The Way a Day off Should be...

With apologies to other days off I have had.

This was probably one of my most favourite days off ever. Why? Time with friends, time to relax, time to hang out in our great city, and time to for 'silly Dave' to come and play for a while and no one seems to mind. Its all part of the destressing of ministry life anyway! Here's how it works.

Start by riding a river cat from Rydalmere and actually run for it in order to board. But once you are on, you can relax and enjoy the surroundings. Laugh at the little girl who sits behind you and asks her Mum after every bridge you go under: 'Is that the Sydney Harbour Bridge?' Little kids are good for a giggle like that.

After some lunch, cruise on in to the Sydney Aquarium. You'll love the crocs and stingers, but you can act like a bigger dill than you already are. Crickey! How long can you hold your breath under water?

Next, re-live that time you got lost in the mirror maze when you were a kid, and the time you threw up after going on the Gravitron as a teenager by heading to Luna Park. You'll see magnificent views of Sydney Harbour from the ferris wheel, and your thirst for silliness can be quenched a little more.

Throw in some quality time spent in Conney Island with slide races, spinning out on big wheels and through tunnels. Once you're done, play some pinnies and race each other in Daytona! And may the force be with you, because relfexes and sheer talent certainly won't be! (Why can't I ever win at these things?)

And then, when the day is over, sit back and chill back over dinner, share some more laughs, have some 'serious' time in talking about life and God and relationships- some of my most favourite topics. Intense stuff!

Then, when its time to bid thee a farewell, release all that excitement that is left and teenage angst that you never got rid of as a teenager by shooting up some bad guys! Yeah! bring that on!

Ahhh...now I'm ready to get back to the grindstone!

Any similiarities to real people are intentional and voyeuristic on your part.

Evangelistic Dinner- How it went

Well, a number of you have been asking how the dinner went, so here goes.

In a word- fantastic!!! The food was great, the atmosphere was inviting (although muggy). Around 90 people were packed into our little church, and a number of them there for the first time. My sister did a great job singing some of her songs. And then a cracker of a sermon was preached on the paralytic whose sins were forgiven.

And after Ray's talk...silence. You could feel that people had been touched by the Word of God.

I asked people to fill out cards. Some from church indicated that they had responded to Christ. One woman, who doesn't come to church, responded by saying that she had prayed but wasn't sure if she should feel any different.

I love seeing people come home to Him! God is indeed merciful. Thanks for your prayers. Keep in prayer for those who asked God for forgiveness.

Dinner update: 90 people and counting

At last count, we had 90 people coming to our dinner for Saturday night!!! I couldn't have asked for a better response if I tried. I've had to turn people away who were coming without bringing any friends along. We are even setting up a video link in the next room of the church to accomodate all the people who are coming!

Someone asked me 'why do you think it was so successful?' What do we tribute this success to?

I'd like to think it was the sermons I've been preaching on the Coming Kingdom. I'd like to think that the 5 minute spots on 'building bridges to people' and then 'how to invite someone to an evangelistic event' had a lot to do with it. But that would be arrogant.

The success was due to people actually making effort in their friendships and inviting others to come! People really took the message on board that we need to form relationships and be inviting people. Relationships is where its at folks!

And it goes without saying that God had His hand in it too. People got excited in church when I shared with them the story of how the man dying of cancer became a Christian. The gospel got people excited!

(A couple saw the dinner advertised in the local paper, and rang up this afternoon to come!)

Please keep praying!!!! Its THIS Saturday! Go God! Woo-hoo!!!!

Light Sent into the Dark

Last night we went to College Graduation. I began to appreciate the voyeuristic nature of blogging….a friend I haven’t seen in ages said to me ‘I have come across your blog!’ Whilst I don’t tend to spill my guts on the blog, it does strike me as a way that people can access your private life, and see what you have been up to, without ever seeing you. Even though my blog is random, I tend to think of it as a way of keeping in touch with people more than anything.

Anyway, what I loved about the night was not only the singing of great hymns and songs, seeing people I know get their piece of paper after 4 years hard work (I know what that’s like), hearing the Word expounded…BUT what I loved the most was the thought of the gospel going into all the world through these people- UK, Japan, Spain, Australia…God is doing amazing things in our very own city.

When I was waiting on the steps to go inside, a passer by said to me ‘what’s going on in there?’ I merely said ‘Oh, it’s a college graduation’. If I had that moment again, I would have said ‘A celebration of light being sent into a dark, dark world'.

Or something cool like that. Good enough for Jesus, good enough for me.

For all the voyeurists out there, I close with some pictures of some of my friends. Congratulations!!!

Smile At Life Again

Life ain't over. Life ain't done now.
So get back up in your place, child.
When you feel like its the end,
no mother and no friend could love you more.
These are dry days.
And your heart breaks when the best years seem to have gone by.
I've made promises before,
But no mother and no friend could love you more.

You've got to smile at life again.
Smile at you. There's a time to let it go, and then you
Smile at life again. There's a time to let it go.

I know that sometimes you need someone,
And the soul you want is nowhere.
When you're scared and left alone,
your faith becomes your reason to go on.
If you'll hear me, I have known truth.
I have hurt, and I have cried, too.
I've made promises before,
But no mother and no friend could love you more.

It's time to let it go.

The Elms, 2002

Evangelistic Dinner- Progress Report

On March 24 we are holding an evangelistic dinner at church. Its pretty exciting- people are actually inviting others to come. But why am I surprised? My church has been gripped by the gospel, and they love seeing people come to Christ. They have been praying for this for a long time. At last count, we had 60 people coming. I’m so excited! God is stirring up this place, working through His Word and Spirit. People keep ringing me to tell me that more are coming. One is a lady who has never been to our church before, but brings her kids regularly to our kid's club. Another is a couple I married, but they didn't quite make friendships at church.

So please pray for this night. Pray for Ray as he preaches. Pray for my sister as she sings on her guitar. Pray for me as I MC the night. And pray for the unbelievers who will be there. I can't wait to tell you how it goes!

Its a Lost World After All....

I’ve recently downloaded Google Earth onto my computer. Its awesome. I just type in my address, and I can see where I live, and every house I’ve ever lived in. I can relive overseas trips. I can see aerial shots of that island in Fiji I’ve visited twice in real life and many times in my imagination…then there’s San Fran, Great Keppel, Cairns and Adelaide- all places with fond memories, and I haven’t even touched Poland or Thailand.

Plus it’s a great reminder about how small our world is, and how great the need is for the lost people of this world to know Jesus. I used an aerial shot of my suburb in the kid’s talk to make this very point on Sunday.

In other news, I don’t like Monday night meetings that go late…

The Prayer of a Dying Man

Today was a good day. No- today was a GREAT day!

I went to visit a dying man. His partner called me to ask for some pastoral care for him. It turns out he used to be a church-goer. He used to sing in a choir. He grew up knowing Bible stories and the rest. But he had wandered so far from God.

I asked him ‘so is God someone who you feel is out there in the distance, or is he someone who is very close to you?’

After a thoughtful pause he said ‘God feels quite far away'.

He said that he felt like he was a hypocrite, coming to God in his hour of need, when he had spent so long ignoring God. Then we talked about the prodigal son. He seemed to remember the story.

We talked about the son who wandered away from his father, and squandered his father’s inheritance money on wild living. But at his lowest point he returned home, begging for mercy, as he asked his Dad to take him back in.

But then we talked about what the father was like. He watched the road patiently, waiting for the son to return. And when he finally saw the son return, he ran! He ran as fast as his old legs would carry him, and embraced his son, wanting to throw him a party and restore him to the place of son. ‘That’s what our God is like!’ I said excitedly. ‘He loves it when people who have wandered away from him come home. He is only too ready to take us back!’ I explained that it would take a proud person to stay away from God. Only a truly humble person can admit their fault and turn to God.

That parable had his name written all over it.

I told him that the reason why God has spared his life in this way is to give him time to repent.

‘What do you think about that?’ I asked.

He looked at me puzzled. ‘When you talk about repenting, I don’t think that I have done anything wrong.’

And I believed him. He seemed like such a nice man.

I explained that sin is not about how good or bad you are. Its about rejecting God, and living a life of ignorance about Him. We talked about heaven and hell, and the reality of those places, and the rightness of God to send us to hell if we chose to want to have nothing to do with him. The punishment Jesus took on the cross deals with our rejection of Him.

‘It makes sense when you put it that way’, was the reply.

I then asked him if did he want to repent- to do some serious business with God- start treating God as God, and change his attitude to God, and trust in Jesus for forgiveness. He said he did.

So I prayed a prayer out loud, while he prayed it in his heart. And by the end of it, he had asked God for forgiveness, and trusted in the mercy of God at the cross.

It was the quickest conversion I’ve ever seen. But when your time is up, and you could go at any moment, you don't want to stuff around.

I don’t mention this to boast. Far from it. But it does put things in perspective, doesn't it? Some days I wonder what God is doing. I wonder if His Word just keeps falling on deaf ears all the time. But then I get a moment of clarity, like today, when I see Him at work so clearly. Preach the Word, in season and out of season.

And I get paid to do this?

Thanks for your prayers.

The Sovereignty of God

At the moment I don’t know what the future is.
I wish I knew what the specifics are.
Is that a lack of trust?
At least I know the generals:
That God is leading me into holiness, godliness and a stronger trust,
Even though the details are sketchy,
There are so many questions.
And answers are wanting.
Is this what it means to live by faith and not by sight?
Yet God is in control!
This causes me to rejoice and be confident,
And be prayerful and faithful.
And work with all my might.
For He knows,
And cares,
And is compassionate,
And is in control,
Of the details.
So take comfort.
For He’ll get me there.
I even know where ‘there’ is,
Even though I don’t know the details
Of the itinerary.
But they become clearer
The longer I’m alive.

When Death Comes Knocking...

Bible studies for the week have been written...enquiries about a weekend away have been made...meeting with the boss with future planning accomplished...sermon notes updated...phone calls made...emails sent...wedding for couple planned.

In fact, the only thing out of the ordinary thing that happened today was the phone call I received to meet with a man dying of cancer. He wants some pastoral care. Some advice. About how to die. Maybe he read my article in the local newspaper? Who knows. He wants to prepare for his untimely death. What do you tell a dying man? The gospel of course.

That's tomorrow's job. If you can call it a job. Pray I'd be clear. Pray he'd accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Pray that God will use his early death to soften his heart to Jesus.

Its at times like these that I remember why I went into ministry. God knows that He's also teaching me things during times like these.... I'll keep you posted.

Emancipate Yourself

Me thinketh that Thirsty Merc doth rock.
Rocketh on!