if you intend on becoming a plumber, you will never use the knowledge you gained at college. What’s the point of practicing your guitar for hours on end if you never intend on playing it once you have learnt the basics. Goes without saying really doesn’t it, but many adults do take that attitude towards Jesus. They study Jesus, go to every seminar about him, read hundreds of books on the way he lived his life. And then what do they do? They walk past someone on the street that needs help. They gossip about people at work. They completely miss the point; they don’t use the knowledge they have. So we can sit here all pompous like and say “yer that’s right adults are like that.” Except for one thing, often we are like that too, aren’t we? So let’s make a decision today to not only learn what Jesus wants us to do, but to actually do it in our daily lives at school and college. Let’s continue to study Gods word, but let’s start taking more action to make a difference in others lives using the knowledge that we have been given from our God.

Author - Max Cross, Colossians | No Comments »

Do you know guys who do drugs? What are they looking for? What about people that sleep around, what are they searching for? How about the people that are trying desperately to be famous in sport or music, what are they searching for? There seems to be some drive in almost all the people I know. Young and old alike, people seem to be searching for something. You must know adults that pride themselves on the house and car they have, what is that saying about them? You know mates whose sole purpose in life is to get as popular as possible. What are they up to? Drug addicts, hard driven business people, film stars, promiscuous teenagers, they all search for one thing. But we can call it many things, we can call it a search for meaning, acceptance, purpose, or fulfilment. Whatever we call it is irrelevant, it is actually a search for Jesus. We are told it plain and simple in this passage, we were all created to glory Jesus and our purpose is in him. Some people describe it as a God shaped hole in our heart that we will never fill with booze, sex or ambition. I’m not so sure that is a good picture as it brings it back to what we need. The truth is that if we focus on Jesus, accept him into our lives, live a life that he would want us to live, then what we need is part of the package. So next time you seek to find your purpose in something other than Jesus, just remember, it’s only temporary, because there is only one cure to that ache in your heart. Seek Jesus instead.

Author - Max Cross, Colossians | No Comments »

In this book of the Bible is Paul writing a letter to his mates at Colosse. I guess if Paul was alive today, he would probably have emailed what he had to say. It wouldn’t have taken months to get there; it would have been there in a second. Notice how Paul starts his letter. He is overflowing with praise for his mates. He says things like “I have heard great stuff about you, you are the people of Christ.” He goes on, “I am always praying for you dudes.” What a way to greet people. Do we greet the people we know in the same way? How do you encourage your youth leader, your pastor, your parents, your mates? I love to joke and so often greet people with words like “Hello Muppet” and whilst that’s often not a problem, words do have an impact. The Bible describes our tongues like a sword. Do you greet your mates with words like “hello dumbo” or “hello fat boy?” You’ll probably get away with it most of the time, but what about that day when they have just had everything go wrong? Would it be better for us to lift their spirits? Maybe words like “Hi my man” followed by, what great things you’ve have been hearing about them, would be better. Maybe Paul’s right, maybe the first words out of mouths to people we know should make them feel better and not worse. It’s almost like God would want it that way!

Author - Max Cross, Colossians | No Comments »

We’ve come across this before in our studying the bible together. This is a large list of names and places, how can that possibly affect the way we live our lives today? I have prayed and studied this verse but can not have wisdom for you today. So what we do when God appears silent? What do you do when you have a problem at college or school and you just don’t seem to hear from God? Firstly, we have to understand that we are not alone. David, Joshua, Job and many more heroes in the Bible, seem to struggle at times with not hearing from God. Then we need to ask ourselves is there anything we are doing that would prevent God talking to us. And we have to be prepared to understand that there may not be, we may be perfectly OK with God. Lastly we must listen to God. Yes I know that’s what we are having trouble with, but keeping on keeping on, is what we must do. Remember God hasn’t moved anywhere. So, since I have not heard from God on this passage, what about you ask him to talk to you about it.

11 The first lot turned up for the tribe of Benjamin with its clans. The border of the allotment went between the peoples of Judah and Joseph. 12-13 The northern border began at the Jordan, then went up to the ridge north of Jericho, ascending west into the hill country into the wilderness of Beth Aven. From there the border went around to Luz, to its southern ridge (that is, Bethel), and then down from Ataroth Addar to the mountain to the south of Lower Beth Horon. 14 There the border took a turn on the west side and swung south from the mountain to the south of Beth Horon and ended at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the west side. 15-19 The southern border began at the edge of Kiriath Jearim on the west, then ran west until it reached the spring, the Waters of Nephtoah. It then descended to the foot of the mountain opposite the Valley of Ben Hinnom (which flanks the Valley of Rephaim to the north), descended to the Hinnom Valley, just south of the Jebusite ridge, and went on to En Rogel. From there it curved north to En Shemesh and Geliloth, opposite the Red Pass (Adummim), down to the Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, continued toward the north flank of Beth Arabah, then plunged to the Arabah. It then followed the slope of Beth Hoglah north and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea—the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern border. 20 The east border was formed by the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the people of Benjamin for their clans, marked by these borders on all sides. 21-28 The cities of the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, were: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their villages. Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath Jearim— fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance for Benjamin, according to its clans.

Author - Max Cross, Joshua | No Comments »