Stuck my entire music collection on shuffle to help me write this blog...currently listening too 50Cent - Outta Control. Really just inspired me to hurt somebody. Jokes. Anyways.......
The book of Hebrews, just like James, makes some phenomenal claims about perseverance, and the most astounding one in my humble opinion is found in Chapter 12, verses 1 - 14 to be specific. These verses also teach about God's discipline, but thats a whole different ball game. well actually it's not, stop arguing with yourself sam, nobody cares.
Romans 3:23 says that "for all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Everybody whether obviously or not, brings before God a burden of sin, which through the grace of what Christ accomplished on the cross has been taken off our shoulders.
Some sins, do seem worse than others, but in a divine context, "whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point, is guilty of breaking it all" (James 2:10). However, the encouragement found in Hebrews is incomparable:
"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"
The hope and promises found in that verse alone are astonishing. The author of Hebrews, under divine inspiration, is here telling us what is stopping from being the people that God created. Through the salvation found in Jesus Christ, we have the power to "throw off" the sin that "so easily entangles us" and "run" the actual "race marked out for us".
Lets not think for a minute that our race is a race within and empowered by sin. It is not! Our race is a race towards Jesus (v2 says "let us fix our eyes on Jesus"), who is the "author and perfector of our faith" and is outside of sin.
Sin will forever attack us and leave little roadblocks on the race track because satan by his very nature is "the accuser" (Revelation 12:10). He roams to and fro (Job 1) searching for people to accuse.
However, we are encouraged to run the race with perseverance. The writer is in no denial that trials and temptation will come our way, but he knows and wants us to know that because of Christ we have the power and the right to overcome, and to run the race that God has set before us...irrespective of our past
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Read the book of James thats in the Bible
That heading is so that Google has lots of keyword to recognise! keywords like the bible and the book of James and the. well, not the really but it is a word, just less of a key one. however the whole sentance would fall to pieces without that word, so perhaps it is more key than we think...there must be a biblical message in there somewhere. In fact it mentions something along those lines in James 3:13 ish. wow, what a tedious link. actually its not a link at all because i was going to write about something else from James. oh deary deary me.
Anyways............here is what I felt like writing in the fine fine month of october.....
It's from James 1:2-6 and 12-15 and it's regarding trials/temptations/perseverance. You see, facing trials in your life is not the end of the world as we know it (although sometimes it definately feels like it). In fact, James says we should consider it "pure joy" because when our faith is tested, it develops perseverance. And through that perseverance comes maturity and completeness.
Psalm 103:12 puts it so plainly that God is a merciful God, and likewise John 3:16 says that "whoever believes in Him will have eternal life"
God therefore is graceful, merciful, and forgiving. Trials that we face will no doubt test our faith and by putting on the "armour of God" (Ephesians 6:11/13) we will have the confidence of enduring whatever may put our faith on the edge, and through that endurance and perseverance we will become mature and complete, and still remain forgiven of our sins. Amen to that in the back row!
Happy Holy Clubbing!
Anyways............here is what I felt like writing in the fine fine month of october.....
It's from James 1:2-6 and 12-15 and it's regarding trials/temptations/perseverance. You see, facing trials in your life is not the end of the world as we know it (although sometimes it definately feels like it). In fact, James says we should consider it "pure joy" because when our faith is tested, it develops perseverance. And through that perseverance comes maturity and completeness.
Psalm 103:12 puts it so plainly that God is a merciful God, and likewise John 3:16 says that "whoever believes in Him will have eternal life"
God therefore is graceful, merciful, and forgiving. Trials that we face will no doubt test our faith and by putting on the "armour of God" (Ephesians 6:11/13) we will have the confidence of enduring whatever may put our faith on the edge, and through that endurance and perseverance we will become mature and complete, and still remain forgiven of our sins. Amen to that in the back row!
Happy Holy Clubbing!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Big fat sofa
Sokey dokey suires....
