powerful words

How Many Questions

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

“Why?” I think this must be the most used statement from a child as they go through their 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s years and beyond sometimes. When they’ve asked their 1st why it’s so exciting it’s so great to see this little bundle of life growing up but when you get to your 5th and 6th “why?” on the same question it challenges you as a parent not to utter the final close down statement of “Thats why!”. We tried and tried with our children especially our 1st as every other word was “why?” not do the “that’s why” response but I did fail from time to time, as it became very tiring.

Questions must become our way of life, it’s important to know the questions that needs to be asked and the questions that don’t, it becomes hugely necessary to know how to ask questions to gain knowledge and simple answers to enquiries. In some conversations it is necessary to know how to frame the question 3 or 4 ways to ensure you’re getting the correct or unfortunately the truthful answer.    Questions are necessary for life.

The inquisitive mind of a child is astounding, that’s why it’s such a challenge not answer with the “that’s why!” response, its our aim every time the “why?’ is asked to try to be respectful to the growing inquisitive mind. It’s sad when parents see it only as an attempt to unseat their authority, questioning who they are at worst, it’s just growing up.    Just as at  a few months old everything seems to end up in a baby’s mouth, is just another way of asking “why?” through taste and touch but now words formed and the ”why?” word is asked.

Your world and my world is mysterious to most of us, and never mind if we try to take the mystery out of our world it has a life of its own and invades back in.    Mystery and questions we must live with.     To a child the world is huge and mysteries at every hand, even our conversation sets up more mystery for a child.     I remember once trying to slow one of our children down and just flipping off the top of my tongue a simple cliché “… Don’t do that you’ll run yourself into the ground…”, watching the child stopping and in every way in her mind trying to handle the thought of the ground opening up or her little legs becoming part of terra-firma.   More mystery for the child to deal with in an alien world.

The questions we ask often simple attempts to piece together the puzzle of life and for the child the “Why?” is an attempt to work with that.    Why can’t I do that, why can’t I stay above the 9 PM, why can’t I stay out like, why not need to, I’m sure you can think of your ceaseless catalogue of why’s.

Unfortunately for some people this childlike curiosity diminishes as they get older. Yet, we live in a world that I realise that has more and more to discover.    Any one who watches the BBC nature program or tried to get in contact with Facebook, web, iCloud, technology knows  Through my journey I have attempted to keep growing and probing and new ideas and ask myself continually “why?”

I have a ‘Duffty theory’ which is very simple that is “to keep fresh and young at heart is to remain a constant learner”. It’s not just a theory I’ve even asked around finding out that those young oldies are quite often the constant learners of society or group or church. Before we go any further I’d like to make a distinction between learning and being a learner, there are many in pursuit of learning which has its necessary place in all our lives. Learning, gaining understanding of information as part of our lives, however being a learner is a disposition and a way of life, an attitude I am trying to cultivate that every one can never mind on your academic ability.    These both being a learner and learning are good practices but one is to develop an attitude not just an ability.     I have noted for some who pursue learning unfortunately they sometimes become people who have a narrow field of learning as they get more learned, I am not bring this quality to forward, it’s the ability to be a learned even from the youngest, from life’s simple movements in creation.    To see in every day an adventure to be a growing learner learning from all, everyone and everything.

During life’s journey through my discovery, through others I would like to share with you some good questions in a world of too many questions that I believe will develop a continual learning disposition.

And I generally interested in others?

If you are in any form of influence, parenting or causing a direction to a group of people that is leadership each one of these requires the abilities to see before and seen more than others, as it is necessary for you to figure things out 1st.     The challenge with this ability is not to take advantage of others, some self-centred leaders manipulate and move people for personal benefit.     True influence/leadership will motivate people for the people’s benefit or for mutual benefit, the place that is best of others above themselves

This question probes your motive

Am I doing what I love, love in what I do?

No one will ever fulfill anything especially your destiny if you despise your tasks.    A good realisation is that none of us are anything unless it comes from a heart.     It’s frightening to discover a 25-year-old, 35-year-old, 45-year-old… wake up daily, go to work and cycle through routine processes and functions this is effectively they’ve retired. To make affect to be a ‘difference maker’ passion has to be brought to the table, commitment and caring to all you do. Passion gives you the energy to take advantage

This question provokes your passion

Am I my pleasing God?

The writer in the in Psalms encourages each of us to “…number our days…” that this be aware of how short they are and how few we have. I am sure your history tells you that or even the thought of where has all the years gone?     In the shortness of our days we have great significance, significance often beyond what we can imagine.      Sandra and I enjoy watching films often we come away with concepts, clichés and one-liners that stay with us, actually I think the cinema is quite often the preaching platform of our day.    There’s a line in a classic film called ‘Gladiator’, just at the very early stages of the Romans characters journey, as he is about to lead his cavalry into battle he calls out for all to hear “what you do in life echoes in eternity”, the film proceeds to fill out his life then indicating the echoes of eternity he will have, it is a story of what he has done in his life out.     But how true this statement is, it provokes us to live our life well.   A life lived well is one with a clean conscience, honourable, generous, explaining God to our world living this before God and mankind.       Focus your efforts, your passion, your energy on worthwhile causes/purpose that will blast your time in a time/space world.

This question is an eternity question

 I leave with you 3 simple questions that could transform you and perhaps in my next blog we will return to a few more, perhaps you seek to make these three practical in your day. Don’t cross out the child’s “why’s” perhaps determining to ask a few more “why’s” yourself everyday.

“You Won…”

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

We recently directed some guests of ours from overseas to Kings Cross station London as they wanted to see platform 9 ¾, I wondered what they wanted, 9 ¾ never heard of such a platform, cannot be really?  I had no idea what they were talking about, never heard of it, thought they are not from UK.    However I found out that they knew better than me, the platform was made famous through Harry Potter’s book, you go to the platform quite simply to get your photo opportunity… just in case you wish to see it take the Underground to Kings Cross / St. Pancras, (two main line stations that share the same Underground Station).        Follow the signs into Kings Cross Station when you get to the surface walk along Platform 8 (it’s totally free access).     When you see a sign directing you left to Platforms 9 to 11 keep going on along Platform 8 and the Platform 9 3/4 photo opportunity is a few yards further along on your left. There is normally a conspicuous sign on the platform pointing to the small alcove and out of the wall projects half a baggage trolley.   You have arrived at your destination.

I had no idea of how to get there or how to help others arrive there then the thought came to me, it is a real challenge for us all to answer the question   “where are we going and how can we help each other get there?”.    It is a timely question in the hour we live, with so many changes in society, politics and the economic world , in the business world and in the world of faith, the church change is coming at us as a fast speeding train, whether we want it or not.    Where is it taking us and how can we help each other get  there?

It  is a day for the prophetic people of God to come to the out from under the covers, a day in the midst of much noise and debate, to take hold of the word of God.     Gods’ words when uttered in the past created, they also sustained people who took them up.    These spoken words gave direction and knowledge to those who listen and heard them, those who listened  did not find themselves with out understanding.

Clearly we are in a day of discovering a deeper trust of the Father a new listening and obedience that will lead us into freedom and to the land of promise.    We have to grasp the idea that we are on journey,  that in itself  will empower, challenge and  mature all who embark.

Today as people of God in the west, we find ourselves so much part of societies thinking at large, that it has invaded the church and they way we think, becoming consumers in every way.   Seeking ever-increasing experiences for our emotions, listening to the word of God to consume that which we believe that will give us a quick advance, an edge on life or even fix?    Making decisions on that which we can get hold of immediately, the NOW rules us.    Yet the Journey men and women of old, the pictures of lives of people between the covers of the scriptures walked a journey, not a quick dash with immediate consumer gratification.    Consider the lesson of one of these journey men, Abraham, here is a man who had promise upon promise spoken to him, of peoples, fathering, sons, nation and land, God promises to bless all nations through Abraham, yet Abraham received none of these in his day, but  even 1000’s of years on the promises are still coming to pass.

Even more than that Abraham had a 644 Kilometer journey, once he was willing to entertain the promise.   A 644 Kilometer journey and a 4000+ year, time frame, to get the promises.   Now that is a challenge once he become obedient to the promise words of God it was a long haul walk and a massive time frame to content with.    Now don’t get me wrong on the journey there where evidences, victories of the promise but its fullness took walking on investing time, he become wealthy in his day, he had influence and did finally get a true son of promise, but certainly one son does not constitute a nation!   Once Abraham believed and entered the journey it was counted as righteousness to him, that is keeping in right line with the journey, and keeping it foundational to life’s actions and decisions.   The words of God are living, but how living are they ?  They require movement, obedience, a change of vicinity, a change of surroundings, a departure and a step in front of you.    Actually the words of promise to us all are to bring about sons of God who are led by the Spirit, to bring maturity in light of eternal promise.

I think its time to discover not only the joy of the immediate but the eternal will of the Father, knowing that we have been called to an eternal purpose, to depart from the tent of  the immediate and become the tent of meeting for our life and then our world around us.     We are, the people of God, the ecclesia, the church are to be the place where people will meet the love of God along with a people who are a prophetic journeying people.

Let me encourage you to find others people who will also ask the question, where is all this taking us?  where are we going and how can I help you get there rather than making sure I can get there.

