Gary Grant

Today I had a stress echo...stress test. Pressure is placed on your body as you walk on a treadmill to see how your heart performs. An ultrasound is done of your heart before you get on the treadmill, and then measured against another ultrasound done straight after the treadmill experience. And the report is... All ok. I have a good heart. you may be wondering why this had to happen (or you may not) - recently My GP found a tiny scar on my Heart after doing an ECG, and so I was referred onto the heart doctor to just get it checked to make sure. Whilst I didn't do that wonderfully well on that treadmill, it was very re-assuring to find out that my heart is ok and that this 52 year old body of mine will make it for a few more years yet. It got me thinking though, that its wonderful that the Doctor said my heart is good, but how much better if The Lord says my heart is good. Whilst I think it is absolutely key that your body's pump is doing its job, I think its even more importa...

ON Sunday morning just gone, God was with us in church in a very big way. Now I know He always is, but for me personally He spoke audibly into my ears. I will tell you in a minute what He said.... however, just prior to it though, I had just finished preaching....you can hear it at: www.salvos3064.podbean.com but suffice to say I felt I had done my best at communicating what I believed God wanted said. quite a few people hung around for prayer and ministry after the service, and one special woman in our church was touched by God in a supernatural way, spending time with Him for "sometime on the floor" after. as I sat and pondered all that which was taking place, it was then that I heard God speak to me saying... "This is your business" it's His business, but He has called me to make it "MY" business, the ministry and prayer for His people. a special business indeed. so...if you are around me, at church on a Sunday, I will be (conti...

This time of the year always make Officers in the Salvation Army feel a bit on edge, especially in Australia, when in the next  few weeks we will hear whether or not we get to stay another year in our present appointment of are required to be moving on to some other place. its no different for Julie and I, than what it is for every Officer, we feel quite unsettled and ill at ease about this, especially since we have been in our present ministry appointment for 12 years. It's risky even talking about it a superficial level, as people read between the lines, make their own assumptions and it may not even be correct. ( and the truth is, I actually have no concrete ideas at all about 2013 as yet) October 11th is "D" day for all this, so we will probably find out the same time, that everyone else does whether we are to move or stay. for me personally it is playing with my mind this year and I am feeling things I have never felt before, thinking thoughts I have never th...

I want to post a  "churchy" report that Val  (our Craigieburn CSM ) sent to me here and share it with everyone in regards to the local church, its VERY  - VERY good. we recognise it comes from another church pastor, but it's too good to not share it...maybe if a few of us took heed to it, it may just change what the local church looks like and how it functions. a lot of people are more concerned about what  a church looks like, rather than what it does. I would like to suggest to you  - that what it does(function), should identify  what it looks like (form). rather than the other way around.... sound confusing ? well let me clear it up... (hopefully) (from A Salvo perspective) when we are more concerned about our uniforms, bands, songsters, flags.... than seeing peopel saved and set free, well we have it back to front. Rather.. it should be , that people are set free and saved when the Salvos turn up. And that is our primary concern....

Cant wait for Sundays worship services...tonights rehearsals were amazing, with a couple of suprises in store for all present on sunday, including new songs and new voices....I just love our church and what God is doing amongst us, make sure to keep reading below for our latest Cup Cake ministry report...if you can, get to our church on the weekend..9.45am or 4:13pm Youth church..awesome. Brothel Visitation Report ( Cup Cake Ministry) ..thanks Lisa.... It is just amazing how God is opening the doors within the Brothel ministry, in fact not only are the doors opening, they are swinging wide open. The past few weeks, God has been providing opportunities to display His love, grace, and dispense hope, peace and encouragement to ladies that are struggling with low self esteem, abandonment, low self worth, immeasurable loneliness, depression, drug & alcohol and gambling addictions. We have amazing privileges to be able to enter into these dark places, and shine the light of Jesus...

Monday Morning: I have had a stressful weekend of personal turmoil, which God and I are dealing with together. It's not easy, you have probably already worked it out, that I am having a tough time, well I am. What do you do when you have a tough time ? My last blog was fairly accurate in what I am feeling or should say, have been feeling. Today I am feeling  just a little numb as well as resigned to the Lordship of My Father, that His will be done in my life. I have a very good friend who has helped me over the years as my mentor, (Pastor Shane Baxter) a great man of God reminded me a number of years ago and I hold it true for my life, almost as a life commandment now, and it' simple... Purpose over Preference. living your life with God's purpose in mind rather than my own personal preference,  is maybe easier to say than to do... but I feel my life is being tested right now on this principle. Will I practice what I preach ? Will I live and breathe Gods pu...

what a ride the past 24 hours has been for me... don't read anything into this... (between the lines etc) however, I feel the following mixed emotions right now... hurt insulted scared discouraged scarred abandoned dismayed rejected neglected rejected alone dissappointed disillusioned there a  few reasons why... do i have just cause to feel this way  ? NO. just do. I know I am in good company, for it is exactly how Jesus must have felt also in His earthly ministry. so why complain ? I have prayed the prayer and sang the song... To be like Jesus, this Hope possess me in every thought and deed this is my aim my creed I did mean it when I sang/prayed it, so I guess God has answered my prayers once again. thankyou Lord  ???!!!??? I pray that God will be my strength and source and my ever present help that He will pull me through the feelings I have right now and do in me, what I can't do in myself. I love Him, I have committed m...