Thanking God for his grace and seeing me through another week and a week of church ordained fasting. I usually write up a day by day account of the day, but this time I was not led. The word however has come over the series of days as Father would allow and he has been showing me things both in myself and in the Body. We are preparing for an important mission for our City and our towns and it is imperative that we understand what the will of the Lord is.
I struggled to find a title for this piece – but I know it is well – we should not always seek to intellectualize, box in or put labels on what we do, just do and of ‘his’ good pleasure and as led by His blessed holy spirit.
As I write (try to collate all what he has shown me this week), I hear the words from the scripture ‘Watchman, Watchman, what of the hour?
I ask myself , what indeed is the burden and will of the Lord for us in this our season? For this, our church? What might the Lord be saying to me? To us? May the good Lord open our hears, eyes and hearts to hear what he may be saying to me/ to us/ to the Body.
Father knows that from a child, I have loved to be in his house and with the people of God and to pray and to worship . The memory of this, from my youth and as a 7 year old child broke my heart this week as I came home after standing with others in the Family centre at Brunswick Street in my new role as cell leader and in a place /building where I visited oft and prayed in as a child. Great things are being planned for that locality and a great harvest will come out of same.
I saw in the spirit as I was driving back from an event yesterday (up Bradshaw way) a load of fresh glistening fish. They were small but healthy and fresh – I think they are depicting of an age range – perhaps our youth (?)I say : Bring them in Lord.
Last night I stood in front of some of the youth of our city and welcomed them for the first time. This confirmed a word over my life spoken so many years ago . I was able to confirm ‘a seed will serve him and it will be counted unto him for a generation – our generation will serve the Lord.
It is a very special season for our City. I know God is at work and all the days of our lives are ordained and ordered by Him.
I had planned to be part of the evening prayers this week but (i) I felt tired (ii) I felt that Lord say come aside, sit quietly with me and rest . I curled up on my sofa and picked up a random book to wait and to listen. That was Wednesday. By Saturday (this morning ) the word for the week was being repeated and I am led now to write it and as I believe it is a word for me/for us and for this pivotal hour.
In the waiting of the week, events and our lives, stuff happens and is happening. People have lost loved ones, their own lives , others have had serious spiritual life and death issues.
What I hear the Lord saying is several and starts with
James 2:14-17
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
It is a word for us all.
We must continue to serve, do of his good pleasure as we watch and wait. We must be careful not to miss it.
He is warning us to be careful about our events and structures we are creating. He is saying the enemy has come in devouring what is rightfully ours as we have given consent and are not as vigilant as we need to be. He is saying we need to be careful about designing programs and events, whilst missing the point and the urgency of the hour. We need to ask ourselves is He really at the centre of what we are doing or is he the add on? Are we trying to pander to the whims of the world. Is what we are doing, selling or merchandising simply be seen of men and advancing and building our own house, whilst his lay in ruins? The heart, the fire has gone out.
We must ask ourselves the question in whatever we are doing : Where is the heart in it? Where is the Lord God Jehovah?
He has reminded me through his other servants this week that, He is the only way the truth and the life . We don’t need to add on any frills to make it acceptable to the masses – we don’t need to beat a new drum- Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is perfect theology.
Our proposed mission has been tagged Love Derby week, but where is the Lord God Jehovah mentioned in our strap line? The absence of the Word , ‘Him’ is missing. What are we doing? On what foundation are we building ? In the spirit I feel a sense of displeasure and a warning.
God is love and He sent his son as a demonstration of that love towards us ie whilst we were yet sinners – ie not even thinking of him, Christ died for us. But are we thinking of Him in our events. Do we really love him, or each other? Only we can answer this as individuals.
The Bible says, Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend. (John 15:13) . He says He that loveth not , knoweth not God , for God is love. (1 John 1:4-8). Sometimes we know the love of God in our heads, but He is far from our hearts and our actions. We are all guilty.
The things of God are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. In all our doing we should seek for His wisdom and understanding we should be careful not to build on the sand.
Jesus Christ should be our tag line. His name and Word should take first place and at the centre of all we say , do and create. We don’t have to apologize. Don’t hide or mask Him. He matters more than our merchandising, or magnificent festivities and events, more than our thrust for numbers (and dare I say) the seeking of bums on seats. Don’t look for numbers, look for the heart. He doesn’t save by the many but by the few.
In Amos 5:21,23,24. He warned the people who were going astray. He despised all their feast days and solemn assemblies. When they were offering up burnt and meat offerings, noise and songs, He could not accept them. Why? Because the foundations were not right.
Too often we miss the point. We ‘fall into the trap of intellectualizing the words of scripture, noting them, finding interest in them , even finding them amusing and (I add titillating) * but not allowing them to affect our lives or giving others the chance ..’ even (and this is the rub) beginning to project God our Lord Jesus Christ as irrelevant in the way we ‘sell’ and merchandise him or erase him, completely out of the picture..
May God forgive us.
Let us examine ourselves as we prepare for missions and our church events wherever we are or placed in the Body.
In all we say and do, Father wants us to be careful to remember the cross why he came, what we should preach and what we build on.
The cross, the cross – I hear in my spirit – let us fix our gaze on that for a moment. He wants love for Him only and first and horizontal love for each other.
Let us not keep chasing wind, new gadgets or titilations to keep people happy. Lets not trample on our brothers or sisters to be seen of men, to build our ministries, church, or to be seen at the altar….
He says ‘forget not your assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is ‘ but He is also saying people matter more than meetings. People matter more than our programs and events. Let’s get back to the heart of the matter. Souls for the Kingdom. Healing for his people . Restoration.
He gives us so many opportunities to put faith to work, to our brethren and right under our noses, but sometimes, just sometimes… we prefer to stand afar off, intellectualize. We cant stoop. We cant bend. We want to pretty it up, preach it, teach it and say it, but to do it we don’t find it easy. We will do it for that one, this one, but not that one… we are partial in how we extend love. We will take planes and trains to go do it here and there, but we can’t /don’t (love ) here or for that one… We swallow whole camels and strain at gnats. Father is not pleased.
He says suffer /teach the little children , those I have set amongst you to come unto me, for such is the kingdom of heaven. Teach them well in humbleness of heart and in unity. He is saying ‘Don’t over egg the pudding’ I am, Jesus Christ. Perfect theology.
Preach the simplicity of the gospel and with love. Mixed diets cause deficiency and eventually kill. He is saying go back to basics.
He is showing , we don’t need no other argument or other plea or PA system – he will shut these down , it is enough that he died for us – just say it speak it preach it.
Father is saying, you (and how you feel)) matter to Him more than you jumping through hoops, making up the numbers at another church meeting or chasing the wind with gimmicks and events . He is saying put down the brush and the broom , fix our face, our heart, our gaze on Him. Let him clean his own House. It belongs to him. We are just stewards.
He is saying I have seen your striving, your wanting to please, wanting to do it right, but He wants us to do it from a place of quietness and rest and in righteousness – first things first. He is speaking to all.
He is saying touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm. From time to time He will send people amongst us , we need to be careful how we treat the flock. He is saying remember my sheep, some are diseased some are laying by the way side, hurting even now – right under our noses. Some continue to desire to carry weights and because of that many remain in bondage and cant be set free. Blockages can prevent the healing and breakthrough for others. He says the whole head is sick.
He is warning us that the enemy of soul is prowling seeking whom he may devour. He is showing that an entrance has been given to the enemy . The enemy has sought to destroy our precious things. He is seeking to stigmatize, discredit and disgrace. He is devouring and contaminating what is rightfully Fathers and what is rightfully ours and because we let it – we have given place to the devil.
He is saying put Him first. Let him be our tag line and strap line. Review, Reflect , Restore – make peace and in righteousness. Teach my people the good and proper way. Don’t seek to please men, seek to please Him.
He says, if the foundations be destroyed what will my people do?
I close then with the scripture in my ear “what shall we say then, shall we continue in sin (in our own stuff), that grace will abound? God forbid.
I know our God will help us and that right, early.
* Book listening to others by Joyce Huggett p 73
Word that came over a series of days May 2019