Moved

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Emancipation 2

Tom couldn't comprehend what was happening to him, but he was conscious. He was conscious of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Was he imaging all this, or was it real? Was he stuck somewhere in the past with these slaves brought over from Africa to work the sugar plantations of the British imperialists? He began to cast his mind back over his own history, remembering the civil rights movement in America he realised he had entered the history of the African people who had been stolen from their own homes and families, shipped to countries far away to work for the white man. The same African slaves had ended up in America and forced to work on cotton plantations similar to the sugar plantation he was experiencing. The civil rights movement with it's history of defying the white man's system just to forge freedom for themselves. Defying school systems, bus regulations, everything they could defy without violence. Martin Luther King and his historic speech, the Alabama riots, the Ku Klux Klan, vilification and heroism.
Tom had became part of the historic journey of the abducted African people, simple people working the land, tending their cattle. They grew up married, and had children. Just ordinary people aware of tides and times, birth, death, courtship, marriage, all the norms of humanity was theirs. Until they were captured, often by Arabs who sold them to White men where their lives changed for ever. But in America hadn't it been different? When Parliament in Britain outlawed slavery, hadn't it been different? Tom's mind raced.
'This is your journey.' The quiet voice spoke to Tom.
Tom opened his eyes. He was laying in his own bed in familiar surroundings. looking at his skin he found he was white as he always had been.
'I gave you the word emancipation to show you the journey you are on. When Adam failed I knew the journey you would undertake. A journey that you don't understand, and a journey that is often painful for you. But what you didn't realise is that I had already taken care of all the necessities. You have been emancipated. Your freedom is assured in Jesus and you are with Me in Him continuously. What you don't understand is while living in a world of chaos, evil, and negativity; you are complete in Me. As the African slaves had to undertake a journey to freedom so my children have to undertake a journey of liberation with Me.
Don't worry Tom, I'll make sure you get it.

Emancipation

Tom looked at his hands, then his arms, and the rest of his body. He was black. No not dirty, black skinned. He found himself in a shed, it was hot, cripplingly hot. Not only that he saw that he was not alone. As he moved upright he found himself shackled to a man by leg irons, and chains.There were other men in the shed as well, twenty, or maybe thirty Tom estimated. Fear began to invade Tom's soul as he sought to comprehend what was going on. With that the door of the shed was flung open  and a terrifying voiced ordered them outside. Stumbling, hobbling along, with his companion Tom found himself being marched along with the other men, who Tom assumed were Negroes. After a short while under a blazing sun Tom found himself in what he could only think was a sugar plantation as he remembered seeing them on holiday in Barbados. A big black man glistening with sweat un locked the irons that bound him to the young man at his side and a machete was pushed into his hand.
'Work.' Barked the big man.
Tom opened his mouth to protest but before the words were formed in his parched lips the man brought a cane down on the side of his head with such force that Tom was knocked to the ground.
'Work.' Again the order came.
Reeling with pain Tom began hacking at the sugar cane. Observing what his companion was doing Tom tried to copy his actions. The sun rose, the heat was unbearable and hour after relentless hour the work continue.
Out of the corner of his eye Tom saw a figure of a white man on a horse talking to the big black overseer.
'That must be the plantation owner.' Tom thought as he numbly hacked away at the hard cane in front of him. How long he was going to last at this Tom did not know, or what really was going on.
'Stop'. Ordered the big man.
All the workers slumped down where they stood and a boy began to pass between them with water and a small ladle. Two mouthfuls were all that Tom was allowed, then it was back to work.
The sun was going down as the weary slaves made their way back to the shed from where they had emerged all those hours ago. Tom was exhausted, his hands were a mass of blood where blisters had formed and broken on his hands after handling the machete all day. Feeling very discouraged and desolate, he waited in line with the other men. A plate was thrust into his raw hands containing what passed as food, it looked hideous to Tom. If he hadn't been so ravenous he would have thrown it on the floor, but eat it he did as he knew that without the scraps he wouldn't last very long. Then the men were pushed into the shed, and the door was locked behind them.
Tom laid on the earth and began to cry. He didn't understand any of this and he felt so alone as sobs racked his body. Then he began to hear soft singing from the men. It was almost heavenly as they harmonised together. As they sang Tom could only think they were Negro spiritual songs and that somehow he had entered a slave population maybe in the Caribbean some centuries earlier. With that he heard a whisper in his ear.
'One day son this will be a memory. Maybe not in my lifetime or yours, but we will be free.'
Tom turned to see the face of an elderly man bathed in sweat, his white teeth shining in the dark as he smiled at Tom.
'We will be free. One day we will be free.'

Where to Start?

What a year! So much has happened, but in a very different way than 1995 when the Holy Spirit exposed me to my heavenly Father who was all I ever dreamed of. Sure of my relationship with Him and the idea the Agape was all there was, there was still a long way to go to show me what He thought about me and what His plan was for me from eternity. So sixteen years later I am still at the place where understanding God is like entering a maize. But I know certain truths have embedded themselves into my soul. I have a different take on the gospel than I had 28yrs ago. I don't see myself or my family, and neighbours, in the same way as I saw them before. When God told me some years ago He was going to deal with religion I really didn't know what He meant. But it's religion out of us individually  that's important, as well as religion out of the church. This past week has seen the Church of England facing extinction in 20yrs if members don't increase. But you can't run the CofE like a business, although the cash they invest is quite substantial.
God wants to cleanse His dear ones from all effects of religion. The spirit behind religion can be easily seen in the generations of 'christendom'. Empire, exploitation, power and control are the characteristics of religion, and always manifested through people as that is the way the devil operates. But there is a new day upon us where christians know who they are, and who their saviour is, and nothing else is important. Could the church disappear, or explode in numbers? It doesn't matter as Abba is running the history of humanity on His terms.

