Harvest Thanksgiving

We're excited about reintroducing Harvest Thanksgiving at Inala Chapel. The Bible exhorts believers to give thanks to God always for everything. And that's exactly what we plan to do on Sunday 18 March with Classic Brass (Brass and Male Voice ensemble from Box Hill Corps) as the guest musicians for our Harvest Thanksgiving Service. A special offering of non-perishable food donations will be taken up in support of the Chelsea Corps welfare programme. Decorating the hall with fruit, vegetables, flowers and sharing in a 'harvest-stlye' fellowship luncheon following will each bring added enjoyment to our thanksgiving celebrations.

How great it would be if all corps in our territory would revive the celebration of Harvest Thanksgiving! In a constantly changing and critical world, we need more opportunities for looking heavenward and giving thanks to our great Provider God ~ Jehovah Jireh.

1 Timothy 4:4-5 (MSG) ~ "Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy."

WMF Hosts ALTC Delegates

The Salvation Army loves using acronyms! But what does it mean? Simply this...the World Mission Fellowship (WMF) was pleased to host the Administrative Leadership Training Course (ALTC) delegates for a fellowship dinner with members of the Executive, followed by their participation in our monthly public meeting.

Each year we're blessed to welcome international leaders from around the Army world to share their personal experiences of God's grace. And God, in His grace, keeps sending a fine group of leaders to inspire us in our faith and prayer for the worldwide Army. This year's delegates represented Brazil, Kenya, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, India Northern and Zimbabwe.

Above all, they each represented Christ and His passionate, unconditional love for the world. What an encouragement to realize that The Salvation Army is in good hands with such folk being prepared for future international leadership. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 5:16 (MSG) ~ "We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you."

Blessed By Choice

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 1 of the power that all believers have to live blessed lives. As we reflected on this encouraging truth this morning in our worship time, we were reminded that we are Chosen By God, Redeemed by Jesus and Sealed by the Holy Spirit.

The Master's Plan was always that you and I would live in relationship with Him, empowered daily by His Spirit's presence, for we were God's choicest blessings from the very beginning.
The basic reality is this ~ It is our choice to be God's choicest blessing!

Ephesians 1:13-14 (MSG) ~ "It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free — signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."

Celebrating 100 Years!

Congratulations to Florence Lewis on reaching her milestone century. This beautiful, gentle and humble Salvationist (No 1. on the Northcote Corps roll!) gathered with family and friends at Inala Village this afternoon to celebrate her significant achievement.

Our local MP for Forest Hill, Kirstie Marshall [pictured below with Flo], was present to read honorary letters from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, PM John Howard and Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery. In addition, I was privileged to read Flo a congratulatory message from our Territorial Commander, Commissioner James Knaggs.

For this momentous celebration occasion, we give all honour and glory to God!

World Day Of Prayer

Thanks to the Christian Women of Paraguay for an insightful and prayerful liturgy for the needs of their beautiful country.

Our gathering certainly matched the chosen theme of the day "United Under God's Tent".

The hymns, Bible readings, reflective prayers of thanksgiving, confession and intercession all weaved perfectly to "bind us together with love".

May God continue to bless all Paraguayan Christians and Churches as they fulfil their incarnational ministries!

Exodus 40:34 (MSG) ~ "The Cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Glory of God filled The Dwelling."

Identification Issues

We needed to shop for a new DVD player with surround sound capability and multizone functionality. Sounds technical, doesn't it? Each branded product displayed labels and symbols on their boxes identifying their special features that seemed to require prior specialist knowledge. Some features, though, were not clearly identified and left to the purchaser's risk. We took the risk and it paid off.

Spiritually-speaking, we too display labels of Christlikeness that identify who we are in God's love. Do our labels match our actions? Are the symbols of our living positively helpful to others in identifying our relationship with Christ? Faith is taking the risk of obediently trusting come what may as we identify daily with the unconditional love, grace and mercy of God.

1 Corinthians 12:13-14 (MSG) ~ "The old labels we once used to identify ourselves... are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive. I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less."

Shoes

Everyday we step into them and wear them [as our nephew, Jesse, shows]. Sometimes they're comfortable and sometimes they're not. Much like life's experiences, wouldn't you agree?

The English language makes use of shoes in idioms such as to "be in someone's shoes" (when wanting to have the same experience as someone else) and "fill someone's shoes" (when desiring to do what someone else has done as well as they did). And while these may at times sound like the ideal, in reality they are far from it.

All things considered, the fact is that we are each unique individuals with different personalities lovingly created by an amazingly great God. Any desire to be in or fill someone's shoes is an impossibility ~ no matter how hard we may try.

Job 5:8 (MSG) ~
"If I were in your shoes, I'd go straight to God, I'd throw myself on the mercy of God. After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises."