A Good Fence Makes For Good Neighbours

While I do agree with this old statement about good neighbours I am writing to testify that this is not always the case. It is possible that to back into a fence and smash it to pieces can also make for good neighbours.
Last week I was heading out to a conference early on Saturday morning. As I was backing out of my tricky driveway I had to do a three point turn to get my van pointed in a forward direction. As I did that I “lightly” bumped my neighbour’s fence and what happened next made my stomach churn.
The sound it made did sound exactly like a gun going off. The wood was so old and so brittle that my little bump sent pieces of shrapnel flying through the air. I didn’t know what to do... should I be late for my meeting or should I wake up my neighbour to let them know what I had done.
I decided on leaving a note on the door step expressing my deep regret over what had happened and that I would be gone all day but in the evening would come and speak with them about it. I told them that repairing the fence was important and that I would pay for it whatever the costs might be.
As I put the note down on the door step a couple of other neighbours who had heard the gun shot came to explore what was happening most of them in their pjs. I finally got to meet a few more of my neighbours. Even though I only had time to let them know that I would be gone for the day and when I got home I would face my well deserved firing squad.
When I returned that night to my total shock the entire old fence had been torn down and in its place a new brighter and better fence was there. My neighbours were thankful that I had knocked down their fence as it gave them a reason to do what they had planned to do for months. They just needed a reason to get going and low and behold I provided them with one.
The moral of the story is, if you want to meet your neighbours and begin a great relationship just knock down the fences that get in the way!
God Is Good All The Time.

Just Stay Focus On Jesus

This weekend I attended an ALPHA training course and I was blessed by the vision and basic tenants of this program that has literally swept the world. If you don't know about it basically it is a well proven, well oiled, well respected way of helping people discover the basic concepts of the Christian Faith and offers the average church goer a way to introduce their friends to faith in Christ. It started in an Anglican Church in England some 30 years ago by a pastor named Nicky Gumble. One thing that I really appreciated was the gentle and yet persuasive way that this program inspires those who attend to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit. Gentle in that he is welcomed in a warm and most deeply authentic way and yet persuasive because he is the only way we can be and become all that the Christian is meant to be and become. Without the working of the Spirit among us their is nothing of significance that can be accomplished.
As I was sitting their during a worship time in which we were instructed to wait upon the Lord for fresh anointing I remembered significant encounters I have had with the Holy Spirit. It became clear to me that at each of those significant points, turning points, points of redirection, there was also a significant and intentional desire for the fullness of the Spirit. I knew in that moment that if their was a call to come forward for prayer for a fresh filling I was to go. No sooner had I had that thought go through my mind the leader of the session invited those who desired a fresh move of the Holy Spirit to come forward for prayer. As usual their is that initial hesitancy but I knew that I had already been prompted by God so I went, by my self, no one else came, (eventually another women did come up)to the front of the church to wait for prayer.
I waited alone for quite some time, it seemed like several minutes went by and then a women joined me at the front and then several more minutes before one of the ALPHA workers came and prayed with me. He had been introduced to the crowd as the man who had just completed a 3 year process of turning ALPHA into something useful for English as a Second Language people. I remember being quite impressed with him and was secretly glad that the Lord had brought him to me to pray for me.
As we prayed the Holy Spirit moved him and he spoke to me this word. "Just stay focused on Jesus" There is always so many things to consider in a new work and the temptation to make small personal preference adjustments is there rather than deal with root issues. So, this was/is a good word, an excellent reminder, to simply and ruthlessly just stay focused on Jesus.
It is now two days later and I am still walking in the graciousness of the Spirits words to me through this gracious man. Simple yes, but profound, absolutely. If Jesus is intentionally lifted up here at ICC then Jesus will draw all men to himself. Make it so Holy Spirit, make it so.
God is Good All The Time.