Oral Roberts

Oral Roberts died today aged 91. he was a pioneer of the Charismatic movement and a man of revival. whether you agree with his doctrine and some of his theology much of his ministry has shaped the churches we have come to accept as normal. Oral Roberts has a legacy of over 300 crusades in 6 continents with millions of people saved through his ministry. he was a pioneer in televised church services and wasn't afraid to put his faith out there for all to see. He started a university on 500 acres and built a medical centre. his phone in prayer ministry has touched over 23million lives. was married 66 yeasrs and still had time to write 130 books
Reading his Biography made me realise just how far I have to go in ministry and that things are possible in God that exceed my wildest dreams. Thanks Oral Roberts for being a pioneer who was not afraid to think big, plan big see big and build big. I pray all of us rise to our full potential in God and achieve all He has planned for us.

have great day. Richard

I've been challenged by my 70 year old friend Leon (pictured with his equally amazing wife Pat) and his amazing passion for Jesus. but more than that with his wealth of wisdom. I can only dream that at that age I will be so wise and have ordered my life to the extent to which he has done. I'm challenged that I am undisciplined, lazy and easily distracted and that so many of the problems I face actually come as a product of these aspects of my life.

I know I can't change everything in an instant but maybe, just maybe I can make one change today and another tomorrow and so on. Life, they say, is what happens while we're making plans. but I believe that this coming year for us is to be a year of action and change. building our new home is a part of that change but really all that will achieve is a relocation of the same problems into a better environment. NO! change must happen independent of circumstances, change must come regardless of environment. only then will that change be sustained and successful.

Stay tuned and I'll let you know how I go.

Have a great day. Richard

How do you View the Bible?

I read an article by the Barna group. (see link below) about the difference in how generations view the Bible. It challenged me about how I think about God's word, what I am doing to make the Bible relevant to the Generations following and what legacy I am leaving as to the Word of God.

Let me know what you think. Rich

http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/317-new-research-explores-how-different-generations-view-and-use-the-bible

Perceptual Gaps

However, despite these similarities, the Barna studies show that the youngest generations are charting a new, unique course related to the Bible. Here are the types of changes being forged by young adults:
 Less Sacred – While most Americans of all ages identify the Bible as sacred, the drop-off among the youngest adults is striking: 9 out of 10 Boomers and Elders described the Bible as sacred, which compares to 8 out of 10 Busters (81%) and just 2 out of 3 Mosaics (67%).
 Less Accurate – Young adults are significantly less likely than older adults to strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. Just 30% of Mosaics and 39% of Busters firmly embraced this view, compared with 46% of Boomers and 58% of Elders.
 More Universalism – Among Mosaics, a majority (56%) believes the Bible teaches the same spiritual truths as other sacred texts, which compares with 4 out of 10 Busters and Boomers, and one-third of Elders.
 Skepticism of Origins – Another generational difference is that young adults are more likely to express skepticism about the original manuscripts of the Bible than is true of older adults.
 Less Engagement – While many young adults are active users of the Bible, the pattern shows a clear generational drop-off – the younger the person, the less likely then are to read the Bible. In particular, Busters and Mosaics are less likely than average to have spent time alone in the last week praying and reading the Bible for at least 15 minutes. Interestingly, none of the four generations were particularly likely to say they aspired to read the Bible more as a means of improving their spiritual lives.
 Bible Appetite – Despite the generational decline in many Bible metrics, one departure from the typical pattern is the fact that younger adults, especially Mosaics (19%), express a slightly above-average interest in gaining additional Bible knowledge. This compares with 12% of Boomers and 9% of Elders.

that moment of realisation

Yesterday I went with my daughter to check out University and the options in another city...seemed simple enough or so I thought. as we walked through the dorm rooms looking at the prison like conditions it suddenly dawned on me that my little Girl would be leaving.
It was a bit of a 'father of the bride' moment when something inside began to hurt.
This girl who has been so dependant and makes up...and takes up...such a huge portion of my life will ultimately leave to live a life outside of the influence and guidance that I have in her life.
It's not that I don't trust her...I do. it's that I don't trust everyone else! These people who I have never met will now be mentors and guides, teachers and lecturers. Have I put in enough? Have I adequately laid the foundations? Will she hold to the values and morals we have endeavoured to instill in her? Time will tell. But there is a more personal hurt I feel because this Girl is not just a daughter but a friend and one sixth of our home and our family. That moment of realisation is that our family in another year is going to change for all time and that the balance of what we have known is no longer going to be the same. Forest Gump said life is like a box of Chocolates and you never know what you're gonna get...But you also don't get to eat the same chocky twice so make sure you enjoy it when you do.

Have a great day. Richard

Go into all the World etc...

I'm wrestling with the concept of what it means to go into all the world and make disciples. for so many it is the principle of lots of talk and not much action. but for me personally what does it mean and how can I achieve it? I don't want to repeat the doing it in my own strength option which ended badly for me last time. But I often feel like I'm spinning my wheels and not exactly making much impact on the world.
I'm now 45 and I want the last 20 -30 years of working life to be more effective than the last, so what does that mean? am I destined to try and be a blogger and that is my effectiveness?
How does one truly build disciples anyway? and If I'm not doing anything constructive what am I discipling them into? Hmmmm what does all this mean? I don't know? If you read this blog I'd love you to leave a comment no matter how brief.

Have a great day. Rich

Newspaper article

Below is a link to an article I wrote for the local paper. It was done as a response to an ex minister who wrote an article the previous week that tried to discount the miraculous nature of Christ's birth life and death and that it was all unnecessary and irrelevant.

If you view down the page and look at the reflections column


http://www.standard.net.au/files/55/93/01/000019355/12AUGWEX013.pdf

the dream

The following is a dream I had last night.

Dream Saturday 25th July 2009 Richard Snook
Kerry and I were invited to stay with a family for Christmas. The family was a big family but they lived in a large ranch style house with many rooms and lavishly decorated.
When we arrived we were shown into a master bedroom with a huge king sized bed and other furniture, it was palatial and classy, we felt so honored and blessed to be treated this way.
We settled in and began to explore the house; there was a large pool, huge oak kitchen, lounges and family rooms, plenty for such a large family. All around us the family was making preparations, decorating, wrapping presents cleaning and cooking, everyone was busy and singing and happy as they worked all the time making us feel so welcome.
Guests began to arrive, aunty so and so…cousins and uncles we were like doormen as we held open the big heavy doors and shook their hands and hugged them as they arrived.
Presently we made our way to the lounge room where many of the guests had gathered enjoying the atmosphere of friendship and the banter of re-acquainted friends.
In a moment Cameron and some guys emerged carrying some equipment and said would we mind making room for the punk band to set up, surprisingly (to me) everyone cheered and made room, shifting chairs and tables to clear the way, there was a buzz of excitement that filled the air, as this happened the room began to grow and the lounge room became an auditorium, with rows of chairs and a large stage with a band setting up and people taking their places. Bailey and Hudson were getting restless so we left Maddison & Jacob with Julian and Damian, and went back to the rest of the house.
We made our way to a lounge room towards the front of the house and went in, there were a bunch of people in afro clown wigs, talking with the children playing games and reading books. A kind lady came up and asked the boys to help her fix some Lego blocks, at once they felt at home and at ease and disappeared into what had now become a crowd of curly wigs.
We went out and back through the kitchen, but it had changed, it was now a bar or café, and behind the counter was Dave Williams like Tom Cruise or Bryan Brown in cocktail, flipping the bottles and cups and entertaining the crowd and keeping the drinks filled and people fed.
We went to our room to freshen up, and there was a young couple there, they said the owner insisted they should come spend some time with us. We felt a bit affronted after all this had been our room and we didn’t have a mind to share it. we chatted to them and realized in talking that the room wasn’t ours, it belonged to the owner and he’d been gracious to share it with us, so we opened our hearts and invited them to share it with us. As we did this the roof was ripped away and the walls all disappeared, we could see the grassy undulating lawn, the pool and the garden right down to the road. Suddenly people started coming down the stairs into “our” room, we felt invaded but then we realized they were setting up beds on the ground around us, there were old and young and all in between, I distinctly saw a bus load of Elderly citizens quietly come in awkwardly traversing the stairs and then proceed to help one another set up beds and get comfortable.
I remember feeling at first invaded and uncomfortable, but I remembered the love which we had experienced and the way in which the family had welcomed us. Their acceptance and love kept on flowing all that day even though they were busy. I felt ashamed that I had been selfish and thought it was all for me…I was overwhelmed with love for these new guests that now lay on the floor of “my” room…My hosts room. My heart had changed and now I longed to share the love I’d found with these people, for them to know the acceptance and grace I’d found… to know that here is peace, is love is joy, is safety and security……then I woke up.
On reflection: I feel God invites us into His family, into his home, into His place of abundance. And he lavishes this abundance upon us…He doesn’t make us contribute, he just accepts and loves us. He doesn’t force us to sacrifice or share…. He assumes it really…… it is so much a part of who He is, because after all “God is Love”……He just keeps on being God and eventually we get it! We Get His heart of Love….. a love of people…. of family….. of sharing. Then we choose His heart over ours….and the roof comes off! Then the world comes in, where it was always meant to be

