[BGR] Because God Reigns, Bring Glory in Relationships

Earlier in the year, I was present for relationships talks at both Student Life and Blue Sky. Since entering into a relationship a month ago, I've been listening to a few other talks from conferences and other churches. Here are some notes I hope will be helpful to you.

♥ MYTHBUSTERS ♥

1. It's better to try before you buy; you don't know if you're compatible till you live together. FALSE! 76% of Aussies live together outside of marriage. Only 2% of them are still living together after 10 years. Of the 46% who go on to marry, the break up rate is twice that of those who do not live together first before marriage.

2. You shouldn't get married until you are wealthy and can afford it. FALSE! The Lord will provide! If God brings you to it, God will bring you through it.

3. When you fall out of love, your relationship falls apart. FALSE! You *will* fall out of 'love'. Relationships take work and commitment - rekindle the romance! It's not just love that keeps a marriage going, it's marriage that keeps love going!

4. Women gain most from a marriage. FALSE! Men who get married grow up faster, have better health and live longer.

5. Men resist marriage more than women. This one is TRUE! The current median age for first-time marriage is 29.6 years (men) and 27.6 years (women).

6. Intelligence, beauty, character and money will bring success in relationship. FALSE! The key is to have CHRIST at the centre, commitment, communication & passion.

How do you have love that lasts a lifetime? Have God in it! The things that are of God last because He is everlasting! Work on Spiritual intimacy. Be quick to listen and slow to speak (James).


♥ DATING DANGERS ♥

1. Giving ourselves emotionally to the other person.
2. Giving ourselves physically to the other person.
3. Awakening desires before they can be righteously satisfied.
4. Investing too much into the other person.
5. Holding tightly to the relationship.
6. Taking ownership of the other person.
7. Fantasising about the other person or being unable to stop thinking about them.
8. Holding the other person on a pedestal or not seeing them as they are.

Relationships are good when God leads you to them. It is a gift from Him. Receive it with open hands - and keep them open for God to take back whenever He wants for He will give and take away as He pleases according to His good purpose for the good of those who love Him.

Dating / courtship can be a great time of purposefully and prayerfully getting to know someone and working on making the second most important decision in your life (after deciding to follow Christ!) of "could I, should I, do I want to marry this person? Is this what God has led me to do?"

In marriage, there is passionate love, companionship love and covenantal love that are like three separate petrol tanks that need to be filled to keep things running. It takes work and even passionate love needs refueling in marriage even if it seemed dangerously full before that. In courtship, pursue purity and focus on companionship love, on getting to know one another and on team-building. But until marriage, there is no covenant before God so where you are emotionally needs to stay in line with your level of commitment. Your relationship needs to be on the altar always.

You do not choose a life partner. It is not your decision to make because you are not capable of it! It is God's decision who He will team you up with. Read on...


♥ GOD'S BEST ♥

God is love and love gives. God just gives and gives. He wants to give to YOU. Do you trust Him to do that? To give you bountiful relationships with other people and with your life partner? Do you want God's best and not what you think is best for you?

When you're following God's plans, you can actually say to God "OK, God, what are you going to do about this situation/issue? You called me, you brought me here, I need you to show me the next steps." This is the way it should be. Not struggling and stressing trying to make our own way, but following God's plan in His peace by His provision.

The world will tell you that physical attraction is the most important thing... then you can see if there's the emotional and if at all possible some kind of spiritual connection. But God's ways are not the world's ways. He will ensure that you and your partner have a spiritual union (if it's not there, it's not for God). He will provide emotional connection so you can be compatible. Physical attraction may come later. If it is there from the start, guard your heart and preserve purity. Pursue holiness! Don't be about "how close can I get to the 'Don't-Have-Sex-Before-Marriage' line?" - be about "how God-honouring can this get?" Run from the line. Pursue purity. You have a sinful nature and cannot trust yourself. Have accountability partners.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. - Romans 7:19

So keep seeking God. Keep pursuing Him. Surrender everything to Him. He knows you intimately well and will give you the desires of your heart according to His will for His good purpose in His perfect timing. PRAY. If you're serious about this, wrestle with God about wanting His blessing (like Jacob), about wanting to see Him work in your life.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33

Listen. Trust. Obey.

Out of obedience, you will get awesome testimonies that will be used to touch others and bring God glory. God wants you to have an amazing story to tell, to have a life that is radically set apart. Will you trust Him to write it?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Another response to the boy's Weekly Wanderings, written right after the Rice Regenerate Rally: GLORY!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? ... I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:35, 38-39

Wow... God's love is better than life (Psalm 63:3, Newsboys) and nothing at all can separate us from this love (above verse)! I was reminded of something I used to think to myself which should be even truer now and which I hope I can say and mean wholeheartedly. Why am I happy? Because the most precious thing I have can never be taken away from me. Even if all my money gets stolen, even if my house burns down, even if my friends and family die... God remains. My portion is Him and I'm more than blessed.

We were created to glorify God, to delight in Him, to be in a relationship with Him. Since we know that God loves us, what more could we want? What could top that? There is nothing in life as sweet as God's grace, nothing as precious as His blood, nothing as wonderful as His love, nothing anywhere near as beautiful as Him. Just to love God and to know that God loves us... isn't that the greatest thing? His love is better than life!

Here's a clip of John Piper fighting the 'prosperity gospel' which I think is where the quote "God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him" is from. Of course he's not saying that God wants us to have miserable lives just of suffering but that God is God and we need to praise Him in all circumstances, because He is God. And God is enough.

I pray you would see more and more of God's glory and encourage each other to continually surrender everything to Him, because His love is better than life.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." - Rev 1:8

For the good of those who love Him

My very significant other sends out an email to his friends and family each week, telling them about what God has shown and taught him that week. I have started replying to his Weekly Wanderings since we began courtshipping but thought I would also share it with you, minus our personal stuff, with the hope of encouraging you too.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” – Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)

It's amazing and reassuring that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. It doesn’t mean that all things will work out the way we want them to. And sometimes it's so difficult to see the good in certain situations... but of course we have such a limited view whereas God sees the complete picture. How wonderful it is then, to know that our all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing, incredibly loving Father is in charge at all times and we can rest assured that no matter what happens, it is for God's glory and His good purpose! I was also reminded reading through John 7 (verse 6-7) the other day that God sets a time for everything too. Sometimes things don't work out and it really confuses us, but maybe it's just not the right time. I have a bit of a motto/life statement that I wrote on the front of my Bible: "According to His will, by His grace, in His timing, for His glory."

Of course, the challenge for me is to continuously surrender every aspect of my life to Him - not to try to plan things or manipulate things or question things by my standards, but to seek His will and trust always that my Father knows best and has the best way for me. The more I get to know God, the more I learn about His character and the more I trust Him with everything. Our faith is a journey and by God's grace and the transforming work of His Spirit, I am and we are constantly being refined and conformed to the image of Christ, to be perfected only when He comes back! I love God's promise to us to do this in Phil 1:6. I actually wrote about this almost two years ago (Blog Post: P is for Perseverance of the Saints) if you're interested in reading it.

Discerning God's Will

Being in my last year at uni ever (for the second time...) I have been listening to some sermons on and reading about discerning God's will and making decisions. Here are some notes:

From a Campus Crusade for Christ conference series.

Right decisions come from right perspectives.

How did God guide his people in the past: Spoke audibly, dreams, visions, angels, spiritual leader: prophets to speak to kings etc., servants of God saw a need and took action. Many different ways.

#1. Don't ask "what is God's will for my life?" - this is inherently self-centred. Ask "HOW DOES MY LIFE FIT INTO GOD'S WILL?" Be a good steward of the life He has given you, take part in what He is doing all over the world. Happiness will follow =)

#2. Pray. Grow in Wisdom slowly as you begin to see God's will revealed in His scriptures. Pray "Lord, would you direct me to specific scriptures that will help me discern your will?"

#3. Signs are HELPFUL but NOT AUTHORITATIVE.
-Peace: Is it from God or my desire to have less hassles?
-Impressions: ASK "Is this God's voice I'm hearing or is it my inner desire?" - TEST IT: against the Scriptures. If it doesn't fit, it's not from Him. TEST IT: against WISE counsel.
-Circumstances: Is this closed door REALLY a closed door or is it an opportunity to trust Him more and bring Him MORE glory? Red Sea: considerable closed door, no? No! OPPORTUNITY TO BRING HIM THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF GLORY! Ask, "Lord, do you want me to go even when others will oppose me?"
-Look for the "calm, inward, persistent sense that you should go."
Use your SANCTIFIED, SOUND MIND: Let the Spirit of God work through the Word of God to your mind. ASK: Who am I? How has God created me? What are my gifts and strengths? What are the needs around the world? How do I fit in?


From "Right People, Right Place, Right Plan: Discerning the Voice of God" by Jentezen Franklin

God made you in His image. You don’t need to try to be somebody you’re not because what God wants is you and all of you. With the fall, mankind went from speaking with God in the garden to being afraid of His voice. NO! You must hear Him! You must be familiar with His voice and recognise His voice!

God made you extraordinary and He desires to use you in extraordinary ways. He's given all believers the extraordinary gift of an internal compass to guide and discern things about the people around us, our careers, our finances, etc. This discernment is not from human wisdom; it is from God.

1 John 2:20 says “but you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” (NIV).

All believers have an anointing, a spiritual touch of God, that provides them with remarkable insight. Through the Holy Spirit, from whom flows all the gifts, graces, and superior knowledge of God, you have inside information on what God’s will is.

Proverbs 3:6 says “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (NIV).

Our part is to acknowledge Him and God’s part is to direct us. Pray about things, include Him in everything and wait for Him. When you have God’s approval on your decisions, He will provide everything. For every vision, He has made provision! If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it! If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill! What God initiates, He will orchestrate!

The author is, and now I am, convinced that the gift of discernment is a gift God gives to all believers. Makes sense! We all have His Spirit and His Spirit communicates to us. How wonderful it is that God lives inside us! Are you getting how BIG this is? God knows everything and He lets us in on it! The Spirit speaks to us and we gain insight into situations, people, difficult Biblical concepts... anything and everything... so that we may be able to make good decisions, provide wise counsel, see truth and generally speak and act in a manner that is holy and pleasing to God and that glorifies Him! Our awesome God is omniscient and He is not absent... He is alive and He communicates to us, so we need to listen.

"The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name... and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." - John 10:3-4

Keep running to God, keep delighting in Him and spending time with Him because the more time we spend with Him and the better we know Him, the better we can recognise and hear His voice. We need to be able to tell His voice apart from that of our own, the people around us and even the devil so that we may follow God's voice to the right path. Recognising, hearing and obeying God's voice is so important and so powerful! We have this amazing amazing privilege - let's use it and glorify God!

Are You (Still) Growing, Spiritually?

So I just got back from MYC and basically, it was off the hook (off the hook, off the hook, off the hook!) While the conference is always a great time of revelation and spiritual feeding for me, this year was especially special. I thought I would share with you the experiences and lessons I got from it. My prayer is that it will bless your walk with God and spur you on in your own journey of Spiritual Growth.

I'll try to make this short(er than is characteristic of my writing). Basically, on one of the nights, God performed spiritual open heart surgery on me and His Spirit convicted me of neglecting my relationship with the Lord. I had been so busy doing things and crossing off lists and going through the motions that I actually forgot about spending time with the one I love. But God is ever merciful and His abundant grace overwhelms my brokenness, so I will rejoice in my salvation! But I want to move forward and put this lesson into action. Now that the problem has been diagnosed, let's get right onto the remedy.

Here are the lessons I learnt from John North's 5 MYC talks, in a nutshell:

Talk #1: The first step of Spiritual Growth is TOTAL COMMITMENT to the leadership of Jesus Christ in your life. - Luke 9:23
1. Deny yourself.
2. Take up your cross daily.
3. Follow Jesus.

Talk #2: Embrace kingdom values and you will naturally bear fruit.
1. Spiritual things are more important than material things.
2. God's desires are more important than your desires.
3. God's work is more important than your work (or fun).
4. Godly character is more important than personal comfort.
5. Love for God is more important than love for yourself (or others).

Talk #3: You are in Spiritual battle and must fight.
1. Identify the enemy: the devil, the world, your own sinful nature.
2. Understand the battleground: IT IS YOUR MIND! (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 10:3-5, Eph 4:22-24, Phil 4:8, Col 3:1-2).
3. Do battle: pray, have Quiet Times, read and mark your Bible, memorise Scripture, journal, fellowship. Intellect, personality, willpower and organisation are table knives that don't get the job done. Get out your swords! Put on the armour of God!

Talk #4: Everything about Spiritual Growth is about your relationship with God.
All of your Christianity must be relational:
1. Relational Faith: KNOW GOD, know WHOM you believe (not what you believe), have a personal trust.
2. Relational Commitment: Talk to the one you love. Spend time with the one you love.
3. Relational Prayer: Real, conversational, constant.
4. Relational Quiet Times: Interactive, not legalistic. Let Him speak to you! Don't have QTs because you feel like you should, have QTs because you need to feed yourself!
5. Relational View of Sin and Repentance: Sinning is not "I failed, I suck" - it is "I HURT THE ONE I LOVE." Repentance is making up with Him - reconciliation.
6. Relational Worship: "You need to know God in a deeper way. The more you know Him, the more you will love Him. The more you love Him, the more you will glorify Him. The more you know and love and glorify Him, the more you will thirst to know Him even more" (from John North's new book, GrowthWorks).

Talk #5: It's all about God. YOU EXIST FOR GOD.
1. Your first priority in life is Spiritual Growth: your relationship with God.
2. Your ultimate purpose in life is to do good works, to be sent out, to play a part in God's plan.
3. Filter everything that comes your way in the grid of your sent-ness, just as Jesus did. You have personally been sent out by God as an ambassador for Christ into your relationship circles. Say, "yes, Lord" and be available for God to use you in the incredible story He has penned!

♥

Spiritual Growth is "moving consistently into a deeper love relationship with God, bringing Him greater glory, and more naturally expressing Jesus' chracter and life, through the work of the Spirit" (from John North's GrowthWorks). It is a PROCESS that takes time. Start now! Be "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither" (Psalm 1:3)




Use this picture to help you lock in the principles. Again, it's from GrowthWorks. Seriously, just grab yourself a copy. It'll be the best $25 you ever spend at Koorong (after an ESV Bible).

Enjoy the journey of walking with our beautiful God!

Christ In Me - the Hope of Glory

Let me tell you how AWESOME, how AMAZING, how INCREDIBLE and LOVING God is!

So yesterday I was very upset and the word a friend gave me was "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" which is from Psalm 30:5 (NIV). I didn't really feel that when I woke up this morning but I just ... See moregave it to God and prayed He would make it a reality and I would delight in Him.

I hadn't really prepared for Sunday School this morning because I was too busy being upset last night. But the pastor shared a little something with the kids about being right with God, so I ended up doing that lesson which happened to be in the book of lessons I had with me. I was going through Romans 5:1-11 with the kids and the passage really spoke to me - it was a little love note from God to me! Verses 2-5 in the International Children's Bible says: "Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. And we also have joy with our troubles because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. God gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us."

Amen! What reason we have to rejoice, even in suffering! How wonderful it is to be a child of God! Christ in us - the hope of glory!

But wait - there's more (because God is just so lovely and He pours out His blessings upon us)! Lately I have been feeling pretty useless evangelism-wise, like I'm not making a difference. But on the bus I happened to sit next to a woman (who has had a really tough life) and I was able to share my faith and the gospel with her! She used to be a drug addict and now wants to get straight so I shared 2 Corinthians 5:17 with her and told her that she can be set free and made new in Christ. She said that she's done some horrible things in her life and didn't think she could be forgiven but I said that Jesus has paid for her sins and there is now no condemnation for her if she is in Him (Romans 8:1). Oh to see the glimmer of hope it brought to her eyes! We swapped numbers and she wants to come to church next week!

Praise God for He is so loving! Praise God for He is faithful! Praise God for using me even at my weakest! Oh the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord!! Nothing on earth is as beautiful as Him! In this world we will have tribulation but He has overcome the world (John 16:33)! His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9)! Slowly but surely God's Spirit is transforming me and I can decrease that He may increase and shine out of me to speak into people's lives!

Christ in me - the hope of Glory!! =D

♥

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." - Proverbs 31:26

At church on Sunday, I came across something which kind of just hit me. It was just a short clip as part of a video promoting an event which didn't have anything to do with the sermon or anything, but I was just impacted by it.

"If you want your leadership to matter, lead in the things that matter to God."

I don't know what the full meaning of this will be in my life yet, but it just got me thinking about how I need to lead. First and foremost, I am a child of God, called by Him for His will and purpose. This means that when I am in a position of leadership, (and at all times), I need to honour God. I need to lead the way He wants me to lead. I need to teach sound doctrine and reflect Christ in my teaching at all times, whether this is at Sunday School or at a secular Primary School.

I'm sure God will show me more in due course, but for now, I wanted to look at the Bible for some verses about teaching/teachers/education/children so I can keep them in mind.

There are heaps and I noted ones that are particularly profound/badass/supermassively awesome... and lo and behold, they flow like a letter of instruction just for me!!

[These are all from the Extra Sexy Version (ESV)]


The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. [Proverbs 13:14 ]

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. [Romans 12:6-8]

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. [1 Corinthians 12:28]

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. [James 3:1]

And if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [Romans 2:19-21]

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness... Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity... Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. [1 Timothy 4:7,11-12,16]

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. [2 Timothy 2:22-26]

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. [Titus 2:1,7-8]


So, my prayer?


Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? [Job 36:22]

May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! [Deuteronomy 32:2-3]

My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. [John 7:16b]

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. [Psalm 51:13]


Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord! [Psalm 34:11]

But what will you do when the end comes?

Jeremiah 5

²¹"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
²²Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
²³But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
they have turned aside and gone away.
²⁴They do not say in their hearts,
'Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives the rain in its season,
the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
the weeks appointed for the harvest.'
²⁵Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.
²⁶For wicked men are found among my people;
they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.
They set a trap;
they catch men.
²⁷Like a cage full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
²⁸they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
they judge not with justice
the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,
and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
²⁹Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the LORD,
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?"

³⁰An appalling and horrible thing
has happened in the land:
³¹the prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule at their direction;
my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes?

In the past, it may have been the case that the church used to 'scare' people into 'believing' with "if you don't come to church, you'll go to hell!" which, of course, is not true or loving or good. But I think that these days, people tend to not be afraid of God at all. They forget about or ignore His majestic, awesome power and have no idea just how incredibly scary it would be to stand before a righteous God in judgement.

1. A couple of weeks ago, I was observing at a primary school with four other girls about my age. This particular day, we had seen a Scripture lesson take place as part of the school's program. On the walk home, we were discussing it and one girl remarked about how she thought it wasn't fair to have Christian Scripture taught to everyone and not any other religions some of the children may be a part of. The other girls pointed out that parents always have the right to exclude their child from Scripture at school. Afterwards, I made some comment about how Australia can't seem to decide whether they want to be seen as a Christian country or not. One girl said that she thinks that's the beauty of this country, that we don't have to choose.

But the truth is, we do have to choose. God has made it perfectly clear. We can't pretend like Judgement Day isn't real, like it isn't coming. Heaven is a perfect place, and the only one who meets the criteria for entry is Jesus Christ. Either you rejoice in God's grace and let Him pay the price for you and reserve a room for you, or you say "no" and turn away from God and take the consequences that come with it. We must make a choice to take Jesus up on his offer, surrender our lives to Him and be glorified with Him in Heaven; or to reject him, live our lives for ourselves and in turn be rejected by Him from Heaven.

2. The other day I started reading a book called "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert, which has become popular recently. I'm not very far through it at all, but I have already come across some things that make my blood boil and my soul sorrowful. She says:

...let me first explain why I use the word God, when I could just as easily use the words Jehovah, Allah, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu or Zeus. Alternatively, I could call God "That"... but that "That" feels impersonal to me... and "God" is the name that feels the most warm to me, so that's what I use. I should also confess that I generally refer to God as "Him"... of course I don't mind if people call God "Her"...

And while I do love that great teacher of peace who was called Jesus, and while I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, I can't swallow that one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christ is the only path to God.

But the truth is, we cannot choose bits and pieces of the Bible or of God's character as we please. We can't choose to believe in this bit because it's convenient for us or in that bit because it seems nice and not in this bit because it's difficult or in that bit because it's hard to swallow. Being a Christian means you get to know God AS HE IS, ON HIS TERMS. This is GOD we're talking about. The omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God! Not some 'nice idea' we can mould into whatever we want to make ourselves feel better.


If you're not a Christian yet, you need to look into it, get the facts right and make your choice. Look, mate - God is real. He knows everything, He's everywhere and He's all powerful and you need to have a reverent fear of Him. But He is your Heavenly Father - a loving, caring, gracious and merciful Father and you need to have a personal relationship with Him. And you know what? It's the best ever.

If you are a Christian, praise God that your name is written in the book of life!! (Luke 10:20) Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) and reach out to the lost with the Good News of Christ!! (Matthew 28:19)

2 Corinthians 5

¹¹Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. ¹²We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Pray, obey...

RESPOND! SURRENDER!!

Joy...

... I have found, is vital. I've resurfaced from a couple of weeks of just being down with a sorrowful heart and by God's grace had such a lovely day yesterday. I met up for prayer with some Christians in my course which was really encouraging and I also had a wonderful Discipleship Time where I shared about Joy. I won't say much about it... just let the verses speak to you.

JOY

Oxford English Dictionary definitions:

a. A vivid emotion of pleasure arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction; the feeling or state of being highly pleased or delighted; exultation of spirit; gladness, delight.

b. An instance or kind of this.

c. The expression of glad feeling; outward rejoicing; mirth; jubilant festivity.

Some verses about joy in the Bible

Who

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth; ²sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! ³Say to God, “how awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. ⁴ All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name." [Psalm 66:1-4]

What

²⁷ The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. ²⁸ The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. ²⁹ The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. [Proverbs 10:27-20]

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [Galatians 5:22-23]

When

²¹A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²²So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. [John 16:21-22]

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. [James 1:2-4]

Where

²⁴ Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. ²⁵ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. ²⁶ For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. ²⁷ Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. [1 Chronicles 16:24-27]

Why

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." [Nehemiah 8:10]

How

¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [John 15:10-12]

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. [ Philippians 2:1-4]

>> Some of these things may seem to counter-intuitive. But there you have it - that Jesus, He's so radical! In one of the Rebel's Guide to Joy sermons, Mark Driscoll spoke of finding freedom in slavery (to Christ) and joy in humility.

>> Go watch that part in Sister Act II where they perform Joyful, Joyful.

>> And read Philippians.

I, Human (or Saint Veronica?)

It frustrates me so much to be human sometimes. I know I am a new creation, having been reborn of the Spirit. But I still stumble, I still fall, and sometimes I still foolishly refuse to pick myself up and choose instead to wallow in the pain.

But I know God says to me: you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. [Isaiah 41:9-10]

Wow. God is upholding me. Praise His name! Perseverance of the saints, booyah!

Encouragement notes from my brothers before me

Dear Nica,

Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Love, James [based on James 1:2-4]




Dear Nica,

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

<sup>Love, David [based on Psalm 46:1, 55:22 and 23:6]




Dear Nica,</sup>

Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Therefore, as you suffer according to God’s will, entrust your soul to our faithful Creator while doing good.

^{Love, Peter [based on 1 Peter 4:12-14, 19]}




Dear Nica,

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed in you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do not lose heart. Though your outer self is wasting away, your inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for you an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

You show that you are a letter from Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Love, Paul [based on 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 2 Corinthians 4:16-20 and 3:3, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 3:20-21]

Putting the FUN back in Christian Fundamentalism

On Monday night, I was watching the news with my parents. There was a news story about an American student from a Christian school being barred from graduation for attending prom at a secular high school. (You can read about it here). I don't actually have much to say about this event in particular (because I don't know the guy and I don't know the school), but I want to talk about why it made me sad to see it being reported. I suspect this news item was included for broadcast on Australian television only for its sensationalist value. Christian Fundamentalism receives a lot of bad press... actually, bad press is the only kind of press it does receive. When Christians contribute to something good which the community notices, the Christian part is usually cut off from the news reports.

For the last two years, I have gone on Summer Projects with the Christian group at uni I am involved in. Both years, I went to Lorne which is the beach town on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria where Schoolies is held each year for the Victorian kids (much like the Gold Coast for NSW & QLD students). For those two weeks, we serve God by serving the Schoolies - we set up sports games and BBQs by day and run a drop-in-centre in the evenings with pool and table tennis tables, poker and card games, guitar and open mic, manicures and pedicures and provide food and drinks in a safe and alcohol-and-drug-free environment.

We also openly share our faith with these kids not because we want to shove religious dogma down their throats but because hearing the gospel of Christ was the single most amazing thing that ever happened to us and continues to transform our lives such that we can't help but share our source of strength, comfort, purpose and joy. That God is real, that He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us and that we can have this personal and amazing relationship with Him because Jesus has paid and fully dealt with our sins (past, present and future) and thus bridged the gap between us and God. We know this to be true and have experienced the forgiveness and love of God's saving grace and that is why we share about what God has done and continues to do in our lives.

We're only a small group, but by God's grace and providence, last year we were officially included in the Schoolies program and had a fantastic site to run our drop-in-centre. A much bigger Christian group also present is the Red Frogs, who we get along with swimmingly. They usually make it on to the news because of the large-scale services that they tirelessly and selflessly provide the Schoolies: first aid assistance, free water and red frogs (of course), rides back home to their accommodation at early hours of the morning, free breakfasts and clean up service and so on. The grateful Aussie community rates these guys and gives them a pat on the back. The Aussie media reports their good deeds, but not their motivation. They cut God out.

So the only portrait of Christianity we get in the media is pretty much of mega-boring, super-strict Christian Fundamentalists who tolerate nothing, shows grace to no one, deprive children of life experiences and take the fun out of worshipping God and living life, all in the name of Jesus. People think of Christianity as suppressing and depressing. This is pretty much the opposite of my experience with Christianity. I don't think I've ever had so much fun in my life or been so free

♫ my chains are gone, I've been set free ♪ My God, my Saviour has ransomed me ♫ and like a flood, his mercy reigns ♪ unending love, amazing grace ♫ - Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone).

