Choices

Essential, Primary for our TIME

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Three seasons of time are spoken of in relation to Jesus, “… yesterday, today and forever…” I would suggest to you that time is a gift created by the Father and given to you along with a place, both are creational gifts given to humanity.     We make the mistake of seeing eternity as a long period of time but actually it is no time, a place where time is not, the place that time was created from as a gift to you and me.      Place and Time are to be celebrated, let us focus on Time for now, time is to be redeemed, time is to be accounted for, we learn to “…number our days…”, asking the Father to teach us to make them count. This is not a heavy judgment but a celebration, looking forward to making each day full in destiny and purpose.

Hebrews 13:8 tells of three seasons whether Christ of God should be found in yesterday, today, or forever, in other words in every day, hour, minute, even second, it encourages us with the statements of “For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself.” (Message).

Within yesterday, today, tomorrow we engage in many activities, many focuses, many visions, all of which require us to draw upon the three resources we have in life, these three resources, time, money and of course people.  In the three seasons of yesterday, today, tomorrow we have three resources people, time and money, it is  the way in which we take hold of these resources and combine them in the seasons that  have a major impact and influence on what we call the Kingdom of God.

Let me suggest to you a further ‘threesome’ that is necessary in life’s scope, to make sense of what would sometimes appear to be a senseless world and bring clarity to confused circumstances. I will offer this threesome as questions, firstly asking  you to ponder them, and consider your ways in the light of each answer

What is the Primary purpose of God in History?

What is the Essential purpose of God in Christ?

What is the Essential message of God for our time?

I have a one word answer for you to ponder, it is the answer to all three what’s –  RESTORATION

What do I mean by that?       Simply as a definition one could say “ bringing things to their final state” or “Progress of God’s purpose to its fullness”. We are not looking to restore back to any particular moment in history or time, but restoration embodies the restoration of Gods full intention when he spoke into being seasons and time.    Restoration to Gods ‘ultimate intention’, what He had in view when he said “Let there be…”

In order to understand the message of God for our time, lets call it the “now” time and word of God we must first note the phrase “Times (seasons) of restoration” Acts 3:21.    We must take note that in the midst of such a time, a season of restoration all that the Christ will see the culmination of God’s plan with him calling an end of this age.  

Seasons – what picture does this word cultivate “times of refreshing” what has been established in our perception as we think of this phrase?

There is much talk about Revival along with the necessity of Revival to transform our world, which I could completely concur with. However Revival alone is not enough and we must keep hold of this, it must flow into Reformation, which in turn must bring Restoration, anything less would be a distraction and a loss of the full intention of God.     Revelation must flow to first find its continuity of thought and practice then it will turn to a season of being established so that every revelation becomes part of life, each previous flowing into the other, each one leading, directing us forward from one to another to achieve the climax of God in order that advance and continuation are walked together.   For far to long the so called new negates and departs from the old by saying “for the sake of the new”, yet in the new is the essence of the old that propels us forward, certainly in understanding and renewing our image of God as its all progressive and accumulative is it not?

Although we look through history, history that we can appreciate unraveled when a season flowed from one season to another such as Luther, Wesley, and Whitfield each had its impact and made its contribution.   In our lifetime we see a variety of seasons, baptism, gifts of the spirit, healing, moving in the supernatural, worship and praise, disciples, faith, restoration of apostles and prophets, kingdom,  all these have had a season, and we have watched as they have flowed, one to another. Yet we are still waiting ‘…times of restoration…’, of fullness. The seasons are accelerating by, rushing into each other, and becoming a part of each other. each one building on the last,  with each  revelation and experience belonging to the whole.

As we look through history, history that we can appreciate as it connects and is clearly continuous, unbroken as we look at season moving form one to another such as Luther and Reformation flowing and the Wesley’s taking advance with Whitfield contribution and so on to toady, each had its impact and made its contribution.    What about in our short lifetime we have see the recapture of truth regarding baptism, gifts of the spirit, healing, supernatural, worship and praise, discipleship, faith in life, restoration of apostles and prophets, Kingdom focus all these of being seasons that I have been involved with and transformed by the truth caught in the season. Yet we are still waiting for the ‘…times of restoration…’ of fullness. These seasons are accelerating by rushing into each other to become part of each other as each one of these revelations and experiences belong to the whole.

This is an unstoppable move of God, as we see the rushing of the Holy Spirit to complete the eternal purpose, bringing the church to its fullness and the final glorious condition where all of creation would see the Christ of God (Heb 11:10,16; 12:22; 1314; rev 21:2, 21:10).    The Holy Spirit is working to bring maturity in the church, making her the instrument of blessing worldwide, not so much as all of us becoming evangelists, although we must all share our faith, but becoming a corporate evangelist, communicating the life of God to mankind in a way that draws them to become the Disciples of Christ. In an incarnational way while being culturally relevant “…explaining the father…” John 1:17 (NASB) to our generation and time is part of our task as well.

This is the Essential message of Jesus.

God fully expressed in mankind “Word became flesh”, you and I might become the incarnation, in order that our Neighbours and work colleagues find the full expression of God in their daily routine of life. This is no science-fiction story but a truth, God’s ‘Tomorrow-Age’ mankind, mankind in its final condition, in the image of God, will rule and fill creation (mankind the lover of mankind, mankind the communicator of God, mankind the disciple maker).    The essential message of Jesus brought mankind and God together to be engaged together, to become one, to be in finally partnered with the Godhead.

The message of God to our time is not so much what we are saying but it is what you and I are becoming.    Are we becoming the word made flesh again? Our words becoming tangible, effecting lives, two questions to ponder and open up conversation on are as follows I think you will be surprised at some of the answers as you listen to the debate.

What we are becoming as individuals in Christ?

What we are becoming as a corporate Christ the church, ecclesia?

This tomorrow aged people flesh out the:

Love of God

Life of God (happy, content, excited, fulfilled)

Nature of God (Light & Love also what he is like Creator, Saviour, Father, James 5:20 disciple)

Being as he was, he is “ perfect” – complete, holy, righteous, well-adjusted

Perfectly at home in humanity

Perfectly at home in God likeness

All this brings demands upon us as we seek to become mature in the fullness of Christ we are to:

Know Godright concept

Know ourselves

Live in reality

Live as a community of the King

Live in the power of God’s life

What is the message of our time?   WE ARE TO BE LIGHT ON A HILL LOVE IN EVERY DAY ACTION WE ARE TO EXPLAIN GOD. 

A closing thought, If ours does not prove to be the final generation of TIME, let mankind look back on who “WE BECAME, WHO WE ARE”, not what we taught in information only but what we walked and hwo transformation and Restoration came to God’s creation. As we serve God in our generation.

His purpose: his interests: his will and goals.

We pray that history of our day, remember yesterday is now part of history, will have more to say about the many, the mature, the full corporate people of God rather than of just about one or two but the full body of Christ being who they are.

To BE in your TIME

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Between the Lines, Between the sheets, Between the pages, Between a rock and a hard place, BETWEEN TIMES…

Much of our lives are spent in a certain kind of mind-set, and experience.  it is often necessary to learn the skill to be able to enjoy the times of our lives.   How many of us are living between promise and accomplishments, between being told it’s coming and the arrival.   the Scriptures are filled with this, are they not?    We read the accounts and stories and miss one fundamental tool in Gods equipment, that is, a word comes but the distance between the utterance of the word and the arrival of that word, can be soooo looong!    take even the promise of the Messiah 100’s of years, and if you include the promise to Adam and Eve of the “crushed head” of the garden experience, 1000’s of years.   yet the words and the promises are no less relevant and potent, it is the skill of staying in and holding on, or better said it is learning to live in  the BETWEEN TIMES.   we are all, if loving God, between the times people, actually all of humanity are living between the times when it comes to Gods love and promise fulfilled, along with his intent and cause arriving.

