Let Jesus in

Christmas has come and gone in the blink of an eye once again. Over the next few days we will be saying goodbye to 2015, and hello to a new year. Talk of fresh starts, resolutions, and "New Year, new me" have already begun.

Although Christmas is over, I find myself looking towards the New Year with a passage from the famous Christmas story still ringing in my ears.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Mary, Joseph, and little baby Jesus. A story we're all so familiar with. Mary and Joseph come to the town of Bethlehem, and they're looking for a place to stay as Mary is needing to give birth. They arrive at the inn, and they knock on the door...

Sorry, we've no room.

You've got to go some place else. 

We just can't fit you in right now.

This isn't just a story happening a thousand years ago. This is a story that happens every day. Today. Jesus is knocking at the door. He wants to be a part of our lives; to come in and live with us.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

But don't be fooled into thinking that this message isn't for you if you're already a Christian. In fact, I think this story speaks to me more now as someone who's been following Christ for 7 years. 7 years, and I still tell Jesus that I can't fit Him in right now. 

It's worth thinking about. From day to day, week to week, even throughout the year, do you fit Jesus in? Do you even bother letting Jesus in at all? Is He crammed in on a Sunday morning, if He's lucky, or is little baby Jesus squeezed in on Christmas day and that's all? 

As a serious follower of Christ, I read this passage and it hurts. Because I know that although my relationship with Jesus should be top of my priorities, it isn't. I know that when I give time to God, I am just fitting Him in where it suits me.

As I look to 2016, that's the challenge. To let Jesus in. To make Him the centre of the not only the year, but of every day in 2016. It's one thing to let Jesus in the front door, but will you let Him into every other part of your house too?

Will you send Jesus some place else? Or will you let Jesus in?

Missing Christ in Christmas

The presents. The turkey. The time off school. Family and friends. Christmas is an amazing time of the year without a doubt. But I think that every time it rolls round, I'm getting caught up in all of those things and actually missing the bigger picture. Missing the heart of Christmas. Missing Christ in Christmas.

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” 

- Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

In Matthew 21, we read about Jesus' triumphal entry in Jerusalem. Everybody is praising Jesus, throwing down their cloaks on the road and laying down palm leaves for him. But when someone asks, "Who is this", the crowds answered:

"This is Jesus, the prophet"

The prophet? Jesus was the Son of God. He Himself was God! He was their long awaited Messiah, coming to save everyone from their sins. Did they miss it? Do we still miss it?

This Christmas, don't just remember the reason for the season is Jesus. But remember why Jesus is the reason of the season! Don't let it be a happy thought in the back of your mind, but let that knowledge affect how you spend your time over the holiday period. 

Don't miss the Christ this Christmas.

Peter Peter Peter - part 3

The Blind Mice. The Little Pigs. Goldilock's Bears.

Hanson. Destiny's Child. The Bee Gees.

Rock Paper Scissors. Snap Crackle Pop. The tasty BLT.

By now you've maybe noticed the connection, that all of the above are famous trios!

Last week at YF, we looked at Peter's denial of Jesus. How many times did Peter deny Jesus? You got it. 3 times. This week we were looking another episode between Peter and Jesus, and again the number 3 is a key feature. Check it out in John 21 v 15 - 17...

"Do you love me?"

Was Jesus hard of hearing? Did He just not understand? Why did He ask Peter 3 times?! I'm sure the significance of repeating the question 3 times was no coincidence. Was it a reference to the 3 times Peter denied Jesus? Perhaps Jesus was just checking in on Peter's commitment. 

What do you think?

"Feed my sheep"

Why did Jesus keep telling Peter to feed sheep? Did Jesus own sheep? Were His pet sheep hungry? Well actually Jesus is described as the 'Good Shepherd', and His followers are His sheep. His flock. Before Jesus went back to Heaven, He was calling Peter to take care of His people. He wasn't telling Peter to feed people physically, but instead to feed them spiritually.

After I read this story, I tend to find myself thinking about two important questions for my own walk of faith:

1) Do I love Jesus?

2) What is Jesus calling me to do?

Big picture. Career. Vocation. Calling. 

What does Jesus want you to do with your life?

But also every day. What is Jesus calling you to do? To say? How to act? 

There's only one way you'll find the answer to this question... Ask Him! 

Pick up your Bible and read it. Ask God in prayer!

If you love Jesus, if you are His follower, if you are one of His sheep, then you need to ask yourself what Jesus is calling you to do?

Before the Rooster Crows - Peter pt.2

Is there anything in your life worth dying for?

