Hi
Have moved to Word Press now http://andiharper.wordpress.com/
Andy
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Worm, Rebel or Weighed Down?
Click on picture above to play song - to buy go to bottom of page *
Have you ever felt like this, "God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me”? (Isaiah 40:27 The Message) Or felt just like the chapter heading from The Message for Isaiah 41 which reads, “Do you feel like a lowly worm?”
So if we feel like this perhaps we need to first examine our feelings? Let’s have a look at just a few possibilities around how we can feel, then seek some encouragement from Isaiah 40 and 41.
1. We might feel like this because we feel we are good enough for God to take notice?
2. Perhaps we have so many troubles weighing us down, we just can’t take it anymore and we begin to wonder if God really cares?
3. For some of us God is presenting a challenge, ‘Live for me whatever is happening around you, focus only on me’. Instead we grumble about our circumstances, a kind of, ‘God doesn’t care for me, so I am not going to move from here till He sorts it out’. Is there something of this you recognise at the moment?
1. I suppose what we mean by ‘not good enough’ is, ‘not important enough’.
Isaiah 41: 9 says:
‘You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away’
God has called you (2nd line), that is, He has a purpose for you, a job that only you can do for Him! He proves this by calling you His servant! And He has chosenyou. I just love that, ‘I have chosen you and have not cast you away’ Just think on that for a few minutes and try to hear God saying it to you, repeat it to yourself and let it sink right in . . ‘I have chosen you and not cast you away’ . .
2. The answer to the “many troubles weighing us down” isn’t always, ‘less troubles please Lord’. When I get like this, I find the real problem is; I’m deciding to carry all my burdens for myself! Through fear that I may come to harm if I don’t. Every day I just heft those troubles up onto my shoulders until finally I come exhausted to God to help me out. How can we just let it all go to God?
In Isaiah 41:10 says to us:
“Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”
3. And one of my favourites over the years, the big ugly one, rebellion! Let’s notice here that in verse 10 God is drawing His people from the ends of the earth. Why? Because that is where rebellion has taken them. Yet He still loves them, He wants to bring them back into His full care and security. If we are in rebellion and we suddenly realise we are far away from God, what are the steps we can take?
Realise There ain’t no help anywhere else! – Isaiah 41:5
Communicate Even if it’s with anger and resentment, start telling God about it
Move on Anger won’t last for ever, to sustain your rebellion you might be tempted to become bitter, recognise this and choose to trust God instead, it’s not God that’s hurt you or let you down in the past, He’s your friend Isaiah 41:8
At the beginning of Isaiah 41 God invites everyone to quiet down and consider a few things together about who He is, it’s worth reading, try The Message versionIsaiah 41 The more we learn about the truth of who God is, the closer we are drawn to Him, the more able we are to trust Him – learn, draw close, trust. I would add to this share. Find someone, a friend, someone on the ministry team, your partner, someone you trust and so they can minister to you, by listening as well as praying with you. Join or form a prayer triplet if you are not already in one! Or join your church's version of small groups, sometimes called, life groups or housegroups. Or just ask your minister, 'I need someone to share with, can you help me?'
Above all remember this, as the song implies, It's God your Father who is chasing you! Whatever state you are in, He's there trying everything He can to bring you to a place where He can lavish His love on you! There's nothing you can do to stop that!
Isaiah 41: 9 says:
‘You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away’
God has called you (2nd line), that is, He has a purpose for you, a job that only you can do for Him! He proves this by calling you His servant! And He has chosenyou. I just love that, ‘I have chosen you and have not cast you away’ Just think on that for a few minutes and try to hear God saying it to you, repeat it to yourself and let it sink right in . . ‘I have chosen you and not cast you away’ . .
2. The answer to the “many troubles weighing us down” isn’t always, ‘less troubles please Lord’. When I get like this, I find the real problem is; I’m deciding to carry all my burdens for myself! Through fear that I may come to harm if I don’t. Every day I just heft those troubles up onto my shoulders until finally I come exhausted to God to help me out. How can we just let it all go to God?
In Isaiah 41:10 says to us:
“Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”
3. And one of my favourites over the years, the big ugly one, rebellion! Let’s notice here that in verse 10 God is drawing His people from the ends of the earth. Why? Because that is where rebellion has taken them. Yet He still loves them, He wants to bring them back into His full care and security. If we are in rebellion and we suddenly realise we are far away from God, what are the steps we can take?
Realise There ain’t no help anywhere else! – Isaiah 41:5
Communicate Even if it’s with anger and resentment, start telling God about it
Move on Anger won’t last for ever, to sustain your rebellion you might be tempted to become bitter, recognise this and choose to trust God instead, it’s not God that’s hurt you or let you down in the past, He’s your friend Isaiah 41:8
At the beginning of Isaiah 41 God invites everyone to quiet down and consider a few things together about who He is, it’s worth reading, try The Message versionIsaiah 41 The more we learn about the truth of who God is, the closer we are drawn to Him, the more able we are to trust Him – learn, draw close, trust. I would add to this share. Find someone, a friend, someone on the ministry team, your partner, someone you trust and so they can minister to you, by listening as well as praying with you. Join or form a prayer triplet if you are not already in one! Or join your church's version of small groups, sometimes called, life groups or housegroups. Or just ask your minister, 'I need someone to share with, can you help me?'
Above all remember this, as the song implies, It's God your Father who is chasing you! Whatever state you are in, He's there trying everything He can to bring you to a place where He can lavish His love on you! There's nothing you can do to stop that!
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Perfect Beauty
It seems that everyone is striving for perfect beauty! Adverts and multi million pound industries are devoted to promoting and finding it. Well good news! God shows us his idea of perfect beauty in the bible and everyone can be it
“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth.”
Psalm 50 v 2
If we were writing this we would write that God is the perfection of beauty. In the inspired word,
the perfection of beauty, Zion, is prophetic and figurative of the worshipping community. It’s that community, coming into the presence of the Lord, which is the perfection or completion of beauty. Also, completion (of what God designed in the first place) or perfection of beauty is the presence of the Lord resting on the people of God, in romance and in intimacy. The people of God exalting and honouring Jesus and God calls this the perfection of beauty! It wasn’t complete until you started worshipping. You were written into his definition of beauty! You were written into his description! It's not complete or perfect, until people like you, made in God’s image, are worshipping by choice.
So, God’s idea of the perfection of beauty is the people of God worshiping in romance and intimacy. More than that though, it’s personal. There is a unique worship that only you can give, that goes to a place in God’s heart, that only you can fill. That’s how special you are! Inspired by Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor, Bethel Church Redding, California
“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth.”
Psalm 50 v 2
If we were writing this we would write that God is the perfection of beauty. In the inspired word,
the perfection of beauty, Zion, is prophetic and figurative of the worshipping community. It’s that community, coming into the presence of the Lord, which is the perfection or completion of beauty. Also, completion (of what God designed in the first place) or perfection of beauty is the presence of the Lord resting on the people of God, in romance and in intimacy. The people of God exalting and honouring Jesus and God calls this the perfection of beauty! It wasn’t complete until you started worshipping. You were written into his definition of beauty! You were written into his description! It's not complete or perfect, until people like you, made in God’s image, are worshipping by choice.
So, God’s idea of the perfection of beauty is the people of God worshiping in romance and intimacy. More than that though, it’s personal. There is a unique worship that only you can give, that goes to a place in God’s heart, that only you can fill. That’s how special you are! Inspired by Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor, Bethel Church Redding, California
Sunday, 6 March 2011
God's Real Nature
Ever wondered about God's nature, His essential character? What kind of a Father He might be toward us? It's a big subject, here are a few thoughts and verses, as well as some amazing Jack Coe footage: here
There are some things that God can’t give us:
Poverty
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus! Phillipians 4:19
Sickness
He does not have it to give, so he cannot give it! And an extension of this logic must tell us that God does not, indeed cannot, choose to heal some and not others! This does leave us with questions, fair enough, however, there are other (loving) ways of dealing with tradegy that keeps us on a road that refuses to accept sickness as part of God's will. We don't have all the answers for sure, one for another email!
Some Jack Coe videos (Jack Coe ministered via a large tent to mainly farming communities and mixed race crowds, unusual at the time in the US. Commentators note that he could not have been a fake, because people in these communities knew each other intimately) Just think if we had ambulances turning up at our meetings and people being wheeled in on stretchers!
Healed from Cancer of the throat here and more significantly see all the abandoned crutches!
Healed from Cross Eyes here
Healed from Deafness/Muteness here
Healed cancer on the face here
There are some things that God can’t do:
Forsake us or be unfaithful toward us 'If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself' 2Timothy 2:13 In other words God cannot act contrary to His nature
There are some things God must do every time:
He must keep His promises!
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread. Psalm 37
Guess whose righteous? Me and You. We can’t be forsaken, it’s not an option for God. He can’t do that, it’s not in His nature to give bad things, he hasn’t got them to give!
Jeremiah 17:14 says, ‘Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.’
Let's remember to praise Him in, and for all, circumstances. By doing so we sanctify all our circumstances and commit them to God's good purposes. 1 Timothy 4: 5-6
Psalm 12
‘5 Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants’
Amplified Version
‘6 God’s words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven’ The Message
Is it too much of a stretch to say God’s words are what effect salvation (and healing)? Both in heaven and on earth His words are effective, ie they achieve His purpose. A reminder of what it says in the Lord’s prayer, that God’s will is done on earth as it is done in heaven. So if we speak God's words, including from the bible, then we also effect salvation and healing in this world. Truly we can declare that God's kingdom is, 'at hand', (as we are told to do) and we can expect this to be confirmed by regular demonstrations of God's power
There are some things that God can’t give us:
Poverty
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus! Phillipians 4:19
Sickness
He does not have it to give, so he cannot give it! And an extension of this logic must tell us that God does not, indeed cannot, choose to heal some and not others! This does leave us with questions, fair enough, however, there are other (loving) ways of dealing with tradegy that keeps us on a road that refuses to accept sickness as part of God's will. We don't have all the answers for sure, one for another email!
Some Jack Coe videos (Jack Coe ministered via a large tent to mainly farming communities and mixed race crowds, unusual at the time in the US. Commentators note that he could not have been a fake, because people in these communities knew each other intimately) Just think if we had ambulances turning up at our meetings and people being wheeled in on stretchers!
Healed from Cancer of the throat here and more significantly see all the abandoned crutches!
Healed from Cross Eyes here
Healed from Deafness/Muteness here
Healed cancer on the face here
There are some things that God can’t do:
Forsake us or be unfaithful toward us 'If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself' 2Timothy 2:13 In other words God cannot act contrary to His nature
There are some things God must do every time:
He must keep His promises!
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread. Psalm 37
Guess whose righteous? Me and You. We can’t be forsaken, it’s not an option for God. He can’t do that, it’s not in His nature to give bad things, he hasn’t got them to give!
Jeremiah 17:14 says, ‘Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.’
Let's remember to praise Him in, and for all, circumstances. By doing so we sanctify all our circumstances and commit them to God's good purposes. 1 Timothy 4: 5-6
Psalm 12
‘5 Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants’
Amplified Version
‘6 God’s words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven’ The Message
Is it too much of a stretch to say God’s words are what effect salvation (and healing)? Both in heaven and on earth His words are effective, ie they achieve His purpose. A reminder of what it says in the Lord’s prayer, that God’s will is done on earth as it is done in heaven. So if we speak God's words, including from the bible, then we also effect salvation and healing in this world. Truly we can declare that God's kingdom is, 'at hand', (as we are told to do) and we can expect this to be confirmed by regular demonstrations of God's power
Monday, 21 February 2011
The Battle Within, The Battle Without
Healing: The Battle Within
"For every time Satan overcomes a saint, it gives him ferocity for another attack; but when he is subdued, he will come to the place where defeat is written against him" Smith Wigglesworth on the Holy Spirit chapter 11 'Christ In Us' page 252
Now, have you ever found yourself in the same place of defeat? Like history repeating itself? Only this time it feels even more hopeless? And the heat of the battle within feels even more ferocious? James says in chapter 4 verse 5 that the spirit of God fights for our spirit. In other words God won't let up on possessing the whole of you and neither will satan. What stands in between is our rebellious nature. So stop rebelling! Cooperate instead! What does that mean? Submit entirely! SUBMIT, 'get low' as our spiritual fathers called it. Get low and die. We often have difficulty dying to ourselves. This process gets more difficult as time goes on, if we choose rebellion. This is because, when we first come to Christ, He let's His grace cover us for a period. We try to get comfortable. And I am talking about those parts of us that need healing and wholeness too! Eventually though, the battle for that part of you really heats up and you begin to weaken! You just can't stay in that comfy place anymore! Why even though you are totally worn out do you continue to rebel?!?! Just let God have his way!
Maybe we are hurting so bad somewhere that we believe that if we let God touch us there we will be overcome with pain. Maybe somewhere deep inside we have a deep sense of shame that needs His healing touch?
Maybe you are just being plain rebellious and you need to listen to your Christian friends and family and let them help you get straightened out. Submit to your closest Christian friends? Sometimes that's the best sign that we are in rebellion, when we just won't listen to those christians, closest to us, anymore!
If you think you need God's healing touch and no amount of counselling or medical help seems to have helped. Can I encourage to get with gifted Christians who can lovingly minister healing to you through laying on of hands and anointing with oil? Submit yourself to this and God will always, very gently, touch and heal you
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity" We know who these friends are, so seek their help, either in challenging and correcting you and/or ministering healing to you!
