Pure Sex, Simply Embarrassing

Today was good. We had a geust speaker come in and talk on the topic of Sex, and particular pure Sex. We looked at songs of solomon and Genesis chapter 2. We discussed that Sex is good, and we are commanded to do it in marrage. However our attitudes for it should be to glorify God, not just a another entertaiment thing we do. I get really embarrased when talks are given on the topic of Sex, Marrage, Dating, etc lol, im not sure why. However nether the less it was good, some new people came aswell to hear the talk.
We also had our second committee meeting, It went well again, and we discussed important matters. I also did another devoation thing, after one of my EU friends showed me an article on Christian Unity. I decided to investigate it future and came up with a short 5 min talk. Here it is:

Ephesians 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

So what is Christian unity? Well first of all, Christian unity is founded in the Trinitarian unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus also tells us this in John’s Gospel chapter 17. In the Ephesians passage, Paul also puts forward 2 additional directions.
So firstly the fact that there is One Father, One Lord, and One Spirit means that there is likewise only one ‘operation’ of God. One body of Christ which is made up of all who are in him, one hope of our calling, one faith, one baptism by which we enter into Christ.
Secondly this means that Christian unity is a divine creation and gift of grace to us, which we are called on to maintain, not a goal which we are to seek to achieve. As in all gospel matters, it is something that God has done, not something that we can do.
Therefore in Christ we are being brought into a particular kind of relationship with God, and we are also being brought into a particular kind of relationship with all other Christians. Our unity is a unity in the Gospel, and therefore also a unity in the truth, in which we are sanctified (Jn 17:17).
Having an understanding of the gospel basis of Christian unity helps us to grasp with greater clarity the significances of the repeated biblical idea of Love.
So Col 3:14: And above all put on Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.
In other words, since Christians have all been lumped together and unified in an act of divine grace and love, so we have no other option than to seek also to treat each other with divinely inspired grace and love.
In terms of our day to day conversations on campus, it means relating to one another with “all humility and gentleness, with patients, bearing with one another with love (Eph 4:2). It means we will be “quick” to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for anger does not produce God’s righteousness” (James 1:19-20). And it means that we will “not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, patient, able to teach and correcting opponents with gentleness” (2 Tim 2:24-25).

Tommorrow we are going to youth serge in Emu plains, should be great. Anyways i got alot of work to do for tommorrow, and i don't understand it, so i am going to get into it.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good works and word. Amen.
Laurence.

Day out at Moore

Went down to moore open day today, was really good. Day started off with a few words from the presidents about what the collage is their for, Then a senimar on what is included when you study their. Wow it so Academic and Bible based, and which then also flows out into doctrine, and into telling the Gospel to our non-christian friends. I think the day fuel'd my willingness to goto collage in the future, and has got me excited even more lol. The question is not am i going to go? but when?.
Some other cool things have happened.
Yesterday we got a chance to roast the rector, well ask question to the rector with our youth group. Lol he roasted us, got us thinking about how we could make our services more welcomming and how we can reach the community better. It was only the leaders their, if you were wondering lol.
Our main meeting at uni was good. The night of thursday, we started our men's dinner nights. We are looking on the topic of marrage. Was very encouraging to talk to mostly men that are married about how to to be a christian man and lead in a marrage, to be a point man. We had some sitistic, which were worrying, however it is good to learn about marrage.
Lecture on friday was interesting, About 2-3 hours this lecture put up slides about how the world is going to end if we coninue our ways of living, without doing something about it. Sustainablity was the topic he was speaking on, and particulary the effects on the enviroment.

Anyways God Bless
Laurence

Look up at the heavens and count the stars

As i was walking home today, looking up at stars, i remebered that verse in Genesis chapter 15. Where Aberham looks up, and God assures him that the number of stars will be his desendents. I thought to my self, wow, God gives us so much blessings, each day he blesses us and he is in control of everything. Every star in the sky, he is in control of, his soverignty is in everything. And i thought to my self, God blesses me each day, even though i am still a sinner. The ministries i am involved in, the friends i have, the family i have, everything, all comes from God!. And to be honest brings me great Joy!, And i have come to reliase more and more each day, that i am fully dependent of God, sermon on sunday helped me to see that aswell, and i should and will continue to Trust in him, and no matter how small or big problem i have, i should give it to God in full trust. For God works for the good of thoes who love him. This is the reason why we need to tell other people about Jesus, Because God uses us, to bring people to him, his spirit convicts them of the truth. Not discarding suffering however, suffering and the gospel go together, if we preach Christ faitfully, suffering will come, however nothing is worth watering down the glory and grace of God. So Proclaim it faithfully!.

