Time for a Holiday

Well it's time for two weeks off. I won't be blogging for a couple of weeks...
Come back in MID JULY!!!

18 months of College has passed. I'm passionate about souls and justice! I feel more equipped to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord...

Over the next couple of weeks here's a little of what I'll be doing (as well as sleeping in some mornings!)

* Preaching at Wyndham City Salvos this Sunday 29th June at 6pm. Come along if you're in town.
* Preaching at James and Sarah's Wedding on Saturday 5th July at Moreland Salvos. Jo is doing the vows. God bless this couple.
* Going to Hillsong Conference in Sydney, second week of the holidays. A time to simply worship God and enjoy a trip up and back.
* Jo is 18 weeks pregnant (as of Sat 28th June). Her belly is nearly my size...

Stay passionate for Jesus. God is always good, even if the circumstances you're in don't reflect that. He is always faithful to us. He is the Lord! Thanks for reading. See you in two weeks.

Something Interesting

We're currently in our second week of an intensive subject called 'Reformation Theology'. There's lots to think about. The Church didn't contain any 'denominations' as such until around the time of the 16th Century, when guys like Martin Luther, and John Calvin came around and began to challenge the status quo of the beliefs of the established Catholic Church.

Martin Luther came forward and communicated the idea of 'Justification by grace, through faith', that is the guilt of our sin is covered over, by the grace of God and through our faith in Jesus.

John Calvin, is probably best known because of what the follower's of Calvin focused on, and that was the idea of predestination, that people are chosen before the beginning of time on who's going to heaven and who's not. Hmm...

This blog is about passionately advocating for a 'Revolution' in today's society, like a Reformation, but a Revolution in my mind (is not a violent overthrowing of a government), but a complete change in the lifestyles of those in our communities. People would follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and other would find their salvation in him, and society as a whole would change in front of our eyes. Love, compassion, passion, spirit-led, integrity, justice-minded, joy, just to name a few would be an expression of this Revolution in our midst.

It's time for this Revolution. Will you pray for it?

The REAL World

Well I'm back in Training College, and am excited that the next six months will offer a further opportunity of growth and development, in becoming more like Christ. I'm not sure I'm overly keen on using the phrase, 'Then after College you will get back into the real world!' What does that mean?! You mean my life now is not real? My encounters now with people is not real? Of course it is, and every relationship bears an opportunity to rub off on someone else the character of Jesus and the grace of God.

Here's some more thoughts and quotes of late:

* The most important thing a congregation relies on is the holiness of its pastor - Colonel Redhead
* There can be unity through diversity - Thanks Kim for that reminder
* Sometimes we can foster an undesirable culture of a group of people, by continuing to label the group by that present culture, rather than speaking up what it could become - My thought, maybe someone can publish it in a book...??
* Maintenance is quite often decline, especially when you consider the rate of growth of population.
* "What the world needs now... is love, sweet love" - Just thought I'd put that in.
* Is 1,000 cadets in a session a mere dream and loss of reality? Or could we trust that beuracratic structures, ability to train and equip cadets, how people are accomodated and cared for could be supported and lead by the Holy Spirit and facilitated by humans? Sure 1,000 cadets is not possible under our current way of facilitating the training of cadets, but that's because the system we have created to train cadets has been developed to cater for 30 cadets in a session. I really don't see the problem with dreaming big and then asking God for wisdom on how to do the rest... It's funny you know, some would call me naive, yet others would say that's just faith.

Back in Melbourne!

Well we're back. Back to 10 degress, and to busy traffic, and prayer meetings and College food!

People ask Jo and I whether we enjoyed Darwin. In a brief answer: YES! Here's a little sample:
* We journeyed with a ex-drug addict and saw him begin to follow Jesus, and start a radical journey of holiness.
* One young lady went back into uniform since being at Darwin
* A COKE machine is being delivered soon for the Corps building!! (Very important point to make...)
* We collected an extra $1400 for Red Shield Appeal from a PUB round I organised!
* After preaching about the BLOOD and FIRE last Sunday to an African congregation, the African Woman said from the front, in an African accent, 'Thank you Peter Brookshaw, you preach like in Africa!!' (I think that was a compliment...??)
* Some of my new mates from Darwin are Youth Leaders, and have committed to continuing on a Youth Bible Study that we begun while in Darwin.
* Jo and I were able to work as 'Community Support' Workers for a few days, and hand out emergency food, and vouchers for those needing assistance.

Jesus is alive. We need the blood and the fire. God knows were pretty useless without it. I give all praise to God for our time in Darwin, and thank everyone for their continued prayers and support for us.

Back to Melbourne. Back to College life. 6 months til Commissioning. 6 months til a new born baby. Still lots to learn. Still much more to experience. It's time for a Revolution.