Private or Public? Kiwi culture or Kingdom culture?

The other week I had a dream and I was taking my child to a new private school and while there, I was invited by the teachers for lunch. But just before lunch I decided to go to the toilet, along with other teachers. But what I noticed was I was on a toilet that was like that of those we have had experience on in the Tibetan Plateau in China, open, exposed and very public, no embarrasement but a part of every day life, but the other teachers were on the style we have here in New Zealand, private and a personal cubicle.

As I pondered this I was reminded of a book title the Lord gave me a while ago about Kiwi Culture vs Kingdom Culture. And the picture in the dream above illustrated a wonderful of example of how easily people can be misunderstood because of the culture that they have lived in and by the experiences that one has had which determines world view, verses that of what is actually a Kingdom culture.

In dream interpretation, going to the toilet often represents a place of cleansing, a place of repentance. And here in Kiwi culture, often that is a very private thing, a place of embarrasement and perhaps even shame, certainly not something that is discussed with others, and where everyone can see you. So we can often get clashes in thinking. In a Kingdom Culture mindset there is no shame, there is no embarrasement and no hiding, but rather a people walking in truth and fellowship with one another. In Gen 2:25 in the garden of Eden there was no shame, it was all open relationship. It was only when they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil did their eyes open and they felt shame and embarrasement and wanted to cover themselves up. So in the Kingdom of God in the garden, which is the place the Lord through Jesus has returned and restored us too, we once again have the freedom to feel no shame in our repentance, in the cleansing, but rather see it as a part of ordinary everyday life and walk in relationship with others.

There is so much in this to ponder and reflect on, as this can go across many situations in life, for example marriage, govt, forgiveness, finances, everything. But the main point I am trying to get across is that we need to be careful that we are functioning, reacting and responding, and growing in, that of the Kingdom mindset as seen in the word of God. The plumbline of God, rather than the worldviews and cultural mindset of the world in which we live in or have grown up in, or the experiences we have had, that we think perhaps are Christian, that are in fact our own worldview. We need to learn to change, grow and develop to be more like Christ in everything we do and everything we say.

So I bless you in this new season with eyes to see and ears to hear what Jesus would say and do, respond and react, to what is taking place in the world in which we live right now.

"A man's enemies will be the members of his own household" Matt 10:36

Recently we have been pondering how to deal with situations in our family that don't line up with the word. What action do we need to take? Are we being too harsh? Do we accept the behaviour or be considered by those around us as "too radical" or "too black and white"? "Where is grace in all of this? How do we love the sinner but hate the sin? What about forgiveness? What is the role of discipline? What makes that sin any worse than lying? What is true love? And there are a lot more questions going through the mind in how to work through this and know God's will and desire for the situation and the person. And firstly to say we have not come to any conclusions and are growing and learning day by day in this but I want to throw it out there. In Matt 10:34-39 says "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "a man against his father, ...

Ponderings today 16 Dec

Whilst we may not agree with everything that is preached from the pulpit, there is always something that we can learn either about the Lord or about ourselves and our responses to it. Lets not be a people to whom are easily offended and move on without learning what it is that the Lord would have us learn in the different situations. I read a wonderful scripture this morning that really encouraged me as one who often feels arrows in the back in the spirit from peoples jud gements towards me, which God really spoke to me about and hope that it would encourage you too if you feel this way. As it is not us who receive the arrows from people but the Lord (v4) But also reminds me not to be a person that speaks about others behind their back as words are powerful and the tongue either brings life or death. And it is so easily done without often thinking about it. And as easily as I feel arrows, others would feel arrows from me. Lord forgive us our sin as we forgive others theirs. ...

Is the church a cafe? Did you go to be served or to serve?

I had a dream this morning where I saw that I was working in a cafe. It was busy, there were people coming and going and we didn’t have everything we needed, we still needed a barista, some customers were helping cook the steak for the hamburgers that Jim was cooking as Jim was rushed off his feet. We needed people to serve the people coming in as I was dealing with all the different ones coming and going. I saw that people were sitting down in a seat but actually weren’t there to get food, they were just using the seats even though they were not using the cafe. I saw a council officer come in to inspect things and she saw we still needed a barista and she knew people and was going to help us to find one. There was an older man there who was smoking a cigar and I was keen to have a drag off his cigar. People were wandering through our private home at the back of the cafe. The cafe remained open because people kept coming. But I was shown that if I did...

The biting off of the poisonous finger & and the underground spring being released

Recently I have had two pictures which now the Lord is bringing a fullness of understanding to. In the first vision I saw me biting off the tip of the pointing finger that was black and poisonous and I just knew it was demonic. And the second vision I had only a couple of days ago was of a garden that was unkempt, dry and derelict that suddenly we found an underground irrigations system to and we turned it on and it started to rain and everything came back to life again. And then this scripture was given to me over the weekend that I only saw this morning that has brought confirmation to what I believe the Lord is saying. When there is a poisonous part of the body unless we do something with it, it will infect the rest of the body, like gangrene sometimes we have to take serious measures in order for the rest of the body not to become ill. And although it seems extreme at the time, it is necessary to stop any further infection from spreading. And it was very much like ...

Make way for the new development

This morning I had a dream and in this dream I saw Jim & I were helping clear out the rubble and things left in houses that were being demolished. Whole rows of houses were being demolished and we were asked to come and help clear the area before new things went in. But while helping shift stuff (although a bit reluctantly as I am not a fan of hard physical work) we were blessed to be able to take the pickings of what was left and I found myself picking up the antique ornaments., the treasures. There was also a big white fridge that actually was a safe that couldn’t be opened or moved, it was stuck, solid, so wedged in nothing was going to move it. I realise in processing this, this is actually the call the Lord has on Jim & I, we are called to shift stuff in the spirit, in peoples lives in order for the new to come in and in seeing the big fridge which was actually a safe, it made me think of Matt 6. The fridge often re...

Francistown, Maun & then?????

Prov 11:25 "A generous man will prosper , he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Well we are now in Maun after a very exciting meeting in Francistown where the joy of the Lord was released and people set free. It was so much fun seeing the tears rolling and then the joy coming. Now in Maun after another 6 hour bus journey. We have already done one meeting last night after arriving and have another three lined up until Sunday evening and now also a meeting for the leadership again tomorrow morning. So we need refreshing but the Lord is refreshing us and giving us what we need. Interesting what we are learning in the spirit and the strongholds over peoples lives and asking the Lord for breakthrough in their situations. Some places no problem but other places its is really hard ground that is needing breakthrough. We would ask you to pray for keys to see the breakthrough come in this place. Jim is preaching tonight...

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