abode of God

Launched Words…

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I turned the pages of my electronic bible over, what a strange action, I am always amazed what these computers can do and sound like, I continued to read waiting and anticipating the Spirit of God to have gone deep within God looking for fresh insight to be brought into my daylight (1 Cor. 2:10).     With anticipation I read on knowing that when God revels it will have an implication for me, to make it part of my life, embracing it in every way.    Then it arrived as arrow in flight in pierced the clouded mind and thought patterns broke through into my being.   It read “He launches his promises earthward how swift and sure they come!” (Psalm 147:15), WOW, WOW! the Father launches, its trajectory set, its path calculated and course set, away it goes a promise of the Father.
I realised that the overcomer overcomes through the strength of God also by the living promises of God.     What about transforming what God has said into a pregnant promise, into words with power, into sentences that are God filled.   For is this not a promise from heaven a God filled sentence?    Not just words on a page, Biblical promises but launched, swift to arrive words, “for none of his words will return void” not sound bites to quote heave invested words!   Perhaps promises spoken long ago taken back into the face of God through my conversations with the Father, my prayer and returned as “Reverse Thunder” (Rev 16:17-21) with my words invested  into again with Gods substance  and creation is effected”
If promises have been launched towards Gods creation should we not consider what they are?    Making known what has been uttered what has been said towards creation, humanity you and me.   What has been promised as the ultimate intention of God, Gods purpose to bring about, this will of the Father we are to be given to beyond our own will.    Should we not have the duty to enquire, then we have a responsibility to make it known.
Launched promises God speaks – thank goodness God has words, this God of ours
God speakers words that work
God directs speaking words having a direction in them
Speaking must be twined to hearing, so let God speak and let us hear and take heed of promises
Promises launched in words that work!      A promise making God, a promise keeping Father an ever extending God via spoken words – literal God changing shape in us, around us by utterance, words and all within those words are God.
So where from here, take the book of words, of promise the scripture Spirit uttered words and collate promises spoken to all creation, to humanity, to the church of God, to you and me.   Begin to revel in the spoken promises, begin to consider that these are not thoughts, nice reading passages but fulfilling promises.   For though promises we will live gloriously, don’t just wait until they arrive or happen live in the glorious light of these words.

Trends of the Spirit – Servant – Leader – Influencer

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Today the Spirit is re engaging our theology and consideration to realise that our God is a Trinitarian God and not a hierarchical God, as we have so often been instructed.   This simple change in understanding has major ramifications on all thinking and practice within our world.  We realise that theology is at the base of every decision and action in each society – it is time to review and adjust to the instructions of the Spirit and allow the impact to  stretch across our world.

There has never been so much debate regarding the way forward as there is today, with markets changing, people changing, with the needs and requirements of modern men and women.

We actually say that everyone is a leader in some way or another, whether a parent at home discipline, schooling, empowering their children or as a successful business entrepreneur.   You are influencing someone!

Leadership in most people’s’ mind would be thought to be seen, in the charismatic decisive directive goal filled person, with every one else listening and doing as they are told, yet over the years we have seen that this is so far from the servant leadership model, we are all called to.   Willing to pour oneself out for the advance and empowerment of others.

We live in a season where leaders are to be honoured yet Christ poured himself out; this was his style of leadership and influence.    I would even step out and say for true, lasting and worthwhile leadership it has to be “servant style” to be lasting.   As a matter of fact it is in vogue to talk generational in church settings and in mentoring business settings, yet lasting success can only be achieved through servant style leaderships or influence!    It is about time we discovered that once again.

“In times of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists”.

Eric Hoffer

The only way to avoid control or domineering of people’s identity, is to rediscover our call to servanthood once again.

As you read through the Psalm’s you can come across gems of thoughts on all emotions and experiences of life, one recently caught my attention “…Finish what you started in me, God.    Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now…”(138:8), we are reminded that we have a God-given purpose, The Father has begun something in us and through us.        We are told in Paul’s writing each one has been given a destiny that has been for ordained, that was placed before the beginning of time.  Then in Philippians we are told that “… he who began a good work in you will complete it…” you see there is no shadow of turning on his behalf, when it comes to his will towards us and towards his purpose.

Each one of us are given the opportunity to imprison, empower, liberate others around you we can entrap friends and employees or bring them into the “… wide open spaces…” the liberty of God. It does not matter whether it is in the work arena or our faith arena, each one of us should be looking to enlarge others.

“The most immediate risk in your present way of operating may be that you could not be replaced, it there should be a need of that”

Robert Greenleaf, Servant Leadership

Decades ago a new book arrived on the shelves called ‘Servant Leadership’ written by Robert Greenleaf it has always amazed me how few books have taken on this focus, although I do believe for lasting impact we are beginning now to realise the distraction we have been brought into.    The term Servanthood, Servant, has been part of our vocabulary for many years and yet we still seem to struggle with its’ full implication in leadership and influence but subtle distractions come our way.   We seem to be still much more comfortable with a dominant leadership style, rather than one the soul reflects the Godhead and the modeling of Christ in pouring oneself out. Perhaps if we considered a different vantage point we could see a change, and move from the idea of being the chief to being a builder.

The servant leader is not the center of attention but the one that matures, releases and promotes others into their position. The servant becomes the stepping stool for others.

It is time that the church becomes aware of their lasting effect and become the leaders and influencers to bring about maturity.

“Servant leaders want to see the company even more successful in the next generation, comfortable with the idea that most people won’t even know that the roots of that success trace back to their efforts” 

Jim Collins, Good to Great

This “servant leadership” will be built on integrity and therefore will attract trust, people will enable men and women to sleep at night as they pulled out their lives for others. There will come a time with the using of others step is to achieve power will cease only as the impact of servant leadership is allowed to be seen.

To lead with the desire to become a successful as you aim to succeed in the very process, servant leadership it is our day greatest cover our call and vocation to evolve into Servant Leaders, to follow the Christ and explain the Fathers ways.

As we move more and more into the day of the saints, advancing from the priesthood of all believers to the ministry of all believers it is the lasting hand of the servant leader that will bring about a lasting impact for the Kingdom of God and his King.

This Kingdom will fill the whole of creation, and the joy of God, the church, will cause Christ to be seen in our world, by being the exact representation of his style in every way.   To love and empower, to free and give course for life, to be the incarnation in our generation through servants of Christ and leaders who are servants of all creation.

This is not a style of leadership but it is a leadership that endures and therefore brings about true lasting enduring advance

Government of God is familial – discuss?

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To agree or disagree with that statement has its implications; FAMILY is at the heart of all the Father is working towards he is a God whose in every way moves, acts, conducts himself in regard to bring a Family about.   The goal of God is the Restoration of all things through his family, through sons of God.

As you read Paul’s interactions with the New Testament church, you have to conclude his language is full of family, he uses mother, brother, father, sister, language constantly, he even called the church his children and as an apostolic father he mothered the church.   Somewhere we seem to have lost the language of the ‘ecclesia’ – church, family language.   The modern world has brought government and hierarchical issues to bear on the ‘ecclesia’, rather than the ‘ecclesia’ holding on to family and Trinitarian patterns.    Positions and titles have taken over rather than familial understanding.

Now hear me loud and clear, this is not a treaty to eradicate apostles, prophets ministers etc., far from it, it is rather to establish and honour correctly, that the ‘ecclesia’ of God might mature and “be” advancing in its servant hood towards God and his creation, being the true representation of the Father in the earth.   I believe that apostle through to evangelise is fully necessary to bring maturity to the body of Christ with one missing mature eludes us, but its not by name but by gifts of christ they must be present

It is a day when 250 million people have found faith and a staggering 125 million new church communities have been established, all in the last 6 years it’s reported.    We live in a day when 112 million people have left the organised church for the sake of their faith in the USA, and are discovering relationship with others in homes around Christ.   My appeal is for a mature relationship model as opposed to the importing of an organisational model from the business world or any other kind of world.  In the business world, titles and positions become ever so important rather than relationships, in this something has been lost from the center.     We have the language of relationships but end up with organisations, we have networks being proliferated but people are lonely and alone in the world of want works matters and leadership.   Leadership gathers talk pragmatic the how but rarely find true friendship – relationship.   Yet Jesus called people to be with him and he moved them from servants to friends did he not?

Paul brought familial language constantly and establishes a relationship pattern, a family pattern in every way

We take passages from 1 Corinthians to assist us in congregational life in bring order to meetings, yet it is now well accepted that these verses had nothing to do with meetings as we know them today.  Chapter 11 outlines the breaking of bread and sets out from then how to conduct yourself in relation to gifts and functions etc., Where does all this take place?    All around the table, in a home not in a meeting as we see today.   There is nothing stopping us taking principles from these verses and applying them to whatever setting we choose, but always seek to remember the context it was written for.

I would suggest to you that Paul’s language of government was familial brother, mother, father, sister, and children and in the midst of this apostles, elders, prophets, pastors, teachers, deacons, and evangelists were found, even gifts of stirring leadership are evident and necessary.    They father and matured children, mother and birthed new babes into the ‘ekklesia’ while the ministers functioned.   They loved as fathers and mothers and certainly never became celebrities.    They were servants of Christ and the ‘ekklesia’ of God, who the people honoured fully, therefore the people received the reward in their receiving the gift and of the Christ through these ministries.

Lets back up just a little no one would differ with the statement that the ‘ecclesia’ is a family, the challenge is our view of ‘success’ and our chase for success, our modern environment influencing us to a perception that is organizationally.   Some times the idea that big is beautiful creeps over the family wall and creates something other than the relational family that we have been born into.    There is nothing incorrect with big so-called as the life of Christ in the ‘ekklesia’ come it will produce life.   The issue is not the concept but how we so quickly allow our practice to create an organisational church rather than a familial ekklesia.    It is necessary for us to rediscover what the Father is after, what is this restorative goal he has, and what is the primary reason of us being on earth ‘bring heaven to earth’.    Making Christ fill all in all, he will remain in heaven until a season of restoration (Acts 3:19-21).   Ask yourself what does that ‘all in all’ look like?

The Father has brought a way for us to gain our sonship back through the Son, the orphan way of life and condition we have been born into is eradicated by sonship.    The reason for our sonship and salvation is “to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12), hear it to every one is given power that is the ability, the notion of privilege or right, the opportunity, to become a son.    Sonship is a process of maturing, as we take up the right and ability.   Each one of us are children of God, born from above now, and we process, mature into sonship, a life knowing the will and mind of God, and move in the inheritance of God laid up for us all.

The Father sent his Son to bring, to redeem the orphans that humanity had become along with its associated life style constantly protecting along with making ways of provision for themselves.   While the Son enabled us to entre into a family who lives by their inheritance living that is trusting on the Father and protected by He who camps around his people there by eradicating protection and provision through sonship.

This journey we now travel as a family is a process, which is captured in the Psalms, the people travelled in families, ascending to Jerusalem, for us today, being born again, the ‘ecclesia’ as the new Jerusalem, the Zion, the Mountain of the Lord we have nothing to ascend as God has come to where we are, but we do mature and become sons of God as we are led by the Spirit (Romans 8)

More to follow!

The Condition

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“Let there be light” is a part of the opening declaration of our Heavenly father, giving us some understanding of who, He is.    As we begin with this statement there is so much to draw from it.   While travelling to Sri Lanka, a number of the ministries we work and labour with on that beautiful Island, call me the “Genesis man” as they say I return back to Genesis especially chapter 1 so many times in my ministry.   My only defense is, if I require one that Genesis is the seed-bed of all Gods working, that within creation all the themes and workings of God are there in seed from.

I must admit I love Genesis 1 greatly, it sends a buzz through me, as I read and consider, it comes alive as I read the explosion of life and vegetation, I feel the exhilaration of the Father as he spoke and it happened.   “…Wham..bam..wow…bang…” feel the joy of the creation, the Holy Spirits’ joy, the manifestation of “…the Kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy…” so the creation is full of joy!   Recently I saw a different slant on the Hebrew word for OBEY which is actually is to “keep intact” I think that is magnificent.   It opens up a whole other facet of obedience, keeping in tact!   I must not get way laid into that avenue at present may be another time but to look at the declarations of God in the “Let there be’s” of Genesis 1 as being the father speaking and in order to “keep in tact” with the declaration, it was.   Genesis becomes a canvas of “keeping in tact” the word, the spoken word of God, and the obedience to a declared utterance from the Father.

Genesis opens up with God, nothing more nothing less than God, for there was a time when there was God, there was no sound, actually no expression of God.   Genesis 1 heralds the first expression of God to us for out of…?…?…?…?, I am lost for words, out of where?   You see we are challenged, with our vocabulary, to communicate accurately the actual fullness of truth.   We are tempted to say that God, out of nothing, created, but we cannot do that, as there was nothing seen but everything was in an unseen condition, in God himself.    God had not given expression to himself prior to that time.   Creation opens up the expression of his love, we say in John 3:16 “God so loved the world he sent his Son”, in other words the Christ is the expression of his love.    Into time came the first sound a “…let…” the first expression in a seen dimension and this expression was the word, the first sound was the word of God the Son!     That is why he is the center of the Fathers attraction; His goal to fill all things with is Christ.    It is said in Hebrews’ that God is happy to dwell in bodily form in the Christ, as he is the first expression of God.  The expression of the Father had so much of his essence that it exploded into being and created, and all change came about!    Everything is measured by Christ, in us and in all we do, he has become the “horizon” the very line of God for all things.  Not our business of church or our activity by how much of this first expression, the word, the Christ is found in all our endeavours and lives.

This same expression is towards us today, his Son the word of God is here, he has been given to us, and with Him, the same ability to change things, the same expressions of transformation, God has invested in the people of God today.   The scripture encourages us come boldly to God, and become the expression of God, speaking and expressing him, according to his will.

More than this, truly what I wanted to write about is what happened when “…let there be light…” was expressed!   Things changed, darkness became altered as light made its impact.  Unfortunately for us light has become an object, it is a bright orb in the sky – the sun; it’s a bulb hanging in the middle of a room, lamps along roadways, a hand-held torch or just a simple candle – light has become an object.   Let me first say here, that we are dealing with not just light, but the very essence of God himself, as I read and understand God has two essences, light and love, and both are given to us.   We are to love one another “that the world might know” and we are to become “the light on the hill” (Matt 5) we are to become the extension of the essence of God in our world as we Restore it and bring it back to gods original intent, along with all of creation and the cosmos.

The Light that is introduced to us here is not an object, interestingly, the sun and moon had not yet been created as the objects of light, but here light is the very nature of God coming forth and making the changes and advances.  Sun and moon came three days later in the creative order, creation returns to this light filled setting in Revelation 21, 22 when the light once again is not dependent on an object but on a presence.    So if the objects of light had not yet come, what are we dealing with here is “ a condition”, the condition, the being, the very nature, the very essence of God.     Let there be light was the introduction of a condition and the condition was God.

Ever since this time, every dawning has been a re-enactment a reminder that the condition of God has come into the world.   Have you noticed how better you feel following a sunny day, or how much in general people are happier having been in the sun.   Some people suffer with a condition of depression if they do not get enough sun.   it is a picture to us of a realty that the condition of God is  anew day, the let there be light of  dawn is a reminder that the condition of God has come to us.

Here is where the rubber meets the road, we have been given a gift of the love and light of God, we have become the sons of Light, people of the day, have we not, this light on the hill.   We have been invaded with the condition of God, not a conditioning but the very nature of God.    This condition that dwells in us is to dawn from us.   Our task and goal is to take the condition of light into the places of our world and let the condition come.   Practically how then, through our words, actions, love, character, etc.

The light is the condition of God that will fill all, this is the Christ of God, we are people of the light we are immersed, baptized into the condition of God until his light dwells in all.

Genesis 1 brings a condition into our vocabulary not just an object of light, dispelling the darkness is bringing the condition of the Father to our world, we are created to be creation, Genesis people dispersing the condition of God.   If light dwells in us the condition of God dwells in us, is this not his image and likeness in us?

How does that impact you?   I am a child of a condition, O, boy my self-esteem changes, I bear the condition of God in me and so do you, light bearer!  

 

Here’s A Though

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Here is one of my early morning musings.    Most of us want a peaceful and quiet life, being left alone, however in these days of economic turmoil producing future insecurity, not knowing what will happen next or what turn of events will affect our lives, changes that i have no control over.    Often we find ourselves longing for a life removed from the reality around us, a place where we would not have responsibility or accountability.

Let me lay down a morning musing to suggest some things that will bring peace, from Psalm 119. The longest Psalm that deals with the love of Gods word, verse 119:41 says “Let your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised; Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted your Word”.  

