Winning the World Cup

England won the Cricket world cup. It was an amazing match, so good that I have watched the last hour for a second time, even though I knew England had won. It was so tense when, with four balls to go, England needed fifteen runs. I don’t know how they got the fourteen runs they needed to draw the match. A match I will never forget with so many ups and downs.

Now a super over which was equally tense; I was happy with fifteen runs that England scored. Now it was New Zealand’s turn. When Jofra Archer bowled a wide I thought it was all going to go wrong. New Zealand followed that with a two, a six and two. Three bowls to go and only five needed, I had given up! Thankfully the whole England team hadn’t. With the next ball they scored two, and then a single from the next ball. Two runs needed from the last ball. Martin Guptill hits the ball they run for one run and then try for the second. Jason Roy (who had mis-fielded two balls before) throws the ball to Jos Butler, the wicket keeper, who proceeds to run Guptill out. England wins by the narrowest margin.

I still find it hard to believe; I don’t know how they did it. It is rare for England to win a world cup in any sport. The way they won this one I will never forget! It was almost like they had divine help!

Life is full of ups and downs. God came to this earth in the form of a man to experience first-hand our ups and downs. He went through so much in his short life on earth. He experienced disappointment, heartache and heartbreak, weariness and loss. He also experienced good things when he fed the five thousand or brought a dead person back to life. Imagine the euphoria when these miracles happened. There is divine help for each of us. Whatever life throws at us, Jesus is there as the Christ – the chosen one, the hope of the world, the Saviour, the Messiah.

I hope you are enjoying a good summer.

Seeing is believing

We farmed at Trevigro in the South Hill parish. I remember many happy days bringing in the hay bales when I was young. In the early 1980s we changed from making 7,000 small bales of hay to round bale silage. At the time it was a new thing and very few contractors had a round baler. The nearest contractor was Bernard Strout from Boyton and that first year we baled 2,400 bales. It was a great success and the following year we invested in our own Welgar round baler.

My Granddad was born during the reign of Queen Victoria and had seen a lot of changes during his lifetime. He started farming with a team of horses; he saw the old threshing machines and the introduction of the combine harvester, the stationary baler followed by the trailed small baler. When I tried to explain the concept of round bale silage he just could not understand, so one day during silage time, while I was having my lunch, Granddad, who walked with two sticks, somehow managed to get on the trailer that I used for carrying the bales. He was going to see for himself how the round bales were made. He held on for his life as I trundled across the fields to where my Dad was baling the silage. “My life and days”, he said. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t see it with my own eyes!” He was well impressed!

So often we say it would be so much easier to believe in God if we could see Him. Saint Thomas was like that. He was the only disciple of Jesus not to be present when Jesus appeared to them after his death on the cross. Thomas said, “Unless I see the nail prints in his hands and can put my finger in them and unless I can out my hand into his side I will not believe!”.

Jesus appeared to the disciples again. This time Thomas was there. “Thomas”, Jesus said. “Place your finger on my hands and your hand into my side”. Thomas said, “My Lord and my God”.

Do you ever feel like Thomas? It can be so hard to believe in this incredible miracle that Jesus had come back from the dead, but if you take that step of faith and put your trust in God and believe in Jesus, He will make an incredible difference to your life.

Football, football, football and Faith

As I write this, the premier league has been won by Manchester City. What a thrilling end to the season with Liverpool pushing them all the way. Also, the Champions league finalist have just been decided.

The question I want to ask is - Do you believe in miracles? Liverpool and Tottenham supporters certainly do. Liverpool looked out when they went 3-0 down to Barcelona. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool manager) said, “We will have to try and believe and do our best.” The impossible happened without two of their first-choice strikers. They won the home leg 4-0. Tottenham’s job looked easier just 1-0 down after the first leg, but they had to play an inform Ajax side away from home. Their job looked decidedly harder when at half time they went 2-0 down. Again, without Harry Kane, they managed an amazing comeback, winning the match and the tie in the 6th minute of added on time. To cap an amazing week for English football, Arsenal and Chelsea won through to the Europa cup final.

Jurgen Klopp is an interesting guy with a genuine Faith. He says, “Jesus Christ is the most important person in history.” When he arrived at Liverpool as Manager, he introduced himself as the “ordinary one” in direct response to Jose Mourinho, who described himself as “the special one”. His attitude is refreshing and reflects what the Christian faith is all about.

Football is a game of many highs and lows, promotion and relegation. Personally, my emotions have been pulled all over the place, watching various games. A team can win everything one season and then the next, really struggle. Jesus came to win a trophy that would last forever. His life’s purpose was to overcome the consequences of mankind’s rebellion and give us the opportunity of eternal life. We experience many highs and lows during our lives. It is my experience that believing that Jesus Christ is a real person who is alive today and forevermore can give me the strength to keep going. He wants to be closer to us than anyone else and is able to guide us through the maze of life.