Cross-Australia Adventure and Conference.

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Cross-Australia Adventure and Conference.

Postby Zane » Wed Dec 29, 2004 9:17 pm

The trip I took to Canberra and Sydeny for the a National Uni Students Training Event rocked. Besides learning heaps about Gods mercy and grace, we also hit a kangaroo with our Bus, went swimming in an undergroud lake in the middle of the Nullabor, drove 4000 kms non-stop, climbed down 900 odd steps straight and up another 1000 in the Blue Mountains, watched and loved "The Life of Brian", listend to just about every Sister Act, Disney, Christmas and Worship Songs sung by the girls on the Bus, and got to know one-another well, ... perhaps too well.

The conference was about Evangelism, Gods part, our part and the purpose behind it, etc. And after the first talk, done by Phillip Jensen (got into international hot-water over gay priests in churchs... you may have come across that) my mind was stuffed, and for the rest of the conference I was just trying to figure out what it meant in terms of predestination and the elect. Just read Eph 1 and meditate on that for awhile. See I always thought that everyone with Gods help has the chance to be saved by Christs blood,... but its only the elect that do and are saved. And if it is God who "wakes us up" to our need of savalation and gives us faith to belive in Jesus then why doesn't God "wake everyone up", you know... Did not jesus die for everyone or only the elects sins?

Those thoughts bugged me the whole 5 days and even into the mission stage in Narrenbeen (north suburb of Sydney), because I felt that I could not tell people about Gods love for them and Jesus sacrifice for them, if they weren't part of the elect, I would have been lying to them to some extent.
I feelt like God was standing at the cross roads predestaning people to their respective destinations; "You can go to heaven, and you can go to Hell, Heaven, Hell, Heaven, and I don't like the look of you.. Hell".
And that really concered me, because the understanding of Gods soverentiy affects everything, about God and the world etc.

Then in question time; one of the ppl asked the speaker whether or not God predestinse people to Hell, which totally summed up my feelings and queries at the time. Jensen replied: "God has to do nothing to sent us to Hell, we're all already there, in his mercy he plucks us out of it."
And that sorted it all out, I had been looking at it like we where on no-mans land and God assigns places for us, which we clearly were not.
In his great mercy he saved me and you, not because of how we look, think, act, how athletic I am or how "really really redicoulasly good-looking" I am, on no basis whatsoever. That is not fair, thats mercy. Give me mercy everytime, because if it were fairness I'd still be in Hell, dead in my transgressions.

"Amazing Love, how can it be that my God would die for me"
Is that not the most silly, non-locigal, profound statement that exists, GOD dying for ME. A Human becoming a little yellow Lego figure and being killed decapitated by their little plastic swords and doing so in his love for those stupid sinfull idiotic Lego people. Thats nuts.
How mercyful and gracefully and wonderful and amazing God is!!! And travelling across the Australian contient, running out of fuel in the middle of the night, not showering for 3000 kms in a non-airconditioned, in 40 degree heat, Bus is what it took :) And only yesterday a friend of mine told me what he had figured out walking home the other night; We get our 'right and wrong' from God, would not the source of our preception of 'right and wrong' (which is also blinded by sin) know better than us what to do, concerning predestination and not saving everyone? Surley God knows!!! and has accomidated stuff or whatever to his just and good will and plan.

Is not the the most, biggest single event in History, God becoming Man, not the Wars or the invention of the Wheel or the Interent, but Jesus Christs life!!! I learned HEAPS and thanks for all your support over the year. May you also know what I learned and feeling totally insignificant before the Cross and have a great start to 2005. Gott segne Euch.
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Postby Hephzibah » Wed Dec 29, 2004 11:23 pm

That's awesome!!

Then in question time; one of the ppl asked the speaker whether or not God predestinse people to Hell, which totally summed up my feelings and queries at the time. Jensen replied: "God has to do nothing to sent us to Hell, we're all already there, in his mercy he plucks us out of it."
And that sorted it all out, I had been looking at it like we where on no-mans land and God assigns places for us, which we clearly were not.

Wow... That is really powerful. :grin: Isn't God great?! A friend of mine has been asking almost the exact same question as that... :)
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Postby Rogie » Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:36 am

Sounds like you had a great trip! And, I have to admit, your Lego analogy for humanity and what Jesus became in essence on earth (compared to what He truly is) was really good. Compared to God, we are just a bunch of little Lego people.

I'm glad you had a great trip, that your questions were answered, and that God blessed you. Isn't it wonderful to get closer to Jesus like that? The Lord is so very wonderful!!!
Zar wrote:Praise God for all things awesome. Life ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But sanctify the Lord your God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
-- 1 Peter 3:15
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Postby Mr. SmartyPants » Sun Jan 02, 2005 1:22 pm

wow, ur back! yaya! And wow! that sounds like an awesome time you had zane!
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Postby Kisa » Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:17 pm

Thats awesome, also cool to be able to know where those places you had been to were (seeing as I lived there ^^)
Romans 12:2
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Postby CreatureArt » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:49 pm

Congratulations, Zane - and thank you. That really cleared up that same question for me - it's not about fairness - because rightfully we would be in hell. It's about God's mercy in loving and saving us regardless of who we were and are.

Thanks again, and God bless.
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