Short & Honest Insights

Amen to that.

:heart:

So much love,
Drives out fear,
Drives out anger
Drives out bitterness,

With that I truly know
I love you.

=]

Not with a heart of my own,
But from the source itself

1 Corinthians 13.

<3 p="">

CIC

complete in christ

confidence in christ

community in christ

as I reflected over the sermon today at church 

I am reminded of all of the above

passage Matt 9: 14-17

what once was a confusing passage,

yet now so clear

there is a time for fasting and dedicating specific time for bring an active reliance on God to the forefront of your mind as you fast, yet there is a time and place, 

and Jesus reminds the disciples of John that, right there and then, it wasn't the time for that.

fasting is well known to be associated with mourning,

and with Jesus present right there and then, 

in front of them

with the allegory of being the "bridegroom" right there and then

in front of them,

it was a time to feast, 

celebrate.

Our King is with us. 

just like you don't pop new patches of cloth onto old clothes

or new wine into old wineskins - for it will ruin it.

Jesus not only represent, but fulfilled what the previous practices were pointing to - a complete rest, confidence, and community in Him. 

a new covenant.

so the leaving thought_

is your view of Jesus preventing you from understanding the real Jesus,

who reveals Himself plainly in the Scriptures?

have you made up your mind already without getting to know who He actually is?

Good Friday

why is it Good?

because
. no matter how hard humans try, we are in a perceptual state of hurting others in our selfish ways and deep down have the biggest capacity to do wrong or fail to do right in many circumstances.
. the peak of our selfishness wants us to live lives our own way, ruling inadequately, as we fail to place God as true authority in our lives.
. the bible recognises the above as sin
. the Lord is a just and holy God of which sin has no part in his nature, and we are responsible for the consequences our rebellion/sin deserves. however you put it, held account, deserving of God's wrath and punishment becuase he does not tolerate sin

but
. he is a merciful God that turned/poured out that punishment on his only son Jesus, to take our place on the "cross"..
Jesus died in our place
so we can be free,
and once again
be restored to a good relationship with God

why
because our sin has been pardoned. Jesus took our place.

that is indeed good.
for no man can save himself.

ohla

videos from bro's church
Who is Jesus? from Bibles for America on Vimeo.

Why is it Good?

*source*

 So today is Good Friday.
A day of:
- no traffic on the roads
- no work
- no stress
- no worries

So it's good yer? But tracing back it's origins it really is pinned on the event in history being the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross. So one man got crucified, big deal, criminals get crucified all the time as the worse form of Roman punishment for what they have committed. So what did Jesus do?

"The chief priests [Jewish leaders] accused him of many things.
So again Pilate [Roman governor] asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”  But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed." - Mark 15:3-5

The innocent man Jesus, who lived up to his claim of being the King of the Jews through his miracles, compassion, divine insight and his actions being a fulfilling of Old Testament scripture, died!. Is this unjust?
Certainly seems so. He did no crime.

Instead Jesus, leading up to his death predicted it will occur and on the third day rise again. Mark 8:31-38
But why?

We find out in the book of  Isaiah 53: 4-6,

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 
 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

In today's language this means that, we all like to live life our own way, being the king of our own lives, no one tells us what to do, know one knows better but me, ME ME ME. Naturally that self-living-mentality would leave no room for a God. Thus we seek independence from God. The Bible knows this as "sin" or "iniquities" in the above passage. The center of it being "sIn", "I" literally.

The result of this is that sin cannot be overlooked, God has always extended his arm to us, to personally know us, but we choose to reject. We have wronged the loving creator who rightly does deserve our attention as he gives and sustain life itself. Our actions and attitudes of rebelling against Him lead us to death, forever separated from Him and as bad as this sounds to the ears - punishment. We are all held accountable for our rebellion against God. We simply cannot save ourselves, no matter how many "good" deeds or works we do, we always fall short. It's a problem of our hearts, being far away from God.

This is where Jesus comes in. He was perfect, Son of Man , in other words, God in human flesh. Eww. yer kinda. But God becoming man so that he relates to all our trials and sufferings, yet he is still God so he triumphs over it all!. More on Jesus being both God and man here. So when we should really be the ones dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus instead takes our place. We are forgiven if we choose to trust this once and for all act. God took on the punishment on himself, paid the price for our sins, so that we walk free. Free to know him, free to come to him unhindered. No longer guilty. Like a criminal sitting in a cell who was destined for a death sentence, Jesus use that key to set us free and took our place instead. That indeed is the reason this friday is good. We are free from sin.

And the best part? Jesus didn't remain dead. He conquered it. On the third day, he rose! What a message of hope. Blessed assurance. Indeed.

CHURCH CAMP!!!!

Church camp from late friday to mid sunday.
what a wonderful time to dig deep into His word with His family =]

love transcends language, age and race!

what a fun time.
"....in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue" - 1 Corinthians 14:19

let my words be few, but when spoken be clear and for the building up of others =]

and may actions carry blessing and care to all! 

 whee canoeing 

 FIRE!!!

and marshmallows ^^

 Happy Birthday Alan!

 Adults playing taboo is quite a fun watch

 the sleepy ride home

ohla i discovered my phone has sepia tone overlays haha

 random sign on the drive back

bye bye phillip island

God is Not Dead

Post by Chris Marcha.

interesting lil video i saw on fb.

kudos to people that back up their choices with reasons

short film, craftly directed, but raises good points :P

She Reads Truth

tumbled my way onto this website  http://shereadstruth.com/ late last night, and what a precious find!

Designed by Christian women for Christian women to help practically with devotions and bible reading. It's pretty hip and niffty, and of course encouraging.

check it out =]

LNS Part III

the last of the love letters never sent collection.

*link*

Forgive me Father,
for I have sinned.
My sin has led me so devastatingly to the depths of Hell,
I have plunged yet you rescued me, in my brokenness you've cleansed me.

O Lord, you have bought me,
I am no longer my own.
May the mind of Christ consume me, fill me and move me forward heavenward.

May my heart, head and hands be considered for your work and a blessing towards others.

In you I stand , set apart for you with .
In you I stand, for without you,
I am, nothing

To you be the glory forever and ever
Amen

part I

part II

LNS Part II

second instalment of an arbitrary collection. may or may not be more puke worthy than the first *link*

Dear Daniel,

I personally see the need that it would be helpful to you, to have someone genuinely care, support, appreciate, embrace and lovingly serve you. God-willing, to love and serve, supporting you alongside ministry in gospel work for the glory of God, sharing burdens, being there in all seasons of life, through humble submission.

Your love for God and others, as you strive for a Christ-like life is very encouraging. Thanks for your constant care and patience during the short time we spent together. Ever so thankful for God answering my prayers, providing you, to bring me back to reality from wild unsustainable ways; a godly guy I would genuinely desire to work towards marriage with, treasuring daily with my mind, heart and body, second to Christ. 

Keep gunning for God and thanks a zillion. 

Truly Yours.

Josephine 

*source*

Sin, it just won't leave.
AAARRGGGGH!!!

But praise be to God who calls and works mightily to shape and mould us, til he returns.


"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

oh that mid-sem break

*take a deep breath*

well what can i say, it has definitely been quite the party.

Firstly Easter, the true meaning of Easter is definitely worth partying about. That our Lord so perfectly just and loving, could not leave rebellion and rejection of his name and person (sin) undealt with, so he sent his only son Jesus Christ to die for this sin -  in our place - so that we can be free to return a relationship with with Him!

