Wednesday, April 13, 2016
My first day in LA
No one filled out a card! No one was saved and no one was healed!!
I want to encourage those of you that felt worn out and beat down yesterday because your own stepping out and evangelising didn't quite have the success rate you were hoping for.
Let me first be clear. My group as a whole was amazing and had a very high success rate, seeing lots of fruit from their evangelising. They were on fire but personally when I shared I felt people were not interested and I even experienced some pretty strong opposition to what I was sharing. There is a temptation for us to forget our identity in this moment and fall into comparison, or wonder why our techniques aren't as effective! Am I not qualified for this? Am I bad at sharing the gospel message? What a crock of lies from the enemy!!
After a pretty difficult day the Holy Spirit reminded me that just because I came back to the church with a bag full of leaflets, it didn't make me any less successful than those that distributed all theirs. How do you measure success?
In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says he planted seed, Apollos watered it but it was God that made it grow. I planted some seed into some very hard soil yesterday but that's what I am called to do. I don't need to see the fruit. The fruit is not my responsibility but God's. He called me to minister to some hard ground yesterday and I was obedient. Were you obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit? Did you step out and speak life into people?
It's wonderful to read all the wonderful testimonies of healing, salvation and deliverance but if you were obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit and even then experienced no fruit, you had a successful day. Remember that your Father is proud of you and everyone that acknowledges Jesus before men, he will acknowledge you before His Father (Matt 10:32).
Bless you all,
Paul.
I want to encourage those of you that felt worn out and beat down yesterday because your own stepping out and evangelising didn't quite have the success rate you were hoping for.
Let me first be clear. My group as a whole was amazing and had a very high success rate, seeing lots of fruit from their evangelising. They were on fire but personally when I shared I felt people were not interested and I even experienced some pretty strong opposition to what I was sharing. There is a temptation for us to forget our identity in this moment and fall into comparison, or wonder why our techniques aren't as effective! Am I not qualified for this? Am I bad at sharing the gospel message? What a crock of lies from the enemy!!
After a pretty difficult day the Holy Spirit reminded me that just because I came back to the church with a bag full of leaflets, it didn't make me any less successful than those that distributed all theirs. How do you measure success?
In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says he planted seed, Apollos watered it but it was God that made it grow. I planted some seed into some very hard soil yesterday but that's what I am called to do. I don't need to see the fruit. The fruit is not my responsibility but God's. He called me to minister to some hard ground yesterday and I was obedient. Were you obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit? Did you step out and speak life into people?
It's wonderful to read all the wonderful testimonies of healing, salvation and deliverance but if you were obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit and even then experienced no fruit, you had a successful day. Remember that your Father is proud of you and everyone that acknowledges Jesus before men, he will acknowledge you before His Father (Matt 10:32).
Bless you all,
Paul.
The God of Miracles
We stayed in the Sheraton Hotel and had shared bedding, four to a room. I barely slept that first night as it was a new environment and the pain had now increased from my back all the way down my right leg creating an uncomfortable numbing sensation. I was worried that I would not be able to walk on the first day of the trip!
We met in the lobby each morning and my pain level had not decreased much from the previous night. Each day some people stayed back to recover from various sicknesses but I didn't tell my pastor that I was in pain because I didn't want to miss out on the days events.
We loaded on to the bus and as I sat there anxious that my back would not improve, one of the girls asked if anyone needed healing for anything. I raised my hand for prayer and as a few gathered around me to pray, I started to feel a sense of Gods presence. Earlier that day Johnny had laid his hand on me and felt a lump that was about the size of a grape moving around in my lower back. When the girls prayed over me on the bus my pain completely disappeared and I could barely feel the lump in my back as it had dramatically decreased in size! Jesus healed my back before we even arrived at the college campus to minister to students. I was so thankful and encouraged in my faith in this moment.