The kingdom of God within us suffers violence Matt 11:12 We, however, have one within us who is greater than the one without, 1 John 4:4. That is, the power of God within us, through His Holy Spirit, is greater than the power of satan outside of us.
If we are to fight in battles with and for God in this world, we must first conquer within! So I pray today that you yield! Yield to Him and let Him do His work within - healing, transformation, joy and peace will be yours. Then you will be ready to fight for Him in battles to defeat the enemy in any situation where healing and salvation is needed ie the battle without!
And I want, more than anything to be in that battle and have done with the 'battle within'! Is that you prayer today? Or is your prayer, 'please make all things comfortable again' ? A soldier in today's army cannot be on leave the whole time, and neither can a soldier in God's army! So let's all resolve to get sorted with God and get out there! And get in the heat of the battle!
"For every time Satan overcomes a saint, it gives him ferocity for another attack; but when he is subdued, he will come to the place where defeat is written against him" Smith Wigglesworth on the Holy Spirit chapter 11 'Christ In Us' page 252
Now, have you ever found yourself in the same place of defeat? Like history repeating itself? Only this time it feels even more hopeless? And the heat of the battle within feels even more ferocious? James says in chapter 4 verse 5 that the spirit of God fights for our spirit. In other words God won't let up on possessing the whole of you and neither will satan. What stands in between is our rebellious nature. So stop rebelling! Cooperate instead! What does that mean? Submit entirely! SUBMIT, 'get low' as our spiritual fathers called it. Get low and die. We often have difficulty dying to ourselves. This process gets more difficult as time goes on, if we choose rebellion. This is because, when we first come to Christ, He let's His grace cover us for a period. We try to get comfortable. And I am talking about those parts of us that need healing and wholeness too! Eventually though, the battle for that part of you really heats up and you begin to weaken! You just can't stay in that comfy place anymore! Why even though you are totally worn out do you continue to rebel?!?! Just let God have his way!
Maybe we are hurting so bad somewhere that we believe that if we let God touch us there we will be overcome with pain. Maybe somewhere deep inside we have a deep sense of shame that needs His healing touch?
Maybe you are just being plain rebellious and you need to listen to your Christian friends and family and let them help you get straightened out. Submit to your closest Christian friends? Sometimes that's the best sign that we are in rebellion, when we just won't listen to those christians, closest to us, anymore!
If you think you need God's healing touch and no amount of counselling or medical help seems to have helped. Can I encourage to get with gifted Christians who can lovingly minister healing to you through laying on of hands and anointing with oil? Submit yourself to this and God will always, very gently, touch and heal you
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity" We know who these friends are, so seek their help, either in challenging and correcting you and/or ministering healing to you!
The kingdom of God within us suffers violence Matt 11:12 We, however, have one within us who is greater than the one without, 1 John 4:4. That is, the power of God within us, through His Holy Spirit, is greater than the power of satan outside of us.
If we are to fight in battles with and for God in this world, we must first conquer within! So I pray today that you yield! Yield to Him and let Him do His work within - healing, transformation, joy and peace will be yours. Then you will be ready to fight for Him in battles to defeat the enemy in any situation where healing and salvation is needed ie the battle without!
And I want, more than anything to be in that battle and have done with the 'battle within'! Is that you prayer today? Or is your prayer, 'please make all things comfortable again' ? A soldier in today's army cannot be on leave the whole time, and neither can a soldier in God's army! So let's all resolve to get sorted with God and get out there! And get in the heat of the battle!
Friday, 4 February 2011
Stop Messin, Get Serious
Let's not mess with God! The 'take it or leave it' attitude ! is no good any more! He has brought us to our knees or circumstances brought us to our knees and God wants us to stay there, facing him, and submitting to the work he wants to do in our lives - eg transform us, heal us emotionally/physically, release us from anxiety and fear. If we submit we will find he is a giver of peace, joy, and fullness of life!
9 Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.10 Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. James 4:9-10
James 4:10
When you bow down to the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. <>
So stop messin and get serious!
Andy
Sorry about the hard hitting message - needed sometimes though don't you think?
http://andyharper.blogspot.com/
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/andyharperintheuk
http://www.facebook.com/0andyharper0
Some Thin Bout Jesus Shop
01204 412235
07825 081861
9 Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.10 Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. James 4:9-10
James 4:10
When you bow down to the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. <
So stop messin and get serious!
Andy
Sorry about the hard hitting message - needed sometimes though don't you think?
http://andyharper.blogspot.com/
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/andyharperintheuk
http://www.facebook.com/0andyharper0
Some Thin Bout Jesus Shop
01204 412235
07825 081861
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Imagine . . .
You wake up, read your bible and pray, then set off for work.
On the train there are several people reading their bibles.
You notice as you work down the aisle a number of people
watching the latest church services and Christian music concerts
on their laptops. You sit with a group of people you have got to
know over the years. As per normal, each of you shares about
your day, what’s happening at home, etc. Then you pray out
loud for each other. At work you have the first meeting of the
week, a planning meeting. Before starting the meeting your
boss leads you all in prayer. At lunch time you pop over to
the local church with a number of colleagues for a lunchtime
worship service. That afternoon a colleague complains of a
headache, so as is the practice in such situations, you gather
a couple of people and lay hands on this person to pray for
their healing . . Hold on a minute! This is not my life!
Lets ask ourselves, is that the life we want? My first instinct
is to say yes! But would we say yes if we really knew what the
journey to that place looked like?
Maybe that journey starts with what we are really desiring
in our lives right now? Or maybe there are some things God
needs to work on in our lives?
"What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that
the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?"
James 4:5
"If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every
chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way.
5 And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it
that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.”6 And what he gives in love
is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common
knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God
gives grace to the willing humble.”7 So let God work his
will in you." The same passage from The Message
I read that passage and think, " I'm not an enemy of God".
Looking closer though, I think that first verse means if we
flirt with the world, ie, our desires head over toward money
or status or whatever, our actions can start to have the effect of
making us enemies of God (we may still be saved, His grace
still covers us, however, our actions have sometimes become
'enemy' actions). God longs to see the Holy Spirit 'come forth'
in us, the outward expression of what he is doing inside us!
So we have to let God work within us and that's related to our
desire, for which He is jealous. Letting God work His will within
us can sometimes be very difficult. We can sometimes be
deceived into thinking we can be in a neutral place when
God puts His finger on something inside thats going to be
difficult - if we try that our desires will begin to stray the
wrong way. God loves us so much, He only puts His finger
on something when He knows we are ready. Previous to this
His grace often covers things. Once we are ready and God has
everything in place He starts work. It may be hard, we may feel
pain as past hurts are uncovered, for example. We need to
remember at these times that His love is better than anything
else we might find! Once something inside us is transformed we
find new peace, joy and healing.
Often we see a new out working of His Holy Spirit as we are able
to minister to others in that same area to which God has
ministered to us! And because we know what it is like to be set
free we develop a passion to set others free!
Help us to overcome stubbornness and fear so that
you can come deeper and transform those things
which are blocking our passion for you. Help us to
see that some of those things are a poor substitute
for your love working in every part of our lives. Set
us alight, make us desperate for more of you, so
that everything else seems as rubbish compared!
Extend that passion in us to see those around us
transformed, healed, set free, encouraged and filled
with the joy of knowing you more
Amen
On the train there are several people reading their bibles.
You notice as you work down the aisle a number of people
watching the latest church services and Christian music concerts
on their laptops. You sit with a group of people you have got to
know over the years. As per normal, each of you shares about
your day, what’s happening at home, etc. Then you pray out
loud for each other. At work you have the first meeting of the
week, a planning meeting. Before starting the meeting your
boss leads you all in prayer. At lunch time you pop over to
the local church with a number of colleagues for a lunchtime
worship service. That afternoon a colleague complains of a
headache, so as is the practice in such situations, you gather
a couple of people and lay hands on this person to pray for
their healing . . Hold on a minute! This is not my life!
Lets ask ourselves, is that the life we want? My first instinct
is to say yes! But would we say yes if we really knew what the
journey to that place looked like?
Maybe that journey starts with what we are really desiring
in our lives right now? Or maybe there are some things God
needs to work on in our lives?
"What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that
the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?"
James 4:5
"If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every
chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way.
5 And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it
that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.”6 And what he gives in love
is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common
knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God
gives grace to the willing humble.”7 So let God work his
will in you." The same passage from The Message
I read that passage and think, " I'm not an enemy of God".
Looking closer though, I think that first verse means if we
flirt with the world, ie, our desires head over toward money
or status or whatever, our actions can start to have the effect of
making us enemies of God (we may still be saved, His grace
still covers us, however, our actions have sometimes become
'enemy' actions). God longs to see the Holy Spirit 'come forth'
in us, the outward expression of what he is doing inside us!
So we have to let God work within us and that's related to our
desire, for which He is jealous. Letting God work His will within
us can sometimes be very difficult. We can sometimes be
deceived into thinking we can be in a neutral place when
God puts His finger on something inside thats going to be
difficult - if we try that our desires will begin to stray the
wrong way. God loves us so much, He only puts His finger
on something when He knows we are ready. Previous to this
His grace often covers things. Once we are ready and God has
everything in place He starts work. It may be hard, we may feel
pain as past hurts are uncovered, for example. We need to
remember at these times that His love is better than anything
else we might find! Once something inside us is transformed we
find new peace, joy and healing.
Often we see a new out working of His Holy Spirit as we are able
to minister to others in that same area to which God has
ministered to us! And because we know what it is like to be set
free we develop a passion to set others free!
Prayer
Dear Lord, give us a desire for you and you alone.Help us to overcome stubbornness and fear so that
you can come deeper and transform those things
which are blocking our passion for you. Help us to
see that some of those things are a poor substitute
for your love working in every part of our lives. Set
us alight, make us desperate for more of you, so
that everything else seems as rubbish compared!
Extend that passion in us to see those around us
transformed, healed, set free, encouraged and filled
with the joy of knowing you more
Amen
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Happy New Year
It must be a season of amazing true stories at the moment!
This one is about someone I will call Jane, who as far as I know, none of you know, but just in case I have made some details anonymous. I also have permission to tell the story. A relative of mine in another city told me this story over Christmas: Jane has moved to this city only in the last couple of years. She has had some contact with Christians over the years, maybe believes in God and has not made a Christian commitment. One day my relative and Jane were in a public place and a lady came up to Jane and put her hand on her arm and said, ‘I know you don’t I?’ Jane said, ‘no, I doubt it, I’m not from around here’’. Then the lady described seeing Jane sat on a purple couch/settee with red curtains behind in the background, drinking white wine. All these and other details were correct! This was how Jane spent her evenings. It was in this way that the lady felt she, ‘knew’ Jane. I asked if Jane was freaked out by all this, she was at first apparently, until the lady said, ‘I’m not a psychic, I am a Christian and I have been praying for you’. Jane was then reassured and thanked the lady.
So what does this story say to me and you? For me it says God never gives up on us even when we have given up on ourselves! He never gives up on others even when we have given up on them! God often has answers to our prayers we are not capable of working out beforehand. He has ways of breaking in and showing us that He cares that are way beyond our imagination. We should follow God’s lead and never give up! Pick up in prayer again for yourself or for that other person, go on, God can do it, you never know just what He is up to !
Ephesians 3:20-21‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen’
Over the Christmas holidays one or two issues close to home have been brought into sharp focus. I sat there listening to a Christmas sermon and the preacher said something like, ‘Christmas can be a time people dread, because, family issues can come to the fore and there may be a lot of pressure’. I remember thinking, ’yer, yer, doesn’t apply to me’. I ended up getting taken by surprise! Why? Well pride is one reason, another is an inability over the years to deal properly with some stuff – both of which I wasn’t really fully aware of. Thank the Lord He knows all about it! After flailing around trying to sort things out in my own mind I finally gave in and prayed. Now I can see God working things out again. Far from resolved or anything, but I see God’s hand in things and have peace once more. (Not that God’s hand has been away from sorting things, just me and handing over and getting Godly peace needed sorting)
Philippians 4: 4-7 ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’
Prayer
Dear Lord, I pray that in this coming New Year we may be ready for you to act in sometimes surprising ways. Help us to hand over to you more of our lives in 2011 and to learn to trust you in ways we haven’t before. May we open hearts and minds to learn more of you and your ways. Thank you that whatever we do, your loving care for us is always active. Please help us to look to you sooner rather than later in difficult situations. In the good times, help us not to forget you, but, rejoice with you. You are an amazing Father with an amazing plan for each of us in 2011 – Thank you Lord! Amen
This one is about someone I will call Jane, who as far as I know, none of you know, but just in case I have made some details anonymous. I also have permission to tell the story. A relative of mine in another city told me this story over Christmas: Jane has moved to this city only in the last couple of years. She has had some contact with Christians over the years, maybe believes in God and has not made a Christian commitment. One day my relative and Jane were in a public place and a lady came up to Jane and put her hand on her arm and said, ‘I know you don’t I?’ Jane said, ‘no, I doubt it, I’m not from around here’’. Then the lady described seeing Jane sat on a purple couch/settee with red curtains behind in the background, drinking white wine. All these and other details were correct! This was how Jane spent her evenings. It was in this way that the lady felt she, ‘knew’ Jane. I asked if Jane was freaked out by all this, she was at first apparently, until the lady said, ‘I’m not a psychic, I am a Christian and I have been praying for you’. Jane was then reassured and thanked the lady.
