Abiding in the vine

Hi Church

Well, we had another big God weekend at Grace. Thank you to all those who came to the working bee last Saturday. I finished the day exhausted but feeling rewarded, for we were able to paint eaves, facias, walls, freshen up gardens ,fix a fan and reset lighting all with the faithful crew who showed up. Thank you to Ian and Deb and Amanda who put on a feed of delights for morning tea. Everyone who came contributed greatly and we thank you on behalf of the congregation who couldn’t make it.

Before the working bee we enjoyed a scrumptious Men’s Breakfast with John Ives sharing his journey with the Lord from Port Mac to Alice to Elcho Island and beyond. Hearing Johns story I was reminded of the scripture from Jerimiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a hope and a future”.  A truly inspiring story.

The gathering on Sunday morning was beautiful hearts really worshipping the Lord and it was hard to break in with the Word as many just soaked up his magnificent presence. The prophetic call for us was to pursue His presence for there we would find our Joy and in His Joy we would gain strength for our victories.

My word on Sunday was to encourage us in our abiding in the vine by establishing a rule of life or a sacred rhythm that would help us as branches to grow and bear fruit. The first we are looking at is Prayer. The Lord’s prayer we found is the teaching by Jesus to His disciples on how to pray. He said in Luke 11:2 when you pray, say “Father who is in Heaven”. From this prayer we could see that the greatest truth Jesus started with was our relational position in the God head. We start from a place of family, as His children close to Him. You can be assured He hears you!

Now the Lord’s prayer is a liturgy where you pray each day. Someone shared with me after that it was a great help to go through the prayer for them again because they could see this would help them going forward, as the way they prayed previously was now a struggle due to a physical disability. And so, a time going back to basics would be a great assistance. If I have helped one person on our day of gathering, I give thanks, it’s a Good Sunday.

You may have a good rule of life for prayer, if so keep at it but if your struggling turn your frustration to delight by changing it up. Here are my suggestions; remove all electronic distractions, find a good regular spot to sit, start with a coffee or a tea, find the sweet spot of time where you are most awake. Then breath the Lords presence in with a prayer like, “In You I live”,…. breathe…. “In you I delight”….breathe ….. this done and said repeatedly, will slow your mind and your body to be aware of God’s presence.  Then start by Praising God for the day, for your relationship with Him as His child, then read a scripture and reflect on it by asking God what do you want me to see and know, and then yield to His voice and instruction by asking Him to fill you with His Spirit to empower you for the day ahead. I pray this helps you to abide in Him.

A reminder on the 25th of June we will be taking up an offering to help complete the mission training centre in Nepal for International Mission Ministries with Ross Nancarrow. Please set aside funds for this great purpose.

God bless you Church, you are wonderful people serving a wonderful Jesus.

Ps Greg and Amanda

6th June 2023

Greig Whittaker and One Accord

Hi Church

What an amazing weekend we had with visiting Pastor Greig Whittaker from the Salvation Army/Baptist Church of Ryde, representing the unity organisation City to City. Greig spoke at the Combined Worship service on Saturday and in our Sunday morning service. The messages were outstanding and brought people into a revelation of God’s love and what it means to be loved and to go out and to love like God does to us. Please listen to his message again or for the first time if you missed it, you will be blessed. https://www.youtube.com/@GraceChurchPortMacquarie/streams

One the main points that spoke to me was that God is a lover of enemies and He calls us to love like he does. This means there is no one outside His love or who is beyond the reach of His love regardless of how I feel about it or whether I think that’s justified or not or they deserve it or not. Because the truth is, until we were reconciled through Christ, we were all His enemy through our sin filled rebellion against him. We all deserved His punishment. But God’s love prevails, and God’s love is a love for enemies. Think about who ever you feel is against you and begin to release God’s love through you to them and choose to live in that freedom. 

We have a busy month coming up, but it will be rewarding. It started last Saturday, so thank you to all those who responded to the call for unity and came to the City wide Worship night where over $3000 was raised for SRE Mission in Schools. We have a working Bee at Church this Saturday, beginning at 8:30am for gardeners and outside painters. Bring your appropriate gear and some step ladders.

Next will be a leader’s night on the 7th to give some vision feedback. After that we have CityServe at Tacking Point Public School. Then at the end of July we have our wonderful Powerhouse conference with some great guest speakers who will teach, equip and challenge us to reach higher and go further into our maturity in Christ. I cant wait!

I know many people are continuing to be attacked by the enemy of our souls, regarding health. So, let’s rally around our brothers and sisters and care and encourage where we can. Bring a meal, make a visit, send a card are just a few ways we can encourage those who are suffering right now and of course pray without ceasing, bringing their needs to our Father.

God Bless you Church.

Ps Greg and Amanda

30th May 2023

Claim our inheritance

Hi Church,

Another great family service was had over the weekend. It was truly multi generational in its expression and its reception as all ages came forward to stand their ground against the enemy of their inheritance in Christ. Special thanks to all those who participated, the BBQ helpers, the young people making the espresso coffees and being in the worship team, and the children who contributed to the service.

There has been so many people battling this year with incredible sickness, mental challenges, physical challenges, financial challenges, and I felt as the shepherd of this congregation we had to come together and fight for our blessings. The message “who moved my boundary stones” speaks of how through complacency, doubt, prayerlessness, or unbelief the Devil can rob us, or make our inheritance seem small and insignificant compared to everything else in our life.

It’s in these times we need to recognise what we have in Christ and what weapons we have at our disposal to overcome our spiritual enemy. The obvious weapons are prayer, scripture knowledge, and obedience which will do a lot. But with this is anointing oil, fasting from food, sexual abstinence with prayer, prayer with friends, prophecy, worship, communion, testimony, love those who hurt, forgiveness and sabbath rest.

This morning in my reading I learned of a new weapon against the enemy, ATTITUDE of CHRIST. 1 Peter 4:1 says “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”

Jesus wasn’t concerned with pleasing or protecting his flesh but more so pleasing and obeying His Father. HE was willing to Suffer to gain the victory that would ultimately overcome all suffering. This is the difference between my will and Gods will.

You see if the Devil can convince you that your will be done first rather God’s then he wins every time. BUT the attitude of Christ who was willing to suffer first to gain victory is armoury we need to deploy, as it pushes back against the enemy’s deception. The weapons we fight with are not carnal, not flesh and blood, they are spiritual, but they involve us physically active in them not just theorising about them.

So it’s time to start pulling the trigger Church and watch the enemy run in fear and defeat.

Finally, Church I would really encourage you to attend our Combined Churches Worship event this Saturday night 6:30pm at C3 auditorium. It’s our opportunity to be ONE church in Port Macquarie, to fulfil the prayer of Jesus that we would be ONE as the Father and Jesus are ONE. John 17:11 It’s an opportunity to pray together that God would come and heal our land. Please come prepared to be generous to support SRE in our public Schools. See you there!

With you in the battle and the victory Church,

Ps Greg

23rd May 2023

Mother's Day

Hi Church,

Thank you to everyone who helped to make Mother’s Day such an amazing service at Grace Church. It was a special moment to see our Mum’s walk the honour guard of thank you and having bubbles falling around them, as the children applauded their exit from the auditorium. It was such an honouring time recognising that women play a very important part in establishing faith in the lives of children and continuous encouragement for us all to live it. 

Ps Amanda spoke so well a God given message on the value of passing on sincere and authentic faith to the next generation. She reminded us that such faith can’t be given by religious practice it must be owned first in our heart and life to fully pass on to someone else. She also spoke of the need to starting our children young in the practice of apology and forgiveness as this will help them take responsibility for relationships especially as they get older. Parenting is not an easy task and it’s not about perfection it’s about being loving, faithful, consistent, and authentic. We thank God he made mothers to demonstrate His heart to us.   

This coming week is our usual monthly practice of family Sunday with a BBQ, with Youth and Kids participating in the service. Having our children involved makes it clear that we are not striving for perfection, but participation and that Church gathered is for all. I look forward to sharing more in our fruitfulness theme for families as well.

Speaking of gatherings, the One Accord unity event is happening on Saturday the 27th of May, see the details in e-news, this is a great opportunity to gather with our brothers and sisters from all over Port Macquarie and lift the name of Jesus in worship, pray with each other for the City and raise funds to support SRE in public Schools. That day is also a national day for prayer and fasting see https://www.australiaprays.com.au/national-day-of-prayer-and-fasting to help give you focus and bring a heart for unity to our gathering time.

I spoke previously about completing the Missions training centre in Nepal with IMM and Ross Nancarrow. We hope to raise $20,000 or as close as possible. The offering date is 25 June. If you would like to make instalments towards it now, then please deposit your funds to the church account with a reference “Building Nepal” and this will ensure all your funds are included in that gift.

Church, can I encourage you all to please be faithful in prayer one for the other. There are some enormous challenges facing some of our church family members right now. They can’t carry it alone. We need each other. We need to be honest about what we are battling so we can stand with each other in the fight. Let’s not just be a church of individuals who only share a common meeting place, rather let’s be one body, standing together in our victory through the Cross of Christ. Together we can.

Love and blessings.

Ps Greg

16th May 2023

A King's Coronation

Hi Church,

It’s always good when we connect with the community. So thank you to all the mighty volunteers who gave of their time and effort in helping to run the latest Ironman event.  I know many of the runners appreciated the encouragement and clapping along the path. Your connection will allow us to release further funding into the community come Christmas Carol time.

I know many tuned in to the Kings Coronation over the weekend. It was truly a magnificent affair with trumpets and choirs and orchestras and marching bands and 63 Gun salute. But the most powerful moments were in the service. Quiet vows, special prayers, particular bible readings and most importantly anointing with Oil. These moments pointed to someone greater than the King. They were a reminder to an earthly King that he serves under the King of Kings. And that the greatest example was set by the King of Kings for all kings to follow that of love and service.  And that this task was so great the only way to do it would be not in ones own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said I did not come to be served but to serve. He showed this through washing the disciples’ feet, by responding to those in need and ultimately laying down his life for us all. This is the faith that King Charles The Third has been called to defend. Seems somewhat different to the faith that we in the prosperous West have built up as a society over hundreds of years, with vast armies and castles and cathedrals and modern day auditoriums with the very latest in technology and production. No wonder people have left the Church in droves. Somewhere along the line we all started to defend something else other than what Jesus demonstrated to us. I think the challenge for us all is a return to Jesus’ example of love and service.

Another truth from this Kingly Coronation worth keeping is that our Head of State monarchy is the strongest link governmentally we have to God’s rule of a theocracy under him. Where Truth and Justice and values have meaning because of Him and His word. If we remove the Monarchy as our Head of State we plunge headlong into secularism and humanism with mother nature/earth worship and self-worship/science our only guides as very cheap substitutes. Let’s value our links to the past, celebrating true connection to faith, not destroy them for secular modernism sake. It’s the goal of the socialist left to remove all reference to God and His Church as the wisdom of the ages.

So Long Live and God save the King!

On another note, considering our commitment to missions. I encourage us all to be generous to Ross Nancarrow’s work through IMM in Nepal. We need to help complete the ministry training centre before September 2023. Please consider how generous you can be. We will take up a special offering on the 25th of June, hoping to raise at least $20,000. This equates to 40 families providing $500 each. I know times are tough, but God promises that if we step out in faith and sow generously we will reap generously. Lets do this!

God bless you Church

With you Ps Greg and Amanda

9th May 2023

What are God's desired results?

Hi Church,

This week I attended the funeral of a dear friend of Grace Church the Rev David Curtis. David’s life was marked by passion for our Lord, great faithfulness to His wife and family, love for all people and a desire to see healing available to as many as possible in and outside the Church. Thus the healing rooms came to being in a regular shop front. He was also a champion for unity in the City. These are great characteristic to be admired and emulated by us all. It was testament that hundreds of people packed into St Thomas to pay their respects. Thank you to Rev Dan Berris for organising a day of thanksgiving and celebration for David. David’s funeral was a testament that simple things, done well, done consistently have an enduring affect across a lifetime. So ordinary people have extraordinary impact. David saw himself as ordinary but his influence was anything but.   

Last Sunday Ross Nancarrow challenged us with the question, “What are God’s desired results in my life?”. He said when he answered that question in the middle of His life it changed the trajectory for the remainder half of His life and He was able to formulate a statement of purpose, “as a recipient of the extravagant Grace of Jesus I exist to ……” . 

I wonder how you would answer that question. I have answered it so far by being deployed as a pastor in full time ministry. But I was even challenged again to not assume that I have reached the end goal of that but to ask again, God as a recipient of your Grace I exist to …. I’m still listening for that confirmation or re-allocation.  As we have seen with many whom we have loved in recent times our days are short we need to make them count.

These are sobering thoughts, but also exciting given the possibilities in God. So let us be confident of our times, let us not waist a day but press on to take hold of all that Jesus has for us. Phil 3:12.    

