Generation 61

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

I don't know about you but there are times when I am more interested in history than I am in the future. I mean there are only so many times a mobile phone can get smaller and there must be a limit to the number of cup holders you can fit in your hover car. After a while the glorious technological future ahead becomes a little bit shiney and ever so slightly boring. But the past, the past is often colourful, exciting, gritty, real, inspiring and thought provoking. If we want to reach our destiny, we have to understand our legacy. History books can often teach us more than the latest trendy book on culture.

I have just finished reading a short book called "The story of slavery" which traces our brutal past regarding the slave trade throughout human history. From China to Egypt, all over the globe, we (especially the UK) have a diabolical record of mistreating other human beings for our own personal gain.

As I read about the great sacrifice of men like William Wilberforce in this country and Abraham Lincoln in the USA, I often wonder how other legitimate decent (even "Christian" ) men could stand by and let such awful stuff go on around them?

I marvel at Wilberforces determination and passion to bring down a cruel dynasty but I fail to understand why the tide was so strong before it turned. How could anyone allow men, women and children to be shackled, chained to one another, crammed in a boat and dragged across the world just so people can have an extra lump of sugar, a nice bar of chocolate and an extra pair of hands on the farm?

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edward Burke

Looking at history we see that "good" people were often insensitive to the injustice around them for different reasons. Maybe they choose not to look beyond the veil of their own "comfort culture" to see the world through the eyes of others. Maybe they chose to listen to the crowd and not the creator. Maybe they did not admit their own sense of pride, hatred, prejudice and selfishness. Maybe it was simply easier to do nothing. Either way, these are all big "history lessons" we could do with heeding right now in 2009.

There were two men having a conversation about God and one of them says to the other "If I could see God right now, I would ask him how could he sit back and do nothing when there is so much suffering and injustice going on in the world around him." The other friend listened and then said in return "Yeah thats a good point, but you know what, I am afraid that God would ask me the same question..."

I am desperate for the history books not to record that we were another generation of good people who allowed evil to prevail by doing nothing.

I pray that as the "body of christ" here on this earth we will begin to take up our responsibility and calling to stand up against the injustice we see... in the far off country... in the sweat shop... in the family home.... in the office staff room... on the playground.... in ourselves.

Isaiah 61 clearly says:

The Lord God has put his Spirit in me,
because the Lord has appointed me to tell the good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts are broken,
to tell the captives they are free,
and to tell the prisoners they are released.

I used to think that these verses were about bringing "spiritual freedom" to people by God's power. Now I am not so sure. So What do you think?

Praise Song For The Day

I was quite struck by the poem by Elizabeth Alexander spoken at the moving inauguration of President Obama.

It is about the normality of life that we experience daily. A normality that is interconnected with others and not shared cheaply. It is won for us by the hands of the past. It is built for us by forefathers and generations now gone that have left their legacy of greatness that we might be normal.

Somehow it reminds me of the cross... my daily freedom, my choice to speak out and my chance for hope - all born from the birth pains of anothers sacrifice and struggle. ENJOY....


PRAISE SONG FOR THE DAY

Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other’s
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.

All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.

We encounter each other in words, words
spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what’s on the other side.

I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

“When you keep it within the walls, it dies. When you take it out where Jesus intended it to be, it happens.” Bill Johnson

Have you had your Micah Moment yet?

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Ever since my son Micah was born there have been so many key moments in his life that will probably stay with me forever. The first time he smiled at me. When he first responded to the sound of my voice. And that feeling you get when he first grabs the finger on the end of your hand. I am loving having these Micah Moments every day.

When we read about the original Micah in the Bible, we find that he is a little less cute and cuddly than my baby boy of the same name. In fact he was a border line revolutionary. Yet like my 6 month old, he was born into a time of great injustice fuelled by merciless and prideful men.

The keynote speech of this small town messenger, found in Micah 6:8, is that God wants us to be a generation who a) act justly, b) love mercy and c) walk humbly with God.

