STILL AND STRONG

There is a beautiful stillness about Easter, as if we pause and become quiet in the face of something so powerful and mysterious.

Once again the love and grace of God settles over His creation, and it feels as if He is brooding, waiting, for hearts to respond to the gift He has given the world.

The bustle of excitement that is around the baby's birth gives way to the impact of the death of the man.  The Son who was not dragged kicking and screaming to the cross, but who calmly and silently walked there carrying You and I with Him. 

Everything we would ever struggle with was laid upon Him, and He broke it's power to hold us.  He became our answer and, as He rose triumphant over sin, death and EVERY work of the enemy, He became the ONLY Way, Truth and Life we will ever need.

In the quiet of the garden Mary found an empty tomb.  Her dismay and alarm were then met by the One she sought.  Here He was, in person, alive and talking to her, the One she loved who was dead and now lived.

This is how He comes to each of us in our moments of distress, quietly there, alive and walking with us.  What He has done and still does for us is profoundly beautiful in every way.

May everything that Easter sets before us be yours today and always, Jesus Christ is the centre of the story and the centre of our lives.

"I AM" by Brett a'Court

TIMELESS INSTRUCTIONS

In the face of all we are seeing and experiencing right now I found myself drawn again to Matthew 24 where Jesus spoke of the things that would take place around us and made some pretty specific statements:

"See to it that you are not alarmed" (Matt. 24:6) and

"but he who stands firms to the end will be saved." (Matt. 24:12)

in the midst of a whole lot of other amazing advice!  We are brought back time and again to one of the verses that has always secured my life :

"Be still and know that I am God" which is enough in every situation.  In the fact of almost every situation we could ever experience or imagine, this wonderful statement takes hold of us, steadying and calming us in the face of the storms of life.

There is so much richness to be gleaned from such a short verse. :)

KNOW that He is still God.

KNOW that He is unchanging, always the same, yesterday, today and for all time.

KNOW that He has won the victory and rules and reigns for all time.

KNOW that His eyes range to and fro over the whole earth, waiting to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are turned towards Him.

KNOW that His nature is LOVE, and He will not deny who He is.

KNOW He created everyone and everything and knows ALL He has made and all the plans and purposes He has determined for His creation.

As we know this we are not tossed to and fro by the changing tides of human action and opinion, but carried forward in the strong steady flow of the river of His Life.

I am often unsettled by things I see, and things I hear men saying and doing, and then I remember that He is God, and His great plan and purpose will be worked out for them and for me.  Once again I can be still and KNOW He is sufficient, all I will ever need, and my soul and spirit become quiet before Him.

Thomas Merton says "Here the truth is One whom we not only know and possess, but by Whom we are known and possessed."

I am so grateful that such a big and wonderful God who never sleeps, made me, came looking for me, and made me His own.

"Lord, who do You say that I am?"

"MINE".

HOPE

 

In the midst of the devastation that has rocked Christchurch and all of this nation I have watched the images and wept again, again and again.  We are indeed one nation and when one part is hurting we all hurt with it.

Today as we observed 2 minutes silence to honour and respect those who have paid the ultimate price in this disaster, I could feel a shaking deep within me, something alive and feeling this loss with every fibre of my being.

As I've sat contemplating the damage and death and loss faced by the people of Christchurch and those who love and care for them, I am reminded of one of my favourite stories in the bible, Noah's ark.

Having survived total devastation of everything around them, and floated in the ark for a long time, Noah and his family begin to think ahead and Noah opens up the ark and eventually sends out a dove to see if she will find some dry land.

The dove returns, having found nowhere to land, and Noah puts out his hand and draws her back into the safety of the ark.

Time and again we are like that dove, we have faced things that are difficult and we do not know where to stand in them.  It is in these times most of all that God, in all his loving kindness and compassion, puts out His hand to draw us deep into Himself.

Eventually Noah sent the dove out again, and this time she returned with an olive leaf that showed that indeed there was life to be seen and found, and then on the third time, she did not return at all as she had found a place to land.

May it be so for those most affected by this terrible earthquake, and for those who love and care for them.  May our loving and merciful God take them into His great and creative hands, and hold them safe for a season of healing and restoration.  When the time is right, may they be released, strong and able, to go out and find their place to stand.

