The days preceding a new year are a time to dream.

Every year, well all year actually, I set up new rules for myself and new demands for my time and character. Setting goals is good. Setting rules is not. Somehow rules kill you whereas goals bring life.

For a rule-setter, goal-getter type like myself, New Years Resolutions used to provide an excellent opportunity to set even more self-imposed laws, which I endeavoured to keep, but more often missed.

Years ago I regularly watched the kids for the pastors of a rural church in England. They had a rule for their kids: ‘No New Years Resolutions’. A rule that banned rules; Interesting.

Perturbed at the prospect of a missed rule-setting-opportunity, I enquired about why such a decision. The answer surprised me. ‘Laws set people up to fail’ the pastor’s wife explained. They don’t come with the grace to carry them out, just pressure and disappointment. So the kids were banned from setting new years rules. What was also true of this family was that they were highly disciplined, highly creative and highly relational. Lack of laws didn’t equate lack of achievement; rather it gave space for it. Relationship and encouragement accomplished what rules couldn’t.

Grace like this is a funny substance. It is freedom. Freedom to not be controlled by rules. It is rest. The rest to never strive. It is passion. Passion that drives you further. It is power. The power to achieve all things. It is both a letting go and a reaching higher.

I have been learning the joys of living in graceland. It’s a somewhat magical place, where love not law is the law of the land. Easy you may think? But when you have found the ability to reach for the stars you have a new-found responsibility to pluck them out of the sky. The sky is no limit in graceland. To who much is given, much is required. But these requirements are not like the demands of law set before, these requirements are to dream bigger and go further. Because, as the laws fade, so do the natural laws. Nothing is impossible in graceland. Therefore, dream bigger, love deeper, forgive greater and go further than you ever thought possible.

Vision gives pain a purpose. If your New Years Resolution is to loose weight because you had one to many minced pies this Christmas, your focus is on your failure to keep in shape. When the pain of working out happens, all you can see is your out-of-shape (and now sweaty, out-of-breath) body staring back at you in the mirror. If instead you dream of being fit, in-shape and healthy enough to run into old age. Then you have a vision that is unperturbed by pain. The pain is just a sign of a step in the right direction, rather than proof that you really are out-of-shape. Lack of vision is subtle, but a proven deal breaker in the New Years Resolution stakes. Instead you can dream into being the person you want to be.

So tired of laws that lead to failure? Start to dream and dream bigger. If you can achieve your dream, then it is too small. The glory of the young is that they are too inexperienced to know that their dreams are impossible, so they do them anyway. Realise that nothing is impossible. Write down your dreams and don’t put them off until tomorrow. I have dreams and visions for my life that I’ve written down in a list. It is pinned to my bathroom wall and everyday I remind my day about my dreams. Speak to your day and speak to your self. It’s not a sign of madness, but of greatness to declare your destiny.

Dream big. This is not the season to devise new laws or resolutions. It’s the season to dream new dreams. What does 2009 look like in your dreams? What is your life dream and how will 2009 be a part of that? If you want to stop human trafficking how will your dreams for yourself in 2009 support your life dream? What were the dreams that you traded in as a child for laws and impossibility? Bring them out of the closet again. Fulfilled all your dreams? Then you need to dream again and dream bigger, further and always with a level of impossibility.

There always has to be some impossible situation in your hand. Otherwise how will there ever be miracles?

Stories of Jesus

Friends and Countrymen!

As we go after the King and His Kingdom together I wanted to send each of you my love for this Christmas and New Year! I am excited by the day we live in and the joy that is ours. God is so good!! Have a ton of fun over the holidays and an awesome 2009! The mince pies are made, the brandy butter is chillin and I'm excited!

Something else to get happy about...

Miracles

This week I got the opportunity to pray for a young woman who had arthritis in her wrist and hand. Now arthritis often feels to me like it comes with fear attached and I get angry. There was something there that my spirit reacted against. I felt that there was a spirit attached with this one, not that the woman had done anything wrong, but her body was under attack.

I prayed for a short time just simply binding the arthritis and releasing strength and healing. I asked her to test it out and she did! Big time! All the pain had gone! We praised Jesus big time too! She was so stoked and shocked, as it was something she had been contending for for a long time.

Yey Jesus is the King!!

I am going on a trip to Alabama with Bill and his team on the 2nd January. Please pray for our travels and that God would have His way there. Expect some stories! Remember that we all share in the inheritance of each-others encounters with God, because the 'testimony (stories) of Jesus, IS the Spirit of prophecy'. In other-words, testimonies release the prophetic power to do it again! Sounds good :)

Merry Christmas!

Much love!

Sarah

heal, elbow, cancer

Yesterday I went to my seat in-between Sunday morning services. The lady in the row behind me looked quizzically at me and asked me where I was from, not my name. I told her and she got very excited. She said ‘I thought it was you! I’ve been looking for you since September!’. I guess the Englishness is my defining feature!

Heal Healed
She went on to tell me how I had prayed for her heal one Sunday morning in late September. I remembered her and remembered how the presence of God had been so strong and sweet while we prayed. She told me that though she could feel things happening inside her foot, the pain had not left when I prayed that day, when she woke up the next day it was completely gone and hadn’t returned since then. She had had excruciating shooting pain in her heal for one and a half years up until then. We were both very happy!!! She was so moved by Jesus healing her – it was so special. It reminded me that when we pray we should never be discouraged if we don’t see it happen before our eyes, because we’ve prayed – something has to happen!!! Even if it’s that night while they sleep.

Elbow Healed
So then she told me that her left elbow was in a lot of pain too. She couldn’t lift a cup of coffee with it because it hurt too much. She wanted me to pray for it right then and there and I was more than happy to. I prayed and the pain lessened so much that when she tested by pushing strongly against my hand it didn’t hurt at all! She moved it around and there was still a slight twinge so we prayed again. Struck by the power and passion of God she received her healing right then with tears rolling down her cheeks. I was overcome by the sweetness of God.

Miracles never get old for me. Each time I am struck by the love and power of our God who cares so much about our lives. It’s such a privilege to pray ‘Your Kingdom come!’ and watch what happens. I love Him!


Cancer Healed
It’s so important to pray. I realise over and over how much we carry the key to heaven in our hands. The other day a classmate of mine found his colleague upset at work. He had previously released the presence of God on this guy, a non-Christian. It had been an amazing experience for the guy who had felt electricity running into him during the encounter at the store where they both work. So when my classmate asked him what was wrong he was really open and said that his grandmother had been diagnosed with serious cancer. He was devastated by the prognosis that she had only weeks to live. My classmate was deeply moved with compassion and so asked if he could pray. His colleague jumped at the chance, so right there outside the door of the shop they prayed – releasing life into the lady’s body. Within a week the doctors report came back that the grandmother was completely clear of cancer after no treatment. The doctors were astonished. We were very happy. It was a sweet moment when he told us the news in class during testimony time. We all leapt to our feet, shouting and cheering – this is what we live for!

Miracles in Fremont

I traveled to Fremont at the weekend (yes my car made it!!!) with a team of 4 and Eric and Candice Johnson. We had the most fun trip and were totally spoilt by Harvest House Church there.

Sunday morning Candice spoke on Trust and Distrust and Eric spoke on stewarding Favor. it was really good - and we had to practice receiving favor all weekend. I have a ways to go.

We opened up the meeting to word of knowledge call outs for healing needs and prayed for the the sick with the church. One local guy i was praying for had pain in his right elbow for 30 years since he dislocated his shoulder and broke his arm as a child. it was particularly bad that day and he had been complaining to his wife about the pain. We prayed and half the pain left the elbow, but of course we pray again (much to his bewilderment).

THe man started rotating his arm so that they were both faced palm upwards and he kept repeating over and over and over again "this is so weird, this is so weird". I asked him what was weird and he told me that he hadn't been able to rotate his right arm at all for those 30 years...and of course all 100% of the pin had gone! I love my God!

'My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.' 1 Cor 2

In the evening Eric taught in their school of supernatural ministry - an offshoot of BSSM. It was great. He taught on having the highest honor for the presence of God. He told the story of how a well known revivalist held a dinner with lots of leaders there to meet with him and how he felt the Spirit show up and he knew that he needed to go be alone with God. without hesitation he excused himself from the meeting and went to his hotel where he had an encounter with God.

