Hi folks, 

This is a final update on the Eclipse 'thing'.  As I spent time e-mailing people about the idea/vision/dream that I had for City Hall while pursuing it, it's probably only right that I update you now that I feel like it has run its course.  Finish what you've started and all that.  Some may respond by saying, but it hasn't run it's course as the event hasn't happened.  And yes that is true.  So if you judge me to have failed in this or to have given up, that's fine.  If you want to try and encourage me back into it, that's fine too.  From my perspective, I simply feel that for whatever reason that I was inspired to pursue this, I feel it has run it's course.  I believe God has spoke in the quiet way that he does that I will not be pursuing it again this year.  And I feel good about that.  I'm not disappointed and I don't really have a grace for it as I did.

So does that mean I got the interpretation of what God was saying to me a bit wrong?  Yes I'd say I did.  Does that mean that trying to follow what's in your heart is not a good idea, and that our impression of what we think God says to us cannot be trusted?  No, absolutely not.  But it does bother me to think that through my zealousness I may put others off believing people when they say 'I believe God said this to me'.  Let me say a few things on this;

First of all there has been good stuff happen, and a journey of answered prayer.  All of which would not have happened without stepping out in faith.  And although things did not work out as I expected and as I told people they would, I believe something of what God had in mind has occurred (as detailed below).

To balance this up though I have to be honest and perhaps a bit humbled and say that I got some of this wrong.  There was a clear sense of calling for me personally to try and bring worship into the grounds of Belfast City Hall.  Unfortunately I interpreted what I sensed as 'I'm being called to stage a large scale Christian worship event in the centre of Belfast'.  And now, 4/5 years on, I see that after being able to have found a place of bringing praise and worship to the Christmas Continental market (thanks to the guys at Worship Ireland), I feel that this was what God was inspiring me to be part of.  But having said that, I did take responsibility for telling everyone that God was calling us to have a big event and for the presumption I apologise.  For assuming too much or misleading or pressuring people too much, I apologise.  I see some of the ways I got things wrong and in reality it is somewhat embarrassing to me as I look back.  I honestly can look back and see where my efforts went wrong, and also see what God did after I failed.  I would say mistakes could have been avoided by submitting the idea/sense to more mature hearers of God.  I hope I have not caused disillusionment to anyone and hopefully in honestly keeping up pursuing God together we can learn from one another.

As I say I believe the burden God gave me for this has passed and what was to be done has been done and having put so much effort in the starting well, I'm wanting this to be a good ending.  As I write I remember all the good stuff about it, and am so fully convinced of Gods hand on that place.  To all the people who supported and came along and did stuff and encouraged; thanks so much; you're wonderful.

Some highlights were;

Interestingly my friend Tim had a dream in the midst of all this in which Christians were gathering round city hall and praying and the Holy Spirit was moving and demonic forces were being pushed back. 

So hopefully that is it.  Hopefully it has achieved something on that level.  Personally it caused me no end of stress.  I loved it and I hated it.  Not a burden I could carry on my own or for too long.  I learned a lot about myself and I learned a lot about Faith and God, and I learned a lot about other people.  The biggest thing I have learned is, if God tells you to do something.  Don't waste you're time trying to tell everyone, just get on with doing it.  We tell people, and we place expectation that should be on God, onto ourselves.  Don't do it.  As Don Potter a teacher of the ways of God said in a message I heard him give one time; when you hear God say something to you, don't waste your time trying to convince other people you are hearing God accurately, just get on with following him, and doing what he said to you.

Anyhow, if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading.

God Bless,
Raymond.

Prince Caspian is the latest Narnia movie to be released in cinemas with the return of the Pevensie children, and Liam Neesons voice (as Aslan).  This time they have to share centre stage with Caspian the new King of Telmar, a neighbouring kingdom of Narnia.  The movie starts with the young Caspian in a 'Lord of the Rings' (LOTR) type flight on horseback for his life.  In fleeing Caspian discovers the world of 'Narnia', which he previously believed to be nothing but fable and fairy tale.  Here he finds in it's fascination with ideas of destiny, honour and good and evil, that all is not over for him and his career in Kingship.  Helped by the return of the Pevensie's to Narnia they raise up an army of Narnian's to provide some spectacular battles, perfect for movie audiences.

