He Knows.

In the walk from the city centre to the hill of Crucifixion, understandably Jesus would have been close to death and unable to go on for much longer as the cross he was carrying would have been far to heavy.

It is at some point in the journey he falls and the solders start to beat him to make him carry on, but he had seemed to lose all strength to lift that cross anymore.

Standing in the crowd was a Cyrenian  guy  called Simon. I'm not sure what happened but I imagine Simon may have tried to get the solders to show a bit of respect to Jesus, or maybe even tried to help Jesus as he struggled on the ground.

What ever happened Simon was told by the solder to carry the cross for Jesus. This to me has a important part to play in the story and in the bible.

At the point in the journey as Jesus hit a point that he just couldn't carry on alone Simon was the one to take up the challenge with him. Jesus had been almost beaten to his death but Simon was fresh and had the strength to help Jesus.

Jesus would have realise that this was the only way he was going to get to the end and needed Simon's help to see him through.

We all have times when we just cant do it alone. We need people around us. We need support from others. Even as Christians it is essential to have the support of the Church.

Jesus experience our struggle to receive him. He experienced the what it was like to not be able to carry his burden alone. he experienced the feeling of having to depend on others to keep him alive.

He know, and he know the inability we have to carry our burdens alone.

Toilet Thinking.

There's a curtain pride in a mans heart that can sometimes stop him from being the best he can be.

Sometimes the male ego can get in the way of what really matters and the fight against brain and reality can sometimes spiral out of control.

Its a bit like when the 2 yard flop over the line in the corner to score a try becomes a 40 yard solo run past many defenders to score the winning try under the posts. Or the time you hit 80 mph on the M25 turns into 110 mph.

We all have the ability to bend the truth, or in many cases lie about it to make ourselves look better or feel better. But the truth is we are all in reality who we are and who we are made to be.

 When we think about it being ourselves is one of the hardest things to be, but its also the one thing we can excel in.

If we feel we have failed then maybe we need to look forward and turn that failier into success. If we feel we have lost then maybe we need to find a way of winning.

It is said the best place to think is on the toilet, its also one of the only places we can truly be ourselves.

At the beginning of this year I lost something that I truly felt the world of (and still do). Now I feel I have failed and lost the chance of an amazing future because of this. I also have been wondering why God let me down at that time.

I listened and listened and followed what I felt he was saying, but I have lost that now and just cant see a future as good as it could have been.

I guess looking back is never the best way to find success. Bending the truth is never the way to become better. And accepting failier is never the way to the best future that god promises.

If you feel you've failed make that decision to turn that failier into the success. Its gonna take time but the bible tells us that Gods time is nothing like ours and patients is the key to to faith, and faith is the key to Gods Glory.

In The Lions Den.

So today the British & Irish Lions Kick of the first of three games against Australia. The Lions have been Touring over the past few weeks and have been playing Clubs from around Australia in the warm up to the main Test Matches.

Being in Australia the Lions will be livings in amongst Australian fans and media and the home crowds will ensure the Brits know they are in Australia.

Among the sea of Australian yellow and green colours there is an ever growing splash of red as the British fans arrive down under to follow the British rugby hero's as they play there way through the three tests.

The amount of media coverage these days both on and off the pitch and with social media like twitter and facebook means its possible for fans to get messages to the team and payers can update statuses and share parts of their trip.

The first test in Brisbane, and as the Lions travel to the Suncorp Stadium they will get to see the many British fans that have travelled to support them and may well get a feeling that they are not alone.

I guess the link to Daniel and the British tour of Australia is obviously the Lions. Daniel got thrown into the Lion den for his beliefs. Many before him had been thrown to the Lions and become dinner, but Daniel (even though alone amongst a pack of hungry lions) kept his faith and knew God was there and keep him safe.

Just like the British Lions in Australia have the fans there to support them and keep them from feeling alone. Daniel knew God was there supporting him and kept him safe.

Going through a tuff time when you feel your alone, or feeling like everything is against you remember Good is not going to leave you and is there ready for you to call him and ask him to support you.

Doubt

I guess there is times for all Christian's when we doubt God, Maybe our trust seems all pointless and we feel let down by him. We feel we have done things the way he wanted and get left with nothing.

Gods promise is that he has the best for us. He wont ever leave us or even give up on us. He wants the best for us even if he has to find a different way of providing it.

Its said,  ''Nothing is impossible with god, the impossibility lies with us when limit God.''

I guess at the moment I find myself doubting weather those plans for good applies to me. I feel like Ive messed up and lost the chance the have the best. I find myself praying for stuff that I hope god wants and how ever impossible it seems I just have to keep trusting.

So how do we achieve the impossible? Well truth is we cant, unless we put when we but our trust in god all things are possible, its not about having false hope, it about having a real hope and real faith knowing that the future is in safe hands.

I will rise - Chris Tomlin