Becoming His Life Completely
MY LIFE BECOMING HIS LIFE — COMPLETELY!
1. What are the keys to continuing freshness in your love relationship with the Lord Jesus?
Keys for me are moment to moment sense of the presence of Jesus, a lively conversation with Him about everything and a constant asking for help with even the smallest tasks.
2. What do you experience of the Holy Spirit’s speaking and leading in your every day life?
An increasing sense of His guidance, an increasing revelation of the presence and character of Jesus, more evidence of the life of Jesus flowing from me in the form of His faith, wisdom, joy, patience, compassion and love for others, Him, the Father and the Spirit.
3. Can you describe your everyday communication with God? Has this changed much since you first gave your life to Christ?
Unrecognisably so! I am having an ongoing conversation with Jesus. I have discovered Him as my Friend and companion. I have discovered my own weakness to a degree and He is right here to complete my shortcomings. Now I am on a daily journey of discovery of this principle.
4. What is worship to you these days? How does it play a part in your everyday life?
When I talk to Jesus, I worship and I do that all day. I take at least an hour a day to be alone with Him and just spend time with Him. That sometimes leads to worship, other times to prayer, study or intercession. I just want to go where He is and I often find Him in the strangest places. I very seldom go to church services for worship because what I experience wherever I am fills all my desires. We join in small groups and sometimes worship together – that is great but not as good as being alone with Him.
5. What is your experience of blessings and disappointments in your relationship with other believers?
This has been the tool Jesus used most to bring me to an understanding of my own weakness and the potential of His abiding life in me. There have been many disappointments and pain, but also much victory and growth. Once we took the hurdles presented by church structure out of the way, I was able to start receiving real love from others – not the kind of attention and love that people are forced to give because they are in the same social club – and that has been a tremendous blessing. Our interaction around tables and the unity that now also touches our purses and hearts outside the concept of loyalty to a structure does not ceased to amaze and bless me.
As Jesus takes over more of our lives we are finding that our expectations of one another decrease and so there is more unconditional love around to share in. We are more ready to respond to love and to His life, and less inclined to be responsible for changing people and circumstances.
6. What is your present understanding of local church life, leadership and structure?
I was a pastor of a Vineyard church for 16 years. We have deconstructed our formal church and are now functioning as a network of friends who love Jesus and belong to the wider Body of Christ. We meet in small groups that are spontaneous and not organised at all. Gifted individuals lead in various ways and function as elders when they are ‘elder-ing’, not because they have been appointed in any position. In this way the body comes together around whatever the Holy Spirit wants us to focus on. Life has become simpler but much more effective and we have more time to love one another and Him. People have grown tremendously in the Lord because they are looking to Him and not to me for their spiritual growth.
There is outreach and ministry going on into the community but it is driven by love and not by programs. Jesus is very faithful to lead and love us through our journey of discovery.
7. What 2 or 3 things have become increasingly important to you over the period since you first trusted in the Lord?
To know Jesus more, to hear Him speaking, to feel his life flowing through me and to love those around me with a God given passion.
To be a better son, husband, dad, employer and friend every day. To see the real church come forth from all denominations and organisations.
8. What 2 or 3 things have become quite unimportant/ meaningless/ valueless to you since God ‘turned your life around’?
The terms: responsibility, expectation, ministry, church and Christian in the context I used to see them and as they are used in the structural church to keep the focus.
9. At the present time, what is your main area of desire, concern or aspiration?
To be so close to Jesus that His life will become my life completely. I have not attained that nor do I think that I am close but I am stretching myself out to obtain that for which He has empowered me through His suffering. I want to be the instrument of the Holy Spirit to place in His hands the prize He suffered for.
by Stephen Vosloo, South Africa
