The Love Bank

Relationships are a little like having love banks. That is banks which we make deposits and withdrawals from. When we make too many withdrawals, our love bank is emptied and in some cases we can bankrupt our accounts.

When your account is bankrupt whether it be in the corporate world or in life, what most people do is file for bankruptcy or insolvency. This process initiates a number of things but most importantly it starts a process of communication.

If external or third parties are involved which contribute or are part of the relationship, than these parties or people are contacted to begin talks in sorting out the debt.

At this stage, communication is of the highest priority. When communications fail or breakdown then the next step is to take legal action to make claims against the bankrupted person.

Just as in the corporate world, as in life, communication is of the upmost importance when relationships fail. When there is no communication or even worse, when those trying to communicate are being avoided or even attacked by the other parties then miscommunication or reading into the situation will occur. Now, not only is communication lacking which can lead to solving the initial problem but miscommunication might cause people to assume the worst or make decisions which cause greater distress.

In war, those in the know tell us that ensuring communications and supply lines maintained are of the highest priority. When however, those lines are cut, such as when one party in a relationship refuses to communicate or even attack and attempt to hurt the other party because they were initially hurt, what do we do? I believe the only thing we can do is to pray and ask our loving God who knows all things to make a way of communication open again. Whilst at the same time, we must ensure that we in turn do not become offended but continually keep our hearts in check and soft towards reconciliation.

The one condition, if any, that is placed on our forgiveness by God is that we in turn forgive those who sin against us. As Jesus said in Matthew 6 in teaching his disciples to pray. guarding our hearts from hurt, not keeping a record of wrongs as Paul writes to the Ephesian church and not letting the sun go down on our wrath will enable our hearts to stay pure and communication lines open.

By the way, this will not sort out the initial cause of bankruptcy but will hopefully lead to reconciliation. The big question we must ask ourselves is why do we make withdrawals at all from the love banks of those we around us. Nowhere in scripture do we find God saying we should take love from others only that we should give love to others. Love is not to be taken but given by those who chose to give it to us. If we are taking love from others it is usually because we feel unloved ourselves. God is love and as an old Jewish man once said to me when I asked him what it means to have God as your Abba Father, he said, that's easy that means "God is your source and strength for everything". If we feel unloved, it is because we are trying to substitute God's love with the love of those around us.

Hope

Hope

Hebrews 11:1

Now Faith is....

The Substance (Assurance) of things hoped for...

The Evidence of things not seen....

 Most of us understand faith, without faith Hebrews tells us is impossible to please God. In fact if we continue reading Hebrews 11 we soon see that the real heroes in the bible were heroes because of their faith.

We also know from scripture that faith brings results as seen in these heroes of faith, in fact James 4 tells us that “faith without works is dead” and in the same way works done without faith is a futile. These are simply mans efforts rather than man believing God.

Faith further is an essential part of being followers of Christ. Yet if I understand scripture correctly, it is hope that makes faith possible.

What then is hope?

Even as we continue to read Hebrews 11 we soon see that hope is things unseen. That is with our natural eyes, but being able to see what God sees with our spiritual eyes.

1Cor 2:9 says “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind conceived the plans that God has for those who love Him”.

Romans 12:2 speaks of the “good and perfect will of God”. From this we are able to deduce that has a will and desire that each of us is to discern.

Ephesians 3:20 says that “our God is able to exceedingly, above and beyond that which we can imagine”.

Hope is the glue that binds faith and action

Paul in 1Cor 13:13 says these three remain, “faith, hope and love”.

Hope in this scripture sits sandwiched between faith and love, but I believe this is not a mistake. For though we each need faith to believe for the things God has for us, it is the hope that we see with our spiritual minds that compels us to works and deeds of love.

Just as our God is love so too should the out workings of our faith be done in love.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:40 “the whole law and the prophets can be summed up in these two commandments”, love God and love your neighbour as yourself. (revised)

Sometimes I wonder if we the church of the 21^st century believes the love God is only for believers of Him. Yet scripture is clear that God loves all of His creation as we read in John 3:16 “For God so loved the WORLD that he gave is only begotten son...”

Paul says in Romans 5:12 “God demonstrates his love for us, whilst we were still yet sinners Christ died for us.”

Hope Deferred

Proverbs 13:8 says “hope deferred makes the heart grow sick”

Proverbs 29:18 says “where there is no finish, the people perish”.

Hope therefore makes faith possible. Just as faith makes it possible to please God, hope makes it possible to believe.

Hope therefore is essential.

What do we hope for?

We hope for what God has install for us...

We hope for the things that God has promised in His word for us...

We hope for that which is impossible for man but possible for God...

Where does our hope come from?

Romans 15:13 “our hope comes from God”...

Isaiah 40:31 “those that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength”

Psalm 121:1-2 says our help comes from God...

Philippians 3:13 says “forget that which lay behind me, I press on to that which lay ahead of me, towards the prize heavenward....”

Paul says in Colossians 1:27 “Christ in us, the hope of glory”

Hope brings us to our destiny

Two men, on the day Christ was put on trial before the high priest, were present. Both these men, in their weakest and darkest moments gave up or denied Christ.

I speak of Judas and Peter.

Whilst both these men walked with Christ and certainly were seen by Christ as friends and companions only one went on to fulfil his destiny.

Both were weak, mere men just like you and me, yet one took his life whilst the other saw the resurrected Christ.

What was the difference between Judas and Peter?

Hope, hope for the resurrected Christ.

Paul in 2 Cor7:10 speaks of godly sorrow which leads to repentance and worldly sorrow which leads to death.

Many will often exchange optimism for hope, worldly ideas or imaginations yet it is God’s thoughts and plans for us that is hope. Isa55

20 Years On

This month marks twenty years since being released of my role at Penrith Christian Life Centre. I visited this church yesterday with my daughter to catch up with what God was saying to this congregation but also to see what emotions were released.

I feel very blessed to have served so many years at this church. The people and their love gave me a great start and grounding in my life since accepting Jesus as Lord as a seventeen year old now as I look back  some thirty one years later. It is always wonderful to know that where ever you find yourself on life's journey that there is always people from whom you belong and later can return to. At least this is how I feel when I reflect upon what is now known as Imaginations Church.

Though this congregation has a great future, it is important to know from where we have come and what vision was seen in those early days to bring the hope of something new. It was just a few believers meeting at the Barlow's home in Emu Plains that saw the initial seed of what would first be known as the Charismatic Christian Fellowship. When the Charismatic revival swept through Australia in the seventies many could not fathom the effects this would have on so many people. They came from all walks of life, Catholics, protestants and even Seven day Adventists all without pretensions were swallowed up in this new outpouring of God's Spirit.

Whilst God sees all men as equal, there were a number of men who God chose to lead this new revival, one no more obvious than the late Pastor Gordon Gibbs who with his newly found gifts of the Holy Spirit began to pray and prophecy over the multitudes. Hundreds were saved and healed as a result and it was this new group of believers in Emu Plains west of Sydney that had heard of the amazing transformation God was bringing through this man. Gordon was asked to come and pastor this small but significant group and though first reluctant he finally heard the call.

From this small group to hundreds of new converts of the Baptism of Charismata if the Holy Spirit a property in Orchard Hills was purchased. With only enough for a hand deposit twenty one acres was bought to be the home of Penrith Christian Fellowship Centre. It was here at this property in 1986 that I first encountered God and in a night of His awesome display I received the Holy Spirit as a seal upon my life.

The next few years were a blur as I began study at our local bible school and the following year was asked in 1988 to serve as a youth leader working in our local high schools. It was in December of 1988 that I met my wife whilst ministering with Steve Kelly at Burrendong Dam Recreation Park at a combined Christian youth camp. Over lunch on the 12th of November and five hours of table tennis I fell in love with this amazing Swedish exchange student that would become my wife and the most terrific mother to our two beautiful children.

After visiting Ann-Marie and her parents in Sweden at the end of 1989, we both began study at our local bible college and in October of that year were engaged to be married. Whilst still employed at the church came one of the most difficult yet exciting decisions I had ever made. We would marry in Sweden and put down roots away from my homeland but most importantly away from those people who had become my family.

After two and a half years of living in Sweden and of marriage, Australia and my home church beckoned. We arrived home at the beginning of February 1993 and I was asked to be New Christians pastor by the legendary Gordon Gibbs who had once again taken the helm of the church. For an exciting three years I witnessed God to some of the most miraculous things both in me as a person and in the life of our church. It seemed to be that nothing could go wrong. At least until I received a phone call in the middle of the night whilst on holidays in Sweden. Our church was to amalgamate with another church and it's pastor would become the new senior leader of the new amalgamated church which became known as Penrith Christian Life Centre.

With this new change came all the uncertainty and fear that the enemy could throw at me. Within a few minute phone call my world was turned upside down and faith was turned to fear. The following year and the amalgamation process was messy, not just for myself but many others who like me struggled with letting go of the past and all we knew and allowing God to establish the new. I knew I was in a fight but unfortunately I thought the new pastor was the enemy instead of the true enemy of our souls, the devil. As a result, at the beginning of 1997 I was told that my services to this congregation were no longer needed. I remember the look on the pastors face and his own anguish in cutting off that which had become a great burden to him.

For twelve months I struggled with God, the new pastor and myself and then finally after committing to a project which was birthed in anguish we left once again for Sweden. Naturally our motives for Sweden seemed pure, establish a new outreach in the South of Sweden and see the Kingdom of our God expand. Yet inwardly this was simply a way of justifying my own selfish desires and putting off the true desires of my God to embrace the plans He had for my life.

After two years of knowing, knowing that I must return to deal with my own hurts and pain of un-forgiveness I begin a pattern of uprooting my family which would repeat itself whenever things became too difficult. We arrived back in Australia after the birth of our beautiful daughter in the Autumn of 1999 and after a year of trying to get resettled I have enough courage to approach the pastor to ask his forgiveness for my poor behaviour and for judging him.

A lot has happed since this day, yet one thing is sure, our God is a god of love who desires to reconcile himself not only with himself but also with those around us. Twenty years on, I am pleased to report of the continuing love I have for God but also for my brothers and sisters at what is now Imaginations Church. Even more so, God is continually releasing me to show His love even to those that hate me and His Church.

The Body of Christ - 1Corinthians12

As a new Christian, we were given the example of working as soldiers in the army of God to achieve the goals and mission of the church. In fact we were shown pictures of the Roman soldiers as they linked arms or shields to form one great line of defence and offence. Whilst the old testament does give us examples and descriptive pictures of the Israelites as they went into battle, Paul in 1Corinthians12 gives us what we would say is an accurate understanding who we are in Christ and how He interacts with us. Even if we are to use the example of the Israelites formation when going into battle, it is interesting to note that the tribes of Israel formed a cross with the ark of covenant firmly positioned at the centre of the cross formation. Once again emphasising the redemptive power of Christ on the cross and all he achieved for us. See Below:-

 

I Corinthians 12 speaks of a different formation that we now have when in Christ. Whilst Ephesians speaks of the armour of God is in place, it is clear the body is not a picture of many people but of many parts of one body. This I believe gives greater bearing to Paul's teaching on the armour of God.

 

When in prayer today, I was given a picture of the armour of God over four members of my family, namely myself which represented one half of the body including the leg, my wife who was the other half of the body including one leg and our children, each representing an arm each. As expected, Christ was represented as the head of the body.  I felt the Lord say that each of us make up the members of his body in this way. As our numbers increase, each person represents another part of the body. This is only speculation but perhaps when the body increases as promised to Abraham, that is as "numerous as the stars" as spoken in Genesis 22&26, perhaps this will have each believer represented on a cellular level? Sorry for sounding a bit weird, but this may already be the case.

 

This places greater importance on how we as the body of Christ interact with one another. Just as every part of our body feels when another part is in pain, so too does the church, the body of Christ, know when things are not right. I once heard a preacher speak on when a body part becomes disjointed that it effects the way in which the whole body moves. In the same way, when there is division within the body, even at a local level, it affects every part of the body as a whole.

 

I know now, better than I have ever known, just how important it is not to have division within the body. We often think that we can operate normally with division or even separation for example when a member of our body is cut off, the reality however is very different. Scientist now tell us that separation, division, trauma, grief and many other areas which effect us on an emotional level actually also effect us on a physical and spiritual level also. We simply cannot discard what happens from one part of our lives from the rest. As my wife has said regarding a woman's brain, it is just like spaghetti and everything is connected.

 

We are connected to the body of Christ both on a local and universal level. It is important that we continue therefore to lift up every part of Christ's church and body in prayer and believe our God for His healing power to sweep over us and bring unity. This is true on our individual family levels, local neighbourhoods, cities, nations and finally across the world as we know it.