Ready…Steady…Go

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"Sacked"

All tied up

Get Ready, Steady, Go recall the childhood sports day when we lined up with excitement and anticipation of the greatest event ever.     Olympics 2012 eat your heart out, these where the races that mattered.    I am sure  some you stood ready in the ‘egg & spoon race’, looking down on the egg in a spoon and concentrating to keep it there, set in the curve of the spoon.   For others it might have been the ‘sack race’, standing in a bag, a coarse sacking bag at that, not only that but with shorts on, it was like standing in a bag made of sand paper ready to jump to victory.    For a few it might have been the great British race that made so many world champions, the ‘three legged race’, two legs tied as one, it did not matter the different shape and stature of each child, just tie them together at the knee and ankle, the tall, the small, the large, the short, mixed shape teams, that’s the spirit of competing, being there.     I am not sure if it was fun or just physical abuse sending children out to be competitive with all the hindrances of a sack or a rope and an egg.    It was fun though!     We stood in a row glaring, sizing up the opponents and then hearing the words “Ready…Steady…Go” and off we went.    There where some congenital races as well on the school sports field!

Keep it on the spoon

In the opening words of Psalm 108 (Message) we are greeted with a Ready, it’s a declaration not form an official or  third-party but form an individual declaring their stat of life, it’s a very different “…ready…” to the picture of childhood experience painted previously.   This “…ready…” positions us in life it has a full life impact; it creates a buzz throughout the body, mind and soul.   The Psalmist makes his intent known, lifts himself to an “I’m ready” it delivers an awakening declaration, wake up sleepy-head environment, no more lethargy but a let me at life in its fullness.

Feel the “I’m ready” its pulsating, its let me at it, what ever has gone on or not gone on there is a conclusion to that season and what ever situation he finds himself handling.    Now its Ok world, Ok situation, Ok events, Ok inner person “I’m Ready”.   The writer goes on to sum it up with the notion I’m awake and it wakes all around so “Wake” to all that is within my influence and beyond, this readiness brings an awaken-ness, it has an implication of I am fully in the open, out in the midday sun and ready for action.    “I’m ready” in this Psalm transforms the  environment, as he calls on the sun, the sleepy-head sun to adjust, it is full and effective to all that hear.

My readiness awakes, brings alive and transforms my inner and outer being, it extends to affect the song of my life, that inner tune or rhythm we each carry.  It awakes the tune that life is dances to,  and to my environment it is transformational and brings joy.

I’m ready to be TRANSFORMATIONAL.

I’m ready to be IMPACTIVE.

I’m ready is FUNDAMENTAL to life for each and every one of us.

In the New American Translation it’s worded not as ”I’m ready” but as “..fix your heart…”, it takes the person on a transforming course, what ever you fix your mind and heart upon will have an effect on you.   So come to a fixation as it is –

TRANSFORMATIONAL,

IMPACTIVE,

FUNDAMENTAL,

The issue really is, on what do you fix your heart, eyes and mind upon?   in Colossians we are told to “…fix your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” a good fixation.    The decision of what to fill your eye with, your mind’s eye is so foundational to life,  Jesus, is foundational to us all therefore is so radical to each life.    Here is a thought, we must fix our heart on foundations elements rather than any thing superficial,  as all superficial things will  pass and will not have a lasting and trust worthy effect.     It’s necessary to have this fixation on the Christ of God, it’s a must.

So where ever you are in life, fix on the foundational things, otherwise any other fixation will just become an obsession to you in life, this practice that is meant to be empowering and transforming just comes to be an obsession.    Fixation that becomes transformational or  an obsession is our considered article?     One and only one fixation is healthy to life, to fix our selves on the author of life and life more abundantly.

So “fix your heart” be “I’m ready” this is a practice, a breakthrough that is necessary in life, make it an every morning event, and every evening event, a way of constant rhythm in your daily routine, get to the place of transforming the environment you walk into due to your fixation.   In other words my fixing of heart, the ‘I’m ready’ becomes the ingredient that is necessary for us all and as you can bring your fixation on the Christ t to effect on others rather than your obsessions it become the catalyst of lives.    What is it for us an obsession or foundational it’s very important as the “I’m ready” gives you an influence and a your reasons for action.    at your worst account an obsessions will rule and make you act for its sake where as the fixation on Jesus is foundational to life and empowering to life in all its glory, drawn towards the fixation, it become s a leading drawing beacon rather than a destructive obsession.     Fix on music; celebrity, money, etc., all these superficial things will ultimately destroy you as obsession takes over your thought, spending, words, and actions.    Non of us wish to live an obsessive life rather make a choice to get ready and fix on a life-giving focus.      Where as to fix on an established foundation, builds until ultimately you will become part of the same stuff as the foundation you have fixed on that becomes your source.

So chose your “fixation”, your ‘I’m ready’, be transformational, awake the sunshine over someone, over the circumstances of their life.   The impact of the readiness is  outlined further in the Psalm:

THOUGHTS ON PSALM 108:1

We praise God with a fixedness of heart. Our heart must be employed in the full thought of O God! my heart is fixed, and then I will sing and give praise. Wandering straggling thoughts must be gathered in.

The opening verse is prepared in the ‘Message’ with so ready there are 5 readies repeated “I’m ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe. Ready to sing, ready to raise a God-song”.   Is he ready or is he ready!

“…My Tipping Point…”

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Watch Ahead

As we take stock of life and take a look towards the future and being wise looking back over the events of days gone, for this is true wisdom when we can draw from our past and now to mold the future.  As we do this I am sure we all have different thoughts of what the future holds.  Even as we consider the past we would have different thoughts about what got us to this point.

We all get asked in the light of world events what does this mean?   I have to say some times I don’t know helps us Lord in the changes that are rushing towards us all.   Several years ago I picked up a book called “The Tipping Point”, I am told it has become rather a buzz statement for many, with many taking it up to sum up their feelings of now.    The notion is that everything comes to a point of balance, one that is ready to tip and throw its weight towards a certain direction.   Many things can tip the balance, it could be  a reasoned thought, an emotional response, or a circumstance that tips the balance and takes you over an edge.    In other words the statement we often used to hear of  “its got to break” has now moved into a roller coaster a movement, beginning a direction that seemingly has its own momentum.    So many people I talk to feel as if they are either on the approach to or at the point of just starting over, on the edge of their own “tipping point.

Whatever way we consider, the past, the present and the future I have come to one conclusion, that echoes out loudest over all my thoughts, and I have shared this in several settings over the last 3 years.  It was so loud in my thinking that it drowned out every other thought in my mind; it is “what got me here will not get me there”.   An understanding formed in me, that what ever brought me to know what I now knew, whatever had positively assisted, empowered and served me/us, was not sufficient to carry me/us into tomorrow.  A now, new moment had arrived, in every new moment there is a new encounter, which is necessary to envision and equip the day.   Moses saw God in the burning bush, Abraham met God for his journey and new pilgrim life style, even Jesus encountered the Father in the Garden to face he cross, earlier he encountered the Father at his baptism in preparation for the wilderness and the 3 ½ years of function.

Wherever you are, I think the tipping point is becoming a life-style, not just a moment but also a way of life that we are always negotiating.  There is in fact a cost to be considered in every tipping point, be it into an event, a way of life, or a life choice, that will not even allow us to return to where it all began.

A place of no return so to speak, a rub-icon crossed?, this all sounds high and mighty, but we make these kinds of decisions daily.    Decisions effecting people and relationships, how we use our money, our job/vocational choices, we even see it in the small events of life as they may be.    Please realize that most lives are a sequence of small events and we cross rub-icons daily that have no pain attached but certainly are transformational in terms of our friendships and families – people, what we do – time, and the final resource in our lives, money and how we dispose of and work our money – finance.

Can I encourage you to think out of the box before you negotiate the “tipping point” and set your roller-coaster along life’s chosen pathway. Clear the house, your life first with start by determining I QUIT!   This I Quit will help the process of going over the edge taking that step forward I will give you just 4 “I Quit”

Quit making excuses

Quit complaining

Quit living in fear

Quit complaining 

Having chosen to negotiate my “tipping points”, having then welcomed them these “tipping points”, they have in turn set up various directions of life for me over the last 8 years.   It has caused much re-evaluation of resources, hearts, and direction as events and situations continue to present themselves.   I have had to remodel my view of life and more than that, remodel my view of God himself.    Which of course allows the remodeling of how we function.  Knowing this discovering View of God that will determine how well we all live.

Following all that I am excited over the phase we have now began to live though, a phase that clearly brings multiplication in a new way into my thinking.   Seeing Apostolic networks possibly becoming Apostolic families, heavily relational rather than organizational, realizing that we should not replace the single grace that so empowered many and much in last 30 years + with another grace, endorsing a Papal system again, but seeing the release of multiplication of apostolic graces across the countries and world in this phase.    Many networks or movements are giving way to family expressions with a relationship life flowing across them and through them, which is releasing the possibilities of continual multiplication.    It must then continue to fill the world we live in with organic family expression of Christ.

It’s a time not to be nostalgic in any way but to seize the new phase and take hold of the circumstances that now face each of us.

Love of God, it’s His Essence…

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The face of Africa

Just a short note and a testimony, well one of my short notes:- Note – I depart Thursday 4 August for Zimbabwe and Zambia, to kiss the soil of a wonderful Continent, it will be a busy schedule so please pray the love of God towards  us enabling us to minister to the people we meet in every way.     The 1st weekend will be at a  Family Conference with Cleopas Gwavava, followed by the next week a Leadership School in Gweru with Charles Kudzerema and Bernard with leaders from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the 2nd weekend in Zimbabwe will conclude with a Celebration Conference for the Churches there about.   Will then travel up to Zambia for the Restorers Conference in Mwinilunga, Zambia with Roma, Catherine and our family there.

After being with Cleopas  7 of August will be privileged with the arrival of John Casey along with Peter Topliss for further time in Zimbabwe, they depart on the 15 August following the Leadership School and Conference, leaving me to travel into Zambia where I will be joined by Gary & Janet  Pleasant along with Pat Broom and one or two others from the USA.     A busy few weeks ahead, I will commence my return on the afternoon of the 24 August arriving home in London  at 7 Am on the 26th August.

Please pray for the mind and heart of God to be seen heard and touched as we minister there.     I thought I would also take this moment to tell you that  I will not have internet connection for quite some time, so my weekly attempt at  blogging will not come to pass, sorry to all readers, but I will be back-end of August or September.

Now for the story, where can I start, where better than to state, God is so gracious to us all!     I was involved in a conversation today, with a friend and ministry of Christ of mine, talking about the love of God,  and his whole aim to bathe the whole of creation-Cosmos in his love.   God is Love we say, its his essence, who he is, discovering the God of love is so important to each one of us.  The way in which we discover his love, whether it be through an action, a feeling, a concept, Fathers heart, mothers touch, his nurture, also tells us about ourselves.       The important matter is that  we are overwhelmed by the love of God.   The challenge is that the love of God,  his own essence is to be shown through us, we are to be an extension of his love in the world in which we live.    We are told that the world may know him, as we love one another, as they see his essence in and through our lives, in other words the essence of God captures, overwhelms us and we become the extension of him becoming that love, his essence to our world,  what ever world we work and live in.

Zambia & Zimbabwe

I believe that creation is really God bringing of himself, everything that was in him, making it seen,  the garden was in him, humanity being expelled from with in him, the cosmos was in him, we are returning back to him at the end of time, returning from where we where sent the mind and heart of God, and his ultimate purpose in the eternal Son will continue to be displayed.   We are thrilled to encounter his love in so many ways so that we might become one with his essence and be the continual flow of his essence to our time space world.

In Deuteronomy its says that “the love of God was made evident upon his children”, what does that look like?   The evidence of his love, so many ways, inner peace, a life filled with the realm of God breaking in on us, a continual consciousness of Christ in life, his supply as we have need.     Let us be the display of His love every day throughout our lives.

Back to last weekend, Sandra and I had the joy of being with Gods people in Exminster, not the usual Sunday meeting but truthfully a gathering of Gods people around food, brunch in the open air of Devon, we share food, life, Christ and the word together, it was great to touch life with the love of God.    Allow me a moment to paint a little background here for you , so that you will fully understand this testimony,  on leaving Africa in early May Sandra and I concluded that  we needed to get a 4 wheel drive vehicle to enable the ever-increasing influence in Southern Africa, acknowledging that some roads, towns and villages can only be negotiated by  4 wheel drive vehicles, both in SA and in neighbouring nations in which we work.    On leaving Africa we just said, some time, don’t know how or when but we need to seek God for a 4 wheel drive vehicle, we don’t have any money for it, but we will have to see when we are ready.

Anyway back to Devon after returning to Adam and Karrie’s home we had a visit from a couple called Paul & Sarah ???? who are part of the church there, they asked to speak privately with us.  They had heard us share during the morning and both agreed that they needed to do something, and that it was right.   God had spoken to them, to pass on a Land Rover Defender to us for the work in Africa, WOW how amazing, and moving for us, God heard our thoughts not even prayers but our conversation back in May.   God, His love made manifest in Paul and Sarah’s heart and made manifest to Sandra and I, to receive the  fulfilment of a need for Africa HIS LOVE IS SEEN in this matter.   We never cease to be Amazed with Gods’ miracles, his protection, cover, healing and provision he is a miracle God and a God that supplies through His people “as every joint supplies”.   I know that Paul and Sarah will find God, sowing in the way they did,  will bring a return from a loving generous God, a God who wants us to sow ourselves, displaying his essence, and becoming the supply of God.   Now all I have to do is get the sign of his love to Africa, donating it to a charity for us to extend the gospel.

 Be his essence in your home, work place, street where ever, that his love, who he is might fill all, that Christ might fill all in all, as Paul put wrote it

Mission – Missional – Missionary

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Face our Mission

Mission? What’s it got to do with me?

How, and where do you start when you are asked to write something on mission,  my thoughts go to the challenges of a coming Kingdom and the changing of the  world around us, causing me to conclude  that mission has to have a focus towards  the Ultimate Goal of God,  i.e. “all things summed up in Christ”, “Christ filling all things”.

I was once asked by a well know teacher  “are you doing anything today that will continue when time is finished and Jesus returns?”,  “yes” I replied, he continued with a further question, “are you doing anything that you will not be doing after his return?”  My answer was “yes” his reply  “why?”   In others words keep your eye on the ultimate, in all you put our hand to.

I cannot read any scripture without realising that the Father and the  Holy Spirit have a preoccupation with the Christ.    Our work and involvement must therefore, have this same preoccupation, we must be fully occupied with Christ, other wise the task ahead will overwhelm us and we will lose our way.   As a matter of fact the entire occupation of the heavens is Christ.    It is so easy for us to focus and emphasise one particular spiritual truth, value, virtue, gift, or good work and yet miss Christ, Christ who is the embodiment and incarnation of all these things.

All mission and commission looses its way and purpose without holding on to the ultimate of goal of God.

I was recently provoked by the following question “why was I born in the West, with all  the privileges of the culture  I find myself in?”   As I pondered on this question my first thoughts were ones of a great gratitude for all I have been given and entrusted with.  Then, I compared my lot with the 2/3rd of the world around me and began to ask why, why God was I born here?   As I considered the privileges we are surrounded by I was amazed at what God has made available to us.  The privilege of freedom, the privilege of finance, even in a world that is in the middle of recession we have so much compared to those that live on less than a $1 a day.

I cannot depart far from the scripture story that started with the debate for position amongst the young men and women that followed the Christ,  debating who would get the best seat in the house.     While this debate went on Jesus told them of a landowner who distributed money to each of his servants, for them  to invest /steward the entrustment in-order that on his return a profit would be seen.   This profit in turn would open up  further entrustment opportunities, not of finance but of city rulership – those who are faithful with little becoming  rulers of much.

This narrative deals with a number of thought patterns, for example the disciples idea of Kingdom coming NOW.  The immediate and sudden NOW, putting Jesus on the throne NOW.  The story is however a story of PROCESS, this being working with and stewarding our entrustment to bring about Gods’ full intent.   We are living in days when regardless how much or how little we have been given, we have to see this PROCESS OF STEWARDSHIP.  We must deal correctly with what we have been given in order to see the influence of God, and Christ filling all in all taking place, as we do, so we will be entrusted further.

So why were you and I born in the nation you were?  which ever nation that may be ,  we must  steward correctly that with which we have been entrusted, so that we might bring an end to poverty,  never mind how tight things are in the midst of recession, we still have a charge to steward the little and the much.

We have been positioned and entrusted with ability to

1          Redistribute – wealth, justice, liberty

2          To bring Christ into every sphere of life and society

3          To break poverty – and dependence for all

Poverty is not fundamentally the  lack of money, but it is the imprisonment into a dependence on others for liberty, finance and personal freedom.   I would like to eradicate ‘dead aid’, where money has simple been poured in time and time again with no sense of building creating only  future dependence.   I would like to  invest in people, and take away the cause of  dependency on some one else for resources. Through our kindness and giving of money  in some cases, often unknowingly, we have added to the poverty mindset and sustained  imprisonment.    We have given much, equipment, tractors, seeds, houses, computers, etc., when our hearts and emotions moved us.  What we failed to realise was that  when what ever we gave  broke down, needed  new tyres, parts or repairs the people once again became dependant on  another hand out – lets break poverty and take away dependency.   It is  not about ceasing giving, far from it, but it is about wisely entrusting to men and women, training in self sustainability and providing them with the mind-set of continuing long after the initial help.  This is long-term empowerment, this is our mission.   Giving people the ability to advance handing them the stewardship of their own advancement.

