Our God Reigns

When the Holy Spirit imparts something to your spirit, and you receive it and agree with it, it doesn't matter what else is happening around you, what you see with your eyes, or what others tell you that might seem to contradict it... you know its true.

Listening to a song called "Our God Reigns" by Delirious just reminded me of this. No matter what is happening in this world, the truth is OUR GOD REIGNS. As I listened to this song my ears and mind were drawn to the tragedies depicted and I felt burdened, but as I heard the truth... that Our God Reigns, I couldn't help be lifted up and encouraged. We can praise God no matter what the circumstances! Our spirit just longs to cry out in praise to God.

40 million babies lost to Gods great orphanage,
It’s a modern day genocide and a modern day disgrace
If this is a human right then why aren’t we free?
The only freedom we have is in a man nailed to a tree.

100 million faces, staring at the sky,
Wondering if this HIV will ever pass us by.
The devil stole the rain and hope trickles down the plug,
But still my Chinese take away could pay for someone’s drugs.

Our God reigns, Our God reigns,
Forever your kingdom reigns.

The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience
to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you.

Yes he reigns, yes you reign, yes you reign,
For there is only one true God,
But we’ve lost the reins on this world,
Forgive us all, forgive us please,
As we fight for this broken world on our knees.

Written by Delirious? ©2005 Curious? Music UK

Not just prosperity

There are certain things that God places in our worlds to give us a glimpse of what He is like, who he is, how he responds to us. I believe that God originally created everything to infact point to Him, to point to His goodness and to reveal to us more of who God is. Today though we may struggle with that idea seen as the Satan has done his best to mar this! In every sphere of life that God intended to show us more of Him and to glorify Him the enemy has tried to distort the image of God.

An area of my life that continues to show me God is my family. I am blessed beyond description with a wonderful loving family. Though neither they(nor I) are perfect like my God is, they do show me many aspects of what God is like, as I see God in their lives and able to relate to them.

I was actually sitting on the bus today worrying about something i wanted,and I felt like God challenged me not to ask my dad for it. I wanted to know something would be sorted out but I quite oddly felt God prompt me to just not worry about it. That I could trust my dad and that I didn't need to worry, and I didn't need to make known my 'need' which was really more of a 'want' (wants can so easily be labelled as needs when all I think about is myself).

As God told me to trust my Dad, I was able to, because I knew he loved me and that he had the best for me... that I didn't have to be looking out for myself and making sure I got what I wanted. This love that he has for me he has displayed to me and my family so many times through his unselfish sacrifice. No matter how many times we nagged him that we needed something, that we needed this latest bit of computer hardware, that we needed this or that, and Dad always wanted the best for us. This didn't always mean we got what we wanted like spoilt little brats, however we were extremely blessed to have a Dad that would sacrifice so much in order to give us more than we need. As I thought about that on the bus I couldn't help but think of Luke 11:10-13

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. "You fathers – if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

I felt exremely challenged that if it is possible to trust my dad, that he will always have the best for me, then surely I should be able to trust my daddy God 100% that he will all give me all that I need. And surely the Holy Spirit is so much more valuable that anything we could ask for. Plus if we have the Holy Spirit then we should have the faith that God will never let us down, because He has placed His 'seal' on us, His stamp that we are His.

After all that running through my heart and head I hopped off one bus and hopped on another, to hear a phone call from my dad, he had sorted out everything, the thing that I felt like God told me not to ask, not to worry, just to trust.
My dad had already worked it out. I didn't have to worry, and I didn't even have to ask... he knew... and he wanted the best for me.

And I'm sure that as my earthly father is always making sure I have what I need and more, that my HEAVENLY FATHER will even more!!

THE VISION

So this guy comes up to me and says "what's the vision? What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this…
The vision?

The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.

You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.

They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.
What is the vision ?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.

Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers

choose to loose
that they might one day win
the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.

Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing…
This is the sound of the underground

And the army is discipl(in)ed.

Young people who beat their bodies into submission.

Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them ?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them ?

And the generation prays

like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.

Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mould them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive

inside.

On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,

they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Guaranteed.

from http://www.24-7prayer.com/

Fresh bread

Reynald's Bible
Originally uploaded by lil aNNa.

