A few things happening lately.

I don't think I have ever had such a difficult time....

I am well aware of issues where I have been disrespected and disregarded and my ministry count for absolutely nothing... 16 years means nothing to some.... Neither does 11 years of planting, oh well...that's leadership.

It's lonely, it's hard, and at times extremely hurtful.
But I still choose to stay the course, I still choose to go hard, coz I am not going home.

Really when it comes down to it, when a person disrespects you, it is highly possible it is their issue not my own.

I do believe though you have to earn respect and loyalty and so if I don't have it from all in my circle then maybe I haven't earned it ?

Or... Sigh! oh we'll I am sure you get it.

It's sometimes very lonely and as I said previously, hurtful.

Look at Jesus, he was more than hurt, more than abandoned and more than disrespected.

He was killed. Ridiculed. Spat on. Ignored. He was abused. He was left alone. Betrayed.

Why then should any Christan leader following Him, expect anything less than the same.

Stay the course.
Keep,focused.
Keep the main thing the main thing.
Defeat the strongholds in your life.
Hold fast to your truth. Jesus.
Stay true.
You will reap what you sow.
Sow well.

Finally... I am ok, well nearly. I will be.

I have felt the pain of all the above, but I think its ok.
Time will tell.

I was called by Jesus to plant a church. That I have done.
He asked me to do it a certain way. That I did.
He asked me to be me, I have tried to be that.

Not everyone has agreed or liked what I have done, but I have tried to be faithful.

I have done all I can, and yeah It hurts that some have to drag it down and ignore my leadership...

But The final thing I share are the words I have pondered for a few weeks now...

If crosses come..
If it should cost me dearly to be the servant of my Lord...
Then,I will not turn back I am called to serve and seek the lost I'll not turn back.
 If people deface and defame the savior I serve...
Then still I will not turn back.
(words from the SA song book, modified slightly)

I am called by God, I made a covenant with Him a few years ago and nothing has changed for me.

Even if they disregard and ignore and disrespect me....

I will not turn back or quit.

Getting the God niggles

What do you do when God niggles you ?

dont know what a niggle is?
 some call it a prompt, some call it an unsettling in your spirit, I just call it a niggle.

I have just spent an awesome hour with a good friend who is being bashed up by people who should know better.

if ever there was injustice, its right here. in fact I am down right angry about it right now... how dare they, who do they think they are ? what is their fruit ?  Jesus said by their fruit you will know who they are....

so God niggles at my spirit..... do something... and then I go, do what ? Lord ? what can I do ? who am I ?

so I anointed him(yes with oil for all you people who think you cant do that ) and prayed for him and something  happened, I felt a warmth go over him and through him... and I felt God touch him. ( well I felt that happened)

I think you should be obedient to the niggles of the Lord.

I am bewildered by what I hear, people who laugh at a prayer meeting called for revival, are you serious ?

Oh Lord I pray some serious niggling will happen with these people who think you don't exist, that your power isn't real and that in today's culture its ok to sin.(whatever word  or label you want to call it)

according to my bible, sin is still sin.

God still loves it when a man and woman become one flesh by being married.

In my bible in the beginning God created Eve as a companion for Adam.

in My bible, God changes people and offers them love and grace and forgiveness and mercy and compassion and truth mixed with grace, but He still cant stand sin, and it still separates us from God.

the niggles I have right now is to speak up, stand up, speak the truth in love, but I cant help but feel very angry about how good people are bashed up for being "called", and standing by the truth of the bible.

am I perfect ? Nope.... but I am trying to live a holy life. I am just really annoyed tonight. and disappointed and believe that my prayers will indeed be answered when I pray for God to have His way amongst us.

so while I am angry , this blog is as far as it goes...until I have prayed through what I am to do next.

even so Lord Jesus Come... send revival to us, send the fire today,let it burn away all sadness and pain, let it leave power in its wake...

please Lord continue to niggle at us until we are all you want us to be.

Stand up for the truth of the bible.

The following article was posted as an email today, and it thrilled me, as it is a bold statement of truth, one which I personally hold to and based on my understanding of scripture, which the world nd Satan is trying to distort, and to confuse people on the planet. I don't always feel the Army gets it right, but on this one they have, and it makes me feel a little more confident about our own future as part of Gods Holy church. It won't please everyone, but it will please God, and that's really what matters most.

Take a read....

The Salvation Army
Australia Southern Territory
Office of the Chief Secretary
____________________________
3 November 2011

Divisional Commanders / Regional Officer
Australia Southern Territory

Dear colleagues,

The Territorial Commander, along with territorial leadership in both territories, and most of the major Australian churches have endorsed the current ACL campaign, which is fully aligned with the Salvation Army's national and international biblical stance on marriage.

This is most definitely not an anti-gay campaign, it is an appeal for the definition of marriage to remain as describing a unique lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, and to preserve in law this special relationship which is at the heart of family life.

Please do your best to encourage members of congregations within your corps to support the campaign.

May God bless you,

Yours sincerely,

Peter Walker Colonel
Chief Secretary
95-99 Railway Road | Blackburn
VIC 3130 Tel +61 3 88784521 | Mob 0439 378493

And finally from me on this post...

Proud salvo today....

Love God. Love people, hate sin. Love the sinner.

Salvos 3064 Brothel Ministry - Can a prostitute be saved ?

Today two of our church ministry staff(leaders) visited a woman whom we met in the brothels. This woman has been on the seamy side of life for a long time, a straight shooter who puts up with no nonsense from anyone.

We have had several home visits with her, discussing many issues, but today we took a message bible, a tract explaining salvation and a book “Ultimate Questions”.  She was so excited to receive her bible. She had previously tried to understand the scriptures but was unable to.

There were several spiritual matters that ****(name withheld) wanted to discuss, some being why people are sick, why people commit suicide, why babies die.   We covered these issues fairly comprehensively, explaining them as simply as we could, to enable her to understand.

This led to the opportunity of asking  *****  if she had given her life to the Lord,      explaining that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one can become friends with God until they asked Jesus to come and share their life with them. 

She answered that she had made this commitment, and went on to say she totally believed in Him.

*****'s  daughters and their children arrived and she rushed to take her bible and tracts to put them in a safe place so the daughter wouldn’t take it. Very excitedly she told them ‘I have my own bible now!’  One of the daughters responded by saying ‘We can now read our bibles together.’

When we first met **** at the brothel and also our first few home visits, she was extremely anxious, and behaved in a very nervous/stressed manner. Profuse swearing was a part of her of her conversation. One of the noticeable changes today was her calm manner, no swearing, her seeming ability to be coping with life a lot better. 

**** no longer works in the brothel. 

The question we ask is...how much of an influence have we had in her life? We have prayed for ladies to leave the brothel; her parents are soldiers in an army corps, they would be praying for her. 

We believe with all our hearts that the brothel ministry has played a part in the answer to her parent’s prayers for her.  

(thanks Noels and Lisa for the report, which I have modified to keep confidentiality and privacy )

....You know, when we started this outreach ministry, I was skeptical, cautious and wary of what effect we may eventually have if any in such  a seedy place. And here we are today another new soul saved and family added into the Kingdom of God.

I firmly believe that we as the Salvation Army need to be exactly that...the Army of Salvation...going into battle in places where our enemy has strongholds.  going in and rescuing people from the hold that Satan has.  But I am also aware that it is risky business and the stakes are very high.   

That wont stop this church and this church leader though.... in prayer and in worship and in Praise of our God, we will win.    We will win when we fight for the King.

We are praying earnestly that these people(newly saved) come to church and join us, but even if they don't, they are saved today, and that is awesome.

Church is often so judgmental. 

All churches are guilty of that at some time or the other.

Jesus is trusting our church with some pretty interesting people these days, I pray we will be faithful with the souls He is entrusting to us, that we may be trusted with hundreds more as result of our faithfulness in leading the ones He brings straight to Him.

We love Him in this place.  I love Him with all my heart.  

I pray this article may encourage you and bless your socks off.