"You Don't Know What You've Got"

"You don't know what you've got" ringing through my ears as I walk down my street on the way to uni.
"Do you have a house, a nice car, a family, friends?" A man shouting on the street at people as they walk by. Angry, bitter about the losses he has suffered.
"I lost my wife, my family, my friends, my job, I lost everything! You don't know what you've got," he shouts as I walk on by, focusing on some object in the distance to avoid contact with his eyes.
"What are you staring at?" he screams at someone on the other side of the road. "You think you're better? you have a nice car? Somewhere to sleep at night?"
The voice fades away as I turn at the bottom of the street and head the other way.

I don't know why this man has lost everything. But he does have a point. Do we really know what we've got? Because if we don't, and we just take it for granted, then we may end up doing foolish things and ending up like this man. Bitter, angry, hating, perhaps in deep regret.

Although I think this man's anger was directed at the wrong people, maybe he should have asked himself why he lost it all. We still need to remember that our own lives and everything in them are held up by just a thin string that can so easily snap, and cause everything to hit the ground and splatter everywhere.

Let's be thankful and appreciative of those people who put up with us before there's a mess all over the ground too big to clean up.

Apathy and Anguish

Apathy.

I feel as though I am so apathetic to life these days. Don't get me wrong, I do care about things, but I just don't seem to care enough.
I want to do well in uni, but I don't care enough to devote hours of studying every week
I want to build deeper relationships with friends, but I don't make the time to go hang out (with more than just the usual bunch of close friends)
I want to develop a stronger relationship with God, but I just don't want to have to change things in my life to make way for something better. And even in my desire to want to change, I so often just can't be bothered.

Apathy is the response of any living organism when it is subjected to several stimuli it perceives too hard to handle.

I have too much responsibility and choice in my life I wish I was just told what to do exactly, and do it.
As Paul Washer said, we have so much truth in our lives already that we don't know what to do with it. We just want to change. Tell us how to change, not just a part of us, but ourselves entirely, from the chambers of our heart.

Anguish.

Part of my apathy is that I am not feeling anguish. A deep hurt for the things of God in this life. I should care and the people on those streets, not be desensitized any longer. I should be in pain for the waste of my life playing computer games, or for sitting around watching TV. It's not even justifiably social if I'm the only one doing it. I should be hurting every inch of me when I stunt my relationship with God, or when I choose to say something that hurts someone.

"Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up" James 4:9,10

Dr SM Lockridge's Famous Sermon

My King was born King.
The Bible says He’s a Seven Way King.
He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.
He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King.
He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.
He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that’s my King. Well I wonder if you know Him.
Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me.
Do you know my King?

David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show His handiwork.
My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

Well, well, He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.
That’s my King.

He’s God’s Son.
He’s the sinner’s Savior.
He’s the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.
He’s honest.
He’s unique.
He’s unparalleled.
He’s unprecedented.
He’s supreme.
He’s pre-eminent.

Well, He’s the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme problem in high criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.
He’s the carnal necessity of spiritual religion.
That’s my King.

He’s the miracle of the age.
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
Well, He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He’s strong God and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharged debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and
He beautifies the meek.
Do you know Him?

Well, my King is the key of knowledge.
He’s the wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the doorway of deliverance.
He’s the pathway of peace.
He’s the roadway of righteousness.
He’s the highway of holiness.
He’s the gateway of glory.
He’s the master of the mighty.
He’s the captain of the conquerors.
He’s the head of the heroes.
He’s the leader of the legislatures.
He’s the overseer of the overcomers.
He’s the governor of governors.
He’s the prince of princes.
He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.
That’s my King. Yeah. Yeah. That’s my King. My King, yeah.

His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable.
He’s indescribable. Yes.
He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible.
He’s irresistible.
I’m coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him.
You can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off of your hands.
You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.

Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.
That’s my King. Yeah.
He always has been and He always will be.
I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.
There was nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him.
You cant impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.
That’s my King! That’s my King!

Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.
Well, all the power belongs to my King.
We’re around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it’s God’s power.
Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory.
We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His.
Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever.
How long is that?
And ever and ever and ever and ever.
And when you get through with all of the evers, then, Amen.

Fasting

I recently started the Daniel Fast with my church. The point was to make a sacrifice to God saying, "I will give up eating and drinking all but fruit and vegetables (no preservatives, dairy, meat, seafood, sugar) so that You may build our church in numbers, in monetary funds (so we can get a building), in seeing people come to know you.

Which is great. However, as I started this fast I realized a couple of things that made me uneasy. The point of Fasting is to sacrifice something of ourselves to grow that relationship we have with God. When I started this fast, though, I really started it because the rest of my flatmates were doing it. Don't get me wrong, I am passionate about seeing this young church grow and be built up to be something that influences the whole of Dunedin - but it wasn't "truly" the reason I started the fast. I hadn't actually thought about why I was doing it in much detail at all.

So I sat down tonight and had a think about it. When I did, I realised that my time with God hadn't increased at all, my motives were wrong (fitting in rather than desiring God to move in our church), cooking "Daniel Fast" foods took longer than normal meals, and I was spending most of my day thinking how hungry I was - which usually resulted ion me letting others know I was fasting.

This was a problem, because although I was making a sacrifice, it actually was sacrificing anything to God. Really I was sacrificing to conformity and looking good around others. So I had to revamp what I was doing. The Daniel fast is not for me at this time. But I do want to ask God to change our church, to build people up within it as leaders, evangelists, to see people saved, to grow our funds so that we can have a permanent building (which will allow us more free time as we have to set up and pack down every Church service, Change service and Primal service) and so we can better advertise our church to draw people in. So there are a lot of things I want to see happen in the church, and I am willing to sacrifice something of myself to God in my persistent petitions regarding this subject. After talking to God and the youth pastor, I concluded a better approach would be to ditch the Daniel fast and to instead go completely off computer games for the three weeks which should free up a little bit of time which I can give to God. As well as this, I am going to fast during lunch time, giving me more time to spend reading His word during the day.

So I just pray that as I sacrifice these coming weeks these things that I desire - God would build higher my desire for His Kingdom here on earth, that he will provide for His church as it grows through evangelism by His Spirit through the people of c3 church, that His church would willingly and cheerfully give of what you give them for a bigger vision, a bigger hope for the future of bigger city. Amen

The year sure has gone quickly. To be honest, I think this is about the second time this year I've posted here. Blogging seems to have died out in the circles that once were. Perhaps it was the novelty of sharing thoughts with people you cared about, and who cared enough to read about you, in a way that didn't require finding a common free time, making an appointment, using leftover pocket-money on petrol and espresso coffee and then forgetting how to make conversation with the person sitting in front of you. I really do miss blogging, but I don't think I blogged because of time restrictions. High school provides so much free time and perhaps that is why I spent so much time updating my blog and reading other blogs in those times. It just seems that now it's much more important for me to actually make time to (physically) catch up with people. The problem is, most of those people I love dearly in Christchurch I see very seldomly because I head back up there when I get a chance and spend a lot of time with a few people. For the rest of the people who I don't get to see, I just kind of hope that they join facebook and update there, given its system of notifying updates on other people's webpages updates everyone's webpage. For instance, when my brother started dating his status changed from "single" to "in a relationship" which posted the change on everyone's webpage that was associated with him.
This really just allows people to keep up to date with everyone they know with just a 2 minute glance at their own webpage; which to me is very appealing as spending hours going through all the different blogs cannot really justify anything more than procrastination in a daily routine where very little free time for web-browsing is possible.

But I will update this page still, occasionally.
My life at the moment is reasonably stressful. The Human Body Systems exam is on Friday, then three more (Metabolism, Biology and Protein Structure) over the space of the next few weeks. On top of that, I've changed church from DCBC to BATCH (Breakfast at the Centennial Hall) in the mornings (8.30-10) and CCC Dunedin Metro (Christian City Church) in the evenings (6-late). I've started getting involved in the AV team again and intend to be better trained for more of the sound and lighting aspects of this over the start of next year. Myself and 3 people from CCC are flatting together next year (one of whom I flat with now) but are yet to find a flat that doesn't charge the earth or is unfixably insanitary. I'm also looking at getting a job over summer and am waiting on a friend to get back to me on whether I have it all not. So all in all there is a bit of stress in my life at the moment. But I will survive.

In Christ,
Rayd

Web browsing

I came across a site today, in which a girl talked about watching a TV programme that involved a mother telling her child how creation theory was the be-all and end-all, and science was all lies. The girl made the comment on how it made her mad that the child, and other children in Christian fundamentalist families were being brainwashed. I couldn't resist sending a comment back, as I feel this is one of the stumbling blocks for many pre-christians in accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour; that they believe the Bible and science are seperate, and can only contradict one another. The original post can be found here

This was my reply:

It's interesting that you talk about brainwashing Christians. I'm not arguing with you that what the mother said was wrong. What she said was wrong, but I feel I need to express my own opinions here (even though I came across this site by googling my nickname). I am a university student doing a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and I am a Christian. A creationist at that. Despite the many allegations that science has to dispel a 6-day creation, I have found no backup proof to claims. I believe science has an important impact on our lives, but I think that to say everything you hear about science and in science is correct, is a form of brainwashing in itself. To argue effectively against creationism you need to understand why you believe what you believe, with evidence to back it up, or essentually you're just defending someone else's theories and are the same as the mother on the TV programme you so despise. And it's a sad truth that much of science has become like that. People are so caught up on trying to reliquish the fact that there is someone who has more control over their lives than themselves that they are willing to "free" themselves by becoming slaves to lies.

If you have questions about my beliefs, or just want to have a go at me, then please email me @ aliasrayd@gmail.com. I believe that people deserve to know the truth, which is understandably near impossible to get published, based on the presupposed evolution stigma surrounding universities today.
Cheers,Rayd