Blog Off For Christmas

As 2009 draws to an end, let's do some number crunching...

200 = the number of people at the Kids' Christmas Service last Sunday (of those 36 were visiting adults + 41 were visiting children)

110 = the number of people who came to Star of Wonder (of those 8 were visiting youth + 6 were visiting adults).

31 556 926 = the number of seconds in 2009. How have you made those seconds count this year? What have you wasted?!

50 = the number of Sunday meetings we have had in 2009. Each one was unique and owned by the Lord. We have had some truly awesome encounters with Him as a Church this year.

39 = the number of ENERGY Meetings we have had. Another amazing year with the Youth who go from strength to strength. As well as one of the best residential weekends away I have ever known back in March where the power of God was moving in a tangible way, 2 prayer and fasting sessions in the Prayer Zone, teaching done by and for the youth, great socials (including a wonderful trip to Exmouth back in July), an open House Evening in November that pulled in 50 people, many of the young people are setting up CUs in their schools, preaching and ministering on Sundays, moving in the gifts of the Spirit and seeing God do amazing things. I am very proud and honoured to be called by God to lead and pastor them.

5 = the number of people on the Youth Team. Last night we went out for a Chinese meal at Jade Palace and looked back over another busy year, despite the weather's best attempts to put us off. It is a real blessing to work with such a dedicated and honouring team all of whom are totally committed to seeing God's Kingdom come in and through these amazing young people.

26.2 = the number of miles I will be running on 25 April 2010 during the London Marathon in aid of Zambian Orphans: please, please sponsor me if you have not already done so! Thanks.

4926.13 = the number of miles from here to Lusaka, Zambia. Pastors John and Richard and Bob went out for the visit to Lusaka in October and had a powerful time at the Solwesi Conference. The work of Bishop Hudson and his team across the nation of Zambia and into Zimbabwe and beyond is truly miraculous; we are privileged to partner with them in all they do.

6541 = the number of hits on www.bristolcommunitychurch.org this year and 4360 is the number of hits on this blog (not including those who read it on my Face Book page).

10, 350, 441 = the number of chocolates I have eaten this year. Yes, I know, gluttony is a sin.

Well. That's it for me for this Blog entry, for this year AND this decade. I will be taking some time off from but I will return on Monday 4 January 2010. Thanks again to all of you for reading this, leaving comments and I hope and you have a truly awesome Christmas and New Year, experiencing and deepening your relationship with and love for Jesus at this special time.

God Bless and thanks again.

James xx

Sunday Funday

What an amazing weekend! Yesterday we had our Kids' Christmas Service in the morning, followed by our youth-run Star of Wonder event in the evening. Many, many people came to both services and had a wonderful time; here is some feedback…

“It was absolutely brilliant this morning. Our children and our guests had an excellent time. And so did I.”

“My friends loved the DVD so much they all want to watch it again and one of my friends went home, watched it again and text me saying she really does believe there is a God!”

According to a rough headcount: 200 came to the Kids’ Christmas Service (of those 36 were visiting adults and 41 were visiting children) and 110 came to Star of Wonder (of those 8 were visiting youth and 6 were visiting adults). I have been in BCC for many years and it never ceases to amaze me just how much God does through these precious saints. People are so committed and eager to serve, always willing to go the extra mile without complaint and work to high standards so others can enjoy the best. The Church is a voluntary enterprise and relies on the goodwill and faith of all those involved to make events like the ones we ran yesterday a reality and this is only possible when people know that they are not working for us but for God!

The Bible (Leviticus 26:8) promises us that “Five of you will chase a hundred and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.” It is clear that numbers are never a problem for the Lord; all He looks for are willing, obedient hearts, full of love and devoted to Him and His perfect ways. It is with people like this that His Kingdom will advance and I am delighted to report that BCC is full of such people and every year we achieve far more than is ‘normal’ for a church of our size and resource; we are living proof that this verse is true!

