Guest Blogger: Second Hand Experience

Yo, here's an email I received from one of our youth guys - man I love it when passion is poured out like this. Kudos to you man. - Ray out.

I've been thinking about what you wrote in your blog; when you implied Jesus was our best friend.
He is isn't he?

My best friend is the creator of the universe.

He's our best friend, father, teacher, counselor and God at the exact same time; something purely sensational. But he isn't in the way you view your peers as your best friend, he's more of a "best friend - celebrity". We have heard all about Him, the way he can raise the dead, cure the blind, and we've even been so far as to see him work in others. I've seen people healed, it's awesome. But when i say that people say; "yeah, I know people who know people who have seen legs grow longer in front of their eyes."

I know people who know people.

Now, I think it's fair to say that 90% of people at our church have devoted their life to God. I think it's fair to presume that of that 90%, 50% are completely immersed in their faith; they pray nightly and have no inhibitions in the way of their faith. But there's still that other 50%. The problem this 50% have, is that when they are worshipping, they feel his presence, but they don't feel it directed at them. They are merely in the room. Just witnesses. Bystanders. A friend of a friend of a great auntie's daughter will tell them that God has the ability to make people, in our day and age, with no medicine, drugs or hidden contraption be healed of cancer. We believe it, but we aren't 100% influenced by it.

God is great. 2 Corinthians 1:21 says "now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. he anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come."

He put his Spirit in our hearts.

Think about that for a moment.


His holy spirit can resurrect the dead, heal the blind, the sick and heck, make the universe. His spirit is in us. It doesn't take Stephen Hawking to realize that the spirit of God, through us, combined with our faith, our will and our love for one another gives us the power to move mountains.

This email doesn't really have a point, it just annoys me when people say ; "I can't." because they can.
When Jesus healed that blind woman (finding the verse will take 5 minutes and I'm lazy) he said "your faith has healed you."
Faith plus Holy spirit are both in everybody. With it we can move mountains, so we won't have to rely on "second hand experiences".

We spend to much time focusing on how much we have sinned. worrying, that our heart is bad. God is good, he is in our heart, therefore our heart is good. "I will give you a new heart and out a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone.." Ezek 36.26.
The heart is central. It matters - deeply. And our heart is good, as we have a new heart now, of God. There is a widespread belief among Christians today that the heart is desperately wicked - even after a person comes to Christ.
it is a crippling belief.
and it is untrue.

We have given our heart to God, we have a good heart. We now need to devote our life, our time and our praise to him, so we no longer have second hand experiences.


Cheers, Ben

Umbrella - eh eh eh?

Shout out to James Macpherson who I stole the link from. Great youth leader in our continent - check him out.

Why am I nostalgic?

Branded Take Over

Branded was an absolutely phenomenal weekend just held at Southlife Church, Dunedin. For those of you who have never been or heard of it, Branded is the Acts Churches NZ South Island youth conference.

One of the things that came through strongly was a new focus towards young adults, 18-30 year olds, recognising that often we find they enter into this stage of life only to become old and boring. Hope no one is offended by that!!!

But really its true and its one of the frustrating things I have seen happen continuously over the past 7 years I have done Resonate. People are all excited and passionate about making a difference for God and living a life of significance but only until they graduate. Once that happens its time for them to "grow up, get a haircut and get a real job." Their new focus finding a spouse, getting a good job, and having babies. Don't get me wrong, these are all good things (and I have them too), but suddenly they are too old for being involved in youth or jumping up and down a little. I don't know about you but I think that sucks!!! I so don't want to live a boring life where I do what society says I should be doing at this stage of my life.

In fact I want to be living a passionate life, be significant for God in reaching a generation and be able to look back at the end of my life and have no regrets, no "what if " moments.

We often look at youth and talk about how alcohol, drugs and sex are such a distraction for them, pulling them away from their Purpose in God, but in realilty the white picket fence can be just as distracting for us young adults.

My challenge to you is to don't become so focused about the things this world says are important that you forget about the call and purpose God has placed within you.

Something to consider

Well so it's been a little while since I have posted - sorry for being so slack!!

Life for the average Reson8r has been pretty busy, and I have been no exception. Between work, study, family and church it's difficult at times to take a few moments for myself let alone jump on the computer and write about how busy we are!! But it has got me thinking.

How often do we actually take the times to appreciate the little things? Sounds cliched I know but in all honesty I find that sometimes I get so busy doing the work for God that I forget to actually spend time with God. Which is crazy because when you love someone and are in relationship with them then you should actually want to spend time with them.

Imagine being best friends with somebody but you don't actually talk to them, hang out them or even answer the phone each time they call you.

In fact you ignore them completely - except maybe when your world falls apart and then you need a shoulder to cry on. But you still consider yourselves to be best friends and believe you have an amazing, understanding, loving relationship because you just happen to do things on behalf of that person.

Lets be honest , real relationships don't actally work that way. But yet how often are we like that with God?

We spend so much time doing stuff in His name, and for the church, but in essence we are so far removed from God it's not funny. We don't hang out with Him, we don't talk to Him unless we want something and we certainly don't listen when He has something to say. Would we even recognise His voice at the other end of the line if he called?

There is a saying my old youth leader used to have - "If the devil can't make you bad he'll make you busy." Often we allow our busyness get in the way of whats really important - RELATIONSHIP.

I don't know about you but when it comes my turn to go hang with Jesus in eternity I want to know that I am going to be hanging with my best friend, not a random accquaintance. I don't want to get so hung up on serving Him that I forget to know Him.

What about you? Do your priorities lie in the doing of Jesus or your relationship with Him?

Revival Pics

OK guys so as promised here are a few shots from when we had Roy and Melanie Fields here the other week. It was a phenomenal time of worship and God really switched something in the Spirit. It was like taking a 60 watt light bulb and then shoving 2000 volts of electricity through it to see what would happen - things will never be the same again!!!!

SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE

Singers Band in Worship
Worship led by Roy Fields. You can't really see but Church

was PACKED out.

Pastor Ian (with Dayle in background) deep in worship

SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE

Love this shot!!!! Resonator Lulu and members of the ministry team during the evening service.

Southern River pastor Danny Steel (centre) responding to a call for healing while Melanie Fields (right) prays.

Melanie Fields praying for people during an altar call.

Associate pastor Grant hanging with his kids after the evening service. (It was 11.5pm and they just got their second wind!!)