ELSDAY

EL Working Bee 06/05/12 (A fictitious interpretation)

2012-05-07T02:45:00.002-07:00

"Oh you don't believe in Christmas huh Dave?"

2011-12-25T04:07:00.000-08:00

My friends quite often have this question following immediately after wishing me a "Merry Christmas". Now there are so many ways I can answer this question. But I'll address it in the following two points.

1. Yes I do believe in Christmas, the whole world celebrates it on the 25th of December of every year and the evidence is quite clear that Christmas takes place on that date.

Do I believe that Jesus was born on that date? No absolutely not. The evidence of His birthday would suggest a different date. But I have never spent any huge amount of time to pinpoint the exact time, because nowhere in the Bible does it teach to celebrate His birth. He makes it quite clear that the only holy/holi-days we should commemorate are the weekly Sabbaths and communion dates which haven't been allocated any special dates to "...do this in remembrance of me" 1 Corinthians 11:24.

I actually appreciate that the world takes time to be open to hear/see and learn of the story of the birth of Christ. It could be the only part of the Bible that some people ever get exposed to, but even that's a great start for those who don't know Him as the greatest gift that the Father gave to humankind. And as a Christian I would take full advantage of this time to speak of Jesus Christ that would otherwise fall on deaf ears at any other time of the year.

2. Why would I celebrate that day if I don't believe that Jesus was born on that date? Because the secular world recognises it as a holiday, and I get to spend time with family and friends because they have time off from work and school etc. (But even them working on Christmas days are becoming more frequent). My family and friends who observe the Sabbath like me get to do this on a weekly basis. We get together, worship Christ, hear from his word and have a great time together. If you could experience what happens on Christmas day more often than just that one time in the year? Wouldn't you grab the opportunity? Family time is divine. And there is never a time where I compromise my faith by spending time with family and friends.

I believe the awesomeness of Christmas is not the receiving of gifts, rather the "giving" of gifts!. A huge reminder to all of us that "freely we have received, freely give" - Matt 10:8. Starting with your family and friends is easy. But why not take time out to learn about those who dread Christmas because they have no family left, or worse yet have no friends? Why not take time out to search these people out and give? And there are plenty of local charities where you can donate funds, toys, food etc in times like these.

Do I take full advantage of this as well? Absolutely, my Son is challenged to consider other children his age who are not as privileged and to give away without receiving. If you're a parent, you would be wise to do the same, compassion is a character trait too scarce in society.

Do you believe in Christmas?

Shalom,

Dave

Reflections

2011-12-06T03:12:00.000-08:00

James 1:22-25 - ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Mirrors - who used a mirror this morning? And what did you use the mirror for?

Yes we use the mirror to check ourselves, hopefully look good, try our best.....hopefully. If not to impress ourselves, maybe another, maybe a whole group, but in essence to check ourselves, and if any flaws be found.....we make the appropriate adjustments to alter the fault. Maybe it a flick of the hair, or a tucking in of the shirt, a failing strap that will hold steady on a prayer. But in essence to check ourselves, to reflect on how we look.

Now the text says that after looking in the mirror, we forget what we look like, but if we look into the perfect law that gives freedom, yea the perfect mirror we will continue in it.......continue in it......continue in it...do you get it? When looking for a mirror, we should look for a perfect mirror, for a perfect mirror will reflect a true reflection when we look into the mirror. We should not try to source a mirror that was once used at an amusement park which skews and distorts our true image, for if we look in that mirror, we get a "false" reflection on who we are, and the reflection is an error? And in essence we cannot check ourselves to reflect on how we look.

How pray tell, is the law like a mirror? Romans 3:²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Our inner most desire is to be attracted to people who reflect ourselves. Ladies have you ever heard yourself say "I love him because I can be myself around Him" and men we would say "I like that guy coz he's real with me, he doesn't beat around the bush" Kids........teens more to the point, you love your parents...honestly you really do, but you hate the fact that they point out your true condition.......right?

Take heed, you should choose your friends, and even more so your boyfriend and girlfriends with a fine toothcomb. Because a true friend would tell you where you're falling short. They wouldn't sugar coat the true message because they care about your condition. Those friends, let me take a clause here to warn you that you may not like the following statements, but those friends, that give you a false reflection of yourself, the ones that distort your image and even pull you further away from the perfect law, that you are unable to even capture an image of yourself, those friends you need to cut off. Cling to the friends that huddle around the mirror, that are willing to adjust your hair, remove the bogey that you couldn't see, tell you your shirt is hanging out and tuck it in for you, keep those friends close, they will help you with the ability to check yourself and reflect on how you look.

The Bible text tells us that looking into the perfect law and admiring or God forbid moping and crying at the reflection will not save you neither condemn you, rather the law only acts as an indicator, a ruler, a measure of your true image. It awakens the conscious to wrong doing.

You've finished your spaghetti bolognaise in the food court in Hyperdome, and you make your way to best and less to purchase some much needed clothing.....so you can look good. On your way to the store, in the store and even the girl at the counter all give you a strange stare. You're finally driven to find out what could possibly be wrong with you, so you rush to the toilet and take a good look into the ??? And lo and behold, a nice strand of spaghetti is hanging from your chin.

From the time that spaghetti decided to be apart of your face to the time of surgery, the only time you were truly aware was when you looked into the mirror. It took you to look into the mirror in order to become conscious of your sin. Do you get me? We have so much filth that has piggy backed, hitch hiked and hijacked our journey in life. And we are not so much aware of it until we take a good look into the mirror. Suddenly it's a revelation!

Sokha and I recently discussed and have implemented a Chore Board for our Son Uriah who is now four. It basically will outline the days of the week across the top of the board, and down the side, the chores that are expected to be completed on that particular day. As a chore is completed and felt animal cut out will be stuck on the velcro patch of that particular spot for him to reflect on. I received some advice from a Dad in our church whom I believe has raised fantastic kids as to what his method was. He said he would reward his children with a monetary reward according to their age. Well Sokha and I discussed it, prayed about it and chewed on Biblical counsel. My initial thought was I don't want to introduce my son to a system where he is rewarded upon performance, but further inquiry into the perfect law brought me to this conclusion. The chore board is to act as a mechanism to awaken the conscious of sin for my son, the physical, appearance and reminder of this tangible piece of craft is for that purpose only, to keep a young mind accountable, as the abstract understanding is not yet formed for Uriah is only 4 years old!

The chore board from Sokha and me is not to make my Son yea our growing daughter too, slaves to our little home, God forbid! It is to help our kids realise that there a rules to adhere to, and these rules are but a mere reflection of Dad and Mums character. Dad and Mum have an incredible abstract appreciation on how rules protect the relationship, but our child doesn't. The more our kids look and obey the rules of the household, the more they will understand Dad and Mum. I don't need to harp on this as Pastor already covered Disciplining our children in last week's sermon.

Did you know God's law existed before Creation? The law of God governs heaven, and there was no need for it to be spelt out in ten specific stipulations. It ran on relationships and the understanding of it. When you're a child, you grow up to understand how your father and mother tick, what makes them happy and what doesn't. And you either use it please them intentionally or to manipulate the situations for selfish gain. The same goes for married couples, you become so familiar with each other that you can finish the other's sentence, and if you're anything like my wife and me, you find you start to imitate some of your spouse's words and behaviours, you should hear Sokha speak samoan sometimes, it's funny! And my little cambodian sounds for certain commands, we become like each other. And if you're a loving child or a loving spouse, you would have the motive of doing everything to please your parent or spouse. This is an invisible law, this is a law the goes without saying because you just know how things function.

