God as God

Hi all,

Here's a new perspective on idolatory!
Most of us know the vernacular regarding idolatory: anything we set before God/anything we position in God's deserved position in our lives amounts to idolatory...
Is it any possible to commit this heinous act in the process of WORSHIPPING or SERVING God?
It can be! Here's how:

1) We reduce God to an image of what He not ENTIRELY is.
Often, we have filtered/watered-down perspectives of who God is. E.g. Ours is a God who tolerates seemingly harmless activity like clubbing/pubbing; when actually our God is someone who is ultimately holy (set apart), and pure. (Therefore he detests activity that would cast a slur on our identities as His children)

2) We process our obedience to God into more palatable pieces!
King Saul struggled with this aspect of idolatory when he took it upon himself to decide what pleased God rather than to obey God's commandments. 1 Samuel 15:10-23. Sometimes we mould God into a sugar daddy or Mr Nice Guy when our obedience or rather disobedience is in question. Isn't this making ourselves an image of God that is incorrect and therefore diminishing His character? (Idolatory liao lors!) Grace and mercy is truly amazing, but God is not only a God of grace and mercy (He is one of righteous anger and Godly jealousy and awesome justice etc. as well)

3) We set him on the walls of our hearts as a figurehead/image rather than someone who is living and active and relational!
We often sing songs and worship and learn about God everyday, but not all of us are filled with His almighty presence as we live out life daily. Come on! I mean if God promised His spirit and Jesus promised to be with us till the end of time, shouldn't there be at least a sense of companionship or a hint of presence in life's moments? People often complain that the Lord is far from them. True, sin seperates us from God. But other times, it's our understanding of who God is and how God works and presents Himself that determines our intimacy with God. Getting this wrong can translate into worshipping and fellowship-ing with a block. idolatory again.

Well the list goes on and I'm tired of listing all my failings here!
The standards have always been this high. I can't help but feel inadequate everytime I take apart His commandments and really magnify His teachings to reflect God's instructions for and expectations of me.
I guess I'll see you all at the cross.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Ben

Hello mates!

Yoz mates! All goin' well down there?

Just wanna say it's been a great blessing to have all you guys sending me off, and your prayers and many words of encouragement for me...Praise the Lord!

It's been a really busy few days of settling in, with the enrolment as well as groceries and buying everyday stuff i took for granted in the past, like a toilet floormat. Met most of the other singaporeans here for my course too...though i don't yet know them that well yet.
More stuff to come in a while! Really quite busy with many many things like bills/bank/receipts/student account/etc...but updates all in good time!

Checking out a church tomorrow...oh there's no CCC here but there's an overseas student fellowship (as far as i know)

anyway recently i was reminded in a very little book of some verses and they have been a great source of encouragement for me

耶和华是我的牧者，我必不自致缺乏。
-詩 篇 23

-crickets-

how come ah??? nobody sees this!!!


Clement: if you come here, post a comment and tell us how you're doing! will email around in a bit, i think. with photos. nghahaha.

i am procrastinating while doing work, so i shall reply a question i posted some long time ago.

if you found out you had only two weeks to live, what top three things would you do? why?
this has nothing to do with the fact that exams are in three weeks time for us, but this is what i would do, i think.
1. stop school, if i was really sure it was only two weeks :b i think
2. clean my room haha and sort my stuff out
3. write, i guess, to people and tell them God loves them and that i do too


so the question is would life be more worth it if we "live as if each day is our last"? and how about you, faithful reader?



look, poem.

"The Journey"

And if you go up that way, you will meet with a man,
Leading a horse, whose eyes declare:
There is no God. Take no notice.
There will be other roads and other men
With the same creed, whose lips yet utter
Friendlier greeting, men who have learned
To pack a little of the sun’s light
In their cold eyes, whose hands are waiting
For your hand. But do not linger.
A smile is payment; the road runs on
With many turnings towards the tall
Tree to which the believer is nailed.

- R.S. Thomas (20th century)

should get to work on hw, but

a prayer for each day this week:

Lord Jesus, take me this day and use me.
Take my lips and speak through them.
Take my mind and think through it.
Take my will and act through it,
and fill my heart with love for You.

~ traditional

also, questions for week.

1. How do you know God loves you? Or rather how has God demonstrated His love to you?

2. Are you ever satisfied?

3. what's your idea of cute?

4. What songs would you include on the "soundtrack of your life?"

5. Look around. Describe the first photograph you see. What does it mean to you?

6. Do you like being behind the camera or in front of the camera?

7. If you were a gifted painter, what picture(s) would you paint first?

today's lesson

was on making decisions.

i quote, "I'm here; my primary goal is not to be stupid anymore."

we learnt about God's providential, moral and personal will. I agree with this idea of God's providential + moral will being the plumbline for understanding His personal will. Or as the handout summarised:

1. The providential will of God refers to those things God is/was going to do, regardless (e.g. send Christ to redeem the world, judge the world, make a new Heaven and earth)

2. The moral will of God refers to the dos and don'ts God has commanded. (don't lie, don't lust, basically love God and other people)

3. The personal will of God refers to personal decisions and plans for our lives.


comments or reflections or your thoughts on what the Bible says about this?