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Our ‘Why’ unlocks everything
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Why is a ‘Why’ important? Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is one who keeps the Law. Proverbs 29: 18 I always remembered this verse as ‘without vision, people die’, but I think that this is worse. People are unrestrained, ungovernable… everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes without a vision, without God’s vision. I need a why, but I’m not just an individual; as a Christian I’m part of a body and just as the thumb has its own why, that why fits into the the bigger picture of the body’s…
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“I only helped them because I knew they’d owe me.”
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How do you frame your motivations? The enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy; specifically, you. He wants to see you living a life of death. He has no new tactics, and the same tactic he used on Adam and Eve he used on Jesus, and will use on you “IF you are a/ the son/ Son of God, THEN ….”. Yes, if he can get us to question who we are, then we feel that we need to do things/ behave in a certain way to prove who we are to ourselves, to others, and to God; and that…
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“All this fu**ing and no sons?”
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This is your warning, taken from the Film: ‘The Departed’ (which explores some very provocative ideas on sonship): The hopeful words of an older man (played by Jack Nicholson) : “You’re like a son to me” Reply (Matt Damon) “Is that what this is all about? All this murdering and fucking… and no sons?” Please forgive the bad language. My religious virtuosity (sanctimonious or otherwise) means that I feel very awkward as I type that word, but I believe that it’s necessary to bring repentance. “On earth as it is in Heaven” is the prayer. God’s heart has always been…
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The Kingdom of God is here.
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Life is all about seeing God’s Kingdom come, and His will done, in and through your life. “I must also preach the kingdom of God to the other cities, because I was sent for this purpose.” Jesus – Luke 4: 43 (My emphasis) “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” – Luke 10: 9 (My emphasis) Jesus leaves the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit. He declares that Isaiah’s prophecy (Ch 61) is fulfilled in and through Him. He then tells the disciples that His purpose was to preach the Kingdom of God. This was the paradigm through…
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Life with Authority
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I smiled at the boy who had stuck his head up as he turned around three rows in front of me. I’m tall, so it’s normal for me to have a view over the seats ahead of me on flights. His gaze turned to me fleetingly as he saw my smile, then he executed the intention of his positioning. He looked at the air hostess who had just passed me and was walking away, down the aisle. He raised up both hands, middle fingers extended and swore at her. As his gaze shifted back to me, puzzlement, shock, and disappointment…
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You are NOT in full time ministry.
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If you tell others that you are, you’re part of the problem. Someone came up to me the other day and asked me if I was in full time ministry. I told him that I wasn’t and he was disappointed. I’d been asked to pray at the front of the church and he had clearly hoped that I was a church leader in some way, and as I wasn’t, he maybe felt sorry for me, or sad that I wasn’t really stepping into all that God had probably called me to. Maybe he was sad that people were missing out,…
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God has the resources
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All the resources you need are available in Him. The Kingdom of God is like two men who walked down to the beach. One wept, turned and walked away. The other waited patiently for the tide to turn. I had an image of the tide as I was talking with God about resources this morning. Resources is a word that is wrapped around the word source. It’s obvious that resources come from a source. What isn’t necessarily obvious is that: ‘Abba‘ the Hebrew word for Father also means source. As I thought about the tide I thought how ignorant it…
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Poor? Try the Gospel.
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Jesus had a very clear way to meet the needs of the poor. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Jesus, Luke 4:18; quoting Isaiah 61:1 I was baffled when I read this again later in Luke, when Jesus is testifying to His actions; “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Jesus, Luke 7:22 It’s obvious…
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The Meaning of Life?
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Hammers aren’t great for tenderising steak. Yes, they can do it, but we have tenderisers for that. They have a wider impact area and some have points to help break up the collagen bonds. Tenderisers aren’t good for hammering in nails. Yes, they can do it, but they may be damaged, and I couldn’t guarantee the accuracy of the nailing. Everything works best when it’s doing what it should be doing. I was deeply moved as I watched Matthew Perry (Chandler from Friends) talking about how empty he had felt on achieving the ‘American dream’. “I got the great job,…
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You Exist, so you’re commissioned.
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This piece is going to reassure you that not only are you not a mistake, or of little value, but that you are made, and your very existence is a commissioning – so we need you! ‘Exesti’ is a Latin word and it means ‘it is lawful, permitted, possible’. You exist because it is lawful, according to God, for you to exist. If you live, you are commissioned. You have a purpose and it’s your responsibility to drill down into that. In fact that’s the fundamental question we ask ourselves – why am I here, what’s the meaning of life?…
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I want power, and I want control
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Just being honest… If you say you don’t, you’re lying. And you’re probably more desperate for it than the rest of us… maybe you’re trying to take control of the desire to control by pretending it isn’t there. By the end of this blog, you’ll re-cognise why you desire these things and how to see them as a gift rather than a curse. Annika and I were in Gothenburg, looking at the canals that the Dutch built. I was thinking about how incredible the Dutch were in controlling water and reflected on how in order to control something, you must…
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Look busy, Jesus is coming!
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I don’t like the idea of Christians thinking that Jesus could SUDDENLY come back later this afternoon, or maybe tonight… We’re a long way from this marriage. Jesus is coming back to a bride without spot, wrinkle or blemish. A victorious church that is walking in a full revelation of the gospel of the Kingdom. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24: 14 How’s your eschatology? I think that there are a couple of unhelpful perspectives that are delaying Jesus’…
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You must repent
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So Jesus’ key message was that we should repent. The purpose of this post is to encourage you to press into being led by the Holy Spirit so that God’s Kingdom can be seen in a greater and greater degree; until the waters cover the sea. As I’m sure you’re aware, ‘repent’ is our translation for the word ‘metanoia’ which means to change your mind, rather than to own up to a list of things you shouldn’t have done. When you repent because the Kingdom is here, you are changing the way you think about what you are currently experiencing,…
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I Am About You
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I thought I should explain the logo and then decided that a bit of background to it would be helpful. The logo is from my business, which I started in 2014 having realised that I had a responsibility to steward the gifts that God had given me. How did I know what these gifts were? They were what came naturally, things that were second nature to me, skills that had been seen and uncovered and that I have continued to hone and invest into, skills that others still see and draw out of me. From a young age I felt…
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“We don’t have enough for ourselves, let alone for all these immigrants”.
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“If only someone would stop all these illegal immigrants, we would have enough money for the problems we have in our own country” Provision and protection. That’s what society is all about. If your provision and protection are your own responsibility, you have to double down on making sure that you are ok before you think about anyone else. If I pay taxes, then it’s the government’s responsibility to provide and protect all those other people who can’t provide and protect themselves. My taxes are put into a pot which is then shared out by the government for others. The…
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Be a Berean!!
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Whatever you read on here, take it back to your Bible and pray. The Bible says that there is a significant responsibility that I take up by using my teaching gift, so rest assured that from my side the things I write are things that I am and have wrestled with. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. James 3: 1 The Bereans were amazing; Now these [Bereans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether…
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We need YOU as well as Jesus…
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I believe that the next revival will be Christians becoming christians. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ― Howard Thurman If anyone has a right to say that they are fully alive; it’s Christians. You are a son of God.I spent much time thinking about the handle I’d call myself on here; one of my ideas was ‘Prodigal son’. But I’m not a prodigal son. I WAS but now I’m reconciled, redeemed and restored. I had a look at what…
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What’s on the other side of the Cross?
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Bringing people to the cross has been seen to be the mission of the church for a couple thousand years. Has it been transformational? Yes – for us as individuals, for societies and for the good of those who had no idea they were reaping the reward of lives of faith. But there’s more; there’s a WHY that simply bringing people to the cross doesn’t answer. If our mandate is merely to bring people to Jesus, it’s just a recruitment drive for heaven when we’re dead, and less about living a life that Jesus modelled. To do the latter requires…
Reconciled
William’s Christian faith is the foundation that underpins his unique ability to listen well, offer deep compassion and lead others. From the unemployed to executives, he inspires and equips individuals and groups with his writing, coaching, and training.
William is a carpenter, communicator and sports nut. London born and bred, he’s based in Liverpool, although often on adventures elsewhere with Annika and his three children.
Unveiling Faith with William Thompson 