Come on Jesus sort it out

"One touch from Jesus can change everything."

I do believe this, that indeed Jesus can change any situation in a moment, He is after all God.

However, I have heard the phrase said so many times, often at the end of a preach encouraging people to come forward and have that one touch, that one encounter...

How many of the people who go forward don't get the 'one touch' to change everything, they have to keep on keeping on. Yet the leaders promised a life changing touch, come on Jesus get your finger out!

But did Jesus ever use this language? He talked about the kingdom of God being like a mustard seed, tiny but growing into a massive tree. 2000 years ago there were only a few hundred Christians and now there are maybe 2 billion across the world. That seems like a fully grown mustard tree but not really an example of 'one touch' changing everything.

What about Paul & the other New Testament writers? They seem to use language of the race or the journey, part of that journey is to throw off what hinders, and throwing could be a one time action but it often is a action to be repeated. We also told to put things on but not in the sense of just once but more of a daily uniform like picking up our cross. We are told to be filled and to keep on being filled.

The nine lepers who were healed and didn't return to Jesus, they had their one touch but Jesus didn't think much of them.

Encountering Jesus is wonderful and His touch is always just what we need. However God is always with us, we need to learn to engage with Him in our heart everyday right where we are (I know I so need to be reminded of this).

So instead of waiting to the last five minutes of a special meeting for that 'one touch', take five minutes during everyday (more than once a day if you can) and keep in real touch with God.

40 days - what is your response?

Are you in a wilderness place? Maybe God led you there - he did that for Jesus for 40 days, he did it to the Hebrew nation for 40 years. How long will your wilderness be? Or rather the question maybe, "If you haven't been through the wilderness are you really ready to be fruitful?".

As we approach Lent, a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance and spiritual disciplines, I hope this video will inspire you.

Sacred Heart

On holiday in Paris over the summer with my family I visited the Sacre Coeur (The Sacred Heart) Basilica in Montmartre. The building was started in 1875 and on 1st Aug 1885 dedicated as a place where there has been continuous prayer to God day & night.

I'm a Christian and I try to pray and know God calls and asks me to pray. But if I'm honest, regular and consistent prayer is often a struggle. If I pray everyday for a week it's a good week and if I make every day for a month that's great. I struggle to imagine praying every day for a whole year without missing a day. So when I think of over 100 years of continuous prayer, 24/7, it is frankly mind blowing.

The Sacre Coeur is probably a unique place in the world. Most worshipping communities desire to be places and people of prayer and we try a variety of methods, times, groups and places. Reflecting on what has been accomplished by the community at the Sacre Coeur it seems the approach we as individuals and communities need to embrace to become a people of prayer is to simply decide to pray and then pray.

Praying for Japan

I'm not very good at praying - I'm erratic, I forget and often I just don't do it!

But I have been gripped by the disaster that has happened in Japan and I have a desire to help, to serve, to do something. But I can't do anything to help - I can't go out and help, I can't support any mourning relatives because I don't know anybody from Japan, I can't even give money because there is no fund to give to. What can I do?

I can pray.

So I am making a commitment to pray for Japan this week starting today (Monday 14th March) through to Sunday for 30 minutes each day. That is a big commitment for me - to some 30 minutes will be the norm, to me this will be a lot more than I do most (every?) day.

So if you feel the same way as me why not pray for Japan this week - I know God loves Japan.