Here following is a view (not a theological treatise at all) of Glory with particular attention to one aspect:
The reality of the Glory of God is such a vast truth that it would take pages and pages to correctly elucidate. From its correct meaning of the radiance of His Presence (e.g. Rev 21:23) and the physical weight (Heb – Kabod) of such to the amazing truth that we, as Believers, are reflections of His Glory (e.g. Gen 1:26-27) with many additional truths in-between, any relatively focused study of Glory through the Scriptures will leave you ‘wow-ed’ and deeply inspired. While personally radically subscribing to the heavy atmospheres of His Throne-room Glory, where any measure of supernatural realities are possible for us, I would like to point to one stunning aspect of His Glory which is a ‘greater Kingdom’ measure indeed, namely the Person of God!

In Exodus 33:12-34:7, amongst other references,we are invited to consider an incredible encounter that Moses has with God. Moses’ request seems over-the-top at first, but it really is the desire of all of our hearts, ‘Lord, show me Your glory?’ (Ex 33:18). God’s response shortly thereafter is profound, and certainly creates the foundation of my understanding of Glory, that being nothing other than the proclamation of His Name with the ensuing revealing of His character! The Person of God, in His character and nature, is the fountain of Glory itself! His compassion is His Glory, His Grace is His Glory, and so on …

Now, of particular interest to me is that not only does a given characteristic reflect God’s Glory, but very importantly when a nuance of God’s nature is expressed on earth we have ‘Glory revealed’! For example, whenever God’s love is expressed in the salvation of person, Glory is manifest. Taking it a little further, whenever we act in accordance with a given facet of God’s character – in the previous example, love – we manifest Glory. As simple as that, Ryan? Absolutely! When the character of God in us is expressed through us toward others, I am convinced we are revealing God’s Glory. This is indeed the ‘greater measures of the Kingdom’ made known! (Consider Lk 11:20 – God, who is Freedom and Liberty, manifests His freedom in people’s lives in deliverance … this is Kingdom, this is Glory!)

So, as we are ‘contending for the greater measures of God … for the good of mankind’, we are – amongst other things – looking to make known the very character and personality of God in society. From making His love manifest in seeing people come to salvation, to seeing His compassion transform all measures of poverty, to His justice restoring the hopes and dreams of the marginalised, to watching His wholeness bring healing and deliverance through our hands, we are to express His stunning nature through our lives. This is, in part, what it means to make His Glory known so as to evidence the greater measures of the Kingdom here on earth.

Let’s go for this, together!

Heaps of love,
Ryan

“Will you be a community that contends for the greater measures of My Kingdom for My glory and the good of society?”

BANG!!!

The question had many implications … Would I be such a person? Would I be prepared to be part of establishing such a community?

I did not get the magnitude of the question at the time, but as I began to mull over it as the days of the summer holiday grew on, I began to realize that Father God was inviting me, and those I would be involved with, into an incredibly exciting and terrifying adventure.

Since that day I have been on a journey of understanding God’s agenda, increasingly, for His Church, His people and this precious planet. Here are a few points to provoke both thought and action in you, that I have been sitting with …

• God’s desires to reveal His Glory on earth! It is abundantly clear in Scripture that God desires to make known His Glory all over the planet. Hab 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” This is one verse in many showing God’s desire to make His character, Presence and power tangible and known in all the earth. His Glory is His Person, His Character manifest, His Purpose established, His Presence, His Power … and He wants this revealed!

• When His Glory is revealed, it is good for humanity! Along this journey I have studied copious books on revival and reformation history. One of the clear characteristics of any move of God, from the Great Awakenings to localized outpourings, is that society is always positively impacted in various ways. Whether from a decrease of crime, the emptying of unruly taverns, the abolition of slavery or the institution of much needed orphanages, a move of God is always good for people! This is without taking into account the transformation of families and marriages because of salvations, or the restored joy due to a mighty miracle or healing. Regardless, God made real and manifest IS GOOD FOR ALL PEOPLE!

