Oh. my. goodness.

So, the first tow truck was too big to fit into the car park.  Despite this being clearly established with the company when the call was put in last night, they still sent the wrong truck this morning.

Two hours later, the second (small) tow truck arrives.  In the meantime, I’d been trying to start the car every now and then.

By the time the real truck had got there, it was exactly 12 hours since we’d discovered the car wasn’t working the first time.  And it then decided it was a good time to start.

WHAT?

Anyway, the tow-truck dude followed me back to the car dealer in case it all went pear-shaped.  It didn’t; the trip back to the dealer was uneventful.

But we still don’t know what was wrong.  Or, possibly, what is wrong.

I actually said to the dealer “clearly, the computer in my car is not a Mac”.  He smiled wryly.

So what now?  At this moment, I’m not sure………..

I do know that all of this isn’t costing me anything other that LOTS of time.  For that, I am very thankful.

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Last night following an awesome prayer meeting at Awesome Church (focussed on 2 Chronicles 7:14, and the 4th night of our 5 nights of prayer called for this week), Diane and I decided we really should get some groceries.

So we did.

Only problem was, when we returned and loaded up our car with the goods, she decided she didn’t want to go anywhere. The car that is, not Diane.

After a fun couple of hours of praying, waiting for roadside assistance, waiting for tow trucks, rescheduling tow trucks due to them being caught up at early morning accidents, walking home with our groceries (thankfully we live very close by, but we were a sight, let me tell you), and right at this moment – me sitting through a test evacuation alarm (oh my poor ears), she’s about to be towed.

If your vehicle has never had the pleasure of getting towed, and none of mine ever have, it appears there are few places less convenient for your car to decide ‘now is the time’ than when you have parked her in an underground carpark.

Apparently, ‘they’ have to arrange for an extraction prior to being towed. This sounds painful to me, but car seems none too phased by the whole ordeal.

Meanwhile, we don’t really know what’s wrong with her. The dude from roadside assist (who was sporting a lot of fiery tats, which might explain why it was so hot in here last night…) reckons that it could be a broken timing belt.

Surprisingly, I knew what this meant, though less surprisingly, I had no explanation for how it could have happened between when we parked the car and when we got back.

Either way, roadside assist dude was a little perplexed himself, and began organising the tow.

Can I just say, if you’re gonna get towed, a spot near the supermarket, great 3G signal, plenty of data on your phone plan, and near-fully charged iPhones make the hours of waiting around far more interesting.

Further adventure updates to come. Needless to say, this is not how I intended to spend my Friday, so I’m trying not to think about the work I’m meant to be doing right now…

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From The Word For Today…

…a lighthouse keeper on a rocky stretch of coastline who received a new supply of oil each month to keep the light burning.

Being close to the shore he had lots of guests. A woman from the village needed some oil to keep her family warm; a farmer requested some for his tractor; a mechanic wanted some to lubricate a wheel.

All the requests seemed legitimate so the lighthouse keeper tried to please everybody.

Before the month was over his oil was gone and the beacon went out. As a result several ships were wrecked and lives were lost.

When the authorities investigated, the man was very repentant. But to his excuses and pleading their reply was, ‘You were given oil for one purpose – to keep the light burning.’

Be wise – prioritise!

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This doesn’t need much addition from me.  Just prayer. Lots of it.  And Christ-reflecting action.  So join with me.  How can we change the flow away from God?

In England in the 1370s, John Wycliffe suffered persecution for daring to protest for biblical truth. In 1415 John Hus was burnt at the stake in Prague, Bohemia, for doing the same. On 31 October 1517 a German monk named Martin Luther risked martyrdom and worse – the Inquisition – when he launched his protest for biblical truth: Salvation by grace through faith, not by works. He sought reform but got division, and the Protestant Church was born. Religious liberty and the revival of biblical theology brought many positive consequences to the societies that embraced it.  

As prosperity grew so too did the rot of pride and arrogance.  Before long, Protestant societies were not only forgetting God and the truths that had given them their liberty, but were rejecting God as irrelevant. (Hmmm…sounds familiar.  Our pastor preached a message yesterday featuring God’s call to not forget Him.  Humility means remembering how we achieved the prosperity; it’s all God, whether we recognise that or not) William Wilberforce, though remembered primarily as an abolitionist, was passionate about Britain’s need for spiritual reformation. Not only had the nation of his day largely forgotten God but its church had mostly returned to a works-based theology, believing that people merited salvation by being ‘good’ – and not as a consequence of being saved by grace through faith.  