It's the Truth that will set you free................

On the broken crucified body of Jesus Christ the false, deceitful, charade of the demoniacally inspired  Adamic lifestyle was crushed. 'It is finished'. Those triumphant words of Jesus echoed around heaven, earth, and hell, with such power that from that moment on all things would become new. In His death and resurrection a new species of human beings was birthed. The old false self centred lifestyle gave way to a new Christ centred lifestyle. Once it was 'me' who had to make his way in the world working, achieving, sweating, striving for love, success, and identity; and not finding reality. How could I have found reality in deception and fiction? How could I have found truth in lies and confusion, how could I have found light in darkness? Now it is Jesus Himself who has become my life. There is no independent me, no I central to the cosmos. That is the deception of satan, he thinks he is an independent god, but he is mistaken. He has passed on the lies and false information to all in Adam. 
But now in the truth that is Christ I see I am free to be. I am free to be a container, a branch of the vine attached to Life which is Christ. I am in the Godhead united with Father and Son in the Spirit. Grace means I don't have to strive to be, I am. I don't have to 'do' anything. You can't imagine what that feels like. All I have to do is believe, believe I am loved as Jesus is loved. Believe I am free from falsehood, and lies; free to believe I am who I've always wanted to be. Most importantly free to allow the Holy Spirit to show me the slendour of God's plan, and desire for His loved ones. I can trust because His extends His trust, I can love because He is love, I can believe because it is His faith that's given to me. The exchanged life is so much more rewarding, so much more fulfilling, so much more abundant; as Jesus said it would be.

Reformation is Real.......

I call it reformation, you can call it reformatting if you like, the results will be the same. Revelation is coming to us as a torrent in these days causing a reformation of our minds, and  post religious thinking can embrace the gospel like never before. I am deeply appreciative of the Holy Spirit for His faithfulness to us in the body of Christ, and particularly in the way He is able to bring truth to us as individual unique saints. I have, because of my generational habits I guess, been a man who can receive truth from the written word. I don't do as well with the spoken, or visual, though I do enjoy it. Jesus lead me to the bible in my seeking years, and to two christian authors who He used to open my eyes to the truth about Him. That truth was in those days limited I agree, but it was enough to get me 'started' as it were.
But what magnificence in these days as the Spirit of Christ is pouring out truth as an Niagrian explosion. It has been wonderful to share truth with those dear ones not in my particular stream. Now that's a silly saying as I'm in the river, not in a stream. I don't wish any longer to have a denomination handle, but what I mean is I am so glad Holy Spirit gives His truth to any who will receive. I am learning so much today about incarnation, adoption, reconciliation; which enlarges my picture of the Father's heart. Just this week I've had my idea of creation/evolution challenged, my concept of a holy Jesus coming to earth but not really experiencing the pain I have been through, blown away and much more.
I'm excited as never before and I'm so glad to be part of what God is doing in these days. Much more is to come I am sure. I just want to say thank you to the ones that have helped me, and been gracious enough to walk with me. I love you very much.

Freedom

Christian Thinking on Freedom.

Christian thinking has always encapsulated freedom as an intrinsic part of humanity. Every human being is created free. The concept of slavery, dis-empowerment, inhibition, is alien to the concept of freedom to be. Freedom to be is a fundamental, a given to humanity. It was a gift from He who is free. Freedom to be loved, freedom to love, freedom to give ourselves is who we are in our humanity. Freedom is essentially a part of my consciousness as a human being, it is part of who we are. So in a way no external circumstances such as war, prison, famine, persecution, abuse etc. can take away my freedom if I maintain the correct perspective. There are profound stories from the concentration camps of the last war where men have never allowed themselves to be enslaved to the inhumanity that was part of their existence at that time. So no matter what the current Government comes up with, no matter the high fuel prices, my arthritic hip, the breakdown of human relations, or the injustice of the stasi Eu. nothing can take my freedom from me.

But I know, and I see by experience, that I am not really free. Fear, anxiety, discomfort, dis-ease, sickness, poverty, death fill my world. These realities scream at me telling me I am not free, and the freedom I crave for is somewhat illusionary. Freedom is mine, but how can I live in it and experience it in my day to day living? It is here that we need to interject the biblical concept of the fall of man. It is evident that every thing in the garden is not rosy. What had been created perfectly has undergone a massive trauma, resulting in a reverse of perfection, and a slide to degeneration. The earth itself groans under this pressure and mankind lives now as a shadow of that which was intended. Coupled with the damage done to my soul I see my freedom, a gift of God, is now perverted into a self centred exercise in what is best for me. Left without civil law, checks and balances, I would use my freedom to steal, molest, rape, or even kill. I am free to do so as freedom is part of who I am, but now I am aware that this precious gift has been so distorted, and I am not truly free to be the person I long to be.

Is there a solution to this very negative situation? Well yes there is, and we need to take a look at real freedom in action on the face of the earth. Two thousand years ago Jesus walked the dusty roads of Israel as a living human embodiment of God. Look closely and we can see the true nature of He who is invisible. Everything Jesus did was 'other centred'. He was free to be love itself, though love is, and that produces the action. Love is for others, God is love, and love is for others. Our concept of love has been tainted by the fall. Many of us have never experienced love, and we don't know what it is outside of some romantic illusion from Hollywood. Love has it's roots in the care and well being of another. True freedom allows me to live my life for others, to have the care and well being of others on my mind constantly. Jesus said that no man has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.

What the church has not been very good at is proclaiming the good news. Humanity in it's fallen state cannot love perfectly. Only God can love as He is love. But on the cross at Calvary Jesus loved us enough to rectify the fallen state of humanity and opened the way for us to be reconciled to God and His plan of re-generating the human race. When the Holy Spirit came into the upper room at Pentecost it wasn't to give the frightened disciples a bit of a lift, but to implement part of God's plan to incorporate all of humanity into Him, by Him coming into humanity. Christ in me is my hope of glory. Christ in me as my life means I am free. Free to be loved, free to love, and free to give myself away.

He loves you......

'I can see you but I can't see God.'
"That's what happened when Jesus came on the scene teaching parables, and doing miracles. Not everyone saw God in Him. He was all the time telling them that it was the Father working through Him, but they were still confused"
'So am I.'
"Jesus was God in human flesh?"
'OK, but I'm still confused.'
"I am Jesus in human flesh."
'WHAT.'
"This is the truth of the gospel. Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father after His resurrection, then on the day of Pentecost the believers in the upper room received the gift of the Person of God. We call Him the  Spirit of Christ. They received Him internally, and externally, prompting the apostle Paul to later declare Christ in me the hope of glory."
"You see my friend God didn't want to leave any body out and His plan was to have a physical presence of Jesus on the planet manifesting the Glory of the Father while Jesus sits at the right hand of God.. You see it's a relational thing. God doesn't want you to be left out."
'I don't understand it, but I want in, what must I do?'

He Loves me

'You said God loves me, why?
"Because He does."
'Why does he love me?'
"The bible says God is love."
'What does that mean?'
"God is a Spirit that has a nature, and that nature is love."
'Is God a ghost, or something? What's a Spirit?'
"God is a Person, the Person, who has a nature, and that nature is Love. But He is Spirit and you can only see Him in a form."
'That's even more confusing, in a form?'
"Look at your hands, your feet, your arms, and body, you are a form; a human being form."
'Ok so I can see me, but I can't see God.'
"LOOK AT ME."

Just a Thought.

From the MSM two stories catch the eye of our political editor. Theresa May, the Home Secretary has criticised universities for their "complacency" in tackling Muslim extremism. Mrs. May said, 'We are looking at a set of values we believe we have here in the UK and those people who are opposed  are people who the Government won't be funding or engaging with.'  So that's really radical then! Rather than instruct ALL schools in the UK to hold a daily assembly where allegiance to the Queen, to the British flag, and the rule of law is pledged, where all literature from the state is sent to everyone in English, and convicted terrorist are expelled from the country, the Government will settle for withholding funds; and not talking to you.
Yesterday the Telegraph covered the story that Judges at the European Court in Strasbourg have ordered ministers to make a formal statement on whether they believe Christian's rights have been infringed in British courts, which have repeatedly dismissed their entitlement to dress and act according to their beliefs. The court has selected four cases that they feel are of such significance as to be examined further. It seems we have a situation in the UK where legislation to protect minorities has superceded  Christian belief, and conscience. Maybe this pressure from the ECHR will cause the Government to  overhaul the Equalities Act, and other diversity legislation. But I am not holding my breath.

No independent me? Now there's good news.

There isn't much good news in the world, but there sure is good news in Jesus. The message of Christ's salvation is breaking out all over the globe. What the church may have forgotten to teach us for years Daddy is making sure we hear it now. Of course truth is a Person, Jesus the Christ, and the good news is all about Him. But it has a major impact on us, and on our daily lives.
The notion of the deception of an independent self has come to me quite recently through our brother Norman Grubb. Basically the revelation he received from Holy Spirit through Romans 6-8 was that there never was an independent Norman. Norman was always a vessel, a branch, a dwelling place. Before he was born again Norman housed, if you like, the nature of satan in his spirit. So naturally he would manifest that nature. But here is the deception. Norman in that condition believed he was an independent human being just living his own life, not a branch containing the life of satan. In this condition he had no problem with sin because he just did what he wanted to do not thinking that he was living and independent life, when in truth he was living a dependent life. Whether he lived a good life or a bad life, remember the tree of the knowledge of GOOD, and EVIL; he was still manifesting the nature of satan.
So Norman gets born again and has his old nature circumcised away by Christ in crucifixion. He enters into Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. He gets a new identity, a son of God, and a new nature (life) Christ in Norman the hope of glory. Only trouble is he starts off his new life with the same deception that he is an independent self and now has to 'live' for God. Naturally he soon runs into trouble. The church doesn't help as it keeps teaching him to 'do' things for God instead of emphasising his new nature. So Norman fails to control his up and down lifestyle. He has no power, he is still entangled with certain sinful habits, and all seems lost. He is wretched.
Then God points out his error. Norman is still just a branch, a vessel, a house, a temple. But now he contains Jesus the Christ, and Jesus want's to live His life in and through Norman. So Norman has to learn that he is not independent at all. He is in fact dead and his new life is hidden with Christ in God. So now he lives by faith that it is Christ manifesting His life through his personality now. I hope Norman won't mind me using him as an example as he is now in the presence of Daddy and I don't think he will mind at all.
This morning I came across this in Chapter 2 of the book of Ephesians. Paul said that we were made alive by God even when we were dead by our trespasses and sins. We were obedient to and under the control of the demon spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience. verses 1-2. Amp. We were sons of satan before we became sons of God. We were in fact carrying around a deities nature. Only in our Adamic nature it was a false god, satan. Now we are regenerated and have the real divine nature, Christ in us. So there is no Jesus and me. I'm not living for God, He is living through me. I can't live the Christian life, and God never intended me to. He not only wanted to buy me back from the slave market of satan and sin, but He wanted to give me a new identity, and a new life. Now I live by faith that it is Jesus living in and through me, and Love will take care of everything. If it's not grace, it's not good news.
If you want to read some of Norman Grubb's revelation go to Lighthouse Library.


    

Hey How's it Going?

I was planning to write an informative update as to where the Holy Spirit had taken me, but I'm too distracted. If the world doesn't end tomorrow (UK) maybe I'll get back to it.

Thank You Jesus

Reflecting on another birthday is sometimes a little introspective. But first I wish to thank my wife, and sons, for staying with me when things weren't going well for them. They gave me a measure of grace that I did not deserve. My sister is such a blessing, as are all my extended family, and it's so good to be with them when I can. My bridge crew friends will never realise how special they are to me as I could never verbalise the way I feel about them. But I must as ever focus my gaze on my beautiful Jesus. It's a bit of  a weird thing to be a Jesus freak as far as this culture is concerned. Remember that awful derogative description 'bible basher', or 'God botherer' people used when they talked about Christians? Well things are different now, people just look down their noses at people with 'faith'. But what I am trying to say on my 68th. birthday is. I don't really give a rip. I don't give a rip if I haven't got it together, whether my spiritual disciplines are all in order, or if I don't have a world wide ministry in the latest Christian trend. My ears are duff, and my left hip needs replacing, and I wear glasses. Real ale seems to be a bit too nice, and I still think food is too enjoyable. But in grace it's Daddy's job to get me through. Hey He started this salvation thing anyway, and if He isn't big enough to look after us then we are all up the creek. Thank you Jesus for being in me as my life, my big Brother, my Saviour, Friend, King and Bridegroom. I love you so much.

What's the Plan?

I previously asked why Holy Spirit came to live in us at re-generation? What was the plan? Well it was more than a plan of God, more than a design, more than a desire; more a Life. Eternal Life Himself came to live in us at new birth. The church believes His blood was shed for the remission of sin, His body was given up for our change of identity from sinner, to saint. But it is a little behind when it comes to Him giving us His life in exchange for our old Adamic lifestyle. Ephesians 2:5 tells us that even though we were dead in our transgressions God made us alive together with Christ. The Amplified bible says that God gave us the very same life He gave Jesus when He raised us up into the heavenly spheres with Christ. The key verse in Colossians says that Christ in us is our hope of glory. Gal. 2:20, so familiar, I was crucified with Christ I no longer live but Christ lives in me. Why?
Lets go back a bit to the Garden. I can't look at Adam's and Eve's life before the talking snake through the eyes of an un-regenerate man. God might have said a couple of commands to Adam, but He wasn't expecting Adam to go off and do it by himself. Adam was created in the image of God. God is Agape, and Agape is other centred, and other dependent. After Adam decided to act independently and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he could understand the severity of his sin.
The sin was the act of doing something independently of God. Zip up to the temptation scenes with Jesus and the same tempter. Each temptation was to get Jesus to act independently from Daddy. Jesus demonstrated His dependence on Daddy by maintaining dependence on Him.
How important is it in God's eyes that His created ones whom He loves so much chose in love for Him to be dependent on Him?
Maybe I'll get a chance to expand on this.

Continual Presence Thinking

Back in the late eighties as I was beginning to journal my conversations with Holy Spirit little did I know that what He said then was just as important to me now. One thing I have learnt about God is He is fastidious. There are a couple of dictionary definitions for this word, I like this one best. 'characterised by excessive care or delicacy, painstaking.'
Poppa is definitely painstaking in His relationship with us. If there is something He wishes to get across to me then I only have to look in my journal and I will see it crop up time after time. I am a slow learner, but that is alright as He is faithful and will continue the work He has started in me. Continual Presence Thinking! To have my mind so adjusted as to be aware of His presence continually. These past few months has seen an emphasis on the truth that not only is Jesus the Christ living in me but He wants to live his life in and through me. He told His disciples. 'On that day you will know that I am in the Father, you are in Me, and I am in you.' He also promised another Comforter to come from the Father, the Spirit of truth who would be with us and in us. Why did the Holy Spirit come to live in us at regeneration, and not whisk us away straight into the Father's presence? What was the 'plan' to have God Himself living in human beings on earth who had experienced the fall?

One I Wrote Earlier.

Budget March 2011

Dear George,

I am writing to you to express my profound dismay at the proposals in your budget to add a 'carbon floor price' to producers of energy using coal or gas by 2013. This is in fact a stealth tax which will ultimately fall on the shoulders of the energy consumers. We have had to suffer an ongoing levy on our fuel bills to pay for a grandiose and inefficient windmill 'green policy', yet you will now burden us with yet more energy costs.

I remember writing to you last September asking you to retain the winter fuel payment for pensioners. I see in the budget that you propose to cut the 'add on' portion of this benefit. Both these measures add up to considerable hardship for the elderly and will cause many more to fall into energy poverty. As you are aware food and fuel are the areas in which the elderly spend most of their fixed income. With inflation rising, food and fuel prices included, the elderly are going to suffer ongoing fiscal pressure. Whilst you would like us to adopt the attitude that 'we are all in this together', it is obvious when I look at Local Government Chief Executive's salaries etc. we clearly are not.

May I beg to remind you that the years of 'boom' were not orchestrated by the electorate, neither are the years of 'bust'. Politicians in Government do this time after time and we the voters have to bite the bullet when MPs are claiming millions of pounds in expenses. You wonder why the nation is apathetic regarding politics, wait until we take to the streets and demand to be rid of you.

Yours sincerely,

Denis Moon.

With Fresh Eyes.......

