Monday, 21 July 2014

It's time for Action, Part 1








Recently,  I have found that I have a lot of free time,  due to circumstances,  although I have been spending time with some amazing and special friends both locally here in Southport and when I have been travelling over the other  side of the Pennies.

Due to the amount of free time, I have been reading some significant Christian books by Tim Chester, Michael Frost and Neil Cole,  I have developed a system of time management which does to a certain degree works out well.   I decided to spend some time seeking God’s face, will and direction for my life and have spent some time reading and praying.

I haven’t spent much time writing my blog recently, although I have re-posted some old blog posts,  I haven’t spent much time  on things like Facebook because of a new relationship.   I have tried to write some new posts and nothing has seemed to flow, you could call writer’s block but I’m unsure what was the cause of the lack of the progress in writing.

I read with interest today on the Daily Mail website, of a Gentleman who has decided for some reason to convert his house back to what it would have looked like in the 1940’s and he has chosen to live his life in that period of time see  the 1940's house.  Some time ago I visited the  St Fagan’s National History Museum near Cardiff and I saw the Ironworker's Terrace Houses, where the houses were converted to what they would have looked like at various times in History.  Last night I watched an episode of the British World War 2 Detective series, Foyle’s War. I enjoyed watching Foyle’s War last night,  but it showed a story from a historical point of view.  It’s very easy of us to have a sense of nostalgia for days that have past, or even feel a sense of  safety in those days that have passed,  I felt a sense of  sadness for the gentleman living in the 1940’s house,  none  of us, I hope would choose to live our lives in a 1940’s house, but we can see something in the past, and rather taking that something into our present or future,  we can see the ideal of that truth and leave it in the past.

One of my favourite Television shows is Homes Under the Hammer,  where people buy houses that have seen better days at auction, and by investing  a lot of money and time, transform these houses  either to sell on/rent out  or to live in.

I have been a Christian,  a number of years now,  and was  converted in a Children’s Meeting, Easter 1981 although I was raised in a Christian Family,  I have developed a love of Scripture , the Church and the Kingdom of God, and for my fellow believers, and those not yet Christians ,  and I have wondered like many of us,  where we fit in in the grand scheme of things, and what part I do play or I’m called to play.  I have had struggles, disappointments and many times have felt disillusionment .   I have felt for some time,  that one season or chapter is ending, and I’m about to enter a new season or chapter.

“ A  great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution that bold experimentation with new ideas.  The frontiers of  the Kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.”  Oswald Chambers

“ Don’t ask yourself  what the world needs.  Ask yourself what makes you alive , and then go and do that , because what the world needs is people who are alive.”  Howard Thurman

It’s easier to read our Bibles and Christian books, and to pray and to seek God’s face and will for our lives,  however it becomes a life of day dreams and virtual reality Christianity. Like the Apostle Peter says,  it’s time for action,  we have spent years in preparation, and no preparation is wasted,   but now is the time for action.

Called to Be Holy 1 Peter 1:13-14 Esv
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action,[a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

John 4:35-38

35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not laboured; others have laboured and you have entered into their labour.”

C T Studd

Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time of waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In God's Holy Name let us arise and build! 'The God of Heaven, He will fight for us', as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only our God, than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ.

Matthew 9:35-38 New American Standard Bible.

35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness  36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

To be continued 

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