Learning Life in the Spirit

So you’re still waiting for the Dark Knight entry. You think I’ve forgotten it. You think I’m not going to do it. You’re wondering what’s taking so long. You’re wondering if it’s going to be worth it. Well keep waiting then in the fullness of time all shall be revealed. Needless to say, I have not forgot. I am going to do it. It’s taking so long because it’s a teabag of an idea that needs to soak in the hot waters of my mind a bit more before the brew is complete. Whether it’s worth it or not will be up to you to decide, but it’s not designed to be my magnum opus, just some thoughts on the movie. Anyway …

Today I’ve started reading two books that threaten to further destabilise any hope I had of retaining my old superior ways of engaging with God. The first book looks at the problem of legalism and how it negates the New Covenant relationship I have with Christ based on grace.

The second book is called Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Dr. Jack Deere. I’m not one to completely take on board the thoughts and views of any writer, speaker, teacher or preacher. I endeavour to separate good from bad and allow good to challenge, provoke, stimulate and encourage me as it should. I don’t always succeed in the endeavour and sometimes I completely miss God in the whole affair. One thing I have picked up over time, however, is a growing awareness of my serious character flaws that God has healed although my journey towards its realisation is still in progress.

One of those areas is my pride often revealed in my desire to be right about the Word. It only crops up all too often, however, that the more I read the Word the more I realise that I don’t know the Word at all and that it’s best to just submit myself to this fact first and foremost and then allow that to reshape me. One particular area is in regard to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

It is a contentious area of teaching and application and open for much abuse and neglect. Something I am only too aware of now is that I ignore the ministry of the Holy Spirit at my peril. Likewise I pontificate about the ministry of the Holy Spirit at my peril. One thing I must endeavour to do is earnestly search the scriptures and God in prayer to understand more of the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and the life of the church and apply that whenever I can.

I believe it is through the Spirit that God calls me, equips me, inspires me, provokes me and transforms me into the image of Christ. I believe that the power that raised Jesus from the dead can enable me to live above sin. I believe it is that same power that can conquer deep-rooted sin in my life and release me from bondages that I realise now prevent me from really operating in the freedom in which Christ has set me free. I believe it is this same power that convicts and converts me periodically – sometimes daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes minutely, sometimes seasonally. And yet for all that I believe I am only too aware that there is so much more for me to understand and to know – not just head knowledge, but whole life application – that will allow me to consciously, deliberately and intentionally engage in life in the Spirit that sees me producing fruit that lasts and brings honour to the Father in the name of the Son.

I feel daunted at times by the size and implications of all this, but then I am reminded of the holy love that sent Jesus to die on the cross for me and I realise that this journey is one of righteousness, peace and joy – to embrace and live life in the Spirit is to truly respond to the love so amazing and so divine that demands my soul, my life, my all.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd

Stevie Helps Me Love My Enemies

Your patience on the Dark Knight review is exemplary and so to help you exercise this patience further I ask that you hold out a little longer. The reason for the delay is … well you’ll see when I eventually come out with it, it’s worthwhile.

Anyway I’m here at the laptop and it’s past the midnight hour and I had Stevie Wonder in my head since I got back home from a study session we have on Wednesday nights on spiritual warfare. I was singing Send One Your Love and then segueing that into From The Bottom Of My Heart (trust me, if you arrange it right you can segue the two almost seamlessly). So no sooner had I got on the ol’ laptop having made the wife a cuppa and did some petty little domestic stuff in the kitchen.

I, of course, get me blog out of the way, that is the brand new blog entry on the Stoke COG blog, and then after during all that I get me Stevie Wonder playing a wide variety of tracks like I Go Sailing (brilliant track – check the lyrics for some powerful stuff about where to get a real thrill for me), Feeding Off The Love Of The Land (this has got to me one of the greatest conscientious songs that mankind has ever penned) and With Each Beat Of My Heart (grossly underrated love song that outweighs most stuff that’s been put out by anyone … ever). Just the tip of the iceberg really of the great stuff I’ve been listening to.

Anyhow I was listening to this live version of For Once Of My Life that he does with Diana Ross. As I watched it something that came to me was that I’d like to know how to love like Stevie Wonder. I don’t mean that in a fawning way as though the sun shines out of his posterior, but there’s something really big-hearted about a brother who can extend love and graciousness to a number of people who wouldn’t necessarily be the top of my list of people I’d like to do business with. That must really be love for the enemies in action right there. Embracing, encouraging and edifying someone whose character you’re not too keen on has to be something spiritually gifted from above.

This is not all that unusual when I consider that Jesus expressed this same love to enemies of God, i.e. us in extending sacrificial love, befriending me and highlighting the grace of God in the cross, so it shouldn’t be a problem for me to reflect that in a love that’s as much for the enemy as is it for a loved one.

Now all I need is a lot of help in living that out!! Still I can do all things through Christ.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd

Fishing For The Journey's End

Having a chat with a good colleague at work – just discussing fishing and how pointless it is to spend all that time to catch fish only to throw it away again! Not even to eat the thing! Other pointless pursuits I highlighted included F1 and the inanity of going round a track in a car making noise and getting nowhere.

I did concede that others may consider me sad for taking pleasure in 22 men kicking an air inflated ball of leather around grass in the hope to get it between three sticks and in a net. For all that though, football makes sense where fishing doesn’t. On the same topic hunting is a bit pointless as well if the best you’re going to do with the catch is to stuff it and mount it. What’s the point? You’re better off doing it for the reason we used to do it – because we need to catch the thing to eat it.

The thrill of the hunt is pointless if the result doesn’t match. That’s also my issue with people who say enjoy the journey as though the process is the thing. The process is not the thing; the process is pointless if it doesn’t have an outcome. The journey doesn’t make sense unless there’s a destination and if the destination is an anti-climax to the journey then the journey likewise feels a bit of a let down. I’m all about the destination. I’m all about having a point of doing the things that I do.

The beauty of following Jesus is that not only is He the goal – the destination of the journey – but he’s the journey as well!! I get to know Him on the journey so that I can reach Him at the end of the journey. That to me makes sense, especially in the light of having a destination that culminates and highlights what the journey was all about rather than being an anti-climax.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd

About Authrine

Yesterday my wife celebrated her birthday.

She is not getting any younger, but someone’s forgot to tell her looks. Even last week someone thought she was in her early 20’s and was stunned when she informed them of her real age. I am incredibly blessed among other things to be married to a woman who looks so young and sometimes acts that age as well.

I never blogged about her yesterday because we spent most of it together … if you know what I mean … and for the first time in ages I went out for a meal with the wife of my youth and it was fun. Authrine was and is first and foremost my friend. Sometimes in the hurry and scurry of life with her priorities and my priorities and our schedule it’s a challenge to remember that, but last night afforded me the chance to be reminded of that and that was great.

I had the privilege of giving a tribute to my wife at our family service yesterday and God has been so good that it was effortless to talk of how blessed we are to have Authrine in our lives. She is a tenacious, compassionate, large-hearted, loyal, creative bundle of energy who leaves an impact on the lives that she hits and most of it for good. She’s not perfect but I’d spoil her if she was. I’ve seen her really blossom in the time that I’ve been with her to this point and because of her commitment to Christ I’m assured that she will just go on from strength to strength in her walk with Him and reflecting a character like His.

I know it’s not been easy for her over the last 8 years in England for one reason or another, but I do know that it’s been great for her in stretching her faith and her wings to be able to soar in friendship, service and love for others. My prayer for her life is just for her to continue to grow and never rest on her laurels but pursue peace in herself, with her church, friends and family and finally with those blessed by her acts of service.

Thank you Lord, for her, help me to support, encourage, cultivate and celebrate the most beautiful woman in the world.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd

And So In Closing

I first got into emails in 1996 and when I ended them I thought it was a bit boring just ending correspondences with ‘yours sincerely’ and even ending it with Christopher Dryden. So I got into a whole pseudonym business and ended it with ‘later, ned’ then I got out of that phase and currently as you may notice I end my posts on this blog and on most of my personal emails with For His Name’s Sake, Shalom, da man cd, which at least removes any sense of ambiguity. So I had a good chuckle reading this post about the ways we end our emails as super-spiritual Christians! Good ol’ Prodigal Jon – even if you’re not a Christian it’s worth having a chuckle at some of his insights on what we Christians get up to and what kinda traditions we’ve built around this following Jesus business.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd