TSAASTTCGFC - Grand Final Challenge, an update

Well things are progressing well, then bam!... its the final day of the challenge!
I won't provide a comprehensive list, but here are a couple more things we got up to:

• Pete blogged recently about evangelising a prank caller, next time one calls, try it! (Or maybe you could get a telemarketer saved!)
• We've had the privilege of collecting heaps over this past week, 4 attempts with 614 (Melb Central and Southern Cross Stations), we didn't get confirmed amounts, but each day my tin was packed to the limit with notes and lotsa gold, I pray that money will see people saved through 614!
• In a recent outreach night, Steve put Pete and I on the line when a gangsta-kinda guy came to 'preach' at us about the Salvos, we had 2 minutes each to share the gospel (which he agreed to listen to... yeah!), we didn't see any radical salvation that night, but on my parting handshake, I slipped the guy a little gospel of Mark - he thought that was hilarious and kept it - heres praying the gospel will stay with him till Jesus gets his heart!
• Collected $696 for Carlton Corps at Lygon Court shopping centre (nice), as I was collecting a uni student set up a henna tattooing table (henna - temporary painted tattoo). After my shift I asked her to paint me a cross and the words "Jesus Saves", to my disappointment, she said she'd especially love to write those words on my arm... turns out she's a believer! praise the Lord! Now I have a ready-made evangelistic opener, lets see some people saved this week!
• Prayer-walked the Collingwood area with Xander and Pete, along the way we met a guy from a past outreach in the park. Made a meaningful contact there, also prayed for rain.... since then we've received a healthy drenching!!! ;o)
• Freedom Friday last week we saw 4 College-mates meeting in the 707 prayer room. A time of focussed prayer and great mutual encouragement to continue the fight for freedom!
• Last night had an awesome night out with some mates of ours, I'm believing for the next Gowans and Lllarson!!! Candidates papers are getting sent their way today! whoo!

Well thats some of the cool stuff we've been up to for the kingdom! By the way, I'm loving the challenge and the way it has given me an opportunity to push forward in the fight! Maybe this should be a year-round focus to get us active in prayer, proclamation, evangelism and building character! I don't really care about whatever prize the challenge-winner gets, I care more that I've been challenged to reach my world for Jesus and in doing that, the prizes are fully eternal for myself and the people I've had the awesome opportunity to reach out to!

If you're interested in doing the challenge with your young people over the summer break - which I highly encourage! (its heaps better than sleeping in and playing the PS3/Xbox!), you can find the official list at the armybarmy blog in the 16th Dec post (thanks Steve!).

Feed and Clothe her...

I've been thinking a bit about something a wrote a while ago, I wasn't sure whether to post it here, but I left it to the Lord to confirm it. Recently I've received this confirmation through several different Godly friends and through scripture (which I hadn't read prior to writing down this vision). Anyway, have a read, I implore you - let your heart break for the lost, the bride can't wait.
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O Salvation Army, how you break my heart!
The mission sent from God to a multitude of freshly-saved, spirit-filled, holy warriors has been shelved and preserved as antiquity. A generation holding a cheap imitation of the original have marched forward, determined that the clothes they have made, the meal they have prepared for the bride are true and eternal.

Stand guard no longer! Selfish generation! Millions of lost tailors, cooks, chefs and seamstresses are wasting away, unable to fill her or adorn her in the finery she deserves. As Christ’s bride stands in tatters, weeping in shame and hunger, you admonish those who point out her rags and stains.

If you love her so, how can you stand to see her wasting away, alone and empty? Forget the meagre rations of the past! Bring to her a fresh harvest, that she might be filled once again! Look closely at her current state, see her eyes brimming with tears for the lost, those thin fingers clutching her empty stomach – aching and hungering for new fruit.

As you look into her eyes, deep with the sorrow of the past, steel yourself against running to the old orchards – they are deserted and empty, barren.
Look to the hills, see? There are the trees over-laden with strange new fruit! Run to the harvest, you must reach it before one more branch breaks and crushes its’ load – lost and rotting fruit, food for the worms.

Can we debate any longer the methods and tools required for the task?
Look, some of our number have begun the harvest, reaching out with bare hands despite the sharp branches. Do not be afraid, run to the hills for the harvest; reach out, this fruit will not be lost! Care not for the pain and the blood, for lack of tools or treat with disdain these primitive methods. Remember the bride, perishing for lack of blood spent, and lack of effort on our part to bring her the food she requires!

Work quickly, she wastes away; feed her, patch up her rags, create a new garment of praise with joyful shouts as more workers run to the harvest!

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" Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." "
REVELATION 19:7-9

TSAASTTCGFC (Grand Final Challenge)

I think a few people already know about the Grand Final Challenge presented for this final 3 weeks of college. Basically we're challenged to form teams of 3 and choose tasks to complete out of a range of different options, there's evangelism, personal growth and other variations of Christian mission, ministry & formation (even the kooky stuff! hehe). I'm proud to say my team is made up of Pete, Xander Coleman and myself. We're pumped for the challenge to reach more people for Jesus and dive deeper in our personal commitment to the Lord!

Thus far our challenge tasks have included:

• Ridiculously early prayer (2-5am) - God used that time for empowering, edification and some serious intercession!
• Fasting (we chose to go a 'Freedom Friday' this week)

Since this is only the beginning, we're just getting warmed up, but we're praying to see some serious spiritual fruit out of this exercise. Praise the Lord for the challenge, it's certainly stirred things up!

So you think you can PREACH?

Macleod last night, 5 preachers "pitted against" a congregation of young people in a battle for Salvation & Holiness....

Preachers drew a preaching topic out at random and had five minutes to prepare before letting loose on the young people. Topics and Preachers were:

Alana - Trinity
Amazing for a first-time preacher! She had a go at a tough topic and ripped through it in record time! Keep an eye out for this young woman, she's got it!

Pete - Salvation
Shared his extreme passion for souls from a passage in Luke 4 - the bit with Jesus reading from Isaiah. Challenged the youth to lay down their sin before God and step into new life with Christ!

Jo - Worship
I brought a notebook with me to scribble notes on, as I opened it, found I'd scratched out some notes & bible verses on worship ages ago! (praise the Lord!). Preached also from Isaiah 58, using an out of tune guitar as an illustration for our worship being out of tune with God's desire for worship!

James - Holiness
Typical of Jamsie to get his favourite topic! This crafty guy organised a 'backing track' with the band, rocking it out with some holiness passion and laying down truth so thick we didn't know what hit us!

Tish - Choices
Man this girl has a seriously quick brain! She chucked in about 15 verses on choices and gave us the low-down on our choice between wisdom and foolishness.

The "all-in challenge" saw all 5 preachers up the front backed by the band, and being led by the Spirit in challenging some radical response. Tell you what, we saw some serious sanctification happening at the foot of the cross! A massive night for youth, by youth (yay Sarah McIver! love you!), this definitely has to be done again and reproduced across the world!!!!