The Ten Biggest Influences in my life: 6 - Brother Andrew

This is the first of my hero's that I've never actually met - but their life, their story, their faith has shaped my own so very much and has influenced the way I approach situations, and especially the way I've lived my life.

I make reading the book God's Smuggler annual reading - so relevant for our lives here in Russia, where without the faith for finance, we couldn't live at all.

Brother Andrew was a Dutchman, growing up during the Second World War in a small, poor dutch village. Later he was a man who took Bibles into countries behind the 'Iron Curtain' - countries closed off to the West, and especially to Christianity. He would hide the Bibles in different places, but then trusted God to hid them for him and open boxes on the car seats were not spotted at the check points. He also drove around a VW Beetle that lasted for many more tens of thousands of miles than it should have done.

He believed in the Royal Way - God's way for providing everything that you needed for your journey. He made a point of never asking any church for anything - and would often refuse the request to take an offering, stating that if they were stirred by God after the meeting, they would find a way to get the money to him.

He was a man of great faith. I would love to move more in the faith displayed by this great hero of mine - Brother Andrew. I honour you for your life of service, hardwork, but most of all - faith.

If you've not read the book God's Smuggler - I hugely recommend it (we lent out our copy and don't know where it has gone...!)

Entries so far;

10

9

8

7

The Ten Biggest Influences in my life: 7 - David Devenish

I wonder if in time David will move up the list as I get more and more influenced by his life, his witness and his input that I'm exposed to by being in Russia.

But this man up to now has already had a great impact - not only here on the ground in Russia, where he lived for a few months in our first year and has also visited many times since, speaking to large crowds or just a few of us, but he was also influential in my earlier days too - and especially when I first encountered him properly, which was at that Stoneleigh Bible Week I made reference to from 1999 in my last entry.

Not only had he preached the greatest most powerful preach I remember (Ezekiel 37 - Valley of Dry Bones - if you were there, you'll know what I mean!), it was also in response to the things he said that I went forward, moved by the thought of the nations, but not knowing what that meant - and then, ever so powerfully and clearly, God gave me that vision of the map of Russia which brought me here...in the end. He got me thinking about the nations. He stirred me. And his prophetic gift inspired me to press through, to step out myself and to have a go. This was also especially true after this week following a word from another huge influencer in my life, who is yet to appear on this list...but will soon.

So David has had an impact & influence on my life. I love his hunger to keep going, to reach nations and plant churches. It's infectious! But for his involvement in that week, and since, maybe my life would be rather different now. So for that, I honour you!

Entries so far;

10

9

8

The Ten Biggest Influences in my life: 8 - Matthew Hosier

Matt Hosier, as he was to me then, was one of my leaders at Sidcup Community Church (as it also was then!) as well as part of the team that led Revive at Stoneleigh Bible Week (as it used to be......but is also no more).

Stoneleigh 1999 had been a very big week for me. It had been my first Stoneleigh and that week probably had seen the biggest impact any week has ever had in my life. It also first put me in contact with two other Top Tenner's, yet to feature in this list.

After all that happened then, I returned to Sidcup, working in London as I did then, but talking things through with this then much younger guy called Matt. I shared what had happened that week. I shared how God had called me to Russia (and 11 years on, I am typing this in St Petersburg, having nearly been here for 3 years already!). I also shared how God had first said I should go to Manchester and do something called the Frontier Year Project (as it was then!!!)

I think it was clear I was going to do the Year Project, but maybe doing it at Sidcup seemed easier for me. But Matt knew a guy, part of the team at Revive named Andy Davies (I think he now also is officially an Andrew, though will always remain an Andy to me!!). Andy was just moving within Manchester to another part, in Stockport.

And so the connection was made with me and Manchester, and a year later, off I went.

I think I was only a part of Sidcup church for about a year and eight months, and didn't have loads of contact with Matt. But that helping me in the right direction, being that important part of the puzzle that got me to where I am sitting today, which itself is just the first step in a much bigger plan (watch this space!) means that Matt had a significant influence in my life, and for that, I honour you!

And I'll call you Matthew if you'd prefer, from now on....lol...

Entries so far:

10

9

The Ten Biggest Influences in my life: 9 - Gerald Coates

I've only actually been in one meeting where Gerald Coates was speaking, and of that, there was only about a four minute prayer that personally connected the two of us, but for what it opened up and how it made me more aware of the gifts of the Spirit, it means it's had an impact on my life.

I was 17 years old and at a large meeting in Bromley, Kent. It was 1997. Up to this point, I had been very aware of some of the gifts of the Spirit - I spoke in tongues, that was normal, as I'd grown up as a young child aware of this gift. I'm sure I was aware of the other gifts, but I don't think I was particular switched onto them. That all changed this night.

At the end of the meeting a great crowd of us went forward to receive prayer, maybe to respond to something. I can't really remember, but I was at the front somewhere, maybe about 6 rows of people back....it was a BIG crowd!

Gerald then brought two personal prophecies that night over the people standing in front of him - and one of those was over me! He said a few things about my life then - this got my attention "Hey, this guy knows what he's talking about as he's speaking right now to my heart!"  And then he opened up some quite amazing stuff for the future (it's still just in the future....but just a couple of years left now....!), and overcome by the presence and reality of God in the situation, I feel down (someone caught me, thank God!!).

What it did was this.....suddenly I realised that God was interested in me personally and had things that I would do - a personal, individual calling. I know I loved God before then, I know I totally believed in him, but it was only after this night that I started to realise that I too could move in Spiritual gifts.

These would only start to flow in a little while though. Excited by what would happen in my future, I went away, waiting for that day that I too would start moving in the things of God like I had just seen Gerald do....that was until another encounter two years later with another Top Tenner....but that's to come later.....

Entries so far:

10

The Ten Biggest Influences in my life: 10

I felt the other day it would be great to put down a few short entries looking at the ten people to have impacted & influenced my life (so far!) the most. The order isn't particularly important early on, and I have deliberately decided to leave out family members & my wife - it goes without saying guys and girls that you have all had a great impact on me - shaping my character, knocking off the rough edges etc. Thanks!

I've also not had space to put in youth group leaders and the such - great people, very involved in my teenage years, which are formative times. Thank you guys too!

So, lets start with my first one - someone I don't know the name of, but you will see why soon.

Number 10: That Pastor who laid his hands on me as a baby

I know this story via my mum. There was something about me as a baby, I think I kept myself to myself, happy with my own company (sounds familiar, actually!). A little worried about this, she asked someone to pray for me - he laid his hands on me and blessed me, praying about my life. Recently I've been reminded of that. The power of those prayers over the life of a little baby. My wife is taking teams to a city hospital here in St Petersburg, where children are placed, having been removed from unsuitable homes, before being sent onto Orphanges. They pray for the children there too.

What this man prayed I do not know. The results of his prayer, I know only too well! It's as if from my very youth I had been placed in the care of the Almighty. I grew in Him from a young age, was around four and a half when I asked Jesus into my heart and have never looked back! Life has been full of adventures. Yes, hard times too - everyone has hard times, it's just I have a solid rock to run too when things get hard, so that my existence is never in doubt.

So I thank that man, and that little prayer. God honoured it and has kept honouring it ever since - I pray He never stops honouring it!

I feel blessed to have seen the things God has done since in my life....I know there is more, so much more, to come.....but much of this, if only in origin, I'm sure can be traced back to the prayers of one man over the life of a little baby boy. So for that, I honour you! Thank you, where-ever and who-ever you may be.

Luck, good fortune, or God's exact plan for you?

Recently a friend of mine was asked - "Is it God's anointing on you or are you just in the right place at the right time?"

It made me think at why it was asked? This friend is seeing God do a lot through him.

I think it was asked in good faith, with no ill intent, but for me it comes over as rather un-encouraging of ones personal calling and more based on luck - 'it could have been anyone - you were just the one there at the moment God started to do things'.

But is that actually true?

Lets take your favourite sports match (team sports here, sorry!) If you've watched it a while, like I have with football, you would have seen many times the following scenarios. The team attacks, get to a great position with great movement, and then either the goal is a very easy tap in across the line, or a player (not the star striker) misses a great chance. In the first scenario, it's often said "Anyone could have scored that goal!" and in the second scenario there is usually some comment about another player on the same team, that had THEY had that chance they would have done better.

Now this is how I see it - in the scenario with the miss, even with the goal, it didn't start at the end, the final kick. The player had run and got themselves into position. If a player then missed and it's said his team mate would have scored, the truth is that same team-mate was on the pitch as well, seeing the same build up in play, and yet WASN'T in the place where the goal could be scored - the other player was. They'd all had the same input, they'd all seen the same things, one reacted to get themselves into position, the other didn't. The same is very clear with the goal - the tap in that 'anyone' could have scored. The brilliance of the player reading the game, getting themselves into such a position, avoiding their markers which usually are very physical - all this is forgotten - it's as if the player really was just in the right place at the right time.

I think you get the point.

Situations happening in our lives, with people reacting, getting involved and conversations taking place, don't just start the moment we get there.....there is all the leading of God to get you there that we forget.

So when things just seem to happen, like with my friend in another country, his moving, learning language, spending hours in relationships, investing his life into others, growing his children in another culture. That didn't just happen. It's not that when something incredible happens now it could possible be down to luck. God worked years ago to bring about all that was happening.

Right place at the right time? No chance! God's plan is far bigger than we could ever imagine. And that goes for you too!

Team - What does it mean to you?

Team is one of those words that everyone knows, and many would say they understand, but in reality I think much fewer actually have a genuine understanding of what team is and maybe less totally live it. And when that same attitude comes into the church, it's something we need to start looking at.

The world at large thinks it understands team - in sport, you have a 'team player' or you get a 'superstar' who is able to do it on their own. They imply that it you have to settle for a team player, then great - but if you can get a super star, then that's better.

That doesn't work, of course! I've always said give me eleven (players in a football team) team players over 11 superstars and the team players would win every time. Why is this? Because no one can do it on their own, and no one was ever meant to. In the football world, you only have to look at the difference between Real Madrid ('superstars') and Barcelona (Team players) - it's Barcelona who play the best football - AND win the most at the moment as well.

But I'm not here to talk about football - forgive me - I'm talking about team.

I believe in team. I love team. And praise God I am part of a great team here in St Petersburg as well. I feel that I also live team. My decisions, motivations, thoughts are all working in my mindset that its team first then the individual.

Sadly not all think that way - and just so slightly too in the church. Most of it goes unnoticed but recently I've seen it there, under the surface, wrapped up in other nice sounding words but all the while the message is the same - I want to talk (ONLY) with the main guy!

Many churches & leaders talk in terms of number 1's or number 2's. "He's a great leader, he'll make a great number 2 but I don't think he has it in him to be a number 1".

Accurate, maybe helpful, but ultimately, in my opinion, not the language of team!

The world of sports use number orders - 1st place, number 1 on the team sheet etc. The world of politics uses the same - Britain's number 1 etc. Music & media use this language. But should the church? Should those made equal in God's sight, given different roles, yes, but joined together not by role or calling but in love, as a family, together working for the glory of God.

We can also sometimes talk in a way that makes us sound like we believe in team. This is a true story of a conversation I had last week when a couple from England were visiting the church. They were mature Christians from a good church. He asked me "So who leads the church?" to which I replied "A team leads the church" - this is 100% accurate, it's how we talk, it's Biblical and it's right. His reply surprised me - in a very quick, automatic response he asked "Yes, OK, so who is the Executive Pastor?". About ten seconds after that he didn't talk to me again once I answered him in the way he wanted to hear - off he went to talk to the number 1.

He used the phrase executive pastor in such a way that stated - "Yes, yes, I get it, we are 'talking' team - but what I really want to know is who REALLY is the leader". It was disappointing to hear coming from someone I hoped would know better.

So what do I believe then?

I believe in the gifts as seen in the Bible - and especially in Ephesians 4 - some to be Apostles, some Prophets, then Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. I believe in a difference of role, an honouring of one another in team, and belief that your team members will go further than you - a collective togetherness that understands you are family, God's team in place in the local church or region, helping one another, loving one another, lifting one another up above yourself. I believe in working to each others gifts. In a clear team with everyone's heart for one another, this is very easy to do. I don't believe we are all the same (which is why team is key!) nor should we all do the same or think the same. I think that within this team that works, that thrives, that extends God's Kingdom, we can even then talk in terms of Executives or even Team Leaders, because we all understand where we are coming from - it's a description of the roles, and honouring of giftings - it is not an elevation of one over another.

And this is where I see the problem outside, and why I am writing so strongly against it now. Because when we act like the world does, and talk like they do, we don't honour team, we actually do the opposite. Yes, the Number 1 may feel flattered for a while that he is being singled out, but then where is he - if his team are being squashed down, if his fellow soldiers aren't there for him, God's church, His bride, isn't going to go very far.

Last week made me look down the years - to a time when I have a team around me, where I am leading the team. And when I see such people coming and wanting just to talk to me, people who say they believe in team but their actions confirm they don't, then I saw myself saying the following. "You want to know me? Then get to know my team first!" I wonder what reaction I will get. It doesn't really matter. The team God puts around me will be an amazing team, and I'll want them to feel lifted up all the time. It's the language I want to talk in. Yes, I believe in roles and gifting and anointing. But I believe in team first, because if the team is right, then all those things will only be used all the more for the glory of God and the extension of His Kingdom - which at the end of the day, is what I'm here for. Not the pleasing of man but the Glory of God!

If you are interested in the nations and like the sound of this future team - then get in touch with me and we can start talking. It might be the most amazing thing you ever do....