The Holy Spirit

"We do not need to wait for the Holy Spirit to come: he came on the day of Pentecost. He has never left the church."------ John Stott


"Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON. He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage. He is not energy. He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather. Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the personification of anything...... He has individuality. He is one being and not another. He has will and intelligence. He has hearing. He has knowledge and sympathy and ability to love and see and think. He can hear, speak, desire, grieve and rejoice. He is a Person." ------ A. W. Tozer, *The Counselor*

Obedience is better than Sacrifice

And Samuel said,

"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold to obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams".



This passage of scripture is taken from 1Samuel chapter 15 and for those who may not be familiar to the story leading up to these words, Saul has just been anointed king over his people Israel and the Lord says to him through the prophet Samuel that he must completely destroy the Amalekites..... "devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey."



Sounds very clear, right? Well Sauls response was one which I can sympathise with. He did something very human. He carried out Gods instructions, but thought he would keep alive the king of the Amalekites and the better livestock to make a sacrifice of Thanks to God.



The reason I sympathise with him is it seems to me that Saul was acting out on what he thought was a way to honour God. He thought that this would be a nice thing to do for God. Yet when the word of the Lord came to Samuel he said, that he had regretted making Saul king. Why is this?



Saul wanted to do something for God and was rebuked. The thing is he missed the point. Its more important to let God do what He wants to do, than to do something that we want to do, for God.



After Samuel confronted Saul over this, Saul recognised the error of his judgement and realised he had sinned and rejected the word of the Lord. As a result Sauls dynasty would end with him and he would be succeeded by David. A very sobering lesson. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

The Missionary's Goal

He.... said to them, "Behold we are going up to Jerusalem......" (Luke 18:31)

The goal of the missionary is not to be useful or to win the lost. His goal is to do the will of the Lord. In our Lords life, Jerusalem was the place where He reached the culmination of His Fathers will upon the cross, and unless we go there with Jesus we will have no friendship or fellowship with Him.

(Oswald Chambers)

Being Christian without being Christlike.

People have found ways of being Christian without being Christlike.

This is a sentence which recently caught my attention while reading Dallas Willards 'Renovation of the Heart'. In the lead up to this, Willard is referring to the church and how people are always teaching by example that it is more important to be right than it is to be Christlike. He writes, how there are so many different Denominations around the world and they are all 'Right'!! People in the church who are in positions of leadership particularly and who may be wrong in relation to something, need to be told what is right. They deserve to be dealt with severely. People who are going to be in heaven must be right on what is basic. This is of course true, however it can turn out that to be right in 'what is basic' is to be right in terms of that particular church tradition and not in terms of Christlikeness.

The problem is that for a lot of churches the 'basic goal' seems to be getting as many people ready to die and to go to heaven. The focus and aim should be on getting heaven into people. Very often we hear elderly people close to death say they have lived a full life and they're ready to die. However, how many people can say that they are ready to live??

Trying to always adopt this way of being right by the church, may not always be helpful in relationships within the church. In our attempts to do what we believe is right by God, in dealing with church problems, may be just building a wall between members of the body. We need to be a spirit filled people and people need to be able to see clearly that Christ is living within us. There needs to be evidence of a real transformation within the lives of the people of God.

Lifes struggles

I have been going through quite a difficult period recently. I have felt quite a lot of pressure, and found that my every day life was becoming increasingly stressful, and without going into too much personal stuff, I was feeling pretty miserable! It seemed like everything was going against me. I often thought how is it I can feel so down in the dumps and yet lead a congregation in Worship? This also added to my pressure as I felt very guilty about this. Thankfully God uses us, even in our weaknesses. In fact he can use us more powerfully in our weaknesses, as its only when we recognise how useless we truly are on our own strength and allow him to take over, that exciting things happen and God moves. 

I was encouraged to read this evening Isaiah 40, where it says that strength will rise as we wait on the Lord. In this time of feeling battered, bruised and weak, I need to learn to wait on the Lord and draw my strength from Him.

