Today is a world dominated by motifs and signs, its the world we live in, clothing which is validated by a certain motif printed or embroidered on the chest, on the sleeve or where ever its there for all to see your affiliation, belonging to that group or culture.    Do we attend the correct club, have we the right football attire for belong, am i part of the cool crowd.   Do we have the right brand to be part.    Brands are silent way of ’name dropping’ as a way of being accepted.   This way of life that has been so assimilated into us all only tells us that we all want to belong to the new, next, and right thing, or people group what ever…

mo·tif – mōˈtēf/Submit, noun

a decorative design or pattern.
“T-shirts featuring spiral motifs”
synonyms: design, pattern, decoration, figure, shape, device, emblem, ornament
“a colorful tulip motif”
a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.
“the nautical motif of his latest novel”
synonyms: theme, idea, concept, subject, topic, leitmotif, element; through line
“a recurring motif in her work”

Our world can be often moulded and controlled with the a disconnected orphan mindset and we do all we can to put on the right stuff, mould our language to be part of the crowd, to fit in with people, all of us all humanity wants to be accepted.

Yet there is another belonging, one that will bring peace to this journey for fitting in, for identity, this deep cry for belonging, being part. You see no-one is an island or self made we all are part with a desperate need of belonging, a few create belonging around themselves but most just belong to something. There is a WE of community, this community will bring an end to the orphan sprint that humanity must deal with. Its the WE of the church, the ekklesia of God “the called out…and given the surname of God” the people of God. A community that is journeying in its sonship, sonship is the only remedy to find a relief from the demand of living as an orphan. The WE community of sonship deals with the non-belonging of orphan status, thrusting the ME into the upside down world of WE into a family, the family of god and the UNION within the Covenant of God, this life of participating in God.

The UNION we have been brought in that WE might enjoy comes with it a responsibility to live life to the full, a WE kind of life that does away with gossip, intimidation, anger, and dishonesty.   That the relationship of God we have been brought into and are to enjoy has a cry to live a quality of life, that the WE demonstrates UNION life, the face-to- face, eye-to-eye view between Father, Son and Holy Spirit we have been brought into requires a quality of relationship among US as we see that Christ as Lord.     This is the motif the badge, our belonging rally sign. Perhaps these are the signs we should be chasing the “as I have love you…love one another”.   A Movement of Relationship, a Relational Movement this is our banner, pressed into our lives, embossed upon us that all might see, our motif, the COMMUNITY OF WE who carry this as our sign, “sings following”…?

In my travels I discover that people don’t reality find friendship, let alone one that is of depth.  A friendship where we we can share our deep dreams, doubts, secrets, uncertainties, calls, longing, rather we to often discover people who will not share these them as they get concerned from experience that they might meet deep inner sacred life coming at them a little further down the street from others, who of course have only share them in prayerful concern, O yea, O no. But it is a higher life way we are called to, to empower, to be a sign and a wonder of.   Along with the chase for a signs, a healing or what ever can we become this sign and wonder, a COMMUNITY OF WE?

A community where feeling alone, does any one care becomes rare, where loneliness is not to be found – A Movement of Relationship.    Without this WE baptism, baptised into the one body, people will cultivated an ability to keep most people at a convenient distance.

‘Church-family’, became about conforming doing the right thing, being with the right people, events, music so that we could be a part, it really is just pandering to the orphan inside us all until it is remedied by sonship, it was all to ensure belonging. Rather than taking up the responsibility of WE, yet the Spirit cries in us FAMILY, BELONGING (Abba), we make the scripture “cry Abba father” about, help me Lord ‘Daddy’ ‘Papa’, rather than the Holy Spirit’s cry in us being in UNION, BELONGING to God and the body of Christ.   Is not the Spirit always to make known the Christ to point to the Son not the ‘I’.     So could we see this as a deep Spirit cry of ‘I am Fathered’ or at least this Aramaic term outlines Abba – ‘Father in your Fathering’, be it to us O God.

It seems we have journey from a relationship experience, this expression of the Church that is to be a community who make known, a people of covenant towards God first followed by towards each-other, a demonstration, an exact likeness of the Communion of Person of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to the place where the ‘church’ has become where I get information from, not community, we are friends if we agree on practice or theology and at its lowest form music style or the latest Christian practice or trend.  There is not much tolerance for diversity on these matters. Have w enow yet seen that advance along with adventure is found in our differences.     We have become accustomed to debates, divisions, new expression being started due to contention not the outflow of God, where is the tolerant community finding their advance in difference, Covenant being expressed as the Community “…fills the earth…”, “…goes forth and multiplies…”

When I ignore this ‘Communion of Persons’, the expression we are to be to our world, and display in our communities, it is to our peril. A peril that we could produce a church that is a ‘state-church’, a ‘professional church’ outfit.

