What really matters?

What Really Matters? Tearfully He Holds You What Really Matters?

The Rose - A Parable Against Jealousy Storms Of Life If I Be Lifted Up Preach It!!

I Asked God When The Going Gets Tough … Never Ever Stop! Learning From The Past - A Sermon Everybody Hurts A Mothers Blessing Strategic Positioning By God Thoughts On Love And Passion Easter Morning Lord, I Lift Your Name On High Route 66 And Salvation - A Personal View What Do You Say? The Folded Napkin

Journeying Physically And Spiritually A Daily Prayer For Freedom Are You Ready? Luke 12:32-40 No Discouragement!!

Life In All Its Fullness - John 10:10 Do You Love Me?

Diamonds Are Forever Hymn For The Warriors! Roaring Lions! The Lifesong Of A Sinner

Friends

Open Heart Surgery Choices - A Sermon For Today Oh Safe To The Rock That Is Higher Than I Memo To Jesus

A Covenant With God Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone To Be In Your Presence What In God’s Name? We Want To See Jesus! Stop Looking And Start Accepting A Prayer For Love Preach The Good News What God Opens, No One Can Close;

Listening And Doing Producing Fruit Looking Only Unto Jesus

Proclaim The Message

1 Corinthians 13 - Revisited

A More Perfect Way

Ready, Willing And Able

Fear Not

Who Am I?

Anything Is Possible With Jesus

Revival Is Coming

Revival Is Pear Shaped

Here Comes Jesus

At the end of this collection is a separate series of meditations:

IN SOLITUDE WITH GOD – Reflections on 16 periods of solitude spent with God

Tearfully He Holds You

OK So I know you have probably all heard or read the story of the Prodigal Son and thought “Yeah – that’s a great story of forgiveness” But how many of you have actually experienced the story? Oh sure, you say, “I gave up my child and let them go their own way, and I waited long hours watching and waiting for them to come to their senses.” Yes – we all know the pain of being the Prodigal’s Father (or Mother), but how many of us have experienced life from the Prodigal’s side? I wonder if you have ever turned your back on your family, and gone off to see the world, live life to its fullest and just dance to the tune of whoever played the happiest song.

And how many have found themselves in the pigsty, eating the bean pods of life, wallowing in the mud of despair and regret? I wonder how many there are now languishing in purgatory out there because even now, even at the lowest ebb in their life, they simply cannot face coming home for fear of what awaits them?

Oh my friends, I have been there. I have been there with my earthly family. And I can tell you that the pigsties I slept in were pretty rough I can tell you and I ate some pretty awful bean pods. But worse than that, worse than losing my own family, has been the time I spent away from God. That has to be the worst ever experience in the life of a Christian – to be separated from the one who created them – to be out of touch with the Father himself. Have you ever been there? I mean, it’s one thing if you never knew him, but to have known him and walked away? And then to realise your mistake and be too afraid or too ashamed to turn around and walk the weary road back home.

Well – sweet child, do not fear, do not be ashamed, do not worry – for our Father God – YOUR Father is even now standing in the road looking for you. His eye has never left the horizon from whence he saw you go. He watches and he waits, and from time to time he even cries out to you in a soft and gentle voice – have you not heard him in the darkest times, in the loneliness of night? Yes – it was God – it was Father God, crying out to you and telling you everything would be fine – if only you would come back. He doesn’t hate you, he isn’t angry, his heart yearns for you, aches for you to just come back home. And when, on the horizon he sees that tiny speck that he knows – he knows in his heart is you, he will not wait any longer – he will come running, running, faster and faster, towards you – he won’t wait any longer – he will come to you and take you in his arms, and he will laugh and cry with joy because you who were lost are now found. You who were once dead are now alive. Your Father will take your hand in his and will run and dance all the way back home to where he has prepared a feast for you.

My friends, I have this past week, been privileged to see God run and to watch him run towards me. I have taken the bean pods of 40 years and cast them back to the swine. I have seen Father God starting to run towards me and I have cast off my shoes so that I might run faster towards him. He has touched my heart with his loving kindness and his forgiveness. Friends, my Father God has come running to me, to take me in his arms. And oh what a happy and joyous reunion it has been. Oh I just want to sing and dance and run and laugh and cry. I have given him my burdens and he has cast them into the deepest of oceans, never to be found again.

As I have felt the closeness of God’s arms around me, he has given me songs in my heart, songs which I have heard before, but never related to my own situation. And I am hearing new songs, which other people give to me, and I listen to so much music. All telling me of my Father’s deepest, deepest love for me.

Friends, don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Don’t think you have gone too far. Please, please for your own sake, and for the sake of he who scans the distant horizon, watching for you, please come home. Please come back. He wants you back in his life.

Let me share with you some very beautiful words which were given to my wife by my God-given best friend, Lindsey. It begins at the point where God knew you even before you were born:

“Be still. Be quiet. Cease your raging. Trust the only one trustworthy enough to hold your fragile, shining soul, cradled in the palm of His hand. He looks down upon it, love misting in His eyes as He breathes the breath of life gently over you. He breathes the breath of life softly and lovingly into your soul. His hands begin to glow with light- melting away the darkness as passion and fierceness, strength…and love, compassion, gentleness, wisdom shape the form of your spirit. He sings over you a soft lullaby and declares to the universe the good things He has planned for your life.”

“He whispers to the fragile soul still cradled gently in his hands as He holds you close to His breast. He whispers the purpose your life has within His plan so that you will recognize it when He begins calling to you. He whispers to you of His love for you so that when you enter this cold, evil world, you will not forget- someday you will remember the Love that made you, formed you, shaped you.”

“He tearfully holds you close to His beating heart, eyes closed in prayer. Then He gently sets you within your mother’s womb and in one final whisper says, “Don’t forget Me. I’m letting you go to find yourself, who I’ve created you to be. I’m letting you go so that you may choose to love Me or not. That is My gift to you. I will find you there in the world. I will find you and I pray you’ll recognize Me. Please come back to Me someday, My child. Please come back to Me- I’ll be waiting for you. I love you.”