Souljourn

This is going to be great!

New series starting this weekend

 

"Whoever has the most hope, has the most influence." Bill Johnson 

Through Jesus Christ our lives can be filled with hope.  From the mountain top of victory to the valley of the shadow of death we have the opportunity to live with hope.  Even in the face of the most severe criticism and opposition Jesus gives each and every one of us the ability to live with hope.  We are no longer a slave to our circumstances but through Jesus we are free. 

Free to live with hope.

I am really looking forward to this 5 week series through the book of 1 Peter as we discover the hope available to us through Jesus Christ and how we can share this with the world.

Listen to Creation speak

Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature.  

Just look at these photos of the Grand Canyon for a few minutes and allow them to speak to you about God.

  

Talented people

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.

What Naomi saw

When Naomi was in Phoenix she took a quick trip out to the Grand Canyon.  As they were driving there they noticed some cars pulled off the road and people gathered.  They stopped as well and this is what they saw.  

Currently listening to...

I love this new worship CD from Bethel Church.  We are already singing two of the songs in church (Deep Cries Out and I Exalt Thee) and I would expect a few more will be added to the mix.

 

 

The vision of the pickle

This one is a little out of the ordinary for me but there was (is) no way I’m not going to respond to it.  Over the last few weeks in church we have been talking about being committed to Holy Spirit instead of just open to Him (there is a BIG difference) and last weekend we looked at Mark 6 where the full intentions of Jesus were limited because of an unwillingness to move in response to His leading. 

On Friday night I was in a worship service just enjoying the presence of Jesus when I clearly had two images flash back and forth in my mind.  The first image was a cucumber and the second was a pickle.  These images flashed back and forth twice between the two and although it came out of the blue I immediately knew what God was saying to me*.  It was an invitation to more intentionally soak in God’s presence, and to be changed through soaking.

I’ve never made pickles, so this may be an oversimplification, but a cucumber becomes a pickle simply through soaking.  And as it soaks, it takes on the flavour of what it is soaking in until it is entirely changed.  No one considers a pickle to be a ‘slightly modified’ cucumber, it is something entirely different.

So as those images flashed through my mind, along with the understanding I just shared, I spent some more time worshiping just receiving from God.  Then on Saturday I put on some worship music and just lay on the floor (in my bedroom, with the door closed) receiving from Jesus.  I didn’t do a lot of praying I just lay there and by faith received from the presence of Jesus.

Although I felt peace and adoration during this time, there was nothing dramatic that occurred and I wasn’t expecting there would be.  Once again, from my understanding of the pickling process, there isn’t a moment when the cucumber suddenly becomes the pickle, it is simply a subtle process over time.

Then I went to church for our Saturday evening service and my Mom came in and handed me a bag with three cucumbers in it.  I would like to tell you that being the man of faith and power I am that I immediately made the connection and rejoiced in the confirmation (and humour) of God.  Unfortunately, it didn’t even register on my radar until after the service when we were driving home.  My youngest son asked what was in the bag and when I said, “some cucumbers”, he replied, “oh did someone give you those because of what you shared?” (I had mentioned the images in worship).   His simple question caused the light to come on for me and I laughed at God’s prompting. 

So that is the invitation that God presented me with.  I believe it is for me, and our church family, but it can be yours too.

 

*According to Joel 2:28 seeing a vision puts me in the ‘young men’s’ camp which I also felt pretty good about seeing I just turned 41.

 

I'll explain tomorrow

Quotes from our house

Naomi has been away in sunny Phoenix for the last eight days.  Here are a couple quotes heard around our house in her absence.

During a Skype conversation between Naomi and the kids:

Naomi - "How are you guys doing?"  

Response -  "We are barely surviving."

A compliment (I think) from one of our kids:

"Way to go house Dad!"

The truth comes out:

Me - "Do you want to go here for lunch?"  

Child - "Sure."  

While eating lunch -  "Mom says this place is a rip-off."

 

I think we are all very glad she'll be home Sunday night.

Presence driven

Over the last few weeks we have been talking about being a people who are passionately committed to the presence of Jesus.  I have found preparing and preaching these sermons to be at the same time, the most enjoyable and provoking, experience I have had in quite some time.

It has been enjoyable because stripping away everything else and focussing on Jesus has brought an increased peace and adoration in my life that has been very refreshing.  

It has been provoking because I know there is so much that Jesus has for me to experience.  I don't want to walk on the fringe of His presence, or experience His presence in measure, I want to know the fullness of His presence.  And thankfully, Jesus sent Holy Spirit to lead me into that very place!!

Here is a very brief outline of the ground we have covered:

1.  Are we open to His presence or committed to His presence?  We will seldom sacrifice, or be known for, things we are simply 'open' to.  It is those qualities, experiences and skills that we are committed to that define us.  And Moses declares in Exodus 33:16 that the presence of God was to be the defining quality of our lives.

2. Welcoming His presence.  King David teaches us how to welcome the presence of God (the 2nd time around) into the centre of our lives.  In 2 Samuel 6 (and 1 Chronicles 15) David models obedience, sacrifice, passion and humility in pursuing the presence of God.

3. The fullness of His presence.  Jesus set an incredible standard -- He healed and delivered everyone who encountered Him.  And if that wasn't noteworthy enough, He went on to say that we would do the same as He did (John 14:12).  When someone sets a world record, it usually isn't expected to be matched, and whomever might do it is usually in pretty elite company.  But Jesus set a never before seen standard, and then declared that it was the new norm for His followers.

4. A hindered presence.  Mark 6 records for us an incident that seems to stand in marked contrast to the pattern Jesus set.  Immediately after raising a young girl from the dead and healing a woman who had been sick for 12 years (Mark 5) Jesus went into a region and was unable to heal and deliver as many people as He intended to.  The Bible records in a disappointing light that, "...He could heal only a few...".  What would cause most of us to rejoice, the Bible mentions it almost regrettably.  Not for those that got healed, but because Jesus wanted to do so much more.

5.  And this week....well you'll just have to come to church and find out.