I don't know whether it is the same for you but sometimes for me the important can become mundane. When I first became a Christian I wanted the book of Acts to replicate itself in my life, not just the signs and wonders, but the conversions to Christ as well. For years I looked around locally to see if there was any band of disciples actually doing the stuff. Unfortunately I appeared to be on my own. Over time the mandate from Jesus to go into all the world cooled as I kept going and nothing seemed to happen. Many other things came to claim the first place in my life, not all of them were wrong, many could be claimed to have been initiated by the Holy Spirit, including a journey of decentralisation of church structures.
Just recently I have been prompted to look once again at Christ's commission to His disciples.
'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you and lo, I Am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Matth. 28:18-20.
Pretty simple?
Yes but somehow I think the church generally, and me included, didn't get it. It's the same as the new commandment Jesus gave us. Two thousand years has passed and still we don't take it seriously. One thing is apparent though. The old wineskin of church as we knew it is over. The unsaved don't want to be part of religious church any more than christians. With the increase in militant secularism the best weapon the church has for this is the gospel, and de-centralisation.

Continuing saga of the least of the least Evangelists........

Having returned my trusty scooter to shopmobility today I engaged in conversation with a young woman having a smoke on her work break. It was an amicable conversation, the sort that happen spontaneously, and doesn't appear to have any lasting impact.
I left her saying to the Lord. 'Nothing much happened there, I didn't cast out any demons, or tell her about you. All I seem able to do is be friendly and polite.'
'Listen to Me.' was all I heard in reply.
Later as I stood in line for the bus home, we had to wait while they changed drivers, I remarked to a man next to me, who I recognised from previous journeys; that I encountered a driver change quite frequently. This started a conversation that was to continue in the bus. He had lost his wife to cancer last October and because he and his wife were so close at 71 yrs. old he has no supporting family, or friends. I just listened and to be truthful I also listened to the Lord. I didn't here Him say anything. I've never lost a partner so I didn't know what the man was going through, but I was genuinely interested in listening to him, and tried not to say anything too stupid or insensitive.
He left the bus before me and the Holy Spirit said. 'Would you have wanted to say anything about Me in that conversation with the man?'
I thought for a moment and replied. 'I didn't want to say anything to him that would have given him the idea that he was an item on my agenda, as he said he was quite suspicious.'
'Can you believe that I arranged that and My presence on you was sufficient to let him know there was something different about you?'
'Yes Lord I can.'
'You will see him again. Stay open to my voice.'

Can heroes be weak?

Jesus said He was meek and lowly of heart. Nowhere do we see Jesus mentioning any of His strengths, but we do hear of Him asking the disciples to pray for Him in His time of need. I believe His strength can be found in His deep dependency on Holy Spirit. You have to be weak in your own strength to be dependent on another. When Jesus declared to His listeners that the Kingdom of God had arrived, He was signalling a shift of allegiance. If you choose Jesus, you choose His Kingship. But at the heart of following Jesus is the issue of trust. What a deep and complex area trust is. I can't love Jesus if I don't trust Him, and I cant obey Him if I don't love Him.
In the last 28 yrs. of my life there has been one single issue that has often been addressed but never really dealt with. Until this issue is once and for all sorted, I shall never become the hero that I yearn to be, and will by definition lead a compromised life until the grave.

The way we are made?

Looking at the needs God put in everyone He created we cannot overlook the need for heroism. We know about the need to be loved, and to give love. We know about the basic needs, physical, emotional, physical, and the spiritual. But what about the need for heroism? I am indebted to Neil Cole for the input I have received from him over the last week or so. Neil is a true hero, as he has stuck to the task, and has been successful. Heroism though is more than success, its the deliberate choice of laying down your life for someone, or something else. All of us pine to be heroes. Growing up we look to imaginary heroes like Superman, Biggles, Dan Dare, or more recently for me Indiana Jones. But they are characters of someone's imagination. The real Hero was Jesua. He laid Himself down for everyone. He laid His life down at Calvary for those who would accept Him, and those who hated Him. Remarkable as it is He chose weak men to be His disciples. Ordinary men, men with 'issues'. One man who was 'successful' He dumped on the road to Damascus, and taught him that weakness was to be the key of the Kingdom.
Jesus chooses weak people, and strong people, to be His followers. But only those who are willing to give up their lives for the 'mission' will be heroic. To be a hero you must accept that something, or somebody must be more important than you. Jesus is the ultimate calling. But He initiated a movement that cannot be stopped, and everyone who choses to follow Jesus must by definition become part of that movement.
What was the movement? It is the multiplication of disciples. Maybe the commission of Jesus has been misunderstood by both the evangelical, and charismatic wing of the church. When I got so excited about the book of Acts 28yrs, ago I really didn't understand what was going on. Revisiting the commissioning of the disciples by Jesus is shedding much needed revelation into why I am who I am.

What a Shaking Indeed!

As one of my colleagues has stated. This is a portion of what Holy Spirit spoke to me last Friday. 'There is still going to be shaking in the earth, look at what is happening in the Muslim world, look at what is happening with China and India (the expansion of their economies). This shaking is My doing, I am shaking the foundations upon which men build their lives. Even My church is being shaken and purified. I will drive religion out of My church and those who stay with tradition and false teaching will pay the price. Only the childlike can view the simplicity of the cross, only the single eyed can gaze upon the rapture of the cross.....'
Then the serious earthquake in Christchurch, where the cathedral was severely damaged. I'm not equating death and destruction as being God's judgement but rather as an indication of how much He loves us.
I need to view all world events in the panorama of God working out His will in the earth. '[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up, and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.' Eph. 1:10

