REFLECTOR.

REFLECTOR

On the 9th of May 2008, at the break of dawn—4:30 AM to be exact—a group of men from work and a few faithful guys from church decided to embark on what we called a "God walk" up Mt. Gravatt in Brisbane. It was the kind of morning that made you pause and reflect. As we reached the summit, a conversation broke out about the full moon, glowing brilliantly in the predawn sky.

One of my mates looked at it in awe and said, “You can see why people worshipped the moon, hey?” He was right—it was stunning, a masterpiece in the heavens. But as we marveled at its light, the thought struck me: the moon doesn’t produce its own light. Its glow comes entirely from the sun.

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A Lesson from Martin Luther King

Later that morning, I played Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech for the group. I had been reflecting on this remarkable man—a preacher, an activist, a husband, and a father. At his core, Martin Luther King Jr. was an ordinary man, much like you and me.

But what set him apart was his willingness to reflect the pain, hopes, and dreams of his people. He made himself available to stand in the gap, to be a voice for the voiceless. MLK didn’t shine with his own light—he reflected the truth of God’s justice, the cries of the oppressed, and the hope of freedom. If he hadn’t stepped up, we likely wouldn’t know his name today. Yet, his choice to reflect God’s light in the face of injustice came at a cost—a great reward, yes, but also a great sacrifice.

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The Moon and the Sun

That morning, as the moon lit up the Brisbane sky, I realized the profound beauty of its role. The moon is not the source of light—it simply reflects the sun. Without the sun, the moon would be invisible, an unseen rock drifting through space. But when it aligns with the sun, it becomes a beacon of light, impossible to ignore.

I thought about our city. If every person in Brisbane looked out their window that morning, they would see the moon glowing with a borrowed light. Yet how often do people fail to see the ultimate source of that light? How often do we miss the fingerprints of God on our lives, even when His reflection is shining all around us?

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We Are the Moon

That’s when it hit me: we are the moon in our city and in our country. Just like the moon reflects the sun, we are called to reflect the love and light of Christ to the world. Our lives are meant to shine in dark places, pointing people to the true source of power and hope—God Himself.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16:
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

We are not the source of the light; we are simply reflectors of God’s love, grace, and truth. But here’s the challenge: our city will never see that light if we don’t make ourselves available.

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Making Ourselves Available

Martin Luther King Jr. made himself available, and through him, God reflected justice and love to a broken world. The moon makes itself available, faithfully reflecting the sun’s light. The question is, are we willing to do the same? Are we willing to be God’s reflectors in our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and families?

Being a reflector requires stepping out of our comfort zones. It requires saying "yes" to God even when it’s inconvenient, even when it costs us something. But the reward is worth it—because when we shine the light of Christ, we give others a glimpse of His goodness, His power, and His love.

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Reflecting God’s Light

Our world is full of people who are lost, hurting, and walking in darkness. They don’t need our opinions or our self-made light; they need the light of Christ. They need us to reflect His love, His grace, and His truth with authenticity and compassion.

So, let’s put our hands up. Let’s make ourselves available. Like the moon reflects the sun, let’s reflect the love of God to a world desperate for hope. Together, we can shine a light so bright that no one can ignore the source behind it.

Be the moon. Be a reflector. And watch how God transforms the darkness into light through you.

Gods Promise!

Today Alisya and i had to go to our bi weekly check up at the hospital, just to check out how the baby is going. The same old thing with the same old results every time we went, I began to wonder why we have to go every fortnight for this check ups wen it all seems to be going great. Only to realise what a stupid thought that really was, so many things can go wrong, and the smallest detail can mean something totally horrible, something i never want to experience.

On the way out of our session with the doctors Alisya said "look up there", and there was the most amazing complete rainbow across the sky (unfortunately my nokia camera phone didn't do it justice). So i snapped a photo and thought nothing much more of it...but then i realised i had just done it again. Taken what i thought was an insignificant detail for granted.

See what was in the sky when i came outside was a PROMISE from the creator of the universe, the one who formed us out of dust, the one who knew me when i was in my mothers womb, the one who put me together peace by peace, God himself draped that across the sky as a sign that he keeps his promise no matter how much time passes. He keeps his promise despite my choices, he will still keep his promise and will never take that promise for granted.

Then i remembered more of what God has promised us...

• He will never leave us nor forsake us.
• He will never give us more then we can bare.
• We can cast all our cares upon him, because he cares for us.

Thank God he never takes us for granted, the way i take him for granted! The only reason i can sleep at night is because i know he is at the wheel, and regardless of what i have to confront in my life, He will never leave me nor forsake me.

And just like the rainbow - that's a PROMISE!

Escalators

That simple invention at the shopping centre or airport, the one designed to make life easier, can also serve as a profound metaphor for life. Escalators are convenient, carrying people—sometimes lazy people—up or down without effort. But have you ever gotten caught up in a crowd on an escalator and found yourself heading somewhere you didn’t plan to go? Before you know it, you're moving in a direction that demands backtracking, careful navigation, and intentionality to get back on course.

This is not just a mechanical reality; it’s a spiritual one. Life often presents us with "escalators"—crowds and choices that seem harmless at first but carry us to destinations far from where we wanted or were meant to be. I know this firsthand.

