in this life of contridictions

Why…

are we diligently lazy & unenthusiastically active?
are we quick to anger and slow to forgive?
do we embrace complacency and reject change?
do we always seek out shortcuts and avoid the longhaul?
do talk the talk but avoid the walk?
are we unashamedly critical and reluctantly encouraging?
are we satisfied with wanting more and unsatisfied with being content?
is it normal to be pessimistic and weird to optimistic?
do we remember the hurt and forget the joy?
uphold the rebel and bring down the righteous?
can we lie easily and avoid the truth?
do we expect to receive and neglect giving?
are we more excited at a concert than when we are at church?
is it all about me, and never about Him?
do we want to lead, but don't want to follow?
do we believe in instant change and not continual transformation?
are we enticed by breaking the law and turn off from what is right?

Romans 7 (MSG)

The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless, and I went along without paying much attention to it…

What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.^17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

^21-23It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

²⁴I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

²⁵The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

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Plastic Informercials

So I was uplate watching the Pro-active infomercial on tv (as you do) and normally I am pretty entertained by the photoshopped pictures, the obviously plastic-faced creator of the product and thoroughly annoyed by Delta Goodrem’s voice (i really hate it for some reason)

But the other night as I lay awake in my procrastination I felt the HS spirit open my eyes to the dark side of a product which promises confidence and beauty… permanent shallowness

Don’t get me wrong, seeing all those testimonials about how their pimples have cleared up is great! but seeing all those testimonials about how “it changed their life” and “gave me the confidence to make friends” struck a deep chord in my heart… and not the good kinda chord.

Then to have Delta Goodrem saying… Do you want this confidence? Do you want to live knowing that people are looking at how great your skin looks?  Do you want to feel great in the skin your in… then you have to get Pro-active its the answer to your problems… made me sick!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS GENERATION!

CONFIDENCE ISNT FOUND IN A SHEER COVER MAKEUP AD OR A AB-CIRCLE PRO INFOMERICAL OR A PRO-ACTIVE BEAUTY PRODUCT!

Why are we teaching this already self-obsessed, low self-esteemed generation that the only path to confidence is through fixing ourself outwardly!?  It’s a biblical truth that its about being transformed from the inside out

Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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CHYEAH!

EPIC.

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A Scary Chain of Events

James 2:14-26

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[d]? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[e] and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

I’m pretty sure that while your reading this AMAZING scripture your consciousness is plauged with the haunting melody of Albertine by Brooke Fraser.

But just as Matt Redman’s song Heart of Worship says “I’ll bring you more than a song” let’s remember that Albertine speaks of something so much deeper than an experience in Rwanda.

I came across this scripture while sharing with a good friend about how their personal walk with God is going… and honestly I know the famous line “faith without deeds is dead” but I never ever have read the scriptural basis from which it is formed upon… until now.
I was blown away by this Scripture… it speaks volumes into the cliche “Actions speak louder than words” it’s quite sad that this statement has become a cliche in our society coz the truth is… it is still a mega truth.  Leaders can talk as much as they want but what influences isn’t the talk, its the walk.  This scripture translates into more than just the faith that Hebrews 11:1 because as we know later on in verse 6 the Word says that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

So what has faith become?  If the key to pleasing God is faith… then that means that everything we do, say and think has got to be dripping in faith… therefore faith becomes an essential in our lives as Christ followers.

But the key to activating faith is in the scripture we read in James 2…. deeds or actions.

How many times have we heard a ‘life-changing’ message, had a mind-blowing prophecy, experienced a tear-jerking Acts 2 church moment, read a eye opening scripture verse, realised a major weakness that needs fixing, or a major strength that would propel our walk to the next level or a soul stirring Praise and Worship session…

These moments are great, and they are moments drenched in more than just our sweat… but drenched in FAITH!

but

How many times have we just stopped there at just that… the experience, the realisation, the event, the moment, the music, the charisma, the excitement, the passion, the hype…

If we don’t put feet to these experiences… if we don’t write an action plan for our lives after that sermon… if we don’t go out and tell our friends about how awesome youth is… if we don’t find someone to mentor us through our struggles… if we don’t sign up for a ministry that will nurture our strengths…
If we just stop at the experience… what happens to our faith… it dies… coz faith without deeds is dead… and without faith it is impossible to please God…

Isn’t that a scary chain of events?

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iSMASH

This is what I
feel like doing

going super saiyan on my laptop

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just another person

Thanks to a High School mate of mine named Sam, I found out that Darlene Zschech was in town and speaking at Hillsong Brisbane’s creative night (which is basically like their rehersal night).

I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight and actually contemplated not going after today’s epic paintball battle (that’s a post for another time) but opted to go.  The foyer environment was pretty happening, with a bar style bench area set up with a couple of high table tops music and lighting…

The stage set up was also very nice and cosy… simple complexity it was… and worship was really nice, unforced, unadultered and simple with just 2 guitars (which didn’t play a whole heap) and a synth.  And I think we even got to hear a new Hillsong worship song, and I really like it…

Then it was time for Darlene to speak and of course she spoke about worship, she spoke about how worship has been around for centuries, that we respond with worship.  She gave an encouraging word to everyone about writing songs and stepping up as worshippers in the house of God… that the devil should be crying every morning because a worshipper has just awoken from their sleep.

But while I was inspired by the talk of worship, it wasn’t the physical aspects of worship that cut me deep, it was the life of worship she shared about.  Two quotes that have stuck themselves in my heart like a splinter under the finger nail (which)

(in response to my question about when was the defining moment when the worship in Hillsong church went to the next level?)

God isn’t a magician, He is a builder.

Go out there, into the injustice and be affected by it

The first quote felt like a quick correction to my perspective… which stung a little but was a great pull back down to earth… and the plus side… i was teh first person to ask a question and started off the whole Q&A   The 2nd quote cut me because my heart for people is growing… i sit in buses, walk through carparks, sit in food courts and see such a lost & searching generation not just highschoolers but university students, working adults and parents… I also caught passion, I knew that I was listening to someone who believed whole heartedly in the power of worship.

So after the session Tim, Dan, Sean and myself discussed talking to her, giggling like little school girls and being intimidated… I knew I wanted to say G’day but as intimidation got to me God reminded me of something i blogged about… there are you celebrities in the church…

With that courage I made my over and introduced myself thanked her for sharing… and facilitated Tim’s moment for tonight… being encouraged by Darlene in his song writing and being tapped on the shoulder by Darlene 3 times…

She asked me if i was in the worship team but i said… no… she didn’t look at me after that hahaha… but refreshing none-the-less.  she really is just an ordinary christ-follower, fulfilling an extraordinary calling.

Jesus i need you and only you

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