I originally posted this blog on the 2 Love Territorial blog I write for most Tuesdays, but i thought that it was worth posting here too:
I am constantly amazed at how God chooses to use the less than obvious choices of people to change the world!!
I had the privilege of travelling to Bendigo on Sunday night to preach at their Divisional Youth Service Fuel. As i was preparing what it was that I felt God wanted me to say to these young people, I realised again the number of times God used teenagers to transform the world.
Look at David, he was probably only 12 or 13 when he killed and decapitated the giant Goliath.
Think of Jesus' parents; both only teenagers and trusted to raise the Messiah (makes you think about unwed teenage mums a bit different huh??)!!
Think of the disciples, still only 16 or so when Jesus called them to take up their cross and follow Him (was Jesus the first full-time youth minister?).
Remember back to the early days of The Salvation Army... Back to when a young Bramwell Booth was taken into the pubs and shown the drunken hopelessness of those there, then taken to the bridge under which many homeless people spent the night and was told by his father to do something.
Do you remember the story of the 2 teenagers who decided to take the entire country of New Zealand for Jesus, 1 starting at the southern end the other at the northern end and planning to meet in the middle with over 10,000 people!!!
It occurs to me that God has often used the young, passionate, Spirit filled people of a generation to change their world.
Is this because these young people have not yet become jaded and cynical, because young people are still capable of seeing possibilities and opportunities where the more 'mature' person sees only problems and obstacles.
I leave you with the words of Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2: 12 - 16:
"Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers and example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers."
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Potent Potential
I have been reading the book Uprising, a Revolution of the Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus recently, and I was challenged when I read the chapter on potential. McManus talks about how so often we focus on sin being the stuff we did that we shouldn't have, and continues on to say that sin should also include the stuff we should have done that we didn't do.
To this end McManus talks about how God has gifted each of us differently and how we all have a unique potential inside of us that is completely different to anyone else.
In demonstrating this McManus points to Jesus' telling of the Parable of the talents in Matthew 25:
"It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'
McManus then goes on to say in the book:
There's so much talk about potential in our culture, as if it's the end-all of success. Has anyone ever said about you, "He has so much potential"? If you're under twenty - let's give you twenty-five - consider it a compliment. Potential your untapped or unlocked capacity. Potential- the hint of greatness not yet developed. "He has so much potential" - a statement of praise and maybe even adoration. And then you're thirty and still have all this potential. Pressing forty, and you're still full of potential. If you're forty five and someone looks at you and says, "You have so much potential," pause, excuse yourself, step into a closet, and have a good cry.
What once was a statement of praise is now an assessment of lost opportunity. There is a point where you're not supposed to be full of potential; you're supposed to be full of talent, capacity, product. Potential is a glimpse of what could be, yet there must be a shift from where we have potential to where we are potent
You're not supposed to die with your potential. A life well lived squeezes all the potential places within and does something with it. When potential is harnessed, we become potent. Potential, when it becomes potent, always produces results. We are born with potential, but we are called to live productive lives. The fool squanders his potential. He is not faithful with what has been given him. (p187)
So I guess that my prayer for you today is that you will see your potential fulfilled and I leave you with the question: "What are you going to do with the potential that is with in you, and when will you become potent?"
To this end McManus talks about how God has gifted each of us differently and how we all have a unique potential inside of us that is completely different to anyone else.
In demonstrating this McManus points to Jesus' telling of the Parable of the talents in Matthew 25:
"It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'
McManus then goes on to say in the book:
There's so much talk about potential in our culture, as if it's the end-all of success. Has anyone ever said about you, "He has so much potential"? If you're under twenty - let's give you twenty-five - consider it a compliment. Potential your untapped or unlocked capacity. Potential- the hint of greatness not yet developed. "He has so much potential" - a statement of praise and maybe even adoration. And then you're thirty and still have all this potential. Pressing forty, and you're still full of potential. If you're forty five and someone looks at you and says, "You have so much potential," pause, excuse yourself, step into a closet, and have a good cry.
What once was a statement of praise is now an assessment of lost opportunity. There is a point where you're not supposed to be full of potential; you're supposed to be full of talent, capacity, product. Potential is a glimpse of what could be, yet there must be a shift from where we have potential to where we are potent
You're not supposed to die with your potential. A life well lived squeezes all the potential places within and does something with it. When potential is harnessed, we become potent. Potential, when it becomes potent, always produces results. We are born with potential, but we are called to live productive lives. The fool squanders his potential. He is not faithful with what has been given him. (p187)
So I guess that my prayer for you today is that you will see your potential fulfilled and I leave you with the question: "What are you going to do with the potential that is with in you, and when will you become potent?"
Monday, November 19, 2007
Connections
Thursday will mark the beginning of a very big weekend for The Salvation Army, not just in Melbourne, but right around the Australia Southern Territory!!
This year, in addition to the regular commissioning, ordination, appointment and sending out ceremonies, the Salvos are holding a big conference with lots of speakers covering a broard range of topics all related to The Salvation Army connecting with the communities around us.
This whole connections theme got me thinking...
Humans are social beings, admittedly some are more or less social than others, but we all depend on each other in some way or another.
We are all looking for ways to feel connected to others, some are positive ways, while others ways of seeking connection seem to do more damage or harm than they do good.
In the same way, I wonder whether some of our searching for connections with others is really a means of searching for a connection with God?
In Genesis 1: 18 we see that God acknowledges that it is not good for Adam to be alone, so He creates Eve to be Adam's companion. This is the first community, the first connection.
Later in Genesis chapter three we see the first in a long series of disconnections when Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
We see Adam and Eve and consequently all of humanity become disconnected from God from each other and from the earth they live on.
From this point on humanity has been seeking to reconnect. We have been seeking to reconnect of a spiritual level, we have been seeking to reconnect on a relational level and we have been seeking to reconnect on an environmental level.
Now admittedly not all people are seeking reconnection on all of these levels at the same time, but, if we are honest, we are all seeking connection in one way or another.
The good news is that God has made reconnection possible!!!
God became human, in the form of Jesus. God walked the earth as a human, grew up, went through all of the things that regular humans of His day went through, taught us the best way to live in connection with others, and then died inone of the most torturous barabic ways imaginable so that we might be able to connect with God in a personal way, without the need to present him animal sacrifices or go through a third party to speak and hear Him.
In what ways in your life are you seeking connection?
How connected are you?
How connected are you ready to be with God?
Something to think about.
I also just want to take the time to say good luck to the cadets and lieutennants who are being commissioned this weekend and let you know that you are being prayed for.
God Bless You All
This year, in addition to the regular commissioning, ordination, appointment and sending out ceremonies, the Salvos are holding a big conference with lots of speakers covering a broard range of topics all related to The Salvation Army connecting with the communities around us.
This whole connections theme got me thinking...
Humans are social beings, admittedly some are more or less social than others, but we all depend on each other in some way or another.
We are all looking for ways to feel connected to others, some are positive ways, while others ways of seeking connection seem to do more damage or harm than they do good.
In the same way, I wonder whether some of our searching for connections with others is really a means of searching for a connection with God?
In Genesis 1: 18 we see that God acknowledges that it is not good for Adam to be alone, so He creates Eve to be Adam's companion. This is the first community, the first connection.
Later in Genesis chapter three we see the first in a long series of disconnections when Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
We see Adam and Eve and consequently all of humanity become disconnected from God from each other and from the earth they live on.
From this point on humanity has been seeking to reconnect. We have been seeking to reconnect of a spiritual level, we have been seeking to reconnect on a relational level and we have been seeking to reconnect on an environmental level.
Now admittedly not all people are seeking reconnection on all of these levels at the same time, but, if we are honest, we are all seeking connection in one way or another.
The good news is that God has made reconnection possible!!!
God became human, in the form of Jesus. God walked the earth as a human, grew up, went through all of the things that regular humans of His day went through, taught us the best way to live in connection with others, and then died inone of the most torturous barabic ways imaginable so that we might be able to connect with God in a personal way, without the need to present him animal sacrifices or go through a third party to speak and hear Him.
In what ways in your life are you seeking connection?
How connected are you?
How connected are you ready to be with God?
Something to think about.
I also just want to take the time to say good luck to the cadets and lieutennants who are being commissioned this weekend and let you know that you are being prayed for.
God Bless You All
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Desires Of Your Heart
What do you want?
Is there something that you really, really want??
What does your heart desire for??
I am reading the Psalms as part of my devotions at the moment (I think it might take me a while to get through them, God is teaching and speaking to me a lot through them) and as I read Psalm 21 I came across a concept that I have often heard Christians speak about, but wasn't sure exactly where it came from.
Verse 2 of Psalm 21 says: "You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips."
This reminded me of a conversation I had last week while catching up with the team that went to the National Youth Ministry Conference with.
We were talking about whether God really does give us the 'desires of our heart'.
So I wonder, does God actually give everyone the desires of their heart? And if God did give everyone the desires of their heart, what would the world be like?
(I'm thinking maybe something like in Bruce Almighty when Jim Carey's character say yes to every prayer he gets)
But as I looked at the Psalm and the verse again I realised something.
Look at verse 1: "In your strength the king rejoices. O LORD, and in your help how greatly he exults!"
Before God grants any of the desires of this mans heart, first this man has accepted the strength of God and His help.
And then as I look in the fine print above the psalm I notice that this is recorded as being a Psalm of David.
You know the dude, King David, of David and Goliath fame, the man the bible calls "A Man After God's Own Heart".
So if God is granting the desires of David's heart, I wonder if they are really the desires of God's own heart??
Could this explain why not everyone get their hearts desire given to them??
Do you still trust in God even when you don't get exactly what it is that you want??
Check out verse 7 of Psalm 21: "For the king trusts the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High shall not be moved."
What occurs to me here is that even if David didn't get the 'desires of his heart' he would trust in God because David understood that god loved Him and that this love would not change.
There is still much that I am unsure of as far as the 'desires of your heart' thing goes, but this I am sure of: God loves me, and He died for me so that I can have a close relationship with Him, and that's enough.
What is it that your heart really desires for?
What is it that God desires for you to desire for?
Are they the same?
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this subject, leave a comment, tell me what you think.
Is there something that you really, really want??
What does your heart desire for??
I am reading the Psalms as part of my devotions at the moment (I think it might take me a while to get through them, God is teaching and speaking to me a lot through them) and as I read Psalm 21 I came across a concept that I have often heard Christians speak about, but wasn't sure exactly where it came from.
Verse 2 of Psalm 21 says: "You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips."
This reminded me of a conversation I had last week while catching up with the team that went to the National Youth Ministry Conference with.
We were talking about whether God really does give us the 'desires of our heart'.
So I wonder, does God actually give everyone the desires of their heart? And if God did give everyone the desires of their heart, what would the world be like?
(I'm thinking maybe something like in Bruce Almighty when Jim Carey's character say yes to every prayer he gets)
But as I looked at the Psalm and the verse again I realised something.
Look at verse 1: "In your strength the king rejoices. O LORD, and in your help how greatly he exults!"
Before God grants any of the desires of this mans heart, first this man has accepted the strength of God and His help.
And then as I look in the fine print above the psalm I notice that this is recorded as being a Psalm of David.
You know the dude, King David, of David and Goliath fame, the man the bible calls "A Man After God's Own Heart".
So if God is granting the desires of David's heart, I wonder if they are really the desires of God's own heart??
Could this explain why not everyone get their hearts desire given to them??
Do you still trust in God even when you don't get exactly what it is that you want??
Check out verse 7 of Psalm 21: "For the king trusts the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High shall not be moved."
What occurs to me here is that even if David didn't get the 'desires of his heart' he would trust in God because David understood that god loved Him and that this love would not change.
There is still much that I am unsure of as far as the 'desires of your heart' thing goes, but this I am sure of: God loves me, and He died for me so that I can have a close relationship with Him, and that's enough.
What is it that your heart really desires for?
What is it that God desires for you to desire for?
Are they the same?
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this subject, leave a comment, tell me what you think.
Monday, November 5, 2007
A Great Ordinary Life
Have I confused anyone yet??
Last week I posted 2 blogs. The first was on how I am ordinary and not really great at anything in particular, and how most of us will go on to live lives devoid of any sort of celebrityness (its a new word I just made up). The second blog was about how we are called to live a dangerous life that is great in God's eyes.
It seems that I have contradicted my self (perhaps I should be in politics??)
Or have I??
What if we are called to live extraordinarily in the midst of our ordinary lives??
What if we are meant to live dangerously in the midst of our safety??
The reality is that most of us will probably never have to choose between loving Jesus and living, most of us will probably never be sent to jail for indeterminate periods of time for loving Jesus, most of us will probably never have to choose to give up everything that we know and love in order to follow Jesus.
