Leading our first pre-marital counselling session

Chinelle and I have just been asked to facilitate one of the pre-marital sessions this coming Sunday.

This will be our first time doing it formally. I say this because over the last few years we’ve been blessed to have friends and couples ask us about our relationship and ask for advice. Naturally one of the first thing we point out is that there is no formula and no two relationships are ever the same. However, there are some principles that are universal and it’s those that we’re passionate to share as the Lord works them in our relationship.

The book we use for pre-marital counselling. Brilliant workbook!

It’s scary though, the thought of having 8 couples in a formal setting asking you all sorts of questions that can affect the way they approach their marriage. Phew, help us Lord! :) It’s by grace through faith anyway.

Cell @ Leo Marquad

It’s 12AM & I’ve just returned from a connect group meeting at Leo Marquad UCT res.

These guys are n fire for God – the cell meeting starts at 22h00! I’m so thankful for my wife who let’s me or rather sends me to the campus to invest in men’s lives. I find nothing more fulfilling in God than to take what He has revealed to me and transferring it to someone else as He enables me to live what I teach.

It’s a life of faith. Everyday I rely on Him to help me be the man he calls me to be and while at the same time stepping out by faith to do what He asks of me in HIs word. Ps Andrew Hunter recently said that if salvation was just for me to get to heaven then God would have taken me straight to heaven immediately after getting saved. So the fact that we’re still here after getting saved shows that it’s for more than just us…

I’m grateful for the privilege of opening up my life to other men sharing what little I have learned and having a platform to impact someone’s values. Humbling..

Evangelism is not just relationship

This is the heading of one of Rice Broock’s blog posts where he writes about the role or significance of relationship regarding evangelism.

I loved it so much I thought I’d share it here too. This is taken straight from his blog post written on 21 June 2011:

“You don’t have to know a drowning person to save their life.” There has been enormous emphasis placed on the need for relationship with people as the prerequisite for evangelism. So much so that some go as far as saying that relationship with others should be the only motive and not the hidden agenda of evangelism. Relationship-Relationship-Relationship…

Ps Rice Broocks

“This seems to be the word of the hour. I spoke to church planters who had not succeeded in their efforts to launch a ministry. As I dug deeper it became apparent that they made a lot of friends and very few disciples. In fact they admitted, they rarely got to the Gospel. “We focused on building relationships first.”

So here’s the question: how soon should the Gospel be introduced in a relationship with someone?

Looking at the ministry of Jesus, many times He spoke directly to people in their first encounter:

• The woman at the well
• Nicodemus

• Legion - He cast the devil out of him during their first meeting.  Jesus called people to follow Him with no relationship at all.  (It doesn't appear that He even had introduced Himself fully yet.)

Paul had a similar pattern in his witness.

He preached immediately after his salvation.

He was beaten and suffered as a result.

He confronted strangers in Athens, in Macedonia, in much of what was recorded in Acts.

I believe that the Gospel comes sooner in biblical examples of witness not later. For me, the Gospel has actually produced authentic, lasting relationships with others.

Things to remember:

Preaching the Gospel takes boldness.

The Spirit must fill us with His passion and power. If we are honest, our reluctance to preach the Gospel may just be a case of being a man pleaser or being ashamed of the Gospel.

Preaching produces persecution.

It’s much easier to say nothing. If the Apostles would have only done community service or waited on tables they would not have been persecuted as severely. If they hated Him they will hate us. We are an aroma of life to the saved and an aroma of death to those who are perishing.

Preaching the Gospel produces faith.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. No preaching means no faith. In order for them to believe they are going to have to hear the Gospel.

I certainly believe building relationships is important.

Many times it takes a number of hearings of the Gospel to be saved. I also believe there is wisdom in knowing when we should speak to people about Christ and how we can maximize the impact of our witness.

Ps Rice at the University of Cape Town, 2011

Someone recently told me “We must earn the right to be heard.” As I pondered this statement, something didn’t sit right with me. As much as I tried to understand what he really meant I couldn’t help but think that according to the Scripture, Jesus earned that right for me as well. We preach in the authority and righteousness He earned through His life and death.

In fact if a person’s eternal soul is at stake then we should have some sense of urgency in our efforts. Remember, you don’t have to know a drowning person to save their life.

