The Paradox of Christmas

I saw this video today and I really thought since everything else has gone festive that this would be good to share:

I hope that is something just a little refreshing and uplifting in a Christmas season of economic worries and fuss.

El seminario Empezó/ Bible College begins

Bueno! Eso es mi primer vez haciendo mi blog en español entonces yo espero que yo lo haga bien. Siempre Empiezo con mis noticias y tengo una noticia bastante que hace tres semañas atras Yo empecé mis estudios en un Seminario. Estoy haciendo un año de estudios biblicos con ganas para hacer un año mas despues pero depende si aprobo todo lo que curzo. Aparte de eso no hay tantos noticias mias… la verdad soy muy aburrido.

Pero quiero compartirles una pensamiento que Dios pusó en mi corazon. Cuando yo estaba en el semenario usando  una compu. (Por trabaja….obvio jaja!) Yo encontré este video q me re encanto.

La verdad es me encanta esto video porque se muestra la gran comisión de Mateo 28 v 19 que dice:

Por Tanto, vayan y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a obedecer todo lo que mandado a ustedes.

Jesús nos mandó a irnos y hacer discípulos. No nos mandó a evangelizar millones ni a usar nuestras iglesías como un club social por cristianos. Pero para irnos a ellos con amor y un deseo no solamente para compartir el evangelio pero para ayudar ellos a crecer en su fe tambien. Yo creo que nos olvidamos esta y es algo que tenemos tratar. la verdad ahora en mi iglesia aca estamos haciendo estudios biblicos sobre esta tema. Y creo que en este mundo tan obscuro la llamada para ser discipulos verdaderos es algo importante por nosotros. Yo espero que haya oportunidades por ustedes y que Dios les da un deseo para hacer discípulos.

Eso fue un leccion que Dios me dió en estas dias pero eso es lo que me encanta de la vida cristiana. Incluso si somos cristianos de 8 o 20 o 60 años Dios todavía esta obrando en nuestras vidas. Y como Pablo escribió en Filipenses 1: 6

Estoy convencido de esto: el que comenzó tan buena obra en ustedes la irá perfeccionando hasta el día de Cristo Jesús  

Un dia vamos a ser perfectos, cual lindas palabras del Pablo. Tenemos una esperanza tan grande! Dios es increíble y sigo estudiando con ganas para conocerle mas y mas. Gracias por leerlo y para aguantando mi castellaño tan feo. Yo espero que esten bien y lo siento por las noticias muy tarde. Un abrazo desde Irlanda y Dios les bendiga en lo que tenien hacer en esta semaña.

P.D. Quiero caber como estan entonces dejan comentarios por fa especialmente si no hababamos por tanto tiempo! gracias

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Its time for a catch up on my life. I have basically been awful at using this blog since I got home but I thought a new chapter in my life would mark a good time to start again. So basically I have started bible college in Belfast and I’m studying for a postgraduate diploma in theology with the hopes of going on to do a masters. That is really me to be honest for big news anything else is minor.

So I thought I’d share with you something that God put on my heart, well more aptly opened my eyes to afresh. I was in college the other day and found this video and truth be told I love it.

It is such a good reminder of the great commission in Matthew 28 v 19 which says:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 

Jesus was commanding us to go out and make disciples and really as the video highlights we are called by Jesus  not evangelize millions or sit in our Church social clubs. We are rather to really go out with love and to seek not to just evangelize but to help others grow in their faith. I think it is something that especially in this dark world we as Christians need to take seriously. Yet I have been really encouraged as my church has started focusing a lot on discipleship and on trying to build people in their faith. So I really hope that you get the opportunity and that God would give you a desire to make disciples.

That’s just a little of what God has laid on my heart over the past few days but it is one of the things I love about the Christian life; Even if we have been Christians for 8, 20 or 60 years God is still working in our lives, That is why I love Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

These words of Paul’s are amazing and give us the great hope that someday we will be perfect. I love it and it really encourages me as I study to learn more and more and grow more and more. Anyway thanks for reading and listening to me rambling on. I hope this encourages you today and that you are all well. God bless Jonny

P.S. Feel free to leave me comments especially if I haven’t heard from you in a while

I’m back with a little bit of Wilberforce…..

