I want to share something...

Hey everyone again, you've got a double post bonus today. I'm on my lunch at the moment. I've got my Ipod listening to some music that i've not heard for a while. What with the uncertainty in human terms of my future I have been obviously praying so hard about my worries when this song comes on. I've put the lyrics here. Meant a lot.






KJ-52: He is All

How long can you live your life
and act like everything is alright?
Why do you try just to only get by
when you know that you're hurting inside?
How long till you lay down your pride
you can't run from him, now where would you hide?
He's been calling you for such a long time
but it's up to you just to open your eyes and that’s why
he waiting for you with arms open wide,
waiting for you just to give him all your life.
He's your father can’t you see you’re his child
waiting for you just to come home tonight?

Do you know?
Do you really know?
He is all you need.

Can you see the thorns on his head
and every single blood drop shed?
Can you see him as he took his last breath?
Can you see him when he rose from the dead?
You're the reason why he had to face death.
I know some things that might bring your life stress.
And you’re concerned about what’s coming next,
feeling so worried ‘cause your whole life’s a mess.
I want to tell you, you can make it thought this.
He'll never fail you, that's what he promised us
and even when things don't seem to make sense
that's the time when you hang on now you just trust.

Do you know?
Do you really know?
He is all you need.

I felt God speaking to me through this song, reminding me of the fact that God is there and he is all that i need when things look uncertain.

Thank you Lord!

Just thought i'd share that.

In Christ

Mikey

The "When" Factor.

When do we know to do something? I mean generally not just with the spirit. For example, when do we know when to go to the toilet? When do we know when to brush our teeth or get up in the morning (judging by today’s experience, I don’t know when to get up!). My point is, we have all had experience and learned from that experience so that we know when to do things. As most of you know at the moment, I’m planning on doing further training, specifically bible training soon and have been praying about this very thing, not that I know when to go to the toilet although that is helpful, more that I know when.

I can tell you the why, I can tell you the how and I can tell you the where, but the explanation of when escapes me. This is something, which is commonplace for us all. If we look at the scriptures, there have been many times where the characters have known the why, how and where but not known when. The whole of Isaiah is a prophecy about Jesus as the messiah, but because the Jews of the time didn’t know when, they missed him and are still waiting. I for one do not want my life to become like that, missing opportunities even when they are staring me right in the face, but because I don’t know the “when” factor, I miss them.

I think it’s a stark lesson for us all. God does not work within time. He is above time, beyond time and controls when things happen because of that. Nell and I were speaking on my drive home last night and she knows of my patience deficiency! I find myself willing things myself to happen and not to wait, as such I have found myself pushing things through that shouldn’t be pushed and not pushing things that are more important. We as Christians need to trust that God will provide all the necessary factors, the how: God will provide us through his will the means necessary. The why: God’s will cannot be bent to our own will and as such the why becomes “God’s will”. The where: God is everywhere and he knows the needs of people and ourselves, he will place us where he needs us to be. Finally, the when: stuck in time, we have no concept of God outside of this and we need to trust that God’s timing is perfect.

Its not a question of just trusting God for one or a few of these factors, its trusting God in all of them and he will show us his will unfolding. Hindsight is both a blessing and a curse. We can see where we went wrong and what we should have done, but also can see how God works in out lives and where he has provided for us. Trusting in him takes that factor away as we know that if we trust him, God will provide.

In Christ’s most Holy and infinite mercy and grace.

Mikey

Get out of the boat...

Its time to resurrect this bad boy! Its amazing how circumstances and how directions can change just in 1 month! Its been exactly 1 month since my last blog and there are some things to fill you all in on. For starters, I’m still alive! Just about at least! I’ve been praying for guidance from God as to directions in which he wants me to travel and where I can do the best work for him. Its become clear that the glorification that I do in my current job is being rewarded with something new. A few things have come up which I’m investigating at the moment. One being something that I am very interested in taking.

I won’t go into too much detail right now but it can pay for my whole theology degree over 4 years and give me the ground work of working in the church for that whole period. Its something that seems absolutely perfect for me to do. Obviously there are implications on this which could potentially make things difficult but I’m yet to find an obstacle that I cannot overcome to get there!

Please pray for me that I do God’s will in this situation and its not just me looking for a way out of insurance. I know that its not because I am enjoying my work at the moment, it would be very easy for me to just stay here and I am comfortable but “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat”.

Praise God for his infinite goodness to us, and to his unfailing love and care.

In Christ

Mikey.

Genesis 2 - Adam: The Start of humanity

This is the first of a series I’m going to write entitled from Adam to The Lamb, where I look throughout the bible and prominent figures of the bible and at their failings and redemption. I am currently reading a book called “God’s Famous People” by Peter Lewis of Cornerstone Evangelical Church in Nottingham (England) and I promise I will only take inspiration and not content from the book!

I’ve been thinking about many people in the bible and what made them worth being in the bible in the first place and what messages they have for our future and us today. There are hundreds of different people actually mentioned in the bible, but I’m going to look at those figures who are described in some detail, and hopefully by the time we get to the end of this, we’ll have a better knowledge that Christians Fail and it is only by God’s grace and mercy and more importantly, his forgiveness that we can have any chance on those final of days.

As you may well have guessed so far, the first person I’m going to look at is Adam. The first Man, the man perfectly formed and crafted by God’s hand and one that had potential to live with God in paradise and in perfect union with God. Lets take this verse to start with;

Genesis 2 v 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

I don’t know if you are like me in anyway but if someone tells you not to do something, you start looking for the reason why and when I was younger; I just did it to see if anything bad would actually happen. Adam shared with God a relationship on earth that we will never have until the day of redemption, he could talk to God like he was just sitting next to him and he could feel God’s perfect radiance and peace as Adam had not sinned… yet.

We know from the benefit of seeing the whole bible in it entirety and looking at the way in which the plan works to God’s benefit and unto God’s perfect justice that we cannot approach the throne of God as we are in sin. It’s only through Jesus’ sacrifice and through his love that we can be free, but imagine a time when this didn’t matter. God was there with man.

Adam (in conjunction with his wife, Eve) then decided that they could obtain something better than this. That they could ascribe better knowledge and have the ultimate in Godliness right there in the garden, with God watching on! The serpent spun his web of temptation and Adam and Eve took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and realized one or two things, which changed everything forever.

Ok you’re not stupid, you know the story, that isn’t my point today, and my point is this. God didn’t give up on us because of our sin and our lust for knowledge beyond God. God sent his son into the world; he took on human form, his own creation to walk among us again and to ultimately take upon himself the Sin, which our ancestors, Adam and Eve had created. Imagine that. God, this ultimate being and this perfect person, cared so much for his creation that he took upon HIMSELF the pain, torment and death that we deserved.

If there’s nothing worth thanking him for today, then this is surely what we should be praising God for now.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This verse has somewhat become washed and eroded in Christian’s lives, we should hold onto and really realise what this verse is all about.

In Christ.

Mikey.

I'm Still Here!

Its been a little while since I “blogged” but I’m still here. I’ve been taking a small break to get my relationship with God strong and to talk to people and God about my future. The situation as it is now is that me and God are strong and I am (trying to) serve God in all that I do, of course I fail but with every set back I try that much harder to succeed! Its awesome.

I’m going to pick up on what I left off in a couple of Days and continue my near daily blog, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued prayers and for your continued support in the last few months. Its been so amazing seeing God answer my prayers and that is no coincidence that people from 5 continents were praying for me and I thank you all so much for that.

God answers prayers and hears us.

1 Jn 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

We can take great confort in that and want to encourage you to cast all of your cares upon him.

Thank you again, and hope I can continue to strengthen and encourage you.

In Christ,

Mikey.

Further Prayer Request!

Hey everyone, just a quick note to ask for some prayer. I had a meeting with one of my company directors and he said (with not so many words admittedly) that I've either got to commit to the company or stop wasting their time. I know that God is calling me elsewhere, but I am not sure if this is the opportunity that I've been asking for or not. I do not want people to think that I am giving up and just going but at the same time, i do not want to go against God's perfect plan.

I have a lot fear about what the implications would be if I left, for example there are still bills that need to be paid and there are still commitments financially that I need to fulfill. There is also the question of Brazil in October to think about.

Please pray that I will know God's plan for me and what the right path is for me to take and where he wants me to be. I know that he will not steer me wrong, but I don't want to make the wrong decision based on my own human thoughts and feelings which are of course fallible.

I'd appreciate knowing that you are praying with me through this time. I love God and I will go anywhere he wants me to be but I need to know God's will in this time of uncertainty.

Thanks again for your support!

Mikey

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

Matthew 3 - Part 1 - Living Trees

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a really awesome speaker, I have, some of my most memorable sermons were the ones where I was transfixed from the moment they opened their mouths to the last Amen! Some times I’ve listened and I’ve been like “yeah, this guy is striking a chord in my heart” and its those speakers who I feel have real authority from God.

Imagine the scene, you’re sitting on the side of the river, probably eating your bread that was made at home, it’s a hot day and you’re dipping your toes in the water to cool off. Along comes a crowd of people following a guy wearing camel hair clothes and a leather belt, eating some locus and honey. I bet you’d be thinking, “I’m going to be killed by a crazy man here…”. They guy stops and turns to the crowd and says the following;

Matthew 3 v 7 - "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

If we didn’t know it was John the Baptist, I can imagine myself at least thinking, “eh?”. But if we actually take apart what he’s saying here, we suddenly realize this is a very real and very scary warning which John gives. The first part for example talks about coming wrath! I know that there are people on the street corners talking about the end of the world and its coming soon etc, but John spoke with authority and power. "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” I’d be scared!

John then goes on to speak about something which some Christians are guilty of and in some respects, all of us are guilty of. The right to do what you want because you are a Christian, well I say to you, “And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham”. You have no divine right on this world because you are a Christian (or in this instance Jewish of Abraham descendants). You can’t just expect to say that you love God and that you follow Jesus and do nothing! It defeats the object and is a grave contradiction in terms. Christian = Like Christ, did Christ do nothing? Of course not he gave his life so that we might live.

If that wasn’t enough to make these people want to dive in there and get baptized, john drives the point home. “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Hang on? What did he just say? We need to produce fruit? What does that mean? Well its simple, when you become a Christian, you are sewn into the ground, you spring forth and its only by your fruits that you are shown how strong you actually are.

John is saying here something that I would want you to take with you. If we do nothing for Christ, if we produce no fruit for God, we are dead plants, only fit to be cut down and thrown into the fire. Take encouragement, and warning from this passage. Be not only “sayers” but “doers”, I’ve said before that there are Christians who acknowledge Christ with their lips and deny him with their lifestyle. Do not be dead tree’s, be fruitful and healthy trees. But also, remember that God recognizes those fruits and rewards us for it. If we are working for God, and laying all our problems and cares upon him, we can be strong. Its not by our own strength that we carry on being Christians day by day. With attacks from the enemy, with temptations, but it is by our faithful God that we can do this.

In Christ Alone.

Mikey.