Friday, June 12, 2009

Chris Moyles talks up the Church!

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posted by Gavin White @ 2:13 PM 1 comments

Friday, May 29, 2009

An Administration for Restoration

“I said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favour before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." Nehemiah 2:5 (NASB)

In 445 BC, Nehemiah was sent by King Artaxerxes to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. In prayer, Nehemiah caught the heart of God and moved in response to go and help rebuild the walls and help to restore the city. This task ahead was great, and Nehemiah wouldn’t always be the most popular project manager throughout the rebuilding works. He faced criticism and opposition. However, there were two hallmarks which characterised the administration of Nehemiah; Grace and Excellence.

This is first seen when Nehemiah receives the favour of the King to complete the works on the walls. The whole project was completed in 52 days which is fast for any building project of this scale! He knew God’s favour even in the midst of great opposition during the building works. However, during the project Nehamiah found time, energy and resource to help the poor of the City in an excellent way. He removed the burden of charging them interest and also didn’t take the food and expense that was entitled to him as Governor. In this way, he relieved the burden on the people as he persevered in the restoration of the walls.

There is much for us to learn from the life of Nehemiah. He was a man of integrity, grace and excellence. He helped to rebuild the walls, but he also ministered to the people at the same time. He didn’t get so focussed on the project, that he forgot about the people. Nehemiah was a man of prayer & worship. The joy of the Lord was his strength. He was a restorer living from a place of the presence. He excelled in what he did but he also ministered with a grace and compassion that impacted the people and the city all around him. God has called us to be a people of restoration. Like Nehemiah, let’s ensure that we always minister with grace and with a commitment to excellence in all that we do.

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posted by Gavin White @ 4:40 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A Good News People

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” – Romans 8:28 (NIV)

God is good, all the time. This isn’t just something we say and sing. This is the true nature of God. He is good and He is good, all the time. This isn’t just theory; this is the reality of Christ for us in our day to day lives. God is at work to bring His goodness into the lives of those that love Him and who have been called according to His purposes.

However, the goodness of God isn’t just the nature of God and His theological position – it is also the essence of His action in dealing with His people. He is good in word, deed and action in every area of our lives. He loves to reveal His goodness and love for us in so many ways.

In a world that can often become saturated with bad news, we need to discover afresh the truth and power of bringing the good news of the Kingdom, the gospel to the world around us. His goodness in our lives means we can testify that God saves, God heals and God provides. I have seen this in my own life and in my own family. I am a walking and talking advert for the good news of the Kingdom. My life can say to the world: ‘God is good’. That’s our mandate to take the good news of the Kingdom into the world around us. We are a good news people; A gospel people.

We experience and receive His goodness in the meeting place, so we can testify and demonstrate His goodness in the market place. That’s the life that Jesus lived and that’s the life that we are called to live. (Luke 4:18-19)

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posted by Gavin White @ 7:15 PM 0 comments

Monday, May 11, 2009

Hope for the Nation

Recently, I've been reading William Hague's excellent biography on William Wilberforce. Wilberforce is best known for his opposition to the slave trade in the British Empire and was a key and central player in the resulting abolition of the slave trade in 1807 through the Slave Trade Act. He was also a very generous man and one who acted with the utmost integrity from what I can see from the books that have been written about him. He was also a devout christian and had a great vision for the nation:

"My only solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her fleets and armies, not so much on the wisdom of her rulers, or the spirit of her people, as on the persuasion, that she still contains many, who love and obey the Gospel of Christ; that their intercessions may yet prevail; that for the sake of these, Heaven may still look upon us with an eye of favour"

William Wilberforce, A Practical View, Chapter VII, Pg. 489


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posted by Gavin White @ 11:11 PM 0 comments

Friday, April 17, 2009

Learning to Ride!

I was looking at this recent picture of the kids on their bikes and I was reminded of how I first rode a 'proper' bike when I was a child. We used to live on an road that was on a hill. I used to go up and down the drive on my bike that had stabilisers on it. I was a bit reluctant to let my parents take the stabilisers off but really I was ready to ride that bike properly but I was a bit scared to take that step.

One day, my Dad decided it was time to take the stabilisers off and then he pushed my down the hill! - Sure enough, I could ride the bike no problem and have done ever since!! (only when it's not raining though. I admit, I am a fairweather cyclist!)

The Holy Spirit spoke to me through this and reminded me that our heavenly Father knows more than anyone of what we are capable of and also when we need a bit of a push to do something. He loves us so much. He loves enough though to ensure that we grow, move forward and change to be all that He has created and called us to be. Sometimes this can stretch us and God ultimately knows what we need and what we can handle. The 'push' of the Holy Spirit in our lives will always lead to life, growth and blessing.

I certainly don't want to slow down God's purposes in my life by holding onto anything that restricts or hinders that which God wants to do in me and through me for His glorious Kingdom.

Have a great weekend!

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posted by Gavin White @ 8:43 PM 1 comments

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Covenant Life


Well, the media fast was a great success. It was great to not watch TV for two weeks or use facebook. It certainly released more time into my life for reading the Bible, prayer and generally enjoying all that God is doing in my life and that of my family - He is so Good!

Last weekend, Rachel & I went to two weddings in two days! At one of the weddings, I heard this great quote about the difference between a contract and a covenant in the context of marriage.

"A Contract is about limited liabilities, Covenant is about endless possibilities. A Contract is concerned about what you can get out of it, Covenant is more about what you can put into it"

I thought these were both good insights for marriage but also for all Christians who are partakers of a new covenant in Jesus Christ. A covenant of life. A covenant of endless possibilities where all things are possible. A covenant where you lay your own life and self-interest down for the glory of knowing Christ more and more each day.

If there is any limit or hinderance to what we allow God to do, say or work in our lives, then we haven't come into the full understanding and experience of the new covenant life that Jesus achieved for us in His death, resurrection and ascension. He went to the cross for you and for me, not only that our sins could be forgiven but that we could know life in all it's fullness. This life comes from the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. (Romans 8:11)

If you're a Christian, this same Holy Spirit lives in you. God is for you, He is with you but most of all He wants you to know that He lives in you - Hallelujah!

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posted by Gavin White @ 7:41 PM 1 comments

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Media Fast


We're about to embark on a media fast as a church for the next couple of weeks. The aim of doing this is to create more time for spending time with God and to seek His face for all that we believe God has called us to be and do as a church commnity here in Manchester.

So that means no more blogging for the next couple of weeks! - back on the 8th April.

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posted by Gavin White @ 8:28 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Ken Costa - God at Work

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a great event titled 'God at Work' here in Manchester. Ken Costa was speaking on the night about how we can have an impact for the Kingdom in our workplaces. He spoke about the unshakeable nature of the Kingdom of God in the context of the shaking of the financial systems of the world all around us.

Wan Phing Lim, a trainee journalist, who is also a member of our church family in Manchester has written a great report on the night which you can read by double clicking here.

God at Work also have a website at www.godatwork.org.uk

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posted by Gavin White @ 11:24 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Bryn Jones - Face of God

I spoke with the church here in Manchester on Sunday on the 'Smile of God'. God has been speaking to us as a church in recent weeks about seeking His face and knowing His favour in our lives in new and dynamic ways.

In light of this, I was reminded of this great quote from Bryn Jones on how we reflect the face of God in the world around us:

"We are to be 'like Christ', but what does this really mean? Someone once said that Jesus 'put a face on God' by coming among people and touching, lifting, embracing, and caring for them in their hurts and needs. As we embrace Christ's radical mission, recognising that the Father sends us even as He sent Jesus (See John 20:21), then we too wear the face of God in our generation. It's still God's intention to walk into our cities, towns, and rural areas and touch and lift the fallen, broken, hurting, and dying of humanity. We must refuse to become hardened to the needs around us if we are to avoid becoming a church having form without power (See 2 Timothy 3:5)"

Bryn Jones, Radical Church, Pg.39-40, Destiny Image, Shippensburg, USA, 1999

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posted by Gavin White @ 3:18 PM 2 comments

Monday, March 02, 2009

Diligent Help

We had our monthly staff lunch today at King's House with the staff and volunteers who work in the building for King's Church - they're an amazing team!

I shared with them from Hebrews 6:10-12 on the whole theme of diligence and faith in relation to our work in the Kingdom of God.

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."
Hebrews 6:10-12 (NIV)

Diligence is about being faithful and working hard. It's about working consistently and effectively in whatever you are called to do. In the Kingdom of God, our work should always be focussed on serving Christ and His Kingdom and helping His people to be all that God has called them to be. Diligence takes us into our inheritance as it releases us from laziness into faith and patience to take hold of all that Christ has in store for His Church in our time and generation.

The staff team here in the church do a variety of tasks from answering phones to cleaning toilets, and counting money to clearing up litter. Whatever we do in the Kingdom of God, we can do it with faith and patience, with the utmost diligence knowing that it really is Jesus Christ that we are serving all the time. It's not just about what you are doing, it's more about how you do it and the atititude you have as you serve.

As we serve God and serve His people, it shows our heart of love, our heart to serve and heart of faith in being diligent as God's people. A great inheritance awaits such a people!

"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth" - Proverbs 10:4 (NIV)

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posted by Gavin White @ 8:41 PM 0 comments

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Bill Johnson: Worship (2)

Here is a another great quote from Bill on Worship and Transformation from his books, Face to Face with God:

"Consider what happened to the woman who prepared Jesus for His burial by pouring costly ointment over Him - ointment worth a whole year's income. Everyone but Jesus thought it to be excessive and extreme. But Jesus honored her by stating that the story of her extravagant worship would be told wherever His story was told. What others thought to be excessive and extreme, God considered reasonable. The only true worship is extreme worship, and only extreme worship brings extreme results - transformation"

Bill Johnson, Face to Face with God, Charisma House, Florida, USA, Pg. 54-55

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posted by Gavin White @ 10:00 AM 0 comments

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