Wherever i go

Throughout my darkest days,
God was there to guide my ways
He heard my prayers
and held my hand
He is powerful like the waves that break upon the sand
He is my rock
my true best friend
He will be by my side til the end
He gave me breath
a life to live
to do his work
I call upon his name
In him i trust
whom we shall follow
he looks after us all
even the tiny wee sparrows
He will not leave us
or forsake us
He sent his son to save us
He loves us all more than we know
He shall be with me
Wherever i go

" I decidate this to my Lord and Saviour" <3

Poem by Lauren Sneddon

God always with you

After being a christian for 12 years now i have learned to rely on the Lord my saviour and holy spirit  to be with me wherever i go. From going to university to going to Paris last week i have asked the Lord to help me in situations that seem over my head but can be made easy when you trust in the lord to help you. Before Jesus christ was called home to be at his fathers side he left his holy spirit so that it would be a comfort to those who choose to believe in him and live through him. 1 john 5 v 6 : " And the spirit , who is the truth , confirms it with his testimony ". John 14 v 26 : " but when the father sends the adovcate as my representative - that is the Holy Spirit - he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything i have told you". V 27 : " I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace i give is a gift the world cannot give. So dont be troubled or afraid". These biblical verses have taught me that when whenever i have to face a situation thats out of my depth i can always rely on the holy spirit to be there to comfort me and get me through and to calm my fears. Next time you have fears or doubts remember that the holy spirit is there to comfort you.

Light on Glasgow's Buchanan St

Amongst the hustle and bustle and the row of shops there is light on Buchanan Street : St George's Tron church. The Tron church is both beautiful outside and inside and boasts amazing architecture. The Tron host a half an hour Wednesday service that begins at 1.10pm and ends at 1.40pm to provide people with the Lord's word midweek. The service is perfect for those on lunch breaks , days off , shopping or anyone who seeks to hear the good news of God's word and the service provides the perfect opportunity. If you do decide to attend one of the Wednesday services  and i recommend you do you wont be disapointed as the preaching is first class and you will recieve a warm welcome. There is also tea and coffee after the service and a bookshop if you need to expand your knowledge on Christianity. I have always enjoyed my visits to the Tron church on Buchanan St and hope that if you visit you will to. May the light on Buchanan St continue to shine for God !.

Christian rejection

We have learned this Easter that Jesus was rejected by the people of Jerusalem because he offended them for preaching his fathers word. However christians in Britain today are being rejected by non christians. Andrea Minichiello Willliams founder and director of Christian Concern has written an article in regards to this matter in the Mail on Sunday (24/04/11). She states how christians are being discriminated in workplaces by not getting jobs if they state they are a christain , being asked not to wear crosses and mocked if they preach God's word. The sad reality is christians are beileving the truth and want others to believe the truth but just like the people of Jerusalem they dont want to hear it. Andrea states how christians have accepted and believe in the sacrifice , hope and new life underpinned by the Easter story and that people should embrace and welcome the message and hope in christian life. She also importantly states that christianity is part of Britain due to the fact its part of English law and marriage ceremony's. Eventhough its part of Britan many British people dont want to accept christianity which is sad to learn. Christians shouldnt let others affect what they belive in because they will reap there treasures in heaven and the lord their father will honour them.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1379970/Is-equality-As-lawyer-I-thought-I-d-defend-Christians-Christian-nation.html

Dont Forget the message !

Now that Easter has been remembered for another year its important as christians that we dont forget the amazing truth of the Easter Story. The truth being that Jesus Christ our saviour took it upon himself to sacrifice his life to cleanse us from our sins so that we could a ) be saved and b) have a relationship with him and God. Jesus Christ is now at the right hand side of his father God but he will return and those who follow him will not perish but have eternal life and those who do not belive in him and havent accepted him will go to hell. There is two choices : a) heaven and b) hell but there is one way to heaven : through Jesus Christ !. Accept him today as your saviour and your sins will be forgiven and you will have eternal life in heaven.

