Replicate.

Education is not always enough, sometimes apprenticeship is required.

This is something that the government is starting to become aware of as the nation is becoming increasingly well educated while simultaneously suffering from a lack of skilled workers (i.e. plumbers, builders, etc). Academia is all well and good but it needs to be balanced with the development of practical skills within a nations workforce.

This is also the case in our faith. Building our faith is not an academic venture where we study and then pass an exam; it has always been an apprenticeship. While we are equipped with a 'manual' (although the Bible operates like no other manual that you have experienced) we are called to accept our apprenticeship [discipleship] in faith where we learn from each other.

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Phil 4:8-9 (Msg)

As you can see, this is no modern invention; it's not simply the case that mentoring has suddenly come into vogue.

So do we sit around and wait for an inspiring man or woman of God to find us?
No, it is up to us. God will use different people at different time to mentor us in different ways. At the minute I would say that I am being mentored by my Pastor (to whom I am directly responsible - here he is smiling now), friends (who's faith filled attitudes have been sculpting my own) and even Kyle Lake (who, even though he is no longer with us, has been greatly influencing my life through his preaching and writing).
It doesn't matter if you have just found Christ or whether you are an experienced pastor, we are all in need of a mentor. Find someone who reflects Christ, who's life can benefit yours and cause you to grow, and then learn from them.

Restore.

Are you to young to be used by God to do something amazing?
Are you?!

At what age do we qualify in becoming a revolutionary in Christ?



It shocks me how many revolutionary children there are in the Bible (not youths, but kids! - Jeremiah and Samuel are high in the list) but I have been blown away by the young Josiah.

Josiah's granddad was a terrible king who spent his 55 year reign corrupting the nation. His father was no better; he came to the throne when he was young but by the time he was 24 he had become so corrupt that his officials had him assassinated! This was Josiah's family, it was a bit of a mess; what chance did he have?!

Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He lived the way God wanted. He kept straight on the path blazed by his ancestor David, not one step to either left or right. 2 Kings 22:1-2 (Msg)

He was 8! Suddenly the responsibility of the nation was on his shoulders. It wasn't like he had just lost his dad and had to deal with kids taunting him in the playground at school; this child had to grieve the deaths in his family over the past few years and start ruling a country that was morally falling apart on every level!
Surely the NSPCC would do an advert about him or something - 'He's just a child...'

But he did OK. He held things together for sometime, but something was about to happen:
One day in the eighteenth year of his kingship... 2 Kings 22:1-3 (Msg)
Josiah had sent one of his officials to the Temple to ensure that it was in good keep. When he arrived the priest their announced an amazing discovery; in one of the back rooms they had found the Torah, God's law books (first five books of the Bible). They had not been seen for generations and as a result completely forgotten… even by the priests!

The priest then read it to Josiah. He was 26 at the time and he publicly broke down, it was too much to bear. He loved the nation to so much that he would have done anything to defend it, but all of sudden he realised that the point of it all was not for him to be king of Judah but for God to be!
He immediately took every foreign god out of the temple. He destroyed every place of worship to idols. He began a God Revolution, this young man who knew the fragility of kingship, used every moment he had to make a difference.

The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. Then the king proceeded to The Temple of God, bringing everyone in his train - priests and prophets and people ranging from the famous to the unknown. Then he read out publicly everything written in the Book of the Covenant that was found in The Temple of God. The king stood by the pillar and before God solemnly committed them all to the covenant: to follow God believingly and obediently; to follow his instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to put into practice the entire covenant, all that was written in the book. The people stood in affirmation; their commitment was unanimous. 2 Kings 23:1-3 (Msg)

Are you a revolutionary for God? Am I?
We should be.

Undoubtedly few [if any] of us are called to be kings here and now. Josiah new what position he had been put in and went all out to use it to its full potential [for God] while he had it (after all he knew that he could easily be assassinated before the day was out). We too have opportunities today that will not be available tomorrow.

What are we going to do?

The revolution is God's but the choice is ours.

Relish.

Why do they call relish [the food] relish? Because I really do not relish [take pleasure in] relish at all! Yuk!!!!

Moving on...

What do you love doing?

What is one of your favourite things to do?

Here's is my [incomplete] list (not in any order, just off the top of my head):

- Reading a book while having a long hot bath on Saturday morning before anyone else is up.
- Making Ruth laugh uncontrollably.
- Mowing my lawn.
- Watching a thunderstorm.
- Writing a beautiful sentence.
- Discussing things of eternal significance.
- Listening to a David Crowder CD.
- Running out into the snow first thing in the morning...

Having started the list I realised that I was going to struggle knowing when to stop. There is so much to enjoy. There is one thing that I deliberately left off the list, but I enjoy it the most; God. Knowing God and knowing that I am God's is great fun; I find such pleasure and delight in it. I relish this fact!

God is holy and awesome and everything. He created all things and sustains all things [including me every morning], if He paused even for a moment we'd all die. He is the First and the Last. I can't begin to describe how genuinely awesome God is. So awesome and important in fact that it seems an odd notion that we can just enjoy Him too. But we can, we can delight ourselves in Him!