So what does this story say to me and you? For me it says God never gives up on us even when we have given up on ourselves! He never gives up on others even when we have given up on them! God often has answers to our prayers we are not capable of working out beforehand. He has ways of breaking in and showing us that He cares that are way beyond our imagination. We should follow God’s lead and never give up! Pick up in prayer again for yourself or for that other person, go on, God can do it, you never know just what He is up to !
Ephesians 3:20-21‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen’
Over the Christmas holidays one or two issues close to home have been brought into sharp focus. I sat there listening to a Christmas sermon and the preacher said something like, ‘Christmas can be a time people dread, because, family issues can come to the fore and there may be a lot of pressure’. I remember thinking, ’yer, yer, doesn’t apply to me’. I ended up getting taken by surprise! Why? Well pride is one reason, another is an inability over the years to deal properly with some stuff – both of which I wasn’t really fully aware of. Thank the Lord He knows all about it! After flailing around trying to sort things out in my own mind I finally gave in and prayed. Now I can see God working things out again. Far from resolved or anything, but I see God’s hand in things and have peace once more. (Not that God’s hand has been away from sorting things, just me and handing over and getting Godly peace needed sorting)
Philippians 4: 4-7 ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’
Prayer
Dear Lord, I pray that in this coming New Year we may be ready for you to act in sometimes surprising ways. Help us to hand over to you more of our lives in 2011 and to learn to trust you in ways we haven’t before. May we open hearts and minds to learn more of you and your ways. Thank you that whatever we do, your loving care for us is always active. Please help us to look to you sooner rather than later in difficult situations. In the good times, help us not to forget you, but, rejoice with you. You are an amazing Father with an amazing plan for each of us in 2011 – Thank you Lord! Amen
Now, This is my Kind of Christmas Story
John1:4-5 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Jane’s Story
Jane(not her real name) came and sat next to me on the train at Piccadilly the day before Christmas Eve (yesterday). I was on my way home feeling extremely tired. Normally I would have been on the straight through train; however, I had tried to beat the system and the weather (and failed). However I had done the same in the morning and had a sense there was God’s hand in things that day and that he wanted me to chat to someone. I was reluctant to chat and had my big headphones on. This was the 23rd of December and this date turned out to be significant in Jane’s story as it came out in bits and pieces in our conversation. Now you will have to forgive me not being entirely accurate as I have not been able to piece the story together 100% from our conversation yesterday, which lasted between Manchester Piccadilly and Bolton stations.
We talked about Christmas being a pressurised time financially, relationally for some people. Jane told me her first husband, now deceased, had suffered all his life from various illnesses including spina bifida. One 23rd of December he was in hospital admissions and Jane was told that he was in such a poor state of health they could not even take him up to ICU, he was ‘bagged up’ with assisted breathing, etc. Some time before this Jane had been a Wiccan ( a kind of pagan belief linked to Celtic ancient beliefs? Possibly involving being a witch?) One time next to her husband’s hospital bed in a previous crisis, she had an impression of God’s voice: ‘what will it take for you to pray to me about this?’. So she did pray and her husband became well again. After this she went to a Christian bookshop and asked if they had a book about prayer. Thankfully the lady said, ‘would you like me to tell you about Jesus?’ And she became Christian. Her husband was dead against Christianity, as was her son. Next her son walking along the road with her one day just blurted out, ‘sorry Jesus for not asking your forgiveness’, then just went off skipping down the road because he was so joyful! His dad was disgusted and said his son had gone over to the, ‘dark side’. Ok back to the 23rd. Things got to the point when the doctor and nurse, ‘called it’ and agreed a time of death. They then started taking the tube out of his mouth, etc. Just then he sat up and started singing ‘Amazing Grace’, and afterward said he had seen Jesus and was now evidently saved! He lived for another eighteen months! NOW THAT’S MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS STORY !!
Prayer
Dear Lord
Thank you that this lady shone the light into her husbands life and into the life of her son. Thank you that you hungered to come to earth and rescue us because you love us so. You also came because it pleased your Father and brought you great joy! Help us to seek the joy that comes from shining the light of Jesus into people's lives!
Woooooooohoooooooo! It really is Christmas and you really did come! Thank you Lord
Amen
Jane’s Story
Jane(not her real name) came and sat next to me on the train at Piccadilly the day before Christmas Eve (yesterday). I was on my way home feeling extremely tired. Normally I would have been on the straight through train; however, I had tried to beat the system and the weather (and failed). However I had done the same in the morning and had a sense there was God’s hand in things that day and that he wanted me to chat to someone. I was reluctant to chat and had my big headphones on. This was the 23rd of December and this date turned out to be significant in Jane’s story as it came out in bits and pieces in our conversation. Now you will have to forgive me not being entirely accurate as I have not been able to piece the story together 100% from our conversation yesterday, which lasted between Manchester Piccadilly and Bolton stations.
We talked about Christmas being a pressurised time financially, relationally for some people. Jane told me her first husband, now deceased, had suffered all his life from various illnesses including spina bifida. One 23rd of December he was in hospital admissions and Jane was told that he was in such a poor state of health they could not even take him up to ICU, he was ‘bagged up’ with assisted breathing, etc. Some time before this Jane had been a Wiccan ( a kind of pagan belief linked to Celtic ancient beliefs? Possibly involving being a witch?) One time next to her husband’s hospital bed in a previous crisis, she had an impression of God’s voice: ‘what will it take for you to pray to me about this?’. So she did pray and her husband became well again. After this she went to a Christian bookshop and asked if they had a book about prayer. Thankfully the lady said, ‘would you like me to tell you about Jesus?’ And she became Christian. Her husband was dead against Christianity, as was her son. Next her son walking along the road with her one day just blurted out, ‘sorry Jesus for not asking your forgiveness’, then just went off skipping down the road because he was so joyful! His dad was disgusted and said his son had gone over to the, ‘dark side’. Ok back to the 23rd. Things got to the point when the doctor and nurse, ‘called it’ and agreed a time of death. They then started taking the tube out of his mouth, etc. Just then he sat up and started singing ‘Amazing Grace’, and afterward said he had seen Jesus and was now evidently saved! He lived for another eighteen months! NOW THAT’S MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS STORY !!
Prayer
Dear Lord
Thank you that this lady shone the light into her husbands life and into the life of her son. Thank you that you hungered to come to earth and rescue us because you love us so. You also came because it pleased your Father and brought you great joy! Help us to seek the joy that comes from shining the light of Jesus into people's lives!
Woooooooohoooooooo! It really is Christmas and you really did come! Thank you Lord
Amen
Sunday, 19 December 2010
'Crazy Dow', I want to be him . .
Battling Unbelief
or Embracing Belief
Questions, Questions, too many Questions:
Is it ok to have doubts? What if experience tells me different?
Questions, Some Answers and Do We Need all the Answers?
James 1 5-19 talks of a man doubting, a double minded man. Do you ever feel like that, I know I do! For example, I feel 100% better from Asthma, I have more energy since being prayed for at the Salford IHOP meetings. And I hardly ever sleep in the day anymore! I had a comprehensive lung function test which showed up completely normal. And yet I doubt! I tell myself that all the medicine I had been stuffing down had suddenly, by some strange coincidence started working and that I have not needed it since? Well at least occasionally I have that thought. And yet God began my healing on the Monday night while I was largely in a state of unbelief! Then completed the work Wednesday night when I had more belief ( a young guy who said he was inexperienced with this kind of thing came out of the audience and prayed for me) I rarely doubt my salvation or the concept of salvation, how come I doubt healing? And what about all the poor people in the crowd not healed that night? And why wasn't I healed before, in fact, I have sought healing from asthma on a number of occasions, publicly and privately over 13 Years!
. All the above by Andy Harper via Video
Some Answers ?
Some commentators say James is talking about a person that decides to be double minded, rather than a person who has doubts then decides to use these questions to discover more about God, ie to go deeper - "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." So the very nature of God vs our nature means things are concealed! And the real fun is searching these things out, 'Kings', means me and you by the way. Wise men still seek out Jesus http://bible.us/Prov25.2.ESV
My kids tend to have an unquestioning belief that I love them and will always do my best for them. As they grow older they begin to see that I am not Super Human, however, our Heavenly Father is Super Godly and changes not! So let's begin with our belief that, 'God is good to me all the time'. People will dispute this and your own thoughts will sometimes too. 1 Peter 4 19 is often quoted, "Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with God’s will must do right and commit their souls [in charge as a deposit] to the One Who created [them] and will never fail [them]. (amplified version). Does this verse actually mean what the message it suggests however? ie it's God's will we suffer. Let's look at the message version: "So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it. He’ll Promote You at the Right Time" Life often is difficult, we know that, but, it is not God's will (His will was expressed in the garden of Eden before we all became wrong doers). Now we know that Christ suffered and that He accepted this as God's will - God's will that the world be restored and redeemed, not that Christ suffer for the sake of it. We suffer persecution because as the bible says, we then share in Christ's suffering, ie, we participate with Christ in God's purpose of redeeming and restoring individuals. Do we get it yet ? "GOD IS GOOD TO US ALL THE TIME". Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells your heart and then use your head to (sometimes eventually) work out why your heart said, 'God is always good to me'. (It's sometimes good to start with the head and teach the heart, how often do we start with the heart and try to confirm or otherwise with our head?)
Do We Need all the Answers?
What if even in heaven we do not have all the answers, what if for all eternity we are discovering more and more about God? Do you remember when you were struggling to make a decision on whether to become a Christian or not and you had all these questions? What if God had given you all the answers, how much would it have helped? Wasn't it your questions pushing you along as well as God's Holy Spirit convicting you that eventually made you say yes? (ie awakening your conscience, nudging your sleepy soul: how sleepy are you right now by the way? Awaken!)
Lorenzo Dow, who I just read about this last week, click on the picture below to find out more about this amazing man from the 19th century or google him:
Send to a Friend »
Prayer
Dear Lord
I just thank you that when doubts come we can use these as a trigger to find out more about you and draw closer to you. Thank you it's ok to say 'God I don't know the answer to this', and even, 'I don't know the answer and it's making me hurt and angry'. Help us to search you out at these critical times. Help us to submit to you being the boss and knowing what's best for us. May we also help and encourage others, strengthen them at times like these and be there for them
Amen
Andy
Andy Harper
http://andyharper.blogspot.com/
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/andyharperintheuk
http://www.facebook.com/0andyharper0
01204 412235
07825 081861
Free Web Area to Save Files and Photos - Dropbox
Gives you folder on your desktop - easy!
Copyright (C) 2010 J4U All rights reserved.
Template created by Melanie Wilkie
Sent to andiharper@gmail.com. Unsubscribe
Update Profile
Forward to a Friend
or Embracing Belief
Questions, Questions, too many Questions:
Is it ok to have doubts? What if experience tells me different?
Questions, Some Answers and Do We Need all the Answers?
James 1 5-19 talks of a man doubting, a double minded man. Do you ever feel like that, I know I do! For example, I feel 100% better from Asthma, I have more energy since being prayed for at the Salford IHOP meetings. And I hardly ever sleep in the day anymore! I had a comprehensive lung function test which showed up completely normal. And yet I doubt! I tell myself that all the medicine I had been stuffing down had suddenly, by some strange coincidence started working and that I have not needed it since? Well at least occasionally I have that thought. And yet God began my healing on the Monday night while I was largely in a state of unbelief! Then completed the work Wednesday night when I had more belief ( a young guy who said he was inexperienced with this kind of thing came out of the audience and prayed for me) I rarely doubt my salvation or the concept of salvation, how come I doubt healing? And what about all the poor people in the crowd not healed that night? And why wasn't I healed before, in fact, I have sought healing from asthma on a number of occasions, publicly and privately over 13 Years!
. All the above by Andy Harper via Video
Some Answers ?
Some commentators say James is talking about a person that decides to be double minded, rather than a person who has doubts then decides to use these questions to discover more about God, ie to go deeper - "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." So the very nature of God vs our nature means things are concealed! And the real fun is searching these things out, 'Kings', means me and you by the way. Wise men still seek out Jesus http://bible.us/Prov25.2.ESV
My kids tend to have an unquestioning belief that I love them and will always do my best for them. As they grow older they begin to see that I am not Super Human, however, our Heavenly Father is Super Godly and changes not! So let's begin with our belief that, 'God is good to me all the time'. People will dispute this and your own thoughts will sometimes too. 1 Peter 4 19 is often quoted, "Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with God’s will must do right and commit their souls [in charge as a deposit] to the One Who created [them] and will never fail [them]. (amplified version). Does this verse actually mean what the message it suggests however? ie it's God's will we suffer. Let's look at the message version: "So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it. He’ll Promote You at the Right Time" Life often is difficult, we know that, but, it is not God's will (His will was expressed in the garden of Eden before we all became wrong doers). Now we know that Christ suffered and that He accepted this as God's will - God's will that the world be restored and redeemed, not that Christ suffer for the sake of it. We suffer persecution because as the bible says, we then share in Christ's suffering, ie, we participate with Christ in God's purpose of redeeming and restoring individuals. Do we get it yet ? "GOD IS GOOD TO US ALL THE TIME". Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells your heart and then use your head to (sometimes eventually) work out why your heart said, 'God is always good to me'. (It's sometimes good to start with the head and teach the heart, how often do we start with the heart and try to confirm or otherwise with our head?)
Do We Need all the Answers?
What if even in heaven we do not have all the answers, what if for all eternity we are discovering more and more about God? Do you remember when you were struggling to make a decision on whether to become a Christian or not and you had all these questions? What if God had given you all the answers, how much would it have helped? Wasn't it your questions pushing you along as well as God's Holy Spirit convicting you that eventually made you say yes? (ie awakening your conscience, nudging your sleepy soul: how sleepy are you right now by the way? Awaken!)
Lorenzo Dow, who I just read about this last week, click on the picture below to find out more about this amazing man from the 19th century or google him:
Send to a Friend »
Prayer
Dear Lord
I just thank you that when doubts come we can use these as a trigger to find out more about you and draw closer to you. Thank you it's ok to say 'God I don't know the answer to this', and even, 'I don't know the answer and it's making me hurt and angry'. Help us to search you out at these critical times. Help us to submit to you being the boss and knowing what's best for us. May we also help and encourage others, strengthen them at times like these and be there for them
Amen
Andy
Andy Harper
http://andyharper.blogspot.com/
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/andyharperintheuk
http://www.facebook.com/0andyharper0
01204 412235
07825 081861
Free Web Area to Save Files and Photos - Dropbox
Gives you folder on your desktop - easy!
Copyright (C) 2010 J4U All rights reserved.
Template created by Melanie Wilkie
Sent to andiharper@gmail.com. Unsubscribe
Update Profile
Forward to a Friend
Friday, 10 December 2010
Voice of God part 1
Hearing the Voice of God
and having our ears tickled !
Distinguishing God's Voice - keeping out the clutter
Isaiah 30:21
"Do you like having your ears tickled or do you like to tickle other people’s ears?
How can we hear and recognise the voice of God? ( Four Keys to Hearing God's Voice - very good practical help)
Well, one way is that the Holy Spirit stirs our spirit as it were, you, ‘feel’, something is the right thing to do or say. After many experiences you more easily recognise this process, I guess. You begin to distinguish the supernatural from your own feelings – which can sometimes be based on fear or insecurity, eg you want to say something to somebody because you think they will like to hear that and they will like you better for you having said it. You want to ‘tickle’ their ears – like it says in the bible somewhere, people like to have their ears tickled!
Something happened to me and my friends about twelve or more years ago. We met regularly to pray and for some months one thing kept coming up for someone, a problem at work. In fact it was a person causing a lot of grief with their behaviour, which was embroiling our friend, dragging him in and causing a great deal of distress. This person was also senior to our friend. Just at the end of one time of prayer, immediately after we had finished, I felt a sort of shiver, what I now recognise as the ‘Holy Spirit on me’ and I blurted out, “this problem will be resolved very shortly, within two weeks” (ie before we next came to pray together). Afterward I was less sure and expressed this . .now I might be a bit more confident . . Within two weeks this individual had died, my friend was very upset and so was I, so I asked my Dad about this. My Dad reassured me that our prayer hadn't caused this individual's death, rather, God was eager to let us know that He had heard our prayers and that He cared.
In our heads we hear our own voice which is easy to recognise. How many of us know though, that when we hear a voice that says, 'you're no good' or something equally negative - thats the evil one! If you spend a quiet time and ask God to speak, you may begin with practise begin to hear another voice. I bet you anything the first thing He says to you is, 'don't be afarid, I love you'! You can then learn to distinguish between these three voices. Also try this: Write a letter to God, really tell Him how you feel. Then write a letter back from God to you. Try to write as yuor feelings flow, rather using your head too much, if you know what I mean.
Smith follows Holy Spirit's Voice
Smith Wigglesworth Sermon, Australia, Published in Latter Rain Evangel p. 19-24 February 1923
It is a great thing to know that God is loosing you from the world, loosing you from a thousand things. You must seek to have the mind of God on all things. If you don’t, you will stop His working. I had to learn that as I was on the water en route to Australia. We stopped at a place called Aden, where they were selling all kinds of ware. Among other things were some beautiful rugs and ostrich feathers in great quantities. There was a gentleman in “first class” who wanted feathers. He bought one lot and the next lot put up was too big; he did not want so many. He said to me, “Will you join me?” I knew I did not want feathers for I had no room or use for them and wouldn’t know what to do with them if I got them. However, he pleaded with me to join him. I perceived it was the Spirit as clearly as anything and I said, “Yes, I will.” So the feathers were knocked down for fifteen dollars. Then I found the man had no money on him. He had plenty in his cabin. I perceived it was the Spirit again, so it fell to my lot to pay for the feathers. He said to me, “I will get the money and give it to one of the stewards.” I replied: “No, that is not business. I am known all over the ship. You seek me out.”
The man came and brought the money. I said, “God wants me to talk to you. Now sit down.” So he sat down and in ten minutes’ time the whole of his life was unhinged, unravelled, broken up, so broken that like a big baby he wept and cried for salvation. It was “feathers” that did it. But you know we shall never know the mind of God till we learn to know the voice of God. The striking thing about Moses is that it took him forty years to learn human wisdom, forty years to know his helplessness, and forty years to live in the power of God. One hundred and twenty years it took to teach that man, and sometimes it seems to me it will take many years to bring us just where we can tell the voice of God, the leadings of God, and all His will concerning us.
Prayer
Dear Lord
You love us and want us to hear your gentle voice speaking to us. You don't want to leave us without hearing our Father's voice guiding, encouraging and speaking your love language into our hearts. Sometimes we are just too rushed and self absorbed to hear from you. Quiet us, we pray. Open our hearts, remove our fears, come in Lord, Come in.
Amen
Send to a Friend »
and having our ears tickled !
Distinguishing God's Voice - keeping out the clutter
Isaiah 30:21
"Do you like having your ears tickled or do you like to tickle other people’s ears?
How can we hear and recognise the voice of God? ( Four Keys to Hearing God's Voice - very good practical help)
Well, one way is that the Holy Spirit stirs our spirit as it were, you, ‘feel’, something is the right thing to do or say. After many experiences you more easily recognise this process, I guess. You begin to distinguish the supernatural from your own feelings – which can sometimes be based on fear or insecurity, eg you want to say something to somebody because you think they will like to hear that and they will like you better for you having said it. You want to ‘tickle’ their ears – like it says in the bible somewhere, people like to have their ears tickled!
Something happened to me and my friends about twelve or more years ago. We met regularly to pray and for some months one thing kept coming up for someone, a problem at work. In fact it was a person causing a lot of grief with their behaviour, which was embroiling our friend, dragging him in and causing a great deal of distress. This person was also senior to our friend. Just at the end of one time of prayer, immediately after we had finished, I felt a sort of shiver, what I now recognise as the ‘Holy Spirit on me’ and I blurted out, “this problem will be resolved very shortly, within two weeks” (ie before we next came to pray together). Afterward I was less sure and expressed this . .now I might be a bit more confident . . Within two weeks this individual had died, my friend was very upset and so was I, so I asked my Dad about this. My Dad reassured me that our prayer hadn't caused this individual's death, rather, God was eager to let us know that He had heard our prayers and that He cared.
In our heads we hear our own voice which is easy to recognise. How many of us know though, that when we hear a voice that says, 'you're no good' or something equally negative - thats the evil one! If you spend a quiet time and ask God to speak, you may begin with practise begin to hear another voice. I bet you anything the first thing He says to you is, 'don't be afarid, I love you'! You can then learn to distinguish between these three voices. Also try this: Write a letter to God, really tell Him how you feel. Then write a letter back from God to you. Try to write as yuor feelings flow, rather using your head too much, if you know what I mean.
Smith follows Holy Spirit's Voice
Smith Wigglesworth Sermon, Australia, Published in Latter Rain Evangel p. 19-24 February 1923
It is a great thing to know that God is loosing you from the world, loosing you from a thousand things. You must seek to have the mind of God on all things. If you don’t, you will stop His working. I had to learn that as I was on the water en route to Australia. We stopped at a place called Aden, where they were selling all kinds of ware. Among other things were some beautiful rugs and ostrich feathers in great quantities. There was a gentleman in “first class” who wanted feathers. He bought one lot and the next lot put up was too big; he did not want so many. He said to me, “Will you join me?” I knew I did not want feathers for I had no room or use for them and wouldn’t know what to do with them if I got them. However, he pleaded with me to join him. I perceived it was the Spirit as clearly as anything and I said, “Yes, I will.” So the feathers were knocked down for fifteen dollars. Then I found the man had no money on him. He had plenty in his cabin. I perceived it was the Spirit again, so it fell to my lot to pay for the feathers. He said to me, “I will get the money and give it to one of the stewards.” I replied: “No, that is not business. I am known all over the ship. You seek me out.”
The man came and brought the money. I said, “God wants me to talk to you. Now sit down.” So he sat down and in ten minutes’ time the whole of his life was unhinged, unravelled, broken up, so broken that like a big baby he wept and cried for salvation. It was “feathers” that did it. But you know we shall never know the mind of God till we learn to know the voice of God. The striking thing about Moses is that it took him forty years to learn human wisdom, forty years to know his helplessness, and forty years to live in the power of God. One hundred and twenty years it took to teach that man, and sometimes it seems to me it will take many years to bring us just where we can tell the voice of God, the leadings of God, and all His will concerning us.
Prayer
Dear Lord
You love us and want us to hear your gentle voice speaking to us. You don't want to leave us without hearing our Father's voice guiding, encouraging and speaking your love language into our hearts. Sometimes we are just too rushed and self absorbed to hear from you. Quiet us, we pray. Open our hearts, remove our fears, come in Lord, Come in.
Amen
Send to a Friend »
Voice of God Part 2
Hearing the Voice of God
God's Voice - brings life to the church and you and me!
Reproduced from here
Rick Joyner:
He is Releasing a Double Portion of Prophetic Revelation. Many things bring life to a church, such as great preaching, prayer, worship, and fellowship. However, three things seem to bring the most life to the Church—hearing from God, miracles, and new Believers. In our local church, we have been blessed by an increase in each of these, which has come in waves. It seems that we may be in the first stages of yet another wave, which is creating a lot of excitement. A few weeks ago, I was also given a promise from the Lord—He said He is going to release a double portion of prophetic revelation to us.
Since then, we have begun to experience a fresh and powerful anointing on the prophetic gifts. For this reason, I will be sharing a lot this coming year on the prophetic gifts. We will also be devoting much more of The MorningStar E-Journal to the prophetic revelation that is coming forth. We also will be teaching on knowing the Lord's voice and sharing what He is saying to His people that we discern to be His word.
Hearing From God
In its most basic form, prophetic revelation is simply hearing from God. As we are told in John 10, His sheep know His voice, and they follow Him because they know His voice. Knowing the voice of God has always been basic for walking with God. Even under the Old Testament, we read repeatedly that the people were exhorted to obey the commandments and heed His voice. Here are just three of them, which contain some remarkable promises:
And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." Exodus 15:26
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... Exodus 19:5-6
However, there shall be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. Deuteronomy 15:4-6
As we now have a New Covenant that is "a better covenant" (see Hebrews 7:22), we are no longer under the law, and we have even better promises, but the ones listed above are also promises in the New Covenant. The Lord is still our Healer and has given gifts of healing to His Church. We also have the New Covenant calling to be His Kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We also see in this last verse that obeying the Lord and heeding His voice resulted in there not being any poor among them—this is fundamental to eradicating systemic poverty.
If we are hearing the voice of the Lord more it is because we are getting closer to Him. This should be our main devotion even more than getting prophetic revelation, but that does not mean that we do not seek His voice. In I Corinthians 14:1, we are commanded to "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."
Often I have heard preachers say that we should not seek the gifts but the Giver, which may sound more noble and wise, but is actually contrary to the Scriptures, as we see in this verse. The truth is that a basic way that we seek the Lord is by seeking to hear from Him. Communication is the basis of every relationship. Few things will draw us closer to the Lord than hearing from Him. We also seek the Lord by seeking all of His gifts. These gifts are not toys but tools for doing His work.
Drawing Us Twice as Close
A second promise that I received is that this year He is going to draw His Church twice as close to Him as we have ever been. The way I saw this was that some may get only 10 percent closer, some may even backslide, but others will get many times closer so that the net result will be His entire Church getting twice as close to Him as we have ever been. The implications of this will be great. How much impact could the Church have on this world if she were twice as close to the Lord as she is now?
As we might find typical in Scripture and history, we can expect the enemy to be increasing his work during this time, too. We are in the time of Isaiah 60:1-5. While darkness is covering the earth, and even "deep darkness the people," the glory of the Lord will be manifested on His people. We are entering the time of the ultimate clash between light and darkness, but as we also see in this text—the light wins! The nations do not turn to the darkness but to the light.
Another rising wave of the Spirit is happening now. Ultimately it will be an irresistible tsunami, recapturing backsliders and multitudes of the heathen in its path. The Lord speaking to His people will be a catalyst for this.
Today you can get a head start on this great year by seeking Him, asking for more prophetic dreams, visions, and prophesy, and being faithful to what He speaks to you.
Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org
Send to a Friend to Subscribe to Emails
Prayer
Dear Lord
When we hear of the exciting things going on around the world in your church, like miracles, healings and new believers, we just so much want that for our church and our lives!