This is my penultimate Blog entry for 2009, tomorrow will be a bit of a review of the last year. The Youth Team are off out for our social tonight (snow permitting!!) so I may even give you a bit of an insider view of this annual event too!

Keep Cool

As a Counsellor, I see a lot of clients who are struggling with anger and seeking practical strategies to deal with it. Every year, this country spends millions of pounds on dealing with people's anger and trying to help others control these toxic explosions of rage and frustration. For some, fuelled by drink and/or drugs, the consequences that flow from one moment of 'losing it' can be very serious: irreparable damage to friendships and relationships, personal injury, fines, community service, a criminal record or even prison all wait to greet those who cannot control their anger. We all get angry about different things. Exacerbated by tiredness or other factors, we can sometimes become walking time bombs just waiting for some poor person to light our fuse and suffer the consequences....

Christmas can be a time when we are more prone to damaging displays of anger; out of our usual routine, away from stress-release mechanisms, having to spend time with people who can sometimes rub us up the wrong way, managing some potentially difficult family dynamics, facing financial pressures and problems can all contribute towards a serious detonation of anger. It is worth carving out not only a nice slice or turkey but also some encounter time with God.

Today I read about Moses. This man knew God in an incredibly personal way; God spoke to him as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). Wow, just think about that for a minute. Moses saw God work the most spine-tingling miracles and free a generation of people from a life punctuated by abuse, persecution and tyranny of the very worst kind. He was there when God delivered the 10 Commandments. He was there when the manna arrived. He heard the very voice of God Himself. He was there through it all yet he lost everything because he lost it with the very people he was meant to be leading and loving. Anger robbed him of his destiny and it will rob you too unless you choose to win this key battle.

The narrative around these events shows us that Moses was actually under alot of stress: he'd faced down a rebellious 'rabble' and earnestly sought to avert God's white-hot wrath from vapourising the whole nation. Along with his beloved brother, he'd led millions of people faithfully through the searing, unremitting, unforgiving heat of the desert for 40 years and had come out the other side with a new generation who were already starting to learn their parents' complaining ways.

And his sister had died (Numbers 20).

I think this was a turning point. This woman had been with him since he was born and had even been instrumental in saving him from the genocidal decree of an evil, paranoid ruler intent on preserving the status quo (Exodus 2). He owed Miriam his life and he missed her terribly. I wonder if suddenly, God did not seem so good to Moses anymore? I wonder if the lies of the enemy began to ring stronger and louder in his ears? I wonder if God suddenly seemed to be very distant and the days of intimacy and lingering in His presence simply faded away like his beloved Miriam?

There are always times when we are more vulnerable to tests and temptations. Satan knows this and he will always seek to press his advantage when these seasons come. Moses' response to the ever-complaining Israelites was to rebuke them with a vitriolic diatribe unworthy of a Servant of the Lord. He berated them for their behaviour and abused his authority by gathering them together to show off what he thought was his own power and ability. He lost his rag and it cost him his destiny (Numbers 20:12).

This story shows us how important it is to guard our hearts against unrighteous anger. We must monitor our lives and allow God to step in and sweep out anything which, if left unattended, will grow into something that could seriously compromise our walk with Him. As Christmas approaches let's ensure that when we emerge into 2010, we have kept calm and stayed cool in times that can be very challenging!

p.s. don't forget tomorrow's final prayer meeting of the year from 7.30am here in the King;s Rooms. Pray too for the big Christmas events in BCC on Sunday 20 December. More about that on Monday as my blog winds down for the festive season...

Be Specific

I received a really encouraging text recently. Before I tell you what it was about, let me tell you how it came about. This week I was reading something from John BeVere's book Extraordinary. He detailed a situation that arose during some particularly devastating forest fires in his home state of Colorado some months ago. The whole of his office and conference centre was at risk including large amounts of books and other printed materials. His redemption of this situation (which involved a not inconsiderable natural miracle!) demonstrated once again that prayer is powerful and effective (James 5:16) BUT it only become powerful and effective when we direct it in a very specific and clearly defined way. I was really provoked by this especially as I have been reading through Numbers and seeing how Moses, time after time, spoke to and interceded with God on specific matters. A generalist he was not.

I have begun to review my own style of praying and to adopt a more assertive, specific manner of communicating in the Spirit rather than adhering to a more generic, 'bless anything that moves' approach: specific prayers will receive specific answers. On Tuesday night, the youth group met for our final 'proper' meeting before the Star of Wonder event on Sunday and the Christmas / New Year break. Despite the practical matters which needed our attention we spent some time praying for the event. However, I asked the young people to break into groups and identify specifically what they wanted God to do. From this basis of faith, we then attacked hell and brought heaven to earth as we caught God's heart and mind for the forthcoming event.

Yesterday, I received a text from one of the young people involved in that prayer time. He had prayed that a friend who had previously stated he would not be available to come to Star of Wonder would reconsider. He named this friend and spoke words of faith over his life and expected God to do something. Sure enough, he re-invited his friend who changed his tune rather dramatically and said that he was now available to come and would think about it!

Prayer works but specific prayer works even better!

Let's Do (Christmas) Lunch!

Yesterday was the Office Christmas Lunch. This is an annual tradition which involves most of the regular Office Staff here in BCC and is an important way of honouring those who serve so diligently throughout the year. Despite it being a bit earlier than usual (we normally aim to have it sometime after all the major Church Christmas events are over), we dressed up and headed off to a local hotel restaurant for our tasty dinner. I am a firm believer in 'The Double Portion Principle"and was most delighted when Kirsty decided she did not want her pudding and dutifully handed it over to me. Cranberry Cheesecake mmmmm :o)

These end of year events always provide us with an important opportunity to stop and look back at what has happened in the preceding twelve months. For many, the Staff Christmas Party/Lunch is a selfish affair with little or no reference to the consideration and appreciation of others. It is good to thank those who have worked so hard and done so much, none more so than in the Church where the nature of job is much more than just a "9-5" existence.

Looking back I can see how all areas of BCC have prospered in 2009. The Bourne Family Project under Kirsty's leadership has diversified and grown into something very special. For example, the Christmas Hamper initiative started by Clare Morgan through the Storehouse has taken off as local community workers have been nominating needy families and individuals; demand far outstrips supply! Castaways and particularly Wendy's role in running Treasure Tots has grown and established itself as a safe, fun and secure environment for children and carers alike. Aid International continues to quietly get on with the job of raising much needed funds for the various projects in Zambia and beyond, all of which require consistent finance for their day-to-day existence. The Office (no...nothing to do with David Brent lol) runs efficiently with Fran and others managing the administration of a busy Church with assorted ministries, projects and commitments.

It is good to say thank you. It is a simple, but effective way of leaving a Kingdom deposit in someone else's life. This year I felt the Lord wanted me to write a few cards and buy some small gifts for the Staff with whom I work at school. I invested in some small presents and have written the cards and tomorrow, when I go into school, I am going to pray God's blessing and anointing over these little offerings and distribute them to these people.

Proverbs 11:25 says, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Take some time to pray and listen to the Lord. Take whatever He gives you to others and thank them for who they are and what they do. I realty encourage all of us to make this simpel act of blessing a festive goal as we enter the run up to Christmas 2009. Whether it be at the Staff Christmas Lunch, Party or with family and friends, give out what God gives you and watch the blessing flow (along with the mulled wine and sherry?!).

Dressed To Impress

I was very impressed with some of the lads in BCC who all made a concerted effort to dress smart for Church yesterday. Yes, I was amazed too, especially as their outfits normally consist of the baggy, 'trousers-round-your-knees' look with tatty-t-shirt and mop-like hair ensemble. Good work lads, keep it up! God really got hold of us during the meeting. He clearly directed proceedings and there was another key moment when we began to connect with one another and speak those powerful words: "I love you".

