Pilgrim

Thought of Giving Up?

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The woman who would not give up

 Society all around us is in so much flux, our world is at a pace of change from one day to the next we wonder what will come next.    I come across many who just want to find rest and make a fundamental adjustment to bring peace.    Others who have had enough so to speak, they have tried and tried again but things have worked, what ever the ‘thing is for their life.

We live in a world that constantly speeds things up, instant, immediate delivery, drive thru’s not only for food but for banks, waiting for many has become an alien pastime.     Farming and waiting for a harvest is so far removed from many of us today, this is one factor in us losing the art of cultivation, to get a harvest, our harvest today is determined by the fields of fresh food in our supermarkets rather than watching the green shoots raising, waiting for the produce to grow and mature to bring about harvest time.   Being distant from the soil disconnects us from some of life’s schooling, being patient and persistent for example.    Perhaps a modern parable, rather than one of the soil is this one, I am writing this while in Cape Town with its ‘fast speed’ broadband computer connection, that is as it is sold by Telekom, the government telephone service.    The advertised ‘fast speed’, FAST SPEED!    It is 384 kbps; about half the speed of the old dial-up-network, that old buzzing hissing noise connection, where Virgin/UK are advertising 20 MB speeds.   You can purchase an even FASTER speed of 1 Mbps but its at double the cost for the line!   I give up downloading or uploading as its so slow, I give up waiting and persisting, it takes so long, even some necessary downloads i delay until I get to a faster environment.

We struggle to wait and be patient, wanting things NOW, we don’t wait and persevere so easily, we want to see things advancing or we determine it is not working.

We even do strange things, in reading the Scriptures, because we can read the book of Acts in one weekend, we think it all happened in 48 hours.   We treat our Christian walk in the same way, thinking it all happens in a weekend, but from Paul’s encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road to his standing before King Agrippa, it was a 20-year period.    We see every miracle, healing breakthrough in terms of immediate rather than reality, and we expect it all over and done with in a weekend.    By the way, this is not an appeal not to see the immediate work of God but one that adds to us as we have to learn the cultivating and preserving journey of our faith as well.   As we learn to see the immediate and the long-term, it gives sense to our daily lives, i hope.

Through out the scriptures we are introduced to people who stayed in, persisted when nothing was happening to the natural eye.   Introduced time and time again to a quality of living that is patient, persistent, consistent, staying in.

Two women for you to consider, just don’t switch off on me now, consider these to be shadows of the bride of Christ, the church and outlining attitudes that we find in the church.    The first being Mary the mother of Jesus who having had been delivered the earth shattering news of the plan for her life, in giving birth to Jesus having said “be it unto me” learned to cultivate the promise, she held it in her heart, quietly with drew and cultivated the word until it become a living promise in the arrival of her son.  Until the word arrived at a place where it could sustain life in itself, interesting thought, how many times have we left the word go before it had life enough to stand by its self, when it still needed our cultivation?     She shows us the attitude of how to cultivate all that God speaks to us.   There will be the gift of time delivered to us, so that we can cultivate the promise of God, to work with the words to bring it to pass, maturing it first in the inner life before we see it fully.    She knew its reality on the inside but it did take a while, 9 months, before it hit the seen realm.   The evidences of the promise had a challenged effect on her relationships and as her physical body changed shape to align with the promises, we are to stay in hold on too, being persistent as we change to bring about the promise, that more often for us all takes time.

The next woman who would not give up reading Luke 18:1-8, It’s the parable of the Woman Who Would Not Give Up. She was unrelenting in her pursuit of an answer to her plea.    This parable is a standard Jewish “how much more” (qal vahomer) argument: if an unjust judge who cared not for widows can dispense justice, how much more will the righteous judge of all the earth. Who was known as the defender of widows and orphans?      It was in a day when it was difficult for widows to get justice because they lacked the means for bribing the officers who would get the judge to act.   But this widow would not quit until the judge had given her what she was supposed to get.      You and I are to adopt the same attitude of faith.     More than that the church of God requires the same attitude of faith.    In recent years I have heard people use the phrase of “failed revival theology” a sadness from not seeing what we thought, or we thought by now the Kingdom of God would have arrived and transformed our worlds.    It is necessary for us again to take up this woman’s attitude to persist a little while longer.

I don’t know about you but I long for the church to be known as a people of faith who will not give up but press through, I want to be known as a man of faith who will not give up.   What i see must be big enough; my message must be big enough to keep me persistent.   I must add that God is not unwilling at all but I would focus this on us and our attitude not the Fathers willingness.

Jesus asks his disciples, “When I come, will I find faith in the earth?” As you meditate on this verse consider this:

“Will I find faith?” Jesus asked His disciples, “When I come…will I find faith?” When we have asked for something over and over, and there is no answer, we are tempted to give up, to give in to unbelief. Jesus, knowing the weakness of His disciples both then and now, taught this parable about faith through unrelenting, persevering prayer. A widow who would not give up she persisted, she would not give up. With that in mind, lay hold of what you have seen and the big message Christ brought.

“When I come…” We don’t know when Jesus will come or how he will return with the culmination of every promise made, but when He comes I want to have faith in my heart. By His grace, I will have faith.

‘Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?’ (v. 8). This implies that faith is often strengthened by waiting on God and persistence in prayer, even if we do not receive immediate answers. Job had faith to recognise the goodness of God even when, humanly speaking, all seemed lost (Job 23:8–10).

Persist, persevere, staying in, keeping faith, are all necessary attitudes for our journey how are you’re doing? Given up doing good, don’t let go of promises learn to stay in and hold your heart, keep the faith and watch it grow.

Government of God is familial – discuss?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More to follow!

Into Infinity & beyond – A journey beyond

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OK own up how many of us went and saw or watched the film ‘Toy Story’, more than that how many of us went on and watched the full series?    Since the release of the latest even been approached by a number who said they were moved to tears while watching in that release as lives were put at risk!    The film introduced a character called ‘Buzz Light Year’ a spaceman figure who coined a phrase as he burst into super stardom on the silver screen “into infinity and beyond” this has become his calling card.

Having mentioned the coined phrase of ‘Into Infinity and beyond’ now that’s a challenge how many of us ever realised that our faith would be a journey of such magnitude.    When it was all about getting my sins sorted then to find that it was an adventure that would draw us beyond anywhere that we imagined.

The challenge of it, the necessity of believing, having a faith, trusting fully the Father, realising that this 70 to 120 year life span was just the beginning of a journeying to a beyond.   Yet our Christian faith is based on a Kingdom of God that has arrived and yet is still arriving, that we have tasted of an age to come and we are to bring that age to bear to our world whatever world you live within.   We are people who too can introduce each other with these words of into infinity and beyond!

A journey to another world

When we consider that it’s not only an age that is still breaking in upon us but also daily we deal with journeys to other worlds.  The worlds of new experiences, of the mind and new understandings new worlds journey’s, worlds that we have to break through or cross into to become part of.   There may be attitude crossovers (a world beyond) we need to deal with, may be life actions, habits that are necessary to adjust which will mean crossing over to another world.   Consider this the joy of health, the amazing recreation of limbs we read about in the scriptures, as Jesus declared “reach out”, as he touched eyes and coffins these are journeys to another world not just healings and miracles.   The different world of the lame and blind that once survived for a living now having to go and find industry as the reason for begging has gone, “another world”.  From being carried daily to a spot at the ‘gate beautiful’ to now caring your own bed, providing a living source for yourself, “another world”.

Walking our faith is more often about letting this other world of new experiences, new relationships, new vocabulary and ways of doing life to break in upon us allowing the implications of this world affect our immediate life, realising that I have to negotiate the implications to my immediate surrounding and actions.   For some being at home with your self is another world.  Being loved, being touched is a yet another world for.    Others are challenged in just trusting or letting go is another world for them, letting go of their own world and embracing another prepared for them is a real cross over.

While some struggle with the challenge to become part of another world often refusing to change and will not cross over there are a growing number we see brought into our living rooms nightly through the 24 hour news channels’ who long for another world where poverty holds no control where is produces a lowly dependence, it’s another world they ask for along with the abused, the let down, the political prisoner, the revolutionary we see in many nations today fighting to survive.

We have to deal with our prejudices and preconceived ideas to get into this other world, a necessity of developing a turning towards God way of life, repentance is not a one-off event but a constant attitude, not just turning away from sin but more positively and accurate turning towards God, constantly turning towards Him therefore constantly turning away from some things.   Let me pose a question is not perusing the Father a turning towards him in a constantly consistent attitude, another world?

Here is a journey to anther world in biblical narrative

Acts 10:17-20 – The journey to another world.

Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate;

18  and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

19  And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

20  “But arise, go downstairs, and accompany them without misgivings; for I have sent them Myself.”

New worlds are closer than what you think.    They are in the next room, or building, on the next plane trip, in the next meeting of people, in the next thought, or at the next event.