My Thoughts on Michael Jackson

There has been so much in the Media about Michael Jackson this weekend. As for how I feel to a large degree I'm sad, in fact I was sad before he died. Michael was an Icon of my teen years and his music defined many of the moments I had as a teenager and musician. It made me sad to see him abuse his body and have so much plastic surgery. It made me sad to see him abused by minders, sad to see his family subjected to a bizarre lifestyle and sad to see him go from the king of pop to the joke of his later years.

He was an amazing singer song writer, dancer, and performer. and the things he broke open set the scene for all the music to come after him.

SO I hope History will be kind to him and remember what he achieved and not the bizarre lifestyle of the last few years. In my view he was a gentle and innocent soul who was misunderstood and abused by those around him. His naive nature meant he constantly was set up to fail and to fall into the bizarre and weird.

The challenge I feel as I watch all the tributes is, what is my legacy? am I prepared to be a pioneer? am I prepared to lead instead of follow? am I prepared to challenge the perceptions of me or do I believe what others say, even when it's not true? am I naive? am I prepared to walk the lonely track of creativity at any cost or am I. to quote jack Black on school of Rock..."owned by the man"!

So thanks to Michael and for his gifts to the world, may he rest in Peace and I hope have found commitment to Christ as a part of his walk so that in heaven when we sing together there will be that characteristic sound of Michael singing with all his might for something of greater value than anything the earth could ever offer.

A guy called Malcom

Last week when we went to Adelaide I asked God to make me useful and to go with a word for someone, well for 2 days all I got was the name Malcom! what the! I didn't even know anyone there called Malcom. so I went and kinda forgot about it until at the meeting I thought if they open this up to words etc I'll ask if Malcom is here. they didn't! so I let it go and after the meeting headed to the coffee bar for one of coasties awesome coffees, and passed a guy just standing there. so I turned and went over to him and said Hi! I'm Richard. he replied hi I'm Malcom!.....I said YOU'RE MALCOM!!??? to which in a startled way he said yes why? I proceeded to tell him how God had told me to pray for a guy called Malcom, so we chatted and prayed. It turned out this was only his second time there and he was a homeless guy. It amazed me that God can take us great distances just to bless the "least of these" to encourage them with His love and care and to let them know even if everyone else has forgotton them He hasn't and that He still loves them dearly. so remember He hasn't forgotten you, and maybe he will bring someone across the country or over the seas to remind you.

Why we do what we do.