If you are hungry then there is not much else more satisfying that some fresh bread. If its just been cooked then I'll eat it without even putting butter or anything else on it

Food is something we need, but its also interesting and exciting, its something to be enjoyed. Jesus must of thought it was important as he did several miracles with food and wine. There are also many accounts of Jesus meeting with others around the dinner table. Still Jesus' own words show that there is something much more important that food.

"People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God." Matthew 4:4

As much as food is important to our survival, the word of God is even more important! The living bread is crucial to our survival. We will die unless we're getting fed. When we're hungry and starving, it doesn't take us long to remember 'oh I didn't eat breakfast this morning' and go and get some food. But for some reason when we get spiritual hunger pains, it can take a while before we do go and feed. We don't need to be force feeding ourselves, we just need to realize that this bread is interesting and exciting. God's words aren't any old bread, no matter how old they are they will never get stale. They will always be fresh! How cool is that!

For myself my consumption is still more like nibbling, but really I'm starting to get more hungry. I'm also realizing different things in my life, are in fact hunger pains telling me I need to eat more.

Road

Road
Originally uploaded by Aaron Dieppa.

The guy that took this photo also has an inspirational faith.

faithnotsight57.blogspot.com

From the family of an Indian Christian killed

I originally posted the prayer below almost 2 years ago and reading it again I find myself moved by it even more now. It really does speak to me because I feel like now I'm desperate for a breakthrough ... but for that to happen something has to break!

I asked for strength -- and God gave me difficulties to make me strong

I asked for wisdom -- and God gave me problems to solve

I asked for prosperity -- and God gave me brain and brawn to work

I asked for courage -- and God gave me dangers to overcome

I asked for love -- and God gave me opportunities

I received nothing I wanted -- I received everything I needed

My prayer has been answered

Dare to be Different

is perrier straight?
Originally uploaded by lil aNNa.

Interesting advertisement ... Not exactly sure what they're getting at there, but I like the PINK ;) Maybe they're making a statement, that pink can now no longer be associated with girliness ... or being gay.
Some people are still dead set against guys wearing pink, others simply don't like the colour. I myself didn't really like the colour that long ago, but at the moment I seem to like it.

It is amazing how things change over time, how some things become acceptable and other things become taboo. It has now become acceptable for guys to like pink and to wear pink, but it has become taboo to share your faith with someone. It does make me think a bit though, now I'm happy to stand up and say I like pink because not many people are going to bash me for that, but to get up and tell people how cool Jesus is, I will think twice because thats likely to get me into an uncomfortable position.

I might be confident enough of who I am as man to proclaim "I love pink and I'm not ashamed of it" but I'm sad to say there are times when I'm not confident enough of who I am (in God) to proclaim "I love Jesus and I'm not ashamed of it!"
Its easy for me go along with what is publicly acceptable, but since when has God called me to simply fit the mould and expectations of the world. And how could I be ashamed of Christ, after all the shame he took on my behalf. God is not even ashamed of us, in spite of what we have done to defame his name!

There have been many times I've prayed to be more like Christ, but haven't been ready to be persecuted to even a fraction of the extent that Christ was. I end up just doing the little things that aren't going to draw too much attention, or even just do the things around people I know expect that from me. But God didn't make me just to fit in and do the acceptable, He called me for more than that.

Two questions on a website got me thinking "Are you willing to be expendable for Christ?" "Are you willing to count not your life dear unto yourself?"
I want to be ... I want to not care about my reputation ... I don't want to hold onto what I have at the moment, but right now I'm needing God's help to do that. For my life to really count ... I need to give up the little that I have. Its wierd though how I can cling onto something that really has no worth when its in my hands.

"If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul? If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels."
Mark 8:34b-38

iSolating

Live it UP!
Originally uploaded by lil aNNa.

There is no doubt that iPods are here to stay, they're a beautiful piece of equipment, I use something similar called and iRiver, which suits me better than and iPod. But no matter what your preference is ... there are alot of these babies around. Because of its ease to carry and to play music, people will take it and listen to it anywhere they go. But I wondered the other day what effect are these having on our society? Are people closing themselves off to the world even more and more. Now when you go outside, go for a run, or sit on a bus, you limit your interaction with people.

I love listening to my portable music device, and I love being able to listen to worship music, sometimes it makes me feel good, sometimes God speaks to me, but should I be relying on my iPod-like device. I'm wondering whether just talking to somebody on the bus would allow me to worship God. Or would that be 'true worship'
I see nothing wrong with chilling out to worship music or any music for that matter, but am I giving myself an easy way out by iSolating my self with some music, rather than engaging in a conversation with someone on a bus.
I don't think there is one answer ... its more like a bunch of ponderings... and the one conclusion I have come to is that I need to commune with God more than I am, but also commune with others more than I am, rather than just being inward focused and selfish. Whether its listening to my iRiver/iPod or its chatting to the person next to me. I should be doing it for the glory of God.

just the cutest

Happy Girl
Originally uploaded by lil aNNa.

This is not my picture, but when I came across it in flickr I was totally in awe, God is so awesome in the way he creates each individual, she really is a cutey!! it takes something to capture a picture like this, but it takes even more to create a human being like this

analytical

I was at my home church (having just come back to OZ) and was listening to the sermon ... and I realized that I had an unhealthy habit ... that was, I often find myself analyzing the message or analyzing the speaker giving the message, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to use the message to analyze ME!

The Scriptures do tell us to guard against false prophets, and to check everything back to the Word of God, so analyzing what is being said to us is in fact wise. However nowhere in Scripture does it tell us to focus on the flaws of another's character or the little problems with their sermon delivery. Really the scriptures cleary warn against thinking of ourselves better than another. And when we do this we block the Holy Spirit from really searching us and working in us.

It goes both ways, we need to be ready to accept God's hand in our lives no matter through who it is, no matter what we may think of them, no matter how many things we see that aren't perfect in their lives. If we can do that then we can also accept that God wants to do the same through us, that even through our imperfections God wants to use us as an instrument in somebodyelse's life.

What's the most important thing about a package ... its whats inside right! Sure the packaging and the wrapping can make it more appealing, but if its only a beautiful box but with nothing inside whats the point. So its time we stopped analyzing the package's God sends the gifts in, and start accepting the precious gifts God wants to give us. Don't let superficial things stop you from receiving all that God has for you.

I know for myself it would be a waste of time to simply go to church to analyze someone, and I'm missing out on all that God has for me.

Service with a Smile

At the moment I'm leading an outreach team for 6 weeks in the province of NAN in Northern Thailand. It is the first time I've been 'the leader' of a team. Previously I've been a leader or staff on outreaches, but not 'the leader'. I've had leadership responsibilities but the responsibility of being the leader. When chosen as the leader for the team I immediately started doubting that I should be the leader. I mean wouldn't someone else do a better job, someone that would make less mistakes, that wouldn't lead these students down the wrong path. Oh man I don't want all this attention, everyone looking to me thats too much to take, too much responsibility.

... God however has reassured me that I'm the man for job, inadequacies and ALL!!
he wants to teach me something, He wants to change me, he wants to grow me, and he has to make me a leader in order to know how to really serve, and I need to respond and serve in order to really be a leader.

God doesn't want me to be a perfect leader with no flaws, I don't even have to be confident of where I'm leading the others, I just have to be confident in the one I'm following. And above all to serve with joy in the place that God has called me to be.
"Service with a Smile"

http://members.iinet.net.au/~miracle/akiss.mp3

Something I'm not proud of

It has occured to me lately how much my flesh rules over me, on Fri last week I went to Mae Sai (Burmese border) to get another 3 month entry stamp for my visa, and it was a real rush getting there and back. And picked up some food really quickly before leaving to come back into Thailand, there were a bunch of homeless beggar kids, and they spotted the white guy and figured they'd found gold.

The first guy to come up to me saw that I had some food, and was pointing to that, but being so controlled by my flesh as I was I figured it would be better to give him some money as I was in a rush and wouldn't get a chance to get anything to eat for the next few hours. At the time I didn't think anything of it, until Wed, when reading the Matthew 5 and was majorly conviced by Jesus's radical teaching, about giving to all that ask, and I realised my error in just passing off the street boy, too concerned with meeting the desires of my own flesh.

