So many people are talking about and condemning Israel Folau for his beliefs. They are all shouting about this and so I thought I would say what I believe. It is not that I even care about sports or famous people. I have enough trouble keeping track of people I personally know let alone caring about opinions of so called famous people who I have never met, nor would consider meeting. It is that our society has become so intolerant of differing belief systems. So I thought I would put up a few beliefs of my own.
I believe that I would be an extremely intolerant person, if I found that I needed to personally attack someone who had a differing belief system to me. In the case of Israel Folau, I would consider myself really nasty and vial if I wanted to destroy his career because he had a different belief system to me.
I believe that I would be extremely weak in character if I was hurt just because someone had a different belief system to me.
I believe that I did not have any strong beliefs if what I believed depended on someone who was famous agreeing with me.
I believe that a society has become a dictatorship if the society does not tolerate people thinking and believing differently.
I believe that the internet is being used to silence anyone who has a personal belief system which requires the person who believes it to live a life with tighter boundaries.
I believe that if I was going to disagree with any belief system that I would be a hypocrite if I did not ensure that I noted all belief systems that hold the same view. In fact I would consider myself prejudice and hateful if I disagreed with only one of the belief systems that held a particular point of view.
I believe that I would be irresponsible and a poor member of my society if I did not speak up according to my beliefs as is my right and the right of everyone in a free and democratic society.
I believe that I would be stupid if I gathered a whole lot of people around me who agree with everything I say.
I believe that I would be wasting my life if I condemned someone for saying that someone is going to hell if I did not believe that hell existed. 
As for what the bible says on the matter, it actually includes adulterers, fornicates as well as the lifestyles that Israel Folau stated and it simply states that they will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. As for most people commenting on this, they probably do not believe in either heaven or hell so what is the problem.  If they were Christians, they are not following Christ if they are not following the word that Christ felt was so important that he died to fulfill this bible.
God bless

Worship and being The Church

I just went to a ladies get together on Friday that met in a coffee shop,it was organised by a church I know that I once did think was ok.
I sat next to the pastors wife,she called herself a pastor also. I said how my friends and I go to coffee shops to meet and we consider that as church,she told  me that unless I have an ordained pastor with us and  we worship/sing or pray in tongues, that  it isn't church. ( I pray inside my self anyway unknown to her) so by her definition what we did on Friday wasn't it.
I read a story about  martyr ,a man in Egypt a Christian Copt who was walking along the road,he was asked are you a Christian ?,he answered yes. He was then shot in the head,this was witnessed by another man.
was that yes worship?
was He The Church?
I was so shocked by this woman's take on The Church,it has been a long time since I have encountered  such a narrow view,which is something to be grateful for at least.
I felt that what happened on Friday was still church even though I had a very unpleasant experience  I felt battered and bruised by being subjected to that woman's constant views on things which I found painful and obnoxious ,but I didn't get shot in the head at least and I can now think of using that experience as worship if it ever happens to me again.
for suffering is worship.

The Victory Crown

I have been having a few dreams lately about watching a race, or training for a race that is upon us,  and no more time to prepare.....this morning I dreamed
 a man and a women were cycling and running,she was on her bike and the man was about to pass her running,she stopped got off her bike and asked him did he want to ride with her,he said yes, he got on the bike and they were going to continue,he was obviously very fit and strong and fast,he was the one going to pedal now.
the next scene was, they were  surrounded by a crowd who seemed to be honoring them,they were each about to run a 100 meter race,it was being announced,the woman read out the announcement that the man was going to run,she was smiling at him and very pleased for him.
I then heard, you can't claim a victory prize if you give up,you have to keep going.

I asked the next morning ,what is happening in heaven ?  and I saw horses galloping.
it seems we are in a race,we need to persevere to obtain the victory crown. so many are facing challenging times and circumstances in their lives.
yesterday before this latest dream I had bought this at a chemist shop ,it has a crown on it,it seems to confirm the victory crown.

 just like in the dream,we may need the strength and endurance and help of others to keep on in our race.
I also was woken by a bird several weeks ago, for three mornings in a row, its call was like an alarm,it sounded like equip,equip equipment,that's it that's it equip,
 and another dream from a few weeks ago highlighted.
we need to have the new equipment for this race,the old won't do.Be a new wine skin, you will be worn out and poor if you don't have the new equipment to start this race,and it will damage those running in the race with you. There is no more time to train,the race is today it is upon us.
keep going,persevere,you will get the help and strength you need as you run your race, work together and you will obtain your victory crown

A world of fear or a world of faith

 We look at the world and we see chaos throughout the world. No one knows what will happen next and if it will work out for good or for bad. Will terrorism go on or if some large war will breakout. If it is not terror and war it is economic collapse. The world is obsessed with fear.

So, what is the churches response to this?

We show no love for the perishing. We pray against those who are lost because they bring wickedness. We say it is because of the world’s wickedness that these things are happening. We have little to do with them because we fear that their wickedness will rub off on us and corrupt us but we are already corrupted for we have lost our way.

Our greatest commandment is love. We love our church and we walk in pride, but we were never commanded to love the church and we should walk in humility. We were commanded to love God above all things and to love our neighbour whoever that might be. We show our love for our God when we obey Him above all things. This is the order of things and if we do not love God above all things, then everything we do is corrupted. If we do not walk in love then we are better off joining the perishing for we will perish if we do not walk in love. We have forgotten that we were grafted into the vine and we can easily be separated from the true vine.

We see judgement coming on the world but remember this, judgement starts with the house of God. We have brought shame on the name of our Lord because we confess His name but we forget His commandments. We have become immoral and we have created idols of men and idols of things. We love them more that we love our Lord for if we knew the heart of God we would not be have celebration meetings, but we would be covering ourselves in ashes and weeping for the Lord is grieved and we need to repent.

We have avoided repentance but repentance is not something that we should avoid. It is something that we should desire to do, for it is in repentance that hope is found, for our God is a loving God and He is truly willing to forgive. It is out of repentance and a returning to our first love that we will become free. For who shall separate us from the love of God. I tell you the truth if we return to God, so will God return to us. It is time for us to remember our first love and unshackle ourselves with repentance for this is what the Lord desires.

Power is about to come on God’s people but it will not fall on those you might think it should fall. God will raise up those He chooses and will humble those He chooses. It will fall on those who love God first and walk in love for their neighbour. Our neighbour is not just those who do the things that we like but our neighbour is also the perishing. Love does not mean that we accept what they do but we need to love them despite what they do. We should not fear their corruption but we should transform them through the revelation of our Christ, our love and obedience to our God.

The church is coming out of the building. It is in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our cities. There is only one church. A time is coming on our nation and that time is very soon where the least of God’s servants will be more effective for the Lord than anyone has ever been in our nation in the past. They will not be seeking followers but the will only want to glorify their God. They will not build churches but they will bring people to Christ. Christ will set them free and Christ will build His church.

So, what should the churches response be to the chaos that is on the world?

We should draw near to God, cleanse ourselves so we are no longer weak and learn to love for love is the way of God’s servants and it is through love and obedience to God that we will know who the followers of Christ are. We should not walk in fear of what might happen in the world but we should walk in faith so that when everyone is afraid we can be a pillar that can be used to bring people to Christ.

God bless

Stuart

Ash wednesday

so today is ash Wednesday,I remember years ago having the ahes drawn into a cross on my forehead,and today begins the start of fasting for lent.
I was thinking about fasting the other day,I think it is a good thing to fast ones body,not letting it dominate us all the time,today it seems that we always are encouraged to give our body what ever it desires,treat ourselves etc when probably what our body craves is a rest.
a rest from food,or a rest from the internet,the phone,media,people,just to rest and reset.
I think fasting not just from food helps clarity,so I think I will be fasting a little over the 40 days,and trying to be creative,fast from email,fast from thinking critically,being more compassionate,especially to people who have wounded me or that I have imagined have,fasting from impatience especially when watching the news on the TV,maybe I should fast that as well.
if you choose to fast,enjoy the rest!

flowers for a bride

Flowers have a secret, language, they have ancient  symbolism 

this is an excerpt from a Bride's journal and inspirational journey

The lily is often a favorite flower of many royal brides because of its meaning, return of happiness

The Arum represents a coming back to life the resurrection, the water lily or lotus the cycle of life, the lotus grows up from mud into a flower of great beauty, and can be a reminder that just as people go through difficulties that beauty can come through these times.

The lily   rich in symbolism, has trumpet shaped flowers which one can imagine at a wedding would be trumpeting out the sound of joy, a lily is a sweet and fragrant with a strong scent

White and beautiful, exceeding others for whiteness, meaning purity, in it are seven seeds that are the

colour of gold, royalty

A lily is very fruitful, one root may put forth fifty bulbs.

A lily is the tallest of flowers and yet hangs its head down, a beautiful picture of humility.

A lily has many medicinal qualities according to old teaching representing healing

The lily of the valley is a beautiful picture of the king in song of songs

I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley.   songs 2.1

My beloved is gone down into his garden to the bed of spices to feed in the garden and to gather lilies . songs 6.2

 Take a moment to record in these pages some thoughts of what you would like to proclaim through your wedding flowers, perhaps joy, return of happiness, fidelity what is your secret language to your groom.

You could also keep a few petals from the day in this journal as a reminder in years ahead how precious that meaning was to you.

Have a go at drawing your favorite flowers ,as I have done below,I had a dream on my wedding anniversary of a field of white lilies, they were in my wedding bouquet so it was a special message of love to me.

 a return of happiness

The hidden nest

just arrived back from a visit to my sister's house,she lives in a beautiful part of the world, Jervis bay NSW.
one of the things I like about visiting that area is, the connection to nature comes so readily.
I was not disappointed this time around, as at night laying in bed I could hear the call of boo book owls serenading the night air.
the other surprise was a nest hidden,right at my sister's front door!
she has a hedge that has grown up just outside her front porch. I was sitting drinking tea one morning and I spied a small black bird darting into the hedge and not coming back out,which led me to investigate further.I then discovered three little birds,still not sure what type they are,but I loved how their beaks would open each time the hedge would rustle. this led me to muse about my sisters gift of hospitality to wild creatures and to humans,she provides seed and water to the wild birds and a place of refuge and rest both to feathered friends and to family.
I drew the nest for her and wrote about her' gift ' and presented it to her,I will henceforth refer to her home as The Hidden Nest