Ready to fight?

Poatina Morning Tea devotion given on Friday

More and more I realise that we are in a fight, there are forces that want destruction, don’t want people to be free.

Founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth said:

“While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight, I’ll fight to the very end!”

The question is are you ready for the battle?

Are the people in your care worth the fight, Are you willing to put yourself on the line?

My favourite story in the Old Testament and that I think that it captures the spirit of Poatina and also the Spirit of Fusion when it is at its best.

As part of the study that I am doing with Arrow, We have been looking at the story of Saul. He had all the natural gifts you would expect in a leader but he kept looking in the wrong direction when it was time to lead. But Jonathan, his son, was a man with a pure heart.

The Philistines all the blacksmiths out of the town, which meant that they Isrealites had no one to make them any amour. The only people with armour were Saul and Jonathan .

So Saul gathered all the wise people of the town, and sat down and talk about the problem, under the pomegranate tree

It is easy to talk about the problem, but it is different to do something about it.

I have lots of heroes in Fusion.

Francis – loves Ghana
I don’t think we have been with him enough.
He has built a community.
He has got people talking together,

Koko- has had a huge impact on South Asia

Another one is Marg Fletcher in Coleambally. She new God would bring a youth worker to Coleambally. She built a flat out the back for the youth worker, They have fond memories of Marty time down there, She loves the town, and is almost 80. She has done Uluru, and has done youth foundations a few years ago too.

In the moment Saul sat and talked, and Jonathan and his mate the armour barer

Come let us go over to the Philistines outpost,
And the Lord will act on our behalf.
They had no great plan, Lets trust God.

The armour bearer replied “ Do all that you have to, I am with you heart and Soul.”

Poatina and Fusion are like that

We work shoulder to shoulder, back to back, put the plan together
If they say, stay there we will know that God is not with us, But if they say come up here, we will teach you a lesson then we know that God will give us the victory.

So they climbed up hands and feet, and the philistines fell before Jonathan and his mate.

It seemed impossible

William Booth was a bit mad, what kind of fight did he think he was fighting,

William Wilberforce dream to abolish slavery seemed impossible,

A common feature of people who have changed the world is that they have an impossible dream.

Founder of the China Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor said:

“Many Christians estimate difficulty in the light of their own resources, and thus they attempt very little and they always fail. All giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence to be with them.”

Look we have a battle ahead of us this week, this year
Every young person that comes through the gate
They are the reason we fight.

For every person in Ghana
It maybe an impossible dream, to see that kids to not go hungry,
And different if Marg – a widow from Coleambally has made a difference, and a youth worker is on their way to work with her.

The battle is not over
Satan wants us to be like Saul
God wants us to be like Jonathan.
We will change the world, not a plan
Because we trust God
This week we need to trust God – to regroup and refocus.
God call us on

What does your pomegranate tree look like?

What are the things that keep you safe?

What is the battle he calls you to?

Who can you find to be your armour bearer?

It is time to know someone who has got your back.

We have Francis, Koko and Margs back
And we are with them heart and Soul.