The Dreams that we Have that can make All the Difference

Sometimes a song or two, a TV series, a movie, sometimes a speech by a politician or a very ‘famous’ person; can change history. Reflecting on this, and looking forward to Oscar night tomorrow, the Allan Border Medal, and the Labor leadership showdown between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd; Monday will be a very significant day. Decisions made on that day will impact Australia, and perhaps the world, in a way that I may not expect.

A very famous man who challenged the societal norm was Martin Luther King Jr, who fiercely campaigned for the equality of all Americans, irregardless of their race, colour or creed. So famous that his speech ‘I Have a Dream’ is one of the most famously quoted speeches of all time. Martin Luther King Jr had the courage to dream, and to challenge what was readily accepted the society at that time. He had a dream, and even though he wasn’t able to see it with his own eyes to completion (because racism is still occurring in America, and around the world in its shapes and forms), he still dared to dream, and knew that if he believed, and with hard work, that even if he couldn’t see it done in his lifetime, that at least he tried.

Everything starts with a dream, an idea; that is birthed into someone. It is in you and me at this very moment. And has been since the day we were born, and since the Lord placed this dream in our hearts. But sometimes it can be just that. A dream, some untapped potential deep inside; that is yearning and breaking to come out. But sometimes, regardless of the circumstance, it is squashed down; and we live each mundane day, wishing for something more. We look at the people around us, and those with success, we wish for ourselves.

You know why everyone loves a great reality TV singing show, like ‘The Voice’, ‘Idol’, ‘The X Factor’ or ‘______ Got Talent’? Yes, we do like the tantrums and the drama, but ultimately, we love the rise and triumph of the underdog, the rolling of the story of development, fulfilling of dreams, and inspiration, from start to finish. We laugh and cry and the sight of our favourites exiting or ascending up the ladder before the final. We applaud and pray, watch with intent. And at the end of the day, we hope, and pray, that what happened to them, will ultimately happen to us.

We all have dreams. And sometimes, dreams can be just that, dreams that were not acted upon. Either from the lack of motivation from our part or from outside influences that we can’t control. But regardless, God is beckoning for our dreams to become reality, if we truly seek after the Lord’s heart and will for us. He doesn’t want us to live a life where we have regrets, where we look back after 20 years and say ‘If only I did this, or that; and then I would have a happy life.’

Our dreams, when acted upon, can change everything. It happened to everyone that was famous. U2, Mark Zuckerberg, Newsboys, Adam Gilchrist, Chris Tomlin, the creators of LOST, Third Day, Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Adams. These are the few of the many people whose lives have turned upside down because of the success that has been placed before them. But once someone is famous, and I’m sure, everyone will be, if not to the world than to the world that we live in; everything that comes with it shouldn’t faze us. We should know what our purpose in this life is. Our purpose should be is: because of what Christ has done for us, what Jesus sacrificed in the cross for all humanity, it is out of His mercy we understand what has happened. Once we fully grasp this, and really understand it, it is our purpose to sing glory and praise to God, and to tell everyone that will listen about what the Lord has done in us.

To put it simply, by sharing what is at the heart of the Passion Movement, headed by pastor Louie Giglio in Atlanta, Georgia: Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. (Isaiah 26:8); we know that yes, we have our dreams, and our passions, and we want to be the next Gilchrist, Bono, or Zuckerberg; but we mustn’t make our passions our purpose. Because at the end of day; everything will come to an end. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul delves into the fact that “…as far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ’s sake. Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him…” (Philippians 3:6-9).

We are all running the race of life. We can either be like Paul- focused on eternal glory and have our perspective guided by the Holy Spirit; or we can be like those who ‘argue’ with each other, about technology, the environment, issues that will fade away in the end. Nothing can substitute a relationship. Nothing. Not even houses, buildings, computers, or TV shows or powerful sermons. They can enlighten, but when it comes down to it, our passions and dreams cannot get in the way of our relationships, between fellow man and God.

As I finish this, think about this. Are there any dreams that you have, that haven’t come to pass as of yet. Share about it, with your family and friends, pray, and ask the Lord to show you what to do with those yearnings in your heart. Sometimes a dream is all it takes for the world to change and for you to be a history maker.

Til next blog post,

Jon.

Busyness, and the need for Rest

Everyone is busy. That’s the excuse that we as a society use, when we don’t want to make time for someone that we really don’t want to be around at that point in time, we say ‘We’re busy’. A polite way of being a brat sometimes, I sometimes wonder that if that phrase ‘I’m busy’ is just an excuse like we always want it to be, or have our lives become in fact that; busy. I step back; and think. Going from soccer games to board meetings, parent teacher nights, family nights, important decisions of which university or college to send your children to, improving relationships with your neighbours down the street, making sure your contribution to your local church goes noticed by the pastor so that your relationship can get back on track.

Busyness is a part of life. But busyness cannot be the excuse that we use anymore, in any situation. We are all busy, and we all need to prioritise our time so that the important things that should matter to us are accomplished. We all have the same about of time, the same amount of hours in the day. It is how we fill it that should matter, to us and also to God. He knows our heart, our intentions. So it’s ok if we are busy, we just need to make the effort to prioritise the things in our lives that we believe are important to us, even if it means sacrificing and saying ‘no’ so that you can say ‘yes’. God uses signs for us to acknowledge what He is trying to speak to us about. It may not be literal ones that we’re all hoping for, but nevertheless, God has given us signs all around us to show us of his matchless beauty, wonder, splendour and glory.

Finding out where you’re meant to be; or much broader, finding out where, and who and what you’re meant to be, are at the core of what the human race is longing for, and busyness can place a dent in that process. So who do you think you are? More often than not, the Lord is speaking to us, but we may or may not listen, and our excuse: busyness. And when we fall into a heap, when we struggle to juggle the 5 or 6 things that we are doing simultaneously, we may proclaim that we ‘have never felt like this before’, and we start to point the finger, blaming anyone and everyone they know. Firstly, we may blame God. ‘If you knew that I was going to get burnt out, then why didn’t you stop me? Then I’d be able to live life with the knowledge that my life would not get out of whack.’ But then God will probably answer, ‘My child, I did speak to you, I did show you signs. You shouldn’t have said ‘yes’ to everything, but rather say ‘no’ to things too!”

That is our crime as a human race. Because we see superhero shows like Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, X-Men or Iron Man on TV, we believe we can emulate them in every aspect of our lives. But what we fail to realise is that we were not made to do everything. Because if you end up doing everything that you’d like, you won’t do anything well because you’re spreading yourself too thin. What songwriter Michael W. Smith explains in his book, Signs, reveals a lot to the reader:

One of the biggest problems we all face in America today is that we’re surrounded by distractions, and we live way too fast. We find ourselves running from school to work to activities that range from baseball practice to hitting the mall to play rehearsals. Calling it ‘multi-tasking’ may make it sound like we have it under control, but it doesn’t change the fact that many of us are so caught up in our everyday lives that we’re just too busy to see what’s right in front of us. And that’s when we miss the signs. If I had my way, I’d install one of those big, yellow SLOW signs on ever corner. Okay, that might seem extreme, but I really believe that God is telling us to ‘slow down’. Not that I always listen. I’m the first to admit, there have been periods when I’ve become completely caught up in being busy. Great opportunities came my way, and there were times I probably said yes when I should have said no. Sound familiar? It’s a tempting trap to fall into, but in the end, it can leave little time for God and the business He really wants us to be about.

In my life, in your life, we should intentionally ‘slow down’. Because if we don’t, we can’t hear God’s voice throughout the busyness, with everyone going from one task to the next, running around and trying to fit more into their 24 hour day, even if it means reducing sleep hours. I know it can seem difficult these days, with the average Australian only getting around 7 hours of sleep per night, meaning that we all have around a 17 hour day that we can fit a certain amount of activities within; but we should try to slow down. There may be health implications for slowing down our lives, such as reducing heart problems, reducing stress and anxiety, not to mention decreasing the number of back or shoulder problems that people pick up when they are uptight; but rather when we do intentionally slow down; we just might be able to hear the Lord’s voice that has been speaking to us all along. He will show us the things that He has in store for us. We may be looking at the rights things, or not; but nevertheless, when we slow down, will be gain perspective, on us, the world around us, and where the Lord is leading us into the future.

There is a lyric in a song, “Come Rest” (by singer songwriter Lindsay McCaul), that has spoken to me and I’m sure it’ll speak to you just the same: When You say come, rest -should I be working so hard? When You say love, rest -did You want hands or my heart? 'Cause I have done my best and still I miss the mark; but I remember You said its done so I come. We need rest, from the busyness that we are all trapped in. We need to remember that everyone is busy, but just take time out for a while. Take your wife or husband on a date out. Take your children to their favourite diner, or hang out with your mates. Busyness will always be there. But it is our choice to allocate the time for the people that are the most important to us. And most important, the Lord wants to speak to you. So, like the lyric says, just come, and we should amazed by what God can do.

Until next time,

Jon. 

Technology: It's gonna be here for a long time yet!

It was just recently that I received my laptop back from Harvey Norman (a computer store). After being decommissioned from it during January because of unexpected shut downs, black screens of death, and unexpected slowness of the computer in general, it was off to the doctor. And now, as I start writing this, there’s not a single thing wrong with it. Except no Norton for anti-virus spyware. Now I can sit back, and enjoy my laptop without worrying…

Except I do worry. Because of my recent laptop debacle, when we dropped of the laptop at Harvey Norman, ever since then Dad has been interested in purchasing a 3D TV. Really? Our TV not good enough? Not so, but sometimes I just wonder how much of the influence of the TV is because we really want to upgrade, or because we are pressured, that if we don’t, we’ll feel like we’re missing out on something.

Technology has expanded beyond belief. 3D TV’s out there now will soon become glass-less 3D TV’s. Pretty soon, and this is my theory, movies like Bicentennial Man, Terminator, Total Recall, Back to the Future, may have some element of truth to it, that’s how fast technology seems to be going. A laptop bought today may not even last a year (without repair). TV’s break down, DVD’s are phased out and replaced by the Blu-Ray, VCR’s stop being made… all of this technological advancement is then topped off by rumours that CD’s are going on the way out by the end of 2012!

My point to all of this? Change happens. I have been very resistant to a lot of things, keeping up with technology is one of them. It’s taken a lot of time for me to warm up to twitter, and I’m sure that if I were to sign up to facebook, I won’t be as willing to do it compared to other people. Naturally, I’m very hesitant to keep up with the times, possibly because I don’t necessarily want to let go of the things that have made my life comfortable up until now. But I have now realized that the technological sphere is how the Y and Z generation speak nowadays. Twitter, Facebook, Skype, SMS, blu-ray, laptops; this is their world. And I know that I have been very hesitant towards some of these advancements, and I worry. What if I don’t have this, or don’t have that? I must confess, I don’t have a blu-ray player, nor an iPhone, an iPad, or even a huge flat screen 3D TV (but we may…). X-BOX has released a new console, KINECT, that uses hands and arms as remotes compared to Nintendo’s Wii. And I don’t have that either.

Sometimes I think that I should keep up, but then I stop to think. These technological things, while they are great as mediums to talk to the younger generation, aren’t necessary better when it comes to the relationships that we ought to form. I’ve realized that since the technological spike of the 90s and 2000s, face to face contact has decreased. And that is sad.

After my parents almost had to force me to play Scrabble the other day, I’ve realized and treasured the relationships that we all have. Technology can either be used for good or for harm. And I guess as I finish this blog, perhaps in this paragraph or the next, let me just say that if technology is getting in the way of relationships, both with fellow man and with God, then there is a problem. If anything is in the way of our relationship with both our friends and family, and with the maker of the universe, then maybe we should take a break, re-evaluate, and think, ‘Is technology what I worship?’ Sometimes the most revelations occur in the absence of the thing that you spend the most time with.

Now, I know that yes, we’ll probably buy a blu-ray player, a 3D TV, and sign on to facebook, but I know that I am in no rush. For I know that pretty soon, there’ll be other advancements on the market. What really matters is using the technology, the talents and gifts that the Lord gave me; so that I can do the Lord’s will, no matter what. Technology will be here, and it’s not going anywhere. We as Christians need to claim this for Jesus, and influence the sector and take it back for Jesus.

Something to ponder before this blog ends. Is there anything that is holding you back from your relationships with both Jesus and your family and friends? It may be technology, but it can also be something else. Whatever the case, this needs to be dealt with before you continue your relationships that really matter. Pray about it with someone, and hopefully, the Lord with show to you what He has been showing you all along!

Until next time,

Jon.

The Futile Plans that we all Make

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your life went to plan? If all your ducks lined in a row, that maybe this guy or girl would notice you, that maybe you can get this job, then everything would be grand, and just perfect? Everyone has felt that, even when we all deny it. Because we're human, it will be almost ridiculous to think that no one has had that that fleeting thought, wondered what life would be like if all your plans that you made when you were younger came into fruition. But life doesn't always go to plan, in fact, boldly I can proclaim that life never goes to plan. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't have a plan, because as everyone knows, failing to plan means planning to fail. But we as a society just needs to realise that even if our plans fail, doesn't mean that the Lord of the universe hasn't planned something special for you just around the corner.

Life wasn't meant to be easy. Life is a struggle, life is hard, and sometimes, life can be cruel. But no matter how much life brings us down, God is always there, in the thick of it, pulling us up, and leading us to what He has in store for us. And I know that it can be a struggle for us to surrender everything that we are, all our dreams, ambitions, yearnings, laments, hopes, cares, even troubles and deep dark secrets, to the creator of the universe. But He is God. Simple as that. He is God and we are not. He understands the things that we as a society will never understand. He holds everything, and everyone, in the palm of His hands.

Crazy, isn't it? How can we just surrender our whole lives to God? People would say, 'I've got this plan, I need to be married by 25, move out of home by 24, establlish a career, do x, y and z; so that I can prove myself that I am good enough!'... sound like every one of us? Sometimes the plans that we have are good and sincere, and I admire people that proclaim 'I want to be ____ ever since I was ____ years old'. But sometimes plans are comfortable. Plans are in little nice boxes. Now that's not to say that I haven't made my own plans. But I need to know that sometimes, when life happens, plans will have to change. And when that happens, I know that Jesus will be right beside me, helping me through.

You cannot see the entire picture of your life. Only because if you did, you would act differently now, always conscious of your decisions and what effect it would have on this or that, and you won't be living life to the full. And also, you're not God. And because you're not God, it's ok if things don't go to plan. Plans are good, but it's the motivation behind then that are the concern. Is it being done because of passion and longing, or out of duty and honour to either your parents, friends or those people around you that input into your life?

Jesus will ultimately know your heart. And he wants you to come, just as you are. With no agendas, no preconceived ideas, to just lay everything down at His feet and say 'I know you are in control, of everything, so I give you my life! All I want to do is what You want! Because of what You have done in my life, I know that for the rest of my days, the things of this world are temporary, and only You will remain!' This road called our lives is complex, and we may not see the whole picture. But Jesus does. He is outside time, and sees every single choice that we will ever make, and all the possible choices that we could make but didn't, and He knows all that too!

There is a line in the Casting Crowns' song 'Already There' that has struck me as awe-inspiring: From where You’re standing, Lord, You see a grand design that You imagined when You breathed me into life; and all the chaos comes together in Your hands like a masterpiece of Your picture-perfect plan. When we don't know the answers, there is a God that does. When our plans fail, He is the one that can be our comfort, and our strength. Surrender is the only thing we can do once we realise the enormity of what Christ did for us. Because "...at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us..." (Romans 5:6-8). Once we can fully grasp this, then we don't need to worry if our 'plans' fail. If they fail, so what? I don't need to worry. Jesus is already on the other side, and right by my side at the same time! And if there is one thing that the Lord came to do, was to comfort the afflicted and also to afflict the comfortable. We need to be shaken up, individually, culturally, socially and as a nation. We need to lay down all our futile plans and the feet of the Cross, and say 'I know that life can be uncertain, but with You, I know that nothing is impossible!'

TV, Music, Movies, Books, the Information of the New Generation.

How we obtain information as a society in this technological age has changed. Compared to decades ago, or maybe even 5 or 2 years ago, we are yearning for information to flood our brain, almost on a 24/7 basis. As a nation, whether it be America, Canada, Australia, U.K.; and even the whole entire world, is yearning for information, definitely meaningful, but sometimes, and most times, we all can settle for the meaningless. 

In my life in particular, I have often wondered, 'Am I a consumer or a consumee?' Consumer by definition is someone that obtains goods and services (to be blunt). But there comes a point that I have seen in my life (and I'm sure others too!), that with the music I listen to, the TV shows and movies I watch, the books I read, sometimes even the clothes I wear; can be 'consumed'. Let me just give you an example. Currently on my iTunes, I have well over 10,000 songs. Most of them I've bought from the local Christian bookstore Koorong in West Ryde, the others I've purchased from iTunes, and downloaded free from noisetrade. But then when I step back and think about it. Are the albums that I have necessary? Sure at that time it was great, but have you ever stepped back to think, that after the first few listens, you move on to the next album that is coming out the next week, and then the cycle continues? Do you then find yourself buying these albums, purely on the basis of the lyrics and music (which what it should be!); or, as sometimes I can relate to, on the reputation of the artists and how 'popular' and well known that they are? We as a society need to step back and look at the big picture. I know that I'm probably never going to be able to listen to 10,000 songs in my lifetime (only if I stay awake for 38 days and 14 hours and listen non-stop!). And I need to be cool with that. But then I also need to think, 'How much of what I consume is because I truly believe that this had or will have a positive impact on my life', where I look back and think 'Gee, the Lord did speak through this!'; or is it just because of the craze?

I need to keep myself in check. I'm sure all my songs on my computer speak to me in different ways, but the motivation behind my obtaining of the songs need to be right. I just can't just consume because of the artists reputation, popular opinion, or even what everyone else would say. Just because one of my favourite bands produce a stellar album one year, doesn't mean that their next album would be just as glorious, and I shouldn't really buy into the next album just on the fact that 'It's so-and-so'. On the flip side, artists that I haven't even considered may have great songs out there, and because of my preconceived ideas about what 'genre' of music I can handle, I dismiss them completely.

It's not just music. It goes with everything that we do, and all the information that pours into our heads, through all the mediums that we can handle. Currently I know that I'm watching too many TV shows that I can handle. To give you a taste: Once Upon a Time, Psych, Royal Pains, Castle, Parenthood, White Collar, Switched at Birth, Person of Interest, Sherlock, The Mentalist, Fairly Legal, Alphas, Eureka, Alcatraz, Hart of Dixie, Bones, The Glades, Unforgettable, Rookie Blue, Ringer... I'm sure many TV show lovers would say to me then that that is nothing, that they are watching 20 or maybe even 30 shows simultaneously. But then herein lies my point. I need to take stock. Sure some shows are just for entertainment. Its the shows that you can just watch on a Friday night with the family, just because you can, something that you can watch after a hard day at work or uni. But not to that over-excessive point that I know that I'm currently in. I need to ask, 'Does the Lord speak through this?' It could be a silly question. The Lord can speak through rocks, and donkeys, so speak through a TV show won't be hard for Him. But the question should instead be, 'What's my priority?' If I had to pick 5 or 10 shows that I currently watch, and that's it, what will it be? And for what reasons? Why do we do what we do? Whether it is we watch 10, 20 or 30 TV shows, it doesn't matter. But rather, we should know that the motivation behind it all should be pure. It should be, 'I'm watching this, not based on any review or what people say,' but rather, 'I'm gonna watch this because I've seen the trailer, and it looks like a fun show to watch, and hopefully, the Lord can show me something about myself, about other people, or even about what He wants to say to me right now through this show!' Similar with movies too, we should watch each movie with the intention 'Lord, here I am. Let me have a great time watching this. But also, show to me what you want, and speak to me through this film. Let me see what you want me to see, and if this movie should help me become a better man, and for me to grow more as a Christian, then I'm ready!'.

In essence, we should approach anything with that. Movies, books, TV, music; because in the end, the information that we obtain will be used to shape the next generation. Gone are the days, where books, movies, TV and music are just another 'form of entertainment'. Even now, these 'forms of entertainment' are quickly becoming the first choices of information for the younger generation. And we need to grasp that and catch on quickly. Yes, these things are forms of entertainment. But, one movie, one book, one TV show, and even one song, can change a person's life. That's how profound and influential the entertainment genre is. Whether we like it or not, the influence of technology, in all forms, is only going to increase the mediums and frequency of 'entertainment'. We as a church and as Christians need to have influence in that sphere, and say, 'Yes, these movies, shows, and songs can impact your life, but there is someone that can turn your life around, and His name is Jesus!' I really long for the day when there is Christ-themed TV show that'll debut on either NBC, FOX, CBS, CW or ABC.

But what we really need to keep in check is the fact that we shouldn't consume but rather enjoy. Sometimes I can get caught up in buying the 12000 songs that I miss out on what the Lord is trying to say in the 1. We all need to stop and think, and ask the Lord, 'Do I really need this? Is this improving or getting in the way of my relationship with God?' Just the other day, megaupload shut down, causing widespread panic by those who 'file-shared'. Now I need to step back and wonder. Sometimes the Lord can work in the most obscure ways, sometimes even as 'left-field' as this; to ask for our attention. Maybe this is God's way of saying 'You guys don't need all of this. Sure, I can speak through all of these things, but if you truly want to be satisfed, then come to me!'

I am probably going to start to go through my TV show collection, and ask some very tough questions. But before I sign off, let me ask you a question. Sometimes so many of us Christians substitute reading the Word of God, the Bible, and they read other books, listen to Christian music, watch sermons on DVD... but if there was no TV, no books, no computer, no internet, no songs, would our FAITH be shaken?

Think about it. Feel free to comment below.

Until next time,

Jon.