Ok so I have decided that I may have returned and although I may not need to blog to keep people informed of my where abouts and what I am doing all the time I can certainly try and use this little web space to encourage and to keep in contact with people.

Anyway here is a brief run down of what has happened since returning to the Emerald Isle. I celebrated Christmas and New year with Family and then searched for a job. I got a job but after disagreeing with the moral practices of the company decided to leave and am currently unemployed but seriously thinking about the possibility of Bible college. I guess that is really all to tell for 3 months back home.

Tomorrow I will be going to England to attend a conference on Christianity in the public sphere. It is run by Christian Concern and is called the Wilberforce Academy, named after William Wilberforce the MP who was fundamental in the abolition of the slave trade in Britain. As I thought about this I decided I wanted to investigate a little bit more about Wilberforce and I really have to admit I truly admire the man. He was a young politician in 1780′s a man with so many opportunities at his feet yet whilst holidaying with a Christian friend he, at 25 years old, felt convicted of his sin and converted to Christ. He was then faced with the dilemma to stay in politics or not and a not so young pastor named John Newton encouraged him to continue on and make a difference  where he was. He was being called into an environment of self ambition and preservation where status was the most important thing. Yet He clearly sought God’s face in everything he wrote:

Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.

He seems to have really sought after God’s face and was not affraid to be different in a world so clearly desiring status, money and power. When he saw the slave trade for what it really was it fired his conscience and he said this :

So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the Trade’s wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for Abolition. Let the consequences be what they would, I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.

He then sought to help abolish the slave trade and in 1807 he was able to get a law passed that broke part of the slave trade. Yet it took until 1833 and three days before his death until the slave trade was completely abolished. It is a truly amazing story of a young man who fought and fought to honor  God in a difficult place and difficult time. I have greatly been encouraged by his life and it really is a breath of fresh air looking at men like these especially when we look around us today.

Wilberforce sought to be holy despite what his peers and probably his heart at times desired. In 1 Peter we see Peter also call us to do so as he says

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.

I genuinely love how it says that we should set our hope on the grace to be brought. It is amazing how gracious and merciful God is to us. I really hope that Wilberforce encourages you as it did me but also that the desire to be holy because of God’s grace motivates you. Also if you want to know more about Wilberforce the movie amazing grace is actually quite good and enjoyable too. I leave you guys with this little song which is in the movie but is also a old classic redone.

So have a great week and God bless.

The value of Wisdom……

So It has been an awfully long time since my last post but I return once again with an update. I have been tremendously busy over the past month or so with a new focus in our student work, as well as a trip north to help with the student groups up there.

Basically throughout this month we have been running a project on values in La Plata (called proyecto VAS) focusing on developing values in students where students actually live out the values; Compassion, Hope, Honesty and Respect. This has been a large undertaking as all the different parts of Vida in all of Argentina have been involved in this project trying to form values in the students throughout Argentina. The main goal has really been to encourage people to hope for change in a broken world. When we looked at these values we saw that only Christ every demonstrated them fully and that the only true hope of change comes through Salvation

The truth be told it has been a very difficult month or two with project demanding a lot of time and energy and really not spending everyday talking to others, in a really obvious way, about God. Yet it has been useful to show people that we as Christians are not above others and don’t enjoy watching the cruelty and harshness of the world. As I was thinking of this I came across Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God

I think Paul makes a good point as we no matter what we do need to be ambassadors demonstrating God and His love if we call ourselves Christians. Our lives are supposed to live out God to others in every way and I guess that is the idea when we look at values that even in the hidden place we need to be willing to live honorably for God. one of the other things I have been doing is reading through Proverbs. Proverbs is full of great advice on how to live a life wisely and honorably for God which has been something I have been challenged on recently.

