20 Years….

For those of you who are regular readers , my apologies for the long gap since the last post . Life has been v hectic the last 3 weeks and I have also often been away from good on-line connections . Should do a lot better now , at least for a few weeks . I`m home for the holidays and looking forward to catching up and maybe a bit of routine !

Tuesday , just past , 16 Dec was the completion of twenty years for Mo and me and the family living in the USA. Tomorrow is my birthday . It has something to do with the old rock and roll song : 'will you still need me , will you feed me , when I`m …?!!' Well , will you …….? No worries !

I mention it , because of the Word of the Lord that came to us as we were leaving UK which was about a period of twenty years . To do with the life of Jacob , but prophetically put into the context of our lives . The word was confirmed to us after 14 years , and word for word by 2 different Men of God 6000 miles apart . My Dad was also kept alive to see this day , again part of the promise , and he is 92 (!) . I am encouraged ,therefore , yet again , to believe that God does not lie and that every Word He speaks to us , we can stake our life on it.

NO better way to live than staking our lives on the Word God speaks to us. If you`re doing it , you know ! To do with 'The Far Country ' and its strong allurement to our souls . Some , of you , are carrying an 'old' Word – been a long time , maybe thinking about letting it go . Don`t ! You will reap , if you do not faint . NO word that the Lord speaks will ever fall to the ground . HE is watching over it … and you !

ONE LINERS (PART 2)

Continuing from the last blog… more words of wisdom:

“The more like Christ I am the more like ________ I am.”
“The devil has no weapons. The devil only has words, arguments and pretentions.”
“Are we really going to get the resources to build the house, or are we going to stay in Egypt making bricks?”
“You will either die, or be killed. Choose to die.”
“Hollywood's lie is to make you think you could have a life of adventure without risk.”
“It takes rocket fuel to go against gravity. You can live a long time on diesel, coasting through life or you can really LIVE.”
“You only learn when you don't know.”
“If you're always going to think through the same knowledge pattern, you'll never learn anything new.”
“If you're dead you can't be killed.”
“You have to be dead to be free, you have to be free to choose to be a slave.”
“Fear causes men's hearts to fail them.”
“Commit your whole life to the journey. Walk off the map into uncertainty.”
“Your better off a sinner being made righteous then remaining innocent.”
“There is no Plan B.– We are the best plan God ever had.”
“Don't compromise when God has spoken to you.”
“Well….to hell with the devil !”
“Three cheers for Jesus Christ… hip hip….”

ONE LINERS (PART 1)

Just finished an amazing Thanksgiving with family and friends and I am jetting off to Milton Keynes, England today. But I ran across these “one-liners” that Tara Bruce collected from me over the past months and days. Tara and Josh Bruce are two of this fantastic generation that we've been discovering and building over the past year during The World Race . They're also going to be attending an upcoming term at the G42 Leadership Academy in Mijas, Spain.
Here's the first half of the quotes:

“Deliverance comes in going forward. You just have to flat out decide. If you have a bad attitude change it. If you need to love someone just love them.”
“If you have already got to “thank you” don't go back to please.”
“You have been as holy and loving today as you decided to be”
“Shutup, get up and go!”
“You need a red hot heart, an ice cold brain, fire in your belly and steel in your backbone.”
“Take responsibility for the impression you give. Take responsibility for the impression they take.”
“Put Christ on. Choose until it becomes a habit and you become who you ARE! A lifetime of good habits will keep you alive.”
“Rise up man/woman of God!”
“There is a man/woman sent by God and his/her name is _______”
“My name is ________ and I am God's voice on planet earth and I have something to say and I am going to say it.”
“God's word in your mouth is the same as God's word in his mouth so speak it out.”
“You have chain breaking, mountain moving, prison door opening, deliverance bringing, death to life words in your mouth.”
“You have the power of life and death on your tongue. Speak Life.”
“If you are not under authority you have no authority.”
“We win this thing!”
“Don't worry about doing. BE. It is all about being. If you are living as you were created, God with skin on, your life would be brilliant.”
“Be done with yourself!”
“You need to get to the place where you don't want to go anywhere else then with God.”
“Gotta work it. No more easy pickings. Move the obstacles out of the way. Kill some giants and be self sufficient in Christ.”
“You were created to turn chaos into Eden.”
“This is not whistling Dixie.”
“You deserve what you tolerate. Do something about it.”
“You can't sin enough to make God stop loving you.”
“The number one reason you are on planet earth is to BE LOVED by God.”
“Some of you have been so busy chasing God that you forgot that God is chasing you.”
“This is about the house. Whose is the house?”
“Heaven is not the destination. You've already got heaven, the eternal DNA of God living inside of you. You are a daughter/son of the living God. The destination is the King of the Kingdom of the living God.”
“I am the keeper of God's dream.”

TRANSITION…

Yesterday , I had the privilege of serving my friend Michael Hindes and Cross Current Church in Port Huron MI as he handed the headship of the Church to a son and daughter in the Lord . I have participated in a number of these and I am always thrilled . It`s one of the main reasons we do what we do . Next generation . Increased inheritance . Fresh , bold ideas and the energy of youth . Honoring the ones passing the baton . Marvelous ! Ministry truly is about reproducing disciples for Christ who can be trusted with the inheritance . Multiplication not addition ! What a transition .

In the morning Mo and I leave very early for Thailand . We`ll join with the Barnes and the Hindes as we graduate the next squad of World Racers as they finish their 11 month odyssey of adventure . We`ll continue working with them as they plan the next steps in their life . Some will feel that they are members of this tribe , some will return home to Men of God who can get them to where they desire to go and some will still be waiting on the Lord . Our prayer , as for all Racers, is that they make the most of their gifts and skill set to advance God`s Kingdom on earth with a Christlike character and attitude . They will certainly be in transition.

Being available for and unresistant to transition is a key for those who have 'set their heart on pilgrimage.' ( Ps 84) It`s never too late . You may feel as though your opportunity has come and gone . Nothing of the sort ! Don`t forget the #1 regret of older guys and gals is that 'wished they had risked more.' I was speaking with a 55 yr old friend yesterday . He told me that he had just shared with his good wife that it`s time to sell up and set off ! Think about it . You might just turn the valley of weeping into a place of living water and go from strength to strength – same Psalm . Say again , it`s never too late ..

You can view also view this at G42Global.org.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY…

My friends and I are working a great deal with the generation of Twenty somethings . They are , on the whole , brilliant . Don`t seem as materialistic as we Boomers , more community oriented , wanting to experience and not just learn about and wanting to be mentored and not just lectured . Willing to be wrecked for the ordinary .

They have some difficulty with decision making and long term commitment . This is part of our challenge as 'fathers' in the faith . The lack of these two latter characteristics is something I continually think about . And , of course , how to help remedy it . Just one thought , then , today . Take responsibility . This can mean a lot of different things to different people !

I`m thinking of it like this , these days . Take responsibility , by having at least one other human being on planet earth looking to you as life source . I know , I know , the Lord Himself is our complete Life Source , but I think you know what I mean ! Somebody needing you to be strong , constant , having words of Life and encouragement to share , living filled with hope to lift the despairing , acts of kindness and selflessness – a life source . But to a real person , with a Name , day in , day out , night in , night out. That`s responsibility and will demand decisiveness and commitment !

God`s life , flowing through you , helping to bring dead things alive and turning barrenness into Eden`s beautiful bounty . A list starts with ONE name – I read the other day : Lasting change starts in first gear , not overdrive . Who`s on your list?

DEPENDS WHERE YOU LIVE…..

continuing….The economic situation continues to confound . Seems to me that the 'experts' are as confused as a termite in a yo-yo ! I`ve heard about people – good Christian people – panicking and deciding to sell their stock and 'get out while they can.' I am not even going to attempt to advise you on the economics . That is your call . I`m interested in how and why people make decisions , how much they depend for their future peace of mind and well-being on issues completely out of their control and based solely on material values . This is a really good time to check out where your confidence lies and how much you know of God`s voice and the 'umpire' of Holy Spirit in your soul .

My friend Michael Dearinger read a scripture to me yesterday : John 16:33 : “I have told you these things,so that IN ME you may have peace. IN THIS WORLD you will have trouble . But Take Heart ! I have overcome the world .” A clear choice there . We can either live IN HIM or live in THIS WORLD . Now , of course we live in this world in the sense that we breathe, eat , love and work etc , but what the Lord is saying is that your sense of peace depends on living in Him -the solid Rock – and not being sustained by a bankrupt , morally deficient and rebellious world .

I wrote a short while ago about a friend who lives in Zimbabwe . The rate of inflation , last week was 230,000,000% – I`m not making this up ! That`s 230 million percent . Insanity , of course . My friend hammered home to me as I marveled at how he was managing to prosper , build and spread the Kingdom in such circumstances : ' Andrew , I don`t live in Zimbabwe , I live in the Kingdom.' I was rebuked and encouraged at the same time . So where do you live ?
IN HIM , I hope . The Kingdom is here and is advancing .

A COUNTRY GOES BANKRUPT…

I read today in the British press that every citizen of the country of Iceland owes the rest of the world 116,000 British pounds ( approx $ 200,000) and has essentially defaulted as a Nation State . A 4 billion pound bailout from Russia is on the cards . You don`t need me to tell you that the economic situation is dire ! If you have investments in the Stock Market it makes horror reading . So , how`s your heart ? Where your treasure is , that`s where your heart is !

Thinking and praying today , bearing in mind my responsibilities as a Dad , Grandad and Husband along with many Ministry portfolios , my heart remained calm and blessed thanks be to God ! If my entire confidence for the future were in the Market , I would be most concerned , certainly in the immediate future . However , I read today that God would bless our food and water and we would live a full life span . I further read that while there was darkness all over the land ( of Egypt ) , yet God`s people “had light in the place they lived,” What is it like where you live ?

I`m not suggesting laissez- faire or casual dismissal . This is , for sure , a huge wake up call . What do we trust in ? What do we actually believe – by which I mean 'stake your life on ??' It`s a wake call away from materialism and waste of time and money 'stuff' , living on 18- 30 % credit cards ,living beyond our means and thinking that life consists of the things we possess . It`s nothing of the sort . What is happening is actually showing us that all that system is already bankrupt . It`s cisterns that can`t hold water… to be continued….

LOSING 2 OR 3 GENERATIONS..

Reading 'Time' magazine the other day I was startled . The article was about childbirth around the world . Here`s a quote : ' In 1985 the World Health Organization estimated that 500,000 women died in childbirth each year . By 2005, despite medical advances, that number had risen to 536,000.' I then went on to read from a UNICEF representative in Sierra Leone : ” We will lose two or three more generations , but the core message is one of hope.”

This blog is absolutely not intended to be critical of these organizations . Basically , we applaud all efforts to help the poor and the needy and the people involved here are at least in the arena and doing all they can . This representative was just being truthful . The whole article is about the the very small amount of money and , of course trained supervision ,it takes to improve an individual woman`s chances of survival and health. I`m thankful that the info is out there and the process might be gain some momentum .

I thought about the Church . I wonder how many generations we might 'skip' and lose before we make the right kind of investment in discipleship , commitment and 'fathering' a generation . An emphasis on people , rather than spiritual experiences or ministries , investment in the next generation of raw recruits who can be lion-hearted world changers, a calling out of a generation to get a full harvest and inheritance . For too many Christians , 'the core message of hope' is to 'fly away , O Glory…' and 'to get that mansion just over the hilltop.'

Heaven has been secured in Christ . Leaders should be getting their followers ready for earth , with all its messiness , pain and terrible beauty. It`s hard for me to conceive or accept that 2 or 3 more generations will be lost before we realign with God`s core values. That would be my grandbabies and their children . So do we write them off or make some changes ??

PRICE IN THE CITY ..A SCANDAL..

I`ve been running and away from the tech box – as part of the journey went to Spain and am now making arrangements to start Leadership Training Center there should be 1 March 2009 . For those of you who are interested , we will let you have full details asap . One of the reasons we want this Center is to train radical leaders who will connect with the hurting and desperate and kick hell out of the systems that so degrade and abuse human beings . To hell with the devil indeed and it`s time to get some blood on the sword – the sword of the Lord and His Spirit – NOT blood of human beings for whom there is nothing but love and acceptance . But the pulling down of strongholds and systems in heavenly places , so that people can go free from the prisons they are trapped in. We`re fighting principalities and powers.

I met some great men of God from India when I was in Milton Keynes a few days ago ( Milton Keynes Christian Center ) . They have planted 2000 churches and have many mercy missions and orphan outreaches . I asked them whether it is really true that you could buy a girl for $75 . They confirmed that it is true but then added almost matter of factly : ” But that is for a city girl…you can get a village girl for $10 .” I nearly fell over . That is 3 cups of coffee for a human being and then , you know, you get to keep her . Keep is not the right word . Retain will do it . Keep implies at least a little care . These poor children and teenagers are subjected to unspeakable abuse and then often just discarded . Read Seth Barnes` blog today please – just go to the links page- one of our teams is in Vietnam . Just read it please ..

You bet your life we want to train some leaders and young warriors to go kick the hell out if this trash and see prisoners set free…..