Back From Retreat
written at Sunday, December 6, 2009
Just came back from the sub ministry retreat, am extremely tired and exhausted seeing that I only had about 5hours worth of sleep in total during the 2 nights. Nonetheless, it was a refreshing, contemplative and a somewhat necessary time of personally reviewing my spiritual life. From the not so subtle sins that I have to surrender to the Lord, to the support and the love and encouragement we are to give each other as we serve in the ministry, to the breaking down of social barriers.
I felt a deep honesty and an open heart among us. I felt as though the Lord is breaking us down, building us up. Breaking down our pride, our arrogance, our selfishness. Ever since coming back I have seen such a change in some people, living out His Word, being renewed and transformed by His truths.
I am very encouraged, very heartened to see that Philotheos is growing, not just in numbers, but more so in a spiritual sense. It is so easy to make music our idol. It is so easy to simply listen to a song the first time round by a band like Hillsongs and immediately decide, "Alright I want that song in the service." Because it simply sounds so good. So one of the big questions that was popping up in my head throughout the retreat was, "Who do I love?"
I hope to live out what I sing.
"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." - John Wesley
Imitating Christ's Humility (Philippians 2)If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Back From Retreat
written at Sunday, December 6, 2009
Just came back from the sub ministry retreat, am extremely tired and exhausted seeing that I only had about 5hours worth of sleep in total during the 2 nights. Nonetheless, it was a refreshing, contemplative and a somewhat necessary time of personally reviewing my spiritual life. From the not so subtle sins that I have to surrender to the Lord, to the support and the love and encouragement we are to give each other as we serve in the ministry, to the breaking down of social barriers.
I felt a deep honesty and an open heart among us. I felt as though the Lord is breaking us down, building us up. Breaking down our pride, our arrogance, our selfishness. Ever since coming back I have seen such a change in some people, living out His Word, being renewed and transformed by His truths.
I am very encouraged, very heartened to see that Philotheos is growing, not just in numbers, but more so in a spiritual sense. It is so easy to make music our idol. It is so easy to simply listen to a song the first time round by a band like Hillsongs and immediately decide, "Alright I want that song in the service." Because it simply sounds so good. So one of the big questions that was popping up in my head throughout the retreat was, "Who do I love?"
I hope to live out what I sing.
"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn." - John Wesley
Imitating Christ's Humility (Philippians 2)If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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Knowing
What matters supremely, therefore, is not
in the last analysis, the fact that I know God,
but the larger fact which underlies it --
the fact that He knows me.
J. I. Packer
