The Authority and Power of Christ

The Authority and Power of Christ

Today, I read this description of first century Christianity as detailed in the Book of Acts.

“Acts is a record of practicing Christianity under the power of the Holy Spirit. It teaches believers how to live together in meaningful Christian fellowship, sharing freely with one another. Conversely Acts also shows that Christians inevitably will have disagreements, but that God gives wisdom and grace to settle differences. Even though the early church had its share of strong personalities, there was still a willingness to listen and submit to one another. Probably the most prominent characteristic of the early Christians was their spiritual power. They fasted and prayed fervently and their faith released the miracle working power of God. Acts is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Signs followed those who believed!” NKJV Study Bible.

Just wondering if we can still learn a thing or two from them?

First we need to understand our authority in Jesus – something rarely taught. Jesus authority is probably first mentioned in Genesis 1:1 As the Son of God, and with the Holy Spirit, He has the same authority and power that God the Father used when He created everything – and, incredibly, Jesus passed that same power and authority on to us!! Is that not amazing?

Next, having once understood our authority, we need to practice our authority in Jesus.  Matthew 28:18-19 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” In this very short passage, Jesus send us out with His own authority and in His own Name. We have the authority of Christ, the mind of Christ, and the power of Christ through Holy Spirit a;; at our disposal. No wonder Paul says we are “more than conquerors”. We should be a rampaging unstoppable force.

As if this were not enough, we are told that wisdom and discernment are our weapons too. James 1 5-7 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;”

Yes – all we need is faith; belief in that which we do not see (Hebrews 11:1) With faith as small as a mustard seed we can move mountains. That is what Jesus told us. Is God a liar? Does He promise and not deliver?

Oh Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

Is this not what the first church was like? Is this not the power in which they moved? Were these things taken away from us when the last of the apostles died?

If the church today walked in the same faith, authority, and power as the first church . . . . . Can you even begin to imagine the difference?

Digging Old Wells

Digging Old Wells

I am not a great believer in “re-inventing the wheel”. So when, in a recent conversation, a friend mentioned certain quite famous Christians associated with our area, I seemed to get a prompt from the Lord about the wells that once had been dug in the region. These spiritual wells are probably centuries old, and have probably been ‘filled in’ for many years and generations. Yet it would seem profitable to re-dig them for the spiritual inheritance they contain that will serve this generation. Sure we could dig some new wells but the Lord is urging me to use what I already have at my disposal today.

For a start, the Wesley’s trod this area – look at what they planted and look at the wells dug as a result of their labours. Perhaps less well known, but also of serious impact, was one Henry Varley, (in whose church Gypsy Smith’s father got saved), born about 5 miles from my home town, who served all over the world and ministered with D L Moody when he came to our shores. Can I even imagine the wells available to me through his ministry? No, I cannot, but I can pray that the Lord helps us to re-dig those wells in order to benefit from the sowing and planting in this area over the past two or three centuries.

We may find, as did those who followed John G Lake’s footsteps to his original healing rooms in Spokane, that the wells dug by a previous generation have never been stopped up – merely hidden and covered, awaiting God’s leading to be rediscovered and re-opened so that the anointing may flow again. We have a heritage in our own back yard just waiting to be rediscovered and re-activated.

Why not seek God for His guidance on the old wells in your own area. This may not be for everyone but it may just be for you. I know that in our area of England is the highest concentration of medieval churches in the UK. Wells from 600 to 900 years old just waiting to be discovered and opened up again.

What an under-used legacy that may be?

Philip Airlines

Philip Airlines

When Philip was on his travels, he encountered the Ethiopian on the road to Gaza – the story is in Acts 8:26-40. The important bit for today is in the final two verses 39-40 where it says, “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.  Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” The Lord transported Philip to somewhere called Azotus which I understand is about 35 miles away.

I have often found that many of the most interesting and educational points in many Bible stories  are in the detail rather than in the main body. Here God is showing us that time and space are as nothing to Him. He is Lord even of time and space – after all He did create them too. Here, in this story, God physically moves Philip quite some distance in the blink of an eye.

This ‘transporting’ still happens today. I jokingly call this ‘Philip Airlines’.

We have many well documented examples of this phenomenon in action. We have seen it in our ministry and I know two people to whom this has happened. This may well be one of the “greater things than these will you do” that Jesus referred to. We had a man transported into one of our meetings in Spain. There was the man who was transported to a prayer group in China from his office in the USA. At the end of the meeting he was transported back to his office building again. He later received an email from the Chinese pastor he had met and prayed with. There was a pastor running late for an important meeting who picked up his briefcase from a closet and emerged from the closet in his own house  into the hallway of the meeting room 40 odd miles away – and his car was outside too.

So why do we still doubt that God can do all things? Why do we still question God as to His capability in our lives?

We have a promise from Jesus Himself that “greater things than these shall you do”. We have well documented and proven examples of miraculous happenings at God’s hands. We serve a mighty God. The Lord God Almighty is His name. ALL mighty, ALL powerful, ALL knowing, ALL wise, and ALL sufficient.

Isn’t that enough for you or do you still want even more from Him?

The Young and their Anointing

The Young and their Anointing

If you want proof that God has an anointing for the young, then look no further than your Bible. Just read Jeremiah chapter 1.

In Jeremiah 1 V3 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Before any of us were born, the Lord called and appointed us to our anointing and our ministry. I find that simply astonishing but also strangely comforting.

V9 “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” These verses take my breath away. Appointed over kingdoms! To uproot and tear down whatever He tells us to! To destroy and overthrow! To build and to plant! Is it any wonder many folk fear Christians – and Christians even fear prophets in particular – if this is their authority from God Himself?

V17“Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” A stark warning to do and to speak as He commands.

V18 & 19 “Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.  They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” Our protection is declared and assured because it is God’s Word.

God spoke these words to a young man, some say as young as 17 years old. He speaks them to us right now too. I am so excited by God’s Word. It leaves me shaking at each new revelation. I feel like writing a book on all of this but better men than I have already done so and I try never to re-invent the wheel.

Open your eyes people. When God speaks, things happen! Is He speaking to you? Are you listening and maybe obeying? If so, you can expect things to happen.

The younger generation is rising and the Lord is anointing them. Suppress that anointing at your own risk of losing tomorrow’s leaders today.

Memory Lane

Sunday Schools and After

What, I wonder are your memories of childhood Sunday School?

Mine start at age somewhere under 11, going to the old Congregational Church Sunday School in Nether Street. Accompanied by my older brother and sister, off we trotted, every Sunday morning, to the beautiful old church set back from the road, that was our home-from-home for a couple of hours. Oddly enough, I have no memory of the teachers or leaders – just of going with a few coppers in my pocket for the “collection”, or offering. Whatever their particular foibles, those old saints sowed a seed of faith into me that never left.

At age 11, my parents decided that an ‘all boys’ environment would suit me better. So without further ado I was enrolled in Crusaders – a sort of un-assigned Sunday School for both boys and girls albeit in separate locations. The inimitable Mr Gruneberg took charge of my Christian education for the next 4 to 5 years. We sang choruses instead of the old hymns we had to sing as 5 to 11 year olds. This was better – it was almost exciting. It really got exciting when I was considered old enough to go on their annual summer holiday retreats. It was on one of these retreats that I first felt the presence of Holy Spirit even if I didn’t have a clue as to what it was all about.

I graduated from there to youth clubs associated with local parish churches until at 19 I finally met my Saviour in an old Elim Church in North London. I became as religious as all my peers on Sundays whilst going out to the pub during the week. Basically, I had my heart broken and promptly ran away from God until I got baptised in the Spirit in 1989. But God never once left me. I knew His presence, especially when reading my Bible. Surprisingly, this was an activity I really enjoyed and I discovered the joy of a well marked Bible as soon as I discovered a ‘modern translation’ – The Good News Bible.

I doubt any of my old Sunday School teachers and leaders are still alive now, but I owe them a debt of gratitude for the seeds they sowed into me. So maybe it took something over 25 years to bear fruit but the seed was sown early on and nurtured by various people along the way. I tried teaching in a Sunday School once, a very long time ago. It was cringe worthy stuff, I’m sure of that. So I never tried it again.

It just goes to show that we all sow seeds and many times we never see the fruit. The blessed saints who sowed into my life will all receive their reward and maybe you and I will receive a reward for any seed we have sowed.

Just a short wander down memory lane – that’s all.

Hell is so Real

It’s the 11^th Hour

One of the best sermons on hell I have ever heard - and it's only 3 minutes long.  It is well worth the view.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SqJ7qb6eLI&feature=youtu.be  This video clip reminds us that not only are we in the 11^th hour but that we have a choice of our ultimate destination. So many folk are deliberately telling us there is no God therefore to believe in Him is both irrelevant and stupid. These folk are welcome to their view but I don’t share it.

Yet one has to ask why there is so much disbelief in the world. It’s not as though there is no-one trying to tell them otherwise – or is it? Here on FaceBook and other social media sites, we preach to the choir. We friend with people of like mind and views to ourselves. Nearly all of whatever we put out is to the saved. So why do people still not believe?

I believe it has nothing to do with our personal endeavours at evangelism. A very large portion of the blame for the unbelief in the world must lie at the church’s door. Not because they do not reach out to help and save people but because of their stunning and deafening silence on the state and morals of the nations. “Sin is not what society says it is. Sin is not what the media says it is. Sin is what God says it is, and His labels do not change.” John Hagee Ministries.

The great sin of the church itself today is its total dereliction of duty to uphold Biblical laws and principles. I refer to the vast majority of churches and pastors who consistently try to avoid “offending” those who rail so consistently against God and against everything the Christian community is supposed to hold dear.

The Church is mostly silent on abortion – great swathes of the church actually condones or even supports it.

The Church is mostly silent on corruption – especially political corruption and profiteering.

The Church is mostly silent on same sex marriage – a direct violation of God’s laws.

The Church is mostly silent on morals like sex before marriage, living together outside marriage, raising children, and many more things for which there is clear and simple Biblical guidance.

The Church is mostly silent on almost anything that may cause offence to almost anybody. That attitude offends God. That actionless, morally corrupt attitude tells the world that Christians, or at least the Christian Church is a paper tiger that in no way stands out from the rest of the world. It shows the world that there is nothing worth having in Christianity. It takes no lead, it lights no path, and it gives no clear message except perhaps that it doesn’t really care about anything but its own interests.

That is the present legacy of the Church in the Western world. It is the 11^th hour and we are more concerned about what others think than of what the Bible teaches.

What a tragedy that the Church is actually leading more people into hell than away from it. God have mercy on us if we do not try, in some small way, to reverse this trend. God have mercy upon me for not trying enough. Forgive us Lord, we do not deserve your mercy for we know what your Word says but we ignore it. Give us grace and Your Spirit to guide us to start leading the lost away from hell rather than towards it.

God – Help us !! Please.