Archive for November, 2006
You are currently browsing the Philip K Stone blog archives for November, 2006.
28
Nov
2006
Paving Gods Way
Last night was just an awesome experience in Cell. Seeing people who not just love God but to see people step out and Love community as well. Having lived in Mourneview for four years last night was probably the most excited I’ve been about evangelism on my street and neighbourhood.
As Stevie led the guys in a prayer walk around Margretta & Marlborough Park on a very peaceful evening, I could sense God in a way I’d never sensed Him before (Yes – in Mournview – God is HERE).
As we prayed over 82 houses beside us I Could see that God was trying to show me that the way to see this community won for God is to take Ground house by house and not street by street. As the girls stayed behind to put finishing touches to a little Gift which they had been encouraged to pray blessing over, I just had to look up to a star filled sky and praise God for simple ideas and for ideas that will see Gods Love Reach our neighbourhood.
When the guys came home after praying to see how the gifts were coming on, I was Blessed when I seen the short phrase on each gift.. (thanks for the inspiration Joy)
‘A gift of Love”
guys thats what its all about, it was a Gift of Love that Brought Jesus to this earth and it will be by showing people a Godly love that they will come to receive the true Gift of Love – Salvation!
We’re living in exciting pre-revival days and I for one am excited!
Keep praying and seeking God as we see Gods Way Paved in Lurgan, Craigavon, Co.Armagh, Northern Ireland and the World!
27
Nov
2006
Flexible Christians
We live in a society that sees church as a rigid set of rules that not even christians can keep.
Is that really what church is mean’t to be? Sometimes I think that ‘holy Christians’ you know those who are superior to the rest of us because they have a large king james Bible in the finest leather, they wear a remus whatever you call it suit, they sport the trendiest ties and the newest shoes, (Basically they feed capitalism and cripple the poor) they don’t move or respond to a sermon, they turn to a cement statue during worship and greet you with the deep voice and sad face saying ‘its great to be in the house of the Lord’?
Is it? I feel like screaming, you don’t look great about it?
i’ve heard many say something about wearing your heart on your sleeve and boy how we need to stop pretending thats alls good inside, In this society people are criticised for wearing their problems on the outside? They are the honest ones, I would say if everyone decided tomorrow to wear their problems on the outside there would be a few screams. (even in churches as well as workplaces and homes)
As Phil said a few weeks ago we are the body of Christ, one that has actually got Arms and Legs (although they have seemed removed for many years), Well we as individuals have got Arms and legs as well so we need to use them for God.
We need to speak with our acts of kindness, we need to love the less well off, we don’t need to go to Africa to find poverty, Lurgan, Portadown and many other towns and villages close by are polluted with poverty, We need to reach out and stop criticising people who reach out because of their method.
I’d rather be remembered as a trier than a failure! So today Flex those spiritual muscles, God doens’t feed us to make us fat, He feeds us so that we can feed others!
21
Nov
2006
Interuptions can become divine moments!
Anyone at Emmanuel on sunday will have Heard alain mention a quote of CS lewis about the interuptions of life, here is is for those who didn’t hear it:
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s own, or real life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s real life is a phantom of one’s own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight; but it’s hard to remember it all the time.” – CS Lewis
What a powerful Quote! This morning I was reading in John 4 where Jesus Meets the Woman at the well, as I read and seen the conversation deepen with this woman, I asked myself the question could it be that sometimes in life – or maybe all the time, that the ‘interuptions’ could actually be God trying to create a divine moment(s) for us to speak God into someones life.
As Neil said in cell last night, Sometimes God is taking people throught the rough stuff to give them the stamp of authority when speaking into peoples lives that Yes its tough and horrible, But that they can tesify that God is good and that His grace is sufficent for all of us in those darkest hours!
Today lets change our tone of reaction, when something goes wrong, or something bad happens to us lets first seek God and ask Him to reveal and help us to see what divine moment(s) God is preparing us for.
The most dangerous prayer you will ever pray will be ‘Not my will but yours be done’ Jesus raised the bar when He prayed this in the Garden the night he was arrested, The Cost may be high, but don’t count the cost with your earth eyes, rather focus and see the eternal Purpose, Plan and Will of God.
15
Nov
2006
He MUST increase!
John 3.30 has been burning in me all day.
“He must increase, but I must decrease”
Words fail when I try to start on this one, so I’m just gonna leave this verse with you all, but heres a fact, if you want more of God in your life then you need to throw the “other stuff” into the rubbish can – I’m speaking into the mirror as I say this!!
as Steve said on sunday night in church, we need to give God emptiness – not fullness cause God wants to be the fullness in your life…Will you let him be your fullness?
14
Nov
2006
Jesus first Assignment
Sometimes I like looking into things in a little to much detail, I know, but yesterday i spent the afternoon wondering, what was the first public appearance of Jesus in His ministry, Remember Jesus had been crusing the streets of Israel North and south for about 30years with His family and mates, so now He hits the big 30 and its time to fulfil the prophecies of Isaiah and Co.
So in John 2 we see that Jesus and his new followers/diciples were invited to a wedding, all was going good then the wine runs out – heres two things i want you to see with me
1. Mary brought the problem to Jesus – well my mind started to think was Mary asking him because this had happened in the past and Jesus sorted the problem out? or was Mary asking because she knew Jesus was ready to fulfil the reason He came to earth? to bring hope and Love to all, to heal the sick and to give a glimpse of the miraculous to all who see Him as way of showing who He was and that He had the Power to do absolutely anything.
2.Did Jesus change His plan? – Jesus first response was “Mine hour has not yet come”, but minutes Later He told the servants to fill the Jars with water and yuo know the rest of the story.
I wondered if this wasn’t what Jesus came to do first in his public ministry then what was,
scanning down we see that the next day Jesus went to Jerusalem with the disciple to the temple, were they were buying and selling in the temple – Jesus in a moment of rage cleared the temple of everything and everyone! Church was never meant to be run as a profitable business, never meant to be a market place, rather its a place were we come to meet with God and He will meet with us.
Distractions need to put out of Gods house so that the primary focus is God, if anything else is your primary focus in your church then you need to get that sorted!
If this is the first action of Jesus, I would say its something that really annoys Him, so lets keep our churches clear from merchandise in the sanctuary and lets rather focus on His majesty in the sanctuary!
By the way was the wine alcoholic or not? it doesn’t say so thats not the issue!
