King's Family, Oakville

A People Empowered
As we read the beginning of the book of Acts we encounter a group of men and women who were very ordinary... and yet were made extraordinary by their encounter with the Holy Spirit. To them and still to this day to us, He is God's empowering presence... but do we know and recognise His is being with us?

Right Under My Nose!
On one of my first trips to Canada (around 16 or 17 years ago I guess!) I went to a hockey game. It may have been the Hamilton Bulldogs or some other AHL team I can't quite remember but what I do remember is watching an older Gentleman in the end seat of a row beside me as people said hi to him and shook has hand. They greeted him and acknowledged him being around, tapping his shoulder as they came down the stairs. In my estimation he must have been quite a regular there!

It was during the first intermission that he stood to go to get a drink at the same time as I did. As we ascended the stairs together I said, "I guess you are a regular here! Lots of people seem to know you."

"My son plays hockey." He replied as he shook my hand.

"Hi, I'm Chris McLean." I said.

"Walter." He said, "Walter Gretzky."

"Is your son out there in the ice tonight?" I asked.

"No... he's Wayne Gretzky." He said knowingly as if I was about to fall in.

I thought for a moment, "Hmmmmm... Wayne Gretzky... NO! Can't say I've heard of him!" I said, "Is he good?" (Yes! I really said that!!!!! I know... duuhh!)

"Oh, I see so your son plays hockey, eh! " I said, "Great... Excellent." I continued, "Well done him!" I continued, "Is he doing well at it?"

My next line as I look back on it now seems like one of those lines you wake up in a cold sweat over on a later date."Well... I'm off to Tim Horton's, he was a hockey player you know and is probably the most famous of all, eh!" I said, giving a little chuckle.

"Guess so." Said Walter, amused and gracious about my comment.

I nodded politely to him a couple of times later and even said, "Nice to meet you!" at the end of the game.

Those listening to me chatting with Walter as we climbed the stairs in the break probably still tell the story of the stupid British guy and for all I know, so does Walter!!

Maybe one day Ill get to meet him again and apologise, eh?!
I clearly didn't know that day who was with me right alongside me. It might as well have been Wayne whatever-his-name-is himself! I remember asking my brother Vic who he was at a later date and Vic just broke up laughing when I recounted the story.

This weekend I want us to be ever so clear about who is right beside us in our walk with God and His relationship to our heavenly father and that is the Holy spirit "God with us". Let's not be unaware of whom God has sent to be alongside us to help us, to empower us, and resource us to be a people who turn the world upside down.

Turning The World Upside Down
In the past week I have heard two stories of people who acted in a Godly way. One had found a wallet containing money and credit cards and promptly handed it in to the police With all the money inside! The other was a guy whose wife was away on buisness and a work colleague suggested they go out drinking and womanising. He shared with the guy the values his marriage was built on and how he was a Christian. which of course was promptly laughed at. However moments like this can be seen as like snowflakes landing on your face, almost insignificant and quickly fade away. But when there are millions of snowflakes traffic can be halted and to turn the world upside down we need as God's people to be filled with His prescence and be living lives that bring glory to Him... then the world will take notice. Then we can turn our world upside down.

We desperately desperately need to be a people filled with the Holy Spirit. Although we are ordinary we need to be a people whose lives are extraordinary because God's presence is dwelling within us.

Why not listen to my latest sermon entitled, "A World That Turns The Church Upside Down Or A Church That Turns The World Upside Down? Empowered!"

You can click the link HERE to find it on The King's Family Church website.

As we look through the book of Jude, a book that calls on us to contend for the faith and to keep ourselves in God's love, we can see so clearly displayed God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.

We can see from verse one (...kept by Jesus Christ...) and from the last verse (v. 24 ...to him who is able to keep you...) that God ultimately keeps us. It's He who has begun the work in us and keeps us and sustains the work in us and it is He who will ultimately present us "spotless and with great joy to Our Father". However, sandwiched in those verses is a call for us to "keep ourselves in his love." (v. 21)
What does this mean? Does it mean we need to make ourselves more lovable to God? Does it mean we need to perform better? Clearly not, as the book of Jude is refuting error of a wrong understanding of grace. So, what does it mean?
It simply means we need to keep ourselves in a place where God can easily and actively bless us.

A Great Biblical Example For Us

An example of this would be the prodigal son. When the son left home and went off to squander the money that wasn't even yet rightfully his, was he any less a son? Did he still have a father who cared for him and loved him deeply? Oh yes! Without doubt! His father had such a love for him that it kept him on the rooftop awaiting the day his son was to return home again.

However another and more important question is this. Did the son put himself in a position where his father could actively bless him? Where he could show his fatherly care of him? Where he was available for the father to lavish his love on him?

The answer is NO! The son had removed himself from being in a position where the father could actively show him his love and care.
That's what it means to keep ourselves in the love of God. It means to position ourselves in the vicinity of God's care and blessing.
Well... where is that Chris?

The answer is in being among God's people for worship and fellowship.
The answer is in being in a prayer triplet and living accountably.
The answer is in regularly attending a connect group (home group).
The answer is in reading the Word of God with others and growing together.
The answer is in reading good books and articles that encourage you.
The answer is in listening to worship CDs in your car on the way to work.
The answer is living in a friendship of accountable prayer.
The answer is building yourself up and praying in the Holy Spirit.

The answer is in realising that this is a thing that I or no one else can do for you but as it points out so clearly... you need to build "yourself" up in the most holy faith and you need to keep "yourself in the love of God".
The question today is... are you doing that? Are you positioning yourself in a manner that allows the father to daily, activly bless you?
Come on... Let this be the year you "keep yourself in the love of God".
Why not listen to my sermon on this subject and start the new year in a manner that allows God the ability to bless you as you live in his presence.

Ephesians 2 v 10 says to us we are Gods workmanship or masterpiece created for good works in Christ .

As we continue to look at issues we must be sure of in our hearts this must be one of those issues that Christians so often get wrong . Jesus said we are to love others as we love ourselves but what I'm finding as I spend time with many of Gods people is actually they don't like themselves at all . We are in a time of lining our own thinking up with Gods thinking as revealed in his word .

We are gods workmanship/masterpiece. Lets break that down .
WE ....its so good that it says we or we would exclude ourselves and say yes Paul you may be but I'm sure I'm not .
WE ARE there is a certainty about it . This is something to know ,something to live in the good of not something to attain to or a future thing but something we are made by God to be .
We are Gods .... its all his work at his initiative . he has begun a good work in us and is set on finishing his work we may think we are a few brush strokes and way off of being what we should be but god as the Master sees the finished work ...he knows what we will become ,,,when he looked at hot headed fly off the handle Peter he saw Peter the rock ...When we see a fearful hiding out Gideon he sees a mighty man of valour ......we are Gods work ..he is the author and the finisher of our faith .
We are Gods WORKMANSHIP MASTERPIECE ...we are not a mistake ,we are a handcrafted chosen piece of Gods great work ...worth the price of his son ....he had us in mind enough to not only make us (you are fearfully and wonderfully made psalm 139) but to uniquely have works chosen also for us to accomplish ....
so that's what you are ...If you need more proof listen to the sermon entitled "You are Gods Masterpiece " on the Kings Family Church website ...click logo

Ive decided to add to my blog a list of those heroes who have shaped and influenced my life to be what it is .


belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Way up there on my list if not at the top would be a great hero to me Gordon Wilson (1927-1995). his daughter died in the remembrance Sunday bomb blast in Enniskillen Ireland when the blast from the bomb caused a wall to fall on her and others and killed her (and he was holding her hand) he forgave publicly those who did it and showed a shocked and watching world what true forgiveness looks like. The national newspapers on the following day carried the words "I forgive them " instead of the usual bitterness ,anger and hatred . Gordon Wilson went on to be a Senator and a key leader in the peace process in Northern Ireland . The world doesn't see many like him and when his moment came to shine in a crooked and perverse generation he took his moment and stood to show what the gospel of Christ produces in the life of a believer

God's Living Word
It's so great that the word of God has practical insights and answers to the every day problems we face as God's people. This week at King's we have been looking at "relational conflicts"this may not be the best subject in the world but if we are honest with ourselves barely a week goes by without us facing some kind of relational conflict with someone in our world.
James 4 v 1-2
James encourages us not to underestimate the problem and sweep it away or brush it off with comments like "Well, I'm just not like them" or "We're wired differently" but rather he encourages us to face up to what is really going on in our hearts when relational conflict arises. As we read through the passage James shows us that we can see things just as fights and quarrels but what is really going on within us is war and murder. James who is always one to go for the jugular when we need to change wants to make it very clear to us what the real deal is here and for us to examine our motives and hearts. We are not getting what"WE" want. Rather than just pointing out our foolishness and pride or just leaving us with our knowing we need to deal with the motives of our hearts, James provides such wisdom as to how we can be free from this war that goes on within us when relational conflict raises it's ugly head.

What we need is humility, what we need to do is humble our hearts and act in a way that is Christ-like. Jesus our saviour humbled himself and became a servant for us to deal with our relational conflict with the Father. More than that He, the sinless one, became sin for us. The one who had forever had relationship with the Father was cut off from the Father as our sin was put on Him and our relational conflict was dealt with forever.

How can we in the light of His love and in the light of His humility allow hostility to exist between us and others. It's time to hang up the boxing gloves, it's time to see our relational conflict for what it is and above all it's time again to see how our wonderful Saviour dealt with the greatest relational conflict ever for us.

So What Are We Aiming At?
Let's be a community that loves like He did and forgives in the way He did and choose to be humble even when offended. That is a rare sort of Church and one the world will take notice of! Why not listen to my sermon on James 4 then you may want to put those boxing gloves away, eh! You can listen to my sermon the The King's Family Church website HERE.