Why do you go to church?

I think how we answer that question will determine our experience whilst we are there.

There are many people who go to church because the need a “Jesus fix” in order to make it through until the following Sunday. Some will even attend midweek meetings or groups to make sure that Friday and Saturdays are not too difficult to cope with.

Others will go to church simply because that is what they do on a Sunday morning. While others are shopping, going for walks or planning lunch, they sit in a building, sing a few songs, listen to an uplifting talk, drink a cup of tea or coffee, bemoan life in general and then go home, wondering where the weekend has gone.

Many of us will have listened people who complain of songs they didn’t enjoy singing, or that they didn’t “get anything” from the sermon. Some of us may even have been the one complaining. We complain because we have taken time out of our lives to be ministered to, to have our egos massaged and to be sent on our way ready to face “reality.”

It worries me that we have become so reliant on others to provide for our spiritual needs. If the worship team don’t sing our favourite songs, we feel cheated. If the preacher isn’t preaching something that you are comfortable with, we switch off and our mind wanders.

Church isn’t supposed to be a show that we go to in order to critique. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with likeminded people, searching for the heart of our Father in heaven, meeting with Him and allowing Him to minister to us.

It is not the responsibility of others, especially our church leaders to minister to our wants and needs. The bible talks of our leaders being like shepherds. They look after the flock that God has entrusted to them. The thing about sheep is that they feed themselves. Yes, they are cared for and sometimes directed to the best grass by the shepherd, but in terms of finding their own food, and actually chewing it, the sheep do all that by themselves. Why do we expect our leader to not only select our food but to chew it and swallow it for us as well?

The role of the church leader is to equip us, Gods people to walk in the gifting that Father God has equipped up with. Few of us would get fit if all we did was go to a gym and watch others exercise. There are things that we need to do for ourselves.

While I am on the subject of eating, how many of us eat just once a week? We wouldn’t make it past about day three if we didn’t. Why then do so many of us only feed spiritually once a week? God is always speaking, ministering to us, wanting to have relationship. We cannot expect to grow if we don’t feed on Him more that just on a Sunday morning.

Sunday mornings give us an opportunity to worship the God who created the Universe with others. It is a chance for Heaven to change us, and to change our circumstances. God is a God of power, but He is also amazingly gentle. He won’t force Himself on us. I wonder how many of us leave church feeling that God wasn’t really there are feeling that way because we haven’t given Him permission to change us?

If we ask God to meet with us, it is impossible for Him to say no to that request. Will you ask? More than that, will you expect Him to answer?

It’s not sufficient just to turn up and wait for something to happen. It requires us to be expectant, even hungry for something to happen. It means that we need to be ready to be the one who does something to solve the problem we have, not to expect others to do it for us.

We are all part of the body of Christ – we all have a part to play – its not a performance we watch, it’s a play that we are part of.

Have you ever noticed that you can read the same passages of Scripture and see something new each time? I love how God can show us new facets of His character in familiar things.

We have been reading the gospel of Mark as a family this month. The plan is that we read a few chapters, then talk about what we have read each week. This week I have been focused on miracles involving food. (no surprise there) Mark records two instances where a significant number of people are fed when the budget and supplies are severely lacking. (Mark 6:30-44, Mark 8:1-10)

I find it interesting that feeding 4000 people gets significantly less notice than feeding 5000, as if 4000 fed with 7 loaves of bread and a “few” fish is any less amazing than 5000 with 5 loaves and two fish. Of course, what Mark is trying to illustrate is that when Jesus has done something once, we can and should expect for Him to do it again. That is the familiar lesson. God wanted to remind me of something different this time around.

I noticed that the first thing that had to happen was that Jesus had to be given the resources that were available each time. He could so easily have conjured a banquet from thin air, yet He asked for what was available. We will never have enough to fulfil the vision that God has for us, both individually and corporately, but He is a God who wants us to partner with Him. As we come with what we have, He brings His resources. I once heard it said that if our vision for what God wants us to do doesn’t scare us a little, it probably isn’t from God. The truth is that if we can accomplish something without faith, we will. God wants us to press into Him, to work with Him. He says it is OK for us to dream huge dreams because what He brings to the equation will meet any deficit we have.

The second thing I noticed, was that anything that Heaven touches multiplies. From five loaves and two fish, to seven loaves and a few fish, the involvement of Jesus made all the difference. I think that often we are so caught up in the way we want a prayer to be answered we miss the more that Jesus has done right in front of us. The disciples wanted to feed the people. They had no idea how that was going to happen. Perhaps they thought that each person could have a small bite, which would sustain them on the journey to the next village so they could buy their own food. They had no idea that food could be multiplied simply by breaking it up. How often do find ourselves afraid to begin a project because we don’t have enough to meet the immediate needs? I understand that there is a season for everything, sometimes things need to stop. Sometimes we need to wait until the provision is there. Sometimes though, we just need to trust that Heaven is at work, and as such will provide all the resources needed. It is vital though, to keep listening to the Spirit.

Finally, I learned that not only does God want my involvement, not only will Heaven multiply what I have to give so that I have enough, the heart of Heaven is for excess. Ephesians 3:20  (Amp)– “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us”  To often we are satisfied with needs met, let alone abundance. Paul wants us to grasp the concept that the God we follow, worship and love has more that we could ever want, need or (more importantly to grasp) desire.

There is a line in the film Braveheart where William Wallace says to the ‘nobles’ “You’re so content with squabbling for scraps from Longshank’s table that you’ve missed your God given right for something better.” 

I believe it is time to expect more. Time to offer what we have, giving more than lip service to the belief that He will multiply it. Time to look for the excess, and not be ashamed that our Father in Heaven has blessed us.  Time to use what He has superabundantly given us to bless others. time for us to be amazed at His goodness again.

The view from the top would change his life. The only reason he had to believe this was a distant memory. Long ago, he had been on top of the mountain, indeed he had camped there for a while, savouring the view, enjoying all that the fresh perspective brought. For too long he had been in the valley. It was time to make some changes, to step out.

Packing some provisions in a backpack, he shut and locked the door of the cabin which had been his home for so long. Looking upwards he set off, into the unknown, but full of expectation and promise. Along the way he stopped to look at the view. For miles around all he saw was beauty. There was none of the dirt and distress that one experiences when one is close up to something. Everything looked clean and new. Tempted to stop here, the man turned and pressed on. As he progressed, the path became more overgrown. Going was tough. Each step became a battle. There were placed along the way that had meant taking a small detour, but he always made it back to the path eventually. Underfoot had changed too. No longer was there a clear path. Loose dirt and stones were all that were there now. Each step was fraught with danger. To stray from the path now would mean injury. He would slip and fall, he journey, at least for a while would be over.

He glanced up, tired, thirsty and hungry. All his supplies had been consumed in the first part of the journey. He didn’t have enough to sustain him if he went back, but he had no clear idea as to how long he still had to travel. Trudging along, he saw a blockage in the path. A huge rock prevented progress. With no other option left to him he began to push. The only way was up. As he rolled the rock up the path he began to wonder if the end would ever come. He again thought of the comfort of the valley where he had lived for so long. No hassle, no trouble, no pain, no thirst, no hunger. Perhaps he should go back, find a way. As long as avoided the falling rock, perhaps he would survive and could try again, maybe next year would be different.

The man let go and began to slide. Eventually finding himself at the bottom of the path, battered and bruised. He would take time to heal, but at least he knew that the experience had been worth it. He knew that trying to move from a place of safety and security was a bad idea. Taking risks just wasn’t worth it after all.

What the man didn’t realise that just one more push on that rock, and it would have tumbled off, down the other side of the mountain. He was so close to the summit but couldn’t see it because of the rock that blocked his path, and his view of the goal that he had seen so clearly from the base of the mountain.

How often do we approach prayer in the same way as this man approach his journey up the mountain? Starting off, with the very best of intentions, we pray small prayers. Each step gets us closer to the goals that we have read about. The bible is full of amazing stories of people’s lives being transformed by the intervention of heaven. We see the shadow of Peter healing people and handkerchiefs that Paul has touched having the same effect. More recent examples are written about in books, and broadcast on YouTube. We are encouraged by the scripture that tells us that we will do the things Jesus did, indeed we will do greater things than these.

Perhaps at the beginning, we do things right. We stop often and look back where we have come from. We remember the success of the past and use that to encourage us to press forward. Before we set out on the journey, we spent days in preparation. We worshiped and prayed about the journey ahead of us. If we are honest, as the walk has progressed, there hasn’t been quite so much time for that. As the path has become less hospitable, as we have pressed into things that are more of a stronghold of the enemy, the very thing that will help us overcome has become less and less common in our lives. When the really big blockage comes, we press against it for a few days, but it soon becomes clear that we are in no fit state to tackle an obstacle of this size and weight. We let go, and head back down the path to more familiar territory, where we don’t have to try terribly hard to get results that people are happy with. We convince ourselves that there was nothing else that we could have done, no one could have got passed the obstruction. The battle has left some scars, but maybe another attempt can be made. Just not yet. It is too painful.

I know that I found myself back at the bottom of the valley following both trips that I made to Colombia. I think perhaps the experience after the first trip was perhaps more profound than the second as I was a little more prepared the second time. I had spent two weeks pressing into all that God had for me. I had seen amazing miracles, from ears and eyes opening, to legs growing in my hands. The “success” rate was phenomenal, close to 95% of all that we prayed for were healed. When I arrived back in the UK I was abuzz with expectation and determination. There was no sickness or disease that would not bow its knee when I prayed. That isn’t what happened though. I prayed the same prayers, believed in the same God, and saw nothing happen. I told anyone who would listen what God had done but seemed unable to back my testimonies up with proof. I still believed, but inevitably doubt began to creep in. I kept praying, putting a brave face on it, but the expectation that I had initially was fading slowly. Of course, there were occasional “success”, just enough to encourage me, to remind me that God really was involved. After a while, I regrouped, restocked my resources and started again.

I think there are two main lessons to learn from the man’s experience on the mountain. Firstly, preparation is key, but so is restocking supplies on the route. If there is one thing we can be sure of, there will be obstacles that appear before us when we pray. The enemy is determined to discourage and destroy everything we are attempting to achieve. Conflict and seemingly immovable objects are to be expected. Examining the example of Jesus in the gospels, he talks of enemy attracts that can only be destroyed “by prayer and fasting.” Before delivering the boy from his demonic attacks, Jesus did neither of these two things, at least not in that moment. The truth is that He had already spent time praying and fasting, long before the challenge was in front of Him. He was already in a place of readiness because He had spent time preparing while there was no one to deliver. Who are we to think that we can do otherwise? Some battles are only won before the first punch is thrown.

Secondly, if the man had just pushed once more, breakthrough to the promise of the view would have been assured. The closer we get to a problem, the less we can see. These sorts of issues can cloud our vision and make the way forward seem uncertain. If we have been using our time wisely in the valley, and on the easier parts of the path, we will be far more prepared to push through to the promise in front of us. I firmly believe that many “unanswered prayers” are simply because the Saints of God have stopped praying too soon. We are so convinced that we know what the answer is supposed to be, so convinced that our timing is best, that we begin to place restrictions on what and when God can move.

We cry out to God, asking Him why He isn’t doing what we ask. Doesn’t He care. Isn’t He able?

The truth is that God is a bit like a pilot who flies over the mountain ranges in our story. From His perspective, he sees how close the man is to the summit. He knows that one more push will be enough. Sometimes He is coming back round to get closer, to open the window of the plane and shout down encouragement, to tell us of impending success.

As for me, I am ready to start again. Inspired by those like Heidi Baker, who when told she would see blind eyes open prayed for five long years before she saw breakthrough. I’ve been disappointed that I haven’t yet seen the breakthrough in the areas that I believe God told me to press into when He called me to pray for the sick. I’ve only told a few people what these things are, I think perhaps because I’ve been scared to admit that I haven’t been successful. I think it’s time to declare what I am pressing into.

I haven’t yet seen breakthrough in these areas, but I believe that it is time for diabetes and metal that is in people’s bodies where it doesn’t belong (artificial hips, knees etc) to be healed.

I’m not giving up this time. I’m pressing in. I will see the view from the top of the mountain. Can I encourage you, whatever your personal obstacle is, to do the same.  

We were encouraged to take a moment this morning. To read the words of the song we were about to sing. To realise that whatever our situation, the words applied to us. The song was Mighty to Save by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan.

“Everybody needs compassion

A love that’s never failing

Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness

The kindness of a Saviour

The hope of nations.”

It’s true that it is all too easy to perform ‘Christian karaoke’ on a Sunday morning. The songs are often familiar, the words simply trip off the tongue, we sing them, and move on. Interestingly it was while singing the second verse that God let me know that He was speaking directly to me.

“So, take me as you find me

All my fears and failures

and fill my life again.

I give my life to follow

Everything I believe in

Now I surrender”

The words that hit me like a tonne of bricks were “I give my life to follow, everything I believe in.” As I sang these words, God asked me a question. He asked if I really meant it. These words are so easy to sing, but would I really give my life.

I was reminded of the John Mark McMillan song “How He loves us.” There has been a lot of talk in Christian circles about that song, and one line particularly. The controversial line wasn’t what ran through my mind though. I thought instead of the story behind the song. It is a song written about a youth pastor who met Jesus. He had been at a prayer meeting one night and prayed “If it would shake the youth of this nation, I would give my life.” A simple prayer, but one that had eternal consequences. He died in a car crash that night. The song was written by one of his friends.

I don’t think that God is asking for us all to be martyrs for the faith. It wouldn’t be a great message to preach to the world if it was. I do think He wants us to consider how seriously we are about being willing give everything. I have had words spoken over me, promises of God that I am yet to see fulfilled. I have chosen to believe that God wants to heal. I believe that there is more of Heaven yet to be seen on earth.

I say that I would give anything to see these promises fulfilled. God asked me this morning if I meant it.

I believe that He is asking you the same question. What has God promised you? What are you believing Him for? What are you really prepared to offer to see that which you believe in come to pass?

When applying for a job one of the key ways to ensure you are invited for interview is to read the job description carefully and make sure you meet all the criteria listed. I’ve applied for a few jobs over the years. I haven’t always got the job, but generally if you remember to explain why you fit the criteria the employer asks you in to find out more about your suitability.

I read a job description the other day for a foodbank manager. It was a reasonably large population that it was to serve, so they were actually looking for a number of people to fill the role.

The job description read “Wanted, someone to help distribute food to some women from ethnic minorities. Successful candidates must already be well thought of by those in the society that they will serve and by others generally.  Candidates must be wise, and full of the Holy Spirit. Miracles may be required. It should be noted that not everyone will be pleased that you are able to do your job well. This may result in stoning.”

This was the job that was described in Acts 6, to which Stephen (amongst others) was appointed. Recognised as being full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen was known to perform miracles on a daily basis. He wasn’t a church leader, just someone who had encountered Jesus and followed Him. There were those who didn’t like the fact that Stephen was good at his job and conspired against him. After a speech which infuriated them even more, he was stoned to death.

I suppose my question isn’t would you apply for the job given the possible end point. The question I want to challenge you with is would you qualify for the position? You see, Stephen was simply a follower of Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit doing an everyday job. Miracles, signs and wonders were normal. Tim Keller wrote, “We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order. Jesus meant them to be a restoration of the natural order.”

If we call ourselves Christians, each of us are called to live peaceably with our neighbours. We have the ability to be wise. (James 3:17 – “but the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”, James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” All we need to do is ask, and the wisdom we will receive will assist us to do our job, whatever that might be. I don’t think this is necessarily a one off thing. Sometimes we ask God for wisdom and assume that we have then received all we are going to get for a given situation. If we are to believe James, God’s desire is to give generously. I would suggest that God’s generous is significantly more generous than we are expecting.

That Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit was demonstrated by his wisdom from above, and that the community thought well of him. It is all to easy to stop there, and gloss over the daily signs and wonders. Is that a part of your life? I know that it isn’t yet part of mine. I want it to be though. For too long we have dismissed this part of being filled with Holy Spirit. Part of the reason for this is that we are worried that we may offend people. We are so consumed with being accepted that we try and fit in with the world. The world doesn’t possess the power we have through the infilling of the Spirit that we try and contain Him and tell Him where and when He is allowed to show up. Life has become too easy for us, particularly in the West. It is all too simple to do church these days without any involvement of the Holy Spirit. First Century Christians did not have that luxury. I find it interesting that church growth was significantly better in the early days of the church, where signs and wonders were freely demonstrated than it is now where we try to contain Him.

The New Testament is full of verses that tell us that the preaching of the gospel isn’t just to be an intellectual exercise. It is to be accompanied with power, and a demonstration of that power. (Matthew10:7-8 “and proclaim as you go, saying ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, case out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.”) We can’t do the second part of that verse without Holy Spirit.

We owe the world and encounter. Let’s ensure we give them all that God has for them, not just part. How different would our ‘ministries’ be if we did?

I had a dream. I was at a “generic” type church meeting. We were asked to get into small groups to discuss how we could encourage more people to come to our meetings, how to get people to engage with us, and what sort of things would build church numbers. The media is full of statistics about how church attendance is declining. What can the church do to combat these figures?

The discussion seemed to go round and round in circles. I cannot remember the sort of things that were suggested, but I was aware in a way that is only possible in dreams, that the ideas not only were going to be ineffective, they may in fact be harmful to individuals and to the body of the church as a whole.

As I woke up, I was struck with a realisation that the problem was that “how do we boost numbers and get people to come to our church” was the wrong question entirely. The question we should have been asking was “how can we effectively and consistently host the presence of God in our midst?” If we can be successful in that, I believe that one of two things would happen. Either the first question would be answered, or, it wouldn’t matter.

I recently bought a book by Francis Chan called “Letters to the church.” In it, Chan asks the reader “Imagine you find yourself stranded on a deserted island with nothing but a copy of the Bible. You have no experience with Christianity whatsoever, and all you know about the Church will come from your reading of the Bible. How would you imagine a church to function? Seriously. Close your eyes for two minutes and try to picture “Church” as you would know it.

Now think about your current church experience. Is it even close?

Can you live with that?”

Try it. I did, and it scared me. There are so many parts of church life that I love. I find comfort in knowing how things will generally happen on a week by week basis. I like to know that I am safe. I suppose if I’m honest, I’ve put God in a bit of a box. I feel happy with the fact that the box I’ve put Him in is a bit bigger than some others I know, giving Him a bit more room to move, but it’s a box none the less. Am I willing to break down the walls of the box completely? My usual response to this is “yes, but only if others will too – I don’t want to do this on my own.”

I think that this answer is both wrong and correct at the same time. You see, I can’t allow others journey with God to dictate mine. The relationship is personal, and just between God and me. Yet, I don’t believe that God intends us to walk alone. He designed us to walk together towards a common goal, each with our individual parts to play, but in community.

Jesus tells us that we should “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” We really don’t have to worry about how to get people to come to our services. I believe that the only thing we should be focusing on, both individually and corporately is how we seek first His Kingdom. I don’t think that worrying about programme is the answer. Are we ready to tear down the  sides of the box and pursue Him, only Him? Are we willing to wait, patiently asking Him what He wants to do, and then partner with Him to do it, even if it means we don’t make it home by 12:30 on a Sunday? Are we prepared to say that to rest and enjoy His presence is more important than ensuring we tick all the boxes in the “church service” template?

Can we honestly say, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand spent elsewhere”? When we say, “I rejoiced when they said, let us go to the house of the Lord”, do we mean it, or is church just something we do on a Sunday morning?

It’s time for change.

The time is now.

I’m ready to seek First His Kingdom.

Are you?

The following was written by my good friend Sasha. I love her uncompromising conviction that “there is more of the Kingdom to be seen and experienced while here on earth” and her unfailing pursuit of this. I’ve written about mystery before, but believe that Sasha captures something here that has “something of heaven” on it, that is well worth a read. Read more of Sasha’s thoughts here www.whenheavencomes.com

Mystery is part of the Kingdom, of things not hidden from us but for us. Mystery is defined as something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. There are powerless ways of thinking, believing that God may or may not act and that the outcome is entirely down to His sovereignty.

Within the culture of a community of believers who are intent on bringing the realities and resources of Heaven to every place they go I believe that there is a subtle but just as troubling ‘sovereignty’ trap. It is the powerless action of throwing everything we don’t understand into the mystery pot and leaving it there rather than continuing to seek these things out.

I see a danger of moving from mystery being part of life in the Kingdom and an invitation to grow in faith to it being a label we put on things that don’t seem to be working out as expected or promised, a way of spiritualising our unbelief.

It is the language of disappointment, abdication and pessimism which is the bedfellow of hopelessness. The truth is we are not called to settle in that place, we are to continue to grow in faith, to adventure further off road into these realms.

To grow in faith means to relinquish the right for the need to understand, accepting that mystery is part, sometimes painfully so, of life in the Kingdom. The Comforter will do just that and reminds us that if all things are to work out for our good it should follow that if it’s not good it’s not the end and therefore we may need to shift our perspective.

We live from a place that has no end, from eternity, whilst at the same time physically existing in a realm called time. We have the joy of going on adventures with Holy Spirit as he leads us further into the realms of wisdom and revelation. He equips us to delve deeper into what is available and fills us with courage to take risks to see more of the reality of the love, power and goodness of God released to the world around us.

We are invited to more than we can possibly imagine …… let mystery be the fuel for the journey ahead.

Way back in 1988, I was at a youth retreat named imaginatively “Encounter ’88”. It was a camp filled with fun, but there was a serious side too. There were the usual talks and singing (not sure we called it worship back then). I remember it was the first time I had raised my arms in surrender to a God who deserved every part of me. I was a Christian prior to this, but something clicked that camp, and I and a lot of others just “got it.”

We came away from the experience convinced that we could take on the world. We were “soldiers in an army, that God was raising up to change the world.” I remember thinking that everything was going to be different from this point forward. God was on our side. We were floating on experience, and emotion. 

Before long though the emotional side had drifted, as reality hit. There were some that had simply been along for the ride. Others, who hadn’t experienced what we had doubted the reality of the change that had occurred. We had to go back to school and get on with life. From a mountain top experience to a valley of reality.

31 years later, I found myself reading 1 Kings. One of the Syrian Kings came against Israel.  They fought them in the mountains and lost. The Syrians were convinced that the reason for the loss was that the God of the Israelites was a God of the high places, of the mountain tops. If the Syrians were to be victorious, they must take the fight to the valleys, and the plains. This they did and lost again.

What they failed to realise is that God is a God of both the high places and the valleys.

31 years ago, I was on a mountain top with God. I felt closer to Him than I ever had before. What I didn’t realise was that when normality hit, He was the same God and would be just as close.

There are some reading this, who only feel able to come to God when things are going well. We don’t feel that we are worthy if we have spent too long in the valley. Some of us even feel that there is something we can do to make us worthier of approaching the throne.

The truth is that whatever you are going through today, whatever the stage of your climb towards the mountain top experience, whether you have been floating with God, or have been brought back down to earth with a bump, He is right there beside you, fighting on your behalf. You don’t have to wait to call on Him. You just have to call.

It’s ok to just do that. Just to call on Him. Isaiah 40 tells us that “those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will rise up on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary the will walk and not faint.”

Wait, and let Him take you to the mountain top like the eagle. Just remember that He looks after the sparrows at ground level too.

How many times did you hear the words “Use your imagination”? It’s a phrase used by teachers and parents alike, it is usually an encouragement to try to think more outside the box, to think for ourselves, and sometimes, especially if used by parents, for us to just go and do something anything, somewhere else.

Depending on how tired we are and how used we are to hearing these words, our imagination can take us to a good place or a dark place. We can use our imagination to think of pleasant things or allow it to drag us into despair. I wonder how vivid your imagination is?

I find it interesting that in a culture where we believe that Grace means that nothing can separate us from God, our imagination can still convince us that we are unacceptable to God, that our destiny is unsure, and that we need to work harder to get back into God’s good books.

 I read something a couple of days ago, which made me think about how I deal with my imagination. “Unconfessed sin will mess with your head. Joseph’s brothers were convinced that an invitation to dinner was going to get them killed. Don’t let the accuser have any room to convince you that the Father has anything but good for you – in the presence of your enemies.”

The brother’s imagination was running riot. Convinced they were being punished for selling Joseph, and telling their father that He had been killed, they spent the rest of their lives up to this point believing that God was looking for an opportunity to deal with their sin.

We often struggle with the same conviction.

The fact is, Jesus came to pay the price for our sin. We don’t have to do anything. There was nothing we could have done that was enough. Jesus paid it all. When the accuser starts to try and tell us that we need to be afraid of the judgement of God, the only one of us who should be afraid is him. I would suggest that instead of worrying about the coming judgement, we take the opportunity to confess any known sin, and move on. Don’t let a lie prevent us from experiencing all the Father has for us.

The Father has more in store for us than we can ask or even imagine. How vivid is your imagination? Take a moment now and think about the best outcome for any given situation. He wants to give you more. What is the most outrageous thing you could think of asking God for? There is more than that available. The beauty of this is that not only is it available, it gives the Father pleasure for us to dream about things with Him. It’s ok to tell Him what you want to see. I can’t promise that you will see the answer you want immediately, but He will come through on His promises. When I started to pray for people to be healed I didn’t really think it was going to happen. I believed that it could but not really that He would. I believed that God healed, I just didn’t really think it would happen through me. I really, really wanted Him to though. So I began to imagine what God using me to heal would look like. I began to ask God to use me. To show me more. To make my heart beat in time with His heart.

I haven’t seen everything I’ve dreamt about yet. There is far more to see and do. The thing is that when I’ve seen some of the Fathers heart, I want more, so the dream keeps changing.

Your imagination was given to you by the Father. You were designed to use it. Don’t let the accuser rob you from your destiny.

Oh, and that dream you had, wasn’t nearly big enough.

Veruca Salt was one of the spoiled children in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. She demanded a golden goose, and when told she couldn’t have it sang the song “I want it now, I want it right now.”

The film was released in 1971, but I think it gives an amazingly accurate description of the state of the world today. In a world of fast food, Amazon prime (other next day delivery options are available), we are becoming less and less used to having to wait for things. The media tells us every day that if we want something we should just reach out and take it. We shouldn’t deprive ourselves of anything we want. It doesn’t directly condone stealing, but quietly suggests that we should take whatever we want by whichever means are necessary.

The Kingdom of Heaven is different. We are encouraged to ask for more, and to ask for things “now”. The difference is that these things are all available to those who believe. We don’t have to take that which isn’t already ours.

I find it interesting that many Christians simply don’t ask. I wonder if it is because they want to seem different from the world, or if it is because they think that God is somehow going to withhold good things from them?

The bible says that anything we ask for in the name of Jesus, will be given to us. We are told that we will do the things that Jesus did, and greater things too, and yet the media perception of the church is that it is ineffective and out of date.

Perhaps it is because our experience is that we pray, and nothing happens. We struggle to explain our unanswered prayers, so we change our interpretation of the bible to fit our experience. We read things like “Jesus doesn’t give instruction on how to deal with unanswered prayer, because it was never meant to be part of our Christian walk” and we feel like we are failing as a Christian.  Although true, when you are not seeing answers, this doesn’t always help. There are two possible responses. Either we stop praying, or we press in to heaven for the answer that has been promised.

Perhaps we put our lack of answer down to the phrase “Now and not yet.”

It’s a phrase that has been overused in my opinion. I used to love it. It was the perfect get out. I’d pray for someone, nothing would happen, and I could confidently say that it was because we live in the Kingdom of Heaven “Now and not yet”.

There is no doubt that there is truth in the statement. God created a perfect world (if you don’t believe me read Genesis 1) Man had been given dominion of the earth (Genesis 1:26) but surrendered it. There is a struggle going on. God is revealing more and more of Himself. We are seeing more and more of Heaven breaking through. Light is shining in the darkness. There are still areas of darkness though. Sickness, disease and death are still an inevitable part of life. We do live in a world where the Kingdom of heaven is “Now and not yet.”

As I said at the start, I was using it as an excuse for lack of success. The thing is, when I used it, what I was actually doing was prophesying the answer. I found that whilst I was praying for a miracle, there was no expectation of an answer. I didn’t have to believe, because I could place my lack of success safely in the Now and not yet box.  

I’ve recently finished reading the Bill Johnson book “God is good – He’s better than you think”. He wrote something that changed the way I look at this phrase. He asked, “why do we emphasise the not yet part, and not the now?” It has completely changed the way that I look at that statement now. I believe that the bible tells us to persevere in prayer for things that we don’t see. I believe that, like David, I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living. I am determined that lack of success will not deter me from praying for breakthrough. I will press on, not satisfied until I see heaven on earth. I believe that Jesus taught us to pull heaven down (on earth as it is in heaven.) If this isn’t my experience (and at the moment it isn’t), the problem isn’t on God’s part. He has promised, I am told to expect.

We live in a now and not yet world but hope you will join me in pressing in to a world with more “Now” rather than “Not yet.”

I don’t know about you, but “I want it now.”