THE INNER ROOM - "Learn and Grow - to Maturity". Please read the 1st Post.

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I'm putting these two posts in so that Bondman will have the honors. :D

Oh, Mark, that's SO wonderful of you! Thankyou!! (Definitely deserves a few smileys, I reckon!)
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And it's ended up even more amazing, cos it's my 100th Message that's gone onto the 1,000th post! How amazing! I never organised that in any way. Only just realised it was 100 when I went to my record of Messages to get 'the next number' for the post!!! Wow!
 
G'day Bondman,

Thanks for your welcome. Don't know how much you have found of my testimony, but if you are interested the long version is at lynnbfowler.com/testimony God is indeed good! I've just celebrated the 33rd anniversary of my first sermon (on June 10th) and I stand amazed at where the Lord has taken me in those years. Yet that's not the best of it.

I remember when I was a very young Christian hearing a preacher who was talking about how exciting the Christian life is. Unfortunately, he then went on to equate that excitement with the way God took him round the world in ministry etc. That left me feeling, "Well, that's fine for you, mate, but what about us ordinary plebs who don't get to jet all over the place?" Since then I've preached in a heap of countries, and done many of the things that bloke was talking about, and yes there is an excitement in that. But the really exciting thing is that my best friend is King of the universe!

blessings,

Lynn
 
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Blessings to you, Smellycat! :groupray:

Well, you're STILL coming up with the goods, hon!

I know you said about the bad graphics, but we sure gotta be grateful to the artistic folks who take time to do beautiful graphics like all the ones you've put up here and in the Coffee House. Beloved and I are both very artistic, yet some of them fair blow my brain how wonderful they are!

I guess we're all encouraged as well as empowered by the Great Creator Himself whose superb ARTISTRY in nature around us constantly thrills my soul, and being ill and stuck indoors always excites me and truly lifts my spirit when I look out, for example, and watch while He paints an ever-changing brilliant sunset!! - or sends our lovely Aussie birds into the shrubs and trees we planted in our back garden!

Yep, I can handle it!!!
 
God's Wondrous (Australian) Creations in Our Back Garden!

Decided I would share for the first time a very small sample of God's unique Handiwork here in the world's driest continent, and also the world's smallest continent and largest island (about the size of the United States).

All the photos were taken from our dining room where we can look out at the patch of Aussie bush we planted in our back yard 14 years ago. Everything below is uniquely Australian, found only here. Enjoy!

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A 'cute-as' male Superb Wren hopping and bopping in the grass looking for small insects. Body is about the size of a ping-pong ball. Add a head one end and a tail the other, and there ya go! Interestingly the 'oh-so-obvious' tail that is always up in the air has only half the number of feathers compared to other birds!

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Looking West to a nice sunset and natural Eucalypts (Gum trees) in a neighbour's acreage block.​

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Another of our very tiny birds. This time one of our many species of Honeyeaters. This magnificent male Scarlet Honeyeater is no bigger than the Wren, but a quite different shape. He is getting nectar out of the Grevillea flowers using a longish curved beak and a brush tongue.
For a long time godless scientists seemed to be ignoring what I figured out ages ago: that our Honeyeaters automatically carry pollen on the feathers of their face from one flower to the next - thus pollinating without need of bees! God is smart!! Now they've finally caught up and are acknowledging this.​

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One of our many spectacular parrots, this spectacular, fast-flying, and noisy Rainbow Lorikeet is also getting nectar from a different Grevillea. No long beak this time, but still with a brush tongue to slurp up the nectar. What fascinates me is that no damage of any kind is done to the flower. Did I say that God is smart?​

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Our lovely Swamp Bloodwood, one our many Aussie Eucalypts. This species is small enough for a garden, has large flowers and even larger seed-pods called gum-nuts. We bought it to get red flowers (very spectacular), but it turned out to be this attractive pink, so all is a-okay. All species of Eucalypts have NO petals on the flowers, as you can see on the flowers here.​

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This is commonly called a bottle-brush, I guess for obvious reasons! It's one of our red-flowering Callistemon, much loved by our Honeyeaters - especially the Scarlet - because of the copious supply of nectar each flower spike produces.​

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Of all the nectar-producing native Australian flowering shrubs and small trees we planted in our yard, this Grevillea is the one the birds come and visit most of all. A small shrub that flowers all year and is called Peaches and Cream, our visiting wild birds have definitely voted it "Most Popular Nectar-Producing Flower"!​


GOD IS NOT ONLY SMART, HE IS TOTALLY BRILLIANT!!! "Just can't help lovin' You, Lord!"