These children summarise the story so well =]

Lots of movies and catching up with friends.
- Captain America Winter Solider : definitely better than the first one, but honestly i was more intrigued by the after credits appearance of quicksilver and Scarlett witch.
- The Lego Movie: Everything is awesome!
- Faith Connections: *my review*
- Aim High in Creation: *my review*

and lots and lots of boardgames!

of which my fav is an Australian one Imaginiff..

you write down names of people you know usually friends and roll the dice to see which name it lands on. The person becomes the subject of that round, so when you  pick a card...
it's "imagine iff Bob was a ......., what would he/she do....."
1 of 6 choices.
You vote and then majority vote wins to advance 1 space on the board, regardless if that is what the subject would actually do..

A great fun clean get to know you game...

unlike cards against humanity, which is still get to know you...but less less less clean lol.

as for the rest of the holidays.
unfortunately i spent it on gaia x_x

next stop tomorrow: mornington peninsular ^-^

He is Risen!!

*source* 

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter ^-^ 

A blessed weekend

wow. what a weekend.
i seem to say this every weekend. but yes. and truly. they just keep getting better ^^

Was best friend's driver for the day whilst he had no car.
Discovered where the Samsung Care Centre was, surprisingly close to home.

*source*

Squaaasshhhh with friends @ Monash of which i still am incredibly horrible.
However I did learn to very important lessons
1) keep running: i actually stand around and spectate on court (silly i know), watching the other person return the ball, to which I am standing still. no wonder i don't get to the ball on time
2)  wait for it to bounce: more likely of hitting it back ><"

So we decided to leave squash as our stomachs were rumbling. foooood.
little to know, bump into two gentlemen outside the sports centre inviting us to a bbq that was happening right that instant about 5meters away.

Turns out I was the last person they spoke to that noon, as they had one more flyer to hand out. A Christian group called Faith on Monash Campus sharing some good convo and food over the weekend. Was great to hear their stories and be encouraged by them. From what started from small groups to now a church that borrows Chadstone Hoyts for their Sunday service.
thought at the end of it though: hmm...all the nice guys seem to have wives already LOL

Plodded along to dfo for some cheap buys_

*source*

*source*

white singlet like lacy dress $8
happy lemon dress $24
bargain :D 

then ohlala WHITE NIGHT. Incredible fun, of which i didnt get back until 3pm. pooped.

*source*

melbourne is swarming with lovely people.
venturing into the gardens, ngv and acmi were definitely a highlight. to see everyone buzzing with energy and a...

willingness to try everything despite it being new 

and patience to cue, 

was admirable. 

was great to find was to avoid the bottle neck at flinders, but kudos to the elderly that survived it.

*source*

who would have thought burger edge wraps at midnight would to sooo tasty.

the unfortunate event was that there was police surrounding a body with a white sheet over it at Heyington Station =/ I hope they are able to resolve the happenings. that was kinda scary.

Sunday was another , had no idea what was going to happen apart from acknowledging i'll be in attendance at church at 10.30am. Best friend agreed to come. wooot. although he still thinks it's a centre for mass brainwashing, I do pray that what he thinks is brain washing is actually indeed a mighty God working in the hearts of men to reveal a true and liberating freedom that we can be reconciled to an equally loving and just creator God through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, conquering death once and for all.

*sigh*

being Christian never means loosing your intellect. I hope at some point people can see this.

so this brings me to 6pm sunday night with absolutely nothing on.
puts it out there that i'm free and ohla the wonders of the internet a friend responds inviting me to run.

i am so unfit.

but the stories to share throughout the evening were amazing.



so from having no plans, being open and available, the adventures never cease

Christ has risen!

Thinker-Doer

When I first saw this, I chuckled. This is very clever. Hmm...ponders. Am I a thinker or a doer? The cartoon seems to beg this question.

