A NEW THING

A little while back, I received an advertising card from a business in another town. The heading captured my attention, “Something Brand New is Happening in . . . . . .” Immediately I thought of the Scriptures.

Isaiah 43:18-19
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (KJV)


I am reminded of Glen, or more commonly known as “Rags” a young man who did his apprenticeship in the same factory as me, and we were in the same section for some time. He mixed with the Bikie guys and led a pretty rough life. He then became a follower of Christ, what a transformation. One of his amazing comments was that he could always tell who the believers were by looking into their eyes. Having spent so much time with people who were living a hollow existence, he could tell those who had hope in their lives because he could see hope in their eyes.

Lord, continue to do a new thing in peoples’ lives.

TODAY

I have had a very interesting day where many good things, and important things have been happening.

Firstly, there was the morning tea with the Ministers, where there was a great freedom in sharing, and concluded with prayer. If you are not in the know, we meet in a public place so the community can see the Ministers operating in unity, and supporting each other. This is such a vital aspect of ministry, that I would not miss it.

Secondly, was a visit to the Jumble Shed and see the staff in their environment, all were resplendent in their new Uniform Aprons.

Thirdly, receiving the supplies for the Emergency Relief distribution pantry.

Fourthly, setup a room for the Divisional, Regional Emergency Relief Staff Meeting.

Fifthly, had some fish for lunch. Delicious!!!!

Sixthly, had an opportunity to present the Gospel, and lead in a prayer of confession.

Seventhly, try all day to finalize some pressing administration requirements.

Eighthly, organize tea, chicken & vegies. Yum!!

Then there is Band rehearsal later tonight.

Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (KJV)

VOICE

In recent years I have had the privilege of only doing 50% of the Preaching and Worship Leading. Although at one appointment I preached twice every second Sunday Morning. The last two Sundays I have had to do the bulk of the speaking. There are joys’ as I do love to share from God’s Word. However my voice has become husky, with the added use. To add to this, the last two mainly music sessions, were added into the mix also. A blessing is the bass notes are a little lower, and easier to produce. Some would say that a husky voice has its own special appeal.

Well there is still much to be done, and a lot of speaking to be done in the normal run of things. So the moments when I can be quiet are very precious, and soothing.


Psalm 95:7-8 (KJV)
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

I'm Set Apart For Jesus

I have many favourite songs that I love to sing. Some of them are from the pen of William James Pearson (1832 – 92), whose ministry and preaching, I think that I would have enjoyed sitting under. This last Sunday we sang one of his songs in worship. What a joy, and encouragement, for the believer!

I’m set apart for Jesus,
To be a king and priest;
His life in me increases,
Upon his love I feast.
From evil separated,
Made holy by his blood,
My all is consecrated
Unto the living God.

I’m set apart for Jesus,
His goodness I have seen,
He makes my heart his altar,
He keeps his temple clean.
Our union none can sever,
Together every hour,
His life is mine for ever
With resurrection power.

I’m set apart for Jesus,
With him to ever stay,
My spirit he releases,
He drives my foes away.
He gives full strength for trial
And shields when darts are hurled;
With him and self-denial
I overcome the world.
(W J Pearson)

1 Peter 2:9 (Message)
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—

PRAYER

Have you thought of personalizing Scripture when you use it in your time of Prayer? A section of a prayer that Paul prayed, and wrote to the Church at Ephesus, is a good example to personalize. Try praying this personalized prayer, twice each day, and see what blessings will follow.


Eph 3:14 For this reason I kneel before my Father,
Eph 3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Eph 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen me with power through his Spirit in my inner being,

Eph 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith.
(NIV ~ Personalized)

DAD'S ARMY

Having recently added an extra year to the time I have spent on earth as we measure time. I received a voucher to spend. This was not an easy thing as the choices were enormous. I firstly narrowed the choice to British Comedy. Then there was still the choice of which Comedy. My final choice was ‘Dad’s Army’ series 1, 4, 5, & 6.

A group of British volunteers from a variety of positions in the local city are enrolled into the Home Guard Volunteers in WWII.
The local Bank Manager and self-proclaimed Commander of this volunteer regiment of ‘Dad’s Army’ is Captain Mainwaring who had a history of previously serving over seas in 1919. When challenged about the validity of his service as the conflict concluded in 1918, Captain Mainwaring retorted, ‘well someone had to put the place back together!’




Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. (KJV)

DEATH

One of the key indicators of the vitality of the spiritual life is in the area of death. Through many years of ministry, I have found an abundance of people who regard themselves as believers, however the subject of death has been a taboo subject. Many of these people have little understanding of the certainty of who they are in Christ. Further to this, they have no witness within themselves that the eternal security offered by Jesus, is in fact an acknowledged reality.

Instead of reading the Scriptures, their thinking revolves around, fear, fads, fables, and superstitions. The result is generally, a blockage to the possibilities presented in the Gospel. Erroneous comments such as, ‘the ancestors are watching over me/you’ are often said to try and find comfort for each other in and around the subject of death.

With little confidence in whom, they are as a person in Christ, shows how little confidence they actually have in Christ himself. A further area with this enormous block in their lives is that the Holy Spirit is mistrusted, and resisted vehemently. The result is a stunted spirituality, without an avenue to growth, where the person suffocates in his or her own humanity.


Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (KJV)

GOVERNMENT

It is possible to go through life with good intentions, and do your work with the approval of all in your charge. This is surely the case for the politicians who are in charge of our Nation. In this election year we will have an opportunity to elect the most suitable people to form the Government for the next period of time. This is an amazing responsibility, for the general community to undertake.

Josiah was made King of Judah when he was eight years of age. This young boy had an amazing group of people around him, but had an amazing growth spurt in the spiritual dynamic of his kingship, when the ancient books of the covenant were found and read to him in the eighteenth year of his reign. He wept, and tore his clothes, when he understood the significants of the covenant for his people and nation. His understanding of the past faults of leadership, and the gravity of sin, became all to clear. He then called the people together in affirmation and recommitment to the Covenant with God.

Will we have a Government that will call our Nation to a righteous covenant with the God of glory?

Will we see the reversal of ambiguity in the area of Christian Government?



2 Kings 23:2-3 (Message)
Then the king proceeded to The Temple of God, bringing everyone in his train—priests and prophets and people ranging from the famous to the unknown. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of God. The king stood by the pillar and before God solemnly committed them all to the covenant: to follow God believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to put into practice the entire covenant, all that was written in the book. The people stood in affirmation; their commitment was unanimous.

WELL SAID!

Tony Wong, Jamaica. (Paraplegic since 1976)

"If you fail to see the person but only the disability, who is blind?
If your heart and mind do not reach out to your neighbour, who is handicapped?
If you cannot hear your brother's cry for injustice, who is deaf?"




John 13:3-6. (NIV)
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

THE BATTLE

We have been in this community since January. Evidence of the spiritual climate of this community is found in the events that happen on a day-to-day basis. To date a leader of a youth church has died suddenly at the age of 42. Another pastor will conclude his ministry at the end of the year, as he has been suffering from burnout.

The suffering of ministers from all denominations has a very long history. From burnout, to depression, to ill health, the list of opposition points that touch the lives of those who are called to proclaim the gospel is laid out for all to observe.

We are looking forward to this trend being reversed during our time in this community. This is not the first time that we have been involved in such battles. We come into this community with our eyes open. With the wonderful name of our Lord, being our sole authority, we are willing to go into battle.

The future spiritual climate of our community is at stake.

Acts 3:6
Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" (Message)

ATTITUDE

In the world in which we live there are attitudes in the lives of people that are frightening. One of those is wilful disobedience. As a teenager I saw the film ‘Clockwork Orange’ and felt sick, at the attitudes displayed in the lives of the young adults in the film. The violence openly, and wilfully perpetrated on other humans, was just too much to cope with.

In our community there are many beautiful young people, however, there are a few as young as 8 & 9 whose lives display attitudes that are overly aggressive, and have few if any boundaries.

Manasseh succeeded Hezekiah as the Judean King and displayed attitudes in his life that caused the God of Manasseh’s father Hezekiah to step back from Judah, and leave them to be plundered by anyone who wanted to. Disobedience is not a new thing, however the world is yet to understand the gravity of the results on humanity itself.

2 Kings 21:6 (NIV)He (Manasseh) sacrificed his own son in the fire, practised sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spirits. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

VULNERABILITY

During the past week I have been a little unwell. People ask about the difficulties that you have been facing, almost with the view that reciting them over and over is a celebration of humanness. At least it certainly is a confession to the hold that disease has over humanity.

For myself, the discomfort seems to have its origin in the realm of the spiritual dimension. Unfortunately, I was found to be a little vulnerable, as the schemes of our adversary advanced from a flank that was a surprise. We are called to be diligent always, as the prowling lion seeks to devour the children of God.

Through the night on Wednesday, I woke several times, during two of these there were two audible shifts in the spirit world and two doors were shut closing the vulnerability.

The future will present some interesting challenges, as opposition to the work of God shares its ugliness.


Ephes. 6:19
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, (KJV)

WATTLE

August!!! What an amazing month!

The Wattle trees are in full bloom. Thousands of tiny yellow puffy spheres of blossom transform the blue-green foliage of the Wattle tree into a golden splendour, bringing light, to the previously drab forests.
The annual phenomenon that transforms the forest has always been exciting for our family. As a child and teenager, I spent many hours with my father in the forest around home, where there were an abundance of Wattle trees bursting into bloom each year. Signifying that the season is about to change and spring is approaching.



Numbers 17:8
Moses walked into the Tent of Testimony the next day and saw that Aaron's staff, the staff of the tribe of Levi, had in fact sprouted—buds, blossoms, and even ripe almonds! (Message)

Bicycle

Our Jumble Shed must have some bicycles for sale. I observed an elderly gentleman trying one out in the car parking area. He must have been in his 70’s.

I was reminded of my Grandad, who rode his bicycle, all over Melbourne, delivering and fitting the articles he had for sale. He was a very fit man, although quite an eccentric person. I recall that he did not slow down, until he fell out of the peach tree while doing some pruning. He was 87 at the time, and then required a support to get on and of his bicycle.

Psalm 92:12-15 (Message)
"Good people will prosper like palm trees,
Grow tall like Lebanon cedars;
transplanted to God's courtyard,
They'll grow tall in the presence of God,
lithe and green, virile still in old age."
Such witnesses to upright God!
My Mountain, my huge, holy Mountain!

OUR PLACE

Quite a few years ago, we had a Pastor from another congregation working for us, because his congregation was unable to afford his salary. When the financial situation improved, he went back to full time ministry in his congregation. After a few months, he was back working for us. The financial situation of his congregation was continuing to improve, however, he felt that his ministry was suffering because he was only associating with the Church People. He needed, and required, meeting Mr. & Mrs. Average Citizen on their level, for his ministry to flourish in every other area.

We also appreciated the return of a valued employee.

This was truly, a Win, Win situation.


John 17:15-17
Just as I didn't join the world's ways.
I'm not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth. (Message)

Hezekiah Rules!

I love the richness of the Old Testament, and the wonderful lessons that it has to teach us today. 2 Kings 18 & 19, with the three Kings stories highlighted. Hoshea King of Israel, Hezekiah King of Judah, and Sennacherib King of Assyria, are the three Kings.

Young Hezekiah, cleaned his nation of idol worship, and was threatened with invasion by Assyria. Disobedient Israel was plundered by Assyria. Obedient Judah was under the protection of God.

There are clear parallels to the life of a believer. In response to God’s love, the believer works on the life of obedience and holiness, oppositions are then thrown up, and the believer turns to God in prayer.


ISRAEL
2 Kings 18:12
All this happened because they wouldn't listen to the voice of their God and treated his covenant with careless contempt. They refused either to listen or do a word of what Moses, the servant of God, commanded. (Message)


JUDAH
2 Kings 19:32-33
To sum up, this is what God says regarding the king of Assyria:
He won't enter this city, nor shoot so much as a single arrow there; Won't brandish a shield, won't even begin to set siege; He'll go home by the same road he came; he won't enter this city. God's word!
(Message)

HOME

It is so good just to spend a day at home. After the vacuuming, and washing of the floors is done. To relax and watch a good movie ‘Wedding Daze’. That was part of this Saturday.
As a homebody I enjoy these times away from the personal demands of public ministry, immensely.

I am reminded of those who have left home for work, or some other reason over the last few days, and have not returned home. Their loved ones are grieving, their loss. Life can take a tragic turn in just a moment of time.

There are also times when life can be improved, expressed in the joy of people returning home with joyful news, and excitement, as the right person has entered their life.

Who better to meet than, Jesus!


Mark 5:19.
Jesus said, "Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you." (Message)

GRADUATION

Last evening was Tish’s graduation ceremony. There were about 90 Graduates from the Information & Communications Technology department. It was encouraging to see the multicultural face of the community reflected in the graduates. The Graduates were as proud as their Parents and Friends. Many Businesses were represented, who had supported the students during their training, by providing work placements. The general theme of the night was ‘Excellence’ as expressed in the student’s lives.

Prior to the evening, we were able to call at the Senior Secondary School Campus where Tish is working, to observe her workplace. The beautifully refurbished old mansion, maintains the dignity, and grandeur of it's heritage, mixed with all the modern conveniences of today's requirements.

2 Tim. 2:15
Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. (Message)