10 Years of Suffolk Coastal Filling Station
In our March meeting, we celebrated the Suffolk Coastal Filling Station 10-year anniversary and it was a great occasion. We had a wonderful evening with lots of returning friends and several new ones, over 80 in total. Of course there was also plenty of food! There was a presentation at the start of the meeting to Sandy Millar and Robin Alderson for their effort, time and vision is starting up our Filling Station and continuing to serve in leading us to where we are today. Charity returned to us once again to lead the worship.
Our speaker was Paul Witter from Avenue Evangelical Church in Woodbridge. His message was “Knowing God” and he started off by talking about John Wesley describing a meeting he had attended, along with his brother Charles and George Whitefield. He said “At three o’clock in the morning, as we were continuing in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground.” Paul pointed out the casual way Wesley mentioned that they were still praying at 3 in the morning and pointed out that, had they’d left at midnight, they would have missed the whole experience! Paul pointed out that Wesley and Whitefield and many others are a people hungry for God.
Paul described a “Life in the Spirit” conference he had attended and experienced a powerful blessing of the Holy Sprit that changed him. Afterwards he felt that he had received a word from God for the church which said “I want you to know me, not just know about me”. He then described characters in the bible who wanted to know God, not just about him, such as Moses and David.
Paul used the example of David, who had met God, experienced God and knew Him, yet he still asks for more. In Psalm 27:4 (NIV) David says “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple”. Paul stressed that in the new covenant, Jesus is the new temple – the tabernacle where we meet with God, and therefore we are able to meet with God personally through the Holy Spirit and to enjoy His presence. Ephesians 3 says “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”. To know God is to know he is holy, righteous and awesome, yet it is also to know His heart towards us, His delight in us and His love for us.
Paul explained how privileged we are to be able to listen in on David’s prayer life and discover his “one thing” and asked us this question. “If someone were to listen in on our prayers, what would they conclude was our “one thing”? Paul concluded by reiterating what he felt God’s message is to us – “I want you to know me, not just about me”.
A truly lovely evening and a great way to celebrate our 10 years anniversary!
