There are two lessons tonight that the Lord leads me to share. I have been quiet of late, partly due to busyness coupled with apathy (such a horrible combination quashing all fruitfulnes) and partly because I will not write what I am not living, I will not allow my words to create a hypocrit of me. And therefore I have been quiet. However.
Tonight He showed me something, reminded me in fact, of something that occured previous to my first ever sermon aged 14. He taught me a great lesson in my tiny bedroom that He repeated this evening.
Candles.
He had me turn off all the lights and just sit in the dark. The dark consumes everything, it fills every space, every crevice, like water and air and yet there is another dimension to the dark, of itself, it remains unchallenged and hides everything. However, light a candle and so much of the dark is chased away immediately. Wherever there is light, dark simply cannot remain. It is not a fight or a battle, it simply is no longer present. That was lesson one btw. Equally; He pointed out something else significant whilst I watched the candle flicker in my dark room. He pointed out that sinister shadows only appear once the light is shining. When dark is not challenged, it remains dark and everything is hidden. But when light appears, so do shadows. I do not know the full implication or metaphor of shadows, but He reminded me of when I was a kid and He spoke of all this and therefore I merely write as a kid, simplistic parrallels between the natural and spiritual worlds that coexist and yet which we find so hard to comprehend. So finally, He called me to remember and understand the importance of shining light in teams and that light only makes an impact, when it is SHONE in the DARKNESS. Light in light simply does not have impact.
Once He had spoken to me about the candle, about my fruitfulness (or lack thereof) and why when I start after Him, fear and attack increase (shadows) He had me read the following;
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other
Oh Lord, make me fruitful. Teach me intimacy. Kill me, I really mean it, please kill me that I might be a grafted branch onto YOUR vine, not trying to graft you onto mine. Oh Jesus Oh Jesus Oh Jesus Oh Jesus. I love you. Please do it, please ruin me, please kill me, please wreck me. Show me your glory Lord. I wanna live in your heart. Oh God oh God. amen forever amen. I am yours.
Tonight He showed me something, reminded me in fact, of something that occured previous to my first ever sermon aged 14. He taught me a great lesson in my tiny bedroom that He repeated this evening.
Candles.
He had me turn off all the lights and just sit in the dark. The dark consumes everything, it fills every space, every crevice, like water and air and yet there is another dimension to the dark, of itself, it remains unchallenged and hides everything. However, light a candle and so much of the dark is chased away immediately. Wherever there is light, dark simply cannot remain. It is not a fight or a battle, it simply is no longer present. That was lesson one btw. Equally; He pointed out something else significant whilst I watched the candle flicker in my dark room. He pointed out that sinister shadows only appear once the light is shining. When dark is not challenged, it remains dark and everything is hidden. But when light appears, so do shadows. I do not know the full implication or metaphor of shadows, but He reminded me of when I was a kid and He spoke of all this and therefore I merely write as a kid, simplistic parrallels between the natural and spiritual worlds that coexist and yet which we find so hard to comprehend. So finally, He called me to remember and understand the importance of shining light in teams and that light only makes an impact, when it is SHONE in the DARKNESS. Light in light simply does not have impact.
Once He had spoken to me about the candle, about my fruitfulness (or lack thereof) and why when I start after Him, fear and attack increase (shadows) He had me read the following;
John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other
Oh Lord, make me fruitful. Teach me intimacy. Kill me, I really mean it, please kill me that I might be a grafted branch onto YOUR vine, not trying to graft you onto mine. Oh Jesus Oh Jesus Oh Jesus Oh Jesus. I love you. Please do it, please ruin me, please kill me, please wreck me. Show me your glory Lord. I wanna live in your heart. Oh God oh God. amen forever amen. I am yours.
posted by Claire at 11:29 PM
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