Running the Race

Dear Oaks,

I spoke last Sunday about how we run the race from Hedonism to Holiness.  Today I want to reflect just a little more on how we keep running the race with perseverance.

Probably from a dark dank prison cell the Apostle Paul sent this message to Timothy, his younger partner in the gospel.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8.

I see the Christian life as a battle and as a race and in both scenarios it is often the case that we feel like giving up.  One of the purposes of church is to help one another to keep on keeping on.  Some months a go I spoke about how John Wesley established what he called “Bands” which in many ways operated like our Core Groups.  They were regular meetings where within the context of loving and trustworthy relationship we can be held accountable.  We can be asked how we are running the race?  How we are maintaining discipline in the spiritual life?  What efforts we are making to co-operate with the Holy Spirit within us?

How much you grow in the spiritual life is up to you. There is no lack of will on God’s side he has already declared he wants you “conformed to the likeness of his son.” (Rom 8:29)

So here are some questions that will help keep you on track. You can use them in your own prayer time or in a Core Group.

1. What is your experience of prayer and of being attentive to God this week?
2. What temptations did you face this past week?  How did you deal with them?
3. How did the Holy Spirit work in your life this week?
4. What opportunities have you had to serve others this week?  Did you?
5. In what ways have you encountered the Living God in your study of the Bible this week?

This week I will speak from the closing chapter of the letter of James.  It is a letter full of the challenge to run the race, fight the good fight and persevere to the end.  It is a letter that never allows you do God without engaging with the reality of a broken church and a hurting world.

This is our last opportunity to all be together on a Sunday until late August.  There will be an update on Christians against Poverty, testimony of a glorious answer to prayer and much more including news on how we are planning to replace Lisa (who is sadly moving on as you know). You may be in for a surprise or two!

In the Fathers love and keep on running!

Mark

Oak Tree

Dear Oaks,

England v Germany in the world cup at 3pm on Sunday. Watch the match or go to Oak Tree? Well it’s a no brainer as they say!

Subject to confirmation I am hoping to have use of a TV at Twyford from 4pm to allow second half viewing. If there is a problem we shall let you know sometime on Friday.

If you choose to watch from home then I shall of course fully understand and it would be great to see you as soon as you can get down to the service after the match. After all it would be great to celebrate a victory together!!

As for me I shall be there with Mark B to start promptly at 4:30. We do hope to see you at some point, and I look forward to following up my sermon on Romans 7 with a talk on what is called the “Himalaya passage on the Holy Spirit” in Romans 8. I can’t promise a great sermon but I can promise that God will be present.

Blessings,

Mark

Ps COME ON ENGLAND

Market this week… 19th June 2010

mb

Rev. Mark Bishop

Out there and Curate

Oaktree, Acton.

Mission and Community

Dear Oaks,

So as we journey through my thoughts on what I truly value for Oak Tree we get to the third value that I mentioned in my AGM talk. Number 3 is mission and community.

Now on the face of it those two may not appear to go together but I want to argue that we must live in both the tension of these two and the creative dynamic that each brings to the other.  An emphasis on community can sound rather inward looking but if true authentic relationships are what people really long for then community in it self can become missional.

Jesus said “By this shall all people know that you are my disciples that you love one another”.

As we build community I am desperately keen that we increasingly mirror the diversity of Acton.  Now if you are white, balding, slightly chubby, in your fifties and male then you might think you are not very representative of Acton. So would such a gem of a person be at home in Oak Tree?  But if that did describe you then rejoice, we each have something to bring to the party!  But at the same time just as there is only room for one person like me, or you, so too we must be accessible to as many different people as possible, no matter what their colour, creed at the moment, gender, socio-economic situation or even their sexuality!  All are welcome to this transforming community.

God loves all of us so much that he is not willing that any of us stay the same as we are now!

As I have already stated such community is missional. But if mission to the so called “last, lost, least and lonely” is not made an absolute priority then it usually falls off the priority list all together.  As we move in to our own building we must re-double our commitment to get “out there”.

To quote the New Wine values “we want to see the church become a missionary movement to love and reach the lost, to care for the poor and to bring justice to our homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces and nations, while also being a grace filled community in which people can find relationship, healing, faith, hope and love”.

Every blessing,

Mark

Tomorrow (Wednesday) evening is Church Central held at Acton Green Church in Cunnington Street, W4.  We continue our sozo training as we develop teams to share the faith through ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit. You will hear of testimonies of team members who went all the way to Ealing and of opportunities to travel continents in Jesus name.  Every single one of you is welcome

Presence and Transcendence

Dear Oaks,

What is it that we truly and fundamentally value about being a church? You may recall that in my previous message, and at the AGM, I said that we needed to have a conversation about our values and our vision.  I began with cross and resurrection.  This week I want to suggest presence and transcendence.  Or to put it in plain English, God is both near and far, with us in ways we can experience and yet glorious, majestic and beyond

This is important for several reasons as it will influence the “how we do church” and also what we communicate to those who are not yet part of the Oak Tree family.

