Grace and Truth

…all the words of this life…

Tag Archives: Christianity


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The One Lost Sheep in our New Home

I was on my knees praying for the outreach to the homeless that night.  We always meet at the same place when we go out. But as I was praying I saw in my heart a different carpark in the next suburb. 

“Is that where we should start tonight Lord?” I questioned.  It was a strong prompting that wouldn’t go away.  The verse on my heart for that day was Luke 15 – Jesus going out to find the one lost sheep.

I decided to take a step out in faith and let everyone know that tonight we would be beginning our search for the homeless in this other carpark.

There was a bit of anxiety within me as I wondered if I was doing the right thing.

Recently we have started going out to the streets to reach the poor, marginalised and homeless.  This is something we have stopped and started doing since moving to our new home in our new state of Queensland, Australia.

Having left Melbourne during the Covid madness, God has been slowly directing and leading how He wants to use us here.  There has been an adjustment period and there have been many, many battles.

But now, at the specific guidance of the Holy Spirit, we have been going out with the young people from our home Bible Study group and trying to minister to people on the streets with physical and spiritual food.

And here we were, on this night two months ago, driving to a different carpark.  On the way there we could see no homeless people around.  What have I done? I wondered.  We drove into the carpark  where we were meeting the young people and drove through it, searching.  Not one homeless person around that we could see. 

Matt said that we will just pull into a carspot and wait for the others to arrive and then we would go on to where we would usually begin.

So we pulled in next to a station wagon.  As I opened my car door to get out I noticed there was a woman sitting in the drivers seat of the station wagon and that all her back windows were covered with blankets.  Her window was open so I just asked her

“Are you living in your car?”

“Yes” she said.

“Can I offer you some dinner? we have hot food, hot tea etc”

She was so excited and said she was just about to eat some dry noodles. 

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, “it’s so nice of you.”

I said we are Christians trying to share the love of Christ with others.

“Oh!” she said, “I’ve been trying to pray and read the Bible on my phone.  I want to join a Bible study”

She ended up jumping out of her car and hugging and praying with all our young people when they arrived.  They surrounded her.  She said she misses her children.

It was such a divine appointment.  Nadia* and I exchanged numbers and she informed me that she was going away to visit family for a few weeks.

I messaged her a few times over the next 2 months and she informed me that she was still with family.

The story continued yesterday…

Same thing, I was praying again before we went out to the streets last night.

There was such a strong prompting in my spirit to take the large pile of clothes that a few weeks back I had pulled out of my cupboard in a random act of clothes-purging and had since been sitting on my bedroom floor, and to put them in the boot of my car.

So I did in obedience. We had never given out clothes on the street before.

Then I felt strongly to text Nadia out of the blue and tell her that I have clothes and food for tonight if she wants to meet.  As far as I knew she was still far away with family.

Amazingly Nadia texted back – she would see me there!

So last night she came and took a garbage bag full of clothes out of my boot.  She had just returned the night before and has a job interview today and needed clothes.  We are going to catch up for coffee next week and she says she would like to join the outdoor Bible study that we do with the homeless.

Jesus loves the one. And He still goes out searching for that one.

“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” Luke 15

*name changed for privacy


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Faith to keep going

It takes as much faith to stay where God has brought you to as to get there in the first place.

When He told you to go, you obeyed in faith, like Abraham, unquestioning.

It was hard to go, to leave behind all that you knew, even though it was a place that became too small. But the sense of the unknown, the anticipation of adventure ahead led you to follow Him to the promised land.

But you didn’t know there would be giants there.

You were shocked at the size of them as you entered the gates.

The fruit of their unrighteousness was massive.

One by one they came against you.  Blow after blow.  Cut you down till you thought you would never recover. Till you were sure your body would be always broken, your mind might just go.

One more giant and you will be broken for good, you think.

You begin to look back longingly to Egypt.  You forget the slavery and hard bondage and remember the flesh-pots and the yummy cucumbers you enjoyed there.

You thought the promised land would be different.

What am I doing here?

It takes as much faith to STAY where God has put you as to get there in the first place.

It takes vision to see past the giants and the constant battering to see the beauty, the freshness, the new thing that God is doing.

Occasionally you catch a glimpse before the next blow lands.

Sure you’d heard the stories of the children of Israel…but you didn’t know you would actually have to face a fierce battle to take new territory.  They were just Bible stories right?  Nah, it’s actually real, you discover. A picture of what is happening in the spiritual realm when God moves you to a new place.

Will you stay?

Or will you go back?

Then one day the last giant is gone.  Of course you didn’t know at the time it would be the last giant. That was the biggest one.  The last-ditch effort to destroy your faith and send you packing.

And then as you lie on the blood-soaked ground, not wanting to examine your wounds, wondering how or if you will ever recover from this… God sends a messenger to you out from Himself.  A kind one who sits with you, tends your wounds, listens to your trauma, acknowledges what you’ve had to face.  One who looks like he’s faced a few beatings himself.

He helps you up and walks with you. 

Did I fail Lord by even wanting to go back?

No, He says, you have overcome: because you are still here, and you are still following Me.

Eventually you look up and see the sunlight bouncing on the leaves in the promised land, you notice the air here feels freer.

You don’t just believe God is good anymore, you know it, deep within your being.  Because every time you thought this giant was the one who would kill you, a Man with scarred hands would show up on your behalf. 

And now you have scars too. 

And then the people start coming to you, one by one.  There is need here too in the promised land.  And suddenly you see that the scars and the desolation is what will be used to help others to overcome and bear their Master’s scars too.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

Don’t give up my friend, the Lord Himself fights for you.  He sees you, He loves you, He will carry you.  Keep looking ahead, moving forward.  Don’t look back, forget the former things, He wants you to stand in the new thing He is doing. He has much for you to do.


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A Word from the Lord

I don’t usually do this…but today I have received this word from the Lord and felt to share it.

Here is is:

They’re running ahead of Me, like Esau, to make their cities, their kingdoms, their names.

They want greatness, they want glory.

But I desire a man after my own heart who will slow down and walk with those who struggle to walk, those who can’t keep up.

A man whose hip has been touched.

These have no power in themselves , they are the weak and foolish of this world.

I see them. I see them.

I have not forgotten them. I am the LORD of the weak, the foolish, the nothings. In weakness I was lifted up, now I call all men unto Me.

They are my treasured possessions. My glory shall be seen in them.

They are not intellectual

They are spiritual

Think of …(name of a Christian with schizophrenia)

Think of …(name of a Christian who struggles with alcohol)

Think of …(name of a child who has turned to Christ)

These are precious to me. Oh so precious. The world has no idea how precious.

The church for the most part has absorbed the thinking of the world. The church runs to glory and greatness.

But they miss My greatness in the weak.

Their eyes are blind to them.

They want crowds. I want one.

They want money. I want My treasure I died for.

The broken, the lame, the marred, the nothings, the foolish, the weak: these are My glory, these are My precious stones.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it”

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True Ministry is Accredited by Suffering

True ministry, the kind that bears fruit, the kind that is of eternal value, that is born of the Spirit is accredited by God one way : through suffering.

I have recently had to re-submit my application for Re-Accreditation for Chaplaincy. Generally it was filling in paperwork, submitting references and governmental checks.

Pretty boring.

But this world’s ways are not God’s ways. He doesn’t care about university or seminary qualifications, although He can and does use them.

God’s way is to put His man through the fire. Rather than go through courses and units, programs in churches, Gods course and purpose is to get us to the point of death. This is what He wants.

I’m not necessarily talking about physical death, but to that place where we come to an end of ourselves and see we are so weak, so useless, so nothing , that we just go “Lord, I can’t even breathe without Your help! I submit to You wholeheartedly! Use me in whatever way You want”.

Ah this is the place where God can now use us. The place of death.

“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,” 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

“The sentence of death in ourselves” Paul says here.

Why?

“that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,”

That place of death is where we learn we can no longer trust ourselves, only now on God. We, who used to be so strong, so brave, so efficient, can no longer even get to the bathroom without someone helping us.

This was the point I got to last month, so physically unwell.

I re-submitted everything to God in that place. My family, my health, my life, any ministry I may have left… I lay it all on the altar. I gave it all up to Him. Again.

Whilst I was also re-submitting my chaplaincy accreditation..,

This is how He showed me His ministry, true ministry is birthed through death.

Then when everything is laid on the altar, He sends His fire to consume it, and He raises up what HE WANTS, only what He wants, in the power of His resurrection life.

Now all of Him. Nothing of self.

Just like Jesus. Just like Paul.

This is ministry He puts His stamp on. The stamp of death, in order to breathe His life into it.

God’s ministry credentials are born in the fire. Don’t doubt it my friend. If you’re going through suffering God is doing something in you, something of eternal value.

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” Philippians 3:10 ,11

God bless!


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No Church Allowed in Victoria

All churches have been closed since March here in Victoria, Australia. Seven months now and not a whimper from one church leader. Pathetic.

Yesterday we went to a park and sat outside and had church. There were 20 of us. We spaced out in household groups. I’ll admit not many of us were wearing masks.

We worshipped amongst the trees , my husband and I dedicated a baby and we read the Word.

And then someone called the police.

“Who’s the leader here?” they said as they walked over, fully armed. My husband said we were. I showed them my Bible and said that we are having church.

“It’s illegal” she said “you’re having a mass gathering”.

I asked if I could speak to her aside. She reluctantly agreed and I explained to them both that amongst our group there has been two attempted suicides in the last fortnight.

“It’s no excuse for breaking the law” she said.

“I will have to fine each of you $5000 . I have to, we no longer have discretion”.

Before you judge me as being irresponsible and for not obeying the government, just try to imagine yourself in Melbourne . Please try to imagine being in lockdown since March. Stage 4 lockdown since July. Not allowed to leave our homes 22 hours a day, not allowed to see anyone except one person outside and, up till recently, only if you’re walking. Not allowed to leave a 5km radius of our home.  Now we are allowed to actually sit in a park with no more than 5 people total and from a maximum of two households. Masks are mandatory at all times. Most workplaces are closed still. Kids have been out of school for months. Suicides are at an all time high for boys under 18.

And churches are shut.

Peope in other states of Australia cannot even grasp what we have been going through down here and I don’t blame them for that. Nobody should have to live like this. There have been moments where I felt I would lose my mind…But for the grace of God…

Many people have though. A couple who owned a beauty business which has been shut for many months, dropped their two kids off at their grandparents and then went and took their own lives.

And yet we count daily covid cases like they’re the only thing that matters now. For the last three weeks our daily covid cases have been 10-15.

So judge me if you like, tell me I’m being irresponsible but I honestly couldn’t care less. We have been smuggling people in to our home for months. We have been running an underground church. We have cast out demons, we have lead people to Christ and we have baptized people. This week we will be baptizing another in our bathtub.

Tell me, can this Anti- Christ government stop Gods work and Gods kingdom? No.

For those who have told me I should submit to government, I want to ask you, what side would you have been on when the Nazis were in power?

The police didn’t end up fining us $5000 each, thank You Lord, they let us off with a warning after all. Even ended up thanking us for the work we are doing. “Just find a way to do it legally,” they said. That is something I cannot figure out.

Our churches will not be open for months and months here.

But by the grace of God we will continue on.

 

 

 


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Pregnant Woman Arrested for Facebook Post in Melbourne

Yes that’s right. A young pregnant mum in her pajamas was arrested in front of her young children for posting on Facebook to attend a lockdown protest.

See it here: https://youtu.be/hn0wWVNXmks

We still have an 8pm curfew. We have not been allowed out for more than one hour of exercise a day for 5 weeks. We have not been allowed to see our elderly parents for 8 weeks. Today we had 113 new cases. 113.

Think about it.

 


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Missionary Quotations: Jonathan Edwards2

“God hath had it much on His heart, from all eternity, to glorify His dear and only begotten Son; and there are some special seasons that He appoints to that end, wherein He comes forth with Omnipotent power to fulfill His promise and oath to Him: and these times are  times of remarkable pouring out of His Spirit, to advance His kingdom; such a day is a day of His power.” – Jonathan Edwards


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Join This Chariot

About three weeks ago I had a dream that a couple of people were coming to our house for prayer. But when I opened the front door a stream of people came in and kept coming…and coming. All different races of people. I wondered how they knew to come. They said

“We knew you’d be open!”

Our lounge was packed with people and I lifted up my hands and said “No social distancing here!”

The dream ended.

During the lockdown we had been doing a Bible study every morning and two others had been joining us via Messenger. So we just thought now we are “allowed” to have two people come to our house we will just invite them on a Sunday morning to continue this bible study, but now in person.

That was three weeks ago and every week more and more people have come on a Sunday. We have such a blessed time of worship, bible study, prayer and eat lunch together. Yesterday was beautiful.  We had guys join us from a Christian halfway house, where they take in men who have come out of jail or rehab and give them a place to live and a job.

The Lord spoke to us about House of Saul versus House of David and the outcasts going to David in the cave at Adullum….

On Friday I said to the Lord “What is going on?” This home-Church thing seems to be taking off at our place FAST, like it’s almost out of our control.

we have literally just opened the doors and people have come.

He gave me this scripture in our family bible study and confirmed It the next day as I was reading the book “Anointed for Burial”

”Go and join this chariot” Acts 8:29

As my friend Tim Shey has said , I think we just need to follow the cloud at the moment guys.

Be willing to do things differently because suddenly all our plans have been interrupted. Like the old thing is dead now. We’ve got to just follow the Lord.

And as my other friend (and spiritual father) Bill Randles has said – the church needs to meet in flesh and blood.

bless you,

Belinda

 


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Burning Hands

My hands were burning

I couldn’t sleep for the pain

 

I sought the Lord

 

His eyes are fire

I am scared

 

He had fire to give me but I was

Too scared to receive

 

His eyes are like a flame of fire

His feet are like fine brass refined in a furnace

 

I laid my body down on the altar

Of burnt offering

 

He spoke to me of fire

Why was I keeping on keeping the fire going?

I see now it’s going to hurt

To keep the fire going

 

I am willing and He is able

I’m in His army

It’s His work

 

I wanted the fire

I received the baptism of fire

 

Go out to the Road again

Pick up the lost, the forgotten and broken

How?

With burning hands

Hands of fire


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Artificial Intelligence in Creating Experimental Vaccines: Interview with Moderna CEO

Yesterday Moderna released its initial results in its experimental mRNA covid – 19 vaccine development.

In this YouTube clip from January 2020 Moderna CEO, Stephane Bancel, discusses the new innovative DNA technology they use to develop RNA vaccines, including the Amazon cloud, economic viability in vaccines and the Gates Foundation involvement with them.