JESUS IS LIGHT

From what I have observed, read and personally experienced, there are four types of Christians:

a) all talk + no action " I know the Bible bla bla bla, here, bla bla", when it comes time to serve, disappears like wind
b) the indifferent one " I don't care if I don't act like a Christian and don't do Christian things, as long as I know I'm a Christian, who cares?"
c) the all action + no substance " I go to church, like everyday, like every night, every evening, by the way I'm sleeping with my boyfriend"
d) the follower of Christ "I struggle with sin, I struggle with giving up all my time and own desire to serve, I want my own way but I will serve, I will change, because Christ is Lord of my life, I am no longer boss of my own life"

Let me first say, that salvation is obtained through faith in Christs' redemption of our sins on the cross, regardless of which category we fall in.
I have been in categories a to c; and lots of times am still in one of those categories.

But I hope and pray that as the Holy Spirit in His power changes people, that I will want more and more to be in category d.

And I pray that for all of you, who follow Christ.

David knew what he was talking about when he wrote this.

A man in trouble.
Hunted down by his enemies.
Trusting in God to deliver.
And deliver, God did.

You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.

How blessed are we that we can rely on that great God.

THINGS I WANT TO REMEMBER FROM WAVE 2011

Always surviving, never striving.

Self-doubt is a difficult thing to overcome. =( Human assurance is fleeting.

God can work in awesome ways.

Door knocking can be effective.

2-year olds can learn the gospel, "God made the cowwwwwss".

Kids ministry is invaluable. And very difficult.

Chris Webbs' intro to the guests each night. Just pure GOLD!!
Day 1: I'm samie B, don't look at me Day 2.dj l's in the house, greg lee is in the house Day 3.But they're leaving town, and we all have frown, (the Ackmans) Day 4. We love yewwww Caleb, cos you look so good in the kitchen.

Khaos!

Tug-a-war, SNAP, 3-second stunned silence then, kids: we WON!

The impromptu singing of the hundred or so helpers, no lyrics upfront, just one guitar - a little glimpse of heaven.

Little Jeffrey's echoing Roger's " This is so exciting ' with ' SOOOO EXCITING'.

Super super saviour by Colin, the man Buchanan.'

Michael Jackson from the Storm tent.

The M&M girls.

DAY 11 DEATH DO US NO PART

My grandfather passed away about one month ago.

Although I was not extremely close to him, I loved him very much.

Death just makes you think hard about the futility of life. The idea of never being able to see someone you love ever again, is extremely painful.

Separation is any form is difficult. Whether by death or distance, the idea of someone close being far is always unbearable.

Today day 11, I thank God that there is no eternal separation for those who believe in Christ.

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."^g]">[g] ⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"^h]">[h] ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 15:50-57

and we look forward to seeing those separated from us in a perfect heaven.

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:1-5

DAY 5/6 WINTERCON 2

Okay, so technically it going to be project 100, because days 5 and 6 go together.


Because Wintercon 2 (WC2) definitely deserves two days.











Picture source here

The messages were amazing. The Bible explained in absolute clarity.

Over the past year, I have been struggling with certain things I hear in church. I did things out of obligation. I served in church and went for Bible study because it was simply the 'good thing' to do.

Relationships were too tiring, other people were selfish, the sermon focused too much on things that were unhelpful were some of the complaints floating around my head.

What I didn't think was that my attitude and motives absolutely stank. The Holy Spirit definitely convicted me of it this weekend.

We learnt about relationships. How we were created to be relational like God is in the Trinity. How relationship and sacrificial love is integral to reality and how the purpose of relationship is to ultimately be for God's glory.
We learnt about what the perfect relationship looks like in the Trinity.

And we saw how sin tainted relationships so that what we have in the world is a warped, twisted and damaged version of what could have been perfect. Sin distorts our capacity to take delight in what is good and right, instead we are deceived into wanting all wrong things.

And oh the glorious news is yet to come. The wonderful, wonderful event on the cross. The deflection of God's anger (propitiation), the changed verdict from guilty to innocent (justification) and the fixing of our relationship with God (reconciliation), all done when Jesus died on the cross and raised from the dead.
And only through that perfect submission and obedience, sins were justly punished and we could become right with God (Roman 5).

Relationships are once agian restored.

Not perfect yet. But we see and are consciously aware for the need to be other people centred and to glorify God just like Jesus did.

And,Day 5/6 I am thankful for WC2, but more so that I am able to be reconciled to Him, through a selfless Saviour.

I JUST KNOW

The one difference about being a Christian in Australia is that the response ' I just know' isn't quite enough here.

When I was home in Malaysia, quite often my explanation for believing that Christ died for my sins is simply, "I just know".
I did not quote Scripture. I knew vaguely that the Bible was historical but I couldn't quite tell you how it withstood the scrutiny of historians. I'd never read the book of Revelations in it's entirety. In fact, I had very minimal bible knowledge apart from the firm conviction that I, belonged to Christ.

