Thanks to all the friends who have reviewed and contributed thoughts to this new book – it has finally been published and is available for order.

For those in the UK, you can order directly. Simply fill in the form below. You can also order from any bookshop in the [...]]]> New Book: ‘Secret of Contentment’

Thanks to all the friends who have reviewed and contributed thoughts to this new book – it has finally been published and is available for order.

For those in the UK, you can order directly. Simply fill in the form below. You can also order from any bookshop in the UK and most most bookshops in the US.

In other areas of the world please use Amazon.com or your local equivalent.

Available online:

The book is also available online, here: http://www.hearhim.net/connect/forum/secret-of-contentment

Here are some comments and an introduction to the book:

“Could not put it down. Thanks for reminding me of how God sees me and how effortless His favour and grace actually is – how much He admires me just because He wants to and not because I impress Him with my weak efforts. The pages are filled with the liberating good news of His love that runs contrary to the bad news of self-effort that is so often dished up in the name of good news. In a religious world of dos and don’ts, it is good to know that it’s not about what we do that’s attractive to our heavenly Father – He is already infatuated with us.” Deon Stevens

“What a joy to read this my brother. Beholding the truth as in a mirror is the mystery of Christ and our own true identity revealed in Him. I have no doubt that the Lord has birthed within you a wonderful revelation of Himself that He will continue expand upon you. I believe this message will be a blessing to the Church, opening up her eyes to the unseen majesty of the glorified Man in heaven, who alone is the unveiling of her true humanity. There are many things I could comment upon, in particular I loved the truth revealed by the ‘bottled at source’ anology – its imagery is beautiful. Also what you said about Paul’s revelation in Galatians, not pointing to him as the source but seeking to bring us to the undiluted Christ as the source, is a very discerning point. In fact I think this is the gift that you have given to the Body Of Christ, to bring her back to the source and origin of her birth and true identity which I believe is the very foundation that Christ seeks to build her upon. I pray that the Lord continues to unfold to you and all who read this, the riches of His grace towards us in Christ.” Roddy Young

Introduction:

Young lions lie down in complete satisfaction after feasting on their prey. Despite their great strength, they have no greater ambition than satisfying their most basic natural cravings. Most animals are content with little more than food, but man has an appetite that seems insatiable. Mankind has a consciousness of value that drives us to explore every avenue, to push every limit, to tunnel through mountains, to build habitations in space, to invent a microscope like the Large Hadron Collider that is 27km long, to peer into the smallest detail of matter, in search of information … meaning … something that satisfies beyond mere survival.

Despite technological advances and the comforts of a modern age, man’s appetite and search for contentment has not been diminished. We travel more, we eat more, we have more gadgets and comforts, and the worlds information is at our fingertips. To pay for it all we work longer hours, live more complicated and demanding lives, but do these things bring us any closer to the secret of contentment?

In approximately 60 AD, a man under house arrest, bound by chains to a Roman soldier, wrote the following: “I have learned the secret of contentment, whatever my circumstances.” In another letter he wrote: “As you read you will understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.”

It is this secret, this mystery that we explore in this book.

Order Form

A donation of £5 will cover postage anywhere in the UK & the cost of the book. I’ll also be sending a batch of books to India and Zimbabwe – if you want to contribute to that gift it will be greatly appreciated.

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Hi A & M and others,

It was such a lovely weekend with you all – I loved seeing old faces [...]]]> Thank you all for making the weekend so significant. Discovering the wonders of Christ and the reflection of our own identity in Him is what our fellowship is all about. (Andre & Mary-Anne)

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Hi A & M and others,

It was such a lovely weekend with you all – I loved seeing old faces and meeting new – and such an encouraging time of just hanging out with the Truth, I came away feeling like this life is easy and light when you just look at things from God’s perspective.

Really enjoyed spending time just chatting around the fundamental things of Christ, who He is and who He says we are – Andre you were a real blessing sharing and reminding us of our position in the Word, before the foundations of time!! All the truths about His heart for us, particularly the one this morning about not trying to achieve his good favour by our behaviour but realising he is already impressed with us so we’re inspired to be impressive…! So many positive things came out of the weekend – thanks again for highlighting ‘all the good stuff’… we can never get enough of it.

Have a wonderful week everybody, enjoy the sunshine, hope to see some more of your faces again soon )

Abs

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A life of happiness is one that finds its place in the outrageous & spacious love and excitement of God.

Listen to this…
All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes accused him, saying: “This Man receives sinners and eats with [...]]]> (by Dawie Blake)

A life of happiness is one that finds its place in the outrageous & spacious love and excitement of God.

Listen to this…
All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes accused him, saying: “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus immediately responds with no less than 3 parables to emphasize God’s view of the so-called “sinners”… these parables are key to understanding what motivates God.