The other night on 60 minutes there was a navy Diver, Paul de Gelder, who was attacked by a shark...what an inspiration he was. This guy lost a leg and a hand and just wouldn't stay down. the sight of him hopping through the hospital made me realise my own troubles were not quite so bad after all. Thanks Paul for your inspiration. But it got me thinking.
In Romans 7: 14 - 25 the apostle Paul talks of the struggle he has with sin in his life and what he was going through. Here's this man who traveled extensively had immense courage and conviction. spoke to people everywhere about the things of the Kingdom of God and yet struggled so much with his own sinfulness. He's not so dissimilar to us in that way. we all struggle with sin in our lives and I know for my part the pain of it can be debilitating. But Paul from the Bible is like Paul de Gelder in that he refused to stay down, he repeatedly got back up again.
Someone once said; "we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions". so we say things like; "I didn't mean to do it" or it was an accident! funny that one because I often say to my kids, accidents happen because you weren't being careful!
No matter how careful we are we can still get attacked and in a faith sense the prowling lion gets us rather than the white pointer. but what do we do? whether it is an attack or just being careless, as human beings we fail and fall, no matter how hard we try we miss the mark and hurt God and the people we love around us.
I love that Paul writes so honestly about his trials, not putting a twist in it to make us feel bad but simply falling of the mercy and Grace of God. That's all any of us can do, fall on His mercy and grace. then, like Paul De Gelder, get back up and hop along the corridor and move on. And if we feel the need to jump in with the sharks again, take a spear gun and a friend.
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=812169

Richard

There's something about this Jesus.

I wrote this narrative for a preach I did recently at church on the way Peter may have been feeling just prior to the sermon on the mount. I hope you like it. It's a bit long but I think worth the read. Rich

The day was a usual for Galilee the sun was beating down and the dust would rise from the road like powder filling the air and drying the throat. The feet of all the people stamping at the ground following with us seemed to grind the tracks into talc. It seemed incredible that so many people had come to Galilee in those few days, where had they come from ? I didn’t know there were so many hurt and bleeding , so many that were desperate for a touch from Jesus or to hear a word from him? The news had spread like wild fire all over Syria and now even more were on their way………… There’s something about this Jesus!
Why’d he choose us?... maybe I’ll never know? …Andrew and I love fishing and we were good at it. Our days were full just making sure our gear was squared away, our nets tight and no holes! And checking the boats could stand the waves that the sea would throw at them. But there was nothing like hauling in the catch..wow it never got old lifting up the heavy net and wondering what monsters of the sea would be there, The market that day would be buzzing with people who’d buy some for their table.
But he said follow me…I heard His voice so clear….follow me Simon…Andrew…..I’d heard about him ….the carpenters son…..some said he was a cousin of John the Baptizer….now there’s a wild man…locusts in his hair and wearing an old camel hair jacket….he stirred the pot more than once around here I guess that’s why he ended up in Prison… But Jesus…he’s different …there’s something about Him that I can’t shake off….He looks into your eyes and it’s like He’s seeing into your soul. When He speaks I can see a road in front of me widening out and my heart leaps at the thought of all the new things he has to say. …..there’s something about this Jesus!
Mum Thinks I’ve gone mad and James & John’s dad Zebedee! well He just shook his head as the boys jumped out of the boat and came with us. But how could we not!... There’s just something about Him…fishers of men he said …. I’ve no idea what that means, but when he said it, my heart leapt. He has such a way with words and says things that no one else has uttered and yet they make such sense…..many of the people who’ve come to get healed haven’t stayed to hear him speak. They get their healing and then they seem to forget and move back home….I don’t get that at all…but others stay and seem to recognise who Jesus is even if they don’t understand what’s really going on….not that any of us really have a clue…we just know this is where we have to be…
I remember my dad telling us the stories of old, of David and his mighty men, of the prophets and the prophesies about messiah…could this be him? I don’t really know …but there’s something about Him that stirs my heart…It makes me feel like more of a man than ‘even’ fishing would do….now there’s a thing I could never have imagined…but there’s something about this Jesus..
Anyway I digress… today he went up the mountain .…I guess the crowds had got too much or something. It seemed odd that He would do that and some of the people just grumbled and said how they’d come so far to see this healer and now He’d moved up the mountain, how would they get up there? Andrew, James, John and I and a number of the other disciples, thought well: “we’re not staying here!…if Jesus is going up the mountainside then we’re going too”! So we took off after Him. It was a bit of an effort too! if you don’t mind…., but we made it to where he was sitting. It was peaceful on the mountain side, none of that dust either which made it much more pleasant. It was nice not having the hustle of all the people pressing in and being able to hear the words Jesus had to say. We’d heard Him preach to crowds but now he looked at us and smiled and began to speak….there’s something about this man…this Jesus ….this friend of mine….He’s not just a carpenters son with wood shavings in his hair and dusty clothes… when He spoke those words He started to melt my tough old heart…My Life had changed forever….there’s no turning back now…what would happen…where would He lead me? What things would I see and do? This crusty old fisherman from Galilee….Only Jesus would know where I’m headed…His words drip like honey from Heaven…I feel have to soak them up, like one day I’ll remember this moment and wish I’d listened harder, wish I could have another day an hour a minute with Jesus, to feel the encouragement and security in His voice….to know and be known to hear Him say….Come…. follow me.

