Monthly Archives: May 2011

Interesting Scripture #12

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In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up…
Acts 1:1,2
All that Jesus began to do and to teach. The Gospel record is not a record of what he did, but simply the start of what he is doing. (Although there is a translation that suggests something along the lines of this being a record ‘from the beginning’ of what he did and taught, the structure seems clear: ‘erxato ho iesous poiein’ with Jesus as the subject of the verbal phrase: began to do…)

So this is indeed a challenge. From birth to ascension is only the beginning of his work and teaching. The clear implication is that if Theophilus is to read this second volume he will read about Jesus and his continuing ministry of acts and speech. Makes sense of the voice of Jesus to Saul of Tarsus:

Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?

The identification between Master and disciples is intimate. This is why my preferred term for the community of faith is the ‘body of Christ’. Not simply body ministry within the confines of building and set times, but with the provocation for the body to do as Jesus did, and to teach as he did. Jesus only doing what he saw his Father doing and saying what he heard him say.

A daily provocation is this Scripture. A godly person said to Gayle one day… ‘eventually you will end up doing what we are doing,’ meaning by that a Sunday service, cells for discipleship and the like. Well maybe. But let’s all accept that as a compromise, maybe a necessary one for the time being. But let’s not accept that was the direction we were expected to move in when the opening verse of the post-ascension to pre-parousia book was written.

Great days ahead. Let any necessary compromises simply be temporary.

HWJP

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A new question. How would Jesus play?

Saturday night was very enjoyable, watching maybe the best football (soccer) team of all time, Barca, win the Champions league. Poetry in motion, and very pleased to read / see the respect that Man Utd players and staff had for the winners. I watched Sir Alex being asked if he had a blank cheque was there any one Barca player he would buy. He replied that was one of the most stupid questions he had ever been asked. Of course his reference was to Messi, the diminutive genius.

So back to the title of the blog. If Jesus were here now would he be a better soccer player than Messi? Would a team of 11 of Jesus beat Barca? Of course a crazy question, but…

A view of Jesus that is ‘he is superman in every way’ is to confuse certain factors.
If Jesus would not have been the best at everything, and perhaps made a mistake (at soccer, or at carpentry) then I think Barca would actually win. Unless, of course, one’s view of the incarnation is that it made Jesus the best at everything. And then how much the best? Running 100 metres in 10 seconds would have made him the best in the world until recently. So maybe he would have been able to do so in 9.2 seconds – a world record that would have stood for a few millenia I am sure. But eventually?

So what’s my point?

A view of Jesus that is ‘he is superman in every way’ is to confuse certain factors. His humanity is full. That makes the possibility of mistakes as within his grasp. But his humanity is true. Without sin. Seeing people as they are. Rejoicing at the gifts in others… when they can run sub-10 seconds when maybe he could not.

Jesus is so human. But what a human.

Forgiveness

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Watch this video of two mothers who find forgiveness. One mother lost her son in 9/11, the other’s whose son is jailed for conspiracy to commit the attack. An amazing friendship has developed. They met in 2002, and have built their friendship from then.

“I have come to see forgiveness as more than a word; it’s a context, a process. I don’t forgive the act, but trying to understand why someone has acted in the way they have is part of the process of forgiving. Forgiveness is being able to accept another person for being human and fallible.”

The Traveller’s Rest- Left Behind.

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Carry on Camping

So another voice wrongly predicts Christ’s return. Harold Camping has in appearance brought Christianity into disrepute again. More bad press because a religious excentric has blurted on about his interpretation of the end times. He got it wrong once before and now he gets it wrong again. But looking at it again has the whole theme of Christ’s return ever been so prevalant on people’s lips and making headlines all over the place? Jesus is again on people’s lips, on facebook status’s and in conversation at work. To my mind that is only a good thing. But this whole second coming theme is a huge one. One that is often debated and disagreed upon. And again I find it amazing that a non-Biblical term like ‘the rapture’ can be made into solid theology. Infact when I was part of the Assemblies of God it was part of the fundamental truths, something that must be believed and taught. Never questioned by many, alternatives were never taken seriously and the rapture was what we needed to be ready for. Cliff sung ‘Like a thief in the night’, Larry Norman sung ‘I wish we’d all been ready’ and the only thing we had to make sure we did was be ready. Sort our lives out. My father in law believed that we’d miss out if we were caught in the cinema, and we certainly needed to keep our church attendance up to not be left behind. Better to be absent in the body and present with the Lord and all that. But I have always felt differently. I have always been more interested in the kingdom coming than in the Kingdom to come. Surely we will have the rest of eternity to praise Him so why rush this bit out of the way? Am I on my own in thinking that I do not want to be taken out of this sphere quite just yet?

