This week we started the HF with a porridge buffet. This is the second time in three weeks that we had a porridge buffet. Almost all the food was finished after most of us went for second and third helpings. Personally, I like porridge and I usually have a few simple dishes to go with it. It is an economical yet healthy meal; it is not an overstatement to say that I can eat it very often. Of course, porridge can also go with extravagant or highly flavourful dishes. However, after a few days of feasting, I often long for the simplicity of plain porridge with a few simple dishes.
After spending a few months on “The Way of Life”, we wrapped up the book series on Saturday. It has been a rewarding and fruitful experience. J led us through the last part of “Kingdom of Abundance” before I did a recap of all that we discussed about the book. I sat down on Saturday morning, looked through the whole book again and did a bubble map to collate the key points of the book.
The last time I did a bubble map was probably in my University days. I did a bubble map so that it is easier to summarize the takeaways of the book. It was a good quiet time with the Lord. As I did the branching of the bubbles, the final bubble that popped up was the word ‘relationship’. To me, there is no better word to wrap up all the discussions than this. We spent weeks ploughing through the book, and there were occasions when we struggled to understand the higher and deeper thoughts of Bill Johnson. There were times when the book left us with more questions than answers.
At the core of all the discussions, the way of life God has intended for us can be summarised simply: He wants us to go into a deeper and closer relationship with Him. When we get that sorted out, the way of life will just unfold before us. The last chapter “Designed for Glory” sums it up well. Heaven is a presence-based culture, a relational environment. It is about relationship! Bill Johnson wrote, “When we are truly abiding in the glory, we want to do anything to represent His heart well.”
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33
When we put God as number 1 in our life, there is no number 2. The book can be as complicated as we want it to be, or as simple as we want it to be. Whatever it is, we thank God for the time that we spent on the book. It was nourishing for the soul and helped us to understand God’s heartbeat better. Relationship: a simple word that rounds it up, is like the plain porridge with a few simple dishes that we all enjoyed it so much and keep going back for.
After the discussions, we practised hearing from God. Each person was given a number, and none of us knew each other's numbers. Then, everyone was assigned a number to pray for. As we quietened down our hearts, we released what God put individually in the hearts of everyone, not knowing who we are praying for. Not only did this practice build up our relationship with God, it also built up our relationships with one another.
With that, we closed the final session of “The Way of Life”. We look forward to what God has in store next.
BH
on behalf of Jacob’s Well
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