Who am I?

When Jesus asked His followers (Mark 8:27), “Who do people say I am?” He received various answers as different people saw Him differently. I think Jesus would get a similar answer if He asked the same question today. However, to ensure we get that answer correct, the Church, in its wisdom, has formulated the answer for us and called it ‘a Creed’. A Creed, by definition, is a set of fundamental beliefs. It is often seen in a religious sense as a form of persuasion or conviction.
Since a youngster I have memories of attending church and in the early days reading The Nicene Creed word for word from my prayer book. These days, those attending get the benefit of overhead screens where you can literally follow the bouncing ball and trot out the words along with everyone else.
The Apostles Creed is used today and particularly to interrogate the sponsor who responds on behalf of the child at a baby’s Baptism. It summarizes the basic tenets of faith and serves as a confession of belief (according to Dr Google). Different Christian denominations use this Creed but have made some minor changes to the wording to reflect more the specific beliefs of their religion. The current format was first used in the 5th Century although versions of it can be traced back to the 2nd Century.
Wikipedia gives a background to why the Nicene Creed was formulated in 325AD. This Creed is a more precise and detailed statement that addresses more succinctly the identity of Jesus the Christ.
When Jesus asked His followers the question who people thought He was, I think he knew the mixed response he would get. It was as if this answer was secondary to the question that followed. “But who do YOU say I am.”
If Jesus were to ask us, individually, the same questions today, we could trot out the Creed because we have learnt it off by heart and this is what the Church tells us we must believe. But how would we respond to the second question, “Who do YOU think I am.”
As we have all led different lives, we have had many differing experiences that have helped formulate, in our own minds, where our faith has brought us and what form our individual relationship with our maker exists at this point in our lives.
Whatever our individual situation might be, to answer that second question, I believe it would be helpful for our own journey if each of us were to write a personal Creed (for your own eyes only). We could outline just who our God is to us and what we believe is supporting our faith relationship. It can be as simple as a few dot points. Perhaps, for the record, we could also document those areas of our faith we might be questioning in our own minds.
The big advantage of a document of this kind is that it needs to be reviewed. (My suggestion is once a year) and where our thinking or understanding has changed, we can make the necessary variations to our ‘revised’ personal Creed. If we were to keep each year’s Creed, we will probably be surprised in the years to come as we read back over our journey, how our understanding has changed as a person and how our relationship with our God has matured.
I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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The link

We are but a speck of dust in the soil of God’s human creation. Yet we are considered so important, we are each individually created in God’s image (I have carved you on the palm of my hand).

At the birth of the smallest ant, the growth in each blade of grass, the development of everything that lives and even to the solar system which is still being discovered, our God injects life and love. (After creation God saw that it wqs good, very good and the Spirit breathed life into the Father’s creation)

Trying to understand God is beyond our human comprehension, beyond imagination, for our God exists in another dimension beyond humanity and yet is part of humanity (“I will be with you for all time”). It is as if our God is a sea of love that constantly feeds the creation He classified as ‘Very Good’. Monty Python attempted to define the Almighty by the phrase “Oh God you are so big.” Others have tried a more definitive approach, but all with only broad vague attempts.

While we can see our God at work in nature, in our world around us, in ourselves and in others, it seems no one has physically seen God, or The Father, as Jesus referred to him in male human terms. (“You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” Exodus 33:20)

With all these seemingly impossible attempts at a human understanding of something invisible and beyond our comprehension, I wonder why then should we bother wasting our time trying to understand something of this magnitude?

The Disciples with Jesus questioned the concept as well, “show us The Father,” they asked? And that’s when the penny dropped. The response from Jesus “If you know me, you know The Father”. “The Father and I are one.” “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Later on in John’s Gospel we read how Jesus prayed. “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us.

So, that’s the LINK. If we want to know and love our God, we need to learn and understand as much about Jesus as we can, for He came to show us the way to The Father. I cling onto what Jesus said to the doubting Thomas after he made Thomas touch his wounds so he would doubt no more. “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Even though the New Testament Gospels were written many years after the death of Jesus and were designed to be understood by differing groups of people, this is what we have. While some scholars might argue about the accuracy of various interpretations of Scripture, there is enough material available for each of us to get a deep understanding of who, in our own mind, Jesus was, what the message was He was attempting to impart and how we can absorb this within our own understanding.

I question why we should be so pedantic and waste our time arguing about words and possible alternate meanings to what Jesus had to say. Let’s spend our time creating a closer personal relationship with Jesus the Christ who is available to each one of us 24/7.

It is not just a matter of talking or praying to the Jesus in our lives. We need to listen as well, for I believe Jesus responds to us in our thoughts, in our dreams and through other people in our lives. So often when ‘so-called’ coincidences happen for us, a word of thanks to our friend is a good idea.

If we can but trust the Jesus of our relationship, we will be guided in our actions and deliberations. We don’t have to be all alone in this world, totally reliant on ourselves to survive each day. If we can just give the ego a rest for a bit and trust the Divine Presence in our lives to guide us, we can say goodbye to serious worry and anxiety and become a much happier person as a result.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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Triggers to the Trinity

Because we get so busy in our day-to-day existence, we might often neglect to remember that The Divine Presence is always with us. There are many actions which we repeatedly perform which could be used as ‘Triggers to the Trinity.’ Once established, these ‘Triggers’ could become an automatic reaction for recognising the presence of our God in our life.

          Having encased the ‘Trigger’ in our mind, hopefully, it will live in our memory and be an on-going aid to strengthening our faith. In determining what ‘Triggers’ we might use for this purpose, sometimes it may involve a considerable amount of imagination on our part.

  As an example, you might recall my story from 11 October called ‘It’s About Time’ where the red ‘AM’ light on my clock radio triggered a reaction for me. Another trigger I have found occurs when I use electrical appliances. These all have one thing in common. There is an electrical lead attached that has a 3 pin plug at the end.

          This lead, when plugged into a power source, enables the appliance to perform and provide the service for which it has been manufactured. Without being ‘plugged in’, the appliance seems of little or no value.

If you were to unravel the insulated material from the power lead on these appliances you generally find three wires encased in different coloured insulation. While the colours of these do tend to vary from country to country, there is an accepted colour combination which indicates the wire’s purpose. The blue and brown wires provide the electrical circuit and the green wire is called the earth.

In my imagination I see the blue wire as representing our Heavenly Father in the blue of the heavens above at work in the creation workshop. The brown would be the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to breathe life into the Father’s creations and the green wire would be the Son, whose role was to come to our earth and show us the way to the Father.

          If we were to see ourselves as an electrical appliance, then to obtain our full potential in our life and operate as our maker intended, we would need to be ‘plugged in’ to a power source and switched on.

  For me, the imaginative ‘Trigger to the Trinity’ occurs whenever I plug in an electrical appliance.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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Death is a reality

Recently, I attended a funeral church service for a young man who had taken his own life.  It was a sad occasion for us all and especially for the young man’s family.  When the 83 year old priest spoke, I seriously wondered what he could possibly say that might bring comfort to the family and friends present.

His words were a revelation to me. He recounted many of the good things the young man had performed during his life for his family and the community and concentrated his talk on the ways he had helped and served others.

The priest spoke of a loving God who had been with the young man throughout his short life and who, he believed, would never abandon him because of a serious mistake he made at the end.  He recounted how Jesus had already died for our sins and wanted only to love us into eternity. I left that church with a better understanding of a God who loves us, rather than one who sits in judgement of our faults and failings.

Since that day I have often thought back over that experience and have come to the realisation that death should not be feared and that it is possible to actually embrace the thought of an eternal life. Death is something we should openly talk about.  It is seen by many as a taboo subject and if we raise the concept in a conversation, we are considered to be morbid and often advised to pick on a brighter subject.

Some people just see it as inevitable and prefer to put it out of their mind until faced with its reality.  Others either don’t believe in life after death or prefer not to think it might exist.  While others are just plain scared about the thought of being judged for what they have done during their life.

If there is a genuine sorrow in our hearts for the things in our life we could have done better, then our God must see and understand this. There is no doubt we will be judged after death. A look at scripture can give us the answer (Matt.25:31-46).  Without wishing to make this process seem too simplistic, it appears that the only criteria we will need to address is the answer to the Lord’s question, “What have you done for me”.

Our loving God accepts our human failings, but certainly would have a long memory when it comes to keeping a record of the ‘things we have done for Him’.  Let us try not to fear death, for death can be the beginning of an exciting new awakening for us in a place that has been waiting for us since we were created.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith

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Crying in the wilderness

My stories all tend to revolve around ‘faith’, which according to the dictionary definition is a ’confidence or trust in a person or thing.’ I believe in a God who loves us but maybe we should all consider how we, in our mind’s eye, actually see God.

I grew up, in an era being told to fear a God who would make us pay for our sins and could have us burning in the fires of hell forever. Then, in the same breath, we are told of a God who loves us. No doubt we were, and many are, still left in confusion about the whole Godly situation.

It is hard to rid our minds of some of our past indiscretions, bad decisions, and even times when we have given some of the 10 Commandments a serious nudge. While these might still cause us concern, they can also provide barriers for many of us to progress into a deeper relationship with our God.

We see ourselves as unworthy of being loved by a God who we have deliberately shunned on many occasions. To attempt to start up a new relationship with our Maker would be hypocritical, as in our opinion, God wouldn’t want to shower blessings on someone, who at times in the past, has done things we still regret.

We probably all fit into this category in one shape or form. However, let’s just STOP right here and now. Imagine ourselves as being on the shores of the Jordan River where John the Baptist was preparing people for when Jesus would start his public ministry. John used water to explain how anyone who was prepared to reform of their wrongdoings could be washed clean and ready for the coming of Jesus.

Jesus was to tell us “I come that you should have life and have it to the full”. While we were created in a pure form, we were also given free will to make our own decisions. With age and wisdom some of these decisions might not have been wise, yet we can prepare to come closer to our God by doing as John suggested.

By reforming from our past wrongdoings, we need to feel or express sincere regret or remorse. This is a personal decision John was asking those on the banks of the Jordan to make, and one we are being asked to make today.

John used water to symbolise freedom from those times in the past when we have not always done the right thing. He spoke of ‘The One’ who would come and baptise them with the Holy Spirit. If we do as John has suggested we can remove those nagging thoughts that might haunt us from our past, and let the Holy Spirit open our hearts to the love that is available from a God who wants us to enjoy life.

This then is certainly not a retributive God but one who only has love to give us.

I’m Pete and that’s faith.

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Electrical appliances

As you walk through the front door of your local appliance retailer, there are row upon row of electrical appliances before your eyes. They sit, shiny and new, waiting for you to make your selection. Those that are not battery operated, all have one thing in common. There is an electrical lead attached to the appliance which has a 3 pin plug at the other end.

This lead, when plugged into a power source, enables the appliance to perform and provide the service for which it has been manufactured. Without being ‘plugged in’, the appliance seems of little or no value. Sure, you can turn the fan blades by hand, but you can’t receive the cool air that emanates from an electric fan when it is in full operation. Similarly, you can roll a circular saw blade across some wood and all you get are teeth marks in the wood.

If you were to unravel the insulated material from the power lead on these appliances you generally find three wires encased in different coloured insulation. While the colours of these do tend to vary from country to country, there is an accepted colour combination which indicates the wire’s purpose. The blue and brown wires provide the electrical circuit and the green wire is called the earth.

If we were to see ourselves as an electrical appliance, then to obtain our full potential in our life and operate as our maker intended, we would need to be ‘plugged in’ to a power source. Of course, without a power source, we could perform, but like the fan, we would be restricted by the strength of our own power to achieve.

If we could imagine our arm as an electrical lead containing the three wires necessary for a connection to our power source, then the blue wire could be seen as our heavenly Father in the blue of the heavens above in the creation workshop. The brown would be the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to breathe life into the Father’s creations and the green wire would be the Son, whose role was to come to our earth and show us the way to the Father.

Our fingers would be the 3 pin plug which connects to the power supply provided by the hand of our God reaching out for us to make the physical connection.

No longer would we need to languish on the shelf of life, gathering dust and offering what, to many, could only be seen as a restricted personal contribution to society, based on our own egotistical power supply. At best, our existence might only be classified as having minimal intrinsic value, due to our concentration on self-fulfillment and a strong desire for personal power and riches.

By ensuring we check our connection daily with our God, we could become the dynamic electrical appliance for which we were meant to be by our maker. We would put other’s needs before our own. We would choose love rather than hate, revenge and self-indulgence. In addition, we would have available to us a lifetime service warranty should we develop connection problems, with any necessary repairs being provided free of charge.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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Relationship

If, as a youngster, you were part of a religious organisation, you were taught the rules you needed to follow to ensure your continued acceptance by the organisation.

Understanding the laws and rules, while important, does not necessarily allow us to develop a close personal relationship with our God.

When you are attracted by someone and desire to have a close relationship, the last thing on your mind is how you might sit down and discuss the rules associated with relationships. Your only thought is to get to know as much about that person as you can.

As the relationship develops you may find you just want to be together, to share your stories and enjoy each other’s company. It is this way that a strong friendship often commences, love develops and long-time commitments to each other are made.

When we want to develop a close relationship with our God, we might follow a similar pattern. The first steps could be to learn as much as we can about this spiritual partner. As we come to a better understanding, we may find we have a deeper desire to want to strengthen our developing relationship.

Like any loving relationship, sometimes you can just be together where not a word is spoken and feel totally at peace and in love with each other. Similarly, being in a quiet place and knowing our God is with us can have the same affect.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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Anger

Many in our community are openly critical and even angry at some events that are happening around us. They see church leaders and employees being brought to justice for their despicable actions in the past. They see some politicians and community leaders being charged with graft and corruption offences in their individual quests for money and power. They see many individuals taking an unfair advantage over others and getting away with it.

Is it any wonder some citizens are full of anger at what they see and experience in their daily lives. Tv and radio news broadcasts seem to thrive on exposing any well-known personality, or anyone in higher office, who may be involved in a scandal. It seems this type of reporting sells lots of advertiser’s products.

While anger might be seen as an important step to grieving, it is vital for our own wellbeing that we address it, otherwise, it will permeate our thoughts and dominate our lives. Anger can seriously affect our normal loving nature and can even be the cause of sickness and severe mental problems.

So, how do we rise above, and deal with, our anger? There is no doubt it will require considerable courage and a genuine desire to overcome any feelings we might have of righteous indignation.

Jesus was forced to do it in the Garden of Gethsemane. His desperate pleas to His Father in Heaven went unheeded. His friends preferred to sleep rather than help. He was angry, frustrated and desperate, yet He accepted the challenge He knew would only lead to His suffering and death.

While we may not see our anger as having a similar outcome to what Jesus had to endure, we can seek His help in attempting to overcome our own personal situation, because He knows what we are going through.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s Faith.

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Colliding with reality

When travelling along our faith journey, we need occasionally to consider the strength of our relationship with God and how this is affecting our daily lives.

Those who might offer us assistance often refer to the importance of finding a quiet place and looking within ourselves to find and develop an on-going, close personal and spiritual relationship with God. A God who waits for our recognition and a chance to become an integral part of our daily lives.

You would think the wonderful experience of being close to our God would be one that we would never let diminish from our existence. However, the reality of it is that we are born into this world and have a purpose-filled life to lead. For most of us, our busy lives will not allow us to sit quietly in prayer and communicate all day with our God.

God created us to know and love Him and It is important we try, in whatever way possible, to include God in our day. But to be realistic and honest with ourselves, many of us get so involved in our day-to-day activities that regular communication with God might only amount to an occasional occurrence.

 Some might say this indicates a weakness in our faith. Yet, this is the life we have been given and we need to live this to the best of our ability, using the skills and gifts we possess. The exception of course, might be when we get frustrated in trying to resolve a situation and it is then we ask God for help.

We should take courage from what St Paul quoted in one of his letters to the Corinthians. He quotes Jesus Christ as saying, “My grace is enough for you: My power is at its best in weakness.”  St Paul is of the opinion that with this in mind, when we are weak, we can in fact still be strong in our faith.

We need to continually build on our relationship with God, but we can be happy in the knowledge that God’s presence is always with us, even though there will be many times when we fail to recognise this.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s Faith.

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Circle of Life

Creation theories are numerous and vary depending on who you speak with. Some, who prefer the scientific approach, believe the ‘Big Bang’ was the source of our universe commencing. Some even see certain star groups in the cosmos as the source of our creation, while Scripture tells us God created the world in six days.

All the creation theories seem to have a starting point, prior to which everything is ‘unknown’. For example, who created the stars or who instigated the ‘Big Bang’. If it was God who started creation rolling, then who created God?  Many people of different faiths throw their hands in the air and are prepared to accept that it is a big mystery that can’t be understood.

As human beings we like to think everything has a ‘beginning’ and many accept the terms ‘forever’ and ‘everlasting’. If we can readily accept these terms, then perhaps we might even look beyond the word ‘beginning’. If we were to believe in a loving God that ‘always was’ and ‘always will be’ as Scripture tells us, then this would make the acceptance of our Faith so much easier.

Some people live an exemplary life and feel that should there be a life hereafter, their good deeds will be recognised.  However, those who don’t believe in a life hereafter may question the purpose of their living?  

Because we are human. We often fall. We get ourselves up again and keep on going. I feel sure our creator doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but we can be really good triers.

For those who believe in a life hereafter, our life here on earth must be seen as a preparation for that time when death for them will become a reality.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith

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