Drew Mellor's Blog

Appreciating how God has shaped me

2011-06-08T08:45:00.000+10:00

Learning to appreciate and value how God has shaped us can be a very sobering exercise. There is much temptation to be someone that we are not. Day 32 of 40DOP provides great encouragement to recognize your abilities and and discover your gifts. While I agree that one way of discovering your gifts is through experiencing service opportunities, I believe that appropriate stewardship demands that we do better than simply try and see. Rather than simply encouraging people who do not know their gifting, to experiment in different areas of service, I would encourage people to take the time to read about the various gifts mentioned in the scriptures, talk with others about what they observe in you and spend time prayerfully reflecting on how God appears to be leading and guiding you.

Where possible, it is crucial that we allow God's word to shape us and form us - that is how God primarily works through his Spirit in our lives. He is not restricted at all to this but it is the way he has chosen to usually work. Given this, what can we glean from the scriptures about discovering and using our gifts in service.

First, Paul urges that we 'do not remain ignorant about spiritual things'. By this it is clear he is speaking about spiritual manifestations; that is the gifts (1 Cor 12:1, 3-11) The gifts have been given, and Paul wants us to be knowledgeable about this fact. Secondly, 1 Cor 14:1 instructs us to "go after spiritual gifts". The context implies 'go after with intent to use'. Thirdly, Paul instructs in Romans 12 that we should be aware of and serve in our gifting. "if prophecy, then according to the faith given you" etc. If your gift is teaching, then teach! There appears to be an expectation that we will serve in the area of our gifting and that we will become knowledgable about the gifts we have been graced with. In general, we are called to serve and so we should serve with a cheerful heart irrespective of our gifting - if there is opportunity then we serve. But to simply infer that we just start serving and see what happens is to ignore the community aspect of gift discovery and the value the scriptures place on serving within your gifting. It seems to me the most appropriate way for us to be responsible in discovering and using our gifts is for us to serve God church and in the process seek feedback, gain biblical insight, and prayerfully reflect on what I am learning about how God has shaped me.

An attitude of 'try and see' is a good way to have a go and see what God does. If it is the main way we intend to discover our gifting it will be quite limiting. God's word needs to instruct us. How we feel about a ministry experience must be put through the grid of scripture. All this means that we need to commit ourselves to serving and start serving and at the same time we need to be students of God's Word and receptive to God's people and their feedback. It is a discovery package.

The observation assessment tool available from GWAC is a great way to seek insight from family and ministry friends. Getting the considered thoughts and observations of people who are close to you while you are simply living your life for God will begin to point you in the right direction.

Don't shrivel up and die!

2011-05-24T08:31:00.000+10:00

I was reading in The Age this morning about the challenges we have with successful organ donations here in Melbourne. "Due to the current stress on the system and the risk of negative fallout from being unable to facilitate donation, it has been necessary to constrain some initiatives in order to prevent an even more rapid rise in the donation rate,'' Organs, when left apart from the body shrivel up and die. Severed from the body without blood supply, organs die. The "body-life" image that the apostle Paul uses illustrates the importance of diversity in ONENESS. Rick Warren puts it this way, "Disconnected and cutoff from the lifeblood of a local body, you your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist." The Bible reminds us of how God has made us to function. "In Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Rom 12:5) If you are part of the 40 Days of Purpose, that's our current memory verse - so learn it now. Let the truth of God's word sink deep into your life - it's what I am doing. The reality "In Christ" is that I am intimately connected with my brothers and sisters. It's not that I have done something significant to bring this about - rather, it is a consequence of what God has done "In Christ". And it means I belong to my brothers and sisters. That is an incredible statement to make and even far greater to internally own.

Of necessity, this realisation MUST change the way I view and relate to, my brothers and sisters in Christ. It can be no other way really; there can be no other outcome, other than an interdependent relationship within the organism called the local church and the world-wide church of God. If we are serious about not simply reading the Bible as the word of God, but also applying it in our lives and relationships then we will be serious our place of belonging in the local fellowship of Gods people.

First and foremost, we need to be serious about God's call upon us to value the local church and to commit ourselves to belonging to the fellowship. I would go a little further, however. Any wider ministry that a believer might have, should be seen as an extension to your connection with the local fellowship. Paul's missionary journeys came out of the local fellowship - he was set apart and sent from them and he regularly returned to them. When new local churches were commenced, elders were set in place so that leadership and teaching could be provided and that God's people in that place might live within the local expression of the body of Christ. God is on a mission to redeem his people and he will do this first and foremost through his church.

God has committed himself to build his church. If local and global 'ministries' do not find their life blood in, extend from and feed into the local church a warning light must go on. Equally, if individuals believe that 'dating' the church, hopping from here to there to hear different speakers and meet new people at the expense of stable, growing and maturing relationships in one local fellowship of Gods people, the same warning light must be recognised. Almost without exception, when the Bible speaks about "the church" it is the local fellowship that is first and foremost being referred to. That's were it starts and it's where each of us needs to live in, be sent out from and go back to. It's how God intends for us to live life.

The priority of love expressed in time.

2011-05-23T17:09:00.000+10:00

I went to a celebration of the life of the wife of a colleague today. Sheryl is deeply loved and will be greatly missed by her family, friends and her church family who have the privilege of bridging both categories. Quality time spent loving people is of primary importance. Love was expressed in beautiful words and moving images as people gave thanks to God for this precious women. Time, love and care were words that dominated what was spoken. The auditorium was packed and they spilled into the hall and when it was full the remaining people spilled back into the auditorium. People wanted to be together, to mourn and grieve together, to worship God together and give a collected "thankyou" to God for the gift of this women. Humanly speaking, she left us way too early. From the perspective of eternity however, she is where we all long to be.