He says: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

The term “hundred sheep” refers to the world with all its “sinners”, and the term “one” is an individual. This Man may have more than 6 billion sheep, but if one goes astray He will not count the 6 billion enough but immediately leave to go after the one! He will seek until he finds. Not give up after a week or 2 months or a year, but until He finds him. And when He finds him he is overjoyed and not angry with the sheep. He lovingly picks him up and carries him all the way home. He then calls all his friends and neighbours and celebrates his joy with them…

Now throughout all my observation and experience I have never seen or heard of a man motivated in this manner. Its, well, nearly ridiculous… placing so much value on the individual (and in this case the one who was the worst of the lot) to seek him, not giving up until he finds, not being angry at all, and then calling everyone he knows together in a huge celebration.

This, my friend, is what righteousness in God’s heart is about. Its not about doing right, but about placing the right value. “Sadok”, the Hebrew for righteousness, is the beam in a scale of balances. If God places you and your life on one side of the scale, what did He put on the other side to balance it out… no less than Himself!

You see, there was never another you. And there will never be another you. He only has one of you, if he loses you… he has lost you. For Him, you have equal value than Himself. He cannot be without you.

Jesus asks, “What man…” I don’t know of one with this outrageous love for us…
The last part of this parable was aimed specifically at the Pharisees’ twisted mindsets, “I say unto you, that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Gr. metanoeo – to change your mind) than over ninety nine (so called) just persons that need (Gr. echo – the correct translation is to hold, posses or conceive…) no repentance (Gr. metanoia – change of mind)”.

Someone once said something that left a deep impression on me: “When Jesus hung on that cross, He didn’t die for a faceless multitude, but He died for you by name”.

Once I went out into the night alone and sought God. I became distinctly aware of Him saying to me, “David if you were the only one on earth, I would still die for you.”

For months though, I wasn’t satisfied with this impression alone, and there was a yearning within me to read it in the bible. I prayed and searched specifically about this. Then one day I was sitting on my bed and opened my bible where it says: “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” I read this, and then opened the bible directly at the above portion, loosely translated: “I am the Good Shepherd that will leave the ninety nine and go after the one”. If you put these two scriptures together we have this word confirmed.

(When next you have some study time, I recommend looking up the word “shepherd” in the New Testament…)

In order to clearly emphasize the principle Jesus tells the 2nd parable in Luk 15.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’”

The Pharisee may think that a coin (a simple man) is worth nothing, but this special woman searches carefully until she finds it; and once again an outrageous celebration follows in the joy of the find. Likewise God rejoices in your intrinsic value.

Jesus felt so strongly about establishing God’s viewpoint against the Pharisees’ viewpoint of man that He told another radical parable.

Luk 15 from verse 11. This parable I found so rich with meaning … let it linger in your mind…
“There was a man who had two sons; And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he wasted all his possessions with prodigal living.”

Young and without insight and knowledge this son may have lived in the home, but in his heart he was lost and living somewhere else. So the Father, seeking to find him, let him go…

“And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!’”

So when the temporary dried up and his once confident, independence and control over circumstances could not satisfy or sustain him, the truth started dawning on him. He realised his foolishness and that his Father is the only continually sustaining source of life. He realised that this is where he belongs.

“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘

Notice that although he sincerely repented, he still had a “sinner” and a slave mentality. He viewed himself as the Pharisees would have. They must have reeled with disgust at the thought of prodigal living and thereafter living with pigs!

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

Now it is very uncommon for Hebrew fathers to run. Woman and children ran, but not “respectable” fathers. What is more, is that the father was constantly on the lookout, scanning the horizon. He was the first to see him from a distance. There was only one thought on his mind, this all-surpassing treasure of His was found. Overcome by emotion he ran to embrace and kiss his son, not giving any popular opinions any thought.

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

The son had his little speech prepared and delivered it. He valued himself according to his deeds, and therefore only expected the very least.

The father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’

Paul asks, “if He has given us Jesus, how much more won’t He give us all things?” Rom 8:

These parables all point to a single principle – how does God value and see you? If I can put the answer in words it would be that the definition of you is Himself and His love, not where you come from or what you have done.

Why does God feel so strongly about this one principle? Imagine building an intimate relationship with someone based not on value, but on guilt and a poor self-image! It will never work. Why do we fool ourselves thinking God who did everything to reconcile us to Him in blameless innocence (Col 1:22) takes pleasure when we feel sinful & unworthy? How can I build a relationship with Him feeling this way? It is nothing less than a false religious humility based on the original sin of “I am not, I must become”. And it disregards His accomplishments on the cross. True humility is to know my works or my past cannot help me, but He did it all, a perfect and complete work! Now I see as He sees, I know as He knows – I am enveloped in His love, His thoughts, His works, His joy – I rejoice and rest in all I am and have in Him, and that’s all that matters to Him.

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Although the sheep or the coin or the son were lost, and may have been battered along the way, they never lost their value. Nothing can change it, not even you, and so nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can change the cross – it happened and the result was final. Do you really understand what happened there? It is the single most important truth you will ever consider… make sure you do!

