All posts by Mark Edwards

Experiencing God

“We think if we can disperse adequate information, people will be convinced that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and turn to him. Those methods don’t work any longer. I’m not sure they ever did. People aren’t looking for information about God. They want to experience God, himself. Information leaves them bored, uninterested. Experience, especially the ultimate experience any human being can ever have, leaves them breathless. And that’s exactly what we have to offer.”

Mark Tabb, Mission to Oz

To stay or go

Having an online discussion with a Pastor from an overseas church.
His board have witheld his salary after months of squabbling, despite the church overwhelmingly supporting him and his call.

The board have the constitutional power, and yet he believes he needs to stick it out. Other people think he should give up and start new church somewhere else.
Are there any principles about staying and persevering, or cutting your losses and moving on?

I am a pretty ‘stubborn’ person, and I dont think we should let people do what is wrong, just because they think they can, and have always done. Negative caustic behaviour needs to be addressed.

Speaking personally, if my family started to suffer unduly, I would be gone. They come first. But apart from that, I reckon sticking it out will eventually bring rewards.

Leroy Jetta and the draft

I dont know much about the players about to try their luck in the AFL draft, but I hope Freo pick up Leroy Jetta. From what I read in the Sunday Times today, the kid has the right attitude.

“I would like to stay in Perth if I got drafted by the Dockers, I hate the Eagles”

now there is a young man with his head screwed on right!!!

Johnny Cash, "Hurt" and baggage

Great Sunday this week, with our focus on “baggage”. This week we spent quite bit of time on personal reflection. I am hoping that folk who may never have really thought or done this type of thing before, may start.

Life Coaches, CEO’s, effective leaders all tell us something the Bible has always said, there are times in our lives when we need to stop and meditate. Not empty our minds, but allow the Holy Spirit to fill it. Allow God to deal with us, not the guy next door, not our spouse, but us.

I showed the Johnny Cash video “Hurt”. Talk about powerful! Johnny sings the Nine Inch Nails song with passion and conviction. I dare say he did far better with it than the original writer, Trent, who said, “that song is no longer mine”. The video hows Johnny Cash close to death and reflecting with regret on “his kingdom made of dirt”. He regrets the choices he made, the people he hurt, the life he led, in fact he regrets, and this is the most important thing, the person he is.

God can change that, and give hope to us, not only for our lives but also for who we are, He can change us.