KINGDOM

Power in our World of Words

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As Christians we are taught of the power one carries in our spoken words they can encourage, discourage, and affect atmospheres.   The scriptures say, “…the power of life and death is in the tongue…” In other words what comes out of the mouth will have some effect in the world that surrounds us as well as affect me.    Words can transform environments yet our society tells that the seat of power lies in the brain or our minds, I would suggest we realize that really it is in our mouths and what comes out is more powerful than any thought.    As I speak I groom my mind, it sets a course, along with this, what I say tells you where my thoughts are, “…out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks…” the bible says this is where real transformational power lies.  “…As a man thinks so he becomes…” is only true when first it’s in the heart in our inner person and then our mouth speaks it then we can begin to become it.   Our words can transform first our selves and the worlds we live in.   Words spoken over children, words spoken to loved ones; friends and enemies all have an effect that will produce.   Perhaps that’s why we are to forgive those who come against us not just as a thought but verbalizing our forgiveness as part of the process of transformation allowing the words sown to lodge in hearts and begin their transformation changing actions accordingly.   

In the same way words spoken to each other affect words uttered over nations and people groups also have within them a seed of change, of transformation, of molding their listeners.   Before I write any more I need to say I am not a monarchist yet our Queen has a unique impact in our nation and beyond, she does carry an authority and has a unique way of entering our homes every year on 25th December.  The clock turns each Christmas day to 3:00 PM and a long tradition across our nation begins to sit and listen to her words over the UK and beyond.   This year was no different to any other yet the content this year seemed, from a faith in Christ perspective, a different ring.   I have copied her 5 min speech, which of course can be down loaded on any computer to watch, but here is the text and her presentation of a faith in Christ over our world.   Thank you for your words may they impact 2012 and beyond in finding “…It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord….”.    Thank you Ma;am’.

Here is the text in full of the Queen’s 2011 Christmas message, which was recorded on 9 December – before her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was treated in hospital for a blocked coronary artery.

“In this past year my family and I have been inspired by the courage and hope we have seen in so many ways in Britain, in the Commonwealth and around the world.

We’ve seen that it’s in hardship that we often find strength from our families; it’s in adversity that new friendships are sometimes formed; and it’s in a crisis that communities break down barriers and bind together to help one another.

Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit.

When Prince Philip and I visited Australia this year, we saw for ourselves the effects of natural disaster in some of the areas devastated by floods, where in January so many people lost their lives and their livelihoods.

We were moved by the way families and local communities held together to support each other.

Prince William travelled to New Zealand and Australia in the aftermath of earthquakes, cyclones and floods and saw how communities rose up to rescue the injured, comfort the bereaved and rebuild the cities and towns devastated by nature.

The Prince of Wales also saw first-hand the remarkable resilience of the human spirit after tragedy struck in a Welsh mining community, and how communities can work together to support their neighbours.

This past year has also seen some memorable and historic visits – to Ireland and from America.

The spirit of friendship so evident in both these nations can fill us all with hope. Relationships that years ago were once so strained have through sorrow and forgiveness blossomed into long-term friendship.

It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.

Of course, family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organisation or nation. The Commonwealth is a family of 53 nations, all with a common bond, shared beliefs, mutual values and goals.

It is this which makes the Commonwealth a family of people in the truest sense, at ease with each other, enjoying its shared history and ready and willing to support its members in the direst of circumstances.

They have always looked to the future, with a sense of camaraderie, warmth and mutual respect while still maintaining their individualism.

The importance of family has, of course, come home to Prince Philip and me personally this year with the marriages of two of our grandchildren, each in their own way a celebration of the God-given love that binds a family together.

For many, this Christmas will not be easy. With our armed forces deployed around the world, thousands of service families face Christmas without their loved ones at home.

The bereaved and the lonely will find it especially hard. And, as we all know, the world is going through difficult times. All this will affect our celebration of this great Christian festival.

Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

‘For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’

Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed.

God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love.

In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us we pray.

Cast out our sin

And enter in.

Be born in us today.

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.”

My View Of God.

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People often hang around after I preach, talk or even simply share some thoughts, they leave with an understanding that in my journey I have come to a place of, experience and pursuit of God, and realise that my deliverance, liberty and freedom in life, comes down to a basic statement “my view of God determines how well I live”.      For yourself, try removing the ‘my’ and the ‘I’ and replace it with ‘your’ and ‘you’.  The way we picture God in our minds, determines our liberty.     Before you go down the avenue thinking about what you picture, God is faithful, just, or generous, this is not the picture I am getting at, I don’t mean the concepts mentioned which we could go on listing, but I literally mean, what picture of God do you see? Do you see, a great judge in the sky, the wonderful teacher, a Father, and nurturing Mother?

Whatever picture you have will have an implication on the way you live and conduct your affairs; it will have a formulating hand and could bring a new freedom and liberty.

Your view will colour your pursuit and your research into understanding your Father God.   Our theological journey, our study of God is meant to serve who He is and his purpose in creating this world.    Theology is to be a servant of the gospel and the church.  Pursuit of understanding and experience of God, is meant to clarify the truth we proclaim, helping us to re-examine what we believe and equip us to practice what we believe and preach in a more consistent way.

Eventually all this pursuit is a reflection of God and is reflected in life. Good teaching produces a healthy lifestyle bad teaching produces distorted living. For the theological pursuit to perform its servant ministry we must learn to address the central biblical truths and relevant social and cultural issues. We do not deal with our faith in a removed monastery, but in continually changing societies, that shout for relevance at us daily.  Our View of God will equip us to practice faith with relevance and integrity in our changing world.

The world in which we live is undergoing considerable social change, our view, our theology, our experience of God is intrinsically bound to our personal and corporate worldview.   We live in a world that is inventive on its sin and brings new thinking and practices to old human issues (Romans 1:21), the one thing that has not changed is human hearts, what we find is more modern ways of repeating cycles of sin.    Surely my living faith should help and inform me as I view changes in our world?    There are some, who will consider any change in secular society as negative, because of a fundamental negative view of the world and an eschatology that we are waiting to be removed, to escape, saved from a fallen world, this broken world.    There are others who have grasped a Kingdom view of creational transformation (Romans 8:18-22), grasping that all things are spiritual, that God is aiming to have everything displaying his Christ “…fill all in all…” (Eph. 1:18-23), filling everything with his essence, along with “…the Earth is the Lords…” realising he dwells everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12).    Therefore seeing every “progressive” step in history as an act of God, a direct result of the God of creation in our world.     Today it is paramount that we discover a balanced biblical view of these two poles, while no changes in society can be given utopian status because of the condition of mankind, yet it is true that many changes in society are to be welcomed as God indicated his “…so loved the world (Cosmos)”.

My personal desire and aim is to uphold a high view of the word of God, seeing the scriptures as authoritative, as it speaks about salvation and speaks intentionally on issues.  I am not sure it speaks intentionally on everything as we wish it did, it would certainly make life much simpler and easier if it did, easy to order into prescribed boxes of thought, but this is not our Father God, who longs to bring his son’s into liberty and not prescribe everything for them, all of creation is actually longing to join the liberty (Romans 8:21).

I have arrived at this position of my view of scripture not because I am oblivious to life’s challenges, or having my head in the sand, hiding from realities, but we are all aware of the difficulties that exist in scripture.    History has demonstrated time and time again that the moment we set ourselves up as the judge of what is essential or non-essential within the word of God, we begin to slide towards a rejection of scriptural authority and the enthronement of the human mind.

My journey to date has caused me to end up where I stand at present; history has pushed and pressed me formulating my way of thinking.    Have you ever been challenged by others asking, “…have you had this or that experience…”, or “…do you experience God like this…”, and of course “…this is the way…”, or better said the “…higher way…”, suggesting a superior way, O God help us.    Let me give you an example from my journey regarding a controversial issue, my view on male-female.      Are you a ‘complementarian’ or an ‘egalitarian’?   I have been asked do you stand on this side or that side of the argument, well here is a shock or a truth, I am not sure that all, or better said, every biblical text fits either view.     Here is another “Are you pre-tribulation, post-tribulation” etc., etc., again I am not sure if scripture fits neatly either position, every one would have to admit that there are gaps in each and there are scriptures that do not fit in any view.     So what do we do?

Can I appeal to us all that we mature in our views of scripture, before you say “he wants us to become liberal” I began by saying I have a high view of the scriptures, the word of God so hold on!    However I do believe that there is a new reformation upon us, demanding a gospel that relates to our streets and brings Gods biblical view into life daily.    I know its makes some of us uncomfortable, lets not react, but rather see what the Holy Spirit is doing in bringing forth a better grasp and a clearer view of God and understanding of God.

One helpful practice, I would suggest to all who are journeying and being led by the Spirit, which makes us son’s of God, is, we must avoid getting hijacked along the way by asking some good questions in order to become word based and led by the Holy Spirit here is one good question and practice

When a fresh idea, thought, teaching, a revelation, an insight arrives and captures people’s imagination, ask what direction does it set us on?

Every missile, every aircraft, every vehicle of transportation has a direction, it will conclude, if it’s not knocked off course or its course changed.   Ask then, what course does this thinking, this theology, this experience set us upon, where will its full trajectory take us?

As we consider the issues of our day along with scripture we must ask this question in relating to the arguments take the issue of gender, homosexuality, abortion, youth euthanasia etc., where does the theology take us to if we take on board that way of thought and practice?    If the destination of any way of thought, or new experience, or old experience that is coming around again, etc., replaces the Trinitarian God of scripture with anything we must be careful.   If Christ is not lifted up at the center of every trajectory adjust the compass, change the course.

Trajectories – Where is it going? – An important question, if any destination replaces the Trinitarian God of Scripture with anything they must be careful.

Lets get our View of God sharpened, enlarged as this where our freedom and liberty and equality of life lies!   Happy adventures in Christ and life!

FREEDOM

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Through life you meet people or hear of people’s’ lives that touch you deep inside their lives words and actions transforming your thinking and propel you into the future believing, affirmed and ready to tackle what ever mountain that comes your way.   These events have a peculiar resonance, a definite way of lifting each one of us.   I wonder where these people and events are in your story to date?    Not only that, where did you meet these people?  In person, through reading about them or in Hollywood’s remake of their lives, where ever and through who ever I am thankful we can meet these people and events in our lives, where would life be without them?

Let tell of one Hollywood scene, I know a dear friend that gets empowered and transformed to the mountain top in his passion, he really is a passionate type in any case, as he watches the many times he has seen the man lying on a cold stone table in a Hollywood remake of William Wallace’s life, as Wallace comes to the end of his life at this closing scene he cries out with a heart wrenching “Freedom“, a cry that sends your own spirit soaring and longing for FREEDOM.

I recently listened to Mother Teresa in her acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace prize in 1979, outlining her humble privilege of life as she shone with humility “…the joy of spreading peace, loving one another, that the poor are our brothers and sisters… I chose the poverty of the poor people I receive it in the name of the unwanted of our world…in their name I accept the award…understanding that loving the poor and seeing that death is nothing but going home to God…” clearly a woman of great character who had found her own life’s liberty and brought freedom to others passionately outlines her passion for the poor of our world.   One person she helped said that he had lived on the streets in filth all his life but now he would die as and with angels.   LIBERTY.

Martin Luther King Jr in April 1968 a day before he was assassinated made one of his fine and moving speeches in which he declared prophetically of his own future “… I have been to the mountain top…I would like to live a long life-like us all but that does not concern me now…I just want to God’s will…I have seen the promised land, I may not get there with you…I am not fearful of any man for I have seen the glory if the Lord…” he had encountered FREEDOM and felt its LIBERTY clearly that had released him.

Paul captures the same sense of freedom, liberty, when he addresses the Galatian church, I believe we read it and often miss the relevance of what is being spoken, it was penned to produce that same impact as the heart wrenching shout of Freedom from Hollywood in Braveheart, or the moving testimonies of the lives mentioned earlier, who are so free they gave up all to pursue that which was pursuing them.      Paul wrote it so we to would cry FREEDOM while living life.    I wish we could feel the rush of the words transforming as I read it, departing from our heads and the whole person catching this soul moving, spirit rising “…it’s for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free.   Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again to a yoke of slavery…” Do you feel it surge through your fingers, life into you, feel it so strongly, like plugging my fingers into an electric socket I would surely feel it.   FREEDOM!    This Gospel we proclaim the gospel that came to us, and discovered us, this gospel of freedom is not to become religious mantra with patterns and formula, but must bring constant liberty to our lives.

Galatians 5:1 The Life of Freedom

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

This freedom is a clear central theme of our message, the message of the scriptures and the Kingdom; each of us should grasp this freedom and nail ourselves to it.   We have a message of liberty and freedom.    wherever the message of Christ is uttered, it should be noted that liberty is produced, and freedom is released.

The message of the Christ is to bring freedom to us let us this week discover freedom living and empower others to be free.     Lets look until the next time at our FREEDOM, looking to see how we can participate, enjoy and live with it!

Changes In The Air – Emerging part II

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E-merg-ing  (I-mur-j-ing)  adj. Newly formed or just coming into prominence; emergent: emerging markets; the emerging states of Africa.        Coming into existence “an emergent republic”, being born or beginning, coming to maturity “the raising generation”.

Ok let us get aboard again, your flight is ready for take off once more, we begin with simple questions am I at home as all around me emerges, recognizing it has to emerge to bring life and be in life in our day.

Let us consider further as we have read Part 1 and the introduction now into the emerging ways of God.

