End of a busy month

It is finally the end of a busy month for a post a day and we are now 1/4 of the way through the year - it sure is going quick.

I helped out today with our Kenya mission trip team as we were doing a BBQ at Safeway to raise money for the fish ponds project. We raised a bit (not sure of exact figure) which was good and it was a nice day to be outside.

I am hoping to make some changes to my blog in the near future so be on the lookout for these as there have already been some in the last month but hopefully more to come.

P.S. Tomorrow is April Fool's Day...

Check this Kenya mission out...

http://kcsafrica2007.blogspot.com/

I was given this link from my mate Jonny about a group who have now just completed a Kenya mission trip. I found it exciting to read through the posts as my experience in January of next year should be very similar. I am looking forward to going to Kenya next year.

Make sure you see the little kitty pic!

Prayer Sermon

Below you will find the latest sermon that I have preached on the topic of prayer. I trust that you find it a challenge and also as encouraging as I have. Just remember to keep praying!!

Prayer Sermon

Thanks for the opportunity to speak here today.

I just want to let the congregation know about a kids mission that will be taking place in September school holidays, this year, in Ballarat. It is run by Scripture Union and is called Rock-Solid Kidz. I am lucky enough to be a director for this mission and so we would like to find out who would be interested in helping us out. You don’t have to be young, you just have to be willing to serve God. There are many ways in which you could help us so please talk to me for further information.

I had in mind that the next time that I speak I would like to speak on the topic of prayer. When I was first asked if I would like to speak today, I accepted it knowing that it was going to be the Harvest service. At the time I thought that they would be able to tie in and I think they do. Who here wants to go deeper in their relationship with God? Well, you better listen and pay attention because I am sure God has something for each of us in today’s message.

Prayer

We have so much to thank God for; family, friends, food, clothing, homes, etc, etc Compared to some other countries we are really ‘well off’ but are we rich in material possessions and poor in spirit – where it is better to be rich in?

God has really been challenging me in the area of prayer in my life and this was the main desire for choosing this topic for the service. Several years ago I couldn’t see the point of praying but God opened my eyes and showed me that praying was something that I won’t fully understand here on earth but that it is very important as part of your faith. (Explain fully understand) “More things are wrought by prayer, Than this world dreams of” —Tennyson

I estimate that I would only spend about 30 minutes a week in prayer which is basically nothing. This is something that I am going to do better at and so will you after hearing this sermon as God helps us.

After reading various references and resources as part of the study, I found that as Christians we aren’t praying as much as we should. Jesus shows us several times in the bible of how much we should pray. He drew aside in the morning and at night and prayed to God (Luke 6:12 – This particular verse, Jesus prayed all night!) If Jesus was praying that much and He is the Son of God, how much more do we need to pray?! The early church prayed lots and see how much and how quickly it grew. I believe that as the church, God’s people, are not praying and seeking after God as they once have, that there is a drought. You hear on the news how the state and the country are in the worst drought in decades and how we are contributing to global warming by our greenhouse gases, etc, but I believe the church itself is also suffering a drought.

If the church is the body of Christ, how can it suffer a drought if it is drawing from the eternal spring of life? This shows that the church, the people individually and corporately, are not fully seeking for this flow of life and that is the reason why there is a drought. As a result of this we have less people going to church, less commitment, less people interested in church activities, etc are results of there not being a ‘thirst-quenching’ flow in the church. Now that got me thinking of if these two ‘droughts’ could be related, and I believe they are.

In 1 Kings 17 and 18 we read about Elijah and how he prayed for no rain for a couple of years and there was no rain – 1 Kings 17:1. Ok, now who here has been praying for no rain?! It then goes on with the prophets of Baal and Elijah, and then after that in 1 Kings 18:41-45. How often do we pray for something but don’t see results so our fervour and zeal for praying about it fade? I know I do it. Elijah prayed 7 times for the rain to come. What if he only prayed 5 or 6 times? Then it wouldn’t have rained and the drought would have continued. (ODB) I am sure Elijah would have kept praying and praying for rain because he knew and believed that God would answer the prayer. We know that God answers our prayers from the bible reading – Luke 11:9-10 - "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

