Reflections of Brengle - holiness

"I saw the humility of Jesus, and my prode; the meekness of Jesus, and my temper; the lowliness of Jesus , and my ambition; the purity of Jesus , and my unclean heart; the faithfulness of Jesus, and the deceitfulness of my heart; the unselfishness of Jesus, and my selfishness; the trust and faith of Jesus, and my doubts and unbelief; the holiness of Jesus, and my unholiness.  I got my eyes off everybody but Jesus and myself, and I came to loathe myself." 

Samuel Logan Brengle p47-48 of 'Samuel Logan Brengle' by Hall

Great words of Samuel Logan Brengle - my experience tonight, but I thank God that as I can't sleep even though I'm exhausted, Jesus came to save me tonight from my inadequacies and all the feelings of unholiness, just like Isaiah felt in chapter 6, the live coal has touched my lips, and maybe even my heart. I thank Jesus that right now, I no longer loathe myself though as Brengle says, but in Jesus changing my heart, I am now starting to see myself as He is re-shaping me - it's a work in progress though!

Jesus can and will do the same for you, that is my testimony.  I pray that Jesus will be all you need today and as I was reminded while standing collecting in a shopping centre today and saw a guy missing an arm - Jesus wants to make you whole today - not necessarily physically, but spiritually, the essence of yourself.

Why don't you just take a moment and soak up His presence.

May Jesus, who died to give you life, give you rest and wholeness that you need today.

Be blessed
Simon

What are you controlled by?

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit"

Ephesians 5:18

What a contrast between riotous living and righteous living


But if a man or woman can be controlled by alcohol, how much more can the Holy Spirit control a man or woman?

Benny Hinn - 'Good Morning Holy Spirit' p92

It's always good to stop and re-evaluate and look at where we are in life. We can't really intentionally go forward unless we look at where we are. Of course life does go on whether we do or don't, but to intentionally shape the direction of our life we need to.

To direct my life for tomorrow, I need the Holy Spirit to direct where that is actually going, otherwise I'm just directing it on my own wisdom, which I admit, can sometimes be not so great!
I'd much rather depend upon the all wise, all knowing God who has a perfect plan for my life - will I choose to follow it or not, is up to me.


What are you going to choose to be controlled by today - the choice is completely up to you.


May God bless your journey today, and tomorrow!

Which star are you following?

I've noticed how often people love to read their stars - are you one of those people?

Have you noticed how much of a pull that they can have on you - when you're turning through the newspaper and find the page with the star signs on it, you can't help but be pulled into it - why is that!?

One thing that annoys me a bit is when Christians have to read them to enjoy the day... well that is if it is a good reading for the day! Why do we as Christians look for positive words and find hope in something someone reads from an interpretation of what they think the positions of the stars in the sky are saying to them?

Why do we listen to the creation rather than going straight to the Creator?

I might tell you a secret - the creation can't tell you anything as accurate as their Creator - God is all knowing and placed the stars in their place, find hope in Him rather than in someones interpretation of God's art. The stars are there for our awe of their Creator - it points us to God and how amazing He is!

I've been led to think that around 2,000 years ago there was a few wise men who also were led by the stars - one in particular actually.

These wise men followed this star and were actually led to a Saviour.

In saying this, I pray that you are also a wise man/woman and follow the correct star and also find your Saviour instead of fuzzy, generalised predicitons that cover everyone who was born during that month that you have been born and find a special, personalised word of hope for you; specifically from God the Father of all creation.

Which are you going to follow today, the stars or singular - a star that leads to your salvation through Jesus.

Hope all is well in your part of the world, and remember to pray for the families affected by the Christchurch earthquakes and current upsets in the Middle East.

Blessings

Litter vs Sin

Is litter and sin related?

I was at KFC last week and a few little thoughts came to my mind as I was sitting there.

It was quite busy at lunch time and all the workers were busy serving and cooking, and every table was full of rubbish! The workers didn't have the chance to leave the customers to clean the mess of the customers; customers that were fully capable to cleaning up after themselves, but they couldn't be bothered putting in that little bit of effort.

That really annoys me!

