Amazing Grace: Let us never fail to fight for social injustic, for those who cannot fight for themselves...

Those who have not watched the movie Amazing Grace should go borrow the DVD...

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." Those familiar words open perhaps the most famous and beloved hymn of all time. There's no doubt that this powerful hymn has helped save countless souls. But few of us are aware of the pivotal role it played in saving countless lives from the cruel bonds of slavery. The movie, Amazing Grace, is a powerfully inspiring account of the life of English parliamentarian and abolitionist William Wilberforce and his lifelong struggle to end the British slave trade-a mission inspired and urged on by John Newton, a redeemed "wretch," and the amazing hymn he wrote.

Great Britain banned the slave trade a generation before America did, and then abolished slavery altogether. More than anyone else, William Wilberforce was the driving force behind this legislation. The son of a wealthy merchant, the naturally kind-hearted "Wilber" gravitated towards social causes, inviting beggars in for lunch and advocating kindness to animals. At 21 he was elected to the House of Commons, along with school friend William Pitt, who was destined to become Britain's youngest Prime Minister. Ioan Gruffudd and Benedict Cumberbatch shine as Wilberforce and Pitt, two political firebrands old enough to know what they want to accomplish, but young enough to still believe they can change the world. Young Wilber passionately believes that the odious institution of slavery must be abolished.

Spurred on by the Christian conviction that God "created all men as equals," Wilber made it his life's work to convince Parliament to abolish slavery. The film begins in 1797, at which time 11 million black men, women and children had been snatched from their homes in Africa and the West Indies and forced into slave labor, mostly on the sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean. The sea passage was particularly inhumane. Slaves were chained into coffin-sized wooden compartments with little food or water and no sanitation. Half of those captured died before reaching shore and, we are told, the chains were used to keep them from ending their suffering by jumping overboard.

Directed by seasoned pro Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter), Amazing Grace is anything but a stuffy period piece. He coaxes dynamic performance from his two leads—particularly Gruffudd as the driven, but fragile Wilberforce—and a veteran British cast that includes Michael Gambon, Toby Jones and the towering Albert Finney as John Newton the ex-slave ship captain, who repented, turned to the ministry and wrote, among many other hymns, "Amazing Grace." The action shuttles adroitly between Wilber's early struggles against an intransigent Parliament and his later success in ending slave trafficking and slavery itself with decisive laws in 1807 and finally 1833, just days before his death.

Amazing Grace is a portrait of faith and persistence of the highest order. It boldly tackles the debate between principle and practicality. Pitt, as Prime Minister, must consider political survival, balancing the complex economic impact of abolition and the art of "the possible." Wilberforce's single-minded devotion to the abolitionist cause at the exclusion of almost everything else—including his own health—caused him to be described by friends as "all spirit and no body."

Perhaps most stirring and enlightening is the film's depiction of the relationship between Wilberforce and John Newton, his childhood friend and adult mentor. Only the saving, redeeming grace of God sustains Newton who admits to being "haunted by 20,000 ghosts" from his slaver days. Though forgiven, he remains so overwhelmed by the depth of his past sin that he chooses to live out the remainder of his days as a simple pastor in service to the church. When Wilber comes to him for guidance following his own religious reawakening, Newton urges him not to seek spiritual solitude, but to put his convictions into action and work to abolish the inhumanity of slavery. Their scenes together are electric and grapple with the dynamic between faith and action, social responsibility and monk-like piety. As Newton wisely reminds him, Christianity "leads to action, as well as reflection."

2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the passing of Wilberforce's most critical anti-slavery legislation, and I could give you 200 reasons to see this inspiring film. Instead I'll give you just one: You will leave the theatre feeling renewed. Amazing Grace will recharge you with a positive message about the power of faith, the belief that good people can change a nation, the conviction that God's grace is indeed so amazing that anyone can be saved, and—just as the song says—the assurance that grace will, in the end, "lead us home." Only one question remains: 200 years later, slavery still persists in many parts of the world, including Cambodia, India and Peru. Will grace inspire a new generation of "Wilberforces" to take a stand and end slavery once and for all? That would indeed be the result of amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace MTV by Chris Tomlin

I saw a dead man walking...

Melbourne just had their Youth Alive Rally at the Rod Laver Arena this evening and I was kindly invited by my classmate to attend it with some of her friends. The beginning parts were too noisy for my liking. It sounded like KISS or Metallica was in the house and I couldn’t hear a word the band was singing or actually more like screaming. I took out my MP3 player in an attempt that my Hillsongs will block out the music but even when my earphones on at max volume, it still failed miserably. I still couldn’t hear Darlene or JD at all. It was THAT loud… anyways, that’s not what this blog entry is about…

There were many singing performances, many dance items, a few sermons but what really blew my mind away was this Tuesday I was having brunch with my Planetshakers caregroup leader Juni, we were talking about our Youth Pastor Michael Guglielmucci (one of the most sought after Youth Pastor in Australia) how he contracted bone cancer or some sort, how he became so sick suddenly, how he broke about 10 of his bones just attempting to speak at this year’s Planetshakers Conference in the early part of 2007. How he’s just been keeping such a low profile and how sad it is for us to see and illness strike such a wonderful man of God down.

Guess what…?

This evening he walked up unto the stage well and healthy, saying that he had a dream, he and a vision that he went to a particular Pastor’s service (so sorry I can’t remember the name of the Pastor he mentioned) and got healed. He woke up from the dream and told himself, what has he got to lose but to go attend that one service and see what God will do? What’s the worst that can happen? Break some more bones? Pastor Michael Guglielmucci was already so broken and in so much pain that it really didn’t seem to matter that if he suffered more… so he followed his heart and had the faith in God that his dream will become a reality and faithful as our God is, He received his healing and let me show you his words from his “MySpace”…

HEY GUYS!!!! INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!! THE HEALING PROCESS HAS BEGUN!!!! ON MONDAY I WENT TO JOHN WESLEYS CHAPEL IN BRISTOL. AS I STOOD IN WESLEYS PULPIT GODS POWER TOUCHED MY BODY!!!! TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT. I LEFT MY WHEELCHAIR THERE!!!! MY BACK IS HEALED, MY HIPS ARE HEALED, MY LEGS ARE HEALED!!!! I STILL HAVE PAIN IN MY UPPER BODY BUT IT HAS STARTED!!!! PRAISE AND GLORY TO THE KING OF ALL KINGS!!!! MY SAVIOUR, MY PORTION, MY FREEDOM, MY HEALER!!!!!

I rest my case… what more need I say other than

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD !

The best week of my life...

Its been a really long time since I had a week like that, 5 days of basking in the presence of God. What more can a gal ask. Looking back its been amazing the things that had happened leading up to this day and how the 5 days was God's assurance and confirmation on the things He wants me to do for Him in my life. Now that I've started on my counselling programme. I'm just really really excited about the many day, week, months, years to come just doing His work.

Here's some highlights from the best week of my life... Enjoy... :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie-Rp9gT2GM

God's Purposes for Our Work by Steve Scalici

We know that work is God-ordained. We read in Genesis 2:2 - "On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.." Genesis 2:15 says "The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it." Work is normal. It's part of God's created order for humanity. Everything that we bring to work (skills, intelligence, experience, and reputation) is a gift from God that He allows us to use. God's original intention for work was to bless us. I feel sorry for the many people who view their work as simply a job: something to be performed for a wage and nothing else. We spend more time at work than doing any single activity except for sleep and some of us work more than we sleep. I would like to take a look at three areas where the world's view of work differs from God's view.

My Work and the Income I Earn from it Define My Self-Worth

As Christians, we must remember that it is not our work that defines us, but the attitude with which we do our work that pleases God the most. Sometimes the work we do earns a significant income. Unfortunately, some Chistians have guilt issues related to this. But, there’s never any reason to feel guilty as long as you have earned the money honestly and ethically. Proverbs 14:23 (NKJV) says, "In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty."

In his book The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn says: "God does not raise our income so that we can increase our standard of living, but rather our standard of giving." One of the great remedies to having a large income is giving the money away. The more you give, the less you have to manage. In fact, this attitude of stewardship is one of the great ways for a believer to distinguish his world view from the secular worldview. In the end, we must remember that while God may choose to bless us financially through our occupation, we are defined neither by our work nor by the income we earn from it. What defines us in God’s eyes is the manner in which our work is done in honor of Him.

Work is a Necessary Evil

For the Christian, work is not a necessary evil, but a mission field for which we can be an example of Christ’s love and spiritual integrity. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:6: "Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart." Each of us has a conscience. Your conscience is God's built-in warning system. By following it we can build Godly character. Building character takes focus and patience, with attention to detail and an ability to be consistent over time.

While God is ultimately our Potter, we also play the role of potter in forming our own character. Christians would be horrified to be accused of stealing from their employers, but there are many small ways in which employees do it everyday. If someone is paid for 40 hours per week but really only worked 30 hours, they’ve stolen 10 hours worth of salary. If someone takes supplies from work and doesn't replace them or pay for them, their integrity is shot. Patrick Morley (Man in the Mirror Ministries) says that when we limit our thinking to major matters, we miss the point that to be trustworthy with much, we must first prove trustworthy with little.

One thing that has not changed even in our fast-paced society is that relationships are built on trust. The fragile thread of trust upon which relationships depend can be easily broken. Integrity is priceless. It's one of the few things that can't be taken from you. You can only lose it.