The Bible points to a reality greater than itself. Jesus said: You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, John 5:39,40.  There [...]]]> by Dawie Blake

The Bible points to a reality greater than itself. Jesus said: You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, John 5:39,40.  There is value to be discovered in the scriptures far beyond ‘right’ information. The pages within the Bible are like a mine… as you delve into it, you find the gold. Many people unfortunately read the Bible as a mere instruction book, and what should bring life, instead brings confusion, condemnation and even things like disunity, pride etc… in short spiritual death. More people have been confused and side-tracked by the Bible than any other book. Dearly beloved, it is not an instruction book!

The message of the Bible stands between the lines. Its message is very simple and Paul warns that you should not be deceived from it’s simplicity. As you ponder the history and people and events within, your eyes open to the message that runs throughout – God’s original thought for man restored successfully in Christ. This is the gold the human spirit is nourished by; the rest gives it context. This thought of God could never perfectly be communicated or understood, except through the manifestation of His Son, Jesus Christ. “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me, to do Your will”. In the last days God spoke to us in His Son…

Everyone just loves the story in which He came to earth; not with flashing lightning and trumpets and power that would bring all men to their knees, but he came as a baby born in a stable so that the very least of us (from a human point of view) could identify with Him. He wasn’t after awe and fear because that alone doesn’t nurture fellowship, but distance. He was after our identification with Him, His original thought of likeness restored in man’s own mind. “I came to do Your will, O God” (Heb 10:7).

He referred to Himself as the “son of man” – he was saying hereby “I am like you”. In another instance the glory of the son of God/man is manifested on the mountain and God the Father refers to Him as: “… my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him”. Peter writes saying that in this we have the message of God to mankind confirmed, namely the son of man is the son of God! He writes “you will do well to heed this word as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your own heart!”

In the next verse he continues saying “knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation”… Jesus didn’t come to display his unique glory, but to reveal man’s – the revelation of the glory of the Son of God was the revelation of the glory (doxa) of the son of man!

Just think about it for a moment. This amazing God with infinite ability and love – we can only expect the most wonderful things pertaining to Life in great capital letters from Him! Eph 1:3, Eph 3:19. Rom 8:32. Mat 7:11, Mark 1:40-41. Joyful fellowship with Him, His great desire, is restored when we see and know ourselves as He sees and knows and enjoys us – we are after all the product of the success of the cross. Paul’s prayer is that we may see as He does Eph 1:17-18.

Jesus quotes Ps 82 to the Pharisees who were offended by a “common” man (Jesus) identifying himself with God. Ps 82 is a fascinating portion of scripture!

In a beautiful and sinless world of absolute completeness and perfection created by God and restored through the cross, righteousness is not there to point out the wrongs and condemn the doers, but to restore order by making the blind see the truth about their identity. It is a simple but powerful gospel for it restores the source of life. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he”.

Ps 82:2 – “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” … in other words, how long will you continue to live twisted lives, void of righteousness?

Ps 82:3-4 “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.” … these are the things God desires… but why does man not walk this way?…

Ps 82:5 – “They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable.”

Ps 82:6 – “I said, ‘You are gods (elohim – the same word used in Gen 1:26: ‘And Elohim said let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’) and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like mere men, and fall like one of the princes.”

While man does not know and understand who they are and where they come from, they are in darkness and as rulers they cause chaos in this world – its very foundations are threatened by the fruit of the lies they live. They were made vessels of the very glory, image and likeness of God, but without knowing this, they die like mere men and fall like those who strive in the strength of the flesh. So what is God’s message to these: “I said, ‘You are gods and all of you are children of the Most High.’”

The gospel is a call to sanity, to share God’s insight, to walk with our eyes open to the truth. There is only hurt, confusion, pride etc. etc. in darkness but as David says (Ps 17), “I will be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness!”

When God made this beautiful world and everything in it, He used His boundless creativity and intellect. But when He made you, He looked at Himself and made a copy… We can also say He didn’t make you, you were born from Him to be as He is. Therefore He is the blueprint of you, the mirror-image.

It is the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but now has been made known…. “Christ in you the hope of glory!”
He came as the light of the world that all may see… there is so much in this statement!
I am the Way the Truth and the Life – once again, we can write books about this statement!

In the spirit of man there is a yearning that no earthly thing will ever satisfy – except the knowledge of their inner identity – the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge bursts over into sweet fellowship with God and man, which is His original thought in action.

If you read the Bible in any other way, you will miss the point. Paul says what gain he had from his religious instruction, he counts it all dung! Why? For the all surpassing excellence of the knowledge of Christ! The Gold is God’s original thought, fully expressed in His Son, found in your spirit identity. Read the Bible as a mine for this Gold.

1Jo 1:2-4 For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.