Please help us to be pursuers of you! God Chasers. Help us to throw off all that would hinder, our own selfish concerns, for example. We know that you care for every little detail in our lives so help us to fix our eyes on the things that are on your heart! Like helping and caring for each other and those around us that don't know you. As we begin to seek out your voice give us the courage to be doers and not hearers only! We want to lay our hands on the sick and they recover, we want to tell people the kingdom of God is near. Give us boldness! Give us courage Lord, chase us down, capture our hearts with your love, so we can capture lost hearts with your love too Lord
Amen
God's Voice - brings life to the church and you and me!
Reproduced from here
Rick Joyner:
He is Releasing a Double Portion of Prophetic Revelation. Many things bring life to a church, such as great preaching, prayer, worship, and fellowship. However, three things seem to bring the most life to the Church—hearing from God, miracles, and new Believers. In our local church, we have been blessed by an increase in each of these, which has come in waves. It seems that we may be in the first stages of yet another wave, which is creating a lot of excitement. A few weeks ago, I was also given a promise from the Lord—He said He is going to release a double portion of prophetic revelation to us.
Since then, we have begun to experience a fresh and powerful anointing on the prophetic gifts. For this reason, I will be sharing a lot this coming year on the prophetic gifts. We will also be devoting much more of The MorningStar E-Journal to the prophetic revelation that is coming forth. We also will be teaching on knowing the Lord's voice and sharing what He is saying to His people that we discern to be His word.
Hearing From God
In its most basic form, prophetic revelation is simply hearing from God. As we are told in John 10, His sheep know His voice, and they follow Him because they know His voice. Knowing the voice of God has always been basic for walking with God. Even under the Old Testament, we read repeatedly that the people were exhorted to obey the commandments and heed His voice. Here are just three of them, which contain some remarkable promises:
And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." Exodus 15:26
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... Exodus 19:5-6
However, there shall be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. Deuteronomy 15:4-6
As we now have a New Covenant that is "a better covenant" (see Hebrews 7:22), we are no longer under the law, and we have even better promises, but the ones listed above are also promises in the New Covenant. The Lord is still our Healer and has given gifts of healing to His Church. We also have the New Covenant calling to be His Kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We also see in this last verse that obeying the Lord and heeding His voice resulted in there not being any poor among them—this is fundamental to eradicating systemic poverty.
If we are hearing the voice of the Lord more it is because we are getting closer to Him. This should be our main devotion even more than getting prophetic revelation, but that does not mean that we do not seek His voice. In I Corinthians 14:1, we are commanded to "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."
Often I have heard preachers say that we should not seek the gifts but the Giver, which may sound more noble and wise, but is actually contrary to the Scriptures, as we see in this verse. The truth is that a basic way that we seek the Lord is by seeking to hear from Him. Communication is the basis of every relationship. Few things will draw us closer to the Lord than hearing from Him. We also seek the Lord by seeking all of His gifts. These gifts are not toys but tools for doing His work.
Drawing Us Twice as Close
A second promise that I received is that this year He is going to draw His Church twice as close to Him as we have ever been. The way I saw this was that some may get only 10 percent closer, some may even backslide, but others will get many times closer so that the net result will be His entire Church getting twice as close to Him as we have ever been. The implications of this will be great. How much impact could the Church have on this world if she were twice as close to the Lord as she is now?
As we might find typical in Scripture and history, we can expect the enemy to be increasing his work during this time, too. We are in the time of Isaiah 60:1-5. While darkness is covering the earth, and even "deep darkness the people," the glory of the Lord will be manifested on His people. We are entering the time of the ultimate clash between light and darkness, but as we also see in this text—the light wins! The nations do not turn to the darkness but to the light.
Another rising wave of the Spirit is happening now. Ultimately it will be an irresistible tsunami, recapturing backsliders and multitudes of the heathen in its path. The Lord speaking to His people will be a catalyst for this.
Today you can get a head start on this great year by seeking Him, asking for more prophetic dreams, visions, and prophesy, and being faithful to what He speaks to you.
Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org
Send to a Friend to Subscribe to Emails
Prayer
Dear Lord
When we hear of the exciting things going on around the world in your church, like miracles, healings and new believers, we just so much want that for our church and our lives!
Please help us to be pursuers of you! God Chasers. Help us to throw off all that would hinder, our own selfish concerns, for example. We know that you care for every little detail in our lives so help us to fix our eyes on the things that are on your heart! Like helping and caring for each other and those around us that don't know you. As we begin to seek out your voice give us the courage to be doers and not hearers only! We want to lay our hands on the sick and they recover, we want to tell people the kingdom of God is near. Give us boldness! Give us courage Lord, chase us down, capture our hearts with your love, so we can capture lost hearts with your love too Lord
Amen
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Uncertainty and the Secret Place
Living in The Secret Place
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" Psalm 91 v1
I have read of, 'the secret place', and heard it mentioned a number of times over the last few years and wondered what it meant. I assumed at first that this was a room you went to and locked yourself in to pray for a few hours. It sounded a dull activity, since I rarely prayed for longer than fifteen minutes at a time! However, whenever the secret place was mentioned there was an air of excitement, mystery, specialness as it were.
By the way if anyone has any ideas or questions about, 'the secret place', reply to me and I'll publish them . .
I knew that Daniel and Nehimiah retreated daily to spend long times with God and this preceded the unfolding of an amazing story in their lives. I'm told Yongi Cho spent (and still does spend) hours in prayer everyday and this led to his significnt part in the South Korean revival. In the early part of the last century William J Seymour spent three hours a day in prayer which he then increased to seven, just prior to the Asouza Street revival. Were these times dry or were they intimate, joyous times with God? Are these times only achievable by very unusual individuals, tremendously disciplined, for example? Or is it possible that we can enter into a secret place of intimacy with our Father, just enjoying being with Him and acting out our relationship with Him, just Him and us, unninterupted? These lives were certainly marked by a submission to God, and complete reliance on Him and nothing/nobody else. So what kind of certainty do we want in our lives?
Certainty is the mark of the common sense life - gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means we're uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow brings. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises.
Taken from ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ by Oswald Chambers
How to be certain of God? And how to know we are in His presence and under His protection? In the absence of knowing how to do this and how we can be reassured we are doing this, we will tend to rely solely on ourselves and others only. Thus leaving God out of the picture and us out of a fuller life of God given purpose and security.
And do we have to worry about keeping ourselves in that 'secret place' ?
Not according to Smith Wigglesworth! (to learn more about Smith Wigglesworth click on picture of Smith Wigglesworth or go to http://www.smithwigglesworth.com/)
"Can we keep ourselves there? GOD can keep us there.
He never forgets to keep me,
He never forgets to keep me
My Father has many dear children;
But He never forgets to keep me.
Has He forgotten to keep you? Nay! He cannot forget. God has much in store for you; you are far from being out of His thoughts"
Smith Wigglesworth, 1921 sermon,
http://www.nemontel.net/~word1/secret_place.htm
on Psalm 91 or the Message version of Psalm 91
"Abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Don't change your position, but always have the presence of God, the glory of God. Pay any price to abide under that covering, for the secret of victory is to abide where the Victor abides."
Are we willing to pay any price? Or do the comforts we believe we already have mean too much to us to let go of? These comforts are not rock solid anyway, as we see all around us people losing their jobs, their secuirty, their health . . isn't it better that we cast everything we have on Jesus and trust Him and Him alone? Our Father will not let us down!
Send to a Friend »
Lets Pray
Thank you Lord that you do keep us under the wings of your protection even when we don't know it and we are not seeking it
Help us to actively seek your presence so as to fully enjoy what you have for us. Even though we may feel uncertain help us to know that you are a God of certainty.
Along the way you have many surprises for us, opportunities to fulfill the potential you destined for us before we were born! Give us the courage, born from your loving parenthood, to grab these with both hands!
In Jesus name!
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" Psalm 91 v1
I have read of, 'the secret place', and heard it mentioned a number of times over the last few years and wondered what it meant. I assumed at first that this was a room you went to and locked yourself in to pray for a few hours. It sounded a dull activity, since I rarely prayed for longer than fifteen minutes at a time! However, whenever the secret place was mentioned there was an air of excitement, mystery, specialness as it were.
By the way if anyone has any ideas or questions about, 'the secret place', reply to me and I'll publish them . .
I knew that Daniel and Nehimiah retreated daily to spend long times with God and this preceded the unfolding of an amazing story in their lives. I'm told Yongi Cho spent (and still does spend) hours in prayer everyday and this led to his significnt part in the South Korean revival. In the early part of the last century William J Seymour spent three hours a day in prayer which he then increased to seven, just prior to the Asouza Street revival. Were these times dry or were they intimate, joyous times with God? Are these times only achievable by very unusual individuals, tremendously disciplined, for example? Or is it possible that we can enter into a secret place of intimacy with our Father, just enjoying being with Him and acting out our relationship with Him, just Him and us, unninterupted? These lives were certainly marked by a submission to God, and complete reliance on Him and nothing/nobody else. So what kind of certainty do we want in our lives?
Certainty is the mark of the common sense life - gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means we're uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow brings. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises.
Taken from ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ by Oswald Chambers
How to be certain of God? And how to know we are in His presence and under His protection? In the absence of knowing how to do this and how we can be reassured we are doing this, we will tend to rely solely on ourselves and others only. Thus leaving God out of the picture and us out of a fuller life of God given purpose and security.
And do we have to worry about keeping ourselves in that 'secret place' ?
"Can we keep ourselves there? GOD can keep us there.
He never forgets to keep me,
He never forgets to keep me
My Father has many dear children;
But He never forgets to keep me.
Has He forgotten to keep you? Nay! He cannot forget. God has much in store for you; you are far from being out of His thoughts"
Smith Wigglesworth, 1921 sermon,
http://www.nemontel.net/~word1/secret_place.htm
on Psalm 91 or the Message version of Psalm 91
"Abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Don't change your position, but always have the presence of God, the glory of God. Pay any price to abide under that covering, for the secret of victory is to abide where the Victor abides."
Are we willing to pay any price? Or do the comforts we believe we already have mean too much to us to let go of? These comforts are not rock solid anyway, as we see all around us people losing their jobs, their secuirty, their health . . isn't it better that we cast everything we have on Jesus and trust Him and Him alone? Our Father will not let us down!
Send to a Friend »
Lets Pray
Thank you Lord that you do keep us under the wings of your protection even when we don't know it and we are not seeking it
Help us to actively seek your presence so as to fully enjoy what you have for us. Even though we may feel uncertain help us to know that you are a God of certainty.
Along the way you have many surprises for us, opportunities to fulfill the potential you destined for us before we were born! Give us the courage, born from your loving parenthood, to grab these with both hands!
In Jesus name!
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Shining and a Great Black Blob
Shining with His Glory
Catching the train in freezing cold weather and with a chesty cough, probably caught from Mia our youngest, I certainly did not feel like I was manifesting the glory of God to those around me! More like a load of cold germs and a pretty grumpy face huddled in amongst coat, scarf and hat!
Look around at the covering of snow, that’s a picture of God’s goodness dropping on us, covering everything!
So . . lines from a song:
Beauty for ashes
Joy for mourning
Praise for heaviness
I am for glory
I was made for you glory!
Subscribe and watch/listen to this fantastic worship for free! here
1 To the Chief Musician. On Stringed Instruments. A Psalm. A Song. God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
Psalm 67:1
What would His face look like? What would our faces look like with His face shining upon us? As we consider His many blessings upon us, the great things He has done, our faces begin to shine, reflecting the goodness of God to those around us – OR – As we consider all the things it appears God has not done then our faces will tell a different story . . . Turn, face your Father, receive His good will toward you and your face will shine!
8 The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel
9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
Psalm 68:8-10
The actual heavens dropped to the earth or dropped rain . . the earth reacted because heaven arrived, as it were. Why? Because God wanted to confirm His inheritance. The people He had rescued, His inheritance, a people that had become His! Yes a people who once were not His people, but now are! That’s you and me, once lost, now belonging to Him, our Father! So when we are weary, when we have given up hope he ‘confirms us’ by dropping rain. By dropping on us heavenly blessings . . a taste of what is coming when we get to heaven, a full measure of what is to come! Now! That is, we ‘dwell in it’. Verse 10, ‘Your congregation dwelt in it’
Each of us has a place that no one else can fit! Living stones ‘fit together’, bonded in love. Born for good works, significant, adopted and put where we are destined to be. We are born for significance! We are made for His glory. We are filled with it, it emanates from us, we are His glory!
8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.
Psalm 71:8
11 May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]. Amplified version
Philippians 1:11
God’s glory manifested and recognised, in and through us!
A Prayer
Dear Father
Though we may not always be aware of it, help us to know that as we go about our daily business we are, ‘manifesting’. May we have such a thirst for you and the food and drink you provide, that it would be you that we would be manifesting all day long. So much so that people around us will wonder, what is that? What is it they have got? And when they find out, Lord, we pray they will want you too!
Amen
What a great, wonderful, loving, accepting, bountifully giving, always forgiving, restoring, redeeming, healing Father we have! Woooooohoooooooooooo!!!
