Healing Testimonies (30/10/11)

So this has been a very exciting month for all of us. This actually happened a few weeks but I just haven't had time to write this up! I was at my local church, and doing the usual stuff, and I just suddenly get the feeling that we should pray for people with sore right shoulders and bad ankles. I decided to tell my friend, who told my awesome pastor Neil at the end, and he asked people to come forward. Three people came forward!


The first woman had crutches and bad ankles, but also had a sore right shoulder! So we prayed with her and her pain mostly went away, which was amazing! Another woman had a sore ankles and I think she got partially healed too! A third woman had a tight shoulder, and after praying, her shoulder immediately loosened up! How incredible!


So I guess this is the start of something new that we're all excited about! I'm just so honoured to see some of the healings! If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below!

It's been a while...

Hey guys,

It's been a long while since anyone has posted, but that's mainly because we've all been busy with our different things... But we will be posting many things soon! Just a few things that have been going on in the background include Ed getting married (WOO!) & me and PJ's collective album being released on itunes: (Click here to see more)

So much more to come soon!

PS. If you've been following, and you want to get involved, contact one of us please or leave a comment!

Glory and Joy

"I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh will also dwell securely...You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
(Psalm 16:8-9, 11)
"When the Lord is before him (David) and at his right hand, his "glory rejoices." The word translated as "rejoice" also means "tremble." This makes me think of a tuning fork that vibrates when its note is sounded. When God is before us, when we are close to Him, we resonate with the same sound that is God. We rejoice in His presence, for in His "presence is fullness of joy." Our glory rejoices - the substance that we share with God is expressed in the intimacy and exchange of being with Him as Father and children, and that expression is joy."
Paul Manwaring, What on Earth is Glory? (P.62)


I started reading What on Earth is Glory? a couple of days ago and then this morning I came to this passage and I was just so overwhelmed and amazed by it that I just wanted to share it. The idea that in the presence of our Daddygod we just can't help but rejoice and tremble in His presence is just incredible. 


When you think about all the brokenness, hurt and betrayal in this world that we are exposed to on a daily basis and then you contrast that with this Father that when you're with Him just envelops you in Love and Joy it just takes my breath away. 


David writes that he has "set the Lord continually before me," from that he is able to say with complete confidence that "he will not be shaken," when we have God set right before us we have no reason to ever doubt, worry, or fear again, whatever the world can throw us our God is Bigger, Stronger and He will never, ever, ever leave us. His overwhelming, all-consuming love for us means that He will always be there. When we have this mindset we are then free from the constraints of this world, we are free to rejoice in our Father, to rest in His presence and be daily overwhelmed by His joy. 


I love the image that Paul Manwaring gives of us, as tuning forks, so that when we can feel the presence of God we can't help but be filled with His joy. This makes me ask the question, how can I be more tuned into His presence? How can I fine-tune myself so that I can have more of this joy and feel more of His presence? 

Garden - Misty Edwards

This is a link to a video with this song. The video contains footage from the film, The Secret Garden; it is powerfully relevant to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUW5dkoCjnU

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lyrics:

It's You and me alone God You and me alone
Here it's You and me alone God You and me alone

You've hedged me in with skin all around me
I'm a garden enclosed a locked garden
Life takes place behind the face

So come into Your garden
Come into Your garden

Here O Lord! Have I prepared a place for You!

I'm no longer my own I'm Your garden

I don't want to wasted my time living on the outside
I'm going to live from the inside out
I don't want to waste my life living on the outside
I'm going to live from the inside out

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

They say there are 1000 words in a picture and 1000 pictures in a word. This is definitely true of this song - each phrase with enormous depth and significance - almost as if there are worlds to be explored and gifts to be opened in every line. It is a wonderful picture of intimacy with God, inspired by Song Of Songs; our relationship is described as a garden, even that we are the garden, His garden. The song starts with lines of poetry. The whole song is infused with life, and the video attached to this is perfectly suited to the song, as if it is the song in visual form!

The music is atmospheric and enchanting, with beautiful electric guitar work, vocal meoldies and atmospherics with a clean, liquid feel. What I love is the sense of treasure that we are as God's possession and masterpiece, made in His image. We are gifts unwrapped and we can give ourselves to Him to unwrap us.

Above everything else - Rend Collective Experiment

Here is a link to this song. Scroll down through the others to find it.

http://www.myspace.com/rendcollectiveexperiment/music/albums/organic-family-hymnal-14948595

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lyrics:

You rule over distant seas over every part of me
You raise the day from night and the song inside of me
You watch all the planets spin and my eyelids flickering

Beyond everything else You are, You are
Above everything else You are

Greater than life itself
More precious than perfect health
Finer than friendship or romance
More needed than oxygen
More pleasing than thrill or fame
Stronger than death or gravity

You speak and the waves obey, but You whisper peace to me
You hold the skies in their place and my past and destiny
You reign over war-torn lands, over famine, fear and kings

King Jesus You are victorious, You are
King Jesus You are victorious

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The whole song is packed with gems. While some of the lyrics sound strange on execution, the themes echoed out resonate deeply with the heart of a worshipper. In this song, the supremacy of God is not just an abstract idea but brought right home to every aspect of our lives and who we are. Complemented by driving yet contemplative music (you have to hear it) this song is bursting with passion and delight in the infinite.

However, what really does it for me is the last section, 4 minutes into the song, when the music drops down and builds powerfully with the lyrics, "King Jesus You are victorious, You are King Jesus You are victorious". Sung by a choir of children. The power and anointing in this final 2 minutes of the song bursts through. There is nothing quite so beautiful and pure as children singing of the power of their creator.

Your victories are my victories

At some point, most of us will feel jealous of someone, spiritually. It is easier, more subtle, and perhaps doesn't seem so bad to be jealous of someone's faith, their gifts, victories or even love for God. Or perhaps you just want to be more like someone.

Now, just to clarify - it is very good to have role models. It is good to learn from each other, to desire to grow more, and to be challenged by others too. But what I'm talking about here is different. And it is dangerous.

This is something I'm dealing with and have struggled with in the past too. I found that jealousy can show up in frustration, but underneath jealousy is a feeling of being short-changed. This often seems to be the root of the problem, and spiritually we feel like God is short changing us. I found that to be the case of a friend of mine. After a lot of spiritual growth in him I felt that I'd been short-changed.

The truth is that God has made us all unique and characterised us differently. We therefore have unique relationships with Him. Also we are all on different journeys and in different seasons of life. Sometimes we are growing we just don't even realise. And sometimes we have an impact without knowing.

But even after all this, it wasn't enough. So God led me to this awesome passage - 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. Here, Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and he's basically saying how awesome they are! "After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when He returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy" (NLT).

In this letter, Paul goes on and on about how much their faith as encouraged other churches and how much he thanks God for them. Through this, God showed me that in His family, we share victories. Jealousy falls. Your faith is my joy. Your victories are my victories.

Conflict in church (five-fold bashing)

"I think the worship should be more like this!" "All we do is Bible study!" "We don't do enough Bible study!" "Why aren't we reaching the lost?" "No-one cares for the poor!" "All we're doing is following some human agenda!"

Conflict in church. We see it all the time. Anyone with sense would say the obvious: that getting a whole load of people together with different personalities, tastes and cultures will inevitably lead to disagreements. However, we can say more than this.

Beyond the superficial disagreements ("I've had enough of tea and quiche!"), I believe much disagreement comes from the perspectives that come from the five-fold gifts of leadership. To find out about these, read the pentagon blog. And these disagreements can be more serious and more legitimate.

For example, the apostle might say to the teacher, "all you care about is reading the book! You've missed what God is doing in our city!" The prophet might say to the pastor, "perhaps you should try listening to God more than other people!" And the evangelist may say, "all you care about is the people inside the church! What about those on the outside!"

The truth about balance: many try and resolve the conflict by trying to strike a balance. "We don't want too much of this or too much of that" - when actually we need more of everything. But more importantly, things need to come in the right order and with the right basis and purpose.

As mentioned in the pentagon blog, the church must be lead with an apostolic leadership at the helm, along with the prophetic. This maintains the focus that Jesus prayed: "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven". Heaven on earth. This doesn't mean we want less of the rest of the five-fold. What it means is the nature of the other giftings must be such that they fit around this prayer and all visions that come from this prayer.

This means we will absolutely pursue good teaching, evangelism and pastoring and an apostle will encourage that, but always in the vain of "what is God doing here?" or "how is God's kingdom being established here?" Without being rooted in an apostolic ministry, teaching can turn into nothing more than an intellectual transaction rather than the life-giving spring it was designed to be. Prophecy can become a purposeless obsession with dreams and visions. Pastoring can become trying to please people and evangelism can become simply a way of filling up empty seats. As such all endeavours by any part must come around the pursuit of the Kingdom - heaven on earth. To do an activity for its own sake is very short sighted.

Of course, this is where the conflicts are most likely to arise - where each part is not in its rightful place and when the apostolic is not at the base. Where there are distortions, people don't see the other groups as in conflict or tension - remember what they are against is the distortions of them. Of course, what is also essential is that people have humility to be led. The apostle must lead and the others must accept his or her leadership (not in a dominating way), and not expect their ministries to be the "main thing". (The ministry of the apostle is not the "main thing" by the way - the "main thing" is the Kingdom of God).

As such, many conflicts can be resolved. There will still be some inevitable tensions as each five giftings (and therefore perspectives) seek to model a church which works best. However we do not avoid these conflicts, but seek to resolve them with the aid of love, humility, patience....basically good character (or the fruits of the Spirit, if you like).

Life Shapes: Pentagon part 2

(3) The evangelist. The meaning of evangelist is literally "bringer of good news". We take this to mean "preacher of the gospel", but let us not forget that ultimately the evangelist is a story teller - who is telling the story (true story) of what God has done. This includes testimonies but ultimately all testimony points to (and comes from) what Jesus has done by dying and rising again. When considering the church being built on the apostle's ministry, the need for the evangelist to join him in his vision is obvious. In order to bring the Kingdom to this world, God's story must be told to those who don't yet know it.

(4) The pastor. We usually use "pastor" when describing a generic church leader or "minister". The truth is a pastor is someone with a pastoral anointing. One who cares for the flock and enables them to reach their potential. This may not be someone with organisational skills or someone who can preach (as most "pastors" do). Someone who is not officially in leadership can be a pastor (as with any of the five-fold). They simply need a pastor's heart. This is also an essential part of an apostolic ministry. What does heaven look like? The sick are cared for. People help each other. People grow and help each other grow.

(5) The teacher. The teacher is one who helps us understand the word of God. He or she is a guide (not in the same way as a prophet), based on the truth found in scripture. A teacher is vital in the ministry to unpack the Bible for us to see God as revealed there. They also teach us how to live according to the Bible, show us who we are according the Bible and show us insights from it. It is of course vital that the church has understanding of God and His world. Finally, they stop the church ending up in dangerous theological ground.

Although many may be given just one of these gifts, some can have more than one. It is helpful for an apostle to be sufficient in the other four, in order to have some insight into the vision of the Kingdom of God. It is not clear from the Bible whether or not every person has one of these or whether they are specifically for leaders. I believe that all who know Him have at least one (even if they don't use it yet), as I believe in some sense God calls all His people to be leaders, leading by being salt and light in a dark world.

Life Shapes: Pentagon part 1

The pentagon, being 5 sides, represents the five-fold gifts of leadership in the ministry of the church. That's not to say all gifts, talents and anointings are limited to these, but simply that these are a complete framework of leadership gifts (which others will be based around).

The five-fold gifts come from Ephesians 4:11 "It was he who gave some to be (1) apostles, some to be (2) prophets, some to be (3) evangelists, and some to be (4) pastors and (5) teachers." Ephesians 4 talks about the growth and maturity of the body of Christ (the church) and tells us God gave us these five in order for growth to happen.

So what do these five areas of ministry mean?

(1) The apostle. The original meaning from the Greek word (apostolos) means "sent one", and carries the meaning of one who is "sent on a mission". Looking at the ministry of Jesus, it is no surprise then that the apostle is the one who comes first. Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19) and as such was a man on a mission in this world. Of course, His ultimate mission was to save the world by His death and resurrection, however His life's mission was seen in the second line of the Lord's prayer - "Your Kingdom come". His frequent talk and parables about the Kingdom of God emphasises this. And it seems this is the call of the apostle - he or she is sent out into the world, to bring the Kingdom.

(2) The prophet. This we can see throughout the Old Testament as God gave us the "prophets" - those who God spoke directly to, with a message for the people. In Jesus (who, by the way, perfectly embodies all of the five-fold), we see the prophetic not only as God the Father speaks through Him, but also as He speaks with authority to change situations (the commands to heal or the cursing of the fig tree). Prophecy (since Jesus) has been discussed by Paul in Corinthians as a spiritual gift. Books have been written on the prophetic, but for our purposes, all we will say is that despite the fact that God wants to speak to all of us, some He has called as prophets in order to hear from God concerning the leading of His people.

The New Testament says that the church is built on the ministry of the apostles and prophets - ie, it is the cornerstone. One way I have heard the two described is that the apostles are concerned with stepping out and bringing heaven (God's Kingdom) to earth, and prophets are concerned with "seeing" what's in heaven, and speaking it out on the earth. It is clear why the two are important, and why they should be at the helm. The next three follow.

Breaking the Chains

I was listening a live version of "Break Every Chain" by United Pursuit Band, and I was just moved by the presence of God in this song. But what blew me away at the end was this short prayer right at the end of the song. I decided to transcribe it because I thought it was just an incredible prayer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mohyR5xowFw

"Lord... I just praise you tonight because, Father, it's... it's like a yes or no. Whether that we can see our lives, whether we can see a freedom, Lord. A lightness, a brightness. And Lord, for any here that just don't recognise that there is light, and there is dark. And there is pain and there is suffering, there is depression and there is fear and there is... hopelessness, but there is goodness, there is truth, and there is life and there is joy: abundant and free. God, help us see that's you, that the light is you... that you're interested... you're interested in breaking us free... that you're interested in seeing your light come, right here and right now. That's what you're about Jesus, and help us be about the same thing. Help us be about the same thing. We wanna rise up with you God, we wanna be about the things you're about. We wanna be about life."

There were many things that challenged me in this prayer. The first big thing being whether I myself can see freedom in my life. What is freedom? Freedom in Christ used to always seem like a big paradox to me, as when I was younger, I believed we were never really free with so many rules to follow. I was wrong. Freedom in Christ, means we are free from that guilt and condemnation, that sometimes we may feel when we sin. I'm not saying that its okay to not care whether you sin or not, rather to let it go completely to God so He can restore you to your identity in Christ. When Jesus died, He took all of our sin, and covered us with grace.

The second thing that challenged me was the contrast of light and dark. So often we can wind up thinking about all the bad things in life like pain, suffering, depression, fear and hopelessness. I know I've experienced many of these things within my life, and I ended up in a cycle focusing on negative without any positive. I can tell you now, that isn't a healthy place to be, regardless whether you have faith or not. Fortunately, I had a few good friends help me pull through, and they helped by reminding about the goodness in life. And if you're in that vicious cycle now, send me a message and I'll be open to chat and to pray for you, because I know there is so much good out there.

The last thing got me is that God is interested in us. Just WOW. It blows my mind every time I think about it. God, who created EVERYTHING, is interested in me. And it's the same for you too. Whether you want to believe it or not, God is interested in you and how you feel! That's just incredible, right?

I want to end with Will Reagan's final line. "We wanna be about life." I want to be about that freedom, that joy, and about that goodness, and to spread it everywhere. What do you want to be about?

Being Made Right

You know what’s great? Realising that not only do you have the thing you’ve always hoped for, but that actually, what you have received is so much more amazing than anything you thought of in the first place.

One of the things I had to do as part of the first few weeks of FORM, the discipleship and leadership course I've just started, was to tell the others in the group about the story of my life. This has got me thinking a lot about the journey I’ve been on over the last few years, and some of the changes I’ve seen in myself, especially in the ways I think about God.

This is one of the biggest changes I could think of: I used to think that if I was sorry enough for every single thing I ever did wrong, then God would see my sorry-ness and decide that he would forgive me for them. Obviously, having my sins forgiven was great, but there was still lots to worry about: what if I forgot about some particular sin and forgot to apologise for it? Or even worse, what if I sinned without realising? Then I’d have no chance of being forgiven! Or even if I did remember, I might not be quite sorry enough to please God… As you can imagine, this wasn’t a particularly nice way to be feeling, with a general sense of worry and uneasiness about what I may or may not have done wrong, and a slightly panicked and frantic check of my conscience every time we got to confession in church services.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago

Romans 3.21

I think this verse gets at what was wrong with my old ideas, and the overwhelming better-ness of God’s plan than I had imagined. God didn’t just want to blot out my sins one by one, as they came along, and he definitely didn’t want me to have to grovel to his to do even that! Jesus paid for all all the darkness in the world to be taken away through his one act of sacrifice, and that includes every time I’m ever going to mess up. Completely covered over, and not to be worried about again.

But much more than that, God wants me to be right with him. It’s like the difference in court between being found guilty but then let off with a pardon, and being declared to be not guilty - in the right – in the first place. But this is not just a verdict that means I don’t have to be punished. It means I can be counted as an adopted son of God himself, and the recipient of everything in his Kingdom that he has to give me. Which is just about the most exciting thing ever…

Life Shapes: Triangle

"Jesus went to pray. When morning came he called his disciples to him...a great number of people came to hear him and to be healed."

Luke 6:12-17

The triangle life shape is all about the importance of living balanced lives. In this short passage from Luke Jesus demonstrates to us the three different types of relationship and the necessity of each one. We refer to them as "Up" (our relationship with God), "In" (our relationships with each other) and "Out" (our relationships with people that don't know Jesus yet).

First of all, Jesus prays to Our Heavenly Father, this relationship is so important to cultivate, by worship, prayer and just chatting to God.

Secondly, Jesus gathers his disciples to him, relationships with other followers of Jesus are equally vital. Gathering together to support and love one another should never be underrated, without the encouragement and prayers of others we would struggle. Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) expresses this far better than I can:

"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

Thirdly, the people gathered to Jesus, he taught and healed them, these people did not yet know the love of God. It is our God-given mission to show them that love, if we seclude ourselves from society then how can people meet with Jesus? Relationships with people that don't currently have God in their lives are so important.

Put simply, our relationship with God should feed our relationship with each other, which in turn should help us go out and talk about Jesus to people who don't know him yet.

Without one of these types of relationships the other two would suffer, we need to have all three. For example, if we neglect "Up" then we won't be able to support other followers of Jesus because we'll be missing that supernatural input, our "Out" will also suffer, without fuel our fire for God could die right down and not be visible to others.

Does your life include all of these relationships? Do you give enough time into each of these 3 areas? Just take a moment now to reflect on this and ask God how you can better balance these important aspects of your life.

The "Called" and the "Chosen"

"For many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14 (KJV)

What does it mean to be called, and what does it mean to be chosen? And if many are called, why are only a few chosen? And if I am called, how do I become chosen? These were just a few of the questions running through my mind when I first encountered this passage, during my high school years. Similarly to many people I knew, I didn't really understand it too well...

Recently, I went to a Jesus Culture conference in London with a few friends, and God's presence was really tangelable. The air was so thick. The guy speaking at the conference was called Banning, and he unpacked it really well.

"Many are called, but few are chosen." What was it about certain people that God not only called them, but also chose them? And surely everyone that is called should be chosen? To understand this, we should read it again, in the context of the passage.

The rest of passage is about a king, who sends out many invitations to friends to a wedding, however all of them reply that they are busy. After receiving the replies, the king then sends out another batch of invitations to others. Most of them say no, but a few say yes. And in effect, that's the king saying I choose you. So can it really be as simple as saying "yes"?

Well actually, yes! As illustrated in the story, many were called, but none were chosen as they had said no. In reality, I believe God has called each and every single one of you, to do a job that nobody else can ever do. The question is, are you willing to saying yes? I'm not talking about "yes, but..." or "yes, if only..." but a yes without a get out clause. Living in your real identity, that God has called you to be.

So do you want to be chosen, or just called? I'll let you decide.

How do you hear God's voice? - part 3

Sixth point, don't be disappointed. You've been trying to listen to God for ages now. All your friends constantly get words from Ezekiel, dreams about Zion, visions of angels in their bedroom, and you get...nothing. The most important thing is not to be jealous. A while ago, a major shift in my life took place as I let go of things that had held me captive. It was like shedding an old skin. At the heart of it was disappointment with feeling outside of God's loop. This became jealousy when others were blessed and came out in frustration, scepticism, and even attempting to change my theology. The point is, sometimes the grass does seem greener on the other side. We need to remember that our own relationship with God is unique. God sees you differently to how he sees everyone else - uniquely. And you respond uniquely too. Different things make you tick. Trust is the key. If we believe God works everything for the good for those who love Him (it's in the Bible), then we don't need to think that our relationship is of a lower status. Also, remember that we are all insiders in His family. Jesus has taken care of that on the cross. His death and resurrection has put us in the loop! No matter what we feel.

Seventh, having said all that, it is important to remember there is always more. Yes, don't be jealous of other people's relationship with God. But don't shut yourself off from growth. Allow others to challenge you to pursue God more fervently. Encourage those feelings within you that desire more of God, as this is perfectly natural. On the one hand, God is a God of peace and fulfilment. On the other, He is a God of adventure and sacrifice. If we do not desire more of God, I suggest we have become distracted or set our sights too low. The point is that we want more of Him and His voice not because we're disappointed that He's not doing enough for us, but that we are so overwhelmed by a glimpse of Him that we are desperate for more. When faced with infinite and pure love, it is natural to be so satisfied. Yet it is also natural to want to go deeper.

I believe all these key things about relationship are intertwined with hearing God's voice. We're not talking here about casually asking God for His input in a decision. Nor are we suggesting having a nervous breakdown over trying to hear His voice. Nor anything in between these two extremes.

How do you hear God's voice? - part 2

My third point: when we look in the Bible, we often see God affirms people's identity before sending them out on a mission. This is most clearly seen in Jesus. Before He started His ministry, He was baptised and the Father affirmed His identity - "This is my Son who I dearly love. In Him I am well pleased". And then Jesus started all the cool stuff! (after going to the desert). The point I am trying to make here, is that too often we try and 'cut to the chase' with God - "okay God, what do you want me to do?" "show me the way and I'll go", "what is Your will, God?". Not that these are bad questions at all. But I think we first need to ask God "who am I?" "who have you created me to be?" "what is my identity?". I believe God is more interested in showing us who we are really (how He sees us), than simply giving us endless tasks. I believe what we do must flow out of who we are. Not that God won't ask us to do something that feels unnatural or doesn't seem to fit with our talents. He might well do that. But I believe God is eager for us to know who we are in Him.

Fourth, I believe that we need to look for God's voice. It is true that we shouldn't try to muster up God's voice - He speaks to us. But often He speaks in such a way that requires us to open our "eyes" wider to find His voice, and to give Him the benefit of the doubt. It can sometimes feel embarrassing to say "God told me this", or "God spoke to me", thinking that we'd prefer to believe exclusively in a natural explanation for everything, unless it's miraculous. But I think we should expect Him to be speaking to us, and desire to hear His voice (not out of duty or jealousy of others), but simply because we want to hear Him speak.

Fifth, don't wait around. Use what's in front of you. If you've been asking God what steps to take, and He doesn't seem to be responding, that could mean simply carry on what you're doing. Sometimes we need to see our lives with fresh perspective - to see what's around us and the possibilities and opportunities. And ask questions. Of course, I'm not advocating a purely strategic approach here. Remember that the Proverb compels us not to "depend on your own understanding". However, there are other parts of the Bible which encourage us to use wisdom (especially throughout Proverbs). Just don't depend on human strategy. Be prepared to take risks. Give yourself. The Christian life requires that you give all and don't hold back. Be prepared to do things that don't seem logical. But at the same time don't be afraid to follow your instincts. There's no formula for this one. Sorry.

How do you hear God's voice? - part 1

How does God speak to us? What is God's will? This is quite a popular question for a lot of people, and I have certainly wrestled with this one. Yes, there are the usual answers - He speaks through His Word, the Bible, He speaks through pictures, dreams, other people, feelings, circumstances, etc. This post is not about giving an answer to the question, or a formula to hear God better. Instead, I want to share some of the lessons I've learned when it comes to listening to God's voice.

The first point is this. Some people say you can't know what God wants. You just have to get on and live. My question is - is this idea genuine, or is it due to trying to hear, failing and feeling disappointed? It is very dangerous to build a theology based on disappointment or lack of experience. Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take". Jesus says in John 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me". It is clear that hearing God should be part of the normal Christian life. So why do we find that it often isn't?

It sounds obvious but the more we know God, the more we can hear His voice. That's not to say those who know Him well don't go through periods where He doesn't speak much. But sometimes we can treat God as if He's a stranger that we're trying to get answers out of. Some of the questions we have might actually be answered if we knew Him better, rather than Him just telling us the answer. The greatest joy for us is to know Him. Those who have experienced just a glimpse of Him will never be the same, never want to go back, as they have tasted something far greater than anything in this world. Knowing God is a glorious journey, and that alone will shape our entire lives, even without Him telling us some information. It is also important to note that how we see God will affect what we hear from Him. If we see Him as a nit-picker, we will always hear "you're not good enough". So it is very important to know God for who He is.

A forest

Near where I live at home there is a forest. Probably very few people have covered its vast area and know it intimately. It’s a place that I like to go for walks, spending time with God and soaking up the surroundings. After all, what better place is there to have heart-to-heart with God, than the very turf that He thought up and spoke into being? I find myself at home among the wildness and yet warm invitingness of the place. Perhaps it’s partly the fact that both the forest and I were God’s idea. Each time I go I find new scenes; sometimes places I’ve been before feel new also, but many times I end up in a completely new area.

Despite beforehand, believing that there was nothing new to discover, today in my walk I found myself in many new places - one time staring out into a sea of different shades of green, tree trunks and branches curving and twisting like snakes with the warm brightness of the sun lighting up their edges. It seemed to carry on into the distance endlessly, just as the forest seems to have endless places to go and colours to see – greens, browns, oranges, yellows.

