CONNECTED Adventist

My 4 week break was an answer to more than just one prayer- it was an answer to LIFE CHANGING prayers!!! I'm leaving!!! See ya, QLD and HEEEEELLO NNSW!!

Droughts and dry spells drain the life out of most things. Animals lack food, the trees loose their foliage and the grass becomes brown and it looses all its softness, but what happens when a Christian is going through a spiritual drought? We're told there's hope no matter how lifeless our spiritual life is and to "not give up", but how long do we have to wait before we finally get a 'spiritual downpour'? And is it too late for some?

Have you ever met one those Christians that are always warning people to follow 'the truth' and to not be 'deceived'? One of those kind of SDAs came to my church this week. And although I fully agree with much of their concerns and their 'truth', i often hear only one perspective of Biblical truth from these kind of Christians. 'Doom and gloom' preaching must always be presented with the redemptive truth of the Gospel, the hope-filled truth of the Gospel and the comforting truth of the Gospel. We are called to live in SPIRIT and TRUTH- not just "truth".

We all have 'dirty laundry'. Some of us have multiple baskets of 'dirty laundry'. However, many of us keep those experiences hidden away even though; we've been washed in the blood of the lamb. But if we reflect on the Bible narrative- we'll find ourself pushing through the complicated and messy past of some of the most respected Bible personalities. And then, you have Enoch and Job. Their Biblical accounts seem spotless and without any stain of sin. Some of us may have a clean record but one thing the Bible teaches us, is that most of us have past just like the majority of the people we read about from Genesis to Revelation.

Calm down y'all! It's not what you think. Well, it kind of is but not really. The Bible was never intended to be read. It was meant to be studied and for its advice to guide us everyday. We're called to continually and inexhaustibly meditate and reflect on God's word- not just read it so we can check it off our morning routine list.

Forbidden things aren't always 'scary' looking. We don't need to be a genius to know that most people won't fall for things that look 'messed up'. The Devil is cunning and a great salesman- he has a way of making the forbidden appear enjoyable and 'pleasing to the eye'. But the Bible gives us a better way. Trust in God's counsels will always be the most powerful source of wisdom to fight against the Devil's deceptions. 'Forbidden by God' should always translate into safety and peace for us.

17 million people watched the interview. 17 million people have an option about the interview. On this episode I share just one of those 17 million opinions about the interview and the aftermath of what Harry and Meghan shared.

There's a whole bunch of scared Christians in our churches. And I'm not surprised! Some churches seem to preach about 'doom and gloom' WAY more than they preach about God's glory THROUGH the 'doom and gloom'. End time events will always create fear, it's a scary chapter of Earth's history, but we must be very careful to not base the entire Christian journey and the Christian experience around one chapter, while ignoring the theme of the Christian story- the Good News of a Perfect Father saving His children. The Christian narrative should always point us back to a God who has conquered all- even 'doom and gloom'!

It seems like we're always fighting against someone or something. And if it's not something or someone, at times, we may find ourselves even fighting against God! The power of human free-will is the only thing that limit the power of the Omnipotent God of the universe. Free-will, allows Created beings to completely disregard the Creator's intent, and gives power for the Created beings to go completely against the Creator's design and recommendations. So, how do you hang your clothes?

Within the church and outside the church, we all have people we admire. You know, those people who seem to have the very things we dream we had; whether it's the grades, the popularity, career, looks or the Spiritual gifts, we all know someone who has something that leaves us 'wishing' we were like them. But every 'always happy' person has areas of discontentment in their life, the confident person daily battles against their insecurities and the person who appears to have it all, also has areas in their life that feel totally empty. The outwardly strong, can also be the ones who internally are the weakest.