The last couple of weeks i've been slowly but surely helping my girlfriend move into her new house ready for our next year of uni....
The room we were doing needed pretty much a complete overhaul as it was in such a state, so whilst she was at work bringing in the bacon, a couple of mates and I set to work at painting, repairing, polyfilling and carpeting the room in a day- bit like changing rooms, but student style.
And behold, a week later and the room still isn't finished...every time i'm over to see her a little bit extra gets done - at least thats the plan! If anyone is interested, the last thing to be finalised were the curtains and curtain rail. Not an easy job....but they are finished and the room, if i say so myself, is looking down-right dapper!
Couple more lamps to go up few more frilly girly bits and pieces, but all things considered, between us we have done a good job.
Now.......there is in fact a point to me mentioning something like this (which if we are all honest with each other here, is a somewhat uninteresting read!)....
My girlfriend and I were at the pub having a chillax a couple of days ago, and we decided the there was some sort of analogy kicking about in the decorating procedure....so here goes!....
We figured that decorating (especially student changing rooms style) is a very manic operation. Its pretty stressful sometimes, theres lots of things to be done, lots of mess to be made...and then cleared up...lots of flat pack ikea wardrobes to be assembled (well, one actually, but you get my drift). Plenty of moving things around so you can access enough plug sockets for hair straighteners and things. Drilling, hammering, painting, hanging (curtains), hoovering...and then a bit more moving.
So now, the crux of the matter....when we finished the last thing we did, we both sat down took a deep breath and a big sigh of i think would mostly be diagnosed as relief. those curtain rails were hard work after all....
When we looked back at this in the pub, we thought that the decorating the room could very well represent life in general.
How often do we rush round in life, trying desperately to get things done and dusted. Finalise things, make things look nice and pretty....and how often to we simply just sit down and relax in the presence of God? (thats what the chair represents you see!)
James 4:7-8 says:
The last couple of weeks i've been slowly but surely helping my girlfriend move into her new house ready for our next year of uni....
The room we were doing needed pretty much a complete overhaul as it was in such a state, so whilst she was at work bringing in the bacon, a couple of mates and I set to work at painting, repairing, polyfilling and carpeting the room in a day- bit like changing rooms, but student style.
And behold, a week later and the room still isn't finished...every time i'm over to see her a little bit extra gets done - at least thats the plan! If anyone is interested, the last thing to be finalised were the curtains and curtain rail. Not an easy job....but they are finished and the room, if i say so myself, is looking down-right dapper!
Couple more lamps to go up few more frilly girly bits and pieces, but all things considered, between us we have done a good job.
Now.......there is in fact a point to me mentioning something like this (which if we are all honest with each other here, is a somewhat uninteresting read!)....
My girlfriend and I were at the pub having a chillax a couple of days ago, and we decided the there was some sort of analogy kicking about in the decorating procedure....so here goes!....
We figured that decorating (especially student changing rooms style) is a very manic operation. Its pretty stressful sometimes, theres lots of things to be done, lots of mess to be made...and then cleared up...lots of flat pack ikea wardrobes to be assembled (well, one actually, but you get my drift). Plenty of moving things around so you can access enough plug sockets for hair straighteners and things. Drilling, hammering, painting, hanging (curtains), hoovering...and then a bit more moving.
So now, the crux of the matter....when we finished the last thing we did, we both sat down took a deep breath and a big sigh of i think would mostly be diagnosed as relief. those curtain rails were hard work after all....
When we looked back at this in the pub, we thought that the decorating the room could very well represent life in general.
How often do we rush round in life, trying desperately to get things done and dusted. Finalise things, make things look nice and pretty....and how often to we simply just sit down and relax in the presence of God? (thats what the chair represents you see!)
James 4:7-8 says:
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you"
......let God be in control,
...the devil has absolutely no power over us,
...God wants us to bask in his glory
3 astounding truths that I/we should really be considering more in our everyday lives, and maybe, just maybe, decorating jobs could physically be finished in one day instead of one week!
