Blob of impossibility

The waitings over.

Dawn made me get up at 7,30am to open the email that would inform us where our next ministry appointment would be. Where we will work and live for the next phase of our ministry.

To be fair to the personnel department of the Salvation Army, the email landed on my iPad at precisely 7.30am.

I opened it quickly.

A bit like ripping a plaster off in case it hurts.

But as I read the clear black text on the brilliant white screen, it didn't hurt at all.

I was kind of excited.

It read that we are moving to London.

Back to city life.

It read we had three appointments. Well I've got three, Dawns got four!

The appointment to London seems to involve some serious development work in terms of the Salvation Army in West London.

Kingdom stuff.

I'll find out more I guess when I get there in four months time.

It seems a big task.

It appears it is a massive ask.

But as I think about it today. I see this big blob ahead of me. A blob of bigness in terms of the size of the ask to maybe see an Army rise out of the embers of former glories in the area they have sent us to.

But.

As it happens.

I love blobs.

I love impossible situations.

I feel my jaw setting hard at the thought of another seemingly difficult challenge ahead.

I feel the rising of my battling spirit.

I've learned now from the experiences of past ministry battles in Liverpool and in Sacriston and Durham that God always wins.

God always wins!

I say it again GOD ALWAYS WINS!

So blobs of the impossible are penetrable and can be obliterated as long as we fix our eyes on Jesus.

As I think about this stuff, I see the figure with the drawn sword.

In Joshua 5: 13: 15

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked. "Are you for us or for our enemies." "Neither," he replied. "But as the commander of the Army of The Lord I have now come." Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "what message does my Lord have for his servant?" The commander of the Lords Army replied. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

Joshua about to take some serious ground, had to undergo a bit of a spiritual metamorphosis here. Before he could conquer Jericho, God had to conquer Joshua.

I picture the same figure with the drawn sword.

I get the feeling the drawn sword is an absolute.

An absolute assurance that God is going before Dawn and I.

Jericho must have seemed like a blob of impossibility to Joshua.

But as soon as he recognized he was in the presence of the ultimate commander, who's sword was drawn for battle, and as soon as the commander instructed him to show that recognition, the bible says he did so.

He did so.

And Joshua did so!

God conquered Joshua's life.

Joshua surrendered in total to the commander of the Lords Army.

We all know he went and conquered Jericho.

No blob of impossibility stands a chance. When we surrender our lives to the ultimate commander.

So I've still got work to do here in Durham.

The blob can wait.

For now.

But I feel the rising strength of the Spirit of God with his sword drawn stirring in my being. Preparing me, preparing both of us.

Big battles ahead.

Bring them on!

Oh.

And a little challenging thought to finish.

Have you been conquered yet?