Deception is the new truth

It has been fascinating over the past 18 months to watch our world.  As Covid-19 continues to have its way around the globe I have been amazed at how the western world has responded to this apparent crisis, and the affect that it has had on governments of supposedly Christian nations.  I have been equally amazed at the response of Christians and the church during this time.

Now I am not saying that the days that we are living in are the days referenced in the book of Revelation however, one would be forgiven for asking the question of Jesus if this is it.  Events, attitudes and worldly wisdom certainly do appear to be reflecting the warnings of the bible and if these days are playing out the prophecies spoken about by Jesus, we MUST be on guard, and we MUST stand firm.

In Isaiah 5:20 the prophet writes:

 "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!"

Isaiah 5:20

Friends we are certainly seeing this prophecy in action.   Governments around the world beating their chests stating how clever they are, developing vaccines and promoting success while all the while calling man made decisions good and Godly wisdom evil.  Political Correctness is the new truth.  No longer is the bible and the teachings of Jesus the foundation on which our societies function.  Left wing/ Woke ideology is becoming more and more popular as humankind moves further and further away from God.  In fact these days if you're not woke, you go broke.  Cancel culture and the fact checking police monitor everything we say, post and do.  Freedom of speech is acceptable if it aligns with the narrative of the left.  The ideas being promoted by many including our governments appear to be good, they appear to be right, they appear to give freedom; when in actual fact they are committing those that choose to follow them to a life of bondage and sin.  Friends, these things that appear to be good are deceptive.  

Even the church is being sucked in.  We no longer teach biblical truth because we don't want to offend.  We sing shallow songs in worship with weak theological grounding, our sermons are weak and are preached to make us feel good, because we don't want to risk offending anyone and losing them from the church.  We even offer prizes and give aways to try and attract people to our churches. (I don't think there is anywhere in scripture that encourages us to do this by the way.)  We are so focused on grace that we never preach truth.  Sin is never confronted and dealt with, we preach self help messages and present entertainment and seeker sensitive services so that people will feel good in church.  We have become so culturally relevant that we are not preaching the gospel anymore.  I've even been to church services where Jesus is not even mentioned and scripture is never shared.  And yet despite all this we brag about how big our churches are, the programs that we are running, the social holiness and the like; while all the while people are going to hell or are living a lie, believing that they are saved when they are not.  Friends, if you leave church feeling happy and failing to feel convicted then the preacher simply has not done their job.  I wonder, how many of us hear a sermon and check it against scripture (in context)?  So often we speak our truth into the bible rather than the Truth of the bible speaking to us.

Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church and speaking in the context of false teachers writes:

"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

2 Corinthians 11:14

Friends, in these last days do we know what is right and what is wrong?  Do we know what is true and what is false?  Jesus tells us that He "is the way, the Truth and the life..." John 14:6

Are we listening to God?  or are we believing what the world tells us?

As I look at the response of Christians I am blown away with how easily people are falling for the deception of the world.  The devil is smart and he knows us better than we know ourselves.  People are being coerced into doing what the others want by accepting monetary gain and false promises of freedoms, freedoms which we already had.  Fear is a powerful emotion and when people are living in fear they can be convinced to do anything.  

In Matthew 24 Jesus warns His disciples and us of the events that will take place in the last days and Paul also reflects these thoughts to Timothy.

"For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

2 Timothy 3:2-5

These words are certainly reflective of the division that is being caused throughout the world.  Even believers are turning against each other.  Jesus told us this in Matthew 24:10,12:

"...And then many will be offended, will betray one another, 

and will hate one another...and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 

Friends, as a minister of the faith it breaks my heart to see so many followers of Jesus get sucked into the false teaching of our world.  As followers of Christ our faith and trust should be in Jesus, not the world.  Why do we worry?  Why are we afraid of what is going on in the world right now?  Do we truly trust Jesus?  When we sing praises to God in our churches, when we declare that He is our provider and protector do we really believe this?  Or do we just put on a mask so that we look good to those around us?  

Friends, in these days I believe God is separating the sheep from the goats.  What is going on right now is certainly giving a clear indication of the true followers of Jesus.  Friends, don't be deceived.  More than ever our world needs Jesus and as followers of Christ we have the best weapons as our defence.  The bible is the our rule book, Jesus is our Truth, and prayer is the ammunition that we need to use to defeat and protect us from the lies and deception that the devil is throwing at us.