For the first time in my life, I feel secure and significant because I have my identity in Christ. This doesn't mean that I've lost all personality (I know some of you will debate whether I had any in the first place) and turned into a God-fearing zombie. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight - Proverbs 9:10. And this wisdom and insight has led me to the fact that God created me, unique, and He loves me, unconditionally, so that I finally feel free to be me.

♥ I would consider myself a Christian Fundamentalist (in that I don't subscribe to Christian liberalism as I don't think we can pick and choose what we want to believe in... I'm only interested in knowing God on His terms).
♥ I listen to rock music, more than any other kind. (I hate it being referred to as "the devil's music").
♥ I read my Bible. And I read other books.
♥ I dance - well, I jump around at least. And I have bucketloads of fun.
♥ I love God and by His grace and the work of His spirit I try to lead an authentic life pleasing to Him.

On our last night in Lorne, we came together - not just as a Christian group, but more like a family - and had a massive dinner and dance party. I was amongst brothers and sisters, safe in the knowledge that the girls were not going to socially ostracise me on account of my fashion sense and that the guys were not going to be sleazy or manipulate me into doing what they want. We had tremendous fun (I especially love the image of 4 rows of crazily happy Christians doing the Nutbush in front of big glass doors and can only imagine what passers-by were thinking). A few Schoolies tried to join us but we couldn't let them in as our drop-in-centre service had officially concluded. Disappointed, one Schoolie parted saying that our party was way cooler than the lame farewell dance party they threw down at the only pub in town.

While I personally may not be the funnest person ever, take my word for it: Christianity is not restrictive and it is not boring. Just so you know, I have, and love, friends who've flown planes, fire-twirled and sky dived, or have tattoos and piercings, or have scars and metal plates in them from skateboarding accidents... and the same applies to those who spend their days making physics puns or who practice the seemingly dated but continually awesome art of knitting too! ;) Whatever way, knowing God is the most extreme life experience you'll get. It'll get your heart a-pumping and your blood a-flowing and you'll be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Christians are not boring because they're full of (eternal) life. Christianity is not boring because Christ is not boring.

♫ Jesus was a rebel, a renegade, outlaw ♪ sanctified troublemaker but He never sinned, naw ♫ and He lived His life by a different set of rules... ♪ yeah that's the God I roll with ♫ - Lecrae - Rebel intro.

Yeah. That's the God I roll with.

God of (sm)all things

I find it easy to pray to God for big things or if I'm in a crisis. Broken heart, financial problem, life threatening situation - sure.

It's often much more difficult to pray about the little things. The trivial things. The things, it may seem, that are too small for God or have little to do with him. Foolishness! If God is the God of the Universe, then He is Lord over that uni assignment, King over laundry loads, Master over all your hobbies. He's GOD. God of everything and I mean everything.

Today, I got a great mark back on an assignment from a couple of weeks ago. An assignment that was left kinda late and was handed in with barely any time to spare. But an assignment that I gave up to God anyway - confessing my bad time management, acknowledging my helplessness and claiming His strength. I am learning. To trust God with every aspect of my life and claim Him lord over everything. He has blessed me with so much and I can't believe He likes -and in fact, delights in - helping me, this dirty and broken person, and showering me with love and grace.

God is awesome. He really is my very caring and loving father in heaven. He corrects me and comforts me. He rules over me and rewards me. He teaches me and treasures me. He loves me and longs for me.

♫ My strength ♪ My song ♫

P is for Perseverance of the Saints

One of the great truths in the Bible that I cling to the most can be found in the opening verses of what is probably my favourite book - Philippians.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~ Phil 1:6

This is an immense source of confidence for me. I am extroverted by nature, at ease conversing with friends and strangers alike and easily identified by my loud voice. But none of these things are a reflection of my confidence. True confidence, the kind that's unshakeable, only comes from God (because He is unshakeable, unchanging, eternal). It's God who began a good work in me when He called me to be in relationship with Him and it's God who will bring it to completion that I may live and dwell in the house of the Lord forever, even when the world ends. My salvation is secure in God's abounding love and amazing grace and through the work of His spirit, I am, sometimes very slowly, but continually, being transformed to become Christ-like and to desire to please God.

Perseverance [the constant persistence in a course of action or purpose; steadfast pursuit of an aim, esp. in the face of difficulty or obstacles - OED] is the result of God's preserving grace. I struggle. I struggle with a lot of things. I struggle and I fail. I struggle and I grow. I struggle and I persevere because I know that I am safe in His hands, secure in His love and strong by His grace.

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ~ Romans 8:30

Predestined, called, justified, glorified in Christ. Past tense because though it's still a work in progress from this end, it's as good as done in God's sight. Because of Christ, the true and perfect sacrifice, once for all and always, I am clean and righteous before God. Not because of who I am, but because of what He's done, not because of what I've done but because of who He is.

My life has been such a rollercoaster of experiences and emotions from March 2007 to about July of this year... and since July, it often seemed like suddenly I had been thrown off the rollercoaster and everything stopped; like I was lying with my face on the ground, feeling nothing... just flat. But I know that through this struggle, and the next, and each and every one, God is with me and in me, and working in me and through me. Though I may sometimes feel flat, or distant, or like nothing much is happening, I know in the end I will be with God... but that He still has a lot in store for me before then =)

Sweet Salvation

"Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." - Luke 10:20

Homosexuality

This article on Mark Driscoll was in the paper today. It's not so bad for secular media. I just wish they didn't specifically write "condemn premarital and gay sex" like that because it was unnecessary and unrelated (were they going to list all the other things the church is against too?) and has connotations likely to spark some kind of backlash. I don't understand why so many times Christianity is mentioned, some kind of message that reads "God hates gays" has to creep in too. It's like the media is purposefully trying to create tensions and divisions. I know that they exist already. And I'm not going to pretend that the church has not mistreated gays in the past and continue to do so in many cases. I know there is a lot of hurt there. In all honestly, I think both sides tend to generalise and jump to conclusions without much consideration, respect or love for the other party.

I am a Christian and I have gay friends. I've had gay friends/family friends ever since first coming to live in Australia and I love them. I love my friends. A couple of years ago, I was contemplating, amongst other spiritual issues, whether homosexuality is OK in God's eyes. I wasn't (as strong) a Christian back then and I wasn't sure what the Bible's stance on it was. I have since come to a conclusion about it but this has only altered my Biblical understanding of the matter; it has not affected my relationship with or treatment of my gay friends in any way (except of course in the way that I have learned to love all my friends a little better now that I know God's love for me and mankind a little better).

The Bible, which is the true word of God states that homosexuality is a sin. It does not say that God hates gays. God loves everyone! He loves everyone so much that he sent his son Jesus to save and redeem ALL of us by paying for ALL our sins, that we may be freed & find life in Him if we place our faith in Him as our Lord & Saviour. Christians should believe in the authority of the Bible, including regarding homosexuality as a sin. But note that it is sin that God hates - not sinners. In fact He loved us from before we even knew Him: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8. Therefore, Christians are not called to hate homosexuals. The Bible tells us to love unconditionally, as God first loved us.

Christians (and non-Christians alike) certainly, absolutely do not have 'the right' to discriminate against, judge, or dislike homosexuals. Yes, gay sex is a sin. Just like pre-marital heterosexual sex is a sin. Just like any sex outside of the marriage of one man to one woman is a sin. And just like lying or stealing is a sin. Homosexuality is not a 'worse' sin than any other. Sin is not one 'thing' - it is an attitude of rebellion against God. Those who intentionally mistreat homosexuals are also rebelling against God, and thus committing sin, and going against his command to "love your neighbour as yourself".

We are ALL sinners and all deserve to die and go to hell but Jesus' death on the cross paid for all our sins and his resurrection (triumph over death and sin) is powerful enough to redeem all of us so that we may be completely forgiven for our sins if we place our faith in Him as our Lord and Saviour, repent and be reconciled to God. That is what I believe and I encourage you to think about it. Make your move. Stop gay-bashing / church-bashing. Seek God. Find Life. Learn to love.

Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

By the way, here is what Mark Driscoll says on the topic.

Forgiveness...

"... is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness." - Corrie ten Boom

God is smarter than I am...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..."

[Jeremiah 29:11] NIV


For God knows the plans He has for me. I don't know them. He does. Sometimes He tells me in advance and sometimes He doesn't - because it isn't the right time yet; because I'm not ready; or simply because it's just not for me to know. But He knows the plans He has for me. And He wants me to trust him. He knows the world better than I do and He knows me better than I know myself.


Though I may need to suffer,
though I may need to sacrifice,
though I may need to sit still,
I can always trust in him
& I can have hope and a future
because God's plans for me are to prosper me and not to harm me.
Ultimately and always.