Quiet Time Notes

Genesis 16
- Sarai  can't have kids, give maid Hagar to Abram, Hagar bore Ishmeal.
- Angel "I will increase your descendants so they are too numerous to count."
Genesis 17
- "I am God almighty; walk before me and be blameless."
- God makes a covenant with Abram & changes name to 'Abraham'.
- Circumcision he sign of the covenant.
- Nothing is impossible with God, (Sarah bore at 90 years old).
Genesis 18
- Lord appered in three men?
- Is anything too hard for the LORD?
- We should give the best of ourselves to God
- All nations on earth to be blessed through Abraham.
- "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord though I am nothing but dust and ashes."
- Sodom will be saved if 10 righteous people are found.
Genesis 19
- Lot fled to Zoar.
- Sodom and Gamorra destroyed.
- Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, obey the Lord completely.
- Obey God fully.
- God is fair and just but mighty and powerful.
- Lot's daughters slept with him (EW!)
- Oldest had a son 'Moab' became the father of the Moabites.
- Younger daughter son 'Ben-Ammi' he became the father of the Ammorites.

Memory

I cleaned out almy old school books today.

Secular Moral Compass

Last night while doing my quite time I asked God to stretch my brain in the reading of his word. I was reading Luke 6:27-36. It talks about loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you and how loving those who love you is easy and of no credit to you. 
there was one part that stood out to me though "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you". Now I'm fairly certain that this does not need to be explained, it's 'The Golden Rule' the one that has been ingrained in us since childhood, simple and effective. What I think is interesting thought, is, that society has forgotten that this verse has it's root in the bible, it's directly quoted from Christ himself.  Why do we accept some parts of the bible as fact and incorporate them as part of of our societal values but will not accept the whole thing? If you accept the bible's teaching on how we should treat each other, why not accept the whole thing?

As a Christian, I believe, that it is wrong to lie, steal, cheat, murder etc (Please do not assume that I am implying that Christians are 'morally  superior' or that non-Christians can't hold these views.)
The reason I believe these things, is that God created all things and created us for relationships; both between us and God and each other. These things; lying, cheating, stealing, murder etc break and ruin these relationships and it wrecks how we were created to be. (I am not questioning where or not these things are wrong, but what moral basis does or should this be tied to?)

For a largely secular society to adhere to the Christian standards of 'morality' seem a little bit backwards when it often rejects Christian teaching as a whole. And if the bible support for these things is rejected what then is the basis of thinking that these things are wrong? 

I guess what I am trying to say is: What does society as a whole, base it's moral compass on, if it is not the bible?
Why do non-Christians believe that murder is wrong, that lying is wrong, that stealing, that cheating is wrong? What substantiates that?

Where does society base the concept that murder and lying and cheating is wrong? It is our laws or governments, where do they get the authority to make these things fact?

Let's just make the assumption that our society's moral values are based on christian principles. However, today the traditional christian opinions that helped shape our society are being questioned. Views on homosexuality, marriage and abortion have changed and the traditional christian view point on these things is being challenged. What is to stop the traditional views on murder and lying and cheating being changed? What is to stop them from becoming socially acceptable, because the majority of society has rejected christian teaching. If they have no solid grounding in some form of morality what is to stop these things from happening?

I am of the opinion that we as a society think that murder is wrong because the bible says it's wrong. What about atheists and agnostics that reject all of the Christian teaching, shouldn't they then also reject what the bible says about lying and stealing and cheating, would there not be totally anarchy? I am curious then, what do they base their moral compass on?

I'm concerned that if the basis of society's views on what is right and what is wrong, and what is acceptable and what is not acceptable are not grounded on something bigger than just this human consciousness, of what is good and what is bad, we are just going to lose grip.  Where's the line?

As a Christian I believe that society's views on morality should be grounded in the bible. 

Peter Jensen on Q&A

 Peter Jensen on Q&A
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3581623.htm

Kiama

A couple of weeks ago The Fridge leadership team went to Kiama for a retreat type thing and I am yet to post to photos so here you are:

In other news I have a new job! :) I went for the interview today and I got the call this evening. It's at a new cafe that's opening in Parramatta. Starts in October sometime.

What is love? But a promise captured in diamonds forever.

What is love? But a promise captured in diamonds forever.

This is without a doubt the stupidest statement I've heard in an advertising commercial of late. A couple's love is not ultimatly symbolised by the size or style of the rock on her (or his) finger. That a ring is the ultimate symbol of love is stupid. The idea that people think the bigger the ring the more he loves her is stupid. Love is not an inanimate lump of compressed carbon. Love is living, breathing.
God is love. Period.

Why is marriage a comparable selling point?

Why is marriage so often used as an advertising  gimmick , in bed wetting commercials on the radio, in foxtel and NAB  ads on TV. I don't understand why such a sacred institute is the focus of ridicule and the comparable selling point in advertising campaigns. One of the things that help our society to function properly, is being used in a negative fashion to promote sale-able items. I don't see you making fun of the police or justice to sell tampons or juice. Why is marriage the point of ridicule?