Pecking Pigeons

Pecking Pigeons Not Soaring Eagles

I heard the most wonderful phrase in this Sunday mornings sermon. The speaker said that the church has not assumed its place in Christ and that, as a consequence, we are more like pecking pigeons than soaring eagles.

What a lovely turn of phrase and it speaks volumes too. While God is waiting for us to join Him in the heights and soar like eagles – gloriously majestic, we are so busy worrying about various things that we, like pigeons, peck around in the dust seeking some food there.

Why should we soar like eagles? Because of 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” The trouble is that we do not quite believe that we are chosen, priests, and God’s own people, so we do not declare anything much at all, even less do we even believe we can.

This scripture is part of the destiny of all believers and I believe God is calling all who really do believe to step into that destiny today and to walk in it in 2013. Let us then walk as a chosen people. Let us be a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Let us fully realise that we belong to God and declare His praises in our actions as well as our words.

Then we will soar like eagles – no longer destined to peck like pigeons.

Fill me now

Fill Me Now

One of the great hymns of the Welsh Revival, this was written in 1879 by Elwood H Stokes (lyrics) and John R Sweney (music). It was based upon Ephesians 5:18 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

The words are perhaps a little old-fashioned sounding but at the time of the Welsh Revival, at the very dawn of the Pentecostal awakening, this hymn summed up the pleas and cries of the penitent hearts seeking their Lord and Saviour.

Hover o’er me, Holy Spirit, Bathe my trembling heart and brow; Fill me with Thy hallowed presence, Come, oh, come and fill me now.

Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now, Holy Spirit, fill me now; Fill me with Thy hallowed presence, Come, oh, come, and fill me now.

Thou canst fill me, gracious Spirit, Though I cannot tell Thee how; But I need Thee, greatly need Thee, Come, oh, come and fill me now.

I am weakness, full of weakness, At Thy sacred feet I bow; Blest, divine, eternal Spirit, Fill with pow’r, and fill me now.

Cleanse and comfort, wholly save me, Bathe, oh, bathe my heart and brow; Thou dost sanctify and seal me, Thou art sweetly filling now.

Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now, Holy Spirit, fill me now; Fill me with Thy hallowed presence, Come, oh, come, and fill me now.

Oh that the church would once again sing this wonderful old song and mean it – from the bottom of their hearts.

New Year - New Things

New Year - New Things

As we begin a brand new year with all its promise, potential, and as-yet unfulfilled dreams, I am pleasantly reminded of all this by the last Bible “verse for the day” I received for 2012. Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 "This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

As I read these verses, I realised the excitement that this new year brings to us and to God. Yes, I truly believe God does get excited with us at the prospects He is opening up before us. Does that make sense? I mean, do you think God really does get excited with us, possibly for us, as we tread the new path He has prepared for us? I think He does, you know, as He is watching the fulfillment of His carefully crafted plans for us.

I wonder how many times I have read that scripture yet have not had the excitement it brings me today? I wonder how many of you have read that scripture and said to yourselves, as I have said to myself, “Yes, that’s fine Lord, but what new thing can I expect this year?” Yet, somehow, this time around, I am willing to believe so much more for the coming year. I am excited for the things not seen yet hoped for. Prophetically, I am encouraged enough to speak ‘that which is not as though it were’, believing that is God’s will for us this coming year.

I have seen doors opened for us in 2012 that we will walk through in 2013 with great anticipation and excitement. Whoever said that being a Christian isn’t exciting? How wrong can they be? I want to LIVE church this year. I want to BE all that God calls me to be. I want to DO all that He is asking me to do.

I want to reach the lost, free the bound, heal the sick. I want the deaf to hear, the lame walk, the blind to see, and the captives to be set free.  I want to be that sanctuary, a place of hope, encouragement, and refreshing.

I want to take back everything the enemy calls his own, I want to consecrate it, and I want to use it for God’s Kingdom purposes. This new year of 2013, I want to fulfil all that the Lord has for me and much, much more. I want to plant the deserts, water the dry places, make ways in the wilderness, open doors for those who don’t know how to do so.

I feel more ‘alive’ and excited at this turn of year than I have ever felt before. I want to do everything I do “as unto the Lord” Himself and for His eternal Glory.

Why? Because His Word says I can and He calls me to do so – that’s why !!!

Second Chances

Second Chances

There is a growing industry that has sprung up all around the world. Certainly here in the UK, it has been established for some considerable time. Perhaps it is a sign of the times. Every charity has one over here. Manned usually by an army of really committed volunteers plus one or two paid staff, they provide a place where either the philanthropically minded, or the not so well off can obtain stuff they could not or would not normally pay the full retail prices for.

They are places where useful items, having served one term of usefulness, are given another chance, a second chance, to serve another person or family for another season. Known colloquially as ‘second hand shops’, these places prove invaluable resources for both charity and customers alike. The value to be obtained is often stunning – quite expensive items being sold for little more than pennies. All these pennies soon mount up and provide a good source of income for the charity as well as wonderful value for their customers.

So it is that, this new year, that our own charity shop, called Second Chance, takes on another lease of life, another second chance. Under “new management”, the shop and associated café will open to customers again on third January. Staffed by wonderful volunteer teams, the place is an outreach to our town, offering not just goods and food, but also prayer and advice, a listening ear and a sympathetic shoulder to lean, even cry on. Lord, please help us build a sanctuary, a place of hope, encouragement, and refreshing.

Isn’t, or perhaps shouldn’t, your church have or be a place like this? Should we all not offer to all the not-yet-Christians around us the same ‘second chance’ we were once offered. Should they not also have the opportunity to avail themselves of the companionship and relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ – just like we who are already Christians. We have seen so many folk who had no idea that God loves them personally. No idea they could actually have a relationship with God. No concept of God as a loving Father who cares intimately about their every moment of life – every situation in which they find themselves. Unless we tell them, these wonderful people will have no idea that God can and wants to heal and forgive them; that He actually truly deeply loves them.

Lord, please help us build a sanctuary, a place of hope, encouragement, and refreshing. Help us Lord to bring a second, third, fourth, or greater chance to your precious people in our town. Luke 6:31-33 “Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that.”

Jan 1st 2013

For 2013

Here we are, it’s January the first 2013. New year celebrations are done – well, almost – and we prepare for those odd things called New Years Resolutions. My Grandma used to call them “resomolutions” for some reason. It meant the same but it always made us smile when she asked us what ours were to be for the coming new year.

Personally, I have never seriously made any new year resolutions. However, this year may be an exception as we are about to undertake a totally new ‘adventure’ into which the Lord has been leading us for the last year or so. So now may be the moment for resolve and to pray this very well known prayer – “God, grant me the Serenity To accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference.”

It’s a new year, a new season for us personally, and I feel strongly that the Lord is calling all of us, you and me, closer to Him, closer to His Son, and closer to Holy Spirit. The coming year will be a seminal year for many, including us personally, and our church, and it is time to go ever deeper with the Lord to make sure we are always ready and always willing – whenever He calls.

Amen – Come Lord Jesus \o/ Draw me ever deeper, ever closer to You.