Day 07 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Process Like David"

You can be reading this and thinking that maybe you wish you had someone to vent to?
Someone who would listen.
Someone who wouldn't just tell you to just "suck it up", "harden up" or swallow a "concrete pill".
Someone you could feel safe to share your heart and not be judged afterwards.
And someone who once you have become oh so vulnerable, who would keep whatever was said super private!

I have some news for you!
There is someone like that is available right now for you and me.
It isn't an online counsellor, a facebook friend, a politician, or even a pastor!

I want to encourage you today in your potential lockdown world, a world filled maybe with questions and uncertainty of the future, to copy someone else.
I want to strongly encourage you to do what David did.
To share your heart privately, openly and honestly.
God is not concerned about the words and how eloquent they are.
God is more interested and keen to hear from your heart of hearts.

And as you pour out your heart like David, can I encourage you to take it up just one more level and before say "amen", follow his example some more, and add some faith to it all.

The pattern demonstrated to us in Psalm 13 is just that:
Pour out your heart...
And then pour out with heart with faith added...

I am believing with you today that it will make a very real difference to you.

Something to think about...

Special thanks to LifeChurch.tv for use of the 
YouVersion Bible App. Scripture Copyright 
New International Version

Day 06 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Whose Report?"

As someone living in the modern world, you are very much like me I would think...
We are both surrounded by report after report on what this virus means for us now and the future.
Even this mornings reports I read from all sources, with different political leanings and aspirations, different faith perspectives, varied so much that I turned them all off.

As I pondered this.
As I wondered why we can't have "the truth".
A phrase popped into my head (think it was the Holy Spirit to be honest) "whose report will you believe?"
I felt like saying straight back..."whose report should I believe because they are all over the place!"
And that my friend is the point!

A great example of this in scripture is when the 12 spies famously went to check out the promised land on behalf of Joshua and all the Israelite nation.
Even though the 12 saw exactly the same thing. Experienced the same thing. Even tasted the same thing...2 reports that were polar opposites emerged from that mission.

People have a weakness not often acknowledged I believe.
We filter what we see through our own lens of life.
We take facts and apply a filter to try and understand what we are seeing, feeling, experiencing.
If we are not careful we can allow others to apply their filter to our filter, and as you can guess, the truth is potentially even further obscured.

I read just this morning the story of a young man that Smith Wigglesworth (famous evangelist from last century) was mentoring during WWII.
One day this young man arrived for their time together with a newspaper under his arm and Mr Wigglesworth wouldn't let him into the house, declaring that it was full of lies.
Apparently at the time the papers were saying the war was going badly and hope was minimal for success. But Smith firmly believed a different report that there would indeed be victory.

I think you probably get where I am going with all this?
Whose report will you believe today?

I am not encouraging you to become a conspiracy junky.
Nor am I encouraging ing you to hide in a hole until this blows over.
What I want to encourage us to do today is to consider what we want to believe in this time and season.
As for me, I am praying for God to continue to speak clearly, to give me wisdom, to help me see past 'media factsheets' to Kingdom truths and realities.
I want a report from heaven over any other report!
Maybe you could do the same with me today?

Something to think about...

Day 05 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Power of a Song"

They say that music has the power to move someone.
To affect their emotions. To shift their mood.
To change their life.
Now add to that power, power from Heaven...
...what difference could a song, the right song, make in your life right now?

Over the last few days every time I listen to, even sing along with certain songs, my countenance changes.
My mood changes.
I feel stronger.
God feels closer.
And I feel like I can tackle whatever is coming my way...

Here are some of my favourites right now!

Graves into Gardens - Elevation Worship

Faithful Now - Vertical Worship

Can I encourage you today to pick a song?
Pick a special song that connects you with your Father in Heaven.
And let it shift you...

Something to think about...

Day 04 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Withdraw"

I woke up far too early today and after a while of just lying there thought I would listen to the radio.
Every moment of talk and comment was filled with Corona virus talk, seasoned fully with fear to flavour it up. It didn’t help me at all!

As I was spending time eating my breakfast, thinking and praying, I was reminded about what Jesus would do when the world around him brought pain and or drama.
He would withdraw.
Scripture tells us that Jesus would often withdraw to "lonely places" (no one else around to distract him, no tasks to do), with nothing else except time with His Father in Heaven...

It is also recorded that when the news of his cousins death was reported to him, that it very much effected him.
His cousin is pretty famous in the gospel narrative.
John the Baptist as we call him.
This is a the cousin who jumped in his mother’s womb at the news of Mary, Jesus mother being pregnant.
This is the cousin who he grew up and saw Him at extended family gatherings.
This is the cousin who baptisted Jesus and then witnessed the Holy Spirit coming upon him, the voice of God speaking over his life.
This is the cousin who heard all the amazing reports of what Jesus was doing, that He was who he had been preaching about...
I really do believe that they would have had a pretty close bond.
And when John died, Jesus couldn’t just carry on like nothing had happened.
He needed His Father in that moment...

Jesus even said this one day...
"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31 NIV

And as the writer of Song of Solomon simply says...
"Come away, my beloved..." Song of Solomon 8:14 NIV

Maybe this moment you are facing is affecting you a little stronger than you would like?
Maybe it is causing anxiety, even fear to bubble up for you?

Can I suggest today and any other moment of any other day, that you 'come away with Him'?
Just get away for a moment to breath.
Take a moment to be in His presence.
Pour our heart and then listen to His voice in return.
Ask him to refill you with His Spirit and to pour peace on your soul.

I believe He will meet you in a special way when you do.
That choice to come away with him will be for you exactly what you needed!

Something to think about...

[ For a Video Version of this Simple Thought click here ]

Day 03 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Necessity & Opportunity"

Since the lockdown a lot has obviously changed for all of us journeying through it.
Our lifestyles have certainly changed to reflect our new reality.
For me personally as a Pastor, I have quickly needed to adapt to a 'new normal' of leading a Church.
It is not business as usual.
My routines have had change to reflect this.
My methods as well.

I have discovered as I actually predicated earlier in the week, that this is an amazing time to learn some new things, develop new skills etc.
Just yesterday I recorded a video message. That meant learning how to setup audio recording, camera placement, lighting on a ridiculous budget and grabbing anything we have lying around. I still have a lot to learn but also the learning has been fantastic for me.

Necessity has forced this change into my life, but maybe free time could be an opportunity for yours?

Jesus said something that reflects my simple thought today...
 “Every scholar of the Scriptures, who is instructed in the ways of heaven’s kingdom realm, is like a wealthy home owner with his house filled with treasures both new and old. And he knows how and when to bring them out to show others.” Matthew 13:52 TPT

For a someone like you and me following Jesus I think that means we have things we have learned over time plus things to learn right now. It is the old and new.
And right now you can add to your storehouse with the new.

Everything from studying God's word through to new practical skills are on offer right now to you and me. This is an amazing opportunity to build into our storehouse.
Read a book you have been putting off.
Take time to develop your relationship with God.
Learn to bake a cake (sorry that ones for me)
Study and develop a new skill that you have been wanting to try.
The opportunities right now are more endless than limited!

I want you to know that this will be very good for you.
It will not only occupy you and give you something to look forward to but it will be 3 key things:
Good for your mind
Good for your soul
Good for your spirit

Something to think about...