Blog Entries - April 2008

I Still Call Australia Home

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

After being away from home for a month it is always exciting to walk through the airport doors and see my family and friends who know me most.

Acts 28.1-16

Reference: v.15 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. (NIV Bible)

Explore: Each year since 2005 I have spent a month in the Philippines. Through International Needs I have had the privilege of spending time with church planters and child sponsorship coordinators in this developing country. Each time I go there I come away with many fond memories and new precious friendships. However, after being away from home for a month it is always exciting to walk through the airport doors and see my family and friends who know me most.
Paul had gone through many great hardships up until this point. It was no surprise that when he was greeted by 'the brothers', people who knew his mission and understood his passion, that he was thankful and encouraged.

Application: We all have times when we need the love and support of loved ones. Where are you in this story? Are you like Paul needing some love and attention from those close to you who understand you? Or are you a potential 'brother' who is able to extend arms of friendship and show support to people around you who need you most? We all go through seasons of being on both sides of this story. The important thing is that we take note and realise that we are not a failure if we need support and also that just our very presence can be of assistance to someone in need.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for placing special people in our lives who look out for us and care for us. May we seek them out when we need encouragement and may we be a person of love for others. Amen.

Cool, Calm and Collected

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

God is always present in our world but we are often too busy or preoccupied to notice Him.

Acts 27.27-44

Reference: v. 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. (NIV Bible)

Explore: In a recent podcast I recorded (Foolishly Faithful podcast) we were talking about God in the Everyday. God is always present in our world but we are often too busy or preoccupied to notice Him.
Here is Paul, in the middle of the Sea, having been in storms for the past 14 days, and he brings the crew together. In a cool, calm and collected manor he breaks bread and gives thanks to God. You would think that because of everything he has gone through leading up to this trip he would find it difficult to thank God. However, even after 14 days in a storm and the whole crew fearing for their lives, Paul is able to give thanks to God and state His presence in the situation.
Through Paul's actions the crew were 'encouraged'. This wasn't the result of the food, because let's face it, after 14 days on a ship I don't think the bread would have been fresh from the bakery. And if we follow verse 36 it says they were encouraged first and then they ate food themselves (clearly they needed encouragement to eat 14 day old bread!)

Application: I would love to say that when I am struggling and in my own 'storm' that I am as cool, calm and collected as Paul. However, that is rarely the case. Usually I am whinging and whining to God, I am frustrated and take it out on the people around me and the 'storm' sends my whole life into a bit of a whirl. And yet God is with us through the calm seas but also through the storm. We may not always notice him and we may be so busy trying to solve everything ourselves that we forget to stop, even in the middle of the storm, and give thanks to God and invite Him back into our situation.
It's not always easy and it doesn't mean everything is going to be smooth sailing after that, but we can be encouraged in those moments by reminding ourselves that God is always present.

Prayer: Lord, its so easy to worship you when we're gathered together with other Christians and we're all doing the same thing. But in the storms of everyday life I can often forget to rely on you. I take this moment now to invite You into my life again today... Amen.

I Told You So

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:19:20 +0100

The disaster does not come from making a mistake, the disaster comes from not learning from our mistakes.

Acts 27.1-26

Reference: v. 21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss." (NIV Bible)

Explore: No one likes to hear the "I told you so" speech. It's that rare occasion when you don't take someone's advice and it all goes horribly wrong. The worst possible scenario is not when the situation goes pear-shaped but when the person who gave you advice in the first place witnesses the whole disasterous event!
We do not like to be on the receiving end of "I told you so." We become upset at the negative outcome of our situation, we are humiliated by someone finding out and we are angry at ourselves for not heeding good advice.
In this passage the centurion and sailors have gone against the advice of Paul and set sail into stormy waters. Why would they listen to a prisoner when they had been given the advice from a pilot and the ship owner? So when the weather turns pear-shaped they spend days fighting the storm and fearing for their lives. When Paul hears from God that all of them will be saved he gathers the people together. But before he tells them the good news he does throw in a bit of an 'I told you so'!

