LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE

My understanding of Love has evolved over time largely influenced by my experiences and what I have read.

God is Love and because we are created in his image, we are love. This means that we have the ability and should use that love that is on the inside of us to Love God, Love ourselves and love on others.

Below are a few beautiful quotes I would love to share on love.

“One way we show our love for God is to graciously receive His love and every good gift He brings into our lives. You see, God has a plan: He wants us to receive His love; love ourselves in a balanced, godly way; generously love Him in return; and love everyone who comes into our lives.

Learning to receive graciously helps us give graciously. When God reaches out to love us, He is attempting to start a cycle that will not only bless us, but others as well. Love God Today: “Lord, please help me receive graciously all that you desire to give me.” - Joyce Meyer.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”- Martin Luther King

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” - Helen Keller

“Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.”- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Luke 6:35

35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Mark 12:31

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Hebrews 13:2

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1Peter 4:8

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 John 4:18-19

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

1 John 4:7

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

What is it that is holding you back from loving God, loving yourself or loving others? Address it so that you may enjoy the fullness of all that God has in store for you and those around you.

KNOWING HE IS THE ONE

 

Before I got married, I dated a few fine men that pretty much seemed serious. However, the moment I thought about spending the rest of my life with the person, fear gripped me and this made me call it quits for the relationship. I did not like the fact that I was disappointing someone, but I knew it wasn’t fair for me to keep the relationship going for months knowing well that I wouldn’t commit to them or be happy if we got married. Like the saying goes, bad news is not like wine, it doesn’t get better with time. So I always came clean as early as I possibly could on my feelings about someone and the relationship. The cliché statement 'sorry, we can only be friends, always came in handy' 

When I met my husband at the end of 2008, he told me so much about himself on our second date some of it not being pleasant. Strange thing is this did not create any anxiety within me like I think it should have. On the third date which was within the same week, he told me that he had made up his mind and wanted to marry me. This is the point at which I fled....too much pressure. How does someone tell you abut a not so rosy past, say they have made up their mind that they want to marry you in just two days and that doesn't freak you out? I hardly knew this guy. He could be hiding something for all I know, that is why he wants to put a ring on it before I figure him out.

No I actually didn’t flee. I had so much peace about the possibility of us getting married that the thought warmed up my heart. I knew in that moment that he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The 'Peace' I felt about us getting married and spending the rest of our lives together was confirmation to me that 'He is the one'.

One of my favourite scriptures has since been Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the Peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If you don't have peace about that relationship, drop it before you walk down the aisle and believe God for a relationship in which you will be happy and feel secure.

#marriageisGodsidea

THE BIBLE IS NOT A DEVOTIONAL

N.T Wright in his book Scripture and the Authority of God puts into perspective the place of the old testament scripture within the Christian church beginning with the time of Jesus.

Wright in the first chapter brings to light the fact the the bible gets its authority from God and therefore the bible minus God has no authority in itself. He also talks about how the bible is a story that we can individually relate with and not a rule book. The scriptures in the bible not only convey a message but are God’s avenue to work in us and through us. I agree with Wright when he says that through the scripture God is continually revealing himself to and within the world that he has made.

The next chapter on Israel and God’s Kingdom people, N.T Wright describes scripture as a record of God’s response to evil and suffering in the world with the stories of God and his people Israel. It is through these experiences and stories that we see the establishment of the kingdom of God and the establishment of God’s kingdom purposes here on earth. Scripture is therefore not just a reflection of stories of what happened but a continued voice of God to us and a call to obedience. I totally agree that indeed God continues to speak to us through the scriptures and that is the only way one can explain an old testament story or word being alive and an inspiration today.

In this chapter three Wright brings Christ into the picture as the one who came to fulfil what the law had failed to accomplish. Jesus offered to God the obedience through which the Kingdom would be accomplished thereby breaking the stronghold over sin and establishing God’s Kingdom on earth. Unfortunately we have not embraced the finished work of Christ and as a result have continued to put scripture between God and us and between us and others.

Chapter 4 The word of God in the apostolic church

Here we see the approach of the early apostolic church to scripture. The old testament was the core of a book of a people being transformed. NT Wright says “…the New Testament understands itself as the new covenant charter, the book that forms the basis for the new telling of the story through which Christians are formed, reformed and transformed so as to be God’s people for God’s world.”