We had a great day at the college campus on day one although my own day was a struggle as the seed I planted was falling on some very hard soil. I strengthened myself by remembering who I was in Christ and it was not me that was being rejected but Christ. God says we are wholly accepted and loved. He took on the chastisement that brought us peace. He was the one who was despised and rejected so we could walk in freedom (Is 53). We had a wonderful service on the college campus that evening where two girls gave their lives to the Lord. We all gathered around them and welcomed them into the family, celebrating their decision to follow Christ. They were introduced to the senior pastor and his wife and told they would now be their spiritual parents.
The next day we ministered on Venice beach. There was a lot of spiritual activity there and people were very hungry for encounters with the Father. We prayed with many people that day including Satanists, psychics, business owners, homeless people and anybody else God highlighted to us. We saw God heal people of sicknesses and diseases and many gave their lives to the Lord.
The next day we went to central LA where there was a lot of gang violence in the past. It was a lower class area of LA with a lot of poverty and crime. We connected with a hispanic church there and ministered to people on the streets both black and hispanic, inviting them to encounter the love of the Father. I think people were so surprised to see our team of mostly white people in the area that even that was enough to engage people in conversation and bridge the gap of racial division.
The next day we were focused on the area surrounding the Coliseum stadium, where the Azusa Now event would happen that coming Saturday. The very first person that was highlighted to me that day was Thomas (pictured in the yellow) who was sweeping the streets in the rain. As I approached him I felt so much of the Fathers compassion for him. We prophesied over him and called him into his Godly identity. He was so touched that he accepted Jesus into his life there on the streets.
The next day we were up early and on our way to the coliseum as this was the big day! Bethel teams and other world ministries had flown in the previous day to usher in a new wave of the Spirits outpouring. It was an incredible day of unity between the churches who gathered
with one heart, to see Gods spirit pour out over this land and the nations. A Catholic leader on stage, fell to his knees and kissed Lou Engles feet as a mark of repentance for how the Catholic church had treated the protestant churches. Lou then did the same and there wasn't a dry eye in the stadium of 90,000 people.
Shawn Bolz prophesied over people from the stage through words of knowledge and Bill called out various diseases and sicknesses that God wanted to heal.
We were the ministry team for the event and went around all day healing the sick and casting out demons. Gods power was manifest all over the stadium. We saw multiple people get out of their wheelchairs, arthritis healed, blind eyes and deaf ears were opened, Fathers return to their sons, mothers to their daughters and many more miraculous signs throughout the day and week.
I cannot write everything that happened this week in words and do it due justice but only say, God is a good Father who loves his children. He is still the healer and restorer of the broken. Jesus Christ died so we could experience our Daddy' love and give it to the next person. The Holy Spirit is moving in the church through signs and wonders and this generation will see the greatest outpouring of the Spirit where we will be part of a billion soul harvest. We owe the world an encounter!
Friday, April 1, 2016
Judge not!
When recently sharing a concern I had about the body of Christ with a friend. She responded by telling me that only God can judge and it wasn't my job to judge. I have an issue with this response for a number of reasons mainly because the discussion was about a correction (which she didn't believe in either), and not a judgement. Correction is very different to a Judgement although I believe both are important and necessary. It is true to say that God is the ultimate Judge and He will make a final decision on Judgement Day. Casting a judgement on something or someone is giving a verdict, sentence or punishment whereas correction is giving a person a chance to change before the final judgement. It is done out of love and a concern for the other persons soul.
People who don't like to be corrected by others often interpret it as judgement and quote passages like Matthew 7 "Judge not, that you be not judged." Well that settles it so, the bible is clear. We are not to judge others. Wrong!! People who quote this fail to quote the rest of the passage which says in verse 5 "first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers eye." When we have looked within ourselves and with purity of motive and heart we can indeed remove the speck from our brothers eye. In fact, the bible says one day the saints will judge the world. One day we are to judge angels! If we don't learn anything about pronouncing righteous Judgement on the earth now, how are we going to be a good stewart of what He has called us to later? It is my responsibility to love people so well that I am effected by their poor choices and I don't just 'turn a blind eye'. We must be a people who value correction when we are steering the ship in the wrong direction. Pointing out an error in the church or in an individual needs to always be for the benefit of the church or the person and not to prove ones own knowledge or wisdom. This being our motivator is stupidity and not wisdom!
Proverbs 27 says that iron sharpens iron, and so one man sharpens another. Lets be a people who value the sharpening of others, recognising that it is for our own benefit and for the glory of God.
People who don't like to be corrected by others often interpret it as judgement and quote passages like Matthew 7 "Judge not, that you be not judged." Well that settles it so, the bible is clear. We are not to judge others. Wrong!! People who quote this fail to quote the rest of the passage which says in verse 5 "first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers eye." When we have looked within ourselves and with purity of motive and heart we can indeed remove the speck from our brothers eye. In fact, the bible says one day the saints will judge the world. One day we are to judge angels! If we don't learn anything about pronouncing righteous Judgement on the earth now, how are we going to be a good stewart of what He has called us to later? It is my responsibility to love people so well that I am effected by their poor choices and I don't just 'turn a blind eye'. We must be a people who value correction when we are steering the ship in the wrong direction. Pointing out an error in the church or in an individual needs to always be for the benefit of the church or the person and not to prove ones own knowledge or wisdom. This being our motivator is stupidity and not wisdom!
Proverbs 27 says that iron sharpens iron, and so one man sharpens another. Lets be a people who value the sharpening of others, recognising that it is for our own benefit and for the glory of God.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Good gifts
I've been thinking a lot recently about the tension between God supplying all our 'needs', and living in Gods 'abundance'. Often those who say the Christian life is not a life of material or monetary abundance but abundance in the spiritual sense, have formed this view based on some outrageous church abuses. We can all think of people who have used manipulation and persuasive teaching for personal monetary gain.
Yet there must be some physical manifestation of the abundant life for the here and now. Surely we cant be just living with a futuristic hope of life abundant.
We often lay down our God given dreams because they just seem too big or unattainable. Why is that? I have been guilty of laying down some big dreams and generally its because of a lack of resources. Would God place dreams in my heart and then not supply the necessary resources to live out those dreams? Is that what a loving Father does? Matthew 7 says 'your Father who is in heaven knows how to give good gifts to those who ask him'. Until we begin to see God as 'Father' or our 'loving Dad' we can never begin to walk in abundance.
In the previous chapter Jesus says not to be like the Gentiles who like to be heard by their many words. He says your Father knows what you 'need' before you even ask! Interesting that in the very next chapter he encourages then to continue asking!! Whats the difference?
In chapter 6 he is specifically talking about their needs and in chapter 7, he is referring to gifts. Maybe we aren't experiencing the abundance that God has for us because we simply aren't asking? We are thanking him for meeting our daily needs and missing out in the abundance he has for us because we have embraced a sacrificial poverty gospel message. He came that we might have life and life abundant (John 10:10). Has the enemy being using a theology of embracing poverty to steal from us our rich inheritance (both now and eternal)?
Yes our God supplies all our needs which by the way are according to his 'riches' in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19), yet He also wants to give good gifts. Some seasons are for sowing and some are for reaping. If we only ever learn to sow in generosity and never learn to reap, we will never experience the Father who wants to give good gifts to his children. If my earthly dad bought me a brand new piano and in the name of generosity I gave it away to someone else, how do you think my dad would feel? Lets not dishonour the giver by showing contempt for the gifts. By rejoicing in the gift we are in fact giving honour to the giver. My dad would get great delight and pleasure by seeing me play and love my new piano.
When we are seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness, he has promised that all things will be added. I don't want to live a life where I cant walk in all the fulness of what God has for me. Im thankful to my Father for meeting all my needs but Im also grateful that he is a Father who wants to bless his children with gifts and heavenly abundance. There is no lack in heaven and as we bring heaven to earth, we should not be experiencing lack in our lives. My hope is that His Kingdom will expand in my life and of those around me both in the spiritual and in the physical.
Yet there must be some physical manifestation of the abundant life for the here and now. Surely we cant be just living with a futuristic hope of life abundant.
