Truth and Transparency!!

Charismatics are sometimes rather infamous for excitedly exaggerating the truth about miracles, signs and wonders. We are also rather infamous for prophesying and then forgetting to say when they don't come true. I don't think it's out of a malicious desire to lie. I think it is more because we are so desperate for God's manifest Presence to break through that we sometimes see things when they do not exist or maybe are not quite as obvious as we first thought. Maybe it does destroy the credibility of charismatics especially in the eyes of those "open but cautious" and it certainly gives fuel to the hyper-anti charismatics such as John MacArthur, Peter Masters and co.

I wanted to write a post to correct something I said. And it's rather painful. But I hope that by correcting it, I can show that we don't all pretend to forget. But I hope also it makes a statement that my belief and faith in the goodness of God hasn't changed. I STILL believe!

I wrote a post last month called "My Miracle!" - I got a surprise amount of money that I rejoiced over and I really thought it was a tax rebate. Or a gift from heaven! Unfortunately I recieved a letter this week stating that it was in fact an overpayment in error from the Children's Hospital and I will indeed have to re-pay it. On top of the overpayment from my previous job in Bristol. It seems quite a few finance departments are making costly mistakes at the moment! I know I gave a lot of that money away because I wanted to bless others with what I thought was God's gifts and I don't regret that a bit. I just see it as a loan that I'll have to repay but boy am I glad people got blessed from a finance department error!

It's been a pretty awful week for me to be honest. The saga at Acorns is dragging on and looks set to drag on for the next 6 to 12 months. I had an extremely unpleasant confrontation with a client in my current job that lead to me not being able to go back to work there. I went to see my G.P yesterday in a bit of a mess and he did my blood pressure - 160/110 - oops! Rob Rufus's sermon on "Stress-Free Living" couldn't have come at a better time!

But I was watching the video I posted on the blog post; "My Miracle!". It still stands. He is still the King! He is still worthy of all my worship and adoration! He is still for me 100% and He doesn't judge me! Despite all the accusations and gossip circulating about me at the moment, there is just ONE opinion that matters. His. And His opinion is this;

"You are righteous - today, now and forever - because I am more than satisfied with the sacrifice of My Son. You are accepted and beloved on high".

So here's the video again! It's hard to worship when my heart's breaking - but the message of grace makes it so possible and I STILL believe in the blessing of Abraham! You lose devil! I am not going to get bitter! My God is awesome, abundant, lavish, loving and just awesome and worthy of eternity's praises!

Intimacy with God!!

Can there be a more vital message than this? In the midst of life with confusion, trial, suffering, tribulation - I am increasingly coming to realise that the only thing that can meet that longing is God's passion for His people. So I was thrilled and greatly encouraged to read Terry Virgo's latest blog;

"God isn’t interested merely in how you can serve him. He wants you to hear the clear, gentle whisper, ‘I love you. I’m for you. I know your sighing, your longings, and your heartbreak. I know what you’ve been doing for me and how little you’ve been appreciated for it. I hear you when you cry out in desperation.’ It’s this gentle whisper that melts your heart".

One of the insidious lies of legalism is that all God cares about is what we DO. But rather the grace message preaches the truth - it's DONE - it's DONE - it's DONE! There's been so much argument about "indwelling sin" and John Owen the Puritan didn't help matters by producing a thick volume on how to "mortify" sin and basically concluding - you can't until you die! But when you read a paragraph like Terry's next - sin couldn't be further from your mind!

"I once looked up ‘delight’ in the dictionary. It said ‘great pleasure and satisfaction’. But I wasn’t satisfied with that, so I searched for it in a thesaurus. This is what I found: ‘laugh, smile, get a kick out of, hug oneself, rave, bask in, enjoy, wallow, have fun, exhilarate, relish, elate, thrill, ravish, intoxicate, entrance, enrapture, purr.’ Isn’t that wonderful? When God looks at you he purrs with delight!".

And again more specifically Terry writes to those overcome by exhaustion in life and tired of fighting (like I am today after finding out I can't go to Hong Kong unless I leave my job and having just endured a 1 and a half hour grievance hearing at my old work!);

"How do I find healing from exhaustion? It lies in the gentle whisper from God, ‘I love you. I’m delighted with you. You make my heart sing whenever I see you.’ That’s what overwhelmed great Christians throughout history and that’s what restores your soul – a fresh experience of intimacy with God and a new revelation of his grace".

And again;

"God has a wonderful way of working healing into weary people. If you drift away from him, he doesn’t abandon you. No matter what you do, you’re always his delightful child. His thoughts about you have never changed and never will. Surely this is what grace is all about".

How awesome and lavish is His grace?! This beautiful verse from the Song of Solomon sums up perfectly how I am feeling about God right now. But what's even MORE mind-blowing is that the Bible is clear that this is actually how HE is feeling about me! (See how much people are missing who incredibly think that the Song of Solomon is a sex manual for husbands and wives?!)

"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes" (Song of Songs 4:9).

Rob Rufus on Suffering and the Glory

"Only those who are willing to suffer persecution, rejection and being misunderstood will carry the higher level of the glory".

Rob Rufus - "Attitudes That Attract The Empowering Grace Of God - Part 4" - City Church International, Hong Kong - 10th August 208.