Christians and suicide

Well, I am about controversy if nothing else!!

I have heard it said that for a Christian to kill him/herself it is at the lowest theft of something that doesn't belong to you as your life belongs to Christ. and at the worst self murder. Well Paul in Philippians 1:20 to 23 says:

"1:20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death. 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 1:22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don't make known what I will choose. 1:23 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. "

Reading that I would say it is his choice. It is very similar to Hamlets, "To be or not to be!" Of course Paul chose to stay for the sake of others not for his own sake. Clearly if it were just him he would have departed by choice.

What if you don't have a clear line of vision into your future? Not many of us do, it has been bleak, it is bleaker and it looks to get bleaker still. Maybe it hasn't been so bleak. Maybe your life was getting somewhere. There are those who are just depressed and have suicidal thoughts. The biggest single killer of men aged 18 to 35 is suicide. The trouble is that as real as depression feels it isn't real. It is a state of mind and suicidal thoughts are a symptom of depression.

Then comes the "Life is over" suicide. Depression is bad enough. I have battled with that for years and got through. But in the words of the Pink Floyd song, you find yourself banging your head on some other mad buggers wall! Today of course, if you have a job and a family then things can be tough but the system isn't really noticeable. But supposing one day you hit up against the system. "No!" is a frequent and unfeeling answer the system gives to anyone who has nothing and wants help. It's hard.

Pain, regret, remorse, are all heavy burdens to carry. The thought that for the rest of your life you have to carry the pains and hurts. Not only do you know from experience that life is hard and needs and lot of energy to get anywhere, but you also now have this extra baggage to carry. It is all very well saying that you can leave it at the foot of the cross, but memories still linger.

The choice, as I see it, is mine and yours, but there have been people who have carried heavier burdens than us. Even Jesus couldn't carry the cross up the hill. He had to be helped. Job was not only desolate and didn't know what had gone wrong, but he was also put among people who who were no encouragement to him. Both Jesus and Job had Glory awaiting them at the end of their trials. Two things to know about Job, that most theologians miss. 1, that he did do something to cause the problem. It is said that he who worries is as he who breaks a hedge. Satan pointed out that Job had a hedge around him and Job worried and offered sacrifices on behalf on his kids. 2, it is often said that at the end Job didn't get back twice everything that was taken from him because at the end the number of kids he had was the same as before. The difference is that where kids are concerned they are still our kids. If he had 1 to start with and another 1 in the end then he had 2. Most theologians love to make out the Bible has an error and therefore can't be trusted.

King Nezzer (Veggie Tales fans!) went mad (well I think it was him!), he ate grass, but he recovered and was restored. This all requires a continuing faith. If you, like me, feel you have lost everything, then remember, God is the God of restoration. I made the mistake before of thinking things couldn't get worse, but then they did! I have tempted the devil before by saying that. No matter how bad things are they could be worse. And no matter how bad things are, God still knows where you are and Romans 8:28 is still true, that He works all things together for the good for those who love Him. "All things" even the hell you are in now. It is funny how when you think things can't get any worse, you claim the promises like this and then they get worse!! That must all be to test our faith and to test how much we truly believe it. As with Job, what the devil wants to prove is that you only love God because He is blessing you. God wants to prove that you love Him anyway. And He will restore double for your trouble! (Yuck, I can't believe I said that!)

I will add something that may sound boastful, God gives each a measure of faith. Each one a different measure of faith. Those who have a greater measure of faith are tested more than those with the lesser measure. Therefore take heart, the greater the test, then the greater the measure you have been given. And now look at the bit before Paul's dilemma concerning his life and death choice.

"1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

We are his workmanship, not ours. He began the work and He will complete it. Sometimes when you do work on a person it involves pain to get to a better place. The same with having work done on the house. How much mess and upheaval is involved in the smallest renovation work?

I have felt recently that a lot of the mess I am in is because I was "over spiritualising" everything. But the devil wants to steel the word from us, Jesus showed that. God wants it to bear fruit in us!

Stuff happens!

Well I feel like I really going through it at the moment. But something I try and do is see these trials as a means to learn and develop my character in line with scripture. That doesn't me I develop my character but that I trust what the Bible says that trials are a means for God to develop a Godly character in us. We just have to keep on trusting Him and if we simply cling onto Him in the midst of the trials He will, through His grace, develop character in us.

There is a lot of talk about breakthrough, blessings and rewards. It is easy to flick the switch and not expect rewards in this lifetime because Jesus once said that we should store up treasure in heaven. But there are two things to say about that, 1, we are made for heaven. When we get there we will only be waiting for the millennium and the new Earth. 2, Jesus also mentioned the idea of reward in this lifetime. Again just because we are storing treasure in heaven doesn't tell us about when it will be released for us. In the same way a bank may say, "Don't stick your money under the mattress where there is no interest, stick it in a bank account!" Does that mean you can't have your money? Of course not.

This is something I have noticed that people do. I probably do it too, I haven't noticed a specific example yet. We do something that someone tells us, but when they tell us to do something different we don't. A recent example I saw was I had a team meeting with the family before a meeting with someone to make sure we were all on the same page. I explained what I wanted our approach to be. They all agreed. During the meeting with the other person I realised I had made the wrong assumption so decided to change strategy, thinking my wife would come with me, but she stuck to her guns on the preprogrammed course! It wasn't that critical, but she found it hard to understand that if I had preprogrammed her as to what we would say that the same person who had given the original instruction was now giving a different instruction.

That is just an example of how we stick rigidly to an original thought and don't like change. Jesus is constantly changing us. We are living sacrifices, that means that we are continually being put to death. Our assumptions are usually arrived at by our world view before we are changed. So, after we are changed we should have a new perspective. But there are a lot of Christians in the world who hold onto their worldview. Does that mean they haven't been changed?

Anyway, I am digressing. The past couple of days God has rescued my attitude with some wonderful reminders. One day I heard the words, "It may not be being done to you but for you." The next day was, "It isn't your fault, it's for your good."

James 1:2-4 says, "2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Romans 5:3-5 says, "we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Jesus said, in Matthew 5:11-12, "11"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Sometimes it is those who are closest to us who the devil uses to persecute us. Sometimes they are restored and sometimes they aren't. Jesus had Judas, Samson had Delilah, Isaac had Rebekah. By persecute I mean the broader sense of working against us. David had Michel. In fact David had lots of people, his brothers, Saul and his own son. Joseph had his brothers.

So, we have our instruction, "Count it all joy!" "Exult in it!" and "Be blessed!" I was listening to something last night about depression. It said that our conscious mind, which in general terms he referred to as containing logic and emotions, drives the subconscious. We are told to make decisions by our will. Not by logic or by emotions. And he was saying the same thing. We have the power to choose and the conscious mind will lead the subconscious. Therefore if we choose to be depressed and negative then the subconscious will look at our decision and obey it, and cause all the necessary reactions in us. Whereas, if we choose joy, then the subconscious will obey that and cause all the necessary reactions.

1 Corinthians 10:13, says, "13No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it"

That is possibly the hardest passage to comprehend at times. If God thinks we are not tempted beyond what we are able, He has a far bigger belief in me than I do! I would almost say that God really doesn't know me if He thinks I am not tested beyond what I am able! But the word says we are not. So, therefore we aren't! We give in far sooner than we give ourselves credit for. The people in this world think that this life is about living a happy life until we die. God tells us that it is about endurance, trials, perseverance, hardships and having our eyes beyond this world and on the heavenly perspective. We are to praise God and give Him thanks in all situations. We are to make good righteous decisions when everyone around us is making wrong decisions. Jesus made the decision to go to the cross, even though it wasn't logical for Him, it wasn't what He "felt" like doing. It was a matter of the will. I have to choose the good path. God has not bought me this far to perish.

Get your own wisdom

I have shared on this several times. There are two main areas where church leaders fall down on the one subject.

1, seeking advice!
2, giving advice!

It follows a pattern doesn't it? I have noticed that a lot of trendy would be mega church pastors become mega church tourists. They seek out someone who has done what they want to do and buy their books and even visit their church. Years ago, Bill Hybels was the guy, Willow Creek was the place. Everyone wanted to be like him, he had such a successful church.

I heard about Bill that his secretary always buys him 4 new books every time he goes on a plane. I wonder how many of his wannabes copy that as well! The point is Bill is Bill, people want to copy what he did but they often fail because they aren't Bill. They can't make every decision the way he would, no matter how many of his books they read, because they are not him.

The other side of this is in giving advice. When a person from the congregation of a pastor comes to him with a problem, many pastors have the answer right there for them. I have been guilty of this too. Is is a crime and it is theft. I need to change my policy.

In a church meeting once I read out the verse in James 1:5, "If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask the pastor." And the people nodded, I then laughed, it doesn't say that. It says, "If anyone lacks wisdom let them ask God!"

I am glad that this has come to a head in my life and that I have realised early enough. Pastors make people pastor dependant. They have them hanging on their every word. People like Joyce Meyer, make people Joyce dependent in the same way.

