2008 Global Leaders Summit

Here are some thoughts I was asked to put together after attending the 2008 Global Leaders Summit:

I want to start with saying that this year’s summit was great. I have been blessed with having been to both this year’s summit and last years. I found that this summit had a much more spiritual sense about it. We are leaders in God’s Church and though we can learn from the business world we must remember that our nature and function are very different to that of the business world.

Where do I start with what I felt God blessed me with from the various speakers?
In Bill Hybels first session he spoke about the need for church leaders to have to make decisions. Decisions will often affect others in either good or bad ways. In the business world one can say that we are basing those decisions on the good of the company, leaders can be firm and hard if needed under such reasoning. In the church decisions need to be made, sometimes hard decisions, but often we fear their consequences.
Bill gave us a four point plan that if applied, should help us as we seek to make wise decisions:

FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION MAKING
1. Does the bible speak about it?
2. What would smart advisers say to me concerning this decision I have to make (seek the wisdom of worthy advisers)?
3. What have I learnt from the pain of past decisions (the good ones and bad)? Try journalizing not just spiritual matters but our practicing of decision making for later reference within our future ministry.
4. What is the Holy Spirit saying to me concerning this matter?

I would actually put the point about the Spirit second but this structure, I believe could really help us as leaders.

Gary Haugen, in his session blew me away.
One point that sticks out to me is the point he made concerning the things we strive for.
“Just because I'm passionate about something's doesn't mean that God wants it for me and for those I lead”.
This links well with Bill’s points on wise decision making and made me really sit up and think. I have a number of things running around in my head about church and even my private life that will affect others, are they things that God wants or am I striving towards my will?

A theme for the conference in my eyes was “Is this doing church”?
Am I doing church by striving for the things that really only matter to me? Isn’t “doing church” actually about getting down to the things that matter to God?

I’m going to close now by giving short feedback on other sessions, hoping that if I keep it short I won’t get marked down for going over my allotted three points!!

Efrem Smith and, “Leading in new cultural realities”; what a timely word?
We are living in a multicultural world where people living with us are not only from other countries but are often people that in fact come from the same country but are very different culturally. With such a truth in mind, shouldn’t we be doing church in a way that reaches everyone regardless of colour, greed or culture?

Craig Groeschel and, “IT: How leaders can get IT and keep IT”.
“IT”, being the life and presence of the Spirit in all we do as “Church”.
We can have “IT”, we can lose “IT”, but we can get “IT” back again.
What a mind bender this paragraph is? However, what needs to be understood is the need for the Spirit to saturate every aspect of church. If we don’t have such a blessing, we need to be taking every step to get “IT”!

Bill Hybels last session on “Relentless” and his study on the life of Mother Teresa. What a way to close the conference? What an amazing lady Mother Teresa was?
I’m sure at times we’ve all felt like giving up, Mother Teresa’s life shows us someone who never did, and reminds us that we must never give up on fulfilling the will and calling God has for us.

Last words: check out John Burke’s session (on the DVD).
Messy Church! Should we make people wait until they have their life looking all together before we welcome them in to church? If they were in such a “utopia state” wouldn’t they be out of place in our churches with all of us less then perfect people?

Windswept

I love Jeffrey's Bay but I don't love the incredible winds that we get.
As I write this post I'm sat at home with the windows battened down yet still the blinds are being blow by the incredible wind outside.
One thing you never see in photo's of the bay is the wind, its an invisible force.

Jesus actually likens the Holy Spirit to the wind in the Gospel. We can hear the wind but we don't where it comes from (someone who understands weather would likely give a science lesson and explain it all but, well......)
Wind is a great picture of the Spirit though isn't it? Some days its gentle, like a slight breeze.
The Spirit is often gentle like a slight breeze in our lives, His always their gently leading us through life and reminding us of his presence.
Then there are the days like today when the wind is incredible in its strength. The wind can actually blow man made structures apart (thankfully, I'm not seeing that in the bay today).
The Spirit also has that ability; man's best efforts to order his or her life can be blown away in an instant by the Spirit if that is God's will.
What about wind as a source of compulsion? The wind blows sailing boats, kites and can even produce energy that powers so much in our lives.
The Spirit of God is also a source of power in the believers life; if harnessed we can be lead by Him into a deeper relationship with God and into becoming more like Jesus, mature in all matters of life and faith.

The Holy Spirit is just one ingredient within the grace of God; a grace that He pours out upon all who will seek Him and respond to His invitation to have an exciting relationship with Him.
The Holy Spirit is cool man, why wouldn't you want Him in your life?

