Day of Repentance & Prayer in Saxony

Wednesday 21st November is a public holiday in Saxony. This is one of the few regions in Germany that still observes "Repent and Pray Day".

At the Jesus Haus, time on Tuesday evening was spent praying and declaring God`s promises and Word over Germany. Focusing on what He has done and is going to do in this nation. 

Not giving glory to the sins and shame of the past. But instead, looking ahead with expectancy of all that God has planned for Germany and the people of this nation.

I love the meaning of the word "repentance". It`s about turning back to God. Continually checking that your path is aligned with His path. That your heart is turned to His.

Repentance is really so releasing. Looking at Jesus. Placing your hand in His. Surrendering your steps and your heart to Him. Allowing His glory to shine through.

"...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13b&14

I love that about Jesus. He died on the cross so that the past cannot hold us back. Through His resurrection power we can leave the past behind us and walk on into the new. Whole. Redeemed. Cleansed & free. Ready to do His will. 

Reformation Day

 October 31st is a public holiday in Germany. Reformation Day is set aside to remember the religious revolution that Martin Luther and others like him fought so hard for.

The Reformation made it possible for ordinary men, women and children in Germany to have a personal living relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It allowed them to read the scriptures themselves in their own language. It did away with the idea of "buying" salvation and forgiveness. It did away with the idea that a priest must always mediate between a "normal" person and God. We are delighted that Germany still sets aside a public holiday to remember this.

But today, less than 2% of the German population is reported to have a living, meaningful relationship with Christ. What a tragedy. What a mission field.

Please remember all those Christians who are light in Germany today. Pray for strength and grace and boldness for them.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5.14

Oh, and why am I writing this on the 30th and not on the day itself?... Well, I`m also being reformed (see 2 previous posts).  Tomorrow is a holiday!

The Bigger Picture endures

Not only is God`s Bigger Picture of things much larger than our own. It also endures. Through times, seasons and generations. I love that about God. 

Sometimes we get so caught up in the "here and now" of life. We think in terms of our lifetime or even just a portion of our lifetime. But what God speaks and puts in motion is for a more enduring season. He thinks in terms of generations. He has an eternal perspective.

This shot is the road in which the Jesus-Haus stands. It was taken a couple of weeks ago on the day Germany celebrated the reunification of East and West Germany. At the end of the road you see the Moravian Church. In the foreground the flag of Saxony, the region we live in. This is Herrnhut 2007.

It is the same street where nazi banners hung over 60 years ago. They renamed it Adolf Hitler Strasse. Then the Russians torched two thirds of the town. The communist regime began. The street became August-Bebel-Strasse. Instead of Nazi propaganda, communist propaganda was posted in the street. Now, in this time of treasured freedom, a sign hangs on a building that was a hospital during the nazi and communist time. That same building was originally built as a warehouse for a tradesman called Abraham Dürninger. The profits of the trade helped finance the sending out of missionaries around the world.

The sign that hangs on this building says "Christliches Zentrum Herrnhut e.V. Jesus Haus".

The same building. The same street. Enduring times, seasons, regimes, wars and treasured freedom. It reminds me of God`s long term perspective. So many things change over time, but God`s word remains forever. It has an unchanging quality. Through all generations.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40.8