Red.
It's my absolute favourite colour.
My football team plays in it.
The wallpapers on my personal and workphones are both red.
I really used to like to paint the town red back in the day!
I'd have my house painted red if I could!
Hey I would dye my head red if I was braver.
Seems like this is a bit random.
But.
I am sitting at my office desk trying to look busy while really I don't feel any motivation to work. On my white glass desk at work I am staring at two items.
A red stapler.
And.
A pair of bright red office scissors.
The colour grabs me.
And my mind flashes back to Liverpool Boiler Room at Strawberry Fields. My friend and amazingly gifted, anointed and blessed artist supreme Mr Paul Fleming and I were discussing what colour we should paint the main space at Strawbs. I wanted just plain white. Paul was leaning towards red. He said it would represent the blood of Jesus. I left him to it. I was Hoping he would just white wash it completely. I got back the next day and one wall is red! I kindly used my face to voice my displeasure. Even though I like red. White was cooler to me in that room. So Paul being the fabulous human being he really is decided to cover the red up with strips of white wallpaper. The room then looked. Well. White. A week later an amazing lady called Debra Green was speaking at a gathering at the Boiler Room organised by a group of amazing praying people called CWM led by another amazing lady called Sue Sinclair based in Liverpool. During an incredible wave of the Spirit, people were up prophesying. One lady. Got up and spoke of her worry that the church were watering down the Gospel in some places. She said we should never hide the blood of Jesus. The red blood of Jesus. She then went as far (Not knowing the whole decorating fiasco) to say, 'the Church was in danger of whitewashing over his blood!'
I.
Dropped.
My.
Head.
I thought about how I had even without thinking just put my own decorating preferences before Paul's idea of a wall symbolising the blood that was shed for me and you. The very minute the meeting finished. I ripped off every scrap of the white wallpaper to expose the beautiful red wall. I had been zapped with a very special message from God that day that I have tried to carry into my ministry.
Never hide the blood of Christ.
Never smooth it over.
Never cover it.
There is power in the blood.
The red blood of Christ is the standard of victory.
Blood that changed everything for mankind.
The blood that speaks a very real hope to this world.
The blood that flowed from the centrepoint of the gospel.
The cross.
This truth needs to be spoken over the generations.
So.
We need to keep the truth out there.
Hey.
Lets not whitewash it.
Or paper it over.
But speak it, live it, carry it, pass it on to the next generation.
