God, this world, and heaven.

So much of what I write about, teach about, and do, (or at least try to do), is to help Christians realize how important they are for God's purpose to transform and heal the world in which we live daily - 'our world'. Far too often we place our emphasis on 'heaven' and in doing so we neglect the earth.

The following quote expresses so clearly how I feel about faith and life:

The Kingdom of God … is about the transformation of this world into holiness, not the evacuation of this world into heaven.

~ John Dominic .

This concept is expressed even more clearly by my favorite South African Bishop, Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the Gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political or social?’ He said, ‘I feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.

~ Desmond Tutu.

Heaven is important, but so is the earth! God's plan for you is a plan for your life today! Don't miss it!

Penang - wonderful people, a beautiful place!

Last night Steve Johnstone (from Unashamedly Ethical), Pr Looi Kim, Eugene and I arrived in Penang. It is a beautiful Island in Malaysia.

We were met by members of the Marketplace Ministry committee (isn't it great that they have an organised committee to encourage, support and develop marketplace ministers?)

Over the next 4 days we'll be speaking at various events with Pastors, Marketplace Leaders, Local politicians, and then on Sunday we'll be preaching various Churches. In particular we shall be launching Unashamedly Ethical, and talking about the critical relationship between Pulpit ministers and Marketplace ministers for Transformation.

Please join us! If you're looking more information please visit the NECF website.

I would also appreciate your prayers for Steve, myself, the local team and all of those who will participate! Transformation is God's desire, and God's idea. Let's pray that together we can take another step within His will!

I took the picture in this post when I got back from my morning run along the beach. It is a beautiful place! It reminds me a little of the Strand back home.

Associating with God

A great deal of my life and ministry is 'glamorous' by anyone's standards! I get to fly around the world and speak about topics that I've written about in books. I am constantly humbled and amazed that people would listen. Most often at the seminars, conferences, and gatherings I speak at I encounter women and men who have a far greater understanding of the subjects I speak on. Sometimes they are better practitioners of my topic, at other times they have deeper insights, frequently they are more articulate.

But, by the grace of God I have the opportunity to do what I do - and so I don't stand back. I wake early, I go to bed late. I work hard to be creative and passionate about transforming the world to conform to the values of God's gracious Kingdom. I believe that it is a good thing to spend my life in order to try and facilitate transformation in the people I encounter and the systems within which we live. God cares about people - very much so! And so I care about people. God also cares about the systems that help us and the systems that hinder our living. God cares about politics and freedom. God cares about health care. God cares about education, reproductive rights, racial, gender and ethic issues... God cares about animals and plants. God cares about the world - very much so! And, so do I.

I want to encourage you, if you have not already done so, to associate far more closely with God. It takes humility to be in God's presence, because there no-one is love any more or less than anyone else. We are all loved completely. It takes courage to associate with God. Since in God's presence we see ourselves for who we truly are. There are no titles, positions, lists of publications, 'speakers introductions' or bank balances in God's presence. There is just God, God's love and God's people.

This picture of the KL skyline taken from my Hotel room informed my prayers this morning. In these apartments and houses are women and men that God loves. There are families, there are joys, struggles, hopes and aspirations. Some are free to find true life, others are bound by circumstances that stop them from truly living. But, what is common to each of us is God's loving and transforming grace!

This quote via @Invisibleforeigner touched me deeply as I was praying and reading the scriptures this morning.

Since Moses was alone, by having been stripped as it were of the people’s fear, he boldly approached the very darkness itself and entered the invisible things where he was no longer seen by those watching. After he entered the inner sanctuary of the divine mystical doctrine, there, while not being seen, he was in company with the Invisible. He teaches, I think, by the things he did that the one who is going to associate intimately with God must go beyond all that is visible and—lifting up his own mind, as to a mountaintop, to the invisible and incomprehensible—believe that the divine is there where the understanding does not reach.

— St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses

Today I shall be flying from Kuala Lumpur to Penang to participate in a conference. Please pray for me, and for my colleague Steve Johnstone. Please pray for the people we shall be with. Pray that we may encounter each other in God's grace and that God may be glorified in our speech, thought, actions and togetherness. Pray that we may have the courage to be true to God and to ourselves, and that by the grace of Christ we may have the courage to act with integrity to participate in God's mission of renewing and transforming this little peace of God's good earth.

Transform your work life! Turn your ordinary work day into an extraordinary calling!

This morning I will doing one of the keynote talks at the Malaysian Unashamedly Ethical conference in Kuala Lumpur - I'll be focussing on one of the places that is least dealt with by the Church. The reality is that,

98% of Christians are not prepared for 95% of their working lives.

In fact, I'll be speaking about how we can focus not on the 24 hours of the week that most Churches make their primary work - I'll be talking about the other 166 hours of the week, one of the least reached places on earth - the 9 to 5 window!

I'll upload my slides (and hopefully some audio) here as soon as I am able to.

In the meantime if you're interested in reading a number of posts, insights, and some encouragement to help you transform your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling, then please scan through a few of these posts.

CanaanLand publishes 'Transform your work life'

My friend Larry Lee did such an awesome job of publishing our books, Transform your work life' and 'Not by might nor by Power' in Malaysia!

They look great and feel fantastic - I bought a few copies to bring back to South Africa. The copies on the left of this picture are Malaysian. Super!

Thanks Larry!

To order copies of the books in Malaysia please visit Canaanland here.

Prayer and the Bible / Prayer and the Holy Spirit - notes and slides from the Methodist Prayer Convention in Sibu Malaysia

I had the privelage of doing two of the plenary talks at the Methodist Prayer Convention in Sibu, Malaysia, yesterday.

Some of the participants in those talks asked for copies of my notes and the powerpoint slides.  Unfortunately I cannot access my FTP server from the Hotel, so I've uploaded the notes to my dropbox folder and shared the files - I'm fairly certain this should work.  The PowerPoints are about 2.5MB each and the PDF outlines of my notes are only a few hundred KB.

You can download these files from my Dropbox folder by clicking the links below (you will just need to set up a free DropBox username and password in order to get the files).

• Prayer and the Bible (notes outline and powerpoint slides)
• Prayer and the Holy Spirit (notes and powerpoint slides)

If you have any problems downloading the notes please drop me a line and I will try to get them to you by another means.

God bless,

Dion

Day 2 of the 2011 Methodist Prayer convention in Sibu, Malaysia

Last night more than 3500 people packed the main hall of the Kingwood Hotel conference center for the opening of the Methodist Prayer convention. Bishop Hwa Yung and Graham Power spoke about the global prayer movement. What was most significant for me was the 'concert of prayer' in which the entire gathering prayed together around critical issues in the world for almost an hour!

Today we continue with the conference. I shall be speaking at the Tamil Plenary sessions at 9.00 on the Bible and Prayer, then Graham and I speak on Unashamedly Ethical and Transform your work life over lunch to a group of 400 business people, after which I will speak at the evening plenary on the Holy Spirit and prayer.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers for us.

Please could I encourage you to pray for the people of Syria today - they are facing extreme oppression as they protest for democracy. Also please remember our sisters and brothers in the United States of America who have faced the ravages of nature as tornadoes devastated parts of the South.

Speaking in Kuching Malaysia

We had a wonderful response from our friends in the beautiful city of Kuching in Saruwak. Here you'll see a picture of the city from the air, and a picture of Graham Power speaking on Unashamedly Ethical.

Arrived in Sibu

I'm pleased to say that after 5 flights we have arrived safely at the Kingswood Hotel in Sibu where we will be speaking at the Methodist Prayer convention at the invitation of our friend Bishop Hwa Yung.

It is wonderful to be here! I last spoke at the 2007 Methodist Prayer convention which was held in Kuala Lumpur. In total there were about 3500 people at that conference and close to 13 000 people at the Sunday event. They are expecting similar numbers this week. (PS., I loved seeing these brightly coloured chairs on our last flight from KK to Sibu).

Graham and I will have to be clear and brief since our talks in the plenaries will be translated into Chinese (so one's speaking time must be cut in half to accommodate translation).

Malaysia is a nation that seems to share so much in common with South Africa. We have a similar Christian missionary heritage, both nations have a wonderfully colorful diversity of peoples! Yet both still struggle with ethnic and racial concerns, corruption is a huge national concern... Both nations are rich in human and natural resources. Yet there are problems with poverty.

It is our hope that as we a share with business people and Christian leaders on the Unashamedly Ethical campaign, and the Kingdom of God in every sphere of society - particularly as we've experienced it in the 'world of work' (see Transform your work life for more details) that we will be able to support the good work of the Church here. We want to encourage more fervent prayer, more courageous and sacrificial obedience to God's loving Kingdom, and the transformation of society. (The photo on the right was taken in the hotel lift showing a sign to the prayer room on the 5th level).

Of course the basis for everything that we do comes from the mandate for the Global Day of Prayer which has taken place in Malaysia since 2005 if I am correct.

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways.  Then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chron 7.14)

Please pray with us for this to take place!

The journey begins!

The first snow has fallen on the Hottentots Holland mountains behind our home in Somerset West - it is wet in Cape Town. But, I'm off to much warmer weather! By 3pm SA time tomorrow I would have reached my semi final destination Sibu in Malaysia.

I am missing my family already. However, I am filled with anticipation for what lies ahead over the next two weeks! Scroll down a few posts or do a search for 'Malaysia' on this blog for full details of this trip.

I'd appreciate your prayers for me, my family and our team.

A blessed Easter!

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Here is a wonderful easter message from Pete Greig of the 24-7 Prayer and Justice movement

May the miracle of Christ's life transform yours.

Join us at the Unashamedly Ethical conferences in Malaysia

On Wednesday I'll be boarding a flight from Cape Town to Malaysia where Graham Power and I will first be heading via Kuala Lumpur to Sibu to speak at the Methodist Prayer gathering (with some engagements in Kuching along the way). I had the immeasurable privilage of speaking at the 2007 prayer gathering (it was during this time that I first fell in love with Malaysia and her wonderful people!)  

Malaysia has a very special place in my heart - I have been back a number of times since then, and will be there twice this year.

Then, on the 29th we head back to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with Steve Johnstone (the international coordinator for Unashamedly Ethical) to speak at an Unashamedlly Ethical conference (see the brochure and video below).  Please find the full details of the conference here.  I would love to see there if you're in the area!

On the 5th and 6th of May we go on Penang for another Unashamedly Ethical Conference. Please find full details of that conference here.

The Unashamedly Ethical movement challenges individuals and organisations to make a stand for values and ethics.  We are convinced that we will never be able to deal with systemic poverty until we address systemic corruption. Please consider joining us by committing yourself to values, ethics and clean living here - Unashamedly Ethical online.

I will also be doing some seminars and workshops with pastors and business people on the topics of 'ministry in the marketplace' and 'practical social transformation' (based in part on the book that Graham Power and I wrote together called 'Transform your work life')  If you live in Malaysia and would like to order a copy of the book please visit Canaanland here. If you live elsewhere in the world please get your copy here.

Prayer requests

Please could you support us in prayer.  Here are some prayer pointers.

• Please pray for our hosting committee in the Methodist Church in Malaysia who will host us for the first part of our visit (particularly Bishop Hwa Yung and his leadership team)
• Please pray for our hosting committee from the NECF - close friends who are doing incredible work in the Church and the marketplace.
• Please pray for Graham, Steve and I while we're away.  Also please pray for our families.
• Please pray that the Lord will use us and that He will create wonderful opportunities for us to bless, encourage and partner with our Malaysian friends in bringing about renewal and transformation in the Church and world of work.

Thanks so much!  I'll be posting updates as regularly as I can to my twitter feed and will post here as well as often as I can.