Please click on the below titles to read:
Living Free in Christ - July 2010
What Next? - June 2010
Getting Your Voice Heard - May 2010
The Triumph of the Cross - April 2010
What's Your Foundation Like? - March 2010
Don't Settle in Haran - February 2010
It's Time to Dream - January 2010
God With Us - December 2009
Your Church Needs You - November 2009
Let's Get Back to Normal - October 2009
Embracing Change - September 2009
Signs, Wonders & Miracles - August 2009
The Scandal of the Pentecostal Mind - July 2009
Get Salty - June 2009
First Words - May 2009
July 2010
The devil wants you to remain in defeat – that way he can destroy your faith and rob you from living the life of victory that God has for you on this earth. But victorious living is our spiritual birthright: “… thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
By victorious living I’m not talking about owning three Ferraris, two mansions, a private jet and never again having any form of sickness. Regrettably this is what some preachers have suggested. But that is not how the Bible describes victorious living. Rather, victory in Christ is about experiencing everything that God has for you - it’s about walking in the freedom that Christ has for you, overcoming temptation, seeing Satan defeated in every area of your life, and much more. So, are you walking in this kind of victory?
Your answer to this question will be very much linked to the mindset you have adopted – for you walk according to what you think. In the Indian subcontinent, a device called the “elephant trap” is used to raise and keep elephants in captivity. When the elephant is but a baby, he will be tied by a rope to a tree. Naturally, the young elephant will pull and wriggle and jump and crawl and do his very hardest to escape. But in all this, the rope just tightens and to the tree it remains tied.
Beginning to accept that this is just the way things are, disappointment and discouragement soon set in and the elephant accepts his confinement and simply gives up on the attempt to break free.
Fast forward a couple of years to when this same elephant is now an adult, probably weighing several tons. Curiously, the trainer has not replaced the rope that was used to bind the elephant when he was a baby. Now the rope simply rests around the leg of that same elephant – but despite his new strength, the elephant never tries to escape. This happens for one simple reason: because the elephant has been psychologically conditioned to think that he has been trapped for life, that the rope is stronger than he is, that there is no point in even trying.
Think about that: the elephant could easily break the rope (he could probably crush the trainer too!), but he doesn’t even try because he thinks he can’t. In truth, it is not the rope that binds the elephant, it is his mindset. In his mind he’s accepted a lie – and therefore he is ignorant of his true potential. He is not walking according to who he is.
This is true of many Christians today who are not walking in the freedom that is available to them. For sure, we were once bound by the enemy. He once had us tied and bound. But Christ Jesus came to set us free. And set us free he did (cf. John 8:36). The rope that shackled us has been broken.
This freedom is your birthright as a believer in Jesus, but – like the adult elephant in the example above - you don’t automatically enjoy it. The elephant first has to change his perspective and understand that in reality he is free. Otherwise he is ignorant of his true position and state.
This is like so many Christians today. We long to be free from the things that bind us, but we don’t know how to deal with them. We don’t know that all we have to do is to shake off the chains that appear to be binding us and we can walk out of bondage unshackled and free! Christ has delivered us and we can walk free! We can live free!
In the event of your conversion, you were completely set free from your sin and old life. When Jesus died on that cross, he defeated sin, death and the grave – and that means freedom spiritually, mentally and emotionally! It means freedom from despair, bondage, negative thinking and binding habits. It means freedom from the damage that sin does to us.
But as powerful as this first moment that you believed in Christ was, the practical transformation of your life takes longer. Deliverance can happen in a moment, but change, by definition, requires time. It is a process in which we all need to learn how to now walk in the patterns of freedom. This is why we have to understand what it is ours and then actively choose to walk in that freedom.
Ephesians 4:22-23 highlights this process of change:
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; and to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
God calls us to put off the old patterns of thinking and living and to put on the new life that Christ has given us. He expects us to exchange our old thought patterns, misguided beliefs and behaviour for new ways of thinking and behaviour that are consistent with the new creation – so that our everyday experience matches what we are positionally in Jesus Christ.
Are you aware of who you are in Christ and what is available to you? Do you understand your own potential? The moment you said “yes” to Christ, you joined the winning side. Victory is yours! It’s your inheritance! This Summer, determine to grab hold of it! And walk according to who you are!
Every blessing,
Dominic & Jodi
What a historic month May was! The election is over – finally. And, after the debacle of Britain’s first hung parliament since 1974, we now have a new prime minister and a new coalition government. Unexpected though it was, the new arrangement is showing initial signs of promise, and regardless of political allegiance, we’d like to encourage you to do your part in praying that this will grow into real and positive change for our nation. Let’s also continue to pray that our elected representatives will respect, uphold and protect the rights of Christians to speak and act according to our biblical values and Christian conscience – regrettably something that, despite this nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage, we can no longer take for granted anymore due to years of Christian marginalisation.
Now, with the election over, many are asking the question “what next?” Whilst we don’t quite know how things are going to pan out politically, the agenda is clear for Christians. You may recall that last month we were encouraging you to get your voice heard by voting. But voting is just the beginning. What is needed now is engagement. The new government presents both opportunities and challenges, and our calling to be “salt and light” means continuing to engage our politicians on the issues that matter – education, crime, family, marriage, immigration, the sanctity of life, medical ethics, employment, religious liberty, to name just a handful.
But it also means rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in society. We won’t change our world from our church buildings alone. Ordinary Christians working in business, industry, politics, the arts, and so on are the Church’s front-line troops in its engagement with the world. They are strategically placed as missionaries into these sectors of influence. So what’s next for you? How are you going to make a practical difference in society? From writing to your MP to even stepping up to the mark yourself and becoming a local councillor, school governor, MP, etc., these are ways we can begin to make a difference in our local community and nation.
What next for LGCC?
The month of May was not only a historic month for the UK. It was an equally historic month for us at LGCC, and we too must also now ask the question, “what next?” Last month we of course had our very first Igniter Conference and God blew us away. He spoke his rhema word, the fire fell and lives were transformed. But all too often it is easy to bask in What next for the UK?
the blessings of a conference - we have to remember the purpose of the fire is to change the spiritual climate out in the world. From its very inception The Igniter Conference was always intended to be just that: an igniter. Igniter 2010 is over and LGCC has indeed been ignited. But the real work now begins and we must take what God said and did at the conference (both corporately and individually) and apply it to our lives, not content until it brings about change in us, change in our church and change in our wider sphere of influence.
As we explored at Igniter 2010, our nation is in so many respects similar to the nation in which Elijah was called to demonstrate God’s power and reality in 1 Kings 18. Just like Israel in the time of Elijah, the UK has rejected the Word of the Lord and bowed its knee to false gods. Consequently we have lost our spiritual moorings and are experiencing a time of spiritual drought/ famine. But as he did then, God revived his people and then he sent the rain which healed the land. Now, as we have been ignited, we must fervently pray for the rain to come. We believe God is doing something fresh amongst us at LGCC – the enemy is rattled, we are advancing and every soldier is needed at the front-line. This is a critical time for us – and a critical time for our nation.
World Cup
As we look ahead, this month the fun also begins with the start of the 2010 World Cup. Football fever is literally gripping the globe as 32 nations will compete for arguably the most coveted prize in sports. I (Dominic) appreciate that some of us couldn’t care less about football, but let’s see the opportunity that the World Cup affords us in connecting with our friends and community. Does God care about football? I think he does - in the sense that he cares about us and our interests (though probably not in the sense that he manipulates match results, although I’d at least like to believe that God is a Liverpool fan... admittedly I don’t quite have the witness of the Spirit on that). Whatever our view on football, it is a passion of this nation, it is a means of engaging our world, and the World Cup provides a great opportunity for building bridges into the communities and lives that we exist to serve.
Have a great June!
Every blessing,
Dominic & Jodi
Your answer to this question will be very much linked to the mindset you have adopted – for you walk according to what you think. In the Indian subcontinent, a device called the “elephant trap” is used to raise and keep elephants in captivity. When the elephant is but a baby, he will be tied by a rope to a tree. Naturally, the young elephant will pull and wriggle and jump and crawl and do his very hardest to escape. But in all this, the rope just tightens and to the tree it remains tied.
Beginning to accept that this is just the way things are, disappointment and discouragement soon set in and the elephant accepts his confinement and simply gives up on the attempt to break free.
Fast forward a couple of years to when this same elephant is now an adult, probably weighing several tons. Curiously, the trainer has not replaced the rope that was used to bind the elephant when he was a baby. Now the rope simply rests around the leg of that same elephant – but despite his new strength, the elephant never tries to escape. This happens for one simple reason: because the elephant has been psychologically conditioned to think that he has been trapped for life, that the rope is stronger than he is, that there is no point in even trying.
