I laughed so hard I almost dropped her child. Little 10-day-old Morgan slept like a drunk baby in my arms as I chatted with two of my closest friends, his starry eyed parents: Luke and Hannah. I have had high hopes for Morgan, AKA Mogwai the Relentless, since his folks told me he was on his way. Within seconds of me being formally introduced (Luke dropping him into my hands) I started sending subliminal Welsh propaganda into his English dreams. His parents giggled, though that will change when he turns eight-years-old and for some reason hates the English rugby team.

As I thought about God’s wild and unknown plans for my tiny little friend, I prayed simply that he would soon know Jesus as his best mate. I watched Luke and Hannah compete to tell me how amazing he was already. The blank canvas that is Morgan’s life inspired me to thank God for leading me in my life so far.

The grace which has given me so much hope in my scatty walk with Jesus will be the same grace which holds Morgan Smith, my sleepy pal.

During one of my attempts to persuade Morgan to support the Welsh rugby team, his mother Hannah (also from God’s favourite nation) said something which cracked me up. She said: “Alex, the thing is, I keep forgetting his name! I think it’s because we named him.”

Though our human nature often leaves much to be desired, that moment gave me insight to just one of the million things which must make God laugh. The creator of all things, who will help Luke and Hannah to raise their son, knows the number of hairs on Morgan’s head. He knows Morgan’s life story. He sees the adventure set before him, and for some strange reason, I will get to be a tiny part of it.

Cymru am Byth

Peace

On Earth, everything changes, all the time. Looking back on 2010 I can testify that like our technology, life is rarely static. I started this year living in a different part of the country, working in a different profession, carrying around a barrel full of unquenched desires which soon became prayers.

I have seen the hopes of my friends become a reality during the last 12 months while many others have been tackling the ever-present curse of grief.

I have come to the conclusion that nothing ever ends in our lives; things just merely change. This leaves two opposite thoughts bouncing around my head.

1) Freedom from the pressure of ambition.

2) Fear of the inevitable unknown.

Sometimes I wish I could have a two second glance of my life one year from now. I don’t know how that would affect me today, but I guess it would take away any fear of the unknown.This desire for a time machine fills my thought life occasionally, but it is instantly smashed to bits the moment I encounter God.

Though the challenge of the fluidity of life hovers above me, the greatest challenge of all is do I trust God with my today.

With that I mind I look back on 2010 with a completely new set of eyes. I see the lessons I have learned by reading the Word of God, the unquestionable love which wraps the Christian Church up into an invincible body and the creator’s constant desire to have a focussed friendship with me.

In the book of James, the Word of God sums up what I’ve tried to say in this scatty blog.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Peace.

By Guest Blogger: Andy Drake AKA Hero.

Do you remember ‘Celebrity Deathmatch’? Don’t worry if you don’t, it just means you’re sophisticated.

‘Celebrity Deathmatch’ was a programme on MTV a few years back that had plasticine models of celebrities fighting each other in a wrestling ring. It was stupid of course but to the Philistines amongst us it was funny. Think about it; who wouldn’t want to see Simon Cowell and Tom Jones in a no-holds-barred fight?!?

Ok, only me then.

As I observe the Christian community, I am often reminded of Celebrity Deathmatch. Christians continue to slug it out with each other over all kinds of differences; this stream pits itself against that stream; this church is better than that church. Maybe even, “our men’s ministry is better than their men’s ministry”.

You’ve got to stop sometimes and ask; is this really what Jesus died for?

I had the pleasure of attending a planning meeting recently for a new men’s event in the South West of England. There were about 20 men representing all kinds of churches and theological persuasions. They were meeting together because they had a heart for seeing men live full on for Jesus. Not only were they debriefing a recent event they’d held for over 500 men, but they decided that night to up the ante and go aim to reach 1000 men next. Awesome.

Their united vision for declaring Jesus overrode any difference of opinion they might have had about secondary and tertiary issues. What an incredible example they set for me and you.

You know, I think that even when the things that currently divide the Christian community get sorted, new things will just take their place.

I’m not advocating ignoring the issues, but rather getting perspective on them. The eternal destiny of people around us and the spiritual direction of the country we are in have to be tier one priorities.

Sadly, it’s often men who are the loudest, most aggressive and most destructive when it comes to division in the church. For my part, I’ve seen enough Christian Deathmatch to last me a lifetime, and to be honest, I’m sick to the stomach.

We need a new generation of men who can disagree wisely and work together powerfully. Men who put their arms around their brothers rather than throwing jabs at them. Men focussed on the main battle and not distracted by side skirmishes.