We often lay down our God given dreams because they just seem too big or unattainable. Why is that? I have been guilty of laying down some big dreams and generally its because of a lack of resources. Would God place dreams in my heart and then not supply the necessary resources to live out those dreams? Is that what a loving Father does? Matthew 7 says 'your Father who is in heaven knows how to give good gifts to those who ask him'. Until we begin to see God as 'Father' or our 'loving Dad' we can never begin to walk in abundance.
In the previous chapter Jesus says not to be like the Gentiles who like to be heard by their many words. He says your Father knows what you 'need' before you even ask! Interesting that in the very next chapter he encourages then to continue asking!! Whats the difference?
In chapter 6 he is specifically talking about their needs and in chapter 7, he is referring to gifts. Maybe we aren't experiencing the abundance that God has for us because we simply aren't asking? We are thanking him for meeting our daily needs and missing out in the abundance he has for us because we have embraced a sacrificial poverty gospel message. He came that we might have life and life abundant (John 10:10). Has the enemy being using a theology of embracing poverty to steal from us our rich inheritance (both now and eternal)?
Yes our God supplies all our needs which by the way are according to his 'riches' in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19), yet He also wants to give good gifts. Some seasons are for sowing and some are for reaping. If we only ever learn to sow in generosity and never learn to reap, we will never experience the Father who wants to give good gifts to his children. If my earthly dad bought me a brand new piano and in the name of generosity I gave it away to someone else, how do you think my dad would feel? Lets not dishonour the giver by showing contempt for the gifts. By rejoicing in the gift we are in fact giving honour to the giver. My dad would get great delight and pleasure by seeing me play and love my new piano.
When we are seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness, he has promised that all things will be added. I don't want to live a life where I cant walk in all the fulness of what God has for me. Im thankful to my Father for meeting all my needs but Im also grateful that he is a Father who wants to bless his children with gifts and heavenly abundance. There is no lack in heaven and as we bring heaven to earth, we should not be experiencing lack in our lives. My hope is that His Kingdom will expand in my life and of those around me both in the spiritual and in the physical.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
A poem by Annie Johnson Flint
Oh, set your sail to the heavenly gale,
And then, no matter what winds prevail,
No reef can wreck you, no calm delay;
No mist will hinder, no storm will stay;
Though far you wander and long you roam
Through salt sea sprays and o'er white sea foam,
No wind can blow but that will speed you Home.
And then, no matter what winds prevail,
No reef can wreck you, no calm delay;
No mist will hinder, no storm will stay;
Though far you wander and long you roam
Through salt sea sprays and o'er white sea foam,
No wind can blow but that will speed you Home.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
A life of boundaries
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
My reflections on the book
I must admit to two feelings I had before reading Boundaries and completing this assignment. I began by being excited at the prospect of submitting a book report, forgetting that one of the most difficult obstacles in life (at least for me), is gathering all my thoughts and translating them to paper. The secon
d feeling was fear. Fear that my lack of boundaries in some areas of life, would cause me to dislike myself.
I think I have always had a negative outlook on Boundaries and for that reason I’ve never given them much thought. As the author continually reminds the reader, there can be a common misconception when it comes to setting Boundaries. The sense that one can be confined or restricted and that establishing boundaries prohibits a person from truly doing what they want to do. As I turned each page, I began to see that in fact nothing could be further from the truth. In Romans the apostle Paul talks about being a slave to sin. As slaves of sin they were free in regard to righteousness (Rom 6:20) but the fruit they were producing made them now ashamed. Could this possibly be the freedom I was so fearful of losing by setting better boundaries? Paul reminds them that they are free from sin and have become slaves of God, and the fruit they get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. This indeed sounded like true freedom and I started to realise what a crucial role boundaries play in this fruit producing life.
