A day or two of reading… June 27, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Bible, Christianity, Read Through, Relationships, The Bible - it's quality stuff!, What's happening with me....2 comments
Yesterday was interesting. I’ve got a new book called ‘Desiring God’ by John Piper. And it’s brilliant. So much so that last night I went to be, couldn’t sleep from thinking about what I’d read and learned, and had to get up in the early hours of the morning to share it with people. 
Today however, I spent more time focusing on some BIBLE!
My bible reading is a bit all over the place at the minute really. I’m mixing a lot of Old testament with New, and generally reading a lot of whatever takes my fancy.Today was a section of Genesis.
I love the fact that having been through the bible several times now, there’s always something new that jumps out at me. So here’s my 3 points from Genesis 2.
1) Genesis 2:9(b)
The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now, we see a few verses later that God commands Adam, saying “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
We also see in chapter 3 that the tree was “good for food”, and that it was a “delight to the eyes”, as well as it being ‘desirable’ to make one wise.
What I found interesting here is how this ‘temptation’ is right in the centre of the Garden of Eden. Adam, would have to walk by this ‘temptation’ all the time. It wasn’t on the edge of the garden, or off in a corner… it was in the centre. Which relates to temptation today. In a culture (for guys, for example), there’s temptation everywhere. It’s not hidden from us. It’s in the ‘centre’. It’s in the spotlight. Through media, the internet, shops, billboards, the movies, pubs, barrs, etc, etc, etc.
We see in chapter 3 the ‘fall of man’. But the idea is that before that, the tree was right in the centre. It was a temptation that required walking by, and perhaps away from.
2) Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
God put Adam to work. I get the impression that ‘work’ for a guy is an important thing. Even when God curses the ground (NOT ADAM), it’s all related to ‘work’. I believe guys need to work. Some guys probably even need 2 jobs. Even in relation to the last point, I think guys that don’t work will be tempted in their bordom. Guys that are working full time, and involved in their local church, aren’t going to have as much time to be sitting in their bedrooms, in front of a computer, looking at Porn… or even wasting their time playing computer games.
3) Genesis 2: 20(b)
But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.
God decides it’s not good for Adam to be alone. And that he needs help. Then after going through the possible animal companions, God creates EVE! (PRAISE GOD!). I think I would struggle with a cat as a companion. Something tells me it just wouldn’t work. I like this idea of Eve being Adam’s helper. It points towards guys not being single. It shows that we need ‘help’. It shows that we need a wife, I guess. It shows that we’re not complete without a wife.
On top of that, the idea of Eve being formed out of Adam’s rib. Eve being made out of Adam’s side. I guess that’s where guys need a wife! At their side. It would potentially also explain why ‘girls’ or ‘gurls’ enjoy cuddling so much. They’re at home. At your side. hahaha.
Anyway. Back to reading Desiring God by John Piper.
Re:hope 2008 – NEW VIDEO November 30, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Church, Glasgow, God, Internship, Re:Hope, Read Through, The Bible - it's quality stuff!.Tags: Brian Ingraham, Christianity, Church, Glasgow, Re:Hope, Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church
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Ok. I apologise… this blog was meant to have an embedded video… but for the life of me – it won’t work/I can figure it out. *sigh*
Here’s the link…
Ill, weak… but with hope… October 2, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Church, Community, Glasgow, God, Prayer, Re:Hope, Read Through, What's happening with me....Tags: Bible, Christian, Christianity, Church, God, Prayer
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Ok. So first off, I’ve not blogged in a while. Second… I’m sick, and perhaps looking for sympathy.
It’s strange. I’ve no idea what happened. Today was bible readthrough, and afterwards we went to the Bier Hall in central for pizza (it’s really good by the way). As soon as I got into the flat, I got super sick, super fast. Which apparently was funny for my flat mate stuart when he walked in to find me lying on the hall floor, groaning.
It struck me though… this is one of those times where I’m weak as heck, struggling to move, and yet… I’m confident that God is bigger than all of it. In my weakness, he is strong, right?
Anyhoo… I’m amazed at what God is doing. He’s moving. He’s answering prayer. He’s the same God he was yesterday, today and forever. He’s bigger than anything you or me can imagine. He created a vast Universe we can’t put an end or an edge to. He’s chosen a tiny planet called earth, and created US.
Last week, I was just stepping into my friend’s car… when a guy stumbled up to me, told me he was scared (having taken drugs), and just wanted to talk. He then told me about the vastness of the universe and how HE couldn’t comprehend how big it is, and how small WE are. He then said there MUST be a God. It “just makes sense, don’t it?”.
Last week I was sitting in Coopers with the same friend, and 2 random guys came and sat next to us. Next thing I know, they’re asking us about church and God. They want to find a church, and they want to grow in their relationship with God.
