The Tabernacle

Here is a good comment on supporting leadership and the value and place of our words.

link to Kris Vallotton’s Blog

I believe we have much to learn from America in their treatment of leaders and supporting those that labor over them. Our words and even our casual comments are so important.

I was spending time in the Tabernacle the other day and I was praying and asking God about some relational stuff that I was going through and I heard Him say to me “Don’t pray for peace in your relationships pray for Health”. At first I was confused by the first part of this, don’t pray for peace?? I thought surely I heard that wrong. But then as I thought about it, the absolute profoundness of this hit home. If ‘peace’ in a relationship is your main thing or main goal then your responses and what you allow people to do are very different than if ‘health’ in a relationship is the main thing. I started to think about different relationships that I have with people, and how I believe that I have been for years having ‘Peace’ as the ultimate aim. The outcome of this is that I have allowed and participated in unhealthy stuff that I was uneasy about but allowed because doing as the other party wanted bought ‘peace’ or at least avoidance of conflict. Now as I have walked in this new revelation for a couple of weeks, I do truly believe it was a word from God as I believe it is profound and it has bought great freedom and health to me.

When I have ‘health’ as my ultimate goal I am not afraid of or manipulated by a little ruffling of feathers or other people not getting what they want from me, like I would have been if I was looking for peace. When Health in relationships is my goal, I am finding myself to be freer to be myself to say what I truly believe and to be more forthright and honest. I can say that I am enjoying this revelation and that I love healthy relationships. Interestingly enough, ‘true peace’ comes when you know that you have acted in open healthy ways, the false peace or calm may be disrupted along the way, but the true peace that comes from healthy relationships is well worth it. Maybe I have finally learnt what ‘peace’ in relationships actually is??!!
I am also cautious that I need to keep pride in check as I do this, always acting in humility otherwise I might find myself pridefully disrupting relationships or not caring enough for the feelings of others, but I have a new main thing that I aim for in relationships, it is no longer Peace but now HEALTH.

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We got to see Misty Edwards live at the International House of Prayer IHOP in Kansas City earlier this year, where she is based.

She is a very gifted, prophetic singer. We love and have endlessly played her Album Relentless. (available from www.ihop.org)

Her music is very focused on the Lord and great for times of worship or for playing in a Tabernacle space. We highly reccomend her music as a great aid to drawing into the presence of God.

Here is one of her songs Awaken me recorded at the 24/7 prayer room in Kansas City.

Money is an interesting topic in church circles there are many different views on how it should be handled, chased, pursued, prayed for or even avoided. Some see money or having money as a sign of blessing while others see it as a sign/thing of evil. Or the good ‘ol prayer of ‘God give me lots of money so that I can pass some on to do stuff for you’.

I have often heard it said that ‘everyone needs money to survive’ this is I believe a very accurate picture of the current view or perception, that no one can survive without money, but one that God has severely challenged me with recently. My superannuation policy has different options to choose where your money is invested, in shares, fixed interest, property, etc. I was praying about what was the right option that I should choose when God surprised me. I felt He indicated an option, then I asked so that will do best will it? ie increase the most? This is what I believe God said to me “The time of man sitting on his riches and gloating and feeling confident and secure are gone Mark, they are gone. I am the I am and it is I that will change things the false securities will fall, they will fall like the walls of Jericho, tumbling down at the sound of My trumpet blast. Mark more important than having your money in the right place is having your securities in the right place I am your security so therefore it doesn’t matter where your money is.” 14-8-08.

This took me by surprise and an underlying belief system was exposed. I was believing that the right investments and securing my financial security was the way to actual security. Of course this is a massive lie, none of this is secure, they are man’s systems the financial markets and even the value of any national currency are all very insecure. I believe God does care about my finances and does want me and my family catered for, but He does NOT want my security to be in assets or bank balances, (Matt 6:24) my securities need to lie firmly in the fact that God loves me and has promised to provide for me and to care for me, (Matt CH6) this belief must be bigger than just through finances they are nowhere near creative enough alone to be from God, with him there is always more. Even if world financial markets fall and my retirement bank balance goes to zero. God’s promises to me will not change, my securities if they were in financial figures will be totally shattered but my faith should not be. Because God’s promises to me are not affected by mans systems.

Thank you God for this wake up call, I confess I had allowed securities to rest in bank balances, yet I know so much better, you have clearly shown me that You are in fact ALL that I need for security as You have promised to take care of me and to provide for me. Lord I declare that this is enough and that you are enough. Please forgive me for this false idol and help me to acknowledge you as our ever present helper. I can personally testify of your goodness through our experience with the King of Jordan, with living rent free in Munich and many other experiences, like surviving two weeks in the USA this year with just $20 cash. You are good and you do provide and you are so much more creative and complete than money. Thank you that we can all have you as our security.

