23rd January 2012 – Building in a Broken World II

Nehemiah 2 : 1-10

 

The very character and conduct of Nehemiah can help us look at our own lives and see how we are allowing the gospel to affect us both internally and externally.

 

Nehemiah is  CUPBEARER to the king. A servant of integrity and loyalty who is in a privileged and dangerous position, dangerous because as the kings butler he is in a prime location for anyone with harmful intent to the king. Any would-be assassin would logically look at gaining Nehemiah’s favour and friendship to gain access to the king. But he realised more and more as the story unfolds that he was built for this moment, and if history recorded anything about his life then these next years would count. You and I are cupbearers in our everyday lives we serve in our workplace, school, home street and church placed there by God to serve this moment!

 

He prays for favour with the king and God grants his request so he makes his request “Let me go so that I can rebuild” (Nehemiah 2:5) which speak very powerfully to me because here is a man who has confession before confrontation it is not until a while later and a journey of over 700 miles that he confronts the problem, but he has already committed himself to the task. No hesitation or debate but he believes God has a handle on him and as a result makes his statement to Artaxerxes that he is going to rebuild. Very clearly he sees that God is bigger than any situation or problem so let us look at it that way round rather than the other. The lesson to be learned is let us look at things through Gods eyes rather than looking at God through the problem.

 

Lost its shape the stones, mortar, hinges and other parts were all there but were just a pile of rubble – the city had basically lost its shape as many things today have. We look around and see people, families, communities, relationships, dreams and hope that have all lost their shape, the pieces are there but its simply rubble. David Cameron talked some time ago of ‘Broken Britain’ declaring that he will fix it – well we pray that will be the case and we want to play our key part in that by being what we are – the church! a spiritual community in a broken world!

 

So here is the question that hung over Nehemiah’s life and hangs over ours 1…Do we care? 2…Are we willing?

 

 

Steve Speight (Rev)

Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
Staffs
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

16th January 2012 – Building in a Broken World

BUILDING A SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY IN A BROKEN WORLD

 

The fascinating incidents surrounding Nehemiah not only remind us of the history of Israel, but its legacy is that many years later we can ‘super impose’ the picture it paints on our church and society right now. So much around us is damaged broken and unpleasant, but Jesus said that the thief (devil) comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come so that you might have life (John 10: 10) The resource that we provide in our community is primarily a spiritual one and we must keep that as our number one focus and priority. Therefore the call of God upon us is to be seen to be a spiritual people who can offer hope, commit to pray and work towards a God transformed community. Nehemiah is not simply a renovation project, but a renewal of identity and faith with the maker of heaven and earth at the centre.

 

IN HIM YOU TOO ARE BEING BUILT TOGETHER TO BECOME A DWELLING IN WHICH GOD LIVES BY HIS SPIRIT (Ephesians 2:22) Emmanuel’s verse for 2012 which captures Nehemiah’s story in a sentence.

 

Nehemiah 1

The people of God have always lived and based their faith on God’s promise and so we wait in anticipation for fulfilment at every level. There are many times when things actually grow worse despite the promises of God for that situation. But spiritual people hold on to promise and know that a day is coming when God’s diary is opened and engaged. A look at the opening statements in Nehemiah set the pace and agenda for a spiritual people and we can identify with Nehemiah and his personal journey through these verses.

 

Here are five things that make a spiritual community.

 

1..A spiritual community asks the right questions (Nehemiah 1:2) Alongside the obvious questions about family and friends are we people who ask the concerned questions. Nehemiah’s story ignites with the answer to the question regarding Jerusalem. If we are going to be the resource of a spiritual community in a broken world then we need to ask the right questions. When you are sat with someone, open the conversation allowing the truth of hopelessness and despair to rise to the surface, and see what God does in you through that.

2..A spiritual community needs to cry (Nehemiah 1:4) For the many of us who have pondered the thought of what sort of a world our children will grow into, the realisation is that we can make a difference. So instead of Nehemiah just simply resigning himself to hoping it works out he cries at the obvious state of things and the lack that there is. Next week we begin our most significant week of 24/7 prayer and all of us are going to be moved by the Holy Spirit as we realise the truth facing us. Don’t just empathise with those you meet and share life with but allow what you hear to turn to tears.

3..A spiritual people discover the character of the real God (Nehemiah 1:5-10) The great apostle Paul stated that he wanted to ‘know Christ’ and I am convinced that the more we see of God and his nature the more our approach to life, faith and behaviour will be affected. Nehemiah knew His God, but discovered even more through this experience. The pure in heart will see God Jesus said!

4..A spiritual community takes time in God’s presence (Nehemiah 1:4) “For some days” is the statement recorded but it actually translates to four months, soaked and saturated in God presence. We believe this is the key to every activity, decision, and movement. A vital sign of a healthy church and healthy Christians is that they spend time in Gods presence both individually and collectively. Please show your family, friends, children and all who watch you that nothing comes in the way of time in the presence of the one we love.

5..A spiritual community refuses to settle (Nehemiah 1:11) Nehemiah had a comfortable position and was not the man responsible solely for the state of the city, however he recognised he had a part in it so his prayer is “we have not” verse 7, and he nervously approaches the king having decided that he carries a burden to do what he can do! This has implications for us in the comfort of where we are as a church, sorry the ride may become a little uncomfortable as we move forward and we take hold of God’s call at this time.

 

Spiritual growth and development don’t just happen – its a daily decision.

 

Please take 30 minutes with a coffee to visit the web-site and listen again (or for the first time) to this great message www.emmanuellichfield.com the bottom of the page Penny Bell 2012-01-15

 

 

 

 

Steve Speight (Rev)

Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
Staffs
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

9th January 2012 – Changing Landscapes

If you thought that 2011 was a great year in terms of church development then ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’ because Jesus is building His church, the impact of which will be felt by people all around.

In cities and tows all around the country the landscape is changing as development and progress take place. Leave some time between visits and some places can almost be unrecognisable to the place we previously encountered. Colours, styles and incredible architecture make for a bright and different future. My journey into the church will change very soon as the new roundabout appears on the Tamworth road, allowing fresh access into the barracks at Whittington, but for anyone arriving in six months time it will be an established fixture. Our house could give way for the HS2 rail link if the government say yes – changing landscapes!

Our reading of the bible shows us that landscapes change as God’s will unfolds. Through the old testament you have Jericho which was a very physical landscape change, as the gospels progress into the history of Acts the spiritual climate changes which affects communities, businesses and religious groups. People have witnessed God at work in modern communities and noticed a landscape change as churches grow, people are helped and communities benefit (street pastors being one simple example) and we believe that Emmanuel will be largely unrecognisable this time next year from the church that we attended yesterday as we manage growth and accommodate the spiritual breakthrough that we are beginning to witness . The landscape is changing!

Ezekiel 37 is the very visible account of a changing landscape. The man of God walked on the bones of past generations who had stood and fought for the cause of Israel (Josiah, Zedekiah) and this valley was a memorial to all that had gone before. We too stand on similar ground as we seek to grow on the foundation of past leaders, past programmes, utilising the investment made and adding our own to theirs as we move into a new phase. Ezekiel’s part in the whole thing was threefold as he Saw (37:2 “I saw) Heard (37:4 “He said to me”) Spoke (37:7 “So I prophesied”) ours is the same as we recognise the situation around us both in the church and outside the church, listen to God’s word and its pointed understanding of all around and speak through prayer and confession as we overflow with God’s life and Spirit.

The physical army stood up and as Ezekiel Spoke, so the breath of God entered them and they were a vast army! This follows a biblical pattern as life is the key to all that God does. -

= Genesis 2:7 God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.

= John 1:14 The word became flesh and lived amongst us.

= John 10:10 The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come that you might have life.

= Ephesians 2:22 In him you too are being built together to be a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Fifty years after this account the first exiles returned to their land and the writings of Ezra and Nehemiah take up the story! The temple is built, the walls repaired the people restored – landscape change!

It begins now – our big launch is this month as we ask every member of Emmanuel to sign up for the 24/7 prayer week. This means committing to a minimum of 1 hour during that week to come to the prayer room and seek God for this church, city and people and an unbroken chain of 168 hours of prayer is a powerful tool – have you signed up yet? And the ‘together’ gatherings during that week. Don’t miss every opportunity to meet together in home groups and all the various groupings that run, and believe God as we see prayers answered and miracles take place and the landscape change.

