New Year Letter to God

New Year Letter to God

Dear God,

2013 has been an amazing year for us and to say that we have enjoyed it is a bit of an understatement . Your provision has been nothing short of miraculous and we have loved watching you work in our own lives as well as in the lives of those around us.

So what's the next year got for us then? If I may, Lord, I would like to respectfully lay out my "shopping list" for your consideration.

First and foremost I would like to get closer to you, Lord. Oh, I know I'm not very good at various things Lord, but I do so want a deeper relationship with you. I want to hear from you more - your thoughts, plans, and especially prophecies. There are those who say I hear from you now, but I want to get closer, hear clearer - much clearer - and see our perspective.

I would like to be known less as a grumpy old man, and more as a loving man who carries your presence with him wherever I go. I want more of your zeal and compassion too. I don't want to be a four or five days a week Christian. No, I want to be a fully sold out 24/7 Christian - but in no way a pompous or religious one. More a positive and encouraging one - if you know what I mean?

Then we come to ministry Lord. I love the way you have developed and grown Linda's ministry these past months. Please could you grow it even more, Lord. She has such a wonderful heart for the lost and broken and I am sure it's all part of your plans for both of us to develop our ministries, both individual and joint. I mean, why else would you have teamed us up with those closest to us here in Sleaford.

As for my ministry, Lord, I give it all to you right now for you to use, change, or discard as you will and for your glory. Having said that, I love the closeness with you when I do prophesy, and I simply marvel at your healing touch which you allow us to be a part of, from time to time. I want to see prophesy, healing, and deliverance as part of our daily lives - the 'normal' way of Christian living rather than the special occasion or visiting speakers.

Finally, Lord, I would love to see all those around me, especially family, touched by you this coming year. Not only touched, but brought to the place of salvation, realising just who you really are. My prayer for them is that you will reveal yourself to them and bring them to that point of decision where they know that to reject you is folly but to accept you is eternal life.

Thank you in advance Lord because I know that whatever you decide to do will be best for all of us. My only promise, that I have any chance of keeping, is to try to stay as close to you as I am able. 

You are my wonderful Lord and Saviour and I love you.
I am your beloved son, for whom you came and died, rose, and ascended.
Ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven.

Your wee lad, Chris.

A Word for 2014 - The Year of Completion

A Word for 2014 - The Year of Completion

I was reading Micah 4 today when verse 5 leapt out at me. “All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.” That’s a good verse but I wondered why the Lord brought it to my attention. First I noted that every nation will walk in the name of their own god. The Lord seemed to prompt me that nations can have a “national god”. America’s would seem to be prosperity, while Europe’s seems to be control, and there are other gods in other places.

Then He took me to the statement, “but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.”

Then He said to me, “The coming year is the year of completion. That which was started this year (2013) or earlier upon My promises and Words, that will I complete in the coming year. Do not be like they who promise Me much but deliver to Me little. Ask much and receive much – ask little and receive little. In the same way that I promise good things, make your word as mine – mean what you say. Do not say that you will walk in my name if only for part of your life. If you make me a promise, mean it in your heart and keep it by your life and spirit. If you do this for Me, then I will open the floodgates of blessing for you. I will give you your hearts desire – I will heal your land, just as My Word says.

My Glory will fall upon those who bring Me and give Me all the glory. I will give no blessing to those who seek glory for themselves. I will not promote those who seek promotion with a wrong heart. I will promote those with a pure heart, those who will bring me glory.”

I feel impressed that this is the year of 2 Chronicles 7:14 – but in order for this promise to be fulfilled, we, as the church, must repent, turn from our wicked ways – no more Sunday Christianity followed by 6 days of the world, and we must return to godly living. I feel the need to come before the Lord as a child – not questioning, nor doubting, but accepting His Word and believing His promises. This has been a theme for me all through 2013 – ‘as a child’, and I believe this is how the Lord wants us to prepare ourselves. Like a child at Christmas, if you will. Hoping and expecting, yet knowing and believing – all at the same time.

Next year, in 2014, we must stand on, and call in God’s prophecies and promises to us, knowing He will bring completion to whatever He has started in our lives and in His church.

Christmas Prayer

Christmas Prayer

“Dear friends and family, 

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas. 

Our prayer for you in the New year is that

May God remember you like Noah, 

Favour you like Moses,

Honour you like Mary,

Fight for you like the Israelites,

Prosper you like Isaac,

Promote you like Joseph,

Intervene for you like Esther,

Protect you like Daniel,

Use you like Paul,

Heal you like Naaman,

Answer you like Elijah,

Anoint you like David,

Keep you safe like Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego.

Have a prosperous NEW YEAR! "

With our love in Jesus

Linda & Chris Bennett

(with thanks and acknowledgement to David Catherwood who sent this prayer to us.)

Hope

Hope

Hope is the last stumbling block of those who don’t believe. They have none. Their hope is for this life only and for their own children to fare better than they did themselves. By refusing to even look at God and Jesus, they remove from themselves all hope for the future beyond the grave. But -  Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith, to those who have none, is pointless and makes a mockery of real hope.

Yet, Christmas is a season of hope – “goodwill to all men”, and all that. Even atheists believe in goodwill to all men yet where did that expression of hope come from. It came from angels in the Biblical account of the birth of Christ. Funny, isn’t it, how Biblical quotations can be used to justify the celebration of an event that you deny ever happened?

This is the season of goodwill to all men and we must therefore be Christ’s eyes, ears, hands, and voice. There is a reason for the sequence of eyes, ears, hands, and voice – there are two of each except voice. Two eyes to see, two ears to listen, two hands to help and hold, but only one voice. 

We can see and understand, and show Gods love in us by our Christ-like response. We can listen with understanding, and we can pray with people, about situations, and for people based on what we hear. We can show love and give hope with our actions. By being the church rather than just talking about it, we can give help in so many ways. We can speak words of wisdom, advice, and love as Holy Spirit prompts us.

As Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times and where necessary use words.” It is such an enormous privilege to be Christ’s representative in life situations. We can bring such hope, as well as all the practical actions. The world has so little hope and we must share our hope with them in any way we can. The hope of Christ in us is such a beautiful gift that we really must share it.

What better gift this Christmas than to give even one person hope. Where there is loneliness, or emptiness, or nothingness, or even despair – let us sow the seeds of hope. The hope of Jesus Christ.

Clouds and Rain

Clouds and Rain

I’ve never been much of a meteorologist but at the moment I am very interested in clouds. I am fascinated by cloud formations – storm clouds, sunny day clouds, snow clouds and so on. However, fascinating or not, these are not the clouds on my mind at this point in time. No, I am watching and studying small clouds.

Everyone knows that if you leave a cloud alone for long enough it will grow, bit by bit, until it is a rain cloud. As it gets heavier with rain, it nearly always seems to get darker and greyer. Occasionally, we hear thunder emanating from it, and even the odd flash of lightning. So why am I watching small clouds? Not much happening there, you might think.

Well, to be honest, I am more watching for those little clouds “as big as a man’s hand”. These quite excite me right now. There are several around the UK right now. One is even approaching my home town. Only yesterday, I heard of one approaching the Hebrides to the North of Scotland. There’s one down in Wales and that Welsh one has even started to rain a little bit. However, there have been more headed our way in the British Isles recently than many can remember happening previously. 

The trouble is, many of them amount to little or nothing, which is disappointing of course. The one heading our way seems to be getting closer and closer and all the reliable prophets are calling for more intercessory warfare. I made a mistake earlier this week when I encouraged a word to be released too early and without due process being completed. I broke my own rule about letting a new word sit for three or four days before releasing it. Whoops, but fortunately, no harm done as it only went to one other person who wisely sat on it and asked all the right questions.

This is why our spiritual antennae need to be always ready and active. That word could have damaged the body of Christ had not someone’s aerial not been active. Satan would have been encouraged and I would have been dis-heartened. David was great at keeping his spirit “up”. He used to speak to his soul – “praise the Lord oh my soul” was a common theme. “My soul – why so downcast?” was another. We can similarly speak to our own soul and lift ourselves, with Gods help, out of our mood swings. Adopting a cheerful stance is a choice that is independent of the side of bed we got out this morning. My favourite Christian, and her ‘old boy’, is one of the consistently most cheerful souls I have ever met. She is infectious and we should all be the same. After all, we have far more reason to be happy than those with little or no belief. What does our future hold that theirs doesn’t?

This is why I am mindful of the approaching clouds and the latter day rain coming with them. This is why our warfare needs to be lifted higher and our mood of optimism with it. Jesus us coming soon – and don’t forget it!! So - Grab a bagful of good cheer today and tell the world around you that Jesus is the reason for your cheerfulness – and that He’s the reason for the season too. 

Christmas

Christmas 

On the run up to Christmas, I have been thinking – always dangerous for me. I began by thinking about all the good things that Christmas represents. Things like the reason for it in the first place – Christ’s birth and the whole Christmas story. Then I thought of all the happy Christmases gone by. This was tinged with sadness as I remembered those who have gone or left or whatever. I remember the year my two boys, then aged 3 and 7, reacted when they realised that it was indeed Christmas day and Santa had visited – evidenced by the piles of shining presents wrapped up and piled into a stack for each person. Christmas dinner was the event of the day, we didn’t attend church at that time, followed by opening time. Squeals of delight and lots of thank-you’s with Mum keeping an eye on who got what from whom – amazing how women can do that isn’t it?

Then the Lord reminded of those with less than us – we were almost anything but rich, just having sufficient saved through the year to make Christmas special. But there were many with less than us and some with nothing, or worse, no-one with whom to share Christmas. He reminded me of the Christmas “soup kitchens” where many got their only reasonable meal of the period. He reminded me of the vision He gave me earlier this year of a Christmas day meal for the homeless or lonely or disadvantaged. Sadly, this isn’t going to happen this year, but it will – it will.

All the schmaltz of Christmas, all the greed and over-indulgence, all the schmoozy music and sickly sentimentality – what’s it all for? It certainly doesn’t even begin to reflect the “reason for the season”. It all comes back to the Gospel doesn’t it? For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son – at “Christmas” – as a baby - in a stable.  

Perhaps if the world remembered this too then the church would be genuinely packed by real believers rather than by the pretending “Christmas and Easter Brigade” who come more for the sentimentality than the birth of the Messiah.

So maybe I can urge you to remember those who have less; those who have no-one; those who have nowhere this Christmas. Remember those who have perhaps lost everything and everyone this Christmas. No all of them, but perhaps just one person who’s Christmas you can make a little brighter this year. Then there really would be a good reason for the season demonstrated for just one person at a time.

“Inasmuch as you do it for the least one of these my brothers, you do it for me.”

The Purposes of God

The Purposes of God
  
I heard a preacher once say that, if you don’t know God’s purposes for you, then why are you doing what you’re doing? why are you in the place you are in? And what are you doing to find the answers? Seems fair enough to me – how about it?

My wife and I had no idea why we came to our new home town nearly three years ago. All we knew was that, apparently, God wanted us there. We knew just one person in the whole town and nothing about the rest of the whole county. We knew only the reputation of the church we linked up with, but nothing about the people who went there. All we knew was that, apparently, God wanted us there. Then, after we gave up all our old town and left friends and family to migrate 150 miles up country, only then did God really confirm our presence here. Yet still we had no idea of the purpose for us in being here.

We had to wait for that. There were several false starts too. We thought it might be in a certain type of ministry – but it wasn’t there. We thought it might have been among older people – but it wasn’t there. A few things popped up and were validated – yet they were only a side-line to the real purpose. We believe our purpose has been revealed and is validated, although it’s way outside any comfort zone we originally had. Perhaps, had we known then what we know now about our roles, then we would never have stepped up to the plate.

So, what are your purposes in your town, job, or church? Are they God’s purposes or are they your own? If you don’t know the answers, what are you doing to find them? Have you even asked God? It will be an interesting journey that’s for sure. There will be successes as well as failures; foolishness as well as wisdom; mistakes as well as good decisions. It may not be all plain sailing but be assured of this – once God has His hand on your life, it will never be the same again. He has a plan for you and, only if you are willing, He will get you there – kicking and screaming if necessary. Yet there’s the rub. You have a choice. Follow God or follow your own path.

I wonder if you’ll allow Him to take you where He wants you? Or will you wander off track in your own direction? This is too important to get wrong and it’s never too late to start getting it right either. But that’s your Father God – infinite patience, grace and mercy, as well as infinite wisdom and resources – all just waiting for you to say “Yes Lord, I surrender. Lead me on to where you want me.”

So it begins but . . . .

So it begins but . . . .

Unless you were on another planet this past year or so, I guess you may have noticed that to express anything like a Christian point of view, or to live anything like a Christian lifestyle is fast becoming almost illegal. In fact, in America, according to most of the liberals, if it’s not illegal then it should be illegal to even think Christian let alone act, speak, or live Christian. And Britain and Europe are following fast.

Listen to this quote from a famous Hollywood actor, “In this town, you can be a wife-beating, manic depressive crack head and everyone opens their arms to you. They say, “Hey pal, don’t worry about it. We’ll get you into recovery. It’s all part of the journey.” But if you become a born-again Christian and want to share that with other people, they say, “You’ve committed the unpardonable sin.” “

The legal systems have become so politically correct and weighted towards the minority, that it is now virtually illegal to be part of the majority. Christians are deliberately targeted by those who simply disagree with them, in order to force them to change their stance. A sort of ‘deny Christ or die’ philosophy that has been absorbed into the whole social structure from the law of the land to the rights of any individual, except Christians, apparently.

Before you wring your hands in despair, let me tell you what I am finding more and more.

As many of you are aware. My wife and I run a Christian charity shop and café in the centre of our town. We are also linked with a Christian-run food bank; a Church sponsored weekly feeding program; a Christian run youth program; and a churches sponsored elderly outreach program. For a society that is supposedly turning its back on all things Christian, we appear to be in a good position. After all, the local authorities rely on us to run the food bank deliveries; up to 40 or 50 people rely on getting a good nourishing meal every Monday evening; the local authorities approached us about running the youth program and attendance has increased from 10 to over 50 every week; and between 20 and 30 vulnerable and lonely elderly people have been befriended with regular visits and real friendship. All this in a small town  of less than 20,000 people where we reckon we have barely scratched the surface in terms of market penetration.

Yet this isn’t the best thing about all this. I have not told all of this to show either how good ‘we’ are nor how clever we have been. I am trying to emphasise much more the real, ‘on the ground’, social temperature here in this small part of the UK. I don’t see any reason why it should not be the same anywhere else. The main thing about all of this is the world’s response to a demonstration of the power of the Gospel in action. People can smell phoney from a mile away. People are simply reacting positively to a demonstration of Christ’s love through a very few souls who believe in St Francis plea to “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.” They know we are Christians but they appreciate our efforts. They know we pray for them ‘secretly’ and now they frequently ask us to do so openly. They see the Gospel in action and they react with gratitude, trust, and favour. Just one example is the charity shop – one of seven in the town. All the other shops are begging for donations while the Lord provides for us bountifully. All the other shops turnover is down, while ours is rising. Greed is not on our agenda and people know it. In fact, we have the reputation of being the best value for miles around.

Sounds like I have been blowing our trumpet a bit and maybe I have – but only in pursuit of giving Glory to God. Political correctness and legalities are one thing, but a demonstration of Gods love and power supercedes the worlds powers every time. The politico’s have one agenda while God has another agenda. Where God’s agenda can be demonstrated, the world reacts very favourably thus proving that, in these end-times, a final great revival is not only in the Bible and is now on the cards but that the world is looking to Christians for a lead into that place.

I just like this quote from Gary Northington, “I will not hold the watchman guiltless who has embraced my enemy. Appeasement is no more then surrender. This is the day for my remnant to come forth. Those who refused to be satisfied with the waters of Babylon. Those who have refused to party with Belshazzar while the enemy is at the gate.”

I suppose the lesson is for us to BE Christ's hands, ears, and mouth. Oh that we would all believe this, grasp the nettle, and go for it. Once again – Just Do It !!

Attack, Attack, Attack

Attack, Attack, Attack

Many Christians find it very surprising, and even off putting, to find themselves in “difficulties”. More precisely, they are completely taken aback when told that they are under attack from Satan and his minions. “How can this possibly be?” Well, I’ve got some news for many people. 

We live in a fallen world. Satan is the “Prince of this world”, the “Prince of Darkness”, and many other titles too numerous to mention. If he senses that Christians are positioning themselves for an attack on his position, like any other being, he will defend himself and his territory. He most often does this by attacking those who would take territory off him. And he doesn’t care at all how much he hurts us in the process. Paul said that he is like a prowling lion seeking those he can kill or destroy.

So when he picks up on any little thing that might infringe his territory or damage his position, the first thing he does is to seek out ways of attacking us first. This is why we need to cover everything we do in layer upon layer of prayer. In fact, we are taking this so seriously that we are preparing to have a prayer team interceding for every service and meeting in our church. “Your will be done” comes at a price and some are not aware or prepared to pay that price.

This is what spiritual warfare is all about. Its about protecting ourselves and our loved ones, church, and families from the attacks of the evil one. Its about safeguarding our health, our finances, and our children. If you take your family, particularly your children, into a dangerous situation, then you make sure your safety procedures are in place. It is exactly the same with spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is a dangerous activity so you protect yourself and those around you. You cover them by the Blood of the Lamb and the power of the Holy Spirit so as to afford them as much protection as possible. 

Because we, as a church, are entering into spiritual battles for the unsaved souls of those around us, we need to protect ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. He will not hesitate to try to take us out of the battle any way he can and we must not hesitate to fight and repel his attacks.

Whoever said Christianity or being a Christian is dull – or easy?

Two Spirits

Two Spirits

I believe I see two spirits rising within the church. I see them manifesting throughout the faithful and I see the pollution of the saints. It seems to be a division of wheat and chaff. On the one hand I see the spirit of legalism once more rising. This Pharisaic spirit is assigned to split the church; to break up that which Holy Spirit has been uniting for years, and to deflect any thoughts of revival away from God back onto the enemies within. 

On the other hand there is a rising spirit of jealousy – a Jezebel spirit. This too is a spirit of division designed to set the church at war with itself. For too long, the emphasis in many churches has been on the gifts of the ministry rather than on the Giver of those gifts. Jealousy raises its head among other leaders and ministries, covetously eying the ministry rather than ‘coveting’ a closer relationship with God. Jealousy also raises its head among the sheep watching the shepherds growing richer and bigger and more self-important.

The result of these two spirits activities is that the church is, or appears to be, rocking out of control towards a crash and the shattering of many traditional ties of a ‘unity’ that was never a real unity at all, but a sham of unity used to cover over the cracks within an already discredited and increasingly disorganised church. 

Nothing could be further from the truth – the church, God’s church, will no more be disunited nor disorganised than will it be overthrown.

I believe the Lord is allowing these two spirits of division enough free rein to actually birth what many already see as the end time church of faithful saints. A church delivering the Great Commandment, filled with Holy Spirit and with power, with signs and wonders following it every step of the way. This new church delights in giving all Glory to God and in spending time in His glorious presence, either praising Him or simply being still to receive both peace, love, and instruction from Him. Instruction not just in His ways but strategic and directional instruction.

Watch and see the ‘cloud as big as a mans hand’ grow until we have a deluge of latter day, Holy Spirit rain upon a new vibrant church eager to see Gods will done on earth as it is in heaven – a bride preparing herself for the Bridegroom.

A Little Imagining

A Little Imagining

Sitting thinking this evening, my mind wandered off to imagining what it will be like on the day of the rapture. Can you imagine the urgency of your thoughts or the excitement of those final few moments. My wife used to know a girl who said that, come the moment Jesus calls us to the sky to meet Him, she would simply grab the person on her left and the person on her right in order to take them with her !! Have you ever tried to imagine what you will do?

If there is any time at all, I will try to call my kids to urge them to call His Name – there won’t be time for much else. Can you imagine it for yourself? I imagine that my stomach will be spinning with the anticipation. Think about it. There is that moment when everything stops as we all hear the blare of a trumpet sounding. We know, because, I imagine, Holy Spirit will tell us, that Jesus is on His way for us. How long will we have? What will we do? As the song says, “I can only imagine”. Will there be time for me to call my kids, or for that lady to grab the people either side of her? Will it be that instant when, as the Bible says, we shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye? Or will there be a few moments of waiting?

Can you imagine the excitement for some – the horror for others? I think I will be beside myself with excitement, but I know of others, plenty of them, who will not like it one little bit, if only because admitting you were wrong is so hard !! As the song says, will we be able to sing or dance or even stand in His presence? Oh the joy that floods my heart just thinking about it – amazing. To be in His presence here is amazing. “Up there” will be way beyond words – or so I imagine.

It is this excitement that spurs me on while I am still here and able to do so. I want so much for all my family to join me; for all my neighbours to join me; for all my church to join me !! I want none to be lost, not one to miss out. 

I can, literally, “only imagine” what it will be like. Now – who can I speak to about Jesus today?
Oh HALLELUJAH \o/

Just believe

Just believe

“It's not my responsibility to find out how God is going to do it. I am just suppose to Believe.” Allen L. Shook

What a statement of faith! Jesus said “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5:36 – and the synagogue leaders daughter lived. Smith Wigglesworth used to say much the same thing as he ministered to people. “Only believe” represents the simplest statement of faith at the simplest level. Jesus taught us about being born again, about believing and coming to God as a child. That represents a simple faith.

Yet so many people try to “understand” miracles, especially healing. Like a child, they ask ‘why?’ or more particularly, ‘how?’. Then they get all frustrated because God doesn’t answer them. He says, “My ways are above your ways as far as east is from west.” And this, from a doubters point of view, isn’t very helpful at all.

I know people with a real passion to see people healed, not just God’s people but all people. But they have real trouble because they cannot understand the how, let alone the why, and because they have such insistently enquiring minds, they fall into the sin of doubt and effectively block the ministry they so eagerly aspire to. Yes, doubt like this is a sin that effectively blocks the path to healing despite the fact that such people have been on the receiving end of tremendous miracles of healing.

One of my personal heroines is a little old lady in our church. She came to the Lord and was baptised after she turned an age that not too many people even live to achieve. She sees miracle after miracle in all sorts of areas but particularly in healing. Recently hospitalised, she was tottering round from bed to bed praying with every person in the ward. Her eyes twinkle as she joyfully relates how “Jesus answered my prayers.” Her faith is so child-like it almost beggars belief. “He told us to pray. I pray. He does it. Prayer answered.” Is her whole philosophy. Dare I say it like this, she is not encumbered by great education or learning other than the learning of experience. She is a beautifully simplistic lady with a beautifully simple and child-like faith.

“Only believe” takes on a whole new import when approached from child-like faith. The questions may go away or they may remain but the answer doesn’t matter any more. He told us to pray – “anything we ask in His name’. We pray. He does it. Prayer is answered. I am one who believes that healing is without repentance. After all, Jesus didn’t enquire as to the spiritual condition of anyone – He just healed ALL who came to Him.

Does it matter why or how He does it? Not one jot. Our testimony is undeniable and it asks only one thing – Only believe. So next time you pray for someone, only believe, and you may be surprised - it will be done for you.

Lets Carry On for Now

Lets Carry On for Now

As one who is blessed to be able to spend a little time with the Lord, I am hearing more and more about clouds “as big as a mans hand”. I am reading more and more from the prophets telling me that time is short and to expect revival and the rapture any day now. I also hear the advice that, in the event that the rapture hasn’t happened, there must still be work to be done - so let’s get on with it.

I think that perhaps we have gotten so caught up with the possibility of the rapture that we have tended to put the most urgent and pressing job of “recruitment”, or evangelism, of the not-yet-Christian community. It is because the rapture has not yet happened that the Great Commission is still a valid tasking for us to continue to undertake. Indeed, it is the only tasking the church at large has  ever been given. Has anything changed? No? Then while we wait we must surely labour on to preach the Gospel to every man, woman, and child on the planet. 

We must endeavour to speak in love to everyone we meet. In the past, many have fallen into the trap of thinking it is their job to convince folk of their sin and bring them to tearful repentance. This is not our job at all. We are to preach the Gospel – period. It is Holy Spirits job to do the rest. It may then become our job to lead them into salvation but conviction and repentance is Holy Spirits job. As it says in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”

The key to all of this is love. In the past, and to a lesser extent even today, love has been seriously missing from Christian attitudes and behaviour. Rather than love, hatred and bigotry has been much further to the fore than love. However, with a few exceptions, love is making a comeback within the Christian communities. It is rare, these days, to find the kind of forced Christianity of centuries, maybe even decades past. The church seems to be learning to heed the edict that “by their love shall you know them” – referring to Christians of course. I am not saying that love is a uniquely Christian attitude but it is supposed to be one of the hallmarks of Christian behaviour and something for which we are supposed to be recognised.

In the end then, and in the absence of the rapture, Christian love is the key to our remaining work here on earth. Love is the demarcation between Christian and non-Christian beliefs by being the main reason for our faith. Love is the reason for Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the sole reason for our pursuance of the great commission. It is the defining factor for recognising Christians in the midst of a not very loving world. Love is all we have to offer those who hate us – that and Jesus. But then, Jesus can represent Himself far better than we can represent Him – all we have to do is introduce Him and watch Him work.

“Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven – what other reasons do we need to keep on working until He tells us to stop. Changed and changing – blessed and blessing.” (A slightly modified quote from Pastor Chris Bowater) 

No rapture today? Best we carry on then.

Lazy Church

Lazy Church

Here’s a few thoughts on which to ponder. This whole train of thought was started by a ‘chance’ comment from a lady commenting on another post. Her actual comment was, “We are in the days of the Apostate church and the lazy church.” Lazy church – there’s a thought for you. Just how true is it, I wonder? I did pray about this before I put pen to paper and this is what I felt the Lord was saying.

The Western Church has it all. It has property, it has money, it has resources that churches in other parts of the world cannot begin to dream about. It has reasonable flocks who are among the 6 or 7% of the richest people in the world. In America, people vie with each other to ‘prove’ who has the most money and possessions.

Many churches, under the guise of attracting more and better people, have ‘invested’ borrowed money into building beautiful buildings they don’t necessarily need. As a result, leaders have compromised and ‘made allowances’ for their people. This has resulted in shorter services, run to strict time-tables, that allow time for other activities outside the church and away from God. People tolerate church now. They go only to be seen They church does not reach out as it should to the poor, the widows and orphans, and the down-trodden. 

The Western Church has grown lazy.

People in poor countries weep for joy upon receipt of even a portion of Gods Word. In the Western Church people have no time to read a Bible they are too busy making money. People in persecuted churches hold day long meetings of praise and teaching, outreach and preaching. The Western Church begrudges any more than a couple of hours on a Sunday. People in disadvantaged churches support their families, their friends and their neighbours regardless of cost – they share everything. The Western Church people pack up their families, discard their friends for richer ones and for social standing – they do little or nothing for anyone outside their select little circles.

The Western Church has grown lazy and apostate.

The persecuted churches pursue the lost until the Lord catches them. They live the great commission daily. The Western Church says ‘all are welcome’, then they ignore strangers. They hold ‘outreaches’ and preach an easy gospel that gives no honour or glory to the Lord. Many have not even heard or been taught about the great commission.

Finally, with all the injustice towards law-abiding citizenry, all the prejudice both racial and religious, all the dishonesty in the political arena – where is the outrage? Where is the protest? Where are the decent church going majority? It’s as if the church has become not only lazy, but terrified. Since when did the church fail to respond to the widows and orphans pleas? Since when did the church fail to gather around the unjustly oppressed? Since when has any church been embarrassed or even afraid of stirring up trouble for themselves in support of the poor, the weak, or the disadvantaged?

The Western Church has grown scared and lazy – to the point of apostasising the church and making a mockery of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary. The Western Church has grown lazy – it has lost it’s way, it’s purpose, it’s effectiveness, and it’s use to God. He has plans for a new church to rise from the ashes and remnant of this current one.

We have broken God’s heart once too often. It’s time for the (Western) church to answer for it’s sin. God Himself will be the judge. But the result will be a church fit to be the Bride of Christ.

On earth as it is in heaven

On earth as it is in heaven

I read this word the other day

"I want those who are in leadership in My Church to be willing to lay down ALL that they have learned about church order and sit at My feet so I can teach them Heavenly Order. I want people on earth to see Heaven when they look at My Church.  The current church order is not as it is in Heaven. 

“In Heaven all are free. In most churches, the bound leave bound.
In Heaven all are well. In most churches, the sick leave sick.
Heaven is a place of song. Most churches see the worship as only a prelude to preaching.

“I want you to begin to look at things through new eyes, MY eyes. But to do that, you must be willing to lay down what you were taught, and sit at My feet, and allow Me to show you how things are done in Heaven. If a church humbles itself and does things as they do them in Heaven, I will GREATLY bless that church; but if it does not, I will speak to it as I did the fig tree that bore no fruit.” – Jeffery Stewart

This very short summary of the church today was posted on Facebook this week. What I find so desperately sad about it is the truth of the statements made. Yet every week, every service, mid-week as well as Sundays, we bow our heads and intone the words of “the Lords Prayer”!! I have to ask the question – what do we think we are saying? Is this just a rote prayer, with little or no meaning? Is it a meaningless prayer we quote just to prove we have read Matthew 6:8-13? Have we not taken these words of Jesus seriously? Have we ever read and understood verse 14?

Oh dear, I seem to be getting excited. Well, yes, actually I do get excited about the words of this prayer. In particular, I get excited about the thought of the phrase, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Let me ask you, does this not excite you too? 

As my quote says, In Heaven all are free. In most churches, the bound leave bound. Just think about that for a moment – no more abuse, no more drugs, no more prisons, no more bad habits. Wow – does that not get you a little bit excited?

As my quote says, In Heaven all are well. In most churches, the sick leave sick. No more illness or disease. No more hospitals, no more pandemics. Getting excited yet?

As my quote says, Heaven is a place of song. Most churches see the worship as only a prelude to preaching. Just think – praise and worship of our heavenly King with no restraints whatsoever – no time limits, no need for band practices, no desire or need to be elsewhere. “A merry heart, does you good!” Proverbs 17:22; “My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul too.”  Psalm 71:23 our heart, our lips, our soul all rejoice when we sing to the Lord. John 4:23 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks." Still not excited? 

Perhaps you just don’t believe either in the power of Jesus words, or in the power of prayer??? Everything on earth as it is in heaven. Perhaps you need to re-align your aim? What a standard to aim at !! 

Am I preaching to the choir here? Or am I hitting a few sore spots?

Edge of Reason

Edge of Reason

It strikes me that, for some among us, reason takes over from faith where, in fact, faith should take over from reason. The trouble is that God already told us that, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9. Our ‘intelligent’ and egotistical minds object to this as we try to rationalise everything.

I believe that, in order to receive the full anointing God has for us and to realise its potential, we need to stand reason to one side. That is when, standing on the edge of reason, we shall become like a child in our faith. Jesus told us to believe, he did not ask us to reason. I am unsure what your mind is telling you, but you don’t need to know or even understand the why and how of healing, you just need to believe, as a child, that God heals.

Oh, I know there are reasons that healing doesn’t happen, but I don’t think we need to understand that either. The Bible tells us that, on many occasions, Jesus healed ALL who came to Him. I’m pretty certain He didn’t fiddle about asking if they were right with God, if they were clean and sin free, or if they had forgiven everyone. No – Jesus simply healed everyone. Healing and deliverance is without repentance, so why do we complicate things and get so legalistic about ‘being right’ in order to even pray for, let alone receive, healing.

The Bible says to cast out demons, and to heal the sick. It says, rather like the advert, “Just do it”. It doesn’t say to interrogate them. Instead it says simply to “heal those who are ill and tell them ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you’.” Luke 10:9 – I would add to make sure you give Jesus the glory.

Good, wonderful people of God, I really do believe it is time to leave our reason and, having come to the edge of reason, to believe as children for God to do what His Word says He can and will do among us. It is also time to accept our authority in Christ and to step out in faith. Faith defies all reason. It is at the edge of reason that real child-like faith is born. 

Just imagine the impact of a church that really believes and practices what it preaches about believing as children.

Will you do this for Me

To do or not to do

Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

When was the last time a speaker, any speaker, had you on the edge of your seat with expectation of something happening? Something really exciting and big happening in your church, town, county, or even country? When was the last time anyone spoke and you actually got excited at all, let alone on the edge of your seat?

It happened to me quite recently – just a few minutes ago to be more accurate. The speaker was God the Holy Spirit, and what He has said excites me and really does put me on the edge of my seat expecting to see something really special to break out in the next two weeks. Why the next two weeks? Well, we have a very special visitor this Saturday and Sunday who is a world renowned concert pianist as well as being a wonderfully anointed worship leader and song writer. As if this is not expectation enough, our own pastor, himself a world worship leader, is planning to lead an entire Sunday from the keyboard.

The anticipation and expectation is immense, and now a word of the Lord has come to me that effectively and exponentially increases my personal expectation. So what did the Lord say to me?

“Where is your dignity? – surrendered at My feet. I am surrendering your dignity and placing it at my feet. You can come and reclaim it any time you want to -  but I’d rather see you dance. You can reclaim it any time you want to but I’d rather hear you singing. You can reclaim it any time you want to but I’d rather see you so full of my joy that you cannot stop either singing or dancing. Now get up and worship Me – and revel in My joy. Enter now into My presence with joy and dancing.”

Will you or won't you?

I Want to Worship

I Want to Worship

Is it possible for me to enter into worship so completely that I am lost in awe and wonder? Is it possible that such as I could be so immersed in the presence of God that time ceases and my worship becomes pure enough to become His habitation? I find being still so difficult – my mind is always busy. I swear God must despair of getting heard by me sometimes because I am so “busy”. Yet I do hear Him quite often, and I do note what He says to me – frequently putting His words into blog format.

Yet worship is what seems to just fill my heart most days. Oh, I grumble and mumble a bit, but I always end up singing in the end. I sing old, very well known, old hymns as well as my favourite Gaither tracks, and then some simple modern praise and worship songs like Worthy is the Lamb or similar. When I feel down, or fed up, or put upon, or just generally grumpy – it never lasts long because God just pops a song into my heart and I start singing again. Worship brings grace for the day. It brings joy back to my heart – time and time again.

I was raised in a singing home. Dad, my sister and me used to harmonise some of the old songs. Mum was a pianist – even though we never had one at home. My brother was the jazz-man among us. Our school had a very good musical tradition and we did the Messiah every Christmas. My musical tastes were very eclectic ranging from solid classical, through opera, big band and traditional Dixie jazz through to country and gospel. But it was the old gospel that struck the most chords and stuck in my mind. I even remember the Billy Graham crusades in the 50’s – my uncle took my brother to one in London – I was “too young”.

Now, my music and singing is nearly all P&W – Gaithers thru to Hillsong and all shades in between. Worship brings me into the presence of God quicker than any other way. I am inspired, lifted, edified, filled with joy, and renewed by worship. I expect things to happen. I want a totally renewed mind – thinking and speaking in Gods way – capturing each thought and word before it escapes my lips. I want expectancy to be my normal. I want to see God honoured in my life; in the way I treat people and by His presence being obvious to anyone who I meet – even if they don’t recognise it or understand it in any way.

That is why I want to worship my Lord and my Saviour, my father God, and my friend Holy Spirit. How about you ???

Do You Really Mean It?

Do You Really Mean It?

I had one of those ‘moments’ at church last weekend. It was not just that the Lord asked me a question. It was both the way He asked it and then gave me the ‘no-brainer’ answer at the same time. The net result was that I was convicted and had to do some repenting first. Now I have to consider the question again in the light of my new position. It’s a question the Lord is always asking us . . . . but more of that in a minute or two.

 We are all just standing there singing our hearts out in praise and worship. Suddenly the words began to be highlighted. No, I mean really highlighted as in writing a foot high, on a blue background, and shining brightly – all at the same time. That gets my attention every time and so it was this morning.

We sang, “and I fall to my knees so it’s You that they see, not I” – the words get highlighted and I hear the Lord comment, “Only in here!” I protest, “What do mean Lord?” “You mean it when in front of all these people, but outside, in the week, you want you to be seen – not Me”. 

OUCH. 

Next we sang, “I live for you alone,  Every breath that I take ,  Every moment I'm awake, Lord, have Your way in me.” I see the highlighting again and I hear the Lord say, “Hmmm – I don’t think so.” Oh dear, “How do You mean, Lord?” It is almost a “Where shall I start?” moment, but again He says, “Yes, in here, but not all day, every day.”

Finally, we are singing about giving Him our all, our everything. Once again the words highlight and I hear Him say, very gently, “Not quite like this is it?” It wasn’t a question as much as a statement of fact that I couldn’t deny. I was convicted and had to do some deep and painful repenting. The only question I had was, “Why Lord? Why here? Why now?” He repeated the question or statement He had made earlier, “I want to take you deeper.” Then He added, “Will you come? Will you trust Me to take you deeper into me than you’ve ever been? Deeper than you have thought possible?”

Now I have seen the cost of the answer to this question. This is not an easy one to answer. It can be costly to the one of whom it is asked and for his/her family and friends. It can be costly but it doesn’t necessarily have to be – but it usually is because the enemy hates it and rises up in some force against it. This has been a heavy weekend at the end of a very busy week – and we have several more very busy weeks ahead of us as I have just taken added responsibilities on board. It doesn’t take very much to see that this question and my new, extra busy situation are linked.

So I’m saying “YES Lord. I want to come deeper with You. I want to sing all these words and mean them. Will you help me and, by Your precious Holy Spirit, will you lead me through these coming years of serving You.”

AMEN

Travailing in Prayer

Travailing in Prayer
  
Travailing in anything is hard work - as these definitions state.

Travail as a noun is painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil, pain, anguish or suffering resulting from mental or physical hardship.

Travail as a verb is to toil or exert oneself.

How come is it that for the past few days I have felt not only the Lord ever present with me, but also the desire to be with Him and to minister with Him? Paul exhorts us to pray in the Spirit at all times and to pray without ceasing. I have always, and I mean ever since my baptism in Holy Spirit back in 1989, always known His presence and always had my prayer language, or tongue, bubbling away in the background. Now today, I just want to get deeper, deeper, and deeper still into His wonderful presence. 

Many talk about travailing in the Spirit or travailing in prayer. This has never been difficult or a burden for me. I love my times of prayer – I just enjoy them. It isn’t as though I spend a lot of time there either, but it is about the quality and the communion that takes place. Prayer for me is about fellowship with my Saviour through my best friend, Holy Spirit.

Please don’t get me wrong here. I am definitely not in any way ‘super spiritual’. My relationship with the Lord, Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, is about love and communication – and although I am somewhat garrulous with people, this is about the Lord communicating with me. And it’s not as though I gabble away for hours and then ask if He wants to say anything !! I just enjoy resting in Him – being still and knowing that He is God. He always has things to say to us if we are still and listening. I just pray in the Spirit most of the time – if only because I have no idea what to pray about or where to start. Some will say that I don’t travail at all.

This isn’t about me or you ‘travailing’ at anything. This is all about God, and us allowing Him to be who He is, do what He will do, and say what He wants to say to us and through us. This is about your efforts and my efforts at dying to self that He may be seen through us. It’s about us carrying His presence wherever we go and about allowing Him to use us as He wants to.

I don’t always do very well. How about you ? As my school report often used to say – “Could do better”, or “Must try harder”.

Messy – just messy

Messy – just messy

  
Do you like messy Christianity? How about messy church? I suppose we had better specify both terms before you answer. Messy Christianity is simply a variation of whatever you describe as being 'Normal' Christianity. To me, it is a form of Christianity in which you get hands on, dirty, and messy. You meet and deal with real people, real life, real situations in the real world. The people you deal with might be relatively poor, homeless, hungry, or just between a rock and a hard place right now. You may be a social worker or a layman, but you can find yourself confronted with a situation that needs help in order to get dealt with.

Messy church, on the other hand, invites those we may well meet "doing" messy Christianity into our churches on Sunday morning. It means that ladies can no longer leave their handbag or purse lying around trusting that no one would touch it because "this is church and it's a safe place."

These definitions change all the usual Christian rules, frequently replacing them with worldly rules abhorred in our cosy, sanctified, and predominantly safe churches. Messy church and Christianity changes all the old rules from safe to, well – messy. I recall a story about an ordinary working man going to a very well to do Anglican church only to be told that “there is no place for you here.” Defending his stance the presiding prelate said he had a very upper middle class church and he needed to ‘protect them’ from those who very clearly did not fit in with that type of people. That church could never handle messy church – would never even try to do so.

Like many other churches in all denominations, there are so many who don’t want too many ‘messy Christians’ in their midst. Even in our church in the not so very distant past, we heard the question, “Do we really want those kind of people here?” I can just imagine how one or two so-called ‘super-churches’ would handle messy Christians alongside their “star members”.

Church, we need to get used to this messy Christianity, and right now too. There are many hurting, damaged people coming to faith in Jesus who need healing and discipling. This is original church in a 21st century context! Jesus did not come for the rich, although neither did He turn them away. Jesus came for the sinner – that’s every man, woman, and child on the planet. He came for the poor, the bound, the captives, the lost – all of them/us. He died for all of us and my only advice to you today is this – get used to messy church and messy Christians. There will be thousands of them coming into our churches very soon now.

How will your church handle this? Better start preparing today.

Before He Comes

Before He Comes

Isaiah 42:8-9 ‘I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.’

I often wonder what it will take for the world to take any notice of God. I find it almost scary to realise just how many will be left behind when Jesus returns in clouds for His Bride. If no-one is listening to the prophets, to whom are they listening? The Word of God is quite clear about these things; it does not mince words. There is no “spin doctoring” in God’s Word although there are those who try to put a spin on various things.

The answer, I believe, lies in our worship. It’s not about how entertaining our worship  is, nor is it about how long it goes on. It is an attitude of heart within each of the worshipers. If our hearts are right; if our hearts reflect the words we sometimes so glibly use in worship, then surely we shall see the Glory of God in His house.  Is it not time to clear our hearts of all of our own agendas to concentrate our worship solely upon Jesus?

Do we come to worship with a clean heart? Have we asked and then allowed God to “create in me a clean heart”? Have we asked Him to “put a right spirit within me”? if we are honest, I think we all find this incredibly hard to do. Yet, when we do, our worship ascends like the finest incense before our Fathers throne and it is pleasing to Him. Is this the moment when the spiritual presence of Jesus turns into the actual presence? Will this be the moment He brings His Shekinah Glory into our meetings?

I believe God is always searching our hearts for those moments of true worship when we really do surrender all to Him. I do not believe He inhabits tainted praises – praises with attitude and agendas. I think He is simply waiting for us to clean our hearts of all of ourselves and fill our hearts with Him – only Him. This is when I believe He will come to inhabit the praises of His people and He will make His habitation in our worship. 

