Light the fire again.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna![d]”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[e]

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”[f]

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Today was Palm Sunday and we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the back of the young donkey, not yet ridden.  Jesus was like a Celebrity and all the people praised him and were huge fans.  Yet a week later and they followed the crowd and all called for him to be crucified.  Amazing how things can change and hearts can go cold. It's easy to follow the crowd and do the wrong thing, not the right thing. It's easy to forget our first love, our first joy and gratefulness, awe and wonder.  It's easy to do that in any aspect of life, but it's definitely so in your spiritual life.  I am put in mind of a song by Brian Doerkson (can be heard here on You Tube): 

DON"T LET MY LOVE grow cold
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
Don’t let my vision die
I’m calling out
Light the fire againYou know my heart, my deeds
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
I need your discipline
I’m calling out
Light the fire again
I am here to buy gold
Refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won’t be ashamed
Lord, light the fire again 

This song speaks to me, I feel I lack the fervour and urgency of my first love, it takes effort, a daily effort, aided by prayer, reading of the Bible and encouragement of my fellow Christians, but I still love him and I feel the joy of knowing Jesus each and every day, of having his hope, of knowing he is there at all times, of calling upon him, of being delighted by his creation, of being unspeakably grateful for what he does for me, and thus I would like God to relight my fire so I can be unashamed of my actions and what I do and fail to do and go forth and do and be Christ-like in my life.

 This week, I have been trying to type up some of the worship and praise songs I wrote over the last 5 years and finally put them into music notation software- it is something I have been meaning to do and I want to see I can use some of my time this week to do that, to write further songs as an act of worship.  Reading those lyrics, those words of praise over and over again as I type them up has been an encouraging flame. It's a little flame but it'll grow! I am encouraged daily by the words of my blogging friends.  Thanks to Gaz and Ang for their encouragement too today and for all of you who have taken the time to encourage and care for me this week.

This is my Pause for Advent 6 for 2014 with Floss and co

For the beauty of the earth

Today, such beauty did my eyes see, in each and every direction. Oh the joy of Spring has come again and my heart is glad.




For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies
For the love which from above
Over and around us lies
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise.



For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale
and tree and flower.
Sun and moon and stars of light.
Lord of all to thee we raise.
This our joyful hymn of praise.



For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child
Friends on earth,
And friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to thee we raise.
This our joyful hymn of praise.



For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given.
Graces human and divine,
Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n
Lord of all, to thee we raise.
This our joyful hymn of praise

Text: Folliot S. Pierpoint 

One of my favourite songs.