In Awe of God

As I’m writing this I’m still experiencing the trail ends of a God moment. Today I was talking to a friend about how God has a race set out for us and how its ours to run and its different to everyone else’s and that we shouldn’t compare etc. At the end of it all they were grateful cos they were a bit down and then mocked me cos thats what everyone does. But near the end I got a bit of an eye irritation and my nose became runny (this a manly way of saying I was crying not full crying cos I’m a real man but the eyes were watering) because God was really moving and there was something more happening.

After we finished I went away still half shell shocked that during that God moment of about 5-10mins God moved so much. I just sat in awe of God for the next 30mins totally zoned out and probably looking like a complete retard to anyone who saw me. That case was strengthened when I kept opening my mouth to say ‘thanks God’ but then would close it cos I didn’t know exactly how to express it. In the end it was really good, God is truly good. Made me take a step back and realise that even though we think we are saying the right things God is really giving us the words and setting the atmosphere for it to happen.

Comparisons

Today while I was typing up a Logistics Handbook and making some quality diagrams in Word I heard one of the best comparisons for God’s Love. Normally we get ones like God’s love is like a consuming fire but this one was “Your Love is like a beetroot stain” quoted from The Lads - Beetroot Stain. It cracked me up because its so true and in my mind I just saw one of our messy eaters in Ablaze (I wonder who?) dropping beetroot on their pants. hahaha

Chess

The other week I had lunch with an awesome brother from IGVO and as we were stuffing our faces of sushi from the all you can eat sushi place in West End and taking about where I want to be next year. (FYI: over OC one of my prayer points was for direction particularly in the area of moving back to IGVO next year or to stay in PH.) Anyway so we were talking about timing and whether I stay or go is really up to God wants to happen. As we were chatting away God just dropped this image in my head of a chess board and two pro people playing, each one would move their pieces around the board. To me (someone who loves the game of chess as much as the average 20yr old these days aka. someone observing with the untrained eye) it seemed like they were just moving each piece randomly around, taking a piece of their opponents here and there and sometimes it just looks like they have no real moves and just moved for no reason. As the game progressed I began to see that they weren’t just moving the knight over to this place because it fun to move it around cos it can jump other pieces, or using the ultimate move of castle king side but it was all part of the greater plan to win - checkmate. They each had their eyes on the prize, moving each piece into place so that when the time came they could achieve victory.

This is so true with me. Previous times I have gone ‘God, why are you putting me in this group?’ and give a million and one reason why I would ‘fit’ better or be more ‘effective’ or ‘grow’ more if I were in another group. At this time in my heart I really would love to go back to IGVO but God has a bigger plan, a bigger vision for me. If He tells me to stay even though I would love to go, I’ll stay without argument because I can’t win in an argument with God but more so that He has the bigger picture in mind. He will leave me in a specific group, for a specific time, for a specific reason but to us humans with our untrained eyes it may seem pointless and even to the point where we are thinking to ourselves that God didn’t have any other better moves so He just left us there. Here is the thing that blows my mind about God, the fact of the matter is that in 26 more moves He will get checkmate, no more, no less, exactly 26 moves He will move us into our places for the win. In His impeccable timing He will use us to get the win.

The other principle that I learnt from this image that God gave me was that each piece played their part and it was a ‘team’ effort. The player who won would not have achieved checkmate without the queen being in a certain position, or the bishop, or the king, or rook/castle, or knight or even the pawns. It was a sum of each of them being in their places at the right time. On the other extreme of going solo it is impossible, no ifs, no buts to win chess with only one piece - the king. It really goes to show that even though on the chess board the king (which is of the highest value in chess) can’t reach the prize and that if in a team even with just the king and one pawn (which is of the lowest value in chess) it can be obtained. I’m going to stop here for all those people who are thinking about this and saying ‘If two people were playing this would never happen.’ I know that this is an impossible thing in an actual game because you would have to be wanting them to win for this to occur, the fact still remains that it can be done, where as with only the king no matter how dumb or how much you try you can’t do it. Getting back on track… Regardless of how much ‘value’ we think we are worth or what we are able to bring to the table, ultimately, we can change the overall outcome from failure to success.

Now to take this analogy one step further and to make it clear that one person doesn’t determine the outcome and to not let what I’ve said go to our heads about being the person who will make or break it. In chess like in God’s plan NOT ALL THE PIECES ARE NEEDED!!! It ain’t a puzzle, God isn’t making a pretty picture like on the box. He already did that in Genesis, it was called creation, its messed up now because of us. God’s plan is to get His Good News out so He can send His Son again (refer to Revelations if you want more detail about what will happen, I’m not going to go into this). I’m going to write it again just in case people think I’m retarded and made a massive highly unlikely but still possible typo God’s plan DOES NOT require all the pieces. Like any person who has ever played chess God knows that sometimes people get taken by the enemy, God knows that Chessmaster 2100 aka Satan has his own desire, own plan to take all his opponents pieces. This is a some what harsh reality God like any seasoned chess pro also knows that even without all the pieces, if he loses one bishop, 5 pawns, 2 rooks and his queen checkmate can still be achieved. It may take longer or the plan may need to be tweaked but the ultimate goal of checkmate is still in their view. Individually we may be taken by the enemy (something that I pray won’t happen to anyone) and God’s planned may be slowed or altered from the original but at the end of the day God’s plan will come to pass, no ifs, no buts.

The question we need to ask ourselves is Do we want to see God’s plans and promises unfold in this generation or in the ones to come? Its really up to us are we going to say God I’m going to run with your plan and that where ever you want me to be I’ll be there or are we going to be too proud and think we know where we need be in God’s plan or even worse that because when we look at ourselves we think that we are pawns and one less pawn won’t matter, answer this question: if the pawn get to the other side of the chess board what happens to it?

Next Step

After I finished the first post God prompted me to make this one too in the same area of leadership and stepping up but in a more practical way. So here it is.

One thing about God that has always made me wonder is why does he ask questions. In the Garden of Eden when man first sinned, he said ‘Adam, where are you?’ and so often in my own life He has asked me many questions. For so long I’ve been thinking to myself ‘God, don’t You know everything? You even know my thoughts, You know about stuff that I haven’t even done or thought about doing, You know stuff that I don’t think anyone else in this world would care about like how many hairs on my head. So why do you still ask me questions that you know the answer to?’ Listening to a sermon I got the answer. It’s because God wants us to find the answer for ourselves. Its even a teaching method, at school the teacher would ask the class questions they already know the answer to. They even have the answer written right in from them too.

This so far has been pretty pointless in regards to the subject matter but I want to bring it together with a simple question that God has asked me so many times ‘What are you going to do about it?’ This questions always got me. I was always asking God after He had asked me that ‘Why can’t you just tell me?’ This would get no response then to try and make God answer I would say ‘God in Your Word it says that “You’re way is higher than my way” so how about You just tell me how You would do it cos its so much better than what I could come with.’ Just for all those who are thinking ‘Dude, your a genius! You’re like smarter than Stephen Hawkins.’ Sorry to say …it doesn’t work but yes I am a genius.

The first post was about overcoming the fear of inadequacy but this post I want to address the practical steps. Once we know where we stand as God’s chosen people what’s our next move. We so often hear things and do nothing in response sometimes its because we don’t know what to do and other times we are just lazy. Either way if we stop there its about as useful as tits on a bull (thank my dad for this awesome saying) but honestly it is. Its like studying for a subject hardcore, so much to the point where you can recite the textbook, word for word, forwards, backwards, upwards, downwards, which ever -wards you want, but you go in to the exam and just sit there and do nothing. There was no point in studying in the first place. So this is just some simple things that I personally have done or started to do or going to start to do. There is more that you can do but you need to answer God question ‘What are you going to do about it?’.

Seek God. He is the ultimate help start with this in regards to everything. He has wrote a book thats pretty good (the word on the street), its the only book people have more than one of - on purpose!! He is also all knowing and has ultimate wisdom. Ask Him to bless you. Be like Jacob, wrestle with Him, say ‘I’m not letting you go till you bless me.’ You lose no matter what but God will pour forth blessing on you.

