It’s been a poor season for West Coast Eagle’s fans in 2010, but Saturday night’s performance put a smile on our faces. Mark LeCras put on one of best goal kicking performances in recent memory (best in fact since 2000) with 12 goals vs. Essendon. The twelve were also a venue record.

It’s a nice memory to have for the Eagles v Essendon at this ground, ably countering the 2004 last quarter efforts of James Hird which won the game for his team and rubbed salt into the wounds by jumping into the crowd and celebrating the match winner in 2004.

Love the crowd and commentary increasing in intensity as the goals mount up. For the record number 11 is my favourite, and number 9 is pretty handy too.

Suburban Christian churches are leading a high-tech charge to restore Australian faith, using social networking and video streaming of sermons to reconnect with communities.

Inglewood pastor Mark Edwards said attendance at the Baptist Church had surged 30 per cent in the past year, largely because it had embraced technology.

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Mr Edwards estimated 70 per cent of parishioners initially found out about the Church on the internet.

He used social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to advertise church activities, meet people, strengthen existing relationships and even answer questions parishioners felt “uncomfortable” asking in person.

“I am amazed at how many churches don’t even have a website. People under the age of 30 don’t believe you exist unless you have a website,” he said.

He wanted to broadcast services online and was investigating whether Twitter or an iPhone application could allow parishioners to ask questions while he was talking on stage, making the service more interactive.

Bruce Chant, senior pastor at Northshore church in Quinns Rocks, regularly has the Pentecostal Church’s sermons on podcast.

Establishing a “Google-friendly” website complete with videos had been vital in the five-year-old church expanding to 150 parishioners. He said it allowed people to learn about the church from the comfort and security of their homes.

“We also have people that work fly-in, fly-out in our congregation and it is handy for them to keep in touch with what is happening in the church, even when they are in Port Hedland or Karratha,” Mr Chant said.

“The gospel message is timeless but the methods are open for improvement and should be as modern as the world we live in.”

The West Australian (16/7/2010)

Beware you are not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.
— John Wesley

Notwithstanding the above quote from John Wesley, things have been quiet around here because for the past month I’ve been back into the books. I am almost half way through studying a Masters degree and whilst it is challenging, I find it really fulfilling.

So, some reasons why I think there is great value in studying:

1. Studying builds or rounds out your belief system. Knowing what you believe and why you believe it is critical to where you are headed in life. To actively and deliberately build that out enables you to maximise your fruitfulness in life and ministry.

2. Studying exposes you to new areas of thought that otherwise you would never explore. There is great benefit and stretching your mental muscles and expanding your understanding into new areas, and seeing how it relates to the areas of life you currently work in or have knowledge of. Mark Batterson is master of this, as he takes facts from neurology, social science & the like and weaves it into his writing and messages.

3. Studying challenges and expands the personal capacity of the leader. Studying takes mental discipline, puts pressure on your time, and requires grit and determination to successfully complete.

4. Studying within a structure requires commitment and commitment produces consistency. I’d rather reap a harvest from consistent sowing, than from sowing out of those rare moments when genius and inspiration strike. So too with the regiment of structured study.

5. Studying introduces you to great people! I’ve met and continue to be blessed by the friendship and interaction with some amazing people. Go on get out there and study!

Beautiful give and alley-oop to new Knick Bill Walker. Also, this took place in Madison Square Garden and everything is better in Madison Square Garden!

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

The account of Moses and the burning bush is well known by Christians. It features regularly in my kid’s children’s bibles. But what is curious to me is I wonder how many burning bushes that didn’t make it into the bible?

In other words, I wonder how many opportunities to encounter God, burning bush moments like Moses’, we just miss.

There is a very key phrase in the above passage. Moses says, “I will turn aside to see this great sight…”. Moses saw the burning bush, but then he went a step further and turned aside to pay it some attention.

It is one thing to notice a sign and a wonder from God – a healing, an experience in worship, an answered prayer. But it is another to stop what you are doing, divert your focus for a moment and “turn aside to see” what it is God might be up to.

I love that we’re told “When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!”. When we turn aside to see, it grabs God’s attention! In fact, it was only when God noticed Moses turning aside to see, that He spoke clearly to Moses.

