Aftershock.org.uk Christian devotional mp3 podcasts for young people. » Uncategorized

A New Start?

admin — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:56:20 +0000

January 22, 2011 – Hi guys an important opportunity has come up. If you are keen to see Aftershock start again send as many people as you can to read http://cross.org.uk/aftershock.

Cheers, Max.

The Winning Team – John 8:31-47

aftershock.org.uk — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:22 +0000

Do you enjoy watching a game of football? Or maybe basketball is your game. Either way, whenever you watch a game with two teams, you cheer for one or the other. If you’re not cheering for one side then you must be cheering for the other. That’s pretty much what Jesus is saying to this bunch of guys here. He is saying, from what I can see, you guys are not cheering for God, so if you are not cheering for God, then you must be on the Devils side. It’s obvious to Jesus, because, if you are cheering for God, if you are on Gods side, then that can be seen in the way you act. It can be seen in the way you treat people, it can be seen in the way you spend your time, it can be seen in the very way you live your life. And if it can’t be seen, then you must be on the other side from God. It doesn’t mean that you are running around murdering people, it doesn’t mean that you are a horrible person. It simple means that you have chosen to separate yourself from God. And as we know if you choose that on this Earth, then God will honour your choice into eternity. As for me and my mates, we want to be on Gods team on this Earth and for the rest of time. Now that’s the winning team.

Hey, I have made a massive assumption that you have chosen to be on the winning team. If you haven’t and want to accept Jesus as you captain, your friend, your saviour, then let’s do it now. Repeat this prayer after me, to ask Jesus to be your saviour.

“Father, I know that I have been selfish, and the wrong things I have done have separated me from you. I am really sorry, and I want to turn away from all that stuff and follow you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule, and reign, in my heart ,from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit, to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

MP3: 00338_John_8_31-47.mp3
PDF: 00338_John_8_31-47.pdf

Be Quiet And Eat Your Dinner – John 19 17-27

admin — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:31:34 +0000

So Jesus was dying in excruciating pain for the world’s sins, for yours and my selfishness on a cross, and yet he had time to remember his Mum. He said to one of his disciples “here is my Mum treat her as though she was your Mum, look after her and make sure she has everything she needs.” Do you think Jesus believed family was important? Jesus didn’t say “here is one more piece of wisdom that I must give you before I go.” Jesus didn’t say “don’t forget I said the ultimate commandment is to love.” No Jesus made sure that his Mum was looked after. That’s rubbish, because I don’t know about you, but I stuff up in this area all the time. The people I am closest to seem to be the people that get the worst side of me. My Mum and Dad are not perfect and they don’t claim to be, so every now and then they wind me up. They say things that I don’t agree with, they do things that annoy me. My parents promise stuff and don’t deliver. Do you think Mary did that? I bet when Jesus went missing in the temple as a child Mary gave him what for when he eventually got home. I bet every now and then when Jesus was being smart Mary and Joseph told him to be quiet and eat his dinner. I bet Jesus got wound up by his earthly parents. So Jesus who knew every thing about Mary still said I love this woman so much that I want to make sure all her needs are taken care off. I hate it sometimes when Jesus shows us the way to behave towards other people. What about you?

Referee – John 19 1-19

admin — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:23:29 +0000

How easily we can get drawn along with the crowd. Just a few days ago these were the same people that welcomed Jesus into town as a King, shouting Hosanna and praising his name. Yet here they are, shouting for his torture and death on a cross. It’s just like the feeling you get at a football game. The emotion inside of you can get whipped up into a frenzy, and before you know it your are shouting things at the referee that you wouldn’t believe you could say. What is it that makes us want to be part of the crowd? What is it that makes us do and say things that are wrong rather than stand out from the crowd? Fear. Fear of being different; fear that if we don’t run with the crowd that they may turn on us. At school and college we may run with the crowd and gossip about friends, in the hope the crowd won’t gossip about us. We dress like the in-crowd so that we have an identity and won’t stand out. Well you have an identify, you are a Christ Follower. Your identity wasn’t created in some fashion house, where what they really want is your money. Your identity isn’t in some label, like Goff, Emo or Skater. You are not part of the crowd, you were created individual, and God has known you before you were born. You know the difference between what the crowd think is right, and what you know to be right. Part of the crowd? No, you are too good for that, God made you too individual to run with the crowd.

Bad Day For Pilate – John 18 28-40

admin — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:07:14 +0000

Pilate is having a bad day. Firstly he tells the Jews to take this problem of his hands and Judge Jesus for themselves. Then when they won’t he ask Jesus to confess and take this problem out of his hands. Finally he says, “OK guys I can release one prisoner, so please take this problem of my hands.” But still no joy. You see Jesus is persistent. Jesus knows that Gods will is for him to die on the cross for us, and that’s what is going to happen. Gods is persistent with us as well. God doesn’t give up on us just because we have made rubbish decisions in the past; no God sticks with us through thick and thin. God wanted you to hear about his Son Jesus and he was persistent with that until you stood up and took notice. Of course you can be stubborn and ignore him. But that does seem a little Pilate like. Personally I think being persistent in seeking Gods will for your life might be the better plan. What do you think?

That’s A Strike – John 18 19-27

admin — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:51:21 +0000

So Peter has denied that he knows Jesus not once, not twice but three times, that’s a Strike, and he is out. Not so long ago in John 13:37-38 he said “Master, why can't I follow now? I'll lay down my life for you!” Jesus knew what was going to happen, do you remember his reply? Jesus said “Really? You'll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you'll deny me three times.” And as the sound of the rooster crowing dies away we are reminded once again, that Jesus knows every bit of our heart. Of course we have never said that we won’t do something, and then gone ahead and done it have we? I know I have never said that I wouldn’t snap at someone I love, and then snapped at them because I was feeling grumpy. Hmmm well maybe I have just once or twice. But I am sure that you would never do such a thing, would you? Of course if you were to do things that you said you wouldn’t what should you do? Should you feel guilty and beat yourself up? Should you not care and just give up trying? Well it seems to me that when Jesus talked about being selfish he said things like “you are forgiven, now go and be selfish no more.” So the answer is that we shouldn’t beat ourselves up, but we should say sorry and keep on trying to not do selfish stuff. As for Peter who is probably feeling rubbish right now, well we get back to him later on.

Jesus The Action Man – John 18 1-18

admin — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 15:38:44 +0000

Jesus spread the message that he was the Son of God through peace. Simon Peter completely missed the point. In Simon Peters mind he was doing right by getting his sword out and chopping the ear of the soldier off. You can imagine it can’t you “I Simon Peter will save the Saviour of the World, with my sword.” Was he then going to go around and chop off everyone else’s ear that didn’t believe? That wasn’t the way Jesus did things, we can’t go around using force to spread the fantastic news about God. Imagine going up to some guy at school or college and saying, “right if you don’t accept Jesus, I’m going to thump you one.” Even if they did say the words, they wouldn’t mean them would they? No that’s not the way Jesus did it. Jesus took care of peoples needs before he spoke to them, Jesus was an action man. Think of the feeding of the five thousand, no one is going to listen if they are hungry so he fed them. All the healings he did, after all people are distracted when they are ill. So why would the soldier accept Jesus as his saviour, if a Christian had caused him harm? Why would that person you know accept Jesus as their saviour if your bully them? No we need to be action men and women like Jesus and help people, no hurt them. Only then will they be in a position to hear about Jesus.

Suzy And Jesus – John 17

admin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:33:45 +0000

Sometimes as we look at God’s instruction book the Bible together and we update the words to make them meaningful to us today. But as we look at this passage Jesus is not only praying to our Father God for his disciples but he also takes the time to pray for you and me. I don’t think the words need updating we just need to understand that Jesus is praying for us today. I am going to read his words again but I will put my name in certain places. As I put my name in put your name in it its place and hear how much Jesus loves you.

Father I'm praying not only for the disciples. But also for Suzy. Because of her and her witness about me. The goal is that she becomes one heart and mind—Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So Suzy might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave Suzy, So Suzy will be as unified and together as we are—I in Suzy and you in me. Then Suzy will be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved Suzy In the same way you've loved me. 24-26Father, I want Suzy who you gave me to be with me, right where I am, So she can see my glory, the splendor you gave me. Amen

If All Else Fails – John 16 17-33

admin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:33:44 +0000

I am like the disciples in so any ways. They have come across a problem; they don’t understand what Jesus has said to them. So what do they do? They ask each other, what’s this all about. You want to shout out hey guys Jesus is standing next to you ask him you muppets. But hey aren’t I just like them to? Aren’t you like them to? You’r plodding along at college and you come across a problem, what do you do? I’m plodding along with my life in my own merry way and I hit a problem, what do I do? I look at the problem and ask myself, “right how can I work this out?” How can I solve this problem? I ask my mate, “can you help” with this? And then finally when we have tried every other option, some bright spark says hey how about praying? It’s at that point I want to shout to myself “hey muppet pray at the beginning, not when every other option fails.” Remember Jesus is standing alongside you and he really doesn’t mind you asking him questions.

On Our Own But Not Alone – John 16 1-16

admin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:33:43 +0000

So up to now Jesus had been babysitting the disciples, but finally it’s his time to go. Jesus lays down the truth because after he is gone they will be on their own. He says I am telling you the truth about the world because soon I am going to hang on a cross. Yep they will not be able to turn to Jesus and say where now? No, when they get stumped by a question their friends ask they will no longer be able to point to a physical Jesus and say ask him. You could say that they will become just like us. When our mates ask us why God allows suffering to happen, we can’t walk up to Jesus with them and ask him to tell them. When we have a real tough time we don’t get the option to walk up to Jesus and say where now? And that happens in other areas of our life doesn’t it? At some point we will leave our parents and get on with life. At some point we will move on from our groups and onto new areas. When we do, we will find out if our belief in Jesus is ours, or did we just go to Church because of our parents. We will find out if we have the guts to continue to follow Jesus’s teachings, or if we just liked the fun we had in our groups. Thankfully although just like the disciples we will be on our own, Jesus did not leave us alone. Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit, so when we have moments when we are not sure what to do we can shout out to our Father God. We can shout in prayer, what should I do? Where now?

No Worries – John 15 18-27

admin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:33:42 +0000

Do you have people take the mickey out of you? Do people wind you up because you say you are a Christian? Maybe worse still you get bullied because you are a Christian? Hey good news, Jesus says don’t be surprised, they hate him too. “Oh that’s OK then, phew I thought I was the only one, why didn’t you say so before, no worries.” But that’s no help really, is it? Just because we know people ridiculed and beat Jesus, it doesn’t make it any easier when they ridicule and hit us. And if these things don’t happen to us, we hear stories that they happen to other people, and then start panicking that it may happen to us. So what is the answer? Well I’m not sure I have one. I could say love Jesus and you will never have another problem again. But Jesus didn’t say that. He did say what these people are doing is because of him and not because of you. He did promise that you will party with him in Heaven if you accept him as your saviour. He did say that you will have the Holy Spirit with you, and Jesus did say that God would listen to your prayers. So I guess we have only one example to follow, and when we are afraid or worried about these things we should pray to God, and ask not only for his help but for his peace.