But...
Does that mean that we have to live a life of safety??
I think not!!!
I have been challenged to live a dangerous life in the midst of my ordinaryness (another word i just made up). I can be dangerous to the Devil and his demons by committing to pray, read the Bible and telling others about Jesus.
This is dangerous for me too, as I have to put my pride, dignity and image on the line. Am I prepared to have my ego banged up a bit, am I prepared to feel undignified, am I prepared to be seen by others as weird, or uncool or a Jesus Freak??
Are you???
I may not be spectacular at anything in particular, but maybe one day I will be, or maybe I wont...
But I can think of a number of people, who you probably have never heard of, that have had spectacular influences in my life.
I think of my parents, to whom much of the credit for who I am today is due.
I think of Kathy, my Sunday School teacher who helped build in the foundations of my faith.
I think of Zorina, one of my best mates mum, who was also my Junior Soldier Sergeant and encouraged me to grow in my faith.
I think of Craig, now an officer of The Salvation Army, who lead my youth group and bible study group, who took time to teach me biblical principles, the exact details of which I cant remember, but they are a part of me now, and also took the time to make bible study fun with games like indoor markings up and cricket using a 1.25L drink bottle as a bat, a soft Macca's footy as a ball and a chair as the wickets. Those times of fellowship with my mates were great!!
None of these people were extraordinary by any of the worlds standards, but they were extraordinary in my life.
They did dangerous things in the Spiritual dimension, and possibly dangerous things in a social dimension, that have shaped my life today.
I am sure that most of us would love to be great at just one thing, but the reality is that most of us are going to be ordinary. BUT. We're in great company. Let us not forget the ordinary people who have had extraordinary influences on our lives. Praise God for them!!
This week I challenge you to do something dangerous...
Talk to someone about Jesus, perform a random act of kindness (even if it might make you uncool), take up a social justice cause - even if it does cost you something!!
Be extraordinary in your ordinaryness!!
And just quietly, even in the Western World people suffer for their faith...
Spare a thought and a prayer for the kids in the school yards across Australia who are bullied and bashed up because they're a Christian, that was me not so long ago. To those who are there today, I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I understand and am praying for you!! Don't give up, it's worth hanging in there!!! God bless you!!!
Last week I posted 2 blogs. The first was on how I am ordinary and not really great at anything in particular, and how most of us will go on to live lives devoid of any sort of celebrityness (its a new word I just made up). The second blog was about how we are called to live a dangerous life that is great in God's eyes.
It seems that I have contradicted my self (perhaps I should be in politics??)
Or have I??
What if we are called to live extraordinarily in the midst of our ordinary lives??
What if we are meant to live dangerously in the midst of our safety??
The reality is that most of us will probably never have to choose between loving Jesus and living, most of us will probably never be sent to jail for indeterminate periods of time for loving Jesus, most of us will probably never have to choose to give up everything that we know and love in order to follow Jesus.
But...
Does that mean that we have to live a life of safety??
I think not!!!
I have been challenged to live a dangerous life in the midst of my ordinaryness (another word i just made up). I can be dangerous to the Devil and his demons by committing to pray, read the Bible and telling others about Jesus.
This is dangerous for me too, as I have to put my pride, dignity and image on the line. Am I prepared to have my ego banged up a bit, am I prepared to feel undignified, am I prepared to be seen by others as weird, or uncool or a Jesus Freak??
Are you???
I may not be spectacular at anything in particular, but maybe one day I will be, or maybe I wont...
But I can think of a number of people, who you probably have never heard of, that have had spectacular influences in my life.
I think of my parents, to whom much of the credit for who I am today is due.
I think of Kathy, my Sunday School teacher who helped build in the foundations of my faith.
I think of Zorina, one of my best mates mum, who was also my Junior Soldier Sergeant and encouraged me to grow in my faith.
I think of Craig, now an officer of The Salvation Army, who lead my youth group and bible study group, who took time to teach me biblical principles, the exact details of which I cant remember, but they are a part of me now, and also took the time to make bible study fun with games like indoor markings up and cricket using a 1.25L drink bottle as a bat, a soft Macca's footy as a ball and a chair as the wickets. Those times of fellowship with my mates were great!!
None of these people were extraordinary by any of the worlds standards, but they were extraordinary in my life.
They did dangerous things in the Spiritual dimension, and possibly dangerous things in a social dimension, that have shaped my life today.
I am sure that most of us would love to be great at just one thing, but the reality is that most of us are going to be ordinary. BUT. We're in great company. Let us not forget the ordinary people who have had extraordinary influences on our lives. Praise God for them!!
This week I challenge you to do something dangerous...
Talk to someone about Jesus, perform a random act of kindness (even if it might make you uncool), take up a social justice cause - even if it does cost you something!!
Be extraordinary in your ordinaryness!!
And just quietly, even in the Western World people suffer for their faith...
Spare a thought and a prayer for the kids in the school yards across Australia who are bullied and bashed up because they're a Christian, that was me not so long ago. To those who are there today, I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I understand and am praying for you!! Don't give up, it's worth hanging in there!!! God bless you!!!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Safety Is Boring
Being safe is boring.
I'm sure that I have probably mentioned it before, but I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie. I like extreme sports. The best surf that I have ever had was out in waves that were nearly twice as tall as I am. The most fun I have ever had on a mountain bike was a) burning through a set of blind 'S' bends on a narrow dirt track (as it turned out only moments before crashing and destroying my bike, owch) and b) clocking a personal best of 70km/h down a hill (but being frustrated because I couldn't get the bike into a low enough gear to go faster).
I like to go fast, I like driving fast on bendy roads (I obey the speed limit though, and only ever put myself at risk - but that is another blog), I love my new motorbike, it's great fun to ride!!
I'm not a big fan of routine, I like doing different and new stuff, but understand that routine is helpful at times.
I like it best when my faith in God challenges and pushes me to do new and different stuff.
This week I have been reading a book by Erwin Raphael McManus titled the Barbarian Way. This book is about rejecting a civilised, religious Christianity and embracing a Christianity which is untamed, uncivilised, barbaric faith.
One thing that Mcmanus said that stood out so much I wrote it down was this: "God asks: 'Are you willing to lose everything on my behalf to gain everything I desire for you? Rather than living a long life are you willing to live a life worth living?"'
Or in other words; Are you here for a Long Time or a Great Time?????
Sometimes I wonder whether we have made our lives to safe?
Look around, we now have fridges that purify the air around us, new houses come with regulators on the hot water so that we cant scald ourselves in the shower, we even try to make our faith in Jesus Christ safe, by re-interpreting what He said so as not to cause offence!!
Safety is good, it keeps us alive. Cars with air bags, seat belts etc are good. Driving in a safe manner is good too. Taking adequate precautions before getting on a bike is logical. But sometimes, it is nice to let loose, let go and have some fun.
I have never felt more alive than when I have had adrenaline coursing through my veins while out in a big swell or belting through the bush on a mountain bike. AND, I have never felt more spiritually connected to God than when my faith is raw and untamed and I am doing exactly what He wants me to do!!!!
God never promises to keep us safe!! If He did that, why are people killed for their faith?? God never promises safety but He does promise that He will always be with us, even when we are in danger.
Check the bible if you don't believe me.
Look at all of the prophets and the crazy stuff they did; married a prostitute, cooked their food over flaming cow poo, built a boat in the desert during a drought, marched around a city in silence for 6 days then on the 7th marched around it making a whole lot of noise, lived in the wilderness, wore clothes made out of sheep skins goat skins, Camel skins, ate locusts and wild honey, the list goes on!!! These mighty men of God were probably seen as crazy in their day, now we see them as hero's!!
Check out John 21:
I'm sure that I have probably mentioned it before, but I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie. I like extreme sports. The best surf that I have ever had was out in waves that were nearly twice as tall as I am. The most fun I have ever had on a mountain bike was a) burning through a set of blind 'S' bends on a narrow dirt track (as it turned out only moments before crashing and destroying my bike, owch) and b) clocking a personal best of 70km/h down a hill (but being frustrated because I couldn't get the bike into a low enough gear to go faster).
I like to go fast, I like driving fast on bendy roads (I obey the speed limit though, and only ever put myself at risk - but that is another blog), I love my new motorbike, it's great fun to ride!!
I'm not a big fan of routine, I like doing different and new stuff, but understand that routine is helpful at times.
I like it best when my faith in God challenges and pushes me to do new and different stuff.
This week I have been reading a book by Erwin Raphael McManus titled the Barbarian Way. This book is about rejecting a civilised, religious Christianity and embracing a Christianity which is untamed, uncivilised, barbaric faith.
One thing that Mcmanus said that stood out so much I wrote it down was this: "God asks: 'Are you willing to lose everything on my behalf to gain everything I desire for you? Rather than living a long life are you willing to live a life worth living?"'
Or in other words; Are you here for a Long Time or a Great Time?????
Sometimes I wonder whether we have made our lives to safe?
Look around, we now have fridges that purify the air around us, new houses come with regulators on the hot water so that we cant scald ourselves in the shower, we even try to make our faith in Jesus Christ safe, by re-interpreting what He said so as not to cause offence!!
Safety is good, it keeps us alive. Cars with air bags, seat belts etc are good. Driving in a safe manner is good too. Taking adequate precautions before getting on a bike is logical. But sometimes, it is nice to let loose, let go and have some fun.
I have never felt more alive than when I have had adrenaline coursing through my veins while out in a big swell or belting through the bush on a mountain bike. AND, I have never felt more spiritually connected to God than when my faith is raw and untamed and I am doing exactly what He wants me to do!!!!
God never promises to keep us safe!! If He did that, why are people killed for their faith?? God never promises safety but He does promise that He will always be with us, even when we are in danger.
Check the bible if you don't believe me.
Look at all of the prophets and the crazy stuff they did; married a prostitute, cooked their food over flaming cow poo, built a boat in the desert during a drought, marched around a city in silence for 6 days then on the 7th marched around it making a whole lot of noise, lived in the wilderness, wore clothes made out of sheep skins goat skins, Camel skins, ate locusts and wild honey, the list goes on!!! These mighty men of God were probably seen as crazy in their day, now we see them as hero's!!
Check out John 21:
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
And look at 2 Corinthians 11:
23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
Christianity is not about being safe, it is about being obedient to God and following His leading in your life.
Dare to do the different, dare to do the scary, dare to do the crazy, just dare!!
God doesn't promise you safety when you choose to follow Him, in fact McManus suggests that danger may be a sign that you are being obedient to God rather than being disobedient to God!!!
So next time you pray, instead of talking to God, try listening...
It might lead you down a dangerous path.
Are you here for a Long Time or are you here for a Great Time???
Monday, October 29, 2007
"I'LL BE HAPPY WHEN..."
"I'll be happy when..."
Have you ever caught yourself thinking this?
You know the thoughts, "I'll be happy when I've got $100,000.00 in the bank," or "I'll be happy when I'm older," or "I'll be happy when I've lost another 8 kilograms," the list goes on how often do we make our happiness contingent on when or if something happens??
Why cant we just be happy now??
What got me thinking about this was the roadworks on my way to work one morning. I had to slow down while driving through a road works zone and I thought to myself, "I'll be happy when they get these roadworks finished so I don't have to slow down through here." And then with that thought barely out, I began to think; "...and I'll be happy when they finish doing the roadworks on the freeway down to Melbourne and on the road down to Geelong."
It was as the list of "I'll be happy when...s" started to pile up that I realised that I was was making my happiness dependant on circumstances, like the construction of a road!!!
At this point God challenged me on why I could only be happy when all of this stuff was done, and why couldn't I be happy here and now??
As I began to process this thought I tried to bock all of the "I'll be happy when..." thoughts out of my mind. I realised then, and maybe it's just me, but when I had my attention drawn to it, that the "I'll be happy when..." thoughts were a fairly common theme in so much stuff around me.
It seems where we live in a society where we are being constantly told that we need this product or that thing to be truly happy. But, then when we get whatever it is that we are told we must have to be happy, we are then told that we now need something else to go with it to be truly happy. This process never seems to end, every time we seem to get near the goal posts, they get moved again.
So how can I be happy before...???
As I struggled with this question i realised that there is much to be happy about. For a start, I'm alive and well, which is more than some people can say. Secondly, I have friends and family who live, care and appreciate me.
But as I thought about this I thought of those who weren't alive and well.
The ones who weren't alive, depending on where they go after death, either have everything or nothing at all to complain about; and those who aren't well may not be able to find joy in their state of health all that easy. And I thought of those people out there who feel alone and isolated without friends and family around them.
So, is there a way to be happy without depending on someone or something??
As I thought this through, I realised that no, there was no way for joy or happiness to be achieve without dependence on someone or something. There is temporary joy when we depend on things for happiness, there is temporary joy when we depend on other people for our happiness, BUT, when we depend on God we can experience a joy that surpasses all understanding.
We can experience joy in our relationship with God even when we are unhappy because we know Him. What else do we need other than to know that God loves us and cares both about and for us? i can feel my levels of joy rising within me even as i write this blog as I remember this once again!!!
God says to us: "Don't worry, be happy, I love you."
So I guess my challenge to you this week is to try and avoid those "I'll be happy when..." thoughts and try to seek joy in the everyday, knowing that God loves you.
And if you haven't experienced that love maybe you should try talking with Him...
Have you ever caught yourself thinking this?
You know the thoughts, "I'll be happy when I've got $100,000.00 in the bank," or "I'll be happy when I'm older," or "I'll be happy when I've lost another 8 kilograms," the list goes on how often do we make our happiness contingent on when or if something happens??
Why cant we just be happy now??
What got me thinking about this was the roadworks on my way to work one morning. I had to slow down while driving through a road works zone and I thought to myself, "I'll be happy when they get these roadworks finished so I don't have to slow down through here." And then with that thought barely out, I began to think; "...and I'll be happy when they finish doing the roadworks on the freeway down to Melbourne and on the road down to Geelong."
It was as the list of "I'll be happy when...s" started to pile up that I realised that I was was making my happiness dependant on circumstances, like the construction of a road!!!
At this point God challenged me on why I could only be happy when all of this stuff was done, and why couldn't I be happy here and now??
As I began to process this thought I tried to bock all of the "I'll be happy when..." thoughts out of my mind. I realised then, and maybe it's just me, but when I had my attention drawn to it, that the "I'll be happy when..." thoughts were a fairly common theme in so much stuff around me.
It seems where we live in a society where we are being constantly told that we need this product or that thing to be truly happy. But, then when we get whatever it is that we are told we must have to be happy, we are then told that we now need something else to go with it to be truly happy. This process never seems to end, every time we seem to get near the goal posts, they get moved again.
So how can I be happy before...???
As I struggled with this question i realised that there is much to be happy about. For a start, I'm alive and well, which is more than some people can say. Secondly, I have friends and family who live, care and appreciate me.
But as I thought about this I thought of those who weren't alive and well.
The ones who weren't alive, depending on where they go after death, either have everything or nothing at all to complain about; and those who aren't well may not be able to find joy in their state of health all that easy. And I thought of those people out there who feel alone and isolated without friends and family around them.
So, is there a way to be happy without depending on someone or something??
As I thought this through, I realised that no, there was no way for joy or happiness to be achieve without dependence on someone or something. There is temporary joy when we depend on things for happiness, there is temporary joy when we depend on other people for our happiness, BUT, when we depend on God we can experience a joy that surpasses all understanding.
We can experience joy in our relationship with God even when we are unhappy because we know Him. What else do we need other than to know that God loves us and cares both about and for us? i can feel my levels of joy rising within me even as i write this blog as I remember this once again!!!
God says to us: "Don't worry, be happy, I love you."
So I guess my challenge to you this week is to try and avoid those "I'll be happy when..." thoughts and try to seek joy in the everyday, knowing that God loves you.
And if you haven't experienced that love maybe you should try talking with Him...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I'm Mediocre, And Thats O.K.
There is a line in a Monty Python movie that goes; "You're all individuals." To which the massed crowd chants back; "Yes, we're all individuals." And I remember another story that I heard at the National Youth Ministry Conference where a person was telling someone how special they were and how everyone is special, and it was pointed out that if we are all special, then we are all the same.
I have been thinking about this concept of us all being special and how it relates to my faith and relationship with Jesus lately. I'm not sure that I have really come up with any real conclusive or concrete conclusions, but I do find it an interesting thing to think about.
The reality is that I'm mediocre, I'm just average. I'm not really great at any particular sport, I can do ok in many sports, but I'm not exactly the most valuable player in any team really. I'm not incredibly smart, the last time I took an IQ test it was above 100 (which is the average score of the entire worlds population), but it wasnt a long way above it. I'm normal (although some may disagree) and I'm ok with that.
When I think about it, is normal really all that bad? I'm in good company, there are a lot of people who are normal or average, and a lot of 'normal' people have had an impact on my life, and on yours too, I reckon. But what does being 'normal' and 'average' mean in relationship to our faith?
Let's take a look at how life is shown on T.V first though:
I was at a conference earlier this year where the concept of 'Hyper-reality', especailly in relation to Generation Y was raised by Mark Sayers. This Hyper-reality is evident no more clearly than on TV.
My generation (gen Y) have been constantly bombarded with this concept where things have to be realer than real, where everything has to be exciting or interesting or unique or special or whatever, and so as a result, if we are normal or average we feel less important. Have a look at TV or movies, how often are things like going to the toilet or just sitting down infront of the TV or doing the dishes mentioned. Take the show 24 for example. Now, I'm no 24 expert, in fact i rarely watch it, but when was the last time Jack Bauer went to the loo or had something to eat? That bloke seems to go 24 hours without eating, drinking or going to the toilet!!!!
And, NOT that I watch Home and Away AT ALL or Neighbours more than very INfrequently, but, seriously, would you want to live in those towns?? There always seems to be some stalker/natural disaster/evil scheme going on. Where are the days of the smae routine things followed by more days of routine things??
We are constantly bombarded by messages that seem to say, "normal is boring, look for excitement whereever you can."
So where does this leave me and my faith??
I know Jesus died for my sins, but he died for yours as well. I know that I have been called by God to be an officer in The Salvation Army, but so are many others (if you're called and havent answered what are you waiting for?? Come on, we need more officers), God has a plan for my, my community, and the world, but He also has a plan for you and your community; they may not be the same, but He does have a plan for our lives. So the details may differ, but in the bigger picture you and I are not all that different.
What if you're not called to be an officer or anything like that? Does that mean anything? Maybe you're called to be a local officer, or maybe your called to simply be a member of the church who lives in a community and quietly goes about telling your friends about Jesus and reforming society from the unseen background, thats still important (remember we're all part of a body, we need all of the parts to be effective)!!!
The reality is that I am mediocre, average, normal, plain, whatever...
BUT God can use me!!! When I am mediocre, average, normal, etc, I leave room for God to be great.
I know I have probably rambled a bit in this post, but it's something that I have been thinking about for a while. Let me know what you think.
I leave you with the words of the apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 4:6-8 (New International Version)
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
I have been thinking about this concept of us all being special and how it relates to my faith and relationship with Jesus lately. I'm not sure that I have really come up with any real conclusive or concrete conclusions, but I do find it an interesting thing to think about.
The reality is that I'm mediocre, I'm just average. I'm not really great at any particular sport, I can do ok in many sports, but I'm not exactly the most valuable player in any team really. I'm not incredibly smart, the last time I took an IQ test it was above 100 (which is the average score of the entire worlds population), but it wasnt a long way above it. I'm normal (although some may disagree) and I'm ok with that.
When I think about it, is normal really all that bad? I'm in good company, there are a lot of people who are normal or average, and a lot of 'normal' people have had an impact on my life, and on yours too, I reckon. But what does being 'normal' and 'average' mean in relationship to our faith?
Let's take a look at how life is shown on T.V first though:
I was at a conference earlier this year where the concept of 'Hyper-reality', especailly in relation to Generation Y was raised by Mark Sayers. This Hyper-reality is evident no more clearly than on TV.
My generation (gen Y) have been constantly bombarded with this concept where things have to be realer than real, where everything has to be exciting or interesting or unique or special or whatever, and so as a result, if we are normal or average we feel less important. Have a look at TV or movies, how often are things like going to the toilet or just sitting down infront of the TV or doing the dishes mentioned. Take the show 24 for example. Now, I'm no 24 expert, in fact i rarely watch it, but when was the last time Jack Bauer went to the loo or had something to eat? That bloke seems to go 24 hours without eating, drinking or going to the toilet!!!!
And, NOT that I watch Home and Away AT ALL or Neighbours more than very INfrequently, but, seriously, would you want to live in those towns?? There always seems to be some stalker/natural disaster/evil scheme going on. Where are the days of the smae routine things followed by more days of routine things??
We are constantly bombarded by messages that seem to say, "normal is boring, look for excitement whereever you can."
So where does this leave me and my faith??
I know Jesus died for my sins, but he died for yours as well. I know that I have been called by God to be an officer in The Salvation Army, but so are many others (if you're called and havent answered what are you waiting for?? Come on, we need more officers), God has a plan for my, my community, and the world, but He also has a plan for you and your community; they may not be the same, but He does have a plan for our lives. So the details may differ, but in the bigger picture you and I are not all that different.
What if you're not called to be an officer or anything like that? Does that mean anything? Maybe you're called to be a local officer, or maybe your called to simply be a member of the church who lives in a community and quietly goes about telling your friends about Jesus and reforming society from the unseen background, thats still important (remember we're all part of a body, we need all of the parts to be effective)!!!
The reality is that I am mediocre, average, normal, plain, whatever...
BUT God can use me!!! When I am mediocre, average, normal, etc, I leave room for God to be great.
I know I have probably rambled a bit in this post, but it's something that I have been thinking about for a while. Let me know what you think.
I leave you with the words of the apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 4:6-8 (New International Version)
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Vulnerable
I was thinking about this on the way home from Torquay's 1st birthday bash last night:
I dont like feeling vulnerable, it makes me feel weak, which I kinda know is silly, but i guess it is a learned behaviour (they call it a life commandment in counselling terms). The funny thing is though, that i respect vulnerability in others and see it as a good thing, not weakness.
For those of you who may not know, I was not always the size and shape that i am today. For a long time, while I was in school, I was a short, scrawny kid who wore glasses, was a Christian, and didn't just follow the crowd.
As a result of this I got picked on quite a lot while in school. As a method of protection and defence I learnt not to show anything that resembled weakness and vulnerability, because it only seemed to provide more ammunition to the bullies.
Skip forward some 9 years or so to now, and I am much bigger and stronger (both mentally and physically) and far, far more confident in who I am. But, sometimes I still struggle with allowing others to see me vulnerable, I guess that I like to be seen as strong and in control, after being seen as weak in the past.
But last night as I drove home from Torquay, an Hour and a halfs drive with nothing else to really do, I was spending some time chatting with God about some stuff and God kind of challenged me about this.
The book that I am reading at the moment about Youth Leadership talks about letting others see that you are vulnerable too.
As i thought about this, I realised that the way I act and show my emotions also has an influence on what people see and think a Christian should be. I realised that if I show no vulnerability, I am in effect saying that Christians are not allowed to be vulnerable, or sad, or worried, or things like that.
As I processed this God reminded me of Jesus and His life, a life that while at most times showed a man of strength and courage and grace beyond anything ever seen, Jesus was at times vulnerable also. I think of the the example of where Jesus found out that Lazarus was dead and as the shortest verse in the bible records; "Jesus wept." And I think of Garden of Gethsamane, where Jesus cried and begged God to let Him out of what had to be done, and then, understanding the necessity of what was to come, displayed even more vulnerablility in allowing God to be incontrol. And finally, I see Jesus in the most vulnerable position I can think of when He is nailed to the cross for our sins.
As I rediscovered last night, vulnerability is vital to the Christians walk of faith. If our heart does not break when we see people in trouble or despair, then how Christ-like are we really? I'm not saying that we should all be some sort of super-emotional person who walks around crying all the time, just that we shouldn't be cold and disconnected from what is happening around us either.
When was the last time you had your heart broken?
Monday, October 15, 2007
CROSSING OVER (without Johnathon Edwards)
I'm currently preparing a sermon based on Joshua 1: 1-9, about moving forward, and how God told the Hebrew people how to move forward in to the Promised Land.
While preparing for this sermon I remembered the times Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee from Israel over to the gentile lands.
Every time Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were faced with a challenge on the sea and had to overcome it before reaching the gentile side. but the thing is that when Jesus and the disciples got passed the challenge, and reached the gentile side of the Sea of Galilee, something amazing or miraculous happened.
It was in these times of challenge that the disciples learnt something about Jesus or faith that took them to the next level.
This got me to thinking...
A dangerous thing i know, but...
Isn't this the same in our lives?
So often we are faced with challenges as we try to move from on thing to something new, and i wonder how many times we give up, and go back, not persevering, and miss out on not only learning something new about ourselves, or about God or about our faith in Him, but miss out on something totally amazing at the other side of the challenge?
In Mark Chapter 4 and 5 we see Jesus and the disciples crossing over the Sea of Galilee, to the Gerasenes region.
