Category: That’s Faith

Judas is always depicted as the great sinner.  The one who betrayed Jesus.

Its only very rare that children, or even our family pets, get called Judas.  It’s the sort of name that tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth after you have said it.

So, Judas disagreed with the way Jesus was going about setting up His kingdom!  Surely, that’s a typical human reaction.

I wonder how we would react if we found ourselves caught up in an organisation led by a bearded, long-haired radical, who dined with known criminals and had a group of unemployed followers traipsing around the country side with him preaching peace and good will to all.

Judas didn’t quite understand Jesus, so He gave up on the relationship and, betrayed Him to the authorities.  For this he was given 30 pieces of silver.

I really don’t think Judas felt his action would result in the death of Jesus.  When he learned the horrible truth, the money meant nothing and it is said he was so demented, he went out and hung himself.

Every time we sin, we too betray the Jesus who loves us.  The sins of us all put Jesus on the cross, not just Judas’ betrayal.

Maybe it feels comfortable to blame Judas for what, in varying degrees, we are all responsible.

Let us be thankful The Father sent us a loving and forgiving Jesus who loves us all.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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We are all born for the purpose of living, yet Jesus was born for the express purpose of dying. Fortunately for us, he lived long enough to give us the messages we need  to survive in this life and obtain eternal life in the next.

He gathered around Him  ordinary people with whom He started His Church and who, with God’s continuing help, spread the message of the Gospel to all nations.

He rebelled against the restrictive practices of the Jewish law and made Himself unpopular with the ruling classes because of this.

He spoke of loving one another as equals and of the need for us to pray and help those less fortunate.

He spoke of His kingdom which was not of this world and of a Father in heaven who loves us all. He promised he would be with us for all time.

He used simple stories to help us understand His messages and shied away from popularity. Yet, He was seen as a threat by the High Priests and His simple life was terminated at the age of 33.

If we search the world for a meaning to life, we will only find it if we find the cross.  For Jesus came that we should have life and He died to ensure our life in this world extended into eternity.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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During our lives we often visit unknown places and there is usually a feeling of expectancy, or even excitement, at what we will find when we reach our destination.

Have you ever gone looking for God?  I’m sure some of us would stand gazing at the heavens in our search.  Others would argue, because you can’t see or touch something like God, the exercise would be fruitless.

While some find it easy to see God in other people’s kindness and caring, many of us find it extremely difficult to find God in ourselves.

We need to find the time to seek out a quiet place where we can shut out the distractions of this world and be one with our God.

We can go on a personal journey of discovery beyond our human skin and bone to the centre of our very being.  Tucked away deep inside each one of us is the warm glow of our maker’s presence.  Here is the Spirit Jesus said would be with us for all time.

Jesus didn’t mean He would be hovering above us in the clouds.  He meant that His Spirit is alive within each one of us.

When we travel the inner road within ourselves, only then will we find this to be the most rewarding journey of our lives.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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For some, annual holidays provide the opportunity to turn off from their usual occupation and immerse themselves in other activities.   So much so, that sometimes they even look forward to going back to work for a rest.

We should try and be sensible about holidays and consider our body’s need for rest and recuperation.

For many, holidays may well involve a complete change in lifestyle, such as camping or touring.  Others may use the time to reconnect with friends and relatives or even travel the world.

Whatever our choice, holidays can be a good opportunity to consider some of those things we have not been able to give much time to during our busy year.

We can’t keep locking God out of our lives on the pretext that we are too busy.  Our holidays can give us the opportunity of questioning where we are going and what we are doing, not just in this life, but in the next.

Making our God more real in our world will allow us to face the future with a new-found hope and a long-term friend.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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It is strange how often we come across situations that appear to be so complex it’s impossible for them to be resolved in human terms. There seems to be no answer that might solve the problem.  We tend to lose hope and with it comes frustration and despair.

It is strange how we often get to the point where it seems humanly impossible to proceed any further and then it dawns on us to pray for help.  I guess, it has happened to us all from time to time.

Prayer can be a bit like an all-risks insurance policy.  By making regular contributions we are covered in the event of loss or damage.  We can call on our insurer to make good the company’s promises and we can feel secure we are being protected.

For instance, if we have a Home and Contents insurance policy on our home and our house gets burgled, unless our policy is current, it is almost impossible to make an insurance claim against a lapsed policy.

A prayer or two each day keeps us in touch with the biggest insurance agent in the business.  Call now for a free personalised 24 hour service policy with no annoying forms to complete.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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When two people first find they love each other in a deep and meaningful way, their hearts are filled with an ecstasy that overwhelms all other emotions.

As their love grows, they promise each other a lifetime of happiness, excitement, generous giving and open sharing.

Sometimes the joy of that relationship can fade if the promises are broken. The effervescence of yesterday’s overwhelming feelings of love can be replaced with today’s heartaches and distress.

As we interrogate ourselves over and over about our commitment, our actions and even our words, we can find ourselves at the point of despair where we even question our own ability to love.

The cry of the broken-hearted lover was heard when Jesus called to His heavenly Father for support in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper.

During those times when promises and hearts are broken, we need to reach out and seek the help of Jesus, who has experienced what we are going through, because during our rough times it is a lot easier if we don’t have to go it alone.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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The cry rang out, “Hey!, give us a hand here mate” and immediately help was on the way.

It is interesting how the word, ‘hand’ has so many different meanings and can be used in many ways.

Clocks have hands, card players play their hands and bananas grow on hands, while we applaud a performance by putting our hands together. We shake each other’s hand in greeting, we measure horses by their number of hands high and workers on country properties are often referred to as station hands.

To help someone by carrying a load for them, we must first reach out our hands to them. In giving directions we point to the way with our hands and fingers, and we often use our hands demonstratively in talking, particularly with those who are deaf.

Trained hands can manipulate muscles and operate delicate pieces of equipment, while loving hands can gently touch and reassure.

Hands can also be used to push others away from helping us. Hands can be clenched and become fists to punch and hurt. They can be used as a stop signal to prohibit us from coming forward and they are often used to point at and accuse others.

Jesus reached out His hands on the cross on Calvary and died for us. When we find there might be times when we need to reach out to others and give them ‘a hand’, lets ensure our hands are open and not closed.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.        LINK

Elvis Presley sang a beautiful song called “One Pair of Hands”. Hear the song.

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Sometimes in a moment of weakness, we give in to temptation and then find ourselves with a heavy heart, perhaps even weighed down with guilt.

We tend to rethink the distasteful period of the temptation, knowing that our actions would probably be entirely different, if given the opportunity to relive the situation.

Nevertheless, the deed has been done and we are left with a burden of guilt, which, even with time doesn’t seem to want to go away.

We can try hiding it or denying it, or even attempt to write it off lightly to ourselves.  However, to really solve the problem and remove the guilt that clouds our mind, we need to be remorseful and somehow find the freedom that comes from forgiveness.

If we have hurt someone, we must find a way of making amends to them. Let us humbly confess our wrongdoing to our God who has suffered and died for us and wants only to love us. Our guilt can then dissipate and be replaced with the freedom, peace and joy that comes with forgiveness.

Being human, means we make mistakes, we have to accept that. However, I’m sure the efforts we make to keep on the straight and narrow will be to our long-term advantage, particularly if, in the process, we can rid ourselves of any guilt that might be weighing us down and preventing us from being the person we were created to be.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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Being forced by the Roman soldiers to help carry a common criminal’s cross was something Simon had never envisaged would happen to him, as he left Cyrene to travel to Jerusalem on that first Good Friday.

Simon wondered what crime this Jesus person had committed.  It was obvious he’d been given a hard time by his persecutors and was fairly weak, as he kept falling over.

How embarrassing it was for Simon.  He grabbed the roughly cut timber cross with only discontent in his heart for the soldiers.  He knew he dare not object, or he could find himself taking the place of this battered bloke beside him.

Simon helped by dragging the cross up the hill. It was a hot day.  The cross was heavy, and all Simon wanted was to get the job done and then continue on his way.

He dropped the cross at the top of the hill and looked at the man soon to die a painful death.  It was strange, but something within him told him this was an innocent man.

I imagine, Jesus would have looked at Simon with a face smeared with blood, sweat and caked dust.  A look from an exhausted man that simply said, – “thank you”.

Simon walked back down the hill and I’m sure he was wondering within himself just what it meant to be the last man to do this person Jesus a good turn.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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For many, Good Friday is a day of reflection – one day of quiet in a busy year of activity.

While some people will be considering the painful journey of Jesus on His way to Calvary on Good Friday, others see the Easter period as an opportunity to enjoy a holiday or just a time away from work.

We read in scripture that at the death of Jesus on the first Good Friday, darkness covered the land. Nowadays, at Easter, the lights go out in our cinemas and if we choose, we can settle back with a carton of popcorn and be entertained by the imagery on the silver screen. Or we can go shopping, get a feed at a restaurant or attend a football match.

Let’s make Good Friday a day of reflection and reconciliation rather than allow its significance to disappear into the cash registers of our entrepreneurs and profiteers. The 30 pieces of silver Judas earned on this day 2,000 years ago led only to his destruction.

Maybe Jesus could see how we would allow the memory of His suffering and death to slowly disappear behind a wall of entertainment and enjoyment when He told the crowd lining the roadway to Calvary. “Don’t cry for me…..cry for yourselves and for your children”.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.

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