Virgin of Vladimir (+ image by the hand of Stephen Allison 2008)

Monday 29 November 2010

A body united in love and service

Notes of Meeting 23 November

Habakuk 3 v 17 - 18
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Saviour.



A sacrifice of praise - decide to praise God

Picture of Jesus in front of a throne of fire. Multitudes of people were around Him.
In front of Him was One like Him conducting an exquisite sounding orchestra. The multitudes were singing and praising in unison and the conductor was the Holy Spirit leading them in perfect worship of the One before the throne who was Jesus and the fire on the throne which was God the Father. All the people looked to the Holy Spirit conducting who led them to the finale then all worshipped and listened.
The people formed into the shape of a body with Christ as it's head all interacting perfectly it was as though Jesus thought and said something and the message was passed by the Holy Spirit down the backbone to the other areas. All was calm and all working in conjunction with the head which was Christ.
The body was a body of love and service to others, reaching out, helping, interceding , healing and loving mankind.

1 Corinthians 12 v 20 - 28

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.


Baruch 5 (Good News Translation)

1 Jerusalem, take off the clothes you have worn in your mourning and distress, and put on the eternal splendour of God's glory.2 Put around you the cloak of God's righteousness. Place on your head the crown of the glory of the Eternal God.3 God will show your splendor to every nation on earth.4 Forever he will say to you:
Your security comes from your righteousness, and your splendor from your devotion to me.
5 Get up, Jerusalem, stand on the mountaintop; see where God, the Holy One, is bringing your children together from the east and from the west. They are rejoicing that God has remembered them.6 Jerusalem, your children were led away by their enemies; they left you on foot, but God is bringing them back to you, carried in royal splendor.7 God has commanded that every high mountain and the everlasting hills shall be made low; he has commanded that the valleys shall be filled and the ground leveled, so that the people of Israel may come safely home in the glory of God.8 At the command of God, forests of fragrant trees will spring up to provide shade for the people of Israel.9 God will lead Israel home. They will return with great joy, guided by his mercy and righteousness, surrounded by the light of his glorious presence.



Romans 13 v 8 -14
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Day Is Near
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh


Make Jesus the centre of your life.

I am the God who opens prison doors. I set the captives free.

Sense of Jesus pouring down the fruits of the Spirit as we praise.

Picture of John the Baptist baptising Jesus - come to the water and repent.



Intercede for lost souls and people on the brink


[There is more to add to this post later once I have some further input from Ann Liddell - Stephen]

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