Send to a Friend »
This Great Black Blob
Is there anyone close to your heart that you have prayed for to come to Jesus? It could be a brother or a sister, a son or a daughter, a husband, wife or partner, maybe a friend, work colleague or neighbour? What if Jesus said to you, ‘I’ll set you a challenge, if you can do this one thing, then that person will come to me and be saved’. Would you do it? Suppose it was climbing a mountain or running a marathon or walking fifty miles. Would you do it? I guess most of us would if we were desperate enough to see that person saved. Now suppose the challenge was this: I want you to stand up in church and publically confess that (pick one of the following) a) You have not spoken to person x for years and you make sure to avoid them, because you can’t forgive them, they have hurt/offended you somehow in the past. b) There is someone you judge as lesser than yourself in some way and you make sure to avoid them if at all possible. c) You are angry at someone in the church, you avoid them. d) You are jealous of someone, when you see them, you secretly hope things are going bad for them. One day things do go bad for them and you are secretly glad. e) Someone seems like they need caring for in some way, it looks awkward, you avoid them and you won’t let God put that person on your heart.
What if God clearly said to you, ‘make this public confession and that person on your heart will be saved!’ I know what you are thinking, how can there possibly be a connection between my not speaking to/avoiding a person and my friend/family member/work colleague coming to the Lord – I just don’t believe it! Or I just won’t believe it? There is a connection and a very strong one . . .
While trying to sleep I had a feeling when thinking of our church that something was trying to hide. That ‘something’ was something I needed to fight. I heard the Lord speak to me and He said, ‘you must go at this hard, over and over again, until you defeat it’. I could not get hold of what it was that I was so supposed to go at, fight as it were, though I had a very strong feeling I must do so. I felt a very strong physical sensation at the same time, very hard to explain. I began to get a picture of a black sort of blobby substance that was about five to seven feet in the air and it hovered over us all. I imagined running at it with a knife in my hand trying to pierce it, I ran at it over and over again, imagining that if I pierced it I could make all it’s badness drain and wash away. Finally, exasperated, I asked the Lord what this thing was. He told me it was the feelings of people toward other people. These feelings included jealousy, anger, unforgiveness (for hurts and perceived hurts), bitterness toward people, judgement of people, viewing certain people as lesser and treating them so or avoiding them as unimportant, meanness toward people and lack of real care for others.
This great black blob hung over us all, so much so we had sometimes to give it a shove upwards in order to talk to or see other people.
This great black blob was what was hindering revival in our church. Once this thing began to be substantially dealt with, revival would begin.
Afterward I was reminded of the Welsh revival, a feature of which was the public confession of sins. People who had not spoken for years stood in church to publicly confess their bitterness or anger toward someone. When people heard of these public confessions and reconciliations it brought them into the revival . . so think on! (The Welsh revival saw 100,000 converts in 1904 alone!)
When you think of that person you want saved, think! Do I have a person in church that I am having a wrong attitude toward?
We need to ask ourselves: Is this collective unconfessed sin in our church stopping more people coming to Christ? Even stopping revival?
Bless you, in Jesus name
Andy Harper
Catching the train in freezing cold weather and with a chesty cough, probably caught from Mia our youngest, I certainly did not feel like I was manifesting the glory of God to those around me! More like a load of cold germs and a pretty grumpy face huddled in amongst coat, scarf and hat!
Look around at the covering of snow, that’s a picture of God’s goodness dropping on us, covering everything!
So . . lines from a song:
Beauty for ashes
Joy for mourning
Praise for heaviness
I am for glory
I was made for you glory!
Subscribe and watch/listen to this fantastic worship for free! here
1 To the Chief Musician. On Stringed Instruments. A Psalm. A Song. God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
Psalm 67:1
What would His face look like? What would our faces look like with His face shining upon us? As we consider His many blessings upon us, the great things He has done, our faces begin to shine, reflecting the goodness of God to those around us – OR – As we consider all the things it appears God has not done then our faces will tell a different story . . . Turn, face your Father, receive His good will toward you and your face will shine!
8 The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel
9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
Psalm 68:8-10
The actual heavens dropped to the earth or dropped rain . . the earth reacted because heaven arrived, as it were. Why? Because God wanted to confirm His inheritance. The people He had rescued, His inheritance, a people that had become His! Yes a people who once were not His people, but now are! That’s you and me, once lost, now belonging to Him, our Father! So when we are weary, when we have given up hope he ‘confirms us’ by dropping rain. By dropping on us heavenly blessings . . a taste of what is coming when we get to heaven, a full measure of what is to come! Now! That is, we ‘dwell in it’. Verse 10, ‘Your congregation dwelt in it’
Each of us has a place that no one else can fit! Living stones ‘fit together’, bonded in love. Born for good works, significant, adopted and put where we are destined to be. We are born for significance! We are made for His glory. We are filled with it, it emanates from us, we are His glory!
8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.
Psalm 71:8
11 May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]. Amplified version
Philippians 1:11
God’s glory manifested and recognised, in and through us!
A Prayer
Dear Father
Though we may not always be aware of it, help us to know that as we go about our daily business we are, ‘manifesting’. May we have such a thirst for you and the food and drink you provide, that it would be you that we would be manifesting all day long. So much so that people around us will wonder, what is that? What is it they have got? And when they find out, Lord, we pray they will want you too!
Amen
What a great, wonderful, loving, accepting, bountifully giving, always forgiving, restoring, redeeming, healing Father we have! Woooooohoooooooooooo!!!
Send to a Friend »
This Great Black Blob
Is there anyone close to your heart that you have prayed for to come to Jesus? It could be a brother or a sister, a son or a daughter, a husband, wife or partner, maybe a friend, work colleague or neighbour? What if Jesus said to you, ‘I’ll set you a challenge, if you can do this one thing, then that person will come to me and be saved’. Would you do it? Suppose it was climbing a mountain or running a marathon or walking fifty miles. Would you do it? I guess most of us would if we were desperate enough to see that person saved. Now suppose the challenge was this: I want you to stand up in church and publically confess that (pick one of the following) a) You have not spoken to person x for years and you make sure to avoid them, because you can’t forgive them, they have hurt/offended you somehow in the past. b) There is someone you judge as lesser than yourself in some way and you make sure to avoid them if at all possible. c) You are angry at someone in the church, you avoid them. d) You are jealous of someone, when you see them, you secretly hope things are going bad for them. One day things do go bad for them and you are secretly glad. e) Someone seems like they need caring for in some way, it looks awkward, you avoid them and you won’t let God put that person on your heart.
What if God clearly said to you, ‘make this public confession and that person on your heart will be saved!’ I know what you are thinking, how can there possibly be a connection between my not speaking to/avoiding a person and my friend/family member/work colleague coming to the Lord – I just don’t believe it! Or I just won’t believe it? There is a connection and a very strong one . . .
While trying to sleep I had a feeling when thinking of our church that something was trying to hide. That ‘something’ was something I needed to fight. I heard the Lord speak to me and He said, ‘you must go at this hard, over and over again, until you defeat it’. I could not get hold of what it was that I was so supposed to go at, fight as it were, though I had a very strong feeling I must do so. I felt a very strong physical sensation at the same time, very hard to explain. I began to get a picture of a black sort of blobby substance that was about five to seven feet in the air and it hovered over us all. I imagined running at it with a knife in my hand trying to pierce it, I ran at it over and over again, imagining that if I pierced it I could make all it’s badness drain and wash away. Finally, exasperated, I asked the Lord what this thing was. He told me it was the feelings of people toward other people. These feelings included jealousy, anger, unforgiveness (for hurts and perceived hurts), bitterness toward people, judgement of people, viewing certain people as lesser and treating them so or avoiding them as unimportant, meanness toward people and lack of real care for others.
This great black blob hung over us all, so much so we had sometimes to give it a shove upwards in order to talk to or see other people.
This great black blob was what was hindering revival in our church. Once this thing began to be substantially dealt with, revival would begin.
Afterward I was reminded of the Welsh revival, a feature of which was the public confession of sins. People who had not spoken for years stood in church to publicly confess their bitterness or anger toward someone. When people heard of these public confessions and reconciliations it brought them into the revival . . so think on! (The Welsh revival saw 100,000 converts in 1904 alone!)
When you think of that person you want saved, think! Do I have a person in church that I am having a wrong attitude toward?
We need to ask ourselves: Is this collective unconfessed sin in our church stopping more people coming to Christ? Even stopping revival?
Bless you, in Jesus name
Andy Harper
Saturday, 27 November 2010
History Lesson 1
1890 St Louis Tent Meeting
Taken From Biography of Maria Woodworth-Etter, read more here
She had no itinerary, and often changed plans as the Lord led her. Once she was going to California, but in obedience to the Spirit's correction turned and headed for St. Louis instead. The resulting tent meeting at the infamous Kerry Patch, a stronghold of Catholic idolatry and rampant vice, was an epic victory that she describes in her 1918 book, Signs and Wonders. St. Louis, Missouri, 1890: "They had pistols and clubs, and were ready to kill us, and tear down the tent. It looked as if we would all be killed. Several ministers tried to talk, but were stoned down, or their voice drowned out. It looked like surrender or death. "It was an awful sight to see a little band of Christians, sitting nearly frozen to their seats with fear, surrounded by a mob of wild, fierce men and women, many of them half drunk, their eyes and faces red and inflamed. Every effort failed, and we could do nothing with them. I said to my co-workers: "We will never give up, and if they take us out of the tent before we are ready to go, they will take us out dead." I told them to lead in prayer one after the other, and the God of Elijah would answer. "A sister knelt on the pulpit pale as death, her hands and face raised to Heaven, and in a clear ringing voice asked God to save and bless the Judgement-bound multitude. A feeling of the awful Presence of God began to fall on the people. Another sister followed in prayer, then I arose, and stood before them. I raised my hand in the Name of the Lord, and commanded them to listen. I said the Lord had sent me there to do them good, and that I would not leave until the Lord told me to, when our work was done. I told them the Lord would strike dead the first one that tried to harm us or to strike us with a dagger. If any tried to kill us the Lord would strike them dead. The power of God fell, and the fear of God came upon all the multitude. The sweat came on their faces, and they stood like as though in a trance; the men began to take their pipes out of their mouths, and their hats off. The women began to cover up their bare necks and arms with their aprons. They felt they stood naked and guilty before God. They began to get off the seats, and try to sit down, but some fell and lay like dead. Others stood with their mouths open. One Catholic said that I struck him down, and showed him Hell. Tears ran down many faces, through the dirt, leaving streaks. They stood like they were afraid to move, and they all passed out quietly. After that the hoodlum element always respected me."
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
http://www.youversion.com/bible/nkjv/matt/10/19
Prayer
We invite you Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage us. Give us a passion to tell people of the goodness of God toward them. Give us a supernatural courage, remove the fear of man, remove the fear of offending and loose from us the excuses we make for not speaking up. Above all give us a heart of love, especially for those who don't know you, for your names sake, Lord Jesus, Amen
Taken From Biography of Maria Woodworth-Etter, read more here
She had no itinerary, and often changed plans as the Lord led her. Once she was going to California, but in obedience to the Spirit's correction turned and headed for St. Louis instead. The resulting tent meeting at the infamous Kerry Patch, a stronghold of Catholic idolatry and rampant vice, was an epic victory that she describes in her 1918 book, Signs and Wonders. St. Louis, Missouri, 1890: "They had pistols and clubs, and were ready to kill us, and tear down the tent. It looked as if we would all be killed. Several ministers tried to talk, but were stoned down, or their voice drowned out. It looked like surrender or death. "It was an awful sight to see a little band of Christians, sitting nearly frozen to their seats with fear, surrounded by a mob of wild, fierce men and women, many of them half drunk, their eyes and faces red and inflamed. Every effort failed, and we could do nothing with them. I said to my co-workers: "We will never give up, and if they take us out of the tent before we are ready to go, they will take us out dead." I told them to lead in prayer one after the other, and the God of Elijah would answer. "A sister knelt on the pulpit pale as death, her hands and face raised to Heaven, and in a clear ringing voice asked God to save and bless the Judgement-bound multitude. A feeling of the awful Presence of God began to fall on the people. Another sister followed in prayer, then I arose, and stood before them. I raised my hand in the Name of the Lord, and commanded them to listen. I said the Lord had sent me there to do them good, and that I would not leave until the Lord told me to, when our work was done. I told them the Lord would strike dead the first one that tried to harm us or to strike us with a dagger. If any tried to kill us the Lord would strike them dead. The power of God fell, and the fear of God came upon all the multitude. The sweat came on their faces, and they stood like as though in a trance; the men began to take their pipes out of their mouths, and their hats off. The women began to cover up their bare necks and arms with their aprons. They felt they stood naked and guilty before God. They began to get off the seats, and try to sit down, but some fell and lay like dead. Others stood with their mouths open. One Catholic said that I struck him down, and showed him Hell. Tears ran down many faces, through the dirt, leaving streaks. They stood like they were afraid to move, and they all passed out quietly. After that the hoodlum element always respected me."
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
http://www.youversion.com/bible/nkjv/matt/10/19
Prayer
We invite you Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage us. Give us a passion to tell people of the goodness of God toward them. Give us a supernatural courage, remove the fear of man, remove the fear of offending and loose from us the excuses we make for not speaking up. Above all give us a heart of love, especially for those who don't know you, for your names sake, Lord Jesus, Amen
Monday, 22 November 2010
Taking New Ground
Or 'Follow my Leader'
Or 'Be a Leader'
One Amazing Man!
Kind of a Billy Graham of his day, only combining a salvation message with healings. John Alexander Dowie had an amazing ministry and founded Zion City, however, he was toward the end of his life a very much flawed character, though one wonders if this was simply a mental illness. Dowie influenced many people and his ministry was going on around the time of the Welsh Revival. Alexander Boddy, a C of E minister from Sunderland (Sunderland Revival), visited Zion City in 1913 and this article from a magazine of the time is very interesting and includes something about Mrs Woodworth-Etter as well (last email's 'Amazing Woman'). This from the article, “Thousands have been made whole of every disease known at this age of the world, including one case of leprosy. Most of the cases that were healed were considered chronic by physicians. Many were brought on beds in a dying condition, given up by the best physicians; and many of them are living today, well and happy. Hundreds were saved and healed at the same time, otherwise they would have died in their sins ,and thousands of unbelievers of all classes were brought to Christ by seeing the mighty works of God”
John G Lake also visited Zion City and the Azusa Street Revival. The picture above is a common one from the time of Dowie's ministry and such pictures often had a banner saying, 'Captured From the Enemy!'
I wanted to look at Psalm 85
6 Will You not revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
3 Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Surely our heartfelt prayer for our nation is verse 6, 'revive us again'. The, 'why', is a bit surprising perhaps, 'that Your people may rejoice in you'. Not so we have reformation? justice? an end to crime? an end to poverty?, families restored? No, primarily that we may rejoice in Him! All these other essentials do follow, righteouseness, truth, increase because of God's goodness. Now verse 13 is interesting. It's as if someone is beating a path through the undergrowth, we are meant to follow that person. It's very hard for our leaders to both have the vision, then the courage and strength to begin beating a path forward, they need us to catch the vision, to help to push forward, to support. Even if sometimes they are mistaken. It's like sometimes they beat and hack a path through and we follow and then we have to turn round because it turns out it wasn't that way - we deviated a bit is all that happened. So we must try again in a slightly different direction.
If we look at these people's lives, they suffered hardship and personal loss. John G Lake's wife died on the mission field in South Africa, many of John G Lake's commissioned workers faced death from starvation. Mrs Woodworth-Etter lost children. Yet these people saw things happen that we can hardly dare believe for today! Yet these things are happening in countries like Mozambique today, so what's the key ? Is it all just about God's sovereign will or can we bring about revival again in our lives and in the lives of those around us? See these testimonies from recent IHOP meetings in Manchester and Bolton testimonies - so maybe we can and we can rightly expect. We know anyway, that we are to lay down down and consecrate our lives . .
Dowie got everyone to say this prayer of consecration (or similar) at the end of his meetings, 'My God and Father in Jesus name I come to Thee. Take me as I am. Make me what I ought to be in spirit, in soul, in body, no matter what it costs. Give me thy Holy Spirit. Lead me to thyself my Father. Take away my sins, and give me a pure heart that I may fervently love Thee and all things pure for Jesus sake. Amen.'
God Bless you
Andy Harper
Email Response
Or 'Be a Leader'
Send to a friendOne Amazing Man!
Kind of a Billy Graham of his day, only combining a salvation message with healings. John Alexander Dowie had an amazing ministry and founded Zion City, however, he was toward the end of his life a very much flawed character, though one wonders if this was simply a mental illness. Dowie influenced many people and his ministry was going on around the time of the Welsh Revival. Alexander Boddy, a C of E minister from Sunderland (Sunderland Revival), visited Zion City in 1913 and this article from a magazine of the time is very interesting and includes something about Mrs Woodworth-Etter as well (last email's 'Amazing Woman'). This from the article, “Thousands have been made whole of every disease known at this age of the world, including one case of leprosy. Most of the cases that were healed were considered chronic by physicians. Many were brought on beds in a dying condition, given up by the best physicians; and many of them are living today, well and happy. Hundreds were saved and healed at the same time, otherwise they would have died in their sins ,and thousands of unbelievers of all classes were brought to Christ by seeing the mighty works of God”
John G Lake also visited Zion City and the Azusa Street Revival. The picture above is a common one from the time of Dowie's ministry and such pictures often had a banner saying, 'Captured From the Enemy!'
I wanted to look at Psalm 85
6 Will You not revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
3 Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Surely our heartfelt prayer for our nation is verse 6, 'revive us again'. The, 'why', is a bit surprising perhaps, 'that Your people may rejoice in you'. Not so we have reformation? justice? an end to crime? an end to poverty?, families restored? No, primarily that we may rejoice in Him! All these other essentials do follow, righteouseness, truth, increase because of God's goodness. Now verse 13 is interesting. It's as if someone is beating a path through the undergrowth, we are meant to follow that person. It's very hard for our leaders to both have the vision, then the courage and strength to begin beating a path forward, they need us to catch the vision, to help to push forward, to support. Even if sometimes they are mistaken. It's like sometimes they beat and hack a path through and we follow and then we have to turn round because it turns out it wasn't that way - we deviated a bit is all that happened. So we must try again in a slightly different direction.
If we look at these people's lives, they suffered hardship and personal loss. John G Lake's wife died on the mission field in South Africa, many of John G Lake's commissioned workers faced death from starvation. Mrs Woodworth-Etter lost children. Yet these people saw things happen that we can hardly dare believe for today! Yet these things are happening in countries like Mozambique today, so what's the key ? Is it all just about God's sovereign will or can we bring about revival again in our lives and in the lives of those around us? See these testimonies from recent IHOP meetings in Manchester and Bolton testimonies - so maybe we can and we can rightly expect. We know anyway, that we are to lay down down and consecrate our lives . .
Dowie got everyone to say this prayer of consecration (or similar) at the end of his meetings, 'My God and Father in Jesus name I come to Thee. Take me as I am. Make me what I ought to be in spirit, in soul, in body, no matter what it costs. Give me thy Holy Spirit. Lead me to thyself my Father. Take away my sins, and give me a pure heart that I may fervently love Thee and all things pure for Jesus sake. Amen.'
God Bless you
Andy Harper
Email Response
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Affirm the Good
“We should affirm what is good” the Rev Paul Hardingham, Sunday night’s (07/11/10) sermon at St Peter’s
"What I have to say touching visions or dreams, is this: I know several persons in whom this great change was wrought in a dream, or during a strong representation to the eye of their mind, of Christ either on the cross or in the glory. This is the fact; let any judge of it as they please. And that such a change was then wrought appears (not from their shedding tears only, or falling into fit, or crying out; these are not the fruits, as you seem to suppose, whereby I judge, but) from the whole tenor of their life, till then many ways wicked; from that time holy, just, and good” John Wesley Journal
Last week we our church hosted a conference organised by Vinelife UK. There were also three evening meetings at Salford University with over 2000 people each evening. A team came from the International House of Prayer, Kansas City, which is also a bible school. They were instrumental about eleven years ago in setting going the 24/7 prayer movement. They now have about a thousand people praying and worshipping 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. About a year ago, after ten years of praying an awakening/revival occurred. In the year since there have over 1500 baptisms/salvations, many healings, for example, emotional from shame, self hatred as a result of sexual abuse, cancer, over twenty people who no longer need glasses, etc.
The conference was amazing! The main teaching was how much God loves us and that we should be chasing after that love, that everything flows from this amazing intimacy we can enjoy with Jesus. Also that healing is a ministry for all believers. We got to practice this and a number of people were healed from bad backs, joint problems, stiff necks, etc. The evening meetings were also astonishing, with healings including, curvature of the spine, asthma, Lupus, legs from needing leg braces, etc. I received healing from asthma, which I need to confirm, when I have a lung function test next week. There certainly has been a huge improvement, for example, I was on three different kinds of inhalers and have awoken every night since spring this year (bar perhaps two occasions) needing to use my rescue inhaler. Since Wednesday night I have slept soundly right through to my alarm! I love it and feel great!
Now I do have to say that some things were going on that could easily draw our focus away from that which we should be affirming as good – namely healings and salvations. We can get over excited in all sorts of different ways about people falling to the ground (see John Wesley above), shaking, laughing, crying, etc. We don’t need to judge these matters nor do we need to go around telling people it is necessary to experience the Holy Spirit in this way. We are all unique as individuals and churches and God has his special plan and unique way of dealing with us. We all earnestly desire that we move forward with salvations and healings and the last thing we want is division over these lesser matters (not lesser to the individuals concerned, but to us watching on, if you get my meaning) We have our biblical model in Jesus and biblical instructions ( for example, the laying on of hands and anointing with oil). Whatever else happens is God’s business!
We all know and love and trust each other enough to push forward, to tolerate, to have our questions along the way. The main thing is let’s get our ‘shoulders to the boulder’ of sickness and sin and see them defeated! In the name of Jesus!
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think Ephesians 3:18-20
Bless you in Jesus name
Andy
"What I have to say touching visions or dreams, is this: I know several persons in whom this great change was wrought in a dream, or during a strong representation to the eye of their mind, of Christ either on the cross or in the glory. This is the fact; let any judge of it as they please. And that such a change was then wrought appears (not from their shedding tears only, or falling into fit, or crying out; these are not the fruits, as you seem to suppose, whereby I judge, but) from the whole tenor of their life, till then many ways wicked; from that time holy, just, and good” John Wesley Journal
Last week we our church hosted a conference organised by Vinelife UK. There were also three evening meetings at Salford University with over 2000 people each evening. A team came from the International House of Prayer, Kansas City, which is also a bible school. They were instrumental about eleven years ago in setting going the 24/7 prayer movement. They now have about a thousand people praying and worshipping 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. About a year ago, after ten years of praying an awakening/revival occurred. In the year since there have over 1500 baptisms/salvations, many healings, for example, emotional from shame, self hatred as a result of sexual abuse, cancer, over twenty people who no longer need glasses, etc.
The conference was amazing! The main teaching was how much God loves us and that we should be chasing after that love, that everything flows from this amazing intimacy we can enjoy with Jesus. Also that healing is a ministry for all believers. We got to practice this and a number of people were healed from bad backs, joint problems, stiff necks, etc. The evening meetings were also astonishing, with healings including, curvature of the spine, asthma, Lupus, legs from needing leg braces, etc. I received healing from asthma, which I need to confirm, when I have a lung function test next week. There certainly has been a huge improvement, for example, I was on three different kinds of inhalers and have awoken every night since spring this year (bar perhaps two occasions) needing to use my rescue inhaler. Since Wednesday night I have slept soundly right through to my alarm! I love it and feel great!
Now I do have to say that some things were going on that could easily draw our focus away from that which we should be affirming as good – namely healings and salvations. We can get over excited in all sorts of different ways about people falling to the ground (see John Wesley above), shaking, laughing, crying, etc. We don’t need to judge these matters nor do we need to go around telling people it is necessary to experience the Holy Spirit in this way. We are all unique as individuals and churches and God has his special plan and unique way of dealing with us. We all earnestly desire that we move forward with salvations and healings and the last thing we want is division over these lesser matters (not lesser to the individuals concerned, but to us watching on, if you get my meaning) We have our biblical model in Jesus and biblical instructions ( for example, the laying on of hands and anointing with oil). Whatever else happens is God’s business!
We all know and love and trust each other enough to push forward, to tolerate, to have our questions along the way. The main thing is let’s get our ‘shoulders to the boulder’ of sickness and sin and see them defeated! In the name of Jesus!
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think Ephesians 3:18-20
Bless you in Jesus name
Andy
Friday, 5 November 2010
Joy and Offense
Hi Folks
“Our identity must be rooted in His desire for us” and “the greatest hindrance to prayer is because we don’t believe God enjoys us” - Wes Hall, International House of Prayer, Kansas
Recently, visiting a church, the pastor introduced the speaker this way, “come on William, offend us, shake us up’. Offend us ?!?! Offend us? No thanks! I came here for a quiet sit and to be entertained! How many of us can remember, before we were Christians, being offended by the gospel, the struggle, accepting Jesus, then the joy? Now, how many of us know that that is just the start of a journey (yes, we are saved and nothing can change that). Sometimes it’s like we have let Jesus into the hallway of our lives, we run off and fetch a chair and say, “now Jesus, you just sit here and keep quiet, I’ll handle things from here on in” Then when the kitchen’s on fire we run back into the hall and say, “Jesus, help me, help me, don’t you know the kitchen’s on fire?” Before running back into the kitchen . . So in some ways the ‘struggle, accepting Jesus, joy’ process is meant to be repeated as we journey on. Let’s ask God to make us willing to submit, for wisdom to recognise the devil’s lies. Here’s one I fell for without realising it. Looking back I think that I didn’t fully believe that God is good to me and good all the time. If we don’t fully believe this then the devil can sneak in and during hard times we become resentful. We stay too long with the ‘why has God allowed this to happen’ question and rebellion or self pity become our routes of choice. And to be honest I know I have a good long way to go with this . .
Sometimes we have a problem with Joy, in that we feel it is selfish to seek it or to be seeking to be joyful all the time. I’m not talking about chasing happiness as an end in itself, rather the joy from having an ever more intimate relationship with Jesus. And expecting, as we grow in this relationship, to be more joyful , more of the time. Scripture confirms this, church history also gives some clues, we can trust the Holy Spirit to guide as to what is truth and God has also given us the ability to ‘reason’ ie work things out with our brains! And learning from experience is also valid!
Evan Roberts, one the main characters in the Welsh Revival, was thought by some to be insane because he was, “too happy”. The welsh revival produced 100,000 new Christians, oh that I was that happy!
“Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever”, the Westminster Catechism
“17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up “ Romans 14: 17-19
Here Paul tells us that living a life of ‘goodness’, ‘peace’ and ‘joy’ in the Holy Spirit will please God. Doing good is linked with living a life of peace and joy
“16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22
“Always be joyful” is fairly unequivocal – it couldn’t be much clearer really !
