swerve

Back into it

2010-04-22T21:57:00.001+12:00

Man - it's been 3 years since my last post. How's that for consistency! Anyway, I feel the urge... back into it.

Hunger

2007-08-31T08:43:00.000+12:00

I hunger for REAL godly relationships - people that genuinely are in your life and genuinely care. Godly people that are committed to praying, encouraging and being there for each other in God. I'm hungering for Christ's community. REAL community. Is it a pipe dream? No way! I lived it for a year. I know it is more than possible, I believe it was God's intention. How it is done in an urban setting is the challenge.

I'm sick of the fake! Sick of pseudo 'community'! Sick of the word without the reality. Sick of the smiles, the insincere 'how are you's? The gathering of a people that seem more concerned about who's wearing what, who's going out with whom, who's hot and who's not. Sick of the theories, the watering down, the latest thing, the latest freakin' book! Sick of insincerity - within me first and foremost!

Noah Genocide

2006-10-05T09:37:00.000+13:00

It is hard to understand why God would wipe out the human race bar one family, if it’s not understood within the context of what was actually going on. Out of context - it looks as though God got really miffed one day with the human race and decided to push the big re-set button on us all – out of context it looks cold, brutal, an act of anger and hatred…

BUT in context – the fact is biblically God is patient, long suffering beyond comprehension. Time and time again as you know God warns the people sending Prophets that more often than not are killed – I’m talking years, sometimes hundred’s of years of warning - "if you don’t stop this madness then I will put a stop to it’. from what historians understand, the people in the time of Noah (which can be studied biblically and extra-biblically) were out of control (child sacrifice, incest was common practise, lawlessness etc) it would seem if they were not stopped, i.e. if God had not stopped them, it would have been the end of the human race – God had to step in and rescue the human race.

So within context, the flood was a rescue mission for the human race – we know how loving God is in our own lives bro, for God to move so severely it had to be at the point of no return. He has never done so again, the only other time it will in a sense happen again will be judgement day, and again… God has been warning of that one for 2 thousand years! In context – God loves us, he’s our Father and just like a father, he will act out of love and do whatever he knows is necessary to protect that child, whether the child understands the situation or not.

Freedom? Part 2

2006-04-27T12:12:00.000+12:00

There has to be some middle ground here. Yes Christianity is about the whole of life, based in day to day realtionships, yes we have to resist living all of our Christianity simply through organized programs, to re-engage again into the true relationships of life, BUT what I must also just as vehemently resist, is the embrace of the grey - individualism etc, or lose the big picture of the Kingdom of God and our individual/corporate call within that to build it, and to understand I/we will be held accountable for what I/we do with that.

So maybe the question or answer needs to be re-framed - it's maybe not "I don't want this organized package of Christian life - therefore I reject it", maybe it's "I embrace and understand the individual/corporate call to, in hand with God, build His kingdom, but do so 'intentionally' (more so) within the realtionships of life."

Therefore 'the call' and the understanding of it does not change - it's still the #1 goal 'Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..." Therefore the #1 goal still firmly in sight, the issues of greyness and compromise are put to bed , and the understanding that "His Righteousness" still stands. Our expression of Christ may be less formalized but purity, righteousness, holiness are still indicators of the dividing line.

And we must accept and embrace that there is and must be a dividing line. We are 'the called out one's', the 'ecclesia'. When the move from the organized corporate structure occurs, we can begin to believe that the dividing line is a hindrance to expressing Christ through relationship, we might begin to swallow the lie, the divide is in fact 'arrogance and exclusivism' - but it's not - it is biblical! We are 'called out' NOT better than anyone else, we are all sinners, saved by grace as Paul states, but we are saved by God and his grace and called out to be seperate from the world, not to be superior, but to define that there is a difference.

And how is that difference to be primarily expressed? In the attendance of church programs and meetings? No! In the daily living out of our lives in the pursuit of God and His love, purity, righteousness, holiness, goodness...

The expression changes, the ultimate goals do not.

Freedom?

2006-04-21T15:53:00.000+12:00

What's happening today? The message is - Christianity is about the 'whole of life' - it's about living life in its fullness, not about some Church program or ministry per se. Which i believe is true at a high level. The outcome of that thinking from my point of view has meant something of an exodus from the church program, official ministries and church attendance itself, in the pursuit of Christianity in 'real life'.

The pursuit is valid, but what i think seems to happen is 'real life' can begin to mean 'normal life' as in 'same as everyone else'. That believers would meet non-believers in the 'real life' interactions, not by some organized program. True again. But what also seems to be happening with the retreat away from the orthodox structure to 'real life' is maybe the loss of a sense of call individually and particularly corporately to take part in the corporate mission to the lost, to serve, to build the Kingdom and possibly an understanding of our individual and corporate accountability before God. 'Saved not for ourselves'.

The retreat to 'normal life' cn end up meaning 'becoming like everyone else'. their values, perspectives, priorities. Christianity can become about becoming a better person. Holiness becomes 'do your best, accept the rest'.

"Her priests do violence to my law and profane my Holy things; they do not distinguish between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." (Ezek 22:26,27)

To be continued...

New Role Coming Available - President of the Free World!

2006-03-02T15:00:00.000+13:00

Good hourly rate, free room and board, meals provided, overseas travel included, company plane and of course new additional perk to the role - recently commenced bike riding lessons…
Yep based on the paper today re the current state of Iraq, I think that job will be coming free pretty shortly.

Forward not Back

2006-02-24T12:05:00.000+13:00

Been thinking, it's easy to look at church for what it isn't but what about what Jesus actually intended it to be? What was his intention? What did he have in mind when he spoke of it? Why did he initiate the formation of the 12 Disciples/Apostles as the framework? What was his intention for leadership within the Church? What would these people look like? How would they relate to the world around them? What was to be their consuming passion? Did the early Church embody his vision? Hmmmm??

2006-02-19T15:00:00.000+13:00

I was watching TV the other day and i thought, what a fantastic ploy, i sit here watching some figment of some guy in a Hollywood boardroom's imagination, for a moment in time (lately probably way too many moments in time), and forget about the real world around me.

I suddenly had this kind of picture of God's people, all of us sitting in front of these boxes, staring at flickering images, lulled and distracted away from reality. Falling asleep.

But TV's not the only vice of distraction. Church's can be great places of distraction from reality. Church politics (straining at those gnats), in-fighting, pettiness, navel gazing, activity for activities sake, empire building, power plays, irrelevant PC immersed sermons, Christian sub-culture, anything that will keep us from focusing on anything that the world desperately needs the people of God to focus on.

Consumerism of course is an oldy but a goody. Pursuit of stuff in the name of 'getting ahead' is a popular one amongst us His people. I speak in generalities of course, there are always those that are an exception to the rule, and man Lord I wish I was one of those.

God wake me up!!!

Cartoon Mightier than the Sword

2006-02-10T15:54:00.000+13:00

The western world government leaders must be furrowing their brows anxiously, as the full extent of their internal security problems become all too clear with the 'Cartoon Protests.'

It seems to me that Islam is flexing its muscle, and surprisingly it is showing itself stronger than maybe most expected. They have the west generally, and the US specifically by the balls, because of its dependance on Middle Eastern oil and trade.

Protests in Britain revealed large numbers of cartoon protesters holding placards declaring the need for more suicide bombings and violent death to all who blaspheme the prophet. What are the leaders of Britain for instance going to do? I doubt there is much they can do, given their hands will be tied by political correctness and liberal ideology. Father wake us up to what is actually going on here!

Love Ramblings

2006-02-07T13:08:00.000+13:00

Just under a year ago, I was functioning as an Assistant Pastor, I was an Elder, was oversight of the worship at the church and lead worship myself with my own team. In the midst of that I felt as though something had crystallized for me. God was interested in only one thing, "How well do you love?" Not, how many people you ministered to in a week, or how many sermons you preached, worship sessions you lead that so called 'went off', or how impressed he was at all the activity or the titles... it all fell off! None of it meant squat UNLESS it was wrapped in love.

These are some of the thoughts that came out of those ponderings...

Love is the great leveller. Our level of love, compassion and mercy is the true measure of spirituality. The true measure of authentic worship.

How do we know we are truly growing spiritually? By the amount of time praying? Healing the sick? Preaching? Worshipping? Church involvement level? Authority? Prophetic ability? Souls saved?

