Tarnji.com - Pastor's Post

Pastors and other mature Christians offer faith-centred encouragement, perspectives on recovery, healing, discipleship, and spiritual growth.
We invite contributors to participate, ensuring their work aligns with this site's values, tone, and safeguarding commitments.
These reflections aim to strengthen hope, provide biblical insight, and support individuals and families on a journey of restoration.

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June 2026
Bishop Adonia Kabagambe | Uganda
"As You Think, So You Become"
- Proverbs 23:7

Dear brothers and sisters

We will share these words with the topic: OUR THINKING.

As Christians, our thoughts, the way we think, play a great role in our lives. Today, many people live unhappy, fearful, and confused lives, largely because they harbour negative sentiments. No wonder this leads to several unexplained maladies in the form of health issues.

But others have chosen a quite different trend! They chose a life of happiness, personal development, peace, serenity, and poise! They have chosen a life of God, a life to live and explore the greater horizons of God's best in them. They don't have time to dwell on unbecoming thoughts of suspicion, jealousy, fear, destruction, hate, malice, resentment and ill will.

In Romans 12: 1-3, Paul recommends changing the way we think, and even not to live the 'usual', 'present-day' way of life, but to be renewed in our thinking. This is very important for us to progress in life. In Proverbs 23:7, the Bible tells us, 'As you think, so you become.' So you are who you are because of what you think of yourself all day!!

Don't think of the world as bad, and don't think of yourself as unfortunate or look at your future negatively. Don't think others think the same way!!

What you think of the other person is not what he is, but it's your own thought created by your own energy. By the way, the other person doesn't even know what you are thinking about. The other person's thoughts about you have nothing to do with you unless you allow them to sink into you and haunt you. So if you hear words of hate, jealousy, malice, hatred, abuse, rejection, etc all directed at you, simply repulse them. I know it may not be easy at first, but continually train your mind to empty them out. You will soon discover that you are beginning to live a grander, more independent, and richer life in God.

Lastly, never allow yourself to live another's life.

The person who angers you controls you unless you allow your heart to forgive and let go. I repeat it: never allow the actions of others, especially negative ones, to determine the way you live. Live a full and grander life in God.

Blessings to you all.

Bishop Adonia from Uganda

June 2026
Steve Roberts | Facilitator: NB-YJF | Bundaberg, Qld, Australia

"The Full Armour of God"

- Ephesians 6

We as Christians are in a state of spiritual war. The battles we fight in the spiritual realms are constant and fierce. Paul addresses this state of the believer in the book of Ephesians.

In Ephesians 6, Paul the apostle exhorts his readers to “put on the whole armour of God”. Now that statement, of course, means that we should put on the whole armour that God gives us. He then goes on to describe the various pieces of armour which a Roman soldier would wear into battle and then ascribes to each piece a function that corresponds to a spiritual TRUTH which the born-again believer recognises.

The Belt of Truth

To be girded with truth in the context of Ephesians 6 is to be absolutely convinced of the fidelity of God’s word from Genesis to Revelation and of the Living Word Jesus Christ. Knowing the Truth sets us free and provides a strong motive for integrity and faithfulness in our walk with the Lord.

Breastplate of Righteousness.

To be convinced of our right standing with God, not by our own goodness or works but solely by His grace in Christ Jesus. If we know we are always in right standing with God, then our hearts are protected when the enemy tries to remind us of our failings and inconsistencies.

Shoes of the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace

Being always prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us keeps us from cowering in fear when called upon to defend our faith or to be His witness.

Shield of Faith

Faith, in this context, is our life lived fully trusting in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His word. When the enemy slings his fiery darts of accusation or temptation, they bounce off those who believe His word.

Helmet of Salvation

Those who know their identity and standing in Christ can never be moved.

Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God

In the wilderness when Jesus was being tempted by the devil, he would use the sword of the spirit to inflict injury upon injury on the enemy’s attempts to draw Him into doubt and sin. We have the same sword and it is the only offensive weapon in our armour, the Word of God. It is written, the most powerful weapon against temptation and unbelief. Read it. Know it. Believe it. Use it!!

Prayer

Praying at all times, with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, watching to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

In today's climate of social and spiritual upheaval, we as Christians need to stand firm against the tide of evil and the temptation to compromise our beliefs. To put on the whole armour of God is to stand strong in victory as overcomers for Him.

May 2026
Pastor Shafiq Yaqoob | Pakistan

"Our soul waits for the Lord. . ."
- Psalm 33:20–22

Greetings to all of you, dear brothers, sisters, leaders, preachers, lay partners and pastors.

Confessing faith and hope is our first and utmost obligation as followers of Christ. It would be a great idea to go back to the Holy Bible, the root of our faith and hope, as its writing, “Psalm 33:20–22 says, "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name”. Faith and hope, in reality, comes from God. It’s a gift that keeps us alive and encourages us to move on untiringly. As pastors, working in tough countries like Pakistan, is not easy, but it is our faith and hope in Jesus Christ that motivates us to work with Brick Kiln destitutes. The Christian families suffer from financial debts. The money that they borrow from the Brick Kiln owners to resolve their problems becomes a generational problem for the Brick Kiln workers. While the parents cannot pay the debt, their children carry the debt and keep on working for the Brick Kiln Lords, this becomes a generational debt. They lose their freedom, too. They don’t have spiritual freedom; they cannot move anywhere. Sadly, this scenario brings back the memories of the Israelites when they were in slavery in Egypt, and God raised Moses and Joshua to strengthen faith and provide hope.

We, as servants of the Lord, need to bring faith and hope back to the congregations, churches, and lay-partners. Jesus is our true hope. In Pakistan, as the pastors continue to encourage the believers, I believe this should be an international appeal to all the believers to be encouraged by the power of the Holy Spirit because this is what Jesus said in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.".

I would like to thank my sister Tarnji Navie for inviting me to write a Pastor's Post. She is doing great work for the glory of the Lord. New Beginning-Your Journey to Freedom is very applicable to the situations Christians are going through in Pakistan. Thank you very much for strengthening the faith of the believers around the world.

God bless you. We pray for you. Please continue to remember us in your prayers.

All glory to God.

God bless you.

May 2026
Bruce Newitt | Church of the Nazarene | Bundaberg, QLD, AustraliaDoubt

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
- Hebrews 11:1

Doubt is the uncertainty about the truth and reality of spiritual things, as seen especially in a lack of faith in and commitment to God. Doubt leads to insecurity and lack of trust concerning God’s willingness and ability to deliver His people. It also leads to a fear of people and situations. In other words when we doubt, we are not believing that God will do what He says. Doubt robs us of faith, and we all know that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Faith believes the impossible, doubt always questions what God says.

We have all faced trials and temptations that have prompted us to ask the why question. An example of this is found in Job where we are told that God had put a hedge of protection around him and had blessed him so that he was probably the richest man in the land. Satan checked Job out to find a way that he could attack him and when he could find no way he went to God and incited God to allow him to take away Job’s possessions. The Lord allowed Satan to take Job’s possessions to prove to satan that Job was upright and blameless, a man who fears God and shuns evil. When Job still held on to integrity Satan incited God to allow him to attack Job physically which God allowed but Satan could not take his life. Satan even used Job’s wife to try to get Job to curse God. So here we see Job covered in painful boils from the soul of his feet to the top of his head being shunned by his wife and society so that he has become an outcast even in his own home.

When none of Satan's efforts worked, Satan used three of Job's friends to counsel Job, which resulted in God being angry with them. Job never turned away from God through all of this, but he did begin to have some doubts.

Job didn’t know that it was Satan who was bringing all of this trouble upon him – he thought it was God and yet through it all he kept his integrity and trusted God for deliverance.

