Is Bono a Salvo?

I admit, I stole this pic from Wikipedia, but it raises the question, how Salvo can someone get before they take the plunge and don the uniform!!!

And he thought that cutting-edge Justice mixed with a burning passion for Jesus was original.....

Easter - Jesus died for YOU! Get to know him!

Whew! What a whirlwind that Easter was! Pete & I had opportunity to share a Good Friday "preview" at Sunrise last Thursday (Chapel). Pete laid the "Jesus died for you" message right out there on the line, answered a bunch of questions the guys had and challenged them to take Jesus as their life-saver... The classic line used to preach the gospel was "God is like KFC, we can't just walk up and take the chicken, there is a person we need to go through to get to the chicken (Jesus as a check-out chick with a difference!). The guys really connected with that one!

That night (Thursday) we went to a Passover meal at Darwin Corps, more than a hundred people rocked up! It was awesome to explore that last meal Jesus had, which he celebrated as a Jew and we can now recognise as a way to celebrate Jesus himself as the promised Messiah! (Messiah=a saving leader the Jews have been expecting for thousands of years, many recognised it was Jesus, others are still waiting to this day!).

Friday saw the kick-off of the NT Youth Easter Camp, we went to church (the Drama was awesome! that couple who were acting... second to none! hehe), then stayed out at Howard Springs at "Camp Beazley" (really a big property where the Beazleys live, they were great hosts). Camping out in tents during the wet season was a huge experience - we had two ridiculous rain storms, one which blew a big marquee tumbling across the yard! Only one person's bed got wet in the storms (guess who! grrr).
I spun-out at the go-karts (going too fast), Pete looked hilarious in his full-face helmet and one of the girls crashed while she was too busy waving! The Beazley's pool was well-used by all, especially the Melbournians! (it was HOT!). During the camp we learnt about prayer, justice and were challenged in our understanding of Jesus death and ressurrection - what did that mean personally?
The Camp Leaders had a rocking prayer meeting where the power of the Holy Spirit fell - everyone was amazed by God as leaders knelt, faces to the floor in prayer for the campers. The last night we sat round a campfire and shared about what camp meant to each of us, talked about Jesus' impact on our lives and how life from now on could be different, we could feel the Holy Spirit was there and active!

Where to from camp? We've invited the kids to our Sunday night Revolution Group, an opportunity to go deeper in learning and experiencing what it means to be a Revolutionary for God.

Monday Pete and I hung out at home, caught up on some sleep and reading, then Tuesday slept in some more and after lunch spent some time praying with one of the Sunrise guys that God is really working on (*please pray for him*). Afterwards we did the afternoon shift at Sunrise Homeless Mens accommodation.

Only a week to go here at Sunrise, then on to Darwin Corps... time is really flying by!

A final thought (as shared at Sunrise devotions today):

We can know OF people, we can know ABOUT people and we can KNOW people.
Do you know OF Jesus? Know ABOUT Jesus? or KNOW Jesus?

Because Jesus KNOWS YOU!!! - see Psalm 139!

Let the weak say "I am Strong!"

Thanks to Pakenham Corps I had the opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Summit over the last weekend. I heard some awesome leadership insights, but I must say its pretty weird sitting in a room full of people clapping for a speaker who is on DVD! (and even funnier when the speaker asks a question and people answer! hehe!).

Aside from having a great time, I learnt some valuable lessons about how to grow as a leader. One of the most dynamic speakers we heard from was Marcus Buckingham (who works with the Gallup Poll people). He spoke about the common misconception people have - that to improve (as people and as leaders), we should work on fixing our areas of weakness.

Marcus' view was that many societies have taken this on, to the point that our children are recieving the message that the things they aren't good at are more important than the things they do really well (their strengths). What kind of people are we setting them up to be? Adults that are guilt-ridden by the fact that they aren't good enough...

How confident can a leader be in their abilities when they are living out of this paradigm???

Instead, Marcus said to build on your strengths and manage around your weaknesses. Just as we would expect Tiger Woods to work on his golf swing, instead of practicing scales on piano.

This also applies to working as a team...

Instead of trying to make every member of a team seperately well-rounded, we should realise that a team is most well-rounded when the members aren't. What this means, is that when each member is working from their strengths, the team is stronger.

Now I think that this is pretty important to us who are working with the body of Christ, in ministry teams... Lets seek to engage people in their areas of strength, use what they do well to serve the Lord! Don't try to do everything well, but work on building a team who are strong in areas where you are weak (don't forget the importance of acknowledgement, thanks and encouragement).

Personally, we each need to find our areas of strength and then get 'buff' for Jesus!

On a completely unrelated note, check out this cool photo I took at the summit...

I call it "Field of Chairs"

Uniform vs. Uniformity?

PETE : AARON : XANDER : JAMES

What an awesome bunch of fired up Salvo guys! I love that all of them are in uniform, but they're all different!
This was taken at the Prayer walk (@614) about a month ago, but I recently spent some time with them at 'Go For Souls!'... an AWESOME time! People were getting saved, we were prophesying over each other, tons of prayer for others and the lost and the Revolution band went nuts for Jesus! The Holy Spirit was really moving (you know what happens when the Holy Spirit moves... oh yeah!), heaps of people were challenged that weekend.

There's nothing like spending time with people who get you fired up for Jesus! ;o)

Mission Week 2007 - Rochester

Jo dancing to some Hillsong Kids tracks...

Our Mission Week (campaign) team has been having an awesome and extremely busy time buzzing around Rochester, Kyabram and Echuca getting involved in ministry to country people. We've spent a huge amount of time preparing and running a holiday program in Rochester a drought-affected area. During the 3-day program, we impacted 66 kids! (in Rochy, thats a pretty great turn-out!). Our program was Superhero-themed and we shared about Moses, Esther and Jesus - how they were able to do super things through God. We also helped the kids to realise that this same 'super' God wants to be their friend too! It was great to see the kids blossom over the time we were with them, they were a gorgeous bunch of kids to spend time with! A weekly kids church will begin at Rochester Salvos very soon, we pray that the kids we met will be drawn even closer to God through this awesome initiative! Please pray that the leaders will be given divine energy to keep the fun and God-focus happening!

Praise the Lord for all he's done this week!

God-man & Speed-Demon at it again....

Jesus & Courage - thats what I want...

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

You know what? I don't really care what people think of my life... especially my schooling. I've done tons of educational stuff and sometimes good, other times bad.... but when it comes down to it, I want to focus on what really matters in a life lived for Jesus.

For those of you fully committed to God and ready to jump into whatever he asks of you... what is necessary for a future of full-time ministry?

• Is it how professionally and religiously you can execute a prayer?
• Is it your ability to rip apart any verse of the bible in the name of 'exegesis'?
• Is it the skill of digging into the meaning of everything, ignoring how simple it really is?
• Is it to present the Christian 'look' of piousness?
• Is it to remain in control at all costs?
• Is it to climb to the top of the career heap?

No way. Perhaps thats the 'art' or 'science' of ministry, but its not the soul... the core essentials for doing God's work.

Courage and Jesus... thats what's needed.

Peter and John were unschooled.... ordinary....
But they had the essentials for 'success' in ministry: they hung out with Jesus and they had guts.

Disclaimer: education is important - but not the MOST important!

Dreams and Visions

The night before last night I had a dream, one of those dreams that wake you up because they're so different to reality that you just know it can't be real (which is sad in this case!).

Anyway, I was dreaming about normal stuff, I was the leader of a youth event and the kids wanted to grab some food from the supermarket. They were all lined up with their goodies at the register when I ran in to tell everyone to get moving, because Jesus was coming and we had to get to a specific place (not sure where). I ran back outside and the entire sky was glowing, mostly bright reddy-pink like a sunset, but also half-covered with rainbow upon rainbow, upon rainbow.... It seems kinda weird, but I had this new 'gift' where I could run super-fast and I ran all over the place letting people know they had to come to the place where Jesus was going to be. Then I woke up... it was one of those dreams you want to 'get back into'...

Now this is completely unscriptural as far as dreams go... perhaps I had had one too many conversations about "the end of the world" or seen one too many movies about superpowers, BUT...

Last night at Waverley Salvos Youth service ('Fusion' @ 8pm).... I was blown away...

It was a great service, with a great message - "is Jesus the MOST important?"

Heaps of kids were responding with prayer while "None but Jesus" was playing on CD, when BOOM! the dream smacked me in the head. I suddenly understood part of what it meant...

I still have a huge heart to see young people saved.... to see them run after Jesus.... and to see God do the miraculous in our world. My job? run around everywhere as fast as I can to tell everyone to get ready, to get "in the right place" for when Jesus returns.

Whoa, what a challenge.

Are you ready? he won't be long...

"When the last days come, I will give my Spirit to everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy. I will work miracles in the sky above and wonders on the earth below. There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will turn dark, and the moon will be as red as blood before the great and wonderful day of the Lord appears. Then the Lord will save everyone who asks for his help."

ACTS 1:17-21

Up Close & Personal

I came across Joe Noland's blog, 'Slightly Irregular' and was fascinated by a recent post about regulations for male and female single cadets to become 'interested' in each other... In 1965, you had to get approval to think about going out? It's a mite strange!!!! (especially the 'rules' about when and where you can meet up!). I remember hearing that when my Grandma was in college, she and another 'fellow' would just happen to be cleaning the floors at the same time... so they could see each other 'unofficially' teehee! (what a naughty lady!). So happy I don't have to worry about that stuff and really relieved for the singles in my session, that they don't have to go into the whole 'avoiding the opposite sex' thing!