Personally I thought the previous Narnia release (the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) was so true to the content of the book that it was way too childreny for me.  I am probably a Narnia late bloomer.  I read the series for the first time in my twenties after working my way through the Tolkien LOTR series and The Hobit.  It is quite an easy transition from Middle Earth to Narnia.  We all know that Tolkien and Lewis were drinking buddies and shared a lot of ideas and concepts which appear in both of their works of fiction.  For example the idea of elements of nature (trees etc) having almost human characteristics, and moral standards, appears in both.  According to other Lewis works this began in his early grappling with a fascination with nature which he created in to a mythical world he called 'animal land'.

Well this Narnia production is much less cheesy and more appealing to lovers of the LOTR's movies.  From the early scenes it's quite apparent that the makers have learned something of how to turn a Tolkien/Lewis classic into a big box office hit, as Prince Caspian (like LOTR) is also filmed in the wonderful surroundings of New Zealand and has more than one scene mirroring some from the LOTR's trilogy.  So the drama unfolds, and there's the inevitable appearance of Aslan quite late on in the drama, drawn by the child like 'faith' of Lucy, arriving in time to crown their victory rather than do it all for them.  And that seems to be the 'point' of Aslan if I'm allowed to offer my opinion.  It's as though he provides the courage for the heroes to do what they're there to do, rather than win their victories for them.  One commentator I heard on radio described it saying Aslan just turn up at the end to take all the Glory without doing anything.  But that misses the point a bit I think.  Lewis was all about concepts of courage, chivalry and faith, more than about creating cool stories with unrealistic superhero type figures.  In this respect I think the Lion Witch and Wardrobe movie almost didn't work for adults being that it was too uncool.  But the makers have definitely discovered the style button with Prince Caspian, while also sticking to the story (although some may disagree) and come up with an enjoyable watch, limited to perhaps 1 or 2 cheesy bits.

For me this is a really good movie.  You have to see it to appreciate it.  This is a 10 out of 10 for me.

The guy speaking in our church today was talking about the Hebrew roots of our faith, pointing out that we believe in both the old and new testament, and that the beliefs we hold as new covenant believers are contained in the old testament as well as the new.  He pointed out a parallel between John 1 and Genesis 1, both of which have a poetic introduction about God.  In Genesis 1, creation happened by the words of God.  In John 1 Jesus, Gods son, is referred to as the word.  He is the word become flesh.  So there is the obvious parallel between these two pieces of scripture which span decades or even centuries of time. 
Well I have spotted another parallel.  Ezekiel 34 talks about shepherds and sheep and I believe reveals the heart of Matthew 5, Jesus first/only sermon, posthumously entitled the Beatitudes.  In Ez34 we read about what God thinks about the shepherds of his people (and it's not good), and he says he is going to shepherd them himself, because of how selfish and self seeking the shepherds have been.  He says "I will search for the sheep and look after them".."I will rescue them from the places where they were scattered".  "I will bring them out from the nations"  "and I will bring them into their own land".  "I will tend them in a good pasture".  "They will lie down in good grazing land".  "I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down".  Its all tender stuff to the ones who have been oppressed.  And we get a glimpse into the types of people he is interested in caring for and bringing onto himself.
-"I will search for the lost and bring back the strays"
-"I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak"
-"But the sleek and the strong I will destroy"
From these phrases we can figures out the ones God is for.  He's for the scattered, the displaced, the nation-less, those that need to lie down, the lost, the strays, the injured and the weak.  And in his justice he's not for the strong and the sleek.  Why is this.  Well because the sleek and strong are self sufficient, and don't need him.  They have plenty.  God is into the needy, not the needless.

In MA5 Jesus is telling a crowd who are the blessed ones among them by heavens standards.  And these are, wait for it;  the poor in spirit.  Ie those who are poor in the things of God.  Those who mourn, the meek.  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  The merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers.  And those who are persecuted.  What do you know, God hasn't changed.  So if you are in any of those categories, good for you.  I just wish I was more at ease with myself to be able to express my own needy-ness and weakness.  Its what he wants from us.  Our honesty and truthfulness.  To seek him in spirit and truth as we are not as professional have it all together believers.  God come and help us.  Move us from here to where you want us to be.  We want you and need you.  Move is us Lord!!!

My cousin Rodney was telling me the other day about an outreach he was on in Cumbria with 'the walk of 1000 men' (a Christian evangelistic outreach group).  During the day they did one on one evangelism ie going up to people's doors or people in the street, and trying to start up conversations about Jesus.  They spent some time at a town market, and nobody was interested in what they were doing.  Then they decided to try singing a few songs.  As they did they started to find their efforts to be more successful.  When they started to sing worship songs in the market, people responded, listened and some came forward who wanted to talk about Jesus.

It was as though they were able to use music to actually affect and change the atmosphere spiritually.  No doubt there is an atmosphere that is created when people sing together any kind of songs, that has an affect upon us.  However there is something more that goes on when it's to do with worship music.  Our music can become an instrument of change.  Drawing people out and turning them back to God.  Like when King Saul used to call for David to play his harp to him when he was tormented by demons.   And this is something we can make use of in trying to improve the music and the worship music in out churches.  Music can and should be used to help reach the lost, not just to make church more interesting or entertaining.

A similar principle is understood in the world outside the church.  Music is used to sell and promote all sorts of things and ideas and principles.  We believe the difference about what we're doing is that in harnessing Christian music we are using music and creativity to draw people unto the source of life (God), not to the latest product to be sold.  And this is life to people because God brings life, while all other kind of promotions try to take stuff from us.

In another story in the bible, King Saul was pursuing David to kill him, and we see the effect of music to actually stop him pursuing this crime.  He came within a distance of prophets playing instruments and prophesying, and he was stopped in his tracks, and repented before God of the evil he was intent on doing.  Saul was changed from someone who was intent on murder, to someone who was focussed on being right with God.  It was like there was a power there to change him.

And this is why we pursue new forms and ways of doing worship.  Not to make things cooler, or 'to get the young people involved', but to take up this weapon of warfare, and take back what the enemy has stolen from us.

In the old testament when people wanted to worship God, they had to kill something, and prepare a sacrifice, then fire would come from heaven and burn up the sacrifice, and the smell of the smoke rising was considered acceptable to God as worship, because it cost somebody something.  In the same way now, when we come to worship, we bring a sacrifice.  We don't come to perform, we come to give something of our best to God, and something that cost us something.  And once you've led worship, and found out that it can be hard, you quickly discover it's a giving thing, not a looking good thing.  And this is every reason to pursue getting better on your instrument, and being involved in 'modern worship'.  To bring a sacrifice to God, and to be of use to him as a warrior in his Kingdom.

Yesterday was the 7th of the 7th 07.  In some peoples mind a significant date, with the biblical connections to the number 7.  It is said to be the number of completeness (God completed creation in 7 days, among other 7's in the bible).  And it is with this backdrop that American Lou Engle, called young christians together for a 12 hour prayer event in an American football field in Nashville Tennessee, preceeded by a 40 day period of fasting.  Their reasoning for this was to see if they could impact their nation by prayer in order to set the spiritual tone for the next 40 years.  They said this date was 40 years on from the summer of love, which reportedly brought perversion and immorality to the the US in ways it had not previously been.  So they wanted to set a better tone for the next forty years, presuming a 40 year cycle to be in place spiritually.  And so the tag line of 40 days for 40 years seemed to fit.
Well not to jump on the christian bandwagon, but I was feeling inspired myselt to pray with them, and yesterday was studying Romans 7.  And Romans 7 v 7 says;
"What shall we say then, is the law sin?  Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.  For I would not have known what coveting really was if the had not said do not covet."

