“They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”
I was made for the church and the church was made for me!
The church is not a museum of pain and no relevance it is home and dwelling place of God, of life in abundance.
There is a divine exchange where what has broken us shall be broken off from us and replaced by its opposite blessing.
There will be building and restoration to breakout from again. A desire to pray intentionally the blessing prayer St Francis of Assisi below.
We are guilty of demolishing our church when we criticise it.
For too long some have unknowingly undermined our church in society with dismissive and critical words which have sown the seeds of negativity, loss of hope.
Or made it appear undesirable to others, irrelevant to contemporary society, unworthy of being God’s home, love, intention and decree.
The lens through which we look and encourage others by is in all that we see that is good, needed and births hope not despair.
When we speak tenderly, faithfully, of what we know to be God’s desire we will not perpetuate disillusionment but ignite the hope and restoration of His true heart and our part in that.
A divided body is not attractive or beautiful.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Celebrate and broadcast what is beautiful.
Give us the heart to be all in.
To choose to love church and people as God chooses to love His church.
Knowing none of us to be perfect.
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
We need grace to overarch and bridge the transformation that we are about to encounter in the new wine.
When we speak as winners we will pass winning on to others. God wants a positive ethos in His church.
We are winners not losers because we love, bless, forgive, obey and pray.
Lord, make us instruments of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master,
Grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in the giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
Saint Francis of Assisi
The illustration shows the artist pallet of God not with paint pigments but with spiritual blessings of love, joy, peace, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, hope creating the Holy Spirit qualities of the spectrum of light to push back the darkness.
Three Scriptures that come to mind:
“They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”Isaiah 61:4 ESV
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”Proverbs 18:21 ESV
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”1 Peter 4:8 ESV
The song See A Victory. Elevation
https://youtu.be/YNd-PbVhnvA
Lessisgreater 