Responding to an invitation at the national conference in Benin focussed on transformation of the nation by taking the seven mountains, Howard and I were pleased to be able to minister at the conference which was at the national conference centre in Cotonou. The conference was well attended and we believe some significant new Divine Alliances were made. We were able to establish a number of new relationships with brothers and sisters in Benin, but also to spend time with old friends in fellowship and quality time together. In addition we were able to encourage the Time Out Mission team in Benin and help to bring a new momentum and direction for the future, so that before we left we were confident TOM Benin was in good hands and aligned for significant progress and fruitfulness in the months to come.

One of the new relationships that we were able to build was with a dear brother Berin who formerly the TV producer for Reinhard Bonke, had over the last fifteen years created a well respected and high quality School of Ministry which comprises a comprehensive biblical training programme which is contained and distributed through DVD’s or other audio visual media. The benefit of such means accessability around the world to those who would not otherwise be able to afford or attend a normal Bible college or training institute. We have decided to partner with ISOM (International School of Ministry) and incorporate the training programme as a significant part of the overall Time Out Mission strategy to empower people.

Having been back home for over a week from the last mission to Kenya in August/September this year, I have had time to reflect on all that took place and its significance for both the present and future. Without doubt the Lord has a plan in mind, and amazing things in store for Kenya and in particular Western Kenya where we spent much of our time.

I was blessed to have with me my good friends Tony James and Andy Stickland, and also my dear son Ben who had accompanied Howard and I on our earlier mission to Kenya in March this year. As a team of four we were able to cover more ground, and at times we were split up into two or more different teams ministering the message of Time Out Mission and Body and the Bride. For the first four days we spent time with Pastor Samuel and Pamella in Nairobi, holding conference at the church and ministering at different churches on the Sunday. God moved in a powerful way during our stay in Nairobi and we were encouraged as time was spent with some old friends, as well as new relationships being made. After our short stay in Nairobi, we took an internal flight to Kisumu where we met up with some local pastors and then travelled by road to Pastor Martin and Gladys home in Bungoma which served as our base for the next couple of weeks. From then on, our time was taken up with a number of conferences, crusades and revivals, at times ministering up to four times a day. The missions trip culminated with a four day open air crusade in Bungoma, and a two days pastors conference which was well attended by around 200 pastors and bishops some of whom had travelled from other parts of Kenya and even some who had come from Uganda. Although it is difficult to know exactly, we believe that over 200 people responded to the call for salvation, and many others also were healed and received ministry.

Throughout the entirety of the mission there was a real sense that God was doing something powerful and especially in laying a new foundation which would serve the future purposes of His church and Kingdom. As is so often the case, whenever there is a move of God, there is also opposition and our mission was no exception. But though we did encounter some disturbing resistance, this served only to confirm that our presence in Kenya was right and also necessary. Those that sought to cause trouble for us were in the vast minority, and we were largely welcomed and encouraged to fulfil that which God has placed upon our lives. In particular we received the welcome and blessing of the Bungoma Pastors Fellowship together with other spiritual leaders and men of God who were totally supportive.

During the main crusade and conference we were really blessed to have with us two international Christian recording artists and worship leaders, Tete Renaga and Antoinette from Congo. Their gentle spirit and anointed vocals were truly heavenly and brought a great addition to the ministry team, and we were so grateful that they had come to serve and did not insist on any financial honorarium.

On the last Sunday, a door of opportunity opened for me to minister for half an hour on West FM, a radio station covering over 5 million people, and I was grateful to Apostle Julius who had made this possible. I was able to share the importance of intimacy with Jesus as the right foundation for life and there was good feedback after the transmission had ended.

Many doors of further opportunity both in Kenya and other African nations opened during our time in Kenya, and it is now a time for reflection and allowing the Lord to confirm the right way forward. Part of the future plans involve ongoing training and teaching which is so desperately needed, but also involvement with a number of practical self sustaining projects which will help the local people become more financially independent and able to meet some critical humanitarian needs. These include various agricultural projects, together with looking at how new water wells can be dug and maintained to provide much needed water for many in Kenya.

The Time Out journey is contained within three of its four objectives, namely

1. Inspiring people into a deeper relationship with God, 
2. Empowering people to reach their highest potential,
3. Transforming society through love and creative mission.

 Along this journey there are some critical junctures which we will take a look at so that we understand the design and intentionality of God for us as individuals and for His body the church. God’s design is perfect and He created us for great purpose and fulfilment, but as with any creation there are conditions requiring to be met in order to function as the Creator intended. We will take a broad look across a number of different aspects of our spiritual life, examining church and providing the right kind of atmosphere for life to flourish

The phases of our journey can be broken down as follows

             PHASE                        Area of Transformation

1. Foundation              Centre
2. Habitation                Character
3. Inspiration               Conception
4. Invitation                 Confidence
5. Release                      Culture
6. Chaos                          Church
7. Mission                      Community

Foundation

The core value behind TOM comes directly from John 15, which instructs us to abide in Jesus and He is us. This is so needed in every believer’s life and yet often so poorly adopted. Intimacy with the Lord is the prerequisite for all life and ministry; indeed we are taught that apart from Him we can do nothing. I would go on to say, “There is a journey upon which we are all embarked, and as much as it is an outward journey of mission, work and ministry, it is first a journey of the inner man in the pursuit of God himself.” This approach and lifestyle not only yields “much fruit”, but also places the believer in a relationship of friendship with Jesus, and a place of revelation. This friendship and revelation form the right foundation for mission to succeed. >>notes<<

Habitation

Developing from a look at foundations, the second phase of habitation focuses on the influence that living in Christ makes within the life of a believer. This is explored at three levels. Firstly that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and the importance this places upon personal holiness and consecration. Secondly the innate hunger within the heart of man for the presence of God and how this is outworked through the concept of building altars. And lastly the mandate upon man to inhabit the uninhabited, to exercise dominion authority in occupying un-chartered territory for God >>notes on occupation<<

Inspiration

The first two phases of foundation and habitation are all connected around intimacy with God. Out of this position of abiding in Christ comes revelation. Jesus said “everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Revelation is the key to progress. We cannot grow beyond revelation. There is part of our human makeup which is created by God to engage on a spiritual level with Him. It is the realm of the spirit and redeemed imagination. Imagination in the sense of conception and envisioning that which is not yet born. So often God would communicate His purposes for His children and the nation Israel by engaging with them in their imagination, this runs parallel with faith which is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. >>notes on inspiration<< >>God Wants to Speak to You<<

Invitation

Critical if the potential within us is to be fulfilled is that we take responsibility for what God has given us: To realise that we have been invited by God to participate in His Kingdom purpose. The invitation phase is essentially about understanding that we are sons and not servants, and what this means to us as individuals. A servant does not know his master’s business and must ask permission to do anything. This teaching reveals that permission is granted to be ourselves and accomplish what He has given us to do. It transitions the believer from a “slave” mindset that needs approval and release, into one of sonship where we have the freedom to do what we want. Obviously there are dangers here, and the importance of servanthood still applies as we love and serve one another, but these are examined, drawing from the example of the prodigal son, where one son used his freedom unwisely, whereas the other son had a slave mentality which hindered his relationship with his father and prevented him from receiving his inheritance

Release

The first four phases of the Time Out journey are essentially about the individual. The last three phases are focussed more on context. Yes the value of the individual journey must be upheld and respected, but it is within the context of relationships with others both inside and outside the church that the individual is positioned. And so there must be an empowering culture which facilitates the individual journey and releases them into what God has called them to. This is about cultural transformation: A culture which reflects the Biblical teaching of spurring one another on towards love and good deeds. This is a bold challenge to current church trends which can struggle with release which is about sending out, opting for the lure of stability which is about drawing in. This begins the transition of church away from institution towards more of an organic model.

Chaos

There is a relatively new approach to management which has been developing over the last few years, which is the art of applying lessons from nature and living systems into organisations to better enable them to cope with change and become more effective. Chaos here is used in terms of complexity and non-linear interaction as akin to any living system and environment. In this phase we borrow from this new science and see if some of the principles being successfully applied in business, governments and even armed forces can be used in the context of church and Christian practice.

Mission

It is important to differentiate between church and mission. Church is not ours but His, as such church is His mission and so is predefined and not open for preference or debate. Jesus said I will build my church, no clearer insight could be given in this regard. On the other hand, God calls each of us to mission as well. And so our mission is not to build His church, our mission is to extend His Kingdom. This principle changes our entire approach to church and mission. Church isn’t something you do, it’s something you are already. Our efforts, assets and resources should primarily be involved in mission. Metaphorically, we need to be a lot lighter and less restricted. This phase explores these concepts and the role of mission at an individual level, and also collectively by working together towards shared objectives.

Conclusion

The Time Out Journey starts with the individual and ends with corporate and personal mission. It is a journey which begins and ends in intimacy. Through intimacy and abiding in Christ, we are position correctly to receive, amongst other things, revelation from God. This revelation forms the basis for growth and spiritual accomplishment. This is a central truth behind Time Out Mission: That God engages with His people through spiritual envisioning and imagination, to impregnate us through the Holy Spirit, with that which He desires to bring about. This is the place of conception, but in order for the “seed” to germinate and mature, takes the right nurturing and environment to grow, and so the emphasis moves from the individual to the corporate, to encourage a move towards the edge of chaos where creativity is maximised, the church becomes a movement and the Spirit of God has the greatest freedom to accomplish the intentions of His heart.

One aspect on God’s nature is that He is entirely confident in himself and His own ability. He has no self doubt, and has complete self awareness of who He is. God believes in himself! In His mind there are no niggling anxieties eroding away His confidence. And this is how he wants us to be also. To have confidence which is unshakable, to be completely steadfast and unwavering in our opinion about who He is and about who we are in Christ. Just to reiterate, we are not talking of a self reliance in the absence of God, such pride is totally corrupt and lies at the heart of the human condition, but we are talking here about coming into the realisation of who we really are when we are in Christ, and the confidence that this brings. The two paradigms cannot co-exist. We cannot have supreme confidence in God, unless we also abandon all hopes of self attainment. In the words of our Lord “apart from me you can do nothing”, tough words indeed, yet entirely true. Oh, we are not saying that we lack function or impotence to do anything, but rather anything of significance in the eyes of God. Is it not the way of the human soul, that in coming to the end of oneself, like the prodigal son, a realisation awakens within us. That the path we embarked upon which appeared so promising at the outset, transpired to offer nothing of any significance or meaning, but only broken dreams, damaged relationships and a wounded spirit. In such a state we are ready to accept the Father’s embrace, because in this awakening we see not only the futility of our own efforts, but also the total provision of the Cross. Praise be to God the Father for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption, and the promise of eternal life.

Personally I love this story of the wayward son. It is poignant and reveals so well the depravity of the human heart, and the totality of the Father’s love towards his children. Leaving the home of his upbringing, taking his inheritance with him, the prodigal traveller refuses to rest until he is in the far country, distanced from anyone who might know him, anyone who might either attempt to dissuade his frivolous intentions, or remind him of the life he left behind. Then what started out as apparent bliss and carnal indulgence failed miserably when the seemingly limitless fund depleted so quickly. So called friends rapidly disappeared, denying the appeals for help which must have come readily as the licentious lifestyle waned, replaced by the more essential attempts of survival and self preservation which all led to a far more humbling existence of co-habiting with pigs and eating swill. Isn’t it amazing that this is when the Bible says he came to his senses. When we are devoid of all hope or change of circumstance there is something in the heart of mankind which cries out for God. Like an inbuilt safety mechanism which is triggered when all attempts of self assistance have failed, we finally open up to the possibility that we need help, that we have gone wrong, and that we are unable to sort out the mess any longer. Of course all of this is analogous of our salvation, for we can come in no other way than that of the prodigal son, who reasoned that even the servants had it better than he did, and the basis of his plea would not be re-instatement as a son, but service as a slave.

Armed with this mindset the lost son begins the long journey home. What a barrage of condemning thoughts must have occuppied his mind. What would he say to his father, what could he say? This was not the return he had envisaged. Not the glorious return of pomp and success, but the bedraggled frame of one who felt the full burden of his sin like a millstone around his neck. The days rolled into one, until finally the territory became familiar and the horizon unmistakeable, home was over the next hill. With his approach rehearsed a thousand times over in his mind and still grappling for the right words to say, the prodigal son straightens his wearied back and starts the final mile home, not knowing whether his father was home or not, or what welcome he might receive.

Let him go, the father had often been advised. Today was no exception, the house servants had offered their usual condolence and failed persuasion. But true to his own heart, every day he went to a place of particular significance. A haunt which offered advantageous views over the surrounding countryside, and where for many years, father and son had enjoyed treasured moments together by the brook which tickled its way through the family estate. The grief was unbearable at times, not knowing whether his son was dead or alive, or if he’d ever see him again. But love always hopes. Love never fails. It does not keep a record of wrongs, but always perseveres believing the best, and that rejoicing comes in the morning. In all the months which had passed, there was one account, one possible sighting of the young man which had come back to the father. A merchant who had come to sell his wares, had caught sight of a new arrival in a town many miles away who by discussion seemed to match the son’s description….. to be continued

In the last lesson, we discussed the importance of intimacy with God. In particular we noted that intimacy brings revelation and inspiration. These form the right foundation for the warrior to proceed. But there is another aspect which results from intimacy, one which we could not do without either, if we are to endure and not run in the first sign of danger. I am talking here of confidence. We can be inspired and have revelation, but without confidence we have no courage to stand in the face of adversity or intimidation. Confidence as defined by Websters dictionary is:

1a : a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances <had perfect confidence in her ability to succeed> <met the risk with brash confidence> b : faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way <have confidence in a leader> also;

synonyms CONFIDENCE, means a state of mind or a manner marked by easy coolness and freedom from uncertainty, diffidence, or embarrassment. CONFIDENCE stresses faith in oneself and one’s powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance <the confidence that comes from long experience>.

Confidence in this way is two-fold. There is a confidence in yourself; in your ability, strength or circumstances to succeed. And secondly also a confidence in another such that they will never let you down, or will fulfill their promise. Such confidence comes as a result of awareness, experience of, familiarity with oneself or another. God wants us to be supremely confident in Him. But He also wants us to be very confident in ourselves. Not in an arrogant self-deluded way, but in the knowledge that we are special in Him. Such exhortation was given to Gideon, who suffering under the oppression of the Midianites, had retreated to threshing wheat in a wine-press with a “lowest of the low” opinion about himself. This was a serious inferiority complex that needed changing if God was ever going to be able to answer the cry of His people through this man. Notice here

1. That God chose Gideon, not the other way round

2. God chose the weakest and most insignificant character to bring victory

We need a complex exchange! To offload our low self esteem, generationally burdened, sometimes institutionally corrupted mindset, and download what the Bible teaches us and what the Father intends towards us. God is very intentional in His thoughts, His feelings and His plans towards us. He deliberately orchestrates opportunities where we might encounter Him, because He longs to be intimate with us, and He longs for us to get to know Him.

Confidence comes through association. When we get to know someone because we have spent time with them we form a confidence in our opinion about them, and know whether they are trustworthy or not. Similarly we may evaluate ourselves in such a way, and based upon track record, form the opinion that we are not worthy of placing confidence in. This indeed may be true when we look purely on circumstantial or historical evidence alone with no consideration of biblical truth, but this is where faith comes in to rescue us once more. Faith not in ourselves alone, but faith in who we are when we are in Christ. And this is a decision. We decide to put our faith in what God says about us, and not what anyone (including ourselves) say about us. Almost like unplugging from the continual drip feed of negativity and self doubt, and allow the positivity and affirmation of God’s Word to course through our spirit and elevate us into greater awareness of who we are and where we are positioned spiritually.

Yes, confidence comes through association. By spending time with God, and meditating upon His Word. Infusing our spirit and soul with His divine presence, internalising sacred truth within, demonstrating sanctification without. In the blesséd Vine, the communion of love flows between bride and bridegroom, intimate expressions of desire are shared in pure and holy embrace. Agape love, perfect and unchanging draws us ever deep into the Father’s heart and the Saviour’s side. Here in this bridal chamber, we are assured of His love towards us, and just how special we are to Him. And when we know the extent of this love, through personal encounter and walking daily with Him, there is a deep rooted confidence solidifying within, that we are the beloved of God, and that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from Him. That there is never a moment that evades His watch over us, and never a threat that He allows to draw near, that He will not either deliver us from Himself, or teach us how to exercise the authority He has already given in Christ to overcome the adversary directly.
With such confidence we are armed and dangerous. Where then is the threat or taunts of the enemy? On what basis are we intimidated by the foe? When we know our God, and by this I mean also how much we are loved by Him, there is a new perspective which arms our minds ready for action. Just like David and Goliath who held back the Israelite army for forty days through the intimidation hurled from his colossal frame, how very God, to use a small and unknown youth like David to bring victory. What was the difference between David and all the other Israelites? David had confidence in his God. Through association with his master, through experience in battling the lion and the bear - David knew his God. It changed his perspective on what was really happening before him, and gave him the confidence he needed to face Goliath on his own. Only he wasn’t on his own, he had the whole army of Heaven waiting in the wings to unleash the full fury of God once more.

Last week we began a new teaching series on Warrior Wisdom, and suggested that it is not enough simply to wear the uniform, but to truly be victorious requires a serious commitment and understanding in the ways of God and spiritual warfare. This week we take a look at the importance of intimacy which empowers the individual and allows revelation.

Week 2
The secret life of the warrior

If there is one vital element in the life of the warrior, one secret weapon in his arsenal which outranks all others, one principle which is well grounded and understood, it is the importance of the presence of God. To even be aware of the spiritual nature of the battle which surrounds us would take the spiritual discernment which comes through a sensitised heart that has spent the time necessary soaking in the presence of God himself. Without this prerequisite of intimacy, we would not even know with any certainty the battles which lie ahead of us, or the strategy required to overcome.

When we are talking about spiritual warfare, we must understand that victory cannot be gained by the application of worldly weapons. The two arenas are entirely different. To make progress in the spiritual realm requires ultimately the outworking of the Holy Spirit through the faith, prayers and obedience of the believer. The source of inspiration and strength cannot originate in the soul, but must come from the spirit. Remember the account of Joshua and Jericho. There is no way that Joshua would have reasoned in such a way that brought the mighty citadel’s wall come crashing down. On the contrary, Joshua was thinking along more traditional humanistic lines, relying upon the strength of his army rather than the strength of God. This is subtly revealed in his confrontation with the captain of the army of the Lord (likely a christophany) in his question “are you for us or for our enemies?” The Man replies sharply, “neither but I have come as the captain of the army of the Lord, now take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground”. The Man then went on to reveal heaven’s strategy for taking the city: A plan which didn’t rely upon the physical strength of Joshua’s army, but upon his obedience and faith in the revelation given. Note also that here is introduced the “army of the Lord”. This can so easily be overlooked, as we tend to focus upon Joshua’s army and what they did. But in truth there is a co-operation here between heaven and earth, between the army of Lord, and the army of Joshua. It was through the faith and obedience of Joshua and his army that released the power of God and His army to bring the victory. Wow, what a revelation. That we don’t have to fight the battle on our own. In fact, the battle doesn’t belong to us anyway, it belongs to the Lord. If only we could hear what the Lord is saying in any given situation and rely upon Him to fight for us rather than in our own strength.

Here then is the problem. Without intimacy with God, we lack the spiritual sensitivity required to receive revelation. In the absent of revelation or vision, the Bible says that we would perish. (Prov 29:18), or cast off restraint. In the void of God’s voice and Holy Spirit enlightenment, our soulish man is quick to fill the space with all manner of plans and strategy. These are based primarily upon the human reasoning and argument rather than divine revelation. Ask yourself a question: do your plans make sense? If so, are they formed upon your ideas or God’s? This isn’t to say that we should dismiss wisdom or careful planning, but if the original source of inspiration is not truly from the Holy Spirit, then we could be in danger of building the house in vain.

The secret life of the warrior is critical for success. The man or woman of God must know how to access the presence of God and long to spend time just being with the Father.

Warrior Wisdom

A huge thank you to the hundreds of intercessors around the world who held us in prayer for the duration of March 09, your prayers were truly appreciated and an integral part of our mission.

This is a short report summarising the overall impact and events of the trip, for a fully more detailed report from Howard Barnes the International Director of Body and the Bride please visit Body and the Bride  and navigate to the Kenya page.

Leaving on 3rd March 09 and returning on 30th March 09, Ben and I (Mike) joined with Howard at Liskeard to catch the coach to Heathrow for a flight leaving later that day. This being our first mission with Body and the Bride, we did not know what to expect although we both felt certain that the Lord was with us, and that an eventful mission lay ahead of us. I am pleased to say that God not only met our hopes but far exceeded them in every way. Throughout the duration of the visit to Kenya, we were extremely busy with back to back meetings and conferences, together with invaluable time in Soweto Nairobi with the “Celebration Centre” school children. The overall emphasis for the meetings/conferences was towards promoting unity and intimacy amongst the pastors and bishops of Kenya, in particular Bungoma which is in the western region of Kenya. The Holy Spirit was so present in every meeting, and His anointing upon every message that we preached. In nearly every case, the Lord revealed his approval, by blessing each area we were in with heavy rain, and in one particular area, it rained only on the church itself. The rain was so heavy that we had to stop ministering the Word, because the noise was so great, and spontaneous praise and worship broke out instead. Everywhere we went the message was well received with a commitment from the pastors and bishops to follow through with putting into practice the teaching they had received.

It was so obvious of the tremendous need that exists in Kenya for the teaching of the Word, development of leadership, children’s ministry, worship ministry and much more,  so much so that it is easy to see how one could live in Kenya full time in the work of God. This places the importance upon empowering the local leadership and facilitating that which God is doing in the land.  On the 20th and 21st of March, was the bishops conference, held in Bungoma. This too was an amazing time, where the tangible presence of God was so evident, and never before had there been such a coming together of leadership in this part of Kenya. There was reconciliation, commitment to each other, worship, teaching, all of which was attended by the mayor, who gave us the “keys of the city” and permission to the church leaders, to act as “judges” in bringing the voice and counsel of God into the area and local authority. And yes, we were accompanied by the usual demonstration of God’s favour with a mighty outpouring of heavy rain.

All in all, we witnessed God doing amazing things in the land, and one could not help but sense that revival was not far away. Indeed, later this year, a huge citywide conference and crusade is planned in the area, attracting upwards of an estimated 15000 people!! If the Lord permits we will be returning to take an integral part of this operation, please pray that the Lord will open the door for us to be able to return at this time.

From left to right: Howard, Ben and Mike