What matters most - LOVE! Let's not wait till someone dies before we post it on their Facebook - or however else we communicate with them. Take time today to express your love and care and demonstrate the value of the shared relationship. From a human perspective, the best expression of love is time and the best time to express it is now. Day 16 in Purpose Driven Life could not be more timely!

The danger of focusing on feelings

2011-05-21T22:35:00.000+10:00

There are so many positive experiences for us to enjoy in life here in the west that we can be duped into thinking somehow that we have been especially blessed, and we therefore have what we have. In a subtle way, we see it as justified reward for good works or good attitude of something. However, reverse that positive experience and how do we feel? betrayed, alone, rejected; the list goes on and on.

We must seek God, not experience. At the end of week two, in our journey to better understand God's purpose for our life, seeking God is a cool place to pause and reflect. When we seek God, we focus on God and not ourselves. I have found the words of Job incredibly challenging: "Naked I came and naked I depart; the Lord gave and the Lord takes away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job 1:21) Focusing on God and what he has done and what he will do sharpens our resolve to serve God with our lives; it's what Romans 12:1-2 is all about. It is what our persecuted brothers and sisters appreciate and it is what is so easy for us in the western world to forget.

The basis of our frendship with God

2011-05-18T12:17:00.001+10:00

I realise that the "Purpose Driven Life" devotion book is designed to be read one chapter a day - however, if you are following the sequence with us, then please read day 11 and day 12 NOW and give prayerful relection to your learning from today, tomorrow. I say this because day 11 unnecessarily breaks the flow into day 12 and we run a great risk of wrongly interpreting the beautiful teaching Jesus gives on what it means to be a friend of God.

When we read day 11 and 12 together we can harmonise the central teaching - God indeed does want us to enter into a special relationship with him, but we do need to be clear about how we become friends with God.

First and foremost, Jesus tells us that we are HIS friends if we obey him. This is the starting point of our friendship. Our understanding of what he has done on the cross and our need to respond in obedience and surrender are crucial. It is not about works - it is about surrender the significance of the reminder today that we can be friends with God is that this friendship stems from obedience to God, and everything else flows from that.

Second, we continue the process of remaining friends with God by constant conversation with God. Rick Warren's reminder of the need to "Practice the presence of God" is a good and helpful one.

Third, we need to meditate on the word of God and apply it in our lives. It almost completes a circle - application leads to obedience.

Getting things clear and in order is important. Don't wait till tomorrow to start a friendship with God based on obedience - because without an attitude of surrender and a desire to be obedient in that surrender, friendship is not possible. Rick does remind us of what the writer of Psalm 25 wrote - "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him" My renewed confession and surrender is crucial for my relationship with God - Jesus says it straight and clear. The second part of chapter 12 offers suggestions for cultivating this friendship with God, so enjoy the stimulation and encouragement.

SURRENDER - a moment and a practice

2011-05-17T09:23:00.000+10:00

If you are spending time reading "Purpose Driven Life" and reflecting on the various Bible readings quoted in the text, you will be up to day 10 today - if not, take it out and read day 10 NOW, then come back to this blog.

The heart of worship is SURRENDER! Who hasn't heard that before. Yet I found myself in deep and considered reflection on the nature and extent of a surrendered life to God. The reminder today that surrender is best demonstrated in obedience and trust sounds so simple, almost 'cliche', and yet indeed it is the heart of our worship of God. The connection made with Jesus prayer in the garden on that night before he died on the cross for the sin of the world, is confronting and thought changing. As I sat at my desk this morning, reflecting on the devotional reading and the bible texts associated, I was drawn into a fresh and new read of this significant passage from God's Word. "Do what you want father, not what I want." (Mark 14:36). I read this familiar passage with a new sense of resolve. So many Easter messages had I heard from this text, so many had I preached myself and yet God spoke afresh into my life - and I heard the call of God come to me again; surrender your life.

Rick Warren writes of two aspects of SURRENDER. The moment and the practice. For me, the moment of surrender was when I was 13 years old and I heard the call of God to surrender my life to the LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ. This call was clear and the implications were life changing. I saw God work instantaneously in my life and in the lives of those around me. Over the years the practice of surrender has in deed been moment by moment, little by little and year by year. In Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul urges us to "present yourself" or "offer yourself" as living sacrifice to God. The context of the command to "offer" requires us to see the 'offering' as a present and continuing activity. We are to make it our practice to constantly offer our self to God. Surrendering to God is giving up our personal selfish 'wants' and be obedient to the Lordship of Christ. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once said "The greatness of a persons power is the measure of his or her surrender (to God)"

The flow on from such reflection is profound. I cannot sit here at my desk and NOT surrender to the Lordship of Christ. I cannot turn my face to the day ahead and not surrender the day and my part in it, to the Lord. Today, a sister in Christ returns to her country of birth in the hope that she will be granted a visa to return to Australia. There are no guarantees - except that the LORD is with her and will sustain her no matter what happens. That is SURRENDER. Today, brothers and sisters are being maligned and ridiculed, demonised and professionally disparaged because they have surrendered their lives to the Lord and serve him in our schools as chaplains. I know some of them personally. They are God honouring, faithful, dedicated "professional" carers of some of the most vulnerable people in our nation. And because of a few people intent on hindering the work of Christ in the lives of our children and families, their reputation and good name is maligned and their motives are questioned. That's SURRENDER. Christian Religious Education teachers will go into schools this week - TODAY even, in the knowledge that only a few people are making a stink about these dedicated and faithful servants of God, yet still they will come under fire, and their motives will be questioned and their person, their reputation will be sullied. That's SURRENDER.

So I sit here at my desk and I surrender afresh to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And in doing so, I pray for my friend who travels today into a potentially hostile homecoming and I pray for my brothers and sisters on the line, for the cause of the gospel, who love the kids in our schools and seek to help them in their daily struggles.

The path of an unfulfilled life is littered with good intentions

2011-05-16T10:39:00.000+10:00

What a thought - that I can bring God pleasure! But I can, and I do. Not always, but sometimes and by the power of his Spirit who transforms me, I hope the times of 'pleasure giving' are increasing in number. We are reminded in Psalm 37:27 that it is possible for us to cause God great delight. I can be the source of God's smile. Wow!

The creator of the universe wants me to enjoy his creation and to fulfill my destiny. In his charge to Noah after the flood, we see the intent of God and his desire for his people (Gen 9). At the centre of God's design for his creation is OUR OBEDIENCE to God. He is the one who created the universe and he knows what is best. When we obey God we step into life that is crafted around the intent and design of God. I bring pleasure to God when I obey him. And when I obey him I experience that deep union with God that opens up for me life in it's fullness NOW and in the life to come.

In my message from God's word yesterday at GWAC, I urged people to be intentional in carving out time each day to bring focused praise and worship of God. Have you done that today - 24 hours on. Or have you failed the test already. The path of an unfulfilled life is littered with good intentions. I have had feedback from people in this past week that demonstrates the positive action taken by some in this area. I know of one person who is using the time on the train to and from work each day to read the bible and pray. Another has started doing this at lunch time. I prefer to spend focused time in the Word in the morning followed by prayerfully "journalling" the day that is past and laying out my day ahead and focused time in prayer in the evening. AND I follow the encouragement I have received from many people over the years and have developed the discipline of "ARROW PRAYERS" - that is shooting prayers "up" to God throughout the day.

What is working for you? Maybe you have commenced this 40 Days of Purpose with a Book Buddy and you are encouraged by the support and accountability of a brother of sister in Christ. In all this it is important to remember that the intention is a relationship with God - not simply fulfilling the mechanics of a process. "Love the LORD with all your heart and all your souls and with all your mind and with all your strength - and love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:30)

Worship is for the benefit of God

2011-05-15T23:19:00.001+10:00

The church has done a great disservice to reasonable interpretation of what it means to worship God by inappropriate use of words and terms. "worship" is thrown around as a term within church circles to cover a range of activities but most of the time it refers to what is done by the gathered people of God in services or gathered celebration events. We hear therefore of "divine worship" or "worship services", "place of worship", "time of worship", "worship building" to name just a few. These terms serve to add weight to the understanding that "worship" is only about particular activities that a person or persons engage in order to demonstrate religious devotion.

However, worship as we see in the biblical scriptures relates to the attitude and actions of the individual in their "offering" of self in worship of God; Romans 12:1-2 make this very clear and this teaching of Paul simply reelects the teaching of Jesus in the sermon on the mount and his interaction with Jewish authorities (Mark 12). We read today that bringing pleasure to God is called worship, because worship is multifaceted. While we connect music with worship, it is helpful to note that worship predates music. Worship is much more than music. Our reading this week from the Purpose Driven Life book will focus our attention on worship that engages the whole of life.

As I enter into a new week I am confronted by the challenge of living my live in a continuous act of worship; through mind, heart soul and strength. Living my life for Jesus is the challenge before me. Each day presents me with opportunity to Dedicate afresh all that I have and all that I do. And it is a challenge. In Rev 4 we read that the 24 elders take off their crowns and lay them before the throne of God then declare their praise of God. Today, I again take of my crown and lay it before Jesus my Lord.

A temporary life with a reason

2011-05-14T16:29:00.001+10:00

As I reflected on the week of readings the connecting of these two concepts provided some understanding for me as to how I need to live my life: Temporary and with Reason. We need to be sure that we do not have such a hold on life as we experience it here on earth that we want to remain here at all costs. We also must ensure that, to as much as it depends on us, we live with reason and purpose. The two actually go together. I am on temporary assignment here on earth; I am just passing through. And as long as I am here God has a reason for me being here - it is to give glory to God by serving God in the offering of all that I have to his gospel cause. I have been pondering these questions this week:

Am I loving other believers?
Am I becoming like Christ?
Am I serving others with my gifts?
Am I telling others about Christ?

We are nearing the end of the first week of our 40 day journey at GWAC. I have been both encouraged and challenged in my own walk with Jesus. Life goes on around the pleasant times of prayer, Bible study and reading the devotion book. I have found great enjoyment in reading the specific bible verses referred to by Rick Warren and I know I have encountered some new "points of note".

The recent strong opposition to the Christian churches involvement in Christian Religious instruct at state schooles as well as our influential role in school chaplaincy has angered some people. We should not be amazed but we do need to get on our knees before God concerning this matter. Maybe at some point in the future we will not have the opportunity that we do have now - but that is something to be concerned about THEN. As for NOW, let us work hard in prayer and advocacy so that we can make a positive contribution to the lives of many in our schools. In the last 24 hours, the CEO of Access Ministries has been bitterly criticised because of her encouragement to the christian church to love as Jesus loves and to seek to bring about positive change in the school communities. The reality is that secular, humanist, atheist and spiritualist teachers are influencing our young people all the time. It's called TEACHING. Any one who thinks they are not bringing an influence upon the children in their care is naive. The question really should be - "Is it appropriate?" We live in a country where the vast majority of adults profess belief in the God of the Bible and are happy to so so on the official census each five years. In our state schools, parents have the option of opting out if they want their children to be excluded. Those who do not take up this option know that what their children will receive is teaching from the Christian Bible about love, peace and reconciliation with God and others.

At the heart of the criticism that is currently being flung against the CRE program and ACCESS ministries in particular is opposition to the very freedom that makes this country what it is. There is contained within the education guidelines in Victoria, restriction from proselytising, that is activity aimed at converting a person to another religion. Some have said that CRE should be stopped because it in fact is a form of evangelism. Technically, such a claim is correct about CRE being evangelistic. Evangelism is the announcement of goodnews. The news of God's love contained in the Christian bible and in the gospels in particular is good - in fact it is great. It is what makes it so appealing and compelling. Education is all about giving people information and encouraging learning so that lives are the better for it.

CRE is Christian Religious Education - and the volunteers seek to live their life on temporary assignment teaching children about the God of the Bible, His love for them and his invitation for them to get to know Him. To TEACH the Bible is to teach about God's love and God's message of salvation. If this is NOT taught it infact would not be CRE because the Bible is very clear about the message of God's love and the offer of salvation. Some people may not like this - but it is consistent with what the majority who filled in the census five years ago, hold to. Now is the time, now is the window of opportunity. Life as we experience it now is temporary, so lets make the most of it; lets live it on purpose, with reason and resolve.

Do we really BELIEVE it all belongs to God?

2011-05-12T14:09:00.000+10:00

The earth and all who live on it are God's. That is a most significant and far reaching statement! What we do, where we go and how we get there are all significant decisions. What we do with our money, what we do and do not spend it on are significant life issues. We kid ourselves if we were to think otherwise. As a follower of Jesus, I am entrusted with a significant responsibility to be a faithful steward. Jesus story of the faithful servant tells us as much. "You have been faithful with a few things so I will put you in charge of many things" God is the greatest steward of all - the best example and the one to emulate. He gives exactly what is needed and he asks us to steward these resources well.

Recently, we had need at our church to raise a small amount of money for a project. We needed $2500. I invited a few people to contribute to the fund. I had no idea who in the "invited contributors" would be in a position to contribute so personally I was not sure we would get the amount that was needed from the first round of invitations. The amount was set by the costs of the project. I tallied up the contributions this morning as we needed to make some of the payments. We had $10 more than was needed! Maybe God allowed for fluctuation in the Aussie dollar? I sent an update to those who had been invited to contribute, in order to let them know that God had indeed provided through them. I received an email immediately from one of the contributors who told me that he had just been reading todays devotion reading from Purpose Driven Life and was challenged by God's strong words on faithfulness in our stewardship of what already belongs to God.

Today we have a great opportunity to let God be God by working through us to provide for those in need, and by being a good and faithful steward of the world he has created for us to live in. A significant question was asked in the devotion today: Is the way you manage your money preventing God from doing more in your life? One of the greatest joys in life is to be extravagantly generous with what God provides for his people so that kingdom outcomes prevail.

Purpose driven or Past driven?

2011-05-10T22:08:00.000+10:00

Consideration of what drives us in life presents a major challenge for most of us. Today's devotional reading from PDL brings into focus the significance of appreciating what influences our decisions, the doors we go through and the turns we take on our journey. I spent the last two days in Sydney. I hired a car At Sydney airport and drove south to spend some special time with my cousins, uncle and auntie. I connected the GPS, keyed in the address and it directed me to their door. I could kid myself that I drove myself there but the reality is the GPS "directed" me there - I was driven by this powerful and very opinionated little gadget. On the way I stopped off at the Golden arch for a coffe and to use the WI-Fi to send some emails. My iPad would not connect so I used my phone. Once I had finished I resumed my journey and enjoyed a great reunion with my family. We spent some time reminiscing and then I realized I did not have my phone. A couple of phone calls located it at the place I had the cappuccino and we got back in the car and headed back up the coast to retrieve it. On route I turned on the GPS and before I had time to punch in the new address it was directing me to turn around and head back to my relatives place. The answer was to turn off the GPS - I had been there before so I did not really need it.

Sometimes things can look like they will help; in fact they appear to have been helpful before but they are now most unhelpful. I spent time today reflecting on things in my life and experience that have potential to drive me. And I reflected on what it looks like to be living life "on purpose". When we live our life this way, "on purpose", we seek knowledge of the Lords will and such knowledge comes to us through the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:17-18). An excuse often given by children when they do something wrong is "I didn't do it on purpose." imagine approaching life with real intent to do life "on purpose" for God.

It all starts with God

2011-05-08T21:15:00.000+10:00

The journey has started - a 40 day journey with God and with God's people. At the very start it was helpful to be reminded that it starts with God; our life, our purpose, our destiny starts and finishes with God. In todays chapter from Purpose Driven Life, we are reminded that purpose and meaning is not actually about achieving dreams or planning life goals. We were directed to Matthew 16:25 were Jesus Christ reveals to his disciples that if they want to save their life, they will lose it but if someone loses theiir life for the sake of Christ, they will find it. Rick Warren writes "it is about becoming what God created you to be".

I think, in our society and in our day, being told that my job, my dream, my career are not the most significant things I need to be reflecting on, in counter-culture. Our young adults are spending their VCE years focusing on this very issue and the years that follow, whether in uni or in apprentiship or in other form learning institution or work place, demand that these young people do some serious thinking. To say that there is something more important than what I will do in my working career is indeed counter-cultural.

So if my life, - indeed, if your life, is part of something much larger than ME and my world, I am left pondering how I might best approach this week in such a way as to give God room - and permission - to direct me on this journey. What might I do tomorrow, Monday, at the beginning of the week, so that I am positioned for a godly win. If it is to truely be about God and the glory of Jesus, how might I serve him, so that I am ready to make a significant contribution to Kingdom work. Now that is a significant step for me to start out on - deciding to go God's way, I mean. If everything got started in him and finds its purpose in Christ, then I want to be sure that my focus is on His purpose. I don't want to wast my time, what little I have left.

Tonight at GWAC celebration, we witnessed God at work in peoples lives - God was working his purpose out. I know there were some people tonight that took serious steps towards a relationship with God and there were others who made the decision to get serious in an area of their life that needed to be surrendered to God - and they did. And we can be sure that were people have stepped out in faith and trust that God would not only hear the prayer fo their heart and the desire expressed, but has already begun to answer theor prayer. There could not be a better place to be, than in the place that God's want sus to be. Go for it!

Drew

The clarity of the Christian gospel

2011-05-04T19:08:00.003+10:00

It is good and therapeutic to, at times, write down the basics of what we believe in; what we live for. In my preparation for 40 Days of Purpose journey, I have reflected a little on what the author of the book, 'The Purpose Driven Life' has to say about the Christian gospel, the urgency of evangelism and God's call upon my life. I have been so refreshed this past week as I have begun to read parts of Purpose Driven Life again. Next week I start the 'READ' in an intentional systematic way, inclusive of a fresh study of the various scripture passages that are referenced. The intentional focus that is encouraged, for individuals to know what it is that God is calling us to is indeed very challenging. Let me summarise what I have been reminded of by reading this book by Rick Warren, concerning the claims of Christ, .

ABOUT CHRIST.
Jesus is the only way to the Father; without Christ, people are hopelessly lost and heading for eternal separation from God. (p284)
Jesus will return when the good-news is preached. (p286)
Through Christ alone, we are reconciled to God and our sin's are forgiven. (p294)
Jesus Christ died for all people. (p294)
Jesus Christ died on the Cross for you (p58)
People are lost without Christ. (p294)
Jesus gives those who have received Christ and believed in his name, the right to become children of God (p58)

ABOUT HUMANS WITHOUT CHRIST
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (p55)
We are separated from God because of sin (p 284)
People are lost without Christ (p 294)

HOW OUGHT PEOPLE RESPOND TO THIS LOST STATE
We are to believe in Christ and what he has done on the Cross (p 58)
We are to accept and trust Jesus and receive his forgiveness (p 58)
We are to accept what Jesus did for us and trust him (p 34)

These are just a few 'gospel truths' that can be found in the early chapters and the latter chapters of the book "Purpose Driven Life" Might a person encounter the gospel of Christ in this book and be directed towards Christ. Let me answer this by asking some questions:

will a person come to understand that they are lost eternally without Christ?
will a person be reminded that in order to enter into an eternal relationship with God the Father, they need acknowledge that they are a sinner and receive Christ as Lord of their life?
will a person understand that forgiveness of sin is essential for eternal life?
will a person be confronted with the news that Jesus is the way the truth and the life?
will a person be reminded that our response to the work of Christ on the Cross is to accept what he has done on the cross as essential for salvation and receive his forgiveness?

The resounding answer to each of these questions is YES. Reading the book "The Purpose Driven Life" does not bring purpose or life; rather it presents us with the means to understand how purpose and life is found in the person of Christ - and it points us clearly and unreservedly to the gospel of God as found in the Scriptures.

I am looking forward to using 40 Days of Purpose as a mechanism to spend quality time in God's Word and to deepen my relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe you will to. Starting Sunday 8th May, this blog will daily explore some of the treasures of God's word. I hope you will read and contribute as we journey together.

Drew Mellor

In preparation for 40 Days of Purpose at GWAC

2011-05-01T21:36:00.002+10:00

At Glen Waverley, we are about to embark on a journey that many thousands of other people across Australia have already taken. Certainly, many individuals who are part of our church have previously read the book "Purpose Driven Life" but this will be the first time that we, as a total church community, have journeyed this way.

I will be actively involved in this mission - with great expectation that God is going to do great things in our lives as we seek to grow in our knowledge of Him and deepen our devotion to Him. As part of this I will be 'blogging' my journey. Using the daily devotions as the back drop, I will write of my own experience and learnings, as well as offer personal reflections on the process and encouragement to the people of GWAC as they take this journey too.

From time to time I will also offer a more detailed commentary on the weekly themes and the passages of scripture that we will be studying together. Interaction and dialogue will be welcomed in the hope that we enhance our learning and ultimately deepen our dependence on God.

In Christ
Drew

Your head and your heart

2011-03-28T22:06:00.003+11:00

We are living in interesting times - especially here in Australia. We live on a remote Island removed from so much that goes on in the world. Our newest neighbors are very very different - or so it seems. And the world news reminds us that there is much going on that either completely escapes our capacity to comprehend or we feel almost paralysed to do anything in response. As a follower of Jesus I know that our head and heart need to grow in the desire to deepen our knowledge in and relationship with God. My experience is that the way in which we allow our head and heart to respond to the Bible, will largely determine the extent of our growth into the rich depths of walking with God. This is because intellectual engagement alone will never deepen our understanding and interaction of and with God. Head knowledge is important. Examining the scriptures daily to see if what is being said is true is a good thing. As we read the scriptures our capacity to appreciate the whole counsel of scripture grows. God has given us great capacity to reason, interpret and understand and when we do this we are well positioned to better understand God and his will for us in his world.

Application of what we read and understand to be true requires more than intellectual assent; it requires that our heart is open to the things of God as revealed to us through his word in the power of the Spirit. We see this in the conversion of Lydia in Acts 16:14-15. The Lord opened her heart so that she listened and responded to what was said – and the way she responded was to be baptised; total surrender to the Lord.

Keep journeying

Drew

My winter workout

2010-07-23T11:08:00.004+10:00

Sadly, winter is not a time of easy weight loss and successful workout. The cold days and even cooler nights lend themselves more to comfort food and comfy positions watching Masterchef or a DVD, rather than actively working out, trimming down and toning up.

While working on a Bible talk for Sunday night, I decided to get a cup of tea. (yeh, I know sounds very "church of England" but when the caffeine gives me headaches the best I can do is regularly "sniff" the aroma of the coffee beans in our espresso machine) As I opened a new box of tea, the back of the box had a "Things to do" card designed to write down what you might need to follow up on. Semi-helpful I guess and certainly more practical than 200 words on how great the tea is. And then I read the suggested things that one ought to do as a priority. Buy more tea, tell a friend about the tea and ask the retailer to re-stock the tea. Do you think maybe THEY think that the TEA is something special. I haven't decided if I will put the "To Do" on my fridge yet, but I am struck by the unashamed promotion that "it's all about the tea". Whether you are a person interested in the claims of Jesus and his invitation for you to become one of his followers or a "paid up and Passionate" disciple of Jesus, the best way to "grow" is to remain focused on Jesus. It is all about Jesus because Jesus has demonstrated that He is all about LIFE.

If you are in Melbourne this weekend, check out church on Saturday night @ 5 or Sunday night @ 6. If you are not in Melbourne, check out www.gwac.org.au and download the message on "BULKING UP" after Sunday night.

What did I learn about Rudd and Abbott

2010-06-22T08:52:00.004+10:00

The night started with the Prime Minister telling me what was of real relevance to the church. Well I thought that was an interesting way to start a presentation that was billed at helping me, the listener and voter a bit more about his values. He was so focused and definite about what he had to say, presumably because he knew what I needed to hear because he knew what was and what was NOT relevant to the church. I must remember to give him a call next time I am confused about relevance! On my count, he gave me 8 things that his government has been addressing that he thought I should know about, starting with schools. I found out that his government has done a wonderful job with school building programs (yeh right) and in relation to the School Chaplaincy program "I'm pretty confident that this program will continue" Other "advertising" focused on Health and Hospitals, Homelessness and Public housing, Welfare, Workplace, GFC, Climate Change and environment issues, and Global Poverty. Sadly, there was little we learnt about Mr Rudd's values. He did confirm that he believed having a job was a "fundamental dignity" and that his government has set a target of halving homelessness numbers. I did find it interesting that in his opening presentation, which focussed on telling me what was relevant for the churches (presumably relevant for us to be concerned about although this clarification was never given) he did not tell me what he valued in human life nor did he think I would see relevance in the plight of refugees or Asylum seekers. It took a specific question to get anything out of him on this one.

Not that Mr Abbott was much better. I appreciated the fact that Mr Abbott refrained from a party advert, although he did focus on "what the previous government had done" This was an interesting approach. I had to look hard for the assumed values within what was being said, but even more significant was Mr Abbotts justification for asking us for our support at the next election was "what the previous government has done". My recollection is that the previous government was voted out because of a mix of what they had and had not done!

The question time delivered greater value - and demonstrated some of "their values". Both leaders confirmed that the definition of "marriage" as we have it now would remain under their leadership. Mr Abbott was strong on the value he saw in Christian Chaplaincy in schools and committed a Coalition Government to full funding till at least 2014, whereas Mr Rudd, while acknowledging the anecdotal evidence demonstrated the value of Christian Chaplaincy, confirmed his government would undertake a thorough review of the program - "don't be concerned or fearful of the facts" was the strongest thing that Mr Rudd offered us on school chaplaincy. I am still wondering however, about what Mr Rudd actually values when it comes to school chaplaincy.

Both leaders were clear about their personal faith convictions - that was encouraging. How these convictions do or would impact their leadership was less clear. I simply do not know what these leaders stand for (and will STAND FOR) when it comes to issues of justice and poverty(domestic and international), safety and security, family, morality human dignity and fairness. It all seems too situational to me.

Did make it count, count for something

2010-06-21T21:00:00.002+10:00

I personally found the introductory presentations made by both leaders less than helpful given the desired outcome. I expected better than a party political advert and certainly, with respect to Mr Rudd, I did not expect to be told what he thought I needed to, or wanted to hear. His statement "Matters of real relevence to the churches" followed by a list of what Mr Rudd thought I should be interested in, seemed to communicate what the Prime Minister thought Christians should focus on.

"As a Christian I believe that people are basically good" Such is one of the statements made by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abbott. The statement was part of Mr Abbott's list of values articulated during his openning address in the webcast. An interesting comment that has significant theological implications.

Further comment will follow and your comments are welcome.

Receiving God's Words today

2010-01-04T15:03:00.003+11:00

At Glen Waverley Anglican Church last Sunday, we commenced a sermon series helping us as a church focus on reading, listening and applying God's Word in our lives today. We have encourgaed people to purchase and read the book by Rev'd Dr Peter Adam, "WRITTEN FOR US - God's words written for his people by his Spirit about his Son" I was pleased to be able to launch the series with a talk on the importance of "Receiving God's Words" My starting point was a review of the words God has spoken to his people in the past, recoginising (as developed within P Adams book) the the words of God are (1) Relational, (2) Powerful and (3) Life-shaping. As I explored the theme of this weeks address, I realised that a key question for us is "How might we receive God's words today, other than through the Holy Scriptures (Bible) ? At the outset, I want to state for the record that I hold to the orthodox starting (and concluding) point that the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) are the ultimate authority in all matters of life and conduct, because God, through his Spirit has inspired such writtings. This is why we acknowledge that the Bible is "The Word of God"

The question arises however, in what way might God speak his words to us today? First and formost, God does speak his words to us through the Bible. He also can and does speak to us directly other than through the Bible. This is not to say that every word that someone believes God has spoken to them, actually stems from God however. In 1 Corinthians 14:29, Paul exhorts the Church to "weigh" what the prophet may say, in order to be sure that it is in keeping with sound (biblical) teaching.

