As my final day in the USA begins I am reminiscing about my last 7 years in Southern California and all the people who have made it such a good time (and some who didn't but I want mention them - hey I just did).
I have worked with 2 churches. Firstly there was the El Cajon Blvd Church of Christ in San Diego. In the beginning I worked with two wonderful Christian elders, Floyd Melson and Tom Stavros. Two more different men you couldn't find but they proved to me that, in Christ, we are one. Soon three more men who had a big influence on me became elders. Garey Castle, who constantly showed me what true patience was, and who helped feed by hi-tech habit. Chris Delgado, whose servant spirit inspires me to this day. Mike Bucchi, whose spirit showed me that the truly powerful position on this earth was as a servant in the kingdom. (Mike was Vice Admiral over the US Navy 3rd Fleet.)
There were others at ECB. David Bates was such a joy in my life. His strength and happy spirit lifted me many times. When I sang next to him, even I sounded good. John Rudolph was a young man whose willingness to step up and and teach was so encouraging. Joey Tennison was another young man whose faith journey was a constant inspiration. Travis Moore was another young man who I loved being around and whose faith and personal support was always a great encouragement to me. Now that I think about it I have too many people to name. They were all good for me and I hope I was good for them.
The second church I worked with was the Glendale Church of Christ in the Los Angeles area. I have had a relationship with this church since the late 70s. Over the years God keeps calling me back to them and I am so glad He does. They always refreshed my soul and were always willing to learn and grow. My two elders for my work there were Wil Jackson, a godly passionate man whose heart always lifted me up, and Bill Rog , a constant and true friend with an abundance of wisdom and love. Another man who means a lot to me is Jim Settlemoir. He is a thoughtful and brave servant of God. I love James Sheldon, a wonderfully talented worship leader but more importantly a friend (his passion for sport exceeded mine). Bryan Schackmann is a true man of God, patient and caring. He was a pleasure to work with. He doesn't just talk the talk (ministers are good at that), he walks the walk. He gets the job done. Again there are too many to name.
God has truly blessed me in the past 7 years. It's been a trip with all the ups and downs of life but I am glad that God gave it to me. Now, home to Sydney, with a great deal of anticipation about who God will send into my life next.
Mac Attack
I must confess I love my Apple products. Not as much as my wife, my children or my grandchildren (yeah, other family as well, fill in the blank) but I do have a very deep personal (though platonic) relationship with my MacBook Pro and iPods. I think it may be an addiction but I don't care.
Besides the products, I love the way Apple markets its products. Without hardly spending a dollar they verbally leak some vague details about something and before you know it is a news item on every news hour in first and second world. I don't think the third world cares. They are having enough trouble feeding themselves. That truth should shut me up but it doesn't.
The much rumored tablet that Apple is supposed to announce soon has had as much written about it as the second coming of Jesus (maybe not that much but it is close, and so maybe the coming of Jesus). Just a few well placed conversations (no paper trail) and the geek world is all blogging itself within an inch of it's life. Amazing. Ingenious. Cheap.
Of course, they have to come up with the products otherwise would no one would care.
Is there something here we could learn to propagate the good news of Jesus who is the only one who really works and doesn't need a 3 year Applecare contract.
Besides the products, I love the way Apple markets its products. Without hardly spending a dollar they verbally leak some vague details about something and before you know it is a news item on every news hour in first and second world. I don't think the third world cares. They are having enough trouble feeding themselves. That truth should shut me up but it doesn't.
The much rumored tablet that Apple is supposed to announce soon has had as much written about it as the second coming of Jesus (maybe not that much but it is close, and so maybe the coming of Jesus). Just a few well placed conversations (no paper trail) and the geek world is all blogging itself within an inch of it's life. Amazing. Ingenious. Cheap.
Of course, they have to come up with the products otherwise would no one would care.
Is there something here we could learn to propagate the good news of Jesus who is the only one who really works and doesn't need a 3 year Applecare contract.
