Quotes from Francis Chan...

I don't want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn't be doing this by my own power.....

I don't believe God wants me to live in a way that makes sense from the world's perspective, a way I know I can 'manage'......

When our consciences are smiting us because of our sin, it is important to reflect upon the fact that, though our sins are real and inexcusable, nevertheless God's justice has already been satisfied through the ''satisfaction of Christ,'' that the penalty has been fully paid by Him.

Jerry Bridges

Hello 2010

Just a quick post to remind you I'm still alive...
few thoughts - firstly this year seems to be going very quickly, maybe I'm getting old but if you cast your mind over these past 8 months how do you think your year is going? Are you closer to God now than in January? Has God been speaking to you? What has he been saying? If you haven't heard anything have you tried listening? is there too much noise in your life? too busy doing nothing?
How have you grown this year?
It isn't over yet...let's ask God to speak and move in our hearts as we enter into Autumn :)

Some precepts...

When doing Precepts bible study, every so often you are encouraged to keep a 'Journal on God' and make notes about his character and other attributes as you see them in the text you are studying. I am not very good at noticing things and am always amazed at how others notice how something shows this side of God's character etc etc...so here are a few notes from Genesis 26. If you are familiar with the story, it is when Isaac goes to Gerar and says Rebekah is his sister instead of his wife (sounds strangely similar to his father Abraham, did the same thing a few chapters back, to the same guy Abimelech...kids never learn eh). God also makes promises to Isaac (again sounding fairly identical to the ones he made to Abraham). Check it out if you have time...
Here is what I learnt about God (how exciting) -

• Ch26 v2. When there is a famine God appears to Isaac. God shows up when you need him, when you are hungry. He shows up and he gives direction.
• v12 God keeps his promises. He promised to bless Isaac in v3 and delivers in v12. The Lord blessed him. Isaac reaped a hundredfold of what he sowed that year, became rich and then very wealthy. Sometimes I feel guilty for all the lovely things we are surrounded by here so I think it is important to note that God sometimes blesses in this way, and we should say Thankyou Lord :)
• After an unsettling time in Gerar (herdsmen fighting over wells and what-not) God appears to repeat his promises and reassure Isaac, v24. God knows what is going on in your life on an individual level, and cares about it. Amazing!
• Last point is not so much something we learn about God but a challenge...Abimelech noticed that the Lord was with Isaac. v28 They said, 'We see plainly that the Lord has been with you... When was the last time someone noticed this about you?

I have probably only scratched the surface here of deeper stuff, and hopefully not taken anything out of context, or concluded something that is incorrect. So please let me know if you have anything to add or comment on.

hello hello hello

my posting is so infrequent any time i do come on i feel like i need to extend warmer greetings. just came across a little gem (or two) on the blazing centre that i wanted to draw to the attention of anyone reading this. it was just what i needed to hear. somedays it feels like work is so difficult, frustrating and down-right annoying. i wonder if this truth will ever sink in or is it going to be a life-long struggle...dedicating my work to God.
so check out the post 'does your job really matter' ...its refreshing i can guarantee it. and take heed of his warnings on the next post 'the only safe rule for giving' ...i warned you!
www.theblazingcenter.com (june 18th 2009)

useful tool

there is a wee video clip we have seen in church a few times and its really good at focusing your soul on how amazing Jesus is, so i thought sharing it would be a good idea. daniel managed to find it on youtube...type in 'do you know him?' and it comes up.
or paste this into ur address-bar-thingy ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z15FlTONVo
it stops you in your tracks for a few moments, and you can't do anything but worship.

Bridges nugget

Well here I am for the 2nd post this year, just want to keep you guys on your toes, the element of surprise and all that.
I'm currently forming my own personal Jerry Bridges appreciation society [...further perpetuated by my buying which ever book Simon has reduced each time I'm in inspire ...and Simon when you are doing your annual check of this blog you can note that I do buy stuff, you are never around] so just thought I would share the odd note of interest.
I understand they may not seem so amazing when they are read in isolation, just thought there maybe something useful to ponder.
He is taking a few pages to describe the importance of putting scripture into practice in your life.

All of life should be a theater (or theatre, depending on which side of the pond you learnt to spell on) in which we learn to apply the Word of God. Almost every event, every activity, every circumstance may be or should be an occasion of applying a spiritual principle or even a specific verse to the situation.
He then goes on to give examples of this...and me being the nerd appreciated his final illustration...
Most of us had labs in either high school or college where we were supposed to learn to apply theories we were learning in the classroom. The cicrumstances of life are our 'spiritual labs' where we learn to apply what we are being taught in the 'classroom' of the Bible.

Unfortunately this analogy resonates with me... at school i hated labs, prefered the classroom. And Jerry hits the nail on the head...I need to use lessons from the classroom in labs, and do better at labs, stop hiding away in the classroom. May the holy spirit give us opportunities to apply scripture to real life, and help us to see the lessons in the classroom and know how to handle the labs.