Hunting for Treasure!

This past Wednesday we started the first of hopefully many ‘Campus Treasure Hunts’. The general premise is quite simple: we ask God for clues, go out and hunt for the ‘treasure’, then seek pray for and bless whoever we find.

Despite the trepidation and spiritual attack that seemed prevalent among most of the guys planning to come, it is a testimony in itself that ten people showed up to give this thing a go. We hung out for a bit, then spent some time worshipping and ministering to each – toppi ng ourselves up with the Holy Spirit where we had leaked. Following this we spent a short time filling out the gaps in our ‘treasure maps’ with clues in the following categories: Location, Name, Appearance, Prayer, Unusual, Smell, Number, Sounnd. Then we split up into two groups and between ourselves decided where we should start the search.

Fast forward a couple of hours to when we reunited after the hunt, and the nervousness of the early afternoon had been replaced with a joy and excitement – both about what had happened while we were out and also in anticipation about how God would use this into the future. We didn’t see anyone saved on the street, but we had the opportunity to pray with and prophesy over a number of people who might never have encountered Jesus otherwise. To whet your appetite here are a few quick examples of what went on:

“Having left the house to head for uni we decided to first check out the bus stop* outside our starting point due to the clues that other people had: yew tree, tree, corner of wilbraham road. As soon as we turned the corner we saw a lady with a walking stick who had short, curly hair, gold glasses and a blue jacket. So we quickly parked up and had to literally chase after her (in a non-threatening way, of course!) before she got home. The two guys who had most of the clues approached her and asked if they could pray for anything for her. She agreed and even commented that she was suffering from back pain. So then and there the guys prayed for her and blessed her. She attends a 7^th Day Adventist church and so was even keen to find out where we were from. It was so encouraging to have such an accurate find after just 30 seconds of looking – this treasure hunting is easy!!! Or so we thought… ”

“One of our groups was sat on the steps by the library when a guy with a yellow top walked past. They went and asked if his name was Tom. It was actually Dan but his friend who was standing next to his was called Tom. So the team chatted with him (Dan) and he shared that he was generally worried and was struggling with some relationship issues. He agreed to let the team pray for him. While they were praying it became obvious that he was having a real encounter with the Holy Spirit – every time something was prayed that hit the mark (e.g. exam stress) he visibly responded. He left feeling encouraged and blessed – awesome.”

“Having approached and struck out on one tall man who was wearing both blue and green, we saw another tall guy with a bright blue jacket and a beard across the street holding a sign for a club night. We approached him and asked if his name was Steve or Paul. He said no but, unpurturbed, we proceeded to ask if he was feeling well today or if he had any pain anywhere. He said that he was fine but his friend piped up and told us that he did have a headache so we asked if we could pray for him. His immediate response was “no” to which I replied it was no problem. He then instantly changed his mind and decided it would actually be ok. So I prayed a simple prayer for Jesus to heal him of his headache. Unfortunately I suddenly came over all self-conscious, not knowing where to look when praying – people don’t close their eyes like in church!! – and so ended up wrapping things up quickly and moving on. Next time we’ll do some more follow-up, but it was still ace to be able to bless him.”

Who knows what God did in those people? If He actually healed those who were sick? But what we do know is that we created a space in which He could move. In terms of stats, we found twelve “treasures” and got to pray with seven of them. We’re still complete novices at this and probably missed a number of significant opportunities on account of our inexperience/desire to avoid potentially awkward situations. But if was so encouraging to see a group of people stepping out and taking a risk and we know that if we continue to do so, God will use us in greater ways than we can possibly imagine.

Fancy a piece of the action? We’ll be heading out every Wednesday afternoon. Speak to Ralph for more info!

And if you want to know the story behind “Treasure Hunts” you’d be well worth checking this book out (or if you’re in a rush, just read Acts 9):

*Clues from Treasure Maps are in bold

RSS – Reach Saturday Studies

In case you haven’t heard already, RSS is brand new this term!

The concept is simple: Bible study. Pure and simple.

Once a month on a Saturday morning we’ll be down at Nazarene Theological College, under the tutilage of PhD student Chris Foster and his wife Sarah, feeding on the word together. It’s going to be a great time for us to learn more about dealing with the scriptures as well as actually hearing God speak through them.

During the three sessions this term we’ll be taking a ‘macro’ approach to Bible study whereby we’ll looking to equip everyone in the generalities of Bible study as well as giving a contextual overview of both the Old and New Testaments. One of the books we’ll be using is How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. Then after Christmas, we’ll be working through specific passages – using the tools we’ve acquired.

We’re so excited about this and hope you are too. Make sure you get along to the first one on 24th October. Drop the office a line if you want more info.

Map to Nazarene:

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Website of the Week – RELEVANT Magazine.

Relevant Magazine: God. Life. Progressive Culture. (as they put it)

This website is ace. In fact I haven’t even had a chance to find out just how good it’s going to be yet because I couldn’t wait to post it on here.

It’s got everything you’d expect from a “relevant” Christian website – there are artciles about Christian living in contemporary society, media content, forums etc etc. But there’s one big difference, the stuff on here is actually good (and consequently “relevant”)! For example, take music. Not only do they have videos and reviews of  “Christian” stuff but to good “non-Christian” stuff too because, you know, it’s what people are actually listening to. But culture doesn’t stop with music so they have film and technology features up there too (among other things). I really like the ‘Life’ section. It’s got articles about issues that, as Christians, we need to be a lot more clued up on – health care, evolution, politics and news in general.  I’m looking forward to reading a few. (But bear in mind it is American so the news and stuff will be American. But hey, they gave us Chuck Norris so we can probably have a bit of grace for them right?)

So make sure you check it out, and let me know if you find anything particularly good – www.relevantmagazine.com

In other news, I think it’s important to make sure that everybody has seen this:

Money, Money, Money

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 6.24

“Misfortune pursues the sinner,
but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.”

Proverbs 13:21

Sometimes we can get in a bit of a muddle when it comes to the Christian position on finances. Is it wrong to have money? Is it wrong to want it? If I do have it, am I allowed to spend it on myself? What does it actually mean to ‘serve money’?

Like with many things, it’s impossible to try and impose an ehaustive list of ‘dos and don’ts’. The best thing to do is get a clear understanding of the principals behind approaching and using money in a Godly way and then applying them as you go. In short:

1. Money is a gift from God – it’s His, he just lets us use it! (Psalm 24:1)
2. As with all gifts, we are called to use money in a way that pleases God. (Matthew 25:14-30)
3. It’s not a sin to be prosperous, so it’s ok to spend money on yourself. Don’t automatically feel guilty!! (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
4. God isn’t ok with us having money as our goal. He wants us to be content with Him as our treasure, regardless of our circumstances. Money is a means to an end, not the end itself. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
5. Generosity is key. It shows you love God/someone/something else more than money. Jesus loves it, so will those around you. (2 Cor. 9:6-15)

Student Finance

It’s common knowledge that students, as a rule, tend to be short of a few quid – especially these days with sky-rocketing course fees and accomodation costs. The problem is you can get yourself stuck in a mindest of poverty in which you focus on what you don’t have rather than what you do have. This can lead to an “it’s mine” attitude where you hoard everything you have in fear that you will run out. The fact is Jesus tells us specifically in Matthew 6 not to worry about money because God will provide for us, all we need is a little faith. So don’t worry!

Now we’re not advocating frivoulously chucking your money away because the next Jesus-cheque is only a prayer away. No, what we’re saying is don’t let worries about money cause you to miss the chance to bless someone and see the Kingdom advance.

Practical Tips

Ok, so that’s some theory but what about some practical advice. You will be living on a budget and will need to be careful with what you have. We’re no financial experts but here are a few things you might find helpful:

1. Budget. Work out how much you have available to spend and try and stick to it. It’s really helpful to keep a record of everything you spend money on – it’ll help you to cut down unnecessary purchases.
2. Give. The bible says “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor 9:6). Sounds like good, practical advice to us.
3. Avoid credit cards if you can – your interest-free overdraft should see you right.
4. Look out for student deals and discounts – www.moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to try.
5. Don’t spend all your money on sweets.

In sounds stupid, but just remember that God is God. He’s Lord over everything, including your wallet. All you need to do is look at things with His eyes – every situation is either a blessing to be thankful for or a blessing to look forward to. Have faith and trust that he’s got you covered.

Top 5 Books: #1

I’m sure you’ve all been dying of suspense but I am delighted to inform you that the winner of  my recommended reading this summer is…

…The Anointing by R.T. Kendall

I love this book. I love it for a number of reasons, but predominantly because R.T. Kendall seems to have really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the whole word and works thing. His a keen advocator of a greater union between ‘word’ people and ’spirit’ people – basically, we don’t need to pick a team as we need both in our lives. As a charasmatic with a theology degree this really hits home!

The book starts with Kendall unpacking the story of the transfer of executive power in Israel from King Saul to the prophet Samuel to King David. He looks at the role anointing plays in each of their lives (namely: ‘lost’, ‘held’, and ‘promised’ respectively) and then applies it to a modern context. Past failures and current frustrations are dealt with in equal measure as the need to look to the future. The overriding message from the book is the need to look for what God is doing and then going and doing it – regardless of any accompanying difficulties. The main reason being that the key ingredient for any kind of minsitry/service for God is ‘the anointing’ – i.e. the favour of God over that thing/person.  On a more specific note, one particularly interesting section of the book is where Kendall recounts the introduction of teaching on spiritual gifts such as prophecy into his highly traditional Westminster Chapel congregation.

It really is worth a read. I found it both uplifting and incredibly challenging – it really helped me to evaluate how I was going about my life. Summer may be drawing to a close but it’s a quick read and I’m sure you’ll be able to squeeze it out in the last few breaths of your holiday if you want to.

P.S. You may have noticed that there is no #2 on this list. Honestly, I’ve been putting it off for a while now and was always intending R.T. to be #1 so, in light of it being September already, I just sacked it off and went straight for the big dog. Apologies. You have every right to feel cheated.

Website of the Week – I Am Second

Greetings!

A special welcome to anyone who’s here for the first time following 20:20 last night, we hope you enjoy your stay!

So every week on the blog we showcase a website that we feel will encourage/equip you in some way. This week’s one is a corker…

I Am Second

iamsecond.com is part of the I Am Second movment – a group dedicated to helping people to rediscover their significance in life. The website features a number of video testimonies from famous/non-famous people about they overcame destructive lifestyles and everyday struggles. They are real, gritty stories about how God changes lives, in all walks of life. The stories are really very powerful and are well worth investing some time in. Why not head on over and check it out for yourself.

To whet your appetite, here’s a couple jacked from YouTube…

Brian Welch the ex-head guitarist from Korn telling his story:

Nate Larkin, an ex-pastor – this one’s amazing:

Make sure you check out the full website too, if nothing else it’s very pretty!

Under the Radar

“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds… The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

Daniel 1:17,19-20

Daniel and his buddies achieved amazing things for God. During their time as exiles in Babylon they were selected to enter the service of the king and, because of the intellectual (and physical) gifts that God had given them, they were fast-tracked right to the top of the tree. In fact, so impressed was Nebuchadnezzar by Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah that he ended up renouncing the religion of his country and putting his trust in the God of Israel – even before the whole incident with the lion’s den!

The story gives us a fascinating insight into how God can use us to infiltrate even the most out-of-reach areas of society. Because of the natural talent and training that Daniel and Co. received they were invited into places that, say, an ordinary Israelite, even a priest, never would. Then from this position of influence they were able to live completely uncompromising lives for God that were so magnetic and impressive that God brought to repentence those whom they encountered.

You all have skills and talents, not just in the spiritual sense, but in the ‘traditional’ sense as well. In fact, that’s why most of you have come to university – to hone those skills. Now don’t hear what we’re not saying, there is definitely more to life than your degree, but it is also worth bearing in mind that the outcome of it will go a significant way to dictating where you go afterwards. And one thing’s for sure – we definitely need a lot more Daniels in the world. People who will use their God-given abilties to get to the highest points of influence in all areas of society, and then, having slipped in under the radar, influence them for the advancement of the Kingdom.

So next time you’re thinking about sleeping through your lectures or sacking off revision it might be worth thinking bigger than just scraping through your course by the skin of your teeth.