The Peacock Church

 I released a word at the beginning of the year (https://inhisbreeze.blogspot.com/2022/12/crowning-and-dethroning.html) about the Lord wanting the Church to look like a peacock in the coming season 🦚 I know, how ridiculous, a peacock! It's been on my mind again the last month, so I want to look at it in more detail. If you were to describe Jesus to someone, perhaps the words you'd use would be about his love, kindness, sacrifice, and willingness to serve and care for the lost and marginalised. All of which are true, but He is also King of kings, Lord of lords. He has a mighty army of angels at His disposal. He is just and righteous. He has ALL authority and power. So perhaps the Church being like a majestic-looking peacock isn't so crazy? Have you ever noticed that peacocks look like they're wearing a crown?

I asked the Lord what the Church looks like now, and He showed me a flock of chickens, each scratching in the dirt, looking for seeds. Each goes about their own business. It looked productive; each was doing a job, keeping its head down and getting on with it. Then I saw again the contrast of the peacock. The one peacock, not a flock. Jesus is the head that wears the crown, the head of the Church. The Church is merely the feathers, and they don't have a will of their own! He chooses when they go on display, when they are hidden. They move forward as the head moves forward, in unity. Look at the feathers of a peacock. Each one has its own space, beautifully aligned with those around it. The structure is built to support the placement and allows growth. Young and old, all looking forward, facing and drawing attention to the head. But the peacock is noisy, and this ruffles feathers! As the Lord brings the Church out of hiding to be seen and heard, one feather at a time, the voices of religious opposition will also start rising. "What a prideful hoot you're making, showing off and drawing attention to yourself." Peter, John and Paul in the Bible wouldn't keep quiet or hidden. They were audacious in their boasting about Jesus, calling people to repent, worshipping loudly and behaving wildly. Claiming that even at the sound of His name, the sick would be healed. And they served! There needs to be a better understanding of what humility looks like. Anyone who understands, even in a small way, the magnitude of God's Glory knows it's impossible to outshine Him. Pride is boasting of your own achievements; false humility often tries to ensure you don't achieve anything spectacular enough to be prideful about, but genuine humility isn't interested in personal achievements. It knows who God is and allows Him to reflect through in whatever way He chooses, despite the light displaying our flaws! Jesus preached to the 5000 and spoke to the woman at the well. healed the sick in private and in front of huge crowds. He didn't pretend He wasn't the Messiah, but He didn't need others to recognise it. This is genuine humility; when your identity and motives aren't determined by what your doing or who you're talking to. but choosing obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So the question is, will we give up our ordinary, individual chicken living to be a small feather in the majestic, colourful, tail of the peacock? As feathers are dead, so this requires strongholds to die in us. Imagine you prayed for someone and they were instantly healed, and the next person and the next! What rises up in you as you're even trying to imagine it?.Bring those things before the Lord and allow Him to set you free. Fear of man's judgement and being misunderstood, fear of pride, a false sense of responsibility or duty have all been issued for me. Following Jesus where He leads, still means serving, but it will look more erratic, because when you're part of a team, you don't need to be and do all things; just what He asks. Faith looks strange! As Jesus reveals the feathers, people will misunderstand your motives. It will be awkward and uncomfortable for a while. Don't fret that you're quiet or shy. Jesus knows each and every one of His people. He has a place in His plumage just for you and it"s perfectly shaped for how He created you to be.

The freedom of the Holy Spirit will look and sound so undignified and loud compared to the season of polite chickens. Yet to the peahen, those who haven't yet experienced Jesus, it will be a spectacular display, and she will be wooed!