Before revival

The subject of revival is a little higher on the agenda at the moment due in part to the buzz from Victory Outreach Church in Cwmbran, Wales. People who wouldn’t normally talk about such things are keen to chat and discover what others think about it.

One question that tends to come up is whether there is anything we can do which might make a move of God more likely. I don’t know if anyone can answer that with a definite yes or no….

But there is the one thing you will find has been happening before any move of God.

There is always someone, somewhere, praying that God will come and do something more.
Even if it is just a couple of grey haired old ladies who are desperate for God to come and move in power to revive his church and impact society, there is always someone praying, they may have prayed for years, but there won’t be an absence of hungry hearts crying out for God to come.

So if you want him to do this, you want him to be more powerfully at work in your church and your town, are you telling him this?

Do you know others who feel the same?

How about getting together to pray?

What to pray?
Well, we could start with asking him to meet with us more clearly than we have known before.
We want intimacy with him don’t we?
What helps us in our ordinary relationships? Time and attention. We need to spend good time with him, pay attention to him, if we will focus our hearts and minds on him properly we will get to a greater sense of intimacy, he promises that he rewards those who diligently seek him.
He wants us to love him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, he isn’t dispassionate and aloof, he is longing for us to press in to him for more of him, why do you think you are hungry, don’t you know it’s because he is stirring that desire in you?

As you develop a greater intimacy with him, as well as a growing love for him you will also find you want others to know him even more than you did before…then see if you can resist crying out for him to come and move in your church, in your town and country!

No time like the present for…..

Mike Reeves has written books which come highly recommended and the http://thinktheology.co.uk/ blog has some posts from him too, so when I saw this talk I thought you might like to listen to it. It’s called A Complete Church History in 60 minutes.

Enjoy!

http://www.theologynetwork.org/Media/Audio/Mike_Reeves-A_Complete_Church_History/Mike_Reeves-A_Complete_Church_History.mp3

My friend’s beautiful heart after God

She has a heart after God…

A friend told some of her story on Sunday.

Some time back her heart’s cry had been to be as intimate with God as was possible, she didn’t want anything to come between them.
Over time he brought things up which he wanted her to be free from and now since paying attention to what he wanted and being willing to let him change and heal her she is in a very different place, she knows a greater measure of freedom and joy.

In Psalm 139 we have a prayer of David, who God said was ‘A man after his own heart’, listen to some of his heart’s cry.

Read it slowly and see which particular parts resonate with you, write them down and stick them in your pocket, or put them on your iPhone, however you want, just take them with you today and let them reassure you of the love of God and his presence with you.

Perhaps you might want to pray the last two verses from the Psalm and see what he brings to mind over the next little while.

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my every thought when far away.

You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.

Every moment you know where I am.

You know what I’m going to say even before I say it, Lord.

You both precede and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know!

I can never escape from your spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

…You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my Mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvellous and how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake in the morning, you are still with me!

…Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139: 1-7; 13-18; 23-24.

He hears and answers.
Like my friend you will know a new freedom and joy as you pay attention to his heart for you.

He loves it when we ask him to help us grow to be more like Jesus and that is, after all, what we are asking for…isn’t it?

Was it only once…?

You have loved us first..

‘Father in heaven! You have loved us first, help us never to forget that You are love so that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts over the seduction of the world, over the inquietude of the soul, over the anxiety for the future, over the fright of the past, over the distress of the moment.

But grant also that this conviction might discipline our soul so that our heart might remain faithful and sincere in the love which we bear to all those whom you have commanded us to love as we love ourselves.

You have loved us first, O God, alas! We speak of it in terms of history as if You have only loved us first but a single time, rather than without ceasing You have loved us first many times and every day and our whole life through.

When we wake up in the morning and turn our soul toward You…You are the first…You have loved us first; if I rise at dawn and at the same second turn my soul to You in prayer, You are there ahead of me, You have loved me first.

When I withdraw from the distractions of the day and turn my soul towards You, You are the first and thus forever. And yet we always speak ungratefully as if You loved us first….only once.’

A prayer of Soren Kierkegaard.

Elijah..a man like us (erm..perhaps not like me though..)

Mike Pilavachi tweeted a comment sometime back, it said

‘More prayer, more power; less prayer, less power; no prayer, no power.’

And recently I read this quote at the beginning of a chapter in the book by E M Bounds called Power Through Prayer.

‘The principal cause of my leanness and unfruitfulness is owing to an unaccountable backwardness to pray. I can write or read or converse or hear with a ready heart; but prayer is more spiritual and inward than any of these, and the more spiritual any duty is the more my carnal heart is apt to start (retreat) from it. Prayer and patience and faith are never disappointed. I have long since learned that if ever I was to be a minister, faith and prayer must make me one. When I can find my heart in frame and liberty for prayer, everything else is comparatively easy.’ Richard Newton.

In the Christian life it’s a fact that prayer is one of the most challenging things to do consistently, yet nothing will bear fruit without it.

There are different types of prayer and though some are harder to engage in during particular seasons of life, there is no need to feel adrift from him even in the most hectic of times.
We can be mindful of God as we go through the day, bringing our thoughts back to him time and again.
We can keep our hearts alert to the gifts he gives us and for which we give genuine thanks.
We can whisper our longings and needs to him, we can lift our children to him, those dreams of their future with him, and know he hears us and will respond.

When times come when we want to press into prayer for specific situations we will find this spirit or attitude of prayer, fruitful and beautiful as it is, is different to the prayer work which James speaks of when he says Elijah was a man like us and he prayed fervently resulting in the weather being changed. A strong effort from his heart and soul went into that dramatic episode.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
James 5:17-18.

The event James is referring to is found in 1 Kings 18:41-46, but for best understanding of the sort of person Elijah was you’re better off reading from the start of chapter 17 when Elijah suddenly arrives on the scene and read through to the end of chapter 19.

He was a man who heard the heartbeat of God and prayed.

History was changed.

I wonder who might have an interest in us not praying.

Maybe he doesn’t want us to be powerful.

Maybe he doesn’t want history changed.

But God does. And he wants to use us.

Why do I listen to such a lousy preacher?

Who is your favourite preacher? I bet I could list quite a few and one or two of them would be your out and out favourite person to listen to.

I’m pretty sure they’re not the one you spend the most time listening to though.

No not even if you listen to them every day.

No, I’m not thinking of your own leaders either.

This one is a real stinker of a preacher, they make you feel inadequate and flat and even if you’ve had a good week they’ll make sure to take you down a peg or two.
Who is this nightmare? You know them well. It is you.

You find yourself preaching sneaky little sermons to yourself at the most odd times, when you’re just going to sleep, or at three in the morning, or a real favourite, when you first wake up, that twilight zone when you seem unable to shake the sleep off to answer back.

Can I reassure you that it isn’t just you this happens to? It is widespread. Much worse than God TV.

Why do we listen to this voice? Why don’t we refuse to listen to such discouraging nonsense? If we were sat in a building hearing this for more than a few Sundays, we probably wouldn’t go back, at least I hope we wouldn’t. So why?

Well, some of it is that deep down we believe it to be true.

Some of it is true.

After all, this preacher can remind us of all sorts of things which even if not entirely true, are near enough to the truth to make us feel discouraged, self conscious and then more and more self absorbed, tangling our wiring so we could blow a fuse at the thought of caring about anyone or anything else.

So what can we do?

Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to say we should talk to ourselves. Aren’t I saying this is the problem? Well, no. Talking to ourselves isn’t the problem, listening is.
If a recorded talk is boring or frustrating you, you can change what you’re listening to, if it’s a live talk and that’s not possible you could make your mind busy with other things and spend the time more usefully instead.
Sadly it isn’t so easy to switch off when the preacher is little old me.

But wait, why can’t we do that?

If we choose to think about something else then our inner airtime is busy and can’t be taken up with the drone of dreary self bothering. Just thinking of good things, things we enjoy doing, people we love, something to work on later, anything which will stop the monotonous drip drip.

If all else fails, and you’re really struggling to break free, then tell someone who loves you what you’re thinking. Their dumbfounded expression should be enough to stop the nonsense for now. And honestly, their opinion of you may, just possibly, be more accurate than yours. I know you don’t believe me, but you never know, I may be right.

Listen to this…

(Remember this is a previously self important church hating son of a gun writing these verses, if anyone had the potential for negative self talk it is Paul.)

Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

….those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them, living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into a spacious, free life. Focussing on the self is the opposite of focussing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God.

….So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life.
God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a child-like “What’s next Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirit and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.

Snippets from the Message version of Romans 8, surely one of the most wonderful parts of the bible!

Let it speak to you again and again and see the difference it makes as it sinks in.

Hannah’s Path through to joy

Hannah’s path through to joy.

1 Samuel 1:1-20 You might want to read my earlier post on Hannah.

http://thequietstreet.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/hannahs-cry/

This woman was real with God, no hint of a mask for her. She wants to get to grips with God about her troubles and knows he will listen to her. So she tells him all about it.
She pours out her heart to him.

It’s interesting how she does this. Although she isn’t speaking loudly enough to be heard clearly, it is evident to anyone near her that she is speaking with deep emotion.

It can be helpful for us to consider this account and ask how we could learn from it.

If we simply pray about painful things silently, there isn’t the connection with our emotions in the same way as when we speak audibly to God. There seems to be something quite different when we do this which helps in the process of healing our hurts as well as expressing ourselves more clearly than in quiet thought.

To engage with God in greater depth like this brings about change, our prayer may well bring about the answer we have been seeking, but it will surely assist in changing us.

As we articulate our thoughts and feelings in this way we can discover a greater clarity in what we think, maybe even a greater honesty with him, and sometimes with ourselves.

Can I just say…
It might be helpful to do this with another person, someone with whom you feel comfortable talking about deeper things. I don’t mean just telling them, I mean for you to pray your heart out while they are with you.
It can be all too easy when alone to feel awkward and self indulgent if you decide to express your feelings in prayer.
The issue might be an old one which is quite nicely hidden under a lot of thickened heart ‘skin’, and to be honest, the temptation is to let sleeping dogs lie, after all dozy dogs have been known to bite, and you have survived this long.. and it can feel silly..
But, you wouldn’t even be considering this if there wasn’t something bothering you, so it is good to address it.
As you start to unravel the issue with God the knowledge of your friend’s presence is comforting, gives a sense of belonging and protects you from the risk of loneliness sneaking up on you while you’re vulnerable. They can of course also pray for you.

Expressing thoroughly the cause of the pain will not only aid in our healing but also allows the Holy Spirit to tenderise our hearts to him.
In this process we bring our sin and suffering to our Father. This helps us to be more likely to sense the closeness of God in that moment, and not solely then, but also in worship and generally it becomes easier to hear him too.

Issues that have hindered our intimacy with God are dealt with.
We feel a renewed tenderness of heart towards him and others too.
We know a greater sensitivity to his presence.

It seems he really does reward those who diligently seek him, Hebrews 11:6.
What a reward too, there is no greater delight than to be able to sense the pleasure of God.

At the end of this time of prayer we see Hannah quite transformed. She’s no longer discouraged, she is brighter and hope filled.

She said, “May your servant find favour in your eyes.” Then she went away and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshipped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

I don’t think Hannah would have chosen to do things any differently even though it was probably awkward and embarrassing to pray as she did.

Our God does reward those who diligently seek him, both then and now.

Soul Food

Knowing the character of God is vital to our healthy growth and to any hope of a sane handling of ourselves and the world.

When we struggle to understand the craziness around us our best protection is knowing him. We can remind ourselves of exactly what he is like and lean into him, trusting that he knows us and loves us. He is our Father and doesn’t tell us no unless he has a better yes.

When we are in a time of walking on smooth roads with the sun on our backs, then we can also rest in him, knowing he has provided this for us too. There is no need for anxiety thinking this won’t last forever, anymore than we need feel anxiety (although we often do) when in tough times wondering whether we can stay the course. If we know him, then we know we are in good hands.

Read these precious truths slowly, let them settle into your spirit and restore your focus.

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.
Psalm 11:7

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Psalm 33:4-5

The plans of the Lord stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Psalm 33:11

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:20-22

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
Psalm 102:17

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

…The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

…But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children, with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Psalm 103:2-5; 8-14; 17-18.

Take some of these words with you today. Take them to heart. They are good food for the soul.

The Lamb Wins

One of the most amazing truths the bible teaches us is that we can get to know God.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says this

‘This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord.”

We can understand and know God, that is mind blowing. He doesn’t maintain his distance, but draws near, letting us get to know his heart, his mind, his nature. In doing this we can grow secure, knowing who it is who has called us, rescued us, planned for us.

Mark Buchanan’s book ‘The Holy Wild: Trusting in the Character of God’ is full of vivid stories which get deep down under your skin. This is one of them.

‘On November 27, 1989, a spontaneous celebration burst out all over Czechoslovakia. Communism had fallen, it’s squat monuments sprawled faced own in the dust, children acing atop them. Little old ladies, prisoners, pig farmers, dock workers, all had prayed for this day for a long time. They had suffered for it. Many had died for it.
Now it was here. Now it was finished.
Church bells had been silent in that country for forty-five years. But on that day, at high noon, every church bell in the country bonged and clanged. Pigeons, startled, scattered from the belfries in thousands, a blur of white and gray across the sky. The people, amazed, let out a shout of joy so loud it almost drowned the music.
On a lawn in the front of a church in Prague, someone staked a sign: The Lamb Wins!
One day, Christ will return. Not on a donkey, weeping. Not on a cross, dying. But on a stallion, a sword coming from his mouth, conquering as He comes. On that day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
Between then and now, though, the dragon rages, the jack-boots hammer, the devil dances. The victory comes disguised. Words. Blood. Wounds. Clay jars. Torchlight.
But rest in this: He’s still on the case, and not one thing anywhere can separate you from His love.
The Lamb wins.’

He does indeed. He is victorious.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Holy-Wild-Mark-Buchanan/dp/1590524489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366350720&sr=8-1&keywords=Mark+Buchanan+the+holy+wild

But I love you really…

We know we love, we know we care, we know because we say we do and we know this is true, don’t we?

But do we genuinely engage with those feelings we say are ours?

If you are full of tears and I see it or hear it, yet don’t ask ‘Are you okay?’ can I really claim to care for you? If I’m more concerned to protect my dignity and my heart then can I claim to love you well?
When we see a person with tears in their throat just pushing to brim out of their eyes, can we turn away and pretend we saw nothing? Will it hurt to ask, to be involved, even if only for a while?
It will, if we do it in truth.

How much will it hurt and for how long in the other one’s heart if we don’t? It may be a lifetime.

Truly fitting my heart into yours, even if only for a short time, is a God given ability, responsibility, and privilege which shows a glimpse of his amazing love and utter commitment to us. It is a reflection of his beauty.

Pondering…

Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus up with a word, that they would again be able to eat and laugh together in familiar settings, even that they would eventually be raised to a new day which they would spend together. Yet outside the tomb Jesus cries from the depths of his being.
He hated death and the sorrow it caused his friends.

The insult to the perfect creation was personal to him, this was his generous and beautiful handiwork messed with and spoiled.
His people suffering death and heartbreak. His friends, his family. The ones he fiercely loves.
And he feels, he engages, even though he knows the end from the beginning and isn’t under any illusions that death for Lazarus is a permanent state, even if he leaves him in his tomb.
Yet still tears storm from him.

He didn’t need to feel.

But..how healing must it have been for those friends to know his heart was broken for them? Not simply a miracle worker who made a difference with a word, but a dear and loved friend who broke his heart before he broke the chains.
Amazing love.