Discipline

The other week my mate had a word for me, 'Discipline'. I'm not a fan of that word. It's a word that's easy to say but hard to incorporate in life. I've been finding the last number of months uneasy, like I'm almost hurting a little as my life is changing (for the better). Then I came across Hebrews 12:11 which starts:

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful....."

Now that rung true for me but read the rest of the verse,

"Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Wow! A harvest! And peace! I love how God can use difficult things and work them out for good. Hmmmm I think I've read that somewhere before.....

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" Rom 8:28

Time with God

I've been having an interesting time with God over the last few months. I've actually been involving Him in my day to day. You may be thinking, 'Jonny, you work for a church, surely God's involved in all of that?', yes He is but not in my normal stuff.

I've become increasingly aware of how much time God wants to spend with me. This week alone meetings have been cancelled left, right and centre and God's always there saying, "Time please!". I've been inviting Him into my day to day thoughts and (it sounds stupid) surprised that I feel so much more happy! I'm normally someone who can get aggravated if I have too much time to think but I'm loving the time (as I know it won't last) getting to know my God.

I even got the comment today that I looked very relaxed and very at peace. Awesome!

Jeff Lucas on prayer

http://www.eauk.org/slipstream/resources/five-myths-about-prayer.cfm

Really enjoyed reading this article on prayer from Jeff Lucas.

Continuing debt

This little part of a verse has really spoken to me,

Romans 13:8a

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another..."

I love that it's a 'continuing debt', it can't be completed or fulfilled. I think God has really been challenging me over the last few weeks of actually putting my love for others in action. It's so easy to get consumed by ourselves that we forget about others (something I do too much of I'm afraid). Imagine if we actually loved other people as well as we do ourself......

Life and peace

Continuing with my reading of Romans, I came across 8:5b, "...those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit."

My immediate thought was, "No I don't...". I think I'd love to say, that even though I work full time for a church and I'm in countless times of prayer and bible studies, that I'm always really holy...but I'm not. There's time where I struggle. But check this out for an incentive "...letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." 8:6b

So....what are the things we need to let go of?

Grandest of cathedrals

I was reading a note from Dan Wilt, Director of Vineyard Worship Resources, which described us as the, "Grandest of Cathedrals", in relation to us being temples of the Holy Spirit. Amazing description!

Then later that day, as I was continuing with Romans (less of a big stick and more of a jaw drop), I read this in 5:5b:

"For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

I know that as God is working a few things out in me, I need to hear these words. To know that I'm dearly loved and that He is filling my heart, me, His grandest of cathedrals, with His love. And if I'm a 'cathedral' then there's a lot more space for His love....

Secret life

<sup>I'm currently in the process of reading through Romans (which I can only liken to being beaten with a rather large stick...)

I came across one of those verses which produced in me, what I like to call an 'oh poo' moment.

Rom2:16</sup> And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

It immediately brought all those things to mind, that I would ashamed for others to know. How then am I so comfortable with them day to day? How can I be fine doing them, just as long as no one else knows about it?

It's time to change. What about you?

I know what I was made for

It seems to be that most people I meet my age are always looking into travelling around the world. I often wonder what's wrong with me that I don't feel the same (Don't feel as though you need to agree!). I always put it down to having a job but I just don't have the desire and can never put it into words.

I was chatting to a guy from church yesterday and he put in in the best way I've ever heard, he said "You know what you were made for". It opened up my whole understanding on the situation. I know I was made to be the Worship Director at All Saints Woodford Wells right now, so why on earth would I do anything else? Why travel around the world when I can do what I love and what I have a passion for right now?

Did make me wonder though....do my friends know what they were made for?

God's Beauty

A couple of months ago a mate had a word for me that I would "..see God's beauty". Now obviously as a Christian guy I prayed, " Lord reveal your beauty in your way and not mine", while secretly wishing, "Please let it be a beautiful girl, please let it be a beautiful girl, please let it be a beautiful girl".

Then I went home last week to see my 2 week old niece, Sarah, for the first time. Now I'm not a baby kinda guy, I don't know many who are, and I'm not interested in children until they start walking and talking and basically become fun to play with. But for half an hour I sat nursing her, transfixed by the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It genuinely felt as though God had connected something in my heart previously unconnected. I had seen His beauty were I was least expecting.

Sometimes we just need to stop........................and take it in.

Building for the Future

I've been spending a lot of time thinking of my response to my churches new 3 million building project. It normally takes me a while to process things and I started with thoughts of 'Isn't it a bit expensive?' to 'wouldn't it be nice to have some office space at work rather than at home' to 'we will be able to do so much more!' and then all the talk about it being more than the just bricks and mortar hit me. I was reading Psalm 102 v 18 which says,

^"18 Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD :"

The Psalmist is writing down the mighty acts the Lord will do so that people reading it will give praise to God. In the same way John writes down the acts of Jesus so that the people reading will, "..believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20 v 31b).

This has blown me away about what we're doing at church. We're not building so it's easier for us. We're not building so it's nicer for us. We're building for the future. From generation to generation God is to be given the glory. We're building to enable that for people who are not even born. That they will come to know more of God and for some to know God for the first time. What an exciting thing to get behind!