Windows On The Soul

How can Christian missions reach the whole world, like China's 1,200,000,000 people?  How can the barriers of language, geography, politics and religion be crossed? Far East Broadcasting Company is a Christian radio mission aiming to reach into the homes and hearts of people with the gospel.  With 800 employees in program production and engineering around the world, 6 transmitters broadcast about 300 program hours per day in over 141 languages to potentially 2/3 of the world's population.  Its effectiveness can be judged from the 600,000+ letters received from listeners each year, like the following from central Russia:- "I accidentally found your station while scanning the shortwave band. Since then I have listened daily. Four months ago I obtained a New testament. I read it through three times. My whole life has changed. Suddenly I have a desire to do good to others, even my enemies.  I have no idea how to explain this, but one thing I know is that I believe in Go...

"I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him" - Forrest Gump Jesus said, " Blessed are those who know their need of God (the poor in spirit) for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" . Our directives are to first seek the Kingdom of God, to make disciples (students, learners), to be open to receive the Holy Spirit. I pray that this New Year will be a year for us individually and as a Church, to be true "seekers after God". And that our witness to the community will be to awaken people to realise that the "hole" in their life is "God shaped", and to discover their need for Him. ----xxxXxxx---- Deu.4:29 "If you seek the Lord your God, you shall find Him" 2Chr.7:14 " If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face..." Prov.8:17 "Those that seek me early shall find me" Lk.11:9 "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and...

Good evangelism is more than apologetics, which attempts to give a reasoned defense of the Christian faith.  Apologetics cuts down trees; evangelism builds houses. As John Stott puts is, " You have to win a person's confidence before you can win their soul ". But good evangelism is more than being friendly, its more than inviting your neighbour to a mission at the Church. Evangelism is relating to people as Jesus did - day by day, week by week, right at the point of their need. And the best evangelistic Churches are where people truly love one another, especially across racial, social, cultural and other barriers which previously divided them. In the end, an evangelistic life-style arises out of the reality of our own experiences of Christ. If He has really changed our lives, that's great news and we will want to share it. ---===X===--- Mt.9:31 "they (the blind healed) spread the news of Jesus..." Ps.66:16 "Come and hear...I will decla...

One of the more common deep spiritual questions I hear, is “ How do I know God’s will for my life? ”. Whilst meditation and study of His Word will reveal general guide-lines, the application to any person’s specific situation is in the realm of the dynamic of Holy Spirit. We are not given a map showing every bend and hill on the road of life ahead, but rather the bends are revealed only as and when we need to know about them as we walk by faith. Its' no use whingeing about not achieving some high personal aspirations, when Jesus’ general command is to “ start washing feet (dishes, floors, tables, bed-pans, etc.) ”. Then as we show our faithfulness in the small things, God can start putting situations across our path, or using our words, or people start to seek us out - then we start to see God ‘nudging’ us around a bend, or challenging us to climb a hill. It can be quite surprising, humbling, even scary, when someone says to me, “ How did you know I needed to read/hear th...

"The bible was written in tears and to tears it will yield its best treasures. God has nothing to say to the frivolous man. It was to Moses, a trembling man, that God spoke on the mount. Daniel's long season of fasting and prayer brought Gabriel from heaven to tell him the secret of the centuries. The psalmists often wrote in tears, the prophets could hardly conceal their heavy-heartedness, and the Apostle Paul in his otherwise joyous epistle to the Philippians broke into tears when he thought of the many who were enemies of the cross of Christ and whose end was destruction. Whatever is done without heart is done in the dark, no matter how scriptural it may appear to be." A.W.Tozer - "God Tells the Man Who Cares" ----xxxXxxx---- Ps.6:8 "Depart from me all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" Esth.4:1 "When Mordecai perceived all that was done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, a...

One of the frustrating things I have to deal with at work is Change Requests from users. All too often, they ask for things they think they need or explain how something should be fixed, when I can see that their proposal will not fix the real problem. All trades and professions see this sort of thing - patients try to tell doctors what medicine they want, we tell the garage to replace worn tyres when the problem is wheel alignment. The mark of a good professional is to be able to elicit the real symptoms, then diagnose the real problem, and convince the customer of the change/fix they really need. It’s such a human trait to want to appear knowledgeable and in control. But I know that even though I bemoan it in my customers, I still find myself doing it when I am the customer. I think we often suffer the same problem with prayer, trying to tell God what we think we need or how to fix a situation. Instead we should be discovering and sharing the real sympto...

It is sad that all too often it takes a crisis for people to acknowledge the really important things of life. I spent a lovely time last week-end with my brother and sister-in-law as they renewed their marriage vows. Having acknowledged the shortness of his prognosis (he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor), they set about prioritizing their remaining time together. This week, they received communion for the first time in perhaps 10-20 years - making peace with their saviour. Time and again, the Bible in both old and new testaments, invites the reader to 'eat and drink' with the Lord; to receive of His liberality. The true seeker will find, the true listener will hear. But be warned, true seeking is impossible without a 'broken and contrite heart'. And as Moses called the children of Israel to 'choose life' and enter the promised land, flowing with milk and honey, there were still 'giants' to conquer. ----xxxXxxx---- Isa.55:6 ...

(On the occasion of a Church Anniversary) As we reflect on the ministry of this church over the past years, let's give thanks and celebrate God's eternal presence and out-working through His Church.  Rejoice in past victories, and look forward in glorious expectation. May this Church forever find that the House of God is a place of:- Seeking God's Counsel   - Judges 20:18 "The Israelites went up and inquired of God" Hearing God's Voice  - Isa 6:8 "I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Who shall I send? Who will go for us?'" Receiving Visions  - Luke 1:22 "They realised he had seen a vision in the temple" Filled with Glory  - 2 Chron 7:1 "The glory of the Lord filled the temple" Praise and Thanksgiving - Psa 150 "Praise God in His sanctuary. Let everything that has breath, praise The Lord" Learning God's Ways  - Mic 4:2 "Come let us go to God's house, and He will teach us...

When I can, I try to get out of the office to eat my lunch on the banks of the Yarra River, or take an extra half minute to walk along the river bank from the station instead of joining the rush in Flinders St. But even here, it is impossible to escape the noise of the city. One lunch time I just happened to catch the sound of a small bird. With effort I was able to hear over the sounds of trains, trams, cars, pile-drivers, trucks and building workers. With concentration I listened to the soft lapping water, the rustle of leaves, the scurry of some small animal. God's call is so often a "still small voice" amongst the many other voices and distractions that crowd in on our lives. It takes time apart, concentration and practise to hear His call, to tune-in to God and tune-out the world. ----xxxXxxx---- Ps.46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." 1 Kg.19:12 "...and after the fire a still small voice..." Ex.14:13 "Stand still ...

Acceptable offerings - by faith Heb.11:4 Access to grace - by faith Rom.5:2 , Eph.3:12 Assurance - by faith Heb.10:22 Bold witness - by faith 1 Tim.3:13 Christ indwells - by faith Eph.3:17 Healed - by faith Acts 14:9 , Jas.5:15 Hearing - by faith Rom.10:17 Inherit God's promises - by faith Heb.6:12 Justified - by faith Rom.3:28 , 5:1 , Gal.2:16 Live - by faith Hab.2:4 , Rom.1:17 , Gal.2:20 , Heb.10:38 Made whole - by faith Mt.9:22 , Mk.5:34 , Lk.8:48 , 18:42 , 17:19 Overcome the world - by faith 1 Jhn.5:4 Patience in persecution - by faith 2 Thes.1:4 Pleasing God - by faith Heb.11:6 Prophesy - by faith Rom.12:6 Purifying hearts - by faith Acts 15:9 Receive the Spirit - by faith Gal.3:14 Righteousness - by faith Rom.3:22 , 4:5 , 9:30 , 10:6 , Phil.3:9 Sanctified - by faith Acts 26:18 Saved - by faith Lk.7:50 , Eph.2:8 , 1 Pet.1:9 Shielded from Satan - by faith Eph.6:16 , 1 Th...