Perhaps it was the similar notion that Paul was dealing with when writing to the Philippians when he said “…i press on towards…that which has taken hold of me…” it’s emerging Paul said I am taking hold, making the emergence part of his life.   Faith produces in me and compels me, demanding that I become at home with the insecurity of emerging paradigms, thinking patterns and life styles.   As a matter of fact I am laying hold of that which is emerging that which is still coming, but sure as eggs are eggs its emerging and making itself known more and more.

I feel to say that the nature of this gospel is “…to make known the full Knowledge of the Christ…” (Eph 4:13; Col 1:9) is this not a way of saying get to know him as he comes towards you, he is emerging himself, letting you in little by little, step by step, emerging.   We are to grow from glory to glory, faith to faith, strength to strength, favour to favour, emerge in these going from one step to another as his mercy and grace draws and knowledge opens up.

I would even say that the nature of God is emerging, Isaiah saw him in the temple his train filling the temple, God in nature filling and still coming in the train.   Was that the very train that Moses saw while he was hid in the cleft of the rock of Exodus 33.   Realize that we are emerging into a people a bride who has made herself ready, emerge that’s it!

I have found that God is en ever coming, ever arriving, ever emerging God and the church is to be the same stuff.    We are truly to be in the image and likeness of God and continue Jesus: function, “to explain him” John 1:18 (NASB) the same nature as him, we are still emerging into this creation. The Kingdom will bring a filling of Christ in all in all, as the kingdom  emerges through His people  God arrives.   The ecclesia has to discover a way of living again with pilgrimage and emerging before them, making known what is known, but  still emerging becoming the same nature as the Father  an emerging Church.

The change that happened in Jerusalem all that time ago, the shift going from one center to another, called Antioch to me, only affirms the thought that the day we stop emerging is the day we become institutionalized or a static group.  Jerusalem well establish you “got saved” and you were circumcised as male to be part, you conformed to historic patterns, `Mosaic law’ you where part of the culture that drew its doctrine and practice from history it was your continuity.   Your language was Mosaic and keeping all that was laid down in every way you could and you should, keeping alive past.

Antioch burst on the scene the product of a fleeing church with a different language, this people group, this ecclesia they spoke in terms of vision, dream, prophecy and their doctrine seemed to come from the eternal, from the risen Christ of Johns vision on Patmos.    It was dynamic now it was doctrine emerging, we see that continuity was affirmed, not into Moses’ law but into Abrahams’ life of faith, they believed in continuity, and so should every apostolic community and apostle. We are not apostolic without a deep sense of continuity.    A continuity of Abraham, fathering a faith family.   I would propose to you the emerging church was back on-line again, Paul going down outlined this to Jerusalem; this is the coming church of God in our world.

Unfortunately we get caught on keeping historic ways of thinking and acting, maintaining established people and organization, rather than giving ourselves to the emerging Father Creator and his emerging Ecclesia.

I am fully aware there is greater control and security in a church that does not need to embrace as we have a form and structure to assist and they do, yet

The Ecclesia the Father has in mind is one that is emerging, not a Celebration model, a simple church, model, a house church model, a new church model, a denominational model, a success model, a seeker friendly model. a business model, a mega church model but an EMERGING CHURCH in what ever shape that  people display,  while easily continuing to emerge towards a theology that is Holy Spirit led, Christ focused and holding to a continuity in our faith.

The emerging Ecclesia by nature given to revealing and being the incarnate Christ in our world-embracing all that the Spirit is emerging in each new day is our cry and build what ever model fits you as a people and the people we each touch each day.

 

Changes In The Air

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First Flight

On board a recent flight I picked up an article called “Changes in the air” quickly scanning the title my mind was taken back to that old song “Flying through the Air” that was made popular by the Snowman animation, but this  was an aviation article outlining the necessary and needful emerging changes, it stated:

Aviation: Emerging technologies are ushering in more fuel-efficient comfortable and exotic aircrafts.   Get ready for the future of flight

On the evening of July 23rd 1983 Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel after a series of human errors.   The new Boeing 767 lightly loaded with 61 passengers and eight crew, become a glider with 8,686 meter of altitude to reach the nearest airport at Winnipeg, around 120 Km (75 miles) away.   Ten minutes later it became clear that the plane was losing altitudes too fast to make it.

The pilots changed the course hoping to reach a former air-force base near the town of Gimli.  They were unaware that its runways had been converted into a drag racing track.   Spectators scattered when they saw the silent approach of the aircraft, as the aircraft wheels hit the racetrack it divided the track in two and skidded to a stop No one was killed.

Had a modern more aerodynamic airline been used they could have easily reached Winnipeg’s airport, todays planes will glide 24% farther and the next generation promises additional gains, Boeings new 787 consumes 40% less fuel per passenger than the planes of the 70’s.  Change is in the air, the same article said that one plane maker has put iPad in the inflight systems which are much lighter than the exiting entertainment systems, metals replaced by composite material are also reducing weight by 20-40% both bringing about savings and change.  CHANGE.

I wonder what you have seen in your neighborhoods?   Changes right in front of your face.   The article was about emerging developments necessary for the survival of the aerospace industry.   As I read it I was pressed once again on the necessity of change to enable onward effectiveness.   We must pay attention to things that are emerging in order to keep a purpose, and progress in living.  It sounded as if the emerging developments effect was being heralded as the savior, the coming of an exciting new age for this industry?   I recently made a statement “that God comes disguised in our lives”, not only this but that he is in the little details of our every day, we might need to learn to look more closely in order to realize this and find him.   I wonder what changes you are seeing that are actually, God in disguise, it is time to see his fingers nimbly working across our surrounding lives and recognize the plans these fingers are engaged with.

As I travel, I cannot get over Gods grace in so many ways, the manifestations of his love, healing and transforming lives,  the list would be endless if I listed all I have seen over the last month in three continents.  How can we list everything God is doing, all I know is He who is LOVE is manifesting his love in so many diverse ways now?    Unfortunately we try to sum up this diverse loving Father by saying he is doing this one thing, or we say, this is it or you can only find him in this   But my Lord, I have discovered that you are in every place, uniquely working and bringing a full council to bear on this your beloved creation.    We must realize that God sent the Son as he “…so loved this…Cosmos…world…” that’s right world…cosmos not just humanity, its his whole creation.

I listen to some communicating what God is doing with tem, as the right thing, the new thing, and unfortunately as the only thing, yet I see God doing, diverse things but with one aim.  To manifest his love in lives and through creation.

The story I recounted above is not only about the wonderful escape 69 people had that evening but its aim is to stimulate the thought that things are different and constantly emerging.

We have terms in our economy such as “Emerging Markets”, advancements being made in every walk of life medicine, engineering, new things, new stuff emerging is what we are seeing.   Emerging is certainly becoming a way of life, and we must train ourselves as best we can even though on occasions it is tiring to keep up.   The church, your faith is an emerging journey and life style.   While at a youth leaders setting in Sri Lanka I talked with a young man who had some computer knowledge, he commented on how I was using my iPad and becoming computer handy when I collared some 15 and 30-year-old only too demonstrate by the time the 15 year olds arrives at 30 the possible advancement I suggested that we will not be using archaic screen iPad and the like but some something small we all would carry that would project, at a voice command a hologram screen projected in front of us and with simple hand movements we would change screens and through virtual keyboards or probably better through spoken commands write on these 3D virtual screens that where now in front of us.   Emerging technology.

The word emerging is something we should embrace, needing to become comfortable as a believer not to run away from

Emerging

emergence or attempt to keep it at bay.    Emerging has also been hijacked to mean a certain style or administration of church life, but even that has its problems.   What i would like to propose is that through the scriptures it is evident we have an emerging work going on and we are part of the greatest emergence on the face of creation.

For the sons of God are emerging as they are led by the Spirit and bring liberty to all creation in its release (Romans 8).

We are part of a Kingdom that has come, yet its only a taste of what is to come (Hebrews 6:5), that is, there is more to arrive, there is more to come – this Kingdom is an emerging Kingdom “your Kingdom come as it is” (Matt 6).

The coming of the Son of God, the Christ coming again, is that not only an emerging of an age that is to come

Revelation by its nature, the opening up of understanding, the dawning of truth, the filling out of God is this not emerging experience and onward life style, God emerging to us.

God himself is a progressive revelation individually and corporate, in the work of slowly filling out his nature, making more and more known – if this is not emerging, I am not sure what is?

What about Proverbs 4:18 the paths of the righteous is growing brighter and brighter, its emerging until is fully revealed.

“Emerging” I want to propose is what the bible calls a pilgrim life style that we are to walk, Abraham saw a city from a distance, did not know where it was, what was its name? where was he going?  all he knew was that he had seen a a city whose maker was God.   This city was constantly coming towards him making itself greater and greater known to him, it was emerging and that very emerging kept him pressing forward.

I trust you will begin to think on EMERGING with me join my walk come back later to see where I will go and say, why not second guess me and come back and see if you are correct by the time I writ the next emerging saga of “Change in the Air”.

E-merg-ing (I-mur-j-ing)  adj. Newly formed or just coming into prominence; emergent: emerging markets; the emerging states of Africa.        Coming into existence “an emergent republic”, being born or beginning, coming to maturity “the raising generation”.