Then, I came to Australia.
Predestination, propitiation, evidential apologetics, ontological Trinity.
Excited by the amount of careful study people placed into the Bible, I threw myself into it. People actually studied whole BOOKS of the Bible instead of singular verses taken out of context.
In fact the first book we heard preached about was every preacher's nightmare : the book of Revelations.

Almost 4 years down the road, I think I know the Bible a bit more than when I first came.
I've read Revelations and Romans in its entirety.
I believe in predestination.


But somehow, sadly, I find it hard to say " I just know" anymore.
It scares me that I agree so easily that we need to fear God but somehow cannot nod my head in agreement when someone says God loves us.

This week at church , we learnt that we need to fear God because God is wrathful and powerful.

But the Bible, also speaks about His great love for us.

¹How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1John 3:1-3

³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Eph 2:3-5

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

³⁴Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Romans 8:34-36

I guess, 'I just know' isn't really a complete response.
We know because the Holy Spirit convicts us.
The Holy Spirit convicts us because of the Father's great love for us.

And how blessed are we when we can say, I just know.

When a church (whether knowingly or unknowingly) leads you to worship the preacher, worship team, lights, music, songs, being in the limelight;

I beseech ( yes in the words of the Apostle Paul) you.

Ask yourself.

Do I worship Christ, or do I worship the church?

This is not exclusive to any one church.
It is not the fault of any one church.

If anything; it is the fault of humans' desire in wanting to replace God with man made ideas.
And humans' desire in wanting to be glorified like God.

Stupidly, we put God's creation in God's place.
Very arrogantly, we try to claim God's glory as our own.

And when we've truthfully answered the question.

I hope some of us are brave enough to make the decision to leave.

EASTER, WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT

Recently, it has just become so clear, that humanity is tainted by sin and selfishness.

We live in an amoral society, one that claps you on the back when you trip others in the attempt to get to the front of the pack.
We no longer value values, such as kindness and self-giving, instead people who try to have any values are so often labeled stupid and idealistic.

And more and more, I'm seeing how the book of Romans is so accurate in its description of humanity and why we deserve God's wrath poured upon us. Reading about God giving humans over to our sin , to our foolishness, to our ungodly impulses, has always saddened me. He made our thinkings dark and futile, so that we couldn't see Him, couldn't know Him (Romans 2).

I am the kind of person who believes in fairy tales. The prince always saves the princess. The bad guys always lose. The world will then be filled with roses and we will all live happily ever after.

Why did God give us over? Why did He not fight for us like the prince fights for the princess?

Unlike the princes in fairy tales, Jesus was not majestic or attractive. He was neither popular nor desirable (Isaiah 53).
The unlikely saviour, the unlikely king.
Jesus fought for us, not with swords and shields. He died for us, he was buried and on the third day, He rose from the dead and appeared to men (1 Cor 15:3-5).

And Christ brought hope and reconciliation to us, by sacrificing his life for us when we were sinners (Romans 5).

So , now we are no longer slaves but free in the spirit and we look forward to future glory and to the perfect fulfillment of the promises made by a good and awesome God.

"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." Rom 8:28

As we enjoy the chocolates and the holiday, let's not forget the real meaning behind easter.

CHRISTIAN REMINDER

Greg's talk last night from 1 John was really helpful.

He spoke about what really makes a christian 'Christian'.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

And also

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

The idea that Christ died for the WHOLE world's sins but not everyone will have Him as an advocate was new to me.

All objective facts.
So regardless of how I feel, of how 'unchristian' I feel I am, the objective facts is that Christ died for my sins and He is now deflecting God's wrath for me.

But how do we know that we are in Christ?

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.


No new commandment but a new way of fulfilling the old testament law.

Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.


I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.

I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.

1 John 2: 1-14 ( All in italics are the verses)


A challenge to keep reevaluating the way we live life.
A challenge to keep in mind the objective facts.
A challenge to obey the old commandment but in a new light.
A challenge to keep going, not dragging feet way but strong and certain way.

All challenges.


That are worth it.

WORTHY GOALS

To be different in a world that screams...

"BE THE SAME"

To love back when people ....

"SLAP YOU IN THE FACE"

To be patient and endure when it seems like..

" IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN"

To hold on to things that are true when others are saying

" IT'S ALL THE SAME"

To not stop praying that ....

" HE WILL RETURN"

To be satisfied and safe in that ...

" ONE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE"

To stop craving, wanting , hoping

" FOR MATERIAL GAIN"

But instead to keep wanting , hoping and craving,

"FOR FAITH, FRUITS AND GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.

To have a change in response, you first need to have a change in persepctive.

We're all in the same side battling the same forces, with one head general.

And know what, we've already won.