ughh =s

Maybe its time to shut down this blog..

there were like 6 posts advertising crap on this -- how does that happen??! Pleh- its so stupid how people devise ways to trap others into sin -- esp via the internet... sexually perverse ads and junk can just pop up -- argh-- makes me so angry

CALM DOWN. *looks outside for a while.

Psalm 19

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

³ There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

⁴ Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

⁵ which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

It's a beautiful day. Thanks God- you're creation is one thing that reminds us of your love for all things pure and true.

Anthea

I know why I don’t like to blog – because I’m not used to letting people into my head…exposing my thoughts about life makes me feel vulnerable… ah I don’t like to admit that, but I know that’s the reason =p Anyways, I respect the people who do blog- I appreciate the chance to gain insight into their life- their honesty and humility when talking about their relationship with God – their faith is real and growing! And its inspiring and encouraging to read… =)

The past week was amusing for me- I watched a few movies and they all had something in common… UP, Twilight (for shame- I gave in after resisting for 6 months), You’ve got mail and Dirty Dancing (I’m sorry- the title alone should have deterred me…but I was curious as to why it was a classic, and the poor guy died of pancreatic cancer… but the title is a bit misleading… a bit)

So I had romantic movie overload last week- as a girl, it makes me ‘aww’ and sigh, but not sure how guys would take it…perhaps they’ll gouge their eyes or fall asleep, or do a Nathan Brown and think about slow dancing… anyway, it left me wondering about this in my own life- God, do I know what this love is like? Will I ever… - haha c’mon, I’m sure this question crosses EVERYONE’s mind at least ONCE in their life…

I have to confess- I wrestled with this thought because suddenly Love was everywhere- seriously, every song on the radio…it was driving me nuts…but thanks God, you’re so patient – he helped me see that God’s love is big enough to fill every need for love in my heart: as a father, friend and you know the other one. Jesus, Lover of my soul. I’ve sung that song countless times, but have never given much thought to that word ‘lover’. That’s a powerful way to describe God’s love. But that’s one way God has related his love to his people – husband to Israel, the church is his bride. Reading Hosea- God loves his unfaithful ‘wife’ …Hosea 2:6-7, this is my interpretation (good it read the passage yourself) - though she has run everywhere else to find fulfillment, she clutches at wind- she won’t find anything there and she’s forgotten that it’s with God… though she’ll learn some hard lessons, God still pursues her with love- unconditional and unrelenting (Hosea 2:14, 19-20) Amazing love =)

I rmbr a convo with someone about marriage – I think they asked: what if someone gets old and they still have that desire to be with someone, but they never do? And I thought that for the ppl who aren’t meant to be married- God reveals that to them, and they are okay with that… and they said ‘but what if they still do want to’ .. I think it went back and forth like that … in the end I said I don’t know, ask someone who is old and single =p But thinking about that, God’s love is perfect and when we have that we have everything! Psalm 90:14 ‘Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.’

Oxygen this wednesday: Sex HD haha – bring someone!!

Ant

As humans we are so fickle....and there is only ever one absolute in our lives whether we like it or not. Things in this life change so fast, but God is constant....and He forever will be. I don't know what it is about this song, but the first time I heard it, I broke down and cried. It's such an awesome anthem of God's sovereignty over everything. I've known this truth for 19 years....and yet still it amazes me. Our hope is not in ourselves, in others, our material things....but Yahweh alone.

ps-oops...sorry Ant!!

That's what Michael asked a while back- and my response was something like "haha- whaat?" plus some rambling about how God can do anything, but at the same time not contradict himself- so there are some things which we could say is impossible for God to do..but why would he want to make a rock so big...?

anyway, I'm sure my response wasn't that satisfactory... but I found this site which addressed the question, and using a lot of words, provides a more convincing response =p

http://creation.com/if-god-can-do-anything-then-can-he-make-a-being-more-powerful-than-himself-omnipotence

ant

I'm not really used to blogging...perhaps I'm the anti-blogger afterall.. but I like to read what other people write =p .. anyway, I'll share with you some of my thoughts.
My heart felt so heavy the other day... more like, yesterday- I felt sad about the events of the past month. I felt sad for the family and for my relationship with my bro- which feels different atm. And then I read Psalm 77

"I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples." Psalm 77:11-15

Reflecting on this, I have so much to be thankful for- God never left us for a moment.
I'd heard this said before: 'God whispers to us in our pleasures, but shouts in our pains'
and the reality of it hasn't been so apparent to me until now, but I'm grateful for it.