Ps Rice Broocks is the co-founder of the Every Nation Ministries, which currently has over 400 churches and outreaches in fifty nations. He is also the senior minister of Bethel World Outreach Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where he provides oversight for this multi-congregational church meeting in five different locations.
The original post cane be found on Ps Rice Broocks’ blog here

Making a Difference in Men

We meet once a week with these men and others with Ps Andrew Hunter for discipleship.
 

For me, being part of this cell group for the past 2 years helped me a lot in terms of spending time with like minded men who are making a stand to labour for the truth in other men.

If we’re to make a significant difference in life, we can hardly do it alone. It’s often said that the day you accept Christ in your life you’ve pretty much painted a target mark for satan to  aim at. This has been very true because the more I give my life to make a difference in orders the opposition is insane and being discipled and having peers who speak the same ‘lingo’ helps me stay strong.

Removing the thorns that choke the word

Who is removing the thorns and clearing the rocks from the rocky places?

Usually when I read or hear the parable of the sower in Mark 4, in my heart I usually say “God, help me be the good soil” and I never used to stop and wonder “hmm what about the guy whose heart is rocky places? What about the person who hears the word and its immediately stolen from?”

So as I’ve been seeking to be a true disciple of Christ I find God nudging my heart & I feel my spirit crying out saying: “I want to be the person who will fight for the truth to stay in their lives, I want to help remove the rocks and the thorns so that hopefully next time the sower sows the word his heart will receive it and if not, I want to continue labouring for the truth in his life.”

Without realising it, It feels to me that when I see a friend going the wrong way, subconsciously I’m saying “aw shame, he must be the rocky path (i.e. no root in him) or have thorns (i.e. too many cares of the world)” and I move on with my life.  And so I feel the challenge from God when He says “go and make disciples of all nations” to care enough to do something purely because of Christ. And, it’s not a thing to now want to literally disciple every person we come across but to hear who God’s sending me to and respond to that – Jesus had many crowds following Him but he only  walked closely with the 12.

This is what makes discipling someone something I don’t take lightly because it’s not about telling people what to do or teaching them to be holy. It’s about opening our lives to people & showing them God & more especially God working in us so that their hearts can come alive to God – i.e. it’s imparting not giving suggestions (can’t give what I don’t have). It compels us to want to trust God to live lives that are full of His presence so that we do have something to give. It’s walking with someone through their challenges being patient to see God move in their lives while at the time encouraging them to step out in faith – i.e. application & not only bible knowledge.

Discipleship is not a course or a class, it’s caring enough in Christ for someone that we are moved into action for their sake…. and so help us God.

Be filled and continue to be filled

My experience of the Holy Spirit seminary we had at UCT on 18 September 2010

 

Jacques Oberholzer & Steve Haines came in from Graham’s Town to impart to our students from UCT, CPUT & surrounding Southern Suburbs campuses on the Holy Spirit.

In the first session of two, they taught on the Holy Spirit and His role in our lives. They then prayed for people who had never been baptized in the Holy Spirit as done in Acts 19:1-7.

In the second session, after God had set hearts on fire with His love groups of students went out to Rondebosch for an outreach. This outreach was different: in this one the guys met before going out and asked God to reveal to them specific people He;d like them to go minister to.

Treasure Hunting:

So they’d ask God to reveal what the person is wearing, where the person is and if there’s something specific god wants to say to that person. Hehehe scary! This by default leads us to trust wholly on God’s revelation because we can’t manufacture this in our our ability..

When the team returned it was incredible to hear how they met individuals that matched the physical outline they had and when they approached those people to share God’s word to them people were amazed at how accurate the words were. It was words that spoke into specific areas of their lives. People were blessed and felt hand-picked by God to receive from Him.

 

The team would then offer to pray for the individual or ask if they know God and have received Christ. Some would receive prayer right there on the road while some were shy, in the end we’ve seen that when we respond to God to “go” for with Him and only go with an agenda to love people, people get blessed.

 

My Side:
I went to this second session, but arrived 10 minutes late this time as I was delayed by two other guys I went to pick up. When we arrived, the outreach team had left but we didn’t know this. We found people there preparing to pray and we thought “OK, after the prayer we’re all going out for the outreach.”

The prayer was what we’ve termed ‘soaking’, it’s simply waiting on God to reveal Himself. Many times we go to God with many words of praise and requests, soaking is listening and receiving from Him.

Waiting on Him

As we waited on Him I had such an expectation to encounter Him and it soon became clear that God had an agenda of His own for me... I can only sum up my experience as: for the entire duration of the soak God flooded me with revelation after revelation of His character, His love for me & for us. It was like minute after minute as I sat at His feet I’d realise that “Wow, this God loves us, He totally adores us! For example, I felt that  He gave us the 5 senses and

every time  we touch something it’s like He’s saying:

“Did you feel that? I gave you touch so you can know me.
Did you feel that? I gave you love so you can imagine how the inventor of love is.
Did you feel that? Did you see that, Can you hear Me?”

 Revelation flood

More than revelation I experienced His love like I’d never had before. I experienced His love as THE lover of my soul. To put in plain terms it was like feeling and knowing love/intimacy from one’s lover but this time experiencing it from the inventor of love Himself. I remember trying to explain to the guys there and the only words I could come up with to explain (un-manly as this sounds) is that I felt romanced by God.

 

Since then my daily experience of God has changed, it’s deeper & more real, hour to hour I anticipate Him and desire connection with Him in a new way. I feel like He keeps giving me pieces of Himself for me but this also simultaneously enables me to impart to others through the Spirit.

 

I think through this experience, God was saying: “If you allow Me I’ll reveal Myself. It doesn’t matter where you are in life or where you’ve been. I am God. Give me an ear and I’ll speak.” And, it’s the revelation of God, it’s the revelation of God’s word that makes salvation alive in us. It’s not what we do for Him - “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

While His revelation-flood was happening to me I felt to freeze some moments in pictures as worship to Him without making anyone there self-conscious of their Holy Spirit encounter. I hope they minister to you too: http://photohumphrey.blogspot.com/2010/09/scenes-from-floor.html

Psalm 19:1-3
"1. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."

Looking far ahead

Yesterday was one of those busy days- I know it because I didn't get a chance to eat lunch and for the rest of the evening I had to endure severe tummy cramps. Am I the only that gets hectic stomach aches when you don't eat at regular intervals?

I saw a video that pastor Pete's family did for his 10th wedding anniversary as a surprise for him. They put together old pics of him & his wife & made a video clip. Besides it being funny, the one thing that stood out was how him & his wife have fun. I mean I know it's not always perfect & fun with 3 kids, but still there's lots of pics of them doing outrageous things together. Most of the fun stuff they do seems 2 be at home - having dress up parties with the kids, painting their faces, etc. He also still says how he & his wife still maintain 2 have regular date nights.

I hope I don't get so busy that I can't be disturbed by my wife or kids 2 have random fun even after 10 years of marriage.

The Merovingian character in Matrix II asked Neo & Morpheus this question rhetorically: "But then if we don't ever take time how can we ever have time?"

Hello World!

I’ve just seen my blog stats for the first time! Wow, someone in Japan saw my blog!! Konnichiwa to you :)

Blog-view stats from my personal blog: humshkin.blogspot.com
Blog-view stats from this blog: humphreybande.blogspot.com

Hmm suddenly it feels like the world is a small place!
Well, Hello world :) and  here’s to living it out  for God!

Blessings!

Every Nation Every Campus

Thoughts from Rice Broocks’ sermon @ the Every Nation world conference in Manilla on 22 July 2010

This message comes 10 years after God gave us the mandate to reach every nation in our generation in 1999.  10 years later, of the 200+ countries of the world we are now ministering in 61 countries with hundreds of churches. It’s quite exciting and brings at the same time says to me: “don’t sleep now, there is a real calling in front of us. It also says to me that it’s "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit." Zechariah 4:6

Rice Broocks

Why the campus?
He re-iterated why reaching the campus is so important:
1. It’s the battle ground where minds are being captured.
More than in prisons, the campus is where minds are being captured.
2. Is where leaders are being trained.
3. The world’s major movements in history started on campus.
4. Values in society are impacted.
Abraham Lincoln: “The philosophy of the classroom, will be the philosophy of the next generation.”
5. History is altered on campus.
The college has resource to fuel any objective we as a movement can ever have.

Every Nation Every Campus
This is a new battle cry he gave to all leaders there.
It’s to say it’s not about just going to all nations or reaching all nations but reaching to all nations strategically by reaching the area of most significant resource point – the campus. While there's much we can engage for God, reaching every campus is our assignment.

I've always had that in my heart but 'Every Nation Every Campus' brings focus where by now there's been many churches planted as a result of growth, it reminds us that though we're growing the goal is to reach the world through reaching the campus.

It reminds us of our priorities. i.e. as much as we give attention to reaching every nation, reaching the campus has equal importance.

First Service @ HP Joburg on Wits Campus

Just visited HP Joburg on the Wits campus!

Just visiting another campus ministry away from Cape Town immediately it made me realise how big what we’re doing is and how significant it is. The spirit of God was so tangible there & I had this sense that there’s such a purpose for them being there on that campus @ this specific time.

Being there reminded me that we’re not just running church services on Sundays: God’s put us here strategically to reach all the students on all campuses from all over the world – this is our vision as an international movement  to reach “Every Nation in Our Generation.” I thought to myself “Wow God hand-picked these guys here and their ministry & lives will make & is making a difference to hundreds & thousands of people & at times in ways not immediately visible to the eye.”

I got the sense that we need to ensure we don’t lose the sense of urgency – a student has a 4 to 5 year campus lifespan for us to reach them. So, when Carol Mkhize preached on ‘The Power of Today’ I was burning up in my seat thinking “That’s what I’m talking about!!”   

The move of God is global! I hope you be encouraged when it gets tough that we are part of a world-wide mission, what may seem to be small efforts to us adds to the global picture.

God doesn’t do 2-minute-noodles

When it comes to the deep issues in us, God doesn’t do a 2-minute-noodles strategy!

Other things just seem to happen right @ the first attempt, at times I get shocked why other areas of me are taking foreeeever to change. I’m like “man, not youuu again! I thought I dealt with you Mr Pride, Mr Lazy, Mr Selfish!?” 

And when these things get exposed I see it’s not for me to think “iyo, it’s rough walking with God, it’s exposure all the time”, I believe it’s because some things just take time to change & mainly because of…me. And, unlike I who wants a “1 encounter! Bam! There, done! Fixed!” God doesn’t take shortcuts, He makes sure. He deals not only with the sin but the attitude of the heart. Ouch to me but yay to me @ the same time.

Rough as it may seem, I’m grateful to have a God as patient & thorough as Him. Yikes, imagine if God wasn’t as forgiving, as just or as holy as He is? We’d never be assured of where we stand with Him. As it is, when we are not certain, it’s not because He hid the info, it’s us because He’s given to us ways to know.

There’s no substitute for God’s presence

Nothing sustains us except the power of the presence of God in our lives. Everything else we do is an aid:

- to help us know about Him, - to help us get close 2 Him, - to teach us how to seek Him, - to help us worship Him, etc Our gifts, talents, skills, ministries, friends, family cannot sustain us like the presence of God can. How hectically true must this have been for Moses when He said to God “unless your presence goes with us, do not send us from here.” having seen ALL the miracles?

I imagine their praise & worship was on point, their bible school was thriving, they hardly missed a prayer time and the fruits of being a child of God were just there in abundance having been the generation that experienced God’s breakthrough from Egypt. Yet with all of that, Moses says His presence is more important..

I’m learning this first hand. I get caught in floating in the fruits of just being His child – enjoying worship, church, reading the bible, having a close spiritual family, etc (which is good!) until I suddenly I feel a bit… dry, and I’m like “hmm God, when last did I really seek to hear from you and be in Your presence?”

I mean the fruits are cool, they are there to be enjoyed and shared; my challenge is while I’m seeing the fruits to still wake up and seek His face because it’s not by my might or power but by the Spirit that I’m being transformed into His image. I’m trying not to wait till I’m spiritually bankrupt before I say “God I depend on you.”

God You satisfy the soul.

On the 22Dec Chinelle and I spoke to Frans letting him know of our intent and desire
to join Baxter as our home and to serve there in ministry part time.

I cannot believe that the passion to make an impact in people's lives has got me this far! It's like God answered my prayer before I even asked. While I struggled to articulate what the desire mean, He's been revealing to me how and where I can get involved. He's been revealing to me what He put in me- the passions and talents, and how He wants to use those for His purposes. And, the way He did it it's like now those desires are my life's desires, so when He says to me 'go' it doesn't feel like i'm being sent where I don't want to go, it's like 'wow, You want me to do that for You, what an honour and of course yes!'

It's only when I stop to think 'me, in ministry?' does it dawn on me that wait a minute this sounds
 crazy but is so fulfilling. It's the same feeling I have while being in band- everyday i'm like 'this is
 insane.', but it's too fulfilling I wouldn't be anywhere else.

Now we walk the hard, exciting, fulfilling and dangerous road. I never knew
 this is what 2010 would mean for me!

God, you satisfy my spirit and my soul.

Ephesians 3:16-17, 19
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."
v19b "...that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God."