Today is the Day!

Today is the day of fulfilled promises, the consummation of unbelievable dreams.  God-willing, tonight my family and I will become Australian citizens.  What is impossible with men is possible with God.  When God spoke to me in 2002, "You will preach, and you will be sent," I had no idea where or when that would take place.  In 2005, after resigning from my decade-long career in mechanical insulation, on my 30th birthday I was blessed to take on a full-time role as youth pastor.  As if that was not enough of a life-altering step, the same year God impressed upon my heart the east side of Australia.  I didn't know a soul in Australia, and was frankly ignorant about how life is "down under."  I continued to plug away where God had me, believing in His time and in His way He would accomplish all.

There were times of doubt and thoughts like, "Am I going crazy?"  Looking back I can see how God was preparing me for tasks long before they came into my heart.  I went to university for two years to hone my English and writing skills, even though I planned to enter a trade.  Little did I know God would redeem that schooling for writing sermons and contributing to this blog.  I spent 10 years in a construction trade, which provided training and discipline to approach church ministry in a workman fashion.  He placed me in a church with a rigorous schedule with the perfect pastor to teach and inspire me to faithfulness no matter the difficulty.  When the door opened to be a pastor at Calvary Chapel Sydney, He had prepared me, established my family and me, provided for us, and sustained us.  It is nine days short of a full decade between quitting my career and starting work at Calvary as a youth pastor to being a pastor in Sydney and becoming a citizen of my new country.  Only God could have known or accomplished such things!

To all who have shared this journey with my family and me, thank you for your prayers and support.  People in the States and Australia (and hopefully in other places too) are rejoicing along with us today, seeing God's hand at work.  I believe God has us here for His divine purposes, and He has been preparing us for the next decade of service and on - should He tarry.  It has been the most exciting, satisfying ride of my life, and I am so grateful to God and all He has used to help and encourage us along the way.

I received this scripture from my mum today, and it is most fitting to convey the overwhelming joy and almost surreal qualities of dual-citizenship coming to pass.  Psalm 100:1-5 reads, "Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! ² Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing. ³ Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. ⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ⁵ For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."  Praise the LORD, for He is good.  Not one word has failed of His good promise, and He alone is faithful and wise.  He is holy, and His ways are past finding out.  Rejoice in His presence and shout for joy, redeemed of the LORD!