What this tells me is amazing.

God gives us hints at His working throughout our life. God bisects our world regularly, peeling back the layers that we might catch a glimpse of eternity. But that is not the end of it. Rather, it’s a means to the end, the end being a face to face encounter with Him.

When you notice a burning bush – that is, God at work around you – don’t waste it! Stop what you’re doing, turn off the TV, change your schedule, move away from the phone, because God is waiting for you to turn aside that you might encounter Him in a life-altering way. Just like Moses did.

The greatness of our nation is more than flag capes, southern cross stickers, and bbqs near the water in summer. I believe the greatness of our nation stems from the favour of God upon it.

In 1606 Spaniard Pedro Fernandez de Quiros prophesied over Australia

“and of all this region of the south as far as the Pole, from this time shall be called Australia del Espiritu Santo…”

Of course, Australia del Espiritu Santo means Great Southland of the Holy Spirit. This was not just a historical statement I believe it is a prophesy. And one I pray I will see fulfilled.

It is remarkable that it took so long for Australia to be settled at all. Chinese arrived in the Indonesia archipelago in the 1400s. Muslims, Buddhist and Hindus had been in the region for centuries before European explorers set eyes on the Great Southland. Why was this? I believe it was because God has a destiny and purpose for our great nation.

The men and women from Great Britain who settled Australia brought with them institutions and systems of government and law steeped in Christianity. Many of the early Governors and leaders, as well as explorers, were men of great Christian faith. Why was this? I believe it is because God has a destiny and purpose for our great nation.

Smith Wigglesworth once prophesied that Australia will see the last great revival before the return of Christ.

For all our heritage and blessings from God, Australia has never seen a great nation-wide awakening or revival. But it is coming. We believe the prophesies and we say, yes Lord!

I had a friend in school whose name was Damien Wilkins. But he couldn’t throw it down like that!

But there is one overarching purpose to our faith that we must never lose sight of. And that is to passionate, wholeheartedly love God.

Mark 12:28-30

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Jesus tells us this is the first and greatest command He has for us; Love our God with everything we have! Loving Jesus is our greatest command and our highest call.

I believe our world is crying out for people who are passionate about their God. People all around us are seeking the real deal. Not hollow religiousity, not gentle platitudes, not two-faced living, not luke-warm spirituality. But whole-hearted, passionate people truly in LOVE with their God.

Because this is so critical, we need to continually gauge our passion and love for Jesus and we can do this according to Mark Chapter 12:

• Heart: Where do your deepest affections lie? What moves your heart? What matters to you, thrills you or angers you?
• Soul: Our soul will follow either the flesh or the Spirit. So are you walking according to the Spirit or flesh? Which captures your attention throughout each day?
• Mind: What does your thought life reflect about you? Are you becoming more like Jesus through the renewing of your mind?
• Strength: What does your life outwardly say about what you love? What does the way you spend your life’s resources (time, talents, finances, relationships etc) say about your love for Jesus?

Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica

There a fine line between enjoying the pleasures of the world God gave to us, and forsaking the higher calling of God BECAUSE of the pleasures of the world he gave us.

One of the great things about living where I do, near the expanses of Indian Ocean, is the awesome lifestyle and options we are blessed with. For many this present world in which we live can be very attractive. Weekends away, afternoons at the beach, the good times with friends and food, enjoying your favourite TV show, supporting your favourite team; none of it is bad, so long as it doesn’t seduce you.

Demas was a young leader in the church, travelling with the apostle Paul. In all likelihood he did many great things for the kingdom of God alongside Paul. But at some point the pleasures of life became greater than the pleasure of God. And it ended up costing him his call.

We are citizens of heaven, this present world is just a temporary posting along the way. We should enjoy the life God has blessed us with, but never at the expense of our calling and the higher purposes of God.

Twitter is not only instant it is an excellent way to connect and, I think most importantly, cuts through a lot of the noise and clutter of the net, allowing you to get access to the information you want, when you want. This is me on twitter here.

Anyway, I can’t help but notice twitter’s brand is looking a bit old, a bit stale and to be honest, a bit awkward.

Here’s some incredible alternatives that I think are a massive upgrade on the current look.

Whaddya reckon tweets?