One of the greatest and most well-known of these is Proverbs 3: 5-6 but I think in its simplicity it is something to remember and to try and live out day and daily.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Especially when thinking about returning home it is difficult to take my eyes off the fact that my world will change again, yet God makes the path straight for those who trust on Him. The greatest Wisdom it seems is to realize that God is who He says He is and is in control. Who are we to argue?? If you have never read proverbs I really suggest you do because it is filled with many useful and memorable pieces of advice.

As you all know I only have a few weeks left in Argentina and I would really appreciate prayer over these last few weeks as I try to finish my time well. I thank you all for your prayers and support and hope and pray you are well.

God bless,

Jonathan

One year on and where has it gone!!!

Here I am, one year on, sitting in La Plata on a beautiful sunny morning after a hectic weekend of Training in student ministry. Never did I imagine this would be the case but yet God through a million different things has brought me to this point. I have spent the past week or two really reflecting on how things have changed and how amazing it is this journey.

As I thought on this and how God has really used my journey here to shape and change me I was drawn to the story of Jonah. I really love Jonah because I think it relates to all of our lives, The story of Jonah is that of God completing His plans through the life of Jonah. Yet I think the amazing thing is how God’s plan involved teaching Jonah as well as reaching Nineveh. That is how I think God works in our lives using us but teaching and shaping us at the same time. (If you get a chance in this week I advise reading Jonah.)

I was also asked this week what I would take away from my time in Argentina and when I tried to think of it I found it difficult because God has really taught me so much on my time here. It has been a wonderful time of growth, I really have felt God move and ignite my soul in a fresh way. As I write this my mind is drawn to a verses which I have been looking at in my quite time with God. 2 Corinthians 4: 5-6

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

God really has used this year to shine the light of His love and grace into my heart. The truth of God’s grace and mercy is something He really reveals to us when we search for it in Him. Sometimes it takes the belly of a fish, sometimes a trip halfway across the world but God shines that glory in our hearts and I am truly thankful for that in my life. So I will take that away from this time here that God is gracious and merciful.

Apart from reflecting a lot I was, as I said, taking part in training this weekend. The training was basic training for Christian work with a focus on student ministry. I really enjoyed it and it was a real encouragement as we looked at how to help edify new christians using God’s word. In one of the wokshops we talked about our identity in Christ and how we truly are co-heirs in the death of Christ and through His cruxificion we are truly accepted and loved by God through Christ. I really loved one of the main verses Galatians 2:20 which says:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God…

It truly is amazing how God’s grace has come into my life and hope as you read this you can take a few minutes to think on the great things God has done for you. I truly am thankful for your friendship, support and prayers and I pray that you really discover the great glory of God and find your identity in Jesus and His death on the cross.

Dios te Bendiga,

Jonathan

Great big God of Grace!!!!

Well after much delay here is an update from my new home. Yes I have officially moved and have started my new job working with Vida Estundiantil (Campus Crusade for Christ) in La Plata Argentina. I have also returned from 2 weeks working quite hard in Los Valles Calchaqui as well as 4 days helping the university movement in Montevideo Uruguay.

My new Job in a nutshell involves going into the different schools in the University and using different tools evangelizing 4 days of the week. I am also involved in helping out on friday nights with English club and the weekly meeting as well as helping disciple a few of the students. I’m really looking forward to the next few months as work steps up a gear and we push hard to reach the students of La Plata.

For a brief update of the month or two I have been truly really busy. I moved work and town and have now finally moved into the flat where I will be spending the rest of my time. I was also on the already mentioned trips which were great opportunities to both see and experience different lifestyles in South America. Yet I think the best part of the two trips was really seeing how big God really is and how little we really are. I was in one of the 200 students and professionals who went to the valleys to offer practical support and evangelical outreach to people, in many of the small towns and villages scattered throughout the valley. It was a truly amazing time in which I helped translate, paint a school for disabled children, give out donations and evangelize. God really worked both in my heart and in the hearts and minds of many people. He really just showed me that no matter my role that He is working and will work  in peoples lives. It was wonderful to watch and see people getting saved when we were there and just to know that even in remote places God can work through little actions.  In a real way God reminded me of what is says in 1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak in the toungues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Basically my actions and words and everything are as nothing without the Love of God in me. God used this to show me again how He is the one that works and only through Him can I help others. The time in the valleys really helped me see that again and see how great our God is and his grace in using us in His work.

