You make us beautiful :-)

God created me for His perfect beauty. He will not let me be given over to anything else. Because He loves me. When I believe the truth I walk in the truth. When I walk in the truth it helps me believe in the truth. Your word is a light to my path and a lamp unto my feet. You will not give me second best. You will satisfy the desires of my heart with good things... this I believe... This I receive... All for your glory. I love you Lord. You make people beautiful. You do. You do. You do. You making me beautiful like Jesus. :-) In him I rest alone.

Opposites

Love and lust don't go together.
They oppose one another.
You can't have both.
Choose the one you want.

Baptisms

Baptism
What is baptism?
To be honest, I don't fully know nor understand what baptism is.
The only thing I know for sure, is that it is a wonderful thing.
It is like going from death to life, or breathing fresh and clean air for the very first time.
Baptism is like saying goodbye to loneliness, and hello to eternity with God.
It is like letting go of everything that is attached to self worth, and all of a sudden receiving God's worth.
It is saying to sin, pride and lies;
"No, you will not have your way with me...for there is only one who deserves me, and that is the one who, created me, was born for me, lived for me, died for me, and overcame death for me."
Baptism is all about the love and power of God.
It is about the nature of the perfect one who took upon himself our imperfection and rebellion, and said, "Let me take it from here."
The day after I was baptised I was sitting in an area that I last saw my dad about 8 or 9 years before. I was but a young child then, but now I was a young man. I was sitting down when I suddenly felt the desire to ask my dad in heaven for a favour. Having just been baptised and with faith of and as a child, I asked my heavenly dad if He could help me do three things.
I wanted to:
1. See my earthly dad
2. Hear my earthly dad
3. Touch my earthly dad
I'll fast forward two weeks and let you know what happened.
I got to see my dad, hear his voice and touch him.
Because that very day, my heavenly father led me to get in touch with my earthly father by way of His leading and love for me...it was a miracle.
I just want to share with you today, that salvation and baptism go hand in hand.
What I mean is this:
God has done the work of salvation for you, and in so doing this you go from death to life. Baptism is not about what you have done, or what you can do for God...it's about God's love for you based upon His very nature being love.
Yes, baptism is ALL about who God is. It's about what God has done for you, and that all that He requires of you is that you would simply trust in Him. Yes, trust Him...
will you trust Him today? Baptism was not necessarily meant to be a seperate act apart from salvation, as a kind of "graduation". No, it was meant to be a new beginning, your very opportunity to say no to sin, and yes to God's love.
Now let me clarify this; I am not saying that if you haven't been baptised you are not saved. No, I am simply stating that the intention was always that baptism would follow or be a part of the beginning of your new life with Christ.
Jesus did this, though he had no sin...will you do this, and look forward to blue skies?
Finally, baptism is acknowledging that there are blue skies, and sunny skies beyond the trouble and darkness found in this world due to sin...yes, baptism is saying yes to Jesus.
Jesus says this: "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world."  

Inner beauty

A friend once told me that when you meet a special someone that there will be a sense of blue skies, or the sun shining.  I actually believe that 100%.

Yet, at the same time, perhaps it is not only special someone's where we are blessed to sense that.  Perhaps it is also with people who you will one day serve with.  By serve I am referring to serving in the work of the gospel with.

Perhaps there is also a sense of blue skies or sunny skies when God is putting a particular country into focus.

At this stage there is a sense of blue skies over a particular country of which I won't go into detail right now but basically it's very much an interesting feeling or sensation.

I am keen to simply learn how to walk in obedience and end up where I end up by the grace, mercy and leading of God.

I am grateful that I am not alone, and that the Father has sent the helper the Holy Spirit to be with me and guide me into all truth in Jesus name.

Will hopefully be able to update you on any further clarity when it comes.  Until then, each day is a sunny day in Jesus, even if there are clouds in the sky, because the sun\Son is always shining.  Yes, Jesus is always shining.

Be blessed today my friends in Jesus name.

living a lie

So I'm here sitting in my room having just had an after midnight walk to the 24hr combini.
I start to think about how life is summed up by people in their sub-conscious and conscious mind.
I think that in reality when you are missing one piece of information that has to do with life itself, in actuality you don't actually have a true understanding or view on life.

