Over the past week a lot has been made of Finland's election results, given its possible implications for Portugal's bail out by the E.U. The 'True Finns' party, who oppose EU membership and mass-migration, made pretty huge gains. Much of the media has over-emphasized the 'anti-imigration' stance and written them off as racists (although anyone who even discusses immigration seems to be labelled the same way). To be honest it was hard before the elections to get much media coverage of it in English. And due to the media portrayal I absorbed, I wasn't a big fan of the party.
However, many Christians I met seemed to see them in a slightly different light, which interested me. After the elections I some time with some people praying for Finland who clearly weren't against 'True Finns'. They began to explain to me why they believed the election results could be a positive thing, and it gave me more light on the subject. Then we spent time praying for the new parliament and the nation.
While praying, it dawned on me that I'd simply accepted the media's views without asking God about the situation. I know that there's a lot of stuff in the media that you really can't take at face value (the whole Middle East subject being one of them). I had to repent to God for my pride and thinking that by being 'well-informed' I therefore understand things (although it turns out I'd only got half the picture).
I'm still not a fan of some of True Finns' policies, but my eyes were opened again to the fact that politics and the media are governed by a different system. We need discernment from God to really find out what's really going on and what His purposes are for our nations. I believe there is so much more going on in our world under the surface than what the media is telling us. We need our spiritual eyes to be open and to be listening to what the Spirit is saying in these days.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Jealous Love
I've sung the song "How He Loves" so many times, in England, Finland, America and Israel, and also at my sister's wedding. I've heard the Jesus Culture recording, the David Crowder Band recording, the Glorious Unseen recording, John Mark McMillan's original recording of the song, and many other worship leaders' versions. The song has something powerful in it that our generation (and every generation) needs to know. It tells of the jealousy in God's love, the deep, unrelenting passion in God's heart for us.
He wants me, all of me - my weakness, my brokenness, my gifts, my talents, my time, my trust, my wholehearted devotion. I am Jesus' inheritance, His purchased possession, and there is something in me that longs to be completely, wholeheartedly His. Now I know this is a process will take my whole life, but what a life that will be. Yes, there will be many times of testing, times of weakness and times of sheer frustration. But I am determined that Jesus will receive the fullness of His inheritance in me.
So, I saw this video last week, and it's basically John Mark McMillan telling the story behind this song. I've watched it a few times already, and it is truly amazing. I think it also gives some idea of why the song has captured the heart of people around the world.
He wants me, all of me - my weakness, my brokenness, my gifts, my talents, my time, my trust, my wholehearted devotion. I am Jesus' inheritance, His purchased possession, and there is something in me that longs to be completely, wholeheartedly His. Now I know this is a process will take my whole life, but what a life that will be. Yes, there will be many times of testing, times of weakness and times of sheer frustration. But I am determined that Jesus will receive the fullness of His inheritance in me.
So, I saw this video last week, and it's basically John Mark McMillan telling the story behind this song. I've watched it a few times already, and it is truly amazing. I think it also gives some idea of why the song has captured the heart of people around the world.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
24/7 Prayer Finland 'Yhteyspäivä'
A couple of weeks ago, we had a 24/7 Prayer Finland gathering in Helsinki. About 50 people came along, some more directly involved with 24/7 in Finland and others keen to find out more. Despite the range of different people there, the overall feeling of the day was one of togetherness and family.
During the morning, various people involved with 24/7 in Finland shared something of what God has been doing where they are. It was really amazing to hear about prayer going on in prayer rooms, schools, day care centres, and Lutheran churches, in different places across this nation. Seeing people of different ages and from different church backgrounds share was pretty great, and helped me see that what God is doing here is so much bigger than the boxes we put ourselves in.
Both Susanna Rychiger, who heads up 24/7 in Switzerland, and Ian Nicholson, who is part of 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership Team, came to Finland for the weekend, and they both taught and shared with us some stories from their lives related to prayer.
These stories inspired, encouraged and challenged me, and throughout the day I got more and more passion to see prayer raised up across Finland. Our simple prayers, spoken and lived out in our everyday lives, can really change things.
One other highlight for me was towards the end of the day, when we spent some time praying all together for the relationship between the generations. There was repentance and humility on all sides, as well as love and reconciliation. It was really amazing to see God bringing unity between the different generations, which goes so much against today's Western culture, and i think particularly today's Finnish culture.
So overall, it was a pretty great day, and I'm excited to see more of what God is doing in Finland and the part 24/7 has to play in that.
During the morning, various people involved with 24/7 in Finland shared something of what God has been doing where they are. It was really amazing to hear about prayer going on in prayer rooms, schools, day care centres, and Lutheran churches, in different places across this nation. Seeing people of different ages and from different church backgrounds share was pretty great, and helped me see that what God is doing here is so much bigger than the boxes we put ourselves in.
Both Susanna Rychiger, who heads up 24/7 in Switzerland, and Ian Nicholson, who is part of 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership Team, came to Finland for the weekend, and they both taught and shared with us some stories from their lives related to prayer.
These stories inspired, encouraged and challenged me, and throughout the day I got more and more passion to see prayer raised up across Finland. Our simple prayers, spoken and lived out in our everyday lives, can really change things.
One other highlight for me was towards the end of the day, when we spent some time praying all together for the relationship between the generations. There was repentance and humility on all sides, as well as love and reconciliation. It was really amazing to see God bringing unity between the different generations, which goes so much against today's Western culture, and i think particularly today's Finnish culture.
So overall, it was a pretty great day, and I'm excited to see more of what God is doing in Finland and the part 24/7 has to play in that.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Come&Live!
A friend sent this video to me recently, and it is just so amazingly inspiring. It's done by an amazing bunch of people called Come&Live!, I'd recommend you check it out.
I'm helping to organise a nine-day-long 'worship and prayer tour' in Finland this July, visiting five different places. Our heart is very similar to the video below, and I've started to get a bit excited about it having just seen the video.
Enjoy
I'm helping to organise a nine-day-long 'worship and prayer tour' in Finland this July, visiting five different places. Our heart is very similar to the video below, and I've started to get a bit excited about it having just seen the video.
Enjoy
NEW ZEALAND {Our Story} | A Come&Live! Documentary from Come&Live! on Vimeo.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Not only meek and mild...
In C.S. Lewis' 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', Mr Beaver, talking about Aslan, says to Lucy, ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king I tell you’.
We often have a pretty clear picture of Jesus' gentleness, humility and servant heart; we see pretty clearly the 'Lamb' aspect of Jesus' nature. But as my friend Aki said on Saturday, we in the Church have often emphasised this, leaving another side of Jesus' character overlooked. Jesus is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
What I'm referring to isn't only important in terms of rediscovering what it is for us to be a man and follower of Jesus. This has been the focus of a number of books and teaching series, and is very important. But our understanding of 'Who Jesus truly is' must be central to everything.
I've recently been kinda fascinated by Jesus as presented in Revelation. In chapter 1, verses 12 to 18, we get a picture of the ascended Jesus, glorious and powerful. Eyes like a flame of fire, voice like the sound of rushing waters, out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, etc. This picture of Jesus is fascinating and awesome, and I really feel that it is something we really need to re-discover.
If you want some stuff on this passage in more detail, Mike Bickle's notes on Revelation 1 are pretty amazing, see them here
We often have a pretty clear picture of Jesus' gentleness, humility and servant heart; we see pretty clearly the 'Lamb' aspect of Jesus' nature. But as my friend Aki said on Saturday, we in the Church have often emphasised this, leaving another side of Jesus' character overlooked. Jesus is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
What I'm referring to isn't only important in terms of rediscovering what it is for us to be a man and follower of Jesus. This has been the focus of a number of books and teaching series, and is very important. But our understanding of 'Who Jesus truly is' must be central to everything.
I've recently been kinda fascinated by Jesus as presented in Revelation. In chapter 1, verses 12 to 18, we get a picture of the ascended Jesus, glorious and powerful. Eyes like a flame of fire, voice like the sound of rushing waters, out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, etc. This picture of Jesus is fascinating and awesome, and I really feel that it is something we really need to re-discover.
If you want some stuff on this passage in more detail, Mike Bickle's notes on Revelation 1 are pretty amazing, see them here
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Only to sit and think of God
A while ago while reading "Celebration of Discipline", one particular passage really struck me. In the chapter on meditation, Richard Foster quotes this verse from a hymn by Frederick W. Faber:
"Only to sit and think of God,
Oh, what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name,
Earth has no higher bliss."
This idea is something I've been trying to work into times of corporate worship, particularly at the beginning. Many people have said that we must begin with 'seeing' God, and then worship is a natural response to that revelation. So what I've done is simply to leave space at the beginning of a time of corporate worship for people to give their thoughts, the stresses and worries of life to God, and simply to meditate on Who God is.
It's very easy to rush into worship with lots of words, and at times that may mean that people aren't really 'engaged' in worship until the second or third song. For myself there are times when I remember half-way through the first song Who it is I'm singing to. The unfortunate reality is that our lives are lived often without a constant awareness of God. So we need to take the time to really focus on Him, and yes, that may mean we don't get through all the songs on our list (if any of them). But I would question whether our priority is to get through a song list, or simply to encounter the living God.
Spending time simply meditating on God's character and qualities causes praise and adoration to flow out. This may simply mean silently encountering God within us, or it may involve meditating on Scripture which tells of Who God is. Then we may be ready to sing together, knowing clearly Who it is we are worshiping.
"Only to sit and think of God,
Oh, what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name,
Earth has no higher bliss."
This idea is something I've been trying to work into times of corporate worship, particularly at the beginning. Many people have said that we must begin with 'seeing' God, and then worship is a natural response to that revelation. So what I've done is simply to leave space at the beginning of a time of corporate worship for people to give their thoughts, the stresses and worries of life to God, and simply to meditate on Who God is.
It's very easy to rush into worship with lots of words, and at times that may mean that people aren't really 'engaged' in worship until the second or third song. For myself there are times when I remember half-way through the first song Who it is I'm singing to. The unfortunate reality is that our lives are lived often without a constant awareness of God. So we need to take the time to really focus on Him, and yes, that may mean we don't get through all the songs on our list (if any of them). But I would question whether our priority is to get through a song list, or simply to encounter the living God.
Spending time simply meditating on God's character and qualities causes praise and adoration to flow out. This may simply mean silently encountering God within us, or it may involve meditating on Scripture which tells of Who God is. Then we may be ready to sing together, knowing clearly Who it is we are worshiping.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A recent adventure in central Helsinki
A few weeks ago, I was making my way to a meeting about an upcoming trip to Macedonia. I'd just come from a prayer weekend where I'd helped lead worship. As I was walking through Sörnäinen metro station (in Helsinki), I saw a man right in front of me who was stood there asking people something. As I got closer to him I asked him to repeat what he was saying. It turned he wanted 1 euro so he could go and get some lunch. The man had a crutch in one hand and his other arm was in a sling. So I gave him 2 euros, and then asked if I could pray for him. He said it was ok, so I prayed for him. Afterwards I asked if I could go and eat lunch with him, which he again agreed to. He was going to a particular place, where people in need can get cheap meals.
So we waited for tram, and then took the tram to this place. It turned out this man had visited England years ago, and spoke fairly good English. So on the journey I asked him lots of questions and got to know him a bit. We talked about everything from places he'd been to in England, to his favourite books, to his family and even at some point about Disney films. We then got off the tram and he lead me to our destination. When I walked in the place, I was pretty shocked. There were lots of people just sitting or lying down, all of them looking completely without hope. There were some in wheelchairs, and others who clearly had mental illnesses.
So I walked into the cafeteria with my new friend and he bought food for himself and me (he insisted on spending the extra euro I'd given him on me). We sat down and continued talking while we ate. Then at some point, the man kinda just wandered off, and apparently went to the smoking room. After that I didn't see him again there.
So there I was, sat in this place not quite sure what to do next. Pretty soon I overheard some guys speaking in English, so I got up, went over to the table where they were sat and started talking to them. There was one guy from Tunisia, another guy from Bosnia and then a Finnish guy. They were very friendly, and I spent a while getting to know them a bit and hear how they'd ended up here. The guy from Bosnia had left at the end of the war there. His words stayed with me: "I came to Finland for a better life - I don't think I found it."
After a while of talking to them, I asked if I could play them some of my songs (I had my guitar with me). They agreed, although one guy was very clear that he was a Muslim and I couldn't sing songs about Jesus (I had mentioned I was a Christian). Pretty much all of my songs are about God, so I sang a couple of songs that didn't mention Jesus by name. Then I just continued playing guitar for a while, and at times just sang melodies. I could feel God's presence in that place, and the whole room was silent while I played. I could see tears in the eyes of some of the people there.
At some point soon after this I left, and said I wanted to come back and visit again. While I was there I began to dream about what the Kingdom of God would look like in that place. I could see how the community that existed there could be transformed by Jesus. The whole experience was pretty challenging, being surrounded by people with very little to live for, knowing that Jesus in me is the only thing I have to offer them.
Somehow it's already been a few weeks since I was there, and I managed to forget their names. But I'm planning on going back there tomorrow and visiting more regularly.
So we waited for tram, and then took the tram to this place. It turned out this man had visited England years ago, and spoke fairly good English. So on the journey I asked him lots of questions and got to know him a bit. We talked about everything from places he'd been to in England, to his favourite books, to his family and even at some point about Disney films. We then got off the tram and he lead me to our destination. When I walked in the place, I was pretty shocked. There were lots of people just sitting or lying down, all of them looking completely without hope. There were some in wheelchairs, and others who clearly had mental illnesses.
So I walked into the cafeteria with my new friend and he bought food for himself and me (he insisted on spending the extra euro I'd given him on me). We sat down and continued talking while we ate. Then at some point, the man kinda just wandered off, and apparently went to the smoking room. After that I didn't see him again there.
So there I was, sat in this place not quite sure what to do next. Pretty soon I overheard some guys speaking in English, so I got up, went over to the table where they were sat and started talking to them. There was one guy from Tunisia, another guy from Bosnia and then a Finnish guy. They were very friendly, and I spent a while getting to know them a bit and hear how they'd ended up here. The guy from Bosnia had left at the end of the war there. His words stayed with me: "I came to Finland for a better life - I don't think I found it."
After a while of talking to them, I asked if I could play them some of my songs (I had my guitar with me). They agreed, although one guy was very clear that he was a Muslim and I couldn't sing songs about Jesus (I had mentioned I was a Christian). Pretty much all of my songs are about God, so I sang a couple of songs that didn't mention Jesus by name. Then I just continued playing guitar for a while, and at times just sang melodies. I could feel God's presence in that place, and the whole room was silent while I played. I could see tears in the eyes of some of the people there.
At some point soon after this I left, and said I wanted to come back and visit again. While I was there I began to dream about what the Kingdom of God would look like in that place. I could see how the community that existed there could be transformed by Jesus. The whole experience was pretty challenging, being surrounded by people with very little to live for, knowing that Jesus in me is the only thing I have to offer them.
Somehow it's already been a few weeks since I was there, and I managed to forget their names. But I'm planning on going back there tomorrow and visiting more regularly.
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