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Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence February 2016 - Praying for the Church

These articles reflect the opinion and witness of the respective authors, which may or may not align with your own; consider this with Ephesians 4:1-7 in mind.

In this edition - focus on the Church (Big Family) From the National Coordinators / Transforming Syd ney: Pentecost Eve 2016 2

Opinion Piece: The Church’s Sphere of Influence 3-5 “I have to admit that from a public relations perspective I have seen the church lurch from disaster to disaster in an ever-changing world as it tries to remain relevant.” Denis Plant

My Testimony of How The Lord Saved Me / Bible Verse s About Testimony 6-7 “Why, she never even went to church before in her life. So I opened my Bible to prove I was right...and she was wrong.” Barbara Bonavoglia and Dale Phillips

Signs of Satan 8-9 “One reason the Church as we know it is not seeing in the Spirit the works of demonic forces and responding with spiritual power is the influence of a scientific worldview on culture.” John Yates

A Meeting without a Mission 10-12 “Often people ask the question ‘What is the church for?’ or ‘What is the mission of the church?’ Many people give answers that vary from learning to ritual and almost everything in between.” Raymond E Heslehurst

HOPE - Preventing Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide - N EWS and ACTION 13 “… a significant issue brewing in Belgium with the news that there is a court case pending against a Catholic Nursing Home for refusing to co-operate with a euthanasia request.” Paul Russell

The Apostles’ Creed 14-17 “The Creeds came into existence because … largely illiterate populations had to depend on oral summaries of material that they could commit to memory.” Lilian Schmid

Alpha Easter Invitation 2016 18-19 “Alpha Australia’s vision, in line with that of Alpha International, is the evangelisation of the nations and the transformation of society.” Alpha Australia

HEARING GOD'S CALL THROUGHOUT LIFE! 20-22 “I feel that God can call the most unremarkable people, whatever their age, and, if they are willing and obedient, bring blessing to others.” Geoffrey McAuliffe

Something New Emerging for Praying Grandparents in 2016 23 “I have a dream to form a movement of A Million Praying Grandparents who will commit to pray intentionally and regularly for their grandchildren and their parents.” Lillian Penner

Build a Highway for God! 23 Barry Hall

The NEW NATIONAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM and the Christia n Connection 24 DIDUNO - Is History Repeating Itself? 25

Graham McDonald

LET. THERE. BE. LIGHT! A Night of Worship & Prayer 26


From the National Coordinators Do you want to see true Revival? then you have to start praying systemically and truly adopting your suburb for Jesus.

People generally are busy with their modern lives - we need to keep the prayers of the saints alive. At TS we came up with uncomplicated strategies to help people establish prayer groups wherever they are. Each one of you can be a witness to Christ, uphold your workplace, university, school, family, business and the whole marketplace around you in your prayers.

Check out this initiative “Adopt a Suburb” on the Transforming Sydney website www.transformingsydney.org/TSAdoptASuburb.html which also includes prayer walking www.transformingsydney.org/TSPrayerWalking.html

There are more initiatives at www.transformingsydney.org/TSInitiatives.html

We encourage you to pray 6 months before you start any program or initiative at your church, it will allow breakthrough and protection from any attacks against your courses; hold once a week or fortnightly meetings to prepare the atmosphere and invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in all your preparation.

We also have wide range of training and materials to encourage and equip your church (non-denominational) to transform many people’s lives and your city. A list of our training is at www.transformingsydney.org/TSTraning.html

Grace and peace, Lilian & Bjorn Schmid prayerstrategy.org businesswomenhealingministry.org transformingsydney.org

Pentecost Eve 2016 Dear friends in Christ,

Transforming Sydney and the Sydney Pastors Network will be celebrating Pentecost Eve on Saturday the 14th of May 2016 .

This Sydney prayer gathering is taking place in the Parramatta Region (see http://www.transformingsydney.org/files/Pentecost20 16.pdf ) – more details will be announced soon.

If you wish to be involved with the planning of this important event please contact us; Lilian on 0412 766 917 or Bjorn on 0411 562 751.

In John 17:20-23 Jesus Prays for All Believers:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Bjorn & Lilian Schmid, Facilitators of Transforming Sydney Movement

www.transformingsydney.org

Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence Newsletter - February 2016 2

“There is no gift of God more excellent than this. It alone distinguishes the sons of the eternal kingdom and the sons of eternal perdition. Other gifts, too, are given by the Holy Spirit; but without love they profit nothing. Unless, therefore, the Holy Spirit is so far imparted to each, as to make him one who loves God and his neighbour, he is not removed from the left hand to the right. Nor is the Spirit specially called the Gift, unless on account of love. … Wherefore, if Holy Scripture proclaims that God is love, and that love is of God, and works this in us that we abide in God and He in us, and that hereby we know this, because He has given us of His Spirit, then the Spirit Himself is God, who is love. Next, if there be among the gifts of God none greater than love, and there is no greater gift of God than the Holy Spirit, what follows more naturally than that He is Himself love, who is called both God and of God?”

St. Augustine - The Holy Spirit, Gift of God's Love, from On the Trinity XV.18.32, 19.37


Opinion Piece: The Church’s Sphere of Influence By Rev. Dr. Denis Plant; Dr. Min, PhD. Christian Ed., Snr Pastor “The Word

Christian Fellowship” Minto, CEO/Principal, Vision College, PO Box 84 Macquarie Fields NSW 2564, Ph. 02 9603 2077

I was asked what is the churches “Sphere of influence”? I have been in ministry for a little over 40 years. Over the last two or three decades I have to admit that from a public relations perspective I have seen the church lurch from disaster to disaster in an ever-changing world as it tries to remain relevant. Consequently so often when the Church speaks the people listen, but only to ridicule. We are increasingly considered as being old fashioned, the bible is out of date, full of inconsistencies, etc. etc. etc.

Having said that the church has some magnificent achievements down through, not just years or decades - but centuries. The development of schools and hospitals, the opening of nations through its mission's effort. The development of housing, welfare, the provision of clothing, food and shelter are issues to be

proud of, issues often taken over by government. The church has seen the introduction of biblical principles into our constitution to undergird our governments and laws. The voice of the church in the past has been at times loud, strong and healthy bringing reform and change where needed.

Today the world in which we live is changing at a revolutionary pace… Our lifestyle is increasingly impacted by all that is happening around us both within and without our community. Changes are occurring at a breath-taking pace. Our evolving society has to deal with issues that need to be addressed as values are redefined. New and old disputes rise, societal concerns change, issues merge and blur rapidly as the world around us develops and is transformed before our eyes.

Our world is crying out for a voice of reason. A voice to address issues too hard to comprehend let alone be resolved by our governments and their agencies. The church would like to be that voice, and, coupled with our “need to be relevant” in a modern world we strive to be a “cause for change" or "to make difference”. It is easy to see why the church, like any institution can lose its focus. Perhaps we should consider not so much what our sphere of influence IS as to what our sphere of influence should be.

There is a difference between the church having influence in certain fields and individual Christians having influence. Individual Christians with expertise in certain fields, although belonging to a church, speak and act for themselves with a Christian perspective and the authority of the Kingdom into circumstance, situations and issues. Such people often have great influence, but we should understand the difference between the individual and the church as a collective voice.

Does it matter that we have a sphere of influence, and that we work within that framework? I am convinced absolutely yes it is important and important that understand it.

We should begin with a biblical principal that all authority is established or endorsed by God in some way. While that statement raises eyebrows for some and heartburn for others and for many of us it is hard to understand exactly how that works in a corrupt world. Still the fact remains that there are governing bodies over every area of life and influence. Area’s in which we would like to influence. The reality is that this has always been the case and realise it or not, God is in authority.

Today we are governed by authorities in some form or another. Often formally through legislation. There is hardly a human activity that does not come under the purview of a government body in some form or another be it federal, state or local government. In times past much of that “oversight” was performed by the local community through village or community standards and often by informal means - but the underlying authority has always been in place in some form or another, God has always been there.

The more we recognise this we start to realise that it is a little easier to discover what and how we should be involved in our community “as a church." As we understand that authority comes from God, we can be more effective cooperating with them than by fighting against them, and we will find ourselves flowing with the spirit of God and at the same time have Kingdom influence into the authorities, the principalities and the powers we face. Effectively work the right way; we will see occur that we would prefer.

(continued next page)

3 Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence Newsletter - February 2016


If we are out of order, then we are doing little more than being activists, kicking sand into the wind and making not a jot or tittle of difference while, at the same time, we are being defeated at every turn.

Too often the church has done exactly that: meddled and be involved in matters - noble yes - but not our concern. In the process, we add fuel to the “fires of the opposition” and inadvertently aided the very issues we are opposed to and add to the moral decay of our society far too easily by misguided interference.

So what does the scripture say to us on our influence. Where should we apply our sphere or influence for the Church in 2016 and beyond? We should look back to see what the scriptures teach us.

What is the primary purpose of the church and therefore, its initial source of influence? Our primary concern is salvation and discipleship. While the church leaps onto the bandwagon of social issues, salvation and discipleship are left aside and the result is a declining church influence as we are often speaking out of turn and out of depth.

Preaching and teaching is not so popular, not glamorous, not wealth building, is old-fashioned and seemingly out of date and of fleeting interest to many, such has always been the way. Nevertheless, Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto Salvation” [Rom 1:16] Paul’s Primary concern was the preaching of the gospel, the spiritual health of the individual and of the collective group of Christians - the Church. Social issues were not his bag. He gave not a fig of concern to the immorality, deceit, corruption, cruelty and so forth as it occurred around him on a daily basis. When he spoke of corruption, when he addressed issues they were IN the church.

