All that glitters is not…

I’m continuing, although sporadically, on the topic of sin. Today I want to demonstrate what a valueless thing sin is.

Some time ago I was sitting having a cup of coffee at a large shopping mall. The coffee shop was not enclosed and gave a good view of the comings and goings of people (“people watching” is a pleasant pastime). I saw a young woman who was wheelchair bound and severely disabled physically and mentally. She had some kind of bauble – I think a Christmas tree decoration – which she was totally engrossed in. It seemed to me this “thing” had been well-handled with much of the glitter having been rubbed off.

When you compare human beings who have such limited knowledge and ability, especially since we’ve been cursed because of sin and have fallen short of God’s glory, we are worse off in our relationship with God than that young disabled girl is to the rest of normal humanity. In other words, we are spiritually and morally retarded. How can that young girl converse with normal humanity? How can she appreciate the value of so much that others enjoy? How can she realise that her bauble is nothing and rubbish?

And you, man, how can you appreciate what God has prepared for those who love Him? How can you appreciate the peace and joy that Christ has promised when you seem to live in a pseudo peace? How can you appreciate the greatness of God’s love when you stand afar off and mock His precious Son? How can you appreciate the glory of God when and so much more when you are in love with your sin – that shining worthless bauble?

It’s only those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who relate to God spiritually, who live a life of faith, who can appreciate God. We see as through a darkened glass, says the apostle Paul. We can hardly make out what God has done for this life, and especially what He has prepared for us in eternity. Nevertheless, we catch a dim glimpse from time to time and are convinced that God is, and is a rewarder of those who search for Him.

Search for Him, I implore you. Grasp His great and precious gifts and drop your life of sin.

Until next time, so long. 

The older you get the less time you have

“Well, duh!” I hear you say? “Obviously,” you continue, “if you are granted 70 years, by the time you’ve lived 56 of them, you only have 14 to go.”

Funny you should mention 56, ’cause that’s exactly how old I am. However, whilst you are correct in your calculation, that’s not what I meant.

What I mean is that time seems to go much faster. For instance, when I was younger I would come home from work, have a bath, have a meal (prepared by my mother), get in my car and collect a couple of buddies, and then we’d go to the squash courts and play squash for a couple of hours. After that we’d head off to a cafe and have a burger or steak roll and a milkshake (a mere snack in those days).

The night seemed to last for ages.

Now I am much older, I come home from work, have a meal (prepared by my wife), do a little reading or writing, and it seems like I’ve hardly done anything before it’s time to bath and go to bed…and I don’t go to bed all that early because I don’t want to waste my life sleeping.

Even a weekend seems to fly past with hardly anything accomplished. And, come to think of it, my life has flown past – it started off slowly but before I knew it I have aged and left youth behind.

There’s something to ponder on here but I’m not going to give any hints so you work it out.

Until next time, so long.

sunDAY’s end

It’s been a great day. Attended my church this morning where I was fortunate enough to preach (see yesterday’s entry). Visited my daughter who has just moved into a brand new house (she’s renting, not buying). Took my wife to lunch and then visited a friend who’s going through a tough time (took her out for coffee and cake at a brilliant little cafe close to where she lives).
It’s strange how routine our lives become and then something dramatic happens to destroy that routine but it’s not long before we fall into a different routine. Call me boring but I like routine.
Tomorrow is the beginning of a new week filled with the usual weekly routine but who knows what that week will hold. Still, we commit it into God’s hands. Have a great week.
Until next time, so long.

In the beginning

Not as dramatic a beginning as Genesis (the Beginning) but my first post – so it is the beginning.

I firstly want to acknowledge that the picture in my header was taken off John & Mel Kots’ flickr photostream and that can be viewed here: Door Art

You may notice that my blog address is “hypodermic.wordpress.com”. What’s with “hypodermic”? Well, I tried using several other names but they were taken. It’s too long a story to tell how “hypodermic” came to the fore but as I looked up the exact meaning, it is a combination of two Greek works which literally mean just below the skin.

That’s exactly what Christianity does – get’s under people’s skin. I won’t try to do it on purpose but Jesus’ teachings weren’t popular then and have never been to this day. Of course, I hope more than anything that things that I post are helpful to some, encouraging to others, and strike a chord of agreement with many so that we can share things in common.

Until next time, so long.