Steve Speight (Rev)

Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
Staffs
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

2nd January 2012

IN HIM YOU TOO ARE BEING BUILT TOGETHER TO BECOME A DWELLING IN WHICH GOD LIVES BY HIS SPIRIT (Ephesians 2:22)

 

The average pencil is around seven inches long; and the rubber on the end around half an inch long – hopefully that reminds to us that there is more to be written than to be erased. As we have entered 2012 there seems to be a lot of positive enthusiasm about the next twelve months, and the book called history that records events is open and ready for its pages to be filled with stories that not only record facts; but will inspire others to venture taking hold of purpose and destiny.

 

For many of you this past year has been a new chapter where our story has taken a turn and new characters and locations have been encountered. The title that would head this section would only add great colour to the on going story. But! the reason you are receiving this weekly starter is because you are part of a great body of people called Emmanuel and your life is woven in to the momentum of Jesus building His church at this time in this place. The story continues……….

 

So how do you think the story will develop?

 

The emphasis is going to take a giant leap as we all make the commitment to Be more than to simply Do more. But being more carries with it the call of the Holy Spirit to Be all that He is shaping us to be through our prayers, actions, passion and worship. God is going to break through our patterns, programmes and break open our agendas so that His glory and power can be seen by more than just the gathered Sunday crowd. Answered prayer, supernatural activity, expectation and faith will be the atmosphere that you will be carrying with you as you live 24/7 in God’s presence, you are going to find yourself believing God in the most extreme of situations and you will have a unstoppable desire to gather with Gods people at every opportunity because you will not want to hear second hand any of the stories that will come out of what God does when His people gather for worship! – It’s Big!

 

So this month of January powers off the year ahead and this week lock yourself in to the seat with your name on it and watch what God can do with you at the heart. Because without you we are weakened. See you in the next few days as the dam bursts and the river flows.

 

Steve Speight (Rev)

Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
Staffs
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

26th December 2011

Hi Everyone

 

So many things have been said over this Christmas that have brought good, positive headlines to Christian faith in this our country. David Cameron talked powerfully of the Christian nature of this country and how we should not be shy about our faith. Queen Elizabeth relayed again the model and example of Christ as we look to Him for leadership, comfort and hope. And our very own Bishop Jonathan Gledhill who spoke at Emmanuel a couple of years ago called his listeners to allow Christ room in their world.

 

It was great to see Lichfield on the map as the Christmas day service was broadcast live on the BBC but the phrase that caught me was the image of our hearts being a manger for Christ to be born in and a stable to welcome him. I love imagery like that, But! the child became a man and moved out of the manger and needed time, space and expansion as he grew in wisdom, stature and favour with God and man. The language of the new testament as the Apostle Paul seeks to establish Christ followers is the language of maturity and growth seeking to add to our faith and get nearer to the people God has destined us to be. And that flows out to us and is targeted to become our ambition too!?

 

This suggests that we allow Christ to ‘grow up’ in us which in turn causes a maturity in our faith and belief and gives even greater expression to our confession!

 

One of the common conversations this coming week will centre around the new year and those resolutions that many people make, with the added joke of them lasting beyond the initial 24 hours of 2012. Whatever you think about this practise you cannot deny that this s a great opportunity to take stock, reflect and make some positive decisions about life, home and experience and commit yourself to the goal of growth this year.

 

Allow Christ to grow up this year remembering that He lives in you so expansion will be required.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Steve Speight (Rev)
Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

19th December 2011 – Where is Jesus?

What a fantastic night we had in our Christmas production last night. Really great to see our neighbours in and many new faces amongst the crowd. The message of the evening was loud, clear and undeniable. In all the festivities Where is Jesus?

 

Every day we all have those ‘Where Is’ moments, most of them quite incidental from the children asking where the gym kit is to anything for meals, keys, clothes and the rest! Of course the Christmas story has one great ‘Where Is’ question right at the heart of all that was going on. The astrologers were precise at their following of the star which had led them to the right area, but the star had gone and the men went direct to the accepted chief – Herod. Their simple question, born out of their research, was ‘Where is the one born king of the Jews’ then the star re appeared to lead them right to the answer to their question. Amazing how God revealed Himself to them in terms they would understand as he always has done.

 

In asking the ‘Where Is’ question the assumption is that something is not in the place it is meant to be……..so ‘Where is Jesus’? many people leave him back in the manger, some remember the dying on a cross and believe that to be the end, others have simply read the story and leave Jesus on the pages of a book called the bible. For many of you reading this there is a greater answer to the question ‘Where Is Jesus’? because you know that you have welcomed the living Christ out of the manger, through resurrection from death, the word becoming flesh into your life and you live with the presence of God’s life in the form of Jesus in your daily world!

