Miracles in Immigration

Today I went to extend my visa. This is a monthly outing for me, as I am currently on a tourist visa. What made todays trip a little tricky was that I was hoping to leave the country next Monday to go on a mission trip to Mozambique. You may ask why is that tricky. Well, immigration can only in theory extend until you are leave the country. As I lay in bed awake at midnight (not because of worry - but because my afternoon nap ran from 4pm - 8pm) I thought I should text some friends and ask them to pray. Keeping a foreigner and a foreign car in this country can sometimes prove tricky, and you never know how much its gonna cost you.

I was asking God for a three month multiple entry visa - which would mean I could leave for Christmas in the UK. I had heard this would cost US$90. so with cash in bag (and a little extra) I headed to the office mid morning. Immigration is the one place in Bulawayo that you can guarantee there will be no queue (most are trying to leave), and since I have now learnt the right gate to drive through I didn't get stopped with the police threatening to impound my car for a change.

Seeing a smiling face behind the desk I proceeded with my request for a multiple entry. "No you have a apply to head office for that." Okay what about a double entry "No, you can only get those at the border crossings" mmmmm. "Well thats tricky you see as I want to go on a mission team to mozambique next week", "Oh, i see well in that case I can give you an extension until you leave and then you can get your double entry when you come back." "That would be great", I reply "although I was hoping to leave my car here and with the temporary import documents thats tricky because I need time when I get back to extend that." "Okay well when would you like until?" I am asked. "Maybe end of November!" Bang went the stamp in my passport, and at no cost. "Here's a three week extension for free"

I just love the way God answers prayer - it may not always come in the way we expect it, but He is faithful to provide for all our needs!

Sons not Hirlings

I just love the way that God speaks to us. There is no confusion in truth. He speaks with one voice over and over until we catch on to His heart. I love the way God coordinates worship to bring through what is on His heart for His people at that specific time. Often we see in Church services or meetings how we sing songs on a certain line of thought, the prophetic word is flowing in the same vain and then we sit to listen or talk and hear the same message over again. God knows our simple minds!

I was in a staff meeting this week and as we were worshiping there was such a sense of Father God drawing us to Him with such intimacy, I couldn’t get away from a picture of Him drawing me close, by the hand to His side. As His Spirit came I was so aware of joy welling up to seek His heart and serve out of the overflow of my standing with Him. Truth came that God has done it all! The only thing we bring along to the party is to be there with Him and from that place He gives us the heart to serve.

• when I feel weak He draws me close and shows me that He is my strength.
  
• when I feel disillusioned, He draws me close and gives me eyes to see what He is doing.
  
• when I feel broken, He draws me close and reminds me that He is my healer; that he is my rebuilder and redeemer
  
• when I feel tired, He draws me close, lifts me up and gives me wings to soar on the heights.
  

We can often feel overwhelmed by the task set before us, for me I am seeing more and more that this is only when I take my eyes off my Father, my good shepherd and forget all His benefits! As I come to Him I remember again that He has done it all so that I can give my all!

We then moved on into a time of discussion based out of John 10:7-18 on Jesus our good shepherd. Wow! What amazing truth. Jesus chose to give His all for the sheep. He was not as the hirling who went so far and then said no more – but chose to give His all literally to rescue those under His care.

The challenge to us as leaders is to walk as Jesus did. A major key in how we do this is in how we view ourselves and our place in the team! I AM A SON! I have been called into the family of God. I am His special possession. Our experience of Father God is often so different to our experience of earthy fathers. We are His special delight. Our motivation to serve Him and His people is not out of some attempt to earn His love, but because our hearts are stirred to act as a love response to His passion toward us. Sadly we often fail to see this and view ourselves as the hirling – we feel an obligation to serve and so often we will be prepared to give of ourselves to a point, and then no further. We say,  “what you asking is too much”. I am learning that the reality of life is that nothing is too much when Father God asks of me. Why? Because He does not send me out with orders to fulfil, but says, “come my child lets work together on this one.” This understanding changes my view of giving of myself to build His beautiful Bride. What a joy it is to the Father and me as we co-labour, working hard for the glory of His name.

As a son I delight to be with my Father and carry out His heart. Not because I should as a dutiful child, but because I love to please Him, knowing it has no affect on His love for me, but just because I can. I delight in bringing joy to my Father. I have an inheritance with Him and I would give my all to fight for that. 

The Sweet Smell of Rain

I was driving home from work the other day and it started to rain. The smell of big drops of rain hitting the dry ground brought joy to my heart. I was trying to remember whether English rain had a scent and as far as I could recall it wasn’t as sweet as African rain. I think what makes it so special is the hope that the first few drops bring. Hope that we will have rain this season. Hope that there will be water to help the crops grow strong. Hope that there will be food in our nation! And hope that God will come as he did in the times of Isaiah and bring refreshing to our land!

When we are starved of water – our thirst is great! But when we know abundance we can lose sight of the life giving properties of waters, taking for granted all that have.

God calls us to thirst for Him – today, living in this beautiful nation I understand afresh the reality of what desperation for the rain looks like, and I sense a deeper understanding for my own life. When Jesus says he who thirsts is satisfied I understand how sweet it is to drink from Him in that place of desperation, desperation that knows that without divine intervention we will be lost, and I understand afresh my dependence on Him.

I got asked it again this weekend!!!

The most frequent question I get asked these days is why I am where I am. Why I have decided to be in Zimbabwe when most are trying to leave the country? Why I have turned my back on a straightforward life, working a normal job, paying my bills on time, and enjoying all the benefits of life in a land where whatever I need I can have. In truth there are a few possible answers and the reality is that I have not lived this life for about 5 years now. I often think that I would get bored and wonder whether I would still trust God in the way that I have had to – hear me right I am not saying that if you lead a comfortable life you are not trusting God. He has a unique race for each of us to run, and unique ways of teaching us and drawing us closer to Him, and I guess this is His way of conforming me into the image of Christ – and so nothing else really works for me! The truth is I am compelled by the love of Creator God to see every tribe, language and tongue worshipping together in eternity!

<When I was 16, God turned my life upside down. It was clear from the word go that He was in the business of transformation. I became a Christian and working in tag team the Father, Son and Spirit, (apologies if that is too heretical!) began the initial stages of change. I learnt I had a Father God who loved me, accepted me and had radical plans for my life. Over the last decade He has continued this transformation process and has been working hard on my many quirks shall we say! I have learnt that the term ‘my life’ is a little irrelevant as I am really His – bought at such a cost by the blood of Jesus, to be part of His great amazing purposes in the earth. I have come to love the reality that this means the ends of the earth, and the small, insignificant part that He has for me to play in eternity has literally meant that – the ends of the earth.

In Psalm 2: 8 we are called as the Psalmist to, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.” And again in Acts 13:47 we see our commission from Creator God “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”

As I have said this will mean different things to different people depending on our unique calling but for me this has meant leaving family and friends in the UK and moving to an unknown land. A land full of beauty and diversity; a land hungry for God to break in and rescue His people, a land ready for the truth that Our God saves, heals and sets apart a people for Himself, that they also may get caught up in this beautiful mission to reach the ends of the earth. What a public demonstration to the nations we will have when God breaks in and rescues His people.

Life is full of challenge but it is worth it as we play our small part in His amazing purposes here on earth. Mbonisi was talking about suffering at Church this weekend (An excellent and timely word!). I remember smiling to myself as he commented that He would choose to live in Zimbabwe over many other nations where there are horrendous atrocities taking place. He mentioned a few in Africa, and I couldn’t get the news of what is happening in DRC out of my mind. The reality is that every nation, tribe and tongue is in need of hearing the truth about Jesus our beautiful Saviour; our Healer and Redeemer. The reality deep down in my heart is that I long for the broken to know His healing, for the lost to encounter His love and the hopeless to know that there is hope in Jesus, and I am prepared to go where He sends me to this end. I smile because I am reminded of yet another place God desires for His love to be extended, and what that may mean in my (or your) future.

We have to believe that He is who He says He is and when this means living in challenging circumstances (which we all do irrelevant of our nations standing) we believe that He is still God over all things. It is important that we choose to look at life through the lens of the reality of our God. He is sovereign – there is nothing in all creation that is out of His control (Col 1:17; Heb 1:3); and He is good – “causing all things to work together for the good to those who love God.” (Rom 8:28)

     “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all

the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom

 is the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.”

Psalm 22:27-28

Let us be willing to help them remember by playing our part in sharing the love of Christ to the ends of the earth, whether it means those who live in your street or it means moving your street to be in the ends of the earth.