Here We Come A-Carolling!

On this second Sunday of Advent, 100 worshippers gathered at the Inala Chapel to enjoy the music ministry of the Melbourne Staff Band. The band's executive officer, Major Len Turner, gave quality spiritual leadership and challenged all present with the question: "Are you ready?"

It's important that, during this Christian season of preparation, we each consciously welcome Christ the King into our lives, expecting the grace of God to fall afresh on us.

As the MSB carolled in the nursing homes, hostels and ILU facilities appreciative residents responded well to the music and the message of Christmas. Hallelujah!

Amazing Christmas Celebration

There's something special about celebrating Christmas with great music. Tonight's AMAZING CELEBRATION certainly lived up to its name with vocalist extraordinaire, Silvie Paladino (pictured left), the vibrant Australian Girls Choir and the Salvos premiere brass musicians, Melbourne Staff Band.

Each participants' God-given musical talents were skillfully used to bless the audience with a God-glorifying, inspirational worship experience.

JESUS is the 'reason for the season' and this was most evident. Praise God!

Song of Solomon 1:4 (MSG) ~ "We'll celebrate, we'll sing, we'll make great music. Yes!"

'Witnesses For Christ' Commissioning

Sunday's worship meetings were full of God-expectant worshippers, Spirit-responsive hearts and Christ-inspired encounters. It was truly a time of sacred celebration. The Word of God was both audible and visible, impacting the lives of worshippers in a way that only God's Holy Spirit can - with confident affirmation and crucial challenge.

Covenanted cadets of the Witnesses For Christ session took a courageous stand as they publicly declared their personal committments to serve God faithfully as Spirit-ordained ministers of the Gospel within their newly-appointed communities.

Our challenge was to 'go deeper' with God and 'venture boldly' for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. I echo the words of the English Reformer, John Bradford, "There but by the grace of God go I."

Launch out into the deep

O let the shoreline go

Launch out, launch out in the ocean divine

Out where the full tides flow

(Salvation Army chorus section)

On Fire Exhibition & Festival

In His wisdom God has His people a myriad of creative gifts, so that we might glorify Him individually and seek to appreciate and value each other corporately.

This was very evident over the whole weekend, but especially at Saturday's On Fire exhibition and musical festival. The wide range of creative abilities and different mediums of faith expression were a delight to experience and, without a doubt, brought much spiritual blessing and faith inspiration to those who took the opportunity to be there.

I'm glad I was there! The hand of God moved in so many ways and His presence was keenly felt. Praise Him!

2 Timothy 1:6 (NLT) - "I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you."

"Windows of the World" CD

An historic, four-CD compilation of the best of Salvation Army brass and vocal music, featuring staff band, staff songster and territorial music groups from across the world.

Proceeds from the sale of this recording will go to The Salvation Army's project work in developing countries.

Fundraising price: $50

Available from members of the staff sections, Salvo Supplies outlet or

during the Commissioning weekend.

Bare Necessity

I awoke this morning, not to the strains of radio 3AW, but to my wife singing these words.

Christ is the bare necessity
A simple, bare necessity
You've got to leave your worries and your cares
You've got to learn to trust Him
And live Your life just like Him
For Christ is the bare necessity of life.

What a nice thought to awake to!

Often we need a reminder that Jesus is the centre of our everyday, the reason for our existence and our inspiration to live faithfully and confidently in God's gracious love.

John 3:13 (MSG) ~ "...it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life."

Reign Of Christ

According to the Christian Liturgical Calendar, today is the last Sunday in the church year known as Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday. It is an opportunity for the church to celebrate and honour Jesus the Christ as King. It is a day to remember that through the power of the Holy Spirit, God calls us to acknowledge that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is worthy to be our Lord, who will judge the world in righteousness.

Quite appropriately, this was our congregational worship focus this morning as we united to sing the hymns "Sing we the King who is coming to reign" and "Rejoice, the Lord is King!" As we considered Christ's teaching on the coming kingdom from Matthew 25, we were encouraged to remember it is not our deeds that make us righteous, but our intimate relationship with Jesus…God’s grace at work through our faith. The invitation to enter the Kingdom is an act of God's grace in the lives of those who allow Christ to reign over their hearts in love.

It is my sincere prayer that the Holy Spirit might continue to work in our hearts and lives, so we might deepen our relationship with God and His Son, inspiring us to live as our worthy ambassadors of the Heavenly King, in preparation for our promised reward.

John 18:37 (NIV) ~ "Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."