This Just Got Real

Have you ever had a conversation that you know has just changed your life? 

We (my wife and I) had one of those conversations this week with someone.

Following this conversation we now realise with a far greater measure the nature by which things work in the world in unseen ways.

In the stunned hours that followed as I attempted to process the application of what we had just heard I decided that it was time to draw up a reading list. 

Each of these books are ones that I've either read before and know are worth a revisit or ones which I have begun and got distracted from. All of them inform or describe living lives which are totally devoted to seeking him.

So we have begun reading 'Face To Face With God' by Bill Johnson.

Bill leads Bethel Church based in Redding,California. During his time there they have seen an increasing incidents of miracles, lives turned round for God and a growing influence on the church worldwide. 

If you're reading this and you don't really know how you feel about so-called 'mega churches', which Bethel may be classed as, my advice would be to ask whether they try to equip other churches and Christians or do they try to rebrand and take over. 

In my experience some church leaders get lost in their ministry and start to operate as though they are business leaders that need to extend their brand image as far and as wide as possible. 

They appear to entirely forget it's about serving a King and his kingdom.

Bill Johnson equips. He wants to see their experience in churches all over the world. So that they are not special cases. He is a kingdom man and that's why I like him.

The other books we hope to work our way through are:

Greater Works by Smith Wigglesworth
Out of the Comfort Zone by R T Kendall
The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun
When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson
A Deeper Level by Israel Houghton

Starter for 10...

Well here it is.

My first attempt at a blog. I've realised that my facebook witterings are becoming too much and are just the indication of the frustrated blogger in me.

Who knows how many posts I'll make and what effect will it have upon my various facebook utterings.

I've entitled it 'The Avenues Of Glory' as this refers to a Bible passage that I've spent much of the last few months dwelling on.

It is Isaiah 40:3-5 and it reads as follows:

3A voice of one calling:

“In the wilderness prepare

the way for the Lord# ;

make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.#

4Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

For me, it's a passage that talks about God's glory being displayed in our lives no matter what would seek to stop that from happening.

I recently spoke on it at our church and while I feel that I did a good job expressing what God had shown me in these words it remains something that I need to continue to live out. 

So perhaps this blog will be about just that:

Pursuing the glory of God no matter what would seek to lay us low; stand in opposition; drag us off the good path; or cause us to stumble. 

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.