G'Day Open Road!
Martine and I are down the Gold Coast from Mon-Wed for a national conference on Church Planting (starting new, Jesus-focused churches) called, Exponential.
We have been greatly encouraged to personally renew our focus on Jesus and to continue to encourage you all in the same! Jesus, himself, truly holds the answers to our deepest human needs.
This Sunday I'm kicking off a new "series" that focuses on 14 of Jesus' teachings on the mission he is inviting you to join him in. We start by looking at Jesus' instruction to "seek first the Kingdom of God"! In other words, the first step in discovering your purpose in this world is to discover God's purpose for us all!
If you would like to stay in touch with what's coming up, I've organised all 52 of the teachings of Jesus that I'm taking us through by downloading a PDF I call 52 Follow: 52 ways to lovingly follow Jesus.
Israel, Pandemics + More!
To have the COVID pandemic followed by a European war, now followed by what could well evolve into a Middle Eastern war is a lot for anyone - especially in a globally, visually connected world.
Jesus knew that as Christians, we would be particularly sensitive to world instability. Jesus knew that when he left this earth, ascending into heaven, it wasn't going to be plain sailing for those he left behind. In fact, before he ascended into heaven, promising to return one day, he said to his closest friends, "Don't panic"!
"6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come."
- Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 verses 6 to 8
I want to echo Jesus' words to all of us - especially those who are still feeling raw from the last few years.
Don't panic. Don't freak out. Don't flip out. Don't check out. Don't give up on your everyday expressions of faith. Don't give up your rhythms of following Jesus that have brought you this far.
Many of you will receive our weekly SMS in which you will be reminded of Jesus' words in the gospel of John chapter 16 verse 33:
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
- Jesus
The world is freaking out, but you don't have to. The world is experiencing great chaos, but Jesus' followers can have true peace in him.
Jesus was a realist. He knew, and knows, that this world brings many trials and sorrow.
However, he wants to encourage us to, "take heart". In experiencing this world alongside us, he came to overcome it. If we are in him, we are able to live in the world without being ruled by it.
We can watch the horrors on the other side of the world and still have hope.
We can experience lockdowns and still live in freedom.
This season is not as much a test and a trial as it is a practice run for the future. God is giving us a reminder to find peace in him even when those around us are ruled by fear.
In this way, we will be the "light" that the world needs and Jesus says you and I are.
Let this season of turmoil be a reminder to refocus our gaze on Jesus. As you find peace in him, I'd encourage you to pray for what's happening around the world.
Pray for a swift conclusion to this war.
Pray for Israel, especially the Christians who are there ministering Jesus' love.
Pray for Palestine, especially the Christians there who are ministering the same love of Jesus.
Pray for the Middle East.
You may be surprised to hear how radically cheeky Jesus has been lately. Iran, the country many are afraid of right now, is (as far as I know) the only Caliphate in the world (a state run by a muslim leader). However, Iran is also home to the fastest-growing church in the world. If you know anything about Jesus you'd know that he loves to upend the plans of man.
In Iran, where Islam is mandated, Jesus is going viral.
It may well be, that the decades of prayers for the Middle East are being answered right now, even when evil looks to be at our door.
Don't panic.
Focus on Jesus.
He is working more than we know.
With much love,
Dan