While crossing over we see Jesus taking a nap in the back of the boat while the disciples panicking in the boat as waves crashed over it and threaten to swamp it. Understandably distressed the disciple wake Jesus up (possibly to see if he can swim??) and ask Him whether he cares that they are about to die. Jesus rebukes the wind and waves and asks the disciples why they were afraid, and asks them what level of faith they really have. The disciples are amazed at what Jesus has done. Then when they reach the Gerasenes Jesus casts out a whole heap of demons from a bloke who had been wandering around a cemetery for years, completely under the control of these demons.
Then in Mark chapter 6, we see the disciples set out on the Sea of Galilee alone, leaving Jesus to pray by himself on the mountain. As night began to settle around them we find the disciples being battered by the wind and the waves in their boat on the Sea of Galilee. The bible tells us that in the early hours of the morning Jesus walked across the water to the disciples in their boat. Peter got out of the boat at the call of Jesus and began to walk toward Him. It was only when Peter began to look around him (taking his focus off Jesus) and focus on the wind and waves that he began to sink. This is where Jesus reaches out to save Peter. Then, once back on the boat, the wind and waves calm down and Jesus and the disciples head for Genesaret where many sick people are healed.
So what can we learn from these disciples?
First: don't get into a boat without Jesus, and make sure He is awake. Or alternatively change can be difficult if Jesus isn't on board.
Second: keep focused on Jesus, otherwise sinking is a very real possibility.
Third: if you do think that your sinking, call out to Jesus for help; he wont let you drown.
Fourth: make the effort to get through the hard times to discover the good stuff at the other end.
In both of these stories we see the disciples trying to go it alone, and failing miserably, we see the disciples calling out for Jesus to help, we see Jesus intervene, we see things get better and then we see miraculous events on the other side of the sea of Galilee.
What are you going through at the moment?
Are you trying to do it by yourself?
Is Jesus on board, or is this not where you are meant to be going?
Have you called out to Jesus and asked Him to help you?
Are you ready for the miracles on the other side?
While preparing for this sermon I remembered the times Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee from Israel over to the gentile lands.
Every time Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were faced with a challenge on the sea and had to overcome it before reaching the gentile side. but the thing is that when Jesus and the disciples got passed the challenge, and reached the gentile side of the Sea of Galilee, something amazing or miraculous happened.
It was in these times of challenge that the disciples learnt something about Jesus or faith that took them to the next level.
This got me to thinking...
A dangerous thing i know, but...
Isn't this the same in our lives?
So often we are faced with challenges as we try to move from on thing to something new, and i wonder how many times we give up, and go back, not persevering, and miss out on not only learning something new about ourselves, or about God or about our faith in Him, but miss out on something totally amazing at the other side of the challenge?
In Mark Chapter 4 and 5 we see Jesus and the disciples crossing over the Sea of Galilee, to the Gerasenes region.
While crossing over we see Jesus taking a nap in the back of the boat while the disciples panicking in the boat as waves crashed over it and threaten to swamp it. Understandably distressed the disciple wake Jesus up (possibly to see if he can swim??) and ask Him whether he cares that they are about to die. Jesus rebukes the wind and waves and asks the disciples why they were afraid, and asks them what level of faith they really have. The disciples are amazed at what Jesus has done. Then when they reach the Gerasenes Jesus casts out a whole heap of demons from a bloke who had been wandering around a cemetery for years, completely under the control of these demons.
Then in Mark chapter 6, we see the disciples set out on the Sea of Galilee alone, leaving Jesus to pray by himself on the mountain. As night began to settle around them we find the disciples being battered by the wind and the waves in their boat on the Sea of Galilee. The bible tells us that in the early hours of the morning Jesus walked across the water to the disciples in their boat. Peter got out of the boat at the call of Jesus and began to walk toward Him. It was only when Peter began to look around him (taking his focus off Jesus) and focus on the wind and waves that he began to sink. This is where Jesus reaches out to save Peter. Then, once back on the boat, the wind and waves calm down and Jesus and the disciples head for Genesaret where many sick people are healed.
So what can we learn from these disciples?
First: don't get into a boat without Jesus, and make sure He is awake. Or alternatively change can be difficult if Jesus isn't on board.
Second: keep focused on Jesus, otherwise sinking is a very real possibility.
Third: if you do think that your sinking, call out to Jesus for help; he wont let you drown.
Fourth: make the effort to get through the hard times to discover the good stuff at the other end.
In both of these stories we see the disciples trying to go it alone, and failing miserably, we see the disciples calling out for Jesus to help, we see Jesus intervene, we see things get better and then we see miraculous events on the other side of the sea of Galilee.
What are you going through at the moment?
Are you trying to do it by yourself?
Is Jesus on board, or is this not where you are meant to be going?
Have you called out to Jesus and asked Him to help you?
Are you ready for the miracles on the other side?
Monday, October 8, 2007
Planting Caring Harvesting
I've done a fair bit of travelling over the last few weeks, and as I have travelled i have noticed that there a a few crops approaching readiness for harvest. It doesn't seem to be all that long ago that i saw news reports of farmers working day and night after some good rain trying to get the ground prepared and seeds sown in the hope of a good crop and some more rain.
Now as i am travelling around is can see fields of what i think is barley, wheat and canola all approaching readiness for harvest. Now I am certainly no farmer, and i don't really know how long is left until these crops will be harvested, but i do know that when the time comes, the farmers will be flat out getting that crop in, this is what they have been waiting for.
As I was doing my devotions last night i re-read the story of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. It is the latter part of this passage in John chapter 4 that got me thinking about these paddocks again.
As i look back over my life i can see people who have planted seeds in my life, i can see people who have watered those seeds and tended the new shoots as they have grown from a seed. I can also see that there were people who recognised my readiness and harvested the product of those seeds. I also hope that i am now watering, tending and harvesting the results of seed planted in my life and in the life of others.
While it took people to plant tend and harvest, it is God that has really done much of the work; prompting, challenging and helping me to grow and much of the credit of who I have become today goes to Him.
John 4: 35 - 38 says:
Jesus said, "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time!
"The Harvester isn't waiting. He's taking his pay, gathering in this grain that's ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That's the truth of the saying, 'This one sows, that one harvests.' I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others."
The same is true today, lets get out there, plant the seeds of the good news of Jesus Christ in peoples lives, lets care for those who are growing in their faith and lets harvest that which is ready and put it to use for the Kingdom of God.
It is my prayer that there will always be seeds being sown, growth being tended to, and harvests being yielded. Is this your prayer? And if so, what are you doing about it?
Now as i am travelling around is can see fields of what i think is barley, wheat and canola all approaching readiness for harvest. Now I am certainly no farmer, and i don't really know how long is left until these crops will be harvested, but i do know that when the time comes, the farmers will be flat out getting that crop in, this is what they have been waiting for.
As I was doing my devotions last night i re-read the story of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. It is the latter part of this passage in John chapter 4 that got me thinking about these paddocks again.
As i look back over my life i can see people who have planted seeds in my life, i can see people who have watered those seeds and tended the new shoots as they have grown from a seed. I can also see that there were people who recognised my readiness and harvested the product of those seeds. I also hope that i am now watering, tending and harvesting the results of seed planted in my life and in the life of others.
While it took people to plant tend and harvest, it is God that has really done much of the work; prompting, challenging and helping me to grow and much of the credit of who I have become today goes to Him.
John 4: 35 - 38 says:
Jesus said, "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time!
"The Harvester isn't waiting. He's taking his pay, gathering in this grain that's ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That's the truth of the saying, 'This one sows, that one harvests.' I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others."
The same is true today, lets get out there, plant the seeds of the good news of Jesus Christ in peoples lives, lets care for those who are growing in their faith and lets harvest that which is ready and put it to use for the Kingdom of God.
It is my prayer that there will always be seeds being sown, growth being tended to, and harvests being yielded. Is this your prayer? And if so, what are you doing about it?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Learning Old Stuff In New Ways
Have you ever heard someone talking about something that you have heard at least a dozen times before, but for some reason this time it has really struck you as important or profound??
The reason i haven't blogged in the last couple of weeks is that for one week i was away on holidays and for the second week i was at the National Youth Ministry Conference.
The holiday was good, i definitely needed the break, and the NYMC was really good too. The days were long and there was a lot of info to process, something that is going to take a bit of time to do, but at the same time it was fun as well.
I guess the one thing that has really triggered some thought in my own mind is a theme that seemed to reoccur a few times last week, and now this week as i try to do some post conference reading, is that it is not so much what we do for God (eg. programmes and activities) that matters as much as who we are in God.
Now before i upset anyone, i am most definitely not saying that we should not do mission or ministry. I am not saying that we shouldn't reach out to the lost, last or least, or anything like that. All i am saying is that before we do any of this we need to make sure that we are plugged into God's power.
As I have been reminded over the last week or so, and to be honest, this has challenged me because of how busy i have been recently, that there is no point rushing here and there in a huge hurry doing all of this stuff, the 'work of God' so to speak, if i am not being a man of God.
I need to remember to take quality time with God, to hook up to His power and stop trying to do things by my power, because the reality is that there is always more work to do, i could always find more things to do, but i need to do what God wants me to do. And part of that is to spend time with Him in His Spirit.
I know that i don't want to be one of those people who Jesus talks about in Matthew 7: 21-23 who say "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" and then hear Jesus response; "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
Clearly, getting into Heaven is not so much a matter of what you have done and what you know as Who you know.
Are you taking time to know God??
The reason i haven't blogged in the last couple of weeks is that for one week i was away on holidays and for the second week i was at the National Youth Ministry Conference.
The holiday was good, i definitely needed the break, and the NYMC was really good too. The days were long and there was a lot of info to process, something that is going to take a bit of time to do, but at the same time it was fun as well.
I guess the one thing that has really triggered some thought in my own mind is a theme that seemed to reoccur a few times last week, and now this week as i try to do some post conference reading, is that it is not so much what we do for God (eg. programmes and activities) that matters as much as who we are in God.
Now before i upset anyone, i am most definitely not saying that we should not do mission or ministry. I am not saying that we shouldn't reach out to the lost, last or least, or anything like that. All i am saying is that before we do any of this we need to make sure that we are plugged into God's power.
As I have been reminded over the last week or so, and to be honest, this has challenged me because of how busy i have been recently, that there is no point rushing here and there in a huge hurry doing all of this stuff, the 'work of God' so to speak, if i am not being a man of God.
I need to remember to take quality time with God, to hook up to His power and stop trying to do things by my power, because the reality is that there is always more work to do, i could always find more things to do, but i need to do what God wants me to do. And part of that is to spend time with Him in His Spirit.
I know that i don't want to be one of those people who Jesus talks about in Matthew 7: 21-23 who say "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" and then hear Jesus response; "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
Clearly, getting into Heaven is not so much a matter of what you have done and what you know as Who you know.
Are you taking time to know God??
Sunday, September 9, 2007
I shared this with the youth at Youth Event over the weekend; I thought is was probably blog worthy.
While i was at a conference the other month the bloke speaking started to talk about the purpose of the church and referred to Mt. 16: 18, where Jesus says that he will build His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
As the bloke continued to talk about this i realised that i had always thought of the church being under attack from hell, but God showed me that it was the other way around. As the speaker continued to talk God placed a vision of sorts in my mind. I thought i would share it with you.
God showed me a picture of a vast army gathered and ready to wage battle outside a heavily fortified city. They were all wearing armour like they did way back in medieval times. There were siege towers, catapults, battering rams. There were people with bows and arrows, people with huge swords, and others were riding horses with spears and swords. And then god showed me the inside of the city. There was an army massed inside the city, but they were no match for the soldiers on the outside of the walls. Then I saw the dungeons with many, many people being held prisoner inside.
As I watched I saw the army mobilize, prepare, and attack the fortified city. I saw the gates of the city crumble as the army surged forward. I saw the army inside the city being defeated and retreating. And I saw people who had been held as captives inside the city for a long time, being set free and as this great victory was won.
As God showed me this I realized that the fortified city was Hell, the soldiers in the city were demons and sin and other powers, I realized that the chains and cells that held the captives were not made of steel but rather made of sin and addiction and fear and despair.
And as I looked at the outside of the walls and the massed army of soldiers out there waging war against this fortified city I began to understand that it was Christians who were out there fighting and winning the battle, breaking down the walls and releasing prisoners from captivity.
The weapons these Christians were using were not conventional weapons. These were not bow and arrow or sword or spear, or guns or rockets or missiles.
Instead I saw the Christians praying, caring, and actively engaged in transforming lives and society. I saw people telling others about Jesus and the difference that He could make in their lives. I saw people moving from place to place starting different groups that allowed people to explore their faith.
And I realised that it was because of this stuff that they were winning the battle, because the Gates of Hell could not stand against a church, against an army such as this.
And as I watched this vision I saw the captives being released and streaming out from the city being channelled into boot camps where they learnt how to fight against what once held them prisoner and then being moved back into the front lines to strengthen the attack and help free more captives.
As I saw this vision of a mighty church breaking down the walls that held the prisoners captive I was reminded of Jesus’ words in the synagogue in Nazareth, the Message says it like this; “God’s Spirit is on me; He’s chosen me to preach the message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
I was also reminded of God's promise to the prophet Joel in the old testament and a promise fulfilled by God and recorded by Luke in Acts chapter 2: “And Afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people, Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
God has poured out His Spirit, and now His Spirit is upon us, He has appointed us to preach the message of good news to the poor, sent us to announce pardon to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
Will You???
While i was at a conference the other month the bloke speaking started to talk about the purpose of the church and referred to Mt. 16: 18, where Jesus says that he will build His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
As the bloke continued to talk about this i realised that i had always thought of the church being under attack from hell, but God showed me that it was the other way around. As the speaker continued to talk God placed a vision of sorts in my mind. I thought i would share it with you.
God showed me a picture of a vast army gathered and ready to wage battle outside a heavily fortified city. They were all wearing armour like they did way back in medieval times. There were siege towers, catapults, battering rams. There were people with bows and arrows, people with huge swords, and others were riding horses with spears and swords. And then god showed me the inside of the city. There was an army massed inside the city, but they were no match for the soldiers on the outside of the walls. Then I saw the dungeons with many, many people being held prisoner inside.
As I watched I saw the army mobilize, prepare, and attack the fortified city. I saw the gates of the city crumble as the army surged forward. I saw the army inside the city being defeated and retreating. And I saw people who had been held as captives inside the city for a long time, being set free and as this great victory was won.
As God showed me this I realized that the fortified city was Hell, the soldiers in the city were demons and sin and other powers, I realized that the chains and cells that held the captives were not made of steel but rather made of sin and addiction and fear and despair.
And as I looked at the outside of the walls and the massed army of soldiers out there waging war against this fortified city I began to understand that it was Christians who were out there fighting and winning the battle, breaking down the walls and releasing prisoners from captivity.
The weapons these Christians were using were not conventional weapons. These were not bow and arrow or sword or spear, or guns or rockets or missiles.
Instead I saw the Christians praying, caring, and actively engaged in transforming lives and society. I saw people telling others about Jesus and the difference that He could make in their lives. I saw people moving from place to place starting different groups that allowed people to explore their faith.
And I realised that it was because of this stuff that they were winning the battle, because the Gates of Hell could not stand against a church, against an army such as this.
And as I watched this vision I saw the captives being released and streaming out from the city being channelled into boot camps where they learnt how to fight against what once held them prisoner and then being moved back into the front lines to strengthen the attack and help free more captives.
As I saw this vision of a mighty church breaking down the walls that held the prisoners captive I was reminded of Jesus’ words in the synagogue in Nazareth, the Message says it like this; “God’s Spirit is on me; He’s chosen me to preach the message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
I was also reminded of God's promise to the prophet Joel in the old testament and a promise fulfilled by God and recorded by Luke in Acts chapter 2: “And Afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people, Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
God has poured out His Spirit, and now His Spirit is upon us, He has appointed us to preach the message of good news to the poor, sent us to announce pardon to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
Will You???
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
OFFENSIVE CHRISTIANITY (and other events)
Youth Event is nearly here!!!
On the 8th and 9th of September the Western Victoria Divisional Youth Event; OFFENSIVE CHRISTIANITY will run.
We have a really cool mission challenge, sorry no more details will be released until you arrive at the Forest Gardens Hall in Norman Street Wendouree at 12 PM Saturday arvo, secrecy is vital to this challenges success.
We are going to also have a great social type night where you can get dressed up in your fancy clothes and come along for a great night. Bring some cash if you can for a charity auction of some mystery items. All proceeds will go to Naranna, an Aboriginal centre that is doing some excellent work in the community.
Sunday is going to be a great day of awesome worship in the morning and a special event in the afternoon thats not to be missed.
There are Offensive Christianity T-Shirts available (check out the picture, they will have the 2Love symbol on the sleeve) to be ordered for pick up on the weekend, orders must be in by the 3rd of September so i can get them printed. The cost is $20.00 with all profits going to fundraising for the MakeChange Conference Trip
MAKECHANGE is coming up too. Stay tuned for some more info in the very near future. We are looking at joining up with some of the Salvos from Tassie and doing some cool adventure stuff in New Zealand before the Conference. Details of this will be released very soon.
THEOS is a Scripture Union Beach Mission being run in Torquay. It starts on Boxing Day and runs into the New Year. If you are interested let me know and we will organise an information night for you to find out what this is all about. If you are interested in mission or developing your leadership skills, then this is something you need to think about.
Keep this site in your favourites list, more info will be here very soon.
Yours Because I Am His,
Joel
On the 8th and 9th of September the Western Victoria Divisional Youth Event; OFFENSIVE CHRISTIANITY will run.
We have a really cool mission challenge, sorry no more details will be released until you arrive at the Forest Gardens Hall in Norman Street Wendouree at 12 PM Saturday arvo, secrecy is vital to this challenges success.
We are going to also have a great social type night where you can get dressed up in your fancy clothes and come along for a great night. Bring some cash if you can for a charity auction of some mystery items. All proceeds will go to Naranna, an Aboriginal centre that is doing some excellent work in the community.
Sunday is going to be a great day of awesome worship in the morning and a special event in the afternoon thats not to be missed.
There are Offensive Christianity T-Shirts available (check out the picture, they will have the 2Love symbol on the sleeve) to be ordered for pick up on the weekend, orders must be in by the 3rd of September so i can get them printed. The cost is $20.00 with all profits going to fundraising for the MakeChange Conference Trip
MAKECHANGE is coming up too. Stay tuned for some more info in the very near future. We are looking at joining up with some of the Salvos from Tassie and doing some cool adventure stuff in New Zealand before the Conference. Details of this will be released very soon.
THEOS is a Scripture Union Beach Mission being run in Torquay. It starts on Boxing Day and runs into the New Year. If you are interested let me know and we will organise an information night for you to find out what this is all about. If you are interested in mission or developing your leadership skills, then this is something you need to think about.
Keep this site in your favourites list, more info will be here very soon.
Yours Because I Am His,
Joel
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Deep Wells
I cleaned up my office on Monday!!!
Now this might not seem like much, but my office was a complete mess!! It took the best part of the mornings work to clean up more than 5 weeks worth of clutter, a clutter that seemed to grow through my infrequent visits to the office interspersed with periods of more than a week away from aforementioned office.
Upon cleaning my office i discovered that i had no less than half a dozen books sitting on my desk that needed my attention. Some of these books should have been read sooner, some will wait longer before needing any serious attention, but none the less there were 6 books on my desk that needed to be at least glanced at.
So yesterday afternoon i picked up on book, and decided to start reading it.
The author used this story to illustrate a point:
A tourist takes a holiday to a working Sheep Station in out-back Australia, while in this holiday he follows the farmer around on his rounds one day as he checks the sheep. As they drive around the station the tourist notices that there are no fences in sight. Perplexed by this realisation the tourist eventually asks the farmer "Where are your fences, aren't you worried that the sheep will wander away and get lost?" The farmer, a laid back sort of bloke, points towards the windmill over the way and says "I find that if you dig a decent well that produces good water, the sheep don't wander too far."
As i read this story i was reminded of a story in the bible. The Message version puts it like this:
A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water."
The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?"
Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."
The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!"
As i read these stories i began to think about the well of living water in my life and the wells that i am helping God to plant as i travel around the division.
If i invest in my life, plant a deep well of living water in my life, full of 'God water' then as i follow in Jesus' footsteps i will not wander too far from His path. In the same way, if i can clearly communicate the gospel to others, to share with them what God is doing in my life and what He is capable of doing in their lives, then a deep well with good water will be sunk into their lives and will sustain them as they try to follow in Jesus footsteps.
And if this well is good and deep then when we lose sight of God and wander away, we will not wander too far for the well and will return once again to drink of the life giving waters.
The other thing that occurred to me is that where there is water there is abundant life. When the well is producing a good supply of good water, life is abundant. Think of an oasis in the desert, there are trees and plants, there are animals, and people come by the oasis to refresh their supplies of water and to relax. Life happens at an oasis.
If our well is deep and producing plenty of living water in our own lives, then this will be visible to others and they will want to get some of this water too. Initially we can share some of this living water with them, but the real blessing would be to help people dig their own well, where they can have their own supply of living water.
Here are a few questions for you to ponder:
How deep is your well today?
What is the quality of water that is being produced from it?
Have you drank from the well recently?
Are you being generous with the water that springs from the well of living water, or are you restricting or rationing your living water?
Now this might not seem like much, but my office was a complete mess!! It took the best part of the mornings work to clean up more than 5 weeks worth of clutter, a clutter that seemed to grow through my infrequent visits to the office interspersed with periods of more than a week away from aforementioned office.
Upon cleaning my office i discovered that i had no less than half a dozen books sitting on my desk that needed my attention. Some of these books should have been read sooner, some will wait longer before needing any serious attention, but none the less there were 6 books on my desk that needed to be at least glanced at.
So yesterday afternoon i picked up on book, and decided to start reading it.
The author used this story to illustrate a point:
A tourist takes a holiday to a working Sheep Station in out-back Australia, while in this holiday he follows the farmer around on his rounds one day as he checks the sheep. As they drive around the station the tourist notices that there are no fences in sight. Perplexed by this realisation the tourist eventually asks the farmer "Where are your fences, aren't you worried that the sheep will wander away and get lost?" The farmer, a laid back sort of bloke, points towards the windmill over the way and says "I find that if you dig a decent well that produces good water, the sheep don't wander too far."
As i read this story i was reminded of a story in the bible. The Message version puts it like this:
A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water."
The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?"
Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."
The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!"
As i read these stories i began to think about the well of living water in my life and the wells that i am helping God to plant as i travel around the division.
If i invest in my life, plant a deep well of living water in my life, full of 'God water' then as i follow in Jesus' footsteps i will not wander too far from His path. In the same way, if i can clearly communicate the gospel to others, to share with them what God is doing in my life and what He is capable of doing in their lives, then a deep well with good water will be sunk into their lives and will sustain them as they try to follow in Jesus footsteps.
And if this well is good and deep then when we lose sight of God and wander away, we will not wander too far for the well and will return once again to drink of the life giving waters.
The other thing that occurred to me is that where there is water there is abundant life. When the well is producing a good supply of good water, life is abundant. Think of an oasis in the desert, there are trees and plants, there are animals, and people come by the oasis to refresh their supplies of water and to relax. Life happens at an oasis.
If our well is deep and producing plenty of living water in our own lives, then this will be visible to others and they will want to get some of this water too. Initially we can share some of this living water with them, but the real blessing would be to help people dig their own well, where they can have their own supply of living water.
Here are a few questions for you to ponder:
How deep is your well today?
What is the quality of water that is being produced from it?
Have you drank from the well recently?
Are you being generous with the water that springs from the well of living water, or are you restricting or rationing your living water?
Thursday, August 9, 2007
The Full Gospel Of Jesus Christ
Almost every week (those that i'm actually around for) i write a segment for the Divisional Newsletter that goes out to all of the Salvation Army officers and to some other people in the division and around the territory. In this article i talk about what is going on in Youth and Childrens Ministry and also cover any relevant Candidates info that i feel needs to be passed on.
This week i revealed the name of this years Youth Event; Offensive Christianity (see my previous blog). To be honest, part of the reason i liked this name was because it was a little controversial, the plan was to get people talking. But in my little speil in the newsletter i refferred to offensive Christianity as, and i quote myself here for contextual reasons:
"...not the sort of offensive you think of when you see those obnoxious street preachers in Melbourne."
Now i have had conversations, discussions and slightly heated debates with various friends and acquiantances in the past over this issue, but i still think my position is justified.
First of all, let me say how much i admire the courage of these people who are willing to go out there and speak the gospel, irrespective of what others think. My issue is not that thye are presenting the gospel, in the street or otherwise, but my issue is in the way that it is done.
The Salvation Army has a long history of presenting the gosple to the lost, least and last in public places, and i think that that is great!! I personally would love to hold an event in the public space where i could share the FULL gospel to those gathered around. The key here is the 'FULL' word.