Rowland Croucher wrote the following on his facebook status recently and it got me thinking about church growth and how we market things. my response on his page is below.

COMMON QUESTION IN OUR SEMINARS: Why do some churches grow? Simplest answer: more people who come once come back again! A pet food manufacturer's business was going bad, so he sacked all his staff. The new staff didn't do any better, so he sacked them too. In a conference with the third lot, a 19-year-old said: 'I think the dogs don't like our product!'

In our 21st Century western life, people buy product on price and packaging. this isn't necessarily the best thing but is a reality. I know my cupboards are filled with things I bought that didn't meet my expectations. surely the best marketing of church is a faith that's real and works, then if it is packaged well people won't leave disappointed but will stay and continue to enjoy the relationship of faith they paid a price to be a part of. interesting discussion...I won't bore you with all the tangents it has raised in my head. Thanks Rowland.

Church Growth is a touchy subject for some people because we like to think that we don't do it, but rather it is a supernatural phenomenon that God does. Essentially this is true. The Bible says that it is God who Builds the church and that as we live lives of faith and trust in God's Grace we don't need to worry so much.
Having tried to grow a church from scratch myself I'm a firm believer that there is no formula. I've seen the most bizarrely unlikely people leading churches of impressive size and truly gifted called and integral people fail miserably. Why is that?
For me it comes down to an acceptance that God is not interested in who we think we are or in the sandcastle we think we're called to build. His Kingdom is far bigger and far more unstructured than our puny patch of dirt. Once we think we have it all worked out He shifts the parameters. not because He is teasing us, but because He loves us and wants to see us depending upon Him alone and not our abilities and supposed insights.
I find it amusing that whenever someone grows a church they immediately write a book about how they did it, never realising it had very little to do with them and a lot to do with the architect, God. they stumbled upon a new idea or flow and were in the right place at the right time. Yes they did have to make the right decisions and act with boldness and courage. but in the end their book must read "But God". on every page.

Have a great day. Richard.

guess who's got web cam

Marriage matters

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this week and it impresses me no end that they have been married so long. it also makes me feel old but that is another blog altogether!

It got me thinking though that a happy marriage is one of the most amazing things on planet earth and to be able to spend life with a friend who knows you so intimately is a cause for absolute joy. When I think of all the other relationships we have and the shallowness of them I begin to appreciate more fully the love that lasts. the love that lingers, the love that simply says, "I'm here".

In the world in which we live there is so little we can depend on, our once secure jobs are a distant memory. Our finances can be gone in an instant. and even those insignificant things that we love can be fleeting and change over night. Having a partner who walks through all the changes in our life is so amazing, who's there through the pain, through the trials, through the joys and excitement of success. just having them share with us in this life is so wonderful and something so many never get to appreciate.

Don't take it for granted. good marriages take effort and adjustment, they take compromise and flexibility. but they are so worth it. I've got about 22 years to go till my 50th. I hope Kerry and I can be as happy and in love then as we are now and that if we grow in love as much as we have since we were married then it should be pretty amazing.

have a great day. Richard

Tough theology.

I read this recently, it is a statement made by mark Driscoll. it sums up beautifully, some of how I feel about Christ and the way Christians have been portrayed. I realise that much of my own walk has been down the limp wristed version of Christianity, and I realise how often the wider community and the church tries to manipulate me into staying weak and insipid. I hate being challenged by Christ but I love it at the same time. I desperately need to be challenged more to be a fighter for the things I value rather than always being a doormat for peoples opinions.

See what you think.

"There is a strong drift toward the hard theological left. Some emergent types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life while shopping for the perfect pair of shoes. In Revelation, Jesus is a prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up. I fear some are becoming more cultural than Christian, and without a big Jesus who has authority and hates sin as revealed in the Bible, we will have less and less Christians, and more and more confused, spiritually self-righteous blogger critics of Christianity".
—Mark Driscoll, Relevant Magazine[10]

My thoughts on Bandaid economics

The only thing I can think of in defense of the government is that it is better to give the money to those still working than to wait a year and hand it out to the newly unemployed. I think this is the logic behind it. the Government seems to think the money will go back into the economy except that most people have bought plasma TVs and chrome wheels for their cars. many things purchased are imported and so the bulk of the money dissapears into the economies of other nations. I'm contemplating myself in taking the money and making an investment of sorts into the share market even with a portion in the hope of doing my bit to strengthen the economy. if everyone did this we would make a big difference indeed.

On the other hand giving money to build infrastructure is a pretty good idea because you end up with something at the end of it and create jobs in the process. My issue is that the excesses need to be shut down...Overly exorbitant salaries and bonuses, consultant fees to tell us what we already know because we're wanting to blame someone when it goes wrong! Junkets to overseas places for no apparent reason. and architecture that is 5 times the price of a simple structure that does the same job.

There is no doubt we're in a crisis but it is still only a crisis of our mind. we have clean water (too much in QLD and not enough down south) sanitation, food, some of the best homes in the world. a temperate climate that doesn't have the extremes of some nations. we're not at war with our neighbours. the list goes on. we really are the lucky country, or blessed one, depending on your view.

The things wrong here are that we're over governed for our size, we're being taught how to not think for ourselves and how to blame others for our problems and we think we're immune from the issues that face people everywhere else. I hope the Government gets it right I really do. I hope we come through the downturn but I believe we live in a world that selfishness and arrogance are rife, and without a healthy dose of hardship we will continue to make dumb decisions. still I'm hopeful for the future. I believe my Kids will be better able to navigate their adulthood by observing these events and in the end we will look back, and in our nursing homes be reminiscing about the good old days of the early 2000s.

have a good one. Richard

Can’t fix it with a bandaid!

My Brother posted this on facebook.

The world finances are in a melt down! this is not new news (Not sure you can have old news…) But are we addressing the issues but throwing more money at it?
I read this in the Herald Sun

Watch your debts

After this week’s political performance, this step applies equally to Kevin and Co.
Why do so many politicians believe that we can spend our way out of a recession? This is exactly how we got into this mess in the first place!
The only difference this time is that we’re putting it on the nation’s credit card.
The Government’s big spending policy is an attempt to prop up the unprop-up-able. The policy risks becoming a very expensive bandaid for a deep wound which is only just beginning to bleed.
In the real world (outside the confines of Canberra) it takes time, and a good dose of economic reality, to build back confidence – not one-off Government gift cards (or the offer of free home insulation).
Why do they think that they can fix consumerism by getting people to buy more? how does spending more help to address the issue that we have spent too much!
Surely we have to accept that we must change out lifestyles and live lives that are less greedy and consuming!

Holidays

Having just returned from a break of nearly a month, I feel so blessed to have been able to have such an awesome holiday. So many people never experience this sort of break and trudge on through life without the restorative and perspective altering experience a holiday can provide. Just being able to have some solid time with my kids as they grow into adults and uninterrupted time with my wife seems so simple and yet so profound. I love that holidays give you time to think, to ponder, to evaluate what you're doing in life. It helps you sort out the real from the rubbish and to better understand why you're doing what you're doing rather than running blindly forward, knowing you should be doing something but never really evaluating the significance or importance that the something you're doing is.
my definition of a holiday is being able to choose what to do and when to do it...if you like.. "to be able to do something and choosing not to!" or alternatively finding something new and having the time to explore it. I find it interesting that God rested when doing the work of creation and that the Bible talks about rest and the restoration that comes with it. I know we can't live there but it's great to visit whether for a month or a moment.
I hope for you that you find time to have a holiday, unwind to look at life and explore and well... do nothing for a while if that's your choice. who knows what it may be the beginning of.
Have a great day. Richard.