It was a good teaching. We then opened up the meeting for the team (i.e. me) to prophesy from the front. Happily I already had one loaded as god had spoken to me in my nap to "tell john that he is worthy" I knew that john was thinking of starting a new venture in life or business and needed God's encouragement. So i took the microphone first and asked "is there anyone here called John?". Happily there was and there was only one. He got rocked. I thought it could be hard after that but they just flowed as the team pointed people out and prophesied life and grace into them. It was so sweet.

What a day we live in that God shows up and people get changed forever.

Christmas Gifts

PRAY NOW!

Please pray for the USA this week. These elections will not only determine the next president but also 3 supreme court judges and the future of America for the next 30 years. This entire generation will be effected by what people vote this week. Please Pray.

We have two candidates with many different policies covering many different issues. But really there is only one issue. When you have babies killed by the million there is only one issue. We have to see the end of child abortion in the USA. Please pray so that every child conceived with a destiny upon their life, will get the choice to live. We need them, they are part of the kingdom and reflect a part of God that we don’t see without them. We thought Hitler was wrong with 6 million deaths, and Stalin with 30 million, what will we say about the 49 million babies in America since 1973? If you would stand for the Jews, you need to stand for the children.

Pray for California for ‘where she goes the nation will go’ and I believe the world will go. There are several propositions to vote upon in California right now on gay marriage. Pray.

God sets the rulers to rule under him according to what we pray. So Pray. Right now Pray. Pray as if another 49 million children’s lives are on the line. Because they are.

You can read my article here

Watch

Watchmen on the Walls



We are called to extend our Kingdom's culture until the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covers the earth. We are not called to stand by as truth and conscience loose definition and whilst another 70 million babies are mown down in the UK or another 400 million in the USA.

At some point who you are and what you believe must effect how you live and how you vote.

Living Generously August e-newsletter

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I LOVE CHURCH. I HATE CANCER.

I love my church - these are all the people just in 2nd service who have been healed of cancer.


and this is them passing the healing along. Because freely they have received and freely they give.


The kingdom is all about this flow - everything we get, we get to give away. it's a privilege and requirement for increase :) When we do something with what we've been given we are like the guy with the talents who invested what he was given and so was given more.

I Hate cancer and God hates cancer. He never uses it. He never partners with it. He never starts it. and he never prolongs it. He hates it like He hates sin. which is why we can always pray with confidence knowing He wants it gone and that He paid a high price to destroy it.

So lets establish the freedom He paid so much for :)

love ME

Do you think me cheesey whan I tell you ‘love is all we need’? When the Beetles and the Bible say the same thing it’s time to listen. Best selling band and best selling book, 20th century to 1st century, love revolution to love revolution. Love is all we need. I believe.

If I speak in the languages of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

It was for love of my brother that I stood at his wedding and read these words, my knees visibly knocking and my hands sweating. But, knowing that I would be nervous, I had read though the words a million times so that I wouldn’t stutter and stumble. But what I did instead was fall in love with these love letters. And how could I stumble? They are like poetry running off the tongue, language of angels indeed. But, amongst theses lovely lines is some age-old truth that can shock my cold heart to the bone: Whatever we do in life, if we have not love, it is all for nothing, for it will not remain.

Years ago, in southern France an electrical storm drove us into the shelter of the great and ancient arches of the Pont du Gard, older than both the Beatles and the Bible. With lightning dropping around us I asked my ever-wise mother if we should move to somewhere less obvious for a strike. And with ever-increasing wisdom she replied ‘it’s been here for 2000 years and probably encountered a few lightning storms in its time’. It set me thinking, buildings feel immortal, while we like shadows come and go. But, the truth is the opposite. While the material things we see look more enduring, it is the insubstantial element of love that is powerful and lasts forever.

When you love, the effects are eternal, passed from one person to another, from generation to generation. Recently someone told me to write a list of all the people who had ever showed me love or kindness. As the list trailed off the page, I realised those deposits of love make me who I am and make my life possible and make me be able to love. Relational generosity is the soundest investment of them all.

Over the next few weeks I am going to explore a few ideas surrounding relational generosity. Otherwise spelt LOVE. Loving myself, finding love, love for them, and giving love.

Part One:love ME

Like charity, love starts at home, and I don’t mean your house. I mean you. The person who does not love themselves is a nightmare for everyone around them. After all, you can’t give away what you don’t have. If you can’t love yourself, you can’t honestly love the people around you. We can do our best, but we are operating out of lack. At some point we are going to love people the way we love ourselves, and if we don’t love ourselves, we can’t love them. My friend’s fiancé once told her that it was his ambition in life to love her as much as she did. She promptly replied that it was in his best interest that she loves herself, because we love others as we love ourselves. It’s true. We’ve all seen how a damaged person damages. An insecure person creates insecurity. A hurt person hurts. The greatest thing you can do for people around you, is to love you.

Identity is the best place to start. To have relationship we have to let people really know us. Intimacy is ‘into me you see’. If we don’t like who we are or don’t know who we are, we won’t let anyone else see who we are. Many many people (if not all of us) have taken some knocks in life that can rock their identity and their intrinsic value. When we don’t feel valuable we feel vulnerable and open to attack. We expect attack. Someone who is insecure is defensive; and therefore offensive. They create insecurity in their environment and trigger every other insecurity around them. Equalling relational (or unrelational) mess. We have to love ourselves enough to let them see the real us.

Another friend of mine was given £15 000 a few years ago by a man he didn’t even know very well. Instead of being friendly to this guy, my friend went to great lengths to avoid him. It got so ridiculous that he realized there was a problem, and he realised the problem was him. He felt unworthy of £15 000 and thought if the man got to know him he would realise this too and regret the gift. At some point we need to believe L’Oreal and know that we are worth it, not because L’Oreal says so, but because every human who walks this globe is worthy and wonderfully made. I love the Dove adverts that promote the message that every size and shape is beautiful. It’s the same with our inside – we are all good. ‘I am lovely’ is the biggest thing we can realise, so that we can become the greatest gift to give away.

Fear of Sat Nav?

When you find yourself feeling bad for disobeying your Sat-Nav-lady, you know there is a problem.

It’s true, I was finding that I felt guilty every time I took another route to the one she proposed and was all at peace when my car was following her directions. I was trying to people please my Sat Nav. Jesus we have a problem.

What’s weird is that last year I really got free of needing people’s approval and this year I measurably got better at discounting what people think of me in exchange for taking all that Papa God thinks of me. To such an extent that I risk being rude. I need more love to guide me, because the fear of man no longer does.

But as with all lessons there are little tests to see how we’re doing. 18 months ago I stopped doing my chores (passed test of people pleasing, failed test of honour). 12 months ago I got seriously nervous around leaders I respected (failed people pleasing, failed doing stupid things as a result of people pleasing). 6 months ago momentarily wobbled by someone not liking me but regained composure when I knew fathers’ love (failed fear of man, passed fear of man). 1 month ago knew who my daddy was and didn’t get seriously nervous around leaders I respected (passed fear of man, passed being able to do stupid things because I can). So I was slowly progressing until the Tom Tom regression.

The answer? Hmm not sure I have one. I think I am doing well on not caring what ‘they’ think, but not so well on being free to do what I think. Why do I need to be told what to do when the master of the universe and my destiny walks with me and whispers to me?

Not that we don’t listen to advice, hear the prophetic voice through others or honour people with obedience when appropriate. But your Sat Nav? Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. It’s true. Not just freedom in His direction over peoples, but freedom in your direction over peoples, even, dare I say it, over your Sat Nav.

Some things just need practicing I guess. I may take the car out soon and drive in endless opposite directions…where, I wonder, will I end up...?

Burma Cyclone

A letter from a friend in Burma:

“The victims of this disaster need help now. For the many thousands who have died, this tragedy is over. But for the men, women, and children of southern Burma who have lost their homes, livelihood and in many cases, their loved ones, it has really only just begun. We at Partners are doing all we can to ensure the help we send is received by those who desperately need it” (Steve Gumaer, Founder and Director of Partners Relief and Development).
More than fifty years of civil war has left Burma one of the poorest counties in the world. The people of Burma have faced continued hardship

s since the show-elections of 1990, when the official results were overturned and the opposition imprisoned. Before the cyclone hit, over 2 million people had been displaced by ethnic cleansing - either hiding in the jungles or escaped over the border as refugees. The tragedy of Cyclone Nargis has only added to an already desperate situation.

The current estimates from the UN are that over 100,000 people will have perished both in the storm itself and because of the hold up on help reaching those who need it. Christian Aid has reported that outbreaks of malaria and cholera are occurring in the Delta region where hundreds of villages are still underwater. Yet because of internal insecurity, help is still not reaching the people and it’s costing lives.

Over the years Partners has built up relationships with individuals and groups inside Burma who are now able to assist getting funding and supplies to survivors who are still living in dire conditions. Partners is able to get to places that large NGO’s cannot go and is using it’s extensive experience to deliver targeted life-saving resources, equipment, food and care to the worst affected areas. Working closely with Free Burma Rangers and The Haven Foundation, they are continually assessing the situation and responding as best they can with the resources they have.

So far Partners have been able to get 15,000lbs of nutritional supplements and 100 rolls of plastic sheeting inside. They have also been able to channel funding to their co-workers inside Burma to enable them to purchase supplies to send to the Delta region. Partners are also arranging the delivery of water purification systems that will fight dehydration and the diseases that are rapidly spreading.

These guys are amazing and we're helping them out at Living Generously to raise funds - if you want to give you can here:

Give Today

www.livinggenerously.com

One thing.

I would rather run with a couple of burning ones, than thousands of the content.

It has to be first about seeking the Kingdom. All the other things will be added. The point is, it’s HIM we so desperately, crazily, passionately pursue. It’s the fullness of the Kingdom that’s real, that’s desperately needed by the desperate, by the hungry. It’s His glory. His presence, his never-ending ever increasing presence.

I really don’t care about anything else. Athough I have a feeling that when He becomes our everything, everything else will be added. But even if it isn’t, if I get HIM in the exchange, I don’t care.

We have to get so ruined for anything else, we have to act as if we are as hungry as we are.

No price is too high, no distance too far, no shame too great to get more of God. If you’re hungry, you’ll go get food.

“There is something glorious about having no options. I only have one option: to do what He said. “But what if we lose a bunch of people?” you may ask. Well they’re not ours to keep. Our esteem is not built upon the size of the local church, it’s built by doing what He said to do. All the other stuff doesn’t last.

Numbers have to be important first for them to impact you. They don’t impact you if they are not in the value system. When you say ‘God I want more of you at any cost’ you’ve already decided that numbers don’t matter if you get Him in the exchange.”

Desire Lost

How quickly dost the signs of love pale
And sweet nothings, fade to nothing
Those hints at epic romance, become loose change
Lost without thought
And valued as no value.

Your love still burns, but I see only embers
Your heart still turns, but I see only shadows
What was once bold, I count as lost
Not seen to mine eye
Or my mind
Or my heart

But hope holds me.
That when all is cold and faded
A new light shall spark
And you shall find a new way to romance this fickle heart
Your ways are higher than my ebbing interest
And your love is stronger than my weakness

And so soon and suddenly we will sour together
Onto a mountain top
Higher than before
We will be swept up in each other
And my passion will come back to the fore
Not hidden under a bowl but blazing
Joining your fire with my fire

This, this is my desire.

The Story Behind Generosity

Boxing day 2004. Cosied up in a country Pub in Dorset, England, I was unaware of the horror that was unfolding thousands of miles away. I was also unaware that the Boxing Day Tsunami was going to change my life.

Eight months later, I found myself in South East India. Overnight I became mom to six children and began living 600 meters away from the ocean that killed their parents. Every morning I would rise with the rising temperature, go out onto the roof and gaze over the ocean, always placid as the sunrise reflected like a burning road to the east.

5000 miles away in England, Pete Worthington (as usual) was working on a plan to take over the world. Eight months previously, Pete, surrounded by presents, looked on at the enormous devastation and knew he had to do something. But Pete wasn’t just moved to help these people, he was gripped by a need bigger than the tsunami, he knew something in him needed to live differently, not just giving in this moment of disaster, but day in day out. A life lived to bring life.

Pete started to dream of what a person with a core value of big-heartedness would look like. What would happen if we swapped our investment in the material and the self-help, and replaced it by pouring ourselves into the things that don’t tarnish.

‘Three things will last forever - faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love.’

Determined to shift his lifestyle to match up with the person he wanted to be, Pete applied who he was (web-site geek, 24-7 leader and unstoppable dreamer) to the situation and the Living Generously concept was born.

Pete envisioned an online portal where people can connect with situations all around the world. Rather than feeling disempowered by the enormity of need, a way people could turn their prayer into action and invest directly into specific situations, knowing that their help would achieve breakthrough whether it was an operation, a water-well or housing for an orphan. Pete set up the site in such a way that people could give to different things on any given day, that they could receive the projects as gifts at Christmas or buy them as birthday presents. It didn’t really matter, it was just all about giving opportunity for ongoing generosity.

Yet, as we embarked on our generous journey, we discovered more and more that giving financially was just an expression of the generous soul. Being generous was greater than giving generously or doing generous things. After all, we are human beings, not human doings. The core value of generosity permeates every part of a persons’ life. It’s about whom we are, being generous with every part of ourselves. Lives overflowing relationally, ecologically and with our time. A life turned inside outwards.

Like many before me, on my return from the sub-continent, I discovered what I had suspected for some time, that poverty runs deeper than the money in your pocket. I found that the physical poverty of the South was matched only by the personal poverty of the West. Poverty, I believe, begins in a person’s heart. By investing ourselves in the perishable, we had made our own lives small and impoverished. The disillusion of materialism, the lack of a cause that’s bigger than ourselves and the loss of social connection (insular living) makes people insignificant and takes away their courage. The resulting apathy - in a time that needs heroes - makes people small in a land of giants (Numbers 13:32-33).

‘Comfortable makes cowards of us all’ Danny silk

We need to care because caring rescues us. In living a life of radical generosity, I had as much to gain as anyone. I’m now not surprised that research has found that people who give of themselves are ‘happier, healthier, richer’ (Arthur Brookes). That’s what God’s been telling us all along: ‘It’s better to give than receive’.

All Living Generously did was recognise the ‘signs of the times’, and sought to give voice to a stirring that is occurring in the West.

‘There is a young generation that couldn’t care less about money and couldn’t careless about names.’ Lou Engle

Being a voice for the cry of a generation only requires a belief that you can affect it. People are designed to be significant, free, creative and heroic like their Father.

So, our passion became twofold. We wanted to continue seeing the world impacted by generosity, but we also wanted to see people impacted themselves by being generous. It is important after decades of materialism, postmodernism and dis-couragement to create community and (en)couragement for the hosts of people out there who knew they were made to matter.

‘All men die, but not all men truly live.’ BraveHeart

And to me, it’s all about really living…

Read the full article at 24-7 Prayer

24-7 Prayer Bristol

Bristol has long felt a little bereft of 24-7 community. We have always needed to travel to gatherings or iChat our way into the presence of ‘our people’. That was until Monday."

"I had heard underground rumours that there were 24-7 rumblings starting in the city. Random connections and conversations were taking place between people I did not know. Out of the rumblings came a tour date in Bristol, a meeting point, a dot on the map.

So on Monday night, I drove into the dodgy part of town in my car that looked quite at home there. I parked up on a deserted street outside a very dubious looking ‘massage parlour’ and headed into the unpretentious redbrick building across the street.

Inside, I was greeted by a buzz of noise and bustle. A bunch of friendly, smiley twenty-somethings ushered us into the rather flashy church meeting room that looked more like Hillsongs than 24-7 Prayer. The lighting guys played with their exciting roving stage lights, while we became increasingly surprised as more and more people came through the doors.

The night kicked off with some familiar faces, Jude Smith, Pete Ward and a bunch of Transit guys I vaguely recognised from the last Feast. It was so good to see our 24-7 people on our soil. There was something strategic and confirming about the team being here and drawing all us random ones together.

We worshipped together and the presence of God was so sweet in the room that I could have stayed there forever. People grabbed the mic’s and began to pray and suddenly we weren’t strangers anymore. Sweet prayers of thanks and mighty prayers of fire and Kingdom come in Bristol as it is in Heaven. Amen!

It was sometime after Phil Togwell began to speak, that I realised he was ‘preaching’ his message. It felt more like a fireside chat where we, now friends, all sat around and listened to the secrets of the Kingdom. Phil spoke about breathing in the very breath of God and exchanging dreams with the divine dreamer. That we would be so altered by our intimacy with God that we couldn’t help but alter the world around us. To me it was a sweet thing to draw together what has been separated too long. As we prayed for our city again and then left to go back into it, I knew that something had happened. Something has begun.

iTunes + jesus culture

at last!!!! Jesus Culture Music is now available on itunes!! horay for us international types!!

1st album Everything

and the 2nd We Cry Out (without DVD)

buy it - you will not regret it, in fact you'll love me so much that you'll want to send me lots of presents. it's true.

grin ;)

Live Intimately: Live Generously

It says that Jesus was moved by compassion to minister to the needs He saw around Him. Can you imagine if Jesus suffered from compassion fatigue? 'You know what Father; I'm done with compassion for a bit. This world is seriously needy and they used up all my kindness.'

Can you picture it? No? Well, that's what happens with us…

The Indian Ocean Tsunami saw the biggest response of global giving ever. The Pakistani earthquake, a short time later, saw one of lowest. International compassion was spent. 'One disaster at a time please', we cried! If we're called to follow Jesus, a man who welcomed children after a long day, who had time to eat with a tax collector or stop to talk to one woman when she touched the hem of his cloak. How do we remain compassionate and willing to respond?

I was in Seville for the 24-7 Feast when it occurred to me that living generously, as a response to need, is good but it's not our highest calling. Pete Greig talked of the need to get back to intimacy with the Father and Kelly Green told us of how her life of service and risk is nothing without prayer.

God took Kelly on a year walk of intimacy before she started to 'do' anything. I want the kind of prayer life that seeks after God's heart for His heart alone. A life well spent is one that dwells in the house of the Lord all the days of their life, gazing upon the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple. One thing. That's all we ever need do with our lives (Psalm 27).

Misty Edwards speaks of wasting her life on purely worshiping God; like Mary and her vase of costly perfume, pouring ourselves out on the One. The beauty of it is, is that when we pour ourselves on God, we end up smelling just like Him.

I discovered recently that people who've been married a long time, don't just pick up each-others habits and opinions but their DNA actually starts to change and they become closer genetically. Bizarre but trust me I didn't make it up. When we are intimate with God, He changes our spiritual DNA. We don't just become like Him, He starts to dwell in our every cell.

Jesus was never far from communion with Father and so He did what He saw the Father doing. He looked like the Father, He sounded like the Father, He walked like the Father and His heart beat like the Father's. The epic simplicity of intimacy with God leads us to be just like Him. He said that 'If you've seen me, you've seen the father'. I want to emulate that. After all, like Bill Johnson says:

'It's not humility to deny what Jesus exchanged with you at the cross - he got all of you and you got all of him.'

Jesus learnt from watching the Father. When I was little, I used to dance with my dad around our kitchen, my little feet on top of his, learning to waltz. But I don't just dance like my dad because I copied him, I also dance like my dad because part of him lives in me, I share his DNA. It's the same with father God, we pick up His heartbeat, His DNA, His life-blood, His character, His love and His compassion. So I pray:
Where you go I go
What you say I say
What you pray I pray
(We Believe, 2006)

I often say that I don't want to do compassion or do generous acts, I want to be compassionate and I want to be generous. If it's who I am, if it's my DNA, then I can't help being me wherever I go. I long for my compassionate response to be more than something I emotionally manufacture but something that rises from within me, powered by my relationship with the ultimate creator, healer and restorer.

you can read the full article at:
http://www.24-7prayer.com/cm/content/790

www.livinggenerously.com

When sleep is sneaky

The last 3 nights I haven’t been able to sleep until 5am, 4am and last night 3am. I would like to think its something to do with God bringing great Revelation in the night, but it’s got more to do with my body refusing to come back to GMT. I got back from very sunny California last week, after a (yes another) trip to see my friends and family in Redding.


The first week the monsoon got sidetracked and came to visit northern California. It brought snow with it and blocking all the mountain passes into Redding and making life a little tricky for the thousands of people headed to Redding for the bi-annual Jesus Culture. The 3000 seat civic centre was sold out as was Bethel’s 1000 seat auditorium which was getting the conference over live feed. There was even an overflow for the overflow for the 700 students at Bethel this year. Sometimes it’s just great to be in the middle of thousands of young burning one’s hungry for revival in their cities and streets. I didn’t get a new kidney at this jesusculture, but that’s a good thing – I don’t want to be a 3 kidney freak!

The following 2 weeks were hitting the 70’s (yes F) and the world gleamed as only it can in spring after the rain has left the world green and lush. Me and a couple of friends made a trip to the coast to see the giant redwoods. We had the best weekend ever seeing the trees that I’ve dreamt of seeing for years (God listens to our dreams guys). They really are incredible, as is the coffee (jitter bean Mexican mocha- mmmm) and the little old towns of the coast. I also made a day trip down to San Fran, where I drove around with a car full of hippies, listening to sweet hippie tunes and finding finds in the thrift stores of the Height St district. So fun.

me inside a giant tree:
It was just so good to reconnect, see babies born (welcome to the world Jehu Aaronson!), see the miraculous (many diamonds are appearing there at the moment and people getting healed of cancer) and get healed (very painful foot injury). The mountains are still glorious, the worship still powerful, the presence still sweet, the friendships still awesome and the revelation still bring life.

Encounter Awaits You...

I have been listening to this album for 2 weeks solid and it's amazing. I first came across Kim Walker a year and a half ago. What everyone says of her worship leading is that you step straight into an encounter with God. There are many great singers out there (and she is also awesome vocally), but few carry this kind of anointing.


This is the first album she wrote for and her songs carry the sweet presence of the secret place. They are different from the anthems of her Jesus Culture albums, but express a heart turned to God in the middle of life so sweetly. If you want to step into an encounter and find words for where you are at - get this CD (if you can - it's continually selling out! www.ibethel.com)

Encounter

Well my 2nd Jesus Culture Encounter has come around and it was amazing again. I didn't get a new kidney this time (if you didn't hear about that story then you should find the blog on it below!) but God's presense deposited so much more this year. of course the worship was amazing and the stories of God breaking out in everyday lives, on the streets and on campus', were awesome. But it was the manifest presence of god that made the weekend so sweet. there is nothing worse than being in a fancy worship gig without getting touched by the king. BUT when Holy Spirit visits you - He is everything - your resolution, your soul mate, your father, your lover. HE is He is He is.

Sunny California is not so sunny, in fact life vests are advised!! all the passes are closed with snow and drowning is a real risk. But other than that it is so sweet to be back at my other home - it feels like i never left apart from the journey i have been on in the interluding time and the fact that 500 new students are strutting the halls of this revival centre. i am so proud of our new students - our ceiling from last year really is their floor - they are flying higher and its so powerful to see!

one couple have been finding many precious stones appearing in their home. the first one was valued at $10 k - but who can put a value on a piece of heaven?!! we have one in our house too - my housemate found it and it at the couple's house and it is beautiful perfect cut clear gem. god knows what a girl wants huh?!!

the miracles continue of course - we saw maybe 100 healed on saturday morning inc 2 people who HAD cancer!! It's a great time to be alive. It's a great time to be a revivalist - now all we have to do is wlk around and leak our God encounters :)

sx

unresolved

I want to beg you as much as you can, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within yourself the possibility of shaping and forming as a particularly happy and pure way of living; train yourself to it - but take whatever comes with great trust, and if only it comes out of your own will, out of some need of your innermost being, take it upon yourself and hate nothing.

Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet