Songs that marked my life on the night terrorism died.

By Steve Johnson

I will never forget this time as long as I live. If you grew up in Northampton you won't forget it either. Neither will the citizens of Northern Ireland.

It started with an ill prepared outreach from my church to one of our churches in Belfast. There was a huge mix up which led to all of us gathering in my pastor's house {we were a very small church}. Two of us, including myself were due to be in Belfast to do an outreach for them over the Easter weekend. The rain was coming down hard and we got soaked. That night, the night before we were supposed to be there we had made 'no arrangements' our end and to cap it all the church had no money {this was not unusual}. A couple in the church generously offered to pay for me and my friend to get there. The only thing was to find a way. We considered getting a coach all the way to Stranraer in Scotland and getting a boat over to Northern Ireland. Given the worsening weather conditions I'm glad that never happened. We ended up booking two seats on a Friday evening flight to Belfast from Birmingham airport which is only a couple of hours from home. On Friday we awoke to another problem.

The rain had caused the main river to burst its banks in a way probably never seen before in living memory. The infamous floods of 1997 claimed the lives of two people and many homes were ruined. We, however, oblivious to the extent of this were at the bus station wondering why so many bus services were cancelled and how we were going to get a coach out to Birmingham. Bear in mind, as a relative new convert. My faith was small. Nevertheless after some prayer we found a coach and got on. We could see out of the window as it trailed its way between St James and Spencer estate, the area I grew up in. The park and as far as we could see was covered in a huge lake of water {and it was still raining!}. The bus made it through. We trailed through a number of rural roads and passed several lakes of flood water and some flooded roads which the coach managed to navigate through {I was still praying} before pulling up at the airport.

You would have thought the worst was over but it hit me just what we had let ourselves in for as we watched the overhanging T.V monitors in the terminal. It was wall to wall news coverage of the Good Friday deadline. Since the 1970's terror had scarred the streets of Northern Ireland with numerous paramilitary groups, both republican and Loyalist responsible for the claiming of many lives. Politicians during the 80's were generally agreed there was no solution to all this. My childhood was interspersed with one news story after another of terrorist atrocities. One of the most shocking was the Brighton bombing where the Irish Republican Army succeeded in planting a bomb in the hotel where all the members of the then U.K government were staying during their party conference. They tried to wipe out the entire government. {They killed about 5 I think, I'm not sure}. A while before, there was a major unprecedented push for peace. Then President Bill Clinton gave it a lot of support and a major player in all this was U.S senator George Mitchell. The negotiations were getting seemingly nowhere and it seemed like a return to violence was inevitable. They set a deadline. A line in the sand. By Good Friday 1997 a peace deal had to be signed or it was all over and there we were sitting in the airport just hours from the deadline as British citizens about to fly into Belfast.

In hindsight of course this was a foolish time to fly out. If this deal wasn't signed then it would likely be marked by another wave of terrorism, perhaps within hours. It was night as we flew out and about 45 minutes later we landed in Northern Ireland's main airport several miles outside Belfast. Today seeing security armed with automatic weapons is expected but then you didn't normally see it. {They were there in force In Belfast airport though} We met a guy called Billy. I have to tell you about this man. His conversion was stunning. He was a member of a loyalist group in Belfast and one day became born again. Because his new found faith was incompatible with the activities of the organisation he went to the leader to resign his position. You have to realise how dangerous this is. People are not just allowed to leave. These organisations are more than happy to kill those who choose to leave. As you can understand Billy prayed that day. He knew that he might never leave that house alive but he went anyway, told the leader he had become born again and they let him go and he has never had any hassle from them since. Billy is one of the most sincere and open hearted people you could wish to meet. A man who genuinely loves people. A couple of times I've heard people ask him to share his testimony and in particular what he was involved in. He never answers that question fully but I saw pain on his face when he said he didn't want to talk about some of the things he did. {He was close to tears}. If ever you wanted an example of the grace of God at work in a man's life it was him. If you didn't know his past you would never have thought it possible. I guess that's why Billy had such a gratitude to God. Anyway, it was Billy who picked us up at the airport that dark, rainy night and it was then I realised another problem. We had to drive several miles through dark country roads to get to Belfast city. It's worth explaining something else here.

The I.R.A specialised in sudden road blocks on strategic country roads. You would be stopped by a couple of men. Even the British army had taken to transporting their soldiers by hiding them in civilian vans and lorries. An old friend of mine served in Northern Ireland and his nerves were on edge from all this. If the men who stopped the vehicle suspected what it really was they would give a subtle signal. The driver, thinking everything was O.K would be waved through upon which several paramilitaries would open fire from the bushes and riddle the vehicle with gunfire. {and here am I on one of these roads being driven at night by a former loyalist group member} The peace deal would either have been signed or was in tatters by now. As we pulled out of the 'relative' safety of the airport car park Billy put on a tape of a worship artist He often listened to. It was a guy called 'Robin Mark' I tell you I had never heard of the name before but I would never forget it. He is from Northern Ireland itself and as I sat in the front passenger seat of the car wondering what was going to happen I listened to Robin Sing, and worship God. I tell you I will never forget the experience. As I listened, every word seemed to be filled with the presence of God. I don't think I have ever felt such peace in all my life. Song after song it was the same and every worry drained away. I could feel the presence of God right there with me and I felt perfectly, completely safe. I lost track of time and strangely wished the journey wouldn't end. I can't explain it exactly. I just knew and felt God was right there. At the time as a Christian I was very cautious about such 'apparent experiences'. That previous caution just makes this all the more real to me.