So let's re examine this. A pastor looks at a church and thinks in his own mind "That's what I want to do for God." So, he sets about doing it. Two things, 1 does God want that? Did Bill go to God for the blue print or was it his understanding he was leaning on? (Watch the bible church videos below under "Wahoo" to see what God's word says about church blueprint). 2, if it was what God wanted and Bill got it from God then wouldn't it be better to build a relationship with God and get it from the same source, or at least get exactly what God wants for you from him?

When a congregation member comes to the pastor, wouldn't it be better for the pastor to teach the people to be "God dependant" rather than "pastor dependant?" No matter what the problem, tell them to first ask God.

Not only did James not tell us to ask the pastor, he also didn't say to read the bible, get the concordance out or google it! The solution is very simple, ask God.

Faith to me is living according to the word. Many Christians today believe they have great faith because they tithe and have a daily quiet time, yet they get anxious, Jesus said don't so how much do they trust him? We are not condemned yet people fell condemned so how much do we trust him. We are told that when we lack wisdom we should ask God, yet we read books, ask people and go to anyone we can find rather than simply ask God. So how much do we trust him? It is easy to build up that relationship and trust, basically ask Him when you lack wisdom!

The next part of what James says is that God gives to everyone that asks. So it isn't a case of a quick "What should I do Lord?" Followed by, "I think God wants me to ask the pastor!"

And clearly we need to test everything against scripture, so if you hear God saying, "Get a divorce" "Kill him" or whatever, then your wires are crossed somewhere. It is about learning to build the relationship by pushing through. We need to get past our own wishful thinking and imagination to the place where we hear from God.

Wahoo!!

Hands up update

Well guess what, since writing about the idea of worshipping with our hands up, I haven't managed to get to church. However, something has grown in me since writing the piece. Sometimes things hit me very gently that I don't do anything about it at the time, but it grows!!

Right, let's say that the "It says "pray"" people are right. As in, "I want men everywhere to raise up holy hands in prayer!" Let's say they are right. So do they? Do they when they are even in their private quiet time of prayer raise up their hands?

Show me a verse in the bible that instructs us to have a quiet time. Yet these very people who make this a law, also want to go against scriptural instruction to say we don't need to raise our hands when we pray!

Who do you believe the legelists or scripture?

What are you wearing today!

The more I look at Christian stuff the more I find just how people are divided over the issues of our one faith. For example, "our salvation is secure and there is nothing we can do to lose it" against "Our salvation isn't secure and there is something we can do to lose it!" Or, "The will be a rapture and then a tribulation" against "there will not be a rapture or a tribulation" (And every variation you can think of!)

Yesterday I heard a guy preaching that I had heard people raving about before. This was a guy who, while we were going to conferences and buying tapes that others weren't interested in, he was invited over to join with several church missions. We missed it some how! This guy now lives in California but was famous for coming from Argentina. When I heard him last night I was surprised that he was preaching division. Within his own thinking he was preaching against wrong doctrine, but the result was that he was stirring up the people who agreed with him to be anti those who didn't! Where in the bible does it say we should cause division based solely on teaching!

Anyway, that isn't what I was saying, all of that is introduction (and getting it off of my chest!) Recently I heard a guy saying that we are not called to be the bride of Christ, (I didn't follow his understanding but go with me for a while!) He said we are not told to put on a bridal gown, we are told to put on armour. He said we are called to a battle and we are called to fight, that isn't the role or clothing of a bride! He was basically saying "what we are about" is warfare!

Today I heard a guy saying that he spent years in spiritual warfare and he has come to the conclusion that that isn't what we are about! He said we are about worship. He made the point that you can either look at the devil or look at God. He said if you can still hear the devil's voice then you are not in the close place with God because the devil isn't allowed there. He pointed out that David was not allowed to build a temple because he was a man of war. He pointed out that God has defeated the devil and we are never called to defeat him, because he is already defeated. Time and again we are told to stand and resist him. Which has to include resisting the temptation to be all about the devil and not all about worshipping God.

He gave testimonies that during his 20 years involved in spiritual warfare he would come home and find his house had been broken into. 5 times in one month one time, everything taken, even irreplaceable things. He said that standing to fight the devil is effectively saying, "Bring it on!"

We are called to be a people of praise and worship. Worship is the greatest weapon we have, but "weapon" is a side effect of our worship. We don't worship to defeat the devil we worship because we love God, a side effect of that is that the devil gets no joy out of it and goes elsewhere!

I like the idea of the "irreducible minimum!" and in many ways worship is the irreducible minimum of what we are about. Everything comes out of that. In our culture the word "love" is so meaningless we love our cars, we love TV programs and celebrities we've never met, if w then say we love God, what value has it? We are told to love God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our strength, that is worship. Our discipleship, ministry, givings, witness and good works all stem from a heart of worship. Under the law these things were a matter of duty. If we are doing things because we should then we are under "law" and therefore not under grace. If we start to worship and have a true love for God that we only want to worship (give worth to) Him then all of these things will follow.

I could tell you how wonderful someone is. I could go on and on about it. But I can't worship them unless I am actually with them. Think about it. Think about someone who's praises you would really love to sing to others. Someone you think of as worthy of telling people about how good they are. Now imagine trying to worship them while they aren't there! A bit of a pointless exercise.

We need to come into His presence and ironically we do that by worshipping.

Imagine saying, "I can't kill anyone because that is against God's will for me!" how noble we sound. Yet what is it worth if we are not willing to come into His presence and worship him? Even most unbelievers resist killing people!

So what are you wearing today? The clothes of warfare? The clothes of the unbeliever? Or the clothes of the bride ready to worship her husband?

Some new thoughts for me!

This is kind of revision of some ideas that have been going around my mind lately:

Love is the fulfilment of righteousness. We know this because the "Law" is summed up with love and the Law can be fulfilled by righteousness.

Righteousness covers two aspects: character and honour. (Again love is evident here).

Character is about how we conduct ourselves, how we think about ourselves and so on.

Honour has to do with how we relate to others.

Obviously a person of good character is gracious to others. Good character would not hold a grudge against a person, we know that because we are told, "Love has no memory of a suffered wrong" 1 Cor 13:5. However, honour goes beyond that. Jesus told us to love, pray for and bless our enemies! To honour someone is more than to just have good thoughts for a person.

We are told to "honour all people" 1 Pet 2:17

We are told to "Honour your mother and father"

We are told to honour those in authority (that is civil authorities as well as church authorities) because God is the one who gives authority. Now, our understanding will tel us that we should honour those who are good. But there is a lot against this:

1, we should bless our enemies.
2, we should honour all people.
3, at the time the letters were written saying that Christians should honour those in authority Nero was the authority! And he was one of the most evil rulers who has ever lived!

So how can we honour those in authority? Firstly, by understanding we are honouring the authority not the actions. When the Jewish authorities told the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, they asked how they could not preach in his name. They did not sneek around behind their backs in the hope of not getting caught! They faced up to "the authority." An authority will say "Do this or that will happen" usually stuff like keep the law of go to prison. It is honouring to the authority to keep the law, the law witch says "Go to prison" if that is what it comes to. It is not honouring to the authority to sneek around breaking the law and trying to get away with it.

What the hey!!!!

I have no idea what I'm going to write but I feel the need to write on the subject of, "Only you can make you happy!"

OK, You are feeling miserable, someone comes along and suddenly you are happy! How does that work? I used to do the "I've just won the lottery" thing. The point is that generally speaking if you were feeling miserable and you heard that you won the lottery you'd probably go into emotionally overdrive. But it isn't the winning the lottery that makes you happy. It's the thought of it. How many times have you thought you had good news, got all excited and then found out it wasn't true? I have that a lot. What really bugs me is when I am talking to people and they jump to the conclusion that I am telling a happy ending story and get all excited. I feel really horrible to have to disappoint them, maybe I should make up a happy ending for them!

The point is that all the stuff that makes you happy is in your body. It is in you. So, when someone or something comes along that makes you happy, it isn't the thing that made you happy, it is your reaction to it. Often the things that tend to make us are new things and surprises. Often when I get Happy because of a person, the initial happiness doesn't last (If my happiness is triggered by a thing)

Very often I can link my lack of happiness to my lack of energy. I have noticed that when I am low on energy and in need of a rest even usually exciting things don't do it. I try to remember to have a rest and find things that energise me. Some things that supposedly energise actually don't. They are just fun to do when you have energy. Some of the things that energise me most are sitting and resting in deep relaxation, not thinking about anything. I like to listen to music that distracts my thinking and stops me concentrating on anything. I like music that seems to massage me on the inside. It always takes a while to get comfortable with a piece of music but it is well worth the effort.

Sometimes, mindlessly watching TV or playing computer games. But not stressful and not as a lifestyle. I don't like to "get involved" with a program or game, because then it becomes more stuff in my life. The same goes for thumbing through a mindless mag, just dreamily looking at the photos and drifting off to the white sandy beach, or floating down the river.

