“An anonymous author has written [about the Bible]: ‘It contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the fate of sinners, and the happiness of believers. It is a light to direct you, food to nourish you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveller’s road map, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s weapon, and the player’s game plan. It’s a mine of incredible wealth, and a river of genuine joy. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Christ is its grand subject, your good its design, and the glory of God its end. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be spiritually healthy. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. Let it fill your memory, rule your heart, and guide your steps. It is given to you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered for ever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and judge those who trifle with its sacred contents.”

When I say God’s presence, I really mean God’s presence. There is a tangible filling of the room almost like a wave that descends from the ceiling to the floor and it feels like the whole room is filled with a beautiful warm comfortable peace.

Sometimes this feeling is so strong that we can’t stand and we just have to sit. It is an amazing feeling that fills, refreshes and ministers to us. Often God will speak prophetically to us during these times too.

The same sort of presence used to happen when we got together in Perth for our PASSION board meetings. Often we would sit for up to half an hour and just bask in it. No-one wanted to go home!

I often wonder why this doesn’t happen in all of the prayer meetings I go to? I really wish it would sometimes, because it is always a great experience and such a close and intimate time with God.

God Bless,

Dave

Here are the lyrics…

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence
Living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word
Spoken to me

And I … I’m desparate for you
And I … I’m lost without you

This is air I breath
This is air I breathe
Your holy presence
Living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word
Spoken to me

And I … I’m desparate for you
And I … I’m lost without you (eh hey, yeah)
And I … I’m desparate for you
And I … I’m lost without you

And I … I’m desparate for you
And I … I’m lost without you
I’m lost without you
I’m lost without you
I’m lost without you (father)
I’m lost..without you

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe

Opposition to any changes we are making can be very frustrating, especially when we think we are moving forward in God’s will for our lives or our ministry.

One easy trap to fall into is that all opposition or delays are actually the Devil trying to thwart our plans. This is part of his job description, but he might not always the one behind the delays or problems.

It is wise to pray and ask God what is happening in the situation. We need to remember that we make our plans, but the Lord is the one who orders our steps (Proverbs 16:9, 20:24).

When stepping out in faith we must not give the Devil too much credit or assume it is always him, it may actually be God placing our feet in the footsteps He prepared for us beforehand.

In our own life my wife and I have experienced many situations where we thought it was opposition from the Devil trying to derail our plans, only to find out a few months later it was God ordering our steps.

Sometimes God was growing our faith in Him, we needed to be stretched or other things needed to be done before our next step could take place. Often hindsight was the only way to see things more clearly.

Remember: God’s timing is always perfect, He is always with us working on our behalf and don’t give the Devil too much credit. Opposition is not always opposition!

God Bless,

Dave

Here are a few of the ones I have been thinking about. If you hover over the Bible reference (on my website) you will be able to read the verse…

1. A fool denies God’s existence – Psalm 14:1

2. A fool trusts in themselves only – Proverbs 28:26

3. A fool has no desire to get wisdom – Proverbs 1:7

4. A fool does not like discipline or correction – Proverbs 15:5

5. A fool finds pleasure in doing evil things – Proverbs 10:23

6. A fool is a rebellious person – Psalm 107:17

7. A fool loves to quarrel and argue with others – Proverbs 20:3

8. A fool does not keep his temper under control – Proverbs 29:11

These are only a few of the Bible verses that describe foolish behaviour, there are many more.

As I have reflected on this topic it is easy to see that being wise is about believing God exists, trusting in Him, following His ways, and being controlled in all we do.

Let’s purpose in our hearts today to be wise and honour God and His ways in all we do.

God Bless,

Dave

“Harold, the Push Mower had sat in the shed’s dark corner all winter long. After a happy season of weekly grass cuttings, he found himself unexpectedly drained and shoved aside. At first, Harold figured the situation was temporary – but the days turned into weeks, then months of dark, bitter cold.

He was fairly sure his master would come back for him any day, but as the long months unfolded, Harold began to wonder. He felt abandoned, rejected, and useless.

“Am I being punished? If so, what did I do wrong?”

“I was created to mow grass. Why can’t I just get out there and do what I was made to do?”

“Did my master forget about me? Has he found another mower that he likes better?”

“Maybe I’m washed up. Are memories all I have left of good days?”

Thus, Harold pondered and philosophized in the corner of the shed.

