To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

A fellow Relay Worker - Gethin Jones is blogging on whether Christians should Tweet or not. It is an interesting read and challenging too.

Have a read here.

I know nothing of love and faith...

In my arrogance I can stand and say, I know much of love and much of faith because I have read about it. I have passed my finger along the inky sentences and smudged the words together. I try to convince myself that I know and have experienced the depths of these things, but I would be lying. As I watched the preacher stand up this Sunday, frail and shaky, but yet full of joy and gentleness I realised in my youth and in my inexperience I know not much of love and faith.

What I love about being in a church, surrounded by many age ranges, is that it strikes humility into your heart. There are many people of the older generation that have much wisdom, have loved deeply and lost and yet have rock hard faith that clings to their personal savior and friend, Jesus. I think perhaps this type of love and faith and gentle wisdom, must come from great trials, situations, testings and walking with Christ daily, being filled by the Holy Spirit and reading his word.

I once knew a man who came to speak at Surrey CU when I was a student. He was a missionary and he was so full of Joy. He would tell loads of stories that would inspire us, make us laugh and cry. He told us a story of how his daughter fell into the hands of men who killed her. He said this with such peace and real acknowledgment of Gods Grace. I found out recently that he has cancer and I expect that He is still full of Joy with the love of Christ. Here is a man who knows much about the depths of Love and Faith.

I think I am just really reminded of how young I am and how actually I don't know much of anything. Paul says to "flee youthful passions" in 2 Tim 2:22, perhaps in a way he means youthful arrogance, pride, quick to judge, quick to lose faith, quick to give up on love and not show Grace. I think I will only truly understand the depths of Love and Faith when I meet trials, heartache, lose, persecution and still say that Christ is ever faithful, ever true and my greatest love.

Reflecting on Identity

Just today the topic of identity came up with a good friend of mine. Firstly I love the fact that I have christian sisters who point me to Jesus and remind me that when things go wrong my identity is in Christ and equally when things go right my identity is still in Christ. She is good at pointing me in the right direction. But it made me think about how we see ourselves and what our identity is rooted in.

Identity is the key question in our culture today. Just switch on the TV and you will see hundreds of adverts that tell you who you could be or should be. You could be beautiful, you could be happy with this product, holiday or DFS Sofa. It is all about you and your needs and your identity is wrapped up in what you buy, wear, listen to and watch. Then opinions of appreciation and admiration will bubble up and make you feel good and your identity well established.

Welcome to the world where we can buy heaven online. Where the effect is more devastating then plummeting into recession, in fact it causes a ripple of insecurity and lost identity. Soon those things will become boring and the want, nay, need for more swallows you until you buy the next material thing.

Is that what makes you who you really are? Perhaps if we search ourselves a little more we may find that this need of having more stuff or need to feel appreciated by others is just an outworking of a heart issue. Yet as Christians we are told that our identity is in Christ and we need to more then ever cling to that. What does that look like in practice?

Galatians 2:20 is key. Right there is the heart of christian identity and living. Paul says we need to die. We need to die to our self by being crucified with Christ to find that we no longer live. This is counter cultural. The world is saying we need to find our identity and Paul is saying you need to lose it, to die to yourself and then Christ will live in you. Your identity is no longer in yourself, but in Christ. How does that happen? Well the second half of the verse explains, "the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God". Christian you should no longer be consumed with yourself, it is no longer about you and your needs because you live for something more and your faith is in the Son of God. Why? because "he loved me and gave himself up for me".

The more we look for identity in those around us or inside of us, the more we will be frustrated and lost. Paul is telling us to die to ourselves, it is no longer your life but Christs, he determines what you do and He is your identity and we have such fulfillment and assurance in Him because He loves us and gave himself up for us. He loves you and gave himself up for you. Therefore, your worth is from Him, your accepted by Him and you are deeply loved. How satisfying and complete to know that you no longer have to search and strive for identity and assurance because the Creator, Eternal God of the Universe gives you the greatest identity in Christ. But you have to turn away from yourself and start to live by faith in the Son of God.

Christianity and Creativity...

After being in Falmouth for their mission week, it has made me think a lot about art, music, poetry and all things creative. How can we merge the creative arts to bring God Glory without having to think we need to include rainbows and fluffy lollipops and the line that "life is great" fabrication? Sometimes we can paint or write about the reality of this world and the sin in it and yet convey that God is good and faithful. So I may be posting up some more creative things, starting with a poem I stumbled across by Steve Turner, its good:

Lord, Lord

You were hungry
and I was sorry.
You were thirsty
and I blamed the world.
You were a stranger
and I pointed you out.
You were naked
and I turned you in.
You were sick
and I said a prayer.
You were in prison
and I wrote a poem.

The God Letters

The Lord God says:
‘Share your bread
with the hungry,
bring the homeless poor
into your house,
cover the naked.’

Dear Lord God,
We have got
new carpets,
so this will
not be possible.

The beauty of Creation in Dawlish

Today I had a day off, so decided to take a trip to Dawlish with my camera. I took some shots of the beach and awesome waves. Before I headed out I read Psalm 94 and was reminded of how God is to be greatly praised and that He created all of this... I hope you enjoy them. I am so blessed that God sent me to this part of the country!

Let all the Earth Praise Him...

During sung worship today at church a thought struck me as we sang...

"Praise Him the sun, moon and bright shining stars,
Praise Him you heavens and waters and skies"

If we open our bibles to the Psalms, we will find similar words in Psalm 148. The Psalmist is commanding all created things to Praise the Lord. To Praise His name because He created all things and is worthy to be praised.