Last week I watched my readthrough group triple in size so that now we have 3 groups worth of people, pursuing God, and seeking to become people submerged in the word.
On Sunday I saw prayer answered, when we had around 200 people between both services… students in a city where people just don’t… walk into churches anymore.
I’ve watched Re:Hope grow 140% of it’s size over the past year. That’s more than double.
I’ve witnessed people put behind them old lifestyles, and putting God first – completely changed.
I am overwhelmed at what God’s doing. And I’m glad that even though right now, I’m pretty ill… I’m part of it all. I’m able to testify to the fact that my God is alive and moving, that he not only hears prayer – but answers it, and that he has not given up on what sometimes can feel like a hopeless situation.
Watch out for the reawakening.
Insomnia July 17, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Bible, Christianity, God, Read Through, The Bible - it's quality stuff!, What's happening with me....1 comment so far
Ok. Maybe that’s a bit extreme. I’m not to clear on what exactly ‘Insomnia’ is anyway. But for some reason, I’ve woke up after less than an hours sleep, and having tried to get back to sleep for the last 2 hours… I’ve now decided to better use my time by sharing my concerning lack of Zzzz’ing with you blog readers.
What’s more concerning is that I have a meeting at 9 am … today. It’s currently 3am. 6 hours and counting, huh?
Ok. So, enough about lack of sleep and what not.
Colossians 1.15-17 says:
(Talking about the Supremacy of Christ…) “He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things on heaven and on earth, visable and invisable, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
How awesome is that!?!?!
Psalm 33 says:
“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.“
“For He spoke, and it came to be; he commanded and it stood firm.” (talking about the earth)
“But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”
Whooooooohoooooooo!
Isaiah 40 says:
“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because His great power, and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.“
“The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no-one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
It all blows my MIND! My God is a star breathing God!!!!! He’s a universe creator. He’s HUGE! And He has authority over ALL creation. God created us. He saved us. It’s like… wow. He holds us together. And it’s in Him we can put our hope… because he’s a faithful God – a God who gives us strength when we are weak and tired. He’s a mysterious God – we can’t even begin to understand Him – but I take confidence in the fact that He IS in control. His plans stand firm forever, and His purpose comes to pass.
What an awesome God…
Night.
Bible week June 2, 2008
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It’s bible week this week at Re:Hope.
Basically, starting 9am this morning, or yesterday morning now actually… we read through the whole of the bible outloud in the church building, hoping to have read all of it come Friday. It’s brilliant.
Today I wasn’t even reading, but it was awesome to hear the Word of God being read alound ALL day long. It’s just… good.
Bible readthrough – You should try it sometime. It’s lifechanging.
- Mark
Fleeing from Sin December 14, 2007
Posted by jonesy24 in Bible, Christianity, Read Through, The Bible - it's quality stuff!, You and me.2 comments
“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” – 1 Timothy 6:11
Fleeing Sin. It’s all over the bible. In this particular verse, it’s refering to the evil associated with the love of money mentioned in verses 9 and 10. But it covers stuff like sexual immorality and stuff too.
Sin is something we need to flee from. Not try and ‘face’. If you hand someone who is ‘addicted’ to porn a porn magazine – you can pretty much guarentee that they’re going to look at it, right?
In Mark 9:43-47 it says:
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than have two eyes and be thrown into hell.”
I take this to mean that basically, you don’t mess around. If (another example) everytime
you go on the computer/internet you ’somehow’ find yourself looking at Porn – don’t mess around, you know it’s something that has to go. Whether that’s the computer or the internet – it’s causing you to sin. Cut it off. Get rid of it. Period.
Remember when David’s master tempted him? He literally ran away from the temptation that was before him. He even left his outer garment behind. He literally was fleeing from Sin.
It’s that simple. If you find yourself walking into situations where you’re tempted to sin – you need to do a runner. If you’re putting yourself into those situations repeatedly – for example: by going on the computer/internet – then you need to decide what’s more important.
Your computer that’s feeding your porn addiction? Or your walk with God?
Significance October 8, 2007
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If you had been at my readthrough last week, you would have saw how much I love Romans. It’s flippin brilliant.
“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgement followed one sin and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who recieve God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
(Romans 5:15-19)
So, here we see the significance of the act(s) of one man. It shows how ONE man can make a difference. In this passage it’s talking about how through the one act of Jesus dying for our sins, and being raised to life again – we are made righteous. Through Jesus dying on the cross, we recieve the gift of life.
I recently read something called “One Solitary Life” by James Allan Francis. It goes like this…
“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held office. He never had a family. He never owned a house. He never went to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today Jesus is the central figure of the human race, the leader of mankind’s progress. All the armies that have ever marched, All the navies that have ever sailed, All the parliaments that have ever sat, All the kings that have ever reigned… put together… Have not affected the life of mankind on earth as much as that one solitary life.
He’s pretty much the greatest role model of all time, isn’t he?
He demonstrated that we pretty much don’t need fame or money or connections to live a life that really matters. All this pushing for wealth and recognition; power and status – pretty much everything people relate to success – doesn’t really mean anything. Life is about what you give rather than what you get.
People underestimate themselves. I’m guilty of it myself sometimes. We think we need the best resources, training and funding to be able to do anything of ‘benefit’ of the Kingdom of Heaven. And we’re unbelievably wrong.
Which leads to these to questions.
1) What are you doing about Jesus?
2) What are you doing with the resources you have been given in life?
It’s about faith and works. Faith gets you to Heaven, right? And work brings Heaven to earth?
That’s where kindness initiative is amazing. The smallest thing. A sandwhich – has the potential to make someone’s day a bit better. They experience a little bit of Heaven. And no, I’m not talking about starbucks sandwhiches. (They’re not even that good to be honest).
I believe that everyone is significant. Everyone has a part to play. They’ve just got to actually DO it. We’re supposed to be following Jesus, right? And His example? To serve and help others then?
Who would have thought that plain old fishermen had the potential to be fearless apostles or founders of the church?
This is one of those things that I believe everyone has the ability to do. Why? Because there’s no specifics. What’s your plan to show the Love of God to ‘the world’?
It’s not about what you get in life, it’s about what you give.
Jonah # 1 August 26, 2007
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So… despite the fact I’m way behind on readthrough on this thing… I’ve decided to blog about Jonah!
Check this guy out.
God tells Jonah to go to the “great city of Nineveh” and preach against it because of it’s wickedness. BUT… Jonah ran. He what? What was the man thinking? There’s a difference between not knowing God’s will, or not knowing God at all and rebelling against his will… but Jonah knew fine well what God wanted – and still he ran.
Did he somehow think that by running away on a boat, he would somehow escape God’s will? Seems to me like he got what to be scared of in the wrong order.
Anyhoo… it was basically a deliberate choice to turn his back on God.
God is our father, who loves us beyond comparison. He knows the bigger picture. He only wants our best. Dad truely does know best.
Silence August 13, 2007
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I’ve been reading a book recently about Music. I’m not done yet, but so far… it’s awesome. So far, I’ve taken 2 main things from it…one of which I’m blogging about at the moment.
In Kings (the first one) – Elijah goes and stands on the mountain.
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him…”
God’s voice wasn’t in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in/as a gentle whisper. In the quiet place… it’s where we can hear… the gentle whisper of God.
It’s kind of like what that song says as well…
In the secret, In the quiet placeIn the stillness You are there
Rob Bell says: “Why is Silence so hard to deal with?Why is it so much easier for us to live our lives with a lot of things going on all the time than to just be in silence?We’re constantly surrounded by “voices” that are influencing us on how to think, feel, and behave.Movies, music, TV, internet, cell phones, and a never-ending barrage of advertising.There’s always something going on, always noise in our lives, but maybe there’s a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our inability to hear God. If God sometimes feels distant to us, maybe it’s not because he’s not talking to us, but simply because we aren’t really listening.”
So… First of all: Why is silence so hard to deal with? Apparently, from what I understand from Elijah’s experience is… God speaks to us in the quiet times: In the silence. So it’s obviously important to set time aside, not only to spend time with God, but to solely listen in silence for his quiet voice.
God knows me… May 18, 2007
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It was Psalms… or the second part of Psalms this week for readthrough (and yes – I am behind on blogging readthrough stuff). One of my favourite Psalms has to be Psalm 139.
David says (verse 1 – 10):
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you percieve my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying downl you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are therel if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
And then in verse 13:
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wondefully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
God knows me. But it’s not like a friend or relative would know me. It’s not like the person who knows me the most would know me. This is something different. This is the knowledge and relationship between the creator and the created.
I love this Psalm… because it makes me sure of myself, in a manner of speaking. If God knows me like this says he does. If he knew me before I was even made, and knows all the days ordained for me, before they even come to pass… then he also knows all the times I’ve messed up, and all the times I’m gonna mess up. He knows where I’m at. He knows me in my best moments – the times where I ’shine’, AND he knows me at my worst. And… He still loves me.
God is the God who loves me so much that he loves me just the way I am. But he loves me way to much to let me stay this way.
God knows me this well. He knows my going out and my lying down. He’s familiar with all my ways. I want to be familiar with his. I want to further my relationship with God – so that I know him better.
