Occasionally my 15 year old son surprises me with his wisdom!!! My wife was recently telling him about the parents of a friend of his who had told their son to wear a coat to school as it was raining (a sensible precaution I hear all you parents cry!). The friend was not keen however (coats are so not cool apparently), and refused. Rather than let the lad learn from experience (part of growing up and, after all, this was not a life-threatening behaviour choice!) the parents felt the battle was worth it, and so told the lad if he didn't wear his coat the internet would be switched off all evening (a fate worse than death apparently for most modern teenagers!)
Unsurprisingly, the lad complied and wore his coat. Now, my son astutely observed that although the parents had achieved obedience, the lad's heart motives for obeying were simply the fear of punishment. He had not seen that it was a good idea for his own health or comfort to wear a coat, and neither did he do it because he wanted to bless and honour his Mum and Dad. It was simply the fear of punishment that made him comply. Now I began to wonder, how many Christians or believers of other faiths do things, or deny themselves things for this one motive - fear of punishment? Is this really the motive our loving heavenly Father wants us to base our decisions on? Does he want children whose hearts are simply set on loving Him, doing things to bless him, and the world around them, and avoiding behaviours because they see how harmful they can be to themselves and others. Or does He want children who obey grudgingly, who give themselves and their resources to the things of the kingdom because they are afraid if they don't they will be punished? I mean, honestly take a look at your own heart - why do you go to church? Why do you give money? Why do you worship? Why do you try to 'keep the rules' and 'behave yourself' in a manner that you think God wants? Is there even a small part of you that does these things because you fear punishment, or that your loving heavenly Father will take things away from you, or make life hard for you if you don't? I am in no way suggesting that we just do what we like, embrace poor lifestyle choices, and stop doing the things that Father has given us for our blessing and encouragement. I am simply encouraging us all to question our motives and return to lives lived simply because of, and through divine love. Jesus did not do the things he did and suffer the agony of the cross because he feared His Father's wrath if he didn't. He was perfected in love so had no unhealthy fear. Whatever he did it was because he loved His Father and wanted to be a blessing to him. Let our motives for all that we do, and don't do become more like Jesus. Father fill us again with your love, and keep filling us until our hearts want what you want and we walk constantly and uprightly in your love. Well, my fellow leader has reprimanded me for the lack of recent updates to the website which she enjoys showing to her computer classes! So, just for you Heather, by the time you do the class it will only be 3 weeks old instead of 3 months!
As I write this partly tongue in cheek, I feel the Spirit reminding me that often our relationship with God can end up a bit like this - not updated or renewed. It is easy to rest in the fact that it is 'there' in the background, that He spoke to us or did something in our lives months or years ago, and too often that is our current testimony. The truth is that God has revealed himself to us as a loving Father who wants to be in relationship with us today. Each day he has things to talk with us about, daily encouragement, daily love, daily comfort, daily joy, daily peace. Like the Israelites who had to collect fresh manna every day in the desert, so our Father has daily nourishment for us. I am reminded of the old song "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning, Great is Your faithfulness O Lord, Great is Your faithfulness" So, if you haven't renewed your relationship with God today, why not take a few moments to sit quietly and listen to what he wants to share with you, or just simply to let yourself be filled again with His Presence and love. And Heather - keep reminding me about the website! Just back from a fantastic weekend in Poland with Jeff Scaldwell of Father's House Europe. Jenny and I were part of the prayer ministry team being our heavenly Father's loving arms on earth to His precious Polish children who have lived under such oppression for years, both secular and sadly in many cases religious.
