THOUGHTS

My View Of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Changing World Redefines EVERYTHING.

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We are all so aware that the financial crisis facing the World is redefining many things, with Europe, USA, China, etc., all now feeling the effects of change, with the years of doing the same thing and expecting a different/better outcome, not materializing, I read somewhere that this is a true sign of lunacy!

This transformation with all its changes and uncertainties, produces for some, fear and financial challenge, our ways of thinking and behaviour are having to change,  the way leadership and influence are executed is also having to change.

Leadership expert Robert Greenleaf a USA Philosopher, Teacher leadership Guru, says that in this changing season it’s a time to prepare for new leadership thinking.   SO HOW?

A fresh style of leadership is now coming to the fore front it’s called “quiet leaders” we all knew they were there but no one thought they would ever get anything done especially when comparing them against the charisma type leader. Things have changed, advances have been seen and sustained through styles of leadership that are not of the traditional kind, it is the style that has longevity and inheritance tied up in it.    We have seen how the charismatic leaders do much in their time and moment, but they come and go and are forgotten relatively quickly.     But those who lay down something for generations to come are “quiet leaders”.

Quiet Leaders are behind the scenes leaders, democratic in style, who want to make things work better, but don’t seek glory for themselves.    I heard the recent comparison made recently from a political and business arena “they’ compete well against those hard-driving, well-socialized psychopaths who thrust their companies and countries forward without concern for others.”    There are far more qualified people around to define the various types of leaders needed in different contexts than I, but there are two things I am sure of in an era of an uncertain future, we require our children to be equipped to face the future.     They need to be self-reliant, find their inner strengths and confidences and have the ability in the globalization of our world to work collaboratively.

Let’s look at the children first, scripture has clues on how to bring up children so that they make a positive contribution to our society and world.   We have to see change if we are to confront the riots on our streets and the challenges of the young.     We can do one of two things, throw our hands in the air and declare “There is No Hope lets just withdraw ourselves from society”, taking on a sieged attitude for our households in a fallen world.   Take our children out of everything that is around us, and cocoon them from life.   In others words hide the light of God they are from the hill (Matthew 5), and let the hill go to the dogs, so to speak.   Or take the situation on, tackle it head on and take responsibility for our streets, towns, and cities, as many do daily, become restorers of streets to live in (Isaiah 58).    So lest start right NOW!

Children learn in early years self-reliance, now let me explain I don’t mean selfish or self centeredness, I am talking about a personal identity, taking on the image and likeness of God at every stage of life, this likeness is not only available to adults.   We must have an idea of a mature 3-year-old, 10-year-old 16-year-old as well as those in adulthood.    Our Children are greater than we think.

Children learn this self-reliance in early years by being given responsibilities.   If your youngest wants to cook, “Let them” encourage having a go!  Your wonderful techno, full of gadgets kitchen may suffer a disaster along with the entire ingredients, you will probably find more on the floor than in the finished item.      Trust them to learn!

Let your children chose where to go out when walking, which park to go to, what to do or which way to get home.     Encourage them to tackle to their teachers about problems before coming to you that is training them to take on responsibility for their lives.

What about getting them to walk the pet, feed the pet, lay the table or wash the golden idol – the car as a regular occurrence, see bigger than the immediate, these all help in training responsibility and helps the family and community in their learning.    Be creative, look for responsibility at every level that the child could take on in your environment, as a daily, weekly, monthly responsibility, regularity will teach.

Self-reliance is built upon such tasks; many children are not bold or charismatic.    They may not become the school celebrity and star of the school play or be ready for head boy or girl status, yet all children can learn, and I mean all must learn how to serve, how to be the tree in a Latin play, this was once one of my starring roles.   All can be loyal team members or those who just turn up to support.   You as Mum and Dad must value these activities as much as the starring roles, as this is where “Quite Leadership” comes into its own.

When we move out to the interwoven World markets we have today, Greece can shake the mighty cash rich China, USA is no longer secure as a  dominant world power due to the ‘BRICS’ nations.   The world around us is so interwoven.

