This week a well known celebrity created a world wide stir.
They have apparently adopted a little African boy, and everyone has an opinion on whether it is good or bad!
It seems the boys father was not consulted.
The grandmother is not happy.
Others argue that it is good, because this little boy will have opportunities beyond his wildest dreams.
Those cynical amongst have questioned the $6,000,000 given to an orphanage as part of some sort of an adoption deal.
Driving in my car and listening to talk back radio, I heard all these opinions and more...
A simple thought occurred to me listening to these people…
The Bible says that we should “do good” Galatians 6:9
God’s plan is that all of us should do the good that we find we can do.
If an opportunity presents itself to help, then we should be the first to do so.
No one can complain with any integrity when we do something unselfishly, even sacrificially.
Sometimes (not as often as I should) I have come across situations where I could choose to do something good or carry on my way.
Things as simple as picking up a toy a child has dropped in the supermarket and returning it.
Or helping someone with a door as they carry too much to do it themselves.
Because of the fact that the world we live in is cold and hard...random, even simple acts of goodness, really stand out those who receive them.
One writer in the Bible said that “Jesus went around doing good”
Let’s be prepared to do good to those around.
Be on the look out to be Jesus to those around you.
You have no idea the impact it could have on someone’s life!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
I love the idea of reading...is it just that I am not so good at it…
Currently I am reading a number of books at the same time, which is not too bright, but I am up for the challenge.
Some of them include:
- An Unstoppable Force / Erwin McManus
- Chazown / Craig Groeschel
- Your Church Has A Fantastic Future / Robert Schuller
WHY?
Something I have learnt is that we need to keep our ‘Faith Fresh’.
You can not live on past revelation alone for too long.
Either it will bore you or stop you in a time warp that even you can not perceive.
I know that even with all that I may have learnt already in life, that I need to know more.
I want to understand how this God thing works!
I want to have answers when people ask me questions!
...so I invest in myself by reading and studying...so that I have something to offer others.
I am not too proud to say that I do not know everything.
What we have is an awesome opportunity in our time to learn and gain understanding about what we believe in.
If you are struggling to come to terms with some sort of ‘God thing’, why not read about it.
Wrestle with it until it makes sense to you.
‘Books’ have undoubtedly shaped the lives of other Christians around the world.
God uses this medium to help us all to grow in some way.
How about you grab a great ‘christian’ book today and start reading with me...
Currently I am reading a number of books at the same time, which is not too bright, but I am up for the challenge.
Some of them include:
- An Unstoppable Force / Erwin McManus
- Chazown / Craig Groeschel
- Your Church Has A Fantastic Future / Robert Schuller
WHY?
Something I have learnt is that we need to keep our ‘Faith Fresh’.
You can not live on past revelation alone for too long.
Either it will bore you or stop you in a time warp that even you can not perceive.
I know that even with all that I may have learnt already in life, that I need to know more.
I want to understand how this God thing works!
I want to have answers when people ask me questions!
...so I invest in myself by reading and studying...so that I have something to offer others.
I am not too proud to say that I do not know everything.
What we have is an awesome opportunity in our time to learn and gain understanding about what we believe in.
If you are struggling to come to terms with some sort of ‘God thing’, why not read about it.
Wrestle with it until it makes sense to you.
‘Books’ have undoubtedly shaped the lives of other Christians around the world.
God uses this medium to help us all to grow in some way.
How about you grab a great ‘christian’ book today and start reading with me...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
I have been talking a lot about ‘Seeing God’
My heart is stirred to the point that I am now desperate to see him ‘obviously’ at work in all our lives.
I have come to realise that most generations throughout history have struggled with God when they haven’t
experienced him personally.
This thought drives me to help us all see God at work. Without it, we only have history to go by and most of us either hate history, or ignore it.
As part of my Bible reading recently I found another story that kind of goes along with some of what I have been talking about.
Back when Jesus was born there was a very old man called Simeon.
The Bible actually calls him ‘righteous and devout’...very complimentary.
Simeon had been calling out for God to move in his generation. Asking God to do something before he died. His heart was to not miss out on seeing something of what God had promised happen in his time.
He loved God and we find him in the Temple when he first sees Jesus.
Because of Simeon’s heart, apparently God had promised that he would see the Messiah before he would die. When that actually happened we don’t know, but we do know he believed God, that he stayed the course and God fulfilled his promise.
He got to SEE Jesus.
