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The ramblings of a thirty something (just...!) on a weekday afternoon...

[josephmwillis]

What to do when you don’t know what to do

Hi fam! So after a year of radio silence I figured it may be a good time to come back on and share just a few things God has been on my case about over this crazy lockdown chapter in life. 

There’s is a story in Luke 8 that always fascinates me, where Jesus on his way through a bustling crowd to heal the synagogue leader Jairus’ daughter. 

En route, the woman “with the issue of blood” (what a way to be remembered..!) reaches out through the crowd and grabs Jesus cloak and is immediately healed from 12 years of suffering. Pretty cool right?

Jesus however, makes a big fuss… “who touched me!?” he enquires, “not being funny, but just about everyone!” Peter replies. (*JWV - Jo Willis version!) 

One of my favourite verse of scripture is Luke 8 verse 47 - Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed came and fell as his feet.

That’s the story of you and I right there. 

You need to know today that those who reach out in faith to Jesus CANNOT go unnoticed. He sees.

No prayer is too basic, no plea too junior, no life too far away. 

After an instant healing, Jesus’ response is simply “daughter, your faith has healed you, go in peace”

Love this redemptive story; of a lady who was at the end of herself - one account says no one could heal her, one says that she’d spent all of her money on doctors and it had only gotten worse. 

She has no idea what to do but made 2 decisions that would change her life;

1. She decided to do something

This woman was relentless. Doctors, advisers; she’d tried it all. 

You could forgive her for coming to the end of the track and thinking ‘well I guess this is how it’ll always be’

Almost like I so often do, to freeze up, to think of a thousand next steps she could take but be so overcome by them all that you don’t move on any of them. 

Maybe you’re in the same place right now, at the end of yourself and with no idea of where to turn, but the thing that changed the game for this lady is that the something she decided to do was to turn to Jesus. 

This man who was turning the world upside down and defying social norms suddenly gave her permission to do the same

Let me encourage you, wherever you’re at, if you’re lost or wondering then to not freeze up or bury your head but to maybe do something. 

Something that will make a difference. Something that will change someone. 

Because the alternative was for her to be isolated in her own struggle but can I say isolation is optional. You have the chance to be a part of something so rich and so fun but the choice is yours. 

Jesus is in town and we have the opportunity to be near him, what will you decide to do?

2. Decide to be something 

Do you know that the choices you make end up making you?

I remember walking around the park with a great friend called Pete Dunys 10+ years ago, and coming be decision that we would be the people that others talked about; men of gutsy faith, determined to change something and make God famous. 

We make a conscious decision every day about who we are becoming 

‘Seeing she couldn’t go unnoticed’ – BUSTED

Could have gone one of two ways. 

She was either going to get healed

Or she was going to get stoned

She wasn’t allowed near people by Jewish law!!

Being something will cost you

She became the woman who defied the social norms and become a walking story of God’s goodness

Wouldn’t that be a cool story for your life?

You may not know right now what to do. Choose to live from the echo of your future. What’s God saying? Then work it back. 

If you’re still wondering then ask this simple question. What can I add? Not what can I get, but what can I give. 

God gave his one and only son for you and I. It’s a pretty good place to start!

[josephmwillis]

The brotherhood (/sisterhood!)

So Proverbs 27 is getting me stirred up today, in regards to thinking about who’s around my life and who I’m allowing to speak into it.

It’s filled with nuggets and wisdom on friendships and how they increase or decrease our personal sphere of influence.

Take verse 2 as an example; “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”

Referring to being someone who is surrounded by encouragers.

Or verse 6 is another gem; “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

‭I know this from personal experience, whilst it hurts more in the moment, my life is so much better for honest and trusted feedback! As a commentator so brilliantly says regarding this, “a doctors care is to the patients condition not their comfort”.

I’m also a big fan of verse 10 which states “Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.”

Now let me be honest, this verse initially confused me.

But having wrapped my head around it, I knew it needed some work on my side.

As a guy it’s not always easy to open up but what is easy is appearing to be open. First rule of manhood.

But to be truly open, to be vulnerable when disaster strikes, that really takes some guts.

Which is why we need the brotherhood (or sisterhood!) more now than ever before.

To have strong, open and vulnerable guys who’s friendships go deeper than the football scores and the chain of command in the workplace.

I’ve put some things in place immediately off the back of this as if the bible is active then so should I be.

What do you need to do?

[josephmwillis]

Aaron is on his way

January. A time for new beginnings, new ideas, new dreams and new ways to get them.

We look back at 2018, some in relief, some with sadness and I know I for one look back and see what I hoped for, with some things more successful than others.