Justice... To act justly is to work for right relationships and fairness for all, especially the most vulnerable. Micah calls us to consider justice as a major form of obedience to God.

Mercy... To love mercy is to walk alongside those who suffer, showing faithfulness, forgiveness, generosity and compassion. Mercy is at the core of Micah’s life and we are challenged to be the same.

Humility... To walk humbly with God is to be serious about pursuing ongoing spiritual growth and discipleship. It is about denying pride and arrogance whilst embracing trust (not my will be done) as a way of life. Micah compels us to consider our own humility in the light of God’s will.

These three intertwined values form a web by which we begin to catch out the injustice we see in the world and we find in ourselves. As we begin to look more into what it means to lead the life of a liberator, I pray you and I will see that true worship is more than singing the song of the hour but hearing the cries of the oppressed.

I am looking forward to a time when we all begin to have Micah Moments every day. When we will seek to bring a smile to the face of the broken hearted. When we will become a voice to the voiceless. And when we will lend a hand to those in need without always pointing the finger. As we look at the words of Micah afresh, may we become pregnant with a hope that cannot help but give birth to a new form of liberation for our world.

Happy with Mixed Reviews

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

Sweet sensations

If there is one thing I am probably addicted to in life it is Haribo Sweets. I mean I absolutely love it. Apart from my wife I am absolutely convinced that nothing better could ever come out of Yorkshire. Have you tried those little star mix hearts? Amazing. Even the Halloween mix feels naughty but nice! Truth is they are sometimes like a soft form of drugs for me. Some people sit smoking cannabis, I chew on white foam eggs...!

Can I be honest with you? Haribo is not the only thing I have struggled with as an issue. For a long time I think I was really challenged on the issue of approval addiction too.

What is approval addiction?

I am talking about wanting others to approve of who I am and what I do, and in the attention you get from others somehow finding a form of false comfort and security. It is the sweet taste of feeling like you have the hearts of people - and it is sometimes better than a sugar rush. It is built on a desire to hear, see and know that everyone around you is pleased and impressed with you. And the worse part is that it takes in little to no account of what my heavenly father thinks about my true worth.

Looking back at my history it has shown itself in different ways. Wanting to impress the crowd. Working to be seen by the boss or client as brilliant. Driven to design the best leaflet. Desperate to be prophecied over in a meeting by the big visiting speaker. I have asked myself things like Am I funny? Do they see me as "worthy and important". Do they like me? Why don't they appreciate me for who I am?

The answers to these questions helped me build a framework around myself - a shelter of sorts - but unfortunately when the big bad wolf of disapproval came along and huffed and puffed, it blew my house down.

This search for identity "in other peoples opinions" leads you down a rabbit warren of questioning your self worth. You try to find answers through others when they can only be found in yourself. More importantly, they can only be found in God.

Thankfully I have taken some huge steps to kick the habit.


The Cycle of Grace

I was reminded this week in an article I read about the negative cyle that people often end up going down when they focus on "what do people think". First we value achievement as this helps us form our identity. Our sense of significance is dependant upon what we achieve so we push on. This leads to drivenness which is an ongoing push to make ourselves more acceptable to others, ourselves and maybe even God. This leads to feelings of acceptance which are temporary and fragile forcing us to go around the cycle again like a hamster on a unending wheel.

There is of course an alternative cycle (perhaps a tandem?) rooted in new found grace. What if we were to start from a place of acceptance and approval by God? What if this acceptance leads us to dependance on God's resources of love? What if this gives us our identity and sense of significance and therefore leads to amazing fruitfulness? Now this sounds really sweet to me.

Mixed Reviews

This past week I picked up a newspaper article about a new band which was condemned as having "mixed reviews". In the world of pop this pretty much means you are rubbish but in the Kingdom of God I am not so sure. When I think about the kind of approval Jesus had from people closest to him, you could only conclude at the very least he got "mixed reviews." But Jesus never was concerned with what people thought - he never sought after the glory or stopped to check "how people received his preach". Why? Because above everything his identity was tied up with that of his father. The son was approved by the dad, and that was enough to beat the cheers or jeers of any crowd. I often wonder if you and I were meant to view life the same way?

The bottom line is Jesus wants us to see life through the eyes of a loved child and not a performing monkey.

Have you tied the Balloon?

A while back I did a talk at a young leaders conference. Whilst talking about the issue of approval I used the illustration of a balloon. When you blow into a balloon it is filled up, like being filled with the approving words of other. But what about when the negative words come via others or even from yourself? It is like the air rushes out and we become deflated and in need of another breath of fresh positive air. This happens over and over again. But as we dwell on who we are in Christ and allow the "cycle of grace" to take over, we find ourselves tying the balloon and soaring with purpose. I Know am approved. I know I am accepted. I know I am significant - in HIM.

How do I know I have changed?

Here are a few practical things I am noticing in myself since I tied my balloon... I say no to people more. I don't fish for compliments after I do something as much. I care more for others and seek to build them up and point them to a God who approves of them more than I ever could. I face conflict easier. More people don't like me or approve of me - I don't please everyone! I don't have to be right all the time. I do a lot more good stuff in secret - stuff others won't or don't need to know. I can relax more with people. I don't have to be centre stage but I am okay if that is the case - it doesn't make a difference either way. I can simply be myself (which incidently is still slightly funny, loud and in your face sometimes!)

Of course the biggest addiction I still have is that I can't stop thinking about gummy bears. Any thoughts on how to beat that one - please let me know? Perhaps I have let the love of God tie my balloon and even though I still feel the prick of insecurity and the thrashing of the wind, maybe, just maybe, I am beginning to let myself fly...

The FOUNDATIONS Of The FUTURE...

"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." James 1:22

When I was a Kid I used to dream about the what the future would be like and look ahead at those amazing days when we would as Prince (or squiggle) told us to "party like it's 1999".

It was a future where everyone wore shiny space suits, flew around on hover boards and had robots that did everything for them especially school work. It was a vision that was a combination of Back to The Future with a bit of Button Moon thrown in for good measure!

Naturally my predictions about the future were quite wrong and it seems that I am not the only one to look at the world today and try to judge what things will be like in the distant future. Even so called "experts" don't always get it right - check out these quotes...

The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty, a fad. Advisor to Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company, 1903.

There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. President of Digital Equipment Corp arguing against the PC in 1977.

Television won't last because people will soon get tired of staring at a wooden box every night. Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946.

We laugh at these and other crazy things that people say are supposed to happen (remember the millennium bug?) but when it comes to things we say about our own future and the predictions we make about where we are going, we fail to see how often we miss the mark. We say things without ever knowing how we are going to make them happen. We are quick to talk the talk without intending to walk the walk.

Sadly thousands of young people who set out with passion and positive motivation for the days ahead end up distracted, sidetracked or worse still fallen away all together. Why? Because like the people that thought horses would rule the world and wondered why people would ever want to sit googling at a box night after night, they failed to see the bigger picture. And they failed to be a part of painting it.

Our futuristic vision should not only be founded on what we want to be for God tomorrow but how we can build towards it today. Are too many Christians living in static religious fantasy rather than living according to the dynamic dream of God? Are we not called to be doers of the word and not just speakers of it?

As we begin to conclude our look at foundations, we are challenged to be those who are willing to see the big picture now in order to build a foundation for our futures. Why not take some time to review some of the foundational mindsets we have looked at over the last few posts and see how you can begin to outwork them in reality of your life NOW. I have one risky prediction and I am desperate for it stand the test of time. My prediction for the empowered generation is that we will be those who don’t just fleetingly aspire to be History Makers but we will begin to purposely shape our futures today. Let the history books say we were more than those who simply knew it in our heads, but those who were willing to do it with our lives.

Recommended for you...

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

For the last few years I have been inspired by the ideas of a little known magazine and movement called ADBUSTERS which is designed to make you think about the consumer culture you and I live in.

Adbusters Media Foundation is an anti consumerist organisation founded in 1989. They describe themselves as "a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age."

ADBUSTERS is not a faith based magazine nor do I always agree with it but I dare you to read it under the influence of Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Here are some of the things that ADBUSTERS promote:

BUY NOTHING DAY

"As the planet starts heating up, maybe it’s time to finally go cold turkey. Take the personal challenge by locking up your debit card, your credit cards, your money clip, and see what it feels like to opt out of consumer culture completely, even if only for 24 hours. Like the millions of people who have done this fast before you, you may be rewarded with a life-changing epiphany."

MENTAL DETOX WEEK

"The idea is simple: take your TV, your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP, and say goodbye to them all for seven days. Simple, but not at all easy. Like millions of others before you, you’ll be shocked at just how difficult - yet also how life-changing - a week spent unplugged can really be."

• Check out their spoof advertisements which look at some of the true effects of advertising here
• Sign up for their view on how information should flow in the modern media world here
• Check out their alternative anti-fashion trainers made from organic fair trade materials here

You can usually find a copy of the Adbusters Magazine in Borders. You can't read it without being challenged...

Our FOUNDATIONS are built on a new identity...

He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him... Ephesians 1:4

The crowd are silent in expectation as the presenter holds his thumb on the flap of the golden envelope, poised and ready for the big reveal. The background music grows ever tenser as the judges look helplessly towards their final acts, desperate to see them on the winners podium with sparkling confetti flying around their head. Then the drum roll quickens, the reminder of the phone lines long closed, and then there is deafening silence before these immortal words...

"And the winner of the X FACTOR 2008 is..... SILENCE........for a very long time................... more SILENCE....... and then..... ALLLLEEXXXANDRA!!!!" The crowd go wild. The crowd cry hallelujuah as another diva is born. The crowd go home.

I have often wondered what it must be like to stand before crowds of millions, knowing that you have been put through to the final round and basking in the knowledge that someone's vote made you special.

And then I think of what the Bible says about me. And maybe I know how it feels already? Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that you and I have been chosen by God? We have been picked out from the crowd by the ultimate judge.

Now when it comes to X Factor, everyone knows the difference between Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh. To be chosen by Simon you have to be the best, you have to be a unique talent, impressive, perfect in every way and packed with potential for success. You have to be good looking, a great singer and able to strut your stuff. To be chosen by Louis Walsh? You simply have to be Irish. He will always go for one of the clan anyday.

I am convinced that God is much more like Louis Walsh than Simon Cowell.

And you can quote me on that. Why? Because we are set apart as special (btw that is what "holy" actually means) not because we have some amazing talent but because we are part of the clan - God's own flesh and blood. It is not because we have gifts to offer but because Jesus is a gift himself that we make it through to bootcamp.

Perhaps our most important foundation is the wonderful knowledge that God lovingly picked us out and chose us to be his child. Sometimes I wonder if our prayers should be less like a "pick me" grovel to an impersonal judge and more like a grateful acceptance speech. Sometimes I wonder if I really understood how blameless I am in his eyes, whether I would stop trying to improve on my performance but simply begin to sing the victors song.

FOUNDATION CHECK: Have you taken time today to remember how God chose you before he even made the world? How does that make you feel? About yourself? About God? About your place in the world?

Our FOUNDATIONS are built on sacrifice...

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish...' Luke 14:28-31



"I've started so I'll finish". This was the catchphrase of the famous host of the old popular gameshow Mastermind. According to the words of Jesus this kind of talk is no laughing matter. It is apparently one of his favourite quotes.

At this time of year people get a big buzz from making New Years Resolutions and all sorts of plans for the future don't they? The top resolutions for the average person in 2009 include losing weight, getting organised, giving up smoking and spending more time with family. Whether or not they will look back on the year and see it as a success will largely depend on how long that gym membership lasts, how much will power they can muster up and how much they can stick to what they say they will do. At the end of the day, making resolutions in this season is often seen as a bright idea as opposed to a binding contract. But when it comes to laying the foundations of God in our life, Jesus challenges us not to make our "anytime resolutions" lightly.

No one likes being laughed at by anyone, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. But this is what may await us if we start and don't finish the greatest resolution we will ever make. We have to be willing to see it through to the end. And it may cost us dearly.

Have we "estimated the cost" to follow Jesus? Because today's "Page 1" foundation mindset asks us have we carefully considered the worth of the foundation we are about to lay? How much are we holding onto our cosy, comfortable lives and how much are we willing to let an inconvenient God take over? What about that friendship, that career dream or that reputation? What if it all has to go? Is it really worth the hassle? Is HE worth the hassle? These are questions not to be laughed at.

Jesus finishes his mastermind challenge in these verses by saying "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Tough words, but perhaps they contain a secret grain of hope. What if the things we give up were not worth as much as that which we will gain in return? What if the things we see as oh so important now, won't be oh so important in eternity, and by letting go of what we see in front of our face, we may catch a glimpse of what we will see in front of the throne.

Is that the kind of foundation we would be willing to lay... and one we could stick with till the end?

FOUNDATION CHECK: What things have you had to give up in order to follow Jesus? Is it worth it so far? Is there anything else you need to let go of in order to start building your life in a fresh way?

Recommended for you...

yp’s Guide to Knowing God

by Jonathan Brant

This is probably one of the best books on FOUNDATIONS I have seen for younger teens aged 12 - 16. I can definately recommend it as a good look at some of the practical basics we need to have as young/ new Christians. If you are a youth leader or young person, why not take a look and grab a few copies.

This review is taken from an online book stores website:

Chosen by the public as their choice for the UK Christian Book Awards in 2008, this colourful, glossy publication is written to appeal to young people and explain in language and format to which they will respond the answers to the many questions they ask about God , Church and Faith. Eye catching bold sentences and illustrations are accompanied by smaller text setting out explanations, challenging pre-conceptions and teaching aspects of life and belief along with the author's personal stories and thoughts. Bright and colourful in appearance, bright and fresh in its presentation - no wonder this title was chosen for an award.

You can order a copy here at under £5...

http://www.wesleyowen.com/WesleyOwenSite/product/9781853454073.htm

“Any area of our life that doesn’t contain a measure of hope is under the influence of a lie...” Bill Johnson

Our FOUNDATIONS are built with Eternity in mind...

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss... I Corinthians 3:11-15

Our friend Paul starts a pretty deep conversation aimed at those who wish to build God's Church. At the point we join him above he makes the statement as clear as he can that no one can build on anything other than Jesus. Sound familiar? Are not we supposed to build our own lives with Jesus as the centre? In the same blueprint for constructing the church we can also see the plans for our own lives being drawn up too.

This is where it gets scary. Not scary, as in the "Ryan and Sharpay" from High School Musical Scary (it's much worse) but potentially the "Same Difference" kind of scary. It's that bad. Why? Because we are informed that we must build with eternity in mind...

Eternity is a very very very very very long time. I mean eternity is a very very very very very very very very long time. It's like forever! So what do we know about "forever"? One thing we do know is that some of the things that seem so important, so vital and so special to us now, will suddenly seem pointless, useless and may even vanish in eternity. Some stuff will last, other stuff won't. Perhaps you could take some time out today to consider what those eternal things may be?

At the end of time, each one of us will have the "fire test" applied to the work we have done in our lives. It is not that we will get kicked out of heaven if we don't become a goody two shoes: our place in God's loving arms is forever secure in Jesus. But what we do with our time - the "works of our hands" - these will be judged and filtered by heaven, and only what is eternal will remain. Yes that is scary, but at the same time I am filled with hope and a little bit of excitement too. What if what I do in life could echo in eternity? What if the words of my mouth, the imaginations of my heart and the deeds of our day could make a lasting mark in heaven!

Today's "Page 1" mindset is a prayer about foundations. It is a prayer that above all that our lives will be filled with things that will last and not pass away. May our dreams be focussed on the eternal Jesus and his eternal word. May we find our days filled with rumours of hope and outbursts of thankfulness for our lives that are being used by God to shape the future of eternity.

We finish with the wise words of high school musical: Let us not be those that seek to "bop bop bop to the top" of this worlds system but let us be those that look to be "the start of something new" today!

FOUNDATION CHECK: Make two columns on a page and then begin to list some of the common things you think, do and say with your life now. In one column put the heading "Temporary" and the other column write "Eternal". As you write out the activities and attitudes of your life, why not take some time to prayerfully consider what you see will one day be found as "wood, hay and straw" and what will shine forever as "gold, silver and precious stones". How could this list shape what your thoughts, behaviour and actions for tomorrow might just become?

Our FOUNDATIONS are built on words put into action

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-27


The title of this passage in my Bible says "building on strong foundations". Most of us who have been Christians a while will remember the silly kids song about the wise man building his house upon the rock complete with actions and all (I bet you are singing it now in your head). I bet you know the song, but I also bet you used to read this wrongly like me. I always saw the wise man as a Christian and the foolish man as a Non Christian. This is slap bang wrong actually.

Looking afresh we see that the wise man is the one who not only hears Jesus's words but he puts them into practice. He is the one who builds his life on a solid foundation, not by what he knows, but by what he does in response. We have an active faith that only really makes sense when it is lived out through deliberate choices everyday. This is our Page 1 mindset - we hear the words of Jesus and then we do em!

Christians tend to spend a lot of time figuring out every single thing that they believe about every subject in the world. They try hard to get their knowledge of God correct in the hope that this will give us more faith and security. The reality is that Jesus said if you have even the tiniest bit of faith you can move mountains. As soon as we receive "mustard seed" faith by hearing the word of God, we are challenged by Jesus to move mountains. And you can't move a mountain without doing something!

Jesus's favourite song was "Don't Stop Moving" by S CLUB 7.

His words are designed to be put into action. You would never do a driving theory test and never start to drive. You would never but a wide screen telly and read the instructions but never turn it on. In the same way you can't listen to Jesus's words and say "that was nice" and then walk off and live like a man chilling in a house of sand. YOU GOTTA GET MOVING!

If you want to build a strong foundation, don't get tricked into the idea that hearing the words of Jesus is enough. You have to start living them out. Soon enough the wind will start to blow on both the wise and the foolish person, and then we will get to see which kind of person we are, not by how much we know of the Bible, but by the way our house stands up to the pressure of storm.

FOUNDATION CHECK: Do you know what the words of Jesus really are? How are you putting them into practice today?

A Response to the Foundations Series

My friend Faith's comments on my series on Foundations ring so true that I felt they deserved a whole post of their own.

"I am so challenged by this... so much of what the world has to offer is all about the 'rush', you would think the church would have it differently! The truth is, christians can be so focused on external things like miracles and moving in the spirit, that they by-pass the importance of building and caring for the foundations of what it truly means to follow jesus in their own lives. This can often lead to disappointment, as people constantly compare themselves to others around them, based on 'how many times did you pray in that meeting'. But really, if we recognise the importance of strengthening our foundations on the rock, Jesus, we will be completely secure in God, and gifts of the spirit will flow from that place."

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Our FOUNDATIONS are built on Jesus...

"Together, we are his (God's) house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself." Ephesians 2:20

Foundations are probably the most important part of any building. One of the first Bible Verses we find in the New Testament that talks about foundations refers to a different kind of building project that doesn't use bricks, but instead uses people - today we call this the church.

One of our "page 1" (where we start) mindsets we must have in place is the idea that when we become a Christian we are not alone anymore. We cannot exist independantly of one another. It doesn't matter who our family is, what our background is or how many people are in our little youth group on a Friday night. We are now more connected than Bill Gates. Any foundation we build must be laid in the context of community and never independence. It is never just about you and your own journey or how much you can be used by God personally. It is about seeing yourself and others as amazing living stones being built according to an awesome blueprint that includes people from all over the nations, who are joined as one. It is so much bigger than YOU. But it is not JUST about you being connected with other people.

Ephesians 2:20 tells us that we are part of God's House (the place where God hangs out - wow!) being formed and constructed on the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets. Prophets are the ones in our lives that take God's words and speak them into being for us at the right time in the right way. Apostles are the ones who are able to see the bigger picture, taking the words of the prophet and helping us outwork them into a life that counts for Jesus.

These supportive roles of people in our lives are foundationally important. Who is in our life that helps us hear from God for ourselves? Who is there to help us see the bigger picture and know where our journey is heading? But the most vital support of all comes from the one they describe as the cornerstone. the one the whole building is built on and without him the whole caboodle falls apart.

The foundation of your Christianity is Christ. You did not sign up for Churchianity.

When you signed up, you signed up to following a person. Not a programme, not a meeting, not a method, not a trendy youth group, but a person. If you want to build a strong foundation in your life, you must begin to build with Jesus. Without Jesus at the centre, we are not building God's House at all, we may simply be building a little shack, full of floating words, empty promises, self effort and good deeds. Maybe it is time to check our security is being built on the cornerstone and not just in the comfort of the house.

FOUNDATION CHECK: When was the last time you looked at the life and words of Jesus? Is it time to begin to rebuild your life with Jesus really at the centre?

Building Solid Foundations

A couple of weeks ago we managed to blag a free visit to Centre Parcs for the day from some of our lovely friends. Whilst we were there we were swimming in the massive subtropical dome and chilling with our friends. At one point my six year old daughter asked if she could go with me down the outdoor rapids which run fast, dipping and diving into little waterfalls all the way down the outside of the pool area. The problem was that she couldn't yet swim and had to wear an inflatable vest which those pesky life guards would be sure to pick up on and chuck us out. As I was trying to explain this all to my little girl, a random thought got stuck in my head: "We long for the excitement of the rapids, but we don't even know how to swim".

This phrase seems to sum up for me so many of the issues and challenges young people face today in church life. They are easily excited by adrenaline fuelled issues like healings, miracles and amazing signs of power but they are stumped by basic stuff like bible reading, prayer and the simplicity of knowing Jesus for real. They long for the excitement of the rapids, but they have not yet learned how to swim. In other words the foundations of their life are not in place.

A Foundation is that which holds any structure in place. It could be the roots of a tree, the concrete slabs at the bottom of a sky scraper or in symbolic terms the way in which we construct our lives. Our personal foundations are the ideas and behaviours that we build our life on and these are the basic building blocks by which we stand strong or fall flat on our faces.

Over the next few posts I am going to look at some of things that the Bible says should be our foundation for life. It may even surprise you when you really look at what it is like to start to build a life following Jesus. We will look at the "page 1" things that we need to get to grips with in order to be able to stand on the rock while the world keeps rolling...

The Never Ending Story Part 1

I always find it funny that as soon as the countdown at New Year is over we tend to quickly forget the Christmas festivities that felt so immediate and all consuming only days before. Memories of the turkey and trimmings will soon fade (sorry wifey) but for me this year I am struck by the potential for the common tradition of the carol service to stick in my memory a bit longer than usual.

After all every carol service is simply the retelling of a story. It tries to recapture a moment in distant history, a moment that certainly has changed our past and a moment that might just have an effect on our future. It is this "never ending story" – the NATIVITY - which we need to keep in mind well beyond the January sales.

A couple of years ago amidst the Christmas movie blockbusters at the cinema like the Lord of The Rings, King Kong and Harry Potter a small humble film was released called THE NATIVITY STORY. Here is what the advertisers said about the film:


“From humble beginnings, great things can come. The Nativity Story tells the extraordinary tale of two common people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, a difficult journey, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. The Nativity Story is the very human, very dramatic, and uniquely inspiring journey of faith”



There were no special effects, flashy images, catchy slogans or superstar celebrities in this film. Yet sometimes it is the simplest of stories that have the most impact. Maybe we need to take a fresh look at this simple story that may just be relevant to us all year round.

The story line is a classic that grabs our attention. It’s about Ordinary People who go an extraordinary Journey. It’s about Rumours of hope and the chance of a brighter future. In any good film or play it is the characters we can most identify with that help us connect with the bigger picture. I wonder if you or I could really relate to any of the players in the nativity story? In my next post we will see if any of them can become more than just plastic figures in a scene full of hay and donkeys.

The Never Ending Story Part 2

First there were the shepherds. These boys remind me of those hooded youths you sometimes see on the street corners of your local estate. They were just hanging around and chilling with each other. People thought they were stuck in a rut, settled for second best and had no real ambitions to go further in life. Then they entered the story. They found themselves chosen and included in a bigger plan. They were given a sense of purpose and felt significant – maybe for the first time.


Then there were the wise men. They always remind me of those wise guys from Dragons Den. Everyone thought they were at the top of their game – a real success. Perhaps these guru’s thought they had it all figured out and didn’t really need anything from anyone. Then they entered the story. They found something they could all agree was worth investing in. In fact they were willing to risk it all and give up what they thought was their own wisdom to find the stuff that you can’t get by human invention – faith, hope and love.

And let’s not forget Joseph. I am not sure if you have ever seen that tattooed guy out of Prison Break but I have always seen Joseph a little bit like Michael Schofield from that show. You see he was an innocent man who found himself in a situation he didn’t plan for, it wasn’t his fault and Joseph could easily have felt imprisoned by his circumstances. But then he entered the story. Joseph found that he could overcome the prison of his own mind and didn’t play his “get out of jail card” when he found out his fiancée was pregnant. He learned to trust that his way of escape would not be found in trying to run away from responsibility but instead to allow destiny to mark his life like the most beautiful of tattoos on his skin.

Finally we see Mary. You might not see it at first but I am pretty sure she was a lot like Leona Lewis. You see she was from a neighbourhood that was considered the wrong side of the tracks. She looked down upon herself because of her age and lack of experience. She would always shyly ask herself who am I? What do I have to offer the world? What makes me special? Then she entered the story. And she found herself picked out from the crowd, chosen from millions of hopefuls. She was put through to the next round, no matter how good she felt she could be. She was given the chance to let her talent shine. And it turned out it would shine so brightly it would light up the whole world.

So what do we learn from these people? Well, you or I may have never seen an angel. You may have never followed a star across a desert. You may have never stayed overnight in a stable. But I bet like me at times you have felt like you were stuck, going nowhere fast. I bet like me, you have looked at the world of success and wondered if there was anything more. I bet, like me at times you have felt judged, labelled and a little bit insignificant. And I bet you have wondered and dreamed, like me, if there is still a chance of hope, a chance to be somebody and a chance to feel like you’re being alive could mean something to the world.

You see, that is what this nativity story is all about. When you think about the characters in the story they say something about the director of the whole show. It says something about the kind of people this director thinks are true stars. People like you and me. What if this story has even the slightest chance of being a documentary and not just a fantasy? Then perhaps we could remember this tale and its characters well beyond the month of December and maybe, just maybe, we could begin to find ourselves becoming part of this never ending story too.