Leadership, Church Planting and Church History

It has been a long time since I last posted and I have heard many of you have been wondering what I have been up to. So here we go. Prayer Points first.

Prayer Points
. We are at a maturing stage, pray this continues to happen
. Finances. We estimate roughly 4000NOK, that is roughly £417 a month for my outreach to Vienna.

. A house in Vienna City Centre that is cheap and a car for travel.

Leadership
This teaching was led by our base leader Runar. It was a very straight forward week with a very simple message what does it mean to lead? His definition of leadership was to simply lead and that leadership is less about managerial roles such as finance keeping but is more about foresight seeing the potential in things and acting on it. Which for me is a relief as I am not really great at creating complex finance charts. Part of the week also focused on what kind of leader are you, specirfically what kind of leadership giftings have you got. It was a very practical week of teaching showing us how to spot trends, potential but also the signs of ministries about to end. 

Church Planting
I really enjoyed thsi week it focused on one persons experience of chruch planting it was actually really eye opening on how we as a class defined Mission, Church and Jesus but especially our negativity towards Church. One of the most valuable things I learned was this:

Jesus + Mission = Church

Our teachers point was that nowhere in the bible does it say plant a church but it does say go out and make disciples. It is when we go we create frienships and these friendships create communities and these communities are what create a the church (the body). It is Jesus who sends us into Mission and then Church is formed but Jesus must come first. This teaching really started to challenge my views on how I view mission and my motivations for doing it, seeing it from this perspective lifts a burden and makes mission easier.

Church History
This was a lot to take in a lot of facts but was very interesting, the focus of the teaching was that where we come from, what we do,  what we study etc. forms our identity. These past 3 weeks have in many ways linked to each other, as I learned that if we want to change the future we must first find out what has happened in the past with Europe and where the Church has been in the midst of that.

I am finding that the SOE has moved into a new focus of preparing us to be pioneers for Christ, this is reflected in all this practical and factual teaching but we are also finding more opportunities to step out and take hold of leadership and use our giftings in Evangelism.

Newcastle

I feel it is about time I told you all about my time in Newcastle, England. The reason the SOE went there was because every year a team called Forever sets up a gathering inviting lots of DTS students for a week of teaching on Evangelism and then they get to practice it, a truely fantastic idea. They invited us the SOE to be examples but also to lead the outreaches.

We did lots of things such as street evangelism using magic to draw a crowd giving us the opportunity to talk to people. We did Treasure Hunting and I shall tell you an amazing story further down the page. We did litter picking so a great opportunity to serve the community. We did a lot of youth work which I was in charge of and it was a lot of fun having the opportunity for both myself and the DTS students having the chance to encourage young people with testimonies. There was also refugee drop in centres, developing a church by painting it ect, and there was a most fantastic opportunity to get involved with Newcastle University and their Missions Week. Also as grwoing leaders to start practice what we are preaching and to live out our values that we would ourselves expect to be lived out in a disciple-discipleship context.

Something that God has been putting on my heart since Newcastle is to start investing in people. I had many amazing opportunities in Newcastle to do so. I found investing in others is a sacrifice but it is also a lot of fun. I had this wonderful opportunity to take two DTS girls out on a treasure hunt at night and one of the perks I found of investing in people is that you also get to share in their experiences of Gods power being shown, in this case they discovered not just that God speaks to them but at how specifically God speaks to them.

Testimony
We feel that the things combined together of what we felt God was saying drew us to this one person. I had this word that we should walk to a certain location a specific way and when we got there this DTS girl noticed her treasure walking past to the exact description she had written down. So naturally she is amazed and it took a little convincing for us to follow this girl that walked past. And yes it feels like your stalking someone. We follow this girl and the DTS girls i am with collect enough courage to talk to this girl and it turned out the name she had on her list was the girls name who we stopped. It was amazing to watch these DTS girls speak so powerfully into this girls life something as a guy I just would not be able to do. This girl leaves and my DTS friends realised that after chasing this girl down the street that they ended up in the exact location according to all the clues written on this treasure map. It was absolutely incredible to witness these two DTS girls invest so powerfully into this other girls life that we met. But what was really amazing was how God just melted their brains as the realisation sunk in that God had just spoken to them in perfect clarity. It has been an incredible blessing to see God transform DTS like these, because I look at them now and I can joyfully say they can never be the same again, how can they be now they have tasted God in this way.  

What I have been able to personally take away from this week is the importance but also joy it is to invest in other people.

Lots of happenings

So I have not posted for 2 weeks I am very sorry baout that I have been busy and we have had a few internet problems along with homework to hand in, yes we have homework. So much for escaping school but never mind.

Anyway the last 2 weeks of teaching have been on SPiritual Giftings and callings which was very cool with a guy called Yan Nicholls a very passionate man of God and quite amazing to soak up what he has to offer. So that week we talked a lot about the 5 fold ministry and we did a lot of discussing on what each one of these really means and then we were left to think about where God has placed us. We also learnt about the giftings God has given us to go with these callings in order to make us who we are - very exciting stuff. We also had a time of prophecying over each other and that is always a lot of fun and encouraging.

This week we have been learning about the importance of communication and discipleship it has been a very fun week  but also very challenging as we looked at a lot of habits in our lives which when representing the gospel put people off. We also looked at what it means to be a disciple of Christ and to be a discipler. A very practical week so a lot of fun.

This week myself and another SOE guy called Ezra had the opportunity to lead some evangelism in the streets this week with the the SOE. What was really cool about this was that a group of DTS students joined us. The aim of the eveangelism was for people to experience God. This is one of the stories a DTS student had to say.

Rebekka: During her treasure hunt God told her about a man and a woman one of them had a bad knee and the other had a bad lower back. Her and her partner in the treasure hunt went to find them which they did and they got talking and eventually got to share about what God had told heard her. So they prayed the one with the bad knee said after they prayed it no longer hurt but wouldn't know for sure until they properly tested it out, but the one with the bad back instantly described her back feeling completely better after being prayed for. What else was amazing was that as she was praying she felt heat go from her hands and her hands started to tingle.

How incredible is that, that God is doing such incredible things. What i really enjoyed about this was the opportunity to lead others into a form of evangelism that I felt inspred to do and then hear about the fruits being bore.
 

In other news though I go to Newcastle for a week to lead the evangelism for all the DTS who will gather there. I will be doing that with the rest of the SOE. 

That is a quick summary. A lot has been going on but I am having still a lot of fun with God.

Covenant Promises

A covenant was used when God spoke. The Israelites new what this meant, it was a new perspective at looking at things. That truth was that God wanted to open up relationship with his people. A Creator and His creation, intimately. What follows are the seven covenant promises Israelites used to make with other. These promises also apply to us, you and Jesus.

Switching of a Cloak/robe

This symbolised the other as a person, it placed vaule on other. It meant that everything they owned was no longer their own but was at complete disposal for the other to use. It was a sign of trust. David and Jonathan in the bible is the perfect example of this.

They exchanged their belts
To the Israelites the belt was not the kind of belt that kept up your trousers but it was a belt that contained your weapons. It was a symbol to each of 'strength and protection'. We stand together in double support. Whoever attacks you I attack, whoever you attack I attack.

Cut and animal in two
Those in a covenant would walk between the animal sacrifice. It symbolised that they died to their rights and that they now live for each other. They expand themselves allowing room for the other into their life. A walk of life together, forever. It is us an God walking together in the middle of the sacrifice of Jesu for life eternal. A covenant was impossible to break.

Shedding of own blood
They both would cut their hand a tiny bit and then shake hands and this would mix the blood. This was a symbol of beoming one, a life of faithfulness to each other. They would also give each other a new name that contained part of both the covenant  partners name. They were now in each other. A new name means a new life with a new purpose.

Speak the conditions of the covenant
It means this, that everything that is mine is now yours. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you. (Psalm 23: 5-6)

Share a covenant meal
The breaking of bread and the pouring of wine, is a symbol of a life untied. They were in each other, one  body, one spirit, one life. (Gal 2:20) (1 Cor 6:7)

Plant a tree
This was a memory mark, a sign of the covenant. We usually have mates or we might call them buddies or even friends as a symbol of being able to get along and enjoy each others company. In those times a friend was someone you made a covenant with, it went much deeper and was more more meaningful. It was complete unity, complete, care, assests wewre shared for the others need, it was like being family.
(John 15: 1-5)

Check out this link it explains how the covenant fits into Gods salvation plan.
The Gospel (Link)

The Gospel and our Covenant with Christ

This week has been quite an extrordinary week as the title suggests it has been on the gospel. Not in the way I was expecting though, my personal expecations were we would focus on the gospels but no we look at the whole Old Testement and how this related to the gospel today. I learnt from a complete new perspective that to talk about the Gospel you have to look at the history and Gods overall salvation programme.

Below is a summary of the weeks teaching. For most of you this is not new but I pray that you might see things from a new perspective like I did. For those those of you who this is new I hope that this will explain and answer the questions you may have. Also in a second post I have written all the covenant promises we have with Christ. it was this list that blew my mind.

Check out this link to get an understanding of what a covenant meant.
Covenant with Christ (link)

In the beginning there was God (Trinity) and in his image he created man and woman, physically, emotionally and spiritually in his image totally unique. The purpose to share himself, relationships is on Gods heart. Before 'the fall' God was in perfect unity with man and had created a covenant with many promises. At the heart, the covenant expressed  a complete giving up of self for the other, a sharing with each other, a fighting for each other. It showed the seriousness of God had to be joined with humanity. Not just that but it is a promise of being defended, a promise of whatever is Gods is ours. The truth is we are covenant freinds with Christ and all the above apply. This has been Gods plan since 'the fall' to re-establish a covenant freindship with his children eventually finding its completion and fulfilment in Jesus.
     History shows a process of salvation, bit by bit God is teaching his people. It's by grace through faith that we enter into the covenant promises, faith defined as being 100% dependant on God the perfect example being Abraham 'the father of faith'. Without faith not only is it impossible to please God but we as a race are capable only of destruction. We see God rescusing the Israelites from the Eygyptians a symbol of our faithful covenant protector defending and saving us from trouble. If you look at their 40 year journey to the promise land God teaches his children about what a covenant means, the need for a tabernacle,sacrifice, atonement wonderul image for the future and God beginning to dwell amoung his people. But God cannot just send Jesus down on a parachute and die on the Cross, they would not understand, first they need to know that they need saving. God then teaches on the law leading his children to an understanding that they need a saviour.
      It is now time for Jesus to come, he showed us what it meant to live in a covenant relationship, he was the peoples example. He showed how without God we are put into slavery, under sin, under law, under religion and under the influence of satan. At the garden, at his darkest hour Jesus submitted to God not only taking our sin but becoming a physical curse for us before God. The Cross origianlly a symbol of a curse no becomes our glory, a symbol of baptism, we die with Christ seperated from God, buried with Christ and raised with Christ now into God. Sin, religionm, law and satan's influence on our lives is disarmed and have now been replaced with the Holy Spirit, grace, faith and relationship giving us complete access to God. Not that we would come to God but so that God can come to us and surround uis where we are at for all eternity.
     Now we have a new life consisting of 3 things, a life 'in Christ', a life 'with Christ' and a life 'by Christ'. Now a life of perfect relationship can once again be lived.

Norwegian Lessons

Hello/Hi - Hallo/Hei
(hallo/hi)

Goodbye - Hadet Bra
(hard-a-bra)

Thank you - Takk
(tack)

Thank you very much - Tusen Takk
(tosen tack)

Your Welcome - Vær så god
(var soar go)

My name is - Jeg heter
(yi heter)

how are you - Hvordan har du det        (respond with)
(vordan har du de)

I'm fine - Jeg har det bra
(yi har day bra)

I can speak a little Norwegian - Jeg kan snakke litt norsk
(yi can snacker lit norsk)

Can you speak English - Kan du snakke engelsk
(can du snacker engelsk)

God - Gud
(good)

The Holy Spirit - Den hellige ånd
(den hell-e-er on)

Jesus - Jesus
(yesus)

The Kingdom of God is near

Prayer Requests
. That my time in the community art group will be fruitful as I build relationships with those who really need the love of Jesus
. As we prepare to plan outreach we could move forward and strengthen relationships with each other.
. That Andreas will grow in passion and confidence in Evangelism as he learns new ways to do it.
(see last paragraph)

This week as you might have guessed has been on the 'Kingdom of God' it has not been an easy subject by any means. One of the biggest focuses of this lecture has surrounded the topic of Gods healing power. Most of us will have no problems confessing Gods healing power but when it comes to God healing us or even healing people through us things get a little less simple.

At least that is how I feel.

But one of the most amazing things that we have been taught this week is that it has been Gods pleasure to give us the Kingdom, also we know that all authority on heaven and earth has been given to Jesus therefore that same power in Jesus is in us. Furthermore I can do things through Christ who gives me strength and even Jesus said you will do greater things than I.

I think God might be trying to tell us something.

I personally have not yet seen God heal anybody through me yet, and I think that is where it gets difficult for us. Was it me?, Is it them? But one of the most beautiful things I will hold on to is this.

Even if I never see God heal someone through me my faith will not faulter, I will not lower my faith level for the things God has promised and for the things God desires.

We watched a documentary called the 'Finger of God' after something like that it is impossible for me to believe anything less than what is described. I have attached a small part of the documentary, a taster.  

FINGER OF GOD (click this link)

Other cool stuff that God has been doing this week is using us to bless the community. We did some more treasure hunts. For those who don't know a treasure hunt is when we ask God if he would like us to bless anyone in the community, so we ask for location, name, appearence, prayer need and then we go off and find them. Once again God has shown how faithful he is, in short I found my treasure and we got to pray for his shoulder to get better (I believe God has). But what was really amazing was to see how God worked his timing of us being in certain places at certain times, not just to find our treasures but how at the same time we met other people, even some we new from the community in Skien and got to spread the gospel and pray for others.

Another story the DTS have to do something called Evangelism and Discipleship and I am one of 4 SOE students who gets to disciple and take out a DTS student on Evangelism, it's quite cool really, a great way to grow in Leadership. I have an amazing guy called Andreas he is Norwegian and really passionate for Jesus and it as much a chance to learn off him as he off me.

Anyway that is enough for now

Blessings in Abundance

Jonathan