WHAT DO YOU

What do you want? What do you want to do? What do you hope to achieve? What do you long to buy? What do you wish for your community? What do you need to change? What do you aspire to learn? What do you dream of leaving as a legacy for the next generation? What do you desire? Your life, your achievements, your reputation, your acquisitions, will inevitably be shaped by what you desire. I do not at all mean by what you claim you desire, but what you actually desire. Desires that are virtuous will shape you into a truly successful person. Desires that are wicked (‘concupiscence’) will deny you your path to you divinely intended destiny. When it comes to choosing your desires, choose wisely. 

¶ May He grant you your heart’s desire
and fulfil all your plans!
Psalm 20:4

How would you feel if a true prophet of the LORD gave you a Word from God that resembled Psalm 20:4? But even if you received that Word from the LORD it would still start with your true and godly desires. In fact, of my five decade study of people who have managed to achieve the extraordinary, I came to realise that they each had one thing in common: an undaunted and clear desire. Perhaps one of the greatest and most inspirational examples of this is the story of José Hernández. It is the true story of man who came from an unimaginably difficult upbringing and deprivation to reach his ridiculously big dream. After he realised his life-goal, he wrote his story ‘A Million Miles Away‘ (2023) to inspire others who have been told, “That’s ridiculous! … You’re crazy! … You could never do that —you’re uneducated! … That’s impossible! … Don’t be so idealistic!” The José Hernández story highlights what someone might be able to achieve when they have ‘proven’ desire. (‘Proven desire’ is the kind of desire that stands the test of time, leads to great sacrifices, produces dedication, and does whatever it takes.)   

WHAT DO YOU…

You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
Psalm 21:2

What do you want / to do / achieve / buy / to do to improve your community / to change about yourself / to learn / to leave as a legacy for the next generation? Whatever it is, that aspiration (longing) is determined by what you desire. You may not know what you really desire. But others can see it clearly. These people, often your colleagues, friends, or family, can tell what your desires are (despite your own denials about knowing what you really desire). They can see what you actually desire by what you do everyday seen in how you spend your time, talents, and treasure. They listen closely to your constant excuses about why you couldn’t get something done, or why you didn’t have enough time, or why none of the diets you’ve tried have worked, or why you couldn’t make it to church lately even though you claim to love Jesus. But most of all they can tell by what you really desire by what you’re prepared to sacrifice to fulfil it.

But maybe you already know that these people who care about you are right? Perhaps you are even disappointed with how the way you spend your time or use your talents or even how you manage your money – does not reflect what you really really would like to desire? Then, my challenging question to you is: Do you desire to change this?  

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

RESET YOUR DESIRES

Christianity is grounded in a vigorously denied truth: God can change people. This is called conversion. It begins with the acceptance of the truth. No matter what mistakes you have made in the past, GOD can forgive you and transform you into a new creature.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Second Corinthians 5:17

Without experiencing GOD’s transforming gift of grace we would all be left prisoners to the bondage of sin that corrupts desires into concupiscence (“evil desires”). But GOD’s gift of new life opens our eyes to how wretched we were without GOD’s help and why we need to turn to Him for the grace to live with godly desires that will be the doorway for each of us to fulfil our GOD given purpose in life (Prov. 10:24; 11:23).

He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him;
He also hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:19

Resetting desires even begins with a feint desire for GOD to have His way (Matt. 6:33). Sometimes all it takes is a change from “won’t” to: “can’t”. GOD can help your “can’t” – but not your “won’t”. Reset desires shift your perspective from selfish to selfless. It shifts your vision of people as a means to get things done to a vision of getting things done as a means to get closer to people. (This is why being in church each Sunday is actually not about you. It’s about you together with other people getting closer to God and each other.)  

 

RESET DESIRES

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work [NET “desire”] for his good pleasure.
¶ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world.
Philippians 2:13-15

Australia has a rather desperate need for more younger pastors. When I was 18-years of age I went to my pastor, Joseph Bowes, around at his house one weekday morning. I announced the purpose of my visit, “I think God is calling me into ministry.” But I then said to him, “But I guess you have a lot of young men tell you that.” He answered, “No I don’t.” (Two years earlier I had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.) What followed this morning meeting with Pastor Joe, was an encouragement to finish school, get a job and even pursue a career. The desires that God had reset in me led me to connect with Richard Winter who had studied theology in the USA and who encouraged me to begin studying theology by distance with ICI Theological College (now Global University based in Springfield Missouri). Richard Winter connected me into Overseas Christian Fellowship where I helped where I could. Then one Friday night, unbeknown to me, the desire of my life walked in. She had bleached blonde hair and four earrings in each ear.

Just prior to meeting this 19-year-old young lady, I had had a vivid dream about her. When I met her that Friday night and looked at her for the first time at the end of the night I instantly recognised her as the woman of my dreams! Kim awakened in me a desire that I did not know I had. After a life of being a confirmed-bachelor I declared to my sister, Narelle, that “Last night I met the woman I was going to marry!” It’s important for me to tell you that my reset desires had involved a rock-solid commitment to Matthew 6:33 – seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. I had not made seeking first a wife my greatest desire. My commitment to God first led to Him awakening in me a desire to be married to Kim. After 36-years of marriage I can confidently say both Kim and I have the same desire, to – seek first the Kingdom of God.

I only share this story because I want you to understand that when your desires are reset by God with you applying Matthew 6:33, then God often awakens within you subsequent “secondary” desires that may have lain dormant within your soul for a long time. Some of you have dormant desires within you that will be awakened by your surrender to God that will lead you to be a business person. Some of you have dormant secondary desires that will lead to be an elite athlete. For some of you this will lead to being in politics, or education, or as a chef, or as a pastor (1Tim. 3:1), or as an actor, or even as an author. I hope the example of José Hernández inspires you to understand the price that has to be paid to fulfil your true desires. As my time comes to end, and in whatever time I have left, I hope to hear that many of you will pay the price for pursuing your desire to fulfil your divinely appointed destiny. (And remember Second Timothy 3:12 and First Peter 3:10 as you do.)

¶ Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
Romans 10:1

Your Pastor,

Andrew

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THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS CAN'T TALK ABOUT, Part 2 - DEPRESSION

 THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS CAN'T TALK ABOUT, Part 2 - DEPRESSION

All of us feel sad at some point – even people who are usually happy most of the time will have moments of sadness. Usually for most people there will be some understandable cause of it. This might include the loss of a loved one, a certain disappointment, an accident, or sympathy for friend or family member’s struggles. This kind of sadness is temporary. Yet there is a kind of sadness that lingers for weeks or months which leaves a person physically drained, perhaps teary, thinking dark thoughts, feeling desperately lonely and debilitated. This is usually when clinicians consider someone is experiencing ‘depression’ and it is one of those things that Christians find difficult to admit to or even talk about. Perhaps this is because Christians are supposed to be filled with the joy of the Lord, and able to cast all their anxieties onto the Lord, and therefore, presumably, be immune from such depression. But two facts make this untrue. Firstly, even many of the heroes in the Bible seem to have experienced some form of depression at least for a moment; and secondly, we each probably know of a godly follower of Christ who has done everything right yet still experiences recurring seasons of depression. I consider this topic to be one of the main things that Christians can’t talk about and probably should, and to this end I have some wisdom to offer in how we should go about it.

¶ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation  and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember You
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
¶ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:5-6, 11

ABOUT DEPRESSION

Depression is not a ‘one size fits all’. It effects people differently. Some experience a lack of appetite while others experience an abnormal increase in appetite. Some experience continual suicidal thoughts, while many do not. Some are easily brought to tears, while others experience repeated bouts of anger. Some experience a heightened sense of anxiety while others are able to remain functional in their jobs and responsibilities.

