Few people today are aware what would happen if we lost satellites, we live in a world where we have become dependent on certain unseen parts of our world. I personally get frustrated with the internet connection I live with as more and more of our world becomes dependent.

I live rurally and if we have a good day we will be blessed with a 1.7 Gig speed but probably more average it will be under 1 Gig.      It only adds to the frustration when we see the advertising for 30 Gig and 70 gig download speeds in cities.      Recently we were informed that we lived in the 2% of the UK that will never get fast connection never mind what the government promises in delivery of fast speed delivery.

Why list my challenges only to outline that we have become dependant on web, satellite provision in order to stay connected in our world correctly. Dependant, dependent on what, an unseen connection that makes everything work, communication, Skype, TV, files delivery music etc. It has made me ask what am I dependant on for a quality of life or even just to live at the base the world moves at.

If we lost these connections the ability to communicate would diminish, GPS would completely disappear and all the systems dependant on this ability. Science tells us its time to start decluttering our air space before we collide.

Ok whats that got to do with us right now, simply to ask what are you dependant on? What would be wiped out if you lost what you are dependant upon?

Would we lose our ability to communicate clearly and lose the basics of conversation of communication. Would we lose the knowledge of where I am, where I am going, losing all sense of direction?

What am I dependant on, clearly our world, our lives could do with a decluttering so we could hold on to direction, and not collide with the rubbish around us. Recently while reading ‘Tablet to Table’ by Leonard Sweet he introduces a phrase called “Verse-itus”, the sickness of taking single verses and building events of life around that verse or around a few favourite verses without realising where they sit in context. I recently wrote on “not by might but by my Spirit” passing comment on how so many have used this statement and directed it to all sorts of needs however its context is towards the building of a habitation of God, the house God. The decluttering would allow us to see the large picture God is speaking and bringing to pass. God is after our dependancy where is the source my life?

Where is your dependancy, peoples comments, achievements, titles, or can I find everything flowing from a relationship, relationship with a God who has brought you and me into UNION, from before the foundation of the earth chosen, pre determined, blessed in God. We are so connected to God as our source.

Dependancy?    On what, who, will I make myself totally reliant on a source… God father son and Holy Spirit dependant.

We are to be a people a church that flows from a Holy Spirit life.
Let us take a walk in the garden of God for a moment. The church is to be Holy Spirit dependant that everything flows from that relationship, Old Testament pictures and shadows take us into considering temple view, lights and lamp stand views only to show the continual source of olive oil, of lights and flames continually fed by olive oil – the church to be dependant on the Holy Spirit in every way.       The Olive Tree is taken as the symbol of the Temple of God created by the Holy Spirit and it is especially a symbol of the Holy of Holies.

In Hebrew history it has alway been said that they should have a vineyard, a field and an olive yard. Coming from the creation together of trees and grain plants in Gen. 1.      Fruit – wine – associated with kingship and the Father, Bread – grain associated with priesthood and the Son, Oil – olive anointing and the presence of the Spirit.

Take note that the Holy of Holies was guarded by olives, two large cherubim of olive wood, with the doors leading to the inner intimacy of the temple made from olive wood. The olive was also the first tree grown after the flood signifying the recreation of the Kingdom of God. The dove, Holy Spirit signified who delivered an olive branch to Noah. The pictures go on Zechariah 4; Revelation 11:4.

Jesus as his earthly journey concludes by moving to the Mount of Olives, moving to the garden that forms the Holy of Holies to complete (Luke 21:37; John 8:1; Matt 23:24; 26:30).       Following the supper Jesus and his “church” moves to the Mount of Olives there into the Olive Press garden (Gethsemane) and becomes the high priest in the Holy of Holies.       Much more could be said from the ‘garden-tomb’, meeting of Mary Magdalene, the tomb and the slab where Jesus lay itself as an image of the Ark of the Covenant, the place of God meeting humanity.        The crucifixion on the Mount of Olives rending of the veil in the Temple of Olives Zechariah 14:4 says of it “on that day His feet will stand on the mount of Olives, which in front of Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west”.

All this to say that the church is to be rooted in the Holy Spirit, olive oil at all times, a people with their corporate DNA flowing from the Holy Spirit, the church is positioned and impregnated with the oil of the Spirit.
The Church is to be Holy Spirit dependant totally.
Chrst will have his feet in a temple – a place of abode that is rooted in the Holy Spirit, and produced by the Holy Spirit, His feet will stand in a church that is the Mount of Olives (Temple, abode) a place of Holy Spirit constant flow with people that out of their belly shall flow the Holy Spirit in rivers. Jesus feet on the Mount of Olives is a wonderful demonstration that he will stand in holy spirt Church.

Therefore What am I, we, dependant on in life, gatherings, work, family, Holy Spirit dependant. What is the church of today dependant on, taking leading from in every direction? Is it the Holy Spirit spontaneous in every way, fluid and flexible in all regards, DEPENDANT ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.

I wonder what world you and I awake to every day, a world that confronts you or a world that gently wows you? I have learned over the years not to compare each persons world as we can so quickly dismiss other Peoples world though our own coloured view-point. What seems so insignificant to you may be so large and debilitating to others, yet in this world there are some things that flatten the field of play, so to speak, and we can all empathise, the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, the securing of some future event, having the supply of food on your table.

My aim is to encourage you to consider the world you awake to today, perhaps an exciting event begins todays adventure or perhaps an unsettled issue hung over from last night, or even the concern on how we will get through the next day and survive it. So many worlds we awake to each morning. What is the world before you? how is it rolling out in front of you? A small decision, a huge event, a life changing or even a threatening day “……..this is my day……..”
Stop now and have a look at your world, the people who occupy it with all the movement of life, the events that create the terrain before you, the valleys and mountains to walk. Stop for a moment and think what is my world like, what will I see and experience today?
The Psalmist in Psalm 98:1 (Message) says “Sing to God a brand-new song. He’s made a world of wonders! He rolled up his sleeves, He set things right. The context of the song is important here, to sing a brand new song is a good thing but some times as life is overwhelming we can not find a new song. I am told in our travels in Africa that we should understand that “Africans sing if they are happy and sing if the are sad, so they sing at all times” Celebration and song is a way of life there, happy or sad it’s a song, I don’t find that in the West however perhaps it is something we should learn. One of the many things I love about my wife is that she carries a song within her constantly and when she looses that it changes her view and her inner ways, I see the impact of carrying an inner song in her which is wonderful and one of the many things i love in her. OK back to the context of the song, do you not see it here its, “he’s made a WORLD OF WONDERS” this has to be a good way of life, realising that my life and my song has a connection to a WORLD OF WONDERS. With my every turn, as I open my eyes there are wonders to be seen and found, our Father has filled a world out with wonders for us to see, find and encounter so that we become those that anticipate wonders with every new day. Perhaps “new mercies every day” have a direct relationship with realising and seeing a world of wonders as well.

Christ of the clouds
Our song Is through the medium of his wonders, I will say it again our new song has a direct relationship to the wonders we see. May be songs are not sung when we do not account for the “…world of wonders…”. O Lord I want to see your wonders at every hand not a narrow band but be overwhelmed at every hand, seeing your wonders all around us, circulating our lives a “…world of wonders…”
“The wonders of our God” the old hymns sung, it is the record and impact of God with his rolled up sleeves creating wonders, these are the impact of this hymn. Charles Wesley saw “O for a thousand Tongues’ to declare the wonder of our God, he grasped and saw.
Oh That we might see the world of his wonders, just as Charles Wesley seeing every aspect of God coming through and causing us to shout with him, with the shout of the deaf and the leap of the lame, shout wonders of our world to God.
Our world is his palette, his brush stroke as he lays down his mark throughout our world, can I be one that will see the world of wonders around me constantly. O God I ask for a life filled by the world of wonders – then push for it son, I feel and hear a cry inside me, for the world of wonders, your world your creative order where you are.
We are invited as the readers to sing to the Lord a new song (cf. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1) because in His strength (right hand and arm are symbols of power) He has provided salvation and revealed His righteousness. God’s great salvation is possible because of His loyal love (ḥeseḏ) and faithfulness (these may be trans. “faithful, loyal love”). Remembering His covenant with His people Israel, the Lord delivered and saved them. A WORLD OF WONDERS surrounds us waiting for us to pay attention even in the midst of life and challenges of struggles.

LET ME EVEN GET TO THE POINT, LET ME CHALLENGE YOU TO SEE THE WONDERS THAT AWAITS YOU IN THIS DAY, not just the miracle of healing which is magnificent in its self but wonders of life, growth, change, wonders in every way. My cry is that we do not lose the wonders of our world for one wonder only but that we are able to encourage each one of us to be awakened to the wonders of our Father
In view of the wonders of grace and righteousness displayed in God’s salvation, the whole creation is invited to unite in praise. My spiritual father loved the song by Louis Armstrong “What a wonderful World” and every time I hear this song sung I think of him, but even with out that thought I find that song moving me to appreciate the wonders of the world he has planted us in. I am fully aware that there are human horrors taking place that many encounter each day yet in the midst of the world, shocked as we all can be of human atrocities, just t stop and wait and begin to part those things to see and look at the wonderful world that the Father has given us, he has and will enable us to see himself in our day. I pray Lord that though the dim light sometimes of life we will see the world of wonders so that we may see our immediate world transformed through the palette of your brush strokes our lives. That you might see the wonder of s simple life, that you might see the wonders of God at every hand throughout your day, how he involves in daily actions in and through you and those around you

 

What a Wonder
Open your eyes to the world of wonder!

A simple question, “what if people find it increasingly difficult in relationships or find relationships at risk because people find it increasingly challenging to listen well?”    An even bigger consideration is “What if nations find an increasing risk because people don’t listen well?”

A world with so much noise, many words become a desert of noise if we don’t know how to listen well.     The scripture talks about a time when the “word of the Lord was rare”, but I wonder if our God, who we say is never silent, God is ever speaking, when the word became rare, the real issue was people did not know how to listen?     A different perspective?       Today with we live in a world where we have a so many voices saying ‘God says’, yet are we today in a day of the word of God being rare again,    You might say how can you think that way with so much “Christian” radio, God TV, Podcasts and books by the 1000’s, the challenge is that so much is conflicting and yet it is all attributed to God.   So much is predicted  and never comes to pass, no one stands up and says “I’m sorry”, e.g. recent blood moon reporting, could it be we are in a desert that requires people to listen well to actually hear beyond and hear God speaking.

Trained listeners inform us that the warning signs happen when we cannot process communication clearly and have a sense of accuracy of word and sense of proportion of what is spoken.    How many times have you been part of or witnessed a conversation escalating out of control when a good proportion of what is said and how it is said is being lost?

We train children to keep safe by paying attention to strangers and their surroundings, it is a training in being mindful, mindful of all that is going on around.

Clearly as we read of Jesus and pay attention to his actions, words etc we find him paying great attention to people and the places he was in, it is often said of him “seeing this he said”, he was mindful and listened well.

Perceiving people, identifying opportunities, seeing risk, all are part of listening well.   In a world with its growing pressures we are to be a people who listen well to our neighbourhoods and friends, to our cities and countries so we can be the incarnation of God in these environments.

When we don’t listen well we will not perceive reality, the scriptures encourage us to “watch what you hear or listen to” along with “watch how you hear”.   We are to be those who belong to a community that listen well.    A community that reconciles will be a community that have listened well to bring about peace.   We are to be “peace makers” not peace keepers, those who can listen well to make the peace.   It means we have to be honest and deal with the issues not run from them, or be agreeable just to agree, we listen well to bring peace which is agreement.

Long term advance will be undermined if we do not pay attention to short term listening, listening  well now will help for long term advancement.

Listening well will bring peace, a calmness we can experience, a value of identity.  Being listened to brings a sense of worth to those who speak, it is honouring and investing value.   Listening well will be the only way of strengthening interpersonal trust, its such a need within our world.

Perhaps the community of God where you are can cultivate listening well to the streets and world around as a restorative action, becoming those who encourage listening.   Rather than those who hand out blame or look for fault or at work are just plain orphan in reacting with defensive actions, listen well.

Let us listen and incarnate God and in our listening empower therefore listening will enable you to thrive in our world, enabling our world to thrive.   God not only speaks but listens to the cries and sound of our world…