- BM
 
G'day Bondman,

Thanks for your welcome. Don't know how much you have found of my testimony, but if you are interested the long version is at lynnbfowler.com/testimony God is indeed good! I've just celebrated the 33rd anniversary of my first sermon (on June 10th) and I stand amazed at where the Lord has taken me in those years. Yet that's not the best of it.

I remember when I was a very young Christian hearing a preacher who was talking about how exciting the Christian life is. Unfortunately, he then went on to equate that excitement with the way God took him round the world in ministry etc. That left me feeling, "Well, that's fine for you, mate, but what about us ordinary plebs who don't get to jet all over the place?" Since then I've preached in a heap of countries, and done many of the things that bloke was talking about, and yes there is an excitement in that. But the really exciting thing is that my best friend is King of the universe!

blessings,

Lynn

Yes, it was the long version I skimmed, Lynn.

My Christian life for the past 50 years has just about had it all I guess. I've been doing it really tough for the past unbroken 31 years, and that's not just from my chronic ill-health. Seems He's been determined to work on me - a lot! The result, however, is a life like I never could have imagined to be possible, nor did, when I was saved at 18.

Doing it all on my own for all those years, it's been like a kind of voyage of discovery I spose! And what a voyage! Plenty of wonders, tons of hardship, but would I change any of it? Yes, the sin I could and should have avoided, but the journey - I'd not want to change that one iota! And still I continue to learn more of Him, and grow further into the Scriptural maturity that I had no idea could be, but which He chose to bring me to.

"The excitement of King of the universe as your best friend," you said - wow, that sure works for me!!

Love,

- BM
 
Yahoo! We are still going! Yay!
Ooo! Pretty pictures, Bondman!
Hey, thanks for your explanation of in or out. That made a lot of sense!:D
Hi, Lynn!
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Great pics Bondman!
Thanks for sharing!

I got to get my graduation pics done so I scan and show~

Had a super week-end with my mom and dad. It was her bday.. she turned 73.. have a great one!

Hugs
Faithwoman
 
The Saftey Net

"The excitement of King of the universe as your best friend," you said - wow, that sure works for me!!

I agree with that King of the Universe as I spoke of that I thought why not allow him to be my saftey net instead of other things or other people?

Do you ever feel like you are a tightrope walker and need that safety net underneath you? As you examine your life, do you see things or people that you use as your saftey net instead of having, knowing and relying on the Lord to be your saftey net of all?

What is it that you are holding onto for "safety". Ok. I will share of my own personal experience.

In my "snooping" days of the fleshly world, I would snoop at cell phone bills, computer history and such of those I thought I loved, it was at the time what I thought was my "safety net".. hey no one was going to hurt me again! no siree.... I was going to know all.. well now really Robin!.. was the snooping a safety net? NO! it just caused more questions, arised more uncertainity in my life.. now if I turn to the King of the Universe, get to know him, love him, trust in him, he will protect me from all harm.

Yes there are things I will go through. Yes there are lessons in life to learn. But coming to understand and know that the Lord's safety net is around me, sure is alot more comforting than anyone or anything I could ever hold onto. So I ask you, is there things of the world, or people that you are holding onto for your saftey net?

Now vision this.. you are high in the air, walking along that tightrope, visually you see no safety net below you, HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMEONE THAT YOU CANNOT SEE, BUT YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART HE WILL PROTECT YOU, ARE YOU READY TO TRUST IN HIM? EEEEEEEE.. SCARY THOUGHT.. but I can assure you as I am learning, the Lord, the King of the Universe is the best saftety net of all

Hugs to you all!
Faithwoman:):)
 
Yahoo! We are still going! Yay!
Ooo! Pretty pictures, Bondman!
Hey, thanks for your explanation of in or out. That made a lot of sense!:D

Oh, good!!

For such a long time I've seen that we ALL need a "Home Base" if you like, where we can continue our Christian growth while we love, care, support, and pray for each other. Like we do HERE!! This Home Base is our "Inner Room" where we and God get together. And this group of Believers is also our source of power (cos the NT knows NOTHING about individuals living - read: TRYING to live - separate Christian lives).

With the power of and from the group - effectively a CHURCH grouping, in the sense that Jesus is there with His people as they meet together (Church-based Home Groups can do this really well if they properly focus on doing it) - the group then "sends" each of us OUT into the world to speak for Him and live for Him there. This has been the pattern of all the BEST and most effective church work for the past two millennia.


Yep, still going! Glad you liked the pics! Love ya!!
 
I agree with that King of the Universe as I spoke of that I thought why not allow him to be my saftey net instead of other things or other people?

Do you ever feel like you are a tightrope walker and need that safety net underneath you? As you examine your life, do you see things or people that you use as your saftey net instead of having, knowing and relying on the Lord to be your saftey net of all?

What is it that you are holding onto for "safety". Ok. I will share of my own personal experience.

In my "snooping" days of the fleshly world, I would snoop at cell phone bills, computer history and such of those I thought I loved, it was at the time what I thought was my "safety net".. hey no one was going to hurt me again! no siree.... I was going to know all.. well now really Robin!.. was the snooping a safety net? NO! it just caused more questions, arised more uncertainity in my life.. now if I turn to the King of the Universe, get to know him, love him, trust in him, he will protect me from all harm.

Yes there are things I will go through. Yes there are lessons in life to learn. But coming to understand and know that the Lord's safety net is around me, sure is alot more comforting than anyone or anything I could ever hold onto. So I ask you, is there things of the world, or people that you are holding onto for your saftey net?

Now vision this.. you are high in the air, walking along that tightrope, visually you see no safety net below you, HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMEONE THAT YOU CANNOT SEE, BUT YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART HE WILL PROTECT YOU, ARE YOU READY TO TRUST IN HIM? EEEEEEEE.. SCARY THOUGHT.. but I can assure you as I am learning, the Lord, the King of the Universe is the best saftety net of all

Hugs to you all!
Faithwoman:):)

Reading this reminded me of Jesus' story as to where our FOUNDATION is. We all know what the foolish man built his life-foundation on. The wise man built up the Rock, upon Jesus Himself! He's the ONLY Rock, as well as the ONLY ROCK WE NEED - sure, certain, secure, where there is all the safety we can ever need to keep all of our life together - and working like God SO wants for every one of us!
 
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PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY


MESSAGE #101

BACK TO BASICS - Part 1

THE PROBLEM OF SIN!

What is mankind's prime problem? Answer: SIN! What is the Christian's prime problem? This could easily be argued as the being same thing! How so? Because the average Western Christian appears not to understand the SERIOUSNESS of sin, and moreso not to 'get' the widespread CONSEQUENCES of the sin in his life. Let's see if together we can remedy some of this.

This world is in the mess that it is BECAUSE OF SIN! Pure and simple! Once our forebears, Adam and Eve, chose to do what God said NOT TO (and we've ALL followed their example), the world got DRASTICALLY CHANGED!! It's not God's fault that a Hurricane destroys a town and kills hundreds of people: this is part of how the sin of ALL of us messed up the world. Similarly, it's not God's fault if a child is born without arms, or a mother dies of cancer leaving 4 children to be looked after by others.

1. SIN IS SELFISHNESS

Sin is the focus on ME instead of being focused on God.
Max Lucado, one of our favourite authors, wrote a book entitled It's Not About Me. Spot on! But maybe he should have called it It's Not Supposed to be About Me, because for most of us it still IS about me! We all suffer from selfishness, self-centeredness, self-absorption, self-concern, self-focus. WE are who we care most about! This shows in the way we think, in our attitudes, the way we talk, the way we act, the way we LIVE. Once you start to look for it, you'll find it's entwined right the way through your whole life and living.

2. SIN IS REBELLION

I've heard people say things like, "Why should we suffer because of what Adam and Eve did?" totally failing to see the clear FACT that we're all just the same. We are a most WILFUL race - Adam and Eve just happened to be the FIRST! What did they do? In the Garden, God gave them absolutely EVERYTHING their hearts could possibly desire. "You have ALL OF THIS," He told them, then added, "Except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." DO NOT EAT THE FRUIT OF THAT!!!

Notice how we're all the same as them: saying "don't do that" is like holding a red rag to a bull - that's then exactly what we WANT to do, and often go ahead AND do! Sin is rebellion. It's rebelling against what God says to DO or NOT do - wilfully, VERY wilfully!

3. SIN IS DISOBEDIENCE

Clearly the WILFUL REBELLION of Adam and Eve against what God specifically told them NOT to do, was DISOBEDIENCE of the highest order! We're just the same!! God clearly says to us, "DON'T LOVE THE WORLD," but how are we living? Pretty much the same as the unbelievers! We love ease just like they do. We love comfort. We love to have all the bits and pieces and chattels and things - same as them. We live self-centered lives like they do. HAVING THE TOTALLY WRONG ATTITUDE TO ALL OF THIS - folks, it's our attitude that MATTERS! - we're WORLDLY even while convincing ourselves we're not, DISOBEYING this command of almighty God, and a few hundred others at the same time.

4. SIN IS FALLING SHORT

No matter how hard we may try to be less self-focused and more God-focused, to be more and more obedient to all of His commands to us, to not rebel and to be less worldly - no matter HOW MUCH PROGRESS WE MAKE ON THESE THINGS (and it's excellent and crucial that we DO all of this!!) at the end of the day we still don't, and CANNOT, measure up to the PERFECTION of the sinless life Jesus lead. Never sinned even once! WOW!! The Bible is perfectly clear that just ONE sin makes you a complete sinner. So we constantly fall short of God's glory - which is the high standard He's set for us all.

continued next post...
 
...continued from previous post

THIS SIN that blights our lives and ruins the world is SO INCREDIBLY SERIOUS that the Father had just one remedy: which was that His only Son.... BUT WE KNOW ABOUT JESUS' DEATH FOR OUR SIN, DON'T WE? Maybe so, but we've still understood SO little about our sin that He HAD to die for!

Our SELF-CENTEREDNESS is a great place to start to see how sin is ruining our lives, keeping us from ALL God wants for us, and accounting for a lot of the confusion some have as to WHY our Christian life is NOT how we expected it to be.

OUR DISOBEDIENCE - BY LIVING WORLDLY LIVES!

Not only do we WANT all the things the world around us has, we DEMAND them! We're so determined to live worldly lives - in arrant disobedience to God's command that we are NOT to do this. I look at my own life to ask, "Am I yet anywhere near the person I should be in Christ?" Answer: NO! And I've been at this for OVER 50 YEARS! So please do NOT consider that I'm making too much of a song and dance about this!

Who's sposed to come FIRST in our life? Well, we all know THAT too, don't we! SO WHY DOESN'T HE? Is He REALLY top-dog in your life? Probably NOT - and that's not me judging you in any way. It's simply a generalised, but nonetheless honest and factual appraisal of how pathetic our Christian lives mostly are. So isn't it way past time for us to DO something about this? To change how we're living? TO CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE TO WHAT WE RECKON LIFE OWES US?

IT'S NOT ABOUT ME

"It's not about me!" as Max Lucado's book says, is absolutely correct! And for so long as THIS HAS NOT BECOME TRUE IN OUR LIVE, we will stay as little babies, still on MILK, quite unable to handle SOLID FOOD, understanding LITTLE of what actually living the Christian life is really about. And unless we start taking some serious action to change this situation we will enter HEAVEN still as BABIES as well!

Starting today we need to CHOOSE to make Jesus MORE IMPORTANT than we are, and to CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE TO THE WORLD. This truly IS a great place to START! Thus every time we have a CHOICE to make from now on, to do our best to start learning to make it in the light of putting Him AHEAD of what WE want.

That way we may actually begin to TRULY start to make some REAL progress on the serious matter of SIN in all of our lives!

With all our love!

- BM, with his Lady
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TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY
FOR EVER AND EVER! AMEN!

 
MR. Bondman!! Long time no see!! How are you?? You have been on my heart and mind. May I join you here? I am so excited to see you again!

'You have me at a disadvantage', as the English might say!! (sorry, can't figure your identity from your name or details... tho it IS late, and I'm very tired!)
 
OH Mr. Bondman, sorry!!! You know me as HadessahRose. I thought you would know me by my Mr. Bondman!! I am SO excited to see you! I have been worried about you!! How are you doing?
 
Here's how I understand "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

God created us in His image and likeness. Of the original two words used, one refers to a static image, as in a photo, while the other refers to a dynamic image, as in a shadow or reflection - something that moves as we move, stops as we stop etc. In other words, God created us to both "look" and act like Him. We were to be His vice-regents on earth. The only proviso was that He was still the King.

Instead of rejoicing that they were like God, our first parents chose to become "as gods" for themselves, rejecting God's rule and usurping His throne in their own lives.

Every time we fail to be the image of God in this world, every time we fail to rule on His behalf (and try instead to stand as rulers ourselves, and to make our own rules) we fall short of God's glory, and that is sin.

No wonder the Father had to send Jesus! Even those who kid themselves to believe that they are able to keep the commandments would have to admit that they don't meet that standard.

blessings,

Lynn
 
Wow! Awesome stuff, ya'll!
Bondman, that was not too heavy. It was "spot on"!

HADESSAH!!! Is that really you??? I didnt recognize you in the Coffee House! Long time no see! We missed you, too!!
Oh, wait, you probably dont know my new name! I used to be Psalmody!
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