Day 34 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "How deep do you want to go?"

As I was walking and praying recently on one of my regular walks I felt the Lord ask this question of me, and I firmly believe He wanted me to pass it on to you today as well...

How deep do you want to go?

Just how deep would you like your relationship with God to be?
How deep would you like to go with Him?
Is your honest answer right now that you are happy with it?
Or maybe you are a little nervous about
getting too deep, due to not knowing what that looks like or hurts from your past?
Or maybe, maybe you have a sense you want to get a lot deeper at this time?

Please forgive me for my plying you with questions and scenarios.
I just want to you to think about it for a moment.

While you do, can I share an account from Ezekiel 47 that helps me in this regard?
What strikes me about this prophetic vision right now is that it is all about different depths in the Spirit.
The imagery is striking and powerful!

We see a "man" measuring the depth of this river every 500m and it is progressively deeper.
First ankle deep.
Then knee deep.
The waist deep.
And finally over his head.

Today how would you rate your spirituality?
Ankle / Knee / Waist / Swimming deep...

Again I ask you...
How deep would you like to go?

You and I have an amazing opportunity in a window that may close soon.
We can work on our relationship with God in this season.
We can maintain or move deeper.
And it seems God allows us to make that choice.
The river of God is in front of each of us and we choose the depth.

Here is something I thought as I pondered this concept...
"I would rather be swept away in the Spirit 
than left dry on a bench head"

May you grow to want to go deeper just like I have been desiring.
May your heart be stirred and and your eyes opened to the river right before you.
And may you be brave and try the deep end with me?

Something to think about?

Scripture Copyright New International Version via the YouVersion Bible App

Day 28 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Learn Something New"

This thought will be simple, quick and to the point I hope.
If you want to navigate lockdown life well, pick something new to learn, or maybe a few things?
That's right. Develop yourself with a new skill.
Now is the perfect time!

There so many options nowadays.
Dr Google, Mr Youtube, all have tutorials from here to just about everywhere. Asking others to learn from them. Reading a book.
You name it, there are opportunities.

Why? Well here are a few reasons:

• It will grow you and develop you a little more. Not allowing you opportunity to not become stagnant.
• New skills and learning can bring new life and vitality.
• It is good for your brain.
• Something new or challenging can give you something to look forward too. And maybe you need that if your lockdown life feels a bit rinse and repeat, even boring.

I firmly believe that God wants to keep growing us, developing us and moulding us.
He is NOT finished with you yet my friend!
So pray first. Learn something new second.
And see what God does with it?
It is certainly building something new into my life in this season.

Something to think about...

Day 27 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Spirit & Truth"

One of the things I have enjoyed doing over the lockdown is checking out new and nearly new worships songs being written and released around the world. There are many absolute cracker songs that help anyone to connect with God!

Something I do that I highly recommend...

I never ever just leap on a song to potentially worship God with without first sitting down and considering it carefully.
I look at the lyrics, consider the heart of the songs creation, seek to understand what the writers goal actually was.
Because when I use a song:
- I want it to mean a lot to me
- I want to be able to relate to God through it
- I want it to truly help connect me with heaven in that moment.
- I want to build by faith and understanding.
- I want to make sure it doesn't hurt my theology, but instead builds on it.

Jesus taught this very important concept in regards to worship...
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 NIV

God doesn't care about your style, skill or even volume.
What He cares most about are two things:
Spirit - is it from the heart of who you are? From your heart to His? Being inspired by His Holy Spirit?
Truth - is it what you really mean, desire and really think? Does it match Kingdom truth?

Music is there to be enjoyed and experienced.
But worship is music on a whole new level...
So let's gravitate to songs, to moments of worship, that reflect Spirit and reflect Truth.
Ignore cool for what is real for you.
And let's connect with heaven again today.

Something to think about...

23–24 From here on, worshiping the Father 

will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. 

For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.” 

John 4:23-24 TPT

Day 26 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Courageous Leadership"

I watched a movie on my day off today...
The Darkest Hour.
It covers the early hours and the days of Winston Churchills fledging leadership of England at the beginning of their World War 2 journey.

Looking at history, through the filter of time, it is a truly fascinating thing!
Based on a cursory glance at this man and his moment writing on the annals of time is one of leadership. He is credited as being able to help lead a nation through its worst.

So I sat here watching this movie and was stunned by the shear load he carried.
All around was bad news about the war and its progression.
He also wrestled with his past, his failures in previous leadership opportunities, and the cost others paid due them.
The icing on this drama cake, was many influential people around him couldn't stand him.
He faced opposition from afar and from very close to home.

At many times I have faced opposition in my leadership.
Maybe some of was deserved?
But at the heart of who we need to be as a leader is something others don't always see.
You need something inside of you that it is firm and unswerving.
You need conviction and confidence.
You need a direction laced with doggedness.
You need to hold onto what God has said, what His expectations of you are over mans, and run that race as wise and as hard as you can.

Maybe in your times of reflection during this lockdown you have realised not everyone is a fan of you? And maybe that has caused you to doubt two people, yourself and God?

My friend take a lesson from others especially "in faith" who never gave in.
Every leader faces opposition at numerous times and varying levels of ferocity.
The "successful" ones keep their eye on the prize.
Can I encourage you to do the same at this time?

Something to think about...

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal.

It is the courage to continue that counts."

Winston Churchill 

Day 25 : Covid-19 Lockdown in Taupo : "Competitive Church"

"My Pastor is the best!
No my Pastor is the best!
No MY Pastor is the best!
or I wish I had your Pastor..."

I want to be honest for a moment (not that I am not normally) and share something that has bothered me for a long time.
It bothered me before the lockdown and does again during the lockdown.
For many years I have seen Churches, Pastors, Ministries competing.
Competing for followers, influence, significance, support and maybe more...

I do believe we should grow with our influence and with the message of the hope we have in Christ.
But at what cost?
And based on what motivation?

I believe in the Church!
As I have shared on before, the Church is the bride that Christ is coming back soon for.
We should not seek to be the best or the greatest in my opinion.
But simply do our best. Do what we can to glorify God.

This is not new. And certainly not an easy issue to discuss.
So I will Jesus do some talking...

25...“The kings and men of authority in this world rule oppressively over their subjects, claiming that they do it for the good of the people. They are obsessed with how others see them. 26But this is not your calling. You will lead by a different model. The greatest one among you will live as one called to serve others without honour. 
The greatest honour and authority is reserved for the one who has a servant heart. 27The leaders who are served are the most important in your eyes, but in the kingdom, it is the servants who lead. 
Am I not here with you as one who serves you?"
Luke 22:25-27 TPT

Jesus is not concerned about whether you have:
The most in attendance.
The most followers on social media.
The most 'saved'.
Whether you are best preacher.
The best leader.
Whether you are the GOAT...

He is looking at our hearts ... full-stop.
Dump the need to be the greatest my friend.
Embrace simply His purpose for this generation.
Operate in the gifts you have and the faith you have received.
And then we will see what He can do even more.

Something to think about...