The Bible also says that he was waiting…
This is that ‘active waiting’ I have been talking about.
He didn’t sit on his hands when God gave him the promise. He was looking and expectant enough that the Holy Spirit was able to prompt him be at the Temple the same time Jesus was there.
I am convinced that God wants us to see him!
The keys are very simple!
Isaiah 641-5a
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
©Today's New International Version. 691. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 2001, 2005.
1. We need to do right
2. We need to wait on him
God wants us to see him be dramatic and do what he has promised.
He is not a man that he should lie about anything!
We need to keep things simple and focused.
Do what you know is right
And actively wait on him.
Do the things like prayer and worship and getting together.
Can I encourage you as I encourage myself…
To turn our thoughts and hearts towards God again this week.
To begin to cry out that he would show up!
That this generation would SEE him…
My heart is stirred to the point that I am now desperate to see him ‘obviously’ at work in all our lives.
I have come to realise that most generations throughout history have struggled with God when they haven’t
experienced him personally.
This thought drives me to help us all see God at work. Without it, we only have history to go by and most of us either hate history, or ignore it.
As part of my Bible reading recently I found another story that kind of goes along with some of what I have been talking about.
Back when Jesus was born there was a very old man called Simeon.
The Bible actually calls him ‘righteous and devout’...very complimentary.
Simeon had been calling out for God to move in his generation. Asking God to do something before he died. His heart was to not miss out on seeing something of what God had promised happen in his time.
He loved God and we find him in the Temple when he first sees Jesus.
Because of Simeon’s heart, apparently God had promised that he would see the Messiah before he would die. When that actually happened we don’t know, but we do know he believed God, that he stayed the course and God fulfilled his promise.
He got to SEE Jesus.
The Bible also says that he was waiting…
This is that ‘active waiting’ I have been talking about.
He didn’t sit on his hands when God gave him the promise. He was looking and expectant enough that the Holy Spirit was able to prompt him be at the Temple the same time Jesus was there.
I am convinced that God wants us to see him!
The keys are very simple!
Isaiah 641-5a
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
©Today's New International Version. 691. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 2001, 2005.
1. We need to do right
2. We need to wait on him
God wants us to see him be dramatic and do what he has promised.
He is not a man that he should lie about anything!
We need to keep things simple and focused.
Do what you know is right
And actively wait on him.
Do the things like prayer and worship and getting together.
Can I encourage you as I encourage myself…
To turn our thoughts and hearts towards God again this week.
To begin to cry out that he would show up!
That this generation would SEE him…
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Recently I was reminded of something that I haven’t done a lot of in public lately.
Namely this thing we call “speaking in tongues”
At our Snow Camp over the weekend, I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on what God wants to do with this generation.
Part of that was God releasing his anointing in a new way that this generation could clearly identify as coming from God.
I had the opportunity to pray for each person at camp.
But I felt it right to pray over them mostly in tongues…
I went away thinking about that.
I wondered if it seemed strange to those present that I would do such a thing?
Because it is not something you hear as much as we used to in Church circles.
For those of you wondering what I am even talking about…
“Speaking in Tongues” is very simply a prayer language that the Holy Spirit gives us when we are baptized in him.
You can read at the start of the Book of Acts the following…
Acts 2:1-13
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
Even after all the history we have had between then and now, it still sounds strange to many people.
I love what the Apostle Paul taught on the subject!
1 Corinthians 14:5
I would like every one of you to speak in tongues
Paul is real clear that this is for all of us!
The Prophet Joel said that God would pour out his Spirit on ALL flesh.
All the believers who were first filled with the Spirit of God at Pentecost were able to do it.
It wasn’t something for some special group only!
1 Corinthians 14:18
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
It was something Paul encouraged we should do as much as possible. He even seems competitive about it?
One of the reasons being, that it encourages our spirit. It gives you things to say to God when your human words run out...
1 Corinthians 14:22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers
Paul even says that it is something we should not hide away. That it is ‘right’ to be public with it. That it is a sign that God is doing something in our generation.
At the very least people will ask questions….and that is a good thing!
1 Corinthians 14:39b
...and do not forbid speaking in tongues
From time to time over history, people have tried to stop Christians from speaking in tongues…
You won’t get that from us!
So if you filled with the Spirit, please pray...please pray in tongues
Let your prayer language grow and develop.
Don’t let it die!
If you think that you are not filled the Spirit of God, talk to us. It is for you!
We would love to talk to you about it and pray for you...and see God fill your life in this way.
Namely this thing we call “speaking in tongues”
At our Snow Camp over the weekend, I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on what God wants to do with this generation.
Part of that was God releasing his anointing in a new way that this generation could clearly identify as coming from God.
I had the opportunity to pray for each person at camp.
But I felt it right to pray over them mostly in tongues…
I went away thinking about that.
I wondered if it seemed strange to those present that I would do such a thing?
Because it is not something you hear as much as we used to in Church circles.
For those of you wondering what I am even talking about…
“Speaking in Tongues” is very simply a prayer language that the Holy Spirit gives us when we are baptized in him.
You can read at the start of the Book of Acts the following…
Acts 2:1-13
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
Even after all the history we have had between then and now, it still sounds strange to many people.
I love what the Apostle Paul taught on the subject!
1 Corinthians 14:5
I would like every one of you to speak in tongues
Paul is real clear that this is for all of us!
The Prophet Joel said that God would pour out his Spirit on ALL flesh.
All the believers who were first filled with the Spirit of God at Pentecost were able to do it.
It wasn’t something for some special group only!
1 Corinthians 14:18
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
It was something Paul encouraged we should do as much as possible. He even seems competitive about it?
One of the reasons being, that it encourages our spirit. It gives you things to say to God when your human words run out...
1 Corinthians 14:22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers
Paul even says that it is something we should not hide away. That it is ‘right’ to be public with it. That it is a sign that God is doing something in our generation.
At the very least people will ask questions….and that is a good thing!
1 Corinthians 14:39b
...and do not forbid speaking in tongues
From time to time over history, people have tried to stop Christians from speaking in tongues…
You won’t get that from us!
So if you filled with the Spirit, please pray...please pray in tongues
Let your prayer language grow and develop.
Don’t let it die!
If you think that you are not filled the Spirit of God, talk to us. It is for you!
We would love to talk to you about it and pray for you...and see God fill your life in this way.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
God wants you to think!
Why do I say that?
Well firstly I believe God gave us all a brain.
Secondly, God wants us to use it to all it’s designed ability. That bit he leaves up to us!
Last week I was looking up some trivia questions on the net and found a site that told me the names of the “3 Wise Men”. I was shocked! Who was able to work this out?
What amazed me even more is that I haven’t been able to find any record in the Bible of “3 Wise Men”. What it does say is that there were a group called the ‘Magi’. No mention of 3 men…
It reminded me to always know for myself what the Word of God says…
Yes listen to what is taught and be teachable, while always checking it out for yourself and coming to terms with it yourself.
I love quoting that passage in Philippians 2:12
“continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”
I think God wants us to understand. He wants us to think.
God is not so much interested in out religious stories or folk tales that can be passed down.
He wants you and I to understand personally what he thinks.
He wants you and I to know what he has done and what he is about to do.
That is again the beauty of the time we live in.
A time where most of us can read and most of us have access to the Word of God.
Please understand that I am not encouraging you to be cynical about everything that is taught you. That would be swinging the pendulum too far. Instead, I want to encourage you to learn about our faith for yourself. Ask questions, wrestle with it.
Then you will feel more connected to it and understand better how to explain what you believe to others.
Why do I say that?
Well firstly I believe God gave us all a brain.
Secondly, God wants us to use it to all it’s designed ability. That bit he leaves up to us!
Last week I was looking up some trivia questions on the net and found a site that told me the names of the “3 Wise Men”. I was shocked! Who was able to work this out?
What amazed me even more is that I haven’t been able to find any record in the Bible of “3 Wise Men”. What it does say is that there were a group called the ‘Magi’. No mention of 3 men…
It reminded me to always know for myself what the Word of God says…
Yes listen to what is taught and be teachable, while always checking it out for yourself and coming to terms with it yourself.
I love quoting that passage in Philippians 2:12
“continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”
I think God wants us to understand. He wants us to think.
God is not so much interested in out religious stories or folk tales that can be passed down.
He wants you and I to understand personally what he thinks.
He wants you and I to know what he has done and what he is about to do.
That is again the beauty of the time we live in.
A time where most of us can read and most of us have access to the Word of God.
Please understand that I am not encouraging you to be cynical about everything that is taught you. That would be swinging the pendulum too far. Instead, I want to encourage you to learn about our faith for yourself. Ask questions, wrestle with it.
Then you will feel more connected to it and understand better how to explain what you believe to others.
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