Tag Archives: spirituality

mmmm deuteronomy 6 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Aussie Seafood at Sydney’s Palm Beach on the weekend Mmmm

Sydney has amazing seafood that is so fresh!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

At Bible College, I’m eating mouthfuls of Old Testament this semester.

4 Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.

 Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Recently, I was talking to my Jewish workmate about the Shema or verse 4 above.

It struck me how impersonal his relationship with God was.

It’s possible for Jews to follow all the Laws in the Torah (1st 5 books in the Bible)
and not really know who God is.

They can robotically observe all the Laws without having any real love towards God.

These Laws are an inconvenience as Jews get on with their ordinary lives.

These Laws are open to abuse as Jews try to find loopholes to avoid obeying them completely.

Jews probably view God as some anonymous “cosmic policeman”
who spoils their fun and enjoyment of life.

As Christians, we have a completely different view of the Torah.

Jesus summed up the whole Law with verse 5 above and
“Love your neighbour as yourself”.

Because we have a real relationship with Jesus, these Laws reflect God’s holiness
rather than repetitive rules and regulations.

Our sole purpose is to Love God as our Father with all our whole being –
he is number 1 in our lives.

We view these Laws as a general guide in our lives, not as an inconvenience.

Jesus has freed us from the punishment and consequences of the Law.

Unlike Jews who are culturally bound by the Torah,
Christians do not robotically observe the Law.

Instead our lives are characterised by Love and wanting to please God because he first loved us.

Jesus has superseded the Law and the New Testament has replaced
all of the Food, Ceremonial & Sacrificial Laws and Rituals.

Yet the Ten Commandments reflect our love for God.

We do not have to worry if we accidentally break one of them.

Instead our relationship with Jesus means that we are forgiven.

Christians are known for their love for God, families, friends, neighbours and strangers.

Do you have a close loving relationship with God as your Dad and Jesus as your brother?

If you are a Christian, can people around you see your love for God and others?

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm numbers 9 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Japanese Sushi & Sashimi today Mmmm

Sydney has amazing Asian food!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

At Bible College, I’m eating mouthfuls of Old Testament this semester.

And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,“Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did.

Numbers 9:1-5

Just before Easter, a Jewish workmate went around our office
telling everyone that it was Passover.

He shared his unleavened bread (bread without yeast) and made us all taste it.

Jews celebrate Passover by remembering how God saved their firstborn sons and animals prior to the Exodus from Egypt.

This is also the Last Supper that Jesus celebrated with his disciples prior to his death on a cross.

I talked with my Jewish mate about the Old Testament and showed him this Blog on my SmartPhone so he could read the Gospel message in the previous post.

My Jewish mate is not Orthodox and does not observe the Sabbath,
but he does observe cultural celebrations like Passover and Yom Kippur.

He is not particularly religious but identifies himself as culturally Jewish.

This reminds me of many Aussies who are nominally Christian –
they only go to church at Easter and Christmas.

They think that this minimal attendance will get them into heaven.

As long as they lead a “good” life – they’ll be right mate.

God does not want us to just pay “lip service” and observe cultural events.

He wants us to have a real relationship and spend every day with Him.

A real relationship is characterised by daily conversations, not just twice a year encounters.

How often do you talk and listen to God?

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm leviticus 16 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Italian Handmade Pasta with Porcini today Mmmm

I’m grateful that I live in multicultural Sydney with food from all over the world!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

29 “And it shall be a statute to you for ever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselvesand shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute for ever. 32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. 33 He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 And this shall be a statute for ever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

Leviticus 16:29-34

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we see how the Israelites were to relate to God.

The Israelites were “unclean”, rebellious and sinful and needed instructions to come near a holy and “clean” God.

On one special day of the year, the High Priest made atonement for the sins of the whole nation.

This involved animals symbolically being punished for the sins of the people.

A scapegoat was released into the desert and bulls were sacrificed.

The High Priest was only allowed into the Most Holy Place of the Tent of Meeting on the Day of Atonement.

God forgave the sins of Israel when this annual ceremony took place.

The Jewish people still observe the Day of Atonement – “Yom Kippur”.

In the New Testament, “Yom Kippur” has been made obsolete.

At Easter, Christians remember that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.

He died on the cross and his blood was shed just like the animal sacrifices.

He became the scapegoat and the sins of the whole world were placed on him.

Jesus died once for all, so Christians are forgiven for all time.

We do not need to keep sacrificing animals every year for forgiveness.

In fact because of Jesus, ordinary Christians can come near to God every day.

We no longer need the High Priest to go into the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple.

Anyone can accept Jesus on any day of the year and be forgiven by God.

We do not need to wait for “Yom Kippur”.

We no longer need to go to the temple in Jerusalem.

We can pray to God anywhere on Earth and be assured of forgiveness.

Are you forgiven?

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm exodus 20 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Vietnamese Beef Pho with fresh chilli last weekend Mmmm

I thank God that I live in Sydney with the best authentic Asian food outside Asia!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not let God speak to us or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:12-21

This passage includes a portion of the familiar Ten Commandments.

Many think that as long as you obey these and lead a good life, you will go to heaven.

Wrong.

Our salvation comes from Jesus alone.

We do not earn our way to heaven by obeying religious rules and regulations.

Jesus saves us & makes it possible for Christians to have a real relationship with God.

These verses show the nature of our relationship with our Heavenly Dad.

We are to fear and respect our Dad because He created the whole universe & us.

The Ten Commandments demonstrate the holiness of being in the same family as God.

They were written to test our love for Him.

When we follow Jesus, we try to live our lives in a way that pleases God.

But often we stuff up and break the Ten Commandments many times in our lives.

Thankfully we don’t have to be worried that we are not good enough to enter heaven.

Because entering heaven doesn’t depend on our “goodness”.

Instead if we ask for forgiveness, God will allow us into his “house” or heaven.

After we’ve been forgiven, we live our lives in thankfulness for what Jesus did on the cross.

Christians aren’t perfect.

Christians are forgiven.

Christians are children that demonstrate their love for their Dad in a way that makes him proud to call us his kids.

Is God proud of you?

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm genesis 8 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Indian Tandoori Chicken and Naan Bread last weekend Mmmm

I thank God that I live in multicultural Sydney with a huge variety of authentic Asian food!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

“So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”

Genesis 8:18-21

Genesis sets up this incredible unfolding plan of God.

We have the tension of sin and Man’s rebellion contrasted against God’s love for his people.

We are left asking, “How will this all end?”

God knew that Man would rebel against him well before he even created anything.

The amazing thing is that God decided to go ahead and create the whole universe anyway knowing that Man would rebel against him.

He lovingly created a beautiful world knowing that we would pollute it with our sinfulness.

As a result we now have major environmental problems because we have failed to care for the world:

  • We have chopped down all the trees
  • We have killed all the animals
  • We have thrown rubbish everywhere
  • We have polluted the air with greenhouse gases.

We only have ourselves to blame for Climate Change.

As we read about Noah and the Flood, we see that God is a God of Second Chances.

He could have wiped out all Mankind but he chose to spare Noah and his family.

God knew full well that every inclination of Man’s heart is evil from childhood.

He knew that we are naturally evil from birth. It is in our nature to sin.

Inexplicably he allowed Noah to survive knowing that Man would continue to sin after the Flood.

We see a repeating pattern emerging in Genesis that will continue throughout the whole Old Testament

  • Man rebels against God
  • God warns Man to stop rebelling
  • Man ignores God’s warning
  • God rightfully judges Man for his rebellion
  • God gives Man a Second Chance and lessens the punishment
  • God restores Man

Then the cycle begins all over again showing that we haven’t learned anything from our mistakes.

The whole Old Testament is leading to the climax in the New Testament.

Through Jesus, God has dealt with Man’s rebellion once and for all.

Jesus has taken the punishment that we deserve upon himself.

Jesus has restored our relationship with God and stopped this pointless cycle of hopelessness.

Jesus gives us real food and real hope for the future.

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm genesis 1-2 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed eating yumcha today to celebrate Chinese New Year mmmm

There is something even more delicious than yumcha:

Join me in eating God’s Word!

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Genesis 1: 31- 2:3

Genesis is the 1st book of the Bible and we read about God creating the world in Chapter 1.

There is something we often overlook when reading these facts.

On the 7th day, God rested from all his work.

We were created to be in relationship with God and enjoy his rest.

We were not created to be workaholics labouring 24/7.

Sadly Australians are working longer hours to get ahead in their careers.

Or they may be forced to work on weekends as part of their contracts.

Either way, work is putting pressure on family and spiritual relationships in unprecedented ways.

Many are willing to put in the long hours to fund their affluent lifestyles.

Our lives soon become so fast-paced & busy that we forget what we are slaving for.

We need to take a day off each week so that we can:

  • Rest and enjoy life
  • Spend time with our families
  • Eat good food & relax
  • Play sport or enjoy the great outdoors that God has made
  • Meet friends at church and discuss the Bible
  • Pray
  • Volunteer & help others in the community
  • Talk to our neighbours

Our careers do not define our identity or give us worth in life.

Sadly many Australians are sucked in to the lie that money brings happiness.

To put all our energy into earning money is a recipe for disaster.

Find rest in God now!

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm psalm 119 mmmm

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I’m passionate about eating Asian food in Sydney because we have the best outside Asia!

There’s an enormous variety of authentic dishes to choose from:

  • Cantonese yumcha
  • Peking duck
  • Malaysian char kway teow & roti canai
  • Singapore noodles & chicken rice
  • Korean bulgogi
  • Thai green & massaman curries
  • Indian biryani & lamb korma
  • Turkish gozleme
  • Vietnamese pho

But there is something even more delicious!

Join a hungry Sydney Bible College student for a satisying meal!

Psalm 119: 97-105 (NIV1984)

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

The writer of this psalm uses a food metaphor to describe the words of God
He hungers after the sweet delicious mouthfuls and craves for more
He is passionate about reading and meditating on the words of God
In Old Testament times, the words of God were the Law (the 1st 5 books of the Bible)
In the context of the New Testament, the whole Bible is God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
We can now enjoy both Testaments on our dinner table

How often do you read/eat the Bible?
We need to eat the Bible everyday just like we need food daily to survive
Without nourishing food we will die!
It is the same with God’s Word as we gain hope and strength for each new day
The last verse in this section uses a light metaphor to describe the words of God
The Bible shines a light in darkness so we can see the way forward

We are faced with so many daily decisions in life, how do you know which path to follow?
The answers can be found in the Bible

Bible College starts again in less than 3 weeks!
I can’t wait to get stuck in to the Bible and eat the delicious feast!

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm job 28 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with a hungry Sydney Bible College student!

Do you crave something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Job 28:20-28 (NIV 1984)

“Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say,
‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’
God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
And he said to man,
‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’”

The book of Job in the Old Testament is about a Man and his relationship with God.

Job experiences unexplained suffering and cries out in pain.
His friends try to offer comforting words of wisdom but are tactless and foolish.
Job wonders where true wisdom can be found.

Only God is the source of true wisdom.

Man can find wisdom in right relationship with God.
We do this by humbly approaching Him and recognising that He is the Creator (and we are not!)

He creates thunderstorms like Super Storm Sandy that devastated NE USA recently.
I love New York in the Spring – one of the great cities of the world alongside Sydney.
So to see the recent devastation is heart-breaking and humbling.

When suffering happens to us, we cry out in pain.
But instead of asking, “Why did you do this, God?”

We should ask, “How can I trust God to get me through this suffering?”

God is more important than our treasured homes that can be washed away in a storm.

God is more reliable than politicians who promise but fail to deliver.

God wants us to trust Him when everything collapses around us.

He sent Jesus to give us eternal hope so that we can weather the most powerful storm.

Who do you trust when you lose everything?

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm colossians 1 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with a hungry Sydney Bible College student!

Do you crave something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Colossians 1:15-16 (NIV 1984)

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

What is the meaning of life?

Philosophers, comedians and theologians have pondered this question since time began.

Some answers include:

  • Love, Family relationships and friendships
  • Knowledge, learning and education
  • Career success and job satisfaction
  • Good food and wine
  • Money, possessions, a comfortable home in a good suburb and a fast car
  • Good health, the body beautiful, fitness and sport
  • Art, architecture, music and entertainment
  • Travel and the environment
  • Recreation and leisure
  • Humour and happiness

Colossians tells us something different and often we miss the last 2 words in verse 16.

Jesus created the universe for himself. This includes all humans – Christian and non-Christian.

We belong to Jesus. He is our “meaning”.

So what does this look like?

Jesus desires to enjoy us in close relationship to him – closer than our family or best friends.

We often look for meaning in the wrong places:

  • Family and friends come and go – we mourn when we lose them
  • Even with all the knowledge in the world, we can still be lonely
  • Redundancy can stunt our career plans and threaten our homes
  • Cancer and Diabetes can spoil our appetite for good food and wine
  • Money and possessions can be stolen or destroyed in fire
  • We are so busy in life and no longer have time for rest and hobbies
  • Worries and Depression can make our fun and laughter disappear

Jesus is eternal – he is still there when our world collapses around us

He is our food that satisfies the greatest hunger when we need it most

Enjoy him today!

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm ephesians 2 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with an inquisitive Sydney Bible College student!

Do you hunger for something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Ephesians 2:4-9 (NIV 1984)

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. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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.

Growing up in a Christian family, I always thought I had to earn my way to heaven by going to church every Sunday and obeying the Ten Commandments.

But I was always worried that I wasn’t good enough. In my heart, I knew that I wasn’t perfect.

When I was 17, I read this passage in Ephesians and a wave of relief washed over me.

God is a God of second chances (mercy) giving me an amazing gift that I didn’t deserve (grace): His Son Jesus.

I didn’t earn this free gift and there is no way that I can repay God for saving me.

Suddenly a light dawned on me and I fully understood and appreciated the enormity of “grace“.

I was baptised soon after and now live my life in thankfulness to God for his “grace“.

Think about “love”, “mercy” and “grace” – they are  closely interconnected:

Grace is clearly the greatest gift we can receive in our lives – once you realise this, you can relax and be free from guilt and worry forever. Nothing else matters.

mmmm Bible mmmm