On another note. Thank you to all that have signed up to volunteer for Ironman. I’m sorry that the sign up process is a bit difficult and time consuming, it was a surprise to us. If you have trouble please go to the volunteer help tent at town green before Friday to make sure your logged in and allocated a volunteer spot. Please tell them you are with Grace Church so we get our charity payment. Thank you.   

And if you see Shirley Capon on the track on her bike remember to shout out Praise the Lord Shirley be strong! Who knows she just might set a new land speed record!

Ps Kerry will be ministering the word this Sunday at Grace and Ps Amanda will lead the service and Kingdom Kids will still be happening so the church will be gathered and serving for the day, so to God be the glory.  

God bless you Church.

Ps Greg

2nd May 2023

Road to Emmaus

Hi Church

The Road to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday morning is always a good reminder of the temperature of our heart. When circumstances speak to disappointment and sadness often we don’t know where to turn and we can quickly be overcome by doubt. But there are some great truths to be learned on how to have a burning heart for Jesus. Three that were a standout to me from this passage in Luke 24 include 1.  Keep Walking – which means don’t give up and lay down and become dead with inactivity. But keep walking in the ordinary and have an expectation that God will meet you there. 2. Keep Talking – which means keep talking about Jesus and all his goodness and all that he has done for you. Find a friend to talk to it will be encouragement and find anyone who will listen to your Jesus story. It may just save them or bring to them their healing AND keep talking to Jesus through prayer and the reading the Psalms. 3. Keep Opening – which means open the scriptures particularly the Gospels and the prophets who are pointing to Jesus AND keep opening your eyes to the work of God around you and partner with him in the extension of His kingdom and open your ears to what the Spirit is saying. He is talking to you always but are you listening? When you capture the frequency of His heart then your heart will become burning within you. 

This week we have the courageous Ross Nancarrow with us who will be sharing of his recent adventures in Nepal and what is ahead for the ministries of IMM and EDM.  He will also be sharing how we can help complete the work being done for the training centre for Nepali Churches. So I encourage you to come and be a part of Gods mighty plan to the nations.

The following weekend will see our service at Grace as usual but a large contingent also helping with the Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie.  It will be a time of service to our community and to help those who often help us. All funds raised that weekend will help us provide our Carols 2023. Details of the event will arrive in your email from Ironman for those who have volunteered, please check your junk mail next week if nothing has turned up. Our roles will mainly be marshalling at street corners and intersections and keeping the crowds off the track. See details in e-news for how it will happen.

Please continue to pray and press in for more of Gods power and presence amongst us and to go out through us. 

His love with you

Ps Greg and Amanda

27th April 2023

Looking ahead

Hi Church,

Well its good to back from a little break over the Easter and School holiday season. I can’t believe a quarter of the year has come and gone already. I appreciate everyone’s effort during this Easter time in making it a significantly spiritual time of reflecting on the goodness of God and His great love for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus our saviour. 

Over the coming months we plan to explore further our call to fruitfulness and look at, what are the key truths and practices that make for healthy branch and fruit growing. We have looked at the soil that we are planted in and the actions and attitudes required to be good soil. But what about when that branch of fruitfulness starts to grow as John 15 tells us it will. What maintains that growth and prevents the branch from dragging in the dirt? I’m looking forward to discovering that with you Church.

Our next major church event will be our Powerhouse Conference. This was a special time last year and I’m believing the same for this year so please save the date 27th to 30th of July. Other initiatives to be aware of is a Combined Worship night with other churches in Port Macquarie and of course CityServe, doing a garden make over at Tacking Point Public School approximately 24th of June. These combined church events contribute to Church unity and Community impact.

Finally it was very sad to hear the news of Rev David Curtis of St Tomas Church family who was tragically struck down by a hit and run incident on Hastings Road last week.  David passed away from the injuries that were sustained in that accident. Please pray for David’s wife Barbara and their family who are all in shock from this sudden loss. We remember David and give thanks for his life that was dedicated to unity in the body of Christ through intercessory prayer and the establishment of the Healing rooms. David was a loving and gentle man who promoted the Gospel of Peace and Power through the Holy Spirit.  There were many in our Church who were very close to David and our hearts of love are extended to all those who are hurting at his loss. Funeral details will be known soon.

God bless you Church

Ps Greg

18th April 2023