I know that Jesus’ harshest words were for the people that had the external stuff down, but had lost compassion and mercy. Oh God my capacity to love in the roles had decreased not increased. Maybe because all of a sudden, I felt like I was doing stuff because it was my job, rather than because I truly wanted to.

Lord I want to see it your way. Fact is the way I see is skewed. If I met a guy who spoke in tongues of men and of angels, had the gift of prophecy, could fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, had faith that could literally move mountains, gave all he had to the poor and surrendered his body in martyrdom, I would definitely be impressed by a dude like that, I would say that there is one incredibly powerful man of God. But you say if love is missing, he is nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Faith Conversations

2006-01-25T15:51:00.000+13:00

Why is ‘trusting’ in God so vehemently important to Him?? Maybe because it’s based in us understanding and believing in His essential character of faithfulness? Maybe that’s why it seems so essential to Him that we not just assent to knowing Him, but ‘know’ Him - ‘His character’ to the point where we are willing to lay it all on the line for Him, and THAT does not come over night.

Because maybe bottom line is... there is no other way to get to that point. Maybe that’s where the waiting comes in… true faith is created out of hard arsed experience.

The Big B Guy

2006-01-20T16:24:00.000+13:00

Man been a shocker lately with updating this. Got a new baby, so time difficult to find. Been reading a book called 'Bono on Bono' a mate lent me. Real good. for anyone keen on getting a handle on how that guy thinks, particularly spiritually, God etc, it's a must read. Really opens your eyes to where he's been coming from over the last few years.

Trust Part 2

2005-11-11T15:21:00.000+13:00

Had a very good mate of mine, pass on some very good and timely words today. So i thought i would pass them on here.

"Even though things are foggy at present keep searching for the heart of the matter…

Maybe this might apply 'Let him who walks in the dark and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God' (Isaiah 50:10)

It says to me that it's okay not to ‘know’, it's okay to be in the dark, God is not shocked or unsettled by it."

Thanks Brendon!

Trust

2005-11-01T16:10:00.000+13:00

“Is God big enough to save??”

Answer: of course He is!

The Spirit within me believes it, wants to soar with the thought of it even… meanwhile my flesh nervously fumbles as it chains itself to the ground with the mention of it.

Church of God

2005-10-16T14:49:00.000+13:00

I believe in the church of God. I believe it has the potential to be the most powerful agent of change within the physical and the spiritual world. I believe it because God said it “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prove stronger than it“ Mat 16:18.

I believe it because God is with her. “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31.

Why then in the western world are we so ineffective?

Ponder

2005-10-12T14:42:00.000+13:00

I kind of realised lately that I don’t sit and ponder on God. My thoughts turn to him, but it’s usually about what I would like to do ‘for Him’ or maybe more accurately, what I’m ‘not’ doing for him, but would like to be. Surely the pursuit of him, the understanding, the deepening awareness of who he really is that matters most. Which should then give rise to anything I would be inspired to do from that, not the other way round.

The Big Ouch!

2005-10-06T22:16:00.000+13:00

Well mum is now 34 weeks and getting bigger... it would seem by the minute. She had her check up with the Specialist today and all is good, but the boy is big, in fact currently he's about the size of a 35 week baby...ouch! Ari was 9 pound 6, we're pickin this boy'll be even bigger. We asked Ari tonight if he would like to have a baby around soon, and he flat out said 'nope'. hmmm??? we'll have to continue to chisel away at that ice berg. 'Coming ready or not!!"

Who You Are

2005-10-05T22:45:00.000+13:00

Lord Jesus you are Good. I know you are Good, but my understanding of that is so shallow and dim. Good - No trace of evil, not even a hint. Always concerned for anothers well being. Pure, Un-Perverted, Kind, Loving, Right, Just. Absolutely Trustworthy, Faithful, Safe. Never desires harm, can always be relied upon. Never lies! Will always ensure the long term best for others, even if it means short term pain for you and me. Self-Sacrificing, brave not-cowardly, absolutely believable, humble, nothing to prove...

Te Whanau

2005-10-05T22:44:00.000+13:00

here's me, mum and our boy Ari. He's a classic little fella.

Me and Daddy

2005-10-05T22:34:00.000+13:00

me and my boy