Man Drought 1
Background The immediate context for this teaching is our recent trip to as a couple to Vietnam. I believe the significant cost of the trip, in some ways very out of character for us as a couple, was part of … Continue reading
Author Archives: John Yates
The Face in the Flames
Personal Matters Somewhere in the middle of the night in the centre of Saigon/Ho Ch Minh City I was lying awake pondering on my insensitivity to human suffering. Earlier that day we had visited the labyrinth of tunnels at Củ … Continue reading
Africa Insights
6. The root of revival
Personal Matters I have not yet personally seen a nation in revival. Massive numbers of people turning to Jesus and mushrooming churches seem to exist side by side with political corruption, sexual immorality and the health-wealth “gospel”. This is a … Continue reading
Africa Insights
5. Masculine mystique
Personal Matters Visiting one of the larger churches in Kampala on a Sunday I immediately had two impressions. The first was how Western the structure of the service was; the band arrangement, the songs, the order of service and so … Continue reading
Africa Insights
4. Orphan
Personal Matters The more than 50 million orphans of Africa, with several million in Uganda, initially presents a joyless statistic[1]. My sister with 5 adopted children from 4 nations, and who is an expert on children at risk, has long … Continue reading
Christmas and the Crisis of Call
Personal Matters Since returning from Africa I have been through a period of much disturbance. Some of this has been due to the traumatic nature of that visit, but a less obvious cause of unsettledness has emerged. I have been … Continue reading
Africa Insights
3. The gift of suffering
“For it has been given to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that … Continue reading
Africa Insights
2. O righteous Father
Personal Matters “Africa” conjures up many striking associations- jubilant singing, spectacular scenery, huge animals, and the tragedies of war, famine and poverty. Several times during our journey locals spontaneously offered explanations for the comparative slowness of the African continent to … Continue reading
Africa Insights
1. Is the cross enough?
Personal Matters At times the LORD surprises us with the familiar, and this was certainly the case with my recent trip to Uganda. It was fascinating to engage with the cultural environment of African spirituality, urban and country life, food, … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
8. Reconciliation
Introduction The ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18) is indispensable to Christian discipleship because it lies at the heart of the mission of Jesus Christ. One of the highest Christological statements in the New Testament says, “God was in Christ … Continue reading
Antioch How?
Personal Matters On a recent retreat I received a phone call concerning the proposed 24/7 united house of prayer in Perth. As I prayed with the caller it felt like a mountain was being uprooted from its foundations. This tearing … Continue reading
Antioch City Foundation
Jerusalem to Antioch: Cities with Different Foundations Background For some years a number years of us have believed that it is God’s will to establish a 24/7 house of prayer in the city of Perth. My experience of such a … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
7. The glory of God
Introduction The “glory of God” is a theme which reaches from one end of the Bible to another expressing God’s purposes in all things. It is not so much an attribute of God, but the totality of who he is. … Continue reading
Divine Intervention
Redeemed Christian Church of God, 19.10.2012 Introduction It would be easy to teach on my given topic “divine intervention” in a standard way; that is, to give examples of people who were sick, broken, lost and so forth, and then … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
6. The Word of God
Introduction All the streams of Christianity tracing their origins back to the Protestant Reformation (Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic) affirm the Bible as the primary source of authority given to us by God for all matters of faith and conduct. It is … Continue reading
Crisis and Creativity
Personal Matters I have been planning for some months to go with others to speak at a reconciliation conference in Uganda. This might seem straightforward enough, but I came to realise a few days ago that I have been stuck … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
5. Praying with Jesus
Introduction This is a vast topic and one which desperately needs to be addressed if the discipleship crisis in the contemporary church is to be remedied. There are many visible signs of the marginalisation of prayer in current Church culture. … Continue reading
Spouse
It’s All Personal Despite the godly outcome of the recent “marriage equality” debate in our federal parliament we are on a slippery slope into progressive relational deviancy without an unprecedented spiritual renewal. I am not confident however that most Australian … Continue reading
Royal Dignity
Personal Matters Over the last week I encountered a range of believers who had been traumatised by the pressures of everyday life. One was made to feel ignorant and foolish by the arrogant attitude of a technical expert, another felt … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
4. The disciple and righteousness
Introduction The language of righteousness has been so thoroughly abandoned in parts of the Western Church that its omission is hardly noticed. This is more than a change to contemporary language, e.g. righteousness = justice; being made right etc.[1]. The … Continue reading
Clearer ‘ME’
A final vision
Personal Matters I have always found the mere fact of being human a source of deep puzzlement and at times torment. The existential questions I would ask my parents were treated as unanswerable, then as a teenage drinker my mind … Continue reading
Peaceful ‘ME’
A journey
Personal Matters This is one of the most difficult teachings I have ever written, because Jesus has been teaching ‘ME’ that my personal estimation of my spirituality has been way above his (Rom 12:3). I am sensing the fear of … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
3. The worship of the disciple
Introduction The topic of “worship” is an enormous one that in many ways climaxes the entire biblical story. Following on from the topic of last week, our worship of God is best seen as a response to his love revealed … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
2. The love of discipleship
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will … Continue reading
Transparent ‘ME’
Personal Matters My overriding passion is to see the “glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6) shine brightly into all the spheres of life and culture (arts, education, government, law, sport, health, business, politics, family, … Continue reading
Into Discipleship 2012
1. The testimony of Jesus
“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (John 12:49) “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, … Continue reading
Our Father
Personal Matters In a prayer meeting this week the issue of divine Fatherhood unexpectedly came to a head. Someone quoted from Psalm 2, “Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As … Continue reading
Broken ‘ME’
Personal Matters During a discipleship network meeting last night each person in the group shared about the sort of people they saw who were responding to the gospel. These included the homeless, the awkward and isolated, Christians convicted of their … Continue reading
Beautiful ‘ME’
2. Beautiful ‘US’
Personal Matters The Bible’s emphasis falls not on the beauty of ‘ME’ but on God’s community, the beautiful “US”. For someone who has experienced “excommunication” and other bitter experiences in the Church this is a difficult theme to expound. Paradoxically … Continue reading
Two Mountains
A prophecy
Background The immediate impetus for this teaching was a prayer meeting with visiting Korean missionaries who spoke passionately about the “7 Mountains”; an expression describing the dimensions of human society – religion, family, education, media, arts/entertainment, government, business. The “seven … Continue reading