The Disciple’s prayer

Yesterday at LGC we began a fresh look at the Disciple’s prayer (known commonly as The Lord’s Prayer), the model Jesus gave His followers when they asked Him how they should pray.

We all know we should pray. It is a core component of our walk. Yet many of us find it a challenge and it is often a mystery.

In this model Jesus lays out some simple guidelines of how prayer should fit into the whole lifestyle of a disciple. It is the prayer of someone who has decided to ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God, and let all the either things be added into me’.

- It’s a disciple’s prayer because it sets the Position. His glory and His will comes before all else.

- It’s a disciple’s prayer because it it’s heart is what a disciple wants to do: Surrender all. His will is to be done, not mine.

- It’s a disciple’s prayer because it daily reminds us of our Dependence on Him. Asking Him (and thanking Him) for all we need reminds us that it all belongs to Him, and it all comes from Him. We especially need to remember this in our prosperous society.

Maybe we will see more prayers answered when we begin to pray like a disciple. He is interested in every part of our life. We can ask Him anything. But in seeking His glory above else, we ready ourselves for encounters, provisions, miracles, revelation, victories, power...

This week, I pray our lives would increasingly Partner with God as our Private prayer brings more of His wonderful Presence, meaning we Participate in the coming of His Kingdom.

Remember, we are all Disciples. And we are all Living Grace.

Managing ‘What if’ Paralysis

One of the biggest hindrances to the Kingdom of God coming on earth is the ‘What if’ problem.

What if it goes wrong? What if I look stupid? What if I loose control? What if people think i’m not good enough? What if I haven’t heard God properly?

Also the issue on the other side is the ‘Why did’ question, generating regret or shame - Why did I do that? Why did I say that? Why didn’t I do more? Why did I believe all the lies?

The effect in the Christian is paralysis. Fear of mistakes and fear of regrets keep us from doing courageous things. If we are to see the Kingdom come, we have to stop this thinking. The enemy’s playground is our mind, into which he seeks to dominate us with lies which paralyse us. But we are going to break free!

Israel’s king David knew the pressure of real life. Psalm 13 shows us this. And he knew what it was like to have his mind troubled by thoughts and fears (Psalm 13:4). But He learned the secret of overcoming the ‘What if’s’ and the ‘Why did’s’. And from him we can measure if we are being held back by fear. Psalm 13: 5-6 says:

‘But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Iwill sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me.’

- A Christian who is dominated by fear of making choices, or manipulated by accusations of regret, has a problem with trust. They have lost connection with the truth that God is not only unfailingly powerful, but He is unfailingly loving towards us. He uses His power for us, not against us. He is able to make all things work for good when we walk in humility, surrender and repentance. All our fears are managed when we remember we can trust Him absolutely to work good in and for us. David learned this and rested in it.

- Another indication that we are dominated by fear of making choices or manipulated by accusations of regret, is that praise and worship are neglected. It’s hard to be a praising and thankful person when our mind is dominated by fear and regret. That is because we become the focus rather than God. And when we are in this state, we loose sight of the fact that, whatever things look like,  ‘He has been so good to me’. David looked the reality of his situation in the face, and sang to the Lord. The ‘What if’s’ and the ‘Why did’s’ did not switch of his worship.

Our city, and your world, needs courageous disciples who trust God and grab hold of the Kingdom. It’s time to be free. If you’re dominated by ‘What if’s’ and ‘Why did’s’, then it’s time to repent, renounce lies and be filled with truth. We are a trusting people, and we are a praising people. And we step into our destiny with confidence.

The question you ask could be: ‘What if I see the Kingdom coming through me?’. Then you may well ask: ‘Why did I wait so long!’. Be strong and courageous!

Three pursuits - Love

When Jesus arrived on our planet, He came to pursue you with His greatest power and asset - Love.

It is a love unlike any other force, indeed unlike any other love that exists or has existed.

There is so much talk of love in our world today. We are encouraged to love and value and respect all people, which we are thankful for. Yet still there is so much despair and pain in our world. Why?

What is the difference between the greatest examples of love in our world, and the love demonstrated by and through Jesus Christ?

I believe the difference is that most love reveals a passion, a feeling or an emotion. The love Christians share in Christ reveals a person. God Himself.  1 John 4:8b - ‘God IS love’.

