LIVING ETERNAL NOW

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One of the greatest aspects of the Christian faith is what we believe happens after death. And by no means is it blind faith or wishful thinking. It starts with Jesus himself. In John’s eyewitness account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he records a conversation between Jesus and someone who had just lost a brother to sickness and death. 

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:21-27

Jesus made a promise to Martha that not only was there a resurrection, but that Jesus himself was the resurrection and the life, and that faith in him would result in eternal life. It’s why this same apostle John, would go on to write the greatest summary statement in all the Bible:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Make no mistake, Jesus clearly taught that there was a resurrection, and the way to eternal life, to a life after this life, was through faith in him. Now, the skeptical might ask: sure that’s great to believe in, but what if it’s all a hoax? Where’s the proof?

That’s a legitimate question.

How Christians live their lives should be proof enough. Why?

Because Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell the Spirits of all believers. He produces the fruit in our lives of love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self control. His job is to sanctify us, to make us like our Lord Jesus. We therefore build our lives around this belief in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. It affects how we live and interact with others. It affects how we use our time, our finances. We give our life to serving Him and others. The Holy Spirit even provides the gifts of the Spirit (all nine: 1 Corinthians 12:4 and Hebrews 2:4) to enable us to minister to others effectively.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul makes a great point:

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:19

If this life is all that there is, then you would not live a life of sacrifice as Christians do.

Also look at the historical evidence: we know from the four eyewitness accounts from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, that Jesus claimed to be the son of God, and as he promised Martha, that he was the resurrection and the life. And then he died a criminal’s death on a Roman cross. Three days later, these disciples began to claim that Jesus was raised from the dead, that they had seen him. And if true, this would change everything, because on numerous occasions Jesus prophesied his own death and resurrection, and if someone can prophesy their own death and resurrection and then pull it off, surely it is evidence enough to convince the most hardened skeptic. Fifteen to twenty years later, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth, recorded in the book of 1 Corinthians. In chapter 15, we have this incredible teaching on what Christ has accomplished for us with His death and resurrection.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:3-6

Paul is recording the central claim of Christianity: Jesus proved his divinity by dying on the cross and rising again, thereby validating everything he said about the resurrection. It’s why we have hope that we who believe in Jesus will see our brothers and sisters in Christ again, that this is not the end for us. The key here is the list of witnesses: after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to Cephas (Peter), the twelve, then 500 at one time, many of whom were still alive fifteen to twenty years later. It’s like Paul is saying: fact-check me on this one. I know it’s an outrageous claim, but go and talk to the witnesses yourself.

1 Corinthians is written twenty years after the event of the resurrection, with witnesses still alive, who saw Jesus alive after his death and burial and resurrection. And because Jesus rose from the dead, everything changes!

Here’s what Paul wrote about how Jesus’ resurrection secures our own resurrection:

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 54-57

Death is the great equalizer, death awaits us all, but Jesus has taken away it’s sting. Death is not all that there is, because Jesus conquered death, and through Jesus we will conquer death. That’s not saying that we’ll live forever in this life, but we’ll live forever in the next. For those of us who believe in Jesus, will see him again, at the resurrection at the last day, and we’ll be with him forever. And because of that, we can rejoice.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

Let start living with an eternal focus NOW.

ANOTHER GREAT TESTIMONY FROM AN INDIGENOUS BROTHER

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Testimonies of changed lives are powerful and hard to refute or put down. Isaac has a great story which includes testimony to the good work done by the Salvo’s. He gives us a better understanding of the aboriginal culture and how to witness to them.

CAN WE BE JOYFUL IN SUFFERING?

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20

God hates evil and He commands us to hate it as well so so these verses certainly don’t mean we are to rejoice in evil, per se, However, we should believe Romans 8:28, which tells us God will work all things together for our good, including evil things that happen to us.

Believing this frees us to thank God in the middle of difficult and even evil circumstances, knowing that in His sovereign grace, He is accomplishing great, eternal purposes in us through these things. We walk by faith, believing in what God has done, is doing, and will do to bring a good end to all that troubles us. Choosing to rejoice, recounting our blessings in the midst of trials, affirms trust in God.

This response requires faith that God lovingly superintends our challenges. Viewing our sufferings as random or obsessing over someone else’s bad choices that caused our sufferings robs us of happiness. A weak, small, or faulty view of God always poisons the well of our contentment.

Being Spirit controlled is inseparable from giving thanks in everything. The more we grow in our understanding of God’s attributes, the happier we become.

.The deeper our knowledge of God’s character, the deeper our reservoir of strength, perspective, and happiness in hard times. Who is this God we are to trust? What is He really like?

Scripture teaches that we have a God who loves us and is sovereign over the universe, including all evil. We can’t be happy, and remain happy, without believing in the sovereignty of a loving God. The beauty of the Christian worldview is that while we’re encouraged to take initiative and control what’s within our power, we also know that the enormous part of life we can’t control is under God’s governance.

Scripture tells us, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” Psalm 115:3. It assures us, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9. And since God is eternally wise and good and happy, and we’re not, we’re far better off with Him, not us, in control.

“Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

“Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:17.

“In light of that eternal glory being achieved for us by our momentary troubles, Paul offers the following words of eternal perspective: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:1

This article is excerpted from Randy Alcorn’s book Does God Want Us to Be Happy?

Addendum: When times are difficult, hard, and bring sorrow, then remember, chose to bring to mind, the wonderful deliverance Jesus has achieved for you. Then put on the garment of praise.  The spirit of heaviness will depart – no need to let things depress us and get us down. He will never leave us nor forsake us, He will bring good out of every situation for us. God is good. Sometimes it takes effort to start to praise God – especially if we come from a dark place, a place of difficulty or even a place of tragedy. Yet be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and sing and shout your praises to God, breakthrough into the inexpressible joy of the Lord – it is the place of strength for life.

GREAT OUTCOME FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN OZ

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Israel Folau says he has been “vindicated” by Rugby Australia’s apology and says he is now “looking forward” to the federal government enacting legislation protecting the right to religious expression. 

In the video below posted to his website, Folau appeared with his wife Maria beside him and spoke of his reaction to the confidential settlement with Rugby Australia on Wednesday.

“We are extremely pleased with the settlement reached today,” he said.

“With today’s acknowledgement and apology by Rugby Australia we have been vindicated and can now move on with our lives to focus on our faith and our family.”

Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) played a significant role in the settlement and Martyn Isles in particular is proving to be God’s man for this time in leading ACL.

God has used Israel Folau and this incident with Rugby Australia to achieve two of His purposes.

The first to get Scott Morrison in place as the Prime Minister of Australia. The Folau incident occurred just prior to the election. It galvanised Christians and some non Christians to vote for the conservative party. The fact that Israel, possibly the best rugby player on the Australian team, could be sacked because he quoted Scripture on Facebook about God’s position on gay marriage, made many realise that it was wrong, and they could not support the opposition party that supported it.

The second is the vindication received today just before the government enacts legislation to protect the right to religious expression. It must influence the government to ensure others like Folau are not persecuted for their faith.

I hope this demonstrates to all Christians the importance of standing up publicly for Christ and His values regardless of the cost.

HOW THE WORLD VIEWS ANY CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE OF PARLIAMENT

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As Netflix documentaries go, “The Family” is just about as outlandish as they come. Who is this group Netflix  named “The Family”? It is a Christian group, whose real name is The Fellowship Foundation whose primary responsibility is to host an annual Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast. The trailer below is scandalous, if not plainly unhinged. The following is some of the content:

“In my 20’s, I stumbled my way in,” spills the first alleged insider. “And what I found was a secretive Christian organisation called The Family, that had been hiding in plain sight for 80 years.”

Another breathlessly warns that this is a group “with tentacles around the world”; a gaggle of power-hungry fundamentalists led by the “most powerful man you’ve never heard of” — a man by the name of Doug Coe, who passed away in 2017.

Coe was, by all accounts, a quiet man with a penchant for world peace. In 2001, he organised a historic meeting between two warring leaders, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Congo’s Joseph Kabila. This would be the first of a series of covert diplomacy moves that would eventually lead to the signing of a historic peace accord that likely saved thousands of lives.

Does that sound like a slick political operator who was hell-bent on world domination? The Netflix program’s claims are farcical and absurd.

But what of the prayer breakfast itself? “The Family” is, after all, solely responsible for the popular annual event. So, are there clandestine side-room policy meetings and code-words being muttered into the ear of the president? Is the room scattered with secret handshakes?

Well, not according to Christian author, Jeff Lucas, who attended the gathering back in 2017.

“We ate eggs and bacon,” he told Premier UK. “ No agenda was shared that might lead to world domination. [We] met some interesting people, and…. prayed.”

The documentary lays claim to the uncovering of a secretive religious organisation, “The Family,” that it alleges has been secretly pulling the strings of the United States government for the past 80 years. 

Citing covert meetings with the president and the commissioning of sleeper agents to far-flung lands, the documentary paints a wildly sensationalist picture of “The Fellowship Foundation”, who as mentioned, its primary responsibility is to host the annual Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast.

Still, the hype keeps growing, with one British outlet, The Manchester Evening News declaring that streamers of the docu-series have found themselves “too horrified to sleep.”

Hopefully, people will see it for what it is — a ham-fisted attempt at smearing well-connected people of faith.

NEW BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ON FAITH

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It would appear that Christians have nothing to fear from the appointment of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

Premier News Service delved into the archives to find the times Boris Johnson has spoken about faith.  Here’s what they found: On his personal faith: While the vast majority of his predecessors have been vocal about their Christian faith, Johnson has remained coy on the issue.  He did however attempt to describe his faith using an interesting analogy: “I suppose my own faith, you know, it’s like a bit like trying to get Virgin Radio when you’re driving through the Chilterns.  It sort of comes and goes. Sometimes the signal is strong, and then sometimes it just vanishes.  And then it comes back again.”

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Boris Johnson attended the Global Day of Prayer at West Ham as Mayor of London.  While he prayed with the estimated 10,000 gathered he later labelled a campaign by the National Secular Society to ban parliamentary prayers “cobblers”.  “Irrespective of your religious views, the fact is that every day Parliament begins prayers, for Her Majesty and for all politicians, that they should govern justly.  And it’s a very interesting moment because politicians, everybody, no matter what their beliefs, all pray and think about the sacred trust that they’ve been given by the people and I think it’s quite a good thing, whatever they may think about the existence or non-existence of God.

“It’s a good thing that they focus briefly in a moment of prayer on what they’re doing and the importance of it.  That’s why I think it works and I think that any attempts to ban it are misguided.” 

While Mayor of London Johnson was a vocal supporter of faith groups, attending a conference hosted by Street Pastors.  There he said he had no problem with Christian organisations coupling up social action and evangelism.  “I have absolutely no problem with that. 

One of the things that I think has been wrong in the last few years is the politically correct super sensitivity to anything that can be remotely classed as religious advocacy and frankly I’ve got no difficulty with it.

BE INSPIRED, BE CHALLENGED, BE BLESSED BY THEIR AMAZING STORY

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You need to watch both of these videos, particularly the second video,”I Am Second”, the story of how Michael and his wife Ivey took on five foster children and how their faith in God has grown through God’s miraculous intervention in their lives. This will bring tears to your eyes and your faith will be inspired but also challenged.

GOD APPOINTS OUR LEADERS PART 2

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More on God’s intervention in the leadership of Australia as an answer to much prayer going on in this nation. A time for rejoicing, YES! but also a time for us share the good news and expand our efforts with renewed prayer and fasting. Listen to what Warwick Marsh of the National Day of Prayer and Repentance had to say.

Brief summary: “We believe we have had some amazing answers to prayer over the last two weeks. Firstly the Senate rejected Euthanasia on 15 September and a new Christian Prime Minster & Jewish deputy Prime Minster were both unexpectedly elected to lead the Coalition Government on Friday 24 September. We also need to pray that God would intervene to block the Queensland government introducing legalised abortion in Queensland. Please tell your friends to pray, fast and repent for breakthrough in our nation on these dates.”

One article in The Weekend Australian mentions Scott Morrison’s maiden speech in the Federal Parliament in 2008. He described his family and his faith as “the most significant influences in my life”. In that speech he also boldly stated that “our task is not to claim whether God is on our side but to pray earnestly that we are on His”. Consistent with this, we read that “In December Mr Morrison stepped up his role as a leader of the conservative right in the Liberal Party. … He also promised to play a leading role in the push to enshrine further “protections” for religious freedom in law.”

TRUMP MOST PRO LIFE PRESIDENT EVER

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President Donald Trump assured a prominent gathering of pro-life leaders and activists Tuesday night that the pro-life movement will “never fail” as long as “we keep trusting God” and quoted the Old Testament to argue that “every child is a precious gift from God.”

Trump addressed hundreds gathered for the 11th annual Campaign for Life Gala, hosted by the nation’s most prominent pro-life lobbying organisation, Susan B. Anthony List, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

He stressed that “every life has meaning” and that “every life is worth protecting.”

“As the Lord says in Jeremiah, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart,'” Trump said, quoting Jeremiah 1:5. 

Trump, whom many conservatives believe to be one of the greatest pro-life presidents in history even though he has only been in office for just 15 months, praised his administration’s pro-life accomplishments and declared to the crowd that he has kept his campaign promises to pro-lifers.

Trump’s speech came on the same day that the Department of Health and Human Services officially proposed a rule change to the Title X Family Planning Grant Program so that abortion providers wouldn’t receive federal tax dollars through the program.

“Today, we are making another historic announcement. For decades, American taxpayers have been wrongfully forced to subsidise the abortion industry through Title X federal funding,” Trump said. “So today, we have kept another promise. My administration has proposed a new rule to prohibit Title X funding from going to any clinic that performs abortions.”

Trump followed in the footsteps of Vice President Mike Pence, who spoke at the gala last year.

“When a mother and a father hold a new baby in their arms, they are changed forever,” the president said. “When a child says, ‘Mommy or Daddy,’ for the first time, there is nothing like it anywhere in the world. No matter what you do, there is nothing like it. When parents watch their children thrive and grow, they are filled with joy beyond words and a love beyond measure. When we look into the eyes of a newborn child, there is no doubt we see the beauty of human soul and the mystery of God’s great creation.”

“As long we have faith in our citizens, confidence in our values and trust in our God, then we will never, ever fail,” he asserted. “Our nation will thrive, our people will prosper and America will be greater than ever before. That is what’s happening.”

SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser called the president’s words “encouraging and warmly received.” She stated that Trump’s remarks at the annual gala represent “a watershed moment” in the history of the pro-life movement.

“President Trump has embraced the pro-life movement as his own. True to his word, he is governing as the most pro-life president our nation has ever seen,” Dannenfelser said. “He has been a fighter and a champion for unborn children, their mothers, and pro-life taxpayers, and his administration has made unprecedented gains for life. With President Trump leading the charge and the pro-life grassroots energized by his agenda, we are closer than ever to ending the injustice of abortion and restoring a society that protects every mother and child.”

Later on in the evening, Counsellor to the President, Kelly Anne Conway, a longtime conservative pro-life pollster, received the SBA List’s 2018 Distinguished Leader Award. Another speaker at the event was Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who was shot last year by a far-left gunman during a Congressional baseball practice in Virginia. Scalise led the “Toast for Life.

PERSECUTION INCREASES IN THE “LAST DAYS”.

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Israel Folau can testify to this truth. Earlier this month, Folau wrote on social media that gays would go to hell unless they repented their sins. He followed it up with another tweet, using a Bible quote from Matthew 5: 11-12 to suggest he was being persecuted for his beliefs. “Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake, Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Israel Falou celebrates after scoring a try during the Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the Argentina Pumas last year.

Picture: Israel Folau celebrates after scoring a try during the Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the Argentina Pumas last year.

The comments sparked widespread debate over Folau’s right to free speech and threats by rugby’s main sponsor Qantas to pull its support for the code if the star player continued to make similar comments. Rugby Australia chief executive, Raelene Castle and Waratah’s boss Andrew Hore held crisis talks with Folau last week in Sydney. Following the meeting Castle conducted a press conference in which she said Folau’s social media posts were at odds with the code’s inclusion policy.

