Filed under Jesus …

Oct 23 2011
Bible, Christianity, Church, Faith, Finances, Holy Spirit, Jesus, wisdom

THE CALL TO GENEROSITY – Nick Duffy at Ivy MCR

Nick Duffy at Ivy Manchester

CALLED to be Generous 

2 Cor 9:7-15

You should each give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.

 8 And God is able to shower all kinds of blessings on you. In all things and at all times you will have everything you need. You will do more and more good works. 9 It is written,
“They have spread their gifts around to poor people.
Their good works continue forever.” —(Psalm 112:9)

 10 God supplies seed to the planter. He supplies bread for food. God will also supply and increase the amount of your seed. He will increase the results of your good works. 11 You will be made rich in every way. Then you can always give freely. We will take your many gifts to the people who need them. And they will give thanks to God.

 12 Your gifts meet the needs of God’s people. And that’s not all. Your gifts also cause many people to thank God.

 13 You have shown yourselves to be worthy by what you have given. So people will praise God because you obey him. That proves that you really believe the good news about Christ. They will also praise God because you share freely with them and with everyone else. 14 Their hearts will be filled with longing for you when they pray for you. God has given you grace that is better than anything.

 15 Let us give thanks to God for his gift. It is so great that no one can tell how wonderful it really is!

Paul’s challenging the Corinthians to help people who are in need, that they’ll not personally benefit from. To help the suffering church. The Macedonian church had already stepped up (and they were SKINT), so should they.

Generosity is a matter of the heart, not of the head.

The head looks at the economic situation, and says, ‘What if?’

A cheerful, trusting heart says, ‘Why not?’

God sees the reason of the heart.

Generosity is second nature

Have you had that new nature yet?

Not to let your left hand know what your right hand’s doing.

Giving makes you cheerful.

It comes from knowing where it all comes from. GOD is our generous provider. Seed and Bread. Enough for you and to share. (vs 7 & 8)

We think about what we’ve not got.

Rather than that we have so much!

Luke 12:48

Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. Even more will be asked of the person who is supposed to take care of much. what we have got.

God will give you everything you need.

Anything on top of that – is to be generous with.

We get dependent on our pay cheque, rather than him. Who do you look to?

When you go shopping, ask – ‘Do I really need this, or have I already got it – in a different colour.’

Step back from consumerism – and ask, pray – ‘Do I really need to spend this – on myself? Could this go elsewhere?’

We live in a world of poor extremes – there are more obese people in the world now than starving.

A man is not determined by what he earns, or what he owns.

When we surround ourselves by stuff, we don’t see the need or the people around us. God’s given us what we need, focus on the need around us.

What lasts forever?

Only people.

People are the most precious thing on this planet.

There won’t be an updated and improved version of you – God made you unique and precious as we are.

People are the only investment that lasts for eternity. Be generous with sharing your time, treasure, your words – your faith.

God is calling us into a deeper place of ministry with the poor and vulnerable at this church, in our city. So much is already being done. We’re going to be a CAP centre. 33% of those CAP are in contact with have considered suicide. We get to practically share the love of Jesus. That glorifies God! (vs 11). They see HIS heart, in your heart.

Generosity enables more people to be reached, touched, loved, connected to HIM.

Vs 13 says if you really get the gospel, you’ll get this.

Martin Luther, ‘The last place to be converted is our wallet.’ What you spend on, shows who or what you really worship.

Vs 15 celebrates the greatest gift – Jesus on the cross. It’s really true you can’t outgive THAT! God is outrageously generous.

Once you understand John 3:16, you see God is a giver not a taker. Grab hold of the gospel and it will grab you. Giving becomes second nature, because you have that new nature. Remind yourself of what God has done for us, for free, in Jesus. Give yourself first to him – and let him transform you. Let him add to you, a harvest of righteousness!