He who does not sow with his heart in his study will never reap a harvest for God. Devotion and prayer go hand-in-hand, they are both a seeking to get to know God better. Adam and Eve would go for walks with the Lord in the Garden of Eden and so we need to make sure that our time with God is just as exercising – spiritually. We need to ensure that our devotion times are meaningful in that our focus and attention is on our study so that we can really listen and understand what God wants us to learn. Also praying that He will reveal things to you, that He will help you apply them to your life, thanking Him for His promises in His Word and committing concerns for the day to Him. God can use both of these for encouraging and challenging us as we seek after Him. The more time that we spend in both of these activities, the better our spiritual health will be and the fruits of the Spirit will show as a result (Galatians 5:22-23) If we don’t know what to pray for, you can start by praying for the people in the newsletter, praying about current issues, etc. Sometimes when we are praying we may not be able to express exactly what we are feeling to God but that doesn’t matter because if “…we do not know what we ought to pray for…the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26)

Isn’t it funny how we use prayer as a last resort because we have tried everything else we can think of? Like you might be in a spot of trouble and don’t know what to do, so you think through it trying to figure out solutions to the pickle that you are in. After exhausting all ideas you have the last resort idea of asking God in prayer – a desperate prayer that he hears. So the next time we are worried about something or we have lost something, why don’t we remember to ask God first and go from there because He sure is capable of sorting it out. Prayer is more powerful than we can ever understand so the next time that you don’t bother praying to God about something, remember that nothing is too big or too small for Him and I am sure that He would prefer to hear us talking to Him than not. He is a faithful and a loving God who hears our prayers and answers them according to His will which is always perfect.

This rich harvest of souls remained a mystery until Hudson Taylor on a visit to England discovered the secret. At the close of one of his addresses a gentleman came forward to make his acquaintance. In the conversation which followed, Mr. Taylor was surprised at the accurate knowledge the man possessed concerning this inland China station. “But how is it,” Mr. Taylor asked, “that you are so conversant with the conditions of that work?” “Oh!” he replied, “the missionary there and I are old college-mates; for years we have regularly corresponded; he has sent me names of enquirers and converts, and these I have daily taken to God in prayer.”

At last the secret was found! A praying man at home, praying definitely, praying daily, for specific cases among the heathen. That is the real intercessory missionary.

Matthew 21:22 – “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

James 4:2b-3 – “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

When we pray to God I believe we should first thank God for what He has given and done for us, and who He is. Then we should repent any sin that we are being convicted of, and finally we should commit our activities and concerns to Him. Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

ESA newsletter

If we return to God, obey His commands and earnestly seek after Him through devotion and prayer, then we should expect a harvest like that in Amos 9:13. "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.”

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Matthew 9:37-38) This harvest is ready in Ballarat too, all it needs are the workers. We shouldn’t ask what God can do for us, but what can I do for Him? I am sure that there are some people here that God has and is trying to get them involved in work for Him in the fields, wherever that may be. It could be an opportunity to serve Him at school, through church, at work, overseas or on kids mission, etc. I know that some of you aren’t as young as you used to be but you can still serve God by diligently and earnestly praying for the work that God is doing.

Who wants the blessing of rain to come to Ballarat? Then let us pray daily until God sends it. We will also pray for it now.

If anyone has questions, wants notes, more study material, would like me to pray for them, please come and see me at the end of the service.

When we sing the last song we will sing is “Jesus is King and I will extol Him”. I want you to pay attention to the words and take them to heart, especially part of the last verse.

O Holy One, our hearts do adore You
Thrilled with Your goodness we give You our praise

I pray that during this week you will ask God to help you improve your prayer life and that you will be obedient to that so that you can be a worker ready for harvesting because the harvest is ready.

What Men Know about Women

How to clear fog on car windscreen

It is hard to drive with fog on your front windscreen but there is an easy way of clearing it.

If you turn the air-conditioning on and turn the heat option on in your car it will make the fog on the windscreen clear pretty quickly. As hard as it is to believe it does work because air-conditioning reduces the humidity (moisture level) in the air which is why the fog will clear.

That's a tip for the next time you get fog on your car windscreen!

Kenya Mission Session #2

Last night we had our second mission session night for the Kenya mission trip. The theme for the night was "Learning to delight in differences".

This topic covered the following:

• It looked at the differences between our culture (Western) and Kenya culture (3rd World) and the way that we perceive each culture. It was interesting in that the 3rd world can describe us quite well whereas I don't think we can describe them as well. I will find that out when I go there of course.
• The differences between team members and how they have been brought up and their ideas on certain things and how they go about stuff.
• How Jesus came to earth in human form and how that was how we could relate to Him and believe what He says - How we can relate to the people in Kenya to teach, witness and encourage the people there.

It was quite interesting and the associated bible reading for the night was from Philippians 2:1-15.

A great resource

For those who didn't know about this great online resource - now you do!

BibleGateway is an online searchable bible and has many versions to check what the chapter, verse(s) are that you are looking for. It is a great resource when doing a study or when preparing a sermon. Check it out at: http://www.biblegateway.com/

Thumbs up all round

You know when you go to the fuel station and you are waiting for other people in front and at other bowser's to finish filling their cars up that you are just sitting there; thinking about your day or what you are going to do next or how you are running late for it.

This made that whole experience much more fun and interesting.

I was sitting there waiting and filled in the fuel book (as I keep track of each fill up and km reading, etc) I was then still waiting of course and I noticed that some kids were giving the thumbs-up signal. So I thought, oh yeah why not give a thumbs-up back - so I did. Now that has started something so because I gave a thumbs-up they try and get some others to give them a thumbs-up back. They don't seem to get a response like they did from me so they try again for me and why not give another thumbs-up. Now because it was a family mover vehicle: A it took longer to fill up and B there about 5-6 kids in the car. Now this caused a thumbs-up friendly in the car and so I reckon I would have given about 10 thumbs-up to the kids while filling up.

When they were driving off they were still trying to get just that one more thumbs-up, I just waved good-bye. Now I hope that made their petrol station visit a bit more exciting than usual and that they can tell there friends that they should try getting people's thumbs-up, as they had done it once and had this big nut case giving them thumbs-up......

Previous post not valid

A comment states that the previous post I posted is invalid or should not be counted as a post for the month. I will now have to make 2 posts in one day like today because I have to make up for it from yesterday.

I have received my PDA I bought off Ebay and it is good. It is a Palm TX and as part of the bundle it has a metal carry case, car charger and 256MB SD card. I have been setting it all up and find it quite fast to use. It should come in real handy in many situations.

One a day keeps the...

blog posts number up always. This month if you haven't noticed I have made more posts in the one month so far than in a while year and an other month alone. My target is a post per day for this month and so far I am on track.

31 days without my laptop!

31 days without my laptop, that time has gone by quite quickly and the latest news is that Jo's laptop won't be coming in until next week as some stock has arrived in Australia but will take a bit of time to arrive, etc. Wouldn't want to be in a hurry for it at all.

I am so glad that I have been able to borrow this laptop because it has made things so much easier.

Sound the alarm

We got out of 30 minutes of work today when the fire alarms went off and it wasn't a drill. It wasn't serious however as some workmen were working on electrical stuff and must have accidentally triggered the alarms off.

Isn't it funny how it always seems to be misty or wet outside when the fire alarms are tested or go off when we have been having warmer and drier weather than normal?!

So that interrupted our work giving us 30 minutes extra break.

Refresh Gmail

I am having trouble at the moment on this borrowed laptop trying to access my Gmail account. It just keeps trying to refresh the page over and over again. It is annoying to say the least, especially as I have accessed from other machines fine, have deleted the cookies, temporary files, rebooted PC, etc. I am going to research this a bit further....

Relying on God Sermon

Relying on God

Bible Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:13

Thank you for letting me have the opportunity to speak here again.

Can anyone remember what I spoke on last time?

Sermons-Not Remembered, But...

There was an article in a church paper entitled, "32,850 Sermons Later." It started off with a letter printed in the British Weekly from one of their English readers. The British letter went like this:

"Dear Sir,

'It seems ministers feel their sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending a church quite regularly for the past 30 years, and I have probably heard 3,000 of them. To my consternation, I discovered that I cannot remember a single sermon. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else?

