Tent Peg Faith

I wanted to share a couple of thoughts that relate a lot to where our Church Family is at, that maybe will encourage you on your faith journey?

Here is a scripture we really feel God has spoken to us through...

2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants will dispossess nations
    and settle in their desolate cities.
Isaiah 54:2-3 niv

God is not asking us to throw away anything, nor is He asking us to start again.
He is asking us to take what we already have and stretch it a bit.
He is asking us to not just stretch in one direction, but a little more in every direction.

Imagine you are one of many people around what is collectively our tent...
Now imagine yourself with your tent peg in your hand, stretching it out a bit.
To the right and left of you people are doing exactly the same thing.
As everyone stretches together the tent invariably become bigger.
Bigger in space, effectiveness, expectation, resource - bigger everywhere.
Making room for us to grow and for others to find shelter...

Tent Peg Faith is all about letting God stretch us 'in faith'.
It is taking what God has given each of us and stretching it for His glory.

May God speak to you about where you can stretch in this season as you join others around our tent?

Something to think about...

Read between the lines

Scripture makes some pretty bold and sometimes hard statements about life and faith. I am a big fan of all of them!

We can also miss so much of what is not written by only focusing on what is written. That is why I am also a fan of praying as you read scripture and expecting God to speak directly in our hearts.

Here is an example that I hope helps?

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

1 Timothy 6:12 niv

What is written between the lines here?

1. Your faith is equated with a fight.

It will feel like a battle sometimes. It is supposed to...not some ocean cruise on the Love Boat of good times. Following Jesus is for the broken, lost and sick...who discover something better worth holding onto. That fight for many of us is the wrestling with our desires to do wrong and/or temptation pulling us in directions we know aren't right. We are called to wrestle (fight) with our faith because it is worth  something to us...

2. Lots of fights are going on...which one should we fight?

The hint is there good fights and bad fights. Paul talks elsewhere about avoiding fights about the meaning of words and of genealogies. We are called to fight a fight that is good and that is eternal.

It is like we are being encouraged to pick a side in the battle. I choose to fight the good fight of grace, love and truth.

3. Am I willing to fight?

Pacifist Jesus theology takes us to places and influences potentially in poor ways. It means we keep waiting on Jesus to pour blessing after blessing on us and that everything should be peace, love and mungbeans. 

How willing are you to fight for what you have? How far will you go?

I have stuck my hand up to follow Jesus and join with the Kingdom of God for two things, my life and the life of those around me. I will fight for what matters most and not simply rest on what matters most.

As you read this passage and any number of potential others in scripture this week...

May you consider what is written between the lines? May you let God speak and build you?

Something to think about...

We all...

We all have the propensity for much evil and...

We all have the potential for so much good...

Which side will we lean towards more?

That was my thought I tweeted to the world around me this week.
It came to me as I was running along a path in a local park, watching others...
You might be wondering why?
Well here is my thought process...

• I found some people were really good at sharing the narrow path, while others were really selfish (one group gave me no room and I crashed briefly into some bushes).
• Rubbish bins were being used by some and others just dumped all manner of stuff on the ground.
• Some people were walking their dogs on a leash, while others let their dog bark and jump on me.
• I think of people who care amazingly for those with special needs and then also think of others who have abused them for whatever reason. A lady is Russia did the unthinkable this week! She cut the head off a special needs child...I can't begin to put into words how that makes me feel.
• Someone dreams up a drug in a lab that can help people who are sick with the desire to make it cheap and accessible. Another person buys out the rights to that same drug and ramps the price up 1000% because they see profit as a bigger benefit.
• Some people grow up to become Hitler's and Stalin's while others grow up to be Mother Theresa's.
• Two boys grew up to be Cain, the other Able, and they turned out quite different.

I am not going to get into why people are different and some act one way or the other.
I simply want to keep it personal for you and me.
Which one do we want to lean most towards? 
Yes our upbringing and a lifetime of influences will have a bearing on us, but they don't have to define us!

Can I encourage you, especially if you consider yourself to be a Christian, to do the following?
Each day look for one opportunity to do good for someone else even if it costs you something in regards to your time or resources.
Each day fight the desire to be selfish or even nasty.
Each day ask God to help you. Maybe even be like David and maybe ask Him to deal with you heart?

You have the potential right now to do so much good!

Something to think about...

Flying Mud and Sex Toys

Recently a leading political figure was doused in some foul smelling brown concoction as a form of protest.
Another political figure had his face targeted with some kind of sex toy.
I have been to plenty of events where a public figure has been introduced to speak and boo's spontaneously erupt from many in the crowd.

Being against something that is painfully and obviously wrong is totally cool in my book. I value the fact that we live in a country where protest is possible.
Where I feel very, very uncomfortable is the level some think is acceptable to go. When and where it is appropriate, that sort of thing?

Being someone who tries my best to follow Jesus example, I have come to realise there are times for different reactions and responses to things we don't like or agree with.
Sometimes Jesus walked away.
Sometimes Jesus spoke out very strongly.
Another time he made a whip and attacked some people ripping others off.
And finally as a form of protest and wanting change, He sacrificed His life.
Very different approaches indeed!

If you check out Romans chapter 13 it is very challenging reading. Not how we normally want to treat others in authority. I dare you to check it out for yourself...

I desperately want great leaders leading our fantastic town, nation and the world.
So I do what I can, the best way I can. I treat others with respect and pray for them.
That is my form of protest...

Something to think about...

What an Apple Update reminded me of...

I had been putting it off for a little while, but finally gave in to the daily nagging reminders that there was an update for my Apple devices available...
While I sat there dutifully following Apples process, the whole experience reminded me of a few things relating to our faith.

Someone else has decided what is best for me...
Some well meaning Apple executive decided that I needed this particular update and told others to make it happen. They are paid to know more about these things than I ever will.

God has a far better vantage on my life than I do.
He sees it best and also knows exactly what I need, when I need it.
Because He is changing us from glory to glory, He plans a process of 'upgrades' along the way.
The moment we try to avoid them we have avoided God's best for ourselves. If we decide God has done enough then we have deceived ourselves that we know best...

A small tweak here and there to make things better...

Incremental small updates seems less troublesome and stressful so I let them happen regularly.

I think God prefers to gently and progressively work on upgrading us as it is the most pleasant way for it happen. When we short cut or derail the process the big changes that end up needing to happen hurt just that little bit more...

Updates take time and so does anything worth doing...
Yes I wish Apple made the perfect phone or app etc right from the start. But I also have enjoyed seeing the evolution over time in front of my eyes.

When I look back at where I have been and who I was to now, what God has done and is doing is pleasing!

I realised there were apps I wasn't using and they were just taking up space...
Prompted by todays update I noticed that I have a catalogue of apps that really weren't being used anymore or that helpful to me anymore. Some were taking up valuable space I could be using for other things.

With each upgrade or change that I let God do in my life, I come to realise I have clutter in my heart.
There are some things a long the way that I have discovered aren't needed or that shouldn't be hung on to. Things that aren't helping my spiritual life now so out they go!

Something to think about...