The presence of God is a wonderful gift to any believer. It is the knowledge that you have been drawn in to intimacy with our Heavenly Father.  An old worship song described it like this: “when the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”.  It is as if worldly concerns are overruled by a peace that cannot be overcome and a strength that empowers life well lived.  Often we experience this presence in terms of both peace and a weight upon us. Indeed the glory of God literally implies a heaviness.  I remember queuing to get in to a church in Canada and being unable to stand such was the reality of Gods closeness.

It was not the experience, exciting though that was that mattered, it was that in the place of knowing God’s presence hearts are transformed; bodies healed; minds renewed, and in the case I have sited, I came to a deep place of repentance.  I knew that to live in such proximity to the Living and Holy God I had to forgive others and ask their forgiveness of me.

Many churches will try and hype or imitate this sense of excitement and presence but be sure when it is real God will not leave you as you are.  He loves you too much to let you experience froth; He wants you to experience deeply His holiness.

Transcendence is about acknowledging and celebrating that we have a BIG GOD.  He is powerful, majestic and sovereign.  Whilst He loves to draw near in intimacy He is not a God we can box in or domesticate like some heavenly pet.  His ways are above our ways and He is not a God to be messed with.  He is ultimate truth, searing fire and light in whom there is no shadow of darkness.  Whilst Father full of love, He is a judge of all as well.

We all need a God we truly revere. We are created to worship.  We need to know we have a God in whom we can expect the “exceedingly more than can we ask or imagine” of Ephesians.  When life is tough and the mountains we must scale dwarf us we must know that God is on His throne and that all is therefore well.

So as we come to worship on Sunday (Pentecost, when we plan to pray for all that are wanting, that the fire of His presence and glory will fall) let us do so with reverence for God is King, and with heartfelt joy for He is near.

And do let me or one of the ACC know what you think should be included in the vision and values of Oak Tree. The ACC meets on Monday and over the next couple of meetings will discuss our vision and values. Why not have your say?

In the Fathers love,

Mark

We are in the midst of a Volcanic Smog

Dear Oaks,

First let me give you an update on Christians Against Poverty.  Today three members of the public have confirmed that they wish to attend our Money Course starting on 5 May.  Two of them being members of the Somali community.  Furthermore another member of the public has become our first full client.  So we now have four contacts from completely outside of Oak Tree which I hope you will agree is very encouraging.  Remember the first four weeks since the launch were for publicity only!

May I also remind you that tomorrow we have the all important meeting in order to choose which contractor we shall employ to do the works on 216.  Please do pray that there will be unity as we discuss any cut backs required dependant on the costs.  The cheapest tender is not always the best one!

As I write this I am, perhaps like you, enjoying the sunshine in London.  However, my hope was to be in Helsinki speaking at a conference with Bill Johnson and John Coles.  This is a conference which has been over a year in planning but sadly all three of us have to this point been unable to reach Finland due to the disruption to air traffic.  I shall be trying again tomorrow and then hoping to return late on Friday.  Whilst our airports are open Finnish ones are not.  I would value your prayers.

In Acts 16 Paul and his companions were kept from preaching in the province of Asia (v6) and when they tried to enter Bithynia we are told ‘the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (v7).  However, just two verses later we read “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “come over to Macedonia and help us”.

Paul drew the conclusion in verse 10 that God had called him to preach the gospel there.

As I ponder this passage I find myself in a tension.  Should I be praying that the Lord would clear the volcanic ash from Finnish skies allowing me and others to speak at the conference?  We have planned long and hard and there seems no alternative such as a call to Macedonia.  Or should I be praying that I would be able to lay down my desire to speak at the conference and see how instead the Lord wants me to use the next couple of days.?

All of that, even as I write it, suggests that this is all about me and of course it is not.  I am quite sure that this Icelandic volcano didn’t blow its top just to see if I would do the same!

My point is really that we all struggle to know what God is doing in our lives on all sorts of levels.  We can interpret circumstances in many different ways.  I have no easy answers but I do know that somehow God will use all that comes along in life to shape us and mould us in to His likeness IF we will constantly bring our longings under His Lordship.

I remind you want John Arul spoke to us last Sunday.  “Too many Christians know Jesus as their Saviour but not enough know Him as their Lord”.

These are challenging words so as you and I walk through life, sometimes feeling that we are in the midst of a Volcanic smog let us always seek to keep our eyes on Him.

The writer to Hebrews says “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”.  (Hebrews 12:2).

