Who Am I Now?

I am currently in the process of reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell and in one of the movements he starts off like this.

I was having lunch with a guy who was telling me about a struggle he'd been having for a while. He said he knew he was a sinner, and that he was fallen and that he would keep committing this one sin,and he knew he was going to keeo committing this one sin because he was a sinner and his nature was evil and there was nothing he could do about it because of what a sinner he was...

Do I have to go on?

I was so depressed I wanted to bang my head on the table. His question was basically why do I stuggle like this?

And all that was running through my head during his questions, was that his system was perfectly designed to achieve the results he was getting.

He's convinced he is a sinner, he's convinced he is going to sin, he has no hope against sin, he believes his basic nature is sin and then he wonders why he keeps sinning.

And what was so startling to me is that he said he had just become a Christian. It seemed to me that becoming a christian had given him all sorts of new things to feel guilty about. I wondered if becoming a Christian had made his life not better but actually worse.

Paul knew people like this too; people who found their Christianity to be a weight that they didn’t have before. They found the so called rules constricting not freeing, and they found themselves giving up the fight and resigning to the fact that God’s grace is never ending but easily abused.

Romans 6:1-4
Well then, should we keep sinning so that God can show us more and more forgiveness? Of Course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Jesus Christ, we died with him? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead, by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

You know, I have been guilty of abusing God’s grace. But as I come to realise who I am in Christ, I know that I am holy through his death and resurrection.

[Paul insists]in another letter that if we are having this new kind of transforming experiencs with Christ in which we are taking on a new identity, we are literally now a "new Creation."
I am being remade.
I am not who I was.
I am a new Creation.
I am "in Christ."
When God looks at me, God sees Christ, because I'm "in" Him.
God's view of me is Christ.
And Christ is perfect.
This is why Paul goes on to say "Therefore as God's Chosen people, holy, and dearly loved..."
Did you catch that word in the middle?
HOLY

In these passages, we're being told who we are, now.

Praise God.

Element Revisited.

I was reading an article in RELEVANT Magazine today which got me thinking about Element (our youth ministry’s old young adults worship night) and how we could re-do it with some major changes.

Let me try and Encapsulate for you just what the article was about. The author Cameron Conant was talking about community and how as Christians, though we are in community to some degree wherever we are, we are Westernised individuals and live apart from that community. Ben Irwin defines community as "People who are Experiencing Life Together."

You’ve all heard sermons before on the Acts 2 church and for those of you who belong to Thornlie, you know that this is the foundation on which we build our ministries. But how often do we meet to, "share meals with Great joy and Generosity?" We worship together regularly and we are taught together and we give tithes and offerings together but rarely do we have an opportunity to eat together, to share our lives with somebody other than our spouses, fiancées, and partners or close friends, and when we do we talk about non-important issues that will never draw us closer to God. Maybe this is because we think to ourselves, "Who else needs to know?" or maybe, “Who else even Cares what's been happening, or what I’m struggling with.” Have you ever thought that you might have something to say to someone that uplifts them, that encourages them or that they can really connect with or that they might have something to say to you? The dinner table is a perfect place to share what’s been going on in your life, what you're growing or going through and what God has spoken to you about recently. There are things in your life that others need to know for their own growth; granted this position is one of extreme vulnerability but God will use your experiences in others lives for their growth.

So I guess you're probably thinking to yourself "Good thoughts Stunners but we don’t have a forum at Thornlie for this kind of community." my idea is that we create such a forum. I’m thinking Friday or Saturday night or Wednesday on the off week, we get together for dinner at the church. We talk, we share our lives, and we worship through this. Then once we're finished we really tell God how highly we love him. We do whatever comes most naturally to worship God. We testify of God's love in our lives and we join together in community. not singling out one particular style of worship as better or even more accessible than another, not "fellowshipping" with "how are you?' but with "how are you and God?" not asking, "what have you been up to?" but asking "what has God been up to?" and not answering with, "I’m good" but I’m not so good and here's why," or, "I’m Great and Here's why."

I have had an epiphany about Element. The name Element is singular. It describes ONE aspect of worship, one way to Seek God and that is its flaw. God desires worship in all elements of our lives even our Friendships. Isn’t it time we started?

Praise Our Unfair GOD

Life’s unfair isn’t it? Doesn’t it always seem that those who deserve the least get the most and those that deserve the most get the cold shoulder? I’ve been reading through Job and it strikes me that He was a man who deserved the most and, for a time got the least. In fact he had the most and it was taken from him. Read through some of the psalms and you’ll read about unfairness, Ecclesiastes and Isaiah also talk about it. But I want to look at Isaiah this morning and remind you of the injustice that brought us here today.

Isaiah 53:2
2 My servant grew up in the Lord's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows* that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! 5 But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! 6 All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins--that he was suffering their punishment? 9 He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. 10 But it was the Lord's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord's plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honours of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.

Jesus bore the greatest injustice of eternity He Died so we can live. So may you, when you feel hard done by, missed out, looked over, or ignored; when you feel like you’re taking someone else’s blame or punishment, may you remember your saviour, and praise God for his saving injustice.

Victory

No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. 19When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
21It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22I love God's law with all my heart. 23But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?[c] 25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
1So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2For the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 3The Law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us[c] who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

God is good.
How many of you have thoughts like “I’m gonna beat that habit,” or “that’s the last time I’m ever doing that.” And then despite all the conviction in the world and all the resolve that you can muster you find ourselves saying the same things a week later. Well apparently Paul had the same struggle. He talks about wanting to good but sinning anyway, and fighting against sin but still doing it. Isn’t this exactly what we face day to day? Somehow it feels comforting to know that Paul struggled in the same ways I do. In every day life we find ourselves fighting battles over things that we have the victory over through Jesus Christ’ death and resurrection.
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Though we can’t be right with God simply by trying to do good—which we fight to do anyway, He made a new way for us to be free from the bondage of sin, as Paul says “God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” Through Christ’s sacrifice we have the victory. Sin has lost its power; death has lost its sting. We can now lean on Christ like never before. He is the only way that we can be saved. Satan’s plan is to keep us wallowing in our sin, it seems that like quicksand the harder we fight, the faster we sink. But god has thrown us a rope and it would do us good to grab it. We have the victory! We have God. And like a wise man once said—“If you flip to the back of the book we win.”

New Photos Are Up

Hey all just a quick one to say that i've put some more pics up. these ones include the storms on tuesday night (21-2-06). they're pretty cool if i do say so myself. check out the flicr link on the sideboard.

Peace out,
Stunners

Apparently "Worship" has a Box of which We Need to Think Outside

RE-POST


Over the past few months/year I've been thinking about what today's definition of worship has come to mean; looking especially at corporate worship and our mental concept of that being "The Worship Team" (Singers and Band), maybe the occasional (Token?) prayer, and nothing more. I have come to the point of questioning our methods of worship in this day and age and have begun looking at other ways to worship our Creator God. Some of the questions that have come up in my mind will be plastered on your screen as you read this. Please don't for a second think that I am trying to cause a mutiny in the local church as people read this. These are my thoughts and the solutions that I feel are appropriate and are not to be taken as gospel in any way.

When did worship leading become solely the domain of the talented, good-looking musician and/or singer? And why have we allowed ourselves even as well-meaning, mature Christians to put worship into these boxes? Why have prayer and solitude, meditation, reflection, symbolism, the arts, relationship, and all the other legitimate elements that go together to make up Biblical styles of worship been labeled as Alternative Worship or left by the wayside to allow room for a style of worship that makes us feel comfortable in our seats? Why have we allowed worship to become something we do to attain some spiritual high when worship was designed and intended for Gods pleasure first and ours as a response to giving God pleasure?
I don't have all the answers to these questions, but I can quite confidently say that the direction in which we are headed is away from God's original intent for worship not towards it. I believe that there are some powers at work in this world, trying very hard to draw us down a road of comfort in worship.
When Jesus was worshipping The Father through His preaching, He wasn't setting out to make everyone feel comfortable with his words, and his style was less than conventional e.g. 5000 people sitting on a hill at night in the desert while Jesus preached! When those same people who sat and listened to Jesus preach offered their sacrifices as their act of worship I'm sure that that wasn't a comfortable experience either. The giving away of something that they had carefully looked after to ensure it's cleanliness to be killed and burned as a sacrifice hardly makes my stomach feel as comfortable as does going to a worship service! Take into account that many of the families offering these sacrifices were poorer than most bible college students, and that makes me even more uncomfortable! We have to counter this move towards comfortable worship by choosing to move out of the mindset that singing songs is the only way to corporately worship our infinite God. It is for our comfort that we choose "worship music" to play in church, and this, I believe, is how we acquired a bullet in our foot. Our young people, and indeed our adults, are growing up in the belief that United Live or Planet Shakers=Worship and this is only maybe 10% of the truth! I'm not saying that we shouldn't sing "Shakers" or "United" in worship, but lets at least make a wholehearted attempt at changing our nation's mindset on worship and allow them to improve their relationship with God because they're worshipping in with their whole being, and doing it in spirit and in truth.

We need to get back to grass roots worship, back to Acts 2 worship, where/when they were in AWE of what God was doing and were bursting to do something about it. Our heart of worship should be to offer, as the song says, more than a song, and more than words but a heart that longs to bring him pleasure in everything that we do.

Not too long ago for our young adults worship night, called Element, I tried something a little bit different. Around the auditorium of our church, I set up four stations. One with some loose paper and some pencils, where people wrote down, in their own way, how/why they adore God. Another had bread and water (no-one told me that the church was temporarily out of Grape juice, so we used water) and here people spent time confessing their sin and repenting before God and re-establishing relationship with Him. In another corner there was an area where people could sit and devote a few minutes just to thanking God for all He's done, and all He's provided for us. And another area was set up so that people could bring their requests and supplications before God. I allowed this time to take up most of the time that we usually take with worship through song and just selected three very contemplative, dedication, worship songs just to come together and tell God, corporately, how much we love Him and want to worship Him.
The time of worship that was had by all was amazing. Not because I had given them all of their favourite songs to sing or because I had done everything differently and freaked everyone out, but because on that night we, as a worship team, allowed room for the Holy Spirit to move in a way that wasn't dictated or even confined by us. We allowed people's hearts to search God out and meet him where they were in their walk.
That night was an example of the effect on God's heart that our worship could have and should have. We as a group of young adults made God smile that night! We fulfilled one of his purposes for our lives!

Romans 12:1 says "And so dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of how much he has done for you, is this too much to ask?"(NLT). To me, this does not sound like a comfortable place in which to be. The verse does not say, "offer your minds, or emotions or thoughts," but it does say "offer your bodies." Where in contemporary corporate worship does the congregation have the opportunity to make use of their hands and feet in a worshipful act? When do we let them use their muscles to worship God? Sure, I can hear you saying "I am always down the front jumping around and I raise my hands for the slow songs when I worship." To that I say "It's good to hear that you are that enthusiastic to jump and dance for Jesus, but are you that enthusiastic about humble service? Probably not." When was the last time you were as eager to help your Mum wash the dishes as an act of worship as you are every Sunday (or Friday) night to jump around?
Now hear what I am saying. DON'T STOP jumping and dancing for Jesus in church, but consider how much more meaningful your worship will be to the Father if it requires humble service in the outside (of church) world.

Let me sum this up. Worship as we know it isn't adequate. We neglect God in huge amounts when we limit our corporate worship to singing in church. Why do we do this? To make ourselves comfortable and to be "relevant" to the community around us. God doesn't call for people who are comfortable, He calls for worshippers. Do we honestly dare to think that God cant move in someone's heart as much in a painting as in a song? YES we do; or at least that's how it seems when we don't give Him the opportunity. Let's start branching out in our form/styles of worship and watch as the God we serve smiles on us!

Please feel free to make any comments or queries or just let me know where you think I can put this post. My intention for this site is that people will go away thinking and challenged by what they've read and I hope that you are.

Thornlieyouth Calendar

This is the Thornlieyouth calendar for 1st term 2006. we chose a phoenix because it symbolises the rising out of the ashes that we are going to see happen this year as God really works in our hearts and the hearts of our young guys.

Job: man of....

Lately I’ve been reading Philip Yancy's The Bible Jesus Read and though I'm not far into it, I have already been impressed by some of the things he has said.

His first chapter talks about the Old Testament in general and in essence why it's there and it has some interesting things to say about the character of god as portrayed in the OT. The second chapter is somewhat of a personal commentary to the book of Job. Now I have to say that prior to reading this book I had not read all of Job and it wasn’t high on my "Books-of-the-Bible-that-I-really-badly-want-to-read" list. As I started to read this chapter though, I thought to myself, "Self, you don’t actually know what goes on in Job besides the main gist of the story so you better read it!" So I am and if it weren't for what I'm learning in this book, it would be a hard read. This book however has taught me some things that will help m to understand Job much better.

I was one of those people who always thought and I guess have always been taught that Job is about suffering with a side serving of "oh and Job was faithful." After all, it does contain a lot of suffering, and Job does say some pretty out there things about and toward (mostly toward) God. but what I’ve recently come to realise is that the focus of the book of Job is directed towards Job's faith not his suffering. Can Job Still trust a God who seems to go completely against his Character? Though everything suggests that god has left Job, does he still believe that God is close?

Yancy’s book outlines for us that God is NOT who is testing Job; in fact it's Satan testing Job's loyalty to God. Satan believes that Job only loves god, because god has blessed him so richly. he thinks that there is no true loyalty, only loyalty that is maintained with blessings poured upon blessings. {One thing I have only noticed now is that God actually recommends Job to Satan for the tests and trials.} All through Job's discourses, he upholds not only his innocence but also the character of God. For all job knew God was punishing him unjustly but that went against all that job knew about God and who he was (and is)
I was surprised at two things in the book of job, one being job's candour with god, and the other, which was pointed out by Yancy, is the Style in which the book was written. Job reads like a Shakespearean tragedy or a mystery in which the plot of the story is laid out in the first few moments and the rest of the play is spent unraveling it. Think for a moment about this; in the first 2 chapters the whole story is played out; the introduction of job, the "deal" between God and Satan, and the blows to job. chapters 3- 37 are the unraveling of the story, the detective searching out the clues so to speak, where job and his "FRIENDS" argue back and forth over who is right(eous) and chapters 38-41 are God's speech in response. Reading job with this in mind, made the book much easier to read.
"It helps to think of Job as a mystery play, a "whodunit" detective story. We in the audience have showed up early for a press conference [at] which the director explains his work. We learn who did what in the play, and we understand that the personal drama on earth has its origin in a cosmic drama in heaven."
The Bible Jesus Read--Yancy


The other thing that surprised me about Job is how frank Job was with God. he even insinuates that god turns a blind eye on evil and his back to the Righteous, but then in the same breath, he says that the wicked have no foothold in the world. [Don’t you agree that at times it is easy to think that the wicked get rewarded and the Christians get a tough break? it's good to know that God is interested in us not what we own. I want to be as honest with God as job is].

So what have I learned from Job?
1. That Job is not a book to quote from to people who feel down to lift their spirits but I’d recommend it to that same person to show them that they can be honest with god about how they're feeling.
2. That the majesty and power of God go far beyond any Human's wildest imagination. We can never know everything that God knows.
3. That sometimes I am a better friend when I am silent than when I speak.
4. That GOD is GOD and will always be GOD. He was he is and will always be.
"There's a Rock that doesn't move, it hasn't moved it will never move, even though the waves come crashing down"
Delirious?

God's Character never changes. I don’t have to be concerned if he will be different tomorrow than he was today. God is GOD

5. THAT JOB WAS MORE A MAN OF FAITH AND SUBSTANCE, THAN MERELY A MAN OF SUFFERING.


Read Job. You'll learn so much about God, and Job, and yourself, don't think it's outdated, you'll be surprised how little things have changed in the world (and out of it).

Have fun.

Stunners

Filling you in

ok, ok, you win steve. here's the fill in on what's been happening since last post. where to start?

i'll work backwards.

18th of jan
today mmarks the 20th anniversary of my flamily (including myself) moving to Perth, Western Australia. not that i either had a choice or even remember the move as i was only 14 months old, but if you ask my bro, it's a big deal.
today is also my day off. a good thing. i've been playing around with some photos in Photoshop which you can see on flicr.
13th of jan.
Shane flew to thailand on friday and his presence is already being missed by more than just myself. shane is one of the leaders of thornlie youth and my best mate. he is one of those people who everyone can rely on (to be late) and everyone's fiend.. i mean FRIEND.

see you in 6 months, shane.

15th of jan
my parentals came home from their holiday to adelaide and melbourne today. what a pity. i had the run of the house and it was great though tiring. i had people over and parties and dinner with friends and just had a great time while they were gone. i must say though that it's nice to have them back so they can look after me and the house. i would hate to have had to pay bills, or vacuum, mow the lawns or do any responsible stuff like that! and besides where would i find time?

1st of jan.
i guess the next thing i shoud talk about is new years and Christmas. new years eve was good but we missed the count-down Stinking 96fm didnt do one!! either that or none of the 15-20 people that were at my place heard it!. yeah you heard right. Party at the munyards! it does happen but only when my parents are on the other side of the country. any way back to the countdown issue, we missed it so we made our own. at 00:19.50 we started counting with sparklers in everyone's hand! wait that's everyone's hand BUT mine I had an unlit candle (it had been lit but had gone out) so then 10, 9, 8, 7,...3,2,1, Happy new year!!! this is the part where i throw up my hands forgetting about the melted runny candle wax and end up with it all over my Shirt, all through my hair and all over the food table lucky most of the food was gone! so a good new years eve.

25th of Dec
christmas day. Last year's christmas day was really quite boring...and i loved every minute of it. we got up late, headed off to my sister's new house hwere had had morning tea and did the presents thing. then we had lunch at our house with just immediate family (inc. Brett) then sat around doing nothing, went to see the house that Kimberley and brett are building down in SEVILLE GROVE on the way to Uncle Neil and Aunty Gill's to do the present thing again. then to the beach but too cold to swim, then home. for presents i got a tripod and a Car cleaning kit and other stuff which i can seem to remember. i gave mum an electric massager, dad got a bottle of vino, simon got season four of futurama, brett got simpsons season 6 collectors edition, and Kimberley got a Calendar! i know Cheap but thats what she asked for and there was no way i was going into Bras n Things to get her the slippers she wanted!!! there's a line people!! and i aint crossing it.

24th nov -3rd dec
leavers Chaplaincy Was awesome again this year. we went down margaret river, specifically prevellt caravan park to witness to the leavers and to ensure their safety and well being. as it turns out this was the safest and well beed year yet. i got into a few good conversations about god stuff and one guy whom i'm still in contact with is millimeters off of making a committment. you can see photos of leavers on flicr. see link on sideboard

6th of nov
Happy birthday to me! turned 21 here you can see photos of my "party" at the South Perth Foreshore on flicr. got my camera and Case, a few vouchers, an Awesome high intensity LED torch and money from rellies. my camera is a fujifil s5600 digital semi SLR with 10x optical zoom and 5.1 megapixel. nice photos come from it.


well that's all i can think of right now, i know there was probably more you're wanting to know about like my sister;s wedding but that can wait. i dont think i'll forget that one. also stay tuned to flicr coz i'm hoping to be continually uploading new pics every few days.
see you on the other side. (of what i don't know.)

New photos

Hey guys i've just uploaded Bulk photos for youz to peruse so check out the link.

Flicr
or check out my profile.

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