Very few pastors and preachers today are willing to tell it like it is for fear that the numbers that follow them would decrease or that they would be labelled a fundamentalist or legalistic.  Many hold back from the hard truths of the Bible and replace it with a cute, comfortable and self-seeking message that is literally sending millions to a Christ-less eternity.  As the “health and wealth gospel” message is being preached in countless churches around the world I am more and more burdened by the absence of the true Gospel of Jesus in our churches.  The Gospel that teaches the hard to believe truths of Jesus’ message.  These teachings are very unpopular and even radical beyond what many would dare speak of.

In his great book “Hard to Believe” author and pastor John MacArthur has done an amazing job at conveying the hard truth of Jesus’ message and life and wisely corrects the many errors today’s church and preaching finds itself.  As I am reading this book I am consistently confronted by the words of Jesus that attack my comfort, challenge my belief systems and refuse to nurture my self-centredness.  John MacArthur is known for his strong and down-the-line language and in this book shows his heart and calling.  I am being greatly blessed and matured from this work and encourage you to read it as soon as possible.

To give you more insight into his heart and message to the Christian community, please take the time to watch these 2 video clips from a TBN broadcast done awhile ago.  What I find interesting is that John MacArthur would even be asked to attend this interview as his views are contrary to those held by the TBN team and founders who follow the false “gospel” of the “name it and claim it” mob.  Great viewing…

PART 1

PART 2

How good is that!  I pray that this is the start of a shift within God’s churches.  A shift that is tired of the self-help, self-seeking and self-exalting rubbish that is taught and is drawn to a deep hunger for the purity and power of God’s truthful Word.  A new day is dawning and many preachers had better have a deeper look into their message because the people of God are waking up to a new season where Jesus is proclaimed above all else.

For His Cause,

Pastor Mark.

Ed Stetzer posted a very interesting video from the Comedian Penn, from Penn and Teller.  A self-confessed atheist he was actually moved by the actions of a Christian business-man giving him a Bible and making the effort to share Jesus with him because he genuinely cared.

Watch this clip to see what I am referring to…

Did you get his point when he said, “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize (share their faith with others). If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, ‘Well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward’… How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?”  In other words, if we really believe there is a hell and sinners are destined for it’s torment, why are we so silent and complacent about this.  Talk about a reality check!

Join me as I pray for a renewed brokenness and burden to overcome us about those around us living without Jesus and heading to hell.  It is a reality that we can miss in the midst of our busy churches and over-stuffed ministry schedules.  Can we completely miss the point of our mission because we don’t want to offend?  Hopefully Penn’s words have changed our assumptions.

“Jesus, break me for what breaks you.  Wreck me so that my heart is burdened for those that reject you at this moment.  Fill my prayers with words of urgency and my actions with a sense of desperation.  Oh Jesus, use me as your voice.  Give me courage, boldness and all fuelled by love.  For your glory and by your enabling grace may my life bear the fruit you are looking for.  In your name and by your strength, Amen.”

What is your anticipation of church?  For some they reluctantly attend because it is something forced upon them and seems to be pointless.  For others they will be walking into a war zone as they face those whom they would rather pack up and go and “pollute” someone else’s church.  For others they prepare themselves to consume, take, take, take and look for others to serve them.  Then there are those who will go for the second time this year to a Christmas service where they go through the annual rituals of satisfying tradition.  But for many others they yearn to be in God’s House.  They can be described as Jesus was in that, ““Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:17)

What I am seeing is a move of God that gives room for the Holy Spirit to move.  It is fuelled by a humble realisation that if God removes His hand we are doomed to fail.  May we never be the church that continues on regardless of whether or not God is with us.  What would really happen to us if the Holy Spirit removed His hand from us?  Would we continue on without sensing any difference?

My prayer is that as you attend the church God has added you to you may approach it with the attitude He blesses.  An attitude that eagerly expects His presence.  An attitude that seeks to be generous in worship, encouragement, giving and unity.  But above all an attitude that wants to give Jesus pleasure when He beholds the joy and love of His people.  To sense His smile and to seek His face is the attitude that will get you up in the morning excited because it is the Lord’s Day!

Bring it on!  I am ready!  I can’t wait to get to God’s House.

It’s been awhile and I am struggling to keep this blog up to date and flowing regularly.  I will try harder…maybe.  Well a lot has been happening and God is left me amazed.  The more I stop and see the evidences of grace around me (thanks C.J. Mahaney for that skill), the more I am speechless and wondering why God is so good to us.  Even the other day He had me in tears as I was overwhelmed at His grace.  It consumed me and my heart almost exploded with gratitude and worship of my Lord.

So much has been going on.  A big evidence of grace for my family is that our block of land has settled and we are already finalising the details to have our new home built.  After one year of exercising patience (what a hard lesson to learn) and doubting if it would ever happen, today the land issue was settled and a big burden has been released.  God willing we plan to be in our new home by May/June 2009.  So, though the past year has been challenging I am so thankful to Jesus for allowing it and sustaining us through it.

Another evidence of grace is what Jesus is doing in CityWest Church.  After 7 long years of service and the highs and lows of a new church plant we are seeing remarkable breakthroughs.  The church has almost tripled this year and I am amazed at how Jesus is building His church.  It feels like only the beginning and we have an awesome journey ahead.  It is beautiful to see many lives being set free and finding their purpose.  I love watching Jesus work during our Sunday Service and it’s like I can visibly see the walls come down, hard-hearts soften and people brought into a humble relationship with Jesus.  God is adding amazing people to the church and a big answer to my prayer…God is adding men!  Nothing against women, it is great to see them being added too, but for so long we have had a major shortage of men and now this is changing.

I have never been more excited about church life and it feels like I have finally let go and now my plans, ambitions, intentions don’t drive me.  Jesus is the Senior Pastor and He knows best.  This was a difficult lesson for me to learn (as strange as that might sound), but I am released to see God in His Supremacy and thrilled to serve under Jesus.

My kids are doing great.  Baby Joel (16 months) is freaking us all out by speaking in sentences and shaping words well beyond his age.  What a genius!  My 5 year old boy Caeden (a.k.a. Bookie) is still a mad Tigers supporter (AFL Football) and misses the football season.  He is my little mate and I still like to call him Pastor Bookie.  Amy my 7 year old princess is waltzing around in a black dress with lip-stick on and is acting too old for her age for my liking!  What a great kid.  And then there’s my little Puerto Rican dancing queen Chanelle, 9 years old.  She is growing up so fast and I am already dreading the days when the boys will be pounding down my door.  I’m thinking of a weapon in preparation for that craziness…any ideas?  Then of course is my precious wife, what a woman!  I am still in love with her but even deeper than ever.  Last night we had dinner together - alone - and it was amazing.  A warm night, sitting outside enjoying Mexican food.  Does it get any better?  We spent hours talking about this very subject and could not comprehend at how amazing Jesus is to us.  I am overwhelmed.

So there, just a brief run down about the evidences of God’s grace around me.  I encourage you to stop and look around and see the evidence of grace that surrounds you.  Your situation might not be ideal but shift your focus and watch your heart change.  Let Jesus show you what really matters and not get bogged down by the insignificant issues.

God is always God no matter what we think!

Prayer: Jesus, why you are mindful of us and why you show us extravagent grace I will never be able to fully comprehend.  Who are we that you should show such love?  I marvel at the extent of your grace and how it reaches into every sphere of our existence.  Your greatness and supremacy are spectacular.  I love you.  Keep me aware and filled with awe at who you are.  May I never be solely dependant on what you do for me to cause me to praise you, I don’t want to only acknowledge you if you meet my desires.  But rather may my worship come from a deep love for you and understanding of your majesty.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for your grace, you really do humble me.  In your name and by your grace, Amen.

VIDEO of Sermon

AUDIO of Sermon

Often times our prayers become very self-serving and we treat it like a way to get what we want, when we want it and if God does not obey our demands then He is mean and unfair.  But notice the principle that Driscoll brings up and a principle that shapes the prayer life of Jesus, “Your Will Be Done”.

Let’s be honest, it takes great faith and courage to close our prayers with “YOUR WILL BE DONE”.  It surrenders control and that is hard for many of us.  It leaves the answer solely upon the will of God even when we don’t like His answer or His methods.  It stretches our love for Jesus because we are essentially saying, Jesus I trust you and I believe you know what is best.  Even when your ways don’t make sense to me or you do not conform to my desires I want to SUBMIT to your will for me and I am ok with that. I dare you to pray like that!

I have been to many prayer meetings and prayed with many people over the years.  Some prayers literally leave me speechless, and not always in a positive way.  I’ve heard people preach to God as they scream and demand He answer them according to their agendas.  I’ve heard people pray forcefully manipulating God to do what they want.  I’ve heard people pray with words that are downright offensive and selfish.  Some yell and shout as if God is deaf and separated by millions of miles of universe.  But then there are those whose words flow from a humble and devoted heart.  These words honour the Holiness and Supremacy of God and respect His Sovereignty.  Words not said for show or given as a performance, but words that are honest and worship Jesus for who He is.

So take the time to hear this great sermon and may it change your prayer life as it did mine.

Ministry is tiring and I can really see how it has the potential to kill.  Mark Driscoll once did a great series of teachings titled “Death By Ministry” and leading CityWest Church for almost 7 years now I can understand his perspective.  There were seasons over the past few years where I was so close to burnout that it scared me.  I slowly felt myself drifting into a numbness and a deadness inside that made me deaf to God’s voice, unmoved by the hurts and needs of others and totally disinterested with church and ministry.  When a pastor gets that way something has to change or he can do some serious damage to those around him.

But today I am reformed and Jesus has messed me up in a good way.  After some painful sessions of confession and repentance God stripped it all back and made me see what was really important.  It was a time of refining that eventually led to a confidence in my calling like never before and a renewed devotion to Jesus that empowers me to go on.  He has released me from all of the false expectations I placed on myself and for the first time in my life comfortable with who I am and who I am not.

You see, for many pastors there is a huge pressure to live up to some glimmering standard of perfection and to be the superman for the people.  Flying-in to save the day with all of the wisdom that alludes the ordinary person, to rise above the problems of life and be untouched by them and to be the definitive example of holiness on earth.  But what we soon discover is that pastors are ordinary human beings dealing with the same stuff a lay person would and not untouchable to life’s tragedies, trials and troubles.

There comes great freedom when Jesus deals with us in such a way that releases us from these unrealistic expectations and breaks us down to simply rely upon Him for everything.  I love that!  He is my life-source.  He is the air I breathe and without Him I will suffocate.  Jesus is enough for me.

Thankfully He dealt with me when He did because now as we are experiencing a beautiful move of God at our church I am prepared to handle it.  Sure I don’t have all of the answers and there are still moments when I scratch my head wondering what’s happening, but I am convinced and persuaded that Jesus is Supreme God, in control and He is our Senior Pastor who is building His Church.  I can now enjoy the journey and not just hold my breath until we reach the destination.  I can see His grace surround me and be thankful for what He is doing and not dwell on what I don’t see happening.

In closing I want to encourage you.  If you are a pastor I pray that your eyes will be focussed on Jesus and you will give Him complete and unhindered access to your ministry.  It is after-all His church, His people and His purpose.  He gave it and He can take it away.  Your identity is NOT in your ministry but rather in Jesus.  Be released and set free in Jesus’ Name and let Jesus lead you.

If you are one that feels life is chaotic and confusing then please stop for a moment, stop running and ask God a question, “God, who am I and why am I here?”  You’ll find His answer will set you free and give you hope.  You are not created to just survive and hold out for retirement.  You are made to thrive and live with Jesus in a way that makes your life count.  Don’t settle for average and empty.

Prayer: “Jesus, thank you for being our Saviour.  Without you life does not make sense and it all gets overwhelming and insane.  But you give balance, hope and meaning and you alone can save us.  May today be a day of release for many people.  A day in which they discover who they are in you and what this life is for.  Open up their eyes to see the beauty of it all and enjoy the evidences of your grace surrounding them.  Be glorified and honoured in everything as we live for you.  I love you Jesus and it is in your name I pray, Amen.”

As I look back at this past week or so I see myself battling with many distractions.  You know the feeling, it’s like you are busy running around but you don’t feel productive or that you are actually achieving much at all.  I sense a slight uneasiness within me as my mind is filled with so many thoughts and the pull to slow down, regroup and refocus is grabbing my attention.  So I sit down at my desk, relaxation music on and I need to blog for awhile and review.

In this season of my life a big balancing act for me is aiming to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, a loving and helpful husband to my wife Caroline, a supportive and loving dad to my four kids, a strong and compassionate bi-vocational church pastor, a great employee and whatever other role I am called to live.  But one area that is challenging for me is the fact that at this stage I need to work a part-time secular job and thankfully the church can support me for 2 days per week.  This is hard as each are full-time jobs in themselves.  My heart is for ministry and I long for the day when I can commit to pastoring CityWest Church full time.  But until that happens the balancing act continues.  So in the midst of this I have recently found myself being divided and pulled from one to the other.  My secular work demands a lot from me and the stress levels and responsibilities are far greater than my previous employment.  But the hours are flexible and I can shuffle them around quite a bit.  On the other hand my ministry is also very demanding and I have a long list of things I still need to get done such as entire training courses to re-do and finalize, greater focus on leadership training, running discipleship courses, people to meet with and pray for, sermon and series preparation and on and on it goes.  Now as the church is growing I am needing to spend so much more time working ON the church instead of just working IN the church.

This got me thinking that if I am to successfully navigate this season I need to learn the art of slowing down to be with Jesus, to gain my strength and peace from Him and find solitude with Him.  Through this I will be able to seek and find His wisdom on how to make this work.  I don’t want any area of my life to suffer during this.  My wife and four kids deserve my best, my church deserves my best, my employer deserves my best and so do the many others in my life.  But wouldn’t you agree that Jesus alone can make the hectic lives we live manageable and bearable?  I am assured that if I go to Jesus, stay devoted and live His way I will find the peace I crave.  Isaiah 32:17 (ESV) reminds us, “…the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” That verse simply says that as I stay close to God and live out of His righteousness and as I quiet myself before Him and trust that it is all in His hands I will find peace - it’s a peace that transcends all understanding.  Oh I feel it already!

Through it all, though not exactly how I’d like it, Jesus is teaching me that as I trust Him and give Him total control He gives me the ability to see the evidence of grace all around me.  His grace that is showered over my life, saturating me with His goodness can easily go unnoticed when I allow myself to get over-tired, over-extended, over-busy and over-complicated.  I am trying as often as possible to thank Jesus for His abundance of grace and instead of dwelling on the negative - which I do so well - I want to pause and force myself to be thankful and worshipful of His beautiful grace.  To not get stuck on the way I would like things to be but rather praise Him for the way things are and trust His Sovereignty.

Prayer:

“Jesus, you are enough for me.  I don’t need to add anything else to you or search for any other.  Thank you for giving me your best and enabling me to carry on.  Even when it’s tough I know you are stable and secure.  Even when I am out of control, you are solid.  Thank you for being my Rock.  I trust you.  I depend upon you.  I adore you.  I live for you.  I want nothing unless it comes from your hand.  If you’re not in it, I don’t want it.  You alone know what is best for me and what I need to fulfil what you’ve asked of me.  I pray that how I respond to life glorifies you and brings you great joy.  I love you more than life itself.  In your name I pray, Amen.“

Entry 1 - FULLY SICK MATE!

Yep, this week has been fully sick.  Now, if you’re a young, hip Aussie you will read that and think, Cool, sounds like you’ve had an awesome week…a fully sick week! But for the rest of us who still understand “sick” to mean un-well, feeling under the weather and battling ill-health, would then give you a better understanding of my week.

For the past month it seems like I’ve just overcome one illness and then I soon catch the next and my body is feeling the effects.  Tonight I write this entry feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus, then flung in the air to then be smashed by a jet and then driven over by a Hummer…so you could say I feel like ……..?  Isn’t it funny that when we feel sick - fully sick and not the half-hearted sick - that we think that the world is going to end and everything is falling apart.  Or is that just a man thing?  I know you women can soldier on and go about your business unhindered, but us men, well, ok…we are sooks and need some lovin’.  But enough of me feeling sorry for myself.

Something that really devastated me this week which unfortunately has reoccurred on a couple of occasions over the past few weeks is the news that famous “Christian” singer Ray Boltz has come out and announced that he is gay.  Combine this with the news of Mike Guglielmucci’s cancer deception and Todd Bentley’s hypocritical charade and I am sickened by the way satan is licking his lips in sweet victory.  Public ministries that demand living that is above reproach have been revealed as fakes and no doubt will cause many unstable Christians to stumble and even lose heart.  Ray Boltz went into detail about how he has hidden his homosexual life and his divorce from wife Carol, after decades of marriage, now releases him to be real.  You can read more about this in this Christianity Today’s blog.

So what is happening?  Throughout the Bible God refines, purifies and cleanses the sins of man and reveals them for what they truly are.  I can see the refining of God occurring in our churches around the world.  The hidden things being revealed, repentance demanded and we are all forced to see that God is holy and all sin cannot go undercover for too long.  Of course some at this point would say, “How can you judge them?  They are simply real men, weak like the rest of us.  You don’t have a right to judge them!”  While ultimate judgement and justice belongs to Jesus, the people of God are still called to make moral judgements on others to expose sin and call the affected to repentance and restoration.  In the New Testament the Apostle Paul advices the churches he oversees to act this way so that the purity of God’s people will remain and all will see that sin is not to be tolerated.

Yes, I agree that men like Mike, Todd and Ray are weak, flawed and sin-stained men who desperately need the touch of their forgiving and grace-filled Saviour Jesus, but unless they go to Him with a sorrowful heart and are sickened by their sin, they will continue to live deceived and trapped.  Jesus desires that all the captives are set free, that sin loses it’s hold on His people and that we live in the power and might of His grace, but it must be taken personally and applied personally or else it simply becomes powerless in the sinner’s life.  What they did is wrong, sinful and deceptive and the only way they can be free is if they come to Jesus, agree with Him and seek His forgiveness.  This process of love is for them, for me and for you too.

But I can’t hide the fact that I am hurting because such public figures have brought so much shame and ridicule to the Christian community, giving the world more ammunition to use against God’s people.  It will of course not stop the progress of God’s mission and purposes, but it definitely doesn’t help.

I am by no means perfected and I still struggle with the temptations and sting of sin.  Even after years of following Jesus the pressure does not ease and even at times seems to increase.  The only difference is that I have learnt that the saints are just the sinners who fall down and then get up.  Sin cannot hold the Christian down, it cannot keep us bound, it cannot control us anymore.  Jesus broke that curse and we are now called by Him to claim that victory and rise above it.  It does not guarantee a sinless life, but it does give hope and assurance in that fact that Jesus keeps us close and pure and restoration is just a prayer away.

Jesus walks with me, holding me up when I am weak and “fully sick”.  He comforts me when I feel alone and overwhelmed by life.  He forgives me when sin has tripped me.  He restores me when my heart is aligned to His.  He assures me when I doubt I can go on.  He accepts me even when I am not doing ministry.  He has mercy on me when I have messed up.  His grace saturates me when I feel so unworthy.  But the greatest part in all of this is that He knows me, loves me and lives with me so that I live to see another day.

My call to you, the reader, is this…please do not settle for sin and its effects.  Don’t adapt to it as being normal and something for you to manage.  Hate it.  Despise it.  Reject it.  Why?  Because it separates, destroys and divides and life is too short to live under its curse.  Jesus is ENOUGH!

My prayer:  “Jesus my Lord, my Saviour, my God and my King, I adore you and live for you.  Thank you so much for setting me free from sins and its effects and giving me victory even before I step out into the battle.  Thank you for the grace and mercy that you give in abundance and for not counting my sins against me.  I need you right now to close this day embraced and secure in your arms.  Bring healing to my weary body and release from the weakness I feel.  Give me good rest tonight and renewed energy tomorrow.  I pray for the reader to feel the power of your presence and to revolutionize their world as you have mine.  In your name I pray, Amen.”

The ESV (English Standard Version) translation has really captured my heart since I switched to it at the end of last year.  Having heard some great reviews, my mind was made up when I got my first copy and began to appreciate the literary faithfulness to the original text and the commitment to provide an accurate “word-for-word” translation and yet not lose the beauty of the text.  The team of translators have given the Church a Bible version that will last generations and open up a whole new group of people to the faithfulness and richness of God’s Word.

But now the ESV bulks-up and is about to give lovers of God’s Word deeper insight, greater understanding and a new passion to dig out the divine truths found in this endless source of inspiration.  The ESV Study Bible combines the amazing knowledge and insight by some of today’s most respected scholars and theologians, revolutionary illustrations, charts and maps and a collection of articles/teachings that will add to the wisdom of it’s reader.  After countless hours of researching, editing, writing, collecting and collaborating we are about to enjoy a Study Bible that will satisfy the hunger of the novice and skilled theologion alike.

Take a few minutes to watch this greater introductory video of the features of this Bible.

I look forward to seeing how this valuable resource will help God’s people delve deeper into His Word and get a new appreciation of the life-changing truths in it.  While there are many good translations available to us today like the NIV, NKJV, NLT etc. I encourage you to try the ESV and allow the faithfulness to the text and heart behind it capture you too.

For more info or to even order your copy be sure to visit the ESV Study Bible website.

God Bless you in your pursuit for more of Jesus.

Regeneration is a word that describes a type of rebirth, a revival and renewal.  It defines the mission of God in so many ways as His love, grace and mercy is poured out to mankind.  Titus 3:5 (ESV) speaks of this when it says, “…Jesus saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…”  What an amazing gift.  Nothing we’ve done can make this regeneration happen but the Holy Spirit’s work alone.  Again, it takes the focus off ourselves and attributes the regenerated heart soley to the magnificent work of God.  

One big distinction between Reformed Theology and the Arminian stream is where the emphasis goes to the moment of regeneration.  Reformed Theology emphasizes God rather than being man centred.  God chose us rather than we chose God.  The choice is His, not ours.  He alone can revive a spiritually dead person.  Ephesians 2:1-9 (ESV) teaches us this, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved…And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  We were DEAD in our sins and unless God decided to breathe new life into us we would still be dead.  Therefore the regeneration of the Holy Spirit is not conditional on us, not dependant upon our works or our own awareness of our need for a Saviour.

We owe it all to the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ.  God took the necessary steps to save sinners like you and me and I am so, so, so grateful that He did.  Living out of the regenerated heart opens one up to God’s destiny for your life.  As the church gathers and respects this divine act of regeneration we are always brought to a thankful heart of worship.  When God’s people live out of this regenerated heart the church then lives up to it’s intended design and retrieves its core DNA, an identity that is born out of the heart and will of God.

I am thrilled to see more and more evidences of this great work of God.  People drawn to Him beyond any methods we apply or smart strategies we employ, but prove to us that our Senior Pastor Jesus Christ is doing exactly what He said He would do…BUILD HIS CHURCH!  (Matt. 16:18).