Raising the Cross in the (Remote!) Heart of Australia
For Doves who may be interested, I wanted to draw attention to a project planned for the remote heart of Australia. In brief, the project involves erecting a 20 metre cross, made from core ten steel and placed on the top of Memory Mountain (also known as Roundhouse Mountain). Memory Mountain is 190 metres high. The cross will be lit by LED lights at night.
Memory Mountain is a very remote location - 250 kilometres west/north west of Alice Springs, and Alice Springs (in the Northern Territory) is itself remote - so Memory Mountain is even more remote! Details of the project are available on the walkawhile website - link below. The direct link to the Raise the Cross project is the second link. A famous Australian photographer, Ken Duncan (http://www.kenduncan.com/) is supporting the project and this is how I found out about it. The third link is to an article on the project.
The project has been approved by the (Indigenous) Central Lands Council (a miracle in itself), but is subject to timing and funding constraints.
http://walkawhile.org.au/causes/help-raise-the-cross-2/
Why is this important for the Rapture/Second Coming?
I have provided more details about the project below, mainly from the Walkawhile website, but I wanted to highlight the link of this project to the end-times. There are just two aspects that I would like to cover. First, RECONCILIATION! True reconciliation between the first peoples and the Church of Jesus Christ can, I believe only be achieved through the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT. This is encapsulated in the ministry of Elijah the Prophet in Malachi 4:5-6 (Amnplified):
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 And he shall reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction.
Part of the reconciliation is between fathers (including Indigenous elders) and children. Note the emphasis on the LAND in Malachi. Indigenous people in Australia are at a disadvantage on almost all socio-economic indicators, and there is a government programme to CLOSE the GAP. Perhaps the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will bring about a true and deep fusion of Indigenous people into the Church and society more generally!
The second aspect is the harvest!! In the time remaining (and closing rapidly) to the Rapture we see (in Revelation 7:9 ) a portrayal of the harvest from ALL TRIBES AND LANGUAGES! And there are many, many tribes and languages among the Indigenous peoples in Australia!
After this I looked and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and before the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
Revival with a Focus on the Cross - A (Priceless!) Spiritual Heritage
Ken Duncan believes (as do others) that Australia has been chosen to see a mighty move of the Holy Spirit. It may be a Holy Spirit fire that starts in the centre and spreads out across our nation. This fire will then begin to move out into the Pacific region, then into America and the rest of the world. It will not be brought about by any one person or denomination; God is speaking to those who have ears to hear His voice and each will have a part to play. There is a spiritual stirring in this Ancient Land of Australia!
The Role of Sing Along
Since 1982, a group of indigenous Christians has been singing songs to Jesus almost every night for hours at a time. They call this phenomenon “sing along”. When the singing started, people came from far and wide and it would go on for hours. As various groups got involved in this indigenous worship, their communities were transformed overnight. Many long-term issues like sexual immorality, drug abuse, petrol sniffing miraculously began to fall away.
The original sing along team returned to their community after igniting the Holy Spirit fire in Haasts Bluff. This is still smouldering, but for now is no longer an intense fire.
How The Cross Dream Began
In 2009 Alison and Douglas, leaders of the Haast’s Bluff community, told Ken the sing along singers were coming back to their area, to a place called Memory Mountain. Tribes would be coming from all around to be part of this Easter sing along to celebrate their Christian heritage. They asked if Ken would come and bring Christian musicians to join them.
Ken assembled an eclectic group of musicians and they joined hundreds of indigenous people from surrounding communities - in the shadow of Memory Mountain, on a red dirt stage, the powerful singing continued for five consecutive nights.
During that event, three community leaders shared with Ken their vision to build a cross on top of Memory Mountain - each received this vision independently!!!
What Will The Cross Look Like?
This cross will be 20 metres high, and erected on top of Memory Mountain which is about 190 metres high. The cross will be outlined with solar powered LED lights so it can be seen from afar at night. More technical details are on The Cross Plans page.
Holy Spirit Fire Painting!!!
http://walkawhile.org.au/causes/holy-spirit-fire-painting/
Many indigenous artists are providing paintings to help raise funds for the project. Alison has produced a painting she called “Holy Spirit Fire” (link above) which is the story of the cross. She believes when the cross is raised on that mountain, it will break strongholds over our nation. As this cross is raised up in the heart of Australia it will draw people from far and wide, and will be like a stake in the heart of our nation, claiming it for Jesus and proclaiming His name over our land.
To have obtained permission to build the Cross on Memory Mountain is a miracle in itself. When it is finally finished there will be a huge celebration at Memory, right under the Cross. Indigenous people from many tribes around Australia will come.
At the foot of the cross we will see true reconciliation in Australia!!!!
The Cross on Memory Mountain and the Southern Cross
(second verse of Advance Australia Fair below)
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands,
To make this Commonwealth of ours
RENOWNED OF ALL THE LANDS!What a glorious sight can be anticipated if the Cross is erected on Memory Mountain – a memory back through time (lest we forget Gethsemane!) and geography - from the heart of Australia to Jerusalem/Israel. Imagine a clear and cloudless night in Central Australia, with all the stars shining brightly - yet above all there is the Southern Cross – an eternal symbol of the love of Jesus Christ, and a heavenly witness that Australia as a nation will find its way, by finding its way home through the Cross!!
Australia - a nation under the Southern Cross, and on our flag! For those who are not aware, I have provided a link to Australian flags below. The Southern Cross is a huge subject in itself, so I will just mention the following. There are four stars that outline the Cross. There is a fifth star on the Australian flag - this reflects the position of the heart (if a man were hanging on the Cross (facing Earth!!). There are two pointers to the Southern Cross (Alpha and Beta Centauri).
http://www.australienbilder.de/e-flags.htm
While our faith and hope do not rest on monuments, I find it interesting that this project is happening now (subject to finance). Interesting also that the Football World Cup final was in the shadow of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio – and the 2016 Olympic Games will also be in the shadow of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.
Maranatha!! Denis