Suffering and Your Perspective

I recently finished reading a book called Broken Things- why we suffer by M. R. DeHaan. I ordered it free of the internet from a Christian website and it's a great book which explains suffering well. Basically DeHaan states that things need to be broken before than can become new again. I found this quote which I feel sums up the whole book;

If you, child of God, are upon a bed of illness, if you are being troubled by pain or discouragement, remember that God will always use our suffering for His purposes. Our suffering silences Satan, our suffering enables us to glorify God, our suffering makes us more like Christ, our suffering makes us appreciative, and, ultimately, our suffering teaches us to depend on God.

We need to interpret out trials with an eternal perspective. DeHaan also outlines 5 ways to change our perspective from one that is selfish and worldly, to one that is of eternity;

1. Remember God's faithfulness; Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever
2. Read the Word; Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 
3. Pray; John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy may be complete. 
4. Have faith and hope; 1 Peter 1:21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
5. Praise Him at all times; Psalms 63:3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

So today, in whatever trials you face; I challenge you to change your perspective.

Why we work...and why we should be happy at work

Dread going to work? Hate your boss? Ever tried thinking of work not simply as a job but as an opportunity to use your skills to help others? Read on...
On the bus home today I was reading a Christian book, The Fruitful Life, by Jerry Bridges. It examines ways in which we can show the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
In the chapter on kindness (the desire for the happiness of others) and goodness (the activity which helps bring about the happiness of others), we are called to reflect how Christ lived on earth. We are to imitate him through being kind an good not only to those who get along with or are grateful, but those who we avoid and who are ungrateful. Bridges especially mentions showing God's love through good deeds to those in your immediate family.
The most important point I found in this chapter was the section on doing good at work. God has created us all with unique abilities and skills, and has put us in the circumstances we are in.  He has done this so that people are able to help each other out. In Genesis God talks about how man was created to work and to look after creation.
"we should think of our vocation...not as a necessary evil to pay the bills, nor even as an opportunity to become rich, but as the primary path of our Christian walk where God has planned good deeds for us to do"
Thinking about your job in a positive light can allow you to make a difference to another individual who God made and loves.
What is your attitude towards your job?

Notes from Sisterhood on Corinthians 2

This past weekend i went on a church womens camp.
The talks were very to the point and clear, here is a summary of what i learned:
Paul is writing a letter to the church in Corinth. He planted a church there and has since left to visit other churches. Paul has heard from them that other 'super apostles' are trying to teach them in ways which are not consistent with what Jesus taught, mainly that salvation is through your own strength and performance.
Because what Paul was teaching was counter-cultural to the Corinthians, they tried to discredit him by pointing out that he was not pleasant to look at and perhaps had a speech impediment. Through this discussion we see Paul emphasis a few key points.

• do not compare your life to other people's, but to Christs standards. 
• boast only in the Lord because:
• it is not through our own power that we become strong, but through our weaknesses that God's power rests on us. (2 Cor 12:9-10)
• our weaknesses create a trustful dependence on God, so we can endure through all circumstances
• our weaknesses and 'thorns' given to us show that we must become humble before God (2 Cor 12:7-8)
• every action in our lives should glorify God, as did Paul's
• Paul's love for the Corinthians was a self sacrificial love, spending his time, energy and resources to spread the word of God. (2 Cor 12:15)

Do you have any thoughts on this topic?

Goals and Dreams

I found this list in my diary dated 8 of Feb 2010. Basically through everything i wish to bring glory to God: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Here is a re-edited version:

1. finish my business degree
2. read lots of books
3. scrapbook china
4. do 4th grade theory
5. do a short term mission overseas
6. write a book
7. finish gold duke of Edinburgh
8. have a really close friend
9. get married
10. have (at least) 3 children
11. travel france
12. travel america/canada
13. own my own business

Is Jesus worth it?

This is from http://fervr.net/qna/why-does-church-neglect-and-persecute-gay-pople-especially-gay-christians/
But i have the feeling that is applies to everything that we want but shouldn't. Sacrificial love is not easy.
"Q. “How can something be wrong if it feels so good?” 
 A. When it comes to it, we all need to decide: are we going to follow what the Bible says about God, or go with our feelings?  Most of the time, they’re going to be pointing in opposite directions. 
Jesus never said it was going to be easy.  Quite the opposite.  He said “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). 
Read the Gospels again – Matthew, Mark, Luke & John – and see if you think Jesus is worth it.  He gave his life for you; are you willing to give your life to him? "


The ultimate act of sacrificial love was Jesus dying for our sins on the cross. We are called to love like Christ does. But Sacrificial love is not easy- because it requires giving up our desires and rights.

My Diary- 27.7.09

I found the following excerpt from my diary the other day. I had just found/read Ecclesiasties in the bible and it completely described how I was feeling at the time. In response to Ecclesiasties, I wrote this;
How short are our lives?
How fragile is human life?
That we can be alive one second and dead the next
How flimsy are our hopes and fears?
How insignificant are our failures and achievements?
How tiny are we, in contrast to our Lord and eternity?
How purposefully then must we live and love

Following the Fashion- Coincidence?

I remember my first experience of fashion trends. It was when I was about 4 or 5. My best friend at the time, Alison and I were at Sunday school, and we were colouring in pictures. She told me that her favorite colour was no longer pink, but blue. She then asked me the leading question; 'What is your favorite colour?' I felt I had to change my favorite colour, but I did not like the idea of blue, as it seemed to be a boy's colour. So I choose purple and for the next 10 years that was my favorite colour, until such time that I learned my friend's wisdom, that blue was not just a boy's colour. And so it became my favorite colour.
Another time where I followed the fashion was picking subjects in year 8. We were allowed to pick a language to study, either French or German. My best friend choose German. Contrary to this: I decided on French because the boy I had a crush on at the time choose it. He actually moved away before year 8 started. But I continued French into my HSC year.
These two events caused me to wonder about coincidences. Events occur for a reason. I choose French solely for no other reason but to spend more time with a boy but it turned out to be great decision. It just shows how God's hand is everywhere, influencing people and decisions and events to make things turn out the way he wants.
I'm not really into fashions anymore. Well I try not to be. There has to be more to life than just this superficial garbage about looking good.
1 John 2:17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who obeys the will of God lives forever.
Don't Give Up On Love- Sanctus Real: watch the video

Ephesians

i was reading my bible on the bus home; these are the verses that stood out to me. i read ephesians:

1:7 in him we have redemption thorugh his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance to the riches of God's grace

1:16 i have not stopped giving thanks for you, rememebering you in my prayers-( i dont really do this enough, its a good reminder that this is how i should pray for my friends and family)

1:17 ...that Christ... may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better

1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

3:18 you may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ

3:20 him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..

4:23 to be made new in the attitudes of your minds

4:29 do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen

4:32 be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you

5:3 but among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or of greed becuase these are improper for God's holy people

5:5 for this you can be sure, no immoral, impure or greedy person .... has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God

5:6.... God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 

5:16... making the most of every opportunity

6:14-18 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

1 John- The bits that jumped out at me

At my church we talked about the hypocrisy of some Christians, and how because we are Christians, it does NOT make us perfect, and we do not have the right the judge others, which is really hard I find, because its almost so subconscious that I make judgements of people about how they look, and its so not true!

And that we are saved through faith alone, not by anything that we do.

My favourite verses from it are :

1:6 if we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth

1:9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us of all unrighteousness

2:15 do not love the world or anything in the world (wow that is so hard- I really like eating and doing my own thing- but everything I should be doing should be for God), if anyone loves the worl, the love of the father is not in him. (eeek)

2:17 the world and its desires pass away but the man who does the will of God lives forever

4:18 there is not fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear (I should only rely on God’s love because it is the only love that is perfect, this is hard though), because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love

5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world.... (its hard to remember that Jesus has already won the war for us)