Worship is the key ... to everything

All my friends are getting married ...

2006-12-07T09:54:00.000+09:00

I am blessed to count my sons as good friends ... so I guess it's true.

Shane is engaged to Kim (from Thailand/Norway) and so we are off to Thailand for a wedding next year. They reckon that surprises come as a surprise !!! and this one came from left field. It's been a whirlwind romance, with Shane meeting her at Chiang Rai DTS earlier this year - falling in love - arranging for Kim to visit Perth recently to meet the family (country cousins included) and then making the decision on a recent visit to DTS base in Chiang Rai to go back and staff a DTS next year with Kim.

And Thomas has a Thai girlfriend (Tuu is her name) whom he met during DTS in Chiang Mai early this year.

As I said, all my friends are getting married ...

And I know someone else who met a nice girl at Chaing Rai DTS ... but thats a secret! And he's a friend ...

Punish those YWAM Discipleship Training Schools.

Shalom,
Steve

Random stuff ...

2006-12-04T23:46:00.000+09:00

Switched onto ABC2 tonight ... watched a Crowded House gig (those guys are so good) followed by a Roy Orbison show. Just goes to show ... if you're patient, a good show(s) will eventually appear on ABC2.

Other breaking news ... cancelled my trip to Hong Kong, China and Taiwan this week. Too much to do this side of Christmas !!!

My daughter Camille has got a blog (well she's actually had it for some time now) and she posted today ... yay !! Welcome to blogland for real Camz. Your shoutbox has been doing some serious trade though.

Work is crazy (as per normal).

Church is great ... I am Worship Leading on 17th Dec ... doing some carols, and invited my good friend Alan Flanders to play keyboards while we do "Oh Holy Night" as an item. What a blast. Should bring back lots of good memories of Carols in the Park while at Bethel Church in Cannington.

Listened to Selah Christmas carols album last week ... their version of "Oh Holy Night" is definitely up there. Must buy that album next time I am in Koorong.

Well that's it ... just random stuff.

I'm blessed ... because Jesus came to redeem me from the curse of the law ... hallelujah!!!

Shalom,
Steve

God does answer prayer ...

2006-09-30T15:51:00.000+08:00

The West Coast Eagles are AFL Premiers for 2006. What an amazing game.

I'm worship leading at Southern Districts tomorrow morning, and I think I'm losing my voice from all the cheering. Should be interesting.

Go the Eagles ... bad luck to Sydney who tried to undo their pathetic first half, but just didn't make the grade.

Shalom ... and commiserations to all the Swans supporters.

Coming up to breathe ...

2006-07-24T14:15:00.000+08:00

Have been punishing the new Mercy Me cd - "Coming Up To Breathe".

This is definately their best album yet. It mixes up so many different styles of music on the one CD. Some of them are traditional Mercy Me style, but some songs like "Where I Belong" are radically different, and still keep me glued to the seat until the last note has ended.

So thanks to my nephew Tim, who bought it for me as a present. I know it will continue to get punished for a long time yet :D)

If you don't own it yet, you are missing out on the best contemporary Christian music CD to be released so far this year. IMHO!!

Shalom,
Steve

A long lost love ...

2006-07-23T22:24:00.000+08:00

I'm rekindling a long lost (well ... maybe not lost ... just put aside) love for Christian fiction.

It started with the Frank Peretti novels in the late 1980's that grabbed my imagination, and started my interest in the concept of using fiction to portray truths (in this case, it was the concept of spiritual warfare as being real and everyday). Once a Peretti fan , always a Peretti fan ... I read everything of his I could get my hands on, including his bio.

Then I got hooked on the "Left Behind " series. I would wait eagerly for each new book in the series to be released, and then devour it as soon as I got it home - sometimes reading until 2 or 3 in the morning. Being a Pre-trib believer helped there a little I suppose - as many of my friends did not share my enthusiasm for fictional accounts of the last days.

I have always been a SF fan (Star Trek, Stargate, Sliders, Terminator, Total Recall, Time Cop, etc) and love the excitement of the constant battle between good and evil.

I stumbled across several bloggers sites (Rulan and Curm for starters), and then meandered to Michel Archer, Chris Well, Bonnie Calhoun, Brandilyn Collins, and so on. There is an awesome amount of Christian Fiction novel and short story writing going on out there, with many people using their God given gifts to write stories that are captivating and uplifting.

It is a pity that Michel Archer has put her series on "orientalisms" on hold for now. I would eagerly visit her blog every few days to see the latest installment in the drama of Yeshua and Max. Hopefully she will be able to deal with the people who were ripping off her story, and return to writing great stories for all to enjoy.

The only downside is that hardcover books are so darned expensive in this country. Most publishers take forever to release soft cover versions, and so it becomes an expensive hobby or interest to read good books when they are first released. Many of the Left Behind series that have been out for 3 or 4 years here in Australia are still only available in hard cover.

If you're interested in Christian Fiction, then take the time to visit some of these blog sites. It will be worth the effort.

Shalom - peace, prosperity and healing.

Steve

SDA ... a really cool church ...

2006-07-23T12:48:00.000+08:00

With all that Karen and I have been through over these past few years, the thought of finding a church where we would really be happy seemed distant most of the time.

And so surprise, surprise when God leads us to a church just down the road from where we live, and one which I drive past everyday on my way to work. I am sharing this because for the first time in nearly 5 years we feel at home in a church, and loved, and accepted, and valued, and involved. So much so that we are going to do the dreaded "M" word ... yes, thats right ... MEMBERSHIP.

The church that I am speaking so highly of is Southern Districts Alliance church - which is on Warton Road in Canning Vale. And once again today we had an awesome service with the many new friends we have made in our short few months there. The worship is great, the teaching is great, and the leadership is great. We have become involved in a home group (something I have not been able to for nearly 20 years for a number of reasons, the main one being that most home groups I have experienced in the past are a waste of time) which I look forward to every week.

I have missed this church and home group sooo much over these past 4 weeks that I have been overseas. And they all missed me ... makes me feel kinda loved by others outside my family. So if you are looking for a great church that will make you feel loved and accepted, come and visit one day - services start at 10-00AM. Like most people who visit SDA, you might end up staying!

Praise the Lord, for He is good.

Steve

The top of the world ...

2006-07-22T00:01:00.000+08:00

To have been in the Himalayan mountains (or a close relative of it - the Tien Shan mountain range ) in Krygyzstan is the most inspiring experience I have had in a long time.

The drive from Lake Isyk Kool up to the Kumtor Goldmine in the mountain range is the most amazing experience. To Reach a tundra at about 10,000 feet and then drive for almost a half hour along flat grassy plains with snow capped peaks all around you is to stare in wonder and amazement at God's creation. Then, to finally reach the minesite and actually see a real glacier right alongside the open cut mine pit is even more amazing. I stood on the roof of the mine office with my new JVC 30GB HDD video camera and rotated around slowly with the scenery filling the lense.

I marvelled at how our wonderful creator God could make a human body that can so quickly adapt to breathing air that only contains 40% of the normal level of oxygen. The secret of breathing three quick deep breathes regularly was one I learnt quickly, otherwise you become very ill. I was able to maintain my blood oxygen levels at around 96% to 98% during the day, which impressed the mine clinic doctors greatly.

It made me realise how complete was my healing from the Aspigillus lung infection that nearly killed me when I was about 21 years old. For years after that I learned to live with the severe lung tissue scarring that plagued my health for years. The outcome of that was that I learned to breathe deep and long as my lungs were incapable of absorbing normal levels of oxygen for my blood. Several years ago the regular x-rays I had as part of my medical check-ups started to reveal absolutely no scarring evident - and my health has been almost perfect the past 5 or 6 years, since I started claimed God's healing over my whole body.

The lung infection that nearly killed me 27 years ago taught me how to cope with high altitude - further proof that God takes every bad thing that has ever happened in our lives, and turns it for our benefit, and for His glory. I was able to tell several people about how my lungs had been completely healed, and how a miracle had happened in my life.

And just today (here in Perth at work) God revealed why I met a young Kyrgyz man named Andre whilst in Bishkek. He had breiefly shared with me about his wife and new child who had just been christened in the Orthodox Church, and I knew in my spirit that God had a purpose in all of this, but I believe He revealed the full purpose today. Brett, who travelled to Kyrgyzstan with me, left 3 days after me to return to Perth, and he had a chance to speak further with Andre after my departure. It turns out that Andre's oldest daughter (who is about 3) has Spina Bifida or some similar disease, and is only expected to live for another 5 years or so. I now know why God is going to send us back to do further work for this company - so that I can witness to Andre, and to lay hands on her and pray for his daughters healing.

God ALWAYS has a higher purpose ... sometimes we just need to wait upon Him to reveal it.

If you are able, would you join with me in praying for Andre's daughter that God would miraculously heal her, and reveal himself in all of His glory to Andre and his wife.

Whilst I was not particularly looking forward to returning to Kyrgyz because it is so demanding physically and mentally, I now know that God has a purpose in sending us back ... not just to do business of an earthly nature, but of a Heavenly nature.

Praise God, for He is good.

Steve

Forever is a long, long time ...

2006-07-21T23:43:00.000+08:00

Seems like forever since I last blogged.

Lots has happened in the past month or so ... I have been almost right around the world in that time. To actually sit down in front of a computer (not work related) and log in and update - well it seems like a luxury.

Since the end of June I have been to Thailand for Shane's DTS graduation in Chiang Rai, and then for work went to Kyrgyzstan in central Asia. This entailed flying to Dubai, Istanbul and then Bishkek, and then return the same way to Perth.

I have spent the last week trying to catch up on everything - including reading my favorite blogs. It is perhaps hard to believe that you can be in a situation these days where you don't have internet access, but trust me - it is quite common, especially when you are at a goldmine site in the Himalayan mountains at 11,000 feet altitude - struggling to breathe because the air is so thin!

It is soooo good to be back home in Australia, and it truly is the best place on earth ... Perth, I mean!!!

I will try to catch up on posting, and relate some of the awesome things that have happened in my life lately (especially visiting the Haggia Sofia in Istanbul). In the meantime, know that God is good, and His mercies endure forevermore.

Cheers,
Steve

45 today ...

2006-06-07T09:45:00.000+08:00

My beautiful wife Karen turns 45 today!

Happy birthday sweetheart - I'm so glad that you've spent 25 of those years with me. Thanks for three wonderful children, and for being my friend.

Have a great day celebrating with your family and friends.

lots of love,
Steve

Miracle of healing ...

2006-04-26T23:58:00.000+08:00

Brandilyn Collins is a writer of Christian fiction novels who has an amazing story to tell.

Here is an excerpt ...

After that prayer session, by God’s design, I’m sure, the place was unusually empty. No more sick people to pray for. The prayer teams were just sort of standing around. So I felt I should take advantage and go in a second time with a different prayer team. The second time Brandon went in with me. The team prayed for me, and this time (as one ACFWer had said I should do) I prayed too, commanding aloud that the illness leave my body in Jesus’ name. Brandon prayed also. Again I felt absolutely nothing. The prayer team said sometimes people don’t feel anything, but then the healing just swiftly comes. When I went out of that session, I was walking a little better. But to tell the truth I wouldn't admit it. I was disappointed, because I'd expected to be healed right then--and FEEL it. For some reason, I said to myself, God hasn't healed me. Still, I willed myself to praise Him anyway.

As I read this article from her webpage, I was so reminded of how God did a similar miracle for me in Laos.

This is a very inspiring read. Follow the link to her website to read it in full. You will be blessed and encouraged.

Prosperity, health and peace in the name of Jesus,
Steve

Swanee River ...

2006-04-25T00:04:00.000+08:00

In the short time Karen and I attended "119" home church in Langford ( started last year by Tony Dower - former Missions/World Changers Director for PCLC) we became friends with a fellow named Graham. He was baptised on Sunday afternoon in the Swan River (near Coode St jetty).

It was cool (literally) to be there. I have never attended a baptism outside of a church building before. A couple of guys were standing on the end of the jetty with their stubbies - watching the whole thing. I 'm not sure if they were amused or intrigued by the sight of Rob and Clarita dunking Graham in the water. I had (just briefly) a small glimpse of what it must have been like for Philip when he baptised the Ethiopian official in the lake, or when John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the river.

There were hundreds of people all around the place, and we must have looked strange to them - standing around on the shore, cheering Graham on. It reminded me of the scripture where Jesus said "if you confess Me before man, then I will confess you before the Father".

There are some words from a great old hymn that go like this ...

"I'm not ashamed to own my Lord,
or to defend His cause.
Maintain the honour of His Word,
the glory of His Cross."

It's worth thinking about!

Shalom,
Steve

Heaven ... hmmm ... can't wait ...

2006-04-22T13:11:00.000+08:00

I am almost finished reading "90 minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper - a Baptist Pastor in the US who died and went to Heaven's gates.

What an amazing story. I have been through every emotion whilst reading this book. I've cried more tears over this book than any other than I can remember. I identified with Don in so many parts of the book. Especially the parts where he describes the pain he endured during his recovery from the accident that "took his life for 90 minutes".

