A Church with a Heart for our Community

September 12th Thursday

Greetings to you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! What a day that the Lord has made – we need to rejoice and be glad in it – note:…it doesn’t say “for it” but “in it”! This day was custom-designed for us, even if we cannot see why and it is not the ‘day’ that makes the difference it is us ‘in the day’ that makes the difference! Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to release a spirit of hope in your heart that puts a smile on your face, a little bounce in your step, and funny looks from grumpy people around you.

Yesterday was our Wednesday prayer gathering and we were praying for the church family…those who are already here and those who are yet to come…yes, there is room for more! It was a particularly powerful and practical time as we gathered in the sanctuary to cry out to God. 

 At noon-hour today there is a “Ministerial Luncheon” … an opportunity to simply take time to interact with one another as the new church season begins. There are already a number of personnel changes and new programs and special events o consider. So, if you wouldn’t mind pray for those who will be in attendance.

Over the past two days, God has been trying to teach me an insight or two. He seems to be focusing on the Holy Spirit…and He never fully explains what it is I am supposed to learn on the spot. He is enjoying making me wrestle with ideas and ponder the thoughts so that the lessons seep into my spirit and mind. It was two days ago He directed me to a quote: “Why is it that some of God’s children live victorious lives while others are in a state of constant defeat? This difference is not accounted for by the presence or absence of the Spirit (for He dwells in the heart of every child of God) but by this, that some recognise His indwelling and others do not. True revelation of the fact of the Spirit’s indwelling will revolutionise the life of any Christian.  – Watchman Nee.

After reading a story about Alexander the Great’s men deciding that they would follow him off the map…the known boundaries of their world, the author declares…“…we all have the Holy Spirit. He is our common denominator who will always lead us into truth. But to follow Him,we must be willing to follow off the map–to go beyond what we know. – Bill Johnson.

I know that this might surprise you but God took me to a moment of personal surrender to remind me that the ‘covenant’ that He made then is still relevant…perhaps more encompassing today as it was then. The song stated: mine to rise when thou dost call me-Lifelong though the journey be-Thine to measure all the windings-Leading step by step to Thee .. Mine to follow, even blindly-Thine, O Christ, to go before-Mine to try and scale the barrier-Thine to fling an open door .. Mine to smile in face of failure-Thine to gladden my defeat-Mine to kneel and drink of Marah-Thine to make its water sweet.

I have a sense that the next season for the church is going to depend on surrender to “following” and going places that we don’t understand rather than forging ahead into our known and expecting God to come to us. I wonder if those who will gather for lunch today…and those who gather in our congregations…and those that belong to our little church…and if I am — ready to follow God “off the map”!

Something to ponder on a rainy Thursday!