We are back.

Ipswich City Christian Church

We have been back in Kyoto over a week now. We had a great time back in Australia for a month holiday. It was soooooooooo good to see our family and friends and visit our great church family in Ipswich. If you are in the Ipswich area try Ipswich City Christian Church.

We have a great year planned ahead in Kyoto. Check out our Nexus blog or wait till I have time to update here.

Nice big juicy steak.

Fish and Chips.

Time with family.

Swimming in flooded rivers.

2008 Run for the prize

1 Cor 9:24-27
If 2007 was seen as a race, how did you run? Did you cross the finish line with excitement, “Yes, what a great year.” Did you crawl across the line in despair, “Oh, I never want to go through another year like that.” Or did you just wake up on Tuesday morning and say, “Wow its 2008, how did I get here?”

Think back over last year, how did you run? At school/ university/ work did people say, “He was a fast runner, always on time, always giving his best.” “There is something different about the person.” At home did people say, “He is so lazy, I can’t get him to do anything.” or “She is such a wonderful person, her room is always clean, she always puts her clothes away.”

At church did people say, “He is so diligent, faithful in serving the Lord, always loving others.” Or, “She is always late for choir; she misses church all the time.”
Beginning a New Year we can always look back and see how we ran in that year. It can help us prepare for the New Year, 2008. How do you want to run in 2008?

Tips for running well.

1. Put God first. Matt 6:33
Seek God first. He knows what you need. Put him first and he will meet all your needs according to his riches in heaven.

2. Love one another. Jesus commandment is for us to love God and love each other. As you sow love to others you will receive it yourself.

3. Wait on the Lord. Isaiah 40:31
Give time to recharge yourself. “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”

4. Run to win the prize.
1 Cor 9:25 “... but we for an imperishable crown.” Our life does not count just for now. What we do here counts for eternity. Pursuing that nice house, car, TV, those expensive clothes doesn’t last. All this is only temporal. It’s OK to have those things, but to get caught in the trap of living your life just to have that stuff is empty.
There is no prize for the person who has the most stuff.

By the grace of God we are saved from our sin and brought into a relationship with God. We were once separated from God, but for those who know Jesus we are now righteous before God.
We don’t have to do another thing to earn His favour. Forgiveness of sins is ours, healing is ours, freedom is ours, deliverance is ours.
We don’t have to wait for New Years Eve to hear the Buddhist temple sound the bell 108 times. Jesus cleansed us from sin forever. He has taken all your sin.

The one thing waiting for us is eternal life and an imperishable crown, a crown of life.
So make this year count for eternity. Whose future can you change for eternity? Someone maybe destined for an eternity separated from God, but we can change their eternity by sharing the love of Jesus.

If you don’t know Jesus why not make this year the beginning if a new life for you. He will give your life meaning and purpose.

12 months in Kyoto, Japan

OK, let me begin with an update of the last 12 months. I will post a testimony of 2007 next time but for today here is the last twelve months in pictures.

February 07 we arrived in Kyoto and joined our new church, Kyoto Gospel Church. Now our wonderful family.

March 07 we began our English classes.

April 07 We made some crazy friends who helped me celebrate my birthday.

May 07 Then did lots of sightseeing, especially - Cherry blossum viewing.

June 07 We finished our Japanese language course. It was a beginner course, now we are experts at speaking Japanese --- not.

July 07 And more sightseeing with our friends and students.

August 07 was festival time - Gion Festival and Yukata night at Church.

September 07 We had another English Quiz Night. We had 3 over the year. All three were lots of fun.

October 07 we started an English club called Nexus English Club. Great place to practice English and connect with other people and lots of fun.

November 07 my sister and her family came for a visit. It was so good to have some family visit.

December 07 a team from Ipswich City Christian Church came for a visit and serve in our English classes.

January 08 and finally we enjoyed the first week of the year with friends hanging out and eating.

Japanese people have holiday time from New years day for a week and enjoy spending time with family. It was amazing to see them stop.

So that was our year at a glance and it only covered a fragment of what we experienced and saw. Hopefully stayed tune for 2008 in Kyoto.

The beginning of a journey already started

Konichiwa,
This is the begining fo my 2 year old blog. We are now living in Kyoto Japan. I have been slack at writing but have recently thought I need to start again especially since we are living in a toltally diferent place to Ipswich Australia. Plus I can keep everyone updated on what is happening in our lives and what we are seeing in Kyoto.

I could call this blog "Kyoto through the eyes of a little Aussie." But it ie easier to remember our names.

I hope to post photos, my sermons that I preach and what is happening in our English classes, Nexus English club and Kyoto Gospel Chruch (The best chruch in Kyoto.)

Talk soon,

Peter

Yeah! I am Totally Righteous.

I read this devotion this morning. Very inspiring. You see I am righteuos not by my own efforts or the work of my own hand. Before I believed in Jesus, repented and declared him my Lord I was lost in darkness of sin. I never tried to be righteous because I never knew I was unrighteous, but now I know without Jesus I am lost, unrighteous and deserving of death. Thank God for abundant Grace in sending Jesus to die for me.

Read this devotion - if you don't know Jesus ask him to forgive you, cleanse you and make you righteous - if you know him be glad and confess you are righteous in Him.

Confessing Your Righteousness Pleases God


2 Corinthians 5:2121For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.




Do you know what happens each time you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ”?
God the Father is pleased. When you confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, it reminds Him of what His Son has done for you to become righteous.
Also, by making you righteous, God is showing Himself righteous — “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”. (Romans 3:26)
Each time Jesus hears you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” it brings much pleasure to His heart because you are laying hold of what He suffered and died to give you.
The Holy Spirit, who now indwells you to convict you of righteousness (John 16:10), rejoices when you confess, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” He is pleased when you flow with Him.
The delight of the Godhead is not the only thing you gain when you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” The Bible tells us that when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… all these things shall be added to you”. (Matthew 6:33)
Whether it is food, clothing or other necessities in life, “all these things” will be added to you. They will not just be given to you, but added to you as your inheritance when you seek first His righteousness.
You don’t need to use your faith for every single need in life. You just need to use your faith for one thing — to believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, and it will cause all the blessings you seek to come after you and overtake you!



Copyright © 2006 New Creation Church

IT PAYS TO HAVE BIG FRIENDS!

When I heard we were going to a Sumo Tournament I thought I just got to have a photo with two big guys. As you can see they were big and boy were they sweaty. I had to peel my left arm of his back.

I have always had big friends. Mainly because I have always been shorter then most of the people I have hung out with.

How big do you think God sees me? Well I know he doesn't look at the size of a man or the stature he looks at the heart. I love the words from Smith Wigglesworth, "I am a thousand times bigger on the inside." Amen to that. With the Holy Spirit dwelling in me - I am huge.

Hello World,
This is my personal blog. I will get to it when I can. to see more of what is happening in my world check out the igniteyoungadult.blogspot.com

I chose the title for my blog based on a tshirt I used to wear when I was in my heavy metal, long hair and goatie stage of life.

The Resurrection Band from the 70's to the 90's had this t shirt that had a statment that has stayed with me from those days. LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR A CHANGE.
This reminds me to never settle down and accept this is my lot in life but it encourags me to always look out at life for change. If we aren't growing and changing, what are we? Settled, Stagnent or even Dead.

Jesus came to give life and life abundantly.
Change me Jesus to be more like you.