And the question came to mind, 'Does a nation need a moral code, as the poeple in Nashville are praying for, and should we allow art to break it in order to fuel discovery and expression, and advertising to break it in order to fuel capitalism?'
And my thoughts continued...
Discovery and expression are good, but when does it become like a autopsy.  Exploring those wthings which are death, (that we have already placed outside our moral code) in place of those things which are life.
Not that exploring outside our moral code is not allowed, it should just be not recommended.  We must protect the freedom to break the moral code, while recommending use of the freedom to keep it.  Some will say that discovery only occurred when someone dared to not accept what everyone else believed as 'the truth' (such as medical advances or geographical discoveries).  Well this shows that these discovers occurred in an atmosphere where a strong moral code was in place, so it can not be argued that it stops discovery.
So who in our society who is standing up proclaiming that there is a moral code which are standards, good and acceptable.
Without a moral code we live up to the limits of the law.  We don't murder because you're not allowed to, not because its wrong.  We accept indulging in pornography when the subject is over a certain age, but if they're under, we throw people in prison.  Pornography is exploiting a human person.  And it does not become more morally acceptable because the subject is the person initiating the exploiting.  Legally its allowed.  Morally its wrong because it harms.  Legally hate is allowed, because it affects me not you.  But morally its wrong because it harms me.  We don't have to stick to the moral code, but it has to be there.  And this comes by proclamation. 
Jesus came in a time when religiously the law was in charge, but he didn't bring law.  He brought moral code.  And a code that would not give us more laws, but that would free us from the laws, by helping us change us on the inside.  Instead of pruning the tree of societies criminality, he lay the axe to the root of the tree...

Movie review time again...

So Dies Hard 4.0, and for some reason the .0 is important.  So the all action Bruce Willis movie is back, with a few Brucie bonus's thrown in for good measure.  (such as taking out a helicoptor with his car, and taking out an M16 fighter jet with his articulated lorry, to name but a few).  This is quite a good movie set largely in New York City.  It has definitley moved the Die Hard series on a bit.  Die Hard (in my memory) is usually a hostage movie, with good car chases and buildings getting destroyed (and this one has that).  But it takes on the theme of Global terrorism, and with it's use of the internet speak, it's more like 'net', and with attempts to save the United States as we know it, there's an element of 'The Day after Tomorrow' in it.  With current global terrorism, this movie at times feels real, with US anti terrorist strategies coming into play.  But one element that seems strange is that the bay guy this time is not Russian or even Islamic (perhaps that would have been too close to the bone), but American.  Interesting!!

I guess this movie is not trying to be real, it's just trying to tell a story that allow as as much action to happen as possible.  And in this it succeeds.  I'm not sure if the other Die Hard movies had such a high body count, but it is high again, with people gunned down at will.  Gave me a brief moment of contemplating the unfortunate lack of value for human life in movies, but it goes on regardless.

So, the verdict.  It's definitely a guy movie, and the story, with the interaction between Brucie W, and his new unexpected nerd sidekick, is excellent.  Really brings the movie into the 21stC, and gives lots of good dialogue and humor.  Go see it...  If your girlfriend allows you, and you've nothing better to do.

Last night (or this morning (23/06/07)) I had a dream.  In the dream, I was helping a newscaster read the news.

It was strange, because there was a male newscaster and a female news castor, with the reading of the news switching between them (as they do).  Every time the guy started to speak, I found myself in front of him telling him what to say.  And every time he stopped speaking, I was over in my car (doing stuff).  And no matter how much I was going back and forth, I was always standing in front of him at exactly the right time, as he was about to speak.  I knew he depended upon me being there, and I knew he trusted me (as he was not at all concerned that I 'just wandered off' to my car when the news reading switched away from him).  And he would move about a lot, ie he would step form one foot to the other enthusiastically (in the way I would.  In this way he appeared to have a similar personality to me).

Then later in the dream, I was in a social gathering of friends, and I was telling them about the famous news reader friend that I had (some were not impressed).


Interpretation.

I felt the interpretation of this had to do with prayer.  I think God was saying to me that my telling the news reader what to say, represented the effect off my prayers in the spirit upon those in authority, and those in positions of visibility.  In essence God is saying our prayers are dictating agendas to those in authority, and those in positions of visibility.  And the wandering off to the car represents the distractions of the things I do in my daily life (not necessarily bad things, just normal things that I have to do).

I think the fact that I was only dictating the news to one of the news casters represents the fact that I am not called to pray for everything and everybody, just the things and people he puts on my heart and the times moves me.  And in a sense in the dream the guy had a similar personality to me.  Again it was interesting to me that the things I'm called to pray for in some way connect with my personality (which God gave me anyway; surprise, surprise).  And I like that because I would rather pray about the things I care about, and feel something about, rather than just pray for every worthy thing.

And finally, I believe the social gathering, represents the fact that through my prayers, I will see things happen that I will speak about to others, and give testimony of, and bear witness to.  This is not just representing me, but also anyone else who this speaks to.  In intercession with the spirit of God, things are happening and will happen, that we will be able to speak of.  In other words we
will pray for things, and we will see the outworking of our prayers.


Explanation.

I have heard it said that a car can usually represent your life.  With a bus representing a business, and a plane representing a ministry (all to do with movements, which carry people along).  So at times in the dream I was busy doing stuff in my car.  At times I was busy with the things of my life (my job and other things etc), while when the need was there, or when the moment hit and God was calling me to prayer, I was praying and interceding at the right times, in his mind.  For me this usually is just as I pray for specific things that are on my heart, or which hit my heart during the day.

This rings true for me, because I am one of these people who think, well how can I be a full time Christian when I have a full time job, and have 'normal' stuff going on all the time (never moreso than now, as I'm planning to get married, and am organising a worship week in my church).

This helps because I am more passionate about trying to cultivate a life of trying to make space for God to move me to prayer, instead of so much setting aside disciplined times to pray and petition God with a list.  So this makes sense to me.  I do find myself at times in my car, and the spirit just moves me to pray, and I pray passionately about something for a moment, or even during a long journey.  And then there are times when I am walking down the street, and I feel nothing and I feel bad for not praying more for a moment, but instead of trying to pray, I then try to get in touch with his heart, to hear him or make contact with him (in some way).

So I feel God is telling me through my dream that this spirit led approach is not the randomness of a Christian with a poorly planned prayer life, but rather is deeply impacting, and moving in perfect timing and accuracy with him (because it's the spirit that brings us to perfection, and fullness, not our human strength).  (Quick question:  Is it pride to believe my prayer life is perfect, or is it faith.  If I believe God answers my prayers and the world is a different place because I pray, is it pride or is it faith?  Is it pride to believe that when I walk in a room his spirit goes with me, and positive things have to start happening because I'm there; or is it faith?  One thing I know for sure.  Believing this is faith, and God responds to faith.  So even if good things don't happen because I walk into a room, then they will, not because of me, but because I believe they will (make sense?).  It's all about faith.)

The news castor in the dream represents the one who is seen, and the story that is being told.  It's interesting that in the dream, I was telling him what to say.  With our prayers we are literally dictating agendas, and the things people say.  We affect the climate that everyone else operates in, because we pray. 

I have often felt that the reality of modern society is that politicians are only glorified administrators.  They only do what they can do.  They only make the decisions that come before them.  They simply deal with the basic running of the agenda which is put in place by others.  They are not in control, as we suppose.  They are dictated to by whatever spiritual influence is setting the agenda (if the Christians are praying that is God, and if they are not, that is every other spirit.

Didn't Jesus say to the politicians who were charged with making judgements over him;

"you have no power over me if it were not given to you from above".  (John 19 v 11)

We really regard politicians too highly.  We read about them in our newspapers every day.  But they are not the people who set the climate, they only govern around it.  They are like weather forecasters and environmental planners, who try to predict and deal with what is coming their way.  Why do we waste a lot of time seeking to deal with them, when we have access to one greater who is greater than they are.  We have access to the one who sets the climate.  Our God tells the sun when to shine, and the rains when to fall.  And while politicians are very hard to come before, we have direct and free access to our father in heaven.

Of course this is not to say that those in authority should only pray and not use their influence for good (but realise they only have those opportunities to do good, because the prayers of the saints).

This dream is telling me that more than I know, the prayer of passionate Christians is influencing society and directing those in authority, and those with visibility in what they say and do.  And the random approach to prayer is working.  As Bill Johnston of Bethel church in Reading California says, united prayer is good, but the prayer of one passionate believer is much better every time.