Wild at heart!

Just thought I would say a thank you to everyone who has read and commented on our blog link from August till now. 2008 has seen some wonderful new things in the Lord. I believe that 2008 was the birthing of some changes in our lives and ministry. It is with even more passion and determination that we face 2009. The adventure has just begun! The "wildness" of our passionate hearts will propell us to see more souls added to the Kingdom of God this coming year. We pursue God and in pursuing Him we discover Him. We discover everything that we are not. We find His beauty and His rest. We find a loving Father. We find a mighty all powerful ruler. It is with friendship and with fear that we approach Him. Lord light our paths with Your living word.

Putting on Christ.

Romans 13:12-14 says - "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." The idea of putting on a garment was an image that biblical writers used very often. Putting on Jesus Christ is to be cloaked in Christ, to be covered with Jesus Christ. That is, when anybody sees you they see Christ. If we put on Christ-Likeness then surely this will cause heads to turn for the proper reasons!

Our "Christmas" attitude?

In Philippians 2, Paul recites - ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.’ Theologians debate the precise meaning of these verses, but one thing they all agree on is that some sense of self-emptying is present in them. The technical theological term for this is kenosis. It speaks of Christ’s ‘giving up’ or ‘self-denial’ for the sake of others. I believe that this is the real attitude and principle to model out this Christmas and indeed every day of our lives.

The Power of Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is a form of praise. It unlocks the supernatural miracle power of God. In John 6 we read of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus took the food and gave thanks and then He distributed it. All Jesus did was to thank God for what He had in His hand and then act on that. Jesus didn't pray a long prayer. Also in John 11 we see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus simply said "Father I thank You that You have heard me.” Then He spoke to Lazarus to come out and out he came! Let's begin to truely thank God that by faith He has heard our cry and that many lives will be changed by what we have placed in His hands.

Holy moments!

I thought that I would just write some personal reflections in this blog. In recent times I have been so aware of the nearness of God. There have been times in the last few weeks when I have encountered His life changing presence and been left breathless and speechless. I have affectionaltley termed these "holy moments". In these moments of divine intimacy everything else fades into insignificance. We are hidden in the cloud of His glory. I often think of Moses being hidden in the bullrushes, the rock and the palace. Yet great favour was to visit Him. Surely the greatest of all is to have an audience with the Holy one, to be in a divine conversation with the Almighty! Lord we desire more holy moments when we can discover more about Your beauty and holiness. We choose to be lost in wonder at the place called "near You".

The Lord is there

Ezekiel 48:35 says, "And the name of the city from that time on will be:The LORD is There ." Charles Spurgeon said of this text, "It is esteemed by the prophet to be the highest blessing that could come upon a city that its name should be, "JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, The Lord is there." Wouldn't it be also great for the Lord to speak a new name over our towns, cities and countries that they would be given the highest honour of claiming that "The LORD is there".