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Caught in the Crowd

As a 13-year-old kid, I experienced my first taste of “the escalator effect.” I found a packet of cigarettes and was immediately captivated by their allure. Just holding them gave me a thrill. I didn’t start smoking right away; instead, I toyed with them, hid them, and shared them with the "cool" kids at school. That initial thrill of rebellion was intoxicating.

Eventually, curiosity gave way to action. I smoked one with my friends, and the rush of doing something so taboo was overwhelming. It felt like stepping onto an escalator heading somewhere dangerous but exciting. I smoked so many that first day I vomited. I swore I’d never touch another cigarette again. Yet, just days later, I was back at it. The desire to fit in, to belong, was stronger than my resolve to quit.

By the time I was 17, smoking was a habit. I didn’t see it as a problem—it was what my crowd was doing, and I was young. I told myself there’d be plenty of time to quit later.

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The Escalator of Life

Escalators don’t just move us physically; they symbolise how easy it is to drift with the crowd. What starts as an innocent step can lead us to places we never intended to go.

Years later, in 2006, I found myself deeply entrenched in habits I thought I’d left behind. Smoking, drinking, clubbing—it wasn’t just about the behaviours; it was about the crowd I was following. These were good people, some of the best friends anyone could ask for. But the truth was, I was lost. The crowd was heading in one direction, and deep down, I knew God was calling me somewhere else.

Countless times, I told my friends I was done. “I’m quitting drinking, smoking, partying—it’s over,” I’d say. But I was weak. No matter how much I tried to reverse course, I found myself back in the same place, doing the same things, stuck on the same escalator, unable to get off.

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One Step Changed Everything

In late 2006, I realized I couldn’t keep living like this. I wasn’t just tired of my habits; I was tired of myself. I had to step out of the crowd—not because my friends were bad, but because I was lost. I took that first step off the escalator, choosing to walk away from everything I had known, trusting God to handle the rest.

That one step was all it took. I didn’t have to have all the answers or the strength to fix everything. God met me where I was, broken and tired, and He took care of the rest. The old song says, “I choose You again and again,” but in that moment, I realised it wasn’t about me choosing God—it was about Him choosing me.

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God’s Unshakeable Love

Looking back, I see the pattern. Over and over, I would choose God, only to fall back into old habits—at camp, I’d choose God; at a party, I’d choose the crowd; in church, I’d choose God; with friends, I’d choose the world. But through all of it, God never stopped choosing me.

No amount of cigarettes, drinks, or bad decisions could make Him love me less. He loved me at my lowest, not because I was perfect, but because He is. That’s the power of God’s love—it’s relentless, unchanging, and unconditional.

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Stepping Off the Escalator

Have you ever felt stuck on an escalator, carried by the crowd to places you never wanted to go? Maybe you’re there right now, unsure of how to get off. Here’s the truth: it only takes one step. You don’t have to fix everything or figure it all out. Just step off the escalator and let God take care of the rest.

His love for you isn’t dependent on your success or failure. Whether you’ve made the same mistake a hundred times or are caught in a cycle you can’t break, He loves you regardless. He chose you—and there’s nothing you can do to change that.

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A Final Thought

The escalator of life is easy to step onto but hard to get off without intentionality. The crowd might seem appealing, the thrill enticing, but it’s not worth losing sight of where God is calling you. Take the step today—step out of the crowd, off the escalator, and into the arms of the One who has loved you all along.

BIG!

I held back from speaking my heart for so many years, in case it never came to pass.

I refused to tell people how i really wanted to change my world, and be apart of something BIG, the type of BIG that slaps people in the face and leaves them speechless...That kinda BIG.

I had dreams of making a music CD, VIDEO and one day writing a BOOK, and as you read this those who know me say... "Paul Glass is going crazy, this is the same cat that only went to year 9, the same guy who has never finished nothing he started, the same guy that self destructs at the first hurdle".

...and before you know it the devil comes in and steals my dreams, kills my joy, and destroys my passion. The Voices of those around us who should love you, who should build you up just cut you down. Isn’t it crazy who the devil will use to bring negativity into your life. Then your focus is on why you cant, when it should be why you can!

Psalms 37: ...I was young and now im old, Still i have never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging for bread. I will never be alone, I will never fail, I will never be a failure while i walk with God. So BIG things look out, im coming for you!

• I will reach my generation.
• I will preach the gospel.
• I will see the miraculous.
• I will speak thing as thou they already exist...
• Im Guna do crazy stuff that hasn’t been done before, im guna go places people fear to tread, im going to make a difference in my world.

I can do all things, through Christ...

Peace, Paul Glass

The City.

Have you ever felt like God is telling you to go back and build THE CITY.

Have you ever been gripped with a passion for a place like Nehemiah was for his city, willing to walk away from everything you have to build the walls, to build a place of safety so your people can have a place of Refuge from the enemy.

I dream of THE CITY in every city,
a place where the bonds of wickedness will be loosed and let the oppressed go free, to give bread to the hungry, and bring in the homeless, where the naked will be clothed.

Because God has anointed us to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the open of prison doors to them that are bound.

This is our time, this is our Day... Listen to what God is asking you to do, follow his voice!

Burn with passion for THE CITY.

Your City needs it.