Game Over – John 15 1-17

admin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:32:54 +0000

Once again Jesus is talking to a bunch of people who grow their own crops and know about grapes; so he talks to them about fruit and how their lives are like growing fruit. If he was talking directly to us today, I am sure he would use different pictures to get his message across, but his message would be the same. Jesus might say something like, I am the games console and my Father is the games master. Those players who ignore the games master will lose lives; they won’t complete the levels and will lose the game. Every player that listens to the games master will receive hints and tips from him. The games master will teach you, and whilst it may take several attempts to win a level, eventually you will win the game. When we read and pray to God we are listening to the Farmer, we are listening to the Games Master. Listening to God will show with the actions we take in our lives, and we will bear fruit, we will win levels. When we listen to God and remember the ultimate cheat in game playing, we will love one another and it will not be “game over” it will be “game on.”

Brain Ache – John 14 15-31

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:47:45 +0000

I can hear you now. “Hold on a minute first I understand God the Father that you described to me. Then Jesus comes along and you describe God the Son. Now you’re telling me that Jesus left a friend behind called God the Holy Spirit. What’s this all about? Do we believe in three different gods?” Man I can see that it would be confusing, but no our God is one god and is all three parts Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Think of God as water. Water can be in different states. Water can be flowing water. Water can be frozen ice. Water can be steam. At any time did what water was made up of change? No it didn’t, it was still made up of the chemicals that make water, but it did look different didn’t it? Now I know that that doesn’t really answer your questions but it’s does help us see that an everyday item can appear to be different, but still be the same thing. Now lets look at the Sun. No not Son the big shiny thing in the sky, the Sun. Many years ago people use to believe that the Sun circled around our planet. We now know that the Earth circles the Sun. Did the facts change? No they didn’t it’s just that we have learned the truth, and before the truth was beyond our understanding. Is it possible that the truth is, God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it just that we don’t have the ability to fully understand this? Thank God for his Bible because in his instruction manual he says very clearly, that God is God the Father (Isaiah 45:18), Jesus is God the Son (John 8:58), God the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4) but there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10). When we don’t fully understand, at least we can rely on God’s word.

The Good The Bad And The Ugly – John 14 1-14

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:47:44 +0000

And Jesus said “be nice, don’t hurt anyone and you will go to Heaven.” Wouldn’t that have been so much easier if Jesus had actually said that? Or he could have said, “It doesn’t matter what God you believe in, we will all meet up in Heaven.” But the problem is he didn’t. Typical Jesus he didn’t mess around he laid the truth out plain and simple. In other translations it says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So the only way to get to God is through Jesus. If we truly believe that the only way to party forever in heaven is to accept that Jesus came to this earth and died for our selfish acts, then what should we do? Well for one thing we should realise that everyone needs to know Jesus, the good, the bad and the ugly. The good need to accept Jesus, because he didn’t say be good and you will go to heaven. The bad need to know him, because Jesus did not say if you have done bad stuff you can’t get into heaven. The ugly? Well there is no ugly person in Gods eyes. But those who feel ugly, those who feel they don’t deserve to be forgiven, they need to accept that Jesus died for them as well. In short Jesus dies for us all, Jesus died for the good, the bad and the ugly. Jesus is the one way to God our Father in heaven.

The 11th Suggestion – John 13 31-39

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:47:43 +0000

Love each other as Jesus loved us! Sounds simple doesn’t it? But if we are to do that how does it effect the way we are tomorrow at school, what would we do different at college? How would you go into work if you were to really live this command out? Yes because it is a command. Jesus didn’t say I leave you with this one suggestion. No, there was no email with tip of the day from Jesus. Jesus said “a new command I give you” or “Let me give you a new command.” So how much does Jesus love us? He loves us enough to come to this earth and teach us. He loves us enough to talk to Father God for us. And there was the small issue of him hanging on a cross in excruciating pain and dying for us. Yep that’s a fairly big example of his love. Now Jesus isn’t saying that we can hang on a cross for our friends. Actually none of us are pure enough to commit that sacrificial act. But we can look at Jesus and the way he dealt with people. We can look at Jesus and the way he lived his life, as an example of the way we should live our life. How did Jesus treat the woman at the well? How did Jesus treat the leapers? How did Jesus treat the robbers on the cross? How did Jesus treat his mother Mary? How did Jesus treat his friends the disciples? Then maybe we can ask ourselves. How do we treat those in need? How do we treat the outcast in our society? How do we treat out parents and family? How do we treat our friends? Only you and God know the answers to those questions.

People Are People – John 13 18-30

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:47:41 +0000

People are people and they stuff up. Your mates will stuff up. Your Mum and Dad will stuff up. Your youth leader will stuff up. You will stuff up. Because people are just people and that’s what we do best. We all try really hard to be like Jesus, but we know ultimately we will never reach the purity of Jesus without Jesus. If there was anyone on this earth who was so pure they could stand in front of God, why would God have needed to send Jesus to die for us? So should we just give up, should we just go and do want we want? After all we can never measure up? No, Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him; he even gave him permission to go ahead and do it. But did you catch the pain Jesus felt? This version says, “Jesus became visibly upset.” If Jesus becomes visibly upset at something that he knows must happen and he gives permission for, how must he feel when we stuff up? No, we shouldn’t give up we should continue towards our goal of being Jesus like. When our friends, our Mum and Dad, our leaders stuff up, we should forgive them. And when we stuff up, we should get down on our knees and ask our gracious God for forgiveness, knowing that his son died on a cross two thousand years ago so we could be forgiven.

Stinking Feet – John 13 1-17

admin — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:47:12 +0000

So Jesus washed the disciples feet, what difference does that make to us? Jesus took the grubbiest job and got on with. Washing your mates feet, at the end of a sweaty, dusty day would not have been nice. Actually you probably would have got your lowest servant to do it. But Jesus didn’t, actually Jesus did four things. Firstly he was observant enough to spot a way he could do something for his friends and fellow believers. Then he got on and did it. He didn’t send money, he didn’t arrange for someone else to do it. No Jesus felt it was important enough that he did it. Thirdly he washed everyone’s feet, even Judas who he new would betray him. He didn’t pick and choose the guys he liked; he did it to all of them. Finally he was very straightforward and said, I am doing this so you guys can use me as an example. Jesus was plain that this is how we should look after one another. There was no messing with this, and I was reminded this week of a famous old preacher guy call John Wesley who put it another way. John said “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.“ So as you look around at your mates, and those who go to your church or youth group that you might not like as much; can you see things that people need to be helped with? If you can’t should you be looking a bit harder? After all Jesus was very plain that him washing the disciples feet wasn’t a one off it was a way we should live our lives.

Now Izzy Is Right – John 12 36-50

admin — Sun, 27 May 2007 22:01:06 +0000

This time it’s Isaiah’s turn to be right. This old guy Isaiah had predicted years before; that even though the people around Jesus would see what he did, they would ignore who he was. And worse still these guys not only couldn’t see Jesus was the Son of God because of their hatred, they were even out to kill him. All too often that happens today. People around us can see God. They can see God in his wonderful creation around us. They can see God in the things you do. They can see God in the things that happen in their life’s. But they choose to ignore him, they choose to be blind, they choose to have hard hearts. So what should our reaction be to our mates and family that are like that? Do we grab the Bible and quote large passages at them every time something goes wrong in their life? Do we tell them they are sinners and are going to hell? Well there may well be the odd time where it might be right to do this with gentleness, but what was Jesus most common reaction? Well in this passage he says that he does not reject them, and that he didn’t come to this world to reject them. No Jesus came to save the world not reject it. Jesus just kept on keeping on. Jesus kept on praying to his Father about the people he came to save, and eventually go to the cross for. We just need to keep on keeping on; we just need to pray to God about our friends.

Put Up Or Shut Up – John 12 20-36

admin — Sun, 27 May 2007 22:00:20 +0000

The time has come this is where it starts, that’s what Jesus is saying here. From here on in it is going to get rough because Jesus will end up on the cross and the devil will be beaten. Jesus is telling those around him as well. Now’s the time guys put up or shut up. Jump on board wholehearted or prepared to get left behind. That happens to us as well. Every couple of years, I seem to need to make a decision about whether I want to go one level deeper with Christ or not. It all started when I before I became a Christian. I was looking and finding out more about God when one day he just seemed to say to me. “Ok you know enough now, time to make a decision.” Then a couple of years later he seem to say, “Ok there are some things you need to change are you ready to go deeper?” I would love to say that I go for it every time, but the truth is sometimes I am too scared to. Thankfully we have a God who is persistent, and he never seems to show any disappoint but just tries again a couple of years later. I am not sure why I simply don’t go for it every time because when ever I accept Gods challenge I am never disappointed. How about you?

Zech Was Right – John 12 12-19

admin — Sun, 27 May 2007 21:46:30 +0000

I have heard so many people tell me that you need faith to believe in Jesus, and I understand where they are coming from. But I do love the fact that God has given us intelligence and he is not afraid for us to use it. We can investigate the truth about Jesus and it stacks up every time. For example, in this seeming little passage we see yet another prophesy about Jesus coming true. This really old guy Zech says to all the people; that this king they are expecting to come and save them will come into town on a donkey. Not with an army riding on a white stallion, but on a donkey, what’s that all about? This would be like your great great great great grandfathers mates, cousins, dads, nephew, writing you a letter from all those years ago that says your pastor is going to ride into church on a tricycle and teach you the truth. And if that’s isn’t weird enough, it actually goes and comes true. Faith, yes we are told to have faith, but God is not afraid of your brain. Don’t take for fact something you are told by other people, without looking into it. If you non-Christian mates say stuff that seems to knock God, look into the answer seek the truth, don’t take it on face value. If God can you people years before Jesus came to predict his coming; then God can use your intelligence to give your more faith.

Hey Doughnut – John 12 1-11

admin — Sun, 27 May 2007 21:41:30 +0000

Oh dear Judas, your motives may have sounded pure, but you have been found out. It’s true isn’t it? Judas would have sounded right on and correct when he moaned about this. How can anyone argue against him, on the face of it giving food to the poor, would have been better then washing Jesus feet. But then we are dealing with the creator of the universe here, and my guess is he knows better then us. And that’s another thing; we are dealing with the creator of the universe, what hope did Judas think he had in fooling Jesus? Did Judas really believe he was going to tell a lie to Jesus and Jesus was going to fall for it? If I were Jesus I would have had a go; “Hey doughnut, wake up and smell the coffee.” Probably a good job we are not Jesus really isn’t it? I mean after all how many times have you said something to Jesus knowing that it’s not the truth? I know I have often said things to Jesus that are not completely true, or even sometimes remotely true. I am just thankful that he is a forgiving God. After all, who am I trying to fool? I’m praying to the creator of the universe here. I can almost hear him now “Hey doughnut, wake up and smell the coffee.”

You Cannot Ignore Him – John 11 45-57

admin — Sun, 27 May 2007 21:37:49 +0000

Seems to me that there is nothing new under the sun. Jesus has always caused a reaction. You can love him, you can hate him, but you cannot ignore him. In the times when Jesus was on this world there were those who loved him and there were those who hated him, not least the Pharisees. But there were also those who were curious and just couldn’t ignore him; and it’s no different now. There are those who for some reason or another claim to hate God and all he stands for. They have a completely unreal response when you say you are a Christian. They go off on one claming all sorts of stuff. They say things like all wars were started because of religion, and much more. Often these people have been badly hurt in some way, do pray for them to find Gods love. Then there are those who are your Christian mates. They are full on for Jesus and they encourage you with their love for Jesus. They might be guys in your small group or Church, or simply mates you have met over the years. But actually the largest group of people are those who are curious about Jesus, who simple do not seem to be able to ignore him. These are the guys who watch you and the things you do. They look for Jesus in you and are curious about how Jesus affects the way you lead your life. And just like the group in this passage they are wondering if Jesus will show up. Well Jesus will show up and he may use you to show these mates of yours who are curious.

Alien Healing – John 9 17-40

admin — Sat, 19 May 2007 18:07:35 +0000

Great isn’t it, here we have hard evidence of the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. He is able to call on God to heal this blind man. So that’s it then, everyone bows down and worships Jesus in readiness for a party forever in Heaven. On no they don’t. They look for every possible reason that it could be other than the fact Jesus healed him. “You’re not the same bloke.” “You nothing but trash, you’re not trustworthy.” “You were never blind to start with.” “You’re his mate, that’s why you did it.” “Ehh an alien came down and healed you.” OK, I made the last one up, but I am sure they would have preferred that as an answer, rather then the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, and healed the blind man. Of course we never do that, do we? Noooo when God uses his Holy Spirit to guide us we never say things like. “That was coincidence” or “I just need one more confirmation and then I will know it was God.” When we see healing after prayer do we give the glory to God or do we say “well it might have been God, or maybe the doctors did it.” You see we can always pretend that the nudges we get weren’t God, we can ignore the fact that God may have used the doctors. The question we must ask ourselves is when we don’t say thank you and give the glory to God; when we don’t do what God’s Holy Spirit says, are we any better then the guys here pretending that Jesus didn’t heal the blind man?

Stinky Laz – John 11 17-44

admin — Sat, 19 May 2007 18:06:50 +0000

When Jesus came to this earth he came as fully human and felt all the emotions we do. He felt anger, he felt joy and he felt the pain of losing someone close. “Jesus wept” may well be famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible but it is also one of the most obvious indications that Jesus knows how we feel. In times when we feel bad because someone we know has died, we can know that Jesus knows how we feel. In times when we feel sad because we are moving away from our friends, we can know that Jesus too felt the pain that it is to loose friends. So what, what does that matter? It matters because Jesus not only knows how we feel, but he also has the ability to help us in our pain. If when we feel rubbish because of circumstances around us we can know that they are temporary. All the pain that we may feel will fade away when we get to spend forever with Jesus in Heaven. When we feel pain if we turn to Jesus the one who has felt our pain and taking that pain with him to the cross, then we can ask that he heals our pain. Just like Martha we can know that the answer is always Jesus.

Brilliant Glory – John 11 1-16

admin — Sat, 19 May 2007 18:06:49 +0000

I don’t know about you but whenever I see a problem I need to run in and try a fix it straight away. Broken window, no problem me to the rescue, Ill fix that. Hurt knee, hold on super me will bandage that up. Jesus had the power to heal his mate, remember he had all the power that the creator God had to offer. If I had heard that one of my most best friends was ill I would have been running over to his place before you could say “send for the ambulance.” So why would Jesus hesitate? Jesus knew the outcome Jesus knew what was going to happen; Jesus knew this was a chance to give God glory. He actually said that, he said, “It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son.” Jesus had one thing in mind to glorify God. Glory is one of those Christianise words that most of your mates wouldn’t have a clue about. It simply means, to show everyone how brilliant God is by the things he does. If I run off and bandage someone’s knee, that is showing everyone how brilliant I am, and I have received all the reward I am going to get. If whilst I bandage someone’s knee I talk to them about the skills God has given me and how he enables me to help people that is showing everyone how brilliant God is. If I pray for someone whilst I fix their window, that is showing true faith and glorifying God. So next time you do something for someone ask yourself if your actions are showing them how brilliant God is.

Super Hero – John 10 21-42

admin — Sat, 19 May 2007 18:06:47 +0000

The destroyer, the enemy, the thief, the devil. You can call him what you will but don’t give him any more credit then he deserves. Jesus is very precise here, and in another translation of the bible, it says, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.“ And that sums up this whole passage in one sentence. Jesus is our protector, but he is not some type of wossey, flouncey Jesus who is going to tell the destroyer to go away or he will call his mummy. No, it says that no-one will be able to snatch you away from Gods hand. That’s, the sort of protector who could take on The Terminator and the Green Goblin at the same time and still be ready for more. This is Spiderman, Superman and The Fantastic Four all rolled into one. And what does Jesus ask for in return? Simply accept that he is the Son of God and through him you can get to know God. So, next time you feel the enemy try and drag you off course and steer you towards something you know is wrong, hold on to Jesus and know that he will protect you. Next time you see the destroyer hurt someone else and try and create doubt in your mind, ask Jesus the super hero to remind you of the truth that he loves you. Next time you see films, tv or cartoons give the devil more power then he has, remember that Jesus has already won the war and that the devil is defeated. Two thousand years ago on a cross, Jesus the ultimate super hero trounced the forces of evil once and for all.

