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stirringouraffections

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‘What people revere, they resemble, either for ruin or restoration.’ - G.K Beale #webecomewhatweworship

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A few people have reached out in the last couple of months to find out what Sarah and I have been up to, how Sarah’s diagnosis has gone and why we haven’t written anything in almost six months:
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(1) In November, we received the incredible news that despite the large cancerous tumour at diagnosis, not only was Sarah in remission but that the tumour was completely removed. We thank God for his healing hand and the many people who have been praying and supporting us. We still have few words to describe how grateful we are for the community around us.
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(2) The next six months have been filled with good things God has given us. Sarah has returned to work, I’ve continued the work I was doing at Red Door Church and in addition, returned to Ridley Melbourne to continue my Masters in Divinity and somehow found time to train and complete an Olympic-distance Triathlon.
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(3) In March, our lead pastor went away on long service leave. Praise God for time away for our pastor but that has meant extra responsibilities for both of us at home base. ++
(4) We have been able to speak about our experience of treasuring Christ in the midst of suffering at a few local Christian conferences and camps including VCYC (Official) and SKL8R. We are grateful for the opportunity and praying that many have been encouraged to trust Jesus.
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In short, we have been busy talking about the goodness of God in the difficulties of life and enjoying His gifts to us. We will return to writing soon, trust us on that.
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Keep trusting Jesus,
Jimmy

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His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’- Matthew 25:23
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(credit: @davemiers)

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Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
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('The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet)

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Nothing animates our hopes more than the recollection of the past goodness of God.
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(John Calvin, Commentary on Ps. 61)

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‘According to my judgment, the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord’s work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself!’
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George Müller

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This 👆#happyreformationday

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What is authentic faith? // Art Azurdia
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The cultivation of an optimistic outlook on life with a kind of spirituality attached to it?
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A holy hoping for the best? Is this how you think of faith?
Authentic faith is the confident assurance in events not yet seen
Faith is not a call to believe in things when common sense tells you not to. Faith is not a mindless stab in the dark. It is not a crossing of the fingers and hoping for the best. It is not a leap into apparent nothingness
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It's a word that speaks of reasoned, careful, deliberate, intentional thought. Thought upon what? God and his promises
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If you are absolutely gripped by the coming realities that have been promised to you by God, then how you live your life in the present will be radically different than if you did not possess that certainty
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This is what faith is, my friends! Positive certainty expressed in action. Authentic faith is not merely believing in God. It is believing God.
Taking God at his word, living in obedience to his revelation whatever the cost because you know down deep in your bones that God will always do what he says, that his speaking is his doing
It is an abiding assurance in God and his promises that animates you to persevere in your obedience to Him
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Do you wish to be a more consistently obedient, steadily persevering Christian?
A stronger Christian?
A more courageous and outspoken Christian?
Then you need to strengthen your faith!
Your faith instinctively strengthens in direct proportion to the expansion of the object of your faith!
You expand your understanding of the object of your faith and faith itself will obediently follow
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The object of your faith--if indeed you are a Christian--is Jesus Christ and all of his promises
Is your faith weak? It is owing to the fact that you don't know the object of your faith well enough. But when Jesus Christ becomes progressively bigger, or better yet, your understanding of who he is progressively conforms to reality, your faith will become increasingly stronger. But how does that happen?
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By immersing yourself in the faith-arousing Word of God
Read of Jesus Christ!

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"It was the summer of 1975. Kris and I were in Belgium at a huge Christian event called EuroFest. I was sitting at a panel discussion and someone I admired, a British pastor and minister to college students all over the world, John Stott, was one of the panelists. A longhaired young man to my right asked John Stott a question we were all facing and that we all face: How can I discern the Lord’s will for my life?

John Stott made an observation that clarified my dream for me, and I’ve pondered his answer over and over in my life. I’ve used his answer in countless talks and conversations. Here are his words as I recall them: “Here’s how to determine God’s will for your life: Go wherever your gifts will be exploited the most (for the Kingdom of God).”
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McKnight, Scot. One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow (p. 23)

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'For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison' (2 Corinthians 4:17)
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Most of us accept pain and suffering in our lives without understanding that both are creating something profound in us. Every millisecond of our misery in the path of pursuing Jesus is producing a peculiar kind of glory in us.
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Hudson Taylor was right. Don’t look to the greatness of the pressure, look towards Christ and be driven closer to Him even in your suffering.
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He is the one who comforts us in our affliction. He is the one who has overcome the world. He is the one who gives rests and nothing can seperate us from Him.
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Therefore, even in our suffering, let us be driven to greater dependency in Him who saves and satisfies.
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#hudsontaylor #suffering #Jesus #christian #meaning #glory #comfort #pressure

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Keep that gospel on repeat ✊️

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This is the heart of @stirringouraffections ethos of treasuring Christ and dwelling upon his riches.

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'God knows that our hearts are most satisfied when they are resting in Him, for it is there that we discover how much God loves us and desires us not for what we can bring Him, but for who he has created and who he has redeemed'.
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Ht the link in our bio for more reflections on resting and sabbath. #rest #devotion #worship #sabbath

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'Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words' // (Romans 8:26)
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#prayer #jcryle #stirringouraffections #worship #devotion

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'You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you' - Augustine
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We were made to worship. We were made to worship Jesus. Colossians 1:15-18 reminds us that we are made by and for the creator who is known in Jesus. We are worshippers made by the one we are made to worship.
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Therefore we experience a strange anxiety and restlessness when we try to love substitutes - not only because we were created to know and love and desire Jesus - but because Jesus is so much better than the substitutes.
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"I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)
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#augustine #jonathanedwards #Jesus #supreme #colossians #revelation #worship #devotion

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