Crucified and RISEN

Crucified and RISEN

This is my last post for a day or so but I wanted to share a full on vision experience from earlier this week. It’s really for Sunday but . . .

Dark days – lost dreams – smashed hopes. No-one is talking much; not even eating. Jesus has been crucified. What went wrong? All our hopes and dreams – where have they gone? What do we do now? Only eleven of us here – Judas has run off. It’s all his fault – turned Jesus over to the authorities he did.

Even Peter, usually so boisterous, is silent, wrapped in his own thoughts. The women, also usually chattering away happily, are quiet as they bring our drinks or offer food. Two of them went out earlier. Something about anointing His body – can’t think why they bother, the Roman soldiers won’t let them near the tomb. Sealed it with a huge rock they did – those girls will never even move it.

Who on earth is that at the door, banging like that? Hope it’s not the Sanhedrin police come to accuse us. Oh – it’s only the women back again. Told you they’d never get near or move that stone.

Whoa, whoa – slow down a bit. Say that again !!

EMPTY?? What do you mean – the grave is empty? Seen Him? Spoke to Him? Ridiculous. He was dead last time we saw Him. Very dead – Joseph buried Him.

Peter is calling me. We run out the door. For an old man he’s pretty slick. Mind is buzzing. Empty? Jesus gone? What’s going on? He beats me there and peers in. I just run straight past him into the tomb. It is EMPTY !!! Ooops – there’s two guys all in white standing there, apparently waiting for us. They point out that the grave clothes are all folded neatly and that Jesus has indeed gone.

He’s RISEN ??? Risen from dead ??

I know what He did for Lazarus but . . . but ??? Oh my goodness. My heart is racing. Peter looks at me – “Gotta tell the others”, is all either of us can say. Run back to the house – hearts racing. Hope and excitement rising. Hammer on the door til someone opens it. “It’s true – He is gone. Some fella said He is risen !!!”

Incredulity all round. Some celebrating, some more doubtful. Suddenly – there He is! Standing amongst us. Oh wow – it is true then. Oh hallelujah – He is risen. I just feel like dancing. Where’s Thomas? He went out. He’ll be mad he missed this. Can’t wait to tell him.

Jesus is RISEN – just like He said He would. RISEN from the dead. He IS all He said He is. I never doubted it – not me.

RISEN – WOW – oh Hallelujah \o/

Crucified and RISEN

Crucified and RISEN

This is my last post for a day or so but I wanted to share a full on vision experience from earlier this week. It’s really for Sunday but . . .

Dark days – lost dreams – smashed hopes. No-one is talking much; not even eating. Jesus has been crucified. What went wrong? All our hopes and dreams – where have they gone? What do we do now? Only eleven of us here – Judas has run off. It’s all his fault – turned Jesus over to the authorities he did.

Even Peter, usually so boisterous, is silent, wrapped in his own thoughts. The women, also usually chattering away happily, are quiet as they bring our drinks or offer food. Two of them went out earlier. Something about anointing His body – can’t think why they bother, the Roman soldiers won’t let them near the tomb. Sealed it with a huge rock they did – those girls will never even move it.

Who on earth is that at the door, banging like that? Hope it’s not the Sanhedrin police come to accuse us. Oh – it’s only the women back again. Told you they’d never get near or move that stone.

Whoa, whoa – slow down a bit. Say that again !!

EMPTY?? What do you mean – the grave is empty? Seen Him? Spoke to Him? Ridiculous. He was dead last time we saw Him. Very dead – Joseph buried Him.

Peter is calling me. We run out the door. For an old man he’s pretty slick. Mind is buzzing. Empty? Jesus gone? What’s going on? He beats me there and peers in. I just run straight past him into the tomb. It is EMPTY !!! Ooops – there’s two guys all in white standing there, apparently waiting for us. They point out that the grave clothes are all folded neatly and that Jesus has indeed gone.

He’s RISEN ??? Risen from dead ??

I know what He did for Lazarus but . . . but ??? Oh my goodness. My heart is racing. Peter looks at me – “Gotta tell the others”, is all either of us can say. Run back to the house – hearts racing. Hope and excitement rising. Hammer on the door til someone opens it. “It’s true – He is gone. Some fella said He is risen !!!”

Incredulity all round. Some celebrating, some more doubtful. Suddenly – there He is! Standing amongst us. Oh wow – it is true then. Oh hallelujah – He is risen. I just feel like dancing. Where’s Thomas? He went out. He’ll be mad he missed this. Can’t wait to tell him.

Jesus is RISEN – just like He said He would. RISEN from the dead. He IS all He said He is. I never doubted it – not me.

RISEN – WOW – oh Hallelujah \o/

Short Testimony

Short Testimony

I went through a sudden attack of doubt recently. One of the questions I asked myself was this – ‘Why can I not praise and worship  with complete abandon – as many others do?’ Another was this – ‘Why, when I was very first saved all those years ago, did I feel no joy of my salvation?’

On this last Sunday, we were leading the ushering team. We really enjoy and look forward to our rota doing this as we get to stand at the back where there is some proper space in which to worship. I mean, I am over 6 feet tall and when I spread my arms in the usual seats, I can clunk anyone around me. At the back, however, there is room to spread out – albeit while watching what is going on. Suddenly, I see Jesus and He is calling me over to Him. My wife always talks about ‘dancing with Jesus’, but this is something I have never experienced. I cannot let go and abandon self like that. I am a big lump and I always imagine me making a complete idiot of myself if I just let it all go.

Jesus is beckoning and I tentatively take a few steps towards Him. I know what is about to happen. I start dancing with Him.  I cannot believe I am doing this !!! I start to weep tears of joy. I cannot explain how I feel – I just know I started dancing with my Lord. It stopped soon enough but I want more. I want to do it again – and again – and again. My wife noticed my tears and asked about it. I could not even begin to explain – but she ‘guessed’!! Suddenly I was needed for catching duties and I followed Pastor along the line – laying people gently down as the Spirit caught up with them.

I cannot begin to explain the sheer joy of dancing in the Spirit with the Lord. I know I will be doing it again, and soon. I will let go more and more until . . . . . well, until I let go and let Him.

As for the joy of my salvation – that’s for another day, but that is coming soon too. I have done the holy laughter thing but I know this will be different.

Can’t wait . . . . .

Voice in the Wilderness

Voice in the Wilderness

Isaiah 40:3-5 “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ “

I heard these words again today – “I am just a voice, speaking for one who is already in the wilderness, “Get ready for God. Give him a straight road – no valleys, dips, or bumps – no mountains or hills in His way – flattened and smoothed out – ready for Him to come and show us the Glory of the Lord. Everyone will see His glory at the same time because God has decreed it.”

Sounds to me like a warning, a prophecy of impending events. The rapture? The second coming? The fulfillment of prophecy? Or was it for me, telling me my role as one speaking out that which I hear the Lord saying to me? Why me? Why not me? What about timing – when will this happen? Is it for now or for some future time? Is it for you or someone else?

So many questions.

What’s to do, then? Well, firstly, who is it “already in the wilderness” who is crying out? This speaks to me of a “nobody”, one of no reputation, an unknown – although it could be one of ‘lost’ reputation, perhaps removed from pulpit. This person has no platform from which to tell of what they see, no visible credibility. Yet it is someone about to be used by the Lord in a mighty way to herald and prepare the church for Jesus’ coming. So someone credible and with that visibility looks like they will be the mouthpiece for the unknown one – maybe anonymous one.

Second, the Word is calling for us to clear the way in readiness. Clear the way with a determination and sense of purpose that will allow nothing to stand in the way. In January, our church had a word about preparing and clearing the runway. That analogy fits this scripture. To land a plane you need a clear straight, smooth, flat and level tract of land with no obstructions in the way. In our prophecy it was so the Holy Spirit can land in our midst. In the scripture, it appears to point to Christ.

What I find interesting is, as with all such prophecy from Old Testament times, we should have such detail of what is about to happen yet with enough rough edges as to allow for doubt and/or discernment. So let me close with a familiar warning about staying ready, wicks trimmed, oil flasks full.

No one knows the hour of His coming except the Father. It’s just going to happen – I believe some day very soon.

Rivers of Living Waters

Rivers of Living Waters

In John 7:38 God’s Word says, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water"  Some translations  say ‘belly’ instead of ‘heart’. Either way, ‘rivers’ implies more than just one river. 

One river is the Spirit of Grace. It is the river of God’s favour: His supernatural ability to do what we can't do in our own strength; He enables you to do it. God’s grace kept me for over 20 years while I was in a desert place. It was grace kept my wife similarly, but whilst mine was simply a desert of wandering, of going nowhere, rudderless – hers was a desert of abuse and suffering. Yet that grace kept us both within His love and care. It kept us and prepared us for the adventures to come – that are only now just beginning.

Another river is the Spirit of Wisdom and faith, which is a special impartation or river of belief and the ability to function in what God is calling you to do. If we give Holy Spirit our permission, then He will lead us into knowledge and experiences we could never begin to imagine were we to have been told earlier. He builds our faith within us and uses our own testimony to teach us that in Him – all things are possible.

There is a river of healing, where we enter places of suffering and affliction only to emerge not just healed but cleansed, healed, delivered, and whole. We can, with His hand upon us, come to a place not just of hope, but of expectancy for whatever He is going to do next. This is a place of never-ending mercy, and never-ending glorious surprises at His miracle provision and kindness. The river of healing really is boundless.

Then there is a river of joy. When we experience the joy of the Lord, it is not limited to just happy, bouncy, holy laughter. It is a place of complete peace that passes all understanding. Joy can be a fleeting moment, or it can last a lifetime. Joy can be in the simple sunshine or in a baby’s smile, or in prayer, or healing, or salvation – anything.

There are probably many more rivers of God – far more than my limited experience even knows about. What I do know, however, is that any river of God is a good river. It is not a river that brings anything to hurt or harm us but a river that brings “life and life abundantly” that holds us in the will and pleasure of our Father God.

This is why the Word talks about them as ‘rivers of living water’. They all flow out of our hearts or our bellies. They all have the same objective – to draw us closer into the presence of God. As nothing unclean or impure can dwell there, the rivers serve to heal us and clean us ready for being in His presence, not just for this life, but for eternity.

Time for all of us to get into the river?