Principles come with presence, and we respond accordingly, the more we are in the presence of that principle, the more our response becomes habitual behaviour. Just like the Police, you're driving along, minding your own business and the appearance of what you quickly formulate to be a cop car is seen in your rear-view mirror, suddenly your checking your seat belt, and your speed. The same principle applies when I arrive home from work. My walk to the door is always a cheerful one as Eden catches a glimpse of me and gets excited because Daddy is home. On one hand the presence of the law makes us check ourselves, where as on the other, the presence of the person makes us excited. (pause)

From the Garden of Eden, our first parents had to start using the mirror rather than looking straight into the face of Jesus. From that point to Exodus from at least 215 years of slavery to Egypt, they had lost sight of the mirror and had no idea it even existed. God then gave Israel his Choreboard, and it is outlined as the ten commandments. As they were like children again with no idea and no direction.

The Moral law of God, is like any other natural law we are aware of. The natural law of physics suggests that what goes up must come down, that when you push a log down a hill it will roll, and everything else that is ruled by the law of physics. When we try to work against the law of physics, it takes a lot of effort. Trying to keep something up that you threw would require extra materials and efforts to keep it up there, and rolling a log up a hill can prove much more strenuous then pushing it down and working with the law of physics.

What's my point? My point is, contrary to popular and secular belief, our adherence to God's law is actually following the flow on how all things should function. The opposite is actually causing more strain than gain. Same-sex marriages, adultery, stealing, drinking, sex before marriage are all working against the original design, and requires more effort from us to work with.

God's law is but a mirror reflecting who He is. It is but a mirror reflecting his image. Much like the two great lights in Genesis 1:16: The greater light was to rule in the day, and the lesser light was to rule in the night. This we know to be the Sun and the Moon, the moon itself has no light to shine, however it mirrors and therefore reflects the true Source of light which is the sun. Much like the law has no life to give however it mirrors and therefore reflects the true source of life which is the Son of God.

And as we continue in Genesis 1 and come to verse 27, we find that God created mankind in his image, so you and me were created in his image?! And listen, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

So as a matter of fact by a logical look into this study. The more we look and examine and take action on the law of liberty, the reflection will soon see the glory of the Lord, and we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory!!! Until such time the manifestation of the life of Christ lives in you and me so much so that we are Christ like.......so much so that we are reborn and return to our original design of being recreated in the image of God!

It seems incredible to me although we've collected all this filth, intentional or unintentional and we do all we can to ensure that we don't take a proper look into the mirror. Our creator himself would stoop to become as we are, take the weight of denial upon his shoulders and die the cruel death to demonstrate his undying love for us, just so we could take a moment to reflect upon who he is, and why?

For by beholding we become changed, so as we do as Christ does, His death on the cross is our invitation to allow us and all our filth to be crucified with him, his rest in the tomb ensures that the old man is buried forever, and his resurrection assures us that we may look and act in the law of liberty and continue in it.....from glory to glory.

And get this! When Jesus returns to take his children home, Revelation 22:5 says there will be no more night. No need for a moon, in fact no need for the Sun, because we will have the SON! We will no longer need to be mirrors in this world in the presence of the Son of God! (Pause)

Listen, when was the last time you had a good hard look at yourself?

Have you take some time out for reflection lately?

Are you so far away from the law of God that you've forgotten what He looks like, and surely you're forgetting who you are?

Will you go away from here and forget what you look like? Or will you be a doer, and act upon the word of God? I pray you will do the latter.

Shalom,

Dave

West Vanua Lava Mission 2011

2011-11-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

Mission: Clear 2 Airstrips on the West Coast of Vanua Lava within 27days.
The Team:
Peter and Nichole Klan with Jennifer 9yrs, Emily 7yrs and Jack 5yrs
Darren and Naomi Vaotuua with Lily 8yrs and Bethany 4yrs
And Mr Wesley Mooi

This is my account of the mission to Vanua Lava, which is the largest island of the Banks group in the Northern Torba Province of Vanuatu. This was our third trip to Vanuatu in the past 18months and this turned out to be truly the most challenging - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

We were in Vanuatu from the 19th July to the 14th August a total of 27 days. Landing on Sola airport on the 21st July, which is a commercial airstrip, we then took a Landcruiser ute to the end of the road but from then on it was all by foot. We trekked over 2 hours through rain and mud along a rugged coastline with several river crossings with 5 children to the village of Crepeta, which was our halfway point. Bethany, my little four year old, was carried most of the way and was chilled in the rain. The next day we trekked the rest of the way to the west coast another 2 hours or more to the village of Singalav which is the only fully Adventist village in the Torba province. Singalav was a real blessing and we spent our first Sabbath with them. Pr Peter Vanva has his home here and is the pastor for the Torba province with some 500 members spread out over these northern remote islands. He travels from church to church in his outboard motor Banana Boat. It was so nice to sleep without hearing the sound of Kava being prepared or having pigs running around everywhere. The people truly were family and this little village was to be a home away from home.

The next day after enjoying a morning swim at the black sand beach of Vereas Bay with our Adventist Family it was another just over an hour hike to our destination at the South Western tip of the island, Wasaga. The people welcomed us warmly and we came to love them and made many friends there. ADRA had been here before and done a large water project for this village and so the people were not against having Adventists come (though the only Adventist family had to live some distance form the village!). Over the week the people worked hard with us as we cleared some 350m or more of airstrip except for 4 massive trees, which I say more about later.

You may be wondering why we are doing this? My friend Dr Mark Turnbull and his wife Naomi and daughter Kay at missionaries for the Adventist Church working under the umbrella of Laymen’s Ministries. With Mark providing acute medical care to these remote people with the help of a neat little airplane called a Maul he travels from Island to Island using the Medical Ministry as a means to 2 come close to the people who are mostly Anglican or some other Christian but almost all are overcome with the old fears and superstitious beliefs of the past. Naomi is principle of an SDA school on Gaua and just last year they opened their second little school on the island of Merelava. With the use of firstly Medical Ministry followed by Adventist education God is opening the people’s hearts to access the true gospel and no longer live in the fear of the spirits and bondage to sin and vice. These airstrips open up the way for this work to go forward in remote locations where Mark cannot yet access.

Now back to the massive Trees… They were 3 huge hardwood trees and one large wild Navel nut tree. We soon realised that our chainsaws were much to small for the job and not safe to even attempt it so with a prayer, a quick video clip Mark travelled to home base on Gaua to post an email asking for people to pray for our need and the next day donations had been made to buy the largest Chainsaw Vanuatu had on there shelf! A big Husky with a 3ft bar! We could have used bigger but 3ft it was and we were thankful. As it would take a few days to get the chainsaw to us we decided to leave the big trees and move on to our next project at Leon Bay. But before I go on…..Whilst we were making friends with the men and pikininis (kids) who worked with us on the airstrip the ladies and children of ours where doing a wonderful work back at the village. By mid week God had opened a way for a Women’s Prayer Meeting, which the local non adventist women had asked for! The women’s department leader for the village had shared her heart with my wife that every day they have sin and temptation and no freedom even though they worship in the Anglican Church faithfully every week and she wanted to know if SDA had the answers! My wife asked if they studied the Bible and she said they would love to if only someone could teach them. My wife and Nicky willingly said “Yes” so the next day they had a study and sing sing and God truly Blessed.

On Sabbath a wonderful turn out of mamas, pikininis, youth and papas had gathered to our hut by the seaside to worship with us. We could trace the larger proportion of the group to the invitation of a special young lady named Lisa who had become close friends with my wife Naomi. Lisa was hungry for the truth and everything she learned during our stay there she wholeheartedly applied to her life. That Sabbath was Independence Celebrations for them so our message for them was that true freedom was found only in Jesus and that for those who would put there trust in Him every Sabbath was “Independence Day!”. Through the influence of Lise her papa and mama also wanted to study more in the future about what the Bible has to say and our Advent hope!

With a prayer, a handshake for every villager and a “goodnight” we left Wasaga on our way trekking back to Singalav on our way to Leon Bay that is the North Western tip of the island. After and hour or so we find ourselves again on the Black sand beach of Vereas Bay. Most the kids sick, Wes and I sick and one of the kids with a sprained ankle and everyone very tired! It had been such a full on flat stick pace and it was all starting to take a toll on the group. Up until this point we had avoided doing any open sea travel in Pr Peter’s 3 boat because of the obvious risks though in God’s great mercy the sea that day was calm and glassy. As it turned out it would be the last clam day of the trip as it was the beginning of big wind season with some 4m waves at its peak later that week! With a prayer we had God’s peace on the decision and we decided to go on Pr Peter’s boat to the next village Vatrata where we would work on an airstrip at Leon Bay. After landing on the rocky coral shore it was a steep 15-20m slippery climb up to the plateau where the village was. Here we received a very formal welcome and given the community long house to stay in.

The people again were friendly but something was different…Here ADRA hadn’t been before us and there was a reservation and almost chilliness behind the smiles of the people. The children only spoke the local language and French (as the local school was run by French speaking teachers) and so our children found it harder to make friends here. The people were more than happy to peek in and watch you but not really to come close and get to know you. This one was a real frontier for Adventist Mission. But there were those who weren’t so reserved and cautious of us. There was John and Olive and kids who were Adventists and lived some distance and across a large river from the village – they looked after us and worshiped with us. There was the AOG Pr Wilton and his wife Rawlin and the newly converted to AOG Jeanette and her family. As it turned out it was those who were not born in Vatrata who came close to us during our stay… Only God knows why. It did seem that there many who would have come and “hung out” but would only smile and say a few nice greetings and move on. Then there was David John who became a real brother to us during our trip and worked hard only side us the whole time. It was David who would take us to the big river to swim and hang out after work every day. Wes in particular love to swim in the beautiful mountain river.

It was 45min hike down the steep mountainside then along the coastline to get to the site of the airstrip. The land was fairly smooth which is perfect for an airstrip, the trees workable. From our initial surveying this looked like an easy one and if the people here worked as hard as they boasted they could it would have been a “walk in the park”. But something wasn’t right… The people just had no heart for the work. They would work in very short bursts and it seemed would prefer to go fishing for the afternoon or dig for crabs or just simply sit and watch us whilst drinking a green coconut from the tree that we had fallen previously…What could have been fairly straightforward work was proving to be difficult and dangerous, as the preparation work that could be done with many hands on bush knives was not being done. Sick with flu like symptoms and disheartened I was becoming frustrated. Here we were putting everything for these people working in the rain and yet they struggled to do the simple things to help make it safer and achievable. I was dealing with some risky trees to be falling and cutting up with little help from them and yet they ask me to cut a nice path for them so they can do their work with little effort! Or worse they call me off the airstrip to cut a log to chase coconut crabs! It was a real battle of the heart for me and I prayed so much for the likeness of Jesus to be in my heart.

By Friday I knew the only place for me was to go find Jesus at Calvary. With some time in the word of God and a soul-stirring hymn called “Were you there” I found myself broken and contrite and placed my helpless self in the hands of Jesus. What we learnt later was that a strong fear of evil spirits was one key factor in their reluctance to work. Some decades earlier the site of the airstrip was where the original village was placed but after a disaster involving an earthquake, landslide, tsunami combo killing many people and destroying the village it was considered that the land was cursed.

That Friday was to be our last day on the Leon Bay airstrip and the pressure was on to safely and prayerfully do all we could before the day was out for we planned to hike out on Sunday to finish the work we had left in Wasaga.

Here my story turns to my friend Wesley Mooi. This was the second trip Wes had come on. He was a deacon from Beaudesert SDA and an Auto Sparky with a careful methodical mind Wes was invaluable to the work we were doing and not only that a true Christian brother who was a real encouragement to me this trip.

It was Wes that by his quite and calm example had helped me when I was battling my heart there working with the people at Leon Bay Airstrip. That Friday morning Wes had an extra long devotion time with the LORD. There we were singing song after song with the kids waiting for Wes to join us until finally we closed with prayer, as Breakfast was ready! From there it was off to the strip down the same steep mountainside as before. It was super windy that day as we began to work. The people had come out in force and for the first time they were really beginning to work! We had 2 main objectives for this day. First was to cut up all that we had fallen to clear the runway section. Second was there were some massive trees including several huge Nambunga Trees along the far side away from the sea that had large branches arching over the strip which had to be either doctored or fallen. I was left to complete the first object as Pete and Wes who each had a lot of experience went to tackle the massive trees. By lunch they had successfully fallen the smaller but still huge Nambunga Tree. A Nambunga tree is something like a Curtain fig also known as a Banyan. It’s a huge twisted mess of a tree with no real trunk and sometimes the host tree dead inside. With that done we stopped for lunch. After lunch I was again left on the airstrip whilst Pete and Wes now went to tackle the biggest of the trees. You may assume that after a tree has been fallen its pretty harmless but this was in no way the case. After lunch I was dealing with some real dangerous stuff. A tree had been fallen and it had a branch towering up into the sky which was the size of a large tree itself with the main trunk on the ground but instead of sitting
still the entire tree was teetering like a see-saw ready to roll with any wrong move. With a prayer and the help of the locals and some vine the tree was safely rolled and grounded so I could cut it up. So I continued cutting up when all of a sudden I heard a ugly roaring and cracking of a tree breaking up…I turned to see the canopy of a huge Nambunga Tree fall apart almost the full face of the tree that faced the airstrip. I knew something had happened that wasn’t to plan but never imagined what was to unfold. Within moments a young man ran up to me, “Darren yu mas cum, Peter e ded!”…

I ran from where I was some 100m down the strip over and around piles of fallen trees and debris all the while hoping that my understanding of his Bislama was wrong. I came to the tree only to find Peter searching amongst the fallen massive branches of the Nambunga Tree. My heart was overwhelmed. Where is Wes? Please LORD, please let him be OK…Within moments we found Wes…Words are hard to find to describe the events that followed. Our brother Wesley had died serving the LORD in the mission field to open the way to Adventist Health Work to reach a people that so needed the true gospel to set them free from sin and fear.

With tears running down my face it was a heavyhearted walk back to village with the locals carrying Wes on a stretcher they had made. After a phone call to Dr Mark a decision was made that he needed to be taken to Sola on the east coast that night to help preserve him for his family and get him back to Australia as soon as possible. Peter along with the local men hiked the journey and managed to do it in a record 4hours at top speed.

We had come back to the village with the message to our children and ladies that Uncle Wes had died and oh how it broke their heart… I can say truly that my children have really grown through this mission trip and have a sense of the blessing and need for the gospel work to go forward and not even death can keep us from Jesus.

I would have gone with the men to take Wes to Sola however a turn of events happened that prevented me. Back on the airstrip the very last tree I was cutting was a tree that they had told me to never let the sap get into my eyes. But with the heartbreak and tears that only comes with the grief of losing a loved one I cried the sap right into my eyes. By the time I had reached the village I had all but lost my sight and was in real pain but my heart was for my wife and children and so I looked for them. After sharing a long firm embrace together in an attempt to heal the heart, with tears for our brother and speaking hope to the children the focus then turned to what was wrong with my eyes. Was it possible that I had cried myself blind!?

One of the young men who was an Anglican and had spent time with us because he said he loved Adventist hymns came to me and I heard him say something about water so I said yes please. Before long he had returned with a cup of water and was performing a chant circling the cup over my head as I knelt on the ground with my children. Realising that this was no water to wash my eyes I immediately told him to stop…. This highlighted for me just how shallow and fake their Christian experience was with the same Spiritualistic ways still very much a part of them today. The Devil still thinks that Vatrata is his but I know God will use this simple work we were privileged to be a part of and the story of Wes to break down the walls of fear and set the people free with the gospel….

