And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2).
On 14th May, 1606, Australia Terra del Espiritu Santo was given a prophetic destiny unlike that of any other country on earth.
The Year 2006 is the four hundredth anniversary of this dedication of our sunburned country... Australia... to the Holy Spirit.
In January 1906, a man by the name of William Seymour, was invited to preach at a small Holiness mission in Los Angeles. The son of former black slaves from Louisiana, Seymour’s first message included portion of Acts 2, in which he declared that speaking in other tongues was the initial physical evidence of one being baptized in the Holy Spirit. In April of that year the Spirit of God began to move in an unprecedented way.
During these meetings, Seymour experienced his personal day of Pentecost, and spoke with other tongues. Crowds of people started flocking to the meetings and an abandoned building at 312 Azusa Street became the venue for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a move of God that changed the Church.
Is it by any coincidence that this year, 2006, is the anniversary of both events? I think not! The Spirit of God is brooding over us now, preparing us for a visitation of God that is unprecedented—an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh is a prelude to the return of Jesus Christ. I Believe that it is by no accident that Australia is one of the key players in this wonderful event. Although Australia has enjoyed several "revivals" in past years, we are yet to experience an outpouring of the Spirit of God the likes of which the country and indeed the world has never seen.
Geographically located in close proximity to the most densely populated nations of the world, namely India and China and South-East Asia, Australia is poised to take the Gospel into the world in fulfilment to the commands of Jesus.
Indonesia—the most densely populated Muslim population in the world is virtually on our doorstep. India, with its vast, mostly unreached population of well in excess of one billion souls is also very close. It northern nation, China, with its vast population and untapped resources is also opening up to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Bible speaks much about the islands of the sea and Australia, the largest island continent in the world, is one of the central figures of the multitude of islands scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
It seems therefore that this Island of the Sea—the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit—has a prophetic destiny that is about to be fulfilled.
It is my pleasure therefore to present Australia Terra del Espiritu Santo.
Robert.
Godly Heritage
God places great stock on our heritage, even if we Australians have not always done so. Many of us mistakenly believe that we are a nation of misfits, descendants from convicts, but that is only a half truth. It is true that the First Fleet that came to our shores carried a convict cargo, but what is not often revealed is that there were as many free settlers in those ships travelling here to start a new life as Christian Pilgrims
Amongst the first settlers were free men and women... pilgrims... a Christian band of folk, who, like the Pilgrim Fathers who went to the Americas, came to this strange land to start a new life.
My own family tree reveals a strange meld indeed. From British stock, Jewish background and goodness knows what else is there, my forefathers can be traced back to the convict era in the early settlement days of South Australia. I am therefore proud to be an Aussie with Jewish blood in my veins and a twofold heritage—my family heritage and my Christian heritage. There are many others like us, whose heritage is one of freedom and one that is based on the Foundations of Jesus Christ.
God thinks so highly of heritage that the bible is full of references about it and about our inheritances. The New Testament for example commences with a great list of our ancestry. It starts with the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Until I saw the importance of this… the wealth of revelation hidden in such scriptures, I used to quickly gloss over them until the light of revelation revealed a wonderful and intricately woven pattern. From Genesis to Revelation a scarlet thread of redemption is seen and the Son of God is to be found.
Throughout scripture, whenever God did something with or for His people, the people would erect some form of memorial to remind them each time they passed by that way. They also established that memorial for their descendants to witness. When Joshua led the people across the River Jordan they took stones from the now dry riverbed specifically for that purpose.
This shall serve as a symbol among you: in time to come, when your children ask, ‘What is the meaning of these stones for you?’ you shall tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off because of the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant; when it passed through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And so these stones shall serve the people of Israel as a memorial for all time.” (Joshua 4:6-7).
There were strict qualifications to be eligible for the Priesthood which, if lacking, disqualified him for ministry. Amongst other things, having the right family heritage was very important.
Christians today have a wonderful heritage. We see in the book of Ephesians for example that in Christ, our great High Priest, we have a very rich inheritance. We are heirs of the Abrahamic covenant and are joint heirs with Jesus and thus have an amazing heritage.
A Godly heritage is extremely important.
We Aussies have a unique heritage which is profoundly prophetic. It is unlikely that any other country can lay claim to this heritage.
We are a land that was not only specifically named for, but dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
Our nation is founded on Christian principles. In the year 1901, our forefathers left us a Godly Heritage when penning our constitution. It opens with the statement, "whereas the people of NSW, Victoria, SA, WA, Qld and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessings of Almighty God have agreed to unite in one indissolvable Federal Commonwealth".
On 13th May 1787, eight ships, accompanied by three stores ships, sailed as a fleet (which we affectionately call the First Fleet) from Plymouth bound for Botany Bay. In addition to the usual assortments of stores and provisions, were some 100 Bibles, 400 Testaments, 500 Psalters, 200 Sermons on the Mount, 200 Christian Soldiers and hundreds of miscellaneous documents. From the outset, God's word came to this land in one form or another and this can not be any accident.
Why is it that our first settlers professed Jesus? Why is it that well before that time, Hindu, Muslim and Chinese explorers came extremely close to our shores and never colonized us? The most heavily concentrated Muslim population in the world perhaps is Indonesia and these people are mere hours away from our shores. Why did these explorers come to this region and sail right past us as if we did not exist?
Could it be that we had a destiny... a destiny with the Holy Spirit?
It is apparent that many of our early pioneers were Christians. People like Abel Tasman, Captain Charles Sturt, John Eyre, Governor Macquarie and William Lawson were Christians. The most famous of all, Captain James Cook was reportedly a man with Christian beliefs, conducting services on board ship and setting high Christian morals and standards for the crew. He carried a prayer book that his wife gave him and used Christian themes for naming places he visited. Easter Island, Christmas Island, the Whitsundays, Trinity Bay and Pentecost Island are examples.
It certainly seems that from the outset God had a plan for us and that we are a nation with a unique heritage, but even after settlement, this planning continued. Our Constitution was framed by a man who prayed and fasted so he could hear from God on the matter and prayers featured prominently in the opening of Parliament. The Endeavour Captain James CookA Australia became aFederation in 1901, whenthe first Parliament wasopened.King George Vopening the First Parliament in Melbourne.The opening ceremony established a foundation for our Godly Heritage that was consistent with the prophetic utterances declaring the nature and destiny of this nation, in which the following prayer was made.
Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to regard with Thy merciful favour the points of this land, now united in one commonwealth. We pray for Thy servant of the Governor General, the Governor of the States, and all who are or who shall be associated with them in the administration of their several offices. We pray thee at this time you vouchsafe Thy special blessings upon the Federal Parliament now assembling for the first session, and that Thou wouldst be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations to the advancement of Thy glory and to the true welfare of the people of Australia, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who has taught us when we pray to say; Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven... the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all, evermore. Amen..
Fathers of the Faith:
For a comparatively young nation with a relatively small population of less than twenty million people, we have been blessed with an abundance of people I will describe as Fathers in the Faith because of their public confessions of faith or belief in God and for their achievements that not only shaped this nation, but impacted many other nations in the world.
Captain James Cook:
I have already briefly mentioned Captain James Cook, who is still regarded very highly in the royal Navy, ranking with Admiral Lord Nelson. Apparently King George iii wept when he received the news of Cook’s untimely death. His journals reveal a commitment to God that was unmistakable. Captain Cook was raised in a Church of England environment and served his apprenticeship with Quaker shipbuilders. His son studied at Christ’s College in Cambridge and planned a career in the Ministry.
Before he sailed, Cook’s wife gave him a prayer book. He held church services on board ship and maintained a high standard or code of conduct amongst his crew, refusing for example, profanity amongst the men. When he named his discoveries, he used Christian themes, such as Trinity Bay, the Whitsundays (a beautiful series of islands and coral reefs in North Queensland), Easter Island, Christmas Island and Pentecost Island.
Sir Joseph Banks:
Joseph Banks (who supposedly became a Freemason) was an English naturalist and botanist on Cook's journeys. He travelled with Cook to observe the orbit of the planet Venus and is credited with the introduction to the West of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and other species of plants. What is now a common garden plant, the bougainvillea, was the subject of one of his scientific studies. A species of Proteaceae, the Banksia (one variety pictured to the right), was named after him.
One of his visions was the British colonization of the new settlement in New South Wales, at Botany Bay.
He was president of the Royal Society for a record forty-two years and was directly responsible for
several famous voyages, including that of George Vancouver to the Pacific Northwest of North America
and William Bligh's voyages (many people are aware of the mutiny of the Bounty incident) before Bligh
was appointed governor of New South Wales.
Banks was an informal adviser to King George III of the United Kingdom on the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, dispatching Explorers and botanists to many parts of the world. Kew Gardens became one of the major botanical gardens in the world.
The First Fleet:
In January 1788, approximately 1000 people safely arrived in Botany Bay to establish the first colony. The journal entry of a Captain David Collins states, "those under the blessing of God we happily completed in eight months and one week a voyage which, before it was undertaken, the mind had ventured to contemplate…”).
Governor Philip (the first governor) took his oath upon the Bible and then took communion. The first Minister, a Reverend Richard Johnson, preached the first sermon in Australia using the text, “What shall I render under the Lord for all his benefits towards me?” (Psalm 116:12). Apparently Australia's first preacher had a burning passion of our souls, being the product of an evangelical revival in England. It seems therefore that the very foundations of our society even before a Constitution was formed was based upon the word of God. This can not be any coincidence.
Early Explorers Of Australia:
Matthew Flinders:
Matthew Flinders was the first man to circumnavigate Australia may have been the first man to suggest using the name Australia for this country. Accompanied by a man called Bass, he explored the coastline south of Sydney in a tiny boat only 2.5 meters long which was called Tom Thumb. He believed that our island state of Tasmania was in fact an island and modern isthmus from the mainland, proving this fact by circumnavigating what was then called Van Diemen’s Land. A man called Able Tasman was the first European to actually cite Tasmania and New Zealand, our neighbour. In 1642 Tasman wrote "May God Almighty vouchsafe His blessing on this work". His diary also states, "God be praised and thanked for this happy voyage". Tasman, like another Christian explorer, William Dampier openly declared "the wonderful Works of God in different Parts of the World".
Matthew Flinders sailed north from Sydney, passed through the Torres Strait, continued past the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land, continuing southward there on the shores of what is now known as Western Australia, turned eastward through the Great Australian Bight and returned to Sydney some 12 months later to circumnavigate great island of he documented much of his journey in a book titled "A Voyage to Terra Australis". Some of our landmarks such as Flinders Island and the Flinders Ranges are named after him.
William Lawson:
The mountain ranges west of Sydney were once considered impassable. The Blue Mountains as they are known restricted expansion of the new colony westward from the coastline. Lawson, together with two other men, Blaxland and Wentworth, blazed a trail through these mountain ranges opening up the colony. Lawson was a devout Christian, a supporter of the Presbyterian Church, was active in the establishment of Scots Church in Sydney and Scots Church in Parramatta.
Captain Charles Sturt:
From the documentation about this man and his journals we can see that he was a man of faith and prayer. He treasured his Bible and it appears that he constantly turned to the Lord in prayer for guidance and direction in his explorations. He constantly gave thanks and praised God for the beauty and majesty of God's creation.
Sturt and his party explored the river systems of Australia looking for an inland sea and searching for the males of our river systems travelled in excess of 3000 miles through inhospitable, hostile territory who inland New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
John Eyre:
John Eyre, the son of an Anglican minister, was the first man to cross the vastness of the Australian wilderness from east to west across the Nullarbor Plain. In his journals he recorded "it was impossible for us to be in sensible to the isolated and hazardous position we were in; but this very feeling only nerved and stimulated us the more in our exertions, to accomplish the duty we had engaged in; the result we humbly left to that Almighty Being who guided and guarded us hitherto, amidst all our difficulties, and in all our wanderings, and who, whatever he might ordain, would undoubtedly order everything for the best".
The Great Australian Bight is the shoreline of the Southern Ocean, some of the roughest weather in the sailor could experience, rising in some places from steep and rugged cliffs to the Nullarbor Plain. This vast treeless wilderness cost the lives of many good men, but he survived. He frequently acknowledged the help of Almighty God, stating that it was God's help that preserved his life and met his needs.
John Flynn:
Flynn of the inland as he is affectionately known was truly an Australian. His father was a Methodist lay preacher and John Flynn himself became a minister of the gospel, ministering to the people of the outback. He established what was known as the Australian Inland Mission with a network of people who travelled by whatever means they could into our rugged interior, bringing the gospel message with them. With his team Flynn covered an area as large as the United Kingdom and soon saw an urgent need for medical assistance for the settlers. He built hospitals and founded The Aerial Medical Service.
Due to the remoteness and the isolation of many of the people, communication was difficult and a radio network was created using what was called the pedal radio. Flynn started the world's first "Flying Doctor" service that covered an area of some 250,000 square miles fulfilling his dream of, "For Christ and Country".
There are many other men of equal calibre and provided such input into the exploration and foundation of our country—too many to adequately list here but what of the ladies: what of Australia's heroines of faith? There are many. Some of John Flynn's nurses deserve mention here and there are two notable women amongst many who helped found our nation's Christian heritage.
Caroline Chisholm:
Caroline Chisholm was a reformer. She became a friend and a protector of immigrant women who came to our country in the early days under appalling conditions. Her activities stirred the public conscience. She helped find food and lodging and employment for migrant women when they arrived on our shores. The author Charles Dickens eventually assisted her. Without this lady's contribution many women coming to a strange and alien land would have been in desperate plight. The motivation, devotion and courage was based on her strong Christian faith.
This page in being reconstructed. It was was last updated: December 14, 2006