It was wonderful to see a church coming in to the freedom of the children of God, learning now how to lay aside the rules, regulations, judgemental attitudes and New Testament Pharisaism that has accompanied many a modern church, and to begin embracing unconditional love, childlikeness, acceptance, joy, and a freedom that the world is deep down crying out for. The Polish Christians that we met were amazingly hospitable and we felt such a love very quickly for them. The goodbye hugs and prayers at the end of a short weekend were deep, genuine and for my part very moving. We were truly blessed to spend time relaxing, eating, laughing and praying with them. On the Sunday evening after the final of Euro 2012, we were quite overcome with joy from the Holy Spirit. I was trying to share the things we were learning here in Hemsworth but all that came out were peals of uncontrollable laughter. I guess that's what they needed more than my pearls of wisdom about church life in Hemsworth!!! My mind was also opened to some new culinary delights, such as a plate of raw beef mixed with raw egg and raw pickled veg, coupled with potato rostis sprinkled with sugar. Both were very tasty I kid you not! I long to see more and more leaders and churches embracing the amazing Father Heart of God and beginning to walk out of religious slavery and into glorious childlike freedom. I want that more and more fr On Sunday as we were praying a song came into my mind that I have not heard since being a kid. I thought was a ‘Play Away’ song (remember that with Brian Cant?) and didn’t realise it was the Beatles (I had a sheltered upbringing!)
Anyway, I felt that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about this song (yes, He does speak to us through things other than scripture) and so I googled the lyrics. As I read them (see underneath) I was amazed to see what a fantastic image of the kingdom of heaven the song represents (whatever their original meaning was I don’t particularly care). I’d like to be under the sea, In an octopus’s garden in the shade He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been, In his octopus’s garden in the shade I’d ask my friends to come and see, An octopus’s garden with me I’d like to be under the sea, In an octopus’s garden in the shade We would be warm below the storm, In our little hideaway beneath the waves Resting our head on the sea bed, In an octopus’s garden near a cave We would sing and dance around, Because we know we can’t be found I’d like to be under the sea, In an octopus’s garden in the shade We would shout and swim about, The coral that lies beneath the waves Oh what joy for every girl and boy, Knowing they’re happy and they’re safe I’d like to be under the sea, In an octopus’s garden with you Before sin entered the world I think Eden was like this – safe, happy, carefree, joy for every girl and boy, singing, dancing, deep in the depths of the Father’s love, and even in this world of storms and pain and fear, there is a place deep in the heart of the Father that Jesus won for us at Calvary where we can be safe, secure, at peace and joy. One day we shall know this in full, but until that day let us, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, search out the ‘Octopus’s Garden’ that is the kingdom of heaven amongst and within us now. As a fellowship we are committed to gathering round the fire of His Presence to be real and to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying in these days. He has much to encourage us with which will be in language and imagery that is relevant to us here in the 21st century in Britain. He will not go beyond the Truth as revealed in Scripture, that will always be our safe boundary, but He will open our eyes to things yet unseen, and help us to understand the great Truth that is Jesus and the grace in which we now live.
Smouldering sticks and wilted lettuceThis Sunday He was showing us that we are often like sticks that have been pulled from the fire. They burn for a while then the flame dies and they simply smoulder. Thankfully, He has promised never to break a bruised reed reed or put out a a smouldering wick (or stick). The answer, to allow ourselves to be immersed once again in the fire of His Presence and love. We also had the picture of lettuce leaves gone limp. Normally I’d throw them in the bin, but apparently if you put them in ice cold water they crisp up again! Try soaking (find a comfortable place, put some quiet Christian music on and simply sit or lie in His Presence) if you feel a bit wilted! Britain’s Got Talent!He was also encouraging us with a picture from ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ of all things! People walk on stage to be judged by three judges. Some are found wanting and get buzzed off, or even booed by the crowd. Others find favour and get to the next level. He was showing us that we only have to walk out onto the stage to receive the applause of audience (angels) and the 3 judges (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Why? Because we are not being judged on what we can do, or how well we can perform, but on WHO WE ARE – the children of God through faith in Jesus. We have already passed the test. We don’t need to spend our lives and energy trying to gain the approval of the Father or anyone else. I was reminded of the verse in Colossians which says ….“and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col 1:12-14 All are past tense – accomplished, finished, done. No sense of ‘maybe’ or ‘will at some point if you do well enough’ ! Heaven’s benefit cultureWe were reminded this week that we are all on Incapacity Benefit and many other heavenly benefits. He was reminding us that we are totally dependant on what someone else has worked hard to achieve. It is difficult for many in society to be dependant on benefits, (though some take to it like a duck to water!) In the same way, we often find it difficult to be totally dependant on heaven’s benefits. Perhaps it’s Pride, or the stigma of being dependant on others that hinders us, but we must overcome this to receive heaven’s benefits. Jesus modelled total dependency on His Father. We need to realise that we are incapable of providing for our own salvation, or healing, or guidance, or peace, or power, or protection, and rely more and more on Kingdom benefits. It rather goes against the grain for many of us, especially those of us brought up in a ‘work work work’ culture, but it is the most freeing thing in the world to realise I CAN’T DO IT. I NEED HELP. At that moment we can begin to receive all the benefits that Jesus paid the price for. Psalm 103 says: 1 Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Be blessed Big thanks to Cath and Kev who reminded us last week of the importance of knowing who we are. It’s one of the most fundamental questions that most of us spend our entire lives never really answering, and so we end up living the greatest lie of all – being who we’re not, or at least attempting to define ourselves by all the wrong parameters, such as our employment status, material possessions, current circumstances, health, peer group, physical appearance, or other cultural ‘norms’.
Men in particular, though not exclusively, are happier defining themselves in terms of their occupation – the first question at a social gathering of strangers likely to be ‘so what do you do?’ ‘Am I enough?’ is the unspoken question that aches deeply in the heart of many in a culture that values the add-ons so highly. Am I enough to be accepted, valued, desired, without my make-up, designer clothes, well-paid job, nice house, sporting achievements, ‘six-pack’ abs, witty banter, intellectually stimulating stories, drunken antics, heroic tales, great vision and plans for the future etc etc? To our heavenly Father you are more than enough. You don’t have to impress him with your deeds or appearance. He already loves you and desires you as much as he ever will without any add-ons. He made you well, and he likes what he made. You are his little boy or little girl and you don’t have to pretend to be anything other than that. You don’t need to worry about the future, nor regret whatever your past has been like. The Father sent his own child Jesus to heal and redeem (make good out of bad) your past, enable you to live in His amazing love and care and guidance today, and, if you continue to let Him take care of you, assure you of a glorious future. That is who you are, a child of God. That will never change. Your only choice is whether to return home to the Father to live in His provision, guidance and care, to learn again what it is to be a child – or to continue to make your own painful way in life, defining yourself or being defined by the ever-changing circumstances of life. As for me, I’ve come home, and I’m learning the joy and peace of being the child of the most wonderful Father. Call it what you like – ‘Soaking’, ‘Waiting on God’, ‘Tarrying’, ‘marinating’ etc.- but the practice of simply setting aside time to ‘be’ in the Presence of God is essential for our health and well-being, and a large part of our ‘raison d’etre’.
I have decided to rename it for our fellowship as ‘Sunbathing’. Every year people pay hundreds if not thousands to escape the oft dreary weather of the British Isles to lie on a recliner round a pool, not doing anything in particular other than receiving the benefits that the sun offers – vitamin D etc etc. Because we live in a very fast-paced, demanding culture, this space away in the warmth serves to de-stress, allow thinking time, and re-aligns us a bit more closely with our human need to regularly rest and not ‘do’ anything but simply ‘be’. So it is our heavenly Father’s heart for us that we carve out time to sunbathe in His Presence. Radiating from Him is an immense source of goodness, kindness, love, power, peace, healing, restoration for our bodies, minds and souls. As we sit our lie down in the light of Him, we naturally receive this goodness. So why not try it out? It doesn’t cost thousands of pounds! Simply find a quiet, comfy place, and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into the moment. If you find it helpful put some quiet music on, or simply enjoy the silence or sounds of nature wherever you are. If you’re an active person you might struggle at first to settle into peace, just as it often takes busy people a day or two to really relax into a holiday and forget the world they’ve left behind – but be encouraged, the more you do it the easier it gets. Just start off with 15 minutes or so, and see where you get to. It’s OK if you fall asleep – you obviously needed it! Happy sun-bathing – I look forward to seeing your new glow! Our heavenly Father really is the best parent in the world. He knows just how to teach us lessons we need to learn, and he does it in such a way that is unique to each one of us. His correction and discipline (not punishment I hasten to add) is perfectly tailored according to how he has made us. I used to fear the word discipline, associating it with punishment, or something frightening. I am now seeing his discipline as amazingly kind and personal to me.
