Finding Bendigo

Bendigo is a funny town, where Is everyone? Bendigo, unlike many other places, does not have a beach, or a boardwalk, a park or a city centre where the masses generally gather. We seem to be locked away in our houses or shops and there is relatively few places where you can find Bendigonians just 'milling about'.
From the perspective of open evangelism, this makes Bendigo a difficult town to connect with. Where can you go to meet and openly approach people without contravening legal boundaries?
Well today I 'discovered' Bendigo's 'hang-out' at the market which is held every Sunday at the showgrounds. I have never been a markets kind of guy so I had never been to the one in Bendigo. I can say that I was truly shocked and astounded when I turned up there today at 10:30. As I approached the show grounds there were parked cars lining roads from blocks away. As I came to the gates, it reminded me of when the Bendigo show is on, there were so many people. There were literally thousands of people there!
Here at the showgrounds is a place where the people of Bendigo are gathering in great numbers out in a public arena. How ironic that the one time in the week that Bendigonians come out en masse into a public arena happens to be the exact same time that good church going Christian folk all happen to be locked up in their good Christian churches. Its like all the fishermen are at home fixing their rods at the exact time the salmon are running!
Are we not called to be fishers of men? Are we not called to seek and save the lost? Are we not called to preach the gospel and make disciples? Why then has the gathering together and our man-made traditions taken precedence over reaching and saving the lost?
Today, in the span spent by most believers in church, I was able to share the gospel personally with dozens of people, more than I would in weeks of my everyday life. And unlike the people that the average preacher spoke to today, I was surrounded by people that had never heard the gospel, or had not heard it for a long time. Of course many of those who heard message rejected it, but there were also those who received it.
I have recently had several people tell me how brave I am, how gifted I am at sharing the gospel, and how well prepared I am in answering those tricky questions people pose. These same people have told me that the reason that they will not step out in evangelism is that they feel unprepared. I imagine that the reason you have not come running to join me on the streets is that you feel the same way. But I want you to know that I, like you was not so bold as I am now, nor so prepared - and I can tell you now I am definitely not gifted; merely practiced. How do you expect to become prepared to be a fisher of men if you are not going to put any effort into learning the craft and preparing your skills? How do you expect to be able to 'have the answers' if you never put yourself in a position to have a question posed to you? And how do you ever expect to become effective at sharing your faith if you don't put yourself in a place where you regularly and consistently are sharing your faith?
Everyone wants to reap a harvest of revival but no-one it seems is willing to plant the seeds! Everyone talks about wanting to see thousands brought to Christ to none is willing to go out and actually bring them in!
Can you imagine the impact that a group - even a small group - could have in a place like that? What about you? What do you think?

Marketplace Ministry

Well here’s a term that has been talked about too much but not actioned enough! On this Sunday at 10:30 I will be leading an evangelism group to outreach at the Market being held at the Bendigo Showgrounds. I would love you to join me. If you have never done this sort of outreach before then I want to encourage you and urge you to come along, even just to observe. I want you to experience the joy and excitement of sharing Jesus and allow to see for yourself just how easy it is to do. If you do want to come and just watch, please feel free to do so, you will not be pressured in any way to participate, but I want the opportunity to show you just how easy it is.

The window of free speech and the freedom to openly share our faith is already closing in the western world. It is already illegal to preach the gospel on the streets in Canada, and we are not far behind. PLEASE make the effort to join me this Sunday. Don’t spend another Sunday comforting the converted. Why don’t you do as Jesus encouraged us to do in Matt 18:12-14 and leave the ninety-nine who are safely tucked away in the fold and come out with me to find the lost sheep. Think about it – on Sunday Morning all the Christians are at church. What a perfect opportunity to find those who are lost. We will meet at the main gate at 10:30.

Dealing with Bitterness

Bitterness is a truly terrible thing. Don’t hold onto it. It WILL destroy you.

 

 ²² Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. ²³ When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). ²⁴ Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded.

(Exodus 15:22-24)

 

In this story the nation of Israel, recently released from their captivity in Egypt through truly miraculous circumstances have walked three days and through the desert only to arrive at an oasis full of bitter water.  The bitterness is going to kill them even though they have escaped the clutches of their captivity. Isn’t that so like our own lives today? Bitterness is one of those things that can grab you, even if the circumstances you are angry or bitter about are over! Bitterness, it has been described, is being so angry with someone that you drink poison hoping it will make the other person sick. The Israelites were in this position. They were NEVER going back to Egypt and their captor, Pharaoh, has been destroyed. Yet now, it is not the circumstance of captivity that is going to bring them undone, but the bitter waters of Marah.

 

The Acholi people of Northern Uganda have a saying that crudely translates as this: If a snake bites you – you don’t chase the snake. It is not the snake that has the problem, it’s you. It is the same with anger, resentment, unforgiveness and bitterness, once this venom is in your system, you are not going to get rid of it by attacking the snake that bit you. You have to deal with the poison in your own system. If you continue to drink of the poisonous waters of bitterness you will die.

 

 ¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

(Matt 6:14-15)

You see, if you do not forgive others. God will not forgive you!

 

Now I love the picture in this story of Moses. What was the answer that Moses has for the bitter water? He throws a piece of wood in the water and it becomes sweet. What a great picture! Has it clicked for you yet? What do you have to do with the bitterness in your life? You’ve got to throw a piece of wood into too. Still hasn’t clicked yet? What is that piece of wood? What is the most important piece of wood in the Bible? You there yet? I’m sure you have got it now! Yes, the Cross! Jesus told us we would have to take up our cross. The cross represents death – death to self. If you are holding onto bitterness, it means that you have not died to yourself. If you were dead, you would not be holding that grudge.

 

Go to the grave yard and scream and yell at all the people in the graves. Tell them how ugly and stinky they are and how out of date their clothes and hairstyles are. How many of them will take offence? You see, if we have died to ourselves and it is the spirit of Christ living in us, then bitterness and offence and unforgiveness will not be a problem.

 

So throw the piece of wood at your bitterness. Allow the Holy Spirit to break put to death your carnal nature and the unforgiveness you hold. Let the wood of a crucified life that is dead to self bring healing and sweetness to the waters of your life.

Without Walls Gathering This Saturday Evening

Just a reminder to all that this Saturday evening is our monthly gathering. We are so excited about our coming together this month. There is a real sense of anticipation for what the Holy Spirit will do among us. Come prepared not just to receive but to give in line with 1 Corinthians 14:26 (New Living Translation)

26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.

We look forward to worshipping and fellowshipping with you on Saturday.

Wrestling the Darkness

Ephesians 6:12 (Amplified Bible)

¹²For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (New Living Translation)

 ³ We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. ^{4 [a]}We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. ⁵ We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

I was brought up with these scriptures and with an understanding that as believers in Jesus we are engaged is a spiritual battle between angels good and evil where the spoils of war are the souls of men. But in recent times I have been finding the Holy Spirit rapidly leading us into new levels of understanding in this arena.

The first thing you have to understand is that as Christians we are at war with demons; and these demons are doing everything in their power to destroy you at every level - spiritual, mental/Emotional(the soul) and physical. That is what the above scriptures are telling us. We in the west totally underestimate the battle that is raging for our souls and generally do not take seriously the enormity of this battle.

I also want to point out that Christians CAN be and DO get demonized. Now I am not going to argue about “possession” or “oppression” or such. These are terms that have come out of the middle-ages rather than out of scripture. The original ancient Greek does not tend to use such terms – but simply states “demonized”. The point I want to make is that if casting out of demons was not for Christians, then we would be left with trying to cast demons out of people that refuse to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour – a process that we are actually warned against as it can make matters worse! For further information on can a Christian have a demon, look at James Brandt’s writing on the subject at http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/christian_demon.php.

SOME BASIC KEYS ON GETTING FREE.

Deliverance is not about demons, it is about getting free. The focus is on finding that freedom, not finding demons. There are some key areas for each of us to look at in our own lives – and the lives of those around us to find freedom from captivity by the enemy or even just from our own “stinking thinking”:

(From James Brandt’s website)
Inner healing: Many times when a person has been abused, rejected, wounded, or hurt in some way, there is an emotional wound that needs to be healed. Demons will use these wounds and weaknesses against the person, as leverage to hold them in bondage and get them to re-open doors so that they can re-enter. Inner healing is a vital step in the overall restoration process that needs to take place in the lives of many who are seeking deliverance. There is more information on this process in the teaching Steps to Inner Healing on the same website as above.

 

Tearing down strongholds: Strongholds are incorrect thinking patterns that people develop over time, and are often set up and nurtured by demons through lies and deception. Demons thrive on strongholds, and use them to hang around a person and torment them. I recommend reading the teaching on Strongholds for a clear insight into exactly what a stronghold is, and how to go about tearing them down. Failing to tear down strongholds can hold up a deliverance and prevent us from walking in complete spiritual freedom.

 

Removing legal rights: Legal rights are things that give demons permission to enter and remain in our lives. Before demons can often be cast out, it is important to address and remove these legal rights. The teaching on Legal Rights lists the most common legal rights and how you can go about removing them. Failing to remove legal rights can hold up a deliverance very easily.

 

Casting out demons: This requires two basic elements: knowledge of your authority in Christ Jesus over the powers of the enemy, and faith in that authority. Demons are cast out with a simple spoken command, such as, "I command the spirit of fear to come out in the name of Jesus!" You can learn more about your authority and how it works from the teaching on Spiritual Authority.

ITS ALL SPIRITUAL

The reality is EVERYTHING that takes place in our life is spiritual. We are a triune being – having a body, a soul (the seat of our emotions and will or mind), and a spirit (the eternal aspect of our being). Separate the spirit from the body and the body dies. Even something as simple as painting a wall or mowing the lawn is spiritual in that the fullness of our being continues to function and interact even while we perform “physical” tasks.

And how much of what we call physical or mental illness could actually be spiritual? For instance mental illness is commonly attributed as the by-product to some sort of physical imbalance in the individual. Is it possible on occasion that both the mental illness AND the physical imbalance are BOTH the product of a spiritual intrusion in the being of the individual that then displays symptoms in the form of mental and/or physical imbalance? Conversly, could something as supposedly simple as a physical illness effectively “lower the defences” of the individual in such a way that a spiritual intrusion can take place? When you view the person as a triune whole you can begin to see how closely one can affect the other.

In my own life, I have had a demon cast out me on 3 different occasions – once through simply commanding it out of myself! I have also cast a number of demons out of others. Sometimes this has been with “spectacular” manifestations, but most of the time it is a “simple” process with very little physical activity. Dealing with demons, be it casting them out or removing the “footholds” in our life that they seek to use, is certainly not something to be feared. But instead, as a believer, should be celebrated as we are getting victory over the enemy where he has been having victory over us. So do we go looking for demons everywhere. Certainly not. Remember it is not about finding demons but finding freedom – and that may come through healing the wounds in our spirit or unbinding ourselves from silly and ungodly thoughts or emotions. But it is definitely worth taking a “seek and destroy” attitude to the power of the enemy in our lives and to look carefully for areas that the forces of darkness may be using as leverage against us. If in the process of doing this we find something that has “taken up residence in our house”, at that point we can simply boot the trespasser out!

It is also great to get tooled up on this form of ministry yourself. While it is NOT something to be taken flippantly (See Acts 19:13-16), we are all called to this ministry (See Mark 16:15-18). You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of good reliable books and ministry tools on the subject and I encourage you to invest in them.

If you believe you need or would like ministry in this area, you can email us privately at withoutwallsbendigo@live.com.au and we will be happy to communicate with you.

Todd is on the Radio This Sunday Night

On this Sunday night (May 1) from 7:20pm, Todd will be on Phoenix FM 106.7MHz to talk about Without Walls with radio host and Outdoor Edge Co-ordinator & Praxis Educator, Dave Fagg, from Seeds Bendigo – a part of Urban Seed. Let us know if you will be tuning in.

Church of Jesus where are you?

This weekend was Easter. I know that Easter is not really when Jesus was Crucified. (Historical records put the date as April 3 or 4). I know that it is really a pagan moon festival centred around the northern hemisphere  spring equinox. But still, it IS one of the few times in the year where Christianity - in whatever form it may come can legitimately take centre stage in the minds of the average Australian.

Traditionally Bendigo has a festival at Easter. The carnival rides come to town, there are art exhibitions and family entertainment in Rosalind park. Easter in Bendigo is a great time. The highlight is the Easter procession where schools, businesses and community groups enter floats along with car clubs and marching bands. The culmination of the procession has always been held by the Chinese community with Bendigo's own Chinese dragon (yes dragon!) - nowadays along with a bunch of other dragons. Traditionally this procession has been on the Easter Monday, however because of Easter's proximity to Anzac Day this year, they moved the procession to Sunday. I see this spiritually as a sad historic event.
Over the Easter weekend I went out on the street with a couple friends and family and talked to people about Jesus while giving out some gospel tracts. I have to say that by the end of the weekend I was so grieved in my spirit, I didn't know whether to be angry or weep. I have certainly done both. As I walked the streets what did I see? All the masses of Bendigo's population were out - along with thousands of visitors from other places. This is one of the biggest events Bendigo has. And on the streets with all these people, I saw the promotion of eastern mysticism in the Chinese dancing and celebrations - something that has managed to so attach and entangle itself to this otherwise Christian holiday that any self-respecting Bendigonian could not imagine Easter without the dragon! There were also other false Gods being peddled with the Harikrishnas, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses all out in force. The new age was also prominently represented at the street market held on Saturday. Add to all this the licentious and lustful entertainment of eye and body through the food and rides.
And where was the church - the body of Christ - on this weekend commemorating His death and resurrection? Where was the message of what this weekend was about? Nowhere to be seen! Instead of His hands and feet; his eyes and mouth walking the streets and ministering to the crowds as it did when Jesus himself walked the earth; the body of Christ was locked behind it's walls with their stained-glass windows. In the past, even just in my memory, Bendigo has had some wonderful expressions at Easter. Most recently, a gospel music outreach and presentation after the Fireworks. Many years ago there was "The Way of the Cross" - a dramatisation of the Passion using Bendigo's historic buildings for the locations of the drama. There have also been in the past fantastic representations in the procession with floats and such. But this year, if there was anything, I was not able to find it despite my efforts of looking.
Now I will admit that I was not down the street ALL the time. In fact I did not see all of the procession this year. So if there WAS something done by one of the churches - then thank God for it! Praise the Lord. But whatever feeble attempts were made by the churches either to gather people to their buildings or to reach out to the community, went for the vast majority, if not unheard, certainly unheeded.
This whole scenario would be comical if it were not so sad. On the day that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus; this day that commemorates Jesus rising from the grave with all the saints walking the streets of Jerusalem; that on this day, the church now sits locked behind doors and walls while dragons LITERALLY roam unchecked in the streets and false religions claim these holy days as their own. What has become of the Jesus' Body? Where is that resurrection power on the day set aside to remember it?
The world is even asking the question "What has happened to Easter?", with television shows and Newspapers asking whether Easter has lost its way. This is no more powerfully evident than in our own city. Brothers and sisters in Christ, this weekend I came looking for you amongst all the people and could not find you. I even know of a Church in this city that in recognising the late and dark hour we live in, huddled together to talk about the late and dark hour we live in!
People of Jesus! Get out of your buildings, get off your programs and stop lying to yourselves about how well you are doing reaching out for Jesus! Get to the streets - where the people are and proclaim the message of Jesus while we still have time and permission to do so in our nation!

1Cr 1:21

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.