Faith, Grace, and Victory!

STRESS. ANXIETY. WORRY. These words describe where many of us live every day. In fact we live today, stressing about tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. How many of us lie awake at 3:00am in the morning with tight chests - unable to breathe, hot and cold sweats, and feeling hopelessly trapped? Stress has become an unwanted companion. He reminds us about unpaid bills, failed relationships, impending crisis, lack of performance, and just how hopeless and purposeless we are. As Christians, we talk about faith and we trust God. How is it then that we worry so much, usually about stuff we cannot fix anyway? It seems like a contradiction. The opposite of Fear is Faith, right? Wrong! The opposite of Fear is PEACE! The opposite of Faith is UNBELIEF!

In Hebrews 4, Paul talks about how the nation of Israel did not enter into God's rest, and therefore did not enter into the Promised Land for 40 years! Essentially, they lived in unbelief which was not the REST of God!

For those of us who seem to be in the 'wilderness' - ENTER into the REST of God! Speak PEACE! Confess PEACE! Live in PEACE!

"How can I"? you might say.

Live from moment to moment, minute to minute, hour to hour, and day to day. Can you have FAITH for one moment? How about GRACE for one moment? Well, if you can take a step in Faith and then another step of Grace, you can have the VICTORY! That's how you do it. Faith, Grace, Victory! Three moments. Do you reckon you can walk in Faith, Grace and Victory for 1 minute? If you can - AWESOME! Try stringing moments, and minutes together of Faith, Grace and Victory and before you know it - you have had the Victory for a whole day! You get the picture.

To enter into the Promises of God and to live a stress free life is to live in the moment...I know I'm there...

Faith, Grace, Victory!...Faith, Grace, Victory!...

Ps Justin Lippiatt

Snakes

I hate snakes, especially when there’s a close call. Thinking about them makes me feel sick in the stomach. Recently, my family arrived home from Jacob’s soccer presentation and break up lunch. It was a lovely warm day and the children ran straight out into our back yard. As I walked through the back door, I was alarmed by a scream from my little girl as she scampered up our tree. Directly after I heard that awful sound of something rushing off into the bush just across from the tree. I’m not sure if it was a snake or lizard sunning itself but one thing was for sure. The bush that was harboring it had to go. I took to the bush with a pair of secateurs and cut it back so that it could no longer could any creepy animals hide from my family and I.

Sometimes we can allow bushes to grow and get out of control in our lives. It may be the television that we watch or the relationships that we allow to influence our lives. I find that there are many different things that can allow the enemy to harbor, places where he can hide. He often waits until we are weak or distracted and finds the most opportune time to strike and take us out.

How is the garden of your life? Do you have any areas where the enemy might find a place to hide. If you are prepared to remove the risky environment, you will most likely remove the threat. Make sure you book a time to chat with one of our amazing pastors about areas in your life that you think might be causing you some strife. Bring things out in the open, allow someone to help remove the wrong habitats and come into agreement for the promises that God has for you and your future.

Tim Howard

Losing weight

If you have a metabolism like me than more than likely you have tried all the different ways of losing weight; joining the gym and going hard at it for a couple of weeks, then you realise you’re got a really busy week and you don’t get to go. Before you know it a month has past and a friend (wife for me) reminds you that you haven't been for a while. Or what about the low carbs diet, weight fell of me in that one (it also went back on just as fast). How about this one... you convince yourself you’re going to ride everywhere to lose weight, so you go and buy a bike until winter hits and its cold and dark (so you piked it like I did). Others I know: calorie counting, pilates, The Cabbage Soup diet (Mum and Dad tried that one, it smells like spew) and the list goes on.

All this reminds me of the scripture in Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith". I turn thirty this month and I have been planning to be at a certain weight by my 30th, but more than that I thank God that I’ve looked to Jesus who takes the weights of life.

What weight are you carrying now that you shouldn't be, throw them onto Jesus, cause his word says in 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast your cares on him for he cares for you". Don’t live another day carrying weight emotionally or spiritually that u don’t have to because losing that weight is the most important thing.

Change your world today

Ps Jack

A Father's heart...

It was an overcast day, not really cold, but drizzling. I was about 7 or 8 years old, and I had gone fishing for "Shad" (Taylor fish in Australia) with my Dad on Margate Pier (on the Kwa-Zulu Natal south coast in South Africa). I remember the frenetic activity, huge, burly men, in oilskins and raincoats. The most wonderful smell of bait sardines still lingers in my nostrils. I remember feeling really small, and tiny amongst these 'giants'. My Dad told me to 'bait up" under the baiting tables, because I couldn't reach. Hands shaking excitedly I slit the sardine down the middle, placed the hook and trace down the spine, and bound it in cotton thread. I was ready!

As I stood up, I realised that my little bamboo fishing rod was really bent, with the weight of the bait and the lead 'sinker'. Never mind, I'd still be able to catch a huge Shad! My Dad just smiled at me, and led me to the front 'kiddies' section of the pier. I looked at my Dad as he waited patiently for me, and then with a mighty, calculated heave I cast my 'load' out to sea. As the line became taut I peered over the side to see my line hanging directly below me, in the water about 2m out from the rocks below.

"Aw no! I'll never catch anything there! I better cast again!"
"No, don't", replied my Dad, "You'll catch something - just be patient."
"Okay" I mumbled, not really convinced.

I saw my Dad weave his way through the fishermen, and the rods, which looked like reeds waving in the wind. Time dragged on..and on...and on. I peered over the side from time to time. Not even a bite! I often thought about reeling in, re-baiting, and casting again, but I trusted my Dad.

Suddenly, the tip of my rod 'dived' down towards the sea. A bite! A big one!

"Dad!" I screamed.
"Dad!" I was besides myself with excitement, shouting, jumping up and down!

I looked frantically from side to side for my Dad, and also noticed (with pride) how fisherman were looking at me, as I battled this monster Shad from the deep. I wound in the wriggling fish, and as I started to panic about how I was going to lift it over the side, a pair of strong hands covered mine, and hauled the beautiful green and silver fish over the rails.

"Dad!"
"Dad!""Dad!" I screamed, and laughed, and wanted to cry.

I 'wrestled' my fingers into the gills (with a great deal of effort) and carried my catch and my rod back to the baiting tables. I was so proud! My cheeks were cramping from the smiling! I kept looking at my Dad, and beaming. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Well done", "It's massive!", "It's the biggest one today!" - my Dad kept saying. I thought my heart would burst with pride, and love for my Dad.
It is a very special memory...

Shortly after my Dad's funeral, I was talking to my mother, and I reminisced about that special day. My mother laughed! "Oh yes! I forgot about that! Your Dad caught a big Shad, and he snuck down under the pier, nearly killing himself. He grabbed your line and re-hooked the fish on to your line."

At first I was shocked, then disappointed, and then angry! It was a lie! I had been tricked!

A while after that I saw it from a different perspective. I saw things through my father's eyes, and I learned some lessons about my Heavenly Father:

• My Heavenly Father protects me, shields me, and shelters me from my worst enemy - myself.
  
• No matter what 'tools', abilities, and talents I have, my Father stands over me - guiding and encouraging me against all odds.
  
• My Father is doing things behind the scenes, that I am not aware of. To make things happen...to fulfil His will...and to give pleasure to His child, for His Glory.
  
• The lack of patience in stressful times, and against logic, can bring about doubt, which in turn could lead to making poor decisions, and hurtful consequences.
  
• Trust in God the Father, He always has our best interests at heart. He is an encourager, a 'grower', and a father. He knows what's best, and he see the big picture.
  
• My Father in Heaven doesn't reveal all to me at once. He is Truth. His promises are Yes! and Amen! He wants me trust in Him!

So was I deceived? Was one of my fondest childhood memories broken and stained? No...it was enriched by the fact that a father tried to save his son from embarrassment, humiliation, frustration, and defeat. I learned that a fathers love for his son can be unconditional, and that he would endanger himself to provide a moment joy and pride for his son. I learned that my fathers heart on that day...was the Father's heart!

Thanks Dad...

Justin Lippiatt

Environmental Assessment?

If you read the paper, watch the news or interact with any form of the mass media you will understand that “the environment” is a hot topic. Whether it is carbon trading, global warming or water conservation everyone seems to have put a lot of time and effort into their theories for fixing the problem. We know that we don’t want to live in a polluted, filthy environment yet so many people live their lives in that state. Of course I’m not talking about “physical pollution” but pollution of the heart, soul, mind and spirit. Many times we let negativity; doubt, anger and bitterness fill our minds and mouths. Christ said that He came “to bring life and life to the full” yet that life can be choked out by pollution.

In Genesis chapter one we see God creating the universe and one phrase appears eight times “God said”. Why? Why did God create the universe, this environment, by speaking? He is Almighty, All powerful God, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Surely He could have come up with a more spectacular, creative way to form the universe. However I believe that there is an amazing principle that God wants to communicate to us. Just as He created the environment by His spoken word, we create our environment by the words we speak. God did say “let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. So just as when “God said” something was created, every time we speak we are creating.

So then the question is; what environment are your words creating? Are they words that bring that crystal clean mountain air, the type that when you breathe it in you feel as if anything is possible? Or do your words hang over you like a cloud of smog, choking life, bringing defeat, failure and disappointment? Proverbs 18:21 says “death and life are in the power of the tongue”.

For your family, business, home or ministry the words spoken in conversation, in prayer even in solitude create your world. Let’s commit to being people who let the Word fill our hearts. Then out of that abundance will flow words which create a positive, hope filled environment wherever we are.

Ps Marty I’Anson

Family

There have been many quotations written about home life and probably enough to fill a small book.” Home is where the heart is”, “The family that prays together stays together”,” Christ is the unseen guest at every meal the silent listener to every conversation,” to name but a few. Throughout my life there is one thing significant that I’ve discovered, that is family life and relationships are to be treasured, nurtured, nourished and continually enriched.

My home has just recently been filled with my three oldest grandsons. From daylight to dark the sound of young boys full of energy has permeated my home! This was the best noise and included much giggling in the bedroom till late at night, which also initiated some flashbacks to when my two sons were a similar age. When the curtains of the day are drawn, the ‘home fire’ burns brightly if we stoke it with the tinder of love. Nothing in life fulfils more than the love that’s experienced in the home. The fragrances of a home cooked meal linger in your heart longer then in the kitchen. The modelling of a dad and mum cuddling each other that is then carried on into the son and daughters marriages!

Recently I read this quotation by Mother Teresa. “Love begins at home. Everything depends on how we love each other. Do not be afraid to love until it hurts, for this is how Jesus loved us.”

We need each other and our lives would be empty without each other. They say ‘charity begins at home’ so lets get good at it. The Bible also says that ‘God puts the solitary in families.’ I have been totally blessed with the experience of having two gorgeous young women from our Church living with us for a season. We have been able to bless them, but we are also recipients of being blessed by their youthfulness and vitality which has been activated into our home.

The design of 2009 families is seen in many diverse models. Whatever the context of yours might be, treasure it; don’t take it for granted. Keep all the relationships sweet, deal with and remove conflict by going through the tunnel of honesty. Create a safe and welcoming environment to all who enter. Also open your heart to embrace others into your immediate family.” God so love the world that He gave His only Son” that you could belong to His Family.

Tricia McDonald

Senior Minister

Sydney Christian Outreach Centre

Time.......

So when is the right time to share your faith?

A friend of mine from high school died just this Monday, my first thought was did he have a relationship with his creator. Malachi addresses the church in such a way he says why have you withheld the tithe, ( Malachi 3:8 Amplified bible) thus robbing the house of God.

In my studies I have found in Jewish culture the commandment 'You should not steal' is not simply don't take what is not yours. I know what you’re thinking what does this have to do with my friends passing... Well I'm glad that you are still reading. You see within the Jewish culture having something and withholding it or not being generous with what you have is also thought of as stealing.

So along this line of thinking if you have a something that you know would be a blessing to someone and it is in your means to be able to give it and you withhold it then that is also stealing.

Think about it a culture where for 480 years of slavery the Israelites were treated by their oppressors as less than human if the Egyptians wanted something that was yours they took it.... God had to transform a culture and thinking, the commandment that you should not steal for the Israelite they did not think ‘oh man I shouldn't steal’, the freedom in this commandment was they would not have to worry about someone stealing from them.

Jesus said I have come to fulfill the law not to abolish it.... This speaks so loudly to me in that the Ten Commandments being freedom to the Israelite slave so much more is Jesus Christ freedom to every man.

Have you withheld a word of encouragement, or helping a co-worker even when it's not your responsibility, or even more with-held or held back when the opportunity to speak to someone about their salvation? You are the light to the world. Matthew 5:14

Ps. Jake Matthews