A parable from Air New Zealand.

I was praying with Shell, Rae, A-J and Jeremy and I was reminded of something.
The kingdom of God is like two men on a plane….
One man gets given a parachute and told the parachute will improve his flight. He likes this idea so he puts it on, after while he starts to feel uncomfortable- wearing a parachute in an airplane seat will do that. The other passengers start laughing at him and mocking him “nice parachute dude” they taunt in a taunting kind of way. After a period of mockery and a restless flight he gets sick of the parachute and throws it on the floor in disgust, the parachute did not improve his flight.
A second man is on a plane he is offered an eerily similar parachute, but told that the plane WILL crash and the parachute will save his life. He also is uncomfortable and mocked, but this man persists, surely a little discomfort and ridicule is worth his life.
Here is the breakdown, some of us get sold a man (woman) centered gospel/parachute, we get told (or we tell others) that it will improve our lives. God will help us through our flight. As soon as the discomfort and persecution comes we throw off the gospel disgusted that it didn’t improve our life at all. The second man gets told a God centered gospel the gospel is not about him it is about his fate- What will happen when the plane crashes? (And the plane will crash). This man can handle the discomfort and persecution because he has the right perspective- It IS a matter of life and death. How many of us got told that the gospel and following God was all about God blessing us? We made a choice when we were on a mountain top, but we need to think about our choice- it IS a matter of life and death.
How do we spread the gospel? – In a prosperity doctrine kind of way or a black and white, life and death, heaven or hell kind of way. It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw once – Eternity, smoking or non-smoking? It is your choice. (Unless you’re a Calvinist, then it is predetermined, but I don’t want to open that can of worms.)

You see bones- I see an army!!!

I was reading the book Red Moon Rising, which is about the guy who was used by God to start the 24-7 prayer movement in England. It was really challenging, God IS moving in the western church in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand raising up young people (and old people) to pray. He IS raising up an army out of dry bones an army that is marching to God’s drum beat, and marching on their knees in prayer. He is calling this generation to come to him in a new way, broken, dependant and expectant.
Check out the link 24-7 Prayer.
Then I found out that our church was doing a week of 24-7 prayer. I signed up for the “dawn patrol” 5-6 every morning and a few 4am starts as well, because I felt I needed to come to God and lay my life at his feet in a fresh way. It has been the most amazing and exhausting week of my life. I have gone through every emotion including anger, frustration, peace, acceptance, fear, excitement, exhaustion and relief. I have spent my mornings marching around a prayer room, speaking in tongues, soaking in worship music and lying prostrate on the floor at the foot of the cross staring at the size of ninch inch nails. And I want to do it again. God has spoken to me in a fresh way and challenged me to turn off the cruise control on my life. I have for a number of years now been limiting God to a god (with a small g) made in my image, a god that was a “good luck charm” that blessed me and helped me through hard times, boy is this a limited picture of the Almighty God! I have been assuming that God will bless me without consulting God in my life and waiting on him. God has challenged me with Joshua 3:3-5 which is talking about the Israelites on the bank of the River Jordon, God lead the ark of the covenant (representing his presence) through their camp and asked them to follow, BUT they where not to come within 1000 yards of the ark (except the Levities carrying the ark). Then he commands them “to consecrate your selves for tomorrow I am going to do amazing things.” (v5)
To me this was a challenge that I (and many other individuals, as well as the corporate western church) had tried to take the ark of the covenant (God's presence) and carry it where we wanted, to bend God to our will. But that is not at all biblical we are to follow God’s presence. Specifically I had made up my mind on where I wanted to go next year. I have the best opportunity to be used by God and here I was making my mind up BY MYSELF, without consulting God. The story of Joshua challenged me that we need to do things his way even when they sound daft (like yelling at walls, and sending half your army home!). This was not the only area God challenged me, but it was the major one.
I think the whole thing comes from the idea that we can create a limited, comfortable, safe God that won’t shake us and challenge us, and we have in the west and I personally have. But this is not the God of the bible; who led Daniel into a lions den, asked Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, gave Paul a “thorn in his flesh”, ruined Job and allowed the Babylonians to take the Israelites into captivity. Why? Because he wanted to teach them to be dependent on him for everything. So I have been challenged to lay my plains at his feet and dedicate this opportunity to him, a chance to do his will rather than mine, and to teach me to be dependent on him for everything. I emplore you to read the book it will seriuosly change your life and your perspective of God, prayer and the Holy Spirit.