There is a skill for between the times, the learned skill of trust, of continuing, of setting your face like flint when that which comes towards you looks different from the promise.   stay with the times by fully encountering the between times.

A classic  picture of this is Acts 1, having lost, the Christ gone, and being told to wait , setting in order the loss and appointment of Matthias, yet they were between times, were they not.   Christ had ascended and the Holy Spirit had not come, the fulfilment of Old Testament promise.   Living with each other while between times.   who would not say that’s enough, or I’m not sure if its true, let’s get out of here, long enough, certainly we miss heard, did God say?

Acts 1 is the story of 120 people in a room waiting for release along with arrival, it’s a skill of attitude and keeping faith, how many give up and change their theology because it’s not come quick enough, or even come as we determined it, between times are dangerous times and empowering times.    we have heard many expound the ‘Kiros’ moments, the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment) and direct it to a particular event, i would suggest to you that we live in constant ‘kiros’ moments, dangers and opportunity, always between the times – danger and opportunity

The dangers of when we see nothing happening, in these between times we try to make it happen, Abraham did it  with the promise of a child, he tried to make it happen in the between times.   I wonder about the appointment of Matthias, was that God breathed or were they also simply trying to make things happen.   You can not say that, well it is interesting that we hear nothing of him from that moment on?   be careful in ‘In between times’, if the command is wait, then wait, hold to the promise don’t let it go by trying to make it happen with your own with effort.

The lessons of between times must be, when God speaks, when simple direction is given, take hold of it  with both hands and live in it, not in another moment or event, simple really, between times is a time to keep to the directions given.   this opens up the reality when nothing is happening and there is a God creating between times.   it is the  Fathers problem not ours, hold to Him.

Like many at the beginning of any new year the question of what God is saying comes up and the pressure to say something of significance comes upon us, let us thank and celebrate the workings of the Holy Spirit in our world.  Lets stop being CSI Christians, scientifically looking into more and more detail of where God has been, and oh yes honour the past, but the past is surely for the future, learn  to live in the light of the promise, so that we can say where God will be and not where he has been, a truly prophet people.     I read recently some 1.2 million communities – families – churches have been established with 250 million people coming to Christ in the last 6 years World wide WOW wonderful testimonies of God at work,   yet in all that if I compare with whats happening to whats coming it is still a drop in the ocean, as Christ fills all things and the church moves towards its goal of Christ everywhere with creation transformed to be like heaven here and now, restoration to Fathers first intent, there is so much more to come.   As the old saying goes, made famous by a USA president “you ain’t seen nothing yet” we are between times!   The awakening, the times of refreshing, revivals that will bring the Season of Restoration is still breaking in on us, it is happening but  we are still  between times.   So what do I do, just do  what i have been directed, keep it simple, do what God has said, get on with it and nothing more, keep my thoughts, don’t try to make it happen and loose.  live and enjoy the in between the times, help others to live and welcome the promises fully with both hands and with excitement.

Some might say, well I am going to get it now, i trust you will,  but the bible narrative is too full of lessons of having to hold the promises, just as Mary did with Jesus in hearing the coming promise of a son she learnt not only to say “be it unto me”  but also to “ponder it in your heart” and make it living, there giving room for the promise to be cultivated and grow.    It is important this year ahead, I believe much will come to pass this year, people are believing, faith is raising and much will break forth, but we have to live between the times, to see the promises of God come to pass in our ‘kiros’ day.  Are you willing to put your trust in God… even when nothing is happening?

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.       Albert Einstein

In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.                  Albert Einstein

Distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.        Albert Einstein

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.               Steve Jobs

He Stole My Bible again…

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I am not sure how you read your scriptures and what you draw from the arranged letters that are offered to us.    A number of years ago I was presented with a new translation of the scriptures every year, it was a planned and purposeful exchange, so i would change the way i read and listened to what I read.  It took me a few years to realize what was going on, I was a little slow, rather funny really, every year the question came “What bible are you reading?” I offered my translation and by the end of our conversation, in those first days of each new year my old bible walked out of the room and  a new translation was let in return.   Excuse me I said but my notations are in that bible, the reply was “Yes” my comment was  “Hmmm” and his “that’s exactly why I am taking it”.   But it instructed me to read from different a different vantage point the same word, it brought the scriptures alive again as I saw the different angles of the diamond of this book.   It was a challenging lesson initially, then every first of the year meeting I learned to present my old 1-year-old bible and open my hand for the new one to be exchanged.

