PS.

thoughts on finding joy in God

2011-02-04T09:29:00.000+11:00

I've been poring over John Piper's classic book "Desiring God" for over a year now - it's not long or tedious, I just keep getting sidetracked. Yesterday on the train these two passages jumped out at me. In God we find our truest joy.

Don't let your worship decline to the performance of mere duty. Don't let the childlike awe and wonder be choked out by unbiblical views of virtue. Don't let the scenery and poetry and music of your relationship with God shrivel up and die. You have capacities for joy that you can scarcely imagine. They were made for the enjoyment of God. He can awaken them no matter how long they have lain asleep. Pray for His quickening power. Open you eyes to His glory. It is all around you: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1)

- John Piper

Jesus, Thou joy of loving hears,
Thou fount of life, Thou light of men
From the best bliss that earth imparts
We turn unfilled to Thee again.

- Bernard of Clairvaux

in our days

2011-01-11T06:09:00.002+11:00

gird your loins and focus on grace

2010-11-15T09:53:00.000+11:00

I love the promises of the Word. Incredible. This just in from 1 Peter 1:13:

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (ESV)

The Greek for the "preparing your minds for action" phrase literally translates to "gird the loins of your mind". Literally we need to get suited up in the full armour of God before we go into battle. Ephesians 6:10-18 spells it out: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and crucially, the sword of the Spirit. From other Scripture we know that this sword is none other than the Word of God - so implicit in girding our loins is getting studied up in the Word, meditating over it, praying over it, absorbing it into our vocabulary, memorising it. This will prepare our minds for action.

And then, fully armoured up, do we step out into the world trusting in our new equipment? No! Peter tells us to set our hope fully on grace. God is not a God who just did grace at the cross that one time - he is the God of Grace. He loves to bless his people, promising to even invite them into his very house at the Day of the Lord. What an incredible promise, and what an incredible source of hope for those who believe in Him!

Gird your loins, trust in the Lord, set your hope fully on his grace, and you will see Him in his Kingdom.

revival

2010-11-14T03:42:00.000+11:00

it's around the corner.

oneness

2010-11-06T08:05:00.001+11:00

I'm working my way slowly through Bruce Milne's "Know the Truth" (still!). Today I was touched by this beautiful quote on oneness in his chapter on The Church. I was inspired to create the image above, and I'll add it also in text form here:

On oneness:

Today this ‘mark’ of the church at the local level has taken on both new challenges and new possibilities. The challenges arise from the massive levels of diversification which mark global society. Driven by massive international migrations, spawned in many cases by wars and ethnic conflicts, hundreds of millions have abandoned their roots and set out to find new lands in which to live and raise their families. This is a commonplace for urban dwellers in every country. Patently this creates a huge new challenge for local churhes everywhere, to break out from the stifling and increasingly irrelevant chains of churches built solely from ‘people like us’, and dare to believe that God can by his Spirit create new communities of faith from the bewildering diversity of those who live around our doors and people our sidewalks. But this diversified context is also replete with exciting new possibilities. Here is a call to our local congregations to become by the Spirit prophetic communities, centres of reconciliation, bridging places, families of love, where the threatening divisions and polarities of our surrounding neighbourhoods and communities are overcome in the

name and by the power of Jesus Christ, for his greater glory.

"yet"

2010-10-31T07:11:00.001+11:00

thoughts on 1 chronicles

2010-10-28T20:25:00.006+11:00

is life that complex?
1 chronicles re-tells the story of david’s life that had been recorded in 2 samuel and the start of 1 kings. the chronicler’s context was the post-exile community of israel (when ezra and nehemiah were doing their thing) in around 400BC, about five centuries after the first version of the story had been first written down. the original story is complex, full of military conquests, speeches, assassinations, a coup, and blessings and curses from God at different times for a different reasons. the chronicler restructures his telling of the story to show why things turned out the way they did. he lets us see the strings. when israel and david were faithful, the kingdom was blessed: “and David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. and the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations” (14:16). likewise, lack of faith led to judgment: “and Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith” (9:1); “so Saul died for his breach of faith”. (10:13). i wonder how our stories would read if we had the 1 chronicles re-telling of our lives in front of us? i wonder if all the confusion and mess would suddenly become straightforward and obvious? when we turn away from god, we fall out of his favor – when we turn towards him in faith, we receive his blessing.

get behind what god’s doing
“david had said “whoever leads the attack on the jebusites will become commander-in-chief”. joab son of zeruiah went up first, so he received the command” (11:6). joab was rewarded for being faithful to david’s vision, and having the courage to put it into action. it’s easy to not want to get behind something until we see it working successfully. but if God is behind it, you’ll want to be the first one to back what He’s doing. get behind what God’s doing.

holy spirit
“then the spirit clothed Amasai” (12:18). holy spirit not some new testament invention. he’s been at work since the dawn of time.

equipped and united
“of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose.” (12:33). this makes me think of the body of Christ, how each of us have a role to play in this great task, and how it’s a task we do together. we are an army with singleness of purpose.

improving
“then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul”. (13:3). david learns from his predecessor’s mistakes, and his own mistakes. are we just making the same mistakes over and over again, or are we learning from them?

confidence
“and David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel” (14:2). i would love to have that kind of certainty before God, to that be assured in my standing with Him, that mindful of how He has blessed me and what He has given me.

how to succeed at life
“seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually”. (16:11). it’s simple.

david’s prayer in chapter 17
“who am i, o Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”. (17:16). this is a beautifully enlightened and deeply humble prayer. this is how a servant addresses his master. read the whole thing! importantly, david prays this right after he obeys a command from God issues through the prophet nathan. this is one of many times in scripture that obedience precedes understanding. (check out luke 5:5 and 9:15 for other examples).

david to build the temple?
david originally plans to build the temple for God himself. “behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent”. (17:1). note that this initiative is actually a good thing: it would give glory to God and provide the israelites with a permanent place to worship Him. and yet God tells david no. this seems odd (why would God not want david to build him a temple?), but we realise later that God had other plans: his son solomon was to build it, not david. i think we can learn from this that just because something is a good idea doesn’t mean it’s a God idea. we need to get our inspiration from the source.

signs of blessing
“and the Lord gave victory to david wherever he went” (18:6). “and the Lord gave victory to david wherever he went” (18:13). you know you’re onto a good thing when the blessings keep on a-comin’.

points to jesus
when david listens to satan (21:1) and conducts a census of israel even against God’s command, God gets angry. through gad the seer, God tells david that he may choose between three years of famine, three months of devastation from the swords of his enemies, or three days of the sword of the Lord. david chooses the sword of the Lord, because “his mercy is very great”. and so the judgment began. “so the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of israel fell. and God sent the angel to jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and he relented from the calamity”. (21:14). God stops the punishment before it is complete. jerusalem was saved from the wrath it deserved. and then, importantly; “the angel of the Lord had commanded gad to say to david that david should go up and raise an altar to the Lord”. (21:18) – God, on his own initiative, made provisions for david’s atonement. through the altar of sacrifice, he allowed the punishment that david had been sentenced to to be diverted. this isn’t just incredible because it points to jesus, but also for the hope it gives us as christians. we don’t serve a God who just did mercy at that cross that one time; we serve the God of mercy.

god’s commands are unchanging
david exhorts the israelites to help solomon to build the temple, saying: “is not the Lord your God with you? and has he not given you peace on every side? for he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people. now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. arise and build the sanctuary of the lord God.” (22:17-19). i think every part of that command still applies to us today. recognise God has blessed you, seek him with all your heart and mind, and build his house!

looks good on the cv
“… Moses the man of God…” (23:14). that is a title worth aspiring to. it would be amazing to one day be known as ‘that man of God’, for that to be how people identify you. let’s strive towards that.

names
“ hapizzez”. (24:15). i’m totally calling my kid this.

receive the promised blessing
God says of Solomon; “i will establish my kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today”. God promise solomon a blessing with a condition. many of his blessings are like this; “trust in the lord and do good, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (psalm 37:3-4). the blessing has already been guaranteed, because God bounds himself to every word and every promise of scripture. to receive it, all we need to do is listen to what he commands of us.

the heart
david advises solomon; “know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and a willing min, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought”. (28:9). the direction of our heart is of paramount importance. position yourself to be God-facing, seeking his face and growing in love for him. acts alone won’t please him, and he’ll see right through veiled intentions. it’s the heart that he searches.

giving
when fundraising for the new temple (c3 ryde analogy anybody?), david tells the people what he will be contributing personally to its construction. he then asks; “who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?” (29:5). the people respond by giving generously and whole-heartedly. and then, “ the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord” . (29:9). when you give freely to God, you can’t help but rejoice!

integrity
“i know, my god, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity”. (29:17). as a last word, seek to be integrous in all that you do. God smiles upon an upright servant.

how to read the bible

2010-08-17T12:10:00.004+10:00

Sitting in a rooftop café in Madrid today with some red tea and complementary cashews, I started to pore slowly through Bruce Milne's handbook to Christian belief, "Know the Truth". It is an excellent read, and I recommend it highly - I sat there for four hours reading.

This one passage struck me especially. It comes in the middle of an argument he makes about interpreting Scripture in the light of the entire biblical story. To explain, he gives the entire biblical story:

"Thus, the beginning of the bible's story, or meta-narrative, as recorded in Genesis, lies in God himself and his free decision to create a cosmos through the initial 'bringing forth' of the universe out of 'nothing', and his eventual creation of humanity, to share the supreme fulfillment of worshipful communion with God, and with one another in him, and to oversee his creation. Tragically, as the following chapter of Genesis make clear, humanity turned against its Lord and Creator, disobeyed his clear command, and experienced its supreme loss - the disruption of communion with God, interpersonal conflict and resultant expulsion form the garden of his presence. Despite this judgement God yearned for a restored communion, and so begins the great story of redemption. God called Abraham and entered into covenant with him and his successors, with its accompanying promise of blessings for the whole human family through his later descendants. When, centuries later, the chosen family found itself enslaved in Egypt, as recorded in later chapters of Genesis, God sent a deliverer, Moses, who led Israel into liberty, an 'exodus', vividly described in the book bearing that name, which also contains a selection of the laws revealed to Moses, complemented in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

After a forty-year period of desert wandering, which demonstrated God's constant care of his people, and a conquest of Canaan, as told in Deuteronomy, Numbers and Joshua, the people found themselves again in the land from which they had departed in the time of Jacob, Abraham's grandson. Following Joshua's leadership, the tribal federation was led periodically by judges, such as Gideon, Deborah, Samson and Samuel, as Israel oscillated between periods of seeking and submitting to God, resulting in deliverance from their surrounding enemies, and disobedience which brought judgment in the form of defeat and servitude. The story of these years is contained in Judges and the early part of 1 Samuel. In Samuel's time the people demanded that a king be appointed and so the monarchy was established under its first incumbent, Saul.

On the negative side, the monarchy weakened Israel's reliance upon God for leadership, bit it was to prove an important model for the long-promised deliverer, or 'Messiah'. The monarchy attained its highest point under David, and then his son Solomon, after which the kingdom divided into two parts, Israel in the north uniting ten of the twelve tribes, and Judah in the south combining Judah and Benjamin. 2 Samuel and the account in 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles cover the three and a half centuries of the monarchy, not forgetting the book of Ruth with its endearing story of love and loyalty. During this period wisdom writings were composed, as recorded in Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon; and worship was renewed and organised, and given profound expression, in the Psalms, many composed by David.

As the centuries passed, both the tribal confederacies of Israel in the north and Judah in the south proved deeply unfaithful to the Lord and his covenant law, turning aside with great regularity to the idolatrous worship of the surrounding nations, in spite of periodic renewals under leaders such as the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and good kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Hezekiah and Josiah. Despite the faithful ministry of the great Israelite prophets, men like Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Malachi, whose incomparable and courageous messages resonate still in the books that bear their names, the predicted divine judgment fell on the northern kingdom of Israel in the shape of the Assyrian invasion in 722 BC; and Judah, learning no lessons from their northern neighbours' plight, followed into defeat and exile at the hands of the Babylonian in 586 BC. These disasters are described in 2 Kings.

But God did not fully abandon his covenant people. The prophets also rekindled, and took to new levels of clarity, the promise of God's special deliverer, the Messiah, who would, through incredible suffering, bring God's salvation not just to Israel, but also to the Gentile nations of the world. They also spoke of a new day of God's relationship with his people, and a 'new covenant' whereby sin would be forgiven and forgotten, and all his people share a personal knowledge of him. God continued to care for his people during their period of exile, illustrated by the story of a brave woman, Esther, in the book bearing her name, and in Daniel's stirring account of God's dealing with his people in far-off Babylon.

Then, by a remarkable intervention, God enabled a remnant amount the Jews in Babylon to return to Jerusalem in a series of waves, beginning with a decree of King Cyrus of Persia in 539 BC. Under Zerubbabel the first exiles laid the foundation of the temple which was finished in 515 BC. Ezra the scribe led a further party back in 458 BC, as recounted in the books bearing his own name and that of Nehemiah; and under the latter's leadership the walls of the city were repaired and the people re-established their identity and renewed their covenant with the Lord.

There followed some four centuries of waiting, amid a deepening hope of God's renewed intervention, until that moment 'when the time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman' (Galatians 4:4). So Jesus was born in Bethlehem; the long-promised redeemer had at last appeared.

Thirty years later Jesus entered upon his ministry of some three years' duration, recorded incomparably by the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus' ministry reached its destined culmination in his final journey to Jerusalem here he was arrested, tried and crucified, with the cooperation of the Roman overlords, a climax clearly portrayed in the Gospels as, on his part, an act of conscious, loving, self-sacrifice on behalf of all the sinners of the world, and as the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose of salvation. On the third day following the crucifixion Jesus was raised from the dead, and appeared repeatedly over the next forty days among his disciples, and to some who did not previously believe in him. This is recorded in each of the Gospels, and also by Luke at the beginning of the book of Acts.

In the following chapter of Acts Luke tells the exciting and challenging story of the nascent church as it bore witness to the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, first in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and then to the Gentile world, concluding appropriately at its centre in Rome. Paul, after his dramatic conversion, led the movement in to the Gentile provinces of the empire, and wrote letters of instruction and encouragement to many of his churches, in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse and Thessalonica, as well as to individuals like Philemon, Timothy and Titus. Other associates of the apostles contributed also through the books of James, Jude and the letter to the Hebrews. The New Testament was completed by Peter's and John's letters, and by John's Revelation.

So the Scriptures were composed and brought to their final form, the incomparable story of the sovereign, gracious God and his glorious and incomparable salvation, spread across the centuries and millenia - the revealed Word of God to all the passing ages, including our own.

Thus, in the infinite faithfulness of God, his promises were kept to the letter. The blessing of salvation spread beyond Israel to the whole world, and the new people of God emerged, across the centuries and finally all around the world. That people is expressed today in the great global family that names the name of Jesus Christ and anticipates the coming day of his reappearing and the gathering of all the children of God, from all the ages and nations, cultures, languages and people in the new Jerusalem, within a new heaven and earth of righteousness; the new order which will offer the restoration of the divine communion of the garden of Eden amid the revealed glory of the triune God of creation and redemption.

This great story, the meta-narrative of the Bible, is the implicit context for every verse of Scripture. It is accordingly the ultimately defining context for the meaning of every sentence and every word of God's revealed Word."

be anxious for nothing

2010-08-16T00:53:00.003+10:00

I love this verse, and now Sherri Youngward has put it to music.

"The peace of God that surpasses all understanding..."

all i need

2010-06-15T21:53:00.004+10:00

all i need - matalena wilson

here i am because of you
you took my heart and made it new
now all my pain and all my brokenness
no longer lives in me

you are the hope that never fades
and in you everything prevails
you are the love that's everlasting and
keeps me standing on my feet

now each and every day
i'm running back to you
and falling back in love
with you oh lord

and each and every day
you take me as i am
and tell me that you love me
no matter what

you are my rock, salvation too
in everything i'm found in you
now all i want to do is live for you
your promises i hold on to

now each and every day
i'm running back to you
and falling back in love
with you oh lord

and each and every day
you take me as i am
and tell me that you love me
no matter what

no matter what it is

you took me on
and you made me whole
you took me on
and you made me whole
you took me on
and you made me whole
you took me on
and you made me whole

you took me on
and you made me whole
so come take me on
come make me

cause i know
that jesus
is all i need
you're all i need

now i know
that jesus
is all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus

you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
you take me on
won't you take me on

you take me on lord
won't you take me on
you're all i need
all i need
all i need

all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

jesus
jesus
you're all i need
you're all i need

thank you lord
thank you lord

jesus

thank you lord.

freedom

2010-05-09T23:16:00.006+10:00

You know that Galatians 5:1 verse? "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free"..?

What does that even mean? I realised today that I've never really investigated it, so I started scoping around on blueletterbible.com and came across this brilliant explanation by John Piper. Have a read:

"The text begins with a clear and refreshing statement of Christ's will for our lives. Sometimes we get bogged down in a quandary about God's will. And often we worry about decisions which are simply not a great issue with God (where to go to school, what job to take, where to live, etc.). We need to orient our lives on the clear statements of Scripture regarding God's will. And here is one: "For freedom Christ has set us free." Christ's will for you is that you enjoy freedom. Where you go to school, what job you do, where you live, etc., are not nearly so crucial as whether you stand fast in freedom. If they were, the Bible would have commanded those things as clearly as it here commands freedom. But it doesn't. So your enjoyment of freedom is much more important to God than many of the day-to-day decisions that fill us with so much concern. A good test of your priorities in life would be whether you are just as concerned about the command to enjoy your freedom as you are about other pressing decisions in your life. Do you exercise as much diligence in prayer and study to stand fast in freedom as you do to decide about home, job, school, marriage partner? It is a clear and unqualified command: "Stand fast and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." This is the will of God for you: your freedom. Uncompromising, unrelenting, indomitable freedom. For this Christ died. For this he rose. For this he sent his Spirit. There is nothing he wills with more intensity under the glory of his own name than this: your freedom. That's my message today."

