The Relationship

November 25, 2009 in Challenges with 0 Comments

the relationship

1 John 4:13-16

This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

I have wondered, for quite some time, how do I actually know that I have a relationship with God?

Yes, I do praise Him, and worship Him, and He does speak to me, but the whole relationship still seemed to me like a bit of a pipe dream.

Yesterday, while driving to work, God placed 1 John 4 on my heart, and reading it carefully again this morning, I finally read this section.

How awesome is it to know that through proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God, we can know that we have a relationship with God.

Maturity

November 24, 2009 in Challenges with 178 Comments

simple

So, carrying on from yesterdays post of Christ in me, I read another scripture that was shared with us during the service on Sunday morning.

Colossians 1:26-29 (The Message)

This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

This piece of scripture is just so amazing. I gives you the overview of what we need to do in Christ’s name in a simple 3 verses. What struck me this morning though, is what maturity in Christ is. To be BASIC!

How simple and how profound?

What does it mean to be basic?

Christ was, in all His glory, BASIC!

This is a very profound thing for me. I sometimes think that I have to be well versed in scripture, to be able to carry on, and hold my own, in heavy theological discussions.  I think that I need to be able to pray complicated prayers. Where as this scripture states it clearly, be BASIC!

This morning in the car, stuck in traffic, was a profound moment for me, just praying. For the first time in a very long time, I was able to pray simply to God for the little things in life, and just proclaiming my love for Him.

Me we all go after being BASIC today, and bless the people around us with the simple things in life, like an uplifting word here and there.

Welcome to the new Unsafe Challenge

November 23, 2009 in Challenges with 1 Comment

I just want to inform you, that Unsafe Challenge is busy undergoing a bit of a revamp.

Certain features such as RSS subscription and Email subscription has not been added yet, but please be patient, and all will be back to normal as soon as possible.

If you still want to subscribe via RSS just click here.

also, please feel free to comment on features you would want to see here on Unsafe Challenge, and what you think of the new theme.

Update: 26 November 2009

New Social Networking tabs added to the right side of the screen.

Intimior, Intimo Meo

November 23, 2009 in Challenges with 19 Comments

John14_12

More intimate to me than my most intimate – St. Augustine

This was the topic of teaching yesterday morning at church.

This has been my thoughts for the last 24 hours.

Do I let God get closer to me, than I am to myself? Or do I still hold out on this one little piece of myself that I want to control, and not want to surrender to God?

For me, and probably for most of you, that answer to the last question will be yes.

Is this holding out not maybe the one thing that is causing us not to live our lives fully in Christ?

Reading John 14:10-12 Jesus states that what He is doing is the Father, and not Him, and through the Father, we will be able to do the same, and more.

John 14:10-12 (NKJV)

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

How awesome is it to realise that Jesus was perfectly human, just the same as you and me. To know, by faith, that we are able to perform miracles, through the Father, just like Jesus did?

Until the whole world hears…

November 23, 2009 in Challenges with 5 Comments

Until the Whole World HearsLast week saw two new CD’s crossing my path. I have been eagerly anticipating the new Casting Crowns album. I spent the weekend listen to this on almost a constant repeat. The lyrics and vocal arrangements provides a familiar warmth and listen to Mark and the guys is like visiting with an old friend. The metaphor should not be mistaken for a dull same-old same-old disappointment, but rather a hugely fulfilling experience of being shaped by someone you trust and that speaks into your soul with authority.

Even though the music is so familiar it is not boring or dull, but rather the guys (and girls) for Casting Crowns speak profoundly with bold and relevant lyrics. The same musical traits that drew me to their music is previous albums is still alive and well in “Until the whole world hears”. Songs like “Joyful, Joyful” gives me a spirit kick-start and instantly changes my state when the violins add their unique arrangement on a classic.

Check out http://www.castingcrowns.com for great behind-the-scene video interview that adds a lot of context about the band and the album.

Personally I have huge respect for the musical ministry of Casting Crowns. I love the true church grown honesty of their intent to worship and minister. If you ever get the opportunity to see them in person please do so since it provides not just a great show, but so much more – truly a powerful moment for encountering God.

The Noticer

November 22, 2009 in Challenges with 2 Comments

_200_350_Book.50.coverThe Noticer by Andy Andrews is page-turning book on perspective. Young Andy meets Jones, an old, homeless man that has a gift of noticing certain aspects of people’s life and assisting them to gain perspective.  The chapters each share how Jones assist various people with gaining perspective on various life issues, from family and marriage life, business ethics, old age, financial struggles, depression to children and helping others with what you have learned.

This book is relatively short, in ten chapters the entire story develops and is so stimulating; I found it quite disappointing that the story should end.

I loved the way the story flows, the suspense of who Jones will assist, in what way in the following chapter. The way the character, Andy develops through the book is also motivating. I appreciate the way the author describes each character and their struggles is described in a honest, sensitive way.

The overall message was very inspiring and challenged me to see both sides of a story.  This book is of great help so see your own and other peoples struggles in a different light.

I can recommend the book to all, the principles addressed is timeless and biblically based.

Organisational structure, God’s way…

November 20, 2009 in Challenges with 1 Comment

Yesterday afternoon while sitting in traffic, in the rain, I was listening to a podcast from Mars Hill Church on leadership.

The scripture of the day was Exodus 18, which is such a great guideline for the way in which God wants us to organise our organisations and churches, to allow people to really be accountable and to be able to be more efficient in doing what they were called to do.

The main section of this chapter is verses 17 – 23 (The Message)

Moses’ father-in-law said, “This is no way to go about it. You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They’ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They’ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they’ll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.”

How many of the churches and organisations within which you work or are a part of is organised in this fashion?

It is also great to know, from this passage, that God placed delegation there for all of us to be able to function at our peak, and to know that we don’t have to do everything by ourselves.

Help

November 19, 2009 in Challenges with 0 Comments

help

So, we are nearing the end of the journey through Romans, and today’s sections from Romans 15 ties in extremely well with the Hillsongs movie we went to see last night. Even though we only saw the first half due to problems with the projector, the theme of all people being created equally and how we can help those around us already sinked in deeply into my heart.

Romans 15:1-2 (The Message)

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

Reading these verses I am again challenged to really go out and make a difference to people’s lives out there that need to see that Jesus still cares. For the people that have nothing to eat and have no clean water, and are at the brink of giving up.

If we read the next section from Romans 15 it tells us what Jesus did. We tend to forget that Jesus worked in the slums of the times. He would seldom be in a position to be lavished with riches. He really got in the trenches and cared for the people that needed it.

Romans 15:3

That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it.

Now, why would we as Christ followers avoid doing exactly this? We tend to look the other way, when a homeless person asks for something at a traffic light. We try do get something to do so we do not have to look at them.

Yes, I am guilty of it as well…

Why don’t we rather just at the very least give the person a smile, and a polite sorry, I don’t have anything to give you today. Or give them a bottle of water, or a word of encouragement?

Jentezen Franklin

November 18, 2009 in Challenges with 0 Comments

I just stumbled across his website and blog, to read the following blog post

Jentezen Franklin

I have read his book on fasting before, but this blog will have to be added to my favourites list.

Enjoy, and be challenged.

Getting along

November 18, 2009 in Challenges with 12 Comments

RelationshipHow often do we as Christians feel we are superior to other people. That we have the answer (which we have), but we need to impose it on others around us? That we have to tell people how to live, and rebuke them for doing or not doing something?

It also comes back to a previous post I made about how hard it was for me to go back to my previous church, and then to sit there and openly judge them…

Here is what Paul says about it…

Romans 14:1 (The Message)

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

I don’t know about you, but this is quite a challenge for me sometimes, as I will sit in conversation with some of our friends or old school friends, and I will sit there and think to myself, “hypocrites”. Um, buddy, you are the hypocrite if you are going to treat people that way.

Here is another passage from Romans 14 on where it will and might leave you for thinking/doing this

Romans 14:10-12

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

“As I live and breathe,” God says,
“every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God.”
So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

Now, a question that comes up in my mind while reading this is, that at what stage must you then start to share the Good News with these people? For me, it is living your life as holy as possible, and let the other people see it. If what I am doing, is correct and in line with my beliefs, then they will inevitably see the difference in my life to theirs, and maybe, just maybe come and speak with me on the matter.

I have been living as a two faced hypocrite for very long in my life, and the last couple of years has been a big eye opening time for me as far as this specific matter goes, and I only praise the Lord for saving me from myself and my worldly ways.

He can do the same for you, if you would just let Him!

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