Due to this interweaving that surrounds us we can no longer afford the old-style of leadership.   The pathway of some of these old styles of leadership are littered with casualties not only of people but also the environment, through business decisions they become fallen or at worst broken.   Business and Politicians advocate an environmentally friendly campaign yet destroy the infrastructure of people’s lives and the forgotten forests along with farm lands of Africa and other developing worlds for more product or profit.  A world where life for some is experienced at high levels of excess and yet  2/3’s of the world go to bed hungry.  These excesses have to be owned up to, they are contradictions of wrong leadership.   Billions of dollars and pounds are spent annually increasing facilities in a church world, when 2/3rds of people struggle to live and God=have roof over their heads.   Don’t get me wrong I am not against property at all I see it as a tool and necessity but when many is spent on buildings and not people there is some thing wrong.

I recently came across a piece of research by Dr. Craig L. Blomberg a theologian who has written extensively on poverty, riches, ownership and money, he stated that in USA alone if all the church tithed, that with the additional tithe, without taking any money away from exiting workings, within our life time there would be enough money to take away world poverty.    What a goal, what if every Christian tithes UK, Europe, USA, across the world acted righteously, never forgetting the poor what a different world we would live in within a generation – NO POVERTY!

In essence what am I getting at WE NEED LEADERSHIP WHO SEE HOW THE WORLD FITS TOGETHER, THAT EVERY SMALL PART, EVERY PART AFFECTS ANOTHER?

When you see your children excelling in sport or anything and they say the want to be the best or perfect ask them WHY.  Then follow with the question once you get there what do you plan to do?

If your child’s team wins celebrate yes, just shout yes, then ask what did the trainer do this year?      If they score a try or a goal, or gain a point just make sure they realize some one passed that opportunity to them, “who passed the ball to you?”

All these are so small but the child will soon move from becoming egocentric, my world and only mine to see that achievement is gained through my discipline but also the contributions of others

We are to raise children that see that no individual person or individual group can gain at the expense of another that no group is superior but each one related.

I am told by society watchers that corruption begins at home when parents demand winners and questions those who appear to hinder the child’s advance, when schools do not teach or families do not encourage the young how to advance the growth of others.

The notion of Servant-Leadership is the example of the Christ.   Servant /leaders have been with us in the people of God for 2000 years at least, with the modeling of Christ.    It is time to bring this quiet servant leadership to the forefront, and fly in the face of the systems and styles that do not serve the environment or the people around us.     Let us not lose the cry of communities for servant leadership at this time and let the church be the forward thinker and runner with servant-leadership.

Robert Greenleaf has a “best test” of a servant-leaders “ The best test of a servant-leader is; do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?      And what is the effect on the least privileged in society: will they benefit or, at least will they not be further deprived?”

We have a quite leaders, servant-leaders let us be ready to advance in our world that the people of God become the harbingers of a new world and new influence while serving God society and creation.

 

Breaking the Silent Sound Barrier

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God is speaking.    The challenge is will I listen?

Does God really speak to you and me today, more that will be clear, directly, specifically, personally? We all know the stories of how He  spoke in the past.

God spoke to Adam about the garden and the consequences of leaving the garden. To Noah he outlined the moment he lived in and instructed about the ark and to Abraham he lifted up his eyes and spoke about a sky full of descendants.

The list continues on to Moses from a bush and a mountain. Then He spoke to Joshua about trumpeting down the defences of Jericho.

Thrillingly he came to Isaiah and spoke about the coming Messiah, to Jeremiah about the coming captivity, to Ezekiel about the future restoration, and to Daniel about the rest of time.

God spoke to John the Baptist about the Saviour being at hand. God spoke to Jesus about His identity, His mission, and the names of His apostles.

And God speaks to you through His Holy Spirit on a regular basis about the ordinary things of your life. I note that some people mark books with highlighters to be reminded on how the words addressed them.   If we took the time and could mark with a bright highlighter the messages from God that cross our minds, we’d see the marker changing the colour of our days .

That should come as no surprise, for God told us in Scripture that it would be this way.

I will speak!

On the night He was arrested when most people’s mind would be fully engrossed with the situation that faces them Jesus mind went to tell you and I of his promise, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever.…He lives with you and will be in you” (Jn. 14:16–17).

He did not leave it at that He went on to explain, “The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (v. 26).

Specifically, the Spirit will “convict the world,” “guide you into all truth,” “speak only what he hears,” “tell you what is yet to come,” and “take from what is mine and make it known to you” (Jn. 16:7–15).

Think about what Jesus is saying here. When you trust Him the Holy Spirit comes to live in you for the rest of your life, there are two people living in your body—you and the Holy Spirit. He is not mute. He is an involved, life-giving, divine Person with whom the Bible promises “fellowship” (2 Cor. 13:14)—regular, experiential companionship.

