The Spirit Sings

MORNING SERVICE
Nigel spoke out in the spirit, declaring God is the source of our support and welcoming Jesus to come.

Ross: "When you got up this morning, as you took my hand and we began walking down the same path as always, did I not hear you looking over the hedge and wondering what the view would be like? Let's be different today - let's step outside the safety of the hedge, let's begin to see the wonderful view beyond the boundary - let's walk down that different path and see the new thing I have planned for you!"

Paula: We've been singing about praise rising to God and how in His spirit all things are made new - (Reading from Ezekiel chapter 37 - The Valley of Dry Bones) We say to you now, come, Lord Jesus, come and take your place in our hearts!

Denise: We were singing 'As we bow down, be lifted up' - I felt that some are burdened with worry or worldly troubles - 'But you are a shield around me, O Lord, you bestow glory on me and lift my head' (Psalm 3: 3) Give your worries up to Him now - the Word says 'Be still and know that I AM God'.

Mark encouraged people to allow this word to soak in, to give up any financial worries or relational difficulties to the Holy Spirit and to lift up our voices, to sing aloud in the Spirit, to sing out in tongues, to trust Him - those funny words coming out of your mouth are really Him, trust Him, trust the Holy Spirit.

Peter W: spoke on Ezekiel 47:1 - 12. We need to be ready to go with whatever God wants to do. God is inventive/creative - doing a fresh new thing - be open.

If you would describe your life as 'arabah' - burnt land/desert - God wants to say to you today, "Let my river flow through your life and make it fresh - let my Spirit flow through you and bring healing".

EVENING PRAYER MEETING
The longest day of the year, and a beautiful evening - as we arrived and began to gather in the warmth of the late sunshine, we agreed to meet outside. In fact, as things turned out, we had no choice as the person with the key didn't arrive - but already the decision had been made. David D_ drew our attention to the sound of the wind rustling in the leaves on the trees and spoke about the move of the Spirit.
(I thought of Ronnie Wilson's song:
I hear the sound of rustling in the leaves of the trees
The Spirit of the Lord has come down on the earth
The church that seemed in slumber has now risen from its knees
And dry bones are responding with the fruits of new birth
Oh, this is now a time for declaration
The word will go to all men everywhere
The church is here for healing of the nations
Behold the day of Jesus drawing near ....)

Paula felt it was prophetic that we were outside, hearing the rustle of the leaves in the trees, that it was symbolic of how as a church we would soon not have a building - how we feel a little vulnerable, outside the safe environment - and that it's where God wants us to be - stepping out.

Luke felt similarly - that this (being outside) is part of the natural order of things - as we're thinking about the river flowing, (Peter's sermon in the morning had been on the river flowing from the Temple, symbolising the Holy Spirit) about immersing ourselves in the river - about the cleansing power. In Cape Town the air has great quality because of the wind which sweeps away any pollution.

David D_ drew our attention to the fact we were stood under a Mulberry Tree and read the Scripture: The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "(Luke 17: 5-10). David D_ emphasised from this:

• increase your faith
• be humble (when amazing things start to happen, don't get blown up with pride)

Patrick brought a prophesy - he had seen a picture of a train with carriages - at first it was going through a tunnel, where it was safe, then it emerged from the tunnel into the elements - it was raining and the engine got wet, then the carriages. Patrick felt the engine represented the leaders, and the carriages represented the people - the rain represents the Holy Spirit.