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

God is so merciful and faithful- he knows how much we can handle. He gives us new strength to face each day. We just have to keeping holding on to Him and trust and pray-- what else to do?

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Everything has and will continue to work out for good- for all of our good; and God's name will be glorified through everything !

I like this song by Lifehouse, called Storm- I'd upload the video..if I knew how =p

*edit: i do! haha here you go - dave*

ant

Most of us realize that enjoying anything other than God, from the best gift to the basest pleasure, can become idolatry. Paul says in Colossians 3:5, “Covetousness is idolatry.”

“Covetousness” means desiring something other than God in the wrong way. But what does that mean—“in the wrong way”?

The reason this matters is both vertical and horizontal. Idolatry will destroy our relationship with God. And it will destroy our relationships with people.

All human relational problems—from marriage and family to friendship to neighbors to classmates to colleagues—all of them are rooted in various forms of idolatry, that is, wanting things other than God in wrong ways.

So here is my effort to think biblically about what those wrong ways are. What makes an enjoyment idolatrous? What turns a desire into covetousness, which is idolatry?

1. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is forbidden by God. For example, adultery and fornication and stealing and lying are forbidden by God. Some people at some times feel that these are pleasurable, or else we would not do them. No one sins out of duty. But such pleasure is a sign of idolatry.
2. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is disproportionate to the worth of what is desired. Great desire for non-great things is a sign that we are beginning to make those things idols.
3. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is not permeated with gratitude. When our enjoyment of something tends to make us not think of God, it is moving toward idolatry. But if the enjoyment gives rise to the feeling of gratefulness to God, we are being protected from idolatry. The grateful feeling that we don’t deserve this gift or this enjoyment, but have it freely from God’s grace, is evidence that idolatry is being checked.
4. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it does not see in God’s gift that God himself is more to be desired than the gift. If the gift is not awakening a sense that God, the Giver, is better than the gift, it is becoming an idol.
5. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is starting to feel like a right, and our delight is becoming a demand. It may be that the delight is right. It may be that another person ought to give you this delight. It may be right to tell them this. But when all this rises to the level of angry demands, idolatry is rising.
6. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it draws us away from our duties. When we find ourselves spending time pursuing an enjoyment, knowing that other things, or people, should be getting our attention, we are moving into idolatry.
7. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it awakens a sense of pride that we can experience this delight while others can’t. This is especially true of delights in religious things, like prayer and Bible reading and ministry. It is wonderful to enjoy holy things. It idolatrous to feel proud that we can.
8. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is oblivious or callous to the needs and desires of others. Holy enjoyment is aware of others’ needs and may temporarily leave a good pleasure to help another person have it. One might leave private prayer to be the answer to someone else’s.
9. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it does not desire that Christ be magnified as supremely desirable through the enjoyment. Enjoying anything but Christ (like his good gifts) runs the inevitable risk of magnifying the gift over the Giver. One evidence that idolatry is not happening is the earnest desire that this not happen.
10. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is not working a deeper capacity for holy delight. We are sinners still. It is idolatrous to be content with sin. So we desire transformation. Some enjoyments shrink our capacities of holy joy. Others enlarge them. Some go either way, depending on how we think about them. When we don’t care if an enjoyment is making us more holy, we are moving into idolatry.
11. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when its loss ruins our trust in the goodness of God. There can be sorrow at loss without being idolatrous. But when the sorrow threatens our confidence in God, it signals that the thing lost was becoming an idol.
12. Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when its loss paralyzes us emotionally so that we can’t relate lovingly to other people. This is the horizontal effect of losing confidence in God. Again: Great sorrow is no sure sign of idolatry. Jesus had great sorrow. But when desire is denied, and the effect is the emotional inability to do what God calls us to do, the warning signs of idolatry are flashing.

For myself and for you, I pray the admonition of 1 John 5:21, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Where is your joy rooted?

A few things to be further reflected upon:

Matthew 7:16 - 18
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 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.

