First some scripture.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

At the moment, someone quite close to me is suffering greatly, it is one reason that I have been sparse of posts, my time is required elsewhere.

When I say suffering greatly I mean hardship far beyond their ability to endure and even to share with those close by. To my friend life is not worth living, the light at the end of the tunnel has been extinguished and there is only darkness all around. They have asked me on more than a few times about the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13, "if God wont give me more than I can bear, then why am I suffering so much". It is heart-rending and heart-breaking.

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 offers some consolation to us when we read of Paul and his companions enduring even more than they can handle but such consolation can sometimes fail even the strongest of people when they are worn down by years of recurring illness.

But is this what Paul was talking about or is he specifically talking about trials relating to building faith?

I think they are one in the same. It doesn't matter if it is the struggle of a missionary in a hostile field, the struggle of sin in ones life, or the struggle with illness and pain. All three test, tease and strain our faith in God. So how is it that a person can get to the point of wanting to give up under the strain of illness and what does that say about God?

It's easy to blame the person. You might say that they don't have enough faith (and if you do I'll punch you in the throat), or that they are not seeing clearly at the moment (which they are obviously not, but that's not at all helpful), some might even hazard that they are being punished for sin (another throat punch worthy offence).

Not to blame the person, but to help them, I recently had this insight. "God may give us only what we can bear, but often we take on so much more". We pile on the worry, pile on the anxiety or make poor choices with what is presented to us.

Sometimes when faced with trial and trouble we do the exact opposite of what Peter asks us to do "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) We add to the heavy burden by not opening up to others or contemplating the worst case without defining the worst case.

In his letter to the Galatian church Paul urged: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) Let's not let our brothers and sisters carry the heavy load by themselves. Let's help with their burden and help them to point their anxiety to Christ.


This post is not very refined or eloquent, it is from someone taking up the strain and praying for others to help.

Happy new year!

While my wife and I rang in the New Year in the style we have become accustomed to over the years, surrounded by friends. This new year has given me a great deal to pause and reflect on.

For some time now someone very close to me has been suffering from several persistent and painful illnesses that is causing them much distress. While the doctors have offered little to no explanations to what ails them they have been asking me the question "Why wont God heal me".

My own story of coming to faith begins with receiving healing from God. Others I know have received healing for physical, psychological and spiritual issues. The niece of an elder in my church had one leg shorter that the other and it grew an inch after she received prayer. I'm not talking over time, but visibly growing.

Such talk unfortunately puts me in a camp that some people label "religious nut job" but I can only speak of my experiences and I can not attribute them to the natural.

So why wont God heal this person close to me? It's a horrible question to be asked. When we are the one in pain we generally attribute it to malice, God is being vindictive of punishing a person. If we have never suffered pain we tend to be a little more philosophical, God's ways are above our ways (or God works in mysterious ways).

The answer that I give a person is different to an answer someone else gives because our theology is challenged and shaped by our experiences. The more we get to know God, the more we experience in life and the more we actively reflect on our experiences the better placed we are to contribute to the conversation.

My answer is often wholly unsatisfactory to the person who is suffering because it requires trust.

For my mind, the question isn't, why wont God heal me or even is it God's will for miraculous healing. The question we should be asking is have I surrendered by heart and will to God? Can I truly say "Your will be done"?

I do not believe for a minute that God wants us to be suffering and that it is his will for us to suffer but I can say that those times he allowed me to stay in the pain of my circumstance, I grew.

This does not mean that we should cease praying for healing of the sick and otherwise afflicted but we should also be mindful that God often uses our circumstances to draw us closer to him. I don't believe that makes him capricious, I think that he knows best.

I will continue to pray for healing for the person close to me but I will also continue to pray that their relationship with God grow tighter and stronger through this experience.

On my way into work this morning I played one song about 12 times, hearing God speak in the lyrics although what I heard is not what was sung. Ever happen to you? The song was by the Australian band George and the song Bastard Son. It sent my mind into a spin hearing from God over and over about this one that he has sent into the world, despised by it, hated by it.

The word bastard is cruel, heartless, it put's on a child this sin of the parents. Those around him muttered it behind closed doors in an attempt to rob him of his identity but it is not stolen from him. The world calls him a bastard because they can not comprehend his Father.

From the most despised township in his country, from a family the subject of rumors and ridicule. With a mad cousin wondering the countryside ranting about the end of the world and eating bugs.

Loved by few.

Deserted by all.

The one who came humbled and left humbled.

One man, alone in this world and glorified in the next.

He alone sits in power and says to me "Strip!" and in the authority of his voice the stain of my sin falls away. With a sword that cleaves flesh from bone, he cuts away to my heart and soul and gives me his freedom.

This one has done me over, turned me over, I who came from the dust of the earth, he has turned me over to his Father and said "Behold I am making you new! I am giving you a new name, a new identity. You are hidden in my now and now you can come and meet your Father in person."

This bastard son, he sit's enthroned over my life.

Thank God.

This was a rather large weekend for me. I started off on Friday night where I spoke to a local youth group about, well me. It's been a while since I've just given a flat out testimony of God's work in my life and I found myself sketching out the time from my conversion in my late teens to now and once again marveling at just how good God has been to me.

The results were good, I lifted a little bit of material from my Sunday sermon and challenged them about where they were heading in life (I guess that's standard fare for teenage talks) and specifically challenged them in their Spiritual ambition.

Afterwards I was talking one on one with some of the kids. One girl pulled me aside and asked me the question "How do you hear from God". It was great to be streched by the question. She didn't want a prepacked answer but a reflection of my life with God based on what she heard in the talk. Who said kids today dont listen :)

The questions continued on Sunday when one of the youth leaders passed on questions from their Sunday morning get together. Things like "Why is my school Calvanist, they keep saying everybody has a choice to be saved" which I thought was quite insightful!

I preached Sunday morning and even used some illustrations that I blogged about last week :) I spoke about identity theft and based it loosely around 1 Peter 2:4-10. It was well recieved and made people think which is my number 2 goal in preaching (number 1 being that what I say are words of hope).

The big idea I was trying to hammer home is that are Spiritual Identities are in being God's holy priest. We have been created with a plan in mind and work to do in the world.

I'm going to post the full text later in the week after I format it up.

(Source)

God has been teaching me a big lesson lately and it's not one I think I'm ready to learn. It's all about time.

A few weeks ago our preaching pastor and I were talking about his workload. He is about to finish up his work with our church and has ramped up his ministry in other areas. At the moment there is an overlap and he asked me the question "How do you fit it all in". I stood their and answered him honestly, "You take the time you would devote to your number 1 priority and divide it over all the lower priorities". By that I meant you steal time from your family and spend it on the other jobs we must do.

Doing this is ok in for a short time because there will be times when we must simply finish a task or put food on the table. Doing this for the long haul is not ok, and I've being doing it for the long haul.

These past few weeks, since answering that question honestly I have been physically, mentally and Spiritually exhausted. I need to take a break but every time I find time something else pops up to fill the newly created gap.

I guess I'm asking you quazi-anonymous people to pray for me. For strength, for wisdom and for endurance.

When I was worship leading this Sunday morning it was a real struggle to do it. There was a mini-revolt from some singers because they didn't like the songs, others were pressuring me to make changes. I prayed for God to lead me as I lead the church but midway during the service I lost my grip on Him and never quite recovered.

I feel empty inside, the tank is dry.

At the moment there are two things keeping me going. The love of my wife and Jesus' promise that the well of living water he has caused to spring up inside me doesn't not diminish but rather overflows from me into the lives of others.

The truth is, I'm still seeing that overflow into other peoples lives. I still see God effectively ministering through me to those who He brings across my path even though I am broken and empty inside.

I am a cracked pot still leaking out his love.

In my last post I mentioned that I was a very busy boy last weekend. We had a Christmas in July where a lot of people from the soup kitchen we run came along.

We were blessed to have many of them visit with us the next Sunday morning, this happend to be a day that I was preaching.

It was a great privellege to have these people who have never darkend the door of a church before to come come and hear me speak about God and the wonderful gift of life he has for us all, and as promised I have published the text of the sermon on the website for you to read and critique.

The message is The Holy Spirit, God within us.

My prayer for it was that it would be words of hope and words of life for those who need it.

Appreciate your feedback.

As I've said before, my church has seriously beefed up it's commitment to the disenfranchised in our community. We run an outreach to prostitutes on the Great Western Highway as well as a soup kitchen to a group of housing commission flats down the road along with various other ministries that offer practical help to people.

I'm not directly involved in either of the major ministry focuses although I do have a great deal of ancillary contact with the ones that have started visiting or attending our church.

This weekend we invited a whole heap of them over to our place to have lunch with us, Christmas in July. Most of these people had never darkened the door of our church before so it was an important time for us and one I was asked to be involved in.

The close contact I was blessed to have with these people from our local community has changed forever my perceptions of the expectations of the needy in our community.

The people I met and had lunch with this Saturday are hungry for hope.