Better Together

God’s great desire is that we, as His followers, work together to advance His Kingdom. However we can often want to do things individually because that means we can do it ‘the way I want’ rather than in team. By ourselves God will certainly use us but imagine what He will be able to do if we truly band together and commit to reaching our cities and nations of the world together? Surely we can do significantly more for God together than apart. Solomon knew this and we can learn great truths from what He wrote in Ecclesiastes 4.

Greater Productivity

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour. Ecc 4:7

We might be able to achieve a significant amount by ourselves but there is something very special that occurs when we work together with the same vision. Instead of just double the results there is an exponential return. Working together helps us to achieve significantly more than if we were to try and do something for God alone. Even the great apostle built big teams to help fulfil the mission God had given to the church. Paul had a multi-racial, multIi-gender team comprised of people like Timothy, Silas, Luke, Titus, Pricilla and many more. All wanted to fulfil Jesus’ mission of making disciples of every nation and individually they might have made a slight dent but together they were able to turn the world upside down! #Betterprouctivitytogether

Greater Protection

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecc 4:10

Years ago I went on a safari. I remember seeing a whole lot of different animals standing together looking in different directions. Some were taller animals so could see further, some had a keener sense of smell, and others had better hearing. All these animals worked together using their different abilities to warn if there was potential danger from predators. We need other people around us that have different abilities and gifts to help protect people from the devil and other dangers that come our way. #Betterprotectiontogether

Greater Passion

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Ecc 4:11

If left alone I would certainly struggle to keep my passion and hunger for God burning strong. I am grateful for the people in my life who have greater passion and hunger for Jesus and His mission than I do. They help me keep my passion strong and likewise I am able to help boost their passion as well. If we try to do it alone and isolate ourselves then we can easily become lukewarm or even cold to the things of God. #Betterpassiontogether

Greater Power

Though one may be able to be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecc 4:12

There is great power in unity and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit Together. One person can be defeated much more easily than three. What if hundreds and thousands of people band together wholeheartedly to advance God’s Kingdom? What if people put aside their personal preferences to see us accomplish something significantly more together? Could we then truly see what is in Heaven represented on earth? #Betterpowertogether

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9, 10

#Bettertogether

Riptide

Hebrews 2:1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

While attending a leaders equipping Conference in Bali recently we were blessed to be able to get up early every morning to go for a swim at the stunning Kuta Beach. The water was warm and the beach was amazing. One thing, however, that we were warned to be aware of was the potential of rips. The beach is prone to rips and if you don’t pay careful attention then you could easily get caught and before you know it be taken out to sea.

In Hebrews we are encouraged to ‘pay the most careful attention’ that we don’t drift away from God and ‘float’ into places and situations that will cause us to be caught in a ‘spiritual riptide’.

1.       Pay most careful attention

Cruise control can be great when travelling long distances because you don’t need to keep your foot on the accelerator. However studies show that when people use cruise control their attention capacity is reduced and they do not respond in dangerous situations as well as drivers in ‘full control’.

Don’t go into ‘spiritual cruise control’ drifting into influences and teachings that will cause you to drift away from God. Make sure you are spending the majority of your time with people who are going to spur you on in your faith. Also monitor what you are allowing to influence your life whether it is media, music or people. If you fail to pay most careful attention then you might find yourself drifting away from God without even knowing it.

2.       Put yourself in a place to hear

Avoiding things that are detrimental to our walk with God is important but we also need to make sure that God and His Word has the loudest voice in our lives. Are you hearing from God and deliberately putting yourself in places to hear the voice of God and His Word? Make attending church regularly a priority, commit to going to a Life group or small group, meet with God in your own person devotion time and get to the church events and courses that are going to help your walk with God and to know His Word. You can’t act on what you do not know but ignorance is not a valid excuse either. Make sure God is and stays the top priority in your life.

3.       Action it

To ensure that we don’t just drift along and get caught in a ‘Spiritual Riptide’ we need to ensure that we act on what we hear. We can hear and know God’s Word but not live it out. Commit to taking what you hear and putting it into practice. ‘Drifting’ is passive and we should fight to ensure that we never get passive in our walk with God. James 1:22 says ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.’

If we pay most careful attention to what is influencing us, put ourselves in a place to hear God’s Word and deliberately action what we hear, then we will guard ourselves from drifting away from God.

Found Part One - The Lost Son

In the parable of the lost son we see three people directly involved in this story of a son (lost person) being restored and forgiven by his father (God) Read Luke 15:11-31. In this blog we will look at the younger son with the following two looking at the Father and older brother.

The parable starts off with the younger son asking for his share of his inheritance. This would have been particularly hard for the father as his son may as well have said ‘I wish you were dead’. The father would have been very wounded by this harsh demand but nonetheless he divided up the estate between his two sons.

The son immediately took the money and walked away from his father to pursue a sinful lifestyle only to squander his entire inheritance. After leaving his father, the son’s life went to ruin. While in this dark place he comes to his senses and returns to his father.  There were four significant changes that occur in his life that are of value to us today.  

1.       Recognise - Luke 15:17, 18 “When he came to his senses, he said... I will set out and go back to my father...

 Recognising sin in your life is critical to coming into a right relationship with God but also for Christians to walk in the fullness of what God has for them. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and bring us to a place of acknowledging the sin in our lives so we can deal with it.

2.       Repent - Luke 15:21 ...’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

We can recognise the sin areas in our lives and yet not do anything about it. God calls us to repent/turn away from everything the Bible calls sin and follow after Him. With His help you can overcome anything. The son did not go back to his father the same; he went back a changed, repentant man.

3.       Humility Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble...

The son went from a place of great pride and arrogance when he demanded his inheritance, to a place of heartfelt humility on his return. Humility is having a modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance. It puts other people before you and also elevates God.

4.       Run to God Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father

We need to be people who are humble enough to run to God when we blow it but also know that He wants us to come to Him! Sometimes we can be like Adam and Eve in the garden where we hide from God because we are ashamed of our sin.  As in the garden, God is looking for us and wants us to run to Him even when we mess up. This ‘found’ son did not want to live his life separate from his father and likewise God wants all His children to live their lives with Him too.

Trailblazing

The Pioneering Spirit can be encapsulated in the ministry that God gave Joshua. In Numbers 27:15-18 Moses was praying to God asking for someone to succeed him. This is what he asked

 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

In order to lead other people we need to be able to lead ourselves really well first. Joshua’s ministry can be described as a ‘leading out and bringing in’ ministry. Before the Israelites could go into the Promised Land they needed to first come out of the wilderness. Before Joshua could lead anyone else he needed to do it himself first. The same is for us today. We need to come out of some things so that God can take us into what He has for us. Then we will be able to lead other people as well.

1.       Go out

What is God calling you out of? What mindsets, spoken words, old wine skin, faith immobilisers, sin or relationships etc... is God asking you to leave behind so you can go into the promise He has for you? Take some time asking God what there is in your life that he wants you to leave behind and come out of. Write them out and ask God to help you to get rid of them in your life.

2.       Go in

What is God calling you to do? Perhaps you have had a dream or vision from God in the past and you have forgotten it. Spend some time soaking in God’s presence asking Him to reveal what His dream is for you or ask Him to rekindle His dream for you that may seemingly have died.

3.       Action

All of this requires action, an internal drive and determination to overcome. You can know what God is asking you to move away from and even where He wants you to go to, but without action nothing will happen. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says ‘For the Kingdom is not a matter of talk but power’. We can talk all we like but we need to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to move us into action.

List some practical things that you can do to leave behind the things God is asking you to and what you can do to go into your ‘Promised Land’.

Declaration Prayer – Pray this prayer out loud declaring it over your life.

I am called by God for a specific task that only I can complete. I am coming out of everything that hinders me from receiving God’s best for my life. I am committed, passionate and full of faith for what God is bringing me into. I have perseverance and endurance to remain committed no matter what happens. I am a pioneer and trailblazer for the Kingdom of God. I possess the power of God to move mountains and am more than a conqueror. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Unlocking the Salvation Code

The Apostle Paul was a master at reaching the lost and making disciples and would do whatever it took to bring anyone and everyone into a relationship with Jesus. I pray that we would catch his passion and desperation for lost people through this passage.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1.       A Slave to the Lost

‘...I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.’

What free man or woman would give up their freedom and rights to become a slave to someone? Not many, but that’s what Paul declares here. We might be comfortable saying that we would be a servant of others, but are we prepared to go as far as the Apostle Paul? The connotations of what it meant and means to be a slave is not a glorified position but a one of lost rights and other people dictating you life. Paul was more than prepared to give up all his rights to win every possible person for Jesus. This is very challenging thought. How far are we prepared to go for the sake of the gospel? God grace us to become ‘slaves to the lost’.

2.       Unlocking the Salvation Code to your own People Group

‘To the Jew I became like a Jew, to win the Jews’

Paul was a Jew and so had a burden to reach his own people group. This is always a great place for all of us to start when it comes to reaching out to people. Is our heart broken for our cultural group and land? One of the graces that Paul was able to walk in as he reached out to his fellow Jews was that he did not have to try to be a Jew, meaning that he did not have to work very hard to understand and relate because it all came very naturally.  You have a natural grace upon you to reach your own people because it is easier for you to understand them and you can have incredible insights into how to go about reaching them. Ask God for the best way to reach your own people and then go for it!

3.       Unlocking the Salvation Code to other Cultures

‘To those not having the law I became like one not having the law... so as to win those not having the law.’

As well as having a great burden to reach his own culture the Apostle Paul also had a heart and special anointing to reach other cultures. The people who were not Jews were commonly referred to as gentiles. Paul began his ministry reaching out to Jews but quickly found that God had called him and graced him to reach people that we very different from him. He was more effective with reaching gentiles than he was with Jews and so as time went on he devoted more time, effort and energy into reaching this group. The important thing to know is who is God calling you to? If you know who that is, then you can focus and with God’s help discover the specific ‘code’ to reach and unlock a culture, age group or nation.

4.       Divine creativity in reaching lost people

’...I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.’

The way you would reach youth will be very different to the way people would try to reach others in inland China, and this in turn would be different to how people would try and reach the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand. The point is that there is not only one way to reach all people, but many. Unlocking the salvation code for the many different people groups around us will require divine creativity. Pray and seek God to discover how to best reach the people you are trusting Him for and then share your ideas with your leaders. If it is possible and achievable then make it happen! Be released to do whatever it takes to save some!

Carpet Unity

A number of years ago I found myself going to a meeting at church that I was not looking forward to. There was enormous disunity and it broke my heart to see such division between people who had followed God strongly together.

I went there an hour early to pray for unity. As I was on my knees in desperation crying out to God to intervene The Holy Spirit spoke to me. He told me to open my eyes and asked me what I could see. A bit puzzled I opened them thinking I couldn’t really see anything at all. However I responded with the only thing I could actually see... carpet. God’s reply to that was ‘exactly, and that is what I am doing.’ God then gave me a vision of four people pulling on a sample piece of carpet that you would get from a carpet store. No matter how hard they pulled they could not pull it a part. God placed in my heart that day that He was building our church with that same kind of tight knit unity that it would be incredibly difficult to tear apart. That particular meeting still went on to be one of the worst and saddest meetings I have ever been to but despite that I still held onto the promise that God was forging something very special in the midst of chaotic disunity.

Years later I, along with my amazing Pastors and our phenomenal leadership team, stand upon a ‘carpet of unity’ by the absolute grace of God. It was fought for and to this day we continue to fight to preserve unity for the sake of the Kingdom.

We don’t want to take this unity for granted and so we seek to guard it and want to keep growing it. Philippians 2:1-8 gives us some great points on how to build unity and to also keep it.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1.       Same Mind

Having the same mind or being like-minded is having agreed opinions, the same goals and same mission. A critical part of this is everyone setting out to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). When we have the mind of Christ then we will be focussed on Kingdom things that are important to Jesus.

Being of one mind does not mean that we always agree on everything but it does mean that we agree on the important things like major doctrines, vision and mission that God has collectively called us to. When we have those things set in place the lesser things don’t divide us but strengthen. Diversity in unity can give a team such incredible strength as each person gives a different perspective with the heartfelt motivation to preserve unity in the process.

2.       Same Love

Loving the One who loves us is collectively our number one priority both individually and as a spiritual family. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was in Matthew 22:37 he replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” If everyone is focussed on loving God first with heart, soul and mind then that love binds us together.

When we love God like that we can’t help but also begin loving what is most important to Him: people. The second greatest commandment is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. God has such great love for people that He sent Jesus to restore us back to Him through the cross and resurrection. Keep loving God and loving people!

3.       Same Spirit

Because we have the same mind and same love we act and behave as one. Our Spirits become aligned and we walk together in tight spiritual unity. Like in a three legged race where we have to work together to win or even finish the race, so we need our Spirits to synchronise in order to walk together in unity.

4.       Others first

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. - Philippians 2:3, 4

In order to walk in unity it requires us to lay down our own desires and agendas. Not only does it requires us to lay them down but even put other people’s interest and preferences before ours because we value unity more than we do getting our own way.

It means to commit to building each other up, speaking graciously and highly of one another. When we speak harshly, disrespectfully or gossip about one another we erode away trust and unity. Guarding unity also requires a commitment to stop and challenge people speaking about one another like this, especially about leaders.

If we all choose to put Jesus and other people first we will preserve unity and honour God

5.       Christ-like humility

We must be humble. The opposite of humility is pride. Pride is the filling of yourself with yourself so that you get the glory. Humility is the emptying of yourself to be filled with God so that He gets the glory. It is a lowliness of mind and having the proper view of yourself rather than an inflated view. Humility is something we should constantly pray for, yet never thank God that we have.

Why is this all important for? Why should we fight for and walk in unity? The answer can be found in John 17:20-23

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The undeniable sign to a lost world that Jesus is the saviour of humanity and of God’s great love for them is that we as believers walk in complete unity. It is not healings or miracles but rather Jesus’ followers walking in unity that will convince people that Jesus is who He says He is. That should be all the motivation we need to fight for and preserve unity in God’s church!

100% Pure

1 Timothy 5:22  “...keep yourself pure”

The fight for purity in a world that pursues promiscuity is something every Christian needs to war for. We live in a sexualised culture and it is critical that we have a determination to keep ourselves pure before God. God created sex to be enjoyed in a loving, covenant, marriage relationship. Sexual activity outside of that is sin and has the potential to damage and hurt many people. So what can we do to keep ourselves pure before God?

Pure Devotion

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Pure devotion to God can’t be over emphasised in our success in walking in purity. Without this firmly established in a believer’s life then the task of overcoming sexual sin and all other sin for that matter becomes significantly more difficult. For people who struggle in this area the answer is not necessarily to try harder. Effort on our behalf is needed but many people who struggle with sexual temptation and sin are usually trying harder than other people who walk in purity. The answer is more of Jesus rather than more human effort. Build your relationship with Him by committing yourself to His Word and in prayer. Remember, if we had the ability to overcome sin by ourselves then Jesus would not have needed to come and live a sinless life and die on the cross for our sins. So draw closer to Jesus in pure devotion and ask for His help and grace to overcome and walk in purity. Jesus knows how to deal with and defeat sin and He wants to help you as well.

Purity Stance

Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

After establishing pure devotion we need to develop a purity stance based on what God says and not the world. If we don’t have a stance or standard that we are asking God to help us to achieve then we will fall at every temptation.  God’s standard is “not even a hint” which mean not even a whisper of sexual immorality. So when answering the question ‘How far can I go with someone I am not married to’ the answer is ‘not even a hint’. 1 Timothy 5:2 tells us to treat “older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” It is fair to say that most people would not go very far sexually with someone that they are closely related to and the only time that we are to consider someone other than a brother or a sister is in a marriage relationship.

 Personal Purifier

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

What we allow in our lives influences our thoughts and in turn directs our actions. If we blindly watch anything on television, listen to any music or expose ourselves to sexually explicit material then we are sowing things into our lives that, if left unchecked, cause destruction. Monitoring what you sow into your life is incredibly important. Get into a habit of critiquing the things you watch, listen to and meditate on. Do they help you follow after Jesus or do they encourage or promote sinning against Him? Sow seeds of purity so that when sexual temptation comes you are strong to defeat it.

Flee from Sexual immorality

1 Corinthians 6:18 - Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

RUN! Make a decision to flee when you find yourself in sexually immoral situations. If you know beforehand what you will do in situations it will become easier to get out of them. When Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph by his clothes and told him to come to bed with her he immediately ran! (Genesis 39:6-12) Don’t try and stay and reason, or try to convince yourself it’s not that bad. Flee and get out of whatever situation it is.