Eternal Hope

I am reading C.S. Lewis's theological classic 'Mere Christianity' at the moment (well, have been at it for a while now - it's not a quick read!), and was really encouraged as I was reminded where, as Jesus followers, our hope should be focused.

Lewis writes : "The Christian says, "Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist... If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.""

During this festive season, lets not allow retail marketing and social pressures to sway our focus from what really matters, as no diamond braclet, iPad2, new boyfriend/girlfriend, giant Christmas feast, or any earthly thing will ever truely satisfy our eternal longings. Jesus is not only the Reason for the Season, He is also the Answer for the Season.

Merry Christmas!

Love Brooke

From the Heart the Mouth Speaks

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."
Luke 6:45

When my radio alarm clicked on this morning, the program presenters were having a conversation about how a new law was going to be passed in Pakistan banning certain cusswords from being used in text messages, and how outraged Australians would be if such a bann was enforced here. Their main point of contention was that Aussies love to swear and as a free-speech country we should be able to say whatever we want.
This point of view makes me sad not only because the Word says we definately cannot say whatever we want (Matt. 12:36), but because it shows a scary lack of understanding of what is really at the heart of the matter.

Jesus tells us that the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart, so what does it say about our spiritual state when we use language that makes grandmothers blush and little children gasp? There is a reason that He commands us to guard our hearts - it contains the wellspring of life, the very essence of who we are. And the words we speak not only communicate thoughts and sentiments, but life and death. Far from being accepted symbols of culture or personal expressions of individuality, what swearing really is is a verbal indicator of moral decay.

OK. Not meaning to get too heavy here! So lets backtrack a little...

If everyone could see inside of you and see the health of your spirit, what would you want them to see? Would you act (and talk) differently if you knew that everything you do is broadcasting who you are underneath? Well, our speach is doing this, even if it is a gradual process - because, lets face it, some people are very skilled at wearing masks and hiding behind perceptions. But the truth is that all people eventually reveal who they are at a heart level by what comes from their mouths. In those unguarded moments that we love to push aside with a "just kidding" or a "no offense" excuse, we show the world the side of ourselves that God knew all along.

So we see that as much as parents and teachers try to enforce one, a blanket rule of 'No Swearing' is never going to fix the problem entirely. The root of the issue is much deeper, is much slower and is more significant.
God is, and always has been, after our heart. To grow in us a transformed spirit that dwells on "... whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute... anything of excellence and worthy of praise" (Phil. 4:8). When we are focused on those things, swearing seems like such an unnecessary and undesirable response, doesn't it?

Love Brooke

History Makers

I was listening to that classic Delirious song "History Maker" this morning (which I think is one of the greatest Christian anthems of all time!), and it got me to thinking... what does it take to be a 'history maker' as young people in the world today?

In our current culture of Self is King and Pleasure is the Goal, the answer is still the same as it's always been throughout history - Stand Up in Jesus. As the song proclaims, "I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run into His arms". When our focus is on Him and not ourselves, when we stand up for His truth and not our own rights, when our identity is found in the Lord and not in material things, we won't be able to help but affect and influence the world for the better.

Because the huge role of changing the world for Jesus starts with the small (but equally challanging) role of changing ourselves from the inside out for Him. God wants to transform our hearts to be a reflection of His heart, so that we become passionate about the things that He is passionate about - justice, mercy, righteousness, love. Once we have that Holy Fire on the inside of us, we can stand up in confidence and become the Speakers of Truth that He has made us to be... and the world will never be the same again!

I want to challange you today to listen to "History Maker", and allow the Lord to speak to you through it - what is He calling to you to work on today that will be a step towards changing the world tomorrow?

Love Brooke

Is God still a good God when He allows pain & suffering in the world?

To understand and know an invisible God, all we can look at is the evidence of His hand - the world He created and the person He fashioned after Himself - Man.

When looking at the two, we must bear in mind that the picture we see now is a broken one, an imperfect representation of the Master's original masterpiece. Before sin entered the world, creation worked in harmony with its Creator and man lived in perfect innocence and communion with God.
He gave us free will because it wouldn't be real love if we were forced to love Him and not be able to choose Him of our own accord. The down side of free will is that we now have the ability to choose the wrong thing, to make the wrong decision, to go against God's laws. And thus, sin entered the world and we were never the same again.

