Why we are not at peace:

Found this testimony googling from a former atheist, Marilyn Adamson:

I didn't realize that the reason the topic of God weighed so heavily on my mind, was because God was pressing the issue. I have come to find out that God wants to be known. He created us with the intention that we would know him. He has surrounded us with evidence of himself and he keeps the question of his existence squarely before us. It was as if I couldn't escape thinking about the possibility of God. In fact, the day I chose to acknowledge God's existence, my prayer began with, "Ok, you win..." It might be that the underlying reason atheists are bothered by people believing in God is because God is actively pursuing them. (ref: http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html)

And yet there is a point where God will honour your choice to rebel against him and His weighing abates. However God is always there and you are always completely surrounded by His presence through all things created and God is always there until the end always waiting for you to acknowledge Him.

For those that have acknowledged and accepted His way of salvation (not yours) then:

John 14:V27 - I am leaving you with a gift—Peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Seek the real peace.

Peaceful Zealots

Christians love to be reminded especially at Christmas of the words "Prince of Peace" and "Zeal" used in the verses below:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6-7‬ NIV)

Of Christians purpose our aim should be to become a Peaceful Zealot for Christ!!

Enjoy the Christmas Festivities and we hope to see you at All-Souls to share it with us too.

　

Cussing “Jesus Christ!!”

Never could understand the bad wrap Jesus Christ gets when people use his name in cussing...

Whatever we think or believe of Him we cannot ignore his Great Commandment “Love one Another” hardly worth cussing over!! Maybe it's because we often confuse acts carried out by others in His name that are not in accordance with His commandment to be those of His, well of course they are not His, they are acts of humans!

So when people use the name Jesus Christ for cussing (or an exclamation!) Christians will often cringe as they love the name Jesus Christ and will always be saddened when it’s used in any other context other than in love/reverence. For Christians Acts 4:12: "for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" This is Jesus Christ and He means everything to them.

 

Happy!

The world seems obsessed with being happy :)

Mindfulness, at Peace, Connected, Content, Zenned and whatever the latest buzz craze is!!

It also seems the more affluent the country is, the greater this obsession...

The Apostle Paul did it tough at times (he was executed in the end!) after a life of plenty, he knew the extremes and shared this little gem:

Philippians 4:12  “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want”

Christians try to keep in mind that this world is imperfect and the perfection in heaven aside God is yet to come. We have a lot to look forward to as Christians and in the meantime we try to be content with our lot in life, ultimately these times will soon pass, we have an eternal 'Happy' focus...

We of Free Will...

Lord, you never force us to believe in you.

                         You don’t make us praise you.

                         You won’t command us to love you.

                         But instead, you invite us to come.

 

In our heart of hearts at some point we all know there is a Creator God - the world is no fluke.

 

God is God, the almightiest being that can do with his creations as he well pleases - its not about us, even if we think it is - as we his creations are always within God's power even though he created his creations with their own free-will.

 

God invites, in fact God longs for us to acknowledge him in all this - then we of free will become truly free.

 

The letter is "I" ...

Two Sundays back Leonie gave a terric message at our families service... just one of her key points is really worth repeating here:


The letter " I " - is in the center of 'sin'

So if we think about it....


Sin is:

Loving things and Using people

Where Love is:

Loving people and Using things


Pretty simple stuff isnt it? But it is this type of catchy reminder that really sticks... guess which group of folk are in the happier camp?

Thanks Leonie :)



　

Our Own Serenity

The following came through on a daily feed from somewhere:


"Serenity does not expect or demand love from others but thinks of new ways to offer love even
 to those who seem unloving.

It opens as we let go of trying to become something and begin to savour being someone.

Serenity is the courage to let go, to open up, to be"


Often we are caught up trying to be something for someone or being something else for ourselves.

This can dictate who and how we associate with different people yet these biases will ultimately hold back our own serenity in who we are.

One of my favourite sayings to correct the untruth that creeps in is to say:

"All Souls are Equal" (a nice little plug for our church as well) it brings the ego back and with it the serenity of being exactly who we are and just as God made us.

The last one (For 2012!)

The final blogging for 2012 comes from 2 quotes. 

The first being an adaptation "it wasn’t until I figured out that it wasn’t the Lord who was working with me but me working with the Lord that all things started to fall into place" (source unknown).

So let us head into 2013 resting from the stress of our own efforts (if so) and trusting in our loving God to keep on showing us his will for us - keeping in mind that the creator of an entire universe knows how to communicate that will to us!

The second one... As Christians we should consider ourselves “counter-cultural arming ourselves with love and peace" (Sharron Reissinger Lucas) as we go out into this world.

What a pure and simple message and an easy one to keep us all in his peace when going about our daily ways in 2013.

....and just to close with a final joyous Christmas (common-ism) "Jesus is the reason for the Season" so let us all enjoy his birthday celebrations - Amen!!

