The Prince & the Pauper Syndrome

2 Sam 4:4, 2 Sam 9:8-11

One of my favourite authors is Mark Twain, you may remember him from stories such as Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He has an incredible ability to represent the realities of society in an exciting and seemingly fictitious way. I think this is best found in the classic piece, The Prince and The Pauper. The story is about a beggar boy and the Prince of England who are identical in appearance and decide to exchange roles for the day. In a series of twists and turns Twain captures brilliantly what it means to 'live in somebody else's shoes'. If you have ever thought that you too would like to be in 'someone else's shoes', if you've ever thought that 'the grass is always greener on the other side', then you too have fallen for The Prince and The Pauper syndrome.

In the Bible, Mephibosheth, son of Jonathon, son of King Saul, was both the prince and the pauper. He was of royal descent but at age five circumstances beyond his control left him a pauper. He was dropped by his nurse and crippled, robbed of the potential to run and to walk in an instant (2 Sam 4:4). Sometimes, we can fall into this trap with our lives in God. We are by definition a child of the King, yet so often circumstances beyond our control, leave us beneath our station. Why is it that we are the "head and not the tail" but we don't feel it? How come we are "more than a conqueror" but don't sense it? Why, when we have "more than enough," do we find ourselves asking, 'where is it?' I think we could learn a few lessons from Mephibosheth.

Lesson 1

You are never down and out - only down and in.

Mephibosheth was born with the potential to run, walk, and play just like every other five year old. As royalty, the world should have been his oyster but this was taken from him in an instant when he was dropped and made "lame in both feet." There is potential in all of our lives to lose in a moment that which we have been given. Yet, the truth with God is:

• When you are down - you are never out.


• When you are restricted - you are never condemned.


• When you are limited - you are never sentenced.


• When you are defined - you are never defeated.

What we notice about this story is that Mephibosheth is later invited to eat at the King's table "like one of the King's sons" (2 Sam 9:11). Our God has a way of restoring to us that which circumstances have robbed.

Lesson 2

Even crippled Princes can run

Even though Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet, he knew where to run (no pun intended!) The Bible tells us that Mephibosheth was "at the house of Makir, son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." 'Makir' means 'sold' and 'Ammiel' means 'God is my redeemer' so we find Mephibosheth residing in a place sold out to God as Saviour. If your conviction is that of God as your Saviour, Redeemer and Helper you will never loose out. Let's make sure we live as a child of a King, and press on to live in the fullness of life that God intended.

Lesson 3

The way has already been prepared

I find that people are very good at developing routine. We really are creatures of habit. You could set your watch by me sometimes - it's guaranteed I'll take an Americano at 9.05am and by 12.30am I've moved on to Coke Zero, with intermittent bottles of water because it's good for me! The way I always sit in the middle of the row, two thirds of the way up at the cinema. I'm pretty much sat in my seat before I know it because I've switched to autopilot. Think about your own life for a minute - think about how you do certain things at specific times, how you order the same meal at your favourite restaurant, how you wear a certain shirt because it's your 'posh' one. See, you do it too! We all have these routines and habits that make up our day to day lives.

Mephibosheth was exactly the same - except he'd become accustomed to a certain way of thinking about himself. When King David offered to show him kindness he was overwhelmed, unsure as to why he should "notice a dead dog like me" (2 Sam 9:8). The boy was so used to thinking negatively about himself that his poor self-image clouded his thinking. What Mephibosheth hadn't realised is that this wasn't King David bowing to an inferiority complex, but it was God staying faithful by restoring "everything that belonged to Saul and his family" (2 Sam 9:9). Mephibosheth would now never go without and he would always eat at the King's table (2 Sam 9:10). Whenever you have success, whenever it feels like things are just working out for you, be sure to remember the guys who went before you. The latest ministry you're a part of, the next building you buy, the recent favour you walked into, will no doubt be off the back of the guys who went before; their prayers, their diligence and their faith. You really are standing on the shoulders of giants!

I thank God for my Dad who Pastored a church in Manchester in the 60s. I pastor one now in the same city and I know that for every new family we welcome in, for every decision made for Jesus, my Dad and his team played a vital part sowing seed all those years ago. They had already made a way for us to now build an incredible church.

The story of Mephibosheth serves to remind us that we are of royal descent, a child of the King. Thank God that he always sees the prince in us and never the pauper.

Pattern for Life & Spirituality

Genesis 2: 2-3, Acts 2: 42-47, Job 13:15, Psalm 118: 22-24

From the opening account in Genesis, God presents us with an incredible key for life.

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating he had done." (Gen 2:2-3)

To work six days and to rest one is a pattern for life that God designed for each of us. Notice how he blessed the seventh day when he had completed everything he set out to create. This shows us that blessing comes to our life through pattern and completion. People who live haphazard lives, with reams of unfinished business are rarely rested, whereas people of pattern, who complete what they start live blessed because they move from one success to another.

Here are three keys to living blessed, based on a pattern we find in Acts 2:42-47. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved".

From this passage we see three words which speak of pattern: devoted (v42) every day (v46) and continued (v46)

1. Devotion determines destiny (v42)

The people from this passage were regular, ordinary people from all walks of life yet they had one thing in common - Jesus. They lived so devoted to him that God "added to their number daily those who were being saved" (v47). Jesus is our greatest example as he lived devoted to us, being 'resolute' in his journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Another inspiring example of devotion is when Job lost everything but he stayed devoted to God (Job 13:15) and he eventually received his reward.

To live devoted means to give all or a large part of time and resource to something. Your diary and your bank balance will indicate what you are currently devoted to. We can choose today what our destiny will look like based on what we currently devote our time, resource and energy to. E Stanley Jones said this: "If you don't make up your mind, then your unmade mind will unmake you. Here is the place where there must be no dallying. For any dallying will be the Trojan horse that will get on the inside and open the gates to the enemy. God can do anything for the man who has made up his mind: he can do little or nothing for the double minded."

Destiny will not just happen to you, nor is it the product of chance. It is directly related to what you decide to live devoted to.

2. Your everyday shows your devotion (v46)

A day is more than just 24 hour period of time, it is a portal into your future. You can spend the rest of your days regretting a day or you can spend each day thanking God for THAT day. "This is the day the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad" (Ps 118:22-24.) It is worth remembering that:

• One day with God is very surprising
  

The nature of God is to confound man's wisdom and do things that we would never expect. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" (Ps 118:22). Moses never expected to see a burning bush. Joseph didn't expect to go from a prison to a palace in the space of one day. Shadrach wouldn't have predicted moving from a fire to parliament all within 24 hours.

• One day with God produces more

Ever had one of those days where you play your hand and God totally gazumps you?! I love those days! "The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes" (Ps 118:23). The psalmist got it right when he said, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere" (Ps 84:10). One day devoted to God can produce more fruit, peace and joy than we can attain in a lifetime by ourselves.

Imagine the difference it would make if every 24 hours ahead of you were lived devoted to God. The pattern of our everyday life would paint the outline of an awesome future for God to colour in just as he has determined.

3. Continued (v46)

A pattern is only produced through its repetition or continuation. Our destiny will be the product of doing the right thing long enough, and true world changers develop over time. Jesus didn't ask you to be a 'one hit wonder', he asked you to follow him in your everyday life. The people in Acts 'continued' to meet together, developing a pattern which then invoked blessing. There was a consistency and resolution in their hearts towards God and one another. What do you do on a consistent basis, which will inevitably determine your future?

Read the paragraph below and allow it to provoke your thinking:

Who am I? I am your greatest companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things I do you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly; I am easily managed, you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great individuals and alas of all failures as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures. I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of a human. You may run me for a profit or run me for ruin - it makes no difference to me. Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you. WHO I AM? Answer? - Habits.

An English poet once said, "We first make our habits - then our habits make us!" Habits are the basis of who we are and who we want to be. They can control our now and consequently dictate our outcome. Habits are those things we CONTINUE to do. Be inspired today to live every day devoted to God and continue to put him first in thought and action.

Whats the password again?

G'day from Surfers Paradise, Australia (more on that later)...
So then - you start a blog and lose the password! Having tried various ways to access my blog again - the only way I could get access was to enlist the help of my mate Iain - who knows and understands all things technical!
How many times have you forgotten your pin for an ATM machine or Password for something online. Recently I received a new pin for my bankcard from my bank. I recited the new password, assuring myself that the next time I went to the bank I would remember the "new" password and then reset it with a new "personal" password. Guess what? A few days later, I went to the bank & could not for the life of me remember the "bank-set" password. I had to restart the process of asking the bank for a new pin again - they must think I am a lunatic.
Thankfully, with all things connected to your relationship with God, the password for your relationship with him is so simple, even I can remember it.
Psalm 100:4 says "Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him."
Psalm 89:5 says "God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you'll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist. You own the cosmos—you made everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. You positioned the North and South Poles; the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you. With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel— nobody trifles with you! The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits. Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you've been so good to us! We're walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!"

So its simple really - "Thanks" - is the way you access Gods presence. The next time you feel a little bit isolated or even distant from God, just begin with a little bit of thankfulness and praise in your heart towards God, and it will turn your day around!
I am so glad i now have a new password for my blog - just hope I remember it for next time!!!

Hot Chocolate on my trousers is Biblical

Sitting in a hollow metal tube, soaring at 27000 feet with my daughter
Georgia having just spilt hot chocolate on my lap has made me think!
Luke 6:38 says "Give and it will be given to you, a good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and poured out in your lap". The current
experience of wiping the hot chocolate off my trousers (bearing in
mind that as soon as I land in liverpool we have to drive to
Manchester so I can host the !Audacious Academy graduation) was not a
pleasant one.
After momentarily being cross at my daughter, I was reminded from Luke
6 that God's blessing is equally messy. Sometimes, we expect that that
which God offers to be prim, proper, neat and tidy. In fact, bible
examples are the complete opposite. Moses, Gideon, Joshua , Esther,
Ezekiel, Paul, Peter were all blessed - but when it's poured into your
lap- it's messy.
Whatever you are looking for, remember - bless is mess!
Here's hoping you are a mess! Here's believing you are blessed. And
here is praying that people don't notice the hot chocolate stain on my
trousers tonight!
Be messed
Be blessed
www.liveaudacious.com

!Krakow City Church

So here I am in Krakow, Poland with the legendary Zibi & Magda. We started Church here on May 10th this year and currently averaging approx 45 people on a Sunday. The spirit of the church is not just contemporary (meaning to exist the same time as), it is prophetic in that it is leading the way in pioneering a new spirit and new way of church in this great nation. Although rich in heritage, the Polish church has stagnated through the anals of time through surely one of the most cunning ploys of the devil ...tradition! Mark Twain stated "Tradition is not wearing your Grandfathers hat, it is buying a new one like he did!" Zibi & Magdas hat is awesome! Visit Krakow - a great, beautiful, historic city & while you are there - check out !Krakow City Church - new hats are back in fashion

If only it was 0 - 0

In May 2008, my football team (Manchester City FC) lost 8_1 to Middlesborough! Having supported City since I was a child, I have been through the darkest years when we dropped to the old Division two, even losing to some...less than inspiring teams.
Before any game, every fan is optimistic of a great outcome. Before the first pies of the game had been eaten, our team were losing . It was amazing to see how 20 minutes of football had changed the mood of everyone in the stadium. Optimism was replaced with defeatism and hope was turned into horror. I sat thinking, "if we could just wind the game back 20 minutes, everyone would still be full of optimism and hope." The sad fact is, that no-one has yet built a time machine and time had already passed.
It's sad when in life, people's optimism is replaced with defeatism and hope is turned into horror - their life has gone 8_1 down. Sometimes, I have wondered what would happen if we could turn back the game to 0-0. How would those people be living? What choices would they make? How would their vocabulary change?
Without meaning to sound too cliched, Jesus has the ability to bring the game, not only to a 0-0 standing, but actually tips the scales in your favour! THAT'S what the gospel is all about.
Now, we just gotta qualify for Europe! Come on City!!!!

How to change your life!

Although every human on the planet is individual in every way, we also have many things in common. We all have, a heart beat, blood, hair (not all of us), life (again – questionable), a desire to be loved, a need to belong etc etc. One of overriding factors that we have in common is that we are all looking for change. We are all looking for something different. My wife loves watching ‘Extreme Home Makeover’. If you haven’t seen it, the producers of the show find a family who endure ‘impossible hardships’ and decide to do something special for them. They send them to ‘Disneyland’ (or some other awesome location) for a week, and in that time, they knock down the families old house & build them a palace in exchange.
When the family arrive back ‘home’, all the neighbours give them a huge welcome back to the street. The family is unable to see the new house because a huge bus is blocking the view. The family step out of the limousine, say Hi to their neighbours, and then they all shout ‘Hey bus driver – move that bus!’ – and they do! The new house is always stunning, it is a mansion with luxuries they could only have dreamed of. I have never seen the families cry because they wanted their old ‘shack’ back. They always hug each other & run to see their new home.
That is a visual demonstration of each of us.
Some time ago, the news reported that, ‘fathers for justice’ stormed onto the set of the National lottery and caused a disruption on live television. The ‘fathers for justice’ team want change & the millions of people watching the Live Lottery Draw are hoping their number comes up so they too can have a change!
We all long for something new. We all want something different to happen to us in life. That is why birthdays are such a big deal. We are not only looking for new presents, but also a new experience to embrace for our lives. My wife had her birthday recently. I bought her a tandem skydiving experience. She jumped from 10 000 ft & fell 5000ft in 40 seconds - then floating to the ground under the parachute for the next 6 minutes. It is something different, it’s new & it is exciting!

In Luke 19:1-10, we read the awesome story of Zacheaus (Zach) the tax collector. He did three things in order to change His life. Jesus then responded with three things.

Zach 1
The first thing he did was, ‘He acted on God-intrigue’
Zach had heard about Jesus, & that He was coming to town. He heard enough about Jesus to be intrigued. What did He look like? What did He sound like? Maybe He will shake my hand, perhaps I can get an autograph, I wonder if he is wearing this years ‘three strap style sandal’ or last seasons ‘two strap style’. Perhaps He will do that wine miracle thing again I will get a free drink. All of that is conjecture – we are not sure what it was about Jesus that intrigued him, but he had heard enough to be intrigued.
There comes moments in all our lives when ‘God intrigue’ kicks in. Moments when we get interested in God & Truth. Different events in our life stir up ‘God-intrigue’. When 911 sparked a wave of neo-terrorism, I received a lot of phone calls from people who for the first time in a long time began to think about God, eternity & truth. The birth of babies often stirs up God-intrigue. When you see the ‘miracle’ of birth, you can’t help but questions the ‘origin of the species’. Death stirs up God intrigue, as does having everything money can buy, but still feeling empty on the inside.
Perhaps as you read these words, something about God is connecting with you & you are beginning to get intrigued (perhaps for the first time OR perhaps something is stirring in your heart again from something God spoke to you about a long time ago.) Zach was not only intrigued, but he also acted on the intrigue. When you act on God-intrigue, you are one step closer to living a changed life.


Zach 2
The second thing Zach did to get a changed life was, ‘He rose above his obstacles’ (literally). In Luke 19:4 it says that Zach… ‘Climbed a tree’. Zach was not the most popular man in the city. In fact, he was one of the most despised men around. He was a tax collector. They were known to be men who cheated money out of people so they could live a better lifestyle. They made the poor – poorer & charged extortionate rates out of the middle & upper classes.
On the day Zach met Jesus, he would have had to have braved the crowds of people, ignored their mutterings (v7), paid no attention to their jibes & even then he could not see. So he climbed a tree & literally rose above his obstacles.
Your perspective is completely altered by the elevation you have. This is a great truth for us as we seek to live ‘changed lives’
When my daughter was three, I lost her in a department store. One minute she was holding my hand & the next second she was gone. After calling her name calmly for ten second (no response), I ran to the entrance / exit to the store and asked them to shut the doors because I had lost my daughter. After closing the doors, the staff & I & others in the shop ran around trying to find her. I was panicking! The problem was that I could not see over the racks of clothes – she could be anywhere. So I rode the escalator up to the second floor. On the way up, I could see over the racks of clothes & I had a great birds eye view of the shop. My elevation completely changed my perspective. The racks of clothes that were previously obstacles to me, were now nothing……there was Georgia, sucking her thumb near the check outs. Phew – I nearly hugged her to death.
In Ephesians 1:20 it says that Jesus sits in ‘heavenly places’. His elevated view gives Him a great perspective on our lives. Ephesians 2:6 goes on to say that ‘We (if we are in relationship with Jesus) are seated with Him in heavenly places’ too. Relationship with Christ means that your elevated position gives you a different perspective. Where previously obstacles seemed insurmountable, now you begin to get God’s perspective. You can now see past the obstacles, now ‘all things are possible’.
In life you can get a better education, read self help books or even climb a tree. But only God can give you a permanent change of perspective.

Zach 3
From the story of Zach in Luke 19, the third thing he did to change His life was, ‘He changed His mind’. In verse 8 Zach says that He is going to give away half of his possessions to the poor & give back to those he has cheated, four times the amount he took!’
His change of mind preceded a change of life. His change of mind preceded a change of action.
In Romans 12:1 it says, ‘Be transformed by the renewal of your mind!’ The Mind is the place where you formulate habits. Read this by Sean Covey

Who Am I?

I am your constant companion. I am
your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down
to failure. I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do you might just as
well turn over to me and I will be able to do
them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed - you must merely
be firm with me. Show me exactly how you
want something done and after a few
lessons I will do it automatically. I am the
servant of all great individuals and, alas, of
all failures, as well. Those who are failures,
I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work
with all the precision of a machine plus
the intelligence of a human. You may run
me for profit or run me for ruin – it
makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me,
and I will place the world at you feet. Be
easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am Habit!

When I was in school, I was bullied for several years. After three years, I began to think and act like a victim. It became a habit to me. I was used to thinking like a victim. I was used to behaving like a victim. But God spoke to me & reminded me that I was NOT THAT man! It was a life changing word from God to me. But nevertheless, I had to change my habit of thinking as a victim. I had to change my mind!
Repentance is exactly that. To repent does not just mean to say sorry, it means to turn around to change – to live different! That is exactly what Zach did in verse 8.
Perhaps you need to change your mind today. Why not change your mind & change your actions – it is step number three in living the different life you know you need to live.

Jesus 1
The first thing Jesus did, was HE was prepared to be interrupted! In Luke 19:1, it says that Jesus was ‘passing through’ Jericho. He was on His way to somewhere. He was busy, but not too busy for Zach.
Amazingly, the majority of the miracles that Jesus accomplished in His 3 years of ministry, took place while He was on His way somewhere. He would travel to a place, & whilst traveling stop & do great things for people He met along the way.
The reason Jesus did this, is because the nature of God is that He is prepared to change his schedule according to your needs. Jesus had not planned to stay in Jericho that day (Note from verse one that He was just ‘passing through’). He was passing through Jericho to get to another destination. However something about Zach (perhaps His desire to see / have something new) caused Jesus to stop and say, ‘Come down immediately. Today I must stay at your house!’ Wow, God changed his plans for a little man!
Wherever you are in life, you have to understand that God is not too busy for you. There are 6 billion people on the planet & God is interested in you. You are not just a face in the crowd. You are not just a number in heavens roll of honour. You are someone whom God is passionately committed to. The bible says that ‘God knows all about a sparrow’s life – bvut you are worth far more (Luke 12:7).
The point is quite simple, if God has the capacity to know about the life cycle of a bird, HE is more than capable of having more than enough time for you. In fact that term ‘El-Shaddai’ means – ‘More than enough’. God is not too busy, why not have a talk with him for a while today, you will find that HE is more than ready to listen AND talk back.

Jesus 2
The second thing Jesus did to change Zach’s life was ‘He threw his lot in with Zach!’
In verse 5 Jesus says, ‘I must come to your house today!’ Zach was a man despised above most others. Jesus didn’t mind what ‘other’ people thought about Zach. Jesus wasn’t like some who associate with people because it makes them look good. Jesus wasn’t so concerned with how He looked, he just wanted to make sure that Zach looked good & felt fulfilled in everything!
Today, Jesus would associate with, Marilyn Manson, Eminem, your church pastor and everyone in between.
Zach didn’t have the ability to change his life on his own. No amount of self help books could help him enough to change his life substantially for eternity. The only way he could truly have his life changed was to connect with Jesus, to let Jesus spend time with him, change his mind on his lifestyle & act accordingly.
The best thing you can do for a changed life is ‘let Jesus’ throw His lot in with you. You can change certain areas of your life with Jesus help, but for a true life changing experience that lasts on into eternity, Jesus is your best bet.
What does it mean for you personally, to respond to the words, ‘Let Jesus throw His lot in with you?’

Jesus 3
The last thing Jesus did to bring change to Zach’s life was that ‘He acknowledged Zach’s decision’ In Luke 19:9 Jesus says, ‘Today Salvation has come to this house!’ Jesus made a point of not delaying in acknowledging Zach’s change of heart! Jesus did not say, ‘Are you sure Zach?’ or ‘Zach this decision does not affect your statutory rights’, or ‘Would you like to take up the money back guarantee offer?’ or ‘Would you like 40 days to think it over so you don’t make an emotional decision?’
Jesus takes up Zach on His offer immediately! Right now where you are, Jesus is prepared to listen to you and take you at face value on the things you say. Today would be a great day to make some life changing decisions. You could decide;
• To quit some addictive behaviour
• To stop a cycle of thinking
• To repent from your way of life
• To attend a bible / leadership training college
• To get more involved in church life
• To pray & read your Bible more
• To pursue the Call of God on your life without delay.
Whatever your decision, give it to God in prayer today, act on what you say & watch God help you to change your life!



Zach did three things for a changed life
• He acted on God intrigue
• He rose above his obstacles
• He changed hid mind
……………and so can you!

Jesus did three things to help Zach’s life change
• He was prepared to be interupted
• He threw His lot in with Zach
• He acknowledged Zach’s decision.
……………and He will for you to!

How to be an excellent communicator

Communication is the art of taking what you know & connecting with people in such a way that they want to grow & move into that which you have communicated to them.
Communication is one of the first skills a human learns. If you have ever seen a baby, you will notice that soon after birth that little bundle of ‘joy’ realises that the ‘cry’ invokes certain responses from parents. At first, the parents are at the whim of the babies cry, however every parent knows that there are different forms of crying. There is a cry that says, ‘I’m hungry!’ another which says, ‘I’ve got trapped wind!’, another which says ‘I want some attention’ and still another that communicates a dislike to the big brother banging the baby on the head with an inflatable cricket bat. The baby learns that the way it communicates has the effect of getting the response he requires.
Understanding the response you require determines the manner in which you will communicate to your listener. What are some of the keys to effective communication?

1. Passion
‘Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.’ D. H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930)
What can be worse than listening to people who seemed bored with the content they are communicating? The teachers from school we remember the most were the ones who taught their subjects with a passion to get their students to catch their passion for the subject. Passion is not taught, it is caught!

2. Conviction
Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), Speech, 1941, Harrow School.
Passion is the fruit of conviction. When you have a conviction that what you are saying is true and or beneficial for the listener, you will speak with a greater degree of passion. Conviction is found through, research, personal experience & belief. Belief in what you are communicating is essential to influencing the listener to take on board and process your words.

3. Understand & be clear
Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves. Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)
I have discovered that when I have been unclear on the subject I am trying to convey, it has taken me longer to deliver the concept. When you understand clearly what you are trying to get across, you are more able to speak simply, with clarity & thus enabling your listener to run with that which you are communicating. The most irritating speakers, are those who are trying to communicate a concept they are yet to grasp. You can see them squirming as they speak, because it is not clear to them & therefore not clear to anyone else. (I know this from personal experience). The lesson is K.I.S.S – Keep It Simple Stupid!

4. Keep them guessing
Every listener has a ‘broker area’. As you read this now you are employing your ‘broker area’. The broker area is the part of your mind that likes to finish sentences for people, or work out the plot of a movie before it ends. If I was to count 1…..2….3….out loud, your mind would immediately count 4 before I had a chance to. If the listener can guess what is coming, they will switch off. You have become boring because they are ahead of you. Surprise the listener. Don’t just speak on subjects from the usual angle. Be a 3-Dimensional speaker! We all know about the story of Larry Walters who attached balloons to his deck chair and floated to 11000 ft. But why not speak about Larry Walters from the view of his best mate, his wife or even one of the balloons attached to the chair. Thinking out of the box is essential to good communication.

5. Tell story (Imagination)
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931) ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge... ‘ Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
Who doesn’t like a good story? Every child wants one at night, every adult wants to read a good one or watch a good one unfold on DVD or at the cinema. A good story telling ability is crucial. Jesus Christ was one of the greatest communicators of all time. He influenced a worldwide revolution in thinking, attitude and behaviour and yet he communicated through parables (stories).
The best way to learn story telling is to tell children stories. They will be honest enough to let you know if you are great, average or boring. If you can hold a child glued to a story, then you will find that captivating the attention of an adult is even easier!

6. Practice
Practice is the best of all instructors.
Publilius Syrus (~100 BC) Habit, my friend, is practice long pursued, that at last becomes man himself. Evenus
Stand in front of the mirror. Practice your address to an imaginary audience. Imagine their response; pause for laughter, learn the content. Every great communicator practiced for a long time before you got to hear them.

7. Process
The process by which you think through your address is essential for clear delivery of your message. One of the clearest ways of processing your address is to think POINT, ILLUSTRATION, APPLICATION. In each part of your delivery, make a simple point, illustrate it through story and then apply it to your listener. Whether you are making ten points or two – State the point, tell the story & apply it to your listener. It is simple, effective & fun. (Remember the broker area!!)

It's a Culture Thing

It’s a culture thing!
Outside of God, one of the most powerful forces at work in society today is ‘Culture!’ Culture is best defined as a ‘Way of life!’ One of the most observable phenomenon within youth culture can be witnessed on a Friday night on the streets of our towns and cities. Young people spend money with the aim of enjoyment through the vehicle of excessive alcohol consumption. High profile media personalities in TV & radio, revel in the anticipation of going out ‘this weekend’ to get ‘bladdered’ & spend valuable air time letting everyone know how much fun it was to be out of control due to ‘too much drink’. The headaches & ‘memory loss’ which follow such a weekend are lightly touched on because ‘much fun was had’!

Who is asking the questions?
Culture is powerful because no-one questions culture. It is a way of life that is adopted by all because those before them had adopted such a way of life. If I was to appear on a prime time TV slot & announce that the new sport was ‘banging your head on the wall until you are physically sick & have a terrible headache’, most people would look & me & question my sanity. In truth, the practice of spending all your money with a view to ‘not remembering where you have been, what you have done OR who you were with, (not forgetting the accompanying headache) has to be highly questionable. It is however acceptable & well received in society.

Imagine a different norm!
Imagine we turn that culture around & create a society & world view that says, ‘to live passionate lives for Jesus is the acceptable norm.’ Imagine a church & youth group where – ‘to not be passionate about Jesus & His Kingdom is misplaced & uncommon’. Imagine a world where the education system embraces Biblical values again & a nation where politicians value God’s thoughts on issues.
Is it possible to create such a society? Isn’t that why we do what we do in our churches, departments & lives.
We should be about creating a culture of – positive, passionate, optimistic, risk taking, enthusiastic young people who are ‘not ashamed of the gospel’. It is about creating a way of life that is so strong that, young people who choose to do life with Jesus are celebrated and envied, and those who do life without Jesus have ‘their’ sanity questioned.

75000
Leading psychologists have announced that 75 000 young people living for a cause can have a positive influence on that culture. Imagine 75000 young people under one banner, living sold out lives for Jesus – anything could happen.


Count on it!
When King Nebuchadnezzar took the princes of Judah hostage, he hadn’t counted on Daniel! Daniel brought his culture with him into the new land in which he was now living. When the King challenged Daniels’ ‘God-honouring’ way of life, Daniel refused to tow the line & made a stand for what he believed. Daniel’s devotion to God through his ‘way of life’ paved the way for creating a new culture in Babylon. The nation hasn’t counted on Youth Alive & the dynamic culture that is being created in thousands of young people. Can we influence the nation for the better? That’s why we are here – we believe it!

That'll do!

Do you remember getting school projects? Most of the time they were pretty boring!! At other times they were downright uncool!!!
Take the time in Primary School when I was asked to do some knitting for my project!! ME? Knitting? You must be joking! I was into football, cricket, rugby, playing army men, and blowing up dogs; knitting was strictly for the girls. I also remember once doing a cross-stitch for a school project – how embarrassing.
There were, however, other times when I actually did projects I enjoyed, like building a model of the solar system or making a chair in woodwork class.
Sometimes I would start a project with loads of enthusiasm, then after realising it wasn’t going to be as quick as I had originally thought, I would start to take short-cuts and end up making the famous old statement, “that’ll do!”
Mal Fletcher writes in his book ‘Get Real’, ‘Have you ever seen a dog climbing Mount Everest for the kicks? How about a fun-crazy cat parachuting from a plane at twenty thousand feet? OR a horse bungee jumping? How about a very fit chicken running for Olympic glory? No?’
‘Few people have, and there’s very good reason for this: only human beings are built for heroism. Oh sure, Lassie is one notable exception, but by and large we Homosapiens have cornered the market on adventurism. Every one of us wants to achieve something memorable and significant.’
It’s true, only humans have the inbuilt ability to be heroes. But heroism doesn’t come cheap or easy. To be a hero, you have to put everything into what you do to be the best you can be.

Imagine what the Bible would be like if the ‘that’ll do’ attitude was all through it. In fact, let’s imagine we’ve written a translation of the Bible called "The That’ll Do International Version!”
Imagine what the Bible would be like if God had said, “That’ll do” when He was creating the world. Every animal would have looked like a brown horse! I mean, horses are alright, but imagine trying to put a horse in a hamster cage - and how would you eat omelettes??? Eggs come from a chickens butt (nearly!?!) – I am telling you, I ain’t eating anything from a horses butt! The Bible would read something like;
In the beginning God made the heavens and the horse! Now the earth was formless and void, but God created the horse and said, “That’ll do!” Now the horse was more crafty than any other horse. The horse whispered to Eve, “Eat the apple, and while you’re at it, give me some too, I am famished!” or we would read about Jesus being the Horse of God!
Noah could have said “That’ll do” and immediately regretted building…’a canoe’ after it had been raining for a few days! It would read something like…..So Noah thought, “Blow that for a pot of honey! I am gonna built a canoe. I’ll put my wife and horse in it, but my sons are pretty good swimmers – they should be fine!”
Nehemiah could have said; “That’ll do!” and only built half of the walls around Jerusalem! It would read something like…“Ouch!!! I’m tired of hitting my thumb with the hammer!!! Hey fellas, forget it! Let’s play football instead, and when the enemies come, we’ll challenge them to a game instead of defending the city!”
David could have said, “That’ll do!” and ran off when he saw that Goliath was bigger than a brick toilet. It would read something like…“Holy cow, I didn’t think he was that big! Hey Saul, why didn’t you tell me he was that big! How can he be so big? I have never seen anyone so big! I’m outta here!”
Daniel could have said, “That’ll do!” when he was in the lions’ den, and then let the lions eat him! (If you want to know what lions look like when they are eating, go to a youth camp sometime. Dinnertime is like feeding time in the lion pit, although – the lions probably have more etiquette! (If you don’t know what etiquette means, you have proven my point!!!)) It would read something like…..“Hey fellas, if you’re gonna eat me, that’s cool, but can we get this over with quick?”
Hosea could have said, “That’ll do!” and let his wife be a prostitute for the rest of her life. (That got your attention didn’t it? AND NO, I am not telling you where you can read about that one!! and no I ain’t gonna translate it either!)
The four friends who carried the paralytic to Jesus could have said, “That’ll do!” when they saw that the room was crowded, but they didn’t. They started a demolition firm instead! It would read something like…….“Hey Mack, we had a go, sorry to get your hopes up, but look on the bright side; there’s a great kebab shop around the corner. Let’s get one – extra hot!”

Jairus could have said, “That’ll do!” when he saw that his daughter had died, but instead he went in search of Jesus. It would read something like…….“Oh well, such is life!”

Peter could have said, “That’ll do” and never have been the first man to water ski – barefoot!! It would read something like;
“Me? Walk out there? You’re joking aren’t you? I can’t even walk straight on land, let alone out there, on the water, in a storm!”

Jesus could have said, “That’ll do!” when he was in the garden of Gethsemane, but instead went all the way and died on a cross for you and me. Without that one act, life would be an absolute tragedy!!
It would read something like…..
“Me and pain don’t do too well together. I am not used to it where I am from. So Peter, you can die instead of me. Ok? Any questions?…….”

Paul could have said, “That’ll do!” when the jailers were beating the stuffing out of him. He could have said, “I can’t be bothered with this Jesus stuff!” and not written half of the New Testament. It would read something like……
“Fair crack of the whip fellas, I am trying to write the Bible here, give me a moment! What was that? If I stop writing, you’ll give me a time-share apartment in Crete? Deal! Thanks boys – I’m outta here!”
God could have said, “That’ll do!” when it came to Him helping you. It could have read…..“You are all a bunch of losers, save yourself!!”
But instead He:
“Devises ways so you can be in a relationship with Him” (2 Samuel 14:14) “Reaches down from heaven, to pick you up and make you great” (Psalm 18)
“Died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
And there are 1000’s more verses like it!
And what about history? If people had said, “That’ll do” in history, we wouldn’t have: Peanut butter, The light-bulb, The internet, Racial equality, The Simpsons, Football, Cars, McDonalds, Playstations, TV, The chair you’re sitting in, The clothes you’re wearing, In fact, pretty much everything we see!!
So then; why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, do we say, “That’ll do!” so much in life? Maybe the devil has something to do with it. If I was the devil, I would always be whispering to you, “That’ll do”, so that you always settle for average, instead of realising the power and creativity of God within you to do amazing things!!
Imagine what your life would become if you aimed to do your best in everything and decided never to think or say, “That’ll do!”……………..Life would be awesome! You would be able to achieve absolutely everything God has ordained for your life.


Extract taken from my book – “If I was the Devil” – 2004, Sovereign World Publishing. www.liveaudacious.com

What will change Africa?

The LIVE 8 experience was a phenomenon a few years ago. Estimates of up to three billion people watched the concerts on TV whilst a staggering 2.5 million were privileged to be at the concerts themselves. Whilst this has been a major success in creating awareness for poverty throughout Africa, what will it really take to change the future course of a nation?
Awareness raised and money given is a great feat! The parable of the Good Samaritan as told by Jesus highlights the importance of doing something ‘IN THE NOW!’ The Good Samaritan stopped alongside the man who had been attacked; he placed him on his donkey & took him to an inn where the injured man was cared for until he recovered. The LIVE 8 experience was just that! It is man doing everything he can do in the NOW to affect the course of a nation. It is a commendable & honourable in every way!
The real change to African nations however, will not merely come by, raising awareness to poverty, cancelling debt and handing out free condoms to combat the AID’s pandemic. Real change can only come through a change of heart!
In Proverbs 4:23 it says, ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life!’ The heart effectively determines the issues (or more accurately) the boundaries of life. We do according to what our heart dictates. It is a sad fact that many people who win the lottery in our nation, end up bankrupt! The reason is because they have shrunk their wealth according to the boundaries that their hearts have set in place. African nations can have debt cancelled & receive great amounts of monetary aid from the wealthier nations (and they should do), but the real issue is the heart of those who lead a country.
Only God can bring life long heart change. Scenes of poverty & deprivation move us ‘IN THE NOW’ – but God can change hearts and give us passionate causes to live for on into eternity.
They greatest thing we can do for Africa & all the nations of the world, is pray that God changes hearts! 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, ‘…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land!...’ In Psalm 51, David prayed, ‘Create in me a clean heart God & renew a right spirit within me.’ David prayed that prayer, because he knew that a changed heart means a changed life! A changed heart means a changed nation!
We should PRAY for changed hearts in those who lead the African nations!

Stay Focussed

In his book “In the Eye of the Storm”, Max Lucado tells a story of two paddleboats: They left Memphis at about the same time, travelling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they travelled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the “snail's pace” of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South. One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fuelled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.
In some ways, your life is like that of the paddleboat. God has entrusted “cargo” to you, too. The cargo includes your spouse, your children, friends, calling & purpose. Your job is to do your part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination (find their fulfilment). Often, in the course of the race (life) we can fall into the trap of sacrificing the “God-given cargo” in an attempt to achieve the “number one slot” or a certain status amongst peers & society. As captain of the ship, God requires you to ensure that the cargo reached its destination safely.
Luciano Pavarotti recalls something from his formative years. “When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song. He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, 'Shall I be a teacher or a singer?' "'Luciano,' my father replied, 'if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.' "I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it's laying bricks, writing a book--whatever we choose--we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that's the key. Choose one chair."
Pavarotti’s sentiment is nice, but life encompasses many different areas. To focus merely on one aspect of your life, is to completely neglect every other area. The Paddleboat Captain won the race but neglected his purpose for having the boat in the first place. God has placed in each of us the creative, entrepreneurial, “impossible” ability to focus on a plurality of areas in life whilst maintaining a single focus also.
The single focus for your life has to come down to one thing……….God! In Genesis 1:1, it says; “In the beginning God…..!” In Rev 22:21, the last verse of the Bible, it says; “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ…..!” Life begins with God & finishes with God. In fact in Acts 17:28 it says, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being...” The simple truth is that – “God is the Alpha & Omega – we are just somewhere in the middle!” The single focus for your life has to be God.
But God never asks us to live as hermits, alone – so we can contemplate the deeper meanings of His intergalactic names. He puts us on the planet, with passion, purpose & people & in that, we need to be people who stay focussed to a plurality (multi-task) of causes. How do you stay focussed on many things, wear different hats (ie fulfil different roles) & still enjoy life? The answer is found in a child’s toy!
When I was a child, I had a spinning top similar to the one featured. Not an amazing toy really, only that when you spun it, it just continued to rotate until it lost its momentum & stopped. As a child I never thought about the science of the “spinning top” & even now the science doesn’t really get me going. But the effect of the top spinning, causes there to be an amazing transformation on its fascia. The colours of the top featured are – Red, Black & green. Three distinguishable colours apart from when the top is spinning. When the top spins, the colours merge into one
Sometimes in our desire to focus on the destination (ie Paddleboats), we lose sight of the actual task that God has given us. We are not just called to make an impact in the world & nation, but also have an impact on the people we do life with, ie spouse, children, friends etc. To be focussed on just one task in the long term is to have a spinning top that is standing still. We can see each individual colour & it looks great – but the spinning top is designed to SPIN! You are designed to focus on a plurality of causes. To focus on just one aspect of life is to neglect another & is akin to burning your cargo in order to win a race.
Some prioritise their life in terms of God first, family next & finally ministry or the job third. God never intended for us to have a clear-cut priority list. To be so clear cut is to have a “non – spinning” spinning top. To be so focussed on prayer that you neglect your kids is not God pleasing NOR is to be so focussed on your family that you forget church involvement.
As the top spins, the colours merge! Life is about the merging & blending of colours. You begin to realise that there are “Seasons” when you should concentrate on prayer, but likewise seasons to concentrate on your family, & seasons to concentrate on prayer & seasons to concentrate on family & seasons to concentrate on prayer. The moment one is done to the neglect of another is the time when the spinning top is beginning to slow down & you need to re-arrange your focus again for another season.
The challenge is simple – “Don’t be so focussed on one thing that you forget to focus on life & ALL that entails!”
In a Berlin art gallery there is a painting by German painter Adolf Menzel (1815-1905). It is unique in that it is only partially finished. He had intended to show Fredrick the Great speaking with some of his generals. Menzel painted the generals and the background, but left the king out until last. He put the outline of Fredrick in charcoal, but died prior to finishing. There are many things to focus on in life but one thing is sure, many Christians come to end of life without ever having put Christ into his proper place! Whatever you do – put Jesus centre stage & let life flow from that!

You're not a legend, you're a spaceship!

A few years ago when I was in South Africa, my son Jaedon was approached by a friend who asked him a very interesting question. (Jaedon was two and a half at the time and he had been wearing a tracksuit top with the word ‘LEGEND’ on the back.) My friend said, ‘Jaedon, are you a legend?’ Jaedon thought about it for a while and then replied, ‘No, I’m a spaceship!’ We laughed, but it got me thinking…………….

Jaedon was wearing clothes that labelled him, in this case, as a ‘legend’. My friend confirmed what the clothing said, and asked Jaedon if it was indeed true that he was a legend.
In life, so many things label you. Your clothes label you as something; people label you as something else (through their words and actions towards you). In that one small profound moment, Jaedon decided that he wasn’t going to be what his clothes said he was and he certainly wasn’t going to be labelled or defined by what someone called him. He wasn’t having any of it. He wasn’t a legend, he was a SPACESHIP!

When I was in school, I was bullied for several years. I began to think and act like a victim. It became a habit to me. I was used to thinking like a victim. I was used to behaving like a victim. But God helped me to see that I was NOT THAT man! I was able to throw off a label (bullied) that had contained me for a long time, and I was able to live a different life.

In the Bible, Jesus helps us to see that we need not be labelled or defined by things that have contained us! Maybe you have been labelled by your past, the future, your emotional or mental state, regrets, fears or failures. Jesus says, ‘I have come that (you) may have life, and have it to the full.’

The story of Jesus is all about how He came to prove that only He could give FULL, MAXIMUM, ABUNDANT life.’ He proved it by doing miracles (impossible feats that only God cold perform).

There are over 30 distinct miracles that Jesus accomplished; one of the most famous is that he healed a man with leprosy. That man had been known as ‘The man with leprosy’ for a long time. He was defined by his leprosy, yet in a moment Jesus took away the very thing that labelled him. He was no longer ‘The man with leprosy.’ He was now to be known as………………. ‘The man’.
Similarly, when Jesus raise ‘the dead girl’ to life. She changed her label and now became, ‘the girl.’

We read about ‘The deaf and mute man,’ who became ‘the man’. Also ‘The paralysed man’ who became ‘the man.’ Don’t forget ‘The boy with the evil spirit’ who became ‘the boy’ or ‘the crippled woman’ became ‘the woman.’

For each of these people, Jesus took off their label. He changed the thing that contained them and helped them to really live life that way it was meant to be lived.

The great miracle of Jesus for you is that you no longer need to live your life defined and labelled. You are no longer dysfunctional, fat, a loser, forgotten, rich, poor, smart, stupid, black, white, the son of your father or daughter of your mother, a widow, alone. You are no longer just the result of life’s circumstance. You are now - The man, the woman, the kid, the boy, the girl.

When Jesus says, ‘I’ve come to give you life to the full’, it means that you are no longer defined by what’s happened, but rather ‘whose’ you are!

The Bible says in John 1:12, ‘To all who receive Him, to those who believe in Him, He gave the right to become the children of God!’ Who are you? If you say yes to God, you become a child of God and that means that God gives you the power to become the person He destined you to be. Instead of life defining you, you are now able to bring definition to life.

You are not a legend, you are a spaceship!

Leaders create atmosphere

Recently we took Reggie Dabbs on a schools tour of the UK. Reggie spoke to over 1000 students throughout one of the days. One noticeable factor was the lack of enthusiasm and energy on behalf of the staff. I have been in a lot of schools over the years, but I have never seen such a depressed group of people who ironically have been empowered and employed to energise, mobilise and empower teenagers to fulfill their dreams. The irony of the situation is compounded by the fact that the school has major challenges with regard to discipline etc.
PERHAPS the problem is not the students, but the those who are there to teach them. The staff room was depressing, lacking enthusiasm, fun and a general sense of LIFE and WELL BEING.
Leaders are responsible for creating atmosphere. Perhaps if the teaching staff choose to enjoy, rather than endure and love rather than lack...maybe the school will do lot better.
Atmosphere is determined by:
1. CHOICE - someone said, "people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be"
2. DETERMINATION - persistence is the key to creating anything - ask Thomas Edison
3. INTENTION - be clear - what do you want to achieve?
Leaders create atmosphere. If you don't, someone else will! The fact is: If you don't create atmosphere...then you are NOT the leader!

On a different note, we walked out of a movie later that day. After 8 minutes, it became clear that the rated 15 movie, should in fact have had an 18 rating. I spoke to the manger of the cinema who refused to refund the tickets (the money goes straight to the movie people) but I asked for a refund on food and drinks to which he graciously complied. He stated that movies that previously had a 18 rating are now classified as 15 - and previous 15 ratings are now 12a. I don't even want to think what a rated 18 movie is!
I am going to write to the licensing board for movies. WHY? because I want to! And because I want my kids to grow up in a world that is better for having had me in it.

Bristol, Jason and Cost

One of the highlights of life in the ministry is lifelong friendship that you get to make - like Jason & Kim. I first met Jason 5 years ago at a conference in Vanderbiljt Park in South Africa. We were both speaking at it, and continued to do so over the next three years. Jason was the youth Pastor and Edge church in Adelaide, and was the person who asked Jaedon if he was a legend (See an earlier blog about spaceships and legends.)
Several years ago I jokingly said to Jason that it was nice that he was living in Australia, but that if he lived in England, he could truly change the world! It was a vain attempt on my part to coax him over to the promise land.
Two years, I was in Sydney airport, and Jason phoned me. His first words were ... "Guess what?" So i did. I said "...you are moving to England..." I was half joking, but he said that he was and that he was looking forward to moving to Bristol to the new church plant from Edge church.
Jason and Kim are now the Pastors of Edge Church Bristol - here to change a nation.
Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything. In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus tells us that we need to be prepared to give up, family, friends, culture and comfort in order to be a true disciple of his. Good on ya Jase, Kim and the kids...you are modern day heroes! Believing in a fantastic future for you in Bristol and beyond

Positional Faith

“ Positional Faith!”
Take a moment to read 2 Kings 2:1-18
In v1 it says, "When the Lord was about to…" We have to understand that God is always about to do something. All he needs are the people who will say; “God here I am use me!”
In 1993, I lived in Sydney. My best mate & I decided to go into the city centre, to hear the announcement of who had won the right to host the 2000 Olympics. As the day of the announcement drew near, we were tired, & decided to watch it on t.v instead of going to the centre. As it was announced that Sydney had won the right to host the games, the whole city centre began to party, Fireworks, bands & free barbecues. It was an amazing party!! My friend looked at me & said; “Mate – we missed it!” We had the chance to be a part of something incredible, but chose instead to be comfortable in the lounge room.
Hey, God wants to do something radical with your life & you need to make a decision not to miss it. Jesus said in John 10 : 10 that He came to give life & life to the full. Too many people settle for life, when in actual fact God wants them to have life to the full! In others words, your life becomes the party that my friend & I missed out on.
Positional faith is all about making sure we are the right people, in the right place at the right time, so that we don’t say; “We missed the party!”
There are six questions from 2 Kings 2:1-18 we need to ask ourselves if we want to position ourselves right.

1. WHO ARE YOU WITH? "
v1 says; …”Elijah & Elisha…"
When I was a student, we used to have study triplets! Three of us would get together to study for the exams, but we would study different parts of the subject each. Then we would teach each other the stuff we had learnt so that together we had studied the whole subject. If one of my study partners hadn’t done his job well, it would affect the way I wrote the answers in the exam.
It is exactly the same in life. Choose friends who will help you, and encourage you, as you pursue God & your career! If you want to be a world changer, hang out with those who are! Who are you with? & how can they help you be all you can be? It’s a good question!

2. “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”
V1 says they were"…on their way..."
It was easy for God to use Elisha because he was already on his way pursuing destiny & purpose!
My friend Alan had a very cool car when I was 18 years old. It had electric everything! One day, as he was pulling into a petrol station, he saw some of the girls from the college class hanging around outside the shop. So being very cool, as he turned into the service station, he turned off his engine so he could glide into the forecourt to get some petrol. He didn’t realise, that when he turned off the engine, the power steering cut out too! Instead of coasting up next to the petrol pump, he ran into the pump, knocked it over, and looked very dumb as the girls pointed and laughed at him!
He couldn’t steer the car because the engine wasn’t on! It’s the same with God & us; it is very difficult for God to direct us if we are doing nothing! Our spirit is like the engine to the car. We need to make sure it’s running by; praying, reading the bible & serving in the church. When we do that, God sees & is easily able to direct us & position us so that we don’t miss what he is going to do!
Incidentally, choose friends who are going in the same direction as you. Choose friends who love God, & choose a boy friend or girlfriend who loves God also! Where are you going?

3. WHAT OBSTACLES DO YOU FACE In v 2,4,6 Elijah says to Elisha "…stay here…". Elisha was busy pursuing God’s plan for his life, BUT he was continually being told to stop. They were huge obstacles for him. The man he respected the most, was telling him to stop!” What Obstacles do you face? The truth is this, if your life is going to be significant for God, you will face obstacles!
Obstacles come in all shapes & sizes. Maybe your parents fight, are divorced, maybe its not being understood, or maybe its not being able to understand. Whatever it is, you need to dig down dip, & keep going, because you can beat any obstacle! Don’t ever say the obstacle is too big. It never is!
Why are there obstacles? Because you becoming a person significance & God is lining you up to be in the centre of his party when it kicks off!

4. “WHAT'S YOUR PASSION?”
In V2,4,6, Elisha shows his passion by saying "I will not leave you…"
The bible says in Proverbs 23:7 " As a man thinks - so he is". In otherwords; Your life will lead you toward your most dominant thought!
Proverbs also says in 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, because out of it will come the issues of life." The words “issues” literally means borders or boundaries!
If you are really passionate about something, and continually talk to God about it, and always do your utmost to live for God, then the boundaries of your life will be massive. So when you face obstacles you don’t stop at the obstacle and say- “It’s too big”, Instead you say; "The borders of my heart are massive , this obstacle can't contain me, I’ll just walk around it.
Be passionate about two things; God, & his plans for your life, & you will be a significant person, smack bang in the middle of the party

5. “WHAT'S YOUR REQUEST?”
In V9, Elisha replies "let me inherit double portion.." Elisha's request was Audacious - God loves that!
Its ok to ask big things from God! In Ephesians 3:20 it says “Now to him (God) who is able to do more than you can ask or imagine…” So then, what do you imagine your life could become? What do you imagine God could do in your life? He says; “I can do more!”
In the New Testament, there was a woman who had been bleeding for many years. When she heard Jesus was in town, she pushed through the crowd & touched Jesus. Jesus said; “Who touched me?” The disciples said; “There’s loads of people pushing in to touch you!” But Jesus said “No there was one person in the crowd who REALLY touched me!” What happened? Loads of people were asking Jesus things, loads of people were there, but only one woman made a request of significance.
Make your requests, significant requests of God! God says; “What can I do for you?” You need to say; “God, I don’t want to miss out, I want to be there where the party starts, when you bring revival to my city / school / friends. In fact God, let me help you to do it!”

6. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?
In V 14, Elisha has come back to the place where the water had parted, but the problem now is that Elijah was no longer there to do the miracle. People are watching Elisha now, & he comes out with the classic line"…Where now is God Elijah"
In the same way people were watching Elisha, your friends, school & family are watching you. When was the last time you were in a place where you needed God to come through for you or you were sunk?
Hey, following God is an adventure, because sometimes you feel the prompting of God to do something ridiculous, even bizarre. But when you act after hearing God to tell you to do so, amazing things happen – the bible calls them miracles! The God of Elijah and Elisha is your God! If he can do amazing things through them, he can through you.

Lets not be a generation that misses what God wants to do, lets position ourselves right! How? Lets run through it again;
• Who are you with?
• Where are you going?
• What Obstacles do you face?
• What’s your passion?
• What’s your request?
• What are you gonna do?
It’s not a magic formula, but maybe it’ll help you be the right person, in the right place at the right time.
See you in the middle of the party,