Elyce Joseph

"Ministry is simply you loving like Jesus. It’s the Beatitudes made manifest in your life."

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:03:06 +0800

“Ministry is simply you loving like Jesus. It’s the Beatitudes made manifest in your life.”

- Heidi Baker

The Rapport of Poor Character

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:33:33 +0800

In Daniel Goleman’s recent study of Emotional Intelligence, he explores a discovery in what’s labelled the ‘Social Brain’, which encompasses the emotional functionality of our brains in social contexts, and the operation of “mirror neurons” which act like a “neural Wifi system” (Goleman, 618) in group/person to person communication. What I found fascinating in this study was the function of this part of our brain in groups under leadership.

I was sitting in a training session at work on communication and EQ (emotional intelligence), and remember the trainer observing the group of us nearly all sitting in a similar position at the meeting table as we listened to her teach. She called the moment a situation where there were obvious “rapport leaders” in the room. Rapport can be defined as a relation; connection, or especially harmonious or sympathetic relation. The social brain recognises situations where there are natural rapport leaders, and according to this discovery, the brain recognises along the diverse and mosaic networking minds that we have, that the most powerful person in the room (defined by both humility and honour, I would hope) will influence how the rest of the group feels. Yes, feel. That horrible, overly emotional word that men go no where near and women justify everything with.. (Kidding).

To clarify: the leadership is not responsible for how you feel, nor do they define it. But by grace, we’ve been blessed with being able to give and receive Love, and influence one another.

In group vision, goals and dreaming, the leadership are required to build rapport with their group. Leadership must have balance. If your character is arrogant, if your ego is dominant, if you’re unstable - cracks will show. (You didn’t see me write that anyone is perfect). There are few character traits outside of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, that will not create fear in relationships and in teams. I strongly understand relationships to work either fear or Faith (trust action) based. As a Christian, it is vital to evaluate who your rapport leaders are - or even what they are - and if they operate in the field of Faith or fear. Often your behaviour and response to situations will determine which you’re ‘feeding’ off, or indicate what. Outside of Christianity, if you’re in a place of leadership it’s equally important to evaluate who your rapport leaders are, and how you’re ‘feeding’ your character. In learning to be a leader, I’ve learnt that leadership is costly. You’re influencing people.

I’m determined to see people choose to soul sort, and I’m determined to see Christ’s goodness be deemed sovereignly powerful.

Confidence

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:52:05 +0800

One thing I’m learning about leadership is that it’s okay - if not, necessary - to be confident in what you believe in. Confident, not arrogant. It is equally necessary for you maintain humility - because you are often wrong :) and that’s okay (it’s part of the process). I’m being challenged at the moment in my passivity. A turning point in God’s response to Habakkuk in the second chapter of that book, is when He declares, “…but the righteous will live by his faith”, and I’m convinced this is a call for God’s people to be walking in confidence. We are righteous when we are aligned with Truth, and our soul is upright with His. The overflow of this is trusting in God. Regardless of the enemy’s work, those who have themselves aligned with God will have faith, and trust in Him. Fortunately, I’m being taught that when there is merely one Kingdom concept to learn, it must be learnt in every area of your life. God works completely. Humility will remind you to be confident that God will build you in areas that are weaker. I said that its necessary to be confident in what you believe in - which means that I’m confident in God. Our confidence is not in our flesh… We don’t have enough grace to keep ourselves afloat and away from pride. We are kept, and grounded in God’s Grace and heart for us to build into who He’s made us to be. Humility is not being quiet (or not defined by quietness). Humility is believing in the grace promised to us and speaking from there. (You still speak - you are just open to discipleship).

Humans fascinate me. Everything works like carefully crafted, intertwined patchwork. I could write for hours on how I’m learning each characteristic of God that He desires in us is moulded together, and each relevant for the grow of each other… Kind of like humans.
I am confident in His blood, but the Kingdom of God amazes me and that alone keeps me seeking humility and Grace.

http://www.skiesofabraham.bandcamp.com

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:16:44 +0800

http://www.skiesofabraham.bandcamp.com:

If you haven’t already.. My band has recently released our debut EP LOVE, and we’re keen to have it shared around. Have a listen :)

I Only Talk Because You Ask

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 19:43:34 +0800

I met a man today. Scott. Scott lives in a tent on a beach, unwillingly. His teeth are stained yellow and in need of drastic dental work, not from a lifestyle of unrestricted access to chocolate bars and candy.. But rather no doubt ruined from feeding off cigarette adrenalin and evenings of eating Chinese leftovers from the six dollars he openly received on the street for the day. He’s a labourer.
‘Any labour work! Anything and everything,’ he protested.

He observed the people walking past his cardboard sign and commented on how it’s quietning down. A lady, possibly high or skizophrenic, walked past and pushed my friend in the back. We’re not used to being misused in middle class. Nor are they used to us disposing ourselves to change our perspective and see through new eyes.

‘Scott, have many Christians helped you before?’ I asked.
‘Sometimes…’ he commented.

He points to the church building nearly directly in front of us.

‘… But I’ve been sitting here on this street every Sunday morning and not one person has come over from that church to speak to me.’

My friend and I left, and sore.

Our people are living on the streets. Our people are forcibly, living on the streets. Our people are being abused. Our people are hurting, and broken. And yet the Church holds something dearly close that enables gives the ability to function in a healthy lifestyle with exuberant joy..
The Love of God.

For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, You shall open wide your hands to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor in your land. - Deuteronomy 15:11 AMP.

My band’s EP was released today, LOVE. Please take a...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:46:00 +0800

My band’s EP was released today, LOVE. Please take a listen… www.skiesofabraham.bandcamp.com :)

Come, and follow (but you're carrying too much..)

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:57:15 +0800

God showed me a beautiful moment of His redemptive love yesterday. A young man, after years of abuse, confusion, depression, standing and worshipping Jesus.

It’s what led me to today’s revelation.

“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very say, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:25.2-25

When Jesus asked us to sell everything and follow him, there was an offer of an exchange. Everything God asks us to do in loving Him involves an exchange. God never leaves us empty handed. There is a kindness to God that we cannot comprehend unless we have areas in our life that require kindness. We cannot understand the beautiful character of God that ministers to our wounded places if we are not vulnerable to Him. I think, in a sense, He asked us to sell everything because in doing so we become yielded and surrendered to Him, but as an exchange, we have a mindset that becomes awakened to God’s blessing because we then have areas that need to be blessed. There is a fullness of His characteristics that we don’t often understand or see because we simply have too many things in the way. He called us to live a possession-less life so that we see His goodness in our daily walk as He provides for us abundantly and beautifully. Philippians 4:19 tells us that He will provide for our every need through His glorious riches. You want to know glory? Surrender your needs to Him and let Him fulfil His promise to you.

He is ministering to me with knowledge. He is ministering to me with wisdom, and vision, and understanding. I love my Jesus.

That’s right, we’re quietly existing in sound land.....

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:24:56 +0800

That’s right, we’re quietly existing in sound land.. Skies of Abraham demo refining. #skiesofabraham @rachtalbot @goshandrew @kat_field #music #EP

"Stop, for a moment, focusing on His sacrifice and see His resurrection. Focus on Jesus’..."

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 04:35:13 +0800

“Stop, for a moment, focusing on His sacrifice and see His resurrection. Focus on Jesus’ sacrifice is necessary for salvation, but we worship in response to His resurrection.”

Face The Facts

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:41:21 +0800

“Without becoming weak in faith he [Abraham] contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God has promised, He was able also to perform.”
Romans 4v19-21.

What a man Abraham was to adequately evaluate his flesh of both beauty and dust and realise that though his body is merely a vessel on earth, it is made perfectly to encapsulate God’s glory and perform His will. One version of this verse says: “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” The line that my mind instantly highlighted was that in bold. We are not to be idealistic Christians - we do not live exempt from the limitations of our flesh and soul. Most people live day in and day out responding to the flesh’s demands (we are called higher). Battles I had faced during the day in my mind were understanding my youth and my incapability because of lack of qualifications, class, ‘cool’ factor, openness (outside of Truth) and connect with the generation around me. When I read verse then, I understood it necessary to apply to my prayer life and in shaping my character paradigm. The promises God has for us and His desire to lead us into abundant living does not depend on your outward circumstance, your earthly characteristics - but rather rely solely on God’s unchanging character and His love for us.

Lord, I face the fact that I am young. I face the fact that I am small. I face the fact that my family is my family. I face the fact that I am not qualified. I face the fact that you gave me my emotions. Lord, I call in the confidence Abraham had in Romans 4. I declare his faith and courage to ‘face the facts’ of my human state and believe in Your promises to step into my calling.

I Am Steadfast To Seek

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:40:35 +0800

God has been teaching me about utter dependancy on Him. At first I fear humiliation, because I know yielding means exposing my weak points for Him to gracefully work on. Grace enables what it commands - God pours out His grace over my all and empowers me. Far from humiliation, utter dependance on God means I’m empowered beyond my fleshly ability. He’s forming me under fire. If my ministry crumbles, He holds me steadfast. If relationship crumbles, He holds me steadfast. If my income stops coming in (ha), He holds me steadfast.

I find that we are easily distracted (completely human). I find that we can become arrogant even in our purity pursuit. The risk we enter into when we pursue revelation and find ourselves only with knowledge, is that we have to be ready to take the fall if we forget to humble ourselves by remembering how we got there. Or we find that we’ve gained understanding but can’t figure out why there’s been no character transformation. Pray for revelation, always. You cannot seek revelation, only pray for it. Our knowledge is powerful in that we learn to prepare ourselves for abandoned obedience to the King.. But revelation leads us to Christlikeness. Anything outside of Holy Spirit’s work will not lead us to Christ (which means we better get to know who Holy Spirit is).

I am after His heart. I am after intimacy, not influence.

Made to see (but I have allergies?)

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:20:00 +0800

“Lord, what do you want me to write about?”
“Hay fever.”

“You’re kidding.”

So, I’m going to write about hay fever. Ironically, I don’t think I’ve ever had it, except for maybe this morning. I feel like I have hay fever this morning - maybe as a result of gardening on Sunday. That’s right - gardening. I did have a bit of a laugh at myself while I was pulling out weeds.. God is so clever.

Creation sets us up perfectly to see how God has made living in the Kingdom as a warrior in Christ. There are concepts that are less-than-perfect concepts on earth, that are divinely refined in heaven. I do believe that He’s set us up to see. We have triggers inside that enable us to walk with discernment, seeing good from bad, fear from Faith, that are grown inside us from in the womb. We have a general ability to see what weeds look like… To know that they don’t necessarily contribute to the visual aesthetics of the garden bed.. and so we [eventually] see the need to pull them out.

Creation is good. Bark, soil, sunshine, sand.. But in that are less noticeable things created that cause a reaction from us (an allergic reaction, maybe). There is an adjustment period when being exposed to raw.. or rough.. or even different. There’s an adjustment period, that might look like the dust, or the pollen, that gets stuck in your nose (herein lies the hay fever analogy). Our nose acts as a filter, and when we’re exposed to fresh seasons (Spring) we can become exposed to little nasty pasties that our flesh reacts to, when all our senses going haywire. In that time of reaction we lose ability to work our senses the way they should - which could mean our sight is fuzzy for a period of time, or our nose blocked.

All this, purely from adjustment and exposure.

Enter in: walking by Faith, and making healthy decisions.
There are choices that you can make in this season to avoid getting crap up your nose, or steer-clear of an allergic reaction, but you make choices to shift things that aren’t aligning. You have to choose to. Just because natural circumstances cause it doesn’t mean natural circumstances will fix how you respond to it. Sometimes, it’s a constant choice that takes a while to bring alignment.

The whole time, you must walk by Faith. And you must constantly yield. Your flesh will tell you when there is something that isn’t sitting right (discernment), but it takes a lot of praying, a lot of listening, and a lot of time with the Holy Spirit.

Go deal with your symptoms.

Some thoughts in the waking.

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:22:27 +0800

I’m exploring the cost of following Jesus. I’m experiencing, but searching into the concept and looking at how it can apply in every area of my life as I continue to pursue Jesus. I’m finding there is isolation in choosing Jesus (hear me out - isolation that results in freedom, but there’s still a cost for it.) My cost is not that I’m bitter in choosing to ‘isolate myself for Jesus’.. (I’m not resenting God for a decision He’s given me freedom and responsibility to make.. and the isolation in the secular is nothing compared to the freedom of the Kingdom.) I think my cost is in the transformation of my heart. Real surrender does not surrender the thing you love to the Lord, it surrenders the love of that thing to God, and yielding that place entirely as His. My surrender costs. The ‘little loves’ I have.. that connect me to people.. It’s not that I don’t love them anymore.. I just love God more in those areas, and choose Him there.

The cost means that in conversation when that ‘little love’ is addressed, I shrug and don’t say much.. I chose Love in that place instead. If that isolates me, it’s okay.

Day Four.

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 11:38:03 +0800

New morning. New season, literally (and hopefully spiritually).

The God of all creation greeted me with a smile on His face this morning. I haven’t wanted to dance for a long time.. Now I do. This is me encountering You. It’s always like Spring time with You.

Oh Lord, let me do face to face with You.

You bring restoration.. You bring restoration.. You will bring restoration..

You take my weeping, and turn it into laughing.

You take my mourning, and turn it into dancing.

You take my sadness, and turn it into joy.

Joel 2v12-27.

Day Two

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:14:42 +0800

Song: My Beautiful King - Danyew.

Beautiful Love,
In the fleshing out of things I’ve done
I’m left confused
But You came and made me undone.

Beautiful Love,
In the fleshing out of things I feel
I’m left lost
But You came and made me real.

Beautiful Love,
In the quiet of white walls
Wrestling with linen in the night
You came in and loved me raw.

Beautiful Love,
In the peace, in the eye
When I Love, when I die,
You wrote my song
wrote it on my mind
for the day of awakening
when it will take flight.

Beautiful Love,
In the fleshing out of things I know
In the coming and the going,
In the loving and the knowing,

Beautiful Love has set me free,
and My Love, You know me intimately.

Day One.

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:07:08 +0800

Coffee at hand.

Bible.

Bill Johnson’s latest book.

New headphones for music.. Slightly muting everything around me, but I don’t mind that so much. It’s a surreal feeling when you can’t hear yourself type (#firstworldmusings).

Song: Resting Place - The Vous.

Today’s realization: there’s nothing I want more than to dwell in God’s Presence and in His Glory.

Today’s heart cry: let me dwell in the Presence.. let me taste the Presence.

I’ve chosen a lot of cost recently. What I mean by that, is I’ve made a lot of decisions that have cost me something out of believing I was choosing wisely in order to seek the Kingdom of God. There have been many decisions that I have made that naturally, seeking intimacy with the Lord, have cost. But there have been others where I have felt Him say to me that what I’ve.. sacrificed.. hasn’t changed the way He loves me which is such a revelation.. out of believing that I had to make decisions to gain love. I’m only now just learning what it means to commit to living a life aware of the cost (the real cost) of following Jesus. I think I’ve made decisions out of the basis of ‘this is sacrifice for Jesus - therefore I will have more intimacy with Him and see Him more clearly’.. but it’s a comfort to comfort sacrifice. They just look different so it looks like sacrifice.

I think I’m learning that my decision making is coming from of place of now ‘how will our relationship look if I go there?’ rather than, ‘where can I go to find You?’. I am safe in the Father’s arms. I am safe under fire with Him. I am safe in the field with Him. I am with Him, always.

It’s a funny burning feeling in your chest when you choose Love. How crazy, right? My theory is that two things burn in me with I choose Love.

I choose to Love God in that moment. My Spirit burns with passion and joy (doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.. You just prioritize His place in Your life and commit to learning to love as Jesus did.)
My uni lecturer used to say that we’re all born prematurely because culture dictates everything down to our motor skills.. behaviours.. voice.. language.. and the unfortunate thing about that culture reaks with impurity.

When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation.

Romans 2v14-12 (MSG)

This tells me that we’re not made to operate out of impurity. The way we’re meant to function is out of purity.. which means when I choose Love, I am burning the impure in me. I’m burning what is built into me as culturally.. acceptable and right. If God is Love, and His voice washes me clean from impurity, then I long to dwell in Righteous Love.

I love my Jesus.

To run with the horses..

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:24:00 +0800

I haven’t written in a while.. only mixed verses of love and loss poured out onto a sheet, a sheet becoming less and less like a confused vessel and more a willing kind. Here we go..

I have a daughter in the Spirit. She is powerful in Love and strong in Faith, but is experiencing growing pains, as any child would. I often find I compare my faith journey to raising a child. It must be nurtured, fed, tested, loved… She will fail often and do life in front of me. Hallelujah, through raising in grace I have finally understood what C.S Lewis meant when he said that love was vulnerability (therein lies the rum). In doing this journey, I’m learning about parenting too, as I chose things to protect and love her.. all for the sake of intimacy with the Lord. I’m also learning how extremely difficult parenting must be for any parent in the natural. Deciding to have children leaves parents standing in the door that unleashes them into the identity of an unsung hero.. Some choose to walk or run in it, others crawl, some just stand at the door. Either way, their decision leaves them preciously marked.

It’s a faith journey of counting the cost, constantly.

There’s a reason why we’re called to honour our parents.. Whether their role is done well or not, what a glorious choice God made when He chose to birth us from their womb.

The decisions we make for love reap far better fruit than ones made out of self protection. God is far greater than anything we can comprehend, and yet, God is Love. So, how big is this Love we’re talking about? And how fickle is our approach to it if this is the Love of God that conquers the world? My heart is overwhelmed by a hunger to know this Love as a well, a dwelling place, a sanctuary.. My heart is overwhelmed by a hunger to know the God of all creation as His bride.

It begins with running the race.. The running with horses comes after we conquer the running with men. It comes after we conquer the giant before Goliath.. We taste a glimpse of the Love of God on earth before resting in His eternal goodness in Heaven, because He’s a God gracious enough to fascinate us for eternity. If we commit to burning for Him, then we must at least let the fire touch us.

The decision to birth our child in the Spirit could come from a shift of heart, an encounter with an incredible God, or a pure hunger to go deeper, but the decision still brings us to the door that unleashes us into the identity of unsung heroes in the Spirit.. Where we either stand and choose to sit and watch, walk or run under fire and choose vulnerability for the sake of dancing with our Maker, and seeking His heart.

"A life with God without a daily experience of God doesn’t seem to me like a life with God… it..."

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 12:41:44 +0800

“A life with God without a daily experience of God doesn’t seem to me like a life with God… it seems more like a life with a knowledge of God that is still waiting for God.”

- Brad Joss

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. Psalm 119v50.

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 14:17:00 +0800

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. Psalm 119v50.

Surely understanding is vital for intimacy.

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:32:50 +0800

Surely understanding is vital for intimacy.