Illuminate

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What is Illuminate? Is it just another

pointless magazine? No, Illuminate is a

lifestyle, this magazine will contain

testimonies, blog entries, cartoons and other

things that a young adult Christian might be

interested in. We will feature people’s

thoughts and ideas relating to life, love and

everything. As well as some music and movie

reviews.

The idea is to break down the cheesiness of

an average Christian production. We aim to

meet you were you’re at and give you a

really good read.

Bruce Collins (aka. brooskolin) is a father of three and husband to

one. He loves his wife passionately and it shows to those that follow

him. Bruce used to be in ministry as a youth pastor at Eastside

Community Church, however God called him back into teaching at

the end of 2010.

God continues to use Bruce to shape and mould the teens in his

school’s lives. Bruce is currently a member of 3CI church in the east of

Pretoria. His passion for writing is evident from any piece he does.

This week he speaks about worship.

This picture was taken at night, at a shutter speed around 2 minutes, high ISO and high f-stop.

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By brooskolin

Last night as I worshiped with loads of other people at church, God spoke very specifically

and pointedly to me. Out of the blue, we started singing a really old school worship song

called, “Oh Lord, you’re beautiful”. When we got to the chorus, I was floored. I was

challenged by these words:

I want to take your word and shine it all around. But first help me just to live it Lord.

And when I’m doing well, help me to never seek a crown. For my reward is giving glory to you

Simple words, sung many times by hordes of church-goers over the years

but particularly challenging to me last night. I share what follows as a challenge to others,

too because I sense that I am not the only one who will be challenged. You see, so many

times we worship with ourselves in mind. We are more concerned about how we feel than

with worshiping. We are more concerned with how great the band sounds than with what

we are expressing. We become engrossed in the words on a screen instead of the attitude

of our hearts and we replace true worship with a rote mumbling of words we know so well

that – for us – have lost their meaning. Last night, down in the dumps and desperate for

God to reveal more of himself to me so that I could respond in worship, I am humbled by a

God – the king of the universe – willing to speak to me.

This is what God said to me in response to my exuberant singing:

Me: “I want to take your word and shine it all around.”

God: “But do you, really?”

Strike one! The desire to fulfill the great commission, to see God’s kingdom coming is

sometimes lacking. Yes, it’s a great concept but do I desire deeply for my interactions with

people every moment of every day to draw them towards Jesus. Is my life’s purpose to

worship him and actively participate in seeing his kingdom come on earth? I’d love to say

yes, all the time. Truth be told, sometimes it’s no. In those times when I’m excessively

selfish, my concern for others’ eternity is sympathy at best.

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God wants me (and you) to be actively involved in spreading the gospel all the time: making friends,

building relationships, living righteously, humbly serving, speaking truth, walking alongside, showing

and living Jesus. Every encounter. Every conversation. Every decision. All telling the good news of

Jesus.

Me: “But first help me just to live it Lord…”

God: “I can’t help you to live it if you aren’t reading it”

Many of us read the Bible. Daily even. But does it saturate us? Is it more important than our children

and spouse, our recreational time, sport and even twitter or Facebook? Do we dive in

and wrestle with truth? Do we ask the difficult questions and seek out the truth. How much time do

we devote to God’s word compared to other things in our lives. If you’re anything like me it is

disproportionately less than it ought to be. I love saying how much I love God’s word but those

words are actually meaningless unless I am drinking deep of its truth and allowing the truth to

change me and set me free.

Me: “And when I’m doing well, help me to never seek a crown.”

God: “You do that all the time!”

And he’s right (as if he’d be wrong). I live for approval and recognition and if it’s not there, I seek it

out. I have to learn again – and most times daily – that none of this is about me. When I succeed, it

has nothing to do with me but everything to do with him. I am gifted in certain ways because he

deemed it to be so and I am able to be good at certain things because he knit me together like that.

We so easily become self-obsessed and proud, living life for the next pat on the back.

Me: “For my reward is giving glory to you…”

God: “Well then give me the glory”

These earthly rewards and fickle human acknowledgment are sweet but brief. God’s reward lasts for

eternity. I desire to live each moment of every day in such a way that only God can get the

glory. What that means is a life of surrender in all aspects of my life, not just the ones I think God

will handle like I would want him to. It’s all about giving up my rights. It’s all about laying down my

pride. It’s about Jesus becoming more and me becoming less: living for his glory.

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September 11, 2011

by Shae

[I came across the Italtile website the other day and was inspired to write this.]

And it’s true – everything you need is right here. Once you accept Jesus, you have all you need. I

heard someone say once “when Jesus is all you have, Jesus is all you need.” Such truth in such a

simple phrase. A lot of the time we live with the mindset of “I just need Jesus… and my car,” or “I just

need Jesus… and my music,” or anything! There is liberty in getting to a point and realising that if

everything you have ever known or ever owned was to disappear, that it would be enough to have

Jesus. Only.

That’s our hearts. The interesting thing about a house (or a home, rather) is that you don’t only stay in

one room. You live all over the place – put the keys down in the lounge, make coffee in the kitchen,

read in the dining room…. When we invite Jesus into our hearts, it’s not into select areas, it’s the

whole heart. Not “welcome into my work section” or “welcome into my family section” – all or nothing

and it’s designed to be lived in.

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Not us, but Jesus did. When he died on the cross he payed for us – sin, shame, selfishness. His love

bought us. We get in free. We just have to choose to submit.

The beauty of love is this: when it runs deep and runs true, it heals. It cleans wounds that others have

left, it restores dreams, it is bring wholeness. Soap cleans the physical, and we all have vices that

makes us feel a bit better after a rough patch, but love… it cleans body, mind, soul, spirit, heart,

thoughts, lifestyle. It’s like a big heart vacuum cleaner.

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We only live once so you better make the most of it and live it well. Don’t compromise, don’t

compensate, don’t sell yourself short. When you’ve accepted Jesus too, what you do here on this

Earth impacts eternity. Yes, what we say and do is important now and we’re called to follow Jesus’

example, but it is more impacting in the eternal realm. Carpe diem, stay in God’s will, pursue doing

what’s right and do it the best you can.

We have the same Spirit in us that raised Jesus from the dead – Christ in us. Keep Him close in word,

in thought, in deed.

This is a great sentiment for two reasons:

1) we can live in the fullness of God’s grace if we live according to His Word; and

2) we can still have great fun while we do it.

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“God is my refuge and strength,

my ever-present help through each moment, of each day.

Therefore, I will not fear or be discouraged,

though the people I love fail me,

their promises crumble,

their words lose meaning,

their support fades,

their patience ends,

and I am shaken by their hurtfulness.

The Spirit of God reigns in me,

encouraging and strengthening my soul,

while softening my heart,

where Jesus Christ dwells.

The Spirit of God is within me,

Fortunately, I cannot escape that.

He wrestles with my heart,

guiding me along the narrow path,

from dawn to dawn.

Chaos may rage around me,

But inside, their is peace.

Anxiety and hurt melt away.

Jesus is in me,

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and I am in Him.

Let me tell you about the wonders,

the beautiful things God is doing in my life!

He is the One in control,

in the driving seat!

“Kurt” is drowned out in His sea of grace,

and I am instead called “His righteousness!”

He’s traded my rags,

for His Riches!

When I am still, I know He is God.

When I’m noisy, that knowledge remains.

He is exalted in my heart,

and among His family here on earth.

Jesus is in me,

and I am in Him.”

Challenge: Read through Psalm 46, and try re-write it according to where you are, right now,

on your journey with the Lord. Let it be an opportunity for worship!

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Christian Music release date

Here’s a couple albums to look out for in this month:

13 September:

The Devil Wears Prada – Dead Throne

20 September

Leeland – The Great Awakening

27 September:

Oh, Sleeper – Children of Fire

Switchfoot – Vice Verses

This week’s featured review is on Oh, Sleeper’s latest release

Children of Fire.

“We are the Children of Fire! We are the Lions! We

stand when all else is hurting, cause we were born to

fight and fight and fight!”

The anthemic chorus will resound through your mind

over and over after you buy this album. Oh, Sleeper

really outdid themselves with this release. I had a few

conversations with people after Oh, Sleeper released

Son of the Morning, saying: “How could a band ever do

better than this?” Well they did and it returns to us in

the form of Children of fire.

The story behind this album starts off where the last one left off. Satan is defeated and everyone is

praising God. Thereafter God and Satan disappear leaving zealous believers uncertain about the

future. The album continues to express a lot of questions, real questions that Christians ask on a

regular basis.

These questions are worked into the story as it follows a father who loved God but starts to question

Him, and his daughter who was tied up in the occult but learns more about God through this whole

experience. She eventually gets involved in sins that people wouldn’t forgive each other for.

The album concludes with a few songs,

firstly displaying God’s mercies despite

anything we might do. Finally it ends with

the anthemic cry mentioned before. If

you’re asking yourself where’s the scripture

behind this? Well the first is that God

refines us through fire. And that makes us

“Children of Fire.” Despite our

circumstances we must still stand for God. I

could explain the entire album to you but

where would the art be then?

I encourage you to get this album and figure

out what the lyrics mean to you.

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Scream911’s “amped”

“I DON’T THINK THERE CAN BE ANYTHING SADDER THAN WATCHING A MIME STRUGGLE AT

CHARADES. THAT WAS YOUR SHOT, MAN!”

“I WOULD IMAGINE A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE WOULD BE A REALLY UGLY THING. WITH HOOVES

IT MUST BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GRIP A PENCIL FOR STARTERS AND THEN THERE IS ALL THAT

FINE DETAIL AROUND THE EDGES TO CONSIDER.”

“I’D LIKE TO SEE THEM USE REAL CHIPS AT A CASINO. THAT WAY YOU HAVE THE CHOICE OF EITHER

GAMBLING OR EATING YOUR MONEY AWAY.”

“TO ME THERE’S NOTHING MORE DEPRESSING THAN A PERSON WHOSE COMPUTER KEY WITH THE

FOURTH LETTER OF THE ALPHABET ON IT GETS JAMMED.”

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These sections still need to be included:

1. Testimony of the month

2. More music and movie reviews for other genres

3. Poetry and Prose

4. Letters to the editor

5. General stuff that young people enjoy

Illuminate is a relatively new project and we need your support. All you need to do is write, once

you’ve written something go ahead and email it to labuschagnejl@gmail.com. Should your piece

meet expectations you may be featured in the next issue of Illuminate. Just remember to include a

brief description of who you are.

Also note that your piece will not be considered if it is offensive, racist or blasphemous in nature. But

please don’t let this limit your potential. Submit what you have in mind and let’s discuss it.

Thank you for being a part of the first issue of Illuminate, I hope you enjoyed it and will continue to

read this magazine. Remember to spread the word.

Jean