I can’t think of a suitable title…

Over the past couple of weeks at church God has been showing me the reason why we do church. It’s not been the awesome services that just makes me go ‘wow’ or the preaching of the word that cuts to the heart but it was two simple acts by to individuals.

The first one was hearing one of my logistics guys pray for the team, this guy is as shy as a mallard in a baking tray (very shy). It took a little bit to get him to pray but when he did, man I was blown away just to hear such honesty and simplicity in a prayer. It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t well spoken, it didn’t come from years of praying prayers, it came from his heart. It was amazing, you could see that this was all he had and he just laid it out before God.

Second thing was hearing this off-key, out of tune, nails on a chalkboard sound coming from someone during worship (it was Li…jks). Maybe not that bad, definitely not that bad but it wasn’t great. Let’s just say below average (nice save). So during worship they were singing and you could hear the desperation in their voice, it was a sound that was crying out to meet God, it was a call to God saying ‘I need you, I need you more than anything in this world’. Just hearing this I could tell that they were there, all them, everything was being pouring into that worship song.

Just thinking about these two instances I was reminded of the story in Luke 21 about the widow who puts two small coins in the temple treasury. Jesus comments on her actions saying that she has given more than those who gave bucket loads of money to the temple cos she gave out of her poverty and ‘…ALL she had to live on’. The same goes for the two people I referred to earlier, they gave a simple prayer and a song of worship not out of their vast skills or talents but they gave all that they had. All he had was a simple prayer and that’s all he gave, all the singing ability in that person’s body was accumulated and given out in a song of worship. I can safely say that God was more pleased and honoured by those two ppl than someone who gave a lengthy, perfectly structured prayer or someone who was pitch perfect but they don’t give it all.

Here is the kicker, the thing that should make you think and keep you up at night. Can I say the same thing about myself?  In EVERYTHING I do, do I give out what I have or do I give all out of my lack?

Guilty

Balance Beam

This made me ask myself one question about what I am doing “Am I prepared to fall?”

Call to the ‘Mediocre/Mundane’

Here is something I heard that blew me away.

“Are we doing great things for God or are we doing things for a great God?”

In the sermon there is a story of this guy who one day got told by God to do nothing and stop all of your ministry for one year. The preacher asked the audience ‘What would you do?’ It’s sounds so easy but it would be the hardest thing for someone who has a burning passion for God to do. What if you asked Tiger Woods to stop playing golf for a year, he would struggle with it. What if you were asked not to use a computer or mobile phone for a year? I think some people would die. The guy ended up doing it (stopping ministry – he was a writer and preacher) and learnt to ‘waste’ time just in the presence of God. He reflected on the decision and found the biggest hinderance to obeying God was his ego and that it wasn’t such a waste of time it was just his ego talking.

Isn’t it ironic that when God calls us to the ‘mediocre/mundane’ we find it hardest to obey.

The ‘Awesome’ World we live in

So I was watching TV today, something I rarely do (I wish I could say I do something productive like read or study but I just watch anime on my comp) and Today Tonight was finishing and showed a preview of what will be on tomorrow nights show. Tomorrow night they would show an inspirational story about a beautiful young Australian girl going America to try and make it big, she wants to become…… a playboy bunny.

WHAT THE HECK?!?!?! seriously when I heard that I thought my ears heard wrong but they are seriously doing an interview with this girl whose goal is to take off her clothes for a magazine… on Today Tonight… primetime when families leave the TV on after the news. This got my blood boiling and asking where the heck is the world headed?

Firstly, why someone who wants to be a playboy bunny? Can’t they find someone who wants to add value to society? Not even that just some random on the street. Anyone, but someone who wants to become a pornstar. Seriously, if she does become a playboy bunny congrats you now live in a mansion with a pervy old man, you get to show off your ’skills’ to a camera, and in about 5yrs time you get throw the trash heap cos you’re too old. Great role model. You deserve an interview to show the young girls of Australia how to be successful. Successful in ruining marriages, placing men in bondage and helping an industry that does zero good to the overall society.

Second thing that really ticked me off was that it was on during a timeslot when most families leave there TV on during dinner to listen to the news and current affairs. This is a program you expect on late a night. Come on should society have better standards?… you would expect so.

Ok enough ranting and sarcasm. I’m done. Its kinda sad that I feel disappointed in a world that I already knew was going down the toilet bowl.

It’s a sick, sad world. Lucky we have the hope and the solution .