Then the below popped into my mind.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26

So, the question of faith/believing/head knowledge vs good works seems to be the dilemma OR there was a mentally that the two can be separated, like that of the two foundations of the respective statues in the cartoon. However, the Bible is clear that the two do not fall in separate categories.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?^. Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. James 2: 20-22

James gives us the example of Abraham. Who was well respected and known to have faith, and that alone was what considered him righteous/right in God's eyes/saved. Aka. Abraham did not do "works" to be saved, he didn't earn it as his 'right' and it wasn't by a particular deed he did to be considered righteous e.g. In the book of Galations it clearly states that Abraham was considered righteous before he was circumcised (which was a big deal for the Jews as circumcision was signaling that you were set apart belonging to God back then) .

Having mentioned that, James explores further to say that Abraham's trust in God was not static and once off, but he acted upon it. He demonstrated his trust and that he depended on God entirely, when he followed God's instruction, took action, and offered his son Isaac on the altar. Ultimately his faith was made clear, there was no doubt about it, due to his actions.

So to rethink the premise. It is not whether you are a thinker or a doer. It is a matter of do you live out what you believe!

Question to ponder: How important do you think it is that a Christian shows what they believe by the way they act?

Even if you slash out the word Christian from that question, it seems to me that 'yes' it is important to live out what you talk about. Because the result would be obvious..... hypocrite
When the whole world is watching and scrutinizing your every step. Watch yourself closely.  

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4: 15 - 16 

Coz the flip side of this would be

It's not what you believe that matters, it's how you behave/

Along the lines of "Actions speak louder than words" mentality

which i might rip apart another day.

it's not either , or; 

neither, nor

it's both.

it just has to stack up.

reason + living

back it up!

Doubt | Question | Seek

Shelley Segal is an Australian singer songwriter. Woot! Aussie music.

This is of particular interest.

Her debut single "Saved" from Album "An Atheist Album"

" I don’t claim to have all the answers or that my world view is without flaws. I just want to encourage genuine skepticism, inquiry and discussion when it comes to important issues.

I believe that no opinions or beliefs are beyond criticism, no matter how sacred they may be.

I can handle having my views scrutinised and challenged. In fact, I welcome it."  - Shelley Segal.


I totally agree with questioning, reflecting, even doubting one's own thoughts and world views, to then truly put it up for scrutiny. And if it stands. Let the truth prevail =P

whether you are religious or not religious, you should still be thinking .."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" 1 Peter 3:15

curiously enough I am a Christian. The person of Jesus Christ has won my mind questions and heart questions. It's worth digging into or at least questioning =P 

So first day of Spring....

And what did you do?

- caught put with girls from church to share life, hang out, read up on Philippians 2: 1-18
- had an interesting discussion about humility and what it means.
"the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance" - Oxford dictionary
It's a self awareness of who you are; how insignificant in reality you are in the grand scheme of things

How it's acted out in Christian living _
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" Phil 2: 3-4

Opposite of pride, yep. I'm sure all would agree. aka. don't be boastful, even if you are right, even if you have the "right", authority, status etc, you let go of that "I'm better than you, I don't you so/put down attitude".

But there's more.... 
For a Christian they had a perfect role model that exhibited humility. "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!" Phil 2:5-8

God....coming to earth to die?? Pfftt...why? Out of love, to take on the punishment of death for humans. As we all fall short of his standards, we rebel against his authority to rule, we want to be our own kings, we ignore him, we think he doesn't exist. We are all held accountable to our actions, and pretty much we all fail and don't pass this judgement test. But through Christ taking the punishment in our place, if you believe it, you are free. Free to live a life for him. Died with Christ, resurrected with Christ. ...and what for?

To love God, love others.
Each other's needs to prefer, 

but pride gets in the way>.>
what a shame .  

the rest of the day_
. chill out at monash public library
.it closed so went to the pub, coz it had seats lewl
.praying at the pub was totally random
.migrated to bumming outside safeway
. dinner/dessert story with high school friends
...awesome 

^^

the weekend away at Creswick =]

 

Speaker Archie Poulos 

Definition of a Christian - being brought into a relationship with God by God, where you spend your whole life in  j o y f u l  obedience as a slave of Christ and servant of others.