Sound Familiar?

Sound Familiar?

“The chief danger of the twentieth century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, and heaven without hell.” William Booth founder of the Salvation Army

These words from William Booth sound very familiar to me. Don’t they sound familiar to you? William Booth was not known for his prophetic utterances but more for the fiery and passionate preaching. Yet this list could be straight from a handbook of current church practices in the 21^st century. The phrases read like a medical report on the state of health of the present day church.

Religion without the Holy Ghost is like trying to make bread with no yeast. Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. How on earth can so many churches remember Him in name only? How can they refuse the Helper’s help? How can they deny His gifts and His baptism? Life without Holy Spirit is as unthinkable to me as it was to the first church. He is indispensible and His role in our lives is both undeniable and impossible to over-estimate.

Christianity without Christ is a new phenomenon which only those who practice it may be able to explain. Christ IS Christianity. Christianity IS Christ. To hear and read about this form of religion, I cannot dignify it as a form of Christianity, is apostate at best and blasphemous at worst. Yet there is a church movement that refuses to allow its missionaries and chaplains to pray or preach the Name of Jesus – it is offensive.

Forgiveness without repentance is part of the watered down Gospel being peddled as what I would call “The Easy Christianity Movement”. Repentance is too hard so let us preach salvation without repentance and forgiveness of sin without repentance or remorse or even any expression of slight regret. They say, “God is a merciful God and He wouldn’t be so unkind as to refuse to forgive someone if they turn to Him?” Acts 2:38 says “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “

Salvation without regeneration is  not a new although it is much more prevalent than it used to be. I am unsure as to how a person can receive salvation and not change, but it happens. Some say they receive it just to be accepted, some for reasons best known to themselves. Either way, there are those who do not truly receive it in their hearts and that is just so very sad.

Heaven without hell. Here’s an interesting one for you. When was the last time anyone spoke to you or preached about hell? Hell has almost become a taboo subject – not to be spoken of as it offends, or worse, scares people away from church. Yet the Bible teaches very clearly all about hell. The Bible speaks of fire and brimstone, of eternity spent in the flames of hell, of the punishment for ignoring God’s Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. How can we not teach people about hell? So much is spoken about heaven, about no more pain, nor tears, nor illness. Yet we do not tell about the consequences of not going to heaven????

This is a shameful list. I would only comment that it has always been thus. We have always tried to ignore the Holy Spirit because we do not know Him. The person of Jesus Christ has recently been pushed further and further into the background – reduced in importance or marginalised into insignificance. Repentance has all but been removed from our evangelism and theology as we seek to bring in the lost at zero cost to them but at too high a price for God. Salvation without a change of life is the result of false or no repentance, and that hell doesn’t even exist is one of Satan’s great lies. All of this is an abomination to the Lord, and Booth was right except he put too short a timescale on it.

It is time to clean up our act; to get right with God the way He asks us; to be the church as Jesus wants us to be.

God's Power

Not in Words but in Power

“For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”  I Corinthians 4:20

I often wonder why so very many a “Bible believing Church” doesn’t appear to believe the whole Bible but appear to be selective in the beliefs they hold core to their philosophy. It has always struck me as a bit – how can I put this? – presumptuous for anyone to say anything like this, “We believe the Bible – except this – and that – and of course there’s the other bit which is nonsense in today’s society.”

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,  that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Paul preached NOT words, but POWER – the power of Holy Spirit.

Yet, despite all this testimony from the apostles and from Paul, all contained in the book that churches claim to “believe”, so very many either ignore Holy Spirit, or they dismiss Him as irrelevant today, or only for the first church and withdrawn today. What do those same churches think then of the gifts of the Spirit? In their wisdom many have decided that any manifestation of the gifts, especially tongues or discernment or deliverance, is demonic. How can anything spoken of in the Bible, which they say is God’s Word, and which  they claim to believe, be demonic? This is part of the ‘falling away’ spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; it is part of Holy Spirit’s work here on earth until He is “taken out of the way” – verse 7.

So, believing the Bible, the Word of God, rather than by our own words, it is by the power of Holy Spirit that we will reach the lost in these dark days. When will the Church embrace Holy Spirit and make Him welcome at every meeting; allow Him to move at every meeting; and stop quenching Him as He yearns for us to let Him work in His own unique way?

Believing the Bible, the Word of God, rather than by our own words, when will we invite people to meet Him, to know Him, to experience His fellowship?

Believing the Bible, the Word of God, rather than by our own words, when will we personally let Holy Spirit be the power in our own lives and in the lives of those around us?

Believing the Bible, the Word of God, rather than by our own words, when will we become true Holy Spirit impacted churches who value and treasure His presence, His ministry, His power, and His help?

After all, even Jesus told us He was to be our Helper, Teacher, Counsellor, and Guide. Didn’t He?

Watching and Warning

Doom and Gloom or Warnings?

Some people regard me as a “Doomster”! Apparently I am always putting out doom laden warnings and miserable critiques of the church. Also, I apparently bang on seemingly endlessly about certain subjects such as end times, prophecy, young Christians, and so on. My problem is that I am a watchman as in Ezekiel 33. I am one of thousands of such watchmen and women from all walks of life and all around the world.

What does a watchman do? In old times, a watchman on the walls of a city watched for three things.  He watched out for attackers, for weather problems that would bring danger, and for anything else likely to endanger the citizens of his city. If he failed at his job he could endanger the king and all other residents of the city. If he survived then he would probably have been put to death anyway for failing in his job. Thank goodness times have changed.

On top of being a watchman, I am a prophet too – the two go hand in hand these days as you cannot really be one without also being the other. So what do I look out for? What is my job description in today’s terms? One aspect is the sense in which Ezekiel 33 means it. Another is the sense in which Jesus spoke when He said that we could interpret signs of the weather but we could not interpret signs of the times.

So how can I describe a watchman’s job in this day and age?

Well, the vast majority of prophets/watchmen that I know are united in believing that we are in the end times spoken of so clearly in the Bible. Our principle job, therefore, would appear to be in interpreting the times and warning of what lies ahead. As an ancillary to that, I see the job as being that of preparing ourselves, and encouraging the church to prepare for the coming end times. The parable of the wise virgins in Matthew 25 is a warning to every single one of us both individually and corporately. We all need to be prepared for Jesus to return any second of any day soon. The Bible tells us that the trumpet shall sound and Christ shall return in the clouds for His Bride – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Having said all that, prophetically, the Lord warns His prophets about everything, (Amos 3:7). This is not to say that every prophet hears the same thing as every other prophet. No, the Lord gives His messages out to some prophets and the others are to weigh the prophecy and agree it or reject it. In this way the prophets help the church to discern what is good and what is not worth heeding.

The Lord also asks me, and this is personal, to speak out on certain issues affecting the preparation of the Church. This is why I speak a lot about End-Times; about the next generation of leaders; about Holy Spirit and our general ignorance of Him; and about prophecy being neglected within the church. As are the vast majority of prophets, I am only too aware of the truth in the saying that a prophet is without honour in his own country. Also like the vast majority of other prophets I tend to share a lot with other prophets rather than with everyone.

I promise you that, what I put out is the tip of the iceberg as the Lord shares with us warnings, visions, and dreams for “later” – whenever that may be.

Not My Will Lord but Yours

 

Today I was prompted to put out this statement on FaceBook.

“I want to see a church where the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, and the captives are freed. I want to see folk healed as they walk through our doors. I want to see the young drawn like a magnet to Jesus. Lord, send revival - please !!!”

When John was in prison, he sent to Jesus to ask if He was the expected Messiah or if there was another to follow Him. Jesus replied by telling the messengers to relate to John what they saw and heard happening in Jesus ministry. They told John that they saw the lame walk, the blind see, leprosy cured, the dead raised, and the good news preached to the poor. (Luke 7:22) I see the same thing happening in our churches today. I see the signs of revival all over the church here in the UK.

I see a church where the lame walk, out of their wheelchairs.

I see a church where the deaf hear, ears are unstopped.

I see a church where the blind see, eyes – even ‘dead’ eyes – are opened.

I see a church where the captives are freed. Drugs and alcohol beaten.

I see a church where the dead are raised

I see a church where the Good News of the Gospel is preached everywhere. In the street, factory and offices, homes, and church.

I see a church where folk are healed as they walk through our doors.

I see a church where the young drawn like a magnet to Jesus.

What am I seeing? I am seeing revival starting here in the UK.

Lord, complete the revival You have promised - please !!!

Even so, Lord, Your will be done - not ours.

Young Speakers

Young Speakers

Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV1984) “But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more 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.”

We heard one of our younger people preaching recently. This morning my wife came up with this scripture that sums up how we felt that he must have been feeling yesterday as he spoke. There was passion and zeal in our pulpit yesterday as four of our younger folk shared on David being a man after God’s own heart. They were all good but the last speaker was outstanding and had an anointing which the others just didn’t have. He was very obviously both fired up and on fire.

How many young people in your church are on fire for Jesus but are simply not allowed to do anything like this? I know it is hard for a pastor to surrender his pulpit to another and indeed some are contracted by their church board to speak a certain number of times a year. But how many are brave enough to actively develop the next group of leaders and speakers coming through their ranks?

This is what I mean when I urge churches to release their young people into the ministry the Lord has for them. Our pastor is totally secure in the Lord and when the Lord said to start to build a leadership team for tomorrow and to release new speakers and leaders – our pastor has done precisely that. I believe we have discovered a rare talent and anointing. The young man even spoke without any reference to notes as he admitted to us, he knew what he wanted to say and had prepared so well he didn’t even have the notes.

We are all but servants to one another. We plant seeds and water them and help them grow. Then, when our small harvest is ready we garner it in but we save some of the seed for planting next year’s crop so that there will be a harvest each year. That is our job as a church community – to water and grow our crop for harvest and also for next season’s seed. Our young people are the seed for our coming seasons and without them we have no more seed to plant out for a new harvest.

I thank God that our church is a nurturing and growing church. Yes our leadership team is relatively older but they are all keenly aware of the need for tomorrow’s leaders to be brought through into the position of leadership. We have a deep well of wisdom and experience with at least three “retired” church leaders and quite a few other older Christians available to pastor as a mentoring team. Pastor uses them all – he doesn’t knowingly let a single seed drop to the floor.

Your churches are all like that. How much mentoring talent do you have that is simply unused and therefore wasted? How much anointed young talent do you have that is ignored or suppressed and thereby wasted? No wonder so many churches are full of old folk but have very few young people to pass to baton on to.

Time to reconsider your inheritance and how you will pass it on to your grandchildren?

In Celebration of God’s Love 5

This is the final part in a short mini-series on the truths and beauty of some of my favourite hymns. I have chosen five hymns – four old and one new – that simply speak to me. There are many others and I am sure your choice may be very different from mine. Here is my final choice.

This modern song by Michael W Smith is very much a personal favourite - if only for the lines “And I fall to my knees  So it's you that they see Not I” This song brings home to me the need for us to die to self that Jesus may be seen and not us.

Lifting Jesus High

Sin and its ways grow old

All of my heart turns to stone

And I'm left with no strength to arise

How You need to be lifted high

Sin and its ways lead to pain

Left here with hurt and with shame

So no longer will I leave your side

Jesus, you be lifted high

You be lifted high

You be lifted high

You be lifted high in my life Oh God

And I fall to my knees

So it's you that they see Not I

Jesus, you be lifted high

And even now that I'm inside your hands

Help me not to grow prideful again

Don't let me forsake sacrifice

Jesus you be lifted high

And if I'm blessed with the riches of kings

How could I ever think that it was me

For you brought me from darkness to light

Jesus, you be lifted high

You be lifted high

You be lifted high

You be lifted high in my life Oh God

And I fall to my knees

So it's you that they see Not I

Jesus, you'll be lifted high

That’s my selection of favourites complete – at least for now. There is so much fundamental Biblical truth in these hymns or songs, whatever you want to call them. Jesus speaks to us through each and every one of them.