The cross must have felt like a mystery; a smog, to Jesus yet he chose to obey completely.  Let us do likewise.

Every blessing,

Mark

lots of different important matters

Dear Oaks,

This week my message is more about lots of different important matters rather than a devotional message.

First, I want to update you on 216.  By the end of this week we are due to have all the tenders back from various contractors.  This will give us the headline cost and details such as when that particular contractor could start on site.  We then have a meeting scheduled for next week which will ultimately decide according to cost and other relevant factors which contractor to go with.  Obviously if all of the costs come in above budget there will be important decisions to make.  The Diocese has confirmed that they are ready to go full steam ahead!  As soon as I have more news I will pass it on to you – we are so close and builders should be on site soon.

Please pray for fair and just tenders to be returned and for myself, Kate, Sarah and Carolyn (as the 216 committee) to make wise decisions.

Secondly, the publicity period for Christians Against Poverty is now over and we await the first clients.  Of course Teresa as our CAP manager will keep working hard to publicise this work (do look out for an article in the Ealing Gazette, I think).  If you know anyone struggling with debt please be aware that CAP are highly respected in their help afforded in this area.  A new CAP money course will also be promoted this coming Sunday at church.

Please pray for Teresa as she pushes this work forward and for the first clients.

This coming Sunday is going to have a strong Indian flavour.  Our guest speaker is John Arul who has made, with others, a wonderful response to the abject poverty he has encountered in India.  John is himself Indian and oversees the work of caring for many hundreds of orphans, some of whom were orphaned after the terrible Tsunami that hit southern India about 5 years ago.  I and more recently the Willis family have visited one of his orphanages and seen for our selves the compassionate and humble service that is offered.  Not only are stomachs filled but minds educated and souls nourished.

I thought it would be fun to give the whole service an Indian feel so look out for my Indian suit (if I can still fit in to it) and if you want to wear a Sari (women only!) feel free.  In a spontaneous moment I joked last Sunday about Bombay mix (nut free) on the tables and I might even add something more!

Please pray for John as he comes to speak and for this Sunday’s meeting which is also a communion service.  Let us pray that as word and bread are broken open and wine poured out that we will deeply engage with the Living God.

Finally I want to make mention of Core Groups.  Recently I met with the group facilitators and I think it would be truthful to say that the picture is somewhat mixed.  Some groups are absolutely thriving and others are not.  It always takes a while to adjust to any changes and I do urge you to try and make these groups work well.  These are of course happening alongside the Church Central meetings where we are doing Sozo/Healing School material.   These meetings have been amongst the most powerful I have experienced for quite a while, and I know many who were deeply touched by the “fire tunnel” prayer. Come along and find out more.

You are personally invited to be part of these evenings of Word and Spirit.   Dates for the next few months will be announced just as soon as we hear back about the availability of the venue we use.  I hope this will be in the next day or so.

May you recognise the Risen Lord Jesus as you walk through this week, even in unexpected places, people and ways.

Alleluia Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, alleluia!

Mark

healed, saved and delivered

Dear Oaks,

Well it is great to be back from South Africa where the temperatures were around +25-30 and the sun shone all day! Isn’t God good in calling us to Acton!

On Tuesday evening we had an excellent Church Central during which people really met with the Living God. I remind all of you that these CC meetings are an important means to your ongoing growth in discipleship and whilst the numbers attending are very encouraging, it concerns me that others of you are missing out.

One of the reasons I am so keen to develop the “Sozo” (meaning healed, saved and delivered) ministry is that it is the only authentic way to demonstrate the fullness of the gospel of the kingdom. To stress the importance of this let me quote Jesus in Matthew 24:14.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”.

The gospel of the kingdom is much more than words. When Jesus declared the kingdom of God he did so in at least three distinctive ways:

1. Words. This is self evident from the recorded teaching of Christ in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John as well as elsewhere.
2. Works. These include such things as feeding the hungry and caring for the poor.
3. Wonders. These include such things as healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead.

This week I want to emphasise number 2 – works. As a church we are doing much in this area and more is now about to get in to full steam. We have the market church on a Saturday; schools work through Lisa; Helping Hands and not to mention all sorts of works you all do in the work place and at home and even in other churches.

===================

On this coming Sunday we have the Launch of our Christians Against Poverty initiative. This is to help people get out of debt and hopefully to introduce them to Jesus Christ is the so doing. It is open to people of all creeds and none and is very much consistent with our “no strings attached” policy. In other words you don’t have to become a Christian to get help.

Please do come along on Sunday at 4:30 when our guest speaker will be Helen Johnson from CAP. Please do also pray for Teresa Pickering our CAP Centre Manager. Finally remember that the task of making this fruitful and effective lies with us all.

