Andrew Shearman

FORCED TO STOP……

This may not be what you are likely thinking…I`m guessing that the thought of being stopped in your tracks comes with accompanying thoughts of 'interruption' 'nuisance' and 'a waste of time delay.' When we make plans , we like to get it done . When we set out somewhere we like to arrive . Generally speaking , we don`t do well with unknown and unexpected changes. Interruptions and hindrances are viewed mostly very negatively .

Here`s another perspective : Paul writing to the people of Galatia : ' You are well aware that the reason I ended up preaching to you was that I was physically broken, and so, prevented from continuing my (MY! AJS note)
journey . I was forced to stop with you. That is how I came to preach to you.' The will of God by accident !! Don`t think so. As a result, the Kingdom was declared and advanced and we then were bequeathed the sublime letter that the apostle subsequently wrote to his new friends . Not a bad result ! A good trade , I`d say .

Paul says : “I was forced to stop with you.” If you are being 'forced' today , and some of us are , go to the Lord . He knows what He`s doing – He said : “All things work together for good..” Circumstances , health ,tragedy, finances and family can all present new and unexpected challenges and forced stops . When we don`t know what to do or 'why', don`t go to the Tree of Knowledge , go to the tree of Life , bow down, worship and trust the LORD.

Don`t be surprised to be taken by surprise….

MORE THAN ENOUGH…

There`s a song out there at the moment that states that God is more than
enough ! Been doing the rounds for a while and I thought that maybe it had gone off the boil a bit . Songs seem to do that don`t they ? Some of those old classic hymns – 'A mighty fortress is our God' or 'Guide me O thou Great Jehovah' for example- seem to be timeless in comparison ! Best thing to do is to enjoy both !

I was with brothers the other weekend from Lockport LA on a Men`s Advance and we sang it on saturday morning during our last session . The session turned into a very powerful time in the Lord. As we sang , I had no great expectation . The song was over familiar and a bit old . But suddenly ! Out of nowhere , it came alive to me in a way that it had never done before. ” More than all that I want , more than all that I need , Lord , You are more than enough for me !”

It came with particular force and assurance as I contemplated the challenges coming down the road and wondered if I had enough in the tank ! 'More than enough .' HE is more than enough for me – for everything , everywhere at all times . It`s very personal – 'He' and 'me.' You and Him . All you need .

No great profundities attempted today , but you might just need that encouragement. If so , take it – it`s all true….

NO KIDDING…..

My last blog spoke about the angel breaking off Peter`s chains when he was in prison and then instructing him to put his own shoes on ! Then more miracles and they were out of jail ! I guess this is another example of God`s desire to partner with mankind . It never ceases to amaze me and frankly , if the shoes was on the other foot , I wouldn`t have picked us , would you ??

We do have responsibilities . Very rarely is 'it' going to just happen .
For His Kingdom to come , apparently we have to pray..
For the world to hear and be saved , somebody has to go preach and make disciples….
For demons to flee , someone has to cast them out…
For sick people to take up their bed and walk , someone , we are told, is supposed to lay hands on them…
For Jordans to part , someone has to put a foot in the water..
For valleys of dead dry bones to come alive and stand up like an army AND to fulfil God`s dream , someone has to prophesy ( twice!)….

I think you get the point… I know , I know for any Sovereignty buffs , God can do anything HE wants at any time and any place anywhere , even create worlds out of nothing , but I`m only quoting Bible ! Through the Church , Christ`s Body will He manifest His glorious wisdom to principalities and powers….That`s the way He has set it up.

I just felt today that you probably need to do the thing He has already told you to do , before you see what He is going to do ..put your shoes on , cast out a devil , prophesy … you know – just rise up and do it today..!

SNAPPED CHAINS AND SHOES…

Here was my thought as I read the other day : The angel breaks Peter`s chains but he had to put his own shoes on . Acts 12 ( Message) says : '..an angel was at his side and light flooded the room . The angel shook Peter and got him up : ” Hurry !” The handcuffs fell off his wrists . The angel said , “Get dressed. Put on your shoes.” Peter did it. Then , “Grab your coat and let`s get out of here.”

In the middle of absolutely supernatural events – angelic appearance ,entrance through locked and guarded doors, light flooding the room , chains breaking and falling off – the disciple/apostle Peter still had to get dressed and put his shoes on . Point is , God is not going to do what you and I are capable of doing and are expected to do .

When the Lord told the disciples to pray for 'helping hands ' in the harvest , it was 'workers' He was looking for . Not tourists , prima-donnas , the lazy , the selfish or the irresponsible . Sloth and indolence are not characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven.

So… I think miracles ( generally speaking) begin as late as poss and end as soon as poss . The disciples rowed as hard as they could until The Master shut down the storm . You must do ,with all your might , what you can do on all occasions and keep expecting miracles . Even snapped chains require somebody to put their shoes on…

In God`s love-struck and enduring desire to partner with man , He still carries the heavy end..

MORE THAN BARGAINED FOR…

…to continue..

I don`t believe that anybody ultimately follows the Lord with true commitment and joy without their heart being warmed . Those of us 'in ministry' sometimes put people under pressure of guilt or manipulation or even ridicule , for lack of commitment or sacrifice . Seems to me to be a big mistake ever to persuade people against their will . We love Him , because He first loved us . And every other decision we make in following Him should be because we love Him . We will soon run out of juice , if we don`t .

We point out need , challenge each other to a life of giving , not taking , even ask for surrender ; but it is on our knees , looking at the 'huge harvest' and asking for helping hands to be sent , with His love bursting in our souls that we are more likely to find ourselves going . With love , with joy and a dance . Ask the disciples – they were the ones doing the initial praying and they were the ones that went ! Cost many of them their lives .

So, there is a huge harvest , conditions are good , please 'on your knees' then and don`t be suprised if you`re the one sent . I hope so….

LESS UPSET IN BRITAIN….

..See previous..

So , I reread and reread the well known and often skipped over words in Matthew 9 about this harvest . I saw with somewhat hardened eyes something entirely different from what Jesus had seen with His selfless eyes . I was a little angry and dismissive; He was heart broken and open . I saw the effect of the crowd`s emptiness , He saw the reason for it. I felt , with no justification , slightly superior ; He felt , although He was completely 'superior' , nothing but serving and saving compassion . Conclusion : I need help , His help ! Anybody out there , wanting to agree with me ?

Jesus had been teaching in their meeting places , reporting Kingdom news , healing diseased bodies and healing bruised and broken lives . The gathering crowd broke His heart . He tells us the reason for their despair and shallowness of life . They are : aimless, hopeless, confused and leaderless . Being 'leaderless' is probably the biggest cause of the others . It`s a description of our culture`s condition today . Children are unfathered , churches are pampered , politicians obfuscate , movements wither by
management ; but the weekend is looking good .

These are exactly the conditions that Jesus describes as a 'huge harvest!'
If we can find some aim , some hope , some clarity and some leaders with the greatest requisite of being hard workers , we can reap it and God can have HIS family back . What to do when there are 'so few workers?'

“On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” Those are not my words….

UPSET IN BRITAIN ..

Mo and I were in UK a few days ago . The weather was awful , incessant rain and a high of 52 degrees ! We were bumped and jostled by rude people . Credit card used fraudulently 4 times . The Yorkshire Dales were sublime but I found myself barely tolerating some of the people . So many seemed miserable and empty .

There were great searchings of heart among dear Anglicans , with Archbishops and Bishops trying to decide what sin is and how important Scripture is . The Chancellor ( Secretary of Treasury) admitted that the people are 'squeezed to the limit' by taxes – they are !- and all in all , I felt the despair. But I also felt anger and resentment .

After a couple of days of this , I began to feel the Love of God seeping into my hardness and judgments . Thank God ! God really likes people ,as well as loving them , and to be honest , mostly I do too . I was shocked at my reaction . The response to 'the seeping love' was to repent . I did . And my mind and heart turned to Matthew 9 .

This is a part of what it says : 'When He ( Jesus) looked our over the crowds, His heart broke . So confused and aimless they were , like sheep without a shepherd . “What a huge harvest!” He said to His disciples…..'

More..

VIDEO: NSOKO PROJECT UNDERWAY

The Nsoko project is underway! Check out the video below, and feel free to donate to the Nsoko Project in Swaziland by clicking here . We need all the help we can get in raising the funds to build and sustain this community.

If you're interested in finding out more about the kingdom of Swaziland, click here . The following video is from Rusty Jackson :

Untitled from Rusty Jackson on Vimeo.

TRAVELING – WORLD RACE UPDATE

Mo and I were at Chad and Erin's excellent wedding celebration over the weekend, and now we're off to England for my mother-in-law's 90th birthday and some meetings. In the meantime, here is an update on the World Race.

The last two months have truly been the exploration of making missions a lifestyle for our two squads currently out in the field. Here is a report for each squad (click the links to read featured blogs and stories):

The September 2007 squad has been in Central America in locations from Panama to Costa Rica and through Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.

They are doing everything from reaching out to orphans to church planting to prayer walking. The men of “D” Squad went to Guatemala to explore new ministry up on Lake Atitlan. The squad is preparing for their final few weeks of ministry which will culminate in Granada, Nicaragua where they will undergo their final debrief and return home.

The January 2008 squad has been all over southern Africa working with orphans, showing the Jesus Film to crowds of people and watching many get saved and even healed. Teams are currently in Nsoko, Swaziland; Cape Town, South Africa; Blantyre, Malawi; Muturara, Mozambique and have even explored ministry in Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. As they continue their last month in Africa, God is preparing the way for their transition next to India and other areas in Asia.

A brand new squad of 33 individuals (including three married couples) are gearing up June 29th to begin their journey around the globe! They will convene in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and get on a plane bound for southern Mexico. They will join together with coaches and trainers to be equipped for their journey and serve in ministries in and around Palenque, Mexico. It will only be a short while before they head further south into Central America and on to Asia!

Click here to fill out a one-minute application and see if you have what it takes.

The World Race
800-881-2461
www.theworldrace.org

info@theworldrace.org

MORE INFO ON G42

Here is a blog by a current World Racer, Sarah, entitled, So What Is G42? It gives a good overview of what we're all about in the G42 tribe. It also includes a little more of my discussions with Seth Barnes. The original link is here: So What is G42?

In my last blog I told you a little about my encounters and entry into G42- The 42^nd Generation.

Here I want to give you some explanations that far exceed how I could explain any of this.

The series of blogs I've linked to here explains the G42 teachings:
What is the 42nd Generation?

42nd Generation- Stops En Route to Your Destiny

42nd Generation is about getting inheritance

42nd Generation- Stop Your Wildnerness Thinking!

The 42nd Generation Will Cross Into The Promised Land

The 42nd Generation Will Change the World

And finally… here is a little video clip of Andrew Shearman explaining what is meant to