It took me back to when I trashed my left knee in that accident on the "biscuit" a few years back. I can still clearly remember the incredible pain that shot up my left leg when the knee snapped as it hit the water. And I can still remember the pain that followed week after week as the knee tried to recover from the trauma. I remember the MRI scan, and the physio sessions. I remember my specialist telling me that I would need to undergo knee reconstruction surgery, and I also remember my response to him. I was believing God for a miracle - I didn't want to undergo an operation to re-attach the ligaments to my bones.

As Don relates the anguish at being brought back from the gates of Heaven, and how he wished that he could die again, I identified with him so much. I know what it is like to go from a perfectly healthy, active, beach and water loving person to an invalid in a few seconds flat. We both know what it is like to live with the consequences of the decisions we made on the day of our accidents.

I am so glad that God healed Don Piper so that he could write this book. If I could recommend one book as a must read this year, then this is surely it!

I think I will buy a few extra copies and give them away. I will never be the same after reading this book - it has changed my attitude towards heaven and this life on earth forever.

For His glory,
Steve

Cyclone Glenda ... wow

2006-03-30T12:26:00.000+08:00

This is a picture of Tropical Cyclone Glenda.

This photo-like image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on March 29, 2006, at 10:40 a.m. local time (02:40 UTC). It shows Cyclone Glenda as a well-developed storm, sitting 525 kilometers (330 miles) west of Broome. Clouds from the storm covered most of the northwest coastline of Western Australia. Sustained, peak winds in the storm system were roughly 220 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour) at this time. The storm’s spiraling clouds appear as a nearly solid white disk, but in several places, it appears as though some clouds are “boiling” up above the rest.

It struck me as I was thinking about how awesome is the power being unleashed by this storm, that the words of Jesus calmed a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee. I realised that it is not the size of the storm we are going through that matters, but the size of our God!!!

The word that Jesus actually used to calm the sea was "Shalom". Most people know that one of the meanings of this word is "peace", but if you ask a Jewish person what "shalom" means to the Jews, they will tell you that it actually means three things - "peace, health and prosperity".

Makes you think, doesn't it!

Shalom ...

Back to front is good ...

2006-03-29T19:35:00.000+08:00

Have you ever heard sayings which when mixed up a little, make a whole lot more sense?

Here's a couple of well known sayings (or not so well known - depending on where you're from) and their rehashed context.

1. "That person is so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use"
... and turned inside out by Steve Beckingham to read ...
"That person is so earthly minded that they are of no heavenly use".

2. "Don't just stand there - do something"
... and turned inside out by Mark Geppart - author of The Attack Lambs - to read ...
"Don't just do something - stand there (and pray!!!)".

3. "I'll believe it when I see it"
... and turned inside out by Kirsten Williams - YWAM New Zealand - to read ...
"We'll see it when we believe it".

If anyone has anymore sayings that make more sense when reversed, then leave a comment!

An evotional blog ...

2006-02-18T22:00:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Bruce over at His Method blog for introducing Pastor Mark Batterson, who has some really neat things to say. Here are some examples from his blog called "Evotional.com" ...

This one is an excerpt from a message called "Lame Parties" - to read the full post, go here.

Luke 15:10 is one of those verses that gives us a glimpse through the glass floorboards of heaven. There is a holy party happening. It says, "There is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents."

One person putting their faith in Christ sets off a cosmic celebration. According to the latest research I've come across, approximately 100,000 people put their faith in Christ all around the world every day! And there are only 86,400 seconds in a day. Do the math and you discover this: there is a cosmic celebration of infinite proportions initiated every second or every minute of every hour of every day! Heaven is a non-stop celebration! The church ought to be a mirror reflection of that reality!

I'm absolutely convinced that our biggest problem isn't the fact that we don't feel bad enough about what's wrong with us. Our biggest problem is that we don't feel good enough about what's right with God. We let what's wrong with us keep us from worshipping what's right with God. Our gravest sin is under-celebrating the greatness and goodness of God. We don't celebrate half as much or half as well as they are celebrating in heaven. But that's the holy standard. Our church parties ought to approximate heaven's parties. We've got to throw better parties! In the words of Rob Bell: "The church has nothing to say to the world until it throws better parties."

I must confess I've never been to a really good party, except for my 40th birthday party! It was so good, I wished it would never end. Sad and tragic I know.

Here's another excerpt from another good one ... strangely titled "12,771".

I have a growing conviction: the Church should be in the business of redeeming technology and using it to serve God's purposes.

Isn't that what Johann Gutenberg did? He redeemed the printing press and used it to get more Bibles into more hands. Why not redeem the iPod and turn it into a high-tech tool for e-vangelism or digital discipleship? The message is sacred, but the medium isn't. The church needs to use any and every medium at its disposal to share the gospel with as many people as possible. It's a stewardship issue. We're far too analogical in our approach to ministry. We've got to carpe digital.

Who said preachers have to preach from behind a pulpit and parishioners have to listen while seated on wooden pews?

In 1728, John Wesley was ordained into the Anglican priesthood. It was assumed that preaching would take place behind a pulpit inside the four walls of a church sanctuary. The hierarchy within the Church of England considered preaching outdoors a violation of canon law. John Wesley broke the law and broke the mold.

And finally, here is the best of the bunch, IMHO ... from a post called "Ten Buzz Commandments".

I'll expound on them in a future blog, but here are the Buzz Commandments. I've got to narrow it down to ten commandments. Here are twenty:

Buzz I--Thou Shalt Hang Out at Wells
Buzz II--Thou Shalt turn Water in Wine
Buzz III--Thou Shalt Touch Lepers
Buzz IV--Thou Shalt Not Wash Thy Hands
Buzz V--Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees And Call Them Names
Buzz VI--Thou Shalt Be Shrewd as Snakes
Buzz VII--Thou Shalt Speak in Parables
Buzz VIII--Thou Shalt Wash Feet
Buzz IX--Thou Shalt Not Put New Wine in Old Wineskins
Buzz X--Thou Shalt Seek Lost Sheep
Buzz XI--Thou Shalt Not Wear Extra Long Tassels
Buzz XII--Thou Shalt Heal on the Sabbath
Buzz XIII--Thou Shalt Curse Barren Fig Trees
Buzz XIV--Thou Shalt Climb the Mount of Transfiguration
Buzz XV--Thou Shalt Defend Adulteress Women
Buzz XVI--Thou Shalt Turn Over Tables In The Temple
Buzz XVII--Thou Shalt Be Innocent As Doves
Buzz XVIII--Thou Shalt Ride Donkeys
Buzz XIX--Thou Shalt Withdraw To The Wilderness
Buzz XX--Thou Shalt Walk On Water

I highly recommend that you go have a look see on Mark's blog, and be challenged and entertained at the same time.

You liddle bewdy ...

2006-02-18T10:48:00.000+08:00

Thomas is back home from Thailand, the shed is up and almost finished, the new landscaper is coming here on Monday, the new Hyundai Sonata car is soooo nice to drive, and my wife gets more beautiful every day! What more could a guy want?

No seriously, in spite of all the crap things that get thrown at us in life, God is consistently good. Full of mercy, and rich in love. I love the way our God is always exactly how He describes Himself in His word.

We have become overcomers because Jesus has overcome the world. It has absolutely nothing to do with us!

The trip to Thailand was the best ever, and it was such a blessing for Karen and myself to visit the Chiang Mai DTS (YWAM) base that Thomas has been staffing at, and to participate in the graduation ceremony. It was especially good to see the way the kids we met back in October at the beginning of DTS, and to see and hear about what God has done in their lives. Awesome stuff! It was also cool that Shane was able to get a leave pass for Friday arvo and Saturday to travel down from Chiang Rai with some friends and attend the graduation as well. It was so good to just hang out with him, and to share our hotel room with him on Friday night. In the house Shane !!! Sweet MacGregor.

On the Wednesday after Thomas had finished de-briefing from DTS, the three of us (Karen, Thomas and me) jumped on a bus to Chiang Rai, and went to visit Shane's DTS base. We got to meet with Paul Willcox - the base director - and met all of the crew. We stayed in CR for three days, and stayed (off base) with a young couple called Uab and Jesse Ford (who have the most delightful little boy named Silas). We were so blessed that they invited us into their home.

It is always awesome to see the way that God uses DTS to challenge and change peoples lives. In the few days that we were there, we saw how DTS can be a life changing experience. Karen and I both came away from there feeling strongly that we would like to do a DTS one day. In fact I think I would prefer to do a DTS rather than Bible College (in Thailand of course).

This week ended on a high note. I was invited to speak to two classes at Lumen Christi College here in Perth about building electric vehicles for the high school electric vehicle challenge coming up later this year. It was just so cool to be able to speak into these kids lives, and to impart something to them. Some of the heavy technical stuff went over their heads, but they were so keen to learn, and they blessed me at the end of it with a nice bottle of red wine, and the school photographer took some photos of me with the kids - which will be used in an article in the next school magazine.

And Thomas flew in from Thailand yesterday morning ... ready to go back to Curtin Uni to finish his degree. How much better can it get?

Oh well, I'd better go and finish painting the floor in my new 12m x 7m shed ...

Proverbs says that "the Lord's blessing is our greatest treasure, and He adds no trouble to it!"

Memories ...

2006-01-18T11:39:00.000+08:00

The words of an old hymn just popped into my head. Here they are ...

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing, I will sing.
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

With my mouth, will I make known
His faithfulness, His faithfulness.
With my mouth, will I make known
His faithfulness to all generations ...

God is soooooooooo good ...

2006-01-18T11:20:00.000+08:00

My new shed/workshop/garage is going to start being erected today - yay!!! (Only been waiting since October)

Things are busy already at work - 2006 is going to be a fantastic year for our (God's) business, because He is blessing our efforts. Did He not say that He would cause us to prosper in everything that we do!

I am believing for many opportunities this year to preach and teach more. My desire is to get back involved in worship ministry, and to sow truth and life into every one that I meet or minister to.

I found someone who is going to possibly be able to fix all of our brick paving and limestone wall messes that we were left with. Another yay!!!

And I am married to the most wonderful woman on planet earth, who truly rocks my world.

And it's all because of God's promise to me - that He knows the plans that He has for me, and they are plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Plans to give me a hope and a future.

Where would I be without Him? Where would I be without Jesus and His finished work of the cross? Where would I be without His Holy Spirit?

Jesus nailed it when He said that only God is truly good. Only God could truly love me and bless me the way that He does.

Leadership in the relational church ...

2006-01-16T23:44:00.000+08:00

Continuing on with the theme of life in the relational church, here are some more thoughts from Wayne Jacobsen ...

Clearly Jesus warned his disciples that in God’s reality leadership serves a different function than it does in the world because it is not based on management. Yet many books on Christian leadership today are so easily adapted to the business world. That alone should make us stop and question.

Jesus didn’t view leadership as the power to command, but the passion to serve people as they sort out what it means to live as God’s children. In the last decade my understanding of leadership has changed completely. I used to see it in terms of power—thinking leadership was defined by influence, institutional power or the value of their giftedness.

That’s not so in God. Those who have helped me most to grow in Father’s love, surprisingly enough, don’t hold positions of power but simply loved me enough to point out the way to God’s heart and then let me decide if I wanted to follow it...

I guess that it's true (when I think back) that the pastors/teachers who have influenced me the most over the past few years were all gracious, humble, and yet were not perfect!

It is also so true that we are all looking for the perfect church … which means something different to every person I know. The one thing “perfect church” seekers have in common is a desire to find a place of community where they can grow in Christ – a place where grace is the rule (we already have grace from God, but rarely receive it from man) – where we can exercise our gifts for the glory of God, and for the building up of His body.

I want to be in a church were the spiritually lost take priority over programs, buildings, and every other thing that gets in the way of being missional in the true sense of the word.

Why are churches spending tens of millions of dollars on flash buildings and other frivolous pursuits when children and women in Tanzania (I have been there and seen it with my own eyes) have to walk 10 kilometres or more to collect muddy disease infested drinking water from a well or creek?

My desire is to be Christ centred, Christ focussed, and as a result of that, to become more like Him. To act like He would act, to do what He would do, for His priorities to become my priorities, to rejoice when He rejoices, and to grieve when He grieves.

I feel like He is gently guiding me in the direction that He has planned for me – to make a difference in this world. To declare all of the awesome things that He has done for me, so that others can catch the vision.

And church can be a very good training ground …

Why house church isn't the answer ...

2006-01-16T23:24:00.000+08:00

Found an interesting article by Wayne Jacobsen on the website "Lifestream.org" which has an excellent discussion on why "House Church" may not always be the answer people are looking for.

Here is a small excerpt ...

We've taught for years the mistaken notion that we need to go to church to fill up on the life of God. Not true! We can only fill up on God's life through a transforming relationship with the Father through his Son. We were never meant to come to fill ourselves with church, but to live full of him and then share his life together with God's people.

