Have you read this book lately? No, what I mean is this – have you really read it? All 8 chapters of it. Slowly, carefully, and fully – as you would any other Bible study you do - asking the Lord for His view. Oh – this book blew my mind away this morning when I read it. It blew someone else’s mind too, when I read it to her as I think it is – a love poem. The poetry, the romance, the love – the sheer beauty of the language. Sadly, I know people who would not read this book because the language – “Oh dear - the language.”
Let me ask you this - Is God a prude? Does He get all embarrassed when we read this Book aloud? No He doesn’t. Is He ashamed of the various parts of the body that He made? No He is not. Is He ashamed when He hears us read any other scripture? This can only go downhill from here can’t it?
Does this remind you of what happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve covered their bodies – it does me. Yet – This is the Book, the Song of Songs, He had written; He had saved for thousands of years; and He then gave us as a part of His WORD.
So - Let me ask you something else – Is the Bible the inerrant Word of God or not. Do we believe it cover to cover? If it’s not inerrant or not the Word of God, then what do we think we are doing quoting it all the time? “Yes but – but – Well there’s some passages that really are quite rude!” Well if it is a little ‘undignified’ then, why do we still avoid these ‘hard’ passages so that we won’t tread on someone’s wee dainties.
The Bible is a grown up book – it is not a children’s bed-time book. David danced wildly and naked before the Ark of the Covenant as it returned. We don’t avoid that passage do we? Yet I cannot remember ever hearing the Song of Songs as the base text for a sermon – can you ?
I beg you – read this book and marvel with me at the indescribable beauty of it. Husbands, wives – read it to each other. Yes go on!! Bring some real Godly romance into your lives. God didn’t go to all the bother of having this wonderful book written and included in the Bible for some of us to censor it !!
Tuesday 25 May 2010
Monday 24 May 2010
Never too old for God
God surely does have a great sense of humour. Look at Joshua 13:1 – the Lord is speaking to Joshua who is, shall we say, getting on a bit. So how does the Lord cheer him up? “When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.” - ‘You are very old . . . .’ As if Joshua needed reminding !! LOL I know people who would be absolutely mortified being told they are very old – especially by God !! As a dear friend often says – “oh my - oh my!”
Yet there is another truth hidden in here too. Don’t you just love the Bible? You can read a scripture 20 or 30 times and suddenly – it leaps out at you a slaps you round the face like a wet fish. You wonder, “Why did I not see that before?” To me this is one of the great joys of reading my Bible – the hidden truths which pop out suddenly – they surprise and delight you. So it is with this scripture. Josh 13:1 "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.”
What this says and confirms to me is that we are NEVER TOO OLD to be of service in the Kingdom of God. As my Twitter bio says – “Think you are too old for God – Think again!!” My own testimony is that my ministry didn’t even start until I was 64 years old. Most of you think 64 = retirement. Not a bit of it. God only ever looks for a willing heart. The leading prayer warrior in my church is a little old lady of 87 years. Physically a bit wobbly on her pins – but spiritually she is a GIANT – a total inspiration to all of us and an object lesson too.
So too at 66 going on 67 years old I have discovered that the Lord hasn’t hardly begun with me yet. Oh wow – what a privilege! What a surprise! I am in full time ministry for RoFMI – and He has introduced me to someone – well what on earth can I say? God is the Lord of Suddenlies. Now, suddenly, I may well have a partner in ministry as well as a soul mate. Oh wow – can you even begin to imagine how grateful this makes me feel. I praise God and give Him ALL the Glory – all day long.
Yes – it’s true. Age is no barrier, no offence before the throne of God. A willing heart is all He seeks and, apparently, He has found two willing hearts. Isn’t He just a wonderful God.
Oh HALLELUJAH \o/
Yet there is another truth hidden in here too. Don’t you just love the Bible? You can read a scripture 20 or 30 times and suddenly – it leaps out at you a slaps you round the face like a wet fish. You wonder, “Why did I not see that before?” To me this is one of the great joys of reading my Bible – the hidden truths which pop out suddenly – they surprise and delight you. So it is with this scripture. Josh 13:1 "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.”
What this says and confirms to me is that we are NEVER TOO OLD to be of service in the Kingdom of God. As my Twitter bio says – “Think you are too old for God – Think again!!” My own testimony is that my ministry didn’t even start until I was 64 years old. Most of you think 64 = retirement. Not a bit of it. God only ever looks for a willing heart. The leading prayer warrior in my church is a little old lady of 87 years. Physically a bit wobbly on her pins – but spiritually she is a GIANT – a total inspiration to all of us and an object lesson too.
So too at 66 going on 67 years old I have discovered that the Lord hasn’t hardly begun with me yet. Oh wow – what a privilege! What a surprise! I am in full time ministry for RoFMI – and He has introduced me to someone – well what on earth can I say? God is the Lord of Suddenlies. Now, suddenly, I may well have a partner in ministry as well as a soul mate. Oh wow – can you even begin to imagine how grateful this makes me feel. I praise God and give Him ALL the Glory – all day long.
Yes – it’s true. Age is no barrier, no offence before the throne of God. A willing heart is all He seeks and, apparently, He has found two willing hearts. Isn’t He just a wonderful God.
Oh HALLELUJAH \o/
Saturday 22 May 2010
A Post from my dear friend Linda Scanlan
Saturday, May 22, 2010
And Then Suddenly.....
Jeremiah 29:11 is a passage that most of us are familiar with, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Have you ever wondered if God meant this verse for everyone but you? Especially when you're in the middle of your mess and feel like you've missed God AND His calling. Come on now, I know I'm not the only one.
God is FAITHFUL to fulfill His promises to you. Absolutely faithful. A little testimony of mine. Ever since I was a young girl I had visions and dreams of ministering and I would actually "SEE" WHO it was I was praying for and the manifestation of that prayer. On a sporadic basis I would see things fulfilled but had become very frustrated with not only myself, but with wondering if God had actually forgotten me...you know there are billions of people on this planet. Why wasn't I seeing the fulfillment of my dreams and visions? Sometimes the circumstances in your life keep things from happening and the timing is not right.
But then...Suddenly things change in an instant when you're not even looking. God has His hands all over your "stuff". Doors open up and wonderful things happen. When He is involved it's more than you can imagine..I had forgotten that He had said that. I have found that it is true. Wilder dreams than I ever imagined.
Sometimes I think we get 10 miles ahead of God and wonder where He is and what's taking Him so long.
I have figured out that it's all in His timing. That's why He's God and we are not.
Linda
For the Master's Cause
See her blog for yourself http://linda-blessedtobless.blogspot.com/
And Then Suddenly.....
Jeremiah 29:11 is a passage that most of us are familiar with, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Have you ever wondered if God meant this verse for everyone but you? Especially when you're in the middle of your mess and feel like you've missed God AND His calling. Come on now, I know I'm not the only one.
God is FAITHFUL to fulfill His promises to you. Absolutely faithful. A little testimony of mine. Ever since I was a young girl I had visions and dreams of ministering and I would actually "SEE" WHO it was I was praying for and the manifestation of that prayer. On a sporadic basis I would see things fulfilled but had become very frustrated with not only myself, but with wondering if God had actually forgotten me...you know there are billions of people on this planet. Why wasn't I seeing the fulfillment of my dreams and visions? Sometimes the circumstances in your life keep things from happening and the timing is not right.
But then...Suddenly things change in an instant when you're not even looking. God has His hands all over your "stuff". Doors open up and wonderful things happen. When He is involved it's more than you can imagine..I had forgotten that He had said that. I have found that it is true. Wilder dreams than I ever imagined.
Sometimes I think we get 10 miles ahead of God and wonder where He is and what's taking Him so long.
I have figured out that it's all in His timing. That's why He's God and we are not.
Linda
For the Master's Cause
See her blog for yourself http://linda-blessedtobless.blogspot.com/
Wednesday 19 May 2010
REPORT ON RoFMI TRIP TO NORWAY
This visit to Norway by a RoFMI team was a first in that it included members from several other countries in Europe – UK, Denmark, Holland, and Spain, all making contributions to the Prophetic Conference Programme that had been arranged at the Kraftskolen (Bible School) at Vale in Southern Norway.
The bulk of the UK contingent departed Stansted at 13.45 on Thursday 6th May. This consisted of Peter, Keith, Ruth, John & Jean and Joseph – a pastor from the gypsy church in East London. We arrived at Torp about 16.30 local time, to be taken by Tommy and Robin to Horten and on to a ferry to Moss on the eastern side of the Oslo fjord. During the 30-40 minutes journey across the fjord, we all enjoyed a picnic provided by Robin – how thoughtful of him!
From Moss, we were driven to Rolvsoy to the home of Hans Nielsen Hauge near the town of Sarpsborg where Hans Petter and Kari Thue were waiting to welcome us to the church built on the site adjacent to the house in commemoration of the events that took place there. Hauge’s life in the history of Christianity in Norway is significant in that on April 5th 1796 whilst ploughing a field on the family farm and singing and praising God, the Holy Spirit fell upon him filling him with a certainty that he had a call to witness to others. He began that same day – firstly to his sisters, then the rest of his family, then the village, then the nearby villages, then in 1797 by travelling around large part if the country.
We were privileged to have a privately arranged conducted tour of the house with a well informed guide, courtesy of Hans-Petter & Kari. Before leaving, we all gathered for prayer in the small bedroom where Hauge made his first witness to his two sisters – the room that Peter had said was the place in the house where the anointing was when we first entered the building and before we were told by our guide that it was the girls’ bedroom! The prayer was inspired and followed by prophesies and words of knowledge pertaining to the revival coming to Norway.
Then it was back to the ferry at Moss. Travelling as foot passengers this time, we crossed over the Oslo fjord to Horten to be met by Reidar Gamst, Principal of the bible school and a big red bus! It was a forty minute ride to the Kraftskolen site and so to bed – but not until we had our usual end-of-day review meeting I the conference room!
Friday 7th May – The day dawned bright and sunny for those of us already at the school and following a late breakfast, we were able to relax whilst we waited for the other members of the ministry team to arrive, These included John and Grace, together with Ton and Joke from Holland; Tonny and Karsten from Denmark: David and Ruben from Spain, but travelling the last leg of the journey from the UK with Jonathan. Arrivals took place throughout the day, but in good time for the opening meeting of the conference programme scheduled to start at 19.30hrs.
The worship band for this meeting consisted of several students and led from the keyboard by Pastor Joseph from Moss. It was an inspired time of praise and worship with the anointing of the Holy Spirit being felt by all in the hall, particularly when the song ‘Sing Hallelujah to the Lord’ was being sung in tongues.
Reidar Gamst, the school principal, then introduced Peter to the conference delegates and asked him to say something about the teams that had come from Denmark, Holland, Spain and UK. Peter in turn asked Grace to share about what had been happening in Holland following the series of visits made by RoFMI teams since early January 2010. The first, a three day visit to an Iranian church in Almere to pray for the healing of the Pastor’s wife, was made by Peter and John. This was followed by a visit by Peter, Chris and John to John and Grace’s church in Wieringerwerf in northern Holland and another to a rehabilitation centre in Amsterdam for drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes – a further visit, this time to Arnhem, was cancelled because of the volcanic ash but has been re-arranged for late May with Peter, John and Keith as the team. A special deliverance ministries team consisting of Keith and Jean Perrin were with John and Grace from 30th April to 4th May 2010. In general, what Grace reported was uplifting and encouraging with individuals’ being healed, released from bondages into a new freedom and experience of the loving embrace of God’s Holy Spirit and a rising expectancy for a powerful revival though Holland. Grace closed her summary with the comment that having witnessed how the Lord had ministered through Jean and Keith that everyone needs deliverance from the past and to be free of the bondages that hold them back in their Christian walk.
Peter then shared a little about what was happening around Europe and invited Joseph to speak about some of his experiences when ministering in gypsy churches in Romania. He related three events all of which had been prophesied to him by Peter before he left the UK, to which I can give witness – I (John Jordan) was there when they were given. One was that he would be used to heal a woman with cataracts, Shortly after the prophecy was given he went to minister in Canada but it was not fulfilled; he then went to Africa and again the prophecy was not fulfilled; but, when in Romania, a woman came to him and said her daughter had cataracts to which he responded by saying that she was already healed, that the Lord had done it. Her mother telephoned the hospital to ask about her daughter to be told she was signing herself out having been healed and could see and didn’t need the proposed surgery! Praise God!
Another prophetic word was that he would be ministering to a man who would get down on all-fours, bark like a dog and run away from him. It happened in Romania when he was told about a man who beat and battered his wife and children – so much so, that his wife had lost an ear and walked with a limp: the children were disabled – he used to pick them up by their feet, swing them around his head and then hit them against the wall so that may of their joints were damaged or dislocated and bones broken. Joseph asked for the man to come to him for prayer and as soon as the prayer began the man got down on all-fours and ran away from him like a dog. Joseph gave chase and caught him by the neck and held him down and commanded the demon in him to go in the name of Jesus. Immediately the man quietened down and asked Joseph to let him get up and when he did he looked much younger and began to speak in tongues. The next time Joseph saw him, he was holding his children in his arms cuddling and kissing them and then he gave Joseph a hug – a man released and restored! What a God we serve.
The final prophesy is even more remarkable – that he would raise somebody from the dead. The story is that a mother was at home with her three children and suddenly collapsed and died. She was about 35 years old. She was taken to the local hospital and following a physical examination declared dead, a death certificate issued and her body transferred to the morgue and into refrigerated storage pending burial. The children, who had been brought up in a Christian home came to Joseph and asked if he would go with them to the morgue and pray for their mother to be restored to them. He agreed and they all went to the morgue and asked to be allowed to pray over her. “But she has been dead for nine hours” said the doctor, but he finally agreed to have her body brought out of the refrigerator. They surrounded her and not accepting what their eyes could see but believing what their hearts were telling them, they all prayed. She sat up and after getting dressed they took her home where she immediately took control and prepared a meal for all the children and a cup of tea for Joseph. As it happened in Jesus’ time so it is happening today. What a great, gracious and generous God we serve. Praise His Name.
Peter then extended an invitation to those wishing to have prayer for healing. Many came forward and received blessing, release and restoration and the session ended about 22.30.
Finally the team returned to the conference room for the end-of-day unwinding session and a review of the day before going off to bed.
Saturday 8th May 2010. Following a wonderful breakfast at 09.00 the conference reconvened in the main hall at 10.00. The theme for the day was ‘Encountering the Prophetic’. Following a time of praise and worship and prayer, Peter introduced the topic by relating some examples of prophetic words and their outworking. He recalled the stranger he met who told him that he would be speaking to people of many nations some time before he started his travels to Scandinavia and other European countries – a prophecy that took time to come to pass. He then told of the prophecy he gave to a pastor of a Spanish church – that God would provide them with a building to be used by his church in working with refugees, Within weeks the local city council gave him a building free of charge for his use – a quick result this time.
Another prophecy, given to a couple who, for medical/physical reasons, could not possibly conceive, was that they would have children. Within 10-11 months of the prophecy being given the wife was delivered of a 4+ kg boy in April this year, Isn’t God gracious?
Peter then concluded by saying ‘that if prophecy is so good and brings such benefits shouldn’t the church pay more attention to the prophets’? Then ‘Who would like to be a prophet? But before you decide, listen to Keith’s basic teaching on prophecy’.
Keith in his excellent presentation spread over the two morning sessions (10.00 – 11.30 and 12.00 – 14.00) presented a series of questions most commonly asked about prophecy and then went on to provide answers and guidance. The questions were; What is prophecy? What should our attitude to prophecy be? What types of prophecy are there? What is the importance of prophecy today? Who can prophecy today? What sort of people are prophets? How are prophecies received and conveyed? Should we expect all prophecies to be 100% accurate? How should we respond to prophecy? And finally – How can we receive prophecy today? The session closed with prayer led by Keith and we all adjourned to the dining room for another excellent meal provided by Reidar’s wife, Anne Karin and her team of helpers.
The next session of the day (15.30 – 18.00) opened with a time of praise and worship following which Peter expanded on the theme of the programme giving numerous examples of prophetic words and their fulfilment. Peter then invited the team members to speak out the prophetic words that the Lord had given them for Norway – words for the nation. Words were given by Karsten from Denmark, Ton from Holland, David from Spain and Peter and John from the UK.
Following this there was a time of ministry and impartation for those wanting to have the gift of prophecy. The ministry was wide ranging and all those who came forward were blessed in some way through empowerment in the gifts of the Spirit, encouragement, healing, release from bondage and restoration. A blessed time indeed. Hallelujah!
After a break for an evening meal the evening session began at 19.30 when a time of praise and worship was provided by a band of young people from Oslo led by Johannes Groth, son of Hans-Erik, together with three other young men and Maria, daughter of Hans-Erik. Johannes was one of the young men who came to the Per Soetorp concert in Oslo to ask Peter if he would go to their party and ‘bring the word of the Lord to them’ (a full account of this event was given in the RoFMI visit to Norway report 19-22 March 2010).
Following this time of anointed worship and praise by the band, which is based at the Philadelphia Church in Oslo, Peter invited Johannes to give a testimony as to what happened at the party in March 2010. He described the events after Peter had left their flat, about their inability to worship and the Lord’s prompting to repent, resulting in the formation of a circle in which they all confessed their sins to one another and repented, symbolically throwing their confessed sins into the centre of the circle for the Lord to destroy them by fire. Since that time, many of those involved say they are fearless in speaking about Jesus to young people – they go out into the streets of Oslo and preach Jesus at every opportunity. The results have been amazing – many young people have come to the Lord and are seeking fellowship and greater understanding; to-date a large number of young people have been touched by this street ministry. Wow!
Then there followed a time for ministry to many people at the meeting after which Peter asked the band to play another set of songs the first of which was a beautiful solo piece sung by Maria. Another period of anointed praise and worship ensued whilst those still requiring prayer were ministered to in the quieter parts of the school.
As usual the team ended the day in the conference room for a final review of the day’s events and to have sometime to relax and unwind before going to bed. However, one of the team was missing – Joseph had been taken off by Hans-Petter and Kari to their home for an overnight stay and then on to preach in their church on the Sunday morning. We missed him but we learned later that he had had a great time and the Holy Spirit had been at the meeting in great power.
Sunday 9th May 2010. After a leisurely breakfast we all assembled in the main hall for the final meeting of the conference at 11.00 where the inspired worship was led by the school’s musicians. This was followed by the children’s group – ‘Kids for Christ’ – who performed two songs which included solo parts for some children in the ensemble. – Great!! Their final offering of praise and worship was the interpretation of a song through movement and dance. It was a delight to see them using the talents the Lord has given them and how these, inspired by the Holy Spirit can bless all those who see and hear them. Wonderful to see and hear.
There then followed a solo singing performance by a young Latvian student from the school who accompanied himself on the keyboard. It was a truly inspired performance; the Lord has blessed him with a wonderfully rich baritone voice – a voice which deserves to be heard by a much larger audience.
Peter then commented on the inspirational time of worship and praise we had heard and on the presence of angels in the room worshipping and praising God in harmony with us. He then went on to say that ‘this is a time for saying yes to God’ and reminded us of the first miracle that Jesus performed at the wedding at Cana in Galilee when the wine ran out. After telling Jesus about the situation, Mary, Jesus’ mother went to the servants who had to deal with the problem and said, ‘Do what ever He tells you’. That is to say, ‘Yes Lord’. Prophecies were given by Peter for the church and school – about its future in terms of changes to its use and ministry in encouraging ways. Eg. New and different buildings, closer cooperation with other bible schools, and an expansion of activities and influence in many ways. Individual prophecies for the children in the hall were then given. Making reference to the prophecies which had just been given, Peter came back to his theme of ‘It is a time (or a season) for saying ‘Yes Lord’. He then said ‘that if you want to move into a closer relationship with the Lord, it has to be the season for saying Yes’. A relationship with the Lord can only be built through your own personal effort. Whilst other people’s knowledge and personal experience of the Lord is interesting to hear, they cannot be put on like a cloak to become your knowledge and experience. You need to develop your own understanding and experience of God by engaging with Him through His Holy Spirit. You need to make your own cloak / mantle! So it is a time for saying ‘Yes Lord’.
Individual prayer, anointing with oil and the laying on of hands for those who wanted further ministry took place and brought the final session of the conference to an end.
The remainder of the day was free for a time of relaxation and reflection. However, an invitation was extended to the team to join some of the school staff, their families and some students who were going ten-pin bowling at the local sports facility, John accepted and had a great time of competitive fellowship with this delightful group of people.
This was also the time to start breaking up the team. Jonathan had to be back in the UK to start work on Monday, so he and David & Ruben left for Torp airport.
Monday 10th May 2010. This was the day for departures and team members dispersing back to their own countries throughout the day. John & Grace, Ton & Joke to Holland. Tonny and Karston to Denmark. Peter, Jean, John & Joseph to the UK, whilst Keith and Ruth stayed on for a few extra days with Robin in Fredrickstad. Finally, many thanks to the staff and students at the school for making us feel welcome. We would like to give special thanks to Reidar Gamst, the school principal for allowing us to use the wonderful facilities at the school, and his wife and her staff for looking after us so well. What a blessing to have a highly skilled baker on the staff – what a range of breads and pastries – wonderful.
Thank you and God bless you all.
The bulk of the UK contingent departed Stansted at 13.45 on Thursday 6th May. This consisted of Peter, Keith, Ruth, John & Jean and Joseph – a pastor from the gypsy church in East London. We arrived at Torp about 16.30 local time, to be taken by Tommy and Robin to Horten and on to a ferry to Moss on the eastern side of the Oslo fjord. During the 30-40 minutes journey across the fjord, we all enjoyed a picnic provided by Robin – how thoughtful of him!
From Moss, we were driven to Rolvsoy to the home of Hans Nielsen Hauge near the town of Sarpsborg where Hans Petter and Kari Thue were waiting to welcome us to the church built on the site adjacent to the house in commemoration of the events that took place there. Hauge’s life in the history of Christianity in Norway is significant in that on April 5th 1796 whilst ploughing a field on the family farm and singing and praising God, the Holy Spirit fell upon him filling him with a certainty that he had a call to witness to others. He began that same day – firstly to his sisters, then the rest of his family, then the village, then the nearby villages, then in 1797 by travelling around large part if the country.
We were privileged to have a privately arranged conducted tour of the house with a well informed guide, courtesy of Hans-Petter & Kari. Before leaving, we all gathered for prayer in the small bedroom where Hauge made his first witness to his two sisters – the room that Peter had said was the place in the house where the anointing was when we first entered the building and before we were told by our guide that it was the girls’ bedroom! The prayer was inspired and followed by prophesies and words of knowledge pertaining to the revival coming to Norway.
Then it was back to the ferry at Moss. Travelling as foot passengers this time, we crossed over the Oslo fjord to Horten to be met by Reidar Gamst, Principal of the bible school and a big red bus! It was a forty minute ride to the Kraftskolen site and so to bed – but not until we had our usual end-of-day review meeting I the conference room!
Friday 7th May – The day dawned bright and sunny for those of us already at the school and following a late breakfast, we were able to relax whilst we waited for the other members of the ministry team to arrive, These included John and Grace, together with Ton and Joke from Holland; Tonny and Karsten from Denmark: David and Ruben from Spain, but travelling the last leg of the journey from the UK with Jonathan. Arrivals took place throughout the day, but in good time for the opening meeting of the conference programme scheduled to start at 19.30hrs.
The worship band for this meeting consisted of several students and led from the keyboard by Pastor Joseph from Moss. It was an inspired time of praise and worship with the anointing of the Holy Spirit being felt by all in the hall, particularly when the song ‘Sing Hallelujah to the Lord’ was being sung in tongues.
Reidar Gamst, the school principal, then introduced Peter to the conference delegates and asked him to say something about the teams that had come from Denmark, Holland, Spain and UK. Peter in turn asked Grace to share about what had been happening in Holland following the series of visits made by RoFMI teams since early January 2010. The first, a three day visit to an Iranian church in Almere to pray for the healing of the Pastor’s wife, was made by Peter and John. This was followed by a visit by Peter, Chris and John to John and Grace’s church in Wieringerwerf in northern Holland and another to a rehabilitation centre in Amsterdam for drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes – a further visit, this time to Arnhem, was cancelled because of the volcanic ash but has been re-arranged for late May with Peter, John and Keith as the team. A special deliverance ministries team consisting of Keith and Jean Perrin were with John and Grace from 30th April to 4th May 2010. In general, what Grace reported was uplifting and encouraging with individuals’ being healed, released from bondages into a new freedom and experience of the loving embrace of God’s Holy Spirit and a rising expectancy for a powerful revival though Holland. Grace closed her summary with the comment that having witnessed how the Lord had ministered through Jean and Keith that everyone needs deliverance from the past and to be free of the bondages that hold them back in their Christian walk.
Peter then shared a little about what was happening around Europe and invited Joseph to speak about some of his experiences when ministering in gypsy churches in Romania. He related three events all of which had been prophesied to him by Peter before he left the UK, to which I can give witness – I (John Jordan) was there when they were given. One was that he would be used to heal a woman with cataracts, Shortly after the prophecy was given he went to minister in Canada but it was not fulfilled; he then went to Africa and again the prophecy was not fulfilled; but, when in Romania, a woman came to him and said her daughter had cataracts to which he responded by saying that she was already healed, that the Lord had done it. Her mother telephoned the hospital to ask about her daughter to be told she was signing herself out having been healed and could see and didn’t need the proposed surgery! Praise God!
Another prophetic word was that he would be ministering to a man who would get down on all-fours, bark like a dog and run away from him. It happened in Romania when he was told about a man who beat and battered his wife and children – so much so, that his wife had lost an ear and walked with a limp: the children were disabled – he used to pick them up by their feet, swing them around his head and then hit them against the wall so that may of their joints were damaged or dislocated and bones broken. Joseph asked for the man to come to him for prayer and as soon as the prayer began the man got down on all-fours and ran away from him like a dog. Joseph gave chase and caught him by the neck and held him down and commanded the demon in him to go in the name of Jesus. Immediately the man quietened down and asked Joseph to let him get up and when he did he looked much younger and began to speak in tongues. The next time Joseph saw him, he was holding his children in his arms cuddling and kissing them and then he gave Joseph a hug – a man released and restored! What a God we serve.
The final prophesy is even more remarkable – that he would raise somebody from the dead. The story is that a mother was at home with her three children and suddenly collapsed and died. She was about 35 years old. She was taken to the local hospital and following a physical examination declared dead, a death certificate issued and her body transferred to the morgue and into refrigerated storage pending burial. The children, who had been brought up in a Christian home came to Joseph and asked if he would go with them to the morgue and pray for their mother to be restored to them. He agreed and they all went to the morgue and asked to be allowed to pray over her. “But she has been dead for nine hours” said the doctor, but he finally agreed to have her body brought out of the refrigerator. They surrounded her and not accepting what their eyes could see but believing what their hearts were telling them, they all prayed. She sat up and after getting dressed they took her home where she immediately took control and prepared a meal for all the children and a cup of tea for Joseph. As it happened in Jesus’ time so it is happening today. What a great, gracious and generous God we serve. Praise His Name.
Peter then extended an invitation to those wishing to have prayer for healing. Many came forward and received blessing, release and restoration and the session ended about 22.30.
Finally the team returned to the conference room for the end-of-day unwinding session and a review of the day before going off to bed.
Saturday 8th May 2010. Following a wonderful breakfast at 09.00 the conference reconvened in the main hall at 10.00. The theme for the day was ‘Encountering the Prophetic’. Following a time of praise and worship and prayer, Peter introduced the topic by relating some examples of prophetic words and their outworking. He recalled the stranger he met who told him that he would be speaking to people of many nations some time before he started his travels to Scandinavia and other European countries – a prophecy that took time to come to pass. He then told of the prophecy he gave to a pastor of a Spanish church – that God would provide them with a building to be used by his church in working with refugees, Within weeks the local city council gave him a building free of charge for his use – a quick result this time.
Another prophecy, given to a couple who, for medical/physical reasons, could not possibly conceive, was that they would have children. Within 10-11 months of the prophecy being given the wife was delivered of a 4+ kg boy in April this year, Isn’t God gracious?
Peter then concluded by saying ‘that if prophecy is so good and brings such benefits shouldn’t the church pay more attention to the prophets’? Then ‘Who would like to be a prophet? But before you decide, listen to Keith’s basic teaching on prophecy’.
Keith in his excellent presentation spread over the two morning sessions (10.00 – 11.30 and 12.00 – 14.00) presented a series of questions most commonly asked about prophecy and then went on to provide answers and guidance. The questions were; What is prophecy? What should our attitude to prophecy be? What types of prophecy are there? What is the importance of prophecy today? Who can prophecy today? What sort of people are prophets? How are prophecies received and conveyed? Should we expect all prophecies to be 100% accurate? How should we respond to prophecy? And finally – How can we receive prophecy today? The session closed with prayer led by Keith and we all adjourned to the dining room for another excellent meal provided by Reidar’s wife, Anne Karin and her team of helpers.
The next session of the day (15.30 – 18.00) opened with a time of praise and worship following which Peter expanded on the theme of the programme giving numerous examples of prophetic words and their fulfilment. Peter then invited the team members to speak out the prophetic words that the Lord had given them for Norway – words for the nation. Words were given by Karsten from Denmark, Ton from Holland, David from Spain and Peter and John from the UK.
Following this there was a time of ministry and impartation for those wanting to have the gift of prophecy. The ministry was wide ranging and all those who came forward were blessed in some way through empowerment in the gifts of the Spirit, encouragement, healing, release from bondage and restoration. A blessed time indeed. Hallelujah!
After a break for an evening meal the evening session began at 19.30 when a time of praise and worship was provided by a band of young people from Oslo led by Johannes Groth, son of Hans-Erik, together with three other young men and Maria, daughter of Hans-Erik. Johannes was one of the young men who came to the Per Soetorp concert in Oslo to ask Peter if he would go to their party and ‘bring the word of the Lord to them’ (a full account of this event was given in the RoFMI visit to Norway report 19-22 March 2010).
Following this time of anointed worship and praise by the band, which is based at the Philadelphia Church in Oslo, Peter invited Johannes to give a testimony as to what happened at the party in March 2010. He described the events after Peter had left their flat, about their inability to worship and the Lord’s prompting to repent, resulting in the formation of a circle in which they all confessed their sins to one another and repented, symbolically throwing their confessed sins into the centre of the circle for the Lord to destroy them by fire. Since that time, many of those involved say they are fearless in speaking about Jesus to young people – they go out into the streets of Oslo and preach Jesus at every opportunity. The results have been amazing – many young people have come to the Lord and are seeking fellowship and greater understanding; to-date a large number of young people have been touched by this street ministry. Wow!
Then there followed a time for ministry to many people at the meeting after which Peter asked the band to play another set of songs the first of which was a beautiful solo piece sung by Maria. Another period of anointed praise and worship ensued whilst those still requiring prayer were ministered to in the quieter parts of the school.
As usual the team ended the day in the conference room for a final review of the day’s events and to have sometime to relax and unwind before going to bed. However, one of the team was missing – Joseph had been taken off by Hans-Petter and Kari to their home for an overnight stay and then on to preach in their church on the Sunday morning. We missed him but we learned later that he had had a great time and the Holy Spirit had been at the meeting in great power.
Sunday 9th May 2010. After a leisurely breakfast we all assembled in the main hall for the final meeting of the conference at 11.00 where the inspired worship was led by the school’s musicians. This was followed by the children’s group – ‘Kids for Christ’ – who performed two songs which included solo parts for some children in the ensemble. – Great!! Their final offering of praise and worship was the interpretation of a song through movement and dance. It was a delight to see them using the talents the Lord has given them and how these, inspired by the Holy Spirit can bless all those who see and hear them. Wonderful to see and hear.
There then followed a solo singing performance by a young Latvian student from the school who accompanied himself on the keyboard. It was a truly inspired performance; the Lord has blessed him with a wonderfully rich baritone voice – a voice which deserves to be heard by a much larger audience.
Peter then commented on the inspirational time of worship and praise we had heard and on the presence of angels in the room worshipping and praising God in harmony with us. He then went on to say that ‘this is a time for saying yes to God’ and reminded us of the first miracle that Jesus performed at the wedding at Cana in Galilee when the wine ran out. After telling Jesus about the situation, Mary, Jesus’ mother went to the servants who had to deal with the problem and said, ‘Do what ever He tells you’. That is to say, ‘Yes Lord’. Prophecies were given by Peter for the church and school – about its future in terms of changes to its use and ministry in encouraging ways. Eg. New and different buildings, closer cooperation with other bible schools, and an expansion of activities and influence in many ways. Individual prophecies for the children in the hall were then given. Making reference to the prophecies which had just been given, Peter came back to his theme of ‘It is a time (or a season) for saying ‘Yes Lord’. He then said ‘that if you want to move into a closer relationship with the Lord, it has to be the season for saying Yes’. A relationship with the Lord can only be built through your own personal effort. Whilst other people’s knowledge and personal experience of the Lord is interesting to hear, they cannot be put on like a cloak to become your knowledge and experience. You need to develop your own understanding and experience of God by engaging with Him through His Holy Spirit. You need to make your own cloak / mantle! So it is a time for saying ‘Yes Lord’.
Individual prayer, anointing with oil and the laying on of hands for those who wanted further ministry took place and brought the final session of the conference to an end.
The remainder of the day was free for a time of relaxation and reflection. However, an invitation was extended to the team to join some of the school staff, their families and some students who were going ten-pin bowling at the local sports facility, John accepted and had a great time of competitive fellowship with this delightful group of people.
This was also the time to start breaking up the team. Jonathan had to be back in the UK to start work on Monday, so he and David & Ruben left for Torp airport.
Monday 10th May 2010. This was the day for departures and team members dispersing back to their own countries throughout the day. John & Grace, Ton & Joke to Holland. Tonny and Karston to Denmark. Peter, Jean, John & Joseph to the UK, whilst Keith and Ruth stayed on for a few extra days with Robin in Fredrickstad. Finally, many thanks to the staff and students at the school for making us feel welcome. We would like to give special thanks to Reidar Gamst, the school principal for allowing us to use the wonderful facilities at the school, and his wife and her staff for looking after us so well. What a blessing to have a highly skilled baker on the staff – what a range of breads and pastries – wonderful.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Thursday 13 May 2010
Loosen up, Chill out, and Change
I have recently felt a calling on my life to travel further, perhaps to the US and Australia (hereinafter known as Oz). Asked about this I responded that my thoughts on the US and Oz, US in particular, are that 'familiarity breeds contempt'. That’s a bit strong but hey – who’s writing this. I am not known for pulling punches so I am certainly not going to start now.
The vast majority of US or Oz churches are so full of their own local teaching that they really do need a shot in the arm from outside their narrow little parochial boundaries. Why me? I have no idea – it could actually be anybody. I will probably upset too many people – good tithing people too!! Can’t be having that.
Actually, churches worldwide, except where they are very young vibrant churches like in China, are all growing stale because they will not step anywhere outside their own comfort zone. They do not want to hear new ideas because, usually, this means change and folk don’t like change.
Can you imagine a church, deep in Oz or US sheep farming territory, where the men dance, hug, and even kiss each other ??? Shock – Horror. “No no no no no - real men don’t do that - only pouves do that sort of thing.” Yet in many Mediterranean countries and in ALL Arab countries; the men dance together, and to meet and NOT hug and then kiss on the cheek is a gross insult. Even the big burly Russians and other eastern Europeans do it. The Bible says to do it - "greet each other with the kiss of love" - and before any macho man jumps up and down it is not talking about anything except Christian love and fellowship.
Hugging, dancing, and yes, even kissing - it’s all about getting away from the same old same old and getting the fun and the JOY back into our meetings rather than maintaining the old, miserable, status quo. I am not advocating ‘fun and joy’ at the expense of Jesus. I mean fun and joy with the Lord. Do you think heaven doesn’t sing and dance and thoroughly enjoy themselves ?? Of course they do. Heaven is going to be a blast for me and you but to some it will come as a huge culture shock. “Oh we didn’t do that where I went to church.”
Why not? and please - get used to it.
Heaven is a joyful place. Our churches are NOT – in fact in some I have actually heard rebukes given for laughing out loud !!
I can tell you now that when Jesus returns let’s see how many pastors or shepherds are still in position. Let’s see how many congregations are still together. Let’s see how many people still sit in seat 1 pew number 4 ‘because I’ve sat there for thirty years’ !!! When He returns there will be a heaven of a change in most of our churches !!
Please guys - Loosen up, chill out, and CHANGE.
The vast majority of US or Oz churches are so full of their own local teaching that they really do need a shot in the arm from outside their narrow little parochial boundaries. Why me? I have no idea – it could actually be anybody. I will probably upset too many people – good tithing people too!! Can’t be having that.
Actually, churches worldwide, except where they are very young vibrant churches like in China, are all growing stale because they will not step anywhere outside their own comfort zone. They do not want to hear new ideas because, usually, this means change and folk don’t like change.
Can you imagine a church, deep in Oz or US sheep farming territory, where the men dance, hug, and even kiss each other ??? Shock – Horror. “No no no no no - real men don’t do that - only pouves do that sort of thing.” Yet in many Mediterranean countries and in ALL Arab countries; the men dance together, and to meet and NOT hug and then kiss on the cheek is a gross insult. Even the big burly Russians and other eastern Europeans do it. The Bible says to do it - "greet each other with the kiss of love" - and before any macho man jumps up and down it is not talking about anything except Christian love and fellowship.
Hugging, dancing, and yes, even kissing - it’s all about getting away from the same old same old and getting the fun and the JOY back into our meetings rather than maintaining the old, miserable, status quo. I am not advocating ‘fun and joy’ at the expense of Jesus. I mean fun and joy with the Lord. Do you think heaven doesn’t sing and dance and thoroughly enjoy themselves ?? Of course they do. Heaven is going to be a blast for me and you but to some it will come as a huge culture shock. “Oh we didn’t do that where I went to church.”
Why not? and please - get used to it.
Heaven is a joyful place. Our churches are NOT – in fact in some I have actually heard rebukes given for laughing out loud !!
I can tell you now that when Jesus returns let’s see how many pastors or shepherds are still in position. Let’s see how many congregations are still together. Let’s see how many people still sit in seat 1 pew number 4 ‘because I’ve sat there for thirty years’ !!! When He returns there will be a heaven of a change in most of our churches !!
Please guys - Loosen up, chill out, and CHANGE.
Sunday 9 May 2010
Entering the Very Presence of God
Exodus 28 The Priestly Garments
34-35 “The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die.”
What on earth is this all about? What a palaver – I mean – what a way to get dressed up. Yet notice with me please six little words “so that he will not die” This is all about being properly prepared to face the Lord your God. This is about being in an acceptable condition to be in His presence. After all, His full Name is The Lord God Almighty – Creator of Heaven and Earth.
In the days of Moses and Aaron, great reverence was given to Gods Name let alone His presence. With good cause too - look what happened to Uzzah in
1 Chronicles 13:8-10 (NIV)
“David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets. When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.”
With this sort of background information, what makes us think we are good enough to enter Gods presence. Oh I know – we can enter His presence because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. How very glib. How distinctly convenient for us! Who on earth do we think we are to enter into His wonderful presence with so much dirt on our hands – most of us. And don’t let that last remark make you feel clean cos, like me, you’re not clean !!
What a privilege to enter into the very presence of the living God. Remember what His Word says in Hebrews 10:31 “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Do you really think you can enter into His presence with your shortfalling almost a contempt for His Omnipotence and Holiness. Get real with yourself – please.
We need far greater personal holiness before we can enter His presence without fear. If He enters our meetings – that’s a different situation altogether. In that case He decides to ignore all of our shortfalls. When we enter into His presence however, we would do very well to remember just who He is and where we are !! I do not choose to nominate any particular shortfall on your behalf – that is an issue between you and the Lord – and no-one else unless it involves giving or asking to receive forgiveness. Simply ask the Holy Spirit to help you – it’s the main reason Jesus sent Him to us – as our Divine Helper.
Lord grant us to know what it is you require of us in order to be even a little holier than we are today. In Jesus Name we ask it. AMEN
34-35 “The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die.”
What on earth is this all about? What a palaver – I mean – what a way to get dressed up. Yet notice with me please six little words “so that he will not die” This is all about being properly prepared to face the Lord your God. This is about being in an acceptable condition to be in His presence. After all, His full Name is The Lord God Almighty – Creator of Heaven and Earth.
In the days of Moses and Aaron, great reverence was given to Gods Name let alone His presence. With good cause too - look what happened to Uzzah in
1 Chronicles 13:8-10 (NIV)
“David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets. When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.”
With this sort of background information, what makes us think we are good enough to enter Gods presence. Oh I know – we can enter His presence because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. How very glib. How distinctly convenient for us! Who on earth do we think we are to enter into His wonderful presence with so much dirt on our hands – most of us. And don’t let that last remark make you feel clean cos, like me, you’re not clean !!
What a privilege to enter into the very presence of the living God. Remember what His Word says in Hebrews 10:31 “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Do you really think you can enter into His presence with your shortfalling almost a contempt for His Omnipotence and Holiness. Get real with yourself – please.
We need far greater personal holiness before we can enter His presence without fear. If He enters our meetings – that’s a different situation altogether. In that case He decides to ignore all of our shortfalls. When we enter into His presence however, we would do very well to remember just who He is and where we are !! I do not choose to nominate any particular shortfall on your behalf – that is an issue between you and the Lord – and no-one else unless it involves giving or asking to receive forgiveness. Simply ask the Holy Spirit to help you – it’s the main reason Jesus sent Him to us – as our Divine Helper.
Lord grant us to know what it is you require of us in order to be even a little holier than we are today. In Jesus Name we ask it. AMEN
Friday 7 May 2010
Healing & Forgiveness
Healing & Forgiveness
I read this today - why I thought of you all, I don’t know. All I know is that I must pass it on
Jeremiah 15:16-21 (NIV) “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.
I never sat in the company of revellers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?
Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD. "I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." “
I believe there are many of our number who are hurting right now, some quite badly. I believe the Lord wants to heal those hurts. So why should any of us who have been hurt repent?? I believe it is so we can forgive those who have hurt us in order to allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to move in our own lives and heal us. Without forgiveness from us there can be no forgiveness for us and therefore we block the way to our healing and freedom. Also, as this scripture reminds us, we are spokesmen of the Lord and He wants to restore us and use us in His divine service.
If something is stopping this happening in your life, I urge you to act NOW and get it out of the way so that your service to the Kingdom of God may continue un-challenged by the enemy. For if there is anything in the way, trust me, Satan will challenge and oppose you.
I am not a trained counsellor but I am a good listener so if you want me to help you in any way that I am able – then it’s yours. Like one or two others here, I am here for each and every one of you – 24/7 !! I really do mean that too. Just Tweet me @cgbrofmi or email me cgbgosport@ntlworld.com
I love you all so much because Jesus loves me and all the rest of us so much.
A great big God Bless You to you all today
Chris @cgbrofmi
I read this today - why I thought of you all, I don’t know. All I know is that I must pass it on
Jeremiah 15:16-21 (NIV) “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.
I never sat in the company of revellers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?
Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD. "I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." “
I believe there are many of our number who are hurting right now, some quite badly. I believe the Lord wants to heal those hurts. So why should any of us who have been hurt repent?? I believe it is so we can forgive those who have hurt us in order to allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to move in our own lives and heal us. Without forgiveness from us there can be no forgiveness for us and therefore we block the way to our healing and freedom. Also, as this scripture reminds us, we are spokesmen of the Lord and He wants to restore us and use us in His divine service.
If something is stopping this happening in your life, I urge you to act NOW and get it out of the way so that your service to the Kingdom of God may continue un-challenged by the enemy. For if there is anything in the way, trust me, Satan will challenge and oppose you.
I am not a trained counsellor but I am a good listener so if you want me to help you in any way that I am able – then it’s yours. Like one or two others here, I am here for each and every one of you – 24/7 !! I really do mean that too. Just Tweet me @cgbrofmi or email me cgbgosport@ntlworld.com
I love you all so much because Jesus loves me and all the rest of us so much.
A great big God Bless You to you all today
Chris @cgbrofmi
Thursday 6 May 2010
REPORT ON RoFMI TRIP TO HOLLAND
30 APRIL - 4 MAY 2010
Peter threw us (Keith and Jean Perrin) in the deep end this last weekend, sending us on our own, without the comforting presence of any other team members, to take a 4 day conference on spiritual warfare at the House of the Lord, International Christian Center in Wieringerwerf, Holland.
We have to confess we were somewhat nervous but we shouldn't have worried because our amazing God was with us every moment and poured out his anointing and blessing in a way that left us even more in awe of Him.
After rising at the unearthly hour of 3.45 am we made our way to Peter's home and he and Glenys drove us to the airport to catch the 7am flight to Amsterdam, where we were met by our host Jan van Damme. He then drove us to the lovely house beside their church centre where we were welcomed and fed, by his daughter Marcia and her husband Jan Rudolph and their two delightful children. Jan's wife, Grace, soon also joined us and we spent a few hours getting to know the family and exchanging experiences of the Lord's work in our lives.
A couple of hours sleep refreshed us enough to be ready for the first meeting of the conference at 7.30pm. Keith and I shared the teaching on spiritual warfare and deliverance over several sessions on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. There were probably 30 to 40 people at each session and we commend them for their staying power as the sessions were long and in depth, but they all seemed so desperate for breakthrough in their lives that they soaked up all we were sharing with them. Many people came for prayer after each session and we ministered to them often until well after midnight in the evening sessions and in the afternoons practically up to the start of the evening meeting, with quick breaks for food. The earliest we were in bed on any day was about 1.45 am. We were also able to minister some deep healing and deliverance to about 10 people during the weekend giving them 2to 3 hour sessions which was wonderful, as the Lord unbound the chains of years of bondage to the enemy and brought healing to areas of deep trauma and wounding from childhood and even in the womb, to see joy light up their faces as they began to experience freedom, in some cases, for the first time in their lives was something to behold. Some had grown up in Africa where witchcraft and voodoo had been the norm in their family lives and God delivered them. Others had lived with rejection, low self worth and a complete lack of love all their lives and God delivered them and poured His love into them.
Even as I write this report I can feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit which flooded the building as the worship group led us into that place with the Lord where He just poured out His love and healing on His people. It was also so special to see the excitement of Grace and Jan as they began to catch hold of the teaching and see how God was going to enable them to use it to carry the church forward into the vision He had given them and which they had been holding onto waiting for His perfect timing and direction. These two are such a special couple, together with their family. We felt such a bond with them all. The Lord has given them so much compassion for hurting and broken people and I believe He is going to use them in a mighty way to restore many.
On Sunday morning Keith spoke powerfully on "What is Love". I loved this example he gave at the beginning where he said action spoke louder than any words. "The elderly gentleman next door had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the old man crying, his neighbour's four year old son went into the old man's yard, climbed onto his lap and sat there. Later, when his mother asked him what he had said to the old gentleman, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him to cry!'"
Keith went on to talk about God's love for us and how He longs for us to spend time with Him, just being with Him, listening to Him instead of only coming with our prayer shopping lists. We had talked with Grace before the meeting and said we felt it would be good to introduce a time of 'Soaking in the Lord's Presence' after this message and she readily agreed. So following a short break for a drink, everyone settled themselves down around the room, either with their feet up on another chair or lying on cushions on the floor and we put on some quiet 'soaking' music and began resting in the Lord's presence for about an hour. To our surprise even the children joined in.
At the end Grace asked if anyone had a testimony they would like to share about their time of soaking and several people came up to the front and told how God had spoken to them in pictures, visions and words. It was an amazing time. Two of the children came out. One young 9 year old girl had been writing away on the floor and I thought she was just amusing herself whilst the adults did what they were doing, but she told us that she had seen Jesus and He had shown her a mansion in heaven and taken her to see her room which He said she could have because she believed in Him and loved Him! A young boy, probably about 10 years old, also came out to tell us that although he always went to church and knew he should read his bible he didn't do it very often, even though he kept promising himself that he would. He said, "I just didn't really want to, but after we all prayed the prayer at the end of the deliverance teaching sessions, I suddenly found that I really wanted to read the Bible and now I can't put it down"!! His eyes were really shining as he spoke.
Most of the rest of Sunday and all day Monday until the evening session was taken up with the individual in depth sessions with various people.
The Monday evening meeting was on the programme as a Healing Room. It started at 7.30pm and after more anointed worship Keith gave a short talk on what God's Word says about healing and how Jesus said in John 14: 12-14, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father………." Then the people were invited to come forward if they needed healing, physical, emotional or whatever. Again we were praying for some long time as many came forward. God did amazing things. Two people had their leg lengthened, so backs and hips came back into line to release them from pain. One of those was a lady who had been prayed for the day before because she was having trouble in her pregnancy, the baby had stopped growing and the uterus had already grown to its fullest extent, and the medical people were very worried about it. After we prayed she had gone back to the hospital and she was given the news that the uterus was now OK and the baby had begun to grow again!!
Another elderly lady asked for prayer to be cut off from something generational. She said there was a history of psoriasis in the family, which would either manifest as the skin disease or as very bad rheumatism. In her case she had the rheumatism and for several weeks it had attacked her feet and she could hardly walk. We cut her off from the generational curse, and asked her to forgive whoever had caused this curse to come about and prayed for her to be healed. As we prayed she said, "Ooh, I can feel the Holy Spirit going right down into my toes." At the end of the evening she testified that all the pain had gone and she proved it by dancing at the front of the church!! What a wonderful Saviour we have. But for Jesus and His willingness to walk the way of the cross none of this could happen.
Others experienced God's love as He released them from fears. Many were set free from feelings of rejection, uselessness and lack of self worth. Two young girls who had both suffered all of this from their childhood, having received no love in their lives as children were set free from the demonic that had latched on to them in these areas and began to sense what freedom was like. We hadn't known anything about them at the time except what they told us but afterwards I was told that in the church they had always been rebellious and had no time at all for any elderly people. At the end of the service they were seen in deep conversation with an older lady who had happened to testify to the fact that God had shown her this weekend that many years ago in her teenage years she had dishonoured her parents by rebelling against their advice about the person she chose to marry. She had then suffered many years of abuse at the hands of her husband and recently had been so depressed that she had even had thoughts of not wanting to go on living. God had set her free of all of this the day before, even to the fact that she was now able to smile and sing again. She said that her face muscles had become so stiff and set that she was unable to do these things before the Lord touched her. She was so animated and excited that these two young girls must have seen something in her they could relate to and we pray that it will help them to see their lives turned around.
What a weekend! What an awesome God! We praise Him for all that was accomplished in those 4 days, for all the lives changed, for bondages removed and for all that He has in store for the wonderful people in that Church. Please pray for Jan and Grace as they step out and move forward in all God has prepared for them.
Jean & Keith Perrin, RoFMI 5 May 2010
Peter threw us (Keith and Jean Perrin) in the deep end this last weekend, sending us on our own, without the comforting presence of any other team members, to take a 4 day conference on spiritual warfare at the House of the Lord, International Christian Center in Wieringerwerf, Holland.
We have to confess we were somewhat nervous but we shouldn't have worried because our amazing God was with us every moment and poured out his anointing and blessing in a way that left us even more in awe of Him.
After rising at the unearthly hour of 3.45 am we made our way to Peter's home and he and Glenys drove us to the airport to catch the 7am flight to Amsterdam, where we were met by our host Jan van Damme. He then drove us to the lovely house beside their church centre where we were welcomed and fed, by his daughter Marcia and her husband Jan Rudolph and their two delightful children. Jan's wife, Grace, soon also joined us and we spent a few hours getting to know the family and exchanging experiences of the Lord's work in our lives.
A couple of hours sleep refreshed us enough to be ready for the first meeting of the conference at 7.30pm. Keith and I shared the teaching on spiritual warfare and deliverance over several sessions on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. There were probably 30 to 40 people at each session and we commend them for their staying power as the sessions were long and in depth, but they all seemed so desperate for breakthrough in their lives that they soaked up all we were sharing with them. Many people came for prayer after each session and we ministered to them often until well after midnight in the evening sessions and in the afternoons practically up to the start of the evening meeting, with quick breaks for food. The earliest we were in bed on any day was about 1.45 am. We were also able to minister some deep healing and deliverance to about 10 people during the weekend giving them 2to 3 hour sessions which was wonderful, as the Lord unbound the chains of years of bondage to the enemy and brought healing to areas of deep trauma and wounding from childhood and even in the womb, to see joy light up their faces as they began to experience freedom, in some cases, for the first time in their lives was something to behold. Some had grown up in Africa where witchcraft and voodoo had been the norm in their family lives and God delivered them. Others had lived with rejection, low self worth and a complete lack of love all their lives and God delivered them and poured His love into them.
Even as I write this report I can feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit which flooded the building as the worship group led us into that place with the Lord where He just poured out His love and healing on His people. It was also so special to see the excitement of Grace and Jan as they began to catch hold of the teaching and see how God was going to enable them to use it to carry the church forward into the vision He had given them and which they had been holding onto waiting for His perfect timing and direction. These two are such a special couple, together with their family. We felt such a bond with them all. The Lord has given them so much compassion for hurting and broken people and I believe He is going to use them in a mighty way to restore many.
On Sunday morning Keith spoke powerfully on "What is Love". I loved this example he gave at the beginning where he said action spoke louder than any words. "The elderly gentleman next door had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the old man crying, his neighbour's four year old son went into the old man's yard, climbed onto his lap and sat there. Later, when his mother asked him what he had said to the old gentleman, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him to cry!'"
Keith went on to talk about God's love for us and how He longs for us to spend time with Him, just being with Him, listening to Him instead of only coming with our prayer shopping lists. We had talked with Grace before the meeting and said we felt it would be good to introduce a time of 'Soaking in the Lord's Presence' after this message and she readily agreed. So following a short break for a drink, everyone settled themselves down around the room, either with their feet up on another chair or lying on cushions on the floor and we put on some quiet 'soaking' music and began resting in the Lord's presence for about an hour. To our surprise even the children joined in.
At the end Grace asked if anyone had a testimony they would like to share about their time of soaking and several people came up to the front and told how God had spoken to them in pictures, visions and words. It was an amazing time. Two of the children came out. One young 9 year old girl had been writing away on the floor and I thought she was just amusing herself whilst the adults did what they were doing, but she told us that she had seen Jesus and He had shown her a mansion in heaven and taken her to see her room which He said she could have because she believed in Him and loved Him! A young boy, probably about 10 years old, also came out to tell us that although he always went to church and knew he should read his bible he didn't do it very often, even though he kept promising himself that he would. He said, "I just didn't really want to, but after we all prayed the prayer at the end of the deliverance teaching sessions, I suddenly found that I really wanted to read the Bible and now I can't put it down"!! His eyes were really shining as he spoke.
Most of the rest of Sunday and all day Monday until the evening session was taken up with the individual in depth sessions with various people.
The Monday evening meeting was on the programme as a Healing Room. It started at 7.30pm and after more anointed worship Keith gave a short talk on what God's Word says about healing and how Jesus said in John 14: 12-14, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father………." Then the people were invited to come forward if they needed healing, physical, emotional or whatever. Again we were praying for some long time as many came forward. God did amazing things. Two people had their leg lengthened, so backs and hips came back into line to release them from pain. One of those was a lady who had been prayed for the day before because she was having trouble in her pregnancy, the baby had stopped growing and the uterus had already grown to its fullest extent, and the medical people were very worried about it. After we prayed she had gone back to the hospital and she was given the news that the uterus was now OK and the baby had begun to grow again!!
Another elderly lady asked for prayer to be cut off from something generational. She said there was a history of psoriasis in the family, which would either manifest as the skin disease or as very bad rheumatism. In her case she had the rheumatism and for several weeks it had attacked her feet and she could hardly walk. We cut her off from the generational curse, and asked her to forgive whoever had caused this curse to come about and prayed for her to be healed. As we prayed she said, "Ooh, I can feel the Holy Spirit going right down into my toes." At the end of the evening she testified that all the pain had gone and she proved it by dancing at the front of the church!! What a wonderful Saviour we have. But for Jesus and His willingness to walk the way of the cross none of this could happen.
Others experienced God's love as He released them from fears. Many were set free from feelings of rejection, uselessness and lack of self worth. Two young girls who had both suffered all of this from their childhood, having received no love in their lives as children were set free from the demonic that had latched on to them in these areas and began to sense what freedom was like. We hadn't known anything about them at the time except what they told us but afterwards I was told that in the church they had always been rebellious and had no time at all for any elderly people. At the end of the service they were seen in deep conversation with an older lady who had happened to testify to the fact that God had shown her this weekend that many years ago in her teenage years she had dishonoured her parents by rebelling against their advice about the person she chose to marry. She had then suffered many years of abuse at the hands of her husband and recently had been so depressed that she had even had thoughts of not wanting to go on living. God had set her free of all of this the day before, even to the fact that she was now able to smile and sing again. She said that her face muscles had become so stiff and set that she was unable to do these things before the Lord touched her. She was so animated and excited that these two young girls must have seen something in her they could relate to and we pray that it will help them to see their lives turned around.
What a weekend! What an awesome God! We praise Him for all that was accomplished in those 4 days, for all the lives changed, for bondages removed and for all that He has in store for the wonderful people in that Church. Please pray for Jan and Grace as they step out and move forward in all God has prepared for them.
Jean & Keith Perrin, RoFMI 5 May 2010
Following Wigglesworth
I suspect there are many of us involved in some kind of public ministry – some sort of speaking ministry where we address a group of people – any number from 5 upwards. What does your message contain I wonder?
I was reading a book about Smith Wigglesworth today and there was something there that struck me so very forcibly. Wigglesworth’s messages always included two major aspects – self and signs & wonders. Let me explain that.
Many evangelicals speak only about dying to self and repentance without mention of the Holy Spirit and His power. Many charismatics and Pentecostals speak about all the power of the Holy Spirit “with signs and wonders following” but omit the power of the cross; the dying to self and repentance. Mr Wigglesworth miraculously included both – and look at the ministry of the man.
His only desire was that his listeners should see Jesus and Him crucified for our sin. When he spoke, Wigglesworth included the full gospel message AND the power of the Holy Spirit in us and with us. As a result people were spontaneously healed in his meetings – men broke down and repented in his presence – people were healed even as his shadow passed over them !!
I am wondering whether I, or even we have got this balance right. Do we omit the Gospel in our chasing after the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we preach only repentance and dying to self whilst omitting the power of the Holy Spirit? Revival will need both in equal measure so let us have more of both in our preaching.
I was reading a book about Smith Wigglesworth today and there was something there that struck me so very forcibly. Wigglesworth’s messages always included two major aspects – self and signs & wonders. Let me explain that.
Many evangelicals speak only about dying to self and repentance without mention of the Holy Spirit and His power. Many charismatics and Pentecostals speak about all the power of the Holy Spirit “with signs and wonders following” but omit the power of the cross; the dying to self and repentance. Mr Wigglesworth miraculously included both – and look at the ministry of the man.
His only desire was that his listeners should see Jesus and Him crucified for our sin. When he spoke, Wigglesworth included the full gospel message AND the power of the Holy Spirit in us and with us. As a result people were spontaneously healed in his meetings – men broke down and repented in his presence – people were healed even as his shadow passed over them !!
I am wondering whether I, or even we have got this balance right. Do we omit the Gospel in our chasing after the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we preach only repentance and dying to self whilst omitting the power of the Holy Spirit? Revival will need both in equal measure so let us have more of both in our preaching.
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