In the natural, this is my worst nightmare come true...sorry but it is (although there was minimal hugging involved, for which I am thankful lol)! However, this was not a cheesy, artificial, saccharin-sweet, religious love-in. It was extremely sincere and driven by Holy Spirit. Although playing the piano, this did not stop people from coming over to me and reaching out. I managed to hold it together as it really affected me and I realised again that the world cannot offer God's love when they don't know Him. The love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 can only be achieved through an expression of the Kingdom, owned and driven by the Holy Spirit. There are times when we really need to feel God. When things are difficult or our soul is in poor condition (see or perhaps I should say listen to Pastor John's excellent message from yesterday) God can reach out to us through others. That's what happened yesterday and as people spoke out those words of love and care over my life, I heard, felt and saw God's love in action.

Have a great day and thanks also to those of you who came out on Saturday morning to hand out Christmas Service invites and chat with people. At the time of writing, over 100 have booked in for Star of Wonder and 180 are attending the Kids' Christmas Celebration.

Keep praying and inviting people!

Christmas Update

Time is running out! With only 9 days to go until our two extra special Christmas Services on 20 Dec, you need to invite friends and get your (free) tickets from Fran asap.

1. Kids' Christmas Celebration from 10am-12.30pm in the Bourne Chapel. There will be lots of fun and games, an exclusive performance from our very own puppet team, worship and a 60-minute, action-packed, fast moving kids' special packing a pure Gospel punch as we find out the real meaning of Christmas. This will be followed by a FREE BOUNCE in Castaways for all those who have attended the service. Come along!

2. Star of Wonder from 7pm - 9pm in the Bourne Chapel. Using Louie Giglio's 'How Great is Our God" DVD, the young people of BCC will be turning the Bourne Chapel into a Christmas Cafe as we think more about the God Whom we worship. This will be followed by a LIVE Q+A Session featuring a panel of 'experts' from BCC, answering any genuine question about Christianity that people may have. Although aimed at teenagers upwards, this is open to everyone but you will need a FREE ticket.

Please see Fran or get in touch with the Office (0117 9478441) if you want some tickets.

Finally, don't forget our 'Take it to the Streets' Session tomorrow morning in Kingswood (after the 7.30am prayer meeting). We will be running two sessions (9.15am-10.30am and then 10.30am-11.45am) which will be a great time to hand out invites to the above services, chat with people, fire up those words of knowledge and pray for people too. Some kind people from BCC will also be singing some carols as I raise some money for my marathon attempt next year.

Happy Christmas!

Lemon Drizzle and Laughter

Last night was Home Group. In recent weeks, I have taken to baking or just buying a few treats for sharing at these meetings as it is my way of honouring Ian and Alison who themselves are very generous and hospitable to all of us and put up with a lot! There are times when it is important we laugh. I can be far too serious and intense sometimes and last night was one of those evenings when people were up for a giggle. Strangely, I'd had an extremely busy and demanding day in school with a full roster of five clients, lunchtime drop ins and some complicated issues, all of which required my attention and concentration. When I came home I planned on going for a run but simply passed out on the sofa and slept. This is very unusual for me as I have loads more energy these days - the affect of doing lots of running! However, I was not going to miss Home Group though and I arrived with my lemon drizzle cake ready for action.

We started off catching up and there was a great atmosphere with a lot of laughter and joking. I was a bit 'high', although I'm still not sure why but when asked to open in prayer I was giggling so much it took me a couple of goes before I managed it. The last time I was that high was when I accidentally took a bit too much Lemsip and Paracetamol :o( Jackie then shared and we were looking at Psalm 139 reminding ourselves yet again that we are 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. Approaching this in a slightly different way, we got stuck into a 'Know Your Body Quiz' and 'Draw This Body Part on the Picture" Game. I think we won both but don't tell the others.

