Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Selfish Living v Kingdom Living
This is what God has been speaking to me about lately...this is my challenge! (click on the image so you can read it)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Present & Future
I was reading Isaiah today...and in light of not yet having children, and on-going disucssions about our future I was encouraged.
Isaiah 60
People Returning for the Reunion
1-7 "Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight.
God's bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness, But God rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. Nations will come to your light,
kings to your sunburst brightness. Look up! Look around! Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you: Your sons coming from great distances, your daughters carried by their nannies.
When you see them coming you'll smile—big smiles! Your heart will swell and, yes, burst!
All those people returning by sea for the reunion, a rich harvest of exiles gathered in from the nations!
And then streams of camel caravans as far as the eye can see, young camels of nomads in Midian and Ephah, Pouring in from the south from Sheba, loaded with gold and frankincense, preaching the praises of God. And yes, a great roundup of flocks from the nomads in Kedar and Nebaioth,
Welcome gifts for worship at my altar as I bathe my glorious Temple in splendor.
This is an awesome picture of the future...I want to be a part of this, I want my influence to be so that others too are a part of this. Although we may never have children, our sons and daughters (people who we can & have invluenced) are the people who we can see also walking towards God's future party. This should put a smile on our face! Our influence is important and far reaching, lets use it for the future.
Isaiah 59 We Long for Light but Sink into Darkness 9-11Which means that we're a far cry from fair dealing, and we're not even close to right living. We long for light but sink into darkness, long for brightness but stumble through the night. Like the blind, we inch along a wall, groping eyeless in the dark. We shuffle our way in broad daylight, like the dead, but somehow walking. We're no better off than bears, groaning, and no worse off than doves, moaning. We look for justice—not a sign of it; for salvation—not so much as a hint.
This is the present...we long for justice, righteousness, truth, honesty and we need salvation. God is missing in action. But it is our job to bring these things into our world. We long for light, and need to walk toward it, and bring other people with us.
21"As for me," God says, "this is my covenant with them: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and won't ever stop." God's orders.
This is my call...this is my purpose in life. Maybe not biological children, but my influence is far-reaching. I am an agent of change to the coming generations.
Isaiah 60
People Returning for the Reunion
1-7 "Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight.
God's bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness, But God rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. Nations will come to your light,
kings to your sunburst brightness. Look up! Look around! Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you: Your sons coming from great distances, your daughters carried by their nannies.
When you see them coming you'll smile—big smiles! Your heart will swell and, yes, burst!
All those people returning by sea for the reunion, a rich harvest of exiles gathered in from the nations!
And then streams of camel caravans as far as the eye can see, young camels of nomads in Midian and Ephah, Pouring in from the south from Sheba, loaded with gold and frankincense, preaching the praises of God. And yes, a great roundup of flocks from the nomads in Kedar and Nebaioth,
Welcome gifts for worship at my altar as I bathe my glorious Temple in splendor.
This is an awesome picture of the future...I want to be a part of this, I want my influence to be so that others too are a part of this. Although we may never have children, our sons and daughters (people who we can & have invluenced) are the people who we can see also walking towards God's future party. This should put a smile on our face! Our influence is important and far reaching, lets use it for the future.
Isaiah 59 We Long for Light but Sink into Darkness 9-11Which means that we're a far cry from fair dealing, and we're not even close to right living. We long for light but sink into darkness, long for brightness but stumble through the night. Like the blind, we inch along a wall, groping eyeless in the dark. We shuffle our way in broad daylight, like the dead, but somehow walking. We're no better off than bears, groaning, and no worse off than doves, moaning. We look for justice—not a sign of it; for salvation—not so much as a hint.
This is the present...we long for justice, righteousness, truth, honesty and we need salvation. God is missing in action. But it is our job to bring these things into our world. We long for light, and need to walk toward it, and bring other people with us.
21"As for me," God says, "this is my covenant with them: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and won't ever stop." God's orders.
This is my call...this is my purpose in life. Maybe not biological children, but my influence is far-reaching. I am an agent of change to the coming generations.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Jonos sermon
God has shown me HUGE mercy. He has freed me, turned my life around, given me a second chance and cleared my debt.
What should I do in response?
Freely received, I should freely give!
I need to show mercy to my fellow men, the little things they owe me (time, money, frustration, kindness etc) I should be merciful. Not let them walk over me, but the balance is to forgive and show mercy for the first response.