Depression often universally results in prolonged negative, dark, unhealthy thoughts; and, social withdrawal. It frequently leaves a person feeling lonely (or alone), as if no-one cares, and a loss of motivation. However, depression can be treated so that its symptoms are dramatically lessened and even eradicated through either through: medication, counselling, prayer, a change of diet, and regular physical exercise, – or a combination of these. I list several therapeutic remedies other than pharmaceuticals because, while I have good reason to believe that there is some benefit that can be attained from prescribed anti-depressant medication (largely due to my own interactions with those who have greatly benefited from taking it, and also my interactions with the many doctors who have have reported to me the health benefits from their patients who have also taken such medication). But I suspect that many people now look exclusively to pharmaceuticals to solve their health problems. I must admit, over the past few years my cynicism about multi-national pharmaceutical companies’ motives for wanting people to think this way has only magnified. This is why I appreciate those medical doctors who take a holistic approach to helping their patients overcome their depression rather than just prescribing a life-long course of antidepressant pharmaceuticals.

 

BIBLICAL HEROES WITH DEPRESSION

One of the most startling examples of a man of God who had been used mightily by God, yet experienced a season of depression was the prophet Elijah. He lived in Northern Israel after the civil war which saw the ten tribes of Israel to the north of Jerusalem separate from the two southern tribes appoint their own king and establish their own Kingdom (to be known as ‘Ephraim’ or ‘Israel’) distinct from the Kingdom in the line of David and Solomon in the South (which became known as ‘Judah’). In First Kings 18 Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Ba’al to a duel to see who was the true GOD. The context involved offering a slain bullock on an altar of wood and see which god or GOD would respond with fire to accept the burnt offering. The 450 prophets of Ba’al, despite their incantations, their enchantments, their spells (1Kings 18:26), and then finally the shedding of their own blood through cutting and lancing (1Kings 18:28), did not answer them or consume the sacrificial offering with fire. Elijah then offered them some unhelpful advice – 

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying,
“Cry aloud, for he is a god.
Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself,
or he is on a journey,
or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
First Kings 18:27

 After these false prophets had finished and conceded that they (and their god, Ba’al) had failed, Elijah then asked for the sacrificed bullock and the altar of wood to be saturated in water twice over. Then Elijah cried out a short but profound prayer –

¶ And at the time of the offering of the oblation,
Elijah the prophet came near and said,
“O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant,
and that I have done all these things at your word.
Answer me, O LORD, answer me,
that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God,
and that you have turned their hearts back.”
First Kings 18:36-37

What happened next would have impressed Steven Spielberg (1Kings 18:38)!

I suspect that there would have been a large component of dehydration, malnutrition, and exhaustion, in what happened next to Elijah. He heard that the wicked queen Jezebel who worshiped Ba’al had ordered that Elijah be executed (1Kings 19:1-2). In fear for his life, Elijah fled to the Southern Kingdom to hide from Jezebel’s assassins (1 Kings 19:3). In the pit of despondency Elijah prayed that he might die (1Kings 19:4). And what we see next is that GOD began to address the cause of Elijah’s depression (not just his symptoms).

1. God gave Elijah sleep (1 Kings 19:5a).
2. God gave Elijah company (an angel, 1 Kings 19:5b).
3. God gave Elijah gave Elijah food and water (via the angel, 1 Kings 19:6).
4. God reestablished Elijah’s mission and gave him something constructive to do which involved him interacting with people are realising that his negative assessment of the situation was wrong (1 Kings 19:7, 15-18).  

Elijah is one example of many others recorded in the pages of Scripture who also experienced depression and who experienced almost exactly the same response from God (examples include Jeremiah, and Paul the Apostle).

 

BIBLICAL INSIGHTS FOR IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH

I am not being naively simplistic about the remedy for depression. (Being simplistic with someone who is battling each of these topics that Christians can’t talk about is a large contributor to why some Christians are reluctant to talk about these issues!) But I see something in the opening chapters of Genesis that I find extremely helpful in managing moods and mental health. Sometimes you have to a little closer at something to realise what you’re actually looking at!

¶ And they heard the sound of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day,
and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8

Firstly, From this verse in the opening chapters of the Bible we see that God had created a paradisiacal environment for mankind to enjoy. (Mankind was not created to live apart from nature (gardens and wildlife). If all you ever see throughout your day is a screen, concrete and steel, your soul is being malnourished which then depletes our mental health!)

Secondly, mankind’s world was one in which they enjoyed a regular interaction with God. (Mankind was not created or designed to live without a vital communion with our Maker. Our prayerful interaction with God is nourishing for our soul.)

Thirdly, it appears that Man and GOD regularly walked together as they spoke with each other. There was a physical manifestation of God which enabled the first man and woman to “hear the sound of the LORD walking in the garden”. The simple act of walking and talking with God as you do is a spiritually replenishing activity. (Mankind was created to take a long daily stroll with God). Even several generations after Adam this was something that Enoch practised (Gen 5:22, 24) and benefited greatly from doing it.

Fourthly, Mankind were given an extensive fruit tree garden from which they could enjoy fresh, unprocessed whole foods. (Mankind was created and designed to eat a diet consisting largely unprocessed whole-foods. Our high-sugar, high complex-saturated fat, high processed diets have a negative impact not just on our physical health, but also on our mental and emotional health.)

Fifthly, Mankind was meant to live with a clear conscience by obedience to God and His Word. (Mankind was created monarchial, that is, royal. We were created in the Sovereign King of the Universe’s image to co-rule this world as His vice-regents. The serpent and its manipulating master, the Evil One, had nothing to offer our original parents except lies. Yet they willingly chose to reject the Truth and accept an outlandish lie. Today, the Evil One and his minions continue to dupe God’s Image bearers with malicious lies. Accepting these lies can only lead to poor mental health. This is why being grounded daily in the truth found in God’s Word is therapeutic for our souls and nourishing for our mental health.)

 

TALKING ABOUT IT

As with each of these topics, I want to encourage you to talk about these things — but I especially want to encourage you (and hopefully model) how to listen to those who do open up about their struggles. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone in those moments is a listening ear and the knowledge that someone cares enough to take the time to seek to understand what they are going through. And, as I have already stated here, and will repeat in Part 3, we should not offer judgment or simplistic answers. It’s my conviction that there are many lonely people in our church and especially outside of our church who long for someone who might offer them these two gifts of a listening ear, and understanding. I hope you can join me in being one of these gift givers.

Pastor at Large,

Andrew

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READ PART 3, DIVORCE

SET FREE TO BE A DOULOS

 

Last Sunday we were treated to an exceptional feast from our young adults. I say “exceptional” because what we heard from “rebellious” Rachel last Sunday was not typical Generation Z (“Gen Z”) thinking. Gen Z’ers are generally unsure whether there are universal objective moral standards. Rachel wasn’t. She was adamant that the GOD who created all people is the Source and Standard for determining what is universally right and wrong (“morality”). Gen Z’ers are though generally sure that sexuality and gender is self-determined, and — in what is a contradiction to this position, but believed to be equally true (this is called “cognitive dissonance”) — even predetermined. But Rachel refuted this, declaring that the Bible which Jesus Christ declared was “Scripture” and declared “could not be broken” (John 10:35) was very clear that GOD created mankind biologically male and female with bodies that corresponded to their sex (“gender”) and that sexuality was designed by GOD to only be expressed within the bond of holy marriage which Jesus said could only be between a man and a woman (Matt. 19:4-6). Gen Z’ers are generally unsure if life has any point or purpose. But Rachel was certain that it did, and was equally certain that it was grounded in following Christ and obeying GOD. No wonder she described herself as rebellious – because she is rebelling against the thinking/assumptions/values of most of her Gen Z contemporaries! Lest anyone think that we don’t care about this generation, I want present several reasons why we do, and why there is a spiritual crisis among most Gen Z’ers that we should all be very, very, concerned about.

 

THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE EFFECTING GEN Z

We are engaged in a spiritual battle. Jesus Christ declared that within this battle for the souls of every human is an evil force that seeks to blind people from the truth, hinder people from hearing the truth, and seeks to distract people from considering the truth. He said, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path” (Matt. 13:19). Jesus described the evil one as a murderer and liar (Jn 8:44) who comes to “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). The evil one hates GOD’s image-bearers — but he especially hates young image-bearers (presumably because they have the most potential to cause him and his wicked schemes the greatest damage!). 

It is not difficult to see that young people (Gen Z) are under spiritual attack. The graphic below from the Australian Institute of Family Counselling was produced in 2017 (before the covid pandemic lockdowns) and had already revealed the alarming trends among Gen Z’ers about their increasingly poor mental health, suicideation, confusion about gender and sexuality, and perhaps, even more alarmingly, the Church’s complete ill-preparedness to confront these issues. This week I had a meeting with one of Launceston’s leading mental health experts who told me that these indicators are now “far worse” than these figures. He also told me that governments have no solutions to this crisis - but, he said, Christians do! Brothers and sisters, Rachel has shared with us that we have a problem — and last Sunday she called it out for what it is: It is fundamentally a spiritual problem, not merely a mental health problem, or an identity problem, or even a moral problem (although it effects each of these areas).  

SLAVERY IS RAMPANT

Jesus described everyone who sins as a “slave to sin” (Jn. 8:34). The New Testament goes further and states that everyone is a “slave” either to sin or to Christ :

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin
have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching
to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin,
have become slaves of righteousness.
Rom. 6:17-18

Slavery to sin is incredibly deceptive. It takes a miracle—a work of the Holy Spirit in a human’s soul—for someone to realise that they have been deceived by the evil one and made an unwitting slave of sin, and to then be set free by the power of GOD.

But now that you have been set free from sin
and have become slaves of God,
the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Rom. 6:22

 

ONLY THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST CAN SET
SOMEONE FREE FROM THEIR SLAVERY

What Rachel shared last Sunday was not criticism about her peers, but because of her compassion and deep burden for her generation, she shared the solution, the proven and only hope that is available to every other member of Gen Z. That is, she shared the gospel! But she also issued a challenge to her church family – to those who have experienced the freedom that only Christ can offer – to get out of our comfort zone and be prepared to invite people, we know or meet, to church. By doing this, Rachel pointed out, we would be demonstrating our love for a confused, deceived, broken, worried and anxious generation – and using our freedom in Christ for what it was intended to be used for.  

 ¶ For you were called to freedom, brothers.
Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another.
Gal. 5:13

When someone is set free from the bondage and deception of sin, their mind is renewed to see and accept the truth (Rom 12:1-3) – and to see it in the Word of GOD, the Scriptures:

¶ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him,
“If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32

So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
John 8:36

Christ has set us free from the power of sin’s slavery (which results in bondage to deception, inconsideration of others, idolatry, etc.). The freed believer’s response to gift of eternal life that has set us free is to then willingly commit his or her life to Christ as a doulos. Doulos is the Greek word translated into English as servant but more appropriately as slave. When the apostle Peter wrote his epistles to the believers in Bithynia (Acts 16:27; 1Peter 1:1), he reminded them that they had been freed from their slavery to sin but were now willing slaves of God:

Live as people who are free,
not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,
but living as servants [Gr. doulos] of God.
First Peter 2:16

 When I was growing up I used to hear the old-timers say, No-one is as free as he who is a slave of Christ! A slave is a person who is at the disposal of their master. A Christian is so grateful to his or her Saviour who has rescued them from their bondage and slavery to sin, that they have become what the Old Testament referred to as a love slave (Exo. 21:5-6). That is, someone, who out of sheer love and devotion to their Master that they were willing to pledge their service to Him for the rest of their life. 

Our Master has charged each of us to carry His out His mission of proclaiming liberty and freedom to all those who are in bondage to the evil one through sin. He authorises us to enter into His rule over the universe by praying in a way that hinders the powers of darkness, so that what happened to the sin-enslaved persecutor of the Church, Saul of Tarsus, can happen to them as well (see Acts 26:16-18). 

Therefore, I appeal to my fellow doulos-slaves of Christ to embrace our status as a doulos of Christ and to join with me in praying for our generation to experience the freedom that can only come from Christ each Sunday by Sunday. And, secondly, to pray for our youth and young adults to have the confidence to boldly declare the freedom that they have found is also available to their friends as well. Will you join me?

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.