Friends, if you are a follower of Jesus today be encouraged; know that God has our backs and yes it may be tough, yes people will not understand and will ridicule and persecute us; but God promises that if we stand firm to the end we will be saved. (Matthew 24:13)

If you are reading this and you have not received Jesus into your life then I ask...why not?  We are running out of time.  It is not too late to give your life to Jesus so that you can experience true freedom, the freedom from sin and the promise of eternal life with Him.

Friends, deception is everywhere but the Truth (Jesus) will set you free.  Look to God and not governments for Truth.

Don't be deceived!!

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:

but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 1:7

Why do we feel the need?

Why is it that people feel the need to tell you that they don't like you?

You know as a pastor there are many challenges.  Not only does one need to deal with their own family and life stuff but they also need to take on the burdens of every person in their congregation.  The longer I am a pastor the more frustrated I am finding myself become as the demands get greater and greater.  For some strange reason there is a belief that you are only there for others, that you have no issues of your own, and that your time is...well there is no time for you.

I remember some time ago talking with a very good pastor friend of mine and interestingly his frustrations were very similar.  It seems to me that as a pastor, people feel that they can say and do what they like to you with no regard for how you feel.  These people would never speak to their boss like they do to their pastor, so why do they think it is ok?  Sadly the worst people I have ever had to work with are so called christians.  It is sad to think that people feel they have the right to be and do what they like in the church.  No wonder so many of us burn out and walk away from our calling.  The mental anguish is horrendous. 

At a recent pastoral visit (and this happens many times in different settings) I was greatly encouraged...NOT, when one of my congregation informed me that another member was refusing to come back to church because we were not liked and that they would not be returning to the church until we left. Now it's hard not to take this personally but what saddens me most is that their agenda for attending church is very very clear.  I weep that they would sacrifice their spiritual condition because they have some silly issue with the pastor.  How as pastors do we deal with this?  On top of what has already been a horrible and mentally trying year, how do you push through?  It's easy to say stay close to God but one has to question their calling when they are continually emotionally abused by others.

Any way rant over.

Why won't we pray?

One of the things that really confuses me about the western church is in the area of prayer.  Why is it that Christians don't pray?  When Jesus was on our planet He constantly spent time in prayer.  He often turned to His Father for refreshing  and  restoration.  Throughout the gospels we see Jesus regularly in prayer, why?  Jesus understood that on His  own everything  that  He  did  was useless unless he was firstly  under the protection of prayer, and  secondly that He was  empowered  by  the Holy Spirit (Matthew 14:22-24, Luke 4:1)

As we look around our world today we could be forgiven for thinking that our world is in chaos.  The truth however,  is  that Jesus as well as many other prophets in the bible; prophesied that these things  would happen as we got closer to the second coming of Jesus.  You see the  battle and  challenges we  face in  our world today are not " against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  (NKJV)

Friends as the world slowly begins to fulfill scripture we (the church) need more than ever  to be standing up (or should I say, kneeling down) in prayer.  As the devil rises up the church seems to be backing down.  As Christians and  as the church we are losing our authority in this  world and  we are becoming  weak.  No longer does the world  turn to the  church for answers, no longer are we seeing growth in our churches and sadly, we are seeing  very few people being saved in the western world.  Some will argue that this is because we are in an era of the church known as post-Christedom.  Yes of course we are post Christ, we have been since he was resurrected  and ascended into heaven. We are NOT post Holy Spirit. though  This sort of argument does nothing  less than show how small we believe our God is.  As I spend time with God and read the scriptures I sense God saying that the reason for this is that prayer is no longer a priority in the lives of His people.  No longer do we turn to God first when things happen in our lives and communities, no longer  are we hungry to be Spirit filled.  Rather  we turn to human effort and resources to solve our issues.  No longer is God given first place in our lives and no longer is He worshipped and lifted up in majesty and authority (Romans 10:3.)  In Romans 10:9 Paul writes: " that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  Paul is very clear that Jesus MUST be Lord in our lives.  That means that He must have authority over every part of us, every thought and every action.  Sadly the  western church stops at Jesus  is Saviour.  Now before you attackme for this statement let me clarify that yes Jesus is Saviour, but sadly we will not experience the fullness  and power of Christ  until He becomes Lord.

