1 an plus proche..

One year closer to:

* Godliness - humility - perfection in Christ
* Going to be with Christ, which is far better
* Knowing what on earth the future holds for me
* Turning triple pirouettes
(in case you think that's frivolous, remember that David, the chosen king of Israel & ancestor of our Lord & Saviour Jesus, was also the dancing type^)


The 2nd two items are only if God precisely wills it, of course.
Thankfully, the first two are in line with His Word!!


L/T.

^2 SAMUEL 6:14-16
"David dansait de toute sa force devant l'Éternel.."

un verset en 2 Samuel

Then the king said to Zadok,
“Take the ark of God back into the city.
If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, He will bring me back
and let me see it and His dwelling place again.
But if He says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready;
let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”
2 Samuel 15:25
________________

Cryptic this may seem - but I feel a little like David on the run at present, so this was a comfort when I found it during catching-up with the prophet Samuel...

L/T.

10 v. 28 .. (l'Évangile de Matthieu)

All year I've been plodding through Matthew's gospel, and at times I really do not understand him..

In chapter 10, Jesus sends His disciples out to "the lost sheep of Israel".
They are to preach that "the kingdom of heaven is near", just as He & John the Baptist began.
This preaching is to be accompanied by the same helping miracles Jesus did:
healing the sick, casting out unclean spirits, etc.

THEN..

..in chapter 28, Jesus sends His disciples to "all nations".

They are to go
~ baptising the disciples made in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit;
~ teaching them to obey everything Jesus had commanded.

What is the reason for the differences?
At the risk of being accused of cessationism (although my personal experience of Jesus Christ as Saviour & Lord makes that impossible)
- why, in His second & more global commissioning from ch.28, does Jesus SKIP the part about miraculous doings (cf. ch.10)?

We know, of course, in the days of the early church, there were miracles aplenty. Through Simon Peter and John Zebedee, a lame man is healed at the gate Beautiful (ACTS 3, verses 1-10). The casting-out of a spirit from a slave girl in Macedonia sparks a crowd riot (ACTS 16, verses 16-24). Eutychus, who is picked up dead after falling from a window, comes back to life after Paul hugs him (ACTS 20, verses 7-12).

So it's obviously not as if Jesus didn't intend for His disciples *not* to do these things. Did He just assume they would do these signs/wonders and, therefore, in His ch. 28 commission, He deliberately concentrated on the preaching/teaching command
- because He knew that otherwise this word-focus might take a back-seat?

Why is His emphasis on baptism [presumably for repentance/the forgiveness of sins] and teaching obedience to His commands?

Why not "go and make disciples, baptising..teaching..AND healing.." (etc.)?

This is all conjecture, of course.
But if we want to take God's word seriously, surely these are things we should ponder?

L/T.

1 vie seule

It seems that every year since 2008
I have gone through seasons of nothingness
- that is, where nothing much happened, & looking back on it all it seemed like just a waste of unfilled time.

I should like, in 2012, to be able to be doing something over the whole 12-month period;
something within my ability,
& something which allows me time/opportunity to develop further ministry skills
that I would need if any overseas ministry [not overseas teaching work] became an option.

Preferably before my life stage changes!
(Or, before I depart & get to be with Christ, which is far better.)

That "something" is not a full-time job.
Nor is it any kind of employment that takes me away from the mentors & coaches who have been so willing, under God, to meet with me & encourage me to seek our Father, to listen to Him & grow in Him.

And we only live once. Only 1 life.

It would be nice to have a year where everything balances a bit better than it has done since Dec.'08.

But may I be willing to accept whatever is in store - & to wait not for transient things but for anything that leads to sanctification & perfection in the Lord Jesus Christ.

*sigh*

L/T.

34 rue Lutetia

Am I really that OLD?
34 years and 17 days?

Well, as my life slips away without my noticing, let's reflect on 1 pertinent issue impacting what things would be like if God picked me up and hurled me into the French student ministry situation
- at this very moment of who I am and where I am in life.
________________
{replicated from a recent Note on my Facebook page}

Well, I know where I'm meant to be for the moment. 3 trips to Paris plus 1 trip to Strasbourg have helped to clarify it. So did a meeting with CMS in July this year.

A number of issues are at stake here, some of which will be discussed in future - though in random order. Solitude and loneliness, for one..
* because, when I go, I think it most likely that I will go alone.

Not that I won't know anyone - in fact, I'll be better off than most people I know who might go in my stead, because whenever I've been in France I've managed to make new friends among the locals.

What I mean is that if I go, I'm likely to go by myself - sent by a sending organisation, but without ready companionship in my langue maternelle. Because, simply put, I've been single all my life, & now that I'm past 30 it becomes rarer and rarer for Christian girls such as me to end up married.
And I am really, really OK with that, unless God isn't at some point in the future!! So no sympathy is required here..
;)


What implications does this have?
Let me paint a recent picture for you:
When in Strasbourg, I was part of a small team of fantastic people
- 3 French, 1 Italian, 1 Australian (who by virtue of having lived in France since 1991 is practically French anyhow).
Our principal interactions/communications, therefore, were in French.
And I was really, really OK with that, too..
..except for the time difference.

By 2PM each day (10PM AEST) I would be, well, let's say quite sleepy. Trying to concentrate in a 2nd language (French, for me) as well as concentrating on staying awake...something had to give.
So on a number of occasions in the afternoons, when my 3 French team-mates chattered to each other in French, I ended up not switching into the conversation due to exhaustion; this meant that I didn't really participate and therefore isolated myself. And yes, that isolation was hard - but don't forget the fatigue factor..

Thus the sense of isolation and loneliness could be quite strong, owing to my opting-out of the conversations at certain "down-times" in the afternoon.
Please be aware, however, that this was no-one's fault. No-one was to blame. (I always had the feeling my level of French surpassed their level of English, so it was more convenient for everyone that we operated in French.) Yet it was tiring - so very tiring.

In hindsight, I don't believe I am yet ready to cope with that level of isolation or loneliness in the long term.

Now I liked my French team-mates, I miss them all more than they probably know or care, I'd do another week with them in a heartbeat. But coping with long-term interactions in French (or any other 2nd language) - I think it would take around 2 years to get over the sense of loneliness and isolation
- the feeling that there's no-one in your own age bracket who you can really, really just talk to because of the existing language barriers.


And then, one backtracks - because what about God?

Am I saying, somehow, that God is not enough for me?
That He is not up to the task of dispelling any loneliness or isolation I might have to handle?
That He is not Someone whom I can really, really talk to without any language barriers?
Is it that I am not dependent enough on Him?
Not willing enough to rely fully on Him, to let Him be the companionship I know I'd need if I went back to France long-term?
Or is it none of this, and I'm simply just discovering my own limitations?

And yet in twisting and turning through all of this, I know the needs in France, the lostness of the people, the difficulties faced by those who serve full-time as ministers of the gospel. These things sharpen more into focus every time I visit.
So would I be willing, in the end, to face even the threat of loneliness and isolation for the sake of advancing the kingdom of our God and of His Christ?

L/T.

2011 début de semestre - à l'étranger

This month my thoughts and prayers rest particularly with the French Christians and their international mission partners trying to reach university students across France with the gospel of salvation in Jesus.

A few groups in cities like Paris and Strasbourg are running something like an Aussie university "O-Week" campaign..
..minus the postering, the walk-ups, the soapbox evangelism (great initiative from the SUEU a couple of years back) the actual being permitted a presence on campus property.
No such freedoms exist on any French university campus.

So keep them in your prayers, with reference to:
* COL. 1:28-29
* COL. 4:2-6

And pray that they will be reminded of 1 COR. 2:4-5 as they attempt to have conversations with local students about the only One that stands between them and eternal condemnation.

