Thurrock – too industrious to wait?

‘He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to WAIT for what the Father had promised of which He said you have heard me speak ‘  Acts 1:4

I would like to share with you the reason for bringing this verse to our community at this time.

I read the notes taken from the New Wine Day and the first time and just scanned through them as I was just getting an overview of the articles that had been written.  However, I went back and read more slowly, and thought how easy it was for me to just read and ‘move on’.  What did I want to do with the information?

Perhaps I would immediatley think ‘I’ve heard this all before’, ‘read it all before’, even ‘experienced it all before’ – but what does it hold for me now?  Is it just a series of notes – or does the Holy Spirit really want me to think on these things, and take them into my life?

And then I believe the Holy Spirit prompted the word ‘wait’, also the word ‘industrious’.

First, do we really want what the Father has promised?  We can all pay lip service to this and as the time of Pentecost comes, an all-out focus on the Person and Works of the Holy Spirit is taught and encouraged and it is a very special time.  But what happens the rest of the year?

Second, are we prepared to take the time to wait on the Lord to receive what He has promised?  We are ‘industrious’ for Him, and we serve Him out of hearts of love and compassion and sacrificially; but somehow the times of waiting on Him and waiting for Him just don’t seem to happen and we find it so difficult to come into the presence of God to worship Him, first and foremost, and just to be with Him, which is His delight.

Sometimes we put off our times of communion with the Lord and welcoming the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We may be afraid that He will speak deeply to our hearts and there are things there we do not want touched upon, uncovered, or brought to the surface – but He knows anyway – and continue to be industrious and ‘serve’ and in this way we may still feel we have control.

Our great God of love and grace longs for us to have open and receptive hearts, minds and spirits to the outpouring of His Holy Spirit in the body of Christ both individually and corporately.

He waits to be invited.  Holy Spirit come!

Much joy in Jesus,

Lin Tucker

Community Church, Chafford Hundred

The previous article to which Lin refers can be accessed using the link on the left of this screen.

This also reminds us of the need to do less Martha-ing and more Mary-ing…