We passionately believe that following Jesus is the
most rewarding and abundant life possible! And it is our goal to
help you reach spiritual and emotional wholeness and health. To help you overcome your weaknesses and focus upon
becoming the person God created you to be!
That's because we are victors and not victims in life!!! God IS guiding and directing our lives! He DOES have a future and a plan for our lives, to bless us and prosper us! For good and not for evil! We are blessed and cannot be cursed! God’s favour surrounds us like a shield! So - don’t get depressed, don’t get discouraged! Don’t let the enemy steal your joy! Even in the midst of the storm, we can have peace! You know why? Because we know God is in control of our lives! We know that God is directing each and every one of our steps. The Bible says, ‘The steps of a good person are guided by the Lord!’
It always helps me to know, that I’m right where God wants me to be right now. Even when it’s a tough time. Even when I’m facing a challenge, and I am tempted to say, ‘What did I do wrong, what did I do to deserve this?’ You know, you can’t figure all that out! You just need to say to the Lord, ‘Lord – I believe that I am right where I am supposed to be. That You’ve got a great plan for my life – that You know the end from the beginning!’
He already knew you were going to have that challenge before you even faced it! I like to think about it like this: God had the solution, even before I had the problem! Where you are is not a surprise to God! He’s not thinking, ‘Boy – I never knew they were going to get in this problem! I never knew they were going to have that sickness!’ No. God knew it all! And He has given us strength for every battle!
Don’t ever loose your joy! When you get up in the morning, no matter what the day looks like, you need to proclaim with David, ‘This is the day that the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ I’m going to choose to rejoice and be glad in my salvation today! When you do that, that’s your faith at work. You’re saying, “God I’m trusting You. My circumstances are not going to determine my joy today!’
God IS at work in my heart and life today!
Sometimes the transformation God does in our hearts and lives - in our character - is a very slow process. Other times it can happen in an instant - when we expect it the least! Most of the time, it is a combination of both! I've learnt not to put God in a box.
I'd simply like to share my life with you. I'd like to share my journey and adventure with you - all with the intent purpose of helping equip you for the Victorious Christian life (Ephesians 4:12).
My primary/top three Spiritual Gifts are 1-Teaching - 2-Wisdom and 3-Administration. I guess that might surprise you, since I am a pastor. Actually, pastoring is around number 6 on my Spiritual Gift list.
Here's the thing. We function best in life when we operate within the giftings and talents God has blessed us with. When we are confidant in who we are. When we aren't worried about what other people think or say about us! As William Wallace once said, 'Now that's FFRREEEEEEEDDDOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!
I'd like to share with you, what Motivates and Drives me in life and ministry, and in return, I'd invite you on a journey of discovering what motivates and drives you.
Actually, before I do - I'd like to share the two greatest truths that have set me free and given me understanding about myself and human nature in general:
The first is that: While my emotions might be real - they are not always true! This means that I can ride out uncomfortable feelings and emotions. It means I can stop swapping heads with other people and second guessing what I think they might be thinking about me!
The second is: The natural state and defence of the human heart - is to proclaim innocence. This truth is amazing! It is the root of most arguments and denial! It helps you understand yourself, your relationships, and even your teenagers. It also helps us understand the deep need of every human heart to receive and experience the forgiveness offered by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Below is a copy of a webpage from my private website Varmint Hunting NZ (Google this site, if you are really interested). What's really funny about this article, is that I was asked by an engaged couple to marry them and take them through an intense Pre-Marriage Preparation Workshop. At our first meeting, I was telling them about different weddings I'd performed, especially one where we released Doves on a beach. Similar to other comments they made through the evening, the woman said, 'I'm surprised you didn't shoot them!' Well, I just ignored the comments, wondering what on earth was going on! Eventually I asked them why they kept referring to shooting. Apparently they'd Googled me to find out my contact details, and had gone straight to my private Web-Site, thinking it was this Church one!
What's even more beautiful, is that they still wanted me to officiate at their wedding and do the workshops with them!
Here's that article. Hope it explains a bit more about my motivations.
Name: Rev. Roger Spackman Bmin (Bachelor of Ministries)
Age: Well, I was born in 1965, so that makes me 21 with a few years experience:-)
Family: I live with my girlfriend, and have six wonderful children. We have been partners in marriage since 1985 (Just because we are married doesn't mean she is no longer my girlfriend! And - no, we never lived together before we were married)
Occupation: Pastor of Te Atatu Baptist Church. Often when people find out that I am a Pastor, they change. Sometimes they change their speech, their behaviour, or else they project past experiences they have had with pastors or figures of authority (fathers) upon me. Here's what I usually say to people like that. "I will accept you for who you are, and in return you accept me for who I am. Now that's out of the way, let's just enjoy being friends." I've only had two jobs, pastoring and engineering - tool-making. I also operate a small but successful engineering business on my day off, mainly to supplement the income I receive as a pastor.
Interests: Outdoors. Hunting. Shooting. Music. Family. Reading. God. Technology - like web-design. Engineering. Learning. Self awareness and Emotional Growth. I love playing the trumpet, but get cysts on my lips - so don't do a lot of it!
Fears: I used to fear insanity. Honestly - but I'm not really too worried about this anymore, as I know I am fine. Anyway, normal is only a dial on your clothes dryer!
U.B.F.: This stands for Unbearable Feeling - and EVERYBODY has one. It is the 'dreaded' situation or feeling you try to avoid or compensate for - often without even knowing. My U.B.F. is upsetting people. This is (was) based in a false assumption that my worth was dependant upon what other people thought of me. I've grown past that now, but it still lingers at times. There are some easy ways to identify and overcome your U.B.F.
King Lie: Like your U.B.F., everyone has a King Lie, a deception or lie they have come to believe and base their existence around. For me, it was that my emotions are me - and therefore control who I am. Honestly, I would even dream in emotions and then add content to the dream! It resulted in a lot of second guessing - thinking I knew what other people were thinking about me, and usually bad things (swapping heads with other people!). What set me free was the reality that although my feelings might be real, they are not always true!
World View: My pre-existing world view was that the world is a dangerous place, and people are out to take advantage of me. However, I've also grown through that, and come to realize that the world is largely what I make it, that I can develop the skills to defend myself and not be threatened by other 'big' people! I am complete in who I am as a person created in the image of a Loving God.
Core Values: These are the values that I hold most dear in my life. The thing about Core Values, is that You are responsible to teach others how to treat you! These are my top 10 core values:
Purpose
Spirituality
Acceptance
Family
Genuineness
Adventure
Authority
Creativity
Popularity
Forgiveness
Core Values guide our lives like an inner compass. If you want to know me - understand my core values. They are what motivates and drives me, keeps me honest and safe through life. Discovering our Core Values is usually one of the first workshops Debbie and I take clients through.
Dislikes: I find it hard to accept people who are arrogant, or who lack self awareness. Because of the nature of my work, I meet some beautiful and some not so beautiful people. The not so beautiful ones are those who are very self opinionated and absolute in what they believe - letting me know without a doubt that others are wrong and they are right. The trouble with people who think they are right and others are wrong, is that they don't give other people the same right to hold to absolutes as they do. Basically, this is deceptive arrogance. Actually, arrogance is a very strong attempt to control a UBF. Also, I don't like Wetas!
Challenges: Funny thing, that I'd finished this page and only days later remembered that I actually face a major obstacle in my life! I have a chronic illness, called Chronic Motility Disorder. Basically it means I don't digest food properly. Actually - it involves a lot of pain and discomfort, sometimes an inability to
swallow or experience hunger. I had major surgery around 13 years ago, but it didn't go well and resulted in a worse situation than I had before surgery. Resulting from that reconstruction work to my stomach was the reduction of my stomach size by over 1/3, adding to my challenge to not loose weight! I guess that since I'd forgotten to mention this condition shows that I'm well on the way to achieving my goal - to never allow this illness to rule my life! Praise God!
In our counselling ministry, the above areas and statements of self awareness and spiritual/emotional health are similar to what Debbie and I would like to help you discover and understand about yourself.
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free! Jesus.
Ps Roger
Imagine a Christian life and witness where non-Christians actually phone or Email you regularly - to ask to if they could spend time with you! WOW!!!
That's what REAL Christianity is all about - when we live an Attractive & Authentic Christianity - when we Live our Life as a Mission Field and people are attracted to the Life we have within us!
When we experience the Abundant Life that Jesus promised - and we become people magnets for Jesus :-)
I invite you to listen to - or read my story and vision for 2008 - as I seek to know where the wind of God's Spirit is blowing, and embrace an Intentional Unconventional Christianity!
Let's discover together - some practical steps and tools to really living as Salt and Light within our world!
Preached December 02nd 2007
Te Atatu Baptist Church ~ 448 Old Te Atatu Road ~ Te Atatu Peninsula ~ Auckland ~ New Zealand
(09) 834-4076
Sunday Service 10am - Includes Kingdom Kids for children
Communion is held on the first Sunday of every month.
To view Ps Roger's Testimony - click on any photo below
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