Philip K Stone

Follow Me

I’ve often marvelled at the simple language Jesus used in His time on earth, He never made the impressive speech using big words, always plain, always simple. Why? So that Everyone could follow him, right from how society would see the worst of the worst to the best of the best!

Sometimes when I hear theologians talk I want the ground to open up and swallow me, why? Because they are discussing mans opinions on the word of God.

Instead of reading it and accepting and believing it, they read it, debate it, argue about it, redraft it, split churches about it and grieve the Holy spirit about it!

Today God is whispering those words we read so often the the NT – Follow Me!

No strings attached! No Calvanism or Armenism or anything else, Just “Follow Jesus” Lets just cling to God and not to man made religion!

Lets talk about God

Was so refreshing last night to hear Phil Baker from Austrailia speak at CFC, God has done so much in that Guy and last night the Messsage He delivered on Gods Behalf really spoke to me – quite timely in my life.

Phil started last night talking about the Racing Arcade games that have 4 camera angles, and how in life sometimes he wishes when life hits crisis that we could hit the camera 4 button to see whats round the corner, He focused the night on the Burning Bush story – Exodus ch.3

Heres His Four points:

1.God is not what we expect – We want a managable God, instead of letting Him Just be God

2.You have to seek Him – God is a hidden god that likes to be found, Movement is more important than postion

“God is not a maths equation you need to solve, He’s a song you need to hear”

3.Take off Your shoes - Don’t overuse words so that when You come to describe God to people the words aren’t undervalued or maybe there are now words left that can adequatelt describe a fraction about who God is! – eg. that pizza was awesome! We need to have more respect and reverence towards God

4.He wants to use us – GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS!

Our Primary focus in life needs to be to get to know God, God shows up in Hungry hearts and lives!

Keep our hearts seeking after God!

Hope there is something above that Blesses you!

the cry of the poor

I woke yesterday morning with ‘the poor, the broken and the lost’ burdening me, it was a bit of a strange experience for me, not knowing what to do but pray I opened my Bible to Proverbs to continue my journey through the book

some verses from ch21 stirred something inside

13.He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor, Will also cry himself and not be answered.

17.He who loves pleasure will become a poor man, He who loves wine and oil will not become rich

21.He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor.

From these three verses I could see three plain questions:

1. What are you shutting out of your life?
2. What are you Loving in your life?
3. What are you pusuing in your life?

These I know are very personal questions, but if want to grow in God and live for God then let me remind you or a little thing I learn’t as a child

Jesus First
Others Second
Yourself Last

Maybe your thinking How dare He!

Back to verse 2 of the same chapter
2.Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.

Be Blessed & challenged!

Glorify His Name!

There is no other way of holiness that can ever reach God’s high standard or man’s low level of perfect helplessness. All else is human, this is divine. It is higher than the best that man can do, yet easier than the least of His own struggles.

It is not an attainment, but an obtainment.
It is not a task, but a gift.
It is ” Not I, but Christ that liveth in me.”
It is not our best, but “God’s best.”

AB Simpson

Putting feet on the plan!

I got so excited yesterday in church, It was to be pivotal morning / day in church as Steve shared, and boy it was!

I am gonna be real honest here – I struggle with some ‘general church’ concepts of evangelism! Don’t get me wrong i love talking to people about God and sharing my faith with seekers but, I have in the past given out tracks, knocked doors and led good news clubs on estate greens etc, and even have had the absolute privilege of leading children and friends to God, but I have still struggled. why?

Because at a young age i was told to not mix with sinners! I took that literally! It’s only in the past 5 years or so that I’ve realised that

- Jesus Mixed with Sinners
- Jesus Spent time with Sinners
- Jesus Loved Sinners
- That Jesus didn’t mind getting His hands dirty

So Yesterday I have to say for the first time in 18 years of being a Christian I am very excited! I want to be a sower – not an evangelist – A SOWER!

The word Evangelist has become to technical in the 21st century church, and don’t shoot me for saying that in becoming more techincal, its become more board room or committee controlled.

You can bring Jesus to people in your world and if we all accept that call and respond to Jesus Commission, then I agree with Phil from last night that YES craigavon can be saved in its entirity, if your not from this area then your town or city or nation can be saved totally also!

Never put God in a Box, or you’ll never see beyond that Box!