Growth in the dark

I have heard these words twice over the past week, so thought you may find them helpful - "Flowers soak up the sun and rain in the day time, but they do their growing in the dark." To put it in a different way - we don't grow through the good times, but rather through the difficult times.

"If the thunder is not loud, the peasant forgets to cross himself." - Russian proverb
"A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner." - English Proverb

May we be deeply conscious of God's spirit with us in the dark times. The growth will follow.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

What are others seeing?

What kind of Christian community are you in at the moment? Read these thoughts and then answer the question:

"A Christian community that produces love and beauty is a witness that cannot be denied...we must first be people who live out the gospel." - Alasdair MacIntyre

So, how are you doing with that? How can we offer more 'grace' to people in our community?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Thoughts on the Cross

Malcolm Muggeridge wrote these powerful thoughts on the cross:

"Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of a cross - not necessarily a crucifix; maybe two pieces of wood accidentally nailed together, on a telegraph pole, for instance - and suddenly my heart would stand still. In an instinctive, intuitive way I understood that something more important, more tumultuous, more passionate, was at issue than our good causes, however admirable they might be."

May these words offer us food for thought.
Thank God for the Cross.

Living in grace,
D3LM3

Church visioning

The leaders of Wesley are heading off for 2 days to pray and plan for 2011. Our aim is to realign ourselves with God's vision for the Church and to be obedient to God's purposes. In preparation for this I have been doing some reading around the issues of Church. My reading has been across the spectrum of opinions ranging from Brian McLaren (Church on the other side), Leonard Sweet (Carpe Manna) and Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Church).

My deepest prayer is that we would simply honour Jesus' words in John 15:16 – “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last" and in John 3:17 - "For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Pray for us.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Holiness

Holy ground is dangerous territory - just ask Moses. Sometimes I feel that we need to recapture the truth of living on Holy Ground. If God is as near as we proclaim He is then we are permanently on Holy Ground. How does this Holy place transform us?

Eugene Peterson writes:
"Holiness is the furnace that transforms the men and women who get too close to it. Holy, Holy, Holy, is not a Christian needlepoint - it is the banner of a revolution, the revolution."

May we get so near to the furnace of 'Holy Ground' that we are forever transformed.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Make a stand

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke

Being good doesn't prevent evil. Confronting darkness with the Light of Christ is the only way to ensure victory. Take a stand!

1 Peter 4:16 - "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Road Markings

Road markings are crucial to our safety on the roads, but we all have the freedom to abide by them or to ignore them. If I choose to ignore the warning signs and overtake on a 'solid white line' I am putting my life in danger, as well as the lives of my passengers and other motorists. It's dangerous, but it is still my choice.

The Word of God is often like road markings. It is there to guide us, to protect us and to keep us focused on the journey. But we can still choose to ignore it. The consequence of ignoring the Word is also disastrous. We put our lives in danger, as well as the lives of many people - but, it's our choice.

Make a choice. The markings are there for a reason. Think about it.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3