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.

Does your boat have life jackets?

Do you go out fishing on a boat without a life jacket? Do you go out on the water unprepared for what may happen? And yet for many Christians this is the state of their Christian walk, they are not prepared for what may come and so when things go wrong they have not spent the time in the word of God, which teaches them truth so that when the enemy comes in like a flood and overwhelms them, they have no where to go except down, because the belt of Truth is like our safety be lt that holds us up when the flood threatens to overwhelm us. Truth is the word of God, truth sets us free, truth brings us life and helps us discern what is of God and what is not of God. A word the Lord was bringing last night is to be prepared and so I encourage you to take the time, set time apart, go in and shut the door to distractions, shut the door to the words the enemy would try and bring, shut the door to discouragement or whatever may be coming that is trying to take your eye, the phone, Facebook, tv...

The rats where running....

Last night I saw this picture where we went into this room to collect stuff with lots of other people and all these rats ran away as we came in and the stuff in the room was just all bits of rubbish now and the word that came to me was Matt 6:19 "Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." It is so easy to think you are storing up treasure in heaven but the reality is that if you are wanting praise from man in any way then you are actually receiving your inheritance now. When you work for the Lord the things done in secret I believe, is what is stored up in heavenly places awaiting a time of release and when that release comes is unto the Lord, it may be on the earth while you are alive but it may also be later....

Prov 4:23 "Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life"

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me" Yeah right! Peoples' comments and judgements toward us hurt very much and hinder our walk with the Lord and with others, but the Lord would say this morning from Proverbs 4:23 to "guard our heart for it is the wellspring of life." God judges very differently than man and we see in the story of 1 Samuel 16 where the Prophet Samuel is called to anoint a new King and in verses 6&7 "Samuel saw Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord'. But the Lord said to Samuel 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." How quickly we judge by what we see and hear, but the Lord calls us not to do that, but to look at the heart. Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God and know my heart, tes...

Eddie Cairns from Mission Outreach

Due to unforeseen circumstances our planned guest speaker for the 28th of August is no longer able to join us. But in his place we are blessed and honoured to have Eddie Cairns, founder of Mission Outreach with a heart and call for the suffering church, joining us. This will be a special time so please bring along your friends and honour a man of God that has served God now for many many years. We also have Nicky Moran leading us in worship. This Wednesday night 28th of August. 7pm at Puketaha Hall.

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...

We are in need - can you help?

Wednesday night worship leaders We are desperate for someone to come on board and head the arena of Worship leading at our gatherings in the arena of Music and songs. If you love Jesus, the Holy Spirit and others, are willing to go where the Holy Spirit is leading, alongside releasing others in their sound, and believe and want to be a part of a massive move of God in this nation then please contact me. If you know someone else who may want to be involved, please pass this onto them.

Glory Release Ministries

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