 

Chapter 5 is on the first sixteen centuries. What stands out in this chapter are the four senses of scripture  interpretation that Wright describes.

1. The Literal which refers to how the writers understood what they were recording.

2. The Allegorical where Christians discovered or imputed “Christian” elements in non-Christian verses.

3. The analogical sense which is a way of discovering in the text a picture of the future life

4. The moral sense which is a way of discovering lessons on how to behave hidden within the texts which were not straight forwardly teaching such a thing.

Wright in this chapter makes a crucial point about how we have made scripture a mere feel good devotional document or rule book stripping it of its authority and this has left us with lasting problems.

We therefore should stop trying to prove scripture looking for revelations and remember that scripture is supposed to be transformational in all aspects of life. Let it do its work.

Chapter 6 The challenge of the enlightenment

Wright acknowledges the fact that everyone values enlightenment ways of thinking and therefore does not dismiss enlightenment thinkers. He however notes some of the abuses and some of the goals of enlightened thinkers who sought to undermine the Bible. His emphasis here is on finding a balance.

Chapter 7 Misreading of scripture

Here Wright presents two categories, Right and Left and their misreadings:

The right politically referring to the conservative evangelicals. Then the left who are the philosophical, relatively speaking, rationalistic side. Each of these sides reacts to the other in various ways which creates major problems.

Chapter 8 How to get back on track

Scripture's authority is only present when it is used correctly and that is to fulfil the church’s mission. He noted that the authority isn't in telling people what the bible says but in understanding the scriptures. It is in formation of mind and community. 

 

I will conclude by saying that it has been very enlightening to reading the book scripture and the authority of God because in so many ways Wright flashed the beam lights at a number of areas in my life. I was reminded of the reality that the bible is not just a devotional book that i pick up and read to tick a box or to look for revelations but that the scriptures are actually God breathed and have authority. Authority to cause the transformation that God has intended them to cause in me and through me.

I should therefore drop the mentality of working the scriptures in me and finding hidden meanings or revelations and let God work in me through the scriptures. 

ADAPT TO SURVIVE

General Stanley McChrystal in his book Team of Teams shares eye opening stories and lessons learnt during his leadership of the Joint Special Operations task force in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Americans were faced with fighting the Al Qaeda in Iraq in 2003/2004 and the author narrates  through his intriguing stories how the Al Qaeda proved to the Americans through their tactics and surprising attacks how superbly trained and organised they were. The Americans were quickly losing to the Al Qaeda forces, and Mc Chrystal narrates how the only way they could survive was to change their traditional military organizational practices. They abandoned many of the precepts that had helped establish their efficacy in the twentieth century, because the twenty first century was a different game with different rules. They had to adapt to survive.

They switched from the old model of having the subordinates provide information and leaders disseminating commands to the leaders providing information so that subordinates could take the initiative and make decisions.  He adopted the procedure of “Eyes On, Hands Off” and this created an organisation that functioned 17times more effectively than before, and utterly destroyed their most lethal adversaries.

He defines a Team of teams as a seamless network of organization. In this fast changing environment with high technological improvements, a team must be able to quickly engage, adapt and act rather than react to survive.

 ‘….the constantly changing, entirely unforgiving environment in which we all now operate denies the satisfaction of any permanent fix.’

There are four essential qualities of Teams that I learn from Gen Stanley.

1.      Trust and common purpose.

2.      Emphazise purpose over procedure

3.      Committed to sharing information

4.      Strong connections between teams

Thinking about the team that I am a part of in my 8 to 8 job, it is clear that we have a common purpose. It is however unfortunate that the aspect of trust is greatly lacking as often times it is a case of survival for the fittest where people will trample others to look good or in an attempt to get to the top.

There is a lot of clarity and emphasis on procedure compared to purpose as there is no room to think outside the box or to make mistakes. You are safer going by the books at all times. This stifles growth and creativity and this is quite evident in the team.

Sharing information is on a need to know basis. This is largely because the teams are not empowered but rather information is shared for action and not for decision making and brainstorming.

The connections are close to none existent as each team is pushing its agenda to meet its share of the pie.

This is a great challenge because as a member of the team reflecting on these comments makes me wonder how much I can do to change the story.  As a leader, how do I influence the people I am working with to create a team of teams?

General Mc Stanley indicates the most important leadership skills for leading a team of team as;

1.      Transparency; Being able to bond and build connections enough to know that you have each others back. You are looking out for each other, no matter what.

2.      Adaptability; In a fast growing environment the ability to adapt only comes by creating a Team of Teams.

3.      Focus on teamwork; It is not a one man show. It is important to let people feel like they are part of a whole.

These are skills that we each can learn if we are to become great leaders, for I have come to learn that Leadership is a choice.

As I conclude, I have learnt that there is need for significant cultural change among most of the teams if they are to survive. As a leader, there is need for a mind set change and this is not as easy as it sounds as it takes faith.  I also know that my personal actions affect the people around me. I therefore need to use my leadership skills to lead my life effectively as well as influence the people around me to build a great team.

THE GREAT COMMISSION, DOING IT JESUS’ WAY

Steve Addison in his book Movements that change the World provides insight into the idea of movements and their relevance for mission today.

A movement is a group of people committed to a common cause.

Movement leaders raise the levels of discontentment, they sale the problem even before they sale a solution. Discontentment stirs people up to desire better. The leader then has to move the people from the point of discontentment into a vision and then action.

This is how Jesus operated; he showed us how much the world was in despair and then sold us a vision which then led to action.

Jesus founded a missionary movement through which he reached hundreds of people and commissioned his followers. The Christian faith has remained alive in us and through us through these missionary movements. This has to continue for the church and the Christian faith to continue growing and all we need to do is radically obey Jesus and commit to a journey of missionary movement, learning and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us along the way.

Movements change people and changed people change the World. I am part of Christ’s missionary movement by virtual of the fact that I am a believer in Jesus Christ. The big question is; who am I reaching out to today?

Steve Addison challenges us to become active members of the missionary movement by simplifying and bring to light a few basic facts about missionary movements. In his book movements that change the world, Steve gives five core characteristics of a church planting movement and movements generally;

1.      White-hot Faith

God chooses ordinary people with a longing and yearning for God. Movements often begin with individuals whose lives have been unravelled and redirected by God’s intervention. Their story is an inspiration to others and therefore spreads like a wild fire fuelled by the energy of a white-hot faith. These people have a strong faith and missionary zeal that knows no bounds. Despite opposition from powerful forces within society and the existing church, the gospel spreads into unreached fields.

Jesus had an intimate relationship with God that he constantly cultivated through prayer. Jesus was satisfied in the Father’s love and purpose that no amount of temptation would divert him from the cause.  Steve shows us the impact of Jesus’ white-hot faith on his followers by quoting Acts 4:13 which says;

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus”.

 

2.      Commitment to a cause

Movements have high levels of commitment and people who change the world are committed to a cause. Missionary movements have nothing more important than their faith in Christ and his cause. You must have a cause that is worth dying for because the price to pay is oftentimes high. Steve gives the story of Zebedee as an example. In the story, Jesus goes to Zebedee and asks to take his sons to join his cause/ movement.  Zebeddee and the wife saw in Jesus the presence of God’s kingdom and they were willing to pay the price of seeing their sons suffer under the leadership and guidance of Jesus Christ and this cause that they were entirely committed and sold out to. Individuals in a movement expect a high degree of commitment from themselves and from one another.

Movements sometimes have to go against the norms of society and therefore will experience resistance along the way. They however thrive and grow through such circumstances because of the commitment of the members in the movement.

When commitment dies out and people cease to care, the movement dies.

3.      Contagious relationships

Christianity was and is spread by all classes of people through networks of relationships. New believers sharing their new found faith with their Oikos. The woman at the well was Jesus’s first missionary in the Samaritan village.

In 1998 when I commitment my life to Christ, I had seen two extremes of life. Born catholic, going to a catholic boarding primary school and spending some of my holidays with my father who took us to the catholic church every morning and recited the rosary and novena with us every morning and evening gave me a good understanding of Catholic faith. On the other hand, my mother was born again living life with us as openly and honestly as possible and sharing her faith with us. Never did she ask us to give our lives to Christ, but the more I watched her and did life with her, the more I desired to have what she had. This drew me to committing my life to Jesus Christ at the age of 15. Many in my mom’s network have since come to the knowledge of Christ through her.

Movements spread through pre-existing networks of relationships. I therefore do not have to wait for the time I can minister before a crowd. We should start with the networks around us.

4.      Rapid Mobilization

The spread of the gospel requires the efforts of ordinary individuals committed to mentoring other individuals. Church movements should focus on growing leaders who can multiply their knowledge and leadership. Steve challenges us to  grow church planters and not leaders who just plant a church. When you grow leaders from the people you reach, you are able to reach more people and win new converts. Key leaders recruit and deploy workers and then train them on the job with the expectation that the same Spirit upon the leader will inspire others to follow his example. That is rapid mobilization

Jesus grew fishers of men who are the reason Christianity spread through the nations.

 

5.      Adaptive methods

Movements use simple adaptive methods. They are ready to change everything about themselves except their core beliefs . Movements pursue their mission with methods that are effective and therefore an effective missionary movement will allow you to receive the gospel without having to become a Roman. Methods and tools that are memorable and easily duplicated are often used.

Story telling is an example of a simple adaptive method because it can be used by anyone. The story will be remembered and anyone who hears the story can retell the story.

Characteristics of adaptive methods are that they are functional, flexible, reproducible, sustainable, simple, resilient, viral, variable and uncontrollable. These methods outlast and even surpass the influence of the first generation of leaders.

Missionary movements are an avenue through which we can individually fulfil our God given purpose to make a difference in the lives of lost people living in a broken world.

We have to be ready to share our faith with the people around us even in our casual conversations.   Every one of us has a story and God can use these stories to encourage our hearts, strengthen our resolve and teach us about how he works through his people.

The beauty about being part of this missionary movement is that I do not need finances, special skills or any special resources. All I need is an obedient and willing heart.

I am therefore committing to a life of discipleship. I will follow Jesus and let him teach me how to make disciples so that I may make disciples in my lifetime because that is the great commission upon my life.

TOUCHING HEAVEN AND CHANGING EARTH

A review on Culture of Honor by Danny Silk

The supernatural culture

The stories of the supernatural happenings at Bethel Church clearly point to the intimate relationship that they have developed with the father to the point of drawing people to God through their deep expression of love. The love that is given in abundance when one feels like they least deserve it. That is the kind of love that Christ demonstrated while he was on earth. He lived like us so that we may emulate him and gave us the Holy Spirit as our helper to guide us on this journey.

I however often catch myself thinking and feeling like I am not good enough, I have not done enough, I am not fasting enough. This is clearly a lie and I know that. But why is it that the thought easily crosses my mind and sometimes has the liberty to linger around?

This chapter clear points out the fact that Christ coming into the world and walking this life as a man is a clear demonstration that God values and desires relationship with us. Of course God knew I would be this way, it surely hasn’t taken him by surprise. My take out from this chapter is that it is up to me to cultivate that relationship with the father. Once I cultivate my relationship with the father, I will be able to operate from a position of love, grace and freedom because I have good relationship with the father.

The funnel from Heaven

The five fold ministries clearly explained in this chapter makes me think critically about my life. If these ministries each have a critical part they play in the identity and purpose of the church, then it’s crucial that I know my part and I play my part. I am therefore inspired to discover my calling in ministry at Worship Harvest Church.

Governing from Heaven

2 Timothy 1:7 says that we have not been given a spirit of fear but one of power, love and a sound mind. Exercising self control and not giving into the fears of life is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in one’s life. I have had moments where I had to exercise extreme self control and not react in the heat of the moment. While this was hard and sometimes left me wondering whether it is a sign of weakness, I have always looked back and thanked God that I didn’t react in the moment.

Dearly loved children of light

As children of light, our default setting ought to be operating from a position of love. The writer rightly states that it’s natural to be offended when one breaks the rules. And we often call these people who break the rules offenders who are deserving of punishment. What offense does to us is that it justifies us withholding our love toward that person we are referring to as the offender. This however is not how we should live as the children of light. God calls us to love, even when a person has offended us, because that is what God has done for us.

Freedom practice- Developing a wealth mindset

“Freedom causes our personal responsibility to rise to the surface”

If we are to learn to steward the resources of Heaven we must first learn to practice a wealth mentality. There are four key aspects to this;

1.      God has called me to take on a greater responsibility than the average person

2.      I have to be willing to leave leave the limitations that I have come to accept as my security, my realm of comfort and influence.

3.      I must be willing to shift and break away from the perceptions and identity that I have gained while growing up. Unless I think like a wealthy person, I will not be able to handle my identity, role, responsibility, and resources.

This mindset not only trains us to see our immediate circumstances from a limitless perspective; it also grounds us in our connections both to the global body of Christ and to the generations behind and before us. 

The Top priority of leadership

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We must create a safe place where people come to church and experience a safe environment in which to operate. This will enable them discover who they are and why they are here. A safe place is what gets cultivated when freedom is expressed through love.

This gets me thinking about whether I create a safe place for people around me.

It is important to remember that high levels of freedom can generate conflict as people may live out their new found freedom in ways that we may not agree with.  Honor is therefore a vital value that we must uphold in creating a safe place for people. This challenges me to honor people and not let our conflicts cause me to dishonour them just because we have disagreed.

 

Kingdom confrontation

One of the areas that caught my attention in this chapter is Honor and confrontation.

The author points out that we must approach those that have made mistakes with a gentle attitude. This does not mean nice or polite but rather not controlling the person. Being able to combine honor and confrontation is key to sustaining an environment of grace.

It is obvious that as a leader I will be faced with moments where I have to confront someone. My learning from this is that confronting someone or a situation does not make you any less of a believer. We just need to always remember to do it honourably.

Revolution to reformation to transformation

The church has to be able to create an environment through which heaven flows into the earth.  The Lord has gifted us individually as pastors, administrators, teachers and evangelists and we need to develop core values and new priorities to get us that new level.

This gets me thinking about what I am doing as an individual. I am preparing myself as an individual in church leadership to operate in the spirit world?

I therefore have to be intentional about opening my mind and preparing my self physically, spiritually and emotional for this shift.

As a church, we need to find a higher place of honor and freedom for people. As we shift gears, we need to be mindful to bring the people we are leading along. The people need to understand what is happening so that they experience and appreciate the possibility of operating in the supernatural. Failure to do so would most likely create fear among the people and draw them away from the church into a place where they are in charge again.

Culture of honor challenges us as church leaders to cultivate a culture of self control and freedom by creating a safe place for the church to operate in grace. It also makes me realize how we have the ability to do exceptional supranational things continually and not as accidental or occasional happenings. We therefore need to make adjustments to allow for these experiences to happen in our lives and not just hear about them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHIFTING GEARS AND SEEKING TO KNOW YOU MORE

My thoughts on hosting the presence by Bill Johnson

Hosting the presence creates a new awareness of the kind of relationship that God desires that we have with him and challenges me to live a Holy Spirit led life. Below are some of the areas in the book that left a significant imprint on my heart.

The Ultimate Assignment

It is import that we welcome the presence of God into our lives because God has given us stewardship over our lives and therefore cannot impose himself on us. Unless we welcome him in, he remains an uninvited guest.

‘Our true nature and personality will never come to fullness apart from his manifest Presence. Learning to host him is at the centre of our assignment. ‘

I therefore cannot truly accomplish my purpose or live a fulfilling life if I do not welcome him and attend to him as my special guest and continuously acknowledge his presence and contribution in my life.

From a Garden to a Garden

‘God calls us into a place of strength and not weakness.’

True warfare is experienced from a place of intimacy with God.

God did not create us to fight the devil for him or to get into warfare with the devil, for he has already won the battle and victory is ours. We therefore do not think about the devil as a threat because we are not on levelled playing ground, we are superior because of God who is in us. Our focus therefore is on better things, relationship and intimacy with our father.

Often times I end up struggling because I am doing thing in my own strength and sometimes with a victim mentality. My take out from this is the fact that I need to stop putting my focus on what the devil can do and live my life with a victor’s mind set.

The Lie of insignificance

The lie of insignificance is as a result of not fully comprehending the free gift of salvation. God’s immeasurable and unconditional love for me. I used to catch myself wondering whether God was really with me, whether he was hearing my prayer. But the truth is that he never leaves us.

My desire is that I will grow in my relationship with God to the point that I do not second guess myself concerning the things of God, life, and destiny.  That I will know my true worth and always remember that my value is not from man but God. That I will worship and serve him with no reservation.

A presence that empowers

My take out from this is that the spirit of God will move through me according to my maturity and willingness to be used.

I know that I think about public opinion so much that I hold back from letting the holy spirit work through me sometimes. I mean I have seen people experience the holy spirit in some ways that I find too dramatic. I don’t want that. But maybe I just need to let God work, he surely isn’t out to embarrass me.

I want the presence of God to be my prize! To be covered and filled by all of him.

Sneak Previews

‘Because of the Master’s design, everyone lives to make life better. Some serve the betterment of humankind, and others merely serve themselves’.

This statement got me thinking really hard because I realize that while it is entirely true, I have spent the greatest part of my life merely serving myself. It has been about, how to make my life better, have some form of security, get an identity out of what I have accomplished, the list goes on. Sad thing is, there is no real satisfaction in doing this. There is no end to it. 

I need to change focus and apply myself for the betterment of others. That is what God did for us when he gave up everything unreservedly to became man that we may share in the blessing of eternal life. Therefore if I am made in the image of God, Christ like, a child of God then that is my DNA. That is my greatest calling. A life that pours out to make other lives better.

My thoughts;

What are the things that are taking up most of my time? Are they for the betterment of humankind or are they all for myself?

Answers to Ancient cries

I have an open heaven over me and therefore should not live my life in fear of what could go wrong.

Bill Johnson puts it this way, “My attention must be on the provisions and promises of Christ and the Open Heaven over me. I believe that keeping my focus on those things describes at least in part what it means to abide in Christ”

When in doubt always worship.

I am in a space where I am strongly drawn to make a major decision concerning my career.  This decision has implications on my life, family and a couple of other areas. While I am almost 80% sure that this is what God wants me to do, I often get into a space of anxiety and fear of the unknown. Reading this chapter has spoken to me in many ways. I have an open heaven; all I need to do is to abide in Christ. That way I keep my attention on the provisions and promises of Christ. 

If I live life in fear of what the devil could do, then I am giving the devil the upper hand and he will definitely have a role in influencing my agenda.

The Ultimate Prototype

‘Some of God’s best lessons can’t be learned in a class, they can only be learned on a journey.

This means that I need to keep moving while I learn.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Yielded people have the privilege of carrying (hosting) God into life’s situations.

God responds to our offerings of praise. I will therefore praise the Lord unreservedly and make it a habit to worship God at all times in all I do.

Releasing the Dove

I have learned from this chapter that when Christ was sending out the disciples, he sent them out without any provisions. No money, no connections, no clear cut out plan and no capital. They were not even qualified in the things of God. But because they had nothing, they learned to depend on the Holy Spirit who was with them.

I have often times failed to move`` because I need to see the complete picture, I need money or I need connections. But this has made me realize that that happens because I have not learned to fully depend on the Holy Spirit.  Learning to host the presence should make walking a Spirit led life so much easier.

The Practical side of his Presence

I choose to use my faith to discover God’s abiding presence in my life

The presence of God is discovered in prayer. God is not looking for discipline in prayer, he desires relationship. Praying to God versus Praying with God

My fear of being wrong has held me back from trying something new. I choose to trust God fully and allow myself to bask in his goodness. I will let him lead the way while I follow confidently like a little child carried by their mother not worried about how or when they will get to their destination but living in the moment.   

Baptism of Fire

Jeremiah 29:14 “I will be found by you”

God wants us to seek him and we will find him where he may be found. Where he may be found is a place of rest that comes out of the conviction of who he is in us and who we are in him.

Lord, I choose to seek you, to know you more and to live for you. I will seek you Lord with all that I am. I set aside the major destruction of my life because I want to live for you and not me anymore. I want to experience you every day of my life. I choose you Lord.

Conclusion

Hosting the presence is no doubt a book I am going to read over and over again. It has opened my mind to a number of profound things and stirred in me the desire to step out in full confidence of who I am in Christ. I am excited about the wonderful things that God has in store for me and learning to host the presence is just what I needed to get me started on this new journey of walking with God. I am in total surrender and great anticipation of the many wonderful things that God wants to do through my life.