Baaaa – John 10 1-21

admin — Sat, 19 May 2007 18:06:45 +0000

OK, what’s all this farm language about? Talk to me about sheep and you may as well be talking about nuclear physics. But then Jesus probably wouldn’t have talked directly to me about sheep; he would have used language that I understood. Now what language would that be? I guess Jesus would have said something like “pop idol”. Yes he would have said, “No one gets to hear the song that will sooth their heart except through me. You might have heard other singers in the past but they were not the real deal. You know and love my voice, the only way to get to your song is by coming through me.” You see you know about pop idols and the guys Jesus was speaking to knew about sheep. It doesn’t really matter how you receive the message the message is still the same. The only way to get to God is through Jesus. You might search high and low for something to fill that gap in your heart, but it is not going to be filled. Your mates, might search high and low for something to fill that gap in their heart, but it is not going to be filled. So next time you speak to your mates, try and remember where they are coming from; and take a hint from Jesus, use language and examples that they will relate to. But, at the end of the day the message is simple. No other god will do! Jesus said it, in so many ways why he walked this earth but until we hear it for ourselves that is irrelevant.

It’s Not My Fault – John 9 1-17

admin — Sun, 13 May 2007 21:40:01 +0000

Have you notice how everyone is looking for someone to blame? It’s the council’s fault that I tripped and hurt myself on the pavement. It’s the restaurants fault that my coffee was hot and I spilt it on myself. It’s my schools faults that I stayed out and didn’t study for my exam. It’s my parent’s fault that my life is difficult. It’s Gods fault that I am ill and life is hard. And that’s not new. Even in the times that Jesus walked on this earth it happened. So is it all Gods fault or is it our fault. If you ask the question why does God allow people to be hurt you will get all types of well meaning answers. I could rattle off some standard answer about why this guy was blind, about why someone you know has died, about why God seems to allow suffering to continue, but would that help you? The truth is I don’t know that we can really understand all that God does and all that God allows. But I am also not sure we need to know. When you were little did you know how to make ice cream? Did that stop you enjoying ice cream? Of course not you didn’t need to know how it was made to enjoy it. You may not know how electricity works. But that doesn’t stop you enjoying the benefit of electricity running your TV, games console or computer. That’s how I see God during the times that I have questions. I simply say God I don’t know why you allowed this to happen to me, I know you have the power to stop it but for some reason you didn’t. Then I look around at all the good stuff God has allowed in my life and ask him for the strength to move on. Hey when we get to Heaven we can ask him all the questions we want. I suspect the answers may seem a little irrelevant by then.

Wrong Dad – John 8 42-59

admin — Sun, 13 May 2007 17:48:06 +0000

What’s going on here one moment were told that God is our Father and then a bit later Jesus is saying that the Devil is the father? Why would the Devil be our father? Well I guess it comes down to the choice doesn’t it. We know that the Devil runs around the world like a mad lion looking for a way to tempt us. It’s not something to be afraid of because we also know that Jesus has beaten the Devil by dieing on the cross for us. But that said we still have a choice don’t we? We can fall for the Devils schemes and lie and cheat our way through this world. In which case we are making the Devil our Father because he is the one we are listening to. Or we can truly accept God as our Father and follow him, accepting Jesus and doing what we know is right, and this makes God our Father. Hey it’s fairly simple really and the choice is yours. Of course for every choice we make there is a consequence.

Free The Slaves – John 8 31-47

admin — Sun, 13 May 2007 16:53:43 +0000

Trapped in slavery that’s what Jesus was warning about, and the answer? Jesus says that the answer is freedom, freedom that he gives. You may hear people you know laugh at the idea that they are enslaved in the same way as the Pharisees did in this chapter. “Were not slaves” they shouted and still people shout the same thing today. “I’m no slave I have a great time drinking, sleeping with whoever I want, doing the occasional drug, I’m no slave.” But all too often these selfish acts are just hidden slave drivers. How often have you heard about someone who becomes addicted to drugs, at which point their lives crash about them? All too often people become addicted to drink and the chains that bind them keep them away from family and God. Some people even become slaves to success as they seek to climb the ladder in their chosen career, only to find that the reward is a set of chains, a broken life and friends and family that hardly know them. Does it seem a million miles away from where you are now? Sitting in school or college do you think that these things couldn’t possibly be a problem for you? But all these slaveries come about from a need to seek approval from other people and not the one true God. Looking to please other people and worry about what they think is a road to chains and slavery. Don’t seek to please others, seek to please God, and Jesus will really break the chains and set you free.

Dad Rant – John 8 11-30

admin — Sun, 13 May 2007 16:30:23 +0000

These guys are off on one again completely misunderstanding who Jesus was and is. As it says in another part of the Bible they just need the eyes of their heart opened up to see the truth. But to be honest you can understand how they might get confused on this whole Father thing can’t you? When you hear people pray they go off on one, Father this, Father that, I mean what’s that all about? I don’t know about you but I’ve got a Dad and yes he’s a good bloke, but he’s not a saint and he would be the first to say that. So If I am supposed to think that this God is someone who is always right and will never fail me then I find calling him Father a bit odd. I mean my Dad has let me down, my Dad has been wrong, my Dad has disappointed me and I him. I’ve been afraid to tell my Dad something and I’ve know that my Dad still remembers stuff I’ve done wrong even when I say sorry. And yet people tell me that I have a Father God in Heaven who will do none of those things, what’s going on? Do you know people who’s father was not the loving father but the type who actually hurt them, how can they relate to a God who is described as a Father? Stop Stop Stop! We just have to take onboard the meaning behind the word that’s Jesus uses as Father. When Jesus uses this word he is talking of an all loving, all knowing creator God is the Father to the whole universe. Our Fathers may not live up to this impossible image but that does not take away from the love your Father God feels for you. So if you are one of those guys who doesn’t understand this whole Father thing, don’t base the ultimate love that God gives you on the best a flawed human can give.

Holy Graffiti – John 8 1-11

admin — Sun, 13 May 2007 16:20:26 +0000

Don’t judge other peoples actions before your sort out your own actions, leave that up to God. Now we have wrapped that up, lets have a cola. Or is there more to pull out of Jesus actions? Jesus is faced with a problem, in this passage the law stated that the woman should be put to death. She should be taken outside and have rocks thrown at her until she died a painful death. This was in obvious conflict with what Jesus had taught and was to teach, so what was the answer. We know that Jesus had wisdom beyond any ordinary man so he could have simply thrown back an answer that would have blown these Pharisee geeks away. So why did he bend down and write on the ground? What was he writing? Was he taking a deep breath before giving an answer because the Pharisees had wound him up so much? Was he thinking of an answer? Was he praying to his Father? In truth we do not know, but I believe that the approach Jesus took to this problem in his life can teach us so much. When we come across problems, do we pause and pray to our Father in heaven before we make a decision? Do we count to ten before rushing of and giving an answer that’s comes from our own mind rather then an answer we ask God about? Next time you are asked a question or come across a problem, maybe you should bend down and scratch something out on the earth whilst you chat to you Father God.

Man I Need A Drink – John 7 30-53

admin — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:37:54 +0000

And you believed that those people who were sceptical about Jesus only existed today. This passage could have happened in your local club or pub. Think about it here is the son of God, standing in front of them, performing miracles, speaking with knowledge that he should not have had as a human, and some of the people have minds that are so closed to the truth that they can not see it. It is no different to the world today is it? Some people who you meet have such a closed perception of what truth is, that when God reveals himself to them, they cannot see him. That’s why you knowing the answers to whether Jesus was mad, bad or God is vital for you, but it is not likely to persuade someone who has already made their mind up. Proving to someone that the God created the universe and it didn’t just magically appear is great, and may make them think a little, but it is unlikely to get tem to accept Jesus as the answer. A friend of mine quotes an old guy when he says, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” This simply means that you may be able to prove logically that someone is wrong but actually they will still not believe what you believe in their heart. And their heart is where Jesus needs to live. Just as Jesus says in this passage when someone is thirsty to know the truth that Jesus died for them then they will know the true living God in their heart. Your job is to behave in such a way that they are thirsty for what you have in your life.

Mad Bad Or God – John 7 14-29

admin — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:32:39 +0000

You see that’s the thing about Jesus, is he didn’t dodge the hard questions. Just like he says here if someone is making things up they will make themselves look good. Jesus whole life on this Earth was based around doing Gods will and delivering the message that all who want can go to heaven. Very few people would argue that a guy called Jesus lived on this Earth, as there is plenty of historical evidence to say he did. What some people do say is that Jesus was a dodgy con artist or that he was simply a bit loopy. But Jesus answers those accusations before they even turn up in this passage and through the rest of his life. If he was mad he then he would have found it hard to teach people in the way he did. Even in this passage they are amazed at his knowledge. Would he have been able to perform the miracles he did if he was loopy? Ah no but if he was a con artist then he might have faked the miracles, so lets look at that. If he were someone who was just out to make himself look good, and rip people off then he wouldn’t do so many things. He would stir people up and say things they wouldn’t like as he did in this passage. He would not have led a life where he showed little in the way of wealth, because you can be sure he had the opportunity of taking peoples cash. He wouldn’t have died on the cross, he would have given up the make believe long before that happened. So if he wasn’t mad and he wasn’t bad then he could only have been God. Mad or Bad is just one of the accusations people make about Jesus. Remember that you will never argue someone into heaven, but you can explain your view when they say something this crazy and maybe that will make them think a little.

Perfect Timing – John 7 1-13

admin — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:27:59 +0000

Perfect Timing that’s what Jesus had. If this was me, I would have been right let’s get started I’m ready to go. My mate would have been saying, no lets get everything ready, practice, run through the plan, ask other peoples ideas, and then when we are sure we can start and see how it goes. The problem with my way of doing things is if I am not careful I leave everyone behind and that includes the concept of praying and asking God to guide my plans. My mate takes so long to get started that everyone has got bored and wandered off, and I am guessing God is waiting for him to do something. So what it the perfect timing that’s Jesus seems to have in this passage? Here it comes, are you ready for it, the answer is, I don’t know! I honestly don’t know what the perfect timing is for what you want to do. It might be one of those get on with it times or it might be one of those prepare yourself times. Jesus knew his time because he had such a perfect one on one with God. It’s the sought of one on one that comes from spending time with someone. The sought of one on one that’s comes from asking someone every day, “is now the time?”

