The meaning of life in 8 words...

Know Christ. Know Life. No Christ. No life.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Jehovah Jireh - The All Supplying God...provider to Jughli Moorghi (chicken) among other things...




Hi all...
I wrote this the other nite (26/06/08) after the last meeting in Sabeto Settlement...but no internet access until now...

I am right now sitting on my hotel bed – everyone is over here right now having a bite and sharing their experience of tonight-the accumulation of the last 3 nites...

I am stuck with describing what God has done...I have so much to write, but my mind is awe-struck...my emotions are numb in wonder of God...I am just hearing Peter say what I am thinking... “...the smile on their face, oh!”
And now the tears are filling my eyes again and running down my face...
It was the last nite tonite. And the last nite is always the toughest for me – it like the end of experiencing the greatness of God with these people and their community for this time period in such a concentrated way...and then there are goodbyes to be said – which aren’t easy to do. You just meet these wonderful Fijian people, and get to know them and work with them in disseminating the gospel to their community. And now it’s time to go. Saying bye to the Americans was tough-great guys & girls who are really passionate about God... keeping emotionally stable and dry eyes was tough...but now it is time for all of us to move again......one thing for sure is it is great being part of the body of Christ...truly the blood of Jesus really makes you all part of one big happy family...and if we never meet again in this temporal life...at least we will meet again in heaven...

But this time it has been different for me. I am so privileged to have grown up in a family that has experienced sharing the gospel to so many people in Australia and around the world. And seeing their smiles and hope etc fill their faces is priceless...But I finally really understand what the scripture means where Jesus said He was moved with compassion for those around Him...Compassion to take action. Not sympathy. But compassion. Compassion is really profound. It drives you to tell someone about the life that you have been given out of your personal conviction of the power in this God-given life. The life that is only found from the source of Life. Jesus Christ.

And tonite was no different...driving back to this place from Sabeto the team just prayed out to say thanks to God...and I couldn’t hold it back...tears just spilled out everywhere-not out of sadness for leaving these wonderful people and this beautiful community – but in absolute awe of God...His absolute ABSOLUTENESS. His absolute GREATNESS. His absolute MAGNIFICENCE. His absolute UNRIVALDENESS. No one – but no one can compare to Jesus and the change that He does to people’s lives. Taking away a sickness is just one aspect. The hope and freedom that is evident in their faces is amazing. Inspiring. Humbling. Truly awe inspiring. There is NO ONE like our God. No One.
I think of what dad preached the other nite – the challenge he put out...Can anyone find another person who is comparable to our God? Has there been any guru, any teacher, any prophet, and religious leader that has done what Jesus did and die the most blood leaking way possible but still rise from the dead? Can anyone save souls like Jesus Christ? No one – but no one is like our God. He is a class of His own. Above all the others.

I am crying typing this right now...

God is just so good...yes this is a song line...yes it is a famous line used among Christians...but honestly God is so good. This really what life is all about. The giver of life, Jesus Christ, saved our souls. He gave us life. And to be able to impart this life into others is just priceless...

Money cannot determine its value. Words escape me.

I will just give you a couple of highlights about tonite so you can understand where I am coming from...
There was a Fijian lady who came up for prayer. She had a boil on the left side of her lower back region. This started 1 month ago after she was cursed by someone in her village. She had backslided from God, but tonite rededicated her life to Jesus. Without knowing her, speaking to her or even seeing her down the line, dad stopped praying from people on the other end of the line as he had a word of knowledge – Jesus right now wanted to heal someone with an infirmity on the lower left region of their back...the details of the infirmity weren’t that clear, but the position of this infirmity was-the exact region though was really precise. This lady turned around to me with tears just spilling down her face...I told dad and he started praying for her. She wept as she forgave the person(s) who cursed her. But as he started to pray for her, she fell down. This witchcraft curse demon started to manifest and she started squirming and trying to bring up something...which she spat out into a container...When she got up from the floor, her face was changed. The smile coming through the tear stained face was priceless. No pain. NO PAIN!!! She had been in pain. This boil was causing her major discomfort. And now NO PAIN! I spoke to her and she said when she fell down she felt like there was a snake writhing within her working its way up her body to her throat – which is why she was trying to bring up. And Jesus set her free. The doctors couldn’t help her. There wasn’t anything they knew to do for this boil. Which makes sense as the Bible clearly says that we cant wrestle against spiritual behaviours with flesh and blood and our intellect. Have to knock the powers of darkness down with the greater power of the Kingdom of God.

The reality of the deeper effects of these sort of physical ailments only really hit me today. Yes it is great that diseases are cast out of people’s lives and their bodies restored – but deeper than that is the emotional hope that comes with it. The emotional liberation. No amount of counselling can do what Jesus does. Nothing compares to the name of Jesus. Human intellect just doesn’t match up with God’s way of doing things. Nothing compares to the authority in the name of Jesus. He gets rid of sin, sickness and disease – and imparts hope, peace, joy, happiness into the person instead. He imparts life. His life. And gives them the reason for living.

There was a 14 y/o Fijian boy whose eyesight was deteriorating very badly. It had already deteriorated badly. He was very short sighted. Objects that were 3+ metres away he could not distinguish let alone words! Dad prayed for him. He fell down. When He got up there was some improvement in his eyesight as he could read a small sign on a building about 4 metres away! But no further. Dad prayed for him again. He fell and again when he got up his eyesight was still the same. Dad prayed for him again but this time in obedience to the word of God that he was told to do the 1st time he prayed for this boy– like Jesus mixed spit and sand together and put on the blind person’s eyes in the bible, dad spat onto his hands and rubbed his saliva onto the boy’s eyes. Again he went down. But this time when he got up, he could see great distances. He could read the sign from about 8 metres away. He could see and count a group of men standing in the dark about conservatively 9 metres away. He could see their hand gestures. Totally healed. But the smile. Oh so priceless. His mother was delivered the other day from bodily issues she had. She doesn’t speak fluent English – actually it is very very broken – and just stood to one side saying this one statement, “Thank You very much God! Thank You very much God!”I spoke to her. Her son has had this eye problem for quite a while, and it is progressively getting worse and worse. His schoolwork is negatively affected. He can’t keep up with the other kids in his class. But they can’t afford medical help. But Jesus was able to meet their need.

There was another boy about 15 years old who had a major hearing impairment problem. His hearing was so bad that he could not hear his teacher in class and had fallen behind his school work badly. You just about had to talk really really loud and be very close to him for him to hear what was being said. However Jesus – the ALL SUFFICIENT one – able to meet our every need – met his. Hearing completely restored. Laurie tested it out. Laurie stood about 3 meters away and whispered some statements. I was sitting on the same bench as this boy, and honestly I had to really listen carefully for what Laurie was saying. This boy could so clearly hear everything that Laurie said and repeated it word for word. No lip reading involved here because Laurie didn’t move his lips much and also because English is not this boys first language. But Jesus restored his hearing completely. That was so amazing. But more than that even was his smile. It told more than a thousand words. Education is so important over here. It is their passage out to a better life. And the realisation that he could hear and what the repercussions of this were overwhelming. All he could do was smile. Smile. Smile. Not just his mouth – but his eyes. Filled with hope. Exuberant joy. Amazement at God’s love for him.

Another one is that there was a bus dropping people in from a nearby town, Lautoka and picking them up at 10pm. On the dot – if you were late, you would miss the bus. But on the last nite, the driver came at 10pm and decided he wanted to see what was happening. The man didn’t even hear the preaching. But when he saw people being set from demons, some wild manifestations, healings etc – he decided to join the line too...to accept Jesus as His Lord and Saviour. The bus only ended up leaving after 11pm because they were waiting for the driver who wouldn’t leave until he had given his life to Jesus and had received Jesus Christ as his Saviour!!!

There was a Hindu woman we witnessed to the previous day in her home when we were doing house visits. She was very staunch – vegetarian, etc – the whole works. But what we said about Jesus inspired something in her and her daughter. They came that night and the mum; dad and daughter surrendered their lives to Jesus. The mum also had some sort of skin disorder on her face – it looked almost like the top layers of her skin had burned off. But within 2 days, her skin is healing and clearing up. Dan spoke to her. She said, “All I want to do is praise Jesus for being so good to me. I just want to thank Him everyday all the time for the rest of my life.”

There was another lady. She was as Hindu – dot, ashes the whole thing. But she couldn’t sleep. Evil spirits would attack her in her sleep with evil dreams etc. But she gave heart to Jesus on day 1. The next day she came up again in the line – this time not for prayer but rather to just say Jesus “thank you!” For the 1st time in a very long time, she was actually able to sleep the whole night without fear and no attacks of these evil dreams and evil spirits.
I hope you can feel what I am feeling...Jesus is soooo good. There is nothing like seeing hope, joy and peace being imparted into a person’s life. It shines out of their eyes. Their smile. They may not have everything in the world materially – but they have something more priceless than all the gold in the world – PEACE. HOPE. That no matter what life may through at them. No matter what they may go through. Jesus is with them. They have Jesus. And He is someone they don’t take for granted. He is so precious to them – because of what He has done for them.

Whoa – Jesus is way too good for me to comprehend.

It truly is all because of Jesus we are here. Because of his blessings – because of his bountiful blessings.
Just like this mother, I just want to say “Thank you very much God! Thank you very much Jesus! Thank you so very very very much!” There is so much more I could write about.

What is so amazing is how spot on God answers prayers. We prayed and asked God to send in principalities. To send in demonic strongholds. To save people of influence. We took authority over all demons of witchcraft and curses associated with them. We prayed for Jesus to restore sight to the blind. To heal the deaf. To recreate. To do what only He can do. To change lives. God’s style. God’s way. And He did. He did and soooooo much more.
There was a youth pastor from Lautoka. Ps. Eddy. He fell off a horse a few weeks ago and was in severe pain on the left side of his body. He was the last person to come for prayer. From about 9.30pm – 12am people were being prayed for and receiving Jesus. But he was controlling the sound system and also leading the music. But he came for prayer at about 11.55pm. This demon of infirmity started manifesting and he started staggering around, in excruciating pain. Suddenly his legs gave way and as dad cast this demon out of him, the demons of infirmity and pain left so violently that dad actually felt some unseen force come out of Ps. Eddy’s back and hit really hard into his own hand! Eddy got up from the floor – no pain. NO PAIN. Totally healed.

On Tuesday we went walking the streets, praying, talking to people on the way. It was a really great experience. And I think it was a great time of bonding for all of us. We split into 2 groups and headed into opposite directions down the main road. There was Luke, Peter, Cliantha, Liz, Kelly and I in our group. It was full on prayer, praise and hard core spiritual warfare proclaiming the supremacy of Christ and telling the devil who we are in Christ – more than conquerors with authority over him and his low life demons – and reminding him that he is defeated. We prayed in turns for nearly 2 hours straight, loudly and unashamed about our God. On the way back we stopped at the Sabeto Moslem Primary School and spoke to the kids through the fence. They were so eager to tell us about the “Sleeping Giant Mountain” – complete with directions, which taxi to catch and what instructions to tell the driver. Totally precious. So cute. So helpful. Some of the kids weren’t moslem. But heaps were. We told them about Jesus and the rally and invited them to come with their parents. One moslem boy was totally amazed with mum’s healing and said he wanted to come. His other moslem friends told him that he couldn’t do that – he couldn’t go to that place with those people. But this boy was adamant – he simply wanted to learn about how a brain tumour could simply disappear. How could this man called Jesus do something like that? We took pictures with them. They were so stoked. The next day I went back to by “Monkey Balls” red peaches from the school – the kids were so happy that this bunch of foreigners came back to their school.

But what was truly amazing was one of these Moslem kids – a 7 year old – walked to the meeting all by himself. And was one of the last people to walk home – well after 10.30pm all by himself. He was brought up as a Methodist. But was so amazed to see people getting healed. And the words dad had preached that he now wanted to become a preacher. He was going to tell his parents what he heard. They came the following nite with him. There was another bunch of kids from older grades who were also from the Moslem school who came to the meeting.

So much has happened. Too much to write down. But the most important thing is roughly 50 people, including Hindu’s, Moslems and Sikhs, and native Fijians gave their lives to Jesus. And to see the transformation clearly visible in the never ending smiles that are plastered all over their faces is worth it all. Worth the mozzies. Worth the midgies and sandlies. Worth the humidity. Worth any discomfort. Because we know that with Jesus in our boat, there is nothing to worry about. He is so great. So awesome.

But really I just want to say Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord God so much for what you have done. Honestly this is what life is all about. THIS is what life is all about. Jesus imparted LIFE into our life. And there is nothing more worthwhile than imparting His life into the life of these people. Life truly is worth living because of Jesus. There is nothing in this life that can take the place of Jesus.

Thanks for the prayers...God is answering them in ways we cannot comprehend...

I don’t want to come home...

:)anneline

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Sabeto - the meaning of COMPASSION fully understood finally...

Sorry this post is a bit late - the internet has been down at the hotel we're at here in Nadi...but all good, it's up now...

Well what can I say? Words cannot do justice to how I feel & the emotions within me...
You know the Bible says that Jesus was moved with Compassion with what He saw with the people around Him...their hurts...their physical pains...their emotional pains...their sufferings...their needs in every form of life...Jesus was moved with COMPASSION...Not sympathy - but heartfelt compassion to take action...to give His life up for theirs and ours...

Being here is such a humbling experience - no doubt from the pics you can see these people are very needy - in every aspect of life - but with welcoming hearts that are so big and warm - you can't help but go away more blessed from just being with them and sharing about the greatest gift to the world - Jesus Christ.

We have been in Sabeto in the rally since Monday nite...so two days down...and already 17 people have accepted their need for a Saviour which can only be found in Jesus Christ. They are mainly Hindu's in this population, but also Moslems - and both Hindu's and a Moslem family have given their lives to Christ. To behold this is truly remarkable. Just last nite there were a whole line of Hindu's & a Sikh family (12 last nite) standing in a row - with their hands lifted to God in surrender praying with major sincerity and asking Jesus into their lives. It simply brought tears into my eyes as I watched the tears flow down their faces as the did it.

Healings and deliverances also are happening...there are so many it will take me too long to write right now...and i have to run to the prayer meeting in 3 mins...but just a few really notable ones that are stuck in my mind right now...
There was a Fijian girl (15y/o) who has had scabies for the last 5 years...she said it was very painful - and this rash was covering her whole body...everywhere! The doctors gave her creams and medication to take - but nothing has helped...the disease has just been spreading...but on monday she came up for prayer because she believed that the same Spirit who rose Jesus from the dead was present and able to heal her...and the Holy Spirit sure did!!!
The rash instantly started to disappear - she and her friends sat and watched as the rash disappeared from her arms with normal smooth skin in its place. Cliantha saw her last nite -no rashes, just a very small patch on her wrist that was going away...Praise God!

The Moslem man was interesting - He came up so fast even before the alter call was finished...He just wanted Jesus - him, his wife and son. He had a stroke for 1mth - the right side of his body was semi-paralysed with severe pains in his legs - this hindered him from walking and moving...but healing has miraculously started in his life - he is able to walk. Able to lift up his leg. He came last nite for prayer again for the pain to completely be gone. I spoke to him later and his whole family were so happy. His wife is fully stoked that her husband was able to squat down completely. He was so happy he kept squatting up and down quite a few time throughout the day at home because life was restored to his right side. But more importantly he told me that although the pain is still there a bit, he knows Jesus will heal him. But he just has to come to the rally because the words about Jesus that he has been learning about these last two nites "have been the nicest words he has ever heard in his whole life. Jesus is a very very very nice man". God is soooo incredible good.

we just can't comprehend His greatness. His goodness. His love. His mercy. Truly He is the Unrivaled God...and it is such a priviledge to be out here shouting His fame...
Please keep praying -the devil is definitely not a very happy chappy! No seriously -we are majorly under attack on every side...please keep praying for us...to keep focused all the time...weapons are being formed against us but in the name of Jesus they will not be victorious...
Thanks so much for the prayers - keep them going - you're strengthening us with your prayers.

:)anneline & cliantha

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Sabeto village mission day 1






















Hi again everyone...


Well today has been just fantastic. Very different from what we are used to back home. But totally awesome in every way possible...very humid...very sticky...but so worthwhile :).


We did village visits to the Sabeto community. We were joined with other Christians from Lautoka and also a group of US uni students here with YWAM. Today entailed a LOT of walking - in the mud, through some pretty rough, stoney patches, long grass to deliver food hampers to households in the community. The aim is to deliver these packs to all 1000 households, and today we delivered over 100 packs. Apart from just delivering food, the gospel message, the most important delivery, was ''deposited" into each household - the good news of The Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ. It was a really humbling feeling being "posties" delivering this good news message. The majority of people I met were hindus - but nevertheless very receptive to hearing the gospel and accepting prayer in their homes. People are definitely eager to hear about Jesus and are very interested in coming to the rally being held next Monday through Thursday in this place. So please keep praying for Sabeto - that the lives we have met today will come to this great opportunity to experience Jesus in His might and power. In one group two Hindu women spontaneously gave their hearts to the Lord. Another women completely bound up with demons began to manifest when prayed for and had some release from this oppression.


We are also know seeing fruit of last years mission as the community is turning to Christ - the local church plant has had 5 acres given to them to house the site of a future church building in this area. The location is prime - right next to the community store. The rally's will be held on this land.


We were expecting to have a rally tonight, but plans changed - which is okay because all things are in God's plan...and tomorrow is going to be a really full on day. Starting at 10am in the Lautoka COC followed by a 3pm service. Paul Stanfield will be involved in a pastor & leaders training - so yeah it is full on!!! Please pray for all of these meetings, for strength, for courage, for the uncompromised Word of God to be preached. For the hearts of those who hear to be open and receptive like the fertile ground Jesus spoke of in the parable Mark 4:1-33.

We have taken photos and video clips - but I have posted up only a couple that really hightlight and capture the lovely people that we ministered today in this community. This house-2-house mission drop will be happen next Monday - Thursday as well.

Thanks for the prayers. Keep it up. Our God hears. Our God lives. Our God answers. Because He alone can. He is the Unrivaled God.

:)anneline

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Fiji 08 - The expectation is growing...

Hello again...

Well the countdown to Fiji 08 has started. Less than a week to go. We leave for Fiji June 20 for 17 days of "hard yakka" aiding in further concreting the Kingdom of God in Fiji. There is such a great expectation of what God is going to do - simply be God and do what He does best...change, create, recreate, renew, heal and transform the lives of humanity. Probably the most famous verse in the Bible John 3:16 summarises God's mandate and the work that Jesus Christ does in people's lives..."This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him (Jesus Christ), anyone can have a whole and lasting life." Verse 17 goes further to explain this that "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. And anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted" (The Message Bible). Another translation reads that "God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him" (New Living Translation). No condemnation. Only unfathomable love. Abounding grace. Grace that has the ability to remove sin. Grace that has the ability to provide direction, strength and courage to withstand the temptations of the devil. Grace that can and does change lives.

It is our desire that we simply "get out of the way" and let God be God and do what He does best. The way He wants to. How He wants. His style. In complete control of everything and everyone. In ways that we cannot comprehend with our finite mind...which makes sense as He is the infinite God. The creator of the heavens and earth and everything in it. No one like Him. No one comparable. The Unrivaled God.

First stop in Fiji will be Nadi, where we will be staying but outreaching in Sabeto village and the surrounding region. Working extensively in the Indian communities...to make His fame renown in this place...reaching out with the good news message of the reason for living - Jesus Christ. It says in Isaiah 40:31 that "those who wait (i.e. hope, put their trust) on the Lord shall be renewed with strength. This strength will enable them to rise over life's circumstances like they are carried on the wings of eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not lag behind." A hope only fulfilled in Jesus Christ. A strength only sourced from the giver of strength - Jesus Christ (Philipians 4:13)

From there its onto the Coral Coast/Navoua region...to do the same thing. To shout His fame. To make Him renown. To raise the banner of Jesus Christ. To declare the Name above all Names. To share who we have been blessed with. How we have been blessed. How our lives have been changed and renewed by the strong hand of Almighty God. The Unrivaled God.

Oh yeah - there is excitement in the air. It is almost tangible. It is so reassuring to know that when we decrease, He increases (John 3:30). Which is what is it all about. Lifting Him up in the lives of others. So that He is lifted up overall.

Empowering a generation to change a generation. Strengthening the weak hands and feeble knees (Isaiah 35:3) - with the assurance that they are loved, cherished, special and excepted by Christ. And with confidence that with Christ, they can make a difference in their family. Their workplace. Their school. The local church. Their community. Their world.

Thanks for the prayers...'kneeology' is the greatest support of all. Keep the prayers flowing. Catch up next time from Fiji.

Ciao.

Anneline :)

Friday, June 13, 2008

There is only One star - The Bright Morning Star...


Hi!


Welcome to the The Unrivaled God - Jesus Christ Blogspot. It is my aim to keep you posted on the great things that God is doing in the various places He has opened the opportunity for us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ - the good news of Salvation...To keep the spotlight firmly focused and shining on Him.We are simply "door-holders" - holding the door wide open for people to enter the presence of Almighty God...To meet with Him - the Creator of the Universe, who breathed stars (including our sun) into existance...By His spoken word are all things formed...And yet this Great, Almighty, All-Powerful, Infinite God hand-picked the way for us to be able to have a relationship with Him...He knows everything and everyone...And through the way He created and sent to this dying world, Jesus Christ, we are able to know God Almighty, THE unrivaled God, closely.


There is nothing more worthwhile in this life doing than imparting HOPE into the Hopeless... FAITH into the Weak... PEACE into the Restless... JOY into the Downtrodden...Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of all of these things...He alone is the ANSWER for life's circumstances. If He could speak light - the source of our light-the mighty, fierce, intense, huge Sun - into existence, "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or even think" (Ephesians 3:20). He is THE Unrivaled God.


We do not take any acknowledgement for the transformations in the lives of people. There is only one LIFE-CHANGER in this - Jesus Christ...There is only one "star" in this - The Bright Morning Star - Jesus Christ (Rev 22:16).We live to hold up the signage pointing directions to Jesus Christ. To make His fame renown in the lives of individuals...and in the community they live in... Isaiah 26:8 summarises this (New Living Translation) "Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify Your name." This is our aim. Our goal. The soul reason for our existance. To obey God's word. To share the Gospel. To seek truth. To love righteousness. To embrace justice. To shout His fame. To bring glory to His name. The Name above all Names. Jesus Christ. I like how the Message Bible translation reads of the same verse: "We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with Your decisions.Who You are and what You've done are all we'll ever want."


Together, with other Christians around the world, striving for the common goal of sharing the Gospel message, the good news of the difference Jesus has made in our lives, the Body of Christ united has the ability to make a difference...the difference Jesus made...the difference only Jesus can make...Let this inspire and encourage you in the Greatness, Faithfulness and Awesomeness of Almighty God...and the life changing truth found in the source of Truth - Jesus Christ.


Jesus Christ. THE Saviour of the World. THE Champion of our Souls. THE Ransom price paid for the Lives of Humanity. THE Unrivaled God.


Please keep praying...God hears us when we call...He never sleeps (Ps 121:4)...And He doesn't lack hearing (Isaiah 59:1)...


God Bless.


Anneline :)