Interestingly Jesus did not concern himself with many of the issues in his day that we face today, issues that were worse in many ways in his day than they are now. One has to remember that as he passed by the prisons and dungeons, he would hear the screams of tortured men and women, yet he did not speak against the injustice. He did not speak to the issues of child prostitution nor rail at the authorities. He would at times walk past those who were sick and in need of healing ignoring them or their plea as if he had not seen them.

At other times, he would feed the multitude, spend hours ministering to the sick and demonised, go out of his way for a single person who’s heart was pleading for divine intervention. He did not seek justice for those wrongly treated. He did not clothe the naked. He did not find a home for the homeless - rather he was homeless himself.

The role of the church is best found by looking back to Jesus's methods.

Instead, the church tends to try to reach the masses. It emulates the world and the ways of the world so well that at times it is hard to tell the difference between the world and the Church. Yes, Paul declares that by any means we should win the lost. I am not convinced that embracing the world is what he means as the Gospel is clear to “come out from among them," be separate [2 Cor 6:17]. Yes, we are also reminded to learn from the world and it’s wisdom but not at the expense of the gospel or the principles of the Kingdom of God. I fear there are times the church has gone too far in the direction of the world.

We look at the message to the Laodician church and read the scripture “behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice, I will come in to him and sup with him” [Rev 3:20] A well-known and recognised scripture used for salvation. Take another look at this passage. Jesus is speaking to the Laodicean church, and he is …. outside the church trying to get in. Jesus is outside the Church of Laodicea. Dispensational teaching or application tells us that church of today is the age of Laodicea. So often Jesus is trying to get inside the church today.

Do I mean every church? Are all churches Christ-less? Of course not, in every age and period there have always been churches of every size and sort who hear the voice of Jesus, churches that responded to the heart of God, and so it is today.

Nevertheless, there are churches, great and small that Jesus is trying to get into. (continued next page)

The Church’s Sphere of Influence (...continued) Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence Newsletter - February 2016 4

• He preached. • He taught.

• He spoke. • He identified hypocrisies where he found them among the religious leader and lawyers.


The church is impacted by so many issues that impinge upon our effort to present Jesus. Federal, state and local authorities, laws of governance by our denomination, our insurance brokers, the board of elders or deacons, finance and others. Pressure from within the community from non-church groups that feel that they have the right to speak into the church and tell the church what is best for itself - while their only concern is there own self-interest, often diametrically opposed to issues such as salvation, righteousness and holiness. The tragic past and present criminal activity - fraud, misdemeanours, sexual and physical assault against adult and child alike has stilled the value of our moral stand.

All of these, and so much more place great pressure on the church that distracts us from hearing the voice of God as, we comply with everything else.

I am convinced that it is time we allowed the voice of Jesus to distract us from these other issues.

Jesus worked on two principles:

1. Reaching the world one person at a time, letting the world know how important they are to God on an individual level.

2. Encouraging the church to speak as one, they had one message - not just one voice.

We have neglected the power of preaching, which is the dynamic of the Gospel. We lost the reality, have forgotten, that when the word is preached lives are changed and renewed. As lives are transformed there is an ongoing effect… communities are changed.

Society itself is transformed. Case in point. Wales. For several years during and after the Welsh revivals at the beginning of the 20th Century. The community was so changed that court houses were closed due to the lack of crime, police made redundant, bars and brothels closed - some became churches, families restored, drunkenness with its associated ills were diminished. Breweries closed. More children went to school; more men found employment the list goes on. Not because of social reforms or church programs but because the Gospel was preached fearlessly and without constraint. Such is the case when people are changed. First in one’s and two’s then by tens and community transformation took place. Google the Welsh revival and see what happens when the Gospel is preached.

Not only Wales but in England, across the United States, in parts of Asia, Africa and in the south Americas villages' towns and communities have been transformed… not by the program but by the preaching of the word and the discipleship of the hearers.

Do I mean that we should not be involved in programs? Not a bit. Of course, we should be. However, our programs should come out from the results or fruit of the preaching and discipleship; our programs should not be to make converts or proselytes.

When the emphasis is on the word of God, lives are transformed, the Holy Spirit will work with individuals and groups of people who will be put in place by God himself to resource what-ever is needed for the community. As it happened in the book of Acts, so it should be today.

Our sphere of influence is not so much the market place or the business or the school. Our sphere of influence is not among the drug addict, alcoholic or prostitute. Our Sphere of influence is not to deal with corruption, bring down governments. We are not called to build housing estates, hospitals or orphanages -- good as these things are.

Our sphere of influence is one to one. To bring the message of the gospel in any way we can and win converts to Christ. And then, out of the multitudes of conversion's men and women appointed and empowered by God himself will rise up to the challenge of the community, Christian lawmakers, politicians, businessmen and woman. School teachers, pastors, teachers, evangelists, reformers and world changers shall rise, the church's role? Support and pray for them.

As individuals, we must re-learn to speak out AS one voice not WITH one voice. Let our villages, towns and cities, our states and nation hear not one voice on behalf of many crying out, as one in the wilderness… Rather let many voices ring out in a chorus about one man... the man Jesus Christ and then our nation will hear the church, and our influence will be known.

The Church’s Sphere of Influence (...continued) 5 Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence Newsletter - February 2016


My Testimony of How The Lord Saved Me By Barbara Bonavoglia via Dale Phillips on 18-Jan-2016 [email protected]

A neighbor of mine had come to the Lord and was witnessing to me. She told me you had to be "born again". In my very self-righteous attitude I thought "who is she to tell me to change my religion. I was raised in a denominational church, went to the denominational school for 12 years...had religion taught to me every day...was very close to God...went to church regularly...When I was little, I remember going every day...I loved God..

Why, she never even went to church before in her life. So I opened my Bible to prove I was right...and she was wrong. Then I saw the words "ye must be born again" Gulp. I thought, Lord, if that's in there, what else is in there that I don't know about. I asked God to forgive me for my self-righteous attitude..

My neighbor invited me to her house for a bible study.. I went out of curiosity and spoke to this lady from her church..she was one of the elders.. I asked her what did it really mean to be born again...I was still convinced it was a different religion. She explained that I needed to repent of all my sins, ask God to forgive me, invite Jesus to come into my heart as my Lord and Savior.

I had strayed from God for several years...at this point I was doing my own thing... All I know is I wasn't very happy.

So that night I sat with my bible and started reading, as this woman told me to do, in the book of John...After reading for awhile, I stopped reading and just started talking to God saying..."God, I know You exist...I have always believed in You.. but my pea-size brain has trouble comprehending how you can hear me when so many others...millions or billions of people...are praying at the same time. I can't fathom this...Can you give me a sign...anything...blink the lights...anything...And at that very moment...the phone rang and I ran to answer it because it was quite late. It was 12:30AM, and my phone NEVER rings at that time - and hasn't since. That was over 35 years ago. Anyway...when I picked up the phone, there was no one there. I stood with the phone in my hand and said "Lord, is that You?" Then I said "Lord, I'm going to believe that was You."

When I said that, my heart began to pound. Wow, I felt a giant butterfly in my stomach. I was soooo

excited. I sat down, picked up my bible to finish reading John and the first words my eyes set on were "Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe." Oh my Lord...I felt an arrow go through my heart. I felt the Lord had chastised me, and rightfully so. I kept reading and praying and repenting, especially of unbelief, and that night I asked Jesus to come into my heart.

The next day I called another neighbor who was also at the bible study and shared what had happened with her. She got so excited and shouted..Wow, do you remember what Ruthie (the elder) told you at the bible study about the telephone. I said no. She said...Ruthie said your life with Christ is like the telephone..unless you pick up the receiver to speak to Him...He can't hear you...WOW. My heart was about to explode. My God really touched me personally. Then, I went to the Christian book store the next day and found this little magnet on their magnet board... the kind you put on your refrig. It was a little telephone that said, Direct Line to Heaven..It's Toll Free. I thought - this is definitely for me. There we 2...so I decided to buy them both...after all...they were for me :)... When I went to pay for them, the girl at the register asked me "Where did you get these?" I said "they were on your magnet board. I asked her...why?" She said...I've worked here for 3 years and have never seen them." I replied, "I'm not at all surprised."

My God is an awesome God...He meets each one of us right where we are. I guess because He knows I'm a "talker" He knew right where to reach me.!!! And today I look back to that night ...my first night I encountered the living God, and I can't thank Him enough for touching my life, for giving His life for me, personally, for changing me, for always being there for me, being my best friend thru the good times and the bad times, supplying all my needs, giving me hope in a world where, apart from Him, there is no hope. I love Him so..

Another night, not long after that awesome night, while my family was sleeping (that was always my best time with the Lord)...I was reading my Bible when I heard someone call my name...clear as could be..."Barbara"...I assumed it was my husband and I answered.."what"....no answer...I continued reading...heard it again."Barbara"...this




time I got up..went to the bottom of the stairs and with a loud whisper...I didn't want to wake the kids up...again I said louder......"WHAT"....Again...no answer...On my way back to the den to read my bible, I stopped at our coal stove that we had years ago...to shake down the coal...When I was down shaking the coal, I felt someone....like someone's hand...brushing across my back...from one shoulder to the other...It scared me because I didn't see anyone...I thought it was my husband

and jumped...turned around...no one was there...But I knew at that point, WHO it was...I ran back to my Bible and continued reading...He does call us by name!! I can attest to that!!

Our God is an awesome God...He has touched my life in so many ways and has brought me through many difficult times...HE has been my Lord, my physician, my provider and my husband...I love Him so much...and so humbled that He loves me!!!


My Testimony of How The Lord Saved Me (...continued)

Bible Verses About Testimony (Scriptures quoted from the KJV Bible - ‘Read More…’ means that only the first part of the Scripture is quoted - you must follow along reading in your own Bible.)

Luke 8:39 - Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

2 Timothy 1:8 - Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Revelation 12:11 - And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Psalms 71:15-18 - My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness [and] thy salvation all the day; for I

know not the numbers [thereof]. (Read More...)

Matthew 10:32 - Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Psalms 66:16 - Come [and] hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Psalms 119:46 - I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

1 John 1:1-4 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (Read More...)

1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 John 5:11 - And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

Titus 3:3-7 - For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. (Read More...)

2 Timothy 1:8-9 - Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; (Read More...)

Now you have read about what our Lord Jesus Christ tells Christians how to use your “Personal Testimony,” please send your “Personal Testimony” to Dale Philips, Chickasha, Oklahoma U.S.A., I will send your “Personal Testimony” out to 90,000 plus worldwide prayer warriors. Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ tells Christians to go out and tell your story how He helped you and your family, how you accepted our Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior.

Dale Phillips [email protected]


Personal Matters Spiritual passivity rules much of the Body of Christ; my local Anglican congregation hardly reacts to my preaching and charismatic gifts lie dormant in corporate worship across the churches. Yet believers never seem to lack energy to accuse, gossip, entertain suspicions about or argue amongst one another. Christians agree that our real struggle is not “against flesh and blood, but...against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12), but in practice visible persons rather than invisible spirits are at the centre of our conflicts. As Donna correctly reminds me at times, “I am not your enemy!” Our enemy is the devil (1 Pet 5:8).

One reason the Church as we know it is not seeing in the Spirit the works of demonic forces and responding with spiritual power is the influence of a scientific worldview on culture. When Jesus encountered a convulsing child foaming at the mouth he delivered him from an evil spirit, our instinctive analysis is that the boy suffers only from the physical disease of epilepsy (Mark 9:14-29). Christ said of a woman who could not stand up straight that she had been “bound by Satan” (Luke 13:16). Our reflex reaction would attribute her problem simply to scoliosis. Heavily conditioned by a scientific world view we are not seeing things spiritually and not engaging in the intense war which rages all around us. There is however a far deeper reason for our spiritual blindness than the influence of culture.

Son and King When Jesus burst onto the scene filled with the Spirit’s power the demons could not remain hidden but involuntarily spewed forth; “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”” (Luke 4:14; 34). Immediately they were silenced by the Lord’s command and with their victim visibly delivered Jesus was recognised by all as a holy man with authority over the dominion of darkness (Matt 12:24; Luke 4:35-37).

Christ’s conflict with the evil powers was a central part of his kingdom ministry; “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8). The mission of Christ and his disciples was framed by the ongoing cosmic

conflict between God and Satan. When his disciples reported that the demons were subject to them in his name Jesus bubbled over, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18).

The Church today has failed to understand that spiritual conflict is central to Jesus’ identity as Son of God. This is because an epic contest is raging over the imaging of fatherhood in creation. One Father is the Author of Truth and Life, the rival father has been a liar and murderer “from the beginning” (John 8:44; 14:6). Christ discerned with absolute clarity that every person visibly bears the image of one of these fathers; ““Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”” (Matt 16:17; John 6:70; 1 John 3:10-12). As the works of the devil manifest a satanically controlled life so the works of the Son of God infallibly reveal the presence of a loving Father (John 14:11; Eph 2:1-3). These tensions are woven into the deepest order of human reality and came to a climax at the cross. The radically demonised character of lost humanity was unambiguously revealed in the insane slaughter of the blameless Son of God; “this is your hour and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). The apostolic Church lived out these things.

Sons of the Kingdom Paul received a share in Jesus’ own commission to battle evil powers; “‘I am sending you...to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.’” (Acts 26:18). As he went forth in Christ’s power the demonic hosts recognised Paul’s spiritual authority and were silenced by his word of command (Acts 16:16-18; 19:15). Like Christ, Paul taught a salvation of cosmic proportions; “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:13). Sharing in Jesus’ discernment of spirits Paul named the presence of the devil where he saw it; “the magician...opposed them... But...Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil...will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”, and striking the man blind people turned to the Lord (Acts 13:8-12).

Signs of Satan Posted on 30-Jan- 2016 by Dr. John Yates - http://cross-connect.net.au/signs-of-satan/




The holy leaders of the Early Church understood that since the primary work of the evil one is to disfigure the image of God in humanity the purpose of the proclamation of Christ was to restore the glorious image of the Father (2 Cor 3:17-18; Col 3:9-10). The grand vision of sharing in the Son’s work to renew the likeness of the Father in creation by destroying the works of the devil is missing in most Christian leadership today. The fruit of this failing is passivity in the Church and blindness to the satanic presence.

Failing Fathers Demons instinctively knew Jesus as the Son in whom the Holy Father dwelt, and the apostles radiated a fatherly holiness that exposed the works of the false fathering of the devil (John 17:11; 1 Cor 4:15; 2 Cor 6:16-7:1). The primary problem in spiritual warfare today is the loss of such a fatherly presence. As Adam stood silent before Satan’s attack on his wife and projected to her an image of God as a distant father, so the lack of active holiness in many pastors strips Christ’s Bride of insight and authority to fight the works of the devil.

The Church is called to be the place where the works of the devil are identified and visibly destroyed. Anything short of this is a negation of the revelation of God as Holy Father. Rare is that congregation in our land today that sees in the Spirit Satan being cast out for the glory of God. Let me put the crucial issue more pointedly. What sort of a “Father” would stand by passively and watch his children suffer in interpersonal conflict, disease, marriage meltdown and mental disorder. Only a false and distant father would leave the Church in an unholy state unable to resist the evils of our culture. The true and intimate Holy Father is stirred in his Spirit with acts of enlivening, cleansing and healing power.

Are the battle lines between the false fathering of

the devil and the true Fathering of God clearly seen in your congregation?

Conclusion I am not advocating a “spooks in space” spirituality that sees Satan as the sole immediate cause of every human ill. But he is the ultimate cause of ill and is presently ravaging the Western Church as a largely invisible Enemy (Rev 12:9). Lacking the penetrative gaze of holy fathers into the unseen realm the Church around us is largely paralysed and losing the cosmic conflict over the presence of the divine image in the world. Only Jesus can deliver us from a malaise this deep. His confident prophecy of personal death and exaltation should embolden us; “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”” (John 12:31-32).

Jesus believed in the love of the Father to reverse all Satan’s power over death because he knew himself to be exactly what the demons proclaimed, “the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34; Acts 2:27; Heb 2:14-15). In Christ we too are holy sons of the Father and through him we can have insight into the spiritual conflict that rages around us (Rom 8:29; 1 Cor 1:30; Heb 2:10ff; 3:1). Such insight gave the leaders of the Early Church great authority and profound ministry. But following the fight of their Lord it was for them also the way of much persecution and many cruel deaths.

Many today prefer to be safely “asleep in the light” (Keith Green) rather than bruised in the great battle for the honour of Father and Son. I sense however that in the realm of spiritual conflict an increasingly alien culture will soon make spiritual passivity a thing of the past. Satan will then be seen for what he is and Christ increasingly glorified.

Glory to our Father!


Signs of Satan (...continued)

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. … “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:15-18, 25-26 NIV

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:12-16 NIV



Introduction Often people ask the question ‘What is the church for?’ or ‘What is the mission of the church?’ Many people give answers that vary from learning to ritual and almost everything in between. In this article I wish to suggest that, with reference to the world we live in, the Church has no mission.

A Unique Assembly In an article in Theology1, concerning the Anglican Church in Sydney Humphrey Southern reported a conversation with the a Principal of Moore College in which he indicated that the church had no mission. This ‘classic’ exposition of that is called the Knox-Robinson2 doctrine is matched by the prevalent belief, expounded especially by the previous Dean of Sydney, that the assembly is for the purpose of edification so Christians can engage in the evangelistic enterprise.

But the New Testament understanding of ‘the Church’ explored by Bishop Robinson is far more complex and implies a demand on each and every Christian.

In his book The Church of God3, which was a response to the proposals for the Church of South India, Robinson argued, on linguistic grounds, that the ‘church’ was, in the NT, the time and space manifestation of the Heavenly Assembly. That is denominational organisations should not be confused with the Church of God. It was to be seen in terms of the Sinai assembly of Israel. Its purpose was to meet with God and thus it was an end not a means. Since it existed only in Heaven or in a local temporary way it was not possible for it to have a mission.

In his addresses as Archbishop to the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney we see Robinson’s view of the local assembly and one finds the core issue of his earlier expression still in place. He sees the local assembly as a meeting with God. It is a place of worship in the first instance. He says of Morning Prayer in the Book

of Common Prayer;

For many centuries we have commenced our daily services with the exhortation from the Venite:

Come, let us worship and fall down;

and kneel before the Lord our Maker,

and at the climax of our Communion service we have said, in the Gloria in Excelsis;

We praise thee, we bless the, we worship thee we glorify thee,4

The assembly’s focus is on those who know Christ and are known by him, not on outsiders. It is essentially an assembly of the faithful. That what happens in ‘church’ should be edifying is a given for him but it is not the purpose of the assembly. The assembly is a personal and corporate encounter with the living God.

But the living heart of our church is our worship, our communio in sacris, Here we come, like the Israelites at Sinai, “to meet God”. Here together we contemplate the kingdom and the power and the glory, we partake of the Holy Spirit, and taste the powers of the age to come.5

For Robinson the visible church is that which is expressed in Article 19 of the 39 Articles of Religion of the Anglican Church

The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.6

In his discussion of the mode of administration of the Lord’s Supper he makes this even clearer by insisting on the one cup and one loaf. Thus expressing the unity created by Christ and experienced through the Holy Spirit. In this he asserts that we are not at liberty to restructure or refocus the assembly contrary to the discipline of

A Meeting without a Mission By Raymond E Heslehurst B.D., M.Th., Dip.A.(Th.), Ph.D

1 Southern, Humphrey Theology vol. 107, no. 836, March/April, 2004 pages 117-124. 2 An idea wrongly attributed to D B Knox and D W B Robinson about the nature of the Church. 3 The church of God : its form and its unity D.W.B. Robinson. Sydney, Jordan Books, 1965. 4 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1989, Robinson D W B, p.239 5 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1986, Robinson D W B, p.230 6 The Thirty Nine Articles of Religion 1662




Christ.7 There may be many meetings which can be constructed for Christian purposes but the assembly is unique among them. While discussing liturgical revision he commends the fact that many evening services provide a good avenue for young people to hear the word of Christ yet he also says

Peer activities are good for certain purposes, but the fellowship in worship of an all age congregation is the most assuring evidence of a truly bonded body of Christ.8

The habit of creating special styles of assembly for special homogeneous groups he seem to suggest does not fulfil the function of ‘church’.

The Prayer Book concept of the worship of the congregation has been impaired by our multiplication of services to suit the convenience of groups of parishioners, and by the introduction of services, or the use of existing services, aimed at the catechumens rather than communicants.9

And,

It might help us if we could arrive at a clearer distinction between those occasions which constitute the public liturgy of the church, designed to bring the whole congregation of faithful people, and those occasions which are designed for special groups or groups of fringe people and for which special orders of service may need to be prepared.10

The assembly retains its role as the time and space manifestation of the Heavenly Assembly achieved by Christ and a present reality because of the Communion of the Holy Spirit and our union in Christ. (Two ways of speaking about the same reality.)

Bp Robinson sees one of the results of ‘getting Sunday right’ as enabling all Christians to pursue their ‘vocation and ministry’. This will vary from person to person. For most it will be, “Each doing the task his hand finds to do” and this as “unto the Lord”.11 This will often not necessarily be seen as ‘Christian behaviour’ since, as he says, of the Christian, “there is no ticket on his behaviour”.

It is part of the desire to do good to all people12 or, as he expresses it, imitating the Jews of Babylon in the fulfilment of the command in Jeremiah 29,

He thinks and acts and plans like any other member of human society, responsible for his own behaviour and decisions, in public and private life, and like the Jews in Babylonian exile he seeks the peace of the city where he dwells.13

Not Simply Anglican In his lectures14 on ‘Church, Ministry and Sacraments’ in 1990 at Cambridge University Prof. Stephen Sykes described the assembly in Orthodox theology (What they call The Liturgy) as the experience of heaven. Bp Robinson’s theology of church as expressed in his Synod addresses is resonant of this Orthodox position. It is not a derivative from it but a parallel expression of the NT teaching of the nature of the church. It is reflective of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians, ‘Do you (plural) not know that your (plural) body (singular)15 is the temple of God for God’s Spirit dwells among you.’16 The assembly (the Church) is the dwelling place of God. In Chapter 14 of the same letter he will say that ‘the outsider will fall down and declare ‘God is among you.’’17

7 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1991 Robinson D W B, p 267 8 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1986 Robinson D W B, p 216 9 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1985, Robinson D W B, pp 225-226 10 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1985, Robinson D W B, p226 11 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1986, Robinson D W B, pp229, 230 12 Galatians 6.10 13 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1986, Robinson, D W B, p 229 14 Personal notes taken by the author while auditing these lectures in February/March 1990 15 1 Corinthians 6.19 ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὸ σῶµα ὑµῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑµῖν Ἁγίου Πνεύµατός ἐστιν, οὗ

ἔχετε ἀπὸ Θεοῦ; 16 1 Corinthians 6.19 The use again of a phrase which should be translated ‘among you’ rather than ‘in you’.

Paul uses a different phrase to speak of each Christian being possessed by the Spirit, the defining characteristic of the New Covenant.

17 1 Corinthians 14.23 εἰσέλθωσιν δὲ ἰδιῶται ἢ ἄπιστοι, … καὶ οὕτως πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον προσκυνήσει τῷ Θεῷ, ἀπαγγέλλων ὅτι Ὄντως ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑµῖν ἐστιν.


A Meeting without a Mission (...continued)



This understanding is not simply the present situation in the Anglican Church of Australia but the essential understanding of the Church from the 1st century to the present. In Robinson’s description of Anglicanism as ‘reformed Catholicism in this land’ he refuses to take the easy path of discounting the pre-reformation church. He also refuses to engage in an individualistic and human centred understanding of the Gospel. For him it remains always a proclamation about Christ not fundamentally a call to human action.

The demand of God’s Gospel is consequent upon the nature of the proclamation. It remains effective regardless of human action.

For Bp Robinson there is a clear distinction between the Kingdom of God and the Church. One looks at the action of God, already being expressed in the enthronement of Christ and exercised by his ‘word of power’, the other is the personal arena in which those who recognise and accept that rule for themselves come with each other before their God to give him honour.

Implications a. The centre of the Church’s vision must be the

glory of God expressed in the praise, petition and being “revitalised by the spiritual food of the body and blood of Christ which is the source of our spiritual life”, an experience of the age to come and a sustaining of the individual Christian to do ‘what is at hand’ until the parousia, (the public appearance of Christ)

b. The assembly must work at expressing the unity already achieved by Christ and not see itself as a provider of product.18 While denominational organisations may be helpful they are not the Church. Local congregations are not part of the Church but are the Church in that point of time and space unless they add ‘conditions’ other than being in Christ or meet for another purposes.

I belong to the household of faith, the blessed

company of all faithful people. And in every place there is the church of God, the gathering together in Christ’s name, each an epitome of the whole and of the innumerable company which gathers round the throne of God and praises him ceaselessly.19

This, in the end, is our whole ground for coming together day by day and week by week: that glory should be given to God, in the church, and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, now and forever. (Eph 3.21)20

While the proclamation of the Gospel will remain a primary activity of the people of God it will not be the task of every Christian to ‘do the work of an evangelist’21 All, though, will have to “seek the welfare of the city where God has placed you”. Thus agencies and individuals may be engaged in ‘doing good’ without necessarily placarding their ‘Christian ‘ status or using them as a basis for ‘evangelising’. This will inevitably fulfil the command of Jesus that your “light shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your father who is in Heaven”22 either in this age or on the day of visitation.

In conclusion, a right understanding of the Church will enable us to focus on the mode of our assembling: prayer and praise to God and the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Yet it also impels each of us, as Christians, to live Christianly in the world.

For some this will simply mean doing our work (paid or unpaid) as unto Christ. For others it may mean active proclaiming of the Kingdom of God, i.e. the fact that ‘the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ’. For all it will mean being ready to ‘provide a reasoned answer (at the level of our ability) for the hope that lies in us.’23 That hope, of the public manifestation of Christ, of the general resurrection of the dead, when the whole Church, present and departed in the Lord, is seen in all her glory like a bride adorned for her husband.24

Raymond E Heslehurst, AD 2016

18 Ephesians 3.1-18 19 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1986, Robinson D W B, p 230 20 The year Book of the Diocese of Sydney 1989 Robinson D W B, p 242 21 2 Timothy 4.5 22 Matthew 5.16 23 1 Peter 3.15 24 Ephesians 5.27

A Meeting without a Mission (...continued)



NEWS and ACTION Late December saw a significant issue brewing in Belgium with the news that there is a court case pending against a Catholic Nursing Home for refusing to co-operate with a euthanasia request. The new Catholic Archbishop of Brussels spoke out, stressing that Catholic institutions reserve their right not to co-operate. This had the pro-euthanasia commentariat fuming claiming, falsely, that euthanasia was a right. Read my article that broke the news http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2360-battle-lines-d rawn-in-belgium-over-conscience.html

Michael Cook from Mercatornet recently published an excellent reflection on the matter a conscientious right to refuse to cooperate. http://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/the-challenge-of-c onscientious-objection/11722

This issue of conscience is also being played out in Canada at the moment regarding a doctor's right to refuse. The Supreme Court has allowed the parliament an additional 4 months to legislate to enforce their judgement of January last year but has also allowed anyone seeking euthanasia in the interim to make a request to the court; the wording creating an effective 'right' to euthanasia and assisted suicide. http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2362-canada-supreme -court-conjures-right-to-be-dead.html

In the meantime, reports from Quebec suggest that the first euthanasia death has occurred under their provincial law which has dubious status given the action of the Supreme Court. http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2365-first-euthanas ia-case-in-quebec.html

Not to be outdone, The Netherlands recently approved euthanasia for people with advanced dementia. http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2368-the-netherland s-approves-euthanasia-for-severe-dementia.html

Closer to home and The Age newspaper is continuing its own campaign on the back of a double suicide in Melbourne last year; following up a long article with another by Philip Nitschke and then upping the ante with a further self-congratulatory endorsement. http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2361-driving-sales- in-the-death-market.html

Sadly, as alluded to earlier, these kinds of double suicide pacts are no longer the isolated cases that they once were. There have even been recorded instances of double euthanasia in Belgium where the partner who was not ill could not imagine living without the other. From The Age article, it seems that this Victorian case was different. Both had deteriorating health – but nether were terminal and, from the report, neither could be said to be suffering unbearably.

In other words, neither would likely have qualified under the normal form of euthanasia and assisted suicide bills.

Also http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2364-justifying-sui cide.html

Euthanasia Bill in the Senate and in South Australia - please act NOW! SENATE: Senator David Leyonhjelm introduced the latest in a long line of attempts to overturn the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 (and thereby enable the NT and ACT to legislate for euthanasia and assisted suicide). You can read more about this latest bill at http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2349-new-bill-in-au stralian-senate.html

Please email your Senators! For helpful hints and contact details http://noeuthanasia.org.au/take-action/federal.html

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: The Hon Steph Key has listed her latest euthanasia bill for debate beginning in a few weeks. You can read more about the bill at http://noeuthanasia.org.au/blog/2367-new-euthanasia -bill-to-be-tabled-in-south-australian-parliament.h tml

Please email your local SA MP! For helpful hints and contact details http://noeuthanasia.org.au/take-action/south-austra lia.html

The expected Tasmanian bill has not surfaced and, likewise, may appear in 2016 and we may also see a bill in the NSW Lower House.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS!

Regards, Paul Russell noeuthanasia.org.au



Introduction A Creed is a statement of faith enabling us to believe firmly whatever God has revealed and going on in the testimony of His word. ‘Creed’ comes from the Latin credo, which means ‘I believe’; that is, I accept or hold true something on the word of another. ‘I believe’ with relation to The Apostles’ Creed, means that I firmly assent to everything contained in it. ‘I believe’ it exactly as if I had seen those truths with my own eyes. ‘I believe’ it on the authority or word of God, Who cannot deceive or be deceived.

There are several other creeds used by the Church, in substance identical with The Apostles’ Creed. For example, The Nicene Creed, which is said in the Mass, was mainly drawn up at the Council of Nicaea, in the year 325, and The Athanasian Creed is said by priests in the Divine Office on the feast of the Blessed Trinity.

From the beginning, the Apostolic Church expressed and handed on her faith in brief formulae normative for all. Already very early on, the Church also wanted to gather the essential elements of her faith into organic and articulated summaries, intended especially for candidates for Baptism.

Thus, The Apostles’ Creed is repeated at Baptism, as a declaration of faith (in ancient times it was required before Baptism, as a sign of fitness for reception into the Church). Since Baptism is given “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, the truths of faith professed during Baptism are articulated in terms of their reference to the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

The Creeds came into existence because the Scriptures were not available as a complete collection for a long time, while instruction for the initiatory rite of Baptism, and preaching and other liturgical activity continued apace, largely illiterate populations had to depend on oral summaries of material that they could commit to memory. St Paul gives two such summations of important matters he had received and transmitted orally, the traditions of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23) and the witness to Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3).

There are three parts of the Creed reflecting the Trinity of God:

“The twelve articles of The Apostles’ Creed contain the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, one God in three Divine Persons, - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, - with the particular operations attributed to each Person. The Creed contains three parts. The first part treats of God the Father and creation. The second part treats of God the Son and our redemption. And the third part treats of God the Holy Ghost and our sanctification.”

God, the Father “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”

We start the Creed with “We/I”; we acknowledge and recognise of the living presence of God, it is a personal statement made within a community of believers, we acknowledge God and proclaim our faith, because our faith is knowledge of God born of the gift of Grace. Faith introduces us into a beginning of eternal life since eternal life is nothing else than to know God.

The Church has understood this to mean that there is only one God. This one God has not only existed from all eternity. He is the one Being who must exist. He is therefore the one Necessary Being whose existence is His very essence.

We also believe that, although God is absolutely one in nature, He is not a solitary Being. He is the Divine Community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This Trinity of Persons is the model on whom the human race is patterned. As we read in Genesis, God said, “Let Us make man according to Our image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

“God the Father” occurs frequently in the teachings of church fathers as a result of the New Testament (Gal.1:3) (Phil 2:11) (Thess 1:3) plus the innumerable gospel descriptions by Jesus of God as his Father (as ours). “The Father Almighty” however has no history. It is therefore assumed that the original expression of faith was in God the Father, to which “The Almighty” was added in opposition. In some places in the New Testament the expected definite article does not appear, rather “God Father” (James 1:27, 1 Peter 1:2, 2 John 3, Jude 1) showing the intimacy of deity and parenthood. This verbal usage passes into the creed.

We believe that there are two kinds of beings


The Apostles’ Creed By Lilian Schmid and based on the teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church



whom God has created, the material and the spiritual. Material creatures have space and size, weight and colour and quantity. They can be seen and touched and tasted and heard by bodily ears. In a word, they are perceptible by the senses. Spiritual creatures have none of these qualities. They can be perceived only by the mind and experienced only by the will. Thus, the angels are spiritual persons and our souls are spiritual beings, which animate our human bodies.

Immediately we see that the world is not eternal. This is revealed in the Bible. The opening words of the Scriptures declare, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). And Christ tells the heavenly Father, “You loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

God created the world in order to manifest His perfection through the benefits that He bestows on creatures, not to increase His own happiness nor acquire any perfection. He preserves the world by the same almighty love that must be ever-present to keep the world in existence. As we read in the Old Testament, “How could anything remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved had it not been called forth by you?” (Wisdom 11:25).

Jesus Christ, God’s only Son “I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit;

born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; He ascended into heaven; He is seated

at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

The Second Member of the Holy Trinity is Jesus. The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘Saviour’. As His name indicates, that is Jesus’ main role. As our Saviour, He saved us from our sins and the eternal punishment that would be ours, by dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Because of His perfect sacrifice on the cross, we don't have to pay for our sins. All that we must do is simply respond in love and thanksgiving for this remarkable, undeserved gift.

In the Creed, we acknowledge the two natures of Jesus:

Jesus' Human Nature

When Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He became ‘incarnate’. Jesus took on human flesh and became just like us, except without sin. Jesus needed to be human so He could be our substitute to bear our sins for us. When Adam and Eve sinned, God placed on them the full responsibility and punishment for their sin, including eternal punishment in hell. Because we sin we, too, bear that same punishment.

Jesus' Divine Nature

In order to be our Saviour, Jesus also had to be God, because only God can forgive sins, and the only payment that God could accept in our place for our sins was a payment from God Himself. God came in the person of Jesus Christ, died and rose from the dead. Jesus reigns over the whole world - in grace - in the hope that all might believe and have faith in Him.

In Philippians chapter two, St. Paul gives what may be the clearest Scriptural explanation of Jesus’ two natures: “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

The Apostles’ Creed, reflecting Paul's teaching of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-11, teaches the two stages of Jesus' ministry:

Stage One: Humiliation

The first stage of Jesus’ ministry was His humiliation. From the time He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, until the time he “suffered, died, and was buried”, He humiliated Himself to be our Saviour. Though fully God, He willingly set aside the full demonstration of His deity and divine power and took on human flesh to be our Saviour.

Stage Two: Exaltation

The Apostles' Creed continues the second stage of Jesus’ ministry; His exaltation, which is described in three stages:

a) Jesus’ descent into Hell Jesus' exaltation begins with His descent into

The Apostles’ Creed (...continued)




hell, a manifestation of the fact that salvation reaches all. St. Peter tells us that Jesus went to Hell “to preach to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19-20). As the resurrected victor over sin, death and the Devil, Jesus' descent to the dead marked His triumph over Satan and all His angels. By going to Hell, He demonstrated to all unbelievers that God's promises - which they ridiculed and disbelieved - were true.

b) Jesus’ Resurrection appearances The Scriptures and the Creeds testify that Jesus rose and appeared numerous times to His disciples, to Mary and others who were close to Him, as well as other followers. Jesus wanted them to be absolutely certain of His resurrection. John, His closest and dearest disciple, wrote: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1)

c) Jesus’ Return Forty days after Jesus' resurrection, now that His earthly work of salvation was completed, He went back to Heaven to sit at the Father's right hand. From there He rules over us today and through eternity as our Saviour, God and Lord. All we wait for now, the Apostles' Creed notes is for Jesus’ return, when He will come “to judge the living and the dead.”

The Holy Spirit “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.”

The best way to understand what we mean by our profession of faith in the Holy Spirit is to compare it with our faith in the Son of God.

In God there is intellect and will, corresponding to thinking and loving in human beings. Scripture identifies the Mind of God with the Word of God, as St. John tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

So, just as the Word of God is the Son of God, so the Love of God is the Holy Spirit

St John tells us “God is a Spirit” (John 2:24) and St. Paul says that “The Lord is a Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17). That is why when the Holy Spirit is given to us, we are able to love God so freely as to sacrifice voluntarily the selfish love of the world: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Our faith in the Holy Spirit is our belief that God, who is Love, can share with us something of His own divine love.