I still struggle with the wind, but thinking about it as I have here does make me feel somewhat better about it.

8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.
(John 3:8, NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
(Ephesians 1:13-14, NLT)

Just wondering!

From this

To This

Well, this is going to blow your minds.
Louise and I have taken the very bold (or mad) step of looking into buying a new home.
Yes we love our present home, yes we have been happy here and know that we will remain happy here if we stay, BUT.......

When your wife discovers that a home that she loves is on the market, one has to consider all possibilities.
We've put in an offer on the new place and its been accepted.
The new house is in Aston Bay (around the corner from Jeffrey's), has three bedrooms, two garages (one converted into a study with front glass sliding doors) and two bathrooms. Its an older house that reminds Louise of the house her Grandad built for his wife a long time ago.
Lets just say, Louise gets emotional just thinking about it!
Is this God's will for us? If it isn't then may we not sell our home (bit of a fleece maybe, I hope not).

Guy's I'm sharing this with you now because we want your prayers. If this is within God's will for our lives, please pray that all will go through smoothly.
We aren't going to breakdown any doors to make it happen, but who knows.....

From My Garden

From Daily in Your Presence; A Devotional

CONTINUITY

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth,
and it endures.
(Psalm 119:90)

FROM THE FATHER'S HEART
My child, nothing ever changes about My character. I am the same, day after day. But you are like a chameleon, changing "colors" and attitudes as often as the weather. I understand, My child. I know you are as dust. But let My continuity be an example of faithfulness to you. Daily, come, sit and talk with Me. The more we get together, the more stable your life will become. My ultimate goal is to make you like Me so others will see My reflection in your life.

Man, I need to take this onboard.

New photo's

I've posted some new photo's; if your interested click on link below:
http://mlk30.blogspot.com/

Could this be a picture of life?

Five jets of water not really getting anywhere!

Don't we in life try to juggle to many things? Maybe if their was simply one jet the water would get somewhere!

How can I drop all those things baying for my time I hear you say; You can't, but you can concentrate fully on one thing at a time and get somewhere.

All the way my Savior leads me

All the way my Savior leads me

Who have I to ask beside

How could I doubt His tender mercy

Who through life has been my guide

All the way my Savior leads me

Cheers each winding path I tread

Gives me grace for every trial

Feeds me with the living Bread

You lead me and keep me from falling

You carry me close to Your heart

And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me

All the way my Savior leads me

O, the fullness of His love

O, the sureness of His promise

In the triumph of His blood

And when my spirit clothed immortal

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages

Jesus led me all the way

Jesus led me all the way

All the way my Savior leads me

All the way my Savior leads me

(Chris Tomlin - All The Way My Saviour Leads Me)

Yummy!

The wife really can make cheese cake!

What me?

I'm to lazy to hold a grudge!!

Let all that I am praise the Lord

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
(Psalm 103:1-22, NLT)

Readers

Last night my mother started her course to become a "reader" (a bit like a vicar), in the Church of England. I'm so proud of her, I know shes going to do great.
What an amazing God we have, look what He is doing in the Knight family.
My brother is on his third and final year of study to become a reader, my mum is now starting the same course and I'm studying theology with a view of becoming a pastor.
What a turn around for us all, and some question whether God is real!
Are they blind?
Lord, give sight to the blind I pray.

Song of Victory

Psalm 18

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.
(Psalm 18: 1-3, NIV)

I'm preaching from this Sunday.

England, you Beauties!

Come on England!

Wow, what a win last night; Croatia 1-4 England.
Theo Walcott hit a stunning hat-trick as England thrashed Croatia in a World Cup qualifying tie in Zagreb.
Check out the report below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7602774.stm
Croatia haven't lost a competitive game at home since 1994 so the commentators reported.
THEY HAVE NOW!!

Love is....

1 I may speak in different languages, of people or even angels. But if I do not have love, I am only a noisy bell or a crashing cymbal.
2 I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all the secret things of God and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing.
3 I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing if I do not have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.
5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.
6 Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth.
7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.
8 Love never ends.
(1 Co 13:1-8, NCV)

My devotional for the past leaders meeting can be found at the link below:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddp84qn2_2hbnz598q&hl=en_GB

Leaders Meeting

Monday night we have our next leaders meeting at Church. I'm leading the devotional and have been trying to think of a challenging message to really get us going as leaders, but is that what's needed? Isn't a devotional meant to lead us to a place where we are in complete devotion to our Lord? Wouldn't being in such a place set the meeting of on the right footing?
It's when we are in such a state of humble devotion that the challenge to love Him, and fulfill all He is calling us to as leaders comes.

The Message

Some time back, as a small group we completed a course of studies called "In the dust of the Rabbi". Towards the end of these studies we were encouraged to get back into the regular reading of God's Word as disciples of Jesus.
I've tried to take this on board and have been regularly using Eugene H. Peterson's "Message".
I know this bible translation isn't new, a number of people have been using it and praising it for a longtime.
Well anyway, I've been using it and really enjoying it's contemporary language .
Some will say that it's simply a paraphrase of the bible and not great for a deeper study of God's Word, that's fine; I would still choose the NIV for study purposes, but for everyday reading I'm loving the Message.
You can actually access an online version by clicking on the link below:
http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=Matthew+10&section=0&translation=msg&oq=mt%252010&new=1&nb=mt&nfc=%A0%7C%3C%A0&ng=10&ncc=10.

Give it a try and decide for yourself.

Check it out!

Every one's getting into this blog stuff!
My mum, now back in the UK has started her own blog. Check it out at:

http://sueknight.blogspot.com/

Isn't she doing well?

Go for it mum.

The Shack

I've just finished reading the controversial book, "The Shack" written by William P. Young.
It's a story that is very hard to read in the begin chapters, where we are introduced to "The Great Sadness" of the main character Mackenzie but read further and the story just explodes. I know that a number of people who read my blog will at some stage read "The Shack"; I can't say too much without spoiling it for them, so I will concentrate on sharing my thoughts on the book if I may. There has been a lot of mixed responses to this book, mainly in America but over here in SA as well, some good, some bad. All I can say on that score is that we need to remember that this is a work of fiction it’s not meant to be taken literally. There was for me, one particular moment that raised my uncomfortable antenna, it was where we were first introduced to the Trinity. However, I decided to put to one side my deeply held understanding of the Trinity and to read on. I'm glade I did as the picture becomes much clearer and my concerns lessen. What I take away from this book is a deeper appreciation of God's love for all whom He has created. This awareness comes through a fictional story that promotes much thinking; could we not liken such an approach to parables? I wonder.
I've heard some of the negative stuff that has been said about this book and know that for many these thoughts come out of a deep love for God and I respect you for such, I however have decided that this book has encouraged me to love God all the more, not the picture of the Trinity seen in the book, but the one who makes Himself known to me through His living Word, through creation, through many people and all kinds of situations encountered in life. My hope is that others will also be led deeper into their relationship with God, or better still, brought to a place where they may seek the one true God for the very first time in life.
I will try to keep my closing thoughts brief. Before reading this book I had never heard of the author William P. Young; from his notes at the back of the book I believe that he has written this book while living out his own relationship with God. He may be unknown to many; my question is, "If he was one of the familiar Christian greats of our time, would we be so troubled by this book"? If you are tempted to read this book, remember that it is fiction and persevere, I think you, like me will be rewarded if you do so.

....And Then!

Life begins at forty I've recently written! Well to the horror of those close, me included, I've recently endured a spell in hospital. Week ending the 16th August 2008 goes down as one I don't care to repeat. I said goodbye to my mum on the Monday, who had been out here in SA for some seven weeks; I had a day to wallow in my loneliness then bang, and I mean BANG! On the Tuesday night I woke with a growing pain in my chest and upper stomach, a pain that just wouldn't go away no matter how many pain killers I swallowed. By the morning I conceded that I needed to see a doctor and ended up in town at the surgery. An ESG showed worrying signs and I was sent of to hospital in Humansdorp. There treatment began and a heart attack was thankfully ruled out. I was admitted into hospital where I continued to be treated for an infected ulcer. Friday saw me being shipped by ambulance to a rather rundown hospital in Port Elizabeth; I was sent there for the test where they stick the scope down your throat, however I never got such a test. I did undergo various nasty X-rays with a tube up my nostril and down my throat. As a result, the doctors were able to rule out a hernia (again, thankfully). I was sent off to another department where the treatment for an affected stomach ulcer was again started, and in time Louise and I were eventually sent home (YAY).

Back home, I've continued with my pills and I'm pleased to say that I'm a lot better. It's all been a bit dramatic, particularly when I went into hospital with a suspected heart attack, but it's also been something of a wake up call for me. Stomach ulcers come for a reason; I know that I need to assess my whole lifestyle and make changes. So, life does indeed begin at forty, a new life (all be it, a blander one!).

I just want to make a note here of my thanks to Louise, my family here, friends everywhere, family in the UK and all the hospital staff who have been a great help and support to me.