God is good

What a great few weeks it's been, God is good!!

I've been reading heaps more of God's word, I have to admit my motivation was more in competition to some teenage girls who were reading more than I was - I was very embarrassed! I've been trying to read at least 5 chapters a night and it's been awesome - God's word really brings life!!

My devotional reading the other night was great too - I'll share some of it with you;

"Many people who are called miss the call because they are dull of hearing. There is something in the call, 'Many are called, but few are chosen' (Matt 22:14) And how will the choice be made? The choice is always your choice first. You will find that the gifts are your choice first. You will find that salvation is your choice. God has made it all, but you have to choose. God wants you to make an inward call, to be in a great intercessory condition of imploring the Holy One to prepare you for that wonderful spiritual body."

"If you want to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the grace and in the grace of God, get hungry enough to be fed; get thirsty enough to cry out; be broken enough that you do not want anything in the world unless He comes Himself"

I'm heading upto Brisbane for the weekend for the Unlimited Conference if anyone is up that way, will be a great weekend. I'm meeting up with most of my team I went to Rwanda with there. I've finally finished editing the DVD set of our documentary from Rwanda also, if anyone is interested in watching it, feel free to contact me - it's turned out really well actually.

Pray for next years college session world wide - the Ambassadors of Holiness! Don't forget to pray for the General, Officers and present Cadets also!!

"And they were all amazed at the greatness of God."

Luke 9:43

Accepted!

I've officially been accepted as an Ambassador of Holiness for 2009.

For those who don't follow Army jargon, that means I've been accepted for training as an Officer (minister) within the Salvation Army.

Thanks for everyone who has supported and prayed for me over this journey. Please continue to pray for the session of Ambassadors, it will be so rewarding, but very challenging at the same time!!

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9:23

D-Day

Tomorrow is my D Day - the Territorial Board for Candidates. Last time for my Divisional board I didn't request prayer, but this time I am - not for the decision as such, but everything else surrounding it!

Since the Divisional board until now, there has been much spiritual warfare and the enemy causing much confusion in the camp presently which is causing some chaos - confusion not in ministry and calling, but in general life 'stuff', so if I can request prayer, please pray about everything surrounding the Ambassadors of Holiness session from now on, it's going to be an amazing session and hence a lot of opposition and attack from the enemy.

Thanks for everyone's support so far and it would be great if it could continue over the coming weeks for the rest of the session in their travels on the road to college also.

I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Galatians 5:10

Good relationships

Sunday night I gave this message at the youth meeting at Macleod Salvation Army.

The night was captured on video and has been youtube-d, so I've put them below so you can watch the message yourself.

This is an important topic that isn't covered much, and needs to be. It hit some of the youth quite hard. Feel free to watch and pass on for your youth to see also.

[The video had to be broken into 3 parts for youtube acceptance (length of video)]

General's Pastoral Letter - Number Nine - Salvation

PASTORAL LETTER NINE

SALVATION

Warm Salvationist greetings from London!

The theme of this ninth Pastoral Letter is that of salvation, a theme so basic and central to the whole gospel, and therefore a theme that goes right to the heart of Salvationism and of what it means to be a Salvationist in today's world.

I find myself often seeking to grasp afresh all that God has done for me in his plan of salvation. I ask myself if I have truly plumbed the depths of it all, if I have fully understood. Sometimes God's actions, in gifting to us a Saviour, seem so astounding that they take on an appearance of impossibility. Even the great hymn writers felt the need to express this, such as Charles Wesley:

'And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Saviour's blood?'

Wesley goes on in that same verse to press home similar questions:

'Died he for me...

how can it be...?'

I can identify so strongly with Wesley's words. Can you?

How is it possible that Almighty God has looked upon us with deep compassion, with mercy so powerful that he sent Jesus? How is it possible that Jesus, so pure and divine, became a mere man for my sake and for yours? How is it possible that he suffered death for me and you (Hebrews 2:9)? How is it possible that he rose from the grave to defeat death for ever and to guarantee for us eternal life through faith in him?

Even the great apostle, Paul, recognised the outrageous nature of Christian belief. He described his message - our message still today - as 'foolishness' (1 Corinthians 1:21), and as a 'stumbling block' (1:23). He knew that according to mere human logic the claims of Christ make no sense at all, but that God's 'foolishness' is 'wiser than man's wisdom' and that the 'weakness' of God is 'stronger than man's strength' (1:25).

So by mortal standards salvation makes no sense at all. Yet it was all God's idea, God's amazing initiative, all because he is pure love and will not let us go without a fight. We end up lost in wonder, love and praise! What a miracle! What wonderful, wonderful love!

All this is one outstanding reason why I am in the Army, with its marvellous name: The Salvation Army, a name given by God to our sanctified forebears and signalling the most important events, the most miraculous truths, and the most astounding claims the world has ever witnessed. Yet we must never allow our name, and its frequent use or its close familiarity, to soften or blur for us the keen cutting edge of the deep spiritual meaning of the word, salvation. It is a word denoting the very nature of the heart of the Creator.

Therefore you and I, as Salvationists, are called of God to live saved lives. We are intended by him, as are all believers, to show to the world what a saved life looks like, to make - by his grace within us - a daily reality o f the effects of salvation. Am I living like that? Are you living like that?

Because he has set us free from the shackles of sin we have become servants of divine and righteous planning (Romans 6:18). Let us serve well.

There is of course one thing that above all else can prevent us from serving well and that is sin. I am thinking now of personal sin. Being saved is no guarantee of freedom from temptation or of exemption from falling. That is why it is so vitally important for a believer to press onward into the blessing of a clean heart and a hatred of all sin whatever form it takes, large or small.

Also the Army, as an organisation for Christ, must be on guard against sin creeping in. Sometimes it seems there is sin in the camp (Hebrews 13:11-14) - such as back-biting, horrible gossip, self-seeking, boasting, dishonesty with money, unholy ambition, lack of Christlike love. When this happens we become weak and ineffective for the gospel. We see decline. Instead we want the Lord to walk among us because he finds us to be a saved and holy people, beneficiaries and exemplars of his salvation, so that his matchless, divine protection remains with us and we can be abundantly fruitful for him (Deuteronomy 23:14).

Fellow Salvationists, I am on my knees with you to pray for his constant presence, asking that the Father's plan of salvation will not be in vain in my life or in the Army.

You are all constantly in my prayers, and again I commit you to the perfect love of Christ.

Shaw Clifton General

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_ihq_general.nsf/vw-local/pastoral-letters

Jesus has authority

VERSE:

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority,and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7:28-29

THOUGHT:
Unlike the teachers of his day, Jesus didn't have to shore uphis teaching with obscure quotes from past teachers. Jesus, theWord of God, spoke the very words of God. He did and said what the Father willed. His life and his words had ring of authenticity and an awareness of power that extend through the ages and beckon us to His truth. This Jesus, our Teacher and Lord, is different. His words are powerful. His teachings are true. So his will must be our passion!

The Trinity

The past few days, I've had a few discussions based around the Trinity.

My brother was having a discussion with some guys at his college and some people have the view that you should come and follow their 'god' because it is simple and easy to understand. It's easier to follow their 'gods' teaching and you don't have to put a lot of effort in to follow him/it/she.

My God is not simple, I agree, do I want Him to be - no. My God created the universe, that's not simple! My God loves everyone - that's not simple. My God paid the price for everyone's entry into Heaven - that's not easy either, but He did it all.

Many people cannot understand the concept of the Trinity, it's not simple! At the same time I don't want to follow a god that is simple because of 2 main reasons, 1- either it's the easy way to follow something or 2 -that he's man made.

The God that I follow is bigger than I will ever comprehend while I am on this earth - that's why I follow the God that didn't just sit on some throne in Heaven and look at us from a distance, but actually sent a part of Himself down, placed Himself in our shoes (or sandals) and walked our walk and learnt how it actually is to live the life He gave us - then loved us so much paid our way to be able to live with Him once the 'test' or our life is over.

This life is for us to decide what we will do with our eternity - what's your decision? Make it now or you will have it decided for you and you may not like it.

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

Jude 1:20-22