In His Strength

Worship

2011-01-25T16:18:00.000-08:00

Worship has nothing to do with pretty faces, Loud voices or pushy personalities

Worship leading in small groups

2011-01-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

SMALL GROUP WORSHIP LEADING HINTS
especially for guitarists

There is no biblical record of worship leaders in the New Testament church. Some compare worship leaders with the Old Testament priests, yet scripturally every believer is a priest today. A worship leader does not act as an intermediary between God and the flock. A worship leader just heads to the water where the sheep can drink for themselves. As a worship leader, you are really a kind of teacher, a teacher that uses songs and brief moments of sharing, scripture, and prayers to teach through example how God's people can come to Him. A good worship leader gets things started and then gets out of the way!

Prepare a song list. It's ok to deviate from the list, but have one ready. Keep your list easily visible (e.g. tape to top of guitar).

Play through the list beforehand to make sure it flows.
Do keys flow into each other - songs in same key or ascending keys? If not take a slight break between songs or do a modulation.
Does it have a theme(s)? Does it flow thematically?
Themes in worship - as varied as the paths of life. Examples:
Victory March - proclaiming and sharing in Christ's victory over Satan, sin and death.
The Cry Of Repentance - confession and turning to God.
Call To Commitment and Action - let's get serious and roll up our sleeves!
Adoration - worshiping Jesus at His feet.
High Worship - coming before His throne, declaring "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty."
Use a variety of songs:
Not too many old songs, not too many new.
Hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs.
Beware of too many "me" songs or whiny songs.
Flow: upbeat to mellow or mellow to upbeat.
Don't use songs that you don't know thoroughly.
Be sensitive to the musical abilities of the worshippers.
Is the key in a comfortable range? Many songs are written in "performance" keys and should be lowered 2 or 3 half-steps for group use.
Can the selection be easily sung? Some require a full band.
Use modulations for variety in repetitive songs.
Provide lyrics if you can, unless you are doing very well knows songs. Put together a song sheet of your favorites or get song books. Always provide lyrics on new songs.
Taking requests:
If you are flexible enough and know enough songs.
Easier as you get use to each other.
It's alright to say "NO" or "later" - you are the leader.
Teaching new songs: one per worship time max. Reinforce it by doing it again for the next couple sessions, then let it rest awhile.
Be Early. If we are late, we tend to be less sensitive and more likely to rush through songs and not share what we originally intended. Also, guitars need time to reach room temperature.

Make sure your instrument is in tune. It should be an aid to worship, not a hindrance!

Electronic tuners are great when time is short and money isn't.
Good strings? Old strings can make a guitar nearly untunable as well as dull sounding. Replace strings at least every few months. Wipe them off with a cloth after use. Phosphorus strings have a longer life than just bronze. Of course its always nice to have spare strings handy, just in case. Buy mail-order for best price.
Make sure your heart is in tune.

Take your sin seriously. Moral failure affects your worship time.
Get any differences within your group settled beforehand.
Keep your heart flowing in worship continuously. Don't expect to worship with a group if you don't spend time alone and also seize the other moments of the day to spend with Him.
Enter worship yourself. How can you "lead" people in worship if you aren't worshiping?

Enjoy His presence. Have fun with His people!
Let your face know the condition of your heart!
Be bold: Start as if you own the place! You are the leader, so lead. Enter by faith, through His blood.
Be humble: times will be good, times will be hard - it is not you. Don't take yourself too seriously. The Holy Spirit gives anointing, not you. Avoid a "performance mentality".
Be real: don't get "religious". Be natural, not churchy.
Be sensitive. Great musicians can be lousy worship leaders and great worship leaders can be barely musicians. Some professional Christian musicians can't lead worship at all. Yet some people with horrible voices and poor rhythms, by grace, are able to encourage groups to worship. Sensitivity to God is much more important than musical talent.
Don't go by feelings. The Lord often touches other's hearts, even though yours feels unmoved. Sometimes worship leading is like hacking through a dense forest with a machete, and sometimes it's like reaching that clearing where the sun is shining. But if things really are not going well, just end early. You don't have to live up to past expectations.
Beware of formulas. Just because something worked well one week, it may not the next. Don't try to put God or His Spirit in a box. Don't trust in the flesh.
Please God - not man. Be sensitive to the requests, desires and complaints of the saints, but keep things in perspective. You can't please everyone, but you can please God.
Don't worship worship, worship God! Keep the object of our worship in clear focus. Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Sharing: use a short word from Bible reading, what the Lord has shown you recently, your journal, what you read in a book that touched you, or an experience. Often it is better to just sing without saying anything.

Have a definite point. Don't ramble.
Your message should flow into a song or out of one.
Highlight or explain biblical concepts in a song that may not be obvious in today's culture.
Selah - pauses, meditation times. Often it's nice to just be silent and wait on the Lord. Or you may continue to play your instrument without singing.

Advanced Worship Techniques: All the following depend on improvising a melody and singing to the Lord during a predictable chord progression. Most people are terrified at the thought of doing this, but it can be great with groups who are very comfortable with each other.

Musical Prayer/Songs of the Spirit - sing the prayer on your heart to the Lord, improvising a melody.
Psalming - sing scripture, especially a Psalm to the Lord, again improvising a melody.

SSW pioneer report Pt1

2010-11-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

Setting up a grants team
Talking about money is never easy, but it is one of the things that Jesus taught about regularly in the new testament although it should not be a pressure on ministry it can be instrumental for church growth in our country! At the moment our church is not using all of the financial support that we could be.

My church back home has had over 150k in grants last two years for buildings work, youth work and item specific grants – we had £1500 for a PC for the youth workers and a £5000 grant for a youth drum kit and sound system. My church back home is not particularly big, but they set up a grants team of about 5-10 people. I believe you will be in an even stronger position than we were because you have such a passion for the young people in Watford. Last year I understand that SSW only received about 2-5k in grants.

My last church's Grants team had a leader who oversaw and directed the grants process and then each of the members researched grants and bought proposals to their monthly meetings. They subsequently wrote the applications individually which got passed through the group (at least two other people) to check for mistakes or to add information. Grant applications are similar to job applications and need to include things like where/how/why the money will be used and also what the benefit to the community will be. Applications take a long time to draft as they generally need to be done as a formal 'legal' style document.

We have talked briefly to Chris Paskins about this who supports this idea and told us that the church does not wish to receive support from lottery funded groups, which is fair, but it may be an appropriate time to review this. I also have a friend back home who is part of an organisation who award certification to charities based on the service and attitudes towards community. I am told that the certificate that they award makes it easier to receive funding. I am sure he would be happy to access us at some point should we wish to go down that route.

Grants can be a minefield but I am sure the potential benefit will outweigh the effort.

Unity with other churches
Another thing that is taught on a lot in the bible is unity. Along with money, it is a very difficult subject to talk about – I got the short straw I feel! Having talked to some of the other teams about other organisations in Watford, they have got the impression that SSW is perceived negatively by some churches in the area. I feel this to be a very sore point and so do not wish to dwell on it, but I feel we should aim to bless and build up other local churches further - where possible - as this will allow the church of Watford to grow in ways and places that SSW simply cannot.

How we confront this is a very difficult problem. I would imagine that most of the negative feelings from other churches towards SSW are down to fear of us stealing their youth or congregations. This in one sense should be an encouragement because it shows we are doing lots of things well, but on another level, it is a cause for concern. I believe as a church it would be good to discuss how we can bless and encourage other churches within our area.

2010-11-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

Henry Ward Beecher once wrote, "The church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones."

Church

2010-11-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

"Too many clergymen have become keepers of an aquarium instead of fishers of men – and often we are just swiping each other’s fish"

The first few days in watford...

2010-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone :D

My first blog from lovely (not so sunny) Watford :D I arrived here yesterday at about 12 o’clock I was the forth to arrive and due to this I was left the twin room :P Na it’s cool really, the other guy that I am sharing with (Paul) arrived this afternoon and he seems nice. The house is a semi dethatched house on a fairly nice estate one row back from the main road. It has two single bedrooms, 1 twin and a downstairs study that we are using as a bedroom so there are five of us. It has a nice large lounge/diner. The location is very good... 8 minutes into SSW and about 5 to Watford... more corner shops and fast food places than we can count... there is a train station... well more of a platform with a shed!!! There are about 8 houses and we are by far the closest to SSW which is nice :D it does mean however that it’s like one and a half miles to go round to theirs!!! The church is quite similar to my home church but a good bit bigger...

Yesterday we essentially just got to know our housemates and unpacked... which was good. Then this morning was the first real day... we went to the 10.30 service and met the other CTL people which was lovely as most of them I had only ever met over facebook. After the service we met our House parent Chris, who took us out for lunch at the Tudor rose (same one as we went too on our interview day mum...) we then came back home and met our lovely new housemate Paul. He, and all my housemates seem like propa decent blokes :D had lots of laughs already :D at 5 we then went to the 5 o’clock service which is gap (20-30s) age for about 100-120 people and is acoustic with bongo and stuff. After that we had the 7 o’clock service which is a loud and kicking youthhh service followed by hot chocolate and stuff... was a marathon of a day, but good fun. After that we all went back to someone’s place for a laugh!!!
If you are reading this then I am probably missing yas :D

Love B

WATFORD!!!!

2010-10-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and family,
As most of you will know I am moving to Watford at the end of October to do an internship at a church there. It is a leadership internship focusing on six areas: Feet-washing, Listening, Serving, Encouraging, ‘Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ’ and developing your character. The course is partly academic and partly hands-on. I’ll be spending 3-4 days a week working with a specific team, I.E youthwork, and two days doing theology and looking deeper into our faith and the bible.

I have wanted to do this course for quite a while now and was delighted when I was given an interview back in May and was accepted that same week. I was elated and since then have been making plans for the big move to Watford. Watford is a town to the north of London. It is inside the m25 so has good rail links and everything I need is within cycling distance.

Since September 09 I have been working at Argos (woop! woop!) this has allowed me to pay off the course, accommodation and house bills for the year. I have also saved a little money for the course. I would really appreciate your being in your prayers, specifically in these first few months – That I would make new friends and feel comfortable in my new home, that I would not miss you guys too much! And that through this I would grow in maturity as a Christian.

You have all been such a blessing to me over the years,
Thanks for all the prayers

With love

B

Church

2010-04-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

The cenral focus of a church should be worshiping Jesus.

and occasionally singing.

New song

2010-02-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

Jesus Saves

Theres a Party going on and we’re all invited,

Theres a music in my soul it’s healing n mighty

The city on a hill its shining brightly today

Theres a love that goes deeper than the deepest places

Theres a peace in my heart that tames the nations

Theres a voice crying out for the poor and hungry today

I want to be Holy
I want to be righteous
I want to live a life of love that worships you
I want to see mercy

Taking hold of me
I want to live for you
Live for you

Jesus reigns
Jesus reigns
Your love never fails
Your blood never fails

One day we will get a recording on the go...

Snowy britain!

2010-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Some comedy photos of the UK in its snowy climate!!

How amazing are the Seasons and Weather God has blessed us with!

Stuff to think on...

2009-05-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

So if there is this guy that I call God, who made the entire universe, who made stars of un-imaginable height and breadth and width, with unfathomable weight and structure beyond belief. A God who makes galaxies with such precision that scientists don't even understand the building blocks on which they are made on. A God who designed every type of plant and programed which was going to grow where and how high it should stand. A god that engineered the skin on my fingertips touching these keys not to have hair on them so that I could feel texture. This God.Our God. He's more than amazing.

Yet so many people ask questions when one ladies back has healed or one blind person can see,

Surely the guy who designed, made, produced, directed and starred in the production of it all can say to a limp arm be healed?

My love language...

2009-04-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

I tried this test on http://www.afo.net/hftw-lovetest.asp

it determines your love language as written in GARY CHAPMAN'S BOOK

Percent
Language
Score
3%
Words of Affirmation
1
37%
Quality Time
11
10%
Receiving Gifts
3
20%
Acts of Service
6
30%
Physical Touch
9

hehe

a bit random...

but interesting...

2009-04-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today was good fun!

I had an epic day at Legoland!

It was so busy that I only got three rides in, but it was fun just hanging out...

Church without the bible is like a giant Lego model without any instructions... You can have all the pieces, but unless you know where to put them, there is no way those coloured cubes are gonna make that castle.

You could have the best musicians playing worship and the best preacher teaching and the best

ministry team and the best community action team, but without the guidance of the Bible the church ceases to be a church and becomes some sort of weird Charity.

All the parts of the church need to work together and seek the same God and the same Good news. Unfortunately we are all so different (well fortunately), The only way we will be able to work together to do the things we are called to do is by basing all we do on Christ and on the bible. Christ and the Bible should be the oil between the gears of the Church allowing it to run smoothly and stopping the parts rubbing each other down.

Read Philippians 2:12-30

One of my favourite artists... Bono

2009-04-13T16:35:00.001-07:00

Taken from Christianity today -

There have been a number of books written about U2 and their iconic frontman, Bono, arguably the world's most famous rock star. But not till now has Bono himself come out to tell his own story. In the new book, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas (Riverhead Books), the rocker shares his thoughts on numerous topics with a French music journalist and friend who has been with the band virtually since the beginning. In a series of honest conversations presented in Q&A format, Bono discusses, among other things, his upbringing (including the death of his mother when he was a teen and the ensuing rocky relationship with his father, who died just a few years ago), U2's beginnings, his bandmates, his marriage, fatherhood, his passion for social action, the effects of celebrity, and, fittingly, his faith and how it intersects all of the above.

The following exchange between Bono and Assayas took place just days after the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, an act of terrorism that left 191 dead and more than 1,800 wounded. The two men were discussing how terrorism is often carried out in the name of religion when Bono turned the conversation to Christianity, expressing his preference for God's grace over "karma," offering an articulate apologetic for the deity of Christ, and giving a clear presentation of the gospel message.

Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don't let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that's my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that's not so easy.

Assayas: What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn't so "peace and love"?
Bono There's nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that's why they're so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you're a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.

Assayas: Speaking of bloody action movies, we were talking about South and Central America last time. The Jesuit priests arrived there with the gospel in one hand and a rifle in the other.
Bono I know, I know. Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there
was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship. Why are you chuckling?

2009-04-10T02:46:00.000-07:00

So I just got back from a very exciting and frantic youth week, It is amazing getting to know people and these camps are always very precious. I think in the 'west' we have so much stuff that we don't need and sometimes we can get distracted by that stuff and become lazy. But at camps there are a lot less distractions so it is easier to concentrate on God, but also on the relationships that we are trying to build.

The camp was run by my church and was specifically a Youth Alpha camp and so as well as having fun and building relationships we were trying to get the youth to start having a life long conversation with their maker. The leader of the camp Michiel, also done the talk on Sunday (BUSY MAN!) and he talked, fittingly, about soaring like eagles.
http://farehamcommunitychurch.com/ - scroll down...

The whole talk was very encouraging, but one analogy really helped... He was talking about incubating new birds and how it is a very beautiful thing to see... Birds spend hours and hours cracking through there own eggs. But if you help them break their eggs they always end up dying. This is important to remember when we are tryng to 'incubate' new christians... We have to let them fight their own battles and allow them to come to their own conclusion...

We as believers are called to be catalysts for new believers giving them a site to react with the living God. But we also need to be there to help them out if they make mistakes... Everyone makes mistakes... But helping each other and loving each other is what makes us 'church'

Peace out

Ben

Please Pray!

2009-02-22T13:40:00.001-08:00

Me and Alex are leading assemblies this week at Brookfield school, which we are quite excited about... I asked if we could lead one a few months ago and was really pleased when they said that we could...

It's gunna be about our mission trip to Kenya, but the principle has said we can share our faith, which is a fantastic opportunity because we will be talking to almost 1500 kids...

As you can imagine we are quite nervous...

This is a big opportunity so we want all th support we can get,

If anyone can pray for us then that would be amazing, evey morning this week at 8.20

Thankyou so much

Ben

.

2009-01-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

When I look at the cross,

My Sins count but loss,

Your blood spilt for me,

So that I could be set free

I fall at the cross,

that I might live,

I sing of the blood

that I can forgive

Poem...

2009-01-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

How can hearts not sing of your praises?

How can melodies not speak your name?

After the waste of life has washed over us,

Only you remain

How could life not conquer death?

How could God be in our minds?

I feel him all around me,

I feel him at all times

Who filled the raging rivers?

Or put fish in all the sea?

The same person who made the Earth,

The same who died for me

Who made the sharpest mountain peaks?

Or the hottest desert plains?

Yet made me in my frailness,

and protected me all these days

Who made the green in bushes green?

Or built the wildest tree?

Yet on a tree he died for us,

So that we too could be free

Who breathed his life into our world?

Who knows me inside out?

He knows how,where, why, who it seems,

Yet still I have had doubt

If life were just a pile of atoms,

Strung together joint to joint,

Then life would have no meaning,

What would be the point?

Christ in me

2009-01-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Christ shield me this day:

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me

Christ in me

the breastplate of st patrick

The Risen Son

2009-01-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

I went to Greenbelt this summer

and as usual the music was great.

The whole event for me though was let down by the communion service...

It was more a new-age celebration

than a meeting with Jesus...

people were supposed to enter through moon gates...

and we sang some strange weird chants...

and we also sang a Beetles song...

and changing words of songs from Son-Jesus to Sun-star..!

and had were supposed to wear coloured headbands...

Strange...

But the most weird and sickening thing was that the whole thing was centred around the

sun rising, like some sort of druid thing...

and the only reference to Jesus (in a christian communion!)

was a verse from the bible that said the son was rising... (which they spelt sun anyway!)

But it was a pre-new testament verse so made no sense being said at a communion!

I believe the Son has risen...

Many people refused to take the communion...

Maybe I am not liberal enough for some, but it was just weired...

The Son has risen and we need to live in that...

We need to live every day knowing that we are free

And knowing that we can do mighty things in Gods power

Like that cool song that was in the charts a while back...

"shackles off my feet so I can dance"

At the moment I am reading a book about Wigglesworth who witnessed God doing amazing things through him...

There is a bit where he goes into a shoe shop with a guy with NO LEGS and asked him to pick some shoes... When the assistant came out with the shoes and put it on the mans stumps they grew into legs and feet...

This is documented by many people and books...

Its powerful amazing stuff...

God heals...

If God healed back then,

He can do it today

The challenge for all of us is to live fully in the love of God and in the forgiveness of our sins,

not to limit him in us,

and not to put him into a box...

Our God is Bigger than our Imaginations

And a bit like that U2 song...

HE MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS...

The Son has risen so allow his light to penetrate every corner of this world

and our move in our lives

The challenge

2009-01-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

18"Which ones?" the man inquired.

Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[d] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[e]"

20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

This has been a real challenge in my life recently...

We are so rich in this country and have so much stuff

Many teachers in Christianity think there is nothing wrong with material possessions,

I agree,

But

So much stuff in this world was placed here to be a distraction to what really matters.

People fill there lives with 'STUFF' to fill a gap that only God can fill

but it doesn't count for anything when we meet him...

This Scripture to me isn't necessarily saying that we should all sell our stuff to the poor,

(though it would be cool if i had the heart to do that)

Its saying don't let stuff come between you and God

(interesting because that is the true meaning of the word SIN)

And don't waste your time on earth

because there are billions who don't know Jesus

The challenge is...

Does anything get in the way of you and God?

Money?

Gadgets?

Doing and not believing?

Cars?

Sex?

Flirting?

Though all this stuff isn't wrong and was made and planned by God,

We can easily put it in the centre of our lives

instead of God...

and miss the point entirely...

MOVE!

2008-12-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

Our world is a mess...

15 million AIDS orphans

50 million abortions

And 1.3 billion living off less then a dollar

Cost of feeding them and providing them with water, basic medicine and sanitation?

Only 20 billion

(That's the amount Americans spend on ice cream a year...)

We live in a messed up world...

My soul weeps when I hear about these injustices...

Its not me, It's the Christ within me who weeps...

'for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.'

The western world is obsessed with money and image,

men go to any length to gain power

and yet all their struggles are in vain...

They get faster cars and bigger houses, but it doesn't satisfy their hearts desire...

If anything it pushes them further and further away from the thing which the really seek

We live in a messed up world...

but what is being done about it?

It pains me to see preachers preaching a static and dead message to such a hurting world.

How can they speak so passively when we are in a very real spiritual war

A war larger than this planet.

Preachers shouldn't teach Christians to smile and look pretty...

That's not what faith is about...

They should teach Compassion and Sacrifice and Freedom...

But teaching on its own won't change a thing...

"I dare you to move, I dare you to move, I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor"

Christians of today need to be real people moving in the way of God

Not people putting on fake smiles and stopping at that...

I long to be in a Church that would die for each other

Or that would sell all that they had and take up their cross...

A growing Church of love and honesty that really did change the world..

But most of all a church based entirely on Jesus

Non-Christians aren't interested in fake Christians who pretend everything is always 'good'

If we are fake then what separates us from the world?

We need to be honest and real with each other...

If someone is feeling crap, why paint a smile over it?

Those who live dishonesty breed dishonesty in other parts of their lives

We should be there for each other...

Supporting and praying for each other

Almost all growth comes out of brokenness and we all feel it

We are called to touch and change everyone around us...

WE SHOULDN'T BE STATIC

Doing anything is better than doing nothing...

If you don't know exactly what you are called to,

then just do something with God in your heart

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him"

Also, moving out of our comfort zone and stepping out in faith

is the main way in which God can minister to us...

Jesus healed the cripple by saying get up and walk

and the man had to take a risk and get up

to be healed...

and he was!

If you want strength,

God may well put you in a place where you need to show it...

Anyway... bit of a random rant...

So, we live in a messed up world...

And I am tired at the general state of it...

Basically...

I'm gunna change the world

And today I invite you to take a radical turn and change the world too

Dream BIG

And God will move the mountains

Be bold and courageous

Rock the boat of injustice

And move in the spirit

Ben

"Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Sorry for the random miss-match of topics

Change our town

2008-12-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

I really want to see our town changed.

I want to see the people changed.

I want to hear christian tunes on the radio.

And fellowship on the streets.

I want to see healing bigger than my imagination.

I want to see underpasses painted with your word.

I want to see the home-less homed.

And the rich men kneel.

I want to hear the sound of a million prayers.

I want to see the smiles of the free souls.

I want to not be ruled by the strains of religion.

But be governed by the God in every mans heart.

I want to see the thieves blessed.

I want to see the prisons open.

I want to see a banner of peace.

And live in the justice that it brings.

I want to see the betting shops fold.

I want to see the porn shops wither.

I want to see the charity shops close.

Who needs charity in a city of God?

I want to see Asian feed Caucasian.

I want to see Black smile with white.

I want to see Children playing together.

And safe in the streets of our town.

I want it to be more contagious than death.

I want it to always be a party.

I want the never to be a quiet hour.

I want there to be 26 hours of prayer a day.

I want to move the mountains of science.

I want no child to be fatherless.

And no father be childless.

I want to live like we've never lived.

I want to see our city as the most popular.

And yet the most humble.

I want to see his name be roared.

I want to see the freedom he brings.
I want to see a city shining in the Sun.

A City shining in the Son!

Matt 5:14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."

My testimony for my baptism

2008-12-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, Thankyou very much for coming today, it means a lot to have so many family and friends celebrating with me today, which is a very important part of my life. Ok, so now is the part of the morning where I talk about myself. Great.
I have attended church all of my life but, it has not always been a voluntary choice and strangely enough have not always enjoyed it. I had an interesting childhood, with many ups and downs. Both sides of parents and grandparents were always very supportive and taught good morals and beliefs. I have had great grandparents alive for all of my life which has also been really great. My early childhood however is not full of happy-slappy-Christian memories and I often struggled with anger, rage and depression. Money was not always easy to come by, but my problems may well have started with my dad being away from home at a crucial time in my childhood. He was a very good figure in my childhood and I have fond and funny memories of fixing broken cars, oily fingered, with him. The fact that I loved him so much however did not make it easier for me to spend so much time so far away from him. At an early age I suffered a lot of anger, was very lonely and struggled with authority figures. Because of this, I suffered a lot of depression escalating to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. At this point I was also becoming a problem at school and spent many a lunchtime in principles supervision. At that point I felt I did not have many friends. I did. But I felt like I didn't. I was quickly spiraling out of control and I thought that nothing could help.
It was then that God met with me, first through My good friend Ben Randel who I spent many a day skateboarding and getting into 'boys will be boys' trouble with. I had found a friend who I could relate to. Even better, he lived down my street and went to my church. It was around this time that I gave my life to Christ and in true cheesy Christian movie style, I started to see my life as half full, not half empty. But things did actually start to get better. I made more friends at school, I made up relationships with my mum and dad, who I was angry with, and after a few years, my dad moved back home and worked from Southampton. My life was really turned around. I started to have more of a positive impact on my friends and family and for the first time was able to have very deep and meaningful conversations with my family and friends.
It wasn't just my situations that changed. I changed as a person. I started not to be so angry and stopped using such bad language and generally stopped being so violent. (apart from with my brother and sisters... but thats what they're there for...)
BUT for me, being a Christian is not about listening to Cliff Richard, Nor is it about wearing sandles over socks. Nor listening to radio four while going twenty six miles an hour down the motorway with an annoyingly large caravan. Being a Christian and being baptised is about me publicly saying that I believe what is written in the bible. Its about saying that Jesus died for me so that I could be free and its about saying that I accept and want to tell other people about the freedom that it brings.
I no this isn't the emmys, but I would just like to thank a couple of people.
My whole family in general, for being really supportive,John and Joan Ansell (my nan and grandad) for praying with and for meMy mum and dad, for being great-godly parents Ben Randal for basically leading me to Christ without really know itMy brother, for all the hours we sat playing final fantasy together.Alex, for a number of very important conversationsAnd finally, Thankyou again for coming everyone it is great to have so much support.

2008-12-04T14:28:00.001-08:00

SATAN

2008-11-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Satan...
Not a very popular subject in most churches, but one which I believe needs to be re-addressed everyday...
Satan means Slanderer, Accuser or Deceiver, Comes from the Greek word Diabolos.
Many people still see Satan as an 'old testament thing' or other people just prefer not to talk about it...
I believe we should talk about it, to see what we're up against and see how we can stop him from getting into our lives.

Satan is tactful:

Mark 3.23 says this "How can Satan drive out Satan?"
Now on the surface this may seem like quite a strange verse, It is about how the daemon possessed cannot drive out daemons... but what I think it is also saying is Satan does not attack himself... He attacks tactical targets... Targets that are either doing things that are profoundly 'God' or doing things that may lead to more people becoming Christians...

Recently (well over the last three years) I have been trying to put together a mission centered youth band at my church to lead the youth of Fareham into new places with God, but it is a real battle.
Looking back at it I can really see how Satan has stopped us in our tracks.

The story starts just before the fantastic pastor of our Church, Barry, suddenly and sadly died, it was in this time that my first planning and thoughts about the group were coming together and it was around this time that I was first starting to ask some people about the band. I am sure that Satan was ultimately responsible for Barry's death, firstly because my God is the god of light and life, but also because of other more minor reasons like the fact that this band that me and other people were trying to set up became almost impossible under the rubble that Satan left behind.

After this, our current pastor Dan, who is also brilliant picked up the baton. This allowed our Church to regain some of its structure and allowed us to make some well-needed changes. This was also about when the-then youth workers/leaders took over. Things were looking great for a couple of months and we had lots of meetings about the band and the band's goals (this might of seemed a bit heavy for just a small youth band, but we wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing and where we were going). We organised a Jam session in November to get to know people and see what peoples styles/ abilities were like. The week before the proposed jam night I was off with a horrible strain of Mumps, which gives you puffy cheeks and sickness and stuff. We had to postpone the night for another six weeks, which was a real blow after all the planning and effort we had put in.

Then six weeks on when we finally got round to the jam session, a number of people were ill again and lots couldn't make it. We ended up with 2 older worship leaders, me and three drummers, which was very hard to work with (also i think everyone had a cold, being December so people weren't even really in the mood to worship God)
Basically the Jam session didn't really help much in the epic quest of the youth band

Then we had possibly the biggest blow, our youth leader, suddenly and quite scarily and dramatically lost his faith, causing yet more uproar and problems to the already hindered band. He was the main person I had been having the meetings with and so the band never really took off. We basically lost the momentum and had to stop...

Satan moves in weired ways.
It is only now that I realise how much we have been stopped by Satan.
Satan doesn't want us to be well, or alive or have faith...

I have now joined the normal Sunday morning rota, which is good...

But also our fantastic new Youth leader (Mickele and his wife Lara) I think are really up to the challenge...

Thanks for reading...

sorry about the randomness of it

Ben

Ferocious love

2008-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are called to love our Neighbours, Love God and love like Christ loved.

What does this mean?

So often I see Jesus portrayed like some feminine Hippy, walking around in white robes and speaking with a soft easy-listening American accent. This isn't Jesus...

The Jesus I know hung around with the lowest of the low, the prostitutes, the people with body altering diseases which literally caused parts of the body to puss and break off.

This is the Jesus I know

The Jesus that doesn't just 'love' attractive rough-cut men in robes...

I love the Jesus that cries at his friends death

and the Jesus that had dirt encrusted hands

I love the real-life Jesus.

Jesus showed love to everyone, even those who in societies eyes didn't deserve it or weren't worth it. He healed the sick, gave food to the hungry and shared food with the lost.

It takes a lot to love against all the odds.

Love is not a bland or imasculine thing

Real love is probably the most masculine thing a man can do...

How incredible is that mans love for his kids.

I also hear stories of bible smuggling that cut me to the core.

Today as Christians we are called to this sort of love.

Ferocious love

Love that changes the shape of the planet and moves mountains

Love that hurts.

The thing that sadens me most about the world today is the lack of love.

I live in a suburban area with fairly equal amouts of old, middle aged and young people and as a community our area is probably quite a 'privilidged' one.

and even so, if i was a stranger in my community I could walk around for days without anyone Saying 'hi' or offering a kind smile.

What a hurting, sad and messed up world we live in.

and thats why as Christians and brothers and sisters of Christ we need to show Real love.

There was once a man who committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. His suicide note, left in his apartment, read thus: "I’m going to walk to the bridge. If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump." He walked through all of San Francisco and still jumped - out of all those thousands of people he passed, not one person smiled at him.

One smile to save a guys life... Its hardly costly

Love is not cheap however...

True love is the most expensive thing a man can give

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

It hurts

I heard another story that was about a prisoner of war camp in Japan.

(bloated tummy happens with extreme malnutrition)

After a hard days work digging the trenches for railway line sleepers to lie in, a group of prisoners heard the prison bell go and hurried back to their camp. When the spades were brought in and counted, the armed officer in charge of that particular group of prisoners ordered the armed guards to get the prisoners into a line. The Officer then questioned the prisones about the whereabout of one spade that had gone missing. All of the prisoners refused to say that they knew anything about the missing spade. The officer repeated his question. Again, there was no response. He was starting to get annoyed now and he ordered the guards to raise their rifles and prepare to fire. The officer asked one more time, demanding that he know the whereabouts of the spade. Still nobody said anything. The officer signalled the guards as if to give the kill order. Just then a middle aged man stepped forward to confess that he had hidden the spade. He was taken away and shot.

The next day as the men went out to work on the next bit of the track , they saw the spade thrown down to the side of the track.

some thinking points...

We are called to love our neighbours and friends, what is the best way of showing Chirst's ferocious love to them?

How can we effect our communities?

How can we learn to love those who society hates?

What is stopping us from reaching out to the least and the lost?

feel the love,

ben

The effect of Christianity

2008-11-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

We live in a messed up world. Mothers outlive their starving children and more people being trafficked then ever before. And the credit crunch crowding our news... 100 million people with aids and 40 million children aborted every year...
So what is the answer?
Is there any hope for our ever increasing problem?
I believe their can only be one answer, however corny or understated it is.

Jesus.

Imagine a world that lived by Gods values.

"The fruits of his Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. "

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." Cornth 4:20

"Mathew 4:27 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near"

In saying the kingdom is near, the bible is telling us that it isn't much further.

Its a call for change.

A call to change the way we think, act, do and feel.

A call to repent against evil.

I believe that the answer to the worlds problem is Jesus.

It has to be.

I am still yet to find a question of value which the bible cannot answer.

Even a small change can have a big effect:

Its ice cream for Jesus's sake...

(No really, it is for Jesus' sake... he died for us, but wanted us to become like him...)

I'm gonna change the world.

us changing the world is inevitable.

Its how we change it that really matters...

I want to see a change for the better, I want to see a changed world based on Jesus.

But, it isn't gonna magically appear...

How are you going to change the world today?

Smile?

Talk?

Feed?

Protest?

CHANGE THIS WORLD!

Ben

For quiet time

2008-11-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic verse

2008-11-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

I want to rewrite some of this into a song oneday

How inspiring....

Psalm 139

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Freedom in Christ

2008-11-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8.36

It pains me to see Churches all over the world being more judgemental and religious than the rest of the world. The Church abolishes slavery with its right hand and yet with its left puts shackles on the rest of the world to walk their walk and talk their talk. It tells Rockers to not where black and shuns the electric guitar. The church of today have lost the very essence of the way it was set up...

It was set up as a rogue group of dedicated people fighting injustice and meeting in random peoples upper rooms. It was set up with open doors and non-judging eyes. It was set up Illegally when the punishment for this sort of thing was DEATH.

And yet now, you get some guy standing at the front of a cold and lifeless room wearing a dress and telling people to repent from listening to Queen!?!?! There are bigger things to worry about and quite frankly i believe the constant bombardment of judgement by some churches is the reason why the Western Church is shrinking.

Those who are free in Christ are free indeed.
Free to listen to rock music
Free to where skinny jeans
Free to dance like a crazy looney at disco's

I believe its actually good not to conform with christian fashion sense and wear silly sandle socks and have Vicar cuts... I mean who else in the world has Vicar hair cuts than Vicars?!? how is having a Vicar cut gunna be any better at trying to reach the least and the lost. It may actually send anyone who sees them running to the hills to escape the interigation of getting cornered and prosecuted. Sorry, this isn't supposed to be judgemental or harmfull, it is supposed to be the opposite.

I can still remember when my friend matt basically lost his faith partly because he was told by somebody not to where goth black or listen to electric guitars in our Church so he left and now has an antichurch and antiGod view. Sad.

It is not our place to judge, we as a Church should aim to be as encouraging as possible, building people into the character of Jesus, Not Destroying people.

God = Creator - Good

Satan=Destroyer - Bad

Be Christ to the world

Boring Church?

2008-11-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

Some people think Church is boring...

I think that video of our Church Youth weekend away might change their opinion...

So how can we (as churches) be less boring and more fun, while keeping up with what the bible teaches?

How can we engage people into doing more?

Why do people think Church is boring?

Sorry for such a small post...

Ben

I call myself a Christian

2008-11-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

So I call myself a Christian... What does that mean?

Does it mean that I Go to church?

Does it mean that I regularly read my bible?

Is it my ethnicity? Am I a Christian because My culture tells me I am?

Am a Christian because I have 'good' ethics?

Am I a Christian because my mum and dad are?

Am I a Christian because I have been christened?

Am I a Christian because I follow the ten commandments?

Am I a Christian because I wear Jesus-Fish tees and Frog bracelets?

Am I a Christian because I give 10% tithe?

Am I a Christian because I go on 'Jesus camps'?

Am I a Christian because I Pray?

Am I a Christian because I go to Homegroup?

Am I a Christian because I do good and fight evil in the world?

Am I a Christian because I believe in God?

Am I a Christian because I am on the worship team?

Am I a Christian because I live a healthy lifestyle?

Am I a Christian because I speak in a 'Posh' 'old English' accent?

Am I a Christian because I Drive a Volvo at 26 miles an hour towing a caravan full of tea and old Cliff Richard albums?

Am I a Christian because I went to a Christian school?

Am I a Christian because that's what the government bestow on me?

Am I a Christian because I read word-for-you today?

Am I a Christian because every other word I use is Christian Jargon?

Am I a Christian because I where a particular type of shirt/striped jumper combinations?

Am I a Christian Because I can recite the bible backwards, forwards, in Greek, Roman and Czechoslovakian?

Noooo!

Why am I a Christian?
I Am a Christian because I believe, belong and base my life in Christ. He is my Anchor and I believe and trust in his resurrection by which I am gifted grace. I am a Christian because he is central to my being. I am a Christian because without him I'm lost in this world. I am a Christian because of what Christ has done for me. I am a Christian because he will be my last word. I am a Christian because through him is the ONLY way to the father. I am a Christian because I have accepted him as the truth. I am a Christian because He is the light by which all else becomes clearer. I am a Christian because Christ IS Christ

>>>>>In and Out>>>>>

2008-11-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

Being quite a tall bloke means I get the opportunity to play for my school basketball team. Playing on the team makes quite an impact on my life and takes up a large percentage of my time, but i enjoy it and it stops me piling on the pounds too quickly... One thing I notice almost every time we hold trials or play with different teams is the way players interact with the other players on his team. Being a good team player is one of the most important parts of being a good basketball player. Often the best players are the ones which have a natural ability to work in a team well... Part of working in a team is putting ourselves out to allow other players to do things which they are good at.

We can also apply this to our relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When we step out and allow God to 'Do the Business' instead of ourselves, he often does. When we move out of our comfort zone and hand it over to him, he is able to heal us and work through or lives in fresh, new and exciting ways. This is a very biblical principle. All over the new testament there are examples of people stepping out into what God wants and God working with them and blessing them.

Paul's faith/belief is perhaps one of the greatest Miracles in the Bible (obviously behind Christ and his Resurrection) It amazes me how Saul (murderer and hater of Christians) hears and is blinded by God on the road to Damascus, Gets healed by Ananias (which means God Is Gracious, fitting for a persecutor of his people!) then becomes Paul and then becomes one off the greatest teachers/encouragers of his day, All without seeing or meeting Jesus directly. What is possibly more amazing is the way in which Paul moves actively in his dreams, visions and what God has to say to him. This is why I believe he was able to offer such amazing insight in his letters to the churches and why he was able to witness to so many and see so much. He Heard, He Moved and then he saw God move... Or... He listened to where to plant his crop, he sowed and then we reaped...

One problem with the church of our world is that we have become/are becoming a stagnant church. A church that doesn't move out of it's comfort zone and doesn't see Gods Kingdom come. It is simple to just say this stuff, but it is a very real challenge to all of us... To move into what God wants for us.

So What do you hear God saying about your life?

Do you hear god saying anything? (If not your Bible can be a good place to start)

How can we move into what God has for us and allow him to change us/the world?

Peace Out

no really...

Ben

First Blog!

2008-11-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

So this is the first blog from me, Ben

In this blogger I am aiming to share my experiences, photos and what God has been talking to me on wrapped in a small amount of teaching...

What a privilege it is to have great resources like blogs and the Internet and stuff to strengthen, encourage and build us. It does make me wonder about how the early church was able to have such driving force and stability without being able to really connect with people outside of their settlements, the only ways of transferring information was via messenger or letter which must have taken months to get the information and yet, within 100 years from Jesus' Resurrection most of the roman empire had heard about him and his life. This really thrills and encourages me. A spread that quick is just not natural. The Holy Spirit must have been so crucial to that first generation of Churches growth and well being. So why isn't the holy spirit so active today?

I believe that these first few churches can teach us a great deal about how to live our life for Jesus and how our Churches should or shouldn't be functioning.

points to be explored over the next few blogs...

*when we step out, Jesus steps in

*Accountability i) to each other ii) to God

* Acceptance/opening the doors to all

* Pressing in and pressing on into what God has to say

Ben.

Please leave comments!