 

My challenge is not to leave Jesus, but to take him home with you! which, as a Christian you may feel not relevant But! I am constantly aware that Christian homes sometimes just give Jesus His own room as a lodger, and he doesn’t mix with the family. So this Christmas-time can I remind you of what I have been saying over recent days – keep Christmas spiritual! take the chance to read the story as a family. Find a separate twenty minutes to all thank God for coming down to earth. Have a Christmas card amongst your collection that all your household signs to thank God for Jesus. Make sure you get to church on Christmas day and show your family the importance of the occasion….. he is the reason for the season!

 

Have a very happy Christmas with Jesus as the centrepiece to everything you do!

 

 

Steve

Steve Speight (Rev)
Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

12th December 2011 – Foundations of Prayer

The focal point, life source, founder and creator of the universe is someone worth getting to know! Our journey has begun through recognising the essential part that He plays in our lives, and welcoming Him to journey with us. Now, as with any relationship, we have all the time to get to know Him and build relationship together. It is a basic fact of life that relationships often start, but certainly continue through communication and our relationship with God is no different, we want to hear from Him and He wants to hear from us.

 

Leviticus 26 : 9-12 There are many statements in the bible that refer to ‘God with Us’ with the underlying aim that our lives are entwined with His life. The Lords prayer that Jesus taught us has this as the foundation ‘Our Father’ So here is a challenge for us all ‘Prayer – from Duty to Delight’ many unfortunately see prayer as a difficult, awkward discipline but feel guilty at the lack of it day by day, that guilt betrays something of our realisation that prayer is more than important – it is the very air that we breath. How we see God and how we understand our relationship with God dictates our agenda for prayer. Make a scheduled prayer slot daily and try keeping a journal of prayers and thoughts – it makes a great progress report.

 

It is our desire that as a group of Christians we emphasise prayer more and more as a daily delight and necessity and as 2012 approaches we have to remind ourselves that prayer is a foundation for our personal lives and our church life. Our 24/7 prayer week is only just over a month away but excitement is building as a church comes together to seek God’s face.

 

It has been said that we are either drawing close to God or falling away – there is no middle ground!

 

If you meet people who see prayer as simply ‘my Christmas list to God’ then encourage them that the answers are on the way, however there may be more to those answers than meets the eye……

 

I asked for strength and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for prosperity and God gave me brawn and brain to work.
I asked for courage and God gave me dangers to overcome.
I asked for patience God placed me in situations where I was forced to wait.
I asked for love and God gave me troubled people to help.
I asked for favours and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed .

MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.

 

This week begin a fresh journey of prayer with God and see your life and the lives of those around flourish and the whole environment around you feels a little different!

 

Take 5 right now!

 

 

 

 

Steve

Steve Speight (Rev)
Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

5th December 2011 – Ubuntu

This week we pause and reflect on our community. As our community grows we need to consider that the church as we knew it is going to change. And we need to embrace the change. Then learn to live as a community not only that loves each other, but shines as an example of Godliness in the world. To embrace the concept of “Ubuntu”, and show the world the love of Jesus shining in us.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu offered a definition in a 1999 book: (No Future Without Forgiveness .)

A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, based from a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.

Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008: ( Ubuntu Women Institute USA)

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

Nelson Mandela explained Ubuntu as follows:

A traveller through a country would stop at a village and he didn’t have to ask for food or for water. Once he stops, the people give him food, entertain him. That is one aspect of Ubuntu, but it will have various aspects. Ubuntu does not mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question therefore is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve?

 

As we embrace this concept of community we need to fully believe that Emmanuel is our church, our house, our spiritual home and we need to engage as such. It is not a social club, rather a springboard of faith that will enable us to fully live… we need to press into God and truly discover what part we are to play, after all “are we not one body?” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says “ ¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” We each have a role to play in this house…

 

  Steven Manskar in his blog ( http://accountablediscipleship.blogspot.com ) says the following:

“The church is the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12ff). Being a member of the church, therefore, is like being part of a living organism. Membership in the body of Christ is not the same as membership in a club or civic group. The privileges and benefits of membership in the body of Christ are loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. This love sets you free for joyful obedience and service with Christ in his work of preparing the world for the coming reign of God.

