SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

LOUNGE LIZARD

Being a Gold member of Star Alliance I get entry into airport lounges, usually United Airlines. On this trip I was really impressed with Singapore Air's lounge at Heathrow, but I am now sitting in my new number one favourite. Waiting to travel back to Singapore and onto London I'm in the Air New Zealand Lounge in Auckland airport. Picture the scene: free internet access, a wide range of hot and cold drinks, savoury wraps, bread and cheese, sweets, cakes, fruit- all free. Office facilities and massage are available on request, that is if you don't get distracted by all the free magazines and newspapers. On the big screen in front of me is a live 20-20 cricket match, and to my left is a mini-putting green complete with sample putters from TaylorMade Golf. This international travel is a tough life.

Yesterday evening's concert at Parachute was not without it's technical problems but Third Day were marvellously received by the 30,000 crowd, and the song with Darlene Zschech was one of those very special moments. So hectic and action packed 9 days of travel and ministry draws to an end, with an anticipation that the next time we head down under God could accomplish even more through us.

PARACHUTE FESTIVAL.

God has a great habit of giving us unexpected opportunities and placing us in surprising situations. One such occurrence happened this afternoon in the hospitality area of the Parachute Festival here in New Zealand. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Daniel Bedingfield( he of UK chart success, and brother of the even more successful Natasha). I knew Daniel had spoken to Mac Powell from Third Day on the phone in Atlanta a couple of years ago but they'd never actually met up. So I wandered over to Daniel and introduced myself. He threw his arms around me like a long-lost buddy, and then I took him over to meet the guys. An hour or so later, Mac, Tai and myself finished off an intense and honest conversation with Daniel about his faith, his take on the church, music industry, future plans and loads more. He's a passionate young man, who lives to worship God, admits to not getting it right all the time (don't we all!)and wasn't afraid to open up and be vulnerable with us. He plans to spend the next 2 years concentrating on developing his career in the USA, and we hope to stay in touch with him.
Right now we have a couple of hours break before a band meal, devotions together and then a mainstage performance after Darlene Zschech and the Hillsong worship team and Joyce Meyer. Third Day will open their set with Agnus Dei and a special guest appearance from Darlene. Incidently, Darlene and her husband Mark are the real deal- friendly, sensible, engaging and offering wisdom about future touring in Asia and the Pacific. I first met them 2 years ago, and Mark put Mercy Ministries UK in touch with me as he's their international director. Kerry Slater, the UK person, came twice to Cardiff to speak at City Temple and an Igniting a Passion event. That's another thing God does- sets up global relationships in the body of Christ.

Hamilton, New Zealand, 10.45pm Saturday

Today has been spent travelling from Sydney to Hamilton in readiness for our appearance at the Parachute Festival tomorrow. The check-in process was somewhat cumbersome, and many of our party had to return rented phones to the Vodaphone kiosk. We bumped into old friends Mark and Darlene Zschech at the airport and had a good chat with them about more effective collaboration between Third Day and churches in Australia in the future. I was unexpectedly bumped up to premium economy seating by the steward on the brand new Air New Zealand plane, and enjoyed a pleasant flight as the solitary occupant of a three seat row. A 2 hour drive from Auckland to Hamilton was rounded off by arriving at a great hotel and by seeing just 2 doors away the same Indian restaurant that some of us had eaten in 2 years ago. 6 of us this time had a fantastic meal but over-ordered and left loads- but as fortune would have it Scotty Wilbanks wandered past looking for food and promptly came in to demolish our left-overs!
Tomorrow night mainstage at Parachute will be interesting- Darlene Zschech, Joyce Meyer, and Third Day.
Now that's a line-up!

Hillsong Sydney, on Australia Day.

An early start this morning from Brisbane, and once we'd landed in Sydney I headed with the band guys to Sydney Harbour for the Australia Day celebrations whils tthe crew guys went straigh to the venue. A truly patriotic crowd- covered in Oz flags and face paint. The Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are stunning landmarks. Then we travelled over to the Hillsong centre ready for tonight's concert- which was every bit as memorable as the concert in the same venue on Australia Day 2 years ago. Must confess that we didn't actually have a formal devotional time today but we did spend ten minutes or so before the concert going through a load of classic rock songs on my laptop! Mark and Mac then prayed, and Third Day used 'Advance Australia Fair' as their intro music. Hope you are digging my Australia tour sun hat!

Citipointe church, Brisbane, 11.15pm Thursday.

A sell-out crowd of 3,400 saw Third Day perform an awesome set in a hot and sweaty venue. We flew from Melbourne this morning and were met at the airport in Brisbane by Andy Gourley. I met Andy the last time we were in Australia and we immediately connected. He heads up an outreach programme called the Red Frog Crew which ministers to final year school kids and to students. Andy will be over in Cardiff for the Rugby World Cup in September, and this afternoon we managed to sneak off for an hour to watch some cricket at the world famous Gabba ground. He’s a good guy and we feel like we are kindred spirits- it’s great when God arranges those friendships.
Band devotional time today focused on another title given to Jesus, and I encouraged the guys in Third Day to lay hands on and pray for the guys in an upcoming Aussie band called Revive who are our support on this tour. Later in the evening, the guys in Revive asked to sit down and chat with me about their future direction and focus as a band. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit will have taken hold of some of the stuff I said and used it to help them. It’s always a privilege to have a conversation like that.
Final highlight of the day came after the show, through introducing Third Day to the humour of Rolf Harris- Aussie legend living in the UK. They wanted some typical Australian music to use in Sydney tomorrow on Australia Day and I suggested Rolf. Mark Lee came across the song Jake the Peg on YouTube and it was a hilarious performance, live from the Royal Albert Hall. So that’s what a Christian rock band gets up to after a concert I hear you say.

Midnight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Melbourne

Sitting on my bed after the first show of the mini-tour of Australia. Tonight’s concert was at Richmond Assemblies of God church, and I’ve been doing the merchandise settlement to help out- hence the late arrival back to my executive room at the hotel! Aussie crowds really love Third Day, and the guys in the band are genuinely thrilled with the reception they receive.
I travelled over here on Singapore Airlines – my journey commenced on Saturday night leaving Cardiff and finished at 10.00am Tuesday morning when I met the band in Melbourne Airport. I had a twelve-hour stopover at my new favourite airport- Changi in Singapore. It’s massive and has hotels inside the transit area, so you can check in without going through customs as long as you are travelling on somewhere. I’m doing the same on the way home.
Last night, Third Day’s Aussie production manager, Dave Jaques, invited us out to his house for a Barbie, and then this morning Brad and I got up early for 18 holes of golf at Yarra Bend Golf course. Pleasantly cool weather helped me shoot a personal best of 90- Brad’s poor round of 88 by his standards put him only 2 shots up on me, when he normally has 12-18 stokes on me over a round.
Started our devotions this evening before the show, and we invited in the support band Revive and their wives, plus staff from Koorong bookstores who are helping organise the tour. Normally our devotions can get a bit ‘us’ focused so I felt it appropriate for these ones to concentrate on some of the less familiar names attributed to Jesus in the Bible. You can see the passages we’ve examined in the list to the left.

G'DAY MATE.

I'm off to Australia tomorrow. Not to re-inforce the England cricket team, although they need all the help they can get, but to travel with Third Day for concerts in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Parachute Festival in New Zealand..
I'm stopping off for a few hours each way in Singapore because I'm flying with Singapore Airlines, but will only see the inside of an airport hotel room. It promises to be an action packed and draining 10 days, but also immensely rewarding. If I can get online I'll use the 'God's word' list to let you know what we've been studying in our devotions- I've planned a few things and am quite excited! This trip will also prove the last opportunity to get articles for my forthcoming book about life on the road with Third Day because the deadline is close. Mark Lee has some writing still to do, and I have lots of bits to finish off myself. There is interest in the project from Thomas Nelson publishing in the USA, which I hope will come to fruition. Next time I write it will be with an Orstlraalian accent.

MORE MAGIC FROM McMANUS.

I'm rushing to finish UPRISING by Erwin McManus before I jump on a plane to Australia on Sunday morning to meet up with the guys in Third Day.
Here's the latest nugget I've uncovered in the book:
How many times have we pointed to not knowing God's will for our lives as the reason we are paralysed from doing it? Yet..... there is enough truth in the Scriptures to fill our entire lives. The problem is not that we don't know what to do, but that we don't do what we know. The key to the future isn't revelation, but obedience.

YES-MINISTER!

Received a letter yesterday from the General Superintendent of the Elim Pentecostal Church to say that I have been recommended for acceptance as a minister and for ordination at the annual conference in April.
Over 30 years ago I began a journey that I believed would include 'being a minister' and whilst that journey has taken some twists and turns, and included loads of 'ministry' on the way, I'm now just a couple of months away from a very important step.

NORTH BY NORTH-WEST

I’m writing this whilst sitting at the back of a Religious Education lesson in a Welsh-speaking school in Pwllheli in North Wales. Our Ignite Cymru schools evangelism team are up here working for a week with Rachel Milner. She’s a Christian youth worker in the area, and she was part of our schools team a couple of years ago.
At the moment, John the team leader has been introducing the lesson about the Bible, he used a clip from The Simpsons, and he’s been speaking Welsh! It’s exciting for me to see the team in action, and especially to see them working in the Welsh language.
I drove here this morning from Nantwich in the North-West of England, where I was lecturing in the Elim Bible College yesterday. Last week saw the commencement of my unit on ‘Communication in a Youth Setting’, and yesterday I set a challenge to each of the 16 students on the Serious4Youth Ministry course. Each of them had 5 minutes to stand up in front of the rest and share how a piece of media had connected with them at a heart level.
As last year, it was thrilling to hear young people passionately communicate how God had spoken to them through a song, or film, or a book. The aims of the exercise were many: it was an opportunity for me to see them on their feet and to hear how effective they were as communicators, it was a chance for them to share in a safe environment and to gain confidence, and it was a reminder to us all that God communicates in many ways and wants us to help young people connect with Him.
Mae Duw yn dda! - God is good!