Census reveals growth of Islam

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-usa-religion-census-idUSBRE8401NK20120501

“The number of Muslim adherents rose to 2.6 million in 2010 from 1 million in 2000, fueled by immigration and conversions in the USA”. Also the growth of cults especially Mormonism (45%) has seen a phenomenal increase since 2000 the census revealed.

As a social scientist my view is that both Islam and Mormonism have at least one thing in common that is a lost distinctive of the Body of Christ.

What has attracted 1500 Australian Aboriginals to become Muslim (2007)? What is the appeal of both Islam and Mormonism; their strong culture of the communal and family nature of both their belief systems is highly attractive to a broken dysfunctional Australian culture riddled with independence, high privacy expectations, individualism as if it reigned as god, greed, consumerism and materialism.

Communal nature and family delivers a sense of belonging, purpose, direction and meaning to life. No wonder Aboriginals and an ever increasing number of Westerners are finding a place within their belief systems. The travesty is community and family is the foundational turf of the followers of Jesus. Christians give lip service to being family, our doctrines declare we belong to the family of God, that we are God’s gathering (koinonia, community) on the face of this planet. Indeed our creeds clearly state that time and place don’t separate us from one another because we are one Body , His!

However, reality is a different matter. Satan has so rob us we are unconscious of great losts, the distinctive to care for one another, love one another or ‘give’ to one another. I can hear the scream of protests now that I don’t know what I’m talking about, “Wayne there is love in the church”. Look, when someone is hurting, we care, we meet their needs; that is not the love Jesus talked about. Yes acts of love and kindness do happen in the church and yes love is involved. Yet love as Jesus said occurs very little, that sacrificial giving which sets us apart from the world’s pack is missing. I mostly think because we get on with life without His distinctive dynamic because we are too busy going to meetings, running programmes and generally isolated by our activities from each other. I think Satan enjoys with much laughter the deceptions he distracts us with that makes us irrelevant and ineffective isolating ourselves from the field of God’s endeavours.

Through fifty three years I have observed that most will do almost anything but love; we attempt to pray people’s problems away, we will give to our organised Bodies to care for those who need care but few enter into the suffering and pain of the distressed, the outcasts and the depressed; that requires involvement and commitment to stand with those who need His hands and feet in practical ways. Few open their homes inviting others into their orbit of life. Few clergy know how to release the Lord’s giftings in His people.Laying our lives down for each other is not merely a lost art but a lost heart. Then the question needs to be asked, “What do you have a heart for?” We are the less for not doing love His way.

The problem is not the expansion of Islam in Western Societies. The problem is us, those who say they follow Jesus (Isa). As Gandhi said to Indian Christians seventy years ago, “if you truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, Indian would be Christian tomorrow.” I am profoundly grateful that Jesus has brought into our spheres of influence Islamics. Jesus is still the power of God to salvation.

Unfortunately we have other priorities, which Gandhi challenged with words of truth.

Where is our treasure?

My prayer is for us to find a greater treasure which we whole heartedly give our life for and to, Jesus, the One who loves us.

Most live in a cocooned world of isolated independence cashed up with prosperity that provides instant pleasure and comfortable convenience (cars, homes whose walls provide privacy against invasion from the world, entertainments [TV, computers, movies, ipods, iPads etc.) with whatever we want when we want it. The problem is that is not what life is about in God. We have traded true treasures and an abundant life for baubles that stink and are rotting away. Then we wonder why life doesn't mean as much as God intends. A moment of Divine Truth crashing our current beliefs and treasures is desperately required.

The first church with all their foibles, failings and fallacies had this one distinctive we so desperately need. They loved; Roman governors and a Roman Emperor noted that they did not operate as other belief systems (i.e. the approved pagan religions). They were mysterified at how second century believers could so passionately give material blessings to one another as if money, food, buildings didn't matter; and that other religions couldn't copy.

 

 

Although what we are doing seems right because it has been done for over fifteen hundred years; yet what most do doesn't work 'anymore'. But still we will keep on doing what we have always done regardless, expecting what we have always done to produce a different result from what is happening. Einstein called that insanity. I wonder what God calls our insanity; rebellion and stubbornness of heart????

 

One of the few preachers I respect, Billy Graham made this statement, "The Bible declares that we who follow Christ should be just as much in love with each other as God was in love with us when He sent His Son to die on the cross." Thought provoking stuff, but as I said we will do almost anything but love as Jesus loved, too hard, too incovenient and too dsitracting.

It is my belief that God is no longer playing our game, therefore what we have done for so long no longer works. The game has been, we plan, we organise, we lead so we can control what happens so we will benefit [profit from our labour] ( all management terms as I have studied management for over forty years and the last twenty two years have lectured and faciltitated workshops for corporations and government departments). Beloved the rules of the Ways of God have not changed but His purposes have. What was before no longer serves His Ways. Therefore His Body needs to re-discover His distinctives and to practise His Way of living in our midst. I think we may then discover something so wonderfully awesome, something our hearts have always longed for, a God who works on behalf of those who wait for Him, therefore wait upon Him and who wait to see Him; then do His will.

O! Bride come close, the Bridegroom longs for His Beloved.

Obey? Love

HHHHHmmmm! Interesting isn’t it how we use such a word like ‘obey’. Obey is a good manipluative word for most leaders, Jesus used it differently because we love Him – it is moving the focus from obey to love. Is it obedience when we do something for the one loved because we simply love?

Kailia’s YWAM DTS in Seamill Scotland

Time seems to fly so fast. My Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission at Seamill is now in the third week. There are fourteen other students from XXX countries. Prior to the School I served as a Mission Builder with three other DTS students for ten weeks as the cook in charge of the kitchen; that stretched me.

Scotland’s scenery is stunning and awe inspiring. With others we walk often taking in the sights and sounds of this wonderful place. There have been many adjustments to make coming from the deprived nations in southern Africa. We who have so much take it for granted treating our blessings with familiarity. The people in mud huts and villages who have little of modern conveniences seemed so content and happy with their simplicity. Yet we who have so much want more.

Fortunately the weather is beginning to warm up. I can see why the British drink tea a lot; the cold has a way of seeping into your bones.

Outreach into a country I can’t mention is in 2 weeks and 600 British pounds are needed to pay for the travelling and accommodation costs.

When we return we have a couple of weeks of lectures then we go on outreach to the London Olympics with YWAM teams from around the world.

“How good is friendship?”

Tired, worn out but excited I waited for my Aussie mate from Toronto, Canada to arrive to stay overnight.John surprised me when he phoned from Sydney, “Crock I’m coming down to Canberra tonight to see you. I’ll be leaving about 10pm. Wanta catchya before I leave on Thursday. Have brunch together that OK? I have to be back in Sydney tomorrow arvo for a family do. Be short and sweet mate, kinda spontaneous”
John, took my breathe away as I paused to take in the enormity of his effort just to catch up with me ………. “That’ll be so good mate. I’ll have the mattress on the lounge floor ready for ya when you get in.”

John’s wife Dawn had sent me the details of John’s itinerary. My plan had been to connect with him last weekend in Sydney as he was passing through. I was excited we were finally going to catch up after years of chatting and sharing  on Skype. Then everything went hell west and crooked, big time. Dog snapped his cruciate ligament, my car broke down so shank’s pony was the order of the day, daughter needed some money urgently and I physically wasn’t up to driving for three hours anyway. So I phoned John apologised I couldn’t make it. He was cool about it. 
 

I hadn’t seen John since we shared a Crossroads DTS at YWAM Canberra in 1988. Thankfully the internet renewed our acquaintance, some years ago. Thousands of miles apart we shared a common heart and ideas about what it meant to be church.

Then John surprised me with his phone call. He was coming to see me.

Now I’m getting to see him after all these years. John arrived about 2am and we chatted for an hour or so. Next morning John and I shared over a brunch at Ricardo’s in Jamison. Then I had to leave to teach a class at 11.30am. Brief but how good is it when friends value you by making an effort. Tired, yes; not so good physically ……… but …… but I felt invigorated, renewed and affirmed, a friend had given into my life ………. I hoped in turn I had into his as well. If only we understood the words of Jesus about love. I think our world would be hugely different ……… maybe just maybe money, pleasure, preoccupation with success in ministry, reaching goals, visioning and leading would drop away as we saw the true treasures of Jesus.

After class, a couple of mature age students from one of my classes last year invited me to have a coffee at the uni’s Mizuma cafe. I arrived there and that was so good. Kerrianne, the irrepressible organiser had put together a time for us all to reconnect and to celebrate together. There was Sami Kennedy-Sims just returned from the world titles Ski Cross where she topped the Aussie contingent and came 11th in the world – fantastic effort Sami – a new Olympic sport and a very promising elite athlete that surprised many at the world titles by being ranked 5th at the titles. Then there was Jacqui, her warmth and enthusiasm, her search for things that really mattered. So good to see them all. I am privileged and honoured to be invited into their lives.

What an exhiliarating day!
Our Australian society espouses mateship as a principal mantra and cultural norm “You always stick by your mates.” “You never let your mates down”.
Unfortunately the reality is anything but. Our social relationships are as barren and lifeless as other western societies. Social science research clearly shows the deficiencies in most western societies. Australia is no better than most despite our protestations of mateship.
Bookstores have large sections on relationship issues and self development. Talk shows have large followings, yet for all our knowledge and pretense we have little of what we seek.
John Powell, catholic priest, author, university educator and renowned speaker and teacher in his excellent classic of the seventies “Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?” and his sequel “Why am I afraid to Love?” makes the statement “communication is the only avenue to communion”. Communication is central to building community and relationships. His books sold in the tens of millions. Insightful and practical wisdom Powell touches a sensitive issue that over seventy percent in society are experiencing each and every day, loneliness; a lack of connection, belonging, meaningful dialogue and appreciation. Researchers have shown that the epidemic of disease and illness is closely linked to loneliness. Heart disease, immune disorders, stroke, cancer, road accidents, and other major illnesses are caused by a sense of not belonging and being involved in the lives of significant others.
Now since the Body of Christ is a community of those who are supposed to love, how is it we suffer the same dysfunctional disorders as the world? So how is it something that is meant to be so good is at best so banal, ineffective and irrelevant? At worse we experience the same sicknesses and disorders experienced by the world. There is little difference between what we are and who the world is?
Since that day I have given much time thinking about the importance of friendship to our every day lives and significant social relationships.For nearly fifty years I have studied friendship, it’s impact, it’s necessity for our well being and how it works. Most I find have a severe deficit in either giving or receiving friendship. Certainly there is a dearth of friendship in the land. Our world view does not hold relationships in the same manner as God does and designed for us to be. There is a deficit in the area of understanding and a commitment to Jesus’s dynamics and commands regarding this crucial ‘modis operandi’.

If only His Body operated as He said. If only His commands were our agenda rather than the agenda of the denominations we serve.

Would you my friends help me in my contemplation about friendship? If you are interested please dialogue with me, your insights are important to me

Few experience their breathe taken away by the generosity of others seeking them out. Giving requires a special heart, the Heart of Christ borne of the Spirit not effort!

“It’s a long time between drinks”

At a prayer gathering for Christian leaders and clergy:

Me: “You’re a senior pastor of a big church, may I ask you a question?”

SP: ” Errhh, Yes ……. of course.”

Me: “Is it OK just to pray for someone when they are in need?”

SP: “What are you asking? Prayer is powerful.”

Me: “That is not what I’m asking.”

Silence, this bloke is cagey, he’s been around long enough to know people have agendas. knows not to walk into unwanted questions. He started to give signals he’d move on.

Me: “Look I’m not out to have a go at you, I’ve been a Christian fifty three years. I love the church, weep over her condition and long to see Church become the church in my life time if God permits.” I saw as I spoke interest popped into his eyes and his body relax. I approached him because he was one of the movers of this prayer gathering. When he led the gathering in his segment there was a distinct element of the Spirit, a genuineness others lacked.

SP: “So what’s your question? What’s your name?”

Me: “Wayne, my friends call me Crock.”

He nodded his head in acknowledgement.

So I continued.

Me: “Prayer for me is not something I do ..” he raised an eyebrow, “prayer is everything for me with being with my Father, sharing my heart with Him and He with me, a communing between the two of us.” I could see the OK go on signal.

SP: Patiently he waited. I got the impression he was waiting for a nugget.

Me: “So the question is this, as important as prayer is, prayer is not enough when there is a need?”

SP: “Correct.”

Me: “Then why do we use prayer to avoid our responsibilities?”

SP: “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Me: “Allow me to clarify, tonight we were praying for the abortion legislation the parliament is considering. For me that was nice, but not sufficient ……. because as valid as our prayers were I believe they bounced off the heavens ……. not because God is disinterested but because we are disinterested in what God wants to do through us ……”

SP: “Which is?” Now here was a different man of God, not threatened but open to discussion with a stranger, patient with my ramblings, very different. Most Pentecostal pastors would have escaped by now leaving me with a clear message I was not in the Spirit, or not ‘wanted, of no interest to them. I had better hurry before I dragged this out too long. I understand all too well how others can ‘collar’ you to push their pet theories they think you should know. Usually the agenda is to set you right because they are right. That was not my motivation, this man exhibited something I couldn’t define, something I had rarely encountered. What was it? I couldn’t put my fingers on it?

Me: “Look SP cutting to the chase, so often these prayer gatherings are a smorgasbord of our concerns we want God to do for us, I know we say it is for His righteousness, which is nice but we are asking the government to do what we are to do. The first three centuries of Christians were concerned about practical issues in the Roman Empire, such as infanticide, usually they were female babies unwanted; same as in China today. They didn’t merely pray to the Lord to remove infanticide or to have the Emperor start a programme to look after all these babies the parents were disposing of on the garbage dumps of the empire. Do you know what they did?”

SP: “No I don’t. What did they do.”

Me: “Remember most Christians in the first three centuries were poor, illiterate and ill resourced, not like us today, wealthy, well educated and many opportunities in life; too many I often think, they distract us from being who He has called us to be. However they had something we lack. They would actively go out to the garbage dumps, the fields, the riverbanks, the seashores wherever local parents dumped their newborns. they would find the children, take them into their homes and the local community of believers, rear them at their expense. You see they didn’t merely pray, they loved. Their love for their Lord caused them to lay their lives down for those around them, to hazard themselves ………….. They, by their love so influenced their society Christianity was an unstoppable force.”

His facial expression expressed doubt, questioning my statement without attempting to correct me or stop me.

Me: “It greatly disturbs me when we have these prayer gatherings for the reason I have just said. We harangue God like He doesn’t care, when in fact He does. Simply we don’t understand what we say we believe. We don’t seem to understand what love is. I do not know how many times I have preached about love and everyone agrees then continues to live as they always have, sometimes with slight modifications to their lifestyles. Why do you think that is? It could be I’m a lousy preacher which is no doubt true. But I think it is more than that.”

SP: “Briefly what do you think it is? I have to go to a meeting with my pastors.”

Me: “Some years ago I had a stroke and resulting vertigo for six weeks. I was in hospital for six days. One senior colleague came up the hospital found he had got the message wrong because he thought it was another colleague. He simply turned around mumbling he thought it was the other bloke and left me there in emergency never to be seen again. He was too busy to deal with me and I was not significant enough for his attention. A well known man who you are friends with. At the time I was a single parent to two wonderful teenagers. Fortunately both my children were absent from home at the time away on high school retreats. I could barely stand, never alone look after myself. I was left to my own devices. One brother who I had supported in his fellowship came to see me at home, accused me of carrying on too much. I didn’t hear from anyone else. After three weeks one brother who I wasn’t connected to, found out about my condition and came and ministered to me. He holds a special place in my heart to this day because of what he did. Needs of the sheep are opportunities for the Kingdom to shine. So why do you think my colleagues were so unloving when I needed their help?”

There was a quiet as we maintained eye contact.

SP: “Wayne, I don’t know the circumstances but I am so sorry to hear you went through that. That is not how we are to be to one another. I have to go but I want to sit down with you because you are saying something I should think about.”

Me: “My children didn’t get to see the love of the Body for one of its members. What they did see was something they don’t want to be a part of. Yes I’d like to chat with you when I come to Sydney again. Thank you for your patience and listening.”

SP: “People don’t listen to you much, do they?”

Me: “They don’t think much of me never alone what I have to say. Why would they? I am a person of no account, no outward success or importance. So many of my brothers and sisters think I’m too down on the church, that I’m too negative. They have no idea of my heart, my weeping for His Body, that I have given my life to seeing His Body restored and whole. No, they never bother to find out who I am and what I believe. In typical Evangelical fashion they think I’m attacking ideas that are unassailable. Do you know what really saddens me?“

SP: I waited as his silence continued, diplomatic, well trained professional but this man has a heart and he struggles. I see it in him. He is asking many questions. Aahh! there is the difference.

Me: “The Church of Jesus Christ suffers because we do not ‘discern the Body’.” He went to make a comment; I raised my hand then continued, “Today I see things happening in the Church I never saw twenty years ago.”

SP: “Wha …. what things?”

Me: “Sickness abounds, great financial difficulties, marriage divorce the same as the world when before Divorce was extremely unusual, children and youth illiterate of basic Bible stories, a lack of acceptance of the ways of God, they seem to be absent from our midst. Church has become a rock concert each meeting with little depth of teaching. then we wonder why we have forty year old babies still bleating they want their milk, or I’ll go elsewhere. There is no understanding of who Church is! Brother won’t talk to brother, sisters gossip causing dissension in the Body, God’s people living for themselves as if only Sunday mattered to live pious lives then the rest of the week they live like the world, need I go on?”

SP: Distress, so he hasn’t convinced himself all is well even though he’s successful, “So why do you think we are like that?” Aahh his heart, a passion behind that question.

Me: The Apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians said clearly a number of things about how we as the Body are to be.” He nodded an OK go on, ” he called himself a servant to all then he speaks about matters in the Church in Corinth, he uses a Greek word koinonia to describe the Lord’s table, which no doubt you are familiar with, then in speaking about the Lord’s table in chapter eleven he speaks again about communion, an interesting translation let me assure you, he says whoever eats the bread or drinks unworthily is guilty of the Lord’s Body and Blood. We are to examine ourselves so we don’t experience judgement upon ourselves because we do not discern the Lord’s Body. This statement is clearly made in the context of the community of believers. Then he makes an astounding statement, one that is no where else in such clarity in the New Testament. “For this reason many are weak and sickly among you and even die.”

SP: “There is some dispute with that interpretation and connection you make.”

Me: “Yes there is. Usually because people read or study it out of context. Consider this the chapters nine to eleven speak about our oneness and togetherness then the next three chapters twelve to fourteen are still about us the Body of Christ on this earth, not merely some mystical Body of Christ in the Heavens. the Apostle is speaking to the Church and says God judges us when we don’t act in His New Covenant as a community of believers who love one another, lay their lives down for one another by the giftings He has given to each. Paul speaks about order when the family comes together to partake of Lord’s Body and Blood. Anyway i leave that to you to take before the Lord. I have no desire to convince you I am right. Either you hear the Spirit or I’m not speaking by the spirit. We can’t get away with our lack of love. Your choice SP.”

SP: “I have to go. Thanks for sharing. The wilderness is a lonely place, my friend. I must go. Please keep in touch with me.”

Me: Not likely SP, not likely. I smiled as I thanked him for his time. A good typical statement of an executive clergy. “Keep in touch with me.” Interesting! Even the best of us are so tainted with a system that makes us less than we are.

Imagine Jesus saying to the man from the pool of Bethesda, “keep in touch with me”. No, when the religious elite of His day cast the man out, Jesus didn’t send a disciple, He went Himself. Therein lies the problem of the Church. We have too many wrong understandings, too many demands and expectations that divert us from doing His will; too busy to love, too busy to engage; too busy to understand something important is happening.

SP was an unusual man, very unusual. Yet I can’t imagine Jesus upping stakes in the middle of a dialogue to the woman by the well in Samaria because he had some appointment because of religious duty. Oh! yes that’s right He didn’t have religious duties; He was a free man who had no time for pretense, self importance and laying burdens upon others.

“I have food to eat of which you do not know”. then He said in reply to His disciples question, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” John 4:33 -38

It’s a long time in between drinks, in the wilderness, even then the waters can be muddied by others. You turn around trudge along knowing one day all will end, knowing you may never posess the promise Land in this life, like Abraham. However His Promises possess you and you know that you know His promises are true because He is faithful and True. The baton will be picked up by fellow wilderness wanderers; they will carry the light of His truth as sure as the Race has been run. Even so come Lord Jesus.

Great quote re: church – author unknown

Just read this from Paul Richards quoting someone The Church does not exist for itself but to reveal God’s glory-His Holy character. We want to be people whose hearts are to carry the burden of the Lord. Our cities do not need to be taken. People need to be loved in such a way that they will surrender to the love of God. If you try to make me, I will fight you. If you love me, I will give myself to you; if you love me you can correct me. We want to break pieces of ourselves off and give it to another. Pray seriously that God would take the orphanage of stray kids in our own church body and form us into a family giving us the gift of community-the church of our dreams.

The Steady Stream of Discontent

What do you do when you love so much and the one you love injures others so much? Do you remain silent or do you try to positively input so they somehow will get the message? What do you do? Positiveness and pointing the direction rather than clearly stating the problems hasn’t worked, so what do you do?

I took a lesson from God, speak directly from love to the ones and their problem in such a way it is clear, concise and points the way forward. Then the response is the choice of the listener. We have forgotten how to hear the Spirit in the other, their words and their heart; regardless of the vessel who speaks and the rough manner delivered. We say God I’ll only hear those who speak in the positive manner I like. Instead we hear through our biases and process through our ever refining filters to ensure that only what is acceptable to us is heard. Of course if it is not couched in positiveness it must be wrong! So a lot of Pentecostal pastors preach these days. Their prophets preach ‘encouraging’ words tickling the ears of a people who love it so; well most love the status quo. There are some who weep for something more; usually they know not what.

The prophets who spoke God’s words in the Old Testament and the God who walked this earth had hard words for such religious people and pretenders who claimed to be the mouth piece of the Almighty. They paid a heavy price for not hearing what the Spirit was speaking – their religion they were protecting and their position they were so zealous in keeping was taken away from them, obliterated for nearly two thousand years. Remember who He is and who He cares for. He has come to His Church, a whip in one hand and soothing oil of peace in the other for those who would hear His voice, follow Him.

The issue is love. What do you love? Look well at your life – what consumes you is what you find important. Love decides importance because we give ourselves to what we believe and value. Importance is decided by what you give priority to. Priority is decided by what you allow to interupt what you are doing!

One can only wonder what would have been the result if Judaism had heard the voice of her Messiah?

I now have many times more once super-commited friends who were super-involved with institutional church who are not attending organised religion than those who are still attending. Of those still attending most sit quietly frustrated on the pew crying with heart felt yearning, “There has to be something more? Surely God you didn’t mean us to be like this?”

No, He didn’t mean for us to be merely grist for someone’s mill of ambition or fodder for someone else’s vision.

I am not God … that sets me Free

Today is a special day for me.

Four days ago I turned 65, went onto the aged Pension and semi-retirement. I am not morose, down or even asking questions “What is life about?” or “God where are you in my life?” Neither do I consider I am passed it (whatever ‘it’ is); been there done that in days gone by.

Yes I do wonder where the years have gone. How human is that? I trust I am.

