Living for Jesus @ Uni

Lose your life...!

2009-10-06T09:28:00.005+01:00

Last night I was co leading a Bible Study on Mark 8.27-38, and the thing that really struck me (most probably unsurprisingly) is how short I fall of letting God completely rule my life.

Verse 35 of the ESV says: For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it.

Somebody from my school CU once used the illustration of a 'life pie' to show how we should keep Jesus and his word at the centre of all things. I have blogged about this before, but I myself have been starkly reminded of it since last night.

Uni has given me many challenges already - planning work to be finished to a high standard before the deadline, finding a placement for next year, being a student rep and a small group leader as well as singing in the Choir and living an hour (minimum) from campus.

I'm guessing that the new freshers are probably in a similar situation in that they perhaps could be facing temptation from all that Uni has to offer, and therefore putting God on the back burner. Its very easy to do, no matter how old or wise you are, so keep yourself in check and ask God to guide you each morning through the day.

If you are a fresher reading this, search for my post on Churches and the things to look out for - make sure that you get along to one that's solid and try not to take too long to settle into one.

The passage mentioned above shows us just how much God loves His people, and so the least we can do is 'set our mind on him'. Peter was rebuked by Jesus because he failed to understand what God's plan was, he probably thought that Jesus was going to be some sort of military leader- the general perception of who the Messiah would be at the time. He had come to save them, yes, but not from the Romans. From something so much bigger - a life without God. To do that, he had to die in our place, and so take our sin upon himself, and then rise, leaving us acceptable to God.

Peter completely misunderstood - would you rebuke your friend if he suddenly said he was going to die? I have to say I think I would. More so if Jesus was the Messiah (chosen), who was going to free the Jewish nation.

It is so easy to go with the flow of the world at the moment when lectures are talking about how to make your CV impressive and how to find the best money making job in your sector. Please pray that I may take time out to breathe and let God show me what to do!

After all, he did create everything, including the job I may or may not get, so I'm sure he knows what he is doing :-) !

Questions and comments always welcome.

God bless,

Harry xx

Hmmmm....

2009-07-29T19:43:00.006+01:00

Just thought I would ask people what they thought about calling people 'Sir' when greeting them, and when they do not have a title and are not in an institutional setting?

It is supposed to be a mark of respect to your elders, and I agree that it probably would be. However, is it the case that calling somebody 'Sir' in a social context would be discriminating against people of different classes, who may not be greeted with the title.

I know this is making a mountain out of a molehill, but it is bugging me and I would love to know what people's thoughts are from a Christian perspective.

Romans 12.5 "so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (NIV)

God bless guys and enjoy the (English) Summer!

Harry x

Its been far too long...

2009-05-03T13:57:00.002+01:00

Hi guys,

I am aware that I haven't put stuff on here for AGES - I hope to have a big session doing it after exams, as all of the stuff it still in note form. I may post one or two things up here beforehand though. Hope that alls well, and do get in touch by leaving a comment if you wish.

God bless, Harry

No Jesus, No Life...

2009-01-28T22:27:00.000Z

Know Jesus, Know Life!! :-)

Trusting Gods Word - the Bible. 25.1.09 Grace Church

2009-01-25T17:02:00.006Z

Today we had the guest service (which I stupidly forgot we were having... :-( )

Nathan talked on Why we should trust the Bible.

He started by pointing out that it was written over 1600 years, by loads of different people including kings, tentmakers, teachers and prophets. It was also written on different continents.

Isnt it a bit far fetched when Lk 24 says things like 'they were kept from seeing him' and 'he disappeared'?

Isnt that the sort of thing that appears in legends?

The NT (New Testament) is far too early to be a legend, and the reason for this is that it was written within 30 years of Jesus walking on the Earth. No one came forward and said it was a sham until about 200 years after the Gospels. By this time, any eye witnesses would have died. This time was also the time that the other 'gospels' were written that contradict the Bible etc, and say differing things about who Jesus is.

Legends would paint the hero in, well, a heroic light - like the hero dying in battle. Rather, Jesus died on the Cross, the most painful death reserved for nasty criminals.

The reason the Bible has these details in is that they are vital to the Lords message.

The detail of the stories in the Bible are too detailed, like the 153 fish that were caught, Jesus sleeping on a cushion, and Jesus doodling in the sand. However, these are in because they really happened. Therefore the Bible is historically accurate.