The awakening and spiritual reform that Wilberforce launched turned the tide in the UK. But today nearly 500 years on from Luther and some 250 years on from Wilberforce, the UK is in trouble again and is desperately in need of a fresh awakening.

Moreover religious liberty is fading fast.

• All Nations Church in South London, was recently ordered not to use its sound system for its sermons or music so as to avoid offending its Muslim neighbours. A Christian office worker, Denise Haye, was recently sacked for expressing her disapproval of homosexuality.
• A Deputy Registrar with Islington Borough Council, Theresa Davies, was demoted because she refused to preside over same-sex civil partnership ceremonies.
• A Christian nurse with 40 years’ experience, Anand Rao, was sacked after he suggested to a training seminar that distressed palliative care patients could try going to church.
• A Christian community nurse and professional foster mother (with 80 children’s-worth of experience) was recently struck off the register for failing to prevent a 16-year-old Muslim girl converting to Christianity.
• A Christian homelessness prevention officer with 18 years’ experience, Duke Amachree, was sacked by Wandsworth Council for sharing his faith with a client who had lost hope.
• Rev Noble Samuel of Heston United Reformed Church,  who debates Muslims on his TV Gospel program, was hijacked in his car by three Urdu-speaking assailants who grabbed him by the hair, ripped off his cross and threatened to break his legs if he continued broadcasting.

These cases (all in 2009) are just the tip of the iceberg.  (I posted about this and some of these other discriminatory instances earlier…see here or here, depending which of my blogs you’re wanting to read )

If the Equality Bill that is now making its way through parliament passes as expected, then persecution will increase dramatically. While Christians are being silenced, Islamisation is advancing, with Islamic fundamentalists appeased at every turn by short-sighted politicians who lack political courage and hanker after political gain. While Christians are fined, sacked and sued for expressing their faith, Anjem Choudary’s Islam4UK is free to pump out its radical Islamic theology all across the country.

Some 5000 supporters of Islam4UK are expected to join a ‘March for Sharia’ from the House of Commons to Trafalgar Square on 31 October, which coincidentally (I think purposefully planned) is Reformation Day. As long as the various anti-Christian lobby groups can silence Christians by shutting down debate through anti-defamation, anti-vilification and anti-discrimination laws along with threats of violence, they will be on a winning trajectory with little resistance — that is, until violent conflict erupts. Violent ‘race’ clashes are already on the increase. The UK is in trouble. (And not just the UK, though since we’ll be moving to this part of the world in a few months, we are watching and listening for God’s direction on how we need to be part of the change, His change, for this nation)

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* God will greatly bless those Christians who are courageously defending gospel truths and values in the UK’s courts and streets, that they will have abundant grace, wisdom and boldness from the Holy Spirit.

* as Muslims ‘March for Sharia’ on 31 October – Reformation Day – British Christians will remember the courage of Martin Luther and be motivated by the heritage they have in Wycliffe, Ridley, Wilberforce, Carey and others.

* revival will come to the UK Church so that the nation’s Christians will step out boldly with gospel truths and values, being prepared to suffer and, in Wilberforce’s words, ‘be wholly indebted’ to the God of grace for everything.

Source: by Elizabeth Kendal, Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin, with extra bits by me, as always.

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Come and join in with Sunday Setlists over at FredMckinnon.com, and see how churches around the world have been worshipping this week..

Today continued in the same space as last week’s meetings. Intimacy with God. Beautiful. This is one of the many things I love about corporate worship. Nothing compares.

Sunday AM

Pastor Gary preached on prayer – and blessing, humility, healing, sovereignty. Very full message, and like last week, set the scene almost an hour of free worship, healing, salvation, and humble prayer which followed.