It is a good launching pad for God-time as the forest reflects His is wildness and endlessness. There is always a new place in Him; always a new colour or flavour; always a new sound to His voice to be found; always a new part of His heart to be discovered. Each time I visit that forest, at some point in that time I can’t help but thank God for making this place for me to explore and enjoy. And yet sometimes I forget it is there. Each time I wonder why I didn’t go there sooner, why I let everyday distractions or endeavours silence the call inviting me back. And oftentimes it is the same with God. Our own agendas and petty worries can muffle the sound of His call, inviting us back into His presence. Other times we think, just as I thought, that we’ve heard it all before, seen it all before and know all there is to know about our King. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as the funny thing about God is that when He gives you a glimpse of Himself, it’s so satisfying and mystifying that you are left always wanting more, and realising that you have only scratched the surface!

My encouragement today is, don’t be afraid to explore God. And if there is something in this world which you have discovered is like a way into His (like my forest), do it! For me, music is often another way in. Or it could be stories that open up your mind. Pictures, films or plays. Whatever you find draws you to into God and His world. Take advantage of it! But more importantly, take advantage of knowing Him!

Top Priority

"There was also a man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, but he claimed it was the full amount. His wife had agreed to this deception.

Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God."

As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men wrapped him in a sheet and took him out and buried him.

About 3 hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, "Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?"

"Yes," she replied, "that was the price."

And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this - conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Just outside that door are the young men who buried your husband, and they will carry you out too."

Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and all others who heard what had happened."

Acts 5:1-11 (NLT)

First of all, let's look at when this was and put it into context, this is the beginning of the new church, the times when followers gave up everything and shared everything to live as one, "all the believers were of one heart and mind" (Acts 4:32). This was an incredible time of growth and miracles within the church, Jesus had gone from this world but His influence was still clearly visible within the lives of His followers.

Now we come to Ananias and his wife Sapphira, they had joined the new church, they obviously saw that this community formed by the apostles was special, different, blessed and they wanted in on it. They had something that they could give to this community that could help, the money from the field, but instead of giving it all for the Glory of God, they decided to only give part but claim it was all. As Peter says, the field, and the money that came from it, was entirely theirs, do to with as they wished. However, Ananias and his wife decided instead to keep some back for themselves all the while claiming to have given up everything. They wanted to be part of this community but not have to risk everything in order to do that, if it fell apart they would still have some money, they would not be beggars.

How many times do we catch ourselves doing that? Claiming to be wholehearted lovers of God but then put other things higher than Him in our list of priorities? "Actions speak louder than words" is a bit of a cliché but it is so true. It is easy for me to claim that I love God more than anything, that He is my top priority. And yet sometimes nothing is harder for me than to shut down Facebook, put my phone on the other side of the room, shut out whatever else I need to and just be with my Daddygod. It can take some effort but it is so worthwhile and is something I am really trying to get to grips with, I say He is my top priority but I want that to be obvious from how I live my life and how I spend my time and my resources.

We need to be honest with God and with ourselves, as Peter said to Ananias, he wasn't lying to the rest of the community, he was lying to God. Other people's opinion is not important, what is important is our relationship with our God. The field belonged to Ananias, the money got from selling it belonged to Ananias, he could do with it what he wished, the only thing he could not do was lie about it. Peter makes it quite clear that had Ananias only given part of the money and been honest about it that would have been okay, it was the deception and the hypocrisy that was unacceptable and caused God's response.

Here is a prayer that I have been praying recently:

Daddygod, thank you for being such an incredible and loving God, help me to learn how to live for You each and everyday, putting You first in all things, Amen.


I hope this helps you on the way to living out in actions what you claim to believe in with your words :)

An ancient prayer

So, I came across this ancient prayer, a prayer to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes in our modern world and convenient "accessible" modern church we forget the mystery and wonder of our supernatural God and the connection we have with Him. Sometimes we forget the Spirit and reduce Him to being mentioned in prayer, forgetting that He's also God. It's easy to imagine the Father and Jesus, but the Holy Spirit...how do you picture Him? I hope this prayer will inspire you to worship the Spirit as God also.

Come, true light.


Come, life eternal.


Come, hidden mystery.


Come, treasure without name.

Come, reality beyond all words.


Come, person beyond all understanding.


Come, rejoicing without end.


Come, light that knows no evening.

Come, unfailing expectation of the saved.


Come, raising of the fallen.

Come, resurrection of the dead.


Come, all-powerful, for unceasingly you create, refashion and change all things by your will alone.

Come, for your name fills our hearts with longing, and is ever on our lips.


Come, for you are yourself the desire that is within me.


Come, my breath and my life.


Come, the consolation of my humble soul.

Come, my joy, my glory, my endless delight.

- St Symeon the New Theologian (C10th)

Hitting The Wall...

Recently, I was on a plane journey flying from Hong Kong back to Heathrow, and as with most long flights, I couldn't sleep. So I decided to flick through the channels and see what films were on. This one film in particular caught my eye, and so I put it on. It was called Run, Fatboy, Run. At this point in the post, you're probably wondering what this film has to do with title... bear with me...

So for those of you who haven't watched it (you should definitely watch it!), its about a guy who always gives up, but then decides to participate in a marathon... About midway through the film, Simon Pegg's character receives some advice about running from his opponent:

"I'm talking about discipline and perseverance. And all cute little comments aside... there comes a point in every race... it could be the fifth mile, it could be the twenty fifth... but, eventually, you're gonna hit... what runners like to call "the wall." And when you do...you won't be able to breathe or think or even move. All you're gonna wanna do is give up." Whit - Run, Fatboy, Run (Warner Bros. 2007)

After hearing this quote, it kind of provoked me into thinking about God, and actually how similar running is to living a life of faith. You can live for God every day, and it doesn't matter how long you've been a Christian, but at some point, you'll probably hit the wall, and just as above quote mentions "you won't be able to breathe or think or even move. All you wanna do is give up." And a lot of people take the easy way out and give up, but what would happen if they didn't?

Throughout my life, I've hit so many walls, and at times, I literally couldn't move on. Walls can be made up of disappointment, hurt, pain and frustration, just to name a few. It isn't easy, but I would like to encourage you all to carry on because the rewards are just so good. I promise you all that it's worth it.

So, what do you do when you hit the wall? Do you give up, or carry on? I know what I'd do.

How do you approach life?

‎"If you approach life and forget about the atrocities that we commit, then you're not being honest. And if you approach life and simply look at the terrible things and forget about the amazing aspects of what it means to be alive, then you're going to be suicidal. So, somewhere in the middle is honesty and embracing all of life."

Jon Foreman

After I read that powerful quote, I just wanted share it. It made me realise how often I can be at either end of looking at life, and I guess it isn't healthy to neglect one of the world views. So I guess my question is:

How do you approach life?

Album preview: [Unreleased album] - Opaque Nature

Opaque Nature are an extraordinary band, founded by two best friends who met while studying at the University of Warwick. Based in Leamington Spa, UK, most of their gigs have been local, but now they have started expanding their gigs to London too. Despite being relatively unknown, the music they produce is incredible! Mostly driven by gentle acoustic guitar, accompanied by soft keyboard, it blends an atmosphere where forgotten dreams and aspirations can breathe new life. The lyrics themselves perfectly capture the themes of truth, innocence and peace.

The album begins with Fire, which starts with a catchy guitar hook. The song builds into a beautiful melody with lyrics that challenge us to give ourselves in love - "Will you say when you're asked, Will you say I gave my heart?"

The next track, Mixing The Colours, is a lovely song about the beauty of relationships and the God who is the author of relationship and love. There are rich vocal harmonies along with heartfelt guitar and piano hooks which create a great sense of homely intimacy.

The Mourning is an ingenious track with the one-liner, "I was a ghost for a while, but I turned out to be a man". The song is about transformation, with each lyric echoing the realities of the transformations which happen in our lives. The middle part of the song is a journey through the mess of our lives and struggle to be free, bringing back memories of a darker past.

Their last track, Seaside, is soft song filled full of love and innocence. It manages to capture the emotion of a good experience, and shrink it into a six minute long clip. Just as the song reaches a climax, it transitions into a dream-like melody, while Mike Knight's vocals slowly echo the beautiful lyrics "...watching love grow...forever..."

To me, nothing sums up the songs of Opaque Nature like the lyric "Sunshine, there is more than meets the eye" from Mixing The Colours. The songs show me the world around me more clearly, taking me by the hand to show me something that's been there but I've never seen before.

So guys, if you haven't checked them out already click below for their facebook fan page, which has all of their tracks (which are all available to download for free!)

Opaque Nature 

Posted by Jon

Life Shapes: Semi-Circle

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." 

John 15:1-8 (NIV)

The words that really jump out at me about this short passage is "Remain in me, as I also remain in you." At first glance, it may seem a bit cryptic, but after thinking about vines and branches literally, the metaphor is revealed.

As the passage explains, a tree may grow to produce fruit for a season, but in order for the tree to produce more fruit for later seasons, the branches that do not bear fruit must be removed, whilst those that do must be cut back to the vinestock (the main branch or branches where other branches grow off.) This means that when it grows back, the branch will be stronger and be able to support more fruit.

Taking the metaphor away, and placing in our lives means that as we spend with God, we may grow in a particular area (healing, patience etc), which will lead to season of fruitfulness such as seeing healings and miracles. And usually, just as we're getting used to this season of incredible things, it can all just suddenly stop. We can pray for things, and healings don't happen, and impatience can return.

At this point, we will probably start to wonder... "what have I done wrong?" and "God has let me down..." I know in the past I have. However, there is another way to look at it. Instead of thinking of it as a bad thing, think of it as a prompt to spend abide in God. As you begin to rest in God, the cycle starts again, and you will start to grow again.

It is so important to understand this rhythm of life, in order to grow more, and to see an increase in fruit.

Album review: Hello Hurricane - Switchfoot

Switchfoot's number 7 and they have surpassed their previous work in my opinion. Bear in mind, their previous work is fantastic too, just this album is extremely consistent, every song being powerful in connecting with the mess of humanity. It also maintains the high standard of poetry in their lyrics, and is probably their best produced album. As usual, Switchfoot are honest and authentic, reaching deep into the meaning of our lives, our purpose, our mess and our freedom.

The record starts with a high-energy anthem, Needle And Haystack Life which, while embracing the messy honesty of life - "You breathe it in, the highs and lows, we call it living", also points upwards to the ultimate certainty behind it all - "In this needle and haystack life, I've found miracles there in Your eyes". Despite the title track, this song could be seen to sum up the themes of this album and much of Switchfoot's work. Then we have Mess Of Me and Your Love Is A Song, bringing out the darks and the lights. It's been said that in this album, the brights are brighter and the darks are darker than in their previous work.

The Sound is a brilliant track pulsing with passion and energy. It is a cry of desperation, resembling Lonely Nation from Nothing Is Sound, but with more rawness and vigour. The next track Enough To Let Me Go is a wonderful ballad about relationships. John Foreman puts it brilliantly: "...this song is about the dance involved in a relationship the coming together and letting go. The song equates love with breathing - pulling in and releasing", and explains the danger of treating love as consumption. The title track, Hello Hurricane, is another soaring anthem about resilience during life's trials. It reminds me of Jesus' parable of the wise man who builds his house on the rock, so that when the stormy weather comes his house remains.

Always is a beautiful song about a human life from the perspective of a father, probably from God the Father. It is incredibly moving, singing of human vulnerability, but reminding us that "I am always yours". Bullet Soul is another high-energy rocker oozing with life, asking of those who are innovative and creative, "Are you ready to go?". Brilliant!

The last two tracks on the album are a journey in themselves. Sing It Out could easily be a Psalm of David, with all its darkness and desperation - "I'm on the run, I'm on the ropes this time". It describes clinging on to God and singing out despite feeling hopeless. The end trails off with a beautiful string section playing, after which begins the light and dreamy yet surreal start to Red Eyes. In fact the whole song is quite surreal, especially at the end which includes an experimental mix of echoey vocals and drums. The song is about hope for the future in the midst of our broken culture.

Musically, this album is superb - each song is perfectly crafted for its purpose, and Jon Foreman's vocals really shine like never before. The wonderfully varied textures created in Red Eyes, the energy and depth of Needle And Haystack Life and the use of strings in Sing It Out all show a Switchfoot who has not at all run out of ideas but is growing, refining, and keeping the passion and ingenuity alive.

10/10

Compelled By Love - Heidi Baker

When I first started reading Compelled by Love I didn’t really know what to expect from it, I didn’t really know Heidi Baker’s story, all I had heard was a few of the stories from the book. It pretty much blew my mind. As I read it I could feel God’s glory was pretty much pouring off the pages, this book is such an incredible testament to what a strong faith grounded firmly in God’s love and His grace can achieve. Heidi herself is such an inspiring woman, she’s so in tune to God’s vision and purpose for her life.

This book focuses on the eight Beatitudes: blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who mourn; blessed are the meek; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; blessed are the merciful; blessed are the pure in heart; blessed are the peacemakers and blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. Each chapter covers one Beatitude, each one filled with Heidi’s own personal experience and stories from her time in Mozambique. The stories are simply written and that simplicity is what makes them so powerful, they are the stories of what can happen when God is completely trusted, when we hand over our own plans for our future and just give our whole lives up to Him.  It’s very reassuring to know that there are people like Heidi and her husband out there, giving up everything to bring the much needed presence of our all-loving, all-powerful daddygod  right into the centre of some of the poorest people in the world’s lives.

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, it’s easy to read and despite the fact that many of the stories take place in Mozambique you can still apply their incredible messages over to our own lives.

Who are you?

So this is a massive question I've been working on for a long time for myself.... So here it goes:

Who are you?

I mean it's easy to say that you're a human being, state what sex you are, to answer what your name is, and even talk about your heritage... but that still doesn't answer the question. You can start discussing your genetic make up, the chemicals that compose your body, but that starts to delve into what you are, not who.

So we can talk about our jobs, our personality, our habits, but it kinda still doesn't cut the mustard for me. This is just the person I am now. Is this who you really are?

With a world that is always changing, the only thing that seems constant in my life is God. And well, He's known every single one of us, from even before we were born. So I guess if you don't know who you are, why not start by asking Daddy God?

Album review: Church Music - David Crowder Band

"There tends to be a sparseness of production. There are only four or five elements that make up a track. That encourages it to be a disposable thing. Your ear can understand and get to the bottom of what’s happening really quickly, so the thing gets chewed up and spit out... So [the composers] started thinking, 'What’s going to be fun to discover on the 4th or 5th listen?' That’s what we tried to do. We did a lot of layering, and hopefully things can be discovered on repeated listens." - David Crowder

And that's exactly what they did. Musically, this record pushes the boundaries and goes further than much modern worship music. The title track Church Music, is in fact a dance track! Not only that, there is a wide range of styles, from rock, dance, electronic and pop and many fused together. You wouldn't for example, expect an electric guitar solo in an electronic dance track. But that's what we have here!

When listened to all through this album feels like a journey; it plays continuously from start to finish with all 17 songs linking into the next. The journey takes you through a wide range of themes including God's awesomeness as portrayed brilliantly in the powerful rocker God Almighty, None Compares; trusting God through dark and painful times, in Shadows; and crying out to God for greater intimacy with Him in the beautiful SMS (Shine). We also have wonderful renditions of John Mark McMillan's How He Loves, and Flyleaf's All Around Me, full of rich emotion, connecting with the secret place of intimacy with God. The final track , In The End (O Resplendent Light!) is a fantastic 6 minute finale, looking forward to the future fulfilment of God's Kingdom in all its perfection, joy and peace. The track ends with a period of eclectic electronic music experimentation which is all quite surreal. There is a rich depth and feel to all of the songs, each having its own charm, from the warm friendliness of Alleluia Sing to the perkiness of Birmingham (We Are Safe).

Lyrically, this record soars high. It's even clear from the song titles that this album is a wonderful collection of beautifully crafted poetry. The lyrics are infused with life and passion which connect deep into a person's life. From the honesty of Shadows: "Oh the joy and oh the sorrow", the unusual (and ironic) dance track lyrics of Church Music:

"Dance if you're wounded
Dance if you're torn into
Dance broken open
Dance with nothing to lose"

and the poetic We Are Loved,:

"Velvet black night
Pierced with white
Stars waiting quiet
Wide listening sky"

the lyrics on this album rise far above much of what is written about God, us and His world.

I fully recommend! 10/10

Am I not good enough?

So sin is always a pretty huge topic. I'm not even going to begin to start unpacking the why's, who's and what's of it. However, I would just like to point out that nothing can separate us from God's love.

"Yeah, that's all well saying that Jon, but I've sinned. I deserve punishment. I don't deserve God. I can't be a Christian, I sin too much..."

So hey man, chill. Yeah, you don't, but neither do I. Or the next guy along. Or that girl who always goes to church. Or that pastor. Or that church leader. But that's the beauty of mercy. Getting what we don't deserve.

"But Romans 6 says the wages of sin is death..."

Correct, but we also have a loving God. When Jesus died on that cross, He not only took away yesterday's sins. He also took away today's too. And also tomorrow's! Isn't that incredible? And this extends to the stuff the stuff we haven't even thought about doing too! That means the debt of EVERY sin we will EVER do, has already been accounted for. Think of it as an open bar.

That doesn't mean sin all you want. I mean sin is definitely bad. I'm just saying don't beat yourself up over it.

The hardest part of all of this is actually forgiving yourself, and accepting that your debt of sin has already been paid. And acting as though you deserve punishment is like saying Jesus's sacrifice wasn't enough. So I guess we just need to start accepting that God loves us, and start receiving his love.

God's Love

So... Did you know that God loves us? And nothing can ever separate us from that love. It's unconditional! Isn't that great?

"So hey Jon, I forgot to pray this morning..."
God loves you, okay?

"But I went to a party instead of my home group..."
It's totally cool man, God loves you.

"But Jon, I don't go to church any more. I mean I used to..."
It's alright, God still loves you!

"But Jon, I got so drunk last night that I don't even know what I got up to..."
Well... God loves you!

"But Jon, I'm addicted to all sorts of drugs..."
Hmm... well... God STILL loves you!

So if you still haven't got the point yet, God loves you. No buts : )

Encouragement

This is just going to be a very short post to say just how incredibly amazing and loving our daddygod is. This evening I felt down for no real reason, I just felt a bit irritable which didn't even make sense because I've had such a lovely day. So I decided to just rest in His presence and He showed me what I was really stressed about, He told me who to tell about it, how I could start to fix it and then He just soothed me and I just feel so peaceful and comforted. I just feel safe and surrounded by His love, nothing can compare to my daddygod :).

Sunsets are beautiful

So to start off I should probably mention that I live in a little town in the Lake District, one of the most beautiful places in the world (in my opinion, but maybe I'm just biased...) and I have a very lovely border collie that needs lots of walking!

So yesterday I was walking a fairly usual route through the park and then I thought I would go up the hill (it's not really a hill...more like a mound and you can get up it in about 3 minutes) opposite where I was baptized in the river, somewhere that is very special to me and very beautiful, especially at sunset. I was just standing on the top of this hill and I could just see these incredible views all around me, i could see the river, the trees, then further off I could see a few of the fells and I was just drinking it all in as the sky just became more and more beautiful around me. For someone who needs green a lot and just spent the past year living in concrete Coventry it was just amazing, and so quiet and peaceful. I love the sky so much, it always amazes me, especially when I'm in Coventry, it's just like God is saying to me "hey, I'm still here, I still made all this for you and now I'm going to carry on presenting you with this incredible display of colours, clouds, sunsets, sunrises, rain and lightning. And I'm going to paint it right above you, so not even the biggest buildings can quite block it out, you can always see the sky." It just feels like this incredible gift to me, it's the most fantastic display of creation I can think of, things on the earth, mountains, streams, plants, and even living things, humans can try and replicate them and are sometimes successful and sometimes fail. But the sky is on a whole other plane, I don't think anything we can make can ever compare to anything as beautiful and continuous as the sky.

But my doggy was starting to get a bit impatient at the top of this hill, although she'd been really good up til then, sitting quietly by my feet, I am certain she can sense moods! So we started our way home, this is a route that I have walked for about 10 years, my house is on the west of the town so I was just walking into this incredible sky of colour and light, oranges, reds, pinks, purples, blues and yellows all tinting the clouds and the sky. And then it just hit me, this is exactly what walking closer with daddygod is like, as we get closer and closer to him everything just becomes more and more beautiful and filled with colour and peace, until eventually we're just part of that beautiful landscape. It was one of those moments that I just wanted to capture in my mind and share, it was perhaps an insignificant moment and yet it was a really significant to me. It was like I was hit afresh with what an amazing daddy we truly have, He's just so beautiful and loving and powerful all at once, there are just no words to describe how truly awesome He is. I just want to curl up on His lap and spend time with Him, in worship or just chatting through my day, my hopes, my silly worries and just soak up His presence.



This is the view I saw on my way home, it doesn't really do it justice but it's trying!

Life Shapes: Circle (Part 2)

1) Observation

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

An observation can happen at any point in our lives. You could be looking at a sunset, watching a movie or anything else. It draws attention to observe something with kairos (which is kind of like a critical moment). At this point, we should be asking why God is showing us this observation, at this moment.

2) Reflection

After being drawn to an observation of something, we should be trying to figure out the meaning, the causes and values behind it all. Whilst observing, God speaks to us to reflect upon what we've seen.

3) Discussion

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin." Matthew 6:27-28 (NIV)

The next thing to do after reflection is to discuss with others what you have seen. This may or may not come as a surprise to you but discipleship is not a private internal matter.

4) Plan

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

As the name suggests, this part is about planning how to live life differently after reflecting and discussing the revelation. To effectively plan, there should be a vision for should happen next.

5) Account

After planning, it is often helpful to tell somebody of our plans, and ask them to hold us accountable these plans. This means that they can ask us about any details within the plan, and also if we've followed through.


6) Act

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24 (NIV)

So after making a plan, and having someone hold us accountable to these actions, it only makes sense to actually do the thing! It is often so easy to make a plan, and forget to follow through, so this is the most important step!


After this step, the circle is complete! So quickly adding a few things:

Repentance is about discovering who God is and what He's like, and the implications for us who receive His love. In a way I guess it's a recognition of unbelief.

Believing is learning to live in the light of discovery, and walking day to day with God.

Repentance in one area of our life leads to belief that brings us to another kairos, another opportunity to repent ie continuous breakthrough!

Hope this is helpful to you!

Life Shapes: Circle (Part 1)

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15 (NIV)

The circle of continuous breakthrough is based on the these words: repent and believe. So what does it mean to "repent and believe"?

Repentance is a change of heart and mind. Simply put, it is a process of transformation that takes place within someone. This is be broken down into three different parts: Observation, Reflection and Discussion.

Believing is active trust, or sure faith. Again there are three practical activities that are related to believing: Plan, Account and Act.

Put together, this is what it looks like:

The arrow going from left to right represents time. Where the line touches the circle, it represents an event, which subsequently leads to observation, reflection, discussion, planning, accountability, and acting. After this, the circle can either carry on following the line (after a breakthrough) or continue around the circle, until there is breakthrough.

So what does this look like in our everyday life then and how does it relate back to the Gospel?

We are an Ark

I have been searching for this song for so long! Finally found it! It's called "We are an Ark" by David Fitzgerald. Link is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWLi_nJ_s9A

-------------------------------------------------------

Lyrics:

My eyes have not seen
My ears have not heard
What you have prepared for me

I can't comprehend
What you have spent
And you gave your life for me

I am an ark of your glory (repeat)

We are an ark of your glory (repeat)

You make your home in me (repeat)

-------------------------------------------------------

This song is so powerful! I knew I had to find it again when I first heard it because I was hooked on the chorus "I am an ark of your glory." There's something so enchanting about this song, as it's a declaration that our bodies that God would live in us, just as He would be in the Old Testament, behind that veil because his glory was undiluted. They had to try rope around priests when they when behind for a face to face encounter with God the Father because they would just fall to the floor. That same glory behind the veil, we can have it too in us. The question is, how much do you want it? I know I want it bad!

Find My Own Flame

I can't get this song out of my head, so I thought that I'd share it. It's called "Find My Own Flame" by United Pursuit Band. The link to the song is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShlmvA4-bgM

-------------------------------------------------------

Lyrics:

I don't want to ride on somebody else's passion
I don't want to find that I'm just dry bones
I want to burn with unquenchable fire
Deep down inside see it coming alive

Help me find my own flame
Help me find my own fire
I want the real thing
I want Your burning desire

Do what only You can do
In my heart tonight,

There's no better time
There's no better time
There's no better time
There's no better time

-------------------------------------------------------

What I love about this song is that it's so simple. It's something I can relate to, knowing sometimes our faith can seem firmer than it is, because everyone else around us is hyped up. Every time I play this, I kinda see this as my prayer, that I can be stronger in my faith, and that my faith is the real thing.

Life Shapes

Life shapes are just things I find helpful to apply to my everyday life. It's something that my church teaches, and something I find quite helpful. What I find particularly helpful, is using these shapes to talk to other Christians about my things in our lives. For me, it has become a lot easier to describe what I'm going through. Each of the shapes has a scriptural backing, and these are quite easy to find in the Bible. Over the next few posts, I plan to go through first five in more detail. This post is just supposed to give a short overview of them.

The first life shape is the circle for continuous breakthrough. I find that this is the shape that I use most often as the applications are limitless. The circle is a continuous cycle where one can look their current situation, and see how to get breakthrough in an area that one finds difficult.

The next life shape is the semi-circle of fruitful living. This shape is useful to understand the rhythm of life, and balance work and rest works in our lives.

The triangle of deeper relationships is the third life shape. As the name suggests, it looks at the deeper relationships we hold in life ie, the one with other Christians, the one with people who aren't Christians, and the one we hold with God/ Jesus/ Holy Spirit.

The square of multiplying life is all about starting new things. This shape looks at how Jesus called his first disciples from the start to being sent out, and how we can replicate this model. I mainly use this shape to look at cell groups (home groups) or cluster groups (bigger versions of cell groups), but it can be applied to other things, such as starting a new activity.

The last shape that I will describe is the pentagon of personal calling. This model is all about identity, and how you and I fit into the body of Christ. It also shows how the separate parts of the body work together. I often refer to this model as the five fold ministry, which will make more sense later.

About Us

We decided to start a blog about God, and about our passions. Over the last 18 months or so we've all just grown so much in faith and we just really feel that we should be writing it down, if nothing else so that we don't forget it!

So who are we? So there's Jon, he started the blog and then there's his girlfriend Emma, his best friend Pete and the lovely Beth. And Ed. Who is pretty cool. We will be posting teaching, worship songs, book and album reviews... we're not really sure what it looks like but here are some photos of us :) You can follow us here directly, or twitter if you prefer (@ourlifeisopen)