The next day we found out the deal had been signed at the last minute. The relief on the streets of the city centre was palpable. There were no celebrations, just a cautious calm. Who knows how long this 'peace' would actually last. As it turns out it has lasted to this day. {14 years at the time of writing}. The outreach was an experience all by itself. We did an outdoor music event on the 'Shankhill road' which is the main loyalist stronghold in Northern Ireland. Just yards from us was an intimidating mural {there were many in Northern Ireland} featuring two hooded men with guns and the words 'lest we forget'. It was weird. Weird but special. {Not sure if that makes any sense but it does to me.} Later that day {Easter Saturday} we did an outreach on the main pedestrian shopping street in Belfast city centre. Again it was quite an experience. Large crowds stopped to hear the music {and the preaching! In England they usually walk away when we start to preach}. Once we had finished and began to cue up the next song the crowd would move on only for another large crowd to stop at start of the next song.

That evening we went to the church at Glengormley in Belfast which was situated in neutral territory between the protestant and Catholic parts of the city {'The troubles' had caused thousands to be forcibly evicted from their homes so that now there were 100% protestant controlled areas and 100% Catholic areas.} The pastor situated the church to reach out to both groups. I have to say at this point that there were only two of us running the whole evening concert. We were inexperienced, amateurish and had never done anything like this alone in our lives and yet the church treated us like we were special. {Not many are prepared to make the long trip to Northern Ireland from the mainland} The concert went surprisingly well and we spent some wonderful time with the church in the Sunday morning service the next day. The whole weekend was something I will never forget. The floods. The rain. The escape from Northampton. The tension in watching those T.V screens with wall to wall news coverage. Our time with Billy. With the church. The outreach in the city and on the Shankhill Road. What stays in my mind more than anything is the presence of God with us in that car as we drove through the dark country road and the atmosphere of worship and peace. When I got back to England one of the first things I did was find that album by Robin Mark. It's special because Northern Ireland is his home. Because it has something of the traditional feel of the place in the music but especially because ultimately the song points to God and is for His glory, not for man. Back in my school days I was known as 'the boy who never cries'. I would get bullied by older boys {on the rare occasion they could catch me} and would just laugh at them as they tried to beat me. I was a person who refused to cry. I hated tears. Now it's different, very different. Every time I listen to those songs it's hard to stop and I'm not sure I want to stop. I've rarely felt the presence and closeness of God like that night. That weekend was precious. That experience was precious. My God is precious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4HeIXYqaSs

p.s: This is just one of several songs that touched me that night. You have to listen to every word in the song. He's clearly singing about Belfast.

Shalom.

The Potter and the Clay

By Steve Johnson

In theological circles a discussion on the character of God may involve detailed debate on the original Hebrew terminology and its meaning. It may include explanations of Gods omnipotence {He's all powerful}, omnipresence {he's present everywhere} and His omniscience {All knowing}. In all these high brow discussions one thing you are unlikely to hear is that God identifies himself as one who gets his hands dirty and yet this is exactly how God chose to reveal himself to a people he loved dearly and was grieved by what he saw happening to them. Let me explain.

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah {a prophet}, saying, "stand up and travel down to the house of the potter and you will hear what I have to say there. So I went down to the potter's house and watched him at work on the wheel but the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands so the potter reformed it into another pot shaping it as seemed best to him. It was then God spoke to me saying,"Oh people of Israel, am I not able to do with you what this potter does with the clay? Just like clay in the hands of the potter so are you in my hands!" Jeremiah ch 18 v1-6

The people He was speaking to were much like us today. They did their own thing. None really considered the one responsible for their very existence. None considered their true purpose in life. The God that was supposed to be at the centre of all things was at the periphery at best and flagrantly dismissed at worst. They were given to stubbornness, rebellion, irreverence and sometimes rank stupidity. Sound familiar? Sounds like today doesn't it. As a result we are not the people God created us to be. We are like the pot that was marred. It wasn't fulfilling the purpose for which it was made.

"Oh people of Israel" God cried, "Am I not able to do with you what this potter does with the clay?" It's a question I ask you to consider today because God was challenging Israel to make a choice. It's a challenge He issues to all of us. It's a challenge to trust Him. To put ourselves in His hands and let him get His hands dirty. Permit me to share a few observations.

