Authentic faith

1. It is centered in our relationship with Christ

2. It will be tested through the troubles of life

3. It can be evident in our daily choices.

Seven touch points:

1. Live for His glory – True worship

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1

2. Discover the way of the humble

He leads the humble in what is right,

   and teaches the humble his way.

Psalm 25:9

3. Embrace  love and  forgiveness

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Col 3:12 - 14

4. Trust in His Lordship and reliability.

 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
   and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
   and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
   fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
   and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5 - 8

5. Walk together in the reality of His presence

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

6. Be filled with the Holy Spirit

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Acts: 4:31

7. Live Good News everywhere and in everything

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one Spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith fo the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.

Phil 1:27 – 28 

Prayer

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

Revelations 5:8


Prayer is not simply bringing a shopping list to God.
Prayer connects us with the personal, holy, and loving presence of God.
Prayer is an honest attitude of heart towards the ways of God.
Prayer is difficult at times and true prayer is humbling as we face our own weakness and seek His strength.
Prayer moves us from self reliance to deeper dependence on God.
Prayer builds expectancy for His Kingdom to come.
Prayer discovers the supernatural provision of God.
Prayer brings victory over evil
Prayer is not an optional extra.
Prayer takes our eyes off self to seek Him.


Some characteristics of a growing Atmosphere of Prayer:

1. Awe in the presence of God's holiness and authority. Our God is a consuming fire. A small view of God will lead us to neglect prayer.
2. Amazing grace towards the humble when they are confident to come to His throne. (Heb 4:16)
3. Attitudes towards others are radically transformed through prayer.

An aspect of Kingdom culture

Kingdom culture on earth is orientated around Good News. We experience righteousness through relationship with Christ. We embrace peace towards one another through our relationship with Christ. We enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit through our relationship with Christ.

On Thursday I shared from Matt 18:23 "The Kingdom of heaven is like..." Jesus told the story of the King (At the centre of the Kingdom) who forgave an impossible debt of one of his servants. In the response of this servant it is clear that he did not appreciate the extent of this incredible gift. He refuses to forgive another person who owed him a small amount compared to his own debt. He faced serious consequences for rejecting the mercy of the King.

We can learn some Kingdom principles from this passage for community life. These principles can only be embraced through the work of God's grace in our lives.

1. Take the humble place (Matt 18:4)

2. Ensure that our behaviour or attitude does not cause another to stumble (Matt 18:6 - 9)

3. Reach out with a shepherd's heart to the one who has gone astray and is struggling (Matt 18:10 - 14)

4. Deal with sin in the right way. Confront the offender personally and privately. Only involve others if it does not work out (Matt 18:15 - 17 )

5. Embrace the authority that you have when you pray with one or two others. The presence of the King is with you. (Matt 18:18 - 19)

6. Develop a habit of forgiveness (Matt 18:21 - 22)

7. A dimension of Kingdom culture is to forgive in response to His forgiveness.


When do I know I have totally forgiven (RT Kendall)

1. be aware of the wrong and still forgive
2. Choose to keep no record of wrong
3. Refuse to punish
4. Do not tell
5. Show mercy
6. Show grace
7. Know inner peace
8. Absence of bitterness

For healing and protection:

- Find someone to share with to help you through the pain of the hurt

- In cases of abuse, church leaders or government authorities need to be informed to help ensure protection of yourself and others.

Let's agree together to pray with authority in Jesus name for His transformational presence to break the chains and set us free to live as his chosen and forgiven people who are called to walk heaven's culture on earth.

Some questions:
Have I said anything to anyone about another person that did not honour that person?

Have I failed to go directly and personally to confront and restore the person at fault?

Have a found time to pray and seek God for spiritual authority to break the graceless culture that rejects the King's mercy?

Own personal responsibility for wrong. Repent (Change mindset) and choose to embrace these Kingdom principles

Leadership insight

Spiritual leadership is dependant on our walk with God.

1. Intimacy with God as we seek Him in the word and through our prayer journey
2. Investement in others as we walk alongside them in this life of adventure with Jesus
3. Involvement in His purpose as we become intentional about meetingthe needs around us
4. Integrity with His truth as we receive His revelation

The Message

We simply believe that the Bible is God's word. It has a message that is relevant for today's realities. Lives have been transformed by the impact of this message. The message is about forgiveness. It is about peace. It is about justice and reconciliation. But above everything else is a message about relationship. This relationship is defined in the language of love and the deeds of love. This love is willing to go beyond tolerance to reach out to our real need for truth and transformation. The truth is that everyone is valued by God. The truth is that our world is damaged. The truth is that 2000 years ago God broke into history to bring hope. Jesus lived and died and rose again. It is our relationship with him that defines who we are and how we live and relate to others. Let me give you an example of a thought from this ancient text that transforms the way that we live today.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking on your own interests but each of you to the interests of others." Phil 2:2

"whatever happens, as citizens of Heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."

Philippians 1:27

We live on earth to bring good news in a way that will help transform lives. Our values are rooted in the heart of God's love for all people.

As the Logos Hope sails

`Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth.´

Psalm 47:1


´Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands and all that is in them`

Isaiah 42:10

Loving God

1. We are connected to the God who is love. His love has transformed our lives through the work of Christ on the Cross. His love is poured out into our lives through the Holy Spirit. We can cry, "Abba Father!" At the heart of our experience of faith is this reality of the presence of the God who loves without condition except that of the sacrifice of His Son at the Cross. The work of the Cross brings us into relationship with Jesus. We have access to the Father and the Holy Spirit empowers us to live out His love.

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." 1 John 4:16

Love is evidence of His presence! God now!!

This life in Christ connects us to the ocean of His love.

a) It is so wide that He embraces all of creation and all eternity. His love embraces the whole world. Let's move from the shallow water experience of His love to the depth of what he has given to us in Christ

b) It is so long that it stretches to eternity past and to eternity future over our personal lives. Nothing can separate us from this love. Our debt is paid in full at the Cross. Our sin is removed as fare as the east is from the west. We are free to hope and live in righteousness because he has redeemed us through His blood.

c) It is so deep that it reaches to the deepest need of our heart and can bring healing and deliverance. We have seen that here in Deenmark. Ann and I had lunch with a couple today who have experienced traumatic pain in their family and now know miraculous healing. They said that there is poverty of the heart in Denmark and that it is a need that only Jesus can fill.

d) It is so high that there is nothing that cannot be overcome by this love. The love of God is higher than the mountains that you face today.

"Perfect love drives out fear." 1 John 4:18

"I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide, and long, and high, and deep is the love of Christ, and know that this love surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17 - 19


2. We now have the ability to make the choices of love. This love transforms our attitude and enables us to rely on His Holy Spirit to bear fruit.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Cor 13:4 - 8


What are the choices of love that you are making today? Does your relationship with Jesus define those choices? Or do you tend to justify your actions and blame others. The power and presence of Christ is with us to transform our attitudes in a miraculous way,. We can love our enemies.


3. We now have the capacity to love others.


"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34 - 35

Jesus did not say that we should try to love. he definitely did not say we should pretend to love. The command is to believe in Him. We now have the capacity to love through the power of His presence in our lives. We have a new capacity to show good news through the way that we live together.


This love is the dynamic energy released in our lives through the presence of Christ. This love motivates us to be involved in the ministry of reconciliation

"For Christ love compels us, for we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.2 2 Cor 5:14 - 15

The Cross is our motivation and power. We have capacity to love. He can bring transformation to others through our surrendered lives.

My prayer for us today is in the words of Paul to the Philippians church:

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God." Phil 1:9 - 11

As we pray His life will increase. As His live in us increases, our love will grow. Take one step at a time into the depth of His love or take the plunge and dive into the ocean, He can be trusted.

Leadership

When we submit to the strengths of the team we provide opportunity for others to grow. Learn to do less in order to do more.

Edmund Chan - Growing Deeper in God

"This is an invitation to life in Christ. For in Christ, we have a forgiveness that is real, a freedom that is radical, and a future that is redeemed."

Abide

Jeremiah 2:13

"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. "

John 7:37-38

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

John 15:4

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

These three pictures impress on me the importance of the power and presence of God in our lives. An empty well serves no effective purpose. A thirst unquenched is unbearable. Branches disconnected from the vine bear no fruit.

Our lives are vessels for the presence of Christ. When we drink from the life of Jesus, streams of living water flow. When we remain in Him then His life bears fruit through us.

The warning is to be aware of the danger of digging our own wells instead of relying on the Spring of living water.

We need Him everyday .

Identity

In the Father we are sons and daughters with eternal value
In the Son we are servants for transformation in local and global communities
In the Holy Spirit we are vessels for His presence and power to touch the world with His Love

Peace

A fellow Christ-Servant on board shared the following:

"Have been impressed with the theme of 'peace' at this time.

Peace I leave with you . My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

This is an actual participation in the peace that dwells within and between the triune God - WOW!"

Christ is our peace! Hope in the midst of devastating global situations is transformational when He brings wholeness to individuals and communities. He does this through His people who are sent as light and salt into society.

Rejoice

Hab 3:17 - 19

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

God has put a song in our hearts! It is a song of joy and strength when things are not as they should be.

The victory is God's work

2 Chronicles 20:15

He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

1. When you face an impossible situation keep your eyes on Jesus
2. When you meet for worship, listen to God's word and obey Him
3. Worship demonstrates your faith before the breakthrough comes

Resolve to inquire of the Lord

Prayer and Work

Prayer is the heart dialoge with God.

As we work we pray.

God has so much more to give. We are asked to ask! He is generous and will lead us in His purpose as we seek His face in prayer.

Jesus said:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 11:9 - 13

Teach Me Your way

" His sons did not follow his ways..." 1 Samuel 8:3

Samuel was devoted to God's ways. He heard God's voice; spoke His word with courage; called God's people to retrun to worship; interceded for the people in crisis; connected with people across the country. He saw a season of relative peace. However, his sons did not follow His ways.

What is God's way?

God's way is discovered in prayer:

"teach me your way, Lord that I may walk in your truth" Psalm 86:11

God's way is found in relationship with Jesus:

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Featured Ministry

Check out this web site. Formation is founded by Viv Thomas

http://formation.org.uk

About Formation:

"Formation develops people in the way they think, feel and respond to society so that they will be better able to grow in the image of God through living what we call a spectacular ordinary life. All courses are based on dynamic understanding of the Trinity, Christian scripture, contemporary culture, practical theology, media and discussion. We recognise that life is sometimes messy, confusing and just downright busy. We are committed to working with you in the reality of your everyday lives."

At the Name of Jesus

"Surely Chrst beckons us to repent of hearts that see him so small we think our works enrich Him, our programs support Him, and our lives are indispensible to His plan.... To see Him move and work in power for His names sake must become our consuming passion, deepening and intensifying as His Spirit takes control of our hearts. Let us settle for nothing less than explosive inhabitation of the Living Lord, that our childtren,our neighbours,our co-workers, and, yes, the nations, may know at last that the Immanuel has come."
Tricia Rhodes

Worship is at the heart of everything

Psalm 108
A song. A psalm of David.

My heart is steadfast, O God;

I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

and let your glory be over all the earth.

God has given us a new song to sing in the nations!

Living the reality of His presence

The community of faith experiences the dynamic presence of God as they engage in transformational mission. However, if our focus is primarily the task of mission and not communion with God then we will fail to connect adequately to God's agenda. In the business of life we need to ensure that we find times to pause and connect with God through simple steps of worship:

1. Retreat
2. Repent
3. Refresh vision
4. Refect on His word
5. Rejoice in His presence
6. Re- engage with His purpose
7. Receive His grace for the task

Intimate Identity

Jesus' leadership was centred in His intimate identity with the Father. This relationship was characterised by His authority and and His Love. We often think of Jesus as the model for servant leadership but without His life within we will not be able to give authentic spiritual leadership. Leadership that begins with our identity in the Christ embraces unlimited resources in God's grace to serve others generously

The Message

The message is written on our hearts by the grace of God. It is about a relationship that brings real transformation through the presence of Christ.

God's Way

Jesus said,

"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure."

God's way is discovered by those who walk with childlike faith.

So far has the Lord helped us!

1 Samuel 7:12

Samuel called the people to restoration and worship at Mezpah:

1. Invitation to turn in devotion to God
2. Intercession for the people
3. INTERVENTION FOR VICTORY FROM GOD

Seeking His face

"Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge Him.

As surley as the sun rises He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth."
Isaiah 6:3

Do you have an expectant heart towards God?

We are asked to acknowledge Him, press on in knowing Him and expectantly wait for His breakthrough.

Intervening Prayer

In 1 Samuel 2: 1 - 11 Hannah (favoured by God) Sings a new song in prayer. She expresses her delight in the one who delivers and who is dependable.

"My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your delieverance.

There is no one Holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:1 - 2)

Hannah delights in the Lord's deliverance.

Hannah depends on His Holiness and Strength.

The nation is in decay. The religious leaders are corrupt. God's hand of grace is on the humble and His hand of judgement on the proud.

God's design is to intervene with grace when the humble seek His face. He interrupts with judgerment when the proud refuse to regard Him.

The way of grace for the humble leads to life.

The way of greed for the proud leads to death.

If we are to experiece God's miraculous intervention, then we need to embrace God's way to His throne of grace and mercy:

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Translating the Vision

Catching - Vision is is first of all to be given by God as something that is caught.

Conceptualising - Understand the vision and describing it in an way that others can grasp.

Bring Clarity - communicate the vison in a way that connects with people.

Make it Concrete - transtate the vision into a strategic plan

Light transforms darkness

"The cry of the church, both in prayer and in action, must echo the Psalmist's resounding call,
"Arise , Lord! lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless."

When we seek to penetrate the darkness ourselves, bearing the light of justice, we will find that God has not forgotton. He is there already, way ahead of us, making a difference and giving strength and courage to do the same."

Joseph D'Souza
BOOK: ON THE SIDE OF ANGELS

(Justice, Human Rights, and Kingdom mission)

Silence

Life is cluttered with many activities. We begin the new year with times of silence. We open the word to receive a fresh vision of God:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."


The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah"

Psalm 46

Ablaze for God

"Our God is a comsuming fire"

If we stay in the fire we will be ablaze for him. When we are out of the fire we will burn out quickly.

Stay close to Jesus in 2009