But I come into 2019 with a real sense and conviction that something will be different to any year that’s passed. Why? Because Aaron is on is way.

Well who’s Aaron you ask?

Aaron the elder brother of Moses is found in the book of Exodus. He appears off the back of many excuses Moses gives God as to why he’s not the right man to lead a nation out of captivity.

As Moses gets to his final excuse in Exodus 4, it reads;

Exodus 4:13-14 - “But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.”

This is extraordinary. Moses is ‘the other side’ of the wilderness and so why on earth would Aaron be on his way?

What strikes me about this text is that although God was telling Moses not just who he was but also what he could do, he knew Moses would discount himself from the story. So he sends backup.

And that’s what we all need hey.

Firstly and foremostly we need to be in conversation with heaven about what this year entails.

But secondly we need someone who can support us in our endeavours.

If you’re reading this then this is a word for you.

Aaron is on his way.

Someone who can help you find your sweet spot.

Someone who can speak to people on your behalf.

Someone with wisdom in areas you don’t have.

And that’ll mean this year you’ll be able to see and do things you only ever dreamed of.

Now this may mean you’ll need to change a few things up, find a community to get stuck into or be a bit more intentional in your friendships.

But the other side of the equation is the calling you were built for.

And I for one cannot wait to see it unfold. 2019 let’s go!

[josephmwillis]

Stupid prayers

We’ve all done it right?! 

We’ve all prayed prayers that are just plain dumb.

Joshua sends up a classic in Joshua 6:7 where he states ‘If only we’d been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!’

For context - the other side of the Jordan was the desert. 

It was a place no one desired to have a long term property. It was a place they lived day to day, not knowing when food would run out. It was a place which brought back memories of failure and past pain.

But Joshua in the face of a recent loss found himself praying this crazy prayer and I found myself comforted.

Aren’t we glad God doesn’t always answer every prayer we pray?

Tim Keller puts it like this; God will either answer our prayers, or he’ll answer the prayers we would have prayed if we knew what he knew.

Don’t worry about your stupid prayers. You’re welcome to moan at God as long as it’s less frequent than your thanks to him and ends with trust in the one who spun the stars into their place.

He’s good. And he loves you. It’s going to be ok

[josephmwillis]

The pieces are already in place

It’s September...! Wow. This is gonna be a big year!! Here we go.

So I’ll start by being frank with you. I’m mainly a New Testament kinda guy. Some people I know are big into the Isaiah’s of the bible which is cool, but give me the gospels any day of the week.

I’ve recently been prompted to read Nehemiah though, which has thrown some gems up that I’ve previously missed!

Chapter 1 finds Nehemiah, an Israelite in Persia, who has been informed of the tragic demise of his homeland. The city he loved was in ruins and he decides that he is going to be a part of rebuilding a once breathtaking city.

What’s cool, is that if you check out Nehemiah 1:11, his prayer finishes with just one small sentence, a footnote, a statement which shows the telling nature of God all throughout this story.

‘I was cupbearer to the king.’

Now if Nehemiah had been anything else, would he have been able to have this conversation?

It certainly helped that he was good and faithful at what he did as we read on to find, but I have the distinct feeling that everything in his past had led him up to this point in time.

I say this to say, that the pieces are already in place. Nehemiah was positioned by God specifically for this purpose.

And the same is true for you.

Things may look like they are in ruins around you but the ‘cupbearer is in the palace’ so to speak.

God is good. And he is faithful, even when we aren’t. So when you look around know that he has carefully planned your future and got everything in order for what you’re about to step into.

The pieces are already in place.

[josephmwillis]

Crazy stupid love

So the World Cup is over and I don’t know about you but I’m on the 26 day countdown to the Prem starting now... Woohoo!!

So John 20 is amazing, something that really has got me thinking.

The chapter (which starts with the title The empty tomb...!!! Come on, how cool is that), in verse 24, tells of this guy called Thomas who had heard the stories of Jesus no longer being dead, but just couldn’t get his head around it. Fair enough right?!

It describes the disciples telling him - “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

So as is so often the case, Jesus rocks up to where he is and says these words - ‘“Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

What’s amazing about this act is that it’s not the ‘glamorous’ things that Jesus puts on display, but the vulnerability of what he went through.

The penny drops for Thomas and his response? “My Lord and my God!”

I think often what we qualify as the most likely to get a response from people is our ‘success’ or our ‘achievements’ but Jesus here does quite the opposite. 

What others perceive as his ‘failure’ to get himself down from the cross is actually the very thing that has changed the lives of billions of people over the ages and continues to do so at a colossal rate!