Then another thing that stuck out to me how much my flesh controls me is that I slept in today, slept throught exercise. I let everyone down by not being there as we are all supposed to be there and as staff we are to set a good example.

But God is working in me and its taking some sacrifices to weaken the flesh.
The flesh has lost all its power over us, but often we give it power that it doesn't deserve to have.

Comfort Zone

I'm an easy going guy, and for the most part its an asset, especially here in Thailand, but being too easy going means I back away from the difficult or the uncomfortable

I love peace not confrontation, I love comfort not challenges
I love the fruits, but not the hard work
The thing is I'm the one missing out,
God has called me to do more than just the easy

As much as I want it too the Bible DOESN'T say
"All things will go easily for those who love the Lord"

Everythings is cruisy in my comfort zone
my comfort zone comprises of things that I've done before, things I know I can do, anything anytime anyplace where I am self-competent and self-confident.
I manage to hover around in this area alot, occasionally puting one foot out
God never intended for me to live here though

Its time to shift residency, its time to jump right out there into the unknown void of known as the "Uncomfortable Zone"
This zone comprises of things that I'm pretty sure I can't do, it comprises of relying on God ... and relying on Him for things that I never have before, to enable be to do things I've never done before, I don't even trust myself in this area to trust in God.

Its scary ... I mean 'theoretically' I know God will never me or forsake, 'theoretically' I know God is going to give me the words to speak, 'theoretically' I know God will be my source and my strength.
And all this theory is just great and oh so warm and nice, while sitting in the comfy comfort zone, but its a whole different ballgame in the 'uncomfortable zone' its now all I've got. I find myself scrambling around, trying to find something in my "I've done that before" toolbox to help but there's nothing.
The only thing I've got is God promises

Its time to get uncomfortable ... because while I'm comfortable I will only do whats easy, and if I do that then I'm not going to grow.
Its the difficult times that will grow me, its endurance and patience that leads to faith, a faith that is TRUE and not just 'theoretical'

Cultural emphasis

being in another culture really opens your eyes to alot of things ... and many times you have to go deep and look at some of your pre-programmed areas of your life and see whether or not they need re-programming.

This is just one area that I was challenged when I caught myself in a wrong mode of thinking yesterday.
Someone in a Thai youth service was teaching on the importance of dressing a certain way, not wearing sleeveless shirts, not wearing too much jewelry ... and I started to think how maby what they were sharing was not so important ... I mean in the west its not a big deal you can pretty much wear whatever you want these days when you goto church. In the west dress has somewhat become a non-issue. The the standards in some of the scriptures of the Bible are outdated and no longer good for use as a guideline today.

Then it hit me!! that this issue is really important here in Thailand... respect for authority, and respectful dress is something held in high regard. The teaching had seemed to me a little bit old fashion-ed because of our 'prgressed' thinking in the West... have really progressed though? its really a degression! we no longer place such an emphasis on this matter, and I had allowed that to shape my thinking, that there are more important things when going to church than how you dress.

But I realise now that it was I was wrong, not the Thais, instead of judgding I should be holding onto this gem captured in this wonderful culture.
The respect for God they show by coming to church in neat and respectful clothing, comes out of their respect for authority, something we in the West have basically thrown out the window.

Now though things seem to be changing with the younger generation here as well, the 'west' have alot to answer for in our influences of other nations.
The progression and advancements that they are learning from us the west are even taking away some of the beauty that God has placed in this culture.

This is not a 'bashing' the west session, but I did realise how I myself make wrong judgements.
None of us have it all togethor, and when we become Christians because of our cultural backgrounds we place more emphasis on different teachings in the Bible... they are all important as each other. We need to be careful not to think we already have an area covered and it doesn't need to be dealt with anymore.
We should keep checking ourselves up against the Word, and be open to those of other cultures who have so much to teach us, and because of the culture God has blessed them with, they have understanding of aspects of God and his truths that we don't.

If we really want to see God for all that he is, we also need to look at his reflections throughout his whole body, every nation, every tongue, every tribe ... and even then we will only have scratched the surface of seeing God in his wholeness.