Then, one day, the door opened, and bright sunlight filled the little, windowless room. His master stood in the doorway. Harold rejoiced as his master strode directly towards him. “Well, little fellow,” his master said, “we have some work to do.”

Oh, the joy that flooded Harold’s heart! He hadn’t been forgotten after all – just set aside for a while. “I’m ready to roll!” he beamed, “Let’s rev up my motor and get going!”

But wait – instead of pulling on the starter cord, his master pushed him silently to the old pick up truck. Gently the master lifted him, and placed him in the bed.

“Where are we going?” Harold wondered. “Are we’re going to have some grass cutting adventures in other places? Maybe I’ll be a world traveler!”

But, alas, that was not the case. They went to the lawn mower shop. Harold was confused. “Why am I here?” he wondered. “What does this place have to do with me cutting grass?”

A kind gentleman removed Harold from the truck and pushed him into a garage as the master drove away. “Where are you going?” Harold cried. “I thought we were going to cut grass together!” “Why are you leaving me here?” It was a strange and frightening place.

In a few minutes, Harold found himself in the worst situation he’d ever experienced. First, the kind gentleman dismantled him completely – scrubbing and scraping. “Ouch! Ouch! Stop it!” Harold protested.

Then the kind gentleman turned on a grinder, and lifted it next to Harold’s blades. It was terrifying!

“What on earth are you doing?” Harold shrieked. “Are you trying to kill me?” At this point, he was convinced the kind gentleman was not so kind after all.

The grinding hurt. It was excruciating – producing the most severe pain he had ever endured.

Just as Harold concluded he couldn’t take it longer, the grinding stopped. The kind-unkind-gentleman put him back together again and tied a tag on his handle that said, “ready.”

Exhausted, Harold fell asleep, and awoke in the back of his master’s truck. They were heading home.

Upon arrival, Harold’s master lifted him out of the truck, set him on the ground and smiled. He pulled the starter cord, and Harold’s engine purred.

“OK little fellow,” the master said, “now we’re ready to cut some grass.”

I have found that when we listen, really listen (see post on this topic) we pick up a lot more of the visual cues that people send as they speak. It might be body language, tone changes in their voice or it might be emotions when they talk about something particular. When we really listen we pick up on these a lot easier.

My bad habit was to think about what I wanted to say to the person as we talked. Rather than focussed listening, it was more about saying my piece. Often it would be to share my experience in their situation, offer wonderful counsel/advice, or amaze people with my amazing Bible wisdom. In short it was about me and my pride. It was not about helping them

One of the keys for correcting this bad listening was to read in the Bible about how much God speaks about listening. There are so many verses that talk about being quick to listen and slow to speak, bringing a right word in season, and where there are many words sin is not absent. It even says those who hold their tongue are wise!

Listening really is something we have to practice and get better at. If we start by slowing down and not thinking about what we are going to say in return, we are on the right track. We don’t always have to answer straight away and it is ok to leave silence in a conversation. Sometimes this space gives people time to process their thoughts and really share what they are needing to share.

God Bless,

Dave

Earlier is chapter 10 Jesus is referred to as the Great Shepherd and Jesus also talks to the Jews  about His sheep knowing Him and listening to His voice. This picture helps us to understand the above verses.

Jesus is the Great Shepherd who loving cares for His sheep – His followers. He provides safe pasture, protection and good food in the form of Kingdom teaching. As we walk with Jesus we can be assured that we are eternally safe in the palm of His hands. We can have peace in knowing He is the most powerful One in the universe.

In saying this we know as Christians that there are times in this life where we face all types of trials. We may have financial issues, relationship problems or serious health issues. This is because we live in a fallen world where Satan is always looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

However our souls are eternal and Jesus is eternal too. He holds us in the palm of His eternal hands. In our trials He lovingly cradles us like a parent holds a new born baby. In many ways it is like the image of Jesus holding a lamb above.

I love being a Christian and knowing I am kept in the eternal arms and hands of Jesus. I also love that no matter happens to me in this life it can not separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39) and it all works for good because I love Him and am called according to His eternal purposes (Romans 8:28).

Today I want to encourage you that no matter what ever you face, that you are safely kept in the eternal arms and hands of the Great Shepherd.

God Bless,

Dave

Some have been made through blogging and others have been made via Facebook or Twitter.

I just really appreciate being encouraged by others who are Pastors or Lay Christians who share their faith and their journey with Christ online.

Most of the people I will probably never meet in person, but I still feel a sense of connection with. Some I even feel like I would become good friends with if we lived in the same place.

While there is a lot of rubbish on the internet, there is also a lot of good stuff and Christian people doing great and encouraging things.

I love that Christ’s body is all over the world and that we can connect on this thing we call the internet. It has been a real encouragement to me.

God Bless,

Dave

As I reflected on this I began to think about Christ and what image He took on when He lived amongst us. Let us have a look at what Philippians chapter two says…

Philippians 2:5-8
5  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!

I find this incredibly amazing that when God created us it was in His image. And when Jesus came to earth He took on our image.

There is something profound in this Divine and Human circle. The Creator made the created, then became like His creation to save us and bring us back to the Divine.

It makes me feel loved and it makes me feel special. And it makes me love God even more.

God Bless,

Dave

Our girls are now 14 and 12 and it seems we have done pretty well so far. They are comfortable with who they are and have a self confidence that I definitely didn’t have at their age!

Right from a young age we told them three main things. That we loved them as they are, that God loved them and that God created them exactly how He wanted them to be.

Knowing that they are loved by God and us has helped them immensely. And knowing they are not here by some random chance, but created with a purpose has helped them to see themselves in a purposeful way.

As parents we have also tried to shield them from some of the negative aspects of life when they were very young, and then slowly released them into the world in a gradual way. We always explained things as we went along.

Another thing we have done is encourage them in their hobbies and sports. Doing things well have helped them to be confident in trying new things and then gaining skills in these areas. This also built confidence.

As I look back on our time as parents I think we have done really well so far. It hasn’t always been easy and has taken a lot of hard work, but I am very proud of who our girls are and the self esteem and resilience they have developed.

I really love being a dad and it is definitely one of the most rewarding things I do in this life.

God Bless,

Dave

“20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. ”

Paul realised that this life is not all there is. He lived with an eternal mindset and with eternal values. He was in prison and could easily become depressed and inward thinking, yet he was still thinking about proclaiming about Christ and people growing in their faith in Him.

Paul really believed to live is all about Christ. Jesus was his whole existence and his whole reason for being. His whole life was entwined in proclaiming the Gospel. And though he longed to “depart to be with Christ” he realised he still had work to do here in serving Jesus.

I love Paul and the words of verse 21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more these verses ring true and become part of my life calling.

God Bless,

Dave

“Our focus in Merredin this morning is the “church”. What is the church? And if the church is the people of God, why do we say we are going “to church”? Well, actually the church IS the people and it exists whenever “two or three” are gathered in the Lord’s Name. We tend to think of church as only being “the congregation” but there are two other forms as well. These could be termed as the 3 “C”’s – Cell, Congregation and Celebration.

The Cell is the small group where a group of people meet to pray and encourage each other in their Christian Walk. It is fairly intimate and things can be shared and taught there amongst a committed group which might not happen in other groups. Ideally this is the place for sharing Holy Communion and exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is a highly relational group.

The Congregation, for us, would be the gathering for Sunday worship. It tends to be quite organised both in its structure and its arrangements. The format follows a pretty routine order with some singing, some sharing, some teaching and some prayers. People can be as involved as they want to be. Mostly people sit in the same place time after time. It is a comfortable group offering a fair degree of anonymity. It is a necessary part of the church’s structure but it is unfortunate that it is often seen as the only form of meeting together. The early church would almost certainly have met in Cell-type structures with the cells coming together in a town from time to time as a Congregation. The Congregation offers only limited opportunity for relationship building.

The Celebration is a much larger gathering (several hundreds or thousands) which is very highly organised and allows those gathered to participate with complete freedom as they follow the leader(s). It usually has a lot of singing and worship and excellent, well-prepared focussed teaching. Prayer tends to be limited, though there might be opportunity for people to venture up front for specific prayer ministry. There is virtually no relationship building and almost no contact outside of the Celebration. Think of Mighty Men’s Conferences, Gatherings in St Peter’s Square in Rome and so on.

It must be understood that each of these, while distinct events in their own right, do tend to blur into one another. However, the dynamics will always be different – you cannot expect the dynamic worship of a Celebration to exist in a Cell group; and the Cell Groups intimacy will never be achieved at a Celebration event. The Congregation structure is a compromise between the two but it was never intended to replace the other two forms. The Bible does however give us a strong foundation for all three forms.”

“If you’ve ever wondered what the doings of Philippians, Corinthians, and Thessalonians have to do with your life today, or whether we can know for sure that New Testament events really happened, then this is the book for you – easy-to-read and packed with full colour illustrations that bring the 1st century to life!

Illustrated with photos, charts, and maps, and written in an easy, informal style, this survey will be enjoyed by all Christians who want to enrich their understanding of New Testament people and events. 384 pages worth of value, and a complete revision.”

I found it to be really great value at $12.95 (normal price. I got it for 20% off on sale!) for a hard cover book.

God Bless,

Dave

I have added two more free audio sermonettes to my main website today. They are called “Contrasting the humanity and deity of Jesus” and “The parable of the talents and abilities”.

If you are interested you can find them on my audio page here – http://www.passionaustralia.org/audio.html.

If you would like to subscribe to our Podcast you can do that here – http://www.passionaustralia.org/audio/passionaustralia.xml

God Bless,

Dave

The sermon talked about the Sea of Galilee being full of life, having lots of fish with fishermen everywhere and being a healthy ecosystem. It said that water flowed through it from the mountains and out towards the Dead Sea.

The message contrasted with the Dead Sea and how everything flowed into it and nothing flowed out. It became a stagnant lake where nothing grew and there was no life and no fish.

The point of this illustration was to show us that these bodies of water worked better and were healthier when water flowed through them. It seems the flow of water brought life and health.

The message was concluded by saying that we as Christians work better when we allow things to flow through us. I then realised how important it was to live in a “flowing through” type of way.

Now when I am encouraged by something I try to pass it on. When I get something good from the Bible I try to pass it on. When I hear a good teaching I try to pass it on.

Before I heard this message I have to admit I was a lot like the Dead Sea. I took lots and absorbed lots but did not pass it on. This flowing through attitude has really blessed me and hopefully those around me. It changed my life.

It is my hope and prayer that you will live your life in a flow through type of way. Look for things that encourage you and build you up and then do your best to pass them on to others to build them up too.

God Bless,

Dave

When I eventually met my wife in 1995 it became less about being married to her and more about the relationship we would have. My thoughts moved to building a life together until death do us part.

In the same way that I value my personal relationship with my wife more than just being married, I value my personal relationship with Christ.

When I first came to Christ it was about being saved, being forgiven of my sin and spending eternity in heaven. Over the years these things have still been vitally important, but now it is more about our ongoing relationship.

To me Jesus is not just a historical figure that is written about in some old dusty book. He is as alive and real to me as any person I know and can talk to today. He is my constant companion throughout the day.

Jesus is my confidant, my teacher, my Saviour, my Lord, my guide, but He is also my best friend and constant companion. My relationship with Jesus is the relationship I value above all others in this life.

God Bless,

Dave

1. The “do not let” implies to me that I have a choice to let sin reign. I must chose to do right. It must be a conscious  decision.

2. I must not let sin be my king. The Greek word in the text for rule is basileuo? (pronounced bas-il-yoo’-o). It means to rule, be king or reign.

So how do we not let sin reign or be king in our lives. Here are a few thoughts that may help.

1. Identify our weakness – what type of sin do we struggle with?

2. When – when does this happen? Is it when I am with someone? At a certain time? Or when I am tired?

3. Boundaries – put safe boundaries in place which would make it harder to do this sin.

4. Practice restraint – realise we are dead to sin and alive to Christ (Romans 6:11) and we need to “do not let sin reign”.

5. Divert ourselves – when this temptation arises try to do something else. Read the Bible, call a friend, pray.

6. Share your struggle – the Bible tells us to “confess our sins to one another so we can be healed (James 5:16).

7. Lean on God – we need to lean on God’s strength and the help of the Holy Spirit. We are not in this struggle alone.

God Bless,

Dave

My answer was. The Easter message was still relevant because people still need to be saved. People are still caught up in sin and separated from God today just like they have been for centuries.

People need to hear about God’s love for them, that Jesus died for their sin and they can experience new life, forgiveness and eternal life with Christ when they die.

Yes the Easter message is still relevant and it is still needed until Jesus comes back for His people and ushers in His eternal Kingdom. It is as simple as that.

God Bless,

Dave

Matthew 28:5-7 says, “⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Jesus’ rising from the dead gives me hope. It gives me hope in knowing that Jesus has conquered death. It also gives me hope and assurance that when I die, I will rise to life too.

It is a great feeling to know that this life is not all there is. If we trust Christ for our salvation we know without doubt that we will spend eternity with Him.

To me that is the great hope of the Easter message. That Jesus died and rose again so we could be with Him forever.

God Bless,

Dave

1. What are you going to do with your sin?

For the unbeliever, the message of Easter can be quite challenging. The Bible tells us that Jesus left heaven to live amongst us and die for our sin on the cross. He took our punishment that we deserved upon Himself. He died in our place.

As human beings we all sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that we “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards”. We also read that our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). What then will we do with our sin?

The Good News of the Easter message is that we can have our sins forgiven because Jesus came to die in our place. He took our punishment so we can escape what we deserve (Romans 6:23).

In accepting what Jesus has done for us – asking for forgiveness and receiving Jesus into our lives as Lord and Saviour – we receive forgiveness, acceptance from God and a new beginning. We are born again.

The challenge for the unbeliever is what will you do with your sin and will you accept what Jesus has done for you?

2. Will you live out the Easter message everyday?

For the believer, the challenge of Easter is a call to live wholeheartedly for the Kingdom and its cause. Just like a believer can be a “Sunday only Christian” and only really live the Christian life at church, we can be an Easter only Christian too.

The challenge of Easter is to carry its message everyday. We need to live and breath the Easter story. We need to carry the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus everyday.

Wherever we go and whatever we do, Jesus’ name needs to be on our lips, His love in our hearts and His work in our hands. We need to let streams of living water flow out of us and His love must impact the world around us.

The Easter challenge for the believer is to live a life of true devotion and true commitment to His cause – the salvation of all mankind.

Two Questions

Today I want to ask you two questions. Will you accept what Jesus has done for you in the Easter message? And if so, will you live with total commitment to Him, His will and His cause in this world?

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You that You died for me on the cross. I thank You that You took the punishment for my sin. Right now I ask for forgiveness of all I have done wrong. I am sorry. Please come into my life as Lord and Saviour, please guide me and lead me in all I do. Help me to live my life in a way that lives the Easter message out each day. Help me to live my life for Your Kingdom and its great cause. I pray that from this day forward I will follow You wholeheartedly and never look back. Thank You for saving me, for giving me eternal life and adopting me as Your child. In Jesus name, Amen.

I would encourage you to visit our “Finding Salvation” page to read more about God’s love for you and His desire to be a part of your life.

God wants to give you a fresh start and a new beginning, please take a few moments to explore this here.

God Bless,

Dave

It is about being a true man of God, about living God’s way and being the best husband, father and man you can be.

One part that really impacted me was the resolution the men made. Here is a copy of the words…

THE RESOLUTION

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honour her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.

I WILL train them to honour authority and live responsibly.

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.

I WILL seek to honour God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfil this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15

As I dwelt on this compassion I came to realise that compassion needs to have action attached to it. It can’t just be a noun or describing word, it needs to be a verb or a doing word.

As I looked through Scripture I found four ways in which Jesus showed compassion to those He came in contact with. Here they are…

1. He became people’s teacher – Mark 6:35 says, “When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started teaching them many things”.

2. He fed people – In Mark 8:2 Jesus said, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don’t have anything to eat.” He then multiplied the fishes and the loaves.

3. He raised people to life – In Luke 7:13-15 we see that Jesus had compassion on a widow who had just lost her only son. He walked up to the young man, raised Him to life and gave him back to his mother.

4. He healed the sick – Matthew 14:14 says, “When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick”.

Jesus had compassion in all of these examples. His compassion was not just in thought, but in deed. He was moved to action.

It is my hope and prayer that I will not only have Jesus’ compassion in my life, but it will be a compassion that moves me to action.

God Bless,

Dave

To illustrate this she brought out two large pots on to the stage. One was in perfect condition and one was a cracked version. She then turned on lights that were inside each pot.

The one that was imperfect and cracked allowed the light to shine through the cracked outer shell. The one that was pristine and in perfect condition kept all its light inside.

It was a great illustration to demonstrate why God uses imperfect people. His light and power and glory can be shown through them.

If you feel less than perfect today, take comfort in knowing that God can use you to do mighty things.

God Bless,

Dave