Time to turn

There are certain phrases in our church language that I've never quite understood.  Some of these include, 'dig deeper', 'reach higher' and my all time favourite is 'press in'.  These phrases were mulling round in my head, weighing them against my experience of God and what I've gleaned from scripture over the years.  

What came to mind as a picture was Moses and the burning bush and then other characters in the bible who'd simply turned and in the turning (ie changing position) they encountered God the Father and Christ Jesus in new and very radical ways.

Below is the word then that was laid on my heart and put together for a preach at my church.

It's time to turn

The season of upheaval and change is drawing to a close. Many are exhausted from a range of personal loss, skirmishes and battles. Change, loss and uncertainty have caused our ground to shift – some have experienced the 'suddenness' of divine intervention and moved into (and onto) new adventures with God. 

Through scripture we see the power in simply turning our heads. This 'turning' essentially makes us look away from the circumstance we're faced with - turning to look at God's dealing with others in dead-end places, desperation and isolation.

Dead-end places: Moses, reduced from being Prince of Egypt to tending someone else’s flock at the back of the dessert chose to turn aside to investigate the burning bush. God revealed Himself to Moses; said He’d heard the cries of the people; gave Moses the commission to lead the people out of captivity.

• Exodus 3: 1 to 10, Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn …… So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”  And he said, “Here I am.”

Graveyard brought to life: Mary, forever faithful to her Christ, heartbroken and weeping at the empty tomb turned at the voice of her risen Saviour and entrusted with the message, “He’s alive”

• John 20: 11 to 18, “Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Heaven revealed in isolation: John on Patmos – turned to “see” the voice that rumbled across the heavens – all of heaven opened up to him to see the risen Christ in all His splendour and power.

• Revelation 1: 9 to 18, Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore."

Our circumstance cannot hold nor defeat us – respond to the invitation to commune with Christ Jesus. This August - turn aside from oppressive circumstances and busy-ness. Turn off the noise of the world.

Now is the time to camp, refresh, regroup and replenish. Ahead of us is a fresh touch from Jesus, a renewed hope and a renewed revelation of Christ. This is the preparation for September - get ready!

Be encouraged fellow believer with this scripture - 2 Corinthians 4 (7 - 18)

Cast Down but Unconquered: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, which the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body

Seeing the Invisible: Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are.