The ‘penny drop’ moments could well be the times we got knocked down but refused to stay there.

The very men with him would have naturally wanted to forget what happened to Jesus, the pain and the hurt, but his vulnerability caused them to remember the crazy stupid love that it took to do what he did.

And that crazy stupid love is directed at you and I and is available right now. It’s free but it wasn’t cheap. Why not give it a go?

[josephmwillis]

All in changes everything

So I’ve been fascinated this week with a few verses from John 20 which I have overlooked so many times before.

The scene; Jesus’ would be resting place. The characters; John and Peter. The context; Mary arriving at the tomb only to find it empty, so in desperation looks to the disciples for help.

On hearing the news, John and Peter run to the tomb, with John writing how much quicker he got there. Had Peter been comfort eating in the wake of what had happened a few days earlier? I guess we’ll never know.

Irrespective of this, when John arrives at the tomb, he waits outside, whilst Peter bombs in to see what the deal is.

Back in those days, it was customary for the Jewish people to steer clear from death due to it rendering them ‘unclean’ for 7 days, so understandably John was cautious.

But I love Peter, the guy who didn’t comply to social norms or the status quo, but lived a life that was ‘all in.’

This is where it get’s interesting.

Verse 8 says ‘finally the other disciple... also went inside. He saw and believed.’

It’s amazing how it took John to break social conformity to move into belief.

It took breaking the mould and stepping out of what was expected to change his paradigm.

For John it was the start of something extraordinary and would go on to shape life as he knew it.

Going all in isn’t easy, isn’t normal and sometimes isn’t nice. But going all in changes everything.

Are you all in? If not, what would it take? I encourage you to take that step. It’ll change everything

[josephmwillis]

Check your sources

Isn’t some of the stuff we read amazing?! We read articles on twitter, opinion on instagram or stories from our favourite tabloid paper, and take what’s written as gospel truth, without taking a second thought to check if the source is in any way credible.

I recently discovered that a great inspirational speaker I closely follow, who I had heard was Danish from I forget who now, is actually English, and has never even had any connection with the Danes!

Trivial I know, but it got me thinking, who’s voice do we listen to and regard as truth and who’s do we dismiss?

It’s amazing that often we go through life living through the filter of our past experiences of current circumstances, believing what people have said over us rather than listening to the one who created us in the first place.

If you are believing that you are anything other than exclusively picked, unconditionally loved and undeniably talented then you need to check your sources.

Check out these God inspired words about yourself for more info...!

Ephesians 2:10 : For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

John 15:15 : I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 : We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.

And this source? It’s a credible one

[josephmwillis]

Life beyond coincidence

I’m not sure about you but for me, when people ask me why I believe in God, this ethereal, ‘pie in the sky’ made up fairy tale, I tend to think that in my life there are far too many it ‘just so happened’s’ for him to not be real.

Take our house for example. With £1500 in the bank, we went with what we believed was a word from heaven to ‘start looking to buy and once we found the right one the deposit would be ready.’

It just so happened that was the way it panned out.

Or the time we were told that in an operation the surgeon had to take one of Lo’s ovaries as she had a cyst that they couldn’t remove from it otherwise, so we would ‘struggle to, if ever, have children’, yet it just so happens that they found out they didn’t take it in the end and here we are with 2 of the most beautiful kids you could ever wish to meet.

Or the time when we needed a car part in France at 9pm for a Renault Espace with no money and no where open, yet from nowhere a man turns up from the bottom floor of a Peugeot garage, takes us down and it just so happened that he had the perfect part in the workshop even though they themselves would need to order that very same part for a Peugeot?!

Or the time... well you get it.

I figure there are 2 groups of people, those who live life by ‘coincidence’ and those who live life by a conviction that God is working a master plan together, and personally I’m the latter.

Living a life beyond coincidence. Believing that every day when I wake up there is purpose and meaning.

I’d encourage you to do the same!

[josephmwillis]

The pendulum swing

So it’s Thursday, the sun is shining and life is good hey!

This week I’ve had a thought.

It’s interesting that as we read an account from Saul’s life (later to be called Paul, because you know, why not change someone’s name!) that he was able to pendulum swing from crazy to crazy but in two different extremes.

Let me explain.

We find him in Acts 9 a very angry man. Killing Christians and doing everything he can to disrupt what God was doing, he was one loose cannon. 

Then one day, whilst on a road to Damascus, out of nowhere God speaks to him and he is left unable to see, so needed to be helped along to the next city and was told to wait for what was to come.

A brave guy called Ananias seeks him out on behalf of God and prays for Saul then BANG, suddenly he can see. 

He promptly gets baptised, eats dinner and then gets to work, preaching the good news about what he’s just experienced.

Amazing that a man can go from flat out crazy destructive to purely crazy about God in an instant.

I find so often if I have done some questionable things then I feel a little sheepish around God, like somehow I have to earn his trust again.

What’s amazing about Saul is that he pendulum swung from one to the other with very little thought.

Because that’s what a touch from God does. And it doesn't matter if you’re on a road, on the loo or on anything else, God can meet you where you are at and take you from the darkest places into the best of places.

Any time, anywhere. He’s available. 

Why not reach out today?

[josephmwillis]

It’s not what you thought it was

So we’ve been unlocking the power of the parables recently at Hope City Sheffield (check us out, maybe you should pop down sometime! http://hopecity.church/sheffield), and I’ve loved studying the parable of the Good Samaritan.

You know the one, where the Samaritan rescues a guys life, pays his expenses and generally saves the day. Hero!

Then Jesus says in Luke 10:37 for us to ‘Go and do likewise’

What amazes me about this story is that the most unexpected of people is able to change the world, one small act at a time.

The Samaritan, someone who ‘didn’t belong’ because he was an interbreed of races, someone who ‘didn’t fit in’ as they worshipped a mixture of religions.

The one small act of stopping, of seeing, of soothing, of serving and of going the second mile, changed the world for the man left to die.

But there’s more to the story than this, and I’m not sure if it’s what you thought it was.

Because, the next verse through to Luke 10:42, describes a scene where Jesus turns up unannounced to two of his best friends house.

And their approach to his arrival couldn’t be more different. 

Mary decides to sit with Jesus and listen to the amazing things he has to say, whilst Martha is stressing about the house, trying to get things prepared for him.

Jesus’ response?

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” 

What?! This is the exact opposite of what Jesus spoke about before surely? We find ourselves in a juxtaposition.

But here’s the truth - the former is an overflow of the latter.

Without time with Jesus, like Martha, activity for Jesus will exhaust you.

Jesus commended Mary because the place she would get her strength, resolve, vision and boldness was always going to be in the presence of him.

It’s so easy to do this thing called life alone. In our strength and with our gifts and talents, but sooner or later we end up exhausted and loose sight of what is really important.

How could you carve some margin into your world this week to spend with Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith?

Because I promise you if you do, you’ll be energised to go change the world!

[josephmwillis]

A bad assumption?

It’s almost April people... how on earth did that happen?!

Just a quick one today...

Seeming as Easter is around the corner, I love this passage in John 18 where Judas is about to go all time for the dumbest move in history, by leading the Priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus.

Peter is not happy. His response? To go all Zorro on them.

v10 - Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

This is so interesting as Peter’s assumption, like most of ours, would be self defence. Or at in least defence of the one he believed to be the messiah, the answer to all of their prayers.

But Jesus responds in quite the opposite way. 

You see Jesus knew this had to happen for God’s plan to come through, and so Peters assumption, even in good taste, was not helpful.

I think we can assume things too that aren’t helpful.

We haven’t got the dream job because ‘we didn’t work hard enough’ We haven’t got financial surplus because ‘poverty is holy’ Etc etc

But I’m so reassured by this statement from Jesus, because it says regardless of situation or assumption thereof, we are part of something much bigger; and it’s all in hand.

We may not get it and we may assume different but :  

“my thoughts are not your thoughts,    neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,    so are my ways higher than your ways    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:8-9)

And that makes me a happy man!

[josephmwillis]

Big picture thinking

Well happy new year!

Hope the break was as good for you as it was for us! Still no sign of Baby A (who is due TODAY!!) but the day is still young so who knows?!

Anywho, quick one today.

John 15 starts by Jesus saying; “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Pruning: sounds painful hey?!

But there’s a purpose. More fruit.

I think often in life we can feel like things that don’t work / people who back out / systems we installed fail etc is based on us, our inadequacies and our lack of skill.

But the reality is that sometimes God cuts things / people out from our lives simply because it’s not actually producing anything of value to us.

I have a feeling 2018 is gonna require some big picture thinking.

To see beyond the temporary loss to the future gain.

And I am excited by what I see!

[josephmwillis]

A New Year’s revelation

My amazing wife has handed over the Hope City Academy ✅

My final day of work before Christmas ✅

About to have another baby ✅

Excited for Christmas dinner ✅

A lot is set to change in 2018 for the Willis’. New jobs, the addition of a small human and a new year to face.

It’s easy to think that some resolutions will solve it all.

I need to be more organised. Get to the gym more. Eat better and get up earlier. I must try harder.

But the more I think about it, the more I realise that more than a new resolution I need a new revelation of God and who he’s called me to be.

There’s an interesting dialogue between God and Moses (with a burning bush thrown into the mix) in which Moses is given a mission but instead of seeing God for who he is, strong and able to take care of the situation, Moses reels off every reason why he can’t do it.

I guess it’s because he figured he’d have to find in himself everything needed for the challenge.

But the truth was in God was everything that Moses needed and it’s the same for us.

Sure self improvement is good and it’s important to know that we are growing but what’ll change the game is a revelation of the sovereignty of God in our lives.

My prayer is that in 2018 I get a new revelation of heaven and that you do too.

[josephmwillis]

A timely reminder

So here we are, 2 weeks until Christmas!! Are you all set? Or are you a lastminute.com kind of person?

Thank God for marriage and for a wife who is pregnant, and is therefore in nesting mode and is organised on my behalf!

So here’s a thought, the feeding of the 5000 was the only miracle before Jesus’ crucifixion that was mentioned in all 4 gospels, so I figure there’s some stuff to learn here hey.

It’s a well known story, 5000+ people are sat captivated by Jesus but getting more and more hungry as the day wares on.

So Jesus tasks his crew to feed these people, to which their response is firstly; ‘ermmmm how’ and secondly someone then has the bright idea to go rob a kids Paw Patrol lunchbox (Ok. May have elaborated on that...)

So the 5 loaves and 2 fish this kid had is prayed over and divided it up (there’s power in thankfulness for what you have even when you feel like it doesn’t come close to matching the need - but that’s another blog post!)

The thing that astonishes me though, more than the fact everyone ate and was full, was that there was 12 basket loads of bread left at the end.

12 disciples - 12 baskets.

It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to find out that after this moment (they leave Jesus to sail across the river, huge storm brews, they freak out, Jesus walks on water towards them, they freak out some more) just before Peter asks if he can get out of the boat, that his basket of bread would catch his eye and would give him the confidence to do what no one else on the planet has been able to. 

Jesus came through before, he will do it again.

It’s a timely reminder this Christmas that we have a God who is not just able, but wants us to look back at all the times he has come through for us this year and to believe again.

That throughout 2018, whatever happens ‘storms’ brew up around us, that he’s come through before and he’ll do it again. 

[josephmwillis]

It’s your call

Hey! Happy Thursday! 

So check this, something I’ve been thinking on this week that’s really changed my thinking, and it’s from Jesus (yep you guessed it!) in John 14:1 where he simply says ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.’

Do not let your heart be troubled.

So it’s my call if it does or not.

When the car breaks down I can choose to let my heart get troubled or not. When someone offends me I can choose to let my heart get troubled or not. When life seems to be throwing curveballs I can choose to let my heart get troubled or not.

So here’s my choice; and man I have to keep making it because life can be crazy and as with any other skill it’s learnt by practicing it on a regular basis, but I choose not to let my heart be troubled.

But to trust in God. 

[josephmwillis]

Reinvention

So this weekend was pretty good hey?!

If you didn’t manage to make it, check https://www.facebook.com/ThisNewRepublic/ for some epic highlights reels, pics and more info on next year!

Off the back of everything said and done, I stumbled across something I had read before but never really grasped.

John 13:34-35 says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So here’s me thinking, new command?! I know Jesus came to turn the world upside down but this is just your basic Christianity no?

But here’s the thing. It’s a nuance on the previous meaning. 

Not love your neighbour as yourself, but as he has loved us.

I love how Matthew Henry (I dare you to read some of his commentaries - some of the most eye opening insights into the bible!) depicts this love :

‘Of all the instances of Christ's love to his disciples, which they had already experienced during the time he went in and out among them. He spoke kindly to them, concerned himself heartily for them, and for their welfare, instructed, counselled, and comforted them, prayed with them and for them, vindicated them when they were accused, took their part when they were run down, and publicly owned them to be dearer to him that his mother, or sister, or brother. He reproved them for what was amiss, and yet compassionately bore with their failings, excused them, made the best of them, and passed by many an oversight. Thus he had loved them, and just now washed their feet; and thus they must love one another, and love to the end.’

This is no ordinary love. Conditional and based on feelings.

This is love reinvented.

I think it’s time I personally had a reinvention of what it truly means to love the people I come into contact with.

To concern myself heartily for people To compassionately bear with peoples failings To love to the end