Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Saturday, 5 April 2008
John Ortberg - Love Beyond Reason - Being Loved means Being Chosen
Pg 162:
"In God's love my chosenness never comes at anyone else's expense. God chooses, or loves, each of his children with infinite uniqueness. His plan is for my chosenness to enhance the lives or others, not diminish them"
Pg 165:
"Live a life of comparision or competition, and you end up with no joy at all. God holds out joy for each of us. We are all made to do and see things in a unique way - God has designed you to know the joy or being a teacher or helper or encourager or designer - and when you find it and offer it up you will know joy. And God has made you to know the joy of receiving and celebrating the gifts of those around you. If you offer your gifts (let go of them) and humbly recieve the gifts of others, your joy will be made complete."
"For in Christ God is drawing all men to himself. God whispers on the cross 'I wish you belonged to me. I choose you'. "
"In God's love my chosenness never comes at anyone else's expense. God chooses, or loves, each of his children with infinite uniqueness. His plan is for my chosenness to enhance the lives or others, not diminish them"
Pg 165:
"Live a life of comparision or competition, and you end up with no joy at all. God holds out joy for each of us. We are all made to do and see things in a unique way - God has designed you to know the joy or being a teacher or helper or encourager or designer - and when you find it and offer it up you will know joy. And God has made you to know the joy of receiving and celebrating the gifts of those around you. If you offer your gifts (let go of them) and humbly recieve the gifts of others, your joy will be made complete."
"For in Christ God is drawing all men to himself. God whispers on the cross 'I wish you belonged to me. I choose you'. "
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Thankful for my friends :)
The title kind of sums up what this blog is about! (Feeling v soppy today!)
Since moving to Aberdeen, God has blessed me with a crazy amount of seriously awesome people. The sort of people you can laugh with, cry with, have fun with, learn from, be encouraged by, and just generally spend hours with and not get bored!
You all mean tons to me, I hope you know how much, and I am so, so grateful for you all.
Jessica
Since moving to Aberdeen, God has blessed me with a crazy amount of seriously awesome people. The sort of people you can laugh with, cry with, have fun with, learn from, be encouraged by, and just generally spend hours with and not get bored!
You all mean tons to me, I hope you know how much, and I am so, so grateful for you all.
Jessica
Monday, 3 March 2008
Jesus, Be the Centre
People influence each other, hang round someone for too long and you will pick up their lingo(or even accent!)
Christians are by definition, followers of Christ
What would happen if we all spent more time with Jesus, not because we have to, or because we are told to, but out of our love for him.
We would be influenced by him, we would see things through his eyes; people, situations challenges we face. We would be completely changed - and would have such a profound effect on the world around us.
The New Testament shows that this is true, 12 disciples then, and a huge amount of Christians 2000 years later.
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace"
What a challenge for us, to make Jesus the centre of our lives, to dwell in his presence, to see things the way he does and to love as he does.
Christians are by definition, followers of Christ
What would happen if we all spent more time with Jesus, not because we have to, or because we are told to, but out of our love for him.
We would be influenced by him, we would see things through his eyes; people, situations challenges we face. We would be completely changed - and would have such a profound effect on the world around us.
The New Testament shows that this is true, 12 disciples then, and a huge amount of Christians 2000 years later.
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace"
What a challenge for us, to make Jesus the centre of our lives, to dwell in his presence, to see things the way he does and to love as he does.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Desperate for God
I feel like everything that I read or hear at the moment is talking about being desperate for God.
We need to come to a place of desperation before Him, and acknowledge that we need Him.
Most people only come to that place when a crisis hits, or when God is the only option left, but what a challenge to be the kind of person who is desperate for God to take control, during all of life's experiences, during the highs and the lows.
James 4:6 says
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble"
and Isaiah 30:18 says
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you, He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him."
These two Scriptures are not ones I had considered together before, but I love how they interact.
The LORD longs to be gracious, and he gives grace to the humble, he blesses those who wait on him. Waiting on God requires us to humble ourselves before Him, to sacrifice our time, our plans and our tasks, and to see what He has to say, yet in times of desperation we are more than willing to seek his face... We cry out to our father, and He answers:
Isaiah 30:19 "How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, He will answer you"
Imagine the impact that God would have on our lives, if we dwelled in that place of desperation, regardless of life's circumstances, daily acknowledging that he is Lord, humbling ourselves and waiting on Him, trusting Him to intervene.
We need to come to a place of desperation before Him, and acknowledge that we need Him.
Most people only come to that place when a crisis hits, or when God is the only option left, but what a challenge to be the kind of person who is desperate for God to take control, during all of life's experiences, during the highs and the lows.
James 4:6 says
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble"
and Isaiah 30:18 says
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you, He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him."
These two Scriptures are not ones I had considered together before, but I love how they interact.
The LORD longs to be gracious, and he gives grace to the humble, he blesses those who wait on him. Waiting on God requires us to humble ourselves before Him, to sacrifice our time, our plans and our tasks, and to see what He has to say, yet in times of desperation we are more than willing to seek his face... We cry out to our father, and He answers:
Isaiah 30:19 "How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, He will answer you"
Imagine the impact that God would have on our lives, if we dwelled in that place of desperation, regardless of life's circumstances, daily acknowledging that he is Lord, humbling ourselves and waiting on Him, trusting Him to intervene.
Monday, 12 November 2007
The Voice of Truth
Sorry it's been so long since I blogged. Uni Life has started to get exceptionally busy!
Anyway, We have just returned from Aviemore where we spent our Radiate Weekend Away. Joe Z did a great job, we all learned heaps and had awesome times of worship skillfully led by Jo Minty.
But the best bit for me was what God did. It wasn't a spectacular, tingly moment I had, but frequent repetitions of something I needed to hear again.
There is a song by Casting Crowns called 'the Voice of Truth', and God, and His word are that Voice. Whatever situation you are going through, it is important that you know what the truth is; What God thinks about the matter. But more important than that is the choice.
'I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth'
Sometimes God has shown us that we should be comforted, has reassured us that we are chosen by him, and as such should be joyful, and thankful, and yet we still feel down.
But God has done his part. He has shown us his love, It is now our turn to take action.
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Anyway, We have just returned from Aviemore where we spent our Radiate Weekend Away. Joe Z did a great job, we all learned heaps and had awesome times of worship skillfully led by Jo Minty.
But the best bit for me was what God did. It wasn't a spectacular, tingly moment I had, but frequent repetitions of something I needed to hear again.
There is a song by Casting Crowns called 'the Voice of Truth', and God, and His word are that Voice. Whatever situation you are going through, it is important that you know what the truth is; What God thinks about the matter. But more important than that is the choice.
'I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth'
Sometimes God has shown us that we should be comforted, has reassured us that we are chosen by him, and as such should be joyful, and thankful, and yet we still feel down.
But God has done his part. He has shown us his love, It is now our turn to take action.
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Mockery
People, Christians specifically, are often too easily offended by mockery.
But it is not necessarily a bad thing. It shows people are not indifferent: People only mock if they care. Something about you is bothering them. If they mock you as Christians, most likely something about our Christ is bothering them. Isn't it better that people are affected by Christ rather than indifferent to him? In my (although limited) experience, mocking is often the atheists way of asking questions, and we should follow the guidance of 1 Peter 3:15-16
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
But it is not necessarily a bad thing. It shows people are not indifferent: People only mock if they care. Something about you is bothering them. If they mock you as Christians, most likely something about our Christ is bothering them. Isn't it better that people are affected by Christ rather than indifferent to him? In my (although limited) experience, mocking is often the atheists way of asking questions, and we should follow the guidance of 1 Peter 3:15-16
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
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