Today I went for a two mile run. The first since 7th October. 2 miles six months ago would have seemed like nothing, a walk in the park. My diary earlier in the year shows 6 miles 7 miles 8 miles 10 miles even 11 miles on one occasion. I am grateful that I managed 2 miles and have not shown signs of the symptoms that laid me low earlier this year. Everything is relative. The life that we are given is not to be wasted. I appreciate being able to feel the joy of a relatively healthy body . One day I won't be able to do this stuff.
I am so blessed.
Friday, 18 November 2011
Monday, 24 October 2011
Second guessing God
What is prophecy? I guess you would say it is bringing a word from God. That's serious. Many people have brought prophetic words to me but they were not all from God, or at least they did not all come to pass, so either they were not from God or I failed in some way so they could not come to pass. Prophesy is not an exact science it would seem. I remember a guy who was baptised at Bugbrooke Chapel in the seventies and when he came up out of the water he was encouraged to prophesy. I remember it clearly, or at least parts of it. He said something along these lines "do you think I would let my people suffer says the Lord?" I am not commenting on the validity of this guy's baptism but if that prophecy was from God then he isn't the God I know. Suffering seems to be part of the package, in fact Jesus says blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake. One example of a duff prophecy. Why am I saying this? I guess it has to do with the building we had lined up for the Jesus Centre in Birmingham. We were reasonably sure God had given it to us, then someone comes and buys it from under our noses. Apart from this blokes business going belly up, it's back to the drawing board for us. Was God wrong? Did the devil win? No to both. Having wrestled it through a bit this is the conclusion I have come to. I don't really know but I'm not giving up.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
The Silencing of The Word
You speak, your tongue unleashed, a two edged sword
Cutting, freeing, commanding, exposing the heart, loving.
You are the word
You scythe through the complacency of pharisee and sinner alike
Revealing the innermost thoughts of the heart.
When vocalised, your identity weighs heavy
A rock on which men fall,or are crushed to pieces
It turns saints into sinners and sinners into saints,
Water to wine, sickness to health, storm into calm.
It offends the dignity of those who love,
The control they gain from the power of the command set in stone.
They took the word and the word became silent,
The tongue sheathed.
As a lamb before its shearers is dumb.
Seperated from its expression the body of the word was riduculed and mocked
Those who did so becoming emboldened, believing
That the Christ would not perform a final Samson - like act of strength
Which would bring their house down on their heads.
The word spoke but briefly, comfort for a dying man
"Today you will be with me in paradise".
And with the silencing of the word,
Where tongue and lips were frozen in death the citadel of the law,
Was torn asunder.
He Rose
The word on a white horse from his mouth a two edged sword
On his hand and on his thigh written "King of Kings and Lord of Lords"
The name of the word - Jesus
His power in his his name,
Angels and men before it fall and devils fear and fly
Eternally alive.
Cutting, freeing, commanding, exposing the heart, loving.
You are the word
You scythe through the complacency of pharisee and sinner alike
Revealing the innermost thoughts of the heart.
When vocalised, your identity weighs heavy
A rock on which men fall,or are crushed to pieces
It turns saints into sinners and sinners into saints,
Water to wine, sickness to health, storm into calm.
It offends the dignity of those who love,
The control they gain from the power of the command set in stone.
They took the word and the word became silent,
The tongue sheathed.
As a lamb before its shearers is dumb.
Seperated from its expression the body of the word was riduculed and mocked
Those who did so becoming emboldened, believing
That the Christ would not perform a final Samson - like act of strength
Which would bring their house down on their heads.
The word spoke but briefly, comfort for a dying man
"Today you will be with me in paradise".
And with the silencing of the word,
Where tongue and lips were frozen in death the citadel of the law,
Was torn asunder.
He Rose
The word on a white horse from his mouth a two edged sword
On his hand and on his thigh written "King of Kings and Lord of Lords"
The name of the word - Jesus
His power in his his name,
Angels and men before it fall and devils fear and fly
Eternally alive.
Friday, 26 August 2011
In sickness and in health
This is not about marriage its about sickness and health. Just recently I have got bashed by a virus and then it was followed up by an infection. Several days off work and when I did go in lethargic and fatigued. I am taking anti biotics now which have started to attack the infection plus killoff loads of useful bacteria but hey, I'm fed up with it now. Having said that I have noticed something. My spiritual life has taken an upward turn whilst I am dragging my body about. If you have seen my last blog on prayer you may question that, but the fact remains that I feel spiritually clearer if that makes any sense. "Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed daily", Seems to me that the inner nature responds well to the bashings the outer nature receives. I have often had profound things happen to me whilst I have been ill. Sickness and health go hand in hand each blow of sickness on the outer man weakens the barrier that keeps the inner man from communion with God. The coming of health seems to reinforce the outer nature and that sense of closeness to God lessens. Lets hope the effects of sickness cause permanent change, I like feeling well but I also like being close to God.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Prayer
I have been a Christian for yonks but it occurred to me whilst driving to work this morning that I don't really know how to pray. Better qualify that. I can pray for people in a response time in a meeting and it seems to work relatively well, good results quite often. I mean particularly praying for a person when they aren't there. Apart from the Lord's prayer, the part about "this kind only comes out through prayer and fasting" and that bit about agreement (and we say prayer agreement Jesus didn't) there isn't that much to go on. It seems they didn't have regular intercession in the new testament or if they did it didn't get a mention.
Anyway, I am driving to work and I start trying to pray for someone I know who has a difficulty. I think I can diagnose that difficulty as having its root in the fact that that person has never really felt loved, by God or anyone else for that matter. I say "lord this person needs a revelation of your love" that's it. What do I do now after a five second request. It's over, finished, done, no agonising no groaning no burden carrying. I cannot conjour up those things. I wonder if anyone else has this dilemma? "professional" prayers tend to do my head in a bit, there is this kind of mystique attached to it all. I've read Rees Howells - Intercessor, I have heard about carrying the burden and all that but one wonders if God creates the method to suit the person rather than the other way round. Maybe for me the five second burst of "please sort it out Lord" is all he thinks I can cope with but I must admit (not that this should the aim of my praying for others) it leaves me somewhat discontented.
Anyway, I am driving to work and I start trying to pray for someone I know who has a difficulty. I think I can diagnose that difficulty as having its root in the fact that that person has never really felt loved, by God or anyone else for that matter. I say "lord this person needs a revelation of your love" that's it. What do I do now after a five second request. It's over, finished, done, no agonising no groaning no burden carrying. I cannot conjour up those things. I wonder if anyone else has this dilemma? "professional" prayers tend to do my head in a bit, there is this kind of mystique attached to it all. I've read Rees Howells - Intercessor, I have heard about carrying the burden and all that but one wonders if God creates the method to suit the person rather than the other way round. Maybe for me the five second burst of "please sort it out Lord" is all he thinks I can cope with but I must admit (not that this should the aim of my praying for others) it leaves me somewhat discontented.
Monday, 15 August 2011
Tatoo Covenant
Coming back from the optitians just now I noticed a woman at a bus stop with a large tatoo on her upper arm. I was not close enough to see what it depicted but it set me thinking about the whole tatoo thing.
We live in an age where most things are temporary, even the things that are supposed to be permanent like marriage for example. Almost everything is reversible. Why is it then that the practice of doing something to your body which is going to go with you to the grave is so popular? Life goes on, the tatoo remains after the relationship has ended and after the skin has aged to an extent where it no longer looks really cool. The tatoo has become the most permanent thing, yeah they can be removed I gues but all you are left with is a space where a tatoo has obviously been you can't reverse the fact.
The truth is that a high percentage of people who have tatoos will keep them for the rest of theirs lives, that's got to be the highest level of committment on the planet. Pity it isn't for something worthwhile.
We live in an age where most things are temporary, even the things that are supposed to be permanent like marriage for example. Almost everything is reversible. Why is it then that the practice of doing something to your body which is going to go with you to the grave is so popular? Life goes on, the tatoo remains after the relationship has ended and after the skin has aged to an extent where it no longer looks really cool. The tatoo has become the most permanent thing, yeah they can be removed I gues but all you are left with is a space where a tatoo has obviously been you can't reverse the fact.
The truth is that a high percentage of people who have tatoos will keep them for the rest of theirs lives, that's got to be the highest level of committment on the planet. Pity it isn't for something worthwhile.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Keep on Running
Today my years tally of miles run went to 312, equivilent to about 50 hours. I guess an avid TV watcher could spend that time looking at "the box" in about a fortnight, an obsessive gamer in about 4 days so in the big scheme of things it isn't that much. I think, however, that there are some good lessons to be learned from running which can be transferred into life. I don't know if T.V. watching and gaming could claim the same. It seems to me that these things replace life rather than contribute to it. What are these lessons?.
1. Starting is the biggest challenge. 2. Not giving up is the next biggest. 3. Doing it reapeatedly improves the health. 4. Practice improves the performance. 5. After a relatively short time of inactivity you lose what you have gained.
I reckon you could apply that to prayer in the spiritual realm, or keeping your house clean in the natural. That 50 hours running has affected my life 24/7, the next step must be more disciplined prayer. Who knows what that may accomplish?
1. Starting is the biggest challenge. 2. Not giving up is the next biggest. 3. Doing it reapeatedly improves the health. 4. Practice improves the performance. 5. After a relatively short time of inactivity you lose what you have gained.
I reckon you could apply that to prayer in the spiritual realm, or keeping your house clean in the natural. That 50 hours running has affected my life 24/7, the next step must be more disciplined prayer. Who knows what that may accomplish?
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