I read a BOOK!!!

It is Very Very rare that I bother picking up a book, my preferences are things that will provide much amusement (Tabloid Bible), or trying to understand people better (When generations collide), occasional a biography especially if it is a testimony of someone seeing God at work in their lives. Whilst at Soul Survivor I had the great privilege of getting to know a chap by the name of John Robinson. The first contact i had with him was having to ask him to move his chairs from our area so we could get set up. Unlike previous exhibitions we have been at, he was very polite apologized that all their lounging around and slowly shifted the chairs and stuff! We had some great times, Singing annoying songs to each other from the main meetings, I nicked his spot lights (1 x 500w flood lights!) He called a medic for me, I stole his phone and sung that annoying song as his ring tone, which finally played when John was in Tesco with his bags full of shopping. He got the whole tool shed to sing happy 55th Birthday to me over the PA system, we moved his entire display on the last night to on top of a wall in the corner, manging to extent our display all over his patch! Haha, we had a GREAT time. He was also part of the prayer ministry team in the main meetings.

Along the way, I discovered his tattooing gang based history, amazed by what God had done in him I loved joking with him even more! 1 VERY slow afternoon I started to read one of the books on his stall I discovered it was a book he had written about his life. Well at the time I only read the first half chapter then the book was lent to someone else. I eventually bought the book, and i just read it in an afternoon, man an addictive read, i genuinely couldn't put it down!

Nobody's Child is Johns book written whilst he was running the bus ministry for the message trust in Manchester. An Easy read, which suits me, but an AMAZING testimony of God at work. John was in and out of children's homes and eventually in and out of Jail, and a failed marriage, but in amongst all of that God was calling him all the time. My favourite quote is in the last chapter when he was reading all his childhood notes, and he says he remembers speaking to one of the Psychiatrists, who said

I am at a loss as to how i can help you, I've never met someone who has suffered so much rejection and abuse who hasn't managed to kill themselves.

Go read the book hear more about what God has done!

Summer is finally calming down!

Well I have finally finished my epic summer. Togo, 5 days, WYnet Camp, 6 days then soul Survivor. Many, many highlights to share but I will restrict myself to a couple from each place

Togo: Getting 205 Ntcham New Testaments into the hands of people who need them ,also the epic journey to the top of the mountain :) A whole lot of stuff already posted about Togo... go read it!

WYnet camp: Definitely Thursday evening, getting all the leaders releasing stuff in prayer over all the peeps who were at camp. It was an amazing privilege to stand there with a bunch of wonderful amazing young people all desperate to see God move in them an through them. Also amazing to see Young people desperate to see God working in their lives and that they were prepared to be open to God using us. Okay i say us, i am really thinking wow God wants to use ME. I somehow lost sight out that the last couple years. All the routine of summer camp, easy to organise and put everything in place, but being open to God using you, that never fits into a plan! It sort of revived my desperation to see God move in my life and to use me at every given opportunity. Thanks gang for being open to that, thanks campers for being open to God!!!

Soul Survivor: Going into 10 days of Camping and exhibiting already tired is NEVER a good plan. Thank you Steve for putting up with me and helping me get through! This was the first time I have thought, maybe i am actually getting to old for this job! I hate camping at the best of times let alone in Gale force wind and flood producing down pours. We made a lot of good contacts, had a LOT of great fun with our Neighbours from Ellel Ministries in the Tool shed exhibition. A lot of the time was blurred with the news that Christophe one of the translators in Togo had died. I knew it would happen, he had stomach Cancer, but trying to deal with that, a colleague of 10 years, and 20 people to call and inform was not easy in the middle of exhibiting.

Glory fills the earth

Don't get me wrong I love hearing and finding new worship songs. The thing is, sometimes I wonder how much is spent on finding nice words that fit the melody vs words that are scripturally sound and appropriate.

for example, listening to a CD from a popular youth orientate church meeting, and 1 lyric "The train of his robe fills the temple" now to you or i who are aware of the monarchy and what that might look like it is fine. The the less educated / foreign, trying to relate the 1036 to Bristol into worshiping our lord Jesus could be a bit harder.

"Washed by the blood of the lamb". NOT knowing the full context of that statement does conjure up some rather disgusting images akin to gladiator or blade ...

I was in a meeting yesterday busy singing a newer song that i actually quite like, but then i can across a line in the chorus ...

Holy is the lord God almighty
The earth is filled with his glory
Holy is the lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with his glory

It stopped me in my tracks. YES the lord is holy. Can't argue with that, great lyrics for a sound about lifting him him and glorifying him. BUT is the earth really filled with his glory? When i think of the word filled i think about every opening, nook cranny and crevice is filled. there is no gaps, no space, no extra bit can squeeze in. And to be honest i don't think the earth is filled like that. Having just come back form Africa with a team visiting a translation project, we were constantly faced with needs. Poverty was everywhere, illness, death, dark spirituality. How is is possible for me to stand and try to declare to the world that the Lord' God Almighty's Glory is filling the earth?