Motion Sickness

Where am I headed, and what are the great questions that will challenge me along the way?

What kind of a person am I becoming as a result of this journey?

What does God expect of me as I run the race?

What have I been equipped to accomplish?

What can I give?

I can’t live with Alice’s perspective on the journey: “I don’t much care where . . .” But I do aspire to Merton’s: ask me what I’m living for, and ask me what gets in the way.

 

I am currently ploughing my way through the book, " The Resilient Life", by Gordon MacDonald. It's a great book...It is a book that has sat on my shelf, and in the "not yet read" category.

and boy am I glad I am reading it now, its really helping me.

The above questions/statements are from Chapter 6, and they are amazing questions and I strongly suggest that all leaders read this book. You can get it from Amazon Kindle for around $10... as an EBook.

 

I reckon one of the biggest issues facing Christians today is these unanswered questions.

It may just also be the biggest deal with the modern church (TSA).

I mean, think about it, if we were to honestly answer those questions for our lives and for our churches and corps, things might start changing in how we go about our business.

 

For too long, too many have just been going through the motions.

If you go through the "motions" for too long you start wearing a "rut" into the road.

When you are stuck in a rut ( an open ended grave) you cant get out, unless there is an intervention.

An interuption to the "motion".

 

Our TSA churches need some of these interventions. Some of these interuptions to our motion sickness.

 

So here's a little test... ( see if this applies to you and your church)

 

1. Are we seeing people discipled and saved in our churches every week ? When was the last person saved (born again) in your church ?

 

2. Are we more excited about our "program" and people attending to be entertained, than what we are attending worship and "really" connecting with Jesus ? ( A good test of this, is how many are attending prayer meetings vs how many attend concerts )

 

3. How is the journey I live, shaping me for Heaven ?

 

4. Am I just going through the "motions" ?

 

well if you are honest, you will see what must change in your life and what needs to be strengthened and what needs to be discarded, as well as what must grow, and be nurtured.

you may need to start attending a small group, join in on prayer meetings, start living a holy life, and start placing God in priority over "whatever else" currently sits in His place . ( be brave... be honest... what is in the way ?)

 

I do. Need to make some adjustments that is. Most likely, we all do.

 

I need to tweak my life. My Ministry. My leadership. My personal life. My personal holiness.

 

I dont want ever..to have motion sickness.

 

as a new year approaches, it's a great opportunity to start again. a clean and clear slate.

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I am unsure of how things sit for you. You know how much praying you do in your quiet time. How much reading and growing in His Word you do. How much personal worship you get your self into. You know all there is to know about yourself. God knows it too. You can choose to stay the same and just go through the motions again in 2015, or you can choose to tweak and adjust.

One thing I am dead set certain of.... everyone who surrenders and submits to the Lordship of Jesus in their life is never left in a rut, or stuck in motion sickness.

Jesus is our life ! He is the intervention and interuption we all need.

 

May He bless you in this last day of 2014, and awaken you to new things in the new year of 2015.

 

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For My Officer / Pastor Mates and anyone else who is interested in the Kingdom of God.

A key member of our Ministry Team here at Ringwood shared this with me this afternoon.
It was good to read it again.

In light of my last Blog entry...  it seems fitting to share this as an encouragement to you to keep at it.

to not give up when it gets too hard. of if you havebeen treated or spoken to unfairly  or hurtfully.

to persevere, to remain faithful, to preach truth, to be courageous.

I love it that I have mates around me, Great Salvo Officers who are slogging it out in the battle for the Kingdom, fellow co workers, who Love Jesus and desire to serve Him and win others for Him.

Take these words,  attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assasinated for his service to the Kingdom, take them ...let these words speak into your spirit and being, and allow Gods Holy Spirit to strengthen you deeply within.



.....  Oscar Romero (1917–1980)....

A Future Not Our Own 

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith. 

No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church's mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about : We plant the seeds that one
day will grow. We water the seeds already planted
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of
liberation in realizing this.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's
grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not
messiahs. 

We are prophets of a future not our own.

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Seriously friends, let's be liberated and live out our God given calling to  preach the truth, even to a people who may not want to hear it.   To lead with integrity and sincerity and humility. But also with Authority as servants of the Most High God.

He loves you.  He loves me.

We are His.

What is wrong with the church ?

The other day I good friend and colleague confided in me that he had been receieving hate mail. People being mean, nasty, rude, and basically wanting him to just be gone. It was very sad hearing this from him, for he is a good man, a great leader, a passionate follower of Jesus and a really genuine and sincere bloke for Jesus.