If then Jesus really is Lord and He is Lord of  the church, why are  we not praying and seeking his authority and power in our churches?  Friends the modern church is in serious  trouble.  We need to be a people on our knees crying out  for God to intervene and fight this battle  on our behalf.  If we don't then nothing will change.  The church needs a move of the Holy Spirit, God needs and wants His Church  to be Spirit filled; fully empowered to fight the battle that continues to lie ahead.  The churches that are in true revival  today are those in  countries like Africa and India.  Why?  The answer is simple.  They pray and they have a true heart for God.  God is all they have and as such they trust in Him for all things.  Revival is  in these  places, people  are healed, miracles occur  regularly and people are being saved each and  every day.

Why is the church no longer growing in Australia and the western world?  We know  longer hunger for God and the power of  the  Spirit.  We no longer get on our  knees and pray for a move of God.  Rather we like to congregate in our clicky groups and chase after our own desires.  Programs won't see the church grow.  More committies won't fix the problem in finding the answer.  The type of worship  music we play or a particular version of the bible we use won't fix it either.  Only a hunger after God's own heart through prayer and a filling of the Spirit will do it.  Until this happens, until revival  comes  in the heart of the individual we will continue to be powerless and see  decline.

Just a thought...

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin

and heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

Amazing Grace

Easter is an amazing time of the year.  In fact if I am honest, it is my favourite time in the entire Christian Calendar.  As I reflect on the Easter message I am constantly challenged and encouraged in my Christian journey.  

As I was growing up as a teenager I have to admit I was a ratbag.  Life just seemed to be out of control and to be honest, it is a miracle I am still  here and yet despite all of this, here I am.

So why is it that Easter is such an important time for me? Well too be honest it is that time of the year when I reflect and remember what I was, and when I thank God for what I now am. As we enter Holy week for another year I am reminded once again of the goodness of God. As I prepare for our Maundy Thursday service tomorrow I am once again reminded of our amazing God. A God who is faithful, a God who loves me, and a God who gave everything so that my relationship with Him would be restored. You see regardless of my past, God has never given up on me and only He knows the potential within me. That is why I am here now, and as I reflect on the events and the amazing people that have come into my life over the past 30 years, I can now see how God intervened and began to steer me in the right direction. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that "A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." This is exactly how it has been for me. I thought I knew where I wanted to head in life but God knew better.

As I reflect on the events that took place in Jesus final hours I am reminded of why He had to die and I am so thankful that He made that choice to sacrifice Himself for me.  How can I be forgiven  for what I have done in the past?  How could God ever love me when for so long I rejected Him?  Well it's all about this amazing thing called Grace.  Easter is a wonderful reminder that no matter what we have done, no matter how our paths have gone in the wrong direction; God continues to pursue us, He continues to try and get our attention.  And regardless of what we done, Jesus sacrificial act supersedes everything.  His amazing grace brings healing, restoration and empowerment.  Jesus gave His life so that we may be saved.  He died so that our relationship with God the Father might be restored, and He died so that we may be set free from the bondage of this world.  Easter is about restoration and empowerment. It is about what can be and not what was or what is.  Do you know this Jesus?  Do you know the one that can bring emotional and spiritual healing?  His name is Jesus and "He is the way, the truth and the life..." - John 14:6

My prayer for each person reading this right now is that Easter will be a powerful time for you.  I pray that this Easter will be more than family, holidays and chocolate.  My prayer for each person reading this right now is that 2017 will  be the year when you discover or are reminded that you are loved; you are forgiven; and you can be set free through Jesus Christ.  May God bless you each this Easter.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,

that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish,

but will receive eternal life." - John 3:16

A Clean Canvas

Well 2017 if finally here.  I can't believe that I have been in my current appointment for 12mths.  The days just seem to be flying past an incredible rate.  While in NZ recently on holidays I heard a sermon from a Salvation Army Officer that really did get me thinking  about the  year that lies ahead.  As a result of this challenge the following  extract from a sermon preached this week  came into being.  My prayer for each person reading this is that you will have a blessed 2017.

