The other night on 60 minutes there was a navy Diver, Paul de Gelder, who was attacked by a shark...what an inspiration he was. This guy lost a leg and a hand and just wouldn't stay down. the sight of him hopping through the hospital made me realise my own troubles were not quite so bad after all. Thanks Paul for your inspiration. But it got me thinking.
In Romans 7: 14 - 25 the apostle Paul talks of the struggle he has with sin in his life and what he was going through. Here's this man who traveled extensively had immense courage and conviction. spoke to people everywhere about the things of the Kingdom of God and yet struggled so much with his own sinfulness. He's not so dissimilar to us in that way. we all struggle with sin in our lives and I know for my part the pain of it can be debilitating. But Paul from the Bible is like Paul de Gelder in that he refused to stay down, he repeatedly got back up again.
Someone once said; "we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions". so we say things like; "I didn't mean to do it" or it was an accident! funny that one because I often say to my kids, accidents happen because you weren't being careful!
No matter how careful we are we can still get attacked and in a faith sense the prowling lion gets us rather than the white pointer. but what do we do? whether it is an attack or just being careless, as human beings we fail and fall, no matter how hard we try we miss the mark and hurt God and the people we love around us.
I love that Paul writes so honestly about his trials, not putting a twist in it to make us feel bad but simply falling of the mercy and Grace of God. That's all any of us can do, fall on His mercy and grace. then, like Paul De Gelder, get back up and hop along the corridor and move on. And if we feel the need to jump in with the sharks again, take a spear gun and a friend.
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=812169
Richard
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
There's something about this Jesus.
I wrote this narrative for a preach I did recently at church on the way Peter may have been feeling just prior to the sermon on the mount. I hope you like it. It's a bit long but I think worth the read. Rich
The day was a usual for Galilee the sun was beating down and the dust would rise from the road like powder filling the air and drying the throat. The feet of all the people stamping at the ground following with us seemed to grind the tracks into talc. It seemed incredible that so many people had come to Galilee in those few days, where had they come from ? I didn’t know there were so many hurt and bleeding , so many that were desperate for a touch from Jesus or to hear a word from him? The news had spread like wild fire all over Syria and now even more were on their way………… There’s something about this Jesus!
Why’d he choose us?... maybe I’ll never know? …Andrew and I love fishing and we were good at it. Our days were full just making sure our gear was squared away, our nets tight and no holes! And checking the boats could stand the waves that the sea would throw at them. But there was nothing like hauling in the catch..wow it never got old lifting up the heavy net and wondering what monsters of the sea would be there, The market that day would be buzzing with people who’d buy some for their table.
But he said follow me…I heard His voice so clear….follow me Simon…Andrew…..I’d heard about him ….the carpenters son…..some said he was a cousin of John the Baptizer….now there’s a wild man…locusts in his hair and wearing an old camel hair jacket….he stirred the pot more than once around here I guess that’s why he ended up in Prison… But Jesus…he’s different …there’s something about Him that I can’t shake off….He looks into your eyes and it’s like He’s seeing into your soul. When He speaks I can see a road in front of me widening out and my heart leaps at the thought of all the new things he has to say. …..there’s something about this Jesus!
Mum Thinks I’ve gone mad and James & John’s dad Zebedee! well He just shook his head as the boys jumped out of the boat and came with us. But how could we not!... There’s just something about Him…fishers of men he said …. I’ve no idea what that means, but when he said it, my heart leapt. He has such a way with words and says things that no one else has uttered and yet they make such sense…..many of the people who’ve come to get healed haven’t stayed to hear him speak. They get their healing and then they seem to forget and move back home….I don’t get that at all…but others stay and seem to recognise who Jesus is even if they don’t understand what’s really going on….not that any of us really have a clue…we just know this is where we have to be…
I remember my dad telling us the stories of old, of David and his mighty men, of the prophets and the prophesies about messiah…could this be him? I don’t really know …but there’s something about Him that stirs my heart…It makes me feel like more of a man than ‘even’ fishing would do….now there’s a thing I could never have imagined…but there’s something about this Jesus..
Anyway I digress… today he went up the mountain .…I guess the crowds had got too much or something. It seemed odd that He would do that and some of the people just grumbled and said how they’d come so far to see this healer and now He’d moved up the mountain, how would they get up there? Andrew, James, John and I and a number of the other disciples, thought well: “we’re not staying here!…if Jesus is going up the mountainside then we’re going too”! So we took off after Him. It was a bit of an effort too! if you don’t mind…., but we made it to where he was sitting. It was peaceful on the mountain side, none of that dust either which made it much more pleasant. It was nice not having the hustle of all the people pressing in and being able to hear the words Jesus had to say. We’d heard Him preach to crowds but now he looked at us and smiled and began to speak….there’s something about this man…this Jesus ….this friend of mine….He’s not just a carpenters son with wood shavings in his hair and dusty clothes… when He spoke those words He started to melt my tough old heart…My Life had changed forever….there’s no turning back now…what would happen…where would He lead me? What things would I see and do? This crusty old fisherman from Galilee….Only Jesus would know where I’m headed…His words drip like honey from Heaven…I feel have to soak them up, like one day I’ll remember this moment and wish I’d listened harder, wish I could have another day an hour a minute with Jesus, to feel the encouragement and security in His voice….to know and be known to hear Him say….Come…. follow me.
The day was a usual for Galilee the sun was beating down and the dust would rise from the road like powder filling the air and drying the throat. The feet of all the people stamping at the ground following with us seemed to grind the tracks into talc. It seemed incredible that so many people had come to Galilee in those few days, where had they come from ? I didn’t know there were so many hurt and bleeding , so many that were desperate for a touch from Jesus or to hear a word from him? The news had spread like wild fire all over Syria and now even more were on their way………… There’s something about this Jesus!
Why’d he choose us?... maybe I’ll never know? …Andrew and I love fishing and we were good at it. Our days were full just making sure our gear was squared away, our nets tight and no holes! And checking the boats could stand the waves that the sea would throw at them. But there was nothing like hauling in the catch..wow it never got old lifting up the heavy net and wondering what monsters of the sea would be there, The market that day would be buzzing with people who’d buy some for their table.
But he said follow me…I heard His voice so clear….follow me Simon…Andrew…..I’d heard about him ….the carpenters son…..some said he was a cousin of John the Baptizer….now there’s a wild man…locusts in his hair and wearing an old camel hair jacket….he stirred the pot more than once around here I guess that’s why he ended up in Prison… But Jesus…he’s different …there’s something about Him that I can’t shake off….He looks into your eyes and it’s like He’s seeing into your soul. When He speaks I can see a road in front of me widening out and my heart leaps at the thought of all the new things he has to say. …..there’s something about this Jesus!
Mum Thinks I’ve gone mad and James & John’s dad Zebedee! well He just shook his head as the boys jumped out of the boat and came with us. But how could we not!... There’s just something about Him…fishers of men he said …. I’ve no idea what that means, but when he said it, my heart leapt. He has such a way with words and says things that no one else has uttered and yet they make such sense…..many of the people who’ve come to get healed haven’t stayed to hear him speak. They get their healing and then they seem to forget and move back home….I don’t get that at all…but others stay and seem to recognise who Jesus is even if they don’t understand what’s really going on….not that any of us really have a clue…we just know this is where we have to be…
I remember my dad telling us the stories of old, of David and his mighty men, of the prophets and the prophesies about messiah…could this be him? I don’t really know …but there’s something about Him that stirs my heart…It makes me feel like more of a man than ‘even’ fishing would do….now there’s a thing I could never have imagined…but there’s something about this Jesus..
Anyway I digress… today he went up the mountain .…I guess the crowds had got too much or something. It seemed odd that He would do that and some of the people just grumbled and said how they’d come so far to see this healer and now He’d moved up the mountain, how would they get up there? Andrew, James, John and I and a number of the other disciples, thought well: “we’re not staying here!…if Jesus is going up the mountainside then we’re going too”! So we took off after Him. It was a bit of an effort too! if you don’t mind…., but we made it to where he was sitting. It was peaceful on the mountain side, none of that dust either which made it much more pleasant. It was nice not having the hustle of all the people pressing in and being able to hear the words Jesus had to say. We’d heard Him preach to crowds but now he looked at us and smiled and began to speak….there’s something about this man…this Jesus ….this friend of mine….He’s not just a carpenters son with wood shavings in his hair and dusty clothes… when He spoke those words He started to melt my tough old heart…My Life had changed forever….there’s no turning back now…what would happen…where would He lead me? What things would I see and do? This crusty old fisherman from Galilee….Only Jesus would know where I’m headed…His words drip like honey from Heaven…I feel have to soak them up, like one day I’ll remember this moment and wish I’d listened harder, wish I could have another day an hour a minute with Jesus, to feel the encouragement and security in His voice….to know and be known to hear Him say….Come…. follow me.
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