So why does the church have to be so nasty towards their leaders ? It isnt right, in any situation or in any church.

Officers, pastors, are sent people, people who usually have given up their lives to follow Jesus, to do their best, not alwasy getting it right, coz not one of us are perfect... we are all just trying our hardest to do our best at what has been asked of us to do.

For me, the church must not be like this... but sometimes it is. People who are sinners are in our churches, who have not yet surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and as such they are an open opportunity for the devil to use them.

There are always loads of cliches or catchphrases we can use to justify or defend or even excuse this kind of behaviour, yet ...for me that doesn't cut it either... we simply must be living in obedience to Christ, making our churches and our corps, places of grace. Places where love can be experienced, forgiveness celebrated, repentance an opportunity to be acted upon. and we ought be patient with one another, and yes that even means the Officer / Pastor.

Heaven help any leader who gets up Sunday morning, feeling apprehensive and fearful for what the day might bring at church.... worried over what bad or nasty thing will be said that day, what criticism will fly, what complaint will come loudest...

So... if you find yourself one of those grumbling saints, a well intentioned dragon in the church ? here'ssome advice to you.

STOP IT !

it is not the way of the Kingdom.

It is not the way of Christ.

STOP IT, stop hurting the Jesus appointed leader among you.

Support them, pray for them, pray with them, you will find yoru complaint will dissappear if you prayed togther often.

and to my officer friends, my pastor friends,who find yourself on the receiving end of this, sometimes every weekend.

let's love one another, spur one another on towards love and good deeds, join with like minded pastors and officers to support each other and pray with each other. remember you are the appointed and annointed by God Himself, and whilst they may not necessarily respect or trust you or even believe in you, keep preaching the message, keep living it out, do your best to be the servant of the most high God that you were called to be, chosen and positioned to be. we live for His purpose. We are His people, we are not better than anyone else but we are surrendered. We are His.

AND remember that not everyone in your church is like the nasty ones....there are some very good people in your church and corps, who are praying for you every day, loving you, hanging onto every last word you might speak when you preach, these are your saints. the People of God who are with you, they are on the same page as you, they will do everything they can to join you in the mission.

seek them out.... pray for them too...and be blessed that God has given some really awesome and amazing people to you to minister to in your church and corps.

and finally to my mate, who i spoke of earlier... I am not going to mention your name, but if you end up reading this blog, I love and respect you, you are an awesome man of God and doing a fantastic job, dont let the enemy steal your joy, through the words of that nastyness.....

May your Christmas be blessed in every way.... and to all my mates in ministry I say the same.

Keep praying and believing and trusting, that He who called you will sustain and use you for His glory.

 

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A new reality.

These past few weeks have rushed past me, I can barely believe what has happened and what is about to happen.

Mel and Bryce are now married( one month now), and a part of me feels a sense of sadness that she has moved out and away. There is another part of me that is incredibly happy for her, because she is very happy and seems so content,  and that just makes me feel awesome.

And now we speed towards Chelsea and Ankits wedding, in just 3 weeks. And then off to India we go.

So life is interesting... there is so much going on, sometimes it feels "unreal".

But in the middle of the "unreal " something is very real and that is the knowledge that my life is changing dramaticaly these days.

It is so pleasing to know that God never changes, never, ever.

And yes in the middle of all of this, for me personally, is the sense deep within me, that God is calling me to a new place in Him.

A new experience, a new understanding, a new reality.  

To leave the old behind, to move into the unknown, total dependance upon Him, complete reliance upon Him.  Whatever that looks like.

Sometimes our reality changes, and it is due to changes in our circumstances, sometimes it needs to change, other times you have no choice.

  

But when a Christian has submitted to the Lordship of God and to His Sovereignty, ......when we live a life that is surrendered... then you can be pretty sure that your life won't remain the same.

Now, my personal changes are not just due to the Godly order in my life,( I know) but I can honestly tell you that some things actually need to change in my life, and maybe in yours too.  

I have this very deep awareness that God is in fact calling me to go deeper than I have ever been before In Him.  In the times when I feel sad, I sense Him speaking to me, just whispering my name.

I have found myself, a few times in tears as I grapple with this, but I also sense Him very close in these times, -  times of crisis, times of pain, times of loss, times of  despair, times of emptiness...

and the devil is close by, as well, telling me how pathetic I am... 

Yet... 

This is the battle isnt it ?  well maybe just for me.

I have wondered  about this battle this year, the struggle, the voices, loud and soft..... 

I have wondered why... 

and then there is the still quiet voice that gently whispers my name and  reminds me who I am, what I am to be, and who is alongside and within me.

