the latest... Hot potato.. Hot potato !!!!!

Make a statement about  homosexuality and watch the darts fly.

I did it on Facebook this week and things went a bit berserk.

I wonder why it is such a hot potato ? and yet  we don't seem to get any where near riled up about some other significant issues... and other issues its just simply very clear.

would we allow a pedophile to be a leader in kids church...hardly...

anyway, it's not the biggest issue in my life, its just that I cant believe that some churches are allowing a compromise to begin  in what is right or what is wrong in leadership of the greatest thing God is doing on the planet.

I think God allows us to work it out, to see how we are going to handle issues such as these and which side of the fence we are going to sit...what is right, what is wrong, what choices we are making for Him and how strong we will stand for Him and what will move us and what won't . !

I also think that God wants us to work it out,  what are our life values...what is it we really believe and how hard are we going to live that out...and even when people criticize us, ridicule us, condemn our view...  are we  still willing to stand up for what we believe in... I have learned this week that if you speak up, you may be told to shut up, but for me I will not shut up on what I believe in my heart I should stand up for, and stand against. even if i find I stand alone. ( which I discovered I do not)

My biggest motivation is, that one day I will stand face to face with King Jesus, and He will ask me what I did with what I had and what I was asked to do on the earth.

I will try my best to do my best, to be my best and to be true to the convictions that He has placed in my heart and in my mind. And when I get it wrong to repent and confess my sin and allow God to clean my life also.

I don't think God is looking for a half baked, watered down, compromised church that is swayed by popularity and worldly values. I think He is looking for a pure and holy church that stands on Gods truth and His Word as its values.

and when...some Christians seem to think its OK for  leadership in God's HOLY church to be ok with practicing homosexuals, or practicing heterosexuals (outside of marriage)...and even if that's the Salvation Army...           well I am out.

I would resign in a country minute if that became policy in the SA.

Let's not throw stones, or judge, lest we all be judged...
however, let's also remember that ours is a task of setting repentance and salvation and holiness as a way of life.

And that if a person of any sexual persuasion decided to follow Christ and denounce their active lifestyle and live for Jesus alone, then I would embrace them, as well as any axe murderers, pedophiles, abusers, thieves....  as we all should.

for Jesus died for all people for all time.

but if a person chooses to remain active in their sin..without repentance,. they cannot and should not lead in the Church.  They disqualify themselves.

that's my belief and opinion.

The 2 sided Coin....a prophecy and vision.

There are two sides to every coin...
on both sides there is an imprint, a very clear marking which identifies what the coin is, and who it belongs to, and its value. The coin is always imprinted on both sides, usually with the value on one side and the governance(the nation) on the other.


It's a been a very interesting week ....for me personally, with some pretty big wake up calls about what we as a church have achieved this year and what we haven't.

 I was sharing my personal frustration with one of my Leadership Growth Partners the other day (Captain Kevin Lumb) and he,the good officer he is, listened... and then started to prophesy into my life, I want to share this prophecy here and also the Vision that has come out of it for my own life and for our church.

How this started is that we were investigating our spiritual activity in our church over the past year for a new program we are about to start and we discovered some alarming stats that show we have been busy doing some things, and failing in some pretty big spiritual ways.

Busy building infrastructures, new facilities, teams, programs, concepts and new ventures. But not quite so busy in building new disciples for Jesus Christ.

The prophecy then went like this...

It's like you have imprinted one side of the coin, its clear and concise and plain for all to see, but the other side of the coin is blank...and now its time to start imprinting the other side of the coin.
The coin must have both sides imprinted for it to be of any use... and as a church and as a Christian leader I see this as the perfect image of what and where things are at for me and for our church.

I have been distracted this year by the new construction process of our new facility, which everyone warned me would happen, but I underestimated just how distracting and time consuming that would really be, anyway, NO EXCUSES.... the truth is we seemed to lose our way a little in this past year.

On the positive flip side is this, we did get a very clear imprint into one side of the coin.
But now we have some work to do to imprint the other side...
and that's now where we stand, its where I stand.

Vision..
we have a "blank" in front of us, that is a free and clear opening and opportunity to imprint our community with the love of Christ in significant ways. To call and invite people(2000 in 10) to join Christ in this heavenly hope. We have built well the other side of our coin, which is clearly an excellent foundation and structure to allow us to now identify and work at the other side of our coin, with a solid under girding beneath us.
We are well positioned now, because of our work already, however we cannot rest on that alone, we must now concentrate every energy and every effort forward on imprinting the other side of our coin,(life) its not until we do that, will be whole and complete as a church, and when we are complete, imprinted both sides, we can be invested well into the kingdom economy.


For me personally, I have some work to do as well....I have set some goals  to crank this up in my life and personal ministry....  every Christ follower can do that. It's all about intention and purpose and the reason why we chose Christ for ourselves in the first place.

some have forgotten why they chose to be a Christian.....

Christianity is never about yourself and yourself alone..

once you have Jesus.................... you must share Him.

So Now....its serious soul saving business,   I am not going to whip myself over what has already taken place, I cant change that now, but I can change what the future looks like...what the way ahead looks like.

We have built our foundations well....(it's not all bad) but now its time to build up and out...I hope you will join me, in making our imprint  deep in our community.... the love of Jesus is good enough for everyone.

it's a 2 sided coin.



Please pray along with me that God will open hearts as we speak His truth.

That God will open doors of  opportunity as we walk in our land.

That He will stretch our influence so we can reach hundreds of people in the coming year and see them added to the church and to the Kingdom and more importantly to Christ.


AMEN  ( May It Be So)


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I am not finished with just yet.

Nothing makes Satan so fearful as a Christian who understands the power of prayer.
Some time ago Brother Andrew wrote a book on prayer, entitled "And God changed His Mind because His people dared to ask." Abraham dared to ask and in response God was willing to change His mind. "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." (Sodom and Gomorrah) Six times Abraham had prayed for the salvation of the people in those cities.
What a pity he stopped at ten.
Who knows what might have happened had Abraham gone on? Ungodly men and women in sinful cities do not realize how much they owe to the presence of God's people in their midst. Godly people are too often unaware of their enormous responsibility to pray for a wicked world. Abraham was aware - and prayed.
Let us plead with God for a breakthrough in countries where His presence is not allowed.(including our own where peopel seem to not allow God to be active in their lives)
Let us also hold on to God when praying for those in our own families who live without Christ. Prayer changes situations - never give up.
Copyright [C] 1995 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

You know, things are a bit tough at the moment, people are not getting radically saved as we would have hoped. People in our families have turned their back on our Jesus.

There seems to be some more losses than victories, and as I pray this morning, I have been reminded of Abraham and his prayer , as mentioned above, and I am called to not give up, to press on, to press in, and to be obedient....

And as a public testimony today, I say ...amen.

I confess.
I repent.
I choose obedience.
I choose to stay in.
I am not finished what I started.

When I planted Craigieburn Salvos, I decided to pick a fight with Satan.

I am still in that fight. I am not laying down to him.

There are souls still to be won. I am still here for the cause of Jesus.

It feels like Satan has landed a blow fair and square in my gut right now, but I feel a Holy Spirit power building inside me, I feel a Spirit unction coming and I want to be used by Him to counter attack, and that's what is going to happen.

It's not over yet.