Jan 1 2012

2012 New Year Resolutions

I have 10 important resolutions for 2012. They are as important for you as they are for me as they are about how I relate to people. Yet they are still very personal, so if I bore you with them, just switch off and amuse yourself somehow.

1. I will be a better husband, dad, and granddad. I will not be so quiet at home. I will not be so absorbed by my activities that I ignore anyone, especially when in their company.

2. I will not end up a part-time Christian by doing less than I can or should be doing. I will cheerfully do that which I am asked to do and I will happily do many more things without being asked. I will no longer assume that it’s not my job.

3. I will remember that I cannot do everything, and that it’s not my responsibility to do everything either. So I will make sure my "not to do" list is as big as my "to do list". Things that I want to be doing are not to be my priority unless they are God’s priority..

4. I will learn to consider my wife, and others, more than myself. I will no longer be as selfish as I have been in the past. I will try to die to self that I may live to Him. I will be a servant to all.

5. I will not obsess about people, about things around the house, and about money as God is in control and His promises are good enough for me.

6. I will do something adventurous, go somewhere different, with my wife every month.

7. I will have a hobby – probably photography – but I will not allow it to become obsessive. And it won't be a permanent competition either - I'm just far too competitive.

8. I will travel to experience other churches, leaders, thinkers. I will also enjoy ordinary people just as much or even more than the ‘famous’ ones.

9. I will not become cynical about miracles nor over familiar with God's presence. I will try to hear the Holy Spirit more often and more clearly. I will not assume His presence, nor His favour.

10. I will try to smile more but joke less. Flippancy is not good and is a cheap way of getting amusement – usually at someone else’s expense.

P.S. #11. I will probably fail occasionally and I ask your gentle reminder and forgiveness whenever it happens.

Where is the Church Militant

Church Militant

I was sitting at home having just enjoyed a post Christmas turkey snack when I felt a sudden urge to investigate church militancy in the face of current world events. I know it sounds an odd kind of thought yet that was what distilled itself from a ‘starter’ thought which was a simple “Why is the church not militant?” So I first went to that fount of all knowledge, Wikipedia, and looked up “Church Militant”. The result pleasantly surprised me.

“The Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans), comprising Christians on earth who are living; Christian militia, who struggle against sin, devil and "..the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12)”

That’s not a bad place to start actually. Ephesians 6 talks about the full armour of God. To me, this indicates battles and warfare and, well, militancy on our part. Indeed the chapter goes on to say, in the very next verse (v13), “Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

So why isn’t the church more militant? Most will protest that this particular chapter is the definitive scripture on spiritual warfare. You know - "..the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" and all that? We talk about prayer warfare, battling the forces of evil in the heavenlies with prayer. Yet we miss two points, I think.

Firstly, the armour of God is ALL forward facing. There is no room for retreat.

Secondly, we seem to miss the most obvious thing and that is battling the forces of evil wherever we meet them. That is usually on the streets not in the prayer room. When was the last time you heard or even preached a sermon about church militancy – especially in the faces of alternative religions and political correctness (aka worldly thinking)

Surely, it is time to take up the challenge and to wield the sword of the Word of God and fight for our faith? Surely we must not give any more ground to an un-relenting enemy who wants nothing more than to see us all defeated, silenced, and probably dead?

As the hour of Jesus coming for us approaches; as the promised ‘end-time revival’ begins – NOW is the time to take up our weapons against Satan. NOW is the time to spend extra minutes in prayer. NOW is also the time to take the Word of God into every part of our lives so that more and more and more people might be saved. "..the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" are not going to worry whether or not YOU are ready for battle –THEY want nothing more than to defeat you and destroy you. THEY are ready for battle NOW and we have to face them NOW.

We must take up the Church Militant role and take the battle to the enemy – that’s why the armour of God is forward facing – so we can go into battle without fear of retreating. That is why we can “put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

From Dave Howe

Pride says, Humility is.
By David Howe.

Pride says – I will – My will – I am – Look at me – Look what I have done.
Pride says – My way – I am better than you – Looking down on others.

Humility is – How can I help you – Looks after others – Keeps no record of wrongs.
Humility is – Loving others above yourself – Lays down its life – Is dead to self.

Pride says – I am over you – Above you – So good am I.
Pride says – Bigger and better than you – I must be right – Look at how much I have got - I am a winner and no time for those I consider losers.

Humility lets its yes be yes and it’s no be no - Knows is place in God – Trusts – Is child like faith – Believes what God says.

Pride says – Come to my church – My church is better than the others – Thinks it has all the truth – Look at my ministry – Worship me.
Pride says – I am in charge – Follow me – I am your leader – I am lord – I will control – Draws others to itself.

Humility is – Giving without reward – Without thinking about getting – Does not know what the other hand is doing – Preferring others – Loves all – Shares the Gospel.

Pride says – I have no time for little people – Go away – I don’t need you – I am rich and have much goods.

Humility is – Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – Hearing that still small voice – Being at peace times of trouble – Does not worry about tomorrow – Does not demand.

Pride says – I will ascend – I will be better than God – I will be above – I will be as the most high.
Pride says – Did God say – You will not die – You will be as gods.
Prides says – I will get even – I hate you – Kills all.

Humility hung on a cross – Died for our sins – Shed his blood – Conquered death and rose again – Forgives – Washes us whiter than snow – Sent us a comforter – Saves us from hell.

Pride gets easily angered – Hurts others – Runs away from the truth – Cuts others off – Lives alone – Burns with envy – Hates freedom – Builds empires – Brings death – Casts down into hell - Is anti Christ.

Humility says – Come unto me all who are heavy leaden and I will give you rest.

Humility is – God sending his son Jesus Christ.
Humility is – Walking among us by His Spirit – Comes to live in all who repent and believe on Jesus name – Fills you with his Holy Spirit.

Humility is Jesus Christ.

****

David Howe is a friend. He is on FB under his name and as Wellspring Prophetic Ministry

A UK Opportunity to

Rebuild My House

Once again, yesterday, the Lord brought me to Haggai 1:2-6a “This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little.”

What a message to the Western church today !! The Word of God says it all. If only we have ears to hear and eyes to see, fearlessly and unfailingly, God speaks to us through His precious Word.

What are we doing with the House of the Lord? Today the Western Church is standing on the cusp of a great revival. To my own personal knowledge, the signs are there in Germany, UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, and Belgium, that the Lord is beginning to move in mighty ways.

Following the lead given to us here in the UK by our Prime Minister and our Queen, the door has opened for the rest of us to preach the Gospel once again. Their courageous example has forced open a door which was closing fast under pressure from the politically correct among us. The Church now has an un-paralleled opportunity to take the Gospel out to the people of the UK and to start to rebuild God’s House once again.

The Church has suffered almost crippling damage recently and so has the cause of Jesus Christ. Partly political and partly self-inflicted damage, the courage of these two leaders – one our leading politician; the other our monarch and titular head of the Church of England and “defender of the faith” – has once again made a safe pathway for us to follow and win our land back from the enemy who has been slowly robbing us of our faith.

Once again we have the example and opportunity, maybe even the impetus, to present the Gospel to the ordinary man and woman on the streets of our land. Once again the Lord, through these two instruments of clay yet still of His Kingdom, the Lord has opened up an opportunity to rebuild His House. His Word even says that “'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty.” Haggai 2:9

I don’t know about the “these people” of Haggai 1:2, but this person says, “Surely, it is time to rebuild the House of the Lord and make it once more a place fit for His habitation.” And His Word promises that His glory will be there in greater measure than before – maybe then ever before.

Isn’t that something to aim for in 2012?

Haggai 2:1 & 6-9

The Promised Glory of the New House

“On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty.”

AMEN??

Is Jesus More or Less?

More or Less?

British/Greek evangelist J John once said, “God did not make himself bigger to impress us, rather he made himself smaller to attract us.”

You know, the more I think about that, the more it becomes a wonderful truth. As this Christmas season passes and we venture tentatively towards the next year, I began t think how we might apply that truth to our life in the coming year. Not a New Year resolution – that would be broken in a heartbeat. No, this is more a determination to go a little deeper in the Lord day by day by day for the rest of my life.

The way I look at it, bigger is scarier. Bigger is off-putting. Bigger brings more responsibility – and even more the bigger it gets. Smaller, on the other hand, is easier to handle. It’s easier to understand. Actually it really is somehow more attractive.

We admire those giant sportsmen like basketball, or American football, or rugby players and yet they are so big, so larger than life, that they become kind of scary don’t they? Smaller is much easier to get to grips with. You only have to think puppy, or kitten, or baby and most people are automatically attracted to them.

So it was with God at Christmas. He had no need to make Himself bigger. After all He was always pretty big to us anyway – He created the entire world and everything in it didn’t He? That’s impressive enough, so He really didn’t need to impress us by making Himself even bigger. To the un-initiated, God is so big He is terrifyingly big and scary, whereas a baby – well that’s attractive isn’t it?

So God made Himself smaller, a tiny new-born baby, just so He would attract us. Better still, as we have great empathy and sympathy with the under-dog, He arrived not in State with a fanfare of trumpets, but in an animal shelter because there was no room available anywhere in town. Oh sure, God arranged for some wonderful signs of His own – angels, His own star, wise men travelling miles just to see Him, but nevertheless, He was born miraculously and quietly, to a humble carpenter and his wife, in a stable, in the middle of winter – and 2000 years later we still celebrate that birth with great joy and thanksgiving.

How will I apply this truth to my walk with Him these coming days? I will simply praise Him for His birth, life, death, and resurrection, and all that it means for us. Then I will praise Him every single day of my life and give Him thanks for who He is – King of kings, certainly. Lord of lords, yes. But more than these, wonderful though they are, He is my Saviour and your Saviour too.