"Verse Of The Day" Has The Final Word!

Following yesterday's comment, I noted today's Verse of the Day from Hebrews 1:3 certainly has the right of reply as the final Word on the topic.

"By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!
After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule."

(The Message)

Amen! Amen! Amen!

Spiritual Mythbuster

I was listening to a recording of one of our retired officers who was invited to preach recently on the topic "Maintaining a healthy spirit, soul and body", and was thrilled to be reminded of the distinction between our spirit (that which communicates spiritually with God) and soul (our mind, intellect, will and emotions). But the greatest lesson I learned was that "satan is not the opposite of God". Too often Christians live with the mythical mindset that satan (meaning 'adversary' or enemy of God) is as powerful as God. The arch enemy of God is not an evil opposite or 'reflection' of God!

Consider the enemy's limitations . . .

• He is not self-existent. He is created.
• He is not sovereign.
  satan rules a domain of demons, but he does not rule beyond the bound of that confinement of rule which God has given him.
  satan never has cast off the government of God, since the rebellion totally failed. He has been exiled to the earth and the domain around it (Ephesians 2:2).
  satan’s chain stretches just so far and God allows him to go that far and no further. He operates completely within the sphere of God’s allowance (e.g. Job 1:12; 2:6; Luke 22:31-32).
  God even uses satan to His own ends (2 Corinthians 12:7).
• He is not omnipotent (all-powerful). He is powerful, yes, but not all powerful (1 John 4:4; Revelation 12:8; 20:2).
• He is not omniscient (all-knowing).
  satan is a 'fallen' angel and angels don’t know everything (1 Peter 1:11-12).
  There is no indication in Scripture that satan can read our thoughts. But he’s pretty good at predicting our behavior, because he’s an expert on human nature.
• He is not omnipresent (everywhere at the same time). He’s fast, but not omnipresent.
  Being a creature who dwells on earth, satan cannot be in more than one place at a time. Job 1:7 makes it clear that satan roams here and there. He was thrown to earth in a war with Michael and other angels and "lost his place in heaven" (Revelation 12:8). If satan can "lose his place," then he is not in every place.
  But satan is the head of a network of subordinate devils who make his influence felt all over the earth (Matthew 12:24).

So let's not live a moment longer by the myth that satan is somehow the opposite of God. He is not, and never will be, an 'equal opposite' of God ~ "Christ is all, yes, all in all".

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV) ~ "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Overseas Personnel

WORLD MISSION FELLOWSHIP MEETING

It was a real privilege to welcome home Majors Ross and Agnes Hailes (left) from service in Canada, and Majors Anne and John Farquharson (right) from short-term service in Zambia. Both officer couples are in Australia enjoying a period of furlough before heading back overseas.

The stories of ministry and service in their various countries were very different, but the common thread was their strong commitment to meeting the social and spiritual needs of their respective local communities by impacting the lives of others with God's gospel in action.

Mark 16:15 (MSG) ~ "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all."

A Matter Of Perspective

I've been reflecting recently on the different perspectives people take in their approach to life, and I've come to the point where I'm personally grateful that I live each day with a "Christian Faith" perspective. My faith provides me with a personal assurance of love and confident hope that I couldn't possibly ever achieve in my own strength and by my own design.

In place of the temporary, I gain the eternal.
In place of working to earn favour, I receive freely the unmerited favour of God.
In place of fear and uncertainty, I know the assurance of a peaceful and certain outcome.

God's perspective is always best and we can never go wrong if we live in His love and grace.

Fear keeps us limping in the dark

Grace keeps us walking in the light.

Barbara Johnson

("Mama get the hammer! There's a fly on Papa's head!", p.172)

"THE OASIS" Documentary

THIS COMING THURSDAY 10 APRIL...8.30PM...ABC1

The Greatest Of These

Faith is the evidence of things now not seen

Hope gives the victory where defeat may have been

Love brought my Saviour down my soul to redeem

And the greatest of these is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (MSG) ~ "But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."

Mighty Wind

The storm force winds around Victoria and beyond today caused widespread chaos. Moments before I was to officiate a resident funeral, we found ourselves in a blackout situation. The lack of power meant that I had to use my "open air voice" and relocate the organist to the piano. Fortunately, both of us were adaptable to the circumstances! On exiting, we discovered that a huge tree had come crashing down behind the chapel, narrowly missing one of the attendees' parked car and the chapel toilet block.

Amidst the chaos, I recalled my training college days when our training principal, Lieut-Colonel Lucille Turfrey, gave a memorable series on the Holy Spirit. She spoke on the Hebrew word for Spirit, ruach (meaning "breath, air, wind"), commenting that the "wind of God" comes to us with fullness of life-changing power through His gentle, consistent pleading.

Edwin Hatch's words are worthy of our prayerful consideration.

Breathe on me, breath of God, fill me with life anew,

That I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure,

Until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God, blend all my soul with Thine,

Until this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God, so shall I never die,

But live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity.