Filed under Religion …

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).

Apr 15 2011
8 Comments
Bible, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, Heaven, Jesus, Religion

Why I believe – Part 3: The Crux of the matter

CS Lewis said there are only three options with regard to who Jesus is based on his claims and actions and the witness of scripture and history:

Liar?

Lunatic?

Lord?

Your decision! And not to decide is a decision. If he’s Lord – the appropriate position to connect with him, starts on our knees. He’s not a hypothesis to consider but the God we were made to worship.

There was a famous occasion where some friends of a paralysed man lowered him through the roof in a crowded home to get him to Jesus. I would have thought his most pressing need was obvious (sometimes what we think we know gets in the way of what we need to know) – he couldn’t move to walk. Paraplegic or quadriplegic. Jesus knew what he needed more, first and foremost:

 ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’

The religious people there to check him out were amazed, not that Jesus was focusing on forgiveness – but that he was OFFERING it!

They said, ‘Who can forgive sins, except God alone?’

And you know what? They were RIGHT!

The only person who can truly forgive you is the one who you have sinned against and wronged. In forgiving sin like this, Jesus wasn’t pronouncing absolution in some general religious sense, but claiming to give what belonged to God, the ability to judge or forgive sins. How could he? Because Jesus is God.

Jesus said, ‘Trust in God – trust also in me!”

That’s the kicker. The ultimate test. Not just the perfect life, the blameless character, the unsurpassed teaching, the most powerful healing, and resurrections. Not just the offer he made to give people forgiveness of sins, and lavishly pour upon them his love forever (oh – and eternal life too!). Not just the claims to be God, to return in glory and one day be the judge of all people, when all who have ever lived will be raised from the dead. ‘Blasphemy!’ Cried his accusers.

How do you know it’s real? Jesus’ offer of love of another kind, love that surpasses knowledge – how do you know it’s for you?

That’s the CRUX of the matter, isn’t it?

As Good Friday approaches.

That word Crux of course = Latin for cross. The most important symbol of Christianity. The cross gives us the answer. The most profound thinkers have never fully grasped it. The best religious brains at the time couldn’t see what was going on. Why the cross? Why?!


Why would this wonderful God-man end up, nailed up – impaled outside the city walls on a blood stained pole, amid the flies and the heat on a cross? A death no Roman could have ever been sentenced to it was so beneath contempt. Jesus was mocked, despised, reviled, spat on, flogged. Then, it got worse. A terrible lingering half-death, until all the lights went out as his Father covered the Sun to hide the shame of it all and yet this cross is said to demonstrate God’s love to us? How come?

I watched the new movie ‘Source Code’ the other day and a recurrent theme of that is, ‘If you knew you only had a very short time to live before you died, what would you do?’ – Good film by the way!

We are in a series at Ivy Manchester looking at what have become known as ‘The seven sayings from the cross.’ We’re calling it ‘Cross words.’ It’s seven short sentences Jesus mouthed as he hung in agonised dying agony. They’re available as podcasts and this series (not yet finished) is from one of those talks.

And if you knew you only had a short time to live, and if every word meant you had to push up on a nail that held your feet to exhale it. If every sentence brought your death sentence closer and shortened your life – wouldn’t you want to make those words count?

Many people were crucified by the Romans. Thousands in a single day at times. They once ran out of wood and just nailed people to the walls around Jerusalem. Many hundreds of thousands of crosses then, but we only remember this one. Those who were dying usually shouted and swore and cursed those who put them there.

Here’s what Jesus said: in Luke 23 – ‘Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.”

But

…they did know what they were doing, didn’t they? They were whipping him, driving long cruel nails into him, putting a crown of thorns on him, and killing him – very slowly. Laughing at him the whole time.

They did know.

And the problem is, when  I sin, I do know what I do, too. All too often it’s not something that just happens, I choose to be selfish or greedy. I do know what I do.

Sometimes I justify it.

I say I can’t help it

Or nobody’s perfect

Or everyone else is just as bad

Or I’m not as bad as Adolf/Saddam/(insert name)…

But really, I do know what I do, when I do wrong.

So I don’t think that’s what he was saying, when Jesus prayed that one sentence prayer to God.

He called him FATHER.

Then… he said FORGIVE – because they knew exactly what they were doing...

But they didn’t know who they were doing it to.

Blinded by Satan and religion and jealousy and pride, they gave a criminal’s death to the Christ – the holiest, most perfect and good man who is God.

They spat on him and laughed as he died and said they were doing it for blasphemy, ‘Because you being a man, called yourself a King, the Son of God.’ There’s a dark irony in that.

They knew not what he was. They knew not what they were doing, and who to – that they were killing God. Spitting in his face.

And I don’t see what my sin is, or what it does to a holy God, either. That’s why I need what I don’t deserve. Grace. Forgiveness.

A nanny wanted to explain the reason for the cross to the children in her care and she wrote the hymn, ‘There Is A Green Hill Far Away,’ to help them get it. You might already know the words? Do you get it?

We may not know, we cannot tell,

What pains He had to bear;

But we believe it was for us

He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,

He died to make us good,

That we might go at last to heaven,

Saved by His precious blood.

There was no other good enough

To pay the price of sin;

He only could unlock the gate

Of heaven and let us in.

Tagged , , ,
Apr 08 2011
6 Comments
Bible, Christianity, Discipleship, Jesus, Prayer, Religion, Theology

Why I Believe – Part 2 (Does Jesus qualify as God?)

Maybe Jesus didn’t think of himself as God at all?

I went back to those eye witnesses. Christians believed it to be the sourcebook for what they believe about Jesus. And the gospel of John opens with the startling claim that Jesus, this guy John the writer knew as a best friend – he was ALSO God! ‘The Word.’ (Read Jn 1:1-3, 14).

But would Jesus agree that he really was all that – and more?

What kind of God would you want God to be, to be called God? Theologians talk about various ATTRIBUTES of God, for God to really be called God, he’d have to fit the bill.

God would have to be immutable (unchanging). The Bible says, Jesus is – the same, yesterday, today and forever.

You would think God – to be worthy of worship – would be eternal: he’d have no beginning and no end. Jesus fits the bill.

You’d want him omniscient – all knowing; and I read how Jesus met with people and knew all about them, the good, the bad and the ugly – he gave wisdom and teaching that cannot be surpassed. He knew what other people were thinking. He knew and predicted in advance time and again that he’d go to Jerusalem and be rejected, condemned, tortured, die on a cross –and rise again on the third day. He knew the past of people with a story to be ashamed of. He knew the future of the Jewish people and described it down to incredible detail. Those closest to him said, “You know all things…”

That knowledge can be a great comfort or a great problem for you.

Nobody else knows… but Jesus knows.

We’d expect God to be omnipresent. Jesus now says, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He also said, “Wherever two or three gather in my name, I’m there with them.” So, Jesus is here.

We’d want God to be omnipotent: Jesus walked on water – and enabled others to at least have a go, he healed every kind of disease, set people free from dark spiritual powers that bound them, and said, “all authority on heaven and earth have been given to me.”

They say, power corrupts – and absolute power corrupts absolutely, but those who knew him best knew Jesus was HUMBLY omnipotent. Jesus can do anything!

I looked closer and found Jesus was a carpenter’s son, who grew up in a small impoverished dusty village, much more like those I saw in Haiti than here.

Fully human, He experienced the range of human emotions, sweated, ate because he was hungry and got tired and thirsty. He was tempted in every way as we are, yet didn’t give in like we do.

Fully man, but worshipped -and accepting it- as being fully God too! Fully God. God – in a body! Col 2;9 For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form.’

As much man as if he were not God, as much God as if he were not man. The second person of the Trinity. Sent by the Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to be Saviour of the world.

From his birth – he shared and received the glory and honour due to God and never tried to stop anyone who gave that to him. Throughout his life he expected not just to be respected as a rabbi, a prophet, a holy man, but to be worshipped and adored by all creations, all people and even the angels as the Lord, the only God. For all eternity He said that all should honour him, the Son, as they honoured the Father! (John 5:23)

That would be an OUTRAGEOUS claim for a human being. He said that he always did what God the Father wanted him to do. He said people’s eternal destinies hung on how they responded to him – because he had the power of life and death.

He said, ‘I am the door, I am the bread of life, I am the resurrection and the life…’

Who?!

Who do you think you are Jesus?!

‘I am the way, the truth and the life!’

The New Testament doesn’t just describe him as a spokesman of God, like Isaiah or Moses was. No. He was the person of God – revealing himself as a person, so we wouldn’t have to guess what God’s like any more. Because we could never guess accurately his indescribable beauty, holiness, justice, power and love – God sent his Son.

Christ, the very best the Father had, who pre-existed as God, who was actually ‘here’ before here was here – steps into the world he created it to rescue it, to write himself into the story, be born of a woman that first Christmas, and die on a cross for our sins that first Easter. He expected that people would pray to him as to God, and as you look in the book of Acts, you see the very first Christians did! They called him Lord. They refused to call Caesar Lord, and died for that.

They sang praises to, and about his name. He said they should obey him as they’d obey God. They expected him to answer prayers – and he did!

I haven’t time to go into the evidence of the resurrection now, and you can look around on that yourself, though I’m so look forward to our big party at Gorton Monastery on Easter Sunday – because Jesus said he’d die and three days later be raised to life, and then he left the tomb and appeared that first Easter.

And again. And again and again – over 40 days, to friends, to family, to doubters – up to 500 of them at once – and gave them ‘many convincing proofs’ that he was the same man, the same God, the same Lord.

Oh, and he has met with me and multiple millions since to change our lives, destinies and eternities.

Thomas, doubting Thomas, said. “I won’t believe- unless I put my fingers in the nail holes.” Jesus appeared to him and said, “Go on then!”  (I paraphrase).

Then Thomas knelt down right there and then and said of Jesus, “My Lord…and my God!” When you see who Jesus is, and you see how wrong you have been – that’s the only appropriate response.

Apr 04 2011
Bible, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, history, Jesus, Manchester, Religion, Theology

Why I believe – Part 1.

What brought me to become a Christ follower was a truth encounter.

I didn’t find Jesus’ face in my toast one morning or anything like that -

My lovely Christian friends Mr and Mrs Kitcatt may like this picture

I was a police officer – used to examining evidence and coming to conclusions as a result of that investigation. I knew how to look at evidence. And I also knew how to face facts. If the implication of the evidence was that Jesus is who he claimed to be – the one and only Son of God, then that changes EVERYTHING.

If that really were true, then I would have to make a choice – to follow him; or try to forget him.

I’d been on the trail of happiness, meaning and purpose – searching in various areas and come up empty. I’d tried my best to live a good life (by my standards anyway), but had a trail of broken promises and resolutions to show for it. In my life I’d swung at times from believing in Jesus like I had done Santa as child, to ditching him along with church. Eventually after a wander through some new age and comparative religions I heard the Marxist phrase about religion being ‘the opiate of the people,’ which made me sound clever in the pub and came to regard Jesus  as a mythical figure, or if he did ever exist he was either a irrelevant prophet or a religious nutcase out to stop people from having fun.

Then, in pursuit of a particular girl, I ended up at a church event that was fun, with a speaker who was interesting and passionate, met a group of people who had a peace I couldn’t understand and a joy – despite living in the same world I did – I knew I hadn’t found elsewhere; and they said it was all wrapped up in knowing this Jesus.

I figured I’d been wrong about church, wrong about (some) Christian ministers, wrong about Christian music and drama – maybe I’d been wrong about Christ? That was enough to get me looking. .

Over a period of time, most importantly, I started to look at what the witnesses had to say. That’s the policeman’s first job.

I interrogated 4 guys, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They wrote four accounts that have survived pretty much as written all these centuries. These guys claimed to have known this Jesus. I checked out their credentials and saw that what we call the gospels rank as some of the best attested historical documents in existence. Written within thirty of forty years of Jesus’ death and the resurrection which they all reported. Like all good witness statements they’re told from different perspectives of the eye witnesses, but the events and central figure they describe are clearly the same. They haven’t been embroidered or materially changed since they were first written down.  I went to the John Rylands library in Manchester city centre to actually see one of the most ancient part manuscripts, from the gospel of John, dated around 125AD!

I found that it wasn’t just the gospel writers who focused on Jesus. Aristocratic Romans wrote about this peasant in backwater Jerusalem. Pliny wrote letters to the Emperor Trajan saying how much trouble he was having getting these people to worship the Emperor. He had tried various means to force them and he asked about their religion. ‘They meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath…not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust…I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.’ He went on to say that those who renounced faith in Christ would be set free, but those who did, he felt, were not really Christians anyway.

The Governor of Turkey at the time, Tacitus, wrote about this new religion: “the name Christian comes to them from Christus, who was executed in the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate…”

He was against this new cult, remember!

How fast did this religion grow and spread across the Empire? Jesus was crucified in AD 33, the city of Pompeii near Naples was destroyed by volcano 46 years later, Christian wall paintings, mosaics and inscriptions are there….together with a chapel!

Jewish writers didn’t want to give much mention of Jesus because they saw it of course as a threat to their religion. But the Mishna do mention Yesuah of Nazareth as a trouble causer, an illegitimate man whose birth was in doubt, who did magic to lead people astray, before he was hanged on the eve of the Passover.

Flavius Josephus, the greatest Jewish historian, who was certainly not interested in promoting Christianity, writing in AD90, said in one of his twenty books of Jewish history;  Now there arose at this time (Pilate’s governorship) a source of further trouble in one Jesus, a wise man who performed surprising works, a teacher of men who gladly welcome strange things. He led away many Jews, and also many of the Gentiles. He was the so-called Christ. When Pilate, acting on information supplied by the chief men around us, condemned him to the cross, those who had attached themselves to him at first did not cease to cause trouble, and the tribe of Christians, which has taken this name from him is not extinct even today.” (FF Bruce’s version).

So Jesus existed. Search for Jesus on Amazon and you’ll find 270,000 books and counting! Google him and you get 300 million references. But what’s so special about him? Wasn’t he just a travelling teacher or a religious rabble-rouser like those people in history and those who put him on a cross believed? Or wasn’t he just a nice, good man who went around in a nightie carrying lambs and was misunderstood? Wouldn’t he be turning in his grave at the thought that people were still following him – as God!? Maybe he didn’t think of himself as God at all?

My next post will continue the story…

Feb 07 2011
4 Comments
Bible, Church, Holy Spirit, Manchester, Religion, REVIVAL, Uncategorized

New Wine and Old Wineskins

For years while I was in leadership settings in Anglican churches, with some glorious times of course for which I am grateful, I kept coming up against a particular short parable of Jesus and feeling like, ‘He’s talking to me, he’s talking about me.’ It’s from Luke 5, that old stuff about new wineskins:
read it here

I would go to conferences, go up for prayer, or just in my daily Bible readings for me and Zoe this passage would leap off the page as it seemed to describe so much of what I was attempting to do, which was at times stymied by the structures which were not ready for change.

It’s been fascinating for me to read pretty much in one sitting, a book that was sitting around on my shelf probably for about the last six years, which has incredible insight into how the parable relates to church now and how it will look in the future. C. Peter Wagner’s ‘Changing Church’ has been at times really like somebody reading my mail! I’d read a similar book of his,  Churchquake, and maybe I wasn’t ready for it then but it didn’t grab me quite the same as this one. I don’t agree with everything he says of course but there is so much plain sense here I could’t stop reading way past bedtime! In the book he talks about a new Reformation that is coming to the church, in fact it’s already happening. And it’s the change from old wineskin to new.

If we look through the history of the church, God has continually been creating new wineskin after new wineskin so it shouldn’t come as a surprise when he does it in our lifetimes.

A new wineskin, a new Reformation, will of course mean massive gains for the kingdom of God while at the same time huge amounts of disruption for the status quo.  For that reason Wagner  identifies for us and  alerts us to the demonic ‘Corporate spirit of religion’ which is assigned to prevent change and maintain the status quo by using religious devices.

Its target is human minds, particularly people in positions of influence and religious structures who unconsciously allow themselves to be manipulated so that they will not hear what the Spirit is saying ( present tense) to the churches as in Rev 2:7  but instead to only focus on what has already been said in former times.

In conversation with many good friends during those times, when I sensed God was saying if I trusted him to really step out then he would  open a new door – so that I would not have to remain in the structures which had become strictures – that objections that were raised kept me within the fold –  sometimes because of a sense of loyalty, but if I’m honest, often also lots of fear.

Anyone with any experience of the way these things work would think it quite obvious that those in high positions of denominational leadership would worry about and oppose, directly or indirectly, whatever they might perceive to go against ‘unity at all costs’ or be a threat of the new doctrine of democratic ecclesiastical government and not allow the old wineskin to move into God’s new times and seasons.

But Wagner points out to us that the strongest opposition to new wine skins actually comes from representatives of the most recent old wineskin. Those with the newest incarnation of old wineskins are likely to be myopic in recognising that’s what they hold, so they stretch the old one but resist the necessary changes to gain the new, even though the old wineskins will not be able to hold the new wine, the wineskins will break and the wine will be lost.

Denominational leaders have often dutifully affirmed while at the same time skillfully domesticating charismatic renewal and its leaders, effectively turning down the gas on the fire of the Holy Spirit so that it’s safe, manageable and doesn’t burn their house down.

So I wrestled for many years with the uncomfortable thought of not staying within my denomination to be an agent of renewal but instead to step outside if necessary in order to open up a new wineskin that God might want in his grace to pour into.

Together with many of my friends however I was perhaps falling under the spell of that spirit of religion, because I wasn’t able to discern its influence or presence. If it was easy to spot, why would anyone fall for it?!

On page 51 Wagner lists the kind of things that were said to me by friends (and I said them to myself) which kept me where I should not have been for longer than I should have been as he lists the reasons why many leaders will not consider leaving the denomination to found what he calls ‘New Apostolic Networks.’

  • This is the church of my family I would betray my family heritage
  • My friends are all here
  • The denomination holds my ordination credentials
  • The denomination holds our church facilities, and we would lose them.
  • All my clergy colleagues, including my support groups, are in the denomination
  • This is my employment – how would I support my family?
  • My retirement funds are here, I would forfeit that if I left
  • My religious affiliation is part of my personal self-identity
  • I must avoid the sin of rebellion and remain loyal.

And so it was (despite the pain involved in stepping outside of a denominational framework of leadership which had so much I love and have enjoyed) that I finally and personally  came to the place of realistically giving up the notion that internal reform was possible in what too often seemed a hopelessly compromised old wineskin setting; which restricted growth, rewarded incompetence and rejected orthodoxy. I took one of the biggest risks of my life  - to move into a new wineskin.

Now please keep on pouring it out Lord!

