The first thing about the nature of God's relationship with us is that He gives to us a love that we do not deserve. We do not merit it. But not only is the love of God unmerited; it is also a love that grows and is sustained by relationship. The longer we walk with Him, the more we understand how glorious this love is. Through the prophet Hosea, God spoke graphically to a nation running from his presence. As individuals, He chases after us, woos us into his arms, pays the price to buy us back, cleans us up, and brings us home. Through his Son, God has reached out his arms to pay the price for our sin, to offer us new life, and to give us fresh hope and meaning. Let us come to the Cross as we are: sinners needing mercy, children desiring love, souls weary of running through our nights and days, and ready to follow the one who calls them.
But even more so lets be like Esther and catch His eye. You know after all the preparations of months of perfumes and oils, all the women come near to the King and yet only Esther catches his eye. Her devotion to His person made all the difference. And in reality that is what we need to see. that God is our King we are in His Kingdom and our devotion must be to HIM.
Many of us just look at Church/religion and see it as the same old same old thing. We seem to have lost the desire for MORE. I talk to people about "His presence" and a lot reply like, "yes it's great", and yet I know in my heart that many have lost the ability to tarry. (Or wait for His presence.) We have forgotten or never experienced the manifest presence of God. Can we, Will we, return to our first love?
Its all our choice, our decision, our life in Him.
Oh God draw us back again...
Those are my thoughts, Pastor Rob
Friday, November 23, 2007
Long time no chat sorry, found this quote...
"The Kingdom of God is Emerging--God's Word will be Displayed in Power and Action"
"The Kingdom of God is more than a good method or a great message. It consists not of eloquent words--but is a demonstration of the power of God."
Jesus Christ is the most single-minded person who has ever lived. His entire earthly life, including the whole of His public ministry, was focused on one thing: announcing and establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. He announced it with His preaching, teaching and healing; He established it through His death and resurrection. The first recorded words of Jesus deals with the Kingdom: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand'" (Matthew 4:17).
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, the first thing He told them to ask of the Father was for His Kingdom to come to earth: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10).
Because the Kingdom of God was so central to the purposes and plans of Christ, He wanted His followers to constantly seek after its unveiling. If the Kingdom of Heaven was Jesus' central priority, it must be ours as well. We must keep the main thing the main thing."
"The Kingdom of God is more than a good method or a great message. It consists not of eloquent words--but is a demonstration of the power of God."
Jesus Christ is the most single-minded person who has ever lived. His entire earthly life, including the whole of His public ministry, was focused on one thing: announcing and establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. He announced it with His preaching, teaching and healing; He established it through His death and resurrection. The first recorded words of Jesus deals with the Kingdom: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand'" (Matthew 4:17).
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, the first thing He told them to ask of the Father was for His Kingdom to come to earth: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10).
Because the Kingdom of God was so central to the purposes and plans of Christ, He wanted His followers to constantly seek after its unveiling. If the Kingdom of Heaven was Jesus' central priority, it must be ours as well. We must keep the main thing the main thing."
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Wow!
I just get home and this was in my inbox...
I want to share with you my heart. This is my passion Im about to express...
Today, I was on a call to my close friend, Carl. While I was talking I began to weep. I said to Carl, "If revival is not gonna happen or a move of the Spirit, I just wanna die. There's nothing else to live for." Im at the place of desperation. I need, not just want, to see a mighty move of God. Are you satisfied with the "Church"? Certainly there's got to be more. I have great news...THERE IS MORE!!!!!!!!!!!! So much MORE.
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, neither has entered into the heart of man all the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. What kind of a garden and soil are you planted in? Is it "corporate program" soil that will yield "corporate program"crop? or are you like me and wanna be planted in supernatural kingdom, love soil to reap the same. Im not meaning to have a go at any particular movement or people but I must say, Im really tired & frustrated of the way the Body of Christ is looking. We are supposed to look like the beautiful bride & body of Christ not some corporate, performance driven, it's all about serving me & what can you do for me, high flying executive machine. I love the house of God & the body of Christ too much to let it go down that track. Let's get back to the reality of the 1st century church. The simplicity of making our decisions in the upper room rather than the board room. The real love for the kingdom of God that Jesus taught us to have. The attitude of Let YOUR kingdom come, let YOUR will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. Loving our neighbor as our self. Will you please join with me in crying out to heaven for the greatest move of God that this world has ever seen. It has been prophesied that the last major move would come out of our nation...AUSTRALIA, THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR US. Let's wake up & smell the season of heaven's dew. It's upon us. I dont want this to pass me by!
I want to share with you my heart. This is my passion Im about to express...
Today, I was on a call to my close friend, Carl. While I was talking I began to weep. I said to Carl, "If revival is not gonna happen or a move of the Spirit, I just wanna die. There's nothing else to live for." Im at the place of desperation. I need, not just want, to see a mighty move of God. Are you satisfied with the "Church"? Certainly there's got to be more. I have great news...THERE IS MORE!!!!!!!!!!!! So much MORE.
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, neither has entered into the heart of man all the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. What kind of a garden and soil are you planted in? Is it "corporate program" soil that will yield "corporate program"crop? or are you like me and wanna be planted in supernatural kingdom, love soil to reap the same. Im not meaning to have a go at any particular movement or people but I must say, Im really tired & frustrated of the way the Body of Christ is looking. We are supposed to look like the beautiful bride & body of Christ not some corporate, performance driven, it's all about serving me & what can you do for me, high flying executive machine. I love the house of God & the body of Christ too much to let it go down that track. Let's get back to the reality of the 1st century church. The simplicity of making our decisions in the upper room rather than the board room. The real love for the kingdom of God that Jesus taught us to have. The attitude of Let YOUR kingdom come, let YOUR will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. Loving our neighbor as our self. Will you please join with me in crying out to heaven for the greatest move of God that this world has ever seen. It has been prophesied that the last major move would come out of our nation...AUSTRALIA, THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR US. Let's wake up & smell the season of heaven's dew. It's upon us. I dont want this to pass me by!
His life, not ours.
"And you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power" ( Col 2:10)
"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).
Faith in all its sheer simplicity! Faith that takes God precisely at His Word! Faith that simply says, "Thank You." Faith that goes beyond self.
Can any situation possibly arise, any circumstance, of which He is not aware or capable of dealing with? Any pressure, promise, problem, responsibility or temptation for which the Lord Jesus Himself is not adequate? If He is truly God, there cannot be a single one!
This being so, applying His life (presence in ours) by faith to every situation as it arises, will leave you with no alternative but to obey the words of I Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks!" In how many things? In everything without exception, "this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
It is not difficult for man to live the Christian life, somebody once said, it is a "sheer impossibility!" A sheer impossibility, that is, without CHRIST! But for all that He says, you have all that He is, and that is all that it takes!
The Christian life can only be explained in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your learning, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it!
By way of a silly example, If the way you live your life as a Christian can be explained in terms of you, what have you got to give to the man who lives next door? You! The way he lives his life can be explained in terms of him and his ideals habits hobbies etc, and so far as he is concerned, you happen to be "religious" but he is not! "Christianity" may be your practice, but it is not his, and there is nothing about the way you practice it which strikes him as at all remarkable! There is nothing about you which leaves him guessing, and nothing great which he does not feel he is equally capable of reproducing if needed without the inconvenience of becoming a Christian! To him/her you are nothing more than a moralistic nice person, if all you can give is you.