When we see the church as the living, breathing body of Christ it becomes more difficult to join and to separate from the body. Both require very deliberate processes. Both involve effort and some suffering on the part of the member and the body.”

 

This is MY HOUSE, and I will honour God by engaging fully and playing my part.

28th November 2011 – A Community of Forgiveness

A Community of Forgiveness!

“God invented forgiveness as the only was to keep his romance with the human race alive”

Every day in hospitals across the globe surgery is taking place, even as you read this there are people going under the knife. The reason for the surgery is mainly to repair damage and correct a wrong. The reality of the surgery is that it does not take things back to how they were, but its aim is to halt further damage and allow a quality of life to emerge allowing for the damage.

Forgiveness is spiritual surgery!

Because what it does is forfeits the power to exact revenge. 1 John 2:2 “Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world”, therefore the wrath of God has been appeased and the whole world stands forgiven before God but! forgiveness has a twin brother called reconciliation, sometimes they are spotted together but not always. And that’s how the gospel stands today, forgiveness has been bought by Christ’s sacrifice but many have not met the twin brother of reconciliation. God commands us to forgive when hurt and reconcile when we can because life is too short and community is key!

Luke 23:24 “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing” Jesus on the cross, seeing his fathers pain, calls on his father to forgive, but who is ‘them’ that Jesus refers to? The soldiers with nails, Pilate who passed sentence, Rome, the crowd who shouted crucify, Judas, Peter – yes every one of them and you and me and the broken world around. Often when you talk to people about forgiveness you hear the words ‘but you don’t know how much they have hurt me’, God can say exactly the same back and hold out the gospel story as evidence of the pain inflicted on Him in the way they treated His son, finally killing him.

Philip Yancey from his book ‘What’s so amazing about grace’ reminds us that the word forgive contains the word give, to forgive is to cancel the debt of someone so that they never have to pay back for what they have done. It’s to give grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Un-forgiveness is a spiritual cancer that destroys and kills therefore in building community let us act out the very words that many of us were taught as a child and were passed down from the very mouth of the greatest forgiver, Jesus Christ…..

Matthew 6:12 ‘Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’ – Spiritual Surgery

Steve

Steve Speight (Rev)
Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com

14th November 2011 – A community in conflict

John 10 : 7-10 The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy!

Romans 7 : 21-25 When I want to do good evil is right there with me!

1 Peter 5 : 6-9 Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour!

There is an unseen at times unheard and unfelt enemy that engages the battle to discredit God and his work and seeks to dilute faith and paralyse Christians. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12) And so here are three things that we are to be constantly aware of.

Sin that spoils

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God is what Paul wrote to the Romans, and yet the bible also says that sin shall make a separation between you and your God. – The things mentioned in Romans are all external, whereas sin plays its game internally so often! doubt, temptation, fear, guilt are the mind games that our enemy uses to de-rail us from our relationship with Jesus. We all experience some of that many times over whether we allow it a chair to sit down on is the key.

Grace is not our excuse to sin – it’s our reason not to – Grace does not excuse sin it dethrones it

Pride that smells (sweet and sour)

(Sweet) –  There is nothing  wrong with a delight in your work and achievements. Taking pride in the things that we do is the great fulfilment of life. (Sour) – The motive that we can fall into is when pride is seeking to elevate us slightly higher than whoever we are mixing with which is never good, beneficial or helpful.

Looking out for the best in each other, and wanting the best in each other is key.

An enemy that targets

The animal Kingdom thrives on targeting the weak, young and vulnerable, the devil uses the same approach on a regular basis.

What is the most potential harm for you and where are the weaknesses that can be exposed?

But as we take hold of, and apply Gods word in its guidance to us these are some of the things it says.

There is armour to defend and attack with – (Ephesians 6) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

We need to recognise the routes the enemy uses - (2 Corinthians 2 : 11) In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his scheme

We need an openness to others – (James 5 : 16)Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

A different perspective to look from - (Philippians 4 : 8) Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is   admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Honouring is a great grow-bag – (Philippians 1 : 1-11) The bible tells us that it is God will for us that we should be thankful. As we build and build let us make sure that we show every inch of appreciation that is possible because it is a grow-bag for a healthy community to develop in.

May each of know the freedom that Christ’s brings and walk towards a greater sense of wholeness every day as we live within the presence of God!

Steve

Steve Speight (Rev)
Emmanuel Christian Centre
Lichfield
steve@emmanuellichfield.com
www.emmanuellichfield.com