Last Sunday we sang the words taken from Colossians 1v27,  ....."Christ in me the hope of Glory" These words are wonderfully profound. On my own abilities I will always fall short of Gods Glory, but my hope is not in myself, but in Christ who lives in me. My only response, should be one of Worship and Thankfulness to Him for is presence and his Spirit. He is my strength.

Verse for today

Matthew 6:33-34
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

This is my verse of the day and its one that I often need to remind myself of. At the moment I am going through a few changes and am trying to figure out where my life is leading. Very often I can get carried away with my own plans. The danger for me is that I can make my plans without placing God FIRST in them. I need to cast all my worries and anxieties for the future on Him and continue to just seek and pray for the Kingdom of God and His purposes. This is what is important and its what Jesus said that we ought to be doing.

Some Snaps

OK so I have absolutely no photography experience and up to recently I would have said also no interest, but during my recent trip to Romania I decided to take some shots of the countryside and well this is the result. Just remember as you are scrolling, that sometimes the best photographs are the ones that initially seem crap, but as you study them deeper a whole world of beauty opens up!...........

Camp memories

This is Darius. He is the kid who I refer to in this post and my memory of how I noticed God move in his life.

I think a few weeks leading up to the camp I was a little apprehensive and not so excited about the prospect of putting all my energy and expertise into the work ahead. The reason for my apprehension was probably closely linked to the fact that I had no energy and no expertise!! I guess I didn't feel like I was in a place to give and serve as I had been discouraged and disheartened. My prayer life was struggling before the camp and I had made the classic mistakes of using biblical verses to support my own desires. Verses like Phil 4:6 where it says by prayer and supplication make your requests known to God. I just wanted to pray that God would grant me my own desires, and when He didn't I began to wonder whether prayers were really answered, or if that was something us Christians liked to think. I guess I had chosen to overlook verses like Col 3:1 which tells us to seek things that are above or Matt 6..... seek first the kingdom of God. Anyway there is a reason for this long-winded opening to my camp memories and Ill try get there in the next few lines. I didn't really believe in the power of prayer, purely because of my own circumstances and I wasn't praying in accordance with the spirit. I wasn't seeking Gods will in my prayer life. Well on this trip I saw God work very powerfully through prayer and not just answer our prayers but multiply and increase the blessings.

A few days into the camp we felt that there was a spiritual warfare going on and that we were under attack from the evil one. We had just had probably the most difficult day that we had ever experienced on an Samaritans Purse trip. It seemed like we had lost all control and were being governed by the kids, who were running riot, making our work quite difficult with no regard for discipline or authority.

We sat down in the evening and prayed and in particular we prayed for Darius who seemed to be the ringleader in all the madness.

The very next morning, we instantly noticed a change in attitude and particularly in Darius who actually won person of the day that very next evening. He was well behaved, more helpful than most the other kids and started to show how much of a good example he could be. Also the team members felt refreshed and strengthened that day. It was a complete turn around.

At one stage, toward the end of the camp, Nicola and I were talking and she said how she didn't expect the camp to impact her as much as it did. Well I have to agree with her, as doing an SP trip can often make you think like you are just an instrument used in this great work, serving the children and that we aren't there to learn or receive anything. Well I learned a very important thing this week. Prayer is incredibly powerful and we can overcome and avoid any arrows the enemy throws our way because God does answer prayer.

Romania 09

Ok so Ive just returned from another very successful Samaritans Purse summer camp and thought I would share a couple of photographs from our trip.....

Gods Will..

I have recently been following sermons by Paster Charles Price online and last weeks was dealing with the will of God. He (Charles) says how he was once approached by a student who asked the question, a question which I often wonder about........ "What is Gods will for my life?"

Charles continues to say how this is a good question but perhaps not the best question. What we should be asking is "What is Gods will?".