At this time all of us will have a lot on our plates. There is so much to 'do' that we can sometimes forget to stop, listen and most importantly....laugh at what is going on around us. Keep things in perspective. Have a great day.

p.s. ask Nathan to tell you about his pirate dream...we laughed alot xx

Spiritual Swimming

Last Sunday afternoon, I met with a group of kids/teens who are thinking of being baptised. BCC does not 'christen' babies. There are a number of reasons for this, perhaps most significantly is the belief that baptism is a public declaration of faith that can only be made by someone who really understands what they are doing: a baby cannot make such a decision. However, we do 'dedicate' babies and some people also choose to identify 'Godparents' who stand with them in bringing up that child in the knowledge and love of God. Really, all of us who love and care for that child are 'Godparents' whether we carry the title or not and we can play an important role in helping and supporting the parents in their endeavours.

As I explained what baptism was to this little group of 5, I wanted them to understand that baptism is an extremely important step in their lives as Christians. It is not simply getting wet! We looked at Romans 6:4, “When we were baptised, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we can also live a new life”. Here's the general idea...

“When”: baptism is a must for any committed Christian! Jesus Himself was fully baptised in water at the age of 30.
“We were buried”: as you go down into the water, it is a picture of how the old sinful you who lives and pleases itself goes down and is laid to rest once and for all. We are saying that part of us is dead. In part then, baptism is a type of funeral and the baptism tank is like a coffin!
“With Christ”: when we get baptised we make a public declaration that we no longer live for ourselves, we live for Jesus Christ. We belong to Him, forever!
“We can also live a new life”: as well as putting our selfish self to death in the waters of baptism we come up out of the waters of baptism as a new creation, knowing that we have the power to overcome the flesh and follow Jesus forever. It is a celebration of new life!

I know these children and young people understood what I said. I know that a couple of them have even waited for the right moment to be baptised rather than rushing into it because others want them to and/or they are trying to please their parents. Even those who are a bit younger still want to do the right thing and express their love for Jesus in this way. All of them must have their own, living faith in Jesus and we must see evidence of this salvation in their lives.

Baptism is essentially saying that Jesus is Friend, Saviour AND LORD! In the death of self is the true life of Christ. Yet this act is not a one-off but something which we must live by every day.

Do you?

Get Into Intercession

Another week begins and there are only 18 days to go until Christmas! I hope you have done your Christmas shopping, signed up to give out some Christmas Service Invites this Saturday in Kingswood and sponsored me for my London Marathon attempt next April! Check out my Face Book page and jogblog for more information (see links below). I went down to Watford over the weekend to visit my Godson, his family and some other friends, returning on Saturday evening. It was a refreshing time with a couple of really good conversations and a slightly more relaxed pace of life before the final Christmas 'push' begins (did I mention it's only 18 days until The Big Day??). My Godson (a strapping 6ft 4 lad who is now 15 years old and loves rugby (he plays for Saracens junior team) and God - thankfully not in that order) is a delight and doing very nicely in God thank you very much for asking. He eats like a horse too lol.

I never like to miss our Sunday meetings though - they are always very special times and I feel like I'm playing 'catch up' when I am absent. Yesterday's meeting was one of those "Light the touch paper, stand well back and watch it take off!" meetings. It had loads of power and life, totally real with fresh up-to-date testimonies from this last week and the prophetic themes dovetailed beautifully with Pastor Neil's word. Everyone seemed up for stepping out and doing what God wanted them to do. The worship was also really powerful, heartfelt and Spirit-filled. The meeting didn't seem to be led from the front but had strong congregation participation and the time flew by! (Always a good sign).

Pastor Neil's talk was very thought provoking and a few things he said really stuck with me, the most important of which was his observation that we are never more like Jesus than when we intercede and pray. Why? Because that's what Jesus is doing for us all the time; we copy and emulate His work. Romans 8:34 (my emphasis) "Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

I'm reading through Numbers at the moment and it never ceases to amaze me the times Moses interceded for the Israelites and, as a result, God averted further catastrophe and/or judgment (for example 11:1-3, 12:13, 14:13 and 16:22) . In many ways, Moses modelled the role of the Great High Priest (Jesus) who now intercedes for us. Unlike Moses, Jesus never loses His rag and gets mad with us! This priestly intercessory function is a heaven-designated job for all of us. We need to be passionate prayers and to understand that we participate in a truly holy process when we cry and call out to God for people, nations, circumstances and more. We move heaven and become united with Jesus who is doing the same. James 5:16 "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." We change things!

