Long Standing Strongholds...no more!

New Chris Rowe Podcast worth listening to available here. Don't forget to comment if possible. Blessings. http://shalomdublin.wordpress.com

SIgnificance and recent origins

Hubble Telescope image of Fomalhaut debris ring

While I was having a leisurely coffee at the Grand Canal basin today I heard some chaps walk by having a rather animated discussion about the significance of man in the Cosmos .  What I heard during the brief moment as they passed was that the universe was billions of years old yet man has only been around for a fraction of that time and is therefore very insignificant.  All I could think of was that they had taken the Kool-Aid like most people who are fed with the Darwinian view of the cosmos which is propagated virtually everywhere. The tragedy is that they were unaware of the fact that man's life is of far more significance and recent origin. The entire cosmos was actually created for man (and woman) and it wasn't billions of years ago but merely thousands. I know I wasn't there at the creation to witness this beginning myself but I can rest on the truth of God's word on the matter, a view that is also supported by true, non Darwinian, science

LIVING GUILT FREE

Guilt is to sin what pain is to sickness. I once got a gum infection, which got serious because the chemist misread the dentist’s prescription and only gave me pain killers and not antibiotics! The pills removed the symptoms but did not solve the problem!
When we sin, we feel the pain of guilt. People try, and do many things to get rid of this pain (spend money, use drugs/alcohol, relationships, gossip etc) without success. The “painkillers” work for a short while but then the pain returns! To get rid of this “guilt pain” we must deal with the cause, sin. But how? You need to find someone who is not subject to sin to help and heal you. The Bible shows us that God loves us. It is His plan for us is to live guilt free and united with Him. To make a guilt free life possible Jesus, the sinless/innocent one, willingly took the cause of guilt (sin) upon Himself. He allowed himself to be crucified and killed even though He had the power to save Himself! He dealt with“the cause” and opened the door for us to live guilt free. Now God can offer us complete forgiveness and a guilt free life that does not compromise His Holy justice. Jesus heals us, He does not just numb the pain!

Now back to the issue of gay marriage...

I heard to said by a proponent of gay marriage that "You are entitled to have my opinion". Huh? Of course we are entitled to opinions, as long as they conform to the liberal left...or else watch out for some language, fit for neither child nor adult!  The internet is great in many respects but it is also a gathering place for anonymous people who like to remove all doubt about their ignorance by displaying thoughts they would never utter in person.
Now back to the issue of gay marriage: If we jettison God's opinion on this among other matters we are absolutely rudderless in a sea of change.  We are simply left with what "feels" good with no solid basis. When I was a kid it "felt" good to eat sweets all day long (bad idea).  Many married people let their eyes wander and "feel" they should get involved with another of the opposite sex (bad idea). Many hot blooded teens "feel" they should follow whatever urges their hormones were leading them to, even if it meant doing acts reserved for marriage (bad idea).  If we are purely lust led animals you might understand the argument but...we are not!  Many fight this idea of a moral Creator because they feel hopelessly inadequate in meeting His standard...too right...it is hopeless, if you reject Jesus in every way, except as a piece of your curse word vocabulary.  The amazing thing is that he did become a curse for us that day he hung on  a tree, a curse for us so we can be free from the curse of sin.
Now back to the issue of gay marriage: If "feelings" are everything then why stop at 2, why not include animals, why should marriage be closed and not open? I heard 3 lesbians in USA want recognition in some bizarre union, don't ask the details! God created in a particular order (Adam and Eve you may recall) and God made sex. The fall brought corruption or perversion to the order God set and when He is rejected literally anything goes.
Now back to the issue of gay marriage: I am aware that this is hot button issue but with laws coming down the tracks in Ireland I believe it is valid to state that marriage is a gender based institution...period.  I clearly don't agree with homosexuality but when I meet gays I treat them with normal dignity and respect as people without agreeing with their sex orientation. God loves every last homosexual in Ireland and elsewhere so much that He bankrupted heaven by sending his most precious, His own Son Jesus, to take the hit for them and offer them new eternal life. Yes the bible calls homosexuality sin, as it does drunkenness, gluttony, lying, theft and lust. Did you ever get plastered, eat too much, tell a fib, download music illegally and take a prolonged look at one of the opposite sex with unhealthy thoughts...We're all the same boat...needing Jesus!

Pope's Big Bang ...or whimper?

It's being posted across the web, blogosphere, twitterati and facebook as news...yet we've heard this before. The leader of the Roman church, quite nice chap in many ways, has reiterated what he was told in chemistry class and said God used the big bang and evolution, or something to that effect. This has been official Roman Catholic policy for a while, but it causes problems of Biblical proportions. Now before you post me the latest Dawkins directive or simply steam off in a predictable rant against a view that is nowhere to be found is our PC text books (which uses language of absolute certainty for an event at which nobody alive or in living memory attended (i.e the beginning)) let me make a very simple point as follows:
The word of God is child like clear that death entered the world because of disobedience to God (ahem..sin..ssssh don't mention the war!). We expect atheists, those chaps who have more faith than me (by believing all this amazing cosmos, nature and microorganisms arrived by total chance with no brain input from anyone), to promote the idea that death is part of the process in giving life as we see it today. The Bible portrays the very opposite in saying that the creation, which The Maker called "very good" was indeed perfect and then became corrupted by a malfunction (i.e rebellion against the Creator or ssssh don't mention the war! "sin"). This same Maker said "If you sin you'll die". Why doesn't the scripture record Adam (assuming he was the first fully upright ape man) saying to God in reply "Die?.. but I'm standing on the bones of generations of ape men and other simpler creatures so you can't be telling the truth, sorry!".  I could go on, but my dog is looking at me asking for a walk before I go to bed so I'll sign off here. In conclusion I'd like to state that too many confuse the creation with the corruption and when they observe an imperfect world today, beautiful but ugly also, they think we are on a journey towards perfection, not knowing that in the past before that fruit got nicked...'twas a perfect world where man and woman walked with Maker.  Now the mission of Jesus, the innocent, satisfying the justice of Holy God by his death, so we could legally be forgiven when we turn and believe, makes sense for the first time and the last enemy (aka death) can be defeated. Wow.

TIME TO GO NIGHT FISHING AGAIN

This Friday (18 July 2014), God willing, we will be night fishing in Temple Bar Square between the hours of 9.30 and 11.30. If you know Jesus, pray for an outpouring of the Spirit of God through our work. The revellers, tourists, stag parties, hen parties and others all have a Father who is calling them and on occasion some hear the call and respond to the wonderful life giving gospel of grace. Many ignore us but we are there for the one who turns. As an evangelist it is always exciting but so too is sit sobering to see the utter hatred many have for God who graciously is giving then their next breath and heartbeat. If you don't yet know Jesus then come out and find us (just look for the Jesus signs) and ask us what its all about...it could be the smartest move you ever made.

Election of a Different Sort

Politicians ! { Poly = Latin for "Many"  Ticks = Blood sucking creatures} They're all the same ! Full of promises that are null and void when the last ballot box closes!

It's not just Politicians.

We are all the same - God said  " We all like sheep have gone astray,  each to his own way"

Zero Tolerance

Imagine if it was a crime to live a less than perfect life and you were arrested.  The legal team accusing you had full information on all your failings.  While you prepared your defence saying "no one is perfect'  you discover to your horror that the judge himself is perfect and because of the law has no discretion to pardon you.

Oh dear, how sad, yet how true to life when we consider the message of  God's word - Worse still it says that the outcome of sin 

(any sin) is death (eternal separation from God).

Now for the comforting news

The Judge  struck the hammer confirming your guilt but before the guards take you off in chains the judge removes his wig and cloak, steps down, comes to the guards, offers to take your place, gets handcuffed and is lead off to the cell.  While you stand there speechless the judge looks back and says to you "you're free to go - I'm paying the price"

This actually happened

Your death sentence was taken by Jesus personally so that you could be forgiven and released from sin's power, addiction and consequences.  You can now have a personal friendship with God through Jesus because God's justice is satisfied by his death.

What now?

Get to a private place, Apologise to God for your self centred life, talk to Him now, ask His forgiveness and invite Him into your life as boss. Be prepared for an internal transformation. He is listening and will answer - believe me.  Make your election to God sure.

AVOIDING DISASTER

We’ve come a long way since the Titanic sank due to the absence of a two-way telegraph system. Iceberg warnings were not picked up because first class passengers had the poor telegraph operator occupied sending frivolous greetings on this new gadget.  Disaster due to poor communication.

The inventor of the clockwork radio was motivated by the tragic spread of AIDS in Africa due to poor basic health information. This in turn was due to lack of radios caused by the high cost of replacement batteries. Another disaster due to poor communication.

Today communication is the buzz word with texts, internet, e-mails and mobile phones everywhere.  A goalkeeper recently conceded a goal due to a call on his mobile.  Yet with all these methods of talking we still seem to have a big problem with our communication with God.

Doesn’t voice mail annoy you?  You’ve made the effort and taken the time to call someone and lo and behold they can’t hear you!   Worse still is the message “Voice mail has not been activated”.  God had that same feeling, only much worse, when Adam hung up on Him in the garden.  His and Eve’s sin separated them and broke the line of communication.  How tragic. No wonder the world is so messed up.  The source of all wisdom, love and life, God Himself, has been largely cut off.

Communication can however be re-established along with a wonderful relationship with God, when we allow Jesus to take our sins.  That’s why they call it good news, He died, the good guy for <nsert your nick-name>  the rebel. Now all that remains is for you to communicate by talking honestly and openly to God in the same way as you would talk to a friend. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved from  a disaster due to poor communication.

Want to know more?  Then talk to Jesus directly… now.

COSMIC EXPLOSION QUESTIONED

Patrick's Day in Dublin on Grafton Street is an Evangelist's dream. It is packed with people, all out for a good time and with plenty of time on their hands to ask questions about Jesus. I nearly went hoarse, and that was without any street preaching!  Many heard about God's love for them as shown by Jesus at calvary for the very first time. One group of people said that their mate was an atheist. I asked if I could shake his hand and they were quite surprised at this. I congratulated him on having more faith than me as he believed that all these people enjoying St Patrick's day are the result of a cosmic explosion in the past. I asked him if he thought we came from monkeys, to which he replied "of course" I then asked where the monkeys came from. "There was a big bang". "Oh I said they're was a bang and then monkeys arrived". "I didn't say that " he said. "Where then did the monkeys come from?" I asked. He then admitted that he wasn't sure and so we all witnessed the conversion of an atheist to an agnostic. It was all done with much humour but to get people to think I believe is a great first step.
Another lady asked me about Jesus and I asked her her name and when she said "Hannah" I asked if she knew what it meant and she said "no". After telling her it meant grace and that Hannah in the Bible cried out to God for a child (Samuel) who became a prophet, she was riveted. I then informed her about GRACE: God's Riches At Christ's Expense and you could have bowled her over with a feather.  There were many other encounters, one being with a buddhist girl.  I asked her what the source of her (reincarnation) information was and she had no answer.  In evangelism we are not trying to outsmart people at all but often many untruths have to unravelled to open the door for the light of the Gospel. The Photo shows Jim and Aengus busy holding church. Overall we found a great degree of openness in our many discussions and we trust that God will work on the many hearts for His glory.