You are NOT your own.

Lord, You know how much I want to know so much In the way of answers and explanations I have cried and prayed And still I seem to stay In the middle of life's complications All this pursuing leaves me feeling like I'm chasing down the wind But now it's brought me back to You And I can see again This is everything I want This is everything I need I want this to be my one consuming passion Everything my heart desires Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus Be my magnificent obsession Capture my heart again Take me to depths I've never been Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy Return me to the cross And let me be completely lost In the wonder of the love That You've shown me Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things Let all my dreams fall to the ground Until this one remains - Steven Curtis Chapman.  At the end of my first Journey Discipleship Course I had an ephiniany and revelation of the nature and condition of my heart and life. I ...

Early this morning I was walking around the farm where I live and reflecting with The Father on recent posts and the need for a real intimate relationship and connection with Jesus. Again my mind went to my post on Sins of Commission vs Sins of Commission. I want to just copy a piece of of that here. Its not just a quiet time and reading of the word, it's about a relationship between Jesus and you.   Intimacy , fellowship , engagement of you fully , spirit, soul (mind and emotions) and body in an active manner , otherwise it has little real effect.   The post deals with the fact that sin has less impact on us when we are in fact fully engaged with God, if you haven't read it, then may I suggest you do so. My point of discussion with God was about the importance of having an intentional time set aside, and I was wondering with him and recalling that Jesus himself often would withdraw from the crowds. Since he was God was this entirely as an example for us to follow? I was re...

 I  admit I have often wondered to myself, why do I bother to do what I do. That is writing these blogs, or sending out encouraging or prophetic type messages to various groups of men that I find myself involved in. Especially in light of the fact that in most cases (with few exceptions) I get little feedback on whether they are useful and fruitful or not.  However on reflection and in discussions with a few friends I have come to terms with the concept of that is who I am. It's Gods design and calling working it's self out in me. I am a prophetic encourager , and I can only do that which he has built into me, otherwise I would be a fish out of water.  I have also come to terms with the fact that wether I get feedback or not ( it's is nice to get some affirmation) I do it because that's what God has set in my heart, and as long as I am obedient to him, then I am being faithful to his gifting and call on my life.  I realise that many people have already resolved ...

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 4:19 NIV How is it that we still need to allow Christ to be formed in us, when as in some of my previous posts we saw that it's Christ in Us the hope of Glory? Then also how is he/ this formed in us? What does mean actually, having Christ formed in us, how do we attain this? Is this the goal and purpose of discipleship? Let's seek out the answers together.  I would start off by suggesting that to do so we would be dedicated followers and diciples of Christ, so let's start looking there.  A disciple in the ancient biblical world actively imitated both the life and teaching of the master. It was a deliberate apprenticeship which made the fully formed disciple a living copy of the master .  It is not the same as being a student in the modern sense. This then implies that the aim is to be Christ like or imitate him, his lifestyle and actions in both word, thought and dee...

And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. From what I have read the first quote of the term comes from William Shakespeare in the play Henry V. Then there was the famous series by the same name. This is the true story of a single paratrooper company making their way through the last year of the war (WW2) in Europe.  So the term was recorded in History and Literature, and film. ... Yet we understand here that this "band of brothers" is a martial group, dedicated and loyal. The spilling of their blood, mixed together in desperate battle, makes them a...

Have you ever noticed that when you make a stand for The Kingdom of God the heat and intensity of the battles increase substantially? This became very evident for me this week, on the back of my choice to persue sexual abstinence and purity. My mind and body were bombarded with temptation and pressure of epic proportion. The father through this scripture that came up gave me a solid reminder that the battle is originated outside the flesh and we have a real enemy. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 NIV I am also reminded that Jesus said in this world we would have trouble, but to take heart because he has overcome the world. James also said that we should rejoice in trial because the results build something into our lives and character. I also thought of the armour of God to wage this battle. That immediatel...

I recently read a post by JD Grear in Church Leaders titled Sex is not the best part of life . In it JD points out how our culture today says that sex is not only pleasurable, but essential, and one can't be happy without it. This is the belief system I lived with, almost my entire life. It was only recently when I attended my first Journey Discipleship program that I had an ephiniany in God. That this, false belief, was the basis of my struggle regarding my addiction to porn and masturbation. I came to believe that a Man could only have real satisfaction in life via sexual arousal and the subsequent orgasm. This was reinforced by my observing my Father and his views on sexuality, and I took them on as my own beliefs.  God then challenged me by by pointing out that this belief was in fact Idolatry, and to renounce it. Renouncing and practically living it out are two different matters.  So even though I have renounced the belief I still have to struggle with this issue to make ...