This is a very different question as it takes the focus away from ourselves and is focusing on God. It focuses on Gods agenda in the world and to be a part of Gods agenda is the greatest privilege for us as his people. Jesus gave himself totally to Gods agenda and if we are to be like Christ, well then we need to focus on what Gods agenda is.

Gods will may not always be our own will and so we may suffer for Gods greater agenda but God has a wonderful plan for the world. There may be a cost for us individually! We must be careful not to desire Gods will, from a selfish perspective, where we say "what is your will?" and then decide if we want to go along with it or not.

Before we look at Gods personal will for our lives we should focus on his general will for everyone. Charles points to the following verses listed below which look at Gods general will.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:3= You should be sanctified or holy...... the context here is to do with sexual immorality.


• 1 Thessalonians 5:18= Give thanks in all circumstances


• 1 Peter 2:13-15= Submit yourselves to those in authority..... this may mean our boss or our political leaders.


• 1 Peter 4:19= Suffer according to Gods will

If we disrespect the general will of God we then begin to lose touch with the personal will of God.

Once we are living these things in our lives then we can discover what Gods personal will is for our lives. When we think something is Gods will for our lives we may need to ask the following questions:

• What do my inner convictions say in a situation?


• What does the scripture say?


• What do my circumstance say?


• What do my mature Christian friends say?....... advice


• Where does the compass of our hearts seem to point?

What we need to pray is that Gods will is done, not our own will, and that he will direct our paths.

We often forget, but God never forgets

Have you ever felt like one week you were so close to God, that you could feel His presence in every little thing, whether it be in dealing with colleagues, enjoying his creation or reading a book in the quiet of your bedroom?

I have, and they are wonderful times of uplifting and appreciation for all that God has done in my life. However, I sometimes can have a completely contrasting week, where I feel like I couldn't be more distant from Him.

Unfortunately, for some of us Christian people, we are only as enthusiastic as the strength of the memory of our last experience of God. There are indeed times in our walk when we may not feel like living for Christ, and may not sense his presence. I have started to read another book recently by R.C. Sproul entitled 'A walk with God' and in this book he makes the following statement..... "Even if you never experienced another blessing from God or sensed his presence again as long as you lived, you would have no justification to do anything but live each day in praise." .......You see we could do nothing but be thankful to Him for everything he has already done for us. Before the time of Jesus, there had been 400 years where Israel had not heard from God through a prophet. 400 years of silence. I'm sure some people could have forgotten the promises of God and felt like I do sometimes,..... Spiritually Dry! Thank God its not all about how I feel on a particular day of the week. What is important, is that God did not forget his promise. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. So he deserves all our praises.

Reading Gods Word

"We need to be reasonable when we approach scripture, but we submit our reason to its revelation" (Charles Price)

This is a quotation I heard a while back and it kinda stuck with me. What does it mean?

I think what Paster Price is trying to explain is that we don't always take scripture literally or at face value. To do so would be foolish and not good exegetical practice and here is an example why? For instance in a number of places throughout the Psalms, God is described as a Rock. In Psalm 28 David says..... "To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me." Does this mean David worshiped a stone? Of course not! He is saying, that God is like a Rock, he is strong and unshakable. A literal understanding of this scripture would be most unreasonable. This is a very basic example but in some circumstances we can confuse various passages of scripture and can argue over smaller things and miss the more vital truths.

We must approach scripture prayerfully. We need to ask for the Lords help in our reading of His word so that we may understand what it says, means and what God is saying to us. By prayerfully approaching the Scripture we are acknowledging the need for God and reliance on Him in our understanding. This is where our reason needs to submit to the scriptures revelation. It is through Gods Power that the Holy Spirit reveals things in the bible to us and in fact the very scripture is a revelation, as it is Gods word to us. The scripture reveals Jesus to us and he shows us the way to the Father........ (John 14:6) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So we need to submit to Jesus and give our lives to him as there is no other way to Salvation.

Being reasonable in our study and interpretation of scripture is very important but that is not where we should stop. There should also be the working of the Holy Spirit in our interpretation and we need to allow him to speak through the word and to reveal to us all that God is saying.

