Last week we went to Devon and did Zoe’s favourite thing – looking at the sea.
8000 waves break on the shore every day.
One every eight seconds. Count them.
It’s a great picture of God’s grace, love and blessing.
Hang on eight seconds – here comes another wave.
Washing all the junk off the beach.
Can’t get to the beach today? Watch the video – this place looks like even better than Budleigh Salterton!
Thank God for waves of grace… ask Him to send another.
One’s coming right along now…
The facts of what the Bible calls the gospel are not just facts we can decide to take or leave as we like, like that Neptune was discovered in 1846. They are more than information, they call for transformation.
The gospel facts call for a response, they call for action! Someone might see the oak tree in my garden and tell me an Oak tree is of the Quercus genus – I have to say it wouldn’t matter to me too deeply. But when a person says “That tree’s falling on your house!” The facts get me up and running!
What have you done with the gospel truth? Sometimes people waste away their days, they have an interest in spiritual stuff maybe so they click around the internet like you’re doing. They’re kind of looking for answers, but what do you do when the Answer finds you? I wrote this blog post because I felt someone looking for answers is going to find the Answer through it.
The fact that Christianity teaches that Jesus died on a cross is still fairly well known in most places in Britain. But as we approach Easter – has this fact made a difference in your life?
You owe it to yourself to get this question answered:
Why should the cross, or the resurrection, or the ascension or second coming of Christ still be important all these years since they happened? Christians believe that because Jesus died and rose again, everything changes now. God has done so much for you so you coudl know there’s love in heaven with your name on it. But you have to do something too.
In 1830 a Red Indian called Crowfoot was born, excelled as a hunter & scout, andwent on to become Chief of the Blackfoot tribe.
In 1884 authorities from the Canadian Pacific railway sought his permission to take the Atlantic to Pacific railway through his territory. Crowfoot agreed after long negotiations, andas a result was awarded a lifetime rail pass (you can see it on this picture). He had a beautiful leather case made for the pass, and carried the pass around his neck everywhere he went. But he never got on the train.
The objective fact of his potential to get on board was there.
BUT his lack of appropriate response meant that for him the invitation may as well have been untrue, because he missed out on the benefits by refusing to act on them.
It’s like this – wearing a parachute never helped anyone. Knowing about parachutes never helped anyone. You have to pull the cord!
Don’t put it off. Say something like this to God, He is listening! “If this is true, that Jesus Christ really is your Son who died for me, so that my sins could be forgiven and I could know new and everlasting life, then I turn from those things to You, please show me how to follow you from now on.”
If you did this and meant it please get in touch and I’d love to send you a free book.
Be ready every day, throughout all your day to do good. We’re about to start our ’40 Days of Community’ and all the small groups in the church are going to do some really good things – together – in our community. Exciting times!
This was John Wesley’s rule of life, his motto.
Do whatever good you can whenever you can. Just after that in Titus 3 v14 it says that Jesus’ followers must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they do not live unproductive lives.
What have you spent today doing? God is saying “Don’t waste your life! Don’t squander your one and only life by missing the opportunities God gives you to do good!”
I just spent the afternoon with Ian Hamilton, Director of Compassion UK. What a great guy! Tireless, energetic, uncomplaining in his work for the poor. That organisation is doing so much good around the world, that will echo in eternity.
These days if God wants to touch and bring love into somebody’s life, He will do it through your life or mine. Mother Teresa used to say “We are the hands and feet of Jesus”.
That’s what God wants to get done through you.The goal isn’t just that we avoid doing bad, but that we become people who are devoted to doing good, who live lives so full of doing good, so filled up with the kindness of Christ, so filled with the love of the Holy Spirit flowing through us – that we would one day reach the highest levels of kindness. Because our pattern isn’t even Mother Teresa or Albert Schweitzer, our bar’s set higher… it’s to be like Jesus Christ.
It’s God’s dream, desire and destiny for you and for me to be people that do good in the world. So that people see that and through that see Him. Ephesians2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Why do good? – because it is your destiny, it is God’s plan.
Where do you do good? – wherever He puts you.
How do you do good? – however the Holy Spirit tells you.
When? – why wait?
Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him. Luke 8:18
Do you have an abundance mentality or a scarcity mind-set?
The way the world is reported right now it’s easy to dig into a bunker ; focus on what we don’t have and what’s the worst that could happen. In Jesus’ famous parable of the talents, the one talent guy came to the Master with his report, saying,
His problem was in what he THOUGHT he knew about God. But he had that all wrong. The one talent guy had a bad attitude. He felt his master was out to exploit. In order not to be cheated, he stifled his own potential.
Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Another translation says, ‘Do not rely on what you THINK you know).
Those who possess an abundance mentality can find contentment and options where others find competition and envy. People with a scarcity mind‐set resent the successes of others, even people who are on their own team (this happens a lot where it should happen least – between churches! Leadership guru Jim Collins once advised church leaders, ‘Your competition is NOT other churches, it’s anything else someone could be doing Sunday morning).
People with an abundance mentality know that a candle loses nothing from lighting another. When change happens – and it will till the day you die – do you look for what everyone gains or focus on what might be lost? There are forces in life that have been designed to limit us – to keep us where we are. But God’s desire for our lives is that we make constant progress. We were not designed to be contained or restricted. He wants us to be fruitful. He’s determined to bless the determined who persevere. This is evidenced in God’s first words to man in Genesis 1:28. It’s there in John 15:4, Jesus spoke about bearing much fruit.
Half full or half empty?
So today… check your mental dialogue. Do you see limitations or possibilities?
Do you see problems as insurmountable obstacles or creativity challenges? Do you see the mountain or the One who can move them? Do see that even if there’s less, that doesn’t mean there’s none. Do you see that there’s enough to go round, as long as you don’t try to hold on too tight.
PS – for a facinating link to how global microfinance genius Muhammed Yunus sees the global financial crisis creating opportunity to help the poor; see this link reporting on his recent speech at Davos.
So often in my life God has spoken to me through dreams (either my own, Zoe’s or other people’s). It’s very biblical – just check out the nativity story! He’s provided direction, affirmation, confirmation and revelation while I was fast asleep.
Just looking through some old notes I was reminded of this dream which has been foundational to much of my life and ministry ever since, I have spoken of it many times since. It came the night before we were due to start the very first week of what has become a major national conference ‘Detling.’ I had been worrying a little about how I’d get on as a speaker when we had various ‘big names’ booked to speak and I was feeling intimidated. Then God stepped into my dream…here are my notes from when I work up (the secret of getting revelation is to value what you get – rather than just forget it).
I was stationed on duty outside a great palace like Buckingham Palace, dressed like one of the soldiers in ceremonial dress with the Busby hat on – as an ex police officer I’ve done my fair share of standing still and ‘guarding!’
Suddenly I was aware that I had a new assignment. I was to escort the King across the road to a very important function he was attending in another part of the palace. The King appeared in a nearby doorway and I saw that he looked very old and majestic (like any good King would). The Ancient of Days.
He told me to take his hand, and then he actually leaned his weight on me as he came down some steps. I felt such an incredible sense of privilege as I was walking with him. Even though it seemed every TV camera in the world was aimed on him as he came to the great event, as we walked along holding hands it really was just the two of us.
The King warned me about the road and the dangers on it, and I thought the dangers would come as a result of being so near the world. But then a car came round the corner driven by a Christian I know, packed full with other Christians. As they pointed at me walking with the king they came close to actually knocking us both down- although I knew I was safe with the King (I was supposedly guarding him)!
As we got near the pavement on the other side of the road, the King took us off in the wrong direction, away from the ‘very important function’ and toward a garden. ‘But your majesty, we’re supposed to be going to the function,’ I said. He replied, ‘There’ll be time for that. Right now I want just you and I to walk in the garden hand in hand. I love this garden, and there are gardens I’ve placed all around the grounds so I can walk with you any time.’ I woke up.
Now of course as you’ve read this it’s been obvious to you who the King is hasn’t it? It was only when I woke up and i thought, “Wow – I was with the king of england” that it hit me that England doesn’t have a King at all!
It was a great dream that still stirs my heart all these years on as I recall vividly I had a huge sense of privilege that I had been so intimate with the King of kings and Lord of lords. It put earthly ‘stardom’ in its proper perspective and helped me get over my insecurity standing next to any other human being.
No matter what duty you’re stationed at today- the King wants to take a walk in the garden with you. He wants that more than he wants to do anything else. It’s the most important thing for him.
Kids saved from the eye of a hurricane
I’m finally in a position (phew! a little time) to start to roll out some of my thoughts and feelings following the recent visit with friends to the Compassion projects in Haiti. It was a week that felt like a month. I’m doing something of a stream of consciousness rather than a day by day recap.
The poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Home to 9 million people. 40% live in the cities, 80% below the poverty line. Read that again before it just washes over you, think of the implications for those fellow children of God. Mums and Dads who love their kids the same as I love mine.
54% of the people in Haiti live in what the UN describe as ‘Abject Poverty,’- less than $2 a day. There’s not even any credit to crunch there.
I think I have seen worse poverty on previous mission trip in India in the wake of the tsunami, but that’s because our hosts from Compassion were wise enough to shield us from the very worst places – slums where gangs rule with fear and machine guns. A UN peacekeeping force is now in charge of Haiti’s security, guns, sandbags and blue helmets galore in all urban areas. No planes are allowed to say overnight at the airport in Port Au Prince in case they’re hijacked.
Everywhere we travelled we had three armed guards. Overkill? No. One Compassion worker was kidnapped with his 8 year old daughter last year. They’d kill him to show they were serious and leave his wife to raise a ransom for the girl, so he made the decision to roll out of the moving car – leaving her with the captors, so he could raise the funds for her release. It worked, but the decision to leave her so haunted him that he had a breakdown and had to move out of the country.
How’s that for a father’s choice?
The photo above was taken as in Gonaives we filmed some short clips for You Tube (I’ll post the links when they’re up) to appeal for you to sponsor a child through Compassion. If you do already, you probably have no idea how important that is as I’ll detail in a future post. If you can’t wait to do it – click here, but please email me or comment so I know and can pray and thank God for your decision.
That day we’d travelled hours to this, the second largest city in Haiti, worst hit by the most recent hurricanes in September last year. 800,000 were affected across the country but 85% of this city was totally deluged by seven to eight metres of flooding. I heard at the time news reports of corpses from the morgue floating along next to fresh dead bodies so that the true number of fatalities was uncertain. It’s the kind of story I couldn’t get my head around at the time. But when you see the devastation still so apparent, and hear the stories of how the flood affected real people; how Compassion saved so many lives it’s heaven vs hell, again.
Ashley, a pastor at the church we visited who also works for Compassion, told how he’d received a call from his brother to warn him too late that the floods were coming. The family lived on the roof for three days and nights without food or water, watching neighbours floating past dead, until another deluge overwhelmed them. His wife couldn’t swim. Our interpreter began to cry as Ashley told of putting his five kids in an overturned fridge, with his wife who couldn’t swim hanging on too – they all floated along until they were, thankfully, rescued.
Another man in checked trousers stood up in the church (all Compassion’s work is done through the local church) to tell how grateful he was for us coming to visit him. He also had no time to prepare for the hurricane, living in a three room single storey tiny house. He was with his 13 year old daughter when the floods hit and had to survive a week without food. He only survived because Compassion relief had brought food and helped rehouse him after he lost everything. The house was swept away and he hung onto a tree branch with his wife.
Others danced and sang and gave us presents as they told how Compassion gave many people money for recapitalisation of businesses, or vouchers to repair 0r rebuild their houses. I thought it was just about child sponsorship, but they do so much more! They distributed seed, though the top soil has gone and the harvest looks to be very sparse this year. Hundreds had come to greet us, all had received food packages within 2 days. I felt a phony because they made us feel like VIPs. I was just there a day, Ashley had chosen to remain, though the hurricanes will probably be back next year.
Mister checked trousers had sat down, but we asked him, “How is your daughter now?”
“She’s dead.” It took him three days to find his other two girls. He’d come to say thanks, not for sympathy.
Such stories show how desperate this world can be for the poor. As a Pastor myself my heart moved, I couldn’t just sit there. The Holy Spirit was moving so strongly in this place of tears and pain and thanksgiving. I stood – but what to say?
“Some will say, ‘Where was God when the hurricane hit?’ They will shake a fist at heaven. Or we can open our hand to God. That’s the choice we make.”
I talked with them of God’s love, that he was present in every piece of help given through in Compassion’s work as so many of them had, praising through their grief. Many women wept as I prayed for those who had died and those were were left, and read from Psalm 46:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.I told them that God knew their names, and all their stories, and God knows the ones they loved and could see no more.
But later that day as we drove away and I reflected, and realised that our Father God knows even more than that. He knows the Father’s choice, because He let go of his only Son at the cross – to take hold of and save you and me.
Following a few links, I was intrigued to stumble across demon-slayer.org
These people (I don’t think you can find out who they are other than first names, but they have a great line in anonymous recommendations) will travel the world and use secret knowledge revealed to only 7 people to get rid of your demons, apparently.
How do you know you have demons? Well they list ‘creepy feelings,‘ or ‘feeling like someone is pressurising you to do certain acts‘ on their SYMPTOMS page. I got that off their site!
Every day now I pass a big billboard advertising the new ITV Demons programme where Philip Glenister (the guy who played Gene Hunt in Life on Mars) has some new – more other worldly opponents to take on. This stuff is on people’s minds in our culture.
Now don’t get me wrong…
1) We don’t battle against flesh and blood. When we see some of the evil in the world I don’t think many of us would think it too much of a stretch to believe the Bible’s warnings of a personal malevolent force at work, as well as a great and good God. My recent visit to Haiti confirmed that for me.
2) I think a lot of what we struggle through is because of spiritual attack. I’m grateful for the prayers of protection many pray for me and my family – we have over the years been on the receiving end of spiritual attack; it should be the norm if you’re being any kind of threat to the kingdom of darkness.
3) People often come to Christ with all kinds of oppression and torment in their backgrounds and often need prayer to walk in the full measure of freedom Christ has for them. In many parts of the world this spiritual reality is just a given, though we rationalistic westerners ignore it at our peril.
4) I have personally seen many people taken from depression and gloom to joy and freedom; destructive habits and overwhelming guilt has been defeated by simple prayer and declaration of who they are in Christ (often with Communion). I have also prayed in many homes and other places having been invited in by people in fear because of ‘ghostly goings on’ etc. There has never been any contest by the way – we have victory in Christ!
The answer is not to call in the New Age demon-slayer guys, who cobble together various religions and none to combat evil with own their goodness. By the way, they charge $15,000 for an exorcism, or $3000 to clear a room of bad smells etc., and replace it with ‘beautiful energy.’ That’s a lot of money for air freshener – and travel costs are on top. Or they’ll sell you a candle that keeps demons away for only $150 (plus shipping). They are very clear that ‘you are paying for their time and not any guaranteed results.’
Read Mark 5 and compare the Jesus method:When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. No contest!
Want to know a real secret? 1 John 4:4
No contest. The key to being free (and setting others free too) is to know Who you serve now – and who you are. To help that we’re about to start an evening course by Neil Anderson which I’ve found really fantastic. Here’s what it says about itself: The Freedom in Christ Discipleship Course is designed to help every Christian grasp the truth of who they are in Christ, resolve personal and spiritual conflicts through genuine repentance, and move on to maturity.
The course is free and we give free nibbles and coffee. By the way, results are guaranteed.
I was asked to speak at a funeral today of a lovely Christian lady. The first time I met her she only had one question to ask, (it’s what she first asked her husband when they met too i’m told) which many Mancunians would relate to; “United or City?”
From the latest City video: "10 Great throw-ins."
I had to disappoint her. She was a very strong and passionate City fan. I’m not much of a fan compared with many – but it’d have to be United.
Well at the service I retold a retelling (if you follow me) of the parable of the sower. It comes from Keith Tondeur’s cracking book, “Street Parables.” It went something like this -
The story is of a football club who got a new manager.
Some ‘fans’ immediately rejected the manager. they didn’t believe one person could make any difference anyway.
Others came along to the next match, but the squad didn’t do too well that day so they complained all the way home that they’d had to watch such a rubbish team.
Another group of supporters were the fairweather sort. When the cost of tickets seemed too high or they had to travel or make some kind of sacrifice, they soon packed in and hung up their scarves.
But there were some who became season ticket holders. They supported on good days and bad. Singing loudly and supporting strongly, through thick and thin.
They were greatly rewarded with excellent seats on the day when the team went to Wembley to play in the cup final – and won a great victory everyone would remember forever!
(He who has ears to hear – let him hear)
Good to know you’ve got a great seat there Mary.
The famous American TV interviewer Larry King was once asked whom he would most want to interview, if he could choose any one person in history. His answer was: Jesus Christ.
Then he was asked – What would you like to ask Jesus?
“I would like to ask Jesus if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.”
That’s why J John says, ‘The hinge of history, is on a stable door in Bethlehem.’ That’s how important this is!
Maybe you’re not sure yourself whether it ever happened, or why it really matters. But it’s vital to get that question answered. Because if it really happened, Larry King’s right – it’s the most important event in history, because it shows how different Jesus really was.
It tells us that GOD has come to earth! And here’s why this is absolutely critical to the Christian message – the conception of Jesus Christ in this manner, the virgin birth. Why is it so special? Well, it is unique in all the history of humanity – because He is!
This is the only time this has or ever will occur. This is critical to the gospel. This is critical to Christianity, because it tells us about the nature of Christ – that HE is both God and Man!
He had to be born of God to be Son of God.
He had to be born of a woman to be Son of Man!
He had to be born like us to identify with us.
And He had to be born as God to be able to save us from our sins.
So Mary who is human and God who is divine – are brought together – and the baby born in Bethlehem is born of God and of woman. He’s not just a good man. He is God and Man. Unique! He’s the God-Man!
And the nature of Jesus Christ as God and Man is at the very heart of the Christian faith. That’s why the Christian faith presents, as an historical claim, the fact that Jesus was born of a Virgin—a special Being who came in a special birth. If anyone denies the deity of Jesus Christ, that’s not a issue up for denate, because they’ve destroyed Christianity beyond recognition.
I’m afraid for many (including preachers, theologians and church leaders) the Virgin Birth is thought of and spoken of as a metaphor or symbol these days, a nice story to make some religious people feel more hopeful. But people are embarrassed about the idea of examining it as an historical claim that actually happened.
It’s a shame when those who are supposed to lead seem to have less faith than the average non Christian – last year one poll discovered that more than a third (34%) of Britons believe that the virgin birth really happened. Only 32 per cent said they believed that the statement “Jesus was born to a virgin called Mary” was fictional. 52 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that the birth of Jesus was significant and 72 per cent of people agreed that the birth of Jesus remained significant culturally.
Obviously from a human perspective, it’s not possible. Mary herself said to the angel, “How can this be – since I’m a virgin?” which shows that having questions is fine. But people don’t just want us sharing our questions, and they have enough doubts of their own! It’s time for us to stand up and declare the truth of the angel’s reply as he reminded her, “Nothing will be impossible – with God.”
That’s good enough for me. It was for her! If an all powerful GOD is in the equation, then all solutions are available.
This Christmas let’s emulate Mary’s faith, “Let it be to me, according to your word.’
Supersize me!
Our God is able to do more than all we can ask or even imagine. That’s what my Bible says. Surely if we believe it, we should be thinking bigger and believing bigger?
Ask something.
Now ask bigger!
Imagine something.
BIGGER!
We had a great prayer meeting here last night for our Christmas services. As part of it we’ll be doing two carol services in the Trafford Centre, the 4th largest shopping centre in the UK! We’ll be there a week on Sunday in ‘The Orient’ – their 1600 seat food court.
How cool is this?
The 21st will be the busiest shopping Sunday of the whole year and they expect there’ll be more than 7000 actually there on the day.
The fact is, that first Christmas Jesus came to a very busy place, where people were gathering and crammed in! We will do some events that are attracting people to come to us here at Ivy, but these two events are us taking the real message of what Christmas is all about to where people are – not where we’d want them to come.
The Trafford Centre staff and management could not have been more helpful to us, we’ll be having a great orchestra and choir, loads of good videos on the big screen and and area for people to be prayed with just off to the side of the stage about anything they want to. I’m looking forward to a fantastic day.
Isaiah 54
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.
4 “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
