October 11, 2011
CHOOSE LIFE
I had around ten minutes before the boarding call was to be made and there loomed before me a choice to make of the utmost importance. As I looked at the delectable selection of cakes at the airport coffee shop which would accompany the cappuccino in my hand, I chose a piece of carrot cake that beckoned and promised me that my choice would be rewarded in ways beyond my imagination! Ten minutes later, and heeding the final call to take my seat for the journey home to Sydney, I felt satisfied and happy that my choice had indeed been a good one!
Every day I have the ability and privilege to CHOOSE. And not always just because I feel hunger….
Our ability to choose as humans is our God given prerogative, but often not used to advantage, or for our good. Perhaps we allow choice to be nonchalant, or unconsidered. Perhaps we allow it to be hurried and inappropriate due to mood or current circumstance. Life holds for us some light and unimportant choices, but also those of paramount importance…those that will influence our future.
Perhaps we have found ourselves in a relationship or a situation that is not what we would have for-seen for ourselves. We may suddenly ‘wake up’ to find that we feel overwhelmed, or out of control. Perhaps a storm or a dark cloud surrounds us…because of the choices that we have made.
When we have relationship with our Creator, the Living God of the Universe…who gave you and me the power to choose…we have the most basic choice to make every new day. It’s the choice to continue relationship and friendship with Him; or maybe to start it. We can make the choice to communicate with Him, or to remain ‘silent’.
I heard a woman speak many years ago, speaking about her relationship with Jesus, and I have never forgotten the phrase that she used…it was:
‘Every day…every day….every day!”
May I encourage you to make an important, life-giving choice for your self …every day? It’s the choice to pick up and read the Word of God for a little while, and then to communicate with Jesus in your own life….It’s a choice to breathe His life into your life choices.
We have provided on our website a program which will help you to work through reading the Bible in a year…..a habit that we believe will not only give you peace and confidence in your day, but will help you to make choices in life that are based on Truth and are of eternal value.
We can walk through life, trying to figure out the choices that will affect our future alone, or we can ask for help and base our choices on the assistance and the power that relationship with the loving Holy Spirit can give us.
What’s your choice today?
Posted by Administrator
Share
September 12, 2011
FOUND A PLACE
After Michael having spoken at three services this morning, in Charlotte, Nth Carolina, we have a tight connection to reach Wave Church in Virginia Beach by 6 pm for him to speak at their Sunday night service.
So far our Sabbatical trip here to USA has been fast and fantastic! We’ve met some most amazing people and God has opened our eyes to some new vision and thoughts, planting in our hearts a new love for the Body of Christ world wide.
But most of all we think of our people at home and family and friends as you sleep, and we turn our hearts to pray for you and your families.
We are currently making good time as we fly above the clouds in this little Cherokee single engine aircraft towards the state of Virginia. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York City, not too far from here. As I look out the window I can imagine the terror of those who were passengers in all three commercial aircraft that were pirated and crashed. I find myself praying that perhaps the majority of those people knew and trusted the Saviour. God only knows.
Our trusted pilots today, though, have taken us up to 11000 ft as the clouds are quite thick. I can hear them discussing how perfectly smooth it is up here and how, when we fly above the ‘weather’ it’s such a great trip. Now they are chatting and deciding to ’ bank ’ a bit left for a smooth pathway through the clouds. The pilot is saying to his co-pilot ‘find a place’, in order to find a smooth ride.
Have you ‘found a place’ today through perhaps some bumpy weather in your life? Trust your pilot and friend Jesus to guide you through, just as expert air traffic controller now guides our pilots….
And, boy, am I glad that these guys are experts!
Over to you, Holy Spirit. I’m going to trust in you, and just like Jesus long ago in a boat, I’ll take a little nap while you drive!
See you soon church - we love you.
Valery and Michael
Posted by Administrator
Share
August 30, 2011
RETREATING TO CALM!
Recently Michael and I stayed for a couple of nights in country Victoria, in order to ‘get some space’ and a calm perspective into our lives. In the midst of life in a big city, we can often become jaded and perhaps a little ‘frayed at the edges” and it’s often not until we draw aside and spend some contemplative time thinking on those things in life that matter the most, that we can find the ‘center’ of our own souls and connect with the Divine presence of Jesus.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, Jesus can be and is present in every moment of our lives, though some may not be aware of Him. But often we are so ‘full up’ with the busyness of the every-day that we actually battle with achieving the ‘slow down’ inside that’s necessary for real rest. Our adrenaline, racing around inside us at modern-day-life pace, is meant to help us, but often becomes the enemy of the calmness of our souls!
Perhaps you’re unable to steal away to the country any time soon! Maybe to find a quiet chair in a corner and retreat for a few moments from life’s frantic routine is all you can manage right now. It’s possible that your ‘quiet time’ means you just settle for a couple of minutes in the middle of the day and cease working and rushing and… you know what I mean, don’t you?
Then you are no different from human beings who lived long ago and battled similar problems. Listen to what David wrote in Psalm 8 in the Old Testament:
“I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade
sky-jewellery, Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you take a second look our way?”
Perhaps it takes us to get away and see the sparkling night skies that are often not to be seen in our busy lives. To appreciate the sounds and the scenes of a beautiful creation that God has handcrafted for you and me…To appreciate the enormity of God’s creation…and realize with humility that it was all made for US…..
And to just sense His beautiful presence.
“God, brilliant Lord,
your name echoes around the world.”
……Amen - let the peace of God echo in your heart!