Bridal Paradigm

It is my opinion that Abba desires to release more revelation of the Bridal Paradigm to any who are interested. Looking at Paul's inference in the Ephesian epistle to the relationship between Christ and the church and his admonishen to husbands regarding their wives, it is clear that there is a bridal relationship between Christ and believers. We are familiar with the reference to the marriage supper of the Lamb hinted at in the book of Revelation, with a promise of a future knees up?
Looking at marriage generally Jewish tradition had a two part ceremony. The betrothal, where a formal contract was instituted, and a subsequent ceremony, any time later, that we would call the marriage itself. Interestingly under Jewish law when the betrothal was initiated the couple were legally married and adultery would have been an issue, and a legal divorce would have been needed to annul the betrothal. We can see why Joseph had such a problem when Mary told him of her conception.
It is pure speculation on my part but I believe the marriage idea, and contract, between us and Christ was drawn up in the Godhead before the foundation of the world. This betrothal contract was subsequently ratified on the cross at Calvary with two witnesses, Abba and the Spirit of Truth. Technically every believer is betrothed to Jesus the Bridegroom at conversion, even if we know nothing about it. As Holy Spirit reveals the Bridal paradigm to us we get to share in the betrothal relationship with the Bridegroom even before we get to the supper, and a further consummation.
Paul tells us that the mystery of the church is being revealed to the powers and principalities, and that all the  plans and purposes of God will be finalised in Christ. Is the marriage supper of the Lamb the icing on the cake? Are we all travelling to this final destination? God is doing so much in the church at the moment it is hard to keep up with Him. De-structuring formats, and church as we knew it. A real typhoon of gospel power is reverberating around the body of Christ. And what of the world?  God is shaking the world structures, we have only got to watch the world news to see what is happening in the nations. I can taste the wine and hear the music as we dance the night away in the arms of Jesus.
An understanding of the relationship between believers and God is profoundly adapting. Out go the old religious, fear filled, law based workers, and drones. In come sons and daughters of Abba secure in their relationship with Him, and free to worship in spirit and truth. When you think of the body of Christ what image comes to mind? A body of people through whom Jesus can live and move and have His being? What image comes to mind when you think of the bride of Christ? Lovers with hearts burning for Jesus. Nothing else matters but adoration, worship, thanksgiving, and awe. In Him and with Him, continuously.
The Bridal paradigm is expanding. As believers we live in the rest of God within the Godhead and drink from the glorious river of Calvary. Our wedding garments have been made and fitted by Holy Spirit. Dad has ordered the refreshments, paid for the room, organised the band and the choir. Not only that but He is revealing our inheritance. Jesus said that everything that was the Father's was His.We can say with boldness that all that belongs to Jesus is now ours. But that is secondary to the outstanding privilege of having our hearts bursting with Love and adoration for our Bridegroom. Nothing will overcome the Bride because Love never fails. Christ has done it all for us and nothing will stop His plan for a marriage supper. We feast now on His work at Calvary, soon we will feast on the greatest wedding ever.
Isn't it interesting that the devil is trying so hard to get the institution of marriage redefined in Britain?

Stressed, Tired, Hassled? No one listening, no one cares?

STOP. In the name of love. (Isn't that a lyric from a long forgotten song?) I digress. STOP. Just for a minute, get alone, sit down make yourself a cup of your favourite brew and contemplate on this.
He who began a good work in you will continue it right up until Christ's return, developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Phil. 1:6.
Who is at work in you? Holy Spirit Himself. Is it a good work? Oh yes. Will He continue right up until Jesus comes? Yes. So why not let Him get on with it? The companion verse is a blast.
Not in your own strength (doing anything that is), for it is God who is all the while at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure, and satisfaction, and delight.  Phil. 2:13 (I added bits).
I used to see those verses academically, but now I believe them. It makes a lot of difference not trying to help God out. I used to be so insecure I thought that If I didn't do anything nothing would get done and I would displease God. Oh what change has come. The gospel truth is breaking in, and it's glorious.
When you enter Daddy's rest at new birth, you are supposed to cease from your own labours. Religion doesn't like that so it prompts us to add stuff to the truth. But I would encourage you to RETIRE. Retire from your own works and let the Spirit of Christ get on with it. Do I understand it? No way it's mystical. I've given up, ceased,stopped, retired.
Now I am anticipating basket loads of fruit to manifest without me even thinking about it. Yipeeeeeeeee.

Surfs Up.................

When I was first apprehended by Jesus I came from a very law orientated background, my Dad was a professional soldier, so was I. As I read the Bible I could see plenty of 'commands' to obey, and injunctions to do. I was quite surprised when God started to talk to me about mercy, and grace. As I have travelled with Holy Spirit I am amazed at the grandeur of the grace of Father, and have often wondered how far His grace boundary would stretch.  He always told me He wanted grace, acceptance, and mercy to be given to people more than any rules or conditions.  As I got more familiar with Agape I saw all the old missionary books I read, and most evangelical teaching I imbibed was totally wrong.
Love is the bottom line and progressively through Church history Holy Spirit has re awakened believers to truth, often or not though they have fallen back into religion. The outpouring at Toronto in 1994 saw unprecedented joy and the Father's heart being manifest to the church. I saw this as a continued blessing on the revelation of mercy given to John Wimber by Pappa all those years before. We are experiencing in the New Mystics move increased joy, and grace. For all those who can remember the prophesies that foretold the Spirit and the Word being manifest over the globe, well now we are standing right in it. 
But this maybe the last 'period' before Jesus returns and Holy Spirit is ensuring that the pure milk of the Gospel of Christ will be preached with outstanding signs and wonders following. The tide of grace will increase to such a degree that it will be as a tsunami, first on the church and on the world. Surfs up. Grab your boards dear ones as Daddy is going to reveal grace and mercy to us and the world in a way we have never seen before.
It's always been ours, but religion and false teaching has obscured the brilliance of His grace and mercy. We are coming into revelation like never before. Christ will be manifested through His bride in such a way that it really will be a case of join in, or stand back. As this ocean of mercy and grace crashes over the world a band of joyful lovers will emerge to shepherd this river to where ever it wants to go. Unknown invisible ones will join together and get blasted on the fountain of His love.

