Me: Good morning Lord. Thank you for waking me this morning and for this new day. Thank you again for the beauty of the early morning sky and the brilliance of the stars you have placed in the heavens. I love you Lord.
Lord: Good morning Martin. Welcome to this new day where the sun shines on many lives today, where only darkness had been before (ref to Amanda Knox' release). Do not worry, for those who commit crimes like that do not escape from me! Pray now for Hugh, that I may vindicate him also.
Lord: Good morning Martin. Welcome to this new day where the sun shines on many lives today, where only darkness had been before (ref to Amanda Knox' release). Do not worry, for those who commit crimes like that do not escape from me! Pray now for Hugh, that I may vindicate him also.
I want to talk to you this morning about uncovering the underlying faith of others.
Remember for a moment the fascination you felt on your first visit to Heligan, when learning about the discovery of the garden that had laid undisturbed under a layer of overgrowth and compost. How the team of gardeners and volunteers literally rolled up the years, and uncovered what was underneath. Well, for many people in the country today, it is the same; the garden, which is their encounter with me and their early faith, has been buried by years of distraction, mis-teaching and neglect. You see, faith needs looking after, and a relationship with me needs diligence and care. Once faith no longer shines, it doesn't take long for all the distractions of the world to grow like weeds and cover the once beautiful and well-ordered garden.
For 75 years Heligan lay under a carpet, and the memory of its former splendour faded from memory. So with many of my children. For decades their first love for me has laid dormant under a blanket of sorrow, their first commitment to me lies forgotten, a fading memory! This story of lost faith applies not just to individuals, but to families, communities, and churches.
As part of what I am doing in the nation today, I want you to gather workers, to unroll the overgrowth of decades, to discover and re-kindle the spark of faith to its former glory, and make it even more beautiful for me.
The work requires a great deal of patience and love. Unlike working with new converts and the un-churched, this work is with those who think they are all right and haven't noticed that things are not what they used to be. Even worse, many believe that they have moved on, and that what they have now is better than it was when they first believed. They think they have matured!
It has to be a gentle but persistent work, just like unrolling the decades in the garden. There are many seeds and plants that are are still alive and must not be uprooted. Sometimes you will need to listen to and revive the stories of the past in order to understand the present, just as the gardeners searched books, records and plans to learn what to expect next.
Do not be afraid to ask me, for I remember every commitment ever made and can quote every prayer ever uttered. I can map every life I ever made through every joy and every tear. I know the path down which every soul has travelled, and I purpose to heal every hurt you have ever suffered.
As the gardens of faith are revealed, tread carefully and with respect, for though they have been neglected for so long, many plants are well established and will recover very quickly to blossom and flourish. This is what I want.
Ask and I will show you what to do, seek and you will discover, then step back, move on, and let me finish what I started so long ago.
All this must happen alongside evangelism. They both will bring souls into the Kingdom, back to me.
For 75 years Heligan lay under a carpet, and the memory of its former splendour faded from memory. So with many of my children. For decades their first love for me has laid dormant under a blanket of sorrow, their first commitment to me lies forgotten, a fading memory! This story of lost faith applies not just to individuals, but to families, communities, and churches.
As part of what I am doing in the nation today, I want you to gather workers, to unroll the overgrowth of decades, to discover and re-kindle the spark of faith to its former glory, and make it even more beautiful for me.
The work requires a great deal of patience and love. Unlike working with new converts and the un-churched, this work is with those who think they are all right and haven't noticed that things are not what they used to be. Even worse, many believe that they have moved on, and that what they have now is better than it was when they first believed. They think they have matured!
It has to be a gentle but persistent work, just like unrolling the decades in the garden. There are many seeds and plants that are are still alive and must not be uprooted. Sometimes you will need to listen to and revive the stories of the past in order to understand the present, just as the gardeners searched books, records and plans to learn what to expect next.
Do not be afraid to ask me, for I remember every commitment ever made and can quote every prayer ever uttered. I can map every life I ever made through every joy and every tear. I know the path down which every soul has travelled, and I purpose to heal every hurt you have ever suffered.
As the gardens of faith are revealed, tread carefully and with respect, for though they have been neglected for so long, many plants are well established and will recover very quickly to blossom and flourish. This is what I want.
Ask and I will show you what to do, seek and you will discover, then step back, move on, and let me finish what I started so long ago.
All this must happen alongside evangelism. They both will bring souls into the Kingdom, back to me.
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