God’s love is Constant.

God’s Love

Had been searching and praying for a word that can sum up God’s love and the word that came along is the word “constant”…

God’s love for us is total where He can only act of love towards his creation humankind.

Whilst there are points where God’s love is not focused on those who have turned away from Him (and one day He will ask all his free-willed creations to give account of their lives - for some that keep rejecting his loving advances that day isn’t going to end well) his love whether re-connected with Him or not is still a constant to all and at all times.

It is hard to accept (for example) that a murdering criminal dictator about to be hung for crimes against humanity has open to them the same level of constant love from God that a devout sacrificial lifelong missionary follower of Christ has available. Yet till the day of reckoning they both share the same constant love from God.

God is love and can only act out of love – keep reminding yourself of this little saying and you start to see things around you in a different light where a deeper understanding of God begins to emerge.

God’s love is constant.


 

Christians Need a Certainty

 

Our Tuesday night group this week prayed against what is becoming a common Atheist/Agnostic mantra for Christians being people that need to have certainty in their lives.

Anna Krien (author/journalist) highlighted their point once more which most of us tuned into on Mondays ABC’s Q&A programme (10/9/2012) in defining  her own status of disbelief.

The main thrust of the (at times) quite aggressive Atheist/Agnostic mantra (not Anna’s - she was quite eloquent) is that Christians need the questions of where they are going, where they came from and why they are here all answered, they are needing labels whilst others just don’t need them.

It can also be argued that Evolution and a belief in Nature or a Something are also need based labels along with Values Based Living and Religion/s themselves as more ‘needy labels’.

A default outcome of the mantra is it insinuates an inferiority for Christians as being needy.

However being Christian has nothing to do with needing certainties as Christianity (Christ) is the re-connection with God through a belief in what Jesus Christ did for us whilst on earth.

The outcome of the re-connection with God is Peace.
 

One will never fully be at peace (some get very good at synthetic peace’s but they aren’t the real deal) as there will always be a niggle, a lingering doubt or a question in the mind about God’s existence simply because he is there.

Certainty is just one by-product (gift) of the Christian/Re-connection with God not a need.

 

Ignatian Wisdom

“The Examen Prayer
Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today”.

The following is an adapted and personalised extract supplied by one of our group members
The prayers and methods of praying suggested by St Ignatious (Google him) who’s gift was to seek God following structured methods. Here is one to pray at the end of the day:

Forgiveness:

I know that I am a fallen human and that I am in need of God’s forgiveness and that due to his love for me I will receive it.  All of this gives great comfort at the end of the day – to know that you are forgiven.

Gratitude:

Reflect through the happenings of the day giving thanks. This could be done hour by hour or event by event. Give thanks.

Petition:

We know that we are recipients of God’s grace, and so that it shouldn’t be wasted on us instead we need to ask these sort of questions.  Ask the Lord, “What do you want to show me about today?”, “What do you want me to learn about today?”  

Review:

We have a variety of thoughts throughout the day – some God-inspired and others not.  What was of God and should be followed and what was not and should be discarded?

Renewal:

As you reflect … be aware of renewal and  in praying this step we ask for grace both to see clearly which initiatives God desires us to choose and to practice those initiatives effectively in the coming day.”  

I am the pilgrim walking with Moses and following the pillar of cloud/fire and being led in endlessly new ways to the fulfilment of the promise of hope.

The Prayer the Lord Taught

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

Could be relabelled “The Prayer the Lord Taught” being sinless 

he didn’t need to pray this one to himself.

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your Kingdom come, 

your will be done, 

on earth as in heaven

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us. 

Lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil. 

For the kingdom, 

the power and the glory are yours. 

Now and forever - Amen

Two things jump out about Jesus’ prayers. The first his public prayers were brief and secondly in private he pulled out the long ones, even the‘all-nighters’ (Luke 6:12).

The prayer Jesus taught us to pray is as his public prayers were, simple, complete and straight to the point. God only needs us to open our minds/mouths in

prayer to what is on our hearts, not compile poetic verse.

He knows our hearts and minds, just pray it.

Prayer really is that simple...

Why Our Prayers Are Sometimes Not Answered...

James 4:3

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures"

It is important when we pray that we take the time to understand our motive for the prayer.

1. Am I expressing Gods love in this situation

2. What is my motivation to do so - anything in it for me?

Our motives as Christians is in performance of Christ like acts (love) that glorify God. Our prayers should  also be a reflection of our motive, especially if we want them answered!!

How Prayer's Can Work...

Many of us lose confidence in prayer because we do not recognise the answer
　
We ask for strength and God gives us difficulties which make us strong

We pray for wisdom and God gives us problems, the solution of which develops wisdom

We plead for prosperity and God gives us a brain and brawn to work

We plead for courage and God gives us danger to overcome

We ask for favours and God gives us opportunities