Saturday, December 25, 2021

Jesus Birth and our New Birth from My Utmost for His Highest

His Birth and Our New Birth By Oswald Chambers "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." —Matthew 1:23 His Birth in History. “…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form. His Birth in Me. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that “Christ is formed” in me. And once “Christ is formed” in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me. God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

Monday, August 16, 2021

More from Oswald Chambers- Does Jesus call me by my name?

When I look at blogs and youtube channels by Christians there is such a lot of criticism going on of other people's theology. Not our own but everyone else seems to be wrong. Now exegesis or right understanding of scripture is important but sometimes we are mssing the real thing. Think about what Oswald Chambers says in his devotional "My Utmost for His Highest." Does He Know Me? By Oswald Chambers He calls his own…by name… —John 10:3 When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never ridicule was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (see Luke 8:2); yet His blessings were nothing to her in comparison with knowing Jesus Himself. “…she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus….Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ ” (John 20:14, 16). Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. “She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ ” (John 20:16). When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29). Have I been doubting something about Jesus— maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But Thomas doubted, saying, “Unless I see…I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “Thomas…said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28). When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, “Lord…You know that I love You” (John 21:17). Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one true sign of discipleship is intimate oneness with Him— a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

More from the Wayside Chapel by Jon Owen

This one of the weekly messages sent out by Jon Owen the CEO of the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross Sydney. Dear Inner Circle, Every time you set a goal, you create a judge. When you set a goal, you give yourself a mechanism to judge your failure toward a goal. Perhaps that’s why so many people just live for the moment. I guess we’re all familiar with the “tomorrow isn’t yet, yesterday’s gone, so live in the now” kind of philosophy. Of course, there is a time for everything, including the need to stop and smell the roses, but there will be no roses unless someone plants them, tends to them and believes in a future garden. It’s common around here for people to either not be able to think beyond the next few minutes or conversely, to set goals that a superhero could never meet. In both cases, defeat is the theme song. Often I hear myself saying to people, don’t stop planning a goal, just lower the judge. Often the biggest judge comes from within. To live in a story where a person constantly whips themselves for being who they are is to live out a tragedy. There is a young man who comes into Wayside often. He should be bright-eyed, but every time I speak with him he is weighed down by his own words, "I'm such a disappointment, I've failed again". His mother comes into Wayside regularly just to see her son. All she wants him to know is that he is loved, that she just loves him for who he is, but he is unable to recognise this. The shame he carries of what he thinks he should have been creates a tyranny that is played out over and over. Imagine yourself next week, next year, in five years from now. What could you bring into being? If you can imagine it, you can plan for it and most importantly, sacrifice for it. I suspect that in the long evolutionary history of humankind sacrifice was one of our best achievements. The idea of forgoing comfort now, for the sake of a better future self, future family, future community is a wisdom that is largely forgotten in our days of instant gratification. Lastly, if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly. Nobody reaches a goal in one step. Success is only a long progression of mistake and learning. It’s important to make a first bad draft of yourself. It will lead to a better version and that, in turn, will lead to another. Who knows what this world could be if we married imagination and sacrifice. What good could be done in our world! Thanks for being part of our Inner Circle, Jon Jon Owen Pastor and CEO Wayside Chapel

Australian Classic Book-"Green Mansions"

An amazing Australian rescue story. Also this has been made into a movie. If you open this video in youtube you will find the link to the Stinson Movie.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Introduction to my youtube Channel

This video is on my youtube channel. I made it some time ago to explain where I am coming from and going to. My blogs and youtube channel hopefully compliment each other. I hope you can find your way back and forth between these platforms. I have been blogging longer than youtubing.I always look forward to meeting with people via comments on youtube or my blogs. Thanks for watching.Please note the links to my other blogs.Geoff.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Driving down Black Gap Road Flinders Ranges

These are some still shots taken on m,y trip with Jim in August 2020.