One of the things that I find humorous about the end of a year, especially on New Year’s Eve is the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. Have you ever made those? I wonder have you found yourself making them for 2017? Why do we do that? Why do people make New Year’s resolutions? Well I think for the most part people want to see something different happen don’t they? New Year’s resolutions stem from a deep desire for change, a desire to break from the status quo. I wonder though, how many people actually keep their New Year resolutions? Sometimes these resolutions never happen because life often gets in the way.   The concept of New Year’s resolution is great though isn’t it? It’s a time when we look to the year ahead with a clean slate. A time when we look to the future with hope that things are going to get better than they currently are.

(Reveal a blank Artist Canvas - Illustration)

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul wrote: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” Now Paul said this in the context of reconciliation with God. He said this because He was explaining to the Corinthians that through Christ and our relationship with Him, our old ways are gone and our lives and our spirits have gone through a time of cleansing and renewal. Through Jesus the sins of our past have been removed and the slate has now been wiped clean. This principle however, also applies to each of us here this morning. For some 2016 was a horrible year but friends I want to encourage you this morning by saying that 2017 is a fresh start. The old year has gone and the New Year is here. I wonder have you given much thought yet to what 2017 might look like? How will this year be different from last year? What are your hopes for your life in 2017? What are your hopes for your church and for Bairnsdale in 2017? 

Friends the good news is that 2017 hasn’t been written yet. For the things that we can change, we have an opportunity to bring about transformation not only in our lives but in the lives of those who live in Bairnsdale through the power of the Holy Spirit. The year ahead then is a year of hope, a year of renewal and growth.  This morning I want to share with you three scriptures that will help you navigate through the year ahead, 3 scriptures that will help you not only in your everyday life, but in your growth with God and in the way that we minister to others.


The first one comes from Matthew 6:25-27,31-33

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.



Friends we are each loved by God, so much so that God promises to provide for us our every need. You know in our humanness we are often concerned about what lies ahead. We are concerned about the events that might take place and how we might cope with these things. Maybe there are things that you will have to face in 2017 that are quite intimidating. But here in Matthew 6 Jesus reassures us with an amazing promise that we do not need to worry about tomorrow because God has it all in hand. Jesus reminds us this morning that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, then everything else will be taken care of. So my first point this morning as we begin a new year is that God is in control, He is the Omnipotent God; He knows what we need and He knows how to take care of us.


The second scripture comes from James 4:7-8:

“…Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”


As we enter a new year and as we look at the blank canvas before us, can I encourage you this year to draw closer to Jesus. As God’s children, our first and foremost priority in life is to continue to grow in our relationship with God. In our scripture this morning Paul reminded us that the old is gone and the new is here. He reminds us not to be controlled by the things of the past. The past does not have to influence our future. How does this happen? By drawing near to God. No matter what happens in 2017, no matter what begins to appear on our canvas, God reminds us to stay close to Him. As God’s children we are most vulnerable when we begin to move away from God. As we reflect on the challenges of 2016 what was it that got us through? Were we moving toward God or away from God at these times? It’s interesting as we read the words of James because you will notice that God is always with us. If this is true then, why does James call us to draw near to God? Who is it that moves away in our God relationship? Us or God? We do. That is why James wrote draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Friends God never leaves us but we have to make the decision to move toward Him, we have to want to grow and change because God never forces himself on us. We are each responsible for our own spiritual growth and God relationship.


And so my second point is this: As the year progresses choose to draw closer to God in all circumstances.


The final scripture as we commence 2017 is this:


Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6


This one is very similar to the verses from Matthew 6. We don’t know what lies ahead of us this year but God does. 2017 may be a hard year and God does not promise us that it will be an easy journey in this thing called life. But one thing He does promise us is that if we trust Him, regardless of how we interpret our circumstance; He will make our paths straight. You see our canvas will not always be full of colour. Sometimes a canvas needs to have a darker colour added to it in order to give definition and character so that the colours that really matter are highlighted. So too with the year ahead. Sometimes there will be dark patches on our canvas; but it is these dark patches that will shape us and give us growth. As the year ahead throws us difficult times let’s not see them as obstacles to make us give up; rather let’s allow God to use them to teach us and shape us the way He wants to.

Friends I don’t know what lies ahead this year for any of us. What I do know is that our 2017 canvas is currently blank and because of that, our year will be whatever we choose to make it. Some things we will be able to change and some things we won’t. Either way, if we work at staying close to Jesus and if in 2017 we are continuing to grow in Him then our canvas is going to look pretty good next December.


And so my final point is this: Trust God in every situation.