I spent the rest of that afternoon down by the river letting the water run freely over my eyes. With the help of some sugar cane juice that the AOG pastors mother in law gave me, plenty of washing in the river and a lot of prayer I was functional by dinner time and was restored by the morning. Even this turned out for good. The Lord had stopped me in my tracks and all I could do was pray and oh how I needed to pray. All the time that I spent by the river I searched the mind for promises that I had hidden away which proved to be an anchor in a time like this.

Sabbath was solemn and yet we were at peace in the LORD. Peter and the boys returned from Sola just before lunch. They had spent the night in Sola with Dr Mark before returning and made the trip in record speed of 2hr 20mins! That Sabbath we sang and shared promises all day with the Adventist family and our
AOG friends. They were a real comfort to us. The rest of the villagers out of respect kept a distance though we would have welcomed them to worship with us.

Our brother now asleep until Jesus comes, we had the question of where to from here? The Mobile tower was out so we couldn’t contact anyone to discuss what to do… Is it game over? Do we leave and get the kids out? OR… DO we finish the work that we had been given to do and return to Wasaga as planned? So we prayed. We knew that God wanted us to go forward and complete the work and we also know that our brother Wes would have wanted us to as well. So we hiked back to Singalav, the Adventist village with the family.

Leaving our family in the care of our Adventist friends Pete and I with the men of Singalav hiked the next day with the chainsaw gear to Wasaga to finish the work God had called us to do. Oh how we had to continue to pray. Often I would find myself shedding a tear but then girding myself in the strength of the LORD. That day the 4 large trees we left were successfully and safely felled and the next day we spent cutting up. That arvo we left with many tearful embraces… Our work done but the LORD’s work only just beginning…After hiking back to the east coast and returning to the mission base at Gaua where Mark and his family have there home we had time to reflect and learn from our journey. What we discovered was that if we had decided to go home after Wesley had died the fear of the people would have deepened and the work of completing an airstrip would have ceased. The decision to go forward said Our God is greater than any evil spirit and even if the devil should kill us the work of the LORD will go forward!

The Story of Wes and the work that was done in West Vanua Lava will travel through all the islands of Vanuatu and it is our prayer that God who makes all things work for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose will use this for victory.

Wesley Mooi - who fought the good fight.

Take home lesson from the trip: ROMANS 8:35-38 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Live for Jesus. Love for Jesus. Love not just in word but also in deed. Trust Him in every way and rejoice always. Anchor your hope in Him. He is calling you. He has a mission for you to do to. Will you let Him work through your life today?

In brotherly love,

Darren Vaotuua
--------------------------------------------------------
In loving memory of our brother Wesley John Mooi who died serving the LORD
with his whole heart. His prayer was always Ps 51:10,11 and Wes cherished the
answer in Ez 36:26. Wes loved beautiful things and took time to appreciate them.

Heaven will be full of beautiful things

The day the trees were cleared

2011-11-06T03:25:00.000-08:00

Capt. Faato calling the shots

It's the 6th of November, it's now 8.45pm and I'm as tired as a three-toed sloth after running a marathon. Today was a working bee, and our Deacon Leader Fatoaaga had made it quite clear and given us ample time to make today the date where the men would get together to clear the trees at the back of the church. He mentioned to e that it would begin at 8am, however I didn't arrive until closer to 9am, finding George, Callum on the whipper snipper, Fato mowing away, and Anthony weeding in the front garden. Fato said to tidy up around the grounds until the truck and chainsaws arrived so I joined Anthony and we discussed his 3 month leave trip while weeding away.

Soon more numbers turned up, Jake turned up with a chansaw, and both Fato and Jake gave us a run down on what and how to we were keep safety a priority.

Anthony pulling branches to the pile

The job started, and more numbers joined the ranks with Peter's truck that he kindly lended us, (with Peter and Darren inside) and bigger chainsaws. Once the chainsaws arrived, the falling of trees was rapid. Craig, and Peter were the main players in getting the trees down, then George, Fato, and Jake started cleaning up the branches.

The rest of us, ranging from the youngest boys Jeff and Callum to our eldest soldier Ross, dragged the branches and logs into a pile, and eventually the pile to the truck.

The dark horse for me today was the young buck Callum, this guy worked like a machine and after he left, the boys and I were discussing how intimidating it was to work with someone that works double-time. He gave me timely advice on how to use certain tools and how avoid double or triple handling, and he looked as if he was in his element.

It did cause me to think also that the men at our church needed something like this. Callum won't be quick to put his hand up when looking for someone to lead out in a service, but at doing what we were doing today, he rose above standard.

Callum and Sam moving the larger branches

Quite often we don't get this opportunity, as our evangelical efforts are based around seminars, small group discussions, talks etc. I don't mind this stuff, actually I'm more comfortable with it, but getting the hands dirty, working up a sweat, getting cuts, blisters etc brings a man back to his core creation of arduous work. It's rewarding and it's fun.

All the men enjoyed working, talking, and teaching each other as we carried out the work that needed to be done. The job was hard and we were volunteers working in the hot sun, but together. We had a laugh and socialised both on breaks and during work, and we lunched together.

We didn't finish up until around 5pm, the job is still not yet complete, but it sure is satisfying to see the huge difference of how it was before, and how it is now.

All us men that attended have left our mark on the back of the EL church. We can tell our kids and the future EL members that we were there the day that the trees were cut down so that driveway, gazebo, garden etc could be placed there. It's too bad this isn't as frequent as it was for men in past generations. But I'm sure glad that we can recreate this environment. Maybe the men at EL should seriously start thinking on how we could continue and maintain this comradare......a possible mission overseas perhaps? Maybe even offering our services on community projects?

The money the EL donated will be going to assist Darrens pastor Friend in Vanuatu, so we're happy to do it for this reason, but surely we can find more.

God bless all the men today, thanks heaps to Fato for giving up a full Sunday to dedicate to the project (and yes I am fully aware you were at Haylees 21st the night before.....and I left before you too). I really enjoyed it. I hope we can do it again sometime.

Shalom,

Dave

Double portion of blessings in a Single weekend - Weddings and Baptisms

2011-10-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

I've left this a tad late, but better late than never as the thoughts and the feelings haven't really faded from the weekend two weeks back.

Sabbath Morning (Sat Morning) - October 8th had the church service running at a different pace. That morning was a demonstration and a public ceremony of 6 individuals who had being familiarising themselves with Christ, the Word and recognising their value as a Child of God and in return they wanted to declare that they had entered a committed relationship as such.

It's always exciting as it reminds me of my commitment, and the excitement that Christ brings in my life, and that the biggest miracle is the fact that our thought patterns, and life styles can be changed.......all because our creator is willing to recreate us.

It was an incredibly fitting ceremony for two of them in particular as they were to marry the following morning. Joe and Janice are a couple that I have known for awhile, Joe I've known since teaching him in our teens class at church a decade back, and Janice...some time after Joe had met her.

This relationship hasn't been the rosiest cliche romance novel, in fact it was riddled with trials and challenges that even I recall Joe saying "I just can't handle it, I don't see any way out"

Joe and Janice were still in high school when Janice became pregnant to their first child. As you can imagine, this introduced complications in their personal lives that media often informs of "Teen Mums/Pregancy etc". Joe being a typical Samoan, from a Christian family, still young and looking to a future in football, became embarrassed and confused. His absence from church was duly noted, but it never stopped the church from going to him.

Janice on the other hand was battling with Joe being confused, and wondering why he couldn't just step up to the plate. She too was young, and had aspirations herself, but circumstances had changed with baby in the picture and seemingly single-handledly raising their son.

It's been four years since that time, and after many prayers, family support, and from friends and church, they themselves appear to be babies as they start their new walk with Christ.