Comparison. What's my gospel?

I was pondering on the exhortation of Jesus to preach the gospel, and the gospel that Paul preached. I can't recall an instance where Paul exhorted us to preach the Gospel, help me out if you find one. After what my mate JC said last week I'm viewing things in a different light. Jesus was born a Jew in the flesh, ministered to the Jewish community, OK the Samaritans for 5 minutes, but weren't they Hebraic? He taught in parables so nobody understood Him, not even His disciples. He majored on displaying God's character, and illuminated the Kingdom through His teaching.
 He did this for a specific reason because what the Jews had experienced under the law was soon to change. The Old Covenant was soon to end and Jesus was preparing them for the transition. He exhorted His disciples to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, accompanied with miracles. At the end of Matthew He told His disciples to preach this gospel. But did he tell me?
After pentecost the Jewish disciples were thrust out of Jerusalem because of persecution and continued to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, and I think to a mainly Jewish audience. Then comes the paradigm shift, the catalyst if you like. Saul the Pharisee, zealous to persecute the Way, gets zapped on the road to Damascus. Specifically chosen by Jesus, specifically set apart for the work of God. This Jewish firebrand apprehended by Jesus was anointed to preach to the Gentiles. Where Peter broke into Gentile preaching, Paul takes the lid off, opens up the throttle and lets rip with the good news to the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem are shocked that this renegade should even tell them that he received his revelation from Jesus Himself, and wasn't seeking their permission to preach, but was just asking for their advice. By God's grace, and the love of Barnabas, Paul set off with the letter from James in his hand coupled to the Holy Spirit. He set the whole world alight, wrote most of the New Testament, but sadly a lot of Christians don't believe his revelation.
OK lets cut to the quick. The gospel of the Kingdom is Kingdom centred. The gospel of Christ is CHRIST CENTRED.
Jesus said to the Jews in person. 'Hey the Kingdom has come, its right next to you.'
Jesus says to the Church through Paul. 'Hey I'm here. I'm in you and right next to you. I wasn't in Adam, but I'm in you. All I want you to do is to go into your world and let Me out.
Paul said that he didn't want any one to know anything except CHRIST CRUCIFIED. That's all he preached. He preached Christ, forward, back, which way. I'm not stepping on anyone's toes but a whole industry has grown out of Kingdom preaching, and there are some mega churches employed in this. Miracles, and healings are fine as they point to Jesus. But I'll go with what Jesus said to Paul.

Beware:- Screwed up church!

Reading Paul's letter to the Colossians this morning I can see what he got so forceful in his writing. Gnostics, those who think that matter is evil, and only the spirit is good, were infiltrating the new fellowships. If that wasn't bad enough, Judaizers were also sneaking in to see the freedom the believers had, and naturally in their minds they wanted to add 'law' to their way of life. The same religious spirit that inspired these groups, and others I am sure, is still working today. The church was birthed in the midst of different religions, and today is surrounded my many. The father of lies couldn't stop the gospel spreading so he thought that by shifting the teaching of the church away from the centricity of Christ he could screw the church up. Well in my opinion he has been very successful.
He designed man centred religious systems the minute Adam and Eve had to leave the garden. But God knowing  He had to get Messiah into the earth chose Himself a people and two thousand years ago Jesus Christ was born. After a very short ministry Jesus was crucified, and raised from the dead. On the day of pentecost Daddy poured out Holy Spirit and filled 120 Jewish believers in the upper room and the church was birthed. It is important for us to consider the next important decision by God. He arrested a Jewish Pharisee called Saul for a very specific purpose.

I'm seeing more clearly.

I can see a little more clearly. It is very helpful sometimes to be reminded of the words spoken to us from the Holy Spirit. maybe many years ago, and actually see them begin to shift into place. Coupled with this, in my case,
are answers to prayers from my heart beginning to be answered in a way I could not have imagined. I got captured by Christ twenty eight years ago, but un be known to me the virus of the religious spirit began it's work immediately. This religious spirit has infected the church for nearly two thousand years and there I was thinking because I had no religious upbringing I was somehow immune. But being zealous for God I began to read avidly, not knowing that all I was reading was rubbish. I was in the 'charismatic movement', but that has not escaped the virus, because the virus affects people minds. Only last year it began to dawn on me that the christianity I was experiencing was a phoney. No let me rephrase that. It was christianity I was experiencing, but not the gospel. I had lived below my potential for 28yrs. because I had been fooled. I had been fooled not just by the religious baloney I could see, but by man's traditions. I had been robbed of the simplicity of Christ. Many changes have taken place for the good within the small but beautiful fellowship I hang out with. Love, de construction, re alignment and deep commitment are the hallmarks of the Bridge crew. But personally I was still well below par as my friends could tell you.

Like Moses

This morning basking in the warmth of God's love and journalling, what a lovely phrase that is, I was reminded of the time Moses spent in the back end of the mountain sheep herding. It must have been a very productive period for Moses, even if he didn't think so. Quietly the Lord spoke to me.
'Son you are not in the wilderness. Think of it as more like a womb where I have secreted you to fashion in you the very essence of Jesus. This is a time where you can practise My presence and learn to trust me with all of your heart. I will show you what I mean when I said I want Jesus to live in and through you.'
Part of me trusting God is to believe that He knows best for me, and that I can  thank Him in every situation. He is love, but He is also good. Resting in His goodness is sometimes difficult for me as I suffer to a degree with that which effects us all, the fear of letting go, and believing that all things come from His hand.

Reflection

To pray truly means to direct the thought and the memory, without relaxing, to the recollection of God, to walk in God's divine Presence, to awaken oneself to God's love by thinking about God, and to link the Name of God with one's breathing and the beating of one's heart. 
... The Russian Pilgrim

Another Picture....

I had this cute picture from Pop this morning. Can you imagine a lay by on very busy road? The meadows over the hedge are full of contented cows, grazing quietly on the grass. As the view unfolds you can see mountains in the far horizon, snow glistening on the tops like starlight in the heaven. There is a car in the lay by and beside the car is a table laid out for a picnic, brimming over with goodies of all kinds. Two comfortable chairs are alongside the table and me and Jesus are just content to be in each others company. The traffic on the road is very busy. Buses, cars, lorries and even motorbikes are travelling up and down the road, but they don't bother us.
The interpretation for me was that Jesus and me are on a different journey than everyone depicted on the road. Our journey is unique as it is His planned journey for me. I am in fact not doing anything at all as He is completely in charge of the planning, and the resources. For now it's time to picnic, to be alone together and spend more time in fellowship than we have before. It's an ideal time, and a great privilege to be able to immerse my whole being in the river of His love. 'Strive to enter My rest....' comes to mind. There is no striving now.

No Outcry.........

This is the self confessed assassin of Pakistani Governor Salman Taseer. The one time body guard of the Governor was incensed at the Governor's backing for reform of the blasphemy law. Last November a Christian woman Asia Bibi was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad, she denies the charge. Hardline clerics had been angered by the Governor's visit to see the woman in jail, and for his support for a private members bill hoping for a amendment to the law to prevent miscarriages of justice, and to remove the mandatory death sentence. What is so alarming about this incident is that he was able to discharge two magazines of sub machine gun rounds with out being challenged by his colleagues. At his first court appearance in Islamabad last week, he was showered with rose petals by sympathisers, including some lawyers. Yesterday 50,000 protesters marched in Karachi against the proposed reforms. The rally was attended by all Muslim groups and sects in the city, including moderates and conservatives.
A compassionate Governor is gunned down, and his murderer is hailed as a hero? Aatish Taseer, the Governor's son has written a poignant article in the Sunday Telegraph on the killing. He states that unless Pakistan can separate religion from the state then Pakistan will not be able to move on. He is not very hopeful though.  The-killer-of-my-father-Salman-Taseer-was-showered-with-rose-petals I feel deeply for the Governor's family, and I feel deeply for Pakistan where a level of bigotry and hatred continues to hamper the country like a curse.

An Epiphany

It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Of all the wonderful things God did for us in Christ, liberty to me is one of the highest gifts that we have received. When your freedom is compromised you know it. Whether by slavery to a worldly system, or slavery to man, or bondage to sin, the loss of freedom leaves an indelible mark on the soul. Man has carried this scar since the Garden when satan was given the right to 'lord' it over the human race. From then on man has lived in a self centred rule based existence.
Do this and you will get that, goes the mantra. I should do this, I ought to do that, I must do this. When God gave the law it only compounded the problem. More rules and conditions to live by. Thousands of years of inbred data wired into our hard drives, no wonder we are so screwed up and in need of deliverance. As I re read the scriptures again this morning God met me in an incredible way. No I didn't have angels visit, no jewels or gold dust, but a resonance deep in my soul from the Holy Spirit. He put His finger, if you like, on the core issue that has been eluding me and made it come alive. Truth had come, not from the pages but from the author.
When Jesus said, 'It is finished.' I know it meant a lot of things but this thing I know. He meant slavery has finished. The slavery to the old system of living, the slavery to sin, bondage to the world, and the fear of man. As our enslaved old nature, and our corrupt way of life, was crucified with Him into His death in our baptism, it paved the way for us to be raised up in Him to newness of life in His resurrection. But here is the crucial factor for me. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. The freedom I have been granted as a free gift, is in Him. My new life now is Him, He is eternal life. That's why God's plan after regeneration is to have His Son Jesus the Christ live in and through us.
How the 'church' has missed it.

A little more.........

Reflecting on my 'picture' and after reading once again Romans ch. 6,7,8, this morning I am glad to say some revelation form the Spirit is percolating through the un-renewed mind. Paul quite clearly teaches in Romans ch.7 that what he calls the law of sin is still operating in our mortal bodies. He attributes all his past failures to walk in victory to this very real and present law. In the previous chapter he explained quite plainly the spiritual work that God undertakes at a believers baptism. We are baptised into Christ's death, and raised up into His resurrection. Sounds simple doesn't it? Should be plain sailing to walk in righteousness then shouldn't it? But how many Christians are trapped in the 'wretched man syndrome' Paul discusses when the screams, and pressure, from the flesh continually wreck havoc on a righteous lifestyle. Most of my Christian life has been spent in the reality of that dilemma. With my inner man agreeing with God, but in reality being tripped up at every turn by the law of sin working in my body. Many Christians I am sure if we were honest have been so defeated by the sin, forgiveness, guilt, sin trip that we have in fact given up and settled for a compromised life on more than one occasion..
But something inside of me screams out for freedom. The true spiritual freedom that Christ died for. And I know it's available to all of us.

More...........

The other day I had a picture from the Lord but I didn't really understand what it meant. This morning it became clearer. The picture was of a leper in the desert. He was all alone and on top of everything else he had to use a crutch to get along with. He looked so pitiful, and I thought to myself that sometimes I felt a bit like that. But it wasn't about what I felt at all, it was more an illustration.
'This picture son is to drive home to you how useless, and ineffective your flesh is at living the Christian life. Paul had to learn that Christ is the only person who can live the Christian life, and you have to learn this lesson too. Face the reality this morning that you can't live the life you want to live, only Christ in you can.'