One of those nights!

Unfortunately it's one of those nights when I can't sleep. I went to bed feeling tired, with all the best intentions of sleeping but found myself in one of those strange quandaries where the more I tried to sleep the more awake I felt.

So I have ended up coming downstairs and blogging!

Its 2.25am....there is a solitary bird singing outside...early dawn chorus...a (police?)helicopter has been circling above for what seems hours...and my mind has suddenly gone into overdrive.

It's strange how sometimes these moments bring about a clarity of thinking that rarely comes in the daytime. Suddenly things slot into order and find there place. Or thinking can go to the other extreme....chaos reigns....nothing makes sense!!

Tonight, aka this early morning, things make sense....in fact a new business idea I have thinking through is suddenly taking a clear shape. Why?? Don’t know ...but sometimes we have to take hold of the moment or opportunity when we can.

Anyway I have now put the TV on in the hope that the rerun of a past Holby City episode (that looks remarkably like am 80's pop video!!) will do enough to send me off to sleep....or maybe more thinking ....who indeed knows??

Andy

Sacred

Last Saturday we (EQUIP) held our second in a series of six meetings entitled Restore in Bristol.

We have now been holding these meeting for 12 months and have had some great times of praise and worship and ministry. But this Saturday was something else.

I have not felt God's presence like I did on Saturday for many years. I am sure there are many reasons for this. But one particular aspect which I know played a significant part was my reading of Exodus and Leviticus over the previous weeks.

What the Children of Israel had to do to maintain relationship, forgiveness and righteousness with and before God was extraordinary. This has led me to appreciate, value and cherish so much more what Jesus did on my and our behalf. Making a way to restore our relationship with the Father.

But I also realise how much more sacred this relationship is. When we read and understand about the acts of sacrifice and ceremony in the Tabernacle we can gain a new understanding of the holiness and glory of God

Today God desires a deeper, more intimate relationship with you and me more than we will ever truly understand. Sacred indeed.

Andy

Grace Under Pressure

I am just watching a programme on BBC 2 re the nuclear disaster that followed the Japanese Tsunami in March last year.

Two things are clear....how close Japan and the wider world came to a catastrophic nuclear disaster, but far more amazing is the countless stories of bravery and selflessness demonstrated by soldiers and workers of the nuclear plant.

Their acts no doubt saved thousands of lives with little regard for their own.

The sense of duty they displayed was and is inspiring, but also with quiet dignity and resolve they simply got on with their jobs.....grace under pressure indeed!

Andy

Restore...Pt. 2!

This Saturday (18th) is our second Restore meeting in Bristol at Broadmead Baptist (see flyer opposite.)

I have recently been reading through Exodus and was once again amazed at the relationship God had with Moses, probably more than at any time before.

I have been particularly drawn to the following verses in Exodus 33: 12 - 19....you can feel the relationship they have by the nature of the dialogue. God and Moses have this simple conversation about something so profound...His presence

Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

I believe this Saturday God wants to restore / pour out a measure of His Presence / Glory that we have not felt or seen for some time.

I have often quoted the promises of God to Joshua in Joshua 1: 3....every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon I have given you.....but the groundwork, foundation for this promise was founded many years earlier in Joshua’s attitude in one of the verses prior to Exodus 33: 12 – 19.

This is what it says in Exodus 33: 10.... So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

Joshua wanted to be where God was...he saw what Moses had and wanted the same. A question for us all is are we as passionate for God, the Father, that type of relationship, to desire His presence like Joshua did?

I hope you can join us Saturday...Blessings!

Andy

Friend

I was reading the other day about Moses relationship with God. It was a very simple verse in Exodus 33: 11 which says and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend.

I love this verse as it emphasises the relationship that Moses had with God.

I honestly believe that God valued the relationship as much as Moses did. Man was created by God for relationship. God still wants relationship with you and me.

Jesus came to earth so that relationship with the Father could be restored.

We often view God as distant and remote. But in this verse we see a very personal side to God. I can just imagine them sitting in the Tabernacle (tent) of meeting. In effect God and Moses were camping!!

I have very fond memories of camping out in my parents back garden with my friends. It was one of the first times I had any sort of freedom. We were able to stay up much later than usual, laughing, joking messing about. Mostly though we just talked and talked for hours. About anything, some funny, some serious and some absolute nonsense.

Maybe it was the same for God and Moses.

God loves each one of us with a passion. He so wants to get to know you and me, to spend time as friends do, just talking, camping even!

Andy

Foundations

Without the right foundation a building will be unstable and at worst collapse.

This is especially true if the building is in an earthquake zone. We have seen the drastic effects of not building the right foundation in Tahiti when the magnitude 7 quake in 2010 killed an estimated 316,000 people.

Compare this figure to the 2011 Japanese quake. A magnitude 9 (significantly more powerful), killed a estimated 1000 people. Although a further estimated 17,000 were killed by the tsunami that followed.

These horrific facts outline the importance of the right foundations. With them we can withstand what will be thrown at us. Without them we have no chance!

This fact is highlighted by parable in the Bible of the man who built his house on the sand vs the man who built his house on the rock - aka Jesus!(Mat 7: 24 - 29).

The ‘sand man’ is referred to as foolish, whilst the ‘rock man’ is referred to as wise.

Life is not always a sunny day! At times the winds blow and the rains will fall. It’s good to have a solid foundation which we know will never fail.

Andy

Faithful

Today we signed for the purchase of a business. The business is a clinic / treatment centre for people suffering with addiction and other issues.

In a sense today is the fulfilment of what we believe God spoke to us some 25 years ago.

Sometimes we wonder where God is at times but he is always present. Sometimes His presence is manifest (obvious) other times it is hidden.

Wherever you feel you are at the moment, stay true to the course; be faithful…. because God always is.

Andy

Granddad

My Granddad from my mom's side, died in 1998. Often there will be moments when I will suddenly remember him, some of the funny things he did and said.

Two memories spring to mind. One is from a Sunday afternoon. Nan and Granddad were round for tea and there was a jar of beetroot with a suction lid. Granddad decided to pick up the jar by the lid....suction was lost...beetroot all over the cream carpet....my dad shouting at Granddad....Granddad apologising profusely....me laughing....carpet never to recover!!

My second memory was one I was told. It was a frosty morning and Granddad took a bowl of warm water to throw down the path to melt the ice. Just as he was about to throw the water he slipped throwing the water all over himself, soaking and shocking himself in one go! I still laugh now as I think about it.

As much as Granddad mad us laugh he was a also a Sunday School teacher in the church I grew up in. He was everyones favourite teacher. He made the bible come alive, with fun, humour but always getting the point across. He was loved by all us children.

I like to think that I am now living out part of the legacy he planted in me.

Today once again I miss him. I miss our times together, our chats, his unconditional love and encouragement.

I know one day I will see him again. Here's to all the Granddads in the world. I thank God for mine.

Andy