It is humbling but lovely when He shows you how way off the mark your attitudes and beliefs are, and saves us from going too far down an unhelpful path. We have been going out ‘treasure hunting’ (Spirit led evangelism) for a few weeks, with amazing encounters each week. 2 weeks ago, I was keen to stress to our group that it is not the ‘result’ that is important, nor the amazing encounters, but simply the fact that we are out there being obedient that is important and pleasing to our Father. Well, this week, inexplicably, I had no conversations and none of my ‘clues’ seemed to bear any fruit. As the evening wore on I got more and more frustrated, questioning myself, the team I had gone out with etc. The other team members had had conversations but not me. When I got home I was in quite a non-plussed state, so I asked Father what had happened. I felt him say to me, with a knowing smile on His face “I just wanted to see if you really believed what you said last week!” Well, talk about ‘nailed!’ In an instant I realised how much hot air I had been waffling last week. I did believe what I said, but when the rubber hit the road and I did not have any so-called ‘results’, the reaction spoke a very different story. He then reminded me very gently of the conversations that the others had, and again, I realised that my frustration was born out of complete selfishness. I was frustrated because I didn’t have conversations or clues working out – me, me, me. Ha! I was also miffed because a new guy had joined us, and I wanted him to see how amazing it had been over the last few weeks. Father asked me the question – Who are you going out for? Is it really me? And that summed up and exposed the motive of my heart. I want to be like Jesus, to live like He did – that’s what taking his yoke on ourselves means. It doesn’t mean to do exactly all the things he did but rather to have the same lifestyle which leads to the deeds – and what sums up Jesus’ lifestyle? In a simple nutshell, he lived a life whose sole aim was to please His Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. His motive was not to please himself, or please others but simply and utterly to do and say only what His Father wanted, because He loved Him. This latest incident showed me I still have a mountain to climb when it comes to living like this, but I am so thankful that my heavenly Father loves me too much to leave me like this, but in the gentle, affirming way that He deals with me, he is patiently bringing me increasingly to those places where my motives match my often grandiose sounding words! Well, it’s September and I’ve learned a lesson over the Summer – I need to rest properly! I usually look forward to September – it’s my New Year (probably stemming from fresh starts at school), and I feel excited about the possibilities ahead, energised and expectant. It’s been very different this year. I have felt jaded, flat, lacking in motivation. It feels like I’ve just picked up where I left off in July, despite the general ceasing of activity in August. Sadly that is true. I have not had time away of any significance from church activities. Although not ‘busy’ as such, I have not been away mentally throughout August from church life, and now I am paying the price. My pastor warned me of the dangers of not getting quality time away, but I naively thought that organising a church holiday would count as the holiday I needed! (I hear many wise pastors chuckling to themselves at this point!)
We really do need time out otherwise we just become functioning, going through the motions, rather than really living and truly blessing others. It’s difficult as well, as there are so many demands on our lives, particularly for anyone with a young family. Our heavenly Dad created us to need and enjoy rest, indeed man’s first day on earth was a Sabbath, a day of rest. I think He did it like that to teach us to work from a place of rest, not rest to recover from all the work! I’m not fully recovered yet, as I struggle at times to engage with the things that once gave me joy, but I have taken up fishing as an excuse to ‘get away from it all’ and just enjoy being with my Dad in the beautiful world He created for me. Even here though the balance can be difficult to achieve, as my son also wants to come fishing with me, which I am really overjoyed by, but aware that this will not afford me the ‘alone time’ that I desperately need, and I can’t spend all my time fishing with my son or on my own, as I have a wife and daughter to think about as well! It’s not easy but I am well aware that at times I have to be selfish in looking after me and making sure my life is in harmony with the Holy Spirit, or the life I lead outside this will be counterproductive to all those I love. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2015
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