Yes many years were bad years; many bad moments; you don’t get to 65 without some pain in the journey. The journey for too many years were far too painful. I became a broken man barely trudging through life doing what I had to do for my two kids. In the midst of that pain I did ask where the church was; how come those who were supposed to love were absent? How come the world stood by me when the church was so vindictive, so judgmental and so lacking in its necessary character that it abandoned me and my two beautiful children to evil.

Yes life wasn’t good for some years. Thank God He is who He is! He was there for us. He does what none other can do. He restored and is restoring me and my two children.

The devastation came from the woman I loved; the mother of my two children. I trusted that even though we had problems we could sought them out. Unfortunately that never happened. Then anger grew in me as I struggled to be who I am as I slowly died within grasping for hope that was no longer there; laughter left, love of life died a dreadful death; my sense of calling and purpose in God lay in ashes. Subtlety my love for people died as betrayal after betrayal morosely filled my soul with bitterness. I became the man I hated. Hope left somewhere between slanders and  deprivations.

I couldn’t see how I could survive. “Was life supposed to be like this?” “Was I supposed be cast adrift in a sea of loneliness and despair? No one caring.”  You know a woman is supposed to love her man, have affection for him. As I recall the years of living with someone who couldn’t love I realise I at times was most unloving; yet I grew; I came through as a friend once said “This too will pass.” He was right. At the time I couldn’t see that it would  or I could.

The worse thing about these years is the damage done to my two beautiful children; as I saw the demonic scar and mar them; as I saw them change, become more less than they are; to see choices made that are not good, knowing that evil fruit awaits that will further scar and mar. Yes grief for them and their future filled my soul in days passed. Now they are in His hands when I can no longer be there for them; to stroke their brow, to hold them when this world deals them a bad hand. They are in safe hands; the same hands who have held me these years.

Life hasn’t been easy until recently. Oh I still struggle and there is the loneliness which after 10 years has returned; but it is serving a purpose. Also it is an indicator of life pulsating once again. Hope comes in different ways.

Yes I could dwell on loneliness and anomie but what for. He is there; that is enough for me.

HHMM! Instead I find myself grateful thanking God for His goodness to me. I have a govie unit, a part time job I love which supplements my income and needs. A part time ministry I enjoy being with students, being there for them. I have a close knit group of friends and two wonderful children – absent as they are at the moment out finding their purpose in life. How good is that? Thank you Lord; When I couldn’t you have. Thanks.

As I look back over my life I find many things that have formed me and made me into a man; I love being who I am. Yes I have a lot to be thankful for. Most in our world don’t have what I have.

Today is special because I realise after all these years laughter returns to my soul, my natural jolly demeanour is being restored, I can laugh again; life has turned from shades of grayness to emerging colours. People still drain my emotional and mental reserves but that is changing too. Life looks good in this new year; He is in it with me. He makes the difference as I forget those things that are behind I look ahead at the high calling of God. That gives hope. He loves me.

It is good. Thank you Lord.

“I am not God

That sets me free to be

The person God would be

If He were me“

Uniting Church Pastor’s wife in 1984 Sydney – Unknown author

The Ways of God lead to blessing

Isaiah 58:   The message is timeless as a lesson for all people who would draw near to GOD.

Here was group of people who were very religious fulfilling the requirements of OT church. They fasted, they prayed, every day they went to the worship, offered sacrifices for sins, they thought they were pleasing GOD because they seemed to be delighting to learn about HIM. They acted like a nation of people who lived righteous lives and as if they lived in GOD’s requirement for them. Also they turned to GOD to get HIM to act on their behalf, they thought they wanted to be near GOD.

They asked “What are you on about GOD? What more can you expect us to do?” Look at us we have made effort we have been very hard on ourselves and we haven’t even caught your attention. YOU GOD are ignoring us! (How dare you after all our wonderful effort) Look what we have done for you! How ungrateful you are GOD.   (Is 58: 2 – 3a)

GOD’s reply is instructive to us today. Here is GOD’s reply to those people. (Is 58: 3b – 7)

“You are trying to please yourselves even in your greatest effort you call fasting.

Now remember they supposedly delight to know GOD yet GOD says of them

• You pretend to humble yourselves (HE knows every heart and sees the true condition). Once in my early 20’s I was standing in my AoG church at Stafford In Brisbane and a visiting brother brought a strong rebuking prophecy saying You are rebellious, strong willed and stubborn. At the time I thought ‘someone’s in for it” Then I madea mistake before I realised it I asked “Is it me , Lord?’
• You just don’t get it – you have not connected the dots – you say you want to learn about me  but you oppress your workers lay heavy burdens on them. You are oppressors not burden lifters. (Now there is a message for many full on over active churches)

“You don’t please me” GOD says “This is not what I want’

This is what I want!’

• Set prisoners free who have been wrongfully imprisoned
• Those who work with you lighten their burden – Wayne PS – the more evangelical charismatic Pentecostal a church the more inclined we are to put burdens on our supporters to accomplish our ends. We are not burden lifters we become oppressors and that is not the heart of GOD
• The word of the LORD is set them free, do not bind them to yourself remove the chains of oppression and bondage, share what food you have with those who are hungry and open your homes to the homeless, give clothes to those who need them and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

In other words be Shephers who care Eze 34.

The consequences for any group of GOD’s people are enormous whether you choose to follow God or whether you choose to reject what GOD says.

For those who listen and decide to follow HE says

• Salvation
• Healing
• Guidance, progress and maturity
• Glory of GOD and protection
• THEN dialogue with GOD. He will acknowledge you

Here is the amazing thing after HE says all these benefits HE reiterates HIS warning plead

• Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
• Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
•  Feed the hungry,
• and help those in trouble.

Then HE reiterates the benefits to us who hear and forsake our own way

• We will become light
• And behold the darkness around us will become like the noonday
• The Lord will guide you continually,
• giving you water when you are dry
• and restoring your strength.
• You will be like a well-watered garden,
• like an ever-flowing spring.

Then a promise of a profound ministry.  Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.

• Then HE speaks about rest. Now the OT people equated rest with the Sabbath
• As NT people our rest is more profound, more encompassing the whole of life
• Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.

The question is one of closeness

The ways of God continually call for those who hear to follow. The passage is about discipleship, the Cross and for laying down of life for others so His Kingdom may come to them.

• Either we walk in His Ways or we are doing things our way – the two are not compatible, neither do they complement each other – His ways are higher than our ways – a lesson each soul and each group of His people have to learn
• Either we deal with the sins of our ways or He will deal with us in life with loving discipline to bring us back into health, well-being and a joyous satisfaction knowing we are in a good place because He is there. Revelation 7 churches.
• Either we will learn from GOD’s dealings with HIS people in Scripture or we will be dealt with according to HIS ways in Life.
• Either we are religious relegating God to the rear seat of our lives or we are in relationship with Him in the driving seat ever coming closer to Him, leaning upon His breast, being near Him
• Either we are living the Way (Jesus) in the fear and love of God or we have the disposition of exalting pride where we think we know best, our decisions are best for us, our way pleases us – thus we exalt ourselves bending ourselves away from God in self-absorption replicating our forebears’ sin to be ‘like God’ – such is pure enmity towards God. This self-deifying attitude leads us to destruction, distance far from God

Religion is like a sausage

Religion is like a sausage, a skin of spirituality stuffed with pretense, conformity of beliefs to a set of codified doctrines to be performed and adhered to and compliance to rules, regulations and rites.

Jesus didn’t come to start a religion but to open the way to an intimate relationship with Himself and His Father through the Holy Spirit. His love through the Cross, His work to His resurrection and ascension has made the Way open; for He is the Way, only through Him and abiding in Him do we know His love and relationship.

Hear O People, the Lord our God is One! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. How are you doing with this? Feeling inadequate like me? Regardless of where any of us are at Father wants us to enter into a closer relationship with Him. Religion can’t cut it when it comes to God. Communing of the heart does; He has come to metamorphoo us at the ground level of who we are, the heart. Thus the Prophets prophesied He would, thus Christ spoke to and thus is our inheritance, a changed heart and an abiding Christ within. He is never far from those who are His, He is within.