 After all the advancement of each person in a way that is Kingdom of God thinking will bring about heavens occupation “Christ filling all in all”

Why…

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Why...Why...Why

We all have many friends in our lives, some pass through for a season others stay around for longer.   I begin this blog, not with friendship in mind directly but more to ask, out of all those friends or acquaintances how many have helped us on our journey though life?   Who has impacted me and to what extent?    It always amazes me that we have friends that don’t help as well as those who do.     Who has walked through my life and is still doing so? Bringing the imprint of wisdom through their words and actions.   Who has become the finger of God working in my life?  is this not “every joint supplying”.   I opened up a meeting on Sunday with this thought “…to join my self to any one, even to be joined to a people group, a church, cannot simply mean just  attending…” Unfortunately for far to many this is so, the Christ like life degenerates to attending rather than becoming a relational joining, a felt joining, even our language can be ever so relational but do we truly feel one another?    “You are not joined with me until I feel you, we have not joined until we feel one another”.

I would suggest that Jesus showed this in his own life, constantly painting pictures of this, glimpses of joining and being felt so many times.   One story comes to mind of the woman who had bled for 12 years, she came not just to be in the crowd, but to join herself to him.   When she did so Jesus felt it, it was not just a healing we are told Jesus felt something leave him.   She was joined he felt it and I am sure she did, a story of order and government (number 12 is always seen as government, 12 tribes, 12 apostles of the lamb, 12 disciples etc.) her life came back into order after 12 years of disorder.    This was a relational touch in story form “she touched him”, actually her healing came not as she just brushed passed his prayer blanket, in her action she joined her self to him and Jesus announced “…who touched me…” I felt it flow from me.   Is this not “every joint supplying”?

Back to where I began some people touch our lives and help us to put lenses on that enable us to see a bigger picture, enabling us to get a balance back in life, others help us to see the detail of all around, others put give us lenses that assist us to appreciate people and circumstances, and there are those that even help us to see with future lenses, making sense of the past and future along with present.   Few come along and probe strategic questions on how we see, so that we can priorities and respond correctly.  Questions that may even shake us but ones that will ultimately secure our journey and the way we live that journey.

Here is my point, reading today the Psalmist viewpoint on life lived around him, through the Message translation, I read a simple yet  a powerful word,  its consequence, if dealt with incorrectly could shipwreck a life, but if dealt with correctly will enhanced and make authentic our faith journey and intimate relationship with the Christ of God.

Psalm 106:1-3 says “…Hallelujah! Thank God! And why?   Because he’s good, because his love lasts.   But who on earth can do it — declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises?   You’re one happy man when you do what’s right, one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.

My simple word is WHY

What a great opening and a wonderful habit to get into asking WHY?   Its not any WHY being asked here, its WHY are you being God focused, WHY are you thankful focused and WHY are you both together thanking God?      Don’t just do it because of the pressure of the crowd or the church you belong to, who expect you to conform in what we call “worship” just do it.   I think God likes this question as it cuts through the dross of performance and brings us to the real essence of you, and his relationship felt with us.

The Psalm commences with Hallelujah where does that go to, what is its meaning here.     Praise starts within the heart and action, but then we read an abrupt stop, WHY?

One sure thing that this WHY exposes is, don’t just give you self to form,  or praise that is simply emotional, soul driven, gaining ego or position, the things of life that change and that are insecure, rather find the unchanging stuff.   Find a WHY that is worthwhile and a WHY that is compelling, a WHY that brings a reason and momentum an advance, that creates a sure foundation.

Praise, thanks, WHY these three may be a good combination for life’s journey a threesome, that brings a way forward.

Praise

Thanks

WHY

Three legs of an expressive disciple, a disciple that turns his /her heart to the Lord becomes one of these who God looks for!

We have a WHY to encourage us to engage further, to become personally authentic, rather than simply being a part of a group, I have to do it.    So I need to understand WHY there is even a way to ask my WHY’s.   How can I ask an empowering WHY, not just a child’s frustrated WHY, or even a rebellious WHY, but a WHY that enables me to know myself and my motivations.

This WHY is to bring an understanding of

Self

My environment

The overcoming power of testimony

An encounter of God

Why I do what I do, that enables the expression to come from an inner well.

That no religion distracts or engrosses

That no unreality destroys authenticity

That we are always aware of the inner man discovering in the wilderness the inner challenges of motive.

WHY ASK WHY?

Should I never ask, is it productive, should it be part of my life’s cycle, am I able to manage asking the question?

WHY are you doing what your doing? find the answer,  the Father will bring it.

WHY is a powerful a belonging word, it really will cause you to feel your relationships, when WHY’s are asked we will feel one another, as we bring form to our WHY’s of life and faith.