Now that’s an odd expression isn’t it? Yet that’s exactly what I heard the Lord say this morning. So, still being as inquisitive like the little boy I once was, I asked Him what that meant and His answer was more serious than I had first thought.
He showed me that very many churches in these end days are still camped far closer to hell than to heaven. They do not preach the gospel – they preach prosperity of all believers. They do not really reach out – rather they have their own events with their own agendas and these events only reach the church and perhaps some of their friends who are mostly ‘Christian’ anyway.
Many of today’s churches are simply extended ‘glee clubs’ – social organisations where the habits and general behaviour of members is often even more shameful than the habits and behaviour of the world. There is very little of God in them – if anything at all – because they are so far departed from their calling that they are in effect apostate churches. They worship money and possessions. They value who they know and who is in their social strata above anything to do with Jesus Christ. Indeed, many are embarrassed to even mention His wonderful Name
All this shook me up a little but I pressed on and asked about the precipice of hell and He said this. “Those churches that have moved away from My Gospel; those churches who have made My house a house of ill-repute rather than a house of prayer; those churches who have no real love for their congregation except for what they can get from them rather than what they can feed them; these churches may as well be standing on a precipice overlooking the gates of hell because their people will walk straight out of one into the other. I hold both shepherds and sheep responsible for their own actions and to many of these I will say ‘Away from Me you evil doers – I do not know you!’
I was shaken up by all this and I prayed that He would never have to say this to me, but I pressed on again. “How can we stop this Lord?” He replied, “I am looking for an army of those willing to be a voice in the wilderness, like John the Baptist, who will call the church to repent and turn from her wicked ways. I am seeking those who will walk within a yard of hell and bring my people back to higher, safer ground. I am seeking those who would even lose their lives for Me and My Gospel in order to save My Church, My Bride.”
As did Isaiah before me, I cried out to my God, “Here am I, Lord. Send me.” Are there any more out there who are willing to do the same. Are you willing to be reviled, scorned, and rejected by many churches? Are you willing to bless them, but brush the dirt of your feet as you leave? Are you willing to give your all to Jesus Christ – your saviour. The cost may be high, the journey rough, the rewards none. This may cost you everything, but if you are willing to go deeper in Him and stand out for Him, fearless and unashamed, despite what the world is saying, then your crown will shine that little bit brighter.
As 2011 dawns, will you join me now, and stay until Jesus returns?
Friday, 31 December 2010
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Integrated of segregated?
Integrated of segregated?
My new wife recently went to a ladies coffee morning at our church. It was her first such morning as she has only just arrived here from Texas. We are a small church but nevertheless 10 ladies turned up – which was a great turnout as a welcome for her. Looking at the photo’s later, we realised that in those 10 women 7 countries were represented – and another four are always possible. In our church we have representatives from England, France, Taiwan, Malaysia, British Guyana, USA, China, Nigeria, Ghana, Spain, and Chile. We are a totally integrated church and anyone & everyone, literally, is very welcome. As part of a ministry team, I travel all over Europe and we have found similar congregations spread around all over the place. There are many churches like this throughout the UK and all over Europe and, during my recent trip to Texas, where we got married, I noticed a very sharp contrast with America.
In the USA, speaking to quite a few people in Texas – which I am taking as my microcosm sample for the whole country – you either go to a ‘Black Church’, a ‘White Church’, or a ‘Hispanic Church’. There is very little or no mixing. We went to a large (1500 congregation) church while I was there and I was very happily surprised to be greeted by two ‘black’ gentlemen who very warmly welcomed us to the service. We were welcomed again and again inside by many of the ‘white’ people there as well and it was altogether a very good service to attend. The Holy Spirit was welcome in that church. However – apart from the greeters on the door, there were probably no more than 20 ’blacks’ in the whole 1500 congregation. I commented on this to my wife and learned the very sad truth about the segregation still practiced within the church. True to say, it is very well hidden segregation nowadays but it is there. Whites will not go to a perceived black church and blacks wont go to a perceived white church. Neither will go to a Hispanic one and vice versa. Oh – ok – but perhaps 20 in a 1500 congregation isn’t exactly integration is it??? Especially when its a very good mixed area with roughly a 50/50 demographic split.
Now, let me say this before I am accused of writing a racist article here. These are facts, based mainly upon observation, and they sadden me beyond belief – just imagine what this is doing to the Holy Spirit ?? I am using the style of ‘black’ and ‘white’ simply for emphasis but there really shouldn’t be the necessity of such things. We really shouldn’t need to speak about these things but they are such an afront to Gods heart.
Racism is alive and firing on all four cylinders in the Church today and I say it is a dreadful disgrace – an insult to our intelligence and a sin before God. Oh, I think this is not confined to America and I daresay that if you go into not a few churches here in the UK and all over Europe, there will be racism of the kind I describe here in those churches too. It has just come as a bit of a shock to me that’s all.
I was born and bred in London and we seem have always had a wonderfully cosmopolitan population in our churches – so I am used to complete integration. No black church – no white church – no anything other than just plain church. Is it so difficult for us to accept our brothers and sisters in the Lord whilst ignoring their colour, their creed, their language, their status, or their ethnicity. There will be no segregation in heaven. God only ever looks at our hearts – can we not try to do the same.
Please ???
My new wife recently went to a ladies coffee morning at our church. It was her first such morning as she has only just arrived here from Texas. We are a small church but nevertheless 10 ladies turned up – which was a great turnout as a welcome for her. Looking at the photo’s later, we realised that in those 10 women 7 countries were represented – and another four are always possible. In our church we have representatives from England, France, Taiwan, Malaysia, British Guyana, USA, China, Nigeria, Ghana, Spain, and Chile. We are a totally integrated church and anyone & everyone, literally, is very welcome. As part of a ministry team, I travel all over Europe and we have found similar congregations spread around all over the place. There are many churches like this throughout the UK and all over Europe and, during my recent trip to Texas, where we got married, I noticed a very sharp contrast with America.
In the USA, speaking to quite a few people in Texas – which I am taking as my microcosm sample for the whole country – you either go to a ‘Black Church’, a ‘White Church’, or a ‘Hispanic Church’. There is very little or no mixing. We went to a large (1500 congregation) church while I was there and I was very happily surprised to be greeted by two ‘black’ gentlemen who very warmly welcomed us to the service. We were welcomed again and again inside by many of the ‘white’ people there as well and it was altogether a very good service to attend. The Holy Spirit was welcome in that church. However – apart from the greeters on the door, there were probably no more than 20 ’blacks’ in the whole 1500 congregation. I commented on this to my wife and learned the very sad truth about the segregation still practiced within the church. True to say, it is very well hidden segregation nowadays but it is there. Whites will not go to a perceived black church and blacks wont go to a perceived white church. Neither will go to a Hispanic one and vice versa. Oh – ok – but perhaps 20 in a 1500 congregation isn’t exactly integration is it??? Especially when its a very good mixed area with roughly a 50/50 demographic split.
Now, let me say this before I am accused of writing a racist article here. These are facts, based mainly upon observation, and they sadden me beyond belief – just imagine what this is doing to the Holy Spirit ?? I am using the style of ‘black’ and ‘white’ simply for emphasis but there really shouldn’t be the necessity of such things. We really shouldn’t need to speak about these things but they are such an afront to Gods heart.
Racism is alive and firing on all four cylinders in the Church today and I say it is a dreadful disgrace – an insult to our intelligence and a sin before God. Oh, I think this is not confined to America and I daresay that if you go into not a few churches here in the UK and all over Europe, there will be racism of the kind I describe here in those churches too. It has just come as a bit of a shock to me that’s all.
I was born and bred in London and we seem have always had a wonderfully cosmopolitan population in our churches – so I am used to complete integration. No black church – no white church – no anything other than just plain church. Is it so difficult for us to accept our brothers and sisters in the Lord whilst ignoring their colour, their creed, their language, their status, or their ethnicity. There will be no segregation in heaven. God only ever looks at our hearts – can we not try to do the same.
Please ???
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Breakthrough !!
For me, 2009 was the year of opening doors – especially those doors that seemed shut for ever, whilst 2010 was the year of reaping that which we have sown. The Lord brought these thoughts to me as I sat pondering the past year – trying to prepare our annual ministry report. He reminded me, as if I needed reminding, that He had fulfilled His promise of a wife. He reminded me of the wonderful visits we have made this past year – of the wonderful men and women of God we have had the privilege of meeting and to whom we have had the honour to minister. On a more personal level of course, meeting my wife and having the great honour of marrying her was the great blessing and highlight. Then finally, the icing on the cake for me, my son and daughter in law announced their second baby – due in June next year.
Yet there were other quieter moments too, when the presence of God threatened to knock us all off our feet; when it was more appropriate to be silent and prostrate ourselves before Him – allowing him to minister to us. Oh yes – believe me – despite what the world may think or what may have been happening in worldly terms, 2010 has been an incredible year of blessing.
My musings were interrupted when the Lord spoke again. “Breakthrough” – just that one word was all He said. My hearts soared as I considered it and as I considered what He has spoken about revival coming to a town near you very soon. Thinking I had better not assume too much, to be honest my record isn’t perfect in this area, I enquired of the Lord about it. “Yes – breakthrough”, He said. “I have opened the doors and you have gone through them. You have reaped some of that which you have sown. Now – 2011 – is the year when you will see real breakthrough. Revival is coming at a rush. Tell My people to prepare – to get ready. Time is so short and there is a mighty harvest to be brought in. Get your harvest workers prepared – prepare yourselves – I am coming – SOON! Be ready for breakthrough as I start to move things out of the way – those things that have hindered you for so long. Your path shall be made straight and the harvest will be made easy – it is, after all, My yoke that I am asking you to bear. Your joy shall be so great yet those who would still oppose me shall still oppose you. They shall try to make your way hard, uphill even. But My Spirit shall be with you and He shall make you able where previously you have felt quite inadequate to the task. Yes, I, the Lord, has spoken it – breakthrough is yours when you stay in My will and obedient to My words.”
2011 is the year of BREAKTHROUGH for the Church – in preparation for the return of our Lord – when He comes to fetch His Bride.
Yet there were other quieter moments too, when the presence of God threatened to knock us all off our feet; when it was more appropriate to be silent and prostrate ourselves before Him – allowing him to minister to us. Oh yes – believe me – despite what the world may think or what may have been happening in worldly terms, 2010 has been an incredible year of blessing.
My musings were interrupted when the Lord spoke again. “Breakthrough” – just that one word was all He said. My hearts soared as I considered it and as I considered what He has spoken about revival coming to a town near you very soon. Thinking I had better not assume too much, to be honest my record isn’t perfect in this area, I enquired of the Lord about it. “Yes – breakthrough”, He said. “I have opened the doors and you have gone through them. You have reaped some of that which you have sown. Now – 2011 – is the year when you will see real breakthrough. Revival is coming at a rush. Tell My people to prepare – to get ready. Time is so short and there is a mighty harvest to be brought in. Get your harvest workers prepared – prepare yourselves – I am coming – SOON! Be ready for breakthrough as I start to move things out of the way – those things that have hindered you for so long. Your path shall be made straight and the harvest will be made easy – it is, after all, My yoke that I am asking you to bear. Your joy shall be so great yet those who would still oppose me shall still oppose you. They shall try to make your way hard, uphill even. But My Spirit shall be with you and He shall make you able where previously you have felt quite inadequate to the task. Yes, I, the Lord, has spoken it – breakthrough is yours when you stay in My will and obedient to My words.”
2011 is the year of BREAKTHROUGH for the Church – in preparation for the return of our Lord – when He comes to fetch His Bride.
Saturday, 18 December 2010
A WORD FOR 2011
By this shall we be known
I recently put out this short message on Twitter and FB – “I believe it’s of huge importance that the church starts to reflect & demonstrate Jesus love more - or we are just as lost as all the unsaved.”
To which I got the response – “So True. We cannot act like the world. By this shall we be known: That we love one another.”
I answered with this – “In our church we are so blessed. At our recent Christmas dinner, a lady who has only just joined us commented this - "I have been in many churches over the years but I have never known one like this where I have been welcomed with total and unconditional love." This is due in huge measure to our wonderful pastors Richard and Joyce Hill. The love of Jesus shines through them beautifully.”
I think this leads me quite nicely into my Word for 2011 - By this shall we be known
Love is the difference between our faith and all the others. Love is what made our God, the Lord God Almighty – that is His Name – send His Son to die so that we might live with and in Him eternally. We call that eternal life.
In Matthew 16;13-20 we read :-
“Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. “
A little later on, in John’s Gospel, we read this :-
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
John 13:35 ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:17 “These things I command you, that you love one another.”
Jesus regarded this as so important, the Bible tells us that He said it no less than FOUR times.
In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says another very important thing - that “You will know them by their fruits.”
Then in Galatians, Paul confirms all this again by saying in Galatians 5:22-23 NKJ V
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Once again, love is top of the list.
For years and years the church has shown little love to the world and even less to many of its members. I believe the Lord is calling and challenging us that ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” He is talking about love. As you have already read, I am so blessed to belong to a loving church yet I know very very many who are not so blessed. Countless numbers have left the church because of the lack of love, the cant, and hypocrisy they have found in their churches.
Brothers, sisters – it is time to turn the clock back 2000 years and show love to one another and to everyone of those around us. Family, friends, enemies, work colleagues, neighbours and every single person with whom we come into contact. All of them need the love of Christ in their lives and the Lord is challenging us to love them, our ‘neighbours’ as we love ourselves.
What could happen in 2011 if we actually did even a little bit more loving and a whole lot less hating? We could also do a whole lot more living too.
CGB 18 Dec 2010
I recently put out this short message on Twitter and FB – “I believe it’s of huge importance that the church starts to reflect & demonstrate Jesus love more - or we are just as lost as all the unsaved.”
To which I got the response – “So True. We cannot act like the world. By this shall we be known: That we love one another.”
I answered with this – “In our church we are so blessed. At our recent Christmas dinner, a lady who has only just joined us commented this - "I have been in many churches over the years but I have never known one like this where I have been welcomed with total and unconditional love." This is due in huge measure to our wonderful pastors Richard and Joyce Hill. The love of Jesus shines through them beautifully.”
I think this leads me quite nicely into my Word for 2011 - By this shall we be known
Love is the difference between our faith and all the others. Love is what made our God, the Lord God Almighty – that is His Name – send His Son to die so that we might live with and in Him eternally. We call that eternal life.
In Matthew 16;13-20 we read :-
“Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. “
A little later on, in John’s Gospel, we read this :-
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
John 13:35 ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:17 “These things I command you, that you love one another.”
Jesus regarded this as so important, the Bible tells us that He said it no less than FOUR times.
In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says another very important thing - that “You will know them by their fruits.”
Then in Galatians, Paul confirms all this again by saying in Galatians 5:22-23 NKJ V
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Once again, love is top of the list.
For years and years the church has shown little love to the world and even less to many of its members. I believe the Lord is calling and challenging us that ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” He is talking about love. As you have already read, I am so blessed to belong to a loving church yet I know very very many who are not so blessed. Countless numbers have left the church because of the lack of love, the cant, and hypocrisy they have found in their churches.
Brothers, sisters – it is time to turn the clock back 2000 years and show love to one another and to everyone of those around us. Family, friends, enemies, work colleagues, neighbours and every single person with whom we come into contact. All of them need the love of Christ in their lives and the Lord is challenging us to love them, our ‘neighbours’ as we love ourselves.
What could happen in 2011 if we actually did even a little bit more loving and a whole lot less hating? We could also do a whole lot more living too.
CGB 18 Dec 2010
Friday, 17 December 2010
THIS is Christmas
I put out this quote on Faceook & Twitter – “It's Not About the Pagan Christmas Bonanza, But the Celebration of the Greatest Gift ever given to mankind. Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here is the wonderful response I got from Steve 'n' Trachena Muchnick
"A STRONG YET LOVING MESSAGE TO THE SCROOGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS"
As a Pastor, I have an obligation to the inerrant Word of God to be loving, forgiving, tolerant, understanding, slow to speak and not easily angered, and about 2,000 more adjectives that I cannot fit here. As a Christian, I have an obligation to be bold in my witness, teach and preach with LOVE, so that people are DRAWN to the message of The Cross, not pushed away. As a father, I have an obligation to be as much like my Heavenly Father as possible, truthful, reverent, understanding, strong, LOVING, kind patient and tolerant, and another 2,000 Fill-in-the-blank words!
So, with that being said, where am I going with all this? This is where.....TO ALL THE SCROOGES on Facebook and Twitter and Blogger and WordPress and so on and so on, that are trying to convince the entire social networking world that Christmas is a pagan holiday and that Santa Claus was like some long lost brother of satan..........GET THEE BEHIND ME!!!! You are a group of very legalistic and Pharisee like people that look so hard for something to be wrong in the middle of something that is just so right! If you had some sort of traumatic hurt and pain on Christmas morning many years ago that caused you to hate Christmas...we are all sorry and we LOVE you even more because you are hurt, but do not blame the Roman calendar or the guy in the beard at the mall taking pictures with your our kids!
HERE IS THE MESSAGE THAT I WANT TO GET ACROSS TO YOU WITH LOVE!
December 25, April 9, August 20th.....whatever day it really was is the day we CELEBRATE.....SAY IT WITH ME NOW.....CELEBRATE the birth of The Son of God as a baby in Bethlehem. How do people that truly believe in the virgin birth, the Blood sacrifice of The Cross and the FREE gift of salvation, find themselves so lost and confused and caring so much about the actual date, or the commercialized symbols of Santa, and NOT focus on The ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God?
OK, for all of you that are offended by this because you are SURE that the Roman calendar was done wrong and that Jesus was really born on, let's say September20th, get over yourselves and pick up a more worthwhile cross, like preaching to your UNSAVED family members and co-workers before they end up in the wrong place. So, in summary, here it is;
Christmas is about the BIRTH of our savior, and the very beginning of the reason that if you know Him and accept His Son as your Savior, you WILL be spending eternity with Him.
Easter, by the way, is the END of that Story here on Earth and the beginning of the most precious and undeserved period of Grace that the world has EVER seen! Santa Claus is for kids, so is the Easter Bunny. NOBODY is posting that Barney is The Antichrist, are they?
Christmas Day, whatever day it REALLY is, is the day that LOVE was born! Nothing less yet so much more!
And last but not least, God hated the legalistic Pharisees because they were hypocrites, and had ZERO tolerance for them because they gave FALSE teachings and led people astray!
So, all of you that have made it to this point in my note, wake up on Christmas morning, pick up the plate of cookies that Santa ate, check the driveway for anything those reindeer may have left as a surprise, hug your spouses and your kids, and then drop to your knees and thank GOD that to us........A SAVIOR WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
Merry Christmas to ALL......and to ALL a Good Night!
Here is the wonderful response I got from Steve 'n' Trachena Muchnick
"A STRONG YET LOVING MESSAGE TO THE SCROOGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS"
As a Pastor, I have an obligation to the inerrant Word of God to be loving, forgiving, tolerant, understanding, slow to speak and not easily angered, and about 2,000 more adjectives that I cannot fit here. As a Christian, I have an obligation to be bold in my witness, teach and preach with LOVE, so that people are DRAWN to the message of The Cross, not pushed away. As a father, I have an obligation to be as much like my Heavenly Father as possible, truthful, reverent, understanding, strong, LOVING, kind patient and tolerant, and another 2,000 Fill-in-the-blank words!
So, with that being said, where am I going with all this? This is where.....TO ALL THE SCROOGES on Facebook and Twitter and Blogger and WordPress and so on and so on, that are trying to convince the entire social networking world that Christmas is a pagan holiday and that Santa Claus was like some long lost brother of satan..........GET THEE BEHIND ME!!!! You are a group of very legalistic and Pharisee like people that look so hard for something to be wrong in the middle of something that is just so right! If you had some sort of traumatic hurt and pain on Christmas morning many years ago that caused you to hate Christmas...we are all sorry and we LOVE you even more because you are hurt, but do not blame the Roman calendar or the guy in the beard at the mall taking pictures with your our kids!
HERE IS THE MESSAGE THAT I WANT TO GET ACROSS TO YOU WITH LOVE!
December 25, April 9, August 20th.....whatever day it really was is the day we CELEBRATE.....SAY IT WITH ME NOW.....CELEBRATE the birth of The Son of God as a baby in Bethlehem. How do people that truly believe in the virgin birth, the Blood sacrifice of The Cross and the FREE gift of salvation, find themselves so lost and confused and caring so much about the actual date, or the commercialized symbols of Santa, and NOT focus on The ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God?
OK, for all of you that are offended by this because you are SURE that the Roman calendar was done wrong and that Jesus was really born on, let's say September20th, get over yourselves and pick up a more worthwhile cross, like preaching to your UNSAVED family members and co-workers before they end up in the wrong place. So, in summary, here it is;
Christmas is about the BIRTH of our savior, and the very beginning of the reason that if you know Him and accept His Son as your Savior, you WILL be spending eternity with Him.
Easter, by the way, is the END of that Story here on Earth and the beginning of the most precious and undeserved period of Grace that the world has EVER seen! Santa Claus is for kids, so is the Easter Bunny. NOBODY is posting that Barney is The Antichrist, are they?
Christmas Day, whatever day it REALLY is, is the day that LOVE was born! Nothing less yet so much more!
And last but not least, God hated the legalistic Pharisees because they were hypocrites, and had ZERO tolerance for them because they gave FALSE teachings and led people astray!
So, all of you that have made it to this point in my note, wake up on Christmas morning, pick up the plate of cookies that Santa ate, check the driveway for anything those reindeer may have left as a surprise, hug your spouses and your kids, and then drop to your knees and thank GOD that to us........A SAVIOR WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
Merry Christmas to ALL......and to ALL a Good Night!
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Accountability and Integrity
I recently wrote this note to Facebook :-
“Sometimes we express on Facebook that which we would not or could not express in our churches. There are reasons for this -
Firstly there is no real accountability here. We do not have to look someone in the eye as we speak out our comments.
Secondly we are bold because we are 'in secret' and some of us will not even reveal our names for fear of being 'caught out'.
Thirdly, we can express here the secret things God has laid on our hearts without fear of scorn or rebuke or laughter. BUT
Finally, God sees our every word - even those we delete and type again differently. Yours - mine - everybody's words. God sees everything and we will all have to answer one day for any loose words we have put out here - even if you are the only one who knows it was a cheap shot.
So maybe there is some accountability after all :-)”
Then a good friend came back to me with this - “I think we need to have a post on integrity. Do not post anything here or elsewhere you would not want Jesus to see and point out to everyone.”
Do not post anything here or else where you would not want Jesus to See and point out to everyone – that’s the important thing isn’t it. We have to guard our own integrity, probably under the prompting of the Holy Spirit who will convict us when we step aside from what is good. Would everything that you put out on Facebook or Twitter stand the scrutiny of Jesus? Would He be pleased to pass it all on? I can only speak for myself in that, although I may try – I frequently fall short of the standard I know God requires of me.
Our integrity is all we have here. Nothing else matters. Reputation is nothing – popularity is even less. Even our faith means nothing without the integrity to go with it. The integrity we display anywhere in public - but especially in the Facebook and Twitter chat rooms – must also be a reflection of Jesus. Would He say that which we just said? Would He do that which we just did? As Leonard Ravenhill said, “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”
Our public utterances are our reflection of Christ – and sometimes, it has to be said, they are unflattering to Him. Should we not write as if Jesus Himself was standing looking over our shoulder and approving what we write. There are too many in this world who use unsanctified language, who take His name very much in vain or even as a cuss-word. We have to be better than that. Too many so-called Christians use unsanctified language; laugh at unsanctified humour; act in very un-Christ-like ways. If we are no different to the rest of the world, how can we possibly attract them to the church or to Jesus? If we are no different in our lives – if our integrity can be seen to be as bad as everyone else’s, then we have very little hope of redeeming others. We have, quite honestly, done the devils work for him.
Hey people - can we just try a little harder?
“Sometimes we express on Facebook that which we would not or could not express in our churches. There are reasons for this -
Firstly there is no real accountability here. We do not have to look someone in the eye as we speak out our comments.
Secondly we are bold because we are 'in secret' and some of us will not even reveal our names for fear of being 'caught out'.
Thirdly, we can express here the secret things God has laid on our hearts without fear of scorn or rebuke or laughter. BUT
Finally, God sees our every word - even those we delete and type again differently. Yours - mine - everybody's words. God sees everything and we will all have to answer one day for any loose words we have put out here - even if you are the only one who knows it was a cheap shot.
So maybe there is some accountability after all :-)”
Then a good friend came back to me with this - “I think we need to have a post on integrity. Do not post anything here or elsewhere you would not want Jesus to see and point out to everyone.”
Do not post anything here or else where you would not want Jesus to See and point out to everyone – that’s the important thing isn’t it. We have to guard our own integrity, probably under the prompting of the Holy Spirit who will convict us when we step aside from what is good. Would everything that you put out on Facebook or Twitter stand the scrutiny of Jesus? Would He be pleased to pass it all on? I can only speak for myself in that, although I may try – I frequently fall short of the standard I know God requires of me.
Our integrity is all we have here. Nothing else matters. Reputation is nothing – popularity is even less. Even our faith means nothing without the integrity to go with it. The integrity we display anywhere in public - but especially in the Facebook and Twitter chat rooms – must also be a reflection of Jesus. Would He say that which we just said? Would He do that which we just did? As Leonard Ravenhill said, “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”
Our public utterances are our reflection of Christ – and sometimes, it has to be said, they are unflattering to Him. Should we not write as if Jesus Himself was standing looking over our shoulder and approving what we write. There are too many in this world who use unsanctified language, who take His name very much in vain or even as a cuss-word. We have to be better than that. Too many so-called Christians use unsanctified language; laugh at unsanctified humour; act in very un-Christ-like ways. If we are no different to the rest of the world, how can we possibly attract them to the church or to Jesus? If we are no different in our lives – if our integrity can be seen to be as bad as everyone else’s, then we have very little hope of redeeming others. We have, quite honestly, done the devils work for him.
Hey people - can we just try a little harder?
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
What is Love ?
What is Love ?
No seriously – what is love? We all know how God’s Word describes it in 1 Corinthians 13 – but how does that all relate to real life. I mean to say – the Biblical picture of love is surely the ideal. Or is it supposed to be the norm?
Well, let me give you my view of it all. I am 67 years old and part of a travelling ministry team that has made around 35 trips to various parts of Europe this year alone. I was widowed 31/2 years ago only to find myself falling head over heels in love again and before getting married again just three weeks ago. OK, on some things I will be a bit biased, but in many ways this has been a journey of incredible surprises too, so let me tell you a little bit about the journey.
I have discovered that there is a serious richness in love that I never before realised and that has really made me reconsider my opinions about what we might call “Senior Love”. Everybody expects young people to meet, fall in love, get married and raise a family – that’s the church’s version of 1 Corinthians 13 put into the context of our lives. Meet, love, marriage, family – live happily ever after. If only . . . . But what about older people?
Older people have what we all know as ‘life experience’, especially if they have been married before. So, many older folk don’t set too many high targets. Smaller but achievable or more realistic targets or expectations is what you get from us. I expected that my new wife would come with certain baggage, not thinking for an instant that I would be the one with all the baggage. So it was in this context that I realised that something (I/me) had to change and it was in this area that I discovered a new incredibly deep richness to God’s love for us and in us. I fell in love all over again – twice. Once before the wedding and once after the wedding. However, with the second fall came a realisation of the full depth of my true feelings and, perhaps even more importantly, of my wife’s feelings for me. It was an overwhelming flood of love that swept over me every time we hugged and held each other. (You need to understand here that we are two tactile people so this tends to happen quite a lot so there are a lot of loving feelings flying around us.)
Do older people really hug and cuddle a lot? Oh you’d better believe it. We haven’t got as much time left as some of you youngsters and, anyway, why shouldn’t we? We hug the Grandkids; we hug you, our own kids, so why would we not hug and cuddle each other? It’s all about love. You hug those you love. I recently hugged my son and his wife when they announced another baby on the way. I hug people at church when I greet them. We hug complete strangers during public ministry – mostly because they NEED a good loving hug. There’s nothing sloppy or promiscuous or even the slightest bit dodgy about greeting each other with a hug. I once got into deep water at a church I was visiting when the minister told everyone to greet each other with a hug. How was I to know it was an arms-length hug and an air-kiss with no touching. The stranger I hugged was so surprised when I just hugged her as a friend – but fortunately. she walked away with the biggest smile on her face.
So what is love? Is it mental, physical, reserved for special people only ?? What ?? I think it is both a state of mind and a physical demonstration. I think it is everything described in 1 Corinthians 13. For youngsters it is tinged with passion and an urgency that you lose a bit as you get older. For older people, it is tinged with experience and it goes much deeper than it does for the younger generations. Age brings wisdom into love – a wisdom which quite provably is not availed enough by younger people. Yet love is not something to take for granted. Rather, it is something to be worked at every day of our lives. It is a selfless giving to each other with NO expectation other than that of receiving love. Love is exactly what 1 Corinthians 4-8 says it is. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
That’s it isn’t it? Love NEVER fails and I think it is that realisation that the Lord has so brilliantly brought into focus for me these past few days. He found us. He got us to meet on line. He caused us to fall in love – hopelessly and helplessly in love – even at our ‘advanced’ ages. He brought us together and got us married. THEN He taught us what His love really is about. And let me tell you, there is no greater privilege of loving and receiving love from another human being – especially a fellow Christian who shares your faith and beliefs.
No seriously – what is love? We all know how God’s Word describes it in 1 Corinthians 13 – but how does that all relate to real life. I mean to say – the Biblical picture of love is surely the ideal. Or is it supposed to be the norm?
Well, let me give you my view of it all. I am 67 years old and part of a travelling ministry team that has made around 35 trips to various parts of Europe this year alone. I was widowed 31/2 years ago only to find myself falling head over heels in love again and before getting married again just three weeks ago. OK, on some things I will be a bit biased, but in many ways this has been a journey of incredible surprises too, so let me tell you a little bit about the journey.
I have discovered that there is a serious richness in love that I never before realised and that has really made me reconsider my opinions about what we might call “Senior Love”. Everybody expects young people to meet, fall in love, get married and raise a family – that’s the church’s version of 1 Corinthians 13 put into the context of our lives. Meet, love, marriage, family – live happily ever after. If only . . . . But what about older people?
Older people have what we all know as ‘life experience’, especially if they have been married before. So, many older folk don’t set too many high targets. Smaller but achievable or more realistic targets or expectations is what you get from us. I expected that my new wife would come with certain baggage, not thinking for an instant that I would be the one with all the baggage. So it was in this context that I realised that something (I/me) had to change and it was in this area that I discovered a new incredibly deep richness to God’s love for us and in us. I fell in love all over again – twice. Once before the wedding and once after the wedding. However, with the second fall came a realisation of the full depth of my true feelings and, perhaps even more importantly, of my wife’s feelings for me. It was an overwhelming flood of love that swept over me every time we hugged and held each other. (You need to understand here that we are two tactile people so this tends to happen quite a lot so there are a lot of loving feelings flying around us.)
Do older people really hug and cuddle a lot? Oh you’d better believe it. We haven’t got as much time left as some of you youngsters and, anyway, why shouldn’t we? We hug the Grandkids; we hug you, our own kids, so why would we not hug and cuddle each other? It’s all about love. You hug those you love. I recently hugged my son and his wife when they announced another baby on the way. I hug people at church when I greet them. We hug complete strangers during public ministry – mostly because they NEED a good loving hug. There’s nothing sloppy or promiscuous or even the slightest bit dodgy about greeting each other with a hug. I once got into deep water at a church I was visiting when the minister told everyone to greet each other with a hug. How was I to know it was an arms-length hug and an air-kiss with no touching. The stranger I hugged was so surprised when I just hugged her as a friend – but fortunately. she walked away with the biggest smile on her face.
So what is love? Is it mental, physical, reserved for special people only ?? What ?? I think it is both a state of mind and a physical demonstration. I think it is everything described in 1 Corinthians 13. For youngsters it is tinged with passion and an urgency that you lose a bit as you get older. For older people, it is tinged with experience and it goes much deeper than it does for the younger generations. Age brings wisdom into love – a wisdom which quite provably is not availed enough by younger people. Yet love is not something to take for granted. Rather, it is something to be worked at every day of our lives. It is a selfless giving to each other with NO expectation other than that of receiving love. Love is exactly what 1 Corinthians 4-8 says it is. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
That’s it isn’t it? Love NEVER fails and I think it is that realisation that the Lord has so brilliantly brought into focus for me these past few days. He found us. He got us to meet on line. He caused us to fall in love – hopelessly and helplessly in love – even at our ‘advanced’ ages. He brought us together and got us married. THEN He taught us what His love really is about. And let me tell you, there is no greater privilege of loving and receiving love from another human being – especially a fellow Christian who shares your faith and beliefs.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Under Cover
Under Cover
Have you ever fully understood what it means to be under cover with God? Do you know the difference of being in His will and outside His will?
A while back, I was on a 4 hour drive somewhere when the Lord spoke to me. He asked me, “What does my Word say about staying within the law?” I replied that while we obey the law, then we remain under the protection of the law, but when we step outside the law, so our protection lapses. “Quite right!”, He said, “So why are you breaking the law?”
Knowing full well what He meant, I protested, “But Lord, I’m only doing 75-80! And the speed limit is only 70 and – and - . . . . .” so the excuses rolled out. The Lord interrupted my protests. “Let me show you what it means to be outside the law – as far as I am concerned.”
Without another word, He showed me my car driving along the road. There was just my car and nothing else in sight. “Slow down.”, He said. As I slowed down to 70 mph, so a white mist or fog surrounded the car. I saw angels appear at the four corners of the car. Then the Lord said, “Now speed up again.” The mist and the angels disappeared and there was the car – all exposed and in plain sight again.
“Hmmm”, I said. “Yes, hmmm indeed”, said the Lord. “When you are within the law, I can protect you. I can hide you from those who seek to do you ill. But when you step outside your law, so you step outside my law and therefore my will and protection, too.”
Silly little story I know, but it serves to illustrate a little bit just how Gods will and protection work for us. If we are outside of His will, then we are also outside of His protection. The enemy can ask if we “are supposed to be doing that?” God, being who He is, cannot lie and when He says “No” then the enemy can step in, or ask if he can step in, to an extent.
As a ministry, we are always having to decline invitations to visit and minister because those invitations are outside our remit, or outside God’s will for us at this time. Staying in His will doesn’t mean declining that invitation for ever – it simply means ‘not right now’.
Are you staying in His will right now? Are you under His cover? Or are you outside of His protection right now? What needs to change? Let me know and I will pray with you and for you.
Have you ever fully understood what it means to be under cover with God? Do you know the difference of being in His will and outside His will?
A while back, I was on a 4 hour drive somewhere when the Lord spoke to me. He asked me, “What does my Word say about staying within the law?” I replied that while we obey the law, then we remain under the protection of the law, but when we step outside the law, so our protection lapses. “Quite right!”, He said, “So why are you breaking the law?”
Knowing full well what He meant, I protested, “But Lord, I’m only doing 75-80! And the speed limit is only 70 and – and - . . . . .” so the excuses rolled out. The Lord interrupted my protests. “Let me show you what it means to be outside the law – as far as I am concerned.”
Without another word, He showed me my car driving along the road. There was just my car and nothing else in sight. “Slow down.”, He said. As I slowed down to 70 mph, so a white mist or fog surrounded the car. I saw angels appear at the four corners of the car. Then the Lord said, “Now speed up again.” The mist and the angels disappeared and there was the car – all exposed and in plain sight again.
“Hmmm”, I said. “Yes, hmmm indeed”, said the Lord. “When you are within the law, I can protect you. I can hide you from those who seek to do you ill. But when you step outside your law, so you step outside my law and therefore my will and protection, too.”
Silly little story I know, but it serves to illustrate a little bit just how Gods will and protection work for us. If we are outside of His will, then we are also outside of His protection. The enemy can ask if we “are supposed to be doing that?” God, being who He is, cannot lie and when He says “No” then the enemy can step in, or ask if he can step in, to an extent.
As a ministry, we are always having to decline invitations to visit and minister because those invitations are outside our remit, or outside God’s will for us at this time. Staying in His will doesn’t mean declining that invitation for ever – it simply means ‘not right now’.
Are you staying in His will right now? Are you under His cover? Or are you outside of His protection right now? What needs to change? Let me know and I will pray with you and for you.
Silence all Scoffers
A copy of a newspaper clipping recently came into my possession which I think will benefit us all. It is a letter from a lady in Sheffield, England.
“Dear Editor, I was surprised that your writer, (name), was not aware that Joshua 10:12-14 is perfectly true.
“I read the following in a newspaper some years ago and kept it in order to show Bible scoffers.
“American scientists working on the U.S. Space Programme were checking the position of the sun, moon, and planets 100 years from now. It was part of their planning for satellite flights. The computer measurement was being run over the past centuries when it stopped, showing a red signal. Apparently, there was a day missing in space in elapsed time.
“Then one of the scientific team recalled the story in Joshua Chapter 10 where Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still for ‘about a whole day’. This was still not accurate enough for the computer, which was short of 40 minutes.
“Even this discrepancy was cleared up when a team member, knowledgeable on scripture, recalled a passage in 2 Kings Chapter 20 in which Isaiah called on the Lord to make the sun go backwards 10 degrees as a sign for Hezekiah. Ten degrees in this kind of calculation is exactly 40 minutes.”
*****************
Joshua 10:12-14 (New International Version)
“On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!”
2 Kings 20:8-11
“Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?” Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”
“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”
*******************
Oh what a God we serve !! Hallelujah
“Dear Editor, I was surprised that your writer, (name), was not aware that Joshua 10:12-14 is perfectly true.
“I read the following in a newspaper some years ago and kept it in order to show Bible scoffers.
“American scientists working on the U.S. Space Programme were checking the position of the sun, moon, and planets 100 years from now. It was part of their planning for satellite flights. The computer measurement was being run over the past centuries when it stopped, showing a red signal. Apparently, there was a day missing in space in elapsed time.
“Then one of the scientific team recalled the story in Joshua Chapter 10 where Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still for ‘about a whole day’. This was still not accurate enough for the computer, which was short of 40 minutes.
“Even this discrepancy was cleared up when a team member, knowledgeable on scripture, recalled a passage in 2 Kings Chapter 20 in which Isaiah called on the Lord to make the sun go backwards 10 degrees as a sign for Hezekiah. Ten degrees in this kind of calculation is exactly 40 minutes.”
*****************
Joshua 10:12-14 (New International Version)
“On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!”
2 Kings 20:8-11
“Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?” Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”
“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.”
*******************
Oh what a God we serve !! Hallelujah
Today is the day to be different
Today is the day to be different
One of my favourite little sayings on Twitter is this “Please - Don't talk about how you sang and shouted praises to God on Sunday if your tongue rips & tears people to shreds during the week.” The Lord spoke to me personally about this whenever I first tweeted it and it has sort of ‘lurked’ in the back of my mind ever since that time. You know, God only wants the best for His children and it grieves Him mightily when we don’t even try to keep our end of the agreement. He wants us to praise Him and worship Him – Daily. He wants us to walk side by side with Him – or to be a little more exact, He wants to walk alongside of us each day. His word says that we are ‘more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Rom 8:37) and yet we act as if we are more than defeated rather than conquerors.
A dear brother summed it up today with his posting :-
Today is the day to be different
He wrote these amazing words:-
“Yet yesterday we have offered no sacrifice, sought no righteousness and found fault with others. We have pleaded with God to pour blessing over our burdens while pouring burdens into others.”
This encapsulates my thinking entirely. We do nothing of ourselves yet we still find fault in, and judge, others for doing the very same things. We go on our knees to the Lord in order to receive His blessings for ourselves. Yet, at the very same time, we have tried to burden others with our own burdens or with burdens they don’t really need right now.
Yes – it IS time to be different. Yes - why not start today? Today it is time to ask God, with some real expectation, to heal our land because we have heeded His word to “humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
You know – it is only my opinion but I believe that 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 is the most quoted and least obeyed scripture in the whole of God’s Word. How many times do we have to hear it or read it in order for it to sink into our ‘blind’ little minds (me included). How many times do we have to ‘repent’ before we actually do repent. True repentance, as in revival, comes with tears and conviction and a realisation of just how far we are from God.
If we really are an end-time army of God then revival and repentance starts at our own front door. We have to stop pretending and get real with God. We have to stop the hypocrisy of being Sunday Christians and weekday pagans. We have to allow God to truly convict our hearts and turn to Him again – this time in true repentance. Then – maybe – just perhaps – He will hear our cries, look at our hearts, and seeing the turning with some satisfaction, start to heal our lands.
No more false repentance. No more Sunday hypocrisy and weekday normality.
One of my favourite little sayings on Twitter is this “Please - Don't talk about how you sang and shouted praises to God on Sunday if your tongue rips & tears people to shreds during the week.” The Lord spoke to me personally about this whenever I first tweeted it and it has sort of ‘lurked’ in the back of my mind ever since that time. You know, God only wants the best for His children and it grieves Him mightily when we don’t even try to keep our end of the agreement. He wants us to praise Him and worship Him – Daily. He wants us to walk side by side with Him – or to be a little more exact, He wants to walk alongside of us each day. His word says that we are ‘more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Rom 8:37) and yet we act as if we are more than defeated rather than conquerors.
A dear brother summed it up today with his posting :-
Today is the day to be different
He wrote these amazing words:-
“Yet yesterday we have offered no sacrifice, sought no righteousness and found fault with others. We have pleaded with God to pour blessing over our burdens while pouring burdens into others.”
This encapsulates my thinking entirely. We do nothing of ourselves yet we still find fault in, and judge, others for doing the very same things. We go on our knees to the Lord in order to receive His blessings for ourselves. Yet, at the very same time, we have tried to burden others with our own burdens or with burdens they don’t really need right now.
Yes – it IS time to be different. Yes - why not start today? Today it is time to ask God, with some real expectation, to heal our land because we have heeded His word to “humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
You know – it is only my opinion but I believe that 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 is the most quoted and least obeyed scripture in the whole of God’s Word. How many times do we have to hear it or read it in order for it to sink into our ‘blind’ little minds (me included). How many times do we have to ‘repent’ before we actually do repent. True repentance, as in revival, comes with tears and conviction and a realisation of just how far we are from God.
If we really are an end-time army of God then revival and repentance starts at our own front door. We have to stop pretending and get real with God. We have to stop the hypocrisy of being Sunday Christians and weekday pagans. We have to allow God to truly convict our hearts and turn to Him again – this time in true repentance. Then – maybe – just perhaps – He will hear our cries, look at our hearts, and seeing the turning with some satisfaction, start to heal our lands.
No more false repentance. No more Sunday hypocrisy and weekday normality.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Time to Be Prepared
Time to Be Prepared
When I was a bit younger, I belonged to the Scouts movement. Their motto then was – Be Prepared. I am thinking that this is a good motto for us today. I was reminded of this when I found an old prophecy I gave out about two years ago. It’s about preparation for the End-Time. For revival and for the return of our King of Kings – our precious and wonderful Saviour, Jesus.
As I look around the world today and see the corruption, the political correctness, the greed, and the rise of false religions, the Lord reminds me of His words to me. He reminds of what His Word says about the end times and of the return of our Lord. He reminds me of the things He said to me a while back and He says to me, “Be prepared. Be prepared for the persecution. Be prepared for the ways of the world to virtually obliterate My ways. Be prepared for false religion to rise and rise and rise again – before it falls completely. Be prepared – help my people prepare for what is to come. Be prepared to give your all to Me and for Me.”
This speaks to me of what we should have been doing for some time. It speaks to me of what we should be doing right now. We need to prepare – to prepare our own hearts and lives for the return of a Holy Lord. We need to prepare – to warn and help prepare the church for what is coming very soon. We need to prepare – to take the Gospel out as never before – to save the lost and dying before it is just too late.
Be encouraged – This is what the Lord spoke to me just two years ago. It is still valid – perhaps more so – today.
“The days are coming when many shall turn to me. Those who doubt now, those who do not believe in Me now, those who have wandered off like lost sheep. I am raising a new end-time army of believers. Those who will believe despite what circumstances scream out to them; those who believe despite and whatever the world throws at them; those who will believe through the worst possible persecution – even unto death. The world is turning against Me”, says the Lord, “ but I already knew this before I laid the foundations of the earth. The world does not realise this, yet even if they did, yet they would still despise Me. And they will despise you too because you speak My Name – because you believe in Me and in the One I sent. Even so,” says the Lord, “because your hope is steadfast and is rooted in Me, yet will I uphold you; yet will I justify you even in the worlds eyes. Do not lose sight of My Kingdom for it shall be your reward. Do not bow the knee to anyone but My Son for He is your saviour. Always remember that I, the Lord God Almighty, love you and I am with you – even to the end of the age. I am your provider. I am your Father. I love you – even you.”
Are you ready? Oh Brothers and Sisters – Be prepared. Be prepared.
When I was a bit younger, I belonged to the Scouts movement. Their motto then was – Be Prepared. I am thinking that this is a good motto for us today. I was reminded of this when I found an old prophecy I gave out about two years ago. It’s about preparation for the End-Time. For revival and for the return of our King of Kings – our precious and wonderful Saviour, Jesus.
As I look around the world today and see the corruption, the political correctness, the greed, and the rise of false religions, the Lord reminds me of His words to me. He reminds of what His Word says about the end times and of the return of our Lord. He reminds me of the things He said to me a while back and He says to me, “Be prepared. Be prepared for the persecution. Be prepared for the ways of the world to virtually obliterate My ways. Be prepared for false religion to rise and rise and rise again – before it falls completely. Be prepared – help my people prepare for what is to come. Be prepared to give your all to Me and for Me.”
This speaks to me of what we should have been doing for some time. It speaks to me of what we should be doing right now. We need to prepare – to prepare our own hearts and lives for the return of a Holy Lord. We need to prepare – to warn and help prepare the church for what is coming very soon. We need to prepare – to take the Gospel out as never before – to save the lost and dying before it is just too late.
Be encouraged – This is what the Lord spoke to me just two years ago. It is still valid – perhaps more so – today.
“The days are coming when many shall turn to me. Those who doubt now, those who do not believe in Me now, those who have wandered off like lost sheep. I am raising a new end-time army of believers. Those who will believe despite what circumstances scream out to them; those who believe despite and whatever the world throws at them; those who will believe through the worst possible persecution – even unto death. The world is turning against Me”, says the Lord, “ but I already knew this before I laid the foundations of the earth. The world does not realise this, yet even if they did, yet they would still despise Me. And they will despise you too because you speak My Name – because you believe in Me and in the One I sent. Even so,” says the Lord, “because your hope is steadfast and is rooted in Me, yet will I uphold you; yet will I justify you even in the worlds eyes. Do not lose sight of My Kingdom for it shall be your reward. Do not bow the knee to anyone but My Son for He is your saviour. Always remember that I, the Lord God Almighty, love you and I am with you – even to the end of the age. I am your provider. I am your Father. I love you – even you.”
Are you ready? Oh Brothers and Sisters – Be prepared. Be prepared.
Friday, 29 October 2010
REVIVAL WEEKEND
REVIVAL WEEKEND
Vrijdag 5 november t/m zondag 7 november
Ambassade van God "Op de Rots"/ Montelbaanstraat 6, Amsterdam
Met o.a.
- Profeet Peter Barnes
- Pastor Bram Moelker
- Pastor Grada van Damme
Programma
vr 5 Nov. 19.30 uur: Gebedsrevival met Profeet Peter Barnes
za 6 nov. 10.00 uur: Revivaldienst met Pst Bram Moelker
za 6 nov. 13.30 uur: Revivaldienst met Pst Grada van Damme
za 6 nov. 19.30 uur: Profeet Peter Barnes
zo 7 nov. 10.00 uur: Profeet Peter Barnes
Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met
de heer A. Laclé, telefoonnummer 06-24 29 29 93.
Vrijdag 5 november t/m zondag 7 november
Ambassade van God "Op de Rots"/ Montelbaanstraat 6, Amsterdam
Met o.a.
- Profeet Peter Barnes
- Pastor Bram Moelker
- Pastor Grada van Damme
Programma
vr 5 Nov. 19.30 uur: Gebedsrevival met Profeet Peter Barnes
za 6 nov. 10.00 uur: Revivaldienst met Pst Bram Moelker
za 6 nov. 13.30 uur: Revivaldienst met Pst Grada van Damme
za 6 nov. 19.30 uur: Profeet Peter Barnes
zo 7 nov. 10.00 uur: Profeet Peter Barnes
Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met
de heer A. Laclé, telefoonnummer 06-24 29 29 93.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
What Faith !!
This is a copy of a remarkable email I received, it is reproduced by permission. It blessed me so much I just had to share it with you all. This simply made me weep over my own lack of faith. What a testimony from 94 years ago !!
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"The following are entries translated from a diary and I hope the owner would not mind me sharing them now with you all!
‘. . . Oh my Jesus, my heart has merged into Your heart and I cannot find it any more. All the cells and atoms of my soul have been dispersed inside the ocean of Your heart. Wherever I search for my heart, there I find Yours. I could be separated from my own soul but I can never be separated from You, I am in You for ever. . . ‘
‘. . . You are the pleasure of my heart, the delight of my soul, the joy of my spirit, the light of my eyes, the strength of my life, the boasting of my existence, the glory of my entire life. How can I leave such a Saviour? . . . ‘
‘. . . I have vowed to be Yours for ever and ever to be with You. . . A million times I repeat my vow to You, for since I first vowed to be Yours forever, I have found You so perfect, so noble, so delightful. . . Even if You reject me, it is impossible, eternally impossible for me to leave You, beloved Saviour. . . ‘
‘. . . How grateful I am for loving me with all Your heart. I love You also, You know that I love You with all my soul and mind and strength, and my will be increasing for ever. Thank You for showing me the One I am supposed to love. I came into being for You only. . . ‘
‘. . . Your love has unlocked every chamber of my heart. You have conquered all of my existence. My soul longs for You with unquenchable thirst. I long to hear You say, ‘My child, I am here.’ . . . ‘
‘. . . Throughout my daily tasks my heart thirsts for You within me, oh my Jesus. Not only from morning till evening but even from night till dawn, my soul swims within your love. You are my dream when I sleep, and when I am awake You are my sweet meditation.
Your beauty is rare. If it ever possible to cast me in hell, even there, amongst the eternal flames with all my heart I will cry to You, ‘ I love You, beloved Jesus, I love you and thirst for You’.
If it would ever be Your will to extinguish me, my existence would cease but my love for You, joined to Your love, would still envelope You. . . ‘
‘. . . As long as I exist I will love You. I have found whom my soul was searching for. As soon as I saw You from afar I recognised You, my heart said, ‘He, He is the One’, and as long as You are who You are, how can I help but loving You?’ . . . ‘
‘. . . For my love for You, is also as strong as death, it will hold You captive for ever . . . I cling to You, I will not let You go for one moment. . . ‘
You are almighty, yet You cannot erase my love for You. You are eternally free but You will never be able to escape from my love.
Lord, allow me to constrain You to stay with us, do not take a step further. Stay in our home, let it be Your last station, Your paradise. We want to have You with us not just as a friend, but as a brother, Redeemer and King. Stay with us, we want to refresh Your heart, we want to do good to You, to give You rest, to bless You, to treat You as the apple of our eye. . . ‘
‘. . . one favour only I seek, to see You face to face. Only then my soul will be perfectly satisfied. I see You now but only through faith. I want to see You as You are. I want to see Your blessed face, Your smile, I want to hold the hand that was pierced for me and say, ‘ I love You my Jesus’
My heart thrills even now.
What will happen to me when You gaze into my eyes and say, ‘Welcome my beloved brother’ . . ? How many years I will spend gazing at Your face?
How much I long for the day of our meeting face to face!
I wish it was today!
Grant me, my Lord to see Your face and be satisfied with Your countenance. . . ‘
Five years after his last entry, the man who penned these words was called into the Presence and gazed into the Face he longed for.
It was 1916, and he was aged 42.
The man was the writers grandfather.
He lived to love God with all his heart, and he became a window through which the Lord’s grace was poured into our family.
He came into a saving knowledge of God in his thirties and after that became one of the first ministers of the gospel in the Greek colonies of Pontus, now northern Turkey.
We did not know much about him. My father was orphaned at the age of four, and as my grandfather’s death was followed by the Asia Minor catastrophe, very few people remained alive that could pass on first hand information about him.
The Lord in His goodness granted me the privilege of getting possession of 17 of his diaries!
In them, I am discovering a man who in the midst of, the Armenian genocide in his town and neighbourhood, the Turkish uprising against the Greek population, his duties to his dear flock, his family life, the tremendous instability of the era, and the severe cholera outbreak, had a heart that was consumed by one thing only, the love of the Bridegroom!
A man who loved God above his own salvation!
How much I wish these entries were penned by me.
Ever since I started looking into my grandfather’s diaries, my heart has been stirred deeply and my life has been challenged and greatly disturbed.
Will ever such assurance of loyalty and such boldness be mine?"
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************
"The following are entries translated from a diary and I hope the owner would not mind me sharing them now with you all!
‘. . . Oh my Jesus, my heart has merged into Your heart and I cannot find it any more. All the cells and atoms of my soul have been dispersed inside the ocean of Your heart. Wherever I search for my heart, there I find Yours. I could be separated from my own soul but I can never be separated from You, I am in You for ever. . . ‘
‘. . . You are the pleasure of my heart, the delight of my soul, the joy of my spirit, the light of my eyes, the strength of my life, the boasting of my existence, the glory of my entire life. How can I leave such a Saviour? . . . ‘
‘. . . I have vowed to be Yours for ever and ever to be with You. . . A million times I repeat my vow to You, for since I first vowed to be Yours forever, I have found You so perfect, so noble, so delightful. . . Even if You reject me, it is impossible, eternally impossible for me to leave You, beloved Saviour. . . ‘
‘. . . How grateful I am for loving me with all Your heart. I love You also, You know that I love You with all my soul and mind and strength, and my will be increasing for ever. Thank You for showing me the One I am supposed to love. I came into being for You only. . . ‘
‘. . . Your love has unlocked every chamber of my heart. You have conquered all of my existence. My soul longs for You with unquenchable thirst. I long to hear You say, ‘My child, I am here.’ . . . ‘
‘. . . Throughout my daily tasks my heart thirsts for You within me, oh my Jesus. Not only from morning till evening but even from night till dawn, my soul swims within your love. You are my dream when I sleep, and when I am awake You are my sweet meditation.
Your beauty is rare. If it ever possible to cast me in hell, even there, amongst the eternal flames with all my heart I will cry to You, ‘ I love You, beloved Jesus, I love you and thirst for You’.
If it would ever be Your will to extinguish me, my existence would cease but my love for You, joined to Your love, would still envelope You. . . ‘
‘. . . As long as I exist I will love You. I have found whom my soul was searching for. As soon as I saw You from afar I recognised You, my heart said, ‘He, He is the One’, and as long as You are who You are, how can I help but loving You?’ . . . ‘
‘. . . For my love for You, is also as strong as death, it will hold You captive for ever . . . I cling to You, I will not let You go for one moment. . . ‘
You are almighty, yet You cannot erase my love for You. You are eternally free but You will never be able to escape from my love.
Lord, allow me to constrain You to stay with us, do not take a step further. Stay in our home, let it be Your last station, Your paradise. We want to have You with us not just as a friend, but as a brother, Redeemer and King. Stay with us, we want to refresh Your heart, we want to do good to You, to give You rest, to bless You, to treat You as the apple of our eye. . . ‘
‘. . . one favour only I seek, to see You face to face. Only then my soul will be perfectly satisfied. I see You now but only through faith. I want to see You as You are. I want to see Your blessed face, Your smile, I want to hold the hand that was pierced for me and say, ‘ I love You my Jesus’
My heart thrills even now.
What will happen to me when You gaze into my eyes and say, ‘Welcome my beloved brother’ . . ? How many years I will spend gazing at Your face?
How much I long for the day of our meeting face to face!
I wish it was today!
Grant me, my Lord to see Your face and be satisfied with Your countenance. . . ‘
Five years after his last entry, the man who penned these words was called into the Presence and gazed into the Face he longed for.
It was 1916, and he was aged 42.
The man was the writers grandfather.
He lived to love God with all his heart, and he became a window through which the Lord’s grace was poured into our family.
He came into a saving knowledge of God in his thirties and after that became one of the first ministers of the gospel in the Greek colonies of Pontus, now northern Turkey.
We did not know much about him. My father was orphaned at the age of four, and as my grandfather’s death was followed by the Asia Minor catastrophe, very few people remained alive that could pass on first hand information about him.
The Lord in His goodness granted me the privilege of getting possession of 17 of his diaries!
In them, I am discovering a man who in the midst of, the Armenian genocide in his town and neighbourhood, the Turkish uprising against the Greek population, his duties to his dear flock, his family life, the tremendous instability of the era, and the severe cholera outbreak, had a heart that was consumed by one thing only, the love of the Bridegroom!
A man who loved God above his own salvation!
How much I wish these entries were penned by me.
Ever since I started looking into my grandfather’s diaries, my heart has been stirred deeply and my life has been challenged and greatly disturbed.
Will ever such assurance of loyalty and such boldness be mine?"
***********
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
All about Mustard Seed
The promises of God are ALL about mustard seeds !! Your mustard seed – my mustard seed.
Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Like all Bible promises and prophecies, this one has terms and conditions attached. “IF . . . . . THEN” Trouble is, I suspect, we have no problem at all with the ‘THEN’ – it’s the ‘IF’ that is our stumbling block. This one is no different – IF you have faith as small as a mustard seed, ‘ THEN ‘you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.’
I wonder how many of us remember the ‘ifs’ when we remember the promise or prophecy? Look at 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” IF my people will ........ THEN I will heal their land. That’s pretty direct wouldn’t you say? IF you do something THEN I will do something.
So it is with virtually all promises and prophecy. Trouble is of course we forget all the IF’s and sit waiting for the THEN’s but the Bible says to use our faith and do the if’s and then claim the promise. Jesus goes further, as we saw earlier. He says that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed . . . . He also adds one wonderful codicil to that. He says that “NOTHING will be impossible for you."
Two points for you to consider here. Why is it that something as small as a mustard seed can trip us up so very often? Also, have you thought about that last amazing promise - “NOTHING will be impossible for you."?? I have never seen so many grown people fall so often over something so very small. No wonder Jesus urged us to have faith like that of a child. Children don’t see the size of the problem – they only envisage the end result. Adults look at the whole problem and start to analyse it – fatal mistake !! Children don’t need to understand the problem, they only have to think about the solution. Adults automatically think about all the problems and how to solve them one at a time – or worse – how insoluble they are to us.
So – it seems that having faith as small as a mustard seed is easier for children than for us adults. Nevertheless, Jesus promises us that IF we have a tiny grain of real faith – as small as a mustard seed – then not a single thing will be impossible for us. Which is where that second point comes in.
“NOTHING will be impossible for you." Does that sound ridiculous? Preposterous? A nonsense in human terms? Well let’s get ‘nothing’ into a kind of perspective. Look at it as nothing ‘within the Lords will for you and your life.’ Even with that rider on it, it still sounds too good to be true. Yet it IS true. I have watched limbs grow; I have watched as people were healed of cancer; I have seen faith growing in a couple to the extent that they believed it when the Lord told them through a prophet that they would have children. This was impossible humanly speaking as the woman had no fallopian tubes !!! Yet today her first child is 6 months old and a testimony to ‘faith as small as a mustard seed’. Her mountain moved out of the way and Gods promise to her was fulfilled.
It’s all about faith as small as a mustard seed. Oh brothers and sisters, when God gives you a seemingly impossible dream, cultivate your faith. Grow it even to the size of a single tiny mustard seed and see what the Lord can do for you !!
Hallelujah – Thank you Lord \o/
Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Like all Bible promises and prophecies, this one has terms and conditions attached. “IF . . . . . THEN” Trouble is, I suspect, we have no problem at all with the ‘THEN’ – it’s the ‘IF’ that is our stumbling block. This one is no different – IF you have faith as small as a mustard seed, ‘ THEN ‘you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.’
I wonder how many of us remember the ‘ifs’ when we remember the promise or prophecy? Look at 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” IF my people will ........ THEN I will heal their land. That’s pretty direct wouldn’t you say? IF you do something THEN I will do something.
So it is with virtually all promises and prophecy. Trouble is of course we forget all the IF’s and sit waiting for the THEN’s but the Bible says to use our faith and do the if’s and then claim the promise. Jesus goes further, as we saw earlier. He says that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed . . . . He also adds one wonderful codicil to that. He says that “NOTHING will be impossible for you."
Two points for you to consider here. Why is it that something as small as a mustard seed can trip us up so very often? Also, have you thought about that last amazing promise - “NOTHING will be impossible for you."?? I have never seen so many grown people fall so often over something so very small. No wonder Jesus urged us to have faith like that of a child. Children don’t see the size of the problem – they only envisage the end result. Adults look at the whole problem and start to analyse it – fatal mistake !! Children don’t need to understand the problem, they only have to think about the solution. Adults automatically think about all the problems and how to solve them one at a time – or worse – how insoluble they are to us.
So – it seems that having faith as small as a mustard seed is easier for children than for us adults. Nevertheless, Jesus promises us that IF we have a tiny grain of real faith – as small as a mustard seed – then not a single thing will be impossible for us. Which is where that second point comes in.
“NOTHING will be impossible for you." Does that sound ridiculous? Preposterous? A nonsense in human terms? Well let’s get ‘nothing’ into a kind of perspective. Look at it as nothing ‘within the Lords will for you and your life.’ Even with that rider on it, it still sounds too good to be true. Yet it IS true. I have watched limbs grow; I have watched as people were healed of cancer; I have seen faith growing in a couple to the extent that they believed it when the Lord told them through a prophet that they would have children. This was impossible humanly speaking as the woman had no fallopian tubes !!! Yet today her first child is 6 months old and a testimony to ‘faith as small as a mustard seed’. Her mountain moved out of the way and Gods promise to her was fulfilled.
It’s all about faith as small as a mustard seed. Oh brothers and sisters, when God gives you a seemingly impossible dream, cultivate your faith. Grow it even to the size of a single tiny mustard seed and see what the Lord can do for you !!
Hallelujah – Thank you Lord \o/
Love VS The Rest
Love VS The Rest
A couple of questions for you to answer. Pray over these before you answer and then be honest – if you dare !!
What is the value of our love if we still hold hatred?
There is a song in the musical South Pacific. The words go something like – “You have to be carefully taught . . . . . . . to hate all the people your relatives hate . . .” This seems to be the main mantra of present day society. Yet why would any thinking person, and intelligent person hate just because someone else does?? It doesn’t make any sense. But so many do. Hatred kills love. That’s the bottom line for any Christian – you cannot love if there is ANY hate in your heart. We must forgive and ask forgiveness if there is any hate in us.
What is the value of our faith if we still doubt?
What is faith? “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) If we believe Jesus suffered and died for us; that He rose from the dead, and if we have faith that because we believe in Him and ALL that He did for us, then we will get to heaven – why is it we so desperately cry out but have no real faith for healing or provision or family salvations? How is it we believe so little and doubt so much?
Jesus told us to love our neighbour as ourselves - so where is judgement in loving our neighbour?
Yes – I know. Your neighbours are not nice people, neither are many others who live in your street, your town, your city. Crime is rising, respect for each other is at an all-time low, and who is my neighbour anyway? We see or hear one thing and we judge, perhaps forever more, our neighbour – and he probably does the same for us too. The Church itself is guilty of more ‘devoid of love’ judgments and pronouncements than I could even imagine. Yet, as the song said, we have all ‘been carefully taught’, and we all judge needlessly or at best prematurely.
Hate, doubt, judgementalism - all are the weapons of the enemy. The enemy wishes nothing more than our destruction – to break down our family, our job, our life. He wants to cast doubt upon every belief we hold dear. He wants us to judge when he knows there is only one Judge – whom we must all face one day.
Can we just simply love one another AND our 'enemies' too?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV with my interpretation)
“Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Isn’t love the best way ???
A couple of questions for you to answer. Pray over these before you answer and then be honest – if you dare !!
What is the value of our love if we still hold hatred?
There is a song in the musical South Pacific. The words go something like – “You have to be carefully taught . . . . . . . to hate all the people your relatives hate . . .” This seems to be the main mantra of present day society. Yet why would any thinking person, and intelligent person hate just because someone else does?? It doesn’t make any sense. But so many do. Hatred kills love. That’s the bottom line for any Christian – you cannot love if there is ANY hate in your heart. We must forgive and ask forgiveness if there is any hate in us.
What is the value of our faith if we still doubt?
What is faith? “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) If we believe Jesus suffered and died for us; that He rose from the dead, and if we have faith that because we believe in Him and ALL that He did for us, then we will get to heaven – why is it we so desperately cry out but have no real faith for healing or provision or family salvations? How is it we believe so little and doubt so much?
Jesus told us to love our neighbour as ourselves - so where is judgement in loving our neighbour?
Yes – I know. Your neighbours are not nice people, neither are many others who live in your street, your town, your city. Crime is rising, respect for each other is at an all-time low, and who is my neighbour anyway? We see or hear one thing and we judge, perhaps forever more, our neighbour – and he probably does the same for us too. The Church itself is guilty of more ‘devoid of love’ judgments and pronouncements than I could even imagine. Yet, as the song said, we have all ‘been carefully taught’, and we all judge needlessly or at best prematurely.
Hate, doubt, judgementalism - all are the weapons of the enemy. The enemy wishes nothing more than our destruction – to break down our family, our job, our life. He wants to cast doubt upon every belief we hold dear. He wants us to judge when he knows there is only one Judge – whom we must all face one day.
Can we just simply love one another AND our 'enemies' too?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV with my interpretation)
“Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Isn’t love the best way ???
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Testing Time IS Praising Time
Jesus never promised us an easy ride. He never said that being His disciple would be easy. He never even hinted that following Him would give us a trouble-free life. In actual fact, He said to “take up your cross and follow Me”.
So what is your reaction when God allows testing to come your way? Do you shout and holler? Rant and rage? Do you moan and groan – Oh Lord why this? – why that? How will we manage? You are only human after all and this latest test may have been the “final straw that broke the camel’s back”.
A friend of mine called recently – his wife has just been diagnosed with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer. When told, she simply smiled and returned to her usual work saying, “God has me in His hand. I am not worried or scared.” What grace. What serenity in the face of such evil. I know many who would have crumpled in a heap at the news. Yet here was a true Christian assured response from one who knows her Saviour – who knows who she is in Him.
The Word says this :-
Romans 8 (One of the great sections of scripture in my opinion)
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
NB – In ALL things – not in some things – in ALL things God works for our good.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NOTHING can separate us from Him or His love – NOTHING
Ephesians 5:20
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Giving thanks for EVERYTHING – not some things but EVERYTHING.
It doesn’t matter if its trouble through illness or finances or families or even our church, God is working in ALL things for our good and we must give thanks for EVERYTHING in our lives.
Let me finish on a warning and then an encouragement.
1 Corinthians 10:9-11 (NIV)
We should not test the Lord, as some of them did . . . . . And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
In his book, From Prison to Praise, Melvyn Carruthers relates how on many occasions, seemingly dire situations were resolved wonderfully by simply giving God praise and glory in ALL things. Should we not be doing the same – more than we do at the moment??
So what is your reaction when God allows testing to come your way? Do you shout and holler? Rant and rage? Do you moan and groan – Oh Lord why this? – why that? How will we manage? You are only human after all and this latest test may have been the “final straw that broke the camel’s back”.
A friend of mine called recently – his wife has just been diagnosed with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer. When told, she simply smiled and returned to her usual work saying, “God has me in His hand. I am not worried or scared.” What grace. What serenity in the face of such evil. I know many who would have crumpled in a heap at the news. Yet here was a true Christian assured response from one who knows her Saviour – who knows who she is in Him.
The Word says this :-
Romans 8 (One of the great sections of scripture in my opinion)
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
NB – In ALL things – not in some things – in ALL things God works for our good.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NOTHING can separate us from Him or His love – NOTHING
Ephesians 5:20
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Giving thanks for EVERYTHING – not some things but EVERYTHING.
It doesn’t matter if its trouble through illness or finances or families or even our church, God is working in ALL things for our good and we must give thanks for EVERYTHING in our lives.
Let me finish on a warning and then an encouragement.
1 Corinthians 10:9-11 (NIV)
We should not test the Lord, as some of them did . . . . . And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
In his book, From Prison to Praise, Melvyn Carruthers relates how on many occasions, seemingly dire situations were resolved wonderfully by simply giving God praise and glory in ALL things. Should we not be doing the same – more than we do at the moment??
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
RoFMI Visit to Denmark 28 Sept to 4 Oct 2010
It is amazing to watch God moving and to be a part – even a small part – of what He is doing in Scandinavia at this time. This was the longest RoFMI trip so far and we spent three days in Korsør followed by four days in Copenhagen.
Peter and I left for Copenhagen in the early hours of Tuesday morning. We were met at Kastrup Airport by our dear friend Preben and whisked away to our first meeting in a town close to Korsør called Slagelse. We saw the local community hall where the Thursday meeting was to be held and had a time of fellowship before moving on to Preben’s church and apartment at Pinsekirke Korsør, where we were to spend the next three nights. Tuesday evening we had the first of three healing meetings in the Korsør church. There were a good number present and Peter spoke on our relationship with the Healer. Sometimes we just get too sophisticated and we tend to forget what God has done for us. Jesus didn’t have computers or cars or airplanes. He had no advanced medicine nor telephones. He just healed those He met with. We are made in His image – made for a relationship with Him. Many were prayed for and healed – hallelujah.
On Wednesday, we had private meetings all day before going for a meal with one of the ladies in the congregation. After that we went to visit friends in the church. So did several other people !! and we fellowshipped and spoke about healing and many other things throughout the evening. One testimony came out in particular. Some of you may remember that in June, Peter and I were at a barbeque event where one of the church members opened her house and invited the neighbours round for a BBQ. After that weekend, starting on the Monday right through to Thursday, there followed a series of events that can only be of the Lord. Each night there were noises, sounds coming in off the sea. Each night the houses were shaking – lights swinging – dishes rattling and so on. The people called the Navy, the local authority, even the governments’ seismic measuring unit. NO – there were no earthquakes – the Navy had no exercises – the local authority was not doing any work. SO the neighbours all came over to the hosts house to ask what was going on !! It transpired that the only houses to hear and feel these things belonged to the people, four families, who had come to the BBQ and it was all entirely in line with a prophecy given to them by Peter at the BBQ!! Amazing events signs and wonders ??
We had a free day on Thursday and did a little bit of the tourist thing – sightseeing. The evening meeting in Slagelse had been advertised in the local papers and about 40 people turned out to hear the word and experience Gods healing hand for themselves. I managed to give the word, then Peter gave about 50 words of knowledge. One man had only come because of the adverts and he was instantly healed of FIVE things. Peter even managed to whistle the exact tone of his Tinnitus! Many were healed that night, including me. I had a severe back pain and truly thought I had another kidney stone. Yet when I stood to speak, the pain just disappeared completely, allowing me to speak and minister with Peter for around two hours. We had a great time of fellowship and personal ministry for so many people – only three people, (that we know of), did not come forward for prayer.
And so to Friday and in to Copenhagen with Pastors Stan & Ruth McCuien at the Gospel Church International. On the way to Gospel Church, we stopped at the Arken Caf̩ where old friend Ren̩ is doing a wonderful work. I then travelled back to Kastrup Airport to pick up the third member of our team, Keith. Keith was the teacher for the Prophetic Seminar and Activation which we held on Friday evening and Saturday. On the opening Friday session, Keith spoke on Ezekiel 37 Рthe Valley of Dry Bones Рand later on one of the young men there gave an amazingly accurate first prophecy to another young man who had been directed to come to the meeting so that he could hear what the Lord wanted to say to him!! Amazing ?? A good time of fellowship and ministry followed.
Saturday was to be our busiest day with meetings at 11.00, 2.30, and 7.00 with some friends coming from Møn and Korsør just for the teaching. In the first session, Keith taught on Revelation 19:10; and 1 Corinthians 14. Everything was well received and we all had a pleasant lunch. After lunch we had an extended question and answer session covering all aspects of the Gifts of the Spirit including prophecy. There was also time for some fellowship and ministry/activation as well.
In the evening, there was an amazing time of praise and worship when the Spirit fell upon our meeting as we cried out and prayed for revival in Denmark. There was much repentance and breakthrough with many truly Holy moments. We are hoping it was all recorded so we can get some CD’s out ?? Actually it was a very quiet time. There was no shouting; no extremes; just an extended time of n worship, plus deep, deep prayer and repentance. Many lives were healed, renewed, or raised to the Glory of God – it was, in a word, wonderful. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit was very obvious as we just tried to get out of His way and let Him work amongst us as only He can.
Sunday was again quiet before we had the normal afternoon meeting at Gospel Church. All three of us spoke at one time or another and, again, there was a wonderful time of praise and worship. The presence of the Holy Spirit was again manifest and many of the 100 or so people present were touched or prayed for or ministered to in His mighty power. There followed and evening of great fellowship, fun, and laughter as we all wound down after a hectic week. After a quiet morning and some fellowship, we all flew home by 7.00pm local time to Stansted in the UK.
Highlights? Well the guy who came to the healing meeting in response to the adverts was a bit special, but the over-riding highlight for me was the praise and worship led by Peter at the piano on Saturday night. If he comes to a church anywhere near you, you have to get along because the Holy Spirit will be there too.
Peter and I left for Copenhagen in the early hours of Tuesday morning. We were met at Kastrup Airport by our dear friend Preben and whisked away to our first meeting in a town close to Korsør called Slagelse. We saw the local community hall where the Thursday meeting was to be held and had a time of fellowship before moving on to Preben’s church and apartment at Pinsekirke Korsør, where we were to spend the next three nights. Tuesday evening we had the first of three healing meetings in the Korsør church. There were a good number present and Peter spoke on our relationship with the Healer. Sometimes we just get too sophisticated and we tend to forget what God has done for us. Jesus didn’t have computers or cars or airplanes. He had no advanced medicine nor telephones. He just healed those He met with. We are made in His image – made for a relationship with Him. Many were prayed for and healed – hallelujah.
On Wednesday, we had private meetings all day before going for a meal with one of the ladies in the congregation. After that we went to visit friends in the church. So did several other people !! and we fellowshipped and spoke about healing and many other things throughout the evening. One testimony came out in particular. Some of you may remember that in June, Peter and I were at a barbeque event where one of the church members opened her house and invited the neighbours round for a BBQ. After that weekend, starting on the Monday right through to Thursday, there followed a series of events that can only be of the Lord. Each night there were noises, sounds coming in off the sea. Each night the houses were shaking – lights swinging – dishes rattling and so on. The people called the Navy, the local authority, even the governments’ seismic measuring unit. NO – there were no earthquakes – the Navy had no exercises – the local authority was not doing any work. SO the neighbours all came over to the hosts house to ask what was going on !! It transpired that the only houses to hear and feel these things belonged to the people, four families, who had come to the BBQ and it was all entirely in line with a prophecy given to them by Peter at the BBQ!! Amazing events signs and wonders ??
We had a free day on Thursday and did a little bit of the tourist thing – sightseeing. The evening meeting in Slagelse had been advertised in the local papers and about 40 people turned out to hear the word and experience Gods healing hand for themselves. I managed to give the word, then Peter gave about 50 words of knowledge. One man had only come because of the adverts and he was instantly healed of FIVE things. Peter even managed to whistle the exact tone of his Tinnitus! Many were healed that night, including me. I had a severe back pain and truly thought I had another kidney stone. Yet when I stood to speak, the pain just disappeared completely, allowing me to speak and minister with Peter for around two hours. We had a great time of fellowship and personal ministry for so many people – only three people, (that we know of), did not come forward for prayer.
And so to Friday and in to Copenhagen with Pastors Stan & Ruth McCuien at the Gospel Church International. On the way to Gospel Church, we stopped at the Arken Caf̩ where old friend Ren̩ is doing a wonderful work. I then travelled back to Kastrup Airport to pick up the third member of our team, Keith. Keith was the teacher for the Prophetic Seminar and Activation which we held on Friday evening and Saturday. On the opening Friday session, Keith spoke on Ezekiel 37 Рthe Valley of Dry Bones Рand later on one of the young men there gave an amazingly accurate first prophecy to another young man who had been directed to come to the meeting so that he could hear what the Lord wanted to say to him!! Amazing ?? A good time of fellowship and ministry followed.
Saturday was to be our busiest day with meetings at 11.00, 2.30, and 7.00 with some friends coming from Møn and Korsør just for the teaching. In the first session, Keith taught on Revelation 19:10; and 1 Corinthians 14. Everything was well received and we all had a pleasant lunch. After lunch we had an extended question and answer session covering all aspects of the Gifts of the Spirit including prophecy. There was also time for some fellowship and ministry/activation as well.
In the evening, there was an amazing time of praise and worship when the Spirit fell upon our meeting as we cried out and prayed for revival in Denmark. There was much repentance and breakthrough with many truly Holy moments. We are hoping it was all recorded so we can get some CD’s out ?? Actually it was a very quiet time. There was no shouting; no extremes; just an extended time of n worship, plus deep, deep prayer and repentance. Many lives were healed, renewed, or raised to the Glory of God – it was, in a word, wonderful. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit was very obvious as we just tried to get out of His way and let Him work amongst us as only He can.
Sunday was again quiet before we had the normal afternoon meeting at Gospel Church. All three of us spoke at one time or another and, again, there was a wonderful time of praise and worship. The presence of the Holy Spirit was again manifest and many of the 100 or so people present were touched or prayed for or ministered to in His mighty power. There followed and evening of great fellowship, fun, and laughter as we all wound down after a hectic week. After a quiet morning and some fellowship, we all flew home by 7.00pm local time to Stansted in the UK.
Highlights? Well the guy who came to the healing meeting in response to the adverts was a bit special, but the over-riding highlight for me was the praise and worship led by Peter at the piano on Saturday night. If he comes to a church anywhere near you, you have to get along because the Holy Spirit will be there too.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
TRUST
“If you want anything done properly, then do it yourself.” Ever heard that one – I expect you have. I have even heard, “If you want anything done properly – don’t ask a man !” Heard that one too? i expect so. So what’s missing? Trust is missing – that’s what. In meetings, when ministering, we hear all sorts of things. Things like – “I don’t suppose it’ll do any good.” Or, “Well, you can try!”. Or even, “Didn’t work last time so I don’t expect it to work now!”
There we go again – its that old trust thing again, isn’t it? Well, let me ask you another question – If we can’t trust God – who can we trust? Don’t you realise who you are in Jesus? Do you not remember His words and promises?
Numbers 23:19-20
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.”
Psalm 103:1-3
“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
I think this is enough to excite most people, but, just in case you are still a doubter Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
God still heals today – He still releases today – He still blesses today.
I have heard it said from the pulpit that the promises of God were only for the Apostolic Age. The promise of healing was for the apostles – the promise of release was for the apostles – it all died out when they died. Oh yeah ??? So why do you bother to pray at all then? Why expect blessings at all? Did they all die out with the apostles?
No – I don’t think so!
Do you believe in God? Yes??
Is Jesus also God? Yes??
Is the Holy Spirit also God? Yes??
So – If Jesus is God – can you trust His words the same as you can trust Gods Word? Yes??
Luke 4:18 Jesus said "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,”
It’s time to trust God and take Him at His Word again.
There we go again – its that old trust thing again, isn’t it? Well, let me ask you another question – If we can’t trust God – who can we trust? Don’t you realise who you are in Jesus? Do you not remember His words and promises?
Numbers 23:19-20
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.”
Psalm 103:1-3
“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
I think this is enough to excite most people, but, just in case you are still a doubter Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
God still heals today – He still releases today – He still blesses today.
I have heard it said from the pulpit that the promises of God were only for the Apostolic Age. The promise of healing was for the apostles – the promise of release was for the apostles – it all died out when they died. Oh yeah ??? So why do you bother to pray at all then? Why expect blessings at all? Did they all die out with the apostles?
No – I don’t think so!
Do you believe in God? Yes??
Is Jesus also God? Yes??
Is the Holy Spirit also God? Yes??
So – If Jesus is God – can you trust His words the same as you can trust Gods Word? Yes??
Luke 4:18 Jesus said "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,”
It’s time to trust God and take Him at His Word again.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Setting their teeth on edge
Funny old world isn’t it? As the French say “Tout c’est change; rien c’est change” which literally translated means that everything changes but nothing changes. The Word of God puts it another way in Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
So when a friend quoted this next scripture to me, I had to stop and think
Ezekiel 18:1-4
"The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "
'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me.”
Then the Lord spoke – quietly but firmly. “You are robbing Me of My harvest with your ‘sour grapes.’ ” Intrigued, I asked Him for more. He said, “When you continually grumble, you turn your children from Me. You meet together to praise Me and worship Me – then you go back home and grumble. Your children hear all of this and they turn from Me because of your grumbling.”
Knowing myself to be guilty too, I asked the Lord if I/we have always grumbled so much and how many of our precious children we have turned away from His Kingdom. He told me that we have always done it and the numbers are almost incalculable.
How many of us can, hand on heart, say they have never grumbled in front of our children? How many of us can say that we have not sown doubt and even disbelief into our children and grandchildren? Of course, we can always say that our grumbling may not have turned the hearts and minds of our children – but what a terrible thing we may have done.
As I thought about this, feeling rather glum and guilty, the Lord brought another couple of scriptures to mind. This is where the Lord is so good to us – His mercy and forgiveness are so sure and reliable – much more so than us !!
Romans 8:28
[ More Than Conquerors ] “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Ah this feels better. Yes we do know that God works for our good in everything
2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
What an astonishing thing Grace is ! Grace abounding in us. In all things at all times, having all that you need. Having ALL we need. If we know these things why do we grumble?
Ephesians 5:20
“ ... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ah – here’s the crux of it all. ALWAYS giving thanks – always, always, always thanking God in ALL things. Not grumbling but giving thanks in all situations, for everything, because Gods Grace and Mercy abound in us.
What a wonderful God we serve. Can we perhaps try to give Him thanks in everything? Can we try to grumble less or even not at all? After all, none of us want to see our children away from the Lord but that is exactly what all this ‘eating sour grapes’ does. It ‘sets our children’s teeth on edge’ and maybe it turns them away from God – perhaps for ever.
Lord forgive our complacency and our grumbling. Help us to give You praise and thanks in all things. Let us glorify You instead of grumbling about You. Turn our hearts back to your Word, Lord, and let us take it literally and be “ ... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
AMEN ?
So when a friend quoted this next scripture to me, I had to stop and think
Ezekiel 18:1-4
"The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "
'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me.”
Then the Lord spoke – quietly but firmly. “You are robbing Me of My harvest with your ‘sour grapes.’ ” Intrigued, I asked Him for more. He said, “When you continually grumble, you turn your children from Me. You meet together to praise Me and worship Me – then you go back home and grumble. Your children hear all of this and they turn from Me because of your grumbling.”
Knowing myself to be guilty too, I asked the Lord if I/we have always grumbled so much and how many of our precious children we have turned away from His Kingdom. He told me that we have always done it and the numbers are almost incalculable.
How many of us can, hand on heart, say they have never grumbled in front of our children? How many of us can say that we have not sown doubt and even disbelief into our children and grandchildren? Of course, we can always say that our grumbling may not have turned the hearts and minds of our children – but what a terrible thing we may have done.
As I thought about this, feeling rather glum and guilty, the Lord brought another couple of scriptures to mind. This is where the Lord is so good to us – His mercy and forgiveness are so sure and reliable – much more so than us !!
Romans 8:28
[ More Than Conquerors ] “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Ah this feels better. Yes we do know that God works for our good in everything
2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
What an astonishing thing Grace is ! Grace abounding in us. In all things at all times, having all that you need. Having ALL we need. If we know these things why do we grumble?
Ephesians 5:20
“ ... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ah – here’s the crux of it all. ALWAYS giving thanks – always, always, always thanking God in ALL things. Not grumbling but giving thanks in all situations, for everything, because Gods Grace and Mercy abound in us.
What a wonderful God we serve. Can we perhaps try to give Him thanks in everything? Can we try to grumble less or even not at all? After all, none of us want to see our children away from the Lord but that is exactly what all this ‘eating sour grapes’ does. It ‘sets our children’s teeth on edge’ and maybe it turns them away from God – perhaps for ever.
Lord forgive our complacency and our grumbling. Help us to give You praise and thanks in all things. Let us glorify You instead of grumbling about You. Turn our hearts back to your Word, Lord, and let us take it literally and be “ ... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
AMEN ?
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Be Utterly Amazed
The Lord brought a particular verse of scripture to mind today. Not just any old verse, but a verse that means a great deal to me personally. You see, I have a dream; a vision; about filling stadiums around the world with Gods praising people and bringing them together, through the medium of TV, and linking them into one great big worship and prayer team. A few years ago, when the Lord first gave me this vision, I came within a signature of hiring the then largest stadium in the UK for just such a purpose but the Lord stayed my hand and it became a non-event at that time. But I still hold the vision and I would still like to pull it together one day.
The verse was this one - Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)
"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
Now if we couple that verse with this one – then we start to have something really good.
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
At this point, my dream or vision no longer matters because it’s personal to me. Your God-given dream or vision does matter though. Has God given you a dream or vision which has so far come to nought? Have you prayed about it? Have you claimed it – spoken it in faith and into existence?
Habakkuk 1:5 speaks about Gods vision of what He will do. Ephesians 3:20 speaks about our all powerful creator God for whom nothing is either impossible nor too much trouble. In fact it speaks of how we should keep asking; keep chasing the vision because He can do so much more than just the vision He has given to you or me.
Yet there is still something missing and that is Ephesians 3:20b “....according to his power that is at work within us,”
When will we realise just who we truly are in Christ? When will we truly realise that His power is at work within us. It is time to step into ALL that God has for each and every one of us. It is time to believe God’s Word. The Word of God is sharper than a double edged sword isn’t it?
Take your vision back to the Lord. Speak it out; claim it; use God’s Word as the sword to cut through anything preventing you vision happening. Step into the destiny that God has for you – especially right now with the end times so close. The world needs your vision – otherwise why did the Lord give it to you – to tease you? No !! God gives all things for a purpose and if we don’t fulfil that purpose, then He may take it to someone else who will fulfil it.
Don’t say about your vision, “Well that’s impossible!”
Nothing that God gives us to do is impossible because whom He chooses, He equips.
Whom He equips He teaches.
Whom He teaches does the work.
Thus God moves vision to reality. And it’s time for the world to see the reality of our wonderful God.
Realise your vision and be utterly amazed at what God can do in your life !!
The verse was this one - Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)
"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
Now if we couple that verse with this one – then we start to have something really good.
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
At this point, my dream or vision no longer matters because it’s personal to me. Your God-given dream or vision does matter though. Has God given you a dream or vision which has so far come to nought? Have you prayed about it? Have you claimed it – spoken it in faith and into existence?
Habakkuk 1:5 speaks about Gods vision of what He will do. Ephesians 3:20 speaks about our all powerful creator God for whom nothing is either impossible nor too much trouble. In fact it speaks of how we should keep asking; keep chasing the vision because He can do so much more than just the vision He has given to you or me.
Yet there is still something missing and that is Ephesians 3:20b “....according to his power that is at work within us,”
When will we realise just who we truly are in Christ? When will we truly realise that His power is at work within us. It is time to step into ALL that God has for each and every one of us. It is time to believe God’s Word. The Word of God is sharper than a double edged sword isn’t it?
Take your vision back to the Lord. Speak it out; claim it; use God’s Word as the sword to cut through anything preventing you vision happening. Step into the destiny that God has for you – especially right now with the end times so close. The world needs your vision – otherwise why did the Lord give it to you – to tease you? No !! God gives all things for a purpose and if we don’t fulfil that purpose, then He may take it to someone else who will fulfil it.
Don’t say about your vision, “Well that’s impossible!”
Nothing that God gives us to do is impossible because whom He chooses, He equips.
Whom He equips He teaches.
Whom He teaches does the work.
Thus God moves vision to reality. And it’s time for the world to see the reality of our wonderful God.
Realise your vision and be utterly amazed at what God can do in your life !!
Monday, 30 August 2010
Prophet or Non-Prophet?
The Lord spoke to me again today. It often happens especially when He has a word for me. He asked me this – “Why are so many churches prophet or non-prophet organisations?” It made me laugh because I immediately knew the spelling was ‘prophet’ rather than ‘profit’. The Lord may have smiled too but I knew this was a serious question. (He added the ‘not-for-prophet’ later because the terms are different in the UK and in the USA).
So, let me ask you then. Is your church a ‘non-prophet’ or ‘not-for-prophet’ organisation? Does your church believe, or trust, or even accept prophecy at this time. Are you one of the churches who do not believe or accept prophecy? If so – why? Why is it that so many pastors and their congregations are so terrified of a prophet. Is it perhaps because a prophet tells you the truth as it is and without any spin or any alternative agenda? That is a rhetorical question by the way – so let me try again.
Allow me to ask you another question – Is the Bible accurate and acceptable for today or did its usefulness die out with the Apostles? Is it the Word of God? Is God the same yesterday, today, and forever? Have you ever been taught anything about the prophetic ministry? If, like most churches, you claim to be a Bible believing church, then please bear with me as I quote a couple of short scriptures for you.
1 Corinthians 12:28
“And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.”
1 Corinthians 14:29
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”
1 Corinthians 14:39
“Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy. . .”
Does the Bible lie? Is God a liar? No- of course He is not. So why do so many of you not believe what His Word says – after all you do claim to be a Bible believing church. Or are you a ‘selectively Bible believing church’ – do you only believe those parts which suit your particular theology? Then permit me to rock your boat further with this scripture -
Ezekiel 34:1-2
“The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?”
Then He reminded me of this –
Amos 3:7
“Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
Finally, I asked the Lord ‘What next?’
He said this, “The shepherds and flocks of so many churches are a stiff-necked , stubborn, and rebellious people. They do not listen to me. They listen instead only to what they want to hear. Therefore say to them that there is coming a time when they will beg to hear from a prophet but I will shut up the mouths of the prophets before them. I will have nothing further to say until they repent and turn from their wicked unbelieving ways. Then I will heal their land; then I will send a prophet to them who will lead them to the truth by my Spirit. But tell them – the time is short. Hurry – do not get left behind.”
If the Lord says it to me then I must say it to you. That’s what Prophets do.
So, let me ask you then. Is your church a ‘non-prophet’ or ‘not-for-prophet’ organisation? Does your church believe, or trust, or even accept prophecy at this time. Are you one of the churches who do not believe or accept prophecy? If so – why? Why is it that so many pastors and their congregations are so terrified of a prophet. Is it perhaps because a prophet tells you the truth as it is and without any spin or any alternative agenda? That is a rhetorical question by the way – so let me try again.
Allow me to ask you another question – Is the Bible accurate and acceptable for today or did its usefulness die out with the Apostles? Is it the Word of God? Is God the same yesterday, today, and forever? Have you ever been taught anything about the prophetic ministry? If, like most churches, you claim to be a Bible believing church, then please bear with me as I quote a couple of short scriptures for you.
1 Corinthians 12:28
“And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.”
1 Corinthians 14:29
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”
1 Corinthians 14:39
“Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy. . .”
Does the Bible lie? Is God a liar? No- of course He is not. So why do so many of you not believe what His Word says – after all you do claim to be a Bible believing church. Or are you a ‘selectively Bible believing church’ – do you only believe those parts which suit your particular theology? Then permit me to rock your boat further with this scripture -
Ezekiel 34:1-2
“The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?”
Then He reminded me of this –
Amos 3:7
“Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
Finally, I asked the Lord ‘What next?’
He said this, “The shepherds and flocks of so many churches are a stiff-necked , stubborn, and rebellious people. They do not listen to me. They listen instead only to what they want to hear. Therefore say to them that there is coming a time when they will beg to hear from a prophet but I will shut up the mouths of the prophets before them. I will have nothing further to say until they repent and turn from their wicked unbelieving ways. Then I will heal their land; then I will send a prophet to them who will lead them to the truth by my Spirit. But tell them – the time is short. Hurry – do not get left behind.”
If the Lord says it to me then I must say it to you. That’s what Prophets do.
Friday, 27 August 2010
Ritual or relationship
I have to say, right up front, that I am teasing a few of you here, but there is a very serious point to be made as well. So read on with your tongue firmly implanted in your cheek.
A good friend of mine once said this “We must be replacing ritual with relationship. We must be redeveloping our relationships with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit” (that’s from @SoulSupply on Twitter) I had to think about this. I mean, after all, the author is a trusted theologian and I’m an untrained pensioner with no theology at all other than that which I have gained in ministry listening to those who really do know better than me.
OK, I know my friend is a colonial type from Australia, but he does have credentials that I could never even aspire to. Same with the other colonies – like those over the pond in the America’s. There are, in these places, those far better qualified than I am who could comment far more eruditely and theologically soundly than I could ever do.
OK – so what have the former British Colonies have to do with my message here. Well, they were all founded on relationships. There were family, friends, acquaintances, work colleagues, and enemies. All had some sort of relationship with each other. Now if we require the balance of relationships with people to be right in order to grow, how much more do we need our relationship with God to be right in order to grow spiritually?
Yet what did we do? In our great and defining wisdom, we set up certain rituals and totally ignored the relationship. As long as we followed the ritual, God was bound to be pleased with us – wasn’t He? Just so long as we prayed the right sort of prayer at the right moment, God would be OK with that wouldn’t He?
Well – in a word – NO! That is not what God wanted then, and neither is it what He wants with us today either. He never wanted it in the days of the Pilgrim Fathers or Captain Cook, and He doesn’t want it today in the days of the second coming and end-times revival. But we have grown so set in our ways that we don’t even think about our relationship with God. We think only of fulfilling the ritual. Each Sunday, every Sunday, we have the hymn/prayer sandwiches. Where is the spontaneity? There is no spontaneity because it is all ritual and no relationship. Did we learn nothing from Wales and Azusa Street?
God the Father, believe it or not, wants nothing more than a personal relationship with us. A relationship that is as close and personal as any we have with family or friends. That He knows us is one thing – that we can know Him is a wonderful bonus. He really does care about the smallest detail of our everyday lives. He wants to build a relationship with us and He cares not one jot for the rituals we sometimes assume will please Him. He wants us to have a spontaneous and loving relationship with Him. To laugh with us and maybe at us – to offer comfort when we cry – to help with and confirm all those difficult decisions – in short, to be our best and most intimate friend for all time. He loves us and wants us to learn how to love Him in return.
He wants a relationship with us and nothing else. Only then will we know and understand the joy of us knowing Him and He knowing us. Forget the rituals – concentrate on your relationship with Him and watch your faith and your joy grow.
A good friend of mine once said this “We must be replacing ritual with relationship. We must be redeveloping our relationships with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit” (that’s from @SoulSupply on Twitter) I had to think about this. I mean, after all, the author is a trusted theologian and I’m an untrained pensioner with no theology at all other than that which I have gained in ministry listening to those who really do know better than me.
OK, I know my friend is a colonial type from Australia, but he does have credentials that I could never even aspire to. Same with the other colonies – like those over the pond in the America’s. There are, in these places, those far better qualified than I am who could comment far more eruditely and theologically soundly than I could ever do.
OK – so what have the former British Colonies have to do with my message here. Well, they were all founded on relationships. There were family, friends, acquaintances, work colleagues, and enemies. All had some sort of relationship with each other. Now if we require the balance of relationships with people to be right in order to grow, how much more do we need our relationship with God to be right in order to grow spiritually?
Yet what did we do? In our great and defining wisdom, we set up certain rituals and totally ignored the relationship. As long as we followed the ritual, God was bound to be pleased with us – wasn’t He? Just so long as we prayed the right sort of prayer at the right moment, God would be OK with that wouldn’t He?
Well – in a word – NO! That is not what God wanted then, and neither is it what He wants with us today either. He never wanted it in the days of the Pilgrim Fathers or Captain Cook, and He doesn’t want it today in the days of the second coming and end-times revival. But we have grown so set in our ways that we don’t even think about our relationship with God. We think only of fulfilling the ritual. Each Sunday, every Sunday, we have the hymn/prayer sandwiches. Where is the spontaneity? There is no spontaneity because it is all ritual and no relationship. Did we learn nothing from Wales and Azusa Street?
God the Father, believe it or not, wants nothing more than a personal relationship with us. A relationship that is as close and personal as any we have with family or friends. That He knows us is one thing – that we can know Him is a wonderful bonus. He really does care about the smallest detail of our everyday lives. He wants to build a relationship with us and He cares not one jot for the rituals we sometimes assume will please Him. He wants us to have a spontaneous and loving relationship with Him. To laugh with us and maybe at us – to offer comfort when we cry – to help with and confirm all those difficult decisions – in short, to be our best and most intimate friend for all time. He loves us and wants us to learn how to love Him in return.
He wants a relationship with us and nothing else. Only then will we know and understand the joy of us knowing Him and He knowing us. Forget the rituals – concentrate on your relationship with Him and watch your faith and your joy grow.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
The Cruel Church
I heard a very sad story recently. A precious man of God who has been in ministry for well over 50 years is being cruelly attacked by a church he planted a few years ago. He and his wife are, effectively, being put out of fellowship from a church he founded by the present pastor, with whom this precious old saint had served for a few years. Just how cruel can the church be?
Yet this story is not a new one. The church has hurt more people than we can possibly imagine with its legalism; its fundamental ignorance of Jesus’ command to love one another. No wonder our Lord called the Pharisees ‘whitewashed sepulchres’ and a ‘nest of vipers’. No wonder He made a whip and drove from the temple those who had ‘made My Father’s house a den of thieves’.
Are you one who talks about how you sang and shouted praises to God on Sunday and yet your tongue rips & tears people to shreds during the week? Are you one who will not fellowship with a brother who has committed a minor ‘sin’ – perhaps he bought a bottle of wine for a friend?
Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
The church is a very cruel place to be deemed imperfect. So please, in future, John 8:7 “But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Where is our love for one another? Where is our hatred of the sin but our love for the sinner? Oh I know that people will be people wherever we find them but, please, can we stop being so religious, so legalistic, so very, very cruel to our precious brothers and sisters in Christ? What must the world think of us as it watches our every move? What we show the world is what it believes of us, and what we show in terms of mercy is scant indeed – to the point of none at all.
For all our preaching and telling of the Gospel, can we at least try to start living the Gospel as well?
Yet this story is not a new one. The church has hurt more people than we can possibly imagine with its legalism; its fundamental ignorance of Jesus’ command to love one another. No wonder our Lord called the Pharisees ‘whitewashed sepulchres’ and a ‘nest of vipers’. No wonder He made a whip and drove from the temple those who had ‘made My Father’s house a den of thieves’.
Are you one who talks about how you sang and shouted praises to God on Sunday and yet your tongue rips & tears people to shreds during the week? Are you one who will not fellowship with a brother who has committed a minor ‘sin’ – perhaps he bought a bottle of wine for a friend?
Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
The church is a very cruel place to be deemed imperfect. So please, in future, John 8:7 “But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Where is our love for one another? Where is our hatred of the sin but our love for the sinner? Oh I know that people will be people wherever we find them but, please, can we stop being so religious, so legalistic, so very, very cruel to our precious brothers and sisters in Christ? What must the world think of us as it watches our every move? What we show the world is what it believes of us, and what we show in terms of mercy is scant indeed – to the point of none at all.
For all our preaching and telling of the Gospel, can we at least try to start living the Gospel as well?
The Whole Armour of God
How many of us, I wonder, really understand the Whole Armour of God. Now I am no theologian, but I confess that I have read a little bit about the weapons that the Lord has provided for us in our daily lives.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full Armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full Armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
So what are these weapons then – what is all this Armour ?? Put simply, the ‘Whole Armour of God’ is our weapon of spiritual warfare. It is given to us through the Word of God (which is truth) for us to use against the spiritual powers of Satan in his efforts to stop us.
The Belt of Truth – the truth can never be defeated. It is possibly the greatest of all weapons. “The Word of God says ....” is such a powerful weapon. The enemy is the Prince of Lies – everything he says is based on lies. ‘Satan is a Liar’ is a great defence.
The Breastplate of Righteousness – do we lead righteous lives? Can the enemy accuse us? Oh brothers and sisters, if we were all a little bit more righteous in our day to day living, the world would soon be a better place as the devil cannot face either truth nor righteousness.
The Shoes of Readiness - Be ready to preach the gospel. Be ready to help a neighbour, to speak kindly to a stranger for in these things we surely do them as unto the Lord.
The Shield of Faith – When the enemy comes warring against Christians one of the first things he attacks is our faith. He will tell us that we can’t do this or that yet it is perfectly obvious that we can. “We can do ALL things in Christ . . . .” Our faith is a shield that protects us from anything the enemy can and does throw at us.
The Helmet of Salvation – this is our greatest weapon in that, above all other things, it is our salvation that so disturbs, so angers the enemy. Our salvation, our commitment to, and our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ automatically makes us the enemy of Satan and he will try everything he can to destroy that faith; to destroy that commitment.
The Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God is truth and the enemy hates truth. It is a sword that cuts through any argument, any lie that Satan me try to give us.
Pray in the Spirit – We are finally admonished to ‘pray in the Spirit on all occasions’. Why? Because when we pray in the Spirit, it is our spirit speaking directly to Gods Spirit in a heavenly language. If you do not have your prayer tongue yet, then I urge you to seek it with all your heart for Satan cannot understand it any more than we can and therefore our prayers are in secret – between us and the Lord Himself.
So – I hope you can see that the whole Armour of God is a wonderful set of weapons of spiritual warfare given to us by God to help us fight the good fight.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full Armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full Armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
So what are these weapons then – what is all this Armour ?? Put simply, the ‘Whole Armour of God’ is our weapon of spiritual warfare. It is given to us through the Word of God (which is truth) for us to use against the spiritual powers of Satan in his efforts to stop us.
The Belt of Truth – the truth can never be defeated. It is possibly the greatest of all weapons. “The Word of God says ....” is such a powerful weapon. The enemy is the Prince of Lies – everything he says is based on lies. ‘Satan is a Liar’ is a great defence.
The Breastplate of Righteousness – do we lead righteous lives? Can the enemy accuse us? Oh brothers and sisters, if we were all a little bit more righteous in our day to day living, the world would soon be a better place as the devil cannot face either truth nor righteousness.
The Shoes of Readiness - Be ready to preach the gospel. Be ready to help a neighbour, to speak kindly to a stranger for in these things we surely do them as unto the Lord.
The Shield of Faith – When the enemy comes warring against Christians one of the first things he attacks is our faith. He will tell us that we can’t do this or that yet it is perfectly obvious that we can. “We can do ALL things in Christ . . . .” Our faith is a shield that protects us from anything the enemy can and does throw at us.
The Helmet of Salvation – this is our greatest weapon in that, above all other things, it is our salvation that so disturbs, so angers the enemy. Our salvation, our commitment to, and our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ automatically makes us the enemy of Satan and he will try everything he can to destroy that faith; to destroy that commitment.
The Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God is truth and the enemy hates truth. It is a sword that cuts through any argument, any lie that Satan me try to give us.
Pray in the Spirit – We are finally admonished to ‘pray in the Spirit on all occasions’. Why? Because when we pray in the Spirit, it is our spirit speaking directly to Gods Spirit in a heavenly language. If you do not have your prayer tongue yet, then I urge you to seek it with all your heart for Satan cannot understand it any more than we can and therefore our prayers are in secret – between us and the Lord Himself.
So – I hope you can see that the whole Armour of God is a wonderful set of weapons of spiritual warfare given to us by God to help us fight the good fight.
Unreasonable Love
I heard the Lord speak to me today. He said that His love is ‘unreasonable’. I asked what He meant and He said that, to most people, unconditional love, like He gives to us, is completely beyond the bounds of reason. He said that “Real love, as I give, is beyond the capability of nearly all men so, surely, this is an unreasonable love?”
I found this very challenging. I have often said that I have so much love to give that I find it impossible to hold it all – I simply have to give it away to anyone who crosses my path. I am sure I am not unusual in this for many Christians I know personally seem to me to reservoirs of God’s love – or at lease reservoirs of a God-given love.
So what is it that separates Gods love from the very best God-given love that we can offer the world. I think it’s that single word “unconditional”. We may speak all we like about our love for each other being unconditional but, despite all our protestations, it isn’t unconditional in the way God means unconditional. There is no way we can change by one iota Gods complete love for us. There is nothing we can ever do to separate ourselves from Gods love for even a nano second. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us, or anyone else, more or less than He loves us now. God’s love is everything spelt out for us in 1 Corinthians 13 – and then some !!
We, on the other hand, can only carry ‘unconditional’ love so far and no farther. We love our errant, drug filled, criminal child without reservation. We never stop loving them but we give up trying to change them. God doesn’t. We love our enemy to the extent that we will feed them, even at our own expense, we will water them, we will build them new homes and give them jobs, but even they can stretch our patience too far and we give up on them. God doesn’t. How easy it would be for us to volunteer our own lives for those we love and who love us. Yet how many of us would give our only son to do the job for us? Not just for us but for every man woman and child on earth – no matter how bad, how criminal, how defiled and despicable they seem to us. God did.
That is unconditional love. God loves us with an unreasonable love. It is completely beyond reason. Unconditional love is surely totally unreasonable.
Isn’t it?
I found this very challenging. I have often said that I have so much love to give that I find it impossible to hold it all – I simply have to give it away to anyone who crosses my path. I am sure I am not unusual in this for many Christians I know personally seem to me to reservoirs of God’s love – or at lease reservoirs of a God-given love.
So what is it that separates Gods love from the very best God-given love that we can offer the world. I think it’s that single word “unconditional”. We may speak all we like about our love for each other being unconditional but, despite all our protestations, it isn’t unconditional in the way God means unconditional. There is no way we can change by one iota Gods complete love for us. There is nothing we can ever do to separate ourselves from Gods love for even a nano second. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us, or anyone else, more or less than He loves us now. God’s love is everything spelt out for us in 1 Corinthians 13 – and then some !!
We, on the other hand, can only carry ‘unconditional’ love so far and no farther. We love our errant, drug filled, criminal child without reservation. We never stop loving them but we give up trying to change them. God doesn’t. We love our enemy to the extent that we will feed them, even at our own expense, we will water them, we will build them new homes and give them jobs, but even they can stretch our patience too far and we give up on them. God doesn’t. How easy it would be for us to volunteer our own lives for those we love and who love us. Yet how many of us would give our only son to do the job for us? Not just for us but for every man woman and child on earth – no matter how bad, how criminal, how defiled and despicable they seem to us. God did.
That is unconditional love. God loves us with an unreasonable love. It is completely beyond reason. Unconditional love is surely totally unreasonable.
Isn’t it?
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
RoFMI Visit to Denmark August 19 to 24 2010
Just the two of us, Peter and I , set off for Copenhagen on Thursday late afternoon. Met at Kastrup Airport by a lovely lady called Pernilla, we were whisked away to meet Pastors Stan and Ruth McCuien, our blessed and wonderful hosts. We went, as always, with high expectations if only because every trip seems to have been met with a fresh and stronger anointing this year. This was our 24th booked trip so far in 2010 and little did we know how much blessing we would receive and how much blessing we would be able to give as we started by sharing a meal with Pastors Stan & Ruth.
We even started with a free morning of fellowship with our hosts before going off to see our old friend René in the Arken Café where he had gathered some friends and visitors for an afternoon of fellowship and prophecy. One gentleman saw the flag outside and, thinking it was a party, joined us – and he stayed to hear everything. Our friends Jens & Lotte from Mon also drove up to join us at the café – but more on them later. The opening statement by another brother, “You don’t have to be a big church to do a big work for God”, set the scene. Peter added that “God is not interested in how many sheep you have – only in how much you love them.” Peter went on to talk about Matthew 16:13 “ . . . . . who do you say that I am? You are the Christ – the Son of the living God.” He asked this “I hear you asking for revival but where are your tears? Where is your desperation.” Then an odd thing happened – Peter received a Word of Prophecy for himself from one of those present. This is unusual because how often does a prophet receive prophecy and how often does a Pastor receive counsel?? This word was about Peters own anointing and the restoration of a part that was long since laid down being picked up with more power than ever before.
In the evening we returned to our hosts church to meet with the leadership and worship teams for fellowship and a meal together. Peter once again spoke on Matthew 13:16 He commented that people say they cannot hear the Holy Spirit yet they can hear everything the demonic world throws at them. He prophesied that Holland will lead the way in European revival. He prophesied about the importance to revival in Denmark of Stan & Ruth’s church (Gospel Church International). He also spoke of “Revival in the Philippines would be something like a cloud passing over the sun as a sovereign move of God comes to that land.”
At 11a.m. on Saturday we set off for Mon driven by our new friend Pernilla. We were actually headed for Bogo, the next island to Mon, where the new pizza café, that Peter had promised to attend, was opening. The place was packed from 13:00 when it opened until it closed and they were blessed with a wonderful first day with people from all over the island coming along to sample their wares. It was an excellent way to start our day too. Next we went back to Stege on Mon to meet a lovely Greenlandic lady called Maren and this was a powerful time of prophecy and confirmation for Peter of his call to Greenland. All of this was followed by Peter going to minister to a local family in Stege, while I went with our Saturday hosts, Jens & Lotte Neilsen, for an evening of wonderful fellowship. We stayed overnight with Jens & Lotte and their family.
On Sunday morning, In Jens & Lotte’s church, Peter spoke about “Holy Fire” ! The Lord is saying that He is coming ‘soon’ and that He is releasing people; setting them free from their contract with the enemy; burning the contracts in His Holy Fire. Quoting Amos 3:7, Peter made this powerful comment – “Oh for a prophet to shake the church out of its lukewarmness into being either HOT or COLD. It would be better for us to give up Christianity altogether rather than to stay Lukewarm. We do not need another prophet who tickles the ears, nor one who wants to please his listeners, but one who will prepare the whole church for judgement and to become the Bride of Christ. One to make the church ready for revival as there will be no more renewal.”
Following the morning meeting we dashed back to Copenhagen for the 14:30 meeting at with Pastor Stan. What followed was, for me, one of the most anointed and powerful meetings I have ever experienced. Praise and Worship was led by a lady called Brina aided by Suzanna and Linnia(?). Then Suzanna and two young girls danced for the Lord – oh wow. What an anointing which grew heavier and heavier as time passed until Brina couldn’t sing any longer – she was just lost in worship and adoration of her Lord. Pastor Stan kept it all going with one of their own songs “It is Jesus” and he eventually called Peter who kept the song going even longer. The anointing was incredible as Peter announced, “There is healing here. Why wait to the end when you can receive your healing right now?” Bodies everywhere . Peter moved to the piano where a new anointing hit him and he played in the Spirit for a while, even giving us “a love song from the Lord for all of us here”. He called for those who wanted a ‘double portion’ to come forward and more bodies – some helpless with laughter.
Eventually we all moved back to our seats and Peter spoke very briefly on Joshua 24:14-15 ending with “ . . . . . . as for me and my house – we will serve the Lord.” Nearly every person present raised their hand in agreement to this verse. He closed with a prophecy for the church saying that “this church will be a facilitator of revival for Denmark because of the hearts and lives of the Pastors.” Wow – what a meeting. What a blessed time.
In the evening we visited a local couple and spent 5 hours of warm and loving fellowship with them.
On Monday around noon, we went to bless a café in central Copenhagen owned by one of the congregation. In the afternoon, some of the younger generation at Gospel Church came round to join us at the pastors apartment. Another good friend Carsten from another local church also joined us. We had a time of wonderful fellowship and Peter got much more than he bargained for when he called upon each one present in turn to prophesy to him personally. Suffice it to say that, for Peter, a time of repentance and renewed promise followed. He also received a very powerful word about his own anointing and calling.
In the evening we went back to the couple we met on Sunday who had invited another couple round for fellowship. Once again there was a powerful sense of the presence of the Lord and lives were changed. Another good connection was made here into a whole new community of believers we didn’t even know existed. I am sure there will be more on this connection in future.
Tuesday saw us dodging the rain on our journey back to Kastrup Airport as Stan blessed us on our way home. There is much that also happened which cannot be recorded here for the sake of privacy alone. However, two phone calls received by Peter could have opened up doors we could only ever have dreamed about until now. Enough said.
Hallelujah – a wonderful trip. So powerfully anointed it nearly took our breath away. So many were blessed and so many were a blessing to us. Thank you Lord.
We even started with a free morning of fellowship with our hosts before going off to see our old friend René in the Arken Café where he had gathered some friends and visitors for an afternoon of fellowship and prophecy. One gentleman saw the flag outside and, thinking it was a party, joined us – and he stayed to hear everything. Our friends Jens & Lotte from Mon also drove up to join us at the café – but more on them later. The opening statement by another brother, “You don’t have to be a big church to do a big work for God”, set the scene. Peter added that “God is not interested in how many sheep you have – only in how much you love them.” Peter went on to talk about Matthew 16:13 “ . . . . . who do you say that I am? You are the Christ – the Son of the living God.” He asked this “I hear you asking for revival but where are your tears? Where is your desperation.” Then an odd thing happened – Peter received a Word of Prophecy for himself from one of those present. This is unusual because how often does a prophet receive prophecy and how often does a Pastor receive counsel?? This word was about Peters own anointing and the restoration of a part that was long since laid down being picked up with more power than ever before.
In the evening we returned to our hosts church to meet with the leadership and worship teams for fellowship and a meal together. Peter once again spoke on Matthew 13:16 He commented that people say they cannot hear the Holy Spirit yet they can hear everything the demonic world throws at them. He prophesied that Holland will lead the way in European revival. He prophesied about the importance to revival in Denmark of Stan & Ruth’s church (Gospel Church International). He also spoke of “Revival in the Philippines would be something like a cloud passing over the sun as a sovereign move of God comes to that land.”
At 11a.m. on Saturday we set off for Mon driven by our new friend Pernilla. We were actually headed for Bogo, the next island to Mon, where the new pizza café, that Peter had promised to attend, was opening. The place was packed from 13:00 when it opened until it closed and they were blessed with a wonderful first day with people from all over the island coming along to sample their wares. It was an excellent way to start our day too. Next we went back to Stege on Mon to meet a lovely Greenlandic lady called Maren and this was a powerful time of prophecy and confirmation for Peter of his call to Greenland. All of this was followed by Peter going to minister to a local family in Stege, while I went with our Saturday hosts, Jens & Lotte Neilsen, for an evening of wonderful fellowship. We stayed overnight with Jens & Lotte and their family.
On Sunday morning, In Jens & Lotte’s church, Peter spoke about “Holy Fire” ! The Lord is saying that He is coming ‘soon’ and that He is releasing people; setting them free from their contract with the enemy; burning the contracts in His Holy Fire. Quoting Amos 3:7, Peter made this powerful comment – “Oh for a prophet to shake the church out of its lukewarmness into being either HOT or COLD. It would be better for us to give up Christianity altogether rather than to stay Lukewarm. We do not need another prophet who tickles the ears, nor one who wants to please his listeners, but one who will prepare the whole church for judgement and to become the Bride of Christ. One to make the church ready for revival as there will be no more renewal.”
Following the morning meeting we dashed back to Copenhagen for the 14:30 meeting at with Pastor Stan. What followed was, for me, one of the most anointed and powerful meetings I have ever experienced. Praise and Worship was led by a lady called Brina aided by Suzanna and Linnia(?). Then Suzanna and two young girls danced for the Lord – oh wow. What an anointing which grew heavier and heavier as time passed until Brina couldn’t sing any longer – she was just lost in worship and adoration of her Lord. Pastor Stan kept it all going with one of their own songs “It is Jesus” and he eventually called Peter who kept the song going even longer. The anointing was incredible as Peter announced, “There is healing here. Why wait to the end when you can receive your healing right now?” Bodies everywhere . Peter moved to the piano where a new anointing hit him and he played in the Spirit for a while, even giving us “a love song from the Lord for all of us here”. He called for those who wanted a ‘double portion’ to come forward and more bodies – some helpless with laughter.
Eventually we all moved back to our seats and Peter spoke very briefly on Joshua 24:14-15 ending with “ . . . . . . as for me and my house – we will serve the Lord.” Nearly every person present raised their hand in agreement to this verse. He closed with a prophecy for the church saying that “this church will be a facilitator of revival for Denmark because of the hearts and lives of the Pastors.” Wow – what a meeting. What a blessed time.
In the evening we visited a local couple and spent 5 hours of warm and loving fellowship with them.
On Monday around noon, we went to bless a café in central Copenhagen owned by one of the congregation. In the afternoon, some of the younger generation at Gospel Church came round to join us at the pastors apartment. Another good friend Carsten from another local church also joined us. We had a time of wonderful fellowship and Peter got much more than he bargained for when he called upon each one present in turn to prophesy to him personally. Suffice it to say that, for Peter, a time of repentance and renewed promise followed. He also received a very powerful word about his own anointing and calling.
In the evening we went back to the couple we met on Sunday who had invited another couple round for fellowship. Once again there was a powerful sense of the presence of the Lord and lives were changed. Another good connection was made here into a whole new community of believers we didn’t even know existed. I am sure there will be more on this connection in future.
Tuesday saw us dodging the rain on our journey back to Kastrup Airport as Stan blessed us on our way home. There is much that also happened which cannot be recorded here for the sake of privacy alone. However, two phone calls received by Peter could have opened up doors we could only ever have dreamed about until now. Enough said.
Hallelujah – a wonderful trip. So powerfully anointed it nearly took our breath away. So many were blessed and so many were a blessing to us. Thank you Lord.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
The Great Commission - Another View
The Great Commission - Another View
When Jesus gave us the Great Commission as reported in Matthew 28 & Mark 16, I believe He gave us the just start of the great commission - the bare bones. However, later on, Paul then gave us a greater and deeper insight to what the Great Commission really is all about.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. “
Let’s just examine these words a little bit. Let’s try to grab hold of some of the truth and relevance for today’s church. This is a mighty word from a All-Mighty God
There are five statements or instructions and one terrible warning in this passage so let me take them one at a time and in order and I will try not to miss anything out. This is the Great Commission broken down and presented so that we may best understand what it is the Lord requires of us as His disciples.
1. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:” Here is the start of your mission statement. Here is your complete authority. You are charged with the following duties
2. “Preach the Word;” What more is there to say. Preach the Word. How many churches this coming weekend will actually preach the Word – the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How many preachers will give an altar call? How many unsaved people will be convicted of their sin and come, fully repentant, before the throne of Grace?
3. “Be prepared in season and out of season;” When Jesus sent the 72 out (Luke 10) He charged them similarly to be prepared wherever you are, whenever you are there, at a moment’s notice – to Preach the Word. To speak Jesus Name to someone or to many someone’s.
4. “Correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Jesus also charges us or commands us to challenge and correct un-Godly attitudes, talk, thought, or actions. He says for us to rebuke the wrong-doing. Rebuke the sin but love the sinner. He says for us to encourage those who will listen to us to live a more Godly life – to correct the attitude, clean up the talk, control and clean up the thoughts, and to stop or otherwise correct our actions.
5. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Here is a ‘today’ warning. How many churches preach to their audience? How many pastors, scared for their own standard of living, preach either easy listening or worse still preach what the congregation want to hear? How many new thoughts on what constitutes the Gospel are being promulgated as the truth when really it is all man made thinking or myth?
6. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” Here is the crunch for all of us. Keep your head – don’t go following the latest fad. Don’t give in to external pressure to preach what folk want to hear. Don’t worry about the consequences of preaching what the Lord gives you – just do it !! Endure the hardships your words may cause you when Johnnie Legal rebukes you for preaching the gospel; when pastor chastises you for preaching the truth instead of what he wanted you to preach. If God gives you a word to preach, test it and then preach it if it’s OK. Do the work of an evangelist – what did you think the Great Commission was all about? Preach the Gospel and having done that, then heal the sick and all the rest of it. But preach the Gospel FIRST. In short – discharge ALL of your responsibilities as an evangelist and therefore of your ministry.
There you have, I believe, the gist of what the Great Commission is all about. It’s ALL in God’s Word – every word of it. If it’s not in God’s Word it isn’t worth saying. Preach the Gospel. Preach the Gospel. Preach the Gospel.
Just DO it !!
When Jesus gave us the Great Commission as reported in Matthew 28 & Mark 16, I believe He gave us the just start of the great commission - the bare bones. However, later on, Paul then gave us a greater and deeper insight to what the Great Commission really is all about.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. “
Let’s just examine these words a little bit. Let’s try to grab hold of some of the truth and relevance for today’s church. This is a mighty word from a All-Mighty God
There are five statements or instructions and one terrible warning in this passage so let me take them one at a time and in order and I will try not to miss anything out. This is the Great Commission broken down and presented so that we may best understand what it is the Lord requires of us as His disciples.
1. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:” Here is the start of your mission statement. Here is your complete authority. You are charged with the following duties
2. “Preach the Word;” What more is there to say. Preach the Word. How many churches this coming weekend will actually preach the Word – the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How many preachers will give an altar call? How many unsaved people will be convicted of their sin and come, fully repentant, before the throne of Grace?
3. “Be prepared in season and out of season;” When Jesus sent the 72 out (Luke 10) He charged them similarly to be prepared wherever you are, whenever you are there, at a moment’s notice – to Preach the Word. To speak Jesus Name to someone or to many someone’s.
4. “Correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Jesus also charges us or commands us to challenge and correct un-Godly attitudes, talk, thought, or actions. He says for us to rebuke the wrong-doing. Rebuke the sin but love the sinner. He says for us to encourage those who will listen to us to live a more Godly life – to correct the attitude, clean up the talk, control and clean up the thoughts, and to stop or otherwise correct our actions.
5. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Here is a ‘today’ warning. How many churches preach to their audience? How many pastors, scared for their own standard of living, preach either easy listening or worse still preach what the congregation want to hear? How many new thoughts on what constitutes the Gospel are being promulgated as the truth when really it is all man made thinking or myth?
6. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” Here is the crunch for all of us. Keep your head – don’t go following the latest fad. Don’t give in to external pressure to preach what folk want to hear. Don’t worry about the consequences of preaching what the Lord gives you – just do it !! Endure the hardships your words may cause you when Johnnie Legal rebukes you for preaching the gospel; when pastor chastises you for preaching the truth instead of what he wanted you to preach. If God gives you a word to preach, test it and then preach it if it’s OK. Do the work of an evangelist – what did you think the Great Commission was all about? Preach the Gospel and having done that, then heal the sick and all the rest of it. But preach the Gospel FIRST. In short – discharge ALL of your responsibilities as an evangelist and therefore of your ministry.
There you have, I believe, the gist of what the Great Commission is all about. It’s ALL in God’s Word – every word of it. If it’s not in God’s Word it isn’t worth saying. Preach the Gospel. Preach the Gospel. Preach the Gospel.
Just DO it !!
Fruitless Churches
Fruitless Churches
Can we please bring God – the Lord God Almighty is His Name – back into our churches? One of my favourite ‘tweets’ that I regularly put out on Twitter is this – “The modern church has spent millions of dollars/pounds on 'programs' - so where is all the fruit ?? Why are we not overflowing?”
I was just listening to a 1979 sermon from Keith Green where he spoke of a 1933 book The Revival We Need by Oswald J Smith (apparently now out of print). He quoted the book as saying that “There are 7000 churches in this country where not a single soul was saved in this past year !” If that was true in 1933, then how much more true is it today?
Let me just expand that for you a little bit – these statistics a really shocking :-
That’s 7000 churches with an average of 45 weeks per pastor in their own church preaching 1.5 sermons per week (I’m being conservative)
Hmmm let’s see – that’s about 472,500 sermons and NOT ONE soul saved. Not one soul repented. Not one soul answered an altar call. Let me remind you this is 1933 and 45 weeks per church. If you work it that, with visiting preachers, there are actually 52 weeks per year then the total sermons goes up to 546,000 ! Forgive me, this is years ago – so let’s bring it up to date.
In 1933 the accredited population of the USA was around 125 million. Today, in 2010, it is around 310 million. That is approx 250% increase (I’m not a mathematician so please . . . . ) Given the same increase, that would make your 7000 churches to be around 17,500. However, since there has been a general decline in church going – even though 41% of the current population claim some sort of regular church attendance – let us for simplicity’s sake keep to 7000 churches with a zero return for a whole years work by the pastor. That, at the average salary for each pastor of as low as $30,000 per year means that the church spent a minimum of $210 million for zero return. Add to that the millions of dollars more spent on the various programs – a conservative estimate for programs would be $15,000 per year – a total of $105 million.
This makes a total of around $300 million spent to achieve nothing.
Jesus final words to us were these – “Go into all the world and make disciples of all men.” No wonder the Lord must be shaking His head and no wonder the devil must be so gleeful !! Let me remind you what I said to begin with - “The modern church has spent millions of dollars/pounds on 'programs' - so where is all the fruit ?? Why are we not overflowing?” The church’s job is winning souls. The purpose of ALL of our programs should be winning souls. Winning souls means bringing men and women to repentance and giving their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are told to take such people and make disciples of all of them who will then go out and win more souls to our Lord.
Can we please STOP doing Satan’s job for him and start doing God’s work ?? Can we please bring ALL of our programs into the will of God and not into our own plans?? Can we please start to bring Jesus Christ back into our preaching and sermons with the renewed and sole aim of winning souls to the Lord??
When will we learn that God requires us to do things HIS way and not ours? When will we stop being so arrogant as to assume we know what the Lord wants when we truly very rarely have any idea at all? If I were preaching this I would be shouting at you by now !!
In the UK these figures would be even worse and likewise in most of the Western world. We, the UK , the USA, and the West, have simply lost sight of the Great Commission. Pastoring a church has, in very many cases, become just a job with books to be balanced rather than the vocation and calling of old. We have lost our passion. We have lost or at best forgotten our ‘first love’. There are, thankfully, wonderful signs of real revival stirring throughout Europe.
You may be called home to the Lord tonight. How will you face Him? How will you answer Him when He asks what you did to make disciples of all men? It’s NOT “the Church’s” job. We, the people, are the church so it’s our job. It’s YOUR job – it’s MY job. How will you say you did when you are called to account? How will your account look? Will it balance as the Lord wants? Or will it balance only to your own satisfaction?
Hmmm – I wonder.
Can we please bring God – the Lord God Almighty is His Name – back into our churches? One of my favourite ‘tweets’ that I regularly put out on Twitter is this – “The modern church has spent millions of dollars/pounds on 'programs' - so where is all the fruit ?? Why are we not overflowing?”
I was just listening to a 1979 sermon from Keith Green where he spoke of a 1933 book The Revival We Need by Oswald J Smith (apparently now out of print). He quoted the book as saying that “There are 7000 churches in this country where not a single soul was saved in this past year !” If that was true in 1933, then how much more true is it today?
Let me just expand that for you a little bit – these statistics a really shocking :-
That’s 7000 churches with an average of 45 weeks per pastor in their own church preaching 1.5 sermons per week (I’m being conservative)
Hmmm let’s see – that’s about 472,500 sermons and NOT ONE soul saved. Not one soul repented. Not one soul answered an altar call. Let me remind you this is 1933 and 45 weeks per church. If you work it that, with visiting preachers, there are actually 52 weeks per year then the total sermons goes up to 546,000 ! Forgive me, this is years ago – so let’s bring it up to date.
In 1933 the accredited population of the USA was around 125 million. Today, in 2010, it is around 310 million. That is approx 250% increase (I’m not a mathematician so please . . . . ) Given the same increase, that would make your 7000 churches to be around 17,500. However, since there has been a general decline in church going – even though 41% of the current population claim some sort of regular church attendance – let us for simplicity’s sake keep to 7000 churches with a zero return for a whole years work by the pastor. That, at the average salary for each pastor of as low as $30,000 per year means that the church spent a minimum of $210 million for zero return. Add to that the millions of dollars more spent on the various programs – a conservative estimate for programs would be $15,000 per year – a total of $105 million.
This makes a total of around $300 million spent to achieve nothing.
Jesus final words to us were these – “Go into all the world and make disciples of all men.” No wonder the Lord must be shaking His head and no wonder the devil must be so gleeful !! Let me remind you what I said to begin with - “The modern church has spent millions of dollars/pounds on 'programs' - so where is all the fruit ?? Why are we not overflowing?” The church’s job is winning souls. The purpose of ALL of our programs should be winning souls. Winning souls means bringing men and women to repentance and giving their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are told to take such people and make disciples of all of them who will then go out and win more souls to our Lord.
Can we please STOP doing Satan’s job for him and start doing God’s work ?? Can we please bring ALL of our programs into the will of God and not into our own plans?? Can we please start to bring Jesus Christ back into our preaching and sermons with the renewed and sole aim of winning souls to the Lord??
When will we learn that God requires us to do things HIS way and not ours? When will we stop being so arrogant as to assume we know what the Lord wants when we truly very rarely have any idea at all? If I were preaching this I would be shouting at you by now !!
In the UK these figures would be even worse and likewise in most of the Western world. We, the UK , the USA, and the West, have simply lost sight of the Great Commission. Pastoring a church has, in very many cases, become just a job with books to be balanced rather than the vocation and calling of old. We have lost our passion. We have lost or at best forgotten our ‘first love’. There are, thankfully, wonderful signs of real revival stirring throughout Europe.
You may be called home to the Lord tonight. How will you face Him? How will you answer Him when He asks what you did to make disciples of all men? It’s NOT “the Church’s” job. We, the people, are the church so it’s our job. It’s YOUR job – it’s MY job. How will you say you did when you are called to account? How will your account look? Will it balance as the Lord wants? Or will it balance only to your own satisfaction?
Hmmm – I wonder.
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