“Those who trust in idols, who say to statues, ‘You are our gods,’ will be repulsed in utter shame.” Isaiah 42:17

An idol is anything that someone adores, worships, or devotes their attention to. It can be anything that draws our love, time, and attention away from God and towards it. While thousands upon thousands of people will drop whatever they are doing and do just about anything to attend a concert of a popular group or to see the footy live or to get an autograph of a famous movie star or athlete, the churches of our cities are mostly empty. When the opportunity arises to gather together and worship the One who created us and saved us, most people are too busy devoting their attention to other things. But, when all is said and done, the only one worth our time and trust is the Lord God – He is the only One who lives and breathes and moves among us – and He is the only One who truly loves us. So, who or what are you devoting your time and attention to? Do you adore God or other people and things? What or who is most important in your life? In who or what do you place your trust?

Living a life of peace

“First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:24

Have you ever had an argument or a fight with somebody? Maybe a friend or a brother or a sister? How did you feel afterwards? Kind of angry or icky on the inside? What did you do about it? Did you continue to be angry? Did you try to avoid that person? Or, did you try to fix things and make it right between you again? Our relationships with others are very important. Jesus told us in Mark 12:29-31 that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we want to have a good relationship with Jesus, we have to work at having good relationships with others. If we want to live our lives for God, we have to treat those around us in a way that is pleasing to God. Jesus tells us in Matthew that before we can offer a gift to the Lord we must first be reconciled – we must first make things right between us and our brother – between anyone with whom we are having a disagreement with. So, is there anybody you need to go and make things right with?

Strength in the Lord

“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31

Do you ever get tired of trying to live your life for God and always doing the right thing? Well, you’re not alone. Jesus told us that our walk through this life as His disciples would be a difficult one – that we would run into opposition and even persecution. But, He also promises that He will always be with us, especially in the tough times. (See John 14-16) This life of faith that we are living is like a race. Not a 100-yard dash, but a marathon. It takes speed to run a 100-yard dash, but it takes endurance to run a marathon. That means you have to carry on and keep going no matter what for the long-haul. A marathon is a long, long race and while you are running it you will inevitably come across obstacles – obstacles from within and obstacles from without. When we run into obstacles in this life – illness, injury, or friends making fun of us – that is when we need to really press into God. That is when we need to really look to the Lord. That is when we need to really wait for Him to show us the next step to take or the next words to say. Because if we look to Him, He promises us that He will renew our strength and help us to overcome all obstacles. And, He will not only help us to run the race, but He will help us to finish the race and finish the race well!

Right or Wrong - that is the question!

“The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and how to hold the wicked until the Day of Judgment…” 2 Peter 2:9

The world tries to tell us that there isn’t anything that is really right or wrong. The world tries to tell us that what is right or what is wrong is really only someone’s opinion about what is right and what is wrong. But, in His Word, God has shown us what is right and what is wrong in His sight. And, if God is the one who created this world – and if He is the One who created us – then we should probably pay attention to what God has to say about what is right and what is wrong, shouldn’t we? Right and wrong are real choices that we make. And, our choices have real consequences. Good consequences or bad consequences. God views those who do right and those who do wrong very differently. And, He treats them very differently as well. He rescues and protects those who are godly and do right and He punishes those who are wicked and do wrong. When all is said and done, it is really only God’s opinion about what is right and what is wrong that really matters. So, let’s live our lives according to God’s standards of what is right and what is wrong.

Step back a pace!

To be conscious about something is to be aware of it. Dear Lord help me to remember that You gave me life. Thank you for the gift of life. Teach me to slow down, to be still and enjoy the pleasures created for me. To be aware of the beauty that surrounds me. The marvel of mountains, the calmness of lakes, the fragility of a flower petal. I need to remember that all these things come from you.

"IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!"

Mary's heart said to the Lord..."It's all about YOU! It's all about me being YOUR servant. Let it be done to me as the Lord has declared! Nothing is impossible with God!"
As we enter Pentecost weekend, let's pray together that we can also yield our hearts and lives completely to the service of the Lord. We will face opposition as we serve Him. But in the end, the Son of the Living God will be born in us and through our lives! Like Mary, we carry the Messiah to the waiting world. Don't be afraid!
"Oh Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption!" Psalm 130:7

The Heart

The heart is the very seat of our soul, our emotions, and our passions. It is the very essence of our being and that which drives our thoughts and our motives. The heart is the foundation of life. It is what drives passion for the Lord and passion for service in the kingdom. No wonder God tells us to guard our hearts.

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." [Proverbs 4:23]

What is Shavuot? A Jewish perspective!

Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals (Passover being the first and Sukkot the third) and occurs exactly fifty days after the second day of Passover. This holiday marks the anniversary of the day when we received the Torah at Mount Sinai.

This is a biblical holiday complete with special prayers, holiday candle lighting and kiddush, and many forms of work and labour are prohibited.

The word "Shavuot" means "weeks": It marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot. During these seven weeks the Jewish people cleansed themselves of the scars of Egyptian slavery and became a holy nation ready to enter into an eternal covenant with G‑d with the giving of the Torah.

On this day we received a gift from Above which we could not have achieved with our own limited faculties. We received the ability to reach and touch the Divine; not only to be cultivated human beings, but Divine human beings who are capable of rising above and beyond the limitations of nature.

Before the giving of the Torah we were a family and a community. The experience of Sinai bonded us into a new entity: the Jewish people; the Chosen Nation. This holiday is likened to our wedding day -- beneath the wedding canopy of Mount Sinai, G‑d betrothed us to Him. G‑d swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to Him.

Every year on the holiday of Shavuot, we reenact this historic moment. G‑d re-gives the Torah, and we lovingly reaccept, and reaffirm our fidelity to Him alone.

