21 September 2019

LOOKING BACK & LOOKING FORWARD

By John Ollis

I know it is a sign of aging to reminisce, and that it was what I have been doing recently. In just a few days I will celebrate 68 years as a born again Believer. As a 10 year old boy, I knelt at the Mercy Seat in my local Salvation Army hall at the end of Sunday School, and was led to the Lord, I stood up knowing something had happened in my life, I sure didn’t understand much, but I knew because I knew, because I knew my sins were forgiven and I was on the way to heaven. I have written previously on how God loves to take a nobody and make them a somebody in the Kingdom of God, I am the product of two alcoholic parents and a very unhappy home life, there was nothing good or special that any human being could see in me, but God did hallelujah. We read in Judges 11:1 NKJV Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute.

Like Jephthah my parents never married,(although they celebrated a wedding anniversary every year) yet he became a mighty warrior, and became a Judge in Israel for 6 years and delivered God’s people from the Ammonites.

In the last couple of days we have just returned from visiting our family interstate, I had written recently, that the Community Centre/Clubhouse is now being built at our Retirement Village, the building is only about 15 metres from our Villa, so we have been enjoying watching the development. starting with the laying of the cement slab, then the pre-made frames went up, and before we left 16 days ago, the roof trusses were being erected, on our return the builders are still working on this area, and I began to think how important all this foundational work is. It is anticipated this massive building will be completed and opened soon after Christmas this year.

The Christian life is all about GROWTH, and I am sure I have sadly slowed down the growth in the past, and yes I am still under construction (after nearly 70 years) I sure didn’t know much when I got saved, and there was no Biblical Discipleship so my life for years was like the Australian Stock Exchange up one day and down the next. Despite this God put a calling on my life as a teenager, which I embraced, and have slowly learnt what is God’s building plan for my life. In hindsight, I have slowed construction down many times, but am learning to respond and actively co-operate with the Divine Builder. despite that God has used me, and I have dreams of God using me more and more, I hear God saying to me as he said to Joshua in 7:10 NKJV But the Lord said to Joshua, “GET UP! Why are you lying on your face like this? With the Lord’s help I want to do as Paul tells the Believers in 1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT So, my dear brothers and sisters, BE STRONG & IMMOVABLE. Always work ENTHUSIASTICALLY for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. The MESSAGE Bible says With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

I sure can’t change the past, and despite my failures, I can say with God’s people in the O.T. Joshua 21:45 NLT Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He had spoken came true.

So, I am simply expressing my testimony, my God ever continues to be faithful, and patient with me, and as I lay hold of His grace I can declare, THE BEST IS YET TO COME EVEN THIS SIDE OF ETERNITY amen.

I do pray you will have a blessed weekend, and will enjoy the Lord’s manifest presence, both in church and whatever else is in your program/