What the World Needs Now

I thought that I would share one of my favourite, challenging passages of Scripture, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian Christians. In a world where violence, hatred, maiming, murder, and suicide, are all too frequent occurrences. Where does our influence take root and sprout?

Ephesians 3:16-19. (NIV)
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians. 3:16-19 (Msg)
I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

Has Burt Bacharach got it right?

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

It s not a new song, but one that people need to hear!!!

Adar

The Hebrew Calendar is quite complex, being lunisolar, and complying with the Hebrew religious traditions. The Calendar has a nineteen-year cycle, which includes leap years in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years.
Today is the 7th day of Adar, 5768. As this is a leap year, an extra month Adar II is added between Adar and Nisan.

Adar is mentioned in Ezra 6:15, where work of restoration of the house of God was completed.

I am reminded that as humans, that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit. From brokenness, and exile, restoration puts us at the time and place of great celebration.


Ezra 6:15,16 (Tanakh Translation)
The house was finished on the third of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign King Darius. The Israelites, the priests, and the Levites, and all the other exiles celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

IS MAN RIGHT?

Reading the news of each day, I am continually amazed at the destruction, of people’s lives. It isn’t a new thing happening in our country or around the world. The Scriptures give plenty of good advise for us humans, however, we are free to exercise our own will.

For many who are thrust into public positions, which have a high profile, their lives are all too evident of wrong decision-making. It could be in the areas of leadership, finances, relationships, emotional outbursts, substance use or any other aspect of the life they live.

O man, how reliable are your thoughts?


Proverbs 16:25 (Tanakh Translation)
A road may seem right to a man, but in the end it is a road to death.

REVIVAL

For many years now hundreds of prayerful Christians have been using the intercessions of the “Jerusalem Chamber Fellowship of Prayer,” among which are the following:
That the Church may see the whole world’s need of Christ, and may be ready for any sacrifice in order to make Him known to all mankind;
That the Church may be willing at whatever cost to follow and bear witness to the way of Christ as she learns it;
That the Church may learn to preach the eternal gospel by word of life in terms that the men and women of this age may understand;
That a great number of men and women may offer themselves unreservedly to do Christ’s work at home and abroad in our generation;
For the removal of all hindrances in our lives to the manifestation of God’s redeeming love and power.

I believe that the Oxford Group Movement is God’s outstanding answer to these petitions, and all that longing for revival and renaissance which lay behind them. I believe this with increasing conviction the more I see of the movement.

THE CHURCH IN ACTION ~ Jack C. Winslow
Hodder & Stoughton (1st Printed, 1936)
Introduction ~ Page 12, 13.


Some within the body of Christ have maintained a fervent desire to have meaningful connections with their communities in ways that will not only bring men and women to a relationship with Christ, but also that the communities themselves will be transformed under the rule and authority of Christ.

Lord, fulfil the prayer points in this age. Amen.


Luke 13:28-30 (Message)
"That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in—and wondering what happened. This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.

LEARNING

This Christmas season has been one of making connections. The first year of an appointment is one of learning and understanding what the normal cyclic processes of a particular congregation are. Each congregation has it’s own way of normal operation through the calendar year and it’s own expectation of what the Officer is supposed to do and be. This is a big learning curve.

Throughout this time there are often things, and situation that arise, which indicate the history of people and previous situations.
One person has a problem with things not being done! When it appeared that something had not been done, their first response was to accuse the officer of not doing the particular thing. However, it had been done, and more importantly was done at the first opportunity, but sadly a third party could not recall the completed task until a fourth party reminded the third party of the situations completion.

You think that you are getting to know someone, then an unfounded accusation is thrown abusively into the mix, and you start to wonder if you know anything about the real person at all?

Sometimes the connections you make, are why something is not happening!


Luke 6:6-7 (Message)
On another Sabbath he went to the meeting place and taught. There was a man there with a crippled right hand. The religion scholars and Pharisees had their eye on Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction.

THINKING CONNECTIONS

Last Saturday I was in the centre of a Race Course where there were two cricket grounds. It was a warm day with a good breeze. My team was fielding first, which meant that where I was fielding, I had opportunity to talk to some of the members of the opposing team as the rotated their stint as umpires. We made some superficial connections, and it was pleasing after the game that they each remembered my name. More than that, there were a few opportunities to share that I was an Officer in The Salvation Army.
Although this game was not in my Corps area, it was good let them know who I was. The game was played in a good spirit, however my cricket team did not win.

I am simply more aware of making positive connections.

John 15:4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.


Year 1 PC ~ Day 10.

DIRECTION

As we move forward in Mission and Ministry to this generation we are bound to face challenges along the way. It seems that with every step forward, another obstacle is placed in our way from the deceiver, and those in opposition to the Kingdom of God. Sadly, some of those involved in opposition are from within our own ranks.
Not only do we lead, we are also in the job of “Vision Casters”. Talking about the vision, sharing the vision, and inviting others to participate in the call of God to connect with this generation.

Let’s head in the same direction!!!


John 15:4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.



Year 1 PC ~ Day 8.