When the Game is Over

When the Game is Over

When a chess player is defeated by his opponent, and “Check-mate” has been declared, the game is over. There is no point in continuing. You have lost and you had better accept defeat and put the board away. At least, that is true of a game of chess.

With the game of life, however, that is not necessarily so.

It was “game over” for the thief crucified next to Jesus.

He had lived the life of a criminal and was finally paying the ultimate price for it – his life. There was one thing, however, that he could do, and he did it:

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” ⁴³ And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42-43 – NASB)

The game wasn’t over for him anymore.

It was “game over” for the woman caught in the act of adultery.

She was on the verge of being stoned to death according to the law. She couldn’t do anything about that; it was out of her hands. All she could do was kneel there in the dust  and wait  for the stones to end her life.

She waited…and waited… and waited….

And then…

                Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:10-11 – NASB)

The game wasn’t over anymore.

Perhaps you have come to that place in your life where you are convinced there is no way out. Game over. Or you know someone else who has “lost the game.”

Is the game over for you?

Is the game over for them?

It need not be!

Jesus is the only one who can finally declare “game over,”

And he’s not going to do it if you call on him as the thief on the cross did.

The woman caught in adultery didn’t even ask for His help, but Jesus rescued her anyway.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… (Romans 10:8-9 – NASB)

The game of life is never over till you have been to Jesus.

Game Over?

(© Wednesday 22^nd April 2025 – by Christopher Shennan

…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… (Romans 10:8-9 – NASB)

You think the game is over now,

For the likes of you and me;

You think the scoreboard is final,

And you are lost in misery.

Your life has just come to nothing,

And you are throwing in the towel;

You’ve expended all your effort,

And the umpire’s shouted “Fowl!”

The voice of reason still tells you

There is “no way out” forever;

And the enemy still whispers,

“You’ll find an answer? No! Never!”

I’ve got news for you, my friend:

The games not over, not at all –

As long as you lean on Jesus,

Nothing again will make you fall.

When this life at last is over,

A new game of life will begin –

And you’ll live with Him forever –

A life that is free from all sin.

Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Checkmate by Alan Light. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. Also used under the Commons GNU Free Documentation License. No changes were made to this photo.

Our Heart’s Condition

Our Heart’s Condition

The Parable of the Sower is familiar to most Bible readers.

The Sower (representing Jesus Christ) sows the seed of the Gospel) scatters His seed indiscriminately over the earth, without regard to whether the place the seed is receptive to it, or not. He gives every kind of soil a chance to be fruitful.

The central idea of this parable is that the soil (representing the human heart) either has the capacity to receive the seed and be fruitful, or it does not. That is the core issue here.

You see the seed is how God initiates a relationship with men and women. It is all about the seed. Jesus is the sower and he scatters the seed of the Gospel to everyone. If this seed finds an entrance in the human heart, He can establish a connection – a relationship with the, Once he does that he can begin transforming their lives.

If, however, something comes between and prevents that seed from gaining entrance, that man or woman is prevented from having a meaningful relationship with God. It is all about the seed, (God’s Word), and the soil, (the condition of the human heart) that determines whether we can know God or not.

This is a basic reality. You cannot know God if you do not receive His Word and believe what it says. If you receive this seed, you can know Him; if the condition of your heart prevents the seed from entering your heart, you will be excluded from having a meaningful relationship with Him. It’s as simple as that.

I should point out that this Parable of the Sower does not tell us how to prepare our hearts to receive God’s seed; it merely states the present condition of the soil, and its consequences. This information is provided elsewhere in Scripture.

So, if I detect my heart’s condition is not receptive to the seed of God’s Word, can it be changed, and if so, how?

Hosea and Jeremiah together have the answer:

Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12b – NASB)

“Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? (Jeremiah 23:29 – NASB)

• The hard, unreceptive ground of our hearts must be broken up.

The responsibility to do this is ours.  God tells us to; Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord. Don’t put it off; time is of the essence.