I am not a renowned reader and I slowly and laboriously trudged through the opening chapters with some painstaking difficulty, wondering how long was an acceptable amount of time to pass, before I would be rewarded another coffee break! However, as I delved deeper into the pages of this book, and much to my surprise, I found that I quite enjoyed it. The book was refreshingly honest and challenging in such a way that I wanted to keep on reading. Each chapter provided wonderful encouragement, conviction and spiritual insight. Instead of viewing boundaries in a negative light, I found myself wishing I had read the book sooner and established good boundaries throughout my younger years.
The wonderful freedom in being part of Christ’ Kingdom is to know that through his Holy Spirit, he can bring about change in your life. In spite of pain and consequences for poor boundary setting, Christ brings healing and a hope for the future. The well-known hymn ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ has a line that says …“strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow”. As I continue to allow God to teach me healthy boundaries, I remind myself that they are for todays strength and tomorrows bright hope. What a faithful God!
Growing up I was always encouraged to be a kind and compassionate person. My mum frequently reminds me that kindness is her favourite quality in someone. Indeed it was kindness that she first noticed in my dad as a young girl. Growing up in this environment has had a lasting effect on me and I’m pleased to say that kindness and compassion are two qualities that I highly value. I love to serve and am greatly moved to compassion for people who are struggling or suffering. Jesus had compassion and so if I’m to be like him, I too must be driven by love for God and others. However, like many Christians I had fallen into a trap!
For me, the Christian life was about always being there for people when they needed me. It didn’t matter if I was busy or needed time alone, if someone needed a favour or to spend time with me, then that was part of being a ‘good’ Christian. In chapter 15 the author sums it up like this….. ‘taking responsibility for yourself is healthy, and taking responsibility for others is destructive’. I wasn’t taking responsibility for myself. I had become resentful towards friends and people in my church who had used me for their own benefit. I could really identify with Sherrie in chapter one, who was being emotionally manipulated by her friend Lois, who only wanted to talk when she needed something from Sherrie.
My car became a reason some people would befriend me and at times friendship for me seemed like a ‘lifts club’! My skills in leading worship in the church seemed to be the only reason people valued me. My compassion and drive to help others had in fact driven me away from the people I most cared about. Through this book, I started to realise that the reason I had no boundaries in this area was drawn out of a fear of losing relationship. I decided that instead of allowing hurt and resentments to fester because others weren’t good friends, I would take ownership and responsibility for my own health. I wonder how much of my energy and time spent with people was actually motivated by love or was it a fear of not being accepted? I realise like Sherrie that I need to prioritise who and what is important in my life. 1 John says we love because He first loved us. Knowing that you are loved by God should make one see themselves as valuable enough to have boundaries. As I reflected on times when people had needed me for one thing or another, I realised that more often than not, my ‘yes’ was an external yes but an internal ‘no’. I was giving out of compulsion and not cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7).
This book has taken me on a journey of learning and self-discovery and I found myself yearning for more of this boundary filled life that the authors described. I believe the church has not fully understood the true value of boundaries and has grown to adopt some of the worlds tainted views. How boundaries can restrict us or hold us back from what we want. However, if we as the church started setting healthy boundaries, I believe the church would be a place of life and freedom. Indeed the authors final prayer is a prayer that I now pray for myself and the lives of those I encounter each day. ‘Its our prayer that your biblical boundaries will lead you to a life of love, freedom, responsibility, and service’.
As Christians, we are called to love God and love people and by setting strong biblical boundaries we can begin to do both to greater effect. We need to begin to adopt these Kingdom principles, so a lost, hurt and broken world can come to experience healing and love through Christ and his church.
My reflections on the book
I must admit to two feelings I had before reading Boundaries and completing this assignment. I began by being excited at the prospect of submitting a book report, forgetting that one of the most difficult obstacles in life (at least for me), is gathering all my thoughts and translating them to paper. The secon
I think I have always had a negative outlook on Boundaries and for that reason I’ve never given them much thought. As the author continually reminds the reader, there can be a common misconception when it comes to setting Boundaries. The sense that one can be confined or restricted and that establishing boundaries prohibits a person from truly doing what they want to do. As I turned each page, I began to see that in fact nothing could be further from the truth. In Romans the apostle Paul talks about being a slave to sin. As slaves of sin they were free in regard to righteousness (Rom 6:20) but the fruit they were producing made them now ashamed. Could this possibly be the freedom I was so fearful of losing by setting better boundaries? Paul reminds them that they are free from sin and have become slaves of God, and the fruit they get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. This indeed sounded like true freedom and I started to realise what a crucial role boundaries play in this fruit producing life.
