Pilgrim

“To this end…” still working towards it

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Community under canvas Our journey is continuing on this time I will deal with only one step, it’s so important in a disconnected society, a society that is not aware of anyone else but of self, that this step be prayed and worked through, enjoy considering.   To be a people of love and display to our world people being TOGETHER

Step Seven COMMUNITY LIVING

I don’t know whether it was my upbringing as a child in the Welsh Valleys, where lives were thrown in on each other and things were shared or what, but I have never found community living a problem, and long to see it at every level. I am not talking about a commune but a community where no one has need and each person is considered and looked after, where people are aware of others around them rather than just self.

I have been able to adapt easily to living with a crowd as long as there has been some place – all I’ve needed was a bedroom – to pull aside and be alone with God for a time.     Apart from that, the difference of temperaments and personality were no great issues for me.

Here are some of the things I have learned in community with others:

1. Don’t take things too seriously. It is amazing how we can make mountains out of mole hills, and little issues assume great importance. This is where many relationships have foundered and fellowship been broken. Many things are best over-looked and forgotten by the immediate release of forgiveness and love at the time.

2. People respond to praise. Don’t be afraid to praise others. This acknowledges, honours’, and builds men up. Make room in your heart for appreciation of others.

3. Everybody loves to be loved and so the time taken, word spoken, gesture made, effectively communicates our appreciation and love for people,

4. Make room for others. Don’t look for ways to promote yourself by seeking prominence. Make room for other people respond to those who have made room for them.    Give them scope in your life, fellowship, responsibilities.     Let them try things out for themselves, and ‘have a go’.

5. Keep short accounts. If there is a breakdown of fellowship deal with it quickly – Get rid of it before it widens. It is the accumulation of small things that creates the big problems. Just as it is the silt that comes down with the river that forms the mud bank that eventually holds the waters back.

6 – Don’t be afraid to confront. Don’t look for confrontation, but neither should you run from it where it is necessary for the saving of the person or situation. Paul disliked confrontation but was not afraid to stand up to Peter when a fundamental issue of the gospel was at stake. It is better to be wounded by your friends than destroyed by your enemies.

7. Grace and faith. Serve up, in every relationship with people, great dollops of grace and faith. These are the twins of all progress and achievement in relationships.

8. Be loyal to men and women and people will be loyal to you – the end time will be characterized by this breaking down (2 Tim.3:4) amongst other things.     All the more reason to shine as a light in a dark place in respect to keeping covenant.

9. Love the brethren. By this I mean demonstrably so. Let your feelings become tangible in this respect.

10. Serve one another. Do little things – learn to hump the tables around. Learn to look after each others needs, be a servant and in this way you encourage others to serve, particularly be a Joshua to a Moses somewhere.

These principles hold good as strengthening bonds to secure harmony inside the relationships of the wider community of the church.     It would be wonderful if our Christian experience was only a series of positive virtues.      Unfortunately I have been both a victim and perpetrator of some negative issues also.

 

“To this End…” its not the end yet

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Eliezar & RebeccaThe steps continue on and on, step by step we are taking ground the old song said, advance well here is another step which is very significant in any life that has a desire to keep faithful to the call of God on your life.

Step six THE  POWER OF DISCIPLESHIP

I can recall that for many nights over a long period I was in the home of one gracious family constantly.     In retrospect I see this was grossly selfish on my part being inconsiderate of thire needs of privacy and family life.    It also caused me to miss out in other areas of life that should have been in my consideration, such as my relationship and responsibility to my family.

I was in needed at that time of moulding and forming to take up my responsibilities.   I have seen over the years the requirement for all to be formed, taking the good of character and bringing it through, changing for the better the negative, some times the destructive elements of our lives.    It was in my 20th year that I first met with someone who would involved themselves in my life for my good.   It was at every level the transformation began in me through their words and love, not only inner character being affected, also the way I physically looked, my hair, I had some then, my body shape, I had too much, my handling of money and of course my handling of relationships and responsibilities.  The experience was so necessary as I was being empowering for where I am now today.    This continued for many years and I am eternally grateful for the grace of those people who took the time and responsibilities to affect my life.     The Power of Discipleship had begun its process and I had to stay with the course.   We experience discipleship though so many levels, friends “…faithful are the wounds of a friend…” the Proverb says, mentors “…we have many mentors or teachers…”, and fathers.

I learned the truth of being truly affected by a true spiritual father as a father took real interest in my life and family.    At first I did not realize I was being fathered, it was natural, and fathering terms were not so popular then.       As this spiritual father invested belief into me, he probably I would say most definitely believed in me more than I did initially in my self.    Once a real spiritual father takes hold of you things look different and take on a different direction, be careful there are many around that promote themselves as fathers however I am not sure if when you are one you need not promote anything, just be a father it will be plain.

Once begin touched by a true father I think I can say like the Apostle Paul “…there are not many fathers…” but there are “…many mentors, teachers…”.    My wife used to say of my relationship with Bryn Jones, who fathered me for many years, a true fathering gift to the people of God, that I was more married to Bryn than her, this was not from a hurt or disappointment but from a joy.    Sandra was able to release me to that given-ness and service of a father, so we did it together.

I was discipled by someone who believed in me more that I did in myself, a real father, It was not only him but there were others.    I recall Arthur Wallis a great man of God, taking me aside to mentor me on prayer.    Discipling me not only in what to say but developing a conversation with the Father, making it intimate.     The driver’s seat of my car or the back seat of another cars became my discipleship school and college.    Along with being thrust into relationship by association with the fathers and thrust into rooms that I was amazed to be in while ask myself under my breath “…what on earth am I doing here?”, only now to realize it was discipleship in action, fathering at its best, I was happening for my future.

Through these relationships over decades I was blessed, encouraged and provoked.    One of them, knowing I wanted to be carrying the word of God took me under his wing in what I consider a hard school for me, getting me to believe in the God in me and therefore myself.   He taught me to stand without fear among the crowds.   He would push me out of my comfort zone.   I recall traveling to a major conference with 2/300 people in attendance, I was there to carry bags, handkerchiefs and water.    When one morning he was due to speak when he announced he was not coming out that day asked I go and inform the conference host that an other speaker would take his place.   When I protested and said, “…they are excepting you who else…”, he announced “…tell them its you…”, comfort zone departure or what.   I knew how to carry water and bags but 2/3000 people!

More than anything I drew from what these men were.  I liked their ruggedness and strengths, their openness and laughter.   I liked the fact that they were ordinary and yet deeply spiritual.    These men stand out as having had a hand in shaping my life.     Theirs were the voices that helped crystallize my life values and concepts.    They prayed and patiently worked on me using the Word, while Believing God would use me one day, they did much work into my life when I did not see it or realize it.

A number of these men have gone home to be with God, others are still living.     But all have extended their days – without knowing it – within my life, legacy is discipleship.

You may recall Abraham commissioning Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac.  Eliezer said to go the one that will feed in serving the camels at the well let her be the woman, sure enough along came Rebecca Gen. 24:15.    Actually the camels she served became the mode of transport to her destiny.   Serving others will in turn be those who carry you to your destiny.  Serving is not servitude, serving someone is not being abused or being dominated it’s a process we all go through with being mentored or fathered. True mentors and especially fathers, I discovered actually serve you, in carrying you to destiny.    So find a camel to serve, not a great picture may be but a good truth, giving yourself will lead you to your destiny, giving is a deep relational experience, it will mean great faithfulness and honour on your part.

The following are some of the areas of life for which I am indebted to them.     I didn’t see all these aspects in anyone single individual, but rather this is a composite picture of spiritual values gleaned from them all.

1. Love God supremely – everything else in life orbits around Him. He is to be the centre of our affections as much as the source of our life.

2. Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first – it is not my selfish desires in life that count, but what promotes His Kingdom and expresses his righteousness that should be sought first.

3. Total commitment of life – to following Christ. To “deny ourselves and take up our cross” is simply that – a total denial of self interests, and full commitment to the pursuit of His interests

4. Backbone – being father by men meant for me to be a “man’s man”- To have backbone.      To stand up in life and learn to cope with it.      Not merely to hang on, but to triumph.

5. Prayer – nothing of significance happens without someone having prayed it through.     I learned the “fervent” prayer life with a group of men, 90% of whom were in their 50-60s.      We stormed the enemies’ strongholds with great shouts of praise and threw down his resistance with holy anger.     Our meetings were very tearful, noisy and filled with the loud praises of God.    We encountered the supernatural and school each other in that place, showed each other how to see God how to hear God how to sense God.

6. To yield to the Spirit – that all my actions and attitudes are to be ruled by the Spirit.    To know His anointing (more later on this subject) meant obedience to the Spirit.

7. A Worldwide Revival – the only hope of the Church ever fully accomplishing the purpose of God in a single generation is twinned to the hope of the greatest spiritual visitation of all time coming upon such a generation.

8. Do everything with excellence – seeking to excel is seeking to be excellent.     For too long Christianity has given shoddy, substandard presentations of It’s message.     During the last 25-30 years men have rightly embarked on a new pursuit of excellence in order that the jewel of Christ be made more wonderfully obvious by its presentation.

9. Love His Church – to give oneself for it just as He gave Himself for it. This is not the mixtures church of corrupt religion, but the church of the Living God, the redeemed of the Lord. Giving ourselves for this church means our time, energy, money, thinking, and often the forfeiting of legitimate leisure pursuits.

10. God rules supreme – That there is an unchanging, unalterable purpose at work in the history of humankind, and that nothing lies outside his ability to change, maneuver or control situations, people or nations in pursuit of this – Gods purpose.

11. Bow to take criticism – and not “cave in”, so that others do not dominate your faith. This is achieved by Reconsidering “Him who endured” (Heb.12:3) and fixing ones hope in what lies ahead.

12. Love people despite – what they have done, said or schemed against us. The majority of them are not engaged in a malicious personal vendetta, but in their weakness have opened themselves to the control of the powers of darkness. Our ‘wrestling is not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers’  (Eph . I 6:12)

13. To stand firm – when everything is pressing you to change. Never compromise the truth merely to curry favour or gain some temporary respite or advantage from those who mean no good to the gospel.

On the other hand, in nonessential areas to be always open to compromise in order to attain a higher good. Some things are negotiable others not – wisdom is in knowing the difference.

14. To be nonreligious – I do not mean unrighteous. I don’t mean opt out of the “true religion that is undefiled”, but rather to be free of the trappings of liturgy, ecclesiasticism, institutionalism, and instead enjoy the free, spontaneous life of God this is ‘life more abundant’.

15. Live and move in faith – to be able to say as Paul said, “I believe God”. Not in Him, but Him.     This means that you are not leaning on man but dependent fully on the faithfulness of God for your existence and progress.

16. Give the Word of God place – We are instructed by His word in every area of living. It measures our attitudes, convictions, purpose and motive. It continues to feed, search, guide, correct and protect us in life.

17. Be a man of deep devotion to Him – learning to laugh and be natural, yet having a deep devotional walk with God.

18. Giving – that one is not miserly or skimpy, but generous in all things, realizing it is the secret of receiving so much.

19. Love people – it is a cold, impersonal, hurting world. Just loving people as they are, is step one to change in them.  Our life is people, People matter more than things.

20. World Mission – that there is no way I can close my eyes to the vast under-evangelized areas of the world. The world is our parish. We are the seed of Abraham, and as the covenant people of promise destined to be a world blessing.

21. Embrace the disciplines of God – He can minister to me by command, counsel, or circumstances, using any or all as necessary to achieve His objective in my life.

“To this end…”, more to follow

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Moulded in the potters hands

Moulded in the potters hands

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature inChrist.

29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

(Col 1:28-29)

The Next Step, which is the second on this topic is SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES 

Turning my inner person to God and giving time, over the years many have used different names to call for this process such as “Devotional time” or “Quiet Times”.    Some even have seen liberty as a reason to be free form a discipline and used the thinking not to develop the intimate times with God.       Let me say from the onset without developing these regular, intimate moments with God one will not advance, neither is it a religious action but a real love, developing an adventure of hearing the Father.

The natural progression of fellowship leads you to a disciplined development of intimacy through spending times away, aside with God, the Psalmist said evening and morning he did it, quiet times.     Now all our faith is learning that the Father wants responsive followers,  not people living by the letter of the law, so this ‘quiet time’ is not a duty but an outflow of deep thanks, manifest in time given to be intimate, never due but an appreciation and response.       As for me, if I do not create these moments I feel starved and hungry.      My children, when younger, would say it was evident in my ways or life’s conduct towards them if I had neglected that time with the Father.    Let me re state it again although daily times when followed as routine or obligation have been discredited as legalistic, it is nevertheless true that the absence of seasons of quietness with God will eventually lead to poverty of soul and vulnerability.

Again, looking back over the years I see the practice of a daily time of meditation as one of the greatest strengths in the development of my spiritual life.      I look upon it not as a time to get something to say or preach but a conversation between me and the Godhead for us together.    For these times to be seen as necessary as eating, taking in nourishment to the body so these times of discipline are to my whole being.       Over the years I have looked upon it as times of just filling up a kit bag for a long journey, storing insights, Holy Spirit utterances and directions, never knowing when or what the Holy Spirit will draw from that resource we placed into the kit bag for life some time ago.    For the Father to mould me more and more into Gods image.    Although in recent years I have modified my approach, I remain convinced they were vital to fellowship with God.

The reading and marking of the Word of God

God’s life works powerfully in those who love the Word.     It reads, speaks, grips and provokes you. There is so much that the word of God does in you that nothing else could – preachers could never produce what the Spirit does through the Word.     It is this opening of my life and mind to its truth and challenges that has proved indispensable to personal development.

I turn to the word of God as I turn to a person knowing that this person wants to talk with me, I love 1 Cor 2:9, 10 that says for me, God is searching God, to bring out the deep things of God to show and present them to me.   Therefore every time I turn to word it is an adventure and excitement, I feel the thrill, what about you, revelations come when we do, honestly, try it is a promise.

I read the Word simply, in an attitude of faith.      I don’t look for it’s difficulties or problems, I don’t concern myself with the arguments of author ship or authenticity of historical detail.    I first read the Word to let it read me.    I take what is obvious from the surface, apply that and rejoice in it.     My marking system – underlining etc., reinforces its impact on my mind.      Today I have hundreds of notes daily devotions in my computer stored for either me or some one else in later years may wish to mull over them.

When studying the Word more earnestly for a given purpose, I give myself to research as to the authorship, the background of the principal parties concerned.       The circumstances of the nation at the time, the issues that are primarily being addressed etc.      But my first approach to the Word is to get to know God by allowing its revelation to minister to my life.    It is God the Father making known his nature, it is the ever arriving God, a self-reveling Father eager to make known to reward and give gifts.        Choice of emotions?????? this is not what you are considering….

Step Three – You CHOICE OF FRIENDS is vital to ongoing spiritual progress.      

It was the awareness of this that made me face up to my first series of difficult choices.     These were to affect my relationship with my former friends in the world.

Their way of life was now so different from my own.     I had witnessed effectively amongst them to the point where those open to Christ and change had already been converted.      Finally I was faced with the difficult choice concerning those who had no intention of changing.      I became convinced that continued companionship with some of them would eventually lead to the compromising of spiritual values, and that meanwhile  I would be under constant pressure to conform to their behaviour and activities.

From early days I had to make the decision, I recall some who helped me, that after deciding to follow Christ they used to cross the road directly in front of me, in order not to entertain meeting me, once passed they would cross back to the original side, it was challenging at the time as we all like being wanted or liked but then it helped me to see choices in relationships are so important.    Let me add a caveat, it is not rejection or exclusivity we cannot do that in the gospel of the Kingdom, we are not to be exclusive, the Kingdom of God makes us at every hand inclusive and I must demonstrate that, it is just knowing where and how I grow through the relationships around me, while accepting and loving every one.

Then there were the “carnal Christians”, not sure what that means any longer some times?      You understand those who seek their own, those who have themselves at their centre only, those who are looking to add the things of the present to themselves for positions or stature, not seeking the Kingdom of God as predominant view.   I met many in my early experience.    It became clear to me that continued company with these would prove almost as damaging.      Fellowship was based upon the sharing of discontent, mutual grumbles, ill-feeling, gossip, argument, contentious discussions and soulish issues such as “preacher for lunch”, and “destructive sermon analysis”, running people l down in the light of “being honest”, being divisive and colouring my view of others, Inflicting their personal agenda on people

Alternatively, there was the prospect of companionship with those whose heart was towards God.     Who loved God as I loved the Father, who were intent on making progress in their spiritual lives while pursuing their destiny.

I decided these were the companions I should cultivate, for their fellowship would help sharpen my spiritual insights and provoke me towards maturity.

I am told which I am sure its true that less is best for a blog although I don’t know how to lean this or better still practice the lesson today however I am going to head the encouragement allowing you to mull my comments on adding and advancing your journey into God.

I pray that you will develop deeper in 2013 your Spiritual Discipline along with wisdom, not emotion in your choice of friends while recalling Part One of “To this end…” with developing that fellowship with God who is eager for the relationship.

Happy journeys into Christ, great adventures of the Holy Spirit and deeper into God in 2013

You are in God

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Outside of God, man is locked up, trapped, a prisoner of emptiness: in his frustrations.  Ever reaching, but finding nothing within his grasp.    Mankind lives with forever promises being made & forever failure of  deliver.   “But God” is the old turning point of all human lives, the “but” that breaks through and takes the imprisoned soul, the barren and empty life transforming them:

Noah who one day found his sweating brow cooled by a soft breeze became unwound.

Adam & Eve who left the paradise of God without holding hands.

Abraham who saw what to others was not visible. Who lived by faith in the unseen God. Who pilgrimaged in faith for an unseen city.

Sarah who trusted

Moses who brought people out, Moses who climbed where  no man had.

Joshua who rose up & moved the people of God forward.

Daniel whose covenant kept him.

Elijah whose prophetic character watched his prophetic word.

 

“But God” brings us to a realisation that:

God: spirit: word: all else has it’s Genesis here.

God: dwelling in the fullness of solitude.

God: enjoying fellowship in the fullness of fellowship with the society of the Godhead.

 

Determining the expression of Gods pleasure, the demonstration of Gods power, fulfilling Gods desires.

God Surrounding with majestic splendor befitting all creation and nature, extending God by “Let there be” and God surround with colour, form and creations.   With the turn of  fingers another galaxy spun into space.  The considered mind of the council of God in the precision of divine purpose hung every star in it’s place.      Everything is held together by the power of Gods words that now filled the space between all that had come into existence.

God poured & called into being other beings to show Father Spirit and Sons delights & continued creating as those sons of God, the moving stars leapt for joy & brought forth in praise day & night, morning & evening, day running into night as onward he went like some exuberant reveller.     Wild with delight –  your all was to plan.     Nothing too soon.      Nothing too late.      Rivers & mountains & streams & valleys, deserts & waters. Animals, fish, birds until the whole earth teamed with life.

Exuberantly called out praise to the creator by the created who in heart desire to express Gods pleasure. Then a paused and a command issued God said let us make man and to the breathless wonder of all the rest of the created order, he added ‘in our own image & likeness’

Scooping up a handful of earth, red clay a restored dignity came to the planet, by shaping the soil to express  likeness and image, with breathed is own breath of life into the crown of creation.     heaven council watched as man bearing image stood up, eyes open, ears attuned to all else around and saw that which was created with mankind in view, universe, stars, sun, moon world, water, mountains.     Yet it was good, that is it functions as it was created for, then it becomes “it’s not good”, following 5 statements of “its is good”, more accurately stated it is functional, then we have it is not good, what is not  good ?    The Image and likeness was not fulfilled.    As God is never alone, God is nerve singular so mankind had to be more than one, putting him to sleep the God of perfection completed the detail of necessary companionship, friendship, fellowship and love, making covenant seen, setting an order to destiny a corporate people is the image and likeness.    Together Adam & Eve hand in hand worked through the garden of pleasure surrounded by fullness of provision and  everything worshipped the invisible God whose image was now visible in mankind in man and women of heavens council in making.   From council “let us” rather than “let be” did Gods council create mankind to be from council and to continue in council  for this is destiny not aloneness of self-made but a corporate son and multitude of people, man and women image capturing and bearing.

Everything stood quietly, treading softy, as day after day in the cool of the evening God & mankind walked together in the sweet fellowship of oneness, & perfect compatibility.

This is the Restoration and the centre of our salvation to walk again in the garden which is God to walk in God and through God.

 

Changing Your View

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Changing your view: “We must pray the promise not the problem”.     We increase in faith as we boast in our hope, as we are a testimony of things to come. Heb 3:6

Faith must find it’s true measure; it has to be unlocked, unhitched from the wagon of healing, goodies & money and  given a wider and deeper application to our time & our lives, faith is bigger than the few issues mentioned above.   Unfortunately any one looking in on the church will think there are only a few things that are impacted by what we call faith, don’t get me wrong these issues, money, healing and provision will be reorder by our faith but there is so much more to unlock in our understanding when we consider faith.    So many themes, life factors are hijack to a narrow view of our understanding when there is much more to take hold of in Gods promises.   For example healing, when your sick it’s a blessing but when the promise of God to us is full health then healing  for the world around us let’s believe for health as a covenant people, prosperity finance only when prosperity is a fullness of life in peace, even blessing for me when we are to be blessed to be a blessing.    Rediscovering the truth of “living by faith” is a call for our hour, it is a call to live beyond the immediate, beyond my need, it is a way of life, living by faith is not when I look for income its a way of live continuity not just to get my need we are to live by faith not by events of faith only.

Faith must enrich us in every way and not simply adjust the material realm.     Indeed to be in the worst kind of poverty is to have all the material wealth you could ever wish for and yet be empty, unfulfilled, frustrated, and miserable, then, you are really poor.     Poverty is not a lack of resource but a people who are dependent on others for basic resources, our dependency should be on God not on resources.

In the same way that faith has to be unhinged so too Prophecy.   Prophecy must be seen bigger that just used in the realm of signs and authenticating a man or woman and their ministry, its time to find it’s true message to our time.    Prophecy does have a predictive aspect to it but much more we are to be a people who interoperate God to our world in our daily life, this is prophecy.     Prophecy gives the people of God a voice to interpret God’s onward creative acts in society and our world telling and interpreting.       Prophecy is to confront us with a plumb line of truth, enabling us, asking us, to build in the light of it, the prophecy that is, building according to a divine pattern and foundation, this requires our faith to be applied in our daily living.

Prophecy must be elevated in the ministry, to deliver us into our world, and the Kingdom of God into us.    Prophecy takes the taste of the age to come and increases the taste, allowing the breaking in of the Kingdom of God to enfold further in this world.

Faith and Prophecy are twinned, for many prophecy is shouting out things that come to mind, but our faith is tied to that which we utter and live.   Prophecy must be a life style as well as an utterance, the people of God, the church, will become the direct manifestation of prophecy just as the prophets of old, their lives, the way in which they lived was a gift, you could see the life’s message in their life style choice and the way they lived.

Faith and prophecy twinned, Romans 12:6 says “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith” as we are told to prophecy to the measure of our faith it becomes necessary to re-asses our place, that is, what we are involved with or  what we are doing, checking that it is in line, not only with the prophecy but also with my faith, living by faith every moment of every day.

Two basic questions:

Do we feel content to continue as we are?

Do we desperately want to break through into different realms?

These twins are necessary in order that the twins of mercy and goodness can follow us all the days of our lives…There is no release from the lower sphere of this material realm, of content existence, unless we have experienced the liberating prospect of the Spirit freeing us to rise as an eagle, to climb the air to the high altitudes of living.

Faith and Prophecy unlocks us to soar free, to live out our potential in the Grace of the Father.