A list for a holy life

Colin Urquhart is the founder of Kingdom Faith, an author, and an internationally known speaker. He recently published a list of key qualities that he thinks should be found in every believer. The list focusses mainly on what we are, not what we do, though action will inevitably result.

Colin Urquhart has been living as a Spirit filled believer and follower of Jesus for most of his life. He is serious about his walk with Jesus.

He was a leader in the Charismatic Movement in the 1960s and 70s and has written many books, led churches, published a New Testament translation, spoken at countless meetings, runs a Bible college and has long been a pastor in Kingdom Faith which he founded.

Here is his list of fifteen key qualities that should be found in every believer. It's an interesting list, focussing on holiness and based on much personal experience. Read through it and give it some thought. Notice that the items are more about being something than about doing something. Although most of the statements begin with verbs, the sense is mostly about a state of being. For example, 'being full of praise and adoration' is not a call to action, it's an encouragement to a state of mind and spirit.

1. Love for God that is expressed in obedience to Him. 
2. Wholehearted consecration to His will.
3. Living in the fear of the Lord, not wanting to grieve Him in any way.
4. Seeking God's glory in all things.
5. Living with complete trust and confidence in Jesus.
6. Living at one with the Lord in the communion of His presence at all times.
7. Living a life of watchful prayer.
8. Being full of praise and adoration for the Lord.
9. Diligent use of your time.
10. Standing strong against temptation.
11. Being devoted to a life of serving God by serving others.
12. Walking in humility, not judgement.
13. Living a life of self-denial, taking up your cross to follow Jesus.
14. Keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus at all times.
15. Being submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit as a child of God.

It seems clear to me that Colin's whole approach is geared more to what we are than to what we do. Inevitably what we are results in doing certain things and not doing others. But the actions are results, not causes.

You can read the list on Colin's website along with his short explanation not included above. You might also find some of his audio messages interesting.

Questions:

• What (if anything) would you add to or remove from this list? Why?
• Which is the more fundamental, what you are or what you do?
• Does reading this list affect your understanding of what it means to follow Jesus?
• If you lived like this, how would it affect the things you say and the things you do?

See also:

• Charismatic movement - Wikipedia
• ColinUrquhart.com
• Colin Urquhart - Wikipedia
• Holy life - ColinUrquhart.com
• Kingdom Faith
• Peterborough, Faith '11 - Journeys of heart and mind
• Renewing the Temple - Journeys of heart and mind

Renewing the temple

Two visions at a recent meeting have some encouraging things to say about the future of the church. Both of them speak of something that has been destroyed, both of them speak of recovery and renewal.

Donna and I and some friends visited Faith Camp at the Peterborough showground on Wednesday 1st of August.

Colin Urquhart was speaking that night, a veteran from the old days of the Charismatic renewal in the 1960s and 70s. He's still as good as he ever was! He spoke about the seven 'I AM's in John.

During a time of individual reflection and prayer and focussing on holiness and love, the Spirit gave me two pictures. I'd like to share them here, they are about holiness and love and the future of the body of Christ which is the church.

A broken plant - I saw a plant with the leaves cut off at ground level, as if it had been carelessly run over by the lawnmower. There appeared to be nothing left, no hope of recovery, a total loss.

But then I saw that there was a deep root and a tuber that were intact and I knew that stems and leaves and flowers would spring up fresh and new. And the Spirit showed me that it needed only a little time (patience) and a little rain (refreshment).

The broken temple - A little later I saw the ruins of a stone building. Just some broken, low walls remained, and some scattered stones. I had no idea what it represented.

While I was looking at these and wondering what they meant, the Son of Man came and sat on the stonework, and somehow I knew that this was the Temple and he was sitting exactly where a throne had been. (Yes, I know, the temple in Jerusalem did not contain a throne. But this is what I saw. However, there was the mercy seat, the Ark of the Covenant. Remember, Yahshua is our King as well as our great High Priest as well as being the Son, one aspect of the Mighty One whose name is I AM.)

And as I watched the ruins were transformed into a complete building. Stone fitted against stone, timbers appeared, and the entire structure was covered in gold and fine jewels. Jesus continued to sit there throughout this process. Indeed, I realised that the transformation came about because he was sitting there.

A song - And then the words of an old song came into my mind...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his glorious face.
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.

The meaning - I am convinced that the Spirit is saying that a time of revival and renewal is coming to the church, because Jesus is coming to the church in a fresh and extraordinary way.

I believe he is also saying that we will need to be patient, that the refreshing living water is a necessary resource first. Jesus needs to be sitting in his proper place amongst the ruins before any restructuring and renewing can begin.

He is already among us. He is going to sit amongst us in new ways. The church is not dead but it has been badly damaged. He is going to do a new thing (he always does a new thing).

The roots of the damaged plant are still there below the surface as are the foundations of the damaged temple as is the foundation stone of the church which is Christ.

So rejoice, be patient, and be full of expectation! This is a time for experiencing the Messiah's holiness and love. It is also a time for all of us - individually and together - to allow his holiness and love to pour out through us as a great flood. This flood from Jesus needs to flow between us one to another, and it will also flow out into the world.

Our response - Whether I have understood all this correctly and fully or not (probably not), it would be good to hear what others think.

What do these two pictures say to you? What have I missed or distorted? Have you or those you know had similar revelations and expectations? What do you think the Lord will do next amongst us? Do you see evidence for these changes in the world around you? In church life? In your own life?

See also: Another wave rolls in - from Felicity Dale's blog 'Simply Church'