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Last week during a ten minute spell as goalie in a friendly football match I became the focus of attention of a flying hoard of mosquitoes. Twenty four hours and one doctor’s visit later my lower legs were still not a pretty sight and as shapeless and bloated as a giant Lincolnshire sausage. I then had to endure a week of having my hand slapped by my wife whenever she caught me scratching the troubled areas. I wouldn’t mind, but surely “scratching an itch” is one of life’s sweetest pleasures and so simple to do.

Many people; people just like us, have troubles. Perhaps someone is looking for a way out of an oppressive or hurtful situation. Another may be seeking some certainty or truth in an uncertain world. Still another is desperately trying to find a life with some hope in it or a glimmer of revelation to light a dim future.
Jesus said; “I am the way, the truth and the life” and “the light of the world”. He also invited us to, “come to me for rest if you are weary and burdened” and “come and taste and see that God is good”.

Go on; scratch your itch.

WRITTEN FOR LOCAL NEWSPAPER:

Just this week I heard an item on a radio program where a broadcaster and a couple of professors of medicine were discussing human free-will. As part of the discussion they touched on the human mind and made it clear that they viewed it as no different from the brain. In fact they eliminated any possibility of a mind, soul or spirit and they truly believed that there was no sense of “being you” apart from the bag of flesh & proteins that make up your brain. I bet they’re the life of the party!  As expected, I disagree with them and just wish I had opportunity to convince them to change their … bundle of neurons!

The Bible places great emphasis on us discovering our full identity. At this time of economic and social turmoil many readers will be glad to know that their identity is far greater than the value of skin, bone and material things. To find hope and inspiration for your mind and life for your spirit then why not get pop your body down to church this weekend. Each week I’m there I find hundreds of joyful and hope-filled ordinary people from all walks of life who know there is much more to life than meets the eye.

According to a scientific study, the funniest joke in the world has been found. Personally, I find the winning joke very funny. The chances are though that many of the people reading this newspaper would not find it funny in the slightest.

Our personal preferences are a very powerful thing and are most often revealed in our initial reactions to different experiences, e.g. whether we laugh at a joke, whether we cry at a film, whether we find a restaurant appealing.

Interestingly, some of the most influential decisions we can ever make are ones which are done contradictory to our personal preferences. These decisions are the ones which take us outside our comfort zone, challenge our mindset or require extra will-power. Millionaires have found success by being adventurous, real life heroes have changed peoples lives by performing unusual feats, I have been recently deeply affected by reading a book which I would usually steer well clear of.

I would encourage you to venture out of your comfort zone and try something new. Try it by changing a small thing in your daily routine as well as doing something which needs a bit of courage. You will be surprised at the opportunities it will bring. Why not visit a church this weekend and experience something new – it could open up a whole new world for you.

Oh, the funniest joke in the world. Here goes. Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says “Calm down. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says “OK, now what?”

My wife has an important birthday today. I realise that it’s not polite to state how old my wife is, especially in a newspaper, so I am keeping tight lipped about it.

Most of us have some special days we celebrate, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, exam successes etc. I recently heard a successful local businessman tell a little of his life story. In amongst the tales of property purchases, business startups and family joys, one event seemed to take a prominent place with its significance. He tells of a day when he realised that there is a God who loves him very much and had made a way for him to enjoy a personal relationship with him. He tells how this journey has helped him handle his past, enjoy the present and be positive about the future. He has no fear of death and wants to share his great news of hope with all who know him.

To be fair, I know hundreds of people in this county of ours who have taken the same journey and count the day they found Jesus as the most significant of all days.

Pop into a church this weekend and find out more about how your life can take on new meaning.

Meanwhile, along with others I’ll be telling my wife that life really does begin at 40. Ooops !

On a recent trip to Perthshire in Scotland we visited a palace which is famous because it was the site where many of the kings of Scotland were crowned. The friendly guide showed us a huge mound of earth about the size of a large bungalow and explained its origins. “The mound is here”, she said, “because when the kings arrived they emptied their boots of the accumulated soil & dirt gathered on their long journey across Scotland”.

Now, either there have been around half a million kings of Scotland or the few monarchs who were crowned there had boots the size of oil tankers. I think someone is telling porkies don’t you?

The success of the T.V show “The Apprentice” is in part due to the candidate’s exaggerated sense of self importance and dubious accounts of their expertise. A need to exaggerate seems to be a common trait through all walks of life – perhaps to hide our true lack in many areas.

The truth is that in order to find the meaning for your life and discover eternal hope it’s important to come to a place where we acknowledge our lack. Our lack of answers, our lack of hope, our lack of purpose. Once we can be true about ourselves then its simple to find the one who can deliver on all counts – Jesus.

Why not find out more by visiting a church this weekend, there must be millions of them in town !

Being born and bred in Scunthorpe I have a lot in common with readers of this local newspaper.

Though well travelled, I’ve never lived anywhere else except this part of the country which we now call North Lincolnshire. How exciting then for my family and I to venture last week off the usually beaten track and discover a fairly secret section of Cleethorpes. Just us and a few other people on the seafront enjoying acres of space in glorious weather.

I am often privileged to watch people as they come across an undiscovered part of themselves. Perhaps a gift, talent or even a new appreciation of their self-worth or value. When people discover and begin using these fresh revelations they find a new sense of purpose and hope.

I believe the Bible when it tells me that no one understands how I am put together better than God does. He is the master designer. To find the as yet undiscovered parts of ourselves we should approach God and allow Him to reveal them to us.

To begin your own self adventure. Pop into a church this week and ask them about this article.

Oh, and if you want to know where the secret part of Cleethorpes is, just head straight down ….

I’m very blessed to have a growing team of staff who work for me. On occasions they must think I expect them to work miracles. I remind them that Moses worked miracles with his staff – but they tend not to appreciate that comment.

One of my staff members has the privilege of speaking to thousands of children and teenagers every week because he leads a team who support local schools with assemblies, lessons and specialised workshops. He and his wife also lead our weekend Children’s Ministry and Summer Clubs.

Later in the year they will be travelling to a village called Bukumbi near Mwanza in Tanzania where they will be helping some friends minister to a colony of lepers. Contrary to popular belief, leprosy is a disease that is still around and debilitates young and old dramatically. I am sure their visit will affect them greatly.

Being involved in activities or in generous giving towards needy causes is something I believe every person can benefit from, whether rich or poor. It brings an awareness of others who are less fortunate than us. It brings a sense of self-worth and value to the giver and the receiver. Of course, if given wisely, it can also save people’s lives.

I encourage us all to give to causes that grasp our attention and our hearts. I also encourage all to receive the gifts of God; forgiveness, hope and purpose. He is the greatest giver of all.
Pop into a church tomorrow and ask them more.

Hamsters are smelly! Sure, they’re cute and they bring you pleasure as you watch them play. But they don’t half smell. If the pet store had placed a “Warning – these animals stink” sign on the cage I would never have bought them. Having got that off my chest, I wouldn’t now get rid of them because the pleasure they bring to my family far outweighs the inconvenience.

The Bible teaches me that if we handle our lives well and fill it with good values and behaviours, then we emit a kind of spiritual fragrance which pleases God.

Of course, many of us have motivations and behaviours which we are not proud of and I’m sure they must not smell pleasant to God.  Every time we act out of pride or deceit, jealousy or vengeance, selfishness or ambivalence; a bad fragrance find its way from us to God. He must not enjoy it.

Yet, the Bible also tells me that God is so committed to us that despite the rotten smell He continually wants to bless us, show us His love and allow us opportunities to find a correct relationship with Him. In turn, he will show us how to lead a purposeful and hopeful life.

Pop into a church this week and ask them more. Meanwhile, I have a hamster to groom.

 A few years ago I was on a ministry visit to North America with a colleague. My friend was asked to give the keynote sermon in a very large church. The theme of his talk was about how God has a solution for every predicament we find ourselves in. He would say things like, “you may feel like your life is a mess and hopeless, but, God can bring order out of chaos”. The theme and his delivery were as usual, excellent. However he seemed to have forgotten that we were in North America where words can have different meanings. I must admit, I and a few hundred others tried to stifle our chuckles when he kept repeating, “No matter what you’re going through – God’s “but” is big enough”!

Have you ever felt that people just don’t understand you or what you’re going through?

The Bible tells us that, “those who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved”, and “Taste & see that the Lord is good”.

Why not take some time today to talk to God. Let Him know how you feel and what you really need. Be yourself. He understands your language.

This week, the leading news stories on TV, Radio, Broadsheet and Tabloid have not been on the subject of global warming, earthquakes, royal and political scandals or even the uncertain future of the spice girls – but on the more seemingly mundane topic of beef.

Politicians, Civil Servants, Farmers, Butchers, Supermarket Owners and even Mrs Birtwhistle down the street – have all had their fair share of press journalists asking for  comments on the Minister’s recent Common’s announcement. Mr Cunningham revealed to the world on Wednesday that, in order to protect the public from even a negligible risk of the disease CJD being transmitted – he is banning the sale of all beef on the bone.

His forthright and sweeping response to scientific evidence has caused quite a stir. Early signs show overwhelmingly that Mr & Mrs Public would rather have simply been advised of the situation and had the choice left to them whether to purchase boned  or de-boned beef. After all – who is he to tell us what we can and can’t eat. However; I seem to think that if the Minister for Health had done just that – he would have been branded an uncaring risk taker, waging the health of the nation against an unrelenting killer virus.

Of course there is one malignant and deathly disease that we have been given a choice over. Only, in this case, should we decide to take a gamble with it – the odds are stacked firmly in the disease’s favour. When God saw that humanity was losing it’s fight against sin, (such a small word for a large problem) He sent Jesus (His son) as a One Hundred Percent effective antidote. Many people for many different reasons have decided to accept the offer of an antidote. Some were facing a hopeless future – and now have a future full of promise. Others were searching intently for a reason for being  - and have now found it. Many more  were simply wishing they would stumble upon that special “something” that would bring them fulfilment – stumble they did – and find fulfilment they did too.

It’s a pity that when faced with a disease far more serious than anything transmitted by cattle meat, and with a 100% chance of catching it – the vast majority of people use their longed for “free choice” to ignore the antidote and instead opt for eating their damaging fill.

I guess the good news for Jack Cunningham is that even God can’t please everyone, all the time.