I am still an Anglican with the credentials of having been ordained as a priest in the system, and I am very grateful that the Bishop here has been gracious to grant me permission to officiate while I’m experimenting in whole new ways of doing church. Permission without restriction is the best of both worlds. But I had to be willing to lay it all down and I was. And God is faithful.

I don’t see myself as being disloyal to or rejecting my denominational roots, though I have become disillusioned and dissatisfied with its spiritual and theological directions. Many great people and leaders I know will choose to remain (I was told over and again, ‘you have to be in it to win it’).

If that’s what the Lord is telling YOU, fantastic – but while nothing in this post should be taken to say that denominations or any particular denomination is bad or beyond redemption, I simply invite you to consider the question I grappled with so long and its implications for you – if God is choosing to pour out new wine, but you choose to remain in the old wineskin, how might you miss out – and might that be more than you stand to gain by remaining?

Feb 02 2011
Bible, leadership, Religion

BILL HYBELS at Stafford. Leadership Q & A

My notes from the morning session with this amazing leadership hero!

Where are you?

Dangerously Over-challenged

Appropriately challenged

Under Challenged

You’re BEST, just North of appropriately challenged. Just beginning to be over-challenged.

People who are sharp, leadership oriented – you’ll LOSE unless you over-challenge them.

You have some people who are RETAIN & DEVELOP at ANY COST people.
Distinguished from good staff & great staff. These are people who it would rip the heart of the organisation if they went. They are rewarded differently and TOLD them who they are. ‘You have character, competence, fit our culture. We want you to be here serving till the Lord returns.” Identify these people!

Exercise:

Here are all the people in your dept.
If there was a 50% reduction – who would you lose? If someone HAD to go – who’s your end of the line person.

Why is this person always at the end of your line?

When/Why someone has to go…
It probably didn’t start as a dismissal issue. It starts with a problem.
What do you call ‘the problem with Fred.’
What’s the issue? How do you talk about it?

We have a ‘fit concern’ with Fred…
How many categories of that are there? How many issues are there really?

Attitude?
Under-challenged?
The organisation has grown faster than he has
Character?

Of all these and such issues – what time frame do you allow each of these issues to unfold before its addressed?

How long do you give to sort out an attitude?
Can you have a bad DAY? There’s grace for that! SHORT TIME.

But you can’t have 8 in a row… we don’t want that in our culture LONG. Because scripture talks about not being a grumbler.
If you hear there’s an attitude problem in that department – it needs to be resolved this week.

If there’s a character issue… VERY SHORT TIME. Zero tolerance.
Fred tells lies.
Deal with it – straight away.
You can’t have people who lie on your staff. It’s supposed to be setting an example. Character stuff is REALLY short. ‘You need to work this out with a counsellor etc, but this is not the place for you to work while you work this out.’

? When they love God and the church but are not growing at the rate they need to be for a growing church…it’s not a try harder issue, it’s a capacity… try to deploy in another area, train him up, MEDIUM to LONG time…

What about when the chemistry doesn’t fit?
You can have forthright conversations about that kind of thing. People jumping in all the time. Disinterested body language. Bad breath.

Ken Blanchard: When you’re thinking about bringing somebody onto the team – if there isn’t a positive emotional charge when they walk in the room, don’t hire them. Why? You need to be with people who fire you up.

You will do more coaching with someone you like than someone you don’t. You’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. You will bring minute corrections to them. But if you don’t, you won’t.

What about employment protection/ law?

How do you give people feedback, along the journey?

Make your HR standards better than the law requires. Have a great performance review system!

Jack Welch: ‘The kindest form of management is the truth.’
Everyone wants to know, ‘Am I doing good?’
Until you get told you are… you wonder.

You’re doing great – I’m going to tell you where you are doing great (A, B or C), and where you can improve if you want to..

Evaluations twice a year.
If you get a C – uh-oh! It’s a concern.
2 Cs in a row… C u later! Because there is a problem we can’t resolve. If you’re happy with C work in the church – you have a problem.

Talk about..
What was achieved?
HOW was it achieved?

“You got great results;
but you shouted at too many people and didn’t build team…”

The excellence & seeker focus = what differentiated Willow in the 70s and was their ‘competitive advantage’ –

But so many other churches are now doing great things

So now – it’s about Fantastic people doing Fantastic work for a Fantastic God. So finding, developing and deploying fantastic people is where it’s all at. That’s what will make you unique, and will help you reach your unique potential.

If you’re a 5 leader (pretty good) – the only people you will be able to gather & lead are 4,3,2 & 1s.

A 9 will not follow a 5 for long. They’ll be bored & frustrated.

If your staff is made of 5s, but you have 6, 7, & 8 people – they are not going to be engaged.

BUT if you read and are mentored and stretched and become an 8… you can lead everyone except a 9. So many more will be engaged. This is the way life IS!

If you’ve only got a few staff – you need to make sure they are top end! You can’t afford someone in the lower range.

How do you deal with the fall out when people have to go/get downgraded?
Nobody enjoys such conversations.
But every foot soldier deserves competent command.
Yes, you’ll hurt their feelings but he’s hurting others…

Keep this on the playing field of faith, and spiritual gifts. Everyone’s leadership has a scale, scripture calls it ‘a measure of faith.’
You can have two Pastors, one’s ready for the bigger deal, the other is just as smart etc., but wants to go slower and keep smaller.

You have to be true to how God wired you up.

How do you get volunteers who are giving ‘good enough’ to give GREAT.

Malachi 1. ‘God’s ticked with you…’
WHY?
God sees the kind of lamb you’re giving at altar time. You’re looking for the smallest, half dead, leaning against a fence post – and offer that to him. You think God’s pleased with that?
It says God says would rather have you shut the door to the temple than bring a blemished lamb!
But there are times when I’m not singing my best to ‘How great is our god.’ But I’m not focused. I’m not giving my best I can.
When i use my spiritual gift. I know what a ‘good enough’ sermon is – and what an unblemished lamb looks like.
God has only ever given me his best. His best creation. Best to save me. Preparing the best eternity for me.
Why would I give him a blemished lamb?

If your teachers don’t teach on passages like that, people will think, ‘At least I’m bringing something.’

Be aware of what IS my best and what isn’t.

e.g. – the spiritual gift of Giving; (you have unusual satisfaction from giving to things that advance the kingdom of God). Teach on that – 8% of your people have this gift.

‘You will one day stand as accountable to God for how you steward that gift, as I will for my stewardship of my teaching gift.’

When you are doing the sound, do it the best you can, for God – make it an unblemished lamb.
Imagine what your church would be like if everyone brought an unblemished lamb

Every volunteer doing what the Spirit is whispering at their best.
Everyone singing their best.


TOOLS FOR SPIRITUAL GIFT ANALYSIS

Network. Saddleback’s SHAPE.

What’s your top three gifts?
What’s the ORDER?

Your TOP gift – using it energises you. You do it recreationally. (Evangelism)

Your middle gift = neutral (Teaching)

Third level might drain you. (Leadership)

Build your ministry around the rank order gave you.

How do you discover your gift?
DIVE IN! In the pool, swimming round, moving round, experimenting – you learn where the right gift in the right ministry with the right team – you have a ‘that’s IT’ moment. It’s built on servanthood. The church does not exist to help you to find your perfect gift this week. Wash some feet. Find the heavy end of a log and lift it.

How do you know what level of leadership you’re at (1-10?)
Is this a self awareness issue or a level of feedback? Both/and!

No matter what your number is – YOU CAN RAISE IT! – if you choose to. You read on it, you lead something, you hang around leaders better than you, you go where leadership is taught.

What to look for?

Look for INFLUENCE in a room, look for DRIVE (Energy enough to energise others). Look for INTELLIGENCE. (Relational Intelligence is what separates good from great bosses; understanding the feelings of your colleagues).

What about megachurch?
The megachurch phenomenon has screwed up Pastors.
Bill left something BIg (the company) to do something small, and it grew.
Don’t get into church work with an eye on making something BIG.
Be the BEST YOU, at the level God has for you, do what you’re called to do.
We are all called to build Acts 2 churches, locally & globally.

There are companies in the state who can show you how to get to 2000 in 36 months, by building in the right area, etc.

In certain parts of the world you can attain a scale and get wealthy too! You can be rich, visible and a christian celebrity now. That was unheard of 20 years ago. We are going to give an account to a guy who only had one robe, and a towel.

Just love people and build them up.

Eric Mataxes – Bonhoeffer. Great book.

How do you integrate a new, strong person into an established team?
Let the team be part of the process. All the leadership team has to be in on the hire, or it’s a no.
Get the people to hear their story.

How do you attract/ build a multi-cultural church?
Passionately believe that God has called you to Pastor a footprint of geography. Eg – everyone within a 20 min drive. So we want to reflect the diversity there is within that area. The church is meant to be a house o prayer for ALL nations, so you’ve not reached your redemptive potential yet.

Dec 26 2010
1 Comment
Bible, Books, leadership, Men, Religion, Theology, Uncategorized

The power of goal setting

In the first chapter of my previous book, ‘The Don’t Have To Do List’ I write about the power of setting goals which drive us forward into our destiny.

Just sitting here on Boxing Day with my lovely family, Zoe just passed around our ‘Christmas Book.’ Each year, everyone writes in what’s been their best things about that Christmas, together with prayers and hopes for the future.

My daughter Emma just read a line from mine before I got to look at it – ‘I will write a book for men this year.’

DONE!

I’m so pleased that I have completed my new book, ‘Diamond Geezers,’ which lots of blokes have already been giving positive feedback from since I released the first chapter free online at my sister site http://diamondgeezers.org/ yesterday.

As 2011 approaches, will you drift into it aimlessly (if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time), or will you proactively seize not just the day, but the year?

Dec 19 2010
Bible, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Discipleship, Faith, Manchester, Prayer, prophecy, Religion, REVIVAL, Theology, wisdom

How Wise Are You?

Great talk for Christmas by Debra Green at Ivy MCR this evening- my notes…

The Wise men. We don’t know how many came, but they had three gifts. The most Jewish of the synoptic gospel writers wants to tell us about these people & the universality of the good news.
The shepherds are in.
These magi – are included.
Unlikely guest list!
Only those with eyes to see. Those who are seeking, find.
It’s hard these days to get Christmas cards – only 1% of cards have a ‘religious’ sense.
£16.7 Billion will be spent this Christmas by Britons. Many will go into more and more debt?
How wise are we?!
Could it have been a supernova?
Or just the manifestation of the glory of God? Because it was moving.
It seems only the magi saw the star. By that, Christ was revealed. Jesus then becomes the star. The star of the show.
There’s a move to remove Christ from Christmas.
Our job is to reveal him to the world.
How?
By speaking of him.
This is great news for all people!
When you follow a star, & find a stable.
Disappointed?
They went to the palace to look for him.
But he went where least expected.
You could be looking for a star & find a stable. After a long journey.
Not what we were expecting?
But something amazing is there.
The Magi’s job was to be interpreting signs for life, the signs of the times. Some take this as a word that astrology is okay. Today so many are into horoscopes etc – it’s a dangerous guide!
Lev 20:6 & many other passages warns against such.

It needs the church, to reveal Jesus.
God is bringing light to great darkness – Is 9.
The North Star is the only one to be guided by. If you lose it, you will get lost.
Jesus is our North Star!
If you seek him
Get on the journey
Search
He’s looking for you
Revealing himself
You will find the one you are looking for. He is your direction.

The Wise men made the wise choice. They worshipped him.
Lay face down before him.

Tagged ,
Nov 24 2010
1 Comment
angel, Bible, Christmas, dreams, Jesus, leadership, Manchester, Religion, Uncategorized

DREAMS that lead us to the Great Adventure!

I was meeting with a new friend today who asked me how I came to Manchester and I realised that I had promised way back to blog about the two dreams that helped provide a very clear call back here, but hadn’t ever done so – maybe because I just needed to be moved and well settled before doing so.

Looking back it’s clear now the Lord had actually been shaking us from a place and people we loved very much being in and belonging with. Today I had to uproot a tree stump and it took hours and much straining to get it out, I think God had to get the crowbar out to move us from Horsley.

I wasn’t looking for another job but sensed there might be something else, where I wouldn’t be restricted by parish boundaries – what David Pytches has called ‘The condom of the Church of England.’

I was at Premier Radio for a show and “just happened” to see the Senior Pastor role at ‘Ivy Cottage’ (as it then was) advertised in Youthwork magazine, it “just happened” to be on the coffee table and was in there as a freebie for them with Renewal magazine.

To cut a long story short I was invited to come and meet the Elders and they were – and are – warm, supportive, prayerful and loving. I drove up from West Horsley leaving a very upset wife who KNEW we shouldn’t be going anywhere and told me she suspected I had S.A.D. and needed to buy a sunlamp.

I prayed with the elders and then set off to the hotel I was staying in overnight. I got lost – Manchester had changed a lot since I was living here- and ended up at a petrol station in a rough looking part of the city, in a queue with several blokes who looked like they might roll me. I went back into Policeman mode and authoritative body language meant they backed off without me having to say anything. I drove away and said, ‘Thanks Lord for clear guidance – I never want to come back to live in this HORRIBLE city. I am so grateful for beautiful Surrey!’

I went to bed at the hotel feeling at least this was out of my system.
Then I had a dream:
A little girl, standing on a stool. Her mother stood next to her saying, ‘Oh you are SO beautiful! Look at that lovely face! One day everyone will see how gorgeous you are – you will be a model, a movie star, an international celebrity – because you are so beautiful!’ As she went on gushing, I stood watching thinking, “She really needs to get over it – that is NOT an attractive little girl, she has no chance of being a model.”Then I woke up.

And I knew the Lord was showing me how HE saw the city, and its people – and what I was doing was dismissing the potential he saw in the people he loved. I half repented – “Okay Lord, I won’t say anything bad about Manchester again, but Zoe’s right and I’m not coming here.”I slept better after that. Really well. Had another dream.

I was working hard in an office tower block. I knew I had to go up on the roof because something important was going to happen there. When I got on the roof lots of people in suits were looking up at the sky. A silver jet fighter plane appeared, doing ‘loop the loops’ – people cooed. I thought, “So what?” It stopped dead in the sky, then went backwards, people clapped. I thought, “Show off.” Then went back to work downstairs again. 

Some time later I went back on the roof. Mr. Silver Arrow was still entertaining the crowd, I wasn’t interested. Then the plane came down toward us at Mach 3, and stopped on its nose aerial in front of me. Next it slowly span round and round, perfectly balanced on the aerial.

None of this was rocking my world. Then the plane landed properly and its gull wing doors opened. A large white man in a dazzling white jumpsuit with buzzcut blond hair stood in front of me, “I want to talk to you.” We went inside and he sat opposite me at a table. 

“You’re not impressed are you?” 
“No, I don’t want to appear rude, but I’m not really into aeroplanes.” (This was weird as I do love flying, but it’s a dream, remember!)

“So, what does impress you?” Perfect blue eyes piercing me. 
“Well I am impressed when people do great things for God.”

“Such as?”

“Gandhi. Changed his nation. A man of peace.”

“Oh yes, I knew Gandhi – anyone else?”

“Martin Luther King Jr.”

“Why?

“Well he wasn’t perfect, but he freed a lot of people.” (a line from a song!)

“Yes, I knew Martin. Who else?”

“Billy Graham.”"Why him?”

“Longevity, Integrity. Impact.”

“Oh yes, I know Billy.”

I sat back in my chair. ”Hang on, you say you knew Gandhi and MLK and you know Billy Graham? Where do you know them from?”

The angel (for I believe t’was he…) said, “I appear at strategic times in people’s lives to tell them to get ready for their next step – of the great adventure.”

I woke up – in Manchester, and now I’m here – LIVING THE DREAM!

What about you? I referred briefly to these dreams in my recent BBC Radio 4 recording for ‘Beyond Belief’ – which I think is due to air December 13th on ‘The Supernatural.’

As we approach the Christmas season the nativity narratives are packed full of angels and dreams and the Lord getting his will done through them. Have you experienced this kind of guidance?

Or if you did, would you just shrug it off? I’m glad I didn’t, and I’m more glad that Joseph (for example) didn’t either. Mary needed someone man enough to follow his dreams.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Nov 11 2010
Bible, Faith, Healing, Prayer, Religion, Uncategorized, wisdom

John Coles on Healing/ Prayer teams

I started taking notes on John last week, but then found the boiler had broke at church so spent the rest of the day trying to sort that. The joys of church leadership! Here’s the bits I did get…

Build faith – God is willing to heal today and his desire is to use you to do that.

Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and forever! (Heb 13:8)

New Wine’s Model for healing prayer – to use anywhere (not just in church/ on ministry team)

What does it mean to be a Christian? To become more like Jesus. 2 Cor 3:8 What does that mean in practice?

To have relationship with Abba Father (Rom 8), to live in holiness, and to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit – ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…’ (me too!)

Was Jesus fully God or fully man? BOTH.

How was he able to heal – if was because he was divine, then that rules us out. He sent his disciples out to show that a human being full of the Holy Spirit is enabled to heal the sick.

Francis MacNutt. ‘It is only when the thousands of (God’s people) are praying for the sick that people will regard the healing ministry as ordinary. Only then will the healer be regarded neither as an object of scorn, nor as a subject of worship.’

We are not to falsely idolise particular healers – but involve everyone in this kind of prayer!

Matt 3:13-15 – Jesus gave that authority to the twelve, to heal. Does he give it to us?

He tells them – 1) Be with me. 2) Go out with authority to preach and 3) HEAL!

Luke 10:1,9 He then appointed 72 others. – to do the same stuff. They are ‘little children’ – but they can do it! That’s what delights him.

Matt 28:18-20. Do MY stuff; preach the gospel and heal the sick! The twelve are not exclusive – ‘Everyone gets to play’ (Wimber).

If you haven’t been healing the sick systematically and consistently – why not? In some parts of the world, that’s what’s happening.

What stops us?

Inadequate Theology -
Liberalism/rationalism – miracles can’t happen – reinterpret them
or cessational view: miracles no longer required.
Both are head in the sand views – in fact, the more we pray, the more we see God is healing!
Salvation-only views.
Lack of compassion
Fear
of ‘failure,’ or false hope, or opinions of others, or pastoral chaos.

No repeatable model
(only in a particular way or place, like at the communion rail).
Or a particular ‘anointed’ person gets everyone in a prayer line…
It should be ordinary people, praying in an ordinary way & places.
No opportunity.
respect the leadership – you are not ‘entitled’ to be on the ministry team. We can all pray anywhere – ‘the meeting place is the training place for the marketplace’ (Pytches). We want to see ‘healing on the streets,’ in teams and as individuals.

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