1 – God starts with and works with clay. We really have a vain streak as human beings. We care so much about image and how we appear to others yet we all get old, stuff slows down, gets wrinkly and stops working and the reality of who we really are catches up with us. As the scripture says "from dust you have come and to dust you will return". For us to spend so much focusing on the outward instead of who we truly are on the inside is one of the biggest flaws of humanity. It is of who we are on the inside that God said "let us make man in our image." We were made to reflect who God is in our character. We may have forgotten about that but God hasn't. When we live for anything else but to reflect Him we are not living according to the makers instructions. We are a pot that is 'marred'. God's invitation to us all is to get on the wheel as it were and allow God to do the work that only He can. He is the master potter. One who pleads with us and desires to make us the person we were always created to be...to trust him to get His hands dirty with us.

2 – Every work of pottery is unique. We live in an age of mass production and cookie cut out models. A time when people are identified by number. This is not how God sees us though. I want to encourage you with these words. You are not just another face in the crowd to God. You are not just another one of the multitude of around 7 billion people inhabiting this planet. You are significant. God intended you to be as unique on the inside as your fingerprints are on the outside. God is not trying to make you a cut out production line model of something devoid of individuality. The potter delights in every individual work. Therefore every work is unique. What God does in your life will never be exactly the same as what God does in someone else's. Some of the principles are the same but God's work in your life will always be unique. It is, in a sense, priceless.

3 – The clay must stay on the wheel. O.K. Here's where the uncomfortable stuff starts. If God is so good then why do things go wrong and why is life so confusing. Often what happens to us doesn't seem to be making sense. So often we seem to be going round and round in circles visiting the same issues time and again. If we really are changing then why do we get confronted with the same problems time after time? {Some of you are already thinking ahead of me on this one!} When a potter does a work he doesn't just sit the clay {us} on the floor and shape it. He throws it onto the wheel and rotates it. It is the momentum of the wheel he uses to shape us and smooth us. That's the way you are perfected. If the clay could think it would probably be quite dizzy. I don't know about you but I can get quite dizzy just trying to figure life out. The point is that it doesn't make sense....from the centre of the wheel but it all makes perfect sense from the perspective of the potter.

I watched a work like this once and as far as I could tell the pottery looked fine yet he was still spinning it and smoothing it for what seemed like an age. I'm telling you it looked fine yet an experienced potter knows that this work takes time, a lot of time. It is a craft, an art. It takes time for the pot to become precisely what it is meant to be. The potter doesn't have the attitude of many of us in the workplace today {ie: aw! Stuff it, that'll do.} It's a labour of love and he or she will persevere until they get the shape they want. When the circumstances and difficulties of life {for that is what God uses to shape us} begin to tire us out and we ask 'God why?' bear in mind we don't always understand what He sees. We don't always appreciate what He is trying to do. We are just sitting there in the middle of life wondering what on earth is going on and if anything God starts to spin the wheel even faster! We have to trust that He knows what He is doing. Remember the whole concept and design of humanity is His idea. The potter knows what the pot is meant to be and he is working on a plan we don't always fully comprehend. As the scripture says, "beloved, it doesn't yet appear what we shall be but I know that when we are in heaven we will be like Him {like Jesus}"

4 – The air pockets must be removed. The trouble with us as human beings is that we are so often full of ourselves. We are given to pride. What's worse is that it is the one thing we are less likely to recognise the more we have of it. As C.S.Lewis once said, it is the thing we hate most in others yet are least likely to see in ourselves. The potter sees it though and He knows that clay with the air pockets of pride must be dealt with. Unless the air pockets are taken out the whole work may fail. Therefore he takes the clay and kneads it. He picks it up and throws it back onto the wheel repeatedly. Why does he do this? It gets the air pockets out. Pride is such a delusional thing. It is a prime state of unreality. There is no true substance to it. It is air. It is interesting to note that if you put pottery into a kiln while it is still riddled with air pockets you may ruin the whole thing. I've seen this happen in people's lives. We can be so arrogant and self righteous. {Sadly it's some of the religious people who are the worst in this case} A man I knew was so deluded in his own righteousness that when the day of fire came for him {and it came in a big way} he was utterly crushed. Whereas others among us would have picked ourselves up and carried on he was utterly crushed. Many of us in the church were shocked at how he reacted. It's a case of the higher you elevate yourself the further you have to fall and the harder that fall is. For a long time he was a mere shell of a person. I guess there was a lot of air to be knocked out of him. One of the things the potter does is humble us. Let me give you a word of advice here. Humble yourself. It's far less painful in the long run. God will do what He has to do but he often does this because we refuse to humble ourselves and it hurts more precisely because we are full of the empty air of pride. God knows if the work is going to last the air has to be removed. We may not appreciate this at the time but God actually loves us. He loves us too much to allow us to destroy the work by being full of our own hot air Nevertheless we can choose to make this a relatively quick work or a very long one by choosing whether to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

5 – The stones are removed. Clay is often impure stuff. If a smooth finish is to be attained then the stones must be picked out. They simply don't belong there. God chooses to remove the stones of sin that are so deeply imbedded in us. Our part is to choose to go along with the process. The stones have to go. It's as simple as that. For some this is the big sticking point. They will agree in principle to the processes of the potter...up to a point but they won't give up their sin. If you are going to allow the potter to do His work you are going to have to allow Him to remove stones from your life. This may leave some unsightly gaps but we must trust the potter that He knows what He is doing. A friend of mine became a Christian and asked a visiting minister whether it was right to continue living with his girlfriend. The minister told him no. The man left the church for several months. After the relationship ended he came back with his tail between his legs and determined never to make the same mistake again. Instead he would submit to whatever God wanted. That man is now blessed with a wife and children and is now used by God to pastor a church. God's plan is always better. We have to trust the potter when he wants to remove stones from our lives.

6 – Water is added to the clay. I've seen many try to live the Christian live in their own strength and power and believe me when I say this from nearly 18 years of experience it isn't pretty. Clay by its nature as you work with it becomes stiff and unworkable...unless you keep it wet. Water is very significant in the bible. It is often used to symbolise the Spirit of God. The scripture says, 'everything God does He does by His Spirit.' We, by our nature, become stiff and unmalleable. God, by His nature, is able to soften our hearts when we rely on him to help us. Many Christians struggle for years with the same issue. Sometimes this is simply part of the long term work of God. {After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.} However, a problem can come in that we trust in ourselves, our own strength and ability. We must remember that it is the work of the potter and not the clay. We must learn to allow room for the Spirit of God in our lives and not simply think we have the power to change ourselves. Don't get me wrong, a choice of the will is involved but with all the good will in the world you won't get very far unless you learn to trust in the strength of God and not your own strength. As Paul the apostle said 'Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfil the lusts of the sinful nature. Our own powers and abilities are always destined to fall short but God succeeds where we fail. As the scripture says again, 'unless the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it.' You can't do this work in your own ability and strength. You need God's help. You need the water of the Spirit of God

 

7 – The pot must go into the kiln. Ok. We come to accept that God is using our circumstances to shape and mould us but then something hits us out of the blue that just knocks the wind out of our sails. It is something beyond the usual stuff life throws at us. Perhaps it is something tragic or particularly painful and it is at this point many question why a God, if He exists at all, would allow such things to happen. I've had the advantage of seeing this from another perspective. I've seen Christians go through horrible things. Things I wouldn't wish on anyone yet the peace and serenity they have is clearly something many don't possess and when I speak to them they point to precisely the thing I thought was so destructive. To be frank I'm still getting my head around that one but I've seen it. It is true. One of the organisations I take an interest in is called 'Open Doors'. They are a group that help Christians in countries where persecution of believers is common. Some of these people suffer terribly yet I have to admit the faith and spiritual maturity of many of these people puts us to shame. We in the affluent, comfortable and free west look shallow in comparison. Why is that? Again it comes down to the work of the potter. Now don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not saying that God actually delights in suffering and persecution. Far from it. We live in a fallen, broken and sin cursed world. A world that grieves the heart of a God who purposed for us something far better. God, however, is able to take this mess of a fallen world and use even the tragedy and pain of it to do something in us of truly eternal and priceless worth.

Paul the apostle described the things he went through as light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that is not yet seen. {1 Corinthians ch 4 v 17-18} 'Well I suppose it was easy for him to say', you might respond. I bet he hasn't had to put up with the stuff I have. Well maybe not. He was, however, permanently scarred by punishment beatings {5 times!}, wrongly imprisoned, beaten with sticks, an attempt was made to stone him to death, survived shipwreck, he suffered in long journeys being cold and hungry and constantly looking over his shoulder for his enemies. Added to all this was the huge burden of caring for many churches. Paul saw the bigger picture. He saw it as all worthwhile. He saw from an eternal perspective. He understood the work that the master potter was doing and he decided to stay on the wheel.

So if the stuff you are going through doesn't make sense. Don't worry. It does to the potter. If it seems you are going through the same things again and again. Don't worry, you are on His wheel. If you ever wonder that it's ever worth it remember, God sent His only Son Jesus to die for us so that we could be saved from the hell that is eternal separation from Him and so we could be shaped and moulded in to His image, the image he always intended for us to me. If you are on the wheel you are right where God wants you and while you may be prepared to pay a million dollars {if you had it} to avoid the trials of your life you couldn't pay a million dollars to replace the work that the potter is doing in you.

Our God is the master potter. He specialises in making unique works. You are a unique and priceless work of God and He is more than willing to roll up His sleeves and get his hands dirty with us. We only see the now but He sees the person he's going to make you and when we look back at what He has done it will all make sense and it will all be worth it.

Shalom.

