As part of the Christian Union in The University of Sunderland we are currently looking at the incredible book of Romans. I love it, for many reasons. One of which being that it describes how we as sinful human beings are justified by faith.
Now, not to downplay what Jesus did on the cross so that we could be saved, as it is the most amazing and best thing that ever took place on this earth. However, for me personally, being brought up in a Christian family (which I am truly thankful to my parents for) never quite made me realise the overwhelming NEED we have for a saviour.
Sure, as any other human I make mistakes every day and don't always abide by God's law. But I think because of my upbringing, these mistakes were only ever present in what the world would deem an insignificant form. The odd swear word or argument, and burning down an abandoned house (okay, so that was a pretty big one, but I was really just an observer when that took place...). You hear these incredible testimonies of people coming to Christ after drug addictions and prison sentences, prostitution and alcoholism. Amazing stories that completely give us every reason to praise God for what he did for us on the cross. I guess you could say because I've always accepted Jesus as my saviour, I never delved into any of those lifestyles, as I'd already been saved from it.
I won't give details, but after making some really big mistakes recently, I've realised what I am without Jesus's death. Yes, that sounds blunt, but we have to understand the realness of a horrific death that took place over 2000 years ago, so that WE could be made righteous.
I can't be any more honest now, but it used to frustrate me that people couldn't grasp the concept of grace and that they couldn't believe that God loved them despite there past etc etc. Now I have a reason to be desperate for God's grace, I understand it. Why should we be given grace freely, especially if it means the death of the Lord himself in a horrific way. Because we're loved, and God wants us made right with him.
Just think, and dwell in it, and realise the mind blowing realness of our justification.
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Monday, 16 January 2012
Value
A preacher summed up my thinking behind the term 'stripped' yesterday.
Where do we find our value? Is it the impression we give off to others when we're on our ipads on the train. Carrying a kindle? Expensive clothes? The people we talk to and associate with? The places we go? The pictures we put up on our facebook? The coffee we drink? The money other people see us giving?
Being humble is doing things for God's glory, not doing deeds that we know others will see us do and therefore appear to be a good person.
God gives us value when we accept him as our Saviour and Lord. Adding these worldly levels of value to ourselves does not increase our value, it only chips away at what God has made us: a new creation.
Being humble is doing things for God's glory, not doing deeds that we know others will see us do and therefore appear to be a good person.
These things aren't bad, but should be distinguished as things that the world hold high in value for a person, not what God does. It's like chasing the wind - Ecclesiastes.
Monday, 22 August 2011
God is Love
It's nearly been three months since I last wrote here. I guess I was disheartened when five commentes turned to a consecutive zero, but I realised I didn't start this blog for people to read and appreciate my ramblings and tell me what I write is good. Don't get me wrong, I love to hear that people can relate to my own experiences, especially God encounters and what we may think a lack of God encounters. It makes this Christian walk feel a lot less lonely in a world full of lost people. What I initially started writing for is much different to the reason I write now. I had no idea of the soul searching that would take place in the time it takes to look inside your mind to try and translate it into words on a screen. Ha, naivity, gets the best of us.
It's less than four weeks till I head off to The University of Sunderland. Everyone asks the question 'Are you scared?' and when I can't be bothered to go into detail of my honest answer I just say 'yeah a bit'. I think I'm apprehensive, but no, not scared. I think some of the things that I've had to practice for years are starting to come naturally to me. If I was the person I was say, three years ago, I'm have been as scared as my dog when he sees a cat, the absolute fool. But continual practicing of not fearing things and being confident because Christ is within me is something I haven't had to try really hard to make my heart believe this time round. Similair to anticipating results day, I was so peaceful, rather than praying for Gods peace over and over. And I feel very blessed for that and thankful. I'm not trying to make it out that asking God for things such as his peace and confidence is a bad thing, not at all, hope you see where I'm coming from if reading!
I went to a wedding of one of my friends from church on saturday, meaning I spent the weekend in York and only arrived home this morning. Since then, I've been quite emotional. It makes me think of how tempremental the body part of our Body Soul and Spirit is. Feelings and emotion and everything, it's beautiful and fascinating but confusing. The complexity of one being is just astonishing when you think about it. I mean, what does that say about it's creator? How can some black matter or whatever create such a complex and intricately detailed being? It amazes me.
A close friend of mine describes me as having a musical soul. I think music triggers the my emotions a lot of the time. Maybe that's one of the detailps God included in creating us. Things our soul connects with. Places, mountains and oceans and lakes. Or Literature, paintings and novels and tapestry. Nature, animals, the weather, buildings. He takes so much into account, these things we see as so small that we care about, he really considors and dwells in with us I think. It's fascinating. God is fascinating. And God is love.
It's less than four weeks till I head off to The University of Sunderland. Everyone asks the question 'Are you scared?' and when I can't be bothered to go into detail of my honest answer I just say 'yeah a bit'. I think I'm apprehensive, but no, not scared. I think some of the things that I've had to practice for years are starting to come naturally to me. If I was the person I was say, three years ago, I'm have been as scared as my dog when he sees a cat, the absolute fool. But continual practicing of not fearing things and being confident because Christ is within me is something I haven't had to try really hard to make my heart believe this time round. Similair to anticipating results day, I was so peaceful, rather than praying for Gods peace over and over. And I feel very blessed for that and thankful. I'm not trying to make it out that asking God for things such as his peace and confidence is a bad thing, not at all, hope you see where I'm coming from if reading!
I went to a wedding of one of my friends from church on saturday, meaning I spent the weekend in York and only arrived home this morning. Since then, I've been quite emotional. It makes me think of how tempremental the body part of our Body Soul and Spirit is. Feelings and emotion and everything, it's beautiful and fascinating but confusing. The complexity of one being is just astonishing when you think about it. I mean, what does that say about it's creator? How can some black matter or whatever create such a complex and intricately detailed being? It amazes me.
A close friend of mine describes me as having a musical soul. I think music triggers the my emotions a lot of the time. Maybe that's one of the detailps God included in creating us. Things our soul connects with. Places, mountains and oceans and lakes. Or Literature, paintings and novels and tapestry. Nature, animals, the weather, buildings. He takes so much into account, these things we see as so small that we care about, he really considors and dwells in with us I think. It's fascinating. God is fascinating. And God is love.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Love
I just started to write a talk for my friday youth group, so was searching for some holy background music fromy outube and came accross this.
I know this is God speaking to me, through this song (even though its directed to God) I felt God.
In the midst of my current problems and situations, worries, concerns, and complete blindness to the security God provides me with, he still fights for me, and for you! Fights for us to seek his face, inwhich we can find restoration and peace.
He constantly reminds me of the truth. When I'm not searching for it, he uses everything around me to call out to me. People, songs, places, even car journeys.
I love the way God loves us :)
I know this is God speaking to me, through this song (even though its directed to God) I felt God.
In the midst of my current problems and situations, worries, concerns, and complete blindness to the security God provides me with, he still fights for me, and for you! Fights for us to seek his face, inwhich we can find restoration and peace.
He constantly reminds me of the truth. When I'm not searching for it, he uses everything around me to call out to me. People, songs, places, even car journeys.
I love the way God loves us :)
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Analysis
Ever see a stranger and analyse them?
Facial features, loudness, maturity, weight, height, voice, hair. Little judgements you take in as you first meet a person. Finding a reason not to like them because maybe you're intimidated, possibly someone of the same sex or some glorified person in your school/college who everybody seems to love.
Those people probably hate those imperfections that you're finding too.
A comment that might pop into my head about a girl wearing so much makeup I feel sick could be the disguise of someone who completely hates the way they look.
It might be quite easy to find the goodness in people that you know and love, or the people who are timid and weak and maybe a bit of a loner. And I don't know about you, but for the people who are well liked and seem to have it all going on, I'm very quick to make judgement on stupid insignificant things rather than search for the goodness all those other people find in them.
Why destroy when you can encourage. I'm STILL learning its such a better use of my time! I'll get it in the end.
Facial features, loudness, maturity, weight, height, voice, hair. Little judgements you take in as you first meet a person. Finding a reason not to like them because maybe you're intimidated, possibly someone of the same sex or some glorified person in your school/college who everybody seems to love.
Those people probably hate those imperfections that you're finding too.
A comment that might pop into my head about a girl wearing so much makeup I feel sick could be the disguise of someone who completely hates the way they look.
It might be quite easy to find the goodness in people that you know and love, or the people who are timid and weak and maybe a bit of a loner. And I don't know about you, but for the people who are well liked and seem to have it all going on, I'm very quick to make judgement on stupid insignificant things rather than search for the goodness all those other people find in them.
Why destroy when you can encourage. I'm STILL learning its such a better use of my time! I'll get it in the end.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Emptiness & Oppurtunities
Ever feel like a walking dead person? Staring into space, giving nothing out yet taking nothing in? It talks in the bible about a living corpse, without God, the last couple of days that has been more relatable than I would have liked.
Numbness. Things that happen in life that make you become numb to life in general. Criticisims, attack, words, feelings, rejection. Life throws it all at you, and as a person you can only take so much before it either completely breaks you or just goes over your head. Thats my personal response to it anyway. Becoming empty. Not accepting all the rubbish but then not filling your life with God either. For me praising in the storm is pretty hard, not because I don't know Jesus is my saviour and that he can't help me, but because I get comfortable in nothing-ness.
So as I walked my dog Murphy today I prayed, out loud, timidly, but I invited God back into my heart once more. Life makes it so easy to harden your heart; what a stupid waste of time.
Then, I asked God for an oppurtunity to speak to someone about him, and then I stopped praying out loud as I saw a man approaching, not that I was ashamed, just that people get scared when people approaching arfe talking to themselves. The second I stopped speaking this man shouted "Is he alright?". Murphy was staring this man out, that awkward moment when he's deciding if he should pounce on the stranger or just wag and lick him to death. I was like "Oh yeah he's fine!". This guy was so jolly and chatty, walking in the opposite direction as he was asking me how to get to the dam. As I started walking away I felt the urge to turn back around and use the excuse of showing him where the dam was (he looked a little lost) to talk to him. I didn't. Instead I stopped, staring into space, ignoring my feet.
Now I have no idea if that was the oppurtunity God gave me that I completely missed, so I made sure I prayed for someone else to reveal God's goodness to that guy today. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, living an empty life has no risk. We have to risk to ever reach out to people. People may say 'God never talks to me' or 'I dont know what God wants'. I've learnt we often need to get out there and try to know what God wants for us. After all, what harm would it have done to go and speak to that man if it wasn't the oppurtunity God presented? I'd have still been showing Gods character.
Step out into uncertainty and don't miss any oppurtunity.
Numbness. Things that happen in life that make you become numb to life in general. Criticisims, attack, words, feelings, rejection. Life throws it all at you, and as a person you can only take so much before it either completely breaks you or just goes over your head. Thats my personal response to it anyway. Becoming empty. Not accepting all the rubbish but then not filling your life with God either. For me praising in the storm is pretty hard, not because I don't know Jesus is my saviour and that he can't help me, but because I get comfortable in nothing-ness.
So as I walked my dog Murphy today I prayed, out loud, timidly, but I invited God back into my heart once more. Life makes it so easy to harden your heart; what a stupid waste of time.
Then, I asked God for an oppurtunity to speak to someone about him, and then I stopped praying out loud as I saw a man approaching, not that I was ashamed, just that people get scared when people approaching arfe talking to themselves. The second I stopped speaking this man shouted "Is he alright?". Murphy was staring this man out, that awkward moment when he's deciding if he should pounce on the stranger or just wag and lick him to death. I was like "Oh yeah he's fine!". This guy was so jolly and chatty, walking in the opposite direction as he was asking me how to get to the dam. As I started walking away I felt the urge to turn back around and use the excuse of showing him where the dam was (he looked a little lost) to talk to him. I didn't. Instead I stopped, staring into space, ignoring my feet.
Now I have no idea if that was the oppurtunity God gave me that I completely missed, so I made sure I prayed for someone else to reveal God's goodness to that guy today. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, living an empty life has no risk. We have to risk to ever reach out to people. People may say 'God never talks to me' or 'I dont know what God wants'. I've learnt we often need to get out there and try to know what God wants for us. After all, what harm would it have done to go and speak to that man if it wasn't the oppurtunity God presented? I'd have still been showing Gods character.
Step out into uncertainty and don't miss any oppurtunity.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Practice what you preach Bowens
I'll be honest, I knew lent was coming up but I had no idea what date it was...
I know, i'm a 'waste' as my friends would say. So as to make sure I didn't miss lent completely, on the 1st March I thought I'd just give up make up for the month. I'd been saying since last summer I'll give it up for a month and always shrugged it off, forgotten. But coming back from the gathering I realised my dependence on the stuff was too big, and if I was truly comfortable in my identity in Christ, the thought of not wearing make up in college and church and everywhere wouldn't make me so nervous!
I thought, to be truly Stripped of the world and live in Gods presence, I should sacrifice the things in my life that I have a dependence on.
And on a side note, its crazy how beneficial it is! The first week I had work experience, I looked in the mirror of the toilets and didn't recognise myself. I don't even usually wear that much. I actually apologised to the girl I was working with for having to work with my bare face all day. 2 weeks on, the change is not so evident to me anymore, I am comfortable in a new face that is my own and not Boots no.7's or avon's. Its almost like getting rid of an addiction, the longer you go the more you realise how much you didnt need it, painful at first! But worth it.
So, I figured rather than making this like any other lent, to avoid me just being like my college friends who give something up because they are technically a catholic, or because its what you do, or because they want to lose weight by giving up crisps chocolate and biscuits, I thought I'd take on a project to really embrace the Stripped message.
Jesus didn't have distractions in his life like me and you do, Moses or Abraham, characters in the bible who lived according to Gods plan spent their time in Gods presence. Funnily enough, a song called I know who I am starts with this guy from the audience (live recording) singing in a cute funky way 'I wanna be like Jesus'. Jesus knew who he was. I want to be identified in the way Jesus was!
Each month I'm going to give up something I depend on. I dont know how many things in my life that take up time before I give time to God, so how long this project will run for depends on that! If you have any ideas tell me! And yes, facebook will be one of them. In fact, the amount of time I spend on that thing I should probably dedicate two months to it!
P.S
I'm not saying we SHOULDN'T be involved in things of the world, I know scripture says be all things to all men and I also think we have to be involved in the world to make a change in it. The message I want to put out there is that we should be mindful of the things we value in life.
At the end of one of Pauls letters in Philippians he says;
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do the best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
I know, i'm a 'waste' as my friends would say. So as to make sure I didn't miss lent completely, on the 1st March I thought I'd just give up make up for the month. I'd been saying since last summer I'll give it up for a month and always shrugged it off, forgotten. But coming back from the gathering I realised my dependence on the stuff was too big, and if I was truly comfortable in my identity in Christ, the thought of not wearing make up in college and church and everywhere wouldn't make me so nervous!
I thought, to be truly Stripped of the world and live in Gods presence, I should sacrifice the things in my life that I have a dependence on.
And on a side note, its crazy how beneficial it is! The first week I had work experience, I looked in the mirror of the toilets and didn't recognise myself. I don't even usually wear that much. I actually apologised to the girl I was working with for having to work with my bare face all day. 2 weeks on, the change is not so evident to me anymore, I am comfortable in a new face that is my own and not Boots no.7's or avon's. Its almost like getting rid of an addiction, the longer you go the more you realise how much you didnt need it, painful at first! But worth it.
So, I figured rather than making this like any other lent, to avoid me just being like my college friends who give something up because they are technically a catholic, or because its what you do, or because they want to lose weight by giving up crisps chocolate and biscuits, I thought I'd take on a project to really embrace the Stripped message.
Jesus didn't have distractions in his life like me and you do, Moses or Abraham, characters in the bible who lived according to Gods plan spent their time in Gods presence. Funnily enough, a song called I know who I am starts with this guy from the audience (live recording) singing in a cute funky way 'I wanna be like Jesus'. Jesus knew who he was. I want to be identified in the way Jesus was!
Each month I'm going to give up something I depend on. I dont know how many things in my life that take up time before I give time to God, so how long this project will run for depends on that! If you have any ideas tell me! And yes, facebook will be one of them. In fact, the amount of time I spend on that thing I should probably dedicate two months to it!
P.S
I'm not saying we SHOULDN'T be involved in things of the world, I know scripture says be all things to all men and I also think we have to be involved in the world to make a change in it. The message I want to put out there is that we should be mindful of the things we value in life.
At the end of one of Pauls letters in Philippians he says;
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do the best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
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