Unfortunately, our culture tells us to treat the Bible with a pinch of salt. Rather, we should reverse that and take our cultures' teaching with a pinch of salt instead.

The Bible is culturally reliable

- Taking the example of slavery, slaves back then could not really be distinguished from other people. Paul's letter to the Ephesians tells slaves to obey their masters (not parents Nathan! Ha Ha). Doing this would present a good witness to their masters.

This is not because the Bible condones slavery as we know it, but rather because slaves back then were more like employees today. They could buy their freedom, and were not wholly owned (just their skills were owned). They could have sold themselves into slavery to pay off debts etc, and were often professionals.
This is in contrast with the slavery in Victorian times (whole person owned, and treated how the master wishes) - which IS condemned by Gods Word. (Exodus 21.16).

It is easy to misunderstand the Bible on subjects, and looking at the culture of the time can help to explain the Bible's teaching - especially with regards slavery. The word of God would not condone 'Victorian slavery' if God is all loving would it! For that reason, it makes it clear that mistreating a person is wrong.

Chronological Snobbery- I have fallen into this trap before, and Im glad that Nathan pointed it out. This is where our (western) culture says that we are the most technologically advanced culture and therefore we know better than people before us.

I do not disagree that we are more technologically advanced, I am doing a course in IT Management!! I do disagree when it is said that our worldview is correct, and therefore the Bible is outdated. Obviously I disagree, otherwise this blog would not exist.

The Bible's teachings can be categorized into primary and lesser teachings, and knowing which is which can help us see why God has a particular perspective on things. Here, I was going to use sex as the example, because it was the example that Nathan gave. Problem is, I didnt take any notes, and my memory is not great...

If someone was to jump into a swimming pool at the shallow end, they would be worse off than someone who jumped in at the deep end. Obviously - it hurts, cos Ive done it once.

Getting caught up on the lesser teachings of the Bible, like sex, can mean that the main message of salvation is clouded. Get the primary ones clear and then concentrate on understanding the lesser ones! That way the shallow end wont hurt.

The Bible is personally reliable

- Much more than a rule book
- its a story book, and rules are not central to it.
- It speaks of an eternal God who made us the high point of his creation (Genesis 1,2,3).
It also speaks of His plan for us to be his people, where the tension between the created and creator has been rectified (the Cross) for followers.

Through this plan, God can work through the Bible to change our lives - he is with us here.

Its worth noting that in these posts I put on my blog, I do not necessarily reflect/show the speaker's viewpoint on particular issues etc. Message me if you need clarification on something.

God bless, and Im off to LaserQuest!

Harry xx

Cultivating Firm Foundations - 18th Jan 09

2009-01-25T15:36:00.005Z

Peter Bowley gave a talk at Grace Church on Firm Foundations - Faith, the second of two talks.

The main passage was Hebrews 11-ff.

v6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (NIV)

Here are my notes from it:

Faith is required for salvation through justification (Jesus on the Cross), trusting in God for everything is what is required!

God is all loving, all powerful, all wise. This means that we have assurance of salvation if we trust in him. that is: admit our sin, believe in him, commit to following Him.

So if we believe, where in our lives do we show signs of unbelief, and a lack of trust in the Lord?
- focusing on the areas of our life that we show unbelief and offering them to God will strengthen our relationship with him.

Paul writes: "Therefore brothers, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship" Romans 12.1

This of course is a constant challenge for us all, but praying for the Lord for strength through His Spirit will aid us.

I have been a Christian for 4 years now (still a baby, bigtime!) but this does not mean I fully trust God - simply because I am Christian...
Longing for miracles to happen will not increase our trust in God necessarily, as it could create dissatisfaction and therefore a lack of trust in Him.

Pete showed that unbelief comes in many forms:

It can be revealed in your prayer life
- do we believe when we pray that the Lord is all powerful?
- do we pray for big things to happen as well as small 'safe' prayers, in trust?

Not wanting to ask God for too much can be a sign because he is our creator, and so knows our needs. Im guilty of this!

Drinking from the fountain of life is most important - we can honour God in our actions.

Pete said that we expect and ask for a little, which means that we become satisfied with too little. What he is not getting at here is the desire for material things, just to clear that up, but rather the desire for God to work in our lives, and change us. Asking for big things from Him will help mould us into better servants of His.

Being dissatisfied with our design is unbelief because we are not accepting how God made us - he had a unique plan for each one of us.
Accepting the Lord's wisdom can indeed be difficult with the media and what it portrays, but which has the truth?
Poor me... syndrome can come from this because again society and the media can portray pop star lives as being the norm, and what people should have. The scriptures say we should believe in God's love for us - John 3.16. Through faith in Him we will be sustained in our varied and different lives.

Anxiety, fear, depression, sulking, questioning, doubting, worrying and having a lack of joy are all things that I can relate to, and Im sure loads of other people can too.

These stem from unbelief when they do not come from God. Rather than letting these things upset you, be encouraged that all can be found in the Lord, and through these trials unbelief will be combated. Have a read of 1 Pet 1.6-7.

What does this particular trial I am going through reveal about my faith in God? All adversity is profitable, as I am learning at the moment.

Ephesians 2.8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Positioning ourselves in situations that will allow the Lord to nurture us more, and help us grow will ensure that we keep Faith, and do not stay in the place we were when we were saved. If we do this, then the Lord will help the last part of the above to become a reality.

Pete gave a very useful illustration of a moth in a cocoon struggling. If the cocoon is snipped to help the moth out, it actually damages the moth's ability to fly. This is because the struggle required to get out of the cocoon allows the muscles in the wings to strengthen. Be overflowing with joy when suffering, as Paul was.

In order for us to grow, the Word of God is VITAL. This is because the word is of God, written by writers under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Quiet times for me are not going too well at the mo, and so this has hit me.

What we read should not be for our benefit in increasing knowledge, as arrogance will arise. Rather, the Lord's word will affect the way that we live, our heart, and our relationship with God and other people. Concentrate on the vertical and the horizontal will follow. Mt 6.33.

Concentrating on the indicatives of the word will through love for him allow the imperatives of the Bible to follow. Notice the order here - the Bible is not a rule book.

What about helping others who are showing signs of unbelief? Show them scripture (guys, please tell me if I am on my blog! :-) )

- 1 Thess 5.11, encourage and build up one another by quoting scripture.
- rebuke if necessary, but lovingly and kindly.

Sympathy is not the way forward. Ask the person in question: What is going on in your heart?

The fruits of Faith are manifested in Christian life as Peace (Is 26.3), Joy and Blessing (Prov 2.20) and Fellowship with the Lord (Heb 11.6).

Please God by trusting Him this week - let that be your prayer for this week (sorry its a week late!!) Its been mine.

Trust God in all situations.

C'est tout.

I have a feeling that I have not explained Pete's talk as well as I could have, so please msg me if you have any suggestions etc. Perhaps it is me showing a sign of unbelief?!!

God bless,

Harry xx

I would like to invite and pursue correction and council.

2009-01-25T15:14:00.003Z

Hi everyone,

just heard that phrase which I think Adrian Warnock borrowed from CJ Mahaney (who heads up Sovereign Grace Ministries). "Invite and pursue correction and council."

It is very important on this blog that I do not mislead people and so correction and council is important.

So again, can I urge people who read my blog to leave comments, so that I can learn from them, and not mislead ppl!

God bless,

Harry xx

FREE for All...Week 1/5

2009-01-16T11:48:00.006Z

Hi everyone,

FREE for All is the follow up series of talks from FREE week that talks about how we can effectively evangelise as a CU.

The first talk was held last night by Jim and Tim and set out what the aims of the course are as well as what the Trinity is.

Its aims are:

For people to love Jesus Christ more
Clarify and confirm our beliefs and convictions
To allow the Holy Spirit to change us to be more like Jesus

When we have learned more about these, then we can evangelise more effectively.

The Passage for the evening was John 17.20-26, which talks about God and His love for us, and the Love that is between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. v 23 & 26 especially.

It was made clear that the fundamental difference between the Christian God, and the gods of other religions was the Trinity. This is so because of the Trinity having so much love for each person in it, that they entirely depend on one another, and could not exist without each other. This said, the Christian God cannot therefore be the God of other religions as well, but looked at from different viewpoints. All roads may lead to Rome, but they do NOT lead to God.

The love that flows in the Trinity, is also expanded to be the same love that God has for us - verse 23 again. This Love that God has for us is the same Love that he has for himself- Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

This Love that God has for us is the same Love that he has for himself- Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

And he wants you to be in relation with Him. Our God is relational - all you have to do is accept that He died on the Cross for your Sins, and make the life long commitment of following Him, and seeking to serve and be in relation with Him. He will then fill you with His Holy Spirit - to guide you in life.

