Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

I’ve really enjoyed reading the book by Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, New York, and in particular the way in which he brings us back to basics and reminds us of the simplicity of ministry and church. 

When we pray, things happen. It’s as simple as that.  God wants us to cry to him and to bring every need and every situation before Him.  I was struck by his reference to James “You have not because you ask not”.  His challenge was....... do we really want that as our epitaph?  Imagine that written on our gravestone..... You didn’t have it because you didn’t ask for it?  We could have so much more in our families and our church if we asked.  Yet often we over-complicate it all and miss out on the most basic thing of all – prayer.

He made a flying visit to Belfast earlier this week and I went along to hear him speak in the Octagon at the Kings Hall.  He referred to Jesus cleansing the temple and his affirmation that “My house shall be called a house of prayer” – a house not of preaching or of worship but of prayer.  Not that the other things are unimportant – of course they are.  But prayer is surely THE most important thing - yet often the most neglected and overlooked.

He reminded the audience of men that 3 key things are necessary for a successful church (that is spiritually successful, not necessarily numerically, for the two are not the same always) and they are – a working knowledge of the Bible, the anointing of the Holy Spirit and love for anybody who comes through the doors of your church. Simple, isnt it?  From 1 Thessalonians, he shared Paul’s message, methodology and motivation.  Later in the afternoon he taught about what hinders blessing in churches- division.  The HOLY Spirit cannot abide where there is division.  A house divided itself cannot stand.  That is a universal principle.

I have found all of this personally challenging and led me to look again at my own prayer life and how we should ‘do church’.  Lets all do likewise.

House Moving and Car Accidents

We are in the process of moving house, which is why I haven’t been blogging for 2 weeks.  I say ‘process’  because moving is not an event but a ‘process’.  It seems to last a long time and takes a lot of effort and hard work.

 First of all there is box gathering and storing.  This is an art form in itself.  Thank God for a certain gentleman who came to our rescue and seemed to be able to produce dozens of boxes of various sizes and shapes right out of thin air.  How on earth did he do that?  I was awestruck.

Then there is the sorting – what can be kept and what needs to be recycled and what can be disposed of.  This is a tricky and delicate and time consuming business.  We discovered plates and cutlery we never knew we had and would never need, yet felt strangely attached to.  Some of the ones we had been using seemed, on closer examination, to be worn out by their constant movement from shelf to table to washing to shelf and back again, and were no longer fit for purpose.  Into the bin they went.  Then there were the clothes.  How on earth can you pack so much into a wardrobe and a couple of drawers?  To move all of them seemed like a daunting prospect.  Not to mention books, leaflets, pamphlets, letters, ornaments, paintings, and drawers filed with seemingly innocuous yet space filling things like old Bibles, matches, coasters, placemats, batteries, light bulbs etc. 

Thirdly there is packing – what to put in each box, how to make sure nothing breaks and anyway where do the boxes ‘wait’ when they are filled until they are moved?  And labelling – do you list everything or just generally?

I think it’s a healthy process though.  You get to look at your home and your life and the bits you no longer need and you get to make changes for the better.  Someone once said “An unexamined life is an unfruitful life”.  Have a look into your life and see what needs to go and what needs to stay and what needs to change.

And finally..... just had a car accident this morning.  Car’s messed up a bit and we have some stiffness and soreness.  Could have done without it but had been praying this morning for the Lord’s will to be done with me and for him to oversee all the moments of my day.  When you pray such prayers you have to accept the consequences whatever they may be.