Didn't use MSN even once at work today..... only checked my Hotmail twice.
The YBC message board has been discussing the issue of work on Sundays. Particularly whether our buying stuff is wrongly causing others to work. Check it out
Looked at a house today - decided we need to go smaller to get into the area we want to live in. Need to look at more....
Bed time now - you all have a good sleep now....
Moved desks today (at work). Now the boss can see exactly what I am doing at any given moment of the day. Its not that I'm slack or don't do my work - I just supplement it with MSN Messenger conversations, MSN discussion group postings, and blog entries. All of which I can no longer do whilst at work, which is probably not a bad thing..
Really wrecked myself at the gym this morning - I was thinking it wouldn't be too bad, given all the walking and running and leaping and moshing and yelling I did at Parachute - but oh well..... I'm still alive - just. Pretty hungry too. Michelle and I are going out for dinner tonight. Yummy Italian restaurant.
Will fiddle with FruityLoops, instead.
Peace out..
.....you gotzta listen to these guys - The Elusive Tones of Wonder - excellent stuff - real gold.
I'm still real tired from Parachute
Bumped into lots of people. Music was awesome - my ears are still ringing. Crane-loads of New Zealand talent - some very cool international stuff too.
My favourite acts would have been (in no particular order) : Andy Hunter, The Elusive Tones Of Wonder, mumsdollar, PugFace, Rapture Ruckus, Elevator, Never The Less (Manurewa reprazent) and of course, The Kumquats, playing a one-off reunion gig - classic parachute funky stuff.
Well, now I'm all nice and clean again, but am still exceptionally tired.
In other news:
Big ups to Mark Young, who won the find-our-picture competition on our recently updated website (see post below) - still waiting for some runners-up.
Ya'll take it easy and I be chekn in witchu tomorrer.
Peace out.
I updated our webpage this morning. Nothing flash (or 'Flash', for that matter). There is an actual photo of us there too, but you will only be able to see it if you're extra clever. Let me know if you find it.
I may be here again today, but in the event that I'm not, have a good weekend (a long weekend for us Aucklanders) - take care etc, and see you on Tuesday.
I've got these cool bruisy lines on my shoulders from the lift-the-little-dumbells-up-like-your're-flying thingies I did at the gym. They do have a proper name. Jono tells me Dwaine gets them too. I've been feeling melancholic lately. Send me an email if you know why.
I must confess I haven't read my bible since Monday. I know what I'll be doing this evening.
Scotty has once again recommended "Disciplines Of A Godly Man" - by R. Kent Hughes. I own it, but, alas, I have not been disciplined enough to get beyond the 2nd chapter. Something else I will be doing this evening.
Going to look at another house this evening. Its only a couple of years old.
I just realised I forgot to tell you that the offer we put in on 85c Hill Road fell through on Monday. There was another party interested, and apparently their initial offer was higher than we were willing to go for our final offer. Oh well - another 'possible' down the tubes.
I ate a whole packet of rice crackers just now. 92% fat free and they don't have flavour enhancer #621, which is good for a change. 621 is MSG - Monosodium Glutamate. Also carcenogenic, apparently.
Oh well.... til next time...
I am 32% Geek You probably work in computers, or a history deptartment at a college. You never really fit in with the "normal" crowd. But you have friends, and this is a good thing. Take the Geek Test at fuali.com |
I am 50% Internet Addict I am pretty addicted, but there is hope. I think I'm just well connected to the internet and technology, but it's really a start of a drug-like addiction. I must act now! Unplug this computer! Take the Internet Addict Test at fuali.com |
I have been listening to a Jimmy Eat World track called Sweetness. I must say that it has some really cool 'wooaaahhha' harmonies.
Well, better start packing up and stuff.
Jesus Controls: He knew exactly what was going on, and knew fully that He would be raising Lazarus from the dead, which is why he did not rush to attend to him while he was still only sick.
Jesus shows Compassion: He feels very deeply for Mary and Martha's loss, and Himself despairs at the power of death. He shows kindness and compassion to the sisters, and the Jews who were there, also.
and Jesus Commands: He orders Lazarus (dead for 4 days) to rise from the tomb and come out. Lazarus comes out, and comes back to life. Jesus has power over worldly death - but remember, Lazarus is not resurrected, he is merely resusitated. There is not spiritual resurrection in this particular act. His true display of power over spiritual death comes through his atonement for us by His death on the cross.
That was the message in brief.
Well, talk about an action-packed weekend!
Yesterday, Scotty and I walked Clevedon Hill.
This afternoon, I went mountain-biking in Woodhill forest with Muffy and Nic - it was so much fun!! The seat-post on the bike I was using (my sister's) was already bent, but now its really bent. So much so that I had to do the last half of the ride without sitting down. My legs are real tired.
Well, I best go find my wife and spend some time with her this evening. Take care all.
Went for a walk up Clevedon hill with Scotty - saw the sun set from the top, and then walked back down in the dark. It was cool. We shared excellent conversation and yummy Milo with no water - all milk.
Then I fixed up my sister's MTB that hasn't been used for about a year - going riding in Woodhill forest tomorrow after church with Muffy and Nic.
Then I did some ironing. I like ironing - its just that it takes me 3 times as long as it would take anyone else.
Then I wrote some stuff in my blog.
I'm still writing stuff in my blog.
Michelle is at her staff party - hopefully she will have some time to enjoy herself, instead of just organising all night.
Read through the book of Jonah this morning. Not sure why.
I was struck how we also can have Jonah's attitude - unwilling to share the gospel, since we do not believe that others deserve to share with us in the eternal blessings of Christ.
We expect God to be concerned about our lives, but do not want him to care for others.
We must realise that God loves all his people, and we who are saved are all Jonahs - called to go out to the world to tell the gospel, but we, un like Jonah, are to be willing - realising that we are just as undeserving of God's grace as those who are yet unsaved.
Just some thoughts, anyway.
And in fulfilling the task we have been called to, we can witness the awesome transforming power of God at work in the hearts of others. In the same way God turned the hearts of the Ninevites(a pagan culture) to Him, it is just as amazing to see Him transform the life of the unbeliever who hears the gospel and believes.
This morning we put an offer in on the house we saw the other day.
>Here< is a link to the Harcourts website with info about the house (if you're interested).
We suddenly realised how little we had been praying for God's help in our house-hunting. Hmmmm - not so good.
Michelle has to work from 2pm this afternoon through to about 2am tomorrow morning - she is organising the staff party at her >work<, which is tonight. Not so good - I'll have to find something to do in her absence.
Feeling tired - must be Friday. :)
Alinghi have just beaten Oracle in the 5th race of the Louis Vuiton Cup final. So its 4-1 to Alinghi. One more win and they're through to the America's Cup, to race us!
I recommend the new Italian restaurant/cafe in The Gardens. Its called Volare, or something....
The YBC board has gotten pretty quiet over the past couple of days. Not sure whats up with that..
(This is copied from a post I published this morning in the 'Living as a Christian in a Modern World' thread on the YBC discussion board.)
I was listening to LifeFM on the way into work this morning, and Matthew 16:24 was quoted : "Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (quoted here - vv23-25)
Jesus' rebuke of Peter is surprisingly harsh, but from this, we can see that Christ places a real importance on fixing our minds on things above, not the things of the world. Peter had just incredulously expressed his surprise at the fact that Jesus had said that he had come to die upon a cross. Peter was not thinking (nor understanding) of God's plan - rather, he had his mind fixed on worldly things - he had anticpated the Messiah to be a conquering hero in a worldly sense, that he might rule as a mighty king, putting his enemies to the sword etc.
So, in the light of this, we are to deny ourselves, deny any worldly desires that we have, and seek to lose our lives in Christ, as He has become our new life.
We cannot compromise Christianity just so that we can 'fit into' a modern world. We should stand out - our not-of-this-world thoughts should manifest themselves in our actions, such that we cannot blend in at all. Christianity is Christ, and Christ never changes.
This serves to reinforce my resolve (see earlier post(s) below)
Did 45 minutes cardio work this morning - found it was much easier having not done any weights first.
Rhubarb is yummy. Isn't it funny how rhubarb and apple are so different, yet are so totally interchangeable in every recipe??(every recipe that I've seen, anyway)
Looked at a couple of houses yesterday evening. One was an excellent but old place, in a not-so-good location. The other was in a satisfactory location, but wasn't ideal. Oh well - gotta keep looking, I guess.
Should look for a new car too. The miles are getting up on the Skyline.
Its a shame that its more economically viable for Michelle and I to take the car in to work, rather than to use public transport. Might be a different story in 5 or 10 years when some of the rapid transit/light rail initiatives get implemented.
Today has been rather busy at work - I quite enjoy it when its busy.
I think I've been a bit too heavy-handed in some of my posts on the YBC discussion board.
I shall endeavour to be more sensitive.
My apologies if I have offended anyone - I have not meant to upset anyone personally.
Just been reading Luke 4:1-13 - The temptation of Christ.
Just thought I'd quickly type up the footnotes from the NIV Study Bible:
JESUS CHRIST, Temptation - In Luke the order is reversed of the temptation in the Temple, and the temptation for wordly power, possibly to show that spiritual power and corruption are even worse that the misuse of political power. Luke indicated the the tempter left Jesus only for a while, The temptation of Jesus, like ours, was a lifelong process (Lk 22:28). Jesus resisted all pressures and all temptations. The Spirit's presence strengthened Him in resisting. For temptation to be real, Jesus had to be able to sin. For salvation to be secure, He had to resist temptation; and He did.
SIN, Tempting - Temptation is not sin. To face a situation and consider doing what is wrong is not sin. Jesus faced temptation, but He certainly did not sin. Sin is seeing the sinful opportunity and desiring to participate in it. The Christian response to temptation is to the the situation through the perspective of God's Word and decide definitely not to participate. God's Word helps us to see the hidden implications of an action, not just the simple act. The act may not be sinful. The motivation for the act or the priority taught by the act may be sinful as seen in the temptation to use miraculous powers for selfish purposes. Some acts susch as worshiping Satan are sinful in themselves.
So that clarifies the difference between being tempted, and succumbing to temptation. It also states that Jesus could have sinned, but didn't. (Footnotes are by no means infallible, but are nonetheless helpful)
I'm hungry - time for a shower and breakfast I think. I should also make my lunch.
Going to have a look at a couple of places tomorrow evening after work. Neither are ideal location-wise, but it pays to check everything out anyway.
Bed time now..... feeling pretty tired.
Also been examining the issue of 'Could Christ have sinned?' with a friend of mine.
If he couldn't possibly have sinned, what point were the temptations? If he could have sinned, why didn't He?
Hmmmm - more study required here.
Buses are way too loud - they would have to be at the top of my list of unpleasantries experienced while walking in town. People stopping infront of you without warning is also on the list.
Ah well......
I done read a bit of Hebrews, specifically chpt 6, re: falling away.
v4-6:
"4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because[2] to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."
Some people I have talked to believe that this passage implies that once we are saved, we do not necessarily remain saved - ie: we can fall away. The footnotes in the NIV Study Bible suggest that this passage is refering to Jews(it is written for the Hebrews, after all) who have become members of the Christian church, have seen the Spirit at work in the body of Christ, have the necessary 'knowledge' - but have not yet come to saving faith. Footnotes, of course, are not infallible.
This passage also addresses an issue I encountered yesterday, in that some propose that we need to seek our salvation daily. v6 states that if this is indeed the case, that person is crucifying Christ all over again, and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Chpt 3 draws similarites between 'disobedience' and 'unbelief'. In fact, footnotes suggest these words may be synonomous in v18.
So, if we find we are disobedient, we surely must examine our own belief!
Conversely, our actions of obedience must therefore reflect our inner belief, and hence give an outward indication that acts toward assurance of our salvation.
How this stacks up against Calvinism, I don't know.
Well, I'm feeling physically tired, due to and hour and a half at the gym this morning, but I'm feeling happy and enthusiastic otherwise.
Michelle felt that I shouldn't always be buying lunch, so she made me a sandwich this morning. I really don't know which is cheaper - to buy lunch, or to bring it from home. I guess it depends fairly heavily on how much you spend.
Well, I best be off.... talk to you later.
Michelle has rasied the issue of contraception on the YBC discussion board.
I'll have to go through some of the discussions I had with Nato regarding contraception.
Anyway - bed time now - good night.
Our touch league website is here. We're in the Monday Corporates - Our men's team are the Boksem Bende(its South African for something), and our mixed team are the Mutton Bunnnies. If you can find the results, you'll see our mens team is bottom of the table.
Had yummy steak and a beer for dinner -- possibly the best thing i could have wanted after racing about madly for half and hour.
Michelle and I are off to get some shelly sand, and some toi-tois. I know, its getting too dark, but oh well..
Have recently had a discussions with two different people regarding whether we can be assured of our salvation and whether we are 'once saved, always saved'.
One of my friends maintains that Calvinism provides no means for assurance of our salvation.
Quote: "A belief in total depravity means that it is logically impossible for a person to know their election or lack therein without God explicitly saying so in some kind of mystical vision or crap like that, because the problem is that we cannot know, because under calvinism we can't at the best of times trust or rely on anything we do as being a true reflection of who we are." Endquote.
This gives me something to investigate... I must say I do need find out a bit more about what Calvinism states in as explict terms as I can find. Let me know if you've got any good stuff about this.
Well, Michelle will be here to pick me up shortly, so I better sign off for now.
... had an excellent chat with Muffy over lunch - feeling even more convicted to actually be pro-active for the kingdom. Not simply to cease to watch worldly movies etc, but to expend those resources (time and money, predominantly) for the explict purpose of advancing the kingdom of Christ. This may mean using the money to sponsor a child, using the time to share the gospel, or meet together for a time of study, prayer or fellowship etc - there are many possibilities.
How much worse is it if we have an increased awareness of what we should be doing, but still fail to do it?
Sushi for lunch is good. I'd tell you the name of the place i got it from but for the fact that the cleaners have just emptied the bin that contained the paper bag it came in. I should have recycled it instead.
Its the place on the ground level of the Downtown shopping centre.
Since this is the first entry, I may as well ramble on a bit - provide a bit of history etc...... -coffee break- ... Ahhh - thats better. Now where was I???.... Oh yeah... had an excellent Christmas/New Years - took no leave from work, but still managed to get to YBC for all the days, bar one. I must say it was the best YBC yet in my opinion.
Having said that, I've found that everytime something excellent happens, it always tends to die off, and everything returns back to 'normal' after a week or two.
I've recently been convicted of a number of things - partly as a result of the the messages/studies at YBC, and also as a result of the discussions that have arisen afterwards on the YBC discussion board.
Firstly, I have been convicted of the fact that we need to have more of an influence for Christ in the world. I feel this goes beyond simple evangelism. We need firstly to develop a Christian worldview - recognise that as the Creator, Christ knows all, is in control of all, and cares for all.
We should be honest about our faith at work. Too many people are surrounded by Christian friends, got to church and bible studies and youth group and everything. But when they go to work/school etc, they close themselves off to the world - remaining in their own little bubble of Christianity - perhaps even scared of the world. I maintain that although we are not of the world, we are still in it, and need to know how to relate to the world, that we might be able to show the love of Christ, and win people for the kingdom. I think we need to be active - go out for a beer with 'the guys' every now and then - play on the work touch team - get involved in the community - the community beyond the church. How else is the world to know what it means to be in Christ, if all they see are quiet timid silent people who want as little to do with them as is possible?
So - I have been convicted of my ineffectiveness at work, and plan to be more active going forward.
So - as you can see, I have made some New Year's resolutions, so-to-speak, and would ask that you all (whoever you are) please hold me accountable to these tihngs, and I also challenge you all to actively seek to throw off those things that hinder your effectiveness for Christ.
I would really love to see the fire that has been kindled by the Word, through YBC and subsequent fellowship, continue to burn and not fizzle out, as it usually does.
It is good to see that some of us are taking the initiative to form accountablity groups or partnerships - I believe that for us as co-members in the body of Christ, accountablilty is invaluable, helping us to grow through the testimony and encouragement of one another.
Get posting on the YBC discussion board. Ask some questions and answer some questions.
Talk to me if you see me wavering my resolutions, or if you feel I am off-track or out of line.
..... and a big thanks to you all for your fellowship over the past few weeks - it has been great to get to know you all a little better.
Have a great day.....
