It started, for most of us, last Sunday evening. Pastor Dave was about 10 minutes into the message when he announced that he felt that he couldn't continue. He had lost the thread of the message and felt constrained to sit down and let God have His Way. Within a few minutes we heard a number of testimonies warning us about complacency; to get right with God; to get right with each other and to trust in God's righteousness and not our own, and to know God in our innermost being.
We were also given a picture of how, like a horse, Jesus was holding us on the path with reigns and bridle - He is taming us, as individuals and as a fellowship, to walk along the path that He has laid out for us but that there is still some rebellion within us. We are talking the walk but not walking the walk!!!
The week for me has been wonderful and I believe that I have felt God making sure that I am heading in the right direction for Him. A few years back I was prayed for and was reminded that Moses' ministry didn't commence until until he was 80 years old! Now even I'm a few years short of that age but I have 'known' for sometime now that when the mortgage is finished, in two years time, then I am to make myself available for whatever the Lord requires of me. I will be available for short term ministries in practical situations. I am not a scholar as I find it very difficult to study. However, I accept that I will have to seek out some form of acceptable Biblical based studies over the next two years. So the search is on for the right material and possibly the right organisation. Please join with me in my prayers for God's direction.
Thursday evening's cell was a blessed time even though we didn't follow Pastor D's notes!
Friday evening we had an extra prayer meeting at Pinetree House and as result we were reminded that our "Prayer & Fasting Shield" had fallen by the wayside - and we wondered why last Sunday evening went the way it did!!! Doh!!! Basically a person/persons from the fellowship fasts from teatime to teatime each day of the week and prays about specific things - eg: Our national and local governments; our enemies - a difficult one that; the local community and so on. This is all in addition to our personal prayer life.
Saturday morning prayer meeting, yesterday, was also a time of blessing and reminders/rebuke from the Lord. We need to pray more for the 'prodigals' of our fellowship. We have already had recently a woman come back to us after being in an ungodly relationship for the last 4 years! Praise God! But there are more prodigals out there and not just from our fellowship. Pray for the prodigals - God wants them back!!!
We also need to be aware of not offending our brothers and sisters in Christ. Proverbs 18v19: A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
So, all in all, an interesting and challenging week.
