It is easy to follow a personโs footprints if we walk close behind him, but if we walk some distance back, we might fail to see them as clearly.ย Similarly, if we follow close after the Lord, we would easily see the footsteps along the way, but if we try to follow afar off, we would find it difficult to know the path of His will.
“There is nothing which I know of which is more unscriptural, and which is more dangerous to the soul, than to divide doctrine from life… The reason for this is that if your life and your mode of living is not the outcome of your doctrine, it is not Christian living; it is something else.”
Hi all!! I just wanted to remind or notify all of my friends here on iChristian that all of my Photo Challenge contributions, my Photographic Exhibition updates & anything else involving my Photography, is now being published to my new “Rebus Photographyโ Blog,
Iโm trying to create a stand alone place where i can direct anyone who is interested in my photos, as iChristian is starting to get bloated and slow, and itโs not as easy to find photos etcโฆSo please, if you have not checked it out yet, head on over by clicking the image below and let me know what you think! ๐
Wow! This is fantastic, and how i choose to see life after spending so long focusing on what i no longer have! True Joy & Happiness is in the Lord and not in your possessions or situation! I’ve never seen more clearly since i’ve been blind. ๐
A new resident arrived at our Nursing Home; a 92-year-old, petite, poised and proud man, well dressed, his hair was neatly combed and his face shaved perfectly smooth with a pleasant cologne applied. Even though he is legally blind, he decided to move to our nursing home. His wife of 65 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I verbally provided a visual description of his tiny room. As we entered, he was ecstatic and said, โI love it,โ with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. โMr. Roth, please calm down, you know you have a vision problem and cannot see the room.โ โThat doesnโt have anything to do withโฆ
ย Wow!! Just returned home from an evening of Worship at church, where we were blessed by the amazing voice of Eugene โHideawayโ Bridges and his Spiritual songs, it was an honour to meet him too! ๐
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.ย
Yay! Iโve just found out that iTunes now finally has its own Genre for โChristian & Gospelโ music. Praise the Lord! ๐ ๐ธ ๐ถ
So proud of my lovely wife Sarah on her graduation! Despite major difficulties following her latest eye operation, she managed to earn a “distinction“. Congratulations, it was a lovely evening! ๐
ย โง Sarah & i on way to the graduation ceremony โงย
The graduation ceremony took place from 6-9pm on Thursday 6th November at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London, celebrating the excellence of the class of 2013/14 from the IOF Academy.
โง Graduates of the Certificate in Fundraising โงย
ย Sarahโs Dads 70th Birthday Party
Sarah & i had a fantastic weekend in Doncaster celebrating Sarah’s dad’s 70th Birthday! They had a huge party with amazing food (thanks Amanda) and we were entertained by a wide range of fantastic musicians!
Also thanks Madeleine (my sister in law) for asking me to acompany your stunning voice. it made my night! It was an honour to play on Sarah’s Dads new electro acoustic through his sweet PA system!
โง Sarahโs dad performing for us with his new acoustic guitar โงย
โง Me playing on Alfieโs new acoustic guitar โงย
โง Marshall (my brother in law) is always connected โง
โWhy are there wars in the world? Why is there this constant international tension? What is the matter with the world? Why war and all the unhappiness and turmoil and discord amongst men? According to this Beatitude, there is only one answer to these questions-sin. Nothing else; just sin.โ
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
Hi all!! Sorry if itโs felt like iโve deserted you. Iโve been on a partial fast (The Daniel Fast) for the whole of October, so i havnโt been on my blog much at all. God has taught me more in this last month than the last 10 years of my new life as a Christian.ย
Iโve been studying Ephesians 4 & 5 verse by verse and through many tears the spirit has shown me how iโve been grieving him, and what i need to correct as iโm a child of light. So walk as a child of light! ๐
Iโm away this weekend for Sarahโs Dadโs 70th birthday, but iโll be back as usual on Monday!
โToo often, we say we are defeated by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated. We are simply disobedient. It might be good if we stop using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather, we should use the terms obedience and disobedience. When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may in fact be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.