Through out the working of the church in the book of Acts we see God repeatedly speaking to His people through the Spirit.   Philip was told to approach the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:29), Peter to accompany the three men sent from Cornelius (10:19–20). The church at Antioch, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul” (13:2).

Paul’s tells constantly of the speaking of the Holy Spirit “Having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia…they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to…Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Acts16:6–9

“Now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.…In every city the Holy Spirit warns me.” Acts 20:22–23

The bible is full of the Spirit providing direction for daily living. We are told that we are to be “led by the Spirit” (Ro. 8:14) and “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). We are to “pray in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18), “live by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16), and “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). All of these well-known commands assume that the Spirit speaks to us personally in ways we can understand; the present tense of many of these verbs suggests continuous action—that God speaks to us not two or three times in our lifetime but daily!

OK How does the Spirit speak to us?

But how, you may be asking, does God “speak personally”      The most common and certain way is through the Bible.   All Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16).      In a very real sense, the Spirit is speaking to you every time you read the Bible.     We find the words “the Lord said” associated with visions, dreams, an audible voice, angels, prophetic messages, and physical signs.

We also find the language of God’s personal conversation described in 1 K. 19:12 as “a gentle whisper” (NIV), “a sound of a gentle blowing” (NASB), a “still small voice” (KJV). It may come as a simple thought, one we “sense” more than “think.” As Paul tells us, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit” (Ro. 8:16). It’s Spirit-to-spirit speech.

And we’ve all heard it. Out of the corner of an eye, we’ll notice someone standing alone in a group and sense an inner prompting: “Go over and say hi.” We’ll be about to make a subtly self-promoting remark and hear in our hearts, “Don’t say that.” Our troubled spirits will be reassured by the silent reminder,

How can I be sure it’s Him?

The primary way to discern God’s voice is to saturate our minds with the Scriptures. What God says to us individually will always match the principles He has given to everyone. As Isaiah reminded his contemporaries, “To the law and to the testimony [the Scriptures]! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.” Is. 8:20

Yet some thoughts or impressions are neither directly affirmed nor disqualified by specific scripture. In that case, we need to look at the character of what we’re hearing. We need to ask, “Is it God-like, devil-like, or me-like?”

God tells us plainly what He is like (see Ex. 34:6–7; Ps. 51:16–17, 103:11–14; 1 Cor. 13:4–7; Gal. 5:22–23; Heb. 4:15–16; 1 Jn. 4:16). His names tell us even more about Him and the character of His voice.

1. Take your time.

I find that God is faithful over a period of days to distinguish His messages from my thoughts. With time, He will cause the false guilt, false promptings, and alluring permissions to fade. He will cause His messages to persist and become more compelling. So don’t confront your friends, correct your leaders, quit your job, launch a ministry, propose marriage, or act on any uncertain “prompting” on the spot. When it comes to hearing God’s inner voice, take your time. “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21–22).

2. Beware your wounds.

We’ve all been wounded by others. In response, we often become fearful, angry, and suspicious. Be honest about where you have been bruised and have become unhealthy in your responses. Anticipate that some “messages” will come from your wounds.

3. Know your passions.

          Perhaps you’ve heard the adage, “Give a man a hammer and the whole world looks like a nail.” This “hammer effect” can distort our ability to hear God—especially when we are ministering to other people. For example, if I believe strongly that wives should submit to their husbands, then it’s easy to hear “submission” as the solution whenever someone tells me of a domestic strain. If I’m an intercessor, “pray more” tends to pop readily to mind when I’m listening for God’s solution to personal struggles. If you find yourself repeatedly “hearing” what’s strong and vibrant in your life, slow down and suspect overflow from your heart rather than messages from God.

How can I become a better listener?

We’ve seen that God speaks to us personally. We’ve noted those characteristics that distinguish God’s voice from other voices. Now, how do we improve our hearing and become more attentive to God’s voice?

Listen as you read. As Daniel read the prophecy of Jeremiah, he “understood from the Scriptures…that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Dan. 9:2). The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Ps. 119:105). In both of these places, God reminds us that He speaks very personally to us about our immediate circumstances through His . You’ve experienced this and probably described it this way: “The verse just jumped out at me.” “It was as if this were written just for me.” “I couldn’t get that verse out of my mind.”