Think about that: the elephant could easily break the rope (he could probably crush the trainer too!), but he doesn’t even try because he thinks he can’t. In truth, it is not the rope that binds the elephant, it is his mindset. In his mind he’s accepted a lie – and therefore he is ignorant of his true potential. He is not walking according to who he is.
This is true of many Christians today who are not walking in the freedom that is available to them. For sure, we were once bound by the enemy. He once had us tied and bound. But Christ Jesus came to set us free. And set us free he did (cf. John 8:36). The rope that shackled us has been broken.
This freedom is your birthright as a believer in Jesus, but – like the adult elephant in the example above - you don’t automatically enjoy it. The elephant first has to change his perspective and understand that in reality he is free. Otherwise he is ignorant of his true position and state.
This is like so many Christians today. We long to be free from the things that bind us, but we don’t know how to deal with them. We don’t know that all we have to do is to shake off the chains that appear to be binding us and we can walk out of bondage unshackled and free! Christ has delivered us and we can walk free! We can live free!
In the event of your conversion, you were completely set free from your sin and old life. When Jesus died on that cross, he defeated sin, death and the grave – and that means freedom spiritually, mentally and emotionally! It means freedom from despair, bondage, negative thinking and binding habits. It means freedom from the damage that sin does to us.
But as powerful as this first moment that you believed in Christ was, the practical transformation of your life takes longer. Deliverance can happen in a moment, but change, by definition, requires time. It is a process in which we all need to learn how to now walk in the patterns of freedom. This is why we have to understand what it is ours and then actively choose to walk in that freedom.
Ephesians 4:22-23 highlights this process of change:
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; and to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
God calls us to put off the old patterns of thinking and living and to put on the new life that Christ has given us. He expects us to exchange our old thought patterns, misguided beliefs and behaviour for new ways of thinking and behaviour that are consistent with the new creation – so that our everyday experience matches what we are positionally in Jesus Christ.
Are you aware of who you are in Christ and what is available to you? Do you understand your own potential? The moment you said “yes” to Christ, you joined the winning side. Victory is yours! It’s your inheritance! This Summer, determine to grab hold of it! And walk according to who you are!
Every blessing,
Dominic & Jodi
June 2010
What next for the UK?What a historic month May was! The election is over – finally. And, after the debacle of Britain’s first hung parliament since 1974, we now have a new prime minister and a new coalition government. Unexpected though it was, the new arrangement is showing initial signs of promise, and regardless of political allegiance, we’d like to encourage you to do your part in praying that this will grow into real and positive change for our nation. Let’s also continue to pray that our elected representatives will respect, uphold and protect the rights of Christians to speak and act according to our biblical values and Christian conscience – regrettably something that, despite this nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage, we can no longer take for granted anymore due to years of Christian marginalisation.
Now, with the election over, many are asking the question “what next?” Whilst we don’t quite know how things are going to pan out politically, the agenda is clear for Christians. You may recall that last month we were encouraging you to get your voice heard by voting. But voting is just the beginning. What is needed now is engagement. The new government presents both opportunities and challenges, and our calling to be “salt and light” means continuing to engage our politicians on the issues that matter – education, crime, family, marriage, immigration, the sanctity of life, medical ethics, employment, religious liberty, to name just a handful.
But it also means rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in society. We won’t change our world from our church buildings alone. Ordinary Christians working in business, industry, politics, the arts, and so on are the Church’s front-line troops in its engagement with the world. They are strategically placed as missionaries into these sectors of influence. So what’s next for you? How are you going to make a practical difference in society? From writing to your MP to even stepping up to the mark yourself and becoming a local councillor, school governor, MP, etc., these are ways we can begin to make a difference in our local community and nation.
What next for LGCC?
The month of May was not only a historic month for the UK. It was an equally historic month for us at LGCC, and we too must also now ask the question, “what next?” Last month we of course had our very first Igniter Conference and God blew us away. He spoke his rhema word, the fire fell and lives were transformed. But all too often it is easy to bask in What next for the UK?
the blessings of a conference - we have to remember the purpose of the fire is to change the spiritual climate out in the world. From its very inception The Igniter Conference was always intended to be just that: an igniter. Igniter 2010 is over and LGCC has indeed been ignited. But the real work now begins and we must take what God said and did at the conference (both corporately and individually) and apply it to our lives, not content until it brings about change in us, change in our church and change in our wider sphere of influence.
As we explored at Igniter 2010, our nation is in so many respects similar to the nation in which Elijah was called to demonstrate God’s power and reality in 1 Kings 18. Just like Israel in the time of Elijah, the UK has rejected the Word of the Lord and bowed its knee to false gods. Consequently we have lost our spiritual moorings and are experiencing a time of spiritual drought/ famine. But as he did then, God revived his people and then he sent the rain which healed the land. Now, as we have been ignited, we must fervently pray for the rain to come. We believe God is doing something fresh amongst us at LGCC – the enemy is rattled, we are advancing and every soldier is needed at the front-line. This is a critical time for us – and a critical time for our nation.
World Cup
As we look ahead, this month the fun also begins with the start of the 2010 World Cup. Football fever is literally gripping the globe as 32 nations will compete for arguably the most coveted prize in sports. I (Dominic) appreciate that some of us couldn’t care less about football, but let’s see the opportunity that the World Cup affords us in connecting with our friends and community. Does God care about football? I think he does - in the sense that he cares about us and our interests (though probably not in the sense that he manipulates match results, although I’d at least like to believe that God is a Liverpool fan... admittedly I don’t quite have the witness of the Spirit on that). Whatever our view on football, it is a passion of this nation, it is a means of engaging our world, and the World Cup provides a great opportunity for building bridges into the communities and lives that we exist to serve.
Have a great June!
Every blessing,
Dominic & Jodi
May 2010
Getting Your Voice Heard
This month on 6th May the nation goes to the polls. In these days in which the secular, liberal and non-Christian voices are sounding louder and more articulately than ever before, I believe it is more important than at any time previously for our increasingly-marginalised Christian voice to be heard at the public policy and decision-making level.
That's why, first and foremost, I am hoping that every Christian will exercise their right to vote. Politics affects issues of great concern and practical relevance to all of us. It touches areas such as morality, family values, education, housing, our economy and almost every facet area of our lives. Politics governs areas that Christians have a biblical stake in such as the sanctity of human life (e.g. embryo experiments, human cloning, abortion, euthanasia, etc.), marriage and the family (e.g. civil partnership, adoption by unmarried couples or homosexuals, etc.), employment and religious liberties, etc.
As Christians living in a democracy, we have a responsibility to vote. God's Word contains principles for all aspects of politics - sexual morality, the economy and family values to name but a few - and we have a duty before the Lord to choose good stewards who will lead this nation the right way.
So please vote. But don't cast your vote at random. Think carefully about the representatives you are electing to carry out practical policies on your behalf and represent your interests. If you are considering voting for or against your current MP at the election, look at their track record in Parliament and your constituency over the last years. Find out as much as you can about your candidate and what he or she believes on the issues that matter. There are great websites such as www.christiansandcandidates.org, www.ccfon.org and www.care.org.uk to assist you here.
Another way you can make sure the Christian voice is heard this election is by signing the Westminster Declaration, aimed to appeal to UK Christians of all denominations who subscribe to the historic Christian faith and who hold orthodox Christian beliefs about life, marriage and conscience. The Westminster Declaration is calling upon all parliamentary candidates to pledge that they will "respect, uphold and protect the right of Christians to hold and express Christian beliefs and act according to Christian conscience".
Our General Superintendant John Glass, keynote speaker at this month's Igniter Conference, recently wrote the following to Elim pastors:
That's why, first and foremost, I am hoping that every Christian will exercise their right to vote. Politics affects issues of great concern and practical relevance to all of us. It touches areas such as morality, family values, education, housing, our economy and almost every facet area of our lives. Politics governs areas that Christians have a biblical stake in such as the sanctity of human life (e.g. embryo experiments, human cloning, abortion, euthanasia, etc.), marriage and the family (e.g. civil partnership, adoption by unmarried couples or homosexuals, etc.), employment and religious liberties, etc.
As Christians living in a democracy, we have a responsibility to vote. God's Word contains principles for all aspects of politics - sexual morality, the economy and family values to name but a few - and we have a duty before the Lord to choose good stewards who will lead this nation the right way.
So please vote. But don't cast your vote at random. Think carefully about the representatives you are electing to carry out practical policies on your behalf and represent your interests. If you are considering voting for or against your current MP at the election, look at their track record in Parliament and your constituency over the last years. Find out as much as you can about your candidate and what he or she believes on the issues that matter. There are great websites such as www.christiansandcandidates.org, www.ccfon.org and www.care.org.uk to assist you here.
Another way you can make sure the Christian voice is heard this election is by signing the Westminster Declaration, aimed to appeal to UK Christians of all denominations who subscribe to the historic Christian faith and who hold orthodox Christian beliefs about life, marriage and conscience. The Westminster Declaration is calling upon all parliamentary candidates to pledge that they will "respect, uphold and protect the right of Christians to hold and express Christian beliefs and act according to Christian conscience".
Our General Superintendant John Glass, keynote speaker at this month's Igniter Conference, recently wrote the following to Elim pastors:
The question is often raised "When is the Church going to stand up and be counted when it comes to moral and political issues?" You may have noticed the launching of the WESTMINSTER DECLARATION that was reported on the front page of the Sunday Telegraph and was signed by a number of senior church leaders including myself. However, the power of this declaration does not lie in the hands of heads of denominations but in the marshalling of every one of our church members to take their stand by going to the website and signing the petition… That the Christian voice is heard is exponentially important given that a General Election is imminent.
Please therefore be encouraged to sign the Westminster Declaration at www.westminster2010.org.uk. But you have to act now as time is very short.
In addition, the Evangelical Alliance and Care are running a Twitter and Facebook campaign called My Manifesto, inviting Christians to share their priorities for the next Government. They will be presenting the most popular policies to the party leaders shortly before the election. Have your say on Facebook or tweet with #MyManifesto and follow @MyManifesto2010.
It's easy to complain about the marginalisation of Christians in our society - this month we have some great opportunities to do something about it and get our voice heard!
Please keep praying for the UK in this most significant of times. Prayer is the way we get our voice heard in heaven!
Every blessing,
Dominic
April 2010
The Triumph of the Cross
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
(First verse, The Old Rugged Cross)
Christianity is a religion of the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ is what separates Christianity from every other religion. All other religions are fundamentally a religion of works, man's failed attempts to get to God, in the main by trying to do good things. The cross, however, speaks of God's successful attempt to get to man. Christianity is indeed the true story of a God who loved us so much that - seeing us lost in our sins with no way out - he came to live amongst us, ultimately dying a brutal death in our place as our substitute sacrifice.
The cross is a place of death, stained with blood so divine. But it is also a place of life, and that's why we also see beauty in that old rugged cross. On the cross Jesus died the death we should have died that we may access the life that he lives. On the cross Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with his righteousness. On the cross Jesus was made a curse that we might receive his blessing.
The Bible tells how we deserve punishment, wounding, death, poverty, shame and rejection, but through the marvellous accomplishment of the cross, Christ instead gives us forgiveness, healing, life, abundance, glory, and acceptance. On the cross there was a divinely ordered exchange: Jesus took all the evil that was due us that we might enjoy all the good due him.
This is the triumph of the cross. And because of Christ's triumph on the cross, we are saved. Because of the triumph of the cross, we are free. Because of the triumph of the cross, we now have full access to God. That's why, in the words of the famous hymn, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me... for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me.
We are not saved by church membership, baptism, good works, religion, or ritual, but by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. This Easter I want to encourage you to contemplate that old rugged cross. Fix your eyes upon your bleeding Saviour, the sinless Son of God - and behold the glorious justice of God in laying our guilt upon him that we might receive full pardon from our sins.
But every day, resolve to keep the cross of Jesus Christ central. For it is not just an Easter adornment, or an item of jewellery that one wears around the neck, or an artefact to bow down to in a church building, the cross is the central focus of the Christian life where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for the triumph of your cross!
Every blessing,
Dominic
March 2010
What's Your
Foundation Like?
The multitudes sat transfixed and amazed. Jesus had just about wrapped up the Sermon on the Mount. Quite possibly this was the best sermon of all time. But Jesus had recognized that many of his listeners would be content with merely hearing his words without doing what they heard. So he chose to conclude his memorable sermon with a parable: the parable of the two builders.
The parable of the two builders is of course a favourite of Sunday school children: the wise man built his house upon the rock (x3)... and the rain came tumbling down. The basic message of this parable is that if you diligently work Jesus' words into your life, you are like a wise man who built his house on solid rock. Despite the devastating weather, nothing could move that house. However, if you don't work the words of Jesus into your life, you are like a foolish man who built his house on the sandy beach. When the rains came down and the floods came up, that house collapsed like a deck of cards.
Here Jesus is speaking of the absolute necessity of building your life on the right kind of foundation. In fact, the matter of the foundation is the only stated difference between the two houses (and then in the determining of which man is wise and which one is foolish). Jesus does not say that the wise man worked harder. He does not say that he used better quality materials. Neither does he say that the wise man's craftsmen were more skilled. He simply reveals that the wise man chose a better foundation, and that's why his house stood firm.
I actually think that the man who built his house on the sand did a lot of things right. It was no easy thing to put up a house in those days, it required diligence, energy and hard slog! Quite likely the house built on the sand was a good, solid structure - one that to all appearances was well-built. It wasn't obviously defective, and from the outside may have even looked better than the house built on the rock.
But that is the real tragedy, for all this labour and effort ultimately proved worthless. Indeed, as impressive and as worthwhile as his house looked from the outside, underneath it all, and just waiting for that first real storm - was that hidden weakness: the lack of a true foundation.
Just like every building has a foundation, every life, every home, every marriage, etc. has a foundation too. So what does your foundation consist of? That's Jesus' point. Because when the pressure intensifies from all angles, the outcome is determined purely by the foundation we're resting on. Remember, the same storm beat on both houses. That's because the weather is always impartial. The only thing that enabled one house to stand and caused the other to fall was the foundation. For when you combine the torrential rains and raging streams of life with housing (however mediocre or however grand) that sits on a shallow, sandy foundation, you will always find yourself, in the words of the Sunday school song, with a house that goes 'splat'.
There is a great lesson for us in this parable. It teaches us that the words of Jesus have no value unless they touch our lives - that his words are powerful only when they're truly obeyed. We can't be satisfied merely with the inspiration which comes by hearing them. We must not be content merely to be emotionally stirred or just to be intellectually stimulated by the words of Jesus. We must not be content until they change us! And they only have power to change us when we obey them, when we diligently dig deep into the Word, and like this wise man purposefully choose to build on that right foundation.
So what's your foundation like? Is your house built on the sand which is shifting, sliding and sinking, or the rock which is stationary, strong and secure? This month examine your life and see whether you are you trusting Jesus enough to let his words govern the entirety of your life in thought, word and deed:
"... everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.." (Matthew 7:24)
Every blessing,
Dominic
The multitudes sat transfixed and amazed. Jesus had just about wrapped up the Sermon on the Mount. Quite possibly this was the best sermon of all time. But Jesus had recognized that many of his listeners would be content with merely hearing his words without doing what they heard. So he chose to conclude his memorable sermon with a parable: the parable of the two builders.
The parable of the two builders is of course a favourite of Sunday school children: the wise man built his house upon the rock (x3)... and the rain came tumbling down. The basic message of this parable is that if you diligently work Jesus' words into your life, you are like a wise man who built his house on solid rock. Despite the devastating weather, nothing could move that house. However, if you don't work the words of Jesus into your life, you are like a foolish man who built his house on the sandy beach. When the rains came down and the floods came up, that house collapsed like a deck of cards.
Here Jesus is speaking of the absolute necessity of building your life on the right kind of foundation. In fact, the matter of the foundation is the only stated difference between the two houses (and then in the determining of which man is wise and which one is foolish). Jesus does not say that the wise man worked harder. He does not say that he used better quality materials. Neither does he say that the wise man's craftsmen were more skilled. He simply reveals that the wise man chose a better foundation, and that's why his house stood firm.
I actually think that the man who built his house on the sand did a lot of things right. It was no easy thing to put up a house in those days, it required diligence, energy and hard slog! Quite likely the house built on the sand was a good, solid structure - one that to all appearances was well-built. It wasn't obviously defective, and from the outside may have even looked better than the house built on the rock.
But that is the real tragedy, for all this labour and effort ultimately proved worthless. Indeed, as impressive and as worthwhile as his house looked from the outside, underneath it all, and just waiting for that first real storm - was that hidden weakness: the lack of a true foundation.
Just like every building has a foundation, every life, every home, every marriage, etc. has a foundation too. So what does your foundation consist of? That's Jesus' point. Because when the pressure intensifies from all angles, the outcome is determined purely by the foundation we're resting on. Remember, the same storm beat on both houses. That's because the weather is always impartial. The only thing that enabled one house to stand and caused the other to fall was the foundation. For when you combine the torrential rains and raging streams of life with housing (however mediocre or however grand) that sits on a shallow, sandy foundation, you will always find yourself, in the words of the Sunday school song, with a house that goes 'splat'.
There is a great lesson for us in this parable. It teaches us that the words of Jesus have no value unless they touch our lives - that his words are powerful only when they're truly obeyed. We can't be satisfied merely with the inspiration which comes by hearing them. We must not be content merely to be emotionally stirred or just to be intellectually stimulated by the words of Jesus. We must not be content until they change us! And they only have power to change us when we obey them, when we diligently dig deep into the Word, and like this wise man purposefully choose to build on that right foundation.
So what's your foundation like? Is your house built on the sand which is shifting, sliding and sinking, or the rock which is stationary, strong and secure? This month examine your life and see whether you are you trusting Jesus enough to let his words govern the entirety of your life in thought, word and deed:
"... everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.." (Matthew 7:24)
Every blessing,
Dominic
February 2010
Don't Settle in Haran
From the top of your head, would you be able to tell me who Terah was? Possibly not. He is the forgotten father of Abraham.
From the top of your head, would you be able to tell me who Terah was? Possibly not. He is the forgotten father of Abraham.
God didn't intend it that way. In fact, God had a great plan for Terah. Terah himself actually caught God's dream for his life of reaching the promised land of Canaan. He set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan, but for some reason he settled in Haran, the halfway point between Ur and Canaan. And because of this Terah missed out on God's best for his life.
27 This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth, 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran (Genesis 11:27-28, vv. 31-32).
Terah certainly
started out with good intentions. It wasn't an easy thing to pack up and
leave Ur. But somewhere along the journey, something happened - and
Terah decided to settle for less. He quit dreaming. He literally
stopped walking. And he ceased pursuing God's best. Basically, he
settled - he settled for the good of Haran instead of the great of
Canaan.
What was this "something" that caused Terah to give up on his dream? We can only speculate as the Bible doesn't say directly, but it is interesting to note that Terah's son was also called Haran. Terah had to face the heart-breaking tragedy of his son Haran dying while he was still alive. I could only imagine how devastated and heart-broken he was. Perhaps this bitter life experience knocked-out his capacity to dream and keep fighting. And quite probably it was the death of Haran that caused him to settle in Haran, the place of his pain.
In a world filled with tragedy and disappointment, the sad fact is that most of us at some time or another have seen our dreams come crashing down. Something we longed or hoped for which just didn't come to pass, maybe due to the pressures of daily life or even a knock-out punch that left us down-and-out and battling with mindsets of defeat, discouragement and inferiority.
What was this "something" that caused Terah to give up on his dream? We can only speculate as the Bible doesn't say directly, but it is interesting to note that Terah's son was also called Haran. Terah had to face the heart-breaking tragedy of his son Haran dying while he was still alive. I could only imagine how devastated and heart-broken he was. Perhaps this bitter life experience knocked-out his capacity to dream and keep fighting. And quite probably it was the death of Haran that caused him to settle in Haran, the place of his pain.
In a world filled with tragedy and disappointment, the sad fact is that most of us at some time or another have seen our dreams come crashing down. Something we longed or hoped for which just didn't come to pass, maybe due to the pressures of daily life or even a knock-out punch that left us down-and-out and battling with mindsets of defeat, discouragement and inferiority.
When such things happen it is all too easy to just
settle in Haran. But the tragedy of this - as we see with Terah - is
that if we stay in Haran too long we miss out. We miss out on God's
best. Remember, Terah died in Haran, in the place of his pain, when it
was only intended to be a short stop on the way. He got trapped in the
disappointment of the past and wasn't able to embrace God's future for
him.
In truth, the moment we choose to settle for where we are - the moment that Haran becomes OK - is the moment that death begins. Dreams die. Passions die. And we die.
The sad fact is that many Christians die in Haran because we settle for less. We don't make it to Canaan - we don't realise our potential in God.
Is there a Haran where you are settling? For that matter, is there an Ur that you should be leaving? Is there a promised land you should be reaching for? (Of course I'm not talking here about radical changes in geography, but changes in behaviour, attitudes and mindsets that are just as radical.)
In truth, the moment we choose to settle for where we are - the moment that Haran becomes OK - is the moment that death begins. Dreams die. Passions die. And we die.
The sad fact is that many Christians die in Haran because we settle for less. We don't make it to Canaan - we don't realise our potential in God.
Is there a Haran where you are settling? For that matter, is there an Ur that you should be leaving? Is there a promised land you should be reaching for? (Of course I'm not talking here about radical changes in geography, but changes in behaviour, attitudes and mindsets that are just as radical.)
Churches too can also learn from the story of Terah. It is all too easy for churches to settle in Haran, and this is why many churches don't see the promises of God fully prevail. For LGCC specifically, we have certainly come a long way. We are a large, thriving, growing active church with a great reputation. Many years ago we left our Ur of the Chaldeans. But we need to know that we are not in Canaan yet, and God is calling us to continue the onward march towards the land of promise. We must not settle in the comfortable place of Haran. In fact, in these days, I believe the Holy Spirit is wanting to "unsettle"¯ us a little - he wants us to be dissatisfied with what is, and crave what we do not yet have in God.
Let it not be said that "Dominic died in Haran", let it not be said that you died in Haran, and let it not be said that "LGCC settled in Haran".
God is on the move. This is the time to follow. Let's keep on marching forward! Let's journey towards the promise!
Every blessing,
Dominic
January 2010
IT'S TIME TO DREAMIf you don't have a dream, you're living in less than God's best. In fact, you're just existing. But God wants you to thrive, and not just survive.
Living
a life of purpose means going after God's vision for your life,
pursuing the desires that God has placed in your heart. Indeed, if you
search hard enough you will find that there is a dream that God has
placed in your heart. Some of us may have buried it because of the
pains, setbacks and failures of the past - others may have already
grasped hold of it. But we have to keep this dream continually before
us.
Now I'm not talking about an escapist wish such as winning
the lottery or getting a brand new sports car, but a vision deep down
inside that speaks to your very soul, that sparks your imagination, that
captures your heart and spirit, and that draws from your gifts and
talents. This is the thing that you were born to do, the thing that
ignites the feeling of destiny in your life, the thing that will
ultimately unlock your life's purpose and make you feel alive.
Dreaming
is a God-given capacity to see what God sees, it is about getting a
picture in your mind and heart of what you were created to be and do.
So
what is your life dream? What contribution do you want to make in this
world for God? What legacy do you want to leave? And what will you do in
2010 to advance this?
Your future is literally locked up in your
ability to dream. That's why the devil wants to destroy your capacity
to dream. He wants to knock it out of you. But this year, hear the word
of the Lord: it's time to dream! Keep on holding on to God's promises in
your heart - refuse to let go of God's dreams.
Maybe things
previously didn't turn out the way you expected. Maybe disappointment or
discouragement has set in. But this does not mean your dream is over.
Think
about this. Beethoven's teacher called him "hopeless as a composer" and
he also lost his hearing at a young age - yet he wrote some greatest
symphonies of all time. The great novelist Leo Tolstoy, author of the
epic War and Peace, was described as "both unable and unwilling to
learn"¯ and dropped out of college. Henry Ford failed and went bankrupt
five times before he finally succeeded. Winston Churchill failed at
school and he didn't get voted in until he became Prime Minister at the
age of 62, and it was only as a senior citizen that he made his
greatest contribution. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for
not being imaginative enough - he also went bankrupt several times
before he built Disneyland. Elvis Presley was fired after just one
performance at the Grand Ole Opry and was told that he "ain't going
nowhere"¯ and should go back to truck driving. Michael Jordan, arguably
the greatest basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school
basketball team.
What is the message of all this? In the words
of Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never, never give up".
This year, lay hold of your dreams and don't let anything hold you back. And by the end of 2010, may you be further along in the journey towards the fulfilment of your dream than you are now.
Remember, the greatest danger in life is not aiming too high and missing it, but aiming too low and hitting it. Expect great things from God, then attempt great things for God.
Wishing you a wonderful and most blessed New Year,
This year, lay hold of your dreams and don't let anything hold you back. And by the end of 2010, may you be further along in the journey towards the fulfilment of your dream than you are now.
Remember, the greatest danger in life is not aiming too high and missing it, but aiming too low and hitting it. Expect great things from God, then attempt great things for God.
Wishing you a wonderful and most blessed New Year,
Dominic
December 2009
GOD WITH USUnlike
any other baby in all of history, the one born in Bethlehem on
Christmas day was unique: he was not created by a man and a woman, for
he had a heavenly pre-existence.
Indeed, at Christmas time we celebrate the fact that around 2000 years ago in real time and space, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator God did the most amazing thing: he came to earth in the form of a baby - he became human in the person of Jesus, all so that humanity and the creation could be reconciled to him.
This is why theologians refer to the Christmas
event as the "incarnation" (meaning 'in the flesh'¯), for in the birth
of Jesus, he who resided in heaven - co-equal and co-eternal with the
Father and the Spirit - took on human flesh. He descended willingly into
our world. He took on human flesh. He breathed our air. He felt our
pain. And he shared our trials and sufferings. Indeed, at Christmas time we celebrate the fact that around 2000 years ago in real time and space, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator God did the most amazing thing: he came to earth in the form of a baby - he became human in the person of Jesus, all so that humanity and the creation could be reconciled to him.
This fact of the
incarnation - that God has come down in the flesh - means that he fully
understands our experiences and struggles. Jesus has been where we are,
and this means we can come to him with all our thoughts, feelings, needs
and struggles. Yet because he is God, it also means that he is not
simply a listening ear - he has the power and authority to deliver us
from sin and help us out of our struggles.
In this vein, Matthew refers to Jesus as "Immanuel" (1:23). He is not meaning that Jesus would ever literally bear the name "Immanuel", but rather that this name described Jesus' role, for Immanuel means 'God with us'¯.
Immanuel. I find that pretty amazing! In fact it dazzles me every time I think about it. GOD WITH US. Contemplate how big God is, how far above he is, how transcendent he is. Now take a moment to look at the majesty and glory of his creation. The truth is that God is greater and stronger than anything or anyone we have ever known. And yet the remarkable thing is that in the coming of Jesus at Christmas time, this same God has become intimately present with us. He is 'God with us'.
In this vein, Matthew refers to Jesus as "Immanuel" (1:23). He is not meaning that Jesus would ever literally bear the name "Immanuel", but rather that this name described Jesus' role, for Immanuel means 'God with us'¯.
Immanuel. I find that pretty amazing! In fact it dazzles me every time I think about it. GOD WITH US. Contemplate how big God is, how far above he is, how transcendent he is. Now take a moment to look at the majesty and glory of his creation. The truth is that God is greater and stronger than anything or anyone we have ever known. And yet the remarkable thing is that in the coming of Jesus at Christmas time, this same God has become intimately present with us. He is 'God with us'.
This
is the true meaning of Christmas, that God himself came into human
history, coming to do what only he alone could do, coming at a
particular time and place for the sake of people of every time and every
place.
Sometimes the valleys and pitfalls of life can knock it out of us. As we get pulled here and there by our jobs, finances and meeting the day-to-day needs of our families, the pressures of life can seem overwhelming. We can feel out of our depth and desperately alone. But in these times, we must remember the wonderful Christmas message: Immanuel is born - God is with us!
The events in that manger in Bethlehem 2000 years ago proclaim God's desire to be with you. Know that through his incarnation into human flesh, the God of this universe has extended his hand and invitation to you. He is not some distant, detached deity. He has drawn close to you through Jesus. This Christmas, I encourage you to draw close to him.
Sometimes the valleys and pitfalls of life can knock it out of us. As we get pulled here and there by our jobs, finances and meeting the day-to-day needs of our families, the pressures of life can seem overwhelming. We can feel out of our depth and desperately alone. But in these times, we must remember the wonderful Christmas message: Immanuel is born - God is with us!
The events in that manger in Bethlehem 2000 years ago proclaim God's desire to be with you. Know that through his incarnation into human flesh, the God of this universe has extended his hand and invitation to you. He is not some distant, detached deity. He has drawn close to you through Jesus. This Christmas, I encourage you to draw close to him.
A happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year to you from all of us here at LGCC!
Every blessing,
Dominic
November 2009
YOUR CHURCH NEEDS YOU!President
John F. Kennedy once said: "Ask not what your country can do for you...
ask what you can do for your country". When it comes to church life,
perhaps we could similarly say: "Ask not what your church can do for
you... ask what you can do for your church".
I say "perhaps" because I believe that every church member has the right to legitimately ask, "what is my church doing for me?" However, we must remember that church is to do with the people, the body of believers - not the church office or simply the leaders. So when we ask that question, "what is my church doing for me?" - we must be prepared to be part of the answer ourselves. That will often mean rolling up our sleeves and getting involved.
It's been said that in church life 20% of the people do 80% of the work, that the vast majority of church-goers are spectators and consumers, not participators and producers. Is this the case in LGCC?
Well, one thing I know is that we have some outstanding examples of volunteers at LGCC. In fact we wouldn't be able to do what we do on Sundays or midweek without the help of these wonderful servant-hearted men, women and young people. (Just imagine what we'd look like without them, no one to look after your kids during the Sunday services, for instance, or no one to work the PA on a Sunday morning.)
Nevertheless I'm also aware that we are close to a precarious position when it comes to the amount of people we have actually serving in the various ministries to keep them going to the level of excellence that we desire. Simply put, we need more manpower, not simply to maintain what we have attained, but also to attain the new things that God is laying before us.
Of course, we do have enough church members. And if everyone was to contribute just a little of their time and talent we'd have more than enough help. That's why this month I'm challenging EVERY able church member to get involved in at least ONE ministry. That may mean helping with the kids, serving on the host team, assisting with hospitality or catering, volunteering your technical, IT or media expertise, lending a practical hand in the office, getting involved in building maintenance, becoming part of the cleaning rota, and much more. Whatever it is, there is a place for you to offer your time and talent to further God's purposes in this house. (Please refer to the "Your Church Needs You" volunteer booklet showing you the hundreds of ways that you can get involved at LGCC.)
We have great dreams at LGCC. But the fact of the matter is, we won't realise them without you! If we each do our part - if we can unleash the power of everybody - the cumulative effect will be awesome. And together we'll take LGCC to the next level as we grow to a church of 1000!
Your church needs you, now more than ever! Please get involved. And may you begin to experience the great blessings of servanthood and volunteering.
I say "perhaps" because I believe that every church member has the right to legitimately ask, "what is my church doing for me?" However, we must remember that church is to do with the people, the body of believers - not the church office or simply the leaders. So when we ask that question, "what is my church doing for me?" - we must be prepared to be part of the answer ourselves. That will often mean rolling up our sleeves and getting involved.
It's been said that in church life 20% of the people do 80% of the work, that the vast majority of church-goers are spectators and consumers, not participators and producers. Is this the case in LGCC?
Well, one thing I know is that we have some outstanding examples of volunteers at LGCC. In fact we wouldn't be able to do what we do on Sundays or midweek without the help of these wonderful servant-hearted men, women and young people. (Just imagine what we'd look like without them, no one to look after your kids during the Sunday services, for instance, or no one to work the PA on a Sunday morning.)
Nevertheless I'm also aware that we are close to a precarious position when it comes to the amount of people we have actually serving in the various ministries to keep them going to the level of excellence that we desire. Simply put, we need more manpower, not simply to maintain what we have attained, but also to attain the new things that God is laying before us.
Of course, we do have enough church members. And if everyone was to contribute just a little of their time and talent we'd have more than enough help. That's why this month I'm challenging EVERY able church member to get involved in at least ONE ministry. That may mean helping with the kids, serving on the host team, assisting with hospitality or catering, volunteering your technical, IT or media expertise, lending a practical hand in the office, getting involved in building maintenance, becoming part of the cleaning rota, and much more. Whatever it is, there is a place for you to offer your time and talent to further God's purposes in this house. (Please refer to the "Your Church Needs You" volunteer booklet showing you the hundreds of ways that you can get involved at LGCC.)
We have great dreams at LGCC. But the fact of the matter is, we won't realise them without you! If we each do our part - if we can unleash the power of everybody - the cumulative effect will be awesome. And together we'll take LGCC to the next level as we grow to a church of 1000!
Your church needs you, now more than ever! Please get involved. And may you begin to experience the great blessings of servanthood and volunteering.
Every blessing,
Dominic
October 2009
"Let's get back to normal". Those are
the words that I believe God put on my heart as I was preparing for the
launch of the Revival Breakthrough Service last month.
Recent
statistics have pointed to dwindling church attendance in the UK. In
England, during the 1970's, 12% of the adult population attended church
services on Sundays. In 1980's it was 10%. And in the 1990's the
percentage dropped to 8%. The projected figures would indicate that in
another 30-40 years church attendance in England would have all but
ceased to exist!
Correspondingly, this declining church
attendance has led to decreasing levels of Christian influence in
society. Rather than being strong and powerful as we once were, the UK
church now appears weak and dying. We're perceived in popular culture as
being boring and irrelevant. And the media mocks us as we squabble
amongst our own about whether homosexual priests should be ordained as
bishops, whether we really believe the Bible on creation, and the like.
Surely this is not the way things were meant to be. Surely this is
not what God intended. And indeed, if we turn to the Scriptures, we can
see the early church of the book of Acts was a strong, vibrant, united
and Spirit-filled group, seeing the multitudes saved, numbers being
added to daily, and moving in signs, wonders and miracles (cf. Acts
2:42-47).
I believe this is God's norm for the Church, yet
sadly the norm has become the exception. "On fire" is no longer the
default state, but a special category reserved for the slightly more
enthusiastic and eager.
But surely every believer should be "on
fire" for Christ? That doesn't mean that everyone is called to proclaim
Christ from the town square. But it does mean that every Christian
should be so deeply in love with Jesus that his heart is our heart,
that we want to be like him and that we have a genuine and acted-upon
desire to let his love be known to others.
That's why I believe
it's time to get back to normal ("normal" as in the book of Acts). This
is what revival is about, restoration to our true state. And, given the
statistics above, if there ever was a time for revival, surely it must
be now.
Last month I talked about the new thing that God is
doing amongst us. His glory is falling. His light is shining. And he is
telling us to arise and to shine. This is why I'm choosing to look at
the statistics above in a different way. Gideon's army was reduced to
almost 1% of what it originally was. But this was by God's design as he
sifted out those who were only nominally part of the army. And
miraculously, God took that faithful bunch of 300 and defeated the
Midianites. Could it be that he has a similar plan for the 300 of LGCC?
Jesus isn't coming back for a weak and dwindling Church, he's
coming back for a glorious Church! Ecclesiastes 7:8 says the end of a
thing shall be greater than the beginning. If the church of Acts began
in such a wonderful way, then we can legitimately believe God that the
end-time church - of which we are a part - will be equally magnificent,
if not greater!
Desire God's best!
Every blessing,
Dominic
September 2009
When the Lord speaks, you have to be willing to go someplace
new. Responding to God invariably and inevitably means change. It means
stepping out of your comfort zone, being willing to take risks,
venturing into the unfamiliar, and allowing God to shake things up a
little.
But most of us are not too happy about change. We view change as
a threat, not an opportunity. We prefer the comfortable surroundings of
the familiar, the habitual and the customary, but all too often this
leaves us stuck in a rut, stagnant and out of sync with God's "now"¯ plan
for us.
The journey of faith, however, navigates the carriageway of
change. Faith involves stepping out and stepping up into God's purposes
and God's reality. Think about Abraham. He had to leave the familiar
surroundings of his country, people and father's house and go to the
land that God was showing him (cf. Genesis 12:1). And it was only as he
left in obedience and abandoned himself to God's promise that he entered
into God's awesome plan for him (which incidentally changed the history
of the world!).
Ultimately you either go forward or backward in the Christian
life, but going forward means embracing change. And change is in the
midst here at LGCC, we're positioning ourselves for the growth,
expansion and move of the Spirit that lies ahead. Practically, exciting
new services are being launched, new initiatives and concepts are being
birthed, and new people are coming in, this is because spiritually we
have entered into a new season: God is doing a new thing and has put a
fresh anointing upon us to go further than ever before.
I believe that Isaiah 43:18-19 & 60:1-2 are especially
appropriate for us at this time:
Forget
the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new
thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in
the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Arise, shine, for your light
has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers
the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises
upon you and his glory appears over you (Isaiah 60:1-2).
Spiritually the UK may seem like a wasteland and these may be
dark days, but I invite you to see with the eyes of faith where we are
going, what God is doing, and to wholeheartedly embrace God's "now"¯ plan
for LGCC. Dream of God's glory shining in and through us. Dream of the
multitudes coming in, your friends, family, colleagues, classmates,
neighbours, and strangers you don't even know yet. Dream of a revival
move of the Spirit never before seen - the healings, miracles and
supernatural outpourings. Dream of LGCC transforming this region as we
move out in gospel power, and even becoming a tool of healing and
transformation in our nation and beyond.
Make a decision today to be part of the vanguard, not the old
guard. We're marching towards the promised land. And God is calling for
renewed commitment on the part of every member - that we become the new
wineskins for the new wine that the Spirit is pouring out in this day.
We cannot go where we need to go by remaining where we are.
Don't be content with what has been or what is - crave what can and
shall surely be!
Every blessing,
Dominic
August 2009
SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES
Acts 10:38 describes how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil - because God was with him. God is with us too, and Acts 10:38 is a picture of what we can see happen when we partner with the Holy Spirit and are empowered by him.
Jesus was anointed - to preach, to heal, to deliver the captives, to open blind eyes, to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Jesus was anointed to undo the works of the devil. In fact, 1 John 3:8b says: "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work".
What a powerful truth! This means that what the devil has done to you can be undone because Jesus has won the victory on the cross. Primarily this means being delivered from the grip and curse of sin, it means that we can believe God to walk free from the destructive habits, negative thinking and past behaviours that previously bound us. On the cross Jesus washed our sins away and the justice of God was satisfied as the penalty of our sin was laid upon him, our substitute.
But Jesus also dealt the death blow to the fruit of sin on the cross. Yes, the consequences of sin await full and final eradication in the second coming, but Jesus came to undo, loosen and destroy the devil's works, works such as sickness, illness and disease. We deserve punishment, wounding, death, poverty, shame and rejection, but Christ through the cross gives us forgiveness, healing, life, abundance, glory, and acceptance.
Christ's victory on the cross gives us a biblical warrant to expect great things from God in the here and now, including signs, wonders and miracles. Physical healing may not be the primary purpose of the cross (though there is a clear link between Christ's death and healing, Matthew 8:17) and God in his sovereignty and this side of heaven may not heal everyone we pray for, but he does heal, and he is more willing to heal than we sometimes give him credit for.
That's why I want to exhort you: step out and attempt great things for God. Dare to believe God for miracles. In fact, I believe signs, wonders and miracles are the birthright of a Spirit-filled church. That's one of the reasons why we must keep on being filled with the Spirit (cf. Ephesians 5:18), that we would be a naturally supernatural people as we endeavour to outreach to our world.
Oh how we need the Holy Spirit's anointing today! The anointing brings release, the anointing brings breakthrough, the anointing destroys the yoke! We need God's power to do what cannot be done in the natural order, to back up our gospel words with powerful demonstrations that Jesus has the power to save and to heal.
We live in a hurting world full of hurting people. God places miraculous giftings in the church primarily that attention might be drawn to the gospel and people would ultimately come into the saving knowledge of Christ. The Bible says that "when the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said"¯ (Acts 8:6).
Miracles are ultimately a sovereign act of God's will, but believing God for miracles today so that his glory would be evidenced is a biblically legitimate expectation. Jesus says in Matthew 17:20, "If you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"¯. Therefore, expect God to act when you pray! Expect souls to be saved, bodies to be healed and miracles to happen - authenticating our claims that we serve the one, true and living God. Only a wave of supernatural outpouring can see the revival that we so desperately long for. Let's pray that Letchworth and beyond will experience a fresh touch of God's power as we step out in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. "Lord, show your power."¯
Every blessing,
Dominic
Acts 10:38 describes how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil - because God was with him. God is with us too, and Acts 10:38 is a picture of what we can see happen when we partner with the Holy Spirit and are empowered by him.
Jesus was anointed - to preach, to heal, to deliver the captives, to open blind eyes, to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Jesus was anointed to undo the works of the devil. In fact, 1 John 3:8b says: "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work".
What a powerful truth! This means that what the devil has done to you can be undone because Jesus has won the victory on the cross. Primarily this means being delivered from the grip and curse of sin, it means that we can believe God to walk free from the destructive habits, negative thinking and past behaviours that previously bound us. On the cross Jesus washed our sins away and the justice of God was satisfied as the penalty of our sin was laid upon him, our substitute.
But Jesus also dealt the death blow to the fruit of sin on the cross. Yes, the consequences of sin await full and final eradication in the second coming, but Jesus came to undo, loosen and destroy the devil's works, works such as sickness, illness and disease. We deserve punishment, wounding, death, poverty, shame and rejection, but Christ through the cross gives us forgiveness, healing, life, abundance, glory, and acceptance.
Christ's victory on the cross gives us a biblical warrant to expect great things from God in the here and now, including signs, wonders and miracles. Physical healing may not be the primary purpose of the cross (though there is a clear link between Christ's death and healing, Matthew 8:17) and God in his sovereignty and this side of heaven may not heal everyone we pray for, but he does heal, and he is more willing to heal than we sometimes give him credit for.
That's why I want to exhort you: step out and attempt great things for God. Dare to believe God for miracles. In fact, I believe signs, wonders and miracles are the birthright of a Spirit-filled church. That's one of the reasons why we must keep on being filled with the Spirit (cf. Ephesians 5:18), that we would be a naturally supernatural people as we endeavour to outreach to our world.
Oh how we need the Holy Spirit's anointing today! The anointing brings release, the anointing brings breakthrough, the anointing destroys the yoke! We need God's power to do what cannot be done in the natural order, to back up our gospel words with powerful demonstrations that Jesus has the power to save and to heal.
We live in a hurting world full of hurting people. God places miraculous giftings in the church primarily that attention might be drawn to the gospel and people would ultimately come into the saving knowledge of Christ. The Bible says that "when the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said"¯ (Acts 8:6).
Miracles are ultimately a sovereign act of God's will, but believing God for miracles today so that his glory would be evidenced is a biblically legitimate expectation. Jesus says in Matthew 17:20, "If you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"¯. Therefore, expect God to act when you pray! Expect souls to be saved, bodies to be healed and miracles to happen - authenticating our claims that we serve the one, true and living God. Only a wave of supernatural outpouring can see the revival that we so desperately long for. Let's pray that Letchworth and beyond will experience a fresh touch of God's power as we step out in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. "Lord, show your power."¯
Every blessing,
Dominic
July 2009
THE SCANDAL OF THE
PENTECOSTAL MIND
Pentecostal Christians sadly have a reputation for neglecting the 'Word'¯ element of the faith. The story goes that a man visited a laboratory to purchase a Christian brain. He was shown multiple brains for sale by the scientist. Firstly, he viewed a Catholic brain, the scientist said it was on special offer at just £20,000. Next he was shown a Baptist brain, going for £40,000. Thirdly, he was taken to the Methodist brain, the RRP was £60,000. Finally he was shown a Pentecostal brain, located in a special and sealed part of the laboratory, which the salesman said cost a staggering £500,000. The man asked why the Pentecostal brain cost so much more than the others, to which the scientist promptly replied, "The Pentecostal brain has never been used"¯.
Now this is not true of all Pentecostals by any
means, but is there a ring of general truth to it? Or put another way,
why is it that within the Christian world Pentecostals have such a poor
reputation when it comes to the theological endeavour? What could be the
reason for this scandal of the
Pentecostal mind?
To answer my own question, I think part of the reason is that - due to the Pentecostal emphasis on experience - it is sometimes all too easy for us to think that the Christian life is simply about passion for Jesus and moving in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I remember whilst studying Theology at Cambridge that a Pentecostal minister once said to me, "Why bother with all of that theological rubbish? Saving souls is all that matters"¯.
Now, who could argue against the fact that saving souls is primary? I hope by now that in these 2 months since I've been at LGCC you've caught a little of my heart, a heart which burns to see the gospel preached and demonstrated in Holy Spirit power so that our nation can come into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, a heart which wants to see every Christian passionately in love with Jesus, walking in victory and pursuing God's holy presence and cause every day.
But my
Pentecostal colleague was wrong - for the theological endeavour is
vitally important, and the choice between saving souls and disciplined
study is a false alternative. Indeed, passion for Jesus and a
disciplined mental life are not natural enemies. In fact, it's very
dangerous to separate the two. Christianity thrives on intelligence, not
ignorance, and ignorance is not the mother of devotion but of heresy.
The choice between passion for Jesus/moving in the Spirit and rigorous
study of the Word/ Christian doctrine is simply a false dilemma. The
only option is both/and, not either/or.
Some may respond by saying that "all you need is child-like faith"¯. I agree, the Bible does talk about coming to God with "child-like faith"¯, meaning an attitude of profound trust in God. However, sometimes we mistake "child-like faith"¯ for "childish thinking"¯, failing to take on board Paul's comments in 1 Corinthians 14:20: "in regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults"¯. This kind of attitude is also a far cry from Peter's exhortation in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be prepared to give an "answer"¯ (i.e. "reasoned defence"¯) for the hope that is in us.
Some may respond by saying that "all you need is child-like faith"¯. I agree, the Bible does talk about coming to God with "child-like faith"¯, meaning an attitude of profound trust in God. However, sometimes we mistake "child-like faith"¯ for "childish thinking"¯, failing to take on board Paul's comments in 1 Corinthians 14:20: "in regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults"¯. This kind of attitude is also a far cry from Peter's exhortation in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be prepared to give an "answer"¯ (i.e. "reasoned defence"¯) for the hope that is in us.
The truth is that sound,
authentic spirituality combines both the mind and the heart, and one
without the other always leads to a serious defect. Emphasis on the
intellect alone is dangerous: "knowledge
puffs up, but love builds up"¯ (1 Corinthians 8:1), and
certainly some Christian denominations have fallen foul of this.
However, emphasis on the heart alone is equally perilous: "the heart is deceitful above all things and
beyond cure"¯ (Jeremiah 17:9), and perhaps this is where
Pentecostals have to be especially careful.
I believe that true theology is a spiritual activity in which the Holy Spirit empowers our thoughts and speech, it is actually a form of spiritual warfare, and therefore it's something that I hope Pentecostals in future generations will grow to be very comfortable with and even lead the way in: "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"¯ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
At a local level, for LGCC to be the church that we are destined to be, I believe we must be both a Word and Spirit people. I'm startled by the increasing number of ministers I come into contact with who describe their churches as either a "Word"¯ church or a "Spirit"¯ church. This is because the modern church has seen a divorce of the Word and the Spirit, but we cannot afford to separate the two. We need to be a people who take the mighty sword of the Word and wield it in the awesome power of the Spirit. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, "... our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction"¯.
I believe that true theology is a spiritual activity in which the Holy Spirit empowers our thoughts and speech, it is actually a form of spiritual warfare, and therefore it's something that I hope Pentecostals in future generations will grow to be very comfortable with and even lead the way in: "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"¯ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
At a local level, for LGCC to be the church that we are destined to be, I believe we must be both a Word and Spirit people. I'm startled by the increasing number of ministers I come into contact with who describe their churches as either a "Word"¯ church or a "Spirit"¯ church. This is because the modern church has seen a divorce of the Word and the Spirit, but we cannot afford to separate the two. We need to be a people who take the mighty sword of the Word and wield it in the awesome power of the Spirit. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, "... our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction"¯.
For this reason, I'd like to encourage each
and every one of you to become diligent students of the Word. But at the
same time, I want to exhort you to believe God for breakthrough,
miracles and supernatural outpourings in your own life and also here in
Letchworth and North Herts.
We must never stop moving in the Spirit, relying on the Holy Spirit for his fresh infilling and anointing. But this pursuit must always be anchored in the Word, for if you're empty-headed before you're Spirit-filled, you'll be empty-headed after you're Spirit-filled (cf. RT Kendall)! Ultimately, it's never a question of theology or no theology - it's always a question of what theology: good, biblical theology or bad, unbiblical theology.
We must never stop moving in the Spirit, relying on the Holy Spirit for his fresh infilling and anointing. But this pursuit must always be anchored in the Word, for if you're empty-headed before you're Spirit-filled, you'll be empty-headed after you're Spirit-filled (cf. RT Kendall)! Ultimately, it's never a question of theology or no theology - it's always a question of what theology: good, biblical theology or bad, unbiblical theology.
Pentecostals know how to
move in the Spirit, it's in our spiritual DNA. But it's time to
eradicate the scandal of the Pentecostal mind and, in the power of the
Holy Spirit, be equipped in theological truth in order to not only know
what we believe and why, but also reach out effectively to our world!
Join us as we explore these ideas at the morning services in July.
Every blessing,
Dominic
June 2009
GET SALTY
Last month my wife Jodi came to me with a picture
of the Letchworth Garden City logo. You may have seen it at the entrance
points into the city: it's an image of 3 magnets turned inward. Jodi
said she believed that, as far as LGCC was concerned, God is wanting to
turn the magnets the other way round, not inward but outward so that the
church will attract the multitudes into it because of the irresistible
pull of the Spirit of Christ that is upon us.
She then gave me a Scripture, "coincidentally"¯ just after I'd independently written some thoughts in my journal about "getting salty for Christ"¯. That Scripture was 2 Kings 2:19-22, which I believe is a prophetic picture of Letchworth Garden City:
The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated (NLT: located in pleasant surroundings), as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive."¯
"Bring me a new bowl,"¯ he said, "and put salt in it."¯ So they brought it to him.
Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.'"¯
And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
As I've been proudly informed many times since arriving here, this is the world's first garden city, "pleasant surroundings"¯ indeed. But spiritually, what is the water like and what kind of spiritual fruit is being produced?
I believe we're living in a day in which the spiritual ground of the UK is generally barren as the bad waters of secularism, materialism, naturalism and false religion have choked out the Christian witness, to the point that the spiritual land is not as productive as it once was. In cities, towns and villages all over the land, people have written off the Church and some have even signalled the death of Christianity over the next 50 years.
But this cannot be the end (my Bible tells me something different!) and there must be a solution. So what's the solution? Elisha cast salt on the water at the source and the water was restored and the city healed. Obviously a miracle took place, it was not the salt or the bowl but God's power at work which brought about the city's restoration and transformation.
I believe the solution is salt in the supernatural bowl, which for us at this time, is a picture of Christians coming together and operating in the supernatural power of God as we proclaim, demonstrate and live the good news of Jesus Christ.
Friends, I don't think it's a coincidence that Jesus warned the people of God not to lose their saltiness (cf. Matthew 5:13), and part of the reason why the UK is in its present spiritual state is because of decades of disengagement and compromise on the part of the Church. God has called us to be salt, not sugar. It's time to get salty for Christ, for this is a crucial time in which we really need to be salt to the world.
Salt is no good in the salt cellar. It needs to be applied. As we apply our salt, and then lean on God's supernatural power, Letchworth and beyond will feel the ramifications, and we can be a tool of healing and transformation in this city, seeing the waters restored and the land bearing spiritual fruit befitting of its heritage and surroundings once again.
So let's be the salt of Letchworth! Let's turn our magnets the other way round! And let's believe God that a stream of revival will flow out of LGCC, touching Letchworth, North Herts and even our nation.
Every blessing,
May 2009
Jodi, Kobie and I are so thrilled to now be joining
the LGCC family. The series of events that led to our being here point
clearly to God's handiwork, and this is one of the reasons why I think
that God is up to something, not just personally but more significantly,
in the life of LGCC.
I consider it a great honour to be able to take on a church of such standing within the Elim denomination as LGCC. I would like to pay tribute to the tremendous work of Mark and Kathy Ryan over the last 11 years: they have laid an excellent foundation and done an outstanding job in driving the ministry forward.
For us in LGCC we are entering into the next exciting phase of our journey, and there is indeed much for us to look forward to. I firmly believe that this is the time for growth and expansion - God is on the move and doing something new amongst us. Yet I am also keenly aware that nationally and wider there are many challenges facing Christians. Europe has sadly been hailed a "post-Christian"¯ continent; our Judeo-Christian heritage which has sourced so much of this nation's values, institutions and freedoms is seemingly being eroded week by week as the secularist agenda runs rampant; and if some statisticians are to be believed, in less than 50 years time Christianity in the UK would have all but disappeared.
But that must not be the end of the story. If there ever was such a moment, this is the time for Christians in the UK to rise up and become agents for change in our society. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: "IF MY people who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land"¯ (emphasis mine). There is a land and a people that so desperately need healing. This verse shows the role that we - God's people, the Church - have to play in that. The Christian cry of recent times has been "send revival"¯, but did you notice the "if"¯ of 2 Chronicles 7:14? God is ready. But if we want to see this nationwide revival, then know that it begins with a personal revival in each of us. As we pray, worship, pursue God's presence, and walk in holiness, God promises that He will respond - and the world will ultimately be affected.
I firmly believe that the Church - moving in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and preaching the gospel in full power - is the only hope for our nation. And this specific local church has a great role to play in that too - in Letchworth, North Herts and yes, even wider. Praise God for everything that has happened in LGCC up to this point - it is no small achievement. But there is still more land to conquer - still more territory to take (cf. Joshua 13:1b-7). And how appropriate the name of our annual May Conference, for this is indeed the time for us - individually and corporately - to "step up"¯ in the things of God. This is the time to advance.
Let's therefore believe God for His very best. Let's not just be content with "Sunday Christianity"¯ but allow Jesus to be Lord of all as we unleash the power of the gospel through active evangelistic witness and "salt and light"¯ engagement in every stream of life and culture. Let's be a church centered around the cause of Jesus Christ committed to seeing souls won; disciples made; lives, communities and cities transformed; and ultimately our world impacted with the power of Jesus. This way we will do our part in seeing God's glory demonstrated in and through His Church (cf. Ephesians 3:21).
It's an awesome privilege to be joining you. I look forward to getting to know each of you over the next weeks and months (please just remember to exercise those wonderful Christian virtues of mercy and forgiveness when it comes to me remembering your name!). And do join me on these vital Sunday mornings in May as I share with you what I believe to be a significant series of messages from God's heart as we transition into this new phase in our ministry (more details inside).
Holy Spirit - set our hearts on fire with a passion for Christ and a desire to reach out and be good news to this hurting world around us.
I consider it a great honour to be able to take on a church of such standing within the Elim denomination as LGCC. I would like to pay tribute to the tremendous work of Mark and Kathy Ryan over the last 11 years: they have laid an excellent foundation and done an outstanding job in driving the ministry forward.
For us in LGCC we are entering into the next exciting phase of our journey, and there is indeed much for us to look forward to. I firmly believe that this is the time for growth and expansion - God is on the move and doing something new amongst us. Yet I am also keenly aware that nationally and wider there are many challenges facing Christians. Europe has sadly been hailed a "post-Christian"¯ continent; our Judeo-Christian heritage which has sourced so much of this nation's values, institutions and freedoms is seemingly being eroded week by week as the secularist agenda runs rampant; and if some statisticians are to be believed, in less than 50 years time Christianity in the UK would have all but disappeared.
But that must not be the end of the story. If there ever was such a moment, this is the time for Christians in the UK to rise up and become agents for change in our society. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: "IF MY people who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land"¯ (emphasis mine). There is a land and a people that so desperately need healing. This verse shows the role that we - God's people, the Church - have to play in that. The Christian cry of recent times has been "send revival"¯, but did you notice the "if"¯ of 2 Chronicles 7:14? God is ready. But if we want to see this nationwide revival, then know that it begins with a personal revival in each of us. As we pray, worship, pursue God's presence, and walk in holiness, God promises that He will respond - and the world will ultimately be affected.
I firmly believe that the Church - moving in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and preaching the gospel in full power - is the only hope for our nation. And this specific local church has a great role to play in that too - in Letchworth, North Herts and yes, even wider. Praise God for everything that has happened in LGCC up to this point - it is no small achievement. But there is still more land to conquer - still more territory to take (cf. Joshua 13:1b-7). And how appropriate the name of our annual May Conference, for this is indeed the time for us - individually and corporately - to "step up"¯ in the things of God. This is the time to advance.
Let's therefore believe God for His very best. Let's not just be content with "Sunday Christianity"¯ but allow Jesus to be Lord of all as we unleash the power of the gospel through active evangelistic witness and "salt and light"¯ engagement in every stream of life and culture. Let's be a church centered around the cause of Jesus Christ committed to seeing souls won; disciples made; lives, communities and cities transformed; and ultimately our world impacted with the power of Jesus. This way we will do our part in seeing God's glory demonstrated in and through His Church (cf. Ephesians 3:21).
It's an awesome privilege to be joining you. I look forward to getting to know each of you over the next weeks and months (please just remember to exercise those wonderful Christian virtues of mercy and forgiveness when it comes to me remembering your name!). And do join me on these vital Sunday mornings in May as I share with you what I believe to be a significant series of messages from God's heart as we transition into this new phase in our ministry (more details inside).
Holy Spirit - set our hearts on fire with a passion for Christ and a desire to reach out and be good news to this hurting world around us.
Every blessing,
Dominic