What those men are doing in the South West can be done anywhere. So why isn’t it?

They came from all over the world to share their experiences of Jesus under the roofs of cold, Yorkshire cabins.

Some of them had encountered the message of Jesus in profound ways leaving an obvious appetite to know more about God. Others had merely scraped the surface of Jesus’ promises for every living being and wanted to dig a little deeper.

As I scanned the room full of young men and women caught up in the mystery and wonder of faith, I had never felt such a strong sensation of honour. I was utterly privileged to be able to share my nine-year-old faith with those learning the beautiful truths spoken of by the Son of God more than 2000 years ago.

As a young medic shared his desire for more faith in Jesus, and several former atheists found themselves drawn to this one we call the Truth, I knew I had to re-think what God was capable of.

I’ve been visiting different cities and meeting people with vastly different experiences recently, and I have to confess; I sometimes box up the creator like a librarian with no time for new books.

Jesus said he would give us his Spirit who would go wherever he pleased and point people from all over the world to the Truth: which would then set them free. If I don’t think that God can work in ways above my understanding, then I do not believe that God is sovereign.

My prayers for my thought life are changing. I’m now asking God to show me his work as oppose to him blessing my own. I want to see more people unpacking the potential of God’s promises. I want to be left speechless as more scientists find themselves looking to Jesus for their soul questions when their minds leave them unquenched.

I want to develop Box Phobia; where I smash the walls of my understanding of God so that he may lead me further into the Truth.

Peace.

I’ve done it hundreds of times and it never gets any easier. Due to my love of football, whenever I move to a new place I have to get involved with a team. However, this means walking up to the side of a pitch and literally asking a group of strange men if I can play with them. (I usually phrase it differently though). It’s humiliating. I feel like a Welsh Oliver Twist asking for a kick around with the lads. And the problem is that here in Chesterfield I’m about as local as Magners cider.

So this week I did it again. In the bitter East Midlands rain and wind I walked with my head down towards the pitch now littered with strangers who knew everyone in sight; except me. I had been told about this team of lads who play football every Monday. Half of them church goers. I looked for the church going type in a bid to protect my pride.

My initiation went well until the final whistle.

Scottish Dave, who runs the team, is a passionate man who shares my scepticism of every English sportsman. He’s also a Christian and wants to share his faith with those who haven’t heard the real message of Jesus. We were getting on really well until he said this: “Alex, every week before and after the game, we gather the lads together and one of us leads a prayer. Would you pray for us?”

I had just spent 90 minutes trying to win over the respect of the team, which included a lot of men who did not go to church. Until this moment I was seen as the decent Welsh lad who managed to bang a few goals in. My heart rate increased. Give me a microphone and a Bible and I’ll go like a madman, but put me in reality, and I start to sweat a little.

Why am I still more concerned about my image than the need for men to hear about the immense truth that Jesus is exactly who he says he is.

Suffice to say I grew a pair and prayed for us all. And guess what, they invited me back. On the journey home I laughed with my creator as I remembered a prayer I whispered three weeks previous. “Lord, put me under the spotlight so I can point people to you.”

My challenge to you lads is simply this. Dare to pray that today. In fact, pray it now and before you go to sleep to assure God that you mean it.

Peace.

LoveZim International prayer day for Zimbabwe 26^th September 2010

An exciting thing is happening in Zimbabwe.  There is a move on to redeem the broken land that was once called the ‘breadbasket’ of Africa.  Zimbabwe is rich in resources but has become a place of poverty, hunger and dependency.  A move is afoot to bring profitability, health and sustainability to the people of Zim.

For some time Foundations for Farming have been teaching simple, sustainable and effective farming techniques that have been increasing harvests and transforming communities in Africa.  Their track record has led to partnerships with organisations such as Tearfund, the Evangelical Alliance, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and African Enterprise.  Now the government in Zimbabwe is taking notice and the partnership have been given the opportunity to enpower farmers across the nation over the next five years.  The initive will not only equip people to feed themselves, but it also has the potential to reinvigorate the economy and bring real hope to a nation that is in desperate need of redemption.

Momentum is growing around the world to support this amazing opportunity and on the 26^th of September there is going to be a day of prayer where people internationally will be able to join hands and make a difference to Zimbabwe.  We at ChristChurch London will be praying with brothers and sisters around the world on that day.  Please do join us in intercession, wherever you are, and if you want to know more then do check out the website: http://www.lovezim.org/ or follow on Facebook or Twitter.

God can transform a nation.  Through prayer we have the opportunity to be involved.

I have been living in my head almost everyday this week. I usually live in my eyes. Usually, when something happens in front of me, I react. I notice things about the park I walk through on my lunch break. I am aware of people’s faces and am very much in the moments which fill my days. But not this week. This week I have set up camp in the frontal lobe of my head and have been feeling quite sorry for myself. This is not naval gazing. It’s worse than that. It’s naval camping.

On my drive home from work I used to spot interesting graffiti or gardens which have been kept well. I would stare at the horizon as I sat in traffic jams and imagine what Jesus would have said if I asked him why clouds came in different forms. However, since Monday I have retreated into my brain for every minute of the day. I feel like my week has been played out in front of me like a sombre soap opera.

Unfortunately, living in my head means I can see my memories closer than ever before. The currency in my head is nostalgia. I caught myself staring at nothing on Wednesday as I re-lived football games I had won as a teenager, memorable moments with friends and families and former relationships which made me feel wanted in this world. Inevitably, I felt about as cheery as a doberman dog awaiting the snip.

I have no idea why I moved into my head this week when my eyes were doing a fine job of hosting my life up until now. Maybe its the stress which comes with the working world, maybe the personal events of 2010 are starting to hit home, or maybe there is no reason. One thing I do know; nostalgia is not one of Jesus’ favourite things. In fact, throughout the bible, groups of faithful men and women have been found living in their heads wishing for their former lives to return to them. My close friend Daf told me he finds it physically painful when he tries to pray whilst living in his head. He said he has to come out of that place to fix his eyes on Jesus.

I miss noticing graffiti, clouds and horizons. I miss laughing at the random teenagers trying to do back flips outside Blackburn Cathedral. I found this verse helpful last night. I hope it helps any of you in the same place.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans he said: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

When we pray, let’s pray, “Lord, my mind is doing my head in. Will you renew it for me please?” Amen.

Nine years ago this week I became a Christian. (That’s a weird turn of phrase isn’t it?)

I celebrated the occasion with my bread-stealing flat mate Mark. Together, we sat in front of the box, cracked open a bottle of Sailor Jerry Rum, and talked about life, love and loaves.

If someone had told me I was going to become a Christian on the morning of February 16 2001, I would have probably told them to have a drink and drive to the coast.

Though I had paid two very unsatisfying visits to the local church, I was still living my daily life as if I was in complete control. To be honest, until around 7.35pm that evening, my heart actually believed that whatever felt good, was good. It was a surprisingly liberating experience to find out that I wasn’t the man at the centre of the universe.

Since that moment when I honestly asked the Jesus spoken of in the bible to lead me in my daily life, I have had to constantly fight the temptation of reclaiming the throne of my existence.

The weird thing is, that until recently, I looked back on that day as a 16-year-old in Cardiff and thought it was the most important day of my life. But it was not.

From looking closer at the stuff in the New Testament I now know that today is the only day that matters. The message that Jesus came to bring to this earth was “Today if you hear my voice, do not harden your heart.” Jesus did not say, “In your own time, when you’ve got your life sorted out, come and see me.”

I’ll be honest with you. These last six months have tested my faith in ways I couldn’t imagine when I was a teenager. Grief has really had me by the balls recently, and though my emotions are often mirroring that of a monkey on LSD, I am so happy that Jesus is still in my life.

The number of mistakes I’ve made in the last nine years as a Christian is quite simply embarrassing. Which makes the fact that Jesus not counting my sins against me sound so good.

And not only that, since that day I put him at the front of my mind, he has been strengthening my faith and character. And the truth is he doesn’t seem to be running for the door any time soon. So nine years later, here I am.

And as Mark and I took a fair chunk of rum and coke on-board, I shed a few tears looking back at the last six months. (Don’t worry lads, I’m going rugby training later tonight to man up a bit.)

But because of recent losses to people close to me I am always a few steps away from a good cry. However, I also felt an overwhelming sense of sadness for my many friends and family members who do not have God as an anchor in their lives yet.

I thought about how accessible a living relationship with God was and how a whispered prayer of tiny faith started the most immense journey of joy, adventure and truth any boy could wish for.

Nostalgia got the better of me and I prayed the same prayer that kicked it all off before I went to sleep to mark the 9th year anniversary of my Christian faith.

“Lord Jesus, I reckon you are who the bible says you are. I want you to be my Lord. I’m so sorry its taken me all this time to admit all this. I’m also sorry for ignoring you and doing it my way. Thank you for dying on that cross for us Jesus. I believe. Amen.”

There are a few things on the walls of the office here at CVM. This is one of them. A prayer from Sir Francis Drake, written in 1577.

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.