You know as I start a new year and reflect not only on the year ahead but reflect on the years past and all that Jesus has done for me; I am encouraged to know that God is a God of second chances. The old is gone and the new is here. I don’t know what your past few years have been like; I don’t know what 2016 was like for some of you or the challenges you have had to face. What I do know is what 2017 can look like for you.

Deep Impact

Life, it’s an interesting journey isn’t it? As I get older I can’t believe how it just seems to accelerate. As a child I remember time used to take forever. That 12mths leading up to Christmas just never seemed to get there. It’s interesting isn’t it? how our age differs our perception of time. Now that I am just over 40, time seems to be travelling at a ridiculous speed, in fact sometimes it feels as though it travels too fast and to be honest, it has got me asking the question “what have I done with my life?” I wonder, have you ever wanted to know how much time you have here on this earth? 

The writer of Psalm 39 asked this question of God when he said “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” I think when David wrote this Psalm he was asking the very same question: “What have I done with my life, how much time do I have left?”

Paul on the other hand approached this question very differently. He was very aware that time was short, he knew that he needed to use his time wisely. In Ephesians 5 he says: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Eph 5:15-17.

You know as I have pondered these thoughts recently something very interesting occurred to me.; there are only two things that we can do during our time here on earth that we simply cannot do once we get to heaven? 1. Sin and 2. Tell others about Jesus and invest in people. You know our time on earth is very limited. Psalm 90 tells us that our years may be no more than 70 or 80 but the reality is that no-one knows the time that we have. Time is precious and we have to use our time well. In a world that is straying further and further away from God we need to take the opportunities to share the gospel when they arise. Friends, how are we impacting our world for Jesus today? When our time is up what is it that we want to be remembered for?  It has been said that life is no more than a dash between two dates. If that is the case then how are we using our dash? Are we impacting the world around us and what is the legacy we want to leave behind? Let’s go one step further; if our church was to disappear off the face of the planet tomorrow, would it even be missed? 

When Jesus was on the earth He had a very small amount of time to make a huge impact. Everything He did was intentional. Every conversation, every action and every thought had a purpose and it was a purpose that glorified God. In John 10:10 Jesus says that: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” What did he mean by that? Quite simply Jesus came that we may have completion. A life not necessarily free from trouble but a life full of Joy, a life spiritually complete, a life lived to the glory of God. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. Friends because of what Jesus has done for us and what He can do through us, we are able to live a fruitful life if we choose to. Our time is fleeting, let’s not waste what time we have left. Let us be a people and a church who has a huge impact on the world around us.

"Don't count the days, make the days count."

Mohammad Ali

struggling

The last few months have, to say the least, been extremely challenging.  Not only this but I have been seriously questioning my ministry and where I fit in the scheme of things.  The spiritual journey is an interesting one and it certainly presents many different emotions and experiences along the way.  As a child who was constantly moved around throughout my schooling years, and seeing the damage that this has caused, I have found myself asking the question: is this what I want for my child?  Do I want to be constantly moving around throughout my working life or do I want to put my roots down somewhere?

Many find ministry exhilarating and many know without a shadow of a doubt that their calling is secure; me on the other hand, I am beginning to wonder.  Am I really called to what I am doing, was it just a great idea at the time?  How do we really know?  For me the past six years have been a very lonely and painful time.  A time when I have been constantly on a rollercoaster ride of spiritual doubt and emotional challenge.  It is easy to say that God has called me when you are not me, or that God will sustain and provide.  I guess he will, assuming that we are walking in His will and purpose for us.  But what if by some bad choice we are not walking the way God wants for us?  What if the path we are walking is simply our human decision and not a God leading?

It is also easy to say (for those not in the middle of it) that the devil is just having a crack, or you must be doing something right if the devil is giving you so much attention.  But again a question needs to be asked: is it simply the devil having a crack or is there something more happening here?  It is always easier to blame the devil.  In fact you can blame the devil every time something doesn't go the way you think it should.  I really feel that blaming the devil is in some instances nothing more than a cop out.  It's too easy to blame him for something that is simply a life factor.

Sometimes we make life changes because of what we feel at a given moment.  Sometimes we enter into a line of work we think we may be called to when in fact it was just a bad choice.  How do we tell the difference? 

I guess as I wrestle with this over the next few weeks hopefully some answers will come to light.