Move

St. Giles Street, Oxford on Thursday Morning

It was Hungry worship and praying meeting last night. In one part of the session we did Prayer Walking, we walked inside the church building independently and randomly and prayed for our city at the same time. I was praying with my eyes opened because I didn’t want to pump into someone or something while I was walking! I was asking God what He thinks about Oxford; what is in His heart at the moment; what He wants us to do in this city and I asked Him to move our hearts of what moves His, to stir up our desires for His glory and to change our hearts to be online with His.

While I was still walking I suddenly realised there is something in the church building that I haven’t noticed before: like at the top bit of the pillars at church there are some flowers sculpture, random female faces sculpture above the banner etc. I haven’t seen them before, they were there for donkey years but I have never noticed them until now!

We have been passing by our cities but it seems to me that we miss out the details at times! I think God is telling me that if we look into the parts that are generally being ignored by most people, we will find His will and discover the beauty of it. For me this is definitely a challenge, I am definitely not good at looking into details. However I believe if we are willing to do so, God will let us see His way through His eyes, change our minds to be online with His mind and we will discover the hidden beauty that He has set before us to find.

Lord, moves our hearts of what moves yours; breaks our hearts of what breaks yours; makes this place be what you want it to be and let your will be done in us for the sake of the name of Jesus, amen.

29.11.2012

Oxford

Hungry and Afterthought

At the end of every month’s Wednesday night, we have a prayer and worship session called Hungry. We were helping with the Mighty Warriors Party for the little children (which itself was amazing!) so we arrived late. Worship has already started by the time we arrived and everyone was singing at the top of their voices worshiping God. It doesn’t take long for me to feel the overwhelming sense of God’s presence at the whole church, and it grew stronger and stronger and it was so strong that I simply just couldn’t stop throwing myself into His presence. Everyone was singing with eyes closed, in awe. My spirit was lifted up as worship continued and the lyrics of the songs became so real to me and I could feel my spirit was on fire, a great sense of hunger and desire for Him. It is really hard to use any words to describe being in God’s presence, but once you have felt it you would understand what I mean by it – satisfaction to your soul.

Without doubt this is the reason why this prayer and worship session is called Hungry – hunger for God’s presence. I believe this is what we are called to do as Christians, worship God and hunger for Him. As Church we not just hunger for His presence whenever we worship Him, we hunger to see Him changing people’s heart and lives, we hunger to see His glory being shone, we hunger to see Him doing great things in our cities. Near the end of the Hungry Charlie invited us to come forward to have a 20 seconds prayer to lift up our burdens to God, I went forward and prayed that God will set our heart on fire for Him and the people we love and care for. Fire that not just consumes but also transforms, being the light which shone His glory. This reminds me the chorus of one of the Tim Hughes song:

Consuming fire fan into flame

A passion for Your name

Spirit of God fall in this place

Lord, have Your way

Lord, have Your way with us

06.11.2012

Oxford

Stand!

In the Men’s Breakfast we are going through a series of Sitting, Walking & Standing and this time it’s about Standing. I always thought stand means standing firm as it is written in Ephesians 6 concerning The Armor of God:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. … Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…

Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-14

Paul uses “stand” 4 times in this passage to show the importance of standing. And there are tonnes of examples in the Bible that describe what standing firm means, like in the book of Daniel etc. Interesting enough the first thing that the guy who did the sharing said was stand by, or stand with, somebody. The sharing reminded me an experience I had with Jeremy in our final year at university.

I remember it was February time, we happened to study the same module that term which was a bit weird considering we were doing different course and we were in different year group (he was in his 3^rd while I was in my 4^th year). But apart from those two hours of lecture per week, we hardly see each other. I wasn’t involved in International Ministry as much as I used to be, only Globe I was still serving, while it was the only event that Jeremy decided to stop going. I stopped going to CU for a bit because of some reasons, and we both went to different churches! We used to see each other at least 3 times a week for International stuff but at that moment it seems we were just on different planets! One day after lecture we had a brief chat and decided we had to meet up for some man chat on Saturday as it was the only time we were both free.

We met up at a local pub, had some steak for dinner, with a pint of beer in our hands (standard!) and we chatted! I couldn’t stop telling him how frustrated I was with my dissertation. My dissertation topic was about computer programming for robots. In my opinion, it was boring! I had to spend hours and hours to understand what the monkey it was all about, and couldn’t understand it. Once I started to understand the theory and wanted to do some practical bits – writing programs, it didn’t work! I mean what robots and computers do are to do exactly what you tell them to do, and it wasn’t the case! I was stuck in one part of the program, which was the most important part of all, for 6 weeks, after spending at least 30 hours on it! I wasn’t particularly happy with my supervisor at the point because I didn’t think he was helping me, and there were a lot of stuff happening too at the same time. Anyways you can imagine what it was like for me to be able to express all my feelings over the table. I was so thankful that Jeremy just sat there listening to all that, and that was exactly what I needed – just listen. I actually felt a lot better after lavishing all out even though the problems were still there!

After I calmed myself down a bit, I started to ask Jeremy how he was doing. From that point onwards the table completely changed. Being the listener and responder before, Jeremy became the one who lavished everything out, and I became the listener instead. It was very interesting that we both struggled with something, but different area of our lives; and because of these differences we had, we actually could encourage each other and pray together for His comfort even though we were broken inside somehow. I didn’t realise this until I walked home by myself that night, that we could actually stand by someone knowing that we are broken and in need at the same time. We are interdependent of each other!

There is a wonderful picture in the early church in Acts 4 that at one point there was no needy person in church.

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 4:34-35

This is the picture that we normally have: wealthy people sold everything they had and gave them to the poor. I believe it is the correct description why there was no needy person among them. However I also believe there is something deeper than that. The picture we have above describes some givers and some receivers, the rich and the poor, by wealth. However I believe everyone is both giver and receiver, like me and Jeremy’s experience. Church shouldn’t just encourage the rich to give more, but also encourage the poor that there is someone in them can be offered too, not materialist stuff but characters and experiences. God made every single person special in His own unique way, and there is always something we can learn from one another even though none of us is perfect (not even close!) because we all are made in the image of God; and since we are made in God’s image it also means we inherit His character and even we are sinful from the core of our hearts, we are the reflection of His own character. We are dependent of God and interdependent to one another, and only this idea is understood, the Church will never be the Bride that fully reflects her beauty.


P.S. miss you bro!

26.10.2012
Oxford

Snapshots at Christ Church

Christ Church College on a Sunny Saturday Afternoon

Sun Shining Through the Garden Gate of Christ Church

Snapshot of a Beautiful White Dog

It is written...

Simon didn’t start off with all theology bombarding about the bible which you kinda expect from a theologian or scholar, but with his own story and history of Oxford to describe the invented word ‘crusher’ (I think he just couldn’t be bordered to talk about theology all day so went off topic for the section, which was nice from my respective!).

‘Crusher’ is the word that he described as some intimidating spiritual pressure which makes you feel useless, rubbish, stupid, discouraging, lonely etc. negative thinking. I am actually glad he talked about it because the day before I could feel this ‘crusher’ saying how inadequate I was especially when I came back from Warwick and subconsciously compare what I did and I am doing right now; and I don’t feel like I am using my gifts while serving here. I kinda know that it was a lie but wasn’t aware that it was the ‘side effect’ of living in Oxford – spiritual battle right in Oxford throughout history. Revival started from Oxford, lots of godly and influential Christian authors based in Oxford like Lewis and Tolkie. Oxford was and still is the religious centre but at the same time we have matrtys like Latimer, Ridley and Cranmerwhich, they were burnt to death in Oxford. New-atheism started in Oxford. Hitler wanted to make Oxford as the capital, moved from Berlin to this tiny city of Oxford! Devil loves this place because of the power and influential which Oxford provides. You can just simply feel the tension between those two different powers and we are, rightly say, right in the middle of it! Of course Christ has won the battle already (Amen) but this doesn’t cover the fact the demonic power behind Oxford wanted to do whatever to fight back, even though they knew they are losing anyway.

I believe the reason Simon started with off-topic is to emphasis the power of the Word of God, which directly links to the Bible with no surprise. Simon told us lots of stories that all the persecution that Christians have had throughout centuries involved the destruction of God’s Word, and the reason for that is they know the Bible has power over them. They are smart enough to try to destroy something which is a threat to them. This is a huge comfort for us because we have already had the most powerful weapon in the world, the power of God’s Word. I believe this is the reason why Paul used sword to describe God’s Word, simply because it is powerful.

How can a young man keep his way pure?

  By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

 let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

 that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O Lord;

 teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare

  all the rules[c] of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight

  as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts

  and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

  I will not forget your word.

Psalm 119:9-16

“I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:16)

We know the Word of God is powerful, unfortunately God’s Word has been neglected, not just in Israel during OT time, but also nowadays. The technology we have right now can bring us to access to God’s Word easier than ever before, but that doesn’t mean we actually do read it! The greatest command that Jesus said is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). Loving God and obey God go hand-in-hand with each other, and obey God means love God’s Word – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

In our lives we will be tempted in every way, like Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Every time Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus said,” it is written….” I love the way Simon said at the end – If you can’t say “it is written”, you will be beaten! It’s the Word that has power.

01.10.2012

Oxford