Piano she played

Piano , set in lonely hallway, high ceiling, closed stained windows with pictures of cupids, hovering on stooping hooded figure. The silence, cold and dry emits dreary darkness in the lamp-less hall. It's covered with hues, blues, greens, reds, imprinted by the moon light passing through the windows.

A high note.

Hope.

The heart readies itself for elevation upon wings of anticipated bliss. The high notes rise and his cadence rises with them. High and sharp, they move quickly one to another, musical hopscotch leaving a danceable trail. So he taps his feet and bangs his thighs, and nods his head and snaps his fingers and so soon we have him upon that tide. Piano keys, they lift him high.

A low key.

Deferred

So the movement stops, there's a chill inside, it would seem that now, there was night to fear. And the fingers stopped, and the tap went down, and the head didn't nod, cold breeze came down. A slow fade, the notes were lower and lower and his head did droop, his heart resigned, the echoes died out.

And the lonely ones came. First the highs, then the lows. The keys interspersed among themselves as the pace picked up. Should I dance or be still, tap my feet, calm my head? It was all meted out, pretty fast, and to choose how to move left it I, to my bones. So I danced, yes I danced, in the highs, in the lows; yes the man, it was I, hiding nigh, 'twixt the shadows of the hall.

In the cadence of her notes, piano sounds found me out, out the shadows did I come out of the hallway to the night. Under night, silver light,found my rhythm, found my dance; for she played 'nchanting tones, they set me on fire, made me cold, in one sweep, untied my soul.

She played piano of the heart.

The Pilgrim Church

I am currently reading The Pilgrim Church by E.H Broadbent. Here's a brief background

"The author of this book, believing that the teaching given by the Apostles to the first Christians contained principles of permanent validity, gave himself to many years of exhaustive research in the realm of Church history, convinced that there has never been a generation without simple local congregations of believers existing who succeeded in maintaining these principles. His studies amply justified thw work involved, while exposing the Ecclesiastical Establishment of the centuries that persistently opposed the whole idea of local independent churches.

Known by different names in various countries, these communities kept the faith, frequently at great cost to themselves, but because of their virile witness to the basic truths of the gospel they were never completely extinguished, whatever they had to endure. The story makes clear the vital difference between mere institutional Christianity and the gatherings of evangelical believers who rejoiced in bearing only the name of 'Christian'.

Mr. Broadbent spent a great part of his life in travelling many parts of Europe, founding and establishing churches that held to the Apostolic principles. This record emphasises elements of truth that will not neccessarilybe found in the average handbook on Church history - and that the principles are workable is seen by the existence all over the modern world of local churches that are courageously observing them."

I am glad to be apart of this minor groups. It's a call to total faith.

Fall 39 for you

If I need to dive 39,
Stand at the edge of space,
Stare down at this peril
This peril that becomes knowing you
More than knowing, loving you
In loving, consumed by you
-
Won't I stand at that precipice
The darkness at the corner of my eye
Unknowing but lost in passion for you,
Won't I take the leap, fall 39
Abandon my safety, abandon the all
Fall fast, fall deep, fall in for you..?
-
Fall through and through till I'm undone,
Blazing like a comet across your sky
Heading for that ground,
I should call your heart
Risking life and limb, to save my heart
Falling 39, I come apart.

All

You know it's different;

When you stay up late,
Beyond your usual hours,
Holding a pen, inking your notebook,

When the dam can't hold
When the cracks start to appear,
And a flood comes rushing;

When you notice the painted sky,
Wait for the gilded sunrise,
Hear the morning's orchestra;

It's the star on her face when she smiles,
The glint in her eyes when she stares,
The fire in her voice when she speaks.

It's different;
Coz you remember it all,
Nothing leaves your heart,
You remember it all.

The Christian Call to One Another.

All the words below are not mine, rather they are from Holy Writ. This is a call to church in it's real sense : Christian community, brotherhood, kinship in Christ. The keywords you will notice repeating themselves are "love" and "one another". Be blessed.

Joh_13:14  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. Joh_13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Joh_15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Joh_15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another. Act_19:38  Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

Rom_12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Rom_13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Rom_14:13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. Rom_15:7  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

 Rom_15:14  And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Rom_16:16  Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. 1Co_16:20  All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. 2Co_13:12  Greet one another with an holy kiss. Gal_5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Gal_5:15  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Gal_5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Gal_6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Eph_4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Eph_4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Col_3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Col_3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1Th_4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.1Th_4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1Th_5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Tit_3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

 Heb_3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Heb_10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb_10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 1Pe_1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 1Pe_5:14  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

1Jn_3:11  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1Jn_3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1Jn_4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1Jn_4:11

 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1Jn_4:12  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 2Jn_1:5  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another

. 

AMEN

Feel free to share this with other brothers and sisters in the body. 

Issues with Asking the Man of God..

Allow me to challenge your thinking. There are many shows on radio which feature men of God being on line to wait for the calls of believers so they can answerand help these believers find solutions to issues in their lives or pray for them.