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." Ps 37:4-7

Enjoy life; enjoy God!
Go on, have a laugh. Enjoy your salvation.

Relate.

To those outside the church the relevance of our Gospel hangs on how we relate to one another.

We are comfortable with history confirming Jesus' existence as well as what he did. We are comfortable with the Bible verifying who Jesus was and the success of his mission. Indeed if we were in a debate on these issues we'd win, no worries.

We are comfortable with all of these things because it means that validity of the Gospel is independent of us, but that is not the case. To the watching world our lives [if they deny Christ in our actions, reactions, words, attitudes etc] can completely undermine the power of the Gospel.
Yes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ does have the power to save but the world will never look at the Gospel unless they see it in us first, and the way they see it is in how we relate to one another.

Let's be honest if you went into a church full of people who didn't join in with the worship [or indeed anything], where they stopped listening to the sermon and even walked out before it had finished. Where you heard people complaining about the worship band immediately after the meeting [as though it was a performance requiring some academic appraisal], you would surely wonder if that church had anything to offer you.
Wouldn't you?
This is because they are not characteristics that would inspire you to join a group, driving you on to understand what gives them their vibrancy. The church [our church, each of us] should have qualities that anyone should find unbearably irresistible:
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Col 3:12-14

They say 'when in Rome do as the Romans do', equally 'when in church [which is God's family as well as yours] do as Jesus did'.

If we captured this quality in our relationships with each other we would be simply irresistible, we could forget about outreach programs because we would be too busy discipling the people being added to God's family [hungry for real godly family relationships] on a daily basis.

Read.

What are you reading?
This obviously, but what else? What literature are you reading? Do you mostly read magazines, newspapers, novels, biographies, manuals, instructional or inspirational books?

Why do you read?
To pass the time? For pleasure? To learn? To better yourself? To understand someone more? To be inspired?

Reading is apparently the sign of an active mind, since it educates [and stimulates] you like no other medium. However, reading in itself does not transform us; it is only when it infiltrates our behaviour that its full effect is seen.

"Oh, how I love all you've revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I've even become smarter than my teachers since I've pondered and absorbed your counsel. I've become wiser than the wise old sages simply by doing what you tell me..." Ps 119: 97-100 (Msg)

If you are a 'lifeless' Christian chances are you won't be reading this today. You are reading these little thoughts for the day because you have a desire to see your faith grow (and hopefully these blogs inspire you in someway, although of course you will do all the work). As Christians with a desire to grow we have to make reading God's Word [the Bible] a priority. It is our lifeline; it nourishes, strengthens, inspires, warns, leads and directs us.

"By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." Ps 119: 105 (Msg)

Without God's Word playing an integral role in our lives we stumble around in the dark. But unless we allow God's Word to influence our lives, by being obedient to His direction, then it is useless to us. It is a 'living' word; it reads us as much as we read it. Through God's inspiration of the authors we are able to enter into a conversation with God through this book, and we wither choose to let Him direct us through it, or we choose to ignore Him.

Enjoy some Bible today, let it fill your stomach; enjoy the taste:"Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking." Ps 119:103 (Msg)

Refuge.

When you think of 'refugees' you will no doubt think of people that have been displaced from their homes and even their countries. You picture people without a home.

As Christians we too are 'refugees' since our home is not here. But we are not homeless, here and now we have refuge:
"I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Ps 18:1-2

If where we live is not our 'true' home [our final destination], then we should retain qualities of our heritage in the way we live. Our lives should reveal to those who live with us the qualities of our home land (Heaven) and our mighty and radiant King (Christ).

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." Ps 59:16-17

Reflect.

I was sat at my desk in work the other day, busy typing up a [beautifully written] report on my PC when all of a sudden I was blinded. Not permanently [of course] but dazzled nonetheless by an incredibly bright light coming from the far end of the room. I tried to ignore it but it was too bright.

It was emanating from an object on a desk at the far end of the room. Surely someone couldn't have been so irresponsible as to have brought a mini sun into work! Besides shouldn't security have noticed the sudden shift if gravity caused by the presence of this small star in the office and denied them access?!

I tried changing the way that I was sat at my desk but it was no good. In the end I went down to where the unbearable light was emanating. It turned out to be a picture on a woman's desk; a small framed photograph of her little Scottie dog. A seemingly innocent object until of course it began reflecting the full intensity of the sun straight at my desk!
I politely asked if she would mind angling the picture slightly to save my sight, and she did.

This photograph looked nothing like the sun. It was of a cute looking white dog sat patiently on a green lawn. Very sweet, and yet its reflective qualities meant that from where I sat all I could see was the sun!

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:17-18

As I began to regain my sight I began to reflect on this; as Christian's we should have similar qualities to this photograph in our day to day lives. We may not look like Jesus, and in fact our lives may nothing like Jesus' daily experience (I guess he never had to struggle to remember his PIN while getting cash out of an ATM, or answer the phone for the umpteenth time that evening just to be sold a new mobile phone contract) but we should angle ourselves so that it is Jesus that we reflect; his radiance bouncing off our lives, shedding light and bearing testimony to his mercy.
Who do people see when they look at our reflection?

Remain.

There is a prevailing desire in most of us to 'go places', to find the adventure 'out there'. We don't think of standing our ground as an exciting direction to take, even though we admire it as a quality in people.

When we are equipped for battle, clad in the full armour of God, it seems tough to hear the battle command "stand your ground"; do not let the enemy through!

"Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Eph 6:13

Where is God calling you to stand your ground [but it is His in reality]?

I remember when I first saw the movie 'The Fellowship of the Ring' (the first film of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy). Nearing the end there was a scene of such character transformation that it still inspires me now just to think about it.

Aragorn should be king of Gondor, but instead he lived in hiding, wondering the wilds as a ranger, a mercenary. He always attacked his enemies with guerrilla tactics; always by ambush. But all of a sudden he finds himself in peril. Everything hangs in the balance, and the future of Middle Earth was at stake. So to ensure that Frodo escapes, to continue his mission to destroy the One Ring, Aragorn chooses to stand his ground. As the terrifying Ork army advances he steps out, drawing his sword preparing to stand his ground until the end. At that moment his character changed more in a moment that with all the years surviving in the wilds. In standing his ground he became the king he had spent years hiding from.

It may be in a small way, it may be massive, but when we hold firm to the sword of the spirit (God's word in the Bible) and stand our ground, we find our selves standing in God's strength. It may be in rejecting a thought, speaking up in a conversation, returning too much change in the shop, holding firm to your principles... this list of battle fields is endless. But we [as Christians, witnesses to Christ's glory] are called to stand firm.

Today remain; stand your ground.

Remission.

If you have had any close brush with disease or cancer the word 'remission' reverberates with hope. It is what you long to hear on the lips of the doctor looking at the test results.

But when it comes to our faith 'remission' can signal death.
To step back from the One full of life [Jesus Christ] is to step back from life, eternal life. In our faith life remission is something we need to avoid at all costs. This can be done by maintaining our spiritual health which is something that Peter addressed in one of his letters:

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Pet 1:5-8

We do not guard our lives from the remission of our faith by simply having these qualities. Faith is all about growth, we should desire to see these qualities increase in our lives.

Take James and John as your role models [if you dare], the 'sons of thunder' as Jesus nicknamed them. They were full of passion, so much so that on one occasion when a town refused to accept Jesus they demanded Jesus to reign down fire upon them! Jesus pulled them up on this saying that they had great zeal but little love.
Later we find John referred to as the Apostle of love. Had his thunderous qualities vanished? No, but he had been adding brotherly love to his faith in increasing measures. He avoided remission.

Retina.

The retina is the part of the eye which reacts to light; it transforms beams of light into electric pulses which the brain interprets as images. The eye does not choose what to look at or what to let in. That's us; our minds that decide that, and it is always a decision. Sometimes the 'decision' is over so fast we never realise that we have an option.

Self control is a necessity in our Christian walk.
I work in a large office and it seems that no matter who you speak to someone knows someone who has had an affair with someone else in the office. The wierd thing is that it seems to be neither looked down on nor celebrated; it's just the malaise of the place. But it all begins little by little; these things don't suddenly spring out of nowhere, and invariably it begins with the eye:
[Jesus continued teaching his disciples] "You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices - they also corrupt.
Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile." Matt 5:27-29 (Msg)

The solution is not self mutilation [the eye is not to blame]!
But for each of us it may seem costly. There may be certain places or magazines to TV shows (technically 'innocent' in themselves) which you may need to start avoiding [for our own security], and each time we do it seems like a tough struggle. But it is worth it for the renewal we will experience.

Jesus chose to bring this subject up in the crowning pinnacle of his preaching career. He didn't stick to the comfortable or the inspiring, he went straight to the heart of the matter. If we are called to radiate the presence of God it is essential that we are filled by His light. Taking our eyes off Jesus [even for a moment] can cause us to easily sink, but his hand is always outstretched to us; we're in this together, that's what Immanuel means.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light." Matt 6:22

React.

As Christians our reactions are the greatest revelation to those around us; the way we react to situations, people and comments will either be a deny Christ or acknowledge him.

Everyone watches everyone else. Every second of every day you are [unconsciously] assessing people. If this did not happen we'd never interact with each other, it's natural. However, as Christians our desire is that people see the echo of Christ is our actions and reactions.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful... Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Col 4:2, 5-6

I always used to attribute the last verse (about knowing how to answer) as being connected with spiritual conversations. For example, if someone asked you why you have to believe in Jesus you should be able to give an answer that your pastor would be proud of. That sort of thing. But as I have thought about this I have begun to realise that it is much wider application. How we answer every situation is important.

How do we react when:
- we loose our keys in the morning.
- our kids throw a strop in the supermarket.
- we are cut up by a boy racer.
- save £10 on the pair of jeans we were buying.
- we are invited out for lunch.
- a stranger asks us for the time.
- we are offered the chance to buy a copy of the Big Issue.

The list goes on but in each of these the validity of our Gospel is proclaimed.

I remember when arguing with my mum as a 'stroppy teenager' she would challenge me to listen to what I am saying and the way I am saying it and to think about what it says about me (naturally I didn't). As Christians it is less of an issue as to what our reactions say about us but it is what our reactions say about Jesus [the one we love, and who completely loves us]!

Rest.

Rest isn't often viewed as being active, but it is an essential part of activity.

Even the slogan 'a Mars a day helps you work, rest and play' alluded to an understanding of this principle, although the sudden introduction of chocolate into my system never really motivated me to rest if I'm honest.

Without rest we run the risk of burn out. We end up lost in activity.
We may love what we are doing and find tremendous fulfilment from it, but unless we include rest in our routine then our time doing what we love is limited; we'll eventually collapse.

Jesus - Mr Focused-and-determined - understood this principle well. He even brought it up in conversation with his disciples on occasion:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matt 11:28-30 (Msg)

How do we learn these 'unforced rhythms of grace'?
By walking [and working] with Jesus.
Inactivity will make us lazy and lethargic, over activity with destroy us and those around us. Keeping company with Jesus liberates us, and with this liberty we discover our [true] life.

If you are loosing yourself in all the things you need to get done, spend that time with Jesus [listening and learning]. It sounds easier than it actually is, undoubtedly emotions and time will be the great distractors, but you [everything about you and everything you do] needs this time with Jesus; it is as essential as eating, drinking and breathing.

In all you do allow yourself to walk with him. Involve him in everything [and obediently listen to that 'still small voice' - in Scripture and thought - through which God directs us]. Unless we rest we don't listen. If we don't listen we won't hear from God. Not knowing God leaves us enslaved to so many things.

Reach.

Have you ever tried to navigate your way around your house in complete darkness?

Not the kind of darkness where you can just about make out objects and if you walk slowly you probably won't bump into anything. I'm talking about the kind of darkness where you aren't sure you even have your eyes open, and even though you can feel your eyelids moving nothing seems to change.

This is normally what it is like for me getting up in my house during the winter. I am always awake a long time before my wife and so I try not to disturb her. However, this entails getting out of the bedroom in complete darkness. Normally this is OK because I find a point of reference; my hand finds the end of the bed and so [even though I can not see it] I know what direction I need to go in and how many steps to take before I reach the door.

But there are times when I walk forward expecting to find the edge of the bed and it is not there! Have I walked too far, or in the wrong direction? I don't know. All of a sudden I have no choice but to grope around in the darkness hoping that my hands will bump into something so that I know where I am.

It is all very disconcerting to suddenly discover that where you are not where you thought you were.

Western culture has given us an image of God being 'up in heaven', but this is not the picture that we get from the Bible. There we encounter the idea that God is all around us. Not in some woolly new age kind of way, but in the sense that He is near us (we are in Him even before He comes into our lives). This is what Paul is alluding to here:
"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'" Acts 17:27-28

An encounter with Jesus in our 'darkness' suddenly gives us perspective. Then we find ourselves reaching out and finding God.

Rejoice.

Just from reading the title of today's entry I bet you anything that most of you immediately thought of Phil 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Me too :o)

But when I inadvertently read it in The Message it suddenly shed a new light on it for me!

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!" Phil 4:4-5 (Msg)

When I have thought about this verse in the past I have always focused on myself. I have always considered what benefit it has for me; keeping me chipper and mindful of what God does for me.

But there is more to it.

When the Queen was due to visit Newport what caught my attention was the excited preparations that people were involved in. I kept forgetting about her visit but I would see all this activity and I would wonder what it all meant until I remembered.

When our lives celebrate God [in such a way that reveals that He is here in our lives] people will wonder what the reality is behind our rejoicing; what is it that makes us so happy, hopeful and fulfilled?

Our rejoicing easily [and contagiously] points people in God's direction. It is more than just singing a happy song to ourselves, in rejoicing we become sign post.

Re-install.

Do you sometimes find yourself reading from the book of Acts in your Bible and then looking at your church on Sunday and feeling decidedly jealous of the early Christian church?

I do.
Not that I am in any better than everyone else in my church (I would dare say that in many cases I am worse), but simply reading the passion that just seems to radiate from these pages in my Bible makes me long for more.

The whole congregation of believers was united as one - one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. Acts 4:32-33 (Msg)

How were they so passionate and I am not?!



I think I have a bit of an angle on this. It may not be new but it hit home to me the other day when I was hearing about the passion [for God] continuing to consume the youth in our church.

The passage above describes events after 3000 people were suddenly added to the church in one day! They simply exploded; all of a sudden the church was twenty times the size it was the day before. Without any warning the 'veterans' [and they themselves had only just been baptised in the Holy Spirit] were in the minority! When you have just encountered Christ for the first time you are firing on all cylinders, nothing can stop your passion. Now imagine feeling like that and knowing that everyone else around you is equally passionate.

Now that doesn't happen often.

We have had quite a few people come to know Christ in our church over the past year [PRAISE GOD!], but they are in the minority. They slowly pick up their 'church behaviour' from us veterans [what a responsibility we have, and how often we neglect it or get it wrong].

The youth in our church recently went away for a week long conference. While there they had an 'upper room' experience and it transformed them, all of them! Since they were away at the time they began learning from each other since the 'veteran' leaders that went with them were suddenly in the minority and the group was consumed by a [reasonable] selfless passion for God. In this environment their passion and obedience to Christ grew more rapidly than you can imagine. Upon their return the above passage could be used to describe them!

Now I am not encouraging you to be satisfied with the status quo. I'd say want more, desire more, expect more, give more! When our flickering flames of faith suddenly synchronise in a united passion for God, we will become an unstoppably positive and passionate force in Newport - even though we may give everything [ultimately] we'll still want to give. I want a church like that!

"The whole congregation of believers was united as one - one heart, one mind!"

Reverence.

God has many characteristics that we find highlighted in the Bible; He's a friend, father, counsellor, defender, provider, guide, healer, etc. He is indeed all of these but there is one characteristic that, due to the immediacy of God in the Christian faith through Jesus Christ, we occasionally [and dangerously] over look; God is holy [pure, good, complete righteousness].

At one of the fusion prayer days I recall popping out briefly. When I returned I found the three or four people there beaming with puzzled and excited expressions on their faces. While they were all praying at separate locations in the church they were all suddenly aware of God's holy presence; it was as though He had suddenly turned up in person. They all found themselves face down unable and not daring to move! It was like nothing any of them had experienced before even though there was a pastor, assistant pastor and youth leader among them.

As Christians we are [correctly] encouraged to develop an intimacy in our relationship with God. On the whole [while we often fail in our pursuit of this] it is a concept that we are comfortable with. We therefore find it hard to reconcile God as being both holy and friendly; it seems too much like a dichotomy. How do/can they go together?

But they do. This is the mystery of our relationship with God.
This mystery is amazingly described in this passage from Exodus. Read it carefully trying not to misread what is in front of you [which I have done on plenty of occasions].

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the 'tent of meeting.' Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp... As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses... The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Ex 33:7, 9, 11

This scene is intrinsically infused with God's holiness and friendliness [and in Old Testament times too - doesn't God know the rules!!!] but not in the way that I thought.
Every time I read this passage I would pick up on the characters involved (God & Moses) and what happened between them (chatting like mates) and I would be amazed [and jealous]. But that is not what happens!
Something even more amazing and reassuring [on several levels] happens.

To begin with Moses heads off to be alone with God. When in the tent of meeting God's presence suddenly descends. I used to imagine that this had no effect on Moses, but I now realise that it did. On many other occasions Moses is seen to argue with and rant at God, and God is graciously tolerant. Here however God inhabits this mobile temple with His holy presence and all of a sudden Moses can't argue; he can't even say a thing!
This account tells us that it is God who does all the talking, He is speaking to Moses [Moses is listening in eagerly obedient awe - another lessen for our prayer times which often end when we finish talking]. In God's complete holiness, which has left Moses on his face, God speaks with Him not like the holy almighty Creator that He is, but like a friend!

Think about it; out of God's holiness comes friendship! Friendship with us in our incompatible brokenness. It's nearly too much to comprehend!

Rejuvenate.

Age creeps up on you.
It never makes a direct attack, but it subtly works away. No defences can fully protect you.

Grey hairs appear only one at a time; no-one will notice. Lines on your face emerge ever so slowly. You never see them appearing but all of a sudden there are more than you remember. 23 year old footballers seem so young and all of a sudden and you realise that you can recall a day when players of that age seemed old to you!

Age, it would seem, is the ultimate victor... or is it?

"Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind." Is 40:28-31 (Msg)

As age progresses joints, which once moved smoothly, begin to grind and movement becomes restricted and painful. The same can happen in our spiritual lives.
We remember our youth when we seemed to have such a vigorous passion for God. If He even so much as whispered that He might want someone to do some work in Africa, you were immediately saving up your pennies and applying for a passport. Now it seems that God has to yell at you just to put an extra pound in the collection, and even then you spend weeks questioning the origin of such an 'ungodly' thought!

No matter our physical age there is no need for us to become spiritually old (I am not suggesting that we do not mature in our faith but rather we avoid become decrepit in our faith!).
"But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."

You may be praying today that God will keep your spiritual passion fresh, or, like me, you may be praying that He gives you fresh strength.
Don't you know? Haven't you heard? That's what He does [and loves to do]!
Amen!!!!!

Revival.

Here is a definition [for me anyway] of 'revival'.
It is in the form of a prayer, a psalm written by King David when he ruled Israel many hundreds of years before Jesus:
"Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you." Ps 51:12-13 (NLT)

Revival starts with you and me.

If it starts anywhere else (i.e. outside the church) then it is not revival it is something more amazing and shocking [because where are the church]!

Revival begins with you and I having the understanding of our faith transformed by a close awareness of God. With this we will grasp hold of the joy of our salvation. In fact every time you think about it, it will overwhelm you with happiness as you find yourself becoming complete in God.

With this joy consuming and reverberating through our entire lives we will have a [renewed] passion to obey [God]. We won't be able to help it!
The prophet Isaiah found himself in the temple once. He was grieving over the death of a close relative and worse than that he now didn't know where his income was going to come from. His world was in tatters and then he encountered God! Before he knew it he was shouting out to God [from his grief and financial insecurities], 'Here I am! Send me!!!'
We will be the same. Our joy will make obedience instinctive and wholehearted.

As a result we will be 'teaching' people how to follow God. Not by holding evening classes, necessarily, but by simply living. Our every conversation and reaction will reflect our complete love of God [and His love pouring in and through our lives]. What is more it will also radiate God's presence so much so that people won't have to search in finding God, they will experience Him in our presence.

So, does revival revolve around God?
No, it revolves around us. It begins with us desiring God; wanting to give Him greater access to our lives and future and finances.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." Jam 4:8

Re: what?

I live in the city of Newport, but it's not always been that way.

I'm not referring to any locational changes on my part but a definition shifting on Newport's. This is because Newport used to be a 'town' [by definition] until recent years when it was suddenly elevated to 'city' status.
Part of this shift to 'city status' has been numerous redevelopment projects all across the city. Wherever you go it seems like there are some large building site hidden boards portraying images of dynamic and vibrant Newport under the tagline of 'Redevelopment' or 'Re this' or 'Re that.'

On Sunday the team that were praying for our morning meeting at Bethel felt the Holy Spirit direct them in praying for 'release' and 'renewal'. By the end of the meeting they had prayed over 80 other 're somethings'! When I read the list I was awestruck and so for a while I want to use them as a springboard for these daily thoughts.

Reach
React
Reaction
Read
Reason
Rebuke
Receive
Reciprocate
Recognise
Recollect
Reconsider
Recount
Recover
Rectify
Recycle
Redemption
Redirect
Reduce
Reflect
Refresh
Refuge
Refund
Refurbish
Refuse
Regards
Regret
Regurgitate
Rehabilitate
Rehearse
Reign
Reimburse
Re-install
Reject
Rejoice
Rejuvenate
Rekindle
Relate
Relax
Relearn
Release
Release
Relegate
Religion
Relish
Rely
Remain
Remedy
Remember
Remind
Remission
Renew
Renounce
Repent
Replace
Replenish
Replicate
Reply
Reprimand
Request
Resend
Resign
Resonance
Resound
Respond
Rest
Restore
Retina
Retirement
Reveal
Reverence
Revitalise

Revival

Rewind

Just the ticket!

There are a few blogs that I occasionally read because the things that people write about their lives make me smile.

One of these blogs belongs to [the Rev'd] Justin Groves (I hope he doesn't mind me quoting him because it really lifted me up). The other day he said that an otherwise excellent day was torn down by one conversation. Downer!
You know the type of day.

The following day he went swimming with the family today to Newport Leisure Centre. Justin writes: "Not a bad pool - it's got a wave machine and a slide. Went down the slide and as I did I felt a weight lift from me; I felt a sudden burst of joy and relief as I let go. Was praying with my mate Rob afterwards and he text me a reworking of Psalm 119:32 - it goes like this 'I slide down the water chute of your commands for you have set my heart free.' Thank God for swimming pools and water chutes and for His freedom."

A massive AMEN! to that :o)

"I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your laws.
I cling to your decrees. LORD, don't let me be put to shame!
If you will help me, I will run to follow your commands.
Teach me, O LORD, to follow every one of your principles.
Give me understanding and I will obey your law; I will put it into practice with all my heart.
Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found."
Ps 119:30-35 (NLT)

Faith to follow.

I am a follower of Jesus Christ… am I?
A follower is not someone who simply appreciates the wisdom and sincerity of Jesus' actions and teaching. It is not something intellectual it is rooted in action.

In Matthew 9 we read about the 'birth' of a new follower:
As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collection booth. "Come, be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matt 9:9 (NLT)

Matthew was one of the last disciples to be directly called by Jesus. He had missed out on the awesome teaching Jesus gave earlier on the mountainside, and yet he doesn't respond like a man that has missed out on anything. After leaving the booth he hosted a meal for Jesus at his home and invited all of his colleagues! He immediately began to facilitate evangelistic situations!

Am I following Jesus as convincingly and eagerly as Matthew?
It is a challenge.

Jesus often calls us to follow him but in our daily [routine] lives and as a result we sometimes become complacent (in his letter this is something that James had to confront in some followers when the church was still young). Let's not wait until we hear Jesus say "Come!" before we figure out whether we are really following him.

Come on my fellow follower, let's wake up each morning with the same whispered prayer on our lips:
'Lord, my life is Yours; my health, my family, my career, my finances, my future. I will nurture them as best I can with the wisdom You teach me, but keep them from become more precious than You in my life, as dear as they are to me. I am Yours and I will actively follow You today where ever we go. Amen'

What do we need?

At our weekly 'Call to prayer' Pastor Andrew began by reading from Matthew 9. In the end we read the entire chapter but something really hit home as I began to mull over what Jesus was saying:
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way both the wine and the wineskins are preserved." Matt 9:17 (NLT)

I have heard people pray for 'new wine' (presumably something fresh and invigorating from God, a real sense of His Good News and an inspired need to live and share it thoroughly) to be poured out into the church. I'm sure that I have probably prayed for this myself.
But listening to Jesus made me think about this.

Does Jesus say that we need to ask God for this 'new wine'? The suggestion here is that the new wine is coming regardless. Instead Jesus places the focus on us.
It is not new wine we need to pray for but new us.
We need to become 'new wineskins' able to contain the new wine.

Jesus then goes over this again even more clearly in another conversation later in the chapter:
He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields." Matt 9:37-38 (NLT)

It is not selfish of us or introspective to pray for ourselves in this manner; it is essential!
The 'harvest' is ready and waiting (people who are waiting to hear the good news of Jesus Christ – although they may not realise yet), but it will not gather itself miraculously. The irony in the prayer that Jesus encourages us to pray is that it is an open and direct invitation for God to send us.
We cannot pray for those outside of the church and then be unwilling to meet go meet them. We need an Isaiah type response in our prayers:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Is 6:8 (NIV)

Help!

As I sat in my lounge this morning, spending some time with my Heavenly Father before anyone else got up, I found my time of prayer interrupted with a sense of frustration; why do I ask God to forgive me for the same things over and over again?!

Repentance is not about saying sorry but about changing direction. And I do; each time I turn my back on it, but then [in no time at all] I find it in front of me again!
This isn't a little 'why...?' this is a massive [scream at the top of your voice with tears in your eyes] 'WHY?!'
"What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different." Rom 7:15-25 (Msg)

Lord, pull me in the right direction [towards You] and I will try to make my feet willing to follow.
Amen.

Trigger point.

When Ruth and I learnt of Steve Irwin's death on Monday we both found ourselves wanting to give a financial support to the work that he passionately campaigned for in Australia Zoo. As I thought about this desire that we felt I realised that in some small way in Steve's absence we suddenly wanted to play our part continuing the work that he had been engaged in. How mad is that!?

As I pondered this strange reaction I wondered if I would trigger a similar reaction in people. If I was no longer about would people suddenly feel a need to give [in some way] to the work that I was involved in because in some small way they believed in what I wanted to achieve and didn't want it to stop?
Would unexpected people suddenly give to it?
Would people outside the church suddenly feel the need to contribute to financially to the work in Bethel because they knew that I would give as much as I could to seeing the church touch other lives positively?
Would people step up to continue Fusion because they shared in my vision to see a church in Newport massively engaging with God and those outside the church infusing Newport with the qualities of eternal life?

Would our lives be a trigger point for others to suddenly do the unexpected?

I want to have such a positive contribution to Newport that I become a trigger point, what about you?
Do you have the desire to be passed by unnoticed, or is there something more burning inside you?

Losing life or saving it.

"I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it." - Steve Irwin

The Australian naturist and wildlife expert died on Monday filming a documentary.
He was not directly saving the Stingray that killed him but through his TV shows he has made millions of us more aware of the environment around us and the fragility of the wildlife that inhabits them. In doing so he has saved far more animals than he could ever possibly meet.

His passionate and sincere words reminded me of a similar passion that consumed a guy named Paul. He once wrote this in one of his letters to a church in the region of Galatia [which is now, roughly speaking, Turkey]:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20

This man had a passion that burned even brighter than Steve's, but rather than passionate about wildlife he was sold out on sharing [eternal and real] life with everyone he met. When he met people he wanted them to experience Jesus. This is not to say that anyone would ever have mistaken Paul for Jesus but by meeting him he wanted people to know how passionately God loved them [for who they are]. He wanted people to see Jesus' attitudes flourishing in him.
Why?
Because at all costs he wanted to see lives saved from missing out on the life God wanted to give them to live.

Steve Irwin died while doing what he was passionate about. This was an accident and not deliberate but Paul knew [because of the political environment] that by living in this manner he was heading towards certain death, and yet he considered it worth living.

When Paul is saying 'Christ lives in me' he means that everything he did was done from an attitude that reflects that of Jesus, or he lived in a way that honoured Jesus, directing people to him; this is living obediently to Christ. He disowned every selfish ambition and adopted an ambition to see people living in a freedom that they have never experienced before (i.e. a freedom from insecurity, rejection, hurt etc).

For us to live for Christ in this manner requires us to die. Not physically, but to identify, understand and surrender our selfish habits and actions to Jesus.

The reason we are put on the Earth.

Some people leave a lasting impression on you, even if you have never met them in person!

Unexpectedly Steve Irwin was one of those people for me, although I never really noticed this until I heard about his sudden death yesterday while he was filming a documentary for his 8 year old daughter. It shook me up and, I have to say that, even though he was on the other side of the planet, the world seems a little more empty for him not being here any more.

Ruth and I have been praying that in some way (and God works in mysterious ways) that He would comfort Steve's young family. Since they were on my mind I found myself Googling his name. In doing so I came across something that Steve was once quoted as saying in an interview; he described his daughter Bindi as "the reason he was put on the Earth".

Perhaps because Ruth and I could well be expecting a daughter of our own in December this really hit home.
What is the reason we are put on Earth. It is something that we all think about at one time or another. However, being a Christian I believe that you and I do have a [specific] reason for being here. We may fal into the trap of 'looking off to the horizon' for the big purpose for which God has put us on Earth for (you know, the kind of 'save the world' sort of purpose). In doing so we can easily miss the most significant reason that God placed us here for.

Most of you will be part of a family. You could be a son/daughter, or mother/father, or brother/sister, or aunt/uncle (or indeed a number of these). Since this is the case I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that they are one of the main reasons why God has placed you and I where we are. God expects us to be a [positive and constructive] influence upon those closest to us. If we neglect this or indeed have a negative impact upon them then we are failing in what God wants from our life.

"Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov 22:6 (Amp)

Crickey!

Rather unusually I put on the TV this morning but as I flicked over to GMTV I was suddenly confronted by some unexpected news; Steve Irwin [aka the Crocodile Hunter] had died as a result of being struck by the poisonous barb of a Stingray.

I couldn't believe it.

Of course I didn't know the guy personally (and I was unlikely to ever meet him since he lived in Australia) but I loved his passionate desire to engage people with local wildlife as well and trying to protect it. Every time I happened to notice 'Crocodile Hunter Diaries' was on TV I would be enthusiastically glued to the screen.
Needless to say I was over the moon to discover that he had made a film (which Ruth and I hired out one Valentines Day).

But now he is no longer with us.
At 44 his passionate enthusiasm seems to have been cut short.

Ruth and I had breakfast in a sense of shock, praying for his family as we said 'grace'.

I then began to wonder 'where he was now?'
I struggle at times like this.
As far as I knew he did not realise or accept Jesus as his saviour. I then realised that if I was God [in my present frailties] I would try to bend the rules to ensure that he was in heaven. Then thoughts begin to drift through my mind wondering why God couldn't be as compassionate as this.
And then I realise that He was even more compassionate!
He is compassionate and just [thank God!]. Therefore knowing that He had to be just His heart was stirred with such awesome compassion for Steve [and us] and so went further than any of us could imagine or dare; in Jesus Christ he went to the cross! That is his unswerving compassion for us!

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." John 3:16-17 (Msg)

An accomplished word.

We are often surrounded by so many empty words. Words that are used with no thought and simply begin to loose their meaning:
"Take care"
"How are you?"
"I love you"
"God bless" etc. [of course all of these can be said with genuine meaning and the impact of this will be remembered].

Sometimes these even occupy Christian conversation. You will even catch me saying them! Since empty words frequent our lips so regularly we assume that the same applies to God, but this is not the case:
"The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." Is 55:10-11

God has spoken blessings over your life and guess what, this will cause life to blossom!
But it doesn't end there. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing, therefore he expects us to speak His words into people's lives; God's life breathing [purpose accomplishing] words leaving your lips!
Now that is a blessing!!!!

So what are you going say to that?
What are you going to say to those you meet?
Go on. Don't just be 'nice', water the ground with [God anointed] words of blessing!

Prayer of agreement?

Interestingly [or frustratingly] none of Jesus' times of prayer alone with his Heavenly Father are recorded in the Gospels. None that is except a brief moment in the Garden of Gethsemane which must have been briefly heard by the disciples as they drifted in and out of exhausted sleep.

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Mark 14:35-36

We have no idea what Jesus used to say to his Father on a daily basis. But this is an inspiring little glimpse.
We often hear the term 'prayer of agreement' which is an encouragement for us to agree with one another in prayer. This over heard prayer of Jesus' reminds us of an even more important [and painful] agreement that should feature in our prayers. That is an agreement with God!

Here Jesus comes before his Heavenly Father in [human] honesty. He doesn't want to die, this is his humanity speaking, after all none of us want to die. But in his Father's presence his desire for Him becomes even greater than his passion for life! That surrender; that is victory!

It is clear that while all we hear is Jesus speaking he is 'listening' more than he is 'speaking' out some list of petitions. He opens up his heart and then allows God to speak into his life.

Here is Jesus' challenge to us; pray and listen.
Often we try to shake the heavenlies with our prayers but really we need the Heavenly to shake us!

WAIGTD? What Am I Going To Do?