Well I'm officially on holidays for two weeks. I'm really pumped. This will be the first time that I have gone to Adelaide. Really looking forward to this thing man.
Robyn is really pumped as well. She was counting down the days.
"2 more days till I have Ben all to myself!"
Well I'll hope to post some photo's of Adelaide on this when I get back, maybe.
Monday, 27 August 2007
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Words, Words, Words!
I haven't written in this for a while. So I thought that I'd post a short note on where things are up to.
Robyn is still awaiting the operation. We've had the date moved 3 times now. Frustrating but this is life. We've been comforted by the Scriptures more and more. It's amazing how that happens!
Not that we are Ok all the time. Don't get me wrong we often feel down. But we are reminded of how great a slavation we have in Christ. Even as I type this post, I have a song from Sovereign Grace Music playing - "Let you Kingdom Come"...It's a great song!!! In spite of what we are going through focused on God's kingdom. These are words that I love to have in my head!
Robyn is still awaiting the operation. We've had the date moved 3 times now. Frustrating but this is life. We've been comforted by the Scriptures more and more. It's amazing how that happens!
Not that we are Ok all the time. Don't get me wrong we often feel down. But we are reminded of how great a slavation we have in Christ. Even as I type this post, I have a song from Sovereign Grace Music playing - "Let you Kingdom Come"...It's a great song!!! In spite of what we are going through focused on God's kingdom. These are words that I love to have in my head!
Saturday, 16 June 2007
A quote from John Owen
I reading this book from John Owen at the moment, and I came across this quote (below). John Owen was a puritan preacher in England in the 1700's .
It was something that really hit home to me. And upon reflecting on it more, I longed for heaven all the more. I longed for the time when I can using the lanuage of John Owen, behold the glory of Christ by sight, and not just by faith. In other words, I long for the day when I get to see Jesus, my great God and Saviour, him who poured out his blood, dying and taking the punishment for me, that I may have life eternal!
"This vision is not in the least liable unto any weakening from internal
defects, nor any assaults from temptations, as is the sight of faith in this
life. No doubts or fears, no disturbing darts or injections, shall there have
any place. There shall no habit, no quality, no inclination or disposition
remain in our souls, but what shall eternally lead us unto the contemplation
of the glory of Christ with delight and complacency. Nor will there be any
defect in the gracious powers of our souls, as unto a perpetual exercise of
them; and as to all other opposing enemies, we shall be in a perpetual
triumph over them, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. The mouth of iniquity shall
be stopped for ever, and the voice of the self-avenger shall be heard no
more.
Wherefore, the vision which we shall have in heaven of the glory of Christ
is serene, — always the same, always new and indeficient, wherein nothing
can disturb the mind in the most perfect operations of a blessed life. And
when all the faculties of the soul can, without any internal weakness or
external hindrances, exercise their most perfect operations on the most
perfect object, — therein lies all the blessedness which our nature is
capable of.
Wherefore, whenever in this life we attain any comfortable, refreshing view
of the glory of Christ by the exercise of faith on the revelation of it, with a
sense of our interest therein, we cannot but long after, and desire to come
unto, this more perfect, abiding, invariable aspect of it."Works of John Owen, Volume 1 - Meditations and Discourses: Concerning the Glory of Christ page 164
It was something that really hit home to me. And upon reflecting on it more, I longed for heaven all the more. I longed for the time when I can using the lanuage of John Owen, behold the glory of Christ by sight, and not just by faith. In other words, I long for the day when I get to see Jesus, my great God and Saviour, him who poured out his blood, dying and taking the punishment for me, that I may have life eternal!
"This vision is not in the least liable unto any weakening from internal
defects, nor any assaults from temptations, as is the sight of faith in this
life. No doubts or fears, no disturbing darts or injections, shall there have
any place. There shall no habit, no quality, no inclination or disposition
remain in our souls, but what shall eternally lead us unto the contemplation
of the glory of Christ with delight and complacency. Nor will there be any
defect in the gracious powers of our souls, as unto a perpetual exercise of
them; and as to all other opposing enemies, we shall be in a perpetual
triumph over them, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. The mouth of iniquity shall
be stopped for ever, and the voice of the self-avenger shall be heard no
more.
Wherefore, the vision which we shall have in heaven of the glory of Christ
is serene, — always the same, always new and indeficient, wherein nothing
can disturb the mind in the most perfect operations of a blessed life. And
when all the faculties of the soul can, without any internal weakness or
external hindrances, exercise their most perfect operations on the most
perfect object, — therein lies all the blessedness which our nature is
capable of.
Wherefore, whenever in this life we attain any comfortable, refreshing view
of the glory of Christ by the exercise of faith on the revelation of it, with a
sense of our interest therein, we cannot but long after, and desire to come
unto, this more perfect, abiding, invariable aspect of it."Works of John Owen, Volume 1 - Meditations and Discourses: Concerning the Glory of Christ page 164
What a week!
This week has been a weird one. For one, the part of the coast we live in had a huge storm. And it resulted in our place loosing power from mid Friday - late Wednesday night. We totally survived on canned food (which incidentally had a rather negative affect on my bowls...I couldn't stop letting off!) candles, and torches.
People at church were extremely generous, lending us camping equipment, and also allowing us to go to there houses and use their showers... after a couple of days a hot shower was such a blessing.
I felt like one of my hero's of old, working by candle light! It was fun for about 1 day, then it just got depressing. So on Sunday we decided to go and do the "pop in" on some friends. They were excellent about it.
But on top of that, we also got bad news again. Robyn's surgery was delayed again. We weren't as bummed this time, but it still sucked! We consciously prepared ourselves this time for a let down. This time however, the hospital didn't give us a date at all. Which is a bit of a worry.
For those that do know us personally, please continue to pray for us. Thanks for those who do!
People at church were extremely generous, lending us camping equipment, and also allowing us to go to there houses and use their showers... after a couple of days a hot shower was such a blessing.
I felt like one of my hero's of old, working by candle light! It was fun for about 1 day, then it just got depressing. So on Sunday we decided to go and do the "pop in" on some friends. They were excellent about it.
But on top of that, we also got bad news again. Robyn's surgery was delayed again. We weren't as bummed this time, but it still sucked! We consciously prepared ourselves this time for a let down. This time however, the hospital didn't give us a date at all. Which is a bit of a worry.
For those that do know us personally, please continue to pray for us. Thanks for those who do!
Monday, 4 June 2007
Oh the Glories of the Cross!
I can't help but sing those fantastic words of that song from Sovereign Grace. Especially in light of the weekend we have just had.
This weekend our church went away to a site for our "church weekend away." It was a fantastic time of really, (I mean really) delving into the word of God, to see what he has to say about the Cross of Christ. It was intense! Oh, but worth it. People in our church were really lapping up the teaching, and relishing the opportunity to meditate, and think upon this central Christian truth.
It continues to blow my mind, how much the Cross achieved. That God would love me so much that he would send his son to die, to take the punishment I deserve for saying to God "Hey I wanna be God, I wanna make to rules, not you..." For this I deserve death, punishment, and hell. But Christ, bore that for me in my place. Not as some third party - no because He is God! He is the one I have rebelled against. Oh, what love is this!
How great in the one that would die, for me (and for you!!), that we could be declared to be right with God.
It was a real joy. it excellent to get away for the weekend, and continue to foster and build relationships with people at church.
The only down side, was that Robyn had a fair bit of pain on the Saturday night. And this really knocked her around. She had to sleep on Sunday morning. She wanted to push through, so that she could continue to build relationships with people at church. But that was hard.
How central the cross is again hit home to Robyn and I. But I'll let God's word say it.
"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. "(Romans 3:21-26 ESV)
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. " 1 John 4:10 ESV
And how good is this quote from John Stott!
"The Cross which appeared to be the defeat of goodness by evil, was in fact the defeat of evil by goodness."Oh, the glories of the Cross. For those of us who know the salvation of the cross, how could we not but sing?
This weekend our church went away to a site for our "church weekend away." It was a fantastic time of really, (I mean really) delving into the word of God, to see what he has to say about the Cross of Christ. It was intense! Oh, but worth it. People in our church were really lapping up the teaching, and relishing the opportunity to meditate, and think upon this central Christian truth.
It continues to blow my mind, how much the Cross achieved. That God would love me so much that he would send his son to die, to take the punishment I deserve for saying to God "Hey I wanna be God, I wanna make to rules, not you..." For this I deserve death, punishment, and hell. But Christ, bore that for me in my place. Not as some third party - no because He is God! He is the one I have rebelled against. Oh, what love is this!
How great in the one that would die, for me (and for you!!), that we could be declared to be right with God.
It was a real joy. it excellent to get away for the weekend, and continue to foster and build relationships with people at church.
The only down side, was that Robyn had a fair bit of pain on the Saturday night. And this really knocked her around. She had to sleep on Sunday morning. She wanted to push through, so that she could continue to build relationships with people at church. But that was hard.
How central the cross is again hit home to Robyn and I. But I'll let God's word say it.
"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. "(Romans 3:21-26 ESV)
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. " 1 John 4:10 ESV
And how good is this quote from John Stott!
"The Cross which appeared to be the defeat of goodness by evil, was in fact the defeat of evil by goodness."Oh, the glories of the Cross. For those of us who know the salvation of the cross, how could we not but sing?
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
I'm Gutted!
Hey.
As many of you know Robyn my wife is chronically ill, with a back lower back pain. We saw the surgeon recently and had a date confirmed for an operation. It was to be the 24th May 2007.
We went to the pre-admission clinic yesterday. It was a long process, but helpful. Robyn mentioned to me that it had finally sunk in, the operation was going to happen. It was also a long day. Nepean Hospital is quite a distance from the Central Coast.
However, today we got some news we didn't expect. I just returned from a positive meeting from Gorokan High School about the possibility of starting a lunchtime Christian Group. It was great! Praise God! But I returned to find a message on the answering machine. I had to call the surgeon's office. Robyn's op had been moved as of this morning to occur on the 14th of June. That's another 3 weeks away.
We'd got everything sorted. I worked out where I was going to stay, what I was going to do for work during that time. It was all planned. But that's all had to change.
Both of us are pretty gutted. Pretty down, because this has been a hard year for Robyn especially. And I hate seeing my wife, whom I love suffer like this. As her husband I wish I could just take it all away. I hate the fact that I can't fix this. It pains my heart to know that I can't do a thing, except continue to support and care for my wife.
I also struggle Christianly. And in these times, I need the constant reminder of God's goodness and love for me and Robyn. I need to know the peace God gives in knowing he is in control of all things. But it's hard. I mean, I cried today. I sat back and let the tears flow. It's hard.
So I need the truth of the word of God. I need to be reminded, so I'll continue to trust, even in the hard times. I need to continually cry out to God to help us, to strengthen us in Him, and to help us persevere, because I know that I can't do this on my own.
May God give us his peace. May he equip us to keep going, that we might be to the praise of his glory. May we always be growing in our trust and love of him, who has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ. Even in this hard time may he be our source of joy! Amen
As many of you know Robyn my wife is chronically ill, with a back lower back pain. We saw the surgeon recently and had a date confirmed for an operation. It was to be the 24th May 2007.
We went to the pre-admission clinic yesterday. It was a long process, but helpful. Robyn mentioned to me that it had finally sunk in, the operation was going to happen. It was also a long day. Nepean Hospital is quite a distance from the Central Coast.
However, today we got some news we didn't expect. I just returned from a positive meeting from Gorokan High School about the possibility of starting a lunchtime Christian Group. It was great! Praise God! But I returned to find a message on the answering machine. I had to call the surgeon's office. Robyn's op had been moved as of this morning to occur on the 14th of June. That's another 3 weeks away.
We'd got everything sorted. I worked out where I was going to stay, what I was going to do for work during that time. It was all planned. But that's all had to change.
Both of us are pretty gutted. Pretty down, because this has been a hard year for Robyn especially. And I hate seeing my wife, whom I love suffer like this. As her husband I wish I could just take it all away. I hate the fact that I can't fix this. It pains my heart to know that I can't do a thing, except continue to support and care for my wife.
I also struggle Christianly. And in these times, I need the constant reminder of God's goodness and love for me and Robyn. I need to know the peace God gives in knowing he is in control of all things. But it's hard. I mean, I cried today. I sat back and let the tears flow. It's hard.
So I need the truth of the word of God. I need to be reminded, so I'll continue to trust, even in the hard times. I need to continually cry out to God to help us, to strengthen us in Him, and to help us persevere, because I know that I can't do this on my own.
May God give us his peace. May he equip us to keep going, that we might be to the praise of his glory. May we always be growing in our trust and love of him, who has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ. Even in this hard time may he be our source of joy! Amen
Sunday, 6 May 2007
My earnest heart's desire
My earnest heart's desire
is to ponder only him;
to pant, thirst and hunger,
for the only King.
Jesus is this one
who my body longs for,
whose glory I will gaze at
for all eternities draw.
By faith I see him only
in my present body state.
A glimpse of his glory,
is all I am able to take.
But I know this not
will always be the case.
For the promise of Heaven,
is that I'll see his face.
My body transformed
from a corrupted being.
It will be glorious
to look upon the one true King.
No longer groaning,
will my body be.
But seeing, savouring, delighting
in only He.
By Ben Waters April 2007
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