The shows would initially look like a great opportunity for "pastor-sheep" interfacing; I mean - pastor - congregation interfacing. Which is an extension of a church service - where the pastor is addressing the audience but with a personal touch.  However it would seem to me that this in itself, cripples the body of Christ. Allow me to explain how.

1. When people, who are strangers to the pastor call in asking for quick solutions to life's problems, what does that indicate? That members of Christ have abandoned the idea of the real meaning of church which is Christian community and have resorted to the world's thinking of "self help books" or "gurus".

2. It also takes away our dependency on Christ and focuses it on human beings who we perceive to know it all. This puts heavy burdens on the pastors and allows us to be passive as well.

3. This also reinstates the dividing wall between lay man and priest that Christ removed when He died. Again, we go back to a system where there are those who are qualified to know about God and those who are not and thus need to depend on others. We neglect these truths in scripture

"Rev 1:6  and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. "

And

"1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; "

We have made the knowing and priesting and king-ing a one man job. 

The idea of calling in to ask the pastor to either pray for you or advise you while with good intentions causes essentially two things. People who could be able to seek God for themselves, become lazy and passive and put the entire burden of knowing God on a few people. These few people can easily become puffed up into thinking they are God's gift to the church yet everyone is God's gift to the church as long as their head is Christ. The others relax, mind their business and pay  the "pastors" to know God for them or pray for them. Therefore, a few of us seek first the kingdom so that other things may be added, and then the biggest part of us, seek other things first and refer to the ones who have sought the kingdom first when we are in trouble. Terrible interplay, not so?

Relationship that is basic to the body of Christ is relegated to selfish interests. Instead of building meaningful relationships built on the love of Christ, we opt for quick and easy solutions forgetting we are members of the body of Christ and are meant to all shine our different colours to the glory of God. I admit, some people call in in desperation, but why? Because they do not know or do not have the- father-son relationship or mother-daughter relationship or brother-brother/ sister-relation that happens when real people are relating healthily on a daily and receiving from the HEAD who is CHRIST.  We forget about the spring of life inside ourselves and look for wells.

The whole of Christ limited to "the Pastor?" Is the Spirit only in "The Pastor"? Grow up children. Church is a body. He uses each of us. 

  

Thank God for the brother that pastors. Those who do not take up titles but those who in real relationship learn to guide others humbly, not self serving, leading them away from themselves unto Christ. Thank God for the sister that teaches, that young lady who shares her secrets from the Lord with others, not that she may exalt herself but that she may edify the body. Thank God for the young man that encourages, that one who has a Spirit given knack of recognising those who are low in the body of Christ and encouraging them. Thank God for all these different members of the body of Christ. No Christian is an island, we all need each other. There is none greater or more important. Which is why those who would seem less important usually receive more glory. (Luk 7:28  For I say to you, Among those who are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. )We must realise church as a body, not as an audience - speaker arrangement.

When our eyes are always on the pastor, can they ever be on Christ? We have forgotten real church people. Church is Christ living in all of us. 

"1Co 14:26  This is what I mean, my friends. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church. "

According to Paul, what is the real deal? Community. Relationship. Closeness not distant interaction. And all must be done for the good of the body.

Church is not a building or an arrangement. Church is Christ alive in His members, - the great Christ shares secrets with each one individually so that each member may bring their gem to build the whole household. He does not intend one person to seem to be the one with all the secrets.

Mat 23:8-11  But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers.  And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ.   But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Ask yourself, are you hearing from God? Or The Pastor? 

Think on these words.

Joh 4:39-42  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed upon Him because of the saying of the woman, who testified, He told me all that I ever did. Then as the Samaritans had come to Him, they begged Him that He would stay with them. And He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. And they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying, for we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is truly the Christ, the Savior of the world. 

Indecipherable

Ones and zeros lost in the hexa tens. Beauty and grace hidden in broken mirrors. There is a tune that that is silently played and only the keen ears can pick up it's sound. There is a bright sun above the thick nimbus but only the hopeful can feel its warmth.

I take steps back and read the name, I've forgotten the mirrors, the silver sheet.

The greens are sour but the greens are sweet. Who knows what to think?

Script writers quit and leave the movie undone, no scores to entertain, no rhythm in their sound. Are the opening the closing credits? Are the actors on a string or did they get lost in their acting?

I look at the mirror again. The broken glass. I cannot decipher it. 

Leaders should learn how to wean the church members of themselves

If you are  called or call yourself a teacher, a bishop,  a pastor, a deacon, or whatever title --- Remember

1Co_3:21-22  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Learn how to teach the people you influence to not put their trust in you. Everyone in the body of Christ has the mind of Christ. Paul says "we". No one can claim to know more. We are a body and so we all have a part to contribute.

All things are ours. Do not create lines.

Therefore, equip the people you influence to be free of your influence and be fully influenced by Christ.

A gym instructor should not carry the weights for the one who has come, but steadily should show him that even he can carry the weights himself!

A mother only breastfeeds an infant. When the baby grows, he must learn to eat on his own.

Stop creating a dependency on you rather bring your part to the table and build the body of Christ! Equip the body of Christ to be fully mature in Christ to the point that they will be like the women of the town of the Samaritan woman who said

"John 4:42  and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world. "

Matthew 23. An appeal for body life.

