HALLELUJAH FOR THE CROSS 

Almost eight years ago, in November, 2014, Newsboys released their seventeenth  studio album, titled "Hallelujah For The Cross." Newsboys is a Christian rock band founded in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia in 1985 by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, USA, six of their albums have been certified gold.

The title song of the album "Hallelujah For The Cross," is a rousing anthem of declaration of what Christ accomplished through his death on the cross at Calvary.

The words of the song are well worth reading and meditating upon:

Up to the hill of Calvary

My Saviour went courageously

And there He bled and died for me

Hallelujah for the cross

And on that day the world was changed

A final, perfect lamb was slain

Let earth and heaven now proclaim 

Hallelujah for the cross

Hallelujah for the war he fought

Love has won, death has lost

Hallelujah for the souls he bought

Hallelujah for the cross

What good I've done could never save

My debt too great for deeds to pay

But God, my Saviour made a way

Hallelujah for the cross

A slave to sin, my life was bound

But all my chains fell to the ground

When Jesus' blood came flowing down

Hallelujah for the cross

Hallelujah for the war He fought

Love has won, death has lost

Hallelujah for the souls He bought 

Hallelujah for the cross

And when I breathe my final breath

I'll have no need to fear that rest

This hope will guide me into death

Hallelujah for the cross

Songwriters: Todd Edgar Wright / Ross Sullivan King / Brandon Todd Wright

The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

And bring to nothing the wisdom of the prudent."

Where is the wise [man]? Where is the scribe? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The cross of Christ is central to the message of the gospel. The Gospel is Good News to everyone who will hear and respond in faith to the invitation from the Lord God to come to repentance from sin in acknowledgment that Jesus died on the cross in our place for our sin, so that we can be reconciled to the Father God. Romans 5:8 tells us: God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus, in speaking about the death He would die on a Roman cross, said in 

John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."

Probably the best known verse of the New Testament of the Bible is John 3:16, which encapsulates the message of the gospel: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish [in their sins], but have everlasting life.

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that: ....all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Greek word for sin is 'hamartia' which essentially means "to miss the mark." If we think of an archer shooting arrows at a target, it would be as if the arrows never reached the target. They always fell short. That is the picture of the word sin - that in our own efforts, even in our estimation of our goodness and kindness, generosity etc., we can never attain to the standard of God's righteousness. Our sinful nature will always separate us from a holy God. It is only by means of the work of the Holy Spirit indwelling our human spirit at the time of conversion - being "born again," as the Bible says in John 3, that we are able to have fellowship restored with our Father God, through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Christianity without the cross is just dead religion. Jesus said in John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, (speaking of satan).

I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We do not have to look far to see the ravages that satan is accomplishing in humanity, with broken lives, families torn apart, sickness and disease, the rising tide of evil politicians espousing abominable social policies, wars and rumours of wars etc. 

The prophet Isaiah, in isaiah 59:19 stated prophetically: So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west,

And His glory from the rising of the sun;

When the enemy comes in like a flood, 

The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

It is very obvious that in these days in which we are living, demonic activity is increasing at an alarming rate, with spiritual darkness being almost palpable at times in the nations, no doubt more so in some cities and nations more than others. The GOOD NEWS is, though, that according to the above mentioned verse in Isaiah, as the rising tide of evil is seen in the world, the Spirit of the LORD, the Holy Spirit is lifting up the STANDARD, the Lord Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life - the answer to the desperate searching of man for hope and freedom in this sin-sick world. As singer/songwriter Andrae Crouch proclaimed in his song from the seventies, "Jesus Is The Answer,":

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him is no other

Jesus is the Way

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him is no other 

Jesus is the Way

If you have some questions 

In the corners of your mind

 And traces of discouragement

And peace you cannot find

Reflections of the old past

They seem to face you every day

There's one thing I do know

That Jesus is the way

I know you got mountains

That you think you cannot climb

I know that your skies have been dark

You think the sun won't shine

In case you don't know

That the word of God is true

And everything that He's promised

He will do it for you

Songwriters: Andrae Crouch / Sandra Crouch

If you have read this blog and would like to become a Christian - to be born again, as Jesus says in John 3:3, `today could be for you the day of salvation. You need to pray a prayer to the Lord God from your heart. You do not have to use eloquent speech. Your prayer could be something like this:

Jesus, I believe you died on the cross, in my place for my sins. Please forgive me for my sin, and set me free from the power and penalty of my sin. I ask you to cleanse me by your blood shed for me on the cross and make me a new person on the inside so that I can have fellowship with you and the Father God, through the Holy Spirit living within me. I want to know you and to live for you. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer, please tell someone of your commitment to Jesus. 

Further to this step, I encourage you to:

Get a Bible if you do not already have one, and start reading one of the Gospels such as John or Mark.

Pray regularly in your own words, from your heart knowing that the Lord will hear you.

Find a Bible-believing church where you can be encouraged and built up in your new found faith, and

Fellowship with other Christians who can encourage you, help answer questions you may have, and help to spur you on in your walk with the Lord

THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

ANDRAE CROUCH

Andrae Crouch (1 July 1942-8 January 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, music arranger, record producer and church pastor.

In the 1970's, he toured the world with a backing group of singers and musicians under the name of Andrae Crouch and the Disciples. Together, they produced a number of Christian music albums, pioneering contemporary Christian music.

I had the privilege of seeing them in concert in Brisbane in the early 70's, and I would have to say it was probably the best Christian concert I ever attended. The professionalism of the artists was breathtaking, together with a strong sense of the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the music.

 I remember buying a copy of Andrae Crouch's testimony book "Through It All," and having it personally autographed by him at the front of the auditorium at the conclusion of the concert. His music, along with that of Keith Green, another pioneering music minister in the late 70's and early 80's before his tragic death in a light plane crash on 28th July 1982, at the age of just 28 - impacted me greatly for the kingdom of God.

One of the Andrae Crouch and the Disciples record albums (vinyl) I had in my collection was an album recorded live at Carnegie Hall in New York, and released for sale in 1973. One of the songs on that album which really impacted me was the song "Jesus Is The Answer," preceded by some faith declarations:

There's power in the name of.....JESUS!

There's healing in the name of...JESUS!

There's salvation in the name of JESUS!

The Bible says that demons tremble at the sound of that name!

JESUS.....My sweet Rose of Sharon

                 My Lily of the Valley

Oh that's the reason I say that:

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other, 

Jesus is the Way.

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the Way.

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind, 

Traces of discouragement,

peace you cannot find, 

Reflections of your old past,

Seem to face you every day,

This one thing I do know,

Jesus is the Way.

Jesus is the answer for the world today.........

I know you've got mountains, 

that you think you cannot climb,

I know your skies are dark,

You think the sun won't shine,

But in case you don't know, 

That the word of God is true,

Everything He's promised, 

He will do it for you.

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other,

Jesus is the Way,

Jesus is the answer for the world today,

Above Him there's no other, 

Jesus is the way.

Here in Australia where my wife and I live, a Federal election has been called for May 21 this year - an election which will decide who will govern this nation for the next three years. The campaigning from all political parties has begun in earnest, with many people disillusioned with the present Liberal-National parties Coalition under the leadership of Scott Morrison, but many also wary of giving this top job to Anthony Albanese, often accused of vacillating on important issues, and being not up to speed with basic facts concerning the Australian economy. Christians have also been somewhat disappointed in Scott Morrison's failure to stand strong for conservative Christian values, especially as he was not silent in his claim to be a committed Bible-believing Christian believer when his party promoted him to the office of Prime Minister three years ago.

Although we need and should be praying for good government, and politicians who will uphold Godly values, no earthly government is our saviour. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can lay claim to that title, as He said of Himself in John 14:6, in reply to a question from Thomas, one of the twelve apostles He chose: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." 

satan is called by Jesus the father of lies. There is absolutely no truth in him. He is the arch-deceiver and his purpose and mission on earth is clearly stated by Jesus in John 10:10, that, as a thief, he comes to "steal, kill and destroy" mankind.

The Bible tells us that the whole world is under satan's sway. Because of his influence and the fact that in all mankind, from Adam onwards, we have had a bias towards the sin nature, it is very true that, in politics as well as in many other fields of endeavour, much corruption exists - a reality that is in stark contrast to the Truth, the absolute truth proclaimed in the Bible, the written Word of the Living God, which gives full expression to the nature and credentials of the Truth Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit make up the triune (three-in-one) Godhead.

As of writing this blog, this is Easter week for 2022, this period being the most important and significant of times on the Christian calendar. Christmas certainly is also a very significant time of celebration for Christians, as we remember the birth of our Saviour, the sinless Son of God, leaving the heavenly realm to come to earth to live as a human being, while retaining His divinity. Jesus divested Himself of His Godly attributes of being everywhere present, all knowing and all powerful - what is known as the divine kenosis (a Greek word meaning "self-emptying"). Of course, if He had not been born, He would not have lived on earth as one of us, identifying with humanity - and after his three and a half years of ministry from the age of thirty - dying a cruel death on a Roman cross, as our substitute for sin, that we might be made free from the penalty and power of sin. History attests to the veracity of His crucifixion as well as His bodily resurrection three days later. Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit conquered death and the grave and rose victorious over all the power of the enemy.

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:11 ...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Because Jesus shed His blood to cleanse us from sin, and its consequences, we cannot only claim salvation in Jesus' name, but we can also stand firmly on the Word of God for healing and deliverance from all demonic oppression. Fear and torment are favourite tools employed by satan to keep people, including Christians in bondage, and to keep them from enjoying their full Godly inheritance in Christ. But, as Aussie Revivalist Jodie Hughes so rightly says in her book "The King's Decree," 'Fear is not the prophet of your life!'

As we have a fresh revelation of who our God is, and Who He is in us, we can claim the truth that the apostle John proclaims in his first epistle: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. 2Tim 1:7

You were created for a purpose in life. You were not an accident. The Bible tells us in Psalm 139:13-16  For you formed my inward parts;

                  You covered me in my mother's womb.

                  I will praise you, for I am fearfully and

                  wonderfully made;

                  Marvellous are your works,

                  And that my soul knows very well.

                  My frame was not hidden from You,

                  when I was made in secret,

                  And skilfully wrought in the lowest

                  parts of the earth.

                  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet

                  unformed.

                  And in Your book they were all written,

                  The days fashioned for me,

                  When as yet there were none of them!

Are you looking for clear direction in your life? JESUS IS THE WAY,  

and He is the WAYMAKER

A contemporary Christian song that has been very popular over the last couple of years has been a song called "Waymaker."

Part of the chorus says: You are

                                        Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper

                                `       Light in the darkness.

For those who have lost their way in this world which is so much turmoil, Jesus, the Light of the World is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

If you would like to know more about how to become a Christian, go online to www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Australia's Vision Christian Media. Click on the Grow you faith tab, then from the dropdown menu, click on the heading "Looking for God." God Bless!

                  

 

WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?

Who is on the Lord's side?

Who will serve the King?

Who will be His helpers?

Other lives to bring?

Who will leave the world's side?

Who will face the foe?

Who is on the Lord's side?

Who for Him will go?

By Thy grand redemption,

By Thy grace divine,

We are on the Lord's side,

Saviour, we are thine.

Fierce may be the conflict, 

Strong may be the foe, 

But the King's own army,

None can overthrow.

Round His standard ranging

Victory is secure,

For His truth unchanging

Makes the triumph sure.

Chosen to be soldiers

in an alien land;

Chosen, called and faithful,

For our Captain's band;

In the service royal,

Let us not grow cold, 

Let us be right loyal, 

noble, true and bold.

The above represents verses 1, 4 and 5 together with the chorus from the rousing old hymn, "Who Is On The Lord's Side?" written by English Christian poet and hymn writer, Frances R. Havergal. She wrote the hymn somewhere around 1877.

    The words of the hymn remind us of the fact that all Christians are enlisted in an army, soldiers of the Cross, and as such, should be giving full allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Bible says is "the Captain of our salvation." Hebrews 2:10; Joshua 5:13-15

Rick Joyner, the Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries, a multi-faceted missions organisation based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, has stated in several of his more than fifty books that "the end-time body of Christ would become an army. God uses the title "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of Armies" more than ten times more than all the other titles combined. He is a martial God. We must understand this aspect of His nature and how His people are going to conform to it. To do this, we must understand the many ways in which human martial demeanour is not the same as God's martial demeanour. As we read in Isaiah 55:8,9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts," says the Lord. NKJV

In the Old Testament times, the people of Israel, God's chosen people, fought many physical wars. The Book of Joshua is a book outlining their conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land, although at the close of the book, the land had not been completely conquered. There were great victories, when the people were obedient to the Lord and took direction from their Commander, Joshua - as in the defeat of Jericho through a strategy which had to be from God. Who would have thought that marching around the city once every day for six days in silence, then marching round seven times the seventh day, after which the priests would blow their trumpets (shofars) and the people would raise a shout - would result in in the wall of the city being levelled, enabling it to be conquered? That is exactly what happened, though! Amazing! God's ways are indeed higher than our ways.

The Lord God had indeed had indeed promised His servant, Joshua, in Joshua 1:3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."

Sadly, Israel suffered defeats though, just as spectacular as the victories, when they walked in disobedience to the Lord, or sought direction from sources which were not Godly.

The title of this blog post "Who Is On The Lord's Side?" is originally a question posed by Moses, who preceded Joshua as the God-appointed leader of the children of Israel.

Moses had been on Mount Sinai in the presence of the LORD, where he received the Ten Commandments, supernaturally engraved on two stone tablets - as well as instructions on building the Tabernacle, a movable structure, where the priests would offer sacrifices, and also where the Ark of the LORD would dwell in the Most Holy Place, a compartment in the tabernacle where only the high priest could enter - and that only once a year "not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance;

the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience -

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:7-14 NKJV

Moses came down from the mountain, with the Ten Commandments to find the children of Israel paying homage to a golden calf fashioned from items of gold provided by the people - under the direction of Aaron, the brother of Moses, worshipping and making sacrifices to this molded image - therein breaking the first and second of the ten commandments. Exodus 20:1-6

Moses, jealous for the honour of the Lord God, burned the golden calf in the fire, ground it into powder and scattered it over the water. After rebuking his brother, Aaron for allowing this idol worship to occur, Moses lifted his voice in the camp and asked loudly: "Who is on the LORD's side? - come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Exodus 34:26 NKJV

TO BE CONTINUED

 

THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18,19

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,

The consuming locust,

And the chewing locust,

My great army which I sent amongst you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

And praise the name of the LORD your God,

Who has dealt wondrously with you;

And My people shall never be put to shame. Joel 2:25,26

While many people in the world are living in fear and despair, and confusion, and a sense of hopelessness with all the bad stuff that has been happening over the past two years, those who have their full trust and confidence in the Living God, and are fully committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, as both Saviour and Lord - have a sense that God is about to do something in the nations that will see multitudes turn from darkness to light, despair to hope, fear to faith, and see a harvest of souls for Jesus in the multiplied millions. Not only will there be salvations from the penalty and power of sin, but this will be a perhaps hitherto not seen outpouring of God's healing, delivering, miracle-working grace and power, enveloped in His great love for people.

Truly, I believe for the fully committed child of God, we can confidently decree that, for this year of 2022: THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

That is not to deny the reality that, for Christians, persecution is a reality, and will increase, or that there will not be any trials of our faith. But, we can boldly proclaim with the apostle Paul that "through Him [Jesus], we are more than conquerors." and

 we can stand on His Word that "no weapon formed against us shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against us in judgment, the LORD will condemn." Isaiah 54:17

This truly is a time when we need to draw close to God, knowing that as we do, He will draw close to us. As the psalmist tells us clearly in Psalm 91:1 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

 shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge 

and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust."

Almost three years ago now, a number of significant confirmations were given to us by the Lord concerning the Lord's decree that: The Best Is Yet To Come. Within nine days, the following things spoke to us concerning this reality:

1.    I reconnected with an old friend in New Zealand through Facebook. I had had no contact with Bruce for over thirty years. He and I boarded with a young couple in Christchurch in the early eighties for several years, while I was working for Radio Rhema.  Bruce related to me that he had been through a period of eleven years of severe debilitating health issues from age thirty seven, followed by a period of several years seeing their only daughter taken from them through a terminal illness. Yet, through all these severe trials, Bruce and his wife have remained faithful to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and to trust Him, even though they have unanswered questions as to why God has allowed them to face such severe tests.

At the time, I wrote back to Bruce with a desire to encourage him in the Lord, saying: It might sound like a cliche, but I want to believe for you, as for us, that your best days are ahead. In reply, he answered that he agreed that "The Best Is Yet To Come," if not totally here on earth, then definitely in heaven as I am totally convinced that just one second in heaven will be far greater than all our earthly years.

He also shared a link to a song he had written and recorded while singing at church called "The Best Is Yet To Come."

About ten days after Bruce sent me the song, for a period of twenty four to thirty six hours, this song, or at least the chorus to this song kept going around in my head. Some of the lyrics are:

"The best is yet to come,

Yes, the best is yet to come!

The rain will fall again, heal you inside.

Has the flower bloomed into many colours

Or has the blossom come and suddenly gone?

Oh, the best is yet to come,

The best is yet to come.

Living waters will flow again

Out from your heart,

Oh, the best is yet to come!"

At that time, the Lord confirmed the truth of this song to us as an encouragement then, and I believe again for this year of 2022 that the best is yet to come. To use a colloquial expression, I believe the Lord is saying for us, for our family, and for our church family, as we position ourselves for blessing and breakthrough - 'You ain't seen nothing yet!'

Over a nine day period, we received five further confirmations of the Lord's decree that: The Best is Yet To Come!

1.    One Saturday, while Bruce's song was "playing in my head," I was scrolling through my News Feed on Facebook and suddenly saw a post with a picture of a big cinema screen with the words boldly emblazoned: "BUT WAIT - The Lord says 'THE BEST IS YET TO COME"'

2.    That same day, in the evening as I was getting ready to go for my shower, Tessa called out to me that she had just turned the radio on - tuned to Vision Christian Radio, the Australian Christian Radio network. The song playing was "The Best Is Yet To Come," by a man named Matty Mullins.

3.    Several days later, we listened to my hour-long program on Tasman FM, a community radio station in South East Tasmania, which I pre-record at home. After listening, I drove to the service station not far from our place. When I got back in the car, I turned on the car radio to Tasman FM to see what the lady announcer was playing. She forward announced the next three songs she was about to play. The second song in the set she announced as "The Best Is Yet To Come," by Michael Buble. I could not believe what I was hearing. Of all the thousands of songs she could have chosen to play, she chose to play that song at that time.

4. A few days later, we received in the mail our quarterly copy of "Creation" magazine, produced by Creation Ministries International. While flicking through the magazine to get an overview of the articles contained therein, when I got to page 42, I gasped at seeing the title of the article: "The Best Is Yet To Come."

We feel really excited about our future, knowing that God is going before us and there is a sense of wonder at what the Lord is preparing us for in this next season of our lives. 

Another word I have heard from the Lord from time to time is: "Position Yourself!"

Part of that positioning for us was to move to a new church home, after being in our previous church for almost seven years. This was not done in any sense of us being disgruntled or being offended by anyone in our previous church home, but with a clear sense of leading by the Holy Spirit to Living Waters Christian Centre in Campania, a small church family at present, with a huge vision to reach the lost, and the nations for Jesus Christ. We truly believe that as far as we are concerned, "we have come to the kingdom for such a time as this." 

God is speaking to His people today in various ways so that we will align with His will and purposes for us individually and as the body of Christ, the Church. He is speaking through His Word, through prophets, and other God-ordained ministries, through visions and dreams, through signs and wonders, through symbolism within the parameters of His Word etc.

I have been greatly blessed in recent times by the online ministry of Aussie Revivalists, Ben and Jodie Hughes who lead "Pour It Out Ministries," and are now based in Phoenix, Arizona. They have written several greatly inspiring books which I would encourage anyone to get a hold of to bless you and set you on fire for Jesus. Ben's book "When God Breaks In" and Jodie's book "The King's Decree" can be bought online through their website pouritout.org as a package deal, and the exciting news is that Jodie's new book "The King's Prophetic Voice" will be released through their ministry on 22/2/22 or 2/22/22, depending on which side of the Pacific you are on. We are looking forward to receiving and reading this new release.

GOD BLESS!

 

BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.............." so commences the book "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens.

With every passing day, it seems that the battle lines are being drawn, and increasingly, as Christians, we are being faced with choices which not only affect our own lives, but those of our families, and the wider communities in which we live, and beyond that, the nation - and nations of the world.

If Dickens was writing today, would he not say the same about our world and society, which brings me to the passage in Isaiah 60: 1-3

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

It is not a time for Christians and the church of the Living God to have a spiritual slumber party. We need to take a clear stand for the Lord in our lives, even if it goes against popular society attitudes that are clearly in opposition to the non-negotiable teaching of the Word of God in the Bible.

The Apostle Paul states in Ephesians 5: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.....

Therefore He says, "Awake, you who sleep,

                                  Arise from the dead,

                                   And Christ will give you light." (verses 8-10, 14)

I have always been challenged by the words of the Keith Green song "Asleep In The Light", where he says in one of the verses:

                                The world is sleeping in the dark

                                That the church just can't fight

                                'Cause it's asleep in the light.

                                How can you be so dead

                                When you've been so well fed?

                                Jesus rose from the grave,

                                And you, you can't even get out of bed! OUCH!!

Jesus said of Himself in John 8:12.....I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

He also said of His disciples, then and now, in Matthew 8:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."

We are admonished by the apostle Paul to redeem the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:16

He again pleads with those who claim to be followers of Jesus in Romans 13:

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. vs. 11,12

Can we hear the anguished heart cries of Isaiah, Paul the apostle, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to each of us in the Church to: ARISE AND SHINE THE LIGHT OF GOD'S LOVE AND POWER, TO AWAKE FROM SPIRITUAL SLUMBER.... and in so doing, to help bring an eternal difference to individuals, to communities, and to the nations as we glorify Him with our lives.

More than probably since wartime, people are living in such fear, anxiety and uncertainty, and confusion and do not know where to turn. The pressures coming upon those in the world who are living by the world system, and who are being fed by the negative doom and gloom of mainstream media and social media is seeing a rise in mental illness, suicides, marriage tensions, and domestic violence, and a multitude of other destructive societal trends.

There is only one answer for the world's woes! It isn't in a political party or charismatic political leader. The LORD God tells us in Isaiah 26:3,4 You will keep him in perfect peace,

                                                                           Whose mind is stayed on You, 

                                                                           Because he trusts in You.

                                                                           Trust in the LORD forever,

                                                                           For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.

2022 is set to be a wild ride for those whose trust is not in Jesus, but in the world governments, and whose minds are molded by the secular mainstream news cycles, designed to instill fear and anxiety in the masses. The Bible refers to Satan in Ephesians 2:2 as....the prince of the power of the air - a fitting title for the unseen evil being controlling the lies and manipulation of the secular news cycles, increasingly biased towards presenting propaganda and untruths.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount in  Matthew 7:24-27 speaks about the necessity of building our lives on the firm foundation of God's Word, so that we can STAND up under all the storms of life. Jesus said: " Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was its fall."

To find out how you can become a Christian, and, as the Bible says be "born again," go online to www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Australia's Vision Christian Media. Click on the Grow your faith tab near the top of the page, then from the dropdown menu, click on the heading "Looking for God?" God Bless you, and thank you for reading this blog. Please feel free to comment below.