God's everywhere.(or somebody read the sermon!)

Yesterday was one of those ultra special Sundays. I wrote you and told you of how God was stirring a message in my heart. Right below I excerpt what a South African friend wrote:

"So I travelled all the way to Hot and Dusty Folweni which is at the back of nowhere, over bumpy roads and listened to a pastor speak in Zulu and broken English in a hot building (corrugated iron roof, no ceiling) only to find that he was in cahoots with you and preached the same message! So i could have stayed home and had it on the comfort of my own computer. But hey the fellowship was good and the praise and Worship was marvellous, African choral singing really stirs the blood !"

I really wanted to preach yesterday. But then an interesting thing happened. First a word of knowledge came forth about reconciliation (keep in mind-I talk to no one.), and then another. And then Bruce gets up to share. (Little do I know, he has been up every hour of the night waiting for a message. And turning to his wife after class, after prayer, after worship and each time telling her, he is blank. I guess I should have told him that is what happens virtually every Sunday, until I get in the pulpit! What was also cool was he wore a tie for me, I wore a tie for him, and we looked at each other and ripped our ties off!)

And then he preached the scriptures and the heart of what God had been showing me!!! He used the scriptures (same ones I had!) below;

Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

And what he said was the same message that God has brought me to. If someone doesn't like you, you need to recognize they probably don't like one of the "small imperfections" that still remains in you, and we need to run to that person(as opposed to run away!) and ask forgiveness, and the agreement part, is when we recognize our imperfections and agree that there are parts of us that are less than likeable. Now as God reveals people who don't like you(he will), our job is to pray and be led by the Holy Ghost(trust me-He won't tell you not to go them, just when!) and not just run off half-cocked. Ouch or amen?

God revealed another scripture to me last night as I was studying with my daughter. (Her store had been held up at gunpoint and all of sudden the frailty of her existence entered in. She was up for hours trying to get "okay".) Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

First half: "Only by pride cometh contention:"

Think about that. "But its their fault" you cry. So what? Its not just the person who retaliates or the person who attacks. It is whoever.

Maybe there is someone who doesn't like you. Someone that is "against" you. Go. Be agreed to them. Don't bring your praise and worship and prayer(your offerings) until you have resolved it with the person. (If Holy Ghost tells you to wait a day or a week-commit to it, and then go the altar, with the promise of fulfilling your vow.)

Selah.