My Job Should Always Make Me Happy

There are all sorts of clichés that deal with being satisfied: "the grass is always greener on the other side" is the one that comes to mind first. But, as the pessimist said, it's only greener because they're laying more fertilizer over there. The point is, contentment isn't found in always getting what we want but in always being satisfied with what we have. Sometimes, it isn't your position that makes you happy or unhappy, it's your disposition.

That’s not to say that we should never find or take a new job. But, before I ever tell anyone to find a new job, I encourage them to earnestly pray about any decision before they make it. They need to discover what it is that God wants them to do. I remind them that they are at their current job for a reason. They may not know what that reason is, but there is a reason. Of course, God may be directing them elsewhere and that is fine, but they need to spend time seeking God's will before making a move.

Sometimes I meet people who simply work for awful people and they probably should leave, but I'm a big fan of praying for the people you are working for. More importantly, pray for yourself that you would be the person God wants you to be. Positive people are much more likely to turn their ideas into positive behavior. Positive behavior, in turn, does change circumstances, and nearly always for the better.

Steve Scalici is the Vice President of Treasure Coast Financial, a financial planning firm in Stuart, FL. He is co-host of God's Money which can be heard weekdays at www.oneplace.com . He can also be reached at his website www.tcfin.com.

You Are Already Blessed

Joshua 24:13 ‘I have given you a land for which you did not labour, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

God is more eager to prosper you than you are willing to be prospered! In fact, He is so keen for you to enjoy His prosperity that in His mind, giving you a multiplication of wealth and assets is already a settled matter.

God has already promised: “I have given you a land for which you did not labour, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

He did not say, “I may give,” which means that it may or may not happen, but He said, “I have given,” which means that it has already happened. It is only a matter of time before your revelation of what you have through the work of Christ brings forth the prosperity He has already blessed you with.

My friend, expect prosperity in your life because you are already rich in Christ. Jesus took your place of poverty at the cross — “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) In Him, you are poor no more.

So stop looking at the lack in your natural resources. Look to the cross and say, “Yes, Christ has made me rich. It is a matter of time before I will see His prosperity in my life!”

Let Your Heart Be Established By Grace

Hebrews 13:99 It is good that the heart be established by grace…

God does not want your heart full of worries and fears, tossed and turned by every challenge that comes your way. He wants your heart at rest and established by His grace towards you.

But when you think that the breakthroughs to your challenges depend on your ability to obey God, then your heart will never be at rest. It will be full of worries and anxieties. Why? Because you can never obey God perfectly.

But when you depend on God’s grace, that is, His undeserved, unmerited favour, the opposite happens — your heart becomes established. When you know that the only thing that qualifies you to receive God’s blessings is faith in the finished work of Christ, your heart becomes established. Then, you will walk without fear of your troubles swallowing you up. You will walk with full assurance that His blessings will be manifested in your life.

My friend, God wants your heart established, knowing that His righteousness, healing, protection and prosperity are yours — all paid for by Jesus’ finished work at the cross. God’s blessings are sure in your life because they are not dependent on your ability to keep His laws.

You see, under the old covenant, you receive God’s blessings only if you keep all His laws. (Deuteronomy 28:1–2) If you sin and fail to keep even one law, you are disqualified from receiving His blessings. But today, under the new covenant, your sins no longer disqualify you because God Himself has said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

So let your heart be established by God’s grace. Because of His grace, you have full access to His blessings. You no longer have to worry about whether you are good enough. You can stand firm on the promises made in His Word and enjoy His blessings today because Jesus has paid the price. Your part is only to believe and receive!

'I Will Be Your God'

Hebrews 8:10 “… and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...”

When God says, “I will be your God,” that is a declaration that He will work miracles in your life. So if it is a miracle you need, it is a miracle you will get!

If there is a huge sea blocking the way to your blessing and God says, “I will be your God,” it means that He will open the sea for you so that you can receive your blessing.

If you are poor and God says, “I will be your God,” it means that you will be well-provided for. Since God fed nearly three million Israelites in the wilderness every single day for 40 years, you can be sure that God will provide for you too.

If you are sick and God says, “I will be your God,” it means that He is going to be “the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26), and you will be healthy.

If you have incurred a huge debt and God says to you, “I will be your God,” it means that He will bring about a supernatural cancellation of your debt.

But not only does God say, “I will be their God,” He also says, “they shall be My people”.
To be God’s people means to be the protected ones. Not all on earth are God’s people — only you and I who are redeemed by the blood of Christ. During times of uncertainties, God says to you, “You shall be My people.” This means that you are protected from all pestilences, plagues, attacks and destruction.

Even when you hear people say that the economic crisis is coming, God says to you, “You shall be My people.” This means that you don’t have to worry or be anxious. The crisis will not affect you. Regardless of the situation in the world, you are protected and you will walk in the blessings of God.

God’s power comes into every challenge you face when He says to you, “I will be your God and you shall be My people.” You will experience the supernatural life. Your part is to believe what He declares and act like it is so!