As such living would be a lie.
If you have all truth but one lie, that lie makes the whole thing...you, and your understanding, and even how you are actually living out your life, a lie...or at the very least...unstable.

As humans we somehow (generally speaking here) think that we are really quite smart.
But in reality, when you compare what we as both individuals and as a whole actually know with the reality of how life is life...ie understanding how life runs in EVERY angle...you know what?
We just don't even come close to having it covered...no, not even close.

Why do I say this?
Well for one thing, when you look at how we cannot even overcome death itself...that says ALOT.

Not one person in human history has overcome death as part of a will-ful act...

Well, there is one.

It's no accident that time itself is based upon someone who overcame death.

The very life...the birth of Jesus is what our time, or calendar is based upon.

But the very fact that Jesus died and rose again to life isn't necessarily the whole picture in regards to the BIG miracle...as BIG as it is...

The truth is this...the BIG miracle is the very person of God who is OUTSIDE time, putting the very nature of himself through the birth of his son into this world.

The story of the love of God, the miracle of God, is revealed in many ways but is displayed through something all of us have had happen to us...

being born.

If there is one who has no lie, and lives completely in truth, it would be God himself, through His son Jesus.

Jesus referred to himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In Jesus there is no other spirit
In Jesus there is no lie
In Jesus there is no death

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

So what I am saying is this:

If we are living our lives outside of Jesus...our life is a lie...it's not based on truth.

Jesus welcomes you and I into himself...into the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE.

Obedience

Obedience is not following Jesus for what you will get in return.
Obedience is following Jesus for what he will get in return...you.
You need to give your life over to Jesus period.
"If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." -Jesus
Don't be fooled into a marketable Jesus that presents a Jesus as trying to buy you, or win you over. Jesus paid the price for you, you are bought...you either believe this and receive this or you don't.
Preaching the gospel isn't preaching a sales pitch of how Jesus is really good for you. My friends Jesus is good...period.
You either turn from sin, and turn to him...or you don't. No sales pitch necessary...just the truth, Jesus.
It's the Holy Spirit's role to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and the coming judgement. Not ours. We just present the truth in love, and leave the rest up to the work of the Holy Spirit in you and your response to Jesus.
The gospel is the power to save for those who will believe, for those who don't, you already stand condemned.
Because the gospel is the power to save, we don't have to try and come up with fancy ways of presenting the gospel. It's the gospel that IS the power to save and the Holy Spirit IS the one who convicts people of their need to repent and put their faith and trust in Jesus.
If we rely more on our own wonderful ways of describing the gospel and less on the work of the Holy Spirit to convict people of sin and their need to repent and receive Jesus, we are not trusting in the power of the gospel to save.
Forgive me Father in heaven for trying to sell my friends Jesus your son, when you already gave him up for us, paying the full price for our sins on the cross. Jesus isn't for sale, and never was. Jesus was and is your Son, and you chose to give him up "freely" for me. Thank you Father for giving up your Son to take on my sin and shame, and for making me your son in Jesus name. Thank you that I am completely forgiven and cleansed of all my sin, and that you fill me with your Holy Spirit to live for you and tell others about you.

You the reader now have a choice to make, how will you respond to Jesus? The call is simple:

"Repent from your sin, and receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour today".

Relationships

Time in Australia with a theme of Relationships.

In my time in Australia God has taught me a lot about relationships.

This seems to be a theme in which God has taught me a lot about myself, the calling placed on my life, and looking for that special someone.

In the last few months, I felt God show me these things:

God has made me with certain "no compromise" areas, whilst other areas are areas which are changeable.

I'll start with the first…the no compromise area.

What I felt God show me about myself in this last few months in Australia is that there is a calling or "edge" that God has put within me that I need to acknowledge, accept, and rest in.

This edge or calling, has to do with recognising the leadership of Holy Spirit as the one who will lead and do the work of revealing Jesus "through" his people and word.

It is the Spirit of God who is to go before, behind and around us.  He fills us.

I have found that this part that makes me who I am, or provides the edge to make me sharp for His purposes, is pivotal to the calling of Salvation in Japan.

