Just handed in my essay for the year - in fact, my last essay for my Bachelor degree! It was hard going right up to the end. Now I have 2 exams to go before I finally graduate. My 3 years here has gone by so quick. In many ways I'll miss this place. But I'm definitely looking forward to the end of essay writing! :)

Give thanks for 3 wonderful years of training at SMBC. Pray for me as I prepare for these final exams that I'll continue to learn heaps from the Bible. Pray also for next year as I look for work in an ABC church.

Two weeks ago I was up in Queensland for Brisbane Leadership Training (BLT). It's kinda like a SCCCA Training Day, but for a whole weekend. I ran 2 workshops, one on Shortcuts to Writing Better Bible Studies, which mainly focussed on using Bible study guides. And the second one was on Systematic Theology - Doctrine of Scripture.

The 2nd workshop was quite hard to prepare because there was lots of material and the contents were quite dense. So in order to break it into bit-sized chunks, I edited a few comics from my favourite Calvin & Hobbes. I will post a few of them here. See if you can work out what the point I was trying to make (note: little Calvin doesn't always get his theology right).
(I own a copy of all the comics, but I don't know if this violates any copyright laws...)

Give thanks for the Chinese churches up in Brisbane who are striving hard to preach Christ. Pray that the leaders will continue to grow in godly character and mature understanding. Pray that God will send workers to help lead and teach his people in QLD.

It seems like the predestination discussion has come to a halt. Well, even if it's not very clear in your head yet, what we can be certain of is this: God chose us before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. And he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - how AWESOME is that!?! When I'm struggling with sin in my life, this reminds me that I have been chosen for holiness. It's not something I have to work at on my own, but it's what I'm destined for! That is the destiny for all who are in Christ Jesus.

Cool, isn't it?

All praise and glory to God, who out of his enormous mercy chose us to be his children. Pray that this idea of predestination will not only puzzle me, but instead overwhelm me with astounding thankfulness to our God and Savious, so that I will long to respond in loving obedience.

---

180 + Southpark = ???
123
456
789
Can you identify each of the 180 leaders? (The last one is a giveaway)

Give thanks for this team of leaders I have been able to work with. It has been a difficult & tiring term for all of us. Pray that we can all get some much needed rest during the holidays and to be ready to serve God and serve the youth in term 4 - hopefully in a more balanced way this time. =)

There’s been a very interesting discussion happening in the comments on my post back on Monday 5th Sept. I thought I’d draw your attention to it, so you can contribute your 2c worth (and also cuz it’s a pain to scroll down all the time).

The discussion was about predestination - but not your average, deep, theological debate - it was on BGR! I’ll just cut ‘n’ paste (with minor edits) for your perusal.

Someone said that you don't need to worry about who you're gonna go out with, cause God has already chosen someone for you.

What do you reckon?

~Emz~ said...
Well technically we shouldn't be worrying about anything at all! :P
6/9/05 9:45 PM

Ernie said...
Hahaha...yes, so true.

Ok, wrong choice of words perhaps. Do we need to do anything to find the right bf/gf? Or not, since it's already chosen for you?
6/9/05 11:17 PM

Phil said...
Need to do the hard yakka I believe. If everything's planned, I guess I'd let that CEO job come to me. Not that I'm comparing a bf/gf with a job. Orrr am I?
8/9/05 2:00 AM

Ernie said...
Jobs and bf/gf...hmm...well, the hard yakka bit is sure true! Girls...I mean relationships, are hard work.

But if we're working hard to find the right person, where does God fit into the picture?
8/9/05 7:51 AM

kitzetic said...
we're kinda short on experiences..^^ i guess it depends on your attitude?
8/9/05 8:38 PM

Ernie said...
How much of our understanding of predestination can be based on experience?

Is experience the only way to learn about BGR?

What is the right attitude?

Food for thought...
8/9/05 9:29 PM

m said...
i would agree with Phil. You've gotta work for it. If that wasn't the case, i'd just sit here and wait for my 100 UAI. That's the harsh reality of life. Working hard and having the right attitudes gives God more choice on what he can do for you and opens up possibilties for your future paths. However, when life looks grim, God still has his plans, but you gotta work your way around with what you've got at hand.
8/9/05 10:30 PM

Ernie said...
So if u dun work hard, does that limit God in what he can do?
8/9/05 10:36 PM

m said...
Well, in terms of logic- yes. In God's terms- Who knows?
8/9/05 10:42 PM

Ernie said...
If what we do limits what God does, then he can God still predestine things?
8/9/05 10:47 PM

Phil said...
God has planned out everything, we are never out of his plans. I understand that much.

To m's comments regarding giving God more choice if we have the right attitude and work ethic. I think the concept of us doing things or being a certain way determines the "choices" God has, makes God seem so ... powerless? Perhaps it's the other way around? We make the choices, God has done everything and is God the planner.
9/9/05 12:41 AM

m said...
this is utterly confusing!

anyway, so God "planned" us to rebel against him, even though he wanted perfection (or did he?).
9/9/05 4:19 PM

Ernie said...
ahhh...now we're getting into the complexities of the issue...

It's confusing, but you're actually progressing along nicely. =D
9/9/05 4:24 PM

kitzetic said...
i think predestination is sorta both ways...like the dual side rungs of a ladder. You can't have choice without predestination...like God knows and decides and plans what we do yet at the same time, we also have a choice.

in terms of relationships, I guess God knows what is best for us, like he has this perfect guy in mind and we'll just take it as it comes. That doesn't mean we chase after every guy but at the same time it isn't like apathy. It depends on our attitude coz it shoudln't belike i need a guy just coz its cool and everybody has one.
9/9/05 6:28 PM

m said...
good analogy. But, we can't exactly make any
"choice" if the plan is already made for us by God. Can we go out of God's plan?
10/9/05 9:57 PM

kitz said...
i've got a question...

when we say God's plan, is it his active planning of sequence of events or is it just his prior knowledge that these things will happen?
10/9/05 10:17 PM

Ernie said...
This is getting more and more interesting. You're all making some great comments!

Re: kitz
When the Bible talks abt predestination, what does that mean?
10/9/05 10:29 PM

M said...
where does the Bible talk about predestination specifically?
11/9/05 2:31 PM

Ernie said...
Ahhh...finally we are getting to the Bible!

For starters, try:
Acts 13:48
Rom 8:28-30
Eph 1:4-6, 11-12
1Thess 1:4-5
2Thess 2:13
1Pet 1:1; 2:9
11/9/05 5:20 PM

M said...
nice, thanks.
you should put a link to this comment place (if possible). it's getting harder to scroll down to find this post...
11/9/05 6:56 PM

Please feel free to join the discussion, even if you don't know what the answer is. We'd love to hear your opinions as well.

Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't had much to blog about lately. Still stuck with this overdue essay. I'm currently halfway, but it's really screwing up my schedule. I'm gonna keep falling behind at this rate...

Had an interesting discussion last week about predestination - but not your average, deep, theological debate - it was on BGR!

Someone said that you don't need to worry about who you're gonna go out with, cause God has already chosen someone for you.

What do you reckon?