The time in Uruguay was a bit more of a short term business trip rather than mission team. We were involved in helping the Uruguayan Vida team both with evangelism and with Discipleship training. We also had the joy of beating them at 5 aside football 20-10 and with 2 injured players. The 4 days passed very quickly and it was a time when I discovered how truly blessed I have been in the student ministry in Argentina. Uruguay is a country in which the government is atheistic and so evangelism in universities is not really allowed. Thus when we did our surveys  we found it very difficult as we spoke to people about God and they were very angry or closed to listening. In a true sense it made me realize how God has blessed me in my life with hearing and being allowed to hear about the gospel and how thankful I should be for it. Yet it also challenged me to not keep the gospel to myself but to aim to share it more fervently.

I think we, especially the privileged few who have heard the gospel for all our lives, need to be more willing to share the truth about God. We often keep it or are scared to share it with people. Yet people need to know that God made us for the one reason to have a relationship with Him. I love the way the Jesus puts it in John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

We have great, good news to share to people and we need to share it. So I have been challenged to realize that I am not needed by God but that I should seek to share with others God as much as possible on this earth. In such a way that I can share His glory and his love to people. I am really enjoying my work here and look forward to the next few months serving God here. Yet again I thank you for your prayer, patience ( especially with late blogs) and support in every way and I thank God for the blessing you are in my life.

God Bless,

Jonathan

Crazy old Maradona can teach us a lot?!?

Well I must confess I have been a little bit lazy you guys in writing this blog entry, I had it drafted for about a week but I guess I didn’t really have a definitive theme until the other day. Anyways I have been very busy over the past while working away with the boys but I must admit like most of the world I have been a tad sucked in by the world cup. I have made sure that I get my daily goal fix as well as often cutting excursions with the boys short in order to watch matches at work, I know I’m bad.

Anyway as I watched the games and especially Argentina games it is amazing to see the obsession. Argentines love their football I mean there is no other team in the world right now only Argentina and goals are repeated 9 times every day. Everything is crazy I even received an e-mail asking me to pray for the Argentine team, that God would let them win. I thought I loved football but these guys really, really, really love football. Yet it got me thinking when you love something your just so obsessed with talking about it, focusing on it, You give your all for it.

I’ve also been amazed to see how losing makes grown men cry and the desire to win makes men crazy. I love the quotes of Maradona for the level of craziness. They may be due to years of Cocaine abuse or due to the fact that he is mental but this quote I think sums up the desire of players to win the world cup:

I have 23 wildcats prepared to leave their skins on the pitch

He might be crazy but he knows the sheer desire to win the world cup drives sporting players on to fight hard and play hard. All this really made me think and I have been reading recently a book about the chinese underground church and in particular Brother Yun. When I read this part of the book it really made me think about what I truly treasure and desire.

From that Day on I earnestly wanted a copy of my own Bible……I went home, and every morning and afternoon I ate and drank nothing. Every evening I ate just one small bowl of steamed rice. I cried like a hungry child to his heavenly Father, wanting to be filled with His word.

Extract from ”The Heavenly man” (Brother Yun)

This Chinese boy had so much drive and desire to get the word of God that he fasted at the age of 16 just so as he would get a bible. His desire and his passion was so real that nothing could stop him form striving for this bible, and no I’m not suggesting we all stop eating and fast every time we want something. Its just amazing to see a true desire for something, unlike the footballers who fight to have a golden trophy for 4 years he desired just to hold and read a bible and it was, and is , so much more valuable than anything.

As I was thinking on these things I stumbled across this video and it struck me it encouraged me I guess kind of like a Coaches Half time talk gets you motivated this got me motivated and I hope it does the same for you.

This is what we are called to be people truly desiring God not just sitting on the sidelines cheering. I know that Diego would love to be on that pitch every game, a picture speaks a thousand words, you can tell as he is directing he wants to be part of the action. Yet this sort of desire is something we are to put into our Christian lives we are to desire to live lives 100% for Christ. The video talked about olympians running for a race and Paul Washer is actually just picking up on a theme the Apostle Paul talks about over and over again in the letters he wrote. The apostle used the image of runners and their training to encourage us to strive to serve God with our all. His words in 1 Corinthians 9: 24-25 are his most potent as he says

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

He encourages us to strive for the goal to give our all for Christ and not to look to the things of the world. He shows his desire to give God his whole effort not just a part. Paul knows the importance of the race and He knows the importance of what He is sharing with people. He is not doing it for something trivial like a cup but doing it for an eternal prize. He isn’t ashamed to strive for the goal and more than that he isn’t ashamed of the truth that it isn’t his power that he is sharing. He isn’t talking about his own glory or blowing his own trumpet* but rather he strives to glorify God. His words in Romans 1: 16-17 sum it up beautifully:

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith”

I think we have to ask ourselves are we sitting on the sidelines or watching on TV or just listening in on a radio rather than getting involved. Is our relationship with God one of a support but not really part of His team happy to cheer the goals but not wanting to give Him our all. Paul makes it clear we have to give our all run hard for God, we can’t just cheer for the good Jesus did and then hope for our ticket to heaven. We have to give God our all and live by faith honoring him by our living.

I hope My world cup thoughts didn’t bore you guys too much as getting to my * point. I wanted to highlight whilst talking about trumpets how I really think Vuvuzela’s are the worst thing ever invented and don’t know why South Africa is being connected with cheap, plastic, annoying trumpets….. give me African drums any day!!!

Now back to seriousness. As of 8th of July I will be in my new project working from a new city (La Plata) and working with Vida Estudiantil or Campus Crusade doing student work. I will also be going with them on an outreach project to Valle Calchaqíes in Salta, Northern Argentina from 10th to 31st of July. I look forward to the new changes and to the new challenges that God has called me to in the next 6 months. I would also ask for your prayers for all the changes over this period.

Thanks as always for your support and prayers,

Jonathan

H20+g=Fear of God???

Well guys its update time once again. I have just recently returned from a wonderful trip to a place called Iguazú where I renewed my visa again. The area is amazing as Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil border each other but are separated by a river. Yet the most amazing part has to be the famous waterfalls, Iguazú falls are truly incredible  just the size and power of the falls were truly breathtaking as you can see in the photos.

We went 2 days to falls one day to the Brazil side and the second day to the Argentine side and the view from the Argentine side I think was much prettier, especially since it was sunny. It was like looking at the brush strokes of an artist just admiring God’s creation and when I was thinking of it i looked over these words in Genesis 1:31

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Yet i think the thing I took from the Brazil side was more profound. Yes God’s creation is beautiful but on the Brazil side is part where your can get up close to one of the most impressive falls called “La Garganta del Diablo” (The devil’s throat). It was amazing because the sheer amount of spray soaked you within seconds, even when wearing comic ponchos. The falls are incredibly powerful and that really struck me that the water falling was beautiful when safely away from it but terrifyingly powerful if your close to it. The sound is tremendous and the bible notes that when it talks about God’s voice in Ezekiel 43:2

I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.

When we read the bible it talks about God’s voice being powerful in fact when we look at Genesis its says God spoke and the world was created. That is power beyond compare God created this earth and its beauty just with words. How wonderful and awesome is God. Yet God is Just like a waterfall too He is beautiful and majestic but also terrifyingly powerful. Theres actually a film about Iguazu falls called”The Mission”, starring Robert De Niro, its about persecution of missionaries who were thrown down the falls. “La Garganta Del Diablo” was a place of fear and awe, as well as majesty. I think we as Christians have lost that balance in our perspective of God we love and adore Him but we lost our fear of Him.

God is not a toy to be played with or someone we can fool, He is so real and so powerful that it should scare us at times. We cannot mess with God and play with Him in Paul goes farther saying these words in 2Corinthians 7:1

let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Paul here is saying you cannot truly be holy without having some fear of God. Fear of God and the consequences of sin are important for us to see and understand. I really think this last week with seeing the powerful waterfalls and thinking of the power of God, who formed this earth with His voice, it humbled me. I also like the words of Isaiah in Chapter 66:1-2

¹Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
² All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,

declares the LORD.But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

We need to regain our fear of God and be humbled and scared a little by the His words in the bible. We can’t just toy with him putting Him to one side until the next sunday. His voice is like rushing waters and they are pretty hard to ignore. I also saw this short video which is worth watching.

I really hope that if any of you ever get a chance to go to Iguazu you do go. It is worth every minute but I hope more than that we all get back some fear of the powerful God who created us and made us. On a slightly jolly signing off note I did also shave my head this week due to the discovery that my kids had given me their lice so now with the joys of winter setting in its a little bit chilly.

Thanks again for reading and praying,

(also special thanks to Ballymena Academy physics department for help in my title, I knew GCSE physics would be useful in life)

Jonny

B.A. without the Batman???

So I have to admit i have let you guys down again by a lack of blogging. Yet Here it is my new post and, so in a rather cheesey TV program intro way, Here’s what you missed in the life and times of Jonny Boyd:

So I got sick  with some kind of flu type illness thing that left me in my bed for a few days, I had a rather hectic birthday weekend going to theme parks and the cinema, I got back into work with a lot to do! and thats what you’ve missed…..

Now that my slightly silly TV intro moment has gone we can move swiftly onwards. Well not exactly I’m moving in my motion captured genre to film now…. Anyway I must confess one of my attempts to unwind from a long hard day with crazy kids has been to watch TV and Movies. This originally was done on FOX with spanish subtitles but now that my “brothers” seem to have the 3.30- 10.00 slot of choosing what to watch I had to change. I now confess to you the world and possibly FBI agents, although I very much doubt it, that I have been illegally watching TV and movies online. Although this of course has moral implications, which I know I probably should discuss but won’t now, in one of these film moments I was watching Batman Begins and with this I want to stick for awhile.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie: A) you should watch it good action- adventure movie.  B) this may confuse you or bore you until you watch the movie.  As I was thinking about the movie what struck me was Gotham, the city in which Bruce Wayne lived, itself. It really struck me as Ducard (Liam Neeson) talked about the corruption and filthiness and (slight spoiler alert) the idea of destroying the city and some the lines throughout the film also strike on interesting themes. Yet I felt the thing I noticed from it was, something I have noticed in my time here and especially with the boys, that Gotham like many places in our real world was filled with fear and greed and corruption.

As I looked at quotes and transcripts I found some of what the people said to be amazing this line particularly struck me as the Bad guy said:

Only a cynical man would call what these people have “lives,” Wayne. Crime, despair… this is not how man was supposed to live.

Indeed I read that and thought although it is quite a stinging line in the movie it strikes and exactly what the bible tells us about life. From the very start God made man to live in harmony with Him and yet over and over again through sin and self loving. Man has created a world of Sin and crime and despair.  Genesis 6: 5-6 referring to Noah’s time says:

The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

In fact as the film continues we see Batman defend the city from these people trying to destroy it. It is interesting because the point of view of the bad guy is that what is evil must be destroyed. It isn’t actually that bad his way of going about it is. Again its a wonderful message to us as Christians, as history has shown through Crusades and other forms of violence, we sometimes tend to want to rid the world of evil which isn’t wrong but how we go about it is important and I stumbled across these words, which I really like, in 1 Corinthians 4:5

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

Yet we a bit like batman in the movie do have a call to try and make a difference as Christians in this world. Yet unlike Batman who hid in the shadows, beat people up and worked on fear we are called to reflect God’s glory. The words of Ephesians 5:8-10 and Philipians 2:15-16 sum this up beautifully:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…

In everything we do we have to be lights to the people because the hope that God gives us is what can make the difference to the world. Not a symbolic superhero (for comic book fans I do know he has no super powers) like they had in Gotham but a real living change that makes people see that life is not just about Despair and gloom but that God is Love and Christ’s death can save them. In a real sense we don’t rely on the Dark knight( Batman) but the risen Lamb for our hope in this dark world.

There you go guys thats my brief gospel according to Batman… For those of you I just bored rigid by this; you’ll be glad to know I don’t intend to write anymore on batman. For those who liked it; feel free to watch batman and think about it and even write on it because I would read a book about it (and if it existed do tell me). For those of you slightly worried about my mental status for making a batman related blog; I will assure you I’m still as sane as ever I just felt slightly inspired.

Anyway because I neither want sued or to have federal agents smashing through my small window, the quote from the move came from; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/quotes?qt0469955 and general info came from; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/

Now that I am legally covered and will not be going to court, for this, I thank you all again for reading and your support in prayer. I continue to ask for prayer for my work and for my strength to shine out here.

Thank you,

Jonathan

P.s. Thank you to everyone for your kind birthday messages etc I have been quite busy thus lack of reply to people but thank you very much as always.

*****I am going to make a slight amendment here as my original text Philipians 2:15-16 was taken from the New International Version. I have been told by a friend that the ESV version is theologically more accurate so to amend this here is the ESV version:

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

The change can be found in the phrase “holding fast to” instead of “holding out”. For those seeking a fuller description of the theological ramifications etc of the difference click on the link to desiriggod in the side toolbar. Where there is a collection of John Piper expositions on the bible as well as a good series on Philipians itself. Also feel free to click on other links for other strider/ friend blogs as well as other good christian resources. I am also very open to discovering new links to please to suggest some to me and I will try and get them up. Thanks.********

Hopeless?

The eyes are the gateway to the soul

- Herman Melville

I have recently been thinking about this idea that eyes can seem to tell you a lot about someone…. If they are happy, sad, tired, bored etc. etc. Gateway to the soul is is bold yet a stumbled across this video this week after having a wonderful Easter Sunday. Watch it and listen in especially to the eye part, cause I’m running with an eye theme here lol

This made me think we do live in a world where we can see lost people day and daily. By looking at my boys I can tell when they are troubled and when they are happy by their eyes. Yet we have great news to share to the world a news of  hope to a world in which people are looking and searching for answers. We as Christians have the true hope and joy to life in the truth of the gospel.  In a real sense we need every little part of ourselves to cry out to the world even our eyes….. In fact there are two thinks we need to do with our eyes more firstly open them to see the world around us and its needs but, I think more importantly, We need to close them in prayer. We have to pray for our world pray that they will see the hope that Christ brought and then live out in such a way that even our eyes can make a difference.

Psalm 62:5 says it beautifully:

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.

Its simple to those of you that have lost hope or are wondering where or who is God I simply say this God has a message of hope you in Jesus’ death. If you truly offer your life to Him God loves and will forgive you and that gives us a new life filled with Hope. As Christians we have a hope that we cannot contain and we should not contain because there are many hungry hopeless people in the world that need to hear about and see Jesus.

We need to turn those eyes of our to the God of love and see that HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE! I write this with a heavy heart for the hopeless people for my kids, for friends in need and for family without christ. It is simple and its my prayer that people would see it. God is crying out for you to turn to him and have a true Hope in him…….

In terms of prayer I would really appreciate it for my boys and for my church as tomorrow my church are going to do the first of their monthly programs in my kids home and I ask for prayer that it would be a time blessed by God.