Because there is much less openness in this age group in France than in Australia - less willingness to engage, less willingness even to stop & talk..

L/T.

2 ans plus tard..

Two years ago at this time, my life was in the middle of radical upheaval.

At the start of 2009 (after six years flickering in and out of different teaching roles in Sydney schools), I found myself jobless and caught up in the inexorably swirling currents of the then-quite-new global financial crisis (not-so-affectionately known as the GFC).

As any person brought up in the fine traditions of a Protestant work ethic, I tried - without success - to find replacement employment throughout 2009. Through casual stints here and there, God provided me income that kept the scoreboard ticking over and 2 substantial tax returns (both pretty 4-figure sums).

In mid-2009, I went on a long-intended short-term mission trip overseas (to see the reality and difficulty of proclaiming Christ in a non-English-speaking context) and returned with a redefined idea of what I wanted my life to look like.

To ensure this was not just a phase, I went back in September 2009 and June/July 2010 for another look - and, as a result, decided to be more committed to praying, caring, giving, going or all four together.

Thus this year so far (6 months on a challenging class in a difficult school in a less-than-easy area) has seemed like a bit of a wilderness detour. A more than full-time demand on my life that has pushed quality time with my Father and with His people relentlessly to one side. Which I have not only resented, but been negatively affected by - because, after all, when one drifts further from God, it follows that one's conduct becomes significantly less godly and can even be a stumbling-block to unbelievers with whom one has to work. In particular, my students at school.

Apart from the income generation, I have found it hard to see the positives in this job. I feel as if the amount of pressure/stress I have been under has neither developed my Christian character further, nor has it contributed to any observable professional growth as a teacher.

Of course, I am sure the Father sees the last 6 months very differently. I just wish it was all over quicker. The pitfalls of living in an instant society.

Oh that the doors may open to develop what actually needs development - if I am ever to be useful in an overseas cross-cultural context with university student age groups!

L/T.

5 versets qu'il faut obéir

(English ~ ROMANS 12:17-21)

Ne rendez à personne le mal pour le mal.
Recherchez ce qui est bien devant tous les hommes.

S'il est possible, autant que cela dépend de vous,
soyez en paix avec tous les hommes.

Ne vous vengez point vous-mêmes, bien-aimés,
mais laissez agir la colère;
car il est écrit:
A moi la vengeance, à moi la rétribution,
dit le Seigneur.

Mais si ton ennemi a faim, donne-lui à manger;
s'il a soif, donne-lui à boire;
car en agissant ainsi,
ce sont des charbons ardents que tu amasseras sur sa tête.

Ne te laisse pas vaincre par le mal,
mais surmonte le mal par le bien.
________________

(Hymn time!)

To God be the glory,
Great things He hath done.
So loved He the world
That He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life
An atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate,
That all may go in.

L/T.

P.S. Merci, Père,
Qui m'a pardonnée mes offenses,
Qui m'a donnée Ton Saint Esprit pour me délivrer du mal/malin.
Tu es digne de toute louange!

5e-9e versets d'Éphésiens 6

No time to grieve the loss of our princess of cats, because in the job I have been given to do at school since start of February, it's Nightmare City (otherwise known as report-writing time).

So here's a snippet from EPHESIANS 6:5-9 to keep life in perspective.
__________________

Serviteurs, obéissez à vos maîtres selon la chair,
avec crainte et tremblement, dans la simplicité de votre coeur,
comme à Christ,
non pas seulement sous leurs yeux, comme pour plaire aux hommes,
mais comme des serviteurs de Christ,
qui font de bon coeur la volonté de Dieu.

Servez-les avec empressement,
comme servant le Seigneur et non des hommes,
sachant que chacun, soit esclave, soit libre,
recevra du Seigneur selon ce qu'il aura fait de bien.

Et vous, maîtres, agissez de même à leur égard,
et abstenez-vous de menaces,
sachant que leur Maître et le vôtre est dans les cieux,
et que devant Lui il n'y a point d'acception de personnes.

L/T.

1 tristesse

My sister's cat had not been well since February, though had been in spirits up until the start of May.

She went to the vet last Monday 9th, was fed at 6:45PM that evening before they closed up.

At some point during the night she went to sleep on her side and never woke up.

I know the world hasn't ended. But in moments of reflection like this, it sure as heck feels like it.

L/T.

1e semaine de T2

As one starts a new school term, it is always good to keep some of the Father's wisdom in mind.

I'm sure as heck going to need it!

ROMAINS 5,1-10
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out His love into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

"You see, at just the right time,
when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,
though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

"Since we have now been justified by His blood,
how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!
For if, when we were God’s enemies,
we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son,
how much more, having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through His life!"
________________

L/T.

5 versets de JONAS 2

I dedicate this post to all those affected by the recent earthquake & tsunami in Japan.
________________

JONAH 2:2-6

In my distress I called to the LORD,
and He answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
and You listened to my cry.

You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all Your waves and breakers
swept over me.

I said, ‘I have been banished
from Your sight;
yet I will look again
toward Your holy temple.’

The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.

To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But You brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.
________________

L/T.

2 Psaumes

It has been an extremely busy month.

I have felt so rushed so much of the time, & it seems so hard just to sit still awhile with my Father.

Expressing almost perfectly my thoughts at this demanding time of work are two Psalm quotes..

PSA. 42:1-2
(or vv.2-3 if using French Bible)


PSA. 63:1
(or v.2 if using French Bible)

L/T.

1er des 4 Évangiles (Matthieu 10..)

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side*.

Listen to Him, for He shall be thy guide..
________________

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Whoever acknowledges Me before others,
I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.

But whoever disowns Me before others,
I will disown before My Father in heaven.

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to turn
'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
- a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.'

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me
is not worthy of Me;
anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me
is not worthy of Me.

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me
is not worthy of Me.

Whoever finds their life will lose it,
and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it."

MATTHEW 10:28-39


L/T.

*[hymn words - source unknown]

3 jours (au lieu de 5)

I would really value your prayers that God might provide me with a job of up to 3 days per week.

NOT a full-time job (5 days/week, 1.0 load); I do not wish to be totally monopolised by work - & I know this WILL happen if I go back to full-time employment.

I would see a part-time one (ideally 0.6 load) as being least inconvenient in what I want to do with my life long-term.

So, a PART-TIME job prayer request.

Would you please pray about this with me?

L/T.

10 ans après: Réponses aux prières

It was nearly 10 years ago that I began adding students I taught to my prayer-list.

Back in 2001, on a practicum teaching block of time with a Year 4 class - an experience I enjoyed so much that it was impossible not to pray for the children - especially the majority of unsaved ones, mainly from unchurched families.

And as time went on & I moved from school to school, so were added to the number yearly those who were not yet saved (or those whom, as children, may/not have made a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ at the time).


Prayer points for former students included:

[unsaved]
* that God would place people/circumstances in their lives to challenge them with the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ - & that He would show them mercy, turning their hearts to repentance & faith in Him

[Christian families]
* that any faith they had in God might be proved genuine & that if calling Christ their Lord & Saviour, they would continue to walk with Him..

[all]
* that for those students whom God called to be His, He would also raise them up to be leaders of His people..


Such little prayers..
..prayed by a little shepherdess with little fitness for much other ministry..

There were times in more recent years where I wondered, should I keep these children on my prayer list? (..or should I give up..?)

________________


But this week I went, for the 3rd time in three years, to NSW Summer School
- a week-long conference run by the Church Missionary Society.
A conference full of mission reports from the harvest field of the world; full of prayer and praise and expository preaching from the Bible and..well, more prayer.

At that conference were at least 2 answers to my own personal prayers;
two former students, children I had taught who are now little brothers in the Lord.

One from an unchurched family background; one from a Christian family.
Both professing faith in Christ.
Both serving on the teams of leaders for the youth/children's programme
- helping teach a new generation of children about Christ & the call to follow Him.


Who could have imagined this?
What kindness, goodness and faithfulness - & all totally undeserved.

Père céleste - merci!
Que Tu, qui as commencé en eux cette bonne oeuvre, la rendras parfaite pour le jour de Jésus Christ!!
(PHIL. 1,6)

L/T.

6 danses

One of my stated recreational interests is dance, specifically classical ballet.

In general, there are about 6 dance sequences that I'd say (off the top of my head) are great fun to watch, in terms of escape/entertainment, cleverness and/or talent:


1. Kitri's Entrance
(from the ballet DON QUIXOTE - American Ballet Theatre version)
This excerpt is outstanding, in that Cynthia Harvey (dancer in pink) is performing LIVE onstage.
Brilliant!

Meanwhile, all other preferred dance clips referenced here are from films or miniseries & were edited in some way into their current forms.


2. Crown Inn ball dance: Emma Woodhouse & Mr (George) Knightley
(from the BBC 2009 televised version of Jane Austen's novel EMMA)


3. "What a comforting thing to know"
(from the Cinderella-style film SLIPPER AND THE ROSE)


4. A dance/song sequence at an Amritsar party
(from BRIDE AND PREJUDICE;
alternate clip here)


5. "That's how you know"
(from ENCHANTED - seriously cheesy though)
=> go to 1m03 for best results


6. An opening-credits street dance
(from one of the AUSTIN POWERS films)
=> go to 1m34 for best results


Sorry if this wasn't interesting enough for you..!

L/T.

43e chapitre d'ÉSAΪE

{Happy New Year.
Isn't this a lovely, suitable verse to kick-off my blog posts in 2011?)


"Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.

The wild beasts will honour Me,
the jackals and the ostriches,

for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to My chosen people,
the people whom I formed for Myself
that they might declare My praise."

ISAIAH chapter 43,
verses 18-21.

________________

Père céleste, que Tu fasse cela pour moi aussi!?
..que des eaux dans le désert soient mises, et des fleuves dans la solitude..
- Toi, qui m'a choisi,
afin que je puisses annoncer Tes louanges aux incrédules!

Toutefois, que ma volonté ne se fasse pas, mais la Tienne (LUC 22,42).

L/T.

2010 sujets de prière?

This is your last chance!

After today, it will be a new year!!

If you would like any last 2010 prayers to be prayed, get in touch now!!!

I Kid You Not!!!!

L/T.


{I will be defaulting to passages in Colossians 1 and 2* and 1 Thessalonians 3** anyway, so no real rush; but informed detail is always good to keep in mind when praying for you.)


*2:6-7
1:9-13 and v28-29


**3:12-13

4 jours et 2 chapitres qui restent (de l'Évangile de Jean)

After today there are only 4 days left of 2010..
..so I'd better finish those personal notes on the gospel account inspired by God & recorded by John son of fisherman Zebedee.

[For prior notes or links/directions to notes, please refer to post of 28/11/2010.

________________


KNOWING (or experiencing) GOD


From reading of John Zebedee's final chapters 20 and 21,
one may deduce that we know/experience God by..


.. ..knowing Jesus, as Lord who is with us
because of the Holy Spirit (inferred in 20:22)

- or, having known Him, continuing to desire nearness to Him even when all hope seems dead
(as one woman did by going to where His body was buried, 20:1)


.. ..understanding what the Scriptures
[=written words of the Bible]
have to say about Him (20:9),
as well as paying attention/listening to what Jesus Himself says,
talking with Him
{20:27-29 and 21:15-22

=> see sample responses to Jesus' words in v.17-19 of ch.20
(ie. as He tells disciples what to do,
they act in accordance with His word; also 21:4-6)}


.. ..believing in Christ Jesus/
what God accomplished through Him (20:31 and v.8)

=> yet still NOT needing to physically see Him with our eyes
in order to believe in Him (20:25 onwards)


.. ..following Him
(since He calls us, 21:19-22)


.. ..AND, as with other chapters,
listening to/believing in the testimony of those
who saw Jesus' life, death & also evidence of His resurrection
(21:24; vv.1-8 and vv.14-18 of ch.20;
additionally, vv.24-25 of final chapter => ie. ch.21)

________________


KNOWING what GOD WILLS for His people


It seems that knowing what God's will is for His people concentrates (in these last chapters) on..


.. ..the raising of Jesus to life,
in order that Scripture be fulfilled (20:1-9)


.. ..the need for peace to be with His people
("peace" turns up THREE times in a block of eight verses in ch. 20,
so that must count for something

- see v.19, v.21 and v.26)


.. ..sending!
"Comme mon Père m'a envoyé,
moi aussi je vous envoie." (From ch.20, v.21.)

I love stuff that smacks of [com]MISSION..!!!!!


.. ..the giving of the Holy Spirit
(ie. His intention that we receive His Spirit, 20:21).

N.B. While one isolated reference, if one looks back to the wider context
of this whole gospel, this intent was already discussed more
in chapters 14, 15 and 16.


.. ..generally, whatever Jesus says
(e.g. 20:17, or 21:15-19)


=> Which
[as frequently mentioned in most other chapters of this gospel]
has a lot to do with
believing in who Jesus is
(the Christ, Messiah/Moshiach, the King whom God has chosen)
and by believing,
having life in His Name,
as verse 31 of chapter 20 states.

________________


When I was a bit younger than I am now, I used to hear from different Bible teachers (all far more spiritually mature than myself) that JOHN 20:31 was the key or summary verse of this gospel account.

I see no reason to argue with their conclusions, esp. in light of things I've seen while spending time with John Zebedee during 2010.

In scanning over the Johannine-related notes posted on my blog throughout this year, again and again the idea of BELIEF in Jesus, & an emphasis on His WORDS spoken, have popped up in my search for answers to the 2 questions about knowledge of God/knowledge of His will.


So at the close of this year, it seems worthwhile to remind both myself and *you*
the-readers-of-these-Johannine-blog-posts
of the absolute importance of experiencing God the Father/Son/Holy Spirit

~through BELIEVING in the Lord Jesus Christ & all He came to achieve

~through SEEKING God in all His WORDS recorded in Scripture
(the Bible that we have such easy access to in the Western Anglophone world)

~and~

~ through SUBMISSION to God,
because He sought us first;
because He took the initiative of pursuing relationship with us;
because we are His own creation and we can exist and live and have eternal life ONLY through Him.


****************************************************************


"The God who made the world and everything in it
is the Lord of heaven and earth
and does not live in temples built by human hands.

And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything.
Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

From one man He made all the nations,
that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and He marked out their appointed times in history
and the boundaries of their lands.

God did this so that they would seek Him
and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him,
though He is not far from any one of us.

'For in Him we live and move and have our being’..(28)

(30)..In the past God overlooked such ignorance,
but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.

For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice
by the man He has appointed.
He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead."

Taken from ACTS 17:24-31.


L/T.

33 ans + 3 mois

I am proud to say that in spite of my age, I'm still not too old to enjoy a Colin Buchanan concert!

(Although I did experience some dizziness when getting up from a sitting/crouching position on the floor of the cathedral..)

L/T.

10 CDs - grâce à Dieu

In the post preceding this one, I had asked for prayer regarding the provision of an appropriate musician to play piano for me.

God in His mercy not only supplied this need, but also enabled me to sell ten CDs of my own music, which I am very thankful for, being sans boulot.

So the bergère petite is kept off the street for a little while longer!

L/T.

1 musicien/ne

I interrupt my occasional "ordinary" blog posts with a little prayer request, about a temporal issue.

On Friday 10th December I am in need of a reliable and humble muso who can play a piano accompaniment to 2 short songs, one in B major, one in C. They need only be available between ten o'clock and midday - it is not a whole-day gig. It is in Sydney's northern beaches area, and transport is provided.

Please PRAY:
..for God to provide for this need, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
________________

{If He sees it as a genuine need, that is
- I just don't see myself being able to present the song content (Bible-rich lyrics) while accompanying myself on piano at the same time!}

Thank you in advance to those who read & pray.

L/T.

18e et 19e chapitres de l'Évangile de Jean (fils de Zébédée)

More than 6 months ago (prior to taking on full-time work in childcare), I was engaged in not-frequent-enough personal study of Scripture.

The subsequent focus of a number of posts on this blog
- from January onwards -
was the 4th of the gospel accounts, as inspired by God & recorded by the apostle JOHN (son of Zebedee, brother of James). My quest was to find out the following:

* how to know God?
(principally in a relational sense, of experiencing Him)
&
* how to know God's will, desires, plans for His people; what He wants for them
(with us included, if we are Christians)

Back at the end of April this year, I had gotten up to some personal notes on chapter 17, but could not continue with the remaining chapters since the demands of my job kept me away from the Internet a lot more.

However, now that the pain in my feet has put an end to full-time work in the childcare industry (as of 8th November) .. it's full steam ahead!

________________


KNOWING (or experiencing) GOD

From reading JOHN 18 and 19, one deduces that
we can know/experience God by..

.. ..His choice to identify/show Himself to us
(as Jesus did in the garden, vv.4-8 of chapter 18)

.. ..accepting Him (God the Son) for precisely who He says He is
(i.e. Jesus acknowledges He is King, check out vv.29-38)
=> & also, this means responding to Him as He deserves
(not in the way the soldiers did, 19:2-3)

.. ..following Him
(though not at a distance, as Peter did in 18:15-18)

.. ..His speaking openly to the world
(& His words then being recorded for us to read from, e.g. vv.20-21 of ch.18)

.. ..LISTENING to His voice
- i.e. listening to all He said as recorded, and/or fulfilled, in Scripture for us
(e.g. 18:37; also inferred in v.9 and v.32)
=> & of course, listening to/believing in the testimony of those who saw Jesus' life & death (19:35 - also, they did see His resurrection, but that's in ch.20)

________________


KNOWING what GOD WILLS for His people

It seems that knowing what God's will is for His people is focused here on..

.. ..the salvation of His people through Jesus, who drinks the cup given Him
(the cup of God's wrath**, v.11 of ch.18

.. ..the importance of His WORD in revealing His will (v.9 in same chapter - a concern echoed also in v.32 and in 19:24 as well as 19:28-30 and 19:36-37
=> to indicate that His Word come to fulfillment in Jesus)


**
CUP?
This is a topic all its own - please comment if you require further explanation..

________________


Looking over related blog posts, there are certain things that just keep on repeating themselves from the preceding chapters of this gospel..!

Next up - the final notes on the final 2 chapters (twentieth and twenty-first).

L/T.

2 mille 7 cent EUR

If you knew Philippians 4:19, you'd be aware that it promises, "My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

What I have needed (& what God has provided through today's mail - my tax return equiv. to 2700EUR) is enough to:
* pay my rent debt to my landlady
* update my health insurance into 2011
* tithe-with-interest into causes that I have always supported in the past but struggled to support in recent months.

It is also an answer to prayer.

May the Father enable His daughter and servant to be both wise and generous.

Great is Thy faithfulness,
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning, new mercies I see;
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, LORD, unto me.

L/T.

Une centaine des enfants juifs

For the 4th year in a row, I am rehearsing & performing Jewish children's songs of a highly religious nature at a Jewish school (where I worked as an Infants music teacher from 2007 to 2008).

I have been playing & singing with around 100 children (split into 4 classes), rehearsing songs about mitzvot (good works), shabbat (the day of rest - our Saturday) and Hashem (whom we call God, or the LORD).

Some of the songs (though definitely not all) are not only cute, but on the money:

BARUCH HASHEM (Blessed be The Name)
Baruch Hashem, I've got a Friend,
A Friend Who is always beside me,
Baruch Hashem, to the very end,
A Friend Who will always stick by me;
A Friend Who is kind, a Friend to share secrets with,
A Friend Who is always true blue,
A Friend Who is there, and He always cares -
Baruch Hashem, I've found it in You..

Of course, I think the theology could be deeper - but these are songs for Jewish children under the age of 7, after all..

L/T.

4 versets de Habacuc

HABAKKUK 3

(verses 16 to 19)

I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled..
..Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to tread on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
________________

L/T.

10e chapitre de Marc, versets 21-34

How much do I really live by God's Word?

For that matter, how much do you?

How serious do you think our Lord and Saviour was when He said these things (as recorded by John Mark)?
________________

^^ .. .. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him,
"You lack one thing:
go, sell all that you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow Me."

Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples,
"How difficult it will be for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"

And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again,
"Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Him,
"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,
"With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."

Peter began to say to Him,
"See, we have left everything and followed you."

Jesus said,
"Truly, I say to you, there is no one
who has left house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands,
for My sake and for the gospel,
who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time,
houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions,
and in the age to come eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.

And taking the twelve again,
He began to tell them what was to happen to Him, saying,
"See, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn Him to death
and deliver Him over to the Gentiles.
And they will mock Him and spit on Him,
and flog Him and kill Him.
And after three days He will rise." .. .. ^^

5e chapitre de Romains, versets 3-5

Over the last month, I have been trying to manage pain in my L big toe joint.

The last 36 hours have been particularly trying.

Putting ordinary weight on the L foot during walking HURTS.
Plus, I can't work unless I work through the pain.

Pray for God's good, pleasing & perfect will to be done
- keeping in mind the following:

"More than that,
we rejoice in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
ROMAINS 5,3-5
________________

Oh, and as on f'b, so here:
Keep praying that doors will open for 2011.

L/T.

33 ans et 11 jours

[Traduction: 33 years & 11 days]

There is a direction in which I feel God has been leading me since July 2009.

Please pray
* for God's will to be done
* that I will humbly & obediently submit to the specific "where" details of that, because my Father knows what I need before I ask Him
* that He will lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil (& the evil one)

Thank you, beloved, for reading (& your prayers according to God's will).

L/T.

7 jours avant de mon anniv.

Trotting cautiously down the steep steps leading to the front door of my Sydney home, it is a typical early spring evening. The sun has long gone, & there are clouds in the sky - but it's still a winsome time of day & year.
________________

I could quite happily live where I live all my life, & never leave this reasonably comfortable city - let alone my country.

But if the Sovereign King calls this little clay-jar* daughter, His weak**, feeble & less-than-godly shepherdess, to serve foreign flocks in a foreign nation - some time before the end of her life..will she not go?

And if her Father calls her, will she go with the blessing & support of her family or fellow Servants in the Kingdom?

L/T.


*
2 COR. 4:7ff

**
2 COR. 12:9ff

3e jour du printemps

Attended what must be one of the last school concerts for former students now getting ready for HSC performances & examinations (on this, the 3rd day of Australian springtime).

Time to let go.

Time to move on.

Time to start closing the door on a somewhat poignant half-decade.

What doors is God now opening..?
Only time will tell.

L/T.


P.S. Same school as that mentioned in this recent post.

1 sujet de prière

Who will join me in praying for the people of Mexico?

Compared with them, we in Australia have it easy (even if we have a government or leaders we personally did not vote for).

L/T.

2 "pères"

This post is sacred to the memory of 2 men of my father's generation:

Robert Yap
&
Howard Wong-See
________________

In 1989 my parents' marriage was destroyed by revelations of unwise conduct on my father's part (adultery resulting in an illegitimate child).

Over the 14 years that followed, Robert Yap & his wife Doreen showed a level of kindness to my mother unrivalled by most. And a loyalty which withstood my mother's decision to remarry in 2003 - even when many other friends who moved in the same circles refused to support her.

*wiping away tears*

I had known the Yap family since my early years; there is a photo of my twin & I with Robert's eldest daughter on Balmoral Beach when the 3 of us were all still in nappies. We continued friendship with this daughter in upper primary Sunday-school, then high school youth group, then university-aged fellowship. In fact, I had the privilege & blessing of doing Bible-study with both of Robert's daughters.

At one time Robert shared office space with my father (prior to dad's marriage-devastating actions). Even after my mother chose to discontinue attending our church, I never saw "auntie" Doreen without her asking me, "How is your mum?"
________________

I also grew up with Howard's eldest daughter; we did our HSCs in the same year, & even before that (as with Robert's daughter) we had been through Sunday School, youthgroup & uni.-aged fellowship together. I then spent 2 years in a Bible-study group with the younger of his two sons.

Howard was a good friend of my now-stepfather, & like Robert Yap, maintained contact with him and my mother after they married in 2003.
________________

The title of this post translates as "2 fathers". And that is what these men were, in a sense, to me. You see, Chinese-backrgound community can be quite close-knit; & both these men, committed Christians, were like second fathers to me in the years after my parents' marriage break-up.

When I heard that Howard had died so suddenly - when I knew that it was only a matter of time for Robert - all I could recall was my last conversation with them, together with their wives. I was able, that last time, to share news with them that I could not say to my "real" fathers at the time (biological & step-). And they listened carefully, & were supportive, & understanding - and, as always, kind.

Yes, I knew them as "uncles", and I honour them here as "fathers".

They are now before the throne of God above, free now from death, mourning, crying & pain
- but I grieve with their families still living,
and I will sincerely miss them both.

Uncle Robert & Uncle Howard:
I dedicate this to you.

L/T.

109 "fils"

In 2005, at this very same time, I was trying my hand at secondary-school teaching.

I had been offered a couple of weeks' work, trialling a Religious Studies and Personal Development job at an Anglican school in the eastern suburbs. Boys only - 5 classes of Year Sevens, 2 classes of Year Nines, 2 classes of Year Tens.

No other work was forthcoming, so I took the job.

I had 109 Year Sevens all up, who struck me (at the time) as being quite emotionally needy. So, after the 2 weeks when 3 of my colleagues - the Chaplain, Head of Religious Studies & Head of Senior School - asked me if I was willing to stay longer, I agreed.

I stayed another 7 weeks until the end of Term 3 2005, for these Y7s - for the sake of 109 children whom (in spite of their good days, bad days, sane days & mad days) I came to think of rather as my sons.
________________

Today I paid these former students one last official visit. They're now about to do their HSC exams (& looking forward to leaving a school that some of them have attended for 13 years - AND possibly looking forward to having GIRLS in their classes!!); it was good to see that so many of them are alive & well - even if, as boys, they said very little.

It was also good to see my former colleagues at this school, who always welcomed my visits to athletics events (such as today's one) or to music concerts.

At the same time it was also quite sad for me; saying goodbye & good luck can be, when you care. (And I cared - much more than I needed to.) As a group my 109 were one of the nicest sets of kids I've ever taught (when I taught them). I haven't taught them since 2005, and in many ways we've all moved on..
..but this goodbye is more poignant than most.

And my heart's desire, and prayer for them (as it has been for the last 5.5 years), is that they may be saved.

(ROMANS 10:1)

*sigh*

L/T.

3 personnes

No, this post is not about the Trinity! (A great topic though..)

I'm going to tell you about 3 girls I encountered during mission in Paris, of the many people our team met by the grace & kindness of God.


Une incrédule
At Port-Royal, one of our Bible-stand locations, I met & chatted to what I think is a classic example of a young French unbeliever. In the course of conversation (our prompt-question of the day was, "What's the greatest problem in our world & how do you think it can be solved?", she said she believed it was injustice, which she felt arose out of a human desire for power & control. Flatly she added that she thought this problem was something that humans could not resolve, however much they tried.

So, a definite cynicism about the future of humanity.

I then tried to share with her a bit of the Biblical worldview, highlighting the difference that Jesus makes. Yet whenever I said anything, she watched me with an expression combining pity, mockery and superiority (as if she were thinking, "I can't believe how deluded this religious freak is.."). Her answers to my comments soon indicated her unwillingness to accept the plausibility & reality of Christ, or the hope that God offers in Him.

So, in summary, she admitted to the problem of injustice..
..recognised that humans were incapable of solving this problem, despite any efforts they made..
..yet, in spite of this rather depressing worldview, would rather have believed that humans should just keep trying to be the best people they could be
- anything other than accepting the complete & ultimate solution offered by the gospel of the perfect man Jesus Christ.


Une musulmane
Another girl I met during French mission week was a student from a Muslim family. In fact, we met many such students every day of the week at our Bible-stand locations. This student, residing in France most of her life, had been taken to mosque from a young age, & taught the basics of Islam. Upon entering French high school she was subject to the compulsory 6 years of "philosophy" education, which I rather nastily (& I think accurately) call "atheism dressed up very nicely". When she left school & started uni., she explained to me, she then began to pursue the truth herself - was Islam true? .. or philosophy? .. or some other religion?

In so doing, this student had touched on the Bible, read parts of the Bible. I asked her then, having read what she had of the Bible, her opinion on who she thought Jesus was. Her response:
A good man, a great man (maybe even a prophet), but not God.

Jesus, in her opinion, was not the Son of God, & therefore none of what that entailed - which Scripture (esp. the 4 gospel accounts) very carefully reports - could be true. She would not, therefore, accept Jesus as being either Lord of creation, or its Saviour.

And this was an extremely common refrain many of my fellow mission team members heard from Muslims that we met.

So common of the general Muslim response on the Lord Jesus Christ that, after mission was over, when I heard on the news that some well-known Muslim head honcho (guy who ran Hezbollah, or something?) had died, I actually felt quite sad, because he had died in a faith which blinded him to the Truth, the Way & the Life
- thus giving him no hope in death. And no hope to any others held sway by Islam.

*sigh*


Intéressée
At our Thursday evening activity, I forced myself to sit in on the fluent Francophones Bible-study group..
- it would have been SO much easier to have just gone to the Anglophone group, but in light of my hopes for the next 5 years I felt it better to stick with French -
..thus, it was a bit of a blur, but God in His grace made it all worthwhile after the main study time.

We'd looked at a chunk of REV. 21, & an animated discussion over the text between some of the GBU students (Christians), stagiaires Relais (MTS workers) & several unbelieving visitors had followed. In the more informal social chatting that followed, I was in conversation with one of the visitors, a girl invited along by her GBU student friend. I asked her how she'd found the evening, & what she thought of what she heard.

She was quite laid-back in her response; she had enjoyed the activities & discussion, thought it novel & interesting, & spoke a little of how she had heard things like it during childhood visits to church (with grandparents) at Easter & Christmas.

She then asked me what I thought of all I'd heard.

Thus giving me an unprecedented opportunity to share a bit of my testimony with her
- how I'd been taught about God, Jesus & the Bible at church from infancy,
my decision to accept it,
a little of my journey since then (in the grace of God),
& my sure hope in the new heavens & earth promised by God in the REV. 21 passage.

At which point her friends came by & declared they were heading home, implying that she needed to get her things together.

But by God's gracious permission, I was enabled to share of His work throughout my life..


As you can probably tell, I felt more positive about the last conversation than the first two I mentioned. And yet I know that God can do all things, that no plan of His can be thwarted.

That His love for these 3 unsaved girls is far greater than mine;
for all the world, He gave His only Son (JOHN 3:16).

That He wants them to be saved
& to come to a knowledge of the truth in Jesus
(1 TIM. 2:4-6), far more than I ever will.

That He doesn't want them - or anyone - to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance (2 PET. 3:9).


"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a roar,
and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved,
and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved,
what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

But according to His promise we are waiting
for new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these,
be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish,
and at peace.
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation,
just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you
according to the wisdom given him.."
2 PETER 3:10-15


Thank you once again, any who have followed me on my 3rd short missionary journey back to Paris. (I will keep you posted on future developments, as God allows me time!)

L/T.


{Post completed:
18/07/2010.}

Un escargot indépendant

I shall commence this tardy post by translating the title from French into English (for non-Francophones).
________________

Un escargot..?
A snail.
The kind of creature that, as a child, you learn about
- one that carries its house on its back.

Indépendant?
This is self-explanatory, in fact - it's just French spelling for "independent".

Thus the title reads as "an independent snail".
________________

The greatest lesson learned on this very short-term missionary journey was, ironically, not actually "mission"-related.
It happened, & indeed is still happening, as a result of my baggage being left by staff in Bangkok (current location still unconfirmed, but it's not in France or the UK).

What I learned is that, like a snail carries its house on its back (or so little children throughout the ages are told), I like to carry all my house/home things around too. Convenient stuff; basic stuff; towels, air-mattress, sheets, toothpaste, hygiene (*cough*) stuff, umbrella & boots for wet-weather, a few non-monochrome changes of clothing. All of these things were in my checked luggage, which never followed me beyond my first stopover/transit point. Consequently, I spent the entire week of mission in Paris without them.


The second part of what I learned is how much I value independence.

I feel VERY uncomfortable borrowing stuff from other people.
I've been raised (in a culture with a distinctively Chinese flavour to it) not to rely on others for things I should be able to provide for myself.
Actually, I just don't like having to borrow things from people; it all feels so inconvenient to them - in my opinion, that is.

So I didn't like having to rely on others for
*an air-mattress to sleep on
*a sheet to cover the mattress
*a towel
*deodorant (it's summer in Paris..)

In short, I didn't like it that I needed to depend on others for provision of the basic comforts (select those you agree are essential from list above).
________________

Some of you reading this are probably thinking, "So what? .. It's not a problem to be able to look after yourself or supply your own needs."

And yet, in my year's worth of thinking about O.S.C.C. mission, I begin to see that for ME personally, yes - it is a problem.

Because if I feel uncomfortable about having to accept the provision of my basic needs from other people
- if I have difficulty being gracious when it comes to depending on others -
how will I cope in the future, if being placed into an O.S.C.C. mission context where being fully supported by others (e.g. friends, bio./Christian family, link churches, missionary sending organisation) is all part of the deal?

*sigh*

Oh well. Better that I learn about weaknesses such as over-self-reliance NOW than later on..

L/T.


P.S. By the way, mission itself was very encouraging.
God graciously answered many prayers for our team.

I hope I was a little encouraging to others, too..but it sure didn't feel like it to me, at time!
At least God IS gracious..

À Paris - une troisième fois

Having completed an unexpectedly business-class 1st leg of my third visit to Paris (resulting in slightly more sleep than prayed for), am at boarding gate in Bangkok awaiting flight to Dubai en route to Europe.
________________

In case it's a few days before I can update here (or on f'b),
would you please PRAY for:

* the team as we assemble over the weekend

* unity in Christ among all team members throughout the next week

* God's mercy on all whom we will meet

* faithful & clear presentation of the good news of Jesus

* my own relationship with our Father,
e.g. wise use of travel time to listen carefully to His Words (esp. as I try to study/read the Bible), & to talk to Him

* God's powerful intervention (in my daily, common & damaging weaknesses) so that I can encourage my fellow Christians & challenge any non-Christians I might talk to

* every team member, that whenever we open our mouths, words may be given us so that we will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel;
pray that we may declare it fearlessly, as we should.


I hope you will hear from me soon..

L/T.

Stand de Bible

A feature of daily lunchtime visits to university campuses of Paris:

..The Bible-stand.


You set it up, with: full Bibles, NT/Psalms or copies of one of the 4 gospels; gospel tracts; GBU sign-up forms (for those keen to join a Bible study near campus); flyers advertising evening events where gospel presentation will occur.

Next, you spend time with a few teammates (or alone), talking to the One who wants unsaved people to know Him far, far more than you ever will.

And then (in weakness & fear, as well as with much trembling) - you start the walk-up evangelism process..

L/T.

En vacances? Oui, mais..

Between 24th June and 9th July I have taken leave from work (mostly LWOP), to visit Paris again. For another week of outreach to university students.

A holiday?

Not technically..
..but this is a door God has, so far, left open..

L/T.

Une grande tristesse, et dans mon coeur un chagrin continuel

Went to a concert tonight, held by a school I used to teach at.

ROMANS 9, verses 1-3
and
ROMANS 10:1
________________

In light of reported events this week, I recognise the brevity of life; desperation for the many unsaved students I once taught grips me.

I do not make requests of YOU because I am righteous, but because of YOUR great mercy. (DANIEL 9:18b)

L/T.

Joyeux anniversaire!

It's still 2nd of June in Singapore - so happy birthday Captain Chan!

Looking forward to catching up when you hit Sydney..

L/T.

Ce que Dieu a promis

God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the weary,
Light for the way,
Grace through our trials,
Help from above..
..Unfailing kindness,
Undying love.

God has not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;
He has not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.
But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the weary,
Light for the way,
Grace through our trials,
Help from above..
..Unfailing kindness,
Undying love.

________________

SOURCE: "What God has promised", by Annie Johnson Flint.

(N.B. Lyrics tweaked slightly..)
________________

L/T.

Bisous, maman!

Happy Mother's Day to my own mummy.

PHIL. 4:19 and 3:20.

L/T.

À propos du fils de Zébédée

I have had a happy few months reacquainting myself with John, writer of the 4th gospel account as recorded in our Bibles.

Regrettably, I have no idea when I will have time to sit down & prepare the last of my personal study notes (on ch.18-21) for posting here on the blog. (If God wills, maybe before the end of May!)

But it's been fun, & I hope the intellectual among you have enjoyed the journey & been challenged to search the Scriptures more yourself.

Because if I've learned anything from John, it's this:
Knowing God (for the believer) is about reading, keeping & paying attention to His Word.

Signing off
(at least until I get on top of my new job),

L/T.

Le fils de Zébédée - 17e, 18e et 19e chapitres

In many ways these three chapters are (collectively) more straightforward than the previous ones.

Chapter 17 of the gospel of John records the prayer & priority of Jesus prior to His arrest, trial, crucifixion, death & resurrection.

Chapters 18-19, by comparison, are mostly narrative, giving attention to what happens to Jesus rather than focusing on His teachings or sayings.

..Anyone know the tune of new-ish song "O the deep, deep love of Jesus"..? Hum along, then..

O the living Words of Jesus,
Far surpassing all the rest,
They are lifelines, they are comforts
In your times of ease or test
O the living Words,
All I need to hear
Are the living Words of Jesus.
©MLTC, Friday 30th April 2010
________________

Now, to my usual study focus..

Ch.17
What does the 17th chapter of John's gospel seem to be telling us about
how to know God?

~ To know God is equated with glorifying Him(1),
seeing the glory(24) of Father & Son;
knowing Him is also the essence of eternal life(2-3)

~ It is also equated with knowing Jesus, whom God sent(3,
vv.8, 18, 21 and v.25);
conversely, Jesus reveals God to us by name(6)
{ie. He makes God known to us(26)};
& He keeps us safe by His Name(12).
Jesus is with those who believe in Him(12) & He is in them(26), His love in them

~ And we know God by His Word(6)
that He gave through Jesus(8, also v.13-14);
in the same way, by believing Jesus through that same Word (message, v.20) given through the disciples who were with Jesus during His ministry

~ In addition to this, we can know Him because He sanctifies us by His truth(17-19).
________________

What does this same chapter of John's gospel seem to be telling us about
(i) ..what God wills/wants is for us?
(ii) ..how we can know His will?


~ A re-iteration of the famous verse, 3:16..
..in that, God wants for us to have eternal life by knowing Him, the Father
& knowing Jesus Christ the Son whom He sent(2-3)

~ He also desires our obedience(6) to & acceptance(8) of His Word,
& that we know that all He has given Jesus comes from Him;
Jesus is His ultimate representative(7-8)

~ For us who believe to be as one is also high priority for God the Son;
Jesus wants His disciples to be united(11-12; also v.22-23), which is why He prays that they be protected, kept safe & not lost
- esp. protected from the evil one(15) whilst remaining in the world.

He wants His love to be in them & in all who will believe in Him(26);
& another reason for His desire that His disciples be one
is in order that the world may believe Jesus was sent by God(23).

~ Jesus also shows us His desire that His disciples be sanctified by the truth(17-19);
that we be with Him where He is & we see His glory(24)
..[this sounds very much like ch.14, verse 3]
________________

SUMMARY
Knowing God has to do with knowing Jesus
- believing in Him, & in His Words;
because He sanctifies us through by the truths about Him.

It also involves glorifying Him (seeking His glory);
and to know Him in these ways means that we can have eternal life.

Knowing what God wills or wants for us is entailed in
obeying & accepting His Words, as given through Jesus & Jesus' disciples (such as John Zebedee himself);
He wants us to be sure that Jesus is from Him, was sent by Him (as repeated so often in the gospel of John so far);
He wants unity among all those who have believed in Him,
& belief for those who have NOT
- and ultimately, He wants us to be with Him in glory.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

{Disclaimer - or whateveryoucallit!!}
Once again (in case any of what I've been blogging about
re:John's gospel account has made you worry about me),
I must remind any who have been looking at these notes on John 1-17 of the following:

I am but a fallen human being.

My findings are by no means comprehensive or definitive;
at the same time, since the Word of God is living, acive & powerful,
I would like to hope that I'm not completely off the mark, in terms of what I have been discovering during my readings of this part of Scripture.

And where I am in error, I earnestly hope - and expect - that my Father will open my eyes to this; that He will keep me humble, contrite & trembling at His Word.

Until then - read anything I have written with careful discernment. Thanks!

L/T.


{P.S. Upcoming reflections - on chapters 18 & 19.}

Un an - hier!

This blog is officially 1 year and 1 day old. *blowing paper trumpet*

When it was engendered, I called it my "going-on-mission blog". But, as one of my favourite Terry Pratchett novel quotes goes:
"We've all passed a lot of water since then."

(No, that was not a typing or thinking error!)

One thing that hasn't changed, is that the blog still reflects and is tracking my journey into Paris - from when I first visited in June '09, & departed regretfully in July - then retraced my steps back into it & out again during September '09..

..to the present moment.

Oh, the journey's not over.
In many ways it has become a great & ongoing adventure.

> Through personal sorrow and disappointment, then out the other side - not ending in worldly happiness or satisfaction, but in a deeper thirst for my Father & what He wills for my life.

>> Through the kindled fires of OSCC** mission enthusiasm - the dampening winds of doubt - the sharp light of financial restrictions juxtaposed with the softer, warmer rays of hope in God's holy power to do whatever He wants regardless of how humanly impossible a situation may be.
________________

{Only slight fluffiness in these lyrics.
Enjoy them - they're from an old hymn.}
Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden's getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.


HERE is the source of the lyrics,
by Ira Stanphill.


C'est vraiment formidable.
Béni soit le nom glorieux du Seigneur.

L/T.


**
Click here if you need to know what OSCC stands for.

Où se trouve le capitaine?

A couple of months ago, one of my longest-standing friends, a Singapore army captain, sent word to us that he was going to be "overseas on a military exercise".

He should be returned by now - but - calling Captain Chan?

Send more word if you happen to be alive.
And if alive, hope all is well with your soul.
________________

Speaking of long-lost but valued friends I haven't seen in a while..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEONIE!!

You are now only 1 year younger than Jesus was when He died!


COLOSSIANS 2:6-7
COLOSSIANS 1:9-14
COLOSSIANS 1:28-29
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-13


L/T.

Le fils de Zébédée - ch.15-16 (II)

In my previous post, Theophilus - er, sorry, I meant "idle internet-dwelling readers" - I made some comments on chapters 15 and 16 of the gospel written down by John Zebedee, regarding how it is possible to know God.

Now I seek to note down what I have been learning
in light of the 2nd question raised:

2. How to know God's will
- what He wants for us?
________________

JOHN 15-16
Jesus, God the Son has so much that He wants for us here..

A. Remaining/abiding** in Him (the vine, 15:4-7 & inferred in 16:1), & bearing much fruit
(15:2, 15:4-5, 15:8 and 15:16) - fruit that will last.
** The word "abide" turns up 7 times in 4 verses.
Jesus obviously wants us to understand how important it is that we abide in Him. Probably because we are so prone NOT to..!
.. & by remaining in Him, with His Words remaining in us,
we can request (ask) the Father in His name (15:7 and 15:16; also 16:23-26).
Abiding in Jesus (& thus knowing Him) is about communication
- a relationship involving talking & listening -
& the latter, with obedience to God's commands (15:10 and 15:14), as well as remembering His Words to us (16:4).

B. Glorifying God, abiding in His love,
& ending by rejoicing in Him (15:8-10; verse 22 of ch.16)
- if we are His disciples;
loving not only Him, but loving others just as He loved us
(15:12-13 and 15:17; verse 27 of ch. 16),
desiring the preservation of life for His people (not their death, 16:2-3)

C. Testifying about Jesus,
that is to say, bearing witness to Him (15:26-27)

D. Believing in who Jesus is
(& that the Father sent Him - 16:9 & 16:27
________________

SUMMARY..
How to know God's will?
~ by His Words & commands given through the Son, (& the Spirit's reminders)

..what God wants for us:
~ Glorifying Him;
treating the Son for Who He really is;
believing in Him;
& remaining (=abiding) in all that He is, & all that He has said.

{All ideas drawn from JOHN 15-16, as well as from all preceding chapters.}

L/T.

Le fils de Zébédée - ch.15-16 (I)

As I have skipped happily back and forth through the account of Jesus' life & ministry on earth, as written by John the apostle (the son of Zebedee), I have continuously used the following questions as study points:

1. How to know God [i.e. personally]?

2. How to know God's will
- what He wants for us?
________________

JEAN 15 et 16
Knowing God
- as our Lord Jesus seems to have made abundantly clear
(on numerous occasions so far) -
is all about..

..Him speaking words to us - & to others
(15:3, 15:7, 15:20).
Jesus tells/says many things to His disciples
(15:11; & also look at ch.16, verses 1, 4, 6-7, 11 and 25).
By His words He makes things known (15:15) to those with Him (apostles/disciples).
The Spirit Jesus has promised does this also - making known what the Father intends (16:13-15).

...God's love for us, AND His choosing us
(Loved ~ 15:9 and 15:12-13; 16:27)
(Chose ~ 15:16 and 15:19)
- a love that sent Jesus to our world to save us (cf. 3:16), & a choice that we had no part in

....the Father's sending of the Son & the Holy Spirit
that people could know Him personally
(15:21 and 15:25; also 16:5 and 16:7)
- esp. the role of the Spirit, in..
> >convicting hearts of guilt (16:8-11)
>> >guiding God's chosen & loved ones (us who believe!!) into all truth (16:13), AND
>>> >glorifying Jesus Christ the Son (16:14)

.....God as the carer (gardener in NIV, or vinedresser in ESV)
of all whom He chose to go & bear lasting fruit to His glory,
e.g. pruning those who need it (15:1-2)

......God with us, as the Son was with the Father,
& knowing all that we think & feel (16:19-32)
- the emphasis again on God knowing us (wanting to know us, & making this possible); also, answering what we ask Him
- ON that day of joy where we see Jesus again (16:22-24)

.......God the Son (Jesus, of course) who has overcome the world (16:33),
that we may have peace & take heart in tribulation (rendered "trouble" in NIV)
________________

We know a God who wants us to know Him. Such that He's done so much in an effort to draw us nearer to Himself.

How do we know God?

One main reason this is possible (according to John Zebedee's records here) is because of God's work that we may know Him.
Not our work.
Nor our effort.
Nor even our own initiative. (!!)

{Upcoming - my answers to Q.2, based on the 15th and 16th chapters.
That is, when/where God allows a door to be opened for such blog postings in the next twenty, yes 20, hours..}

L/T.

Le fils de Zébédée - chapitres 13 et 14

Marathon time!

(Owing to likely commencement of work from 28th Apr. onwards.)
_______________

It really is remarkable how, once you start tracking an idea or word group through one Bible book, it just keeps turning up. Or, in the case of my longsuffering apostle friend, once you track several..it's like panning for specks of gold that just keep turning up!

JEAN 13 et 14
Have had a quick look back over my notes & summaries already posted here, & there is not much new under the sun.

This section of the gospel according to John Zebedee is interesting because the emphasis on how to know God seems so strong on the Godward side. That is, so much of knowing God (here) has to do with God taking the initiative. In short, it is possible to know God just because HE wanted us to know Him.
________________

So that we may know Him, GOD acts:
* out of His love for us
(13:1 and 14:21-23)

* in order to cleanse us that we may have share/part in Him
(13:8, 9 & 10 - the footwashing incident)

* in humility - as Jesus serves His followers
(13:5 onwards)

* by sending His Son, the Spirit (of truth), & others
(13:20, 14:16-24)
=> with the Son being sent as the way to God, the Father
(14:6, cha-cha!^)

* by speaking - in the person of the Son He sent, to the ones he chose
(13:19 and 14:10-11; also verses 24-25 of ch.14)

* by coming back to us after going away,
that we may also be taken where He, the Son will be going
ie. the Father's house (14:2-4; see also verses 18 and 28)
=> God wants us to be with Him!!
(Of course, I knew that already, but it's nice to be reminded!)

* by reminding us about all that Jesus said & taught
- through the Spirit sent to us,
who is with believers like us & lives in us, a teacher & Counselor
(I am informed that this last word in Greek is 'paraclete';
ch.14, verses 17, 20 and 26)

* for His own glory,
by doing what we ask for His glory in Jesus' name
(14:13-14)

How can we know God?
Because He has made it possible.
So many times John appears to have highlighted God's actions, God's initiation of the relationship between Him and us. Which is, as far as I can see, an essential part of the big-picture of the Bible.

{^
from Colin Buchanan song based on JOHN 14:6}
________________

Having tackled what these chapters seem to be saying about knowing God, we gallop on into the land of reflection..
..regarding what it means (here) to know what God wants for us; to know what God's will is. Both now, in things quotidienne, & in the future..?

God the Son (ie. Jesus), in the way He relates to His disciples, seems to draw out a number of things that He desires & intends for them:

1. He wants them to do as He has done for them
- serving each other even if it means lowly/humble tasks
(such as footwashing was, back in the apostles' days, 13:15)
- doing what He did
(that is, what Jesus did right throughout John's account,
seeking the glory of God, & drawing people to a saving knowledge of Himself through faith in Him - 14:12)

2. He wants them to believe & accept His words, all He says to them
(13:19 and 14:10-11)
- & also, that they accept anyone He sends
(13:20, inferred in 14:17)

3. He wants them to show the same love for one another
as He did for them,
as disciples of Him;
- & He wants their love for Him to be shown in their obedience to His commands/words
(13:34-35, as well as verses 15, 21 and 23 of ch.14)

4. He wants for them to trust Him,
not to be troubled or afraid but to have peace
(ch.14, verses 1 and 27)
________________

This is all pretty straightforward.

But one question - which I don't ask often enough aloud (or even silently in my own head, day by day):
How am I going with these things? .. ie. these 4 points?

That said, if you are a Christian sister or brother of mine, how are YOU going with such things?

L/T.

Leçons apprises d'une classe de danse

L'évangile
(selon le ballet classique)
I had one of those mini-epiphanies in ballet class last week.

Our ballet teacher, in her youth ("long before your time, darling"), was a former coryphée with the London Festival Ballet/English National Ballet. In the last fortnight we had one of those days where she wanted us to concentrate more on technique and less on falling over.

The class was a daytime Elementary-level ballet class. She was asking some of us to have our feet less parallel (=opposite of "turned-out") than we normally do, while executing a slow developpé^.

Technically, a developpé is hard to do without losing your balance or just keeling over. Because we don't want to embarrass ourselves in this way, some of us tend to execute developpés with our feet too turned-in, that is, parallel.

But our teacher said, in essence:
Don't worry if you fall over. It's better if you're doing the exercise correctly.
As long as you're trying, I see it. I notice your efforts to improve, & it's really only my approval that matters, because you're all different & have trained for different periods of time.
Don't worry about what anybody else in the class is going to think of you. They've all got their own issues or things to work on.
________________

Sometimes I think ballet class can be a bit of a metaphor for corporate Christian life.

I say this because, very often, we can worry about how our fellow Christians see us. Esp. if we come across as weak or ungodly in a specific area. Just like I feel sometimes in the Elementary and Intermediate classes, we are self-conscious that others might be watching us, judging us, comparing us to themselves. We are afraid to be honest if we think it won't look that good to someone else nearby. Or worse, that someone may misunderstand & misinterpret what we do. Or say.

Even though what matters most is *not* the approval of our fellow learners, but that of our Teacher.

Perhaps we shouldn't worry so much about how other Christians see us.
As long as we're trying in dependence on the Spirit of Him who dwells in us, He sees it.
He notices our efforts by His Spirit to improve, & it's really only His approval that matters, because we've all been believers for different periods of time..have different backgrounds..different struggles & trials..different experiences.
Perhaps we shouldn't worry about what anybody else running the Christian race with us is going to think of us. They've all got their own issues or things to work on.


"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?
Or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
GAL. 1:10


L/T.

^
What a "developpé is"
- NON-BALLETOMANES stop reading now (unless you want to die of boredom)
Stand on two feet, draw one foot up the shin (bending the knee of the leg attached to the foot you are using), then unfold the leg/fully straighten the knee at hip/waist height.

(See this example of a developpé done by a genuine ballerina. The 0:05 mark - she does 4 of them, each with a different partner.)


{EDIT - 14/12/2010: My ballet friends!
And our teacher on the far R.}



Apart from our teacher, from L-R you can see: Midori, Maria, Phyllis, [yours truly] and Vivian.

Photograph courtesy of my friend Emma.

~