Hi                                                                                                                             

Just thought I would let you know what’s been going on in the wide world outside of your ward.

Just the other day I was chatting and passing the time of day with a friend as we walked the mile or so between offices, when a notice board on the opposite side of the street leapt out and caught my eye.

The notice board was on the pillar of a little building called the “The railway mission” this in itself was not unusual but what was striking was the location of this little mission. Because as we made our way through the middle of one of the roughest and most overtly promiscuous area’s in the city there stood this little building sandwiched between an amusement arcade and betting shop with a notice board loudly proclaiming

“All that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13)

We continued our walking and talking and soon the little mission building with its message fell behind us, but it was at that moment that I walked smack bang into what I call a “God moment”.

This is when in the middle of everyday life: In the middle of an everyday action:

And in the middle of an everyday conversation the whole world stops and

shifts into a slow motion million dollar man film clip (ok so I am showing my age here) and the Holy Spirit speaks.

In that moment as my friend’s mouth was opening and closing but not making any sense to me what so ever , I began to understand that what we see is directly influenced by what we are “looking for and what we are expecting”.

I will explain a bit more, because as we walked down this particular street in what I have named “little Babylon” every wall, billboard, door and just about anything that was stationary for more than a couple of minutes, was plastered with the coming diary of events in the numerous clubs and bars that lined the street. On the pavement there were flyers with scantily clad woman advertising the same thing, in the phone boxes there were little invitation cards offering every type of sin imaginable (and some unimaginable) everything in this half mile or so was set to assault and tempt the heart to indulge in things that it shouldn’t

So walking down this street my friend and I saw different things. He saw the billboards and advertising, and these turned his head with every new advert, he nearly tripped over his feet at one point trying to get a better view of the flyer on the pavement and if I hadn’t been there he probably would have gone into the phone box to make a phone call. But we saw different things, my friend was receptive to what his heart and mind were hungry for, while I without sounding pious saw that sign outside the little mission building.

The point I am getting to is, what are you expecting and hoping for? I know it’s difficult when you are connected to all that machinery that is keeping your body alive, but what are you seeing past all those tubes and wires?

Because when I came to visit you the other day I saw you walking down the street next to me perfectly healed, and we were laughing and joking like we always did and that’s what I am holding now in my heart.

Our Father says “Faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Heb 11:1)

well that’s my hope and it is the blueprint for my faith and what I am expecting.  

See you soon my friend. 

                                                    Love Pastor Rob