THOUGHTS

21st C Apostolic – Part 2

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Let continue with our journey into an understanding on the Apostolic, it is needed to be said that this is my journey to date which is not complete as yet, as we join with other ministers with different understanding we will find a fuller meaning in for today rooted in the scriptures.   These relationships will also adjust thinking and practice I am sure as well as add to understanding.   Now for my continuing thoughts to date.

Apostles are part of eternity’s plan; they were commissioned before they were born, chosen by God.  Apostle ship is not a learned skill it is an eternal choice, selected, appointed “… Before the foundation of the world…” when asked, Paul said of himself, he had been chosen from his mother’s womb (Galatians 1:15). To be an apostle is an issue of choice in eternity, to be sent forth by the Father with a mandate to preach the kingdom of God and lay the foundation of Jesus Christ into people’s lives. The apostolic burden is to establish a people and a community of believers, who are  willing to be led by the Holy Spirit and demonstrate a life under the order of God (Acts 2:41-47).

Apostles work alongside elders, having a responsibility and appointed by the Holy Spirit to love and care for the people of God, carrying a charge before God for the body. Paul talked about his “… light afflictions…” (2 Cor 4:17) Considering his catalogue of beatings, whippings, left for dead and his sea experiences, I wonder what our understanding of light afflictions are (1 Cor 11) he then goes further to clearly establish what was his non-negotiable charge and weighty matters 1 Cor 11:28 ”…Besides everything else, all the light afflictions mentioned, he also faced the daily pressure of his concern for all the churches…” Paul carried a burden for the church, this is necessary for all apostles, unless you have a God-given “charge” the responsibility is too great.   It is so much of a charge long with the matter of building a family it is not a light thing that the care or work towards a church responsibility for the churches can be given away easily, the churches do not become commodities to trade with or without much thought.    The church of God is not like a football team that transfers their players at payment, the call and the church are not the “transferable”.

Today’s church, family is being passed around from so-called apostle to apostle, being tossed around as a commodity, surely the passage above indicates that some apostolic gifts carry a “fathering grace” and cannot trade on the church. I have heard the sentence “I don’t care for the churches under…” this surely does not display the fathering apostolic grace. How abusive it would be if a parent treated his children in that way, not caring for them.  It would be questioned whether they were truly parents. Paul clearly looked at the church in Corinth as his children.

Those with the charge towards the people of God seek to continue the cause of God, and his Christ, seeking to be in the same heart and mind, and bring that oneness to the people of God, the church. The apostle carries the heart of God and their commission will be in line with Gods heart.   The commission, an apostolic task, is outworked along side a people group.   Paul is an example to us again as he outlines to King Agrippa in the book of Acts 26 in the years following his encounter with the Christ, Paul’s commission is seen in that he was not “disobedient to the heavenly call” this was his vision, his agenda, he worked with heavens work, he underlined that he was called to bring “light in darkness” and to a specific people called the Gentiles. Whereas James and Peter were called to a different group of people, Jewry.

Apostles must work and I would even go as far as to say they cannot work in isolation, they are not autocrats they are to enable all the ministries of Christ to flow together, they are catalyst ministries. They do not sit on the top of the pyramid structure, they are not CEO’s of an organisation structure and they seek to work within relationship.   It is evident from the Scriptures, as we look at the various named examples that each apostle functioned through different mantles, gifts. For example Paul saw himself as a preacher, a prophet; James and Barnabas were clearly teachers and pastors etc.    The apostle will function through another gift and will recognise and realise the need, and sometimes the inability to function, without other ministry compliments alongside them.  They seek friendship, and counsel and are accountable to others personally they know that they must give themselves to each other as influencers in the community of God.

It is the aim of the Ascension ministries to bring the restoration of Christ to his body, so that his body might be Apostolic, Prophetic – interpretive of God’s action; Teaching – the mountain of the Lord shall be the highest mountain and all of the mountains shall come and say teach us your ways; Pastoral – caring for God’s creation and people; Evangel – proclaiming the good news. These gifts are Christ himself and therefore we must not only have the individual gifts in our world but these characteristics must be seen in the body, the corporate Christ, so that the mountain of the Lord shall be the highest mountain and all other mountains shall come and say teach us your ways;

It is necessary the apostolic gift be seen in terms of characteristics, to avoid qualifying as it’s about Gods choice.   These characteristics are to be transferable in order that a people group – the ecclesia of God, that ultimate we must see the restoration of an apostolic people as well as having apostles as catalysts to bring a corporate maturity to pass.   That the people of God mature to be an apostolic, prophetic, pastoring, teaching and evangel people while being a fathering and mothering community in our world

Listed below is a catalogue of characteristics I see are necessary of the apostolic ministry, characteristics which ultimately will be transferred into a people. When the maturing Church embodies these characteristics what an amazing group of people we will have.

To close, consider this, Paul as an apostle saw the necessity of the apostolic so sharply that he defended his apostolic commission in the churches to which he worked as a father. One either concedes that Paul was a very insecure man or is considering something else in his defense of the call.    If one takes a wider view on Paul’s writings, his instructions, encouragements, retorts and appeals, one would conclude that he was not insecure at all.    I would suggest to you that Paul clearly had maturity, growing up in Christ in mind, and in Paul’s defense I suggest that the view of the apostolic he had was more to do with the maturity of the coming generations. So he defended the apostolic with the full knowledge that if the apostolic gifting was removed today tomorrow’s generation would not achieve the full maturity of Christ spoken of.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE APOSTLE AND MINISTRY

1.      A true apostle will have had a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ. (Acts 22:8)

2.      They have been personally commissioned/charge to an apostolic task. (Acts 26:16-18)

3.         They fulfil their apostleship through some other gifting, e.g. prophet, teacher, pastor. (Acts 13:1)

4.       They will be an equipper of the saints, releasing and empowering. (Eph.4:11-12) – Apostolic task is the empowerment for others

5.         They have a foundational grasp and a steward of the mysteries of God, of which they have a divine revelation.

6.         An apostle will recognise and be recognised in their order of apostleship, i.e. they may lead, or they will certainly be a part of an apostolic       “body of ministries”  and they will prove to be the catalyst for the other ministries. They may be an apostle built into another apostle’s sphere as Barnabas was with Paul, and therefore although have a valid apostolic ministry did not necessarily have the same task of Paul in which he would have been required to be the catalyst for many others.

7.       They will be a wise master builder (architect) of the house of God. An astute user of the plumb line of the mystery of Christ to what is being built with everything being measured against the end purpose for the house. (1 Cor. 3:10)

8.         Their authority is given by Christ. (2 Cor .10:8)

9.         They will demonstrate grace and wisdom in their relationships with people so that a sphere of apostolic ministry and influence emerges in the lives of the people. Their positive relationship with the people of God will provide the people with a deep sense of security. This will produce a committed, productive people who happily help in the task called to. It is inside this sphere of committed people actively pursuing God’s desire for His house that they have the authority of rule, not to be engaged in an authoritarian manner but following the example of Christ who came to serve rather than be served. (Matt. 20:25-28)

10.      They pursue a vision in which is:  Clear, and can be  seen in their commission – they are committed to its completion, they are obedient to the will of God in its commands, they patiently persevere despite any and all setbacks to be obedient to the heavenly vision.

An apostolic commission is fulfilled in phases – it is a process. With the completion of each phase (Acts 14:26) the apostle will be sensitive to God to be ‘sent’ into the new phase. When all phases of an apostolic commission are complete they will be able to say with Paul an apostle, ‘I have finished my course’. They then can then with joy be received by the Lord for his reward. (2 Tim.4:7)

11       An apostolic ministry by nature of what they are to bring about are filled with persevering faith; regardless of enticements, setbacks, or opposition from mankind or demons. Their faith enables them to persevere. This faith will extend itself to lay hold of all that is necessary of the supply of God’s grace to fulfill their ministry, and lay hold of the people and money resource required for the task. Faith will demonstrate the supernatural power of God so that God is seen to be working with confirming signs and wonders following.

12       The apostle will be the living example of all they want the people to become, and do. Therefore, personal Christ-Likeness will be evident to all so that they are secure in following their example. They may unashamedly stand before the people and say, ‘you yourselves know how you ought to follow us’ (2 Thes.3:7-9).  The apostle is humble, prayerful, long-suffering gentle with the weak, firm with those that require it, full of integrity and honesty in all business matters and dealings with people,  all should  speak well of them, so that when testing an apostle,  by their fruit they shall be known, as indeed for all Christians.

13       Apostolic Continuity – Paul had a deep sense of Abrahamic continuity and that being part of an apostolic call to walk in the continuity of a line of faith.       Paul had a theology developed from the eternal realm, drawing on Dream, Prophecy, and Visions.

14       Supernatural involvement, heavenly assistance to bring about a system of life to enable economy, love and care in creation

To BE in your TIME

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Between the Lines, Between the sheets, Between the pages, Between a rock and a hard place, BETWEEN TIMES…

Much of our lives are spent in a certain kind of mind-set, and experience.  it is often necessary to learn the skill to be able to enjoy the times of our lives.   How many of us are living between promise and accomplishments, between being told it’s coming and the arrival.   the Scriptures are filled with this, are they not?    We read the accounts and stories and miss one fundamental tool in Gods equipment, that is, a word comes but the distance between the utterance of the word and the arrival of that word, can be soooo looong!    take even the promise of the Messiah 100’s of years, and if you include the promise to Adam and Eve of the “crushed head” of the garden experience, 1000’s of years.   yet the words and the promises are no less relevant and potent, it is the skill of staying in and holding on, or better said it is learning to live in  the BETWEEN TIMES.   we are all, if loving God, between the times people, actually all of humanity are living between the times when it comes to Gods love and promise fulfilled, along with his intent and cause arriving.

There is a skill for between the times, the learned skill of trust, of continuing, of setting your face like flint when that which comes towards you looks different from the promise.   stay with the times by fully encountering the between times.

A classic  picture of this is Acts 1, having lost, the Christ gone, and being told to wait , setting in order the loss and appointment of Matthias, yet they were between times, were they not.   Christ had ascended and the Holy Spirit had not come, the fulfilment of Old Testament promise.   Living with each other while between times.   who would not say that’s enough, or I’m not sure if its true, let’s get out of here, long enough, certainly we miss heard, did God say?

Acts 1 is the story of 120 people in a room waiting for release along with arrival, it’s a skill of attitude and keeping faith, how many give up and change their theology because it’s not come quick enough, or even come as we determined it, between times are dangerous times and empowering times.    we have heard many expound the ‘Kiros’ moments, the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment) and direct it to a particular event, i would suggest to you that we live in constant ‘kiros’ moments, dangers and opportunity, always between the times – danger and opportunity

The dangers of when we see nothing happening, in these between times we try to make it happen, Abraham did it  with the promise of a child, he tried to make it happen in the between times.   I wonder about the appointment of Matthias, was that God breathed or were they also simply trying to make things happen.   You can not say that, well it is interesting that we hear nothing of him from that moment on?   be careful in ‘In between times’, if the command is wait, then wait, hold to the promise don’t let it go by trying to make it happen with your own with effort.

The lessons of between times must be, when God speaks, when simple direction is given, take hold of it  with both hands and live in it, not in another moment or event, simple really, between times is a time to keep to the directions given.   this opens up the reality when nothing is happening and there is a God creating between times.   it is the  Fathers problem not ours, hold to Him.

Like many at the beginning of any new year the question of what God is saying comes up and the pressure to say something of significance comes upon us, let us thank and celebrate the workings of the Holy Spirit in our world.  Lets stop being CSI Christians, scientifically looking into more and more detail of where God has been, and oh yes honour the past, but the past is surely for the future, learn  to live in the light of the promise, so that we can say where God will be and not where he has been, a truly prophet people.     I read recently some 1.2 million communities – families – churches have been established with 250 million people coming to Christ in the last 6 years World wide WOW wonderful testimonies of God at work,   yet in all that if I compare with whats happening to whats coming it is still a drop in the ocean, as Christ fills all things and the church moves towards its goal of Christ everywhere with creation transformed to be like heaven here and now, restoration to Fathers first intent, there is so much more to come.   As the old saying goes, made famous by a USA president “you ain’t seen nothing yet” we are between times!   The awakening, the times of refreshing, revivals that will bring the Season of Restoration is still breaking in on us, it is happening but  we are still  between times.   So what do I do, just do  what i have been directed, keep it simple, do what God has said, get on with it and nothing more, keep my thoughts, don’t try to make it happen and loose.  live and enjoy the in between the times, help others to live and welcome the promises fully with both hands and with excitement.

Some might say, well I am going to get it now, i trust you will,  but the bible narrative is too full of lessons of having to hold the promises, just as Mary did with Jesus in hearing the coming promise of a son she learnt not only to say “be it unto me”  but also to “ponder it in your heart” and make it living, there giving room for the promise to be cultivated and grow.    It is important this year ahead, I believe much will come to pass this year, people are believing, faith is raising and much will break forth, but we have to live between the times, to see the promises of God come to pass in our ‘kiros’ day.  Are you willing to put your trust in God… even when nothing is happening?

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.       Albert Einstein

In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.                  Albert Einstein

Distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.        Albert Einstein

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.               Steve Jobs

Things no one told me

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2012 will be my 28th year of serving the people of God, when I was 28 years old I was asked to consider leaving the building industry, laying brick and mortar down, to give my focus into building a dwelling through people’s lives.   It has been an amazing adventure to date and it is not over yet.  Myself, Sandra and our family have served in so many ways.  I was once told ”try everything” to discover the grace on your life, which we did with eager abandonment.   Serving in different capacities of influence and leadership, being administrators, running children’s ministry to 1000’s, leading outreach teams across the UK from cities and towns, serving in a mission environment, teaching, preaching, imparting,  painting, digging trenches, carrying bags, repairing cars, caring for and loving the ministers of God,  leading congregations, envisioning people, being known as prophets and laying our lives down as apostolic servants of the body.  The list is quite endless when we think of it.

In our journey we have been schooled by some wonderful men and women, been imparted to, impacted by and had understanding laid down in us over the years, some things we learned no one could have taught us or prepared us for.   Here are some of these lessons we hope will empower and advance you in your journey.

People told me about loving God and loving people, but they did not teach me how to love. That came through experience, joys and often challenge.

I had not fully understood how complicated the lives of people were, I learned the need to engage with people in the long journey as well as immediate situations with constant love

I was surprised at how judgmental and cruel Christian people could be.  I was not warned or perhaps I did not listen at the time.

It would have been helpful to have more insight into problem solving, and crisis management.

I thank God for my business training, as not much attention or training was given to financial management.

Although we began more than 20 years ago we heard much about family integrity, we still have many that did not listen as within families of leadership much pain is left to one-side, I recall some saying, “You just go out and serve the church. God will take care of your family.” Many families fractured through it.

There is no way anyone can prepare you for the loneliness of leadership.  The importance of friendship with colleagues should have been reinforced.  We have to help each other, aloneness is a necessary skill to learn and occupy.   To understand aloneness is empowerment but loneliness is a killer.

Another problem that is on ongoing for us all to learn on the hoof was that the church was God’s church … not mine. I was an under-shepherd.   We all subscribe to the notion that the church is His church, but the practicality of that comes into focus when we deal with vision, competitiveness, pressure to conform etc.

I had to learn how to be myself and build on my own strengths.  People, ministry and peer-pressure can make us conform and be as the USA would say “cookie-cutter” copies.

Loving and caring is not for the faint of heart.  Probably, if I had been told everything, I would not have completed the course, perhaps not even begun, but discovering my love for God and for His people enabled me to continue the course. I am so glad no one told me everything, and I am so glad I am pursuing.

Power in our World of Words

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As Christians we are taught of the power one carries in our spoken words they can encourage, discourage, and affect atmospheres.   The scriptures say, “…the power of life and death is in the tongue…” In other words what comes out of the mouth will have some effect in the world that surrounds us as well as affect me.    Words can transform environments yet our society tells that the seat of power lies in the brain or our minds, I would suggest we realize that really it is in our mouths and what comes out is more powerful than any thought.    As I speak I groom my mind, it sets a course, along with this, what I say tells you where my thoughts are, “…out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks…” the bible says this is where real transformational power lies.  “…As a man thinks so he becomes…” is only true when first it’s in the heart in our inner person and then our mouth speaks it then we can begin to become it.   Our words can transform first our selves and the worlds we live in.   Words spoken over children, words spoken to loved ones; friends and enemies all have an effect that will produce.   Perhaps that’s why we are to forgive those who come against us not just as a thought but verbalizing our forgiveness as part of the process of transformation allowing the words sown to lodge in hearts and begin their transformation changing actions accordingly.   

In the same way words spoken to each other affect words uttered over nations and people groups also have within them a seed of change, of transformation, of molding their listeners.   Before I write any more I need to say I am not a monarchist yet our Queen has a unique impact in our nation and beyond, she does carry an authority and has a unique way of entering our homes every year on 25th December.  The clock turns each Christmas day to 3:00 PM and a long tradition across our nation begins to sit and listen to her words over the UK and beyond.   This year was no different to any other yet the content this year seemed, from a faith in Christ perspective, a different ring.   I have copied her 5 min speech, which of course can be down loaded on any computer to watch, but here is the text and her presentation of a faith in Christ over our world.   Thank you for your words may they impact 2012 and beyond in finding “…It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord….”.    Thank you Ma;am’.

Here is the text in full of the Queen’s 2011 Christmas message, which was recorded on 9 December – before her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was treated in hospital for a blocked coronary artery.

“In this past year my family and I have been inspired by the courage and hope we have seen in so many ways in Britain, in the Commonwealth and around the world.

We’ve seen that it’s in hardship that we often find strength from our families; it’s in adversity that new friendships are sometimes formed; and it’s in a crisis that communities break down barriers and bind together to help one another.

Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit.

When Prince Philip and I visited Australia this year, we saw for ourselves the effects of natural disaster in some of the areas devastated by floods, where in January so many people lost their lives and their livelihoods.

We were moved by the way families and local communities held together to support each other.

Prince William travelled to New Zealand and Australia in the aftermath of earthquakes, cyclones and floods and saw how communities rose up to rescue the injured, comfort the bereaved and rebuild the cities and towns devastated by nature.

The Prince of Wales also saw first-hand the remarkable resilience of the human spirit after tragedy struck in a Welsh mining community, and how communities can work together to support their neighbours.

This past year has also seen some memorable and historic visits – to Ireland and from America.

The spirit of friendship so evident in both these nations can fill us all with hope. Relationships that years ago were once so strained have through sorrow and forgiveness blossomed into long-term friendship.

It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.

Of course, family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organisation or nation. The Commonwealth is a family of 53 nations, all with a common bond, shared beliefs, mutual values and goals.

It is this which makes the Commonwealth a family of people in the truest sense, at ease with each other, enjoying its shared history and ready and willing to support its members in the direst of circumstances.

They have always looked to the future, with a sense of camaraderie, warmth and mutual respect while still maintaining their individualism.

The importance of family has, of course, come home to Prince Philip and me personally this year with the marriages of two of our grandchildren, each in their own way a celebration of the God-given love that binds a family together.

For many, this Christmas will not be easy. With our armed forces deployed around the world, thousands of service families face Christmas without their loved ones at home.

The bereaved and the lonely will find it especially hard. And, as we all know, the world is going through difficult times. All this will affect our celebration of this great Christian festival.

Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

‘For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’

Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed.

God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love.

In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us we pray.

Cast out our sin

And enter in.

Be born in us today.

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.”

The Condition

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“Let there be light” is a part of the opening declaration of our Heavenly father, giving us some understanding of who, He is.    As we begin with this statement there is so much to draw from it.   While travelling to Sri Lanka, a number of the ministries we work and labour with on that beautiful Island, call me the “Genesis man” as they say I return back to Genesis especially chapter 1 so many times in my ministry.   My only defense is, if I require one that Genesis is the seed-bed of all Gods working, that within creation all the themes and workings of God are there in seed from.

I must admit I love Genesis 1 greatly, it sends a buzz through me, as I read and consider, it comes alive as I read the explosion of life and vegetation, I feel the exhilaration of the Father as he spoke and it happened.   “…Wham..bam..wow…bang…” feel the joy of the creation, the Holy Spirits’ joy, the manifestation of “…the Kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy…” so the creation is full of joy!   Recently I saw a different slant on the Hebrew word for OBEY which is actually is to “keep intact” I think that is magnificent.   It opens up a whole other facet of obedience, keeping in tact!   I must not get way laid into that avenue at present may be another time but to look at the declarations of God in the “Let there be’s” of Genesis 1 as being the father speaking and in order to “keep in tact” with the declaration, it was.   Genesis becomes a canvas of “keeping in tact” the word, the spoken word of God, and the obedience to a declared utterance from the Father.

Genesis opens up with God, nothing more nothing less than God, for there was a time when there was God, there was no sound, actually no expression of God.   Genesis 1 heralds the first expression of God to us for out of…?…?…?…?, I am lost for words, out of where?   You see we are challenged, with our vocabulary, to communicate accurately the actual fullness of truth.   We are tempted to say that God, out of nothing, created, but we cannot do that, as there was nothing seen but everything was in an unseen condition, in God himself.    God had not given expression to himself prior to that time.   Creation opens up the expression of his love, we say in John 3:16 “God so loved the world he sent his Son”, in other words the Christ is the expression of his love.    Into time came the first sound a “…let…” the first expression in a seen dimension and this expression was the word, the first sound was the word of God the Son!     That is why he is the center of the Fathers attraction; His goal to fill all things with is Christ.    It is said in Hebrews’ that God is happy to dwell in bodily form in the Christ, as he is the first expression of God.  The expression of the Father had so much of his essence that it exploded into being and created, and all change came about!    Everything is measured by Christ, in us and in all we do, he has become the “horizon” the very line of God for all things.  Not our business of church or our activity by how much of this first expression, the word, the Christ is found in all our endeavours and lives.

This same expression is towards us today, his Son the word of God is here, he has been given to us, and with Him, the same ability to change things, the same expressions of transformation, God has invested in the people of God today.   The scripture encourages us come boldly to God, and become the expression of God, speaking and expressing him, according to his will.

More than this, truly what I wanted to write about is what happened when “…let there be light…” was expressed!   Things changed, darkness became altered as light made its impact.  Unfortunately for us light has become an object, it is a bright orb in the sky – the sun; it’s a bulb hanging in the middle of a room, lamps along roadways, a hand-held torch or just a simple candle – light has become an object.   Let me first say here, that we are dealing with not just light, but the very essence of God himself, as I read and understand God has two essences, light and love, and both are given to us.   We are to love one another “that the world might know” and we are to become “the light on the hill” (Matt 5) we are to become the extension of the essence of God in our world as we Restore it and bring it back to gods original intent, along with all of creation and the cosmos.

The Light that is introduced to us here is not an object, interestingly, the sun and moon had not yet been created as the objects of light, but here light is the very nature of God coming forth and making the changes and advances.  Sun and moon came three days later in the creative order, creation returns to this light filled setting in Revelation 21, 22 when the light once again is not dependent on an object but on a presence.    So if the objects of light had not yet come, what are we dealing with here is “ a condition”, the condition, the being, the very nature, the very essence of God.     Let there be light was the introduction of a condition and the condition was God.

Ever since this time, every dawning has been a re-enactment a reminder that the condition of God has come into the world.   Have you noticed how better you feel following a sunny day, or how much in general people are happier having been in the sun.   Some people suffer with a condition of depression if they do not get enough sun.   it is a picture to us of a realty that the condition of God is  anew day, the let there be light of  dawn is a reminder that the condition of God has come to us.

Here is where the rubber meets the road, we have been given a gift of the love and light of God, we have become the sons of Light, people of the day, have we not, this light on the hill.   We have been invaded with the condition of God, not a conditioning but the very nature of God.    This condition that dwells in us is to dawn from us.   Our task and goal is to take the condition of light into the places of our world and let the condition come.   Practically how then, through our words, actions, love, character, etc.

The light is the condition of God that will fill all, this is the Christ of God, we are people of the light we are immersed, baptized into the condition of God until his light dwells in all.

Genesis 1 brings a condition into our vocabulary not just an object of light, dispelling the darkness is bringing the condition of the Father to our world, we are created to be creation, Genesis people dispersing the condition of God.   If light dwells in us the condition of God dwells in us, is this not his image and likeness in us?

How does that impact you?   I am a child of a condition, O, boy my self-esteem changes, I bear the condition of God in me and so do you, light bearer!