Below: Shayne sings to a live audience.
Bottom: Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne
and Simon Cowell (left to right) give
their judgment in the live finals.
Love it or hate it, ITV’s ‘X-Factor’ talent
show attracts 40% of UK viewers,
around 9 million people, as well as those
watching on RTE. The formula is a win-
ner – this year around 75,000 hopefuls
audition for a place in the finals, to be the
one to win a £1m record deal, with the
fame and lifestyle that accompany it.
From hopeless, note-less and woeful to
brilliant, entertaining and inspiring – the
trio of judges had their work cut out.
Watching the heats was a mixture of
laughter, suspense, cringing, and feeling
guilty at being entertained by people’s
often-desperate attempts to strike fame
and fortune. The finals are better, but
each week someone has to be voted off.
Judgment and rejection is never easy, for
either the judges or the performers. The
sad thing is that so, so many hopefuls are
plainly not good enough. For many,
their self-belief, ambition, dreams and
the well-meaning advice of friends and
family blind them to the fact that they do
not have what it takes.
We may not realise it, but we find our-
selves in the same situation regularly.
We want people to have a good opinion
of us, so we put on our best performance,
not wanting to be judged negatively. We
may often want to be better than we really
are. Or, we may have been rejected so
many times, that we don’t try any more.
Or, we may simply not care about what
others think, but they think it anyway.
Yet few people seem to be bothered about
God’s opinion. Yet if they are, they hope
to be accepted by God, because they are
better than some people. Yet, we rarely
live up to our own standards, never mind
God’s. The problem is that one day he
will judge us all, to see if we have what it
takes to enter his presence forever.1
Jesus said that we must all be better than
the best, which is impossible.2 God tells
us that we can never make it.3 So, why
keep on trying to be accepted this way?
The good news is that we don’t have to
keep on trying to be good enough!
To those that were self-righteous, Jesus
told a parable about two people who
went up to pray.4 The self-righteous
man thanked God for how good he was
and for all that he did. But the other
man simply admitted his inability to be
what God required, and asked for mercy
instead. Jesus said that this man was
judged right before God, not the other.
How can this be? The answer is through
the ‘Cross-factor’. Jesus now offers us a
swap. Because he suffered and died on
the cross, he can take our sin and give us
his righteousness, as a gift.5 We just
have to stop, and accept it thankfully
with a truly sincere heart. On top of
that, we also receive the Holy Spirit so
we that ‘can’ do what God requires.
We might not have the ‘X-factor’. And
we certainly don’t have the ‘Godliness-
factor’. But Jesus offers us his right-
eousness, through the ‘Cross-factor’, if
we will only receive it.
(1) Matthew 12v36, Romans 14v10-12,
(2) Matthew 5v20, (3) Romans 3v20, (4) Luke 18v9-14,
(5) 2 Corinthians 5v21, Ephesians 2v8-9.
C o l i n G l e n C h r i s t i a n F e l l o w s h i p
Number 9, November 2005
Have you got it? 1
Deeper Than The Deep Blue Sea
2
Getting the most from the Bible
2
Every day for Jesus... 3
Floods, disasters, earthquakes!
3
Contact Details 4
Open House 4
Welcome Wolfgang 4
Faith Explored! 4
Prayer Requests 4
Have your say 4
Christmas Wordoku 4
Inside this issue:
Cross alk Have you got it?
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the address on the back page.
Or, email, or send your details
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“Most people are bothered by those
passages in Scripture which they cannot
understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages in
Scripture which trouble me most are
those that I do understand.”
Mark Twain
Page 2
Deeper Than The Deep Blue Sea
Several hundred miles off the coast of Guam is the Mariana Trench, the deepest place in the
ocean. On January 23, 1960, Jacques Piccard and Donald Walsh climbed into a submersible
vessel and were lowered into the cold, lonely darkness. Their descent into the deep, which set
the world record, has never been repeated.
The depth of the ocean is mind-boggling. The Mariana Trench is nearly 7 miles down. The
water pressure at the bottom of the trench is 15,931 pounds per square inch. Yet there is life.
Walsh saw flat fish on the ocean floor, surviving despite the pressure and the darkness.
For most of us, it's hard to fathom just how deep the Mariana Trench is. But much more diffi-
cult to comprehend is the love of God. Paul was hard-pressed to describe it, but he prayed
that his readers would be able somehow to grasp "the width and length and depth and
height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Ephesians 3:18).
The reason we can never reach the depths of God's love is that it is infinite—beyond measure.
If you ever feel alone and unloved, that you've sunk to the depths of dark despair, think about
Ephesians 3:18. God's love for you is deeper than the Mariana Trench! (One of the reading from ‘Our Daily Bread’ - 25 Oct 2005, used with permission. www.rbc.org)
Getting the most from the Bible People often comment that the Bible (a.k.a.
‘God’s Word’ or ‘Scripture’) is such a com-
plex book. They’ve read it but say that they
have got little out of it. But, everyone can
understand it a lot more if we know how to
approach it better. Here is a brief summary
of tips on getting the most from the Bible.
Around 40 people wrote the Bible over about
1500 years, but the Holy Spirit inspired
them.1 While we read their words, we hear God
speaking to us. He says; “As the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.”2 Yet at the same time he wants us
to know his thoughts. This is why he gave us
the Bible. Since God’s Word is spiritual, we
need to pray for the essential help of the Holy
Spirit, in order to understand it.3
Different versions translate the original an-
cient languages and figures of speech into
current languages and idioms. A good mod-
ern translation that reads easily is best.
The Bible shouldn’t always be taken literally.
For example, Jesus said; “I am the gate; who-
ever enters through me will be saved.”4 But
he doesn’t mean that he is made of wood! He
used the metaphor of the sheepfold to teach
that he alone is the Saviour of the world.
While the Bible is primarily concerned with
matters of faith and salvation, it also contains
history, science, etc. In all of these it can be
fully relied on as accurate, and it has never
been proven wrong. Jesus certainly believed
in the whole Old Testament, quoting it often.
The 66 books of the Bible contains different
types of writing, each to be understood in its
own way: Narrative (e.g. stories/history);
Figurative (e.g. parables/metaphors); Poetry
(e.g. Psalms); Wisdom (e.g. Proverbs); God’s
Law (e.g. Deuteronomy); Prophecy (e.g. Je-
sus death, or second coming); Letters (e.g.
Paul’s letter to the Christians at Corinth).
What we say can sometimes be taken out of
context to mean something different than what
we intended. So too, Bible verses should be
considered in their immediate context, and in
the context of the Bible as a whole. Since God
revealed his mind progressively over time, the
New Testament is generally clearer than the Old
Testament and is a good place to start reading.
The Bible generally can be understood
plainly. There normally aren’t hidden meanings
in each passage. As a rule of thumb, ask:
1 - What does it say? (e.g. “For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6v21.)
2 - What does it mean? (i.e. Our heart be-
longs to those things that we treasure most.)
3 - What does it mean to us today? (Whatever
we put first in life, that is our god. It can be
the Lord God, or other things like relation-
ships, wealth, football, politics, cars, TV etc.)
By knowing God’s Word better, it comes
alive to us. We hear God speaking to us, in-
dividually, by the Holy Spirit. What an en-
couragement to read the Bible!
For more help, use a commentary, cross-references, a
concordance (index), or other books such as “Understanding
the Bible” by John Stott. References: (1) 2 Peter 1v20-21,
(2) Isaiah 55v9, (3) 1 Cor. 2v13-14, (4) John 10v9.
�
Below: Recent flooding in the UK.
Bottom: Balakot, the worst hit town in
Pakistan’s recent earthquake.
“I hit the windscreen with an incredible
force.“
Page 3
Despite being around for thousands of years,
earthquakes, tsunami, and famine all seem to
be happening so regularly now. They come
as uncomfortable reminders that life is not as
secure as we would like it to be. Without
warning, each of us could be another statistic
on the news. People are asking more and
more; Why are they happening? What does it
mean for the world? What does it mean for us?
There are no easy or comfortable answers.
We can’t blame it all on global warming, or
other man-made causes. Yet, we can become
more efficient at emergency relief and chari-
table giving. But more importantly, we can
learn about the future through them. One of
two lessons Jesus gave from a natural disaster
(2000 years ago), was that unless his listeners
turned to God, they too would all perish.1
The Lord tells us that wars, earthquakes, fam-
ines and epidemics will mark the coming of
the new earth2, where there will be no more
crying or pain or death.3 But first, there will
be the end of the world, and final judgment
for all.4 We cannot predict when – since we
are told that we won’t expect it.5 The im-
portant thing is to be ready.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his prom-
ise, as some understand slowness. He is pa-
tient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.”6 “For
God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.”7
How can we be ready? Turn to God, thank-
ing him for his great love. Ask for his for-
giveness, and leave the burden of our sin at
the cross, to follow him each day.8
References: (1) Luke 13v4-5, (2) Luke 21v10-11, (3)
Revelation 21v1-4, (4) 2 Peter 3v7, (5) 1 Thessalonians
5v1-2, (6) 2 Peter 3v9, (7) John 3:16, (8) Acts 21v21
Floods, disasters, earthquakes!
An ‘ordinary’ day in my life... When I was younger I didn’t believe in the
Lord, or at least not in a way that changed the
way I lived. I had the blessing of being
raised in a Christian home, but like so many
others, I wasn’t very interested or passionate
about the person of Jesus Christ. The ques-
tions of purpose and meaning in this life
never seemed to grasp my attention, but that
was all before something happened.
April 22, 2002, my twin brother Jacob and I
were on our way to our school’s ‘Battle of the
Bands’ competition. Ordinary day, ordinary
life. Jake was behind the wheel as we were
discussing the songs we were going to perform.
Suddenly, to our surprise and horror, a car
had stopped in front of us, not 15 feet away.
Still travelling at 50 mph, Jake swung the steering
wheel, and we just barely missed the stopped
vehicle. Although we managed to avoid that
impact, a greater one awaited us, since we
had turned into the oncoming lane of traffic.
We crashed head on with a van that was do-
ing the same speed as we were. It was terri-
ble. My brother and I didn’t have our seat
belts on, and the air bags didn’t go off. I hit
the windscreen with an incredible force.
Waking in the ambulance, I found that there
were eight different sections of my face need-
ing stitching and removal of glass, with some
of my skull exposed. My brother Jake had
equally horrific wounds and some broken
bones. But we were alive - we were okay.
As I lay immoveable in my hospital bed over
the next few nights, life had a new focus for
me. All those questions of meaning and pur-
pose in
life now
came
rushing
to me
frantic-
ally.
I real-
ized
some key truths through that tragedy that I
had never believed before. The first thing
was the brevity of life. By all statistics nei-
ther my brother nor I should have survived
the accident. I felt as if I had just escaped
death’s grasp, or rather that God had spared
me. I was now struck with the inescapable
realization that at any time I could die. And
where would that lead me?
The biggest thing I learned, though, was that
the life God has given me is meant to be lived
the way that he intended. Now this Jesus,
that I had learned so much about before, was
asking for my whole being, and assuring me
of something that surpasses both life and
death - salvation.
And when I discovered the new life for God,
it was not through hardship or a weary heart
that I began to live it, for now I often experi-
ence the peace, joy, and fulfilment that the
Lord meant me to - the very things which I
was created for. I live passionately in the
knowledge of the giver of life and death, who
has given me a purpose and meaning that will
go on for eternity. I praise him daily for
sparing my brother and I. (Joshua Loy)
Welcome Wolfgang
The leadership of Colin Glen Christian
Fellowship has been increased as Wolfgang
Maier has recently joined John Duffy. He and
his family have moved up from Cork where
they have been living for the last eleven years.
No prizes for guessing that Wolfgang is
German. His wife is originally from Belfast,
and they are settling in well here.
He has commented that the people he has met
so far have a lot in common with those he knew
in Cork. He is looking forward to making
many new friends in the years to some. It is
great to have him on board with CGCF.
Contact
Wolfgang Maier (left) and John Duffy (right)
Christmas Wordoku Wordoku is a word-based variation of the
popular number-based Sudoku puzzle. Each
column, each row, and each set of nine
squares outlined by the heavy line contain the
letters below.
Fill in the spaces, with none of the columns,
rows or sets of nine squares containing the
same letter twice.
This is what the wise men did when they met
Jesus:
H I R S W D O E P
For the completed Wordoku, see the link on the home page of the website at www.cgcf.net
D E O R H W S
P E
D H O I R
S P D H
H R W D O
I W
R O P E S H I
Prayer Requests
If you have matters that you would like prayed
about, we would like to support you in prayer.
Ring or email (details above), or fill in the anony-
mous form on the website. All details will be kept
in strict confidence. The Lord answers prayer.
Click on the ‘Prayer Requests’ link: www.cgcf.net
The recently updated website has a dis-
cussion forum for matters of faith and cul-
ture. Post your comments on Crosstalk
there. Post questions or simply make your
point of view known. Visit the forum at: www.cgcf.net/forum
Have your say
Interested in a short course exploring faith
more deeply? We are planning to run six
week courses regularly to look at key aspects
of the Christian faith. Anyone interested should contact us (details above). Times and places
can be arranged to suit anyone.
Topics covered: What do we rely on? What does God want from us? Can we do without Jesus?
What is grace? Being a follower of Jesus - part 1 & 2.
Faith Explored!
‘Open House’ - Now every Wednesday
We meet on Wednesday evenings for Bible study and fellowship with tea,
coffee and a bite to eat. Join us as we
look into the Bible to see what we can
learn from it, and how it is relevant to
our lives today.
Everyone is welcome - just turn up, or
ring for more details. Every Wednesday
7.30-9.30 pm (except during July).
We meet at 42A Cloona Park - Just off
the Stewartstown Road roundabout.
John and Elaine Duffy 42A Cloona Park Upper Dunmurry Lane Belfast BT17 0HH Phone: (028) 90600323 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cgcf.net