We all know people who truly live their faith and is actively evident in their lives

It is a pleasure for us to introduce a guest writer this weekend, a man I have known about for over 35 years and we have been close friends for a most  of that time. Recently I asked him would he write a guest article for us, as he really is a pillar in his local church. He is one of those people that never complains never looks for the limelight, and is always reflecting and sharing his great faith. His name is also John so we will refer to him as John  H. John H. also gave us his testimony, which kind of surprised me, I always saw him as a great friend, wonderful man of faith, but to read his testimony was amazing story of God’s Grace.

This is his testimony of how Our Lord and Our Friend transformed his life.

“Using as few words as possible, I went mad from age 18 to 40. Grog {alcohol} got me to such an extent that I was physically dying from it - heart problems, liver damage, eventually difficulty at times even walking up stairs. I could only hold down lowly jobs. was a grief to my family, with no money, no friends and no reputation. I was utterly convicted by The Lord in my late 30’s, but was running, twisting, fleeing from Him. Then one morning, I woke up in utter despair, broken, and at the end of my rope, hating what I was doing and couldn’t stop doing. I started to yell and cry out to The Lord for help. Suddenly a gush of tears came, which startled me, and then a feeling of peace. I got up from my bed saved, and didn’t know it. Later that day I tried to get stuck into the grog {alcohol} and couldn’t. even the smell of it was repugnant to me; then I realized that was The Lord’s doing. Oh, the Joy of my first love - the sense of amazement and Negritude that My Lord and My God loved me. I knew nothing about saying the salvation prayer, bu later when I realized the existences of Romans 10, I spoke out to a group of local church people what I believed in my heart about My Lord Jesus, His Grace, Mercy and Loving Kindness unto me, and my commitment to Him. Then i had a sense of completion in knowing that I really was a member of the family of God.”

You see God has plans for us all and God had plans for John h., and turned his life around. I didn’t know the first part of John’s H.life, but I can testify  to his ministry, my good friend has now. If anyone was to have a problem, you would only need to talk to John H and He would give you all  his time and energy to try to help you  John H’s testimony was one of  excessive alcohol use, but nothing is to hard fro Our Lord and Our Friend. He made alcohol repugnant to John H. that he no longer drank.

If anyone of us is to ask the God that created us for help, and be genuine about it, who knows how your life will be transformed, but it will be. Our dear Brother John H. is a living testimony to that.

God Bless.

O F J.

Sometimes we may never see the results of our faith in praying for people, most times you do. Not that any of the glory of the results of  those prayers belong to us, but it is very exciting to see the results.

A young man name James came into our shops, {when we were there}, he was minding two young children one was mentally challenging. James was browsing through the shop hoping to find an inexpensive present to buy the boys.

I said to my wife, ‘you can easily see why he is a carer there is such peace about him.’

When James came to the counter to pay for two small books, I said to him, ’ that he had a great peace around his life and it is very evident why you are a carer for these children.’ Then James surprised me by saying ‘didn’t I recognize him’. a bit embarrassingly I said ‘I didn’t’.

James then explained how he knew me. He told me a couple of years before he had come into our city store, he had come in quite distressed. Myself and my good friend Alimin started to pray and as soon as we started he would run to the toilet and was sick this went on for a considerable time. Every time we started to pray he would run to the toilet and it got past closing time.  So  we prayed as he was walking back from the toilet, and he seemed to pull himself together and left.

James then explained he couldn’t come anywhere near Alimin and me, because all he saw was a light glowing around us and he would run to the toilet.

I apologized for not remembering him because he looked like a different person, but I did remember that day. James explained now he had become a carer something he always wanted to be. Then he thanked me, and said ‘He was hoping he would see me again but he had moved away from the city.’

James said he now attended church regularly. James went on to say he felt a great burden of depression left him that day, he came into the shop for prayer.

He stated again it was great to see me, he thought the shops were awesome and had a humility about them, and his life was changed wonderfully through there ministry.

We prayed together this time before he left the shops.

God allow me to have an awesome ministry in the shops, but that season has now finished. The ministry mode of operation may have changed, but God is very gracious and he is still using me for His Glory.

It is a wonderful thing to be a vessel for The King of Kings,My lord and My Friend.

 God Bless.

 O F J.

In 2008 I was a part of a small group of people who traveled the globe to minister the gospel. And while I can look back now and marvel at how amazing it was, the number of healing miracles we witnessed and that God did through us was incredible; A colour blind man receiving full colour range again, knee arthritis healed, partial blindness healed, throat cancer healed, All in His name, just to name a few.

We also witnessed many salvation’s and re-dedications to God. It was an incredible experience and one that I hold firmly in my heart. However the lead up to the trip wasn’t so amazing. It was rather stressful, until God stepped in that is.

Back then I was a youth worker, working 3 days a week, and studying every other spare moment of my life, so it was fair to say that my finances weren’t the greatest. They most certainly weren’t “let’s go on an around the world missions trip” great.

So I scrimped and saved, pinched every penny I had, sold things I didn’t want, had a birthday, put my tax return toward it, I even applied for a credit card and got rejected - which in hind sight was a great thing. But still I was short, and scraping the bottom of the barrel of idea’s on how I could make more money.

Still I never gave up believing! I held firm and kept declaring God’s word over my life, I held onto faith, when normally I would have just turned, filed it as hopeless and walked away. I petitioned God whenever I could. I reminded Him [not that God ever forgets, He just likes to see us use His word and declare His promises over our life] of all the promises He had laid out for me. He declared prosperity, He declared freedom of bondage, He declared a finishing power over everything. He owns it all, He can give it to whoever he wants.

Yet, I didn’t receive a single dollar and was $1500 short the night before the trip. It was hopeless!

At this point I think it’s important to point out that I hadn’t told anyone that I was short, not the people I was going on the trip with, my family, my friends or anyone. No one knew.

The night before the trip was a sunday night, so I went to church and we all got prayed over, and said our good byes, and were about to go home and get some sleep, we did after all have an early flight. When a lady in the congregation, a lady I had seen before but never spoken to, nor even knew her name, approached me and said…

“I’ve always wanted to go on a missions trip, but I can’t. I’ve always wanted to be a part of what you are going to do, but I’ll never get to. The best thing I can do is to make sure someone else can go and do that work. That way in spirit I will be a part of the work, a part of the team.’

At this point she pulled out her cheque book and said to me.

“God told me during worship tonight that you need $1500 dollars. And I am more than happy to be able to bless you to bless others.”

She handed me the cheque and I was gobbed smacked. This just didn’t happen. I couldn’t thank her enough.

The next morning I joined my friends on the most amazing trip that I have ever been a part of. I still bore my friends with stories of my exploits.

The point of this story is never, ever give up faith. Never beg and plead with God. Take up His word and declare. He has already said you are master over money not the other way around. He is the God of the 1st Hour and of the 11th hour. Declare His promises and hold firm in faith. The impossible is possible. 

If it can happen to me, it can, and will happen to you!

-The Kid

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. At least that’s what anyone will tell you if you want to make it big in business, or get a great job, or to get the latest ‘In’ thing on the market. We all strive to make connections that we will benefit from.

But in this dog eat dog world this form of thinking and action has lead to an increase in jealousy, despair, hatred, envy, and striving. People try to use or make connections with people to become “stars” overnight, to go the best functions with the biggest celebrities, get tickets to sold out concerts, you name there’s someone striving for it.

That makes me sad. I have no problem with people benefiting of others, especially if they’re friends, it’s just when others get hurt that I start to think we’ve lost the plot somewhere.

I believe we strive to make these connections with people, because God has placed inside us an urging for us to make a connection with Him. A connection that eclipses any other connection you could ever make. Jesus Christ stands at the door of the greatest club and he is the only endorsement you will EVER need to enter.

Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” 

That verse blows me away! It says that he can save (help, heal, aid, comfort, fight for, protect) those who come to God through him (which as we already know through scripture is the only way we can come to Him). Meaning if you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord and Savior, these promises are for you! 

It also goes on to say - since He always lives to make intercession for them. He is waiting on the right hand side of the throne of God, he constantly has the fathers ear. His words with the father hold weight, more weight than any set of words we could string together, and he lives to intercede for us. He endorses us!

2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God Through us.” Not only does He make intercession for us, but He says that the promises of god in HIM (through Him) are yes and Amen. So that He may be glorified through us, because His word states that His word does not return to Him void, but fulfills that which it was sent for.

What you want and need has been promised through Jesus, who intercedes on your behalf to the Father, who has released the fulfillment of the promise, so that he may be glorified in and through us, through the fruit our lives will grow and bear.

John 12:3 ”You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go Bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the father in my name He may give you.”

God delivers on His promises so that our lives may declare his glory. Your testimony of spiritual breakthrough, of healing, of finance, of… you name it, is a fruit that glorifies God. And he yearns for us to be his billboards and his mouthpiece! And has promised that whatever we ask for in His name (so long as it produces good fruit that will glorify him) we can have!

Now that is awesome. That will change your thinking and your prayer life! He will deliver what you ask for, if you are aware that he will give you what you ask for as long as it glorifies him. Now that’s called Faith

1 John 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 

Have faith that Jesus is working for you, and that He wants nothing but the best in you!

John 16:23-24 ” And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your Joy may be full.”

&

John 14:13-14 “And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the father may be glorified in the son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

You see, Jesus Christ wants us to call upon his promises with confidence, believing that we will receive what we have asked for, so that the joy the enemy has stolen from us, through our many different trials may be restored to us, so that through us we will glorify God and not the enemy.

He lives to be our endorsement! He wants us to use His name and declare the works of the enemy dead. He his given us access to the entire kingdom of God. A kingdom with nothing but Joy, and love. A kingdom without sickness or loss. He has given us authority to use his name to get into any closed door in His kingdom!

Matthew 16:19 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, & whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Luke 10:9 “Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents & scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, & nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

He delegates us this authority, and the weapon that is the power of His name, because upon resurrection he was put in the highest place with Authority over every principality and power, might and dominion not only from this age now but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet. (Ephesians 1:20-22)

He gives us the same authority that he has, and that authority is only found in his Name. The enemy and his works aren’t afraid of us, but they are afraid of Jesus. Because he won the battle and will when the time is right, banish them all to hell. So don’t be afraid to use the name of Jesus. He has endorsed you and will until the day you go to join him in the kingdom of heaven. 

So don’t be afraid of your situations. Through his name, you have everything you will ever need! So….

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

So go on, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And am I ever glad, that I know Jesus!

Blessings,

The Kid.

A lot of people would say the bible is not big on Environmental issues. So is the Bible concerned with the earth’s ecology? Or does it teach the earth’s resources exist purely for people pleasure, to be used as they will with little thought for long-term consequences?

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it fullness and it is stated in Psalms:

Psalms 24 verse 1 (Message Bible) “God claims Earth and everything in it, God claims World and all who live on it.”

Psalm 104 verse 24 (Message bible) “What a wildly wonderful world God! You made it all, with wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creation.”

Not only has God created the world, He sustains it with loving attention.

Scripture shows clearly that the Lord watches over every aspect of His creation, including it’s conservation.

Read Psalm 104 verses 10 to 23 for greater explanation.

Example of this includes Genesis 2 verse 15 “God took the man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.”

In Exodus 23 verses 10 and 11 ”Sow your land for six years and gather its produce.” “But during the seventh year you are to let it rest and leave it uncultivated, so that the poor among your people may eat from it, and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.”

Also read Leviticus 25 verse 2 to 7, Deuteronomy 20 verse 19 to 20 and Deuteronomy 22 verse 6 to 7.

God’s law also prohibits the unnecessary destruction of fruit and nut trees. Genesis 1 verse 31.

When God created the worlds resources, He declared them to be good. He assigned people to care for them and develop them, and use them for good. Genesis 1 verse 26 to 31.

The management role is part of our calling. God has made us more than consumers who gratify their own desires.

God (Our Lord and Our Friend) wants us to serve Him as we manage His creation. Our work is a gift from God to develop and deliver the benefits of these resources to other people.

God provided everything for Our Needs, not Our Greed.

God bless.

O F J.

I’ve learned to start expecting the unexpected, especially every night I go to work in my taxi, where I get to see the most unexpected blessings. Each night when I set out I don’t know where I’ll be going to, nor who I’ll get to meet. But I do know Our Lord and Our Friend will lead me where He wants me to go and who he wants me to meet. A divine encounter.

It is not as though I am on a witnessing steroids or something, nor am I militant about my beliefs. I only share when I believe there is an opening to share. The Pearl of Great Price is too precious to be trampled under the emptiness of this world.

It is a joy to share.

It was over the last week I had the privilege to share with a young lady. I met Emily after her brother haled my taxi, he was quite adamant that I should take good care of his younger sister. Emily was a very confused young lady, she seemed to be going through a crisis in confidence in her life and had at one point tried to end it.

I shared my thoughts on a God that loves both of us. She told me she was thinking of going to a certain church because of the music.  I gave out our ministry card and reassured her that she should go to that church, that she would be welcomed and they would be a great encouragement to her. Emily thanked me for listening to her as she left and thank me for the encouragement to go to church.

Later that night I was to meet Peter, Peter had been at a wake after a mates funeral. His mate was killed bizarrely in a car crash. Peter was visually upset, we talked about a faith in God, which Peter said he had. Again I used our ministry card “If it matters to you it matters to Him” to encourage him. As he was leaving he thanked me and said “I believe I was meant to meet you.”

Later that night I was to take yet another young man home who had been at the same funeral. I again had the privilege to share with him at a time in his life when he was hurting.

I want to state I don’t share for the sake of sharing I share at His leading. He is an awesome Lord and Friend, and knows the needs we need met when we need them.

God Bless.

 O F J

PSALM 118 verse 8

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”

The God all powerful all knowing wants us to put our trust in Him.

It goes along with Scripture Of The Week 6: Psalm 1 verses 1 to 6

How Happy is the man………..

TRUST is the ultimate part of our faith in losing our fear as we understand the great love God has for us.

We need to trust God for who He says He is.

We need to trust God because of the great promises He gives to those who follow Him.

Trust in an Ever Present God, an Ever Present Lord and Friend.

On A different point for this scripture, it has been pointed out to us by a good friend of the ministry that.

Psalm 118 is the middle of the Bible

Psalm 117 before Psalm 118 is the shortest chapter of the bible.

Psalm 119 after Psalm 118 is the longest chapter of the bible.

The bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm118.

If you add up all the chapters except Psalm 118 you get a total of 1188 chapters.

1188 or Psalm 118 verse 8 is the middle verse of the entire Bible.

What a message! The center of the Bible is about TRUST.

Such an an important message it is.

(Please note in some translations this may differ a little)

Blessings OFJ

The author of this letter declares himself as Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1 verse 1

1 Peter is about looking forward in hope.

Even in times of suffering, there is so much to gladden the heart and to thank God for. His gift of new life through the resurrection of Jesus which gives us living hope.

The first letter of Peter. Encourages Christians to keep the faith during persecution. Urges them to be Holy and regard their suffering as refining. Describes how Christians are God’s people with a mission. Tells us to adopt loving attitudes to each other living as God’s people

1 Peter 2 verse 1 So rid yourselves of all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy and all slander.

Don’t get stuck at the baby stage. Peter says to his readers grow up in the Faith. Remember who you are (1 Peter 2 verse 1 to 10)

God’s own people chosen to make known the wonderful things He has done, living stones being built into a spiritual temple that rests on the foundation stone of Christ Himself.

1 Peter 2 verse 11

“I urge you, as alien and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul.” [ SHOW A BIT OF SELF CONTROL.]

We have a special mission as followers of Christ to capture the world for Christ. Christians must control themselves to stay true to their real identity.

1 Peter 2 verse 13 “Therefore get your minds ready for action remain alert and resist the devil.”

1 Peter 5 verse 8  Be sober Be on the alert.

1 Peter 5 verse 7  Leave all your worries with God because He cares for us.

This is a version of the verse from our ministry card (mentioned many times before) “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you”

The purpose of 1 Peter is to lift us up and fill us with joy.

Peter who is an apostle of jubilant hope, addresses this epistle (letter) to the strangers scattered everywhere.

A letter for homesick Christians.

A letter where Peter tells those persecuted and discouraged of a near and precious savior.

what privileges we have as Christians (followers of Christ).

We have everything in Christ that God wants us to possess.

God has given us in His Son, and He will freely give through His Son all things.

SUMMARY

We are born again of God - 1 Peter 1 v 3

We will receive an inheritance - 1 Peter 1 v 4

We are kept by the power of God - 1 Peter 1 v 5

We are being purified - 1 Peter 1 v 7

We are saved - 1 Peter 1 v 9

We have a great hope - 1 Peter 1 v 13

We are redeemed through His Blood - 1 Peter v 18 to 19

We shall not be put to shame - 1 Peter 2 v 6

We are a chosen people - 1 Peter 2 v 9

We shall have a crown of glory - 1 Peter 5 v 4

Therefore prepare your minds for action, be self controlled, set your hope fully on the Grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed in His Fullness.

Live like you are a new creation in Christ Jesus Our Lord and Our Friend.

Read peter and enjoy the encouragement.

God Bless
O F J

The great thing about the Christian faith is that we have brothers and sisters unified in Christ all across the globe, from one denomination to the next one thing unites and brings us all together. The desire to know Jesus Christ as our lord saviour, and friend. This article has been written by a great friend of ours sister Veronica, she has been in christian ministry for over 40 years, as a nun she has sold her life for Christ and spent the majority of her life ministering for Him. She’s got a great story and is a great advocate for all of us, no matter our denomination, coming together for the cause of Christ. After all many are called but few are chosen. I would like to extend my thanks for sister Veronica, and pray that her testimony inspires you to push on for Christ!

- The Kid

Grandpa Perel owned “The Patriot” newspaper. He had recieved a medal for saving a man from a fire. My mother, a journalist in her father’s newspaper, was educated at St. Margaret’s Anglican school, Clayfield, and much to the horror of her family, married a Catholic railway worker who had had a mail run across the D’Aguilar range at twelve.

Because the small farm “The Cove” that my grandfather owned would go to the eldest son Jack, dad could not be a farmer as he desired , so his mother bumped his age up two years and sent him off to the railway which at first he hated, but putting his all into it he rose over the years to staff clerk and finally to the comissioner’s representative.

Reg and Rene had six children, five born at Caboolture and one in Brisbane, to which city Dad was transferred to around 1937. I went to St. Joseph’s Convent at Nundah and made my first Holy Communion at the age of seven.

I remember the day vividly. It begn with my dressing in a pretty white dress my mum had made. There I was, admiring myself in the mirror when mum entered the room and said seriously “sit down and meditate.” Well, I hadn’t heard that word before but I got the message.

That was my first encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and my brother and I used to go to daily Mass, walking or riding a bike the mile and a half from Northgate to Corpus Christi Church, Nundah.

I was worried when, about the age of eleven dounts overcame me about the Eucharist, so one morning I went around to the sacristy to talk it over with Father O’Keefe, our Parish Priest who listened, then said with a smile, “It’s okay Irene, you’re growing up in your faith.” I found out that day, that it was okay to question!

Each night we said the rosary kneeling in our lounge room. Dad knelt with his head hidden in a lounge chair. The nuns tried to encourage us to attend Benediction of a Sunday night but dad believed the family rosary was better for us.

One night I was kneeling by my bed saying night prayers. I was kneeling on one knee. Dad must have been passing and looked in for he demanded to know why I was praying thus. It was okay when I showed him my gravel-rashed knee.

Dad would not join the “Holy Name Society” for he had said he had heard too many men in pubs using God’s name in vain. He would go up to them and say “You ought to take off that badge.”

One day I had said to my mother, “Did you find it hard to become a Catholic?”

“No. It was beautiful. It was all I desied.” Was her reply.

So its no wonder I fell in love with this Jesus who was so real and vital in our lives, and that I desired to give my whole life to Him in the religious life, which I entered in 1949 with the blessing of both parents.

If I had my life over again, I would do the same thing, thanking and praising God and sharing my faith and love and joy with others.

Galations 5:22

“But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self control.”

We all know what a fruit tree looks like. An apple tree bears apples, and orange tree -oranges, and if you saw a fake tree with plastic fruit on it, you could tell close up it was fake, but from a distance it may look good.

The closer you get to people, the more you find out about them and you can see their fruit more clearly. We need the genuine love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control of our Lord and friend. So, the closer we grow to Him, the better our fruit will be.

Galations 5:16, 26

All is about walking with Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Galations 5:16, 18, 25 tells us to live by the Spirit. We can walk with Jesus just as surely as the two disciples did.

Luke 24

“But now we do it through the Holy Spirit because the Lord is everpresence.”

Walking with the Spirit helps us to lose our desire of the sinful nature, it will help us to not produce bad fruit as listed in this passage. Go have a read of that list. It’s great to not just read what we right, but check it against the Bible yourself. If you take every word we or anyone else says as gospel, anyone can tell you anything and you’ll believe it!

Galations 5:19-21

When God created the earth, He built some patterns in both the physical and spirtual worlds.

That is why we can use the illustration of both with the word like fruit, trees and vines.

Jesus said in John 15:4

“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to bear fruit by itself, unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Him.”

Read Galations 5:22 over and over again, produce the fruit we were created for.

OFJ