Fix your thoughts on Jesus

'In how many ways do we domesticate the radical Revolutionary in order to sustain our religion and religiosity?' (From Alan Hirsch and Mike Frost's new book - 'ReJesus', p.5)
______________________
From Philip Yancey, 'One day miracles seemed to flow out of Jesus; the next day his power was blocked by people's lack of faith. One day he talked in detail of the Second Coming; another, he knew neither the day nor hour. He fled from arrest at one point and marched inexorably toward it at another. He spoke eloquently about peacemaking, then told his disciples to procure swords. His extravagant claims about himself kept him at the center of controversy, but when he did something truly miraculous he tended to hush it up.' (The Jesus I Never Knew, p. 23). This idea of Christology - understanding who Jesus is, his actions, how it affects us, etc, is simple yet complex. Start with the Gospels.
______________________
"He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know he lives? He lives... within my heart" (SASB 334).
______________________
'Therefore, holy people, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess' (Heb 3:1). Share

Yearn for more.

Jo and I have realised so strongly that people have been praying for us recently. It has been an awakening from the desert experience we have found ourselves in. Only very recently Jo and I have had a close relative die, and it quickly helps you to appreciate the life you have and to take stock of where you are and what you are doing. We love the time we spend with other Cadets in college and the moments of influence and blessing at Packenham Corps.

I wrote recently about 'my heart' in ministry. My passion to see lives touched with the power of the gospel of Jesus... My heart will always yearn for something more. I remember running a Youth Event in Werribee about 4 years ago now, called the Mega Vibe!! It was an exciting night. God had nudged me to preach that night, so I did, and towards about 30 people responded to the gospel that night and were inspired in some way from God. Why do I share this? I remember afterwards, the excitement from the night. The exhiliration! The passion! The presence of the Holy Spirit! I felt all this... Yet a big part of me, still yearned for more. Maybe, I'm too hard to please, or I'm never satisfied, or I never celebrate the victories enough... But all I can say is, amongst my laughter and reflection, my heart yearned for more. It still does. It probably always will.

See folks, we've sung the songs for a long time. We've had the funny dramas, the nice preach, and the flashy announcements on powerpoint. We've attracted the same crowd, with their nice uniforms, and their friendly cliches, and the edible 'Scotch Finger Biscuit'. But my heart yearns for more. So much more. So Much Much more. Lets yearn for more... Ohh yeah. I'm beginning to get excited now! Lets yearn for a Salvation Army of warriors, fighting against sin and injustice. Lets pray for a Holy Spirit anointing so strong even our political leaders need to bow their knees. Lets inspire an inner passion so vibrant that our friends, are no longer our gossip buddies, but our comrades in the mission we have before us. The World WILL turn to Jesus. The Church WILL be a place of equipping and arming up and not a spiritual ghetto. Our communities WILL connect with the God of the Bible and lives WILL be transformed. Hallelujah!!!

Lets go friends. Lets yearn for more... Share

Calling all Apostles!

I once had an argument with a guy who insisted that there are no longer any apostles. The nice heated discussion started when I said something about being an 'apostle'. He didn't like that. I mean, how dare I equate my life to that of Paul or Barnabas or Peter.

But I believe in the Word of God.

Eph 4:11-12 says, 'So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up... (TNIV)

Just because I'm passionate doesn't make me an evangelist. I believe I'm an apostle. Someone who pioneers communities of faith. Someone who is 'sent' by God to fulfill a task.

Do you sit in church frustrated at times, and want to do something, or say something, to bring glory to God? Do you ever think of ministries you could start that could change the world? Do you ever dream of planting churches? Maybe you're an apostle.

CALLING ALL APOSTLES. It's time to step up and pioneer. It's time to innovate and create. It's time to invest in people's lives, so that people would come to faith in Jesus!

Would you pray with me... 'God, use us to change the World. Empower us by your Holy Spirit. May we live and breathe as Jesus would today. Salvation for the World, we pray in the name of Jesus! AMEN!'

Share

Wash away the Pain...

Jesus came to bring life to the fullest. He really did. If you're reading this right now, wondering why things are as they are... wondering where God is, in the midst of all your trials...

Jesus came to set you free. To set you free from oppression, from sin, from darkness, from apathy, from depression, from negativity...

If you're all good, then feel free to move on and read another blog. But right now; if you're in pain... Why don't you pray with me:

Dear God,

You created me to have love, peace and joy. You created me to be in Christ; to be living life to the full. At the moment Lord, I need you to wash away the pain... Will you send the presence of your Holy Spirit right now to fill me and comfort me. Help me to get to the other side of all I'm currently experiencing. I have faith that you will move the obstacles in my life, that stop me from living life to the full. Deliver me from pain, in the Name of JESUS! Thank you Lord, Amen!

God Bless you.

If you need info on depression, then go to www.beyondblue.org

Share

Whose the Revolutionary?

I'm thinking of someone. This man has turned the world upside down. The 20th/21st centuries, especially in places like Africa and China have seen a radical growth in the number of passionate Christians in their Countries. We need teachers like this man. Preachers that keep people guessing. Teachers that unveil a new way of thinking...

I'm not thinking of Billy Graham, Rienhard Bonnke or T. D. Jakes. Someone even more revolutionary than these. This man, 'attracted and infuriated his contemporaries, mesmerized and alienated the ancient world, unleashed a movement that has done the same ever since, and thus changed the course of history forever' (Meier 1990). I'm thinking of someone greater than Aristotle, Mandela, or William Wilberforce.

Whose the Revolutionary? Jesus Christ. The ultimate Revolutionary. Both man and God. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17)! If there is any leader that I would follow above any other, it will always be Jesus, for he came not just to lead us towards life, but he is LIFE! He is transforming the World in which we live.

Lets follow him... the Revolutionary. Share

Empowering Revolutionaries to transform the World

Empowering Revolutionaries to transform the World... That's the aim of Revolution Earth! Sounds a little ambitious. It probably is. I know deep inside however I have a burning desire to see people saved, become revolutionaries and transform the World.

Where do we start? First of all, lets face it. Many parts of the world are already experiencing this Spirit-led Revolution. We heard testimonies today of some Salvationists from both Zimbabwe and Kenya who now have over 100,000 soldiers in our Salvation Army. (Lets realise that we need these African Salvationists to teach us a little about Church growth and NOT the other way round!)

Lets be passionate about the cause of Jesus Christ! No more boring, pathetic sermons... please. Thanks. We need Spirit-inspired passion for Jesus and for the growth of God's Kingdom that drives us beyond the norm. Lets be sold out to reaching the lost. Let our Churches be more passionate about the musical styles of those not quite in the church yet, than the saved that are.

Everything about us needs to resonate with soul-saving and revolutionary-making. When people want to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, give them a list of serving opportunities they can become involved in.

Send us some thoughts on how to empower revolutionaries to transform the World. I'd be interested in your thoughts... Share

Believer's Creed

I believe life is more than survival.
I believe the heart is more than a muscle.
I believe we can know right from wrong.
I believe in hope and freedom.
I believe my life can make a difference.
I believe the message of the cross.
What do you believe?
(c) 2004 OneWayOut

I believe following Jesus should be radical
I believe being filled with the Holy Spirit gives us the power we need for ministry
I believe the Salvation Army is a passionate movement reaching the lost
I believe I'm a part of that movement
I believe Corps Planting needs to be a focus for our Territory
I believe we are called to do more than maintain, but to establish and build
I believe that in the future God is going to bring breath and life into our Salvation Army.
I believe it. Do you? Share

We will not be a Silent Generation

We will not be silent. We will not be distracted. We will not lose focus on the mission God has given us. We're the Gen Y generation.

We are passionate. We are bold. We are sometimes loud. We are enthusiastic. We have vision. We have dreams. We will continue fighting until the day of the Lord's return.

We understand people in the past have tried things and failed. We want to try again. We understand that our culture has changed, so we must change. We are willing to try new things. We are willing to pay the price.

We believe strongly in the second blessing of the Holy Spirit. No one will stray us from that belief. We understand that the Holy Spirit's power is greater than anything we have ever seen, and we believe Jesus wants to impart that power to us, when we ask.

Some say we're arrogant and judgemental; but lets not confuse boldness and faith and passion with stupid unrighteousness. We need no longer to be a silent majority. There are many silent, fired up salvationists in our territory, that I believe need to take a stand for passion and vision, so that together we are sold out movement for the salvation of the world.

One thing we can all be sure of, when it comes to the Gen Y's. We WILL NOT BE a SILENT GENERATION! Share

Are you the making of a Revolutionary?

Are you Faithful, Available and Teachable? Are you radical and passionate about God, and growing his Kingdom? Are you willing to risk persecution in the church to reach people outside the church?

Revolutionaries understand that to see God grow the Church, the solutions to the issues of people leaving the church need to be different to the solutions used for a previous generation. Teenagers of Australia are displeased with the Church, yet are open to experiences of spirituality and even God and Jesus. A Revolutionary needs to look and relook at biblical examples of the birth of the Christian church... The Christians were a movement. They were defined, not by their buildings, but by their unified vision. They were a mixed group of Christ-followers (with many varying theological viewpoints), but the apostles (revolutionaries!) continually shared the vision of taking the message of Jesus to those who had not even heard that name.

Who will take the message of Jesus to the High-Schools? Who will take the message to the Shopping Centres? Who will take the message to Parliament? Who will take the message to the lonely? Revolutionaries live out the message of Jesus in these areas, and they take their bible and their passion for God and let the Holy Spirit transform the areas in which they live.

Give up working for no reason. Give up going to school with no purpose. Give up trying to impress your friends. There's something bigger at stake here. God's waiting to bring a Revolution, and he's looking around to see, is there anyone here who has the making of a Revolutionary??? Share

Stay Tuned for More

What does it mean to be a Revolutionary?
In the next few months, on Revolution Earth, I'm going to start discussing about what it means to be a Revolutionary. Stay tuned for More... Share

Did someone say the J word?

The other day, I was freaking out! I was running a class at a local Secondary College, and the class was about, 'Poverty in Australia.' That wasn't the 'freaking out' bit... but when I played a DVD clip I had found, it had background music that was all about the J word! You know... 'Jesus!' Ahhhh!

Here I am in this (secular) school and I've got music going on all about Jesus. I slumped into my chair... After the clip I was surprised that the class wasn't throwing eggs at me. They didn't really care!! After all that stressing, they didn't mind.

I learnt a cool thing that day. Talking about Jesus isn't as bad as we think.

If you're wondering about it, I just want to say, Jesus is the one who can help you in your life. If you're feeling down or life's going bad, just pray to him and let me know how he answers. Just try it. Trust him. Share

Do what it takes!

After watching a bit of CSI last night, I flicked over the channel and saw some stuff about a guy named Pastor Bill. He runs a huge Sunday School in New York and reaches over 20,000 kids from some of the most broken places in that area. It was so innovative how he shared a radical message about Jesus and what he can do in your life.

The underlying thing that I wanted readers to know is Bill's passion to reach the lost. He said he would do anything morally and ethically acceptable to reach people with the message of Jesus! I think as young people we need to do whatever we can, whether it be dressing differently, learning to skate or how to beatbox, in order to have guys open to hearing the awesome message of Jesus.

Will you do what it takes? Share