I was inspired the other day, I was watching a ‘Wiggles Space dancing’ DVD with my son. They were talking about Space and what was out there, The Wiggles answer was ‘well, Space’. Then it dawned on me, that in creation the thing that God made the most of, by a huge amount is Space, ie nothing and emptiness. As I pondered this I was impressed by the importance of space to God, and humans seeming inability to be able to handle it. ie give an average human an empty room or space or empty time and they will just want to fill it. Space is so important for us to be able to encounter God, clutter and lack of space is death to being able to hear His voice and dwell in His presence. This applies to time as well, business is also death to intimacy with God.

What is important to us we make space for, sometimes though space is stolen. I have just returned from a trip to Adelaide, we were Blessed to be able to stay in two homes as we travelled, both had large LCD TV’s in the lounge area which was open and flowing into the kitchen and living areas. Both had the TV on a lot. In Adelaide it was on before we got up and it was still on when we went to bed. It reminded me of a visit to a pastor’s house here in Melbourne just recently where again the large screen TV was on. We were invited around for tea, yet before and during the meal and after the meal the TV was on and blaring.

Helen & I work very hard on the atmosphere that we live in, we not only have worship music playing 24/7 in the Tabernacle space we also have it in our home. Our sons room has had 24/7 worship playing every night of his life, we have maintained this on many trips and in many countries. This I know makes us very sensitive to atmospheres that we are not in control of such as shopping centres and other people’s homes. Grace is required as you enter other peoples ’space’ but it also makes you aware of what people allow to have such a dominate influence.

What are you choosing to fill your atmosphere?

I have just read two articles in the paper online, one saying that 2009 will mark 150 years since the publication of Darwin’s “Origin of the species” and another on some legislation before the Victorian parliament today about legalising abortion.

It makes me contemplate the connection here. The article points to some specific assumptions about life, either there is some order and purpose, ie a creator or there is not, and everything is just random and by chance. I see a clear connection with this science, or actually it is not science which by definition is a reproducible provable event, but an ideology of no creator and the thought that a woman’s right to choose can make it Ok to kill an unborn baby. I remember being in Russia and told of some abortions in Eastern Europe where as a baby was being born (full term) when the head first became visible then a hole would be drilled in the scalp of the baby and the brains pulled out with a hook, this of course killed the baby which was then born dead. I feel sick as I write this but as the baby was never born this was considered OK. You have got to be kidding.

The legislation before the Victorian parliament is talking about legalising the killing of a foetus in the mother’s womb as being OK if it is before a certain number of weeks and not Ok if it is after that point???

A woman’s right to choose, I really think that at the point of conception then the choice has been made and I will clearly state right here that I think it is murdering a human being to take that new life by any means at any time. In our world travels we have discovered that the Koreans have two numbers that they can give you if you ask how old they are, the Korean way is to say your age from when you were conceived but they also can answer in the western way of their age since their birth. I like this a lot, not because it makes me older but clearly as it shows that life begins at conception.

When our child was in the womb we decided to discover the gender and release the name of our child before he was born, this was amongst a pro abortion climate that we are in and Doctor’s suggesting screenings of our child in case there were defects that we might choose not to live with. I remember being given this choice once with a cat in a vet’s office I was comfortable with that but I was very uncomfortable with this offer in regards to a human.

As I write this I remember another little controversy surrounding circumcision. There were voices saying it is not Ok for parents to choose to cut their young child in this way, he may not want that in adult life. Yet now I am hearing it is going to be OK to kill a child just so long as he is only a certain number of weeks in the womb, I do believe that in every case the child would have preferred to live, to at least have the chance to choose to breathe.

It should be pretty obvious to everyone reading this Blog that I am a Christian, I believe that there is a creator and I believe that He (God) is actually very involved and very accessible. I also believe that life begins at conception and that it is not Ok for anyone to step in for any reason and to end that life.

There is one more article from today’s paper that I would like to mention it talks of a little premature baby born in Israel at 23 weeks, that came back to life after 6 hrs in the morgue. I think that God is saying something with this and I think that God has some very special plans for that little life. As I now go back to check the link I see that she has died. But I also noticed that her stories is the No1 link in the world news most viewed stories. Born tiny, died, rose again then died again and the world hears the news all in the day that it happened. What a story, what a life, she has undoubtedly impacted more people with her couple of hours of life than many people will in the entirety of their lives. Today’s legislation wants it to be Ok to kill babies up to 24 weeks, it seems in Israel today that maybe life can begin before full gestation.