Some argue that the prophetic gift ceased at the time of the close of the canon, the time when the inspired scriptures, encompassing the Hebrew scriptures and the recognised God inspired writings of the New Testament Scriptures. It appears to me that such an arguement is made on the basis of scripture and experience, which is in itself an interesting starting point for evangelical theologians. So.... what is a biblically justifiable conclusion? More later !

A fire in my belly

2009-09-24T23:48:00.002+10:00

As as a Christian Pastor and church leader I get to attend conferences throughout the year. I do need to be disciplined in what I register for - it is so easy to get sidetracked by talk-fests that promise the world and only provide, at best mutual back-slpping and at worst, distractions from the real stuff. The CROSSWAY CONFERENCE I have just attended with Maz, was way more than a talk-fest. As I reflect on the experience, I realise that what makes this yearly event so strategically significant is that the speakers are not simply theoreticians communcating knowledge that is the result of hours of study that is removed from the real world of grass-roots ministry; the speakers at Crossway conference are are people who have something to say because they have actually done something significant for the cause of the gospel.

I have come away from the conference with not only renewed passion for world evangelisation but also with a strong conviction that God wants to use Maz and me to plant churches in Melbourne and beyond through our leadership at Glen Waverely Anglican Church. Over the last two years God has been fashioning a special work for us to be a church that plants churches. 30 years ago as Maz and I prayed about future ministry and what it would mean for us, we sensed God was asking us to lay down our personal desires for cross-cultural mission and commit ourselves to evangelistic ministry and leadership here in Australia. Our interest in global mission has never lessened but focus of ministry was to be, for the most part, on local mission.

In our call to GWAC, we sensed a growing awareness of God's leading into something new and God continues to move us forward in this new direction - a ministry focused on evangelism - local and global - and one which takes seriously the importance of community transformation.

Well, the fire in the belly just got well and truely fanned into flame. God is opening doors and inviting us to respond - LETS PUSH THESE DOORS OPEN AND WALK ON THORUGH

It's a girl!

2009-09-18T08:29:00.003+10:00

Our first grandchild - a girl. Quite amazing really. Let me tell you how it unfolded.

Three sms from Gary, one quick drive to the hospital and we were greeted by proud parents and a beatiful little girl - Kahlia Marie. NOW I realise that in between the various sms a few things happened, a few words were spoke - or should I say screamed - not to mention a late arriving O&G (though he did make it for the significant part) and a very caring midwife (who happened to be a nurse Maz and I trained with 30 years ago) But all that distracts us from the FOCUS of this blog - This beatiful child that was knitted together by a loving creator God, in the womb of my daughter, Chantelle, has been gifted to us to love, nurture and cherish.

Something very special was to take a photo of four generations of girls - Maria (Maz's mum) Maz (actually Marianna) Chantelle Marie and Kahlia Marie. Have not got that photo yet but will post it when it is sent to me.

Our God is an awesome God.

Blessing in Christ

Drew

ABSTAIN TO GAIN

2009-07-17T16:43:00.003+10:00

We had a great night of prayer this past week at our church and it was encouraging to see so many people attend - and following the event, we finished with a wonderful supper generously provided by......mmm, actually I don't know who provided it but it was tasty.

So much of what we do in Australia involves food. "Provide food and they will come" could almost be the driving motto of any new event or activity. Interestingly, tonight (just two days later) I am speaking at our IGNITE youth service on "FASTING". I remember many years ago, when working out how we would do the cleaning of the new worship building, we decided to roster all able-bodied people, in groups of 3 families, to do the cleaning. I was soon told via e-mail from one parishioner "I do do cleaning at home and I'm not doing it at church" Sometimes I think many people have the same attitude toward FASTING. Or, if you want to spiritualise it, "Fasting is not my gift".

In Matthew 6, Jesus does not leave room for people to decide whether they will fast or not - he simply says when you do fast, don't make a show of it. I was reading during the week that the New Testament says more about fasting then it does about Baptism. Now I have not checked this out but my guess is the quote is probably correct. Jesus links Fasting, Prayer and Giving and says "When you fast, don't put on a show"

The benefits of fasting are numerous, but there are three I would like to mention in this blog.
FIRST, Fasting provides time and opportunity to seek God in a serious way making time for focused and intentional relational growth. I have heard it said that if Prayer is like calling God on the mobile, then Fasting is like Hanging out with God! Make time intentionally to hang out with God.
SECOND, fasting helps with the discipline of self-control. It helps us put aside human hunger and be disciplined in listening and responding to God. The physical hunger pangs that can come when we fast are a reminder that being self-disciplined in our work for God and relationship with God is important.
THIRD, fasting brings us into solidarity with the poor. I know a person who wraps an elastic band around their finger when they want to remind themselves that they need to do something - they feel the pain of the band restricting blood supply and remember that they had to do something - whether they actually remember exactly WHAT they had to do is another matter all together.

In the pursuit of true servanthood

2009-06-26T13:55:00.004+10:00

The importance of a transformed servant heart in the cause of the gospel in vital for healthy development and growth of followers of Jesus Christ. For the past week I have been on study leave, so have not had the responsibility of the day to day leadership of Glen Waverley Anglican Church. During this time I have made some progress on research into what it means for the local church to BE the body of Christ. As part of this, I have been reflecting on how we might better encourage followers of Jesus Christ to give themselves to the service of God and his people.