My plea to you and for me, is this – submit, ask Him to show you areas of your life you need to hand over. Get hold of “God is good to me, all the time!”, say it out loud! Ask the Holy Spirit to nudge you when you have a thought or say anything contrary to God is good, so that you will say “No, wait a minute God is good to me/you, all the time”. Run after Him, because He is running after you, He totally loves you, you are unique, loved with a unique love, His favourite, with a unique job to do for the Lord that no one else can do! Be humble/courageous enough to ask someone you trust at your church to pray with you (or if you have a regular ministry time, get up there!), ask them to put their hand on your shoulder and tell them , look I always feel rejected like nobody likes me or I just can't believe God loves me, or that God would ever use me or that God would ever heal me or whatever it is - because God has something for you!
Andy
“Our identity must be rooted in His desire for us” and “the greatest hindrance to prayer is because we don’t believe God enjoys us” - Wes Hall, International House of Prayer, Kansas
Recently, visiting a church, the pastor introduced the speaker this way, “come on William, offend us, shake us up’. Offend us ?!?! Offend us? No thanks! I came here for a quiet sit and to be entertained! How many of us can remember, before we were Christians, being offended by the gospel, the struggle, accepting Jesus, then the joy? Now, how many of us know that that is just the start of a journey (yes, we are saved and nothing can change that). Sometimes it’s like we have let Jesus into the hallway of our lives, we run off and fetch a chair and say, “now Jesus, you just sit here and keep quiet, I’ll handle things from here on in” Then when the kitchen’s on fire we run back into the hall and say, “Jesus, help me, help me, don’t you know the kitchen’s on fire?” Before running back into the kitchen . . So in some ways the ‘struggle, accepting Jesus, joy’ process is meant to be repeated as we journey on. Let’s ask God to make us willing to submit, for wisdom to recognise the devil’s lies. Here’s one I fell for without realising it. Looking back I think that I didn’t fully believe that God is good to me and good all the time. If we don’t fully believe this then the devil can sneak in and during hard times we become resentful. We stay too long with the ‘why has God allowed this to happen’ question and rebellion or self pity become our routes of choice. And to be honest I know I have a good long way to go with this . .
Sometimes we have a problem with Joy, in that we feel it is selfish to seek it or to be seeking to be joyful all the time. I’m not talking about chasing happiness as an end in itself, rather the joy from having an ever more intimate relationship with Jesus. And expecting, as we grow in this relationship, to be more joyful , more of the time. Scripture confirms this, church history also gives some clues, we can trust the Holy Spirit to guide as to what is truth and God has also given us the ability to ‘reason’ ie work things out with our brains! And learning from experience is also valid!
Evan Roberts, one the main characters in the Welsh Revival, was thought by some to be insane because he was, “too happy”. The welsh revival produced 100,000 new Christians, oh that I was that happy!
“Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever”, the Westminster Catechism
“17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up “ Romans 14: 17-19
Here Paul tells us that living a life of ‘goodness’, ‘peace’ and ‘joy’ in the Holy Spirit will please God. Doing good is linked with living a life of peace and joy
“16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22
“Always be joyful” is fairly unequivocal – it couldn’t be much clearer really !
My plea to you and for me, is this – submit, ask Him to show you areas of your life you need to hand over. Get hold of “God is good to me, all the time!”, say it out loud! Ask the Holy Spirit to nudge you when you have a thought or say anything contrary to God is good, so that you will say “No, wait a minute God is good to me/you, all the time”. Run after Him, because He is running after you, He totally loves you, you are unique, loved with a unique love, His favourite, with a unique job to do for the Lord that no one else can do! Be humble/courageous enough to ask someone you trust at your church to pray with you (or if you have a regular ministry time, get up there!), ask them to put their hand on your shoulder and tell them , look I always feel rejected like nobody likes me or I just can't believe God loves me, or that God would ever use me or that God would ever heal me or whatever it is - because God has something for you!
Andy
Thursday, 28 October 2010
A Woman's Role ?
These are my notes from a recent Bill Johnson sermon I listened to, so apologies Bill and to you guys, hopefully though I have captured something of the essence of the message, the Lord bless it to you! It's a fantastically encouraging message!
Genesis2:18 And the Lord God said, “ It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Ephesians 2:31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Apparently the Hebrew word for 'helper' is two words, Hebrew often has no vowels so you can get a word with two or three words squashed together. The word is best translated as, 'power', 'strength', and 'rescue' - the King James translaters made this into 'helper'. Comparable means 'face to face' or 'reflecting' or 'doing on behalf of' or 'doing together'
Paul in Ephesians 2:31 reflects on the relationship between a man and a woman being like that between Christ and the church or you and me and Jesus
My orginal notes are below . . ( a woman's role? of course in relation to Christ it's a man's as well and I'm sure equally applies to a husband and wife . .)
Stand face to face to God - like a wife (a mans strength, power, rescue - true meaning of 'helper' in Genesis 2) and you will go past what Jesus did
God doesn't need anything except you
God has chosen you as an individual, by grace something unique in your being that only you can do
I want to represent Jesus well, actually be Jesus to people
You represent Him in a way that only you could, you represent a unique aspect of God
Each of us has the privilege of representing Him uniquely and differently
A realm where we are co labourers with God to bring about His will - as oppose to those occasions where a sovereign act of God brings His will about
It's tragic to wait for a sovereign act not realising that in His definition of sovereignty, your obediance, your desires, your dreams were all written into His definition of sovereignty . .
Bethel Church sermon of the week podcasts (inc Bill Johnson) here
Bethel Church Video, free registration and some videos free, quite alot of the previews play all the way through! here - watch and listen on your PC !
*As a side note it's worth reflecting on the sovereignty of God further, the great battle evangelicals fought over this in relation to salvation, yet the incongruity many (most?) evangelicals have in relation to healing! In other words the truths evangelicals fought for in relation to salvation absolutely must apply to healing! One for another email . . .
Genesis2:18 And the Lord God said, “ It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Ephesians 2:31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Apparently the Hebrew word for 'helper' is two words, Hebrew often has no vowels so you can get a word with two or three words squashed together. The word is best translated as, 'power', 'strength', and 'rescue' - the King James translaters made this into 'helper'. Comparable means 'face to face' or 'reflecting' or 'doing on behalf of' or 'doing together'
Paul in Ephesians 2:31 reflects on the relationship between a man and a woman being like that between Christ and the church or you and me and Jesus
My orginal notes are below . . ( a woman's role? of course in relation to Christ it's a man's as well and I'm sure equally applies to a husband and wife . .)
Stand face to face to God - like a wife (a mans strength, power, rescue - true meaning of 'helper' in Genesis 2) and you will go past what Jesus did
God doesn't need anything except you
God has chosen you as an individual, by grace something unique in your being that only you can do
I want to represent Jesus well, actually be Jesus to people
You represent Him in a way that only you could, you represent a unique aspect of God
Each of us has the privilege of representing Him uniquely and differently
A realm where we are co labourers with God to bring about His will - as oppose to those occasions where a sovereign act of God brings His will about
It's tragic to wait for a sovereign act not realising that in His definition of sovereignty, your obediance, your desires, your dreams were all written into His definition of sovereignty . .
Bethel Church sermon of the week podcasts (inc Bill Johnson) here
Bethel Church Video, free registration and some videos free, quite alot of the previews play all the way through! here - watch and listen on your PC !
*As a side note it's worth reflecting on the sovereignty of God further, the great battle evangelicals fought over this in relation to salvation, yet the incongruity many (most?) evangelicals have in relation to healing! In other words the truths evangelicals fought for in relation to salvation absolutely must apply to healing! One for another email . . .
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Strength Comes From Joy
" . .and perhaps as we consider it, and remark the multiplied reasons for its existence, some of those reasons may operate upon our own hearts, and we may go out of this house of prayer ourselves partakers of the exceeding great joy" Spurgeon Sermon
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
WITH JOY YOU WILL DRAW WATER FROM THE WELLS OF SALVATION" Isaiah 12:2-3
"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" Psalm 16:11
For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. Psalm 21:6
When I first stop to think on these verses they seem unrealistic, 'fullness of joy' ok I can accept that, maybe from time to time. 'pleasures forevermore', now hold on a minute, forevermore ! Perhaps that's only in heaven when we are his right hand, well actually Christ is at God's right hand and Ephesians 2:6 tells we are also sat there with Him!
So maybe we can begin to accept what these verses say in our head. And we know we have a living relationship with Jesus and "fullness of joy" and "with joy" and being "exceedingly glad" can't be just head knowledge, surely we are to experience this? So what could practically help us?
Someone once explained to me and Emma (thank you Rick!) that we each have in us a well of salvation, from which joy flows. It can get a little stopped up though, like a real well. Busyness, family concerns, worry, etc. Can we think of times when these things seem to become smaller and we have experienced peace and joy? Presence is mentioned in the verses above, so maybe it's when we come into His presence? It might help us to reflect a little , for example, can you think of a worship CD you used to listen to, at home or in the car. Or may be a church service you used to go to fairly regularly, or a prayer time you used to have, a group you used to belong to or someone you still get together with and you used to pray more together?
Perhaps it would be good to try and do these things again or similar, or do them more? I have found that when I try to do this there is an initial resistance, sometimes quite strong!. So at first there is a bit of determination needed. Often in the past when the time for evening service approached, though I had been fully intending to go, I suddenly felt I didn't want to. All sorts of things would come into my head, like, Iv'e not had my tea, why not take it easy and watch telly, I'm not in the mood for mixing with people, my wife/husband won't be pleased, and so on! A few years ago this happened and guess what? I dropped off going! And yet I've found that if I push through and go, there is tremendous blessing, worry goes peace returns, joy comes, etc. Similarly I can sat in the car and think, I'll put that Christian worship CD on and there can be an immediate resistance, no I prefer Radio 4 or the news, or Radio 1 or whatever. Occasionaly even if I put the worship music on, the first song starts and I think, 'no, I don't like this', it jarrs, doesn't sound right, However, at some point I am drawn into His presence, sometimes there is something I need to confess, and/or a conversation starts, 'you know what God I've been worrying about . . or I've been rushing around and hardly thought of you or asked you for help' Apply the same principle to whatever it is you used to do. Perhaps a key here is determine in your own mind that you will use the negative feeling as a trigger to do that thing, ie pray, listen to worship music, go to church, whatever it is that used to bring you into His presence After a while you will realise you have established a new habit and that negative feeling will come rarely, but, remember and say to yourself, 'you know what if it does come, that's my trigger to do, to go'.
I meant to talk about strength coming from joy, but, maybe the above is right for now
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
WITH JOY YOU WILL DRAW WATER FROM THE WELLS OF SALVATION" Isaiah 12:2-3
"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" Psalm 16:11
For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. Psalm 21:6
When I first stop to think on these verses they seem unrealistic, 'fullness of joy' ok I can accept that, maybe from time to time. 'pleasures forevermore', now hold on a minute, forevermore ! Perhaps that's only in heaven when we are his right hand, well actually Christ is at God's right hand and Ephesians 2:6 tells we are also sat there with Him!
So maybe we can begin to accept what these verses say in our head. And we know we have a living relationship with Jesus and "fullness of joy" and "with joy" and being "exceedingly glad" can't be just head knowledge, surely we are to experience this? So what could practically help us?
Someone once explained to me and Emma (thank you Rick!) that we each have in us a well of salvation, from which joy flows. It can get a little stopped up though, like a real well. Busyness, family concerns, worry, etc. Can we think of times when these things seem to become smaller and we have experienced peace and joy? Presence is mentioned in the verses above, so maybe it's when we come into His presence? It might help us to reflect a little , for example, can you think of a worship CD you used to listen to, at home or in the car. Or may be a church service you used to go to fairly regularly, or a prayer time you used to have, a group you used to belong to or someone you still get together with and you used to pray more together?
Perhaps it would be good to try and do these things again or similar, or do them more? I have found that when I try to do this there is an initial resistance, sometimes quite strong!. So at first there is a bit of determination needed. Often in the past when the time for evening service approached, though I had been fully intending to go, I suddenly felt I didn't want to. All sorts of things would come into my head, like, Iv'e not had my tea, why not take it easy and watch telly, I'm not in the mood for mixing with people, my wife/husband won't be pleased, and so on! A few years ago this happened and guess what? I dropped off going! And yet I've found that if I push through and go, there is tremendous blessing, worry goes peace returns, joy comes, etc. Similarly I can sat in the car and think, I'll put that Christian worship CD on and there can be an immediate resistance, no I prefer Radio 4 or the news, or Radio 1 or whatever. Occasionaly even if I put the worship music on, the first song starts and I think, 'no, I don't like this', it jarrs, doesn't sound right, However, at some point I am drawn into His presence, sometimes there is something I need to confess, and/or a conversation starts, 'you know what God I've been worrying about . . or I've been rushing around and hardly thought of you or asked you for help' Apply the same principle to whatever it is you used to do. Perhaps a key here is determine in your own mind that you will use the negative feeling as a trigger to do that thing, ie pray, listen to worship music, go to church, whatever it is that used to bring you into His presence After a while you will realise you have established a new habit and that negative feeling will come rarely, but, remember and say to yourself, 'you know what if it does come, that's my trigger to do, to go'.
I meant to talk about strength coming from joy, but, maybe the above is right for now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
