Celebration Update April 09
Breaking down dividing walls
Jesus' death brought us peace:
'For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility' (Ephesians 2:14).
He destroyed the wall between Jew and Gentile, Man and Woman, Slave and Free.
Throughout the Celebration, and perhaps this year more than ever we have cried out for the unity of the body of Christ. If we are to see our societies and our nations healed, we cannot have a dislocated body.
Unity comes at a price. Jesus paid with his blood. We 'pay' by letting go our pride, our cherished ideas, our need to be 'right'. We 'pay' by preferring each other, by listening, considering, respecting.
The famous story of the woman at the well in John 4 shows how Jesus broke through a Samaritan woman's social, racial and religious barriers. The King of kings put himself in a position of need. He spoke to her of life, and spent time with her, despite the sin he exposed in her. When the conversation turned to religion, and specifically to worship, he did not rise to the bait of the 'you Jews claim ...' but simply spoke about the Father's heart. The Father is seeking worshippers. He seeks us regardless of our nationality and religious ideologies. The important thing is not the 'where' but the 'how' we worship him. The Father is seeking those who will worship him in spirit and in truth.
How easy it is to defend out position and be divided over issues that Jesus' words would cut thought in a moment if we would hear them.
Many in that Samaritan town believed and recognised Jesus as the Saviour of the World (v42) because they listened to the words of life (streams of living water) through a sinful woman and a Jewish Rabbi.
God's heart is always to reunite families. The Jews and Samaritans were brothers. North and South Korea are brothers. Evangelicals and Charismatics are brothers. Jesus has paid the price to destroy the dividing wall of hostility.
The apostle Paul tells us our part:
'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with each other in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace' (Ephesians 4:2-3).
North Korea
Israel was a divided nation in Jesus' time, much as Korea is today. Jesus met the woman at the place of Jacob's well (John 4:6). Jacob was the father of the nation. His very name was changed to Israel. He had given that plot of land in Shechem, to Joseph. Joseph had insisted that his bones be buried there (Joshua 24:32). The mountain that the woman in John 4 mentioned, was the very mountain where the Israelites had spoken out the covenant and renewed their commitment to the Lord when they entered the Promised Land with Joshua (Joshua 8:30-35). Joshua had built an altar there, made up from the stones of the field. They were not shaped by any human tool, but covered with plaster on which was written the word of God. We today are living stones. We do not have the right to shape each other, but only to allow the Living Word of God to change us and bind us together.
Maybe it could be said that Pyongyang is Korea's 'Jacob's well'. It was the place of economic prosperity, but more importantly, it was the spiritual source of the nation. Robert Jermain Thomas, along with countless unknown Korean heroes and martyrs were buried there. The 1907 revival saw deep repentance, like the building of an altar of field stones, joined by the word of God. The spiritual fathers of the land poured out their lives as an offering to God.
That well is no longer giving the water of life. However Jesus is still waiting by it. In prayer we can ask that the waters spring up and burst out again in Pyongyang; that the words of life come to people in dreams, through smuggled scriptures, in visions, through radio...however; that the walls of indoctrination, false worship, fear, come down. Jesus has done his part. He is waiting for us to do ours.
As the world waits nervously this month, waiting for North Korea to launch her 'satellite' we can do more than the diplomats, if we will pray.
Church Leaders' Breakfast
Thank you so much for your prayers. Though we had hoped for more leaders (seven churches were represented), it was a special time, with a good sense of united purpose. We are hopeful for good cooperation with the churches of Llanelli and Swansea. The churches will run the afternoon programme during the Celebration, with things that will bless the community, and hopefully bless their own work.
Accommodation
The local council have been great and offered us two possible camp sites. However, as we look at the cost of setting them up, and what most people could afford to pay, we are unsure whether this is the best way. We are pursuing some other options, one being to have up to 150 people staying at the World Horizons Centre at North Dock. (Gail, if someone from the council reads this, will it land WH in trouble?) To do this they would need to put a new roof on part of the building by the end of May. They were planning to do this anyway, but not so soon. Pray with them for the £40,000 they need to see come in very quickly to make this possible. Nations are also enlarging their building and hope in the future to be able to offer more accommodation.
DVD
Praise God for the help of Joon Gu from London who is helping us make a 3 minute promotional DVD for Celebration for the Nations. If you could use this in a church or group please let us know your address and we will send you a copy when they are ready.
Bookings
Somehow most of us do not like committing ourselves to something until the last minute! This makes organisation very challenging. Pray with us for the bookings to come.
Llanelli Monthly Celebration
Do join us this Bank Holiday, April 13th if you can a 6.45pm to eat and 7.30pm to worship.
International Centre, Glanmor Rd, Llanelli, SA15 2LU. Tel: 01554-778035.
To finish I leave you with the words of a song that inspires * unity.
Shalom,
Gail for the Celebration Team.
How Beautiful is the Body of Christ: song by Twila Paris
How beautiful the hands that served
the wine and the bread
and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful the feet that walked
the long dusty roads
and the hills to the cross.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
How beautiful the heart that bled
that took all my sin
and bore it instead.
How beautiful the tender eyes
that chose to forgive
and never despise.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
And as He laid down His life
we offer this sacrifice
that we will live just as he died:
willing to pay the price
willing to pay the price.
How beautiful the radiant Bride
who waits for her Groom
with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives
so that others may live.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
How beautiful the feet that bring
the sound of good news
and the love of the King.
How beautiful the hands that serve
the wine and the bread
and the sons of the earth.
How beautiful
how beautiful
how beautiful is the body of Christ.
© 1990 Ariose Music (Admin. by Small Stone Media)