...the devil has absolutely no power over us,
...God wants us to bask in his glory
3 astounding truths that I/we should really be considering more in our everyday lives, and maybe, just maybe, decorating jobs could physically be finished in one day instead of one week!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Numero Uno!
So, this is it, a new era for ClubsceneChurch...an era that actually involves things happening as oppose to only 'being in the pipeline' (at least I hope)....
I figured a good place to start is with my vision for CSC (the new hip christian nickname for ClubsceneChurch.com)....
It was originally started as a site that outlined an experience I once had whilst watching Pendulum DJ in Sheffield...an experience that some people would most probably call a 'God moment' - have a butchers at the 'what's it all about' link on the homepage to find out more...
Over the past year or so, my ambition for the site has been clarified in my own head a bit more and CSC's primary focus is to begin to orchestrate a movement across this nation, taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to the British clubscene...
...too ambitious?....it most probably is for me alone...
...it most probably is for me plus the 50 or so members of the CSC Facebook Group (which I would fully encourage joining obviously!)...but this is the exciting part...its not just a human effort!
is it natural to have a pulse in your thumb does anybody know?!
The sermon I had on sunday was prepared around Psalm 127 v 1-2... which says:
I figured a good place to start is with my vision for CSC (the new hip christian nickname for ClubsceneChurch.com)....
It was originally started as a site that outlined an experience I once had whilst watching Pendulum DJ in Sheffield...an experience that some people would most probably call a 'God moment' - have a butchers at the 'what's it all about' link on the homepage to find out more...
Over the past year or so, my ambition for the site has been clarified in my own head a bit more and CSC's primary focus is to begin to orchestrate a movement across this nation, taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to the British clubscene...
...too ambitious?....it most probably is for me alone...
...it most probably is for me plus the 50 or so members of the CSC Facebook Group (which I would fully encourage joining obviously!)...but this is the exciting part...its not just a human effort!
is it natural to have a pulse in your thumb does anybody know?!
The sermon I had on sunday was prepared around Psalm 127 v 1-2... which says:
"Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves."
That speaks volumes in regard to the goal we are trying to achieve with CSC. There is no point in me, or anybody else typing my fingers to the bone, or dancing my feet down to stumps if God doen't have dominion over it, God controls who goes on the site, he controls the finances supporting it, it was God's idea in the first place and it will remain in his control...."your will be done on heaven and in earth"
What this verse doesn't say is, "hand it over to God and you won't have to ever put any work into it again"(!) what it is saying is that unless "the LORD builds the house [CSC, general circumstances, whatever]" any work that I/we do will be in vain......
This applies to all areas of our lives, not just to building/temple contractors, but to every single area....
so, i thought I would finish with a thought....might even make a habbit of it!...:
what areas do we let God have control in our lives, and what areas do we think we can tackle ourselves?
bears thinking about....
God BlessSunday, August 26, 2007
The New ClubsceneChurch Blog...
So, as promised, a ClubsceneChurch Blog has arrived...
At the minute, its very much in the early stages, I need to change a few of the slightly more technical bits and bobs, which I honestly can't figure out....
But here it is nonetheless, i'll be updating the blog with news from ClubsceneChurch.com, with events or outreach opportunities that will hopefully be taking place...and if I can find time around my incredibly empty uni timetable, i'll be trying to get some teachings/sermons/etc on here - so watch this space!
In the meantime, all the best, and God Bless
Sam
www.clubscenechurch.com
At the minute, its very much in the early stages, I need to change a few of the slightly more technical bits and bobs, which I honestly can't figure out....
But here it is nonetheless, i'll be updating the blog with news from ClubsceneChurch.com, with events or outreach opportunities that will hopefully be taking place...and if I can find time around my incredibly empty uni timetable, i'll be trying to get some teachings/sermons/etc on here - so watch this space!
In the meantime, all the best, and God Bless
Sam
www.clubscenechurch.com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
