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What a great message we had on Sunday morning about Hearing the Voice of God. If you missed it I suggest you get the podcast and have a listen. Hearing God’s voice is so important and and we need to be hearing from God not just about our own lives but so we can be sure that we are doing what God has called us to do and not getting side tracked by something that is good, but not God’s best for us. We need to be tuned in to the voice of the Spirit and be listening for his guidance and his direction.

I have just finished reading the Gospel of John and there is so much in there especially in chapter 10 about hearing the voice of God and knowing the voice of God in our lives. The more time we spend getting a sure foundation in  the Word and tuning into the Spirit, then the better we will know God’s voice in our lives and be able to discern his voice as we go about his business.

Then from chapter 14, there is so much about God, his place for us in his Kingdom and the work of the Spirit in our lives. I encourage you to read chapter 15 as it says so much about staying connected to God and bearing fruit for his Kingdom through that connection. I personally love chapter 17 and the prayer that Jesus prays for his disciple and for all those who will believe. That includes us!!! Jesus prays that we will be in him as he is in us and as he is in the Father and the Father in him. That is really cool, that God wants us to be so much in unity with him and with others. There is a reason for this and that is that the world will know that God sent Jesus. Lets make an effort to draw near to God, to hear from God and to live in love with him and in unity with one another so that the world will know God and will know that he sent Jesus for them.

What an amazing week at Hillsong with inspiring speakers, great messages and awesome praise and worship. There is always a lot to think about and process after Hillsong but I love the way God speaks to us through so many different people and situations, especially when we have a heart that says “God, what do you want me to learn, what are you saying to me?”

During the praise and worship on the last night at Hillsong God really spoke to me from Luke 10:38-42, where Jesus visits Mary and Martha at their home in Bethany. I heard really clearly “Martha, Martha you are worried about many things”. Now I know my name isn’t Martha but the message was really clear. I ‘d had a lot of things on my mind, and was beginning to allow them to get in the way and to take up my thoughts and my time.

I guess we know the story that Martha was very busy with everything that needed to be done and Mary was sitting at Jesus feet drinking in what he said and seeming not to realise that Martha needed help. It’s so easy to get caught in the “busyness” of what needs to be done instead of really taking time out to spend quality time with Jesus sitting at his  feet. It really is so simple, I knew I had been reading, journalling and praying, but still, God was saying I needed to take more time out to just sit at his feet and listen to him. The thing about that is, that the more time we take to sit at Jesus feet, the better equipped we are to do the things in life that God has called us to do, and the better able we are to deal with the “busyness” of life.

I guess it’s a good reminder for us all to not let the busyness of life get in the way of sitting at the feet of Jesus and enjoying his presence and his peace in our lives.

What an awesome God we serve. I am always thankful that we serve an amazing God who is so much bigger than us in all of his ways. I love where Isaiah says that God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). It gives me hope that as we look to him we will be taken outside of ourselves and truly connect with what God really wants for our lives which is so much more than what we can even begin to imagine.

As  humans we are prone to the “I did it my way” syndrome. We want life to be exactly how we want it to be and we want to control what is in the world around us. Maybe this is because we have been out of control in some other area of our lives. (Think about it. If you are out of control in some areas you will try and make up for it by over control in other areas. Ask yourself the question: Why do I feel the need to control everything/everyone around me?)

When we live like this it is easy to want to live our lives as Christians the same way, trying to control God and what he is doing, but God asks something different of us. He asks us to look to him, to find our strength in him and to trust in him and to let him take control. This means letting go of the things that we want to do our way, to trust God and to find our strength in him.

David knew how to strengthen himself in God (1 Sam 30:6). He knew how to get before God, seek his face and his direction, not in a “poor me” attitude but with an attitude of expectation before God, of faith, trust and godly direction. This is certainly a good way for us to approach God, seeking his direction and his purpose.

Ron’s message this week on being empowered by the Holy Spirit, drawing on him in every situation, is so much a part of seeking God and looking to him for strength. We cannot do it alone. We need the power of the Holy Spirit active in our lives. So I encourage you to seek God, draw on the power of the Holy Spirit that is available to you and live a Spirit filled purposeful life.

It’s amazing that some try to live for God without His power. They really are to be commended for their determination and persistence but it’s not how God intended us to live. Jesus said to wait and be filled the power of God and His disciples did exactly that, birthing the Church in the power of God’s Spirit.

This Sunday we are focusing on being empowered by God for His purpose. There is so much available to us in a life lived with God’s Spirit: Worship; Prayer; Revelation; Miracles; Purity. Don’t rationalise or theorise your way out of God’s power but open your heart and receive all that God has to empower you for life.

Bring it on Lord!

I’ve been doing a lot of reading about leadership capacity and what the determining factors are. The most technical description attributes capacity to several forms of mental processing which I think has merit. Good leaders are able to hold multiple concepts in mind and forsee consequences for the group over a considerable time frame. The outworking, as I see it, is that we could all benefit from development of our thinking capacity through brainstorming, rersearch, systematic planning procedures, seeking advice, education and so on. Above all, seeking God for ongoing revelation of His thoughts toward us and our areas of responsibilty.
The limiting factor I didn’t expect from the literature was that of emotional dysfunction. It’s obvious, when you think about it, that my emotional hang ups will have a dampening effect across all areas of my life. This is particularly so when I’m trying to build teams and provide healthy leadership. No wonder Jesus said He came to set us free. Perhaps we should let Him! Don’t allow past hurts and the rotten actions of people to hold you in their grip. Get the help you need and be free.
My last thought for the moment on this area is that christian writters on leadership have long known that character is also a fundamental limiter of our leadership capacity. We may be able to fool most of the people most of the time but a faulty character will show up and when it does carnage will follow. Again let’s allow God to form us as He wills, connect with godly people and don’t evade accountability.
Blessings!

Life certainly throws in the ups and downs, the round-abouts and the rollercoasters. We’ve certainly had our fair share in our family this year, and I’m sure you can add your own list, but it’s great to know that we serve a God who is able, and has a great plan and purpose for our lives.  It’s also great to see God moving in amazing ways in the lives of so many people. People being healed, stepping up to new and challenging responsibilities or just making a stand for God. Seeing people work through issues and getting breakthroughs in their lives, and in their walk with God, is always encouraging and reminds me that we serve an awesome God who wants to see people fulfill their God given purpose and destiny.

In Revelation 1 we see an awesome picture of Jesus. He is depicted as powerful, awesome, with a double edged sword in his mouth and a voice that sounds like thundering water. I love this picture. It speaks of his majesty and might. This is the God we serve, awesome, powerful and majestic. In Revelation 2 and 3  Jesus has a word for the seven churches in Asia Minor (see Rev 2-3), churches he loves dearly.

Jesus cares about his church so much that he is not afraid to challenge it when things are not right. Each of the churches is commended for what they are doing right, and most of them are challenged to remove from them what is not right. He exhorts them to listen to what God is saying to the churches. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches” is an oft repeated phrase.

Each of these churches has something we can learn from. In Ephesus they needed to find their first love which had grown cold, in Laodicea they needed to stop being lukewarm in their faith, in other churches they were asked to get rid of those who taught contrary to the Word of God.

Do we have “ears to hear” what God is saying to us through his Word? Are we listening to His Spirit and learning to understand what God is saying to us?  Let’s not grow cold in our love for God, or be lukewarm. Let’s listen to what God is saying to us and do it. Let’s be people passionate about the Kingdom of God and be prepared to challenge ourselves, and those around us to stay in relationship with God, deal with the issues of life and the bad attitudes, and be free to follow God’s purpose. And lets’ encourage one another to grow in faith, and in love for God, as we do life together.

I have been reading in Zechariah and Ecclesiastes, two very different books. One, by a man who had experienced life both with God and away from God and found life away from God totally meaningless, and one by a prophet who is speaking to the Jewish people after the return of the exiles and during the rebuilding of the Temple. The truth however is the same. Life in relationship with God is always far better than life away from God. Life in relationship with God gives a purpose to our lives beyond the immediate.

What are you doing to develop your own personal relationship with God? As a Christian our relationship with God is important. We can only truly know what God wants and disciple others when our own walk with God is solid and on track. This does not mean we have to be perfect (we won’t always get it right), but it does mean that we have to be deliberate about our relationship with Him and continue to grow and develop in our own lives. In Zechariah, the people are encouraged to listen to what God has to say, to do what God wants. They Had a purpose, they were to finish building the Temple. One verse in chapter 8 stood right out to me. It is in amongst a section of promised blessings for Jerusalem and her people.

Zech 8:9 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building”.

The chapter goes on to talk about blessing for the people and gives them an exhortation to get on with rebuilding the Temple. The people had a task to do and they had not completed it. They had allowed other things to stop them and the Lord was saying, get on with job, do what you have been sent to do.  I think we can learn a lot from this. So often we start out all enthusiastic and then stuff gets in the way. We allow the things of this life to bog us down instead of getting on with the task at hand. Lets be people who get on with the task at hand, finishing what we start.

What has God called you to do? What tasks have been left unfinished?  Make a decision today to get on with the task that God has given you. We have an amazing and awesome God and we can be certain of his love and his blessing. We do not need to be afraid, so we can be strong. We can do what God is asking of us, knowing that he is with us every step of the way.

I love Romans 8. There is so much in this one chapter about the work of God’s Spirit in our lives and God’s love for us. The assurance that nothing in this life can separate us from God’s love is one of the best pieces of scripture to remember, especially when the going gets tough. But my favourite verses, (almost my entire favourite in the whole Bible) are Romans 8:10-11.

“And Christ lives within you, so even though you body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

These verses always speak to my heart and to my spirit about the great and amazing salvation that God offers, the life that he gives, and the power that is within us through his Spirit. We have been made right with God and given a place in his family, but more than that we have been given his Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. Get your head around that. It is quite amazing and sometimes seems hard to grasp that God would place his Spirit within us and that the same power available to Jesus is at work in us giving us eternal life and accomplishing God’s purpose.

I am reminded too of Ephesians 3:20

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think”

Whatever the situation, God is able. When it seems that no-one is responding to your efforts to reach out, when the people  in your life and sphere of influence  are struggling with life issues and you seem to have run out of ideas, then GOD IS ABLE. Let’s never forget that he knows exactly what we face and nothing is a surprise for him.

What breakthrough do you need in your life? What breakthroughs do the people in you sphere of influence need? What are you dreaming about and believing God for in your life? Then know that He is able to do even more than what you are asking, even the big things that you are dreaming for. He gives life to our bodies, he gives us his Spirit to work within us and he is MORE THAN ABLE to accomplish his purpose in our lives.

So, in case people were starting to think I’d backslidden because I haven’t been at church for so long, its ok, I’m just still in Japan. If you want to see some photos, check out my facebook. Everything’s going really well, and im still learning a lot – heaps of stuff for us to try and do! It’s Golden Week here (basically a week long public holiday!) which has been great, because it’s given me some time to think about what I’ve got from being here. I don’t want to spoil my messages when I get back, but one think I’ve been seeing a lot in JLH, and thinking about, is joy. How we are called to live in joy, regardless of circumstance, and how amazing life is with Jesus. Nehemiah 8:10 says “the joy of God is your strength” (MSG) It’s not our circumstance, but God’s joy inside of us.

Honestly, I’m in Tokyo! Probably the coolest city on the planet (at least that I’ve been to) and I’m here because I’m serving God with my life. Who knows where I’d be if I wasn’t, probably at work somewhere not going overseas, learning, growing, having heaps of fun. I was riding around where we live today on a friend’s bike (not a cool fixie – a sketchy fold up thing, but still fun) and it’s a beautiful day, and im in Japan! How good is God?!

I love David’s joy in Psalm 139 (MSG) “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! 
Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, 
you know every bone in my body; 
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; 
all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
The days of my life all prepared 
before I’d even lived one day. Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! 
God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them— 
any more than I could count the sand of the sea. 
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!”

So I guess my post today is just an encouragement. Don’t take for granted how amazing your life is! Even when circumstances don’t look good, you’ve got this incredible grace and favour from God, the creator of the universe loves you and calls you by name! that’s a huge thing, and something worth remembering everyday. It’ll change the way you look at what’s going on, and for me, help you to learn to have joy in every situation. Im not talking about being fake, there are times when we don’t feel happy. But I think joy is different to that, it’s something you choose to put deep inside of you, and is replenished by God.

Lewis, one of the guys here, made up a Japanese word last week, so I’m gonna steal it. ‘sugenki’. It’s a combination of sugoi (great, fantastic) and genki (happy, good – it’s like what you say when someone ask’s how you are going) So he was talking about being the most ‘sugenki’ people around, because of the joy we have inside of us. I don’t want to go into to much detail, because I think this is my explosion message when I get back. You’ll just have to come and listen for yourself

Much love to everyone,

Andrew

Hey everyone, thought i’d give you  all another Japan update. So, things are going great here, just got home from a weekend full of Church! Seriously, 5 services, life group and a leaders meeting. If i hear anyone at home complain about going to a meeting now… But they’re all really good, and even though it’s a big couple of days, it’s well worth it!

Ps Rod preached a great message tonight on great attitudes towards church. It was a really good message, and one that resonated with me strongly. He talked about how important church is, and how key it is in our lives, and how good having the right attitude towards church can be. He talked about four attitudes – I will love the church, I’ll be planted in the church, I’m gonna flourish in the church, and i wanna go to church. There simple points, but so true. If we can get a hold of how much of a blessing the church, and our church is, it can change our lives. How different would a sunday morning, or explosion look, if you came expecting God to move, that you’re going to plant yourself, giving and serving, that church that week is going to make you flourish and grow, and you come excited about what’s going to happen, compared to coming with a negative attitude. I know i’d prefer to come expecting God to do something, and have him touch my life each week, speak into my heart, than coming expecting to be bored, and leave with nothing. And it’s a simple choice to change our attitude!

I love our church, and i urge you to come each sunday, or each life group meeting, expecting great things, coming with an attitude of love. How much better will that make it?!

Anyway, Japan’s going awesome, and i’m getting lots of ideas. Starting the Yokohama service this friday, which is huge! It’s been great to see everyone so excited about it, and out in the community reaching and inviting people to come. Such a good time to be in Japan, and part of God’s Kingdom!

Andrew

As much as it’s great here, i miss my church, and love it heaps!