Application: Those four words are always hard to hear but if we are open enough to learn from our mistakes we can become better people in the long run. The disaster does not come from making a mistake, the disaster comes from not learning from our mistakes. Once the men on the boat had acknowledged their folly they were willing to listen to Paul the second time and search for land to run aground.
There are bound to be situations in our own lives where we may not have followed wise advice. However we mustn't beat ourselves about with a flood of self-loathing but be willing to learn from our mistakes and steer our lives toward solid ground.

Prayer: Lord, we often make mistakes. Thank you for your grace that extends love to us no matter what we have done. Amen.

Name and Age

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The other week I was preaching a sermon from 2 Samuel 9. In this passage David extends his hand of hospitality to the grandson of Saul, the previous King who tried to kill David. While this is an amazing story (possibly one of my favourites) it holds many challenging names for anyone trying to read it aloud.
The grandson of Saul is Mephibosheth who was living in Lo Debar, in the house of Makir, son of Ammiel!

In our church service one of the congregation members stands up before the sermon and reads the Bible passage. The lucky person to be rostered on that day was a lovely lady in her early 70s. As she walked to the front I realised that I had spoken to her that morning about the structure of the service but I had not apologised for all the difficult words within the text. I had not heard her read before and held my breath for the first four verses until the tricky names kicked in. Well, I need not have worried as she spoke clearly and precisely and breezed through all the names. She had clearly practiced the reading beforehand and maybe come across this passage a number of times in her 70 years.

The last eight verses of 2 Samuel 9 hold the name 'Mephibosheth' eight times. It is no easy feat to pronounce this once and yet she pronounced all eight beautifully and without stumbling, "Meph-i-bo-sheth." I listened carefully hoping that I would be able to pronounce the name as beautifully as she did. However, when I got up to speak I reverted straight back to my old habit and constantly called Saul's grandson "Meph-eeb-o-sheth." (Can't you just hear that Aussie accent coming through? I'm surprised I didn't abbreviate his name to Meph-ooo!) This didn't impact my sermon a lot as I said it quickly and confidently enough that people didn't notice (and maybe they were all relieved that they did not have to stand in front of the congregation and pronounce the name!).

As I was standing at the door at the end of the service, our wonderful Bible reader for the day came to shake my hand. I thanked her for the amazing job she had done in getting through all those names and apologised for not fore-warning her of the difficult reading. She surprised me by aplogising herself, as she realised that she had mispronounced the name of Mephibosheth and should have asked me beforehand how to say it properly. I was taken aback by the thought that she had got it wrong because she said it differently to me and I was the one preaching! I assured her that she did a wonderful job and that I was the one who needed the linguistics training.

This 30 second encounter at the church door has made me reflect on my position as a minister to a congregation with the average age of 70. When I listen to their life stories I am a witness to someone who has endured many challenges throughout their lives. Often these situations have brought them much wisdom and perspective that as a 29 year old I am totally humbled by. And yet what is truly amazing is that at an elderly age they are still able to embrace me as a young minister. They are warm and friendly and appreciate the smallest gestures like a smile or remembering their names. While I would assume that through their lives they have learnt everything important - even how to pronounce the names in the Bible - they are able to appreciate my youth and still respect me as a minister who they can connect [...]

Keeping It Under-wraps

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:53:51 +0100

If your church was to suddenly disappear would anyone notice?

Acts 25.23-26.32

Reference: v. 26.26b I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. (NIV Bible)

Explore: There is a question that churches are encouraged to ask themselves: 'If your church was to suddenly disappear would anyone notice?' It's the question to see if we are making any difference in our communities. It is so easy as a church community to get so caught up in our own business and serving our own needs that we forget about our local community and the impact a group of people could have on helping overseas aid too.

Application: Jesus' ministry was not kept under-wraps. Even through the gospel of Mark when Jesus tells people not to tell others about him, the news still spreads and many people still came to hear him speak and follow him.
Do we keep our faith under-wraps? Do we confine our acts of worship to a Sunday morning? Paul gave a great example of living each day to worship God. There are often challenges and we easily fall into focusing on our own selfish ambitions but whenever we get the chance we should be open and honest about our faith and let our actions speak volumes.

Prayer: Lord, you gave everything for us and we have so little to offer in return. We are broken and struggling but You desire us anyway. Thank you. Amen.

What`s In A Name?

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:06:28 +0100

All the unusual names in this passage allowed me to keep the situation at a distance, however the ordinary name 'Bernice' made me realise that this could be anyone of us.

Acts 25.1-22

Reference: v.13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. (NIV Bible)

Explore: Parents are going through a stage of giving their children unusual names. Or if the name is fairly common they will somehow change the spelling - often by adding silent letters! Friends of ours have a game where they go through the births and deaths column in the newspaper. One person will say a name and the other has to guess whether it is in the births column or the deaths column. While that may seem obvious the challenge is then set to spell the name correctly. This part of the game has proven to be quite difficult.
In this Acts passage the name 'Bernice' jumped out at me. Over the last few chapters I had read many names that may have been common for the time but were not known to me: Ananias, Tertullus, Lysias, Drusilla, Festus, Agrippa. And then there's Bernice! An ordinary and rather older name in our culture. But what struck me was that all the unusual names in this passage allowed me to keep the situation at a distance, however the ordinary name 'Bernice' made me realise that this could be anyone of us.

Application: There were many people involved in this case against Paul: there were the group of Jews who wanted him dead; there were the army officials who guarded his prison cell; there were believers of the Way who came and tended to him in prison. All these groups held everyday ordinary people; they held the Andrews, the Darrens, the Jaynes and the Georgias of today. We can all fit in to one of those groups. Are we those opposing the work of God and trying to put a stop to anything we don't agree with or understand? Are we those who don't take sides either way but just aim to keep the peace? Or are we those who support the work of God and strive to keep it going even through difficult times? While this case happened nearly 2000 years ago there are still trials and difficulties we face today. Which group will we belong to?

Prayer: Lord, you care for us no matter what our name is. May we live our life so that it reflects Your Name in all we do. Amen.

Enduring Trials

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:37:14 +0100

No matter how great or small our trials are we can draw strength from the great example of how Paul lived.

Acts 24.1-27

Reference: v.27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison. (NIV Bible)

Explore: Five months ago we were searching for a new house to rent. This is often a frustrating experience as agents are not really interested in leasing houses, they want to be buying and selling. In the area we were looking there were so few rentals. We had a few specific criteria for our new rental and there just seemed to be nothing in our price range.
As I sit in my new rental five months later it is hard to understand why the process was so stressful. However, when you are in the midst of the process you don't know when it is all going to end. If someone had have said to me back then, "It's ok, you'll have a house in 5 weeks time" then you can endure the time, however if you don't know when it's all going to end there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Application: Paul spent two years in prison because a decision was not made on his case. What an incredibly long time to be waiting (my house hunt is totally insignificant compared to this). And yet he stayed firm in his beliefs. He did not bribe the authorities to speed up the process and he did not question his faith in God due to his treatment from others.
It puts our trials into perspective. However no matter how great or small our trials are we can draw strength from the great example that Paul gave. He stayed true to his faith and stuck in the hard yards of being a missionary.

Prayer: Lord, our life is not always easy, we know that you experienced great trials on earth too. We pray that we may stay firm in our faith in You and draw on You for strength and courage. Amen.

Delirious Concert

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I've just been to a Delirious concert. They are a great band. I must admit that I don't listen to their music all that often (I had mainly gone along to their concert to accompany

my sister on her birthday), however they should take no offense to this as I rarely listen to music full stop!

What I really liked was that their whole concert was a time of worship to God. They had the words up for most of their songs (which was great for me as I'm hopeless at learning song words) and their media presentation was the best I have ever seen. They weren't showy in their appearance and their words could not be sung without guiding your mind to our Majestic Lord.

It was ironic that while listening to a small man in tight jeans with an incredible voice I was struck by the importance of making our worship relevant to men. I've listened to Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill in the States talk about how churches tend to 'chick-ify' the men. A friend has also mentioned John Eldredge's book 'Wild at Heart' that looks into a man's soul longing for adventure.

And yet, when I was trying to imagine a worship service suitable for men, I struggled to move away from the style of worship I have always experienced which is a far cry from being adventurous and manly. But when you look at our God you can not miss the adventure. When God created all the mountains was He not begging for the adventure of discovery and triumph? When we look at the life of Jesus do we skip over the stories of stating his mind and turning over the tables with brute aggression?

Are there men out there who follow God but maintain their manliness?

Pictures of You

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

We must not limit God to only being able to work through Christians. I see pictures of God through all people and all things He has created.

Acts 23.23-35

Reference: v.28 "I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin." (NIV Bible)

Explore: I have a friend who lives interstate. We are only able to see each other every couple of years and so our friendship is maintained through long-distance phone calls. When I look at our relationship I see a number of reasons why it could have broken apart. For a number of years we have lived thousands of kilometers apart and while my life revolves around my faith, my friend does not profess a belief in God. Often when people move away and you hold different opinions it is difficult to maintain friendships and yet I know my life would not be as rich if I did not have my long-distance friend in it. She is so full of life, she brings creativity and imagination to every single day and she is one of the most supportive and encouraging friends I have. While she may not believe in God, I see His creativity come to life in her.

Application: We can often experience God in many different ways and through many different people. In this Bible passage Paul is being persecuted by the Jews and yet it is a Roman Commander who is showing him true justice. The Commander protects Paul and sends him to Caesarea to save him from those who were plotting to kill him.
God is present through all of creation. We must not limit Him to only being able to work through Christians. I see pictures of God through all people and all things He has created. Where can you see God today?

Prayer: Lord, you are the God of all Creation. I am in awe of all You have done. May my eyes be opened to see Your presence in the world today. Amen.

The Baby of the Family

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:04:20 +0100

Each person has the potential - in our everyday, simple way - to glorify God in this world.

Acts 23.12-22

Reference: v.16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. (NIV Bible)

Explore: I am the youngest child in our family, or as I was always called 'the baby of the family'. While my parents always said this lovingly, I hated it. It made me feel like I was the little simple child and yet all I desired was to be was as cool and wise as my two older sisters!
Children and youth are often dealt a bad hand purely due to their age. People can put you down or underestimate you for the limited amount of time you have been alive, and yet there is truly nothing you can do about that! You can study harder to be more knowledgable, you can exercise harder to be fitter and you can work harder to earn more money but you can not do anything to become older!
In this passage Paul's nephew overhears a plot to have Paul killed and so he goes and tells him Paul about it. He is then instructed to go and tell the commander, which would have been a terrifying task. Whether Paul was absolutely desperate or not he puts his life in the hands of 'this young man' (v.18).

Application: Throughout the Bible we hear of everyday, simple young people changing the course of history by standing up for God and their family. The story of Esther comes to mind of someone who was considered nothing and yet she was brave enough to stand before the king and fend for her people. David was only a young man when he stood before Goliath and fought for his God to whom Goliath had blasphemed against. Mary was only a teenager when God chose her to be the mother to the Hope of the World.
The amazing stories of God using everyday, simple young people do not stop at the end of the Bible, they continue on. Each person has the potential - in our everyday, simple way - to glorify God in this world. Do not underestimate yourself. Now is your time to be brave and stand firm for God. Don't let your age or your looks or your education stand in your way, you are fearfully and wonderfully made and you can do mighty things through our Saviour who gives you strength.

Prayer: Lord, you have knit me together in my mother's womb. May I not waste my life aiming for prestige here on earth but may I work towards bringing glory and honor to you. Amen.

The Voice of God

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:11:33 +0100

When people have a big decision to make and need some guidance they often want to hear words of wisdom directly from God.

Acts 22.30-23.11

Reference: v.11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." (NIV Bible)

Explore: Many people are desperate to hear the Lord speak to them. Often at a time when people have a big decision to make and need some guidance, their desire to follow 'God's will' makes them want to hear words of wisdom directly from God.
I rarely hear God speak to me. There have been occasions when I have thought words that I knew were beyond me, and sometimes received ideas that were better than I could ever come up with! At these times I see this as the Holy Spirit communicating through me.
More often I will experience God through His creation. Whether it's the intricate design of a tree or a conversation I have with a friend, I can often feel more of an emotion from God rather than direct words. And as I read the Bible sometimes a particular verse or word will jump out at me and it will connect with how I am feeling or what I have been searching for.

Application: We may hear other people talk about a situation when God had spoken to them and we get the feeling that God speaks to everyone except for us! However I think these occasions are quite rare and sacred. In all the missionary work Paul did in spreading the message that Jesus is Lord he very rarely heard the voice of God clearly.
As we follow God we certainly must be open to His prompting and His guidance. However let us not reduce our communication between God with just words. God's fingerprints are through all of creation. May we be open to experiencing His closeness through each daily experience.

Prayer: Lord, you promise to be with us always. Sometimes we do feel distant from you and that you are not communicating clearly to us. Help us to be patient and notice your presence wherever we are. Amen.

Shaping of Things to Come - Personal Response

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME: MISSION AND INNOVATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

Through exploring the three aspects

that came from the early church (explained in Acts 2.42-47) I appreciated the equal importance placed on ‘Communion, Community and Commission’ (p.77). Where the incarnational church can be flexible and even chaotic, it was reassuring to have this essential foundation to building a faith community.

Being a visual person, I connected well with the idea that ‘creativity adds new meanings to old activities and rituals’ (p.186). So often we leave the interactive and engaging elements of worship to the children’s ministry, and yet I see adults craving for some inspiration and creativity.

‘Christian leadership operating best as a community within a community’ (p.68) was a concept I struggled with. Having been a part of a community that had a regular change over of leadership, I saw the importance of longevity as well as a key person pushing forward the future missional vision. In the last six months I have spoken to people involved in two incarnational churches that has had their key leader move on and the community has been disbanded. Without a leader it is incredibly challenging to have a champion pushing forward the cause of mission in the community. From my experience at Northern Community Church of Christ I also see the impossibility of transition from attractional church to incarnational church occurring unless you have a key leader constantly guiding this process. Later in the book the authors state the responsibility of leadership is to ‘establish a climate for creativity’ (p.196) and so I was left unsure as to what role leadership did or did not play in the incarnational church.

A similarity I can envisage within both attractional church and incarnational church is that of sub-cultural groups. Hirsch and Frost felt this happened more within attractional church settings (p.46) yet I see that incarnational churches also tend to draw people of the same mind-set into the group. While the authors felt this was a negative, I think it is human nature. While we should not reject someone just because they are different to us, I think the people we connect with more naturally are, in turn, those who we can minister to most effectively.

With that belief in mind, I see that incarnational church allows connections to be made into the faith community through those people the church are meeting with and connecting with throughout the comings-and-goings of their life. This model comes across as ‘a single rod and a single hook on the end of a single line’ structure rather than the fishing net dynamic Hirsch and Frost advocate (p.44). I felt that as the book continued to develop the idea of relational and messianic ministry – both which are key in developing spirituality – the fishing net analogy became disconnected to incarnational church and the single fishing line became more of a reality.

The resounding question for me is: How important is longevity? While some incarnational churches ‘might exist for only a season’ (p.67), can we truly have a positive impact on a community if we are only there for a short period of time?

Money For Nothing

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:58:13 +0100

Even today there is the understanding that 'nothing is free' and yet we worship a God that has given us everything and all we have to offer back are our broken lives.

Acts 22.22-29

Reference: v.28 Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship."
"But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. (NIV Bible)

Explore: All of my friends and family know that I am very tight with my wallet. As a child I was always saving my pocket money so that when I was older I could buy a car (if only those 20cent pieces were worth more now!!) But even now my husband will always have to answer 20 questions before he makes any kind of purchase. I would like to think that I'm generous with my money I just don't like to spend it frivolously.
Money is an essential part of life. While we seem to be so money focused these days it seems like it was a similar situation when Jesus walked the earth. He spoke a great deal about money especially through his parables. And here we have Paul who is about to be flogged by someone who had to pay a great deal for his Roman citizenship, where Paul was born into it. This commander would have had a very strong awareness of money. He had paid for a citizenship which would have made him more powerful and assisted him in holding a better place in society.
Paul was living in a society where you would have had to pay large amounts of money to obtain a better place. And then you come in with the message of Jesus... Christ paid the price for you.

Application: While even today there is the understanding that 'nothing is free' and yet we worship a God that has given us everything and yet all we have to offer back are our broken lives. When Jesus gave all that He had on the cross he was taking all of our sin on himself. Not because he 'owed us one', not because he was in debt to us and not because we were ever worthy of such a sacrifice. It is that message that shows of God's amazing grace and extravagant love. We can not pay for His love, we are all born as children of God. And to hold our citizenship all we need to do is acknowledge Him as Lord and strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Prayer: Lord, the sacrifice you paid for us is inconceivable. Your love and grace is overwhelming. Thank you. Amen.

Shaping of Things to Come - Critical Evaluation

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME: MISSION AND INNOVATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

Due to Hirsch and Frost counteracting

centuries of church structure it was challenging to not become defensive of their extreme positions. Through the analogies used in the book to illustrate their ideas, it seemed that the incarnational church could do no wrong, whereas the attractional church could do no right. It’s like when there is a bad smell in the room you always blame the dog. Sure enough the dog does create some bad smells at times, but it’s also an easy scapegoat. The bias towards incarnational church almost got to a point where everything negative that has happened in the world is a result of how the church has not embraced relevant mission.

That being said, the pivotal revolution to building the Kingdom of God is relevant mission in our communities and the authors continue to promote this idea throughout the whole book. There is a quote that says, “When we get to Heaven we’ll all get a 7/10 for theology.” We can theologise and pontificate until we all pass away but the way we have lived our lives will speak of the real faith we believe in (p.121 orthopraxy vs. orthodoxy). It was refreshing to hear ‘that in God’s economy our actions do have an eternal impact’ (p.115) and the way we are to live out our whole existence is important to our expression of faith. While still holding in balance our understanding of God’s grace that is extended to all people through the sacrifice of Christ, there was a powerful explanation from Hebraic thinking that ‘the sacred deed is full of God’s glory’. (p137)

180 degree turn around

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:09:54 +0100

When we commit our lives to follow Christ we are no longer the same.

Acts 21.37-22.21

Reference: v.19 "'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you." (NIV Bible)

Explore: Paul had a decent understanding of what was going on in this situation. While he stood as the one being persecuted there had been a time when he had stood on the other side calling for a follower of the Way to be persecuted. It seems that his life had taken a total 180 degree turn around.

Application: When we commit our lives to follow Christ we are no longer the same. While we may look the same and even complete the same tasks in our job or in our home it is our heart and our purpose that is transformed. We no longer live for human approval or for earthly gain but we strive to live for God and bring His love and mercy here on earth. The crowd and officials did not even recognise Paul as a Jew or as one trained in the law. He was totally transformed by an encounter with God. How has your life changed from experiencing God? If an old school friend was to meet you now could they see a difference in you?

Prayer: Lord, You gave us everything when you sent Your Son to die on the cross. So often we are protective over the lifestyle we lead. May we have the courage to surrender everything to You. Amen.

Shaping of Things to Come - Summary

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME: MISSION AND INNOVATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

In The Shaping of Things to Come Alan Hirsch

and Michael Frost take on the role of bringing forth a strong counter argument to the structure and actions that churches have been holding for many years. No longer should we be comfortable with the status quo of how church has been seen as successful for years through their attractional, dualistic and hierarchical models(p.18). Frost and Hirsch believe that “what the church needs is a revolutionary new approach”(p.6) that is incarnational with messianic spirituality and apostolic leadership(p.30).
By moving away from the Christendom model that ‘attractional’ church holds on to, the authors encourage a critical analysis of the current culture. With a greater understanding of the context in which one is aiming to build a faith community, there is then openness and flexibility to facilitate a spiritual journey that embraces all people and does not promote a ‘bounded-set approach’ (p.50). Through this new approach there is more scope to create a missional, incarnational faith community that connects with those that have previously been marginalised by structured faith environments.
Through Hirsch and Frost being willing to step outside the box and bring a contrary opinion to what is predominantly occurring in our churches, the reader is encouraged to become vulnerable to a lifestyle that dares us to “live in close proximity to those we are seeking to reach”(p.54). The idea that our faith should be a part of every single aspect of our life permeates through every topic explored in the book. While this is expounded more thoroughly in the later part of the book through Soren Kierkegaard’s wisdom that ‘our lives – our very existence – is our communication’ (p.154) it is clear that the importance of living lives of integrity is evident in each chapter. No longer should we separate our faith from the rest of our lives but integrate it into every aspect and hold our whole being to be open to a spiritual discovery.

Buildings or Believers?

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:25:37 +0100

If God is every where and we can worship him anytime, how important are our church buildings?