Share these words!

One Sweet Day....

More than a "personal saviour"....

Many of us like to refer to the Lord as "personal saviour" and in that essence embark on seeking the Lord in isolation. We start to use God as a personal encourager, provider, promoter, protector, name it! The Lord is indeed available and gracious to all who call upon His name however when we focus on Christ individually, we have become more egotistic and desire our wellness more than truly knowing Christ!

Here is the thing. From the beginning of time, God has had a plan to have a family, a home, a resting place.

 When He creates Adam, listen to what He says

"Gen 1:26  And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth."

When He says them, He is referring to a people, not a person. God delights in a them fulfilling the plans He has.

When we look at Abraham, who is called from Ur, the idea is to make him a great -nation. It is not about making Abraham's name the most famous in the world, fine, Abraham shall receive due honor but at the end of the day, God hopes that Abraham will be first of many.

Come to Christ! The famous verse John 3:16 does not make reference to an individual but to a "them", a people, the "world". For God so loves the world that He sends His son.

More so, "Col 1:18  And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things."

God indeed loves you the individual however, the greatest part is that you see yourself as more than an individual but that you see yourself as part of the body.

Let us read

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

His idea is for a family where Christ is first born.

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

This is the real deal friends! The fullness of Christ is His body - the Church, which you are apart of! You are not an isolated, individual stone, you are part of the living stones being built together! Christ is not full if you see yourself as apart from other members of the body! You my friend contribute to the fullness of Christ!

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Hallelujah! Has anyone seen this?

We are not strangers and foreigners to each other but we all make the household of God! Into Christ, we are all being fitly framed TOGETHER to grow into a holy temple in the Lord!!!

Friends, forget these things of sanctuaries or miracle centres, the real building, the real temple is the entire church, the members who make the body of Christ!

And see this friends, - when we accept to be built together, we become -A HABITATION ! We become God's dwelling place through the Spirit!!!

Awesome!!!! The individual thinking Christian must henceforth see the new light of Christ being on earth in His members, of which you and I are! In simple terms, Christ and the Church are the same!! He is the head, we are the body!!!

And friends when we see this, we can become the very things we seek indvidually to each other. All things are done so that the body is edified! 1Co 14:12  Even so you, since you are zealots of spiritual things, seek to build up the church, in order that you may abound!

Oh be blessed Church!!

Life in October.

Ten.

See it's October, ten months of a twelve month year gone. I did look up the meaning of ten on a numerology site and according to them, ten speaks of these:

"Leadership, confidence, optimism, energy, independence, creative power and every, success, original, adaptable, individualisation, determination."

Now, for a moment I thought I should stop and make meaning of these things but I continued to read and they began to talk about October;

"October is an ‘action’ month, so make the most of this time.  By month’s end you will find yourself in a much stronger position on a physical, mental and spiritual level."

Okay, so I guess I should have stopped to think about that too but then I just stopped reading. October is much more than a number with magical properties to me. Do not get me wrong, I find nothing oddly special about this month just sharing a few things that have come to me as this month gets going.

1. Breaking Up

For some reason, I had hope. I thought that a time would come and things would go back to normal, and the slate would be clean; and my sins would be white as snow. Unfortunately, the more I hoped, the more things turned sour.

Apologies mean nothing to a woman scorned. Even if you accidentally tipped the glass and it broke. See, (this is where the nostalgia kicks in) she was the first. Her love was like a crown of beautiful gems on my head. Her love was full, untainted (or was it?). I keep telling myself, I should have done better, I should have kept my honesty to myself, my hopes for a uniform mind off to a later time in the future but I hurried.

I tried to make the plant grow faster than it was meant to, and I lost it. She never was the same.

See, it has been almost two months since the break up and only recently, in fact, this week, did it completely sink in that this was truly over. There was no coming back. Much as I wanted reconciliation, it takes two to tango. So, indeed, I guess October is about letting go and looking to new things.

2. Fighting Demons

Old habits die hard they say and I do believe that was not an overstatement. This year was about kicking out old habits. Fine, it was not ABOUT that but it was part of the vision. However, one thing I have or should be learning is that passive action is no action. If I want to manage my money better, I need to actually start doing things that people who manage their money better do. So, again, at loss , perhaps realising all my demons have the same power, I should use this month as an opportunity to be pro-active and be on the offensive.

3. Going with the flow

I find myself a fairly odd person. I am not good socially. However, I think when someone gets to know me, I become in my own sight, fairly normal. I've always had a problem going with the flow, doing what everyone is doing, buying the clothes everyone is buying! Thank God I was born a guy 'cause if I were born a woman, tisk, I would get  more depressed than I do being a guy. I do like my space too, so sometimes I keep people away. There's nothing about October that seems will change this, I am at a place where sometimes you just don care.

4. Leaving institutions

I left the insitutional church; a small problem though - Where will I get married? Lol.

Guys, have a great October. Celebrate the 50th independence with some style this time and yes I intend to write again. I will make time for it.

Cheers.