When I was preparing for this morning [Bev painted this picture during worship on Sunday 19 January 2020] I had a picture of coals, just a big pile of black coals and they weren’t lit. Coal is remarkable because it has so much potential, but is really black and dirty and doesn’t do anything if you don’t light it.
Then this fire came from centre of those coals and started to light it. If we are coals, God has put so much potential in us! We have been created to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be reflect the glory of Christ, as He sets that fire inside of us.
And as we gather together even more so. You don’t put one coal and light it - in fact is difficult to light one coal - rather you light the whole group of coals. Then the transformation and the light and the heat and the warmth that brings is incredible.
This is how God sees potential in us. He has created us for purpose, we are not just here by accident any of us. And we all are together because God wants to do something remarkable with His people across the whole world. And as we gather and allow ourselves to be in the presence of Jesus Christ, we bathe in what he has done for us - his sacrifice for us! And as we accept that sacrifice as our own, He changes us, He transforms us, He creates a new identity in us and we burn brightly, not just for our own transformation and purpose and delight but for those around us, we change those.
So the question is: ‘where are you today?’ Are you at the centre of that fire or are you just on the edge, heated up partially? There’s an invitation here from God. He says, draw closer to me, draw closer in to my family, into kingdom of God because there is so much more for each one of you and there is so much more for each one of us.