In GWAC's monthly E-Zine (available online www.gwac.org.au and click GWAC update) I have written concerning the dynamic link between the process of maturation and the mobilisation of believers into active gifted service, so I do not intend to repeat myself here, but I would like to reflect a little more on the link between a servant heart and the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2)

The context of this exhortation for believers to be about the process of "mind-renewing" is Paul's teaching on gift enabled service within and for the Body of Christ. When Paul says "That you may prove what God's will is..."(vs 2) he is speaking of the intimate connection between having a mind that understands Gods will and doing God's will through the use of the gifts he has given to the Body of Christ. Interestingly, between verse 2 (the renewal of your mind) and verse 4 (the introduction of the 'Body' metaphor) Paul exhorts each believer NOT "...to think of him more highly than he ought." Rather, says Paul, the believer (he or she) is to think with sound judgement in keeping with the will of God that has already been spoken of. Elsewhere, Paul develops this theme of the way a believer thinks about himself, by encouraging the believer to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, and to follow his example of humble service. (Phil 2:1-11)

The renewing of the mind, on the part of each believer, re-positions that believer to be better able to test, authenticate and do the will of God. This good pleasing and acceptable service only accomplished through service that is driven by a servant heart. One of the biggest hindrances to the advance of the gospel of God found in Jesus Christ is the lack of will on the part of the follower of Jesus Christ to have their mind renewed so that individuals are sold out for 'service of the King of Kings'. More on this next week!

Making Life count

2009-05-31T17:04:00.002+10:00

I have been on recreational leave for the past 7 days. Such "paid" leave is taken for granted here is Australia but this week I found myself thanking God for the provision of such "re-reation" time. I have been able to get some reading and practical administration done for my work on my doctoral disertation, managed to sleep in till 7.30am on a couple of days, done some shopping on e-bay, (got myself an antique telescope for a bargain) and have even managed to watch a bit of TV. Something else that has been great has been the opportunity for some good time with God in prayer. Don't let me mislead you- it hasn't been hours on my knees or anything like that, but it has been great to spend time in a relaxed way, focusing on God's purpose for me in the here and now.

I have been reminded of the countless opportunities we are given each day to do and say things that impact people for the better and in the process give opportunity for the wonder and love of God to be experienced by those we encounter. Making life count is all about working with God, so that others experience God, and the life saving message of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Want to know more about Jesus Christ - visit our Church's website at www.gwac.org.au and be encouraged to make life count!

Well done good and faithful servant

2009-05-28T09:06:00.000+10:00

Last night I attended the farewell and thanksgiving service for Stephen Hale. Stephen has been Bishop for over seven years in this region of Melbourne and has provided pastoral and strategic leadership, inspiration and enthusiasm in a Diocese that desperately needs it. Stephen indeed does have his detractors. No one is perfect, and Stephen would be (and in fact last night was) the first to admit this. Have I agreed with evreything he has done in the region or in his dealing with people?- certainly not. Nor should I have to and Stephen would not expect me to. Does he have my respect and appreciation? - he certainly does. As was demonstrated last night by those who spoke, Stephen has been a regional leader who faithfully served God and has been fruitful at the same time. He has encouraged and mativated local church leaders regardless of their theological or stylistic focus - if you have a commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ and a desire to see the local church thrive, Stephen has been a great encourager. He has helped release men and women, lay and ordained, into fruitful service of our Lord.

He hands over the pastoral and strategic leadership of this region at a time when the regional churches are very healthy while at the same time the Diocese faces significant challenges. He has demonstrated his commitment to the belief that real gospel ministry through the Anglican church best happens through thriving gospel focused local churches. Stephen has always seen the Diocese as a service agency best functioning as a strategic enabler of ministry at the local level. I have been the recipient of such strategic leadership and by extention, so has the local church I am part of and have the joy of leading.

Thanks Stephen for your faithful leadership and sincere friendship. You have been a Bishop for our time. Thanks Karen for your generous support of Stephen and therefore of those who lead local Anglican churches. James and Kate - thanks for the loan of your dad during these years. To you all as a family, welcome back to the fold of those who count it a joy and honour to lead a local gathering of God's people. Let the scriptures declare the call he has placed upon us. May God's Word rally the faithful for the task at hand. "We proclaim him [Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ." (Colossians 1:28)

Investing for Life

2009-05-25T23:44:00.000+10:00

Last Sunday night, the preacher at GWAC (Glen Waverely Anglican Church - and its an awesome God honouring church) shared with us that he had received an e-mail from someone who had once been a member of Gary's youth group. The person told of the great investment that Gary and Bec had made in her life and spoke of her desire now to help others like they had helped her. The investment we make in the lives of others should never be underestimated.

This caused me to reflect a little on those who have invested in my life. Take Rod. He moved into the house behind us, with his wife, Jeanette. We lived in Howrah in Hobart and although I attended a church with mum and dad, I was far away from any relationship with Jesus. Rod took an interest in me and encouraged me to think more about Jesus. In the process he and Jeanette invited me into their life and home. We cut a gateway into the fence which made it easy to get to their place. When they had their first child, they did something very special and of great life-changing significance for me. They asked me to look after their new baby while they went out to dinner. WOW! Over the two years or so that we lived as neighbours, Rod invested so much in my life. He taught me to memorise Bible texts, encouraged me to pray, became the behind the scenes enabler as I began to share my new found faith with friends. We started a new youth group that met in their home and lots of my friends started attending, and we even got excommunicated from the local Anglican Church because the parish priest did not like the idea of someone else having such an influence with some of the youth from his church, me included. Leave the youth group or leave the Anglican Church was the Priests ultimatum. We left the local Anglican church and the youth group grew and people became followers of Jesus.

A few years later, Rod left his job and went into college to train to be a Pastor. Years later, I did the same thing - not simply because Rod did, but Rod did play a big part in my direction in life. When we left Tassy and moved to Melbourne, my faith in Jesus was strong and my understanding of the significance of mentors in our life was established.

Why not take some time to contact the people who have invested in you and encourage them for encouraging you.