My heart bleeds.....

God has a wonderful destiny for every life, but many Christians will die never having realized all that God has for them. Why is it that so many believers fall short of their divine calling?

Burdens at the cross

I love this picture - it is taken from the Good News Bible - it is a daily routine for me - at night when I lay down to sleep, I envision this - walking to the cross of Jesus and laying my load from the day at the foot of His cross - in full confidence that He will do what is best!

My Father's Gift by Mindy Faubion

Isaiah 11:2 " And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." This painting was given to me during Pentecost. The importance of Zechariah 4:6, "Not by might not by power but by My Spirit says the Lord of Hosts," is emphasized for this war season. The menorah with it's seven lamps is a picture God has given us of the Holy Spirit, and in the New Testament the white dove and flame of fire are both representative of the Holy Spirit. The Lord had me combine all of these representations into one picture! What a wonderful gift the Spirit of the Lord is to us.

Shh! Listen!!!

Since creation to now people having been searching for ways to be still. Our lives are crammed with meetings, appointments, phone calls, traffic, confrontations and general busyness.

How can we keep our faith in a world of chaos?

The same way Elijah did when faced with an uncertain future. He listened for the still, small, voice of God.

Shh! Listen ..... God is speaking to you!

"When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39 [The Message]

This is a real blessing!

If you have time for a different experience of prayer and want to just relax and amble through a beautiful garden with God then go to: http://www.prayerforthenations.com/prayergarden/flash.htm - it will be worth the journey - just watch the bee - touch him gently and he will guide you through!

Mothers' Day

I must say by the time I get to Mothers' Day I'm pretty well 'mothers dayed out'.
Mothers' Day started Monday for me at Kids Klub - making cards, baking cookies, icing & decorating cookies with a group of kids aged 5 to 10. Tuesday it was mainly music - a really special morning tea - special coffee, jelly slice, timtams - then a special gift of home made cookies to take home with a special card attached. Wednesday it was Home League - a special outing for the ladies to a beautiful property that has been turned into a garden [used for weddings etc...] - what an incredible place even with the drought - it had greened up wonderfully after a few days of rain - the couple who own the place provided a sing-a-long back at the house as well as a magnificent afternoon tea - then as the ladies left I gave them a beautiful homemade bookmark with a prayer on it and a small chocolate in the shape of a beetle [busy creatures just like mums]. Thursday preparing for Sunday - making sure everything was just right to celebrate Mothers' Day.
Mothers' Day brings up so many different emotions - some really positive - some really negative - and the whole range in between. For me personally - Mother is different people:
1 - Joan - the woman who gave birth to me - Joan's perception of love was greatly distorted - she did the best she could with her concept of what life/motherhood/family was about - but in many ways it missed the mark and has left some deep scars [evidence of what has been - but healed].
2. Glad - the woman who in my informative years became my 'mother' - Glad had no children of her own - but loved me unconditionally - was there for me - she had no real concept of what life at home was like for me - but she was my safe haven - she was the one I could pour my heart out to and know it would stay with her - Glad's prayers kept me all through those hard years - brought healing to my life - gave me hope!
3. Keeva - the woman who in my early officership became my 'mother' - Keeva came into my life at my first Women's Ministries camp in WA when I was fresh out of college - we became mates instantaneously - she filled the ache in my heart for an older woman to be friend/confidant - someone who I could just be with - who graciously adopted me and my husband and when Letitia came along became 'nana' to her - and we became part of her family in every way - she even gave us an adoption certificate which gives us equal rights in her family as if we had been born into it.
Each of these women are part of me and who I am and I thank God for them each - they have brought so much to my life - and I am who I am today because of them.
Joan lives in a nursing home in Queensland - God may she experience your love in all its fullness.
Glad is with God - Thank you God for lending her to me!
Keeva is in WA still - God continue to use her to bring blessings into others lives.
As for me - I just love being a mother - my daughter is so precious - she has grown into a beautiful young lady - and I thank God everyday for entrusting her to me - for His help through the years of nurturing her - I know He has great plans for her! Love you Tish!

“Soup, Soap & Salvation in the 21st Century?”

At the above conference Major Campbell Roberts (NZ) said “Without justice there is no care.”

‘That as The Salvation Army we have a mandate to stand up for those who are incapable of standing up for themselves, to be a voice for those whose voice is not heard. We are required to connect with the issues that are affecting Australians, to not so much assist people through the issues that affect them, but to be actively involved in changing them, not so much a cleaning up of the mess, but transforming the processes that result in a messy world.’

A lot to think about in that statement!

Shalom - שָׁלוֹם

Shalom gives us the core biblical meaning of peace.
It means being intact or whole and evokes the entirety of a person or thing.
Considered as a quality of the personal, shalom implies the wholeness, integrity and well-being of a person.
Considered socially, shalom implies social well-being and relational health, as in a whole community and the wholeness of humanity.
The wholeness of shalom can also be considered as the process of being alive and healthy individually and together.

In its biblical senses, shalom includes meanings of welfare, shared prosperity, salvation, reconciliation, satisfaction, contentment and a state of being safe and unharmed.
Shalom therefore implies the absence of war but is not defined as this or limited to it.

A 'whole' person or community is one that flourishes, as opposed to an oppressed or fragmented one.
A state of shalom is with us now insofar as we flourish as persons, communities, humanity and the ecosphere; it is absent insofar as we do not so flourish and are oppressed.
Shalom's peace is positive and dynamic, suggesting a state of flourishing in relation to one another.

As well as thinking of shalom as a state of relational health, we can also think of it as a process, by which we come to flourish and become 'whole'. As a process, peace implies personal and social growth and, where there has been suffering, the particular type of growth that is healing, often facilitated by forgiveness.