I finished my review of myc 2006. Here it is:
MYC. One word. Awesome. I am 2 months late on this review, so I’ll try to write as much as I remember. It was really depressing coming back to reality, the world’s view of life is just so opposite. So what things have I personally learnt this year? Firstly I was encouraged to improve my personal time in prayer and reading. I was encouraged to take the role of a man, to lead in prayer, and to continue finding more and more about the knowledge of truth. God has done so much for us, he has given us his grace, and life through his son, however we still sin, and is sad at times. Another interesting thing I have learnt is this: JOY – Jesus Others Yourself, Jesus is Lord and is the highest priority, with putting others above your self, you can’t be joyful in the work of the Lord if we aren’t concerned for others, and the lost. The other thing I have learnt is the sovereignty of God in all things, His purpose is being worked out in all things, the good times and the bad times, is being worked out for the good of those who love him. Oh, I nearly forgot the topic for MYC this year was the revelation of God; How God has and will reveal himself, mainly he reveals himself through his word and through us. I was also greatly encouraged my friends, and as I hit a number of obstacles at the conference, actually some rather big ones, they where there to help and encourage me and to remind me of God’s word. It has certainly given us incredible fun and challenging memories. In our small groups we were epically looking at 2 Timothy, it was great prep for my sermon. As we looked at 2 timothy, we saw that Paul endured everything for the sake of the elect, for their salvation in Christ Jesus. As a result of Paul’s calling to imitate him as he imitates Jesus, three questions came to us. What am I doing for the work of the Gospel? What can I be doing for the work of the Gospel? And how can I evangelise the world if I cannot evangelise my family?. A friend of mine, who also went, was encouraged that God has planned everything, even the fall, and the death and resurrection of Jesus was all according to God’s definite plan. Our hope rests in the Kingship and Eternal Reign of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Anyways if you haven’t gone before, I highly recommend you to come, it is very edifying and changeling, and trains us up, so that when we you do go home after the conference, you are fired up for the gospel, and not just fired up, but fired up with the Knowledge of truth.
Some picture of the event and this review can be found here
http://dabible.webtized.com/MYC2006.htm

May the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, himself restore, establish, strengthen us. To him be the dominion for ever and ever
Amen.
God bless
Laurence.

A few words from our sponsor, God :P

Today was a good day :). Had a committee meeting, first meeting i chaired. was really nervous but was good. Had a few words from our sponsor, otherwise know as devoation before the meeting, just summed up my sermon i did, and directed the application more to the uni enviroment.
Main meeting was good aswell, some new people, Robs talk was great, even though their wasen't much time to prepare it. He tackled the myth, that we are the master of our desteny. Bustered! lol. Just read Genesis chapter 2 for the conclusion.
Oh i got a new game, Dragon quest 8 today, havne't had chance to play it yet, but hopefully its good, it had good reviews so im looking forward to playing it.

Anyways, Our Lord is worthy to recieve Glory, Honour and power.
Laurence.

Perserver, in the midst of Trails!

I know u are sick of hearing this millions of times, however i am still struggeling.
It's so anyoing how, in the midst of my trials, i dont look to Jesus, i dont look to the good and purpose that is being work out in me, i tend to focus on my self, letting it tear me apart. Sin, result of our fallen world, it is so hard.
However I must stand Firm, finish the race, and look for the good in suffering and trials. For God works for the good of thoes who love him, he is working his purposes out, and i should be joyful. I know i am sad, and i am hopeless at it, i tend to cry it out, however, I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.
Please continue to pray for me in this. Pray that i may be content in singlessness and to continue faithfully serving and proclaiming Jesus as LORD over all!.

Laurence.

Sermon was like umeboshi, Delicious!

Finally, it was presented to two services. I think it went well, was nervous, however not as nervous as i used to be. people were encouraged and challenged. Got some good comments. Minister made comment that he could see the influences of cbm, conferences, philip jensen and ect in the sermon. And he said its the best exerjesus (sorry can't spell it) his seen from me so that was encouraging.
Anyways i posted it up on my site. the link is:
http://dabible.webtized.com/MisplacedShame.htm
My friend did the night service with same passage, although our look at the passage was the same which is a good thing, he took a different prespective on it. Was really good.
Oh umeboshi, is a yummy, japanese type of food, its like dryed apricot, but made heaps sour lol. And sermons are a form of spiritual 'food' lol, so it was delicious :)

Anyways God Bless
Laurence.

Sermonelicious!

Finally, Got sermon to do tommorrow. I'll post it up on my site, and link it tommorrow. Thanks be to God! that its done, and pray that i may be clear tommorrow, and might be christ centered in doing it, and not really nervous, as i tend to get nervous alot. :)
Anyways my friend found this, and i like it, so i'll share it with you.



Have a good night. God bless
Laurence

Spaced Out!

Long week it has been, lots of things happened, bible studies, main meetings and little things here and their. However has been a good week in some ways. Ive been having alot of time, when i'll would be alone this week.
In some ways its good because i've been able to use that time for Prayer, prayer has improved alot in my life, and bible reading/prep sermon.
However i have been lonely in that sense, so please pray for contempment for my lonelyness. And lonelyness does bring grief and saddness :(
I think i've got my sermon done, so pray for me for sunday as i deliever it to two services.
Youth group was good, lol 4 older guys, still playing games, singing songs, and look at God's word :).
Oh i found a cool flash site with fan made anime. I like Shoo fly, animation in it, is quiet impressive.
The site is:
http://www.newgrounds.com/collection/anime.html

Anyways God Bless, and Good night
Laurence

Djlpap Returns to Na Pali, totally Unreal!

Lol so to catch up. Yesterday at church was great. Had geust speaker come up from chatswood, our minister used to be rector their before he came up here, they use to be buddies at school :P. Talked on patients, and enduring in suffering, God works for the good of thoes who love him, all though sometimes the good is hard to see at present, looking back, we can see Gods purpose and grace in it :).
Today was ok day. Long long day, with emotional level up and down. I don't know why i get upset for the littleless of things, and i shouldn't. In Christ alone, i find my strength not in my petty self focused strenght. However in the midst of my trial, i reliase that God is in it working his purpose out, and i am convinced that he is able to guard me to that day(2 Timothy 1). I Should! trust God in the midst of my trials, and so therefore please continue praying for me for that.
In the training hours of our campus bible ministries, i'm doing a course on followup, also Doctrine and Growth groups are offers. In our main hour we are looking at how to evangelise to Muslims. Should be good to learn.
I've been getting back into retro gamming, especially unreal, such a great game, with quality that just dosn't exist today. And the Nali, lol such great concept of characters :). also been getting into Jazz Jackrabbit and Hocus Pocus. Lol great classics. I got a draft of my sermon done :) I have to delieve it on Sunday this week, for both morning services, pray for me in that. Hopefully i got it right now, being the fourth sermon that i have presented.

To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen
Laurence.

Jesus is Lord! (The Gospel)

I got some work done on sermon today :). Getting closer to having something ready, which is good, continue in prayer for that :).
With our youth group, we were invited to a concert thing with another youth group. A Christian concert of course, with a few youth groups today. It was allright. Personally i am going to be anyoing and argue.
I was disapointed that Jesus was mentioned about 2 times, and his reference to him was that he was a good person, he helped alot of people. The Music was overally too loud and distorted which over powered the lyrics of the songs. Christian music is not Christian music when u can't hear what the words are or the words are not Christ centered. Jesus is LORD, Lord of all, By God mercy, he has given us a new birth, into a living hope through the resurection of Jesus from the dead. Gods Kingship rules for eternity, and is one that is out of Grace, even though we did not deserve it, we completely rebel against God yet God still Loved us!. It is a Soverignt Ellection.
Anyways i properlly have my own faults of my self, Log out of my own eye, so i shouldn't judge so easilier, however. 2 Timothy 1 - Keep to the pattern of sound teachings, It is So important! not to water down the Scriptures, because we have been entrusted the word of God, God himselve revealed to Mankind. so Do not be ashamed of it!, Guard the good deposit (Gospel), finish the race!

Enough of my babble, God Bless.
Laurence

Hook Up into CBM

I've been fired up for the gospel this week for some bezar reason lol. been at CBM stall all days, Main meeting today was good, Talk about if we are an accident of nature. Lol Bustered. Genesis 1 remindes us that it is About God, He created us, even in his own image to rule over the world. Which is first box in Two ways to live.
Revelations 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
Its great to see a few new people have signed up :). Thanks be to God
Prayer for my sermon prep, have another week, but am finding this one difficult. Yeah if you know me personally, theirs some other stuff continue praying for me for them thanks :)
The fellowship of the father, the son and the holyspirit be with you, evermore.
Amen.
Laurence.