Wow.
Dan.

.

renewal

2010-03-21T23:25:00.003+11:00

One of my favourite websites is Phil Pringle's devotional blog, meditations - check it out, read it, subscribe to it, write it on your hand, whatever!

One article he had this week about renewal spoke to me profoundly. Thought I'd post it here for you all to read as well - enjoy!

Love dan.

surrender

2010-03-03T15:28:00.005+11:00

.

Short article today, just a thought.

I was challenged by a point Richard Green made this week in a staff meeting, about what faith is and what faith isn't.

He said, (and I'm paraphrasing); "Faith isn't positive thinking, or positive action, or psyching yourself into believing that you can do something. No. Faith is surrender. People think 'the good fight of faith' is some battle to believe that what you are doing will succeed. But in reality, the good fight of faith is to constantly surrender yourself to God. And not in a tokenistic way, but in your core being. You need to not just think surrender and give lip service to surrender, but to live a life that is completely surrendered to God".

If you're totally surrendered to God, you will not tire out in all that you do, for his yoke is easy!

If you're totally surrendered to God, you'll be better placed to hear what He's speaking into your life, and to follow His commands.

If you're totally surrendered to God, there is nothing that you cannot do in Him.

Wow. Been mulling this one over for two weeks now and I still haven't gotten to the bottom of it. But there's one thing I know I've gotta do.

SURRENDER!

love dan.

abide

2010-02-11T01:44:00.018+11:00

At this present moment, I'm sitting on my thinking couch. I love my thinking couch. It's where I think.

Besides, without it, when would I ever take the time to just pause once in a while? To just reflect..? I'd most likely end up getting swept away by all the things that fill my week, never pausing for air. But in truth, I need that air, and I need a space in my week, in my day even, where I can simply be still.

Can it be any different with God? I've shared here a few times on the pitfalls of striving to do many (albeit good and kingdom-advancing) endeavours, while leaving God out of the picture. Remember Galatians 3:3 - "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"

But God counsels us to abide in Him. That is, to take up permanent residency in his presence, to move in. To live with Him. To spend time with Him for the sake of simply spending time with Him. For after all, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit". (John 15:5).

Who here has not been guilty of praying only to meet your own need or desire? I know I have. It's only too easy to slip into that pattern. But how much more will God bless those who take the time to simply abide in his perfect presence! John 15:7 has the answer: "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."

We need to be cognisant of the fact that God is the supreme orchestrator of our lives. When our ministry bears fruit, it's not we who created it, but God. It is always God who brings the fruit, always. So to leave Him out of the picture is ludicrous! And the reward is unmistakable. Find space for God in your day; wait to hear from him directly; don't try to push your own agenda or meet your own need, but just wait for Him - and you will be powerfully changed.

Just imagine how your walk would be, if the thing you valued most in life was that time you spent with God each day...

Dan.

integrity

2010-02-01T01:01:00.006+11:00

Good day! Get ready to be challenged about your integrity.

But before that, some minor housekeeping is in order. Pleasing Sacrifice will undergo a small stylistic change from here on in, moving from longer monthly articles to shorter weekly ones. On Wednesdays. I'm hoping this will make the readings more digestable for you and more fulfilling for yours truly. I'm also going to try to incorporate more of my own layman's articles as opposed to focussing mainly on sermon summaries. And who doesn't need more exciting Wednesdays?

I was struck by the simple power of a verse from Psalms I read the other day.

Psalm 101:2
I will be careful to lead a blameless life — when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

The verse (indeed, the whole Psalm), deals with the idea of integrity. We as Christians are called to live upright lives, loving the that which is virtuous, noble and right, and avoiding that which is wicked, immoral and wrong. If you look at the first half of that verse, the idea it seems to encapsulate is that of living obediently out of fear of the Second Coming. That is, many Christians (myself countless times) would confess that part of their motivation for living righteously is fear-driven, not knowing when we might be snapped up by an unanticipated Rapture (or whichever apocalyptic scenario you ascribe to).

But we know something about the character of God. He works through love; in everything he does, love is his trademark currency. We would be misunderstanding the God we serve to let fear be the driving force for our actions. Growing in God is a process of continual sanctification, where we gradually become more and more like Jesus, trying to emulate Him in every way possible. Fear, worry and guilt should not weigh into our motivations for living with integrity - we should do it just because we know it pleases God. (1 Chronicles 29:17 - I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity).

It was the second part of that verse from Psalms that really resonated with me. "I will walk in my house with blameless heart". Think about your bedroom. That is your domain, your ultimate comfort zone. In your bedroom you are free to be who you want, you have virtually no constraints holding you back (barring your own inhibitions). You could live a perfectly holy-seeming life in church and on the street and then come home and leave it all at the door. 'Go crazy!', society tells you, 'the law can't restrict what you do in the privacy of your own home.'

But we hail from a different land. The King of our land is sovereign over all areas of our life. Now while you might not be so extreme as to undergo a Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde style transformation once there's no-one watching, I want you to ask yourself - are there areas of your life that you let slip when you're not being watched?

I love the idea of "walking in my house with blameless heart". Just imagine it. Walking through your house, going from room to room, completely confident that the person you are here is the person you are out there. That the integrity-driven life you showcase outdoors is the same integrity-driven life you hold firm to indoors. In short, that you have integrity everywhere, all the time, and in every aspect of your life.

So I wonder. Is there an area you need to deal with? Are you narky to your Mum, do you limit your acts of generousity strictly to church friends on Sundays? Pray about it - God will illuminate everything.

I pray that you'll lead a life of total integrity. Walk through that house with a blameless heart.

Love Dan.

the faces of love

2009-12-21T03:09:00.024+11:00

Greetings all! Yesterday I went to Joseph Prince's church here in Singapore, New Creation - two weeks before that I was visiting numerous churches in Papua New Guinea, and for the week in between these trips I was home for one Sunday at C3 Ryde. What was the common theme amongst these churches? Well, Jesus, yes, is the obvious one, but what has been standing out so distinctly for me lately is the love that these people have for one another.

Papua New Guinea was ten days of continually and overwhelmingly seeing faith expressing itself through love - amazing, selfless love. At Ryde we're family, we are a tribe, growing and moving together through life with massive love for everyone in our church and community. At New Creation, the genuine warmth and hearts with which the welcome team served, as well as the phenomenal worship (and even Joseph Prince's preaching style) were all evidence of a church overflowing with love for its people. Sooo.... love then, Daniel. I'm betting that's the topic today. Well observed.

You know, the Bible says we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). As in, the source of our love for one another, its very origin and starting point that enables us to love each other wholly and selflessly, comes from Jesus. So you'd think there'd be merit in looking at how Jesus loved others, then. This is an impression-based paraphrase of a sermon Richard Green did the week before last about the faces of love. How did Jesus actually show love during his time on Earth?

If you think about love in a tangible sense now, you will probably find yourself thinking about people you know who love you and who you love. Think about it - who do you picture when you picture love? What does that face look like? Is there a certain expression they make which encapsulates love for you?

Richard identified four faces or looks that Jesus displays in the gospels that show love. They're not just anecdotes - if Jesus is the reason we love, then looking at how he first loved is a key to loving others in our world better. Ironically, Christmas is meant to be a time of family, commensalism, and love, and yet it often exposes a drought of those things. Relationships go sour, fights break out, and in fact statistically, you are most likely to be killed by a member of your own family on Christmas day than any other demographic group on any other day of the year.

So how do we show love?

the face of shared emotion.

The first face of love that Jesus showed was one of shared emotion. In John 11:36, we read about Lazarus, a dead man that Jesus raised back to life. The interesting thing about this story is not just the resurrection, but the empathy Jesus shows for the Jews that knew him. Jesus already knows that Lazarus will be raised from the dead, and yet instead of rushing to the miracle and moving onto the next city, he waits a while with the family, and when moved by their grief and mourning, weeps.

I can apply this right away to my life. I'm a problem solver. I like to sort things out immediately so we can move on. But for all my solutions, sometimes people just need a bit of empathy. In this first face, Jesus shows us that the way to love is actually to;
- Look for points of connection and shared experience, and
- Stay in the moment of the emotion rather than prematurely jumping to the 'solution'.

the face of secure engagement.

There is a famous story in the gospel of Mark (10:17-27) about the rich young man who asks what he must do to enter the Kingdom of God, to which Jesus answers that he must sell all his possessions and give to the poor. A short phrase appears at the start of the story that's easy to gloss over; "Jesus looked at him and loved him". Even in his role as rebuker, and to a complete stranger what's more, Jesus' reaction is to love this man. The way in which he offers this correction is in fact the epitome of a perfectly loving reprimand, which is a tough thing to achieve!

- Firstly, Jesus is secure in who he is. He's not taking himself too seriously here, and he actually changes the mood right after with a light joke (about the camel passing through the eye of the needle). He's not trying to be too holy, and he doesn't need to act it up - he's secure in who he is.
- Secondly, he's quick, concise, and moves on quickly.
- Finally, he leaves the result in the young man's hands. Too often we feel it's our need (nay, duty!), to continually follow up people we've corrected and nag them about how or when to do it. That's not our role. We need to leave it up to them.

the face of determined
self-sacrifice.

The third face comes from Luke, from the story of when Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives, as was his custom. This particular prayer was on the eve of Judas' betrayal, when his crucifixion was imminent. Knowing this, and out of love for his Father, Jesus prayed "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done". This very moment in time was prophesied in the book of Isaiah (50:7), where it says; "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame". No matter what was to come, Jesus was ready to suffer it, and all because of love.

One thing that made this sacrifice so great was that Jesus was fully aware of the commitment that would be required to complete it, the level of selfless and ongoing love that would be needed to do it. Therefore for us, when we choose to sacrifice something out of love for another, need to;
- Understand our sacrifice and the cost it will involve,
- Know the goal of that sacrifice, what it should actually achieve, and,
- Expect nothing in return. It's important to not be transactional, lest we undermine the original loving intention that brought about the sacrifice!

the face of selfless celebration.

Have you ever experienced that feeling when you are so full of joy that there is no room for any other emotion (I have, it's great!). It's usually when you're celebrating something, or at a high point in a relationship, or because of some other fortuitous circumstance. More often than not though, that overwhelming elation is the result of something good that happens to ourselves, not to others, which is the reverse of what Jesus advocates. In Luke 10:21, Jesus shouts praise and thanks to his Father for revealing his wisdom to the little children and not to the wise and learned, as it was his good pleasure to do so. His disciples have just come back overjoyed about how even the demons submitted to them in Jesus name, but Jesus shows them that he's more interested in celebrating God's successes, not his own.

It can be very hard to celebrate someone else's good fortune in light of your own bad fortune. Psychologists will tell you that there are few worse feelings known to man than that of missing out on something you felt entitled to. And yet God calls us to joyously celebrate other peoples' successes as we would our own. Following Jesus' example, we should;
- Find something specific and special that gives someone a benefit or blessing, and celebrate it!
- Celebrate for the one person in the way that we would celebrate for all. We need to be unreserved in our unbridled enthusiasm for other peoples' success. Rejoice, for good has to come to those who need it!

Just finally, can I just encourage you, dear reader, to meditate on this sermon for a while - it's a little meaty, and I firmly believe there's more to it than the first glance would suggest. At the least, remember these four faces of love, so you can ponder them as you go about your day. Each of them has its place - empathising, rebuking, sacrificing, celebrating.

So how can we, in following Jesus' example, love better?

trust

2009-11-05T16:11:00.006+11:00

What do you trust? It's a question i've been grappling with a lot lately. It usually springs to mind at the dawn of some great challenge, where the end is very much hidden from my sight - exams for instance, or finances, or whatever other road bumps I might meet.

I normally don't worry too much about all that stuff. I guess I just know that I'll get through it... after all, I always do, don't I?

Well, that's the very mindset that I've been feeling challenged on lately. I'm starting to realise that there's an important difference between knowing you'll get through the hard stuff just because you always do, and knowing you'll get through it because you trust in God. The first is a trust in yourself, a trust that seems fair and reasonable, but won't always see you to the end - the second is a trust in the Lord your God who, in his very nature, can never fail you: personally, I want to know how to get my trust to be in Him, not in my own efforts.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

I was reading the book of Daniel last week (no, I'm not a narcissist, it's just where I'm up to since starting to read the Bible cover-to-cover), and was amazed by the absolutely unquestioning and unrelenting trust of Daniel's friends as they're about to be thrown into a blazing furnace to their deaths:

Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

We see there that Daniel's friends were prepared to go into that fire whether or not God chose to save them. Ah, but surely that means they weren't actually trusting in him at all, that they were just happy to die? But no! Their trust wasn't in God necessarily saving them (although he did exactly that), but in the goodness of his character to prevail and keep them safe. I think there's a real temptation for christians to think that God has jeopardised their trust because a certain outcome they were 'trusting' for didn't come to pass, but it shouldn't be that way - we are called to trust in God for who he is, with the sure knowledge that if God is good and his plans are to prosper us, then all will be well.

Man. That revelation sure did simplify things for me. Just on a final note, Jesus tells his disciples in John 12 to 'trust in the Light so that they may become sons of the Light'. That word for trust, "pisteute", can be rendered to English a few ways: have faith in, entrust yourself in, believe in, commit to, hold to, rely on.

One thing for sure; you can always rely on God.

love Dan.

flow

2009-10-04T23:44:00.008+11:00

.
.
.
Today Pastor Richard preached a timely message on the river of life, and how to have it flowing through you. If for nothing else, I knew I needed to write it here for posterity's sake, because I for one found it extremely helpful (though I hope you will too).

At both the very start and end of the Bible we hear about "a river watering the garden [that] flowed from Eden" (Gen 2:10), filled with "the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb..." (Rev 22:1). I had personally never noticed it, or I may have unwisely dismissed it as some unusually salubrious garden stream, but this river has a far more profound meaning; it flows from God and the Lamb giving life, and we ourselves can tap into it to have the life of God directly flowing through us by his Spirit.

There's nowhere else you'd want to be. If we can just get ourselves healthy, the rest will take care of itself. If we can just immerse ourselves in the river of life we'll experience God's full favour and blessing, which is an attractive place to be! After all, God's plan for us is good, always good, remember; it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Gal 5:1)

So how do we get into the river (as opposing to impeding its flow)? Richard looked to the story of Adam and Eve's original sin (Gen Chap 3), and came out with these three principles:

1) We need to put revelation in front of reason

To Adam and Eve, the serpent actually seemed an innocent being. To them, it was just another God-created animal dwelling in the perfect paradise they lived in, with no particularly evil or deceitful stigma to give away its destructive plan. The first problem there is that, in trusting him and not God, they put the created in front of the creator, and that immediately impedes the flow of life.

But more importantly, they put their reason, their own ideas, their own intellectual and logical faculties, ahead of the God-given revelation that they had previously been living by. By assuming themselves to know better than their Creator, they brought about their own downfall.

The point is that sometimes we have to let reason go and be committed to forgive, love, trust, sincerely engage with people, even if it doing so doesn't agree with our presupposed reason. In our relationship with God, we need to commit to seeking His revelation, and to live by it. There, we find the flow of life.

2) We need to put relationships before knowledge

When you put knowledge before relationships, it will amount to a stop of the flow. To look at Adam and Eve's downfall again, what they were seeking was a greater knowledge of good and evil, despite their (suppressed) awareness that seeking this knowledge would jeopardise their healthy relationship with their Father in Heaven.

The principle to take from this is that when we pursue knowledge we need to ask ourselves, 'is this knowledge going to help me love others and/or love God?' (This is where a not-to-do list can be helpful - is anything in your life not helping you to love others?). Knowledge must serve love, not the other way around. Certainly, knowledge can aid and empower love, but not if it is self-seeking and the loving part comes as an afterthought.

God wants us to pursue the furthering of relationships with others, as this is what will facilitate the flow of life. Sometimes it can mean changing yourself to better your relationship with someone you'd been stubbornly insisting should change for you. If you really want to please our people-loving relationship-valuing God, why not just love the people in your world?

3) Pure and simple devotion to Jesus

Adam and Eve, instead of choosing to remain in what was simple, in eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, chose complexity. Paul writes; "but I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ (NIV) / that simplicity that is in Christ (KJV). (2 Cor 11:3)

We need to move away from complexity and towards simplicity. In reaching out to others in need, this can mean that instead of striving for complex answers to why there is a need, we find out what can be done to help.

Ultimately, what really matters is your pure and simple devotion to Christ. It will change everything. If you have a pure and simple devotion to Christ you can connect with anyone, because you'll no longer be trying to convince someone of your conviction, but instead you'll see them as instrinsically valuable just as Jesus does, and together you'll enter into a place of shared conviction.

Want to have the river of the water of life flowing through you? The answer is a simple and pure devotion to Jesus.

love,
dan.

.

fruit

2009-08-28T17:23:00.021+10:00

.

I want my ministry to be fruitful! Don't you? It's something I wish for and desire with every act of service I do in the house of God - and it would be hard to wish otherwise. I imagine there's not a single person serving God who doesn't want to see their ministry bear great fruit, in fact. So why is it, then, that some ministries are wildly fruitful, some less so, and some bear no fruit at all?

As is the common theme on my articles, I don't have all the answers to that - but it's been something on my heart these past few weeks, so I've delved a little into God's Word (a good place to start, as it happens!), and I want to propose three principles to you that I think are not just helpful, but crucial, to a fruitful ministry. At the end I would very much appreciate further suggestions and revelations, please!

1. PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

PSALM 1:1-3
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

God's pretty clear about this one. A wicked servant cannot produce a fruitful ministry. And although, certainly, there have been countless men of God whose ministry continued to produce good fruit for years after some covert sinful downfall within, it has to be attributed to the gifts of the spirit still lingering over them - for God brings about each of their downfalls eventually, and the fruit ends.

Well, all that sounds a bit dire - and we know that God doesn't require us to be sinless, because that's not possible. By my reckoning, this inaugural psalm (and many corresponding verses throughout the Bible) are saying that as long as you pursue righteousness, earnestly and continually, then God will give you fruit. So whatever you do for the Kingdom, be sure that you are doing it alongside an active pursuit of personal righteousness.

ISAIAH 3:10
Tell the righteous it will be well with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

2. REMEMBER WHERE THE FRUIT COMES FROM

EZEKIEL 36:30
I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.

My last article hear was about zealously serving the Lord. I still hold true to that (it's biblical after all), but I think we need to be careful in assuming that zealous serving means great fruit. The Word here says something different - it is never we who create the fruit, but God - "I will increase the fruit of the trees". All that we can do is lead people to the church and to a dialogue about salvation, and let God do the rest. In one sense this takes the burden off our shoulders somewhat, as it's not our burden to make salvations happen, that's the work of God. And certainly, we shouldn't be overly disheartened when our ministry doesn't bear as much fruit as we'd like - God's got it all under control.

But at the same time we need to be mindful that since God is the source of all fruit, to produce it we need to be sure we're dwelling in Him. Place God at the centre of everything you do in life, dwell in his presence at all times, and you will see his fruit.

JOHN 15:4-5
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

3. SUBMIT TO HIS WILL

MATTHEW 7:17-23
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The last pattern I noticed in these verses is to do with God's will. Again, he tells us his edict in very plain speech. If you are not submitting yourself entirely to His will, you will not see the full fruit of God. What I find interesting about this is the implication that you can be carrying out the most Biblically-sound ministry in the world, you can be feeding the poor and preaching to the masses, you can be working for the Kingdom in whatever way you feel your heart lead you to, and yet if you have not submitted to the will of God, there'll be no fruit.

For me, that means more time in prayer, more time in the Word, and more time just listening, listening to what God has to say for me. If one word from Him will be enough to steer my ministry in the right direction and make it bear fruit, then it's worth it.

COLOSSIANS 1:9-10
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work.

God bless. Dan.

"A Handbook of Enemy Strategies" true spiritual warfare

2009-08-15T03:19:00.006+10:00

I don't usually use other people's work, however I read this and was blown away by its simplicity, depth, and practicality. It's written by John Piper, one of my personal heroes who have encouraged me tremendously. This is especially for all those of you out there who have ever been interested in the concept of "Spiritual Warfare". THIS is TRUE spiritual warfare, and the way we fight it is through prayer, learning God's word (so that we will not sin against him), vigilance, zeal, and most importantly love.

A Handbook of Enemy Strategies
Teaching Notes

By John Piper February 12, 1984

A wartime mindset must include shrewd knowledge of enemy tactics: Ephesians 5:11, "Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."

Christianity stands or falls with the reality of Satan and demons. Why? Because Jesus spent his whole ministry fighting them. If they are not real he is reduced to a comic figure.

What is Satan's aim and his strategies?

1. He is the Father of lies. John 8:44
His nature is falsehood! He only speaks the truth in order to deceive.

2. Therefore, his chief enemy is truth - he opposes God's word. Genesis 3:1-5

3. He casts doubt on God's goodness. Genesis 3:1-5
He destroys the obedience of faith.

4. He hinders missions strategy. 1 Thess. 2:18
He opposes the truth reaching and converting people.

5. He distorts and prevents effective Gospel ministry. Acts 13:8-9

6. He avoids inner need by removing external trouble. 1 John 3:12

7. He uses the fear of death to hold men in bondage. Hebrews 2:15
The fear of death doesn't lead them to God because it leads them to get as many kicks here as possible.

8. He causes people to stumble over bad Christian attitudes. 2 Tim. 2:24-26

9. He blinds the minds of unbelievers. 2 Cor. 4:4

10. He exploits a lack of understanding. Mt. 13:19

11. He suggests ways that don't involve suffering. Mt. 16:23; Mt. 4:1-11

12. He imitates religious roles. 2 Cor. 11:14-15; Mt.13:28,30; Rev. 2:9

13. He misuses Scripture. Mt. 4:6

14. He imitates signs and wonders. 2 Thess. 2:9; Mk. 13:22

15. He offers exotic occult alternatives. Rev. 2:19-24

16. He attacks faith. 1 Thess. 3:5; 2 Cor. 11:3

17. He brings persecution. Rev. 2:9; 1 Pt. 5:8; Lk. 22:31

18. He brings sickness. Job 1:11; 2:5; Lk. 13:16.

19. He causes dissension over doctrine and causes rifts. Rom. 16:17-20

20. He tempts saints with sexual allurements. 1 Cor. 7:5; 1 Tim. 5:15

21. He takes advantage of unresolved anger. 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:27

22. He promotes pride. 1 Tim. 3:6

We began with liar and end with pride. Connection: the truth is that God is God and we are not. It is humbling. The only way to rebel against the lowliness of creaturehood is to be a liar. Therefore humility under God is the great devil resistance (James 4:6-7).

© Desiring God

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

***

Ask yourself today, how many of these are you a victim of? For me it's all too many of the above. Make a resolution and pray that you will recognise these stumbling blocks when you are presented with them in your life, and pray that God will give us the strength through the Spirit to overcome Satan's manipulation of our sinful nature.
Yours in Christ.

zeal

2009-07-21T23:34:00.017+10:00

.

Hmmm.... serving can be monotonous I've noticed! While away at a Model UN conference in Brisbane last week, I found myself sitting outside a lifeless concrete building in the cold one night, plugged into their exterior powerpoint and using University of Queensland's wireless internet, dressed in a suit, because I was meant to be at a ball. All this because I'd not been diligent enough with a church flyer I had planned to do earlier in this week, and so I'd left it to the last possible minute. In a stressful and frustrating moment, the flyer got done, and I was finally free to go to my ball, unencumbered from the tedious work I had to do for God.

On reflection, I wondered: surely this isn't the way I am meant to serve? Obediently putting God's works before my own, trusting in him and serving are all things that I've been trying to do more and more, but where was my heart? You've probably guessed by now that I was acting out a sense of obligation, and had forgotten the real reason I was serving God.

Look again at this verse (print it? stick it on your wall?):

romans 12:11
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord".

I think I need more zeal in my life. Zeal is a word that cops a bit of stigma in critical society, with 'zealot' and 'over-zealous' carrying negative connotations. I don't think a lot of people even know what zeal actually is. One definition I like is this; "enthusiastic, engaged, or ardent devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance." If you ask me, that kind of zeal can be the fine line between a fruitful or a fruitless ministry, a devoted or a fairweather christian, how God's calling us to serve or how we sometimes slip into serving.

And he is calling us;

proverbs 13:1
"The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich."

It's not enough to just support the cause in theory. God's got a higher standard than that. He wants diligent, enthusiastic, devoted servitude. Be like that, and you'll experience God's favour. Case in point, Elijah;

1 kings 19:14
"He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too"."

Elijah was an incredibly faithful and devoted follower of the Lord, did anything and everything within his power to obey God's will, and saw great fruit come out of everything he did. God saw Elijah's zeal, and protected him. If I only leave you with one point today, I hope it's this. Get zealous for the Lord!

love dan.

The "Problem" of Evil

2009-06-29T17:57:00.003+10:00

Okay, this is going to be an interesting one, so no clever rhetorical tricks in this article sorry...
A while back it was requested that I do an article on the problem of evil, or more specifically on the issue of: "If there is a good God, why do bad things happen to good people"

This is an issue which can be answered many ways, a few of which I see as biblical. However, I, like everyone else on this planet, am flawed, and therefore don’t take my word as the final answer on this topic. I certainly don’t. Also this is going to be largely from the point of view of a 7-point Calvinist, as that is probably the best way to describe my view on stuff like this. But as I said above, show me a good enough argument, and I’m willing to admit that I’m backing the wrong one… also please try to read through to the end of this, as it won’t make complete sense without the last bits (I’m not a very good writer).

Okay now down to business.

First I thought I would go through the foundations of this issue.
The first thing that we have to deal with is; God, who is He, and what do we know about him from the bible.
There are a few things which we need to know which are essential to this issue.
a) God is omnipotent, omniscient (well God the Father at least, but that’s another issue), and omnipresent. (Genesis 18:14; Luke 18:27; Revelation 19:6 … Psalm 139:2-6; Isaiah 40:13-14… Psalm 139:7-12)
b) God is perfect above and beyond our wildest conception. This of course includes the fact that he is perfectly just. (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 11:7; Psalm 119:137; Psalm 25:8; Psalm 34:8; Mark 10:18)
c) God loves mankind, creation and himself (as in there is love within the trinity) (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:8)
d) God created the world and ALL that is in it. (Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3)

From here the logic naturally flows to the issue that if God is good and just and he created everything, and if he is all powerful, why does bad stuff happen? Why is there so much pain in the world? Why are there cancer, AIDS, cyclones, bushfires, rape, murder, torture, and all kinds of suffering in the world? And why do they happen to good people? Hopefully I can give you answers, but I doubt they’ll be the ones you want to hear.

To continue, I want to address an assumption which many people make, which is that there is such a thing as a “good” person. There isn’t. Let’s just make that plain and clear to start with. Even the purest person you can think of is rotten to the core with corrupting sin (Romans 3:23; psalm 51:3-5). There is no deed which we can do which isn’t tainted by it. There has only ever been one exception to this, being Jesus. Apart from him, we are all perfectly sinful. Because of this the whole concept of a “good person” is inherently ridiculous, and therefore it is incorrect to feel that it is unfair that bad things happen to good people, as the so called good people deserve far worse than has happened to them.

Now it is important to note that sin has consequences. These consequences are not just the obvious way in that they condemn you eternally, but can also be manifest in this temporary world. One way in which that they can be manifest is directly. The Bible provides examples of this, the most immediate one which springs to mind is when Herod is eaten by worms as a result of him not giving praise to God (Acts 12:23). However sin’s temporal consequences aren’t only on those who commit it, for example you can hurt someone else with sin, with no noticeable change to you in this world. Sin, which is securely rooted in the heart of mankind (Gen 6:5), is the cause of all the evil in the world(Gen 3). This includes evils that don’t seem to have a link to human activities, such as natural disasters. Now when I say this, I am definitely not jumping on the bandwagon of all the people who say that if something bad happened to you then it is a punishment from God (cf. all the criticism of New Orleans post hurricane). I am saying that there is no way you can say you didn’t deserve it, but that it is not necessarily a direct consequence of your sins. But to be honest random natural disasters resulting in death are the least we have to worry about in this world, far more worrying to me is the fact that I have eternal life one way or the other… for a God of this power which we have described above can surely think of some pretty terrible tortures to span an eternity. But if you are interested in the real reason behind pain, and not just self-justification, we have to look deeper, to the reason behind the creation of the world itself.

John 17 is one of my favourite passages in the bible… it’s just so juicy! From it and John 1 we can get the reasons both why the world was created and why Christ came into it to die for us. Yes there is his love for us, but it’s also so that:
a) Glory would be given to the Father.
b) The world will see the Glory of the Son which has been granted to him by the Father, through his sacrifice for us.

So now I find myself at the sentence that I’m so hesitant to write, and it’s going to sound alien and wrong to anyone who isn’t a Christian, and also to many who are… but this is the only way to put it. The ultimate purpose of pain in this world is to show the glory of God. Pain is a consequence of sin. Without sin, there is no need for redemption. The glory of God is most evident in the salvation of mankind through the resurrection of the Christ.

I would like to sum this up with one Bible Verse: Proverbs 16:4

serving

2009-06-22T23:27:00.011+10:00

.
.

I've been spending more time serving in my church these past months, always finding that the more time and energy I give, the more I get in return. And I don't mean just from the other people working with me (though they've definitely blessed me a bunch). I'm referring to a trend occurring in the other facets of my multi-faceted life - things are surprisingly, wonderfully, and miraculously falling into place for me. It's encouraging and empowering.

So I felt compelled this week to find out why exactly I'm called to serve. I knew it was a good thing to do, but that's about where my Biblical basis for the practice started and ended. Was it necessary? Couldn't God do it all without me? Isn't it enough that I just love people?

Haggai 2:15
"Now give careful thought to this from this day on - consider how things were before one stone was laid in the Lord's temple".

The context of this verse is that the Judahites in Jerusalem had been noticing a new trend; all the toil they were doing for their own personal benefit was becoming ineffective, inefficient, and unproductive. They would go to draw fifty measures from a wine vat and find there were only twenty. At this point the prophet Haggai delivered God's word to the people, that they should first build up the temple of the Lord, and that the rest of their lives would fall into place thereafter. The Judahites were faithful to this command, and God was faithful to his promise - not only was there a direct causal link between putting God's house first and seeing their own estate prosper thereafter, but that link still applies to us followers today, for God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

1 Corinthians 14:26
"Let all things be done for edification".

God's command is clear. All that we do should be for edification, meaning the "building of a house". God wants us to build up one another and build the church He has placed us in, so mere attendance on Sunday falls short of this command. And don't be afraid of it;

Matthew 11:30
"My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

When you're doing the work God put you here for, the work to which he sanctified you in the womb and for which he provided you with gifts and abilities, there He says you will find rest from the incessant fatigue and exhaustion that a self-serving life promises to deliver. Working for God is the fulfilment of what you were created to do.

So we are commanded and designed to serve. What's more;

1. Serving is in keeping with striving to be more like Jesus.

Matthew 20:28
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve."

2. Serving is a privelige we have, something to rejoice about!

Psalm 100:2
"Serve the Lord with gladness".

3. At the end of the story, God fulfilled his promise to the Judahites in Jerusalem, prospering their estates once they had started out by building his house.

Haggai 2:19
"From this day on I will bless you".

In short, like the Son of Man you must follow God's command and build up his house with a glad heart - you'll find you're designed for that exact purpose - and you will be blessed. Sure does explain a lot of recent miraculous improvements in my own estate...

Serve!

priorities

2009-06-10T08:58:00.015+10:00

____
So I was up at a rather ungodly hour of the morning today, no earlier than 5:20am (a full five hours before my usual awakening). Things happen in the morning! The sun rises, the air is crisp (and chilly), and there is a stillness surrounding you which no other part of the day can offer. I found myself impacted by the undeniable beauty of my surroundings while the sun rose over our splendid city, and it prompted me to meditate on the sheer perfection of our Lord as manifested through creation. All it takes to witness this magnificence is a glance at a lake or a eucalyptus leaf, and yet so easily we still try to pigeonhole its Maker.

The beauty of nature is not what this post is about, though it did start the train of thought that led me to wonder, "Where am I placing God in my life"? Is He another part of my week, or is He first in my life?

Exodus 20:3 - "You shall have no other Gods before me."

The implication of this, the first of the Ten Commandments, goes beyond a contextually specific command for the Israelites to put away their Baals and Ashtoreths. In my mind it is saying that God intends us to place him first in our life. Consider it alongside this...

Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money".

1 John 5:21 - "Dear Children, keep yourselves from idols".

...and it is clear that the 'other masters' can be things of our own creation, constructs of society. If money is being warned against, what about other masters - popularity? Internet? Ministry? Joyce Meyer reveals that she once devoted so much effort to the success of her ministry that God had to stop her and ask if it was the ministry itself she was serving, or the God that it was meant to glorify.

As for myself, one master I have been giving all too much time of day for is my Schedule. I subject myself to rigid logistics (which were created by my own former arbitrary definition anyway!) in the name of consistency, and I try to fit God into that. These verses require the reverse - I ought to be placing God first, and working my schedule around Him. My provision is not of my own doing, but is granted freely from my God when I trust in Him. After all;

Matthew 6:26 - "Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

None of us - therefore let us rejoice in the freedom that we can put God first in our lives and have a relationship with Him, and trust that He will cater to the rest.

obedience

2009-05-27T15:48:00.013+10:00

It's not a fluffy thing.

Lately I have often found myself trying to impress God through great sacrifice. Sweeping acts of servitude that reveal the extreme dedication of my faith. I know I have read in the Word that God delights in a self-sacrificing servant, and so the answer seemed easy. The more you sacrifice, the more you please the Lord.

However;

1 Samuel 15:22
"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

God had specifically told Saul not to sacrifice the plunder of his military conquest against the Amalekites, but instead to totally destroy everything, and yet Saul kept the best of the plunder, sacrificing a portion of it to the Lord. Up until this point Saul was a revered and blessed leader of Israel, but because of his disobedience to the Lord, he was replaced by a servant who consistently and earnestly listened to the Lord's commands and obeyed them. God advances the obedient, and holds back the over-zealous.

Obedience goes further than that though, not only in pleasing our Lord, but also in aiding us in navigating through the pitfalls of a sin-filled world. How can we seek righteousness without hearing the commands given to us in the Word and being obedient to it? With great difficulty, and with risk;

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Therefore earnestly seek his command, and delight in it! It is in obedient servitude to God that we can live the fullest lives. What a counter-intuitive idea for an instant gratification society!

Psalm 112:1
"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands."

The Word couldn't be clearer on this. God wants us to immerse ourselves in his Word, seeking out his commands for our lives with the intention of putting them into practice. Rhetorical obedience is worth nothing compared to Biblical obedience. Therefore be the faithful servant who listens to his master's words, so that you may be congratulated for your faith.

Romans 16:19
"Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you."

That's what I hope the Lord will have to say for me when we meet.

peace out.
dan.

Maternity Test

2009-05-20T15:47:00.002+10:00

Dan once made a comment jokingly to me something along the lines that “Maybe they need a maternity test… get it? Maternity test? ‘cause they’re not sure who the mother was…”

Now many of you who know Dan would recognise this as an example of his quirky sense of humour. However, recently I remembered the line in my frustration at something in particular. Allow me to illustrate my point.

I want you to prove to me that the person who you call “mum” is your actual biological mother. (This obviously doesn’t apply to adopted kids, but you get my point…). Easy right? I mean, you KNOW that your mum is your mum, there’s a reason that Dan’s comment was funny… isn’t there? Well then go ahead, I don’t believe that she’s actually your mum, prove it to me…

In this age of technology, the first thing that probably jumps to mind is that of DNA testing. It’s commonly used for similar purposes (paternity tests for example), however is this really foolproof? I mean there’s so many things which could go wrong… to start with the process doesn’t quite have a 100% sensitivity, and it’s hard to tell the difference between siblings, and impossible to tell the difference between identical twins… so even if the test comes back positive, it’s possible that either your mum’s sister or long lost twin was actually your mother. Or even more significant, there’s the factor of human error. The hospital staff could mess up the test, or actually switch the charts, or just accidentally say that she is, when she isn’t. They could even want to keep your family together, and therefore lie to you about the results, or they could have been paid off… or it could even be a whole massive conspiracy about this whole DNA thing, and it doesn’t actually work...

Right about now you’re probably thinking… Okay smartypants, two can play this game… what if my dad taped my birth? (Yeah I find the concept a bit weird too, but some people do it… and really the concept is cool in its own way, capturing someone’s first breath etc… just… I dunno, a bit messy?) Well, see, I still don’t believe that she’s your mum, anyone these days with a camera and a computer can edit a tape… and besides, how do you know that the kid in the picture is you? Even if that video is genuine, which you can’t prove… it just shows someone who looks like your mum, giving birth to a child. It doesn’t prove that that baby is you…

Well how about just the fact that she says she’s your mum? I mean, the powerful proof in court is that of an eyewitness… but then again she is biased isn’t she? She wants to keep you as her kid… or even if she “seems” honest, there’s the possibility that she’s just delirious, or that the hospital workers accidentally switched the babies, or something along those lines… Even if you go and find the doctor/midwife who supposedly delivered you, how do you know that they remember correctly (it was a number of years ago), and that they haven’t been payed off to say that anyway, I mean they could even just be actors… I still can’t say that I believe you when you say she’s your mum.

Anyway, right about now you’re probably wondering whether I’m off my rocker or going through some ridiculous identity crisis or something… however I assure you this isn’t the case. What I am trying to illustrate is that no matter how conclusive the evidence is, it’s always possible to think up illogical excuses to not believe it. It would be pretty stupid in most cases to question whether your social mum is actually your biological one…

Yet people still have this attitude when presented with proof of the Bible/God/ the Christ. They defensively find excuses not to believe. It seems to be an in-built reaction. We like to think of ourselves as a highly logical society, evenly weighing all options and possibilities before coming to a scientific conclusion, yet on this one topic people remain adamant. We have the archeological and historical evidences. We have the eyewitness accounts. We have personal accounts of how the gospel has changed lives. We have so much proof that if it were for anything else, it would be ridiculous to disbelieve it… yet still people do.

However this is not to be unexpected, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:3-7 that people are always going to reject the Christ, no matter what proofs you can think up. No matter how cleverly you word it, or back them into a logical corner, they are still going to reject it out of hand. The only exception is when the Holy Spirit is already working in someone to change their hearts, softening it. No work of ours, no cleverly argued point is ever going to get through to someone’s heart in the way that the Holy Spirit can.

Now note that I am not discounting the value of apologetics, in fact I believe that in this day and age a study of apologetics is one of the most valuable tools a Christian can have in their arsenal. I myself became a Christian after reading a number of books of apologetics and honestly weighing the possibilities. However I am convinced that had the Spirit not been working in me, I would not have even picked them up. Likewise one of my greatest heroes, C.S. Lewis was convinced by the apologetics of his friends. The bible agrees in 1 Peter 3:15.

Basically, all I am trying to say in this is 3 points. The first is; don’t be disheartened by people’s reactions to apologetics, especially when you have argued your point clearly and concisely, and they still refuse to consider the possibility with any modicum of seriousness.

The second point I want to make is; don’t try to do it on your own. By this I mean that apologetics is a form of evangelism the same as any other, it is impossible without God’s help. Always pray for those you are talking to, and don’t take any successes as your own, or as credits to your logical prowess, just as you shouldn’t take failure as a sign that you didn’t argue logically. It is up to the Lord who will come to Him.

The final point I want to make is that without love, apologetics, like any other form of evangelism, is dead. There is no point in arguing with the logic and clarity of Cicero if your life is more like that of Nero. The bible says as much in 1 Corinthians 1

PS. I was trying really hard to think of a “ya mum” joke to go with this, but nothing seemed to fit

PPS. If anyone is interested in some arguments on this topic, I’d recommend the book “evidence that demands a verdict”

the revelation of righteousness

2009-05-19T01:21:00.009+10:00

we had a visiting pastor come preach this week, jimmy mutebi from uganda, and he delivered a message on righteousness. one of the purposes of this blog is for me to make sense of what i note in sermons, so i'm sifting through it now to get some more revelation out of his message. this is God's Word, from jimmy's word, in my words:

revelation. you need it. what you do that is devoid of revelation will not profit you. if you need encouragement to pray, you have not had revelation of how important prayer actually is. we are called to do everything in light of revelation. think about it. you don’t struggle to eat - you don’t pray, “God please give me the revelation of eating”, and yet prayer's just as important as eating!

for this, time spent with God is absolutely crucial. you cannot know how your journey with God is progressing if you are not talking with him. you cannot know what He is saying to you if you are not reading his word. the word of God is a mirror to us, so we can use it to make adjustments. it is meant to challenge the way we think.

HEBREWS 5:12-13 - In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

so first we need to understand this elementary truth of righteousness. righteousness is a gift from God, not something we earn by dint of our own actions. we are called to be skillful in righteousness, and this must be done by practising it constantly, so that we may become mature. maturity is not something gleaned from ageing, but rather what you get by obeying the word of God.

okay.

yet many Christians fall victim to their situation because they only practice on the day of the trial, so they lack the spiritual stamina to overcome the challenge. but remember...

1 PETER 2:23 - When they hurled their insults as him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

...never once in jesus’ life was there a challange that he did not rise to, was he the victim instead of the victor, even the death on the cross was a divine setup to disarm the devil and render him ineffective. so why then should we, in aspiring to be more like Jesus, so readily accept failure, so easily shirk away from challenges presented to us. we shouldn't! we should face and overcome them, with confidence!

HEBREWS 4:16 - Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

we are established in righteousness so that no weapon formed against us will prosper. when we are established, we have anchorage. the things that used to move us, we now move them!

ROMANS 5:17 - For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

those who have received the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall rule and reign in life as kings, through jesus christ. we are made in God’s image, so we are to be the move of God. so do it. be the move of God.

JOHN 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
LUKE 8:11 - This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

every seed produces of its own kind, and we have the seed of God. that means that as we grow we are to become more like Him. we are to become like God, as was originally intended for us. jesus said You shall move mountains - not ask God to move them for you! thanks to God's gift of righteousness, we can now reign in life. but it's not automatic - you have been made righteous, but now go practice righteousness!

ISAIAH 32:17 - the fruit of righteousness will be peace, the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

quiet confidence. trademark of someone who's acting on revelation.

peace out.
dan.

study plan

2009-05-01T14:04:00.007+10:00

i have a 1500 word criminal law assignment due on monday, which seems short, but places high scrutiny on the quality and detail of your research and revelations.

on top of that, i've got a hefty contracts assignment due on monday as well.

oh and a public law assignment, due on thursday.

not to mention the fact that greater union has been far less willing to give me shifts of late, greatly decreasing my cash flow.

add to that competing demands for the few hours that i am awake in the day, where compromise leaves me getting to bed unfairly late many nights of the week.

that and a few other factors has led to perpetual sickness, with my chronic rhinitis symptoms particularly flaring up these past months, and my body being in pain most hours of most days.

i'm also lamenting the recent death of certain friendships where we've just drifted apart, or don't get along anymore.

In short, I am surrounded by a mighty army of problems.
It's beyond my capacity to deal with alone.

Normally I turn to God here and trust that He will make things all turn out for the best, that together we'll weather the storm. It's a standard answer that works, as He has promised in the Word.

In reading Judges this week, I realised something about God's character that I didn't yet know.

At the end of Joshua, the Israelites have just moved into the Promised Land after years of wandering and warfare, and yet on the outsides - and in amongst - this territory, many populations of Canaanites still remained, that the Israelites could not drive out.

Why didn't God just deliver those adversaries to his people as well?

Jg 3:1-2

These are the nations the LORD left to test the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience).

In prayer God prompted me to apply that Scripture to my own situation. These problems in my life are certainly challenging, and it's true that I'm having a tough time dealing with them. But His Word says that he leaves opposing forces in my midst so as to train me in warfare. If I persevere - and it goes on to repeatedly declare that obedience is the way to do so - I know that God will increase my spiritual capacity as a result. And no problem is so great that he can't deal with it.

Obedience is key.

So when I go to sleep tonight, I'll place these concerns in His hands. He'll be up all night anyway.

Who/What would you be willing to die for? .... Christ suggests Selfishness!

2009-04-25T01:17:00.003+10:00

Hey all, it's me rambling again =)... and as usual trying to stir the pot up a little bit... and as usual I would like to point out that what I'm writing here is merely what I've learned, it's far from infallible, and hence I would encourage you to rebuke me if you think I'm wrong, even in the slightest, or (heavens forbid =P) to agree with me and add something which you think my argument is missing.

But to be totally honest with you I don't really think the above title is really at all untrue...

Before you start pulling out your pitchforks and torches to flame me, allow me to demonstrate how what I'm saying is true.

But first some preamble...

These days, "selfishness" has become a crime against humanity, its evils are declaimed by countless philosophers, politicians, social activists, religious leaders and the rest of the "ethical" world. They define this "selfishness" as acting in a way solely for your own benefit. An example of this is someone who, not considering the needs of others in a company, embezzles money from his boss. People will say that this person is focussing on themselves, rather than others, like his co-employees and boss, and because of this he causes them harm (in this case loss of money). You could think of a million and one examples of this happening, they would say. But let us examine what comes of this philosophy. People go as far as to say that you shouldn't do any action for your own benefit, but only for the benefit of others...

In response to this vilification of "selfishness", people have become too afraid to do anything for their own benefit, or that they enjoy, because it might "negatively impact on other people", and then feel self-righteous in their self-deprecation... Don't believe me? Well take for example a married couple (let's call them Anne and Bob, just because it means I can abbreviate them to A and B) on a sunny Saturday off. A knows that B likes to go bush-walking on his days off, and suggest to him that they do so, seeing as it is such a beautiful day outside... B however notices that she is sacrificing what she wants to do for him, as she prefers to go swimming. Not wanting to be selfish, he suggests that instead they go swimming... there then ensues a battle of self-righteousness, with neither wanting to give into the other, and therefore prove that they are of lesser moral calibre than the other. They eventually decide to stay home, as it's to late to do anything by the time that they've finished, and both leaves the discussion having been disappointed, but satisfied in their own self-righteousness.

Do you see what I mean here now? These two were so concentrated on what was better for the other, that they didn't realise that they were actually hurting each other. Or for a simpler example, take for instance the man who refuses to eat anything, as by doing so he's being "selfish", as in eating something he's profiting only himself, or the one who refuses to take a pay rise, and therefore isn't able to pay for car repairs, which means he has to walk to work each day, costing hours with clients to the company.

But I don't want just to show that "Selflessness" is wrong, as I said above, I want to show that "Selfishness" isn't just good sense, it is actually good full stop.

Selfishness, or looking out for yourself is in itself not a bad thing. Because I cannot think of a simpler example, take for instance the example of salvation. Who out of you (if you are saved that is) can honestly say that they gave their life to Christ for the sake of someone else? No, your first thought was for the only way you could possibly ever be eternally saved, and this can hardly be attributed as being a bad thing.

No I want to put forward that the problem is not that people are too selfish in the world as it is, but that people aren't nearly selfish enough. We are too easily satisfied. The man who cheats on his wife might be described as "selfish", but in reality, his problem isn't that he's being selfish as really he's being selfless, as he's harming himself in the long run by harming the edifying relationship he has with his wife... what his problem is is that he's failing to see things in the long run. The manager who embezzles funds not only risks being caught, but also harms the company, which ultimately, he is a part of. The list goes on... and I haven't even touched on eternal consequences! One could go as far as to describe just about any sin as actually being selfless on an eternal scale, as what is more self-sacrificing than condemning oneself to eternal torment? The problem is Satan blinds our eyes, telling us to focus on the present, on the instant gratification which brings downfall.

The Bible supports this, selfish language is used all throughout The Bible, for example, storing up riches in heaven is hardly selfless, is it? I mean even the 2 commandments which sum up the law support it. The second commandment is; "love your neighbour AS you love YOURSELF". The obvious corollary of this being that we are supposed to love ourselves (unless you think Jesus is saying that we aren't supposed to love our neighbours?). Also the first commandment (not as in 10 commandments again, I mean the 2 that Jesus gave), doesn't speak against selfishness? For what truly is more selfish than loving and serving a God (with all your heart and soul and mind) who promises you eternal riches and rewards to which this all world cannot compare?

So what can we take from this? Well for one, you don't have to feel guilty about taking care of yourself, just make sure you're doing it with an eternal perspective. Also, we can draw from this (if you draw it out enough), that feeling good or happy isn't necessarily a bad thing, now you may think that this self evident, but there have been so many groups through history who have taught that the best way to worship God is through self-penitence, (take for example what some monks used to do...).

Now note, I haven't said anywhere in this post that it's okay to act in a way that is to harm another for your own good. Far from it. The point I am trying to make is that someone who is truly selfish will act in ways which are good for others, as they are also good for them self, usually in this life, if not, then in the next.

So my concluding comment for this post is that we are often asked by the media, or by friends, or whoever, "who or what would you die for". How many people can honestly say that they are in the process of dying in the full service of themselves?

Yours In Christ... Thumpy.

we inhabit a very large playground

2009-04-24T04:23:00.006+10:00

coffee

trees
cars
benches
shoes
movies
credit cards
flowers
books
paintbrushes
kitchens
scarves
restaurants
trumpets
rocks
cushions
hats
fruit salads
candles
spotlights
clouds
ants
languages
drums
bubbles
photos
diamonds
guitars
balloons
origami
chocolates
tea leaves
microphones
mountains.

that's a non-exhaustive list of things God has placed in this world to be used for the good of his kingdom. let them therefore do their purpose, and put them to use for His glory.

are you awake?

2009-04-23T02:12:00.005+10:00

every day my body tricks me. on waking up, i dream that i get dressed, brush my teeth, floss, pack my bag, drive to uni, and sometimes i even make it as far as the cafe, before the ultimate realisation that i am still in bed. and late.

and then there are the times when i'm awake after all, with my brain struggling to catching up. often i find myself going through the motions, waiting for my next coffee or siesta to inject fresh energy into my day. which is a neat little analogy for how my walk with God was until recently.

did you know that God had already sanctified you to His purpose when you were in your mother's womb? asleep or awake, that purpose existed long before you could realise or comprehend it, and the choice remaining is whether or not you'll appropriate the divine calling God has placed over your life.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5)

are you awake?

Lift up your eyes and look about you. (Isaiah 60:4)

i'll expand on this testimony in coming posts. for now, let me say simply that this blog serves as a training ground for myself and my friend Chris to acid test our thoughts and ideas inspired by the Word of God. feedback is the name of the game here, and we'd love it in abundance please. also, we aim to make this blog fairly regular, hopefully to incorporate into our respective devotional times, and to reiterate various messages we've heard throughout the week. we hope you will be inspired and encouraged by our words, and we invite God to use them as a way to speak to you personally.

finally, a note on the name. you may recognise the reference to a famous verse in Romans.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God

- this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)

i think 'living sacrifice' places a fairly substantial burden upon us. this christian thing isn't just another weekly activity. God's after our life, and that's a massive sacrifice.

thank God he already paid the price.