Remember this? - Thanks to Tini Lawry for sharing

One of the expectation of the messiah is the he would be a servant…

Isaiah 42:1

• Christ “The Servant”. One of the most important things to understand about Jesus, he came as a servant.
• It is a title, but also – and very importantly - a part of his character

How does that look?

Jesus was born a baby and had to grow and learn. Just like everyone else.

Hebrews 5:5-10

Hebrews 5:8

• Learned obedience
• Perfected
  • Obedience, servanthood is what moulds us, shapes our character
  • Jesus did His apprenticeship before receiving the Kingdom

Hebrews 9:12-14

Jesus wasn’t passive, he presented himself to God in a certain way.

• Jesus offered himself to the eternal Spirit (to the HS)
  • It begins as an attitude, a way of positioning ourselves spirituality but has practical implications
• Jesus in the Garden. “Not my will but your will be done”
• Example: Couldn’t stop swearing and blaspheming, tried so hard. So ashamed I would feel sick.
  I began to seek God about His purpose and present myself as a servant, and invest in where I believed He was leading scripture began to come alive and it changed my thoughts, and my words too.
  The two are connected. Service and character build on each other

Servanthood also releases us into our calling and gifts.

2 Tim 2:2 Faithful men – faithful in what? I suppose faithful in service, servant hearted people not people with superstar gifting.

• Old All Blacks mantra – A Champion team will always beat a team of champions
• Likewise servant hearted people will always be the last ones standing in faith. Especially when sacrifice is called for
• Example: Training work dogs. Some of the most intelegant and skilled animals. The worst thing which can happen is the dog abandons the farmer at a critical time when moving stock. I had one which would chase rabbits, never used him for important tasks.
  Servanthood must be faithful to be responsible.

Romans 12:1-2

• Offering ourselves living sacrifices. This is also an essential part of our calling,
  • Reasonable service, not demanded. It’s an invitation.
• Transformation and responsability is the effect

It is not about productivity or filling a role, it is about the transformation that the HS can do in the lives of people when their hearts are set on cultivating a servant nature.  

• This doesn’t mean we become mindless robots, doing everything we are told. I do not want to set you up for abuse here:
  • In fact as you become a servant of Christ you become less available to the demands of people.
  • Jesus “must be about my Father’s business” really sets the tone. People were always looking for Him and placing demands on Him. He was frequently disappointing people’s expectation. The Father set His agenda.

• Hear me carefully – I am not asking you to volunteer somewhere. Let’s put aside for a moment the work and activity which needs doing
  • What I am asking you is don’t give up. Don’t grow weary of offering ourselves to Christ because this is the vehicle which unlocks His grace and applies His transformation and resurrection to our lives…
  • Acts of service directed at Christ and not for attention etc. He takes notice. He is looking for people like this

Servanthood, really is Jesus’ love language.  

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In the Old Testament there is the account of Elijah and Elisha, as we follow these two men and watch the impartation of a prophetic office we see the dynamic of servanthood unlocking the calling…

1 Kings 19:16,19-21 The Call of Elisha

• The mantle – a symbolic gesture.
• Elisha became the servant…

Later when Elijah is going to die, they walked through an amazing process.

2 Kings 2:1-14 Account of Elijah taken up in Chariot

Remember these are two very accomplished prophets now. Elisha is ready to assume the ministry and position of Elijah.

They both understand the protocols of the Holy Spirit.

• Vs 9,10 What do you want – double portion given to the heir.
  • If you see me – what do we look for? A true servant won’t lose sight of the master
  • Elijah is doing his best to distract of discourage Elisha
  • They are enacting something, a prophetic journey perhaps?
• Stay in Gilgal – The place of circumcision. Sanctification.  Keeps eyes on the master
• Stay in Bethel – “House of God” where visions of angels happen. Keeps eyes on the master
• Stay in Jericho – Battle where the walls fell down. Spiritual warfare. Keeps eyes on the master
• On to across the Jorden, chariot of fire and whirlwinds. Keeps eyes on the master
  • Then nothing happens until…
  • “My father, My father…”
  • He goes from his role of servant to Son. The mantle falls, the inheritance released.
• The religious leaders at the cross are confused when Jesus cried “Eli Eli, Lama Sabacthani”
  • They know this story and think he is calling Elijah, an interesting connection when you consider Jesus the servant at death is about to claim His kingdom.
  • Fostering a servant heart is what unlocks your calling, and makes it a reality.
• Elisha as a servant kept his eyes fixed on the master, not distracted even by good things, and the Spirit of God rested on him as it was with Elijah
• Jesus at the cross – the suffering servant, undistracted remains focused on the Father 

Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho are all places we might visit in our Christian journey, but the place of transformation is at the Jorden with the master. Keeping our eyes on Him, undistracted

It may mean dramatic sanctification, dreams and visions, or spiritual warfare and power.  It is easy to get caught up in that and become blinded – dazzled by it, and in the Elisha account there were prophets who stayed there.

Surely signs and wonders are more important, what I am doing is far too important…

Even really good things can be a distraction

• Jesus is a person. Always remember the call is from a person to another person
• When someone calls to you, the voice leads to the person doing the calling. Jesus calls us to follow
  • Hide and seek – kids giggling. The sound leads to the person
• Following Jesus the servant certainly means servanthood and acts of service, because that is who Jesus is. This is where we inevitably find Him

John 13:12-17 Here Jesus is washing feet – a very low servant position

2 Kings 3:11 Elisha “poured water on the hands” – a very low servant position

Jesus says: “In as much as you did it to the least of these My Brethren you did it to me”

• JC may have ascended to heaven, but His body is here. We find him present in each other
• While Jesus is the object of our service, it does impact our relationship.
  • Do we treat each other as the hands and feet of Christ?
  • Our servanthood is how we honour Christ in our midst, it is how we partner with the HS activity among us. One of the key ways grace is transmitted.
  • I am convinced, before we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, we must learn to wash the hands and feet
• I hope we can build this into our life together as a faith community

VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naRCfl8oCos

• The profound effect of that simple act of service. “Treat others as you want to be treated”
• Everyone else was focus on one thing – winning
  • His willingness to take a servant position, that young man had his agenda set by Christ and saw the opportunity nobody else did
• He acted as a servant: By washing hands and feet he became Jesus hands and feet

Mark 9:35 Be a servant of all

John 3:1-17

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Nicodemus must have thought that's a crazy story really. Again we see Jesus messing with the our understanding of the natural order of things - just to make a make a point. We cannot physically be born again, everyone knows that; the Mothers everywhere can breath a sigh of relief!

This isn’t purely allegory though – He is referring to something which is soon to happen in Jesus world, and for us through the action of Jesus. 

Through Jesus the Kingdom of God is breaking into human history. Into God’s creation He is establishing something which has been anticipate for many centuries:- The New Creation.

Another kingdom, an alternate order and authority, is about to be established.

But for us to be part of this a miracle – an act of the HS must happen. We must be born again.
We enter God’s creation through our birth, likewise we enter the new creation through the new birth.

Example: Grandad's farm - looking and sounding like something like a Christian doesn't make us one, any more than standing in a garage makes us a car.
We are born or created something. To be a Christian we must be born again into God's kingdom, born of the Spirit.

For this New Kingdom to be establish the old powers must be conquered and dealt with. 

The Passover War

We celebrate what happened at that Passover feast – what we call Easter these days. But do we understand what was happening?

We celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus…what about the three days in between?

The disciples mourned. The ladies made preparation to attend to the body of Jesus when they were allowed. Peter was in deep shame at denying Jesus three times. The leaders rested easy thinking they had successfully put down a difficult problem.

What about Jesus - Jesus, wasn’t idle for those three days. In a state of death he was active – there was a war raging.

You see there is heaven, earth and “under the earth”. Jesus had gone down to under the earth. The place of death.

And there were three enemies to defeat. Sin, Satan and Death itself.

Lets look at how Jesus was victorious over these enemies:

Sin defeated…

Sin in essence is disobedience to God which leads to a breakdown in relationship. For a creature that means being cut off from the creator – the very source of life.

Death is the consequence of this which is our current state. That is what we know, what we all expect.

But Jesus didn’t disobey. Through perfect obedience Jesus overcame temptation and sin. Jesus was obedient unto death – even death on the cross. (Phil 2)

• In the Garden of Gethsemane the full weight of sin, the pressure of temptation was on Jesus to disobey.

• You see Jesus faced sin in a way we never can. We always succumb to temptation eventually and at some point we all have, and the weight of temptation stops there.
  But Jesus resisting temptation fully also had to face the full weight of sin, He sweated blood in the process – but was obedient. 
• At his death the temptation to sin, and therefore sin itself was beaten, forever. You cannot tempt a dead person any more.

Philippians 2:8-10

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,...

Jesus’ perfect obedience made His death unjust – remember death is a result of being cut off from the source of life through sin. Jesus did not sin so was not cut off from the source of life.

He descended into death – he submitted to that – but he had the right to life.

One man had overcome sin and through a sinless death had access to the place of death – yet death had no power over him.

Through death Jesus gained access to the place of the dead. He picked the lock if you like...

Revelation 1:16-18

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

He has the keys of death and hades, now death has no power over him

But entering death is only the start, He is not coming back just yet – he has work to do in the place of death

The War of Kingdoms...

He has gone there to start a war, one Kingdom is invading others.

A one man army is invading Satan’s kingdom and stronghold, For three days he fought – completely alone.  Since Eden Satan has been active in the physical world wrecking destruction on Humans, and we are powerless. 

But Jesus as a sinless Human has taken the fight from the physical into the spiritual realm – He has taken the fight into Satan’s kingdom, Jesus is hunting, Sin, Satan and Death is His prey. 

He fights through the hordes and legions, the principalities and powers. He fights to the very throne of Satan. Grabs that snake, throws him to the ground, places his foot on Satan’s throat, looks him in the eyes and says:

“Satan you are defeated. I have conquered you. Every temptation I have resisted, every accusation is a lie and I have paid for these captives with my own blood"

For the first time in history a dead man can testify against his killer:

"Satan you are a murderer. My blood proves your guilt"

Jesus then declares

“I will take your captives as tribute, everything you stole now belongs to me”

Hebrews 2:14-15

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

1 Peter 3:18-20

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Ephesians 4:8-10

Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Satan's kingdom is defeated, His captives taken from Him.

Death Defeated...

There was one more fight, one more enemy. He’s hunting again - Death:

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When death takes a life it is legal – the soul who sins shall die. Death was unjustified in taking Jesus’ life when he was without sin. Death had no right to keep keep him or take him in the first place.

He rose in victory. He rose victorious over sin, over Satan, over death itself. With the plunder from each kingdom. The souls of people.

Romans 6:7-10

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Death no-longer has dominion (kingdom). We are transferred as captives of one kingdom to another. From death to life.

Born of the Spirit...

As he rose from death Jesus was creating – he rose into something new.

He didn’t rise to an old creation which needed fixing he arose as the beginning of a whole new creation. He resurrected body wasn't going to die again.

The tomb opened, and Jesus rose as a victorious King, and opened to gates to the kingdom of God – the new creation..

Colossians 1:15-19

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

The firstborn over the new creation. All things – that statement excludes Jesus. Jesus is not created, He is a participant of God's creative activity.

His captives are not thrown into prisons of the new King, they are given a choice. Stay where you are or follow me.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

In Christ we born again into a new creation. That is what Jesus was referring to in His conversation with Nicodemus.

That’s what Jesus was doing during those three days of death. That is why we celebrate! What an astonishing victory – what a reason to rejoice!

Like Jesus with Lazarus – he stands at the door to the tombs of our lives and calls us out by name. He has the keys, he has the right, he has the power. He calls us to step forward from death into his Kingdom. He calls us to be reborn into his new creation. Into eternal life which begins now by the Holy Spirit

1 Peter 1:17-25

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,because

“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

This is the Gospel. Jesus did all that in just a few days.

Are you alive in Christ today, or are we pretending to be - are you born again? It is a miracle of grace – an invitation from Jesus we must all accept.

Today, if you have never accepted Jesus invitation to life please respond and ask Him into your life, accept His invitation to be a new creation.

When the time came for Abram and Lot to part company, Abram gave Lot his choice of land in which to dwell. He gave Lot "first pick" so there would be no animosity between them. But Lot did not choose well. He decided to homestead in a place called Sodom...a place that would become synonymous with sin and disaster.

How could Lot have made such a poor choice? Easy. Lot looked with his eyes. He saw a lovely, well-watered valley. He saw prosperity and riches and ease.

Because generally speaking, we see what we love.

When I go to another country, I see churches. I look at their buildings the architecture, their grounds, their doors and windows. That's my love. I love old churches.

Lot loved the easy life...and he saw a glimpse of it in Sodom. So he chose the valley. But in so choosing, he lost everything.

When we choose with only ourselves in mind, we mix together the deep drink of selfishness with disregard for future consequences. And the combination, as Lot discovered, can be deadly.

GENESIS 13:11
So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed eastward...

2 Chronicles 5:11-14 (NKJV)  

And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions),
and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets-–
indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,
so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

What a picture!

Imagine at our place and in our time, the glory of God manifest so powerfully nobody can move.

When we look carefully at the dedication of Solomon's temple recorded here there are some things out of place in the usual order.

The Priest's broke the rules...

Only one was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place. Today they all did, they had all prepared themselves for His presence.

God should have judged such boldness, such flagrant disregard of the rules. But He didn't, He delighted in them and made His pleasure known.

The priests and the people had all prepared themselves to approach God boldly, in unity. Their hearts heard a call to the presence of God and they responded.

As their voices became one in worship, their actions one in service God's glory was manifest.

I often think "If only we were there to see and experience such a wonder"...but we are there right now.

Today we are His people.

God hasn't changed or gone anywhere. He can still be approached, He still calls and awaits our response.

Are our hearts as theirs were?

Let's join them in preparing ourselves in holiness, approaching God with boldness and declaring with one voice His goodness.

Lets respond to the call of the Spirit to enter the presence of God as a united people.

Deuteronomy 4:24 "For the Lord is a consuming fire; a jealous God"

I always remember the times just before winter in the African bush, we use to create fire breaks on the borders of the wild life camps. These firebreaks had a duel purpose, one was to stop small fires from spreading to other camps, but also to create a burn zone. These burn zones allowed us to actually light fires on the edge of the camp in times when high winds drove fires into a frenzy. These burns would then allow us to fight fire with fire. Thus saving wildlife and grazing savanna.

In todays life we are surrounded on every side by the super heated flames of modern day culture.

How do we fight this? - We set our own spiritual fire, our own pre-burn. - As the fire of our devotion to Christ begins to burn, our God who is a consuming fire , burns brighter and stronger than the flames of this fallen world.

We fight fire with fire !!

Psalm 1 - stages it for us,

1 Blessed is the man
    Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper.

One vital but often overlooked part of an intercessor’s role is to discern and pray in concert with God’s purposes for the different spiritual seasons of life. 

To pray through your spiritual seasons and to pray through the spiritual seasons of our church, intercessors must seek God’s supernatural guidance about the seasons or different spiritual time periods we’re in that bring with them unique challenges and opportunities in both our personal lives and in Rangiora Baptist Church as the body of Christ.

We really feel that we are entering a season of focused but combined prayer.

The Lord had given us the "AIM" vision which focuses outwards to our community, our young people and lost.

Murray in his sermons has directed our thoughts through the Holy Spirit to be "outwards" focused in our outreach and prayer life.

I believe that blessings should be a big part of our prayer focus and we should bless our community, and our church family.

Like Roy in his book "The Grace Outpouring: Blessings Others through prayer" says -

Having a heart to bless will challenge our mind-set that can color how we look at those around us. - We should be "GRACE FIRST" people.

You see if we let the wisdom of God inhibit our thinking, a consistent "GRACE FIRST" pattern will emerge in our actions and words.

GRACE FIRST prayer for healing doesn't search for wrongdoing in a persons life that needs correcting as a prelude to a miracle.

We simply need to ask that the power of God should touch that life...

May God Bless you all.

John 14

"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth..."

Whatever you ask in my name I will do...

This scripture has challenged me for years. Jesus does not leave much room in His choice of words. He doesn't say "somethings", or "maybe", or "I'll think about it". He  uses "whatever you ask"

I lose sleep wondering just how this can work:- how does God handle conflicting interests in prayer? Farmers pray for rain while their children pray for sunshine. What is God to do? Make it rain at night perhaps?  
One way I have approached this is to think perhaps God only answers the prayers that are aligned with His will - He only does what He was going to do anyway. But that reduces prayer to an illusion that God is listening and responding. 

In this passage of scripture some very significant dynamics are playing out which must be understood....

Jesus is not talking to everyone. This promise is not given to everyone.

In the previous chapter Jesus washes the feet of all His disciples, and gives them the command to love one another. In the next chapter one of His disciples are missing. Judas is nowhere to be seen, he doesn't receive this promise.

Between the foot washing and the command to love Judas excuses himself from the table, he has more important business to attend to. But he stays to have Jesus wash his feet, and honor him with bread dipped in sop. He stays for that. 

I cannot help but notice the parallel between Satan's first temptation of Jesus to satisfy his craving with bread and Judas actions here. Judas receives from Jesus honor, but when that stops he's gone. He's only there for the bread, not the love each other nonsense. There to receive from Jesus and when that doesn't deliver he'll cash Jesus in for bread of another kind. 

No, Jesus is not talking to Judas when He says "whatever you ask in My name I will do"
Who is Jesus talking to, who does that promise apply to?

To those who are captivated by the call to love.

You see the call to power and the call to love are the same call. Love is power.
Love demands of us to go seek the lost, to heal the broken, to spend our lives in the service of Christ, and unlocks the resources of heaven to do so.

Are our prayers powerless? Let check our hearts and motivation and have the courage to ask ourselves "why am I really here?"

John 17

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Could it really be that simple?
"That the world may believe that You sent me" - Jesus' mission strategy to win the world is based on unity. It is relational.

That makes little sense to me sometimes:- we studied mission strategies in class at Bible College, and I get that relationship is a powerful - if not the only - way to disciple. It all just sounds so idyllic.

Here's the rub. People. It involves other people. You know what I am talking about.

A few weeks ago Roshni and I were visiting someone in public hospital. We were waiting for the elevator, and as the door opened it was rather full. Probably six people were already in it, but they shuffled awkwardly back to make more room as we squeezed in. My face was against the door, the man in the suit and briefcase was on one side, and a lady in heals on the other. It was really uncomfortable - but hey, it's only a short ride.
As I watched the floor numbers change I noticed a sign that read "Maximum 24 people". Can you imagine attempting that?
The briefcase man is now pushing my face against the door and the heals are digging into my foot - I can smell someone's breath. All I can think of is wrapping that briefcase around heads - and who's elbow am I biting?

You know exactly what I am talking about. Add a little pressure and a short ride becomes a scrap to the death.
The Church can be just like that elevator.

Clowns know something the Church must learn about working together in tight spaces. Each Clown learns to take the discomfort of the other Clowns, and no Clown is putting their own comfort first by trying to take more space for themselves.

Paul was a Clown, willing to be a fool for Christ's sake. He wrote to the Church in Ephesus:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Jesus wasn't being utopian in his thinking. He of all people knows the sting of what humans like do to each other, he understands our brokenness:-

That's why unity is his prayer.

Ezekiel 22:30

 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

I remember one of my first lessons in prayer as a young Christian. Through a series of events I found myself on the other side of the planet on a short term mission. The sounds, smells and cultural differences had me bewildered and homesick. As a result prayer this one day was extremely difficult. I was alone in a battle and loosing.
I made quick phone call to my home church asking people to pray for me. A few hours later as I sat dejected in my room it was suddenly like an extractor fan sucked the oppression out and it was replaced with the sweetness of God's presence. Someone, somewhere had begun to pray for me. They stood in the gap and built a wall of prayer on my behalf.

From thousands of miles away their prayer changed my situation. Prayer is that powerful - it goes everywhere God is. God moves through prayer and without prayer God doesn't move. When He acts, he first acts on His people to pray.
I believe it is built into creation - creation is made from God' voice, when he speaks to creation now He does it through the voice of His people. That's prayer.

How painful for Ezekiel to receive that word - was there really no one?
Is there today? I think there is.

We are called to build a wall and stand in the gap.

Consider the prayers of Moses and Samuel for their nation:

Exodus 33:12-13

Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Moses prayed this right after they have worshiped the golden calf and rejected God!

1 Samuel 12:22-23

For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you...

This is Samuels final address to the nation after Saul is confirmed King, and God demonstrates His displeasure at the people's rejection of Him.
In both cases there was someone who stood before God - in the gap - and prayed. God's grace and power is released by those in the gap. 

Let me say it again: Prayer is that powerful - it goes everywhere God is. God moves through prayer and without prayer God doesn't move. When He acts, he first acts on His people to pray.

Our church, our families, our friends, our communities and our nation need a prayer wall built, and God is currently recruiting.
If you and I don't step into the gap - who will?

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Matthew 6:32-34

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

It rolls off my tongue so easily - "seek first the kingdom". I have had a lot of practice, having said it countless times, having heard it even more. If I am truly honest, if we are truly honest, I suspect we say say that hoping it qualifies us for the "all things shall be added to you" bit.

You see, we like our comforts. We like fresh sheets, nice clothes, the latest gadgets, favorite foods, shiny new things. Our culture worships comfort and we happily play along. We fall asleep to the gentle lullaby of comfort telling us all is well with the world.

And sleep we do. Every generation is in danger of sleeping through the call of the kingdom of God. The prophet Jonah was rebuked by God for this attitude - he was "angry enough to die" when the plant keeping him comfortable perished, but he remained unmoved by the city perishing in front of him.

While I complain about the tiles in my kitchen, about lattes being ten seconds late, about someone taking my spot, there is a city perishing in front of me. Young people ending their own lives, elderly literally dying from loneliness and isolation. Comfort has lied to us - all is not well with the world. 

Comfort is the enemy of the cross. Crosses are notoriously uncomfortable things, but they do keep us awake. We are not called to comfort, nor morbid suffering, but to resurrection. As we seek God's kingdom we align ourselves with Jesus the risen King.

Today it is our turn to hear the call of the kingdom. HS is waking us up.

Seek first the kingdom of God -  

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Prayer points:-

In the prayer weeks we were very specific in praying for doors to open in our community and especially the High School
Please continue to pray into this. On Wednesday we will walk through a significant door which has opened there. Over the course of the day Pat Buckley (who spoke at RBC last year) will be addressing the entire school.
Pray for the students and staff who hear him, and for the youth workers.

Use powerful prayer - in the authority of Jesus' name pray to demolish all the enemies power seeking to kill, steal and destroy in our community.

Luke 10:17-19

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

What a promise we have in Christ - nothing in all the enemies arsenal is capable of harming us. Through the name of Jesus we have authority over everything Satan is capable of doing. Wow!

Jesus said to the seventy on their return "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven"; many believe Jesus is talking about a long ago event. However I think the plain reading fits best here. Satan the prince of the worldly system was in spiritual authority over the lives of the seventy (in the heavens). At that point as they obeyed Christ and stepped out in faith and power, Satan's authority over their lives was broken and he fell. Jesus witnessed this.

What about us, are we living in this reality? At times I think so, other times perhaps not. However the invitation remains and so does the reality of the spiritual world.

One of the most painful lives recorded in scripture was that of Job, if you remember the story God and Satan have a conversation which results in Job suffering. Poor Job and his friends spend chapters trying to understand his predicament and find the cause. There is a big lesson here:- what takes place in the spiritual world has a significant impact on our own. Sometimes no matter what we, do unless spiritual matters are resolved the natural ones cannot be.

This is exactly the place of prayer.
Read 2 Corinthians 10, Ephesians 3:10, 6:12, Colossians 2:15, 1 Peter 3:22 for a glimpse into our place in this fight 

Are we using the right prayer weapons for the job?

Obedience
The seventy were empowered through obedience to Jesus' word. James 4:7 Need I say more? In reality we foster a close walk and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit

The Name of Jesus
Whenever a legal process is enacted it requires the signature of an authorized person. That is exactly what the name of Jesus is. When confronting spiritual forces directly or indirectly it is the name of Jesus which gives us authority over the power of the enemy
See Philippians 2:5-11. Notice the relationship between obedience and authority

Fasting
Fasting can expose the spiritual root of issues and lead to breakthrough. In Luke 4 Jesus is lead by the Spirit into the wilderness (obedience), fasted for forty days, confronted Satan and returned "in the power of the Spirit".
Mark 9:28-29 - Some spiritual powers can only be confronted through fasting.

I would encourage you this week to spend time with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to lead you, who knows what He has for us in the days ahead!
I do know that He is asking us to spend this time listening, attending to His presence and prepare ourselves to confront principalities and powers. The fight is in the air.

Blessings,

~Johno