The Servant King 31.08.2006

Some people feel like a small pebble lost in the immensity of the Grand Canyon. But no matter how insignificant we judge ourselves to be, we can be greatly used by God.

In a sermon early in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Jesus' words from Mark 10 about servant hood. Then he said, "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love."

When Jesus' disciples quarrelled about who would get the places of honour in heaven, He told them: "Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:43-45).

I wonder about us. Is that our understanding of greatness? Are we gladly serving, doing tasks that may be unnoticed? Is the purpose of our serving to please our Lord, rather than to gain the applause of people? If we are willing to be a servant, we can achieve true greatness.

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43-45


The Servant KingBy Graham Kendrick © 1983 Kingsway's Thankyou Music.

From heaven you came, helpless babe,
Entered our world, your glory veiled;
Not to be served but to serve,
And give Your life That we might live.

This is our God, the servant king,
He calls us now to follow Him, to bring our lives
As a daily offering of worship to the Servant King.

There in the garden of tears,
My heavy load He chose to bear;
His heart with sorrow was torn,
'Yet not My will But Yours,' He said.

Come see His hands And His feet,
The scars that speak of sacrifice;
Hands that flung stars Into space
To cruel nails Surrendered.

So let us learn How to serve,
And in our lives Enthrone Him;
Each other's needs to prefer,
For it is Christ We're serving.

This is our God, the servant king,
He calls us now to follow Him, to bring our lives
As a daily offering of worship to the Servant King.

Go buy a tent (29.08.2006)

Hmm, as taken from my daily reading notes, a different perspective on being a nomad.

In the OT Moses did something we need to do: "Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting". Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent ... (Ex.33.7). And what would happen in that tent? 'The lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend' (Ex.33.11)

Face-to-Face time with God, that's what we need more and more of. Turn off that mobile, sell that tv and dvd player, and go and buy a tent.

And what did they talk about in that tent?

Moses prayed:
(a) let me know whom you will send with me (Ex.33.12) It is very true that some of the problems we experience are due to the people around us, who are influincing us.
(b) teach me your ways (Ex.33.13). Obviously when 'my way' doesn't appear to be working too well, I need to get God's input
(c) so I may know you (Ex.33.13) This word 'know' is not of a casual acquaintance, it is intimacy between two people. Hmm, so how well do you know God?
(d) so I may continue to find favour with you (Ex.33.13) God's favour one just must have. It opens doors, gives one the advantage, and even influences people before one speaks a single word.

And God's reply in that tent was:
"I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name" (Ex.33.17)

So, how would you like to be on a first name basis with God? Well then, GO BUY A TENT!

as found on the internet 29.08.2006

Those that think it permissible to tell white lies soon grow color blind.” [Austin O’Malley]

The Effect of Prayer (March'05 article for church magazine)

Do you believe that God will answer your prayers, no matter how simple or complex you make them ? (James 1.6). Do you ask God for answers with the right reasons behind the prayer ? (James 4.2-3).

It’s funny really how sometimes flippantly we treat this gift of praying to God. Oh yes, we might pray “Lord, heal Joanna from her migraines” or “Lord, give John relieve from his knee pains”, but deep down do we really expect an answer ? Do we pray for clear weather on a grey morning when in the afternoon a Christian/Church event is take place … … … And then when God does answer that prayer, are we open enough with each other so that Joanna actually comes and says her migraines have gone (and not just yesterday, but that they have gone forever). Or John with his arthritic knees can now go running again and cycling with his children.

What I am trying to actually get at is the question of where is Prayer placed in our lives, privately and in the church. Not that I expect an answer as there you are only answerable to God. But let me make a couple of my own observations as (still) a relative newcomer to VBC of just over a year here:

(a) The 24/7 Prayer Weeks, interest is always shown to participate and for it to take place, but when it comes to the crunch of actually committing oneself, only a handful come forward.
(b) Seek My Face – again the chance for the Church to come together for prayer. But where is the Church Prayer life when less than 10% of the congregation come along ? Are we all that busy on a Sunday evening … … I remember when I first became a Christian it was very unusual (and that as a busy student) NOT to go to a church meeting in the morning and in the evening on a Sunday (7th day of rest and all that).
(c) Prayer Team – did you know we have one ? And what is it for ? Apart from organising events like the Walking the Labyrinth, its recent focus is (so it appears to me at least) to concentrate on maintaining two articles in the monthly church magazine (Prayer Diary and Prayer Focus).
(d) Prayer Chains – which were described in the last church magzine edition, incorporated under the Pastoral Care Team, are hardly used and may be ineffective as their importance is not understood.

And, one more comment, I get told that to have “The Prayer Team” as an agenda item at a church meeting, is a first in recent times.

Overall from these observations I get a very disjointed, despondent, down trodden picture of Prayer in our church. Now I know we do have a handful of real Prayer Warriors at VBC, and Folks thank God for you – keep going, as I know you will. But I ask You (yes You the reader, including myself) how do You expect to take a stand for Christ, to stand firm (see Ephesians), to see Gods Power now, and His glorious provisions, if our Prayer Priority is as it is ?

As an Engineer I would say that all the major components of the Prayer Machine are present, but they are strewn all over the floor. Or to pick on the picture we have received recently, the motor of our big, clean boat needs to be reassembled so that we can go out fishing onto the Lake (Luke 5), as I expect every true Christian would want to do.

The above is not meant as criticism, even if it may appear so, as I am talking to myself here too. But personally I feel that meetings and events like “Seek my Face” and “24/7” need to be joined up with the Prayer Team and the Prayer Chains, and become one integral, fundamental part of the Church Leadership Team. In Prayer and through Prayer can we stand against the ‘old adversary’s aim’ of “divide and conquer” as is in evidence these days everywhere.

What are we doing ?

Thoughts stemming from a sermon at VBC in Sevenoaks on the 24^th October 2004.

In response to Elijah experiencing God talking to him (1.Kings 19.9-18) NOT in the Wind, nor in the Earthquake, nor the fire, BUT in the whisper (or if you like “in the 'quiet’ silence”) if we look around our planet are we not hearing the Lord in the Wind (Hurricanes across the US or Asia), or in the Earthquakes as recently in Japan, or even Germany just last month, or in the fires of the forests due to dryness or the casual cigarette thrown away... Are we coming to 'Seek His face' to hear that quiet silence, and what do we do upon hearing it ? Do we have the Time ?

Coming to the picture of the Wheatfield and the fence around it with several people standing at the gates or walking along the paths leading to the gates. I was wondering what they might be doing there, why were they stopping? Are they pondering on how to open the gate ? Do they not dare to step across the line before someone else might ? Non seem to appear to want to go into the field to harvest the wheat. Which brought to my mind that song "Another kind of famine" - just some words from the beginning of the song:

There's another kind of famine
you don't see it in their eyes
You don't see the people dying
You don't see the people cry

There's a hidden kind of hunger
see the victims all around,
they don't even know they're dying
they don't even make a sound ... ... ...

Are we as followers of Christ standing still at the gates, or have we opened them ? Are we working in the harvest or don’t we have the time to do so ? Recently I received an email from a close family (Roman Catholic) friend from Gibraltar ( and Catholics there are more verbose than some Christians in this country, as my father-in-law can vouch being the Minister of the small Evangelical church in Gibraltar) with two very poignant stories, one of which I felt very relevant to the above in that it was a poem on our lack of time:

I knelt to pray, but not for long
I had too much to do
and had to hurry to get along
for bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer
then jumped up off my knees
My christian duty was now done
my soul could rest that day at ease.

All day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
as they'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do
that was my constant cry
No time to give to souls in need...
But at last, the time to die.

I went before the Lord with downcast eyes,
I came, I stood,
for in his hands God held a book,
it was the Book of Life.
God looked into this book and said:
"Your Name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down ...
but never found the time."

I know we all have too much on our hands, even if it is also actual church related activities (and I guess especially 'my generation' - the 30's to 50's) but can we who call ourselves "Followers of Christ", who are supposedly His Ambassadors to Mankind, ignore that subtle whisper which has been heard in our church now for a good year - "Repent, Pray for Healing, and Go Out into the Neighbourhood and Give Testimony". And so I raise the challenge to you and to me to find the time to pray, to read His Word, to apply the Word on a daily basis. So that in the end we can face that ever-unanswered question to each one of us: "What are we doing here?"

First attempt at email entry

not a lot to be said, except if this works it will make further entry much easier.

Stony

Initial Start-up Mid August 2006

Well Folks, whilst I am meandering through life, there come the odd occasions in which I, as most other people contemplate more than just their navel or what is going on in front of their noses. So, through much advise and insistance of some other Generations, I will endeavour to try and put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and come up with some challenges and experiences on the subject matter.

Have fun, and do participate in replying - but remain decent.

Stony