It is only when your quality of life baffles the neighbors that you are likely to impress them! It has got to become plainly obvious to others that the kind of life you are living is not only good, but that it is beyond all human explanation! It is Supernatural. Then when that disease/debt/struggle/upset......(add your own worry here) ......comes then it is beyond the ability of me or you to cope with, and however little they may understand this, clearly it has to be seen by them to be God Himself in you! (The hope of Glory)
In a nutshell, this means that your friends and neighbours must become convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ of whom you speak, is essentially the ingredient of the Life you live! Not just a tossed in item.
Well they are a few of my thoughts, sorry for the long break between items.
Pastor Rob
"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).
Faith in all its sheer simplicity! Faith that takes God precisely at His Word! Faith that simply says, "Thank You." Faith that goes beyond self.
Can any situation possibly arise, any circumstance, of which He is not aware or capable of dealing with? Any pressure, promise, problem, responsibility or temptation for which the Lord Jesus Himself is not adequate? If He is truly God, there cannot be a single one!
This being so, applying His life (presence in ours) by faith to every situation as it arises, will leave you with no alternative but to obey the words of I Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks!" In how many things? In everything without exception, "this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
It is not difficult for man to live the Christian life, somebody once said, it is a "sheer impossibility!" A sheer impossibility, that is, without CHRIST! But for all that He says, you have all that He is, and that is all that it takes!
The Christian life can only be explained in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your learning, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it!
By way of a silly example, If the way you live your life as a Christian can be explained in terms of you, what have you got to give to the man who lives next door? You! The way he lives his life can be explained in terms of him and his ideals habits hobbies etc, and so far as he is concerned, you happen to be "religious" but he is not! "Christianity" may be your practice, but it is not his, and there is nothing about the way you practice it which strikes him as at all remarkable! There is nothing about you which leaves him guessing, and nothing great which he does not feel he is equally capable of reproducing if needed without the inconvenience of becoming a Christian! To him/her you are nothing more than a moralistic nice person, if all you can give is you.
It is only when your quality of life baffles the neighbors that you are likely to impress them! It has got to become plainly obvious to others that the kind of life you are living is not only good, but that it is beyond all human explanation! It is Supernatural. Then when that disease/debt/struggle/upset......(add your own worry here) ......comes then it is beyond the ability of me or you to cope with, and however little they may understand this, clearly it has to be seen by them to be God Himself in you! (The hope of Glory)
In a nutshell, this means that your friends and neighbours must become convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ of whom you speak, is essentially the ingredient of the Life you live! Not just a tossed in item.
Well they are a few of my thoughts, sorry for the long break between items.
Pastor Rob
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Believing
Well for those of you here in Wagga and who have managed to make it to the John Mellor nights, IT HAS BEEN AMAZING! John is a man who certainly believes that Jesus is alive and resident in all those who believe. His favourite saying that I have picked up so far has been "It will be a miracle tonight if a miracle does not happen". Being a thinking man I pondered his incredible attitude and marvelled at the varied attitudes within the meeting on Friday night. Everything from "He could be doing this by the power of Satan" right through to the beautiful new born Christians who were healed; "It was like a fuzz ball inside my belly and tingling all over."
But as most of you who read this are Christians I wonder what our varied takes are on all of this? Do we really believe? Can we dare to say "Lord help me in my unbelief" or do we just ignore it all and hope that we can keep all our ducks in a row and have a neat and tidy God? One who dares not invade our life but one who better turn up when life gets tough or we need a bill paid! Do we have to wait till life turns an uneasy corner before we will push into faith?
When you allow yourself to have some freedom and life and decide to walk in faith and not in preconceived notions, suddenly life opens up and the spiritual realm becomes real. You see "all creation is waiting for the sons of God to be revealed" and Jesus was the "first of many brethren" and He also declared that we would "do greater works" than He. So to really believe that and do the signs and wonders we first have to apprehend and walk in the truth, that we are vessels of the God of the universe. We have resident in us the same God that raised Lazarus from the dead. There is every reason to believe for the lost to see the reality of a living God.
But also being the person I am my heart goes out to those well meaning and fully expecting people who were not healed. As John Mellor also said " There are many and varied reasons why people are not healed, but I will not let what I do not understand effect what I do understand and that is that God is good and that he still heals and does miracles today". I tell you, that I would much rather walk in faith and in a church that sees the odd miracle that builds on that, than in a church full of unbelief that won't even try what the Bible calls the "children's bread", and is content having their ducks in a religious sanctimonious order.
(Mat 15:22-28) "And behold, a woman of Canaan coming out of these borders cried to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me!
But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to dogs.
And she said, True, O Lord; but even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' tables. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! So be it to you even as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that very hour."
I really challenged myself on this issue of "What do I actually believe?" Do I believe in a God who has my "bets hinged" and gives me the nod to say all is OK and you will make it to heaven; or on a God who declares the end from the beginning and therefore wants to establish His Kingdom on the earth today of which you and I have a role to play. It has to be more than tradition.
As the people of God in this very hour, let's open our hearts to what God wants and see what happens; let's take a chance as life only offers us one shot at it. Let's be like the women in the bible verse above and persist in faith as God opens new doors of opportunity each day. After all HE IS THE GOD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH !
Well those are my thoughts
Pastor Rob.
But as most of you who read this are Christians I wonder what our varied takes are on all of this? Do we really believe? Can we dare to say "Lord help me in my unbelief" or do we just ignore it all and hope that we can keep all our ducks in a row and have a neat and tidy God? One who dares not invade our life but one who better turn up when life gets tough or we need a bill paid! Do we have to wait till life turns an uneasy corner before we will push into faith?
When you allow yourself to have some freedom and life and decide to walk in faith and not in preconceived notions, suddenly life opens up and the spiritual realm becomes real. You see "all creation is waiting for the sons of God to be revealed" and Jesus was the "first of many brethren" and He also declared that we would "do greater works" than He. So to really believe that and do the signs and wonders we first have to apprehend and walk in the truth, that we are vessels of the God of the universe. We have resident in us the same God that raised Lazarus from the dead. There is every reason to believe for the lost to see the reality of a living God.
But also being the person I am my heart goes out to those well meaning and fully expecting people who were not healed. As John Mellor also said " There are many and varied reasons why people are not healed, but I will not let what I do not understand effect what I do understand and that is that God is good and that he still heals and does miracles today". I tell you, that I would much rather walk in faith and in a church that sees the odd miracle that builds on that, than in a church full of unbelief that won't even try what the Bible calls the "children's bread", and is content having their ducks in a religious sanctimonious order.
(Mat 15:22-28) "And behold, a woman of Canaan coming out of these borders cried to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me!
But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to dogs.
And she said, True, O Lord; but even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' tables. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! So be it to you even as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that very hour."
I really challenged myself on this issue of "What do I actually believe?" Do I believe in a God who has my "bets hinged" and gives me the nod to say all is OK and you will make it to heaven; or on a God who declares the end from the beginning and therefore wants to establish His Kingdom on the earth today of which you and I have a role to play. It has to be more than tradition.
As the people of God in this very hour, let's open our hearts to what God wants and see what happens; let's take a chance as life only offers us one shot at it. Let's be like the women in the bible verse above and persist in faith as God opens new doors of opportunity each day. After all HE IS THE GOD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH !
Well those are my thoughts
Pastor Rob.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
What is your Jordan?