Something so important that no matter what the cost, you would never give it up? Well if you flick to Matthew 26 v 31, you'll see that apparently Peter has something in his life worth dying for.

"Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."

Of course you know the story. In the passage we've just read, Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him 3 times before the rooster crows. Then sure enough, that's what happens. In Matthew 26 v 69, we read the account of Peter's denial, which ends with Peter realising what he has done and weeping bitterly.

But I want to draw your focus to the big picture. What is actually what's happening at the same time? When Peter's denying Jesus, where is Jesus and what's going on? If you jump back to Matthew 26 v 57, you'll see that Jesus has been arrested and dragged in before the courts. And that's why Peter has denied Jesus - he's afraid for his own life, for being arrested himself, or worse.

The court is charging Jesus with blasphemy. And they ask Jesus, "Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." The real question they're asking Jesus, is one that is equally as relevant for us today - Who are you?

I don't mean the clichés, what you've heard in church, or what others say about him... But to you, in your life, who is Jesus to you?

 'Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. You must make your choice.'

- C.S. Lewis

We were reflecting on this at Youth Fellowship last night. In a moment of divine wisdom and truth, one of my young people answered poignantly: 

"The greatest miracle to ever happen. My best friend."

Who is Jesus to you?

Surviving Stormy Seas - Peter pt.1

We all know somebody who has been through a hard time. Maybe you've been through a particularly testing time recently. Perhaps, you're reading this and right now you're struggling.

Grab your Bible, and flip to Matthew 14. Or click - right here - to bring up the passage in a new tab. Verses 22 - 33 tell us the account of Jesus and Peter walking on water, which is probably a story we're all quite familiar with. Give it a quick read!

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Peter was loving life at the start, walking on the water to Jesus. But what happened? Why did he start to sink? He noticed the wind and the waves. The storm threw him off. He was distracted. Afraid. Overcome.

Life is hard sometimes. I don't want to be negative, or pessimistic, but I think that's just reality of living in this fallen world. There will be hard times. We're going to struggle. There will be storms. Whether it's relationship problems, dealing with a death, or exam struggles. Unfortunately, hard times are an inevitable part of our lives. But how do we cope with them..?

If you are not strengthening the inner man or woman by daily walking with God now, when a crisis comes you will quake with fear and give in, having no strength to stand up for Christ.

- Billy Graham

1) Be proactive, not reactive! Don't wait until you start struggling with something, start preparing before. It's interesting that it's during the hardest times in our lives that we neglect Jesus - the one who can actually help us, comfort us and strengthen us during these struggles. Seems illogical! Focus on your relationship with God now when it's all plain sailing, before the storms come. If we can't focus on Jesus during the good times, how are we going to draw close to Him during the bad times?

2) If you're struggling with something, remember you're not alone. You have people to talk to, to share the burden with and to pray with. Friends, family, your youth leader. But first and foremost, turn to God. It doesn't matter if it's a big deal, or a small struggle, He's a loving Father who cares for His children.

Remember what happened to Peter when he was overcome by the storm, and cry out to Jesus for help.

A Message Nobody Wants to Hear - John the Baptist pt.2

What do you want first? The good news... or the bad news?

How many times have you heard that, right?! But how many times have you said that you don't want to hear the good news at all? Good news is... well good! We always want to hear good news. So why is it that as Christians we have a message that nobody wants to hear? We have good news, but nobody wants us to deliver it.

John the Baptist had a similar experience preaching repentance in the wilderness. Nobody wanted to hear his message of great news. Jesus was coming back, and John's job was to tell everyone. But nobody wanted to change. They wanted a physical saviour, a great warrior. They didn't want a spiritual saviour, someone to free them from their own sins.

We're living in a time, when we switch on the television and all we see is bad news. Poverty. Famine. Earthquakes. Terrorism. War. Only this week, we were shocked to see the heartbreaking events unfold in Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, Japan, Mexico and so many other places. Even on our own doorstep in Northern Ireland, there's still division, killing, and hatred.

But we have good news. We have light in the darkness. We have hope in the despair. His name is Jesus. The Son of God, who came down from Heaven to die on the cross and save us from our sins. If we turn to Him, then our sins will be forgiven and we will have the hope of eternal life.

Jesus loves you.

If Jesus has changed your life already, then this is good news.
Share it. Get it off your chest.

'You are not only responsible for what you say, 

but also for what you do not say'

- Martin Luther

The Greatest that Ever Lived - John the Baptist Pt.1

Gandhi? Mother Teresa? Nelson Mandela?

Who would you say is the greatest person to ever live?

Automatically, I find myself thinking of Jesus of course. But interestingly enough, Jesus actually pointed to someone else as the greatest person who ever lived... Check it out...

'I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John'

- Luke 7 v 28

That's right. Jesus said his cousin, John the Baptist, was the greatest person to ever live. The guy living in the wilderness. Big bushy beard, scraggly hair. Clothed in animal skin, eating locusts, shouting "Repent!" at anyone who happened to be passing by. What could this crazy guy from thousands of years ago possibly have to teach us today as followers of Jesus?

Humility. That's one thing that I notice whenever I'm reading about John the Baptist in the New Testament. Check out the passage in Luke 3 when John's preaching to crowds in the wilderness. He's getting a lot of press at the time. John's got huge crowds following him, tonnes of people coming to him to hear what he has to say, and many many more wanting to be baptised by him. But it doesn't go to his head. Instead... he points to Jesus...

'one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie'

- Luke 3 v 16

This was a big deal for John to say at this time. Feet were the dirtiest part of the body, and taking off sandals was the job reserved for the lowest of all the slaves. John was taking second place, and he was putting Jesus first. This story makes me think... What's first place in my life?

Is God first? Am I second?

Pastor Mark Driscoll says that 'Humility is not being unwilling to aspire to greatness. Humility is being willing to aspire to greatness in a way that pleases God.' It makes you think. Am I living in a way that glorifies God? Am I aspiring to be great for God? Is God first? Am I second?

Check out this link to I Am Second - a website full of videos from different people and celebrities about their stories and how God is first in their lives.

MAD 2015

As many of you know, we had a group up at the MAD weekend in Coleraine from Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th October. MAD stands for 'Making a Difference' and is ran by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It's a great event that takes place every year around this time, and over a thousand people gather together to take part in the experience.

The weekend is a great chance to spend time getting to know others from your group better, and meet different people from other churches. It's a time to eat ridiculously, stuffing your face with snacks and take-away's while you make the most of your weekend free from parents! But most importantly, it's a time to learn about God and to worship Him.

The theme this year at MAD was 'The Story'. We were focusing on what is God's story, what is our own individual story and how they relate to each other. We also spent some time thinking about how we can share our stories with different people in our lives and how that can make a huge impact in theirs.

Have you ever thought about it before? What is your story?

Interestingly enough, we've actually been looking at different peoples' stories from the Bible this year at Youth Fellowship. We've already focused on Elijah's story, and when we meet back on Sunday 8th November we're going to be looking at another person's story. Come along at 7.15pm and find out more!

We're all a part of a big story. And it's worth sharing.

Against the Tide - Elijah Pt.2

Ever feel like it's you against the world? Like the moon in a sky full of stars?
Different. Outnumbered. Alone.

Elijah felt the same.

If we flick to 1 Kings 18 v 16-46 in our Bibles, we can read a story about Elijah on Mount Carmel. Elijah was one of the Lord's prophets, but he was living at a time when Israel had abandoned the Lord's commands. The Israelites had instead, under the influence of their King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, turned to follow false gods. One of these false gods was called Baal. They set up shrines to worship Baal, and even had appointed prophets for this false god. Elijah even says “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left". He was different, outnumbered, and alone.

The one true God, the Lord of Israel, wasn't having any of it though. So God sends Elijah to Mount Carmel to meet King Ahab and 450 prophets of Baal, and to deliver a message. Elijah challenges them to a showdown to see who is the real god. Sounds exciting, right? Well it is, so go read the passage and see for yourselves what happens!

But let's for a minute, just focus on Elijah. Didn't he have some guts, some faith, to stand up for God like that? It gets you thinking... how do we stand up for Jesus in our own lives? Here's two points to consider:

1. Think different. Act different. If you read this story in 1 Kings 18, you'll see that the prophets of Baal and Elijah were very different. They believed in different gods, and as a result they acted in a different way. The prophets of Baal were cutting themselves over their sacrifice, while Elijah was pouring water over his to make the challenge even more difficult. Their logics were completely different. I think this is a key question to ask ourselves as followers of Jesus... In our families, with our friends, in school... Are we different from everyone else?

2. What's taken God's place in your life? I guess the second thing to think about is whether or not we're taking a stand for Jesus in our everyday life. Are we thinking differently, speaking differently, acting differently to those around us? If we aren't, then there's something wrong. King Ahab and the Israelites had replaced God with false gods, and perhaps something has taken God's place as first priority in our lives too. Studies? Addictions? Relationships?

Remember to follow the example of Elijah, and be different. 

Take a stand for Jesus.

“We must never be afraid to be a sign of contradiction for the world.” 

― Mother Teresa

Bieber: Building or Body

Let's face it. You either love Justin Bieber, or you hate him. But regardless of what side of the fence you stand on, you can't deny that over the last few years Bieber hasn't exactly been what you would call a saint. So I'm sure I wasn't the only one a little surprised when he opened about his faith in his latest interview, saying 'I just honestly wanna live like Jesus'. 

If you want to check out all that Bieber was saying in interview then follow the link at the bottom of the blog. I would like to focus on, however, one thing that really stuck out to me when reading this interview. While talking about his faith, Bieber explained that it was a relationship with Jesus and that he didn't go to Church. He said, 'You don't need to go to church to be a Christian. If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn't make you a taco.'

While Justin's analogy seems a little silly, I believe it provides us with great topics for discussion. Do you need to go to Church to be a Christian? Should you go to Church as a Christian? Or going right back to basics - actually, what is Church?

Although the answers may not be so black and white after some reflection, I think that these 3 questions are all fundamentally linked. Check it out:

1) Firstly, it's important to determine whether going to Church is a salvation issue. Is church attendance a requisite for eternal life? Do you reach the pearly gates by sitting in the pews every Sunday morning? In other words, by going to Church will you go to Heaven? The simple answer is no. It says in the Bible the only way of getting to Heaven is by asking forgiveness for your sins and accepting Jesus into your hearts. Jesus Himself said in John 14 v 6 - 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'.

2) BUT! Before you all think you've now got a lie in every Sunday morning, it's important to remember what the Bible also says about Church. Hebrews 10 v 25 tells us to 'not give up meeting together'. Although you don't need to be in Church to be saved, if you are saved then you should want to be in Church! It's important as Christians to have fellowship with one another, worship God and grow closer to Him through teaching. Church attendance will be a by-product of a serious relationship with Jesus.

3) Finally, it's worth thinking about 'what is Church?'. When you hear the word 'Church', what images fill your head? Big fancy buildings. Stain-glassed windows. The rows of pews and the minister in the pulpit. Actually, 'Church' is not a building. 'Church' is a gathering (or body) of believers, coming together for fellowship with one another and with God. Of course that can be in a building, but it can also be in someone's home. It can be anywhere actually. Paul says 'You are the body of Christ' to the early Christians in 1 Corinthians 12 v 27.

Seems like a lot to think about, right? Well if you only take one thing away from reading this, then take this away and think about this:
there is a difference between being in church and being in Christ. 
You can be in both. You can be in neither. But only one of them offers salvation. Are you in one?


Click for Justin's full interview!

The Power of Silence - Elijah Pt.1

Have you ever felt like God doesn't listen to your prayers?

That when you pray, it feels like nothing is happening? 

Do you just feel like you're talking to yourself?

Well you're not alone. I think we've all felt like that at some point if we're being honest. But don't stop reading now, because I've got good news! It's found in 1 King's 19, verses 11-13. Check it out:

The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah was a guy who was used to seeing God answer his prayers in spectacular, crazy ways. The type of answers that literally turned heads. God provided food for Elijah through ravens. Elijah saw God raise a widow's son from the dead. Elijah saw God cast down fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel. Proper insane stuff!

BUT I believe that the most significant event in Elijah's life occurred in the passage we just read above - when God actually revealed Himself to Elijah in his time of trouble and need. God - the all powerful, all knowing, Creator of the Universe. You'd think that it would be pretty impressive to see God revealing Himself, right?! But did He do it through a great song and dance? Was there a big fireworks display? No. God didn't reveal Himself through the wind, or through the earthquake, or through the fire. He chose to reveal Himself through a gentle whisper. In the silence.

I think it's important to remember that God is at work even in the silence. Even when we don't get a clear answer to our prayer. Even when we think we're just talking to ourselves. Even when prayer seems like a one-way conversation. God is listening, and He is working.

At Youth Fellowship tonight, we spent some time praying about our hopes, expectations and fears for the year ahead. Giving them over to God in prayer, and committing this year to Him. There was no wind, there was no earthquake, there was no fire. But God was present and He is at work in our prayers.

'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

- Zechariah 4 v 6

As we thought about prayer, and we prayed for one another this evening, I'd ask you to also be praying for our YF. We'd really appreciate it! Come along to YF next Sunday at 7.15pm to look at another awesome episode from Elijah's life in 1 Kings 18 v 16 - 46. You're very welcome!