Here is the problem with most of what passes for church life today, including many house churches: Rather than teaching people how to live dependent on Jesus Christ, it supplants that dependency by its misguided attempt to take the place of Jesus in people's lives. Instead of teaching them how to live in him, they make them dependent on the structures and gatherings of what we call church. Our expressions of church life just become another thing to stand in the way of people living deeply and fully in him.

It's well written, and Wayne earnestly encourages people to centre their dependence on Jesus himself. Well worth taking the time to read in my opinion, as are many of the other articles on Lifestream.org website. Click here to read the full article.

Oh... and by the way, we recently left a mainstream Pentecostal church to join a brand new home church.

Let's get rid of the Pastor ...

2006-01-15T23:08:00.000+08:00

Seems a bit radical doesn't it. But if this article from "Present Testimony Ministry" is anything to go on, if begs a thought or two.

Frank Viola has written a book called "Pagan Christianity: The Origins of Our Modern Church Practices."

The article in question takes excerpts from this book and unpacks them in quite an orderly and well researched fashion. To say that he challenges the position of our modern church pastor is an understatement. Here are some excerpts from the article ...

The Pastor.

He is the fundamental figure of the Protestant faith. He is the chief, cook, and bottle-washer of today’s Christianity. So prevailing is the Pastor in the minds of most Christians that he is better known, more highly praised, and more heavily relied upon than Jesus Christ Himself!

Remove the Pastor and modern Christianity collapses. Remove the Pastor and virtually every Protestant church would be thrown into a panic. Remove the Pastor and Protestantism as we know it dies. The Pastor is the dominating focal point, mainstay, and centerpiece of the modern church. He is the embodiment of Protestant Christianity.

But here is the profound irony. There is not a single verse in the entire NT that supports the existence of the modern day Pastor! He simply did not exist in the early church.

Pretty much in your face for an opening statement, but I must admit, it did keep me reading right to the end of the article. The bluntness continues ...

The Pastor is in the Bible . . . Right?

The word “Pastors” does appear in the NT:

And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as PASTORS and teachers (Ephesians 4:11, NASB).

The following observations are to be made about this text.

* This is the only verse in the NT where the word “Pastor” is used. One solitary verse is a mighty scanty piece of evidence on which to hang the entire Protestant faith! In this regard, there is more Biblical authority for snake handling than there is for the modern Pastor. (Mark 16:18 and Acts 28:3-6 both mention handling snakes. So snake handling wins out two verses to one verse.)

* The word is used in the plural. It is “Pastors.” This is significant. For whoever these “Pastors” are, they are plural in the church, not singular. Consequently, there is no Biblical support for the practice of Sola Pastora (single Pastor).

* The Greek word translated “Pastors” is poimen. It means shepherds. (“Pastor” is the Latin word for shepherd.) “Pastor,” then, is a metaphor to describe a particular function in the church. It is not an office or a title. A first-century shepherd had nothing to do with the specialized and professional sense it has come to have in modern Christianity. Therefore, Ephesians 4:11 does not envision a pastoral office, but merely one of many functions in the church. Shepherds are those who naturally provide nurture and care for God’s sheep. It is a profound error, therefore, to confuse shepherds with an office or title as is commonly conceived today.

On the subject of ordination, here are Frank's views ...

The Fallacy of Ordination

In the fourth century, theology and ministry were the domain of the priests. Work and war were the domain of the laity. What was the rite of passage into the sacred realm of the priest? Ordination.

Before we examine the historical roots of ordination, let us look at how leadership was recognized in the early church. The apostolic workers (church planters) of the first century would revisit a church after a period of time. In some of those churches, the workers would publicly acknowledge elders. In every case, the elders were already “in place” before they were publicly endorsed.

Calvin and Luther apparently did their bit ...

From Priest to Pastor

John Calvin did not like the word “priest” to refer to ministers. He preferred the term “Pastor.” In Calvin’s mind, “Pastor” was the highest word one could use for ministry. He liked it because the Bible referred to Jesus Christ, “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb. 13:20). Ironically, Calvin believed that he was restoring the NT bishop (episkopos) in the person of the Pastor!

Luther also did not like the word “priest” to define the new Protestant ministers. He wrote, “We neither can nor ought to give the name priest to those who are in charge of the Word and sacrament among the people. The reason they have been called priests is either because of the custom of the heathen people or as a vestige of the Jewish nation. The result is injurious to the church.” So he too adopted the terms “preacher,” “minister,” and “Pastor” to refer to this new office.

And my final snippet from Franks article/book is bound to raise the ire of most people ...

Now that we have unearthed the roots of the modern Pastor, let us shift our attention to the practical effects a Pastor has on the people of God.

The unscriptural clergy/laity distinction has done untold harm to the Body of Christ. It has ruptured the believing community into first and second-class Christians. The clergy/laity dichotomy perpetuates an awful falsehood. Namely, that some Christians are more privileged than others to serve the Lord.

Our ignorance of church history has allowed us to be robbed blind. The one-man ministry is entirely foreign to the NT, yet we embrace it while it suffocates our functioning. We are living stones, not dead ones. However, the pastoral office has transformed us into stones that do not breathe.

Permit me to get personal. The pastoral office has stolen your right to function as a member of Christ’s Body! It has shut your mouth and strapped you to a pew. It has distorted the reality of the Body, making the Pastor a giant mouth and transforming you into a tiny ear.It has rendered you a mute spectator who is proficient at taking sermon notes and passing an offering plate!

All in all, a pretty interesting read. And I thought I was being radical reading Mark Geppert's book - "Bridges: Getting from A to B" which seriously and convincingly challenges the pyramid shaped style of modern church hierarchical leadership. Sounds like I'm talking up the emergent/post modern church model doesn't it?

I'd be interested to hear your comments on Frank Viola's article, but I would ask one thing. Please read the article first!

Also, has anyone else read Mark Geppert's book "Bridges: getting from A to B"? Definitely worth the read in my opinion. I think it may be hard to get hold of here in Australia though, as it is published in Singapore.

Good stuff ...

2006-01-14T21:16:00.000+08:00

One blog that I enjoy reading is His Method by Bruce Chant. Bruce has this uncanny knack of finding the most interesting links and articles.

One excellent gem he recently dug up was this post by Bob Kauflin on his blog "Worship Matters". You can read it here, or read Bruce's subsequent post on Bob's post here. (It's interesting that Bob's blog address is Worshipmatters.blogs.com and mine is Worshiprules.blogspot.com) So thanks Bruce for alerting me to Bob's excellent blog - I am sure that I will become a regular reader.

There's a link on this comment about backmasking which has a subsequent link to a website known as talkbackwards.com - this is a very interesting read. Brings back memories of the John Todd tapes we all listened to in the late '70s. Hmmm ... I think I still have my copies somewhere!!

Another goodie is the link Bruce has to Ed Stetzer, who is a church planter ... among other things. Bruce's post is here. The page that the link goes to is pretty ordinary, but at the bottom of the text are these words ... For fun, you could read a scathing critique of Dr. Stetzer here.

And so I did, and it was very interesting. It links to a site called "The Christian News and Views On-line Newsletter". It's an article about several aspects of the modern church, including "worship". Here is a sample line from that text ...

In the world of the church, promoters of "ancient-future" faith are making a splash with a theology of worship that blends early Christian practices with a postmodern culture.

Whilst I agree with some of the things the writer says, I found myself disagreeing with most of what he wrote in the complete article.

Here is another example of what the author says about "there's a new faith in town" man Ed Stetzer ...

He says that people want something mystical-magical-supernatural and spiritual. Too often, postmoderns feel they're meeting an alien culture when they encounter evangelical Christianity, Stetzer says. He says it’s not the job of the unchurched postmodern to enter our culture. It is our job to invade theirs. In other words, the lost in sin should not be expected to make a “change”, it is the job of the church to “change” and CHANGE it is doing.

Stetzer says that churches should worship “experientially”, while Christ says we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23) The Nehemiah Project church-planting center at “Southern Baptist Seminary” in Louisville, Ky. says, “postmoderns want to “experience” God. They want to FEEL God. They want to MEET God on familiar, informal, personal, relaxed terms. BUT, the Bible teachers that people are to FEAR God.

Dunno about the magical/mystery thingy, but the supernatural and spiritual is a given when God is involved in Church by His Spirit.

The article raises lots of issues about worship such as drama, dancing in church (worship dancing??), banners, pageantry, and reciting creeds, etc.

I have my own ideas about these things, and I am what most people would call traditional in this respect (if there is such a thing as traditional post modern). Having been involved in using some powerful YWAM dramas during missions outreaches in Thailand, I have seen the Holy Spirit mightily annoint these dramas with amazing results. They never cease to impact me, and I have seen some of them dozens of times. The question remains in most peoples minds though that do these things belong in a church worship service? In my mind, if they cause people to seek God's face, then why not! If they are there purely for entertainment, then I say forget it!

Banners and pageantry? Symbolism for the sake of symbolism is just symbolism - nothing more. Meeting around the Lord's Table for Communion is Sooooo much more than symbolism - it is obedience to Christ's command.

A very thought provoking article, and worth reading just to understand how some people think.

Whoops, I did it again ...

2006-01-14T20:05:00.000+08:00

I (and Karen ... and Camille) just sent our second son Shane off to Thailand to do a DTS with YWAM in Chiang Rai. And our first son - Thomas - is still leading a DTS team outreach with YWAM students from the Chiang Mai DTS that ends in Feb this year.

What an experience! Firstly getting Shane (love you son) onto that plane, and then dealing with the adrenaline deficit that has hit since yesterday morning. And then hearing (last night) that Thai Airways misplaced his backpack - in other words it didn't turn up at Chiang Rai airport baggage carousel with the rest of his gear!

Karen was feeling the stress a bit when she heard the news ... and she reminded me this morning that it wasn't fair because we had specifically prayed that his baggage would NOT get lost. Hmmm ... crisis of faith here potentially for me ... until God inspired me that if we prayed it in Jesus name, then it would surely come to pass. And so I said to Karen, it's not lost - just misplaced. Shortly after, I rang Shane on his mobile to be informed that he was at the airport picking up his backpack :-)

Isn't God good, and He is true to His word.

It seems so strange having our two boys both overseas on missions. As I just said ... God is good. Just when we thought it would be really quiet around here with only Camille (my daughter) and Karen home, and knowing that Karen and I are going to Thailand to help Thomas bring all of his stuff home in February, and Camille would be by herself (no bro's or folks) - one of Camille's old school friends decided to move back to Perth and needs somewhere to stay. So Camille has temporarily lost another bro, but gained a "sister". So as Shane would say ... "welcome to the hood Rebecca!"

Tomorrow morning I am preaching (sorry ... bringing the word) at 11/9 Church in Langford. This is the new house church Karen and I have been attending. It started on September 11th, 2005 - which expains the name (pronounced "eleven nine church").

It's funny how God's Spirit moved in a number of loosely connected people at the same time last year to leave their established churches and to step out into something new. Karen and I had both felt that it was time for us to leave Bethel Life Centre for several months, and eventually decided to make the move in August last year. When the pastors there asked us where we were going, we answered that we didn't know yet, but that God was leading us into something new to do with missions. Maybe a church with a HUGE focus on missions, or a new church! After all, missions is our passion ( oh okay ... and worship).

Karen and I both feel that one day we would like to do a Crossroads DTS with YWAM (thats a DTS for oldies like us). I have known in my spirit for some time that we were destined to be a missionary family. It is slowly coming to pass!

I remember during one of the last services that I worship led at Thornlie CoC about 5 years ago, that I played a segment of a video recording of Bill Gaunson's message (just before he was killed in that car accident) where he says "the only kind of Christian God wants is a missionary minded Christian". Those words obviously really impacted me, and it was not long after that when God turned our lives upside down and started preparing us for what lay ahead.

And so Shane is just beginning a 5 month experience of discipleship and cross cultural missions in nothern Thailand, and Thomas is drawing to a close his 3 year involvement in the Chiang Mai DTS - firstly as a DTS student, and then 2 years of staffing.

God has grown Thomas into an awesome leader, and a fine young man whom I am looking forward to spending time with again when he returns to Perth in February. If you want to read what God is doing in Thomas' life at the moment, go here ...

If you want to follow Shane's journey over the next few months, go here ...

And in 5 months it's back to Thailand for Shane's graduation. We're already praying for God to bless us with cheap airfares so that all 4 of us can go back for the big event. Hmmm ... I wonder if the kids will come to Karen's and my graduation if we do a Crossroads DTS?

To quote Napoleon Dynamite ... "peace out".

Why blog ? ...

2005-12-10T11:36:00.000+08:00

I must confess that I enjoy reading other peoples blogs more than I enjoy posting on my own!

It's fun to note all of the different styles of blogs - some people talk nonsense and others talk serious stuff. Some Christians are very intolerant when they comment on other peoples blogs - it seems there is an ongoing war between "calvinists" and "armenians". Apparently people can shoebox you depending on what you say on your blog. One blog I read had a calvinist (commenter ... commentator?) condemning an armenian (blogger) to hell. The sad thing is that the "armenian" didn't even know he was an "armenian"!