Thy Kingdom Come

I have always had a sense of heaven on earth. Infact earth is part of the heavenlies. I want to see this part of the heavenlies restored to former glories. I want to evidence transformation. Surely the Christian life is not just about the great escape plan, getting out of this earth so full of sin and getting to that perfect land of heaven with it’s streets of gold. It must be about the invasion of glory and grace in this earth of ours. The miracle of Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Realising that God is through all and in all. That He has a redemptive purpose for earth as well as my life. That God so loved the cosmos that He sent His Son. His love is beyond humanity to this earth we call our temporal home. But like the parody of Ross Kemp, when things start kicking off we feel like we have to get out of here. Yes it would be easier. Yes we could hand over our responsibilties. Yes we could espace pain and disappointment and death and hurt. Yes we could live in a paradise in a mansion just built for me. But surely this theology misses the heart of God totally. The eyes that see no hope have not really been opened. Seeing Christ and knowing Him is a realisation of His involvement now in everyday life and living. Loving the stranger, giving to the poor, serving others. Kingdom invading the earth. My home, my street, my community, those aisles of Asda, places of glory invasion and kingdom coming. Seeing those shafts of light on a daily basis.

Home is where my heart is.

I want to at least see out my three score years and ten. I want to watch my family grow and continue to share with my wife and my kids everything in this journey and adventure of life. Life is for living, not for wishing it was over and that I was somewhere else. I want to be around to witness what God is up to now. I love being a part of God’s great adventure, I do not want to escape just yet. Yes life is sometimes full of pain and crap, but even that is part of the adventure and the learning and discovery of Christ in and through all things. delirious? sung ‘heaven is my home’, well yes it is, but heaven is right here right now. Like me not the finished article, but one being redeemed each and every day. It is my home and my heart is here. I do not hold too tightly as many things that are seen are temporal, but I see enough eternity in it to love it and want to live fully in it.

Come again.

Do I believe that Christ will return? Yes, although in some respects He has never gone away. How the future unfolds I will leave for Him and the so called experts. Never been one to get too immersed in Revelation theology of the end times because God always sees things from such a different angle to me. All we can do is interpret stuff from our own perspective. Anyone claiming to know the full truth unfolding is just as crazy as Harold Camping. I see signs of end times, but so did the early disciples. Wars and rumours of wars and earthquakes are no new things. They lived as if they were the last generation and so should we, but they also lived as if they and their descendants would be around forever and so should we. Live life to the full, that is all we are asked to do. And preach a coming kingdom to a world that has lost it’s way. Thank you Mr Camping for giving us the opportunity to share some light through your outrageous statements this week.

Last few days…

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So we are home and without any interruptions with the ash cloud!!

A few more notes about Sweden. Wherever we travelled we heard about people coming to faith. Awesome. Many of those were people coming to faith outside the church structures, so one of the challenges will be allowing this to happen in a way that does not illegitimise it, but actually encourages and rejoices in it. Something new is happening.

In the days after Luleå we had time in Byske and Rosvik. These three places have been working together, and the work in mission – spearheaded by Jan Zetterlund – is quite amazing. Planting and support of believers into numerous situations outside Sweden.

In Byske one aspect I pushed that I felt historically it was a meeting place and a place of agreement, so I asked for agreement that whatever God brought to the place – even if it did not enhance what was already there – would be welcomed and not controlled. And I gave a sign of new things would be an ‘aroma’ in the air over the summer. I am always intrigued to know what that might be…

In Rosvik we had three seminars on the Saturday and the thrust was very much that of vision but acting small. Since then we received a very encouraging email from a couple who are teachers and felt empowered to take the kingdom with them into the work place not try to squeeze it into a church shape. This is the change we have to see.

A few more comments from Kiruna:
In Kiruna (in the Arctic Circle) we visited the grave of the founder of the city as we have it today, Hjalmar Lundbohm. It is shaped as a pagan shrine with entrance either side through flat stones in the form of altars and 11 standing stones in a ring either side. Not subtle. The axis one way is to the Lutheran church and the other way through the Town Hall. [The interesting aspect about the city is that it is being relocated due to the instability from the mines... so maybe an opportunity for a fresh start and to break some of these alignments?]

A little later when explaining this to Håkan (spelling???) a Sami from the land, he said that he often saw on the mountains rings of stones set up. He drew the shape to the left.

This was quite amazing for a few hours earlier I was given a 5kr coin (approx 0.50€) to use the rest-room in the restaurant (see I can write in American English too!!). I was given this by a well-known business man in the city. We then got talking and he handed over his business card. Quite amazing the logo shape – the same horseshoe ring shape with a rope that anchored this shape to his product. It spoke to me of something that was harnessing the Sami inheritance in the land for the prosperity of something that had come in. (This is what we had strongly suspected that Lundbohm, with the founding of the iron-ore mine had done before.)

For us though this was very powerful. Money flowing to us (ok only 50 centimes!!) but that is enough to begin something that is prophetic. Signs point to the reality and they draw the reality to the sign, so we were able to pray into the sign, then taking 500kr we placed that into the hand of Håkan as a sign of what is a seed under God becomes a harvest – 30x, 60x or 100x. So 5kr becoming 500… we say bring it on Lord.

There has to be a return in these days to the believers who are first nation people of the land. Some other interesting aspects of the city. In 1986 the city re-established itself with the erection of an obelisk in town to mark 60 years after Lunbohm’s death in ’26. This was also when Håkan came to Christ; his grandfather also paid taxes for the land (!!!) to the Swedish government for 26 or so years longer than he should have. So we pray that his grandson, as a representative of first nation people, can be used of God to restore an inheritance from the land.

Abortions

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India’s 2011 census shows a serious decline in the number of girls under the age of seven – activists fear eight million female foetuses may have been aborted in the past decade. Many factors come into play to explain this: infanticide, abuse and neglect of girl children. [Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13264301.]

If we do not deal with our inability to see people who are different as humans made in the image of God; if we cannot see people as carrying the potential for life – full life – then what word do we have to give to our society?
What a tragedy and how wonderfully releasing the gospel is with its assertion of equality regardless of gender, race or…. (fill in the blank).

I am always searching for correspondences. (If anger among disciples corresponds to murder in society type of links.) I was initially shocked but then a ‘that makes so much sense why have I not seen it before’ came over me recently.

De-humanisation among God’s people and a dehumanisation of the unborn.

If we do not deal with our inability to see people who are different as humans made in the image of God; if we cannot see people as carrying the potential for life – full life – then what word do we have to give to our society? We can criticise abortion, but maybe we need to hear the voice of Jesus: ‘but I say to you’.

Challenging my lack of being touched when there is yet another significant loss of life through bombings or the like – but somewhere else other than where I live. Or among people of another faith. Or…

Coming home

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So tomorrow we leave and fly home… what a wonderful time we have had, culminating today with a lunch with 2 friends that I have had for years in Stockholm. Patrik – years ago we met and he is now working in the business sector based right in the economic centre of Stockholm. A real fulfilment of prophecy. Charles – a faithful mentor for many. Working now in the concept of ‘simple church’, he gave statistics of the European church. The moving forward charismatic wing is growing at around 0.5% per annum, the established church losing numbers at a far greater rate, but what could be called ‘simple church’ in its different forms is growing around 20% per annum. Another great provocation for us was that to make an impact the strong feeling is that there has to be a business aspect to it.

Sweden – we have heard wherever we have gone of people who are coming to faith. It is a new day. [I will make a fuller report in days to come when I have had time to put it together.]

Today we visited Filadelfia church. Lewi Pethrus is a hero to many. Building one of the first ‘mega-churches’ in the world, a building that is still visited today by architects from around the world due to its adventurous style. A people who sent out missionaries, fed the hungry and made a huge impact even through times of great poverty. Good to honour someone of vision and passion… but 2011 calls for something different, something hidden, something organic. Bring it on.

Luleå

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OK we are now seriously far south – at the same latitude as that of northern Iceland. Yesterday we drove through the Arctic Circle (coming south) with a sign saying 4000 kilometres to Madrid.

In 2007 a trip that was very momentous for me, and made an impact across Sweden, this area was where I began. It is now (this whole weekend) where we finish this time. In the past I can remember prophesying strong winds that would come from the north across Sweden to uproot. I was sent links to those when they happened in the following months. This time I have prophesied that this is a new time in Sweden, not a time of uprooting, but of romance for the nation. It will be marked by unusual warm winds over this summer and that new species will be seen in the land – birds and flora.

Since saying that I have been told that there was a new species of sea mollusc, and that 9 birds that have responded to a warm easterly wind have been in the north of Sweden. Their appearance has been likened to a football team winning 10-0 (or an American football team perhaps 70-0). People are travelling to the north to spot them.

Of course this is personally encouraging, but to see a new day of joy in the land is what we want to see.

Here, there are people coming to Christ outside the church structures. If they can walk with them, rather than try to make them conform, there is a new expression in the land. We shout ‘come on’.

The Traveller’s Rest-Event Junkie…

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The Specials, The Madness

When I survey my life as a Christian one thing that I observe from my experience is how easy it is to become a special events and conference junkie. Both as a punter and as a ‘pastor’ the big event was something to encourage the spirit and the being to keep on going. It was a good excuse to actually be part of a crowd if like myself you came from a small ‘fellowship’. It was often the tonic and just what I needed (or so the adverts and speakers told me). Time to sing my heart out and learn new songs. Time to hear world famous speakers and world changers who have been a success in something like growing a church from 0 to a million in a day, or from a church that now has a move of God where the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully and I can come and get it for myself and take it home. Motivational speakers that tell me I can do what they have done. Meet hungry people just like me and build an atmosphere of faith where anything can happen. We’ll have a great time because all the problem people are at home who have no faith for anything. Time to get away with the Lord. Spend our hard earned money on the latest resources, the speakers books and CD’s, the musicians latest worship CD’s, the this is how to become the best church/person/leader seminar on tape, recorded so we can take a bit of the conference home and spread the word. Fill up enough to keep us going until the next event or conference. Travel miles to hear our favorites, even get on planes to the other side of the world to get a word or a touch. Madness? Well you think and then decide.

Confession-I am a recovering event junkie

From the age of 15 when I became a Christian I was introduced by my ‘pastor’ to the events and conference scene. I loved it. Coming from a ‘church’of about 35-50 people, many moaners and complainers, it was a great opportunity to be exposed to different styles of teaching and worship. The Assemblies of God conference was my first fix and from there I was an addict. I can still remember many of those early messages, some of them life changing. Those altar calls were brilliant. I have re, re, re, re, re, ,recommitted my life to the cause many times. Responded to more of the Spirit, going to the Nations, taking an extra step, becoming a youth worker, worshipper, servant, leader, sorted out my besetting sins and stood on the devils head. No wonder I am such an amazing Christian!!! I had the faith levels to receive it all. Then came Grapevine where I was exposed to Gerald Coates. I followed him everywhere I could. I loved the controversy. Plus he gave words of knowledge and prophecy. Now I wanted to see anyone who was prophetic where I might get a Word to tell me what my life was going to pan out like. Went off to Bible college and went to a few gigs when big speakers were around, and then we had specials where big speakers would come and speak on a Wednesday night. We were going to take the world by storm. If I ever felt dry there was always a special where I could find an oasis. I was learning ready for when I would become a ‘pastor’, make sure you have some specials. Events are good. Expose the people to world changing ministries.

Build a platform

Then came the Toronto blessing. Bit far to go with little money, so in my lack of faith I only went as far as Sunderland for their refreshing. But what conferences they put on. And all those wild prophets and fire of God people!!! More books, more money spent on travel. I was getting in debt supporting my habit but hey I was getting blessed and investing in my future as a successful blessed Christian. After all if I got this it would answer everything, that is what the speakers and hosts would tell me. It was great to get carried away into a frenzy along with the crowd. Build that revival atmosphere. These names started coming into Wales then, fire conferences everywhere. We were becoming Holy Spirit arsonists. These people even came to Tonyrefail. Amazing events where the elite got it but the religious would complain about the wild behaviour, the prophetic, the falling over, the drunken behavior. If only they would open their eyes and become a junkie like me. Then I made it, I was asked to speak at a conference. To be one of the platform people. Wow I had made it. Now I was not just the junkie I was a supplier. Got my name on a few posters. I could make new junkies out of these punters. I had made it….

My personal Babel.