The Israelites faced many things in their lives and one of the major ones was the Jordan river. It stood between them and the promised land. In many ways it was an incredible lesson in faith for them and trusting God. The priests had to take the first step into the water before the river would stop flowing. Imagine what was going through the minds of the Priests as they approached the Jordan at flood stage. But if they were ever going to enter their destiny and the promises of God they had to trust God at his word.
In many ways our lives are the same. God will not stop life from happening around us, but instead he will give us a way to stand up under life. (1Co 10:13) "No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it."
Life assaults us in many ways but in many other ways our choices are what take us down the wrong path. But even in the midst of this God's grace still shines through and he gives us a way out. Not only does He strengthen us but He points to the way out that we may take it. Our choices don't necessarily need to be bad for this to have an effect on our lives, but we can also refuse to make the positive choices to effect our destiny for Good!
Though you and I may prefer that God hand out long-range plans, he doesn't promise that. Instead, He asks us to respond to his calling by taking a step of faith today, trusting that He has the future under control too.
Today, there are many Jordan Rivers that hold Christians back from their calling. For some, it may be a job or a relationship that doesn't glorify God. For others, it may be an addiction or a fear of the unknown.
But no matter what barriers we face, each of us must make a decision: Will we trust that God controls everything—including the obstacles and fears before us—and step out in faith? Or will we stay on the other side of the Jordan and miss the opportunity to feel God's power in our lives?
In many ways our lives are the same. God will not stop life from happening around us, but instead he will give us a way to stand up under life. (1Co 10:13) "No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it."
Life assaults us in many ways but in many other ways our choices are what take us down the wrong path. But even in the midst of this God's grace still shines through and he gives us a way out. Not only does He strengthen us but He points to the way out that we may take it. Our choices don't necessarily need to be bad for this to have an effect on our lives, but we can also refuse to make the positive choices to effect our destiny for Good!
Though you and I may prefer that God hand out long-range plans, he doesn't promise that. Instead, He asks us to respond to his calling by taking a step of faith today, trusting that He has the future under control too.
Today, there are many Jordan Rivers that hold Christians back from their calling. For some, it may be a job or a relationship that doesn't glorify God. For others, it may be an addiction or a fear of the unknown.
But no matter what barriers we face, each of us must make a decision: Will we trust that God controls everything—including the obstacles and fears before us—and step out in faith? Or will we stay on the other side of the Jordan and miss the opportunity to feel God's power in our lives?
Monday, June 04, 2007
Reply...
I was quite legitimately asked if the last story I sent was factual, which is more than understandable considering the many bogus things on the NET. So I wrote to the author who is a Pastor in Perth. Here below is his response to me.
"Hi Rob,
I received an update from Jeff just this morning. Here is just a little of what he had to say. I trust Jeff absolutely. He is a totally reliable witness. We gave him our building fund offering of $270,000 in August 2000 to help with these people so we are very interested in these developments.
God Bless
Allan Meyer."
"Hi Rob,
I received an update from Jeff just this morning. Here is just a little of what he had to say. I trust Jeff absolutely. He is a totally reliable witness. We gave him our building fund offering of $270,000 in August 2000 to help with these people so we are very interested in these developments.
God Bless
Allan Meyer."
A True Story
At Christmas 1998 waves of persecution broke out against the Christians. Many of our friends and even some of our staff were killed. Our former church and home were burned to the ground. Over 14,000 homes, shops and houses of worship were destroyed. Christian leaders were assassinated, Christian school girls were brutally beheaded and the community has had to live under a reign of terror until some strange events began to take place in a a tiny and remote village called Meko (pronounced Mecco) on the shores of Lake Poso, in the district of Poso, Central Sulawesi.
On the 6th January 2007 an 8 year old girl received a visitation of the Lord and began to pray for the sick, beginning with her own mother. By mid February, crowds began to flock to Meko from all corners of Sulawesi. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians…thousands seeking healing and bringing their sick. Standing there among the sick, the weak, the lame, the blind, the aged, the dying, one can only feel like Jesus who looked upon the multitudes and was moved with compassion. The crowds who gather to Meko are desperate. They desperately need love and compassion.
Every day they sing and praise the Lord for hours. They sing songs like, Jesus never changes, Into my heart, All over the world God's Spirit is moving, Oh Jerusalem how beautiful thou art… They sing them over and over…for hours. While they are singing, people are suddenly healed. The blind see, the lame walk…
Every day people are being healed but the biggest gathering is on Thursday night when the people pray and sing all night long, and at midnight they have special prayer for the sick. Up to 20,000 people have been coming, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians. The message proclaimed by this 8 y.o girl and her mother is always the same. Live a holy, righteous life (Ephesians 5:1-21), pray the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6-10), receive healing through Jesus (John 5).
Teams of our workers from the National Prayer Network, the Christian Mens' Network and our Foundation Bless Indonesia Today have been ministering from tent to tent, praying for the sick, sharing Christ and seeing miracles take place. Annette went with a team and was excited to see what is happening. When Annette arrived she was told of miracles that had taken place that afternoon. At 3pm a lame Buddhist man from Makassar, South Sulawesi, was healed. About 4.30pm in one of the tents a lame Muslim man, a haji (one who had made the pilgramage to Mecca ) suddenly left his wheel chair, stood up and began to leap. He jumped up on to a table. He asked to lead the singing in the tent meeting singing a very common song used in Charismatic healing services: "God is all powerful to do all things. He is omnipotent. He created the worlds. My God is all powerful".
We also heard that a lady from South Sulawesi, lame from birth with deformed legs after 32 years stood up and began to walk and leap; a 28 year old man blind from birth was healed; a 17 year old retarded boy is now now back helping his father in a chemist shop in Palu. There are piles of abandoned wheelchairs to give witness to the many healed. One dying man, a relative of one of Jeff's friends, was brought in an ambulance for 18 hours from Manado and was immediately healed.
The message of holiness is strongly preached and people are fearful to smoke, drink alcohol or steal. Some ministers have been told to go home and repent and others are reportedly fearful of going there in case their sins are exposed. One pastor was told by this 8 y.o girl, "you wear the clothes of a pastor but you don't have the heart of a pastor!"
All those who come to Meko will return knowing four things: They will know that Jesus heals and has power; they will know they must repent and live righteously; they will know the words of some basic Christian songs; and they will know the basic prayer that Jesus taught.
There are odd things happening. There are criticisms and oppositions from various quarters. Was it not the same in the ministry of Jesus? It is not happening in a church building; there are no committees, finances, advertising, big name preachers, hotels or any modern convenience. The roads are rough, muddy, winding; the people stay in tents on muddy ground; the toilets stink, but something amazing is happening. Reconciliations, healings, people getting saved, lives transformed and the gospel is being preached.
Thank you to all those who have been praying for Poso! God is beginning to turn things around. People are gathering once again to Poso, no longer to kill and burn and destroy, but to receive the healing, saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ
On the 6th January 2007 an 8 year old girl received a visitation of the Lord and began to pray for the sick, beginning with her own mother. By mid February, crowds began to flock to Meko from all corners of Sulawesi. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians…thousands seeking healing and bringing their sick. Standing there among the sick, the weak, the lame, the blind, the aged, the dying, one can only feel like Jesus who looked upon the multitudes and was moved with compassion. The crowds who gather to Meko are desperate. They desperately need love and compassion.
Every day they sing and praise the Lord for hours. They sing songs like, Jesus never changes, Into my heart, All over the world God's Spirit is moving, Oh Jerusalem how beautiful thou art… They sing them over and over…for hours. While they are singing, people are suddenly healed. The blind see, the lame walk…
Every day people are being healed but the biggest gathering is on Thursday night when the people pray and sing all night long, and at midnight they have special prayer for the sick. Up to 20,000 people have been coming, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians. The message proclaimed by this 8 y.o girl and her mother is always the same. Live a holy, righteous life (Ephesians 5:1-21), pray the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6-10), receive healing through Jesus (John 5).
Teams of our workers from the National Prayer Network, the Christian Mens' Network and our Foundation Bless Indonesia Today have been ministering from tent to tent, praying for the sick, sharing Christ and seeing miracles take place. Annette went with a team and was excited to see what is happening. When Annette arrived she was told of miracles that had taken place that afternoon. At 3pm a lame Buddhist man from Makassar, South Sulawesi, was healed. About 4.30pm in one of the tents a lame Muslim man, a haji (one who had made the pilgramage to Mecca ) suddenly left his wheel chair, stood up and began to leap. He jumped up on to a table. He asked to lead the singing in the tent meeting singing a very common song used in Charismatic healing services: "God is all powerful to do all things. He is omnipotent. He created the worlds. My God is all powerful".
We also heard that a lady from South Sulawesi, lame from birth with deformed legs after 32 years stood up and began to walk and leap; a 28 year old man blind from birth was healed; a 17 year old retarded boy is now now back helping his father in a chemist shop in Palu. There are piles of abandoned wheelchairs to give witness to the many healed. One dying man, a relative of one of Jeff's friends, was brought in an ambulance for 18 hours from Manado and was immediately healed.
The message of holiness is strongly preached and people are fearful to smoke, drink alcohol or steal. Some ministers have been told to go home and repent and others are reportedly fearful of going there in case their sins are exposed. One pastor was told by this 8 y.o girl, "you wear the clothes of a pastor but you don't have the heart of a pastor!"
All those who come to Meko will return knowing four things: They will know that Jesus heals and has power; they will know they must repent and live righteously; they will know the words of some basic Christian songs; and they will know the basic prayer that Jesus taught.
There are odd things happening. There are criticisms and oppositions from various quarters. Was it not the same in the ministry of Jesus? It is not happening in a church building; there are no committees, finances, advertising, big name preachers, hotels or any modern convenience. The roads are rough, muddy, winding; the people stay in tents on muddy ground; the toilets stink, but something amazing is happening. Reconciliations, healings, people getting saved, lives transformed and the gospel is being preached.
Thank you to all those who have been praying for Poso! God is beginning to turn things around. People are gathering once again to Poso, no longer to kill and burn and destroy, but to receive the healing, saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Evel
At times we wonder where we or the world is going to end up in a generation or so. Who among us has never thought this? In many ways we are just being human with our frailties and hunger for control. But in another way we are replacing God and wondering if he is in control after all. I stumbled on this article on 'Evel Knievel' the other day and it really in a small way declares the sovereignty of God. I hope you enjoy, as I did.
On Palm Sunday, hundreds responded to Robert "Evel" Knievel's testimony by asking to be baptized on the spot at Crystal Cathedral. Speaking alongside the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, Knievel told the congregation in Orange County, California, how he had refused for 68 years to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. He believed in God, but he couldn't walk away from the gold and the gambling and the booze and the women. "I don't know why I fought it so hard," he said. "I just did." But Knievel knew people were praying for him, including his daughter's church, his ex-wife's church, and the hundreds of people who wrote letters urging him to believe. And then something indescribable happened during Daytona Bike Week this March.
"I don't know what in the world happened. I don't know if it was the power of the prayer or God himself, but it just reached out, either while I was driving or walking down the sidewalk or sleeping, and it just—the power of God in Jesus just grabbed me. … All of a sudden, I just believed in Jesus Christ. I did, I believed in him! … I rose up in bed and, I was by myself, and I said, 'Devil, Devil, you bastard you, get away from me. I cast you out of my life.' … I just got on my knees and prayed that God would put his arms around me and never, ever, ever let me go."
Pastor Robert A. Schuller, who took over for his father last year, looked out on the church and noticed most people were sobbing. He couldn't simply continue with the service's script and proceed to the offering. "I went up front, and I said, 'I believe there is somebody who needs to be baptized here. Maybe up on that balcony or by that door or by that wall. So come forward,'" Schuller told CT. "We started singing 'Amazing Grace,' and I started baptizing people, baptizing them as fast as I could. I had a little candy dish of water. 'What's your name? Okay, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit'—crying the whole time and going to the next one."
Schuller continued this for 30 minutes, not realizing that four other pastors were baptizing the convicted just as quickly. During the second service, the response repeated itself. Together, Schuller estimates, between 500 and 800 people committed or rededicated their lives to God.
"I don't want to make grandiose claims; I'm not a prophet," said Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, who spoke with Schuller the next morning. "But I think it is a sign that in God's own sovereign goodness, he sends these moments to remind us that we are all sinners and reaches out to us in surprising ways. This is something the Christian community in general, and particularly the evangelical community, needs to take very seriously."
Revival trade
Mouw also met with couples from Crystal Cathedral who described the spontaneous response as one of the most spiritually significant events they had ever experienced. Historically, religious awakenings have played a significant role in Christianity, particularly evangelicalism. Charles Finney, a leader of the Second Great Awakening, revolutionized revivalism by arguing that churches could incite revivals through faithfulness and diligence.
"Since that point forward at least, it has become a trade; it has become a profession; it has become a series of techniques," said Joel Carpenter, director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin College. "It is fair for any discerning Christian, when he hears a revival is happening, to be a little skeptical, not to be cynical, but to ask questions that are meant to help discern what is going on there spiritually."
At historic moments when God seems to be moving mountains, the emotional and physical strain of a revival can be exhausting, said Edith Blumhofer, director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, noting the reaction of missionaries in Korea at the start of the 20th century.
"After it was over, the people said they never wanted to go through a revival again," she said. "It was so agonizing, there was such depth, such conviction for sin, and the things people felt they needed to confess publicly was so difficult."
Blumhofer said that though revivals sometimes are considered evangelistic tools, their real role—whether planned or spontaneous—is to reinvigorate church regulars. "It is a deepening conviction of one's sinfulness, one's need of grace, one's need of God that transforms—and then evangelism flows from that."
Powerful Hour
A Reformed Church in America congregation with no walls and 10,000 windows, Crystal Cathedral was founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller. Shaped like a star with its points aimed north, south, east, and west, the church reaches people in more than 100 countries via the Hour of Power, the largest component of Crystal Cathedral Ministries. The video from the Palm Sunday service will be broadcast on April 22.
The ministry, though, has been struggling recently. A week before Christmas 2004, the congregation's longtime orchestra conductor killed himself in a church bathroom. And last year, revenues for Hour of Power, which has a $40 million operating budget, were $3 million short, Schuller said. But he said he and his leaders hadn't been praying for a revival. They simply had been praying—for the congregation and the community, for tragedies and triumphs. Now Schuller is trying to discern God's response.
"It may be too early to call it a revival," Schuller said. "But it was clearly a moving of the Holy Spirit, and everybody has been talking about it. Our congregation and church keeps saying, 'Okay, where do we go from here?' I'm not exactly sure. But I think the Holy Spirit will assist me in the doing the right thing."
On Palm Sunday, hundreds responded to Robert "Evel" Knievel's testimony by asking to be baptized on the spot at Crystal Cathedral. Speaking alongside the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, Knievel told the congregation in Orange County, California, how he had refused for 68 years to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. He believed in God, but he couldn't walk away from the gold and the gambling and the booze and the women. "I don't know why I fought it so hard," he said. "I just did." But Knievel knew people were praying for him, including his daughter's church, his ex-wife's church, and the hundreds of people who wrote letters urging him to believe. And then something indescribable happened during Daytona Bike Week this March.
"I don't know what in the world happened. I don't know if it was the power of the prayer or God himself, but it just reached out, either while I was driving or walking down the sidewalk or sleeping, and it just—the power of God in Jesus just grabbed me. … All of a sudden, I just believed in Jesus Christ. I did, I believed in him! … I rose up in bed and, I was by myself, and I said, 'Devil, Devil, you bastard you, get away from me. I cast you out of my life.' … I just got on my knees and prayed that God would put his arms around me and never, ever, ever let me go."
Pastor Robert A. Schuller, who took over for his father last year, looked out on the church and noticed most people were sobbing. He couldn't simply continue with the service's script and proceed to the offering. "I went up front, and I said, 'I believe there is somebody who needs to be baptized here. Maybe up on that balcony or by that door or by that wall. So come forward,'" Schuller told CT. "We started singing 'Amazing Grace,' and I started baptizing people, baptizing them as fast as I could. I had a little candy dish of water. 'What's your name? Okay, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit'—crying the whole time and going to the next one."
Schuller continued this for 30 minutes, not realizing that four other pastors were baptizing the convicted just as quickly. During the second service, the response repeated itself. Together, Schuller estimates, between 500 and 800 people committed or rededicated their lives to God.
"I don't want to make grandiose claims; I'm not a prophet," said Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, who spoke with Schuller the next morning. "But I think it is a sign that in God's own sovereign goodness, he sends these moments to remind us that we are all sinners and reaches out to us in surprising ways. This is something the Christian community in general, and particularly the evangelical community, needs to take very seriously."
Revival trade
Mouw also met with couples from Crystal Cathedral who described the spontaneous response as one of the most spiritually significant events they had ever experienced. Historically, religious awakenings have played a significant role in Christianity, particularly evangelicalism. Charles Finney, a leader of the Second Great Awakening, revolutionized revivalism by arguing that churches could incite revivals through faithfulness and diligence.
"Since that point forward at least, it has become a trade; it has become a profession; it has become a series of techniques," said Joel Carpenter, director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin College. "It is fair for any discerning Christian, when he hears a revival is happening, to be a little skeptical, not to be cynical, but to ask questions that are meant to help discern what is going on there spiritually."
At historic moments when God seems to be moving mountains, the emotional and physical strain of a revival can be exhausting, said Edith Blumhofer, director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, noting the reaction of missionaries in Korea at the start of the 20th century.
"After it was over, the people said they never wanted to go through a revival again," she said. "It was so agonizing, there was such depth, such conviction for sin, and the things people felt they needed to confess publicly was so difficult."
Blumhofer said that though revivals sometimes are considered evangelistic tools, their real role—whether planned or spontaneous—is to reinvigorate church regulars. "It is a deepening conviction of one's sinfulness, one's need of grace, one's need of God that transforms—and then evangelism flows from that."
Powerful Hour
A Reformed Church in America congregation with no walls and 10,000 windows, Crystal Cathedral was founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller. Shaped like a star with its points aimed north, south, east, and west, the church reaches people in more than 100 countries via the Hour of Power, the largest component of Crystal Cathedral Ministries. The video from the Palm Sunday service will be broadcast on April 22.
The ministry, though, has been struggling recently. A week before Christmas 2004, the congregation's longtime orchestra conductor killed himself in a church bathroom. And last year, revenues for Hour of Power, which has a $40 million operating budget, were $3 million short, Schuller said. But he said he and his leaders hadn't been praying for a revival. They simply had been praying—for the congregation and the community, for tragedies and triumphs. Now Schuller is trying to discern God's response.
"It may be too early to call it a revival," Schuller said. "But it was clearly a moving of the Holy Spirit, and everybody has been talking about it. Our congregation and church keeps saying, 'Okay, where do we go from here?' I'm not exactly sure. But I think the Holy Spirit will assist me in the doing the right thing."
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Integrity
I was recently witness to someone doing an incredibly hard thing, it was not something light but really life altering. The situation faced was indeed not simple. It was a case of the right thing or the easy thing! It's in these moments we find out where our trust really lies. Recently a survey was done in the US and this is what they came up with.
What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?
Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?
Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
- Would abandon their entire family (25%)
- Would abandon their church (25%)
- Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
- Would give up their American citizenships (16%)
- Would leave their spouses (16%)
- Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
- Would kill a stranger (7%)
- Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
You may think that this sounds absurd, but faced with this temptation where would you find yourself standing? Would any of you start to think, "Oh well I can find a new Church!' or "It's only a trial, He will get caught soon enough"? Perhaps not. But take things down to the more base area of life and consider the chance of claiming an extra few dollars on your tax return that is not really true, or even closer to home some of us live a life at home and another within the church or around fellow Christians. We abandon who we are and never face the truth of change. Or should I say the challenge of change?
(Proverbs 11:3) "The integrity of the upright shall guide them; but the crookedness of traitors shall destroy them."
It's so much easier to walk the way of the world and take the easy out, but as the verse above declares our integrity shall guide us. In other words if our ways are fixed on the principles of God our ways are plain, our direction clear and our life sure. If we live this way it's not hard but indeed easy, because our ways are set and fixed. I truely believe that those decisions made in life will cause us to grow or stagnate in our walk with God. It is after all about faith, and whether we really trust God or not.
Well those are my thoughts
Pastor Rob.
Monday, April 09, 2007
God, where are you?
This is from a book (Darlene Deibler Rose, Evidence of Things Not Seen )
Darlene Deibler Rose. Rose was a young American missionary to the jungles of New Guinea who survived four years of captivity in Japanese prison camps during World War II. When Rose tells her story, she describes how a powerful sense of God's loving presence sustained her through beatings, horrible illnesses, the cruelties of her captors, and the death of her husband.
Rose relates an experience that brings the answer to this question into focus. At the time, she was in solitary confinement and severely malnourished. In spite of her outward difficulties, she had continued to feel inner peace. Then, she writes,
"Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, I felt enveloped in a spiritual vacuum. 'Lord, where have You gone? Why have You withdrawn Your presence from me? O Father--' in panic I jumped to my feet, my heart frantically searching for a hidden sin, for a careless thought, for any reason why my Lord should have withdrawn his presence from me. My prayers, my expressions of worship, seemed to go no higher than the ceiling; there seemed to be no sounding board. I prayed for forgiveness, for the Holy Spirit to search my heart. To none of my petitions was there any apparent response."Rose spent the night crying out to God, searching for a reason for why He had withdrawn her ability to feel his presence. When no answer came, she prayed:
"Lord, I believe all that the Bible says. I do walk by faith and not by sight. I do not need to feel You near, because your Word says You will never leave me nor forsake me. Lord, I confirm my faith; I believe.
The words of Hebrews 11:1 welled up, unbeckoned, to fill my mind: 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' ...Evidence not seen--that was what I put my trust in--not in feelings or moments of ecstasy, but in the unchanging Person of Jesus Christ.... In a measure I felt that I understood what Job meant when he declared, 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him' (13:15). Job knew that he could trust God, because Job knew the character of the One in Whom he had put his trust. It was faith stripped of feelings, faith without trappings."I believe that we can feel God's presence, and that we should eagerly seek it. But we cannot base our faith on a foundation of emotional experience. If we base our faith on feelings, when the feelings go, the faith will flee. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Faith is also being sure of what we do not feel. If a commitment to Christ assured us that we would always feel his presence, faith would not be required of us. The story of Darlene Deibler Rose testifies to the reality of the Holy Spirit--the Comforter, who will never leave us nor forsake us. Yet there are those times through her life and through mine where there has been and will be the incredible tangible presence of God.
Its in the hard empty times that our faith grows, and in the times when we cry out the most is when we realise God has called us to grow up into the likeness of the Son. We cannot do that nursing from His side, but walking out in faith and KNOWING in the hard/cold/empty times that He is still there.
Well those are some of my thoughts Pastor Rob
Darlene Deibler Rose. Rose was a young American missionary to the jungles of New Guinea who survived four years of captivity in Japanese prison camps during World War II. When Rose tells her story, she describes how a powerful sense of God's loving presence sustained her through beatings, horrible illnesses, the cruelties of her captors, and the death of her husband.
Rose relates an experience that brings the answer to this question into focus. At the time, she was in solitary confinement and severely malnourished. In spite of her outward difficulties, she had continued to feel inner peace. Then, she writes,
"Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, I felt enveloped in a spiritual vacuum. 'Lord, where have You gone? Why have You withdrawn Your presence from me? O Father--' in panic I jumped to my feet, my heart frantically searching for a hidden sin, for a careless thought, for any reason why my Lord should have withdrawn his presence from me. My prayers, my expressions of worship, seemed to go no higher than the ceiling; there seemed to be no sounding board. I prayed for forgiveness, for the Holy Spirit to search my heart. To none of my petitions was there any apparent response."Rose spent the night crying out to God, searching for a reason for why He had withdrawn her ability to feel his presence. When no answer came, she prayed:
"Lord, I believe all that the Bible says. I do walk by faith and not by sight. I do not need to feel You near, because your Word says You will never leave me nor forsake me. Lord, I confirm my faith; I believe.
The words of Hebrews 11:1 welled up, unbeckoned, to fill my mind: 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' ...Evidence not seen--that was what I put my trust in--not in feelings or moments of ecstasy, but in the unchanging Person of Jesus Christ.... In a measure I felt that I understood what Job meant when he declared, 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him' (13:15). Job knew that he could trust God, because Job knew the character of the One in Whom he had put his trust. It was faith stripped of feelings, faith without trappings."I believe that we can feel God's presence, and that we should eagerly seek it. But we cannot base our faith on a foundation of emotional experience. If we base our faith on feelings, when the feelings go, the faith will flee. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Faith is also being sure of what we do not feel. If a commitment to Christ assured us that we would always feel his presence, faith would not be required of us. The story of Darlene Deibler Rose testifies to the reality of the Holy Spirit--the Comforter, who will never leave us nor forsake us. Yet there are those times through her life and through mine where there has been and will be the incredible tangible presence of God.
Its in the hard empty times that our faith grows, and in the times when we cry out the most is when we realise God has called us to grow up into the likeness of the Son. We cannot do that nursing from His side, but walking out in faith and KNOWING in the hard/cold/empty times that He is still there.
Well those are some of my thoughts Pastor Rob
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Eternity
As I sit here in Melbourne airport waiting for a connecting flight I wonder of the people I see and how many of them know even the meaning of the word Eternity. I mean in its truest sense. At the moment the waiting for them must seem an Eternity. The young footballers must think life will last an Eternity. But how many know what it is really all about?
Sadly enough, all of us know people who are walking that precarious road, not knowing how close they are to an Eternity, not on this earth.
How many of us even take the time to ponder the gift that we have been given? The wonderous bounty that we have in Christ! That was freely given to us, sometimes I wonder about that too! The fact that it has been freely given sometimes makes us so ungrateful. It can if we let it become a given rather than a blessing. But when we peruse it from the Father's point of view it was never free but cost everything. There was a high price that was paid that was purely for our benefit, the gracious gift of God is GRACE. Gods Riches At Christs Expense.
At the moment my prayers are like that of Paul in Ephesians "God that you would open my eyes to see the riches and the magnificence of what you have done for me, that I too could help others see this." To understand the depths of the life that is ours now, to behold the beauty and presence of God by faith now, to see with eyes of faith the realm that we actually live in rather than the media driven facade that we now see.
The privilege that I have been given has only recently been brought home to me. It is something that I took for granted for so long. Yes, I appreciated it, but not to the degree that I have most recently seen. The tiny crack that I now see through gives me a tiny idea of what Paul saw when he said:
"I became a minister, according to the administration of God given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God." (Col 1:25);
"the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints." (Col 1:26)
"For to them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory", (Col 1:27)
" whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." (Col 1:28)
"For which I also labour, striving according to the working of Him who works in me in power." (Col 1:29)
Well those are a few of my airport thoughts. Pastor Rob
Sadly enough, all of us know people who are walking that precarious road, not knowing how close they are to an Eternity, not on this earth.
How many of us even take the time to ponder the gift that we have been given? The wonderous bounty that we have in Christ! That was freely given to us, sometimes I wonder about that too! The fact that it has been freely given sometimes makes us so ungrateful. It can if we let it become a given rather than a blessing. But when we peruse it from the Father's point of view it was never free but cost everything. There was a high price that was paid that was purely for our benefit, the gracious gift of God is GRACE. Gods Riches At Christs Expense.
At the moment my prayers are like that of Paul in Ephesians "God that you would open my eyes to see the riches and the magnificence of what you have done for me, that I too could help others see this." To understand the depths of the life that is ours now, to behold the beauty and presence of God by faith now, to see with eyes of faith the realm that we actually live in rather than the media driven facade that we now see.
The privilege that I have been given has only recently been brought home to me. It is something that I took for granted for so long. Yes, I appreciated it, but not to the degree that I have most recently seen. The tiny crack that I now see through gives me a tiny idea of what Paul saw when he said:
"I became a minister, according to the administration of God given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God." (Col 1:25);
"the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints." (Col 1:26)
"For to them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory", (Col 1:27)
" whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." (Col 1:28)
"For which I also labour, striving according to the working of Him who works in me in power." (Col 1:29)
Well those are a few of my airport thoughts. Pastor Rob
Friday, February 23, 2007
The Christ
"Where can we find the Christ of history?" Certainly not in a lot of what we see in Christianity today. The Christ that we hear of so often these days is one of a strange Deity that meets my needs, rather than an all powerful God who has saved us, by his choice. In reading the scriptures we have to be honest with ourselves, "How often did we see the disciples imprisoned, persecuted, harangued and isolated. Yet no where do we see any cry for self." This has got to be a challenge at the very least to all of us. The challenge to me personally is to walk in the love of God and the hope of God in spite of my circumstances and the cards that I am dealt. It is not easy and I will falter along the way, but clearly if we are to walk as HE did we have to see a change in the western church. A change that aligns us with the first church rather than the culture in which we live and are driven by.
"I wonder of the power of the Church if we lived in the shadow of the Almighty rather than the radio control booth of God?"
We are living in a time when we want our own canon for everything from sexuality to birthright--why not our own canon of the Scriptures as well? Every generation will try to do the same, and attempt to bury the Scriptures, but we will keep finding its resurrection. For it has as its cornerstone one who knows the way out of the grave.
To all of you who are reading this I consider it an honour that you would even take the time to read this. You are special to me, but even more special to God, who does have your best interests at heart.
"I wonder of the power of the Church if we lived in the shadow of the Almighty rather than the radio control booth of God?"
We are living in a time when we want our own canon for everything from sexuality to birthright--why not our own canon of the Scriptures as well? Every generation will try to do the same, and attempt to bury the Scriptures, but we will keep finding its resurrection. For it has as its cornerstone one who knows the way out of the grave.
To all of you who are reading this I consider it an honour that you would even take the time to read this. You are special to me, but even more special to God, who does have your best interests at heart.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Focus
In "The Screwtape Letters" C. S. Lewis creates a scene that reveals a startling truth. The senior devil is training a junior devil to intercept a man who is on the verge of becoming a Christian. The young devil is to deter the man from God, who they call "the Enemy." The junior devil tries his best to distract his subject, but after a few weeks returns unsuccessful. The frustrated young devil cannot explain what went wrong, but notes that the man did two simple things each day. Every morning he would get up and go for a long walk, thoroughly enjoying the air, the scenery, and all in all, the walk itself. Then every evening, at then end of his day, the man would curl up with a good book, thoroughly delighting in that book, the reading, the time itself. To this, the senior devil notes sharply: "This is where you went horribly wrong! You should have put it into his mind that he had to get up in the morning and take that walk for the sake of exercise. It would have become drudgery to him. And you should have gotten him to read the book so that he could quote it to somebody else. It would have become equally uninspiring. You allowed him to enjoy such pure pleasure that the Enemy's voice became more audible within those experiences. That is where you went wrong."
In talking to a friend of mine today the thought of choices was brought up and how it governs our lives. It made me think on my own life. Decisions that we make every day determine our destiny. I have a picture on my office wall that declares. "its the choices we make not the chances we take that determine our destiny". The more you meditate on this the more it makes sense. How we see the people around us! the life we live! the hope in our heart! They are all determined by the choice of how we see each and everything in our lives.
I think it was Corrie Ten Boom and her sister that were in a prison of war camp that became infested with lice. Corrie's sister declared "Where can we be thankful for this? Seeing you so often tell us to be thankful for everything". The truth was that the enemy guards who used to harass them daily would not go near them so they gained much needed rest from their tormentors. Our choice is how we see the cards that we are dealt. To look for the hope in it or the hurt.
The concluding words of the apostle Paul to the Philippian Church speak of a similar thing.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things... And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:8-9). There is a promise in this scripture if we follow it. Can you see it?
We are the composition of our choices. We decide our destiny. To be told by God to forgive may seem to the hurting person impossible or too painful. But God asks us to make this choice for our future. To choose not to, often means a life of torment and at times depression. While following God and choosing to, leads to freedom and life. That's why Paul implores the Phillipians to think on the good things in life (and they are always there we must just choose to look for them). What ever we meditate on will become us, it will consume us.
I wonder like the start of this article how many of us count the blessings of life as a burden or a joy. Things like exercise, our work, our life in general. Or do we consider them a drudgery. At times I know I do and I dislike it when I realise what God has done for me. To look at my life from the positive, it becomes an exciting dream that I am privileged to live rather than mundane and boring.
In talking to a friend of mine today the thought of choices was brought up and how it governs our lives. It made me think on my own life. Decisions that we make every day determine our destiny. I have a picture on my office wall that declares. "its the choices we make not the chances we take that determine our destiny". The more you meditate on this the more it makes sense. How we see the people around us! the life we live! the hope in our heart! They are all determined by the choice of how we see each and everything in our lives.
I think it was Corrie Ten Boom and her sister that were in a prison of war camp that became infested with lice. Corrie's sister declared "Where can we be thankful for this? Seeing you so often tell us to be thankful for everything". The truth was that the enemy guards who used to harass them daily would not go near them so they gained much needed rest from their tormentors. Our choice is how we see the cards that we are dealt. To look for the hope in it or the hurt.
The concluding words of the apostle Paul to the Philippian Church speak of a similar thing.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things... And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:8-9). There is a promise in this scripture if we follow it. Can you see it?
We are the composition of our choices. We decide our destiny. To be told by God to forgive may seem to the hurting person impossible or too painful. But God asks us to make this choice for our future. To choose not to, often means a life of torment and at times depression. While following God and choosing to, leads to freedom and life. That's why Paul implores the Phillipians to think on the good things in life (and they are always there we must just choose to look for them). What ever we meditate on will become us, it will consume us.
I wonder like the start of this article how many of us count the blessings of life as a burden or a joy. Things like exercise, our work, our life in general. Or do we consider them a drudgery. At times I know I do and I dislike it when I realise what God has done for me. To look at my life from the positive, it becomes an exciting dream that I am privileged to live rather than mundane and boring.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Identity
From all places I get an email from England from a girl I used to go to school with. She informs me of a book that has been written by one of our ex-school mates, so I pursued it and here is an exert from it.
To summarise the opening chapters of his book; Peiper was raised in country Victoria and grew up in a dysfunctional family, with an alcoholic and at times violent father. At sixteen, Allan's parents separated, but when his mother decided to go back his wife-beating father, young Peiper had enough and left home for good. Within a year, after working a factory job and saving every dollar, the Australian junior champion would find himself in Belgium, chasing the dream of becoming a professional road cyclist.
"You know, I was just spurred on by the fact that I couldn't go back," Peiper recalls of his bold decision to travel halfway across the world to live in Belgium. "I lived in rat-infested houses with twenty other people, where there was no front door and I had one blanket and very little food, but there was a brotherhood there between us because we were all the same."
The book goes on to chart a course through Peiper's four years racing as a junior in Belgium before he turned pro at the age of 21. Central to the story is his relationship with the family of Belgian champion Eddy Planckaert, who took the young Australian in and helped shape his career. He learnt early on how to wheel and deal in order to survive, even stealing produce from the fields, but when I suggest that it all sounds like a romantic existence for a young Australian cyclist in Europe, there are some reservations. "Looking back you might say romantic but it was a life struggle in those days you know and I sold races to win races. I made deals with two or three riders in the same race that they'd pay me if they won, but I still sprinted for first prize; if I won I took the money for first prize and if they beat me I took the money they paid me and my second prize."
Just co-incidentally I went out with his sister for a season and I got a glimpse into their family life. In town their father was the Bank manager and the wife well attired and strong. But what we didn't see as teenagers and what Allan reveals in his book is the inward pain of a broken yet together family. A place where saving face is more important than facing ourselves. I recall that drive in me (we both have a little in common in our backgrounds). A need to be approved, and a need "To show people that you are significant". It creates inside us insecurities that will drive us to any lengths to prove ourselves.
In the end it drove both of us on a Spiritual quest as well, an insatiable need that could only be filled by the Father. For Allan, a journey of spirituality where he explored meditation, yoga, visited India twice, and sought solace in the dreaming country of Australia's Western Desert in the search for meaning. I am not sure if he is still in pursuit or not. Or whether this book is part of his healing, but the thing that I ponder now is how easy it is to slip back into those coping mechanisms when you drift in your relationship with our Lord. How quickly old thoughts take flight back into our minds and how we re-act rather than respond to people.
Many times we find the church can let us down, but it is the vessel that God has chosen for us to grow up in and learn to get over our own misgivings and forgive those of others. It is a place where we need to see things as Peiper did. We are all the same, just beggars in search of a little bread, saved by Grace. It is this attitude that will make a difference in the world in which we live.
Life is JUST TO short not to.
Well those are my thoughts
Pastor Rob.
To summarise the opening chapters of his book; Peiper was raised in country Victoria and grew up in a dysfunctional family, with an alcoholic and at times violent father. At sixteen, Allan's parents separated, but when his mother decided to go back his wife-beating father, young Peiper had enough and left home for good. Within a year, after working a factory job and saving every dollar, the Australian junior champion would find himself in Belgium, chasing the dream of becoming a professional road cyclist.
"You know, I was just spurred on by the fact that I couldn't go back," Peiper recalls of his bold decision to travel halfway across the world to live in Belgium. "I lived in rat-infested houses with twenty other people, where there was no front door and I had one blanket and very little food, but there was a brotherhood there between us because we were all the same."
The book goes on to chart a course through Peiper's four years racing as a junior in Belgium before he turned pro at the age of 21. Central to the story is his relationship with the family of Belgian champion Eddy Planckaert, who took the young Australian in and helped shape his career. He learnt early on how to wheel and deal in order to survive, even stealing produce from the fields, but when I suggest that it all sounds like a romantic existence for a young Australian cyclist in Europe, there are some reservations. "Looking back you might say romantic but it was a life struggle in those days you know and I sold races to win races. I made deals with two or three riders in the same race that they'd pay me if they won, but I still sprinted for first prize; if I won I took the money for first prize and if they beat me I took the money they paid me and my second prize."
Just co-incidentally I went out with his sister for a season and I got a glimpse into their family life. In town their father was the Bank manager and the wife well attired and strong. But what we didn't see as teenagers and what Allan reveals in his book is the inward pain of a broken yet together family. A place where saving face is more important than facing ourselves. I recall that drive in me (we both have a little in common in our backgrounds). A need to be approved, and a need "To show people that you are significant". It creates inside us insecurities that will drive us to any lengths to prove ourselves.
In the end it drove both of us on a Spiritual quest as well, an insatiable need that could only be filled by the Father. For Allan, a journey of spirituality where he explored meditation, yoga, visited India twice, and sought solace in the dreaming country of Australia's Western Desert in the search for meaning. I am not sure if he is still in pursuit or not. Or whether this book is part of his healing, but the thing that I ponder now is how easy it is to slip back into those coping mechanisms when you drift in your relationship with our Lord. How quickly old thoughts take flight back into our minds and how we re-act rather than respond to people.
Many times we find the church can let us down, but it is the vessel that God has chosen for us to grow up in and learn to get over our own misgivings and forgive those of others. It is a place where we need to see things as Peiper did. We are all the same, just beggars in search of a little bread, saved by Grace. It is this attitude that will make a difference in the world in which we live.
Life is JUST TO short not to.
Well those are my thoughts
Pastor Rob.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Wonderment
I have been pondering many things of late, not the least of all is the seemingly tangible presence of God. Don't get me wrong I know He is there all the time by faith, but I mean His strong over whelming reality that I have felt before. People still come in to New Life Church and say "Wow, his is different you can really feel God here", but I hunger for more. I know it is coming but I still pray "Come Lord Jesus Come quickly to fill us a fresh"
Then thanks to friends and fellow workers Jeff and Kate (and Mick) I came across this web site - www.irismin.org - Jeff and Kate have just returned from seeing these guys in Adelaide. I read an article that stirred my heart and set some things spinning in my heart. Here is a portion of it.
"Much of eastern Congo is in ruins. Roads and railways are washed away. Hospitals are destroyed. Electricity is rare. Government troops and rebels are both the cause of torture, beheadings, rapes, massacres and burned villages. There has been a peace deal and an election, but the dying continues, greatly aggravated by hunger and medical neglect. We were just back in Joseph's village where we bought property and built a church and school. Many of our church ladies have been raped by soldiers. Their husbands won't come back to them, and they are full of STDs. Children die every day in our school. Many eat only a handful every three days. There are no jobs. Soldiers are hungry, desperate, often unpaid and dangerous. The village children in rags have seen so much violence that they make AK-47 toys out of banana trees.
Yet in the last few days at our church in Kalonge we have seen the presence of God overwhelm the prevailing mood of despair. Never in all the world have I seen greater intensity of prayer and worship. They sob, they agonize, tears pouring down their faces. Their powerful voices soar with electrifying worship. They laugh in the Holy Spirit with joy unspeakable. Their joy to suffering ratio sets a world record in my experience. Their memories are healed. They look forward with huge anticipation to what lies ahead -- revival across Congo! We began with 28 churches under Joseph last year, and now we have 85. The word has gotten out: God does miracles and makes people happy! Key leaders are joining us from the government. Joseph has a fiery vision from God for touching all of Congo. And yet again we are starting at the bottom with the least of these, right here in Kalonge. They deserve our support, our hard-earned money, our time and our lives.
Oh and how this sets my heart ablaze, while we bemoan the music, the seats, the lighting, they in their incredible despair rejoice and God sends His Spirit. Nothing is more needed in this self obsessed western World than a visitation of God. Revive our hearts, oh Lord.
Then thanks to friends and fellow workers Jeff and Kate (and Mick) I came across this web site - www.irismin.org - Jeff and Kate have just returned from seeing these guys in Adelaide. I read an article that stirred my heart and set some things spinning in my heart. Here is a portion of it.
"Much of eastern Congo is in ruins. Roads and railways are washed away. Hospitals are destroyed. Electricity is rare. Government troops and rebels are both the cause of torture, beheadings, rapes, massacres and burned villages. There has been a peace deal and an election, but the dying continues, greatly aggravated by hunger and medical neglect. We were just back in Joseph's village where we bought property and built a church and school. Many of our church ladies have been raped by soldiers. Their husbands won't come back to them, and they are full of STDs. Children die every day in our school. Many eat only a handful every three days. There are no jobs. Soldiers are hungry, desperate, often unpaid and dangerous. The village children in rags have seen so much violence that they make AK-47 toys out of banana trees.
Yet in the last few days at our church in Kalonge we have seen the presence of God overwhelm the prevailing mood of despair. Never in all the world have I seen greater intensity of prayer and worship. They sob, they agonize, tears pouring down their faces. Their powerful voices soar with electrifying worship. They laugh in the Holy Spirit with joy unspeakable. Their joy to suffering ratio sets a world record in my experience. Their memories are healed. They look forward with huge anticipation to what lies ahead -- revival across Congo! We began with 28 churches under Joseph last year, and now we have 85. The word has gotten out: God does miracles and makes people happy! Key leaders are joining us from the government. Joseph has a fiery vision from God for touching all of Congo. And yet again we are starting at the bottom with the least of these, right here in Kalonge. They deserve our support, our hard-earned money, our time and our lives.
Oh and how this sets my heart ablaze, while we bemoan the music, the seats, the lighting, they in their incredible despair rejoice and God sends His Spirit. Nothing is more needed in this self obsessed western World than a visitation of God. Revive our hearts, oh Lord.
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