Jesus taught that we should speak the truth. Jesus said the He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. Jesus also taught that we should act with grace and compassion. In fact, i believe that most of Jesus' harshest criticism was reserved for the Pharrisees, Sadducees and Scribes, those that already considdered themselves 'saved'. As i recall, Jesus spoke forgiveness and compassion to the outcast of society. When the Jewish leaders dragged a woman caught in adultery before Jesus asking Him to pronounce judgement over her, Jesus' response was "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." And when they all left because they were not able to condemn her, Jesus, the only one to have never sinned, didn't pick up a stone, but told her the He didn't condemn her but encouraged her to "Go and sin no more."
Maybe in this post-modern, post-Christian world people aren't aware that they have sinned, perhaps people dont care about sin, but i still believe that each person is aware, at least on some level, that they have made decisions that they wish they hadn't. We don't need to be convinced of our unworthiness in most situations, most of us are all to keenly aware of that, we just don't want anyone else to find it out.
My argument continues that instead of preaching the wrath of God and condemning people as i have seen at least once on the street in melbourne on a Friday night for example: the one million dollar note with the $1,000,000 question; where will you go when you die? with the tag line, and i almost quote verbatim; "Basically you're a lying, cheating, theiving, murderous adulterer at heart." Let us preach the love of God, that Jesus died for us irrespective of whether we love him, that God loves us irrespective of what we have don or what we will do, that eternal life isn't just about going to heaven when we die, but about seeing God's Kingdom here on earth now as we live and breathe. Let's try preaching acceptance, not exclusion; love, not hatred; let's return good for bad. instead of being one of those 'fundamental' Christians that hate homosexuals, abortionists, etc, lets be one of those fundamentally Christ-like people who love the sinner, hate the sin and do what we can for these people.
By all means, go into the world and preach the gospel, just make sure it is the full gospel!!!
This week i revealed the name of this years Youth Event; Offensive Christianity (see my previous blog). To be honest, part of the reason i liked this name was because it was a little controversial, the plan was to get people talking. But in my little speil in the newsletter i refferred to offensive Christianity as, and i quote myself here for contextual reasons:
"...not the sort of offensive you think of when you see those obnoxious street preachers in Melbourne."
Now i have had conversations, discussions and slightly heated debates with various friends and acquiantances in the past over this issue, but i still think my position is justified.
First of all, let me say how much i admire the courage of these people who are willing to go out there and speak the gospel, irrespective of what others think. My issue is not that thye are presenting the gospel, in the street or otherwise, but my issue is in the way that it is done.
The Salvation Army has a long history of presenting the gosple to the lost, least and last in public places, and i think that that is great!! I personally would love to hold an event in the public space where i could share the FULL gospel to those gathered around. The key here is the 'FULL' word.
Jesus taught that we should speak the truth. Jesus said the He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. Jesus also taught that we should act with grace and compassion. In fact, i believe that most of Jesus' harshest criticism was reserved for the Pharrisees, Sadducees and Scribes, those that already considdered themselves 'saved'. As i recall, Jesus spoke forgiveness and compassion to the outcast of society. When the Jewish leaders dragged a woman caught in adultery before Jesus asking Him to pronounce judgement over her, Jesus' response was "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." And when they all left because they were not able to condemn her, Jesus, the only one to have never sinned, didn't pick up a stone, but told her the He didn't condemn her but encouraged her to "Go and sin no more."
Maybe in this post-modern, post-Christian world people aren't aware that they have sinned, perhaps people dont care about sin, but i still believe that each person is aware, at least on some level, that they have made decisions that they wish they hadn't. We don't need to be convinced of our unworthiness in most situations, most of us are all to keenly aware of that, we just don't want anyone else to find it out.
My argument continues that instead of preaching the wrath of God and condemning people as i have seen at least once on the street in melbourne on a Friday night for example: the one million dollar note with the $1,000,000 question; where will you go when you die? with the tag line, and i almost quote verbatim; "Basically you're a lying, cheating, theiving, murderous adulterer at heart." Let us preach the love of God, that Jesus died for us irrespective of whether we love him, that God loves us irrespective of what we have don or what we will do, that eternal life isn't just about going to heaven when we die, but about seeing God's Kingdom here on earth now as we live and breathe. Let's try preaching acceptance, not exclusion; love, not hatred; let's return good for bad. instead of being one of those 'fundamental' Christians that hate homosexuals, abortionists, etc, lets be one of those fundamentally Christ-like people who love the sinner, hate the sin and do what we can for these people.
By all means, go into the world and preach the gospel, just make sure it is the full gospel!!!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
OFFENSIVE CHRISTIANITY
I was away all last week, again.
This time I had 2 conferences to attend. The first was a Paul Borden Growing Health Corps conference, and the second was a Candidates Secretaries conference.
Leading up to these conferences has been a busy time, I haven't had a lot of time in the office to do stuff, and the little time I did have was used catching up on what had come in while i was away.
So there I was at the Paul Borden conference thinking about how much I still had to do over the next few months, especially how i still hadn't had the chance to get any Youth Event info out to anyone yet, when I heard Paul Borden talking about the church and the gates of Hell.
Paul referred to the passage in the bible where Jesus turns to Peter and says "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it." (Joel Clifford paraphrase version)
And as I sat there it occurred to me that the way I had been thinking about the church in relation to this passage wasn't the way Jesus intended it to be. I always thought that this passage meant that the church would be able to withstand the attacks from hell, when the reality is that hell can not withstand the attacks of the church.
As I already had much of the planning for Youth Event sorted, I was amazed at how this fitted in with my theme. So with this new (to me anyway) revelation in mind i prayed about it and decided to tweak the theme a bit.
So i can now boldly say that the theme for this years Youth Event is:
Offensive Christianity
Now I'm not talking about the offense as in offending someone by saying something rude, but offense as in the opposite to defense.
Youth Event this year will be about Offending Poverty, Offending Sin, Offending Apathy and, Offending Hell.
This year Youth Event will be held in Ballarat, and will include:
A Missional Event Saturday afternoon
A Social Event Saturday night (a good chance to get dressed up!!!)
A Worship Event Sunday morning and;
A Special Event Sunday afternoon.
Posters are out this week, check them out and stay tuned for more details very soon.
This time I had 2 conferences to attend. The first was a Paul Borden Growing Health Corps conference, and the second was a Candidates Secretaries conference.
Leading up to these conferences has been a busy time, I haven't had a lot of time in the office to do stuff, and the little time I did have was used catching up on what had come in while i was away.
So there I was at the Paul Borden conference thinking about how much I still had to do over the next few months, especially how i still hadn't had the chance to get any Youth Event info out to anyone yet, when I heard Paul Borden talking about the church and the gates of Hell.
Paul referred to the passage in the bible where Jesus turns to Peter and says "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it." (Joel Clifford paraphrase version)
And as I sat there it occurred to me that the way I had been thinking about the church in relation to this passage wasn't the way Jesus intended it to be. I always thought that this passage meant that the church would be able to withstand the attacks from hell, when the reality is that hell can not withstand the attacks of the church.
As I already had much of the planning for Youth Event sorted, I was amazed at how this fitted in with my theme. So with this new (to me anyway) revelation in mind i prayed about it and decided to tweak the theme a bit.
So i can now boldly say that the theme for this years Youth Event is:
Offensive Christianity
Now I'm not talking about the offense as in offending someone by saying something rude, but offense as in the opposite to defense.
Youth Event this year will be about Offending Poverty, Offending Sin, Offending Apathy and, Offending Hell.
This year Youth Event will be held in Ballarat, and will include:
A Missional Event Saturday afternoon
A Social Event Saturday night (a good chance to get dressed up!!!)
A Worship Event Sunday morning and;
A Special Event Sunday afternoon.
Posters are out this week, check them out and stay tuned for more details very soon.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A Right Relationship
I facilitate a bible study/small group here in Ballarat on Sunday nights when I'm not out and about around the division. This bible study is based on the Nooma DVD's (which are great by the way) but the DVD is really just a starting point and the conversation can go anywhere after that.
While thinking about some of the stuff in my prep. for the study/group i began to think about what it meant to be in a right relationship with God, and also what it meant to be in a right relationship in general.
The more i thought about this the more i felt led back to where it all began; the garden of Eden.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, before the whole Apple incident (not the computer, for those who don't know the story grab a Bible and check out Genesis chapter 1), they had a right relationship with God. Genesis 3: 8 says that Adam and Eve heard God walking through the Garden at the time of the evening breeze. Imagine what that would have been like to walk through creation with the creator at your side. Adam and Eve spent time with God naming the animals, they knew what it was like to hear God directly, to actually be in his physical presence!!!
Adam and Eve had a right relationship with the animals. They did not have to fear any of the animals because they all ate plants (see Genesis 1: 30) and the animals didn't have to fear Adam and Eve because they too were vegetarians (as much as i hate to admit that, being firmly against not eating meat) (see Genesis 1:29). It was only after they ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, realised that they were naked, hid from and were found out by God that this changed. Because Edam and Eve ate the fruit (not necessarily and apple, but it will do for the example) God had to kill an animal to provide them with clothes (so a vegetarian caused the first animal to die!!!).
Before the 'Apple Incident' Adam and Eve had a right relationship with nature, not having to work so hard to cultivate the food that grew from the earth. After their expulsion from Eden this changed (check out Genesis 3: 17-19)
Before the 'Apple Incident' Adam and Eve had right relationships with each other. They understood each other, in fact the bible tells us that they were as one (check out Genesis 2:24). Now no one really understands each other, and peace is far from a reality in our world.
So how do we as Christians restore ourselves and our world to right relationships??
Here are a few of my ideas:
Right with God:
This side of eternity what Adam and Eve had is impossible, but, anything that vaguely resembles that would be awesome!! The best way to get right with God is to stop sinning. Christians often call this Holiness. I dont know about you, but I know that I'm not perfect, I still make mistakes, but I'm trying to make those mistakes less frequently. Also, lets try to seek God more intentionally, because the bible tells us that when we seek Him we will find Him (Jeremiah 29: 12-13). Lets try to spend quality time in devotion prayer and bible reading with God.
Right with others:
This one should be easy, Jesus taught us so much about how to be right with others (check out Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7). Love those who hate us, care for the poor and oppressed, go the extra mile, don't retaliate, return good for evil, etc,etc.
Right with animals:
Probably not really possible this side of eternity, but lets care for them, stop cruelty towards them (it is still ok to eat them, just kill them cleanly), care for their habitat, which leads me to my next point...
Right with nature:
Let me preface this by saying that I don't consider my self to be a "Greenie" but I do think we need to be careful in what we do. I hope to have kids one day, and would like to leave them and their kids a planet to live on (assuming Jesus hasn't already come back!!). So lets look after the resources we have. The ozone hole is a perfect example of us being out of a right relationship with nature; we pollute, disrupt the natural balance and then get skin cancer because of it. Lets try to use renewable energy, reduce the energy we are using, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure you get the idea.
Being in right relationships is not going to be easy, but it will be beneficial.
Remember the right thing to do isn't usually the easiest thing to do, in fact, the right thing to do is often the hardest.
"The popular thing isn't always right, and the right thing isn't always popular."
-Someone very wise, I just cant remember who (is it in the Bible??)
While thinking about some of the stuff in my prep. for the study/group i began to think about what it meant to be in a right relationship with God, and also what it meant to be in a right relationship in general.
The more i thought about this the more i felt led back to where it all began; the garden of Eden.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, before the whole Apple incident (not the computer, for those who don't know the story grab a Bible and check out Genesis chapter 1), they had a right relationship with God. Genesis 3: 8 says that Adam and Eve heard God walking through the Garden at the time of the evening breeze. Imagine what that would have been like to walk through creation with the creator at your side. Adam and Eve spent time with God naming the animals, they knew what it was like to hear God directly, to actually be in his physical presence!!!
Adam and Eve had a right relationship with the animals. They did not have to fear any of the animals because they all ate plants (see Genesis 1: 30) and the animals didn't have to fear Adam and Eve because they too were vegetarians (as much as i hate to admit that, being firmly against not eating meat) (see Genesis 1:29). It was only after they ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, realised that they were naked, hid from and were found out by God that this changed. Because Edam and Eve ate the fruit (not necessarily and apple, but it will do for the example) God had to kill an animal to provide them with clothes (so a vegetarian caused the first animal to die!!!).
Before the 'Apple Incident' Adam and Eve had a right relationship with nature, not having to work so hard to cultivate the food that grew from the earth. After their expulsion from Eden this changed (check out Genesis 3: 17-19)
Before the 'Apple Incident' Adam and Eve had right relationships with each other. They understood each other, in fact the bible tells us that they were as one (check out Genesis 2:24). Now no one really understands each other, and peace is far from a reality in our world.
So how do we as Christians restore ourselves and our world to right relationships??
Here are a few of my ideas:
Right with God:
This side of eternity what Adam and Eve had is impossible, but, anything that vaguely resembles that would be awesome!! The best way to get right with God is to stop sinning. Christians often call this Holiness. I dont know about you, but I know that I'm not perfect, I still make mistakes, but I'm trying to make those mistakes less frequently. Also, lets try to seek God more intentionally, because the bible tells us that when we seek Him we will find Him (Jeremiah 29: 12-13). Lets try to spend quality time in devotion prayer and bible reading with God.
Right with others:
This one should be easy, Jesus taught us so much about how to be right with others (check out Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7). Love those who hate us, care for the poor and oppressed, go the extra mile, don't retaliate, return good for evil, etc,etc.
Right with animals:
Probably not really possible this side of eternity, but lets care for them, stop cruelty towards them (it is still ok to eat them, just kill them cleanly), care for their habitat, which leads me to my next point...
Right with nature:
Let me preface this by saying that I don't consider my self to be a "Greenie" but I do think we need to be careful in what we do. I hope to have kids one day, and would like to leave them and their kids a planet to live on (assuming Jesus hasn't already come back!!). So lets look after the resources we have. The ozone hole is a perfect example of us being out of a right relationship with nature; we pollute, disrupt the natural balance and then get skin cancer because of it. Lets try to use renewable energy, reduce the energy we are using, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure you get the idea.
Being in right relationships is not going to be easy, but it will be beneficial.
Remember the right thing to do isn't usually the easiest thing to do, in fact, the right thing to do is often the hardest.
"The popular thing isn't always right, and the right thing isn't always popular."
-Someone very wise, I just cant remember who (is it in the Bible??)
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Team and The Coach
First of all, oops!!
Somehow when i wrote this post on friday somewhere between me finishing the writing, finding a you tube clip and posting the blog, all of the text vanished into cyberspace.
So here is a very similar post to what i had written:
The last few weeks have been a very hectic time. There was kids camp, then basketball carnival and then officers fellowship. At onw stage i think i had spent one night at home out of a total of 12 or something like that.
The Salvo national basketball carnival was good. I had a great time, met lots of new people and learnt a lot too.
The first thing i learnt was that will power can only hold a cold at bay for so long.
Just before kids camp i started to feel that rough sore feeling at the back of my throat that so often precedes a cold.
All the way through camp and then carnival i willed myself to stay well and not get sick. I also prayd to God "Please dont let me get sick while I'm away, i need to stay well." Well God answered my prayer, and i satyed well until i got back. In hindsight i guess that i should have just prayed that i wouldnt get sick and left it at that. Now i have a cold, and although i am starting to feel better, it is really frustrating. I hate being sick.
The second, and probably far more interesting thing that i learnt, though it actually is more like i had it re-revealed to me by God was the importance of working together as a team in Christ.
It may surprise some of you to know that i am not a great basketballer. For those of you who saw me this you would already know. As far as hitting baskets and scoring points went, some games i wondered if i could have hit water if i fell out of a boat, not a single shot would go in!!
Fortunately for my team mates, i wasn't completely rubbish at every aspect of the game, and i did improve as the carnival progressed. It turns out that im not to bad at boxing out (the term used to describe keeping opposition players away from the rebounding ball after a shot) and i can take the odd rebound or two.
This is like us in the church. Not all of us are meant to be the pastor, not all of us are meant to be in the welcoming group at the front door, not all of us are meant to be yout or childrens workers. We all have a different role to play in our local church, and our local churches all have a role to play in our city/town/neighbourhood.
So if your job is making sure that the hall is clean for church on Sunday, don't feel discouraged, because your job is very important, just because everyone doent see you doing it, doesnt make it unimportant. If the church was dirty, who would want to come into it??
It's up to us to make a difference, none of us are exempt form telling our friends about Jesus, but we all do that in different ways, which is important, so that we can reach different people.
In 1 Corinthians 12: 14-20 Paul says:
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body
Lets all work together for the benefit of the Kingdom of God, and if that means scrubbing a toilet or two, im ok with that.
Somehow when i wrote this post on friday somewhere between me finishing the writing, finding a you tube clip and posting the blog, all of the text vanished into cyberspace.
So here is a very similar post to what i had written:
The last few weeks have been a very hectic time. There was kids camp, then basketball carnival and then officers fellowship. At onw stage i think i had spent one night at home out of a total of 12 or something like that.
The Salvo national basketball carnival was good. I had a great time, met lots of new people and learnt a lot too.
The first thing i learnt was that will power can only hold a cold at bay for so long.
Just before kids camp i started to feel that rough sore feeling at the back of my throat that so often precedes a cold.
All the way through camp and then carnival i willed myself to stay well and not get sick. I also prayd to God "Please dont let me get sick while I'm away, i need to stay well." Well God answered my prayer, and i satyed well until i got back. In hindsight i guess that i should have just prayed that i wouldnt get sick and left it at that. Now i have a cold, and although i am starting to feel better, it is really frustrating. I hate being sick.
The second, and probably far more interesting thing that i learnt, though it actually is more like i had it re-revealed to me by God was the importance of working together as a team in Christ.
It may surprise some of you to know that i am not a great basketballer. For those of you who saw me this you would already know. As far as hitting baskets and scoring points went, some games i wondered if i could have hit water if i fell out of a boat, not a single shot would go in!!
Fortunately for my team mates, i wasn't completely rubbish at every aspect of the game, and i did improve as the carnival progressed. It turns out that im not to bad at boxing out (the term used to describe keeping opposition players away from the rebounding ball after a shot) and i can take the odd rebound or two.
This is like us in the church. Not all of us are meant to be the pastor, not all of us are meant to be in the welcoming group at the front door, not all of us are meant to be yout or childrens workers. We all have a different role to play in our local church, and our local churches all have a role to play in our city/town/neighbourhood.
So if your job is making sure that the hall is clean for church on Sunday, don't feel discouraged, because your job is very important, just because everyone doent see you doing it, doesnt make it unimportant. If the church was dirty, who would want to come into it??
It's up to us to make a difference, none of us are exempt form telling our friends about Jesus, but we all do that in different ways, which is important, so that we can reach different people.
In 1 Corinthians 12: 14-20 Paul says:
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body
Lets all work together for the benefit of the Kingdom of God, and if that means scrubbing a toilet or two, im ok with that.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Transformers
When i was a kid i loved the Transformers cartoons. Throughout the years the Transformers concept has changed, with different series using new and different characters. But this year i was excited to hear that there would be a new Transformers movie released. I found this out at about the same time that i was beginning to plan Kids Camp. When someone suggested the idea of using the Transformers theme for kids camp it really appealed to me. Transformation is one of the major themes in the bible, salvation obviously the major theme, but transformation is related to that.
Little did i realise that the new Transformers movie was targeted at us nostalgic 20 somethings who grew up watching Transformers on Saturday mornings and not at the kids who now watch cartoons on Saturday mornings.
All of that aside though, Camp was FANTASTIC!!!
The kids all seemed to have a really good time. And a BIG THANKS to the leaders who were a great help to me and the kids also.
Check out the photos from camp, hopefully we will be able to release a dvd from camp once we are able to work out a few technical difficulties.
Romans 12: 2 says: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Transformation can be a 2 stage process. There is the initial instantaneous transformation that happens when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and then there is the continuing process of transformation that occurs as we walk with Jesus and try to become more Christ like. If i were talking in Christianese (the language those really religious people always seem to be talking in) i would call this redemption and sanctification.
Redemption is the first transformation where we chose to no longer conform to this world but to transform ourselves in to followers of Jesus.
Sanctification is the second transformation where we constantly ask the Holy Spirit to help us change our thinking from that of the way the world thinks, to the way God thinks, often vastly contradicting thought processes.
How are you going in your transformation experience, how transformed are you??
Little did i realise that the new Transformers movie was targeted at us nostalgic 20 somethings who grew up watching Transformers on Saturday mornings and not at the kids who now watch cartoons on Saturday mornings.
All of that aside though, Camp was FANTASTIC!!!
The kids all seemed to have a really good time. And a BIG THANKS to the leaders who were a great help to me and the kids also.
Check out the photos from camp, hopefully we will be able to release a dvd from camp once we are able to work out a few technical difficulties.
Romans 12: 2 says: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Transformation can be a 2 stage process. There is the initial instantaneous transformation that happens when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and then there is the continuing process of transformation that occurs as we walk with Jesus and try to become more Christ like. If i were talking in Christianese (the language those really religious people always seem to be talking in) i would call this redemption and sanctification.
Redemption is the first transformation where we chose to no longer conform to this world but to transform ourselves in to followers of Jesus.
Sanctification is the second transformation where we constantly ask the Holy Spirit to help us change our thinking from that of the way the world thinks, to the way God thinks, often vastly contradicting thought processes.
How are you going in your transformation experience, how transformed are you??
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
What Are You Hiding Behind???
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you wake up Monday morning and instantly wish that a) you were still asleep and b) it was Friday night?
I've had one of those weeks.
The problem is, even when the proverbial hits the fan and all you want to do is crawl back into bed, pull the covers over your head and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist, life continues to go on around you.
As a result of this many of us have to take a deep breath, pull ourselves together and move on. But how?
Many of us put on a mask, or veneer of normality on the outside when we are around others, while on the inside we are a mess, with so many thoughts and emotions rolling around just wanting to escape.
And so we feel exhausted at the end of the day when we finally get home and can take that mask off and be exactly how we are feeling.
Masks can be good. In Ice Hockey people wear masks to protect their face from serious injury/disfigurement. Superheroes wear masks to protect their identity and those they care about.
Sometimes masks are fun, they allow us to pretend we are someone or something different and we can let our hair down without fear of what people think of us.
But masks can be bad. Sometimes we wear a mask (figuratively speaking) so that people don't see who we really are or what we are really thinking.
This week, as i have struggled to deal with the stuff going on in my own life, i have found myself reaching for a mask to cover my inner feelings and maintain the character i usually portray to those around me, strong, confident, energetic, joyful.
The thing is, even though this is what i am trying to look like, there are some people that still noticed that things weren't right and asked me if i was ok; to which if i was honest, the answer was no!
As i was thinking about this stuff last night on the way home from a meeting in Melbourne, i began to wonder if this is what we sometimes do when it comes to God stuff.
We pretend that we are ok, we keep doing things on the outside, hoping that no one will notice that things are not ok inside.
But the thing is, that even though people may only see what is on the outside, God can see whats going on on the inside. God knows our deepest thoughts, dreams, hopes, desires, fears and failings. And He loves us anyway.
While i struggled to deal with all that has been going on over the last week, God has been there. When i've screamed out WHY? He was there. When all i wanted to do was get away from everyone around me and retreat to the safety of solitude, and couldn't, God gave me the strength i needed to push on.
Now, my problems, while hugely significant in my life, didn't rally rate on the scale of the world around me. This week countless people have died in wars and from famine, I heard this morning of over 100 babies in Kazakhstan that were infected with HIV because doctors, nurses, and hospital officials were negligent in their jobs. We have global warming, floods, droughts and countless other problems that occur around us every day. But it is so easy to get caught up in our own problems that the rest of the world seems to fade away.
Sometimes we need to take off our mask, admit that things are not ok (some people call this confession), make the necessary changes (sometimes this is called repentance) and walk towards our future, trusting God to go ahead of us and prepare the way, one step at a time.
As I overheard someone say yesterday; "Life sucks, and it's not funny."
Bad stuff happens, even to good people, but God is faithful. Even when we don't know why stuff happens, we need to trust that God will work all things for the good of those who love Him, and follow Him into our future!!
As my old high school motto says: "In Faith and Hope and Love."
I say: "Amen"
Monday, June 18, 2007
Tell The World
In the final chapter of the Matthew's Gospel Jesus tells the disciple to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mt. 28: 19 - 20)
So we know what Jesus said, but how we do it is still the subject of much conjecture.
Some say that it is best to take time to get to know someone, build a relationship, and then to share the gospel. Others prefer the smack 'em in the face with the gospel message every chance you get approach. And many others sit somewhere in between the two.
I recently purchased a book from Word titled; How To Talk About Jesus Without Freaking Out. It is described as a practical, challenging and compelling read.
While i have only just started reading this the book makes some good points. Like that the danger we in western countries fear when we talk about God or Jesus is mostly imagined, because in reality, if we present the gospel message clearly, concisely and without prejudice, most people will respect our thoughts.
I love the clip above, it speaks of an upside down world. Just like the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed. Lets: Aim Lower; Think Smaller; Give Up and Go Have A Cup Of Coffee.
Lets build relationships with people, and show them the gospel in our lives, BUT, never stop telling the gospel. Take every opportunity to share the message of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom where to be first, we must put ourselves last, where the least are the greatest, where you love those who hate you and bless those who persecute you. Let's give up our "Empires" and do what is needed for the kingdom, not what is needed for the health of our own egos.
I say: To God be the Glory, not anyone else!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Kids Camp Promo, & other stuff
Well, I've finally done it, the Kids Camp Promo is on You Tube, Expect more videos to follow.
Things have been pretty busy lately, the division has a few events coming up; the 2 Love G.P. and launch is a little over a week away, I'm really looking forward to that, it's going to be lots of fun!! I mean, who doesn't love Go Karting?? Also Kids Camp is just over a fortnight away. This camp is going to be soo much fun, I wish I was a Kid and not a leader so that I could get in on all of the fun!! And basketball carnival isn't far away either, I'm really looking forward to that. It's going to be great to play sport full on and also see a bit of Adelaide when we get the time!! We have had a few cancellations from the Mens B Team, so in you're interested in playing, or know someone else who might be, let me know and we will get them registered.
I was sitting at home last night, before i went to basketball, and i saw a bit of Heroes, and the time travelling thing got me to thinking...
Bad stuff happens to good people; we all know that. Why is a bit harder to figure out. My thoughts are that much of this is a consequence of God's gift of Free Will and the laws of physics, you know; "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." I also know that "...all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8: 28. So God works his plan in the good and the bad times, and even though Satan might mean something for his evil purposes, God can take that and use it for His good purposes. BUT. What if we had the capacity to go back and change the past, not that I think we ever will (unlike TV, reality has no reset button) but what if we did. Would changing the bad stuff in the past really affect the future in a serious way??
Maybe it all comes down to how powerful we really think God is. If God is All Powerful, All Knowing and Ever Present, surely He can adapt his plans to what ever we may do. Alternatively, where and when does our responsibility come in to actually do something in order to see the world changed??
I know what I think, what about you??
I leave you with the words of Chuck Holton, a former U.S Army Ranger, author and Christian: "Whatever happens in my life is either God's plan or my mistake." -or something to that effect
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Whose God Is He Anyway??
Recently I have been working through the minor prophets of the bible during my devotional time. For those who don't know, the minor prophets are the shorter prophetic books of the Old Testament like Micah, Habakuk, Hosea, Zechariah, etc. Now, despite their funny names, these minor (because they're small books, not 'cos they were under 18) prophets aren't afraid to tell people what God thinks. And it's not all good news.
One of the biggest themes in these books is the problem of Idolatry.
At that time the people of Israel weren't worshipping God, they were following after other gods that were images that someone had carved into wood or stone. And, to make matters worse, some of the few that claimed to actually follow Yahweh (what the Israelites called God) were only using it as a cover for some even shadier business stuff than the idolaters!!!
Reading these prophets words set me to thinking.
I have just finished Hosea (I'm not reading them in the exact order that they are in the Bible) and the last few chapters have gotten me to thinking.
Typically an idol is an image of an animal, person or mythical/supernatural being that has been drawn, painted, carved or sculpted by another person and then worshipped.
Sometimes these idols are big and hard to move, but they can also be small and easy to carry around with you. In bible times each house had their own idols and people would often carry them around with them.
Hosea 14: 3 says: "Assyria shall save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more 'Our God' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy." (Italics and bold mine)
This set me to thinking.
When we say "Our God" what do we mean.
Do we mean that God is Our god, a thing that we carry around with us to bail us out when things get tough, to pray to like Santa to get what we want when we want it? Are we trying to control God, shrink Him down to size so that we can control and manipulate him for our own plans?
OR
Do we mean that God is the God we follow, that we are His not that he is ours? If this is the case are we willing to listen to Him when he asks us to do something? We need to remember that God is infinite. He is so much bigger than our human minds can comprehend.
Let's not try and shrink God down to our size, but open our minds to the enormity of God and allow Him to move us where we need to go.
Remember that we are a work of Gods Hands, not that God is a work of our hands.
Idol or God, you choose!!
One of the biggest themes in these books is the problem of Idolatry.
At that time the people of Israel weren't worshipping God, they were following after other gods that were images that someone had carved into wood or stone. And, to make matters worse, some of the few that claimed to actually follow Yahweh (what the Israelites called God) were only using it as a cover for some even shadier business stuff than the idolaters!!!
Reading these prophets words set me to thinking.
I have just finished Hosea (I'm not reading them in the exact order that they are in the Bible) and the last few chapters have gotten me to thinking.
Typically an idol is an image of an animal, person or mythical/supernatural being that has been drawn, painted, carved or sculpted by another person and then worshipped.
Sometimes these idols are big and hard to move, but they can also be small and easy to carry around with you. In bible times each house had their own idols and people would often carry them around with them.
Hosea 14: 3 says: "Assyria shall save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more 'Our God' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy." (Italics and bold mine)
This set me to thinking.
When we say "Our God" what do we mean.
Do we mean that God is Our god, a thing that we carry around with us to bail us out when things get tough, to pray to like Santa to get what we want when we want it? Are we trying to control God, shrink Him down to size so that we can control and manipulate him for our own plans?
OR
Do we mean that God is the God we follow, that we are His not that he is ours? If this is the case are we willing to listen to Him when he asks us to do something? We need to remember that God is infinite. He is so much bigger than our human minds can comprehend.
Let's not try and shrink God down to our size, but open our minds to the enormity of God and allow Him to move us where we need to go.
Remember that we are a work of Gods Hands, not that God is a work of our hands.
Idol or God, you choose!!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Whats Love Got To Do With It Anyway???
The Salvo's new territorial youth initiative is called 2Love. You may have heard me speak about it and have probably seen the logo on a few of the posters i have put together for publicity.
The 2Love strategy is based on Jesus response to the lawyers question, "What is the greatest commanment?"
The story goes like this:
Mark 12: 28- 33: One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (bold mine)
In Western Vic i have adopted this strategy as part of my strategy for the division.
As is mentioned in my earlier blog, on the 23rd of June we will be launching the 2Love strategy for the division. Without giving much away, the strategy is based around equipping the young people of the division with ways to love God and others as they go back to their curches and communities, in order to impact the world.
But the real reason i wrote this blog wasnt to launch 2Love in WVD on cyberspace, but to ask you what do you love.
I'm looking for the less than obvious answers of "God" and "Jesus". In fact the odder the better. I would like to use some of these examples as part of the launch on the 23rd.
Anonymity is guaranteed on the night, i promise. Remember that if you don't want to be identified on the blog, you will need to hide your name when you post a comment.
The 2Love strategy is based on Jesus response to the lawyers question, "What is the greatest commanment?"
The story goes like this:
Mark 12: 28- 33: One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (bold mine)
In Western Vic i have adopted this strategy as part of my strategy for the division.
As is mentioned in my earlier blog, on the 23rd of June we will be launching the 2Love strategy for the division. Without giving much away, the strategy is based around equipping the young people of the division with ways to love God and others as they go back to their curches and communities, in order to impact the world.
But the real reason i wrote this blog wasnt to launch 2Love in WVD on cyberspace, but to ask you what do you love.
I'm looking for the less than obvious answers of "God" and "Jesus". In fact the odder the better. I would like to use some of these examples as part of the launch on the 23rd.
Anonymity is guaranteed on the night, i promise. Remember that if you don't want to be identified on the blog, you will need to hide your name when you post a comment.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Lots n Lots of Stuff Happening!!!
Wow!!
I just looked at my calendar and realised that there is so much stuff happening over the next two months!!
Coming up we have the divisional youth 2Love Grand Prix (2Love G.P for short) on the 23rd of June where we will be going go karting here in Ballarat followed by a worship event at the Forrest Gardens (Wendouree) corps hall. We are planning on having a guest band join us for this, so stay tuned for more info!!
Creative Kids Camp begins on the last day of June, and runs until the 2 of July. The theme for this year is Transformers, based around the concept of Romans 12:2- "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect." Transformers '07 will be a time of fun for 7 to 15 year olds where they can learn about what it means to be transformed and changed!!
During the second week of the school holidays the Salvo's hold their national netball and basketball carnival. From the 8th to the 15th at the Gawler Starplex stadium in South Oz the Western Vic teams will be competing against other Salvo teams from around the country. we could use a few players for mens basketball and womens netball, so if you're interested, let me know.
Also, the dates for Candidates Weekend have been announced. This year Candidates Weekend will be on from the 13th to the 15th of July, while I'm in Adelaide, unfortunately!! Candidates Weekend is an opportunity for all of those people who are interested in officership or lieutenancy (that is full time ministry) within The Salvation Army to gather together and explore their calling and find out what is involved in becoming and officer/lieutenant. If you are interested, let me know and I will get back to you.
Well that's about it for now,
Adios Amigos.
I just looked at my calendar and realised that there is so much stuff happening over the next two months!!
Coming up we have the divisional youth 2Love Grand Prix (2Love G.P for short) on the 23rd of June where we will be going go karting here in Ballarat followed by a worship event at the Forrest Gardens (Wendouree) corps hall. We are planning on having a guest band join us for this, so stay tuned for more info!!
Creative Kids Camp begins on the last day of June, and runs until the 2 of July. The theme for this year is Transformers, based around the concept of Romans 12:2- "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect." Transformers '07 will be a time of fun for 7 to 15 year olds where they can learn about what it means to be transformed and changed!!
During the second week of the school holidays the Salvo's hold their national netball and basketball carnival. From the 8th to the 15th at the Gawler Starplex stadium in South Oz the Western Vic teams will be competing against other Salvo teams from around the country. we could use a few players for mens basketball and womens netball, so if you're interested, let me know.
Also, the dates for Candidates Weekend have been announced. This year Candidates Weekend will be on from the 13th to the 15th of July, while I'm in Adelaide, unfortunately!! Candidates Weekend is an opportunity for all of those people who are interested in officership or lieutenancy (that is full time ministry) within The Salvation Army to gather together and explore their calling and find out what is involved in becoming and officer/lieutenant. If you are interested, let me know and I will get back to you.
Well that's about it for now,
Adios Amigos.
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Dead Sea
Recently, while i was travelling around the division, someone asked me why they call the Dead Sea the Dead Sea. For the life of me i can't remember who it was though, so if you're reading this post, and it was you who asked me the question, here is the answer:
After some discussion with others and a quick check of that encyclopedia that has info on just about everything, Wikepedia, it turns out that the Dead Sea has an incredibly high salinity level, approximately 30% making it the second most salty body of water and almost impossible for life to exist in it's waters. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest place on the planet not covered by water or ice at 418 metres below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the terminus for several rivers, the most significant being the Jordan River. The Dead Sea does not flow out to any thing, it is the final destination for the water from the rivers and their tributaries.
Coincidentally, while in a meeting yesterday i heard the dead sea used in an interesting analogy. We were talking about the role of the church, and how in some places the church is much like the Dead Sea. Some churches appear to be the final resting place for much activity. People come to church, come to faith and come to do nothing in the church. It appears there is a mentality that once you are a member of the church there is no further need for activity. It was suggested to those of us gathered that, perhaps, instead of our churches being like the Dead Sea, our churches should be like a spring or catchment area instead. That instead of the church being the final destination, the church should act like a catchment that collects water and focuses it and sends it out to the sea/ocean. The new people we see coming to our churches are like the rain, sent from God, which the church collects and channels into doing things. And as these people are sent into the world we see change coming, areas once barren and dry are reinvigorated with new life, life is given and change occurs.
It's an interesting thought isn't it.
It's amazing what happens when a thought process is changed.
After some discussion with others and a quick check of that encyclopedia that has info on just about everything, Wikepedia, it turns out that the Dead Sea has an incredibly high salinity level, approximately 30% making it the second most salty body of water and almost impossible for life to exist in it's waters. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest place on the planet not covered by water or ice at 418 metres below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the terminus for several rivers, the most significant being the Jordan River. The Dead Sea does not flow out to any thing, it is the final destination for the water from the rivers and their tributaries.
Coincidentally, while in a meeting yesterday i heard the dead sea used in an interesting analogy. We were talking about the role of the church, and how in some places the church is much like the Dead Sea. Some churches appear to be the final resting place for much activity. People come to church, come to faith and come to do nothing in the church. It appears there is a mentality that once you are a member of the church there is no further need for activity. It was suggested to those of us gathered that, perhaps, instead of our churches being like the Dead Sea, our churches should be like a spring or catchment area instead. That instead of the church being the final destination, the church should act like a catchment that collects water and focuses it and sends it out to the sea/ocean. The new people we see coming to our churches are like the rain, sent from God, which the church collects and channels into doing things. And as these people are sent into the world we see change coming, areas once barren and dry are reinvigorated with new life, life is given and change occurs.
It's an interesting thought isn't it.
It's amazing what happens when a thought process is changed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