Listen as you pray. In teaching us to withstand the enemy’s relentless attacks, Paul urges us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions” (Eph. 6:18). In our typical “get it done” manner, most of us start praying by praying. It makes sense, unless you understand that Paul is saying that the Spirit will show us how He wants us to pray.

Listen as you talk. We all have conversations with friends, family, and coworkers. It’s easy to forget that when two of us are talking there are three in the room, and it’s that third Person’s voice that we most need to hear. We need to keep one ear tuned to God while we listen to the person with the other. Sometimes, we both need to stop talking and listen to God.

Listen as you go through the day. The Bible is full of stories of God breaking into normal days and making them unforgettable. Yet perhaps more important are the recurring passages that remind us that the Spirit speaks continuously with small “nudges” that keep us out of trouble and prod us toward joy.

Starting Now

God speaks. It’s the crown jewel of the New Covenant: “[I] will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 14:16–17).

If you belong to God, this Counsellor is “with you and in you.” He is speaking. Are you learning to listen? Are you learning to recognise His voice and the enormous benefits of being led by Him?

Why not stop now and ask the Lord to screen out all other voices but His? Invite Him to say to your heart and mind whatever He wants to say. Now stay quiet for a few minutes and listen. Pay attention to what comes to mind. Where does He take you? What do you sense He is saying?

As things come to mind, don’t try to determine at the moment if it’s you or God “speaking.” Just jot down your thoughts: a verse of Scripture, a word or phrase, a visual picture, an emotion, a physical sensation. Ask the Lord, “What does this mean?” After your listening time, “test” what you think you’ve heard against the words and character of God.

What did you hear?

How will you respond?

 

Freedom II

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In all our travels and connections, in all the meetings I have attended, I am thrilled to see how God is moving so many lives are transformed, thinking is being re wired and whole persons are being healed, we truly are in transformational times.    People  are maturing in every place, admittedly at different stages but maturing, little by little, big leaps towards growing up into God.

We find ourselves sitting with people from all walks of life, from lowly settings, from bush huts in small clearings, to large meetings with 1000’s of believers celebrating, to business men and women, giving advice and counsel to organizational heads, to CEO’s of huge companies as well as sitting with high level offices in world governments and royal palaces.    This gospel is amazing it reaches to all people in all spheres of life and breaks in with freedom.

Through the variety of places we visit we find that the large issues of life we find ourselves peeking into are quite similar, even when cultures are so different, people at heart level are the same, the same never mind where it is, or who it is with.   One of these issues, that can appear to be fleeting and sometimes even elusive to people is the issue of LIBERTY/ FREEDOM.    The desire for this freedom is high, we all know that freedom  belongs to us, it just a matter of where, how and  when, do we encounter it.     At every level and with every person we find the deep conviction that they should be free.

We often find that as we join churches, congregations, organizations and events that should be liberating that we are put into a straitjacket, and liberty and freedom is again curtailed.

A clear and recurring theme of Apostle Paul, spoken of in many ways is the cry or the shout of “Freedom“, Romans 8:14-19, 21, 28-39 Reminding us that all of creation is waiting for this liberty, the liberty of the sons of God to fill the world completely.

It is not only Pau that speaks of freedom but it is also in the red stuff, the red ink that is, it is a recurring theme in Jesus vocabulary John 8:31-32, 36.    It is there for it to become the recurring theme of our life as well

We are promised freedom, socially, politically and in our in attitudes.     Our world continually presses fantasies of freedom upon us:

Buy this….

Have this….

Use this….

Belong here….

Our experience however even with all the products available, is a world lacking in freedom, with all its promise it’s freedom it is fleeting and most people give in to living in lack, slavery, bondage and or boredom.

We have freedom of religion but it has not made us free – cults and other religions pressing enslaving superstitions continue to proliferate.    We meet only to be regularly inhibited, defensive, subjected, enough the world around us can say you are like this or that, they stereo type us and freedom passes by again.

In the middle of all this there are realities of freedom around us that are there to enable us to enjoy this freedom.   “God is free”.    He created the world in freedom and the people in it freely not out of need but in his own freedom, putting his freedom into all he created, all creation is an extension of him.    Creation came from within him, from that other place that is Him, from the unseen into the seen realm.     This creation has in its fabric freedom and liberty just like the creator.   I see it as the reason that creation Is waiting the reveling of the sons of God as they long for that very freedom given to us.    At the center of all is Jesus the free-est person that you would ever come across.     He was so free that he was able to declare “…I have overcome the world…” (John 16:33; 18) a chapter or two later we read how he stood chained during his arrest and yet was clearly able to clearly recreate for us what it looks like to be free, a overcomer, to the eye these chains certainly did not give the outward appearance of freedom!  But he was FREE!

The Holy Spirit is free, he is like “…the wind that blows where ever it wills…” this Holy Spirit produces freedom, liberty as once again the Spirit reproduces His nature.   When the Spirit leads me, when I live in faith, I live FREE – our testimony is this, when Christ is the center of my life vast FREEDOMS and surprising spontaneities begin to be seen.

When life becomes centered in my will, my freedom is diminished.

Our lives are to grow into the FREEDOM of the Kings Rule, of the Kingdom of Christ, as we pray your Kingdom, come freedom, come so I can be me!

How can I awaken your appetite, hunger and thirst for a free life?  This freedom found in Christ is a gift we can offer the world. Slogans, dogmas, great sayings and quotations don’t really do anything.

Discover freedom and receive it, as Paul “…took hold of that which had taken hold of him…” has this freedom taken hold of you?   Freedom is a gift; it is also a skill; a gift provided for us in Christ.   A skill that must be experienced and walked out by each person

Paul a specialist in the matters of freedom 28 times he talks about it and brings it to our attention in his writing, there are only 8 other mentions in the NT remainder books.   The book of Galatians brings us face to face with the freedom Paul has found and wants the whole community of God to participate with and be filled with.  A book aimed at restoring vigor and passion to a life of faith to confront the world with the free life of Christ.

I have heard it said that the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen was filled with treasure, and people said “Wow that’s living”, contrast that with the empty tomb filled of the Christ of God filled with freedom – Jesus out of emptiness poured out a freedom to live, rather than leaving us lifeless gems that will disintegrate.

In the creation story of Genesis 1, God creates Freedom that is LIFE, the new testament tells us he gave us “…life and this life MORE ABUNDANTLY…” the story in Genesis 3 tells us that humanity chose death, which by its nature is bondage, but we have been delivered from this death to a new life of liberty, freedom. Romans 7:24 “who will deliver us from this death”

In order for the story of FREEDOM to be told we must begin with God (Genesis 1) we have been brought unto a FREEDOM TO LIVE.   Therefore LIVE.

We are to show men and women today the beginnings of the pathway that leads to freedom, that moves credibly and concretely into the freedom of God.   Have no doubt the goal of God is to unite such as heaven and earth, man and God in union Christ in us is the expression of the united life and this life is fully expressed by Freedom, becoming a measurement of a restored, redeemed world, the church of God producing that very freedom, in all people and creation.      Union with God is freedom for this is true liberty.

Leonardo Da Vinci when he sculptured great forms from large block of marble or stone would say he saw the from, the shape, the body, the person in each stone or marble his goal was to simple liberate the shape/person from that block, to bring form to the unshaped rough stone, bringing liberty to what he saw inside.   God did the same to you and me and we are to continue in the same vein, through our words, actions and sayings liberate and bring freedom to ALL that we touch every day.

Da Vinci showed again in the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, the painting of the creation, in which humanity and God sits in the exactly same position, depicting that mankind is created in the image and likeness of God.   Looking behind the depiction of God he painted a shape that is somewhat like a human brain, in that mind are other faces, the first of a woman and many others, showing that God had humanity in his mind from the beginning.        The picture is there to display the liberation of a freedom group called mankind that would be his church bringing freedom to whom ever and where ever they go

Let me shout Freedom, Liberty into YOU!

Feel it, let it break you out; let your inner person arise…Freedom!

So what should I do?

Feel it.

Dream it.

Ask yourself what does your freedom look like?

Take pen write what it looks like, and then add a strategy to bring it about.

Ask yourself, what needs adding to you in order that you can experience this?

What needs removing in your life form around your life to launch it?

Start your life with it Now.

What will you notice if you begin to walk in Freedom, and liberty?

YOU ARE FREE DO NOT SUCCUMB TO SLAVERY AGAIN IT IS NOT THE HOLY SPIRITS WAY NEVER MIND HOW GOOD IT SOUNDS.

FREEDOM

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Galatians 5:1 The Life of Freedom

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

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

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