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Please first read the July 17th entry and the endorsements given to Todd.

I received an Email yesterday from God.TV confirming that Todd had separated from his wife, I have just checked the fresh fire website and it confirms this, then very sadly a quick look at some Blogs on the internet to see many people ’sticking the knife in’ to Todd and what happened at Florida. Why the ‘christian’ world does this I do not know.

I distinctly remember one speaker in my time at BCV The Bible college of Victoria, he was a guest who just spoke the one time. He told us that he had had the honor of being present in the Pacific on three separate occasions when revival had broken out, he said each time it was different and that the one very sad common thing was that on each occasion the established church missed it. It seemed that we had ‘god’ so defined that we were closed to any other expressions of Him. I distinctly remember at that time vowing to myself that I would never be so closed or proud of my thoughts or theology that I would shut out that which was different to my preconceived ideas.

I fully admit that when I first saw Todd this was a struggle he is ‘out there’ but you know what he is an American ministering mainly to Americans, so my reserved Australian opinion is extremely irrelevant. I received an Email from a western Australian pastor a couple of weeks ago and he was ‘warning’ people of Todd and what was happening in Florida. The guy had not been to Lakeland, he had never met Todd yet here was a mass Email throwing unsubstantiated doubt and suspicion all over Todd’s name, why would Christian leaders do this? If you don’t particularly know anything why say anything? Why throw muck? I suppose it is pretty hard when there is nothing supernatural or reflecting the presence of God happening in your church it is very confronting and threatening to have someone claiming that people were being raised from the dead and that people were getting out of wheelchairs and there were thousands of medically confirmed healings. Thousands.
I don’t want to rant or rave here just to say I saw the very strong personal endorsement of Bill Johnson, who said that he knows Todd and the family and his ministry well and personally and that IS enough for me. This is endorsement is available to listen to from www.ibethel.org look for the June 22 podcast and the actual commissioning can be seen on God.tv look for the June 23 meeting.

So let’s actually stop and pray for Todd and his wife. Prayer points can become gossip columns. There are casualties of front line battle here, do people sometimes take bullets when they find themselves on the front lines. YES I can personally attest to that. So let’s find ourselves in the group Loving and caring and supporting showing compassion, not the group that thinks a cheap shot and a few bad words will in some way lift them up or promote themselves. There will be many people throwing mud and saying ‘I told you so’. I want to be one found focusing on the God of the move not the man God used, and I want to clearly state that if the man of the move is found to be human and vulnerable, who should be surprised at that? The God he loves and proclaimed isn’t human or vulnerable. Thanks Todd for standing up and proclaiming loudly and with enthusiasm the name of our King.

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Right now Helen is in Manila, her Dad suffered a Massive Heart attack while running a tour there for Wycliffe Bible Translators, he then had a second heart attack soon after she had arrived and he died. The shock of this is enormous he was fit and healthy, we are all stunned.
Then God gave me a good reminder of His sovereignty just two days ago. I was lying in bed and I heard The little voice say “check your Palm Pilot”, I thought no I know there is nothing on everything is cancelled, 2nd time “check it”, then the 3rd. So I did and there was an entry telling me to check my journal from 5 years ago 28-7-03. At the time I was really stressing out about where we were going to live this was just before we left for Germany, here is what I wrote:

28-7-03 Mark rest in Me, know My love I love you so. Abide in Me don’t strive. Rest and be assured of My love and peace for you. Know that I love you. Know that you know that I love you. Don’t compare and don’t fret I am God, remember what I told you about My created, I can sustain you, I can give you everything that you need and much much more, I have always blessed you, always looked after you. Look around you, look at your house and your car, don’t dispute the parking bill just pay it, you are bigger than that, I am bigger than that, trust Me for everything, for your home in Germany and beyond. I have someone to rent your home, someone that I want to bless through the presence that I have built into your home, someone who will benefit from living here, I want them to come to Me to come back to Me and it will happen here, happen here at Lambert st, yes I know your address, I also know your address in 2 months time and also in 6 months time and then in 5 years time. I know them all, I make all addresses, I make them all, the big ones and the small ones I make them all. Know go in My peace.

It struck me very powerfully that 5 years ago God knew that Helen would be in Manila on the 28-07-08 and that I would be here back at Lambert st. ie That Geoff would be in Heaven. I know it doesn’t say that specifically but it was very real to me. It also helped to know that this wasn’t some sort of accident that it was his time, this is how it is supposed to play out.  Very sobering. Very sovereign.

Lord we miss Geoff, we will miss him terribly but we trust you, in all and with all.

Mark

Thank you God for the openess.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/rapture-to-grief-as-christs-last-hours-relived-in-sydneys-outdoor-cathedral-20080718-3hke.html?page=-1

Last night I listened to a podcast from Bethel Church, it was from June 22. During his message, Bill Johnson took the time to endorse his personal friend Todd Bentley who is the main guy for the Florida outpouring. We had seen some of these revival meetings while we were in America on www.God.tv but hadn’t connected again since we had been back.

So I watched the June 23 Florida outpouring on the internet, it was a Commissioning and endoresment by Global leaders of Todd. What an immensely powerful event that was/is. God IS doing something new and fresh here. “Those who seek Me will find Me” said Jesus, we need to be hungry. Matt 7:7; Luke 11:9; John 6:27; Acts 17:27 Nations should seek Him. The Scriptures are full of examples telling us to seek, we must seek God, we need to be hungry for Him and chasing Him. This is how we live in an atmosphere of Faith. We have to want it and chase it. God isn’t going to overrun or overwhelm us. “Behold I stand at the door and knock”, Jesus says. It is there for us to grab and it is free. He IS knocking are you listening? If you hear are you willing to respond?

As I watched Todd on God.tv my hunger was stirred, my passion for God and the things of Him was reignited. I could literally feel the apathy dropping away. We must chase Him. Our lives need to be more about Him than us if we want to truly know intimacy. It just became so clear to me that no one can just sit back and think things will happen for them, we must push into and chase God He is eagerly awaiting us to pursue Him.

I want more of God and I know for that to happen I must pursue it and make it a goal of my life.

Lord I want you to be Lord, not me, not my life, but you.

One practical way I came across today to continue to build an atmosphere of faith was a Christian company installing satellite dishes Australia wide so that people can get the free Christian stations that are available via satellite including God.tv. It is a one off cost of $500 installed or a rental setup so that you could have the latest God global happenings running constantly in your lounge room.This would build an atmosphere of faith. We gotta keep the good stuff coming in.

Today I met with a guy from Sudan. It is a long story but suffice to say that while we were meeting with a mature Christian couple a few days before coming over here to Adelaide, they told us that they kept on getting the word ”Sudanese”. Then when we asked some other people to pray about anyone that they thought we should catch up with while here, the no1 person on their list was Sudanese.

So I was at the Central Markets waiting to meet Bco, thinking ‘Why again am I here and what are we going to talk about?’. Well what a wonderful time we had together, just sharing about God and how good He is. Being from Africa he was of course a lot more aware of and intelligent about the spiritual realm. His experience of God began before he had any access to the Scriptures. God actually showed up and met with Bco and Bco saw His hands. Wow what a great experience and so God!

I felt strongly to welcome Bco to Australia in the Spirit, to welcome him, his spirit and his message to the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit. This was powerful and such fun to do.

Then we began to talk of some of the differences of western culture and the influence of the European Greek spirit. Bco told me that he went to Theological college here and that at the beginning of the very first lecture he was told that the Bible was NOT the Word of God, and that no one should ever quote it as it will ALWAYS be out of context. My heart sank, my Wycliffe heritage cried, “Oh what a curse and confusion.” We talked of the intellectualisation of Christianity, of how God is dissected, studied and explained. You cannot explain God! He is beyond explanation; we talked about how a Hebrew mindset says God “WoW!” They won’t even speak out His name, let alone dissect their King and try to reduce Him to a set of bullet points. God is to be Worshipped. God is to be adored. God is to be wondered at, and we in humility need to know that we cannot reduce and explain God. God is Love, yet it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. We cannot and should not ever think that our intellect is anywhere near capable of comprehending, let alone explaining God. After I settled down a bit, Bco went onto tell me how he had spoken out his testimony of how God met him, and how this was also rejected. It was spoken out ‘that could NEVER happen here in Australia.’ I instantly rejected the curse and invited God to do whatever He wished in this His land. How I hate unbelief.

Australia has been given a beautiful gift. Bco is has come here with his family, he loves God, he knows God and his faith is real and alive. I was ashamed that Australia had offered him so little, that the Great South land of the Holy Spirit had tried to quench his spirit and told him that only intellectual knowledge of God had any value, how my heart cried. We have so much to learn from our friends from the East and from First nations people. They have a way that they view and understand God and His word, that we need. ‘Lord humble us please that we can receive from people like this and stop thinking that we have all of the answers.’

Bco smiled at me at the end of our time and he said to me “they cannot take my Faith or my experience of God away from me, it is inside me. It is mine, they cannot take that.” I was elated to hear this from him yet also so very saddened to be made painfully aware once again of the intellectualisation of Christianity, and the depth of it in Christian colleges. The West has so swallowed the Greek spirit and the Greek approach at the expense of the Hebrewness of Christianity. ‘God please restore to us the beauty and the mystery of your name, the Glory of knowing how superior and ‘above’ that you are. Please forgive us our pride and worship of our minds that wants to come over you and understand you, to explain you. Lord save us from ourselves, humble us I pray in Jesus name.’

Mark Goatley

*There is a difference between using our minds to pursue and to love God, and our pride and self importance taking over. Instead of humbling ourselves to The Superior Creator, we can make ourselves superior, humbling ourselves to nothing at all. Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ” I would submit that loving God with your mind means, yes chasing after God with your intelect but also surrendering it also to your King. To love someone with something is not to lord it over them.

The Mystery, the unknowness and unpredictabilty of God is very attractive to me.

Mark

Tonight I met with the senior pastor of a church here in Adelaide, at the end of the night I said I have read the book of the beginning of Wycliffe and it was all God this and God that and there were Miracles all through it, the book of the beginnings of WYAM is remarkably similar then I asked this experienced man ‘What is your advice for people to stay there and to not move to an organisation or a monument? His answer was simple and profound. “Don’t ever take possession of that which belongs to the Lord.”

I was just in our Tabernacle hanging out and I was reflecting on the Name Israel. Ok so lets be honest I was dancing around and singing.

When I noticed or maybe that I had it highlighted to me that it ends in EL. In Hebrew El is a name for God, ie Elohim so I wondered what the name meant?

God (Heb. Elohim): often regarded the plural of majesty for God in the OT, the name signifies speaks of His role as the transcendent Creator of all that exists (Gen. 1:2).

So I sent off an SMS to two Jewish friends of mine. The first responce shocked me when I think of the current status or struggle between Israel the Nation and God.

SMS1: Israel > Someone who rebels with/against God.

Then a couple of days later this responce came in from my Jewish friend in Florida

SMS2: Israel > He will rule as God.

After the first SMS I remembered that Jacob had been given the new name of Israel after spending the night wrestling and then having his hip put out of joint. Genesis 32:22-32 Wrestling with God and then walking with a limp for the rest of your existence because of it. Yeah that does sound like the Nation of Israel as well.

In the Bible names are very important. They tell you a lot about the character and destiny of the person; this is why God was always consulted as to what to name a child after all it is He and not the parent that knows the future and destiny of a child.

God has also revealed Himself through many names in the Bible.

The one that is getting my attention at the moment is:
The LORD of Hosts (Heb. YHWH/Yahweh-Sabaoth): The name designates God as the ‘creator and leader of the angel armies of Heaven’ (1 Sam. 17:45).

I am finding pondering on this name is helping my view of God. Not weak, not Grandpa on a throne in the clouds but active and powerful as a matter of fact, very powerful and competent. It helps me defeat the Greek thinking that wants me to believe that I am superior to God or that the works of God on the earth are only done through man’s efforts. What foolishness ‘The creator and leader of Angel armies’ who is our loving God is so involved and He has the whole picture in His view. Only a fool or the decieved would not be listening for and looking out for the actions of ‘The creator and leader of Angel armies’. Then to balance this with ‘God is Love’. Yeah! What a powerful friend! These are just two of the many names of God revealed through the Scriptures. Thank you God that you are so huge and beyond our understanding. Thank you that you are our friend and that you are God and we don’t have to be.

Mark

 This letter is written to Gentiles

“I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this? “A Deliverer will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel from all ungodliness. 27 And then I will keep my covenant with them and take away their sins.” 28 Many of the Jews are now enemies of the Good News. But this has been to your benefit, for God has given his gifts to you Gentiles. Yet the Jews are still his chosen people because of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the Jews refused his mercy, God was merciful to you instead. 31 And now, in the same way, the Jews are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you. But someday they, too, will share in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all people in their own disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.” Romans 11:25-32

I heard an interesting retelling of the story of the Prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) particularly the interpretation of the elder brother that had stayed at home as the Gentiles and the younger brother as the Jews. We were left with the thought that the prodigal brother (the JEWS) is about to return home. We know what the response of the Father will be, and we wait to see just how the brother (Gentile Church) who has stuck with Him (Jesus), will react to this prodigal’s homecoming. How will you react?

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ” Luke 15:20-31

The Romans passage ends thus.

33 “Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34 For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? 35 And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? 36 For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.”       Romans 11:33-36