We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for thoughts, attitudes, and actions. We need to reckon on the fact that we died to sin’s reign, that it no longer has any dominion over us, that God has united us with the risen Christ in all His power and has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us. Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate God’s provisions will we make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.โ
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
โTo make it quite practical I have a very simple test. After I have explained the way of Christ to somebody I say โNow, are you ready to say that you are a Christian?โ And they hesitate. And then I say, โWhatโs the matter? Why are you hesitating?โ And so often people say, โI donโt feel like Iโm good enough yet. I donโt think Iโm ready to say Iโm a Christian now.โ And at once I know that I have been wasting my breath. They are still thinking in terms of themselves. They have to do it. It sounds very modest to say, โWell, I donโt think Iโ good enough,โ but itโs a very denial of the faith. The very essence of the Christian faith is to say that He is good enough and I am in Him. As long as you go on thinking about yourself like that and saying, โIโm not good enough; Oh, Iโm not good enough,โ you are denying God โ you are denying the gospel โ you are denying the very essence of the faith and you will never be happy. You think youโre better at times and then again you will find you are not as good at other times than you thought you were. You will be up and down forever. How can I put it plainly? It doesnโt matter if you have almost entered into the depths of hell. It does not matter if you are guilty of murder as well as every other vile sin. It does not matter from the standpoint of being justified before God at all. You are no more hopeless than the most moral and respectable person in the world.โ
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure
What could I do to leave a legacy? How can I speak with authority When I can’t see You, I can’t see You How can I know the dreams You have for me? How can I believe beyond what I have seen? When I can’t hear You, I can’t feel You now No, no, no
[Chorus:] You’re my revival song, You start where I belong On my knees, on my knees When I am weak or strong You meet me here When I’m on my knees, on my knees Oh, it starts with me
Why do I try to work outside of You? Knocking down doors I should be going through But I’m so tired, I’m so tired You take my burdens off of my shoulders You break the lies that hold me back I’m not sure enough
I really wanna change the world I really wanna sing Your song But I know revival’s got to start with me I really wanna change the world I really wanna sing Your song But I know revival’s got to start with me
A corner office was his dream More like a prison now it seems Somewhere on the corporate climb He left his warrior behind Now hes just a worker at a daily grind Steals his years and numbs his mind His strength is fading, his dreams are blind This is not the life he had in mind
She lies awake cause hes up all night Staring at a screen that tells him lies That the grass is greener on the other side So shes at the gym fighting off the years To be young again and calm her fears That shell never be enough for him Just as a young man catches her eye
Now they’re trapped in their own worlds, in their own wars With their cell phones and the closed doors Its funny how quiet and peaceful that it seems But they’re all alone together In the house of their dreams
Little sister, shes a sixteen-year-old princess Lost somewhere between the swing set And her brand new crushs chariot awaits And big brothers rooms glowing with trophies that shout his name But he’d trade all his high school fame For some backyard catch with his hero again
So now they’re all dressed up in Sunday best Sit up straight just like the rest And they sing the songs of peace and rest that Jesus freely gives And then their kids look up as daddy stands And he takes his bride with trembling hands Brother kneels at his fathers side as princess looks in the mothers eyes Their tears tear down the walls as daddy prays
Were trapped in our own worlds and our own wars With our cell phones and our closed doors God, only You can save our family And on this Rock, well build On this Rock, well build The house of our dreams
โTime is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.
It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is “T-I-M-E.โ
Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?
โThe Church has been trying to preach morality and ethics without the Gospel as a basis; it has been preaching morality without godliness; and it simply does not work. It never has done, and it never will. And the result is that the Church, having abandoned her real task, has left humanity more or less to its own devices.โ
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
“It must be the rain knocking the smell out of it”
My lovely wife Sarah
Sarah & were walking home from town in the pouring rain this afternoon, and as we walked past the lovely lavender plant which is on the wall of a nearby house, we were gifted with a beautiful scent of this lovely plant.
Sarah then said โIt must be the rain knocking the smell out of it“
After a little chuckle i said โlol, yeah doesnโt that remind you a little of the Christian walk? The Holy Spirit spends our whole lives trying to knock the smell (the amazing fragrance of Grace) of of us!โ ๐
I exhort you, therefore, in view of Godโs mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please Him; it is the logical โtemple worshipโ for you. In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the โolam hazeh (this world; this age). Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what He wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. For I am telling every single one of you, through the grace that has been given to me, not to have exaggerated ideas about your own importance. Instead, develope a sober estimate of yourself based on the standard which God has given each of you, namely, trust.
Butterflies are such a magnificent display of beingโฆ
โIn teaching people what it means to be a Christian, we spend much of our time and effort bringing them to a point of belief without clearly calling them to follow. We have taken โbelieveโ and we have written that in capital letters with bold print: BELIEVE. But everything that has to do with following has been put in small print: follow.โ
โJesus doesn’t hold back with Nicodemus.
Following Jesus would require a commitment that would cost Nicodemus a great deal….In fact, it’s true throughout all of Scripture….Following Jesus isn’t something you can do at night where no one notices. It’s a twenty-four-hour-a-day commitment that will interfere with your life. That’s not the small-print–that’s a guarantee.โ
Kyle Idleman, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus
Iโve been a little quiet here on iChristian for a couple of days, as iโve been trying to construct a stand alone photographic blog. The iChristian theme isnโt the best for viewing (and finding) all of my photos etc. Also some of you have showed interest in me creating a blog just for my photos, weekly photo challenges and seeing the world through my cameras etc.
So hereโs my exciting blogging news…
I would love for you to visit Rebus Photography (click button above), and although itโs still under construction, iโd be so blessed to get your opinions, comments, suggestions. Iโve added a few pages e.g โMy Photo Galleriesโ โMy Exhibitionsโ ” and moreโฆ also borrow your eyes to spot any mistakes as itโs been really difficult for me to create.ย
I donโt want to lose any of you amazing friends who encourage, inspire and bless me each day. So i thought iโd leave this as my homepage on iChristian throughout October, and as iโllbe posting photos onto my new blog i will reblog them here on iChristian during October too. So hopefully everyone will have chance to view (and enjoy) my photos as we move.
Of course iChristian will remain mostly the same, but itโs always growing as new ideas come to me. My hope is that youโll enjoy and be blessed by these two blogs! ๐
โIf we believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God and that He came into this world and went to the cross of Calvary and died for our sins and rose again in order to justify us and to give us life anew and prepare us for heaven-if you really believe that, there is only one inevitable deduction, namely that He is entitled to the whole of our lives, without any limit whatsoever.โ
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
โIt is amazing how little we know about ourselves. God has to take us through all kinds of failures to reveal the self-focused pride that lies dormant in the corners or our character.
The only way we can be of any use to God is to respond with discernment to our disappointments. Discernment leads us to truth- and the truth punctures our pride, all for His purpose of molding us to the image of His Son.โ
โWhat most of us do not realize is that we are being transformed in our thinking all the timeโeither by the worldโs value system or by the truth of Godโs Word. The worldโs values bombard us daily with thousands of messages on billboards, in movies, songs, video games, and television programs that all reinforce a worldview that tells me life is about โme.โ Life is about what I can get, what I can achieve, who I can impress, what I can possess, where I live, what I drive, how much education I have, how much money I make, who knows my name, and how successful I am . . . and the list goes on. By contrast, God uses His Spirit, His Word, nature, great books, and the authentic community of fellow believers to remind us that life is about โHim.โ And life in Christ is all about what I can give, who I can love, how God can use me, how significant and accepted I am regardless of what I make, where I live, what I drive, or who knows my name.โ
Chip Ingram, True Spirituality: Becoming a Romans 12 Christian
He cries in the corner where nobody sees He’s the kid with the story no one would believe He prays every night, “Dear God won’t you please Could you send someone here who will love me?”
Who will love me for me Not for what I have done or what I will become Who will love me for me ‘Cause nobody has shown me what love What love really means
Her office is shrinking a little each day She’s the woman whose husband has run away She’ll go to the gym after working today Maybe if she was thinner Then he would’ve stayed And she says:
Who will love me for me? Not for what I have done or what I will become Who will love me for me? ‘Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means
He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done He utters a cry from the depths of his soul “Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”
Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside And it said “I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied I have watched you suffer all of your life And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I…”
I will love you for you Not for what you have done or what you will become I will love you for you I will give you the love The love that you never knew.
For this weeks challenge i thought of Bruce (our beautiful but no longer with us) Boxer dog, and his amazing endurance! He was able to run, play and even jump around for hours! ๐ย
My past won’t stop haunting me In this prison there’s a fight between Who I am and who I used to be
This thorn in my side is a grace For because of it the flesh and blood of God Was offered in my place, my place
You fought the fight in me You chased me down and finished the race I was blind but now I see Jesus You kept the faith in me
Where did my best friends go? In my defense they disappeared Just like Your friends did to You, oh Lord
But You were there, You gave me strength So this little one might come to know The glory of Your name, Your name
You fought the fight in me You chased me down and finished the race I was blind but now I see Jesus You kept the faith in me
Awaiting, set apart like incense to Your heart A libation I’m pouring out Empty and beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
You fought the fight in me You chased me down and finished the race I was blind but now I see Jesus You kept the faith in me
You fought the fight in me You chased me down and finished the race I was blind but now I see Jesus You kept the faith in me Jesus You kept the faith in me Savior, You kept the faith in me
Christ, I praise You for the death of my sinful nature with You on the cross. Shift my focus away from who I once was but am no longer. Set my heart on You, reigning in grace and righteousness with the Father! Amen.