You’re On Your Own Pal – John 6 60-71

admin — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:25:20 +0000

Abandoned and betrayed by the very people he came to save. By this time in Jesus life he had hundreds of people following him and then they go. Many leave, only the hard core Jesus followers remain. Jesus gives these guys the chance to do a runner as well. He only wants those who are committed, he knows from here on in it is going to get tough. I would love to bet that when you were told about this wonderful Jesus, this guy who loves you so much he would die for you; that you were not told that following him wouldn’t be easy. I bet you were not told that to follow Jesus is not the easy option; to follow Jesus might mean hardship, to follow Jesus might me heartache but it would be worth it in the long run. I am not trying to suggest that following Jesus doesn’t also bring joy, laughter and love. Be we must be honest and understand that just like Jesus here, we will not live in some holy bubble without troubles and pain. So what’s the answer? In Jesus words, “The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and will power don't make anything happen.” That’s pretty simple, don’t rely on yourself, and don’t rely on what you can do. But pray to the God who’s Holy Spirit will guide you, will ease your pain and ultimately who will drive your actions if you ask him to.

In A Previous Life – John 6 40-59

admin — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:21:50 +0000

Often when people become Christians they have a past they would rather forget. As they start to change some of their past habits, and start adopting new ones, the people it’s hardest to convince are the people who knew you before. You family might find it difficult to believe that you are now going to try and be considerate. Your mates might laugh when you say that you don’t want to get drunk or do drugs. Maybe you were the person that slept around and now you want to stop all that. Well don’t be surprised if the people that knew you before are the most sceptical. My father said that I was going through a phase when I became a Christian. Some phase my whole life has changed, but it has taken years for him to see that. I hope and pray that someday he will start this phase in his life, which will last for eternity. But we shouldn’t be surprised that our friends are confused. The people that knew Jesus as a boy, the people that knew his family were the people that laughed at him. Jesus own family didn’t accept him as Gods son straight away. Your mates won’t stop pushing you into stuff that you no longer want to do straight away. People won’t stop talking about you sleeping around straight away. The desire for drugs that you may once have taken may not stop straight away. But then you are in good company. The main man Jesus had to go through the same troubles and he was busy performing miracles and wonders. Those people from your past are just going to have to see the changes that God has made in your life over the long term, that’s when their attitudes will change. In the mean time, don’t give up; hold on to Jesus, the guy who knows how you feel every second of the day.

Try Before You Buy – John 6 22-40

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:00:03 +0000

Have you ever come across someone who says, “I need to see God and then I will know he exists”? That’s what’s going on here. The crowd are saying, go on show us one more thing and we will believe. And you have to have some sympathy will the crowd or with people in this word today who want to see evidence. So many things scam us today, and so they just want to know if God is real. We are sold music players and clothes that the adverts suggest will suddenly make us way cooler. And yet we know in our hearts that this is not true. We are sold TV and films they suggest if we sleep with as many people as possible that we will be fulfilled and our hearts won’t be broken. And yet we all know that this is not true. Why should God be any different? OK so the Bible says he exists and loves me and I can live forever with him. But how do I know that it is true? Show me some evidence. The evidence is there, but we have been blinded by lies. There is evidence in the creation of the universe and our world. At a very basic level science says that nothing can come from nothing, and so there must be some cause to create our world, and us, but that’s a discussion for another day. There is evidence in the lives of those who have accepted Jesus and the way they are and the way they act. Maybe Jesus isn’t a prove it to me before I believe type of thing. Maybe Jesus is a try before you buy type of thing. If we were to try the music player and clothes before we bought them, we would never pay for them because we would soon realise that we were no cooler then we were before. But if we try on God before we buy into all that he says, then we will never let him go. We will never let go of him because we will see the difference he makes to. And remember Jesus said “..once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go.”

All In A Days Work – John 6 1-21

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 13:59:26 +0000

What does your day consist of? Getting up eating breakfast, going to school, work or college, coming home, seeing some mates and going to sleep? That would sum up most of my days, but then I’m not the son of God. Check out the page for Jesus’s diary that day.

09am – Miracle 1: Heal man that can’t walk.
10am – Speak to a load of guys who don’t understand who I am.
11am – Catch boat and walk to large hill.
12am – Speak to crowd and tell the super wise stuff about how to live their lives.
01pm – Miracle 2: Feed five thousand people with a couple of fish and a loaf of bread.
02pm – Note to self don’t let Philip do the shopping again.
03pm – Climb mountain.
06pm – Walk back to Capernaum by walking on the sea.
07pm – Miracle 3: Calm disciples down.
07:05pm – Miracle 4: Get boat to shore pronto.

Bit of a slow day really, only four miracles, two boat journeys, a mountain climb, and two talks. Do you think just maybe only the Son of God could manage this? And yet the disciples, who actually could see all this and more happening, were scared. If I were Jesus I would want to slap them around a bit, but not Jesus. No he calms them down and then gets them to shore smartish. If Jesus was like this with 12 guys who actually could see him and the miracles he performed, how much more would he be gentle with us? Jesus knows we doubt, Jesus knows we stuff up, but all Jesus wants from us is to follow him. Don’t worry about the rest he will calm you down and get you to shore pronto.

Perfect Timing – John 7 1-13

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 13:59:04 +0000

I get the feeling Jesus is getting a little fed up that people are seeing the healings, seeing, the water turning to wine and hearing people like John, but missing Jesus the Son of God. Jesus said “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees.” Do we have our heads in the Bible, do we listen to Aftershock, do we go to Church but completely miss the point? HELLOOOOOOO. Are these words just washing over you? Jesus says don’t just have your head stuck in the Bible, don’t just listen to Aftershock and think your holy. Jesus is the Son of God who God sent to show us how to live our lives. Get on living the way Jesus says to live. Get on living the Jesus life.