The problem with a lot of people (Christian or Non-Christian, and me included) is that we don't see how GOOD and AMAZING the Gospel is - it is soooooooooooooooooo much more than a 'religious pick me up!'. Its Truth. THE Truth.

If we as Christians go out into the world in Love, Gods love, then we can evangelise and serve people, as we will have a greater understanding of our God.

Relationships when evangelising therefore are vital, and so it would be good to build up a couple of strong, genuine friendships that will open opportunities for God's word to be taught.

God bless you all and do feel free to leave comments, good or bad, cos they will help me learn too!

Harry xx

Hoodies...customised design

2009-01-12T21:57:00.008Z

Just thought I would plug a friend from my last Church's business. Its called SHK Promotions and sells customised clothing for cheaper than the larger companies. I think that he does most of the work himself, and my last school got our leavers hoodies from him. Its called http://www.shkpromotions.co.uk/ check it out and if you need hoodies for a society/CU etc then have a browse and drop him an email. Blogger's hyperlink feature isnt working ATM, so soz that u have to type it in manually.

2 new posts below this one...

World over CU/the Church?

2009-01-12T21:46:00.003Z

One question I thought up while listening to Rupert's talk was:

What influence does the World have over the Church or the CU/Christians in it?

Well, without writing a whole 10,000 word essay (that would be dissertation length...) I came to the conclusion that it is vital to watch closely over our Churches and CU's to ensure that the World is not having influence over them. Examples of influences of the world could be things like are the songs Biblically centered, or are they becoming 'good tunes'? Are we watching out for our brothers and sisters to ensure that they are coming along to Church/CU, or have their priorities slipped?

I have to say I havent given the question a massive amount of thought, partly because it would be good to see if you guys can see traps that your CU's/Churches could fall into.

Please do not mistake this post as being a stab at something - its really not, its just me thinking!

Mull it over with some Mulled Wine (non alcoholic, otherwise you may not be able to Mull it over as well!!) Jokes...

Bless Bless Bless

Harry xx

Im back at Uni... NYC and what Ive learned.

2009-01-12T21:07:00.005Z

Hi everyone! Wow its been far too long since my last post. Over a month!

Im back at Uni after the Christmas hols, (quite busy) and New Year.

I managed to get two shoot days in, one was a kind invitation and the other a rough shoot at home. Didnt see diddly squat at home that day - though Roger got a bird, and I therefore didnt fire a shot. The shoot using a friends peg was much better - it was driven, and warmer so the birds did fly. All pheasants.

The main event of the holidays for me was the New Year Conference. Ask me for more info about this. Basically, it was a time for loads of students to go and learn about God, and His word, and how to apply it to our everyday lives - in greater detail than the summer events.

i have learned several things from that conference/sunk in more -

1. God could not have dealt with our sin via a remote control - he had to personally come down to our level, and be a human in order for our sin to be dealt with. Hence Jesus the Son, and His death on the Cross - the final punishment for believers' sins. God is righteous, and so he could not just 'sweep sin under the carpet' - it had to be punished.

2. I have a crib sheet for creating a talk - I was a little worried about how I was going to go about it if ever I was asked for a CU or something, but PB stepped up and gave a seminar on it. Fantastic, just what I needed or rather what the Lord wanted me to have!

3. Remember that Jesus' family didn't understand Him at times - so perhaps our own families/friends have difficulty understanding the Christian Gospel, and the 'way of life' (as its called) that comes with it.

4. Keep 3 Priorities at Uni:
1. The Lost- Lk 15.1-6, saving sinners is the Second Great Commission (as Julian Hardyman puts it in "Glory Days") Matt 28:16-20
2. The Bible - have a spiritual life through reading God's word - it should never dry up to you, 1 Pet 1.23-25
3. Self Control - This is not just referring to Alcohol and the Opposite Sex, but mostly in fact to time management and keeping God in the picture. Its not o.k. to break promises etc. Also, prioritising self control will give rise to opportunities for evangelism.