 

Walking Through an Open Door

By Steve Johnson

All of us, looking back on our lives so far, can view things in terms of open and closed doors. As a child I dreamed of becoming a professional football player. I played incessantly but was never good enough to make the grade. That door that would always be closed to me. Other doors are always open. A child born into a wealthy family may always have certain advantages familiar to those born into wealth and with generous parents. Many doors are open for a season and shut for a season. When I look back on where God has taken me I see doors that have been supernaturally opened. My first mission trip to Kenya was facilitated by a miraculous provision of £1,000. The second trip was preceded by numerous unsolicited donations, without which the mission would not have been possible. My recent trip was all the more remarkable because of closed doors as well as open ones. Nearly every mission contact was not available to me for one reason or another. One in particular was the result of a painful and difficult circumstance. Recently I struggled with the details of that circumstance and then I realised that God shuts every other door to get you through the one He wants you to go through. At very short notice I ended up spending three weeks in Mombasa working with several churches, involved in an open air crusade, seeing people saved, healed and delivered from demon possession. All of which happened in predominantly Muslim areas. Areas I would not have chosen to minister in but God had other plans for me. The time was marked by meetings with significant people in Mombasa. One of these people was a man who headed up the East African arm of a worldwide mission organisation. I also ended up preaching at a pastors meeting with around 25 ministers present {and I've never pastored a church in my life!}

Hey, you know 20-20 hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it. Perhaps we need to remember that when circumstances are against us, everything is going wrong and even Christians and churches seem to be a stumbling block to us. I was thinking about just such a seemingly impossible situation when a scripture came to mind.

For a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians ch 16 v 9 {a.v}

Paul describes a situation in Ephesus as being 'an open door'. Bear in mind it is God who opens a door no man can shut and closes a door no man can open. Here is a divine opportunity. An opening from heaven yet Paul says there are many adversaries. It suddenly struck me that when God opens a door the devil is there to resist you and make things as hard as possible. He knows that when a door is opened it leads to the establishing and expansion of the kingdom of God in people's lives. As a result, part of Satan's kingdom is torn down. An open door doesn't necessarily mean an easy door.

Consider also Joshua who received a great promise from God. Every place where the sole of your foot shall tread, I have given it to you for an inheritance. {Joshua ch 1} Notice how God used the past tense. It has already been ordained that Joshua would take the land yet if we read on we find that Joshua and the Israelites still had a lot of fighting to do. Again there was an open door and many adversaries to resist them.

Last year I was with a group of friends in my church on a mission trip to a city called Galati in Romania. I had wondered previously whether this was a one off or if God would bring me back again. I wanted God to make it clear to me rather than just make a decision for myself. As we walked into a place called 'the valley' I knew that I knew I would be back. It was the same impression I had when I first went to Kenya. Not just a desire to return but a confirmation from outside of myself. Now herein lies the difficulty. I have subsequently heard much of the problems of the church in the valley. It is an area of great poverty both materially and spiritually and there was not a single church to reach the people. Then God sent a man to evangelise the area and a church was set up. Now things have gone wrong. Time constrains me from going into detail but things are not going forward. The church is stagnating and there are numerous problems within. And yet, and yet, and yet I sense it is an open door. It is an open door but there are many adversaries. Wherever you have division in the church you have the work of the enemy. He fears a united church. Here is an open door and here also is an adversary. How does this all work out? I don't know but I know this from experience. Trust God's leading and prompting regardless of what the circumstances tell you. I know that I know I will be there. I don't know when or how but the God who leads me through an open door will show me how to walk through it and how to deal with the adversaries. Incidentally a clue in all of this is to remember that people are not the enemy, the devil is! Grace is Gods secret weapon. As Paul the apostle states where sin abounds grace does much more abound. God has a way of checkmating His opponent. We must understand that in the constraints of time we view life only as far as we have lived it. God sees everything from beginning to end. {He is, after all, both the author AND the finisher of our faith. How many authors do you know who DIDN'T finish the book they wrote before you began to experience it for yourself?} We have 20-20 hindsight but God has 20-20 foresight. He inspired the book that contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies. Do you believe He can fulfil His purposes in your life? Do I believe He will fulfil His purposes in mine? How about in the valley? Perhaps it's time we learned to focus on the open door rather than on the adversary.

In the beginning God created...

By Steve Johnson

A self evident statement is one that should be obvious to the average person. In the declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson famously wrote 'We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men were created equal. It is a statement quoted more times that almost any other. One of profound moral importance and yet simple enough be apparent to any thinking person and should be clear to a moral being. An explanation could be made and may be beneficial but one shouldn't be necessary. It is, as Jefferson said, self evident.

In the bible, the greatest group of historical documents in history, we find the introduction 'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth'. What a remarkable statement. No attempt is made to justify the statement or attempt to prove it. The statement stands alone as one that is supposed to be taken as self evident. Sadly we find that many question this vital moral truth. It is not my aim to go through the well worn debates about evolution and whether such a being as 'God' even exists. Such debates find their fuel in the utterly absurd and intellectually bankrupt premise that everything can and did create itself, that incredible order came from utter chaos and that vast mind boggling amounts of information were brought together without any intelligent mind behind it. Atheistic evolution runs cross grain to logic, true science and even basic morality.

Rather, I want to consider some the moral benefits of living in the understanding that God created all things. Consider Thomas Jefferson's self evident truth. If we were to reject this then we open up to the idea that one life is of intrinsically higher value than another. Racial supremacy and every form of bigotry is now on the table as a viable option and the mistreatment, oppression and cruelty of individuals and humanity generally can now be, potentially, justified. Once we have accepted the fact that all human beings are created equal, not in talent or usefulness or wealth but in the fact that every one of us is a priceless creation of God made in His image, we have the foundations of a value system that esteems and protects humanity rather than exploits and destroys it.

Do you know your true value? We can measure value in economic terms. How much are you worth to your employer for example. We can measure value in democratic terms. How many people value you and how much? Or to put it another way, if you were to die today, how many people would attend your funeral. We can measure value in terms of fame or achievement or the level of influence you have in the world. Where, I have to wonder, do these measures leave the elderly, the poor, the disabled, the unborn, the socially dysfunctional, the homeless, the unskilled, the unpopular, the unwanted. No, your true value lies not in any of these fallible human measurements but in the measure that God Himself measures with. You were made in the image of God.

Consider this remarkable statement that you are the pinnacle of God's creation. It means firstly that you are priceless, Secondly that every human being is equal to you in this respect because the same can also be said of them. As a finite value can no longer be put on any human being we can no longer make comparative value judgements. We are all priceless. This then begs the question, what are you giving your life for? After all what is actually equal to your value? Your job, money, pleasure, building an empire or name for yourself, power, prosperity or popularity. All are insufficient for the person who knows their true value. Our only conclusion is to seek our purpose in the one who gives us our value and that is the God who made us all. Ask yourself this question, Honestly now, what is the most important thing in your life. Or to put it another way, what is it you give yourself to and live for? This will define {or expose} your real value system. When we life for the one who put us here in the first place, then and only then do we really begin to live as we were created to. Then and only then do we really begin to grasp what life is really all about.

We were made in the image of God and we were made to reflect Him.

So what does this look like. Well we live for God when He is at the centre of everything we do, He is our chief influence and motivation. Our chief desire is to please Him and reflect His moral character. This should be the conclusion when we hold to the self evident truth that God created all things including us. Let me take this even further. The very earth you walk on and live on was created by God. His creation holds you up. The heat of the sun which is vital to sustain life on earth was created by God. The very breath you breathe was created by God. Every cell in your body was designed by God and the very beat of your heart beats to the design God made for it. What an awesome, life transforming perspective. Every step I take is upheld by God. Every breath I take was enabled by God. Every beat of my heart beats to the rhythm of Gods creative, life giving power. Simply by considering His creative power and genius I find as the scripture has said He is not far from any of us and In Him we live and move and have our being. I find the scripture of the song of heaven to be true which says The whole earth is filled with His glory. I find a higher value to life than I could possibly find anywhere else and I come to the only rational conclusion that my purpose in life is to live for His purposes and for His glory and not my own. True satisfaction, joy and fulfilment in life can only come through this and all other ways are cheap imitations doomed to ultimate failure. Live with God at the centre of your life is to be in sync with the ultimate and foundational reality. To live with ourselves or anything else at the centre is to life in a falsehood, a state of fantasy, out of sync with God and the universe which He made.

I also have to conclude that if I am made in the image of the eternal God then I myself will exist for eternity. We all will. The idea that a human life, precious, immeasurable in worth and value would simply fade in to non existence doesn't even come into the equation. What does arise in my mind is the question, if this life is not all these is then what happens to us when we die? Such a question should lead us to the one who created us all in the first place. After all it was His purpose for which we were created. At this point people begin to ask questions about heaven and hell. Hell is described as being eternal separation from God yet most people don't believe they will go there. Hell ,they say is only for the really bad people and by bad they inevitably {and conveniently} those worse than themselves. Heaven and hell are based on God's standards, not our own. How is it that a human being who lives as if God didn't exists thinks that he or she will spend eternity in fellowship with him? It is a contradiction in terms. All things were created by God and for God and made to reflect Him. As human beings we are in a powerful {and dangerous} position. We can actually choose to live for God and His glory or choose to reject Him. This rejection may not be obvious at first but can be observed in a person's general ambivalence to God and a decision to live for themselves {or anything other than God}. Yes, many of us want to live independently of the one who is the reason for our very existence yet think we will be in heaven {which is defined as eternal fellowship with God}.

My conclusion has to be that a God who created something so precious as a human life did not create us to sent us to hell but that hell is a decision we make while on this earth. We CHOOSE separation from God. We CHOOSE rebellion AGAINST His purpose for our lives. The good news is that we can choose to repent {That is to turn from this independent fallacy and turn to the one who made us all and to whom we are all ultimately accountable}. That is the reason why God sent His Son Jesus. Jesus is the one man who truly lived for His Fathers glory. He is the only man who led a sinless life. The bible says we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that there is a wage for this. It is death. The eternal separation from God. Jesus, however has paid the price for our sin by dying in our place. He has paid for every act of rebellion and independent living we have ever been involved in. Furthermore, because Jesus himself never sinned death had no legal claim on him. He rose from the dead and is able to give eternal life to all who put their trust in him. Jesus came to bring us back to our first and true purpose in life. To bring us back to the self evident truth of our true value. Made in the image of God and called to reflect the moral character of God in our thoughts words and deeds. Jesus exampled the people we were created to be. It is through Jesus, through faith in him that God begins to return us from the hellish delusion of secularism {That is independence from God} and back to the only thing that reflects our true value. Being in relationship with and in alignment with the God who created everything you are, you walk on, you breathe and the very beat of your heart. Through Jesus we can be born again. We begin to really live. Live as God always intended. Living in the reality of the self evident truth that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and that we were made in His image.

When I consider the self evident truth that God created all things and that they were created for His purpose and pleasure then everything else begins to fall into place.

How the Kingdom of God ‘Really’ Comes

By Steve Johnson

 

 

You'd think that religious people would be the most likely to get on with someone like Jesus. The gospel accounts tell us something starkly different. Of all the people Jesus met it was the religious people he had the most trouble with. It was the religious people who argued incessantly with him, tried to catch him out, hated him, and yes, eventually had him put to death.

In Luke's gospel we find one of these classic clashes between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day. Jesus throws all their academia, learning and pseudo sage wisdom in the trash by pointing out that 'the kingdom of God does not come with observation'. Time and again I am met with people who want to figure it out for themselves. Let me tell you this. You can't do it. The kingdom of God does not come with observation. Some are looking for some special sign but again I say the kingdom of heaven does not come with observation. I've met people who've grown up in a church, went to Sunday school and heard sound bible teaching for years only to leave the church and go their way having decided never to enter a church again. One man told me he had been visiting churches for 20 years and had never found God! These people spent years looking and observing but never really humbled themselves and learned to listen to God.

 

But suppose we observe a series of rules, regulations and rituals. Surely there must be right set of rules by which we can apprehend the kingdom of God. Perhaps if we abide by a good moral code. Then perhaps we can know heaven. Jesus met a man who did everything right. He kept all the commandments, he was a young man in authority so was clearly some kind of rising star. Yet Jesus rejects him. His disciples stood amazed. Who then can enter the kingdom of heaven, they ask. Jesus deals a fatal blow to mans hopes. With man it is impossible, he said.

So is that it? Are all the efforts of every religious person doomed to failure? In a nutshell…yes.

But here's the pivotal issue. With man it is impossible but with God nothing is impossible.

 

You see the problem with the religious leaders was their pride. They thought they could attain the priceless gift of everlasting life in heavenly glory by their own efforts and wisdom. Best of luck with that one. You'll need it. Understand what I am saying here.

 

The kingdom of God does not come with observation but with REVELATION!!!!

 

In Matthews gospel, Peter gets a revelation from God. He understands who Jesus is and puts his faith in him exclaiming, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. In that moment Peter passed from death to life, from condemnation to being justified in the sight of God. Peter got the revelation and he ran with it. He took it to heart and he was saved. No rules, rituals, religion or anything else, Just faith in Christ. God revealed it to him.

How quickly we who have received this same blessing turn from its path. We came into the kingdom by the revelation of God as the scripture says 'no man can come to God except the Father first draw him' Then we spend the rest of our lives trying to do things the old way.

No no no!!! The kingdom comes by revelation. Just as your salvation comes by revelation so does your sanctification. Your ongoing life with God. My friends you need more than a series of teachings. You need a word from heaven. The scripture says man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which comes from the mouth of God. Let me give you a few examples.

 

In Matthews gospel we are told that 'blessed are the poor in Spirit' This sounds like poor people are blessed but it is not so. The Holy Spirit prompted me to a particular book where I would find the real meaning where I found out that poor actually means humble. Those that humbly rely on God are blessed. In another instance I read the words 'bless those who curse you. I couldn't disagree more. Surely by blessing those who curse you, you are rewarding their evil. Nevertheless I took it as the word of God by faith and it was as I did that, God gave me a revelation. Any evil is a force for the kingdom of evil. If you do the same thing you are pushing more power in the same direction thus compounding the problem. You need a power applied in the OPPOSITE direction to combat that evil. Thus you bless those who curse you. Let me tell you a story.

 

There was a man at work who made my life a misery. Every day he would swear and rant and trey to undermine my faith and aggressively insult and challenge me. As a 'good Christian' I tried not to retaliate but it was wearing me down. I couldn't hold out much longer. So in desperation I prayed. God showed me that I could only hold out so long and that I needed to actively resist this force of evil with another force. The force of good. I began to bless those who cursed me and pray for those who despitefully used me and you know what. It actually worked. I found I was no longer fighting a rearguard action against hate and unforgiveness but I had tapped into the best possible power for overcoming evil. The power of good. This came by revelation.

 

My call to preach came by revelation. What to preach and when to preach it comes by revelation. I have visited churches I knew literally nothing about and by revelation preached the message God gave me. It is what is called a word in season. It is supernaturally given. On more than one occasion God has through it effected mighty changes in that church. It certainly isn't me. I can't figure that stuff out. God does. That's my point. The kingdom comes and is expanded by revelation. God has to reveal it.

 

Have you ever expended time and energy and a thousand words on a problem and got nowhere then a praying believer comes and speaks one thing and it makes all the difference? What they spoke was probably a supernatural word in season. A revelation. My friends, we can't build the kingdom of God. God builds the kingdom. It is His words that have supernatural power. If you can listen to God He can give you supernatural words to speak. Words from heaven. Words of revelation that can change lives, circumstances and even churches. We can't do it ourselves. We need God to reveal it to us. We need a revelation.

 

The kingdom doesn't come by observation. It comes by revelation!!! So if you are just going through the motions as a Christian I urge you to stop. Start to pray, I mean really pray. Begin to reads His word and listen. I mean really listen. God will speak to you. He has a word for you every day. It is a word from heaven. It is a revelation from the throne of grace. It is the way God reveals and builds His kingdom.

 

The kingdom of heaven comes through revelation.

 

 

Shalom.

 

 

What to do when ministry isn’t working – The need of a word from God

By Steve Johnson

 

In any ministry where we are faced with an obstacle which we cannot overcome, it is possible that the obstacle is actually a point over which no man can ever truly help. In fact, sometimes God allows us to reach these points to teach us to rely on him. At these points human wisdom is never enough, we need the word of God. God will give us wisdom and will show us how the ministry needs to be carried out. Another reason God might allow these points to occur in our lives is to get our attention and to work in us. You must understand that God is in control and there is a reason why you are where you are, therefore you need the specific word of God for that point in your life.

The Bible says 'the entrance of your word brings light'; therefore if we don't understand the Word, we will remain in darkness. In the Old Testament, the Lord told the Israelites to collect manna daily, and we know that manna symbolises His word. In the same way, God teaches us to receive His word daily. To hear from God you need to be in communion with Him so you see the whole ministry relies on our personal relationship with God. In the book of Hebrews it says that without faith it is impossible to please God. A lack of faith is seen in a lack of reliance on His word

An unhealthy relationship with God is marked by the lack of faith. A few of the Israelites did not listen to God so they didn't have faith in God to give manna the second day – so they collected more of it only to find that the second day it was all rotten. If what we do does not rely on faith, what we do becomes rotten and dies in our hand and has no life in it.

God teaches us to rely on Him because he is the source of light. Jesus said that man will live not by bread alone but by every word that comes out of God's mouth. So everything relies on our relationship with God, a daily submission to Him – the proof for this will be that we will want to hear his word daily and that we will put it into practice.

In the book of Joshua chapter 1, God says 'this book of law shall not depart from your mouth, but meditate in it day and night THEN (and this is the important word) you will have success.' This promise is conditional: if we rely on His word then we will succeed. Now all it's up to you – if you agree, you will put into practice the word of God. It is not enough to be a hearer of the word any more than it is enough to taste the food. Only when food is digested it gives you energy, and the same is with the word of God – it will produce spiritual energy in you when you digest it. When it goes from your brain into your heart , when you are convinced by it in such a way that it lives in you.

Go back to the issue of the manna. Manna in Hebrew means literally 'what is it'. You could also get oil from it so the scripture tells us. So it is with the word of God. While I encourage an academic understanding, nevertheless no seminary nor bible college can unlock for you the hidden treasures contained within the word. Most of the hidden treasures are to us a case of 'what is it?'. It is as we receive the word of God by faith the understanding comes. {not the other way round. Intellectuals among you take note. God's ways are not mans ways}. This manna of God's word also contains 'oil'. Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Now pay careful attention to this. God never speaks His word without the power to bring it to pass! He is not Pharaoh! God doesn't send you out to make bricks without straw! God's word makes the impossible possible. It makes a virgin pregnant and parts the waters of a sea. It can bring supernatural healing and formed even the world around us. That is the power of God's word. God forbid that we should be all word and no power! When God speaks to you from heaven through the scriptures be assured that He speaks in Holy Spirit power. If you will digest the word, If you will receive it by faith, if you will let it live within you then the oil of the Holy Spirit will flow and the power to bring God's word to pass will be released. A failure to live this way, I believe, is a major cause of failing ministries. People try to operate in their own wisdom and their own strength. Have you not read what the scriptures say, 'unless the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it?'

So what do we do when things are not moving forward? You need a word from God and you need God's word empowered by the Spirit every day. God's word will do immeasurably more than you can ask or think. God's word will correct you, will rebuke you, will teach you, will direct your paths and illuminate your way through the darkness. Though the darkness be great and thick darkness cover the earth His children will walk as in the noon day sun.

God's word has the power to change and transform your life. It contains within it the power to bring it to pass when received by faith {That is when a person receives it with the express intent of putting into practice whatever God tells them.}

The oil of the Holy Spirit is released through {The manna} the word from heaven. If you operate in your own power you will fail. You must learn to go out daily and collect the manna {The word of God} that the Lord has for you. King David once said 'I have never seen the righteous begging {or lacking} bread. A spiritually starving and malnourished Christian is not the result of a stingy Father. He has manna {The word} for you every day but it's down to you. If you learn to receive the word of God for your life every day. it will change the way you live. It will transform your ministry. It will change your life forever.

 

Shalom...steve johnson