God asked me what was more important to me, reading and having His Bible... or stopping smoking?
He says every time I want a Cigarette I can read the KJV to Him. He wants to hear it from start to finish.
Well I have just got to try this. He says I should have stopped Craving Cigarettes by Good Friday!
I have to start tomorrow morning right from the beginning and read it right the way through as though I am reading it to the whole of creation and He wants to hear every word!
This should be an Amazing Experience!
I am awake early before the dawn. I did go for a cigarette in my gazebo. I smoke roll ups. The second one I usually smoke, I found myself rolling and just put it in a clean peanut butter jar on my kitchen worktop.
I am replacing a zip on a polar pullover this morning as my first task. It is part of a pair, it has a jacket. The trouble is the sleeves are a bit short on me. I decided to give them to the charity shop at Le Quennevais today. I can’t give the top away with a faulty zip, so I am changing it. They are nicely washed with my homemade washing powder.
While I was having my second cigarette, I suddenly found myself thinking, when did we stop reading out loud? When we are children we are taught to read out loud. Then we are told to read quietly. Then we are told to read to ourselves.
Reading out loud is a very different experience to reading silently. Especially when’re reading the Bible is concerned. God likes to hear His word spoken.
We have a tradition at St James Church in St Aubin on the Hill, I think it is, that every year the King James Bible is read out loud as a vigil. It is a non stop reading of the Bible. I think I will check up when it is, as I know the Verger. I will ask to have my name put on the list of readers.
When I lit my Little fire this morning, God said He is going to light a Fire under His Church. It will be like the Fire that Elijah lit under the alter of the Lord. Must look it up!
The Church is absolutely soaked through! It has every bucket of water thrown on it that I can imagine!
Still, if Elijah the Prophet can call down fire from Heaven and light that bonfire, God can rekindle the Church of today with a mighty outpouring of His Holy Spirit. Nothing is too difficult for God.
I also think of that Armenian Church that is standing in the midst of a burning coal field in America. It is built on Rock. The only Rock for miles around. Our Church is built on the Rock of Jesus Christ.
Its buildings might be a bit crumbly in places, but the Spirit of God dwells within God’s people, not the Buildings that are crumbly, need upkeep and new toilets built for disabled access.
My Home is the place I spend most time with God. My Garden, and making it a place to welcome friends, and feed people. I know God values the work of my hands in every little thing I do to look after my Home. He speaks to me in every little thing He asked me to do.
I want to go and read my first Chapters in Genis this morning at daybreak. I want to go for a nice walk, and overlook the Ocean at St Ouen, and speak out God’s words of Creation, so that my voice carries over the dunes to the Sea.
My mentor when I trained as a Lay Preacher said He could not hear me from the back of the Church!
He had me developing a projected voice for many hours. I will be thinking of Him, and his strict discipline of me this morning. A great Preacher and Mentor to have been assigned to. Reverend Nowell. He gave me some of his Fosdick books. These were His treasured companions. I shall enjoy reading them again over Easter.
Oh well, the best laid plans of Mice and Men... Women in this case. It has started snowing. We rarely get Snow. I just thought to myself it could as easily be Nuclear fallout the way the World is posturing over Nuclear warfare.
Its not. It’s cold wet slushy stuff that is starting to dust all my Olive trees, The Cordyline Palm looks amazing with white shards for leaves. I will have to start my reading expedition at home by the fire! I will go and read Genis to the Ocean though. The first bright morning we have! I don’t want my £30 KJV turning into paper mache!
I am not sure what my Husband is going to say about waking him up at 8am with a coffee, and then hearing me trot off three chapters of Genesis like a foghorn. I think I can build up to an hour a morning of the reading. I don’t talk for very long usually, so I guess my voice has got a little lazy!
Still, plenty of time to get that top mended, and iron some sheets before then. A happy day ahead.