โGive me all of you!!! I donโt want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I donโt want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self—in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.โ
For this weeks photo challenge, I asked Sarah to take a photo of a tattoo i have on the lower half of my left leg. I had this done aged 21, unsaved yet fully sighted and thought it would add to my seriously bad attitude and reputation as i played football at the local 5 a side arena (where iโm band for life for being too aggressive, fighting etc, but thatโs another story).
Little did i know that it was an image of my very own nature that was separating me from God. I had no idea that God would now use this tattoo as a conversation starter for me to share a little of how God saved me, and is now working through me in my new lifeโฆ.
All of humanityย has a sin nature. This is a nature that is disobedient to God. At the same time, we do have a free choice to be good or bad. God gave all humans free will. We can choose to be good. We can choose to follow the Holy Spirit. We can choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. He gave us choice. We are not just driven by our instincts or our environment. Neither are we puppets of God. We choose to be either servants of God or servants of sin.
Sin Nature…
Humans have a sin nature. A sin nature is basically a nature that is disobedient to God. We were all born with a sin nature that can be traced back through our ancestors all the way back to Adam and Eve. This tendency for us to disobey God, our sin nature, continues today in that it was passed down from our forefathers.
Romans 5:12 advises us how sin has entered into all of mankind.
The Holy Spirit In Us…
Our human nature does not need to end in corruption and death that sin brings to our lives. If we choose to follow the spirit of God, we can have eternal life and not live in sin.
Galatians 6:8advises us that we can choose the Holy Spirit over our flesh.
Sanctification…
Our human nature at it’s best is set aside for God. This is where we put God first. This is where we are willing vessels that purify ourselves to be set aside for God’s purpose.
1 John 3:3 and 2 Peter 1:6advises us that humans can be pure and take on God’s divine nature.
You brought me this far so why would I question You now You have provided so why would I start to doubt I’ve never been stranded, abandoned or left here to fight alone So I’m giving You control
I lift my life, lift my life up I give it all in surrender I lift my heart, lift my heart up You can have it forever All my dreams, all my plans Lord I leave it in Your hands I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way in me Have Your way in me
If peace is a river then let it sweep over me If I’m under fire I know it’s refining me When I hear You calling out I follow now wherever the road may go I know You’re leading me home
I lift my life, lift my life up I give it all in surrender I lift my heart, lift my heart up You can have it forever All my dreams, all my plans Lord I leave it in Your hands I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way in me Have Your way in me
Take my life and let it be all for You Take my life and let it be all for You
I lift my life, lift my life up I give it all in surrender I lift my heart, lift my heart up (Take my life)
I lift my life, lift my life up I give it all in surrender (Take my heart) I lift my heart, lift my heart up You can have it forever All my dreams, all my plans Lord I leave it in Your hands I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way with me Have Your way with me Have Your way with me Have Your way with me
To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. Power to become children! โฆ Born, says John, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
N. T. Wright, Sermon at the Eucharist on Christmas Morning 2007
โWhere Is Your Sanctuary? Where do you go when youโre hurting? Letโs say itโs been a terrible day at the office. You come home and go โ where? To the refrigerator for comfort food like ice cream? To the phone to vent with your most trusted friend? Do you seek escape in novels or movies or video games or pornography? Where do you look for emotional rescue? The Bible tells us that God is our refuge and strength, our help in times of trouble โ so much so that we will not fear though the mountains fall into the heart of the sea (Ps. 46:1 โ 2). That strikes me as a good place to run. But itโs so easy to forget, so easy for us to run in other directions. Where we go says a lot about who we are. The โhigh groundโ we seek reveals the geography of our values.โ
Kyle Idleman, Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart
Whether your own or someone elseโs, literal or figurative, take us on a photographic adventure.
A few years ago for Sarah’s birthday present I booked a VIP balloon flight as she has always wanted to go up in one. There were a lot of cancellations last minute due to poor weather but finally one weekend we got to go on our adventure. The weather as you can see was not very clear, but it was amazing! ๐
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