I was watching a video of how to deal with food cravings while I am trying to lose weight and one sentence really struck a chord with me. “You are at the wheel, you are in control”. Am I really? The song Carrie Underwood – Jesus take the wheel tells of a lady who has taken over the driving and has stopped allowing God to have the control. We all like to know what is going to happen and we all like trying to be sure that our choices are good ones, but the times in the past that I have taken back control of my life from God have not always ended up being good. There has been a lot of bad, mostly bad. I learnt from my experience that is the good part, but ultimately bad because I missed out so much from trusting God and allowing him to direct my path.

When I am in control I am running blind. I cannot see what is around the next corner, the next day but Jesus can. We all need to take stock of our lives and our decisions and check to see who is really at the wheel.

The build up to the 25th December celebrations often involves a myriad of mini celebrations; school parties, small group finales, work breakups, Christmas celebration lunches and dinners everywhere we look!  Holiday planning, present budgeting (or not) and way too much of that “special occasion” food can become “all too much” weeks before Christmas day. For Christians all around the world, the birth of Jesus Christ is such a precious day, purely because we have grasped the enormity of how much we are loved!   The huge sacrifice God made in choosing to visit earth in the flesh in the form of a helpless baby! What a risk He took for humankind; the risk of allowing human parents to raise Him and to protect Him as he grew.  The risk of trusting his followers to proclaim the truth of who He is to all the world!  Jesus modeled to us the risk of trust in relationship the very moment He was conceived. We have got it wrong often, we can struggle to risk trusting God let alone others. Yet He still trusts us to bring His hope, love ,forgiveness and grace to the whole world.  I urge you this busy Christmas season to find time to reflect on how precious you are to your creator. God came to earth for you, He loves you so much, He knows your thoughts, your pain and your past.  Whether you know Him or not… He knows you.  Whether you’re flat out with people, or feeling very alone this Christmas; God has a future for you, He is pure love, He doesn’t focus on your shortcomings, He sees you through perfect eyes. 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”            1Chronicles 16:34

Rev Julie Shannon

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

It all seems pretty clear cut, doesn’t it? Don’t ‘covet’ stuff that you don’t have. But do we really know what coveting even is? Well, its pretty much looking at other people’s stuff: Other people’s possessions, friends, skills, money, lifestyles, jobs, family, past etc and wishing it was yours! But that’s only the half of it. Coveting takes that original want or desire and gears it up a notch. It turns the bend and speeds down many a hill by going from a simple observation of someone else’s ‘whatever’ to quite monstrously hatching an often subconscious plan to get that ‘whatever’ for them self. Whether by stealing it, inheriting by elimination, outdoing – with regards to gaining the sense of accomplishment, pride or social standing associated with a particular something or any other un-kind measure.

Take for example wishing you had friends like somebody else – so badly – that you compromise your values and self worth to be accepted, or you spread rumors and gossip to displace the most popular person in a friendship group. Whatever the ‘wish so badly’ , it becomes a nasty piece of coveting when it sabotages ’the somebody’ else from their ability to retain their own possession, friend, job, dignity etc.

We are all incredibly prone to behaving like this. In one instant our eyes of admiration toward someone or something are yanked viscously by our twisted memories, false impressions and un-true conditioning from role models and the media, the next minute we are turned savages, stripping all good sense and moral and pillaging no matter what is lost or who is hurt along the way. We have become numero uno at all costs – and quite often, we have no idea that is what we have done.

I want us to look a little sideways to  an often so innocently appearing companion “Comparison”. Comparison is the skeleton for coveting. If first we never looked outside our own ‘everythings’ to everyone else’s’ ‘everything else, how would we covet? We wouldn’t. Not going to happen. We might still behave  as nasty, gossiping, thieving human beings, but our motivation is not going to be to have what someone else had or to be better than such and such. There are many evil tracks we tread and they can’t be tackled in just this one typing session! For now all we are going to tackle is this: without comparison, there is no coveting.

So if comparison is one step towards the darkly covet, it must be pretty off color in itself! Comparison has us look outside our own situation and compare it to another’s. It inevitably deduces that something is better than something else – of course this is an important and productive rationale tool in our brain, but more often than not, the tool it turns out to be is a spanner literally screwing with what it ought not-. We take it from assessing the best location to set up camp to assessing whether we are better off than someone else, or they are better off than us.

So comparison in this sense, either leaves us haughty and proud over someone else or lowly and pathetic compared to the more mighty others. Neither particularly great places to be. Paths that each of these resolutions lead to are vast and most take us away from what is good, true and full in that wonderful abundance of life lived in freedom, hope, worth and love that is so amazingly gifted to us; through a most stunningly generous self sacrificing Father in Heaven through the utmost enduring,  love revealing Jesus Christ and the work of an ever gracious and supportive Holy Spirit.

Annie-Maree Shannon-Jansz

I guess you could say I had the foundation of God with me but it was being delivered in a manner that contradicted itself, and because of this and my natural inquisitiveness I questioned regularly the teachings. On occasion the priests would shrug me off and  on other occasions I would be told “it is not your place to question, it is your place to believe” to which I would reply “surely the Lord gave me a brain to think and to analyse the world around me, then why would he give me this without the option to question illogical practices?”. I was expelled from that school 13 months later.. not for questioning the teachings but another matter…

I returned to home, by then my siblings had all grown and my parents felt their obligation to take us to church and Sunday school ceased when we were sent to boarding school, so my spiritual journey was put on hiatus. Until a year later my parents thinking I would excel better at a Marist Brothers School in Cairns (a sect of the Catholic Church). I was back to my “old tricks” as my father used to say, questioning the teachings, questioning the practices and asking why one never followed the other. I was expelled again 13 months later after many un-eventful debates, and I was fobbed of with the “believe in the Lord with your heart the rest would follow”. But it never seemed to do because the logic was not there. My family returned to Melbourne and I attended the local high school (Williamstown). There I met some interesting Catholics who seemed to enjoy the debates and illogical arguments we would have over the teachings. (I believe 2 left the church after several rather strong arguments on my side.) I was eventually expelled from the Catholic Church.

In 1996 my Father passed away. And as I was still on a spiritual journey trying to find the truth or what rang true to me, I started to be swayed by the devil (not knowingly). I would see a shadow on my walls in my room and I would smell my fathers odour (a mix of old spice, tobacco and beer), I jumped online and posed my question to no one in particular to find out what it is/ or how do I find out etc.. I was soon delving into spiritualist activities and used a Ouija board and such. One person I met through discussions online was the person who introduced me to the Ancient and Mystical Order of the Rosea Crucia (Rose Cross), which encourages you to develop your psychic abilities through rituals. While I was delving into this I started up the Australian Ghost Hunters Society, in association with the International Ghost Hunters Society. My fellow co-founder Rowena took it over after 2 years when I delved into more bad stuff. Google my name you will see some of the things I did. I studied what I believed was a scientific way of exploring the spiritual realm, and was awarded a certified ghost hunter and later paranormal investigator.  I performed many lectures and webinars on my investigations, and I even put my own theories out there. The Dean from the University of Metaphysical Arts saw some of my work and offered me a scholarship to study my PhD in Para-psychology and Meta physics, which I loved as it allowed me to explore the many religions of the world and it allowed my spiritual learning to flourish (in a bad way). I completed my studies was awarded my PhD. And encouraged to work for the university in Aus. But I felt greedy, and powerful and wanted more than that. While I studied my PhD I touched on some very dark stuff. (Black Magic), I forged my own ceremonial knife and staff, I performed some very dark magic and I felt powerful…. Then my world started crashing down around me, my relationship with my eldest daughters mother broke down, I had physical marks appearing on my body from unexplainable situations, I had spiritual attachments that would torment my sleep. I was not sure what to do… I was visited by some Muslim friends who worried about my personality changes that occurred in 6 months and asked if they could introduce me to their Imam, as I was down, lost and knew some about Islam I figured why not I cant get worse.. 3 months later I reverted to Islam. (Muslims believe we are all born Muslims). Then was when I knew something was missing… Jesus. He was there in the beginning (although in an obscure way) but now I am taught as a Muslim he is naught but a prophet of God. I was able to trick my mind to accept that for sometime, until my world came crushing around me again. My ex cheated on me, I was starting to question the teachings, and could not find the answers I was looking for. I stayed away from all religions, believed in God and the Angels, but was fuzzy about the rest.

In early April, a friend posted a conversation between Einstein and his professor at college:

“Professor: You are a Christian, aren’t you, son?
Student: Yes, sir.
Professor: So, you believe in GOD?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Professor: Is GOD good?
Student: Sure.
Professor: Is GOD all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?
(Student was silent.)
Professor: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?
Student: Yes.
Professor: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Professor: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From … GOD …
Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Professor: So who created evil?
(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Professor: So, who created them?
(Student had no answer.)
Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?
Student: No, sir.
Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?
Student: No , sir.
Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.
Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Professor: According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Professor: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Professor: Yes.
Student: No, sir. There isn’t.
(The lecture theatre became very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?
Student: You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?
Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Professor: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.
Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class was in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?
(The class broke out into laughter)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

P.S.

I believe you have enjoyed the conversation. And if so, you’ll probably want your friends / colleagues to enjoy the same, won’t you?
Forward this to increase their knowledge … or FAITH.

By the way, that student was EINSTEIN.”

This was my awakening!! I needed Jesus in my life… then a few days later I met Simone online who stated she was a “Christian” oh no not the horrible “C” word it conjured up what we see regularly on TV, people shouting hallelujah and “Praise the Lord”… but for some reason I still made the contact.  I enjoyed asking questions about her faith and although she tried to answer, she did mention she was new to the faith as well. We talked for about a week online and then on Anzac day she mentioned she was coming down to paint the church, and that her Pastor was going to be there and I was more than welcome to come down and help out and ask my questions…

With nothing to do, and well I have to admit I wanted to impress this one so I rocked up at the church. I was introduced to Julie as “this is the guy I was telling you about with the questions”

Julie welcomed me and said she may not have all the answers but she would be more than happy to try. (Inside my head I was thinking, “is that another fob off?”) I asked my first question, it was always my one to test the knowledge of the person I was asking (and honestly I can not remember what it was now) the answer rang true to my heart, I knew I was in the right place, I asked several other questions and again I heard things I have never heard. I was painting away, having a general chitchat when Stephen came in with Peta, Joel, Tiffany and Nathan… Introduced to them by Julie I felt welcome (not usually felt by me in most places). After a while I was all painted out and we all sat around a table having a cuppa and a chat, Stephen said, “I get this image of a person sitting at a table and he is writing down everything your saying and doing”. My heart was melting… this was my core my belief.. I will be held accountable for all my actions in life, this is what I had been taught, what had been drilled into me, he then said “the man just poured blood all over the book, and it was now clean.” In my head I was thinking how could this be? Then Tiffany read a scripture that she thought of and I was cleared of all doubt. I was in the right place.

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What  a great day it is when you look at the church congregation during your regular Sunday Service and realise you need to put out an extra row of seats.  Praise God that we are embracing many new people this year into our Church family.

A Church family consists of  people with varying pasts, opinions and ways of doing things.  The factor that keeps a church in unity as a body of believers is Jesus being glorified, Him exalted, and Him as the source of for all things. Its through His shed blood that we are saved and its through His love that we function well as such a diverse group of people.

Highway of Hope Christian Church (our church name) has attracted some interesting comments over the years! Its not a traditional church name by any means, and our building is not even close to a highway!  However about 5 years ago, when our church was still very young the Lord gave me a vision.

I saw what looked like a little church building, and outside the door was a very long stream of people lined up to come inside.  These people all had something that was an obvious impediment to their life.  I saw people limping, or on crutches, some with broken or missing limbs.  I saw people that were crying, or very sad and confused looking.  I saw shabby clothes, and ashamed faces.  I saw people who had been rejected, that felt lost and that struggled to trust. I saw all of these people coming into the little church building, some stayed for a while and then travelled out through the back door, partly healed but for whatever reason needing to continue on their journey else where.  Others stayed and after a while went back out the front door of the church to meet those lined up to come in.  These ones had experienced the hope and healing of Jesus Christ and they wanted to share their experiences with those still searching.  I saw them meeting people right where they were at and helping them into the church. This vision remains with me, I often think of it when I see our church folk struggling, and when I see new people coming through our doors.  This year in particular I have seen people who came into this church broken, allowing Christ to heal and transform them into vessels that bring true hope.  These are the ones that are now ushering others into the Kingdom of God.  I love our church name, it truly sums up who we are and it reminds those that see it that there is HOPE in any situation.

¹⁸ “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.
He is my Beloved, who pleases me.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
¹⁹ He will not fight or shout
or raise his voice in public.
²⁰ He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
²¹ And his name will be the hope
of all the world.” Matthew 12:18-21 (NLT)