Inconceivable!

 

The Princess Bride is one of my favourite films and quite a cult classic. There are a lot of brilliant quotes in it and one is on the word "Inconceivable". Vizzini, played by Wallace Shawn, uses the word often and at one point the Spaniard Inigo Montoya, played by Mandy Patinkin, says; "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." In this blog I want to look at words and make us think, do we know what it means.

We all have own understanding of words which we have learnt from our environment, for example the word 'pants' in the UK refer to underwear where as in America it means jeans or similar over garments (we call the trousers in the UK!). Or, for some, the word can be about something that's not so good. e.g. "that's a bit pants!".

So I want to look at the word "Lord", as used in the Bible specifically by Jesus. When we hear the word Lord we have our preconceived understanding of what that means. In the UK we have many Lords and so we maybe think of those with the title as special in some way. There is also the saying "lording it over someone", which gives the idea of controlling someone. Even when we look up the word in the dictionary it says "a person who has authority, control, or power over others".

In John 13 Jesus washes the disciples feet and then asks them if they understand what he has just done. At that time people wore sandals and so their feet got dirty from walking on the streets. When they came into a house often a servant (usually a women) would wash their feet. It wasn't a pleasant task as the streets would often have animal droppings on them. So Jesus took a very humbling task and did this to all his disciples, even Judas. It then goes on to say:

After washing their feet, he put his robe on and returned to his place at the table. "Do you understand what I just did?" Jesus said. "You called me your teacher and lord, and you're right, for that's who I am. So if I'm your teacher and lord and have just washed your dirty feet, then you should follow the example that I've set for you and wash one another's dirty feet. Now do for each other what I have just done for you. I speak to you timeless truth: a servant is not superior to his master, and an apostle is never greater then the one who sent him. So now put into practice what I have done for you, and you will experience a life of happiness enriched with untold blessings!" (John 13:12-17 TPT)

Jesus came to reveal what God is like and so many of his stories were pointing to a God very different from what people thought. So now when you or someone says "Lord Jesus" you can have the image and understanding that He came to serve not to be served! God doesn't need anything from us, but loves to serve us. Perhaps a challenge to our thinking!

I hope you enjoyed my short blog.

The Trinity in 3 parables

Luke 15 has 3 very famous parables which I feel show the three persons of the trinity.

First let’s look at who the audience is. It says:

 “Many dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often gathered around to listen as Jesus taught the people. This raised concerns among the Jewish religious leaders and experts of the law. Indignant, they grumbled and complained, saying, “Look at how this man associates with all these notorious sinners and welcomes them all to come to him!”>

Isn't it wonderful Jesus welcomes even the 'notorious sinners'! The religious leaders knew the scriptures but as Jesus said in John 5:39-40 they missed Him. We can know the scriptures so well but miss one who is the very Word itself.

In response to the religious leaders Jesus told these 3 parables. Here is the first:

 “There once was a shepherd with a hundred lambs, but one of his lambs wandered away and was lost. So the shepherd left the ninety-nine lambs out in the open field and searched in the wilderness for that one lost lamb. He didn’t stop until he finally found it. With exuberant joy, he raised it up, placed it on his shoulders, and carried it back with cheerful delight! Returning home, he called all his friends and neighbours together and said, ‘Let’s have a party! Come and celebrate with me the return of my lost lamb. It wandered away, but I found it and brought it home.’ ”

Jesus calls himself the good shepherd (John 10:11) and in this illustration He goes looking for the lost lamb. I love how in this parable the shepherd doesn't stop until He finds the lamb, Jesus is always pursuing people and never gives up. Does death stop Him? It says He has defeated death, so maybe not! There is no criticising the lamb for getting lost nor is there any requirement for it to do anything. The shepherd does all the work, putting the lamb on his shoulders and bringing it home. Then there is party. Don't we all love a party?! Notice the lamb is brought home. Jesus continues and says in verse 7 the lost sinner is coming home, returning to the fold. Jesus is bringing us back to where we belong.

 Jesus the shares another parable, the parable of the Lost Coin. 

 “There once was a woman who had ten valuable silver coins. When she lost one of them, she swept her entire house, diligently searching every nook and cranny for that one lost coin. When she finally found it, she gathered all her friends and neighbors for a celebration, telling them, ‘Come and celebrate with me! I had lost my precious silver coin, but now I’ve found it.’ That’s the way God responds every time one lost sinner repents and turns to him. He says to all his angels, ‘Let’s have a joyous celebration, for the one who was lost, I have found!’ ”

We know God is spirit and therefore neither male nor female, but in Hebrew the spirit is feminine, so we can maybe attribute this parable to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth (John 16:13) and in this parable the subject is a valuable silver coin. We are valuable and the Holy Spirit is leading us into that truth. No matter how covered in 'dirt' a coin is, it is still worth it's original value. As are we. Again, the coin doesn't have to do anything to be 'saved' and isn't rebuked for getting lost. The parable ends with a celebration, showing how happy God is when we return to Him.

The last parable is often called ‘ The Prodigal Son’ but in The Passion Translation it is titled ‘The Loving Father’ which I think is a more accurate title. 

Then Jesus said, “Once there was a father with two sons. The younger son came to his father and said, ‘Father, don’t you think it’s time to give me my share of your estate?’ So the father went ahead and distributed between the two sons their inheritance. Shortly afterward, the younger son packed up all his belongings and travelled off to see the world. He journeyed to a far-off land where he soon wasted all he was given in a binge of extravagant and reckless living.

“With everything spent and nothing left, he grew hungry, because there was a severe famine in that land. So he begged a farmer in that country to hire him. The farmer hired him and sent him out to feed the pigs. The son was so famished, he was willing even to eat the slop given to the pigs, because no one would feed him a thing.

 “Humiliated, the son finally realized what he was doing, and he thought, ‘There are many workers at my father’s house who have all the food they want with plenty to spare. They lack nothing. Why am I here dying of hunger, feeding these pigs and eating their slop? I want to go back home to my father’s house, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I was wrong. I have sinned against you. I’ll never again be worthy to be called your son. Please, Father, just treat me like one of your employees.” ’

“So the young son set off for home. From a long distance away, his father saw him coming, dressed as a beggar, and great compassion swelled up in his heart for his son who was returning home. The father raced out to meet him, swept him up in his arms, hugged him dearly, and kissed him over and over with tender love.

“Then the son said, ‘Father, I was wrong. I have sinned against you. I could never deserve to be called your son. Just let me be—’

“The father interrupted and said, ‘Son, you’re home now!’

“Turning to his servants, the father said, ‘Quick, bring me the best robe, my very own robe, and I will place it on his shoulders. Bring the ring, the seal of sonship,[j] and I will put it on his finger. And bring out the best shoes you can find for my son. Let’s prepare a great feast[l] and celebrate. For my beloved son was once dead, but now he’s alive! Once he was lost, but now he is found!’ And everyone celebrated with overflowing joy.

“Now, the older son was out working in the field when his brother returned, and as he approached the house, he heard the music of celebration and dancing. He called over one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’

“The servant replied, ‘It’s your younger brother. He’s returned home and your father is throwing a party to celebrate his homecoming.’

“The older son became angry and refused to go in and celebrate. So his father came out and pleaded with him, ‘Come and enjoy the feast with us!’

“The son said, ‘Father, listen! How many years have I worked like a slave for you, performing every duty you’ve asked as a faithful son? And I’ve never once disobeyed you. But you’ve never thrown a party for me because of my faithfulness. Never once have you even given me a goat that I could feast on and celebrate with my friends as this son of yours is doing now. Look at him! He comes back after wasting your wealth on prostitutes and reckless living, and here you are throwing a great feast to celebrate—for him!’

“The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me by my side. Everything I have is yours to enjoy. It’s only right to rejoice and celebrate like this, because your brother was once dead and gone, but now he is alive and back with us again. He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”

Many people have taught on this parable so I will try to just bring out the points that strike me. In response to Philip asking ‘show us the Father’ in John 14, Jesus says ‘for anyone who has looked at me has seen the Father’. So Jesus here is wanting us to understand what the Father is like. The story is about two sons and a further reminder that we are all God's children. The Father doesn't require anything from either of the sons, He supplies all their needs and more. The younger son wastes what he is given but the Father doesn't criticise him when he comes home. He just welcomes him, not requiring anything from him. He doesn't even let him finish his speech!

The older son has been the 'good boy' and worked hard, but again he doesn't know the Father. He feels he has been a slave, working hard and never disobeying, although we never hear the Father giving any orders. The Father goes out to meet the son, again showing that God is always seeking. The parable ends there. Jesus indicates that God's grace is never ending.

I believe that in these 3 parables Jesus is sharing the different attributes of the Trinity and giving a beautiful glimpse into how God welcomes us back into our home. We can have a loving relationship with a God who does not judge, but instead chases after us and sweeps us into His arms. I hope this will encourage you today.

(All references are from The Passion Translation)

 

Taking Steps to the Impossible

This is the story of how we ended up moving to Interlochen, Michigan USA from Edinburgh, Scotland.

A few years ago our eldest daughter, Beth, developed a passion for writing and through that found a website for young writers called Figment. This group shared a competition for a full scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy in the USA to major in creative writing. Beth had not heard of the school but when she looked it up she really liked the look of it. The idea of being with peers who were motivated and also loved to write was just thrilling to her, so she entered the competition. She was not really sure what she was going to do if she won as the idea of boarding at the school was not so appealing. However, we told her we could cross that bridge if we came to it!

That was at the end of 2012 and the result of the competition was to be announced at the beginning of 2013. One night early in 2013 Beth had a vivid dream where she was at Interlochen Arts Academy and she walked out of her room but left the key in the room, so got locked out. She went to the office to see about getting back in but they said she would have to wait 24 hours. She realised she could go back to her room and wait for her room mate who would let her in. As she turned to go back she had the choice of taking the lift or the stairs. Even though the lift would have been the quickest way for some reason she decided to take the stairs. As she began climbing they looked very ordinary, but as she got further up they turned into a beautiful and very wide golden stairway with people playing on them and having fun. The staircase was also ‘supernaturally supported’ as there was no visible support beneath.

When she told us the dream we felt it meant she was going to go to Interlochen but it wasn't going to be via the scholarship (suggested by the lift). There would be something of her having to ‘take steps’ that would be upheld by God. The day after the dream Beth got an email saying unfortunately she had not won the scholarship but the school liked her work so much would she be interested in applying. Not wanting to squash her dream (but really not sure how it could happen) we agreed to apply. This involved the first small step of paying an application fee and filling in lots of forms. All the time we were thinking ‘How can this happen? Beth’s doesn’t want to board, but how can we all move there so she can attend?’

It took quite some time for the school to process the application. They asked for more information which we supplied and we just waited to see what the outcome would be. Finally in April they came back offering a financial assistance package and merit scholarship which reduced the fees by about 70%! So our next step was to find out about visas and look into the practicalities of moving to the states, all the time wondering how we were going to afford it!

We spoke to a number of people who had tried for visa's to the US before and they all told us that getting these visas was going to be a challenge. Immigration don't look kindly on whole families travelling to the US for extended period's of time (their fear being we would 'disappear' and not come back to the UK!)

However, undaunted we phoned the US Embassy and were told the only possible visa we (Marjory and I) could apply for was a 6 month visitor’s visa. Beth would get a student visa and Judith had the advantage of already being an American so didn’t need one. We would then have to apply for an extension to the visitor’s visas near the end of the 6 months. This all seemed very tricky and not exactly an ideal solution but we decided to start taking what steps we could and see what happened. It involved 3 visa application forms (approx 75 mins to fill in each) and fees for each application interview. Beth's student visa also had additional costs and all the time we were struggling to understand how this was going to work out, but sensing we just needed to keep taking the steps. On top of all this we then received an email from the school asking for a significant deposit for Beth's course. We thought about trying to delay this payment until after the visa interview but decided to take the step of faith and pay in advance of it.

Eventually we got dates for our visa interviews as the US Embassy in London. We decided to fly down the night before and stay in a hotel so we had plenty of time to get to the interview. We didn't want to miss our time slot as this was now July and even if we got the visas we would need to move out in time for Beth starting school at the beginning of September!

In an interesting turn of events we ended up flying into London on the day of the royal birth of Prince George! It made us realise that we too were 'royal children' and in very much in our 'King's hands'! The Embassy experience was not quite what we expected. We arrived just in time for our 11.30am appointment not realising there would be a queue just to go through security! When we eventually got through to the waiting area we found we were there with hundreds of other people all waiting their turn to be interviewed. After about an hour our number was displayed and it was time to go to the ‘window’ indicated. Once there, our application forms and passports were checked and our finger prints taken. A few questions were asked and then we were told to take a seat and wait for our number to be displayed again. That had just been the ‘preliminary interview’ and another long wait was still ahead of us! After what seemed like an eternity our number was once again displayed and we went to a different interview window.

The American who interviewed us looked very like Steve Carell, but as this was a serious interview he didn't really smile much! He asked Beth some brief questions all the while typing rapidly on his computer. Then without saying a word, he went away for a few minutes. Upon returning said ‘I need to tell you what you have applied for is not appropriate’ …..at this our hearts started to sink….but then with the next breath he said ‘what I'm going to do is give you is a ONE YEAR visitor’s visa in order for you to accompany and look after your minor’. He then told us all three visas were approved, (stamp, stamp, stamp!) and we should receive them in a few days. At this point some smiles came forth from him as he heartily congratulated Beth and wished us all the best! Much ‘high fiving’ ensued as we spilled out onto the streets of London and suddenly the realization dawned on us ‘this is really happening now!’

Five weeks later, after a LOT of packing and crazy organizing, we handed our house keys over to our new tenants and hopped on a plane bound for Traverse City Michigan, all ready to start our new adventure. The finances were not fully in place but as the doors were so widely flung open before us we decided to continue to trust God and so far everything we have needed has been provided!

So that is the start of the story of how we ended up moving to Michigan. We hope this encourages you in your own journey, whatever it may be. You can pursue your dream and if you keep taking steps you never know where it may take you!

Lessons for the church (from the film Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang)

I love being a father and one of the benefits is I get to watch children’s films. Many of these films have lessons that we can learn from and a recent film that spoke to me was Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.

The film centres around five children who are cousins. Two brothers and a sister who live on a farm in the country have to deal with difficult relationship dynamics when their two ‘rich cousins’ from the city come to stay. In the film the children have to learn 5 lessons and I believe the church in the world has to learn these same lessons. However, the result from learning these lessons will the biggest harvest of souls we have ever seen.

Lesson One: To learn to stop fighting!

When the cousins come to stay they soon begin fighting, until Nanny McPhee turns up and tells them to stop. Initially they don’t stop so Nanny McPhee uses her ‘power’ to make them hit themselves, rather than each other, until they say they won’t fight any more. As members of Christ’s body and part of the church we need to realise we are all part of the same family and learn this first lesson; stop fighting!

Lesson Two: To learn to share

The cousins on the farm need to share their beds with the cousins from the city, but are not willing. Also the city cousins don’t have suitable clothes for farm life, so again the cousins from the farm need to share. This is the second lesson they need to learn, and as the family of God, we need to learn to share our resources with the whole family.

Lesson Three: To learn to work together

On the farm is a litter of pigs which are to be sold to pay for the tractor which will help bring in the harvest, but the pigs have been released into the wild so they can’t be sold. The children have to learn to work together to capture the pigs. Nanny McPhee makes it more difficult so that they have to work together as a team. As a church we need to learn to work together, acknowledging we need each other and are unable to do it by ourselves.

Lesson Four: To learn to have faith

The father of the cousins on the farm is away fighting in the war. They receive a telegram saying that he has been killed in action. The children do not believe this, they feel that he is still alive. They have faith in what they believe even if they have ‘evidence’ to the contrary. As a church we need to have faith in what we believe even when people come to us with ‘evidence’ to the contrary. We eventually find out the Uncle has faked the telegram to get the farm for himself, but the children manage to stop him getting it. Two of the boys go to the war office to find out about the dad and discover he is only listed as missing in action.

Lesson Five: To learn to be brave

A bomb has landed in the field nearby and not exploded. The local ARP warden goes to defuse the bomb but falls off the ladder and faints. The children decide to defuse the bomb themselves following the instructions the warden was using. By being brave the children save themselves and the harvest by defusing the bomb, with a little help from Nanny McPhee’s pet bird, Mr. Edelweiss. Mr. Edelweiss, the pet bird, then supernaturally brings in the harvest by releasing a large amount of wind!

The children have fun playing in the harvest field and the final scene shows the father coming over the hill to join them in a joyful reunion. They were right to have faith!

Conclusion:

The church has tried so many programs to reach the people with the good news of Jesus and yet we haven’t really seen multitudes coming in to the Kingdom. I believe as we learn these lessons; stop fighting, learn to share, work together, be brave and have faith, we will see the harvest of souls reaped with no ‘self-effort’. A supernatural harvest!

Journey into Healing

My journey into being involved in healing, and specifically Healing Rooms, started in 2000 when I prayed one of those prayers, very short and not really expecting an answer – ‘God, help me at my work!’ The answer came as an opportunity to move to California for 3 years to work on a project there. Often when God answers a prayer there is more to the answer than what we originally prayed. This answer was a life changing experience for all the family.

In 2001 we all (by all I mean myself, my wife Marjory and daughter Beth, 18 months old) moved to Los Angeles and this gave us the opportunity to experience lots of new things. One thing I found out was that God was a lot bigger than I thought and very real! Initially we tried some different churches before being led to a small Vineyard church,  where we met some amazing people who are now lifelong friends.

Marjory had taken the opportunity, whilst  being a stay home mum with a toddler, to read lots of new books from the Christian book shop. To be honest I thought this was just a waste of time! However,  after a while I started reading these same books and that is when I found out that what I had thought was true wasn’t necessary the truth! The books gave me an appetite to find out more and so I started on a journey of discovery.

It was also about this time I had a dream in which I was at a kind of home group meeting and God was touching people. I was standing feeling that I was missing out when suddenly God picked me up and turned me upside down! I made so much noise that I woke Marjory up, she thought I was having a nightmare! To reassure me she put her hand on my leg and I woke up. I said to her “God just turned me upside down!” and she just smiled and thought “great, my prayers are being answered”.

To help you understand where I was at the time, I was very much a doubting Thomas! Doubting that there was a God and if there was he wasn’t pleased with me and he certainly didn’t do anything miraculous anymore – especially heal the sick. So when I started getting interested in the ‘gifts of the Spirit’ the one that intrigued me the most was healing.

During our time at the small Vineyard church I had made friends with a guy called Doug Van Der Wayde, who for a brief time, went to work at another church on their PA system. Whilst working there the church had a weekend of teaching on healing by Curry Blake from John G. Lake Ministries. So when I mentioned to Doug about my interest in the gift of healing, he offered me the 15 sessions of teaching he got at the church he briefly worked at. So, whilst sitting at my computer at work with a set of headphones on, I started to listen to hours of teaching on healing.

This teaching was to literally turn my understanding of things upside down and give me a true understanding of what the Bible says on healing. It also gave me a better understanding of who I am, that I am a child of God – loved very much by a good Father. Also in the teaching Curry Blake mentioned a man called John G. Lake and I found out more about him by researching him on the internet.  This is also where I stumbled across Healing Rooms, which I found I really liked the vision of.

So with a renewed relationship and a fuller understanding of God, we finished our time in the States. It had been very impacting and we were now returning to our home country not sure what the next step was, but keen to do something with what we had. We felt God wanted us to do something with healing and specifically Healing Rooms. We loved the model of a place people could come easily and that people from different churches could get involved. We liked the fact that it was not centred around one person or one church, but focused on Jesus and his Body doing the work.

Upon our return to Scotland, I asked a friend to find me a car. Steven started looking for something within our budget and our requirements. Almost the first vehicle he went to see (spotted by his brother, Neil, in the Auto Trader) was a Renault Espace. It was just what we needed so he bought it and prepared it for our arrival. When we got back to Scotland one of my first tasks was to register the vehicle in my name and that is when I spotted that the previous owners name was John Lake!! I think God was confirming my desire to get involved in Healing Rooms!

We also had another confirmation through a bizarre set of circumstances. Whilst we were in California our good friends had introduced us to Kent Roberts who had been helping a ministry in Glasgow, Scotland and had finished his time there. He visited us one evening and we had a great time chatting about Scotland. We then visited him at his church to hear him speak and enjoy a further afternoon together. After being back in Scotland for a year we got a message that Kent had returned to Scotland, so we invited him to dinner.

During the evening Kent shared that although he had come to help at a Christian college, because it wasn’t fully up and running yet, he was spending his time helping at Healing Rooms. This intrigued us and so we asked more about his involvement. Apparently during one of Kent’s previous times in Scotland he had met a guy called Steven Anderson and they had got chatting about healing. Kent gave Steven the book ‘Preparing the Way’ which is the story of how Healing Rooms were re-started in Spokane, American in 1999. Steven read this book right away and knew that he was supposed to get Healing Rooms started in Scotland. We then shared our story with Kent about how we wanted to see Healing Rooms getting started in Scotland, not realizing it was already happening. Obviously when this information came out we knew it was a ‘coincidence’ only God could ordain! 

In the next few months after the dinner with Kent things started changing in my life. The company I worked for needed to reduce the workforce. They asked for volunteers, so I prayed about it and God gave me a dream which I felt said don’t apply for voluntary redundancy but you will leave the company. A few weeks later I was called into the office and told my job was one of the ones at risk. They offered to look for opportunities in other departments but I said it was OK, as I felt this was my time to leave.

I still wasn’t sure what my involvement would be in Healing Rooms and so tried to encourage others to catch the vision. I took a group to a Healing Rooms training event in Glasgow and also organized a meeting with Steven and others from Edinburgh. But no-one felt they should start Healing Rooms in Edinburgh, although many people were keen to help.

Later in the summer we went to a conference in Shetland and after the conference we stayed on to see some of Shetland. We found out that Steven and Kent we coming up to do a Healing Rooms training event while we were still there so we decided to meet for lunch. While at lunch we asked Steven if we could run Healing Rooms in Edinburgh. We hadn’t asked before as we felt we weren’t the right people as we had no background in church leadership. Steven responded he had been waiting for us to ask and he felt we were the right people to lead it in Edinburgh. So with Steven’s backing we returned to Edinburgh with the task of organizing training and inviting people to get involved.

After that weekend training in 2005 we got a group together to start Healing Rooms in Edinburgh and in January 2006 opened our rooms there. Since then we have seen God do amazing things through ordinary believers working together for His Kingdom.

Thank you for your interest and patience in reading this story. May God bless you and lead you on in your own wonderful adventures with Him!