Can History Repeat Itself?

Had a look back at this post which I wrote back in July 2005 just after the first Test of the last Ashes series.

Different lessons learnt this time - must do better with the ball for one thing!
A positive back then now looking a little shaky - bowling Australia out twice!

Pietersen still a plus for us though.

Like last year, McGrath a doubt through injury. So can history repeat itself and we bounce back in the 2nd test at Adelaide? We shall see...

The Gabba

The Ashes down under - it all kicks off tonight…for us Poms anyway! I can’t believe it has been over 14 months since the final test match in last year’s series in England.

The big debate over here is whether or not to play Giles or Panesar in this first test at the Gabba. Jonathon Agnew, BBC correspondent, probably has a valid point…but is it not a little too negative?


In many ways, given the record of finger spinners on this ground, it is almost an irrelevance, and that is why I would choose Giles.

This is a pitch for the pacemen, and all the spinner will be required to do is bowl a few overs to give the quick boys a breather.

I know many will disagree with my decision, but I will also make the point that Panesar has not bowled very well on the trip so far, and he missed a great opportunity to state his case in favourable conditions in Adelaide over the weekend.

Can we really have a situation in which England are 230-6 with Flintoff 20 not out, and Matthew Hoggard walks out to bat with Steve Harmison, James Anderson and Panesar behind him?

A score of 230-6 would probably become 260 all out. Giles is not Don Bradman, but he is more than capable of hanging around in that situation, as he did on a couple of notable occasions last year.

Pass the Salt II

Paul Benger continued our great series ‘Pass the Salt’ this morning in church. This second part was called ‘Love people’.

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus taught that the law was not the salt and light but that you are!

The following incident shows us how to love people and it particularly looks at this through the eyes of the culture of the day.

Luke 10:25-37

The expert on the law comes and asks a question about the law! He had a hidden agenda, he comes to test Jesus to try and catch him out.

When the law said ‘love your neighbour as yourself’, the Jew believed ‘your neighbour’ referred to someone like himself - another Jew, not a Gentile or a Samaritan.

So Jesus, as always, courted controversy by revealing what loving your neighbour really meant by sharing this well known parable of the Good Samaritan.

Passing by on the other side simply meant ignoring the stripped and beaten man.

Those listening to the Parable would have thought the third person to come along and help the man would have been an ordinary Jew, after the Priest and Levite had passed him by. But he was a Samaritan man. The Jews hated Samaritans.

Jesus was stirring up the emotions of the expert of the law – bringing out all of his prejudice and racism. He asked who had been a neighbour to this man. The expert said it was the one who had shown mercy. He couldn’t even bring himself to say it was the Samaritan!

Think about the people in your world...who will be a neighbour to those people?

4 important truths to share from the teachings of Jesus

We were created to love people

Racism and prejudice entered our world because of the fall. God is love. We are made in his image. It’s in you! God loves people...we love people.

1 John 4:8,16 – (8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (16) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Love the one you’re with

Bear one another’s burdens. Your husband isn’t perfect, your wife isn’t perfect! Love them.

Love is more than a feeling, it’s a commitment

It can be a challenge to love people...we need to make a commitment to bring heaven into our world.

1 Thessalonians 5:13-15 – (13) Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. (14) And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (15) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Love always involves giving

Don’t rob people of what God wants to give them. Give to those in need. There are those who need something from you – time, food, clothing, money, prayers, encouragement.

What kind of neighbour can you be? Let us bring light and life to those around us. Make a big difference in this world.

Pass the Salt I

Paul Benger began a two-part series this morning in church entitled ‘Pass the Salt’. The first part was called ‘God’s people’. A great message.

Matthew 5:13-16

Apparently there are 14,000 uses for salt!

The religious leaders thought ‘the law’ was the salt and light of the world. Jesus came and turned that concept on its head!

Four elements of Jesus’ teaching...

Your are the people of God
You are the salt of the earth, not the law. It’s not about rules and regulations.

Your get to bring Heaven to Earth
As the people of God, this was the thrust of Jesus’ teaching - you get to bring Heaven NOW!
Matthew 6:9-10 - (9) This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (10) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

You are called to this life
...of being the people of God and bringing Heaven to earth.

Your life tells the story
Your life tells the message of Jesus, the message that’s good news.
Matthew 5:16 - In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Let your life tell a good story – of God’s grace and mercy.

We receive what we give away...give away heaven and you will receive heaven.

Five things that salt does, that we should do in bringing Heaven to earth.

Salt adds flavour
It makes things taste better. We can make life taste better. Be the kind of person that people like to be around.

Salt preserves
It keeps things fresh and clean. We hold back and prevent decay. As the church engage in the environmental debate. Our purpose here is to prevent decay.
If we take the church out of the world what would happen? Evil would consume the world completely. We preserve life, while ever we are here people can find a way to God through Christ. We are preservative people.

Salt melts coldness
We need to show authentic Christianity to our world. People need to meet you, your warmth, kindness and compassion.

Salt heals
When we are around people we can bring healing and hope to people’s lives. Connecting with the people of God will bring hope and healing. Making the difference.

Salt creates thirst
People want significance and value. It’s not about money and fame.
People are thirsty, we can create thirst – salt of the earth. We can give it away – God’s love.

Be who you are...the people of God. You are salty...you can’t lose that saltiness.
You can make life taste better for those around you. You can make the difference.

Who Are You?

Great time in church this morning. Jeannie Benger spoke on the importance of knowing who we are.

Different things in your life define who you are. Knowing who you are has great value to you and to those around you. Vision is hindered if we don’t know who we are.

In society image is everything. Certain things make us more acceptable. What is important is how God is to us. We live to an audience of ONE.

Proverbs 3:6 - Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take

The things that ‘make’ us...

Be clothed in Christ
Where Him well. We show Christ to those around us.

Galatians 3:26-27 – (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.

The way we wear God effects those around us and helps them to shape their future.

Be confident in who you are
Knowing God, having a relationship with Him gives us great confidence.

2 Corinthians 3:4-5 – (4) We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. (5) It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

Have a Godly confidence in all areas of life. Don’t compare yourselves with others. Have bold confidence in who you are...a child of God.

1 John 3:21-22 – (21) Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. (22) And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

Be accepted
Very often people don’t feel accepted. You are accepted by God. Even before he created anything, God loved you!

Ephesians 1:4-8 – (4) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. (5) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (6) So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. (7) He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. (8) He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

The cross should always remind us we are accepted.

Know that you are chosen
You are special and you are loved. He takes our lives and turns them into an original masterpiece.

1 Peter 2:9 - But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.