5. Living Life as a Christian - keep yourself in Check:2 Pet 1
1. Effective Christians know Christ v1-4
- know divine pardon v2
2. Effective Christians know divine power v3
- have everything they require for following Jesus
- Jesus is divine, so is divinely powerful
3. Effective Christians know divine promises v4
- Spurgeon has a book on this that has 365 divine promises, one for each day of the year. Cant remember what it is. Morning and Evening is the name of the book - silly me, I even have it and used it last year!!! Many thanks Larry for your info on this!
4. Effective Christians are adding to their Faith v 4,5
- Make every effort to grow - we have EVERYTHING we need, so get going.
5. Make sure you do all things in LOVE, not out of selfish ambition.
It may help to use v5-ff as a self check.

Think What Would Jesus Do? even if the wristband is slightly naff (I got mickey took for having one- thanks Rupert!) still worth having one if it helps though.

6. Im going to finish with a question: How is your Prayer Life...? I learned quite a bit by letting that mull over for 30 seconds.
- Prayers should be BIBLICAL and not just wishful thinking.

I make no apologies for the length of this post! Hope that you find it useful. Pt 4's credit to B.F./point 5's credit to Rupert Shelley. Many thanks B. & Rupert!

Its worth mentioning that if you are a non Christian reading this, and it seems like a load of rules, they are of a sort, but they are not rules that should weigh us down. Rather they are rules that we would want to keep/follow because of the Love that God has for us, and that we have for Him. They are not meant to be legalistic, purely guidlines for keeping our relationship with God pure, and help Him do His work. Hope that makes sense- PM me if you would like further clarification.

God bless, let me know of any prayer requests guys!

Harry xx

Im now at home...time for reflection

2008-12-21T23:07:00.005Z

I have come home from Uni on Thursday after the Horfield community Carol Service. It was brilliant, and a nice way to end my first semester at Uni.

I can say that the first semester at UWE, for me, has been one filled with learning and further understanding of a variety of topics.

For me, the greatest one is understanding God's Grace more than I used to. I am not going to expand too much here, but going through Ephesians 1 with Tim has been brilliant - God's plan revealed for us. Me, you, its personal!
Cooking has been a big learning curve, but I can now (sort of) cook lentils and chicken in a casserole.
My degree has been fascinating so far - one or two of the modules can be a little hard going at times, as well as it being difficult to see how they fit in with my degree overall, but I now see why.

One of these modules is called MOB- thats Management and Organisational Behaviour. It covers all sorts of theory from learning to motivation and is fascinating. The lecturers have said that you either love or hate MOB (like Marmite) but I have to say I love it. The reason being because I can see how the topics covered this semester (learning and motivation) fit in with my experience past and present. It can also help to shape how I approach tasks set in the future, and how I deal with unexpected situations.

Meeting such a diverse range of people at Uni has been a bit of a culture shock, but im adapting to it, and seeing how God is shaping life's rich tapestry. Its great that God has put me where he has, with fantastic friends, and an excellent Church and CU.

The greater freedom that I get compared with being at Public School is awesome, especially as I am now able to get busses everywhere. Still need to focus on the driving license though!

For me now though, one of my big prayers is that I can reflect what I have learned in the respective settings at Uni, at home, and be a good witness to my family, and the people I meet during the hols. Its all too easy to stop reading God's word because I could feel that "now Im at home I can relax" sort of thing. God doesnt relax for us, so I dont see why we should take a holiday and temporarily suspend our relationship with him!!! Im joking a little here, but I hope you can see what Im getting @! Ambassador for God...Always.

Bless bless bless

p.s. Soul Survivor's new album is now out - its called complete, and has a brilliant talk from Mike Pilavachi on "Jesus in the Old Testament" and how the writers didnt do a very good job of hiding him. Jesus that is, not mike!

Tips and Tricks

2008-12-21T22:46:00.006Z

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would share a few practical tips for living life at Uni, with the Lord in mind (and spirit and body!).

First of all, it would be a really good idea to get stuck into a church - one that is Bible believing and teaches an un-diluted version of God's word (the true version). Dont think that just because a particular church has good worship or something else, that it teaches God's word.
Ask questions like "how will this church help me to serve the Lord better?" as well as practical questions such as when the services are, and can you get there easily.

Dont look at only one church and stick with it immediately - have a look around a few, and pray, asking the Lord which one he wants you to go to. It would be sensible to set a time limit on the time you will spend hunting for a church, as establishing yourself ASAP is important.

It would also be a good idea that when you start Uni, get stuck into the CU as quickly as possible - this could even help with finding a Bible believing church. It will also give you a network of Christians at Uni to have fellowship with.
Remember that the CU's primary aim is to envangelise to the people on campus. It is not supposed to be a substitute for church, but is a wing of the church that has representatives of Gods people who reach out to the campus.

Make sure that the balance between 'christian' and 'non-christian' activities is right - it may be all too easy to do too much work for your degree and push God out of the picture or do the complete opposite. I found that asking myself whether I had got the balance right at the end of each week really helped.

Ensure that you set aside a quiet time during the day that you can read the Lord's word, and pray to/listen to Him. This can help to keep the Lord in the centre of your life pie during the day, in your degree and socialising etc.

Telling your flatmates/coursemates at the beginning of the semester that you are a Christian will be much easier than later on, and will help in you living for Jesus because they will have a greater understanding of why you live the way you do. It can also help to serve God in the Flat/tutorial etc.

Meeting once a week with someone (knowledgeable) to study God's word will help you grow amidst the secular culture in Uni.

I hope that these are helpful, if you have any further suggestions then please comment, and I will post them.

God bless,

Harry

An Interview with God

2008-12-16T18:00:00.019Z

Hi everyone! Have a look at this video:

As a separate point - I am finding that YouTube is a brilliant way (personally) to learn about God. There are loads of sermons etc on there, but it's VITAL to be able to DISCERN what is from God and what is not...

The ads on the vids arent always helpful tho'!

Happy Christmas everyone by the way! I'm afraid I'm not doing Christmas cards cos I can't write (I type - you may have noticed!).

God bless Harry

Work work work work work work work...

2008-12-12T19:52:00.004Z

Im back here after a long week of work - writing a report, preparing for interviews, mulling over web design pages etc.

I have been so tired from it all, however it has finally come to an end, and I now have nothing more to do for the semester. YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

There has just been one problem this last week. God. Well, not him, me actually. I basically have not given my time to the Lord as I should have - and quiet times had evaporated. As a result I have been spiritually dry for the last few days, and its easy to feel guilty and not read the Word because of it!

Mike Reeves talked about this @ Transformission, and he made it quite clear that the Lord isn't going to condemn you for falling into the trap of not reading His word. He told us to view the Bible as a fantastic gift from God - one which we should treasure and not feel is a chore to read.

My example shows how the devil can use everyday events to our detriment - I slowly pushed the Lord's time out of my days, without realising until about Wednesday.

But through his Holy Spirit, I've realised what has happened, and can now get back into the Word.

Remembering to keep the Lord in the centre of your life pie helps, I find. This is in contrast to having the Lord as a separate wedge of your day to day life.

I went and met up with a mate (Dan) and his friends at the SU today - where it is 'drink the bar dry' day. Not the best slogan, but we were able to take advantage of the (slightly) cheaper prices there ;-) . I fear to think what state the bar is in now...(8.20pm) A place to stay well clear of I should think!

Tomorrow I intend to sleep all morning, have a quiet time and then meet up with Emmanuel (another mate, not the whole Church!) for a coffee. Oh, its so nice to relax.

Bless bless bless, and Tim, I'm glad you find my blog amusing!

Harry xx

Made to Love...

2008-12-07T09:41:00.002Z

"Made to Love"

Have a youtube of this song, by TobyMac. Although its quite repetitive, it does drive home the fact that we were indeed made as relational beings. Beings who were created to have relationship with our Lord.

Simple lyrics, yet they speak volumes!

God bless everyone

Harry

Hehe, I can code hyperlinks now. They always confused me!

Final FREE talk & FREE - Follow up...

2008-12-05T21:30:00.006Z

Nick Howard spoke his last talk today in the 3pm Lunchbar, on "Can all religions lead to God". It was great to hear an extremely controversial topic explained as clearly as it was.

The question of pre-destination was raised, and Nick helpfully said that we have to look at it from our point of view/level, and not from God's. We are responsible for our actions because WE do not know what our futures hold.

A very difficult topic, and I pray that it may not get in the way of the Cross for people.

FREE has now ended. Well, that was what I said before Dave Bish said it wasnt. He said 'it's only just started'. Of course, he is right. the official week might have ended as of 4.30 today, but the seed that has been planted in people's hearts has only just been put there by the Lord.

Follow up is now crucial if the people who came to the events are to turn to the Lord. Please be praying for this, and that Christians all around Bristol etc may point them in the correct direction (towards the Lord).

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all." Is 53.6

Pray that people can realise that God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but receive eternal life - Jn 3.16

The Lord has FREEd those who believe in Him through the death of Jesus on the Cross, from their sin, and will guarantee them a place in the Kingdom.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by GRACE you have been saved." Eph 2.4-5 (all verses NIV, © IBS)

FREE...Briefly...

2008-12-04T23:04:00.002Z

Hi again,

Yesterday and today saw three brilliant talks by Nick Howard, the guest speaker. These were on 'How Could a Loving God send people to Hell?', 'If Jesus is God, why did he Die?' and 'Are Atheists Deluded about God?'.

In these, he spoke the gospel message and gave people an opportunity to ask questions.
Please be praying now that seeds may grow in people's hearts who were there.

Ive got a whole load to do before I go to bed - interview writing and cleaning for an inspection tomorrow, so please forgive this brief post. I hope to add to it soon.

Now though, Im going to drink some coffee and work.

Bless bless bless

FREE Prayer

2008-12-02T22:36:00.002Z

I lied, actually my next blog was going to be straight after the last!

It would be awesome if you would be willing to pray the following things for FREE:

- For the Lord to speak through the speakers
- for everyone to be filled with strength to keep going
- for the Lord to be at work in people's hearts this week, and
- pray that Non Christians may have their relationship with God restored.

If there's anything ive forgotten, then let me know. GB Harryxx

FREE @ UWE Bristol

2008-12-02T22:20:00.003Z

Hi, me again (obviously)...

FREE Week @ UWE is a mission week that unofficially started on Saturday with a football match, and officially started yesterday with a Grub Crawl for Frenchay Campus.

FREE is a series of talks in the form of football, lunch bars, a grub crawl, laser quest, and a main meeting. Its objective is for Christians in the Uni to spread the word of God throughout the Uni, and allow God to do the rest.

So far, we have had the football and all the Small Group campus events.

The feedback that I have had from people is that all of the events have been full to bursting, and so as many people are being reached with the Gospel as could be at those events. What a blessing from the Lord.

Please pray that the talks from each event may soften people's hearts towards God, and help them to realise how much he LOVES us.

Tomorrow we have the first of the Lunch Bars, and a guest speaker for the rest of the week. I will report back from as many as I can - probably in one lump post...

Its also worth mentioning that UWECU is affiliated with UCCF who are The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship: The Christian Unions. Its a long title, but they basically help out with the CU, and help equip it/train people/give talks.

FREE is an outreach initiative that they are having in a load of Uni's in the country. FREE aims to talk about why we can be FREE (through the Cross, and the restored relationship that God is offering us).

To aid its work, 400,000 copies of Mark's Gospel have been printed, and are being handed out to the Uni's. UWE has 4/5000 of these, and God willing, people will read them.

Hopefully people will see that what we are doing has a solid grounding in the Word of the Lord, and pray that people may come to know him.

There are many Christians involved, as well as loads of Non Christians, and since assignment 'week' has fallen (for most people) in the same week as FREE, pray we can have the energy to keep running/going to/supporting the events.

I hope that has given you an insight into the Work of the Lord at UWE. Please feel free to comment.

God bless, and Ill be posting tomorrow hopefully - after giving a presentation in a suit (mostly for laughs, cos there's no dress code really!)

Harry xx

Who I am...

2008-12-02T22:05:00.004Z

Well, I have realised that I have not introduced myself. Im Harry, and Im studying IT and Business at UWE Bristol. Im a Christian and have been since 2005- so Im just a baby.

I love God, and things like sailing, singing, fencing - but out of all those (apart from the Lord - he comes 1st) I like my Drum and Bass the most. Namely two influential DnB artists in the modern DnB world called Logistics and London Elektricity. I should tell you now that one of my most favourite tracks by LE is (ironically) 'All Hell Is Breaking Loose'. Its a tune, but I have to remember to pray that the Lord's Spirit be let loose instead!!

I like a wide range of other music, of course Christian music by the likes of Tim Hughes, and Matt Redman. I have been going to Soul Survivor for the last three years, and have also bought their CDs that they produce after each set of summer events. Im waiting for this years to come in the post...

I find my peace in the Lord, because he is my strength and my song, in the valley and out of it.

Thats me in a nutshell. Im not going to broadcast myself too much, because I want to glorify the Lord in this blog and not myself.

God bless,

Harry

Monergism

2008-11-30T21:37:00.002Z

Monergism is the word to describe the teaching that God alone is the one who can save mankind. This is in opposition to synergism which is the teaching that man and God work together to achieve man's salvation.

Monergism it is.

Cool. U learn something new every day......

The Hour Arrives...

2008-11-30T20:58:00.003Z

John 12.12-36.

What an amazing passage. Its important (so I learned in Church today) to focus on the indicatives in the Bible, and not so much on the imperatives. This is because focusing on the imperatives can draw away from the glorious act that the Lord Jesus did for us sinners on the Cross. Focusing on the signs that Jesus give of his death (for US) in this passage is essential because we can then keep our faith pointing towards God. If we were to always say 'you mustn't/can't and don't do this/that/the next thing, then the imperatives of God's word become something that we do out of obligation and because we feel we have to (obey his commands etc). Instead, we would listen and act upon the imperatives because of our love for God which stems from what he did on the Cross, and of course His love for us!

Get it? I hope so.

In this moment of 'cosmic significance' what does Jesus ask? "Father save me from this Hour? No, it was for this very reason I (he) came to this hour. FATHER glorify your name!"

In other words, his Father's will be done, to enable us to have a relationship with him.

There are loads of pointers to Jesus in the Old Testament - what about the story of Abraham and Isaac & the ram caught in the hedge? The passover Lamb? The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden? These all point to the big man in the sky, Jesus.

Amazing stuff that the Lord is teaching me at the moment. I have a goldfish memory, and thats where this blog comes in for me. For you, I hope it can be a source of information, and that the Lord may speak to you through it.

God bless all reading this!

H123UK

Any tips for my blog?

2008-11-29T16:05:00.002Z

Hi everyone, if anyone is an experienced blogger, and would like to share some tips for blogging with me then feel free!

My Uni's mission week starts on Monday, and will be consisting of lunch bars, footie matches, and grub crawls. Please pray that people would hear the Good News at one of these events - especially since (i think) it is the first mission here in three years! May the Lord invade this spiritual wasteland and touch people's hearts.

God bless,

H123UK

The Bible - Child's story?

2008-11-28T14:12:00.006Z

I was told by a coursemate today that the Bible is a Child's Story book. I said nothing at the time, but I have to say I agree with him.

Its the greatest Child's Story Book ever written, and its been given to us, GOD's Children!

We are His children - listen to His Story!

It is important to note though that this children's story is not to be taken lightly, rather it is a true story, and therefore should be acted upon!

The Lord's plan for the Gentiles...

2008-11-26T16:23:00.003Z

My friend and I have been studying Ephesians over the last few weeks, and Eph 2.11-22 was the passage of today's conversation.

The passage describes the Lord's plan for the the Gentiles, for which he destroys the 'dividing wall of hostility' (v 14, NIV).

Breaking down this barrier, through the death of Jesus on the Cross enables ALL people, whether Jews or Gentiles, to have a relationship with God if they trust in Jesus, their Saviour and make a commitment to following Him.

To clarify, the people described as having been 'far away' in v13 are the Gentiles.

Through Christ, there is no longer a division between the Jews (God's people) and the Gentiles, because those who believe are the Lords People.

This relationship with the Lord is what Jesus spoke of, and came to earth to tell us about and restore. The (vertical) relationship between God and those who believe has been renewed. Because of this, a believer's (horizontal) relationship with people can also be renewed.

The Lord resides in us, through His Holy Spirit, and therefore our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (v22). He can help us to flee from Sin.

How thankful I am for what the Lord has done for us, and how joyful I am that he has done it.

I have realised today that being fearful of men and what they think is crazy if we are in Christ! Tomorrow I will be handing out flyers for an event the Uni CU is putting on, and please pray I will keep this in mind.

God bless!

All Bible Quotes on my blog will be taken from the NIV unless stated. The NIV is copyright International Bible Society.

2008-11-22T23:29:00.000Z

23.29, 23rd November 2008. What a Memorable day.

This is my first and only blog, and in it I aim to share with you all that the Lord God has taught, or will teach me, during my time at Uni.

I may also use it to learn HTML as well :-)

Peace to you all

"Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise" - Ps 145.3