As a person who hates tags, I try my hardest to keep everyone guessing ... to be quite honest I wouldn't have a clue what I "am supposed to be". If you'd asked me 5 years ago what I was, I would probably have said calvinist. After reading what a calvinist actually believes, now I'm not sure I want to be one of them.

And then you get the "emergent" versus the "pre/anti/non/don't wanna be emergent" (or whatever the opposite of "emergent" is). Probably "traditional"! They tend to be a little less violent verbally, although they still disagree.

And then you have blogs that are encouraging. They build you up in your faith! They share stories about how awesome our God is, and tell about His fame and the amazing miracles He has done on their behalf.

Some use blogger or similar canned format, and others use their own design webpage with awesome graphics and content. Some have great links, and others have no links. Some attract dozens of comments, and others go months on end without a single comment. Chris (over at http://www.foreigndevil.org) has just got 6 comments on a "non" post. That must be a record!

Cyberanger (over at http://www.cyberanger.blogspot.com) has some great links, and has a very enjoyable blog to read. One of the links shown here is about God's grace. I have heard a lot said about grace lately, and this link explains my position on grace very well. Go here to read it ... http://www.gospelfortoday.org/jteachings/fallfromgrace.htm

And then there are the people (like me) who go for months on end and never post. It's probably because we're too busy reading other peoples blogs and leaving comments on them :-)

So as one of my favourite bloggers says ... "I'm tired, and I've run out of things to say".

New Creation ...

2005-12-04T16:13:00.000+08:00

Whenever I visit Singapore for a few days, I go to New Creation Church ("The Rock") to experience amazing corporate worship, and to receive some good teaching.

The Senior Pastor there is a young man named Joseph Prince, and he teaches on the "Word of Faith" principles and God's grace.

When the Lord first guided my family and me to this place one Sunday several years ago, we were absolutely amazed at the whole experience of heart melting worship and annointed Bible teaching. Many things that previously had not made sense in the Word of God suddenly became clear and easy to understand. The whole service we just sat there and thought to ourselves - how wonderful it would be to attend a church like that in Perth.

I had heard lot's of bad press about the "word of faith" movement, which seemed to be famous for the "blab it and grab it", "name it and claim it" type of theology. I had pretty much made up my mind that I wouldn't want any part of that kind of teaching, and so for God to lead us all to a church that was teaching this kind of theology was a bit of a surprise. Even today, most people that I speak with seem to thing that the "word of faith" movement is all about the infamous "prosperity doctrine". It only takes a quick search of the internet to find numerous sites that slam everything to do with "word of faith" teaching, and some of the men who have taught that theology. Unfortunately, a lot of the "bad" things that are reported are true, but that doesn't mean that everything they said or did was wrong. A lot of the dodgy things that they are accused of were accepted and pursued across a broad spectrum of pentecostal churchs. That doesn't make all of their teachings wrong. The believers responsibility (according to scripture) is to rightly divide the word that is taught, and to weigh it up against the Word of God. The Spirit of the Living God leads us into all truth, using the living Word of God to determine what is right and what is wrong.

I was actually amazed to discover that the contemporary "word of faith" teachers (like Joseph Prince) are very serious about studying the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) that the Word was written in, so that a true understanding of the meaning of the scriptures can be understood. This has revolutionised my beliefs about health, healing, prosperity in all aspects of my life, and what God's grace is really all about.

Anyone who has read most of my blog will realise that God has done awesome things in my life, and I attribute most of this to the things and the principles that I have learned since moving closer to the charismatic camp.

Recently I ordered a whole heap of teaching CD's from New Creation Church, and they have arrived! Needless to say, I have been eagerly listening to them and learning so much - and am looking forward to the opportunity to share some of these principles when I next preach at church.

Also, a friend recently loaned me a Keith Moore teaching tape about how we are blessed, not cursed, because Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the truth. How many of us still believe that even as Christians, we are affected by generational curses and suchlike.

I am lately being forced more and more to question what I have been taught, and to re-assess what I believe. But it's all good - I am growing in my understanding of just what exactly Jesus did upon the Cross.

I am blessed beyond the curse, because Jesus died to redeem me from the curse of the law. He died so that I would be healed, and suceed in everything that I do. Wow, what an awesome God we serve. How fantastic that we can call Him Father, and that He calls us His children.

I am reminded to be careful of what I speak out of my mouth, because the Word states that "the power of life and death are in the tongue". I will speak only that which reflects the fact that I am BLESSED, not cursed.

I will believe what God has said in His living Word.

God answers prayer ...

2005-12-04T15:28:00.000+08:00

Ever had one of those prayers that you prayed and then forgot about ... but God hasn't forgotten?

Had one of those this week. Karen reminded me of a prayer that I prayed some months ago regarding something that really irks her and me, but which we both felt powerless to change. So I prayed for the "mountain to be removed", and then forgot about it.

And now it looks like my request will come to pass. And what a blessing it will be. When it happens, I will share the full story here - about how our awesome God "removed" our mountain.

How often do we just accept the situation (translated = mountain) because of unbelief. We are somehow convinced that God doesn't get involved in "un-spiritual matters". I would like to suggest that on this earth this no such thing as an un-spiritual matter. Everything that matters to us matters to our loving and awesome Heavenly Father.

He loves to do miracles on our behalf ... because He can! Because He is God! Because He is King of kings, and Lord of lords!

Now for something different ...

2005-12-04T15:11:00.000+08:00

I was so pumped when Kate DeAraugo won Australian Idol. I must confess that I voted for her a few times, because I believe that she truly deserved to win.

Her voice is so mellow, and she has a beautiful smile which shows how she feels inside. And considering "shark boy's" rude "tuck shop arms" comments, I thought that she showed amazing grace in putting all of the criticism behind her.

The final clincher for me, which convinced me beyond a doubt that she was going to win, was the final night of performances. Her rendition of Mary Mary's "Shackles" blew me away. She was singing it like she really believed it.

So good on you Kate! Well done - you deserved the reward for never giving up - for trying three times to get into the competition.

Can't wait for Kate's album to be released. I might just buy my first Australian Idol related CD.

Snippet #2

2005-08-09T23:30:00.000+08:00

Mark Geppert's book - "The Attack Lambs" is one of the most awesome books I have ever read. Here is my favourite excerpt from chapter 4 which is aptly called "Neutralize the enemy".

Mark had been a missionary to Guatemala in the early days of his ministry. At this time - in 1976 - God used an earthquake to open the doors for evangelical outreach into the country.

God had given Mark a burden for small villages in "marginal" areas. He would walk between villages distributing Spanish Bibles. He found huge success in reaching the villagers with the Word of God, until the enemy threw up a challenge. He visited with a co-worker - Gilbert Dilley - in the town of San Jose del Golfo, where they were met by a local elder, Lazuro Ochoa Catalan, and two policemen. One of the policemen was a new brother in the church, and he delivered the news that Mark and Gilbert would not be travelling out to the villages as there was a very important meeting they had to attend. Here is the rest of the story in Mark's words ...

San Jose is the municipal centre of goverment for about thirty small villages extending from the Atlantic Coast Highway to the Motagua River just fifteen miles east of Guatemala City. The Lord had given us small groups in each of the villages and a church in San Jose. Our influence was building in the area and had caught the attention of the government.

As we entered the large meeting room of the town hall, I recognized most of the men. The mayor of San Jose was there as well as the sub-mayors who presided over each community where I had been distributing Bibles. They were easily distinguished by their hats and official sticks.

The mayor greeted me and thanked me for being there. He wanted to know who Gilbert was and said that Lazuro did not have to stay but could if he wanted to. Two of the closest friends I will ever know, both men said they would be glad to stay.

The mayor explained that this was a special and very important meeting because these men wanted me to declare my intention in their communities. When I asked him exactly how important, he said it would be the most important meeting I would probably ever attend.

Calling the meeting to order, the mayor had each man stand in front of a chair all of which formed a circle. He explained to the men who I was, although most of them knew me. He took great pains to formally introduce Gilbert and Lazuro and expressed their desire to remain. He explained my Spanish was fine so there was no need for translation. I would understand their questions and could answer quite well.

While all this was going on I was in the Spirit quietly asking God to neutralize the power of the enemy arrayed against us so His work could go on to bear fruit. When the mayor suggested we start with questions, I immediately jumped in with what the Lord had given me, not knowing where it would lead or even what the next step would be.

"I realize that this is a very important meeting and I want to express my appreciation for your coming all the way to be here. May I suggest, since this is such an important meeting, we follow a custom which we have in my country for such occassions."

They thought that was a good idea and so I explained to them, "In meetings of this importance in my country, we always start with prayer."

They looked at each other and again at me. They were not men of prayer.

"Since this is such an important meeting," I continued to cover their hesitation, "it is important the prayer be done properly. Just custom you understand."

They were getting a little upset with the length of time this was taking, but they were going along with it, just to be customarily correct.

"Now in prayers like this it is customary for us as men to pray with our hats off."

They looked to the mayor who, with a condescending shrug, removed his hat. They too removed their hats and looked around at each other. I cannot recall another meeting in Latin America in which all men had their hats off.

Now I was nervous, but I continued as the Lord gave me instructions.

"Since this is such an important meeting, and we surely want it to go well, perhaps we should follow custom another step."

The mayor was not smiling when his eye caught mine. I had pushed this about as far as I was going to be able.

" Perhaps," I suggested, "we should join hands to pray."

Latin men do not stand around with their hats off holding hands. They looked to the mayor and then to me; you could see the fire in their eyes. I took the hands of Gilbert and Lazuro and they in turn reached out for the others. The men placed their hats and sticks on the chairs behind them and took hands. A nervous laughter went through the place.

Now, feeling very hung out there by the Lord, I said, "I know that many of you are not used to praying and since this has to be right, may I suggest I lead you in prayer and you all repeat the prayer after me."

Somewhat relieved, they were quick to agree.

"Lord Jesus," I began, and they followed. "Forgive me of my sins. Come into my life as my personal Saviour and Lord. Give me the power to be a good man and a good leader for my people, in Jesus name."

When they said "in Jesus name," the earth literally shook! There was an earthquake. The place shook violently from side to side as well as up and down. I was scared to death. Holding Gilbert and Lazuro's hands tightly, I did not open my eyes.

The quake measured 6.5 we found out later. The mayors ran from the building as they were afraid the terra cotta tiles would come crashing down through the wooden rafters and crush our skulls. Taking no thought for important hats or sticks, they dashed from the building.

Now, when a tremor stops, there is complete silence. Dogs do not bark, birds do not chirp, all creation stands still waiting to see if it is going to happen again. As the dust cleared around us, we three stood petrified by the impact of what had happened!

One by one the men re-entered the room, found their hats and sticks, nodded to us and went off to find out the condition of their village. Finally, the head mayor came back in. He put on his hat and, drawing himself to full stature, he said, " I do not know how you did that; but I am authorized to tell you that whatever you need in any of these villages, you have only to ask the man who was in this room and he will get it for you. You are to come tomorrow with your passport and those of your family and friends and you will receive courtesy visas. From this day forward you are the invited guests of the government of Guatemala, you have no need to stop for immigration or customs and, should the national police stop you for any reason, just show them this seal and you will be conducted safely and speedily to your destination."

Satan had not only been neutralized, his attack had been turned against him.

(Note: "The Attack Lambs" is written by Mark Geppert, and is published by Genesis Books and ARMOUR Publishing Pte Ltd - Singapore.)

Random thoughts ...

2005-08-09T22:02:00.000+08:00

I'm currently reading "Beyond Jabez - Expanding your borders" by Bruce Wilkinson.

I read the first book and the study/prayer guides about three or four years ago. I remember being so excited by all of the things that I learnt from reading that original book, that I bought three copies to give to my brothers and sister for Christmas presents. I guess I figured that if God could change my life so much with that llittle book, then maybe my family would want to read it too. We had all been bought up in the same "poverty doctrine" church after all.

I remember going to a music practice at a church we were attending about that time in our lives, and somehow getting into the middle of a discussion on the Prayer of Jabez. The keyboards player was quite strongly opinionated about the whole prosperity doctrine / Prayer of Jabez thingy, and I recall him asking/stating the question - "who other than Bruce Wilkinson has benefited from the Prayer of Jabez booklet" to which I promptly replied "just about everyone who has read it!" Turns out (as is usually the case) that he had never read the book, and he had already formed his opinions on why the book was written. (This was in a charismatic church by the way.)

Several years down the track and I still see God answering that prayer every time I pray it. And by the way, I am anti "prosperity doctrine" as the world knows it. So where does the misunderstanding creep into the church.

I have heard countless sermons stating that when God says He is going to prosper us, it DOESN"T mean financially. Give me a break !!! Read about Job, Abraham, and Joseph just to name a few people who God prospered financially because they did what was right in His sight, and obeyed Him.

Weigh this up against the blatant tele-evangelism fund raising that goes on in the USA. You don't have to read many blogs to work out that many Australians include Hillsong and Riverview in the same bunch. This is - I believe - the reason why so many people have chosen to live under an ungodly "poverty doctrine" - out of protest because it is so repulsive to cheapen the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a mathematical equation. ** Give x GOD = more **

The refreshing thing about praying the prayer of Jabez, is that when we ask God to bless us, we don't ask for a specific blessing - God gets to choose what He wants to pour into our lives each day. In other words - we actually let God be God - what a scary thought!

When we ask Him to expand our borders - well watch out - because you've just become a missionary with no limitations. Be assured - God WILL take you at your word.

"Let your hand (favour) be with me" - why wouldn't God answer this prayer? Did God not promise to give favour to those who honour and obey Him?

Asking Him to deliver us from evil (harm) - hmmm - seem to remember Jesus saying something about this.

Asking Him to keep us from causing ourselves pain - not a bad idea however you look at it.

As disgusted as I am with the ungodly "prosperity doctrine", I refuse to live anymore under the ungodly "poverty doctrine". A balanced perspective is what God wants for every aspect of our lives. God has proven to me over and over again that He is the God of multiplication. Whatever it is that we give back to God, He takes it and multiplies it for His Glory, His Kingdom and His fame. Our lives become a testimony to His greatness.

Garth over at "Emerging Blurb" has some interesting thoughts on the same subject - well worth the read.

Here is the link ...
http://emergingblurb.blogspot.com/2005/08/emergent-church-video.html

Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Stay focussed on God - the person - not the benefit.

Statistics show that if every Christian tithed as commanded by God's word, the "Church" would have an abundance of funds to wipe out poverty, provide clean drinking water, and evangelise the whole world as we know it today. Food for thought isn't it?

In His abundance for every good work,
Steve

"The Lord's blessing is our greatest treasure - all our work adds nothing to it." Proverbs 10:22

A change is as good as a holiday ...

2005-08-01T20:56:00.000+08:00

Silly me ... made mention of wanting to change my tagboard. Next thing I know, my super creative blogger afficcionado son has me changing templates, colours, and every other thing that can possibly be modified ... hehehe :)

Thanks Shane!~!!

Anyway, the new tagboard doesn't take half an hour (small exageration) to load - without text at the end of it all. Frustrating to say the least. Call me a copycat, but Thomas and Shane both changed theirs, and it loads super fast.

Next thing was to find a photo of me that doesn't make me look like a middle aged, married, self employed, well fed man ... IYKWIM (if you know what I mean). Nah, anyway it's probably one of the better photo's of me. I wanted one that was taken 15 years ago, but was out-voted. Seem to remember being out-voted by the same two people when we bought KAREN'S car - I wanted yellow - we got dark blue (a secret ploy no doubt to make it less obvious how dirty it is).

On a more serious note - was wondering how many people out there suffer from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). For anyone who has experienced it, or knows or lives with someone who suffers from it, it can be a very misunderstood condition.

Being a Jennifer Garner fan, we hired Elektra last weekend. I also enjoy a serious action movie. It was interesting to note that the character of Elektra (played by Jennifer no less) suffered from OCD. It shocked me to find that there was an aspect of OCD that she experienced exactly like I did when I was younger (before God healed me of it).

I never knew what was wrong with me until after God had healed me from it. I didn't know or understand why I acted the way I did. I kept it secret because I was afraid to let anyone find out about me - in fact the only person I ever shared it with in my whole life (until just recently when I started to talk to my wife Karen about it) was a young friend called Gary whom I led to the Lord when I was in high school (I was about 14 at the time).

I believe the Lord gave me a revelation about OCD just recently when He showed me that OCD and fear are closely linked. I know for me that fear, loneliness, rejection by peers and an abject lack of self esteem all played a central part in my living with OCD for over thirty years. And this was all compounded by a speech difficulty - I stuttered and stammered until well into my twenties. This was largely overcome by the selfless love and support given to me by my precious wife Karen.

Dealing with OCD was different - only God can set you free from that which controls you without you ever really understanding what it is, and how it controls you. I've never told anyone in my family, and my children and wife were left wondering one day recently why I reacted so strongly to someone making fun of a friend who is OCD. It was actually at that point when my spirit identified with this young OCD sufferer, that God dropped into my spirit that this was what I had suffered from for most of my life - I just never knew what it was. Finally it had a name. I was able to mask it by controlling it - instead of letting it control me. I know I have shared in a previous post how singing helped me to overcome my speech problems. Worship really is the key to experiencing healing.

Anyway, praise God that OCD is all in the past. I would welcome anyone reading this blog to leave comments about OCD here if they have something to say that may add to the discussion. Maybe someone can be helped out of it all.

Funny how life is all about putting the past behind us so that we can move into the destiny that God has for us.

By His grace ...
Steve

Snippet # 1

2005-07-19T00:16:00.000+08:00

In his book - "The Attack Lambs - prayer that changes the world" - Mark Geppert shares this story. Following are some excerpts from his book (in italics).

The story is set in Nepal in 1983 when Mark was trekking from village to village - distributing Christian literature and praying for the sick. Pretty gutsy stuff to do considering that jail terms were one year for converting, three years for leading someone to the Lord, and six years per person for water baptism.

They had just been handing out about two hundred tracts, with great response. They came into a village of Panchat - town of Gaighat, Sagamatha province. They entered the place in the heat of the day, and stopped to rest on a stone wall near the local school ...

"The children were attracted to the two very different looking Westerners. They ran over to see us and were very curious about what might be in our rattan baskets. Our porters, also weary from the journey, were looking forward to spending the night in this town and had left us there on the wall to fend for ourselves , while they went to make arrangements. The crowd of children grew and two of the braver boys, perhaps ten years of age, began to open the baskets. We let them.

Across the way from us was a man in legal garb. Attorneys in Nepal have a very distinctive haircut and robe. This was obviously a man of some legal influence. As the children began to open the baskets and shout with joy at the books they found, this man turned and hastily headed toward the police station.

Calling to the porters, I expressed my concern, but they were not inclined to move quickly. So we Westerners took off as fast as we could go and left them behind. We were certain there was going to be a problem. We were right."

... cutting to the chase - Mark was caught, arrested and bought before the Chief District Officer (CDO) ...

"As I walked back down the trail to face certain difficulty, the Lord spoke to me, "If you deny Me before man, I will deny you before the Father."

The voice was as clear as day. The certainty of its tenor gripped my heart so that minutes later when the CDO asked, "Are you a Christian?" it was very easy to say, "Yes." When he further asked, "Are you a baptised Christian?" It was even easier to say, "Yes sir, I have been baptised three times," (once as a child, once as an adult believer, and once in the Holy Spirit).

As I said that, the same voice spoke to me saying, "I live to make intercession for you." It was so real. No one else in the room heard it. The CDO never heard it. But there was Jesus telling me He had the situation under control. He was standing in a major gap in my life that day. He was drawing together these events and the perfect plan of the Father.

After lengthy dialogue in which I shared the message of the Gospel with the CDO, he decided to let me go, along with our team. His exact words were, "I have decided to show you grace." Where did a Hindu official come up with the word "grace?" God was speaking through him. Instead of six hundred years in jail, I was going on with the rest of our scheduled trek.

Six months later, that same man walked out of his office and from a clear blue sky was struck dead by lightning. It was reported in the Kathmandu paper and the Christian brothers in Nepal saved the clipping for me. For years I thought about that lightning strike as retribution; you know, "Touch not mine annointed, and do my prophets no harm" (Chronicles 16:22). But one morning the Lord corrected me. "Rather," he suggested, "see how much it took for Me to get a pampered, self-centred, Christian preacher over to Nepal to share the faith with that man, knowing he had just six months to live."

(Note: "The Attack Lambs" is written by Mark Geppert, and is published by Genesis Books and ARMOUR Publishing Pte Ltd - Singapore.)

It can't be ...

2005-07-18T23:25:00.000+08:00

Yes it is! One month since I last posted. And so much has happened!

My oldest son - Thomas - is home from Thailand. It's been fun having him home. We used his birthday as a good excuse to go and run rampant at Zone 3 (laser games for the uninitiated) with a heap of his mates and family. Even had people drive down from Muka (Mukinbudin for those not in the know) to help celebrate. Unfortunately his departure to go back for a second term of staffing DTS in Chiang Mai will be here before we realise it. Good news is Karen and I have already booked to go up to Thailand in October to visit him. Yee-ha! Now that #2 son has his drivers license, Karen has found this new fangled thing called FREEDOM.

Next few months will be oh so busy. My oldest brother is moving from Muka to Perth (retiring from farm life) next month, and things are kinda busy at work and with family stuff. One more trip to Tanzania soon (possibly August) to collect some stuff that we left over there, and a hectic work schedule back here in Perth.

Preached last weekend at Bethel - expounded the "keys of the kingdom" using the book "Shattering your Strongholds" by Liberty Savard as a reference. Awesome truths contained in those passages from Matthew. Message really impacted some people - even considering the length of the sermon. I know that when a speaker has my attention, it doesn't matter how long it goes for - just so long as the information keeps flowing. Some people do switch off after 20 minutes though - 5 seconds is all it takes me if the message is boring or uninspiring. I seem to have this hunger for annointed teaching that is not being met. I should start downloading Joseph Prince messages, or something like that. I'm sick of "motivational" messages week after week. Or dry teaching loaded with facts, but no passion or annointing.

I'm reading my way (again) through "The Attack Lambs" by Mark Geppert. I have been thinking of sharing snippets of the stories he tells in my blog. There are some absolutely awesome accounts of amazing miracles that God did for him. Most people reading this blog will find it hard to get a copy of this amazing book because it is only sold in Singapore. Last visit to Singapore, I bought about 5 copies of this book to give away to friends, etc. He has also written a challenging book called "Bridges - getting from A to B" which turns the traditional concept of church government and leadership structure upside down. I don't imagine that most current church leaders would take kindly to it because he challenges the traditional pyramid sturcture for leadership, and suggests that the Biblical model is actually a horizontal model with everyone being accountable to everyone else - instead of the normal situation where often the pastor or leader is not really accountable to anyone else.

I've been really challenged lately about the need for a church where politics is outlawed (church politics that is) and where the word is preached powerfully every week, and where awesome worship takes place regularly. I believe that such a church would be flooded with people who want to experience a life giving church from week to week. People could stay and worship as long as they liked, and there would be no "booting out" of people just because the person on lockup wanted to go home. Some people might think I'm crazy, but I reckon a church like that would be a runaway success. Might have something to do with the fact that I believe that's the kind of church God wants - a church that is passionate about Him, and hungry for Him. A church where people fit their lives around God, and not vice versa. A church where the worship team is more interested in engaging God than the "audience".

One can only dream ... and hope ...

Steve

The sun is shining ...

2005-06-18T10:06:00.000+08:00

Well, it's Saturday morning again, and the rain has stopped - for now anyway. I love the sunshine. I'm a summer person. Cold, wet, rainy days do nothing for me. I'm a fair weather person - beach sand and surf is the way to spend your relaxing hours. God, why didn't you miraculously give us a house near the beach? :D)

I've spent the last two weeks (since SYG) reading lot's of blogs of people who are all seemingly linked to each other . There seems to be a common theme running through all of them - many of them are youth pastors or workers who are embracing a movement known as the emerging church. As best as I can comprehend the ethos of this movement - it seeks to make church and Christianity relevant to young people - which is a noble concept. I can't help but feel when I read the blog posts and some of the resulting comments that we have somehow adopted the notion that we have to make the Gospel relevant for it to be accepted. We see a move away from traditional worship, and a general trend away from traditional church buildings and processes.

I am literally torn in two directions with my feelings about this situation. Whilst I can agree with the need for change in the way we "do" church, I know that many of these churches are unlikely to attract older people who have grown up in the more traditional church vein of life. Is this their intention? I am the first person to stand up and say that legalism, and tradition for the sake of tradition, needs to be dealt with. I have suffered severely at the hands of church leaders who must keep a grip on power and control at all costs. The result for me by opening up my heart to God in my pain and rejection - was that He took me and my wife Karen through an incredible journey of visiting three charismatic churches over two years - none of which were perfect - but all of which sowed things of the Spirit into our lives, and stretched us in our faith and walk with God.

The reality is that most young people are looking for something of worth and value in their lives, and the lives of others. These things are only to be found in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. I guess the reason why older people and older traditions have trouble relating (so we are told) to the youth of today is because they have changed so much in there lifestyles, social definitions, expectations of life and family, and the general breakdown of families and our social/moral structure. I also believe that much of the generational void in the church has been created by the church itself, and the leaderships that insist that we must have a separate youth ministry at all costs. It could be percieved that our youth don't want to have anything to do with older people and older traditions (such as hymns, etc) and that older people don't want to have anything to do with youth and youth emerging traditions (such as Shaker's worship music, mosh pits, etc). I honestly believe that the division between the two "generations" is people created, and hellishly inspired.

The Bible (God's divine and inspired Word to us) clearly does not speak about us having two types of churches - one for youth and one for old. It calls us to meet in the middle ground. It calls us to lay aside our prejudices and divisive thoughts and behaviour. The youth need the older generation - the experience and counsel that can be drawn upon is valuable for the spiritual growth of a younger and newer Christian life. The older generation need the youth so that we don't forget how to enjoy life and have fun, and to not take things too seriously all of the time.

I am so blessed to have an awesome relationship with my three children. I count them as true friends, and always have since they were born. They are a precious gift from God, and Karen and I have poured our lives into them - determined to make a difference in their lives and to see them grow up as healthy, balanced, Spirit filled, world changing followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. And now they are all impacting in a positive and life changing way into other young peoples lives.

I want to make it clear that I am not anti emergent church movement. If it enables the youth of today to meet with Jesus and be transformed, then I am all for it. I just wonder how it looks to the world - who are always looking to the church for direction, whether we acknowledge it or not - when they see a church that appears to be divided against itself. I have studied church planting in depth, and am actively involved in missions (reaching the lost - both here and overseas). Most church plants are emergent in nature (well, at least some of the concepts are there) in that they often start in a home, or a borrowed or rented place. They are usually informal and don't have a paid pastor. They may meet infrequently, or more than once a week (not just on, or not even Sunday).

It saddens me that the enemy is allowed to use the same tactics over and over again. He's used the gifts of the Spirit to divide churches into fundamental and charismatic, and now he is using worship and music to divide the churches into young and old.

My point in all of this rambling is that it is all about our attitudes. We have to learn to reach out to each other, and to embrace each other, and to encourage each other. We can worship alongside each other if we are prepared to love each other. This love demands that we accept each other even if deep down inside we struggle with each other. Only God can bridge that gap! We shouldn't have to change church to make it acceptable and relevant to others - WE SHOULD CHANGE OURSELVES! And yes, then there is by default an expectation that others will change and accept us.

If this personal revival is allowed to take place, the hymns versus youth worship music debate/division/dilema will be stripped of it's power, and we will all learn to worship alongside each other. Informal chats about spirituality and life will go hand in hand with powerful, convicting, preaching of the Word of God. Lifestyle evangelism will complement congregational worship and church life.

Let's not divide the Bride of Christ - let's unit it with one voice, one purpose, and one spirit. This can be done because we listen to one Voice, have one Purpose, and are led and indwelt by one Spirit!

If Jesus was to plant a church here today, what kind would it be?

"Lord God, we pray for the youth of our nation. Would you loose from them the spirit of darkness and lawlessness that is causing them to destroy their lives, and would you bind them - each and every one of them Lord Jesus- to Your will, Your purpose, and Your destiny for their lives."

"Oh, and ditto for us older generation."

Saturday arvo - looking out my window ...

2005-06-11T14:39:00.000+08:00

Well, I've just gotten down from the roof where the gutters needed a small clean out. Nowhere near as much as they used to collect before all the gum trees got chopped down around our house.

Our house is about 20 years old, and was on a semi-rural property before the developers came through and bought up everything around us. We weren't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of having neighbours again because that was the reason why we moved to Southern River in the first place - to get some space between us and people.

The fact is that I didn't want to leave suburbia originally - even though I was born and bred on a farm at Wialki - north of Mukinbudin. But circumstances caused us to move, and God led my precious wife Karen to this house on 1 acre of land just down the road from Thornlie Christian College where our children were attending school. When she first convinced me to come and look at it one Sunday afternoon after we had been for a drive with the kids, there just happened to be a home open!! We walked through the house, and I was quite impressed (I am very critical of things, and quite hard to please sometimes - just ask Karen). Two things - it was way out of our price range, and it was a long way from any shops, etc. Strange how a country boy can become kinda used to suburbia and all of it's comforts - whilst still not really enjoying living in the city.

We needed to move from where we were living though, so we started to pray about the situation. To cut a long story short, there were about 7 other offers on this property, and so we just committed it to God. He did some awesome miracles - one by one all of the offers fell through for one reason or another (divine intervention actually) and eventually - when we had actually handed it back to God and said "Lord if you don't want us to have that house, then please give us the grace to accept it and get on with our lives" - our offer ( for substantially less than what the vendors were asking) was put on the table. And God gave us our beautiful home on 1 acre of land in the bush with horses alongside us, and peace and quiet like you would never believe was possible. Just like being on a farm! This was about 12 years ago.

About 5 years ago - when things were not going too well in our business - the bank tried to take this house and our business away from us. We owed them a lot of money, and they made a demand on us that was impossible to meet. At one PCLC friday night service, I was crying out to God, full of fear and totally devastated by the prospect of my family losing everything and being thrown out on the street. I asked God what was going to happen to us, and our house. I heard God's voice saying "Steve, it was by a miracle that I gave you that house, and it will be by a miracle that I will save it". And He did - and it was an awesome miracle.

Several weeks after that prayer, during another friday night service at PCLC, I cried out to God about our business. His voice spoke back to me and said " Steve, I will build a business that will be beyond your imagination - but I will build it". And He did, and continues to do so. Reminds me a bit of that passage that says "that unless God builds the house, he that labours does so in vain".

So how does that relate to gutters and trees? Simply that there are times when we lament the loss of things in our lives - like all of the beautiful shady gum trees that used to fill our gutters with lots and lots and lots of leaves - but we lose sight of the fact that He always replaces them with something better. We now have lots and lots of neighbours - something that I was never really keen on - but the fact is that most of them have never heard of Jesus and what He did for them upon the Cross. He has not only traded our ashes for beauty - but He has traded our rural sanctuary for neighbours - lost and dying neighbours - a mission field right her on our doorstep, next door, behind us.

"God, I am so sorry for all the times that I've wanted my old life back, or wanted something different than what you want for me. Help me to see past all of the things that I miss, or regret, and show me the true calling of a disciple of Christ - to speak the Word of truth and life into the lives of those around me. Give me a love for my mission field next door."

Wouldn't you want to have a Christian neighbour if you desperately needed to hear about Jesus?

C-day is here ... and almost gone.

2005-05-10T17:26:00.000+08:00

Well, it's Tuesday night and I am updating my blog as promised so that the results of my visit to the hospital are made known.

The Dr did end up cutting part of my shoulder out to remove the BCC. How do I feel about that? Well, it aches for starters, and I know that over the next few days it will probably give me a hard time, but I know that nothing has changed as far as I am concerned. I still believe in miracles of healing, and I am still wondering in my heart why God did not heal me miraculously, but I know that nothing changes the truth of the scripture that says "by His stripes I am healed". I know that Jesus didn't only die to give me eternal life, but that this earthly life would be full of blessing and fulfillment. That includes good health. The prophet Isaiah states it plain and clear. He was wounded for our sicknesses and diseases.

So how do I rationalise away all of the sicknesses in Christians? Joseph Prince from the "New Creation Church" in Singapore tells the story of how Kenneth Hagan said that he gave thanks to God for doctors, because they kept him alive long enough for him to learn about God's miraculous healing. There is a lot of truth in that. My own knee got trashed in a skiing accident, but then God healed me right before (literally a half hour) I was to climb several hundred steps at a temple in Laos whilst doing a prayer and warfare walk on a missions trip. But this was one year after the accident. Why not be healed straight away, or why did the accident happen in the first place? I know several people (personally) who have been miraculously healed of cancer, and not just a BCC, but serious life threatening stuff. Why them and not me, or others I know who are struggling with sickness.

I believe the answer lies in my determination to know more of God, and to know Him more. I have experienced miracles in my life, so I know from experience that He does them ... even today ... but in this case I suspect that He has a higher purpose for this event. Even now, I am believing for a complete recovery from the operation, and I know that God has me in the palm of His hands ... safe ... secure ... I am a child of the King.

I remember when my wife Karen was talking with me about the vision God gave her of me being healed in Laos (provided I was obedient and went on the missions trip) - I asked her why did God allow it in the first place - and she said she felt that God had told her it is was so that I could identify with the sick and suffering people who were in need of healing. And so I am believing for a ministry of teaching the truth about healing, and being able to identify with those who desperately need a touch from God.

Yes, God does still heal today. No, He didn't miraculously remove the tumour from my shoulder. That doesn't change the truth of His word, and I will continue to believe Him for the impossible, because if I don't, then I may never see another miracle. Every day I believe Him for the impossible in some area of my life.

So I will lift my hands and my eyes to the heavens, for that is where my help comes from. God is still ruling and reigning over creation, and as long as I let Him rule and reign in my life, I know there are exciting times ahead.

I guess I will be preaching on Sunday that His grace is sufficient for me in every situation. I would love to see someone get miraculously healed during the service. Let's see some shackles broken, some captives set free, some lives restored! Who knows what will happen. One thing I know for sure - I will be worshipping and praising God with all of my heart, for He is good, and His mercies endure forever.

Hallelujah - for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad, and give the glory unto Him!

Steve

Thank God it's Friday ...

2005-05-06T17:58:00.000+08:00

Well, it's the end of a hard working week!

It's been a tough one, with long hours, and lot's of frustration. People seem to have an uncanny propensity to make life hard for you when you least need it. Like the people who undid a whole days work by deleting some crucial files off of a compact flash memory card. The problem was that we had to work all day through till 4.30am the next morning to rectify the problem. It didn't have to be that way, but someone's thoughtlessness caused it. It's been a week of fighting to make schedules, and to keep promises and commitments to clients and other people.

I managed to shoehorn in a visit to my skin cancer clinic today to find out what the verdict is. They want to operate next Tuesday. I'm still working through how I feel about it. I used the Aldara cream treatment and it seemed to work well, with lots of improvement on the outside of the skin, but my Dr says that the BCC is still under the skin, and must be cut out to remove it completely. I guess I'm wondering why God hasn't answered my prayers for healing YET!. I know that it's only Friday evening, and so God still has 3.5 days left to do a miracle, but there is always that thought that maybe He won't. Or maybe it's an exercise of faith. What would be awesome would be if on Tuesday I rockup for surgery and the Dr looks and sees that the BCC is completely gone. Then, what an awesome opportunity to share Christ with him, and to avoid the pain of going under the scalpel.

My experience has been that in every hard test of faith that we enter into, there is always a desire on our part to see a quick and painless solution. This is not always what God has in mind. He wants what is best for us, but He wants us to grow in faith and intimacy with Him first and foremost. Does this mean I give up on praying for and believing for a miracle of healing. Definately NOT! It makes me more determined to seek the miracle that I believe Jesus died on the cross to secure for me.

The hecticness of this past week ( and quite a few before it) has helped me to realize that our enemy wants to squeeze the life out of us. And he does this by making us so busy that we become inwardly focussed - in survival mode sometimes. He attacks us on every front - financially, time with our family, health, and material possessions that break or are taken away from us.

Sometimes we become convinced that we have to fight - and this is true - we do have to fight, because the scriptures state that we are in a war against the enemy and his minions. But the truth is that we don't have to fight the enemy - Jesus has already done this and won. The person who we have to contend with is ourselves. The biggest battle or fight is waged within - to maintain relationship with God such that the will and purposes of God take place in our lives every moment of every day. His will is that I should be healed. How do I know for sure? Because the scriptures say that Jesus died not just to give me eternal life, but to heal me of my sickness and diseases. By His stripes I AM healed. Sickness will come and try to attack us, but we don't have to let it conquer us or rule us. We have the victory because Jesus won it on the Cross of Calvary.

Well, next Tuesday is C-Day. I guess my theology will be tested, but the funny thing is, it doesn't worry me. Whatever happens, God is still AWESOME. He still healed my knee in Laos on the missions trip. He still saved our home and our business. He still has done countless awesome miracles in every area of my life.

Whether I stand in the pulpit to preach on Sunday 15th May nursing a sore shoulder - proclaiming that God's grace is sufficient to see me through every challenge that I face - or whether I stand in that puplit to preach and declare the miracle working power of God is still at work in my life - nothing changes the fact that I owe my life to God and it is His to deal with as He pleases, because He loves me, and He would never harm me. He has promised to remember the thoughts that He has towards me. And they are thoughts to give me a hope and a future - to prosper me and not to harm me.

God does not change His thoughts towards us. Can we afford to change our thoughts towards Him? My post next Tuesday night on this blog will reflect what my attitude towards God is at that time, and I declare now that I will still be praising and worshipping Him no matter what happens. It may just affect the way YOU see God though. I pray that the end result will not cause you to lose faith in God's ability and desire to still perform miracles of healing today. I pray that whatever happens you will be challenged to seek His face, and to cry out "Glory to the King"!

Safe in the arms of Jesus.

Steve

We're back ...

2005-02-19T17:10:00.000+08:00

Wow, it's Saturday afternoon, and we're back home from Thailand (well Karen, Camille and myself anyway). We got in about 8-00 this morning, and got picked up from the airport by our precious niece Phillipa (thanks Pip) and when we got home we quickly freshened up, got dressed up, and headed off to the Art Gallery of WA to see Camille's two selected paintings being exhibited in the Year 12 Perspectives show. Bumped into my old English teacher from Merredin High School whom I haven't seen in yonks. He even sort of remembered me ... scary.