You and I, the WE let us move to community making, becoming open to each other, loving enough to care, making the WE greater necessity that the ME and the ‘I’…becoming passionate to be the WE as PASSION MAKES REVOLUTION…

Family…Community…Church…Pilgrims…Body

As we consider the look God has put upon the people of God, the visual manifesto of the body of Christ today we can not ignore a number of powerful descriptions. We cannot put to one side the repeated attributes of the Community in the scriptures, the descriptions of disciples being together, the overwhelming eating and living together expressions, the corporate baptism of revelations of the Christ that occurred.  We cannot even ignore that the people of the book had such a grasp that they even saw that they only had a covenant with God in terms of their belonging to people, not as individuals with a Covenant but I only have a Covenant because I belong to a people.

These people, our brothers and sisters had a deep sense of understanding of the body in reality, a true community, a grasp of the body we are and a new found reality of the statement “this is my body”.   When they first uttered the words “THIS IS MY BODY”, in church context when Latin was used I was amused recently to discover “hocus pocus” had a community impact.  It’s been plausibly suggested that hocus-pocus is a corruption of the genuine Latin words “…hoc est enim corpus meum…” “for this is my body,” spoken during the consecration of the Roman Catholic Mass when the wine and wafer is the body and blood of Christ.

I believe and await a true Community to rise in earth that will be the a movement of mature fullness of the church, the community of God.

The True Community – What ‘we’ learn that ‘I’ will never know.

Our world is so formed and my perception takes root, that is ‘MY’ benefits, ‘MY’ rights have invaded the language and formed some of the ways, conduct and expressions of the family of God.   There is great truth in the fact that I am loved by Jesus, that he walks and talks with me, moving into MY destiny, my story, my entitlements this was aged start but not enough and I shod have moved form it.

The songs we sing will mould us and make impact on us. On some occasions even much more that the preaching of the word as we over and over repeat statements that become worked into our thinking and become part of us.   The Christian songs, and all songs I grew up with have had a profound affect on me, they helped to form my initial understanding of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus.  I thank God that most songs that have been around me and I must admit those in recent years that I have been willing to sing have been about Christ not me.

Today I feel with many a shout of enough, and although its a good start this solo-faith the faith of its about me, my ministry, my destiny, my stuff, but its not good enough.   My Welsh Valley upbringing had more effect in my perceptions than I realise, I have known positive impact along with negative. Positively the sense of community, street life, the watching over each other. In the light of my Welsh world view I discovered a US of the street, of the community. In the church I cannot ever recall being taught to consider the significant relationship between Jesus and US, its been Jesus and me.   I think my Valley up-bring put an US in me and therefore it was woven into me, it becomes my thinking without realising.

In terms of my church life I like many missed the biblical necessity of community: that Jesus intended to fuse people together in people, community, family dynamics where they could grow in godly character and generous living.   Where “…every joint supplies…the body gave increase of itself…”, an us, a corporate over arching view, realising it should be the eyes I listen though and the ears I see though…

I read a quote once that said “It is impossible for men to meet with God and love him without at the same time meeting with and loving one another.”  We are the PEOPLE of God and it is to become our dominating world view, a US, a PEOPLE of Covenant.

Can we once again consider the well quoted passage of Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”, well quoted as it is often used to paint a picture of what many call ‘presence’.   Could you see it much more about the UNION that springs to life whenever people form a gathering where Christ is the supreme guest.

This community is found in two+plus who make a deliberate choice to see the Christ, make him central focus, not me central and my needs, also who accept one another. in very practical ways     To give to each other in this context is no accidental event, it is very intentional.       Its a challenge as it requires something from me to be an expression within the true communion the US, the UNION its my discipline, humility, selfless love, grace, my poured out servant, towel taking posture.      This expression requires I express covenant with each other, that I can stay in, that i became loyal to people and my confessions, it requires my flexibility in emotion, mind and love.    Then and only then do words become an expression “Love the Lord your God…love your neighbour as yourself”, ”Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I listened recently to commentary regarding the week in UK politics, this comment is with the back drop of the coming elections.   Running down the days to when a nation decides the shape of its government for the next 4 years.   The commentator announced that we had experienced a week in electioneering as a week of fear mongering, fear of what would take place if this political party or that party got their hands on the economy, fear in voting for another party and losing the Health Service, fear with this one and fear with that one, what ever party painting a fear on the voting faithful.   It seems they were all trying to win votes, in truth they were cultivating a fear and the nations worst fears to gain, negative really.   You may be one of the listeners and think you feel nothing but all these words are adding to our international concern regarding security, concerns on immigration, worry of radical attacks in our streets,  all we hear is really is cultivating the attitudes and dispositions of people – FEAR…

It was said that during the war years, WWII, with nations attacking Berlin bombing in the day time, bombing at night, a strategy which did not allow people to settle, to find any peace or a rhythm to life, a life of fear rather, fraying the nerves of the people, even the strong hearted person.   All to do with producing a certain emotion and fear in people, hoping to bring a nation to its knees.

Today we only have to look at nations events and hear nations heads declaring, after an fearful onslaught, “we will not bow”, “we will not give in”.

You and I of the household of God are those who have to withstand the fear moulding, for we are to be a blessed people in order to be a blessing not those living under a siege mentality, or are fearful, even down to the fear of becoming religious, a form of godliness with out life, a gospel that says much but delivers little.

We end up with a siege message if we take hold of fear, fear of being overtaken by secularism, fear of the church losing its ground, losing its position in the nation.

Many young men and women will admit that they are weary of the churches having the need to fight a losing battle against the secularization of culture.     Weary of sermons and magazine articles sounding a “clarion call” to faithfulness, or scolding readers about the dangers of various “slippery slopes.”

What has happened?

We have become part of a fear movement it seems it captures us, stints our confidence, undermines creativity if we are not careful rather than holing on to Gods’ promises and goal, which God will be fulfil completing the task ordained through a glorious church, a body that is commensurate to the head.

It has been reported that, “Half of young churchgoers said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, and too political.

One-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality.”

What is happening here?    Announcing the problem as immaturity or even saying that they are a disloyal people group, (which I don’t agree with), of young people might be a natural response, Dietrich Bonhoeffer opened a letter that stated “It always seems to me…that we leave room for God only out of anxiety.”

Only out of anxiety?

Is commonplace fear really the main reason we cling to God?

If we’re honest with ourselves, it seems many people, even leadership just don’t gathering as the body of Christ, the church to be obedient, to empty oneself before the Father, to sing and make melody to the Lord of all the earth or to commune with his people.     We’re there for a spiritual pick-me-up to get us through the working week ahead, or to get us out of a ’hell’ of a week last week and for some we just have to be there.

Do you and I gather because we fear being without God in a world that’s leaving us behind?

The political commentators are announcing and we find fear looking at the economy and our own money, some fearful with the lack of available homes, possible failure in work, this list can be long.     We fear the changing of government, the fear of being invaded by laws, social concerns.     We fear persecution in society.    We fear the weather.     We fear being alone.      We fear losing the life to which we’ve grown accustomed.

I have noted that this that the younger generation can sense or perhaps ‘smell’ this fear as soon they step into a Sunday morning, especially if it’s coming from the preaching and teaching or songs etc.

We all are aware that a life lived in fear is far from the abundant, you and I have been introduced to a life, a promise of life and life more abundantly….?    If we are living in fear, we send a message that we don’t feel secure in the love of the all-powerful God.    If we panic at the demise of our life style, how would we stand in the midst of actual persecution?

Are we crippled by anxiety when finances change or for some giving declines, what if God calls us to voluntary poverty?

I know many that are in real challenge with family health, financial challenge, it is a real wonder as they go deeper into God holding on to their trust in God in these times and people do it rather than being overcome, let these individuals, families, couples inspire us.

People especially youth do notice when we show a lack of trust in God.

My oldest daughter inspired me recently in resigning a lucrative employment in education in the UK, stepping out to make a difference without secure support, just wanting to take the love of Jesus to people in Africa, to make a difference rather that let fear govern her financially or where and who she should live with.   I am sure we can all tell of some one that has let go and trusted God.

Peter of the scriptures speaks to the disciples of Jesus, “Do not fear what they fear!” and there was much around Peter’s day to cause fears that were  debilitating.

Paul challenges the fears around us: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  We are to join those down the ages and those who live in midst of lack or challenge and we must live declaring “God’s people must not give in to fear”.

Bonhoeffer’s letter, which I referred to earlier suggests a way of living  “I’d like to speak of God not at the boundaries but in the center, not in weakness but in strength, thus not in death and guilt but in human life and human goodness.”

God wants each of us in our place, in our condition, in our life to live life “to the full.”   A life of thankfulness to, and trust in, God which means leaving the outcomes with God.

Let the world around us the world of anxiety around us sense a quiet strength of trust not fear, when trust is around you and me we aren’t constantly calculating and worrying, they will ask the reason for the hope that’s within us.

This way of life will assist so we are aware of not only what we say, but how we say it.

Avoid using a fear of the future, unknown, people of different backgrounds or ideologies to bring about conformity

Prevent, stop right now making apocalyptic statements in our conversion, from our teaching forums when we speak about political, social, and economic problems as this does not point people toward Christ.

Tell, speak, preach, teach of Christ as God Incarnate and Christ as the Crucified One, about the God who will put an end to the darkness and brokenness of this world.

It is the love of Christ, which drives out fear.     “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Ps 56:3 NRSV).

No better way than to close my thoughts with Bonhoeffer words  “The Bible, the gospel, Christ, the church, the faith—all are one great battle cry against fear in the lives of human beings.”

Raise your battle cry and overcome the fear molding of our lives LIFE ABUNDANTLY…

Whats our Biblical view?

How do you look at the Bible?

Firstly is it as place to study, to enquire in order to find a place of insight that conforms with what you already believe?  We should not study to conform to what we already believe but to find out what the Bible actually teaches, what aspect of the nature of God is made known through the words contained.   We study and whether our findings cements or shatter our assumptions, we search to find out, this is Biblical maturity.

Secondly I am also influenced by what is happening around me, the moments, the places I live in, the settings I inhabit, biblical interpretation was this not always so?   The Holy Spirit has always worked through the culture, the very places we live out our lives, in the very environment of life, business and society.
The context where the church finds itself, what ever country, what ever culture, what ever time has always been taken on by the Father, Son and Spirit in order to bring the truth of Word to light.

For example was not the Reformation triggered in part by the cultural context of medieval Europe.   In the same way finally there came a time when the church eventually came to clarity on the wrong ways of slavery as moral offences and the economy it sustained, weighed more and more on peoples consciences, and the church rose with a voice, so history tells us, first in individuals then in a corporate stand until change came.

Like wise there is a rise today in the environmental concerns which is promoting a fresh look at Biblical instruction on creation, stewardship etc.   This is the Good News humanity restored, creation healed and Christ filling all with you and I in UNION with the Farther Son and Holy Spirit.   The Good News is not that we escape out of this world but we transform and bring the order of God to bear – the Kingdom of God.   Commencing in small ways, droplets as it were, until a sea IS formed from every little action and advance.

It has become common knowledge to all who followed the rise of cycling in the UK during and since the success of the last Olympics in London, this has been well documented that it was the cycling coaching staff who brought world champions out of the team, through small consistent adjustment, through very, very little actions and changes in every part of life, food, sleep, activity, etc., only to see many little adjustment brought about great gain…

Perhaps that is an encouragement to us all, rather than being overwhelmed by the huge necessary change to see the goal of God come to pass, we all give effort to small adjustment, insignificant adjustments, seeing that they all pull together to accumulate to major advance and change…?

Start a revolution, make movement happen little by little.

Some time ago on American TV a programme was very popular that in later years invaded, British TV. It was a programme that had some what of a cult following, a strange programme looking at issues in quite different ways. It created stranger looking creations, dealt with science on the edge of discovery and took it into fiction. Change, altered egos, altered physical forms as well as altered science. Not that I followed it but it was interesting and intriguing along with disturbing, it was in the ‘Twilight Zone’ where things were not as they seemed, in-between stages where things became de-stabilised, not belonging to the past or present, an altered reality.

Well it seems that you and I are those beings who have “…tasted of an age to come…”,  we are to bring the order of God to our world (heaven coming to earth, the coming of the Kingdom of God)  we too have been called to reside as “citizens” of another reality.   We diligently bring about the realm of God in our lives and our surroundings only to realise we belong to another place… How on earth do we deal with that condition to be people of the “not yet”, the “coming age”, people of a Twilight Zone that is still seen dimly and yet has clear principles. Ways of life, life giving ways that have been explained to us by the life of Jesus, how to conduct your self, what should fill our hearts and minds, our response to being loved first, what is our response, having been shown generosity, grace, mercy.

This Twilight Zone you could call a time of transition, my questions is does it ever change? Is this way of living a way of continual living until Father Son and Spirit receive their goal in calling creation forth. A world filled with many sons, a world where Christ will fill all, where G O D’s first cause, G O D ’s ultimate aim comes to fulfilment and full-ment. Until then we are to be in contact transition, constant progression, constant change, in an in-between state in the Twilight Zone…

What is your Twilight Zone like? What does your zone make you feel like I wonder?  imagine if you can young Samuel’s experience as he grows to be a prophet of God, seeking to faithfully serve God with many challenges around him, I am now learning to hear God, I do understand God’s ways, reaching and trying to know the inner workings, dealings of God, how does the kingdom work, what are lt’s secrets the order of God, works.

He had to deal with
The perplexing paradox of Eli
The incredible patience of God with a corrupt priesthood
Everything in Samuel wanting to responding to Eli’s righteous exhortations, whereas nothing in him corresponded to Hophni or Phinehas’s lifestyle
The challenges of maintaining sensitivity to the voice of God
His deepening pain over what he was hearing from God and what he saw in the nation
The growing awareness that God would not allow this situation for ever
The in the grief knowing that God would remove Eli, as well as his sons
He did not try to do God’s job, but held to the function God had given Samuel to serve Eli and the Lord in the temple
There is no reference to Samuel’s involvement with the loss of the arc of the Lord to the Philistine, nor its return to Israel. But his opening words show he was ready for that moment, he recognised the signal from heaven to initiate dramatic change in the nation.

1 Samuel 7:3 (NLB)
“if you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your following gods and your images of Ashteroth. determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistine’s”

Despite the spiritual darkness of his time, and joined as he was to the failing Eli, Samuel was some one  whose heart burned with passion for God. He kept faith in the covenant promises with and covenant purpose of God to his generation. He was sustained by a continuing prophetic revelation of God which kept the flame licked and burning in his heart

1 Samuel 3: 21-4:1
“on the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel”

If God had not had a word for Samuel, Samuel would not have had a word for Israel. What a fundamental lesson, but a fundamental insight that first the prophet requires a word, a voice, is sounded and only then when it has had its internal implication to that vessel the word should be spoken fourth. We must recognise the difference between the prophet, prophesying the word of the Lord situation and a person preaching the Word of God to a congregation. Although at times the prophetic may be in the preached word, is not always so.

When the prophetic word comes –

It provokes change in attitude or action, as does revelation. that is, its first sound is to the hearer to say I cannot stay as I am. Every utterance prophetically says I cannot stay where I am, I cannot stay as I am, it brings the power to transformation every twilight zone living.

It focuses the purpose of God so that you do not fall victim to forces that would love you to be deviated from the divine purpose

It carries with it was the essential to your establishing the gains already made, while propelling you forward to secure new gains. This is painted in a wonderful picture of Nehemiah’s urge to the people to carry a sword and a trowel, to protect themselves and what they have accomplished while they’re working to add whatever building.

It comes with passionate conviction and deep certainty of the prophet can say ‘this is the voice of God’, which enables the prophet to remain at rest above whatever appears to contradict the word he has become.

So today, in our generation we continue to see and have seen incredible changes, advances and threats in the world around us. In the West terrorism threats, in Africa in some nations dreadful medical threats, in many parts of the world economic threats along with advances like never before technology, medical, understanding, the accessibility to all knowledge to every person on a small mobile telephone. There is incredible progress  in the realm of the spirit, in Revelation, in demonstration we are overwhelmed hourly by what God is explaining of this God given life, a life turned towards humanity. We are seeing incredible blessings in lives being set free, healing, deliverances, recognition of callings, restoration of the church, times of refreshing-revival reported from around the world. This is twilight zone…

While we are excited by Gods workings, we remain unimpressed with the calibre of Christianity inside the very communities experiencing these blessing listed above. Often, a person’s experience of the spirit is not balanced by the understanding of the life in the spirit-the experience of power is not matched by the needful perception of purpose.

Utilise our operation within the Twilight zone, we pray fervently, we teach faithfully that the eyes of people’s understanding might be opened (Eph 1:18.19, Col 1:28)
Col 2:1-3
“…and for this purpose also why labour, striving according to Gods power, which mightily works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf… that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love…that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ himself, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge…”

Our inability not to remain within the prophetic passion for God’s purpose has given us “Christianity of the trivial” out of the zone. Our faith has deteriorated into a competitive scramble of small-minded egotists trying to relate or gain a few more to their cause, as opposed to working in harmony to advance the kingdom, discipling God’s people and pursuing unity in the bonds of peace.

Our cry from within the twilight zone is that in every place people will rise as  prophets with this passion
Luke refers to Samuel in this fashion Acts 3:24-25
“all the prophets were spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your forefathers saying to Abraham ‘ and in your seed all the families of you shall be blessed’”

As you live in your twilight zone heralding in a new order, enlarging your taste of the age to come, being the exact representation of God as God’s ambassador may you remember you are in the line of ‘sons of the prophets, and of the covenant’ therefore listen as a son, live in your daily life as ‘sons of the prophets of the covenant’, and finally discover again with a passion what the ‘sons of the prophets’ said and saw, live your Twilight Zone as an adventure.