Written 22-25th May 2020 It has been a strange weekend.
I was reading John 17 – Jesus talking to His Father as His earthly ministry was drawing to a close. Praying for his disciples who were with him and for those of us who were to follow later – like you and me. Always a thrill for me. I was thought about in the Bible!
As it would have been Cup Final weekend, I was reminded of the cheekiest prayer I ever prayed on Monday evening 30th April 1973. Lord – if you want me at Wembley you will have to get me a ticket. Yes, my prayer was answered. I got a ticket and I was there. Vengeance is mine says the Lord… but that is another story.
When I was a young Christian, in every sense of the word, I discovered “The Young Church In Action” as JB Philips described it. I read it all as I would “boys own” adventure stories – cover to cover, swallowing every word.
One I was thinking of began when Paul, Silas, and others including Luke – who wrote the story down and one of the gospels – were on their way to pray, when Paul finally became fed up of the demon-possessed girl’s interruptions and cast out the demons. For his pains, he was thrown into the most secure part of the jail. No time to mope about, Paul and his friends began singing hymns. Prisoners listened. GOD listened. He began tapping His feet. Hence the earthquake. The jailer, assuming all had escaped, was about to kill himself, but the prisoners were more interested in finding out what happened next than escaping. The jailer and his family became Christians. Paul and his companions were freed, but not before a public apology and worrying the magistrates about how they had treated Roman citizens, Only then did they return to greet those left at home and moved quietly to the next job God had for them.
The story of the first generation of the church sees many being added at once but sometimes only one or a few at a time.
We find ourselves in a new and exiting situation in the Church today. The Church is the people. God cannot be locked up in a building. Let us listen for that cry – Come over to Macedonia and help us – and actually do something about it.
Over the years since 1973 I have learned that God answering that prayer has had less and less with me actually being at Wembley on that day, but where He leads, I will follow. Will you?