Hand-Picked

Apologies for not writing for a couple of weeks. I currently don't have home internet, and with my recent move I've had the joy of transferring my details from one location to another and this has meant interacting with one of the banes of my existence: call centres.

I like to speak with people. I figure that with six billion or so of us on this planet, it is a good thing to be able to interact comfortably with others. This means conversation - and by that, I mean dialogue. So when I phone certain unnamed corporates who provide telecommunications services to me - lets call this company 'Satsuma' - I would ideally like to speak to a person.

However, my experiences this week have been little more than a painful negotiation of an endless number of automated voice menu's, each one requiring me to listen to a computerised sales pitch. Pressing a seemingly random combination of numbers in sequence finally allows me to deal with a person. However, this wasn't the end of my angst. Oh no. Upon trying to find out when my home service - that I am still paying for - becomes active, I was informed early January. I then asked how I would be informed that I could go online. The response?

"Oh, we'll send you an email."

So, my incommunicado status is temporary but still very frustrating.

In other news, my small group this week was pondering the doctrine of Election. Wayne Grudem, in his 'Systematic Theology' defines Election as "the act of God before Creation in which He chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of His sovereign good pleasure."

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that "(God) chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him" and Galatians 1:15 says "(God)... set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace..." These verses, amongst others, are used to support the notion of God handpicking individuals purely as His choice, to be His and with Him forever.

In some ways, Election is a hard doctrine to believe. For me, I have questions about why certain people haven't been chosen - family members for example. Ultimately, Election is a belief that requires faith - faith in the righteous justice of God, and faith in his sovereignty. It is also humbling, because it means my freewill is, has, and always will be subject to the sovereign will of God.

Election also has many pastoral applications to it. These are some of the streams of blessings that spiral from this doctrine:

1. The goodness, kindness and grace of God is demonstrated to me. Why did He chose me? I did nothing to persuade God to choose me, because He made his selection before I was even born!

2. If God chose to save me and have me forever, it is his work. I cannot lose my salvation, because my power to sin can never triumph over his saving power.

3. I can see God desires relationship, friendship and intimacy with me. Because He chose me, called me and pursued me!

4. The pressure is off when it comes down to mission and evangelism. Mission becomes a matter of seeking out who else is Elect, and we partner with God in seeing people saved rather than cajoling or persuading them. There is a place for persuasion, but ultimately out of a place of security because salvation is born from God and not from Man.

5.I am delivered from earning God's favour through law and empty religion. It is more about His choices, actions and work than my choices, actions and works. I'm still elected, whether I feel it or have 'earned' it!

There are undoubtedly more, and of course not everyone would see Election like this. But I've been blessed this week by thinking simply this: In justice and fairness, I deserve Hell. But God so loved me, He chose me as one He would rescue from the fire. Simply because He is passionate about me. And there are many more He has rescued. Its just some don't know it just yet.

Wow.

Peer Pressure

Fine. I'll bow to peer pressure and tell everybody what I'm currently up to. One of the reasons why I've not done an update recently is because there's not been that much to say! Anyway...

I'm currently in the middle of moving house. When I say move house, i really mean procrastinate. Actually, that's not quite true but there was some last minute incidents which have been cleared up. Financially, the house God's provided for me - for what it actually is in terms of size, space and location - is such a bargain its a joke. But the house is on the market and as I'm moving in short term until it is sold, there is an element of risk attached. The house is being auctioned in February so if it is bought then, I could have to move out at any moment from then on. As I think about this, it doesn't really make any sense to uproot and move into something so short term and uncertain. However, I keep remembering God speaking to me about moving to Hastings. And me asking Him to give me somewhere to live. And Him doing so. So if He wants to slow a house sale down or open up somewhere else, He is more than capable...

With regards to people moving in with me, three guys expressed an interest in moving in. One of them has come back to me and said he is going to do it. That's a real blessing from God, as it'll be great to not live alone, and his rent will cover the monthly house insurance. However, there are still the normal running costs to pay - such things as Council Tax and utilities, plus food. And the maths don't add up to cover the rest of the outgoing costs because I'm currently unemployed. So again, common sense tells me it doesn't make sense! Logic tells me to get a job, but its not quite as simple as that...

You see, in Africa God spoke to me about starting my own business. Now, everything about this idea is such a bad idea. I'm not money-motivated. I'm not business-minded. I have no real experience, knowledge or qualifications to go into business. I don't have any products or skills I could market. I have no idea what I'd be doing, how I would start or how to go about doing this business thing. Yet God spoke to me a number of times, through very different ways. The thing I kept being led to is the whole area of Life Coaching. It's basically mentoring, coaching or even discipling people and businesses to develop, grow and change in ways they want to. It would tie together the skills I learnt whilst I worked in Corporate Banking, and the more recent skills in Ministry.

I can see the sense in it - it would certainly give me a 'tentmaking' skill, like the Apostle Paul had (Acts 18:3), which would free me up financially and time-wise for any future ministry. In addition, the self-employed nature of it would be something that would continue to teach me lessons in faith, trust and the provision and goodness of God.

If I'm honest, I have no idea how to get started or to go about it. I've met a life coach, who was introduced to me by a mutual friend, and she was very, very helpful. However, even with the things she's sent my way I still feel out of my depth and unsure how to progress. Again, looking with my own eyes i have so many questions and reasons why this is a bad idea. It is an unregulated industry, so there is no standard accreditation I could simply get as a qualification to start me of. Can - or would - people in Hastings afford to spend money on this kind of service? How do I publicise my business? How do I attract a client base? These are just a few from the top of my head.

However, every time I go to God and begin to ask Him if I've heard wrongly from Him, I come away with a real sense of peace and faith for the house move and the career change. None of it makes sense to me though. And the verse for the moment that keeps swirling around my mind is Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

As Christians, we're called to walk by faith and not by sight, to quote 2 Corinthians 5:7. Which means sometimes taking steps and directions that don't look sensible to us, because God has spoken to us. It means trusting God when life looks contrary to what He has said. Hebrews 11 is a chapter full of real examples from the scriptures of people who trusted what God said to them, even though in the light of life it didn't seem to make sense.

Sometimes I question whether I should trust by "sanctified common sense", to quote what has been said to me. Yet looking at scripture, I cannot help but notice God's way of dealing with men and women is calling them to trust Him. So I'm taking some time to ponder the stories of great heroes to remind me of the faith challenges they were called to. I'd encourage you to do the same as well. No matter the faith challenges in front of you, the key question is this: Has God said? If he has, then we can go in confidence because the victory will be ours. It was the same for people who went before us. Spend some time in Hebrews 11 reminding yourself of the faith pilgrimages of people who have gone before us, and see what I mean. Then let your faith get stirred to come before God to seek his peace, and press on into all He has prepared for you!

Currently listening to: Kasabian - Empire (Acoustic) from Radio One's Live Lounge, Vol. 2

George Muller - Delighted In God

Many people have heard of George Muller and know of some of his exploits, but his story is one I've wanted to read for myself for some time. So I purchased a copy of George Muller: Delighted In God by Roger Steer. I found it a tale of incredible faith, with a man not unafraid to trust in God in remarkable ways. As a result, he did great exploits and his influence remains even today.

Muller was born in 1805 in Prussia. His youth was certainly misspent, but he became a Christian at the age of 20 and his life changed considerably - he even pondered becoming a missionary. Circumstances led him to London, then Devon where he got married. In 1832, he moved to Bristol to pastor a church. It was here he would spend most of his life.

Muller had a heart for orphans, especially those who had no living relatives and were destined for a life in Victorian workhouses. Starting with housing children in his own family home, the work grew over the years and more houses were needed. As these houses become full, custom made buildings were required as well. By 1870, more than 2,000 children were being accommodated in five homes.

The fascinating thing about this great work was how Muller funded it all. Muller simply prayed for any and all funding he required. One of his maxim's was that he would never tell any human what he needed, but would only tell God in prayer. On an almost daily basis, provision came to the orphanage work in the form of financial gifts and food that was needed for the children. Muller kept a diary that he recorded all prayer requests, answers and monetary gifts which gives us a first hand account of his incredible faith, and the amazing provision he experienced year after year. Some of the stories in the book are quite simply astounding.

Over the years, he never went into debt even thought the five homes cost £100,000 to build. On top of this, expenses such as utility bills, food, clothing and staff for the homes meant a considerable ongoing outlay, but one that was always provided for supernaturally. Muller not only housed the orphans, but educated them as well. As well as equipping each child with a simple trade for when they left his care, he also ensure they were taught in the areas of literacy, numeracy, Christianity and the sciences.

In 1875, Muller began a 17 year preaching tour around the world. He visited over 40 countries in this period and all in pre-flight times. Amazingly, Muller even met the President of the United States. Muller died peacefully in 1898 aged 92 and left behind a legacy that even today remains.

To read about a man who not only lived purely on faith, but also did such a significant work was not only incredibly stirring, but also very challenging. It made me think about my own inability to trust God in areas of my life. Muller was convinced about the goodness, kindness and faithfulness of God and so through prayer alone wanted to demonstrate this to the world in his own life, and through the work of the orphanage. This books shows us Muller's faith was in some ways so simple yet amazingly deep - but absolutely effective. If you want to be challenged in the areas of faith, trusting God and supernatural provision, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It showed me what an extraordinary God could do with an ordinary man who simply took Him at His word.