The way to begin our days is set out right here.   Allowing myself at the dawning of my day to be overwhelmed by your love, the knowledge of your love, the experience of your love.   This love that is everlasting, unchanging love, this love that is so vast and covers all creation, creation itself being a manifestation of the love of God.     The love of God was manifested in creating a provision for humanity in providing a place and time, gifts from the Father, gifts to live in this is love being manifested.                              

Its time to chase after Gods essence LOVE and realize that all things, such as, creation, signs, events and experiences are simply manifestations of the LOVE of God.     We become passionate about His LOVE with the knowledge that we will become the expression of His LOVE as we love one another John 13:34–35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another.    In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

This love becomes so real in us and about us, that this love is manifested towards others through us, we are recognized as Jesus followers as we become of the same stuff, the same love, love becoming the indicator of who we are like.  Actually we become this LOVE in our world and manifest its out working to the world around us.

People of God let us become those who deepen our love and let God manifest that love in healing, signs and wonders, miracles and like, it is our responsibility to be LOVE, desire LOVE, chase after LOVE this essence of who our Father God is, LOVE that we might be like HIM.

Asking such questions of us, “how have I loved to-day? ”       Start each day asking, “who shall I love today – ALL? ”    How much more can I fill my heart with his LOVE? 

It is said that God poured into hearts the very essences of who he is, this LOVE he gave through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit came to pour our the essence of God into the hearts of mankind.   That is why the Holy Spirit always directs us and makes known the Christ of God, as the days of Jesus become the manifestation of God’s LOVE to us.    That Jesus being the “…exact representation of God…” he was and is a LOVE revolution, a LOVE out pouring, a manifestation of LOVE, “…for God so loved the cosmos he gave…”

I have a personal conviction that everything we see in the seen world, and the unseen is just a manifestation of the LOVE of God.   That which we see with the eye is that which was once in another place – the unseen now made known and that unseen place is God himself.   He took from within himself and brought out what we see, therefore all creation was in him.   Every resource every provision is inside the essence of the Father and it becomes manifest through who he is, God is LOVE!

“Let your Love” the writer says, may I know your love, may I peruse your love on life’s journey, may my focus be your love, may I be your love in the cosmos.    May I chase your love, deepen in your intimate love.

“Let your love” may it fully overwhelm me, may your love ravage me inside and outside and may I see my daily walk founded in your love!

For the Love of God is generously, freely given to us that our hearts become the very gift we are given.    Consider the free giving of God in who he is God is Love.

Romans 5:5 “…And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

This gift of love, this gift of God himself, this gift of the manifestation of the Father, the love his Son is not to be put in a book or on a bookshelf, or in a decorative setting so that it is displayed as prized ornament in our homes and lives.   Far from it, this LOVE has a work to do and a task to advance.   The primary and first is “let your LOVE, God, shape my life…” with LOVES tool begin and continue.

We are to have shaped lives, sculpted lives, lives that have had the hands of the Father applied to us, as a great artist shaping us out of dust and clay, a form that is LOVE shaped.  The final work will be God shaped that way we will testify and explain the Father (John 1:18 (NASB) Jesus came to “explain the Father” so do we) as we are God shaped by his very essence LOVE and become the shape of LOVE and LOVE shaped.

We pursue LOVE and are LOVE shaped by the tools of salvation and promises.

This love shaping allows me to stand through all that comes and helps me to fully trust the God of creation.    A love shaped life is a trusting life.     

Loves shaping does not come in ways we might welcome, some times we have to realize that his love allows, discipline, all being freely outpoured.     Salvation, trust overcoming are the practical tools and skills developed as we live a love shaped life.     We are not called to avoid things in life but have the love of God in us to face life’s shaping.      We find the wisdom of knowing his inner voice and Holy Spirit, which is nothing more than a love manifestation, giving us the ability to hear God and to know when to overcome, when to step over and when to withstand.

Love brings to us situations to temper and enlarge our trust of the Father, when we do not see him at work so to speak, when he is slowly working and so little change is apparent, yet love is shaping my life, so I shall TRUST.

Let you love, God, shape my life – with the tools of salvation, promises that I might trust, stand, overcome and be of your very essence, Let your LOVE be in my life and heart that the Cosmos may know you.