Week 3: Dealing with Insignifiance

“But you are chosen people, a royal priesthood,  a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

God makes extraordinary declarations about our identity and position now that Christ has done his extraordinary work of atoning for our sin and destroying the devils works. Just look at the two verses above. We’re chosen, we’re priests in God’s temple, we belong to him now, we live in God’s marvellous light and patient mercy and we’re even friends of God. Wow! But we obviously find this so hard to believe. If we did our lives would look radically different to the way they do. If we really believed our identity is now found in God why are we so anxious all of the time? Why are we so pushy to get our own way? Why is my noise so easily put out-of-joint when someone is rude to me or pushes in front of me? My self-worth seems to be determined much more by what others think than what God thinks.

The reason for this is many and varied but I want to focus on one –‘insignificance’. For many of us this is a deep, hidden stronghold in our lives. Something, somewhere in our past said to us that we were worthless in some way. Somebody who was essential in providing our sense of personal worth and wellbeing failed to give what our developing hearts needed. For many of us it would have been a parent who was just too busy. They thought they were loving us by working really hard so that they could pay for us to go to college but what our souls really wanted was their presence, they love and physical contact. For many children this absence leads to a sense that they have failed in some way, it is their fault that their parent never spends time with them, there must be something wrong with me. But if I work harder, am more successful, more beautiful, they might notice and pay attention to me. So, beings an inner self doubt, or insignificance and the myriad of outer performances we stage to help us not feel so bad about ourselves.

 So, as with last week, ask these two questions:

1)   Where does the outward manifestation of insignificance appear in my life? Do I struggle with feelings of self-worth? Do I catch myself saying to myself when I do something wrong things like ‘You idiot!’, ‘You looser!’, ‘You always...’ Do I constantly bring up a past incident as an excuse to explain why things now are so hard? A close friend or partner will tell us easily if we do this. Do I often miss meetings or appointments because I think ‘no one will notice if I’m not there’?

2)   What is the ‘root’ of my insignificance? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there is some specific incident or event in your past which was the reason for it to take hold. Was there one significant adult who either spoke negatively into my life or totally failed to affirm my significance though love and affection?

Once again let’s use our FIVE R’s Prayer:

a)   Recognise Ask the Spirit to show you if there was some sin in the above event. How were you sinned against? What was your sinful response? Believing a lie about yourself? I think I’m useless but Jesus says I’m his treasured passion – who’s right? And more importantly who will I believe?

b)  Repent Confess this sin out load. Forgive anybody you need to forgive, release them and pray God’s blessing upon them.

c)   Receive Thank God for his forgiveness. Claim that forgiveness in Jesus Name. Knowing that as we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive us all our sins (1 John 1:8-9)

d)  Renounce Pray: “In the Name of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Friend I now come against the stronghold of Insignificance in my life. I break your power in Jesus Name and tell you to get out of my life forever. I pray this in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

e)   Renew Begin by thanking God that you are chosen, beloved, friend of his. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again. This verse from Galatians has been particular helpful to me in placing my identity in Christ and not in the sin and folly of my past. If you can memorize this verse and repeat it when you find yourself playing ‘old tapes’ of insignificance: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me! The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

 

Week 2: Dealing with Fear

Scripture: Jesus said: “Trust in God, trust also in me” (John 14:1)

Spiritual Exercise When we fear we are not trusting God. We fear when we feel our life or stuff which supports our life is threatened. Many live in a constant state of anxiety and worry (both of which are the step-children of fear).

Over the next few of days ask the Holy Spirit to help you answer these questions. It might be good to have notebook or a journey to write down your thoughts and reflections.

1) How does fear manifest in my life? Drinking too much, over eating, talking too much, nail biting, it is good to see how fear, worry and anxiety looks in your life! If you are not sure they do ask someone, who knows you well, to tell you how they see fear, worry and anxiety work out in your life.

2) What is the ‘root’ of my fear, worry or anxiety? Again we ask the Spirit to show us if there is some event or incident in my past where I aloud fear ‘to take hold’? I know one friend who did this realised that that the death of a parent when they were young aloud a deep anxiety into his life which now, as an adult, manifested in a anxious need for order and neatness and a dread of not achieving it.

If you feel the Spirit is revealing an incident to you follow this pattern of repentance.

a)   Recognise Ask the Spirit to show you if there was some sin in the above event. Did you make an inner agreement with yourself never to trust anybody (including God) ever again? Was there someone who failed you in love? Someone who should have been there but wasn’t We need to forgive them, and until we do this we are allowing sin to take root in our lives. You need to confess it and repent of it.

b)  Repent Out loud say to God you are sorry for you sin and wish to turn from it. If there is anybody you need to forgive then do so now. Again, out loud, speak to that person as if they were in the room with you, and tell them that you forgive them, release them from any debt they owe you, and pray God’s blessing upon them.

c)   Receive Now, again out load, thank God for his forgiveness. Claim that forgiveness in Jesus Name. Knowing that as we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive us all our sins (1 John 1:8-9)

d)  Renounce If we have allowed something like fear to take root in our lives for some time we have to consciously ‘break’ and ‘renounce’ its power over our lives. As Jesus rebuke fevers and illnesses as if they were living things so to with these strongholds we need to tell them where to go! So, praying out loud again, pray something like this: “In the Name of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Friend I now come against Fear in my life, I break your power in Jesus Name and tell you to get out of my life forever. I pray this in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

e)   Renew Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7 that “God hasn’t given us a spirit of timidity (fear!) but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.” Let’s now ask the Holy Spirit to fill and ‘replace’ the spirit of fear with the Spirit of Love. Amen Lord Jesus. Do it now!

 

The Next Five Weeks

In our first week we focused upon some of the wonderful promises of God’s love and presence now available to us. In these next five weeks we are going to focus upon some of the barriers inside of us that prevent us experiencing more of the love, joy and peace that God has for each one of us.

Each week we will look at specific way sin can has lodged itself in our souls. We won’t be looking at ‘superficial’ sins, e.g. my bad temper, my drinking problem, my tendency to worry or need control etc. We want to look at, with the Holy Spirit’s help, the more foundational stuff. We want to ask the question: “What is the deeper sin in my life that is the root of my bouts of uncontrollable rage and anger?” “What has been done to me and what have I done which has created this ‘stronghold’ in my life?”

We are not looking at neurosis’s or emotional brokenness though we may well have this but we are looking at ‘sin’. Sin: stuff which is in disobedience and disagreement with God’s word and God’s action in Jesus.

Wonderfully, Jesus promised us help. He promised us the Holy Spirit to ‘convince us of sin’. So when we ask the Holy Spirit to show us what is in our hearts he will show us.

Week 1: Day 6

Today’s Scripture:     “[Jesus] goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” John 10:4

Spiritual Exercise      Just sitting down to prepare tonight’s Alpha talk “How does God guide us?” and I am struck again by the extraordinary fact that the God of the Universe actually cares about our lives, cares about the choices we make, he actually has a plan for our lives and seeks to work within us to bring about the good works he has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Wow! Jesus says that this leading, this guidance I like a Shepard leading a bunch of sheep. The Shepard has been so long with the sheep and the sheep so long with the Shepard that the sheep know the Shepard’s voice instinctively and the Shepard knows each of his sheep by name.

I don’t know if you are facing some big (or even small) decisions at the moment. Often I can be filled with anxiety or stress when faced a decision. Well, get with the Shepard. The promises is as we get as close to him as we can. We will hear and recognise his voice, he will call us by name, and lead us.

But we must trust him for this work. We must but down our agenda and recognise the only agenda that has any future is God’s. So, as the psalmist prayed, let us “Commit your way to the Lord, TRUST HIM, and He will ACT!” Psalm 37:5

(no post tomorrow - its Sunday!)

Week 1: Day 5

Psalm 103:1-4                  “Let my whole being bless the Lord! Let everything inside me bless his holy name! Let my whole being bless the Lord and never forget all his good deeds: how God forgives all your sins, heals your sickness, saves your life from the pit,”

Spiritual Exercise:     My 18 month-year-old son’s constant state is one of idling joy. Then there are moments when something or someone steps on the gas and the idling revs up into unmitigated rapture. His whole being, body, soul and heart thrills and throbs with delight and bliss. He knows exactly what the psalmist is saying when he write ‘My whole being bless the Lord, everything inside me bless his holy name!’

                                     God loves it when we are full of joy in him. When our whole being resonates with wonder and excitement at His goodness and love. But how do we do that apart from taking medication?! Well one way is to use psalms like this one and make it your own. Begin speaking the words of the psalm out loud and in your heart ask the Holy Spirit to make these biblical words your own heart words. There is power in the words of the Bible, if we let them loose in our hearts there is not telling what could happen and what could be set free.

Week 1: Day 4

Today’s Scripture:     Romans 5:5 “…God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us”

Spiritual Exercise      I love this verse. St Paul describes one of the key activities of the Holy Spirit which is to ‘pour out’ God’s love into our hearts. God’s love, which is so immense, so beautiful, so rich, beneficial, so life giving;  ‘Poured out’, generous libations of God’s kindness and goodness poured out into ‘our hearts’ not our brains, but our hearts. Jesus says we are to Ask, Seek and Knock, to keep on asking, again and again and again for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, who ‘pours out his love into our hearts’ (Luke 11:9-13)

                                      I think we know it if God is pouring out his love into your hearts. If he isn’t then lets ASK! Let’s do that today. In the busyness of our day when we have a moments pause or hesitation lets pray inwardly “Dear Father, pour out your love into my heart through the Holy Spirit whom you have given!”

Week 1: Day 3

Today’s Scripture:     John 15: 9 “As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love.”

Spiritual Exercise:     Today we are going to try some ‘remaining’ or ‘abiding’ - as some other translations have this passage. Jesus says that to life the life which is blessed by God we are to ‘remain/abide’ in him and his love. God the Father loves us, Jesus his Son loves us – remain in his love. Stay in his love.

Begin today be thanking God for his love. Pray a prayer like this: “Dear Father in heaven, thank you that you love me, I want to live in your love today. Send your Holy Spirit upon me today to show me how to live in this way of love. In Jesus name I pray. Amen”

Now go through today with this simple prayer in your heart and on your lips, “I want to remain in your love”. Before you get into your car; before you pick up your phone to answer or make a call; before you have step into a store, pray this prayer!

Week 1: Day 2

Today’s Scripture:     Psalm 62:11-12 “One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard, that you O God are loving and you O God are strong”

Spiritual Exercise:     God has spoken but do we hear him? With the ears of our hearts have we ‘heard’ and ‘know’ his love and power for us? Doubts will always come into our heads but faith ‘dares to believe’ God’s word. So when you say this scripture (out loud!) thank God for his love and power for you!

Something to do:       There will almost defiantly be someplace in your life right now where you doubt either God’s love for you or God’s power to actually make a difference. What is it? Name it. Apologise to God for doubting him and ask him to reveal his love and power in that area right now. Begin to speak this verse into that area. Timing is all God’s. Faith is believing that he can do it, in his time, in his way for his glory and for our salvation.

Week 1: Day 1

Today’s Scripture:     Psalm 116:1 “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.”

Spiritual Exercise:     I love this verse. It’s a memorised emergency prayer I pray when I feel I am growing distant from God.  It makes me articulate the simple fact that ‘I LOVE GOD!’  I do. My emotions go up and down, sometimes I feel I am a great Christian and sometimes I feel I am a Christian disaster area but when put on the spot, which sometimes I am, I realise I love God so much and one of the big reasons I love him so much is that he is SO MERCIFUL!  I don’t get what I deserve.  I deserve wrath, anger and abandonment and what I get is love, mercy and forgiveness.

Something to do:       So, especially if you are starting the day with this and you are in a place where you can do this without disturbing others. Stand up. Stretch out your hands to heaven and say, out loud, ‘I love the Lord, for he heard my voice, he heard my cry for mercy!’ Do that several times out loud until you start to feel your heart engage with what you are declaring, or the neighbors start knocking on the wall!

Lent Week 1

In this first week we are going to focus upon the simple Biblcial promise that God loves us and wishes us endless joy, life adn bliss. That sounds lovely but it si one thing to hear and even believe it in our heads and another to have the truth alive in our hearts.

One simple way of ‘believing’ God’s word and internalizing His truth in our hearts is the meditation and the memorization of Scripture.

So here we go. Each exercise should only take a few minutes. If you can find a regular time in the day to do it, switch off your phone and start with the surprising truth that God is more ready to meet with you than you are with him!

This week, if you can, I want you to write out the Scripture for the day, put it in your pocket or have it on your smart phone, and at one point during the day say the reading quietly to yourself.  Find “hard points” in your day which you could tie the Scripture to.  For example: I make a lot of phone calls during a day so before I pick up my phone I will pause and say to myself the given scripture of the day.

Spiritual Exercises for Lent 2013

Here you will find some very ‘simple’ spiritual exercises for this Lent. There are no rules, just suggestions to help you focus upon God and what he has for us.

Jesus said: “I have come to give life, life in all of its fullness” (John 10:10)

So the first goal of these exercises is to help us get more of this ‘life’ that Jesus is talking about; the good life, the love life, the blessed life that God has for us.  

The second goal of these exercises is to give the Holy Spirit some space to pin point anything in us that is acting as a barrier to moving more fully into this life.

So, here we go…