Hands up if you love football?

Well, what a week its been for Manchester United and Ryan Giggs. With the arrival of Arsenal on Wednesday to the Theatre of Dreams, its surely going to be a mouth watering week in Football. The stage is set for two scintillating games, as we prepare ourselves for the semi finals of the Champions League. Tonight, an on form Chelsea side visit the European Giants, Barcelona which promises to be an epic encounter. Both teams have regularly met in the competition in recent years and there is certainly no love lost between them. While I will be licking my lips at the prospect of another master class from the likes of Leo Messi, my attention will be on tomorrows all England encounter between Manchester United and Arsenal.

United who in recent weeks have struggled with results and with the loss of Rio Ferdinand to the side looked like they were slipping and not as invincible as some pundits were labeling them have now re found form after a beautiful second half performance against Spurs last weekend.

Arsenal who looked a very weak side early on in the season, have now re found their form under the fantastic leadership of Mr. Arsene Wenger and next to Barcelona look like the most clinical side in front of goal. Unfortunately for Arsenal they cannot rely on the genius of Andre Arshavin, whose performance against Liverpool was nothing short of pure brilliance. He is not eligible to play in the competition. Yet for Arsenal all hope is not lost as they still have many weapons in their armory. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Nasri could be extremely dangerous and all Manchester United fans will painfully remember the way in which Nasri put them to the sword earlier in the season.

There is one Manchester United player though who is worth a mention and that is Ryan Giggs. Ryan Giggs who this week was voted Player of the Year by his peers is eagerly hoping to line out against Arsenal for his incredible 800 game in a red jersey. He made his debut for United way back in 1991, in the old first division against Everton. It is an amazing thing to 18 years later see him as a hugely influential player in Uniteds future success, but I truly do. Giggs is getting older and is probably not able to play as many games in a season as he would like to, however when he does play, he appears to be getting better with age. He has adapted so well to the role of centre midfield and I for one hope that he lines up in tomorrows fixture. In my opinion, he is the only one who can stop Fabregas from controlling the game.

On another note, Fergie has been in a recent battle of words with Liverpool Boss, Rafael Benitez and this has deflected some of the attention away from any battles with his old nemesis, Arsene Wenger. I am happy that both managers have put their little squabbles behind them and have focused on the football. Hopefully this continues, but I have my doubts as there is so much riding on this semi final meeting.

Anyway enough talk, now lets get down to football!

Romania

This summer, I shall be returning to Romania to once again work with an organisation called Samaritans Purse. This shall be my fourth venture with Samaritans Purse and since its been almost 4 years since my last trip to Romania, I am full of excitement and anticipation at how God is going to challenge and use me during the two weeks. We leave on the 23rd of June and return on the fifth of July. Samaritans Purse Ireland partners with Ecce Homo - a Christian based Romanian social care organisation.

Romania has a population of 22.3 million and of that 29% are below the poverty line. The work that I will be involved in is a summer camp, which will take under privileged children for a fun couple of weeks in the Romanian mountains. The picture attached is a place we visited on a previous trip, where some of the children on the camp lived. Please bring these children before the Lord in prayer and pray that God will reveal himself to them in the midst of their difficult circumstances.

Whats that all about?

Today's the day! I have finally decided to get a little bit more personal with all my adorning fans and to share a few of my thoughts and feelings on life/liberty/love and stuff! Yes that's right, Paul now has a blog. A fairly sad looking blog right now, but a blog none-the-less. The title of this blog is 'Pressing Forward'. Right about now, I hear a few of you saying....... what is that all about? Well allow me to explain. It is paraphrased from a verse in Philippians 3:12, which happens to be one of my favourite scriptural verses. This was a verse I read in my local church on the day I was baptized. It says.... "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Paul's words were encouraging and necessary for the church in Philippi and they are also of utmost importance for me today in my devotions. The goal for me is to know Jesus Christ and that is what I am pressing towards....