God in my future

Because of my day job working in human rights in supply chains, the pandemic period between January 2020 to now has been intense and perhaps the hardest I’ve worked in my life. As the virus spread from continent to continent impacting the food, clothing and homewares coming into the United Kingdom from all four corners of the world and the abuse of workers in those supply chains escalated, the sheer volume of work has been overwhelming. 

The gift of hindsight

Moving out of this wretched pandemic with the workload easing has given me time to reflect on the last few years. I've been paging through my journals & blogs. With hindsight and a scan of the last four years, I can say quite confidently say, it’s been one almighty period of upheaval and transition BUT evidently clear that God was already in my future.

When I reflect on the various pictures and Devine happenings over the last ten years our Father in His mercy has mapped and prepared me for the change that lay ahead. In many respects, He was raising the bar on the horizon, warning me of pitfalls and encouraging me to keep going through His word. 

Strategic direction and counsel

In November 2016, I recorded a blog call Red carpet welcomes the new season. In this was a clear set of indicators of a step change, a break from an impoverished heart & mind-set and the promise of the best is yet to come. 

Going back further, November 2013 was all about Joshua’s Road map to taking the promised land. This in particular has been strategic guidance that helped me navigate the last four years of change. It’s been a total minefield and somehow, I’ve muddled through it, but these bullet points have been pertinent each step of the way.

• God sends the most unexpected help to get us on our way
• We have to dip our feet in the water first – as an act of faith – before the waters part
• Time to take stock – ensure the past is dealt with and cut away
• Expect things that you have been used to change – sow into the future for the future
• Expect to meet “The Commander of Heavens Armies”
• Worship brings walls down and gets the enemy on the run
• Defeat is revisited with success
• The past may at times seem better
• Be on the guard for deception which can lead to compromise
• The battle does intensify and appears to come at you from every angle
• Believe it or not, you get stronger with every skirmish

God in our futures

Significant though, a word way back in 2012 underlines the certainty that HE was already in my future and the words from Zachariah 3 have been repeated at different stage in this transitional period. In the last few months as I've entered a new phase of the ‘day-job’, this has started to unfold: 

• New tasks: will be revealed possibly with a change in direction and a paradigm shift in thinking about "ministry" and doing "formal church", 
• New personal understanding, gifting, knowledge, and skill set to meet the tasks,
• New covering and clothing which I believe is the resourcing for the new task,
• New authority to ensure His will is done here on earth as it is in heaven,
• New boldness and courage - not to be afraid .... but indeed, be happy! (Acts 18:9-10) says; "Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."

Back to 2016 and happenings that led to Nehemiah 4 with a call for ‘all hands on deck’ to build the wall.  Again, the strategic nature of God’s word, the blueprint it provides and step-by-step instruction for application in our modern day lives has been massively encouraging. 

We're not there yet!

I see the time of upheaval and transition continuing for quite some time but knowing HE is with me, guiding me and showing me the way brings peace and comfort. Perhaps cliché’d to say but say it I will, I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. The part that chokes me up though is knowing HE trusts and loves me and yes, knowing He’s already in my future.

With love

Joy

Roses and chocolates

February 2004 was a dark and depressing month for me. Following a fourteen month honeymoon period of arriving, settling and exploring London, the enormity of my decision to come to the United Kingdom overwhelmed me.  This was real and permanent.

Having arrived in the United Kingdom in July 2002, alone with two young sons, three suitcases and three trunks of goods arriving six weeks later by sea, I’d experienced mountain top encounters of God’s extreme provision and faithfulness. 

Practical intervention on work, housing, schooling, money and indeed church fellowship entrenched my understanding of “God goes ahead and prepares the way”. Knowing divine and providential guidance in every aspect of our lives in those first 18 months could fill an epic worthy of War and Peace.

I accepted the invitation to my private pity party 

Loneliness and fear encases the soul like a vice; if entertained it creates a toxic and destructive pity party. Missing South Africa, friends, family, support structures and day to day common nuances of life led to me imploding on myself. 

Wailing like a baby with gripe and with no-one else to talk to other than Father God, late at night and on my knees, I whimpered my distress and despair. At the end of my ‘bleeding out’, in a rather pathetic and shallow way I told the Father all I really wanted was someone to love me, someone who’d cherish me and shower me with roses and chocolates.

God's heart for the detail 

The following day, taking a walk during lunchtime (and still muttering to myself) a homeless man approached me. I lowered my eyes so as not to make contact and tried to step out of his way. To my horror he headed straight towards me with purpose and intent. He pushed into my hands the most beautiful perfect long stemmed red roses wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon. Claiming he’d found them thrown away in a dustbin he stated he knew he had to give them to me. Speechless, chocked and welling up with tears I stood there like a statue as he walked away.

The story continues. Checking out and paying for a small grocery shop at a local store the attendant on the till reached over and handed me a box of valentine type chocolates. He said someone had left them and felt he should give them to me. #Speechless 

I’ve not looked back 

Oh there have been times of stress, dark days and ups and downs of life but that day I fully understood what Ephesians 3 (14 to 21) means; “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Need I say more? 

The aroma of Christ

I love perfumes, fragrances, bath bombs and aroma therapy oils. As a result of the dream below I've also spent time reading up on biblical oils.

My first experience of sensing the aroma of Christ was the evening of my earthly fathers' funeral (September 1991) - the perfume of his favourite shrub (yesterday, today and forever) filled the house - strong enough to wake us up. I have often felt the presence of the Holy Spirit through smelling perfume - this was also a manifestation a few Sundays back where a number of people caught a whiff of sweet perfume in the room we were in. Just last week - praying with my elderly Mum, the assurance of God's hand taking care of her was through a gentle breeze and smell of incense around her.

The word however relates to a dream from July 2008 and it is a call to ensure that our lamps are full of oil. We are to be proactive about filling our lamps so that they can be lit by the fire of Holy Spirit. It is time to seek the Lord and as we pray and seek Him, there is a store of oil that has been prepared for individual anointing and we now have access to it. Matthew 25: 1 to 13 (The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins) comes to mind.

The dream came at the tail end of nearly 8 weeks of a call to pray - the oil that will be poured out is a fresh revelation of Christ. The perfume of Christ will increase until the place of worship is filled with His presence and the vessels that are prepared will receive their own individual perfume - this will be the anointing that is to be carried onto the "streets" - i.e. out of the church. Perfume can only become oil once it’s been pressed and steamed - it also means the death of the source plant. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Php 1:21

My note book at the time says, "Yesterday I awoke with such an overwhelming sense of love and the presence of God as I'd had a dream about being in a perfume factory - in the dream I was taken around a factory where perfume was being made - at one point I moved into a cellar where all the base oils are kept - I could not see the person leading me around this area, but he asked me to smell each base oil and asked me what I thought about which oils should be mixed together to produce a new perfume.  I had such fun testing all the oils and chatting away with the person showing me around (I had this feeling of being extremely privileged to be see this place and to be part of what was being decided on - but the overriding feeling was sheer joy - almost like a child in a sweet factory) - every pore in the place was ladened with perfume (and not the choking kind).

After "playing" with the base oils I was led into an area that was all white marble and glass with long white chiffon drapes between columns - along the walls were glass shelves and on them were arrays of new bottles (all shapes and sizes) all ready, waiting for the new perfume to be poured into them.  The man who had been with me in the base oil area was still with me in this room and he seemed to get immense pleasure at seeing my happiness.  I sensed that he was the "boss" and that the perfume they were preparing was something very new and fresh.......I had an overwhelming sense of surprise".

Are we prepared and waiting?

The oil of anointing for the Bride of Christ is ready, the perfume of Christ will increase until the place of worship is filled with His presence and the vessels (you and I etc) that are prepared (thinking of the 10 wise & foolish virgins) will receive their own individual perfume - this will be the anointing that is to be carried onto the "streets" - i.e. out of the church.  

Unity and cohesion

Last week the London Metro newspaper had a front cover with the words "A new vision for London" with pictures of the pods on the London Eye. The London Eye has changed ownership, been revamped and is open for business again. This brought to mind a life changing experience I had in 2006 where the London Eye featured as a model for the church in London (UK).

Directly after Pentecost, during a time of personal ‘quite time’, I felt stirred to read the story of Hezekiah and the re-opening of the temple.  I had such an overwhelming sense of God’s presence that for a number of days after, His presence was tangible. The fire burning in my belly was that we, individually and corporately, must return to worship.

Worship leads us to the heart of God and and thus His agenda. (Exodus 25:21& 22)”And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”  In hindsight I see this experience started a process of personal renewal in my own life.

The following day, praying alone in a quiet room during my lunch break, the presence of the Father overwhelmed me to such an extent that I couldn’t move, worship seamed to pour out of every pore & fibre of my being.  Both my physical and spiritual eyes were drawn to the London Eye which I could see through the window. I heard the whisper in my inner being, “what do you see?” As I described the London Eye (below) the Father laid on my heart:

1. The ‘church’ needs to become like the London Eye – this is the model, and
2. As we work in unity and partnership we will reflect the nature and Glory of God. The promise is, ‘I will draw all men to me and I will be lifted high amongst the nation"

The dialogue over “what do you see” is a s follows:

The strong arms/spokes stretching:
Embedded in the centre "cog" and it is the "cog" that keeps the entire structure moving with perfect timing.  The arms create the balance and keep the structure steady.  The arms are very thick. God is the "cog" and that when we are embedded in Him,- He will give us balance, keep us steady - but more importantly we will keep moving in His time.  There was a sense of inward movement toward the 'cog' - a drawing in toward the centre.

The capsules (pods):
They are all exactly the same shape and size and positioned (clamped/docked) on a circular frame that is attached to the arms (spokes).  They have an equal distance between them and depending on where they are on their rotation they have different views of London.  What makes each capsule unique are the people and activity inside them. The capsules represent groups of believers/churches - as groups, due to the Spirit of God, they will all appear the same (unified spirit) - the individuals within the group/church will bring out the uniqueness depending on their gifts, talents and calling. Each group/church will bring ministry and serve wherever they are on their rotation and position. The circular frame is the framework that God already has in place - each capsule (church/group) will be brought into its 'docked' position through the move of the Holy Spirit.  It's also useful to note that the pods are quite small yet form part of a huge cohesive structure - perhaps this is a reflection of the importance of smaller, yet effective churches, working together as opposed to "mega church"

The actual overall structure:
One part of the structure cannot work or be separated from another part - they are all interlinked, held together and work together to create something that attracts people to it.  As presented - it is seen as "one" - not as individual parts.  What struck me is that the Eye does not "appear" to move - when you look closely you see the movement - not just as a whole - but within each capsule there is activity. This is how the body of believers (church) should be seen - the groups/churches unified and embedded in Christ and represented as such to London.  The beauty of the whole body of Christ  will attract people to it. The strength of the structure is due to it's "oneness" It is also significant that the LE attracts and is visited by people from every part of the world (walking past you hear and see a reflection of the diversity of this planet)  - it's almost as if the world comes to us!   1 Corinthians 12 (New KJV) verses 12 to 26 (Unity & diversity in One body)

The position & size of the eye:
The Eye stands out above everything in London - it overlooks the Thames, Parliament and Whitehall. If believers (and churches) stand together in unity with Christ at the centre, each serving where they are placed, Christ will be lifted up.  When unified in Spirit and embedded in Christ we will have an impact in and on the city.  Our strength and ability to bring about change to our communities is rooted in unity and cohesion.

As water flows into the Thames and carries goods and people up and down the river - I believe what God is doing/going to do in London, if we have unity of vision – will flow into all areas/parts of the world that goes hand in hand with the UK’s sphere of influence.

The one striking feature of the LE is that it is ‘new’ as opposed to all the other significant buildings in that area that are decidedly old and in many ways represent the current establishment.