Posts Tagged ‘ask’

Posted on September 14, 2008 - by Tim L

Ask and it will be given

We begin with a brief clip from the film Bruce Almighty. Down on his luck, Bruce is complaining to God.

Story - taken from the LICC publication “Connecting with Culture”, 12th September 2008

A hotel executive tells this story, as reported by Hashi Syedain in People Management magazine:

‘The hotel I manage is located near a renowned hospital. Recently, we noticed that a man and a boy were visiting regularly and surmised that they were father and son, and that the son was undergoing treatment at the hospital. One evening, the father sent the boy up to bed and called over the head waiter. “My son is about to start chemotherapy tomorrow,” he said. “He’s really upset at the prospect of his hair falling out, so he’s decided to shave it all off tonight. I’m going to do the same to support my son. When you see us tomorrow morning, please don’t react.”

‘The head waiter was touched by the story and briefed his colleagues. The next morning, father and son came down with bald heads, feeling rather nervous. But, as they went in to breakfast, they gradually realised they weren’t the only ones who looked a bit different that day. No fewer than ten members of staff had shaved their heads out of solidarity with the boy.’

‘That,’ she concluded, ‘is how my staff live the corporate value, “Show you care.”’ 

Bible Reading - Luke chapter 11, verses 1 – 13 (The Message)

1One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

2So he said, “When you pray, say,

Father,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right.

3Keep us alive with three square meals.

4Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”

5Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. 6An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’

7“The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’

8“But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

9“Here’s what I’m saying:

Ask and you’ll get;

Seek and you’ll find;

Knock and the door will open.

10“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. 11If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? 12If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? 13As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”

Luke 11; 1 – 13 (The Message)

 

Talk - based around Chapter 7 of Mission-Shaped Spirituality by Susan Hope, Church House Publishing, 2006

How do Christians live God’s corporate value?

How do Christians stay on message?

For Bruce Almighty he had hit hard times and the blame game had started. It was his girlfriend and now it was God.

He wanted answers to the big questions his life was throwing up but he was not hearing,…or was it that he did not have faith to hear,…Someone was speaking. Some might dare to say it was God who was speaking, but for some reason Bruce was unable to hear - even though at times it seemed to be easier to hear and see it than not at all.

Jesus was teaching his Disciples about prayer. This is the Father’s message through the son. This is the corporate message but it is one like you have never heard before!

How do we live God’s corporate message?

Ask and you’ll get;

Seek and you’ll find;

Knock and the door will open.

What does that look like?

Dependence, Wilderness and Saturation

Dependence

Dependence gets a poor press in our society and culture today. It is often perceived as weakness, with being incomplete, It is almost offensive to some for whom self styled independence is a god. But Jesus in his prayer says that we should rely on God for everything, food, forgiveness, . To be human is to know our need of God. Dependence is not something we grow out of, Jesus knew what it was to depend on the Father as he knew he could do nothing by himself. All who follow Jesus are called to be dependent upon God. Full stop.

What are you dependent on?

 

• Alcohol?
• Nicotine?  
• Attention?
• Rules?
• Caffeine?
• Chocolate?
• Pornography?
• Stuff?
• Sex?
• Money?
• Reputation?

Get high on God.

Wilderness

People who follow Jesus are often led out into the wilderness or experience life as though they live in a wilderness. It may be a wilderness of testing and temptation, or a wilderness of dereliction, of emptiness,

Don’t get me wrong I am not wishing a wilderness experience upon anyone but it the Christian life does seem to have seasons and winter is one of them. It is often in these wildernesses that we learn to be dependent. Wilderness times are not meant to cripple us. If they do they are almost certainly not of God. A wilderness time can equip us. Don’t run from them, don’t even ask for them, but when you are in them, if you can bear to, ask what God is he might be teaching you.

 

• Parched
• Thirsty
• Dry
• Empty
• Nothing
• Numb
• Lonely
• Darkness
• Pain
• Bereavement

Are you in a wilderness?

Do you know someone who is in a wilderness?

Tread carefully. It might be that in the wilderness you stand on… Holy Ground.

Saturation

Wilderness is not the last word. That belongs to the Spirit who longs to full us, to drench us, to saturate us, When the Sprit comes so too do joy, vitality, and life. Gifts that are massively attractive. Lightening finds its way to earth, so too the Spirit earths itself in humans – and the effects are life changing.

Ask and you’ll get;

Seek and you’ll find;

Knock and the door will open.

Ask for the Spirit, it is the simplest thing in the world. It might not be easy because it might lead to wilderness. But I would rather ask for the Spirit knowing that it might lead to wilderness and a greater dependence on the Living God. Well worth the risk I think.