As we go into a fresh week, remind yourself of the fact that you are a spiritual warrior (Judges 6:12) and when you pray you become more like Jesus than you'll ever know.

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Kingdom Connections Part 2

So, as promised here are some thoughts for you about this whole 'Kingdom Connections' business based on Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan Woman in John 4:1-42. Go and look it up as this will make a lot more sense if you're familiar with the story. It's OK, I'll wait here for you whilst you have a read...I want to pick up FIVE key points from this passage which shows how the Lord Jesus made 'Kingdom Connections' with people.

1. It's a 24/7 Process In v6 we see that Jesus is 'tired'. This greek word can be translated as "to labour with wearisome effort". Put simply: He was knackered! Yet there was still work to be done. When it comes to making 'Kingdom Connections', don't wait until you are fresh as a daisy; that moment may come when you are tired or worn out and we must be ready to act when it does. Be alert!

2. It beings 'normally' In verse 7 Jesus simply asked this woman for a drink. He did not go for the spiritual jugular; no He simply started off normally with a simple conversation starter. We must learn to be naturally supernatural. How many opportunities do we squander by starting off badly and not letting the person 'warm up'?

3. It is not bound by legalism Let's remember that this woman was at a major cultural disadvantage: she was a Samaritan (hated by the Jews and viewed as an inferior race) AND she was a woman. For Jesus to even stop and talk to her was an extremely radical act yet He was not bound by a religious spirit or legalistic 'we've always done it like that' attitude. When it comes to Kingdom Connections we must be prepared to throw away our own cultural and theological baggage and reach out with a boldness that comes from the Holy Spirit even if that offends our mind and sensitivities.

4. It demonstrates a heart of care and compassion In verse 16 Jesus begins to get to the business end of this encounter and gently steers her where she needs to go but does so with incredibly care and compassion. Her admission (verse 18) that she has had five(!) husbands AND is currently 'living in sin' with another would warrant harsh judgment under Jewish law. Even to our own ears, it sounds like an episode of EastEnders! How would we respond? Jesus cares; do we? Kingdom Connections is not a game or a competition to see how super-spiritual we are. It is simply a way we communicate God's heart to people; that He knows them, loves them and has a plan for their lives if only they will repent and turn to Him.

5. It contains Kingdom power In verse 28 we see this woman returning to her home town and raising the interest levels through her own testimony. In verses 39-42 many, many more were saved as a result of this one conversation. What got their attention? It was not because Jesus delivered an impressive argument about why God allows suffering or that science has not, in fact, disproved Christianity. No, Kingdom connections release Kingdom power that transcend rational argument and open people up to the Lord in ways that dogmatic, rational argument never can. One of the greatest curses on the western Church is it's elevation of intellect to an almost idolatrous level. Yes, we must always "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have" (1 Peter 3:15) but let's remember that Jesus did not waste time talking and arguing and trying to persuade and pester people to follow Him; His Kingdom was one of power not just words (1 Corinthians 2:4).

You may be wondering where else 'Kingdom Connections' feature in the Bible so here are a few further references should you want to follow them up...Acts 9:1-19, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 2 Kings 6:9-12, 1 Kings 19:14-18, 2 Kings 5:20-27, 1 Samuel 10:22, Acts 5:3, Mark 14:13-15, John 2:24 and 1 Samuel 9:19, Matthew 17:27, Acts 10:17-23, 2 Kings 4:27….

Let me invite you to sign up for our 'Take it to the Streets' Sessions on Saturday 12 December from 9.15am-10.30am and 10.30am-11.45am up in Kingswood. We will be handing out invites to the Christmas Services, talking to people and praying for those Kingdom Connections that truly transform people's lives. Sign up Sheets are in the Bourne Chapel on the Admin Table or just let the Church Office know and a number of the youth will be joining us so they too can get some expereince of making these Kingdom Connections with people.

