Love with a bit of bacteria!

24 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in God, Jesus, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

I heard a quote yesterday that really spoke to me. “Bacteria grow in warm water, but die in hot”. Loving this. It was in relation to the state of the Western Church, that it is the same as the Laodicean Church of the book of Revelation.

There is a lot of good stuff going on in the 3rd World Churches, through persecution and hate and possible death. It makes me wonder where our faith is. Faith and submission are doing things you dont want to do, but doing them anyway because you have been asked to do them by the Most Holy God. There is no persecution in the Western Church, but if there were, would we then be a ‘hot’ church and not ‘lukewarm’ anymore?

God is definitely on the move in this country. We are seeing revivals in our churches, healings, forgiveness flowing. This is all the stuff that comes to the surface before God moves mightily within us. We call it the ‘dross’. The bad stuff in metals that come to the top when it is heated up to massive temperatures. It is skimmed off the top, so that the metals like gold can then be pure. Without some of our dross, we can then learn to be pure, and to live more like Christ in all we do.

We are called to love, but how many of us actually do? Real love. The love that doesnt care who it is, how they smell, what they look like. The love that doesnt care what mistakes they have made and continue to make. The love that can correct and accept both at the same time. The love that doesnt want us to sit in our quiet little homes, but to spend our time with with our church family more than anyone else. The love that looks after others in a quiet, sensitive way that wont cause offence or embarrass.

We can only do this when the temperature rises, and this becomes normal for us. When this is normal, we will see more of God, in such a huge way, we will just go and do more and more for Him. So much more, that the revivals we have seen in Wales, or in specific churches, will be normal. We will be letting our lights shine for the whole world to see, not just one or two people. If we are the city on a hill, lets act it. Lets be showing how much we are forgiven, loved and saved. When we understand what we are saved from, we can go out and help others by living our salvation. Be the city on a hill. Be the light that shines. Be so much more than just lukewarm for Him.

Sanctuary

22 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in God, Jesus, Joshua, Prayer, sanctuary Tags: , , , , , , ,

Sorry I have been absent for a few days. Went for a week to Wales with the family. The area we were in was so oppressive! It was such a sad place to see how the recession has hit the area. So many houses, shops and churches all boarded up. I cant see how we can be told that Britain is on the up when in a first world country I can see so much deprevation and poverty! Maybe we need to pray more for these areas to see and feel a touch from their Maker and Father. Life is hard but much harder when we see no way out of the poverty and situations we are in.

On a different note, I was reading Joshua while away, and got to Chapter 21 and verse 45. “Not a single one of the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He had spoken came true”

What an awesome verse!! Every promise God makes He keeps, even though we are disobedient and rebellious children who spend our lives pulling and pushing boundaries set out for us for our own good. We are like young children given boundaries by our parents and breaking them all the time, even though our parents want our safety and happiness.

Throughout the Bible we see promises given. Those promises are there within the bounds of relationship. We have a two way relationship with our heavenly Father, which is how it has been from day one. God had a very special relationship with Adam and Eve. He came to the garden in the evenings and walked and talked with them in a way that has never been done since, except for those few precious times we read about in the Word. Thats a place I long to be in. My Father coming and talking to me, just me for that time, where I could see Him and hold Him. I know He is always with every one of us all the days of our lives. He never goes anywhere. We do the walking away, not Him.

I am very proud to be grafted into the amazing Israel in such a beautiful spiritual way. I see how they messed up, and I also see how they were forgiven over and over when they repented. It gives me the hope to keep going, to keep my faith when life is hard. My Father will forgive every single time I come to Him for love and repentance. I have my Sanctuary in Him. My place to go in the storms that rage and the waves that seem to cover. My sanctuary, my safety is in Him.