Because the love we share is God Himself, it has power to transform, overcome ALL obstacles and defeat ALL powers. When John told us of how Jesus washed His disciples feet, it was a wonderful demonstration of how true this is. It shows us that God’s love is:

- Totally unconditional: He knelt before a bunch of people who He knew would shortly desert Him, abandon Him and disown Him. And He humbly washed the feet of one He knew would betray Him to a hideous, brutal death. Yet He washed all their feet. His love for us is not based on performance.

 - Totally Selfless: Jesus said that ‘no servant is greater than his master’ (John 13:16). He was obviously the greatest person in that room. But He did not hide behind His position. He did not claim immunity from love because of His status. He was selfless in His love, not thinking of himself. All Christians lead by selfless serving. 

- Totally Powerful: John tells us that ‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.’ (John 13:3-4). He had power, so He had choice. He chose to love His disciples and us. No one would have blamed Him from withholding His love from us. But He chose to love us. His love smashes through all obsticles. 

Here was a small picture of some of the amazing attributes of the love with which God has loved us. Beyond compare. But, a bit later on in John 13, Jesus presents us with a big GULP moment”

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Oops!

Note this is not a suggestion. It is a command. Jesus uses the word ‘must’. How on earth do we do that? This is another key difference to the love of this world and the love of God. It’s humanly impossible to love this way, totally unconditionally, selflessly and powerfully. But it is possible by His Spirit and by His grace.  It comes as we walk surrendered to His will and receiving from His presence. We become like Him, and so we can love like Him.

‘All you need is love’ sang The Beatles. They were right! What they didn’t realise was that the love we all needed was the love of God. All it takes is for Christians to begin to love one another, then love the world, with the love of God.

 So we pursue love. This week ask God for opportunity to love others as He loved you. And then do it. And watch your world change!

Finding Life in Death

Jesus is alive! And we share His life. But just as powerfully, we share in His death.

1 Corinthians 10:16 says:

‘Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?’

This is Communion. God help us not to turn this activity into a ritual or simple tradition. Whenever we take communion, we are participating in His shed blood and broken body. The Holy Spirit is there as, when we share communion in His presence, we do one vital thing. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that:

 ‘As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.’

What does proclaiming the death of Jesus mean? Why do we do this?

We are not just stating a fact. We are confessing a truth. That as we see the bread and drink as his broken body and shed blood, and as we partake in it, we are proclaiming to ourselves and to our enemy that Jesus’s death brings total victory.

’Until he comes’ means that one day, we will live in all the fullness of His Kingdom, free from fear and striving and with no need for faith. Until then we by faith, in the face of trials and challenges, proclaim His victory over our sin, failures, sickness and fear. We participate in and receive His victory.

The Spirit Filled Bible commentary says:

 ‘Each occasion of partaking is an opportunity to say, proclaim and confess again, ‘I herewith lay hold of all the benefits of Jesus Christ’s full redemption for my life - forgiveness, wholeness, strength, health, sufficiency’.

In the cross is our victory. Jesus instituted this feast to remind us to keep participating in His victory and not to allow the world to lull us into complacency and accept its mediocrity.  Of course, communion is not a magic pill. But if we are to live by faith and receive by faith, communion is a key component in excercising that faith and receiving wholeness. Jesus gave it to us, and the Holy Spirit meets us there. Therefore, miracles happen there!

If you have a need, are lacking in some area, long to see the Kingdom come in someone’s life or situation, then proclaim the total victory of His death through communion. Meet the Holy Spirit in this act, intentionally focusing on His death for you. And you don’t have to wait till Sunday! Do it at home, on your own, with family and friends. Jesus is waiting for you to participate in and proclaim His victory.

Our wholeness is in Jesus’ broken body and shed blood. Share it with Him.

Adventures for Life

We have called this year ‘A Disciple’s Adventure’. And it’s been a great start!

We have a team in Kenya feeding 500 children a day and sharing the love of God in a school and orphanage. Continue to pray for Carolyn, Joe and Zoe and the rest of the team as they spread the love of God in Word and Deed.

We heard yesterday that Robin is going to Bulgaria on a missions trip in February, taking the Kingdom to the Romany people who are desperately in need to know they are loved by a good Heavenly Father.

​I spoke with someone this week who is a counsellor in a secular location, who engages with the Holy Spirit as she talks so she can hear God’s heart and bring freedom to people.

What’s your Adventure for Life?

You don’t need a profile or a position. This adventure is yours. It may not be in direct mission or evangelism. But it can be, as we heard yesterday, simply letting Jesus live through you wherever you are.

This is why next Monday (4th Feb), we will meet at Richard and Diane’s to pray for our Education System and all those in LGC who work in it. We want to bless them to take the Kingdom of God into our schools, and see it spread.

It’s also why we are holding two meetings for people with a heart to bring the Kingdom through practical acts of love in our City and beyond. On Tuesday 12th, we will meet to hear thoughts, ideas and dreams you have to practically engage with those in need. We will then pray into and think about options before meeting again on Tuesday 26th February.

In 2019 we want to remove the rocks that stop the Holy Spirit flowing out of us. I want LGC to be a secure place of love. Sometimes we need support and love through trials. Sometimes we are the ones supporting.

Always we are disciples of Jesus Christ, living for Him and His Kingdom.

You will be amazed at what God will do in you and through you this year. His Kingdom Come!

Pursuing Power

For a disciple, pursuing Power means one thing - pursuing the presence of Jesus Christ.

Our vision of ‘making encountering and demonstrating the love of God the adventure of a lifetime’ was perfected by Jesus’ disciples. They journeyed with Jesus on an adventure of encounter and demonstration. And the result of this constant interaction with God was power.

We saw yesterday at LGC from Ephesians 3:14-20 that this power is to transform our inner-world (Power to Change), to help us understand our identity (Power to Comprehend), and to see the impossible become possible (Power to Create).

The life of a disciple is characterised by power, power to exist at a Kingdom of God level where anything is possible, where the Gospel carries authority, and we are able to reign above our flesh, the wold and the Devil (Ephesians 2:2-3a).

Our Disciples Adventure in 2019 will be lived through three pursuits: Love, Power and Purity. Church will be run to foster these key values in a disciple to equip us to reach the thousand ones in our city.

We will pursue Power through prayer, courses to equip us, visiting churches and events where we will encounter His empowering presence.

Ultimately it’s in His presence, and in encounters with the Holy Spirit, where the power is found to Change, Comprehend and Create. As well as in church activities, you can make God’s presence a priority in your life in 2019. And make worship a priority as you have your time with Him each day, letting His presence inhabit your praise.

We will carry the Kingdom with power in 2019. Let it start in us, and then flow out for our city.

The Kingdom in your hands

The success of Gods plans on earth are not in the hands of preachers. But in the hands of people. All God’s people.

Of course ultimately, success is in God’s hand (Proverbs 16:9) but God chose partnership with us as his way of flooding the earth with His glory. He called us to make disciples, to demonstrate His Kingdom.

Maybe Christians have developed a mindset where they come to a meeting and sit and listen. If you like, they gather round a sermon, waiting to be told what to do. Then they go home again and get on with life.

The scriptural model is different. It paints a picture of people gathered round God’s presence and hearing His word and direction from there. The Israelites gathered round the presence in the tabernacle. The disciples journeyed with the presence of Jesus and, via a process of un-learning and learning, discovered how to change world. The presence empowered and commissioned them.

Jesus told those who’d listen ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17). It was close because Jesus was close. And through Him came the power of that Kingdom rule to drive back every dark force which was holding power at that moment - sin, poverty, sickness, injustice, pride. His Kingdom always overcame.

The same power, powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead, is in you and me (Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:19-20). Wherever you are, the Kingdom is at hand, with power to confront and overcome every dark power in your world. Do you believe this?

It’s not just the preachers job. Our city cries out for transformation. There are thousands waiting to have demonstrated to them the goodness of God and His Kingdom reign. It’s too big a job for individual Christian leaders, even evangelists. It needs what God always intended. His body working together with one purpose: to see His Kingdom come and His will being done.

Let 2019 be a year when we commit to removing that which inhibits the flow of His Spirit and Kingdom from us. Jesus had success because there was nothing hindering the flow of communication between Him and His Father (John 12:49) and He gave no ground to the Devil to manipulate His mind or flesh (John 14:30). We always crave more of Hs Spirit, but we already have enough to make a Kingdom difference, if it can get out. He must increase, I must decrease.

The Kingdom is at hand. It is in our hands. Our city has hope because we carry the Kingdom. This is the Disciples Adventure.

Praying like a disciple

What we have always known as the Lords Prayer would be better called ‘The Disciples Prayer’. In fact, it is the cry of a true disciple.

It is structured in a way that a disciple would want, and is designed to help a disciple fulfil their mission and purpose.

It is a top-down prayer. Our focus begins on the Father in Heaven, and giving Him the praise He deserves.

Then the central call comes next: ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven’

This is the prayer and passion of a disciple. To see the rule and reign of His Kingdom being deployed, and for His will to be done above all else.

And then, the disciple turns to his/her own needs - resources, a forgiving attitude, protection, deliverance. All things which help us in our daily living, but also make us better able to play out part in seeing His Kingdom come. Father is wonderfully committed to seeing these things come to us. They are not less important to Him.

But the follower of Jesus Christ joyfully accepts this structure and order, putting praise of His Name and the establishing of His Lordship above all else. He is our focus.

As we celebrated yesterday testimonies and examples of seeing His Kingdom come through us and through His church, may we increasingly adopt this prayer as we go after His will for our town: to see many thousands come to Him.

All the world will one day be under His rule. But you and I have the privilege now of seeing His rule coming to our worlds. Not just through church leaders, but in the worlds of school teachers, nurses, business owners, restaurant workers, home makers, students, Everyone. Everywhere!

We, His disciples, make this the centre of our adventure: ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done - on earth as it is in Heaven’.

Worthy of it all

Jesus did not ask us to take up his cross, or someone else’s cross. He told us to take up our cross.

We were reminded yesterday at LGC that your cross will not be the same as my cross. As God continued to bring out this theme of sacrifice, Rita showed us that we are all called to different roles, different callings. But it means being willing to take up the cross we were created to carry.

‘Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’ (Matthew 16:24-25)

Rita’s ‘prophetic-preach’ encouraged us to respond to four key callings:

1. Called to rise up in sacrificial obedience - we choose to obey not just because we must do what we are told. Obedience means we walk in his covering and protection.
2. Called to rise up in sacrificial faith - we choose to believe Him above belief in ourselves.
3. Called to rise up in sacrificial love - love is above all things and will reach the many thousands.
4. Called to rise up in sacrificial praise - praise offered in pain means so much to the Father.

I believe God’s prophetic word is dealing with long-entrenched issues which has caused people to withhold giving their all to Him - hurt, disappointments, shame, materialism, fear, to name a few. I am believing for, to quote Abraham, ‘a new birth of freedom’ at LGC. (By Abraham, I of course mean Abraham Lincoln!).

It is time for people to take a step forward into destiny. And the goal is the Father’s Glory. He is worthy of it all.

Success equals Sacrifice

If a goal of every Christian is to become like Jesus, there is one area which was central to His life which you cannot ignore: sacrifice.

Yesterday at LGC, Richard Kinning reminded us that Jesus not only offered His life as the ultimate sacrifice, He lived His life as a sacrifice, offering Himself to God and to serve others. This is why the Apostle Paul could urge us to do the same:

 ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.’ (Romans 12:1)

This principle of sacrifice is central to the story of God and humanity. Throughout scripture the Holy Spirit prepared the world for the culmination of His plans at Calvary: judgment on the innocent to provide for the guilty. We saw it first in the covering provided for guilty Adan and Eve.

God also demonstrated it in the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham may have struggled to understand it, but he knew that whatever happened, whatever God asked him to do, he could trust God. His faith would not stop at the death of Isaac. It went beyond that, to believing God would raise him from the dead. (Hebrews 11:9). Because He who promised is ALWAYS faithful.

Sacrifice is a core component of the Christian life: the principle that I do things which cost me but do not benefit me, but rather benefits others. To see this in its absolute beauty, look at Calvary. Modelling this, as stated in the verse above from Romans, is what breeds success in the Kingdom. This is what sacrifice is in the Kingdom of God and it is instilled in every disciple of Jesus.

But the wonder of God’s Kingdom principles is that whatever sacrifice we make, it is always worth it  ‘in view of Gods mercy’, and we NEVER loose out! The joy and success we reap ALWAYS overshadows the cost.

What we value, we will sacrifice to and for. If we are to see many thousands come to Jesus, it will cost. But what a joy! Is there any prize greater? This is the Adventure of a lifetime!