Galatians 5:22 - 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:24 - 25
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

You don't have to tell a good tree - "You gotta produce good fruit!"
A Christian shouldn't be struggling and straining to produce good fruit.
Yes it requires persistence, but not of our own strength.
But then again.. what is our definition of Christianity? Mere confession?
Luke 9:23 - "... If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me"

What fruit does my life show...

Just a few thoughts which have found it's way into my heart.

Christianity was never meant to be an exterior cosmetic.

Caking on nice words. Caking on good deeds. Caking on going to church. Don't get me wrong; these are good things. But in of themselves, they cannot be our focus.

If we take a step back, our life that we now live as Christians stems from being born again through Christ Jesus. A change from the inner most being of the heart expressing its way into our actions, thoughts and words.

We need to get full of it. Full of His living word, full of His Spirit.

But how can we get full of it when we're already so satisfied...

hey guys, I just remembered that I was meant to get back to you with that verse I was looking for during our last lifegroup--- and I found it =)

It was Deut 30:11-20
I'll take some bits out from it-but its good to read the whole thing
God says "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach... No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.... This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.... "

and also Josh 24:15- the Israelites were told to chose for themselves who they would serve

its very clear- God gives everyone the choice whether to follow Him or not- we all have to face that question that Jesus asked Peter: who do you say that I am? Matt 16:15
even Jesus did not force anybody to stay with him - John 6:66 'you do not want to leave too, do you? ' he asked his disciples...

and it made me think that there is something really amazing about knowing God and Jesus- that people choose to follow him- and give up their personal dreams and ambition for the sake of His will... even enduring all sorts of persecution... even dying for their faith- Hebrew 11:35-38

so - asking myself: do I really KNOW Jesus in this way?... after being brought up in this for so long?... I believe that I do- and chose to follow him for myself a while back already- but I'm asking God to refresh my heart- and renew my love for Him in a new way... and so I'm real excited about our series at Oxygen now- it's going to be great =) ... not just for ppl that haven't met God, but for all of us!

=) ant

Thanks for the post yesterday Dave. It posed some really interesting questions and gave me something to think about during the morning run. Here's some of my thoughts..

This is something I wanted to share with the lifegroup, but probably won't be able to make it to lifegroup anymore as uni starts and I'm far far away with no car haha. So I thought I'd post it up here for those who read the blog. Comment and let me know your thoughts.

God is all knowing. God is always present within our lives. But is everything controlled by God?

It is a common debate about how God is to said to know everything, past present and future, a great Plan so to speak, and yet at the same time given us Free Will. Google it, and you'll find thousands of forums and websites dedicated to this one problem (okay, maybe not thousand, but I found a few).

It was also an aspect of God that I couldn't quite come to terms with either. The fact that everything was planned out, and the conflict between choosing but having the end result predetermined. So one day, I got the chance to go to another of my friend's life group and ask the question.

is he present in things like choices of toast and cereal?
is he present when we roll a ball off a table?

Often, when I had asked this question initially in the past, I'd get back a very disappointing, everything is included in God's plan for us. Even me tripping over the chair. And I could not accept this. It just didn't make sense, that things that WE did could be put on God. When we pass an exam, can it not be because we studied hard? Can it not be that God offer us the strength, wisdom and determination to study hard, but our own will allowed us to achieve such a score?

God has a plan for us all, yes. And with that plan for each individual, it all comes together into one big Plan for everything. But free will was given for a purpose. It's how we travel that path (or even the choice to go on that path).

Roamn 8:28 and we know that all things work together for good to them that loves God, to them who are the called according to (his) purpose.

If we use our free will to work with God, to further his plans, it will benefit us in the future. God's Plan will benefit all of mankind.

No, God does not set things up so you will choose the cereal. No, the toast did not magically look better than the cereal because God made it so. That choice is our free will. Yes, God did put that food there for you to make a choice. THAT is an act of God, and that is what we give thanks for every time we eat.

I think it is important for us to know exactly what we thank God for, and what we can owe to ourselves. Yes, we have many things to thank God for. He offers us wisdom, strength, comfort, guidance. We pray and honor him above all our else for it. But God did not simply give us good marks, or good jobs. We study to accept the wisdom, we persist with the strength he gives, we move on with his comfort and we listen and obey his guidance. It is our own free will that drive these.

there are 3 acts in this world. One by God, one by Satan, and one by man.

Whoaa.

It really does feel like a whole load off your mind.

Thank God first n foremost for sustaining me through this time and thank God for all you awesome peeps for your support n prayers! =]

And thanks to my long suffering family (esp. my dad, the loyal, fearless L plate overseer)

They even made a movie commemorating this day "Friday the 13th"
Check it out, looks like quite the epic xP

But this entire period I really felt that alot of the time, I was still doing things out of my own strength and my own way. The question I now ask is:

How is a life lived led by the spirit different to that of living by emotion?

If you think about it alot of our actions and attitudes in everyday life are moulded by how we "feel". If the weather is dull, we're a lil dreary. If we're tired, we snap into with slight tension. If circumstances are tough and stretch us, the same occurs. It also probably explains how we "feel" after praise and worship. Man, after some of those sessions, you feel like you can CHANGE THE WORLD, spread the love and do ALL THINGS. But does that last? 10 minutes into the message, we've probably forgotten all about it. After the service, we're just thinking about friends, what we're gonna do the next day.

Lyrics like "Jesus i believe in you, and i would go, to the ends of the earth, to the ends of the earth". Wow. Its so easy to get caught up in the atmosphere and the vibe, but after i just take two seconds to think about those words, whaat? Do we have any idea what these words mean? How bout lets start with your friend who you see every day? lol!

Well, theres plenty of questions and we can hypothesise and theorise entire listings of possibilities. But one thing I do know, is that life lived to the absolute fullness is found in and through Him. He who seeks and keeps seeking, knocks and keeps knocking, asks and keeps asking will definitely not come out dry cos HE is faithful. What we tolerate we will never change. So will we tolerate just going through the motions?

Lately, I've been reading the new testament; in particular Pauls letters to the various churches of his time. Heres a verse which really stood out:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Colossians 4:5

We've all got so much potential. So many opportunities to impact the lives of many. You may look at what you are; the talents that you have, your personality, your abilities and think you can't do anything substantial for God. hehe and you know what? you're probably right. through our own strength its impossible to please God. But if we are faithful with what we have, what we see as foolish, and meager, God is able to use mightily for His kingdom. Heres how Carl put it:

Wow.

Okay, so I've been taking a few driving lessons lately to get my P's sometime in the near future for about 2 weeks now. The plan initially was that i'd start taking lessons at the start of Jan finish up near the end of Jan, ready for a test perhaps in February sometime.

When i had a look at the booking for vicroads i was kinda shocked / kinda half expecting it when i saw all the spaces booked for driving tests until the 13 of March. That would kindo be a problem as uni would have start and i have no idea of my timetable at the moment. After that, i'd pretty much settled in my mind that i would have to take a punt and book it in for that earliest date anyway.

Soo, I was just sitting mucking around on the guitar and having some quiet time after dinner and thinking over how I was spending the holiday. It occured to me that I'd been really packing out my holiday with work and meeting up with friends, but really lacking some quality time hanging out in His presence and just listening for what He's gotta say.

After this i thought, hmm, maybe i should just do some worship. I get out my guitar n start strumming away. One song down, i found it so hard to get into His prescence n mind my would be wondering about along every single possible tangent and along with that, my stomach was still processing dinner and making me feel quite sleepy.

This had become quite a routine, just getting so tired with so many things going on and it felt like because I had become tired on the outside, it was also just putting another roadblock on the inside. I decided to take a nap only to be woken up by mum wondering why the dishes still weren't washed haha. xP

Remembering the Hazard test that i had booked earlier that day, i went to the vicroads site to have a look at the practice tests. That eventually led to me giving thought to having a look once again at the driving tests just to check the times, even though there were just doubts that there wouldn't be any changes to the bookings. To my surprise there were some new booking times! I managed to get a booking on the 13th of February 10:30 am which ticked all the boxes to the requirements that i was looking for in my original plan! how awesome is that!?

haha yeah. so it just reminded me once again not to worry and realise that He's got everything planned to the most minute detail. If we just stop and realise abit that He's working everything for good to those that love Him...

Hope that was a lil toned down from last time, but yeah, still big to me in so many ways xP

PS. please pray for me all who manage to read this =]