I notice some people don't worry about the trouble or inconvenience they can/are causing others, being selfish, for personal benefit which costs another.

Sin is similar, where we often do something to benefit ourselves, which is at the cost of someone else. We leave a mess that someone else has to deal with - that makes God sad!

Think the next time God convicts you that you're doing something that's not quite right how it's hurting or affecting someone else, and look at it through His eyes, repent and fix it up - clean up your mess to enable someone else to live the life Jesus wants them to live, in freedom - freedom from your mess!

Hope this short insight to my lunch time helps you today

Bless ya

They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west

They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

And sit down in the Kingdom of God;

Both the rich and the poor, the despised, the distressed,

They'll sit down in the Kingdom of God.

And none will ask what they have been

Provided that their robes are clean;

They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

And sit down in the Kingdom of God.

2.
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God;
To be met by their Father and welcomed and blessed,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.
The black, the white, the dark, the fair,
Your color will not matter there;
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.

3.
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God;
Out of great tribulation to triumph and rest
They'll sit down in the Kingdom of God.
From every tribe and every race,
All men as brothers shall embrace;
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west.
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.

Gowans/Larson

[From The Salvation Army Musical 'Blood of The Lamb']

Oh Lord, do it again - bring the harvest - we want to see revival!!

Please Father!

"People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God."

Luke 13:29

It's all about love!

So Easter is upon us for the year 2010!

What's going to be different this year compared to previous years? Is God going to reveal something new to me about the Easter story? Just the thought of another insight to the love that Easter represents would blow me away - this whole story of what Jesus did by dying on the cross and by raising Himself again on the third day is just almost more than what I can comprehend!

God's love for us just blows my mind!

Tonight I was able to go back to the Harry Hunter Corps chapel even though I finished my placement there last week. I love this centre and what God is doing there! The Officers and the other employees there do such a great job.

Salvation is not a thing that happens like it does in the rest of the world - people don't always find themselves in a position of praying the sinners prayer and being classed as 'saved', but so many of the clients are finding Jesus and it is awesome and it's really a gradual, bit by bit salvation. Even tonight in one of the 'clients' prayers he said "God, I wanna invite You back into my life after all these years" - to me, that's a salvation story right there, but it's so hard to put down as a 'statistic' in a place like Harry's!

Testimony after testimony of people graduating, the 'clients' continually say 'I'd like to thank God' or 'you can't do this without God!'

God is doing such amazing things in these guys lives and it's amazing being a part of it and just watching His relationships grow.

I wanted to keep this short - this Easter, just take a few quiet moments alone, picture Jesus on the cross and know that it was supposed to be you - accept that truth and accept the gift of life you have right now - the breath you are taking and all the good things that surround you everyday!

It's all about LOVE!

Bless ya!

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him."

John 3:16-18 The Message

Spiritual Discussions

Tonight we started a Spiritual Discussions group here at Harry Hunter Centre which Scott and I were leading for tonight. It was totally voluntary and 9 guys and girls turned up which was great for a start.

We didn't have anything really planned but knew that many of the guys had questions of God and spirituality floating around in their heads, and some of these questions were disturbing and frustrating them. Scott started off with a reading then opened it up for discussion, and question after question flowed from the 'clients' of Harry's.

What a night of discussion, ranging from what does it mean to let God in, to the big questions about Heaven and Hell, but I was so pumped with these guys thinking about it and asking the big questions!

Every Wednesday night we have chapel here on the sight of the centre and last week I gave a message on us being spiritual beings in a physical world. The culture here is there is no real response opportunity given, but sometimes a few questions will be given to the Officers throughout the week if required, but I opened up the meeting for prayer and a response if anyone wanted to. No one responded, but 3 guys hung around afterwards and stayed in their seats. One of them stayed and spoke to Scott and myself for at least an hour about what God was speaking to him.

Tonight another guy was telling us that he had given up on all the God stuff, but after the message I gave last week, he really wanted to give God another go! Awesome, Hallelujah! Most of the guys here have had hard lives and bad experiences of God through the church, but hearing some of the stories from here, even just tonight was unbelievable! The Spirit was really stirring, and I felt that God really spoke through me tonight, so hopefully some of these guys really start nurturing a relationship with God, and I believe they will, in Jesus Name!

Please just take a moment to pray for all the men and women here at Harry Hunter Centre in Western Australia - there is some amazing work happening and God is really moving. I'm leading and giving the message again this Wednesday night, so please also pray for that night, I feel God is wanting to use this weeks chapel again for His glory.

God, please open up Heaven and pour out Your blessings on this place as you have been doing and change lives for the better, give hope, joy and peace to all of those that are struggling here presently. Thanks God, we love You and serve You.

In Jesus Name we ask!

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Matthew 21:22

Salvation

I've been thinking a bit recently about the true depth of salvation. We've looked into it a bit in an online study of Luke and it goes much deeper than what we generally just look at it to mean.

We traditionally in the 'church' we narrowly think of salvation in terms of eternal life, but back in Jesus day, we see Jesus saving people from all kinds of things. Things such as loss of sight, being outcast, sickness, demonic opression or possession and forgivness of sins to name a few.

Jesus came to give us life, and life to the full, not just for eternity but for here and now also. Is there anything you need saving from today? Jesus is good to help - try Him and see. He loves to the point of dying so He can live with you forever.

If you need saving from something like drugs, obsession, impure thoughts, gambling, depression, etc - take it to Jesus now, ask Him to help you and save you from it. Leave me a message or email me at mapleback_simon@hotmail.com if you are wanting this salvation and having trouble claiming it!

Live victoriously and free, in Jesus Name!

Bless ya

"God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way."

1 Corinthians 2:10b

Sanctification

For Spiritual Formation here at the Training College we have to give a presentation on someone who has influenced us spiritually over the years, I chose Samuel Logan Brengle, the great holiness teacher of the Salvation Army.

As I've been reading over his books and biographies, God gave me an insight to what Samuel teaches about.  God told me that I've been born to be sanctified, I've been called by His will for His glory, and a critical part of achieving all these things is to be totally blameless before Him.

Brengle writes in the introduction to his book 'Helps to Holiness',  "He satisfied me- I weigh my words - He satisfied me!  He satisfied me".  

Have you ever had that experience of being totally satisfied??  As I've been reading God has been showing me and sanctifying me, it is totally amazing, right now as I type, I am satisfied.  Even though I know I haven't been sanctified through and through, God has given me something to work towards, and sooner rather than later, I'm going to live totally within God's will for my life and live a totally sanctified life - He requires it of us, and therefore it is possible!

Hallelujah - God is good, all the time!!

"This is the will of God, even your sanctification... For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness"

1 Thessalonians 4:3,7

Saved or un-saved?

We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency but, by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness; and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God

(Article 5 - Salvation Army doctrines)

Every man is regarded now as a sinner in need of salvation. Romans 3:23 says "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3), man was destined to be separated from God. Disobedience to God separates us from Him, eternally not just here while we live on Earth.

Sin is more than the breaking of particular commands; it is inward opposition to the will of God. In so doing the sinner separates himself from God, the source of all true life [Handbook of Doctrine pg85 section VI]

If we haven't gone to God for forgiveness for this wrong we've done against Him, we will be punished by eternal separation from God, eternal damnation. If you want to be saved from this I'll explain how;

Everything has to be paid for, old school you had to bring something of great worth, so back before my day, that mostly was in the form of the best from your flock, ie, the best lamb without imperfections and sacrificed it in your place, otherwise you would pay by death - your life - eternal death.

Now this has been made redundant by one human sacrifice, one for all

"We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by His suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world, so that whosoever may be saved"

(Article 6 - Salvation Army Doctrine)

It is God's will that all should be saved (1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 4:14) All men need the gospel and have a right to hear it.

It is my duty to take it to you!

All you have to do, is realise you have separated yourself from God, ask Him for forgiveness through His Son's sacrifice of dying in your place, and change your ways. God has made it that easy!

Once you've realised this rebellion from God, admit it to yourself, ask God for forgiveness from it, know you need to change your lifestyle and make the improvements based on God's Guidelines to Living a Full Life (better know as the Bible) and you will then be SAVED!

We use the term saved in a broad term, it means salvation from a range of things like sin itself, eternal punishment (Hell), spiritual oppression, and other things that sin or rebellion causes.

If you know you need to change some things in your life but not sure where to start, leave me a comment or email me at mapleback_simon@hotmail.com. Even if you have just changed your way and lined your life up with God, also please let me know.

Bless ya

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Romans 10:10

Transformation

Sunday night marked the first youth meeting of my home Corps for 2009, the first one that I haven't organised and led. My younger brother Sean has had the leadership passed onto him; he's a really capable and talented leader and I'm proud of his humility (slight punt on words!)

The worship was great, my bro had an unsaved work mate playing guitar and a new set up with a few new and upcoming band members. It was great that I could attend and participate in the worship, it's not often I get to do that.

So now my main points. Sean talked about Transformation and went hard without remorse telling us that with the power and love of God, what's stopping you from being transformed?

We had a time of sanctification and repentance followed by a time for healing where a younger girl wanted emotional healing that I was allowed the privilege to participate in. While praying for her, I felt quite a bad pain in my lower back, I had known that a bit over a year ago she was in a car accident that damaged the muscles in her lower back but hadn't heard about it for a while. I asked her about it and the past week it had really been painful and aggravated, so we prayed for healing and God moved and she was relieved from the pain.

I caught up with her tonight, and she's still relieved of the pain, she can still feel some tension but compared to the past week, it is a huge improvement. Praise God!

You know that every 2 seconds someone dies? How many of them have eternal life through knowing the grace of Jesus? Not many, a large majority of them will be held accountable for their disobedience to God; tell as many people today of Jesus' love and forgiveness.

God is so good, come to know Him today

"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Luke 5:32

Human Trafficking & Teenage Rape

I've just been watching a movie on Human Trafficking, the largest growing crime in the world and it just makes so much anger burn up inside me. Last week just over 600 young people from around Australia and New Zealand gathered together in Melbourne for a huge youth event called 'Insane'.

A part of Insane was a huge silent protest in Federation Square against this vile crime where around the number of around a jumbo jet full of mostly of women and children go 'missing' everyday and are sold into sexual slavery. There are way too many stories I've heard from individuals that have been involved in this and it really breaks my heart.

We keep telling ourselves that this only happens in far away lands and that it's doesn't really effect us so why do anything?! I want to change the focus slightly to right here on our shores of Australia, slightly different from sexual trafficking, but still sexual victims.

I've been having a few girls coming to me regularly now for months with stories and experiences of young teenage girls mostly getting drugged and raped here in Australia from every corner of the continent and they really develop a sense of self hate and depression. As these girls talk to me, it makes my heart break and I just wish I could really do something to stop this. The part that makes me the most angry is that nearly 100% of these go unnoticed and unpunished. One example I know of is a 26 year old raping a 15 year old girl who was drunk!!! How can we allow this to happen!

I've been told I'm too protective of our young girls, but I want to be a father one day, and this scares the hell out of me when my daughter will become a teenager. Is it culture we need to change or teachings that our children get from tv shows and songs.

We need to start doing something now, something needs to change now!

One life at a time

Break my heart for what breaks Yours God! I promise to do all I can in my power God so just give me access and Your anointing

"He [the wicked man] lies in wait like a lion in cover;

he lies in wait to catch the helpless;

he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. "

Psalm 10:9

Go for souls, and Generation final - my weekend

We'll haven't blogged for a few days and so much to blog about!!

Starting with the weekend - 'Go for Souls' went off as I knew it would, there was so much spiritual stuff around it trying to get us sick or unable to attend. James and I lost our voices - strange - our weapons, and a few others got sick in the lead up also.

Anyway, we pushed through had some amazing worship times, even being a part of the band I really found myself in the Throne room of God! Was awesome!

Outreach on the Saturday was fun, my group of kicked out of the shopping center, the group on the trains were threatened with bottles and rocks and the other guys, I don't' know, they probably just went well! lol

All up I heard 13 souls were saved and became a part of the Kingdom of Heaven - I pray God will reveal Himself to many more that were engaged with also that came so close.

Sunday night, I had my final Generation meeting at Glenroy so I had my 'Famous Last Words' sorta approach to the night. Was a sad event but I'll survive ;)

After the meeting, we had some prayer for healing in a friend, but God had other plans for the first steps to holiness and had some deliverance from a demonic stronghold instead - the rest to come later still, but God is awesome and always wins the battle.

Commissioning this weekend - also looking forward to that, and also my friend and session mate, Kathleen is flying in tomorrow for the weekend, so should be awesome to have quite a few of our future session mates at the same place at the same time before college.

Blessings to you all

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:23

Halloween

Happy Halloween for all those who it actually matters too!

What a day, if your a demon, you'd probably love it, the one day of the year people actually celebrate evil and probably the day of the year when most people pick up a demon of their own for a small cost - spiritual freedom.

Jesus came to give us spiritual freedom - forget about things like Halloween which gives focus to the darkness and worship the light - the creator of all things - Jesus

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:12

Those of us who walk in His victory have the upper hand over darkness and find Satan under our feet. Be victorious on this Halloween night - cover yourself in the Armour of Salvation (Ephesians 6:10-20) and also the Blood of Jesus and you will be able to stand no matter what comes your way.

Hallelujah

Extremists - again

After my previous post, my brother told me that he had just been reading some speeches for his studies on Martin Luther King Jr and how they had been along similar lines to what I blogged and have been thinking about.

I thought I'd just add a few of his quotes in, firstly because they are along similar lines to my previous blog, and also because they are inspirational.

"Was not Jesus an extremist in love - 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.' Was not Amos an extremist for justice - 'Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an mighty stream.' Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ - 'I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.' Was not Martin Luther an extremist - 'Here I stand; I can do none other so help me God.' Was not John Bunyan an extremist - 'I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.' Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist - 'This nation cannot survive half slave and half free'. Was not Thomas Jefferson and extremist - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be . Will be extremist for the preservation for hate or will be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice - or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?"

What a spokes person! There are so many other brilliant quotes here from Martin Luther King Jr, but I may break it up into smaller, bite size blogs.

I'm about to go into a technological blackout until late Monday. This weekend a few of us are involved in the International Weekend of Prayer and Fasting for Victims of Sexual Trafficking so one of the things I will be fasting is technology. You may also like to join us in prayer and fasting as a starting point to fight against this evil so please do this weekend.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners"
Isaiah 61:1

Freedom

I've been a bit slack blogging lately, slightly busy, but mostly slack I suppose.

Anyway, the weekend in Brisbane at the Unlimited conference was awesome!! Such great worship and the speakers were amazing, God's presence was felt. The highlight would have been the final session where Unlimited youth joined the 'older' guys in Unlimited and a representative from each group apologised to the other for things we may have done or held against the other to heal hurts and to bind generations together - there was not a dry eye in the house!!! Powerful and God honouring!

Tonight, we had our youth Bible study and what a night we had there too. We spoke about taming the tongue and was based on James 3.

We ended just talking about different stuff over supper and one of our African friends started telling us about some dreams she's been having that have been alarming her, so we prayed over her and did some demon kicking - it's been a while for me but she has started clearing some of these African spirits/curses, more powerful stuff. God is good!!

Freedom in the Name of Jesus, its amazing how powerful that Name is. As we covered her in the Blood of Jesus, things changed, she shook and peace came over her in a huge sigh.

Freedom, if you don't have it, ask for it now in Jesus Name, do you need healing - physically/mentally/emotionally - ask for it now in Jesus Name!! Try it, it won't let you down.

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

John 14:13-14

Sounds of Hell - WARNING - DISTURBING!

I found this video on you tube the other day.

I know many readers won't believe it and will say it's a hoax, but whether or not it is - we know Hell exists and even if it is a hoax, thinking it could be even similar or as simple as something we could make up, it's freaky. It will be worse than something we could ever imagine with a human brain!!

WARNING - This video might be disturbing to many viewers

Are you saved - Ask Jesus today to save you - it's free! The choice is yours.

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Acts 2:21

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

Chocolate companies break promise

On July 1st, people all across our town will be going out of their way to buy more chocolate—a chocoholic’s dream, but it will be fairly-traded chocolate. This is the best way and the only way to eat your chocolate slave free.

July 1st is a very important day around the world.

It’s the day when the chocolate industry promised to make sure that no children were being used as slaves on cocoa farms.

It’s the day when we could eat a bar of our favourite chocolate such as a Mars, Kit Kat or Dairy Milk knowing that no child has been used in the harvesting of the cocoa beans that went to make the chocolate we love to eat.

Sadly there will be no celebrations on July 1st.

Industry has failed to keep its original promises.

Today, children as young as 12 are still being used as slaves on cocoa plantations. Here are the words of one child after being rescued from a farm. “I will tell you how I lost my arm. I tried to escape, but I could not. They caught me and tied me to a papaya tree and they beat me and broke my arm. I used to dream horrible dreams that they were beating me and about many other things: the hard work, my family …I still have these dreams today”.

Although the majority of farmers would not treat children in this way, there are some who do, and there are an estimated 12,000 children trafficked onto cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast into a life of slavery.

In our community, thousands of people are buying chocolate without knowing that these children are suffering for our sweet tooth to make fat profits for an industry that hasn’t delivered on its promises.

In 2001 they said they would certify that farms were slave free. Now they are saying that they are gathering data on some of the areas where cocoa is harvested.

This is not what they promised.

This is not good enough after 7 years of waiting for the freedom, safety and protection of these children.

We have to choose which chocolate bar to buy, at little cost to us when our chocolate is costing some children their lives.

We have to choose which chocolate bar to buy, little cost to us when our chocolate is costing some children their lives.

Promotion

When I finally become an Officer of the Salvation Army, I'm sure I'll receive a few 'promotions'.

Firstly commissioned as a Lieutenant, then after a few years 'promoted' to Captain, possibly eventually a 'promotion' to Major and so on. Who knows where I'll end up; rank and continent.

Who cares really!

The main thing is - I don't want to even think about retirement until I'm 'promoted' to glory! There's too much work still to be done for the Kingdom. The Bible never talks about retirement, but the great men and women of God keep going until they're called Home, let's join their ranks!

'The last enemy to be destroyed is death.'

1 Corinthians 15:26

Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee

I picked up a pamphlet tonight about McDonald's new coffee they're promoting.

On these pamphlets it says

"Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is produced within a sustainable system developed to protect the environment, wildlife an improve coffee farmers' quality of life."

Buying this Rainforest Alliance coffee makes me feel like I want to go and chain myself to a tree to stop it getting mistreated. Knowing about it's 'competition' Fairtrade coffee, it seems a bit weak really.

If I had a tree and a human in front of me, and had to choose which one to save, I think I value human life much higher in the scheme of things, so I'd choose the human. I'd rather completely support a product that totally guaranteed to stop slavery and also supports the farmers that were struggling than a product that contained only around 30% mixture that is friendly to the environment and its frogs. They also mention that they support improving coffee farmers quality of life, but it seems just a bit of a tag on at the end and not as the main focus of the product.

I know I need to lighten up but it's not enough to talk up how good you are if you're not going to be totally committed to really making a difference on what is really important. My work has just started up a community benefit program also which also contains a 'caring for the environment' component, which I feel is just to win brownie points with the community. Does it really care? Does McDonald's really care, or do they just want to be known as 'good people' that are doing a 'good deed'? If something is worth doing, it's worth doing completely and with commitment - do you agree?

Ok, off my soap box now... Human life and the opportunity of having a quality life is much more of a concern to me, and I'm sure God for that matter, than a forest and it's wildlife. Yes we need to be caring for them, but if they become a priority over human life, then there is something a bit wrong.

'But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,

what God is looking for in men and women.It's quite simple:

Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,

be compassionate and loyal in your love,

And don't take yourself too seriously—

take God seriously.'

Micah 6:8 (The Message)