Another one of those hectic weeks! So hectic, that I’ve had little chance to blog! I finally got my hair cut on Friday, after sojourning due to the closure of my regular barber. A work colleague suggested a barber near to my work premises, so I thought I’d give it a try. All my friends say it’s a vast improvement and looks so much better, so I guess the barber gets a thumbs up. 🙂 (Either that, or my friends aren’t telling me what they really think…or is that just me being paranoid?)
Given this week was the last week of the Easter holidays, I had the luxury of having Friday evening to myself. Given Sarah had recently had a birthday, Karen and I decided to make her the focus of attention and have a small ice-cream party in her honour. (Thanks Ruth for the idea!) We obtained copious amounts of ice-cream, a cake, some candles, a card and some gifts, all we needed was a venue and some bodies. After some negotiation, we all bundled round to Karen’s place, with Sarah apparently unaware of the true motive for the gathering. Once all were assembled, the cake made an entrance, accompanied with the melodious tones of “Happy Birthday”, with the cards and gifts in tow. The birthday girl was speechless, but quite evidently happy. Mission accomplished. 😀 The rest of the evening was spent playing party games and enjoying each other’s company. It was good to spend the evening acknowledging a remarkable young lady.
Saturday started off down the snooker hall with Alex, with me eventually coming out ahead by 5-2 frames. We then met up with the usual suspects for a wander around Osterley Park, although the weather was cold, windy and overcast, the conversation and fellowship was warm and bright. We finished the evening watching Fawlty Towers on DVD – I’d forgotten how funny they were! Definitely one of the finest television comedies ever!

I must admit to being rather bemused about how the world, particularly the media, view Roman Catholicism and the Pope. This has become particularly stark with the recent death of Pope John Paul II.

As as bible-believing Christian, I have grave concerns about the Roman Catholic Church, with its teachings on justification, and the Papacy in particular. When it came to spiritual leadership, Jesus himself said we shouldn’t refer to any man as Father, or Papa or Pope, but to only refer to God as our spiritual Father. (Mt 23:9) In the writings of the apostles in the New Testament, we are reminded we have access to God through Jesus Christ alone, not through priests on earth. (1Ti 2:5)

I am not denying that Karol Wojtyla, in comparison to other men, was a good man. He did many great things, but, like all men, he was not without sin. I am slightly irked when people say he must be in heaven because he’s a good man or because he’s the Pope. The bible says that none of our good works, nor our status amongst men, counts for anything before God. (Isa 64:6) Whilst the bible itself says that, before men, we are justified by our good works, for that is all that men can see. (Jas 2:24) The bible also says that, before God, none of us are holy enough, and that we are justified before God by faith in Christ alone. (Ro 3:22-24) For only God can see that faith in our hearts, and only Christ can make us holy. I do not know what Karol Wojtyla truly believed in his heart, so I do not know his status before God. Only God knows.

It was a joy to witness the marriage of Robin and Muno this morning, I’ve known both of them for a number of years, and could not think of a better match. The sermon given by the leader of Muno’s church and was on the Gospel of John, chapter 15.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” Jesus Christ (John 15:12)

Love is often spoken about, but little understood. For many, the extent of love is feelings, infatuation, sexual attraction and so on. Whilst these things are necessary in a marriage, love in its true extent is necessary. As Jesus explained to his disciples, love also requires commitment, the will to stick through thick and thin, regardless of the circumstances. Love should be unconditional, not traded in some balancing act, but given without expecting something back. Love should be selfless, putting others before yourself. The husband should seek to care for his wife, sacrificing himself and his desires in order to please his wife. Love should be obedient, with the wife doing what the husband asks, as long as it is accordance with God’s commands. Above all, we should love, because Christ first loved us, and that by the power of his Holy Spirit working in us, we will be enabled to love.
I pray that Robin and Muno will be so blessed by God, so loved by God, that they will love each other for as long as they both live.

Saturdays should never start early, but should be a day of lying in and having bacon and eggs for beakfast. However, a worthy reason for sacrificing my lazy Saturday morning had arisen, Sarah’s birthday is looming and it had been decided we’d all go to Hot Shots, Thatcham for a day of paint balling to celebrate. This Saturday, being the first in April, was surprisingly pleasant, with beautiful sunshine, clear blue skies and a clement temperature. All the better for running around with a paint ball gun, shooting balls of paint at friend and stranger alike.
The day was broken up into eight games, each of ten to twenty minutes in duration, with lunch somewhere in between. The games were a lot of fun, although I was rather alarmed at the number of shots I had fired in the first few games, racking up a �10 surcharge for extra paint balls. The barbeque lunch was a little disappointing, as although everyone else got a bun to go with their burger/chicken, I had to make do with just a burger and salad sans bun. To cap it off, they had run out of forks, so I ate with two knives. Lunch aside, everyone appeared to enjoy themselves, especially the birthday girl, even though the amenities weren’t particularly endearing to feminine sensibilities!
After the paint balling, we all headed off for a well earned shower, which allowed me to discover quite a number of paint ball induced bruises!
In the evening we met up in Windsor to stroll along the riverside and sit and chat over a beverage and light meal in a cafe. A nice relaxing way to wind down after a long, but fun, day.
All in all, a great day for which I am grateful.

Q: What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
A: They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

Q: What is justification?
A: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

Q: What is adoption?
A: Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

Q: What is sanctification?
A: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

(Questions XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV and XXXV from the Westminster Shorter Catechism)