Jesus through personal involvement brought through people together into a new world, a world of a new creation.   In all these new worlds up hold our differences without a willingness to occupy new worlds we will never be the divers people of God.    We should cultivate our distinctions, celebration our divers nature to do so we have to look beyond ourselves away from where we are safe and move into new worlds.    We will find the reality when we cross to unfamiliar, totally new worlds and discover real truth is truth everywhere all the time; it can function in any culture and in any world even if we do not occupy it.

  • The book of Acts tells us how the word of God connects from culture to culture.

God is not trying to get into the world He is already out there.

Acts 10:1-

Now there was a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort,

2  a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually.

Firstly let me say that this great new world requires a generous person to travel to it, generosity is not just giving money, that’s just one of generosities manifestations, being able to accept different forms, different ways and thinking is generosity as well.   Generous with those who cannot give you anything is the thing that matters, that may be a challenge for many who are utilitarian, giving when nothing can come in return.      Here Peter had to give not seeing anything that the people of Caesarea could give back to him, he was one of the people of God, the Jewish root and what can a Gentile add, look out a new world is rushing at you Peter!

None of Peter’s way to date ways was enough to make it in God in this new world that now he was thrust into by the Holy Spirit, pluralism says as long as you are sincere its enough, I say its necessary to embrace and cross not just sincere.    We must not fall into that trap as believers, we are new world people.

Before Peter could deal with Cornelius he had to deal with himself.

You cannot move out until God deals with yourself.   Another world is drawing you calling for you knocking at your door for you and I to embrace.

“No so Lord” said Peter, how can these words be coupled together?

This story is not about food although you cannot connect if you cannot eat together, break bread, make covenant and pass the salt.

God was dealing with a barrier that was lesser than the salvation of the world, lesser that his plan that Christ might fill all in all, was not only dealing with it but also removing it.    What Peter got on the rooftop was not enough, your vision, prophecy; insight is not enough, he needed the journey from Jerusalem to Joppa, this journey became the producer of the greatest changed in him.   In the journey he had to deal with the unknown, his own prejudice’s and challenges as he did he becomes more and more part of the ne world

When you meet people who God wants to do something with they don’t meet you on your terms.    When God wants you to do something it tests the temperature of where you are.

  • All you believe becomes reality when you’re on the journey and making it happen.

To change it requires personal involvement, we must bring eternal values to a real level.

It took years to get the gospel to Joppa yet within a few hours the gossip got back to Jerusalem.   The word got back to Jerusalem prior to Peter getting back.    Breaking into another world means we will have to deal with much of the response created by history.    When the gospel breaks out of a culture something dramatic will happen.

Beyond boundary people

Joshua 3, this passage paints with words the experience of a people who went beyond, the Hebrew who lives beyond migrating over a river and city to a new land, a promise, crossing over every boundary that is not the Fathers.   The narrative is there that we might realise that we are not to be held up with any boundary, boundary crossing is the way of our faith that we can truly be FREE!

Many boundaries to negotiate, to take a view over then run on towards greeting the challenge, boundaries of our intellect that we must go beyond for example.   The way we have presented the gospel it is now time to go beyond the religious boundary, to find a new way to communicate the gospel of the Kingdom, realising that the ways of yesterday are irrelevant to societies needs.   Please do not hear that the message of Christ is irrelevant, far from it, it’s just the way we have communicated to date served an old day, a new world awaits us.    We are finding that in a divers people groups along with a divers church many ways of explaining our faith along with bring Christ to an individual is not king but the Holy Spirit is the way of ministry.   In this new world where we are to be led by the Holy Spirit therefore becoming ‘sons of God’ (Romans 8), to be true heirs while maturing.    We must not take away the supernatural or no boundary or new world will be crossed into.

History has men and women who have gone beyond their point of experience to bring about the new day.    They went beyond!     YOU ARE TO BE ONE OF THESE BEYOND PEOPLE; IT’S YOUR ETERNITY.

Apostolic Family

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What amazing days we now occupy, days of supernatural advance, days of activity and advance, the kingdom of God is being established in our years, right before our very eyes, on earth as it is in heaven is coming to pass.     I recently was presented with a Christ fact that in the last 6 years 1.2 million church families have been established and over 250,000,000 people have found their faith in Christ.    Amazing days the Holy Spirit is moving now its time to see the “Restoration of all things!”

In these days where the rule and the order of God is being established and rolled out, it is more important than ever that we bring the order of heaven, that which is in the heart of God for the whole cosmos.    Bring the order of heaven on earth has always been the goal of the Father from the beginning of creation and this time space world.   Adam was planed in a purposefully order place, the garden where the order of the Father was evident.   All of creation pulsated with life and green broke out everywhere, the Earth was full of seed bearing plants, I once has a picture of a volcanic Earth and the only thing lush was the garden then realized how foolish this was, so what was the difference in the garden simple the order of the Father, the Kingdom of God was there.   Adam, humanities shadow was commissioned to fill and extend not only with children and family but taking the order he was accustomed to live by and under whiles he enjoyed this provision and protection he was to export taking this order to the rest of the creation, what’s changed for you and I?    For this is extending the Kingdom of God.

It is very clear from the scriptures that God has a cause, a cause that was foremost in his invasion with creation. A cause that he has invited you and I to participate in, to be fully involved with. God always working in partnership with humanity this he outline constantly from the first picture that we have in Genesis 2:5 that there was no growth on the Earth as no man to till along with no rain sent from heaven, both necessary for advance and growth, mans tilling and heavens rain.   This cause the apostle Paul simply summed up in the book of Ephesians & Colossians with one line “…Christ filling all in all…” Knowing that the culmination of this age will be through seasons of refreshing and revival, until a season of Restoration (Acts 3:19-21) The Christ of God will remain in heaven until this season arrives.

The Father has therefore given to humanity the task of restoring all of creation, beginning with themselves back to God’s 1st cause and 1st utterance of rule, fill, multiply and extend, that is the Kingdom of God is not only in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) but the Kingdom of God is the Christ.

God has a desire to have a family, a family where Sonship is seen and experienced, where the people of God know that they are heirs of eternity and live as sons bringing the order of God into our Cosmos.

This cause will be achieved by the dramatic transformation of humanity, forming them into the family of God that the church the called out ones of God are a family, not an organization or network but families birthing new families, extending families and therefore filling the Earth with Christ like people. It is our conviction that this work, the called out one’s of God, the ecclesia, the church of God is to be established by the foundations of the apostles and prophets. They must build according to the pattern of heaven, a family. Creating family models of the universal family of the Creator God.

To this end we believe that the kingdom of God is a relational kingdom and not a structural kingdom.    That Gods cause and therefore the context of every person with a call, ministry etc., is summed up in this statement Restoration is the goal of God, the vehicle of this is the Kingdom of God and Covenant is the atmosphere that is necessary to walk this cause.

We believe therefore in the necessity of apostolic relationship, that every community of God should have a relationship with apostles and prophets that carry the burden of the “ecclesia”, church, as we move towards maturity and the realization of God’s goal.   It’s a relationship born out of knowing one another, the gathered people and the leadership those with influence knowing each other.    Where each ministry knows their connection as fathers, mothers (1 Th 2:7) along with as the apostle Paul put it to know the burden or weight of the churches (2 Cor 11:28).   It would be detrimental not to find apostles and prophets who do not know the weight towards the churches they have relationships with, it certainly would be less than God desire for family, otherwise the churches become a commodity to let go take on as a business deal rather than a charge of God.

Every believer will realize the necessity of belonging to a people, the ecclesia, and acknowledge that it is necessary to have a full complement of the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher and pastor (Eph 4:11) functioning with this people in order to gain maturity and be the vessel of Christ in our world.   The requirement of these ministries is for maturity sake that will elude us if we do not embrace the fullness of Christ in the gift of himself Eph 4:11.

Every community, church will belong in the sphere of an apostolic oversight with a desire to produce and multiple apostolic families in the earth, each one belonging and rooted to our heavenly Father.

God is moving in this hour to bring this to pass, we see the onward advance of the kingdom through miracles, signs and wonders and through lives being laid down as lovers of the Christ, with many being born again

In the day where we see unprecedented advance and the holy spirit movement, we are more aware than ever of the challenge for the ministry that we have been called to, knowing that Christ has one absolute victory, now we as the church, the “ecclesia” of God, must advance his rule into every walk of life. Education, business, care, home life, industry must all feel the effects of the kingdom of God in our day. In this day it has become so necessary that the people of God find their place of placing; the place where God has caused you to be responsible for bringing his kingdom.

We move as the family of God, not a hierarchical family, but a family of servants, believing, empowering and maturing each other in the advance of the kingdom. The apostles and prophets here to serve and uphold the people of God in their works of service, restoring society and the cosmos back to Gods first intent. The task is so great, it is more important than ever that every ministry finds its place of belonging, its joint flow, so that it might increase and grow. Becoming part of an apostolic family is about being more effective and displaying Christ in his wholeness.

Christ ascended and descended and give gifts of himself to the body, I believe it is the first responsibility of these ministries to find one another. For these fivefold/fourfold gifts (Eph 4:9-11) are the Christ, and they must first find one another to be the full presentation of the ascended Christ.  Their call is to bring the body to maturity and impart themselves into the corporate people, so that the people of God might become the Christ and be apostolic, prophetic, instructive, caring and evangel in function in our world. The “ecclesia” being the full Christ.

Being part of an apostolic family is an imperative, that we might become the all of God in our society. This is not an association or network but a true belonging, a place of mutual support, accountability and empowerment for each other, where there are apostolic Fathers to bring about a family.  For its is necessary that the people of God should mature and grow up along with our world being released to god’s full thought in creation.

How safe is your FUTURE?

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 Not a welcome question in the times we live in.  With people concerned about work, finance, health and many other things.   So how safe is your future?

Perhaps safety and future are strange bed fellows yet they do fit, security can be found in little really work, relationship, finance, security seems to be the incorrect term to use, I think safety is more apt today.   If my future is safe, I will take risk or chose to walk trusting God.

So how safe is your future?  The Psalmist I see often asked himself questions of future and questions of safety he would often cry out, then somewhere in his cry he would find the answer.  “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path” he said in Psalm 119:105 that the power of these words, certain words that is, bring safety.   Words that are the nature of the speaker, light that illuminates, God begins with “Let there be light” (his condition – see earlier blog) and here the writer still encounters this same pulsation, crafted, uttered words that cause pathways to be seen.   Words that do not breakdown but build up, words that raise up the pathway, the safe footed ways in front of each of us.

These safe words have the ability to direct, to show you where you are going, they are certain words not throw away comments but “your words”.  For safety sake, I better make sure I am hearing “…your…” words, making sure I can distinguish “…your…” words Lord.   So many say that, this and that are your words, but can I hear them form the source of light?   I recently sat in a gathering where it was declared strongly that the main event, the focus of all Gods working was this ………… and yet no mention of Christ or the filling up of all things in Christ was mentioned.   It really was the produce, or the in teaching for now, they were not “…your…” words, not safety bringing words but simply fashionable words, gathering people around the fashionable point.  Not light that illuminates and brings safety but so-called light that only builds our own events.

Make us able to distinguish true words in so much noise ”…your…” words safety words, perhaps that is why there is the lack of a safe future, we are not sure how to distinguish good words, successful words from safety words.

Safety is YOUR words in YOUR people so that YOUR community will ensure that YOUR words and will be done!

These words not only inform us of the Fathers will but also shows us how to follow the right and avoid the wrong ways, safety pathways, safe futures.

Ancient lamps were filled with oil to illuminate, their shapes changed with the potter and fashion and what was practical for purpose, we as the people of God change our shape, and it really does not matter,  it’s the light that illuminates and that matters rather than the changing shape, safety is not in the changing shape but in the words that illuminate.

Safety words bring a safe future “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.  I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my mediation.   I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts” (119:98-100) it is mentioned three times, these illuminating words make us “wiser” and gives us “more insight” and “more understanding”.   This is not the boast of a ‘smarty’ a superior human, but it is some one who has discovered safety in this word “…your…” words.   If we learn what God says you will know things that will amaze the people around you.

Wisdom wiser than mine enemies!

If you want this kind of wisdom we are going to have to switch off the TV, stop getting distracted give ourselves in response to a Father that loves us, pick up his spoken word and listen to the spirit as we turn to the book.   I can discover the wisdom that delivers me from my enemies as I hear the word.

Wisdom wiser than my teachers

Human wisdom can only take you so far but those who know how to take in the words of the Father and the Son will truly take in wisdom.   The reason for this wisdom is simple, a disposition learned of “your testimonies are my meditations” this learning is not by chance or  a wow experience, but by turning and considering, the way I ponder and what I mediate upon, all that I fill my mind and heart with.

Wisdom wiser than age

I have stuff to say that is older than me!    There is always much to learn from those who are older than us however age by itself does not equal wisdom there is such a thing as “old fools” who started as “young fools” and just got old.   Wisdom comes from years of obeying the words of the Father.  The “understanding” mentioned here means the ability to penetrate with insight into difficult issues.   You know how to tackle life and its hard edges as you have seen God at work in the word and in his illumination.

Again the reason this is possible is simply “I keep your precepts” wisdom does not come by osmosis or magic, simply superior wisdom comes by doing what the word says.

So lets read, and obey so we might find a safe future.