"Sincerely...."

For weeks a real storm of editorial responses ensued. The uproar finally was ended by this letter:

"Dear Sir:

"I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals-mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly, I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I have received nourishment from every single one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them. I would have starved to death long ago.

"Sincerely...."

For those who weren’t here it was – commitment to serving and living for God

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Today it is about relying on God

Everything is so good and everything works out so well when we rely on God when doing things – so why do we not want to rely on Him all the time?

Relying on God is similar to how a child relies on their parents to provide food, clothes, safety, education, love, care, etc – We should rely on God like a child relies on a parent

We have several examples of people in the Bible who relied on God:

- Abraham - When God called him to be the father of that people out of which Christ was to be born, God said to him: “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be thou perfect.” And God trained Abraham to trust Him as the omnipotent One; and whether it was his going out to a land that he knew not, or his faith as a pilgrim midst the thousands of Canaanites - his faith said: This is my land - or whether it was his faith in waiting twenty-five years for a son in his old age, against all hope, or whether it was the raising up of Isaac from the dead on Mount Moriah when he was going to sacrifice him - Abraham believed God.

- Job – He kept on trusting and believing in God even after he lost family, cattle and more. (Job 42:2 - "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”)

- Paul – He kept relying on God through his times of persecution, being in prison, ridiculed, etc.

§ Acts 27:21-26 – Relying on God in faith

§ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 – Weakness made him to rely on God

I think we are like Peter who tried to walk on water – we can rely on God to a certain extent to do great things (walk on water) but then we see all the things that could go wrong (storm) and we lose focus and stop relying on him for the strength

We are like this “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 2:21)

Or maybe we are not relying on God because we are too busy thinking that we know what we need to do for ourselves and others – selfish

We should be saying however, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13)

This does not however mean that we should do nothing at all. Exams – I could have not studied and relied on God to see how I would go….

God has provided us with abilities and resources, etc to use to live for Him in what we do, it doesn’t mean that we leave everything up to God (A child walks for themself and learns to go to the toilet by themselves as they grow older) so it is the same in that God teaches us how to do more things and then we can do them in His strength

We should do our best with what God has given us and leave Him with the rest

Jeremiah 17:5 - This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

Champion City example

- Changed the program at the start of the year – had over 100 local kids, we had excellent weather, we all survived with less sleep, etc

- Had a fun day event last Monday – had 54 kids, 14 Warrnambool leaders (including 2 grandparent aged leaders)

We did none of this on our own effort, God has provided us with the abilities, opportunities, kids, leaders, etc.

“Other than that (and most importantly), keep seeking God's face and
letting Him be the inspiration behind everything you do. After all,
our reliance on Him will be the deciding factor that determines how
this mission goes.”

God has also given us the armour of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:13-17):

- Belt of truth

- Breastplate of righteousness

- Feet ready with peace

- Shield of faith

- Helmet of salvation

- Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God

A lot of the time we don’t know why God is allowing something to happen but when we see it from hindsight we can see what he has taught us from it - “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

How can we rely on God?

Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7 – “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”).

- Jesus prayed to God for guidance and to determine His will


Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11 – “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”).
- Jesus relied on scripture to defeat Satan

Seek God Daily

Ben Jochai was teaching a group of students about the miracle of the manna when Israel was on the way from Egypt to the Promised Land.

One of the students asked, "Why didn't the Lord God furnish enough manna for Israel at one time to last the entire year?"

The teacher said, "I will answer you with a parable. Once there was a rich man who had a son to whom he promised an annual allowance. Every year on the same day, he would give his son the entire amount. After a while, it happened that the only time the father saw his son was on the day of the year when he was to receive his allowance. So the father changed his plan and only gave the son enough for the day. Then the next day the son would return for the allowance for the day. From then on, the father saw his son every day."

This is the way God dealt with Israel. It is the way God deals with us.

Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”).

Depend on the Control Center

A beautiful illustration of our dependence on a solidly established base while we are moving at a distance, is the journey of Apollo 11 to the moon. A space station in Houston, Texas, was the seat of command. The three spacemen dared not disregard it as they circled around the moon and as two of them landed on its surface. Thus Paul tells the Corinthians that any work they undertake must be based on the firmness, the absoluteness, the dependability of the Lord Jesus Christ. He arose. He did what He said He was going to do. He told us that we shall rise. That is our control center. We can depend on it. We dare not disregard it. It is a matter of life and death.

As I was viewing this feat of man at the time Neil Armstrong was landing on the moon, I was impressed by the remark made by one news commentator, "These men cannot remain on the moon. They must follow instructions. They do not have only themselves to think of but also the entire project." Think of that, Christian, when you are tempted to act independently of the control center, Christ the Lord. You have not only yourself to think of, but also Christ and His Kingdom.

Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19 – “Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men.”; John 15:8 – “This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”; Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”).

Trust God for every detail of your life
(1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”; Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”).

Holy Spirit - allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16,17 – “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want”; Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”)

We must hand control of our lives over to God to be in control of rather than us trying to still be in the driver’s seat. Luke 9:23-25 - Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Think back to when you first became a believer or when you saw someone change their life completely, what a difference Christ made in your/their life? Remember how excited and passionate you/they were about God?

I pray that God will renew the passion and excitement in your life because we should be passionate and excited because His Word is the Living Word and as Matthew 9:37-38 says “Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”.

Unfinished Sermon

"Is the sermon done?" asked one member of the congregation of another. "No, the preacher is done, but the sermon has to be worked out in our lives," replied the practical listener.

So by relying on God we can be committed to serving and living for God because we can do our best and leave God with the rest

Laptop Arrival...

Jo's laptop has still not come in but should be coming in next week - it will eventually come in. In the meantime though I have been lent a laptop from a guy on res until Jo's comes in which is really good. I will now be able to finish preparing the sermon for tomorrow...

Closure of Project Kenya Footy Tipping Comp

Unfortunately due to lack of interest by people for this footy tipping comp, I have pulled the pin on it. I had 3 people in total who were going to be part of it so they can all count themselves winners because they won more money than the prize money would have been.

However, some people have said that they would like to donate to the project which can be done as well. If you would like to donate to the project then please email me and I can send you details on how to donate, etc.

Thanks to those who showed support to the idea.

Kenya Mission Session #1

We had our first Kenya mission session last Monday night and had a study about "The God of mission".

There were eight questions (with a sub-question each, so about 16 questions) that really get you evaluating things about yourself. I hope you have a read and reflect on them like I will. You don't have to leave a comment answering these questions about yourself unless you would like to but I will encourage you to make at least one comment on your visit.

1. Who am I?

- What can I learn about myself?


2. Who is God?

- How can my understanding of God grow?


3. Who are we?

- What can I learn about community and the church?


4. What is the impact of culture on the faith?

- How can I see life and the gospel differently because of what I've experienced?


5. What's wrong with the world?

- What can I learn about justice, poverty and the cause of suffering?


6. What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?

- What can I learn about discipleship?


7. What's of value?

- What can I learn about my lifestyle?


8. Where am I going?

- What might God call me to be and to do as a result of this experience? What can I learn about my vocation?

(This was taken out of, "Short-term missions workbook" by another book which I don't have the name of)

The way of the future

I found this site in a tech email that I receive and it is what our future use of computers will be like: http://www.xcerion.com/

This site is about an internet based operating system. They are working on the beta and it is most likely to be released in Q3 of this year. I have signed up to receive news and an account from them once it is up and running, to test it and be at the forefront of new technology.

I believe that most computers will not run an operating system from their machine but from a server (so virtualisation) by 2012-2015. I wonder if Google will be releasing an OS like this as well...

Project Kenya Footy Tipping Comp

This was the post for the footy tipping competition that I was going to release but due to lack of interest it is more than likely going to be cancelled as of tomorrow........

I am pleased to announce that as part of our fund-raising for fish ponds for an orphanage in Kenya, we will be having a footy tipping competition.

The details are as follows:

1st Place will receive 10% of all entrant money.
2nd place will receive 6.5% of all entrant money.
3rd place will receive 3.5% of all entrant money.

