Outback Christian - Christians in the Outback
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In conjunction with Flinders Christian Fellowship - Quorn
We are an independant congregation who seek to be true disciples of Jesus.
We are an independant congregation who seek to be true disciples of Jesus.
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| Links to Daily Devotional Sites Bonnie' s Daily Scriptures Christian Encouragement www.mywalkwithjesus.net Changing Lives Online |
| Christian Links. I do not endorse all of the content on suggested links. It is up to each individual Christian to excersise discernment. But I have found some ofthese sites useful especially when studying for my Theology degree. |
| NewsWithViews Apologetics Discernment Ministries Christian parents Lighthouse trails Martin Roth Christian Commentary Ministry Blue -Christian (resources, mission etc.) |
| Flinders Christian Fellowship contact detalils The Church is located at 29 First street Quorn. Snail Mail: 7 Sixth Street Quorn 5433 |
| jackie@outbackjack.info |
| Do you live in the Bush and are too far away to get to a church on Sunday? Yet you still wish to have a Christian community to belong to! Well Flinders Christian Fellowship wants to support you in your walk with Jesus. You can join us online and if you have any needs please contact us jackie@outbackjack.info We are here for your prayer needs, christian education and visitation. |
| Learning Contentment |
| 2 weeks ago we had the message - ‘Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds. Then last week Quentin shared a principle that is vital for us if we are to live by the Spirit which is the need to praise God for everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. We are to do this because God is sovereign and can be trusted to make all things work together for good - Romans 8:28 I don’t know how you are feeling about all of that but I do know that I am feeling not quite up to the task. I agree with the teaching of God’s word but I also realize that I am not exactly walking in that place yet! But that is Ok - for now because God knows I am not there yet. He also knows however that I need to be there so that I may be able to stand firm. Ephesians 6. Last week on Sunday morning the passage of 2 Peter 1:5 came to mind. It tells us to make every effort to add certain qualities to our lives so that we may be able to escape the corruption of the world. Goodness to faith, knowledge to self-control, perseverance to godliness etc. This I believe God is encouraging us, exhorting us, motivating us and indeed commanding us to push on to get there. He knows we need to have the fruit of the Spirit (Jesus) in our lives, because He is preparing us to be the spotless bride for the Bridegroom whom is coming soon. But like I said I am not there, yet! I want to get there and I want to be able to give 100% to push on to get there, knowing He will guide and provide all I need along the way. I am left wondering however what constitutes 100% on my part? Interestingly enough I got an email this week talking about this very thing. It also asks what makes 100%. (This is just a bit of fun but it illustrates the point quite nicely.) If each letter of the alphabet had a numerical value 1-26, starting at A=1 then the following would apply Dedication = 84%, Hard work = 98%, Knowledge = 96% . All close but not quite there. Attitude = 100% It is my attitude that affects my ability to give 100% God supplies the hard work part by His power, Philipians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. He also supplies the knowledge through His word revealed divinely by the Holy Spirit. It is up to us to supply the attitude though. Mine needs adjustment though, how about yours. Knowing that God wants us to have the mind of Christ in us we then need the attitude that accepts this will of God and is open to the adjustment of God. What I need, what you need is the attitude! The correct state of mind. But what attitude are we talking about? What state of mind must we be in to be able to consider it ALL Joy and to be able to praise God in all circumstances? I believe part of the answer can be found in contentment. Contentment means to be satisfied with what one has and where one is in life. I wish I could tell you that I was clever enough to figure this out for myself. I wasn’t it. God gave me this answer then it took all week for me to learn why it is necessary. I discovered these things along the way. I looked at the opposite of Contentment - Discontentment and saw that:- 1) Joy and discontent are mutually exclusive! A discontented soul is not joyful. Read Ecclesiastes not much joy there but he does come to some conclusions about contentment. Be satisfied in your work and with your food. 2) A discontented person is unable to rest and is full of lust for it is constantly seeking MORE. Just think of Israel in the desert. They did not rest for about 40 years and where always seeking more. More food more gods. 3) A discontented soul is neither grateful nor satisfied. It does not readily give thanks or praise because it is self absorbed on trying to get that something more. That something more could be as obvious as more money or a religiously subtle as having a bigger and better ministry than your brother or sister sitting next to you. We lust or envy after possessions and power. Pride lurks at the bottom of it all telling us we are bigger better and more deserving. We can chase after gold or we can chase after Big name Christians either way we won’t get rest and we won’t be satisfied with where God has us or what God has given us. Let’s face it we wont be focusing on praising God when we are self absorbed with the something more. Contentment! It means to be satisfied with what one has, the average dictionary focuses on things material when it comes to contentment. Position and possessions. We find likewise thinking in Matthew 6:25-34 where we are told to not worry about food, clothes and houses but rather focus on the Kingdom of God. A contented soul - DOES NOT WORRY! This is echoed by Paul in his sound advice to Timothy 1Tim 6:6 “Contentment with godliness is great gain.” If we know what part