Donald Wickham’s Blog

It’s been many months since I’ve posted a new blog.  It’s been a different season for me.  I thought I’d start this year with some great quotes from Bill Johnson’s book “Release the Power of Jesus”.

We are His witnesses only to the degree we have encountered His power.

We must constantly be reminded of who we are in God and who God is in our lives, because that’s what positions us to move with Him again today as He demonstrates His power in and through us. Our most profound distinction as the people of God is that He is present and active among us. He is our true inheritance and our exceedingly great reward.

The purpose of God’s wondrous stories is to draw us into the passionate pursuit of more of His presence. His intention is to draw us to live under the influence of His presence rather than simply obeying His principles. He has called us to Himself through His kindness, as it’s the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.

Consider this: nearly every great leader of the Bible experienced the miraculous and/or supernatural—yet many Christians try to live without them. Exposure to the supernatural works of God changes the capacity of leaders to lead, thereby changing the bent of the people of God to pursue Him. Such exposure is the equivalent of a spiritual change of DNA. Something is altered in that person that enables him or her to lead in such a way that the people of God inherit a heart for God through that leader’s influence. True apostolic leadership always empowers rather than controls, and empowering a passion for God is one of the most necessary, yet often least cultivated skills, a spiritual leader possesses.

The absence of miracles seldom produces a life of radical obedience to God.

———-

I’m reading this on my Kindle so I don’t have page numbers.

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Being God’s friend is a deeper relationship than being His child.  Being His child signifies a position, a belonging.  There is a level of intimacy that is amazing, a freedom to be ourselves and to interact with our Father.  Being His son or daughter means we are princes and princesses, since He is the King.  Being someone’s child doesn’t mean that they are telling us everything or even that we are necessarily close.

Many of us, while grateful for the fact we are God’s kids, live our lives more as household servants.  “Obedience is better than sacrifice” is our motto.  “Not my will but yours be done.”  “Speak for your servant is listening”.

But there is more that God desires.  Jesus said, in John 15.15, that it isn’t servants but friends that He will show all the Father has for us.  “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Being friends is a choice, John 15:16.  Jesus chooses to be our friend.  Intimacy, enjoying one another, partnering, respect, listening.  Even changing His plans because we ask.  Wow!  This is so much more than master-servant or even parent-child.  Friends share their plans with each other.  (Gen 18.17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do.”   John 15.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”

Being His child is the first step, John 1.12  “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God^.” We can’t be His friend without first being His child since that’s the way He wants it.   Enjoy being His child, being able to call him Daddy, snuggle up to Him, basking in His love.  But remember, He also chooses to be our friend.  He enjoys us, being with us, doing things together, sharing and listening.  Being friends!  Amazing…

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Love releases courage, like a parent defying peril to rescue their child.   Strength also flows from love.  Like the adrenaline surge to a parent to lift a car on top of their child.  And perseverance, too, flows from love.  Just think of a suitor seeking the love of his life.

So ask Father God for more love and the courage, strength and perseverance that come with it.  As His love flows through us, we can “do all things” that He promised.

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I thought this was great.  I’m reposing a newsletter from Christopher McCluskey, PCC, CMCC.

I have just finished reading a book Rachel gave me for Christmas entitled ‘The Church of Facebook’ by Jesse Rice, former worship arts director at John Ortberg’s church in Menlo Park, California.

Rice offers a fascinating look at the ways in which email, instant messaging, cell phones, texting, blogging, and particularly social media such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are changing the ways we think about and experience community & connection.

Rice offers observations of particular interest to us as coaches:

“If we are to make sense of why certain kinds of connection are beneficial and certain others aren’t, we must be more precise in our definition of ‘connection’. We have to get clear on what kind of connection has the power to secure, grow, free, and transform us.” (p. 45)

“…the recipe for the kind of connection we’re trying to define is one that includes authenticity and depth. It is sprinkled with protective safety and dignifying freedom. It contains heaping portions of loving concern for our becoming a better, more whole person. It is seasoned with access to transformative power.” (p.47)

Sounds like, among other things, a strong discipling relationship!

Citing such trends as the disappearance of small communities (and even front porches), transient careers and employment, breakdown of marriage and the family, and the ever-present influence of media and pop culture, he argues that our core need for community & connection – for ‘belonging’ – is becoming increasingly difficult to meet.

One result is the unprecedented movement to ‘virtual communities’ in which we can feel instantly and constantly connected, even as that connection often serves to further erode our connection with real-world relationships. Rice again:

“While our social connections are growing exponentially, the number of people with whom we feel safe to trust the most important parts of ourselves is clearly shrinking.

…the more connected we are, the more the quality of our connections suffer.’ (p.109)

“In effect the hyperconnection of Facebook changes the nature of our relationships by turning our friends into audiences and us into performers.” (p.112)

The implications of that last sentence are extremely disturbing.

Rice doesn’t advocate a flight from technology but he does emphasize the importance of wisdom, discernment and restraint in its use. He also urges a fresh commitment to authenticity in our relationshps, both real and virtual.

“…our true nature – that is, our nature that reflects the image of God – is naturally oriented toward personal responsibility. It is naturally oriented toward intimacy. It is naturally oriented toward caring for the needs of others. It is naturally oriented toward working hard for what matters most.

As a result, when we think, speak, and act from our true nature, we will always be a benefit to others while reaping benefit for ourselves. Conversely we can know that whenever we choose to act carelessly, choose to relate superficially, choose to avoid the difficult stuff in life merely because it’s uncomfortable, we are not living out of our true nature. Instead we are being inauthentic.” (p.207)

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