G42 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY VIDEO

Here is a video created by one of our interns, Sean Smith, that captures what I believe is God’s dream for G42. Once you’re done watching, go to the G42 Leadership Academy to find out more and to apply!

THE MAIL FROM SPAIN …..

2 weeks gone and it seems like yesterday that we started . We are blessed and feel the Presence of the Lord in this adventure . We are getting a rhythm and there is an energy from Heaven . So far :

- we have started the study on The Kingdom from the point of view of “What is God`s point?”
- have delved into the Tabernacle of David and are finding the order of God`s plan (first the natural ,then the spiritual) and the sequence that led to its establishment and the absolute corollary in today`s circumstances ;
- have commenced the study on 'Discerning Life Calling' ;
- have eaten great food and enjoyed each other`s company round the table , including an Inaugural Meal ;
- learned some new card games ;
- have stopped talking about this generation`s inability to make decisions and long term commitments and started to prophesy a ' Spirit of Knowing and a Spirit of Might';
-have visited the flamingos ! ( see previous blog) ;
-have begun the process of long term commitment to Kingdom planting and planning for our practicums – there are lots of opportunities to serve both in Spain , Europe and N. Africa – some really good choices ;
- are expecting our numbers to more than double by June ;
- are expecting some parents to visit and maybe stay ; any Grandparents out there ? ;
- are making a welcome for some summer interns ;
-preached the 42 Generation ( intro) to a local Church .

We`ve been busy ! To hell with the devil and the Kingdom is coming . Come and see us …..

THE FLAMINGOS ARE BACK…….

Made it ! Started the training center in Mijas , Spain 3 days ago . We`re having a great time ….stonking , comes to mind ! God is gracing us with an atmosphere of life and joy and there is sense of purpose about our activities already . We enjoyed our Inaugural Dinner last night in a lovely local restaurant with views from our mountain town over the sweeping coastline 6 miles away . Mijas is a delight . We have been warmly welcomed by new friends and very much feel at home .We will , of course , keep you in the picture , and will also post a video in a few days to give an idea of who what and where .

The weather has been unusually bleak and cold and very heavy rain . However , this is good news . Since we arrived last Saturday it has not stopped raining . There is a sound of abundance of rain ! Mo and I walked through the rain yesterday to open a Spanish bank account and we had a good conversation with the bank lady .

The bank lady told of the three to four year drought that has just now officially ended . The lakes have filled up and the reservoirs are are topped up . Water restrictions have been lifted . There is an inland lake about 45 minutes away ,where flamingos have habitually visited and reproduced for many years . For the last three years there have been no flamingos . They`re back this year . They`re up to their old Spring time tricks and babies are on the way . Life is bursting forth again . We`re planning on making a trip to see them asap .

I am taking this as an encouraging sign . Rain after drought , new life after no births . We want to believe to be part of a generation that sees a dry and spiritually dead continent , burst forth into life and joy , after rainless seasons and empty nests …Far fetched ? Still dreaming God`s dream . Those flamingos have me thinking and thanking…..

A WING AND A PRAYER …

Mo and I leave the house in about 30 minutes and are scheduled to land in Malaga Spain tomorrow , after stops in Chicago and Manchester . We are launching our g42 Training Center on Monday . I feel a little bit like a schoolboy . Oh it`s not the journey and the planes – the Lord knows I`ve done enough of those- nor landing in an unknown place- we`ve visited , vacationed and worked in Spain many times .

We`re disrupting our life again on the 'call' , the sense of a destiny and purpose to be lived out and fleshed out . Just because we believe the Lord said so . It`s quite ridiculous really isn`t it ? Staking your life on a dream and a word .
The good part is that such a call takes you outside of your own life into risk and let`s face it , adventure . Those two always go together . ” Outside your own life ” are good words , I believe .

Be a life source , spend yourself for others and God – certainly won`t always be easy or even reasonable , but , as they say ” That`s what makes it great!” I`m honored to put my trust in the Lord and His mighty word . Even being able to trust Him , comes from Him and by Grace . I would not choose to live any other way . Either He said it to us and it`s His will , or we`re all smoking dope !

My friends who read these blogs regularly will know that I am an advocate of informed risk taking . Also from time to time it seems that the Lord surprises us
and we jump with little or no information . Either way you`ll never know unless you give it a go . This particular 'risk' falls into the informed category .
So we are about to wing it and our hearts are filled with prayer and great praise for a Father who can be trusted completely . Hasta la vista…..

HOW OLD ??

Somebody asked me the other day how old I am . I replied that I have had 64 birthdays but that doesn`t mean much ! Seems to me that if your faith outranks your fear , if your dreams are alive and well in God , and you`re maintaining disciplines , then the number of birthdays is irrelevant . Youth renewed , mounting up on eagles` wings and all that.

Mo and I are headed to Spain in 7 days` time where we and a great team are launching our g42 Leadership School . It`s probably the last great adventure of our lives . Don`t get me wrong – I don`t mean that I feel finished and washed up . It`s just that , I believe this investment will last the rest of my life as we seek to inspire at least a part of a multi generational generation to its Kingdom inheritance . I was thinking maybe 25 more full on years !

I thought about this as it is 50 years since my Dad took me on our first missions trip to Spain . Francisco Franco , soldiers following us everywhere with machine guns , NO tourists , marvelous people and a beautiful country . Spiritually very dry . Now it`s a new day , for a Post Church ( not Post Christian ) Europe and hopes and faith are high for the Kingdom to come , churches to be planted and ministries established .

This week I had a long conversation with a late forties Dad whose daughter is interested in coming to Spain . He spoke of the possibility of he and his wife coming to join us in the Leadership School . I think it`s a brilliant idea . I would like to see 3 generations there !

Please pray for us as we set off again , and seriously consider coming to be with us . Whatever happens , don`t fold up your tent , until you have given it your all and made whatever changes are necessary for you to die happy and fully alive . Race run , course finished . Think 25 years and how we might 'change the world.'
If you`re 20 something you`d still only be 45 ; if you`re 64 you`d still only be 89…!

A TAXI METER IN THE BRAIN…..

These thoughts were inspired by one of my daily readings from Bob Gass in The word for you Today . As I read it , it converged with my own thought process and gave me more food for thought . I`m in Chicago on the way to UK – unexpectedly – going to the funeral tomorrow of a dear friend who passed over suddenly a few days ago . I added the trip to my schedule . Like many of you , I can easily be engaged in too much 'muchness' and too much 'manyness.' Jesus said to His disciples : ” Boys , we need to get away and go rest.”

He encouraged them to go to a 'deserted' place . Deserted , apparently doesn`t mean desolate or like a desert , but 'quiet.' Quiet ! What a word to relish . There is no doubt that just about everything in our world accelerates to breakneck speed and roaring blur , and we feel the pressures to conform . I think it`s a form of self importance !

Here`s a quote from the reading : ' Richard Foster points out that in contemporary society , the devil majors on three things : noise , hurry and crowds ….he implants taxi meters in our brains . We hear the relentless tick , tick , tick telling us to hurry , hurry , hurry , time is money , resulting in this roaring blur called the human race . But Jesus stands against the tide saying , ” Come to me…” ” Come aside and rest awhile..”

The human race was not called to be a roaring blur . It`s time to get away….

IF HE`D DIED SOONER , HE WOULD HAVE LIVED LONGER…..

Let me get this straight as an opener : I am NOT talking about the deceit and dangerous nonsense of so called holy martyrdom with its spurious and phony promises about celestial bliss ; nor am I writing of suicide in any form . What a terrible waste and how enormously sad ! This is an internal matter . An issue of the heart . The place where ego is king and I am the center and circumference of my world .

It manifests in selfishness , self (ego) preservation , little or no concern for others , and lack of 'human affection.' It looks like anger , pride , superiority, perfectionism , judgments , lust, vanity and violence .

This title was given to me by a Pastor friend in UK who heard it from another preacher . So I cannot claim originality ! It`s in the context of Samson – one of the leaders in old Israel who spent his life in vanity , lust and self centeredness. He also did outstanding feats that enhanced his reputation . In every crisis he faced , his first reaction was to look after number one and to hell with the consequences .

Finally , blinded , humiliated and with his once so impressive hair shaved off , he called on the Lord ( as the hair began to grow again !) and gave up all hope of self preservation as he deliberately chose to please God first , without regard to the outcome . He achieved more in last act than in the whole of his previous life according to the scriptures .

The mystery is this : you 'lose' your life , you find it . In 'dying to self', we gain freedom from the tyrannies that so dominate us . To be able to truly say : 'Not my will , but Yours be done ' , is freedom !

If you`re the biggest part of your world , your world is too small . Ego is too demanding and will take you down . This is part of what Paul says : 'I identified myself completely with Christ . Indeed I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central . It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion and I am no longer driven to impress God . Christ live in me…..' That`s a much better and much bigger world to live in ..

SO…FEET IN THE WATER ….

Yesterday , Bec and Dave together with Emma , Gabriella and Ben , flew away to begin a new life . That may sound far fetched , but it`s true . Dave resigned the US Air Force as a Major with life long benefits , to help us inaugurate our first g42 Leadership School in Mijas , Malaga Spain . After a few days with Dave`s family in New Jersey , they will land in Spain next Thursday afternoon . We are expecting our first Kitchen Table style class to begin in March . Check it out on the link on the right .

This has been a long time coming . The next huge step in a dream ( A Part of God`s Dream , we believe) to see a Generation move into Kingdom Inheritance . We long to raise and release Church Planters , Mercy Homes Builders as well as encouraging a new generation of entrepreneurs to use their Gifts , Passion and Life for the cause of Christ .

We bless our Bec and Dave as they set off , trusting the Lord with their young family on the next stage of Life`s Journey . Please pray for them . If you can support them , please do . We miss them already . The house is quiet . Ben recovered from a broken leg (the result of a fall on the kitchen tiles ) in less than 4 weeks and the hospital removed the body brace a day before they left !

They`re crossing their Jordan – feet wet , waiting for dry land to appear . It will ! You can`t beat the rush of stepping out into what is Unknown Territory . For those who have glimpsed The Far Country , there is no alternative . Don`t be afraid to obey , today ..No risk , no adventure…

LOOKING AHEAD…

Here we are again ! Another one down and 2009 starting in just over 24 hours . Certainly wish and pray for a blessed and happy New Year for all our readers and friends. Change , as ever , is in the wind . Bec and Dave and the girls leave for Spain in 12 days . They will help us establish a g42 Leadership Training Center near Malaga in the South of Spain . We commence , deo volente , 2 March . I`m anticipating being there the majority of my time . If you know of people who are sold out but need and want further discipleship and mentoring , please get in touch . We plan and await God`s suddenlies and surprises ! And either way , we`re fine ! The World Race continues to grow quickly and a generation is stirring..

As always , we don`t know what the year will bring . Economically , politically and socially we have to say that our World is well and truly messed up . Systems are broken and bankrupt and people are very scared . I do believe that this is a great opportunity for the Kingdom of God on the planet , if we will rise up , demonstrate integrity , declare a viable alternative , remind each other of true values and walk humbly before our God . As nearly all foundations are shaken and many smashed , there is a palpable hunger for security and purpose . What`s it all about Alfie?

On the day that we remembered 20 years in USA (16 Dec), one of my daily readings
was : “Now , go lead the people to the place I spoke of..” ( Exodus 32:34) This was spoken to Moses by God in circumstances that can only be described as dire and abjectly disappointing amid open rebellion and idolatry . Point is , advancing and moving on is absolutely necessary and not an option , despite what your eyes are seeing and you heart may be feeling .

On my birthday (19 Dec) my reading was : 'Increase & possess the land…” ( Deut 8:1) No mention of circumstances , resources , obstacles or feelings . What was the catch ?? Only this : remember that God is God , and obey what He says . Simple , right ?

I have my marching orders for 2009 . Lead what I have been given by the Lord to lead ; and move into greater inheritance and harvest , as we increase and possess.

For you Dear Friend : do not let any circumstance dictate the course of your decisions and actions this year , find your courage and move forward . I mean , if you can`t do anything else , at least fall forward ! Don`t sit and die !
And as you trust God and obey Him , move from surviving to thriving . Do what He`s asked you to do . Your giants are bread for you…

” There probably is no God…..” A Christmas reflection..

I was in UK a couple of weeks ago and saw a news item concerning an advertising campaign by , I think , an atheist or agnostic group . I only saw it in the distance and did not hear the commentary . But this is what the advert said emblazoned on the side of one of London`s famous red double deck buses :
“There probably is no God , so stop worrying and enjoy yourself.”

Before I go any further , just think about your reaction as you read that !

I had two immediate reactions : Firstly , let`s turn it around and say : “There probably is a God , so stop worrying and enjoy yourself .” Secondly : Why is it that people who say they don`t believe as well as the average non church goer , have the impression that God is bound to make you worry and wants to stop you enjoying yourself ?? That`s where the rub comes , doesn`t it ? So much of 'The Church ' gives a pretty distorted view of The Father , The Son and The Comforter Spirit . Somebody gave them that impression .

Too often we hear angry dismissal , intolerant judgments , and threats of retribution when you don`t score enough brownie points . No loving hands or words of forgiveness . Or else we have a church that doesn`t know what it believes and wonders,say, how relevant the Bible is . No conviction , no mountains worth dying on , nothing much to follow , so eat drink and be merry .

So here`s what the Good Old Bible says about the season we call Christmas : ” Hey!
I`m here with great news , the best news , really good news for you . Today , a Savior has arrived who will show you the way , forgive your sins and give you the best possible life . His Name is Christ the Lord! Follow Him to the Far Country with all your heart !” ( My paraphrase edition.) ” For God didn`t send His Son into the world to condemn the world , but to save the world through Him.” “For God so loved the world..”

As Christ followers , let`s reflect that to a confused and empty , but searching world . People need the Lord . They need us to be God with skin on .

There probably is a God…..