Author: missionspaul

Giant killing 2

What’s it going to take to kill the giant?
Know it will take work – Five Smooth Stones from the Stream

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” Psalm 46:4
The river, the Holy Spirit is moving across the whole world. There is a stream running from that river throughout our churches. The stream contains all that we need for our empowerment and happiness. But you have got to come off the banks of spectatorship and get into the stream itself and for yourself. You receive nothing on the banks.
David chose 5 smooth stones. What does that tell us about David?
There was no pride in this situation. He could have chosen only one, thinking it will only take one. “I’m a pretty good shot so that’s all I need.” We don’t approach our giant in that way. This is not about us, but HIM. There’s no time or room for personal agendas. There’s no place for any person wanting to make a name. This is not the place for the declaring and showing off of gifts and how good we are – it’s all about how good HE is. It only took one shot, but David was not so full of pride that he expected only to take one shot.
He was prepared to see the job through. “If it takes one, fine, 2,3,4, I’ll take 5 just in case. This giants coming down and if it take 5 stones to do it then that’s fine. I’m not here to fire one shot and then I’m off. I’m here to see the job through.”
Paul tells Timothy “keep your head, endure, do the work, discharge all the duties” 2 Tim 4:5 If you’re in a ministry area of the church then finish the job, bring it into something, take it further than when you took it on. Build on it, develop it and persevere until you have arrived with it.
Roll your sleeves up, work.

Giant killing.

There are people today that are facing their toughest battle. You may be one of them.

What’s it going to take to kill the giant?

Knowing you are CHOSEN – A Staff

The staff was a branch of wood that had been stretched and shaped, it was made of hard wood, weather-beaten, it had seen life.
The staff would represent who that man was, his status and authority. In a sense he didn’t choose his staff, he was chosen for the staff. To know you are a chosen vessel in the hands of God is the first step in killing your giant.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” John 15:16
Be willing to submit to the shaping of God in your life. You may go through some hard times or you may find yourself in new situations that cause for you to do something you have never done before. All this is to stretch and extend you.
The chosen, submissive life is:
a) a life that will not sit back but be actively involved in doing what cannot be done in your own strength. “Take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.” Exodus 4:17;
b) in believing for breakthough in impossibilities, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water” Exodus 14: 16;
c) in causing others to be refreshed, “Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Exodus 17:5-6;
d) in opening heaven so that the enemy is defeated, “Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands… As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning .. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” Exodus 17:10-16

YOU ARE CHOSEN.

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Victory in Europe

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 things I know about victory:
1. There has to be a challenge for a victory.
2. You need to know what victory looks like for victory to come.
3. Victory comes to those who hold on.
4. Victory follows thankfulness.
5, in victory remember those not there.

Another yesterday

Yesterday was about resignations and cheers.

Those who failed and those who succeeded.

Shocks and surprises.

One moment you can be heading a certain direction and then within hours it’s all over.

My yesterday contained listening to 2 such men.
They had started their careers with great gusto, they are ending with weariness. They had started with great dreams, they are now just asleep. They have done so much good, they are now remembered more for their failures than anything.
I was sad yesterday.

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought
I have finished.
I have kept.

I want to keep fighting for injustice, for the poor, the widow, for Missions
I want to know when I have finished. I want to finish well, with grace.
I want to keep. Not to lose what is most precious.

So help me God!

Yesterday

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Yesterday I learnt 7 new things about leadership. I wasn’t successful in all these 7 keys however, I did learn from them. They are in the order of my day. Try one of these today. Try them all.

Confront with grace and truth.

Create laughter that causes motivation to work.

Community births wisdom.

Control your tongue when tongues are wagging at you.

Connect fully into every conversation.

Contribute what you can to be a blessing in anyway you can.

Coffee breaks are essential.

Vote

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, Joshua 24:15

Time to pray!

Smell

I want Bishops to be men who smell of the sheep.
Pope Francis

The seminar room is needed.
To learn is to grow.
To teach is a gift.

The office is needed.
Order and schedule is important.
To administrate is a gift.

Branding and promotion.
Social media reached and likes.
Working groups and hubs.
Conferences and celebrations.
Reading and writing.
Technology and professionalism.
Buildings and bills.
Friendships and fellowship.
Liturgy and vocation.
Gifts and goals.

All of these are important and are taking us along a directional path.
And along this journey everyone can smell good.
But can we try and do that and at the same time still smell of the sheep?

I need to smell of sheep and I desire to follow someone smelling of sheep don’t you?

May the Spirit of the Shepherd rest on you.

I’m still in London

News channels from all over the world had their cameras pointed at every entrance and exit point. Crowds stood waiting patiently on every gate. I slowed down for awhile thinking I should at least get ready for something special to happen. Nothing happened so I walked on.
I was walking past Kensington Palace. I’m not sure if everyone knew what they were waiting for. But it wouldn’t be long before they got what they wanted. Her name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Her official name will be Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
She is now fourth in line to the throne.
She does not know how important she really is.
The crowds of people and the media today leave no doubt of her importance. They were gathering around her home to pay homage.

Babies always attract attention don’t they?
But for Charlotte she carries her royal descent as being the thing that drives people’s interest.
Similarly when Jesus was born the wise men came not because of another child being born. But because of who He is.

Matthew 2: 11 “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

Similarly, when Jesus comes again but not born as a baby, He will be worshipped!

Philippians 2:9-11
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Whenever Jesus comes, people bow down, they wait for him to pass by, they long for a touch from the King.
Are you working from a bended knee today?
Are we waiting in expectation today?

I’m in London

The home for 8.6 million people and 8 Royal Parks. But it is ‘Postman’s Park’ that I want to mention.
A trip to London isn’t complete without sitting and contemplating at the Watts gallery of this park.
In 1887 G.F. Watts, a philanthropist, created a memorial on the site of the former churchyard of St Botolph, Aldersgate. At the southern end lay the General Post Office and many postmen spent their breaks in the park, hence the name. The memorial contains heroic stories of ordinary people saving the lives of ordinary people. The names are those of children in the main and usually involve fire, drowning or train crashes.
One of the inscriptions is that of Alice Ayres. Her inscription says, “daughter of a bricklayer’s labourer, who by intrepid conduct saved 3 children from a burning house in Union Street, at the cost of her own young life, April 24 1885.”
What about you?
Do people know who you are?
Is that important?
What were the names of the other sons that Adam and Eve apart from the 3 named?
What were the names of Gideon’s army of 300?
Who were the 7,000 people that Elijah hadn’t realised also were not bowing to Baal?
In the first half of Hebrews 11 all the heroes have names. In the second half they don’t.
Ordinary people going through extraordinary events.
Lizzie Valesquez a few years ago had 4 million hits on YouTube for being ‘the ugliest person in the world’. She used that to her advantage and became an extremely sought after motivational speaker and have her first TED talk in 2013.
Layla Montgomery is one of the best young distance runners in the USA, even though she has MS and collapses after each race.
And the list goes on and we never know who these people are but they do amazing things for others.

Read Matthew 6:2-4
Why not try and do something today that is in secret? That no one will know.
Today be an unsung hero.

It’s a Girl!

Yesterday the gift of life brought smiles to those of us who care.
The nameless girl, fourth in line to the throne has been born into royalty. She is famous and she doesn’t have a name yet. Her life will be one of privilege. She will be admired from a distance. There will be no hardship from lack of provision. She will have all she needs.
Some are born in palaces and some in the slums.
Some healthy some not.
The rules of life simply look like chance.
Ecclesiastes 9: 11-12
Why are some born with privilege and some in poverty? It’s the big question for many. But our circumstances can make us be stronger.
Author Shekam Vedantum believes that those who swim with the current will always think they are good swimmers whilst those who swim against the current may never realise they are better swimmers than they imagine.
Maria Carey was born into poverty.
Justin’s Bieber lived in what he called a rat-infested home.
Leonardo Di-Caprio grew up surrounded by drug dealers and prostitutes.
Demi Moore lived in a trailer home with an abusive alcoholic father.
Circumstances don’t always prove your lot.
Luke 2:51-52
Nazareth was known as a place where nothing good came from it. If you grew up there then you were unlucky.
Jesus was obedient. He lived within the boundaries of his life at that time.
He grew in wisdom.
He grew physically.
He grew in favour with God and
He grew in favour with man

Whatever circumstance you are in, whether that of privilege or poverty. It is very possible to live and grow in that place.