I, as you can probably tell, am the cerebral type. I do a lot of thinking, therefore for me re energising myself is giving the brain a rest and feeling for a change, or just day dreaming but definitely not concentrating. For others, emotional types and gut reactors just switching that off for a while will help recharge the batteries. I actually find boredom very helpful. Like most people I don't like being bored. But, I find it really helpful to do nothing until I am bored. Once I'm bored I know I am recharged!

Sleep alone is not enough rest. And sometimes even the time wasting things we find can be draining. Like they say, "A change is as good as a rest!" So, do something different. Not demanding and not in line with what you usually do. Having said that I found the boxes at the museum a real energy booster!

Sometimes I have to remind depressed people that what they are saying isn't true, it is the slant their depression puts on it. For example the feeling that you have too much on, everthing is against you and so on. When you are up and full of energy these things are as nothing.

I was asked on Sunday what I could thank God for. Recently I have heard a debate on "the curse of work!" However, if you are in a good frame of mind and have plenty of energy there is nothing that beats the satisfaction of a job well done. We were made to work before the fall, the fall just made it hard work!

One of the reasons we get down is because we look at the negatives. We focus on them so much that they become all there is. Obviously there can be physiological reasons for feeling down and that needs medical treatment or whatever. But one of Jesus' pushes was to not focus on the negative but to focus on the positive. Now, you can focus on the things in this world that are positive, but they aren't guaranteed to stay positive. Jesus clearly and constantly referred to the fact that God is in Heaven. A real God in a real place. If we focus on the stuff down here we will get all the depression we deserve. However, if we focus on God in the way that Jesus encouraged us to then the rest will follow, as He said!

Our joy is dependent on what is going on in our minds. Like I said if you heard you won the lottery. Well, there is a true lottery that we can all win and that is knowing the creator God of the universe has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, for our good and has a good future for us.

There was a series over here called red dwarf. In it there was a character who was typically depressive. One time they plugged into a computer game called "better than life!" The idea was that it connected with your thoughts and while you were in the game anything you could imagine became real. All of the characters had a great time, they were successful and really enjoyed themselves, except this depressive character. He ended up an ruining it for everyone!!

Even when we are told everything is positive some people would still rather not take control of their own minds but let their minds dictate to them how it's going to be. The fact we are told to control our thinking tells us we can. So, we have come full circle. Only you can make you happy!

What follows is the episode "Better than life" in three parts!







Jesus said of Himself being "The Life," but for the mean time most of us have a life that isn't reality, it is only our perception. We need to learn to change our perception by taking what God says and counting it as more real than what we see. If we have life then what God has for us is better than life. Are you going to allow your perceptions to spoil what God has for you?

Know Your Leaders!!

Introduction

I have called this booklet “know your leader!” because like me you may be inclined to feel that books on leadership are for those who are called to be leaders. But there are two very important issues we need to address. Firstly that it is just as important for “followers” to know what to expect from leadership and secondly, we will see how we are all engaged in leaders in some form.

What is leadership?

OK, before we start let’s have a look at the irreducible minimum of what leadership is. Firstly a leader isn’t a leader unless people are following! Imagine going into a classroom and seeing a teacher giving a lesson and there are no students in the class. It may be a practice session, but with not students it isn’t teaching! In the same way if a leader has no followers he/she is merely going for a walk!

We need to ask the same question of ourselves as followers as well. Is the guy who sees himself as our leader really our leader. Does he cast a vision and we complain or do we get behind it. Probably the best film I have seen on the subject of leadership is a film called "Heartbreak Ridge" starring Clint Eastwood. Clint plays a sergeant training a group of marine recruits. He is a hard as nails sergeant but at the same time he really looks after and cares for his men. Whereas the captain of the group is an ex stores manager. He treats the men like items on shelves and has no time for them. It is all about numbers and rank as far as he's concerned. There is a battle and this raw regiment are the only people available to go. The captain gives an order and the men refuse, however, they are prepared to do whatever Clint tells them. Even though the captain is their leader, they aren't following him, they follow the sergeant. So often I hear people big up the pastor of the church but when you examine their lives a little more closely they don't even attend church that often, let alone get behind the pastors vision. The pastor suffers from a "nice man" syndrome. Where people think of him as a nice man but that's about all!

That is the first aspect of leadership, that there is a person leading and people following. The next aspect is what we call that relationship. What is the effect that the leader is having on the followers so that they can be considered followers? The word is “influence.” A leader is someone who has influence over others. The fact that the leader influences them shows that they are following.

Two types of leader

Let’s start with a black and white picture. It is usually helpful to see things like this and then work out the shades in between. We have already seen one black and white picture, that a leader either has followers or isn’t a leader.

Let’s have a look at two “opposite” types of leaders. It is said that the definition of a bore is someone who wants to talk about themselves while all you want to do is talk about yourself! Well, the opposite of that is a good definition of “a charismatic person.” That is, someone who wants you to feel good about yourself.

In leadership we see these two types of leaders, those who want you to feel good about them and see it as being about them, and those who want you to feel good about you and see it as all about you.

Winston Churchill was seen as one of Britain’s greatest leaders. However, he was only a great leader during a time when his leadership styles suited the situation. During World War 2 I believe he said of himself that his greatest gift was to be able to voice the feeling of the nation. Although he was speaking on his own behalf, thankfully for him at that time the feeling of the nation was in agreement with his own feelings. However, no sooner did the war end than the feeling of the nation changed and Churchill was voted out.

One of the most common quotes of his that I hear is of the time when he was accused of being drunk by a woman. He turned on the woman and said, “You are ugly, but I will be sober in the morning!”

This has so often been quoted to me as a good put down that I have for a long time been blinded to its significance. How did he make that woman feel? After all she was speaking a truth to him. He used the most offensive and personal thing he could find to say to her to put her down. He may well have “won the argument” but in the process lost her. He lost her as a follower.

In this one leader we see both sides of this leadership spectrum, on the one hand he made people feel proud to be British while on the other forgot to make people feel personally good about themselves. He had the attitude of a bulldog.

In what way are we all leaders?

We started by saying that “leadership is influence.” Well, we all influence people all the time. Even how we talk to a shop assistant has some influence on them. Therefore, to understand the qualities of leadership is very important for all of us. We can all become “bad leaders.”

Getting the best influence

In the bible we are told to imitate Paul as he imitates Jesus. In other words we should be influenced by Paul to become like him as he himself is setting his sights on becoming like Jesus.

There is a principle that people become like their leaders. Some have said this only takes three years. They go as far as to say that after three years every problem that a leader encounters within the followers is a problem that hasn’t been dealt with in the leaders own life.

It is important, therefore, to examine anyone that you would have as a leader and make sure that you really want to become like them. One thing I have noticed, having children, is that it is so often the bad qualities that are picked up first. If the leader cuts corners, that lets everyone off and tells them that they don’t need to be too bothered. The problem is they wont all cut the same corners! What is important enough for the leader to not cut a corner may be the very thing where his followers feel they can!

So many people are loyal to a denomination or party that they will go along with the leader regardless. We only get one short life so it is important to make sure that you really are getting the best influence you can get. Examine the qualities within the leaders life and ask yourself whether you want to become like them.

For example, at the time of Saul the people were just as afraid of Goliath as Saul was. Whereas, later David’s army were as loyal and brave as he was. In the wilderness part of the problem wasn’t Moses, It was that the people didn’t see Moses as their leader. They continually followed other ways.

Charismatic leadership

Charismatic leadership is simply the ability to listen to people and engage with them in a way that makes people feel good about themselves. What then happens is that they enjoy the influence you are having on them in making them feel good. If you are in a leadership roll then they will be happier to go along with your ideas.

Leaders who put people’s backs up by not listening or being dictatorial can find that they have a congregation but no followers. The congregation, like those in the wilderness are not actually following the leader, but instead are continually grumbling. It can also be that they are attracting others with a same mean spirit and therefore, like Churchill, are simply voicing the feelings of the crowd.

Let’s say there are two cafés in town. One is clean with friendly staff, makes you feel welcome and provides an excellent service. The other is dirty, unfriendly, doesn’t make you feel welcome and the service is lousy. Now you would think that the dirty café would soon go out of business. But what you find is that like attracts like. People who are dirty, and unfriendly feel more at home in that café. Some people would rather have negative influence in their lives as a means of validating who they are and where they choose to be.

In the same way a church may be full but that doesn’t mean it will be growing and moving into good ground. It may well be full of people who do not actually want to improve. Again this is reflective of the leadership. If the leader isn’t bothered about personal growth then the people wont be either. What happens is that others who do not want to be challenged will gather around that leader.

All change

Very often we see the situation when a leader leaves and a new one is brought in that some people leave and others come back who left when the previous leader arrived. This is simply that people are attracted to what they want out of life.

All too often a church becomes big when it attracts Christians from other churches because the leader is doing the very thing so many church leaders are accused of not doing. These are not necessarily “charismatic Leaders” but can often just be “Churchill style leaders.” That is they are voicing the feeling of the people. After all Churchill himself voiced the feelings of the nation. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing. If the feelings of the people are amiss then voicing them isn’t good. If the people want to be about life changing messages and hands up worship but not about getting their hands dirty in mission then it doesn’t matter how big the church is it will stagnate. On the other hand many Christians want to hear the gospel preached but do not want to hear challenging life changing messages. Then that congregation will not grow to maturity.

The issue isn’t about popularity or about hearing what you want to hear. The issue is about becoming like Christ. That involves all aspects of the faith. That involves people engaging with their own life transformation. It involves heart felt worship. It involves getting our hands dirty in ministry and mission. It involves commitment and sacrifice.

What is biblical leadership?

Here we have to leave the debate! Leadership in the bible is not about following one man or one woman. Yes we are to be influenced to become like Jesus. And in that sense we need leaders. We need spiritual influences: those who are further forward with the Lord than we are. But government within the church is by consensus, not by leader.

This is the big problem in the church at the moment. Throughout history we have followed the tradition that was set up be the Catholic Church, who in tern were influenced by the Church Fathers (so called!) The biblical picture of leadership is through the united agreement of the body and not through the vision of one “pastor!”

There are a few scriptures that show that decisions were made through mutual agreement, where as teaching was obviously given by those who knew what needed to be taught.

Hands up!

If th Bible were silent then we could be silent, but if the bible speaks then we need to speak! And we are told that we should let God speak!

"God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few." Ecclesistes 5:2

"I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Ps. 63:4

"I call to you, O Lord, everyday; I spread out my hands to you." Ps. 88:9

"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord." Ps. 134:2

"Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ’Amen! Amen!’" Neh. 8:6

"Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." Lam. 3:41 KJV

"Lift up your hands to Him." Lam 2:19

"I fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed." Ezra 9:5-6

"Solomon knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven." 2 Chron. 6:13

"As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword ... Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ’For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.’" Ex. 17:11-16

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer." 1Tim. 2:8 (New Testament)

Now, a person may not find it within his or her feeling, thinking or experience to want to raise their hands in prayer and worship, bu I believe it is scriptural! It may not be part of our "biblical tradition" but it is part of the bible. If it is wrong to steal or commit murder because the bible says so, then surely if the bile tells us to raise our hands as Paul does in Timothy, then we have no excuse not to!

Don't forget that God made man, "Male and female", in Christ their is no "Male or female."

If I were to add my own words to this, I would say that we can liken it to a marriage. How does it feel if one partner is holding back? God doesn't want us to be bound within the constraints of modest reservation! He wants us to be free indeed. What does that loom like. Not "free" to and "free" not to, but free to express the love and joy of being intimate with God. How can we be intimate if we are physically reserved! That isn't true intimacy.

Tradition has taught us to pray with bound hands. We don't pray like that, but we don't pray with raised hands as we should. And notice it is plural, "Hands" not the one sided hand raised! This is unashamed and unreserved.

Does it matter? Well, it obviously matters enough to God to put it in His word and more than once. We are shown that those who were considered great worshippers raised their hands. It is interesting that God says He lifts up His hands!

"Thus says the Lord GOD,
"Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations
And set up My standard to the peoples;
And they will bring your sons in their bosom,
And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders." Is 49:22

Is a posture important? So, is this just cultural, descriptive rather than prescriptive? The problem is that Paul gives it as an instruction. I have heard the argument several times that it doesn't matter to follow the letter as long as you follow the spirit. Well, Jesus makes the point that you tell what is going on on the inside of a person by what you see on the outside. The only time you see different on the outside to what is happening on the inside is called hypocrisy! Like when the Pharisees where white washed on the outside, and dead means bones on the inside.

This comes into the question of whether our attitude to God is more important than our posture.

Let me give you some other scenarios:

Is it ok to get drunk every night as long as you have a good attitude towards God?
Is it ok to swear and curse as long as you have a good attitude towards God?
Is it ok to be bad tempered as long as you have a good attitude towards God?
Is it ok to beat up on you partner as long as your attitude towards God is ok?

Surely the answer to these is that if you are doing any of these on the outside then there is room for improvement in your attitude towards God! You may feel that you are "good spiritually" but the outside behaviours reveal something amiss somewhere.

If we really want to work on being good spiritually then we need to get the the spiritual manual and find out what the spiritual man (woman) looks like. Scripture is referred to as the cannon, the cannon was a tool that was held up against a wall to see whether it was vertical (Upright) and straight. Today we have a spirit level! We use scripture to see how well we are doing. It is too easy to try and test scripture against us. To say, "Well, I don't believe that!" and expect scripture to line up!

Personally I think it is just as "missing the mark" to put your hands up and feel self conscious as it is to not put them up. However, we will never not feel self conscious if we don't start. Like having a new hair cut or new glasses or new outfit, we feel self conscious at first but after a while it is second nature. Maybe, this comes into the same area as fasting, "why?" I mean "Why fasting?" There is something about making a sacrifice in praise. I also feel that actually we are battling with the Spirit by keeping our hands down. We can easily desensitise our conscience, searing it, by constantly refusing to submit.

I can remember once when I was a fairly new Christian and in a large conference marquee. I had a few kind of spiritual visions. One of them was as I closed my eyes I could still see everyone in the meeting. Everyone had their hands down, but I could see that the spirit man in everyone of them had his, her hands raised! Now, if the spirit is raising his hands then are we in step with the spirit? If it is important enough for the spirit to raise his hands then why do we get and exemption?

I have found a couple of arguments that I didn't cover. One I thought of but didn't put and the other a new one to me.

1, "It says prayer!" (Apart from the verses in Psalm 63:4, 134:2 and Neh 8:6 where hand raising is connected with praise!) Yep, but worship is part of our prayer life. Prayer is part of our worship life. So, the question goes further, "Does that mean we should raise our hands whenever we are communicating with God? For example when we are reading the Bible? If we are praying while driving?" It is a serious point to test anything thing to the ludicrous extreme, if when you get there it is ludicrous then one two things has happened. Either the starting point was ludicrous or the logic was ludicrous!

The point here isn't that we should legalistically raise our hands and be stoned to death if we don't! You can see how this would get like the traditions of the elders. The point is it is an option to worship. One commentator said that hand gestures are something we do all the time while we are communicating. I would put it to you that there are or have been times in worship when you have felt like raising your hands and either have or haven't. Who says I have to raise my hands when I want to hug someone? Who says I have to raise my hands when I want to get someone's attention? Who says the Olympic Gold runner has to raise his or her hands as they cross the finish line? The point is it isn't law, it's gesture. and worship is a gesture.

The second issue is one that I never thought of and this came from a woman who had been a choir member for years. She said she felt very self conscious about raising her hands. The point she made was that she loved singing, choirs, small groups, along with the radio, and sometimes she caught herself "just singing" in church. Raising her hands helped her to remind herself that this singing was far more important than just singing along with the radio. Which is another slant on the "Surely it is more important to have a good attitude than to just raise your hands?" The point here is, the same can be said for singing! It is easy for it to become meaningless. Especially I find when the you don't know the words so are concentrating more on getting that right, or know them too well, so you sing them without thinking! Or there they are short so you never really get into the zone before you are hearing people again. Or they are too long so you are thinking how much longer is this going on for? Or you just have too much else on you mind and the pastor hasn't reminded everyone to lay it all down and get into the worship!

This is a quote from someone called AV. I like it because it leaves behind all of the theological argument that so often gets in the way of simple human response to a great God!:

"I grew up in a Presbyterian church in the South… very traditional and conservative. I studied abroad in Australia and ended up going to a Pentecostal/Assemblies of God church. I fell in love with this church and the openness and genuineness of the people and the worship. God felt real here, not just a tradition…. and yes, they raised their hands in worship.. which was very new to me at the time. How can we talk about God being worthy to be praised and not lift our hands? When we go to concerts and sports games, we throw our hands in the air with no second-thoughts… I think it is a great combined act of surrender, celebration, praise, and acknowledgement of God’s presence in our lives and with us every step of the way. I also think of it much like singing. When we are willing to sing God’s praises, we are willing to open up to Him; when we are willing to lift our hands to our Creator, we let Him in still."

Quoting another argument, this time a pro argument: why is it that the same people who argue, "Surely it is the heart that counts and not the externals," also argue about externals where it matters to them? For example, length of women's hair, tithing, decorating the church with banners, the pastor being smartly dressed (Which definitely isn't in the bible!), Christians wearing suits (again not scriptural!) (From this argument I can only conclude that some Christians would rather non scriptural externals as important rather than scriptural ones!)

Now show me, from the bible, why we should pray and worship with our hands down!

Another River!!

This really spoke to me. I heard someone mention this as part of a talk and it lept out and exploded in my thinking. The idea that Jesus went to the river where He experienced an open heaven and then into the wilderness where He was tempted and tested. The bit that really lept out at me was the line, "In the river, God's character is revealed, in the wilderness, our character is revealed!"

I automatically make connections, so I connect Jesus' experience with Israel leaving Egypt. They went through a river and into a wilderness. They experienced God revealing Himself to them. Then, in the wilderness their character was revealed. These were the same people who had cried out for deliverance. But, once delivered where was their faith!

It the garden of Edan, God had been fully revealed to Adam and Eve, the like of which we do not experience. Then one day God wasn't there, and they were tempted and tested. Then God turned up. It is interesting that although we are not told God wasn't there, we are pointedly told when He arrived, making the point that He hadn't been there!

Likewise when Samuel told Saul to wait for Him before making a sacrifice and Samuel was delayed. Saul made the sacrifice himself. In the absence of God's "revealer", Saul was tempted and tested.

One job I had was to work in what was called, "Environmental Conditioning." It was also called environmental test. The two names kind of have to go together. To test something is to see whether it works under certain conditions. It can pass or fail the test. But there is another meaning of the word test, and that is to harden through certain processes.

We would receive an electrical unit and first of all place it on a large vibrating table and vibrate it very hard and fast for about ten minutes. We then placed it in huge chamber that cycled between -35c to plus 65c. We then placed the unit into water and looked for air bubbles!

All of this was sometimes done while running a test program within the units and sometimes we tested them afterward. The idea was two fold. One was to make sure it could stand up to the conditions of working around the would. Say, placed in a rough terrain vehicle and then taken through deserts and frozen places. The other was the conditioning aspect. We were not only seeing whether they worked, but also toughening them up so that they would withstand the conditions they need to work in.

In other words, when we talk about "wilderness" being a place of temptation and testing. We shouldn't think of it in the bleak terms of pass and fail! The Israelites can give us a picture of "failing the test." But God judged them as a whole. By the time "Israel" emerged from the wilderness it was a wholly faithful and powerful force to be reckoned with. There were still elements within that had not been dealt with and need to be. If Israel is a picture to us then we need to see it as one nation and not individuals. Jacob was given the name Israel! As one person each of us can see ourselves dealt with in the ways the nation of Israel was dealt with. Not that we will be illuminated if we fail, but that the parts in us that fail will be illuminated.

We are tested as if by fired yet not burned up. Our character is revealed, both the good and the bad. The good is made even more firm and the bad is exposed and placed before the Lord. When you refine Gold you have to heat it up. The dross rises to the surface and is then removed by the refiner.

Let's talk about money! Why, because Jesus used it as an example a lot to reveal our connection to worldly things. If we are to handle the kingdom's riches then we first have to be tested in the least. If a person, a goodly Christian, has a good income and pays a tithe and considers any spare there to be saved or squandered, then he has missed the point. If God is our provider today then He is our provider tomorrow. That which is given to us is for His glory, not our indulgence. Can such a person be trusted with the true riches of the kingdom?

God wants us to be people of faith. People who are truly connected to Him and His will. The process by which He develops this relationship is through revealing His character to us as if by an open heaven and then by placing us in a place of barrenness where we are tested and tempted.

You can be in a very blessed place and still feel empty. This is what struck me. This is how I have felt for ages. In a place of tests and temptations, where God seems almost absent. Nothing that used to work is working. But the thing to notice is that the wilderness is for a season. It is funny that the guy giving the talk said about charismatics, how when they are in a wilderness time, they can't tell each other! They often want to pretend that everything is fine, which will only make the sense of isolation worse! But if they tell, then what abundant and over bearing ministry will they receive?!!

We can enjoy the river, and know that the wilderness is for our good and only for a season! I say it is for our good because we ask for it! We forget that we stand in church and sing with gusto, "Purify my Heart" "Make me new" "Your will be done in my life!" (Or words to that effect!) but as soon as God starts to work on us we are like the Israelites protesting and sulking! We hear sermons that talk about christian character and say, "Yes Lord!" then when the heat is applied we say, "No Lord!"

One of the most important things to do in the wilderness is to keep remembering God's previous goodness, the river, and to keep looking forward to the promises of God, the promised land. Even Jesus was said to have endured the trials of the cross looking forward to the glory to come.

The time when it was right for the Israelites to come out of the wilderness was set by God as 40 years. It was so that the generation that left Egypt would die in the wilderness and not go into the promised land. In other words, they when Israel had put off the old nature and taken on the new nature, that was when it was time!

The River of God!

Years ago I heard people trying to describe the will of God. Most used the idea of a cruise liner bound for a destination on a preprogrammed course, set by computer. The passengers on that boat can do what they like but whatever they choose to do they will arrive at the preset destination.

Today I heard a much more biblical picture. The River of God, as the will of God. It is the same idea. The River of God is a river running to a destination. It is a strong current. We who are in Christ are in that river. We might try to swim up stream (against the currentand flow of the river). When we do, that is a struggle. We are striving against God's will. We can tack from sideto side and try to not get dragged along too quickly. But again we are simply resisting God's will. In order to get into God's will we have to resign from trying to do our will. Surrender to the current.

Switching analogies for a bit! An ocean liner cannot do a hand break turn. It takes miles to turn round. We need to allow God to turn us around. Often we are pointing the wrong way. We cannot just stop and turn, we need to keep going in the direction we are going but take our hands off of the wheel and let God steer us around.

Another analogy is that we are like a horse and Jesus is the rider. A meek horse has all the power of a hoprse but is under total control. They do this trick where they tie between a post and the horses bridal. The horse walks around the pole at exactly the right distance. too close and the ribbon wraps around the post too far and it snaps. But the analogy of Christian meekness is like being a horse with our head on backwards. Jesus is our rider and we are looking at Him for His instruction.

Funny how these analogies get weird isn't it!

I used to have a saying, "I am today where God wants me to be, if He wants me to be somewhere else tomorrow, then He will move me!"

Many people had problems with that saying, but not those who knew the walk. To say you aren't where God wants you to be today, is like the man who asked an Irishman directions. The Irishman said, "Well, You don't want to start from here!" Where else can you start from?! To the straight, uptight, middle-class conservative the Junkie is starting in the wrong place! But to the Junkie, where else can they start! We know that Jesus meets us where we are.

We don't get into the will of God by works: by doing all kinds of religious stuff, getting our lives sorted out and so on. That is religion. Religion says, "to approach God get yourself pure." Jesus says, "I will appoach you and make you pure!" That is how we can "Boldly approach!" Not by our works, but by His.

Religious people hate the idea of that saying, "I am where God wants me to be and if He wants me somewhere else He will move me" It urks them. They can't be comfortable with it. But how else can we approach God. There is no logic in having it any other way. "While we were yet sinners Christ first loved us!" or somethinglike that. I feel I have mixed to verses there! But hey, it's still scripture!

I remember a friend saying to me, "If you no longer feel close to God, guess who moved!" God promised He would never leave us or forsake us. How can we think that God has left us? There is a brilliant image in the Lord of the Rings (the film) where Golum is having an argument with Smeagal. At the end Golum puts his hands over his ears and says, "Not listening!"

Does God walk round with a big stick? That depends on what you fear. I am someone who grew up in fear. I was affraid of everything. Not spiders. I think people who are affraid of spiders don't understand what real fear is. I tell you when you have lived in fear of attack day in day out spiders are nothing! Well, to me anyway! To me people who are affraid of spiders don't have enought to be affraid of. (Now I'm speaking as someone who lives in a country where there are no deadly spiders. There are no spiders bigger than your thumb.) OK I am probably talking out of turn so I appologise. If you have lived in constant real fear and are affraid of spiders I let you off!!

We are told to fear God. I have met people who say, "I think that means reverance!" No, it means fear! Healthy fear. Like the healthy fear that stops an electrician getting killed, you stop fearing electricity and you wont be around very long. It wont be long until you touch something without thinking and bang, your no more!

Ananias and sophira were Bang and no more! However, there is no evidence that they weren't saved. No evidence that they were not taken straight to the throne room of God where as a loving Father He could keep them where He wanted them. That isn't wrath, that is love. When a hand goes gangerous, the surgeon will cut it off. Not out of anger, but out of compassion for the rest of the body.

God made us
We fell
God redeemed us

Why do we now say, "You got to get yourself sorted out!" We didn't make us. We don't have a clue what makes us tick. Can you take any child and guarantee to bring that chiold up to be perfect? No, you are just any child, yet you assume you can make you perfect! Doesn't make sense. Only God can make us perfect. A car cannot fix itself. I can't fix my car, but I can take it to the garage! Now, if I can't fix a car, that is a lot more basic in opperation than a person, then how can I expect to fix me? But I know where to go to get me fixed!

Anyway, I am late for bed now!! I have to give a talk in the morning! When will I learnt to not volunteer anymore! It always seems like a good idea at the time! Hopefully, God will give me the words to say!

The cure for sin!!

There are several ideas in scripture to do with sin. One is that our sin needs to be covered. Another is that God needs to be pleased, there are others. Of course Jesus' death did the lot. All of these pictures although true are pictures to try and help us understand how sin has separated us from God and how the Crucifixion has brought us back together.

The idea of healing in the bible has mostly always been seen as healing. The guy I learned from certainly saw healing as being about healing. The word faith people also see it very much that way. For example, it me through that common verse at you, "By His wounds we have been healed!" I have only ever heard one person say that this is not talking about healing!! Let's have a look at the verse in context.

The first thing to see is that the verse as it is quoted begins with "for" as in "For by His wounds. .
."

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." 1 Peter 2:21-25

OK, so is this "passage" About our being brought back to God through Christ's sacrifice for our sins, and He Himself being an example to us? Or, is it about healing?

After 3, 1, 2, 3:

Well, it seems odd that he should through in a verse about healing. It is a picture, "He bore our sins . . . for by His wounds we are healed."

"Healed" is a word that describes our being treated for our condition, which was sin. The passage actually quotes Isaiah. Not word for word, more to do with it's fulfilment. Isaiah puts it in future terms, here it is past. However, actually, there is no future tense in Hebrew, so actually it was always in past tense. Sorry that's very technical!

Now, I am sorry, I am hinting at stuff here, I don't even want to go into it here, because I want to get to the point I am interested in. And that is looking at "healing" as a picture of sin removal! The Old Testament often uses sickness and an allegory for sin and often asks, "Who can heal us?" That is the context of Isaiah's half of this statement.

Anyway, to the point! Imagine a doctor going into a room of people. All of the people there have something wrong with them. Most are too embarrassed to talk about it, and no one really knows what the others have wrong with them. The doctor comes in and lists a whole bunch of conditions and says, "If you have any of these conditions, I have the cure! I can heal you!"

Each person accepts the cure.

Until we see this picture, we will see people with long wagging accusing fingers telling us that we are evil and full of sin and our sin is what is wrong with us.

Now, listen to what Peter says, "By His wounds, you have been healed!" No wagging finger! No accusation.

Now, imagine someone goes back to the doctor because the condition seems to have re-emerged. What does the doctor say and do? "Here, have some more medicine!" No finger wagging, no accusation. Now, where there is wagging and accusation is those who allow there condition to get bad and refuse to go back to the doctor. Those who would rather have the condition than the cure.

Another, now! Now, have you been healed of all sickness and ailments? Of course the word faith people want us to go around saying we have been healed when we haven't because that's "faith!" However, do you believe that Christ's work on the cross did the job of making you acceptable to God? I hope the answer is a big, "Yes, Absolutely!" Then not only does "healing" fit the context of salvation in the passage, it also does in our faith! So, why are people stopping their kids insulin? For the same reason we are afraid that our sin will bring us condemnation, because we have been robbed of the rightful place of this truth.

I am not sure I have got across the release I felt when this sank in the other day. Up until now I have seen sin as something from the point of view of all the other pictures. They are all ugly pictures. But this picture balances that. Of course sin is still ugly. All the other pictures make us feel that it is something we have deliberately done and can prevent. Whereas this puts it in the right perspective. Can you give yourself cancer? No. If you have it can you decide you wont have it one day and it will just disappear? Apart from going to a doctor can you do anything yourself to prevent it or stop it? No (For pedants, I am using this as an analogy, I am sure I could find something that fits if you try and push the analogy!) So, sickness is an analogy of sin, then we need a doctor! There is nothing we can do! We know that! So why do we get so wound up about it?

What a wonderful release to realise that we are sick and need a doctor! Hey, you know what? That reminds of something someone else said, now who was that?!!

dare to ask!!

Here's a point, a simple point! Dare you ask God? Dare you believe? Dare you write down a list of everything in your life, no arguments, the lot, all you sins, sicknesses, weaknesses, debts, all the things like being blessed more than we can ask or imagine. Blessed financially, blessed physically, blessed in holiness, blessed in ministry and work? To write all that down, effectively seeing yourself as perfected in this word and living in an ideal way including financial blessing and freedom.

Like I say, without argument, write it all down and state that you believe God can do it, wants to do it and will do it?

It is nothing more or less than honest worship.

It is giving praise in our hearts that God is God and nothing is impossible to Him.

There is a verse that has been translated like this."If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’ Deut 7:17 The next verse says, "you shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt"

That isn't a very good reading as the answer doesn't follow the question. What if it were written like this, remembering that there is no punctuation in the Hebrew:

"If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I?' how can I dispossess them? 18 you shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt"

The point being that it isn't just us who are limited by our disbelief. God is limited how we see our situation. We are told that God can do "far more abundantly" than we can ask or imagine, "according to the power of God at work is us!" How we take that for granted! How much power is at work in you?

Stir up the power of God at work in you, give Him the worship He deserves. Do not short change Him. Do not bind Him up in religion. Give Him complete free reign to be God and do His will, not the limitations of our imaginations

Priests and Prophets review!

It seems that I have more than one theme!

There are more mantles than priests and prophets. Well, at least one! Not only are we all priests and prophets but we are also all royalty!

Each member of the church is seen by God as a priest, a prophet and a king. This doesn't function under congregational church. Under the roman church there were priests over the people and the whole point of the exercise was that there was the emperor over the whole church. In the church of England, we have the monarch as head of the church of course. None of this helps us to establish the truly mind blowing revelation of the New Testament of what we are supposed to be about.

Jesus is the prophet, the high priest and the king of kings! We know that we can only call Jesus Lord by the Spirit and He is the Lord of Lords. That makes those who believe, "Lords!" In the same way, Jesus is the king of kings and He is our king, what does that make us? We are called, "A royal priesthood!" The word "Christian" was first used as an insult to believers. It means, "Like Christs!" Some people don't like the term but it is actually more fitting than we first think. Jesus had the ministry of messiah/ Christ. He passed on the mantle for that and told us to carry on that ministry. We are everything He is, "as He is, so also are we in this world." 1 John 4:17.

In the Old Testament if you wanted to offer a sacrifice to God you needed a priest. That sacrifice is not just a sacrifice for sins, there were all kinds of sacrifices that a person could offer as an act of worship. But, we are told to make our own confessions and that we will worship by the Spirit. We have been released from the priesthood by being Incorporated into it. The priest "applied the blood" today we apply the blood of Jesus.

In the Old Testament, if you wanted a specific word from the Lord you needed to find a prophet, It may surprise you but the weren't just the famous prophets there were prophets all over the place. When Saul was called to be King he was with a band of Prophets. Now, we are freed from having to seek a prophet, we can seek God for ourselves. We can live in the prophetic. That doesn't mean we will go and shout at the national leader! That means that we live in a day to day relationship of knowing God's will for our own lives. God has renewed our consciences so that He can guide us. It is a case of not living by tradition but but the instant whisper of God. Course corrections are ongoing!

In the Old Testament, the splendour of God's nation is revealed in the king. Visitors would come to the nation or Israel to see the king. The witness of God's blessing was on the king. In other nations they had to offer sacrifices for prosperity. Prosperity was seen as a sign of blessing. Other kings would come and be in awe at the wealth of this tiny nation. They would be introduced to the true God. Jesus turned water into wine, He turned an average wedding feast into a royal banquet with quantity and quality of wine. He fed the 5000 (probably actually 30,000 as they only counted the men!) Again showing the kind of kingdom wealth that only a king can provide so freely. Jesus was showing that His Kingdom was not of earthly palaces, but He was never the less a king. In fact in John six that is the very next thing the people say, "Let's make Him our King!" The king also took the nation's army into battle and ordered the people to repent and turn to the Lord. In the same way now we too are meant to show the world what it is like to live under the blessing of God (Only your imagination will limit this!) We are called to be generous in all occasions. We are called to stand in battle where ever we are, not wait for a king to tell us.

Jesus is the head of the body. Every member of the body is individually joined to and controlled by the head. "the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God." Colossians 2:19. Put you hand out in front of you palm up. Now raise one or more of your fingers. This is what Paul might have been seeing. The fingers aren't controlled by the wrist but by the head. In the same way we are each joined to the head, Jesus. This is why we can all sing, "My Jesus, My Saviour!"

Because we are all joined in a way that no one was in the Old Testament, we are all part of the ministry of Christ. We have all that He has. Everything that you head has, your body has too! It is this relationship that enables us to live in such close relationship with God as was never seen before.

Imagination!

I've been boiling this down and down and following a theme I haven't intentionally followed, but God keeps laying stuff in my path that is the next thought in the line! And I mean God is doing it, because I'm not coming up with this stuff. I turn on the TV and there's the next bit, I open a book and there's the next bit! (OK I don't open books, but you get the point! I am just taking the seeds I see in different places, and those seeds are bursting into fruit in me!)

Imagination, boy is this getting simple!! Let me ask you a few questions:

Do you have an imagination?

Can you use your imagination to imagine really good things like if you had loads of money?

Does your imagination sometimes create black pictures all by itself?

Those black pictures are worry, fear, anxiety and so on. Jesus said don't be anxious for anything. The bible tells us to fear not and to cast our cares onto Him.

Now, you've just agreed that you control your imagination to think good things, so this is what the Bible is saying, take control. Now, it doesn't say, "Don't think of pink elephants!" You know what that means, the more you try not to think of pink elephants the more you think of them!

The bible tells us what to imagine. It tells us to imagine picking up our junk and throwing it at God's feet. I tells us to imagine that God is taking care of it. It tells us to imagine that we are free of it.

But what if it gets up and comes back? Then we imagine we pick it up and throw it down, again and again until it doesn't get up anymore!

It is almost impossible to throw a thought our of your mind, you have to create a new thought to replace it. We can do it. If you can imagine what it would be like to have lots of money when you haven't got lots of money then you have already seen yourself doing that very thing! You cheer yourself up with dreams. Over here we dream about winning the lottery, even though we personally don't do it, but for the unbeliever say, it is vanity, completely empty and void of any reality. Yet, even though there is no hope attached to what they imagine, or a hope of 1 in 14,000,000. Then how much more can we imagine ourselves happy when we has an absolute odds on certainty that God is taking care of our problems, because His word says so!

So, my advice to you is - start day dreaming!!! Obviously, not day dreams we naturally dream but dreams and imaginations connected with the promises of God! I have heard people try and do the "Well in the Greek!" on the "In my Father's house are many mansions!" Hey, dream about that mansion!

So, when you are in a place of negative imagination, imagine your way out of it. There is no reality, only perception, and God's perception is the only reality! So, change your perception to match His.

Imagine!

Your problem is not your problem!

We can look at that statement two ways, Firstly, if you are a Christian your problem belongs to Jesus. We are told to cast our cares onto Him because He cares for us. The other way of looking at it is that it isn't our problem that is our problem but our attitude to our problem!

What is your problem? Whatever your problem is, God is bigger! He tells us to give Him our problems. He wants to deal with our issues for us so that we will deal with His. What use are we to the work of the kingdom if all of our energies are focused onto just getting through life. Jesus promised us life in abundance. But if we act like the unsaved, like those with no faith, like those with no hope, by merely focusing on the issues of life as if to say that these are all there is, that these are what life is all about, then we are no use at all.

Jesus took our sins onto Himself so that we could take on His righteousness, If He can do that and we can believe that then why can't we believe that He can deal with our problems better than we can?

The other side of this is that God wants us to develop character. I meet so many would be Christian helpers. They are people who see someone in need and with twitching hands can't wait to do a great work of charity. However, the moment it becomes hard work, you should hear what ungodly, unchristian stuff comes out of their mouths. Unfogiveness, lack of mercy! "How dare they talk to me like that!", "After all I've done for them!" These are the spec removers of life!

When John the Baptist, the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, was in prison he doubted whether Jesus was the one (And we call Thomas the doubter!) On the other hand when Paul was in prison he praised God. Both had exactly the same problem, but they had completely different attitudes to the same problem. One lost his head (literally) the other was set free!

So, we should not focus on our problems. We should cast them onto the Lord and let Him deal with them. We should have forgiveness and mercy, because that is the work of the kingdom! Our focus should be on God, not our problems.

Thermastats and thermometers!

What's the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat?!!

A thermometer tells it like it is. They give it to you straight. They are honest, reliable and dependable. If you want to know the temperature then you ask a thermometer!

A thermostat on the other hand tells it like it's going to be! They aren't interested in what it is they want to get it to where it should be. If you set the thermostat to 21C/70F and it's 18C/70F, then the thermometer will be telling you what it is but if you go to the thermostat it will look like something it isn't! Now, is the thermostat lying? After all it is saying it is hotter or cooler than it really is! The thermostat isn't lying, the thermostat is set. It is plugged into the power source and it has faith that even though it is a small isolated and remote part of that power source it has the power to change things. Faith is believing in what you don't see. If you can see it you don't need faith anymore!

The first thing that has to change is the attitude of the thermostat. It has to be set to the desired temperature. Then once it is set and stating the required temperature then the power source will follow the faith of the thermostat. However, if the thermostat is only showing the actual temperature then although it has all of the ability of a thermostat to change things it is acting like a mere thermometer!

"18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor 4:18

"27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, " 1 Corinthians 1:27-18

"19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

'38"I speak the things which I have seen with My Father;' John 8:38

The widows mite!!

Don't you just love it when you suddenly discover that every sermon you have ever heard on a particular verse is wrong?!! Amazing, How many more verses are there? Actually I appreciate that some people hate the idea of someone coming along and telling them that their assumptions are wrong. I guess I have a prophet's attitude!!

Here goes. The story of the widows mite appears in Luke and Mark. In both it is placed in the same ongoing narrative. It is placed on the Wednesday of passion week. Jesus is berating the Pharisees and the false teachers and the false practices.

I had always thought that in that passage of the widow Jesus said, "And her gift was seen by God!" Or something like that.

Anyway, the usual sermon is that this woman gave more than the others and this was praise worthy. Therefore we should give sacrificially too! However, that is all implied. Jesus doesn't say anything about her gift in terms of whether it was good.

In the passages before He is berating the Pharisees and in the passages after He talks about the Temple being torn down. The context is condemnation. In the verse immediately before he talks about those who devour widows houses, and then sees this living example of that practice!!

Jesus is not stopping in the middle of a tirade to say, "Now let's have a little study on giving!" He is furious that this woman is being made to pay a tax, placed on her by the religious order when the only way she can pay that tax is from everything she has!

The only other conclusion, if the "Sacrificial givers" are to be believed, is that we are to give everything we have to live on and totally trust in God!! But Jesus doesn't say to His disciples, "Do ye likewise!!"

There is another favourite of these people, and that is where David was offered a threshing floor and some bulls to sacrifice. David says he must buy them because he will not give out of that which cost him nothing. These "Sacrificial givers" twist this to say, "Therefore giving must be sacrificial!" Hold on, he didn't say anything about how much he paid for it, what he was saying was that his offering needs to be his offering and not someone else's!! There is not mention at all about this being "sacrificial" for David, Only that he needed to feel that he had earned it to give it. I have heard people actually use this verse to say that we should give even of the gifts that are given to us. I can assure you, these people are pharisees to the max!!

Priest and Prophet

I feel I may have written on this subject before. But I feel I need to write on it again.

This Subject appeals to me ever since a friend of mine told me about it in a very comforting way. My friend is from a very high church traditionalist background, yet he was very insightful on this subject.

I had been wondering why I didn't feel like I fitted into the fabric of the church. Within the local church I had all kinds or roles yet the moment I tried for any kind of ministry I couldn't fit in. My friend pointed out that the church today is run very much on the basis of the priest and that I was a prophet! What's the difference, well, I wish I had taped what he said! It was brilliant. Since then I have been trying to develop my own understanding.

I have tuned in whenever I have heard people talking about this subject, which isn't often! But most speak in very lose terms. Some will point out that in the Old Testament the Prophet was higher authority than the king. Some will point out that the priest and then through to the high priest was man's representative before God, whereas the prophet was God's representative before man. Both of these are true.

The priest is a person of ritual and procedure. They are a person of order, regularity and ceremony. They were also a person of received practice. Very often the priest would carry out the duties give him and taught him without question. The questions an individual may have would probably be asked during the training.

The prophet on the other hand has a nature of randomness. Rather than being tuned into the people and tradition, he is tuned into God. That may sound offensive to the priest who would also say he is tuned into God, but if that were sufficient then God would not need prophets! The problem for the priest is that carrying out the procedures can become such a habit that there becomes a strong reluctance for change. The prophet is ready to go where God sends. The priest will stay with the people.

In the New Testament, we are all called priests, yet within the church we have people marked out as priests. There is no precedent for this in the New Testament. However, we have people who by nature are so priestly they are like little automatons going through priestly duties. They cannot see it any other way. Ironically we are old that not all are prophets, however, we are also told that all can prophecy and should seek for prophesy!

So, if we have people who, by nature are priests, who have taken over the church, hijacked it from what it was meant to be - Should those who are prophets by nature let them make us feel unwelcome?

I could see three positions in thinking for the prophet:

I don't know why I don't fit in.
I know why I don't fit in and that doesn't make it any easier.
I know why I don't fit in but I know that God wants me there.

Of course you might not know why you don't fit in but feel God wants you there. But knowing your role in God's scheme is a great asset. It doesn't make it any easier, but then no one said we were here for an easy life! It doesn't make it easier but it gives purpose.

God doesn't actually want His church run by a few who mark themselves out as priests over the priesthood of all believers. Believers are trapped under an Old Testament religion. The church is run like the temple in miniature. But that wasn't how it was meant to be. Temple;e worship was of the Jews, not of the Christians. Nowhere is the church instructed to carry out temple style worship.

Now, those who no this have two choices (probably more!!) They can either take this as a sign to go out and do it right. The problem with that is that those who have the nature of a prophet generally don't warm people. People tend to be drawn to priests, like sheep to shepherds. There is no reason in the Bible to not be with other believers so that only leaves one other option as I see it!! To be a pain in the backside, a thorn in the side of the priests!!

When Jesus did it, He picked the most inopportune moment during the high festivals to announce that He was the way. Many of the statements He made such as, "I am the light of the world" and "If any one is thirsty" were said during the very moment when the priests were performing the ritual of light or water!!

Now, that takes a lot and will probably find you out of fellowship in no time!! However, the way I feel we should go is to trust in the ministry that God has given us. If you are not in the church then God cannot work through you to balance the church and make it think. However, if you are there then God can use you in the church. Understand that as much as God loves the people in the church, He doesn't love what they have made of it any more than He loved what the Jews had made of the temple!! He will not strike the church down and when they pray He answers. But, if they wont listen to Him He needs people who will go in through whom He can work to bring about His will in the church.

The ultimate end is not to have priests and prophets, but that we would all recognise that we are all priests and prophets! As much as priests hijack the church, so unbalanced prophets can't stand the church!

One of those supposed Bible errors!!

I was reminded earlier about this apparent contradiction. It is one of those verses that those with half a brain like to pounce on!! The Bible is allegedly "full" of contradictions, and this is the best they can come up with!!

"23Now he made the sea of cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in circumference. 24Under its brim gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast with the rest. 25It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths." 1 Kings 7:23-26

OK, in here are some simple maths measurements. We have a diameter and a circumference. We remember that from maths don't we?!

OK, the circumference is 2 times pi times the radius, or as I preferred to condense it, pi times the diameter! Pi is some weird number like, 3.1415 and so on ad infintitum!

So we have a diameter of ten and a circumference of thirty. Now even with quick mental maths we can see that thirty is 3 times ten and not 3.1415 times ten! Now, am I going to say that they were talking roughly?! No, they were very precise. The problem is that looking at it it would seem if we say the bible is infallible then here we have a very simple maths error.

Here's how to do the maths, for those who don't know and think this is an error!

The measurement from brim to brim, is the external diameter. The circumference is the internal measurement! The brim is said to be a handswidth thick. Now it is not really known what these two measurements were if converted into inches, but for arguments sake let's say a hand's breadth is what we call a hand, which is 4 inches. Now let's take the standard measure of a cubit as 18 inches.

The diameter is ten times 18 minus two times 4 which is 172 inches. Now, 3.1415 times 172=540.338 inches, if we divide that by 18 we get 30.0187 cubits. Now, we don't know the exact measurements of a hand or a cubit as they used them, but I would say that even guessing at them that comes out pretty damn acurate, wouldn't you?!!

By Jove I think I've got it!!

These past few days sinse getting this revelation of faith, it is like my eyes and everything has been openned. When I hear certain preachers now they resinate, I think, "Yes, I've got it too!" Sadly others, make me realise they haven't got it!! When I hear certain worship songs, they resinate too. It's what they have all been trying to tell me all along!!

God's Spirit is so gentle. He has been telling me and telling me so gently. I could kick myself for taking so long to get it, but then the Holy Spirit is perfect and He decided to take this long for it to sink in!!

A pastor at a previous church used to say that he was in the final revelation for the church! Yet looking back he missed the big one! He wasn't in the "Trust God," nature. He was in the "trust God" words, but it hadn't become his nature. He didn't naturally trust God. He would say, "Trust God " and then act and speak inways that showed he didn't really and fully. Yet there are some many out there who do. The wheat and the tares.

I was watching a guy last night who, my descernment, tells me, has become an expert in impersinating others who have it. That is no bad thing. Pauls tells us to be impersinators of those who have it! That is how we get it. By the continuous repertition of word and action.

How do we learn to drive a car? How do we become the kind of people who drive to the shops and then can't remeber a single thing about the journey? We drive like it is part of our nature to drive. We get there through continual word and action. We start of with the word dril, "Mirror, singal, maneuver!" When say that as we go through the actions. Now we do it with out having to think about it. If we do think about whether we did it right, it becomes scary, "Oh, I wonder whether I checked my mirror!!"

Trusting God, needs to be in our nature, it needs to become automatic. Not automatic in the sense of when it's needed but continuously, like breathing and blinking. I ofetn joke when people say they have pain when they breathe, I say, "Have you tried not breathing, see if that works!!" You can't stop breathing, you can't stop blinking. I really hope that I can't stop trusting God!!

Shield and sword

Let's have a look at the reference:

"10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10-17.

When I was a new Christian I was a definite "Wordist!" an evangelical, without even knowing it. The way I'm wired the first thing that wanted was to "know" what I had got myself into. Therefore my first impression of the faith was the word. Therefore, when I read this list I had this vision of having a small shield and a large sword. The way I would go into spiritual battle would be buy making sure my sword was sharp! And that I could wield it with ease.

One of the best examples of this was Jesus in the wilderness with satan. He cut him down at every attack with a swift hack!!

I have been told and told, but it never sunk in!! That isn't how it is! I am hoping that this time it will sink in once and for all! Let me outline how it is supposed to be:

The armour, I have been told and told is the armour of a standing formation. It is a defensive armour! "But, we know the best defence is the best offence?!" No, that's taking the armour out of context. we will see that defence was the best offence in the Roman days!!!

Picture the scene. You have a very disciplined Roman army. It marches in formation and holds rank under battle. One command from the commander and the whole regiment quickly and efficiently moves with precision into the correct formation.

Now picture the standard enemy of the Romans. Although they were far more sophisticated than we give them credit for, their method of confrontation is very similar to the kind of scene we see on a film about mob violence. A mass of people swarming toward the enemy, no rank, no order, just a full on charge. They were used to meeting a mob charging at them from the other direction. Running through each other and hacking as they go until they engage in combat with an individual. Strangely this is the standard swashbuckler scene and even in films like Star Wars. No wonder we are so programmed.

Anyway. The Roman shield in Ephesians 6 was not small but big enough for the soldier to hide behind. It was a rectangular shape. Something like the riot Shields we see the police using today. The sword for this formation was not big for slashing but small for stabbing. Now picture the scene of the defeat of Boadicea's army. The Romans were far fewer in number. They were in a gully. The general had deliberately placed them there. Today this would be suicide. Like the beginning of the film "Cold Mountain." However, the Romans stood in a triangular formation so that instead of being a straight line across the gully, they were a row of points, like running into a row of Vs - VVVVVVV, Where each side of the V was made up of about five men. They formed a tight formation and placed their shields in front of them. As the Britons stood at the end of the gully looking down, all they could see was a wall of shields.

The Britons rushed down the gully. There were thousands and thousands of them. As the front men hit the wall they were stuck. Worse still the men rushing down behind them pressed them against the wall. This is where the sword comes in. All the Romans had to do was poke there swords through between the shields to stab whoever was there. The attacking Britons had no room to swing a sword or raise a spear. They were continually being pressed by the hoard coming down from behind.

It is a gruesome scene and a small number of Romans defeated the Britons that day with hardly any losses to themselves. If a Roman soldier fell there was another behind ready to take his place and complete the wall.

Now, let's go back to Jesus in the wilderness! Was his greatest weapon "The Word" as we have been led to believe? Or was His greatest weapon the Shield of faith? Although satan tempted Jesus, Jesus was not tempted! There was no weakness in His knowledge or faith. Satan was pressed against His shield and was squashed there. Jesus took a few stabs at him but His greatest weapon was that satan couldn't touch Him. Jesus never had to think, "Now there's an offer, I wonder if I should?!" Isn't that what we would think? "I wonder if this is the Lord speaking to me?!!" Our faith may be based on the word, but it is that faith that is our greatest protection. It says more than once that we should not even prepare what we are going to say! Jesus resisted satan that day with His unshakable faith. The words He spoke were the sings of that faith. Satan had no less power over Him than if He just said, "No!"

"Turn these rocks into food!" - "No!"
"Jump from this high point!" - "No!"
"Bow down and worship me!" - "No!"

Would that have been any less effective?! (Provided He was still speaking from faith and not just human stubbornness!! I am not saying anything against Jesus' show of strength. Just that we don't know the whole Bible by heart and shouldn't feel condemned if the best defence we can come up with is "No!" When I was a young Christian that was the only defence I knew! But I knew I was protected as if by a shield)

I think that if Paul were writing in the light of today's culture he would probably call it a force field of faith and the cattle prod of the word! I believe that the reason the church on the whole is so shut away is because they believe that one word from them would sleigh everyone in their way. But it doesn't happen. Every now and then we hear a testimony of some great Bible teacher being interviewed on TV and coming up with a great and silencing last word. But that isn't our role model. Our role model is the unsquashable faith of knowing that God is in control, God has all the answers and God is not shaken! Our faith has nothing to do with us and everything to do with trusting Him!

I am not trying to diminish our view of the power of the word. I am simply adjusting the ratio between the shield and the sword! We think that because the word is heap big powerful, it must therefore be heap big! But the picture that Paul gives is not a three foot sword but an 18 inch sword. The power of the word that we know it has is represented in this picture by a smallish stabbing sword. In contrast to our image of the sword, the shield is about three to four times bigger than we (at least I) imagined! It is about six feet tall and about three feet wide! Big enough for a man to stand behind and not be visible for attack.