I am not a renowned reader and I slowly and laboriously trudged through the opening chapters with some painstaking difficulty, wondering how long was an acceptable amount of time to pass, before I would be rewarded another coffee break! However, as I delved deeper into the pages of this book, and much to my surprise, I found that I quite enjoyed it. The book was refreshingly honest and challenging in such a way that I wanted to keep on reading. Each chapter provided wonderful encouragement, conviction and spiritual insight. Instead of viewing boundaries in a negative light, I found myself wishing I had read the book sooner and established good boundaries throughout my younger years.
The wonderful freedom in being part of Christ’ Kingdom is to know that through his Holy Spirit, he can bring about change in your life. In spite of pain and consequences for poor boundary setting, Christ brings healing and a hope for the future. The well-known hymn ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ has a line that says …“strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow”. As I continue to allow God to teach me healthy boundaries, I remind myself that they are for todays strength and tomorrows bright hope. What a faithful God!
Growing up I was always encouraged to be a kind and compassionate person. My mum frequently reminds me that kindness is her favourite quality in someone. Indeed it was kindness that she first noticed in my dad as a young girl. Growing up in this environment has had a lasting effect on me and I’m pleased to say that kindness and compassion are two qualities that I highly value. I love to serve and am greatly moved to compassion for people who are struggling or suffering. Jesus had compassion and so if I’m to be like him, I too must be driven by love for God and others. However, like many Christians I had fallen into a trap!
For me, the Christian life was about always being there for people when they needed me. It didn’t matter if I was busy or needed time alone, if someone needed a favour or to spend time with me, then that was part of being a ‘good’ Christian. In chapter 15 the author sums it up like this….. ‘taking responsibility for yourself is healthy, and taking responsibility for others is destructive’. I wasn’t taking responsibility for myself. I had become resentful towards friends and people in my church who had used me for their own benefit. I could really identify with Sherrie in chapter one, who was being emotionally manipulated by her friend Lois, who only wanted to talk when she needed something from Sherrie.
My car became a reason some people would befriend me and at times friendship for me seemed like a ‘lifts club’! My skills in leading worship in the church seemed to be the only reason people valued me. My compassion and drive to help others had in fact driven me away from the people I most cared about. Through this book, I started to realise that the reason I had no boundaries in this area was drawn out of a fear of losing relationship. I decided that instead of allowing hurt and resentments to fester because others weren’t good friends, I would take ownership and responsibility for my own health. I wonder how much of my energy and time spent with people was actually motivated by love or was it a fear of not being accepted? I realise like Sherrie that I need to prioritise who and what is important in my life. 1 John says we love because He first loved us. Knowing that you are loved by God should make one see themselves as valuable enough to have boundaries. As I reflected on times when people had needed me for one thing or another, I realised that more often than not, my ‘yes’ was an external yes but an internal ‘no’. I was giving out of compulsion and not cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7).
This book has taken me on a journey of learning and self-discovery and I found myself yearning for more of this boundary filled life that the authors described. I believe the church has not fully understood the true value of boundaries and has grown to adopt some of the worlds tainted views. How boundaries can restrict us or hold us back from what we want. However, if we as the church started setting healthy boundaries, I believe the church would be a place of life and freedom. Indeed the authors final prayer is a prayer that I now pray for myself and the lives of those I encounter each day. ‘Its our prayer that your biblical boundaries will lead you to a life of love, freedom, responsibility, and service’.
As Christians, we are called to love God and love people and by setting strong biblical boundaries we can begin to do both to greater effect. We need to begin to adopt these Kingdom principles, so a lost, hurt and broken world can come to experience healing and love through Christ and his church.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)