We had a late breakfast this morning, after a good sleep in! We had the privilege of hearing Martha’s story in the late morning. I love these story times so much! It’s so amazing to be let into a kind of ‘behind-the-scenes’ peek at these beautiful people’s lives. After lunch we had a free afternoon, which I managed to pack quite a lot into! I played cards with a few friends (scumbags and warlords again; it’s really catching on!), then read some of C.S. Lewis’ “The horse and his boy” to Katharina (she’s busy reading her way through The Chronicles of Narnia). Also got a chance to tinker on the piano a little :o)
My highlight of the day, though, came after supper, when we headed up to the worship room again to meet with Suzy and Kamran Yaraei. I love these two! I have only heard from them one time before – in April when I was at the weekend worship school in Johannesburg (which is also where I heard Jonathan and the band for the first time). Some highlights from what Suzy and Kamran said:· It has to all be about heart – we can’t make church a job. My greatest gift is not my gift, but my heart. I am more important right now than after some great accomplishment.
· Always keep pressing in – failure is the smell of success.
· There’s nothing to wait for – I am the revival, I am the movement of God, I am the voice, I am the sound!
· Restoration of the tabernacle of David: the tabernacle was David’s heart! God was wanting to restore David’s heart, to remind him he had a heart after God’s own heart. God wants to restore the tabernacle of Ella! I can’t restore other people’s hearts. Everyone needs a restoring of their own hearts, with Jesus.
· The time of the reign of David was a time of great joy. God wants to restore joy to us – you can’t have real joy without being properly connected to your own heart.
· In “charismania”, we can get very used to doing what we do, just because we do it. Some people wave a flag during worship every week, and will get annoyed with you if you try to take it away from them. Are there any “flags” in my life that I need to lay down? Anything that I’ve made my personality, or that I draw identity from, that I actually need to give up? What are the things that I am doing just out of habit? What do I spend the most time thinking about? What are the things I need to be divorced from so that I can marry deeper intimacy with Jesus?
· If it doesn’t produce life, it’s not of Jesus. We have Jesus in our hearts – we should be addicted to life. Life also equals freedom.
· Jesus doesn’t add anything to us, He just prunes and removes. Like a planted tree, fruit cannot be added to us! No gardener in his right mind goes and tries to add apples to a pear tree. But as He prunes us, we grow bigger, and become more fruitful. Everything we could possibly need is already inside us! He continues to unlock new rooms within us, and prune away what we don’t need. He doesn’t prune us or take away from us because He’s selfish, or because He wants us to suffer. He does it to strengthen us. He unlocks and He prunes – knowing this leads to peace.
· We shouldn’t ever have to pretend. Pretence is religion. Sometimes we can love God, but not necessarily love His ways – and it’s ok to tell Him that! We need to be honest with Him. When you’re digging a well, you have to dig through all the mucky stuff to get down to the clear, good water.
The good stuff! So simple, so beautiful, so refreshing, so life-giving :o)
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