If we get 50 entrants, that will make the following prize money:

1st = $25
2nd = $16.25
3rd = $8.75

So of course the more people we have the more prize money, and the more money that goes toward the fish ponds project to feed the children at the orphanage!

If you know me and are in contact with me you can just give me your money and details the next time I see you. Otherwise, you can email me and I can give you bank account information details to pay your $5.

The footy tipping competition will be run through www.footytips.com.au

Commitment Message

I am going to make available all the messages (or sermons) that I have preached. At this stage there are only 2 that I have preached twice each (at different churches of course). I will be preaching next Sunday so I will have another one soon to share. These are only notes so if you want further detail, please leave a comment or email me and I will try and expand for you. Enjoy!

Commitment

Commitment - an engagement or (esp. financial) obligation that restricts freedom of action or the process or an instance of committing oneself; a pledge or undertaking.

Lack of commitment from generation y – typical character trait

Thus:

• High divorce rate because people don’t like the commitment
• Not doing something that they promised would be done
• Turning up when they feel like or doing something when they want to

Societal change is also pervading the church and Christianity itself

The past two years, we've laboured to add hundreds of Christian classic books to the site. During that time, around 100 people indicated they would like to help format the books; however, only 12 people actually ended up doing the work.

~ There's a lack of accountability and respect for authority. There's a lack of loyalty (or commitment) in general. People think that they need no one else, 'Every man is an island; I can survive on my own even as a Christian'.

Illustration, man had stopped attending church, pastor goes around to visit, doesn’t say anything to him but they just sit in the lounge room, pastor picks out a coal from the fire and places it on the tiles in front of the fireplace, they watch it dwindle, once it stops glowing, puts it back in the fire and leaves.

If we are committed to doing what God wants, we will do what he wants even when we don’t feel like it. God can change our attitude to commitments – look at Jonah.

~ The good news about the lack of commitment is the abundance of opportunity to excel in the Kingdom of God. You don't need to be someone with special abilities; you just need to be someone with the right amount of will power.

What are you committed to? - University

Why are you committed to it? – I believe it is where God wants me to be and so I must do my best

Commitment is like a promise – once the commitment has been undertaken or the promise made – you should honour it

Soldiers – committed to fighting for their country

Job – committed to continue serving God

Ruth – committed to being with and looking after Naomi (Ruth 1:16-18)

Jacob – committed to marrying Rachel (Genesis 29) – 14 years of work “seemed like only a few days to him” (Genesis 29:20)

Disciples – committed to following Jesus when he asked them to follow him

We see people’s priorities in the way they live their lives.

~ The person who watches hours of TV every day, but can’t come to Bible study because of studies.

~ The student who takes off every Friday at 2 p.m. to go home for the weekend, and is just too busy during the week to do anything else.

~ The person who is in the play, the local sports club, is a representative on a council and attends another Bible study besides yours. They’d come more often if they just had the time.

~ The person who has other plans on a Sunday and just can’t make it to church

~ The person who is a ‘Sunday Christian’.

Some are overcommitted and thus cannot honour all the commitments while on the other hand there are those who are under committed but cannot commit to something.

Maybe they are not being given the opportunities to take on commitments and responsibilities because it has to be done ‘properly’ and according to tradition.

People want to know that they are valued – they need encouragement in the commitments that they do

Romans 12:11 - As we are ‘Christ-followers’ we should imitate Christ as much as possible, thus we should be committed. Jesus was committed – death on the Cross – more than that; there was the intimidation, scorn, separation from God, etc

All of us know that commitment is sadly lacking in the lives of many Christians. Several years ago, former Annual Conference Moderator, Earle Fike, made this observation during a training seminar in our district. He said, "Why is it that when people's schedules get too full and they become over-committed with their time, that it is the church that gets dropped first? Why not drop that extra work commitment, or that hobby? Why not drop out of the (sport) instead of Bible study? Why the church?"

Time management exercise – see where time is spent

To do list – motivation to get things done.

The people in a church need to be committed because people are the church. If the church wants to be a ‘light on a hill’, they must shine forth with commitment.

More importantly though is a person’s commitment to the Lord. I believe a person’s commitment, or lack of, is a direct reflection of how close they are to God. I think my commitment is higher when I feel closer to God. (Rev 2:4 – Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. (NIV))

1 Kings 8:61 - Are we committed to serving God?

Revelation 3:16 – Are we committed or not? Are we committed to evangelising to the lost? Are we committed with work/school/relationships? Are we committed to using our time wisely? How committed are we?

Job 6:15 – Are we like this? I am glad that God is committed to looking after us. He is faithful, merciful, and dependable.

The next time you are about to commit to something, ask yourself will I be committed enough to take this commitment on?

Commitment does not always come without sacrifice – look at Jacob, Ruth, and Job and of course our best example: Jesus.

Remember:

Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed”.

3 weeks without a laptop

Another week rolls by and that now makes it 3 weeks (or 21 days) without a laptop! This would be about the longest I have been without a laptop. I was hoping that Jo's would have come in time for this long weekend but it didn't so it might come in the coming week but it might come the week after - who knows.

Incredible rainbow cloud

I found this picture on the internet of a rainbow cloud. I am pretty sure this could happen if it is crystal cloud (being up so high it is ice) but it might be 'doctored'. Anyhow looks good.

The idea that was...

I was going to make a post explaining a fund-raising idea for Project Kenya which is a project as part of our mission trip there for fish ponds but there is a lack of interest.

I have asked some people whether they wanted to support it but they haven't really seemed interested and I have posted on GUSH but have had little interest whatsoever (although Jonny is supportive of it).

I would say that by this Wednesday this idea will be abandoned due to not enough people.

Bug splatter!

Don't you hate it after you have cleaned your car and then you drive and when you arrive at your destination (consider it a fair distance and not in the city) that you see bug splatter on the front of your car.

Well I haven't washed my car for a fair while now and there is quite a lot of bug splatter caked on the front. A friend of mine joked that I am cruel and should dodge all of them and then I wouldn't have the bug splatter.

He then came out with this joke:

What is the last thing that a moth sees before it is hit by a car?

Its rear end!

This was quite funny in that situation and hopefully it is somewhat still funny on this blog.

What is a TLA?

After working at IBM, you find that there are many TLA's to work out what they are but then once you know them you use them all the time. I am sure that this situation occurs outside IBM a lot as well. Any one got any examples?

Btw if you don't know what TLA is, then you can google it :)

God is sooooo good!

At York Street Church of Christ on Sunday, it was mission focus for the month. Mission focus was for the Kenya mission trip that I will be going on planned for January '08.

Through both morning and night service, $2100 was raised for the project that we are fund-raising for! We are all paying for our air-fares and other costs out of our own money.

All the money that we raise will be given to Mully Children's Family (MCF) for a fish pond project which will allow them to 'farm' fish so that they can have fish in their diet and any excess fish can be sold to bring more funds into MCF to support the many children who are part of it.

The chocolate drive that is being done has been going really well with many chocolates already sold and people helping sell the chocolates.

The project will cost about $14,000 altogether and I am sure we can meet that target and if we go over that money will go towards bedding for 'street girls' who have been taken into MCF.

Things are happening, keep you posted...

Please comment

I would really appreciate it if everyone who visits at least makes one comment. Comments are good and if you make a comment on mine, then I can return the favour for you. Thanks heaps.

14 days without a laptop

Incredibly it is now 14 days (or 2 weeks) that I have been without a laptop and to tell you the truth, I can't wait until I get a laptop. It will be good to have it in my room to access the net rather than having to go to the library or accessing it while at work. As I will have Jo's laptop for a week or two I am looking forward to putting it to the test with some games.

So I am looking forward to when I get a laptop...

Number of posts

An interesting observation is that I have already made more posts this year in 2 months (or 1/6th) of the year compared with the previous year. I am getting better at posting more regularly.

New mission name decided...

There is good news...good news which I am pleased to announce. Ballarat mission scheduled for September this year has been given a name.

The name for Ballarat mission is

Rock-Solid Kidz

It is good to finally have a name for the mission and yes if you are interested in finding out more, please get in contact with me.

Cloud Panorama

Below is a picture that I took the other week when there were storms almost every night for a week. There were some incredible clouds to be seen and more of these pics will be uploaded to my picasa photo album at a later date...