Master of Freshness
Laura and I went to church last night. Laura has just moved to Texas and has been praying and looking for the church that will become her home. She called last night and asked if I would visit the Wednesday night service of a small local church with her. I didn't get to go to church on Sunday, and yesterday was a little bit of a rough day for me. I was more than ready for a change of pace...so off to church we went.
What a wave of refreshment. God is so good. (I know that is not new to you...) But isn't it amazing that we do not have to have all of our ducks in a row or a certain number of people in the crowd for God to reveal Himself afresh to us?
Because the church had choir, boys and girls clubs, and a few other things going on on Wedsnesday night, there were probably less than twenty in the sanctuary to hear the guest minister and his wife, pastors from Poland. Less than twenty listening; but what a refreshing!
He spoke on "speaking to your mountain"...not talking about it or complaining about it...but speaking to it. It was excellent. I love the Word, but I also love words. He spoke with very broken English and struggled some to use the word or words that we would use in different expressions. I am not sure that he even realized how fresh and refreshing his limited English was to me. There were several things that He said that settled as "selah" moments in my spirit.
He said that "you can have a heaven holiday". It is time to arise and work in the kingdom now, and it is not time to be on vacation until you reach heaven. He wasn't speaking against vacations, but rather that sometimes we sit back on our lees so easily instead of pressing in. We are not on vacation yet. Amen!
Three kinds of people were presented: the pioneers...those with passion, the settlers...those tied to the ground who don't move much, and the museum keepers...always talking about the past. He urged us to be pioneers.
"God is the Master of freshness" he proclaimed. I have never heard it put that way, but He is the Master of Freshness. Behold He makes all things new, He brings change, He renews us like the eagles, He renews my soul, He is new every morning, and He breathes into us new life.
His wife closed the service by singing a beautiful song about our having a reason to praise because He is God even of the desert.
I am not sure how your day is going, but this I know: You can call on the Master of Freshness.
Thank you, Lord. You are the Master of Freshness to me!
What a wave of refreshment. God is so good. (I know that is not new to you...) But isn't it amazing that we do not have to have all of our ducks in a row or a certain number of people in the crowd for God to reveal Himself afresh to us?
Because the church had choir, boys and girls clubs, and a few other things going on on Wedsnesday night, there were probably less than twenty in the sanctuary to hear the guest minister and his wife, pastors from Poland. Less than twenty listening; but what a refreshing!
He spoke on "speaking to your mountain"...not talking about it or complaining about it...but speaking to it. It was excellent. I love the Word, but I also love words. He spoke with very broken English and struggled some to use the word or words that we would use in different expressions. I am not sure that he even realized how fresh and refreshing his limited English was to me. There were several things that He said that settled as "selah" moments in my spirit.
He said that "you can have a heaven holiday". It is time to arise and work in the kingdom now, and it is not time to be on vacation until you reach heaven. He wasn't speaking against vacations, but rather that sometimes we sit back on our lees so easily instead of pressing in. We are not on vacation yet. Amen!
Three kinds of people were presented: the pioneers...those with passion, the settlers...those tied to the ground who don't move much, and the museum keepers...always talking about the past. He urged us to be pioneers.
"God is the Master of freshness" he proclaimed. I have never heard it put that way, but He is the Master of Freshness. Behold He makes all things new, He brings change, He renews us like the eagles, He renews my soul, He is new every morning, and He breathes into us new life.
His wife closed the service by singing a beautiful song about our having a reason to praise because He is God even of the desert.
I am not sure how your day is going, but this I know: You can call on the Master of Freshness.
Thank you, Lord. You are the Master of Freshness to me!
Comments
How great. Sue. It sounds like you were just where you needed that refreshing time. A lot has gone on. You came here, you drove back on your exciting trip, none-the-less though exhausting and resumed life back right away, finished up Laura's place (and by the way, it is georgeous)(and the colors are so so wonderfully soothing) (what a great combination) (quality of a God kind) (anyway......)
I like to have choir going on. I find that refreshing too and something I would enjoy (maybe not regularly) (but often I think)
We need to pour ourselves into other areas and not just our local church. It is not up to our pastors to feed us every second, but a time for us to go out and get some extra feeding to bring a freshness, a newness back into our church that can be felt because we ARE REFRESHED.
Isn't it amazing, too, that no matter where we go, sometimes on those off nights, when a guest speaker has arrived, (as you so very well know I am sure) that the amount of people are so many times small. They miss so much of what God wants to do. I love to glena from those times.
I truly pray that we become a church that universally takes the time to get a refreshing other than the pulpit on Sundays.
How true, Sue, that we need to be always alert and not just sitting back on vacation no matter where we are, so that when He puts a word in us, we are ready to take it where He will, when He will, in areas unknown to us, times unknown to us, that bless Him and bless others and we become so more in tune with Him.
I like the three kinds of people you talk about - what a great teaching takeoff.
You and Laura I know for sure, are pioneers. From past experience, I have seen Laura pioneer along paths that were lonely but were needed and conquor in Him and growth amazenly blossom. I have watched you over time and listened and observed and recently I think of your trips to ravaged areas of what happened at WWham (sp) (but you know what I mean) and how He carried you when your soul hurt, how He grew you, how He excited you and how You were able to pour more than you could possibly imagine into lives that will be forever changed in areas you don't know, but you were obedient, Sue, and went and went into unchartered areas - a pioneer for sure.
You are a woman of whom all I have heard speak, Sue, who demonstrates God's passion. I have seen you change when you are on "stage" (in His limelight) and the word comes to life, and your passion is seen (you DO SO have passion that is anointed of God).
Oh, so crazy a time when I was willing to settle because I was comfortable and afraid, and I am not that person anymore, and I love to take chances with God, for when that happens, I know not what will happen, but it is so good. Forever changed reminds me of a CD all of a sudden from a Joyce Meyers time. What an apt expression but so real.
There surely are the museum keeprs, aren't there. What it really is if you can talk the talk, you need to walk the walk, and it may be challenging, overwhelming and tearful, but oh- the beauty that blooms from it is so fresh and sweet.
I love it that He renews us like eagles. I remember I time when I was at Lauras and I knew He had given me a picture of me soaring and flying with Him, but at that time, in my own fear, I wasn't ready, even though He knew I was, and I missed a time frame, His time frame, but not anymore (well, as much as I can proclaim that, I am sure I may miss some times or so), but I am alert to so much more now, that to soar with Him is the finest and the greatest, but the costs may be high, and yet the outcome is to overcome.
I so loved this blog that it touched me as you can tell. I hope you have the time to read. It is as though my fingers are flying over the page and I have not stopped typing fast (it is an anointing) and one He wants me to express back to you, Sue, and say, I love you, I value and appreciate who you are and who you are in Christ and I enjoy your writing. Sometimes I just read, but when I read this kind of God creativity, how can I help but respond.
Know you are in my prayers for the next engagements He will be taking you on.
And He has given you, from this little amount of people that were at church this past Wednesday, nuggets to speak on wherever He leads you, and I am thanking God for many engagements that will refresh you more and will refresh Laura more and your pages will become one as your freindships deepens and blossoms into that specialness that keeps you in cinque. God bless you. Ms. Bonnie B PS - I am just going to send this and not even correct any spelling errors because I know it is of God and I may want to change something myself, but I typed so fast that I know it was of God, so bear with me for what I didn't spell right. Love
Pioneers. Now that is what I desire to be. I think God places that small sparkling diamond of excitement at the very center of our hearts to shine through and we get used to it. When that happens our thinking reverts to the mundane and down-pulling "museum thinking."I have been here a few times...
YES!!! God is the Master of Freshness. Indeed. And it is good for us that it comes from Him, isn't it??? We could never manufacture what He mercifully pours over our dry heads daily!
BTW, I have been praying for you and Laura and the ministry. Keep me updated so I know what way to direct my prayers.
Michele