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Oct 13 2011
Bible, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, Jesus, leadership, wisdom

THE CHURCH BUILDING CYCLE. (ALC Network Day)@StephenMatthew_

 Stephen Matthew has become a friend whose wisdom I appreciate greatly, he has been very generous with his time and encouragement, mentoring me individually through numerous conversations over in Bradford and also coming across to meet with some of our leaders at Ivy recently as we prayed and planned into our future. He is a surveyor by background and combines theological acumen, practical skills and a pastoral heart through 25 years of ministry to be a man with a brain worth picking for anyone who wants to build a prevailing church. Here’s my notes on his talk at the ALC Network day this week: 

There are only two kinds of churches:

  1. The church everybody wants to build (It’s there in Acts 2, and the ideal church, it inspires us).
  2. The church God wants you to build.

If you try and copy the church ‘out there’ you’ll always fail.

God wants to speak to YOU about YOUR people and place. It’s always bespoke.

You work the process and start to build from scratch or reinvent what’s been built so far.

What comes next carries challenges. When people get involved. People present challenges! You hit the barriers, you get frustrated by money etc. How to sustain momentum?

One Pastor he knew, got a very excited small team around him and for two years planned to change everything. Expected eager embracing of the whole thing. It didn’t happen. Why? Well it had taken two years for him to get excited about it. It would take a while for the people to get there too!

Church building is not linear – it’s CYCLICAL.

You don’t do one bit then it’s done, then do the next bit. One thing leads to the next. There is nothing in the church building process that you change which stays the same. You have to keep spinning these plates. Every church has a building CYCLE. 8 things:

1. Communicate Clear Vision – Consistently

Tell them again and again and in various ways what kind of church you’re going to be. Through music, posters, message. Proverbs 29:18.

2. Change – in line with the Vision

This tests their trust in you. Will you DO IT?  If you’ve talked about it, you have to do some things about it. It shows you’re serious about it. Appoint new ministries etc. Start something.

3. Use the Power of a Good Report

Because some will love the change and some will hate it, and if you don’t take hold of it, the negative report will always win out. Use testimony and good report –  of lives being changed. Eventually the good will overwhelm the bad.

4. Model the Culture

People have to see it in me as the leader. I have to be devoted, if we’re going to ‘devote ourselves.’ If we’re going to reach the new culture I have to look like the church we’re going to build. ‘Set and example as a leader

5. Regularly call for the spirit of Agreement 

This usually looks like turning up. I agree – because I’m going to sign up for that and be there to help. What triggered Nehemiah to build? What he felt. He felt what God felt for the ruins of his city. We have to call people to feel it too, then pull together. Invite this agreement.

6. Call for SPECIFIC Involvement.

Because some people will lavish words of agreement on you – but it’s all words. They need eyeballing and saying, ‘We need you – HERE. Have you ever considered being involved here?’ You have to call for involvement. Get proactive in speaking to them, calling forth that involvement. Let them know how to get involved. They should increasingly feel involved, the model is that it’s all hands on deck – ‘So how do I get involved?’ Nehemiah ended up with shopkeepers and goldsmiths and priests building with him. But they all FELT IT and made the decision to build right where they are. Put a ministry fair on, with desks and stalls – and get the healthy competition going to get more people involved in something they will love that will benefit the Kingdom.

7. Celebrate their Contribution

We only survive because of our volunteer army. Honour and celebrate the volunteers. Hybels says this positive volunteer cameraderie  never happens by accident. How do you foster it? FEED them. Get them a drink. Volunteers get a sandwich. Have a volunteer party and thank and celebrate them. Depts put forward their ‘volunteer of the year.’ Usually someone hardly anyone has ever heard of.

8. Keep the Prize before their Eyes

Why are you doing this? Because it affects this... When they were building, Nehemiah had the trumpet blower at his side so if they were getting spread out they could be rallied together. Which gets you back to the top of the circle again.

When you don’t do any of this – things slow down.

What do you need to do more of in your church to keep the wheel turning?

Final observation – this needs to happen in every department of the church. For it to happen anywhere in the church it has to happen everywhere in the church. Every leader, every department. It’s not just about what comes from the platform on a Sunday.

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Oct 11 2011
Bible, Church, Faith, Family, Jesus, leadership, Prayer, Uncategorized

TALE OF TWO BROTHERS: Charlotte Gambill: @CharlGambill – ALC Network Day

GREAT TALK from a fantastic Network Day! All our team who attended were blown away.
Well worth looking over and praying through in your teams etc.

Psalm 133:
1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, 
running down on Aaron’s beard, 
down on the collar of his robe. 
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon 
were falling on Mount Zion. 
For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Have we accessed this blessing to its full extent?1

We can INSTIGATE this, bring it in ourselves. If… we can figure out how to be united.

And that’s not about standing up and all hold hands. That can be purely external. We need this REAL unity. In our teams, churches, cities. In our marriage and with our kids is where it starts.

Where has this gone wrong?
Go and look for brothers in the Bible that got along – there weren’t many!

Cain and Abel
Jacob and his brothers
David and his
Joseph and his

The enemy’s having a laugh at our expense! We are praying for a blessing and it starts here. Or not.
There are two brothers (this goes beyond male/female). Two big categories. The enemy finds it easy to separate these two and bring tensions.

Brother Reliable.
Brother Restless.

Reliable – you never have to remind them twice, they’ll take notes, and pass them on. Think it through, plan it through. We celebrate him (behind the scenes).

Restless – fidgeting, twittering, never quite there with you. A million ideas all at the same time.

We have both of these people and we have to understand how it works.
The parable of the prodigal son was not about the failure of ONE brother, but of two. And the Restless one comes back – which doesn’t often happen in the house of God cos we push them out.
And Reliable brother doesn’t like it.
If you let Reliable run the show, on his own he’ll become Resentful (why are we throwing a party for you, not me?).
If you let Restless go for it completely he’ll become Reckless.

i.e.., They will go to their EXTREMES.
The father’s saying ‘I’m Dad of BOTH! If you’d keep these two skill sets together, a blessing would fall.

Who do you preach to? Do you make one feel good at the expense of the other feeling bad?
He’s the father of both. He’s not excluding either.

Joseph and his brothers came from two very different vantage points.

Gen 37: 1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

REPORTS can replace RELATIONSHIP

The first indication of the difference. Reliable (Joseph) – sees something that the others don’t see. They’re having a laugh, not taking the work seriously, a way they could improve etc. Something that could be given a better system.
When Reliable people enter in and see that, but there’s no RELATIONSHIP, then he’s just filing a report. What we’ll have in teams is SNITCHES.

And notice that what Reliable sees is RIGHT, it’s something we DO need to change/tweak. But without relationship it’s putting brother against brother. And division creeps in – and it will go to whatever team/ network they’re in. And then we pray, ‘God bless us’ but he can’t. The way you say it matters.

Not everyone is like you – and God designed it that way.

We can build a staff top heavy with one type of people or another, and try keeping the same people all together. Like separating kids off into their bedrooms. False peace. We need to mix them up.

ROBES can divide RELATIONSHIP.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

We mistake God’s favour for his favourites. God gives us his favour to commission you for what you’re going to do next. Titles, bonuses etc can become a dividing issue. If we put a robe on someone, do we think about it beforehand? How it will effect them and the team?

That robe or this one may fall on one, and all the others should celebrate that. For Joseph, it may have felt very awkward to wear that robe. The others may have felt overlooked – but God says, ‘figure it out’ – celebrate this, because it’s a robe of responsibility = more work.

Be careful how you speak over other’s lives. Put words in that defuse the other brother spirit in those around.

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”
 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

RELIABLE bluntly says it as they see it. Reliably. ‘Deal with it.’
A Restless person would bring it very differently. Talk all about how they feel etc. Creative, passionate, persuasive.

Reliable people need help with discernment.
Restless is sensing something else.

You need BOTH to give you a report. Listen to both reports:
Reliable, ‘It was great, started on time, finished on time…’
Restless – It was boring, nobody engaged.

The dream that caused division – was a dream of future restoration, in a moment when robes would not be an issue.

How is this FIXED?
In our teams.
(Especially in worship teams where the divas are!).

Don’t kick one out – say, ‘You’re brothers – figure it out. Seek to work together for the long term – the blessing comes there.’

How to bring reconciliation?

The Reliable ones have to be willing to drop their guard – even lose control.

Gen 45: 1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

Be willing to show your vulnerability. That you’re not perfect. That we need to talk about this. To say, ‘Hey – we’re brothers! let’s see the big picture.’ He’s showing his human side.

Close the Gap
vs. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”

Explain the dream – a different way.

When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God..

If there was ever a day when robes could divide – it was that day, but he now had a come close attitude.

Talk about it together

Not shout. Not compete. Talk. About how we can be more united.
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

We want Psalm 133 in our team!

How about you?

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Oct 06 2011
Andy Stanley, Bible, Faith, Family, Jesus, leadership

Andy Stanley: DO FOR ONE – Catalyst 2011

Be Present.

The more successful you are, the less accessible you’ll become. This is not good or bad, it’s just true. The more people become part of what you’re doing, the less available to everyone you’ll end up.

But we think, ‘I don’t want that. My door will be wide open…’

But if we refuse this truth, the more you’ll burn out by trying to be accessible to everyone. You’ll do life spreading yourself razor thin, not accessible to those you’re with really anyway. Distracted. The hard thing is, we come into ministry because we’re all about people.

OR we may use our success as an excuse to be more inaccessible than necessary. People will come up in your own church and say, ‘I know you’re busy, but…’ You’ll hide form them.

Unawareness is bliss!

Because the more people’s needs and problems you’re aware of, the more you’ll know there’s no 15 minute solutions. That will wear you out. The more need we’re bombarded with, the less able to handle it we feel. So much cancer, so much debts and prodigals. Your heart breaks for people, but you’re thinking, ‘But what can I do?’ Too much Information!

But at the same time, I want to be PRESENT.

The apostle Paul addresses this in Gal 6:9-10.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

NOTICE - As we have OPPORTUNITY (time), let us do good to all people…

He goes on to say.. Carry each other’s burdens., and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ…

in other words, You can’t shut it all out

- BUT ….

 

you can’t take it all on.

This never goes away. We live with the tension – limited time and opportunity, but open to people, engaged with the.

So how? What do you do?

Do FOR ONE, what you wish you could do for EVERYONE.

The person behind the sweet counter says, ‘If I give you one, I’ll have to give everyone one…’

Actually, NO YOU DON”T! I won’t tell anyone…!

This can creep into our ministry…

If I counsel you, I’ll have to do it for everyone

NO YOU DON”T!

Choose to do for one, what you wish you could do for everyone. That will stop you getting cold to everyone. If you’re helping ONE through grief, or marriage issues.

But that’s not fair!

Well, fairness ended in the garden of Eden.

Don’t be fair. Don’t try to be. Be engaged.

How?

 

  1. Go DEEP rather than WIDE.

Be available to someone.

2. Go LONG term rather than short term.

Don’t give everyone 15 mins and not give someone many hours. Take one or two and be in them with it – until it’s over.

3. Go TIME not just money.

Don’t just give money to missions- go to one. Track the miracle in the lives in that place.

Don’t let anyone guilt you out of doing for one what you wish you could do for all, because if we all did that – we might change the world, but even if you don’t, you’ll change one life – and it might be yours.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the one who did for us what they didn’t have the time or resources to do for everyone. It wasn’t fair, but we received your grace through them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oct 05 2011
Faith, Family, Jesus

DON’T LOSE HEART. Michael Hyatt at Catalyst 2011

Michael Hyatt

Don’t Lose Heart. 

The people who don’t stay the course, are those who lose heart. Most Christians – 80%? lose heart and become ineffective by the age of 55.

You can get your heart back

- and lead from the heart.

You will maximise your influence as a leader when you embrace 5 truths about the heart.

Your heart is the essence of your identity.

The Bible uses the word heart over a 1000 times.

Matt 5:8, 6:23, 15:18, 22:37 – love God with your heart.

Your heart is YOU. Who YOU are. The inner sanctuary where you connect with God and others from. The world ‘s focus is external image, but the Lord looks at the heart. Why? Because it matters most.

The big question is not how’s your family/ career – but ‘How’s your heart?’

Your heart is your most important and valuable leadership tool

Prov 4:23 – above ALL else! (It’s not your knowledge, your skills that counts) – your heart is the WELLSPRING of your life. If you stop up springs, the streams stop flowing. Pollute a spring, the stream is toxic.

Your heart directly impacts your influence.

Physically your heart is what keeps you alive. Your body can survive without many different organs. You won’t miss your gall bladder that much. But lose your heart, and you’re dead. Your heart is what keeps your organisation alive. It’s what keeps those around you alive too. Your organisation can’t survive without your heart. It’s the greatest gift you give to your team.

Your heart is either healthy or unhealthy.

You may have spiritual cardiovascular disease. The flow is constricted. You’re scarred over. This is the silent killer. It takes people out and they function a while without knowing. Is your heart open or closed?

Symptoms that your heart is Closed? 

Distant, aloof, can’t get close to people, focus on what others are doing wrong. Life dries up around you. Cynical.

When it’s Open…

You’re fully present and accessible. Other-focused. You connect to people. You’re a resource to them. You may focus on what’s missing, but not on what’s wrong (some people want to find what’s wrong all the time). Being a good leader in an organisation is a lot like being a good parent. Affirming, encouraging. People feel FREE.

 

People around you now know whether your heart is open or closed.

Can you discern the difference? You find all through the Psalms, David is talking to his heart.

Your heart is under constant attack.

Satan wants to take you out, and he aims at the heart.

If you let discouragements, offences etc take root in your heart. There’s no point where you can let your guard down. Older couples get divorced too, you don’t have to be young to do something foolish! GUARD your heart- it’s precious! You don’t have to guard your rubbish, nobody nicks it. If the enemy can take you out, a lot of people will go down with you. People are watching, hoping you stay the course. www.pastorburnout.com shows there are too many that don’t. 70% of pastors don’t have any close friends. Eccles 4:9-10 – two are better than one! 57% would leave the ministry if they could in the same survey. Be on your guard. Pull the drawbridge up on your heart sometimes, so you can let it down when you need to.

Cf. Capture the flag. You can have a long game – but when it’s captured, it’s game over.

Guard your heart!

You can recover your heart by keeping the disciplines of your heart.

Eg?

SABBATH.

Finding time to cultivate the inner you.

It’s hard to do that in a busy world. How do we compete with those who have no margin?

BY FAITH! That’s the purpose of the Sabbath. God blesses it. Find time to take care of yourself. If you always put yourself last, you’ll be of no use to anyone. Make time.

Once a week, ask yourself, ‘How’s my heart?’ 

Get his free ebook on having a life plan.

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Oct 05 2011
Church, Faith, Jesus, leadership, Prayer, REVIVAL, Uncategorized

Draw A Circle! Catalyst 2011 Mark Batterson.

Amazing session of teaching at #cat11 (labs)

Mark Batterson

National Community Church – Washington.

Your leadership cannot go beyond your prayer life. 

The Book Of Legends (Talmud). In the first century there was a drought that was killing off the nation. Honi the Circlemaker. Drew a circle in teh sand and prayed, Sovereign Lord I will not leave this circle until you have mercy on your people. He carried on praying for more rain until the rain was the size of eggs. Then he prayed again for the rain of God’s blessing.

The prayer saved a generation.

Bold prayer honours God, and God honours bold prayer. When you pray what you can’t do.

Joshua 6

1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.

(God had already done it – but they had to do something).

If your dream is of the Lord, he has already delivered it!

What did they have to do? 

3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”

A General who goes to his church told them recently about how a perfect plan never survives contact with the enemy. And this is the first battle of the promised land. How about a better plan?

Battering rams? catapults? That makes sense!

What’s this about?

A new way of praying?

Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God, and God fighting for you.

Pray like it depends on God – and he will begin to fight for you! He will make things happen that there’s no way you could have done it.

So they go round in circles…

Why?

Marking their territory? 

cf your dog! Staking claim to something. How do we do that? By prayer. Jericho was a 12 acre city, 50 foot walls, 10 feet thick. Intimidating place! First lap they’d feel foolish. 400 years in slavery. 40 more in exile. Then the second lap is a bit faster. Walk and pray – helps you not be distracted. Holy confidence grows as they step out. By the seventh day, they are ready for a holy roar. ‘This place belongs to the Lord.’

They marked out not their territory, but GOD’S territory.

When you don’t know what you’re doing – you have to pray!

And all the promises of God are for you! They are YES and AMEN. Our problem is not over-claiming.

We are not meant to just read the Bible, but to pray through it. When you come to a Promise – CIRCLE it and pray it! Claim it as a promise.

The enemy has taken so much of our property and the Lord wants it back. Mark our territory. Circle it. Matt 18:18. What you bind and loose on earth is bound and loosed in heaven. Put spiritual contracts in place. Pray and pray through.

The most important thing to do this year? Work out how to pray more. Not laying your agenda before God. Discover God’s agenda for YOU.

Doing Reconnaissance. 

Gathering information and intelligence. Prayer is how we do this. The Reticular Activation System in your brain determines what you pay attention to and notice. cf Set Life Goals. You probably won’t achieve goals you never set. When you pray you start noticing things – everything. Col 4 – pray, be watchful and thankful…

When you pray you’ll se first and further. Do Recon.

Reading is a form or recon. Conferences is recon. But the best way? Prayer. the still small voice – where you perceive the imperceptible. I’d rather than 1 God idea than a 1000 good ideas. Where do you get them? Pressing into God.

Keep Going.

What if they gave up on circle 5? Some of you have been circling so long. The dream hasn’t been fulfilled. How to write a book? Do a 40 day fast of entertainment. Pray and write till the book was written. Have a deadline. that’s a lifeline for your goals. I’m not coming out of this circle till you do it.

He was once asked, ‘If you had to describe yourself in one word what would it be?’ He said at 22, ‘Driven.’ Thought it was a good answer.

But he was taught how to kneel by his father-in-law, who always had to have new patches in his trousers and kept on keeping on.

We want to take just one trip around Jericho and wondered why they never got the miracle.

Mother Dabney – talked about, coined phrase-  ‘Praying through.’ keep praying!

Until recently, he always added (unconsciously) ASAP on his prayers. ‘God would you do this, ASAP.’ I want God to do it yesterday.

Now he has a new acronym for prayer.

ALAIT

As Long As It Takes.

In fact, let it be long enough and hard enough that I’m not at all tempted to take any credit for it for myself.

Are you willing to pay the price?

Acts 2:41 – 3000 people baptised in one place, That’s a goal. One day, as long as it takes.

100 years ago, Gypsy Smith. Never went to school, yet lectured at Harvard. Went to the White House, preached to more than a million people. Powerfully used of God. They asked him, ‘How?’

How does revival come?

He said, ‘Go home, lock yourself in your bedroom, lock yourself in, draw a circle around yourself – fervently and brokenly for God to send a revival to everything in that circle.’

That’s our job.

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Sep 23 2011
1 Comment
Bible, Jesus, leadership

Jesus’ Job Interview

Just thinking about this as I prepare to speak Sunday on John 21.

The original ‘Footprints in the Sand’ I suppose…

Here’s Jesus’ job interview…

Simon do you love me?

You know I love you.

Feed my sheep.

Do you love me?

I love you deeply.

Good – feed my lambs.

Do you love me?

You know I love you…

Feed my sheep.

Okay – er…

What about him?

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Sep 04 2011
Bible, Community, Discipleship, Football, Jesus, Manchester, Prayer, prophecy, Religion, Theology, Uncategorized

Debra Green – Mountains or Fountains

My notes from this, the first talk in our 40 Days of Ivy DNA Series: RELEVANT.

People are surprised when we as a church are normal rather than ‘religious’

Text –  John 4- the samaritan woman at the well.

1) Jesus asked – ‘Will you give me a drink?’ This is a very controversial conversation for him to have at all. He’s showing us the type of Saviour he is. He’s speaking to her in her language, about her every day life and needs. Connects with the familiar.

If we want to be relevant we need to offer and speak into what people need.

Cf Breathe City Church in Stoke- their ‘When‘ ministry: giving clothes to the poor in the city. Thousands of clothing packages given.

When we meet the felt needs of people, we’ll be relevant. We’re not relevant because the worship is great or the preaching is good: people outside of church are not even asking about that anyway!

But if we help people and connect in people in prison, in debt, when we are marked by hospitality, or playing football like our new team IVY COSMOS – it’s great fun AND an opportunity for a conversation. We don’t have to fall into the sacred/secular divide mentality.

Is there someone you can have a chat with over the water?

2) Mountain or Fountain?

The Samaritans and Jews had a lot of theological, intellectual, religious debate about worship places.

The subject isn’t a bad one. There’s a lot in the Bible about mountains – but this is a religious debate that’s really a red herring / smokescreen to get away from the real issue of life: it’s not WHERE you worship, but WHO.

She’s thinking to impress him with her religious knowledge and grasp on current affairs and debate -

But Jesus says, ‘let’s not debate Mountains – I want to talk about Fountains!’

Jesus will change the question.

It’s not about the mountain of religion

It’s about the fountain of relationship.

Her heart was getting filled in all the wrong ways.

It’s not about discussing imponderables till 3am – after that question, along comes another…

come to the fountain!

The churches that are growing are those that are not stuck in religion, and my clever arguments are not going to win people over to Christ. It’s more about making Jesus accessible.

The harvest is plentiful!

Where?

Where people are. Go where people are.

Because people are dissatisfied and needing a fountain – of living water.

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Aug 14 2011
Bible, Christianity, Failure, Faith, Jesus, Manchester, Prayer, Religion, TV

Jon Hancock – @jonhancock_tv at Ivy MCR – Micaiah 1 Kings 22

Here are my notes on Jon’s talk tonight, Ivy MCR Grow Groups are welcome to use them for your meetings too.

Jon Hancock is a BBC TV producer who has been at Ivy about a year, the family moved up with the Beeb move to Media City etc.

Jon talked about our journey as a church recently and the symbolism of that:
Meeting at Gorton Monastery, reclaiming that place.
Then the Trafford Centre where so many ‘worship’ every day.

NOW we’re off to the Vue Cinema near Media City: We’re moving all over the city worshipping Jesus in these strategic and symbolic places!

Please pray for this next move!! Can you provide lifts etc – contact the office please.

Study: 1 Kings 22

Micaiah

Looking at it from a TV producer point of view – this is a very interesting story…
There’s a ‘OH NO!” – Fist in mouth – ‘I can’t believe he did that’ moment in this story – look out for it.

Characters:
King Jehosophat – at heart, one of the good guys. Wanted to restore the nation back to God, but a bit weak willed

King Ahab (booo!!!). Loved to go to war a bit too much. married to Jezebel, a very bad sort.

Micaiah – this is the only time we hear of him in scripture.

1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. 3 The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?”
4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.”

Now Ahab’s desire may or may have been the right thing, but it could have just been a rush of blood. Jehosophat wants to consult God.

Ahab then called in a non – prophet organisation (Rentaprophet) who’d say what he wanted to hear.

6 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

“Go,” they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”

What does this remind you of?! A spoilt brat of a monarch, with people sucking up all around, like Queenie on Black Adder. Jon showed a fabulous clip.

8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

10 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 11 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

12 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”

13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me.”

15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.” (? Was he being sarcastic?)

16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’

22 “‘By what means?’ the LORD asked.

“‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’

23 “So now the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.”

That by the way, was the ‘fist in mouth – I can’t believe he said that’ moment!

24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

25 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

26 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

In other words, ‘Stuff you – I’m not bothered – I’ll do it anyway.’

Question: Are you aware of shaking off what God has said in the past – how has that worked out?

28 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

(Gutsy! Great plan! But it didn’t work out how he thought)
31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33 the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.

34 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 35 All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. 36 As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”

37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. 38 They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared.

What can we take away from this amazing story: questions to ponder and discuss:

  • Do we consult God – at all? Enough?
  • Do we ask the right people?
  • Do we just follow the crowd like the RentaProphets?

If you have something to say – even if you’re right, there’s a way to say it and a way not to – is Micaiah somewhat too sarcastic and cutting?

Do you have to give it/ say it? Had this prophet been so negative in the past he could no longer deliver the word of the Lord because it’s not just the words but the heart – ‘grace AND truth.’

Is it your place?

Do we sit on it long enough to digest it or just spit it out without chewing it over?

Two major themes:

CONSEQUENCES & REPUTATION. 

Re the Riots that have been going on – how many of those involved were only thinking of the ‘now’ moment – and not aware that there are consequences. Every decision has consequences.

There were consequences for Ahab’s choices throughout his life, despite MANY warnings. He closed his mind and heart.

There were consequences for Micaiah. Maybe he spent the rest of his life in prison!

There are consequences for those caught – in terms of reputation.

Ahab had a reputation as a tough king.

Micaiah had a rep as one who’d speak the truth, even when the truth hurt. What do you want a reputation for?

We are writing a story.

You are writing the story of your life.

You are the co-author with God of that story.

What are you writing?

Quote: ‘You can’t turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again.’

You have more chapters to write! You have not reached the end of your story!

‘Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.’ (African proverb).

Jun 19 2011
Bible, Christianity, Church, Faith, Family, Jesus, prophecy

DEBRA GREEN: Nehemiah 10 – 13. The house of God.

Debra rounded off our series tonight.

She began by talking about competing voices – a time in the week when there were 2 sat navs going in the church, which one do we listen to?

God’s word to is the Bible, and Nehemiah kept having to come back to that, and call people back to what the Lord had said. 10:28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding— these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes. At what age can a child understand and come into the things of God?

Josh 24:15 – Choose who you will serve! As for me AND MY HOUSE we will serve the Lord. That’s a mission statement – it means you will live different:

to be committed will affect your relationships. The Jewish people were told to keep their culture and lifestyle separate from those who did not have that same mission, or else it would end up deflecting them from his best for them.

It will affect your pocket: It’s making God Lord of our finances, giving back to the Lord from all he has given to us: …if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt. Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: or the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God. We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God as it is written in the Law. And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD; All this is about offering it all back to God. You can’t make Jesus Lord of all except your money. You may think you can’t afford to tithe? ‘As for me and my house…’ conflicts with that! You can’t afford not to. Making a serious commitment financially is part of your discipleship.

It’s our RESPONSIBILITY – that’s a word that comes again and again here. As people who belong to the house of God, will you also look after God’s house – or do you just want him to look after yours?

They say, ‘We will not neglect the house of our God.’

Chapter 11: Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

10% of the people volunteered to go and move back into the city, even though it was still a mess! This is incarnational ministry, like the Eden workers going into the inner city in the name of Christ -to just love and serve in the hardest and most broken places. There’s a blessing that comes when we respond to a call like that.

Let’s pray for Eden, and whether we are called to that or not, we are ALL called to live a radical life for Jesus

verse 22: Also the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha, of the sons of Asaph, the singers in charge of the service of the house of God. 23 For it was the king’s command concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day. God talks about worship here: that we should give him thanks and praise.

It talks about one of Asaphs descendants; he was in charge of the worship teams, and Asaph was worship leader in David’s day; so one generation is passing something on to the next.

If you teach the laws of God unto your children you will pass on the blessings of faithfulness. There is a lot in Nehemiah about families worshipping together.

When something was achieved, many times in the Bible – there was an act of worship, celebration and purification: we see that again in Ch 12: Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages… I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs.

Musicians came and stood on the walls, with 2 large choirs on them. That’s how big and strong the walls were! That’s worth singing about!

The people got the trumpets out – that’s significant; warfare instruments, that called people together. 1 Cor 15:52 – it’s associated with bringing the dead to life! God is blowing a trumpet over your sound, a clear sound that raises you. When the choirs come together, there will be a sound in the city that will be heard far and wide.

The choirs went in opposite directions round the walls, to dedicate the whole city to the Lord. People did this for 40 days around the M60 when it was completed!

vs 43- Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

There is a sound that can be heard a long way off. It’s getting louder, this isn’t about volume. It’s about holiness, about people saying, ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…’ everyone could hear that.

We need to take the love of Jesus out into the streets. vs 46: For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God..

There had not been anything like that in 600 years – but when the people of God restored, rebuilt and they remembered the God who had done it and celebrated him, it affected generations after them.

When they celebrated his goodness and thanked him, great power was released! They often got a memorial stone and set it up as a visible reminder of a spiritual milestone. When Jacob did that, remembered that God had been with him, the name of the place – to the house of God.

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