I have learnt that there is a sense of freedom that is found with some people, and not with others.

This is not to judge people, but rather to recognise that within the context of my future marriage, that in "this" area, there needs to be a sense of freedom.

Now, with regards to Godly wisdom in relationships, I have received a lot of this through trusted and Godly council.

I have learnt that there are areas of my life and who I am or what I do, that do in fact need to be adjusted and modified to suit God's work of love in any relationship.

I realise that there are styles of living and relating to God that are good and holy in their own right, and that I need to honour and respect people in their ways of living these out.  

I realise that there are areas that I need to work on that aren't my strength or style at this particular time.

Some of these things include considering how others feel respected and honoured in any given culture or context.

I have learnt that it is also important to consider some traditions that people hold, and to respect those to an extent.

To summarise:

I have learnt that there are areas that make or define who I am, and that these are no compromise areas, given to me for God's purposes.  Regarding relationship with my future wife to be, God desires a sense of release and freedom in these areas.

On the other hand, God has shown me that there are areas of my life that I do actually need to grow in and take action upon when the opportunities arise.  These areas include learning about other people's love languages and acting accordingly to accommodate and communicate.

Feeling good about myself

Does my walk with God have room for God to actually receive glory, or has my walk with God been more about making myself feel better?

God is bigger and greater, deeper and better, than I currently know or even imagine right now.

Does my life include aspects of God where I actually go: “WoW!!” (about Him), rather than just pats on the back about the latest “revelation” that can help me “live the life I want”.

#Life in Jesus is about (glorifying) GOD rather than just getting the life I want.
#not easy but true (Jesus said that his yoke was easy...not the walk).
#ME centered Christianity simply misses Christ.

Holy Spirit, help us to really get who Jesus is today through knowing your presence in our midst...in fact so close to us that we have no excuses even when the world falls down around us. (Revelations isn’t a pretty book my friends)

Please help us to dispel the myth that Jesus just wants to make our lives better!
Jesus IS the LIFE...there’s no ifs and buts there.

Life found in Jesus is so much more than what we can recognize in worldly terms.

Most of the early apostles of Jesus who were MARTYRED where not recognized by this world as “living the life”...so let’s stop saying that we’ve arrived, when life is actually only found in the Kingdom of God which is like a treasure “hidden” in a field, where you need to sell or give up everything to begin the journey of discovery of what this treasure, this life, the Kingdom of God actually is.

May there be less so called life lessons, and more of Jesus please...yes, may we actually point people to Jesus...not ourselves, or our own latest “wise words of wisdom”.

Less dependance on what man has to say, and more dependance on what God has to say.

For man speaks to the mind...
but the Spirit speaks to the heart and indeed the whole person.

It is Holy Spirit in us who makes us Holy.
Holy Spirit is a person, not just an idea or concept...so let's start treating him that way.

Imagine living with someone your whole life, and that person only ever (at most) acknowledging you with a courteous "sorry, I forgot you where there", and "do you like what I've done with the place?"

Thank you Holy Spirit for your work in our lives and for being with us in Jesus name. May you be the one that speaks to us and through us, and may we learn to hear your voice, acknowledge you and give you the glory that you deserve.

In Jesus name,

amen.

"Believe in me"...metaphorical in any way?

I think Jesus is going to laugh when people say to him: "I thought you were speaking metaphorically there...you know, like one of those inspirational, motivational, positivital speakers." When Jesus says "believe in me", he isn't telling us to style our faith around ourselves and our own beliefs...he literally means "believe me....who is the core of your faith". May our faith not be based on ourselves, but simply based on who Jesus is PERIOD.

Holy Spirit please reveal Jesus for who he truly is, and not just based on our feelings, understanding, circumstances, or anything else apart from the man, God, saviour, and King himself.

The Canaanite woman in the story below shows us a glimpse of the "Master", and how amazing even the crumbs are. She wasn't fooled or discouraged by hype, circumstance, or even a test from Jesus.
Let's expect and believe for Holy Spirit to reveal to us the real Jesus. :0)

Checkout Matthew 15:21-28 below:

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us. 24 He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 And he answered, It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. 27 She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters 'table. 28 Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly.