Thoughts of a travelling bachelor

So I’m sitting on a train that I just hopped onto at Birmingham. I’ve found over various train journeys that it is more favourable to not try and write in my journal trusting that I’ll be ok to write in a straight line… Trains lie.
So I just stayed with my sister Jen in Shrewsbury for a couple of days. It’s certainly been nice to get away. I rarely find that I am able to get out and find peace. When I get home I either want to go out and meet people or I just want to relax.
So what do I believe in? I believe in God. I believe in the God that loves. The God that so loved the world that he sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross so that all who accept his death may have the promise of eternal life. I believe that God created the world. Whether in seven days or as a perfect pre-made state or what I do not know. I suppose that my personal knowledge shall grow only as I study and read the bible more.
I believe in the Jesus who loves. Who as Aaron Gillespie from the great band Underoath put it – ‘hung out with whores and hookers’. Why is that a concept that seems to be lost on a lot of the middle class churches? There are so many churches out there (dare I say…sorry for the sweeping statement…add pinch of salt here) that reject and frown upon having certain people be it handicapped, kids from the rough estate area, jobless, unsaved, smokers, drinkers, whatever afflictions have fallen upon them…I mean I’m guilty of it too!
I remember being in my church at home and wondering why a couple of kids came to the church youth group I went to. But I didn’t have a grasp on the love of Christ. Now I still struggle with these things but I suppose I understand the love of Christ more. Take the Passion of the Christ. A film that I think is full of brutal honesty.
I believe that film started us along the road of repairing some of the damage that the church and half-baked Christians have done to the name of our saviour.

I believe in radical thinking. I believe in dangerous thinking. Just typing that brings a smile to my face. I think it was last summer, I was reading Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, a book that I still haven’t managed to finish. One thing that my Great uncle asked me after picking up the book for a flick through was ‘Do you really think Jesus was a DANGEROUS man?’ This subject really excites me…I think Jesus was a dangerous man in an unconventional sense. His thinking was and does today bring danger to society. For it is a radical and unpaired thinking that can if lived out change the face of this planet. Jesus loved regardless.

Why do I believe in radical thinking? I suppose that ever since I have been a teenager…well even since a small child I’ve learnt that shocking people gets more attention. Well it did in my parents’ household. I shocked with swearing, tattoos, dare I say bad decisions. I mean…I’m sitting on this train with a t-shirt that says ‘Jesus Loves Porn Stars’. If I was sat next to Jesus would he approve of this t-shirt? Is this t-shirt projecting a misrepresentation of what I actually want to say? I don’t know…but I don’t think that people expect radical thinking. The Pharisees and Jews weren’t expecting the kind of thinking that Jesus came out with. Maybe that’s why they killed him. Because his teachings didn’t match up to the claims that they thought their messiah would make. Well no…they killed him because that was the destiny of Christ. To die for the sins of the world.

I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the power of God. I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I believe in speaking in tongues. I believe in praying in tongues. I believe in God’s healing power. I believe in prophecy and visions appointed by God.
As controversial as I may be I also believe in the devil. I believe that he longs for nothing more than the destruction of Gods kingdom. And I believe in the ongoing battle that we face as soldiers of Christ. As Christians.

I believe in heaven. I believe that one day I shall come face to face with my heavenly father and then and only then shall I be truly home. Some roam the face of this planet in search of a home. But this is our home…for now. Until I get called up to be with God, I shall do my best to bring the glory of God to this earth. To the people that do not know him.

Do I travel and do this? Do I do this by staying in Guildford or moving to Exeter or to Australia?
Who knows?…only God. Which I must say I find truly exciting.