• God’s promise is that, once the fallow ground is broken up, He will rain down righteousness upon us:

Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

• The means to break up our fallow ground has been provided.

not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? (Jeremiah 23:29 – NASB)

All we have to do is to seriously engage ourselves with God’s Word, and a process of transformation will begin. The fire will burn up the thorns and the hammer will break up the rock hard condition of our hearts. In time, the soil of our hearts will become more and more receptive to the seed of God’s Word. It is certain to be a painful process, but the rewards will justify any pain and anguish endured.

A Change of Heart

(© Friday 17^th April 2015 0 by Christopher Shennan)

…Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12b – NASB)

“Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? (Jeremiah 23:29 – NASB))

Some think that their heart’s condition,

Is beyond their power to change;

They accept their wayward nature,

Is beyond their scope and range.

Its true God alone can change you,

But He’s called you to play your part;

He’s called you to make an effort

To prepare the ground of your heart.

There’s a process you must follow;

There’s a sowing of seed you must do.

The fallow ground must be broken,

Before God’s seed can enter you.

How can I break this hardness?

How can I dig up this hard ground?

How can I make my heart answer

To God’s Voice I hear all around?

God’s Word is just like a fire,

Like a hammer that shatters stone;

Has power to make my heart listen,

And to receive God’s seed alone.

So I’ll let God’s Word disturb me;

I’ll let it fertilize my soul –

It will change my disposition,

And make my broken spirit whole.

Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

The Sower (Le semeur) by James Tissot. This image is in the public domain.

Superpowers

(Picture credits at en of post)

Superpowers

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 – NASB)

If you could choose for yourself any superpower from those fictional superheroes you’ have ever heard of, which would you choose?

Would you choose those of Superman, man of steel, and able to fly at lightning speed?

Or would it be Spiderman, fighting for justice while clinging to the walls of high rise buildings and swinging through the streets to apprehend criminals?

This discussion arose in one of our family gatherings and family members chose a number of different options. I chose none of the superpowers discussed that day. My heart hungers for superpowers of a different order. I choose the superpowers Jesus said would belong to those who believe in Him. I quote his words again:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 – NASB)

This verse is so stunning that many of God’s people choose not to take it seriously, or re-interpret to mean something mundane and non-spectacular. I choose to take the words of Jesus at face value: He said what he meant and he meant what He said. How God means to work it out in your own life is between you and God. As for me, the poem below expresses what I am expecting to receive from His hand:

Super Powers

(Monday 30^th April, 2012 – by Christopher Shennan)

While sitting around the table,

At a family dinner at noon,

One spoke up and asked a question

That got us thinking, and soon

The buzz of conversation

Could be heard for quite some time,

To try to find the answer

To the question, and I found mine.

The question was, “If you could be

A super hero, what are the powers

You would want to call your own?”

We talked of this for hours.

One chose to be a Superman

With his power to fly though air;

A Man of Steel to vanquish all

The evil men out there.

Another spoke of Batman

And his fight to stamp out crime,

Who vanquished the arch villain;

Whose rescue was in time

Now Spiderman was mentioned,

With his will to right defend;

To champion all the weak ones,

And cause all terror’s end.

But the super powers I’m craving

Are the ones’ that will not die;

Those that come from Heaven,

And are sent by God on high

They’re not earned, but freely given

To those souls who hunger, thirst,

Who by faith can claim the promise –

Though they’re last, they’ll come out first.

No, the super powers I’m craving

Are Faith that’s pure and true –

And Love sent down from Heaven,

That will other hearts renew.

These are super powers, friend,

That are worthy of the name –

They’re powers that last forever –

They’re the only ones I claim.

 Check out my books for sale at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Copyright. Used under the Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license. Picture found at http://superherolike.com/coffee-health/, where it was posted by Neal Malik. Christopher Shennan Publishing has made no changes to the picture.

Attribute this work:
<div xmlns:cc=”http://creativecommons.org/ns#” about=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3759/13628118464_c2f8836771.jpg“><a rel=”cc:attributionURL” property=”cc:attributionName” href=”http://www.flickr.com/people/bagogames/“>BagoGames</

a> / <a rel=”license” href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/“>CC BY 2.0</a></div>

The Source of Power

The Source of Power

Public Domain CC0

Read: Zechariah 4:1-6

Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” (Genesis 41:16 – NASB)

I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself,

Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23 – NASB)

A television preacher kept on repeating like a mantra: “You have the power! You have the power! You have the power! He kept this up through most of his allotted time. I am sure he impressed his audience, but his declaration was a half-truth that was completely untrue.

If we have the power, it follows we can use that power in any way we like. We can use it to gain wealth, honour, or even revenge. This is what the ancient art of sorcery promised; it is the “unlimited human potential” doctrine. It is New Age and totally unbiblical.

What then is the Biblical view?

The Bible teaches that born again Christians have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the One Who has the power.

…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 – NASB)

The Holy Spirit has the power, and He works His power in us in order to enable us to witness to the Gospel. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to do only what He is comfortable doing. He will only work in us, through us, and for us those things that are consistent with the will of God. He does not give us power to wield at our own discretion.

You cannot separate the power of the Holy Spirit from His character. He is holy and He will only perform holy deeds. You can have all the power from God that you want, so long as you are totally surrendered to do His will, and not your own. For it is not your power you receive, but the power of the Holy Spirit,

It Is Not In Me

(31^st December 2011 – by Christopher Shennan)

Joseph was a man

With an excellent spirit, true;

He had many dreams and visions,

And mighty deeds to do.

He interpreted for Pharaoh,

And the future he could see,

But then he said with fervour,

“This power, it is not in me.”

Now, many gifts and graces

May on your spirit rest,

May fill your heart with fervour,

And help you pass each test.

Though these may bring you honour,

Let there be humility;

Say, like Joseph said to Pharaoh,

“This power, it is not in me.”

It is not in me to vanquish

The powers sent from hell,

Or even to guide my footsteps

In the paths that serve me well.

I cannot bless my brother,

Or my sister, this I see:

Though I give them many blessings,

I know it did not come from me.

Check out my published books at: My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
My blog: https://christophershennan.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Bicycles and Boys

 

 

Bicycles and Boys

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29 – KJV)

As a boy I had frequent trouble with my bicycle chain detaching itself from the gears and thus stopping my progress.

I am not sure if I did not have the tension right, or if I hadn’t tightened some nut sufficiently. Whatever the cause my chain had this habit of coming off when I was going up a hill, or when I needed to get to my destination urgently.

One thing I learned as a boy with a bicycle: the chain had to be firmly connected to the gears for the bicycle to perform as it was designed to do.

Jesus said the Pharisees had a similar problem: There was no connection between their knowledge of Scripture and the power of God.  They could quote the Scriptures, but they had no experience of the power God could communicate through them. The chain of Scripture was disconnected to the power God was willing to give them.

The Pharisees were acquainted with Scriptures; they had known them almost from their cradles. They had so mixed them up with tradition, however, that they no longer recognized the Truth when they were brought face to face with it. Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

It is possible to be well acquainted with the Bible without not really understand what it is saying. You can know it intellectually, but never encounter God’s transforming power while reading it.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me… (John 5:39 – NASB)

The Pharisees searched the Scriptures, yet failed to recognize the One sent to save them.

We need to know the Scriptures in spirit and in truth before God’s power will be released into our lives.

Knowing the Scriptures

(A Sonnet)

(© Friday 6^th June 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

 

God’s Word is not to be taken lightly;

It’s not just intended to fill the mind.

Its power and light can shine more brightly

On the heart and cause it to seek – and find.

Don’t be content with knowledge of Scripture,

As if just the knowing is enough to please;

Diligently search till it actually grips you,

And the mind that’s blinded can say it sees.

Treasures of Scripture will not be revealed

To those just wanting to tickle the mind;

God will say quickly, “Now rise and be healed!”

To earnest souls who just seek till they find.

Search the Scriptures till you really know them;

Your heart and your mind will really – glow then.

 

Check out my new book for teens at My website: http://www.christophershennan.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CNShennan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherShennanAuthor

Picture by Joanne Shennan – used with permission.