I had the privilege of spending Tue nights this past year, in Bible Studies with Joe, and frequently he would pause, (so the whole group would pause knowing he's in thought) and he would say, "it's buzzy how God always has another way". It's a sure contrast to his previous philosophy. But it's true 1 Cor 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

This past year he gave up one of his most prized passions, Rugby League Football, and not only that he was playing at representative level. The reason why, because he wanted to focus on his relationshiop with Christ and family. This was evident in his dedication to not only quitting the game but also studying on Tue nights, and attending another bible study group with Janice on wednesday nights run by another indivual from our church. The changes in his character, attitude, behaviour and demanour came by default.

The following Sunday was their wedding day, and the whole event was saturated with an aura of the two being overwhelmed with their commitment to each other. I thought and felt so much towards the both of them as I reflected on Janice saying about two years ago that all she wanted was for Joe to commit to her and the kids and make them his number one. I remembered how Joe went from being hopeless, drifting , and thinking himself ill-equipped to play the role, to repeatedly share through his baptism and wedding speeches that "God was there all the time, and He always has a way"

What a thrill it is to be a witness to these type of commitments! Although Bapstisms are to symbolise the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus. There are so many parallels that we can draw between the baptism and wedding ceremonies.

For instance:

It 's a public ceremony and declaration
It's binding by sharing vows
You are entering a relationship for eternity
You agree to have roles to play in this relationship
Counselling is involved

And the wedding of bride and groom is the perfect illustration that is used in the bible. The wedding ceremony is not to make the bride and groom perfect. But to assist and aid them in increasing their faith towards each other and to hold them accountable before God and many witnesses. When they share their vows, they haven't yet fulfilled what they're saying. They are simply telling the other person what they intend and promise to do in this covenant relationship. That is faith. And when husband and wife rise to the occasion. That is works. And the more works is motivated by faith, the closer the relationship becomes and the stronger the unit works together.

The Bride and the Groom look at each other, and embedded in the list of vows and the display of ceremony are the unsaid words "I love you as you are right now, I know you and what you were, but right now I love you, and I am willing to face the rest of my life trusting and working with you"

Glory to God for preserving these ceremonies, and working in these individuals, thank you to Peter, Lydia, Gillary, Patrick, Janice and Joe for sharing your walk and accepting our family, and thank you to Joe and Janice for trusting in the Father and allowing us to witness your miracle. May you all continue to trust him even more as a new couple.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Shalom,

Dave

Jingle bell's stress bells are ringing!

2011-10-19T02:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it’s that time of year... struggling to make ends meet financially? Finding it hard to make time available for quality family time? Head in the gutter over studying? Stressed? Lacking motivation or the happiness in life? Well Christmas is just around the corner... with that season greetings and jingle bells ringing. For some Christmas maybe far fetched... before then there are other things or duties to tend to: Work, uni, school, church, and other tasks that occupy your time. What may seem as obvious sources of stress can be seen as a blessing in our lives...

For instance we need money for general expenses which in modern times can be challenging for parents and those with these duties and can take a toll mentally and physically. We’ve been encouraged to seek and set out to be successful in our studies. Younger children in primary and secondary education are setting out to pursue the same trend in being successful. For those sporting fanatics world cup is drawing to its end with the number one ranked team ‘All Blacks’ set to take on ‘ the French’ a repeat of the 1987 world cup. Sporting individuals: preseason and trials are just around the corner for many sporting teams and codes. Conditioning your body and being match fit maybe a major priority in mind. People with church positions maybe hoping for time to come a little bit faster...These are all reasons that can contribute to stress and a sense of failure may kick in, feelings of being inadequate or hard done by cause you feel you could’ve done better.

This time for me is quiet challenging, for a uni student this time matters with major exams in sight. I know for others this time maybe challenging for you as well. In saying this when we are feeling stressed, lacking motivation or direction for our lives it’s a wise decision to seek help... it is times like this we ought to seek God! Sometimes we only come to him when things are going wrong lesson learned a life with Christ is not all smooth sailing, because the flesh is weak but the spirit is willing. There are storms, but in these storms God seeks to know where our hearts are. Even when things seem perfect and fine is there thanksgiving, more importantly is it channelled back to him? “if you aren’t struggling there’s something wrong” sometimes to struggle is not a bad thing there is a refining process in progress... one preacher said “we are always going to God saying what big problems we have in life. How about we try going to our problems and say how big and great our God is and how he is able!” if he created the universe and everything in it, every being. Surely this places a positive prospective on the problems we seemingly label “big” are they? our problems are not ours so give it to God. When we are going through a storm God is always there but we are sometimes fiapoko and try in our own might to row to safety not knowing God was asking for the paddle to row and steer us through the storm.

Christmas is around the corner, a lot maybe happening in your life we live in a time that screams out BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!!!... But don’t let our busy lives be a reason that we are choosing our careers and education over quality time with family friends and loved ones. But ultimately don't let it be the reason you don’t join in the greatest party ever planned, that’s just around the corner as well and when he comes we can fist pump and there will be no more hardships, no more exams no more early mornings for work or any else that may be deemed as important but stressful in life just eternity with him. Take time to seek him and all the cares of this world seem conquerable, Because he lives! He is our father in heaven but he is the best’s friend you could always depend on. Exams are my biggest concerns at the moment but by asking him to walk with me during this hectic time i can succeed! “ i can you can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” dedicate our job to him, dedicate our studies to him dedicate whatever we do to him and life will be worth living.

Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths

#StayintheBeam

ELZ - Prodigal Son

2011-05-29T04:31:00.000-07:00

Epa took us through the story of the prodigal son. When breaking it down analytically, one cannot help but feel impressed and acknowledge the well put-together presentation. For the first time he has actually spoken at church, be it even to a small group of youth, it was a powerful talk.

I can only deduce it down to a number of things.

He was reading straight from a parable from scripture which defaults it to the fact the Holy Spirit was given free reign.
Epa recently experienced something similar to the prodigal son
He is currently experiencing something right now that is similar to this parable
When we're talking about Jesus' parables, we can all relate!

But one awesome thing that most of the people in the audience were not aware of, was the prayers and discussions that took place behind the scenes. You see, the Bible clearly teaches that the "Angel of the Lord' will go before you Exodus 23:20 "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." is only one example)

Epa had been praying prior to this, and I also had been praying a similar prayer with Epa. Which was to send the Angel of the Lord before Epa to prepare him for his talk. Moreso, Epa had brought up a name of one his close friends to pray for, and we did, and on more than one occasion. The first challenge was to get him there, the next was for God to open up his heart to His calling. And GUESS WHAT?! Epa's friend wasn't only there (Epa invited him of course). His friend also wanted to give his heart to Christ and had committed to coming to the Tuesday night bible studies!

This here is where you have no inkling of doubt that the God we serve is for real! Not a past tense or futuristic God but one how is also, and mostly interested in you life-right-now GOD. YEAH! He longs for you to prayer similar prayers and for you to make those responses. And God isn't just interested in what takes place in the sermons. He's wants to take you backstage VIP pass style, then and only then will you understand his loving kindness that is offered to all humanity.

I continue to pray for Epz and his friend, as there is not doubt that the enemy will call for reinforcements to stop any soul from grasping the hand of the Saviour! Take half hour of your day right now to hear his talk below.

Shalom,

Dave

The Girls at Edens Landing

2011-05-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

This blog is going up while I'm thinking of it. It's regarding the young girls at the Edens Landing SDA church. I hope that you will receive this message in the tone that it's intended to be and that is a word of affirmation, not glorification or worse yet blatant flattery.

I have observed for a long time now, and I risk being misinterpreted here, but I am very grateful for the girls that I know at ELSDA. In a world and society that is crazily under attack from subtle to the most obvious profanities, and for the young people, mostly via media, music,video, social networking etc. The message that seems to be barraging girls is to look "sexy", now when I was 15, if a girl wore high shorts, or a skimpy singlet, that was considered (insert politically correct word here). Today it's the norm, maybe because Brisbane is a pretty warm city, but young girls strutting around in this gear is mediocre. First off, it begins with the push of a concept, which enters the mind of a fashion designer finding a niche in the market, and then you find these strange clothes in the kids section? AYYYEE??? It's all a deliberate dilemma for girls, trying yet again to further identify themselves with their aesthetics.

However! What I find with the women (or girls for want of a more appropriate word), is that they often look and scrub up very well when it comes to the clothing department. There doesn't seem to be a push to look like a girl working the curb corners in the red light district if you know what I mean? Not just at church, but in general. Why I make this observation is that our clothes usually says something about our character, and from what I know about most of our girls, they have great character. Pretty, courteous and intelligent. This is encouraging to see and know because, I have young girls that a very dear to me, namely, my nieces and my daughter. And I really want them to pick up on this trait as well.

Some have asked how I hooked up with Sokha when she wasn't a christian or samoan. My answer is this, it was character. I had been with girls that ticked most of the boxes, but Sokha was one of a kind, she wasn't and SDA christian, but everything that Dad told me to look out for was there in my (now) wife.

· How does she treat her Dad?

· Is she hospitable?

· Is she industrious? (Please ask me what the means if you don't know)

· And more from my father's advice

She ticked all those boxes, and it was no surprise that when she started bible studies, Jesus was right and perfect for her because she could now acknowledge the source of who had been carving and continues to carve her character.

Unfortunately there's a downside, when girls of your kind with such high calibre are around, guys who are walking in the shadows are not only intimidated but are not suitable for you. If you choose to make the biggest commitment in your life, you will need a man who can match your calibre. 2 Cor 6:14 - Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? And these type of guys are few and far between. My encouragement to you is stay close to God. God created Eve for Adam, so you would need to keep this in mind. Adam was asleep, and God brought Eve to him. So it nearly appears that the best type of guy to look for is one who is "created" by God and is "asleep" I relate to this word as "not looking" because when I met Sokha, I certainly was not interested in a marriage relationship. God bless you girls, So although most girls have been conditioned to think they should look "sexy" it should really be about "character" - that is where true beauty exists. I look forward to seeing you grow into women that God intended you to be!

Shalom,

Dave

South Brisbane AY Service

2011-05-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

Sabbath weekend past was another choc-a-block Sabbath. With a Friday night practice, an awesome Mother's day sermon by Pr Swavek, a power packed Sabbath School lesson led by new-comer Stormy Jack, and then church lunch.

First off, I was blessed in more ways than one. Daisy inspired us in devotion about how the man-of-opportunity Nehemiah was to spearhead the project in rebuilding Jerusalem. What a great story! Then the songs came together pretty quickly.

Most of our youth made it to South Brisbane on time (Big thumbs UP!). And for the most part we all made it for the first song of rise & build. Personally I was shocked on a few levels, I didn't realise I was doing the opening prayer until I saw the program, and I didn't know that we were in for two main meals if you know what i'm saying? I had "assumed" that the first was an appetiser followed by the mains, but I was wrong. The health talk was informative, and I received a few uppercuts from it too. But in all cases it's a must to be healthy. The second talk I was in and out but from what I gathered it sounded interesting. I only struggled with the "Unbelief is a sin" comment that kept being emphasised, as doubt is not a sin. George cleared that up for me this morning, simply put "doubt = undecided, unbelief=pure rejection". So if anyone thought the same, I hope that helps.

I'm so proud of all of you, not so much that you all sounded like angels and sung awesomelly, but that you've committed on a number of occasions to get to practices, and also show up at where we're suppose to sing. It's important that you note our parents that support, and also other church members who come to see you all. This is evidence that you're not left to minister or witness on your own. I'll say this, and I'll keep saying it again, the friends you have around you now maybe the only circle of friends that you will feel comfortable to discuss real issues, pray together and discuss biblical topics. So don't take us all for granted.

Great feedback was had by a lot of people, but I had to scoot off real quick and didn't get to meet to much of the south brisbane folk and you too. Thanks heaps to Juanita (and your Dad of course) for rousing up video and also the great photo's. (I hope we can all take leaf from Juanita and see how much of a blessing it is to keep record of our youth goings-ons).

So let's keep this ball rolling. I'm looking forward to seeing what fruit is in store for our youth. You know what's really buzzy about the Nehemaiah story? If you keep reading it through, you'll find that at the opening of the new Jerusalem, it says that the celebrations which included a HUGE choir could be heard miles away!! WHOA MAN! That's the kind of celebration we should look forward to, that's the kind of choir style we should be singing, that's the kind of Jesus that brings this type of blessings for us! YEAAAH BUDDDAY! God bless you all this week!

Click here for the video to Rise and Build.

Shalom,

Dave

SOUTH BRISBANE SDA MAP

2011-05-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

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ELSDAY 2011 Calendar

2011-04-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

YWOP - Meeting 6 "I am the true Vine"

2011-03-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

What a strange thing to say, the Vine? When I think of Vines I think of Tarzan swinging of hanging vines in the jungle. This is definitely not the reference Jesus was making when he spoke about being the True Vine. Check out this video below, and then we'll have a closer look what he meant when these words were spoken in John 15.

Jesus said he was the True Vine, or the stock tree, and we are the branches to be grafted on. Notice how Juan had carefully cut both the scion (branch) and stock tree to allow the grafting to lock in together? Well same thing applies to us. When it comes to committing to a relationship with Jesus, we are saying that we are ready to "cut off" things in our lives in our to join with Him, who has already made the necessary sacrifice for us to join. The cut is precise and is especially designed for you to fulfill.

From here fruit will grow because of our union with the stock tree. You see, the stock tree is sturdy, is able to withstand the onslaught of seasonal conditions, and also has stronger immunity to bugs and diseases. Likewise, our relationship to Christ, there is nothing that comes from us, it all flows from the nutrients supplied by Him to us, that we may produce fruit.

What is this fruit? Galatians 5:22 says "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Notice how this is one fruit that provides all these attributes. We are left with no excuses when we join in a relationship with Christ. We can not say, oh I have love and joy, but the others I don't, and I've been like this my whole life, I can't change. When you've been grafted, these things should have been cut off, and you now receive your life blood from another source, the true vine.

"I am the true vine, with me you can do nothing", absolutely nothing. A scion sitting by itself produces nada, but the one who attaches himself to the one who says he will give us life abundantly will produce fruit beyond measure. Isn't it your desire to be a person who is able to bless others with good fruit? Your family, friends, even strangers. Then start there, begin with going to the true vine who has especially cut wedge just for you.

Shalom,

Dave

YWOP - Meeting 5 - I am the way, the truth and the life

2011-03-23T18:54:00.001-07:00

I was relieved to be able to receive rather than five the reading tonight. Jake took us through the book of John 14-17 and broke down john 14:6 in particular.

It's a strange concept for a person to say that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We have been conditioned to think of these things as intangible, but the words that Jesus utters, indicate that he is "the", not "a" Way, Truth and the Life. We find the Way, Truth and Life by looking to him? Jake explained how "the way" infers mainly two things. 1. Direction and 2. The How-to. The first hints at a journey, which will require everything needed for a journey. You will assume that he knows where he's going, you will need to follow, and there is a final destination where you will eventually arrive. The second surmise is the "I will show you the way to do it", the how-to. Not only are we going on this journey, we are being shown how to walk this journey. In other words we're not left on our own to work it out for ourselves.

The Truth -Jake read a story about of a Mother's seemingly harmless act (of calling in a "sickie" to work, when she wasn't really) had influenced her young son to reciprocate a similar behaviour to his teacher at school. Encouragingly, this lead her to feel guilty and explain to her son that what she did was wrong, and her son encouraged her Mum to pray for forgiveness. They did, and healing took place immediately. The reading touched suggested there can be no forgiveness when there is no confession. How does one forgive another when the offender shows no sign, or speaks no word of remorse for their offense. The Truth is, God will forgive because he loves us, and will love us no matter what the circumstance is. If you're a parent, do you hate your child after he's/she's broken your favourte vase? Of course your upset, your child needs to acknowledge their responsibility, and discipline should be administered to avoid a "next-time", but do you stop loving them? God forbid! The Truth is we need to confess and be repentant of our failures and short comings because God our Father loves us this very minute, even if you haven't acknowledged that truth.........yet.

In the bible John 10:10, Jesus says, "I will give you life, and life abundantly.". These words mean more than we really realise. We often wake up every morning without one thought as to why our heart is beating, and our respitory system is functioning. According to that text, our life only exists because he allows it! WHOA! This deserves further investigation. But he doesn't stop there he says, I'll give you life abundantly. The life that we live here on earth doesn't need to be the "groundhog" -"day in to day out the same old thinking", life is not about trudging through just so we can grow old and die. Jake gave us an acronym and it goes like this:

J -Jesus: the source of where we can find fullness of life

O -Others: Loving others makes for a whole new perspective in life

Y -Yourself: Knowing that you are loved no matter what, is the life.

I encourage you to read the past blogs, if you haven't already, and even better go to the readings themselves at http:// gcy.bigfoottech.com/MediaPublications/ YouthWeekOfPrayer/tabid/100/ Default.aspx

I truly enjoyed the service from songs to o Jakes talk, prayer group sessions, and closing with our theme song "You are my all in all". This can't be further from the Way, the Truth and the Life, Jesus Christ is mine, and your "all in all". Will you accept the Way, Truth and the Life?

Shalom,

Dave

YWOP - Meeting 4 " I am the good Shepherd"

2011-03-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Well we've completed meeting 4 and it appears we're on a bit of a journey. First we were told that he is the light, and then he is the door, so imagine a street light allowing us to see a door to a particular house, we knock on that door and He opens it to invite us in to eat of the bread. Well now, he says after eating, follow me, "I am the good Shepherd".

Shepherding isn't the flashiest occupation that a typical year 12 student would quickly mention when asked "what will you do when you finish high school?" in fact, for the most part a lot of us don't see much of it at all. As a kid I remember seeing this show come on every Sunday morning about shepherding and that's as much as I'd been exposed to it. It wasn't until Sokha and I went on our honeymoon did I notice how gentle these animals were, and I was able to relate a lot of biblical illustrations this time around.

A number of things we misunderstand about shepherding in bible times:

The Shepherd lead from the front. By calling and training his sheep with a particular call, they know who they are responding to, and will not follow a stranger.
The Shepherd protects and takes care of his sheep. By making a clearway, building dams in streams for the sheep to drink, attending to their requirement for aid, (injuries, sickness etc.
He knew his sheep individually by name and took a stock take every night before laying down.
And he lays down his life for his sheep. WOW.

The thing is Jesus is a good shepherd, and he actually wants us to emulate his leadership qualities. Are we shepherds, are you leading people to improve their life quality? If you are, do you follow the four points above?

It's amazing how God called two leaders in particular to take up training first as shepherds before he gave them the reins to lead his people. The first is Moses, and the second David who went from shepherd to king.

When one of the sheep was lost, the shepherd would search high and low for the lost sheep. The shepherd would call out in his distinctive call, and the lost sheep would respond as it heard his masters voice. When the shepherd found it's lost sheep, he removes him from the bush, or crevice under a rock, and celebrates all the way back to the pen.

So it is with us, our main objective is to lead the soul back. Not jump on an All-Terrain bike, get the herd dogs and force them back to the fold. We must allow them to get familiar with the distinctive voice, and allow them to call our for the master. We then may respond by leading them through until such time they can identify the voice for themselves.

Shalom,

Dave

YWOP - Meeting 3 "I am the bread of life" John 6:48

2011-03-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

As a kid growing up in a suburban corner of Auckland, New Zealand, bread was one the foods that was always in the pantry. It appeared it was the same in all my friends household too (except for my indian and chinese buddies, but they use to have some awesome after school snacks)

It's an easy go to type of food, put on some butter and any of your favorite spreads, and voila you have yourself a snack. It's also easy to access, for most of us we go to the store, exchange money for bread, and you're onto it. I have friends that actually make their bread and it's really yummy.

Well it was the same in Jesus time also, however, bread was not as easily accessible as it is in our time. It was a bit of a chore to make bread. First the wheat had to separated from the stem, then ground to make flour to mix in with other ingredients and then finally have it baked into bread. It would take about two hours to make bread, and their bread contained all the nutrition that wheat was originally made to provide our bodies.

In John 6, Jesus Christ performs the awesome miracle of feeding thousands of people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish provided by a little boy with a will to share. Following this, the people needed more evidence and they hinted at Christ to prove himself by performing a similar miracle in the old testament (providing manna from heaven, didn't Satan do a similar tempation in Matthew 4?). Jesus then proceeds to explain that they need to eat from the flesh, the bread of life, which is him. Well, as you could imagine, they believed Jesus was endorsing cannibalism and inviting them to eat him. But what was he talking about?

A thorough look into the bible will reveal that he was talking about having a through look into the bible. His word is the bread of life. When we partake of the word of Christ we nourish our spiritual being. The bread that Jesus was referring to was his word, the Holy Bible itself.

We are invited to eat from his word and digest on this wholesome bread. So as much as you depended on your breakfast to see you through the day, so it is with you needing his words to sustain your thoughts and behaviour, through the day and life in general.

Why don't you start by reading one of the stories, start with John 1, and you'll soon get to John 6 in no time. Here's a toast to you!

Shalom,

Dave

YWOP - meeting 2 - I am the door - John 10:2

2011-03-20T04:18:00.001-07:00

I use to enjoy listening to a famous band called "the doors" in my dark ages. I thought they were pretty clever in touching on the concept that they were trying to teach their audience to "break on through to the other side", which was from reality to the abstract, by means of exploring the psychedelic of the mind via the use of various stimulants. Their lives didn't really give us much to work with because their attempts to break through was always momentary.

Little did I know. Jesus said "i am the door" way back. What did he mean?
Well tonight there were only a small number of us to discuss but we covered a lot of ground. Rob Tila, Temz, Bex, Rymone, Sam and me were able to explore the following, doors are for:

1. Opening: Christ opens himself to us and a life of abundance. John 10:10

2. Shutting: Christ shuts out selfishness and all the friends, characteristics, possessions that weigh us down. Staying warm is another reason to shut the door. Also often we are shut in for our protection but we often misinterpret it as deprivation.

3. Let's in and let's out: only Christ has the say so on this point.

Point is: we are not the door He is! And Rev 3:20 says He "stands at the door and knocks" on the door of our hearts to see if we will open. He doesn't "break on through" he seeks our permission.

What is your response? Not today, be a minute, try to tidy up first? Our only task is to open the door and invite him in. He's keen to come in and help tidy the mess. Listen.......someone's at the door.

Shalom,

Dave

YWOP - Meeting 1 "I am the light of the light of the world"

2011-03-19T04:10:00.000-07:00

We started with a prayer at around quarter to five With David doing the honours amongst Rob, Steve and I
After a short wait, a few started to show And by ten past five, we were ready to go

We opened with songs "This little light of mine" and "Give me the Bible". With a quick intro from David and laying down what to expect in the following week, Steve followed with a short prayer and began his talk. Steve shared certain aspects of what it means to be me, I mean who do I say I am when people ask? He then went on to explain how Christ is the light source, and how he commissioned us to be the light of the world. The moon and sun illustration really stood out (refer to David's recent Facebook status'), and also about how cold it gets where Steve stays, and how much he appreciates the sun rising in the morning as it slowly radiates it's light and warmth, until we are totally clothed in it. Much like how Christ works in our lives.

We ended with the song "You are my all in all" and separated into groups to pray. I hope that our youth will form the habit in powerfully holding each other up in prayer.

And these are the events of what happened at our Youth Meeting today..

By Roddy Gairo

Biblical Fasting

2011-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

Biblical Fasting - Is fasting necessary for today’s Christian church?

Biblical fasting is a spiritual discipline which was encouraged by Jesus, Himself, while He was on earth. When questioned as to why the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist fasted while Jesus disciples did not, Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15).

Jesus was indicating that fasting would become a necessity when, the bridegroom (Jesus) was taken away. While Jesus, who was God manifested in human form, was still on earth, His followers enjoyed a close fellowship and friendship with Him. Jesus bestowed power and authority on them to the extent that they had limited power to preach, heal the sick, and cast out devils. Similarly, when Jesus sent them out to minister to the populace, He instructed them to take few provisions. “Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’ ‘Nothing,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one’” (Luke 22:35-36).

Jesus was teaching that after His departure, the entire dynamic would change and the disciples would need a different type of preparation and provision. Fasting was to be a vital part of this new preparation. The new covenant is based on the truth that we have received everything in Christ, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Nevertheless, we cooperate with the Spirit in the working out of our salvation with much prayer, meditation, and the study of God’s Word. In addition to all these spiritual practices, Christians should also employ the humbling discipline of fasting.

Biblical Fasting - Is there a proper method to fasting?

Biblical fasting, unlike fasting for medical or health reasons, must be done with an attitude of seriousness and sincerity. When we fast, we willingly deprive the body of nourishment and the pleasurable taste of food. The body requires food for sustenance; therefore our hearts and minds must be totally focused and directed towards God so that He may be the full source of our strength during our period of fasting.

Fasting must also be done in an attitude of humility. It is not necessary for others to know we are fasting; it is directed towards God. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:17-18).

In addition to our attitudes towards God and our stance before man, our motives must also be correct. We should fast in order to further the building up of God’s kingdom by seeking to minister to others. The prophet Isaiah received from the Lord the acceptable motives for our fasts: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter -- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isaiah 58:6-7).

Fasts may last for varying lengths of time -- one day, three days, seven days, and more. We should prayerfully seek the Lord about the length of our fast. Fasting should have an object in mind; we should have a clear idea of the need and purpose. One of the most pressing reasons for Christian fasting may be revival -- “Will you not revive us again. . .” (Psalm 85:6).

Biblical Fasting - What are the benefits of Christian fasting?

Biblical fasting brings us into a closer union with God. While our bodies are being deprived for the purpose of drawing near to God, He has promised in return to draw near to us. This is a spiritual certainty. As we decrease, the Spirit increases. As individuals we are strengthened and renewed. “. . .Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

While this verse applies to our eternal destiny, the principle applies to our daily sojourn; as we humble and deprive our bodies through fasting, our spiritual man is made stronger and our senses more acute. This principle served the apostles well during the early church days. Their decisions were made through fasting and prayer; God gave them instructions and directions. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3).

Wicked kings, destined for destruction, received mercy from humbling themselves and fasting (1 Kings 21:29). The entire city of Nineveh, including animals, fasted upon hearing the pronouncement of judgment from the prophet Jonah -- and God spared them (Jonah 3:10). Jesus received divine preparation for His earthly ministry while fasting and enduring temptation. Moses waited upon God forty days and received the divine revelation of God’s commandments.

While we await the return of the bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, fasting exemplifies our attitude of spiritual hunger -- the promise is that we will be satisfied. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6)

(Sourced from: http://www.allaboutgod.com/biblical-fasting.htm)

Shalom

Dave

Australia Day Series with Edens

2011-01-24T02:43:00.001-08:00

I would've written this blog lastnight had not it been that I was tired from the sun, the excercise and the overall fun at Underwood park.

Yesterday was the first official Youth social for the Edens Landing Seventh Day Adventist Youth group, and the weather was turned on for it too praise God! He even gave us a few overcasts for relief.

It was an awesome turnout, thanks to the communication skills of brother Temz, and I'm sure others spread the word too, however I later discovered that a lot of our people were a tad confused about the location. I repeat Underwood park is in Underwood (Priestdale really) and it's a great place for families to go, as there is a playground, ample gas BBQ's, fields, a BMX track and even a half basket ball court!

Well we decided we'd warm up with a game of touch football, and when we were all warmed up we prepared ourselves for the Cricket match. I was so warmed up I thought I was done for the day.

The teams were split by regions, and one team was South of the Logan River Bridge, and the other team North of the bridge as suggested by Aaron Travers. The captains for the teams were Rob Tila representing the North, and Tema Iosefa representing the South. Rob won the coin toss and he chose to bat.

Souths

Tema Iosefa (c)

Jeff Eludme

Rymone Autufuga

Fui (George Rimoni)

Mary Sasa

Delon Mannering

Willie Iosefa

Liki Soochoon

Andrew Leo

Victor Assedjian

Fa'atoaga Lavea

Norths

Rob Tila (c)

Tom Eludme

Stans Mano'o

Henry Suluvale

Janine Cass

David Leo

Jose Sasa

Aaron Travers

Sam Magele

Anae (Jacob) Okesene

Epa Iosefa

It was quite clear from the start that Sam was a threat for the batting side, (North) but it soon turned out that the South team had their speed bowler Willie Iosefa and their leg spinner Delon Mannerring showing the skills from South Africa. The first four bowls saw the North team with 12 points and were looking quite promising, but soon the South team were still 12 points with 3 out. Tom added a few more points, and their partnership managed to steal a few runs to increase the points. Sam held his own, and the first inning closed with 97 points 6 out. Some nice fielding though, with a couple of beautiful catches.

Lunch was scrumptious, veggie burger patties made by Sokha and Tilly Leo, and the snags (sausages) courtesy of Sanitarium. Everyone enjoyed their burgers and hot dogs, and got their stomachs saturated with the Lime mix cordial, and then all were ready for the 2nd innings. Alas, we had more people arrive by the time lunch finished and the 1st inning were to continue to balance out the numbers.

So with 3 extra players and Sam still sticking it out to the end. The final score was 141 points to 8 out. It was then Souths turn to bat, and the Norths to show their skills, and it was soon quite obvious that our most skilled, was a speed bowler, Epa Iosefa, and Aaron struggled out fielding due to an early injury before the game. Rymone showed that he must've been honing his batting skills at home, and their score was soon increasing. Jeff clearly affected by the heat had a hard time focusing on the incoming ball, but he put a few points on the board too. Liki showed good form, and Mary stayed on for a long period of time (not to say she hit many, lol). Fa'atoaga came with a horizontal swing, reminiscent of swinging the kilikiti bat, but it and it proved quite strong. But strong communication amongst the South's team saw the Norths strike out at 126 points to 8 out. First game to the Norths.

The second game was changed to 20 overs to limit the time. But the Norths stayed consistent and pulled off another win in similar fashion. And Janine showed that she had a South African swing of her own in her arsenal. Although it is understandable that the Souths were fielding on the climatic hot period of the day, and Nato (Andrew) left a hole in the slip zone.

With that all aside, everyone enjoyed the day out. It was fantastic to have most of our Edens Landing Youth together, and I hope to see it more often in the future. Awesome cheering from both teams to support their players and big thank you to all for a game played in good cheer, and fun for me and all! We'll have to do it again some time, what do you say?

Shalom

Dave

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