One of the lessons of reading the Scripture is to grasp the fuller story, the panoramic view of Gods dealings with his people, some times we get so caught up with this and that little thing, and  we have not understood the over all panorama of Gods working, cause and purpose.   I long for more people to catch what God is doing from a distance rather than getting into the minutiae, when we don’t understand the wide aims of his purpose.   For instance You can look at the book of Joshua and see all the in’s and outs – all good stuff walls falling, inheritance gaining, conquering armies, trust and obedience, establishing a people etc.   But one thing that encourages me in the narrative is simple when we get across from the deliverance from Egypt the victory of transferring from supply upon supply, that is food, water, clothes never wearing out etc., to a place, as we enter the promise and realize there is still unfinished business!    The book is the story of unfinished business, the settlement in the land is the account of unfinished business. We often wish it was not so, why did God not do it all?     Perhaps its the issue of God making us partners with him in everything, he has done his bit, now we have to take hold of the unfinished business and bring it to pass “earth becoming like heaven, his likeness and image in you and me.   That’s another blog.

Unfinished business.    Each new episode of life, each new year each new day is the account of unfinished business.

So you wake up each day with unfinished business, not procrastination on yesterday’s stuff but today is the continuation of completing the purpose, the set course that God has for humanity and creation, your story and mine is the story of unfinished business until a generation comes to see Christ filling all things.    The small reading of Scripture can so easily introduce to us a narrative of me and the immediate, yet we are about a course of direction the Father has begun and we are involved in unfinished business.   I wonder what your unfinished business looks like?

Lets’ Keep Moving Hitting the Mark

You cannot get away from Paul’s encouragement to have one goal in mind and heart as we travel through our Christian journey, the goal to become more and more like Christ until ‘he fills all things’ or until he has the pre-eminence in our lives in book of Philippians he says we are to ‘press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’.    It was with this in mind that we set out every year to so call Hit the Mark, to get entwined with unfinished business of the cause of God.

As ever Now in our journey we take steps forward, to grow from strength to strength, glory-to-glory, faith-to-faith and favour-to-favour, it is not the time to settle back and simply enjoy the inheritance we already have.     There is Unfinished business here.

The children of Israel had to be ready at all times to up stakes and move on whenever the cloud or the pillar moved, they moved, sometimes they stayed a month in one place other times a day, they had to be ready and willing at all times to be obedient to the call of the Lord.   As soon as they heard the trumpet sound they were to up camp and move on.    I wonder how they felt about the trumpet sound, did they wait eagerly to hear it knowing that they would be moving closer to Gods purpose for them, or did they dread the sound knowing that once again it would mean uprooting and change.     They journeyed and crossed into the inference which was full of unfinished business.

The trumpet of the Lord is certainly sounding across His church in these days calling us to wake up and step into the fullness of our calling.    It is calling us to move on and not simply camp around our experiences of the past whether good or bad, it is calling us to press on and embrace the revelation that is being birthed in this day.     Unfinished business prevents us from stopping around anything that is not the full cause of Christ.   People say this and that is the main event, the thing God is doing, this is the structure and pattern, it’s that theology and practice, it’s this experience and encounter, yet the main event has always been one thing God’s cause “Christ filling all things” and all is unfinished business until that happens.

Each generation have their own journey to walk, their own milestones to reach, and we are so aware of the continuity of the body of Christ knowing that the achievements of each generation build on the last and prepare the way for the next.   I remember once being told that God had no grandchildren, meaning that each generation will have their own encounter and task to fulfill in the great scheme of things.      It is our joy to be in the position to build on what we have received whilst knowing that we will advance a greater unfolding of what we had received – faith-to-faith.

We recognize that the children of Israel had certain milestones in their journey, and likewise we know that the Lord has given us certain milestones that we must reach towards in our journey together.   These are marks for us to hit, things for us to reach towards together and see achieved in our day and generation.

You and I have unfinished business and the grace and supply of god is there as we make his cause our unfinished business!    As you move further and further into this year may you truly finish unfinished business for this is the draw of God s work.  Complete that which is in our day to finish.

2012 – I am the New Year

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I came across the following while considering the two gift of God to us in Creation – TIME & PLACE they are a few words to consider at the commencement of 2012…
I am unused, unspotted without blemish
I stretch before you three hundred and sixty-five days long.   I will present each day in its turn, a new leaf in the Book of Life, for you to place upon it your imprint
It remains for you to make me what you will: if you write with firm, steady strokes, my pages will be a joy to look upon when the next New Year comes. If pen falters, if uncertainty, doubt or sin mar pages, it will become a day to remember with pain
I am the New Year  During each Hour of three-hundered-sixty-five days, I will give you sixty minutes that have never known the use of man, pure, I present them; it remains for you to fill them with sixty jewelled seconds of love, hope, endeavour, patience and trust in God
I am the new Year; I am here but once past, I can never be recalled
MAKE ME YOUR BEST

Things no one told me

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2012 will be my 28th year of serving the people of God, when I was 28 years old I was asked to consider leaving the building industry, laying brick and mortar down, to give my focus into building a dwelling through people’s lives.   It has been an amazing adventure to date and it is not over yet.  Myself, Sandra and our family have served in so many ways.  I was once told ”try everything” to discover the grace on your life, which we did with eager abandonment.   Serving in different capacities of influence and leadership, being administrators, running children’s ministry to 1000’s, leading outreach teams across the UK from cities and towns, serving in a mission environment, teaching, preaching, imparting,  painting, digging trenches, carrying bags, repairing cars, caring for and loving the ministers of God,  leading congregations, envisioning people, being known as prophets and laying our lives down as apostolic servants of the body.  The list is quite endless when we think of it.

In our journey we have been schooled by some wonderful men and women, been imparted to, impacted by and had understanding laid down in us over the years, some things we learned no one could have taught us or prepared us for.   Here are some of these lessons we hope will empower and advance you in your journey.

People told me about loving God and loving people, but they did not teach me how to love. That came through experience, joys and often challenge.

I had not fully understood how complicated the lives of people were, I learned the need to engage with people in the long journey as well as immediate situations with constant love

I was surprised at how judgmental and cruel Christian people could be.  I was not warned or perhaps I did not listen at the time.

It would have been helpful to have more insight into problem solving, and crisis management.

I thank God for my business training, as not much attention or training was given to financial management.

Although we began more than 20 years ago we heard much about family integrity, we still have many that did not listen as within families of leadership much pain is left to one-side, I recall some saying, “You just go out and serve the church. God will take care of your family.” Many families fractured through it.

There is no way anyone can prepare you for the loneliness of leadership.  The importance of friendship with colleagues should have been reinforced.  We have to help each other, aloneness is a necessary skill to learn and occupy.   To understand aloneness is empowerment but loneliness is a killer.

Another problem that is on ongoing for us all to learn on the hoof was that the church was God’s church … not mine. I was an under-shepherd.   We all subscribe to the notion that the church is His church, but the practicality of that comes into focus when we deal with vision, competitiveness, pressure to conform etc.

I had to learn how to be myself and build on my own strengths.  People, ministry and peer-pressure can make us conform and be as the USA would say “cookie-cutter” copies.

Loving and caring is not for the faint of heart.  Probably, if I had been told everything, I would not have completed the course, perhaps not even begun, but discovering my love for God and for His people enabled me to continue the course. I am so glad no one told me everything, and I am so glad I am pursuing.