“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
This morning, I awoke to the sound of activity in the house – distant laughter amongst the guests who were staying for an indefinite time. The birds were chirping happily outside in the luscious garden that was adorned with deep green grass and colourful flower borders.
As I arose, I marvelled at how lovely it was to have a bedroom on the ground floor. My mum came in through the patio doors, holding an empty washing basket. It was so nice of her to have seen to all the household laundry.
She greeted me with a big smile and an energetic ‘good morning’. I never questioned why she had used my bedroom as her route to the garden – I was just so pleased to see her. As I walked past, she squeezed my arm. Two brilliantly white doors with gleaming silver handles invited me to step across the threshold into the serene atmosphere ahead.
I stepped out onto the veranda and was overwhelmed by the burst of heat that hit me as my body came into direct contact with the blazing sun. I can’t begin to describe how wonderful it felt. What a beautiful morning!
Through the gleaming dazzle, I gazed up at a pretty cherry blossom tree to my right and I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Tilting my head back and inhaling deeply, I once again basked in the heavenly warmth that caressed my bare arms.
It was only 6 am, but my mum had already put the washing out to dry. Garments were blowing gently back and forth, although I could feel no breeze.
“Wow! What time did Mum get up?” I wondered. “She’s been extremely organised! How could she have so effortlessly awoken, gathered the dirty clothes, placed them into the washing machine, taken them out later and hung them on the line before dawn? This is England! Where’s the heavy dew? Why is she not tucked up in bed?”
The aroma of crispy bacon wafted through the air, beckoning me to join the others for breakfast. We lived together in one big house – my husband, daughter, mum, dad and even my older sister Abigail. I felt extremely grateful for the massive kitchen that accomodated us perfectly and we never got under each other’s feet, or felt we were too much in each other’s lives.
I wandered back inside and popped into another bedroom. This one had a balcony overlooking magnificent Yorkshire hills. Across the yellow sky, I could see cottages in the distance and the silhouette of other early risers having their breakfast on the far side of our balcony.
My mum arrived looking fresh and calm and she greeted me with another big smile.
As I stared at her, I marvelled at how lucky I was to be here in this home with an amazing mum and a wonderful ambience of joy and sunshine.
But she’s got Parkinson’s Disease.
She is housebound.
She’s not managed to make it to the shops for 5 years.
A grating noise began to ring in my ear – the familiar sound of my phone beckoning me to wake up.
Yes, if you had not guessed already, I had been dreaming – fast asleep in my land of perfection. I lay still as I tried to recall what I had to eat the night before. Pizza? Lasagne? My dream had seemed so detailed and real that if that was a bad reaction to cheese, I might consider trying a lump of Stilton.
On this cold, dark day nearing the month of July, I pulled the duvet over my shoulders and twitched the curtains to look outside.
As usual, England in the summer looked like winter in the forest, as rain dripped of every leaf, twig and sill.
I thought about my mother who is many miles away, lonely and whose face is not able to show much joy, as she bears the late stages of Parkinson’s Disease. As I shared with you in the previous chapter, this renders her with many dizzy spells per day. She can hardly make her bed and struggles to lift her hand up to brush her hair.
One day she will be free to arise with the sun and potter around blissfully like in that beautiful dream.
There’s nothing more joyful than the thought of being in the presence of God, worshipping Jesus and seeing our loved ones, fit and healthy with smiles on their faces that will never fade.
I hope to see you there too.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison; as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2Corinthians 4:16-18)
“Soon after your dad boarded the ship with the other naval officers, I pointed to it to show a friend which one he was on. That is why he died. You should never direct your finger towards the ship your sweetheart is on, especially if he’s a sailor.”
She grew up hearing that it was her mother’s mistake why her father perished at sea while fighting to save his country. Children believe anything they are told by their parents and that was one of many falsehoods she carried around in her heart as a young girl.
So, when at five years old she soiled her underwear while waiting alone at the school gates, she believed the defensive accusation that it was all her fault. No-one was around when the accident happened, as school had finished more than 2 hours ago.
Teachers and parents alike, noticed the young child stood nervously shifting from foot to foot, but they told themselves it was not their problem. Day after day they had spotted this shy little girl waiting on her own, looking nervously up and down the street. Her mum never arrived on time and most days it was at least an hour before she was picked up.
But on this day, her mother had been asked by her boss to cover another shift. Always too proud to admit she had four young, fatherless, children, she would just swear under her breath and continue her work.
Perspiration and tears poured down the small girl’s face as she watched the last teacher lock the gate then walk past her as if she was invisible. She desperately wanted to sit down on top her satchel like she usually did, but as her undies were already wet and soiled, she remained on her tired little feet. The fear was worse than the heat, as grown-ups were often not very nice. They stared and frowned and made tutting noises whenever they didn’t understand what they saw.
She thought about how thirsty she was and how lovely it would be if some passing stranger would give her a sip of their ice-cold lemonade or the popular Sorrel juice that was so delicious and refreshing.
When her mother eventually arrived, she made no effort to run towards her daughter. The guilt made her harden her face and she had already made up her mind that big people do not need to explain things to little ones. She promptly pulled at her hard, “Comealong.” All the way home a harsh rebuke was given to the young child for going to the toilet in her pants. To accept the fact that fear and length of time waiting was the contributing factor to this mishap, would be too much for her to bear, so instead, she just made her child feel worse than she did.
It wasn’t that she was a bad mother – just superstitious, proud and far too bothered about the opinions of others. If a child told a lie on her offspring, she would beat them in front of the liar’s parents before establishing the facts.
Even if they were shouting, “It’s not true, I didn’t do it!” there would be lashes and angry words just to appease the other party. The thought of being gossiped about as a parent who couldn’t handle her children was the focus of her unjustified public beatings. And of course, when the truth came out later, no apology would be given. “Adults don’t humble themselves before children.”
One day another mother arranged to take the little girl home for safety and to share some of their tea. It was obvious by her emancipated frame that this lonesome lamb did not get much to eat. And at such a tender age, she was so vulnerable. The young child coyly ate up her meal in silence, smiling back at the lady every time their eyes met across the table.
But her peace was soon shattered when the man of the house arrived home. “What’s this child doing here? Are we a charity centre now? Since when do we go about feeding the mouths of other people’s kids? Where’s her mother? Can’t she look after her own brat?”
Further rejection was hurled at the poor mite when her mother came to collect her. “I don’t want you eating food from strangers. We are not beggars. What did that lady say to you? Did you tell her anything about me? Our lives are private, do you hear me?Don’t be going home with people anymore, just stay and wait for me. These nasty, nosey people just wanting to know my business…”
The child could not understand what she had done wrong. The lady had made her feel so nice and loved and secure and wanted.
In the evenings, when she was a little older, the girl followed the same routine. Wash the rice for mummy. Pick out any black bits. Set the table. Then she would climb up onto the chair and watch the houses opposite. She stared into the windows wondering what it would be like to have a mum that was at home in the evenings. As the hummingbirds fluttered about in the dusk, looking for a fragrant tree in which to spend the night, everyone else it seemed, was settling down to a peaceful evening. No other child was watching for their mother to come home from their second job. As it grew darker and darker, the same thing would happen. One by one, curtains would be drawn, and she would be shut out from their worlds. She was clean and safe but scared and lonely. Her two oldest siblings were now living with an uncle and she missed them terribly. She desperately wanted to be part of those other families. Both parents were inside and happy. Not cross and worn out from a long walk home. Not stressed from being given orders all day long. Not too tired to cook and too grumpy to play or have any sort of sense of humour.
“One day,” she thought, “One day, I will have a family of my own and we will all be together forever.”
She was told there was a God who answers prayer, so she would get what she desired, right?
SEVEN DECADES LATER…
…she sat on the settee with her head propped up by a cushion. It was only midday, but she was feeling so dizzy that she could not keep her eyes open and wished it was bedtime.
The medication also made her drowsy and her eyes were so dry, it made them sore.
As a group of women on television sat round a table chatting about life issues, her mind wondered back to the time when there were so many voices in the room that you couldn’t hear the television at all.
How could seventy years go by so quickly?
Her dry throat tickled incessantly, making her cough violently. Leaning forward to grab the glass of water at her feet, a sudden wave of dizziness caused her to jerk and the water spilt all over the floor.
“Oh God, why was there no-one here to pass me my glass? Why is there nobody to fetch me another one? Who is going to mop up the spillage, so my slippers don’t get wet?”
At a time in her life when she felt vulnerable again, she felt deserted once more.
All through her children’s primary years, she had made sure she arrived at school early to collect the youngsters so that there was no risk of them going through the same terrifying emotions she had experienced at the school gates.
Yet now, in a quick breath, each little five-year-old had left the nest and seemed far, far away.
She forced her eyes open and glanced at the window. Still light outside, but no-one to look out for anymore. Shut-out from a world who were still closing curtains. Cast away from the hope of seeing a relative walking towards the front door.
A lump formed in her throat as sights and sounds emerged from her memory:
~Squabbles over an old toy.
~Sunday school songs sung out of tune.
~High-pitched voices drowning out the radio.
~Pop music playing at full volume.
~Lights left on all round the house.
~Duffle bags dumped in the hallway.
~Pencils and hair grips down the side of the chair.
~Clumsy bottoms bumping into the record player, adding another scratch to the song.
~Crisp packets on the floor.
~Evil masters chasing cartoon victims on television.
~Dolls hair wrapped around the vacuum cleaner rollers.
~Posters of leather-clad singers strewn across the bedroom walls.
~Floor space hidden under mountains of dirty clothes.
~Skipping ropes on the lawn.
~Balls in the hedge.
~Chalk on the path.
~Screams as skinny legs raced away from a passing wasp.
“God what happened? Why am I so alone again? I asked you – you promised. You pledged that you would not leave me, nor forsake me. You said you would not leave me comfortless. But there’s no-one here to help me out of my chair, to make me a cup of tea, to giggle with, to talk to…you promised Lord.”
Silence from up above.
“Are you going to restore the years the locust has eaten? There are gaping holes in my family. Will you ever bring them home, or will you take me home?”
A stirring in the heavenlies.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she suddenly remembered countless times her Father in Heaven had opened a door, extended an arm, offered a shoulder, and filled her house with love and laughter.
She smiled and decided there would be no more questions. Just trust, faith, belief in a God who had never failed her.
One day soon she knew he would deliver the promise he had offered in answer to her many prayers – he would either bring them home or take her to his home. Either way, she’d be surrounded by loved ones. There’d be no more waiting. There would be laughter in the air and peace in her heart. God had intervened and delivered the promise that he deemed was best for her.
The dizziness was still there, but she was aware of another presence in the room and this filled her with an unexplainable joy.
TEARS HAD RISEN, BUT SO HAD HOPE.
Yes indeed, my mother realised she was a very blessed lady.
(Dedicated to my dear mum, Shirley. She currently suffers from Parkinson’s Disease.)
“Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psalm 3:4 ESV)
How easy it is for us to bask in the churchy atmosphere we have become comfortable with while those around us are hurting on the inside! Please don’t get mad at me if any of the situations below ‘hit a nerve’ with you.
No denomination gets it completely right, so if you recognise an allusion to a certain type, don’t have a dig at them. We are all imperfect sinners saved by grace, who have at one time or another, put somebody off following Jesus because of our silly rules or obstinate religious decisions.
I’m sure that like me, you will want to take a serious look at where improvement is needed in your own surroundings and mindset, so that new people coming into our churches and existing ones who are feeling isolated, will receive the best welcome and love we can give – one which will make them feel accepted, embraced and drawn into the family we are already a part of. A family where they can get to know the Father really well.
*****
I Know a Sinner
I know a sinner
Who dared to enter.
He took a seat,
Right in the centre.
Someone came up and said,
“I do not approve,
You’re in my chair,
So you’ll have to move.
To get a prophecy
Is my ambition,
So I need to sit
In the right position.
I’ve been praying for
A mighty break-through,
So, I need to be
In the preacher’s view.
*****
I know a sinner
Who can’t use his limbs.
He’d love to come in
And sing a few hymns.
The building is placed
Above the ground floor,
With seventeen steps
Up to the front door.
They said, “Your chair’s too cranky,
For all this ‘wheeling’.
Can’t you go to a church
That believes in healing?
It’s far too big
And marks everything it touches.
Come back when you can manage
With a nice pair of crutches.
*****
I know a sinner
Who has four little boys.
They like to be active
And make lots of noise.
The people got annoyed
As they played on the floor.
“Yes” They exclaimed,
“What shall we do with these four?
We’re a family church
And we stick by that rule,
But no-one feels called
To teach ‘Sunday School’.
There’s no time to prepare
Lessons in the week,
Our kids are all grown-up,
So, we lack the technique.
Acting-out plays
Makes us feel a fool,
And singing kiddie songs
Is very uncool.
*****
I know a sinner,
Whose ear-drum is broken.
He can’t hear a sound
When words are spoken.
Thousands of deaf people,
Live in our nation.
They come to church needing
Sign interpretation.
“That man stands up
And twitches his hand,
But fidgety people,
I cannot stand.
This communication
Makes me agitated.
Why is their language
So animated?
We are not ashamed of them,
So, we make no remark,
But we’d prefer it if they sat
At the back in the dark.”
*****
I know a sinner
Who walked in with no hat.
They said, “You can’t join us
Looking like that!”
Take off your trousers,
My feelings are hurt,
For that’s man’s apparel.
You should be wearing a skirt!
Your clothes are shabby,
Your scarf is shedding.
You need to dress like
You’re a guest at a wedding.
Show us you’re holy,
By looking morose.
A smile is okay,
But don’t get too close.
We don’t like to hear
A sound out of dames.
Ditch your bible unless,
It’s endorsed by King James.”
*****
I know a sinner
Who could sell any drug.
He made lots of money.
It made him quite smug.
He read the Bible one day
And became a new man.
Jesus had changed him,
Like only he can.
But no-one in church,
Was impressed with his past.
Some even hinted
His new life would not last.
Lonely and confused,
He said, “God cannot love me.”
So, he swallowed a tablet
Engraved with an ‘E’.
(We pointed the finger
With gossip and chatter.
He died while we fussed
Over things that don’t matter)
*****
I know a sinner
Who goes ballistic
When the lights are beaming.
It’s because he’s autistic.
The flashes and colours
Intensity of light,
Means some places are torture,
For it feels too bright.
These sensory issues
Are then made worse,
When the congregation
Are uncaring and terse.
The sound of voices
Chatty and verbose,
Makes him feel that people
Are sitting too close
“If the room’s too loud
We really don’t care.
Go buy some headphones
Or plug your ear.”
They are not being awkward
Or fussy, you scorner,
They just need to worship
In a shady, calm corner.
*****
I know a sinner
Who was very skilled,
At ordering Christians
To be tortured and killed.
He met God and repented,
Said, “What do I do now?
You want to use me,
My question is how?
Meeting Ananias,
Put an end to his search.
He was accepted at once
By this man from the church.
*****
I know a sinner
Who could be the next *Paul.
He has the potential
To fulfil his high call.
Lord, help us realise
That this may depend,
On whether we’re prepared,
To be his good friend.
That we don’t go to church
For ourselves alone,
People need to feel
They have found a home.
Of this one thing,
We can be assured.
We would still be lost,
If we’d been ignored.
(*St Paul wrote many of the New Testament Bible books, but previously to this, he had many Jesus followers murdered at his command because he misunderstood their faith.)
“Therefore, continue to accept and welcome one another just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of our great God.” (Romans 15:7)
No church congregation is perfect. No church leaders are perfect either. Whether you have a vicar, priest, pastor, deacon, elder, or bishop, their human frailty determines that they will sometimes misunderstand you or be oblivious to your needs. However, it’s not just up to them – we all need to take stock of how we are treating those who are not yet part of our church family.
Not everybody stays away from our doors because they reject Jesus. Some stay away because they have been rejected by us.
I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. But, we all just need to see things from the eyes of a stranger and help them not feel like they are an outsider.
Many churches excel at welcoming people once they have been attending for a while and are seemingly settled, but others haven’t even been able to get that far. The church members stand in their foyers having private chats with their friends while newbies walk by. Once inside the main building, others glance across at the unfamiliar face while warming their hands on a steaming cup of coffee and don’t consider for a minute that it looks rude to stare and not share. At least go and say hello and let them know where the beverages are!
Others are exemplary when it comes to welcoming people on the door and some of these are large churches with massive foyers. Nobody slips by them. But a few weeks down the line, those newbies have been forgotten, because it is assumed they have settled in nicely. And they have not. They are not sparkling new anymore and feel tossed aside with the other tarnished unpopulars.
Will you join me in making an effort to do what Jesus commanded us to do? Let us love the lost and lonely and keep on loving them after they are found, or we may lose them all over again.
*****
I Stood By the Door
I stood by the door,
It sounded ideal.
They were together,
Their joy was so real.
A church praising God,
For all he has done.
Not ashamed to sing loud,
Not ashamed to have fun.
I heard some laughter,
And it made me cry.
I’m rather confused,
And I feel so shy.
If I open this door,
That blocks me from the rest,
Would they be concerned
About my spiritual quest?
I know a bit about Jesus,
And I’d love to know more,
But will I be someone
They will ignore?
Perhaps, they’ll say ‘Hi’,
And ask me my name
And look through my eyes,
Discerning my shame.
Then they’ll turn away,
And I’ll stand alone,
Trying to be grateful
For the ‘love’ I’ve been shown.
Well, maybe that’s better,
For I’m really quite scared,
I’ll have to give answers
That I’ve not prepared.
What type of questions
Will I be asked?
Will they want to know all
About me and my past?
There’s a board on the grass,
Saying, “All welcome inside.”
But will I find a true friend
In which to confide?
*****
Though I stand in the cold,
With the door tightly closed,
My heart is racing
And I’m feeling exposed.
Am I good enough
To join in their song?
Will I feel I fit in?
Will I really belong?
They all know each other,
Why should they need me?
Is my desperation
Something they will see?
*****
I stood by the door
And the preaching began,
About a Saviour who reached out
To every man.
Will they come out to me?
I’m so scared of rejection!
Could I be part of their group,
Or will they require perfection?
I want what they have,
I want to feel their peace,
And talk to God in a way
That brings a release.
But I’m so uptight
Because of all I’ve heard,
About sowing seeds,
And spreading the Word.
Can they cultivate me?
I need to be planted.
Do they value my soul,
Or just take me for granted?
The thought of knowing Jesus,
Really appeals,
But do they realise
How scary this feels?
If I could sneak in,
Can I sit where I want?
Or will I be forced
To sit at the front?
If there’s a circle of chairs,
That would give me a fright.
Until I’m used to all this,
I want to be out of sight.
When the service starts,
Will there be a cause
For new people to stand,
And receive great applause?
And if I feel uneasy,
Once I’m in there,
And decide to walk out,
Will everyone stare?
Do I need my own songbook?
Should I know the ‘Lords Prayer’?
Are they all dressed up?
Will they judge what I wear?
I so want a family
Who give love without begrudging,
And even though they know my past,
Not a single one is judging.
*****
With tears flowing down,
I stood by the door,
But I couldn’t face
The stress anymore.
I touched the handle,
Then walked off and cried,
Will I ever feel like
I belong inside?
*****
“For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
It’s one thing to struggle with despondency over things that were done to you that were not your fault, but how do you deal with guilt brought on by your own bad choices?
God did not create us to walk around with shameful secrets, nor he did not create us to judge others for the mistakes they have made.
With abortions, before the pregnancy is terminated, the Devil has a crafty way of telling women it’s their choice, their body and their right to choose. But afterwards, he plagues them with accusation like sharp arrows labelled, ‘Cruelty’ ‘Selfishness’, ‘Murder’ ‘Unforgiveable’ and ‘Evil’. Ironic that the author of evil should be so intent on accusing others, but that’s his nature and millions fall for his tricks every day.
(Please don’t misunderstand: I’m not referring to those who have hardened their hearts and don’t care – I’m talking about those who were deceived into making the wrong choice and are now regretting their decision. Every mother who aborted her baby needs to repent just as much as the medical professionals who were part of the procedure, but this chapter is focussing on those women who out of ignorance and coercion, did something against their better judgement and are subsequently tormented by the guilt.)
Jesus wants to release such women from the dungeon of regret and remorse. The chains that bind them to their guilt are heavy and fastened-on tight, but Jesus has the key that can set them free.
When every part of his body was bleeding on the cross, he was thinking of them just as much as every other sinner who ever walked this planet.
“No one knows what we’re for, only against, when we judge the wounded,
What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines and loved like you did?
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners,
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers.
Let our hearts be, led by mercy,
Help us reach with open arms and open doors,
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our heart for what breaks yours.”
Hand: operates the fingers. Fingers do the typing, therefore, the talking.
Foot: the common phrase for speaking out of turn is, ‘putting your foot in it’.
Mouth:“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself and your religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)
“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” (Proverbs 10:19)
“The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.” (Proverbs 18:7)
Disease: A malady that does the person no good and needs to be destroyed as soon as possible, or it could be fatal.
The problem: a lack of verbal self-control, or not saying things in the right way.
As a writer, I think a lot, and those thoughts often spill out of me before I have sorted them out and decided which ones actually need to be shared. The bible makes no secret of calling this foolishness. I have always been hasty of speech, but I have learnt to be patient when it comes to churning out books. One does not need to get one’s thoughts and stories out to the public as a matter of haste – one should take one’s own time and learn to wait on the Lord and hear what he is advising should be shared.
No doctor can help me control my tongue and no medical practitioner can show me the difference between what is worth saying to people, and what is best kept to myself. Only Dr. Jesus knows this, and so when I write a chapter of a book, a piece of poetry or sometimes even a blog post, I tend to wait many months before pressing the ‘publish’ button.
One good thing about self-publishing with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is that its service is Print on Demand, which means a book is only printed when an order is made by a customer. Therefore, if the author realises they want to add, remove or correct something, this can be done with minimal fuss.
I had this dilemma with, A Manly Man. The required content for the book wasn’t my natural forté. My husband had asked me to write something for men – the type of man who would find my other books too girly to be given as a gift.
When I first published, A Manly Man, I shot my mouth off to quickly about its release (WhatsApp status) and a friend promptly ordered a copy before I’d even seen it in the flesh myself.
When my copy arrived, I was mortified. I spent the whole day cringing, because it was rubbish. I’m not just talking about typos and grammatical errors, but the content itself. It was awful.
How did I miss this?
The answer to this is simple. By getting too excited about publishing my next book and running ahead of myself (and God).
I immediately refunded my friend, telling her that it wasn’t worth the money. She was shocked, but it was the truth and I believe that one should be honest about one’s failings and mistakes.
Another difficulty I had with the book was that I had been asked to make it directly evangelistic. Yes, we are all commissioned by Jesus to “go into all the world and preach the good news…”, but some Christians are naturally more bent towards the pastoral side of things – encouraging those who already have a relationship with the Lord.
I didn’t want it to come across as ‘hellfire and brimstone‘, but in doing so, the first few drafts made it sound spiritually wishy-washy; like I was making light of sin and the need for true repentance.
Christian writers can be so scared of coming across as, ‘shove you in the corner and ram Hell down your throat‘, that we can easily slip into the other extreme by treading on eggshells so lightly that the reader comes away unaware of the holiness of God and his need to punish unrepentant sin.
It took more than 11 more drafts before I was happy with it. I don’t mean drafts on Microsoft Word – I mean that I literally published it again and again and again; each time thinking, “Ah, that’s better.”
I’m pleased to say that I am happy with it now, but what a journey it’s been! Kudos to KDP for allowing me so many edits.
If I have any advice for novice authors, it is, do not be in too much of a hurry to see your stuff in print. Book publishing is not to be rushed. It is better to take time and really know that what you are saying is what you want to convey.
I beseech you to agree with me that authors who use grandiloquent language are being somewhat fatuous.
In other words, I see no point in talking like I’ve swallowed a dictionary, because it is totally unnecessary.
Besides, I don’t know that many unusual words and even if I did, I’m not pretentious. If people don’t understand half of what you’ve written, it is not an enjoyable reading experience.
I imagine that there are many byzantine books out there, but I consider it to be rather vexatious to confusticate people with such volumes of perplexing sentences.
When a word is frequently used in an article, I agree that in order to break up monotony, finding alternative ways of expressing that word is essential, but why use an anomalous expression when a simple one will do? It is utterly discombobulating.
I write like somebody’s sitting with me, listening to a story while sipping on some very frothy hot chocolate.
So, for anyone who may consider my books to be too colloquial, I make no apology in declaring that on this matter, I am pertinacious.
It is not a disease, it means a lack of will to move or change something, especially an opinion or action.
There is one vocabularian author who uses words I’ve never heard of before, who I think does it really well. While reading Jonathon Byran’s book, Eye Can Write, I was amazed at how many times this young man used unfamiliar words without it seeming superfluous. This wordy wonder who is quadraphlegic and cannot speak, is just naturally intelligent, so I do not consider him to be doing this to impress. It’s just his way and I enjoyed learning some new words, even if I shall never use them in any of my books.
It is much more fun being yourself. That said, I think it is important not to write too much how you speak. I often omit the word ‘that’ when I’m talking, but it is essential to add it in when writing.
For example:
“She wanted him to know she was able to finish the project.”
compared to:
“She wanted him to know THAT she was able to finish the project.” is better written English.
Oh, what an amazing language God has given us! All the rules and complexities of it truly amazes me.
I will confess one thing though: despite the pleadings of many an English teacher, I still love using the word ‘very‘. Everybody knows what this word means and trying to find synonyms for it can be rather tiresome.
It is a very lovely word. It comes in very handy,
I hope you found this article very interesting. If not, please give me a buzz and I will endeavour to be very gracious towards your criticisms.
Just before this book was published, I turned on my car radio to hear the news. I had decided to be Miss Super Sensible, so the station I tuned into was BBC Radio 4. A programme was just finishing, so I didn’t know what the main topic had been, but the presenter was wrapping-up by asking her three guests one last question:
“How does one find God?”
The first guest said, “Go on a pilgrimage.” Then he proceeded to waffle on about I don’t know what.
The second guest replied, “Find God inside you. One must look inside themselves deeply and they will discover that God is there.” She also waffled incoherently.
The last guest was very distinct. She simply said, “Look to the person of Jesus Christ and you will find God.”
The programme promptly ended without further discussion on the matter.
May I make one request to you just before you put down this book? Please, please, please take the advice of the third person and ignore the first two. With all due respect, the first two guests were talking a total load of nonsense. No pilgrimages are needed – stay right where you are. Don’t look for God inside you – if you do that, the only person you’re likely to bump into is Satan.
Unlike many religions, who assume that gathering converts will earn them a special favour with God, Christians know God doesn’t demand a following by using bribes.
In modern terms, I am not on divine commission. Whether you enjoy things I’ve talked about or not, accept Jesus as your Saviour or not, I am still on my way to Heaven to live with my Heavenly Daddy forever. But I’d love to see you there because I know how dreadful Hell is and I know what joy awaits you when you give your life over to the one who made you.
Why do business gurus love sharing their knowledge even though they could happily retire on their millions and never give away their secrets? Why do medical pioneers make it known when they have found a cure for a nasty disease? Why don’t they just keep it a secret between their family and friends? Because it’s great to see people set free. How wonderful it is to hear of a homeless man becoming a millionaire because somebody took the time to teach him wise business tactics! How lovely to see babies being inoculated from diseases that once wiped-out millions!
I know Jesus can make a huge difference to your life even if you are currently quite content with your lot. We don’t wait till we are in a coma before signing life assurance papers, so neither should we ignore the question of: “What is going to happen to my soul after I have breathed my last breath?”
I appreciate that pertinent door knockers, miserable sandwich board wearers, suicide bombers, money embezzlers, judgemental placard holders who scream out lies saying God hates gay people, wife cheaters and brothel attenders, and child abusers haven’t made this easy for you. But on that day when you have to stand before God and give an account of what you did about your knowledge of Jesus, you will not be able to blame any of them for your refusal to accept his amazing gift of forgiveness. It will be just you and him. Let God deal with the hypocrites and all who give him a ‘bad name’ – concentrate on your own short comings.
Here’s a prayer you can pray to make things right:
(Don’t get too hung-up on how you address him – you can say, “Dear God or Lord, Father in Heaven, Dear Father, Loving Father, Lord my God, Father God…”
I am sorry for the wrong things I have done in my life, which you call sin.
I acknowledge that I was born a sinner, which means that it’s in my nature to do things that displease you. I know that this includes the deepest thoughts and attitudes of my heart and the real motives behind everything I do.
Please forgive me for those sins and especially for the sin of keeping you out of my life.
Even though you love me, I know that because you are a God of justice and holiness, if I die without having my sins forgiven, I will spend eternity without you, in a terrible place called Hell.
I acknowledge that I need you and I want you in my life.
I believe that Jesus Christ is your son and that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe he rose again and is the living power that can take the Devil’s hold off my life. Please come into my life now and touch my heart with your forgiveness and love.
I want to have a relationship with you and to get to know you more. I believe that my very being was created for this purpose and without you, my hunger for peace and happiness will never be satisfied.
I give you my life now. Please lead me to people who will help me become a good, strong Christian and who will show me how to relate to the things of God. Help me to find a bible that suits my understanding and a church that I can call home.
I believe by faith now, that you have answered my prayer. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
If it is possible to have the room darkened, please do so. The two narrators are the only people present in this scene. They can either read the script side by side from the stage or have a pre-recorded recital that is played over a public address system. The visual aspect of this scene is a screen that shows a picture of a whip.
Scene Two
Narrator One stands on the stage or at the front of the room. If possible, Narrator Two should read their part behind stage / obscured from view, so that people can focus on the words and images on screen.
Scene Three
Mary walks onto the stage area from behind the audience and stands in the CENTRE. She then turns around slowly, looking around like she is lost – moving her head in different directions. She is scared and sad.
As she recites the first section, she is re-living her past and cringing at the thought of how tormented she used to be. She places the palms of both hands against the sides of her head and looks down. She also crosses her arms and rubs her biceps like she is cold. When she does this, she flinches as if something is trying to attack her.
During the second section, her emotions change to delight and she looks up the ceiling often. She opens her arms out wide with palms upwards, as if receiving something. She is elated and laughs during the dialogue.
After she says, “I felt so warm inside.” Jesus enters the stage from DOWN RIGHT and stands at an angle with his back partly to the audience. A distance remains between them as she stands facing him. She doesn’t look at him until she begins to recite the third section.
As the third section begins, she looks directly at Jesus and leans forward in a pleading manner. Once again, her arms stretch to the side, with palms up.
When she says, “Sir please do not waste time, my grief has made me weary.” She puts her head in her hands and bends slightly forward. After she says, “Just tell me where…” there is a 5 second pause. Jesus opens his arms towards her but stays where he is.
As she says, “what did you say…” she looks up at Jesus.
As she says, “Sir, you just called me Mary!” this is recited slowly, but the emphasis is on the word, “Mary” which is pronounced louder than the other words.
Mary then rips off her black dress. It doesn’t matter if the audience sees her pull at the Velcro fastening and it doesn’t matter if this is done clumsily. She does need to make an emphasis of throwing the black cloak onto the ground behind her. She tosses it behind her then runs straight to Jesus and falls at his feet, looking up at him in reverence and joy.
Jesus looks down at her with a smile and hovers the palms of his hands over her head.
She remains at his feet, looking up at him throughout the last section, until she gets to, “Or plant some tiny seeds”
She gets up to recite the last 4 lines and faces the audience with both hands raised above her head, in praise.
Mary runs off the stage towards the audience and runs past them to the back, as if she is going to tell the others what she has just experienced.
Jesus watches here with a smile on his face, then takes a bunch of keys out of his pocket and begins to swirl them over his right index finger.
The narrator enters the stage as the lights dim.
Scene Four
The narrator uses a torch if he cannot see clearly the script he is reading.
Scene Five
Please refer to the page above, entitled, “He is Risen”, as the direction has been explained in this section.
*****
As this play is designed to be performed on Easter Sunday in church, there is no suggested summary or prayer, as after the play has been performed, the service will resume as directed by the church leaders present.
We are overwhelmed by the power of the resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead, he conquered every attack that the enemy fashioned against us including, death, fear, sickness, and Hell itself. Often, we remain battling against illness, anxiety, loneliness, depression and other distressing ailments of life, but Jesus has given us the power to go through him to get to God – it is there in God’s presence we can obtain the peace we need and the strength to not give up the fight for what is rightfully ours – a life full of joy, peace and good health. But, as we all have to die one day, the most important gift that the resurrection brings us is eternal life. This means if we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we get to live with him forever, after this earthly life is over.
If you don’t know what a saviour is, or what eternal life means, and if you don’t know Jesus personally, please speak to a designated leader afterwards and they will be happy to tell you more about how you too can have this wonderful gift. It is free and there’s no catch. Nobody’s trying to entrap you or sign you up for anything. God just wants you to get to know him because he made you for this purpose.
Many of Jesus’ followers had struggled with sins and weaknesses. After an encounter with him, he helped them overcome these things. For some, it was before he died, and for others, it was when they encountered him after he had risen. Either way, when you meet Jesus, he changes your life forever.
He is Risen!
All 8 characters walk onto the stage in any order and stand in a horizontal line, facing the audience. They are wearing their name cards around their neck and with both hands, they hold their character card in front of them – with each arm by their sides, so that the card is resting by their thighs.
Peter is holding, “Fear”.
Thomas is holding, “Unbelief”.
Mary Magdalene is holding, “Rejection”.
Mary (mother of Jesus) is holding, “Bereavement”.
Zacchaeus is holding, “Greed”.
Nicodemus is holding, “Religion”.
Martha is holding, “Wrong priorities”.
Jairus’ daughter is holding, “Sickness”.
One by one, from the person standing to the right of the audience, they hold up their card above their head and say slowly, “Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed, hallelujah!”
After each person speaks, they bend down and place their card on the floor and step onto it. They remain stood on the card.
After the last person has spoken, they all swivel around and pick up their “Hope” card from the chair or table that is behind them.
They then all say in unison,
“Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed, hallelujah!”
The narrator may invite the audience to join in with this last declaration.
In the Bible it is alluded to that before Jesus ascended back to his Father in Heaven, that he took a trip to Hell. Our goal today is not to agree or disagree with others about the true meaning behind this verse or about what we think went on there, but to consider the power Jesus has over the devil, sin and death now that he has arisen from the dead. Satan would definitely have been rejoicing for a short period of time after he saw Jesus die on that cross.
Thankfully for those of us who believe in Jesus, we can rejoice in the fact that we have a mighty king who is all powerful and all loving. He holds the keys to life and Easter is a fantastic time of year to reflect back on the glorious things he has done for us all.
It’s hard enough to watch a loved-one be murdered and then pass away from life to death, but when that loved-one is someone who has turned your life around, it is gut-wrenching.
Mary Magdalene was one of the many people whose life was in pieces before she had an encounter with Jesus. Jesus healed her emotionally, saved her from sin and delivered her from the oppression of demonic forces which were controlling her life.
She was utterly heartbroken at the thought of losing Jesus. She couldn’t bear never seeing him again and she could not get the images of his cruel torture out of her mind.
The only thing to do was to go to the place where his broken body had been laid to rest.
She cried. Oh, how she cried and she cried and she cried.
The people were not satisfied that Jesus’ body was now so badly beaten that his face was unrecognisable and his skin was torn to shreds.
He was made to carry his heavy cross all the way to a place called, “Golgotha”, which was like a rubbish tip on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
On his way there, he collapsed and a man called Simon was ordered to take the cross the rest of the way.
Jesus was then nailed to a rough wooden cross and while his life was ebbing away, the soldiers mocked him, telling him that if he was really God, he would have the power to come down from the cross. They said, “He saved others, yet he cannot save himself.”
What they didn’t realise was that by remaining on the cross, he was making a way to save us all.
He had the power to jump down, heal his wounds and slap them all across the face. He had power to take revenge and kill them all with one breath. Yet if he had done so, there would not have been any atonement for our sins.
“Atonement.” What does that mean? It basically means that Jesus took away our sin by dying in our place. Another big word is, “Redemption.” This means that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. Our sins costs more than billions and billions of bank notes and that’s a very large number. It would take us more than 5 lifetimes to pay back so much as a quarter of that amount of money, so it is virtually, impossible.
So, Jesus stayed on the cross and endured the agony. He did it to pay for our wrong doings if we accept him into our hearts. He saved us from the punishment of sin, that is why as Christians, we refer to ourselves as being, saved.
How lonely and frightening it must have been up on that rugged piece of wood! He did not even know how long it was all going to last.
Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Easter Sunday is a time of rejoicing because we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. What a wonderful day it is!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Easter story, this week has also been a time of sad reflection as we have taken time out of our busy schedules to think about what our Lord went through in order to reconcile us back to God.
We respect that some of you in the audience today may not know or haven’t had sufficient time this week to think upon those moments, so before we join together with a shout of praise, we would like to take you on a quick journey that will help you to learn or remember just what Jesus did for us more than 2000 years ago.
A week ago, on a day which was named Palm Sunday, Jesus was hailed a king as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. How fickle human beings can be! How quickly did many emotions change in less than 7 days, as some of those who shouted, “Hosanna!” one minute, shouted “Kill him!” days later.
Before the Roman guards nailed him to a cross, they tortured him. Nobody who has lived on earth, has ever been able to imagine what agony Jesus suffered in those final hours of his precious life.
Topic: Events around Easter – The scourging, the crucifixion, at the tomb, victory over the Devil.
Main theme: Jesus suffered and died for our sins. He was resurrected on the 3rd day, to bring us new life. He has the victory.
Approximate duration: 15 minutes.
Cast
Cast: 9 characters + two narrators (you can use as many narrators as you wish, because are several recitals which can be shared)
Jesus
Mary Magdalene
Mary – mother of Jesus
Peter
Thomas
Zacchaeus
Nicodemus
Jairus’ daughter
Martha
Non-speaking parts
In Scene Three, the character of Jesus is silent, so you may use a different actor from the one playing Jesus in Scene Two.
Suggested Props & Costumes
No costumes required, apart from 2 garments worn by Mary Magdalene in Scene Three.
One long, white robe. A simple t-shaped garment with short sleeves will do.
One long black robe.
The black robe is to fit over the white robe, so it should be slightly bigger than the garment underneath. This should have an opening all the way down the front middle section and be secured with Velcro or poppers, so that it can be ripped off easily.
The black garment is to signify death and mourning and when Mary realises she is looking at Jesus, she rips the black robe off her body to reveal the white one underneath. This signifies life and rejoicing.
Props for Scene One:
A picture of a whip to be projected onto a screen, or as a poster displayed on an easel board.
Props for Scene Two:
A picture of a wooden cross and crown of thorns to be projected onto a screen, or as a poster displayed on an easel board.
Props for Scene Four:
A bunch of keys. The larger the better.
A torch (optional)
A picture of a fire / furnace projected onto a screen. If using an easel board, you can also add the word, ‘Victory!’ positioned above the fire.
Props for Scene Five:
24 pieces of card sized approx. 20cm x 14cm.
8 pieces of thick string, approx. 100cm each.
One black marker pen.
8 fold-up chairs (or easy-to-move church chairs). Alternatively, a long table.
8 of the cards will have a hole on either side at the top, to thread string through and then be tied in a knot (so that the card can hang from the neck). These cards will each have a name of a bible character written on the front in thick marker pen – large enough for the audience to be able to see the names.
Each of the characters will also be holding a card in their hand that has a word on it that relates to their condition before they were touched by Jesus:
Peter – fear
Thomas – unbelief
Mary Magdalene – rejection
Mary (mother of Jesus) – bereavement
Zacchaeus – greed
Nicodemus – religion
Martha – wrong priorities
Jairus’ daughter – sickness
The last set of 8 cards will all say HOPE, which each of the bible characters will hold up at the end.
Wise man 1 & 2 enter the stage and stand in the CENTRE, looking around as if they are lost. They are each holding their gifts. Wise man 3 follows them onto the stage but watches them from a distance. He is standing sideways on so that the audience can see his expression.
After Wise man 2 says, “did they sack the lot?”, Wise man 3 walks up to them and beckons them to draw close. He then whispers in their ears.
When Wise Man 1 begins talking about how Jesus was not born in December, the other two look at each other and roll their eyes. Wise Man 3 shakes his head throughout this dialogue and repetitively waves his hand dismissively, indicating that he is not wanting to get into a discussion about this and deems it unimportant.
As they continue to talk, they remain in the CENTRE, facing the audience.
When they lay their gifts down to worship Jesus, they look into the distance as if Jesus were in the room, playing quietly in a corner somewhere. They look at him affectionately and reverently.
The remaining scene is described in the body of the rhyming text above.
Before we continue with our celebration service, we would like to thank everybody for taking time out of their private Christmas celebrations to join together as a church family on this joyous occasion.
For those of you who are guests, we are delighted that you could be with us and we hope you enjoyed the little play that reminds us that the greatest gift we have been given, is Jesus Christ.
In this play, we recognise that even though the wise men are often incorrectly depicted as being present at the manger, what really matters is that we give God the glory for the Christmas story.
One of the names of Jesus that we particularly focus on during this season, is that he is the “Prince of Peace”. That may seem strange to you, given that there are so many distressing situations taking place in the world right now. However, Jesus wants to give you peace and be the continual peace in your heart.
The best type of peace we can have is the assurance of knowing that when we die, we will be with him in Heaven forever. It is only our sin that keeps us away from receiving this blessing. But salvation – being saved from our sins – is a free gift from God to anyone who is willing to receive it.
Right now, you can have the opportunity to get your life right with God, by repeating this prayer in your heart:
Dear God, I humbly come before you now, to give my life to you.
I am sorry for the wrong things I have done in my life, which you call sin.
I acknowledge that I was born a sinner, which means that it’s in my nature to do things that displease you. I know that this includes the deepest thoughts and attitudes of my heart and the real motives behind everything I do.
Please forgive me for those sins and especially for the sin of keeping you out of my life.
Even though you love me, I know that because you are a God of justice and holiness, if I die without having my sins forgiven, I will spend eternity without you, in a terrible place called Hell.
I acknowledge that I need you and I want you in my life.
I believe that Jesus Christ is your son and that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe he rose again and is the living power that can take the Devil’s hold off my life. Please come into my life now and touch my heart with your forgiveness and love. I want to have a relationship with and get to know you more. My very being was created for this purpose and without you, my hunger for peace and happiness will never be satisfied.
I give you my life now. Please lead me to people who will help me become a good strong Christian and who will show me how to relate to the things of God. Help me to find a Bible that suits my understanding and a church that I can call home.
Thank you, Lord. I believe by faith now that you have answered my prayer. I believe that no matter how bad I may feel about myself in the future, you have forgiven me and saved me from my sins. Thank you. Amen.
(Wise Man 3 whispers into the ear of the other two.)
Ah! Twenty four months have passed
And Jesus is now two.
He’s weaned and potty-trained,
And talking a bit now, too.
WISE MAN 1
Are we being a little cocky?
Pedantic with the rules?
Do you think the audience
Will take us for three fools?
WISE MAN 2
Are we ruining the Nativity?
Spoiling the yearly play?
We’re up here on our own!
What will the children say?
WISE MAN 3
(laughs)
Well, the Bible clearly states
That after Herod’s weird behaviour,
Two years or so had passed
Before we visited the Saviour.
***
What a jealous, hateful king!
Yes, according to the story,
He was determined to stop the baby
Growing up to get the glory.
***
So, let’s worship the Messiah,
Leave our gifts, then depart.
Then, let’s go back a different way
And make a brand new start.
WISE MAN 3
For, God has made it known,
Herod’s intentions are not pure.
Evil plans have filled his mind
Of that, we can be sure.
(they pause and take a deep breath as they look in the distance at the Christ child)
WISE MAN 1
We leave gold for a child
Who is our Lord and King.
And for this little Priest,
Frankincense I bring.
***
He may be teeny, tiny now,
But he is God, all the same.
And one day, he will die for us,
That is why he came.
WISE MAN 3
So, for his death, we bring a gift
That smells so strong and sweet.
It can be poured upon is head,
And flow down to his feet.
***
We leave this oil of myrrh
That can be stored away,
To anoint his precious body
On a sad and lonely day.
WISE MAN 1
Before we go…
I have a question for you two.
Something’s on my mind.
I’m confused about the way
The Nativity’s defined.
***
Why do we sing carols
That say it was snowing?
He wasn’t born in winter.
The hot sun was glowing.
***
The weather was not bleak,
They didn’t trudge through ice.
WISE MAN 2
Ssh! You’re spoiling the story!
WISE MAN 1
Well, I like to be precise.
WISE MAN 3
I suppose it is amusing,
Yes, it’s really quite enthralling.
It was late summer.
The leaves were not yet falling.
WISE MAN 1
(singing a mixture of two carols at once)
“See amidst the winter’s snow…”
“Frosty wind made moan…”
(laughs)
WISE MAN 2
(waving his hand dismissively)
Oh let the people sing!
Leave their lyrics alone!
***
We’ve left our gifts before the Lord,
And now, we need to scatter.
That crazy king is after his life –
His birth date doesn’t matter.
***
What matters is, to listen,
To our God, who is speaking.
So, we don’t allow that man
To fulfil what he is seeking.
WISE MAN 1
He said he wants to worship him,
But he’s trying to deceive.
The child’s life is in danger
So, we’ll bow once more, then leave.
WISE MAN 3
But first, let’s rejoice!
The celebration begins!
Jesus is the Christ child,
Who will save us from our sins!
(pause as they put their gifts down on the floor)
(They kneel in front of the gifts, then close their eyes. Wise Man 1 puts his hand on his heart, Wise Man 2 looks down to the ground in worship, and Wise Man 3 looks up to the heavens.)
(Wise Man 2 and Wise Man 3 rise and turn around, walking towards DOWN CENTRE. Wise Man 1 gets up slowly and turns around, but doesn’t move.)
WISE MAN 1
So, were there only three of us
Like the Nativity declares?
WISE MAN 3
Umm, I think there were many more,
But really… (All) who cares!
(They laugh to themselves and walk off the stage slowly.)
Right, okay I get it. No more of your fancy analogies please. I’m not daft – I understand what you’re trying to say.
It’s great that there’s a big someone out there who loves me with no ulterior motive, no conditions attached. I think it’s fab that there is a God who not only knows me, but loves me just the way I am.
To be forgiven for all the wrong things I’ve done is wonderful and to know there is a higher power that is wanting to help me succeed, comfort me when I’m distressed and strengthen me along life’s journey, beats anything else that’s ever happened to me – even the birth on my first son.
As a guy, I find it liberating to know I can love a man, Jesus, and it be okay. Not weird, not gay, not silly. I got on well with my earthly dad, but I’ve got so many mates who didn’t have a good father-figure in their lives and I saw how that affected them immensely.
I’m so glad I have God as my heavenly father, Jesus as my saviour and the Holy Spirit as my comforter and helper. I understand that Jesus proved he was one with God and that he was not just a ‘good-hearted prophet’, but God himself. You’re right that we men need comforting and assurance too. I agree that I need a higher power to guide and direct my life because I’ve made a mess of many things.
But here’s the thing. I have one more issue that I can’t get my head around and to be honest, it scares the hell outta me. Is it okay to say that – hell? Well, it scares me. Terrifies me.
Church.
There, I’ve said it.
It has always seemed a bit girly to me to be regularly going along to church, singing songs, hugging each other and dancing about.
I know that not all congregations are the same and that some are less physically active, but it seems that churches are either filled with old men or females. It doesn’t seem very masculine to admit that I’m a churchgoer; that’s what I mean.
Hey, no worries. At least you are being honest. Well, it’s true that some churches do have a large population of elderly men and some have an imbalance of women in proportion to males. But there are a great many good churches out there that are full of teenagers, young adults, young families, businessmen and guys like you.
But aren’t the married ones just doing it to keep their wives happy? And aren’t the single ones just using the place as a social club?
Church is for everyone and it is not until you begin attending one that you will find your mind’s stereotype doesn’t always come into play.
You’re right that some men probably are just going along with their wives to keep the peace. And maybe some younger ones do use church as a social club.
But if that was the case, they would be gathering together to sing. Christians don’t sing, they praise. They don’t sing, they worship. There’s a big difference.
If they jump about, raise their hands, clap and close their eyes, it’s an outward expression of what’s going on in the heart.
For those who are expressing themselves in these ways out of a sense of obligation, it is as ridiculous as it looks. It is also hard to keep up the pretence, because quite frankly, it is boring.
I don’t know who you’ve observed, but if men were indeed just regularly attending church for a false reason, it would soon become a drudgery that nobody in the right mind would want to keep up.
No, regular male churchgoers go because of their relationship with their Lord Jesus Christ. I can’t vouch for every other religion, but I know that there are millions of men who attend their places of worship out of duty because they are petrified that if they don’t, God will punish them.
A relationship with Jesus is not one of obligation but willingness to be around like-minded believers. There are many other reasons for being part of a local church, but I’m trying to stick to your burning issue about feeling it is not for you.
Maybe much older men would be happy to continue attending their ‘club’, but most mobile non-believers surely would not. Gardening, reading the newspaper, walking the dog, listening to the radio and watching sports would draw them away soon enough!
God knows your innermost feelings. Give your anxieties and fears to him and ask him to lead you to a church where you will feel comfortable.
Word of caution here though. Churches are full of imperfect people so don’t expect everyone to be like you. Many introverted Christians have strayed away from certain places because they found it too much. Likewise, a good few extroverts have also left because they were impatient for recognition. What I mean is, they allowed their pride to get int the way of the importance of serving in areas that were not as glamorous and noticeable as they would have liked. Remember that devil we talked about? Well, he loves nothing better than to see people wander off on their own.
Think of it like a herd of buffalos. Does the wolf go for the one who is grazing in the middle of the flock or the loner who has strayed off to nibble the grass by the hedge? The wolf knows that if he tries to attack the one amongst the herds, they will all see and begin not only to protect it but will commence an attack back.
Sorry about using another analogy, but when a Christian stays away from meeting together with fellow believers, they become the lone buffalo that is munching dinner by himself, oblivious to the fact that the wolf is behind the foliage, ready to pounce.
Yes, people are annoying. Yes, many can be self-focussed and insensitive to the needs of others. Christians can fall into the trap of being worldly or too pious, fussy or plain barmy. But you need to be part of a family of like-minded people whether they feel like family or not.
It’s all about looking past the rough. A church family will always support you in prayer and other practical ways in time of trouble and sometimes it’s not until you hit hard times that you realise who is truly on your side and worth depending on.
Being part of a church brings so much more than protection. It isn’t a job to tick off your list on a Sunday to make yourself feel holy.
I’ve covered a lot of things here and I hope I haven’t confused you. In a nutshell, if you surrendered your life to Jesus, but refused to attend a local church, you wouldn’t last for long. The wolf would spot you from miles away and would begin making plans to swallow you whole.
Believe me, you will look more of an idiot blazing inside an unquenchable furnace, than sitting in a room amongst godly grandads and virtuous women.
Huh, Hell. It always comes back to that doesn’t it?
Are you on some kind of commission? What’s it to you that I get this ticket to paradise? Do you Christians have an ulterior motive for speaking to people about Jesus? You know, a better life upstairs – lots of goodies from God for converting the sinners.
It is not surprising that people would be suspicious of strangers trying to help them get their lives right. We live in a time where almost everybody is trying to sell something for a profit in return. Even business gurus who love to share their knowledge out of the kindness of their heart, have some kind of course or workbook that is for sale. With this in mind, I don’t blame you for being cautious.
Unfortunately, there are some religious groups who believe that they will win favours with God if they successfully manage to get outsiders to join their fellowship. These people can often be identified by their importunate manner. If somebody tells them they already have a relationship with God, these people should be pleased for them and politely move on. But they don’t. Instead, they try to worm their way in the person’s house in order to get them to buy their church magazine and to change the person’s viewpoint to their own twisted way of thinking.
If you told a genuine Christian stranger who knew nothing of your lifestyle, that you were saved because you had a faith in Jesus, they would be delighted to meet you – they would not try to pester you to question what you believe or have a ‘you must join my gang’ attitude.
True followers of Jesus Christ are passionate about telling others about Jesus for two main reasons:
Firstly, we are so grateful that we have the assurance of salvation, that we cannot but want to share this good news to others. Jesus has changed our lives, taken our selfishness away and replaced it with a desire to see others as blessed as ourselves. It’s a bit like the entrepreneur who wants to share his success secrets, but without the pricey course he is offering you at the end of the long sales letter. There is no catch. We want to take as many people with us to Heaven for the sheer joy of knowing we have helped save another soul from the disaster of Hell.
But we are not doing it to get praise from God, or a marvellous gift. The bible says,
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8)
That basically means that nothing good that we do has any bearing on our eternal prize. Our prize is Heaven and that is only gained by giving our lives to Jesus, so that no amazing do-gooders can boast that they are scoring higher points with God than others.
The good we do comes out of a relationship with Jesus who rubs off on us when we remain close to him. We also know what good deeds to perform because the bible tells us to love on another and to put others before ourselves. It tells us also to feed to poor and stand up for those who have no voice. These are all good things, but we do them because we know it pleases God, but not because we are trying to gain his favour.
Secondly, Jesus commanded us to tell others about him. He said in his word,
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. (Mark 16:15)
So, to answer your question, ‘What’s in it for you?’ more simply:
The joy of knowing the devil’s clutch has been released on one more victim and that person is no longer a slave to him. The joy of knowing one more person will get the chance to live in the Kingdom of God – a realm where there is no sickness, loneliness, sadness, hate or dying.
I wouldn’t know where to start with God even if I did want to become a Christian. You said that the most important first step is recognising that I am a sinner who needs forgiveness, but I don’t think I’ll be able to match up to what he expects from me. Can’t I just go and confess my sins to a priest behind a wooden shutter? On top of that, I’m still wary about the whole ‘going tochurch’ thing. As for the bible, I don’t even like reading normal books. How do I get my head round that one?
I’m glad you have understood that no matter how much you may feel you have failed in areas of your life, God loves you and wants you to receive his forgiveness. Yes, you mean well, but like every human that ever walked this earth, you were born a sinner and that means you are not good enough to come into God’s presence on your own. You need Jesus, not a priest. He is your High Priest.
But you don’t need any other religious figure to do it for you. Not the pope, not some Imam, not the Archbishop or any other product of creation. You need Jesus Christ who died for your sins and paid the penalty that was yours, and you can come to him without having to go through anyone else.
No disrespect to all the ‘men of the cloth’ out there, but they are just as ungodly as you are. They cannot forgive you of any sin or grant you pardon. And whatever punishment/penance they hand out to people to perform, is ineffective. This is a man-made rule and there are many of them around. The bible says to come directly to God through Jesus Christ and accept that his blood was shed for your sins. No continual recital of a prayer from a book can make you clean.
Phew! That’s a relief! I was never keen on the idea of going into a booth and opening up my life to some stranger sitting behind. Even worse was the thought of what he might make me do in order to get clean again. But you are saying I don’t have to do that. That’s fantastic. So, Jesus took my guilt on the cross and paid the price for my sins? Have I got that right?
Imagine you are 99/0 down and in line for the biggest world cup humiliation in history. Not only would you not play for your country again, you would never play football again. Not even in your own back yard. Such was the embarrassment of defeat, there was nothing to do but accept there was no way out.
You had kicked the ball into your own goal 27 times. You had got angry with the defender and slapped him across the head, causing his team a penalty shoot-out. Such was the rules of your country, if the winning score reached 100 or more, the footballer most at fault would face the electric chair.
The opposing team picked the guy with the longest legs, swiftest foot and the most goals under his belt. He had scored 85 of them already.
Suddenly the captain of the football association ran onto the pitch and took the penalty away. He absorbed the blame and declared you free to fly. You were still guilty, but he was the boss and he demanded that nobody point their finger at you after the field was cleared.
That’s probably not the best analogy, but I promise it shall be my last. Yes, you have understood correctly. Jesus paid what you could not afford. He took your guilt and shame and replaced it with forgiveness and acceptance.
So, what do I do now? I feel like I know nothing. Wouldn’t church people laugh at me if they knew I was a novice at all this?
One of my favourite films is, ‘The Sum of All Fears’ with Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck. A Russian bomb lands in America and explodes, rendering the US president gasping for revenge. The Russian president knows nothing about it and the attack was not initiated from his nation, but because it was clearly labelled as a Soviet bomb, he is too embarrassed to admit that he did not know where it came from. Thus, owing to his manly pride, he responds by lying – telling the USA that he did indeed attack America – and so a massive nuclear war is about to take place between the two countries.
Don’t let your fears result in you ending up in Hell because you were too scared and too proud to admit that you don’t know anything about Jesus and the bible.
There is nothing shameful about admitting that you need help to understand why you were put on this earth.
Coming back to your questions, I think that maybe you should begin by getting yourself right with God and then talking to him about your concerns. He will guide you to the right church family and will help you with the bible. We are living in an age where thankfully, there are a great many versions and styles to suit all needs. And church is a support network that will help you along the way.
There is no such thing as a perfect church, so try not to be fussy. Ask God to lead you to one that suits you, go there and stay put. You may be able to start attending the same one as a friend or loved-one and if so, they will happily introduce you to others so that you won’t be in a room around strangers.
I know that in general, females find it easier than men to wander into church and start singing songs, but if you open your heart to do the right thing, God will strengthen you and you won’t care about feeling daft. Not when you realise how much you have to gain by getting to know the one who made you and died for you.
You will grow into the man God created you to be, and as you do, you will want to worship him out of the overflow of gratitude from your heart.
Let’s not get side-tracked with that though. Would you like to accept Jesus as your personal Saviour so you can begin a life with him and be saved from the eternal punishment that comes with dying without your sins being forgiven?
Jesus says in his invite to you:
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation3:20)
Do you want to go through that door?
Yes please!
Okay, say this from your heart and add your own sentences as you feel the need. Do it right now silently if you are amongst others, or if you can quickly get on your own, say it aloud so you can hear yourself speak the words.
“Dear God,
I thank you that you love me even though you are so powerful and mighty. I believe that you are the creator of the massive universe and everything in it. I come to you as a sinner with nothing in my hand. I come to you unworthy of your love, but thankful that you sent your son Jesus to die for my sins. I acknowledge that without you I am lost and I need my sins to be forgiven. I am sorry for all the things I have done that displease you. I am sorry for the sin of keeping you out of my life. I am also sorry for the things I did not do that I should have done. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to live a godly life.
I chose to turn away from those sins and chose to walk in the direction you are leading me. Jesus, I want to know you, not as a religious figure, but as a real personal Saviour and friend. I accept you Jesus, as my Saviour and I have decided to let you into my life so I can learn to be more like you.
I have so many questions and so many thoughts, but I am trusting that you will help me learn at a pace that suits my personality and understanding. Please bring genuine Christian men into my life to help me and show me that being a Christian is the greatest thing any man could do.
Protect my mind from doubts and temptations to walk away from you. Plant me deep into the way of life you created me to have. I now believe you have saved me from my sin and I thank you for everything you are going to do to help me on this journey. Amen.”
If you said that prayer and meant it, the angels in Heaven are having a celebration right now. The bible says that all the angelic beings in Heaven rejoice when a sinner repents and becomes a child of God.
Don’t let anyone talk you out of what you just did. Don’t rely on feelings because feelings are deceptive. Believe in your heart that God has heard you and accepted you and that he will help you in your journey to becoming the person he knows you can be.
Please read Mark chapter 4, verses 1-20, from the bible because it explains about the importance of maintaining a life with Jesus so that you do not end up ‘plucked out of the soil.’ If you don’t have a bible, look up the verse on the internet and opt for a version such as, The English Standard Version (ESV), The New Living Translation (NLT), or The Amplified Version (AMP). Please note that it is widely acknowledged by biblical scholars that the most accurate bible translation is the Authorised Version – also commonly known as the King James Bible. This is written in old English however, so you have to contend with words like, ‘Thee’, ‘Thou’, ‘Ye’, ‘Art’ and ‘Thine’ and also, words ending in ‘eth’. There is a more modern translation that omits these things, which is called The New King James (NKJV). If you really struggle with understanding the bible and want to begin with a paraphrase instead, you can try out The Message. However, keep in mind that this is not a translation, but a paraphrase, and you will need to obtain a proper bible at some stage.
Just one more thing:
Here is the dictionary definition of ‘Macho’:
“Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. A man who is aggressively proud of his masculinity.”
It takes a valiant man to do the right thing. You don’t need to be overly aggressive to be masculine – just be godly.
I applaud you for taking that brave step, no matter how strange it may feel right now. You have just done the most heroic thing you could ever do.
Indeed, if you prayed that prayer whole-heartedly, you are now a REAL man.
Before I explain what all the spiritual jargon in this book means, I would like to take you on a trip from A-P. This alphabetical checklist will help you know for certain that you have taken the correct steps to becoming a Christian. It is also a guideline to help you make sure you are going to a proper church and not being hoodwinked into getting mixed-up with the wrong kind of associations.
So, you have said the sinner’s prayer in the previous chapter. Sometimes it seems too easy to be believed and our intellectual brains try to convince us that we still haven’t become a Christian properly. The checklist below will help you confirm that you indeed have followed all the steps and that God is in the process of helping you get to the next stages. Remember that I said there is no rush – there are important procedures to follow, such as getting baptised, but for now, just enjoy the fact that the angels in Heaven are rejoicing that another sinner has been saved from eternal punishment. This is a miracle in itself, so enjoy basking in that amazing fact!
Checklist:
A. ADMIT that you are a sinner and have fallen short of God’s standards.
B. BELIEVE that Jesus died for you and rose again to give you new life.
C. CONFESS to God that you need his forgiveness.
D. DIE to self by deciding that God knows what is best for your life.
E. EXPECT God to lead you to the right church, friends and other things you need.
F. FOLLOW JESUS by regularly reading the bible to hear what he’s saying to you. With his words, he comforts, guides, instructs, convicts, teaches, corrects and helps you to see yourself the way he sees you.
G. GET INTO GOOD HABITS EARLY (prayer, church attendance, bible reading) but realise that none of these things make you more holy, nor do they impress God; in the sense that if you just do them to win his favour, you are being religious.
Christianity is about having a personal relationship with your God, not jumping through hoops to keep him appeased. That is religion and God hates it because it is insincere and based on trying to do good works to ‘keep him sweet’.
He loves you as you are. You cannot make him love you more. He is not an earthly person whose emotions fluctuate.
So to conclude on point G, these practices should be done out of a natural desire to get to know him and to live a godly life.
H. HARBOUR A SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS towards others because people will still wind you up. Forgiveness is, ‘giving up my right to resent you for hurting me’. There is also a quote that says, ‘Unforgiveness is like pouring poison into your oppressor’s glass, but then drinking it yourself.’ Dwelling on hurts does you no good. Life is tough, but God knows how to bring you justice and restore relationships where necessary.
I. IGNORE THOSE WHO MOCK YOU for being a Christian and maintaining godly values. Morality and virtue are more important than popularity. People are fickle anyway. A great reputation can be ruined by the friends you thought were most loyal, just because of jealousy or misunderstanding. Trust God to uphold you during times of trial and betrayal.
J. JESUS WANTS TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. Talk to him about anything and everything. He can never be embarrassed or shocked at what you have to say, so chat away!
K. KEEP A SHORT ACCOUNT WITH YOUR RELATIONSHIPS with others so that the devil doesn’t get to cause disunity between you. Fall-outs happen. Make-up quickly and recognise that people will let you down. That’s humanity. The only perfect friend is God.
L. LEADERS IN YOUR CHURCH ARE IMPERFECT TOO. Your vicar, pastor, deacon, curate, elder, bishop or house group leader will irritate you at some point. Don’t look to leave your church each time things go wrong. Christianity is a lifetime of learning to love and accept others.
M. MANIPULATION BY CHURCH LEADERS IS NEVER GOD’S WILL. Make sure that in trying to remain in your church, that you don’t fall into the trap of being spiritually abused. Even though it is important to remain where God put you, it is never his will for you to be controlled, bullied, manipulated, emotionally blackmailed, publicly humiliated or insulted. There is a big difference between somebody correcting you lovingly, and them mistreating you because they are an arrogant leader, or insecure and feeling threatened by you in some way.
If things don’t seem right, recognise that there may be a problem and pray to God for emotional strength to make the right decision. Don’t remain among toxic people for fear that they will judge you for leaving or talk behind your back when you go. Escape and know that you are protecting yourself from further abuse.
N. NEVER LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU ARE TOO BAD TO BE FORGIVEN OR TOO USELESS TO BE USED BY GOD. This is not from the spirit of God. Run from these type of people, no matter how godly others claim them to be. No matter how popular and successful they may seem.
Never give money to a church with the promise of a greater reward for the more you give. God blesses cheerful, willing givers, but some leaders take advantage of people’s generosity. Ask God for wisdom.
O. OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD WILL BRING YOU CONTINUED BLESSING. (Read Deuteronomy Chapter 28.) If Christians around you seem to be doing things that contradict God’s word, know that you are right to question things. If you haven’t been a Christian for as long as them, don’t readily assume that you are just being fussy, over-reacting or misinterpreting scripture. You could be right. Ask God to lead you to other Christians who ‘fear him’ properly. This means, those who are concerned about pleasing him more than being double-minded. As you grow in your faith by studying the bible, you will learn to hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit when something is not quite right.
P. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST and don’t be scared of problems. Yes, Christians and churches can let you down and be a bad example of Jesus, but many places are full of loving congregations who want to nurture you and help you in your faith.
Don’t let potential catastrophes put you off, and if you have trust issues, your Lord understands. He will help you. Despite the many who give God a bad name, this world is still full of wonderful loving Christians – some of whom you will meet. May God bless you in your new and exciting journey with Jesus!
Please accept my apologies for using words that you may not be familiar with. It’s often hard for Christians to phrase things simply, because we are so used to biblical spiel, that it flows out naturally. This can leave others thinking, “Who?” “My what?” “I don’t understand all this religious mumbo-jumbo!” So, here’s a glossary of the ‘Lord-lingo’ that’s been scattered throughout this book:
Saviour.
Jesus has been given many names by God. Lord, Messiah. Jehovah. Immanuel, Christ and more. Jesus is referred to as the Saviour because he saved us from our sins and saved us from Hell by dying for us on a wooden cross. He rose back to life again 3 days later. No other worshipped ‘deity’ has done that, nor are they able to.
The cross.
This was the most barbaric punishment in his day. It is now a symbol of victory for Christians because Jesus decided to go through with the torture to save us. Jesus was nailed to a piece of wood in the shape of a cross and hung up, left to die a very painful death.
Save. Saved. Salvation. Saved from our sins.
This refers to the ‘escape route’ given to us by Jesus when died on the cross. People who are saved, are saved from God’s eternal punishment for their sins. Salvation is the process of Jesus dying in our place, because he was innocent dying for us, the guilty.
Sin.
Sin is living a life independently of reliance on God. It is refusing to accept his free gift of salvation by continuing to live a life that is governed by our own desires and the influence of the devil. It is doing anything that God lovingly advises us to not do, because he knows it is not good for us in the long run. It is not just moral badness like murder, rape and stealing, but anything that comes from an impure heart and a mind set on rebellion against his laws, such as:
Gossiping, spreading rumours, mockery, disrespect, looking down on people, lacking integrity, haughtiness, gluttony, uncontrolled anger, selfishness, being cantankerous, disloyalty, obsessive vanity, being sycophantic, disbelieving God’s promises, disobeying God’s guidelines, rebellion towards authority figures, arrogance.
God is holy and cannot tolerate sin and it has to be punished. But God is not an angry master looking down on us with a rod in his hand – he is also Love Personified and wants us to be reconciled to him. Our nature (mankind) is to sin because we were born with the nature to do things that displease him. But God loved us so much that he sent us his son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin, so that we could have the peace in knowing that we will spend an eternity with God when our spirits leave this earth, rather than in a place of torment.
Punishment.
If someone was facing a long-term prison sentence for murdering your child or pet, would you be okay if the judge changed his mind and let him off with a small fine? We are all guilty of breaking God’s rules and causing him sorrow. We can never match up to his standards, that is why we are called sinners and that is why we deserve to pay the penalty for our wrong doings, no matter how nice we think we are.
Repentance.
This is being so truly sorry for our sin that we make the decision to completely turn- around from the way we were going, to walk in the other direction, relying on the help of Jesus to keep going. It is recognising that the state we are in is going to lead to destruction. It’s like thinking we are okay while heading towards a deep crocodile pit, then realising we have deceived ourselves into thinking we were walking towards a shallow ditch of hamsters. A wise person will turn around and run the other way.
Hell.
Imagine being in agony and the intensity of it never subsiding? Imagine you couldn’t even faint to forget the pain? Imagine a darkness so dark, screams so loud, loneliness so intense, fear so frightening, but there was no way out? Like a nightmare you could never wake up from. That is Hell, but God did not make that dammed place for you. It’s for the Devil, but if you chose to continue going his way, you will end up residing there with him. It is a place where God is not present, so there is only evil. No matter how bad this world can be, God is still in our midst, creating light and beauty and miracles of life and peace and hope. Hell is devoid of anything good.
The Devil, demons, enemy of your soul, Satan.
The Bible never describes him as a red creature with horns, forked tail and pitchfork. Nor does it say he has a scary face. On the contrary, before the Devil was kicked out of God’s realm for being too proud, he was very close to God and therefore one of the most beautiful beings. He was responsible for leading worship to God and musical instruments were part of his body. He knew how beautiful he was and over-stepped the mark by trying to take God’s place. For his vanity, pride and arrogance, he was banished from Heaven forever and he took a few angels with him who are now referred to as demons because they are his stupid little cohorts. The Devil knows that if he comes to you and says, “Here, take this, do this, say this, because I want it to make you addicted, obsessed, ruin your relationships and cause you to feel so bad about yourself you will never go to God for forgiveness.” you would resist. But he is a great deceiver and temps you with what looks good. And for a while, it seems like it is. Like a lion who closes his eyes pretending to be asleep while he is really planning to eat you alive, the Devil will try to appear harmless and cute. He is not. He hates you and wants you take you with him to Hell.
Eternal life, eternity.
This refers to a real spiritual existence after the death of our earthly bodies. It is instantaneous as soon as we die. There is no floating around in space or waiting in a place until you have decided where you want to be. As soon as you die, your destiny will be determined by ‘what you did with the truth about Jesus’ while on earth. There are no second chances once you are dead.
Several of my readers struggle with depression and even though the issue of mental health is talked about more openly these days, it can still be a little bit of a taboo subject amongst church congregations.
The videos below are for those of you who may be finding it hard to read a whole book chapter, but would rather a quick, visual snippet that assists you to take that next step forward in life; whether that be driving the children to school, walking the dog, attending church, or taking time put to pamper yourself amidst your hectic schedule.
It is not a plug for you to visit the blog that is advertised on the end screens – they are there because that is the website I initially placed the videos on and that website is solely pertaining to the subject of depression.
The videos are short – less than 3 minutes long – so I hope you will find something to encourage you that a humongous God is interested in you, and sees every effort you make to survive in this often miserable existence we call life. Your life is worth something to him, and he wants you to know that fact, no matter what other voices say in your ear to try to contradict that truth. Blessings xXx.
To easily locate each individual book title without frustrating page scrolling, you will find that the categories (book titles) are just beneath this post (or on your right if you’re on a larger device). There is an extra category called, ‘Writing’, which contains articles about the intricacies of being an author. Happy reading.
At the beginning, the father is sitting on a chair in the CENTRE facing the audience. A table with a cake on top it, is positioned LEFT CENTRE. The son is standing DOWN RIGHT facing his father at an angle so his face can be seen by the audience. The Father speaks with authority but graciously and never with any impatience in his voice. He smiles at the son and follows him with his eyes. The son uses his eyes to indicate, suspicion fear and doubt. Sometimes he views the cake like it is going to harm him and at other times he looks at it unworthily as if it is too good for him to even touch.
Thank you for sitting patiently, watching, and listening while our students brought this great story to life by their excellent performance.
We hope that in this short time, you have gained a deeper insight into how amazing God is when we let him work in our lives.
Like the son in the play, you may be struggling to accept the fact that God loves you and want to give you good things. Or you may just find it hard to believe that he gave us his only son Jesus, to die for our sins.
In the Bible, God says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Just like the free chocolate cake seems too good to be true, Jesus really is God’s gift to us even though we did not deserve him, nor can we do anything to justify having him in our lives. People pay for things or do work to receive a reward, but Jesus is not like that – he is a free gift.
If you would like the opportunity to get to know Jesus better and have a close relationship with God the father, there is a simple prayer you can pray right now.
We have to first acknowledge that we need to be forgiven of our sin. Sin is anything we do, think, or say that is displeasing to God, which includes living a life independently of him.
When you become a Christian, your problems do not just suddenly go away. There will still be enemies to face, debts to pay, sickness and pain, fear, and loneliness. But the difference is that you will have the King of kings walking alongside you to help you, guide you, comfort you, deliver you, strengthen, and give you hope and peace. Best of all, you will have the assurance that when you die, you will be taken in God’s kingdom, Heaven, to live with him forever.
So now we will talk to God. If you mean what you say, God will hear you. Don’t look for outward signs of feeling different or crying. Some of you may, but some may not. That’s okay because God is concerned with your heart.
Also, some of you may feel embarrassed to admit you have prayed this prayer and some may be concerned about what your friends will think. Remember two things. 1. You came into this world on your own and you will die on your own. Nobody else will be able to save you, so it really is nobody else’s business what you are doing right now. When you stand before God at the end of your life, those friends whose opinions you were afraid of, won’t be there to help persuade God to let you into Heaven.
Secondly, you may not have another chance to get your life right with your Creator, so please take this opportunity to sort things out with God right now.
Dear God,
Thank you for reminding us that Jesus is a free gift to all, because you love us so dearly.
Thank you for your promise that if we give our lives wholeheartedly to you, we can receive, strength, peace, wisdom, and comfort. I desperately want those things and I want to be free from the guilt of my sin, so I humbly come before you now to give my life to you.
I am sorry for the wrong things I have done in my life, which you call sin.
I acknowledge that I was born a sinner, which means that it’s in my nature to do things that displease you. I know that this includes the deepest thoughts and attitudes of my heart and the real motives behind everything I do.
Please forgive me for those sins and especially for the sin of keeping you out of my life.
Even though you love me, I know that because you are a God of justice and holiness, if I die without having my sins forgiven, I will spend eternity without you, in a terrible place called Hell.
I acknowledge that I need you and I want you in my life.
I believe that Jesus Christ is your son and that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe he rose again and is the living power that can take the Devil’s hold off my life. Please come into my life now and touch my heart with your forgiveness and love. I want to have a relationship with and get to know you more. My very being was created for this purpose and without you, my hunger for peace and happiness will never be satisfied.
I give you my life now. Please lead me to people who will help me become a good strong Christian and who will show me how to relate to the things of God. Help me to find a Bible that suits my understanding and a church that I can call home.
Thank you, Lord. I believe by faith now that you have answered my prayer. I believe that no matter how bad I may feel about myself in the future, you have forgiven me and saved me from my sins. Thank you. Amen.
(The Father holds out the plate with the slice of chocolate cake.)
FATHER
Here’s a slice of chocolate cake.
SON
For me? Are you sure?
Is it because it’s stale?
Has it been on the floor?
FATHER
No, it’s perfect, I’ve just made it.
Go on, take the plate.
SON
Are you trying to trap me
and using this as bait?
FATHER
No. Just take it from me.
SON
Do I have to?
What’s the haste?
It looks nice on the outside,
but I may not like the taste.
FATHER
Oh, you’ll love it. You are special.
It was made with you in mind.
SON
I daren’t bite through the middle.
Who knows what I may find?
(pause)
If there’s chocolate on the inside,
that will be much too good!
FATHER
(Rests the plate on his lap)
You’re either being silly,
or you haven’t understood.
The cake is for you!
So, reach out your hand!
SON
(Curls his fists up into his chest)
I don’t deserve it. It’s too lovely.
FATHER
Why can’t you understand?
SON
Well. Look at this beautiful cake,
now look back at me.
Something so gorgeous,
could really not be free.
SON
Would you like some money?
What do you need?
I’ll try a slice
when the price is agreed.
FATHER
There is no catch,
there is no condition.
Why is your mind
filled with suspicion?
SON
I can tell by the smell
that when I taste it,
I’ll want the lot.
I don’t want to waste it.
FATHER
Then, eat it all.
Be filled with cake!
SON
No. That would be
the worst mistake.
(The son walks away from the father then stops and turns back round to look at him.)
I have a friend who deserves it.
She’s very nice and smart.
She comes from a good family
and has a caring heart.
She has a degree in Food Science,
so she’ll know how it was made.
She’s more worthy of this cake.
(pause)
I’ll just have toast and marmalade.
(The father puts the cake down on the table and folds his arms. He is still looking at the son. The son goes up to the cake and walks around the table with his back bent, inspecting it closely.)
The smell is overwhelming!
I’d really like a lick,
but I can’t because I’m scared
that this could be a trick.
So…this cake is from you?
And it’s really mine?
Okay, I believe you, but…
…could you give me a sign?
Just so I know for certain.
Just for confirmation.
Because I can still feel
a little trepidation.
FATHER
It’s yours, it’s yours, it’s yours!
I’ve told you so before!
You’ve had so many signs.
SON
Oh please. Just one more.
And then, I’ll be happy
and all I’ll have to do,
is prepare myself to eat it.
FATHER
What are you putting yourself through?
Eat it as you are!
SON
No. I need to change first.
I don’t want to spoil it.
You know, I may be cursed.
For, things have changed,
my life has troubles
and every day,
misfortune doubles.
How can you love me
when my life is such a mess?
Haven’t you changed
now I’m in distress?
FATHER
My love is not whimsical.
It’s not based on chances.
I do not change
with circumstances.
I will always provide.
My promise stands.
Don’t take matters
into your hands.
Just because problems
and heartaches are rife,
doesn’t mean I’ve stopped caring
about your precious life.
My love for you
has no variation.
There’s no rising and falling.
There is no cessation.
SON
Aw, thanks. That’s nice.
You’re really caring,
but to eat this cake,
would be really daring.
I’ll put it in the freezer,
right next to the meat.
(Pause. He runs his hand across his forehead and blows out hard.)
After all that talk, I’m hungry.
Have you…anything to eat?
NARRATOR
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him? (Matthew 7:9 / Luke 11:11)
Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above. It comes down from the Father of lights, the Creator of the heavens, in whom there is no variation, no rising or setting or shadow cast by his turning – for he is perfect and never changes. (James 1:17)
(pause)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him, will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (1John 4:10)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. Ad this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
A large chocolate cake with a big slice taken out. (Bigger than one would normally cut for one person) To make it look more tempting, drizzle extra amounts of chocolate sauce over the cake so it runs down the sides and make sure some of it is oozing onto the plate.
A slice of cake on a separate plate. It is covered in extra chocolate sauce.