Our Catholic religion is filled with professions of faith in the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We speak of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as the supernatural instincts or impulses that urge us to put the virtues of faith, hope, and charity into practice. We have the fruits of the Holy Spirit that give us a deep supernatural satisfaction in doing the will of God. But more specifically, the Church identifies certain ways in which the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds.

The Church, a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the place where we know the Holy Spirit:

• in the Scriptures he inspired;

• in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses;

• in the Church's Magisterium, which he assists;

• in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ.

• in prayer, wherein He intercedes for us

• in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up

• in the signs of apostolic and missionary life

• in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.

We believe also that The Church Is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other, indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who through the Holy Spirit makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realise each of these qualities.





Conclusion

When we say the Apostles’ Creed we make an act of faith. Christian faith is a gift of God which enables us to believe firmly whatever God has revealed, on the testimony of His word. By it we believe in the truth of many things which we cannot fully grasp with our understanding. For example, we believe in God, although we cannot see Him. We believe in the Trinity, although it is beyond our understanding. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith does not require us to believe in anything contrary to reason. When we believe what we cannot perceive or understand, we act according to reason, which tells us that God cannot err, lie, or deceive us. We therefore put our trust in God's word. In many natural things we often believe what we do not see, as sound waves and atoms, on the testimony of scientists who have studied them. Thus we act within reason; but how much more reasonable it is to believe on the word of God.

Whoever says ‘I believe’ says ‘I pledge myself to what we believe’. Communion in faith needs a common language of faith, normative for all and

uniting all in the same confession of faith.

The Apostles' Creed has always been very helpful to Christians. It does four things for us:

• First, it gives us a short way of saying what we believe when we are baptised.

• Second, it praises God for giving us faith to believe what He teaches about Himself in the Bible. When Christians recite the Creed together, they're also celebrating the fact that God has made us one, uniting us in a common faith.

• Third, it gives us a quick and handy tape measure to see if ideas and beliefs are Christian, so the people of God don't end up falling for ideas invented by people.

• Fourth, it gives Christians who know the Creed by memory, a way to remind themselves of all the great things God has done for them.

This Creed is the spiritual seal, our heart's meditation and an ever-present guardian; it is unquestionably, the treasure of our soul.



Hi my name is Rachel and I am a Church Relationship Coordinator for ALPHA NSW . Recently I had the privilege of meeting with Lillian to discuss the initiative that ALPHA AUSTRALIA is launching nationally, the 2016 EASTER INVITATION. Lillian asked if I would write an article on this very exciting invitation that we

are presenting to people from all walks of life across every major city in Australia and also relay to her valued readers my family’s faith journey so far. I pray as I share with you my journey you would be encouraged to believe in all that God has for you and your ministry.

Alpha Easter Invitation 2016 Background and Alpha Mission Alpha Australia’s vision, in line with that of Alpha International, is the evangelisation of the nations and the transformation of society. Alpha Australia seeks to give each of the 13,000 churches in Australia the opportunity to run Alpha as a means of outreach and evangelisation. By 2023 we are aiming at reaching 1 million Alpha stories (individuals who have attended Alpha). To achieve this, our goal is to have 4,000 churches actively running Alpha by 2020.

National Alpha Easter Invitation Objectives & Success Factors • 1000 registered Alpha courses starting after Easter 2016 in targeted areas (major capitals + selected

regional centres). • Alpha leaders informed of the

campaign and focussed on running Alpha ‘well’ (that is, in such a way that is welcoming and accepting of unchurched according to the basic Alpha principles of “no pressure, no charge, no follow up” and “eat watch & chat”)

• Provide a technology platform that allows churches hassle-free access to resources for training, running & promoting their Alpha, and to register their course for the campaign.

• Partner with CMA & participating media outlets to provide resources and inspiration for people to explore faith through spiritual conversations & trying Alpha over Easter.

More information at http://australia.alpha.org/news/easter

Prayer points: • For more churches to register their interest in being part of the Easter invitation • For the Alpha team as the seek to inform church leaders about the invitation and train church teams

how to run and promote Alpha effectively • For every church that registers to be part of this invitation – for their ministers, the Alpha team

coordinator and the Alpha team • For Alpha’s National Director, Melinda Dwight, and the Alpha Board of Directors • For Christian Media Association and every radio station that is a part of this initiative. Pray for the

conversations the announcers will have with their listeners around questions of life and faith. • For listeners to go to the radio station website and follow the links to find an Alpha near them.

May they connect with a local church, attend Alpha, and encounter Jesus.

From Rachel Dunwell, Church Engagement, Alpha Australia





I was born into a very strong Christian home. My parents were both very committed to the plans that God had for their lives and for the lives of their 3 children. Over time the Church that we were part of adhered to a strongly legalistic doctrine and eventually the Church became a dangerous cult.

I always however remember knowing that God had called me to love those living without faith and to care for His people. The strength that I drew on as a young teenage girl was through the gift of prayer. My mother taught me to pray and to hear the voice of God. This was the foundation for me to withstand the many trials that followed.

I remember the day we escaped this cult and began a new life many miles away from its reach. Life began to take on great colour, I experienced freedom and began to see the love that God has for people. This only refreshed my enthusiasm to reach beyond my borders.

I completed my Nursing Training and then soon after attended Bible School. I graduated and married my husband all in the one year and ministry life began. We were Youth Pastors in a significant Church in NZ. After many years we began to Pastor a Campus together and saw God bless the work that we were a part of starting. Over this time we also had 4 amazing children who are now the joy of our lives.

The Holy Spirit began to speak to us about coming on a new adventure with Him that would require enormous amounts of faith. This was not what we had planned as we were very settled and comfortable in our role and Church but when God begins to speak there is always a grace to follow and follow His lead we did.

We were tearfully released from our Church and commissioned to come to Australia as God had sovereignly opened up a way for us to come to Sydney to assist a movement of Churches to launch ALPHA. Again we saw God’s blessing, 4000 people trained in ALPHA across the country in 10 months.

I was personally and continue to be so humbled by the opportunity to introduce ALPHA to the churches of Australia. ALPHA equips and empowers churches to reach their communities with the reality of Jesus Christ. It dawned on me just recently that today I am fulfilling a little of the dream that God placed on my heart as an 11 year old girl in some of the darkest days of my life. This dream was to show others that there is a hope and a way to God through the Cross. I love the way that God works and that he is always faithful to fulfill His promises to us.

We are now fast approaching EASTER. Did you know that 49% of Australians would love to have spiritual conversations but haven’t found a safe environment to do so? This statistic tells us that 1 in 2 people in this country are right now open to talking about God. Research reveals that more non believers think about

God at Easter than any other time of the year. At ALPHA we believe that this EASTER it is the time for many Australians to be invited to come and discuss the questions of life.

Alpha has launched a nationwide Easter Invitation. Christian radio stations in all the major cities will invite people to chat about the big questions of life at Easter. Listeners will be encouraged to find an Alpha near them by clicking on the radio station’s website and entering their postcode on the “Alpha Finder’ and registering their interest in attending an Alpha ‘introduction night’. We would love you to partner with us and consider running Alpha after Easter. Our vision is to see 1,000 churches giving their community the life changing opportunity to encounter Jesus.

Alpha piloted this in Melbourne last year and 56% of the Churches that participated had people contact them because of the Alpha Easter Campaign. One church had 60 people attend their "Information Night", and 15 of those had come as a result of the campaign.

You can sign up to be part of the Alpha Easter Invitation at alpha.org.au/easter, and you will be provided with all the resources needed to run Alpha, completely free of charge! This includes the new Nicky Gumbel Series with 30 minute talks, the Alpha Youth Film Series, as well as artwork and promotional materials that you can print to promote your Alpha. By registering your Alpha, you can also receive a free 3 or 4 metre vinyl banner that you can place at the front of your church. In addition there will be free access to Alpha training live or online.

The NSW team are here to walk you through each step of the journey. All we ask is to for you or your Church to register your interest in being part of this vision. We understand that you may need to talk to other leaders and check your church calendar, so it is not a commitment to run Alpha at this stage, but just expressing your interest. You will hear more from us about the Easter Invitation once you have registered interest. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please let me know.

I would like to thank you for that commitment that you all share with ALPHA AUSTRALIA to see God’s love and grace again recognized throughout the nations. Paul the Apostle urged us to pray without ceasing. Our team will be praying for you as you pray for us. We are thankful for you all. At this time we would ask if you could pray with us for

• 1000 Alpha courses to run after Easter around Australia

• God’s continued favour, His blessing and His Holy Spirit to sustain us and guide us

His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. God Bless, Kindest Regards, Rachel Dunwell

Alpha Easter Invitation 2016 (...continued)


My name is Geoffrey McAuliffe I was born in England, grew up in the small Murray Mallee town of Pinnaroo in South Australia, where I joined the Post Office at the age of 15. After working in the Post Office for several years, I finished up in Broken Hill, where I met and married Meredith.

From the moment I arrived in Broken Hill, I began attending St Peter's Anglican Church, even attending a couple of the weekday services. I was active in the Anglican Parish of Broken Hill for several years, being an altar boy (man) and Sunday School Teacher, as well as being on Parish Council, helping out with the Youth Group, and on our Pastoral Care Team.