Easter Sunday

Part 3 of my Easter posts and this one is on Easter Sunday :the climax of the Easter story. Easter Sunday is three days after Good Friday ; the day Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins but more importantly the day Jesus rose again. The women from Galilee and Joseph went to the stone to find that the stone had been rolled away and the body of Jesus had gone. There were two guards at the stone who said to Joseph and the women : " if you are looking for the body of Jesus he has risen from the dead". The amazing power of Jesus was evident as he rose from the dead and did so to be reunited at the right hand of his Father and to be our saviour. The Easter story is pivotal to the christian life as if Jesus didnt surrender his life for us on a cross then a ) our sins wouldnt be forgiven and b) we couldnt have a relationship with God. This Easter and forever remember what the Lord Jesus did for you. If you want a relationship with him , bow before him and ask for forgiveness for our sins and ask him to come into your life and your name will be written in the lambs book of life.  To finish of my easter posts here are some Easter bible quotes :

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
-- 1 John 3:16 NIV

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
-- John 3:16 NIV

Good Friday

I finished my previous post telling how the week after Psalm sunday Jesus had his last supper with his disciples - a special time to thank them and prepare for the following day. The following day was infact Good Friday , the actual day is when Jesus was in fact crucified. Now people ask  why is it called Good Friday when Jesus died the most painful death well its Good in the sense that Jesus triumphed  over evil to save us from our sins but its sad in the sense that Jesus took it upon himself to save us - he was the ultimate sacrifice. The sad fact is that Jesus was not found guilty before Pilate but the crowd that gathered to spectate , they cried for Pilate to order the crufication of Jesus because his preaching of his fathers word - the truth ! offended them. Jesus was then crucified in order for our horrible sins to be forgiven and to re-write our wrongs because he loves us soo much as God his father and our father loves us and wants a relationship with us. As Jesus drew his last breath the curtain in the temple was torn in two to symbolise that there is now no barrier to our coming to the Lord , he is waiting for you to come to him and he will welcome you with open arms as the father did the progical son and the sheperd with the lost sheep. John 10 v 11 : " I am the good sheperd : the good sheperd lay his life down for the sheep". This Easter take time out from eating easter eggs to remember what the Lord Jesus your saviour did for you , he made it possible for you to have a relationship with God and for your sins to be washed away. The minute you ask God for forgivness your name will be written in the lambs book of life and will never be taken out. " Amazing love how can it be , that God my King should die for me".

Palm Sunday

Easter is drawing near and Good Friday / Easter sunday is just around the corner . People (particularly non christians) just see Easter as a holiday from work/school and a time to eat easter eggs - another example of Marketing companies taking advantage.
This Sunday (17/4/04) is Palm sunday and is known as Palm sunday because of Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem and  how the people of Jerusalem laid down and threw palm branches to celebrate Jesus coming to Jerusalem. However the week following Palm Sunday didnt mirror the celebrations of Palm Sunday as Jesus was questioned by the jealous authories who couldnt accept the fact that he was the Son of God. In the same week Peter denies Jesus (as preached in HBC Sunday night 10/4/04) and Jesus meets with his disciples for the last supper as he knew it could be the last time he saw them.

Keep reading to keep up to date with the Easter story as the Easter celebrations draw near.

Songs of Worship

For those of you who want to worship the Lord your saviour through music and cant wait till Sunday to sing in Church then give Christian band Hillsong a listen (youve probably heard of them). They sing a great range of christian songs that remind you how special it is to be a christian. Just type their name in You Tube and worship away !.

Here are some video's to encourage you :

   

                                                 

Discipleship

The theme for Hamilton Baptist Church's (HBC) evening service (10.04.11) was DISCIPLESHIP and the importance of disciples in Jesus our saviour. The sermon focused on the disciple Peter and his impact on christian discipleship , the bible passage 1 Peter 3 v 22 ..... gives Peter's account on being a disciple of God ( a follower of the Lord). Peter's main points on discipleship is that :

Evil can be overcome
Failures happen to help others miss the pitfalls
Christianity should not be egotistic as we need to give ourselves to Jesus and to others !.
Resist the devil and stand firm in your faith , he will make you strong.

HBC Pastor's notes on discipleship :

1. Is based in spiritual conflict
 - the devil prowls around like a lion looking for christians to devour (beware of the preditor).
- Put on spiritual armour

2.Belongs to a focused fraternity
- Be self-controlled and alert !.
- we belong to a global fraternity
- evil is brutual and upfront
- discipleship is about strenghting others
- disicpleship is living by faith as we have not seen Jesus but we believe he is there , he is helping us and others and is going to come back one day , we BEILEVE in the WITNESS of the DISCIPLES.

3. Disciples Behold their King

-  God supports us , is more than kind to us and empowers us.

Christanity is not a hobby , its a walk in life , its also a race ; a race towards the prize of heaven.

If your a disciple of God your invited to run the race of christianity with the help of your church and fellow christians and your saviour to help you over the hurdles.