Traveling in a plane has its challenges, but no more for me than the initial film or safety demonstration, we are all shown, there is one difficult line there to listen  to, it goes something like this …make sure your mask when it drops from the roof goes on you first before you see to children or others… that is so against the journey of prophetic people,  firstly seeing to ourselves before others, so that we can all arrive together.    Many years ago  we were taught to play croquet by a great Godly man called Arthur Wallis some 15 or so of us, in a retreat centre in Sheffield.   As we came to the end of our game and our instruction Arthur being the master crossed the line, won the game and a shout of “…you have won Arthur…” went up from all,  with this he turned and said “…no I only cross the line when all my brothers cross…” and with that he fell with his head at the foot of an old wooden cross in the gardens becoming one of the host of witnesses who now continues to cheer on this seen world to ultimate intention of the Father.   What a line to enter eternity with, to depart this expression of life with, what a way to live, asking more how can I help you get to the destination of the will of God rather than consuming, to get there myself.

So find journey men and women, young people, children sojourners who are pursuing the will of the Father in eternal promise and plan and seek to help each other fulfill the prophetic purpose of God.

Freedom Day Celebration

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / 2 Comments

Sandra and I are coming to the end of our autumn/spring period in South Africa, it depends of which side of the equator you live, with a day of national rest hitting  Cape Town.   The traffic filling the roads system as the rain came down we even had a lightning show, winters knocking.     As people begin to enjoy another public holiday in South Africa.   This one is a celebration of 18 years of “Freedom” (2012), when a political system and all it contain ended.    The news and media are full of reports and comments along with interviews and reminders that “we are a young nation”, with facts and figures  such as 60% of all South Africans are below the age of 35 a literally young nation.       Celebrations, brai’s (South African / Zimbabwean slang for a barbecue), family get together, last trips before winter seem to be the order of this Freedom Day, yet freedom still eludes all humanity.    Sometimes it comes but then it’s so fleeting, how can we enter into a freedom way of life and it becomes sustainable never fleeting?     We are told if we do this, spend that, take on a certain products, make change such as…, use this or that, visit here, travel there, go to this event or meeting freedom will follow or so the promise is there but it only comes up empty.     The promise is cut short it seems.    Yet the promise of freedom through another, the Christ of God, is there which is not empty at all, it means a different way of life and more difficult probably it requires a paradigm change a of though, which means my history has to be re arranged my education has to be renewed to enable this liberty and sustaining it.

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.     FREEDOM consider and look to see how we can participate, enjoy and live with it!

Money, money and all that

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / 1 Comment

Interesting thought from a book written by Craig L. Blomberg on “A Christian View Of Possessions”, an academic, his expertise and fields of research are Economics and Hebrew he writes “More than a billion people out of the earth’s seven billion inhabitants live in desperate poverty.  Natural disasters, war, corrupt governments, lack of education, human greed, disease, unfair trade laws, false religions all play their part in creating this situation.   Conservatively, at least 200 million (1/5th) of these poor are Bible-believinng, born-again Christians”.

In taking on board his comments we today as Bible-beliveing Christians worldwide, heralding the coming of the Kingdom of God cannot see it as someone else’s responsibility be the answer, we must be part of the answer.   The Kingdom of God is not only miracles and healing, if this is our only focus we will be distracted from the fuller gospel of the Kingdom.

He goes on to say that just in America, let alone the remaining world “…over the last 30 years Christians have changed their spending patterns…the amount of money spent on non-essentials as sports and recreation, lawn care, video and computer games, home entertainment centres, pets and dieting has skyrocketed. At the same time Christians per capital giving to causes of all kinds has steadily declined in the last 40 years from just under 4% of their total annual income to barely above 2%”.

He then delivers a punch with “…trend watchers have made two staggering calculations…firstly if every USA Christian simply tithed, the additional amount of money that would be raised above and beyond current giving levels would be enough to eradicate world poverty in our lifetime.  Secondly the average age of major donors is now, for the first time ever, well over sixty-five.   Current Christian work is being funded largely by retired people.   Unless we change, in less than a generation the majority of ministries and good works will close their doors in reaching the poor.”

I write this with these thoughts, if we all saw the biblical, not tradition instruction on money, seeing the tithe as an answer not something to fight against, along with the biblical necessity of financial stewardship as part of a working answer perhaps a difference would dawn in our world.    If the whole church tithed worldwide, not just Europe or the West, but the whole church, we could eradicate world debt in less than 15/20 years.   What a powerful argument, of course we would need to agree to stop investing further in internal building programs, adding to men and women’s egos, running  bigger and better and getting more cut of the Christian market share.   We would need to distance our selves from the annual $7 billion Christian market but taking up the Apostolic & Biblical direction “never to forget the poor”.     Truly this would be the Isaiah 2:2, 3 “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”   It will not be governments of politic or polices but the people of God that will have dealt with world poverty, this is truly the Kingdom of God coming to earth!

Before you get the wrong idea I am certainly not against buildings or exiting programs as we reach our world far from it.    However we are told that only 4/6% of the church worldwide actually tithes, and we all would admit the church downs amazing on that alone but the thought is not to affect existing budgets or support at all but just to apply the other 96/94% increase of giving and see what we can change?

 Join with us in changing our spending habits, join with us in making a difference with others while being the instructive Mountain of God, join and make  a difference rather than allowing the church to be something other than the Father has in his ultimate intention.    Being a different kind of people who creation awaits for sons of God led by the Spirit.
For the West he says lest get delivered from “…the already affluent becoming richer…” or let us not think about the well-to-do Christians “…trade places with the poor…” for both extreme prove un-biblical and prevent any action.
Let us join and become the Kingdom heralding, called out people of God bring a world answer!    Its time to truly study the scriptures and discover the real answers that has been outline there in about financial stewardship.

Movement Dynamics by Tim Keller

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

The Global Cities Initiative Conference took place in New York City on September 9 – 11, 2009. Over 80 cities were represented by ministry leaders and church planters. Tim Keller gave three plenary addresses at GCI. Go here for info – “Gospel Renewal” – “City Focus – “Movements & Ecosystems”

His discussion of movement dynamics, with the following characteristics: [summary by Jay Lorenzen: Campus Crusade for Christ]

  1. Unified vision and beliefs,
  2. Cooperation and catholicity of spirit,
  3. Sacrificial commitment,
  4. Spontaneity and creativity.

Below is a summary of his points as Tim compared a movement with an institution. Let me suggest that you discuss these “dynamics” with your missional teams and help move your ministry to a movement and keep it from becoming an institution.

DYNAMIC 1: UNITY (THE FOCUS)

Oneness from common vision and beliefs: A movement is driven by a clear vision for a particular future reality, based on common beliefs.

Marks of a movement

1. Organized around a common vision for the future.

2. All leaders and key players share same goals.

3. Forward movement through arriving at consensus or near consensus on next stage in reaching the vision.

Marks of an institution

1. Organized around by-laws and ground rules.

2. Each leader/department presses for own differing agenda.

3. Forward movement through negotiated compromises to form agreed upon ‘strategy.’

DYNAMIC 2: CATHOLICITY (THE OPENNESS)

Emphasis on cooperation across lines: A movement is peopled by workers who put the vision ahead of other differences and learn from and work with people of other preferences, temperaments, and secondary beliefs.

Marks of a movement

4. Leaders have high tolerance for ambiguity and organizational “messiness”; what matters is the cause and vision. Result: lots of cooperation with those outside your organization who share the primary beliefs and vision.

5. Responsibilities of leaders overlap; everyone ‘owns’ the overall organization’s health; result is much cooperation within. Emphasis on ‘roles’ – who you are in the movement. Structure looks more ‘flat’ and like a network of teams.

Marks of an institution

4. Leaders have high need for clarity and compliance; what matters is proper procedure. Result: little cooperation with those who don’t share secondary and tertiary beliefs.

5.“Silo”and turf consciousness; the result is contentiousness. Emphasis on ‘tasks’-what you do in the organization. Structure is more ‘top-down’ like a pyramid of individuals

DYNAMIC 3: SACRIFICE (THE COMMITMENT)

Devotion to God’s kingdom over self or tribe: A movement is peopled by workers who put the vision ahead of their own interests and needs.

Marks of a movement

6. Great sacrifice is tolerated: low pay, long hours, poor conditions. Leaders need less approval and encouragement; self-starters.

7. High level of trust. Less need for accreditation and close supervision.

Marks of an institution

6. Individual needs more important than progress of the whole. Workers need rewards, much accountability from top.

7. Little trust. Constant meetings. time-consuming reporting, long approval processes.

DYNAMIC 4: SPONTANEITY (THE ORGANIC NATURE)

Spontaneous growth without top-down command: A movement constantly generates new ideas, new leaders, and new initiatives across itself—not solely from the top or from a command center outside of it.

Marks of a movement

8. Movement spreads through recruitment from relationship networks. Organic growth through friends’ enthusiasm and an appeal to sacrificial commitment.

9. New ideas are solicited and incorporated quickly. Lots of openness to creativity; freedom to try and fail. Leaders give workers more support than control.

10. Relationships strong; much “off-line” thinking occurs through friendships. Leaders naturally attract and ‘train’ new leaders through relationships.

Marks of an institution

8. Organization grows through formal processes of communication and “sales” appealing to individuals’ self-interest.

9. Innovation is seen as threatening if not coming from top. Great fear of any failure. Leaders keep tight control, give little support.

10. Few friendships; little happens outside of meetings. New leaders have to be recruited through formal processes.