Demanding life to revolve around me should not be part of my behaviour. This is not my dialect.
The woman showed her love for God. The righteous man was cold.
The situation was that Jesus had these people in his sphere. Do I have people in my sphere that need God?
Messy spirituality. Cutting edge of life. The sharpening of my faith.
I want this, not really sure what it looks like practically... Lord show us, lead us, guide us.
May we be merciful and characterised by being friends of sinners.
There is nothing I can do to earn Gods mercy and grace. It was a free gift.
Don't charge others for this mercy and grace. It should be passed on free of charge.
What should I do in response?
Freely received, I should freely give!
I need to show mercy to my fellow men, the little things they owe me (time, money, frustration, kindness etc) I should be merciful. Not let them walk over me, but the balance is to forgive and show mercy for the first response.
Demanding life to revolve around me should not be part of my behaviour. This is not my dialect.
The woman showed her love for God. The righteous man was cold.
The situation was that Jesus had these people in his sphere. Do I have people in my sphere that need God?
Messy spirituality. Cutting edge of life. The sharpening of my faith.
I want this, not really sure what it looks like practically... Lord show us, lead us, guide us.
May we be merciful and characterised by being friends of sinners.
There is nothing I can do to earn Gods mercy and grace. It was a free gift.
Don't charge others for this mercy and grace. It should be passed on free of charge.
Why do I want God to speak to me?
Make me feel better?
Relieve my guilt?
What he can give me?
Really it's because I want my life to be real. That my heart is full and fresh and it flows out and is a natural part of my life. That I am challenged to become closer to the wholeness of who God is and how to live that in my everyday living.
That's what I really want.
Relieve my guilt?
What he can give me?
Really it's because I want my life to be real. That my heart is full and fresh and it flows out and is a natural part of my life. That I am challenged to become closer to the wholeness of who God is and how to live that in my everyday living.
That's what I really want.
I want to be part of...
A dynamic church
Where challenging in your face sermons aren't few and far between
Where worship is not a list of songs
Where home groups are meant for me, where I can be encouraged, and encourage.
Where challenging in your face sermons aren't few and far between
Where worship is not a list of songs
Where home groups are meant for me, where I can be encouraged, and encourage.
Different church traditions
The further we are away from God the further we are away from our brothers and sisters who worship God in differing ways or believe different things.
We need to be focusing on our relationship with God so it is close and in our interactions with others we should be encouraging them to become closer to God. Not convert them to a religion or denomination but push them closer to God.
Do my interactions with others push others closer to God??
We need to be focusing on our relationship with God so it is close and in our interactions with others we should be encouraging them to become closer to God. Not convert them to a religion or denomination but push them closer to God.
Do my interactions with others push others closer to God??
Behaviour
October 26 2009
Christianity is not modified behaviour, your behaviour doesn't change but your heart desires do.
Christianity is not modified behaviour, your behaviour doesn't change but your heart desires do.
Readers are leaders
25 November 2009
Thoughts...
We believe books have knowledge and kowledge is power.
We also believe the readers are leaders.
I have also noticed that Christians here in Ukraine just don't have the resourecs and books that we have in English. We definitely have a " wealth" of good Christian English books.
So maybe our investment should be into getting good books translated and published at a reasonable price?
Thoughts...
We believe books have knowledge and kowledge is power.
We also believe the readers are leaders.
I have also noticed that Christians here in Ukraine just don't have the resourecs and books that we have in English. We definitely have a " wealth" of good Christian English books.
So maybe our investment should be into getting good books translated and published at a reasonable price?
Wakeup conference
November 21 2009
It's- been a long time since I've felt stretched and free -- these past 2 weekends have been good for me.
Thoughts:
*Teamwork is what we are missing need to come under leasership that is working rather than trying to fill old wineskins
*Don't worry about future...don't let it crowd out God and trusting him
Write down some pros and cons make a decision --just do it like the book I'm reading (Just do it -- Kevin de Young)
*Adopt a child?? -- small seed of maybe after reading Castaway Kid
It's- been a long time since I've felt stretched and free -- these past 2 weekends have been good for me.
Thoughts:
*Teamwork is what we are missing need to come under leasership that is working rather than trying to fill old wineskins
*Don't worry about future...don't let it crowd out God and trusting him
Write down some pros and cons make a decision --just do it like the book I'm reading (Just do it -- Kevin de Young)
*Adopt a child?? -- small seed of maybe after reading Castaway Kid
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