The Journey Home
Our journey of return to Sydney is well on its way. Lots of work to get everything packed or sold. Also, traveling a fair bit visiting friends and saying good bye.
I have enjoyed listening to someone else preach over the past two Sundays. That's something that rarely happens for me and I have enjoyed it.
January is summertime vacation in Australia. Everyone is enjoying themselves at the beach and spending time with their families who don't return to school until after the 31st.
We don't have all our finances organized yet but that is par for the course for mission work. When you commit to church planting you make a pact with God and it is cemented together with love, faith and hope. I have a plan but I also am convinced that God has a plan for Julie and I and He will reveal the details of that plan in His own good time. In the mean time, we know where we are going and we have friends and family there to help us. That's more than Abraham had when God sent Him out.
My mind has been on the Northside Church and I am inspired by the vision of it that I am seeing. I am getting a very positive feeling about what God can do there. I am usually a positive person but this time I am even more so. I really think God will do an amazing work with the few people He has gathered and will gather many more in our first year. Praise God.
I have enjoyed listening to someone else preach over the past two Sundays. That's something that rarely happens for me and I have enjoyed it.
January is summertime vacation in Australia. Everyone is enjoying themselves at the beach and spending time with their families who don't return to school until after the 31st.
We don't have all our finances organized yet but that is par for the course for mission work. When you commit to church planting you make a pact with God and it is cemented together with love, faith and hope. I have a plan but I also am convinced that God has a plan for Julie and I and He will reveal the details of that plan in His own good time. In the mean time, we know where we are going and we have friends and family there to help us. That's more than Abraham had when God sent Him out.
My mind has been on the Northside Church and I am inspired by the vision of it that I am seeing. I am getting a very positive feeling about what God can do there. I am usually a positive person but this time I am even more so. I really think God will do an amazing work with the few people He has gathered and will gather many more in our first year. Praise God.
The Big Move
As we (mainly Julie I must confess) are packing up to move back to Australia I have become very aware of how much stuff we have.
We are not taking any of our furniture, appliances, electricals and still the pile of stuff we are shipping home is getting pretty big. It's not that we are blessed with an abundance of stuff. It's just that even when you are careful about what you buy etc. you still end up with a big pile. I think it only really hits you properly when you have to move it all.
It's all good stuff. We wouldn't keep it if it wasn't because every cubic foot costs us money. However it made me think about the big move that each of us is destined to make back to the home made for us by our Father. All this stuff will stay here. Our paperwork, our favourite (got to get back to spelling in Australian) mementos, the necessary things for daily life and yes even our computers and phones will stay here and we will move on with only that which we were born with plus faith, hope and love. Even two of those things will disappear in the transition.
I am so looking forward to that move. The final move home. No more stuff to move. Maranatha
http://georgelittlejourney.blogspot.com/
We are not taking any of our furniture, appliances, electricals and still the pile of stuff we are shipping home is getting pretty big. It's not that we are blessed with an abundance of stuff. It's just that even when you are careful about what you buy etc. you still end up with a big pile. I think it only really hits you properly when you have to move it all.
It's all good stuff. We wouldn't keep it if it wasn't because every cubic foot costs us money. However it made me think about the big move that each of us is destined to make back to the home made for us by our Father. All this stuff will stay here. Our paperwork, our favourite (got to get back to spelling in Australian) mementos, the necessary things for daily life and yes even our computers and phones will stay here and we will move on with only that which we were born with plus faith, hope and love. Even two of those things will disappear in the transition.
I am so looking forward to that move. The final move home. No more stuff to move. Maranatha
http://georgelittlejourney.blogspot.com/
The Big With
God with us. That’s what Jesus is. The baby in the horse trough.
Beyond the absolute revelation (in so many ways) that God became like one us is the promise that He would with WITH us.
It never really hit me as much as it did last week when I was preaching the good news once again. God is with us. He promised He would be and our confidence in the future should be based on that promise. But I hadn’t quite seen the promise quite like the way that the Holy Spirit revealed it to me last Sunday. I didn’t see it this way before. I know Satan doesn’t want me see it this way. Who else would teach me such a lesson, but the Holy Spirit. Not a new message. Just helping me to understand the message He had already given to all us in His word.
Yes, God came to be with us in a shared humanity. He came to set up residence, not next door, but in our very homes. He came to take up residence in our very bodies through that precious gift He gives to each of His people, His precious Holy Spirit.
But He didn’t just promise to BE with us, He promised to GO with us. “… go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, … And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” Matthew 28:19, 20.
He would send us into this broken, decaying and unredeemed world and He promised to go WITH us. Then He did just that. To a broken apostle, caught up in fear at the prospect of once again proclaiming Christ in that cesspool of a city, Corinth, God would say this. “… “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no-one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”” Acts 18:9, 10. God didn’t just send Paul. Jesus didn’t just commission and stay back behind the front lines. No He goes WITH us.
And when we are working though a terrible day … when the pain of life is just too much. … you have those days, don’t you? When the only thing you can do is cry and pray and then cry some more. When the question starts to rise up from your grief stricken soul. What is God doing?
Then, it dawned on me. Maybe, everyone else knew this and I had just not put it together. When I am grieving, when I am hurting so bad, when it feels like I’m at the bottom of bottomless pit of despair, what is God doing? He is WITH me. He is with me in my pain but what is He doing. He is crying. He is hurting for me. The almighty, holy and perfect God is bent over crying WITH me.
That’s why He told me to “… mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15. Because that is what He does. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. … Jesus wept.” John 11:33-35.
Real parents do that, don’t they? When your child is so upset, does it upset you? Real marrieds do the same. When your wife cries does it rip you apart? It is the same with God. When He sees His children in pain it tears Him up. He feels it because He is WITH us.
One thing I love about preaching Jesus is that right in the middle of a message that I am preaching, God can be teaching me a lesson. He did that last Sunday. And what did I do? I did what every preacher does. I preached it.
Do not be afraid. Keep on speaking. Do not be silent. God has many people in this city. " I am with you"
Here We Come Sydney
God's plans. Our plans. So often the two do not match up. Our return to Sydney has been a constant series of adjustments to God's will. As I read the New Testament this process has always been a significant part of the kingdom of God.
We anticipate being back in Sydney February 2nd, Lord willing. The Glendale Church has committed to partially support us for 18 moths. As yet we have only secured 50% of our funding but we are pressing on in the sure hope that God will provide in HIS way and in HIS time.
We are busily making preparations, packing up the stuff to ship, selling of the rest of our stuff. It is a challenging to leave a country but we feel that we are getting on top of it. Leaving the Glendale Church family is such a difficult thing emotionally. This past two years with them has been such a rich and fulfilling journey. I truly love them and they constantly remind me of their love for me. I am so glad that Bryan Schackmann is taking over from me in the pulpit. God has prepared this young man in a very special way. I have a lot of confidence in Him and his willing to let God work in his ministry and life.
Despite all the adjustments etc. associated with this move, I have this deep seated confidence that God is going to work through us to bring about a great result for the kingdom in Sydney.
We are so looking forward to being back close to our family once again. We are very excited at what we think the Lord will do with us at the Northside Church. We will be happy to be back in our home land. No more worries about visas and work permits. I do leave my beloved Lakers behind but somehow I feel that they will make it back to back championships in 2010. Will still get to watch their exploits on TV.
If you are willing please say a little pray for us. For more information on what the Lord is calling us to please go to http://www.northsidejesus.org or go to the project:northside Facebook page.
My friend, James, had us listen to the Gaither Vocal Band's version of the old favorite, O, Love That Will Not Let Me Go. The words of that song really reflect the way I feel. I know God loves me because of what Jesus did for me. Now, I know and love Jesus and that love that God has for me will not let me go. Praise God that it won't.
http://georgelittlejourney.blogspot.com/
We anticipate being back in Sydney February 2nd, Lord willing. The Glendale Church has committed to partially support us for 18 moths. As yet we have only secured 50% of our funding but we are pressing on in the sure hope that God will provide in HIS way and in HIS time.
We are busily making preparations, packing up the stuff to ship, selling of the rest of our stuff. It is a challenging to leave a country but we feel that we are getting on top of it. Leaving the Glendale Church family is such a difficult thing emotionally. This past two years with them has been such a rich and fulfilling journey. I truly love them and they constantly remind me of their love for me. I am so glad that Bryan Schackmann is taking over from me in the pulpit. God has prepared this young man in a very special way. I have a lot of confidence in Him and his willing to let God work in his ministry and life.
Despite all the adjustments etc. associated with this move, I have this deep seated confidence that God is going to work through us to bring about a great result for the kingdom in Sydney.
We are so looking forward to being back close to our family once again. We are very excited at what we think the Lord will do with us at the Northside Church. We will be happy to be back in our home land. No more worries about visas and work permits. I do leave my beloved Lakers behind but somehow I feel that they will make it back to back championships in 2010. Will still get to watch their exploits on TV.
If you are willing please say a little pray for us. For more information on what the Lord is calling us to please go to http://www.northsidejesus.org or go to the project:northside Facebook page.
My friend, James, had us listen to the Gaither Vocal Band's version of the old favorite, O, Love That Will Not Let Me Go. The words of that song really reflect the way I feel. I know God loves me because of what Jesus did for me. Now, I know and love Jesus and that love that God has for me will not let me go. Praise God that it won't.
http://georgelittlejourney.blogspot.com/
Merry Christmas
Our culture’s increasing aversion to anything Christian is something I don’t like but it is there and we need to deal with it.
Some Christians have responded with outrage, petitions and protests at the increasing removal of Christ from Christmas but can I suggest that I think that they are missing a couple of key points.
This is a symptom of people moving away from Jesus and that is the real problem. Christmas as a celebration is a total cultural choice. It is not a biblical imperative. The reason the season is becoming secular is that so many of our friends, co-workers, neighbors, family are moving away from God and becoming secular. That’s the key issue. You can get to heaven without Christmas but you can’t without Jesus (John 14:6). So let’s get upset about the real issue. Not your sense of loss of the Christmas of old that you grew up with but the real loss of some many to the godless and powerless philosophies of the age.
Every one us have been sick. We know we are sick because of symptoms (fever, runny nose and various other gross things our bodies do). We also know that, if we just treat the symptom like a fever and don’t treat the cause of the fever, we are never going to heal. Trying to restore Christmas is a bit like that. Where should our energies be focused? On restoring Christmas or restoring Christ? That brings me to the second key point.
As Christians, we have been charged with the proclamation of the good news of Jesus. We can read all the verses (1 Cor. 2:2, 15:1-5, Romans 1:16 etc.) but we also have to apply them to our lives. We have an obligation before God to call everyone back to Jesus as their savior. We have the charge from God to call his wayward children but to Him. This is the labor of love we are called to. This is the only real thing that will truly remedy the ills of people caught up in this world. You see, even if we can get everyone back to saying, “Merry Christmas”, if they aren’t giving their lives to Jesus then their place before God is still just as bad as before.
God puts it this ways, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9, 10, NIV. What we say is important but only if it comes from the heart.
This world will probably keep taking away reverence and honor of Jesus but we shouldn’t be surprised. We can be upset and feel slighted but let’s not be surprised when the ungodly do ungodly things. That’s only natural (terrible but natural). But once we have taken our egos out of the mix, we have got to face up to the fact that our friends, family, neighbors and fellow countrymen are not going to be saved by Christmas. Only Jesus can save them.
This Christmas proclaim Christ. Proclaim Him in your conversations. Proclaim Him with your life as you love the helpless, hopeless and unlovely. Proclaim Him as you give. There is so much power in generosity. Give Jesus the glory and keep on being His redeemed child. Keep on loving God and loving people.
Every time the people of God do this amazing things happen. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21, NIV.
http://georgelittlejourney.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZw4fEFuTVA
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