It has felt like it has been a while since last time i posted, yet i write in the hope that someone is reading my blog entries and praying with me in the many challenges that living in the fallen world brings.
As Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for every matter under heaven. I realise that i often put on a smiling face and at times to cover up sadness and sorrows however there is a time to be sad and express it through weeping, it is right to do so.
I've been away at National training event and mission at nowra for the past two weeks and it has been great. It is great to be reminded of God's grace, purpose, love, judgment and to be challenge to delight to God's word.
God's word written for God's people written by his Holy Spirit about his Son. God has spoken to us through his word even though our sinful nature cannot co-exist with God's Holiness, he choice to make himself known and to call us and make us his own people. God came down to our level and spoke to us in human words, he wants us to know him by reading his word. God has spoken covenant words, powerful words, true words, perfect and eternal words, let us delight and receive his word with faith, obedience and love. It's interesting to note the relationship in the trinitarian Godhead in the revelation of the word and in our own salvation. God's word written for God's people written by his Holy Spirit about his Son. The Gospel of Jesus is the heart of the Revelation of the spirit. The father has given the son everything, the son seeks the father's glory and the spirit seeks the son's glory. This mature self-giving in the trinitarian Godhead make possible knowledge of him through his word and make possible our salvation in Jesus Christ. God's word also changes us, it conforms us into the likeness of his son, it transforms us so effectively to do God's will even without us realising. Therefore continue reading God's word the bible, delight in it, love his word, listen to his voice.
We were also encouraged to preserver. We are greatly encourage in Romans chapter 8 that we are secure, God has called us into his kingdom and nothing can snatch us away from his hands. However the warning are real in Hebrews, The Hebrew Christians were struggling in this issue of falling away. Make sure your faith is genuine. The mark of a Christian is not that you have faith now, but if you die as a Christian, therefore make sure again that you delight in God's words, love his word, listen to his voice. And as God's people, let us encourage, challenge each other to do so, let us be accountable to each other, let us prayer about it.
I've also been challenge about the doctrine of work in the bible. I did strand 4 which was using the tools learnt previously, biblical theology and systematic theology to derive doctrine and ethics from the bible. Work is our participation in God's purposes, either for creation, or in redemption. We are God's fellow workers as we see in creation, Man was created to subdue and have dominion over the earth, work was good. Now we may ask, how does the fall effect work? well we see in Chapter 3 that work is much harder, tainted by the effects of the fall. In Ecclesiastes chapter 2 that work is futile, it's vanity for there is nothing to be gained under the sun. However we need see how that fits into the full framework of the bible and when we do that we see that work is still good. The Psalms reminds us that the blessings of work is the enjoyment of the fruits of that labour and we are reminded again and again in the New Testament not to be lazy but obey our heavenly masters. Let us not also forget in John's gospel that Jesus came to do the fathers works, the father is still working. He is calling people into his rest, into his kingdom. Also in the resurrection of Christ creation is restored and the kingdom of God dawns. We see the reversal of the fall however we are in the not yet period. Therefore Ethics which starts from the resurrection of Christ may sometimes emphasize the newness, sometimes the primitiveness of the order that is there affirmed. But it will not be tempted to overthrow or deny either the name of the other. There is both continuity and discontinuity in our fallen world and the new creation to come. There will be work in the new creation, however secular work will be burnt away on the last day. Gospel work on the other has eternal consequences for God's people will be in the new creation.
It was also encouraging to talk to people and challenge the new guys in our campus Christian group during the free times at the conference. Next we went to mission at Nowra Baptist which was really good. I'm am encouraged that many took on new roles and ministry opportunity's during the mission. We helped with the primary and high school scriptures, youth group, Sunday services, door knocking and nursing home. Each ministry having its own challenges and opportunities to grow. It was also great to spend time getting to know each other on the mission team and working in partnership to proclaim the Gospel. I was also very encouraged by the host I was staying with. They were a lovely couple who offered their house freely to us and really loved God and his word.
Now back to my introduction, I’m very sad but persevering in my bad start to the holidays. Due to partly my own sinfulness and the nature of relationships, my girlfriend has decided to part ways in our journey. I hoped that things would not end this way but all things are in God's purposes, I need to trust in him. However I am really sad still and do need prayer. I also need prayer just persevering. One of the hard factors about living in a non-Christian European home that I am finding is just to negativity against Christianity. I get constant threats of cutting connections and disowning if I move into the possibility of full time ministry. This worries and scares me, and adds to me being sad, however honouring your parents includes first giving glory to God. This can be a hard. So please do prayer for me in these struggles.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Anyways it is getting late, and my words are starting to mumble up. Do continue strong in the Lord, persevering, delighting in God's word. Not sure when I’ll post next, seems that facebook has been more popular these days.
God Bless
Laurence.
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