In Ezekiel 14:13-16 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel[a] and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.

5 Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate."

God puts Job in the same box as two great men of faith. Noah and Daniel. These three could not save their sons or daughters if they strayed from God but Job, Noah and Daniel would be saved because of their righteousness. Remember that no one can make themselves righteous before God – we need to ask God to make us righteous.

So, Job is being attacked by Satan and God seems to be a thousand miles away. In his darkest hour Job says: 30:14 "Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud. 1And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me. Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest." We know that through all of this Job prayed to God seeking deliverance from all that he was going through. Job was depressed, felt rejected and believed that God had turned away from him.

When we are suffering from anxiety over the things that are happening in our lives where do we focus our thoughts? Are we like Job who turned to God? I can hear you telling me that you always take your troubles to God, but I ask you, when you are faced with a health crisis, what is your first thought? I have to make a doctor’s appointment or do you go into your prayer room and have some serious discussion with God?

Do you take a promise that God has given you for healing and claim it as your own or do you say to God “make me better and heal me from this ailment”. You might even tell God why you deserve Him to heal you, but I tell you that there is nothing that you can do that can cause God to be indebted to you. Everything that we receive from God is by grace through faith. We can never be good enough to prompt God to do something for us.

I am sure that Job spent hours on his knees seeking God and asking why but God never answered and yet even though he thought that God had abandoned him He clung to his faith and trusted God would deliver him. We can learn a lot from Job so let’s follow his example and earnestly seek God.

April 2026
Pastor David Ballard | Bundaberg, QLD, AustraliaHallelujah

A few years ago, my best friend was brutally beaten and murdered.

It was the most brutal and callous of deaths.

First, He was tied to a post like an animal, and His clothes were torn from Him, and then the beating started.

The beating was so severe that it tore His flesh from Him.

His back was so beaten that His ribs were exposed—His beard torn from His face—a crown of thorns placed on His head so brutally that blood flowed.

But that wasn’t enough.

They untied Him and placed a heavy cross on Him and made Him carry it up Golgotha.

He got halfway before Simon of Cyrene took the cross and carried it the rest of the way.

When they got to the top, they laid Him on the cross, and they drove nails as big as railway spikes through His hands and feet, and then they lifted Him up and cruelly dropped Him into a hole (prepared beforehand).

For many hours, He agonisingly hung there.

Not because He had to, but because He chose to.

He cried out at one stage (Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachtani), "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Such must have been His pain that we cannot even imagine.

JESUS paid the price for our sins. A price that we could never pay. (It wasn’t an Easter bunny hanging on the cross—it was Jesus Christ—Son of God).

And He did it for you.

Such was His mercy and grace that He pleads with God, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

So, please remember Him today. Jesus paid the price for you because you are valuable to Him.

Let love prevail.

April 2026
Pastor Kelvin Rowland | Church of the Nazarene | Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

Good Friday

As opposed to Psalm Sunday and the triumphant entry to Jerusalem only a few days ago, Good Friday does not appear to be a day of triumph. There is no applause here, no victory parade, no easy resolution. The cheers of Psalm Sunday have faded into the distance, swallowed by silence and fear.

The crowds that once cried, "Hosanna," now shout, "Crucify Him."
Jesus stands condemned—abandoned by His friends, mocked by Roman soldiers, and rejected by His own people—the Jews. And yet, nothing here is accidental—this moment, this scene has always been His destination.

Crucifixion was Rome's ultimate tool of terror—reserved for slaves, rebels, and criminals. It was designed not only to kill the body, but to strip dignity from the soul. Victims were displayed, shamed, erased. Yet this is where the King chooses to reign.

The King on the Cross

Jesus knew this had to be done. He had asked for it to be taken away in the garden of Gethsemane only hours before ... and still He does not resist.

He does not call down angels. He does not defend Himself. Instead, Jesus prays, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:43).

Even in agony, mercy flows. Even in humiliation, love speaks.

The one through whom all things were made now hangs in vulnerability, choosing forgiveness over vengeance, surrender over self-preservation.

Above His head hangs a sign meant to mock: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The soldiers laugh. The leaders sneer. The crowd watches. Yet John's Gospel tells us something astonishing—this is enthronement. The cross is not an accident; it is the mission.

Jesus does not lose control. He gives Himself willingly, reigning not through force, but through faithfulness.

The apostle Paul later reflects on this mystery, writing that Christ, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing .. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8). Hear those words, "He made Himself nothing!"

When obedience is painful and outcomes uncertain, the cross invites us to trust. When forgiveness feels impossible, the cross reminds us of grace freely given. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).

Call to Action

Today is as good a day as any for you to come to the cross honestly. Lay down your guilt, your shame, your bitterness, and your self-reliance. Jesus doesn't mind if you die on the same day as He did. He knows that resurrection is coming. Look to the Crucified King and hear His words of mercy. Receive His forgiveness—and extend it to others.

Choose the way of sacrificial love.

February 2026
Pastor Petrina Rowland | Church of the Nazarene | Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

Wasting Our Lives On Jesus
- John 12:2-9

Bethany is the hometown of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, who were close friends of Jesus who welcomed Him into their house and into their lives.

It was at the home of Simon the leper that Mary took an alabaster jar, which was a beautiful and expensive carved vase that contained a costly perfume, and she poured it on Jesus’s feet.

The perfume was worth 300 denarii, which was roughly a year’s wages for a common worker.

Those around them who were attending the dinner, including the disciples and Judas, looked at this act of honouring Jesus as a waste.

For Jesus, who saw Mary’s heart, it was an act of worship - of complete surrender.

What looks like waste to some is often the truest expression of devotion to God.

Mary’s gift was costly, public, and irreversible.

What does waste really mean?

Well, in a narrow sense, it means giving too much for too little.

BUT Mary gave too much for the One who is WORTH EVERYTHING.

She gave her best when the moment demanded her best- she took a wide view of ‘Everything Belongs to Him’… The Lord is not satisfied with partial devotion; He wants our lives poured out.

Jesus said, “She has done a beautiful thing to me . . . (vs 8.) She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.”

I believe Mary sensed the urgency of His death . . . because at the empty tomb, when the women came to anoint Jesus body, they were too late . . . Jesus had already risen. Mary acted before the hour of Christ's death; she gave all she had while there was still time to do so, she wasn’t waiting until . . .

How often do we wait until . . . Until what?

We have enough money, time . . . what?

Now that’s a waste . . . and the longer we hold, put away, keep for later, aren’t we saying to Jesus, “You are not worthy of ALL our honour, love, devotion!” Isn’t that what we’re saying- I don’t surrender all!!!

Our jars are filled with time, talent, treasure, reputation, and most of all love.

God ask each one of us to break the seal and pour it out; not because He needs our things, but because He wants our hearts.

When Mary broke the Alabaster jar, the house was filled with fragrance; I’m sure it lingered for many days after.

The image is powerful.

Whenever someone truly pours out their life for the Lord, an aroma surrounds them.

It is not always pleasant to the world- some will scoff, some will criticise, some will call it waste. But the lingering fragrance testifies to a life surrendered to God.

If you are tempted to hold back, remember the empty tomb and the urgency of the hour.

The moment to anoint is now.

January 2026
Steve Roberts | Facilitator: NB-YJF | Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

Abide In Me
"I am the Vine . . . abide in me. . ."
- John 15:5

Ah, that beautiful analogy in John 15 where Jesus compares our relationship with Himself and the Father and we, His disciples. I love the very first line where Jesus calls Himself “the true vine”, the connotation being that the grape vine was created to be a physical representation of Jesus’ spiritual relationship with his people.

I want to hone in on one of Jesus’ remarks in this chapter, “Abide in Me”. Now if we consider a grape vine, we have a large old trunk (the Vine), which produces long leafy branches usually held off the ground by a trellis. The branches are where the fruit is produced, not the trunk. The trunk produces life in the branches through the flow of sap from the roots. So the trunk supports the branches as they produce fruit.

Jesus says, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”. The very next verse ends in the declaration, “without me you can do nothing”. So, essentially, if we don’t abide in Christ, we can do nothing of any significance unless we are so connected to Him that He becomes our abode or home. I can almost hear the cogs turning as we all remember the Psalmist’s first thought in chapter 91, “. . .whoever dwells (lives) in the secret place of the Most High (God), will ABIDE under the shadow of the Almighty”. Paraphrased: Whoever abides in God will live in His very shadow.

Jesus gives us the antidote for striving and self-effort to bring change in our lives. We can’t do it unless we abide in him. To eat of His flesh and drink of His blood. To take Him in as your daily bread. To drink of Him as your living water. To learn of Him. To obey Him. To remain as close to Him in your daily walk as your very own life, for His Holy Spirit lives in you and without Him, we can do nothing.

January 2026
Tim Lunnon | Restoration Centre | Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

Transformed
- Romans 12:1-2

As ‘born again’ people into the Kingdom of God, those ‘in Christ’ are a new creation… the old HAS gone and the new HAS come! So what stops us from living in this.

There are a few things such as pride and fear, but we don’t have space to address them all. BUT the overwhelming reason why is because we are still living in old patterns in our thinking. Paul said to the church in Rome, “. . .be transformed by the renewing of your mind”, and to the church in Corinth “We have mighty weapons to demolish strongholds . . . we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ”.

This transformation is us coming into alignment with the Word of God and the mind of Christ… it is giving NO room anymore to a lie of the enemy, to fear, to unbelief, to past experiences and ungodly patterns. It IS, yielding to the Lord in all things and agreeing with the Word and the Spirit. As we do this, our perspective changes, our thoughts change, the way we live changes… we are changed… we are transformed.

The Lord wants to break into those cycles and patterns that have kept you imprisoned for years and be free to be who He has created you to be. We have to understand that the Kingdom of God operates by faith… Abraham believed God… he walked in faith and it was credited to him as righteousness. The Lord says “The righteous live by faith”. So say ‘yes’ to God, yield to Him and agree with Him… His Word, His ways and His truth! Worship Him, value His Presence, seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, get into the Word of God and be intentional about fellowshipping with like-minded believers… just see what happens.

As we start 2026, it’s time... to tie up loose ends, to allow the Spirit free reign in you and to align every part of you with the Lord.

God bless

Tim

December 2025
Tarnji Navie | Bundaberg, QLD, AustraliaFaithful In The Waiting
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.”
- Lamentations 3:25

Note: This section opens with an initial reflection by Tarnji, written while awaiting the first post. Ongoing posts in this space will be written by Pastors, Church Leaders and other mature Christians.

Waiting is rarely comfortable. Whether we are waiting for healing, clarity, reconciliation, or simply strength to face another day, waiting can feel like standing still while life moves on around us. In these spaces, it is easy to wonder whether God is present or whether our prayers are being heard.

Scripture reminds us that waiting is not wasted time. Throughout the Bible, we see God working deeply in seasons of waiting — shaping character, strengthening trust, and drawing hearts closer to Him. Waiting does not mean God is absent; often, it is where His quiet work takes place.

For many people walking through recovery, grief, or personal struggle, the waiting can feel especially heavy. Yet God meets us there — not always with quick answers, but with steady presence. He is faithful even when progress feels slow and hope feels fragile.

If you find yourself in a season of waiting, be encouraged. God’s goodness is not measured by speed but by faithfulness. Continue to seek Him, even with small, honest prayers. Trust that He is at work in ways you may not yet see.

May you find peace in knowing that God is near, attentive, and faithful — even in the waiting.

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