Makes me glad there are no longer any rules to get close to God, although you do need to ask Jesus for some help in setting it up!

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God." Rom 7:4

This Easter...

I'm an "easter person" - I love that Jesus died for my sins and was risen from death - bringing an opportunity for everyone to experience his saving love! Our TC ('Jimmy' Knaggs), spoke tonight about being 'easter people' and living not for dead things, but for the real life found only in Jesus. Today is Easter Sunday and we celebrate Jesus' being risen from death, its the most awesome day of the year for Christians to celebrate the joy and the hope we have for the future, Jesus is alive and working in our lives today!!!! (Yipee, Hooray!)

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"
Luke 24:5-6 (Angels speaking to the women at the tomb)

It wasn't really part of the sermon, but while I was listening to TC Jim, I began to think about how I'm always on about the Salvation Army becoming a powerfully passionate movement once again, its a pretty awesome thing to think about, because we need to challenge the status quo when the Holy Spirit prompts a change...
BUT... life's all about JESUS! If I become engrossed in the systems and politics of the Salvos as an organisation, I'm kinda of missing God's calling for me! God wants me to bring focus and glory to him, not to people. The Salvation Army is great in the vision it provides, but without Jesus, it is also a dead thing, because life is found in Christ alone.

In the mish-mash of Easter events I went to this year (Rosebud corps, MCD Easter Camp, Divisional Youth celebration @ Waverley), I've been blown away by something I've seen and heard...

Jesus is alive (YAY!) and at work in the Salvation Army!!!
Young adults, youth and children have a vital part to play in the next 'chapter' of Jesus' mission to the world. I'm seeing more young people, more fired up, more passionate, more equipped than ever before... they are being handed the tools for the work openly and being truly trusted with the responsibility of bringing the gospel to the streets (Hallelujah! thanks Jim!). The people of the world see our young people actively loving the community and they LOVE it!!!! What an opportunity for us to bring the gospel back to where it belongs, out in the open, free for all!!!!

A 'force' of young people is rising up for Jesus.... I say its a REVOLUTION!!!!!!!

Thank you Jesus!

SALVATION... SPIRIT... GOT IT??

Do you ever wonder if people really know what it means to be saved? As a Christian who is still young, but has learnt a few things along the way, I am starting to wonder if we're getting a little bit mushy around the edges with our definitions. Lately I've been Blog-hopping in Salvo circles, going to a lot of classes at Salvo college, some at Whitley too and generally having chats with different people.... and you know the more I hear, the more confused I get. I'm the kind of person who likes to keep things simple (I didn't say anything about clean or neat!!!), to have truths in my life that are unchanging.... God loves me, my husband loves me, the sun will rise, I'm living life for Jesus, that kinda stuff.

From all different sources I'm starting to hear some warped things

• people mixing religions the same way they mix drinks (being a Salvo, I don't know how to do either!)
• people watering down what God requires of his kids (evangelism, passion, growth, commitment)
• people forgetting what being a Christian (or a Salvo), is really about (saving souls... anyone??)
• people thinking that you have to 'make it' as a Christian before you can do ministry (just live it and do what the Holy Spirit says!)

I want to hear some more Catherine & William Booth's around, some more Samuel Logan Brengle's stirring the place up, some Isaiah's and Paul's getting in your face with the real deal!!!! Catherine Booth was one smart and spirit-filled lady, she didn't beat around the bush, she let everyone know what the truth was and then challenged people to think about it... what a woman of God! In her "Aggressive Christianity" sermons/book, she provides some pretty hard-hitting definitions of what Salvation really is... and never tries to water it down, in fact she expands on it so much that your head almost explodes with the force of truth in it!!! (Read it! I dare you..)

The thing that is frustrating me to the point of screaming - is the stuff I'm reading in these books (add "Revolution" and surprise, "The Bible"), holds answers for the kind of Christian I KNOW I want to be, this is the mission I want to live!!!! the conviction I want to have!!! In these books I see a passion so far beyond just 'really liking' something... there's a passion in there that threatens to be an all-consuming desire of your life! (Oh, Lord make it so!)

I want to see a passion with legs, walking around the place and stirring things up!!! I want the Holy Spirit live and active in more people's lives, to the point where they're so passionate they seem nuts!!! Anyone else want to see another Pentecost??? Please if you have influence over the spiritual lives of others, I implore you....

DON'T REST UNTIL YOU HAVE THIS PASSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR YOURSELF!!!
THEN LET IT SO INVADE YOUR LIFE - THAT YOU WILL ALLOW IT TO SPILL IT OVER ALL THOSE AROUND YOU!!!

How can we be happy with second-best, when we could have life in abundance through the Holy Spirit! Don't allow your Christianity to be watered down, get the Holy Spirit now... just ask and see what he will do with you!!!

"In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy." ACTS 2:17-18