“This is not about money or bargaining power or contracts. It’s about what I believe in and never compromising that, because my faith is far more important to me than my career and always will be.’’

“I felt Rugby Australia CEO, Raelene Castle misrepresented my position and my comments, and did so to appease other people, which is an issue I need to discuss with her and others at Rugby Australia,” he said.

“I love rugby union. It has allowed me to travel all over the world and meet some fascinating people along the way. It is one of the best things about the game in my opinion.

“I do not want to bring hurt to the game and want as many people playing it as possible, so when I spoke to Raelene about walking away, it was to help the game, not harm it, in the event we couldn’t come to an understanding. Anyone who knows me knows I am not the type to upset people intentionally.”

Specifically he denies claims that he is homophobic or that he has a problem with gay people.

“I fronted the cover of the Star Observer magazine to show my support for the Bingham Cup, which is an international gay rugby competition for both men and women. I believe in inclusion. In my heart, I know I do not have any phobia towards anyone.

“Every individual in this world is different and we have all experienced things that have shaped us in unique ways.

“I don’t pretend to have all the answers in life. It can be difficult making the right decisions. You are always trying to reconcile the truth from the Bible with things you feel inside. But I have faith that God’s path is the right one and that path is outlined in the Bible.”

Folau used the Players Voice article to explain his deep religious conviction. “People’s lives are not for me to judge. Only God can do that, I have sinned many times in my life. I take responsibility for those sins and ask for forgiveness through repentance daily. I understand a lot of people won’t agree with some of the things I’m about to write. That’s absolutely fine. In life, you are allowed to agree to disagree. But I would like to explain to you what I believe in, how I arrived at these beliefs and why I will not compromise my faith in Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of every single thing in my life.

“I hope this will provide some context to the discussion that started with my reply to a question asked of me on Instagram two weeks ago. I read the Bible every day. It gives me a sense of peace I have not been able to find in any other area of my life. It gives me direction. It answers my questions.’’

Folau says he considers “it is a loving gesture to share passages from the Bible with others. I do it all the time when people ask me questions about my faith or things relating to their lives, whether that’s in-person or on my social media accounts’’.

“Two weeks ago, I tore my hamstring quite badly in the opening minutes against the Brumbies. I was told I would be on the sidelines for a month. Finding out I would miss three or four games so early in the season was disappointing and frustrating, but I accepted the news and started looking ahead. That afternoon I put up the following Instagram post, referring to James 1: 2-4:

“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, because the testing of your faith produces endurance … so that you may be lacking in nothing.”

“In the comments section of that post, I was asked a question by somebody about what God’s plan is for gay people.

“My response to the question is what I believe God’s plan is for all sinners, according to my understanding of my Bible teachings, specifically 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor the drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

“I do not know the person who asked the question, but that didn’t matter. I believed he was looking for guidance and I answered him honestly and from the heart. I know a lot of people will find that difficult to understand, but I believe the Bible is the truth and sometimes the truth can be difficult to hear.’’

“I think of it this way: you see someone who is about to walk into a hole and have the chance to save him. He might be determined to maintain his course and doesn’t want to hear what you have to say. But if you don’t tell him the truth, as unpopular as it might be, he is going to fall into that hole. What do you do?

“In this case, we are talking about sin as the Bible describes it, not just homosexuality, which I think has been lost on a lot of people.’’

“I would sooner lose everything — friends, family, possessions, my football career, the lot — and still stand with Jesus, than have all of those things and not stand beside Him.’’

Folau says he doesn’t “expect everyone to believe what I believe’’. “That goes for teammates, friends and even family members, some of whom are gay,’’ he writes. “I don’t pretend to have all the answers in life. It can be difficult making the right decisions. You are always trying to reconcile the truth from the Bible with things you feel inside. But I have faith that God’s path is the right one and that path is outlined in the Bible. I will keep sharing that.’’

Will we stand up for our faith as Israel Folau does? God has enabled us with the Holy Spirit, so we need to allow Him to direct our steps this day and onward. Lord I pray, not my will but Your will be done in my life.