Spirit of the living God – Start The Day

“Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us.” Joel 2:1

The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. ²⁶Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. ²⁷Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced. ²⁸“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. ²⁹In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. ³⁰And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. ³²But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the Lord has said. These will be among the survivors whom the Lord has called.” Joel 2:25-32 NLT

The Lord who gives,

Joel, no-one is sure when it was written Lord, but it was at a time when there was a terrible locust plague which led to a famine. This terrible picture from nature Joel used to show Your message of sin and judgement but . . . with Your promise of hope and repentance.

Joel introduces the day of the Lord, Your great and terrible day yet to come.. A vivid pictures of destruction which should serve to awaken the listeners from their spiritual stupor and complacency. But even if his listeners in Judah and Jerusalem heard and responded their repentance was limited to law-keeping and works. The Day of the Lord has not yet come . . .But Joel also speaks of a day when You, God will pour out Your Spirit on all people even servants who were often foreigners! And women! And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

And we today look back to Pentecost as Joel looked forward. The Spirit poured out so You God could be everywhere and with everyone at all times. No longer bound by flesh and two feet walking with us as Jesus. Sometimes, Lord God, I think I forget to give Your Spirit honour as He is You with me. The Spirit of Christ, Spirit of God and the holy Spirit as I try to understand the Trinity. Let me not take Him (You) for granted. And the promised coming Day of the Lord shake us from complacency.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 16th October 2025
It is wonderful to sense Your Holy Spirits presence in a service but I pray I honour His presence with me every day.

Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
We only want to hear Your voice
We’re hanging on every word
Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
We want to know You more and more
We’re hanging on every word

‘Cause when You speak, and when You move
When You do what only You can do, It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
When You come in the room
When You do what only You can do, it changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything

Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
We’re leaning in to all You are
Everything else can wait
Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
Come now and breathe upon our hearts
Come now and have Your way

Cause when You speak, and when You move
When You do what only You can do, It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
When You come in the room
When You do what only You can do, it changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything

When You move, You move all our fears
When You move, You move us to tears
When You move, You move all our fears
When You move, You move us to tears
When You fall, we fall on our knees
When You fall, we fall at Your feet
When You fall, we fall on our knees
When You fall, we fall at Your feet

Cause when You speak, and when You move
When You do what only You can do, It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
When You come in the room
When You do what only You can do, it changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything

Songwriters: Jacob Sooter / Mia Fieldes

⁶At that time the Lord sent me a message. He said, ⁷“Your cousin Hanamel son of Shallum will come and say to you, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else.’” ⁸Then, just as the Lord had said he would, my cousin Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, “Please buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else, so buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that the message I had heard was from the Lord. ⁹So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen pieces of silver for it. ¹⁰I signed and sealed the deed of purchase before witnesses, weighed out the silver, and paid him. ¹¹Then I took the sealed deed and an unseale copy of the deed, which contained the terms and conditions of the purchase, ¹²and I handed them to Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did all this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all the men of Judah who were there in the courtyard of the guardhouse. ¹³Then I said to Baruch as they all listened, ¹⁴“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.’ ¹⁵For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’”
Jeremiah 32:6-15 NLT

God of Israel, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

Jeremiah has a dream or a vision or hears God. And even though it does not make sense he obeys! I wonder how he felt when his cousin then came and offered him his land as a purchase? Was he encouraged he had heard right? He does not hesitate but buys it and we are told the price in silver so not a token price. And this land would be only about 5 miles from Jerusalem. This would at that time still have been a war zone and looking like it would fall to the Babylonians. So it would have looked like he was throwing away his money not investing.

But he obeyed because he had heard You and even if not for a long time (it took 7 years) You were showing him there would be restoration recovery and a return for those who would be taken captive. It looks easy. He heard and he obeyed. But I wonder if he doubted he had heard. Till his cousin came. Or was it just a coincidence.

Sometimes Lord we wish You would make it clear when You speak to us. Keep the prophetic alive in our day. Sometimes You do speak and we hear the same thing several times and know we must do it. Thank You that You have infinite patience with us. Thank You that You allow us to help You. Thank You that you do not give up on us when we get it wrong. Thank You for investing Your love in us and Your people the church.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 4th September 2025

Spirit of the Living God
Spirit of the Living God
We only wanna hear your voice
We’re hanging on every word
Spirit of the Living God
Spirit of the Living God
We only wanna hear your voice
We’re hanging on every word

‘Cause when you speak, when you move
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
When you come in the room
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything

Spirit of the Living God
Spirit of the Living God
We’re leaning into all you are
Everything else can wait
Spirit of the Living God
Spirit of the Living God
Come now and breathe upon our hearts
Come now and have your way

‘Cause when you speak, when you move
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
When you come in the room
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything

When you move, you move all our fears
When you move, you move us to tears
When you move, you move all our fears
When you move, you move us to tears

When you fall, we fall on our knees
When you fall, we fall at your feet
God, when you fall, we fall on our knees
When you fall, we fall at your feet

When you speak and when you move
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
When you come in the room
When you do what only you can do
It changes us, it changes
What we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything

Lyrics: Jacob Sooter and Mia Fieldes