light on a hill

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.

 

“Now boarding at gate number….”

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Flying High

“Here I go again” I have turned our bedroom and study floor into a set of piles of different stuff ready for travelling again, piles of books and computers for notes, piles of photographic equipment to catch that moment, piles of clothes, clothes for hot weather and long sleeves for evening wear to keep mosquitoes off bear arms, and of course the proverbial torch.  That reminds me, is there anything in all those piles that needs charging before leaving? A final check on the BBC site tells me the weather is thundery showers at 29 C day time and a min temp of 26 C so its hot, wet and humid, ok better add an umbrella to the pile.

Piles every where and Sandra says she is too tired to sort it out tonight, so we sat with piles all over the house, and watched a DVD, a romantic one at that whilst enjoying some ice-cream!   Tomorrow we set off to be with the brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka.    It has been a few years since we were there, children will be older and babies will be toddlers.   Changes on the island with the Eastern part of the country now liberated,  I  know the people of God have been busy working taking the Gospel of the Kingdom to differing parts of the Island while still strengthening and encouraging the believers which I suppose we will also be doing.

I wonder which note, from the pile of thoughts, notes and life experience the Father will take up, to enable us to say something relevant at this time for this people?   Is this not the adventure?   That from random piles of things that work through our lives, God can make sense of them and use them to affect other people’s lives.   To us it might appear to be random piles with some vague references connecting them together, as with these piles on our floors.   A trip overseas connects these, to those who we might touch with words and our lives it is the skill of the Holy Spirit drawing out of us and delivering through us.  No longer just random piles, but constructed input into people, taking my piles and making them living, impactive, dynamic, life-giving insight to enable people to live for the Lord.   Do not dismiss any pile as unnecessary, each one has had its schooling and moment, each one drawing from some history that will enable another, each one in its own timing “everything is beautiful in its time” Ecc. 3 states, piles are very beautiful.   Don’t ignore the pile of life around, for in it you could see the God of creation disguising himself in your life!    It is a skill to recognize the disguised divine life in my life.

I wonder what will I see and find in Sri Lanka, having been in South Africa, briefly, Zimbabwe and Zambia and now into Sri

Sri Lanka

Lanka, I guess I will have Lord a unique insights into the work of the Holy Spirit in our world.   We can so quickly get lost into the “…one thing…” the Spirit is doing, we forget that the Spirit of Christ is moving and working in many parts of the world in various ways.   I know I will see that God is saying and doing different things in different areas as the one expression of his nature.   Releasing his manifestations of his love around the world.   It will not be any strand of teaching, or one body of truth it will be a diverse manifestation although i know it will be letting his nature be seen LOVE.

When we leave UK shores my prayer will be, “God I want to leave something of you in my foot prints, I want the evidence of you to remain as I walk through lives, that everyone we meet will find a sustaining deposit of the life of your Son in their lives as Sandra and I pass through.  Something that will enable people in these last days to know you and see you more.”

I will surely let you know my thoughts and what I encounter as we work over the next week or so.

We desire to see lives transformed and empowered to deal with their days, in their culture.     May Revelation be the portion of all who hear the life transforming revelation that says “…I cannot stay the same as I have been…”, that impactive prophetic word that says loud and clear “…I cannot stay where I am…” that we see transformation in our wake.   Apostle Paul put it like this “…I will work until Christ is formed in you…” I pray that our brief visit will enable the forming of Christ into lives over the next few days.    You see what we build in passion will be different to what you build in discipline, what you build with haste will feel different to what you build with considered effort.   Passion has its necessary place but we build with long term in view, with our children’s children in view to inheritance, not the house that “Jack built” but that which God has worked in.

That together we might see the Kingdom of God being established among people lives

What will you Catch?

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”