Acts 21.27-36

Reference: v. 28b "And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." (NIV Bible)

Explore: Last year I was assisting a single mother by picking her children up and driving them to school. Her three primary aged children were great kids and we often had good chats on the short journey. I discovered that one of them enjoyed looking at maps. Every time it was his turn to sit in the front he would grab my street directory and find the route we were taking. I was amazed as he didn't seem to really enjoy the learning aspects of school, and yet here he was reading out street names and learning to use a map. One day he found a highlighter in the console of the car and began highlighting the route we had been taking. I must be honest, the first thought was that he was overstepping the mark and defiling my directory. But that thought was quite fleeting as I realised that it was a pretty old edition and what did it matter if a few streets were highlighted. Later on I was analysing my thought process. What if my street directory had have been new? Would I have been so easy going about a young boy highlighting the pages? When I should have been so excited about his eagerness to learn and enjoy something very practical, was I more worried about my own possessions?
The Jews were worried that Paul had brought Gentiles into their temple and therefore defiled it's holiness. And yet one of the most liberating things Jesus said was that there would come a time when we would no longer have to go to a particular place to worship God. So if God is every where and we can worship him anytime, how important are our church buildings?

Application: It's so easy to get possessive over our own belongings, as well as the belongings of the church we may be a part of. In some places it seems that if we keep our feet off the seats then we are going to connect with God in a more powerful way! Now, I'm all for places being clean but I know that I was never happier than when 300 children left our church after a Christmas service with wrappers on the floor and the pews all crooked. 10 minutes of clean up was worth 300 children hearing the true message of Christmas.
Are we too possessive over what is ours? Sometimes I think we need to take a step back and realise the damage we are doing by keeping everything in it's 'right' place.

Prayer: Lord, it's difficult working with people that have different priorities to ourselves. Help us to keep an open mind and remind ourselves to put people before buildings. Amen.

Authority: Inspiring or Abusive?

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:00:00 +0100

When we use our authority to push our own point of view and we are not willing to listen to others that it becomes a negative, abusive power.

Acts 21.17-26

Reference: v.23a “...so do what we tell you.”

Explore: I’ve just been to a Forge conference where there have been many insightful and interesting speakers. However, there was not a session that was as quiet or where people were more engaged than when Alan Hirsch spoke. Alan is the founder of Forge and, with Michael Frost, is the mind behind the change of perspective this training group teaches. I’m sure he would probably hate to think that he is, but Alan Hirsch is revered as a spiritual guru in this place.

I’m guessing that as Paul went back to the places where he preached the message of Jesus and planted churches, he would be revered in the same way. And yet when he comes to Jerusalem he finds himself in a bit of a bind, where the new believers are hearing that he goes against what Moses (the forefather of their understanding of God) has taught. So James and the elders suggest Paul participates in a ritual to communicate to the people that he is not turning from the faith of Moses. Now I must confess that I didn’t know how this story ended and so I read to the end of the passage wondering whether Paul would be willing to fulfil their request.

Application: We are all in a place of authority. Whether it is over one person or hundreds of people. Authority gets a bit of a bad rap these days and is often used in a negative way, however it shows leadership and purpose. It’s when we use our authority to push our own point of view and we are not willing to listen to others that it becomes a negative, abusive power. How do we communicate our authority? Are we immovable? Or are we willing to take other people’s suggestions and be understanding of their situation?

Prayer: Lord, you have the utmost authority over the whole earth. May I hear your voice in the booming thunder as well as in the tweet of a small bird. Amen.

Some examples of Inspirational Quotes

camthecameraman@hotmail.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Since my last post on Inspirational Quotes from the Bible I thought in essential that I provide some!!

Proverbs 10:9
The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
A great verse that reminds us to maintain ourintegrity in whatever we do, work, church and play.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of the fool seems right in his own eyes, but he who listens to advice is wise.
So sensible really but so easily forgotten.

Inspirational Quotes from the Bible

camthecameraman@hotmail.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Those who know me would question the heading of this blog Inspirational Quotes from the bible because they know that although I am an avid reader you wont find me with a Bible in my hand very often.

Since I have been using this site and youversion I have been reminded that the bible is indeed God's word and full of inspirational quotes and information.

I will provide some Inspirational Quotes later on