So now, we live in a fractured state, seperated from our maker, existing in a world that no longer functions as it was originally intended to. Nethertheless, this does not alter the nature of God. Just as one bad painting does not change the fact that the painter is still the painter, so God is still God, is still good and still desires us to live in perfect fellowship with Him (i.e. His goodness being displayed in the beauty of life back in the Garden). All good things come from the Lord, and the painful, unjust things are only part of the broken world we live in. Rather than asking "Why?", a better question is "How?"... How does God fix the problem of seperation that our sin causes?
He fixes it with an offer - receive the sacrifice of my son in place of your sins and be reconciled to Me. The price that our disobedience demands has been paid on our behalf, and the freedom of righteousness is available to all who choose Jesus as their saviour.

Pain and suffering come to all - following Jesus doesn't exclude us from this - but what it does offer us is a comforter who walks besides us, a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and a God who understands all we go through, because He has been through it all, for us.
And the eternity that we have all been made for, for which our spirit longs, is where our ultimate focus should be - on that glorious day when all tears shall be wiped away and ever hurt and pain healed forever.

Love Brooke

Hanging onto The Stuff?

Was watching this clip this morning, and it helped remind me that unless I make surrendering to God a daily practise, all my efforts to control my own life just turn into heavy, depressing baggage.



How long has it been since you turned all your "stuff" over to God, and allowed Him to not just be a helpline but the Lord (in control) of your life?
He's always willing to take our baggage & replace it with joy... just ask Him.

Love Brooke

If not now, when?

When I think about the dreams I have for the future and the plans I have for my life, sometimes I find it very hard to be patient and wait on God's timing.
I mean, He has placed such exciting desires in my heart that I can't wait to get started on, but then He asks me to wait... and wait... and wait! Patience has never been one of my strengths, so the little I have gets tested - a lot! I guess that's partly why He requires it of me so much - so as to build patience into my character.

But what about when our dreams never seem to come about? Is God saying No for now, or No for ever? Sometimes I want to let out my inner-5 year old and scream at the sky "If not now, WHEN??!!" (As if tantrums and tears ever accomplish anything!) What do we do when we feel the Lord gently reminding our spirit "for My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways"?

For myself, I have found it helpful to remember 3 things...

- There is always something I can do today to bring tomorrow closer
Rather than focusing on what I don't have and where I wish I was, I can choose to find something to do right here and now that is a small stepping stone to future dreams. That picture of being a published author can be brought one day closer when I practise my writing skills and upload a new blog post. That vision of being a good mother someday starts now by eating healthier and looking after my body in preparation.

- Turn my attention off myself and bless someone else
When I am constantly thinking about myself, I overlook the fact that there are many other people out there that God desires to bless, maybe even by using me to help bring a dream of theirs into being. God's love is all about passing it on, and when we allow ourselves to walk in acts of service and humilty, we get to be part of the much bigger picture that God is orchestrating. Which is always better than the tiny little worlds we make for ourselves anyway.

- Keep reading
When I first read Isaiah 55:8 I must say that I found it rather discouraging - what hope do I ever have for knowing God and His plans at all if His plans and thoughts are higher than mine?
But when I kept reading, I felt a wonderful peace knowing that its a good thing He's in control:
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seek to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

So when the Lord says that the plans He has for us are good and prosperous, rest assured that goodness and prosperity are on their way - its as guaranteed as God's word, which is always true. He is never late, but never early either.
In the meantime, we're all here waiting together (!)...

Love Brooke

Love Song

There are so many songs out there that try to define love. Songs about falling in love, losing love, what we'd do for love, the beauty of love... all trying to capture something that can't be described, only felt.

There is one song that talks about a love that can be more than felt, it can be lived. This song really touches my heart every time I hear it and reminds me that that One Love is always on offer to me and has the power to change my life, if I'll let it...


"I See Love"

Some see a teacher
Standing on a hill
Speaking words of wisdom
Some see a healer
Reaching out his hand
To give sight to a blind man
Some see a dreamer
Wasting his life
On what can never be
Some see a fool
Dying for his dreams

But I see love
I see love
Light of heaven breaking through
Well I see grace
I see God's face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
I see love

Some see a prisoner
Alone before his judge
With no one to defend him
Some see a victim
Beaten and abused
With all the world against him
Some see a martyr
Carrying his cross
For what he believes
Some see a hero
Who set his people free

But I see love
I see love
Light of heaven breaking through
Well I see grace
I see God's face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you

With your last breath
I see love
Through your death
I see love
I see peace in the eyes of the King
I see hope in your suffering
I see a calm in the centre of the storm
I see a Saviour

I see love
I see love
Light of heaven breaking through
I see grace
I see God's face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
I see love
When I see you
I see heaven breaking through
See God's face
Shining pure and perfect love
When I see you
When I see you
When I see you
I see love
I see love
When I see

Some see Him walking from an empty grave


Some love, huh? More than a feeling or a song - a person.
What do you see when you look at Him?

Love Brooke