As part of an exploration of the Charismatic Movement, I had joined a Prayer Group which had experimented with a process called "Waiting on God" in which we observed a period of silence, followed by what we called "Controlled Discussion" in which each person shared what they had heard in the silence without interruption, then a period of "Open Discussion" and a time of Prayer.

This experience of silence led me to apply to go on a silent retreat for men which was being held at a Retreat Centre called "Overdale" near Wagga Wagga (now closed). While I was at this silent retreat, I happened to be looking across the room at a man dressed in black and began thinking, "He looks like he wants to be a priest!" Then I heard a voice in my mind which said, "No Geoffrey, it is not him I want to be a priest, but you. I want you to be my priest!" I argued with this voice for 24 hours and raised a number of objections - "I am too shy!", "Meredith is a Methodist and she would never consent to me being an Anglican Priest!" "I have never spoken in public!" " I find it hard to get on with people!" - After this 24 hours, the voice in my mind said to me, "Geoffrey, you say you believe in me, don't you?" "Yes, Lord, you know that I do" I said, "Well then, if you say you believe in me, then you have to believe that I can take care of all these problems!" I finished up on my knees in the chapel/meeting room saying, “Ok Lord, if you want me, you have me!”

After returning from the Retreat, (Meredith, I and our son were staying with Meredith's sister) I did not get an opportunity to speak to Meredith about my new calling. As we were travelling to Lake Cargelligo to stay with a friend, with Meredith driving, she sarcastically said to me, "Well, did you

get any messages from God on this Retreat?" I had still been trying to work out how I was going to tell Meredith, so I said nothing. Meredith realised something profound had happened, so she said, "What did he say?" I tearfully said, "I think God wants me to be a priest!" Whereupon Meredith nearly drove off the road and ended it all! As the friend we were staying with in Lake Cargelligo was a priest, Meredith was able to have many conversations with him about me being a priest and what it may mean for her. We discussed it at length and agreed that we had to continue to explore the idea.

I went to see my Rector on arrival back in Broken Hill, he was not surprised and said that as the Bishop was coming up to the parish shortly, would I like to make an appointment to speak to him. The Bishop had met me on several previous visits to the parish, so knew me. Meredith came with me to the interview, and, after the Bishop spoke to me for about one and a half minutes, he spoke to Meredith for the next hour and a half. The Bishop sent me to see the Warden of St Barnabas' College in Belair in South Australia, who accepted me as a student.

So, I entered Theological College in Belair, in February 1977 and completed three years there, being Senior Student during my last year. I was ordained Deacon on 2nd February 1980 and ordained Priest on 8th December 1980, and I was awarded a Licentiate of Theology in 1981. I spent time in Parish Ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Riverina serving at places such as Leeton (as an assistant), Ivanhoe NSW, Coleambally, Lockhart and The Rock (the last two being combined during the last year and a half) until December 1996, when my parish could no longer afford to pay me.

In 1981, I had a dramatic experience of the Holy Spirit when I was involved in the leadership of a Youth Group. We had an argument because things went awry and we did not rendezvous where we were supposed to. That night, I was sitting alone in the lounge room of the Clergy Cottage. Meredith had gone to bed, but I was reflecting on the day and feeling absolutely powerless. I had been a member of a Prayer and Study Group which was open to the movement of the Holy Spirit and had been given a book by the Group Leader called "Nine O’clock in the Morning" by Dennis Bennett - a seminal book in the Anglican Charismatic Movement. I was bemoaning in my spirit all that had happened during that day and felt led to go



HEARING GOD'S CALL THROUGHOUT LIFE!


and get this book from the bookshelf.

I was flipping through it and came to a place where Dennis was moving along a prayer line praying for people to be filled with the Holy Spirit. One man said that he was open to the Holy Spirit, but was not keen on this "Speaking in Tongues" Dennis wisely answered, "Sometimes it comes with the package!" At that moment, I felt I heard God saying to me that he wanted me to receive that gift. Now, offering that gift to me was like offering pork to a Jew, because during Theological College, I had been confronted by a young student who asked me whether I spoke in tongues and when I said I did not, he said that I couldn't be a real Christian! That naturally got my back up and made me suspicious of speaking in tongues. Yet my previous experiences of hearing from God told me that this was something to be taken seriously, so I said, “Ok God, give it to me.”

I waited and nothing happened, so I asked if I should get someone to pray over me to receive the gift of Speaking in Tongues. Feeling that God was saying yes, I asked whom and was led to ask the wife of the Group Leader to pray for me. After speaking to him, I rang her and made arrangements to have her pray over me (this was difficult for me, because at that time I was a little hesitant about allowing a woman to minister to me). As the lady prayed over me, I fell sideways onto the floor (I was kneeling). For some time afterward, I was unable to speak at all, but although I did not receive the gift immediately, I knew something dramatic had happened to me, and for days afterward was filled with love and joy.

A few months after this, Meredith and I attended a Healing Seminar run by the Albury Chapter of the Order of St Luke at which Canon Jim Glennon spoke. During lunch, I asked Jim how I could learn more about the Healing Ministry. He suggested that I attend a seminar run by St Andrew's Healing Ministry. There I heard more about the Order of St Luke and also about Healing Homes. Feeling that joining the Order of St Luke was the best way to foster the Healing Ministry, I set about forming a chapter in Leeton. I was admitted as an Associate on 11th April 1982 and inducted as a member on 14th July 1983. During subsequent years I have been involved in forming chapters at Coleambally, Leeton again, and the Riverina Region Chapter based in Griffith. I am currently a Lone Member.

While at this seminar run by St Andrew's Healing

Ministry I asked the Prayer Group that I was placed in if they could pray that any barriers to me exercising the gift of speaking in tongues would be removed (I believed I had been given the gift, but until then had not exercised it, I was concerned that there was a barrier to me receiving it). There were some members of the group who were a bit suspicious of this gift. So the Lord led me to ask three questions –

1. Do you believe that speaking in tongues is a valid biblical gift of the Spirit? They said yes.

2. Do you believe that God wants me to receive that gift? (I had told them my story) They said yes.

3. Do you believe that God answers our prayers when we ask in faith? They said yes.

So they did pray for me. Nothing happened immediately. But, after attending the Wednesday Night Healing Service at St Andrew's Cathedral, with a congregation of about 600 people, I was full of joy and thanksgiving and I opened my mouth to praise God for such a wonderful worship experience and began to speak in a language I did not know. Since then, I have used that gift as a very valuable tool in ministry, as a way of spiritual guidance and as something I use frequently for spiritual edification.

After finishing parish ministry in 1997, I began to explore a calling I had felt for some years of establishing a Healing Home, with Meredith's support. We felt led to establish it in the Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera area of NSW, and Meredith and I eventually established Shalom Healing Home at Yanco, near Leeton in November 1999. We ran Shalom Healing Home for 13 years, not ministering to a great number of people, but ministering to those whom God sent us. During this period, I worked as a Clerk in the office at Rockdale Feedlot from July 1999 to September 2003 and as a Counsellor at Centacare Marriage and Family Services from August 2003 to to August 2005. I was Warden/Chaplain of Shalom Healing Home from 11th November 1999 to 16th December 2012.

In 2012 I and Meredith, who had been Senior Administrative Manager at Parkview Public School in Leeton, and was in the process of retiring, began to feel that our time of running Shalom Healing Home was coming to a close, which surprised us, as we had previously felt we would be there for the rest of our lives. After much prayer and discussion with the Shalom Core Community (board), we

HEARING GOD'S CALL THROUGHOUT LIFE! (...continued) 21 Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence Newsletter - February 2016




decided to put this leading to the test by putting our property on the market. It was advertised on a Friday and the first couple who came to inspect it on an Open Day on the Saturday, (a Christian couple whom Meredith and I knew) came back as we were going on holidays to tell us that they were going to make an offer on the property and they told us that they had felt God saying to them as they drove through the gate, "This is the place, don't haggle about the price." They had been searching for a property for 3 months and had been becoming a bit discouraged.

With both of us being retired, we eventually found a house in Harden and had a sense that God was saying to us, "Go there and wait until I show you what to do." In February 2014, while helping to run a Victorious Ministry Through Christ Freed to Live Teaching day, (we have been involved with VMTC since 1987), I was approached by a man and a woman from the Anglican Parish of Forbes who were attending the seminar, saying that they needed a Rector and thought that I might be the man. I gave them little encouragement. However, at about 4 o'clock the next morning, I was awoken after having had a dream in which I was hauled before the 'council of the Lord' and told, "Why didn't you listen to them when I sent them?"

After an involved process, I was commissioned as Bishop's Priest in Forbes on 6th July 2014, and, with Meredith, am continuing to minister in Forbes. It has been difficult coming back into full time parish ministry after such a long time away, and there have been lots of struggles, but there has been a

real sense that God is with us and that, where he calls, he provides a way.

Yet another calling occurred at a Triennial Conference of OSL Healing Ministries in 2015. While at the conference, I found out that no one had been nominated to take the position of National Chaplain Elect of OSL. The National Chaplain Elect is appointed at each Triennial Conference to be an understudy to the National Chaplain and to take over as National Chaplain at the next Triennial Conference. I felt God tapping me on the shoulder to offer to be National Chaplain Elect. Meredith was very negative about the idea, but I felt Jesus saying, "Who is your Lord, me or Meredith?" I spoke to the National Chaplain and the National Board had a special meeting. The result was that the National Chaplain told me afterward that the Board felt that it would be best if I came onto the Board as a member and served for 12 months and then they could consider whether to appoint me as National Chaplain Elect. After 9 months, the Board agreed that I should be appointed as National Chaplain Elect, and I am being inducted to that position at Forbes on 21st February 2016.

Why have I told you this long, personal story? Because I feel that God can call the most unremarkable people, whatever their age, and, if they are willing and obedient, bring blessing to others. Looking back, we can see that God has been moving in our lives all along, and that, if we are sensitive to God's call he will help us bear fruit, in order to bring glory to himself.

Geoffrey McAuliffe,

HEARING GOD'S CALL THROUGHOUT LIFE! (...continued)



Something New Emerging for Praying Grandparents in 2016 I am the National Prayer Director for Christian Grandparenting Network and I have a dream to form a movement of A Million Praying Grandparents who will commit to pray intentionally and regularly for their grandchildren and their parents. I want to share my dream/passion with you because I believe you too, share my concern for our grandchildren growing up in the broken world we live in today.

The mission of Christian Grand parenting Network is to mobilize grandparents throughout the world to commit to pray daily for their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s parents. In Christian Living Today, a magazine for senior adults, Editor, Randy Swanson, wrote a few years ago “The role of grandparenting is becoming more important than anyone would ever have imagined. The rescue of our culture may well rest on the shoulders of today’s g randparents. ”

Our Grandchildren are our primary mission field. Can you imagine the impact o a MILLION or more Praying Grandparents committed to Intentionally pray for their grandchildren can have on their grandchildren and the world.

If you grasp the urgency of our time , then I urge you to signup for the Million Praying Grandparents , linking arms in prayer for the next generation. As a way of saying thanks for that commitment, you will receive free printable copy of a Million Praying Grandparents Prayer Resource to help you intentionally pray for your grandchildren using God’s Word.

I will appreciate it if you will share my vision of a Million Praying Grandparents uniting in prayer for their grandchildren with your friends . Will you encourage your friends to become a part of the Million Praying Grandparents movement to impact the next generation to know and follow Christ wholeheartedly?

Perhaps at no time in history is a call for intentional prayer more urgently needed than today.

Will you go to the Million Praying Grandparents website http://www.millionprayinggrandparents.com and follow the instructions to sign up to be a part of the Million Praying Grandparents movement?

How do you join the Million Praying Grandparents Movement? It’s quite simple:

1. Go to the website http://www.millionprayinggrandparents.com/ 2. Complete the short form to join Million Praying Grandparents

3. Download the Million Praying Grandparents Scriptures to Pray 4. Tell your friends about Million Praying Grandparents

Lillian Penner National Prayer Director Christian Grandparenting Network [email protected]

Build a Highway for God! By Barry Hall, www.tasteheavennow.net

John the Baptist’s message was that we should “…make ready the way of the Lord” (Mat 3:3). The challenge remains because before our marriage to the Lamb, it says the bride will have “...made herself ready" (Rev 19:7).

This video is part 1 in a series about a kind of repentance that enables you to more easily receive and “abide” in God’s tangible presence all around you here. It is the “how to” of turning to God in ways that will fill the earth with His glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnQJ7aSyky0

Please pray for God’s people. Pray that resistance would decrease and courage would rise.

Below is the link for the handout:

http://tasteheavennow.net/teaching/Highway.pdf


‘Australia’s ‘Christian heritage’ will be taught fo r the first time, in lessons on ‘how Australia is a secular nation and a multi-faith society’ (former Minister for Education Mr Christopher Pyne).

The big question is: What will you and I do with this ‘new’ incredible opportunity?

In 2006 a couple of colleagues and I met with the then Federal Minister for Education, Ms Julie Bishop. We discussed the upcoming national school curriculum and pointed out how Christianity through various people and organisations had significantly contributed to the development and well-being of this great nation.

The Minister’s response was ‘What exquisite timing! Please have your submissions to me as soon as possible.’ Within six weeks they were in her hands and subsequently we were led to believe that either all or most of these submissions were accepted.

With the change of government, two of my colleagues in 2007-8 were invited by the then Labor Government to sit on some of the advisory panels. However the national school curriculum that was later released had very little to say about our Christian heritage or our Western culture.

With the return of the Coalition Government in 2013, the National School Curriculum was revisited. The then Federal Minister for Education Mr Christopher Pyne engaged the services of Mr Ken Wiltshire and Mr Kevin Donnelly.

Ken Wiltshire is a professor of Public Administration at the University of Queensland Business School and Kevin Donnelly in 2008 established the Education Standards Institute in Melbourne and is also a senior research fellow at the Australian Catholic University.

Quoting from THE AUSTRALIAN September 19, 2015 in reference to the revised National School Curriculum, ‘Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne said the changes would resolve “overcrowding’’ in the primary school curriculum, boost the teaching of phonics and strengthen references to Western influences in Australia’s history’.

‘Australia’s “Christian heritage” will be taught fo r the first time , in lessons on “how Australia is a secular nation and a multi-faith society’’. ‘Mr Pyne said he was “abso-lutely delighted’’ the states and territories had backed the reforms, which have been driven by the federal and NSW governments.’

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) chief executive Robert Randall said the new curriculum would give teachers more time to teach the basics of maths, literacy, science¬ and history in primary school. Mr Randall said the new curriculum had a greater focus on Western civilisation. “Historically, the influence of the Christian churc h has been important,’’ he told the Australian.

You too can have free access to these stories that tell of our Christian Heritage. Please go to the www.diduno.info website and sign up with the many other Australian teachers, clergy, Chaplains and parents who already receive their free monthly Christian heritage story and distribute it widely to all their friends and colleagues.

We would encourage churches and schools to use their social media contacts to distribute these stories far and wide.

Each of us can support and encourage the teachers of the State and Federal Education Departments by having ‘family’ discussions about the studies. Parents and students alike will see how Jesus and his teachings have benefited our society. Children will be inspired by some of the great Christians of the past and encouraged to embrace a similar lifestyle.

Come and join us as we work together to promote the name and teachings of Jesus throughout this nation and beyond for the wellbeing of each other and our society.

Graham McDonald, Executive Officer, The DIDUNO Network www.diduno.info


The NEW NATIONAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM and the Christian Connection



Consider this;

Israel circa 1415 BC

‘Another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.’

Australia 2016 AD

‘Another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Australia. ’

The former group went their own way and missed out on the blessings of God. Is the current generation in Australia heading down the same path?

Is there a parallel story taking place now that was played out in Biblical times? Are there lessons we can learn?

It is recorded in the book of Judges that the Israeli younger generation ‘did evil in the sight of the Lord’ and ‘followed and worshipped the gods of the people around them.’

Consequently they missed out on the many blessings that God had in store for them.

Recent research in Australia shows 50,000 young people a year are leaving Christianity and recording ‘no religion’. Records of our young people show increases in mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse and increased violent behaviour. This must be a concern for all Christians. Unless we can communicate the love of God shown through

At the DIDUNO Network we have wrestled for many years with this issue of children leaving the church. We now sense that we may be able to contribute some remedy towards the second part of the problem – ‘nor what He has done for Australia’ .

How? By producing stories of the people of faith in our past who have contributed significantly to the development of this great nation. Many of our public celebrations as well as prominent people of the past had a strong Christian influence on the wellbeing of our society.

Here are just a couple of examples from our www.diduno.info website

FIFTY DOLLAR NOTE:

David Unaipon’s picture adorns our currency. He taught the Australian clergy how the Dream Time and the Bible held many similarities. He was also an inventor and is recognised as the first Aboriginal author and poet.

PEARL HARBOUR:

The Japanese Commander of the squadron that attacked Pearl Harbour and Darwin after the war became a Christian and spent the rest of his life travelling the world telling others about Jesus.

IMPORTANT: All the stories produced are compatible with the National School Curriculum and this information is available on our website.

Our desire is to equip and inspire clergy, parents and teachers to use these stories to initiate ‘spiritual’ discussions with the children about what the Lord has done for Australia.

These resources are free and you can sign up on our website to receive a new story each month. Some churches and schools are printing the stories and sending them home, others are using their social media to distribute the stories.

A well-known Australia Historian has said

‘Our Christian heritage has not been forgotten. It has never been known.’

Graham McDonald Executive Officer The DIDUNO Network [email protected]

Bible References: NIV Study Bible

Is History Repeating Itself?


LET. THERE. BE. LIGHT! A Night of Worship & Prayer I am writing you to invite you to our Prayer Gathering on Friday 18th March, 2016.

My name is Heidi Wysman and I am the Minister of Prayer for C3.

The night is designed to not only celebrate our 'unity in diversity' - but to pray and agree together for accelerated unity and an awakening in our community, city and country. It’s time!

“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the

greatest human achievement.” Saint Augustine.

I encourage you to also consider bringing along your prayer teams to make this an inaugural inter-church prayer teams gathering. Together we will command the blessing and advance His kingdom!

A number of ministers and leaders will be asked to lead us in prayer on the night, each being led by the Holy Spirit whilst carrying their own distinct message.

Can you please reply to this invitation so that we can lovingly host you.

Love and Blessings, Heidi Wysman, C3 MINISTER OF PRAYER E. [email protected] | W. www.heidiwysman.com



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Documents

Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influenceprayerstrategy.org/wp-content/.../02/PSSI-Newsletter-2016-February.pdf · Copyright 2016 Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence