Empowered Generation

EPHESIANS 3 RELOADED

2010-04-08T14:54:00.001-07:00

This is real stuff you know. It is so real to me that I was willing to take prison for it, even take a bullet for it if I have to. It is my mission to make God’s mysteries known, plain and simple, accessible to everyone. In case you hadn’t figured it out yet – God has a plan! In the past it was hidden like a treasure in the deepest sea, but now it is now being shown to you, clear as crystal.

The plan is this: Everyone gets the chance to be one of God’s children. Everyone gets an equal share in the inheritance –the good stuff usually reserved for the posh or the privileged. If we were God’s body, then every part would be connected together, legs, arms and all, because we are connected to Jesus by the heart.

I tell you what, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, because I get to spread this good news everywhere! I absolutely love telling you about the endless possibilities that exist for you, now you have Jesus in your life. It feels like I have been let in on an awesome secret, and I can finally let it out!

God wants to show you off to the world, together with all his other children. Some people will call you “church”, others will simply call you “family”. But everyone will see how special God is, because of how special he has made you. Even the angels, demons and the things you can’t even see with your eyes, will not believe their eyes, when they see how loving and wise God has been with you.

So come on, don’t worry, step right up and come on in – God has a warm welcome for you, right now. You can be close to God anytime you want, that’s exactly why Jesus died for you!

Excuse me, but I am about to go nuts again. It just gets better and better. I can’t even stand up anymore when I really think about it. I simply have to fall to my knees and pray. But I don’t pray for myself, I always pray for you. I pray you will be super strong on the inside, when you realise how strong and powerful God is. I pray Jesus will feel completely at home in your life – with every room in your heart clean and ready to be occupied by God.

But most of all I pray you will get it into your head and your heart, just how loved you are. I pray you will understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Let yourself sink into that love, lose yourself completely in something that you will never fully understand, but will spend eternity enjoying and experiencing forever. Lots of people in this world want to be powerful, but I know you just want to be loved. And this love will help you see how much power that there truly is. It is a power, just waiting to be used for the good of everyone; by the person who has figured out that God thinks they are amazing.

I think it is time to take a moment again to say just how brilliant God is. He is amazing, and his power in our lives will take us in new directions, give us new ideas and help us succeed in new ways of living that we could never have asked for or even dared to dream about in and beyond our wildest imagination. God rocks!

EPHESIANS 2 RELOADED

2010-04-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Let’s think for a minute about the ways things used to be. In the past you were totally switched off to God and you were controlled by anything and everything around you. You always went with the crowd. You never went against the flow because you were so scared inside.If you are honest, you were pretty selfish and thought only about yourself. It didn’t matter about anyone else and because of your wrong thoughts, actions and choices you made a right mess of your life.

This mess should have meant that God would look at you and be mad. He should have been disappointed and you should have been ashamed. But it wasn’t like that at all. Even though you were broken inside, it was God’s amazing love that fixed you right up. We deserved the worse, but God has given us the best instead. It is as if we were dead and God has given us the kiss of life.But it doesn’t end there! God loved us just the way we are.

But he didn’t leave us that way.

He pulled us out of our mess, cleaned us up and his love made us feel so high that we could never ever stoop down low again. He did this because he wanted to show the whole world how kind he really was. The real point is this. God has done all this – not you. You didn’t earn this one bit, so you shouldn’t ever be prideful, but you can always be thankful. We simply need to be grateful that God has made us such a masterpiece. Your life is like a work of art, and all the good things you will do will help paint an amazing picture for the world to see how great our God really is.

Some people think they are better than others. Some people think that if they try harder God will love them more. But the truth is that we are all the same. We all messed up and we all need God’s love to bring us close to God. Do you really think you are good enough to do it on your own? No matter how good or how bad we try– it all comes back to God’s efforts, not ours. The wonder of it all is that it doesn’t matter if you are short, tall, fat, thin, black or white – all of us have a chance to know God as a Father. We can all be close to God.

If you have ever felt excluded, insignificant or insecure then now is the time to realise that you have been included in something amazing. You are not alone anymore. You are like a piece in a puzzle. You are like a brick in a house. And this is a house that God lives in, a house where you can experience true family life, and a place you can feel at home.

EPHESIANS 1 RELOADED

2010-04-08T14:10:00.001-07:00

My name is Paul and God thought it would be a good idea for me to write to everyone who calls themselves a Christian and remind them about how great it is to know that God loves us like a Father. In a world that sometimes feels so unsafe, this can help you and I to be at peace.

I don’t know if you realise this, but we have a Father in heaven who has given us so many good things, it is a bit like being given a blank cheque and told to write in any amount we need, any time we need it.

What kind of good things has God given us? Well, first of all he has created you and given you life. You are alive! God designed you and me from the very beginning of time, even before he sat down to decide what the world would be like. Before any trees, rivers or mountains, God thought about you. And he loved you then like he loves you now.

And God didn’t stop there. When God made you, he didn’t just want you to be his friend. He wanted you to be his Child. What would it be like to get a completely fresh start, to be able to start again, like the whole world was made new? This is the kind of forgiveness God offers us when we trust in what Jesus has done.

Because of what Jesus has done on the cross, God has made a way for you to be his special child, perfect in his eyes – totally forgiven and totally free. You are all his number one kid!

God’s generosity is something we don’t deserve at all, but he gives it to us anyway. It is God’s cleverness, not our own, which helps point us in the right direction. All you have to do is trust Him.

God has had a master plan right from the start and he really wants to share it with you. He doesn’t want his plan to be a mystery to you any longer. If you want to know what your life is all about, where you came from and where you are going, then concentrate on Jesus.

Everything you need to know about life can be found in him. Everything that happened in history and everything that will happen in the future will all focus on Jesus. Jesus will transform everything for the better.

There are good plans that God has for this world and there are good plans he has for you. You are not a mistake. You are not an accident. You are not some helpless, worthless, insignificant dot floating through life. You are chosen by God. You were chosen for a purpose. You were born to be part of something bigger than yourself.

When you prayed and asked God to come into your life, it was for so much more than just so you could get into heaven when you die and feel a bit happier while you live. God chose you as his child, so he could work with you to help you change your world for the better.

How do you know if you are a child of God? It is about not the way you look, or who your family are, or where you live or even how many good things you have done. The proof that you belong to him is when God gives you his Holy Spirit as a guide in life. The Holy Spirit is like a gift that will bring peace instead of fear and joy instead of sadness. All you have to do is ask for it.

The more I think about what God has done for you, the more excited I become. I have been praying for you loads and asking that God would help you know God better for yourself. I have been praying that you would realise the truth about what God has created you to be. I pray you will understand just how much power God has given you to be able to do everything that you need to do in life.

If you are worrying that God may not be powerful enough to change your situation, then remember that Jesus was actually dead, and God was strong enough to bring him back to life. And not only did Jesus come back to life, but he is no longer the underdog, he is the president of the universe. Now Jesus is in charge of everything and nothing can ever challenge his title as ruler of the world. So remember – this mighty strength that God has, can also make you strong too. His power is big and God doesn’t keep it to himself. My prayer is that you will begin to believe how great this power really is for your life today.

Everyone in the church can share in God’s power because Jesus really is in control of what is going on in the world, even if it doesn’t always seem that way. We simply need to trust God that everything is going to be ok.

The Welsh Revival Pt 5: A River Runs Through It

2009-11-29T04:33:00.000-08:00

This account comes from Lester Sumrall's book - Pioneers of Faith. Sumrall relates how he met Smith Wigglesworth during the dark days of World War II and gives the following account about a vision of Revival Wigglesworth was given by God:

"... Shutting his eyes again, he said, 'I see the greatest revival in the history of mankind coming to Planet earth, maybe as never before. And I see every form of disease healed. I see whole hospitals emptied with no one there. Even the doctors are running down the streets shouting.'

"He told me that there would be untold numbers of uncountable multitudes that would be saved. No man will say 'so many, so many,' because nobody will be able to count those who come to Jesus. No disease will be able to stand before God's people... 'It will be a worldwide situation, not local,' he said, 'a worldwide thrust of God's power and God's anointing upon mankind.'

"Then he opened his eyes and looked at me and said, 'I will not see it, but you shall see it. The Lord says that I must go on to my reward, but that you will see the mighty works that He will do upon the earth in the last days.'

"... The idea that I would get to see this revival was almost overwhelming. And in the last decade or so, I believe we have seen this revival begin to sweep the earth. We have seen amazing moves of God in Africa... Recently, I was in China and met with the underground church. I was told there are at least forty-five million Full Gospel Christians in China. I discovered a depth of prayer and integrity there that I have not felt anywhere else in the world... So I believe we are seeing Wigglesworth's prophecy begin to be fulfilled. We are seeing the first stages of it."

Or as my welsh friend so aptly put...

"No matter how bleak it looks, when the time is right, the tide HAS to come back in. It is inevitable..."

The Welsh Revival Pt 4: The Tide Is Turning

2009-11-29T03:50:00.000-08:00

"I see the greatest revival in the history of mankind coming to Planet earth, maybe as never before.." Smith Wigglesworth

The River Loughor sits just behind Loughor village and next to the Pits where Evan Roberts regularly worked as a child.

This area of the Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world (the first is in New Foundland). However when the tide is out, the picture of barreness is striking. The lack of water leaves vast areas of rocky, muddy desolation, with nothing but a few quiet streams trying desperately not to dry up in the bleakness.

As we looked out over this river, with revival and restoration on my mind, I was reminded of the desolation I see in my generation today. Millions of hurting, lost, broken people, desperate for an answer and escape from their dry lives. Thousands of children growing up in broken homes, with no hope of an answer. Myriads of teenagers left barren and empty due to alcohol, drugs and abuse. The list of problems is endless and the scale of the bleakness overwhelming. Nations oppressed by a Devil they no longer believe exists.

It was whilst looking at this bereft but beautiful coastal scene that our guide began to share a vision he had of the turning tide in Britain. He said something like this...

"This tidal range in Loughor is the second highest tidal range in the world. And so too was the Welsh Revival, part of the second highest wave of God to hit the nations in the 20th Century. But look again at the desolation you see around you.. Because the tide that is to come will be bigger and greater than the all the ones that have gone before. The tide will sweep away the barreness and restore life to the wasteland. For no matter how bleak it looks, when the time is right, the tide HAS to come back in. It is inevitable..."

The greatest challenge of the aspiring revivalist is choosing what we focus on. Do we look to the desolation or do we begin to wait expectantly for the river to flow afresh... Look at the small stream in the middle of the desert land... are you ready for it to burst out? Isaiah 35 puts it like this...

"Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert."

The Welsh Revival Pt 3: The End Of The Affair?

2009-11-29T03:19:00.001-08:00

This Visitor's Book from Moriah Chapel unexpectedly held one of the most exciting secrets of the Welsh Revival and perhaps the most enduring image of my personal visit to Loughor... You will soon see why.

The Revival storm that hit the hills and valleys of Wales in the dying months of 1904 soon became a hurricane that affected the world. Visitors from France, Turkey, the U.S, to name but a few came to visit and as they caught the flame they passed it on to new countries. Welsh communities throughout the world felt the effects and news of God’s powerful work soon had many other churches praying that God would visit then as well – the Khasia Hills in India being a perfect example of prayer answered. The public excitement of the local Revival had died down by 1906 - Evan Roberts went to Leicester to recuperate – the newspapers went back to politics and other things but for many, the honeymoon of these 2 years developed into a lasting and loving relationship with a risen Christ that continued a lifetime.

"When someone asked one elderly Revival convert some years ago as to whether the Revival stopped in 1906, she answered – it is still burning within my heart – it’s never been extinguished – it had burned for over 70 years..."

Herein lies the great secret of the Welsh Revival, which was revealed to me afresh as I scoured the pages of the latest jam packed Chapel Visitors Book. All over the pages were personal hand written prayers of hope and fire, written in almost every language ... from Chinese to Arabic, these words expressed an ongoing burning desire and passionate prayer of Christians, crying out for God to move afresh today.

What is the secret? It never stopped. It never stopped. IT NEVER STOPPED!!! Millions of hearts are still burning today because of what happened in 1904. Yes, the chapels of South Wales grew cold and the light of Roberts was forgotten across the valleys. But yes it will return again. Because across the nations... the light was just beginning to shine. From Khasia Hills to Beverley Hills, the ongoing fire of God's spirit has burnt brightly ever since.

The simple truth is that it was PENTECOST that gave us the Welsh Revival not Evan Roberts. It was PENTECOST that gave us Asuza Street in 1906, and PENTECOST that has sparked the seeds of the greatest revival the world has ever known brewing throughout the 20th Century. It began with Pentecost and it will end with Christ's return... And maybe, just maybe, you and I will be graciously allowed to see it in our lifetime. Maybe we can be part of the river. If we are willing to get ourselves wet. The Welsh Revival was a snapshot... the best is yet to come... and indeed, if you are willing to flick through the pages of an insignificant visitors book, in a cold empty chapel, at the edge of the valleys, you may just find it has already begun...

The Welsh Revival Pt 2: Beyond The Chapel...

2009-11-29T03:18:00.000-08:00

Real people were changed in so many ways during the Welsh Revival.

The waves of reviving power reached way beyond the walls of the chapel... There were hard to reach, tough nosed locals impacted by Jesus. Men from the pits who did not take lightly to religion, brought to tears and repentance by the surprising presence of God.

There was a landslide of "goodness" all across the valleys because of the prayer, worship and evangelism of those who were gripped by God. Colliers and tin-men of the working classes expressed their joy in so many ways – so many original prayers. The coal pits themselves became chapels of Grace.

The crime rate dropped, drunkards were reformed, and pubs reported losses in trade. Bad language disappeared and never returned to the lips of many – it was reported that the pit ponies failed to understand their born again colliers who seemed to speak the new language of Zion – without curse and blasphemy – even football and rugby became uninteresting in the light of new joy and direction received by the Converts.

"Families were made whole again as fathers, who were once more concerned with drinking and violence, returned to take their place at the family table."

Why not take a minute to think about what Revival would look like in your town, in your workplace and in your family. How will the hard to reach people in your land, be transformed forever? How can the darkest of places, become chapels of Grace?

What will the landslide of Goodness look like for you?

The Welsh Revival Pt 1: A Short History That Could Change Our Future

2009-11-29T02:46:00.000-08:00

THE FOLLOWING POSTS HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE HISTORY, IMPACT, LESSONS AND INSPIRATION FROM THE 1904 WELSH REVIVAL, INCLUDING A PERSONAL REFLECTION OF MY RECENT VISIT TO ITS BIRTHPLACE IN LOUGHOR, SOUTH WALES.

A BRIEF HISTORY...

(Thanks to 1904revival.com for the inspiration)

A century ago Wales experienced the last National Religious Revival, a revival that brought in an extra 100,000 new converts according to the estimates of the time, and a movement that quickly spread to the 4 corners of the World.

This was a move of God marked by the influence of ordinary men and women – especially young people. For example, a young girl from Cardigan called Florrie Evans, was in a youth meeting in February 1904, when she bravely declared publicly that she loved the Lord Jesus with all her heart. With these words the Spirit seemed to fall on the meeting and the fire quickly spread to other young people in the Cardiganshire area.

In September of the 1904, an Evangelist Seth Joshua, was addressing a Convention which included groups of young people just 5 miles north of Cardigan. Seth himself had been praying for years that God would raise up a young man from the pits to revive the churches – little did he know that on Thursday September 29th 1904 his prayer was to be answered in a life changing experience for one 26 year old student, Evan Roberts. Evan Roberts was born in 1878 in the small town of Loughor in Glamorgan, just 7 miles away from Swansea. Having left school at 11, he worked with his father at the colliery until he was in his early 20s – he then for a short time became a Blacksmith’s apprentice with his uncle.

For years Evan had been a faithful member of Moriah Calvinistic Methodist church at Loughor and during that time he had been praying for revival for over 11 years. Having been converted as a young teenager, he continued to pray regularly that God would visit again the nation in Revival Power. Determined to do his part, he felt compelled to go into the Calvinistic Methodist Ministry and on September 13th 1904 he became a pupil at a local Theological College.

It was only 2½ weeks after arriving that he found himself at a crossroads in his spiritual experience. An experience which would lead him back to the young people of his own church Moriah Loughor where he shared his experience and encouraged them to be open to God’s Spirit. Within two weeks the Welsh Revival was national news and before long, Evan Roberts and his brother Dan and his best friend Sidney were travelling the country conducting Revival Meetings and they were meetings with a difference. Meetings which broke the conventional and bi-passed the traditional – often the ministers just sat down unable to preach or even to understand what storm had arrived in their usually sedate temples.

This was a Revival with youth on fire – young men, yes and women. After the first stirrings amongst the young women of New Quay, young women continued to play a part in the Revival work – young Florrie went on a team to North Wales with her friend Maud – others used their voices as instruments of God’s message.

Yes a storm had hit the churches yet for so many it was a storm of love and power which completely transformed their lives...

And if we are willing to look back in history, this storm might just show us a vision of the future...

Making an Impact in the Workplace!

2009-11-14T00:43:00.000-08:00

In the past I have been struck how many young people I have met in the church (including myself) whose main aspiration was to ‘be someone’ in the traditional church set up. Of course, by ‘someone’ that usually meant the preacher up the front, the trendy worship leader or the ‘full time’ minister.

Nowadays however, I can see a shift is taking place across the Church, meaning we can no longer easily use phrases like ‘full time’ as if ministry is something for the exclusive and privileged chosen few. Maybe there is a generation arising that have transitioned their thinking from a Ministry or Work mentality to a Ministry in Work pattern or even dare we say it... the idea that Work IS Ministry.

The bottom line for Christians is this: At the beginning of time our work was seen as part of the curse. The power of the Cross means that our work can be seen as part of the redemptive solution.

Most of us believe this in principle, but we still find it hard to compare equally someone who sells widgets all day over the phone, with someone who is on stage healing the sick in front of thousands. However, both expressions of ministry can be valid contributions to God’s Kingdom, and the challenge for us all is to begin to see our whole lives (not just the so called spiritual parts) as integrally set apart and holy for God. As one writer puts it:

“Most of us are Christians and something else; i.e.: A Christian and a Doctor or a Christian and a Manager. We do not engage in our daily tasks integrally as Christians ... Well-meaning Christians are merely adding faith to their vocation rather than letting faith transform their vocation."

Can our faith transform our vocation? Whether you are a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker, I believe it can. Your 9 till 5 can be a place to serve and glorify the God who lives in us 24/7. Beyond any type of human activity, it is our heart attitude, our character and our contribution that makes the difference. It is who we are that makes an impact, whether getting on the stage, or getting on with a task list. True ministry is simply service to God no matter what shape it takes.

The worlds of work and ministry can fit together. For every elder, priest, prophet and apostle we find in the Bible, there was a shepherd, potter, carpenter, teacher or a physician. More importantly these two worlds often collide (whoever heard of the carpenter prophet? Can you imagine a tentmaker apostle?) Each character in the Bible was given a special purpose and part to play in God’s big unfolding story – just like you. Today, the walls are breaking down and the boundaries are being blurred. We are not defined by job titles; we are defined by our life in the spirit.

Jesus showed us how to live holistically, seeing everything as spiritual and walking in humble service whilst operating in mission focussed power. By the power of the Holy Spirit, why can’t we do the same?

24/7 ministers, like you and me, see their workplace as a place to serve others. When we serve with excellence, go the extra mile, and generously give of ourselves to customers and co-workers, we genuinely let our lights shine. Show me a gossip free person, who lives by their convictions, doesn’t moan or complain, forgives mistakes quickly, admits their own even quicker, and works hard in any circumstances and I will show you someone who stands out from the crowd, revealing Christ and his Kingdom to the world. Show me a Christian who stands steadfast, secure and free from fear, in the midst of job losses and credit crunches, and I will show you someone who is sounding a prophetic voice to the nations.

24/7 ministers like you and me, see their workplace as a place to reach out to others. Most jobs have regular contact with people – human beings - and because of this we can see ourselves as missionaries every day. The gospel can be displayed through our caring actions, our listening ear, and that big report that gets delivered on time. People need Jesus, and where you are, Jesus is there too.

Through our jobs, we have a unique opportunity to show creative expressions of what our God is like through our daily work tasks. Our God is like a composer, a potter, a gardener, a farmer, a shepherd, a builder and an architect. Is it worth taking a minute to prophetically envision ways could God be expressed through what you do as a job?

When we get a revelation of being a minister in the workplace, we will quickly find that not everyone will be pleased with us all the time. When people encounter the upside down kingdom of Jesus Christ they can sometimes paradoxically perceive our humility as arrogance or our love as judgement. If you want to make an impact in the workplace, we must heed Jesus’ words of “Woe to you when all men speak well of you”. Church Planter, Neil Cole, says that people are either like Moths or Cockroaches when it comes to our God-given light – they are either attracted to it or they scarper! If we are caught up with gaining approval from others then we won’t be able to make the most of every opportunity God gives us.

In the midst of disapproval, uncertainty, stress and difficulty, we can draw on the support of fellow Christians, soak in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and use the power of the Sabbath to help us persevere. As people see our righteousness, they hear a message as powerful as any preached word.

Whilst the world is saying Thank God it’s Friday and the church of the past said Thank God it’s Sunday, what a joy to be part of a rising generation that is able to Thank God it’s Monday too...

A Prayer of Blessing

2009-10-02T16:19:00.001-07:00

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

A Life of Worship Quote

2009-08-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

"A life of worship does not occur when we are told how to feel about God but instead naturally occurs when we begin to comprehend who God is."

Praying to Dad!

2009-08-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Becoming CREDEMPTIVE...

2009-08-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

This extract from an article about redeeming culture makes very interesting food for thought...

Instead of simply condemning, critiquing, consuming, and copying culture, the way forward is to create a good alternative. Otherwise, we are simply left at square one, with very little Christian progress in various cultures. So, instead of bemoaning bad movies, make better ones. Instead of copying contemporary music and inserting Christian lyrics, create new music and contribute to cultural change through innovation and creativity. Draw attention to your Creator through superior or innovative cultural action.

I suggest that we engage culture redemptively and creatively (“credemptively”?). Instead of choosing between the two, what would it look like for you to bring a redemptive worldview into your workplace, where you bring a gospel perspective upon a problem or person, while also working well to generate new solutions and answers? When you gain success, redemptive engagement calls you to make much of God, not of yourself. Instead of bemoaning the failing copier, you take the time to fix it and then use it to make copies of your new ideas to better your company! Instead of bragging that you fixed the seemingly unfixable copier, you remain humble and rejoice in the fact that it is working! Instead of just making new innovative music, make music that gives proceeds to relieve poverty and rest in Christ for your significance, not in your notoriety. Be credemptive!

Visit the full article here...

http://www.theresurgence.com/series/Redefining_Culture_and_Engagement

2009-06-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

"Do you know what an idol is? An idol is anything you have to check with before you say YES to God" Kris Vallotton

No Matter What Is Going On For You.....

2009-06-20T15:06:00.001-07:00

Mark 5:25-29 (The Message)

"A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years, a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. "

Watch this here... Nicole C. Mullen One Touch [Press]

Shared via AddThis

THE LIFE OF THE LEGACY LEAVER

2009-05-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

When I was at school we all had the opportunity to receive "misplaced" careers advice from a so called "qualified" professional who spent her days keying random bits of info into a computer and calculating a useless list of careers that we would all be most suited to. I kid you not that my biggest job choices came out as hairdresser and flower arranger. This vital conclusion was reached after asking me a series of inane questions such as "do you enjoy stacking things such as shelves?" and "what kind of meat would you not be willing to pack in a warehouse?" and so on...

Aside from the fact that I would make a terrible daffodil arranger, there are at least three jobs I am quite positive I would never be recommended to try out.

I mean can you imagine what it would be like? Being sleep deprived for days. Being woken up at 5am by the sound of a man in uniform shouting at you. Eating leftovers from the bin as a main meal and running aimlessly for miles without a clue where you are going. Before you ask, I am not talking about freshers week at uni as a student. I am thinking of what it must be like to be in the army.

In all honestly, being some hot shot SAS soldier is probably one of the things I am least suited in the world. I sort of share the army's motto to BE THE BEST, but my "best" doesn't stretch to doing 1000 press ups naked because I forgot to shine my shoes before my potato peeling shift.

Another career I would be certain to underperform at is that of the professional athlete (how to state the obvious I hear you say). One famous basketball coach once said "For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.” The reason I would be rubbish is that I am too caught up with doing the fun things in the moment. I sometimes think I would rather have a short term kitkat break than a long term gold medal plan.

Finally, The Farmer is one role that I am in awe of and think is something that has been wildly undervalued over the last few years in Britain. I don't think I could ever do it. I have great respect for anyone who can have the resiliance and commitment to ensure that everyone has enough food on their table often at the expense of having it on their own.

Whilst the roles of soldier, athlete and farmer freak me out in the natural, I open my Bible to 2 Timothy and find my good friend Paul encouraging young Timothy to consider and copy the mindsets of these examples.

Like a soldier we must obey the commands of Jesus and not get caught up with affairs that are "civilian" or in other words "temporary not eternal" and not worth getting sidetracked by. These are the things that can hinder our lasting legacy. These affairs seem to be different for each one of us, but the challenge is always about heeding the call to longterm obedience rather than the draw to short term pleasure. I wonder what these things look like for you? This picture of the soldier is a stark reminder that we need to toughen up and realise that our walk with God may sometimes simply be downright difficult and hard. Something I rarely hear preached on a Sunday.

The key to not being caught up in "civilian things" is to take on the attitude of the athlete who learns to keep one eye on the rulebook and the other eye on the prize. It is about a disciplined approach of setting your sights on the eternal prize without letting go of knowing the right steps to take along the way. It is a form of earthly self control with heavenly vision that each of us must consider to ensure we win our race.

The great principle that we reap what we sow is of course correct in farming terms as well as in the spirit. It is simple justice that a farmer should be the one to taste the best of their crops, even though nowadays they rarely seem to do so. Not so in Pauls times, the farmer knew the season, knew the seed and expected to reap. So too in my life, I am to prepare for the season I am in, sow the right seed and live with fresh expectation for my share in the harvest. This is the attitude of the legacy leaver.

Lord, may we all live with the perseverance of the soldier, the vision of the Athlete and the wisdom of the Farmer. After all, these are three jobs I could never do, but three attitudes I am challenged to live by. Anyway, I am off to arrange some flowers and attempt to cut my wifes hair...

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. 2 Timothy 2:3 - 7

How to leave a Legacy Part 4

2009-04-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

I am quite sure that if Paul the Apostle was alive today then it is perfectly obvious (!) he would have used the examples of Paul Scholes, The NoroVirus and Pylons to demonstrate to Timothy the power of passing things on.

According to popular opinion, Paul Scholes is supposedly the greatest midfielder in the Premier League at the moment. His ability to pass the ball is legendary. The reason he is so effective in the field is that Paul Scholes knows how to pass it on.

Affectionately known as the "winter vomiting bug", the infectious Norovirus caused Heston Blumenthal a nightmare recently when it decided to infect 40 of his guests at the £130 a head Fat Duck restaurant. This badboy spreads faster than Anchor butter straight from the fridge. It knows how to pass it on.

According to pylons.org there is a Pylon Appreciation Society for people who "appreciate" electricity pylons. Before you laugh, heed the warning of the clubs creator who says "It's funny how many people accuse me of being mad or geeky - and then they send me photos or ask for more information!" I will give their fans one thing - these pylons really know how to pass electricity on. (You know you wanna join!)

When Paul writes to Timothy with a deep desire for him to create a lasting legacy with his life, one of the clearest points he wants to get across is that he must learn to pass things on to others. It is not just about having a sense of history, we must have a spirit of destiny as well.

The picture of four runners in a relay team is a really good one here. Paul (1) has the baton first, he passes it on to Timothy (2), who must pass it on to others (3). These men (4) must in turn be equipped to pass it on in order for the race to be won. There are four generations and beyond that must be able grasp hold of the baton of truth. It is almost as if Paul does not consider success until eternal truth has been passed down the line.

This makes me want to think ahead. Way ahead. It makes me question what I am sowing into now and wonder if it will last into the future. I often wonder about the church, project, people group or plans I am involved in right now, and if am I building in the capicity for it to flourish in four generations time. It makes me soberly assess the work of my hands and ask if truth in my life really is being passed onto the next generation. If this is how I win the race, then I'd better start passing the baton.

How to leave a Legacy Part 3

2009-04-17T05:12:00.001-07:00

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:6

A couple of days ago I decided to burn a pile of personal bills in order to prevent some dodgy bin rustler from stealing my identity. I put the papers into a large metal bin and set them alight. The resulting fire burned steadily for a couple of hours and then after a twilight rainfall the smoke died down and seemed no more. The next morning I went to clear out the ashes and with a large spade I stirred up the burnt papers. Instantly grey smoke began to rise from within the centre of the barrel followed seconds later by a fresh flicker of fire from within. I couldn't believe it was still burning!

A fire which I thought was dead was suddenly fanned back into flame. This is an almost perfect illustration of the words of wisdom sent to Timothy. Paul reminds us to keep stirring up what is inside and never let it die.The first thing he says is to remember the spiritual heritage he has had passed onto him by his Grandmother and mother. But the "passing on" was never meant to end there. "I want you to fan into flame the gift that is in you" says Paul with a passionate sense of urgency. The torch must be passed on by you too.

Who is responsible for the flame within you? It is not your grandmothers job. It is not your parents responsibility. It is not within your cutting edge youth groups remit. There are those around us in life that may give us flammable material, and may even light a match, but you have to stoke your own fire. That's what keeps you burning.

Each of us has been given a unique gift that can only be unwrapped by our own hands. Maybe it is time you stopped thinking someone else had to do it for you, and started stirring it up yourself.

One of the biggest things that stops us from using the amazing spiritual and natural gifts God has given us is fear. As one famous quote by Marrianne Wilson puts it “ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." Most of us are not afraid of the dark, but we are scared that we might just be amazing.

As the quote goes on to say "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God." A spirit of timidity cannot survive the fanning of the flame. Why be left feeling as if we are useless and a failure when we have been given the gift of power? Why feel unlovely, unloved and unable to love others, when we have been given a gift of love? Why feel like things are out of control, and unable to control ourselves, when we have within us the gift of self control?

Fanning the flame means it is time to step out in that gift again. Fanning the flame means it is time to revive the dream in you that died. Fanning the flame means it is time to explore that place in yourself which you were scared to go, because there is love and power yet to be released.... "You are a child of God."

It is time to Acknowledge what God has given you: Take some time to think about what God has put inside of you that you have either allowed to die down or have not yet put to use.

It is time to Believe that what you have is both a) real and from heaven and b) sufficient for the job you have been given to do... is his grace is enough? Is his power enough?

It is time to Change your behaviour in accordance with what you believe you have been given. When you act as if you have been filled with power, love as if you have experienced the deepest of love, and live as if you have learnt the strictest of self discipline, then this flame will make a difference to the way you live.

Paul is writing his final words of hope to his spiritual son, in confidence that his own flame would not be extinguished with time. Timothy is left with a decision to make sure that the torch he has been given will shine in the darkness for generations to come. The fatherly advice of 2 Timothy shows us all that we begin to leave a legacy, when we begin to believe what is within.

How to leave a Legacy Part 2

2009-04-17T02:47:00.000-07:00

"I remember your true faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I know you now have that same faith." 2 Tim 1:5

If you want to leave a legacy, you have to remember your history.

One of the biggest embarrassments to young Christians is often their testimony. Everyone dreads that moment in the youth group or that opportunity at school where you get to tell your story about how you became a Christian. I mean there is always one isn’t there! There is always one girl who was lost in sex, drugs and rock n roll before she was radically transformed after literally hearing the voice of God on the toilet. Or there was always that one guy who used to murder Christians and throw them to lions before he fell off a horse and saw a vision of Jesus glowing like a nuclear lightbulb. You know the type...

When it is your chance to tell your story to the world, your eyes slowly scan the floor, you shuffle awkwardly and beneath muffled hands, you splutter the immortal words “My parents were Christians and I was raised in a Christian home.” It is possibly the least dramatic statement in the universe. I mean you never did drugs, you never even touched a cigarette and the hardest time you ever had at home was when your parents decided to not to go to Disney World one summer (for once).

Yet when we flashback to Pauls letter of legacy to his spiritual son Timothy, we find him highlighting, above everything else, that there is power in this kind of “undramatic” testimony, there is power in multigenerational faithfulness. Whether you hear the message from your horse or your Grandma, the point was always that the baton was passed on. Paul tells it like this: “Your Gran had it. Your mum had it. And now you got it. So don’t forget it.”

Being part of a family of faith is not something to be embarrassed about; it is something to be celebrated. For many young people, if it wasn’t for their parents, they would not have found Jesus. All of us pick up on the characteristics of our family whether we like it or not. And far better than inheriting your Dads big nose or your mum’s eyebrows, is the inheritance of salvation itself. Millions of teenagers are happy to sing out the fact that they want to be a History Maker yet they run from embracing their own history. I trust you feel the challenge to reassess how you may feel about a key part of God’s kingdom plan: your spiritual heritage.

But what if my history is not full of Christians who have invested in me over the years? What if I don’t have Christian Parents? What if my background was actually full of sex, drugs and rock n roll? The answer may be found in Hebrews 11. For in that chapter of the Bible you may, like Paul the Apostle, suddenly find yourself connected to a family tree which you never even knew was yours. You may discover long lost brothers like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You find that history really is HIS STORY. The story of Jesus at work throughout the ages, leaving his legacy and getting you ready to leave yours. Whatever your background: Welcome to the family...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Romans 12

May we never forget that we did not begin our race alone. The baton was passed to us and so we too, one day, must pass that baton on. Whatever position we end up on the podium, we will only ever get there because we were standing on the shoulders of giants...

How to leave a Legacy Part 1

2009-04-17T02:35:00.001-07:00

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished my race...”

These are the famous last words of a man who was chained up, hungry and alone a damp prison cell, yet was not uttering them with a sense of failure or misery, but with the smell of victory. Paul had reached the end of a monumental journey in a life that was radically transformed the day he fell off his horse and met with Jesus.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about the spirit behind these words were that Paul knew it wasn’t over. The dream didn’t end with him. Although he was chained up, his message wasn’t. It was already spreading like wild fire across Ephesus, Corinth, the world. The bell had sounded at the end of his knockout fight, but the battle was destined to continue. A Baton was being passed onto to churches and cities across the nations, but more importantly to individuals. These individuals would take the baton and run harder than ever before for a God that they never even met in the flesh. They may not have fallen off a horse, but they had fallen in love.

Paul had learnt to “consider as rubbish” many of the things that people thought would help you leave a legacy. Paul had no time for monuments, birthrights or titles but instead he chose to invest into spiritual sons. This was the secret to making sure that his race could be so much more than a 100m sprint, it could become a marathon.

In the book of 2 Timothy we find Paul coaching one of his sons as a veteran pacemaker. Paul was at the end of his journey and Timothy was only just beginning his. And so a letter was written by a dying hero to his sidekick and as a consequence, the race marked out for the few, could become the race marked out for the many. The marathon continues...

The question of 2 Timothy is this: If you had one chance to pass on what you knew to someone else, what would you say to ensure that the fight continued into the next round?

Over the next few posts we will explore this question together.

Quote of The Week

2009-03-31T15:30:00.001-07:00

"Fear is the dark room in which all our negatives are developed" Ian Jones

LOOKING IN THE LIONS DEN

2009-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

What do Lions, Fires, Prisons and Broken Dreams have in common?

These were just some of the challenges Daniel faced from the day he was captured and thrust into a completely new environment with the Babylonians. But lions and fires and bears (hoorah) weren't all he had to deal with. More dangerous than hungry cats in a pit, this amazing teenager Daniel managed to face and overcome four of the biggest challenges you or I are ever likely to face:

THe CHALLENGE of CHANGE: How do you deal with the transitions in your life?
The CHALLENGE of CULTURE: How do you respond to the world you live in?
The CHALLENGE of COMPROMISE: Where are you willing to take your stand and where are you willing to fall?
The CHALLENGE of CONFLICT: How do cope with the pressure of clashing agendas?

Four big challenges. Four big questions. At some point we will all face up to some of these tests that could leave us feeling hotter than one of Nebuchadnesser's firemen. Why not take some time to look into the lions mouth and see if you can hold your nerve as you consider which of these challenges you are facing right now? Read Daniel Chapter 1 and consider each of the above challenges in the context of his young life. As you identify them in Daniels life, see where they fit into your own.

The Importance of Roots

2009-03-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

"Roots are important..." And so ends the last line of a poem my kids wrote today which coincidentally was all about roots. And this line about the importance of roots, turns out to be truer than my six year old may realise.

On a recent walk around our local abbey I noticed several trees that had been uprooted in the wind and literally blown over during harsh weather. It is a pretty sad sight to see something that should have been part of the landscape for years to come, lying uprooted and lifeless on the ground. Why did it lose its chance at life? Because its roots were not deep enough. Perhaps they should have listened my child's poem!

The Bible has a habit of describing people like trees. Psalm 1, for example, tells us that the man who does not listen to the wrong voices but delights in God's word is like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing great fruit. Thats a great example of good roots equalling good fruits. Now In the words of my old drama lessons " I AM A TREEEEE" and therefore I need to consider my roots as well.

Let's look at two types of shrubbery for a minute and see what we can learn from the way their roots grow. The first example is the IVY. Ivy tends to spread all over the place; over walls, up trees, under fences and across buildings, spreading its roots outwards and upwards above the ground. The Oak Tree however spreads it roots differently. They are much less visible. The roots of the oak go deep into the soil and spread in an exact mirror representation of that which is on the surface - as above, so below.

Many people are IVY Christians. They plant roots in things they can see, things they can get hold of and spread themselves thinly in the attempt to gain security from that which is around them. The problem with IVY Christians is that they are planting external roots that rely on external structures to survive. Take them away and they wither and die.

I have also met a few OAK Christians in my time as well. These are the ones who plant their roots deep into something they can't see. Their life mirrors on the outside, what is secure and steadfast beneath the surface. The OAK Christian plants interior roots into internal soils. To them it is what is on the inside that matters. They find their security in an invisible God.

So How do I make sure that I don't end up like that lifeless hunk of wood, shaken and uprooted by the wind?

Ephesians 3:17 urges us to allow our roots to go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. God's love must be the biggest anchor point in our lives. If we don't cling onto love above everything else we can easily be uprooted. Colossians implores us to not only root ourselves in God's love, but in Christ himself.

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

If you want to know if your roots are in Christ then consider if you are two things: 1. Strong in truth and 2. Overflowing with thankfulness. These are just two little examples of mirrors that show us what is going on under the soil of our lives.

Having strong roots is not just flowerly talk (excuse the pun). "Roots are Important" and without them things could potentially get dangerous. In the parable of the sower and the seed we see the sad consequences of one who "has no root" lasting only a short time in the Kingdom. As soon as "harsh weather" comes in force, then those who have no roots in God's love and character end up blowing away.

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to people who hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Matthew 13:20-21

Many times I have heard people describe themselves as wanting to be a Radical Christian, without actually understanding what the word radical means. It literally means "getting to the root". Today, God is calling forth a radical generation who are willing to get to the root of issues in their lives and willing to put their roots deep into God's amazing and marvelous love.

Why not stop trying to be an Ivy Christian, frantically spreading yourself out, trying to place your security in something you can get hold of yourself. Simply dig your roots down deep into the safety of knowing God loves you for who you are. Be like the oak weathering the storms, safe in the knowledge that when the season changes, you may just have produced an acorn of hope, ready to be planted, for generations to come. Wouldn't that be the most radical thing you and I could do?

Every journey begins with a Question Mark?

2009-03-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

"Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have" 1 Peter 3:15

Sometimes the questions are more important than the answers...

Today I had the privilege of spending time with some young people who were given the opportunity to ask any question about faith that was on their mind to myself and a fellow youth worker. The questions were both interesting, random and profound. Here are a few examples of what was asked in quick fire mode!

Why are you a Christian?
Why do you believe in God?
Do you believe in the devil and ghosts and all that?
Why did God make humans?
How do we know that God loves us?
Why did God make man eating beasts? (Closely followed by Why did God make woman eating beasts?)
Do you believe in hell?
Do aliens exist, is God sexist and what day was Jesus born? (all one question!)
How has being a Christian affected your life style?
Is there like another Jesus dying for our sins somewhere right now?
Why is the Devil a fallen angel?
If you were God and you could change one thing what would it be?

Each answer had to be given in around 30 seconds to one minute max and had to be said in a way that young people with no religious background would understand. At least one of the questions I answered "I Don't know" which can sometimes have as much power in it as an answer in itself. It shows you are vulnerable, it shows you don't have all the answers and it shows you are on a journey. The most important thing we can learn about helping people get to know God is that everyone is on a journey - even you. Everyone moves forward by the power of the questioning mind. Many times I deal with young people who are defiantly against God one minute and completely change their hearts towards him the next. Why? Because some of the simplist or deepest of questions can unlock new directions and destinies in people.

Brian McLaren once said "Discipleship is not about getting conversions. It is about starting conversations." Good questions are the ultimate conversation starters. Good questions are like signposts that point us in the right direction.

There are times when you have to read between the lines and ask yourself what they are really asking... This is perhaps one of the greatest spiritual keys to discipleship you could ever learn.

So let me leave you with two very simple questions: Who is asking you questions right now and how are you answering? What questions are you asking right now and how are you finding the answers? These two important questions form the basis of what we call our "spiritual journeys" and they determine which direction we are headed.

CHALLENGE: Why not practice answering some of the questions the young people asked above by commenting on this post in as short and as simple way as possible. You can also guess which question I said I don't know to if you like!

Like a Fish out of Water

2009-03-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

"Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children. I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it." Luke 18:16-17

Don't panic, this is not your cue to get back in nappies, start drawing on the walls and go out and throw a wobbly in a supermarket. Not yet anyway. If you want to get in God's Kingdom you have got to stop growing up and start acting like a child.

The thing about Children is that they are completely and utterly dependent on their parents. They don't have any other option for their security. They listen to their instructions (well... most of the time) and they trust beyond doubt. Get the picture? Just like the hand of a son to a dad, so we must place our lives in the guidance of our father.

The other important thing about a child is that they need to know they are loved by the parents, it is in their nature. Youth speaker, Ron Luce describes four broken areas in our life we can find if we don't know we are loved. These are the same areas that psychologists say affect children who do not receive the correct loving nurture from a parent.

Just like a child, if you don’t know you are loved you will:

1. Fail to thrive... you won't grow and mature as you should

2. Be insecure... you will be try to someone you are not or you won't know who you are

3. Display attention seeking behaviour... you may be bold on the outside but scared inside

4. Try to earn approval... you will try to get love by being a success for yourself and others

I wonder if you can relate to any of these things for your own life?

Ron Luce says that the solution for God's children to thrive is to know the love of God for ourselves. He says "If you get close to God, you get close to love, you can't help it. GOD IS LOVE. We are like a fish out of water until we meet the guy who made love."

Fish flap around, gasping for air, trying all sorts of flips and flaps to solve their issues. But what they really need is to be deep in the water, just like we need to be deep in God's love. I pray that today you will stop gasping for approval, writhing for attention and reach out for God's Love. It is right there for you now. You are Completely accepted today. You are Completely empowered today. GOD LOVES YOU.

To become dependent on a Heavenly Father. To know we are loved by a Heavenly Father. Perhaps these are two most childish things we could ever do. And hey, while I am here, fetch me that crayon for the wall...

You can check out some more of Rons thoughts in this clip below (try to endure the american ad at the start!).

The World's Strongest Mullet

2009-02-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

"My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in." Ephesians 3:16

God wants you to be strong on the inside more than he wants you to appear strong on the outside. For over three decades the World’s Strongest Man has tested the limits of human strength, power, and endurance. The best strongmen on the planet take on the most demanding challenges like the Atlas Stones, the Fingal Fingers, and the Keg Toss. Yet even the mightiest brute force of one of the top competitors was no match for the Biblical powerhouse Samson.

Tonight I told the story of Samson's life ( found in Judges 13 - 16) to my three children as we sat in dim light on our king size bed, tucked up and enthralled at every twist and turn in his amazing life. I love that not all Biblical characters are heroes. I love that not all of our examples are perfect. For my children, it is such a great way to learn, by looking at others mistakes - and Samson made plenty!

Samson was a man of brute strength but not inner strength. Strong on the outside. Weak on the inside. His muscles were toned but his character was flabby. It reminded me of the prayer Paul prays for his people, one that focusses on them being filled with interior not just exterior power. In a media centred, image driven, consumer orientated world and in a media centred, image driven, consumer orientated church, we can so often miss the point that Samsons life makes to us. It is a point driven home by Paul's prayers and Jesus' teachings. The point is this: What you can't see is more important than what you can see.

There is a moment at the end of Samsons life where he is chained between two columns about to be executed by his enemies. No eyes. No strength. No hair. No escape. In the midst of this scene he reaches a point of repentance and he prays "Lord God, remember me. God, please give me strength one more time so I can pay these Philistines back for putting out my two eyes!"

Samson realised in huis dying moments that he was destined to be a brute force for God's Kingdom. Through his life he was given to God, but he had made some bad choices along the way including lying, deceitfulness and choosing terrible partners (sounds like an episode of Eastenders!) But get this:

ONLY WHEN HE COULDN'T SEE WITH HIS EYES DID SAMSON BEGIN TO SEE WITH HIS HEART.

It can be all too easy to rely on our natural strength, talent and ability at times. We want to seem strong to others. We want to test the limits of what "we" can do. We trust what we see. Why don't you close your eyes right now. Take away what you can see in the natural. See the world through the eyes of your heart. Take a moment to look into the spirit. Open the door of your heart and begin to find your inner strength in HIM today...

The Curse of Chesney Hawkes and The Call of God...

2009-02-22T02:11:00.000-08:00

If for some reason you have been on another planet and you don’t know who Chesney Hawkes is or if you fancy a little dance down memory lane then take a minute to visit him here

Out of approximately 50,000 single releases, The One and Only was the twentieth most successful release of the nineties. It was the very definition of a ONE HIT WONDER! Chesney is still performing today and a few friends of mine recently went to a Student gig where the crowd spent the whole time shouting “sing the one and only” and then “sing the one and only” and then “sing the one and only”. Poor bloke... Imagine the proud moment when your single becomes a big hit around the globe and then imagine the humiliation of a life spent having to sing that blasted song over and over again!

Now I am not blaming Chesney for this (not exclusively anyway) but I think that the spirit of his song seems to influence us when it comes to thinking about the Call of God on our lives. So often we think about “me and my ministry” without considering other people or seeing our destiny outworked in the context of community. To put it bluntly Gods plans are not just about you.

Jesus spoke loads about the Kingdom and only a few times about church (now that’s a blog in itself!) but one of the key church verses is here...

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

The word "church" here is translated from the Greek ekklesia, meaning "called-out" or "assembly." The "church in the wilderness" consisted of those called out of physical Egypt and slavery; the New Testament church are those called out of the spiritual slavery into new life.

Once again if you are wondering if you are ever going to be “Called by God” for great things then I am pleased to say it is already in your name and nature.

You are a “CALLED OUT ONE”. You are part of a community of people who have been called by God to extend the kingdom. It is God's ministry we are going for, not yours. There is in God’s mind only one super star and one hero and that is Jesus Christ. Amazingly, we are part of his body. The church is the super star not you or me. God is raising up a nameless, faceless empowered generation who will fulfil the purpose for which we were all Called out for. And you are part of the team.

You may become a legend but you will still be a Leg - End, you are still part of the body.

If you have a specific spiritual gift it is for the benefit of the body of Christ. If you have a unique destiny it is to be outworked in community. If you have a purpose then it is for the benefit of the world. If you want to dream, dream bigger. If you want to see the Kingdom truly come, begin to seek God for your entire generation, not just for yourself. Begin to reach out to those around you who are still locked into a mindset that believes they are not yet special. And begin to empower others to empower others to empower others in the called out community.

Am I the ONE AND ONLY? No my friend you are not. And the quicker we see the bigger picture, the faster we will see what we were called out from and called out to as his church.

Hollywood Toilet Attendants and The Call of God...

2009-02-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

I know that it is supposed to be one of the greatest places in the world but I actually think that Hollywood is potentially a really sad place. Every year thousands of young oscar hopefuls flock there to become the next Tom Cruise, but they always seem to end up bitter, frustrated and working in a bar on the edge of town along with all the other washed up actors, singers and musicians. Why else would you have so many good looking and amazingly talented toilet attendants in one city? Hollywood is a place full of people who missed their big break, people who didn’t get “the call” for the next big thing.

To be honest I think that some people see the church in the same way I see Tinsel Town (minus the attractive toilet attendants!)

Have you heard the Call of God yet? another young person asks me as they sit pondering what it is they are meant to do with their lives. THE CALL OF GOD is a much used phrase but sometimes it can leave you waiting for something to happen before you feel like you have made it. It can sometimes seem like you are amidst a whole generation who somehow missed the call to the next big thing.

The truth is that hearing the “Call of God” is much easier than we think. It is not necessarily a commissioning to a specific task that must be discovered, but rather a completely different way of life, that must be uncovered, in the context of friendship with God. In other words, our calling is not to do something but to be someone based on the knowledge that we are already called.

In fact, the Bible tells us we were CALLED BY GOD even before we became Christians and there are loads of scriptures which help give shape to the kind of calling we have already received. The NIV BIBLE tells us we are:

CALLED TO A LIFE WITH JESUS

• Called to belong to Jesus (Romans 1:5-6)
• Called into fellowship with Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:9)
• Called to become like Jesus (Romans 8:29)

CALLED TO A GODLY CHARACTER

• Called to live a worthy life (Ephesians 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:11)
• Called to be holy whilst connected in community (1 Corinthian 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:9)
• Called by God’s goodness after being given everything we need to serve God (2 Peter 1:5)
• Called to freedom (Galatians 5:13)
• Called to peace (Colossians 3:15)

CALLED TO A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE

• Called by heavenly, not human, standards (1 Corinthians 1:26)
• Called out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9)
• Called to win a heavenly prize (Philippians 3:14)

We are ALL called for great things, even YOU. If you are struggling to see why you are here, it is time to remember who you are here. We are each “God’s Workmanship” created to do the good works he has given each of us to do. There are no “has beens” “mismatches” or “misfits” in the Kingdom of God.

Heaven is not Hollywood.

Each of us has unique gifts, tasks, purposes and seasons we will discover along the journey of our life, but first and foremost we are CALLED to be with Jesus. Maybe we should stop worrying about what we are supposed to do with our lives and start enjoying him. Read this verse from Thessalonians:

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.
2 Thessalonians 1:11

The writer is implying that God’s power is ready to be outworked in any of our good plans and any of our faith filled acts right now. Why? Because of who God has ALREADY called you to be. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A EXTRAORDINARY SUPER STAR YOU JUST HAVE TO BE AN ORDINARY SERVANT! Sometimes I think that we are waiting for God, whilst in fact God may be waiting for us.

The time has come for us to stop waiting to hear the call and start living and acting as if we had heard it already... It might just be SHOW TIME!

Kung Fu Noodles and The Call of God...

2009-02-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have recently been asked the age old Christian question "What am I called to do". This question has reminded me again of the concept of "the call of God" which is a phrase people often associate with super Christians who have somehow stepped over into some super form of super service for God. "Have you heard the call of God yet?" they say as they float out of church into the spiritual sunset.

It is almost as if there are two levels of Christians - those who are simply born again and then those who are "called by God". Its a funny idea but it can affect our thinking in a couple of potentially damaging ways. Firstly it can leave us feeling inadequate and unfulfilled and secondly it can prevent us from "ministry" (which means service to God) because we have not "heard the call" we are waiting for. It can almost be like we are hanging around for a phone call from God ( I just called to say I love you?) before we get on with his business.

I think I used to believe three things about God's Call which I have begun to have my doubts about:

1. The Call of God is Elusive: It is something that must be sought for, discovered and found through long hard discipline and self sacrifice.

2. The Call of God is Exclusive: It is usually reserved for the few who have special tasks for special times in special places and normally involves the phrase "full time for the Lord".

3. The Call of God is Explosive: It is always highly impactive, highly visible and amazing fruitful at all times.

What about you? Do you think these are myths or do you think they could be true? Over the next few posts we are going to look at what it means to be "called by God" and whether or not it is something reserved for the few. In a way, the whole point of what I want to bring out for us, reminds me a little of the moral in the story of the film Kung Fu Panda.

I love that bit in Kung Fu Panda when Po is finally awarded the scroll and he sees that it is blank. He leaves the temple, convinced that he is not the mystical Dragon Warrior after all, and that he will never achieve greatness. Darn it - he missed the call!

Back home Po's noodle vending father made a fortune off if his special dish called, “Secret Ingredient Soup.” Believing that his son is finally ready to take over the family business, his father shares the secret ingredient with him.

“The secret is nothing.” Says the father. “To make something special, you just have to believe it is special.” The Panda opens the scroll again and realizes that he can see his own reflection in the golden paper. The moral of the story: “The secret ingredient is YOU.”

When Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs, he gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions (the Message):

"Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment."

In other words, you are the secret ingredient. Now that's just about all the "call of God" I need to motivate me to get on and minister... I don't have to be an elite Christian who has some unique purpose in life guranteed to make history forever. I simply have to be myself. .

2009-02-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

If you want to empower people you have to include them... Gareth Duffty

A NEW KIND OF LOVE...

2009-02-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

What is love? (Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me. No more...)

Now that really is an excellent question ( minus the weird song bit). This Saturday couples all over the country will be expressing their love for one another through a well planned and executed romantic experience or by a slightly panicked BP Garage visit.

Each year during Valentines in the UK, £22 million is spent on flowers including 7 million red roses, 12 million cards are sent and 30 million WUBMV texts are sent every single February 14th.

I recently asked a load of young people what they thought love was and the responses were both predictable and interesting at the same time. The two main ideas coming through were that love is both emotional and physical. It is emotional in the sense that is an intense feeling people have for each other and physical in that an assortment of sexual phrases were mentioned over and over again during the brief survey!

One of the challenges of seeing love as purely emotional or physical is that feelings and experiences change so often that without a sense of commitment they can leave LOVE itself as throwaway or upgradable as the latest gadget or gismo in our consumer culture. We tend to band around the word love as fairly throwaway sometimes don't we? I love my cup of tea. I love my football. I love movies. And I really love that iPhone.

But what if love could be seen as emotional, physical and spiritual as well? One of the best ways I like to see what "spiritual" love could look like is to explore the life of the original St Valentine. The most popular belief about St Valentine is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century. Emperor Claudius had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers. Valentine thought this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret. When Claudius found out, Valentine was sentenced to death and thrown in jail. There, he fell in love with the jailor's blind daughter. When he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed "From your Valentine".

What I like about this story is that we see a kind of spiritual love expressed by St Valentine that:

a) Thinks more about others than Self
b) Sees beyond the Sacrifice
c) Looks beneath the Surface

This new kind of love is what we see God wants us to express in 1 Corinthians 13. This Love never gives up. This Love cares more for others than for self. This Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. It is a Love that doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head and doesn't force itself on others. This spiritual love isn't always "me first."

I am reminded that God himself is Love.

And it is this new kind of "God love" I want to give others and the kind I need to receive right now. St Valentine gave his life because he refused to believe that in the midst of a time of war and turmoil the light of love could be extinguished forever. I am not sure if Valentine himself is real or is just a legend, but it reminds me a little bit of true story I know where the sacrifice of a hero meant that the blind prisoner could go free. And that story is one that is not celebrated with the giving of chocolates and flowers once a year, but it is marked by the giving of our lives everyday...

Desperate for a snow day!

2009-02-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

Whilst I love living in Coventry, I have to admit I am slightly disappointed at its inability to harbour any amount of dangerous snow. It seems to dissolve to an icy puddle every time it looks about to settle. Working in a school means that this week I have been like an excited teenager waking up each day to the vain hope that the Principal may just call a SNOW DAY!

The chance of a day off is always fun, but in reality isn't is a bit random to think that tiny flakes of frozen water can seem to bring the UK to a standstill.

The amount of chaos a bit of snow causes in our "health and safety" mad society is crazy. The whole country (except my bit of it) has virtually ground to a halt for fear of danger from Jack Frost. My Norwegian Friend told me today that her Dad once had to climb out of an upstairs window and shovel 6 foot of snow out of the way just so they could get out their own front door. And she still had to go to school! Apparently in Minnesota, some people's brains actually freeze it is so cold. And we moan about our driveway being slightly slippy.

Despite the silliness, I can still see the appeal to a young person who gets to miss school for that beloved snow day. It is like an unexpected holiday. A break from the routine. A little injection of "freedom" into our week.

My favourite verse in Micah talks about three things we can do to break the daily routine and inject freedom into our lives and others, without the need for faking weather reports to our mum and dad. It tells me quite simple to look out for others, to love being merciful and to walk humbly with God. These values can make everyday seem less than routine.

What could your Micah Moment look like today? Perhaps you could take some time to deliberately seek out justice for someone you know? Could you bring a fresh feeling of freedom to others? Why not throw a snowball of kindness to someone and take them by surprise? What if you could be the one person who walks humbly through the day by not moaning about having to be at school or work when others get to stay in bed?

Forget snow days. Go for some more Micah Moments instead.

You never know, your life might just start an avalanche of hope...

The Lord has told you, human, what is good; he has told you what he wants from you: to do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God. Micah 6:8

Generation 61

2009-01-29T14:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-01-20T13:23:00.001-08:00

“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?

2009-01-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-15T14:44:00.001-08:00

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...

2009-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

"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...

2009-01-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

“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...

2009-01-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-01-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

“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...

2009-01-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

“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

2009-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-01-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

"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

2009-01-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

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.

Lighting Up Our Lives

2008-12-31T14:51:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite definitions of the word worship is to show "excessive love" for something. People tend to show this kind of over the top devotion to stuff all the time whether it be an addiction to a hot new TV show, a longing for the latest pair of shoes or even a mad obsession with Star Trek. Christians show this "excessive love" for God when they don't just sing songs on a Sunday Morning but they make God's words the soundtrack to their whole life.

The following expression of "excessive love" can be read as a poem or sung to the tune of SNOW PATROL / LEONA LEWIS - RUN.

This is our prayer sung out for you
Let our thankful hearts now show
Through everything we say and do
Let your grace flow

Every time we look at you
We remember all you do
With our hearts removed from fear
Our dreams now clear

Light Up, Light Up
Your ways will be our choice
When all around us tries to still your voice
Still your love will guide us through

Louder, Louder
Your spirit speaks and cries
Calling us to come and take our stand
To give our lives and lift your name

Let an amazing kingdom come
Through your church for all to see
Let your awesome will be done
Be done in me

Sing out, Sing Out
All You who need his grace
All we have to do is to seek his face
And find the father’s arms of love

Reach up Reach Out
And Step into his power
Let his destiny now mark our hour
We can still redeem our day

Light Up, Light Up
And Let this world rejoice
Let this generation hear your voice
And know his love and mercy too