The Silver Chair

Puddleglum:

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world.

I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

Shake..

"Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." (Heb 12:26b)

Now, its quite easy to imagine the Earth being shaken. It happens regularly even in Earthquakes! (=p) The world is shaken by a certain news (say, 911). Whatever the verse meant by shake, I think people can quite easily accept it. But the heavens... Thats another thing altogether, how do you shake the Heavens? Isn't Heaven about the most perfect place you can ever think about?

When we meet Christ, he will shake all our principles. First, He will shake the basest principles (perhaps, having security in possessions, our own desires...) He shakes the Earth. And we all quite accept that. We know that it is a change for the better. Perhaps we battle it, but our conscience itself testify that it is right.

But I don't think it stops there. He shakes even our highest principles. He challenges our desire for Peace. He challenges our Love even (think about one who needs to choose between God and his say, parents. Love for the family is good, but it too has to be sacrificed). He challenges our Ministry. He challenges our giving... He shakes the Heavens...

This is a trait of Christianity.. God doesn't want to Improve your desires, He asks for it and kills it. The whole talk was never about improving. Seriously. It is not about making better people. It had always been a talk about rebirth. A New Creation. Its not like modifying the features of a statue, its like making a statue come alive and become like a man. It talks about the death of a seed - and it rising up again as a tree. It talks about dying with Christ. It talks about being born of Spirit and Water.

Strange idea. One that... we don't really notice very often do we? Perhaps thats why we hardly think about sacrificing our higher ideas..

But of course, the highest ideas when it is sacrificed, will give birth to a even greater thing..

Shaking the heavens and the earth, such that only the unshakable will remain...

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Okay, I admit I break tradition here by reading meaning into it that was probably not in the author's mind. As in, I don't think the author was thinking about principles when he wrote about shaking of the heavens and the earth. Rather, he was probably thinking of the literal heaven and the earth. Actually, this idea came about in a conversation with a friend, and in the conversation, where I went ahead of myself, I put this idea in. But after thinking through.. Though it is not from this portion of scripture, it was where this idea started from... So.. yups :)

The Final Word

Finished one more book. first thing i will admit, i read too many books, not enough bible! so gonna start on that now.

but i have to say this book "This little church stayed home - a faithful church in deceptive times" is a great one, not in the inspirational max lucado thing, but really challenging my assumptions, what i think i knew about church.

just remembering growing up in church in the 1980s...i don't ever recall having a service that was evangelistic, in the sense of purposefully administrated to be for the purpose of "outreach". church was church, people gathered for the Word and the Communion.

then the 1990s, with all the outreach events, lots of new groups coming up using drama, music, dance to outreach. christmas concerts were the rage then. even remember there being christian music cafes in town, concerts at taka square.

then in the 2000s...hmm almost another decade is closing, its 2009 now. i'm not really sure what 2000 was about..oh oh mega-churches. growing big was the game - bigger, better. then's there's all the mini-trends: social gospel, eco-gospel...

sigh...what's the point of me saying all this...i struggle with the "right model" of evangelism. is evangelism the first purpose of the church? why it exist? i think perhaps not actually.

what is the essence? Jesus came to seek and save the lost - no mistake there. He came because we are SINNERS, let's not dress up the word to say illness or mistakes. In all that, He came to reveal TRUTH - that He is the Truth and only when we know the TRUTH we are set free. truth that we are sinners of the worst kind, truth that we cannot save ourselves, truth that we need God.

The bible study during bible camp was so apt. the world we live in now abhors, avoids, mistrust TRUTH. You wonder why people don't accept the gospel when you share it? is it because you are not seeker sensitive, you don't understand their situation?

Sometimes perhaps...but it is because the TRUTH hurts....like a prisoner trapped in darkness and suddenly coming into brightness of light, it hurts. But pain is not the mark of validity. Truth is Truth - God's Word alone. Do christians have a monopoly on truth? no we don't - our Master does because that is God's essence - TRUTH.

So coming to my point - live the truth out - it works cos its true, whether you experience it or not. it works cos it is true.

As you live it out where God has placed you, people will see. they may not be comfortable with it cos it challenges their worldview - who wants to believe that innately we are evil - but it's true, friend. we are selfish, depraved, wild - SINFUL.

Only God can save us. but how do we live out the truth - the truth has to indwell you - READ YOUR BIBLE, study HIS Word, come to church with a BIBLE. If you had a meal today, you should be feeding on His Word as well.

A church is only as strong as its relationships.
its relationships are as strong as its people.
Its people are only as strong as the WORD in them.
Get the Word in you!
The Foundation is the WORD - that's it.

We don't need better evangelist or better programs or better methods. We need people soaked and in love with the WORD of God.

Presence

His Presence is the Most important thing of all...

Postmodern..

Well.. I guess people not only look at the Truth of the matter, but the Truth, the Beauty and the Goodness of it as well.. Hmmm... Since like I would need to consider the second and third factor more...

Who moved the stone?

Seriously, who moved it? The Romans? Jewish Leaders? Disciples? Dogs? The Devil?

It just doesn't make sense!

Does it? ;)

Living in Extraordinary Times

Back from extraordinary times... Bible camp 2009 is my first camp, and so, I can say with all honesty, its the best camp I had been to so far! Lol =p

There are just so many aspects of it that it is overwhelming to know where to start...

It is a time set apart for God. Its like, blocking out those 5 days. Its overseas, so its all or nothing (at least for most people). And though its not every hour that you are serving God or listening to God, it is really quite a large portion of time that we are doing so.. And God honors those who honor Him. If you set apart for Him, He honors it. And you won't be in a rush to finish the particular service or whatever, cause, within those few days, you have nothing else to do!

Its nice to purposely cut yourself out from the rest of the world for a while actually =p

I love the immersion, where you don't have to think about anything else other than services and devotions... Truly, the best place to be at is the courts of the Most High.. One day in the house of God is better than a thousand in the world..

Fariytales!

My goodness, why are people believing such fairytales in such a time and age as this? Don't they see that there is no Evidence for it?

Dear sir, actually, people believe in nothing but fairytales, for where would you get evidence from? And what do we need for evidence as long as it works?


Disclaimer: The above post by no means represent the author's views. Quite the contrary in fact =p

David

David: I will not give to the Lord something that costs me nothing...

Such is evidence of Love. How difficult!

Live

To live in God's Will is the best way.

No, to live in God's Will is the only way.


Depends on how you define "Live" doesn't it?

So.. how do you define live? ;)

This is a VERY GOOD READ.:)

http://www.golden-heron.com/ocean.html

Please read this!
To forewarn you, it is a long read, but a read worth reading.;)

At least read for Rochelle's sake.:P

In contrast...
http://www.miraclefoods.co.uk/#/the-beginning/4519281080
(Read PROPERLY.)

Do you get my point?:)