This week I am away on an AoG Pastors conference-type retreat in the lovely countryside at Mattersey Hall Bible College. The week so far has seen wonderful sunny weather which has been matched by the inspiring teaching and ministry. The level of input and sharing from personal experience that the National Leadership team are giving us is superb. We at MSCCentre are privileged to be part of this fellowship of churches at such a time as this.

The days start with devotions and that’s not just a nod to spiritual stuff, but real heart-felt worship, words of scripture, prayer and prophetic ministry – all before we get into the day’s subject matter.

During the day are a couple of teaching sessions followed by the same amount of time for personal reflection and application – really helpful to take time out to ask the big questions and seek God for the answers!

Most evenings we have members of the National Leadership Team answering questions we put to them about life, ministry and all that goes with it.

Plus we get the chance to meet up with Pastors from other parts of the country. Hearing their stories, the great things God is doing and making connections is so encouraging.

So, looking forward to the next two days!

And don’t forget, this Sunday is Welcome Back Sunday – invite someone that used to be with us to come back, no questions asked. See you then!

Wow! Were you at MSCC this weekend? We had an amazing 8 time didn’t we? Superb quality of music, worshipful hearts & Holy Spirit fire – brilliant!

On Saturday David Reidy of Leading Edge Ministries led a very useful & practical day seminar on worship, music & vocals. Then Sunday saw him join with our very own MSCC team to lead worship and preach at both services – awesome 7! Really!

David’s ministry in the morning with our team in full flow was something else! The MSCC worship team truly rocked & we became a mini-Hillsong church for the day! Then David’s openness to the move of the Spirit brought excellent ministry in the Encounter service with some significant prophetic words.

A huge thank you to David for being with us, to the MSCC worship team for being up for all God has for you/us & to everyone who came out. Here’s to more of the same as we press on towards the goal Jesus has set before us…

God bless – Robin

How true it is that all of us like improvements… but few of us like change!

We find this in every area of our lives from the favourite jumper or shirt that is worn out and we should really replace to the broken mug that we can’t part with; from the gym subscription we hardly use but just might to the relationship we cannot live with or without.  In so many ways we want improvements, but are not committed to the changes needed to make those improvements.

Key 1 was be dissatisfied with where you.  But that is not enough – it is a very important first step, but we need to be careful we don’t become bogged down here.  We need to move onto…

Key No.2: Be determined to see transformation in you

We need to be prepared to move on and to believe that we can see change in ourselves; that you can see transformation in your life; that today you will move a little closer to the best you can be; to the person God wants you to be; to be overflowing with life and life in all its fullness.

Romans 12:1-2 is an important pair of verses for us here.  Make a decision to be transformed.  Be determine to be transformed.  Have a design for your transformation.

The apostle Paul’s appeal to us is simple:

Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world…

• Don’t be squeezed into the mould made by non-believers
• Realise that if you are not actively moving on you are being conformed
• This is not a legalism that says “don’t touch; don’t eat; don’t do”
• …but a new life that says “I know I can be better than this”

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…

• Transformed:  metamorphosis
• Caterpillar to a butterfly: same DNA
• Transformation takes determination: chrysalis break-out

And the truth of the matter is that if we have entered into God’s presence, if we have committed ourselves to follow Jesus then we can never be the same again.  Everyone that ever met Jesus when He was on the earth physically was touched by His presence and changed in some way.

God’s presence has transforming power that cannot and will not leave a human life unchanged.

Why?

• Because God knows how much more there is on offer for us.
• Because God wants the very best for you and for me.
• Because humanity is God’s A-plan not his last ditch effort.
• Because He cares too much to leave us as we are.

And the design: to be more like Jesus… and the plan is to reach that goal one step at a time.

Key No.1: You must be dissatisfied with where you are

As believers we are to learn to be like the apostle Paul, contented in all circumstances (Phil 4:11).  To be at peace with what we have and where we are in life.  We are not to be anxious about anything, but to give all our cares over to Him who cares for us. (Phil 4:6-7)

Yet, we are also to be in a place where physically, mentally, spiritually we are dissatisfied with where we are (Phil 3:1-15a)…

• Dissatisfied not with what we have, but with where we are in our walk with God.
• Dissatisfied not because we want more things, but because we want more of God.
• Dissatisfied not because we are not being recognised but because we recognise there is so much more we can be.

We need to have a holy dissatisfaction that will spur us on to more – because in Jesus there is always more!

If you are not dissatisfied with where you are in your spiritual journey you will not move on.  If you stay where you are you will stagnate.  Only moving water stays fresh and pure.

Are you satisfied with where you are?

We can easily become comfortable where we are.  After the beginning of the New Year and our first flurry of good intentions, our desire to lose weight, to become physically fitter, to pray more and to even read through all of the Bible, we begin to falter.  Routine hits us.  Or life just gets busy.  And we move away from our good intentions and start living in our comfort zone.

Genesis 11:27ff

Abraham’s father Terah and his family moved out in the direction God called to go to Canaan, but when they arrived at Haran they settled there.   They stopped short of Canaan and stayed in Haran which was an ancient city that up until the 11^th century AD was a centre for worship of the moon god: Sin.  Now, I know that was an ancient Near East name for that false god, but isn’t it interesting that they decided to stay around where sin was?

Do you know that sometimes we are like that: we want to receive the forgiveness for our sin, but not be separated from our sin.  We can come to Jesus to be saved from the penalty of our sin, but not want to be saved from our sin itself.

We are like a drowning boy in the sea who wants a life jacket so that he is saved from drowning but is still able to have the adrenalin rush of being in the waves.

We can become very comfortable in a life that has moved towards Jesus, but is not going all the way to where He is.  Is that you?

Abraham wasn’t willing to settle for less than the land of Canaan.  He wasn’t willing to settle for less than the promise of God.

I wonder:

• What has God promised you that you still don’t have?
• Are you settling into a comfort zone or are you willing to step out in faith?
• Are you satisfied with where you are or are you dissatisfied with life the way it is because you know there is still so much more in God?

Are you willing to settle for less than the best Jesus has for you?

Are you comfortable where you are spiritually, with your life, with your relationships?

Today, begin the process of personal revival by becoming dissatisfied with where you are and starting on the journey towards the place God has promised.

Why personal revival?

Just in the same way that you and I made an individual decision to follow Jesus so we need to receive from Him a personal reviving of our spirit, a personal restoration of our vigour and vitality, a personal re-awakening of our lives to God, the things of God, His ways and lifestyle.

Any movement begins with one person. So too, a revival.

Do you remember a time, when you were a new Christian, when you were so enthusiastic for Jesus?

Did you used to look out for opportunities to talk to people about your faith?

Did you get excited about reading your Bible and coming to the prayer meeting?

Has it all become just a little too familiar?

Has it become a bit too comfortable?

Are you no longer being stretched in your faith, in your lifestyle, in your day-to-day?

We’re going to look at a dozen keys to personal revival. Every one will require something of you if you want to open the door to a deeper spiritual walk with God, a life more like that of Jesus and to see the Spirit at work.

Will you join us on the journey? A journey to personal revival…

The concept of fireseeds – a conference organised by one of the largest Christian student movements – is that each one of us can be a seed of fire in our community, in our neighbourhood, in our family, school, college, university or workplace.  A seed of fire that, just like the spark that it symbolises, can kindle flames of the Spirit in all who are prepared to be tinder for the Master.

This weekend at MSCC we started a new series on the 12 Keys to Personal Revival – to being on fire for Jesus, to being fired up with the passion of the gospel, to having the fire of the Spirit burning within – a fire that will spread form person to person, from community to community, from small campfires to vast forest blazes…

Do you want to be part of that sort of movement?  I know I do!  If you do, here’s the prayer from the conference – why not pray with me that the world may be changed one fireseed at time?

Jesus, you are the original Fireseed.

Thank you for relinquishing the glory of heaven to become human and to die for me.

Thank you that in you I can know forgiveness for all my sins, and a brand new and fulfilling life with God and others.

Jesus I need you.

I want to be your fireseed in the world, to live for your Glory and to be a life giver to those around me.

I surrender my life to you now.

Fill me with your Holy Spirit life.

I commit myself to you, to be whoever you would have me be.

To do whatever you would have me do.

To go wherever you would have me go.

Set me ablaze by your Holy Spirit.

Kindle in me great love for you and for others.

Ignite through my life spiritual fires that would spread right throughout my community, city and country to the very ends of the earth.

For your name and for your Glory alone Jesus I ask these things.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, why not let me know that you have joined me on this exciting adventure of faith?  Comment below…

So I’ve been thinking about the country covered in snow and ice and yesterday blogged about how that humbles us as human beings making us realise that we are not the all powerful folk we sometimes like to think we are. Whether it be a tsunami, a hurricane or 40cm of snow and temperatures of -18C it is surely plain that “nature” can throw at us some difficult and dangerous circumstances. This is always an opportunity for us to acknowledge that God is God and we are not – that He is all-powerful (the Almighty) and we aren’t.

Here we are, standing at the start of another new year, another new opportunity to put the past behind us and to move on into all that God has for us. Oh, and we have snow! And that, actually, is a perfect illustration for us. Take a look out of the window when the snow is still fresh on the ground and notice how everyone’s gardens, cars, paths – everything – looks the same. Everything is covered over by a lovely white coating. Well, Jesus has made it possible for you and me to have a “lovely white coating”, so to speak, of pure, white robes of righteousness (right standing with God) so that all God sees when He looks at us is Jesus. That means each of us have the same opportunities to be all we can be in Jesus.

Its a cliche, but true! Christmas does come but once a year…

Although in the church we celebrate Jesus coming into the world each week for most people its only at this time of year that they stop to give at least a half-thought to who Jesus was/is. We know and celebrate that Jesus came, was born as a baby, lived a perfect life that pleased God, went to a cruel death and rose again to a new life making it possible for us to know the Father. We know that and many of us know Jesus personally.

Its so good to know Him and to have the adventurous full life He calls us to.

But do we keep it to ourselves or do we share it?

Do you pass on the good news of the Christmas message?

Why not this Christmas?

Tell your family, speak to your friends, invite your neighbours.

Let’s celebrate together this Christmas!

We’re well into September now and it brings many of us back to the school term, to work routines and to trying to re-engage brains after the summer break.

At MSCC we’ve decided we need to give our spirits – the real us on the inside – a bit of a boost by engaging in a little “brain training for reigning”!

As Christians we have been given the right to be children of God (John 1:12) and God is now our Father and we are His heirs and joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:14-17). This is awesome (10) stuff! You and I, if we are born again believers, are children of the living God. We are His “sons”. That’s not sexist, it’s a technical term that goes back to the ancient times in which it was written and means that you and I have the full rights of inheritance. Not just that, we are able to act as the Father’s heirs now and have His full authority to act in His name: truly amazing (10)!

Romans 5 verse 17 says we are able to “reign in life” through Jesus. We are a “royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” according to Peter. So if we are meant to reign in this life through Jesus as the heirs of God, as a royal nation of priests then we need to train ourselves up to take on that role.

All royalty receives training from the moment they are born. Training to think, act, walk and speak like princes, princesses, kings and queens. We need to do the same – to train oursleves and to plaec ourselves in positions where we are tutored in the way to think, act, walk and speak as the royal sons and daughters of the King of kings.