Hello Readers. I cannot believe it is a year since I posted my last Christmas blog. Quite a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. My attempts at resisting temptation were not as successful as I had hoped. But I remain optimistic (no, 'determined') that I can conquer my personal demons this coming year. I must remember to pray more regularly. It is easy to underestimate the power of prayer.
I hope all of you have a happy new year, and, God willing, I shall blog more frequently in 2006.
God bless - N
Friday, December 30, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
C S Lewis
It has been a while since I last posted on my blog. I have been on a bit of a spiritual journey since then. Part of this has involved reacquainting myself with the works of C S Lewis. His work goes in and out of fashion, but the truth of it never diminishes. I believe that The Screwtape Letters was the first book I ever read of his. It was given to me by my late mother (God rest her soul) when I was a teenager. My mother, by the way, was not a Christian. Yet she tried, for reasons I don’t clearly understand to make sure that I got some sort of Christian teaching. She sent me to a Methodist Sunday school, and she occasionally gave me the odd ‘Christian classic’ to read.
My real love for Lewis’s Christian writing was kindled by a book of Lewis quotations that I borrowed from our local library. It was full of marvellous quotes and insights, and very soon I wanted to read the works that were quoted there. The first that I chose was Mere Christianity. The phrase “that book changed my life” is perhaps overused. But this is true, in my case, of Mere Christianity. There is something in the tone of Lewis’s writing that makes one feel that he is talking perfect sense. His 1950s style of discourse has a quality that transcends its era and makes it ‘timeless’. I would strongly recommend that you read this book if you have not already done so.
At the moment, I am halfway through reading his science fiction trilogy; Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. I shall post again when I have finished these to give you an update.
N
My real love for Lewis’s Christian writing was kindled by a book of Lewis quotations that I borrowed from our local library. It was full of marvellous quotes and insights, and very soon I wanted to read the works that were quoted there. The first that I chose was Mere Christianity. The phrase “that book changed my life” is perhaps overused. But this is true, in my case, of Mere Christianity. There is something in the tone of Lewis’s writing that makes one feel that he is talking perfect sense. His 1950s style of discourse has a quality that transcends its era and makes it ‘timeless’. I would strongly recommend that you read this book if you have not already done so.
At the moment, I am halfway through reading his science fiction trilogy; Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. I shall post again when I have finished these to give you an update.
N
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Temptation
It is uncommon now to talk about the Devil. But sadly he is very real. The Devil is usually thought of as a grotesque 'Hellboy' looking character. Instantly recognisable and terrifying to behold. The promotion of this (false) image is, in fact, one of his cleverest strategies. The Devil is far more subtle.
The Devil is discreet but he is easy to find if you know what to look for. The Devil exists in you most powerful temptations. Temptation has always been the Devils province. In the Bible we read how Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness. This story, at first glance, seems harmless enough. We are always sure that Jesus will not succumb, why would he? The temptation to show his power was not that great - or was it?
Perhaps for Jesus the temptation to display His great power (to turn stones into bread, to defy death) was the greatest temptation of all. How much easier to control the world than to die for it?
The Devil attacks us in the same way that he attacked Jesus: by finding our most powerful temptations and using them against us. Big temptations, to commit unspeakable crimes, are easy to spot and resist. But some temptations seem too trivial to bother resisting - but those are the most dangerous ones! The temptations to make us mean in a petty way, or lustful, or boastful, or unkind, or selfish. These are the real dangers because they ‘slip in under our guard’.
We must always be aware of the workings of the Devil lest he should turn us aside from heaven, which has always been his intention.
N
The Devil is discreet but he is easy to find if you know what to look for. The Devil exists in you most powerful temptations. Temptation has always been the Devils province. In the Bible we read how Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness. This story, at first glance, seems harmless enough. We are always sure that Jesus will not succumb, why would he? The temptation to show his power was not that great - or was it?
Perhaps for Jesus the temptation to display His great power (to turn stones into bread, to defy death) was the greatest temptation of all. How much easier to control the world than to die for it?
The Devil attacks us in the same way that he attacked Jesus: by finding our most powerful temptations and using them against us. Big temptations, to commit unspeakable crimes, are easy to spot and resist. But some temptations seem too trivial to bother resisting - but those are the most dangerous ones! The temptations to make us mean in a petty way, or lustful, or boastful, or unkind, or selfish. These are the real dangers because they ‘slip in under our guard’.
We must always be aware of the workings of the Devil lest he should turn us aside from heaven, which has always been his intention.
N
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