Music

1. Salvation (Seeley / Planetshakers)
2. What The World Will Never Take (Sampson / Hillsong)
3. He Is Lord (Fielding / Hillsong)
4. To Meet You Here (Scarpato, Goodwin / Awesome Church)
…then following tithes, offerings, news…
5. Salvation
…and to close the service…
6. To Meet You Here (only went for about 20 minutes this week)
7. Let It Rain (Farren)
8. You Deserve The Glory (Richards)

Dante led today as I had my week off, so I got to share in the congregation – a rare treat in the mornings, and one which I treasure. Dante’s heart for worship shone through and he compelled us to worship along with him. It was also great to hear him lead “To Meet You Here” for the first time in the church, after he sang lead on the recording we did last week.

Sunday PM

We missed the evening meeting this week for various reasons, but I heard some great reports afterward about the service, especially Darren rocking it up on “Glow” again, and some didjeridu too! Yeah!

Note for Facebook readers : remember if I post a video or song, you’ll need to actually click through to my blog to see or listen. You know you want to.

Perfect for a spring afternoon snack at Wooloomooloo.

Tiger pies are ever popular, but I decided to go for the Hot Dog de Wheels…a bun, mushy peas, onion, chilli con carne, cheese & tomato sauces…and a hot dog too

Sent from my iPhone : typos inevitable.

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…don’t say ’splendid’ huh?

Perhaps I need this book?

Yes, that would be a fabulous idea.

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Friday night at the end of the Sydney International Food Festival. Surrounded by thousands of people!

Yum!

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As I expected, all sorts of rumours and speculation are currently making their way around the universe about the testimony I shared a couple of days ago.

So, just to be clear…

Really. clear.

I am not gay

My past is my past.  Everyone has struggled with sin.  This is my testimony.  It is not something I struggle with now, and I have had complete victory over this oppression.

If you are struggling with it, and the Holy Spirit is nudging you about it, please seek ministry help.  Contact me and I can pray for you and put you in touch with people who can help.  You are loved, you are not alone, and you have no need to be ashamed.  Your sin is no greater than anyone elses, despite what some would have you believe.

That’s all.  For now.

Australian media has trouble covering issues of faith, often framing religion in a political context rather than as a personal issue of belief

So says ABC chief Mark Scott.

Mr Scott, who describes himself as a Christian, (love learning stuff like this!) told a prayer breakfast in Adelaide recently that part of the blame for how faith was reported could be attributed to how journalists were trained. “We train our journalists to be sceptical, to seek out answers, look for the documentation and to not accept things on face value and to get to the bottom of it,” said the ABC’s managing director. 

“Part of the challenge of faith is that some of the things we hold to be true and understand, are not visible and cannot be proven.” He challenged the media to engage in a broader debate, saying Australians were being short-changed on religious coverage. “People often think of Christianity as judgmental, simplistic, passionless or perhaps narrow-minded. But the challenge for us as Christians is to be associated with the values that Christ brings about: compassion, grace and forgiveness, a sense of the worth of the individual, a heart for the poor, reaching out to the lost.”

Mr Scott said he found it challenging to speak at a prayer breakfast as he never wanted it to be said that he was holding himself up as a role model. (hopefully this changes, since Christians are role models for Christian living…whether we are doing a good job is a different matter…) “I spent most of my life as a journalist and working in newsrooms and I suppose it’s fair to say that I’m comfortable with the world view that comes through the Christian experience,” he said. “Which is basically the world view that says this world is not right and things aren’t as they should be and that through Jesus Christ we have an example and a way of setting the world right again.”

Mr Scott told the audience that if they wanted to be effective as Christians in their workplaces, “the starting point should be to be the very best person that you can be in your work: to be energetic, to be creative, to be full of ideas and encouragement, to be someone who can be trusted and who rewards trust”.

David Turrell, chief executive of Christian Media Australia, which represents Christian broadcasters, said there appeared to be an acceptance in the media that it was OK to attack Christians and paint them in a “less than intellectual frame of mind”.

“For example, if I think God exists and I think there’s an intelligent design, then that’s a faith position in the same way that someone who believes in evolution is stating a faith position. I’m not trying to be a scientist,” he said. “If a Christian holds a view on something, I think what tends to happen is the person tends to be personally attacked on their faith position more than the opinion that they’re expressing. I think it should be acceptable to have faith positions without being attacked for that.”   Amen! (and as always, the added emphasis is mine)

Source: Compiled by APN from media reports

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