Some of HBC'S disciples.at the 100th Anniversary Civic Reception :).

Lost Sheep

Sometimes we can be like lost sheep and be lost , alone and in need of shelter and comfort. John 10 tells us that Jesus offers us shelter and comfort : John 10 v 3 : " and the sheep hear his voice as he calls them by name and leads them out. John 10 v 11 : " I am a good sheperd , the good sheperd give his life for the sheep". John 10 is another example of imagery used in the bible : humans are the sheep who can become lost in life and Jesus is the Sheperd who looks after the sheep and finds them if they come to him. When John 10 says : " he gives his life for the sheep" , Jesus did give his life when he died for our sins and rose again to be our saviour. This Easter remember what your saviour did for you  he set you free from sin  thank him for his beautiful act of sacrifice and love.

"Called Home"

She walked into a quiet room
She treads down a dangerous path
She danced on the beach
The waves
crashing, crashing , crashing
She could hear them pound at night hard against the sea wall
She lay awake
The loud sounds of the sea removed all peace and quiet
Then there was nothing
She tossed in her sleep like waves when they break upon the shore
The sand so soft
She fears the tide at night
The power of the waves
Suddenly there is a knock at the door
She is hesitant to answer
Who could it be she asks herself
And there stands the Lord
Humble , faithful , rightouesness
He has come to take her home.

Poem by Lauren Sneddon.

Treasures on earth v treasures on heaven

The theme of sermons at my local church (HBC) just now is of the biblical message : Dont store up treasures on earth but store them in God and Heaven. Most of us are guilty of being materalistic ; we have to have the lastest phone , latest TV and have to keep up with the latest fashion to "fit in" in life. At the HBC junior church (where i help out) the story today was of the man who sold his house to buy a beautiful pearl because he had to have it . If only he was that eager to give up his life to go to heaven then it would be a better story but the truth is we forget to store up treasures on heaven when we are caught up in the world. My message to you is to come to the Lord and focus on your eternal life , and your new home in heaven as the Lord promises heaven will be a better place to live than earth !.

Inspiration from church sermons 27/3/03

After going to my church's (HBC) morning and evening services  alot of messages from God's word spoke to me. First there was the message : " I am the way , the truth and the life , no one enters me except through Jesus christ". For those of you who want to be christians but are unsure then you must accept that God's son Jesus Christ died for our sins on a cross and rose again so that our sins could be forgiven. The second message that spoke to me was : " Do not lay up treasures on earth but store them in heaven" , we must remind ourselves not to be materalistic and worship worldy objects e.g. a new handbag but fix our eyes on heaven and the treasures in heaven. The last message that spoke to me from the evening service was light in the darkness , everyone in life goes through dark spells e.g. personal problems , family problems , work problems but there is light in the darkness and that light is Jesus Christ , my message to my readers is not to go through life in the dark when you can have light in your life - Jesus Christ. God Bless.

Chirstian messages in Disney Films

Has anyone noticed underlying christian messages in Disney films ?. If you havent im about to highlight a few for you. Sleeping Beauty is a disney film that mirrors christian life , the baddie "Malificent" is the devil who tempts the christain girl (Aurora) to a spinning wheel where she pricks her finger and falls asleep for a hundred years. The three fairies mirror the trinity of God : Father , son and holy spirit who equips the christian boy(the Prince) with the armour of God (sword of truth , sheild of virtue ....) to fight Malificent (the devil). Beauty and the Beast teaches us not to judge , the prince judged the old hag that came to his door so he was turned into a beast to teach him a lesson. Pocohontas focuses on our paths in life ; as christians we should let the Lord guide us along our paths and remember when God closes a door somewhere he opens a window. The Little Mermaid teaches us not to be materalistic as Ariel was caught up with collecting bits and bobs and wanting to be a human. Also the Lion King song : "He lives in you" can be thought of as a christian message as God lives in everyone one of us , its up to us to accept him and welcome into our lives. Walt Disney was indeed a Christian and wanted christian messages to seep through his films to reach his young audience but the real place people should learn about christianity is the bible , disney films are a fantasy but the bible and God is a reality.

God Loves you

Here's an inspirational poem on God's love for you :

Somebody loves you
more than you know
Somebody goes with you
wherever you go
Somebody really and
truly cares
and lovingly listens
to all of your prayers
Dont doubt for a minute
that this is not true
for God loves his children
and takes care of them too.

Gifts from God by Lauren Sneddon

Gifts from God

As we look towards Mothers day we think of the  gifts we will likely give our Mums: flowers, chocolates a gift voucher or even just a card but as this special day approaches (   3^rd April 2011 ) we have to remind ourselves that we were gifts given to our mothers by God. He knew our every detail: what eye colour we would have, whether we would be a boy or girl, our names our date of date, he knew it all before our Mums did because he created us. We are gifts just like our mum was a gift to our gran’s and just like Jesus was God’s most precious gift of all. When were given gifts at Christmas or for our birthday we intend to use them whether it’s a brand new mobile or some perfume or a CD we intend to use it. But what about the gifts God gave us? How do we use them?.  When i say gifts that God gave us i don’t mean of materialistic value i am speaking of the spiritual and physical talents that he gave you. It could be a Musical gift, a Fashion Gift, The gift of song, a sports gift or even something as simple as being able to stand in front of people and talk that is the gift of public speaking. Not everyone likes speaking in front of people, great actors have had to get over their fear of it just like great ballet dancers and singers have had to get over their fear of stage fright. However some people are gifted greatly in being able to act, dance and sing in front of a huge audience. Part of expressing your gifts is discovering first and foremost what they are. As a young child growing into a teenager and then finally into an adult who will have probably discovered your gifts whether you were exceptional in Football, drama or art you are probably aware of what they are. You may have even built your career upon the gifts God gave you. Brandon Flowers, front man of rock band ‘The Killers’ used his musical gifts as a singer, guitarist, pianist and song writer to write lyrics with a Christian message (Crossfire song )however made them popular among the young generation of today by giving his songs a modern rock and roll edge. All gifts were created by God both physical and spiritual. Spritual gifts could be praying for you someone, making someone a homemade card, cooking for someone or telling them the truth. To one person the sprit gives the ability to give wise advice, to another the same spirit gives a message of special knowledge”, 1 Corinthians 12 v 7-9. Gifts were given by God so use them for God.By Lauren Sneddon

 

"Crossfire of heaven and hell"

Brandon Flowers (the killers frontman) sings in his solo track "Crossfire" : " and were caught in the cross fire of heaven and hell and were searching for shelter". His lyric rings true that as humans we are caught in the crossfire between heaven and hell but we have a CHOICE , God gave us a free will : we can choose heaven and come to him or choose the least appealing hell with the devil. When he sings "looking for shelter" god offers us shelter , the bible uses imagery of a mother hen protecting her young under her wing. God calls for us to come to him and he will protect us and give us shelter. Ive learned through song at church that there is only ONE WAY in the crossroad of life and that is heaven , please choose the right way , the way to heaven. The Lord will return one day and he will create  a new heaven and earth , make sure your part of it , come to him today.

Where is God when natural disasters happen ?

Today (Friday 11th March 2011) Japan was rocked by its biggest earthquake (8.9 on the rictor scale) and a tsunami with waves up to 10m. When you hear news of this magnitude your heart goes out to the country and the people who are suffering. But where is God amongst the devastation ? he is just as upset as the people who are suffering but he does allow natural disasters to occur. Why ?: Numbers 16 : 30-34 tells us that natural disasters are a response to sin ; God allows natural disasters to mirror the sin on creation. The world is the Lord's , God created it and humans are taking over with greed , sin ,evil and war by allowing natural disasters God is reminding humans that he is in control. God is a Good God but he is also a jealous God and is jealous of the way we love the world when we should be loving him. The world should be a resting place for us till we are called home to heaven but humans get caught up in the world and worship materalistic things. As christians we can pray for the people of Japan and we can send money but we need to remember not to blame God , he may have allowed it but he is a good God and he is in control.

Confession brings forgiveness and cleansing

Its likely we will sin every day , sometimes intentionally , sometimes without thinking. The bible tells us (John 1 : 1 v 8) that if we confess our sins to Jesus he is faithful and he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from unrightousness.

The birthmark of a beliver is rightousness in God :). The Lord your God sent his one and only son to die for our sins , thank him for his great act of love by asking for forgiveness for your sins and he will forgive you.

Jesus calms the storm

At this moment you may be going through a storm in your life .Matthew 8 : 23 tells the story of when Jesus and his disciples were at sea and a storm occured. The disciples reaction was fear but Jesus told them to have faith because he would and did calm the storm. Learn from this story ; have faith in Jesus to calm your storm.

Freedom of anxiety

Matthew 6 V  25 ......

Take no thought to your life ; what you will eat or drink what you will wear

But seek first the kingdom of rightousness and these things shall be added unto you.

Worrying will empty today of its strengh , trust jesus to be get you through your day. 

For he feeds the Sparrows and so he can take care of your needs to.

God looks on the inside !

One of the messages i remember from sunday school at HBC is : " Man looks on the outside , God looks on the inside" , i remember the song we sang in relation to this message. Our world today heavily and harmfully focuses on appearence and looks , particuarly because of celebrity exposure. Remember God created you the way you are and he doesnt want you to be obsessed with image but with how your heart is : GOD looks on the INSIDE !, its time we focused on our attitudes and behaviour than we do how we look. Here's two pictures  to inspire you :

Decorate your mobile and computer desktops with these christian backgrounds from http://www.crossdaily.com/ :

Beware of evil !

Its a matter of fact that evil lurks around the world ; ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden and the angel Gabrielle (the devil) fell from grace , evil has became part of our world. God has given us a free will , and sadly some of us choose to be evil , we hear and read stories of evil everyday that turn our stomachs but God calls for us to come to him and he will protect us from evil , his word teaches us to be more like Jesus and not the devil. Today's HBC message was "Stand for God" Psalm 94 v 16-19 : "Who will rise up against the evildoer's ? Unless the lord had been my help . my soul had almost dealt in silence". Take a stand against evil ! come to the Lord.

Daily Encouragement

Psalm 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield : the lord will give glory and grace : no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

If there's a note to take from this verse then it is that God will honour us but we have to honour God in return. We can honour God through our actions e.g. forgiving our enemies , avoiding idol gossip , telling people the good news , attending church and praying to our saviour. Give your time to the Lord - Put God first !!.

Christian Encouragement

For those who need encouragement , here's some verses to inspire you :

Psalm 27:1 :

The Lord is my light and my salvation , whom shall i fear ?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life ; of whom i shall be afraid?

Psalm 54:4 :

Behold , God is my helper .

Psalm 62: 2 :

He only is my rock and my salvation ,he is my defence.

Remember the Lord has your best interest at heart and the Lord will help you , but you need to pray to the Lord to ask for his help.

Be wise !

Experiences in my place of work has taught me a biblical lesson this week :

Be wise as a serpent and as meek as a dove. In other words if there is difficulty in a workplace its best if you keep quiet but we wise !. Also the Lord is interested in your work problems ,give them to the Lord in prayer ! x.

Dont Give Up !

We all wish life was plain sailing and that all our dreams will all come true. This is not the case , we make mistakes and we are tested with trials to test our strenght in God. Whatever problems we face , whether in our working life , family life , social life or christain life , we can get through them with help from the Lord our saviour. God answers prayers , he may not answer them the way we want but the answers them. Think of the age old saying : "When the Lord closes a door , somewhere he opens a window". Have faith in the Lord to help you through life and you will soon see that theres light at the end of the tunnel.

Useful website

Found this very useful websites : http://www.christianadvice.net/. The website is perfect for christian's wanting to expand their involvement in the Lord's word.

Forgive and Forget !

Its hard to like everyone in life ; people can and will do you wrong and you will likely have a dislike of them after that experience. The bible teaches us to forgive and forget however hard it may be , we arent going to move on in life if we dont forgive people. When you bring the person down you dislike your are bringing god down as that person is God's creation. We were once enemies of God until our sins were forgiven by our saviour Jesus Christ. If you dislike someone , think about them just now  and pray for them , the Lord will bless you .The only person your hurting disliking them is yourself.

Android Phone app

Learn more from the bible with daily bible verses from LG Android. If you have an android phone or any smartphone , look out for daily bible verse app. Here's todays bible verse :

" 16 Rejoice always , 17 Pray without ceasing , 18 give thanks in all circumstances ; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18

The world is God's and God's only

A mathematical genuis worked out that if the world was for sale it would cost three thousand trillion. When i heard this i immediatley thought that the world is not ours to put a price on it , we may live in the world but it is not ours. People argue that we came from apes or a big bang happened but i believe that God created the world and everyone in his world and the only way the world will end is when the saviour Jesus Christ returns and those who havent accepted God will perish ; this is the hard reality. Humans not all humans but  some  humans are materalistic and put a price on things and this is the reason the world has been priced.  Singer Jessie J says in her new song "forget about the price tag" , we need to forget about material things because we must store our riches in heaven and in God.
 

Plans

As humans , we make plans all the time. We plan social events , holidays , career moves and put alot of thought into these plans. However we need to remember that God has plans for our lives : Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Welcome God into your life and he will help you with your plans.