News

Volume: 1 Issue: 1

June/July 2013

“Give thanks to The Lord, for he is good. His Mercies Endure forever.” Ps 136:1

Our much maligned God is a loving father who desires only the best for his children. God is often blamed for a loved one’s death, some form of disaster, or we see God as punishing us for something that we have done wrong.

However, the truth is that our Loving Father would rather see us prosper and be in good health living in divine favour and safety. The thing that limits how much of this that we experience is the amount to which our soul prospers; how much time and effort we put into developing our relationship with him:

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2)

This message from the disciple who was referred to as “John the beloved” is a discussion about the importance of attending to our relationship with Christ, his body and his word, contained within the books and letters in the bible. It is by spending time with the good shepherd that we, as his sheep, learn to recognise him speaking to us in our hearts and thereby learning his voice, over the voice of the enemy; who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)

This is one of the reasons that learning about who we are ‘In Christ’ is so important. If we don’t understand the work that God has done, by his grace, through his son, then we will live life, In Christ at a much lower level than God desires for us to enjoy. We all (including his GLBTIQ children) have been given access to the Grace of God. But, if we do not access it; if we don’t stand in that grace; we will never experience all the benefits that this “unearned favour” has provided for us, here in this life.

Our lives ‘In Christ’, should be so desirable, that anyone who doesn’t know God is drawn to him. We must not hide our light under a bushel. But, shine as a beacon, on a hilltop, drawing people to the Love that God has for them. As well as the blessings that God has for them to experience right here in this world; not just in “The sweet by and by.”

This Sunday past, 28 July marked our Eighth meeting and the end of the series where we’ve been studying “Who We Are In Christ;” a study on our right-standing, in Christ, given freely by God’s Grace. All of these messages will be available as Podcasts very soon if you have missed any of the teaching.

As a new work it is exciting to see where people come from to attend meetings on a Sunday; with one person travelling all the way from Port Kennedy on Public Transport.

A dear friend of mine Pastor Sam Grebert from New Covenant Church of Sydney has recently returned from the “Immersed” Conference at New Covenant Church of Atlanta with Pastor Randy Morgan. I am receiving wonderful testimonies, almost daily, of the miraculous healings that have occoured as a result of prayer and the feasting on God’s word in the meetings.

I am reminded of a statement by Sister Maria Woodworth-Etter from the revivals in the early 1900s, that the word goes forth and God responds to the measure by which it is received.

The new series of teachings starting Sunday 4 August will be entitled “Our Father” this series will concentrate on the loving relationship between God the Father and us, his children. We will consider how the names of God give us insight into the character of God. As well as the way Jesus taught us How to pray.

We look forward to seeing you very soon and pray that you will be blessed by the teaching and by the ministry. Prayer requests should be sent to prayer@openarmsaustralia.org

We would like to send a big Thank You to all of those people around the world who are praying for Open Arms Fellowship. May you all be blessed for the wonderful support you provide this ministry.

We look forward to hearing more and more good reports of the work that God is doing, especially amongst his GLBTIQ children, in the future.

Love in Christ
Pastor Graham