Have a great wekeend. Don't forget the Saturday Prayer Meeting from 7.30am-9am and our full Church Meeting on Sunday from 10am. See you there!

Kingdom Connections Part 1

Last Sunday I went down to Marks and Spencer's to pick up a few items from their food hall. Incidentally, I recommend their whipped chocolate-covered fudge - truly delicious! Anyway, back to the food hall...As I was waiting at the checkouts for my turn, a Mum and her teenager son got in the queue behind me. Not untypically, this teenage lad was talking (rather loudly) about something and was gesticulating wildly and hopping about at the sheer excitement of it all. His Mum warned him to be careful of 'that man' (i.e. me) at which he retorted (at full volume), "I AM BEING CAREFUL OF THAT MAN!". Oh, the joys of adolescence.

In that moment, God spoke to me. How do I know? Well, over the years you learn to work out the 'still small voice' of the Lord and to differentiate it from the millions of other voices which bombard you life on an almost daily basis. It was like a "Thought Juggernaut" - a sequence of words (unconnected with my previous train of thought, which, if I recall correctly was obsessing over M+S chocolate fudge bars) simply pushed their way into my thinking. The words were, "He needs help with his maths homework."

Oh dear. What should I do know? I wish I could say that I boldly stepped out and asked this lad if these words meant anything to him and there, in the M+S Food hall, a great salvation took place with much tears and repentance.

But I can't because I bottled it. A stream of different thoughts flooded my mind (which I do not believe were from God!) giving me 50 reasons why this was a very bad idea; a very bad idea indeed. The result of this was I paid for my items, left and remonstrated with myself as I drove home wondering what could have been if only I'd been obedient. What held me back was fear. If I had simply waited and asked God to help me then my story might have been very different today.

I believe that there are many, many 'Kingdom Connections' in our lives an a daily basis. This week in Energy we talked more about how God can bring His Kingdom here on earth through the exercise of gifts like words of knowledge. Tune in tomorrow for an insight into how Jesus did it and some fresh opportunities for all of us to have a go ourselves.

Count the Cost

As mentioned previously, I'm reading through Brother Yun's new book Living Water at the moment. It really is excellent. What inspires me about him is that he has experienced the real cost of following Jesus. It's so easy for us in the West to live comfortable Christian lives and to slip into mediocrity. In his book he quotes one of the songs they used to sing in China: it's called "Martyrs for the Lord" (p.42). I doubt whether we'd have that on our song list for a typical Sunday morning?! Now before we beat ourselves up about not being beaten up enough for our faith or we start praying for some really difficult persecution then let's recognise that God has called us to live where He has put us. Our challenge is to remain true to Kingdom principles and demonstrate them where we are NOW.
We cannot all move to China - the UK needs you!

However, we must recognise that the hyped up, prosperity-led Gospel will not help us face the truth of opposition, persecution, difficult times and more. No, we must find God in the midst of these times that some theologies dismiss as 'for those who lack faith'. Brother Yun shares some valuable principles about the true nature of the Christian life. He comments,

"Do you want to follow God and do something great for His Kingdom? If so, then good. But you must first realise that the pathway to bearing fruit for the Lord is strewn with much opposition, slander, criticism, false accusation and pain. People will misunderstand you and doubt your motives and Satan will throw many roadblocks in your path in a bid to thwart your progress. This has been my experience over the years and it has been the experience of every person I have known who has been used by God, from the apostles to the present day.” (p.47)

How many Gospel Preachers include that as part of the Good News? I have heard many presentations over many years and evangelists, anxious for the quick return, can sometimes major on the blessings and conveniently ignore the more challenging aspects of Christian life. Brother Yun knows all about finding God in truly faith-less circumstances and his faith is far richer, deeper and more mature for it.

There IS a cost to following Jesus: your whole life. Seen in the light of the Cross, this is the least we can give but a daily reflection on matters such as these will help keep us sharp in God, passionate for His works and devoted to obedience.