Tuesday Trivia Answers

Here are the answers to yesterday’s trivia quiz:

1. What is the middle verse of the New Testament?  Acts 17:17

2. What did the writer of the Book of Hebrews say men and women of old receive approval for?  Faith (Hebrews 11)

3. What did David do that brought a plague on Israel? Counted the soldiers (2 Sam 24:15)

4. According to the Book of Hebrews, what is sharper than a two-edged sword? God’s Word (Heb 4:12)

5. How many brothers did Jesus have? 4 (Mark 6:3)

6. What two men of old had their staffs change into serpents? Moses & Aaron (Ex 4:3; 7:10)

7. Who considered breaking their engagement to a woman who became pregnant before they were married (and not by him)? Joseph (Matt 1:18)

8. In what city to Rehab live? Jericho (Joshua 2)

9. How many times did Noah send the dove out of the ark after the flood? 3 (Gen 8:9-12)

10. How did Elisha make a living before becoming a prophet? Farming (1 Kings 19:19-20)

11. Who was the first farmer recorded in the Bible? Cain (Gen 4:2)

12. What two Greek gods did the people of Lystra think Paul & Barnabas were? Paul – Mercury and Barnabas – Jupiter (Acts 14:12)

13. How old was Abraham when Isaac was born? 100 (Gen 21:5)

14. How many children did God give Job to replace those who died? 10 (Job 42:13)

15. What did Satan offer Jesus if he would worship him? All the kingdoms of the world (Matt 4:8)

Tuesday Bible Trivia

Test your knowledge of the ancient manuscripts. 

1. What is the middle verse of the New Testament? 

2. What did the writer of the Book of Hebrews say men and women of old receive approval for? 

3. What did David do that brought a plague on Israel?

4. According to the Book of Hebrews, what is sharper than a two-edged sword?

5. How many brothers did Jesus have?

6. What two men of old had their staffs change into serpents?

7. Who considered breaking their engagement to a woman who became pregnant before they were married (and not by him)?

8. In what city to Rehab live?

9. How many times did Noah send the dove out of the ark after the flood?

10. How did Elisha make a living before becoming a prophet?

11. Who was the first farmer recorded in the Bible?

12. What two Greek gods did the people of Lystra think Paul & Barnabas were?

13. How old was Abraham when Isaac was born?

14. How many children did God give Job to replace those who died?

15. What did Satan offer Jesus if he would worship him?

Email me at daveb.uk@hotmail.com with your answers.  I’ll post the winner’s name with the answers. 

Obedience and Discipleship

These are the notes from a message I gave at Pioneer Engage Church on 20 April 2008.

Introduction

When Gerald Coates asked me to speak this time, almost immediately the Scripture came to me, ‘Obedience is better than Sacrifice.’  I also felt God wanted me to really dig into the scripture and some key concepts.

• What does it mean to obey?
• What should we obey?
• How does this apply to our walk of discipleship today?

It’s my prayer that as we open the scripture together, the Holy Spirit will speak directly to your heart.

Obedience in Scripture

1 Sam 15:22 (NIV)  “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Context

• Saul was the anointed king of Israel.
• He was chosen by God when the people demanded a king.
• The Lord had given him clear directions regarding a battle, but he didn’t fully obey the instructions.
• He did what he wanted to do rather than what the Lord wanted him to do,
• Then he gathered this huge herd of cattle and sheep to sacrifice to appease God and make it all right.
• God sends the prophet Samuel to Saul to confront him for his sin.
• Saul didn’t take it very seriously rationalizing why he did his own thing rather than obeying God’s direction – that its better his way than God’s.
• Samuel goes on to tell Saul that because Saul rejected the Word of God, God rejected Saul as king.  This is pretty serious.

Definition of obey/obedience

• Hebrew word shama appears 1,159 times in the Old Testament and means to hear as well as obey, hearing something and obeying it go hand in hand.

Other Old Testament Scriptures

Deut 27:10 (NIV)  Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

Deut 30:14 (NIV)  The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

Psalms 119:167 (NIV)  I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.

Dan 9:4 (NIV)  ”O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands

Obedience in the New Testament (Not Just an Old Testament Principle)

• Greek word is similar in it means obedience to someone’s counsel and occurs 91 times in the New Testament
• Again, hear and obey

Words of Jesus

Luke 11:28 (NIV) He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

John 14:15 (NIV) ”If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:23 (NIV) Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.

Matt 21:28-31 (NIV)  Parable of the Two Sons - ”What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’  ”‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.  ”Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.  ”Which of the two did what his father wanted?”  ”The first,” they answered.

Other New Testament Scriptures

Heb 5:8-9 (NIV) Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Romans 16:19 (NIV)  Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you;

Philem 1:21 (NIV) Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

Romans 2:13 (NIV) For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

• Also close to the meaning of the word for faith
  • Obedience and Faith share the same root word
  • Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God
  • Faith is not passive

James 2:19, 23 (MSG) Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?  The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.”

• Faith is acting on the Word before it is seen
  • Read Heb 11
  • Men and Women Credited for their faith by acting on the Word of God before they could see the fulfillment of the Word

Obedience is doing what you hear God telling you to do and it is still just as important today as was long ago!

• Some of you may ask, what about Grace
  • Grace, does not excuse us from obedience
  • Still forgiveness when we don’t obey

What is God telling us to do?

First is to love one another

John 15:9-17 (NIV) ”As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. This is my command: Love each other.

Gal 5:14 (NIV) The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 John 3:23-24 (NIV) And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.

Love

• agape – unconditional love, pouring out of oneself for the other person with no thought of what you’ll receive in return
• agapao – to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, implication is hospitality, sincerely getting to know someone and be there for them

Specifics about love

1 Tim 6:18 (NIV) Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

2 Cor 9:12-13 (NIV) This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

Make disciples

Matt 28:19-20 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

• Note it doesn’t say to make converts.
• KJV doesn’t even use the word disciple, but rather teaching all nations.
• The Greek word is to instruct or disciple.  A disciple – is one who follows the teachings of another; and you teach in word and example
• Jesus not only taught and explained the Scriptures, but demonstrated them in the way He lived.  His life drew people to hear what He had to say.
• Discipleship is a journey we are all on together; even those that don’t know Him yet.

My Walk

• When I finally accepted Christ, I looked back and saw God’s hand on my life.
• Various times He reached out to me through others.
• The times He protected from things that were far worse.
• Most of the times I rejected those He sent to me and rejected Him, yet He didn’t reject me.
• I was on the journey of discipleship and didn’t realize it.
• I look back and am thankful for every person that reached out to me in the love of God, even though I rejected them and didn’t come to accept Christ at that time, they helped me in the journey that eventually brought me to Him.
• Now that I know God, I am able to help others in their journey of discipleship, by example first and then by word.
• We should expect to be rejected, but we do it anyway, because of God’s agape love that is within us.
• We keep loving, keep teaching and keep discipling, those that know Christ and those that don’t – yet

• Other Specific Commands
• • Husbands and Wives
  • Children and Parents
  • Employees and Employers
  • All have to do with relationships
• All can still be wrapped up
  • Agape/Agapao loving of each other
  • Teaching/Making Disciples of all nations

Prayer

Where does prayer fit into this?

• Prayer is communication with God
• Prayer is where we get our specific instructions
• Pray without ceasing

John 12:49-50 (NIV) For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.  I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

How did the Father tell Jesus what to say and how to say it?  Through prayer.

• Here’s the key though, Jesus left the prayer meeting and did it.
• When you get something from God, do it.
• Sometimes I think we use prayer as a cover to keep from doing what God wants us to do.
• We get something, then want to pray about it more.
• We want God to spell out all the details and have it confirmed through multiple sources before we act, rather than getting on with it.
• God said it; just do it!

Testing the voices

• Now we do need to test the word to see if it’s from God.
• There are other voices.
• It could be that spicy curry you ate before going to bed.
• There are tests to see if it’s from God,
  • Is it in the Word?
  • Does it fit in the commands to love one another or make disciples?

Get moving

• Often times you just need to get moving
• God fills in the details as you go along, and makes corrections.
• At the Pioneer Conference we learned the Bicycle Principle.  It much easier to balance and even steer the bike when you start pedaling.

What has God spoken to you?

He’s already told you to love your neighbour and make disciples.  You don’t have to pray about that one.  When it comes to the specifics, if God spoke to you about doing something, do it.

God doesn’t need to use you, but He chooses too.  He’s giving you the greatest opportunity in the world, to be a partner with Him in building lives and treasure that will last forever.  Saul took God’s Word lightly and didn’t obey.  He was rejected for it, and the anointing given to another, David.

Remember the Parable of the Talents from Matt 25:14-30

The owner gave talents to 3 servants, then went away.  2 used those talents to reap a harvest and make more for the owner, but 1 hid the talent away because he was afraid.  When the owner came back, he was pleased with the first 2 and angry with the third because he didn’t do anything with what he’d been given.

• When you take stock of what you have, God has given you so much already
• He has given all of us many talents
  • When we obey the Lord
  • When we love our neighbour
  • When we teach and make disciples by example and by word
  • When we follow the specific directions He gives us
  • We are investing our talents in the eternal treasures of the kingdom of God, earning interest and bringing joy to the King
• If you’ve been hiding away your talents and disobeying the Lord
• Maybe you are afraid of what others my say
• Or have some other reason
• Today is a new day
• There is forgiveness today
• There is faith to believe God that when you step out and obey His Word, He will do a miracle
• He will not let you fall on your face
• The miracle isn’t your responsibility, your responsibility is to obey

Wells

When we were last home to Pennsylvania, USA, and staying with my parents, we ran my parents well dry.  Later God started speaking to me about the whole event as a spiritual lesson.

I lived in the desert for 5 years.  You can tell where water is, by looking for plants and other signs of life amongst the sand, even if water isn’t visible.

I had never so thirsty as when I was dropped off on a helicopter mission in the middle of the desert with no reserve water.  The helicopter was supposed to pick us up in an hour so we didn’t come prepared for a long stay, then the helicopter broke down, so it was several hours before we were picked up and nothing but sand in sight.

Wells, often seen as a source of life or refreshment, often the source of life giving rivers.

Wells in scripture:

• Hagar, Jacob, Moses, Elijah were all led to wells; source of life and God often spoke to them there 
• Filling up or poisoning wells is a way of crippling an enemy.

 Gen 26:18-25 (NIV) Isaac Digging Wells - Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.  Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.  (dispute over wells)  He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”  From there he went up to Beersheba.  That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”  Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

In the desert, Moses struck the rock, for water to spring forth.  God gave him specific instructions as to what to do and where in order to provide water for Israel.

Num 21:16-18 (NIV)  The Lord guides His people to wells - From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.” 

Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!
     Sing about it, about the well that the princes dug,
     that the nobles of the people sank–
     the nobles with scepters and staffs.”

Song of Solomon 4:15 (NIV) - You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.

John 4:7-14 (NIV) Jesus and Samaritan Woman - When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  ”Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Rev 7:17 (NIV) Lamb will lead them by Springs of Water (Also Psalm 23) - For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;  he will lead them to springs of living water.

Rev 21:6 (NIV) He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Here’s what God’s been speaking to me about wells:

Parents’ first well

• Went down 400 feet (over 100m and very deep for a well)
• Only 5 gallons per hour (19l per hour – drilling deeper/working harder isn’t always the answer)
• Barely enough for themselves (2 people); kept saying should drill another well, but were content to live just getting by, and borrowing in time of drought
• Suddenly had guests (8 people); well went dry and pump burnt out; had to get water from others and shower elsewhere
• They were not prepared for the growth, and when it came, couldn’t supply the need and guests had to go elsewhere

Parents’ second well

• Detected another water vein in bedrock only 5m away (imperceptible on the surface, but found using divining rods – interesting that everyone who tried had the rods spread apart, but for me the rods crossed)
• Struck water at 18 feet (5m) down
• 10 gallons per minute (38 l per minute – Over a hundred fold increase in the amount of the earlier well was only 5m away) 
• Continued down to 150 feet to have a good reservoir in times of drought
• More than enough for themselves and future guests
• Again – drilling deeper/working harder isn’t always the answer, it’s following the leading of Christ (‘cast your net on the other side of the boat’)

Lessons for Us

• We need more than just enough for us to get by; cannot be satisfied with just enough
• Cannot wait for the guests to come; need to prepare in advance to receive guests – time of preparation and action is now (need to prepare for guests to come and future droughts)
• Working harder isn’t the answer as much as following the leading of Christ

By the way, watching the well diggers was quite interesting.  My dad insisted on a pounder instead of a drill.  The pounder was literally a weight on a cable and the machinery would lift and drop it over and over and over again smashing the bedrock to make a hole, and they would pump water through it to suck out the broken rock.  Most wells today are drilled which goes down faster but seals the outer edge of the hole limiting water’s ability to enter the well from the side.  The pounder cracks the rock around the hole which allows more water to come through.  I kept thinking of Moses striking the rock and water coming forth. 

Character and Mission of the Church

These are notes from a message I gave at Pioneer Engage Church on 10 May 2009.

The church is the body of Christ here on earth, with Jesus as the head, to carryout the work He started in His physical body.  The character and mission of the church then is the same as the character and works of Christ which we just spent 3 months going through last autumn.  The difference is where Jesus was one man, the church is many, and anyone who’s organized anything for more than one person knows how much more complicated it gets.  There’s the well known quote that church would be a wonderful place it weren’t for all the people!

These are my personal observations along with scripture, by no means complete.

2 Things for Today

• The Church as the Body of Christ
• Different Spheres of Influence

The Body of Christ

What should we as Christians be doing?

John 14:12-17 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.  ”If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth.

Jesus went away because, as a man, he could only be in one place at one time.  But from heaven he could send the Holy Spirit to be everywhere while he provides direction as the head through the Holy Spirit to reach all over the world.  This enables us to do the same things as Christ did on earth.

But we are all different!  Yes, this is the beauty and the genius of a creative God.

Romans 12:4-8 (NIV) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

• We are not individually asked to do everything but to do what God has enabled us to do within his body
  • Each of us have God given strengths and we each have weaknesses.
  • There is a dependency upon each other, a need for one another, it is not good for man to be alone.
  • We are each called to use the strengths God has given us and cover each others weaknesses (not expose).
• Remember we are made in the image of God – God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are all God, but have different roles to fill.
  • They each step up to fulfil their roles in relationship with one another, and the three worked together perfectly as one.

For me – my strength is building teams and coordinating events

• Story of how I became a project manager 18 years ago, not what I wanted to do
• What it means to Leatherhead Life now
  • Relationships between churches & community

What do you have to offer?

• At least one if not many things God has given you to use
• If you don’t know, seek God, its probably something you enjoy and are good at and God will give you creative ways to use it for the Kingdom.

Another Point from this Passage is the Need for Organization

• Purpose – work together with God and each other to fulfil God’s purpose here on earth
• Working together, we can accomplish so much more than we can individually
• If it was the intent of God to organize everything through the Holy Spirit – so each person receives instruction directly from God and does not need to work with other people, then why is the church described multiple times as a body and where is the example from scripture?
  • individual cells in a human body are distinct, yet completely dependent on each other (they cannot survive on their own) and working together in unison, each filling there function, can do more than an individual cell could even imagine.
  • Look at the early church in the Bible, and though there are acts done by individuals, these were done in relationship with the church –
    • Saul never would have made it out of Damascus had it not been for the church he originally came to destroy
    • The church was praying for Peter in prison
    • The message in Revelations was to churches (not individuals)
    • Over and over, the importance of relationship, working together locally, and even churches in different cities working together is stressed.

Spheres of Influence

Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I’ve heard this passage explained differently; literal geographic terms make little sense to me in today’s world, think in terms of relationships – Jesus 3, 12, 500, Jews & Gentiles

Jerusalem – Family & Close Friends

• These are the people you live with and enjoy their company
• Witness – being a good husband and father; there for my friends
• Losing spouse or children for the sake of the gospel – not Biblical
• Almost did myself, so gung ho to do ‘God’s Work’ nearly lost my marriage
• In this together – missions and activities like Leatherhead Life
• Still freedom of choice

Judea – Like Minded People, Church (Fellow Believers)

• Same culture in Biblical times, worshipped God the same
• Have travelled all over the world and whether it’s here or America, India or Haiti, instant relationship through the blood of Jesus
• Being a part of the church here is not just attending meetings, but serving the church, coming early to help setup and prepare to serve others, helping at small groups, coming together at various levels with the intent to serve and help rather than just receive
• Are times when we need to step back and just receive, but normative is giving of our gifts for others
• Story with Pioneer Engage
  • Came 2 years ago and started helping while we were in the Theatre
  • After a while given a project – Hope08, now Leatherhead Life
  • Then later asked to join leadership team
• Don’t wait for a position or title!  A position or title usually comes to acknowledge what you are already doing.
• In the kingdom, the ‘leader’ is the servant, not the other way around.  It’s not telling other people what to do as much as how I help you.  Christian leaders are often here early and stay late.
  • One of the things I appreciate about Gerald Coates
  • A man with a national and international profile, yet here first thing setting up chairs, then getting to know people before and after the meeting.
  • This is in addition to the hours of counselling during the week, managing the affairs of the church, and preparation to deliver God’s word each week.
  • It could easily go to his head and think it beneath him to help with the manual tasks, but it doesn’t.
  • He’s a true model of servant leadership from the Bible
• Leatherhead Life – Doing this together as Engage, but also with other churches in Leatherhead, particularly the Anglican,  Methodist, and URC – building on existing relationships

Samaria – Different, didn’t share same beliefs, but interacted with them regularly (Work Place, town, neighbours)

• Witness in the way we behave (work as unto the Lord; see your good works)
• Opportunities to demonstrate love of God
• Love is the music of life, which draws them to want to hear the words
• Example from work
  • Travel, prayer with colleague in India
  • Dream of Indian colleague
  • Discussions with colleagues in Canada and US on business trips
• Example of Neighbourhood (God ordains the places where we live)
  • Changed atmosphere
  • Muslim coming to Christ (now dating a Christian girl)
• Leatherhead Life partnership with Mole Valley District Council, Bensons & Other Community Groups like the police – ‘Adopt a Cop’

Ends of the Earth – Rare encounters, maybe never seen.

• Giving to missionaries or groups like Compassion
• Smile, kind word to someone in the market you may never see again
• Leatherhead Life
  • People will come for Amphishock or Bensons Fun Fair that wouldn’t come to a church event, no matter how community focused it is.  Opportunity to plant seeds.

Conclusion

• Called to witness in all 4 – ALL, not OR
• Events like Leatherhead Life move in all 4 areas
  • Great day for friends and family with Christian themes
  • Working together as a church and with other churches – being the body of Christ
  • Blessing our community, partnering with secular community groups
  • Blessing people we may only ever see once; indirect response
• None of us called to do it all, just our part
  • I could not do Leatherhead Life by myself, and with these new relationships it has grown beyond my original vision, and way beyond what Engage could have done alone
  • Reason God describes the church as a body – mission to do something that individuals can not do alone; with Jesus at the head, we are called to collectively be His witness to the world and doing what Jesus did

John 20:21 (NIV)  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Live in the Present!

These are notes from a message I gave at Pioneer Engage Church, Leatherhead, England on 23 August 2009.

This is the second part of ‘What it means to live like Jesus.’

What did Jesus do?  Acts 10:38  God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed, because God was with him.

Passage about the flowers and the birds ends with…  Matt 6:34 (MSG) ”Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Introduction

• Some dwell in the past (He could never love me if he knew what I did)
• Some dwell in the future (tomorrow we’ll do this – curse of Prophets & Project Managers) – Leatherhead Life hadn’t happened yet, and I was already thinking about next year.
• There were over 350 prophecies written about Jesus and he didn’t worry about fulfilling any of them, he let the Holy Spirit lead him
  • Many out of His control like his birth and childhood – just 3 examples of prophecies fulfilled
    • Born in Bethlehem (Mary & Joseph were not living there – God moved on Caesar in Rome to issue a decree for a census to get Mary & Joseph to the right town)
    • Fled Herod to Egypt (Out of Egypt I will bring my son)
    • He will be called a Nazarene.  Joseph moves the family to Nazareth to protect them from Herod’s successor.
    • What are the odds just of these three being fulfilled by one person let alone 350?

Hanging onto past

• Sin, abuse, how could God love me, how could he use me?
  • Blood of Jesus covers ALL my sin!  This is so freeing!
    • The older I get, the more I see my own failures and shortcomings, my sin
      • I could let that stand in the way
      • I’m not Holy enough to serve God
      • I need to be a better person to serve God
      • I call myself a Christian and still do that
    • Isn’t that thinking works? Where is the faith?
    • There is no way we could be good enough
    • The blood of Jesus covers all my sin!
  • I’m not giving you permission to sin; the Holy Spirit is continually there to help me overcome my sin
    • Wilfully continuing to sin hardens my heart against God and makes it difficult to hear Him
    • What I’m saying is your sin will not stop God from loving you or prevent him from using you
    • Know this with my own kids, they drive me crazy sometimes and do the same things wrong over and over again, but no matter what they do, I never love them any less or would ever want anything but the best for them
• Other form is remembering the old days, not just remembering, but longing for them.  Particularly challenging as we get older.
  • Once I had kids, I was no longer able to go to prayer meetings that went on until midnight
    • Longing for those days and feeling like I was letting God down – Depressed
    • God showed me this was a new season with a new ministry to my new family and I needed to learn from Him in a new way
    • Come to appreciate each season of life for what it is and what the Holy Spirit is doing
  • Holding onto the past blinds us to what is happening here and now.

Looking to the Future – Takes several forms

• Believing promises fulfilled when I get to heaven rather than now
  • Healing is not for today; God’s will that I’m sick – Whole when I get to heaven
  • Oh woe is me; if I can just make it through this life, then one day it will be glorious
  • No!  This is wrong!
    • Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly
    • Taught to pray ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ – referring to now!
    • Salvation – body, soul, spirit – complete redemption!  God’s promise for now!
• Always planning for the future and missing today
  • One day when I’m recognized as a leader I’ll do something for God
  • One day when I have enough money, I’ll give to the poor
  • One day when I have time, I’ll serve the church
  • Excuses!  You make the decision to make the time now, give what you have now, serve now
• Not to say that planning is a bad thing.
  • A wise leader counts the cost before doing something;
  • Nehemiah had a plan all worked out of what it will take to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem before he went to the king.
  • I had a plan for what it would take to make the move to England
• Give room for God to do His part and change the plan
  • During my prayer & preparation time last night – my daughter asked why I spend so much time preparing when God will just change it anyway.  We still need to study and prepare as this helps us get the mind of Christ, then be open to his changes.
  • How did Jesus handle changes to the plan?

Mark 5:22-42 Highlights – Community leader came to Jesus because his daughter was dying, so Jesus agreed to go with him.  On the way, a woman with a long-term illness touched him and was healed.  He stopped to bless her.  In the meantime, messengers came back to the community leader to tell him his daughter had died.  Jesus was unphased and told him to just believe.  When he got to the house, he went in with the leader and his wife and a few of his disciples, commanded the girl to get up and she did!

• Prophecies about leadership and God’s plan for my future – As a young Christian, constantly striving to make this happen
  • My pastor in America once said I was like a horse that needs to be bridled and accept the fences – necessary to grow
  • England – Didn’t quite my job, fly over with all the kids, knock on Gerald and Anona’s door and say here we are, we are God’s gift to you, can you put us and give my job?  Nor did we do nothing.  We did what was in our power to prepare.
  • Given a word about your future and wondering how – Holy Spirit got Jesus to the right place at the right time to fulfil 350+ prophecies; he’ll get you where you need to be as long as you are open to Him
  • Maybe you haven’t received a word and want to know, ‘What about me?  Does God have a future for me?’  The Word says He has a good plan for you, a hope and a future!  God’s word does not return void.  It will come to pass!  The same Holy Spirit will do it!
  • Opportunities Today!
    • Neighbours, friends, co-workers
      • I’ve had opportunities to pray with Hindu co-workers and hear how Jesus was visiting in their dreams
      • Through reaching out to our neighbours, the atmosphere on my street has changed and a Muslim friend came to Christ!
    • Treasure Hunting, Serving in the Church, Cell Group, Thanksgiving Celebration
    • The atmosphere in this area is changing!

Jesus left the crowds to sail across the sea to touch one man possessed by demons.  This man begged to follow Him, but Jesus sent him to his home and he told everyone what Jesus had done for him.

He sat at a well by a Samaritan woman, living in sin, spoke into her life and blessed her, and she then told her whole village and they all came to Jesus.

He called Zachius, the hated tax collector, out of the tree to have dinner in his house that night, and Zachius life was changed forever.

• Today is the day!
  • Give us today our daily bread
  • Today the scripture is fulfilled
  • Today salvation has come to this house
  • Today, if you hear his voice!
  • He is the Great I Am (not I was or will be)

John 4:34-35 (MSG)  Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. It’s harvest time!

If we want to be like Jesus, be filled with the Holy Spirit and look around, It’s harvest time!

Prayer

If you were touched by anything I had to say today or last week, I want to pray for you and perhaps have some others come up to pray as well

• Freedom to give of your time, talent or finances
• Don’t feel God can use you because of sin in your life past or present
• Holding onto the past or thinking too much about the future and missing the present
• Perhaps you just want to be more in tuned with what God is doing right now

Lifestyle of Giving

These are notes from a message I gave at Pioneer Engage Church, Leatherhead, England on 16 August 2009.

Gerald Coates asked me to speak the next two weeks on ‘What it means to be like Jesus.’

Huge topic – prayer & fasting, healing, servant leadership, giving, supernatural living, etc.  Next 2 weeks pick a few areas to talk about, but will not fully answer this question.

Jesus came to be our saviour, but also our example.  Whenever you have questions about how a scripture should be interpreted, look at the life of Jesus.  What did he do?

WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) – A little corny, but a good principle.

• Jesus only did what he saw his father doing.
• Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to carry out ministry.
• Jesus was tempted in every way we are.
• Jesus was hungry, thirsty, pursued, abused, tortured, humiliated, heartbroken, yet also had fun, laughed, comforted, forgave, loved
• Jesus was comfortable in the home of the rich and the streets with the poor, drunkards and prostitutes.

What did Jesus do?  Acts 10:38  God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed, because God was with him.

Everything he did, he did for others.  This is our example!

We do not need to be concerned for ourselves:

Matt 6:25-34 (MSG)  “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. ”Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. ”If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. ”Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

We are Free to Live a Lifestyle of Giving – Time, Talent, Financial

• Stories
  • Mission Trips to Haiti & UK
    • Provision for Trip (Weight/Security)
    • Seeing poor in Haiti/Addicts in England
  • Personal Finances
  • Coming to England

2 Cor 9:6-15 (MSG)  Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.  I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.  Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they’ll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!

• God’s provision
  • All the world’s money and riches are His
  • If He commands it, He’ll provide for it
• Personal and Corporate Giving
  • When do we see Jesus? When we cloth the naked, feed the hungry, visited those prison, help anyone in need
  • Malachi Chapter 3 – One thing you can test God on is giving – Blessing and Provision
  • All have strengths and weaknesses, abundance and lack – some needs are best met on a personal level, other things on a corporate level
  • Personal example is blessing my neighbours; corporate examples are community events like Leatherhead Life and activities like Treasure Hunting

Principle – Not expected to give away everything you have or need to live on – Luke 3:11 (MSG) ”If you have two coats, give one away,” he said. “Do the same with your food.” (Agricultural based society, food equates to money today.)

• Pioneer Engage Church – Big Vision to Bless the Leatherhead Area in Many Ways
  • Out on the streets
  • Neighbours and friends
  • Home groups and community
  • Bursting at the seems in our current building, need new facilities to hold everyone
  • Additional meetings & equipment
  • All this needs workers and funds to fulfill
  • Moses had to ask people to stop giving because there was more than enough!
• The harvest is ripe!
  • Free to give of your time, talent and finances because you know God cares for you and will provide for your needs
  • Will you be be like Jesus, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, going around doing good and healing all who are oppressed, because God is with you?
  • The harvest is ripe, but the labourers are few.  Will you answer the call?

Living Epistles

These are the notes from the teaching I shared today, at the Pioneer Engage Church, Leatherhead, England.

Word on my heart for today, we are called to be ‘living epistles.’

An epistle is simply a letter.  In the Bible, the epistles are the letters from the apostles to the churches.

• Old Testament – God touching humanity from the outside; or coming upon them
  • Samson in great strength
  • Elijah and Elisha in miracles
  • Isaiah in prophecy
  • David in worship
  • Solomon in wisdom
• Along comes Jesus.  His life is written in the Gospels, which means good news.
  • His name is Emmanuel, God with us, God and Man become one
  • Jesus said you must eat my flesh and drink my blood, you must take me inside, or you have no part of me.  You can’t just pay lip service
  • God now works with us from the inside out rather than the outside in.
• In Acts, you have the work done by Jesus followers who have been touched on the inside
• Then you have the Epistles, which are letters teaching and explaining what this working of God from the inside out is all about.

2 Cor 3:2-3 (NIV)  You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.  You show that you are a letter from Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Our life is a living example to the world of love of God working from the inside out.

We are God’s hands, feet and voice.  There is no other.  Yes, he still intervenes at times in miraculous ways.  I have a hindu friend who had Jesus come to her in her dreams.  But the church of Jesus Christ, of which we are all apart, is his primary way.

Gary Jenkins often tells me, we need to let out what’s on the inside, and when we do that, it’s powerful.  All Gary is doing is speaking the word from Luke 6:45.

‘For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.’

What is in our heart?  The beginning of the verse is key…

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

When you have a relationship with God, out of that intimacy, God puts good things in your heart.  What sort of things?

Gal 5:22-23 (NIV)  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Did you ever notice how people that spend time together, particularly couples, after a while start to look alike and talk alike.  They are still unique individuals, but the time they spend with each other, characteristics rubs off.  People have said my wife and I just look like a couple, and could spot us as a couple when we were in the same room, even if we weren’t right next to each other.

She and I are very different

• She’s of Oriental descent / I’m of Eastern European descent
• She’s from New Mexico / I’m from Pennsylvania – 3000 miles apart

Yet, through spending time together and nearly 18 years of marriage, we have grown more like each other.

It’s that way with God, when we spend time with him, we grow more like him as he puts the fruit of the spirit, all those good things, in us.

Tea Example (Physically demonstrated in meeting)

• We are the water purified by the blood of Jesus
• God is like the tea leaves in the tea bag
• Dip the tea bag in the water, the tea leaves are still in the bag (God is still God, and we are not), but the water is changed into tea  (now some drink plain, or with milk or sugar to taste and you have a pleasant drink for someone.
• The longer the tea bag stays in the water, the stronger the tea gets (or more of the tea flavour) until it reaches saturation point – it can never become the tea leaf.  We can never be God, but we can be saturated with his love and power.
• What if I add Tabasco (spicy sauce)? Tabasco represents things that are not helpful we take in from various sources
  • TV
  • Internet
  • Radio
  • Friends (Taking counsel from, not reaching out to)
  • Drugs/Alcohol Abuse
• A drop of Tabasco, probably won’t affect the flavour much
• But keep adding it, and the flavour gets worse and worse
• Matt 5:13 – We are God flavours to the world, but if we lose our flavour what good are we except to be thrown out

We live in a fallen world, impossible to completely avoid unhelpful influences

• Then there are those unhelpful influences we willing put in
• Thank God for forgiveness and the power to overcome!
• Even when we become polluted, God can purify us
• Strive to be filled with God’s flavour with as few impurities as possible

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

You yourselves are a letter from Christ to the world, known and read by everybody.

What does your life say about Christ?  Is it filled with goodness (fruit of the spirit) or the impurities of the world.  What does your Facebook or Twitter page say about you (and as a professing Christian, about Christ), in the pictures you post and the comments you make?  I’ve seen ‘Christians’ using foul language, posting crude or sexual jokes, bragging about their partying or stupidity and posting inappropriate pictures.

Sometimes we forget the world is watching.  Just this week a colleague of wife’s had a bad day and posted something inappropriate on Facebook.  A copy got to her boss even though he wasn’t connected to her, and she was reprimanded.

The world is watching, and the example we set is for more important than the words we use.  You’ve heard the phrase, ‘Do as I say, not as I do!’  Does that really work?  The Gospels record what Jesus did to support what he said.

I’m not saying you can’t have fun as a Christian, we just need to remember the world is watching.  If inappropriate stuff is flowing out of us, maybe we need to look at what we are putting in us.

But there is forgiveness to today…

• You can be filled to overflowing today (and everyday) in God’s goodness, God’s flavours
• You can be a living epistle, a living testimony of the love and power of God at work in the world today
• Today is your day!
• Gather in small groups to pray

Coming to England

In my post from last week titled, Provision, I briefly mentioned all the amazing things that happened to bring us to England.  In recounting the story, I’ve even had many non-Christian friends tell me they don’t understand this God thing, but it sure seems like we were meant to be here.  So here it goes…

In 2001, a team from Stuart Bell’s Ground Level Network, came to minister at our Grace Network leadership conference.  An invitation was given for any that wanted to attend their leadership conference in Swanwick, England, in April 2002 were welcome.  I didn’t know why, but felt I needed to come to the conference.  I made arrangements to do so and in the process arranged to meet and stay with full time missionaries from our church in the USA who are directors of Betel of Britain in Birmingham, Kent & Mary Alice Martin.

The conference was good.  I was amazed at the work of Betel.  I also got to meet Elliot & Mary Tepper, the founders of Betel.  I was awed by their lifestyle of faith.  But there was something special about Great Britain as well.

I was so excited, I told my wife we need to all go and see!  She was not so excited, and this was also during the difficult period of our marriage I mentioned in A Spider’s Web.  Needless to say the whole family came to England 3 months later for 2 1/2 weeks.  We spent a week at Betel where Ray & Connie Demerjian, also missionaries at Betel from our church, looked after us and Ray taught me how to drive on the correct side of the road and how to handle roundabouts from an American’s perspective, which was extremely helpful!  We then went and stayed with 3 different families from Ground Level churches in different parts of England which was a huge blessing.  I look back on it and think we were crazy, a family with 4 small children, looking for people to put them up in different parts of the country; but such is a lifestyle with God.  Sometimes it seems crazy, but that’s when the miracles happen.

Everyone including the children thought Great Britain was an amazing place.  But for now, I needed to let it lie as restoring our marriage took precedence.  It was about six months later that my wife came to me and said she couldn’t get Great Britain out of her heart and mind.  We had fallen in love with the country and the people.

We then went to our pastor and the missions board, just to let them know what was stirring inside.  We felt we should take small steps to see where this goes and offered to support our missionaries already in the field there by organizing short term mission trips.   I led our first team over in autumn 2003.

In August 2004, we arranged to come back as a family and enjoy the Ground Level GrapeVine festival.  After landing at Heathrow and starting the drive up to Lincoln, we felt we were more at home than on holiday.  During GrapeVine, we received several encouraging words from people.  The first was to look out for the signposts during the conference.  Several people came up to us and asked when we were moving to Great Britain.  We were told we were bridge builders.  On the last day, Jeff Lucas, Pioneer Network, started his message reading from Genesis 12:1, ‘God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.’  My wife and I nearly hit the floor as the presence of God was so strong we felt God himself was speaking directly to us.

When we returned home, we met again with our pastor and the missions board.  They agreed that God was in this and were excited for us to see what God would do.  What we didn’t do, was sell everything and fly over to Great Britain.  Instead, we waited on God, and while we waited, we made preparations.  He didn’t say when we would move.  Would it be 1 year or 20?

We did feel we were going to work while serving as missionaries, which is not the traditional way of going through a sending agency and the church paying for all your expenses.  Then again, this ‘tradition’ is only a couple hundred years old and not the way it happened in the ancient manuscripts as it is often mentioned how the early apostles and other church leaders supported themselves so as not to be a burden on others.

Nearly a year later to the day, I received an email from another business unit in my company looking for a project manager for this pilot project which had now become a major corporate initiative.  On the second interview, I heard they were looking for someone in Europe, preferably London, and the light bulbs went off in my head.  But relocation was not part of the deal.  I accepted the position on the condition if they couldn’t hire someone in Europe, they’d at least consider moving us there.  They agreed and I officially transferred within the company in October 2005.

In January 2006, I came to London for a European Kick-Off meeting.  My immediate supervisor, who was based in Montreal, Canada, was also there.  They had not been able to hire anyone and agreed to try to get it in the budget for 2007, but no promises.  Ok, but as we thought about it, my wife and I felt it would be 2006 rather than 2007.  People shared words at the beginning of 2006 that it was a year of change.  Dear friends and associate pastors, Dick & Nancy Heaney, the couple who helped us with counselling through our marriage crisis were retiring and moving away.  (I consider Dick to be my spiritual dad.)  Also a single mother whom my wife had been helping for years found a great Christian man and was getting married.  Needless to say, in early March 2006, my supervisor came back and asked if we could possibly move this year instead of next!

He also said they need to add it to an existing budget which has never happened, so don’t count on it.  About 3 weeks later, I was fasting and praying when I got the call.  He said he’s never seen anything like it.  Everything we asked for had been approved!  He asked how quickly I could move, and I told him four months.  I had been preparing for over a year and knew what we needed to do and how long it would take.  All we needed was the open door and here it was!

Ideally, we wanted to move the end of July/early August simply because of the school schedule and making the adjustment easier for the kids.  4 months from the end of March is the end of July/early August!

We put our house on the market.  Some people suggested we should rent it out rather than sell, but we felt that was hedging our bets.  We believed this was God, and if we did come back, there was no guarantee we’d come back to where we were.  But it was also the beginning of the housing crisis and homes were no longer selling.

I sent an email to Christian friend and realtor with a suggested price.  She came back with a price $10,000 higher saying it was no problem.  When I pointed out the mistake, she said she thought we could get the higher price.  The house went on the market, and the next day we had 26 showings and 3 offers, all above asking price and 2 in cash!  So much for houses not selling!

Where do we live and how much can we afford?  I knew I was going to work in London, but with the transport system, you could live practically anyway in the greater London area.  I met with an estate agent who helped me understand what I could afford and the fact that if I wanted something decent for my money and decent schools for the kids, we’d have to look outside the city.  We aimed towards the south west of London to be closer to Heathrow and Gatwick airports for our connections with the USA, and zeroed in on Surrey, in the Epsom/Ewell/Leatherhead/Dorking area.  I then met with some of the elders of the church and showed them the map.  One man, particularly prophetic said, ‘Leatherhead!  There is something about Leatherhead!’  We didn’t rule out the other locations, but did focus from then on in the Leatherhead area.

Now comes finding a house in the UK.  The process in moving is somewhat circular.  You can’t get a visa without a place to live.  And you can’t get a place to live without a visa.  We needed to come early enough to find a house, and give enough time for the visa to process, then confirm the house with the approved visa before you leave the country.  But we wanted to rent a house and rentals generally are only on the market for about a month prior, and don’t wait if they get a better offer, while the only week we had for house hunting was six weeks prior to our move.  Again, the facts seemed against us.

My wife and I came for our house hunting trip.  Our goal was to find a house and enroll the kids in school in 1 week.  ‘Impossible!’ people said, but nothing is impossible to God.  We contacted the estate agents and had several homes lined up to see on the first day.  None were in Leatherhead or in our price range.  We were discouraged, but we didn’t want to rush and just take anything.  We believe God ordains the place where you live to be a blessing to your neighbours.  That night we prayed for a house and said if it doesn’t open, we’ll arrange for temporary housing and come back in August and wait for the right house, but we know God could open up something overnight.  The next morning, Saturday, I went on the web and a 4 bedroom house was just listed for rent in Leatherhead in our price range and walking distance to the schools!

We immediately called the estate agent and asked to see it.  The owner was shocked as he had just listed it, and concerned because they have small children and hadn’t fixed it up yet.  We said we could see past it, and the house was exactly what we needed!  We signed the papers Monday.

Onto the schools.  We contacted Surrey County, gave them our new address, but they said both local schools (our boys would be going to a primary school and the girls to a secondary school) were over-subscribed.  This was a foreign concept to me since in the USA the public schools have to take children in their catchment area.  The county said we were welcome to talk to the schools anyway, but they’d look to see where else they could place them.  So we met with the primary school first.  The head teacher pointed out that they were over-subscribed in every year/grade but 2.  It just so happen those were the 2 years/grades my boys would be going into!  We enrolled them on the spot.  Next was the meeting with the secondary school.  Our oldest daughter was with us on the house hunting trip and we arranged to meet the head of year that she’d be going into.  After an interview process, the head informed us just that week they hired a new teacher for that year and were now able to accept more students and was offering our daughter one of those slots.  They also have a policy that once one child in a family is accepted, the rest are automatically accepted even if they are over-subscribed.  Our 2 daughters were now enrolled in school as well, and the school is ranked in the top 50 public/state schools in the country.  All our impossible goals for the house hunting trip were achieved!

Back in the USA, we moved out of our home and stayed with various family and friends for the remaining time.  We weren’t planning on getting a car right away.  It’s just something we felt we could wait on until things settled down.  In fact, I was having lunch with a friend telling them this when I got back and had an email from the owner of the house were going to be renting asking if we were interested in buying his car.  I knew they had 2 kids while we had 4 so it was probably too small for us, though we had been debating whether we buy a mini-van or a small car, then rent a bigger car for family trips just because fuel is so expensive.  Also, my wife did not want to drive a manual transmission car, and most of the cars in Great Britain are manual instead of automatic.  But we asked about the details anyway and here it was a 7 passenger Honda Stream, automatic, and got about 30 mpg.  I asked a friend what he thought, and he said, ‘It sounds like a blessing from God to me!’  So we bought their car.

The shipping container with our belongings arrived in England, and we were asked what to do with it.  We weren’t told there would be a storage fee if it couldn’t be delivered right away and we still had a couple weeks until our arrival.  The owners of the house already had their belongings moved out, so they agreed to receive our goods for us and we wouldn’t have to pay the storage fees.  When we arrived on 1 August 2006, our belongings were already in the house and our car out front!

What about church?  There were no Ground Level churches in the London area.  Our pastor recommended Hillsong.  Hillsong just so happened to have a church plant in Leatherhead.  We attended there for a few months.  The people are very welcoming and warm.  We knew God brought us to Great Britain, but didn’t know why.  After a few months of settling in, we started to realize why we were here.  Unfortunately God’s plans for us didn’t fit Hillsong’s mold, so we looked elsewhere.  We found another charismatic church, Pioneer Engage, in Leatherhead and emailed the office for information.  The pastors, Gerald & Anona Coates, invited us for coffee and to talk.  I found out later, that that week they had been praying for help with their church plant in Leatherhead.  We didn’t know who they were at the time, that they are national church leaders, regular speakers and both are authors.  Nor did we realize they were the leaders of the Pioneer Network, of which Jeff Lucas is a member who gave the final word that sealed the deal in 2004 to prepare for coming to Great Britain.  We’ve been a part of their church ever since, and privileged to be mentored by them and later joining the leadership team.

The journey wasn’t without challenges.  The company helped with some of the moving expenses but not all.  They said since I approached them first rather than the company asking me about the move, even though there was a good business reason for me to be based in London, they weren’t obligated to do all the things they normally do for someone being transferred.  But the extra money we got in the sale of the house made up the difference.  It was God, after all, who brought us here.  The company was merely his vehicle for doing so.

One thing I thought was a mistake and turned out to be a blessing later was our work permit.  I asked for a 5 year work permit, because we wanted to be able to apply for an ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ visa and you needed to live in the country for minimum of 4 years.  Human Resources assured me they would get me a 5 year work permit, but waited until the last minute and it only came through for 2 years.  There wasn’t enough time to change it, so we just went with it.  That meant I’d have to get another work permit and visa before being able to apply for the Indefinite Leave to Remain.  As it turned out, after we arrived, the law changed moving the time to 5 years, so we would have had to apply for another visa anyway.  As we approached the 2 year point, my company took care of getting the new work permit and visas for the whole family, this time for 5 years.   Now we have an 18 month window beyond being in the country for 5 years to apply for our Indefinite Leave to Remain.

The importance of the Indefinite Leave to Remain is I’m no longer tied to my company or any specific job in order to stay in Great Britain.  It just gives us a lot more options.

It’s also much different living in a different country than just visiting.  Ways of doing things are different and that makes it more challenging.  But I felt I’ve grown more as a person during that time, then the 10 years previous.  My faith has never been so tested, nor have I ever seen so many miracles of provision in my life, and the provision continues to this day!

Distractions

I find myself distracted the last few days.  There are meetings happening in Frankfurt right at this moment which I was not invited to but will have a major impact on my professional career.  I know I shouldn’t worry about such things.  My fate is in God’s hands and not men’s.  But as much as I remind myself about it, I still end up dwelling on it. 

There are many things that come up and choke out even the best intentions.  How many people buy a gym membership only to drop out in less than a month because they don’t have enough time?  So many things, big and little compete for our attention, whether its worries or the everyday things of life, the kids need our help, the house needs to be cleaned up, another report is due in the office, the list goes on and on…  There is always something.

I remember a Sunday School lesson from years ago.  The teached had a jar and a bunch of rocks.  Some of the rocks were big, some medium and some small.  We tried to fill the jar with the small rocks first, but found we didn’t have room for the big rocks.  When we went the other way and filled the jar with the big rocks first, the little rocks fit around them and amazingly all fit in the jar.  It was a great time management lesson!

The ancient manuscripts tell us to seek God and his kingdom first, and everything else will fall into place.  He’s the biggest rock of all.  When I start letting everything else consume my day, not only do I find I don’t have time for him, but I never seem to be able to get it all done.  When I do spend time with him first, somehow it all falls into place. 

With that, I’m going to spend some time with him before I lose any more time today.