A Blessed Year!

So I've finished...

            

Teaching Scripture for the year and due to my University commitments and suburb change I will not be returning.

However, I feel so blessed to have been part of my class' lives. Being the first teacher to last a whole year with them.

Here are some links that helped me along the way:

Fervr.net

Biblegateway.com

My life is about the Change dramatically.

Last night I said goodbye to my Church of 12 years. I am attempting to change degrees and I will soon be in a completely different suburb quiet a trek from most of my friends.

              

Sometimes I don't understand God.

The first thing I thought about all this was - 'Why would God bless me with so much ministry and such close friendships and then take it all away.'

But then I remembered a conversation I had with a great friend of mine earlier this year. He said 'Heather, maybe God is preparing you for harder stuff later in life.'

At the time I didn't like the thought but now I understand.

           

God has blessed me with so much to leave that I can leave knowing that I am always loved and supported not only by these wonderful people but also by my Wonderful God.

We don't always understand what God is doing with us and often life feels like a random string of events but we can be confident that we follow a consistent, all powerful God who knows exactly what he's doing.

So as I attempt to cast my anxieties on God, I will leave this part of my life to start the next with sadness but also joy. 

God is in control, what more can I ask?

Some picture I created for me beach mission team this year. So blessed to be spending 10 days with people who Love God and who Love me before I begin my next phase of life.

Many Blessings!

Breathless

Sometimes when I read the scriptures the power of the words causes breathlessness.
This happened this morning when preparing my scripture lesson for this week:

John 5:16-30

New International Version (NIV)

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205:16-30&version=NIV)

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.



Here's some art I've been doing for my mission this year. I'm on the art of our leaflets. If all goes well they will make it, if not I will have some beautiful art regardless.

Many Blessings to you all!

Humbling Kindness

So today I was humbled to the extreme!
I checked my letter box and found an envelope with my name on it but no stamp or address.
Inside were two movie gift cards and a note telling me to enjoy them.
I'm not going to say who did this for me but I have to say.
It is not my birthday.

My first thought was... WHAT THE HECK WHO DOES THIS?
Then I thought: No one does things like this for me!
Then I felt bad for thinking of myself badly, like I'm not a good enough person or not loved enough to have nice things done for me. Clearly my negative thoughts against myself (something I know everybody does) are wrong and people do love me.

I have no idea how to thank this person. But I thank God for their kindness and thoughtfulness.

I am someone who is learning to ask for financial help and God is certainly helping me along the way.

I hope that one day when I do have money to spare I can pass on the kindness to someone else.

1 Corinthians 10:31

New Living Translation (NLT)

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.


Blessings!

Freedom

Come to the bible and you will meet a God who will set you free!

I was open at Psalm 139.

A Wonderful God!

Today I got a wonderfully encouraging message from a friend.

It said: 'Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord your God is with you, that mighty warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his live he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.'
Then he said: "What a day that will be when the Lord rejoices over us with singing!

I am in full agreement of this message!
How wonderful it will be to finally see God. Wonderfully scary!

(As you can see I am enjoying the word Wonderful right now!)

 SIMPLY TO YOUR CROSS I CLING!

God is Wonderful!

That's all I have to say.

Blessings!

Scripture

So I teach scripture every second week of the school term. Year 9 at my old high school.
This term we've been looking at the book of Colossians. Tomorrow if the final lesson for term and I thought I would share a table I drew up of all their answers for the term.
We've had 4 lessons so far this term and there are four chapters of Colossians. So we've looked at each chapter separately and tomorrow we are going to pull them all together.

Here's a small bit of Context:

Colossians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church of Colossia while he was imprisoned in Rome for his work spreading the Gospel.

Here's the table:

Chapter	Main Points	What it says about what Jesus came to do	What is says about following Jesus
1	-          Paul is writing to the church to tell them he prays for them and is thankful -          Prayer and thanksgiving are very important -          We are reconciled with God through Jesus -          Salvation is for all people	-          Jesus is Gods son -          Jesus is the bridge between us and God -          We are complete and at peace with God through Jesus death and resurrection -          When we follow Jesus we have to tell others about what he’s done so they can also be made right with God	-          Prayer is important -          We have the Holy Spirit to help us follow Jesus
2	-          Paul comments on the strong faith of the Church -          Reminder that everyone is united in Christ – no one is to be told otherwise -          The Church should follow Jesus and not listen to false teachers -          The old rules are no longer valid -          We are not saved by our actions	-          Jesus came to unite the world -          Jesus paid our debts to God -          He came so we can be forgiven -          He came to take away the need for the old Jewish laws	-          Be in the world but don’t do what the world says -          Put Jesus first -          Love everyone we come across -          Live in faith and discipline -          Faith is what we need to follow Jesus
3	-          Focus on God -          Put an end to sin -          Everyone can start new with Jesus	-          Jesus came to unite the Jewish and non-Jewish as one people under God -          He came to show us how to live and follow God -          Came to give eternal life -          Came to grant new life	-          Reflect God’s character by following Jesus example -          Be peaceful, kind, gentle, patient, compassionate and forgiving in your relationships with others -          Serve Jesus and Love everyone -          Worship and sing to God with gratitude -          Husbands are to love and care for their families -          Wives and Children are to trust their husbands/fathers -          Slaves trust masters
4	-          We have a master in heaven -          Paul sends greetings to the church alongside other writers -          The letters to be circulated around other churches in the area -          Paul asks for prayer that he can share the message with his persecutors	-          Came to rule and be our master -          Powerful -          Leads by example in life and prayer	-          Masters treat slaves well and remember God is above all -          Always pray -          Pray for others -          Pray that God’s message will be spread and people will receive it -          Always speak and reflect Jesus and Gods love in our lives.

I hope this is helpful to anyone who wants an overview of the book of Colossians.

Grace and Peace to you.

Growing Old

For the whole...

of my life (the short twenty years it's been so far) my Mother has exclaimed "if you... you'll get wrinkles!"
My mother plays into the western cultural idea that ageing is bad.
I however have turned in the other direction.
Many of my relatives in their late 60s and 70s are very ill and dying. However I admire them because of the lives they've lived. Some have been caring and comforting to me. Encouraging and loving and some have shown a strength in the face of struggles that I hope to model in my own life.

I look forward to ageing. It is something that we only do once so why not accept and enjoy it?
I'm the kingdom of Heaven we will not age, we will not grow weary and we will not suffer pain.
In this life we will experience all these things because of sin.
However on the flip side consider it a blessing to have many years in your life. I know too many people who have passed leaving young children without parents, young adults choosing to take their own lives and teenagers killed in car accidents.
These are unfortunate thing sin life and cause me to grow thankful for every day that I have.

I look forward to aging. What a blessing from God!
To grow old in this life and to bear the wrinkles of age will be such a blessing (if I am blessed with this gift) because it will mean that God has given me many years in the service of his kingdom.

I will wear the laugh lines on my face with joy for the many good days the lord has gifted me with. I will wear the wrinkles around my eyes from the many tired nights I've sat beside ones I love who are grieving or in hospital.

My hands will shake and be frail from the many years I've held the hands of ones I love or baked food for their enjoyment.

My voice will become but a soft whisper from the years of singing and praising my God. The years of conversation with others of his love and glory.

I look forward to aging to the day my hands look like this:

When I clasp them in prayer as the breath of life leaves my body and I am united with my God forever more.

Until that day I continue to walk in his grace and his love. Doing good deed for the kingdom. Not so I can be saved but because I am saved!

Grace and Peace to you all. I pray that God gifts you with many years in his service on this earth.

Being a Woman of God?

Here's a question...

What does it mean to be a Woman of God?

  I've been seeking the answer to for many months now. I asked many older women but I didn't get any good answers out of them. None of them seemed to know or none of their answers were what I was seeking.

Living in a world that screams BODY IMAGE IS EVERYTHING and BEING SINGLE IS BAD can be a challenging thing. Especially since I don't regard body image as something high on my list (I look like what I look like). Also I have never been in a relationship and its also not high on my 'bucket' list.

The thing I want in this world is to serve God with my EVERYTHING! Literally! That's all I've even wanted. However it gets hard when you're constantly slandered with societal expectations and pressures. They even seep into the church.

Anyway my point is... that the true beauty of a Woman is in her works for God. Her good deeds.
That's what it means to be a woman of God! To do good works for the Kingdom, not to get Salvation but as a response to Salvation. This is something I learned at my Church Conference last Sunday and I had to share it.

I do works for God because I am grateful for his Sacrifice. I will strive to throw off what the world says about who I should be and run toward God. I am and will continue to learn what it means to follow God as a Woman. I will continue to do good works for his Kingdom for the rest of my life. No matter how long or short it may be.




Colossians 1:15-20 (from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201&version=NLT)

Christ Is Supreme

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.
    So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

 Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.

—	Brennan Manning (from: http://iaskgod.tumblr.com/post/58312454336/define-yourself-radically-as-one-beloved-by-god)

Isaiah Chapter Five (Part One)

So this is a longer chapter!
I'm going to break it into sections again. There are two main sections: A song about the Lord's vineyard & Judah's guilt and judgement.
There seems to be a recurring theme -> judgement.
However in this post I will be focusing on the first section.

A Song about the Lord's Vineyard (verses 1 - 7)
Being written by Isaiah makes the first verse of this chapter quiet special. "I sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard"
How beautiful is that? Singing to the one he loves. Clearly Isaiah loves the Lord. Clearly this is a strong love and a love that has an element of adoration.
What the heck is a vineyard? -> This is not a silly question! A vineyard is a plantation - or a farm that's focused on the growing of plants - in this case where grapevines are grown. Usually for the production of Wine and I'm assuming that this is the case here.
The thing about vineyards, as with any sort of plantation or farm, is that they take a lot of hard work. Particularly because this is post curse time in the bible.
Lets go back a few steps...

Genesis 3:17-19

17 And to the man he said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
    whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
    All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
    though you will eat of its grains.
19 By the sweat of your brow
    will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
    from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
    and to dust you will return.”

Here we can see that working the ground is a hard thing to do - as a result of the fall / the first sin. So this Lord (God) having a vineyard may entail in the first verse that some hard work, thought and effort has gone into the creation of this vineyard.

So lets continue with the rest of this section.
This section is very visual and quiet figurative. Isaiah is comparing Judah and Jerusalem to the Vineyard made by the Lord. I think that the passage is saying that Judah and Jerusalem are the vineyard. The people are looking at their land, the promised land of God; and judging it. This is a visual representation of whats been discussed in Isaiah previously and I believe what is continued to be discussed in the second half of this chapter. This vineyard was worked and loved. Its creator expected it to be prosperous (Verse 2-> Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.)
So even though this vineyard was cared for the results are not what was intended (kind of like the results in the garden of Eden).
I think when verse 3 is saying Judah judges between the creator and his vineyard its talking about how the people are thinking that because the crops are bad the creator is also bad. This idea is debunked in verse 4 "What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done?"
Its interesting that the author asks why the vineyard gave him bitter grapes. Its the vineyard that produced the bitter grapes so there is something wrong with the vineyard. The core of where the grapes are grown. There is something really wrong at the very roots. (Quiet similar to our sinful natures I think!)

Verses 5 and 6 - The creators response to the ruined vineyard. He tears it down to create space for a new one. I like the words "I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it." Controlling the weather is not something that humanity is capable of doing. This further proves how powerful this creator is.

Verse 7 - Isaiah reports what God says about what he expected his people to be like and what he really found. This is the literal version of the bitter grapes in the well tended vineyard. This is a prelude to the judgement that is to come. This judgement is discussed further in the next section of this chapter.

To finish this post I must say that the visual of the vineyard is very impressive and well thought out. A fantastic way to describe how God's intended creation was meant to be and what the result was.
The BIBLE is an amazing book. I never cease to be in awe of my God. Every chapter reveals or confirms more of my Gods character!

How wonderful it is to be able to know the Lord and God of the Universe!

Blessings!

Isaiah Chapter Four

So this is a short one... compared to the really long chapter that is to come.
Having a lazy night tonight so I'm using Biblegateway -> http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%204&version=NLT

Biblegateway is actually fantastic. A few months ago the bibles I used for my scripture class went missing (always a positive and a negative when bibles are stolen - obviously being used for some greater purpose than my class). I'd been battling with the girls and their laptops for week beforehand. They just wouldn't get off them, no matter when I said. So I figured (massive cliche here) 'if you can't beat them, join them.'
Why the government decided to give every high school student from 9th grade in NSW a laptop I don't know - they can access facebook and everything.
Anyway biblegateway is where we do our studies now. Which is good actually because these girls can access the bible wherever they are. I am showing them how to use the site and its good. Thank the lord of missing bibles and laptops.

Anyway... back to the purpose of this post. Isaiah chapter 4!
The heading I find in this short chapter is: A promise of Restoration!

However before this heading there's a little section about the social demographics of what is to come. The thought that so few men will be around that women will beg them for marriage. Which is odd really. Plus the women say that they can feed and provide for themselves. All the women want to be married is for the social status. So they 'won't be mocked as old maids'. This is a link back to the last chapter where the women were focused on looks. Their social status is more important than the marriage relationships. What a HORRIBLE idea!

A Promise of Restoration!
2 But in that day, the branch[a] of the Lord
    will be beautiful and glorious;
the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory
    of all who survive in Israel.
3 All who remain in Zion
    will be a holy people—
those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem
    and are recorded among the living.
4 The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion[b]
    and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains
    with the hot breath of fiery judgment.
5 Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion
    and all who assemble there.
He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day
    and smoke and flaming fire at night,
    covering the glorious land.
6 It will be a shelter from daytime heat
    and a hiding place from storms and rain.

These verses are interesting. A different image from the last chapter. Like usual the Lord God provides an alternative to destruction. He provides a WAY OUT! 
His alternative again is to follow him. And he provides a picture of what that will look like. God will restore his Holy People. He will cleans those who remain to follow him. He will restore and provide for his people. The place of the lord will be a hiding place and a shelter.

How WONDERFUL to be sheltered by the Lord. To live and dwell under the Lord. To be cared for as we should be as followers of the Lord.

GOD OUR IS A WONDERFUL PROVIDER!

Isaiah Chapter Two

So after a day of... being sick, dizzy, watching Dexter/Friends, eating soup, catching up on lectures and completing part of a Uni assignment... it's finally time to sit down with my bible -> before my parents return home to being their karaoke practice. (Ask me about that later!)
Isaiah Chapter Two - lets see how my brain goes, since my vocal chords won't work.

The headings I come across are: The Lord's future reign and a Warning of Judgement.
My first impressions of these headings without actually reading the text are -> well that's a pattern I see in the bible often. The Lord - I'm assuming Jesus - is continually looked toward as the king of all creation, the heavens and earth. We are now in the time where we wait for his return to become the reigning king forevermore. God always provides a warning of judgement before it comes. Part of me thinks it is so we can't turn and say "well you didn't tell us what to expect!" Also humanity likes predictability - it creates a feeling of stability.

The Lord's future reign: Another vision (verse 1). From the passage I am hoping that my interpretation of the text to mean after Jesus return, however the words "last days" (verse 2) could mean before his return. I do not possess enough biblical theology knowledge to feel confident about this. Although I think some scholars may feel similarly to me. Moving on...
The idea of the temple of the Lord being the most important place on Earth is mind boggling. This would mean that every human being would be focused on the Lord! That the Lord God would be the center of all human life - which he should be but since the fall we all know that isn't the case right now.
People from all over the world coming to the temple - its almost a reversal of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11: 1-9). The people of the world focused on one goal. However instead of selfish gain and a great name for themselves they would be coming together in worship of the Lord!
Verse 3 - "he will teach us his ways, so that we may obey him." -> this is something that God has called for many times over in the Old Testament before the book of Isaiah. Mainly in Genesis and with the calling of his people Israel. The idea of God teaching his people at the temple means contact with God, relationship with God. The ability to converse with God! Isn't that INCREDIBLE?
Further in verse 3 it says "the Lord's teaching and his word will go out from Jerusalem" Is this a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus, the giving of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the Gospel from the Jews and to the Gentiles? That's what it looks like to me. We have to remember that in the Old Testament - which is where we are reading right now - the message of God was mainly and pretty much exclusively for the people of God alone. That is the Israelites who were the Jews. Its not until Jesus but mainly after Jesus that the MESSAGE OF SALVATION is shared with the Gentiles. (Note: Gentiles just means non-Jewish people.)

The beating of swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks is significant.
The word beating is a forceful word, giving the idea of hard work, breaking a sweat. So behind this action is intent, its is meaningful.

• But what's a plowshare? -> Thanks to the invention of Google I found out that a plowshare is the cutting blade of a plow and a plow is a tool used for farming. A tool to help in the planting of crops.
• Pruning hook? -> A cutting tool used from pruning trees and other crops.

So a plowshare is for creating, growing crops and a pruning hook is for maintaining crops.
Its pretty cool how the tools used for war are in this passage changed for farming. Instead of warring against one another the nations are coming together to work the ground. This is possibly reflective of the beginning purpose of humanity to rule and care for the earth (see Genesis chapters 1 and 2). These tools are helpful if we are in  a pre-Jesus return era since we would still act under the curse of the ground being hard to work (Genesis 3).
Wars stopping and military training ending is significant because in the text there will not longer be a need for such things. People working in harmony together under the will and care of the Lord God.
LET US WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD! (verse 5)

A warning of Judgement:
Here's the flip-side of the chapter. We leave the bliss of the imagery of a people following one God together and enter the images of what happens to a land who does not unite under God.
In these verses we notice that the people are breaking some of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20). They are not worshiping the Lord but the idols of the nations around them. In creating alliances with other nations they are being infiltrated by the cultures and practices of these nations also. The influence and love of God is being rejected for the pleasures and fleshy desires of the other nations. Here's something that has happened over and over again throughout Genesis and Exodus. The people of God turning from him, their focus is not on the ways and wills of the Lord but on the ways and wills of their minds and  their wrongful, lustful desires.
AND THIS MAKES GOD ANGRY!
HE REJECTS THEM!

The Lord cannot simply ignore their sins! (Verse 9)

The imagery here is extremely powerful. The call for people to hide from the wrath of God. The crawl into caves in rocks. To take cover from what is to come.
It really gives you a sense of God unending, undeniable power!
The people will be afraid and ashamed. What they built that wasn't under the Lord will be destroyed so the GLORY of the Lord will come through. The Lord will not stand for their disobedience.
The idea that the earth will shake is scary. Earthquakes kill thousands of people! The Lord has this power and no one can manufacture it. Only the Lord has the capacity to control the earth and everything in it.
This is something people often forget.

Final thoughts: When I read passages like this - with such stark contrasts in content - I come to a feeling of fear of the Lord. Seeing his power and Glory, but it is a fear that come in hand with admiration. I should fear the Lord, he has the power to smite me down at any second. But he is also a loving and caring God. He offer redemption - which we saw in the first part. We should live under him and there will be a day when we do. But for now I am content to live in fear and admiration of my God.

And on that note:

Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are frail as breath. How can they be help to anyone? (Chapter 2 verse 22)

Not another Blog.

So this is another attempt at me making a blog. Lets see how long this one sticks around.
Purpose: To keep myself in my Bible.
Method: Read my bible and comment on it here. An open forum for my personal biblical accountability.