• God has appointed His Church as the critical agency of revealing His glory! Ephesians 3 makes clear that God’s intent in revealing and making His Glory known has been, and always will be, His Son’s Church! While many in this day have become disillusioned with the church at large, God is not, and His prevailing plan to manifest His Glory through His Son’s stunning Bride has not changed. He did not send His Son to die a gruesome and reviled death on a cross only to pay the Ultimate Price for a church that would live like an unbeliever Monday through Saturday and give a few hours to God and His people on a Sunday. Jesus paid a great price and it was not for comfortable, cosy, country-club Christianity! We are The Church to reveal His incredible Glory and that is what He is calling us back to!

• God is willing and able to move, but are we willing and able to partner in this? The purposes of God are only activated through a hungry, expectant people of FAITH. No measure of systems or clever, cosmetic-coated Christianity will change people’s lives; it is only the increasing infiltration of heaven on earth through salvations, signs and wonders. In Jesus establishing a New Covenant Kingdom community, He gave His followers permission to expect and reach out for heaven here on earth. This is most clearly seen in the Believer’s Prayer in Matthew 6. Without prescribing to a ‘Kingdom Now’ theology, we are to trust God for ever-increasing measures of His Kingdom here on earth. What I have found sad over the recent years is that there has been such a decrease in expecting for great measures of the Kingdom on earth, that anyone trusting God for great things is disparagingly regarded as too extreme, weird and ‘Kingdom Now’. I somehow don’t think God is going to chastise me, or us, for placing too great a demand on His Throne for the sake of a desperate world, don’t you? He is super willing and able, but are we prepared to be part of His plan and agenda and partner with Him in faith expressing itself in love. Will we throw our lot in?

I believe that this big question is being asked of us all! All believers, all churches. He has and always will look for a people to stand in the gap and build up the walls of hearts, lives, marriages, families, cities, nations, physical bodies etc. I am certain He is asking Glenridge! Will we listen? Will we obey? This is not anything new, or some flight of some leaders fancy … this is God’s Kingdom agenda … to go into all the world, to preach the GOOD NEWS, to heal the sick, raise the dead, turn cities right way up … to continue Jesus’ mandate until His Glorious Return.

Let’s go for it, and we certainly will be gearing our ministry to this end. It is a big question that God is asking us, simply because He has a big future for us … all!

“Will you be a community that contends for the greater measures of My Kingdom for My glory and the good of society?”

Heaps and heaps of love and affection!

Ryan

* Next blogisode – What does the Glory of God revealed look like?

Christmas greetings to you all!

After enjoying (some would say enduring) 3 white Christmas’s while in London, I must say it is taking a little time to adjust to the fact that humidity and blazing sun are the canvas upon which tinsel, reindeer and big red Father Christmas statues are set. We were just getting used to the mulled wine, winter coats and roasted chestnuts on London’s South Bank only to be re-assigned to Durban’s sun, sea and sand!

With our first sunny festive season back in full swing, I want to make an important Christmas comment for the community. We so often read the Nativity account in the early parts of the Gospels with one eye on the text, one eye on the Christmas cake, missing out some real gems of revelation. Gabriel, Mary, Herod and the Magi take centre stage so regularly as we remember the story that we so easily forget the scene and setting of that blessed first Christmas. By ‘scene and setting’ I am not talking about the arid, sandy climes of the Israel of 2000 years ago; rather, I am emphasizing the fact that Sovereign Father God chose to reveal Heaven’s redemptive intent in a particular way …

After 400 years of prophetic silence the moment of moments arrived for the introduction of the long awaited Messiah, the One whom would usher in the Kingdom of God in this world. Yes, Gabriel was the right one to announce Messiah’s arrival, the angelic fan-fare more than appropriate for the occasion, a dusty manger was not what Mankind had in mind, but that is the genius of God’s redemptive reach; what astounds me most right now as I reconsider the account is the fact that Father God chose perfectly to reveal His Grace Plan at that first Christmas moment through A FAMILY! His genius was to give the Messiah to be nurtured and cared for in His infancy to A FAMILY! After all, Isaiah did declare many hundreds of years before that ‘a son’ would be given to Mankind! Could we have imagined that He would have been a son in the natural too (although miraculously). Yes the Son of God, but also a son nurtured and raised in a country family! I find this mind boggling, The Son was a son to Mary and Joseph – Family was God’s intended atmosphere in nurturing the might and mission of the Messiah … Wow!

This truth speaks powerfully to us in this day, especially at this time! While celebrating with our biological families – and rightfully so – remember that God is all about a bigger family right now. In our office places, recreational spaces, and in our very own Kingdom Communities called churches, are heaps of lonely, left out precious people that require the love and warmth of God’s huge family. That’s me and you reaching out in a meaningful, loving way like a big brother, sister, mum or dad.

The stats show that at a time like this cases of depression rise, along with more permanent resultant acts of sadness, so it is our time now to combat this hellish strategy by BEING FAMILY. I don’t want to prescribe how you are to do that, but the opportunities are endless. My Babe, Melissa, often tells stories of how her Mum, Gilly, would invite handfuls of ‘waifs and strays’ into her home around the Festive Season to enjoy a bit of Christmas family. She recalls how many times there would be strangers ‘loved on’ around her Mum’s dining room table at 32 Cromwell Road, and how Melissa loved it … all the different faces, different stories.

I don’t know how Father would stir you this December, but be stirred to BE FAMILY right now. Be compelled to include, be inspired to open doors and welcome into dining rooms. It is so much part of the Christmas Message. You never know who it is that you are entertaining in that moment …

With heaps of love and Christmas hope,

Ryan

An amazing time was had by the group that travelled up to Tofu / Inhambane area earlier this month. We had many opportunities to share with and pray for the people of the area. Many salvations and baptisms were celebrated and the trip was one of true Gospel sharing.

2011 has seen the woman at Glenridge completing some of the Beth Moore DVD Series in their homes. So it was with great anticipation that we agreed to be part of the Lifeway Ministries annual simulcast event. A magnificent breakfast was put together and invitations extended to other churches in the city and surrounding areas.

The ladies were treated to a sumptuous breakfast, coffees and gifts. Although we had to cram Beth’s day long seminar into a morning we had a fabulous time. Many were ministered to by the word shared and we all enjoyed the fellowship with other ladies both from our local church and others.

We will be holding several other Beth Moore series next year, so if you are interested in hosting or attending a course, please contact Heather on 0823059029.

In Matthew’s Gospel we find Jesus establishing the essentials of the Kingdom that He had come to initiate as He sat in the position of authority as He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It was a key defining moment for Kingdom understanding and lifestyle, and still is. His very first statement is completely counter-culture for the people of the day and especially us today. We revel in our independence and celebrate those who have been gutsy enough to do things their way. Nowadays, we mock and ridicule the those who rely on others, whether it be a silent snub or verbal joust in public or private, but Jesus has other ideas when it comes to His Kingdom ways.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!”

What a revolutionary statement – the key to the satisfaction of Kingdom life is found in being utterly helpless and completely dependent on another. This is the essence of what Jesus is saying here. His comment has nothing to do with money but rather a disposition of the heart, and that of utter need! The implication is that in order for the fullness of Kingdom life we are to be completely reliant and dependent on the King, as His people. It also implies need and reliance on each other. Interdependence! On God first, each other secondly.

This has been the most wonderful lesson to learn – God has no issue with my natural limitations. Why do I? In fact, my mental, educational, ministerial limitations are no hinderance to the full life of the Kingdom being evidenced in me; rather, they are an opportunity for dependence, humility and surrender … all catalytic agents for more of God’s life. As soon as I learnt this in leadership it was so liberating … my inability was a moment of celebration of God’s Divine Ability. This only opened amazing doors for the miraculous, supernatural invasions of the Kingdom in so many areas of life. Not only did I see the evidence of Grace in this, but also the tapestry of Grace reflected in the many fellow leaders around me. Previously, my self dependence closed my eyes to the rainbow-coloured gifts and abilities in the many at my side.

Two amazing examples of this are found in two incredibly profound leaders in history, namely Abraham and Moses.

1.In Genesis 17 Abraham had finally arrived at the end of his ability to fulfill the promises of God for His life. Here he actually flings himself at God’s feet … a good place to be. His moment of inability was a moment of critical revelation and fruitfulness! In this moment of being ‘poor in spirit’ he received the revelation that God is indeed El Shaddai, Almighty God or more specifically God who is All Sufficient and All Bountiful! In Abraham’s moment of complete insufficiency was the moment of dependence on and revelation of God’s Supreme Ability! This opened the door to his and his wife’s name change (very important) as well as supernatural fruitfulness! Michael Eaton states of God’s name El Shaddai, ‘there is good reason for thinking that this name was especially used in contexts of human helplessness.’ Motyer himself states ‘El Shaddai is consistently used in Genesis to speak of God’s ability to transform human incapacity.’ Wow … inability, incapacity the door to transformation and fruitfulness!

2. In Exodus 33 Moses expresses powerfully that he is unable to lead in any way other than by being led by the very Person and Presence of God! He could easily have reverted to some pragmatic style of leadership yet his dependence was first on God Himself in Presence and Power. Verse 12 – 18 is key, please read it! A mighty leader, having seen truly powerful evidences of God in his leadership tenure did not depend on his own ways but honestly and dramatically threw himself on God’s Person, Presence and Power!! The effective, life-giving leadership of God’s people was found in a place of utter surrender and reliance on His Person not his pragmatic programmes!

I find this deeply liberating and inspirational. I do not need to be the very best at everything for fruitfulness and effectiveness in eldership to be evident. This is not a vote for slackness and a lack of due diligence in preparation as a leader, but rather an intentional posture of throwing myself at Jesus’ feet as I ready myself to lead, captain and govern. For too long we have settled for only that which we can do in our ability and people have gathered (or not gathered) too readily to Man; I want to see the evidence of only what God can do in the midst of His people in these days. I want to see the masses clamour to Him as we gather not to gizmo’s and gimmicky ecclesiologies! In His abilities revealed through our surrenderings is Life, Joy, Freedom and Kingdom. If that requires surrender, dependence and a godly celebration of limitation – count me in! If my acknowledgement of my personal parameters means more colour splashed creatively from the lives of gifted men and women around me – let me be the first to draw a line in the sand!

Here is to more of God in us, through us and with us, and more profound artistry reflected through those around us. Here’s to Kingdom fruitfulness and effectiveness as we Celebrate our Limitations by reveling in His Divine Ability!

Heaps of Love,
Ryan

Download audio file (01_To_Him.mp3)
1. To Him

Download audio file (02_Sing_Hosanna.mp3)
2. Sing Hosanna

Download audio file (03_You_Are_Lord.mp3)
3. You Are Lord

Download audio file (04_God_of_Creation.mp3)
4. God of Creation

Download audio file (05_Holy_is_the_King.mp3)
5. Holy is the King

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6. Breathless

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7. We Will Arise

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8. Great Awakening

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9. Song of the Saints

Download audio file (10_King_of_the_Nations.mp3)
10. King of the Nations

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11. Joined Together

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12. All Creation Sings

Download audio file (13_Purfume.mp3)
13. Perfume

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PDF Book – History Makers

It also includes a transcribed sermon by Kevin Booth, Being Ready to Preach (from a Young Leaders’ Training Time in Los Angeles, USA during 1999); a transcribed sermon by Nigel Day-Lewis, Leading Prayer Meetings (preached at a Leadership Training Time in Germany during 2001); as well as the I Have a Dream sermon by Dudley Daniel (preached at a Durban City Celebration, South Africa during 1996).

The Art of Preaching is adapted from notes by Nigel Day-Lewis (when he was an elder at Glenridge during the early 1990’s).

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PDF Book – Preparing for Eldership