Arrow Leadership’s Emerging Leaders Program Director Cath Tallack has taken a moment to reflect on “Leadership and Loneliness” in their most recent Arrow Leadership blog.
25/5/2020
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be people of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13
There is much debate at the moment about Teddy Sheean, whether he should receive a VC or not. Yesterday, while working in the new office we are creating at home, I was listening to the local Christian Radio station and they were speaking about a nurse (May Hayman) who had been a member of St John’s Reid Canberra, who went to Papua New Guinea as a missionary and was executed by the Japanese in 1942, while attempting to reach safety.
She is remembered as a person with a vibrant spirit and a personality through which the love, joy and peace of Christ shone through her. This did not mean that she did not have enemies as the local sorcerer wanted all the Christian missionaries destroyed.
Here is a person who displayed true courage in that she was willing to as a woman of God and of peace strive to bring Christ’s light into dark place fully understanding the possible result.
In coming to work today I came across a small booklet by ABM (Anglican Board of Missions) which outlines not only the missionaries martyred during WWII in the Pacific by the Japanese but also the Melanesian Brothers murdered during the troubles of Solomon Islands.
On a finally note it is interesting that one of the first Japanese people to visit Australia after the war was a Japanese Bishop who brought a small cross which he presented to St John’s Reid as an act of repentance and reconciliation with the people of Australia.
Take a moment today to reflect on your concept of courage.
Godspeed
Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest
22/5/2020
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
The challenge in this chapter in Philippians is to rejoice, focus on Christ, allowing Him to work through us and reflect His love, gentleness and goodness to others despite what is happening around us. This then allows God to guard and protect our hearts and minds from the stresses of this fallen world.
There is a prayer in the Book of Hours 1514 Chester Cathedral which is a worthwhile prayer to add into your list of protective prayers. The Book of Hours is a Devotional Book from the Middle Ages which was developed to enable people to undertake daily prayers and worship at home. These Books could be quite ornate and were often personalised.
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
May God be wholly with you today.
Godspeed
Rev. Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest
18/5/2020
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
The verse quoted above from Isaiah is also translated as “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (NLT) or “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (NIV)
There is a consistency in these translations which is of note at this time of fear and anxiety for many – if you want peace of mind – you have to focus your mind steadfastly on Christ our Saviour and trust in Him.
There is a great hymn called “May the mind of Christ my Saviour” written by Kate Wilkinson, which speaks of the peace and triumph of focusing on Christ and absorbing His mind, thoughts and personality. Lyrics below.
Take time to focus you mind steadfastly on Christ today, meditating on the words below and letting God’s perfect peace enfold you.
Godspeed
Steve
Eagles Rest
5/5/2020
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. Psalm 37:39-40
If you ever happen to travel through Europe or the United Kingdom on the top of many of the hills there are forts. These are amazing structures and many of them protected the villagers when raiders or ‘the enemy’ came past over the centuries. Kamp Holland the military base I was at in Afghanistan provided us with protection and refuge, when we went “outside the wire” the story was very different.
When reading this Psalm two thoughts came to my mind – one was of a strong fort on a hill providing protection and shelter, the other was the strong grip of a hand holding you from falling providing reassurance and safety. God’s grip is stronger than Tarzan’s Grip and can hold you safe regardless of what is happening.
We do have to do something here – we have to be willing to walk into His stronghold to be able to take refuge. Sitting outside under the shadow of the wall will not save us from the raiders, we actually have to be willing to walk inside and trust Him to protect us.
So if you feel like things are piling up, take the time to speak with God about it and also look around and see if you are “inside or outside the wire” of God’s stronghold.
Godspeed
Rev Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest Ministries
4/5/2020
If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm, though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23
During the weekend Cath and I were out working at Eagles Rest doing maintenance on some of the buildings, so the place is prepared for when we can host people again to benefit from the beauty of God’s blessings and creation out there.
When walking back down the hill with Leita after she had come up to help with one of the tasks, she was finding the slope and uneven ground difficult to walk on and reached out for my hand to help her. Once I took her hand she was able to walk with confidence down the slope.
God has promised to be there for us during the difficult times, he is there with His hand out however we need to be humble enough to realise that we cannot do it on our own and need His help. Peter found this out when he hopped out of the boat and began to sink in the water. Jesus held out HIs hand to help Peter, Peter had to be willing to realise he was out of his depth and reach up and grab Jesus hand to be helped. (Matthew 14:29-31)
If you feel you are stumbling at this time, look at your hands and check out where they are.
Godspeed
Rev Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest Ministries
30/4/2020
But the Lord can also turn deserts into lakes and scorched land into flowing streams. Psalm 107:35
Who remembers the drought and the bush fires? They seem to have been consumed by a virus. As I sit here in my office listening to the rain I was reminded of how God is actually in control.
Not so long ago, the media first portrayed Australia being totally devastated by drought claiming that this had never happened before [unprecedented] (despite history telling a different story) and we were doomed unless we all stopped breathing. Next came the fires, these too were the worst in history, [unprecedented] so they claimed, as they forgot to read the old newspapers and history books. Now we couldn’t breath because of the smoke.
People began to pray. What happened! God turned up with His fire hose and drowned the fires to which people then complained about floods. However the rivers have been turned into flowing streams and the deserts into lakes and the drought has almost gone and the fires definitely have – looks like an answer to prayer to me.
So where does that leave us with the virus, we need to pray like never before, to pray like the people did during the Spanish flu, to pray like the people did during the great plagues. Then God will listen and answer at just the right time.
So let us pray.
Godspeed
Rev Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest Ministries
29/4/2020
God is just. He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7a
In 2 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to the Christians in the Church at Thessalonians and giving them encouragement as they are under persecution as well as correcting a misunderstanding about when Christ will return. Some of the members of the Church believed it had come and had even stopped working.
Because God is truly just then He will ensure that those who persecute His followers will get their just desserts however God is also full of grace and will forgive those persecutors who repent. To us this is an upside down view of everything.
A good illustration of this is Corrie ten Boom who spent years in a German concentration camp, even watching her sister die in the camp, and then after the war was speaking at a conference about God’s love and forgiveness, when a former guard from the concentration camp came forward and told her how he had been given a new life in Christ and held out his hand in Christian friendship. As first she struggled to respond and then realised that if God had forgiven him how could she refuse. This brought far more joy and peace than holding onto a grudge.
I find I am often quick to ask for God to rain down my view of justice and punishment on people who upset me but then am challenged by the Lord’s Prayer, forgiveness and my role in it.
Check out the Lord’s Prayer particularly the part on forgiveness and our role. True justice is able to flow when we forgive.
Godspeed
Rev Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest Ministries
28/4/2020
So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to HIS dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom (redemption) with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:6-7
In Paul’s time slaves were freed by the payment of a ransom this was a common Greco-Roman practice called ‘redemption’. Here Paul is stating that we are freed from our bondage as slaves to sin by Christ paying the price – the price was the shedding of His blood. If you ever happen to read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, I believe that C.S. Lewis has captured this very well.
Having just commemorated again ANZAC Day, where Australia as a nation pauses to remember the blood sacrifice that was paid by many since the Boxer Rebellion through many wars up to and including today for our current lifestyle, it is interesting that we struggle with the concept of God sacrificing much to win us as friends.
He did not pay the ransom for us to continue to be slaves however to be free men and women able to serve Him. Over April we have been reminded of this blood sacrifice of One for our spiritual freedom (Easter) and then the blood sacrifice of many for our physical freedom (ANZAC) let us not loose sight of God’s Grace, Kindness and Love – the reason He did this for us.
May you have a day in which you experience God’s Grace, Kindness and Love.
Godspeed
Rev Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest Ministries