It is now around 2 1/2 maonths since Sharn and I have moved. There has, of course, been frustration and anxiety in it all. But Dad's love is such that He has been with us through it all. He is proving that He is the Father that He is, rather than the God that I have pictured Him to be.

I think that this is one of our biggest problems as Christians. We have an image of Father based on our doctrines and beliefs according to our own interpretation of scripture. Is it that we have greater faith, or trust, in these things rather than Father Himself? Is it that we have been so steeped in Old Testament image that we have missed the reason of Jesus. That this Jesus was God Himself coming to us in our image, not a ball of furious terror, but as an image of love that releases us from our fear. Can it be that gone are the days that we run in terror away from a mountain full of smoke and lightning, and now we run to arms of love and comfort?

For you did not received a spirt of bondage to fear again, but you received the Spirit of adoption (sonship) by whom we cry out "Abba (Daddy) Father".

I have recently returned from a trip to Brusgrove and Grafton in the Northern Rivers NSW. I spent two days with a friend who had been full of confusion and guilt as he has been feeling under pressure by other christian friends to go to church. Their concerns are genuine as they are concerned about him drifting from the Lord. But he has not felt any further from Father since he stopped attending, he is active in his faith in the local community where he lives and finds blessing others a greater joy than going to 'church'. We spent the time in prayer, praise and encouragement. He was deeply encouraged as I shared on what Father has been doing in my life, expressing relational living rather than 'doing' church. Another of his friends strolled in as we were partaking in a great weekend and grace was released in his life as well. Wayne, my friend, has since run into some more of his friends who have been likewise disillusioned with organisational church. He shared with them the weekend had and they are blessed with Father's grace and they plan to be in better contact and come together in His name as He gives opportunities.

Also in Grafton I was able to share with some unsaved including my brother on the simplicity of faith built relationship with Jesus, and I was amazed how Father has moved on their hearts.

There are plans for further trips, I can't wait to see what Father does next time.

Blessings to all!

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Paul expresses the importance of grace in this one simpe scripture. Earlier in verse 9 he writes of his unworthiness but attributes all to this amazing grace. If we read this we can really see what grace does. I was one to believe that Father's grace was His enabling power in me for me to do what He wanted me to do, but is rather more that Father's grace is His enabling power in me for Him to do though me and to me which He chooses.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We are  a vessel for the Father to work through, Jesus stated in John 14:10 Do you beleive that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Even Jesus attributed this glory to the Father, Him doing the works.

Even in 2 Corinthains 12:9 Paul states that this grace was sufficient for him. Do we focus on the works that we assume the Father wants us to do or do we rather focus on the Father, having Him doing the works in us and through us.

The only works we are called to do is believe John 6:29 This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. And of His fullness we have all received grace for grace.

Let us all be encouraged in these days as we are led back to relationship with Father, that He has given us who beleive in His name the power to become sons of God and that His glory will be made manifest to us and in us.

John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour is come. Glorify your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.

Blessings to all.

Ian!!

In a world where we have been taught to look and expect the return of Jesus, the world, or all of creation is looking for something different. It is eagerly awaiting the manifestations of the sons of God, Romans 8:19-21. Moreso it is waiting to be placed into the sons glorious liberty. Just as with Adam who was given charge to subdue and have dominion over creation, so to are the sons today. We are in these days now. God is bringing His people whom He has scattered abroad, home through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are being drawn home for the great feast, the feast of Tabernacles, or dwelling. Hebrews 12:22-24 explains that through His grace we have already been brought to this place.

Hebrews 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and the church of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and the sprinkling of blood that speaks better things than that of Abel.

The Cross has given acces to this place and He is moving in these days to pour out revelation of this. Two things I would like to state - innumerable company of angels, angel is from the Greek word angellos which means messenger of God. It does not necessarily mean just a celestial being. It can also refer to a terestial being, a human who is a messenger of God. These same angels are mentioned in Matthew 13 in regards to the parable of the tares and the wheat, angels gathereing all those things that offend and commit lawlessness and casting them out of the kingdom. Could this be the sons speaking forth the oracles of God by way of the Holy Spirit, bringing the truth of the Gospel and exposing the false doctrines that have kept blindness in His kingdom. Moreso is the great harvest one of lost souls or rather one of mature saints, after all you do not harvest immature seedlings but rather grain that has to come to full maturity. The second I would like to bring forth is the general assembly - the correct translation is festal gathering, it implies a great feast, or a great gathering for a feast. These days we truly seeing this happening, His people being gathered in ways you could not possibly imagine. Mens hearts are being turned back to the Father and in turn receiving a father's heart and turning back to the sons. The Elijah spirit is being poured out to help us in the journey, a journey, or pilgrimage back home to Father for the great feast to begin.

Stay true to the Holy Spirit and the way He leads you, He has promised that His Spirit will lead you into all truth and will only testify of Him. He does not speak on His own authority but only that which is given by the Father. He who has promised is faithful amen.

Do not be subjected to religious doctrines that bind, test all things, study the word and most of all get to know our King personally, Paul writes in Galatians 2 that there was those of the circumsicion that stealthed in to spy out their liberty in Christ, his reply to this was that he did not submit for even one hour. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and we are called to standfast in the liberty by which Jesus Christ has made us free and not to be entangled again in the yoke of bongage. Paul also challenges the Galatians in chapter 3 to realise what had begun in the Spirit can only be completed by the Spirit.

So getting back to Philippians Pauls explains that he will continue to reach forward to those things which are ahead by forgetting those things which are behind him. These things are written from Philippians 3:3-8, Paul is referring to his confidence in the flesh, that this is like rubbish (dung KJV) and he gladly counts them loss that he may gain Christ.

So my encouragment to all is that we continue to be led by the Spirit, as these are the sons of God, Romans 8:14!

Blessings to all

Ian!!