Jesus, the lover of my soul....the one who loves me to the depths of my inner being....that only He and I know about...and He loves me for who I am, warts and tears and mistakes and failures and everything else as well.

Yep....my life is changing.  I will be ok.

we all will be, when we trust the Saviour of the World with our deepest soul secrets.

and now again a  wedding is being readied...

Mel and Bryce's wedding day was the best day of our families life so far...  

Chels and Ankit's will be the same....   India will be interesting, we will all be together and thats just the very best thing.  A family celebration like we have never celebrated before, and a new chapter of our lives, for all of us.

I can sense my mindset and values changing hugely.... its all good.

Jesus is still in my heart. 

Its all about Him.

I pray that when I come through this time, I will be more useful for King Jesus. 

A valuable assett for the Kingdom, a viable resource for Kingdom purpose and a formidable enemy to the devil.

there is a new reality starting to dawn / break out....  in Gary Grant.  

and it's all good !!!!!!

 

a personal, yet public blog...(my mixed feelings today)

It's finally here, Mel and Bryce's wedding.

(its wedding eve).

I have so many mixed emotions, anxious, joyous, proud, privileged, blessed, concerned, nervous, excited, content and yet unsettled.

Why ?

we have been on this amazing journey over the past few years and in many ways it all culminates tomorrow.

Bryce (if you should somehow read this) you are the best thing that ever happened to Mel. Thanks mate for your faithfulness, patience, love, grace and commitment. You are truly awesome. I know that your life has become complicated in a few ways, but you have weathered that storm, and you will be stronger as a result of that. You are precious to Jules and I. We are proud to welcome you into our family as our son in law. We love you man, you are just amazing.

Mel,(I doubt you will read this, but doesn't matter if you do or dont) I am so proud of you (both) but Mel you have come so far, I love you very much. I am proud to be your dad, and yeah I know we are exactly the same person in so many ways, and for that I apologise to you. However, I have some good traits as well, and hopefully that will help you . :)

What does a dad say to his daughter as she is about to be married ? I will most likely say the important stuff at the wedding... but I do want to express my feelings, I am so pumped for you Mel, you have so much going for you... put the past behind you, let the mistakes fall from your mind. Let the past be relegated to stay there... dont bring the past into the present and certainly dont allow it to change your future, Let the hurts drop away, allow the peace and love of God to fill your heart and mind, and the love of your husband to embrace your inner being to its very core. I dont think there is anything more special (on this earth at least) than when another person chooses "you". as you did Bryce, and as Bryce did you.

God bless your marriage Mel and Bryce...and your future. ( and thanks God for Coldrock Icecream)

 

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In other thoughts for me today...

Sometimes people say stuff that sticks in your mindset and damages you. Recently, this happened to me.

I have found myself grappling with the lies, and insults as well as "bullyish" behaviour of others, and I know that I am not alone with this, as I try to help others who have also been bullied and hurt.

Others who are shaped by careless words thrown at them by people who dont seem to be aware of the damage they inflict or even deliberate words used to belittle and demean others.

Insults.

Slander.

Rejection.

Lies.

all of these has no place in the Kingdom of God, neither has it any place in the life of a Christ follower, and we all find ourselves mixed up in it at times, and we need to repent of it and turn away from it and not be involved in it. ALL OF US !!!!

We must not be carriers of it and if we are the victims of it, which we all can be at times, then we must allow God to heal our inner heart and mind. And no way allow it to settle upon us.

We are shaped by God, we were designed and created for Him, by Him and in the likeness of His Son.

We are His children, we have divine destiny upon our lives we are purposed for His pleasure.

We are not junk, we were never created to be junk, we are not flawed, we are not useless, we are all blessed, we all have gifts to use for Him and if anyone tells you otherwise, that you are incapable, not good enough, ? if anyone says to you that you are worthless ? or no good ? or weak ? or silly ? or stupid ? or pathetic ? or hopeless? or anything else negative ? do not let it settle in your spirit.

Jesus see's you as good enough to die on a cross for.

He see's your potential. He knows just how special you are, and even if no other human see's it or say's it, He knows and that is all that really matters.

He knows you are awesome, and died for you so that you would live for Him forever.

 

I have seen people damage others so badly on this earth that they are never the same again. Some people just seem to want to destroy everyone else around them. This leaves scars in peoples hearts. The old saying is true, hurt people hurt people !!

Friends, if you are in a position today where you are damaged, hurt, feel rejected, abandoned, then turn it over to The Lord God today...ask Him and allow Him to heal your heart. He is good enough and more powerful than we could ever imagine, if we will just trust him to do some heart surgery in us all.

and if there have been bully's in your life ? well.... we have all had them, the best thing we can do for them, is firstly pray for them... and ask God to reveal His grace and power to them as well, most likely they are acting out of some kind of hurt/ damage themselves.

but secondly...dont allow their words to settle in your spirit.... let the words of the bully, fall to the ground at your feet...

 

You are better than that.

You are chosen.

You are a child of the most High God.

He died for you.

You are precious in His sight.

That makes you awesome.

well done !!!!

 

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TobyMac - Speak Life

One of our little guys from Ringwood came up to me on Sunday and said I would really like this
song...and he was right, so thought I'd share it with you here.... enjoy !!!

STOP. !!!!!!!! it's all about the heart.

What is more important than ability ? Heart attitude.

What is more crucial than skill ? Heart attitude.

What is more important than good looks ? Heart attitude. ( although good looks helps ...lol)

What is more vital than wealth ? or knowledge ? Heart attitude.

 

it is what is going on in the heart of a person that shines through. out of the mouth of a person, shows what is going on in their heart.

I would rather have the right heart than anything else.

recently .... I have discovered about myself, that others can try and squeeze you into a mold. You know, do what they expect of you to do. Be who they expect you to be, and when you start living your life that way, you become false and fake... not measuring up to anyones expectations, and worse still, falling short of who you were created to be. And the greatest danger of all, missing the mark on who God asks us to be.

Missing the mark, is sin. It's the best defintion of sin I know.

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I am Gary Grant, I am a Major in The Salvation Army, that means I have ministered for around 18 years, I have been through Human dissasters / Massacres, grown a church, planted a church, coordinated a new building program, built leadership teams, and preached Gods Word hundreds of times. I have done too many funerals to remember, and attended and ministered some of the most tragic of circumstances.....I have been touched by God, I serve Him, I am a husband, a father, a son. I have prayed and listened and heard from God. I am doing exactly what He wants for my life. I am not perfect, I am a work in progress. I have much to do, and I am still on a journey that is being shaped by God Himself. Soon I will perform the weddings of both of my daughters, I will give their hands in marriage and lead them through their vows...

I am very blessed.

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In amongst this though, I have allowed myself to lose my focus.... to lose my "oomph".... I spoke about this recently in my church at Ringwood. Its easy for us to lose our heart attitude and allow it to be squashed in and through many ways.

As I prayed this morning I felt I heard God say to me, get your mojo back.... get back to being who I raised you to be, I didn't make you to be junk, to be second rated, or underrated...I didn't create in you a bad and dirty or divided or damaged heart, I created a good and clean heart.... He gave me insights, a leadership mantle, that may not measure up to every human around me, but over the past 18 years it has caused some others to follow Jesus. He created a mix of Spiritual gifts in me, that are meant to be for His use, from my heart.... and somehow, I have allowed what others think of me, to diminish that... so it must stop.

Today I draw a line in the sand of my own life and say STOP. Enough .

I must and I will get my mojo back and start to live out who I am, instead of who others think I should be. Especially based on their opinion of me, I love the Lord God, and I am here to serve Him and His purposes on the earth the way He made me, and I know I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

I serve Jesus Christ. I intend on allowing Him to continue to create in me a pure and clean and holy heart, a heart that has humility, not arrogance.... not thinking I am any better than anyone or everyone else around me, a heart that is full of love and joy and purpose.

 

I intend on serving Jesus and doing what He has called me to do and who He has called me to be, and that is " ME ".

 

The best is yet to come in my life and ministry.

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I dont know what you want for your heart, but the best thing you could ever want for yourself, is humility in your heart and not an arrogance before God and others. What does it prove to think we are any better than anyone else ? What does it prove to put others down or to belittle them ? why do that ? It is best to allow God to soften our heart, to allow Him to work in our heart, to speak truth and allow the fruit of His Spirit to be evident in us, all of us need this. Fruit, like, compassion, mercy, self control, gentleness, kindness, love, forgiveness, blessing others ...serving others and not wanting to be served. Helping and lifting others, not putting them down, sometimes we think we are helping others, but if we have to lift ourselves in that process, all we are really doing is, making the other feel weak and powerless. When all we can do is criticize and complain, we miss the point of being who God intends us to be.... yes, He calls us to be salt and light, but not salt in an open wound, but salt as to bring flavour...light as to gently give direction in the dark.

May The Lord God bless you deeply today in your heart, where it matters the most.

 

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