CAP is just one more way that we shall through works seek to demonstrate that Jesus and his church are good news to the people of this area. Our vision is surely more about the community than the church and the acid test of our effectiveness is to ask: Would Acton miss Oak Tree if we all left?

I close with more words from Jesus, this time quoted in Matthew 5:16

“in the same way, let your light shine before people, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.

Let us make Sunday a glorious celebration and a joyful launch of a God glorifying work.

Every blessing,

Mark

Sozo church central

Dear Oaks,

YOU are personally invited.  For those of you who receive this in Canada, New Zealand and who knows where you are excused!

Sozo = saved, healed and delivered.

Tuesday evening is our monthly CHURCH CENTRAL which this month is being held at Acton Green Church, Cunnington Street, W4.  We shall start to look at some of the Sozo training course which has come out of Bethel Church in Redding, USA.

At times in church history there has been an obsession with getting people saved.  To put it bluntly “you must know Jesus before you die or you will be lost in Hell for eternity”.  In more recent times, and I realise I am generalising to an enormous extent, the church has rightly declared that salvation is about more than getting people “saved”.  It is about the kind of life the Christian lives on earth not just the reality of Heaven once they die.  I think it was Christian Aid that declared at one time that they believed “in life before death”.

The Greek word used for salvation is sozo which encompasses both understandings above and more.  It means to be saved, healed and delivered.  It includes this life and the next because in reality there is no such divide.  Once a person comes to Christ they are delivered at that point from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and eternal life has already begun!  Physical death is just something you go through en route!

The training is something which I hope will stretch those who have previously done prayer ministry training.  It will also serve to get some of you started.  If you are new to the idea of praying for others in the manner we often do on a Sunday, then this course will really help get you going.

MY VISION FOR A SOZO TEAM INCLUDES YOU.  That is those on the present ministry team and those not yet!

It will take more than one Church Central to cover the training indeed several will be required.  But I want us to add to our present prayer ministry both in terms of personnel and the tools required to more effectively get people saved, healed and delivered.

But my vision is to have a team that can further expand Oak Trees ministry to other churches and beyond.  I believe we have great opportunities to do this. My role as leader of the international networks for New Wine (see www.new-wine.org) means that I have the great privilege of facilitating and speaking at conferences all over the world as well as close to home.  I would love to take YOU with me.

Until now I have randomly invited a few Oaks to join me from time to time.  But I want to raise the bar. I want a team to form that is passionately obsessed with being like Jesus Christ and doing His ministry (see John 14:12).  This will require standards of discipleship that include matters of character as well as a commitment to the supernatural ministry of Jesus.

If you want to know more come on Tuesday evening. If you really cannot but with more notice you would have liked to, then let me know.

I hope to see you at the meeting where more of my thinking will be outlined.  8pm, Acton Green Church, Cunnington Street, W4

Blessings,

Mark

Answers to prayer?

Dear Oaks,

What answers to prayer did we have last week?

Well judging by the many testimonies this past Sunday they were numerous and diverse in nature.  Here is some of the fruit as I have received it from others and in my own experience:

-The twelve year old nephew of one Oak family fell about 5 metres from a balcony on to his head.  Despite the initial fears he is now fully recovered.

- The new born baby of another family was thought to have an infection but hospitals tests all came back negative.

-The sister of another Oak was prayed for during 24-7 because Doctors could not get any heart beat from the 8 week old foetus she is carrying.  All looked extremely bleak but today we have heard that all is well!

Are they answers to prayer or just coincidence?  Nobody knows but as Archbishop William Taylor said many years ago “all I know is that when I pray coincidences happen and when I don’t they don’t”.

Others testified to depression lifting; the presence of God weighing on them; the joy of prayer and to hearing His voice.  Personally I delighted and marvelled at the enormous creativity that so many demonstrated.

One Oak struggling to enjoy her work situation and feeling “taken advantage of” to her surprise was offered a 25% pay rise!  How can I get that anointing?

Prayer was offered up for new accommodation for a man known to Oak Tree who had remarked that he wanted to live closer to Acton. He has been found somewhere nearer.

Other answers include the provision of work; new Christian friends, new creative opportunities at work and much more.

I know that one of the obvious responses might be to ask about the prayers that have NOT been answered yet.  Certainly that is a valid point but for now let us celebrate what God has done and is doing.  The whole subject of prayer raises as many questions as it does answers but what is not in doubt is that prayer is vital to a healthy Christian discipleship.  Jesus prayed often and the Apostle Paul even taught we need to “pray without ceasing”.

So do let me know more of your testimonies regarding the power of prayer, and do go on learning and encouraging others to learn how to pray more effectively.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops”. James 5:16f

You are as righteous as Elijah for you are the righteousness of God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).   So keep praying.

In His love,

Mark

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