National Anthem with Christchurch montage on TV One

PRAY FOR CHRISTCHURCH

People of Christchurch we pray for you to know the love and comfort of God in this awful situation.  Please know that our love and prayers go out to you.

We ask Lord that you will be with those trapped in collapsed buildings and lead the rescuers to them.  Please comfort those who have lost the ones they love, especially the 65 lives we know of so far.  Please be with those sleeping in parks and places away from their homes.  Please give wisdom to those overseeing the rescue efforts.

We pray for the very heart of the people and city to be strengthened and comforted, and that you will give to them a fresh vision and hope in the days ahead.

EXPANDED!

This is my first week back with my new friends in Refuge, after the first real holiday break in 2 years.  As a result I am in a very rested place and find it possible to evaluate and see things a little more clearly than this time last year - to see and feel my function in facilitating these groups.

The true function is that I pick up these women and carry them in my heart before the Lord!  I could feel it all of Wednesday night, a constant conversation.  And again the same thing on Thursday.

It feels as if, way beyond what may be taught or learned, the love of God embraces and begins to work in and with them, and they respond quickly and openly to that love.  I am encouraged to think that somehow without my fully comprehending it, this has indeed become prayer.

It was not that the circumstances had to change as much as my heart had to be enlarged and expanded for the task - this is what has taken  time.

For many years I have asked the Lord that I would not 'do' prayer but become a prayer in action in all of life - it feels this year as if I might actually have my foot on the first rung of the ladder.  He is indeed the God who answers!

Mother Teresa said "Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service.  Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment."

TRULY LIVING

As we look at all that's taking place around the world right now it becomes more apparent each day that we need to know who we truly are, and how we will live and maintain our peace in the face of what we see!

Sometimes I think we forget that although we are born of our natural parents, by God's intention and design, this natural birth is wrapped in something far bigger and wider in it's reality.  To recognise and engage with the author and designer of our lives is to move outside of our limited understanding and into the path of the One who lovingly works to be connected to those He created. We are able to enjoy the benefits of His tireless watch over His children, and His leading into things that are eternal rather than simply contained in the here and now.

We move beyond our natural birth into a new kind of life, one that gives us new eyes to see, ears to hear with, and hearts able to understand the love and wonder of a life filled with far greater promise than we had ever imagined. 

In this process we begin to find the self we were truly created to be, leaving behind the false self - an image woven by our desire to obtain the approval and acclaim of men and women whose expectations and demands weigh heavily upon us.  We move beyond the ideas and expectations that are human and limited.

This deeper walk with God takes us deeper into who He truly created us to be, not what we think, but what He actually knows and has always known.  The search for this takes His children down many paths, most of which are dead ends, and some stop there.  However, there is a need to keep walking and when we find ourselves gazing at a wall it's time to turn and look around for Him again.

The depths of this search can feel dark and lonely to our souls, but our spirits are being constantly and steadily awakened to this great light that shines in the darkness.  Jesus said "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."  It was God's idea to let light shine out of darkness and increasingly lets this light shine in our hearts.

Jesus was the invisible made visible, and so his face was displayed in the earth for all to see.  Now that same light is reflected in our hearts and He continues to shine in the darkness when we walk in the birth of the person we were truly created to be.

This world we live in needs more and more light shining against the darkness that pours out violence, hatred and disorder around us.  Jesus said "You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men ...."

The end result of becoming our true selves, willing to be lights that shine in dark places, is an increase in us and in those places of love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

It's my desire to shed the dark garments of my false self so that more light is evident.  To walk into the great promise that the plans God has for me are for good and not evil, to prosper and not harm me, to give me a future and a hope.  Those are the things so many seek not knowing that they are only found fully in being the true selves God created.

We thought we were born of our natural parents alone, but there was always this higher, wider, greater, thing going on.

2011

Here are a few gleanings from waiting and listening at the end of one year and as we move into a new one.  May each of you who read this blog be held in God's plan and purpose for you through this year, and know that all He has in His heart for you is GOOD.

On the morning of December 28, 2010 I woke up with the words of Matthew 5:16 on my mind:

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

There is such a strong sense of our need to step out of the shadows and become fully what God created each of us to be.  As we live this out it brings great glory to Him.  It is true humility to embrace and live all that He desires for us, for then we are living in the Truth.

I continue to be aware of a great pathway of heavenly love and power  between heaven and earth.  It is open, but requires utter truth in the innermost parts of those who walk it.  Was this Enoch's path I wonder?

Again on 30 December I saw this same heavenly connection between God and those who will walk fully in His Truth.  It is like a highway of great substance that stands out from everything else around it and makes all else appear to have no substance at all.  It flows out of heaven and spreads out as it goes.  Moving on it towards God would be like moving upstream against the currents of the world's flow - not easy, but worth more than anything else in life.

Psalm 46:4 came to mind as I looked at this flow:

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

The whole of Psalm 46 seems important to hold in our hearts as we move into what is ahead.

oo0oo

During the night of December 28, 2010 I had a very vivid dream.  In it I was with the group of young adults in a gymnasium somewhere in the USA.  They were all in very serious training, running, exercising, doing press ups.  At the same time, some of their group had been caught up in a huge tornado-type storm and I could see them being hurled around in the midst of this as it carried them along.  One young man was very apparent and seemed to have been sucked into the very centre of the storm which was full of lightning and thunder.  At the end of the dream this young man appeared, he seemed to be the only survivor and was very battered but recovering.  It was evident that the experience had made him fit for leadership and all the others now looked to him for wise direction.

oo0oo

Twice I have been lead into 2 Chronicles 34.  King Josiah, young as he was, did well in returning Israel to the Lord - the thing that caused the greatest change was finding the book of the Law that God had given to Moses, and in reading discovered how far they had strayed from God's instructions to them.  I believe again God is calling us to pursue His Truth and His Word and use this as the plumline to evaluate our lives. In spite of all the good he had done, Josiah eventually died because he was carried by his zeal to fight a battle that the Lord was clearly telling him not to fight - our greatest strength can also be our weakness, and this needs to be watched as carefully at the end as at the beginning of our life and work.

oo0oo

Ezra 3:10 - The rebuilding of the altar.  When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.

There are many who have been faithfully following a path they truly believe the Lord had led them to.  They have at times wondered if they heard Him right, especially as they can see so few, or no, results.  I feel that the Lord has indeed been building, against great opposition, as was the case in the time of Ezra.  The word I hear Him using is that He has established BEACHHEADS and in 2011 the result of those being established will be seen and will be cause for rejoicing - it will be an indicator that He is truly building HIS House, and there will be fruitfulness from what has been sown.

These results will be seen especially by those who have been willing to leave the froth and bubble of the shoreline and have the courage to move out into the deep oceans of His presence.  Now He will begin to draw on what has been deposited and resides deep within their souls and spirits.  They are deep wells and many are thirsty.  There have been those in the church who were not willing, or have not had the courage to move into these deeper waters, but the courageous are those who have been used to establish the beachheads the Lord desires in this time.

oo0oo

I believe that for the year ahead the Lord is encouraging us through Ephesians 6 to 'stand firm'.  He will continue to be true to His word in Amos 3:7 that He does nothing without revealing it to his prophets - listen for His voice.  In John 15:4, He is reminding us that we must remain in Him, and He in us, if we are to see fruit.  Finally in Revelation 20:2-10, He is reminding us of His total victory over the enemy.

We must never forget that God spoke EVERYTHING into being, and He never ceases to be God.

Shalom in 2011.

A THOUGHT THAT RESOUNDS

Currently I am reading Thomas Merton's "New Seeds of Contemplation" and recently was left speechless by one very short sentence!

"God utters me like a word containing a partial thought of Himself."

The ramifications of this thought keep running around in me.   Like a stone thrown into a pool these words keep sending out ripples of thought that are a constant delight and challenge.

There is first of all a wonderful picture of God opening His mouth and breathing out a word/name that contains enough of His being to go out and become everything that is in His heart and mind as He speaks.  Carried by His breath, this Word from God goes on and on until all that He had in mind has come to pass!  We know His Word does not return to Him void.  What a glorious picture of the Creator and His creation joined by His breath - who or what can mess with that kind of creative power, or with the man or woman who has come to understand the incredible way they have been made.

Then I begin to think of this in terms of all men and women, all of creation, everything that has been created has been created by God.  Once again it has wide reaching ramifications for you and I and how we relate to absolutely everything around us, especially people.  How could we ignore, mistreat or harm - it is like shaking a fist in the face of God and telling Him what He makes is no good!  It also releases us into a greater joy in knowing that He can be seen and found in everyone, even if His presence is not obvious at first glance.  If they're breathing then He is present!

Such thoughts sow hope and breed perseverance.  In the face of what looks impossible they connect us to the creative and redemptive power of a God who loves everything He has made and says it is good - even when it is behaving badly.  The death and resurrection of His Son make it possible for God to move with power to bring change.  This knowledge sets a new measure of His heart in us and we are able to love more in even the most difficult of circumstances.  Surely this is a glorious statement into the heavenlies and to the powers and authorities He intends should see His power displayed in this way through HIS Church.

In the light of this the question can never be of power, wealth, fame, or recognition.  No it is about people, or as our Maori friends would say "te tangata, te tangata, te tangata".  I cannot become rich while my brother or sister wastes away in brokenness and poverty.  I cannot accept recognition when my brothers and sisters are marginalised and overlooked.  What use is worldly power when it cannot change these lives and circumstances?

The changes that need to come cannot be brought about by the legal process, they will only happen through an outpouring of love and grace, the outworking of that Word and Breath that brought each of us to be.  Recognised in each other, this joins us to our Creator and to one another.

May the Word that He breathed carry each and every one of us to the fulfillment of all and everything He intended as He opened His mouth to speak.

The Tension between the Two!

Today I find myself once again wrestling with the tension between the prayerful and practical parts of my life.  I am sure others do this also, and maybe it reflects the ongoing tension that exists in this world of ours, in the 'church', in the outworking of The Life that is continuing to grow and find expression through our lives.

The picture I have in front of me is of a woman with her head stuck in heaven and her feet firmly attached to the earth, and this ongoing desire to comfortably marry the two so that existence can be a little less tense!  It feels as if there has to be some place in the middle where the two can meet and co-exist in a manageable manner.

Even as I write that, I suspect that it will never be possible and that there is a picture here of something that needs to exist to give expression to the place we stand in, a place that will only alter when Jesus Himself comes to rule and reign.

I love to sit in His presence, to spend hours in contemplation and prayer, to be in this world and, for a little time, not really of it at all.  Then out of that time there is a love set in my heart that overflows and has to find its outlet; that feels the pain, sees the brokenness, and needs to somehow engage it.

Somehow this does bring about a meeting place - where I can experience great joy as I see that His love is enough as it touches a life for a moment, as a circumstance changes, as hope is released where it previously did not exist,  This meeting, however, is momentary and not sufficient to sustain for any length of time.

Back into the hidden place I run, heart empty and open to be filled and owned again, soul in pain, spirit crying out for more of what compelled me outward in the first place.

This tension is like a wheel that constantly turns.  Yes, there is a kind of rhythm in its turning, and yes it holds me to something greater than myself as I turn, and yet there are moments when I want it all to stop.

Are we engaged without knowing it in some kind of intercession by this very life we live, and in these very battles we fight within and without?  I hear the calls to prayer - they bellow at me over the Internet - and yet most of the time it seems that this daily working out of life itself, in the context I find it, is the prayer, and it is all I can manage.  There is nothing left over for formal prayer meetings or lots of words. 

This silent struggle is ongoing, 24 hours a day, every day, and brings with it moments of hope and moments of despair, moments of joy and moments of pain - a constant movement through a range of thoughts, emotions, feelings. It provokes an ongoing conversation with the only One who can answer my questions.

The sustaining force behind it all is the hub on which the wheel turns.  The One who is The Answer.  The One who loves more than I ever can.  The One who paid such a huge price to make the impossible possible.  Truly in the midst of all this Jesus remains always the same.  The Lord's presence constant and assuring.  It is His peace that breaks through the tension and takes hold of my heart again to hold is secure and move me forward into the next hour, and the one after that.  He alone defuses the tension and makes sense of it all.