The best way to learn how to do something is to watch someone else do it. This is why leaders are called to lead by example and Paul says ‘follow ME as I follow Christ.’ Look at what your leader does, make them as your role model. Figure out what their style is. Find their strengths and make them yours too. Look at their weaknesses and see how they overcome them and apply that to your life if applicable. Look at what they conduct themselves. Its not enough to see WHAT they do but also to look at HOW they do it and their find out WHY they do it. Be a copycat, mimicker of them. Having said this we need to follow the second part of what the Apostle Paul says ‘… as I follow CHRIST.’ If your leader does it but Christ wouldn’t … what do you think you should do. Don’t just follow your leader but look at a range of leaders with in your group. Each have different styles, strengths, weaknesses etc etc.

Spend time with them. Hang out with them there is only so much that we can analyze about them just from watching them. Hanging out is more than just watching a movie or playing lan or shopping ask them questions. Seriously interrogate them, tie them to a chair, lock them in a room do something so they can’t escape (no bodily harm please). Find out what works, find out what doesn’t, find out common issues that need to be dealt with for that certain group of people, find out struggles that as a leader they deal with, find out everything. No matter should be left untouched. Ask them ‘As a leader is it better to lead wearing boxers or briefs?’ If they say go commando by them some underwear.

Self study. Read a book - John Maxwell is a good place to start. Podcast, Sermons, Workshops, Conferences. Leadership conferences aren’t just for leaders, its targeted to them but not exclusively for them.

Do it. There is only so much that we can learn from books, people, conferences etc. put theory into practice and always be ready to change, ready to tweak. What works one week won’t necessarily work the next week. People change, people come into your group, group dynamics change, change is going to happen regardless how much you try to stop it.

This a quick list and by no means complete. These are somethings that I have taken on board but having said that there is more to learn on this subject funnily enough I ain’t even a leader hahaha I’m just supporting people at the moment. We need to get ready in whatever season we are for the future, prepare ourselves so that when we are called up we can do the job and serve the best we possibly can.

Personal Fear

Yea my blog kinda died, but now it’s back up and running thanks to some forceful encouragement from a ’special’ sister (now can I join Shekinah?). No not really I’ve been wanting to write stuff but I’ve been lazy. So anyway here is a blog…

This is called personal fear and its about a fear (first of many revelations) that I have struggled with for sometime and lately God has been working it through with me and others in my life have ‘hinted’ things in regards to it. This post isn’t about me tooting my own horn but rather giving the glory to God that he would choose to use some half breed slightly coloured child in His top notch plan that is so awesome if we knew every detail of what the plan was we would self implode or something else of similar coolness… and also I don’t have a horn. The fear I’m taking about is a fear of inadequacy, not measuring up to the plan, the call on my life. You might be saying ‘Whatever your so cool and talented and good looking and good looking and you can do stuff your not inadequate.’ FALSE I am and funnily enough we all are. Without this God we know we never could achieve all that He has planned for us. Sidetracked and now refocusing.

So story time. Over the last week in particular people have made comments to me in regards to rising up in leadership and someone even said to me ‘You’re the next Chris’ which I didn’t know how to take at first. Is it a complement or insult? Is it a colour based? hahaha well jokes aside it is a complement and it is a big call cos Chris is so anointed and has a great calling in his life. If you don’t understand how anointed he is then think about the most anointed person you know and times that by Pi to 7 decimal places and you have Chris’ anointing (formula doesn’t apply if you know Chris). Also he is gives awesome sheps at gloria jeans. Side racked again. This is where this inadequacy comes from, feeling that I’m not enough. How can I replace Chris? He is like all the way up here and I’m well you can’t even see me in comparison.

But it got me thinking, the truth is I AM the next Chris, I AM the next Torch but further than that WE are the next Chris…s (what’s the plural of Chris?), WE are the next Torchs because believe it or not and I’m sorry to say but Chris, Torch, Lisa, Nick, Honga, Amy, Lucy etc are on the way out, they are expiring, they are starting to smell a little like off milk (figuratively and some not figuatively). They are heading towards that point where they are being called into another ministry. I’m not saying that all them are but the majority of them in 3-5yrs time will not be in Ablaze, Ablaze is simply a season in their lives and God has a bigger plan for them somewhere else.

So where does that leave us? As Ablaze what’s going to happen when Chris gets a wife and moves on to another group? What’s going to happen when Lisa gets called to missions? What’s going to happen when Torch has leaves? It leaves us as their replacements, it leaves us to continue where they left off, it leaves us to go further with Ablaze than they ever considered, it leaves us as the new Chris, the new Lisa, the new Torch etc. It leaves US. We all need to shoulder this burden this isn’t a job for a few ‘anointed’ people, a few ’special’ people, a few ‘chosen’ people. At this time the number of leaders that we have is ok for the number of people we have in Ablaze. In 3-5yrs time Ablaze is going to be so much bigger, even in one years time we are expecting to see 200 people in Ablaze. If the number of leaders stays the same we can’t expect to have strong Christians that have been nurtured, trained and built up in the proper way. Its not because of the teachings are good or that people this day and age are so fickle but its because it physically impossible to nurture the multitudes with a handful of people.

I now bring this back to myself (because the world revolves around me…). God said to me something so simple and yet so powerful ‘You’re next.’ Two words. Two words, broke me. Two words that chased away any fear of inadequacy. Two words, that made me realize whether I want to believe it or not I am next. I believe this is also a word for many of us who feel the same way - WE ARE NEXT.

Shepherd

After Ablaze Service on Friday I was heading back to HQ to drop off the van with Phil and we got talking, what were we talking about… well wouldn’t you like to know. So, I’ll tell you it was Torch. Yep, we were talking about our shepherd behind his back. That’s just the kind of people we are.

Ok, we weren’t talking bad about Him not at all but we were talking about how thankful we are to have him as a shepherd. We all know how busy Torch is (if not try and call him and most of times he is in a meeting… unless you call him at 3am then he is asleep) but yet he always makes time for us. He is always willing to take time to catch up or cook us some food if we are heading over to his place.

We never seem to realise how much these people do for us in the background. We see them cook for us, teach us, correct us (more for some than others), help us through situations, etc but how many times do we see them in their rooms crying over us. It never really clicked until one prayer meeting a while back that they asked us to pray for the shepherds in church and they were saying that they are our protectors against the Devil, that these people take the worst the Devil throws at us because they care for us that much, that they are the ones who put themselves in between us and the Devil.

So thanks Torch for being that person who puts himself in harms way, thanks for those times you lock yourself in your room and just prayed over me. I want to thank JP my ex (ex-shepherd that is not ex-anything else) who prayed for me everyday when I was under His care and prayed for like a week (possibly more… probably more) for me to start coming to Ablaze.

I hope that we never take these people for granted, think about those people who don’t have one in our group but want one so bad yet we are taking them for granted. Also another thing is ABUSE YOUR SHEPHERD not in the sense of ‘Hey shepherd you are overweight and have bad body odour and your fly is open’ but in the sense that you drain them dry just keeping going to them and getting stuff out of them. Get all the teachings, all the principles, all the convictions that they have and make them yours too (the Godly ones of course not saying that they are teaching us bad stuff but regardless of who teaches you, check what you’ve been taught against the Word of God).

Lets see more shepherds rise up in Ablaze.

Revival - just a thought

At ALC we talked a bit about revival. I was listening to a sermon and he said something so true.

“Honestly do you really want revival? How much do we want revival? A few meetings here and there? The truth is that its going to cost you EVERYTHING. Christianity is not a part of your life, if it is its nothing but rather its your life and it is going to cost you your life.”

This was something that hit me so hard. It made me think “How much has Christianity cost me? What has happened to me for the sake of His name? If revival is going to cost me everything, do I still want it?”

Testimony

Well if you guys were at church on Friday you know that I was on testimony, if not here it is. I pray that through this God will speak to you and that it encourages you in your walk with God. So here is its…

Tonight I want to testify how God has been faithful to me. About this time last year I moved from IGVO our high school group to PH because there were some certain things that I needed to deal with in my life. God has used that time from then to now to mature me, increase my capacity and to show that I can’t do this on my own. Back then I was a Pharisee, I was that white washed tomb, on the outside I looked good, I was doing all the right things but on the inside I was rotting away bad attitudes, bad motives and things that were against God’s will. However there was a point were it all came crashing down around me and God showed me that these certain areas needed to be changed even though I really didn’t want it.

 

One of the main areas that He showed that needed work was the area of trusting in Him with everything. I was at a point where I thought I could do it all on my own and that my abilities, my giftings, my talents could get me to where I wanted to be. Now this is an on going process I still at times struggle with it. Before it was placing trust in myself but recently it has been in others around me. About a month ago a close friend and I had a bit of a misunderstanding that turned out to be a big misunderstanding with both of us being annoyed at each other but since then has been fully resolved. During this time while I was praying to God to resolve this he showed me a vision.

 

There was a man in a room and all around him there were pillars and in the centre was this massive pillar. When the person got tired and weary he would rest against these pillars and but the more he put his weight on them they would all eventually fall and break. After a time of him leaning against different pillars and them falling down when too much weight was put on them. He made his way to the centre pillar and he was a bit unsure that he could lean on it without making it fall. So at the start he put a little weight on it, then a bit more, and a bit more until he was fully leaning against it.

 

After this God asked me what am I trusting to lean against? When the hard times come who do I choose to put my trust in? Is it myself? Is it friends? Family? What? For me it was friends, before it was myself but through this all God made me realise that I can truly trust only one thing in this life and that is God. I can lean on him and not be worried about Him failing me. I’m not saying that when the hard times come don’t look to the people around you but what I’m trying to say is what in life is your ultimate leaning against? Friends have arguments, families fail you, you let yourself down but God never fails, never lets you down and never lets things come between Him drawing his people back to Himself. If you’re in the same place as I have been I challenge you to ask yourself this question ‘What pillar am I leaning against?’

 

Thanks everyone who came up afterwards to encourage me, it means a lot, it spurs me on  and I can’t wait to see what else God has installed for us in the future. Love you all heaps - for the girls in a non-stumbling way, guys in a non-gay way… thought that I would clarify that it has needed to be done before.

Life After Uni

The other day I was at the bus stop waiting to go home after uni and a guy from high school saw me and we had a chat. He asked what I do at uni, how long I got left etc. and when I asked him the same questions he told me that he is finishing his IT degree this semester and that he has a job lined up that will earn him $150/hr for the 1st year and after 3yrs $350/hr and $650/hr after 10yrs if he does further training and he is good.

Now this is probably an exaggeration because he is one of those guys, but it got me thinking after uni when I get a job as a chemist. I’ll be earning 50k/yr but further than that when I become a youth pastor (which is my calling) I’ll be earning 30k/yr (btw these are averages). This isn’t much but it is neither of great importance because God at that time asked me ‘What if you were paid less than you need to live/support your family by the church? Would you give up and go back to being a chemist?’ This got me thinking but in the end being a youth pastor isn’t about having a comfortable life its not about the money, but about the salvations. So I told God ‘Ok, give me less than required to live, but for my income from You I want to see at least 1 salvation/week for the 1st year and after 3yrs 10 salvations/week and 100s of salvations/week after 10yrs.’

This is my prayer, this is my ‘contract’ with God. Everything on Earth will be gone, money won’t matter, all I have won’t matter but in the end it will be peoples lives that will truly matter, it will be the character of people and the people beside you when we truly go home.

Welcome

Hey guys

So I’ve started up a blog to be cool like everyone else… no not really God has really been prompting me to start a blog so I can share whats been happening in my life spiritually to both ppl directly in contact with me and ppl overseas. If my blog entry can spur on Ezekiel Joshua Slacks a 16yr old kid in Michigan to go that little bit further in Christ then this has fulfilled its purpose (I don’t know anyone by that name just an example - main point if it helps anyone to grow purpose fulfilled).

It has taken me some time to actually start this up a) because blogs annoy me a bit when its about ‘today I woke up at 10am and had a 5min shower rofl 1min over the 4mins allowed but I had to wash my hair… etc’  these types of blogs annoy me a bit cos I feel we should be doing something better with our time rather than blogging about shower times and  b) I’ve been procrastinating.

Overall blogging is a good idea and God has been speaking to me a bit lately, laying things on my heart. I tend to try to remember stuff but as all of us know we can’t remember everything and I don’t like writing cos I can’t read my own writing sometimes so blogging is the way to go to remember this stuff.

I hope that my blog will enrich peoples lives and by no means will this be something I refer ppl to when they ask ‘What’s God been teaching you lately?’ cos that annoys me too. If your right in front of me and taken your time to ask me that question I’m going to take the time to respond to whom ever it may be, everytime no matter how many times I have to repeat it.

Well yea so here comes a really post…..