Finding The Formula

As followers of Jesus, maybe especially in the Western Church, we tend to be focused on finding formulas rather than finding the Father. In other words, we shy away from intimate relationship with our Father in heaven (because we are afraid of rejection or disappointment or of not being in control) in favour of cold and impersonal religious formulas. I call this vending machine Christianity (or works). If I do this, in the 'correct' way, then God will deliver thus and so. On healing, for example, our preference too often seems to be a 12 point 'how to' rather than opting to spend time with the Three-in-One learning the ways of heaven and building understanding and intimacy so that His Spirit flows through us to heal for His glory, not our own.

One Person's Integrity (or Honour) is another person's stronghold!

I can remember clearly the day the Lord spoke to me and told me I was a perfectionist. "Huh! That's the last thing I am!" I was adamant(!). After all, a perfectionist was someone who was a details person, who was tidy and organised and well, nit-picky, wasn't that so? Now I have many faults but being a details person, tidy, organised and the rest, isn't one or even three of them. No there must have been some mistake.

But God simply does NOT get things wrong. He communicated to me that a perfectionist is someone who has unreal expectations of themself and of others. I judged others because they didn't do things the way I thought they should be done - the way I would do them......oh no, God was telling me I was judgmental, picky, mean-minded......well, if the cap fits.

Once I realised the truth - by divine revelation - I changed. I didn't like being a person like that. I wanted and still want to be more like Jesus, not more like me! These days my conscience rings a little bell when I realise I have false expectations of others.

If we are to embrace a culture of honour (and yes, I believe it is implicit in the good news of Jesus) we have to learn to see others as Jesus sees them. The view from heaven is very different to the view across a room. People are valuable and beloved of God and we need to be treating them with the same value and acceptance as He demonstrates towards us.

Aah, this is another aspect of the freedom Jesus promised us - freedom from judging others because they don't match up to our false expectations.

Bethel Team Update - 22nd February 2010

I'm not alone in becoming focused on the arrival of the Bethel Church Team led by Trisha Wheeler from Redding, California. Sometimes God just links you with people in an extraordinary way and in the space of a short weekend, Dwee and I and the Bridge people who met her just kinda locked onto who Trisha is as a person. I am getting really excited at the prospect of this team impacting The Bridge and, hopefully, other churches and friends of Jesus here in Cheltenham. Although the Prophetic Art will be stimulating and stretching, I really want to hear more about Bethel's Culture of Honour [get yourself a copy of Danny Silk's book; Culture of Honor, it's very challenging and empowering] as I know it's a key issue for The Bridge and for the Church in the West.

Something's Stirring In The Air

IT's at times of significance that we ask the bigger questions. For us at The Bridge, Cheltenham, it feels like the renewing of the lease on our Church Rooms is a time for asking the bigger questions. Yesterday, I asked some of these bigger questions to members of The Bridge and it feels like something even bigger is stirring as a result. Maybe it's just me, but I feel something is stirring in the air, or more hopefully, in the Spirit.

The bigger questions are simple:

Are we using the money we pay for our Church Rooms well and wisely, or could we be doing something more in line with what God is calling us to with the same funds? This sort of a question, of course, raises a whole raft of other relevant questions, but the main benefit is simply pausing, assessing what we currently do and asking God if this is in line with what He is saying from heaven. And that is exciting.

We're fasting and praying on Wednesdays to hear and see more clearly. And we anticipate He will give us clear direction as we seek His face, His Presence. So a double benefit: we get to spend quality time focused on Him and He lets us in on His plans for us. Cool!