Then I started speaking a different language to my fellow suppliers. My name no longer appeared on posters, I was no longer invited to the big events. It was like almost overnight I started walking a different path, not in the spotlight but in the margins. How quickly you are forgotten and written off. As an event junkie I suffered cold turkey. I wanted to arrange one. I wanted to go to one. I wanted the prophets to come to town. I wanted to be the prophet. But life was different now. I was trying to rediscover normality. That at the end of the day God was not to be found in the wind, earthquake and fire of the conference scene but in the still silent voice of every day living. My life was invested in chasing the dream, but now I live the dream. I was running after the now Word of the Lord, now I live as the Word of the Lord in my community. I was an event junkie, but now I am a life junkie, and living life to the full every single day. God said about David that he had a steadfast heart, it was not hyper one minute and depressed the next, it was steadfast. For those of us brought up on the fix of the spectacular the steadfast seems a compromise of satisfaction with the status quo. That this life will not change anything. But week by week I see the effect of living a steadfast life. Steadfast does not mean boring, my life is a crazy adventure, but it is built on life and not special events. Family, work, community, socail life, all alive with the DNA of God’s whisper. Looking back events fill us with a discontentment with everything. We think life should look like the event. It never will. Life is life. Dirt, flesh, sweat, blood, pain, joy, hope, spirit, laughter, tears. This is your life. Does this mean I will never go to an event again? I might do but I know my life is not dependant on them. Haven’t been to one for ages and have not felt I have missed out. Does that mean I will never speak at one again if asked? I will never say never because any chance to tell your story is a good opportunity, but now it will not just be about creating a fan base but about depositing in lives for their lives. Not just about my story but about ours together. Once I got a buzz out of the platform, but no more. Once I felt as if I was part of the move of God when I was so involved, felt outside when no longer invited. I’ve got over it. Moves of God ebb and flow, but He always remains. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. It is time to forget the hype and live the life daily what He has given us. Yes share, yes build relationships, but don’t be conned into thinking He only dwells where the crowds and big gatherings are. He is the God of the margins and of the small things. He is the God of my everyday life, my life is the event I live for.

Kiruna

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Almost 100 miles inside the Arctic Circle. Cold – snow today… In fact one guy says in the last 45 years he only knows of 3 occasions when there has not been snow in June!! Not sure when I will have time for a fuller report but we have had an awesome day. The history of the place is amazing. Basically a town founded because of mining, but then everything is mixed in the town with paganism and Christianity; with offering something in terms of employment and placing a noose around the neck particularly of the Sami people (first nations).

We certainly think we have shifted something… now is the time to laugh.

If I get more time – we are travellllllllling a lot, with a few stops, a few internet connections, so I might not be back on-line for a few days, but if I do get more time I will post a fuller account.

Sweden: short note

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We are off today to the Arctic Circle, apparently where we are headed is further away from Gothenburg than Rome is!! When we finish these days I will probably do a longer blog on the whole, but it is a very interesting time for Gayle and I. I last visited in 2007 and was able to do a 16 location tour. The impact from that time is still in the land, where we travel people are referring to it. It marked (written in my Bible from then) a transition time for the nation… then I wrote and for me personally (thinking that transition would kick in some 4 years later!!). Within 8 months that transition was on the way and just over a year later we moved to Spain.

I have no doubt again that this trip is marking a transition. The connections are much more into the spheres / gates with people hungry to see the kingdom of God makes its mark into society. The discussions are provocative for Gayle and I as well as those we are with.

Just before going north we are with the historic mission school (seminary) here in Örebro. Apparently they come with a much more traditional theological approach so are going to be ready to question me on such issues as corporate spirits, the development of cities etc., from a theological perspective. So by the grace of God a little stirring of the pot I pray.

France, YWAM

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After Valencia we were with YWAM in Le Gault (east of Paris) for four days of teaching on spiritual mapping. I really enjoy investing into these situations… lights come on, people are open and are willing for action. It is also so good for me to listen. In any ongoing situation it is easy to end up with one’s head down forgetting some of the principles that have already been learned over the years.

I also love to hear some of the stories from intercession and reconciliation from those who have travelled that path within YWAM. Then as a major bonus we find that those situations are times and places when we gain a lot of insight. Partly time to reflect, time to pray about future things, and partly the openness of intercession makes it a situation where revelation can flow. For us personally it was invaluable. We will go home with some action points!

What a beautiful part of the world. Farmland everywhere, small villages, everythign so tranquil. Why fight over land – it is madness.

This area of France saw some major loss of lives in the two wars. In one battle alone there were all-but 1 million young lives lost. This war memorial is for the US soldiers who lost their lives. War memorials are so difficult to know how to respond. I do not have a difficulty in saying that some measure of memory is important, yet at the same time find that so often they are placed on ley-lines (as this one is), they keep something locked in the area resulting in a fear of responding to God.

Prayer had taken place here previously and it is clear that there has been a shift over the years. To break bread here was a privilege and a powerful act.