Worship is the lifestyle that God is waiting for us to adopt before He comes among us in the power and glory we so long to see in His presence. Worship is our commitment to God that is necessary for Him to fulfil His commitment and promises to us. I am committing to a worship lifestyle because I want to see more of Gods presence among us. I wont get it right all the time and I will have to ask Holy Spirits help in doing so, but I also know it is a call for help that He cannot refuse. If I mean it, He will do it.

How about you? If we get this right who knows what could happen? The harvest could be even more amazing in preparation for His return.

The Call to Separation

The Call to Separation

2 Corinthians 6:17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not as easy option. It is not a ‘Come unto Me and all your problems will disappear’ Gospel. It is more a call to holiness and separation from the world. Yet there is always the problem of being in the world but not being a part of it. We are called to a holier way of living. A way which invites all the jeers and cat-calls of the mockers. A way which can, especially today, lead to persecution and even death. 

Jesus taught us that we are a seed, and as such, we must therefore, like all seeds, go to the ground and die so that we may grow again as a strong new plant. That is all about dying to self and living for God so that He may be seen in our lives. Salt and light, we are called. Salt that we might be a preservative of God’s truth, and light that the light of God may shine through our lives into a dark world. Peter, when speaking at the first Pentecost, said in Acts 2:40 “ . . . . “ ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ “ – Do not be a part of the world. Be in the world but not of the world.

But we are not to journey alone through life. There is a call to “the fellowship of believers” – in other words make your close friends among fellow believers. I do not believe this is a call to exclusivity however, as Jesus commands us to ‘love our neighbours as ourselves’. The Bible also talks elsewhere about ‘by their love shall you know them’. The emphasis is always to remain in the world but to keep ourselves apart from that world.

Finally, in 1 Peter 4:8, the apostle writes, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” “ This, I believe, is a call to discretion, but not at the expense of open-ness and honesty. I am talking here about resolving a sinful situation by first talking/reconciling privately, before going to pastor, and before going public. In other words we wash our dirty linen in private as far as both we and the law allows us to do so.

We are called to separation without exclusiveness; to holiness without aloofness and snobbery; to love God and to love all those around us – no matter our differences. Always remember that God certainly hates the sin but He also still loves the sinner. No-one is beyond His love. Do you think He loves you more than some people in the world? No, no, no – Gods love is exactly the same for every single human being of every nation, tribe, tongue, colour, sex, religion, faith, politics, orientation or whatever. 

We all have the same choices, but we are called to be a little bit separate.

Return to 1st Century Church

Return to 1^st Century Church

There is a lot of talk these days of a return to the church as it was in the beginning. What? – even if that means conversion, baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit all on the same day? Why ever not?

I think that in today’s church, we have so placed things into little boxes that suit our arrangements that we can no longer even imagine allowing Holy Spirit freedom and room to move beyond the time constraints we put on our meetings. In short, Sundays are a bit rushed and tight on time. Everything is timed down to the nearest minute and woe betide he who overstays his allotted time on the microphone. This is to allow people who want to do so, to set their meal in motion at a time conducive to escaping from church in time to fit in with their own tight schedules. I want to ask them if they really have time for God on Sundays?

If we want 1^st century church, then we have to adopt some 1^st century attitudes and some 1^st century values.

If we continue to restrain Holy Spirit, how can we expect Him to move in our meetings? When you last saw a Holy Spirit encounter in your meeting, did He move for four minutes, in accordance with your schedule, and then stop – at the same time apologising for almost, possibly holding up those with other things needing to be done? I don’t think so. If we really want a return to first century church, then we are also going to have to rethink a few things other than timing.

The baptismal tank needs to be ready every service – full and not freezing. In the first century, folk were saved, baptised in water and in the Holy Spirit – all on the same day! Imagine that happening today with “no proper teaching or mentoring”?  Almost unthinkable isn’t it?

Because people who receive an infilling of the Holy Spirit are prone to being “slain in the Spirit”, or falling over, so catchers need to be ready to spring into action as new converts are also baptised in the Holy Spirit.

Despite all of this, good teachers and trainers and mentors will be needed - on standby of course and in good home groups. One of the most joyful ‘problems’ of new believers is that they are hungry for almost anything of God, so a home group is a must.

Even so, deliverance ministry may be needed – also on standby – as nearly all who come to salvation bring various amounts of ‘baggage’ with them. The baggage includes unwanted visitors of course and these need to be thrown out as soon as possible.

Ready and prepared house or home group leaders will be needed to help ensure none of the new guys fall through the cracks. We have seen far too many new Christians fall away again because of the lack of nurturing from their new home church. Many churches still do not have any nurturing program in place. This beggars a question or two about ‘making disciples’ – if nothing else.

There’s more to 1^st century church than meets the immediate eye, so I suppose we should be careful what we ask God for, lest we actually get it and are left completely unprepared.

Just a thought – that’s all.

Worthwhile Mission

Worthwhile Mission

I feel my mission is to help the hurt and the helpless, to love the unlovable, to touch the untouchable, and to bring the love of Jesus Christ to bear on their lives through ministry. God give me strength to do some of this, in Jesus name.

Is that too lofty an ambition; too much to ask; too grandiose a scheme? Jesus did these things and He has, I believe, given me, amongst many others, the love and grace to do something of the same. He will give that grace in abundance to all who ask. Will you avail yourself of it; of Him?

Everything you do – do it as unto the Lord. Paul said this and I think it is sound advice. Ask yourself – is what I am doing good enough to bring glory to God? If not then, either why am I doing it, or, how can I do it better? I also believe this has to do as much with the quality of our heart, as it has to do with the quality of our work.

Feed them, give them a drink, clothe them, visit them in prison or when they are sick.  “Them” is your neighbour. “Your neighbour” is almost anyone in need. We must treasure widows and orphans. This is a call to look after the weak and defenceless, the lost or forgotten.

“Whoever does this for the least of these, (these who are) My brothers and sisters, does it for Me.” This is a timely reminder that we are all family in Christ where there is “no Jew or gentile, no male or female, no freeman or slave, no rich or poor, no “haves” nor “have nots”. We are one in Christ and will be judged by how we loved our neighbour as ourselves as much as we will be judged for our love of God.

I don’t know about you, but I love Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

I love Joel 2:28-29 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

I love Mark 16:15-18 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Set the captives free, heal the sick, cast out demons, make disciples – what a calling. What a privilege. What a responsibility. Frightening isn’t it?