Thought for the Month - November 2015

"One Direction" by Barry Adair

As I write, the local news in Belfast is awash with photos and videos of distraught teenagers and angry mothers. Thankfully, it is nothing serious, although try telling that to the teenage girls affected! The reason for all the angst was the 'no show' by boy band One Direction on Tuesday night. For the Directioners (as the fans call themselves), Tue 20th October 2015 will live long in the memory. And if you are reading this Thought in a few years from now, One Direction (aka "1D") were a manufactured Boy Band with dubious talent but with a huge and fanatical teenage and tweenage girl following.

Now it is not often that pop concerts are cancelled at a late stage and it is even more unusual for one to be abandoned after the audience is in its place. The specific nature of the illness which afflicted Liam Payne, thereby cancelling Tuesday's One Direction performance at Belfast's SSE Arena, has not been revealed but the bitter disappointment of thousands of young fans was all too evident. Some of those I saw on the TV news were inconsolable and I thought it was a bit rich that the remaining band members hadn't appeared in person to break the bad news. What was worse, in my opinion, was that all the young fans had stocked up on all the overpriced 1D merchandise widely available before the concert was to begin! Some have commented that the young fans and their parents may have been duped.

As I read and watched this local 1D drama, my mind flew to a couple of places, which, as usual, I would like to pass on here.

I thought about the direction all our lives are taking. In life we are all on a journey and I wondered about our personal "one direction".

Truthfully, do we know where we are headed?

What if our one direction turned into one disappointment?

Or what if our one direction turned into one deception?

What if at the end of our journey it all ends in tears?

One Bible passage in Matthew jumped to mind.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

Some are living their lives today in a way where they believe they will have done enough on their journey to merit an eternal home in heaven. But the Bible is clear that we cannot work our way to heaven…

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Others believe that there are other ways to reach heaven. But the Bible is one directional, in that the only way to the God of heaven is through Jesus Christ (and His sacrifice to pay for our sins)…

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me". (John 14:5-6)

Life can be tough and it will have its setbacks, tears and disappointments. But at the end of our journey God will have a place prepared in heaven for those who love Him.

Please don't be deceived into thinking you can do it on your own merits!

One way God said to get to Heaven,
Jesus is the only way.
One way to reach those pearly mansions,
Jesus is the only way.

No other way, no other way,
No other way to go.

One way God said to get to Heaven,
Jesus is the only way.

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!