As we were driving into Perth to the exhibition, we were playing a new Hillsongs CD that Karen just bought. Track 5 really got to me. I kept hitting the replay button so that I could hear it over and over. You know how sometimes a song just grabs you and won't let go - this was one of them. As I listened to it speaking about how the Lord is my Shepherd, and how the enemy cannot touch me because I am a child of the Most High God, my spirit started to well up inside of me. I started feeling all hot, and thought at any moment I would burst into tears - not a pretty sight for a 40 something year old man with his wife and daughter sitting in the car - doing 100Kmh down the freeway. Sometimes a song just connects - Spirit to spirit - and before I know it I am overwhelmed! It's interesting that one of my favourite songs is Hillsongs' "Overwhelmed" - and every time I listen to it I get truly overwhelmed by the message it brings, and the emotions that it releases in me. I can't listen to it without tears welling up in my eyes, and a deep sense of His Holy Spirit's presence. I believe that these songs are "truly annointed" songs, and they carry an annointing that is released upon the listener. When I listen to songs like them, words of knowledge and understanding start to flow, and God speaks deeply into my heart about things that matter a lot to me (just typing this blog, I can feel the Holy Spirit rising up inside of me).

I'd only just looked over at Karen minutes before the song started, and noticed that she was crying. I didn't have to ask her what was wrong ... I sensed it in my spirit that she was grieving about being back, and leaving Thomas behind in Thailand for another 4.5 months. Immediately I felt that same grief, and was thinking about how hard it is to leave someone behind whom you deeply love and miss. And then that song started playing (God's timing is ALWAYS perfect) and He started speaking to my spirit the verse from Matthew 16: 24-25 which goes like this ... "if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it."

I knew immediately it was a word of comfort for Karen and me, and later realised that it was a word for Thomas too. When I got home I checked my emails, and there was a prophetic bulletin update from Rick Joyner - and there on page 5 was that passage from Matthew 16: 24-25. I realised then that God was sealing that word into my heart. And strange as it may seem, that word of comfort convinced me once again that it is all worth it. I know that God has Thomas exactly where he wants him to be for now.

To worship at his new home church in Chiang Mai, to meet his "adopted mum", and to meet his church family, and to be honoured guests at a dinner held for all of us was overwhelming. I know it will be months until we see him again, but I would rather release my son into God's puropse for his life and to see our life of nurturing him "in the way that he should go" come to fulfillment in his destiny, than to be selfish and try to hold onto him.

I am so blessed to have three wonderful children who all want to "seek, serve, and follow Christ". The only thing the Boy's Brigade motto should have added to the end of it is ... "to the ends of the earth". We were destined to be a missionary family.

I am so happy that Shane was able to stay on with his bro' in Thailand for another three weeks ... just to hang out and do the things that brothers do!

The enemy cannot touch him because he is a child of the MOST HIGH GOD. The Lord is my Shepherd, and I will lack nothing. He is my rod and my staff, and He comforts me. He leads me beside still and peaceful waters. He prepares a place for me at His table.

Hallelujah! Prajow san dee (Thai for "God is good")!

Abiding in Him, hiding in Him, abandoned to Him,
Steve

Proverbs 3:5

2005-02-04T10:29:00.000+08:00

I'm sitting here at my computer at work, and my eyes just caught the little verse of scripture that I keep propped up against the monitor. Its from Proverbs 3: 5 and reads like this ...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

I often stop during the day to ponder that verse.

On the back of the card in faded biro is a message that says ...

"To Stephen
Love Mum & Dad
Happy 32nd!!!
Birthday"

I am so blessed to have the most wonderful Mother-in-law, and even though my Father-in-law has gone to eternity, my memories of him are precious too. After all, with God's help, they created the most beautiful girl to walk the face of this earth ... my wife Karen.

And I suspect that Mum didn't know, but a piece of her sits in front of me every day at work in the form of this amazing little scripture card that serves to remind me of the truth ... that my Heavenly Father loves me.

Hallelujah! That card has inspired me for the past 15 years.

I'm going to have a great day. God has truly blessed me! I think I'll put some worship music on and let His goodness overwhelm me while I work.

This is the day that the Lord has made ...

2005-02-03T20:38:00.000+08:00

Well, today has been an interesting kind of day. Thursdays are always kinda different.

My son Shane got his logs today - only a short jump from here to actually having his drivers license. Now comes the car, fuel, rego, insurance, tyres, etc ... yahoo ... look what you've got to look forward to Shane. A moped is beginning to sound good :D)

Some good things have happened today ... not all of it has been good news ... but being told the truth is better than not knowing at all. To finally be told why someone has been holding up progress on an important project means at least I am now equipped to deal with the matter. Sometimes people do not realise the effects of their actions, but it can seriously affect a small business when people are pedantic and sit on important paperwork. If there is any good outcome from this revelation today it would be that I am more determined to cross my I's and dot my T's when dealing with the unknown. Give ol Nick (Satan to the uninitiated) an inch and he will take a mile. Have to constantly remind myself that he is under my feet, and that I am the Head and not the tail.

I'm reminded of the Robin Mark song where the lyrics go ...
"This is the day that the Lord has made,
We were meant to rejoice and be glad in it ..."

I don't necessarily have to rejoice in the day itself (or the situation), but in it's Creator ... the awesome living God ... the God who has declared that He knows the thoughts that He has towards me, and that they are good thoughts. Like all other battles where we may feel powerless, this one will almost certainly be won on my knees!

Well I've shared whats on my mind today. I know that I can do all things through Christ, whose power, whose love, whose wisdom, whose Spirit ... strengthens me.

Can't wait for next week. Off to Thailand to see Thomas. Holidays here I come!!! I can taste the Tom Yum already ...

Thank God it's Sunday ...

2004-09-26T14:04:00.000+08:00

I love reading the Psalms! I was reading Psalms today during the message - you know how sometimes when the speaker is not saying anything that speaks directly to you how your mind can wander - I prefer to read my Bible and let God speak to me from His word.

The verses that jumped out and grabbed me this morning was Psalm 78:15-16 which says "He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers".

The Psalmist is writing about the nation of Israel wandering around in the desert after God had used Moses to set them free from bondage in Egypt. IN SPITE OF ALL THAT HE HAD DONE FOR THEM, they still grumbled and complained. It says in Psalm 78 that they ate the "food of angels" - manna. But they wanted meat and bread. How sad that they hadn't learnt the secret of being thankful for all that God had done for them. It cost them dearly - God's anger was fuelled against them, and they paid for their sin. Some of us "pay" for our sins of disbelief and unthankfulness in this life also.

As John Piper said, "God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied by Him".

Whats the big deal? He has proven to Karen and me many times over that when we are satisfied and thankful for all He has done for us, and for all that He has given us, He will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing such as can't be contained. And it causes us to cry out in shouts of praise to our wonderful King.

Have you thanked Him for today yet? If not, why not do it now. There's no better time! This day may have started out as the crappiest day in history for you, but it can (and should - if you believe what you read in God's word) end the way God planned it and purposed it for you. I had to remind myself of that fact three years ago when a split second water skiing accident changed my life forever. From perfectly healthy to invalid in a matter of seconds. I know for a fact that I swore at the excruciating pain, and my life was gripped with fear. Floating there in the ocean with my leg feeling as though it had been ripped off - it was hard to believe Jeremiah 29:11 applied to me right there and then. But the reality was - and still is - that nothing can separate us from the love and perfect purposes of our Lord and King. Nothing re-writes scriptures that were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, and nothing can rob God of His power - not even all the hordes of hell. He is sovereign, and always will be sovereign. Nothing will ever change that. Hallelujah!!!

"He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers". Wow ... what can I say, except that we serve an awesome and mighty God - if he can cause rivers to run in dry deserts! And this is exactly what He did in my life. He caused a river of life to start flowing in my dry desert like life. There is not a single day that has passed when he has not provided for me, and protected me. Maybe in another post I can share how He healed my shattered knee on a missions trip to Laos.

"Know that the Lord is good, and His mercies endure forever". BE ENCOURAGED.

Thank God it's Saturday ...

2004-09-25T22:54:00.000+08:00

Actually I thank God everyday - for everyday - for everything. I have learnt that a thankful heart finds favour with God. Psalm 92:1-2 says,"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, Oh Most High. To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night".

Thankfulness is the beginning of Holiness. When we can truly thank God for everything - every situation - that we encounter in our lives, we will start to become more holy, because we will become more like Jesus Christ. Jesus was continually THANKING God (the Father) for everything because He knew the secret of giving thanks to His Heavenly Father. As we learn this lesson, heaven's doors will open over our lives, and we will be so blessed in everything we do that our hearts will want to praise Him even more.

This may seem like a different kind of post, but I have become so aware just lately that very few Christians are thankful for what God has done for them. Most Christians I have heard talking lately seem to have a very ungrateful heart. They are always striving for something, and have missed the truth that it is when we accept what God has done for us, and what He has given us, that He will open heavens doors to pour out a blessing so great that we cannot contain it!

I am overwhelmed lately at what God is doing in our business, and our personal lives! A day does not go past when we don't see His marvellous supernatural intervention and provision in our lives. I remember a particular Friday night about 3 years ago at Perth Christian Life Centre. We were only days away from losing everything we had (the bank had issued us with a notice of intent to take possession of our house and business premises), and I was crying out to God in anguish (I seem to recall spending a reasonable amount of time face down on the carpet crying out to God) about what was going to happen to our business. He answered me with an audible voice (I was always taught that he didn't do that anymore), and His words were simply ... "Stephen, I will build a business for you that will be beyond your imagination. But I will build it!"

Three years on He has kept His promise - in fact He started keeping it the next day after He gave it to me. He wiped out hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, and has grown our business way beyond our wildest imagination or dreams. There has been no special business plan (accountants eat your hearts out), or slick business style, or advertising - simply hours of prayer, thanksgiving, honesty in dealings, and an unshakeable faith in a God who CAN and DOES keep His promises. Hours worked have halved, my quality of life has returned (He promises to restore everything that the locust has eaten), and I now love my job. Our business turnover has quadrupled in the past year, and we are debt free!!! Only God can do this kind of miracle - I just had to learn to co-operate with God, and to seek His face at every step.

The words of this beautiful old hymn says so eloquently what my heart feels ...

"My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne."

I decided to share this personal account of how God intervened in my life because I am sure that there are people who may read this blog that need to be encouraged to trust in "His unfailing and unchanging grace".

"If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face ..."

Blessed be the Name of the Lord God Almighty!

Jeremiah ... what a guy!

2004-09-12T18:52:00.000+08:00

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned my favourite verse - Jeremiah 29:11 ... "for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord ... plans to give you a hope and a future ... plans to prosper you and not to harm you".

The truth is that if I had read this verse about 4 years ago, I would have laughed at the prospect that God was talking to me through it. Isn't it funny how God can change our outlook on life in such a short time ... and in the most unlikely way.

I said in that earlier post that the reasons behind this verse becoming my favourite was another story, and I would like to share it with you now.

I was involved in singing and worship leading at the church that Karen and I had been members of for 17 years. Karen and I had both been brought up in the Church of Christ, and so were fundamental evangelicals. I resisted going to any of the worship summits because my opinion was that nothing good could come out of a worship summit, as the charismatics seemed to run these shows. I remember about 4 years ago being encouraged to visit Riverview Church here in Perth for the Friday night youth rally at the worship summit. I also remember standing there with Karen thinking that this was crazy, and I didn't feel in the slightest bit comfortable with the style of worship. This was the first time in my entire life that I had ever set foot inside a charismatic church. Then the time came for the speaker ... and it was a women (a young women in fact). Wow ... this was really stretching it! Her name was Christine Caine, from Sydney. That night my life changed as God used her to speak into our lives. And you guessed it ... she spoke from Jeremiah 29:11. She shared how God had used that verse to minister to her when she was sexually abused as a child. And she kept on repeating the verse throughout the message - over and over - until I guess that God knew that it had sunk into our minds.

To cut a long story short, over the next 12 months, that verse just kept popping up everywhere. The Sonshine Radio verse ( after the news) would be Jeremiah 29:11, the daily verse in the newspaper would be Jeremiah 29:11, the speakers at different churches that we were visiting (due to me standing down from my worship ministry, and us leaving our church of 17 years) would speak from Jeremiah 29:11. It seemed that wherever Karen and I went to church, or whatever meeting we visited, or whatever we listened to, or whatever we read -was about Jeremiah 29:11.

So why the big deal? The big deal was that through this period of approx 1 year of our lives, it seemed that our world was falling apart. Our business was failing, we were on the verge of losing all that we had, my ministry had been cut-off, we were churchless (looking for the perfect church), I had suffered a serious knee injury, my main employee had left, and things weren't looking too bright. Through all of this, God kept speaking Jeremiah 29:11 into our lives ... and then we started to believe it! And then He started to make the reality of it become true in our lives. He saved our house and our business. He restored our finances (way beyond our wildest dreams), wiped out our debts, gave us a new church and worship ministry, and He has used this verse to speak into many of our family and friends lives.

And for those that would say that God was only speaking to the Israelites, and that the word "prosper" does not mean to bless us in material things - I have heard sermons preached on this angle. All I can say is what God has done for us. God gives us a testimony so that we can share it and encourage others who may be going through the same trials and troubles.

Now Karen and I go to a charismatic church. Wow!!! It's amazing how God can change our attitudes and our beliefs. It's not hard for Him. We just need to be desperate enough for more of God to allow Him to breakdown our mindsets and wrong beliefs.

Every amazing thing that God has done in our lives over these past three years has been as a result of our charismatic friends praying for us, or through visiting charismatic churches and receiving teaching that once upon a time I would have turned my back on. I am so thankful to God for the 40 odd years of Bible teaching that I received in fundamental evangelical churches. I am so sorry though that it took 40 years to learn of the awesome power and freedom that comes from a passionate affair with my Creator and King - Jesus Christ. And the Holy Spirit has become a very good friend of mine. Hallejujah!!! I finally allowed God out of the box that I had imprisoned Him in for most of my life.

My prayer is that you will trust God for your miracle ... the miracle that perhaps you have been too afraid to ask or believe Him for. Remember that He knows the plans that He has for you ... and they are all good.

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Does your Redeemer live?

Cool runnings ...

2004-09-12T16:39:00.000+08:00

What a weekend it's been.

Today is my 23rd wedding anniversary. Tomorrow I turn another year older. Karen just walked in from the shop with a Vienetta - my most favorite food in the whole world. Well, alongside Tom Yum, Steamed fish with ginger and shallots, Yong Tau Foo noodle soup, Oysters Kilpatrick, Prawn Noodle soup and Peppered Mud Crabs. (just to name a few)

Last night we went out for tea to celebrate 23 wonderful years of marriage. On Wednesday night we went out to the movies to use up some La Premiere tickets we were given as a present ... saw "The Bourne Supremacy" ... which was a really good yarn.

Life is good because God is good, and He's good all the time. What can I say other than that God has caused His face to shine upon me and my family. We did nothing to deserve or earn it ... we simply asked Him to do what He did for Jabez ... that He would bless us and bless us INDEED. And the thing that I have learned in all of this is that it is His delight to do far beyond what we can even hope or imagine He would do.

Thank you Jesus for all that you have done for me. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for setting me free from the curse of the law. Thank you for healing and restoring me. Thank you for prospering me in all that I do. Thank you for keeping every promise that you have made to me and my family.

"In this one thing shall I boast ... that Jesus died and rose again"

What the ...

2004-08-04T18:55:00.000+08:00

Wow, it's been two weeks since I updated. On no, I'm turning into the very thing that I dislike - people who don't update their blogs for weeks on end.

This past week has been full on. Work has been busy, and last weekend I went (with Karen) to the Rick Joyner/Jack Deere conference at Churchlands. What a blast - Rick was average, but Jack Deere packs a wallop. Jack preached one of the best messages I have ever heard on tithing and giving on Sunday night. I actually got to meet him in person, and was very impressed with his gift of teaching. He's joined the likes of Joseph Prince and Chuck Swindoll as one of my favorite speakers. Guaranteed to be challenged, encouraged and educated all in one hit!!!

The other awesome thing about Churchlands was the worship. There was this young lady leading the worship on Friday night, and it was just the most amazing and uplifting worship experience I have had in a long while. I could get used to having quality worship leading like that all of the time. The amazing thing was that when I spoke to this young lady after the session about how much we were touched by her leading and the resulting worship, she was just so blown away and blessed. The genuine humility she displays is hard to find these days, and she is destined for greatness if she continues to seek God the way she does. There was also a new song (never heard it before) which was written by a guitarist from Churchlands. It was amazing, and I can't wait until it is released on their forthcoming CD.

God has been showing me that there are many people who want quality worship in churches today. It is surprising though how many people still think that worship is about us!!! My goal is to lead people in worship that doesn't conform to any formula, but that will simply glorify God and please Him. That will only ever happen when my spirit is subject to His Holy Spirit. It is usually when I think I have screwed up that I actually discover that God has mightily used me to impact into someones life through singing a song or something I have said. We may impress with a performance, but we can only communicate spirit to spirit when we lay our own lives and agendas down and "go out on a limb" for Him. Our most unimpressive attempt at "performing" is usually the one that brings people to their knees before the Throne of Grace. As one young lady said to me after my rather choked up attempt at singing the first verse of a beautiful old hymn last Sunday morning, it gave her and her husband goosebumps.

I must confess that I have never particularly liked the sound of my own voice, and have never considered that anyone would like it either. However, I am learning that when God gives us a gift we must use it, and we must recognise it!! This is hard to do when you have always been taught that we must be humble and modest. The two aspects are not mutually exclusive though, and it is a hard thing to learn that God sees us rather differently to how we see ourselves. The Bible exhorts us to have a realistic opinion of ourselves - and this most often results in us putting ourselves down. We are not good at accepting compliments or praise because we feel that it is wrong to have a high opinion of ourselves. I am learning however that God has a high opinion of me because the word says that when He looks at me, He doesn't see "me", but He sees my life wrapped up in Christ. He sees the ME that He created ME to be! He only sees my potential, not my weaknesses, and He always has a word of encouragement - not discouragement.

Praise God - when I am least able - He is most able! When my voice is failing or all choked up because of my brokeness inside, His annointing comes to the rescue. When my "impressiveness" goes out the window, His annointing descends from above, and power is released from on high.
People may (and do) say that God has blessed me with a gift of singing, but my belief is that God has blessed me with the gift of exhortation, and that manifests itself in many ways.

It only takes one heavenly minded person to make a lasting impact on us, and I thank God for that young lady at Churchlands last Friday - she has inspired me to pursue the avenue of true worship - the kind that impresses God and causes us to cry out Glory to our Lord and King.

Let's turn it around ...

2004-07-21T18:34:00.000+08:00

I am on the mailing list for the Left Behind newsletter, and everyday they email me "God's Daily Promise" which is kind of a daily devotional. I am constantly amazed at how relevant the subject matters are to my own life.

The scripture verse for yesterdays email went like this ...

"Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth."
Colossians 3:2 NLT

It reminded me that some years ago at my previous church there was a pastor whose favorite saying was ... "some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use".

I've always considered that he had it back to front, and just lately I've become more convinced that ... "some people are so earthly minded that they are of no heavenly use". The writer of Colossians seems to agree.

Let's not let the earthly things cloud our minds so much that we fail to see into the heavenly realm which is where the battles are actually fought. For proof of the fact that our earthly battles are fought in the heavenly realm, read 2 Kings 6:14-17.

Tuesday arvo at work ...

2004-07-20T16:30:00.000+08:00

Good news ... Brett's brother was brought out of his coma on Sunday, and is progressing slowly. Keep praying for his salvation and healing.

God has blessed me in so many ways. It is something that I have always been concious of, but I have experienced a real spirit of thankfulness lately. Reminds me of the words of that Kathryn Scott song ... "every blessing You pour out I turn back to praise, Blessed be the name of the Lord" ... because that typifies what God wants us to do every moment of every day. God has been honing me and releasing several gifts in my life lately, and I know that He is melting my heart and reshaping it!

Just the other week at work around the lunchroom table, we were talking about our childhood experiences, and how they shaped our lives. My childhood was not an easy one - even though I was blessed to be born into a Christian family - as my recollections of primary and high schools bring back memories that I would rather forget. As I recounted the emotional pain that I endured, and verbal abuse that I copped when I was younger, Brett remarked that it was not surprising then that I stuttered when I was a child. The truth was that I had actually forgotten that I used to stutter badly, and I know that God has done a marvelous work of healing in my life. At this same time, I felt challenged that I should contact one of my old primary school teachers to tell him that I forgive him for the emotional torment that he put me through. Hmmm - I know that I can't do that one in my one strength, so I guess it's time to ask God for a miracle.

You might be wondering why I need to tell him that I've forgiven him, if I haven't spoken to or seen him for nearly 30 years. The answer is found in the content of a sermon I heard in Chiang Mai this year - preached by an american guy called Steve ( must be a good guy with a name like that) . The greatest gift Jesus passed on to us (sorry all of you prophets, teachers, tongues speakers, healers, etc) is the gift of the power to forgive, and to do it, he had to lay hands on his disciples so that they had the power within them to do this impossible task. If I am ever asked to preach a sermon at church, it will most certainly be on the subject of forgiveness. Jesus said in that passage that he was giving to us (his church) the power to forgive, or not to forgive - the choice is ours, and history will be shaped by the decisions that we make in this regard. Have you ever wondered what would have become of Paul if Stephen (in Acts) had not prayed that prayer of intercession and forgiveness for Paul and his cronies? Your choice (and mine) whether to forgive or not to forgive may change the future course of history - and maybe someone else's life - scary isn't it!

My childhood memories are not all bad news though ... when I was in 3rd year at Merredin High School, God brought a friend across my path who would prove to be a lifeline. I was boarding at Merredin from Monday to Friday with a lady who I will call Mrs K (not her real name). I hated being in Merredin, having no real friends, and life sucked to put it bluntly. For lunch EVERY day, I would be given MOULDY cheese and pickles sandwiches. That is why even until this day, I cannot stomach the sight or smell of pickles. When my new friend - Noel - invited me home to eat my lunch with him and his mother one day, his mum just about freaked out when I opened my lunchbox, and she saw what I had to eat. I used to open the mouldy sandwiches, wipe the pickles off the cheese, eat the cheese for lunch, and then throw the rest into the bin. From that day onwards, I had an open invitation to go home with him at lunchtime and share fresh bread and all sorts of different toppings. Noel became my closest friend, and would often come home with me to our farm on weekends. Then we grew up ... and apart. Well just last week, Alan (the keyboard player from Bethel) told me that Noel, his wife Deb, and their kids were coming over to his place for dinner last Wednesday. I hadn't seen Noel in over 12 years as they now live in Mt Barker, so I jumped at the chance to gatecrash the party and to catch up with him again.

I can still clearly remember the day when my eldest brother - whose name is also Noel - became a hero in my 11 year old eyes. It was morning, and THE schoolteacher (who boarded with us on the farm) was harassing me about getting ready for school, on his insistence that I had to ride to school with him, rather than make my Mum drive me the 2 Kms to school. My brother Noel walked into the kitchen at that time, and upon hearing the proceedings, promptly told my teacher to leave me alone and to get off my back. He became a hero to me that day (and continues to be a hero in my eyes even until this day, but that is another long story).

Bitterness is not just something that will screw up your face - it can screw up your life as well! Remember that one of the conditions of us being forgiven by God is that we must forgive others that have wronged us. Look for the lifelines that He has brought across your life, and then thank Him for them.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

This verse became a lifeline to me and Karen the first time we heard it ... but more about that later!

The world keeps spinning ...

2004-07-13T23:03:00.000+08:00

Well, it's Tuesday night, and it feels like it should be Friday already. Sunday night at Bethel Life Centre was full on ... worship was great ... and work has been flat out these past two days. And tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that will be no different at this rate.

The guy that works for me (Brett) had some sad news first thing Monday morning. His younger brother was involved in a very serious car accident on Friday night, and is still in a coma in RPH. I am praying that God will use this situation to impact him with the gospel of truth and life. I trust that he will soon realise that there is absolutely no hope without Christ.

My oldest son Thomas (www.tomdts.blogspot.com)is currently in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand with YWAM. He will be staffing DTS for the next two years, and is at the moment busily learning more Thai with a tutor.

My other son Shane (4myking.blogspot.com) has just started a new job in graphics for a printing company here in Perth, and is also involved in schools and youth ministries at Thornlie Church of Christ.

My daughter (youngest) Camille is in year 12 at Thornlie Christian College, where she is the School Capain (Head Girl). I've just read her mid year report - wow - I'm impressed. God has truly blessed me with three wonderful children who are a huge blessing to me.

The person who keeps me sane is my beautiful wife Karen, who is truly a gift from God. She is delightful to know, and is my best friend (on this earth at least). In a few months we will celebrate 23 years of memorable marriage - full of blessings and a fair smattering of tough times - but the grace of God helps you to finish the race. Every difficulty overcome is another stone added to the foundations to make us stronger. ("On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand ...")

Quote for today: "The Lord's blessing is our greatest treasure - all our work adds nothing to it." Proverbs 10:22

Well, today is the day ...

2004-07-10T18:54:00.000+08:00

I finally succumbed to this blogger thingy ... both of my sons have them, and several friends have them too! Get ready to find out all you wanted to know about me but were too afraid to ask. I will endeavour to use this blogger thingy to keep you informed of what my awesome Creator God is doing in my life. My prayer simply is that you will be encouraged by what you read. Comments, both affirming and critical will be appreciated. Come and walk through life with me ... and my family, as we step out into the destiny that God has planned for us.