I asked God a question: How can trees, shining stars, waters, skies etc praise God? Can they sing to God or pray to Him and Praise Him with their voice? This may be a simple thought, but God showed me that actually all of these created things Praise God by simply doing what they were created to do. A tree praises God by being a tree and the star praises God by being a star. They do what they are meant to do and meant to be.

How does that effect me or us? We Praise God by being what we were created to be, which is by being in relationship with God, glorifying Him in everything we do. We Praise God by being fully human which can only happen through Jesus Christ. Its amazing to think that actually by being what God created me to be - fully human, in relationship with God through Jesus and enjoying the things He created, actually all of this Praises Him. And when I look at creation, although there is sin and death, there is also life and the mountains, trees, sea etc all Praise God by doing what they were created to do - Just being what they are.

Therefore when I sin, I am not doing what I was created to do. I am no longer praising God but instead I am praising myself or an idol. I know that I feel more alive when I am praising God, when I am doing what I was created to be - Enjoying Jesus, Enjoying the Creation and Giving thanks to God for all good things. Being fully human and Praising God means being in Relationship with God.

Amazing. Read Psalm 148.

Praying like Ezra

Ezra 9 is an awe inspiring prayer. We are struck by his compassion, his humility, his raw exposure. Ezra cries out for the nation and their rebellion before God. Ezra sinks to his knees in verse 5 and lifts up his hands just after he has torn his garment and plucked his beard! Then he pours out his heart.

He says "I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, O God".
Do you ever think that sometimes your sin isn't actually that bad and God is more like a mate then a Holy God? Do we ever sink to our knees and blush in the presence of God because we know that our hearts are corrupt?

I find our attitude to prayer is sometimes off target. We forget that we are in the presence of a Holy God. But Ezra makes a point of uncovering the nations sin. Its not just about Him, but about Israel and how God saved Israel and showed favor and Grace towards them, yet they turn from Him and corrupt themselves with idols.

You can hear the cry in Ezra's heart. There is such love and passion there. My prayers are generally a quick thank you, please give me this, oh and im sorry... ! Flippantly I know that Jesus will forgive me, because that's what God is all about right?

Yet Ezra lays his whole self out to God and repents, seeking God for Grace and Mercy, yet knows full well that he doesn't deserve it. He seeks repentance for the whole of Israel and reminds God of His truth and faithfulness.

I praise God that He is very patient towards me and my half hearted prayers. My heart needs to be reminded that I don't deserve forgiveness, but God does forgive me because of His Grace. I want my prayers to be like Ezra, an outpouring of compassion, love, repentance and seeking Gods heart. I am reminded that we stand before a Holy God and there is nothing more we can do then fall to our knees and lift up our hands for v15 says, "none can stand before you because of this". But by the blood of Christ we are forgiven, but that doesn't mean we don't stand there trembling or being flippant. Pray like Ezra.

Treasure the Word

The Word of God is a treasure. Its a delight to read and get to grips with. Yet at times it can be an academic exercise. It can become a source of gaining knowledge, gaining understanding and not seeing Jesus in the text.

I was recently reading a book by a missionary where she plucked out of her memory verses of scripture that helped her focus on truth and on Jesus. It left me really thinking about this. This may get our minds twitching at this point because taking verses out of context is generally a no. Yet there is some great comfort and delight in having verses at the forefront of your mind that you can recall and can speak truth into what ever situation you are in.

The Word of God is more then an academic exercise. Its the living breathing word of God. There are great truths in the bible that we can treasure in our hearts, there are psalms that we can bring to mind and gemstones of verses written by Paul. Context is of course really important, im not saying its not. But I think its important not to treat the bible as an academic exercise but instead to treasure the word in your heart. Memorize scripture and see the Holy Spirit work in your life and you may find he brings to light verses that have been in your memory or that you have read recently that will aid you. rebuke you or remind you of glorious truth.

Treasure the Word of God in your heart.

Poetry on Job by John Piper

Writing the last part of the Exeter Chapter...

Here I am sitting on a train that rumbles on its tracks and the scenery outside the giant windows begin to merge and smudge as the train gains speed and momentum. I have a deep feeling in the pit of my stomach that I am infact speeding towards this final part of the Exeter chapter. This is the last term in Exeter, with its Boston Tea Party, Sandy beech, 200 people ECU and studying Gods word with various Exeter Ladies that will hopefully one day be great leaders of Christ whether thats through being a housewife or a missionary in a foreign country.

What I love about my job is how God has shaped and changed attitudes. How He has indeed surprised me in every way. It has been a privilege to serve God in the South West, to be apart of a team of people that are committed to bring the Good News of Jesus onto campus. I love the fact that we get to plant seeds and by the Grace of God they may flourish and grow! I pray that all the students at Exeter who know Christ will fling their lives away for Christ and that perhaps this year they may have seen the Glory of Jesus and that they love him more which will be reflected in every part of their lives.

There is much to do for this last term. New ways to be stretched and ways to be dependant on Christ. I pray that my love for Christ will grow, that may passion will blossom and that I will be changed. I pray that I will see more of God, know Him more and see more people come to Christ. Also that my pride and selfishness will be stripped away and I will be a humble servant of Christ. Waiting and Ready to go where ever he sends me.

This last part of the chapter will be exciting. I hope I make the most of every opportunity. Please pray that I do. Thank you.

Now lets start this last section with a cup of coffee! YUM!