The path

At church we have been talking about the pathway principle which basically means that the pathway that we are on determines our destination in life. Not our intentions, not our dreams, not even our faith but the pathway. Your direction determines your destination!
It doesn't matter how much we jump shout and pray if we are walking on a certain path then we will end up at a certain destination. How many people do we know that come yo a place in their lives where they say, "I don't know how I got here?" Well I know, they jumped on a pathway and that's the direction it was going.

Proverbs 22:3 (NLT)
A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

A wise person can see the danger ahead and they will make the adjustments that are needed in order to avoid tragedy but a fool they will just keep walking straight on into it. And when you say to them, "Didn't you see that coming?" "Didn't you know that she was no good for you?" "Couldn't you see this was going to happen?" They just answer, "Well yeah".
But they never changed. They never made the changes that were strategic to their future health and wholeness.
Lets be people that look ahead but don't stop there, also to make the necessary adjustments so that we can be fruitful in all we do.

I have been meaning to update this blog since arriving back last week from Kokoda but I left Monday for Adelaide and today I'm sitting in the Qantas club waiting for a plane back home. Then tomorrow off to Armidale for a men's conference. Our adventure on the Kokoda trek feels like a life time ago. It was truly an amazing experience and one that I could easily do again. Putting aside the vomiting and gastro that I incurred (which has the ability to make a sook out of me) this trek is so full of history. One of our team Mark Langdon was very knowledgeable on what took place at each area we entered which made this time very rewarding. The stories that you hear and the people that you meet will never leave my heart, our nation of Australia has some of the most incredible heroes.
To stand on the hill that Bruce Kingsbury led a charge against all the odds to push back the swarming Japanese is sobering, to see the spot where he most likely met a snipers bullet even more so.

Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)
The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. [24] Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

The principle of one step after another is extremely valuable to anyone that is wanting to fulfil all God has for them. Its certainly what the Kokoda Trek taught me, sometimes in life we feel that we have nothing left to give or go on. Just keep stepping! You may not be as fast as some, you may not always feel like you are going at the pace you would like, but like Kokoda, it didn't matter if you were first on the track or last, we all came home on the same flight.

Lessons in the fire

I feel like a bit of a kid at Christmas with only 1 sleep left until we leave for Kokoda. The last minute check of our packs, last minute run to the camping store and the chemist. We had the Sunshine singers from the Mudgeeraba special school at church Sunday morning where they did 3 songs and were they a real hit. This was great because it put a face on why we are doing the trek. On Saturday one of our young people called Josh Winnington raised over $6000 by swimming non stop for 8 kms..what a legend. Imagine if we all became so others orientated that we were busy using our gifts and talents to make a difference. So far we are up to about $20000 promised so its looking good.
On Sunday I shared a mesage called "Lessons in the fire" its about how we need to conduct ourselves when we are going through a trial and hasnt therebeen a bit of that lately.

Daniel 3
[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. [17] If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. [18] But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

I love the response of these 3 young Hebrew men as they were about to be cast into a fiery furnace. Basically it was, "We know that God can deliver us, but even if He doesnt, we dont base our faith on results, we are still going to follow him".

God help us to be a generation that doesnt need "everything to be going right" to keep us following you. It doesnt matter if people fail, fall or falter that wont change how I feel about You!

Anyway this will be my last entry until I get back in 13 days (hopefully thinner) so see you all then.

The place of obscurity

This past week has seen two very called, gifted communicators come undone in an area of weakness in their lives that has sent shock waves through the church. Two totally different circumstances, two totally different people, two different countries but both with the same outcome....disappointed people. People ask me why things like this happen? I say no one knows how hard these men tried for this not to happen!

Billy Graham noted some years ago, in reference to the moral problems of certain American televangelists, thousands of aircraft land safely at the world's airports every day - but the only time the media will take an interest is when one crashes.

All I know is this.
There is a place of obscurity (Elijah by the brook Cherith, Moses in the backside of the desert) That God has for all of us. In this place where no one knows us and no one is looking, He gives us opportunities to "get things right". He allows His grace to support us while we work on our character, our integrity, our motives and then like a pot after its been through the furnace he can trust us with His message. Does that mean that we are then perfect or that we will never have any issues, no. But there is something about obscurity, its where God does some of His best work.

Eph 6
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

That word schemes means: a method of follow up an investigation
Our enemy has a follow up plan, method for you and I and I have come to understand that he will allow us to think we are getting away with an issue he will allow us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are in control and that I can stop this at any time. And he will wait, and wait and wait. Until as Luke 4:13 says it, And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

He will wait to we have greater influence, more wealth, more people to disappoint and then that weakness, that issue that God urged us to deal with in obscurity in private, will be revealed publicly.

5 Days to go

5 days is all we have left until we head off on the Kokoda Trek. Its right about now that I am starting to feel a few "what ifs" congregating in my head. A couple of us powered a hike up a part of the Kokoda Challenge course yesterday and all went well although I feel a little flat today. The whole purpose is to raise money for a local special school and a rescue home for girls in Cambodia. So far we have about $15,000 raised which excites me more than anything else.

1 Tim. 6:18 (NLT) Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them.

I love this verse. In a day and age where most people are driven by discontent this verse gives us an inside of how to not get caught in the trap of more.
Generosity is whats bridles our discontentment.
Doing something that costs me physically, financially, emotionally is how we keep the drive to gather more at bay.
Remember there is no joy in consumption

Beyond the walls

I have been reading through the book of Nehemiah in my morning devotional and again find so many relevant happenings in it that are for the church today. I think the biggest is this: It wasn't the condition of the walls that drove Nehemiah it was the condition of the people. How easy it is as pastors and leaders to confuse the two. We can become so obsessed with raising money for another program, or painting another wall in our building, all of which are important but we do it because of people.
I love Nehemiah's passion to see the walls built because of what it would do in the hearts of the people.

Tips

Well its 20 days until 12 of us head off to walk the Kokoda Trek. This morning at 5.30am we were hiking up some reasonably vicious hills out the back of the Gold Coast. Everyone is very excited and a little apprehensive about what to expect. It amazes me how many "experts" come out with tips on how to do things better, what to and what not to buy etc.
I suppose I take pleasure in this because its not just in the church world where the "experts" want to lend their advice, its just people. But I am up for it if one persons advice can save a foot full of blisters or chaff then I will listen to anyone. Sometimes the answer to save our plans from failing is locked up in someone that is around us.

Proverbs 12:15 (NLT) Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others.