by Paul Farnham

I have a love hate relationship with change. Chunks of my soul beg for reliable routine. When I was fourteen I tried to organise life into 5 minute slots – I mean all of life. I squeezed my creative random heart into a regimented timetable and after a week nearly died. Not that order isn't valuable. We gain security from repetition. Knowing where the next pay check is coming or a fixed idea of where we will sleep, work, meet. Secure parameters of concrete routine is a precious ingredient of life but also a means to an end.

With all the shock waves hitting financial systems, people groups, social, cultural and political structures we all have been alerted to global unrest. There seems to be a shaking of our lives personally and globally that isn't letting us settle for ordinary or common things or have our lives in the kind of order we'd prefer. There is a divine grace filled interruption a goin' on. It is painful yet ultimately extravagantly so beneficial that if we as christians apply our hearts rightly will make us very strong in God and never want to go back to the ways things were. Heaven is on the move. My heart needs to be flexible at this time and not offended. My heart is designed to be invaded by Him. To shake the obstacles out of the way, God has to remove options, position challenges, take us out of expected routes to land us on His island as it were – so we find the love of God.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; he punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

In this precious verse, we can see that Jesus – the Son of God couldn't apply change in a more radical way than this. He allowed an arrangement where His life was lowered from limitless beauty and power to limited vulnerability and voluntary death. But that death was a pronounced brutal slaughter. It was staged to be ugly – such is this divine love. He was shattered. A massive contrast to the one whose status was with His Father and the Holy Spirit, as creator of the universe. Why did He do it? For you … and me. For pursuit. In other words, change or the siege of discomfort that bombarded His body in this redemptive selfless act was embraced to go after a prize in His heart. Us. In this way we should reconfigure the grumblings of our hearts about change and transfer energies into the zeal of enduring pain and change in the course of meeting with and living for the Bridegroom King, lover and Judge – Jesus. Oh how He is worth pursuing. Oh how wonderful He is. I love Him.

The Holy Spirit is at present bringing some things to the surface in my life. In this article I wanted to invite you to face up to these possible flaws because they are common and crippling. As you read, ask for help and forgiveness to be free of them.

I find myself with a highlighted need to militate against three distinct areas of personal error. Firstly I make the mistake of thinking small or side stepping the need to exercise faith ( the trusting in what us yet unseen). God has been whispering to me...think BIG Paul, stay in faith – execute unbelief.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you?unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Cor. 13:5

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Eph 3:12

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph 3:20-21        

In this last verse we find a default to the possibility of life from the dead, an expectation of the extremes of divine supply even though our lack is like an open wound shouting failure. Paul though beaten and bruised, persecuted and in constant traumatic change is connected to the provider God with great confidence. God propel us put of this stronghold where I simply don't believe in your power to operate anymore through my life and circumstances. Forgive me for my unbelief. I say yes and amen to your ability and desire to demonstrate kindness. I refresh my faith and trust in your love. Help my unbelief Lord.

            My second error is disastrous thinking that closure and breakdown, death or failure are always just around the corner. This may not be in your conscious thinking but underneath like a paralysis may be an expectancy based on past disappointment, pain or un-reached fulfillment of dreams and prophetic promises. You have a small voice or lie that says success is for everyone else but you. This is a matter of urgent attention. Because without it being addressed, we live in fear and shadows. What is required is to exchange the spirit of death for the precious gift of the spirit of life. Jesus died to give you life from the dead. Let's pray about that. Father, deposit life in us all. Cause me to freshly anticipate your goodness, to extinguish the lies that you are no longer interested or are not willing to meet my need or even come with an excess of treasure that will cause me to delight in you. Find a home in my heart right now. I love you. I lean in on you again today. You are the healer. The helper. My all sufficiency.

"I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.” Psalm 91:2-3

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” John 17:15-19

In this prayer of Jesus though it was spoken two thousand year ago we have a prayer that is prayed by Him in heaven, right now over you and me. His heart is as zealous here and now about this as it ever was. It was what the disciples felt. Waves of pure kind rescue in their deepest insecurities. Communicated embraces that penetrated them at the core of their being. God's Son on earth in the mud of mankind's madnesses ignited sincere burning friendship with those who chose to love Him. Jesus prepared the disciples for days ahead, days of cataclysmic change by giving them the good news about another person who would stand in His place in His absence volleying them forward in a way that they would not be defeated but be tenacious in their witness and wild in their delivering of the gospel.

          The Holy Spirit's mighty impact later at pentecost was like a powerhouse of energy on their emotions and convictions. As Jesus hugged each disciple before His death He knew what they needed. He knows what you need to be able to sustain God focus. Jesus prayer for the preservation of your life is compassionately delivered to the Father. He has tears as your name is on His lips. Not tears of disappointment or frustration but deep seated affection that is so fervent it hurts. It compels. It causes Him to fight for your case in the highest courts of heaven. As Jesus gazes directly into the face of His daddy His heart leaps with joy. He has a bubblling expectation of His Father's willingness to release power to deliver you and me and transport us into such an extraordinary bond of communion that nothing however dark would be able to break it. Not even physical death. We are so precious to Him. He prays for our protection and deliverance; that we might be transported to a condition that is optimised in feeling the affections of God to the very depths of out soul. That the fire of the Holy Spirit would burn in our inner man right in the midst of the worlds conflicts and confusion. That we would see from heavenly places, anchored in hope, filled with experiential love, set on righteousness alive and vibrant in heavenly friendship.

  The third error I can easily slip into is to weaken or refuse to wrestle against sin or the comforts and pleasures of this world. Along with this is the the fleshly often times demonically charged temptation to quit. Much false teaching and a dangerous trend in the church is that we must not have any sober, heavy or difficult challenge in our lives but rest back in perfect peace without allowing any concerns trouble us (such as the 'work' of dealing with the holy and the profane in our hearts). This deficient understanding then lowers our efforts to change our lifestyle in a 'radical' (though supernaturally normal) way to the degree that we end up compromising and hiding our unrighteousness under the guise of a cheap grace that was never meant to give permission to sin but give opportunity to escape it.

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” 2 Peter 3:14

This verse is about the preparation of the heart. The bitter wind outside of the house here in England is whistling at near gale force. If I were to go out now in shorts and t-shirt wandering into the night, I would be paralysed by cold and lost near the cliffs in danger of falling into the sea. Up to four people a year suffer this tragic end in real life. They ignore the real dangers. Spiritually many of us are unprepared for what is about to hit our hearts. We are simply undressed spiritually, lacking the strength of the word or proper biblical understanding about the coming events that will unfold on planet earth. In 2 Peter 3 the thief in the night verse is in my opinion wrongfully applied to vindicate pre-rapture thinking.

The idea is that we all get whisked out of the world before things get too difficult. But this is out of context with the chapter. What is the primary focus of the text is the condition of the heart and its need for readiness in the light of Jesus return. Of course I am shocked, when a thief comes to rob my house but if I haven't taken seriously that possibility and leave the doors unlocked, my valuables on show and sit back believing that I could never be a victim – I have been so foolish, and misinformed – even reckless. Then I am robbed and stripped of my goods.

  The danger of losing our love of God and backsliding into the shadows is critically near to those who play with morality; those who call the profane holy and the holy profane. Whether it be in the media, games they play, words they speak, behaviour, relationships or the ignoring of biblical directives for purity. God will not be mocked. Consequences will follow. In the turmoil of this life, my only security for certain is in the maintenance of relationship with God, in godly fear and trembling with the beautiful King Jesus.

  Change is not just random happenings. There is purpose behind all things. But let me make another proposal that I believe to be very important. We are meant to inaugurate voluntary change in response to the gospel, aligning our daily practices, our relationships, the ever active thought life so they reflect the purity, character and will of Jesus who has fore-run before His Father an other-than sinless life of love on earth bound by and under the close scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. Love reaches its full expression when we walk the talk of the Bible and stay devout, committed and without hypocrisy.

“For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.” Lev 11:44

Whether we like it or not – this world is about to change beyond recognition by unprecedented traumas. The church who are spotless and faithful will be exhilarated by an immense nearness of God and an endowment of power and wisdom that will literally make Kings and leaders shake with fear and awe. The events of Revelation are literal and perhaps to unfold within the lifetime of our children's generation – even ours. We could well be here when all the fuses blow. But a heart anchored in God endures the change and challenge having a fixed anchor point in the experience and knowledge of the astounding God rather than a temporary recipe for living that just hides the pain and gets us through to the end of each day. This love enables us to grow in Christ likeness, posturing us to have a bold witness, a valiant heart and bless in the unsavoury consistency of changing friendships, jobs, churches, political systems and social regimes. It keeps us plugged into the life of God's rampant affections and the Holy Spirit's guidance even when we are stigmatised, cursed, let down or separated from the people and things we love or hope to have as part of our world.

“I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” Phil 3:8-10

I used to love watching a Buzzard, a formidable bird of prey sit on a high tree branch ruffling its feathers, getting prepared to swoop low for food or climb high to hover over storms. It prepared with eyes open and a great vantage point. It was a King of the air once its wings unfolded – royal in its flight. We succeed in shaking off the dust of our apathy when we proactively, provocatively prepare in the same way. Get the vantage point. Seek His face. Labour to plant truth in the heart with hours of unpacking scripture, in devotional prayer and worship. When we feast on who Jesus is, have laboured to cultivate heavenly biblical perspective and grow in love for the beautiful Bridegroom King we will revel in divine fuel living in this world untainted and with unlimited heavenly reserves.

It takes a rare kind of passionate work. Yes I said the word 'work.' Sweat and tears and discomfort. Why work. Its for that beautiful man Jesus. The one that was torn to shreds, cut to pieces, hammered to wood and drained of blood in shame and disgrace to make a place for me in the arms of His Father and next to Him forever as His Bride. His resurrection still contained eyes on fire for getting you and I from the claws of the enemy. Jesus is the return wage, the weighty reward of my soul that satisfies to bursting point. The searching for Him releases increasing measures of hunger on my heart – on your heart. That in itself is a priceless gift. We then start living in the true drama of heaven's plan more than the fickle torrent of highs and lows that toss superficial christians from one philosophy or breakdown to another.

  A setting and then resetting of the heart equates with difficult choices and the working out of our salvation. It is an adjusting to maximise collision with heaven so we feel all the benefits intended – most of all the knowing of the Father's embrace, the stunning God man Jesus and intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The idea of labouring is unpopular with liberal culture inside the church. Labouring means saying no, even to many permissible things that seem innocent and tame yet like woffle pack our lives with wasted days, numbing our heats to the sobriety and richness of a wholehearted pursuit and therefore the discovery of Jesus. We miss discovering Jesus. We miss Jesus – He passes by our boat and we don't even notice.

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Cor 6:12

We as a family are once again poised for change in our physical circumstances. It has a measure of distaste after in the past moving home over thirty times as a family yet we plant our hearts in the beautiful knowledge of a loving God who does impossible things. We pray and anticipate once again that He will guide – provide...in spectacular style for the fame of His name. Our hearts are set on pilgrimage. They have been like that for years. No wonder change is the air we breathe. But without our part in co-operating with that change, in other words responding to the request from heaven we would still be distant and untouched by the love of God, living a lukewarm life and missing our destiny. What an unbearable thought.

Though change is everywhere – we can rely and put FULL trust in a friend – Jesus Himself who never changes in His perfect nature of love, justice, compassion, zeal, kindness, faithfulness. We might not get all the answers or outcomes. But, having once relied on the peripheries we will when rising up to another level of living get the primary prize; the source of all our life indwelling, like a deep bubbling fresh water geyser.

Jesus aches for a different generation; those who will join themselves to God like David, like John, like the patriarchs who though weak were unusual in their day for stepping out with little more than a light impression from heaven or God anointed scribblings by a few scribes. They stepped out and heaven kissed their paths with powerful proofs. He does not leave us un-rewarded. The investment breaks out across the land and its people. It is a Kingdom that finds its root in lovers and spreads like a fast growing field of flowers...in real terms, the sick healed, the blind seeing, the lost – found.

I can change, I must change and work to fight for the entrance of God's light and love. If I do my part with a labour of love, the sweep of heavens exuberant power will transport me to the face of God and the hands of my King. I will know days filled with His glorious presence, revelation of the truth of His purposes, healing and repair, beginnings that I once thought to be endings. My life will be dipped into an adventure and thrill with Jesus to outwork the final crescendo of human history this side of His return. I want that for me and for you. I mean not to miss Jesus. He is too lovely for that. I have known enough supernatural engagement with the beautiful God in terms of divine friendship to know I am desperate to make every effort, whatever it takes to be with Jesus, obey Him, worship this great Saviour. He then fills me with confidence that I will make it to that place of wholeheartedness and radiate in a way that brings great pleasure to Him. Its time to labour for what we believe and evacuate all else, even apathy and offence at God for loss or lack – to count the cost, to run the race, to show by our acts that we do truly love Him. He is on His way and will vindicate this resolution with waves of reward that we cannot even measure. Come Jesus, give wisdom to my weak heart. I follow you afresh all the way today.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” Psalm 28:7

“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Isaiah 45:3

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.” Hosea 2:15