of the answer is then how do we go about putting this into our lives? Can we just ask and receive? If we ask God to make us content will He do it? Yes and no. Yes because He is committed to transform us into the likeness of His Son but no if we don’t or won’t cooperate. Paul tells us the secret to how we attain contentment - we learn it! Philippians 4:10-12 “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in - in need or in excess. We learn this as God takes us through different trials and testings. We learn it as we see the faithfulness of God in all situations. That is if we have a teachable spirit. If we are committed to submit to the ways of God then we will learn contentment. I too am learning this. Bible College and clothes! When I was going to Bible college there was not always enough money to pay for fees, for my board and for clothes. God was faithful though and always provided what I needed. It was not always the way I personally thought it should be and I had to learn to be content and grateful for how God chose to meet my needs. Sometimes God would send in the very clothes I needed. People gave me jumpers and tops to wear. They were not always ‘my colour’ but were more than adequate to meet the need and always in good condition. Other times God sent money, sometimes through some part-time work that was ‘just offered to me’ and sometimes the money was a gift. Then I could go and choose the clothes I needed and get what I wanted. Even this though could cause a struggle on my part. After not having money to spare and not having any choice what I would wear I would struggle with the excess thinking the money should be put to a ‘higher purpose’ than just clothing me. A ‘silly hyper-religious’ attitude had developed. But God was more than able to defeat it. Over the years I have seen how God takes away - loosing my home and giving away my possessions (willingly) and then God restoring them. I am learning it now as things in my home breakdown. Each time I feel God is asking me to trust Him, praise Him and to be content. In order for us to pursue contentment we need to be aware of things in our lives that can hamper it. Contentment Blockers! Sin is sneaky; it can disguise itself very well. Sometime we think we have contentment but it is really a worldly substitute parading as such. We might have an attitude of complacency which is not contentment. We may actually just be showing resignation instead of satisfaction. Or even have a ‘martyrdom ‘attitude that is not contentment. Un-forgiveness is also a contentment blocker. Un-forgiveness gives place to all sorts of attitudes that twist our soul, like bitterness, rage and envy all are not fertile ground for contentment to grow. Discontent can hide in religious fervour. We think we are being zealous and righteous when we thrust ourselves into religious activity. We can run from one teaching or teacher to another, claiming that we are just hungry to learn. Yet at the bottom of this is an attitude that says I am not content with where you have placed me. I am not content with the fellowship you have put me in. I am not satisfied with the ministry you have given me. I want to be like Paul, like Peter like the next Big name on the religious circuit. That is not contentment. How do I know/ I have been there my brothers and sisters. I had to learn to be content in the ministry God had for me. Read the following article at this link <http://www.outbackjack.info/soupsandstarters.html> My prayer for us today is that we, like the apostle Paul would learn to be content. We must trust that God did not make a mistake with where He put us in life. We must trust that our circumstances are a part of His plan. Life in some regards is a test. God wants us to see what is really inside of us. Is it faith, is it a grateful heart we have. Are we joy filled people or do we harbour discontent. Our lifes circumstances will give us the opportunity to put Gods word and our heart attitudes to the test. It is up to us to learn from them. If we don’t learn from them then we may find ourselves brought back to similar circumstances in the future so we can have another go and maybe learn the next time. I for one would rather learn now because I have spent too many years going round in circles, like the Israelites in the desert and I want to come to that place of faith, joy and thanksgiving no matter what circumstances I find myself in! |
We prune plants in our garden so that they can bare more flowers or fruit.
Troubles, trials and testings can prune out the deadwood in our lives so we can bare more fruit of the Spirit
Troubles, trials and testings can prune out the deadwood in our lives so we can bare more fruit of the Spirit
1 Timothy 1:6:6
Contentment with godliness is great gain.
Joy and discontentment are mutually exclusive.
A discontented soul is not grateful or full of praise.
It takes a lot of pressure and heat to change carbon into diamond. Poor attitudes are even harder to change
Contentment means to be satisfied. A satisfied soul is not full of envy, it does not lust after more!
Contentment with godliness is great gain.
Joy and discontentment are mutually exclusive.
A discontented soul is not grateful or full of praise.
It takes a lot of pressure and heat to change carbon into diamond. Poor attitudes are even harder to change
Contentment means to be satisfied. A satisfied soul is not full of envy, it does not lust after more!
Complacency is self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. It can be smugness or even self-righteousness.
Resignation is the act of giving up. You stop caring. Contentment is not giving up.
Christian contentment is not focused on self. Our contentment rests in God and His ability to see us through the trials of daily life. We are content because we are God's people and He is more than able to accomplish what concerns us today.
Resignation is the act of giving up. You stop caring. Contentment is not giving up.
Christian contentment is not focused on self. Our contentment rests in God and His ability to see us through the trials of daily life. We are content because we are God's people and He is more than able to accomplish what concerns us today.
