Sometimes you just have to let things get messy. If you are like me then you probably suffer from a disease (dis - ease) that if not dealt with will ruin your life. It will turn you older earlier, it will be detrimental to your health and it will ruin relationships. Its a sickness called "control itis" and this virus has swept the world. Everything has to be in place, every "i" dotted and "t" crossed. Now there is nothing wrong with organisation, with knowing the bottom line or keeping account for peoples actions, but there is a line, its not visible as that would make it to easy, but its hidden and only revealed when we find ourselves stressing, straining and sweating to keep order with a feeling of fear on the inside that we are losing control.

The bible says it like this:

Proverbs 14:4 (NLT) An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable

As a youth pastor many years ago most Monday mornings were interrupted by the churches administrator giving me another "chat" about what we had broken over the last weekend at youth. Windows were a regular "chat", doors, T'V's missing (stolen), cars broken into, lights smashed and of course there were the occasional broken bones. But in it all God was on the move touching the lives of hundreds of young people over those years. Now this is no way a cop out for breakages and abuse but in the mess miracles were taking place.
And now as a Pastor of a growing church we face similar disruptions to our "normality" whether its the set up and pack up we encounter each weekend or the battle with council over our building approval or the continual mess that our mid week venue is in during construction and activity. The sink is full of empty coffee cups, used food platters, dirt all through the carpet, toilets dirty. But on Friday we launched our food ministry Storehouse 1 and had 40 families receiving food, local dignitaries were there plus the media, it was a good day. Then there were the volunteers painting all night and others building all day, then of course arriving at youth to pick up my kids there are 2 ambulances to assist in the recovery of one kid who had been knocked out during the night.
I once heard someone say, "You cannot have control and growth."

Sometimes you have to remind yourself that often empty stables look nice produce very little. Don't be afraid every now and then of letting go and letting Christ take control in amongst the chaos.

UNDER PRESSURE

2 Cor. 12:7-11 (Msg)
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations.

Thorn means a splinter or stake that continually irritated him.

"Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees".

Make sure that your weakness pushes you to the right things

WHERE DOES YOUR WEAKNESS PUSH YOU?

TO WHOM DOES YOUR WEAKNESS PUSH YOU TO?

TO WHAT DOES YOUR WEAKNESS PUSH YOU TO?

Here's the deal. Pressure will push us all somewhere, but where, that's up to you and me.

For most' pressure will push them into negativity. This is where all they do is blame others for what isn't happening in their life. They say things like, "I am leaving the church because its not spiritual enough". Yet there own life has no hint of spiritual passion. They blame their spouse for the lack of romance instead of becoming an answer to their complaint. You see a complaint is the birth place of vision. All great visions came out of of a dissatisfaction with a circumstance.

Let the pressure of your own circumstances push you toward God.

Others allow pressure to push them into self pity and they give that "puppy dog, woe is me" look as they share all of their hardship. Suddenly they are looking to a person for their answer and not allowing themselves to be pushed to their knees with a hunger for God.

Whatever is your "splinter" allow it to push us into a deeper thirst for God so that we can become an answer to the complaint of our heart.

ALMOST THERE

As many of you are aware we have been trusting God for our MCU approval for our new church facility to be approved, its been 8 long months in waiting. Yesterday I had a meeting with our local councilor and other town planning officials about its progress (or lack of) it proved to be a big day in the life of Elevation Church. Basically we just have to come up with a few more carpraks to meet council criteria and they will stamp our application ASAP. Thats right we are almost there!!
So this week we will be diligently be following up the other land owners to seek 6 more spots and then we can start some serious planning toward our new home. Thank You Jesus!!

ITS OPEN

Is it just me or is time really zipping along? Wasnt Easter just here? Mothers Day has come and gone and before we know it the Christmas tree will get hauled out of the garage.

Ephes. 5:15-17 (Msg) So watch your step. Use your head. [16] Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! [17] Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

This is a fairly challenging scripture. Its basically reminding us that we have a window of opportunity, a pocket of time, a moment and people that seize it are the ones that make a difference. Whether we like it or not one day we are going to die and our window will close and our opportunity will be gone.

I want to get to heaven and know that through the window that was opened to me I used my talents, my time and my treasure to leverege as many people toward Heven as I possibly could of.

LITTLE THINGS

I had to fly to Perth the other day so while at the airport I bought a book called, "History's worst decisions and the people who made them". It basically covers from Adam and Eves bad call on the fruit to the Enron disaster. There were some real shockers in amongst the list, but what surprised me the most wasn't the bigness of the wrong decision but it was the smallness of one bad call. It was one bad piece of advice, one over inflated ego, one season to early or to late. They weren't big obvious mistakes, once again proving that it really is "the small foxes that spoil the vine". Song 2:15

Doing the little things well is what most people stop doing when they encounter busy times, but it was actually those small things that opened the door to being a productive person. Often a reason why a church that has seen growth stops seeing it is because of the small things that they did so well, with no agenda, no pressure it was just what they did , it was just who they were.

So dont let the small things hinder your progress.

Eccles. 10:1 (NLT) Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor.