Spirit of God!

A Dream about Stoneleigh Bible Week 2001

2011-03-18T20:23:00.002Z

I had a very interesting dream last night.

I was travelling with my family through the English countryside and we were heading somewhere (I can't quite remember where) but our route led us through the Stoneleigh campsite ground where the Bible Week was in full swing (incredible to think the last Stoneleigh Bible week was held 10 years ago this year).

I remember the beautiful campsite bathed in sunlight and the tents leading for miles. And I remember the sound of music drifting over the quiet campsite. And then as happens in dreams, I was transported to near the front of the main hall where the worship was in full swing. I think we were singing one of my favourite songs; "Great is He". The feeling of joy and wonder.

And then (again as happens in dreams) we were travelling away from Stoneleigh back towards our destination.

I remember waking up in the morning feeling destitute, lonely and depressed. This year will see the final "Together on a Mission" conference in Brighton. Another "final". For many - this isn't a particular problem. Their budgets can stretch to flights to Hong Kong or to the Middle East where the next great conference is being held. But at present for me and some of my friends that isn't an option. What's left in the United Kingdom?

This is where I'm so grateful for my dear friend Pete Day - I shared the dream with him as I do most of my dreams. And he agreed - he said; "I don't know. It seems we are robbed of the glory times. But we must press on!". This word of truth reminded me - maybe there was a reason why I was allowed to dream as I did. Maybe it is a heavenly reminder that these times of refreshing happened as a gift from a gracious God - and more are to come!

I hope so. I hope the UK hasn't been forgotten.

Fireworks Shoot Across the Sky!!

2010-12-01T19:46:00.002Z

I'm rather horrified that the last time I posted on this blog was in January of this year - proof about what a dry year it's been in terms of the prophetic. So many of my friends and loved ones have struggled and gone through trials that beggar belief. The key theme has been disappointment, cynicism and hoped-for promises from God that remain unanswered. It's come again and again and again. I'm transcribing one of Rob Rufus's sermons from the "Grace and Glory Conference 2010" at present where he called cynicism; "The grain in the cogs of the church".

This song - "Firework" by Katy Perry - actually reminded me of Terry Virgo's closing sermon at Stoneleigh Bible Week in 2001. He re-preached one of Ern Baxter's classic sermons on eagles and ended with a phrase I will never forget. "Soar into your full potential - eagles are meant to fly". This song - "Firework" - makes me think of another statement;

"Fireworks are always seen and heard as they soar across the sky - they just need to be ignited".

So I dedicate this wonderfully prophetic song to my dearest friend Pete Day - pastor of Lansdowne Evangelical FREE church in London. The glory will come - let's hold on together!

"Firework" by Katy Perry. (Lyrics below)

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Katy Perry Firework lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com/katy-perry-firework-lyrics.html

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on slet your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on slet your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em goin "Oh, oh, oh!"

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon".

An Invitation to the Dance of Life

2010-01-12T19:53:00.003Z

It's interesting this one - I don't think Christians like dancing very much. Particularly Western Christians! And I must confess I'm not overly keen on it in church - maybe once a year at the Brighton conference during the offering night. But I do have a guilty pleasure - I like going out and dancing in clubs. If you assumed I got drunk when you read that - you assumed wrongly and shame on you. I just like dancing.

So I was at the gym yesterday and was listening to Madonna's newish song "Celebration" (I won't post the video - you can watch it only if you're bad like me!). Say what you like about Madonna and disapprove of her if you will but it was the lyrics that caught my attention. In particular;

"And if it makes you feel good then I say do it
I don’t know what you’re waiting for ...
But for now just come here, let me whisper in your ear
An invitation to the dance of life".

I love the song and have heard it and danced to it a number of times but surprisingly as I was running on the treadmill I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of a prophecy that Terry Virgo brought at the first Stoneleigh Bible Week I went to (2000) which said;

"As you come on your hands and knees, ground that you would have thought was outside your sphere that you were disqualified to get near, I've cleared the ground for you" says the Lord. "I've cleared it for you so that you can dance now. You can dance on holy ground. I've cleared the ground for you! I've provided grounds that are level and clear and steady. Even as I came to My servant Isaiah, undone and ruined by the revelation of My purity, undone forever, I've provided him a burning coal - clensing and purging so that he could be in the holy place. I want you to know that I have provided for you, my sons and my daughters out of My love. You will never stamp the ground to make it level, you will never clear the grounds of thorns and weeds. I have cleared the ground for you.

You are free to dance now because of my eternal grace to you, my kindness and my celebration over you. I celebrate in My finished work. I celebrate in embracing My sons and daughters running home. I invite and welcome the prodigal into dancing ground. I draw back the man whose head is hung low with a sense of inadequacy and failure and say, "This is dancing ground! This is dancing ground!". This, My son, was dead, he is alive again! He was lost and now is found. This is dancing ground! I welcome you into My heart and into My Presence as mercy and a gift to you", says the Lord.

"Out of My heart of love and out of My full embrace, I don't want you to come timidly. I don't want you to come wondering, can I accumulate enough worth, can I demonstrate enough merit that I am allowed in? I tell you, I have cleared the ground by My blood. Only there will you find fullness of mercy and because it is fullness, it is not simply ground to kneel upon but it is ground to dance upon for your welcome is complete. The ground is clear! Come My sons and My daughters - I welcome you to this very place. I am full of ambition for you, full of desire to bless you with My love. Full of tenderness and mercy because of the obedience of My Son that frees Me to bless you. Some come dance, rejoice, drink deeply of My love, says the Lord. Enter in, enter in to the mercy of God. The joy and favour and everlasting love of your God, says the Lord".

The two threads seemed so obvious.

A Christian + real grace = dancing.

Don't worry - this wasn't some legalistic charismatic way to force dancing. The impression I got was simply that when Christians really get grace, they will be so overflowed with joy and celebration that they will dance. The more I thought about it as I sweated on the treadmill, I became rather overcome with an image of nightclubs left empty - because the wonders of the grace of God were so thrilling the church and drawing the lost - that who needs a nightclub to dance in (and hide away) when you can dance and celebrate and rejoice in the church?

Whereas the void at the moment is that if you do dance in church (even many so-called charismatic churches) you will be seen as excessive and "showy". Maybe that's why many Christians do escape to secular music. Maybe that's why God can and does use secular music to speak to His people!

But a day IS coming when the wonder of the revelation of the New Covenant WILL break through to His people and the earth will shake in awe at a people who dance and must dance to express their joy!

Dreaming of Hong Kong .... again!!

2009-12-05T12:35:00.004Z

Well it's been a good while since I have had what I think is some sort of prophetic dream that I could remember and experience so strongly. So I was very excited to wake up this morning after having one such dream. Again - as usual - I have some idea why I dreamt it and what it means. What I don't know is whether it is prophetic of the future or more some commentary on my thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears.

I know most Christians are suspicious of dreams but I hardly need state again that I don't care about such suspicions. The Word of God is full of men and women "dreaming". Time and again God brought warnings and messages through dreams. And of course in Acts 2:17 it states quite categorically;

"'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS".

As with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts I am not ready to declare they cannot exist simply because of excess and fanatacism as some have done. The Bible says that God can and will speak through dreams therefore I am ready to believe that He can speak to me through dreams just as He speaks through His Word.

So last night I dreamt I was in Hong Kong clearly for a "Glory and Grace Conference". I was on my own - which reminded me of my first visit to Hong Kong a couple of years ago. I did feel lonely (just as I did the first visit) - watching everyone greet each other. Rob and Glenda Rufus and Fini and Isi de Gersigny of course were there and were mainly surrounded by everyone. I remember seeing particularly Rob and Glenda ministering to Fini and Isi and watching them receive powerfully from God. I very much again had the feeling of being a "spectator" - wishing that I could be part of what was going on but not quite managing it - no matter how much I hoped.

As often happens in dreams, there is an element of life on "fast-forward". I had the experience of walking back to the apartment where I was staying on my own absolutely drunk and barely remembering where I was living! I thought that I was drunk on alcohol but then had someone tell me that I hadn't drunk a drop - so clearly the inebriation was from the Presence of the Holy Spirit!

Just before the end of the dream I actually was able to get time to sit and talk to Rob Rufus - which was of course amazing and everything I dreamt of. I don't quite remember the content of the conversation (whereas if/when I do actually get to meet Rob, I think I will be carrying a dictaphone to capture EVERYTHING said!). But I do know that I was sharing my hopes and fears with Rob and that he never once laughed at me or judged me - but was a loving spiritual father - as I imagine he is to the church family in Hong Kong.

I don't know - as I say - what this means but I want to capture it here as I have done with other dreams (something that both Jack Deere and Isi de Gersigny recomend). I hope that it means that 2010 will see me going to Hong Kong again - but hopefully taking friends with me!

A Prophecy for Me (and everyone else)!!

2009-08-01T13:34:00.003Z

When I get a prophecy like this I can see why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians that prophecy is to be eagerly desired. It did my soul so much good! It was from my dear friend Brogan in South Africa;

"Fly my son. Fly with the eagles. Fly high above this earth upon My Spirit. Walk on the waters, My spirit will guide you. Do you know that I made you? I planned how you would be. I created you wonderfully. My son I will plant you beside the river so your roots may grow deep. I am your God and I love you. You are My delight".

I share it because the truth is for everyone. God's love and abandon is for each of His children and I pray it blesses everyone who reads it!

I Miss You - Val ...

2009-06-26T06:20:00.003Z

Okay last night's dream was a very interesting and again a very vivid one. When I used to live in Dunstable I had an ever-so dear friend to me - sort of like an older sister! Her name was Val and she was the wife of one of the elders in our church - who also became an amazing friend and mentor to me although we disagreed quite vigorously at times about issues particularly the Holy Spirit! Val was a teacher at the Christian school I went to and saw me through the yucky teenage years of my life and yet treated me firmly and kindly. What I think I will never get over was that she was always willing to speak to me like an adult whereas many others in the church treated me (and still do!) like a child!

Regretfully, sadly and yet victoriously Val was taken to glory in 2001 prematurely through a disease I detest and loathe - cancer. I will never forget walking the streets of Birmingham crying out that God would take me instead. She was a kind, wonderful, caring, loving wife and mother. I at the time was a mess. She deserved to live! I deserved - well less I felt! Yet God still took her. Martin, her husband told me that people in the church did pray for her healing - but yet it was one of the most upsetting days of my life sitting in the church at her funeral. I will never ever forget her smile particularly.

So in my dream I was somewhat amazed and thrilled to be dreaming that I was walking with Val through Dunstable. She was alive and well. Yet deep down somehow I knew that she was ill and she spoke to me about needing prayer. I had a book of C H Spurgeon's sermons with me in the dream and I found myself flicking through it furiously trying to find something - anything about miraculous healing and signs and wonders. When I woke up I spent a long time trying to figure out why I dreamt that. I don't think I ever felt it was "her time to go". Cancer robbed her family, her friends, me! And I wonder if that dream was speaking to me and reminding me that there is indeed a search on - a desperate search because people are dying (Michael Jackson being a notable one yesterday) every day.

I'm not necessarily saying I felt the call to go and try and pray for Val's resurrection from the dead. I think her death was a memorable and traumatic one for me at the time and that dream reminded me that healing and signs and wonders are more than just theology to argue over. If someone is healed, if someone is raised from the dead - then family and friends and a watching world are saved from the heartache that I still remember so vividly when I heard Val had gone to glory.

People - even children are dying early. I heard the day before yesterday that a former collegue of mine from Bristol was killed in a car crash and he was only in his late 30's. And it's time we saw that;

STOP!!

Terry Virgo and Angels Snipers!!

2009-06-16T12:46:00.002Z

I had a rather odd series of dreams last night mainly about Terry Virgo. I must admit I don't quite understand them but I thought I would document them and see if some sort of interpretation comes - or whether I can just hold up my hands and admit I ate too much cheese last night!

The first dream was based around some sort of cell group meeting in Terry Virgo's home. I was with my family as though I was a child (but still my own age and thought processes). I remember that there was a wonderful feeling of community and belonging. I can't quite place whether we actually were just visiting Brighton and CCK or whether we belonged to the church but it was a wonderful feeling. Of community. Of togetherness.

The second dream was the interesting one. I was following Terry and Wendy Virgo into what looked like the Stoneleigh Bible Week meeting hall. And Terry was sort of the narrator during the dream. And yet even though he was narrating - I could actually see what he was saying. He was talking about angels being present everywhere. And the angels present in the room were looking at each person gathered there - no one was missed out! But everywhere the angels looked and pointed, there appeared a target - as though it was a shooting gallery. The guns the angels were carrying were golden. And the narration explained that they were glory guns - that each person was targeted for downloads of glory. That no one would or could miss out on being "shot" with the glory from heaven! That was the angels roles.

And Terry in my dream said; "They are marksmen! They are marksmen!".

So there we have it. Too much cheese?! Or something God is trying to say?!

Dreams, Dreams, DREAMS!!

2009-05-29T20:43:00.005Z

It's time to resurrect the "Spirit of God" blog! I'm shamefully neglected it for too long. And what better way than to re-start it than by talking about dreams. Over the last few weeks I have been having an increasing amount of interesting and significant dreams. I am a big fan of the hit TV show "Heroes" and one of the characters I find the most fascinating is Angela Petrelli. She has an ability and that ability is precognitive dreaming;

"Precognitive dreaming is the ability to see the future through dreams".

But this is far more than just pie in the sky. This is purely and clearly biblical. And yet the church has abandoned it and ignored it and despised it at our peril and I cannot understand why. Let's start with Scripture and then I want to detail my dreams. My intent is that as I get dreams I will document them here. So what does the Word of God say about dreams?

Acts 2:17; "And it shall be in the last days' God says, 'That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; ... your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams".

So we can be certain that dreams form part of New Covenant life. But dreams go back further to Old Covenant days also.

Genesis 29:12: "He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it".

What a dream! Deuteronomy 13 carries some warnings that I believe are Old Covenant - and some anti-charismatics wrongly apply to today still. But it is interesting that the verse distinguishes between the two giftings;

Deuteronomy 13:1: "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder ...".

Then of course there was the famous dream during Gideon's assault against Midean:

Judges 7:13: "When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, "Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat."

The interpretation of that dream? It was even clear to a heathen Mideanite;

Judges 7:14: "His friend replied, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand."

Of course the book of Daniel is the famous book of dreams and there are countless ones - even to Nebuchadnezzer the king of Babylon. Daniel's gift in particular was this;

Daniel 1:17: "Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams".

But again - as I said dreams were occuring in the New Testament period. Angels would appear in dreams to warn and to speak. For example;

Matthew 2:13: "An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said; "Get up! Take the Child and His mother to Egypt".

I wonder why in a dream? Angels can appear in the flesh - as Gabriel did to the Virgin Mary. But clearly they can appear in dreams also. There's an interesting account in Acts where I am not quite sure whether it is a dream;

Acts 16:9: "A vision appeared to Paul in the night; a man of Macedonia was standing and saying; "Come over" ... when he had seen the vision ... concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them".

So my question is this - why do New Testament scholars and academics seem to either place dreams and visions in the "closed" category along with most other spiritual gifts or just ignore it? I think that James and Michal Ann Goll have a very useful insight into dreams and why this attitude exists;

"Through dreams God communicates directly with us concerning our destiny as well as the destinies of our families, our nation and our world. Many people today, particularly in the Western culture, never recognise God speaking to them in this way because they have been conditioned by a skeptical and sophisticated society to discount the language of dreams.

Unfortunately this includes many Christian believers also. For many years much of the church in the West had virtually lost dream language as a viable language of the Spirit. Yet within our generation the tide has begun to turn. God is re-awakening His people to the efficacy of dreams in their lives. He is reconnecting us to a vital part of our spiritual heritage that had all but disappeared".

And again;

"Dream language is the mystical language of Heaven. And even though it is a language of mystery and parable, we need to understand that God likes to reveal rather than conceal".

It is my personal belief that God actually is starting to speak more and more through dreams because Western culture particularly makes it exceedingly difficult to set time to be with God alone and in quiet. I try - honestly. But even when I am home alone in my flat there is a phone ringing, a mobile, the internet, neighbours banging. Go up a hill in Birmingham? There are planes flying over head, yobs doing drugs in the bushes (!!!) and so on! So dreams are the perfect forum - we are asleep, we can't move very far and God has got us where He wants us.

In my life I have had a number of very significant dreams which have stuck with me.

1. My call to ministry.

I believe this dream was when God spoke clearly to me and said that I would work for Him somehow. The year was 2001 and it was one of the darkest of my life upto that point. I had gone away to Dublin with some friends to recover from the breakup of my relationship to a guy. Isn't that the grace of God?! Some churches would say I should have been spending months indeed years in penance "repenting". Rather God chose it to speak to me through a dream!

I dreamt that I was walking in Cornwall along a country lane with my former senior pastor Dr Stanley Jebb. And I turned to him and actually gripped his arm and said fervently; "Stanley I MUST preach!".

More of Stanley Jebb later - he appears quite frequently in my dreams and I think God's revealed why.

2. The Tidal Wave - Promises to Come.

I had this dream on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 and it was quite simply a dream of a massive tidal wave speedily approaching the Brighton seafront. I felt God ask during the dream whether we were really prepared for what was coming? We all were praying for revival to come - but were we ready for the devastation that a tidal wave would cause?

I felt that this was partially fulfilled by the awe and wonder and manifest glory at "Together on a Mission 2007" and through Rob's ministry of the Spirit. Partially - but not fully. More's to come!

3. Mind and Matter.

A little more recently I had a dream about Dr Stanley Jebb and Stuart from Big Brother on Tuesday, September 16, 2008. At first I wondered whether this dream was my secret envying of Dr Jebb's incredible mind and razor-sharp logic and Stuart's incredible physique! But God spoke again graciously here.

4. Simon Cowell!

This is a rather amusing and odd one. Isi de Gersigny said at "Glory and Grace" that significant men appearing in dreams often represent God in some form. For her it is her husband Fini. I obviously don't have a husband but I do very much enjoy the TV reality shows like X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent and I greatly admire and like Simon Cowell! As many know he can either be brutally harsh or nice when he likes someone.

In my dreams I have frequently been in company with him and he is always smiling and winking or accepting me.

I hope that means that deep down I am allowing the grace message to sink into my spirit and realise that God is totally and 100% for me and accepting of me and will never reject me!

So my dream last night!

I had a very vivid dream that Pete Day and I were in a massive rolling field and it was dry, dead and barren. There was a water sprinkling system set up across the massive field very similar to the kind that they have in vines where the hoses work their way along wooden structures and gently sprinkle the vegetation. As Pete and I looked at the sprinkling system we noticed that it was broken and the hose had been vandalised and needed to be reconnected.

Dr Stanley Jebb again was present and was speaking to us throughout - and as he spoke - we found ways to fix the water system and instantly the field was lush and fruitful again. Here's what I felt God was saying to me;

Rob Rufus has said frequently that he feels this coming massive move of God needs to come through a theological reformation in the earth - a changing of mind. Christians need to re-orientate themselves from legalism to grace. For me Stanley Jebb represents a teacher. That is what he is! And that seemed to symbolise this truth - that it is the teaching of the grace message that will cause the fruit to spread across the earth and the gospel.

So here's to more dreams and whatever way God wants to speak to me. I'm not sure I would pick dreams to be honest if it were to be a spiritual gift. I'd love to be a healer or a guy with words of knowledge or even better a teacher/preacher. But when God gives gifts they are GOOD gifts and they are given for a reason and I am going to accept and cherish them and use them for the good of His Church if I can!

Rob Rufus's Prophetic Vision over Hong Kong!!

2008-10-20T01:47:00.003Z

Do you ever wonder why Rob Rufus is in Hong Kong? Do you ever wonder what his dreams for City Church International are? Wonder no more. During his sermon; "The Struggle for the Authentic - Part 2" - Rob Rufus said this;

"For 3 months the screams of God got louder and louder and louder and louder until it dawned on me that God has prefixed the end! Now He is saying "Come to Hong Kong because I have prefixed great victory for you!". After 4 years I am staggered at the blessing and success and fruitfulness and influence of this church.

This is but a small part of what God showed me in those 3 months of what He had prefixed for us and the people He said He would call around us and I am seeing those people in this meeting right now and thousands who are not here yet and I am seeing impact into the politics and media of Hong Kong and I am seeing a base of thousands of people and I am seeing a move of the Spirit in Hong Kong that will touch the entire world - I am seeing multitudes come to Hong Kong to see what's happening in City Church International - I am seeing impact on Beijing and China and pulled into my future by a vision - a kaleo - a scream - a call that has been prefixed!

I am not just called to lead a church - I am called to empower people to change the politics of nations, to change the education system and get wrong teaching out of the education systems. I am called to affect orphans and those who are hungry and not clothed and the broken and the disenfranchised. We are called to bring the misery that is on earth out of the way and the Kingdom of God in. We are called to relieve epidemic poverty, we are called to cure people from AIDS, we are called to bring justice to nations and are called to trumpet that and sound that! Though I may not do many of those things personally - I am called to sound a prophetic trumpet that awakens the scream of God in people's tummies so they will get rid of the silly trivia and the silly things that distract us".

Awesome ... hey?

Dreams and Visions!!

2008-09-16T17:29:00.005Z

One of the rather distressing side-effects to my problems at work is that I have been assaulted almost nightly by nightmares about the collegue at work I am having difficulty with. I say more about it here. I was driving back from a night shift this morning listening to Isi de Gersigny at the "Grace and Glory Conference" in Hong Kong and she made a comment about dreams that I registered. She was speaking about how sometimes in dreams men can appear - partners, husbands - and she commented that her husband Fini often appears in her dreams. She said she has noticed in her experience that the appearance of such men in dreams tend to represent God.

She made many other amazing comments - the notes from her session are here - and I drove on home and went straight to bed and fell pretty much straight asleep! Anyhow I had a number of vivid dreams and none of them were about Acorns - thank God! The one that stuck in my mind and I remembered when I woke up featured two men in particular. One of them was my former pastor - Dr Stanley Jebb. The other was Stuart - a recent entry in this year's UK Big Brother.

While I was at the gym I was pondering exactly what those two men in particular were in my dream and I reflected how grateful I was for Isi de Gersigny's wise teaching that brought light to this. If I hadn't heard her comments in her sermon I most probably would have felt guilty and condemned particularly about dreaming about Stuart. In past years I do quite frequently dream about men who have quite fit bodies as I do have quite a low self-esteem and have longed for years to have a physique I could be proud of. But in light of Isi's comments I thought this;

Both men had qualities that I greatly admire, long for and love and deeply long to nuture in my own life. Stanley Jebb (pictured in the middle - his wife Shirley is on the left) has one of the most incredible minds that I have ever encountered in my life. He has razor sharp logic and a passionate determination to leave no theological stone unturned. He has a love for God that is rare to find these days and walks in a relationship with God that is wonderful.

Stuart from Big Brother on the other hand has an incredibly fit physique that is the envy of many (including myself!). He has obviously developed an intense fitness regime with amazing results as well as being a man who defied the "cliche" male image. He was very sensative on Big Brother, displayed incredible respect for the women on the show and spoke often about his young 4 year old daughter who he obviously adored.

Initially I wondered whether this dream was simply a projection of my desire to have Stanley's mind and intellect with Stuart's body and physique - but remembering what Isi de Gersigny preached I began to get the sense that God was trying to impress on me that the appearance of these two men in my dream was actually HIM. We cannot see God maybe with our physical eyes, although I do increasingly believe we can expect to see His glory. But maybe this dream was a way of Him communicating to me in His grace and His love that HE possesses those qualities that I long for. A way of Him communicating something new about Himself that I haven't thought about - a way of Him speaking to me and saying that this is Him - and I am His son! His child! His beloved!

I should mention that for the first time in weeks I woke up feeling positive and cheerful and loved - a feeling that really highlights why Isi de Gersigny calls dreams; "Heaven's kiss".

Whose Laid Hands on You??!

2008-06-12T19:47:00.002Z

I had quite a bizarre thought occur to me when I was walking home from work today! I was listening to my IPOD and some of the wonderful prophetic music from the "Glory and Grace Conference Hong Kong 2007" and suddenly an image flashed into my mind. It was this one from my Facebook profile. Isi de Gersigny graciously agreed to be my friend on Facebook - and it was this that I saw. I considered that for a moment and then remembered something that happened to me when I walked through the fire tunnel at the "Glory and Grace Conference".

"And as I was staggering forward I suddenly felt Isi touch my hand with her hand and my chest over my heart. As she did that I felt an electric volt - literally - shock through her hand and go through my body and to my chest!! It was incredible!! When she did that I just found it harder and harder to stand up and the Fire Tunnel people were so so amazingly helpful!! They just gently and lovingly guided me forward and kept praying "More! More!" over me!!".

As I remembered that awesome impartation - a kind of white flash that came from her hands to my body, it started me thinking about impartation and anointing. Rob Rufus spent quite a bit of time helpfully explaining the laying on of hands after his meeting with Bill Johnson and made it clear that when a recognised ministry lays hands on you - something can be imparted. Rob received something from Bill Johnson. That got me thinking. I received something from Isi de Gersigny - a recognised prophetic ministry who goes up into the 3rd heaven and sees angels regularly!

Why am I saying all this? To boast? Of course not - what's there to boast about?! I was just so blessed and fortunate to be at the "Glory and Grace Conference". Just as those who were at the "Glory Encounters" conference could receive from Joshua Mills or Kaye Beyer! I am saying this - because this week has been a particular tough one in terms of the doctrines of grace. I've felt strongly under attack and I've sensed disagreements coming into many of my close friendships. Even a disagreement with my best friend Pete about the best way forward in preaching the message of grace.

I felt this flash image reminder was a gentle, loving and gracious hint from my heavenly Father that I should remember and not forget who laid hands on me and why He allowed that. There is always a temptation in me to want to be the exegete, the apologetic. I do confess that! I love reading - I love writing - I love arguing and I love debating. But God was reminding me that the impartation I received wasn't a teaching anointing - it was a prophetic anointing. My friend Pete on the other hand DID receive a teaching anointing! One of the most key and profoundly powerful teachers in this country went to his induction service and laid hands on him at that time. But I haven't.

So for me personally (and any other people out there who also have a similar call, tug, anointing, impartation ... whatever) - what does this mean? Well a prophetic anointing only works if you are HEARING from God. Hearing from God means spending time with God. Hearing from God means letting God speak and not just filling the airwaves with my prayers, my intercessions, my wants and my desires! Hearing from God means basking in and spending time in His wonderful Word - seeing what He has revealed. A prophetic anointing only works if you SPEAK from God! Speaking what we see. Writing down what we see. Sharing what we see. Not speaking what we think and what we feel - but what GOD thinks and what GOD feels.

One more thing .... I do feel I want to spend more time listening to Isi de Gersigny speaking at her home church in Sydney and (if possible) go and spend time there one day. That impartation came for a reason and I'd like to follow in the footsteps of this awesome passionate lover of God!

A Visual Illustration of the Anointing?!

2008-04-30T22:07:00.003Z

I was at work today and was playing one of the special lamps that they have got there for multi-sensory stimulation of the children in the hospice. I just happened to be touching it rather absently and suddenly looked a bit more closely. Something Rob Rufus said came to my mind about the anointing. He was speaking on Mark 5:26-34 (the woman with the bleeding) and he said;

“I find this passage extraordinary. It is the best passage to demonstrate the transference of the anointing. Anointing is tangible, transferable and can be conducted like electricity. It can flow out of our hands, it can flow through our words, it can super-charge handkerchiefs, Jesus’ clothing, Elijah’s clothing – he threw that coat over Elisha and Elisha got a transference of power and doubled the anointing from then on.

He then went to an open grave and his body rotted till his bones of the prophet were there. Then some people dropped a corpse into the tomb of Elisha and when it touched his dead bones, the body was raised from the dead because there was so much power in the bones of Elisha. We see this throughout Scripture – there is so many examples”

So here is a photograph of the lamp and my hand touching it. Could this be a good visual illustration of what is going on in the spiritual realm?

But how can the anointing flow if we aren't laying hands on people? Are we at least trying to give God the opportunity to work miracles by His mighty Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead flowing through us?

Selected from the Crowd!!

2008-04-16T11:38:00.003Z

I received this wonderful prophecy today from a dear friend of mine who doesn't know much detail about my personal situation, problems or challenges. But it came like a wonderful embrace from the Father!! It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear at this time - particularly answering challenges about acceptance in my family and feeling like I am "never good enough". Isn't Abba awesome?! And isn't this an absolute demonstration of how vital the gift of prophecy is to fight the good fight BY the prophecies given!?

Here it is - it is just too good to keep to myself. I am living in the power of Rob Rufus's recent word; "The Power of Testimony". I passionately believe that as I share what this prophecy did in my life and how it encouraged and blessed me, that same Holy Spirit can do the same in you as you read it and bring the power and encouragement that YOU need if that is the case.

So I pray - be awesomely blessed with power from on high!

"Dan when I read your text about being at the family wedding this weekend and all that you were feeling in light of that time I was reminded of David out in the fields while the other seven were presented and being 'as it were' the forgotten one and I just really felt that I had to tell you;

That you are not the forgotten one, you are not the one that is left outside while all the others are presented, you are not the one to be ashamed of, the one who doesn’t meet the grade – in fact the opposite – you are the special one, the chosen one, the treasured one, the one hand-picked, the one that He is singing over, delighting in, you are the one that He sees and smiles as He recollects those special times with you, those moments away from the busyness, away from the crowd, away from the pressures, those moments when you have been swept away by His compassion, His love, His heart for you, His rejoicing is stepping up a gear – something new is going to break, something new is on the edge of being released in your life and as you hear the voice of your father calling you in from the fields it will be a time of anointing, of commissioning, of calling, of taking you to a higher level – there is so much more for you and it is going to burst forth, there is so much for you that will not be held back by your past, by others, by any mistake you have ever made, there is a banquet laid out in honour of you – yes you!

He is celebrating over the fact that you are His, He is delighting in the fact that you are present. He has not forgotten you, you are not ‘shelved,’ you are not required to meet a certain grade, you are not required to fit a certain mould, you are not to look at your history in despair – but now is the time to look forward, to know expectancy rise in your heart for your Lover is an awesome God, your Lover is the maker, creator, sustainer of the Universe – there is nothing outside of His control, there is nothing that you need that He is unable to provide, there is no situation that you are concerned about that is out of His jurisdiction, there is no heartache that is beyond His healing and no dry area of your life that is beyond the water of His Holy Spirit, there is no circumstance that He cannot break in and alter, there is nothing for Him to fear for He is God so there is nothing for you to fear because He is your Father.

I feel such a sense that you need to bask afresh in your security in Him- He isn’t about to change His mind about loving you, He is not about to alter His opinion or downgrade His love! Be secure Dan because you are a Son, an heir – your inheritance is yours, there is no chance of you being left out, missed out or disinherited. Today is a day for looking up and realising that He is going to take you by the hand and take you forwards and onwards and upwards – you are not destined for the mire, but the mountain top, you are not destined for the sinking sand, but the soaring on the wings of an eagle, you are not destined for being forgotten and left in the field, but for a powerful anointing, for an equipping and a calling that doesn’t start once you obtain a certain level – oh Dan feel His tender heart towards you, His great love for you!".

:-) Yes that was an emoticon! I'm feeling very very loved right now.

Authoritative Command in Action!! But ...

2008-04-06T16:22:00.005Z

I had an incredible experience this week that I wanted to share and be honest about. It puzzled me - and it's puzzled Pete too - but it is also kind of encouraging. It began when I finished transcribing Rob's incredible sermon; "The Power of the Authoritative Command - Part 1" and have been considering how wrong I have been and unbiblical to spend time praying for the healing of dear friends like Scott, Pete himself, Barry and so on. I was at work at the hospice and was just taking the rubbish out when I suddenly felt an urge to make an authoritative command for the healing of Scott's eczma.

Rob said;

"An authoritative command is not prayer - and I believe in prayer and pray every day. An authoritative command is not a petition or a request heaven-ward. It is an authoritative command that flows out of your spirit by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is an anointed annoucement that releases the power of God's government and demands that circumstances immediately align themselves with God's will".

So I felt an urge to state that I have the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and that eczma is an abomination marking the wonderful creation of God - that it had no place on Scott's body who has also received the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I commanded that the eczma leave him and that the "new suit of skin" that I had seen in heaven in Hong Kong at the "Grace and Glory Conference" be given to him.

I guess anyone can make "commands" to the atmosphere - but what took me by surprise was that I felt the Holy Spirit descend on me in absolute power. It was all I could do to stay standing in the hospice parking - I felt my whole body shaking under the power of God and it was wonderful! I haven't felt that confident that Scott had been healed since when Rob Rufus was speaking at Church of Christ the King in Brighton before "Together on A Mission 2007", he had many of us forward to pray for us. While I was at the front on my knees enjoying God - Rob said; "Someone with a skin condition has been healed!". I went running back to where Scott was sitting on the CCK riser and shouted; "Well?!!?". He hadn't been healed then.

But I had to ring Scott on my mobile as soon as possible to find out if he had been healed. He hadn't. And even worse he hadn't even felt anything of the Holy Spirit upon him.

What puzzled me was the experience of the Holy Spirit that came as a result of my authoritative command (which obviously wasn't that authoritative!). I very much ALWAYS love experiencing God and don't experience Him enough! But why did He come upon me as a result of that command? And why didn't Scott experience God? Or get healed? Did I not have enough faith or did Scott not have enough faith? I am asking these questions genuinely and would appreciate comments, suggestions and thoughts. This is all an extremely new area to me and I wish I could be in Hong Kong so I could ask Rob himself!

I'm going to keep going in this area - but it truly is; "No Well Worn Paths!" but it would be lovely to understand more why God does what He does.

Seated with the King

2008-03-24T11:34:00.006Z

Last night I attended an evening session at a conference at a church local to me. Since coming into an understanding of grace and of our unchangeable position as the righteousness of God in Christ, I have gone with an openness to receive from God, but prepared to spit out the bones of law that come. Yet, there is no doubt they are a people hungry for God, and the Lord honours that - so God was most definitely there last night, powerfully, touching His hungry people.

During the worship time, the musicians began to play the first bars of "My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine." But before they got to the first line of singing, a woman a few rows ahead began to sing out loudly in tongues, and then began to sing a spiritual song (something I have not known to happen in this church before - there has been corporate spiritual singing, but not someone taking a lead). The sister sang of Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I found myself beginning to sing (although not so loudly, I haven't got a strong enough voice!!) of seeing the King upon the throne in all His beauty, majesty and glory. And then I felt His whisper in my heart -

"Come up here, and let Me put My cloak over you."

And then some scriptures began to hit me:

"You are seated with Me in heavenly places"

"My banner over you is love."

And then I was reminded of that scene in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where the White Witch meets Edmund, and he is cold and needy, and she says to him - "come up here, and I will put my coat over you." In that scene, the Witch has evil intent, but Jesus does not - He loves us so much, and has called us to sit with Him in a place of intimacy, and authority. In Ruth 3, Boaz puts the hem of his cloak over Ruth as indication that he will care for her, and that he will be her Redeemer. Out of these things, the Lord spoke into my heart:

"Come and sit with Me, and let Me put My cloak over you. Come and be near, let Me cover you, let Me warm you, let Me embrace you and protect you. I am the King, and you are seated on My throne. You are safe and secure, as safe and secure as it is possible to be. You have been made righteous to receive My tender embrace.

And, come, sit down, look, see; see all the kingdoms of the earth. My Father has given them to Me, and I have purchased them with My blood. And as you sit with Me, I give them to you - you are My co-heir, and heir of the world with Abraham.

Come, sit, rest, stay - here in the place of intimacy and authority."

We are seated with Him! So amazing, so tender, and yet so powerful, as we rest in His embrace to enjoy and His authority to change the world!

Gracious prophets

2008-02-27T14:53:00.007Z

Today at the Life in the Spirit Conference, I heard a very interesting practical teaching on the gift of prophecy from Dave Campbell, who is part of the leadership of the Elim Pentecostal Church in the UK.

I'm not going to summarise the whole messsage here, because I couldn't write fast enough; but I did pick up a few great quotes about prophecy. In particular, it came across that the prophet is not some kind of herald of God's judgement, but a bringer of edification, exhortation and comfort. I don't know about you, but on several occassions, I have heard prophecies that have made me cringe, been presented agressively, brought condemnation and guilt. Dave Campbell today was seeking to address this tendency.

"Prophecy is taking what is on God's heart for an individual and sharing in with their heart."

"Prophecy is not your thoughts, but His thoughts."

"Prophetic words bring truth. But truth is more than facts. Jesus said 'You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.' So if you cannot speak truth in a way that brings edification and sets free, don't speak. Prophecy is not the ultimate retribution tool, but the ultimate rescue tool. It is not just the word of the Lord but the heart of the Lord."

"We're told the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. So if you don't speak, it won't come out."

"Only prophecy what God says. We are to communicate what God is saying. So articulate in such a way as a child can understand."

"The Church is the bride of Christ. Please be careful how you speak to His wife."

Jesus loves His church and gave Himself for her. The Father rejoices over us with singing. The Spirit is our Comforter. Prophecy is not a tool to beat up the church, but to build up the church and pour the oil of God's blessing upon her.

Your Daughters Shall Prophesy!!

2008-02-25T20:31:00.004Z

I came home from work today to read an incredible email from Pete just before he left for the "Life in the Spirit Conference" where Sam Storm is ministering. I had sent him my iPOD in the post so that he can enjoy Rob Rufus on MP3 while he is at the conference and just as I was posting the parcel, for some reason I wrote; "FIRE!!" on the back of it. Don't know why! Maybe to freak out the postman - maybe I hoped Pete would be laid out in the Spirit when he got it. But in his email he wrote this;

Ruth asked me today "why did Dan put FIRE on the back of his parcel." I explained about the fire of the Spirit. Then she started making up a song using the words of "London's Burning". It is quite prophetic;

"London's burning, London's burning, fetch the people, fetch the people. FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE,DON'T pour on water, DON'T pour on water."

There is a fire to come in London.

Pete's daughter is only a child! Yet I was absolutely staggered at the prophetic edge to what she wrote. I don't know whether she was aware of it or not but Joel's prophecy says clearly; "Your sons and daughters shall prophesy". The Church either is disobeying the command; "He who hath an ear to hear ... let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches". So is it any surprise that children are beginning to speak forth what the Holy Spirit has on His heart?! And it is clear - London SHALL and MUST be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea!

Why? Because first and foremost God promised it! And secondly London is the first domino to fall - when London comes under the cloud of glory, surely the United Kingdom cannot be unaffected. When I was at the "Grace and Glory" conference in Hong Kong, I heard again and again God speaking; "London is Mine!".

Grace + Glory = REVIVAL!!

2008-02-22T22:20:00.005Z

I had an extremely exciting day today - one of much revelation where I virtually felt like I had a glass stuck to the wall of the Holy of Holies and was listening in on the council of God. If only I could learn how to walk into the Throne Room itself ... ! But anyway. I exchanged a couple of texts with Pete Day and he said one very interesting thing which provoked an awesome vision. In his text he said (I should explain I have leant Pete my iPOD next week when he goes to the Life in the Spirit Conference where Sam Storms is preaching);

"Wow. Thank you so much. In the few minutes of trying to figure it out (the iPOD), God has already spoken! I heard Rob say; "The Grace and Glory Conference is now open!". And God spoke to my heart; "Grace and glory is open! - Now, here, wherever are we are living in grace and glory!".

Suddenly without even thinking about it, I saw a vision of being back in my GCSE Chemistry. I didn't like Chemistry and wasn't very good at it but we were shown a chemical reaction by our teacher very similar to this one;

And I felt God say; "My grace on it's own is indeed a sign and a wonder. My glory on it's own is wonderful to behold and many long to come into it. But I tell you this - the one who hears My voice and learns to bring My grace and My glory together will experience and see a reaction far beyond anything you have ever dreamed! The reaction will be far greater than even this:

He went on; "But whereas these reactions have been used for hatred and for war, when you see My grace and My glory brought together in simultaneous combustion, the shockwaves of life and power shall shake the earth and send principalities and powers screaming for cover, for finally My Church will have learnt the truth - that at the Cross I legally bound the powers of hell - and now nothing not even hell's gates can stand against the relentless advance of My Kingdom and My glory shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea!

So bring the truth of My grace and the power of My glory together and sit back and watch ... ".

Giving away the glory!

2008-02-11T16:13:00.000Z

I need to share a dream that I had last Saturday night (or actually early on Sunday morning):

I was standing to the side of our church, in one of the side aisles, when a man that I had never seen before came to me and asked me to pray! I laid my right hand on his head and just said "Fire!" (yes, very Rob Rufus, but that is what I said in the dream!) The man just collapsed onto the floor!

But then he began to reach out to me, and he said to me, "I can see the glory on you, but I can't receive it; give me the glory!"

And then I woke up.

It was such a vivid dream and I asked the Lord about it. I believe He spoke into my thoughts - "I want you to have a heart to give away. Enjoy the glory, bask in the glory, but give it away! Bless others and let the glory flow through you!"

It is such an awesome encouragement, and a wonderful call. So much glory, let us give and bless!

"The Hidden Springs" by Arthur Wallis

2008-02-01T22:13:00.001Z

One of the traditional charges against the Charismatic Movement in the 1970's and 80's was that there was no much Biblical depth to what the charismatic teachers taught. That charge is becoming less and less viable as Terry Virgo's recent invitation to the FIEC Council suggests. Interestingly enough one charismatic leader who escaped the charge (even Terry himself came under fire at a Westminter fraternal hosted by Peter Lewis for teaching on apostolic ministry) - was Arthur Wallis. Arthur Wallis was very much a statesman of the Charismatic Movement in the United Kingdom like Ern Baxter was in the USA. Arthur always taught with the Word of God first and foremost in his mind. It is with interest then that I present his teaching from a Restoration Magazine I discovered while re-organising some of my library. The theme of the magazine was; "The New Testament Prophet" and contributers to the magazine included David Mansell and Alan Vincent (who worked with Terry Virgo and what was Coastlands for a while).

"A prophet of God" - what does the phrase conjure up in your mind? Moses stretching out his rod to part the Red Sea? Elijah calling down fire from heaven? Or maybe Agabus predicting a severe famine throughout the world? In this article we are not so concerned with the spectacular revelations of the prophet, as with the hidden springs of his life and ministry. Or to put it more colloquially, let's find out what makes the prophet tick.

According to God's estimate being takes precedence over doing. In other words God's primary concern is with a man's character and only secondarily with his ministry. The reason for this is not far to seek. What we do must spring from what we are and if what we do appears more spiritual than what we are, sooner or later (and it is usually sooner) our doing is sabotaged.

This is vividly illustrated by the tragic history of Samson, whose spectacular feats against the Philistines were offset by his own carnality. In the end he spent his last days a prisoner of his enemies and never achieved a full deliverance for Israel.

Though the theme of this issue of the magazine is the NT prophet we shall find that all the basic principles that govern this NT ministry are to be found in what the OT teaches us, especially when we investigate the hidden springs. Let us look at the earliest prophets mentioned in the Bible.

We have to reach almost the closing book of the Bible before we learn that the first prophet in the history of mankind was Enoch. We would never have known if Jude had not told us (v14). We don't usually think of Enoch as a prophet but as the saintly man who walked with God for 300 years. Just to think that we consider ourselves if we have a day's unbroken fellowship with God! So Enoch set the standard, living as he did in the dawn of human history, for all successive generations of prophets. Someone has described him as an Alpine climber last seen heading for the summit. And of course we have the inside story. He didn't slip and break his neck. He made it.

1. The prophet is called first and foremost to a life of intimacy with God.

It wasn't that Enoch had it in him. The record in Genesis 5 makes it clear that he didn't start to walk with God till he reached what we now regard as retiring age. Life really began for Enoch at 65! That should teach us that it's never too late.

This brings us to Abraham. He is the first man that God ever called a prophet and in quite a surprising connection. Not because he brought some stupendous prediction like Enoch who prophesised the day of the Lord at the dawn of human history. A tribal king called Abimelech had taken Abraham's wife for his harem, thinking her to be Abraham's sister with the result that a judgement of barrenness had fallen on his household. God spoke to him in a dream and having explained the situation told him; "Now return the man's wife for he is a prophet and he will pray for you and you will live" (Genesis 20:7).

2. So the first thing that God ever said about a prophet was that he was a man who had access to God - not just a man who prayed, but a man who got his prayers answered!

It is significant that Abraham the prophet was also called "God's friend" (2 Chronicles 20:7, Jas 2:23) and this is clearly illustrated in connection with his prayer life. God was about to bring destruction on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their heinous wickedness. "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" God asked Himself. Why should He? Abraham was His friend with whom He was accustomed to sharing His secrets, so He shared this one with him. The result was what God intended. Abraham got involved. He wrestled with God in prayer. Although these two great cities were not saved by Abraham's praying, Lot and his family were, and that would have been one of Abraham's major concerns in his intercession.

This friendship, this intimacy with God is one of the most beautiful features of Abraham's life. God loved to walk with him under the stars and share with him His heavenly secrets. What exciting times they were. Sometimes the magnitude of what God promised him was enough to stagger his faith but "Abraham staggered not". God would say to him when he still had no child "and try to count the stars. That's how numerous your descendents will be". And on another occasion; "Look as far as you can to the north and to the south and to the east and to the west. All this land I am going to give to your descendents".

3. So the prophet is privilidged to share God's secrets and to what God plans to do. "Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secrets to His servants, the prophets". (Amos 3:7 RSV).

The next great prophet in the line of succession was Moses.

We may think of him as the prophet par excellence of the OT for he enjoyed face to face communion with God beyond that generally experienced by prophets. God said of him; "I reveal myself to (a prophet) in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of My servant Moses ... With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles" (Num 12:6-8).

To him it was revealed that the greatest prophet of all, the coming Messiah, would be a prophet like himself (Deut 18:15). Moses unique-ness is confirmed by his obiturary; "Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses who the Lord knew face to face" (Deut 34:10).

There are two expressions used of Moses that are characteristic and that must shape our whole thinking about the hidden springs of the prophet's ministry. The first we find in the above quotations from Numbers when God refers to him as "My servant Moses". Again and again he is called the "servant of the Lord". In coming to know God, the prophet's attitudes and inner disposition have been so shaped that all self-possession, self-importance and independence of spirit have been eliminated. His posture before the Lord is that of the servant waiting at the door-post to come to the master's call or to run to do his bidding or to stand forth to speak his word.

The other expression is "Moses, the man of God". From then on "man of God" became a synonym for a prophet. It is used of Samuel and of David, and of Elijah and of Elisha. Many prophets in the record are anonymous. We simply read; "A man of God came ...". What does the experience suggest? That here is someone whose relationship with God is deep and intimate and real. He knows God. A brother and I were discussing a young man in the church whose lack of spiritual progress was giving us cause for concern, when my friend remarked; "What he needs is a big dose of God". The same could be said of many believers. A prophet is someone who has had just that.

That is what we must have if we are to be a prophetic people. There must be a God-conciousness about us. We must feel at home in His Presence. Our fellowship with God must be one of reverent intimacy. Something of the inner life of the man of God must characterise the people of God.

Inevitably a man of God is someone in who a goodly measure of the character of God has been formed. There is a saying; "You can't walk with a miller without getting flour on your shoulder". You can't walk with God, spend time with God without something of God brushing off. There were many sons of the prophets at the time of Elisha but the woman of Shunem discerned there was something different about Elisha. She described him as a "holy man of God". When Elijah suddenly appeared in the courts of king Ahab with an ultimatum from heaven, no-one knew who he was or where he came from. So first he presented his credentials; "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before Whom I stand" (1 Kings 17:1). Here was an ambassador who had come from heaven's courts, who was accustomed to standing before the King of Kings.

4. These are the only true credentials of a NT prophet. He is a man who stands before God. He comes to men from God's Presence to speak God's Word. This is the secret of his authority.

There are those today, even as in the past, who claim to be the prophets, but who cannot produce these credentials. They have not been standing before God. They have not been hearing what God was saying. They speak the visions of their own mind, the thoughts of their own hearts and not from the mouth of the Lord. They may even speak what is true and biblical, but it is not God's "now" word. Listen to what God says about such; "I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their own message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people" (Jer 23:21-22).

There is always a temptation to put prophets, whether biblical ones or present-day ones on a spiritual pedestal. "They must be of different stuff from us" we say to ourselves. James will not allow us to get away with such thinking. He tells us firstly that we must look on them as examples of a man who prevailed in prayer, he anticipates our objections by saying first of all that he was a "man just like us" (5:17). At one point he ran away in fear and then even gave way to self-pity and self-justification. Nevertheless he accomplished the will of God.

Let me say it again; the prophets are our examples. They are there to challenge and inspire us. We are to be motivated by the same prophetic spirit. How could it be otherwise if we are indeed a prophetic people. Prophets were never intended to monopolise the audience chamber of the King of Kings or to "corner fellowship with God". There are many councils over which the Almighty presides and if you are not called to stand before God in the same council as the prophet then be assured that there is one in which your name is called, and where God will share secrets that you need to hear. The health of that pot plant in your home is determined in great measure by what lies below the surface of the soil. You cannot have a healthy plant and an unhealthy root. Let me ask you, what have you got hidden beneath the surface? Is the hidden life robust and strong, or weak and sickly? Is our spiritual root system suffering from neglect? What about the hidden springs? Have they dried up? It is in this hidden area most of all that the life of the prophet should provoke and challenge us.

Once we are convinced that such a life of fellowship with God is for us too, the big question is how to get there. "You will seek Me and find Me", God is still saying, "When you search for Me with all of your heart". Those who have the experience are those who want it badly. There are scores and scores of true believers who would love it, yet they never enjoy it. Why? Because they don't want it with all their heart. Those who enter in are those who hunger and thirst for it. This is invariably where the failure lies. The remedy is to ask God to show us why we are not hungry for Him. It may be for the same reasons that the seed of the sower in the parable did not bring forth fruit (Luke 8:12-14). If so when we have dealt with all that He has shown us, we will find a growing hunger within. Otherwise it may be simply lack of motivation. We must ask God to show us the unspeakable honour and privilidge of being invited to stand before the God of the whole earth. "Blessed is the man you choose and bring near to live in your courts! What joy! What fulfillment! What fruitfulness! What harmony! What security!

Once we are really motivated there must come the discipline of curtailment. This is the discipline of the lumberjack who stops working in order to sharpen his axe.

Some of us will never find God in this way because we are much too busy working for Him. Our activism is our biggest hindrance. We must lay aside all our self-justifying arguments and learn all over again from the story of Martha and Mary what our Lord considers is the "one thing needful".

Finally we must learn to wait on God by restraining our much speaking in His Presence. Only so we can train our ears to listen. There are some 15 or more Hebrew words used in the OT that are translated "wait" but with various shades of meaning, such as to wait patiently, to wait in silence, to wait expectantly and to wait in hope. If we are constant and persevering God will draw near and speak. He will reveal Himself to us and we shall understand what it was that so captivated David that this fellowship with God despite the affairs of state became his consuming passion;

"One thing I ask of the Lord, that will I seek - that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple" - (Psalm 27:4).

Angels are ... EVERYWHERE!!

2008-01-28T19:15:00.001Z

I had an unusal experience and encounter with God today on a much-needed day off. I have always been challenged and provoked by Rob Rufus's plea that we cannot just live from conference to conference in encountering Him. Rob said;

"If I don't experience the Presence of God daily then I get lonely".

It didn't depress me or condemn me because Rob isn't that kind of teacher. But it did provoke me! Every day I have been waking up wondering if God would reveal Himself to me! This morning was no different. I was blessed by much sleep but didn't wake up feeling particularly heavenly. However my faith was stirred by a message from my dear friend Pete. He wrote this;

"Last night at the end of the service, Malcolm's dad Alasdair, led the closing hymn after he preached (love divine). And when we get to the line "suddenly return and never, never more Thy temples leave" I had a brief glimpse of heaven open and the angels flying over us as we worshipped. It was very brief, but it was so real. The heavens are open!".

I was driving into town after reading that stirring, wonderful encounter and I was listening to the "Glory and Grace Conference" sessions. The amazing prophet Isi de Gersigny sang a prophetic song and a line (that I have heard before) really caught me;

"Light and glory come from the Eternal Throne".

For some reason I found tears running down my face. As I was driving in two thoughts came clearly to me. Firstly I asked God; "Why am I 30 and I am only beginning to see angels? Why is this the first time I have heard from Pete about him seeing angels? What's wrong with us?!". I heard God clearly reply and sound quite amused. He said;

"Son you have only just started to see angels because you haven't really been looking. And secondly you haven't seen them because you didn't think you were worthy. You aren't worthy. But My Son is, and that's the only price required".

I had to sit in the car in the car park for a while and gather myself but as I got up and began to walk through the Bullring Shopping Centre I began to feel that something was different. I hope I can describe this experience. You know how sometimes you can see someone out of the corner of your eye and yet when you turn to look at the person they are gone. Darting away like they were never there? That was my feeling. I was walking through hundreds of shoppers yet had the sense that there were other beings in the shopping centre. Angels were walking through - angels were following some of the shoppers. I could hear the rustling of robes.

I was standing waiting for Scott at one point and looking across a balcony at another cafe and I had the distinct feeling that someone was smiling at me. No mistake. Yet when I looked there was no one there. What to make of all this?! Was I losing my mind?! As I stood there revelling in the Presence of God in that shopping centre, an old charismatic song we used to sing in New Covenant Church in Dunstable came back to my mind. A line was;

"When all things that surround me become shadows in the light of You ... I worship You, I worship You - the reason I live is to worship You".

I felt God impressing on me that the veil between heaven and earth is becoming thin. Angelic manifestations occured in the Bible! Why don't we see them now? Does the fact that we don't see them prove that they are not present or here? Not at all - the problem is ours. The angels are there. But we simply need to look. The angels are ... EVERYWHERE!! I texted Pete and told him all that had happened. I save his texts because there is so much teaching wisdom in them. He replied;

"Well we prayed that God would meet with you today! In Leviticus the priest must go in with blood, "lest he die". But Hebrews says that Jesus has gone in with His own blood so THERE IS NO WRATH. The blood covers the tabernacle (which contains the 10 Commandments - so all the times we have broken the law are covered). So only light and glory come out. The veil protected us before from the fire of God burning us up. Now the veil is torn because it is SAFE for His glory to come out and it is safe for us to go in. No more wrath - only light and glory!".

Please hear what I am saying. I am not bragging of some ridiculous hyper-spirituality or a vivid imagination. I was in a shopping centre for crying out loud! I am trying to raise faith. If God in His grace will show me this - then what will He pour out for us all? Angels are ... EVERYWHERE! Let's start looking because when we see them truly - they will point to Jesus Christ - risen, glorified and exalted!

Disappointed? Today an Angel Might Stir the Pool

2008-01-27T08:24:00.000Z

I mentioned in my last post on my Rob Rufus blog that I was quite saddened by Terry Virgo's latest "Firstline" from the Newfrontiers Magazine. While he emphasises his continued desire for revival, he very honestly admits that he is disappointed revival hasn't come ... yet. I have seen this disappointment before. At my home church it was a disappointment that we didn't see more genuine Isaiah-like prophecies uttered from the congregation, or we didn't see the Word of Faith point out people who were sinning and call them to conviction and repentence. In other circles it has been to observe the Toronto Blessing and hope for more from the charismatic movement. Rob Rufus himself wisely has counsel for these two scenarios I observed;

"Disappointment is a disastrous father of theology. It develops heresies and pervasive traditions that lowers and limits the word of God down to the level of your experiences, and unwittingly surrenders to the Spirit of unbelief while masquerading as main line orthodoxy!".

How therefore do we do it? How do we keep our hope for more of God high? How do we keep expecting, as it says on Jesse's blog; "because God has more!". I read an awesome chapter in the latest book I am reading which is highly relevent. It was recommended by Kylie and Ryan Rufus from their sermon; "Unlocking Your Ability to Hear God through Dreams". The book they recommended was;

"Dream Language: The Prophetic Power of Dreams" by Jim and Michal Ann Goll.

In this particular chapter, they were discussing the man by the pool at Bethesda. I was reading it before I went to sleep and was once again floored by something mentioned so casually in the Word of God. The verse went like this;

" ... for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted".

Now has anyone else ever heard a sermon preached on THIS verse?! Has anyone else satisfactorily consulted a commentary that opens this part of the Word of God up that is profitable for our teaching and taught us rightly that we can and should expect angelic manifestations just as similarly today? Or, like me, have you heard that the period that Jesus walked on earth was a "special period" (which it was) and we shouldn't expect the same today (why not?) and there is a spiritual meaning to the angel stirring the water (which is?) and it means we should read our Bibles more or something (well - that's fine if it means finding more verses like this!).

That being said, here is what the Goll's had to share from this wonderful account of Jesus miracle by the pool at Bethesda.

"Why did that crippled man stay at the pool of Bethesda every day? He probably could have gotten someone to take him away or simply stopped coming. But he didn't. Perhaps, despite years of disappointment, he still believed. He still held out hope that his day would come. What are you going to do when God seems silent and the dreams do not come or their promised fulfillment appears to be delayed? Are you going to give up and say "I guess this isn't just for me?". Or are you going to stay by the pool and wait for God to stir the waters?

Why are you still here? What keeps you coming back? Is it because somewhere, somehow you caught a glimpse of the unshakeable Kingdom of God that is being established in the earth? There is a Kingdom that will stand even when the earth itself is shaken! Hold fast to that belief because it is in these times of waiting, when God seems silent that the enemy will come and say, "Well you don't deserve revelation anyway".

It sounds very familiar doesn't it? I guess we can all associate with that - Terry included clearly. How do we do it? How do we cope with the fact that our hopes and dreams may not quite match up with the time scale and plans of Almighty God?

The Goll's have some advice;

"When God seems silent, there are several things you can do.

1. Stick with what you already know.What was the last thing the Lord said to you or told you to do? Have you done it? Why should He tell you something new until you have completed what He has already revealed?

2. God may be testing you. What do you believe?

3. Don't doubt in darkness what you have seen or heard in times of light.

4. Don't compare yourselves to others. This is one of the biggest ditches to avoid. Just because God works a certain way with someone else does not mean He will work the same way with you. God will work with you in a way that is significantly personal to you.

5. Be childlike. Don't be overly complicated! Hold out your hand, take hold of His and say "Daddy".

6. Don't expect everything to be so dramatic!

7. How about the person sitting next to you? Can God speak through him/her? Could it be that God wants to use one of His little princes or children to speak a word of encouragement, exhortation or comfort to you?

8. Walk by faith and not by sight. Sometimes going from word to word is walking by sight and not by faith. Stick to the Word! Obey the Word!

9. Learn the wisdom lessons of true guidance".

What can we learn from all this? Times of perceived silence from heaven aren't always what they seem. God made certain promises in the New Covenant that don't change. "I will NEVER leave you or forsake you". "Suddenly from heaven there came a sound". "I will pour out My Spirit on ALL flesh". "The veil was torn in two from top to bottom". "Seeing as we have such a great High Priest let us enter BOLDLY".

I'll close with another quote;

"When God seems silent, recognise this as His invitation to you to come into greater union with Christ. God's silence is His way of calling you to press in. It is a strategic chess move on His part. "And now", He says, "It's your move". Press in, because silence is God's invitation to greater union with Him. When your dreams seem to fade away, press in because the God of dreams has not faded away. He is there waiting to embrace you and to expand your heart's capacity to receive more of His Word, His will and His ways.

When God seems silent, press in!".

"Send Revival" by Jesse Phillips

2008-01-25T23:28:00.000Z

You always can tell that the Spirit of God is moving in a generation when the songwriters start coming forth and I am thrilled to discover that Jesse Phillips (my esteemed pastor-friend from the USA) has written a song - and what better subject than a cry for revival? It is available on You-Tube here;

Here are the lyrics;

"For every flame of love grown dim
And every passion that has died
For every prayer of faith that ceased
Ignite us once again inside
For every vision and godly ambition
Holy Spirit breathe new life

Send Revival
Send Revival
Send revival, Sovereign Lord
How we need You,Spirit, plead with You
Come revive our hearts once more

For every eye that needs to see
For every heart that now must know
For every city, land and place
To which the gospel now must go
And for your mission in this generation
Holy Spirit breathe new life

Come restore our first love
Come renew our hearts
In your time as you choose
We pray for revival".

As we grow older - and 2008 is another year - let's not face the horrendous fact that our love for God chills. Let us see 2008 as a stoking of the fire! Let us see the fires of revival in our hearts, our churches and our countries burn so that the ends of the earth will be covered with the glory of the Lord!

Are You Giving? Are You Receiving?

2008-01-20T15:56:00.000Z

When Scott wrote his review of "Together on a Mission 2007" he bemoaned the lack of Dave Holden's contribution to the preaching ministry last year. He had a fair point. I love Dave Holden! He is very practical and down-to-earth in the way he imparts truth but that truth is life-changing. I spent a quiet Sunday afternoon re-visiting some of the past "Together on a Mission" DVD's that I have got in my library and was taken by this point.

It is far too easy to get caught up in the politics of arguing which speaker would be best to speak at a conference but we can forget why conferences are actually of benefit to us. Yes Mark Heath wrote recently that they can be "feasts of the Word" when Mark Driscoll comes to visit. But I prefer to see conferences as Rob Rufus instructed Mobilise in July. They are high points of encountering God - where the opportunity is available to "learn the address of the Holy Spirit". To be able to go back to our homes, towns, cities and nations and remember how we can encounter God in power. Why is that important?

Dave Holden had one answer:

Yes it is vital that we encounter God for our own personal walks with Him. We must get to know Him as "Abba!" - our intimate and loving heavenly Father who has so much to pour out and lavish on us. But we also must get to know Him because there is a lost and needy world out there who are just as desperate to encounter reality. And what greater reality than the Living and awesome God - Creator of the Universe!

Are you receiving the Holy Spirit in power? Are you "be being filled"? If so - are you giving out? Are you ministering the Holy Spirit in power? If not, why not? Am I being filled with the Spirit like a wind filling my sails so I am moving? Am I ministering the Holy Spirit in power? If not, why not?

Your beautiful new clothes

2007-12-30T18:51:00.000Z

I have a real burden on my heart that God's people would have revelation of the complete miracle of grace, and the spotless righteousness that Jesus has given to them. I will be posting more on this over at The Best is Yet to Come, but I just felt I had to share a precious vision that the Lord gave me this morning during the worship song at the close of our morning service.

We were singing this:

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,
from the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness:
search me, try me, consume all my darkness -
Shine on me, shine on me.
(Graham Kendrick (c) 1987 Make Way Music/Thankyou music)

And then I saw so clearly a memory from 14 years ago when my little three year old sister was trying on her bridesmaids dress for our wedding. She was standing in front of the mirror, radiant, with a radiant face, twisting and turning and looking at her dress in amazement.

And the Lord spoke into my heart -

"It is time to stop looking in the dirty mirror that reminds you of all your sins; your sins have gone completely. Come with Me, come and look at your lovely clothes. Come and stand before Me, and look into the clean and spotless mirror of My presence. You have beautiful new clothes, they are radiant, they are clean, they are spotless, they are shining, they are beautiful. Look at your beautiful new clothes. They are yours, they are special - and you look... perfect. Come and stand in My presence. You are dressed for My glory."

I don't know if any who read this blog feel that they need to hide in the shadows because they feel dirty. I want to share with you, dear brother and sister, it's a lie. There is no need to hide any more. He loves you. He has clothed you radiantly and you are fitted for His glory - you have been given beautiful new clothes of His spotless righteousness.

A Prophecy for all Women who Ever Felt Unloved.

2007-12-26T22:46:00.000Z

I was driving back from Bristol to Birmingham and was praying and crying for the women who have left comments on the post "Humour versus the Holy Spirit". Not just them - but for the thousands of others I suspect are out there in the Christian world feeling desperate, lonely and unloved. Suddenly God put this song into my mind - "When You Believe" - the beautiful duet sung by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. I am not sure about secular songs being used in the prophetic - but I am prepared to take the risk! I felt a definite tug from the Holy Spirit about this and when I found the song and played it on my IPOD my tears increased. If this word can be taken and be used to set free then truly we will see miracles.

The song is here;

Every word is prophetic to me. I sense behind each word the heart beat of God and of Jesus Christ the true Man. Here's the lyrics;

Many nights we pray
With no proof anyone could hear
And our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understand
Now we are not afraid
Although we know theres much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we know we could

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
Its hard to kill
Who know what miracle
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayer so often proves in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
And now I am standing here
My hearts so full I cant explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought Id say

They dont always happen when you ask
And its easy to give in to your fear
Ohhhhh
But when youre blinded by your pain
Cant see you way safe through the rain
Thought of a still resilient voice
Says love is very near

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail

Its hard to kill
Who know what miracle
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

I hope this word means something to someone! I dedicate it to all daughters of Zion - my sisters in the faith - who have ever doubted and feared and wept at the dead of night when they thought no one was watching. You are deeply loved on high.

Prophecies from Wednesday 19th December 2007

2007-12-25T14:35:00.000Z

One of the things Pete Day made me agree to before flying to Hong Kong for the "Grace and Glory Conference" in October was that I would come to London, visit him and lay hands on him and pray that whatever blessing and anointing God lavishly gave me would be imparted to him. Because of both our busy schedules it was December before we were able to meet but it was well worth the wait.

We have both debated whether to publish what happened because we never ever want to be accused of hyper-spirituality or trying to exalt ourselves. But Pete's key post recently; "Waging warfare by the prophecies given" - he argued that prophecies and the prophetic equip us to fight the good fight better. So I am prepared to take the risk for being accused of hyper-spirituality. If anyone wants to leave a comment arguing thus - then please do. I can take it.

But the reason why we felt so deeply that we must publish this and share what God did with us - is because we have never before had such a sense of the "Abba" Presence of God. We both were drunk in the Spirit, laughing, crying and rejoicing because of the intimate love of the Father that kept pouring over us in waves. It wasn't just an "experience" of the glory of God. God spoke and re-emphasised what has always been so present in the Word of God.

Here's what He said. The sole reason why we publish this is because we hope that "by the prophecies" - by something that is written here - you too may be equipped to fight the good fight in the ecstatic realisation that Abba Father loves YOU and has chosen YOU from before time began.

Pete: "The Lord is speaking so clearly about "Past Anointings". We need the books of past men. We claim their anointing and capture the heart of those people, their passion and move in their anointing. Fresh bread! Fresh manna! 1. On the Sabbath the manna was preserved so the people would not have to work. But; 2. It was also preserved in a pot and put into the ark. These seasons of past anointings are like past Sabbath manna - it is manna set aside to grow from in future generations. YET! We look for our own Sabbath manna to set down for our future generations. There is a permament relevance to what they say yet let us not forget "Progressive Revelation". There is fresh manna that we WILL receive that those who applaud us could only have dreamed of.

Dan: I saw a vision of the risen Lord holding out a beautiful portrait as we lay before Him. It was the most exquisite, incredible painting I have ever seen. But it wasn't just a static capture of a moment in time! The painting was alive! I could hear the babbling brooks painted on it and the rivers and could hear the birds singing on it! I said; "God what's this?". He said;

"Son, don't you recognise it? It's your prayer you prayed that one time when you felt so ineloquent and so lonely. Son don't you recognise it? It's that song you sang to Me on your own with your IPOD as you were walking to work but shuddered at the sound of your voice. Son don't you recognise it? It's that deed you did in secret for My glory that no-one saw. I am your true Parent! I am your true Daddy! I see the beauty in My loved one's offerings! This is so special to Me, it stays with ME. Not even the angels are allowed to touch it - it's too precious to Me! Don't stop singing to Me, Son! Don't stop talking to Me! Don't stop painting and drawing for Me! I treasure it's value beyond words!".

Pete: I saw a vision of the first wedding dance when the bride and groom traditionally dance together in the spotlight alone watched by the rest of the guests. But this dance is the dance of the Father with His Bride!

"And you - Pete, Dan - you are the Chosen! I am stopping right by you and I am saying to you, "May I have this dance?". You are no longer an observer! All eyes are on us and our love". But such is the wonder of My omnipresence that no one will be left out. No one will sit at the back of this crowd feeling their loneliness and their isolation. You will feel My love, you will experience My arms wrapped around you!".

Pete: I saw a reversal of the meeting of the royal family. Usually the visitors will line up and the courtiers or the Lord Chamberlain will bring the royal down the line and will introduce the Queen to the visitor. But here there was a glorious reversal! Here I saw God introducing us to the angels! US! He was taking us down the line of angelic warriors and was saying; "This is My beloved one! This is My son! This is My beautiful daughter! This is My loved one! Meet him! You must meet him! You must see her!".

Dan: "The veil that hung in the Tabernacle was hell's best weapon. I tell you when the veil was put up, hell rejoiced as I wept. For the veil kept My people from My Presence. The demons watched with bated breath as the Old Testament priests crept in hoping I would smite them down. But at Calvary as I reached out and took the veil in My hands and began to rip from top down ... all of hell quaked. "He is BREAKING OUT!" - the scream went out across hell. The veil ripped entirely and forever and My Son declared; "It is finished" and I declared; "I am satisfied!". You can enter in now! The way is open!

So why do so few come in says your God? The veil has been torn for 2, 000 years and My glory cloud stands right in front of you! But you have listened to the lies that the demonic hordes are spreading that the veil has been re-made. The lies of demons even creep in among My church and you will hear Pharisees re-declaring that you cannot come near to Me. Don't hear it! My Son died so that hell's best weapon was destroyed forever! The Glory Cloud is right here! Come in! Enter in freely! says your Father".

Dan: Fill this building with His Presence and glory and He will fill the building with people. London is Mine! There are MILLIONS I want to dance with! There are MILLIONS I want to show My glory to! So fill this place with My glory for the harvest is white and the veil has been torn forever!

Where Do We Look? The Sand or the Horizon?

2007-12-20T22:41:00.000Z

I was deeply challenged by Pete's recent post on this blog called; "Waging Warfare By Prophecies Given". I have been thinking and wondering about the methodology of writing prophecies down since Jesse Phillips discussed it here. Obviously I don't want to get into a legalistic desire to blog or to blog prophecies, but I do think there is a lot of value in remembering the prophecies God speaks and gives because if we forget them, then we can't fight a fight by them!

I was walking home from work today (trying to preserve the atmosphere, save petrol money and make time for God in one fell swoop!) and I felt God show me a wave lapping up and down the beach somewhat like this;

And this came to my mind;

"As the wave draws back and another wave swells on the horizon, for a period there is momentary nothingness on the beach. You can become obsessed with the nothingness and can spend your life staring at the wet, damp but drying sand and you can develop theologies of the nothingness ...

Or you can lift up your eyes and look to the horizon where the swell is growing and growing and growing and the wave is coming and coming and coming and will break on the beach, bigger than the last, more powerful than the last and far more wide-reaching than the last.

Where will you look? Will you continue to state at the damp but drying sand? Or will you lift your eyes and look to the coming wave?".

Waging warfare by the prophecies given

2007-12-19T10:21:00.000Z

A little while ago, Dan posted a glorious prophecy from Glenda Rufus, given at CCK in Brighton, just before the 2007 Together at a Mission Conference.

It was an awesome prophecy for Newfrontiers, but I was struck very strongly by this comment towards the end:

"The Bible says we wage war by the prophecies given. You have waged that warfare and you have stood on those prophetic words and now the fulfillment is coming."

This is a reference to 1 Tim 1v18, "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare."

Such warfare is key to the believer's armoury. I expect we all go through seasons of discouragement and times when we question whether we are in God's will. I can think of many people to whom God has spoken powerfully, prophetically over their lives, but the prophecies can get forgotten in the pressures of life. I can think of churches who have received wonderful promises from the Lord, but the progress seems so slow. This post is an encouragement to dust off the prophecies, perhaps from many, many years ago. We may have forgotten, but the Lord has not.

Of course, I am in no way downplaying the words of scripture; we must use these too, to build ourselves up. But God also speaks specific promises and direction over our lives, and these are powerful weapons to help us to stand.

I had been thinking on these things for a few weeks and then I read Genesis 24. Normally, this passage is used concerning God's guidance in marriage, but as I read my eyes were opened to the way in which Abraham, and then his servant, and also Isaac, stood because of the prophetic word of the Lord.

The prophetic word gave Abraham direction

The Word "to your descendants I will give this land"(v7) governed Abraham's life. He knew that this land was for the people God would give him.

So he was able to set clear limits on what was in or out of his life - v6: "Beware that you do not take my son back there." It could not be right for Isaac to leave the land because God had said "I will give you this land." So the word kept him from compromise.

God speaks to encourage and stir. God speaks to show us the path ahead, and we can cling onto the words of promise when we are tempted to give up, or to deviate from the call He has given us.

The prophetic word gave Abraham confidence

Abraham's answer to the servant's suggestion that Isaac leave the promised land, was "He will send His angel before you." Awesome stuff. He knew God would open the door because God had given him the word.

The prophetic word gave the servant urgency

Later we see the urgency of the Word is carried by the servant. By v33, he is saying "I will not eat until I have told you about my errand."

For us, the prophetic word is a call to action. Today is not "just another day", it is one day God has given us to fulfill the vision. The prophetic word frees us from drifting through life aimlessly.

We can strengthen ourselves by remembering the God's promises to us

Finally, we notice, just before Isaac met his new bride, he "went out to meditate in the field..." (v63). The Geneva Bible notes say that Isaac, as many of the patriarchs did, was meditating on the promises. In all the warfare we face, we can learn from Isaac; reminding ourselves of the promises sharpens our spiritual armour.

So the prophetic word is vital

So Abraham waged warfare with the promises. On the temptation to compromise - he knew to say "no - my son is not going back there." On the temptation that God wouldn't fulfill - he knew to say - "no- God will give you success." Such is the power of the prophetic word.

Faced with the "impossible" promise of God giving his descendants the land, Isaac took time out to meditate upon the promises.

So as we face battles on the road of life and ministry, it is the prophetic word that enables us to war. When temptation comes to compromise, perhaps to lose our cutting edge, we go back to what God has said to us. When the temptation comes to throw in the towel because it seems like the way is impossible, we stand on the Word of God. When it all seems impossible, we can specifically remind ourselves of what God has said.

He never lies; He says "for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." (Jer 1v12, NIV)

Why not look up the promises God has given and, with these powerful weapons at the ready to take ground, enter 2008 confident of great things.

Remembering the Past!

2007-11-01T23:37:00.000Z

One of the things I love about Rob Rufus's ministry (and Ern Baxter's) was their deep appreciation for the past. Not remembering the past in a sentimental manner believing that any new act or move of God must represent what happened in the past but praising God for what He did then and seizing the anointing of those periods and seeing it add to the glory and Kingdom of God in the present day.

I was thrilled to find this page from the Restoration Magazine 1978 that advertised Celebration Evenings that happened around the United Kingdom during the 1970's and early 80's. You will notice that my home church features - West Street Baptist Church in Dunstable (before it became New Covenant Church). We held regular "All Saints Nights" where guest speakers such as David Mansell, Arthur Wallis, Terry Virgo and Bryn Jones would come and speak. There was also much going on in Brighton.

We don't want to see a "return" to those days of the 1970's. They were a unique time and a unique season and God gave much that is to be appreciated and valued and learnt from. We want MORE!

Rob Rufus Prophecies While Preaching!!

2007-10-15T18:17:00.001Z

Dr Martyn Ll0yd-Jones was always of the opinion that prophecy or inspired utterance that comes immediately - will often occur during preaching. I must admit that I haven't heard it that often at all - but I was staggered while transcribing notes from one of Rob Rufus's sermons from the "Grace-Hating Spirit" series - to hear him do exactly that. Prophecy. This is what he said;

"God is raising up people we have never heard of. There are no great names that will appear in these next few years. People are going to come out of obscurity who have been preserving their freedom and will be the new Joshua leadership that will take the church into the Promised Land. There are Moses leaders that took people out of bondage but sadly they didn't take them into freedom. They took them out of slavery but didn't take them into promised inheritance. There is coming a Church around the world that will not just come out of slavery but will go into promised inheritance and posess the land at this age".

He didn't even really pause while he was saying it - I had to pause while taking notes and go back and re-read what Rob said. This is such an incredible prophetic statement of what is to come! Rob has made statements before about his belief that there are to be no "great names" in the coming move of the Holy Spirit. God's desire and God's passion is to raise up a corporate people who are walking together, moving together towards the promised inheritance in signs and wonders and miracles!

When Were You Last Filled with the Holy Spirit?

2007-10-14T14:56:00.001Z

I have decided that I am not very subtle when I enthusiastic about someone! Anyone who's been following the blogs for a while will know that I am benefiting hugely from Rob Rufus's teaching and ministry at the moment! But the Bible does talk about proving all things - being overly cautious and cynical is just as wrong and dangerous as accepting teaching without question at all. I have been re-reading Gordon Fee's marvellous "God's Empowering Presence" in preparation for my trip to Hong Kong and was excited to read his exposition on 2 Corinthians 3. Fee's exposition sounds remarkably Rufus-like!!

Fee starts off by writing;

"Paul begins with a contrast between the respective ministries of the two Covenants with "glory" appearing as the dominant motif".

Glory!! Since encountering Rob Rufus at "Together on a Misson 2006" I must confess my concept of the word "glory" was limited to heaven. How wrong can I be?! Fee goes on to write about the Old Covenant glory;

"It was a glory that could not be seen by the original recipients and was in any case intended to fade away".

I have fallen into the trip before that I believe other Christians have also followed in struggling to come to terms with the Scriptural promise that the New Covenant glory is FAR more glorious than the Old! My relationship with the Holy Spirit is so feeble that I have looked back into history at the Israelites who could see the cloud of glory and have been jealous of them. This is un-Scriptural. Gordon Fee (like Rob Rufus) makes the direct connection between the glory of the New Covenant and the Holy Spirit;

"The glory of the New Covenant continues because it is of the Spirit".

This is why the Holy Spirit is not an optional extra! We must - like Kathryn Kuhlman - get to know Him and get to learn how He talks, moves and works. But above all Gordon Fee - like Rob Rufus - emphasises that the Holy Spirit brings a vital element of freedom to us - the New Covenant believers.

"Thus the Spirit brings freedom, the kind of freedom, that allows God's new covenant people to be, as Moses was, in God's very Presence and there to behold the glory of God".

It is wrong to excuse the lack of God's manifest Presence and develop a theology of His omni-presence as that reason for why He is not manifesting Himself! The whole object of the New Covenant is that the veil has been torn in two and we can "walk boldly into the throne room of heaven!". Yes indeed Jesus has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us - but we cannot deny that throughout the Bible there is a distinct difference between God's ominpresence and His manifest Presence. Let us cry like the prophets; "Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down!".

Finally in the footnote Gordon Fee goes on to make an important note;

"Paul's point throughout remains singular; for the Corinthians now to pick up the Law is to retrogress - in this case to be like the very people who still have veils over their hearts because they lack the freedom of the Spirit".

Again pure-Rufus! Paul does not react to the Corinthian's excess by bringing them back into Law! To make such a transition is to "retrogress". Lacking the freedom of the Spirit is to have a veil over their hearts. We must resist the grace-hating spirits at all costs and ensure that the Holy Spirit has complete freedom to come and do what He will when He will in our churches!

It occured to me after reading this chapter in "God's Empowering Presence" - until we can truly believe 2 Corinthians 3:1-4 - that being in the New Covenant truly IS more glorious than the Old then surely we will to a degree always be stuck in Old Covenant mentality and practice and action. And that's not a good thing. Let's get believing the Bible and encountering the Holy Spirit!

So to my original question! Gordon Fee writes of being filled with the Holy Spirit;

"On Ephesians 5:18; Here then is the ultimate imperative in the Pauline corpus - God's people so filled by/with the Spirit's own Presence that they come to know God in all His fullness and reflect the way they live in relationship to one another and God Himself".

As Rob Rufus said there is much MUCH more to being filled with the Holy Spirit than simply being a "half empty cup needing to be filled up to full". The filling of the Holy Spirit means that we can come to know God in all His fullness - His Presence - His glory. When were we last filled with the Spirit!? When did we last allow our sails of faith to be stretched out fully and to feel the wind of the Spirit fill us and take us to places we have never dreamt of!? We don't have to be particularly "holy" or "righteous" to receive Him. As Rob Rufus said - God is looking for yielded vessels not perfect vessels.

Come Holy Spirit!

"Let Your Rain Fall Down" by Kate Simmonds

2007-10-12T23:26:00.000Z

One of the songs I have been enjoying the most on the new Live Worship CD from "Together on a Misson 2007" was Kate Simmonds powerful song which is a cry for the Presence of God to come manifest itself amongst God's people - it's called "Let Your Rain Fall Down". One of my most vivid memories of singing this (and I think this is when the recording was done) was just after Rob Rufus had spoken to the conference and the Spirit of God was brooding over the conference hall. I found it quite difficult to actually stay standing up (which is a first for me during worship). I wasn't the only one - Scott and Pete did too! But here are the lyrics - if you want to truly experience how powerful it is then go buy the CD!

We Bow Before the Holy One (Let Your Rain Fall Down).

We bow before the Holy One as You meet us in this place,

Here we'll be still know You are God as You meet us in this place,

Abandoned to Your praise, I give my life to Your glory Lord.

Chorus: Let Your rain fall down, let Your rain fall down, let Your rain fall down - on us.

I hear the sound of heavy rain, let Your glory fill this place,

Oh power of heaven fall again, let Your glory fill this place,

This dry and weary land - cries out for Your revival, Mighty God!

God of Elijah send the rain, come and flood this land again,

With your justice and compassion with your hope and restoration,

With Your gospel of salvation come and heal this broken nation!

Let there be a visitation - change us with Your revelation,

With power to capture the attention, to captivate a generation,

Let us see Your glory Lord! Let us see Your glory!

Julian Adams Prophesies at Newfrontiers Prayer and Fasting!!

2007-10-10T17:11:00.000Z

Thanks to the latest edition of the Newfrontiers magazine, we can all now benefit from this awesome prophecy that Julian Adams shared at Prayer and Fasting. It's got special significance for those in London:

‘I found myself standing alongside the River Thames and I saw the water levels beginning to rise. As it began to rise, it began to sweep over the banks and begin to rush the city.

I felt, specifically for the City of London, there is about to come an overwhelming sense of the presence of God and conviction. I felt God speak to me about bringing a new prophetic herald, a new prophetic voice, a forerunner in churches that will begin to speak out against immorality, injustice and sin, and there will be a sense of conviction that will begin to sweep over, specifically, London ... I felt God even say it will be a physical thing ... I could see physical floods beginning to happen all across the nation of England ... God would say to you I want you to know this is not something that is going to happen, it is beginning to happen. Revival is breaking out ...'

Come Holy Spirit!

A Question ...

2007-10-07T15:22:00.000Z

I'm on an internet Christian list and read this extremely provocative question today:

"In closing, If signs and wonders are not following you, are you really a believer?"

Do you agree? Or disagree? If so - why?

"Face to Face Intimacy with God" by Rob Rufus

2007-10-03T12:18:00.000Z

While we are waiting for Part 4 of Rob's series on the Holy Spirit ...

Preached on the 5th August 2007 - Isaiah 54.

Condemnation is a very dark demonic thing. No condemnation comes from God (Romans 8:1). We prove from the Scripture that all condemnation comes from the devil.

The most dangerous thing about condemnation is that it de-sensitises you to the Voice of God.

All the righteous anger of God's wrath was finished and poured out on Jesus Christ at the Cross. There is no anger left in God. If we say that God has got a bit of anger left then we are saying that Jesus' death on the Cross was no sufficient and we are blaspheming His sacrifice.

All condemnation is demonic - it is a devilish darkness that comes and it has been so successful in the Church world that the majority of Christians probably haven't heard the inward audible voice of the Good Shepherd even once.

My diagnosis is you don't understand grace and the New Covenant and you are living a mixture of Old and New Covenant. God never condemns you and even when you are feeling condemned, He wants to love you and speak to you. Allow condemnation in and it will confuse your faculties that allow you to hear His voice.

When we were born again it was a New Creation designed so that we can hear His voice and commune with Him. The still small voice of God can often happen while you are brushing your teeth or sitting on the toilet! When condemnation is broken off your life permamently you are entering an adventure where His Presence is upon you so strong that you feel you have hold on bare naked wires full of heavenly voltage. You have received an oath that He will never be angry with you again and never rebuke you again.

"I have sworn never to rebuke you again ... My unfailing love for you will not be shaken".

The symbol of God's peace with Noah was the rainbow. The first thing John saw was a throne and he saw a rainbow encircling the throne. Not 180 degrees like on the earth but 360 degrees. So wherever God looks from His throne He sees the symbol - peace, no judgement, peace, no judgement! Everywhere He looks He sees the symbol that says judgement is over. Then it says that the rainbow resembles an emerald - green. So this rainbow was covered by an emerald colour - a translucent colour over the colour of the rainbow. This colour green resembles something fresh and new. The Hebrew "Fresh" means "Translucent, fresh, green".

In the revelation of grace there is a place for daily fresh oil in the anointing.

When you understand that God has taken an oath never to be angry with you again, then you come into the throne room and you receive grace. Every day you live in a spirit of liberty! God said; "I swear I will never rebuke you again". That word "rebuke" means "condemn". God will never speak to you in a way that will split your personality apart and will divide you or destroy you. Many disintegrated Christians end up going to psychics so desperate are they to get their psyches re-intigrated. The devil comes to you and says; "I am God and I am angry with you". Christians who don't know their New Covenant take that as truth. We cannot boast in ourselves - many many pastors have come apart because they thought they were listening to the voice of God rebuking them for their sin. That sin has been totally rebuked on Jesus and all of the wrath has been poured out and exhausted!

The voice of the Father is always always kind and tender and loving. If you hear a roar, then it is the devil and that roar should be rebuked. My God in heaven took an oath that He will never be angry with me again. That spirit of hostility is not from my Father. We don't need a pastor to counsel me or a psychiatrists to fix me - just remember recovery will come quicker if you stand on the truth of Scripture.

That verse is never saying He will not correct us! There is a big different between correction and condemnation. Your sin has been punished completely on Jesus Christ. Plus God took an oath that He cannot reverse to never be angry again but Hebrews 12 says God disciplines those who He loves.

The corrections and disciplines of God are the most pleasurable experience you can go through.

Get addicted to His voice and His Presence! We have got to hear His voice regularly! "Father - don't go silent on me!". He will sometimes hide Himself temporarily so that we will run to Him. If you do not hear a word like "I love you Rob" and it is silence then pray;

BETTER YOUR CORRECTIONS THAN YOUR SILENCE!!

God doesn't have a culture of confrontation so very seldom will He point out something specific as long as we are pressing on eagerly into His Presence and longing to hear His voice. Jesus loves the Church! When you have a spiritual father they need to be a mentor ahead of you with a proven track record of success with years of stability and experience in these things. There comes a point when a father cannot be a father who teaches you anymore because there comes a time when a son must stand up and become a father himself. You should never have anyone trying to correct you who are jealous of you or don't like you. You need someone who will treat your secrets as safe and will love you unconditionally.

Many Christians are fragile and frightened and scared to be themselves because they have been let down and disciplined by people that didn't really love them and were jealous of them and irritated by them. Many Christians have an orphan spirit because they didn't have a father that would discipline them in true love and help them to grow in grace.

Our heavenly Father will never be angry again.

If this message could get into the 1 billion people who say they are Christians then the Church would be a different place. There would be automatic inner healing and stability in the Body of Christ and it should come from the pulpit, not a thousand courses out there.

(v10) "My unfailing love for you will not be shaken". The Hebrew for "love" means "favour, kindness, fondness, grace towards you". He is saying I will give you preferential treatment. My fondness and My affection to bless you to give you supernatural advantages in life will never be shaken. In the Scriptures, mountains often refer to problems. Yet here it says that the mountains will become level plains and the cry will be "Grace-grace-grace!". With this oath in your heart that God will never be angry and rebuke you again - His unfailing love for you will never change - you can see the mountains facing you be removed.

It is a lie that life is meant to be constant traumas! We are meant to go through whole seasons of peace and joy. While we go through seasons of tests - they are not meant to last your whole life. Speak to your mountains and hills and say "My God says you will be removed but His love will never be shaken"! The New Covenant is a covenant of peace! "Shalom" means "Nothing missing - nothing broken"! There is a constant process where your personality is becoming whole and complete in the New Covenant. In Australian culture you only share marriage problems when you are about to divorce - yet in the church you can be open and free from condemnation.

The Hebrew word "Compassion" literally means a Father fondling His child's hair. He has affection for us His Bride. He has tenderness for us!

I wish all of God's people could live in the full rich reality of this and we would see the full reality of the nations being saved.

The more you are free from condemnation the less you can hear the devil's voice. The more God's voice will come in your life the more you are free from condemnation.

(Hebrews 10).

Trance? That's New Age - no it's the counterfeit! Peter in Acts 9 fell into a trance and saw a vision in the heavenly realm. The Greek word speaks of "falling into a trance".

Spirit to spirit communication is faster than the speed of light and your thought process is not as fast as the speed of light. When God says "Come up - I want to speak to you" you are not to think we come up on our hands and knees - that is what demon gods demand of their subjects. But God is our Father and wants us to come up and commune in glory and peace and intimacy. Why can't all the people have this? They can! It's God's will! "I am drawing the hungry in now. The casual enquirers are loved but they will not see the glory of God".

The manifestations occur because people of God are pressing into the Presence of God.

As a church we are operating on 10% of our potential because 10% are carrying the faith for our meetings. When 100% are coming in with the faith to encounter God, our lives will never be the same again. Let the glory of God be stronger without Rob Rufus than ever before. If we are built around my personality then close shop. Don't miss a beat with us not being here! Overdo it and go for it! (Hebrews 10:12). When the church rises up in revelation and crushes the devil under our feet then this Scripture will be fulfilled! When that happens then Jesus is coming back shortly!

By one sacrifice He made perfect FOREVER! That's why He can say He will never be angry again! FOREVER He sees us as perfect! "I've just sinned Lord". But you are perfect! Every believer is a priest and holy means nothing to do with laws.

Holiness means your heart is captured with Jesus Christ and you become more like the nature and character of Jesus Christ! The deception the church makes is that God will relate to you on the basis of your law-keeping and holiness. If you think God relates to you on the basis of your holiness then God's relationship with you fluctuates. If that is the case then you are in serious deception. God will always relate to you as if you are perfect forever.

He will never withdraw His covenant of peace from us - this is our inheritance!! There is nothing on earth to hold my attention more than God's glory Presence.

If you don't regularly have His glory Presence then you are agitated and restless and will look for it in drugs, inappropriate sexual behaviour - because there is something within you saying that there is more to life than paying rent, paying bills. You will never be satisified unless you daily encounter God's glory Presence.

God has never stopped talking to you or loving you. Your worst sin will NEVER make Him pull back because it's already been dealt with at the Cross. Nothing in all of creation will make Him pull back but if you jam your airwaves with condemnation then you will think in your mind that He has pulled away.

God sees you as perfect FOREVER!

Rob Rufus - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit" - 3

2007-10-02T23:13:00.000Z

Here are my notes from the 2nd in Rob Rufus's sermon series - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit - His Names, Titles and Operations". The notes from the first sermon are here and the second sermon is here. I am so thankful to God for the internet that makes it possible for me to follow with City Church International, Hong Kong - this incredible series!! Rob preached this sermon last Sunday on the 23rd September.

"This conference is Glenda's initiative coming from God. As we have travelled the world many leaders have asked to come and stay in our home in Hong Kong and learn about the grace of God and signs and wonders. It is an honour that they want to come - but this conference was birthed to serve the international community. But we are only 3 years old and we are hosting an international community! God will bless us as we serve them. Have sent out 1, 500 letters to Hong Kong church leaders. Hillsong host a conference for 2 weeks every year and doctors and dentist will take time off to drive delegates to the conference. God is calling us to show just such generosity. Let's go over the top with exaggerated kindness to make our international guests to feel welcome. This will be a trigger and a catalyst as we welcome the international community! We want a flood of Cantonese people coming.

I am tired of Christian celebrities and conferences that announce the coming of a guru. God is bringing a seaon where He is using the little people of the Kingdom who don't know what they are doing and have no self-confidence. This is the Kingdom. Once they have had a taste of miracles these people will go for more broken limbs and deaf ears.

"(John 5, 14) Jesus said that the people didn't have to believe Him if they didn't see miracles and just so the Church can stand up to an unbelieving society and say you don't have to believe us if you don't see miracles".

"Your Kingdom is not about knowing concepts and bible academics and cerebral information but Your Kingdom is about divine encounters that translate into doing the ministry of the Lord Jesus".

The apostle Paul didn't come parading his intelligence and academics but came with weakness and fear and trembling. His words were not wise and persuasive but with a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. To make change we must dial down on our enthusiasm for the flesh and increase our dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit. This week I tried to raise someone from the dead - I am happy to report that I failed because that offends me and provokes me because it should be done as a normal practice. Jesus said "Go out ... raise the dead ... freely you have received and freely give". The secret is humility and weakness. Dial down the enthusiasm of the flesh. You tried to make this thing happen. The flesh of man represents human ability. You can't take responsibility for raising the dead - you can't do it - but I can. You dial down the flesh and I will dial up the power of My Spirit.

"The whole theme of Galatians is grace versus law or human flesh versus the supernatural. Whenever you see the word "flesh" in Galatians it means human effort trying to be righteous under the law of God".

But sadly the NIV translated "flesh" as "sinful nature" and it is very misrepresented. The Bible talks of Jesus coming in "flesh" which would then mean He came in "sinful nature". In the book of Galatians it says if you walk in the Spirit you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. If you get to know the nuances of the Spirit then you will not elevate your flesh or dial it up in self-righteousness. In Galatians 6 it talks of "sowing to the flesh ... sowing to the Spirit". Eternal life doesn't mean living forever - we will all live forever either in heaven or hell! (John 17) "This is eternal life ... that you know Him".

"Eternal life means that you have a divine encounter with the living God and that you live with God and know God and hear His voice!".

If you live in the Spirit then you will experience eternal life! Want to talk today about the Holy Spirit in different titles and different Names because His Names reveal different aspects of His character to us. Pull the Word out of me today - have had to walk through intense spiritual opposition today because of this word. It is time to hear this word today. (Galatians 4:6) "Because you are sons God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts that calls out "Abba! Father!". The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of His Son. That means that Spirit causes you to call out "Abba! Father!". It means "Papa!" or "Daddy!".

This isn't an academic doctrinal position but an experience - this is the Spirit of His Son bringing revelation that you are no longer a slave under law. God will no longer disapprove of you but you now have the FULL rights of a son!

Under the law God promises that He will not forget sin. Under grace and New Covenant He promises He will not remember our sins.

The Gospel is a revelation of how right you are with God through Christ Jesus. Jesus identified with you at your worst on the Cross so you can identify with Him at His best at the right hand of the Father.

Faith lives from the invisble realm where we are seated with Christ Jesus.

As you focus on grace there comes a mental peace to your life because grace takes the focus from your unworthiness to Christ's worthiness. It is not just Abba Father but it is a manifestation of the revelation that we have full rights as a son!

These truths are current now! All of that transacted - you move out from Old Covenant thinking into New. This doesn't just get you to heaven but brings mental peace on the earth.

The majority of people in South Africa are there who are mentally damaged and bruised because they were in shame-based churches who preached Old Covenant Law. If we do not preach the good news of the Gospel we are producing mental illness in the Church.

It is an incredible responsibility to preach and teach the Word of God. Much preaching and teaching is dressed up to look like New Covenant teaching but it is Law-based and Old Covenant.

Under the New Covenant if you are sinning currently and your sin stops God's favour on your life then your sin is more powerful than the favour of God.

Romans 5 says where sin abounds grace abounds much more. There are so few miracles in the church because there is so much flesh in the church trying to make you try harder. When the Spirit comes then revelation comes that we are sons with full inheritance. If you think that being holy means keeping the law and go on to break one, then God sees you as breaking every law. You lie and God sees you as not just a liar but an adulterer, an idolater, a murderer. But grace on the other hand sees you as permamently righteous! Grace abounds much more under the New Covenant!

Everywhere you teach this - alarms go off and people say "You are giving people a license to sin". I have checked the church out worldwide. They are sinning without a license! But in legalistic churches people just get better at sinning in secret.

Colossians 2 says we have been made complete in Christ! (2 Corinthians 3:7) - the ministry which brought death came with a fading glory. God has removed the ceremonial law of the 10 Commandments. What was written on tablets of stone? The 10 Commandments! We try so hard to keep the law but break one and we break them all! Try and sustain the flesh and you dial down on the supernatural! The reason the Israelites worshipped the golden calf was because they were self-righteous already. God brought them out of slavery already and announced the law already and told them to keep it fully. If you fully obey all the 10 Commandments the blessings will come! Israel should have said - no! We can't keep them! But they said - everything You say, we will do. So while God wrote the 10 Commandments they were worshipping the idol.

Please don't tell me law-keeping makes you holy. It doesn't. It makes you self-righteous.

The New Covenant starts in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost and they came down from the Upper Room drunk they were so full of God! The people down below had done something worst than a golden calf! They had crucified the Lord of glory yet got saved that very same day! Who could wipe out the 10 Commandments? God could. Colossians 2:14 - God cancelled the written code of the rules against you and nailed it to the Cross, triumphing over principalities and powers at the Cross!

When the Church preaches the Law to God's people, it re-arms a disarmed devil and gives condemnation rule in the Church again and cripples the working of the supernatural in the Church.

The Law was given (Galatians 3:23) to expose self-righteousness and to show them how unholy they were. People can see that the Law is standard exposing arrogance and pride and must throw ourselves on the New Covenant and the grace of God in Christ Jesus. People can sit and hear the message of grace but it's controversial because legalistic people ALWAYS want to bully and dominate people who are in grace. Pride says we can't embrace the message of grace because it looks like we have been wrong. That is being a Pharisee. They claimed they studied the Scriptures about the coming Messiah and yet He stood in front of them and because He was different they rejected Him. They were men of the letter - cerebral men. When you have the living Word of the Living Spirit - when something new shows up you have never seen before and it is God, you seize it. If it is a counterfeit then you can reject it and know it straight away. But if you live as a slave to religious systems you will worry and fret.

Look for the phrase; "Full rights as sons". (Galatians 4:1) "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying Abba ... you are also an heir ...". Don't have a heart for religious calenders. Every day is a day to walk with God.

The first sign of legalism is that you lose your joy. What has happened to all your joy? The hardest thing as a preacher is to stir joy within a legalist.

Ishmael was born by ordinary means but Isaac was born by the power of God. Haggi and Sarah represent the two Covenants. The Covenant wrote on Mount Sinai produces slaves but the Covenant Sarah represents produces free men and free women. Who is your Mother? Romans 7 says we were married to the Law but then died to the Law! Some Christians commit spiritual adultary and go from the Law to Sarah. They don't know which one they belong to. Who is your Mother?! Haggi or Sarah? Even people of grace can be barren sometimes - you can have famine in the middle of favour. You are allowed to be joyful in barrenness!

Legalistic people love to dominate, control, elevate themselves as elitist and they love titles and control. They hate people of grace. They always point out your failures and your shortfalls and hate anything that encourages and uplifts.

Jesus the great High Priest wore ordinary clothes and let people call Him "Jesus". I am Rob. Not Pastor Rob or Rev Rob. That's why millions are leading institutional churches. But millions are gathering under the banner of grace. Don't be discouraged at the millions who are leaving.

It's better to be in the Caves of Adullum in David's Army than under Saul's legalistic rule.

The slavewoman's son will never share in the freewoman's inheritance. Kick the controlling spirit of witchcraft out! Get rid of condemnation! You are born under grace and have full rights as sons! Freedom! You don't need titles to be important but signs and wonders and the voice and Presence of God! What does the name Isaac mean? We are not children of the slave woman but the free woman! "Stand firm and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery". The yoke of slavery is the Law! We have churches around the world desperate for freedom but feel burdened by their sins. Everyone sins in this room! I don't encourage that - but even when you sin, you are STILL a son of God!

My obedience or disobedience does not make me righteous or unrighteous - my righteousness depends on the righteousness of the One Christ Jesus! Grace provides God's gift of righteousness!

The Law says "Do - do - do" to earn God's favour but grace says "It's DONE - you HAVE God's favour!".

Isaac means "Laughter". What is Sarah? Grace! What did grace give birth to? LAUGHTER! When the Toronto Blessing hit the earth, why did the majority of the Church call it blasphemy or evil? Why is joy frowned upon by most of the Church? Because they are children of Haggi. They felt elite because their failure to laugh is proof of their zealousness for God. Rather they are children of the slavewoman. When grace and Abraham got together they gave birth to laughter! What happens when you truly get a revelation of the grace of God? Laughter and joy will be birthed in your life!

Some teach that even if you don't have it now, just keep praising and He will give it to you. Error. Law - law - flesh - flesh! You have it NOW! You are not praising as a work of the flesh to earn it. You have it NOW! You are not praising to earn something! Maybe we have barrenness in our lives. Children - relationships - finance - husbands or wives.

When barrenness goes on in an area of our lives for a long time and are living in grace and believing in grace, yet grace doesn't seem to produce results, the temptation is to go back and try through the law to produce fruit. NO! If you are living in grace and haven't seen the signs and wonders in your life yet and are tempted to go back to a works programme of prayer and fasting and behavioural modification programmes you will drive yourself into insantity and become a religious nutter.

It is not your prayer and fasting that produces the supernatural in your life but rather your INHERITANCE in your life and one day you lay your hand on someone and miracles take place not because you have earned it but because of who your Father is.

(John 14:12) "I pray the Father and He will send you the Comforter who will abide with you forever". How many people can spend 9 hours in their prayer closet every day of the week? If that's what it takes to produce miracles then it is reserved for a few lucky full time guys. That's a works programme so that the Body of Christ will refer to gurus seeking them for themselves and what they do to earn the miracles.

Our heart in this church is to produce the Priesthood of every believer to run with the freedom of the New Covenant! Hong Kong needs it!

There are millions of God's people under the control of manipulating leaders who have taught the law and put them under such confusion and slavery and when they hear the light of grace and freedom and it is too much for those damaged souls and so they creep back into their pitholes of slavery. As a leader I need to be very patient and love and care for the people and bring them gently out into the glorious freedom and light of the Holy Spirit.

Don't come under the Law in trying to be free from the Law. The only One who can help you be free from the Law is the Spirit of His Son.

Revival For a Mission!!

2007-10-02T14:32:00.000Z

As I understand church history much of the charismatic movement came under fire for promoting an introspective theology that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a personal experience for a personal encounter with a personal God. That's partly true - but everything within me - my heroes such as Ern Baxter and Rob Rufus and Terry Virgo all argue that there is more to it than that. I was tremendously encouraged recently in reading a book called "Revive Us Again!" - this was a book published by Harvestime and edited by David Matthew with contributions from Bryn and Keri Jones, Terry Virgo, Arthur Wallis and David Mansell. It was David Mansell's chapter that thrilled me the most - in the chapter he presented a wonderful portrait of the Kingdom of God.

The book is out of print sadly - so here is the chapter reproduced;

"A radical goal for radical Christians" by David Mansell

"If future revival is not to run up a cul-de-sac we will need to be more radical than our predecessors".

We are looking praying and working for world revival. Anything less falls short of God's intention. Anything less would fail to bring in the kingdom and bring back the King. It would be a tragedy if this generation passed into history leaving behind only a memory and anothher book as an epitaph to a revival that came and went. The main point of Jesus' last words to His disciples and the apostolic preaching in the early chapters of Acts was an explanation of how God intended the Pentecost revival, which brought the church to birth, to progress.

Revival would lead to greater revival. Beginning at Jerualem, the fire would spread first to Judea, then to Samaria and then to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8). The outpouring of the Spirit would be like the latter rain that swells the grain ready for harvest. There would be times and seasons, each time of refreshing rain being followed by another. Season would follow season just as spring would follow summer would follow winter and all would find their destiny in the autumn harvest. Through these seasons of testimony to the Lord Jesus in all the earth, together with times of refreshing from heaven, God would restore to His people all that the prophets had promised.

A time of repentance, turning to the Lord, refreshing and restoration would engulf the entire world so that God could send the Christ, the anointed King from heaven to claim His inheritance (Acts 3:19-21).

A Call for Radical Christians.

The story of revival is both thrilling and sad. Thrilling to see what God can do when He breaks into people's lives, sad to see how every wave of revival so far has finally spent its energy on the beach of religious self-interest.

Where future revival leads will depend very much on where we want it to lead. If it is to bring God's purpose for this world to it's appointed conclusion, we will need to be more radical than our predecessors.

Revival is like a flood. It will not run in the channels cut by our preferences, prejudices and traditions. When it comes, it overwhealms, invades, takes over and sweeps away all that lies before it. It is no use preparing a way for the Lord by prayer and humbling ourselves if, when He comes, He finds the route full of road-blocks and diversions to protect our private lives, personal hobby-horses and denominational entrenchments. God will never revive a fence.

He will never revive what He has sentenced to die.

In revival there is a dying as well as a bringing to birth. The chaff burns while the wheat is gathered into the barn. Being radical is not an end in itself; it is allowing God to do with us what He likes, when He likes and as often as He likes.

Being radical is removing now what God will remove, and doing now what God Himself will do when He breaks in with revival.

What are we waiting for? If we really want what revival will surely bring to the world, why not let it begin in us today?

Divine Breakthrough.

I once read in a church report on a two-week evangelistic outreach; "Nobody was saved but the saints were encouraged". The revival we are looking for will do more than encourage the saints! A glance at an atlas of world religion shows that after two thousand years of gospel preaching, billions are still totally unaffected. The Bible tells us to expect the following areas of breakthrough in revival;

1. The Gospel Preached.

The gospel will be preached worldwide in such a way as to challenge every ideology, expose every false religion and undermine every society based on evil, corruption and injustice. In their place will arise the community of the redeemed, having the glory of God.

Justice, love and racial harmony will spring like a fountain from hearts washed clean by the blood of Jesus and empowered by the abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit.

2. True Unity.

Unity of those who truly own Jesus as Lord will be a prominent feature. No ecumenism, no compromise, no cosmetic gestures, just one heart, one mind and one soul for Jesus.

3. Outpouring on Israel.

There will be a mighty outpouring of the Spirit on the nation of Israel. It's magnitude and effect on the world are described as "life from the dead" (Romans 11:5).

4. Islamic Nations Turn to Christ.

Isaiah prophesied that "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egpyt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord God Almighty will bless them saying, 'Blessed by Egypt My people, Assyria my handiwork and Israel my inheritance" (Isaiah 19:23-25).

5. Demonic Powers Overthrown.

Again it was Isaiah who prophesied, "In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below" (Isaiah 24:21). Demons achieve their evil ends by controlling the hearts of men in general (John 13:27) and kings in particular (Daniel 10:13). They are the powers of this dark world, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms against whom we stand (Ephesians 6:12). They control the whole world system (Ephesians 2:2, Revelation 18:2, 23). "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" says Paul (Romans 16:20). The power of the Holy Spirit is the power to drive out evil spirits (Matthew 10:1, Mark 16:17). The evidence of the release from demonic strongholds will be striking. The whole realm of the occult will be exposed and lives set free from its snare. Heathen will be released from superstition to turn to Christ.

Society will be dramatically influenced. Drunkenness, addiction, homosexuality, fornication, blasphemy, greed, injustice and arrogance will be dealt a mighty blow as the spirit of repentance moves from community to community, town to town and nation to nation.

6. Nations Turning to Christ.

The Bible envisages times of national breaking in of God's Spirit (for example Zechariah 12:11 - 13:2). In the days of Jonah the entire city of Ninevah turned to the Lord (Jonah 3:1-10). Again we read in Acts 9:35 "All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw (Aeneas, the paralytic man who had been healed) and turned to the Lord".

Imagine the social impact; everyone in the town born again! Imagine this happening in nations throughout the world!

The Presence of God.

"Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down" prayed the prophet (Isaiah 64:1).

Revival is the coming of God Himself.

The prophet is sent only to prepare the way for the Lord to Presence Himself personally among His people - a Presence that will achieve what the ministry can never achieve, be it ever so anointed. Luke observes that in the early days of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 'everyone was filled with awe' (Acts 2:43). This has characterised every revival since. 'The Holy Ghost descended on us; not indeed as a 'rushing, mighty wind' yet as the gentle zephry till it filled the whole place. So powerful was the influence that none of us could speak for some minutes. We all gave vent to our feelings in floods of joyful tears'

When God draws near, there is a deep sense of the reality of divine things and a need to be right with God, a seriousness yet a lightness of spirit that overwhealms the heart. Such awareness is experienced not only in meetings but also in the street, driving in the car or in a resturant. Suddenly God draws near, and one is almost overpowered with the awareness of it. When revival comes, we expect this Presence to abide on every heart and in every home where Christ is owned as Lord. So powerful is the effect of this divine Presence that sinners are seized with conviction and converted to Christ.

Angelic Appearances.

The Bible speaks of 'signs and wonders'. Sometimes these were miracles of healing while at other times the veil was drawn back so that what is normally invisible to the natural eye became visible; angels appeared. Angelic appearances and heavnly singing occur in times of revival. In the 1859 revival Evan Jones describes a meeting in which; "A heavenly sound was heard in the song of praise ... the song of praise continued for more than forty minutes without interuption'.

The same phenomenon occured at the Dales Bible Week in 1977. On several evenings after the meeting was over and the auditorium vacated and locked up for the night, heavenly singing was heard coming from the building at two or three o clock in the morning. This was not only reported by those on site; people living in the houses near the site complained about the singing in the early hours of the morning!

During the same week there were several angelic appearances, particularly to the young. One six-year old boy lost in the crowd and anxiously awaited by his parents suddenly turned up full of smiles. When asked how he found his way, he replied 'Oh a nice ghost in a shiny coat showed me the way'.

During a time of testimony another lad of six was asked what he enjoyed most about the Bible Week. He replied; "I liked it best when all the angels came and flew around the children's meeting playing their trumpets and praising God".

Realising Our Destiny.

Destiny implies destination. To speak of ourselves as a people of destiny we must know where we are going. Duncan Campbell wrote, "How many today are really prepared to face the stark fact that we have been outmanoevered by the strategy of hell because we have tried to meet the enemy on human levels by human strategy? In this we may have succeeded in making people church-concious, mission-concious or even crusade-concious without making them God-concious".

Our destiny is to bring God-conciousness to a God-oblivious world and we do it best when we stop trying too hard and are concious only of the Presence of God abiding with us.

When John the Baptist cried, "Look the Lamb of God" it was not to make a dramatic point in his sermon but because he saw Jesus literally approaching" (John 1:29). "Look ... I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" cried Stephen as full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God. God Himself had opened heaven and broken in to make the final appeal! The hearers were cut to the heart as they found themselves standing in the presence of a man standing in the Presence of God.

The Lewis revival in north-west Scotland saw this same drawing power of God's Presence among His people. As the little group seeking revival experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit in the middle of the night they opened the door of the building where they were meeting to discover that a crowd had gathered. God had brought conviction of sin upon the townspeople one by one and each made his way from his bed to the place of prayer to seek the Lord.

Revival will lead us to the fulfillment of our destiny - and all creation waits in eager expectation for this time when the sons of God will be revealed (Romans 8:19).

Rob Rufus - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit" 2

2007-09-27T14:13:00.000Z

Here are my notes from the 2nd in Rob Rufus's sermon series - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit - His Names, Titles and Operations". The notes from the first sermon are here. I know that I am not the cautious type and verge on the waxing lyrical about anything that excites me - but I am not underestimating how the first sermon has changed my life and my relationship with God. Once again I am typing notes as I listen.

"The enemy wants us to focus on what God hasn't done instead of what God HAS done".

Lying spirits want to use behaviour modification to change externally instead of changing the heart and that is a religious spirit.

"Why does that which started in revival end up in most churches end up defending and protecting their brand of religion? Church history shows us that what starts in life ends in death all too often".

The transformation of your heart is the greatest legacy of the prophetic statement to come of external transformation. God says; "Tell the people they have changed!". Should we try and make others conform to what we want them to be? No!

"Condemnation is a lie from the devil - if you believe that lie even though there is NO condemnation, then condemnation will become an illegitimate reality in your life because you lend credibility to a lie".

80% of the mornings I wake up, the thing that gets me out of bed is the fact that the Holy Spirit wants to fellowship with me today. Personhood does not refer to having a body but having intelligence, a will. Those people who seek Him only for the power will be disappointed - when you seek Him for Who He is then you will have much power in your life - but it is a fruit of knowing Him as a Person.

You will never hear the Father or Jesus Christ speak in your heart without the Holy Spirit. Most Christians have a false Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Bible. You can know the Bible back to front but it won't help you unless you know the One who breathed it. Many people say to me, "Rob I have never heard God speak". What they are telling me is that they do not know the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives inside your re-born spirit. The devil speaks to your head and tells you to do stupid things.

The Holy Spirit is so awesome and lovely - He is just like Jesus in His nature. The Holy Spirit provides the power to administrate the plan of the Father. Every good gift comes from the Father through the Son's sacrifice at the Cross. It must come through Him but you can only receive it if you know the Holy Spirit.

"Under the Old Covenant if you touched a leper then you were unclean. Under the New Covenant if you touch a leper then they are healed".

Demon power that promises you much always comes with a price tag that will mean without a doubt that you will end up being destroyed. Around the world where people are listening to the voice of God -

"I have never known such a hunger for the authentic supernatural of God today in my 30 years as a Christian".

The new generation represented by young men in their 20's and 30's are seeing arms growing and miracles happening!

A new generation is rising in the earth saying; "We know there is a power encounter coming" and that generation will stand on Mount Carmel like Elijah and call down - not right doctrine, not right theology - but fire from heaven.

The disciples walked and talked with the Master Coach - Jesus Christ - every day and showed them the miraculous. They did it and they failed and He helped them. Every single day they walked with the Top Coach in the Universe yet they still made mistakes! For 3 and a half years they got taught on signs and wonders. Yet it was on the Day of Pentecost that they could finally step out in faith and see it happen.

I get 30 hours a year with you. Don't let the spirit of disillusionment kick in because we haven't raised the dead yet. We are in the New Covenant era. The Gospels were under the Law. People say that Jesus was preaching the New Covenant then they need to cut hands off and pull eyes out. He was preaching the Law at it's highest level to convict the Pharisees of their self-righteousness. He was introducing the coming of the New Covenant. When the Day of Pentecost came - that was the beginning of the New Covenant!

"Recently in Brighton, I went to 4, 500 people who were in a disposition and ready to respond. Most of them were leaders and they had been crying out to God for years. They lifted their sails and it was the easiest thing in the world!".

You can get stuff off CD's but you can never replace being in the room when the anointing is in the room. Isi de Gersigny (who will be speaking at our Glory and Grace Conference) goes up to heaven regularly and sees things in the Spirit. I want you to be exposed to her so that we can lift our level - lift our standard. Let's be so aware of what the Holy Spirit does that we can discern His movings. You can be in a move of the Holy Spirit but if you don't lift your sails and be being filled with the Spirit then you won't move.

"God wants to give us new sails - faith that you fan out in the glory of God - that we can fan out and receive the blowing of the Holy Spirit".

"A yachtsman is hunting the wind and constantly making sure his sails are at the right angle so he catches the wind".

We pray "Come Holy Spirit - blow" but we don't realise He is blowing 24 hours a day! We need to extend our faith and catch Him. Your life may be without form or void and has no shape but the Holy Spirit of God is hovering over every believer and when God says "Let there be light" - the Holy Spirit leaps into action and brings form and beauty. (Romans 8:14) "Led by the Spirit of God they are Sons of God".

"You can all the gifts and talents in the earth but if the wind does not blow on your talents then your talents will only take you as far as human ability. Human ability can take you as far as the moon but it can't raise the dead or open blind eyes or death ears or mend marriages".

Light can have healing properties! Laser light can do surgery. The Spirit of God seperates light from darkness. The Spirit of the Lord comes on us and we can stand there with a feeling of complete failure and then He comes and it all changes! If an unsaved person resists the Holy Spirit pulling them to the Saviour then they can never be forgiven because the Holy Spirit leads people to the Saviour! That is blaspheming the Holy Spirit - but the day you give in to the Holy Spirit and allow yourself to be led to the Saviour, you are forgiven. The Holy Spirit is indeed with you all the time but that isn't the issue!

"The issue is are you lifting your sails so the Holy Spirit can blow upon those outstretched sails of faith?"

The Spirit came on Gideon and this weak man who was hiding took an army of 300 and defeated the Mideanites. Don't take on insurmountable odds until He is moving in that way! Pick your battles! When the Spirit of the Lord comes then the trumpets can be blown and lights can be shone. There are a lot of Christians today in graves because they thought they could boss the devil around without the Spirit of the Lord. (Isaiah 59, 2 Cor 3:17).

"How do we know a church has got their sails up and are open to the moving of the Spirit? We can know that in seconds of walking in if that church is filled with a whole load of self-concious people who are critical, analytical, cerebral, formal and conservative and frightened of men then I know that we have got the operating of a religious demon here that has lied to these people and they have leant credibility to the lies and empowered those lies because they are believing a lying spirit and they are not operating in the Spirit of the Lord because where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty".

Open your eyes and think about average churches and what goes on in their Sundays! Some are brilliant - the Spirit of the Lord is moving all over the earth today - but for some they are so loyal and faithful that they won't admit that there is a control spirit here. You can't do cartwheels there and you can't do a thing!

"You will never get miracles in a conservative, formal atmosphere because people are too self-concious to be God-concious for the God of miracles to do things. But where the Spirit of the Lord is - there is freedom! There is liberty!"

The Spirit of the Lord is blowing on our sails and when He blows on our sails He raises the standard to the enemy! We can blow a trumpet and overcome insurmountable objects!

"We were created with a destiny to invade the realm of the impossible and demonstrate that all things are possible to them that believe! We were called to challenge these things!".

The mystery and the tenderness of the nature of God in the Trinity is an awesome truth. There is tenderness in the Trinity. The Father refers to the Spirit as "My Spirit". (Joel 2:28). "I will pour out My Spirit on ALL flesh". This dear Person has not yet been poured out on all flesh. On the Day of Pentecost Peter stood up and showed the 120 and the 3000 that received the Holy Spirit. 3000 are in the Kingdom of Heaven because the Father poured out His Spirit on them.

"The Day of Pentecost wasn't "all flesh" - it was 3000 but the day is coming when ALL FLESH will receive this pouring out of the Spirit and billions will come into the Kingdom of God".

The Greek word for "pour" is a word that a lover would use for their lover. "Pour out all my affections upon you". In the last days God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. (Zech 4:5). "By My Spirit says the Lord of hosts". We can't win China by ourselves - but by My Spirit it can be done. Your Spirit can do all things. The Spirit of the Living God (2 Cor 3:3). We are a letter from Christ in the earth not with ink but by the Spirit of the Living God. That letter says something to the world! The Corinthians got things wrong but Paul says that they were a letter from Christ! "Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me".

The Power of the Most High. We will see this in Luke 1:34-35. "You will be with child who you will call Jesus". Mary said "How will this be?". The angel replied; "The power of the Most High will overshadow you". The Most High God will bring His power to overshadow Mary and she would conceive.

"The power of the Most High will come on us and in the womb of our spirit we will see dreams and visions conceived. We will see millions and millions of people saved. We will see stadiums packed with people. We were raised to bring a revolution in the earth. The power of the Most High will come on us and effect the social climate of Hong Kong - prisons, education, the poor, China! Nations!".

"Church is not just a church sitting in a building but a people called to change society - "Let Your Kingdom Come - Let Heaven come into the earth realm". The only way that can be done is through the Holy Spirit".

Christians want to be equipped to do the job. One can coach us every day and He is called the Holy Spirit. He can coach us like Jesus coached the 12 disciples.

"The more miracles you get - the more dissatisfied you are going to be! What is a miracle? A miracle is a sign to the earth that we aren't just good people. The Gospel isn't about making bad people good but dead people alive. When you see cancers disappear and dead people get up then the world know that you are operating with something that is transcendent above the natural order. The reality of God cannot be dismissed!".

Society need a line drawn in the sand and they have to make a choice. Let your heart be naked before the Holy Spirit. The trouble with Adam and Eve eating from the tree - a cherubim came and stood before the tree of life and would not allow them to enter.

"You cannot enter the cloud of glory if you are self-righteous".

The reality of the Cross means I am righteous in the Father's eyes for ever and ever and my disobedience cannot disqualify the eternal sacrifice of the Son of God. The Father wants to give new sails here and take away old rigid canvas! We need new sails that capture the wind more effectively. Cry out to God for new sails of faith today!

Children - the Ignored Potential in Our Churches!!

2007-09-26T19:11:00.000Z

Following on from my last post regarding Rolland and Heidi Baker, I was thrilled to receive an email from my friend Don who has had more contact with Heidi's ministry. He wrote this;

"This last February, Heidi spoke at the Awaken the Dawn conference we attended in Fredericksburg, VA. My then six-year-old daughter, Chloe, got to hear and meet her heroine -- she's loved Heidi ever since watching the videos and the "Mama Heidi" video made several years ago about the ministry. Attached is a photo I took of Heidi while she was talking with the little kids, before commissioning them to go through the audience and lay hands on people who needed healing. (There were healings!)".

I was amazed. The "Visions beyond the Veil" book I read yesterday also spoke of the immense power that God can manifest through children. Why is this? I think it's firstly because children are free from cynicism. They have no "horror stories" to hinder their faith and belief in the power of God. If the Bible says that God can heal today and that God can and does and will intervene in society then children will believe that. If the Bible says that when the Holy Spirit comes upon people and they go and lay their hands on the needy that miracles will happen then children will believe that!

So why then in my experience of evangelical churches, are children so frequently consigned to "Sunday School"? Why are we not teaching our children about the power and Presence of God? Why are we not praying for our children to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and to expect to prophesy or to speak in tongues? Why are we not praying for our children to be filled with the Holy Spirit - like wind fills a sail? And then seeing them released among us with their awesome faith to work miracles?

Let it be so soon Lord!

Rolland and Heidi Baker

2007-09-25T11:38:00.000Z

Rob Rufus mentioned the name "Heidi Baker" during one of his sermons and when Rob Rufus mentions someone I am learning to to take notice! Rolland and Heidi Baker are missionaries who run Iris Ministries. Their lives were changed after meeting Jackie Pullinger in Hong Kong - they then went and began to work among the poor. But their ministry was not and is not simply social action. Their ministry has been characterised consistently by the power of God. Their website states;

"Today Rolland and Heidi cry out for a continuation of the visitation of God experienced by the children of H.A. Baker's orphanage in China long ago. That is beginning to happen, and more testimonies are accummulating than can be communicated! May the Word of God spread in power to the remote corners of the world, and may the the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, people who have never before tasted the goodness of God, be drawn the King's great banquet!"

Rolland and Heidi Baker's ministry covers 5,000 churches all over Mozambique and into neighboring countries. They care for over 2, 000 children in their orphanages and He is revealing Himself to the children in dreams, trances and visions like I have never dreamt of before. I went into CLC in Birmingham and found a book by their grandfather H A Baker called "Visions Beyond the Veil". I read it on the bus and it affected me profoundly. Baker writes of his work in an orphanage in China and how God powerfully used the children.

Evangelicals are renowned for immediate cynicism and I am sure this post and the ministry of Rolland and Heidi Baker will be no exception. H A Baker himself was obviously aware of the potential for a cynical reaction to what the children reported. He presented six reasons why there is no natural explanation for the experiences of these children;

1. These wonders could not possibly have been the product of the children's natural minds.

2. These spiritual experiences, visions and revelations could not have been the working of the subconcious mind.

3. They cannot be explained by the psychology of mental suggestion from others. We ourselves had never seen such visions, never been in meetings where they had occured and never even read or heard of visions like the ones that were given to these children.

4. They did not get these things from one another.

5. There is no natural explanation for the fact that the content of the visions was in complete harmony and had numerous detail in content.

6. Neither can these experiences be explained as any sort of mental excitement, religious frenzy, natural emotion, nervous state nor any sort of self-produced condition. The Holy Spirit came in power upon normal children in a normal state of mind free from all the conditions just mentioned.

H A Baker is as unapologetic in his expectation for a reviving of the supernatural as is Rob Rufus. He writes;

"If ever there was a living God, if ever there were angels, if ever there was a wonder-working Christ, if the Holy Spirit was ever given, if the Bible is a supernatural revelation from God, then we should expect to experience the trances, visions, revelations and working of the Holy Spirit that were given in China.

They are normal experiences in the supernaturally founded, supernaturally filled and supernaturally directed Church of the New Testament - the only Church the Bible is interested in".

I want to deeply recommend the book. It is extremely short and only took me half an hour to read but the power invested in it exceeds many, many other books that are much longer. The one account I want to draw attention to is an absolutely awe-inspiring prophecy that a young Chinese beggar brought. H A Baker writes;

"This boy had been a beggar ... He had arrived at our doorstep in rags and filthy - in fact with more dirt than clothes ... One night there was an unusually strong sense of the Lord's Presence and heaven seemed very near. The boy I have just spoken about seemed to leave the earth and be caught up into heaven. Ushered into the Presence of the Lord Jesus he fell flat on his face before Him in humble adoration and worship ... the boy sobbed and wept with the deepest grief as the message was given to him; he spoke in a clear strong voice, speaking a sentence or two at a time.

The intonation of the voice, the choice of language, the penetrating power of every word was such that no one who heard it could have doubted that he was speaking by direct supernatural inspiration from God ... the boy said;

"I weep tonight. I am heartbroken. I am in deep sorrow because there are so few people who believe in Me. I planned and prepared heaven for everyone and made room for all the people in the world. I made the New Jerusalem in three enormous cities, one above the other, with plenty of space for all. But they will not believe Me. Those who believe are so very few. I am sad, so very sad.

If you have any friends, tell them to repent quickly. Persuade everyone to believe the gospel as soon as possible. But if people will not listen and will not accept your message the responsibility will not be on you.

Receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If you will wait and believe I will baptize you. The devil deceives you by making you think that you will not receive the baptism but wait and seek and I will baptize you and give you the power to cast out demons and to heal the sick. Those who receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit are to preach and bear witness and I will be with you to help and protect you in times of danger.

Tell other churches they too should seek the Holy Spirit. All churches must press forward".

There are several ways to respond to these things as you learn about this ministry and learn about what is ACTUALLY happening in the world today. You can be cynical and err on th eside of caution. Or we can allow these truths to fill our hearts with faith and hunger and desperation that God will come and do the same in our lives, in our churches, in our towns, in our cities, in our nations!

If anyone wants to know more and hear more about Heidi Baker - here are two messages by her from You-Tube. She is speaking at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. I noticed that the same glorious thread of grace and glory from Rob Rufus comes through her preaching and speaking. Enjoy (as long as your theology allows you to listen to a woman preaching) ... ;)

Part 1

Part 2

Rob Rufus - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit"

2007-09-24T19:41:00.000Z

Having an hour or so to spare at my parents before I go to work, I thought I can do no better than to take some notes from Rob Rufus's latest sermon from City Church International, Hong Kong. He has just begun a mighty series called "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit - His Names, Titles and Operations" (Sounds kind of Puritan doesn't it?!). So here are the notes from Part 1 preached on the 9th September (I'm typing as I listen);

"The Church in it's purest form was birthed by God in a state of supernatural drunkenness, liberty and freedom and they never were more in the plan, will and pattern of God drunk in the Holy Spirit. As the Church got more and more sober and intellectual and cerebral and intellectual, the Church got more and more out of the pattern and the will of God".

The Church was birthed under the Anointing! Peter preached an ordinary sermon and 3,000 got saved. It isn't how clever or how spiritual we are - it is whether we have God in our midst. If we have a lot of God in our midst then a lot of things take place!

"What the Church calls 'decently and in order', they mean by that is conservatism, the control of man, noone gets saved, no devils come out of people, no one gets miraculously healed, no blind eyes opened, no deaf ears opened, no one is raised from the dead and no one gets excited about Jesus! That is 'decent and in order' - the order of the graveyard".

"We are decently and in order - of the Resurrection Life!".

What's just happened is the message. Last checked - God is in a good mood and He is planning on being in a good mood for the next billion trillion years because of the Cross of Jesus! Why are we wanting to let our lives be soaked and saturated in the Holy Spirit? One of the words speaking of the Holy Spirit is "baptismo". A cloth would be "baptismo" into a dye and the very fabric and substance of the cloth would come out a different colour.

"God wants to "baptismo" us into the glory so we are saturated, immersed, filled with God and wherever we go there is an outflow of the excessive abundance of the Presence of God!"

The more of God coming into your life - two things will happen - 1. You will have an intimacy with God. The word "intimacy" speaks of being "One". Intimacy with God exceeds every other desire and passion in our lives. Burdens and anxiety will lift off you when you are intimate with God. God said; "Son they are trying to get New Testament results through Old Testament methods. I will come through New Testament grace in New Testament power and THEN My people will pray and fast!". Revival has come! It's here! It is not the time to get caught up in the cares and worries of this world. We have been waiting 400 years for the inheritance that is ours! Don't waste this life now!

"We have crossed the Jordan and we are going in! If you are legalistic and stay on the wrong side of the Jordan, your manna is drying up and it's tough! We are no longer wandering in the wilderness eating manna, going around and around mountains! We have replaced desert with vineyards we never sowed, houses we didn't build, land we didn't buy - and milk and honey is ours now!".

In the heart of all this there are lukewarm Christians caught up with worries!

"We need to get away from Christians who have a form of godliness but deny the power!".

Lukewarm Christians who serve when it is convinient! So firstly we must know the Holy Spirit because of INTIMACY - secondly because of INFLUENCE. The Holy Spirit will give you influence. "3, 000 saved" - that is influence! There is an influence coming from another realm of glory! That is quite different from dry evangelism knocking on doors and trying to get people converted.

"New Testament evangelism is that you get drunk in the Holy Spirit, get so free in God with an influence of the Presence of God and THEN people's hearts are touched!".

Speaking to over 20, 000 people every week through our website. That is influence! Preaching and speaking on God Channel - that is favour! Shut the TV and the cell phone off and go and get into His Presence! This series on the Holy Spirit will be a 6 to 8 part series as we head towards our Glory and Grace Conference. Some of you have felt the Presence of God and not sure what to do with it.

"This isn't for special people or special moments - this is your daily inheritance and your daily privilidge. This isn't through the Father or the Son - this is through the Spirit and He is equal to the Father and the Son!".

There is only one God but three distinct Persons - the most transcendent and mysterious doctrine. You don't have to understand it!

"There are too many people thinking instead of drinking!".

The more you know the Holy Spirit, the more you fellowship with the Holy Spirit - He will reveal Jesus to you and you will have access to the Father and you will have encounters with heaven through the member of the Godhead on the earth. If you want encounters with Jesus it isn't about how much you do or do not sin, or pray or do not pray. This is the New Covenant - not the Old Covenant!

"The Holy Spirit is not third in importance - His function is third but His importance is not! He is a Person, not a power and not a force".

If the Holy Spirit is a power we will want to get hold of it BUT if the Holy Spirit is a Person then we will want Him to get hold of us. If the Holy Spirit is a power then we will want it to accomplish our will and whim BUT the Holy Spirit is a Person then we will want to surrender to Him in awe and wonder. If the Holy Spirit is power then we will feel superior and proud we have it BUT if the Holy Spirit is a Person then in His great love the Third Person of the Trinity has chosen to dwell within us.

One of the greatest workers of miracles in the last century was Kathryn Kuhlman and she said; "We do not use the Holy Spirit - He uses us. He is not looking for perfect or holy vessels - He is looking for yielded vessels fully surrendered to Him".

That is what holiness is - yielding to Him. The Father plans everything, the Son pays for everything at the Cross and every good gift comes from the Father. (James 1:16) "Comes from the Father" but it must come through the Son.

"You can only experience it when you walk in the Spirit and know the Holy Spirit. If you don't know the Holy Spirit you cannot receive the Father's blessing because they don't know the Holy Spirit".

Evangelical conservative legalistic Christians do not know the Holy Spirit because He must be walked with in daily occurances. We want to talk about His titles and His Names so we can get insight into what He is like and what He does so we can get to know Him.

He is known as the Holy Spirit - He is a Spirit who is holy. He will always treat you in a pure way - never in an abusive way. He will always treat you with purity, integrity - He is moral - never legalistic. Demonic spirits that the New Age operate by are lying spirits that promise power. Demons make people sick and so when psychics pray for you the demons will lift off and you can feel a measure of healing. The Western world is opening up to the New Age in an unprecedented way. The Holy Spirit is a Holy Spirit - a lovely, wonderful Spirit of God.

(Psalm 51:11) "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me". David understood that without the Holy Spirit - he was finished. Many Christians today wouldn't even know the Holy Spirit had gone if He left!

Without the Holy Spirit, finite demons will get you addicted to all kinds of darkness but the Holy Spirit promises He will never leave us or forsake us. If Jesus won't leave us or forsake us then neither will the Holy Spirit because He is the revealer of Jesus to us!

"Much of the church will tell you that the way to a clear conscience is to "DO". Rubbish! It hasn't worked for centuries! That makes the people of God more condemned! (Hebrews 9) - You don't get a clear conscience by doing good and serving! You get a clear conscience by the power of God and the New Covenant".

"A perfect Saviour - a perfect sacrifice at the Cross perfectly satisfied the Father on our behalf and a perfectly satisfied Father gives you and me a perfectly clear conscience".

Our conscience is based on the eternal finished work of the Cross. The Father looks at me and says "Conscience clear!". Too many Christians don't have clear consciences because they don't believe the debt has been paid. There were people today in this room who were sitting passively watching people get blessed and hoping that one day they would be holy enough to encounter God - that is Old Covenant thinking!

"Legalistic self-righteous arrogance says we have a clear conscience because of what we do!".

The Father gives the Holy Spirit to people who don't deserve Him but He will give the Spirit in abundance! (Luke 11:13). He is also called the Spirit of God! (Genesis 1:1-3). Once the Spirit of God moves in your life things will take on form and order and beauty and light. (Romans 8:14). He is called the Spirit of the Lord! These different titles mean different things! (Judges 6:34) "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon". When the Spirit came upon Gideon - 300 men destroyed an army of 3, 000.

"The Spirit of the Lord comes on people like Samson and Gideon and you to defeat overwhelming numbers that oppose you. To stand here and believe we can touch China and influence millions of people around the earth because we believe He is the Spirit of the Lord. Numbers and opposition and sieges and mountains cannot hold us in IF we walk in the Spirit of the Lord!"

It MUST be the Spirit of the Lord coming upon you that will defeat the devil. You cannot face overwhealming numbers without the Spirit of the Lord.

He just wants to be with you because you have been justified freely through the blood of Jesus Christ! He can fellowship with you! You can't stop doing things wrong unless the Spirit of the Lord empowers you! It is stupid to say "Get holy and then He will come!". He WANTS to come to weak, sinning, demon-oppressed Christians and He will come upon you and you will rise up and face overwhelming numbers of opposition!

It is not enough to get baptised in the Spirit and talk in tongues. You have to get to know the One who empowers you to speak in tongues. We must want to know the Spirit of God who drives out demons and who leads us. We want to know the Spirit of the Lord who came on Gideon. We want to know this Mighty One who will raise up a standard against the Evil One! You can deal with the Mideanite army - 300 will chase them and hack them to pieces! (2 Corinthians 3:17) - "Where the Spirit of the Lord is - THERE is liberty!".

"The Holy Spirit never tries to manipulate or control you with guilt".

Where He is - there is liberty. When you go into churches and find self-obsessed and analytical Old Testament thinking Christians, that is a demonic spirit.

"Never try to fight a man or woman operating by the Spirit of the Lord! Never try and criticise any man or woman operating in the Spirit of the Lord even if their doctrine is wrong. Watch what happens to the opponents and critics who come against those operating in the Spirit of the Lord - it is fun to watch! Life gets very exciting when you know the Spirit".

"(Ephesians 5:18) - Present tense! "Be BEING filled!". It is no use being baptised in the Spirit at the end of the Second World War and spoke in tongues for 3 minutes! Be BEING filled with the Holy Spirit. Many think of an empty glass being filled with water - that is static and boring! That isn't what the Greek is saying! "I'm half full now I am full".

The language is of a big sail of a yacht being FILLED with wind! Christians in a move of the Spirit of God can sit motionless! But others lives are moving forward and being empowered! God wants to bless but they need their sail up - to be BEING filled! The sail is faith that because of the grace of God He can't help Himself but bless us!".

Marriages get changed! How to get your wife to treat you like a King - treat her like a Queen! There are so many things to talk about the Holy Spirit and we are heading towards the Grace and Glory Conference! Sails are catching wind and moving! No more talk of "trying to pray for the sick". When your sails are full and you want to pray for the sick, you can't help but pray! We will see holiness and revival when the sails are up and being filled! The unsaved don't have sails - they don't know Jesus or the Holy Spirit!

"We are the people of the Holy Spirit! We are His ambassadors!".

Every person on the planet soon will have this One who we are talking about poured out upon them! The pneuma of God - the breath of God will take you to more intimacy - more influence on the people of the earth.

Sound of a Mighty Rushing Wind!

2007-09-18T10:20:00.000Z

My dear friend Don sent me this video from You-Tube on email. It is incredibly powerful and well worth 3 minutes of your time to watch. I have actually seen it before on a video project called "Transformations" by George Ortiz. Whatever your feelings about the theology of prayer mapping - one watch of this video and you cannot deny that God was truly at work among the Eskimos up in northern Canada. Oh that He might do it again here and now in our day!

Let this video stir your faith and your hope and your desire that God may come again and visit us as powerfully!

Fighting For the Prophetic

2007-09-10T18:06:00.000Z

I have been quite provoked by an issue that my friend Jesse has raised in two of his posts - "Review: Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts, 'Who Said God Said?' (Ch. 7)" and "Question of the week: should a prophecy be written down beforehand?". In his review of Sam Storm's excellent book on spiritual gifts, Jesse asks some key questions;

"First, do you agree with Storms observation that there has been abuse? Second, how wide-spread do you think it is? Third, do you agree with Storms list of reasons why, or what would you add?"
I was thinking through the issues that Jesse discussed and it occured to me that I haven't heard much of a discussion about the devil's involvement with the spiritual gifts. If the Word of God commands that spiritual gifts are earnestly desired but especially prophecy - then surely the devil will realise that prophecy could potentially be very powerful for use in the Kingdom of God. I thought about two strategies that I would employ if I were trying to hinder prophecy in the Church.

1. He can try and keep Christians back from fully entering into the gift of prophecy. Or cessationism in other words.

2. He can push those who believe in prophecy into excess which will result in fear, hurt and suspicion which will get back eventually to his first strategy - that of preventing Christians from entering into the prophetic.

I have to say I think he has been quite successful in hindering the prophetic altogether or tarnishing it with the false, the fake and the bizarre. We have all read the "horror stories" usually published by John MacArthur or Hank Hanegraff about prophecy. But it is a bit more unusual to hear testimonies and read transcripts of true and genuine prophecies.

It is my goal to fight for the genuine prophetic because I have had my life changed and blessed immeasurably by the genuine prophetic in my life from friends I trust. I have therefore dug out some prophecies that were (thank God!) written down and transcribed from the Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000. They are, in my opinion, examples of the genuine and the good and how God can use them to motivate and inspire His Church.

Here they are - still as true today as they were seven years ago.

Dave Devenish Prophesying at Stoneleigh - "Faithfulness of God".

Terry Virgo Prophesying at Stoneleigh - "Represented on high".

Terry Virgo Prophesying at Stoneleigh - "Receive My grace".

Dave Devenish Prophesying at Stoneleigh - "My strategy for the nations".

Terry Virgo Prophesying at Stoneleigh - "Participation in the Holy Spirit".

Dave Devenish Prophesying at Stoneleigh - "Bathing in My glory to change the nations".

Prophecy from Terry Virgo at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000!!

2007-09-10T17:57:00.000Z

"My love, My grace is made available to you for participation in the Holy Spirit. I come to be your partner, to have fellowship with you, says the Spirit. I come to come alongside. I love it when you call Me alongside, when you lean into My strength, feel My energy flooding you, supporting you, enabling you. I am here to grant you an ability beyond your strength. I am here to do works through you that bring glory to the Saviour. I am here to flood your life with confidence in God. Therefore enjoy the fellowship and participation of the Spirit.

I am here to communicate love and faith to you. Drink in My Presence, not as a mere emotion but as energy for your soul. Life for you to live by, strength to run with, even as My servant Elijah outran the chariot he was enabled by the enabling of God, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. I come to fellowship with you, I come to strengthen you and I come not only to ease you but also to fortify you with My enabling power. As you go from this place, you will have been fortified by Me, waiting upon Me, hearing My word, feeling your spirit rise up, soaring, mounting above circumstances, delays, bewildering circumstances, refusing to allow Satan to put you down by events.

I am making you soldiers who learn how to gain strength even in the midst of difficulties, delays, things that cause your mind to be filled with questions but no longer allowing questions to be the end of the story for now you have fellowship with the One who sees the throne, that seven-fold Spirit ever before the throne, ever knowing Who is ruling. He is here for you, He is here for fellowship, He is here to fortify you, to make you soldiers, energised with strenght. Receive from Me, receive empowering, receive grace, receive strength".

Prophecy from Dave Devenish at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000!!

2007-09-10T17:30:00.000Z

"Oh God, our God come upon us that your wasy may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. God our God will bless us. God will bless us and all the ends of the earth will fear Him. "As you have been crying out to Me concerning the desire that is so much on My heart for the nations to come to My Son, I just want to reveal something to you of My heart and My strategy for accomplishing it. I want to reveal that to you because I was saying to My people that as My blessing came in power upon them, the ends of the earth would feel its impact.

I want to tell you about My strategy. I have spoken to you already about revealing My strategy to you this week and I want to say this to you, that this has always been My strategy. I blessed one man Abraham and I said, "Through your descendents all the nations of the earth will be blessed". I fell in power upon just 120 in an upper room and the whole of the Roman Empire felt the impact of My blessing. Through revivals in history, I came on a few in your own land, just in a small room in London and the whole nation and many other nations felt the impact of My blessing. I want to say this to you; this is why you are here. You are here for a blessing; you are here for a blessing! Aren't you being blessed? Aren't you receiving the blessing of My joy brought out into your hearts? Aren't you receiving the blessing of My Spirit working powerfully among you? Aren't you experiencing the blessing of My love and compassion poured out upon you? Aren't you receiving the blessing that all My grace has for you?

I say that this is My method. I bless you. Then as I bless you, all the ends of the earth receive the impact. So that is what I am doing. Although you think of yourself as a large number here, compared with the needs of the world you are just small but that is My method to bless a small number of people and then let the ends of the earth feel the impact of it. So here, receive all the blessing you can get. Receive and receive and receive, keep on receiving My blessings because My strategy is to bless you so that the ends of the earth feel it's impact.

I am promising you this, says the Lord, if you drink as much as you can of My power and love and Presence in this place, you will be My strategy for "unreached people groups", for closed lands, for many, many nations to receive the blessing of God.

God, our God blesses us and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

Prophecy from Terry Virgo at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000!

2007-09-10T17:25:00.000Z

"I believe God is saying, "Receive My grace, receive it! I want you to turn off the tap that is giving you discouragement, anxiety, self-pity and I want you just to take the hande and turn it off. Just turn it off. Just say, "I am not taking from that tap anymore. I am just not having it! I refuse it!". Be anxious for nothing; don't give yourself to self-pity, if only sadness and bad attitudes. Just say that you are not having it and just turn that tap off by the power of God. Now turn on this tap, this tap that says, "Abundant Grace". Receive it, receive it, this is for you, keep receiving even in these moments of worship, praise and celebration. Be receiving, grace, grace, grace. Just open up that tap and let it flood you, flood you. Don't the mixture. Turn off the negatives, really receiving mercy, grace and kindness".

Prophecy from Terry Virgo at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000!

2007-09-10T17:07:00.000Z

"I want you to realise the value you have on high, that you are represented there. I want you to ponder that in the depths of your heart; you are represented on high by the Prince of the universe, by the darling of the heart of God, the Prince and the Saviour. One whose worth defies your understanding, represents you on high. You don't have simply a name; you don't have simply an angel representing you but you are represented on high by the King of Glory Himself and that He pleads your cause. He pleads your name. He pleads on your behalf forever and ever. He has joined Himself forever to you, you are joined to Him forever, never to turn away, never to grow weary. You are represented on high by the King of Glory!

I want you to realise the massive value I put upon your life, says the Lord. Often you feel yourself tossed about by your circumstances. You feel you are the plaything of other people's temper, people's requirements. I want you to know that you are the apple of My eye. I want you to know you are in My hand, I want you to know these things and to know them so well that other problems bounce off you. You are so filled with the knowledge of My will for you, so assured of My overwhealming love for you, My hand being upon you, that those circumstances which would, to others, seem almost insurmountable, obstacles that seem impossible are as nothing to you because of the certainity of the love of God, flooding your inner being. The certainties of God are bigger to you than anything that stands in your way.

I want you to be like that My dear children for this is reality, this truth, that I have loved you, chosen you, ordained steps for you. I want you to march and run and jump and dance with courage, clarity, dignity and celebration because you are beloved and known. You are valued on high! You are forever valued and it is for you to celebrate this reality with such joy that you bring Me praise and all the angels look on in wonder because I have such a secure child on the earth. Therefore, drink deeply during these days, beloved, drink deeply of My love and the certainities of My love and the value that I have placed upon you.

Know the high, high value that you have. Know that I have My eye continually upon you to teach, to change you. If you will receive from Me, you will, even in these days, learn and grow and develop and you will learn in your inner man, truths that will set you free. Therefore, I want grow and develop and you will learn in your inner man, truths that will set you free. Therefore, I want you to know this. I don't just throw away My truths, I have focussed them on you with great love and great delight and great purpose says the Lord. Therefore receive from Me, knowing that I give you out of My love, right into your heart, in My purposes, says the Lord.

Prophecy from David Devenish at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000!

2007-09-10T16:53:00.000Z

"I want to bring two words to you. Faithful God ... Full of faith. Full of faith. Full of faith you have been celebrating Me as the faithful God, the God who is true to His word, the God whose promises reamin, the God who forgives your sins totally, the God who is faithful to forgive your sins as you confess them, the God whose promises will never fail. I am your faithful God.

I want to say to you that I am pleased with you as My faithful people. I want to say to you that, I am pleased with the fruit of My Holy Spirit within you that has produced faithfulness. Some of you say that you don't feel that you are very faithful or consistent, God would say to you, "Hear this I am pleased with your faithfulness. I am pleased with the way you have come faithfully to this Bible Week, year after year and you have come, despite difficulties for some of you, despite all sorts of things, you have been here to declare My word and sing My praise. You have been faithful, you have kept going through the difficulties of life and I say, My faithful people, I am pleased with you. I want to say from the faithful God to those who, by grace, I have made faithful, now be full of faith for this week.

Right from the start I want you to be full of faith about the amazing things I am going to do to you. I want you to be full of faith for visitations of My Spirit upon you. I want you to be full of faith for an open heaven above you and My Spirit poured out in amazing power. I want you to be full of faith for the meeting of your deepest needs during this time and that I will equip you to do all that I have called you to. I want you to be full of faith, those of you who have heard My promises in the past and yet full of faith for My accomplishment of all that I have promised to you. I want you to be full of faith for outbreaks of My power in healing, in setting people free, in signs and wonders, in demonstrations of My Spirit, be full of faith. I want you to be a people this week who know that it is by My grace you are a faithful people but also that you will be full of faith.

Full of faith as you go around this campsite, believing that I am going to speak to you, believing that I am going to break into your life, believe that as you pray for one another in small groups in places all around the campsite, that I am going to be there. Be full of faith that your children are going to be met powerfully, full of faith that youth are going to be called to the missions to this world that I have in mind for them. Be full of faith, faithful! Full of faith!".

Gifts of the Spirit by David Mansell

2007-09-06T23:37:00.000Z

From the Restoration Magazine - January/February 1977

The term 'charismatic' has made its presence felt in modern Christian vocabulary and evidently intends to stay. Someone who speaks in tongues finds himself referred to as a "charismatic Christian" and his church will merit the label "charismatic" if they permit and practice the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11.

Would you think me critical if I said that many charismatics need to become charismatic (using the word in this popular sense)? The church at Corinth knew of the existence of spiritual gifts and manifest them in their meetings. Yet to this church Paul had reason to write; "Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I do ot want you to be unaware" (1 Corinthians 12:1). He set out in chapters 12 to 14 to shew those who possessed God's means, how to achieve God's goals.

Most of the members of the church at Corinth had "moved in the spirit" before coming to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Even today prophecy, visions, tongues and revelations operate in pagan temples as well as Christian congregations. How then can we distinguish between demonic spirits operating behind the facade of dumb idols and the Spirit of the living God? The first lesson we need to learn is how to avoid deception. As in all His ways, God makes it so simple that even a child need not remain "unaware".

Trying the Spirits.

Paul offers two tests which will infallibly reveal the source of any spiritual manifestation. The first relates to the manner in which a person operates the gift and the second deals with the place given to the Lord Jesus. "You were led astray ... however you were led" (1 Cor 2:2). Paul selected words to convey the sense of men being carried away by an irresistable force.

Man has always sought supernatural experiences because God created him a spiritual being.

When the Corinthians had previously opened themselves to that unholy spiritual realm they had felt themselves taken over without their own personal cooperation much in the same way that those who mind bending drugs are taken on a "trip".

In contrast, the Holy Spirit does not take us over in some semi-hypnotic passivity. "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:32).

The one who speaks in the power of the Holy Spirit has full control of himself and can hold the revelation he has received until the previous speaker has concluded his contribution.

Whereas the Holy Spirit upbuilds men in their union with Christ, lying spirits aim only to destroy. God is not looking for open minds into which He can drop a prophecy here or a word of knowledge there. He speaks His word into the herats of those who walk with Him. "The secret of the Lord is with those that fear Him" (Psalm 25:14). When that "secret" is openly prophesied, the personal conviction of the spokesman will accompany it's delivery. "Now just relax and speak out whatever comes into your mind". Such advice suits the sceance better. If you follow such counsel in order to receive a prophecy, the consequent utterance will almost certainly be the product of your vivid imagination rather than a revelation of God.

"No-one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Of course anyone may mouth those words without in fact worshipping Jesus and submitting to His lordship.

We cannot test a prophet merely by the correctness of his confession but by the attitude of his heart. No man can say in loving, willing worship, "Lord Jesus!" and his utterances inspire in the hearts of his hearers the assurance that Jesus is Lord.

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit (that motivates) prophecy" not merely it's subject matter. On the day of Pentecost Peter announced "Jesus having been exalted to the right hand of God ... has poured forth this which you both see and hear" (Acts 2:33).

The gifts of the Spirit demonstrate on earth Jesus' enthronement in heaven. Jesus rules by sending forth the word of prophecy to declare and accomplish His will here on earth. He rules in situations of confusion by giving words of knowledge and wisdom and discerning of spirits. He rules over sickness by gifts of healing. He rules over apathy by faith and miracles. He rules over our present mortal limitations by enabling us to pray and worship supernaturally in tongues and interpretations. Our God reigns!

He does not try to prove it by these gifts. Rather He gets on with the task of reigning in and through His churchby means of these manifestations.

Let us then work together with God to establish His Kingdom.

If his heart does not beat in response to the enthronement of Jesus Christ, the charismatic will find that he has lost his charisma.

A Realm of Glory that is Here ... NOW!!

2007-09-06T21:48:00.000Z

I had an incredible experience tonight that I feel needs documenting so I don't forget it. Before I detail it, I listened to Rob Rufus's return to his church in Hong Kong after a few weeks away ministering in South Africa. The Spirit of God came down so powerfully that no sermon was preached. It was just pure worship ... and prophecying. Rob prophecied this;

"There is a move of the Spirit coming that is stronger than any other move before. There is another realm of glory that is available NOW – it’s not going to come – it is here now! The glory of the Lord has risen upon you New Covenant people!"

I reflected that it is easy to accept that prophecy when you are in Rob Rufus's church in Hong Kong! But is it quite so easy during the week in Birmingham!? That being said, I went off to a night shift tonight and was humiliated to find that I wasn't actually meant to be in so had to return home. I was waiting for the bus in the city centre feeling quite grumpy and put out when I felt a shiver of excitement and anticipation sweep over me that I have come to recognise is the Presence of God (as Rob Rufus taught at Brighton).

I felt God say this to me;

"I am about to sweep across this land in unparalelled and unprecedented power like the world has never seen, known, anticipated or experienced before. I am going to come in such strength, fury, power and Presence that every colour, every tongue, every sexuality, every race will bow the knee and acknowledge My Son as Lord. No longer will they remain indifferent. They will deny or worship Me for My Presence will be manifest through the corporate glory of My Bride - the Church and no longer will it be something to be jeered at but kings, governments, rulers and dictators will say of My Bride; "Great grace is upon them".

As He was saying this, my mind flew to what Rob Rufus said; "it is here now!". I remembered a clip from a film called "Volcano" starring Tommy Lee Jones that I saw years ago. There came a point when they realised that the lava had already broken through and was flowing underneath the city in the sewers and drains. They only realised the severity of the situation when through each vent and drain there came an explosion of steam and fire.

I found the very clip on You-Tube. It is here and it's quite dramatic. I hope it illustrates what I saw;

I felt God go on;

"So it is. It will not be called the "London Revival" or the "Brighton Revival" but this will simply be without label for everywhere there is a "vent" there, the outpouring of My Spirit will explode. The bigger the vent, the bigger the explosion. It isn't coming! It is already moving beneath you so unblock the wells of your fathers - remove the rubbish of the Pharisees and you will find that it is flowing".

The Quotes of Dr Lloyd-Jones they DIDN'T want you to find!!

2007-09-03T11:52:00.000Z

I was amazed last night in re-reading through Volume 8 of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones monumental series in Romans. The classic mistake to try and establish what Dr Lloyd-Jones thought and taught on the Holy Spirit is to try and go to texts such as the book of Acts. However a great bulk of his glorious teaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to be find in Romans 8:15;

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry "Abba, Father!".

In writing about this text, Dr Lloyd-Jones takes several sermons to establish the direct connection between the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and assurance of salvation. He begins by establishing the Puritan argument that assurance of salvation is not something that occurs automatically with conversion. If it was, then why do so many Christians experience severe doubts about their salvation? He then establishes his belief that the main effect of the Baptism or Sealing with the Holy Spirit is to bring the most wonderful assurance of salvation possible. Here are a selection of key quotes that outline his most wonderful teaching on this;

1. The Baptism of the Spirit is Essentially Experiential!

Dr Lloyd-Jones writing and preaching makes it wonderfully clear that as Pentecostal/Charismatics we should not be ashamed to underline the vibrant, awesome experiential nature of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was challenged by Bryn Jones' editorial in the September/October 1976 Restoration Magazine. He wrote;

"We dedicate this issue of Restoration to contribute to the stirring of our faith for a noisy, emotional, powerful, corporate, Christ-honouring baptism with the Holy Spirit for God's people. Just as it should be".

Dr Lloyd-Jones would not have any problem with this. He wrote;

"Let us realize then the profound character of the experience. This is not light and superficial and ordinary. It is not something of which you can say "Don't worry about your feelings". Worry about your feelings? You will have such a depth of feeling that for a moment you will imagine that you have never felt anything in your life before. It is the profoundest experience that a man can ever know".

The profoundest experience that a man can ever know! Dr Lloyd-Jones also argued that this awesome experience can come outside of the Word of God. The quote is here. And again he emphasises:

"The whole object of the Sealing of the Spirit is to give us certainity about our inheritance. It is an earnest, a foretaste of good things to come. It is essentially experimental".

2. Fear isn't an Excuse!

It seems to me that the main factor in arguing against the vibrancy of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is fear. Fear of excess. Fear of Pentecostalism. Fear of moving out of the confines of the Word of God. Fear has been something that I have been familiar with again and again in my church upbringing. I have heard it preached from the pulpit that above all things we must beware of heresy! We must be orthodox! Dr Lloyd-Jones was aware of these arguments yet he had no sympathy with holding back because of fear.

He said;

"To refuse anything that is offered in the Word of God because you are afraid of certain possible consequences is a most grievious sin and it will undoubtedly receive the punishment it deserves. The way to face this problem is not to turn your back upon it; it is to be clear as to the difference between the true and the false. Because there is the real danger of false experiences, you must not shut out all experiences".

He goes on to argue that such teachers and preachers who are characterised by fear need only look at the Word of God - that is our standard!

"Why should any be guilty of such a traversty? I have already given the explanation. It is their fear of excesses. To put it quite bluntly they are so afraid of Pentecostalism that they are driven to such exegesis and I suggest that they are thereby guilty of "quenching the Holy Spirit". Non-experimental! Look at the 2nd chapter of Acts!".

Ironically much of my growing up was characterised not only by such fear but also a respect for Dr Lloyd-Jones. Only I never heard these quotes! This isn't something optional according to Dr Lloyd-Jones. This is a matter of refusing and ignoring something that the Word of God makes plain for us! How do we compare to the experiences within the Word of God?

"Every Christian should always be seeking the best and the highest. We should never be content with anything less than what is described as possible to the Christian in the New Testament".

Dr Lloyd-Jones wrote again in his sermon on Romans 12;

"One of the greatest dangers it always seems to me is to interpret the Scriptures in light of our experience instead of testing our experience by the teaching of Scripture".

It seems ironic that one of the greatest accusations against Pentecostal/Charismatics is that we ignore the Word of God for experience. Yet on the contrary the majority of Pentecostal/Charismatic teaching on the Baptism of the Spirit seems to take the Word of God more seriously than those who neglect experience for fear of excess.

3. Our Witness to the World is at Stake!

I was deeply appreciative of Dr Lloyd-Jones emphasis that what is at stake is the Church's mission to the world. Christians who are lacking in assurance, lacking in joy unspeakable and full of glory, devoid of power are not - in short - very good witnesses to the world. He wrote;

"Seek a knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek Him! Say that you want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings! Desire knowledge of God and of Christ in this intimate manner and the knowledge of His love "shed abroad in your hearts". That is what we are to seek! Seek to be holy, seek God's glory! Do not merely desire a comfortable experience but say to yourself "apart from this I can never be a true witness. I cannot witness truly for Him anymore than these disciples could before the Day of Pentecost ... say to yourself "Is it conceivable that I can be a witness without that power and is not it's absence perhaps the reason why I am such a poor witness?". Seek His glory - not your own!".

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones could never be accused of being a classic Pentecostal/Charismatic teacher who fits the typical stereotype. He was a preacher who took the Word of God extremely seriously as well as taking the history of the church seriously. I was blessed beyond words to find he included quote after quote from theologians, writers, preachers down through the age who taught similiarly to him. Let us allow these quotes to fuel us and inspire us. To come to the risen and ascended Lord Jesus and ask Him for this experience of power - this encounter with the risen Lord - is highly Biblical! It is every Christians rightful inheritance and the "promise is for you"!

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Brings a Revelation of Christ!!

2007-08-30T15:48:00.001Z

I found this marvellous testimony in Jonathan Edwards Works where he wrote of an incredible encounter with the Holy Spirit. It really highlights for me Ern Baxter's point that the key result of the Baptism of the Spirit is to make plain the present and continuing work of Jesus Christ.

Just reading it made me long that all believers may experience this!

"I had a view, that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of God as Mediator between God and man, and His wonderful, great, full, pure and sweet grace and love and meek and gentle condecension. This grace that appeared so calm and sweet appeared also great above the heavens. The Person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent, with an excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception - which continued as near as I can judge about an hour; which kept me the greater part of the time in a flood of tears and weeping aloud.

I felt an ardency of soul to be, what I know not otherwise how to express, emptied and annihilated, to lie in the dust and to be full of Christ alone, to love Him with a holy and pure love; to trust in Him, to live upon Him, to serve and follow Him, and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure with a divine and heavenly purity".

(Reference: Jonathan Edwards - "Works - Volume 1" - Banner of Truth (1961) - (pxvii, p299f).

"Baptism of the Holy Spirit" Paper by Jesse Phillips!

2007-08-29T10:44:00.000Z

I am tremendously excited that my friend from the US - fellow charismatic blogger Jesse Phillips - has condensed his thesis from SG Pastors College into a workable and helpful set of notes on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

It is available here.

While the initial thesis is of enormous interest to many of us who are interested in debating the "when" and "what" of this important doctrine, Jesse recognised and wrote that the length of the paper may have put some off reading it. The material is now condensed into 5 pages and is immensely readable.

I do urge any who have an interest in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and are perhaps wondering; "Did I receive when I believed?" to go and make use of this free resource. What better reward for Jesse's hard work than to know that many Christians have come into their rightful and free inheritance by receiving the Baptism of the Spirit?!

Charismatica - Revival, Renewal and Referral Blog

2007-08-21T17:48:00.000Z

Thanks to Janelle Phillips for this link - Charismatica. It is by Dr. Michael G. Davis who attends a Vineyard church in California. I have yet to read everything on the site but there is an incredible amount of material on this site and a lot of links that he has gathered together. Here's just a few that caught my eye;

1. Vineyard Blogs

2. Revival Ministries:

"Catch the Fire" - Guy Chevreau.

"Encounters Network" - Jim Goll.

"Global Awakening" - Randy Clark.

"Global Harvest Ministries" - C Peter Wagner.

"International House of Prayer" - Mike Bickle.

"John Kilpatrick Ministries" - John Kilpatrick.

"Jack Deere Ministries" - Jack Deere.

"Watch of the Lord" - Mahesh Chavda.

"Morningstar Ministries" - Rick Joyner.

"Revival Ministries" - Rodney Howard-Browne.

"Streams Ministries International" - John Paul Jackson.

"Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship".

3. Church Associations and Denominations:

"Assemblies of God"

"Association of Vineyard Churches"

"Foursquare Churches" - President: Dr Jack Hayford

"Morning Star Fellowship of Churches".

"Newfrontiers" - Leader: Terry Virgo.

4. Prophetic Ministries.

Prophecies at Kansas City - 1975!

2007-08-14T14:09:00.000Z

I thinks sometimes we may make the mistake of assuming that we (the "Joshua" generation) are far beyond our fore-fathers in certain aspects of Christian life - especially the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This may be true in some areas - by God's grace and through faith in and relationship with the Holy Spirit the Church is indeed marching on. For example I reflected this morning walking back from work that I don't think the Church could except Ern Baxter's teaching to "go into the land". I have interrogated my dad and mum many times about those significant days at the Dales Bible Week and have been horrified that many churches returned from hearing a week of Ern's ministry and NOTHING was said or done about what he taught and brought.

However in listening to Dave Devenish's awesome teaching on the Kingdom of God at "Together on a Mission" in Brighton, I looked around and marvelled that the teaching was so similar to Ern Baxter's - yet the mood is different. These were leaders and pastors and elders and apostles and prophets listening! And they are eager to go on into the land!

Prophecy is another area where I am not so sure that we are that much more advanced or mature in, in a general world-wide sense. I have been reading through the New Wine Magazine covering the Kansas City conference and they included a number of prophecies that were brought at that conference. Let us not be fooled into thinking that the Kansas City conference was just about teaching or preaching simply because that is all we have of the ministry tapes! God was speaking powerfully and here is what He said;

Bruce Yocum:

"The Lord says, 'Mark down this day and remember it. And write down this word and recall it. Because My promises shall never fail and no word that I speaks falls to the ground but I will fulfill every word. Remember it. Call it to mind. Declare it publicly. Have no fear. Because I am faithful to My word and I will fulfill it.

I am going to restore My people and reunite them. I am going to restore My people the glory that is Mine so that the world will not mock it or scorn it but so that the world might know that I am God and King. And that I have come to redeem and save this earth.

Yes mark it down and remember that I have told you that I am restoring My people, bestowing on them power and glory, bringing them back to them the glory that is proper to My people. And making them look again like a Kingdom - the Kingdom of God on this earth".

Dick Leggatt:

"I the Lord God would speak a word of encouragement - a word of exhortation - a wordof admonition to My people. For I say unto you, My people that the things which I have said to you up to this time have not been empty requests neither have they been suggestions. But I, the Lord your God, say unto you that they have been commandments. And I have commanded ye saying, Ye shall be one. You shall love one another.

The Lord would say that there are yet many who in their hearts say, 'These are but suggestions from the Lord our God'. And who have said, 'I will do this in my appointed time and if it is the proper time and convenient for me, I shall obey these words'. But the Lord your God would say unto you this day that, 'I desire you to set your face to obey Me. I do not desire that you be like the children who followed after the ways of Balaam. For Balaam heard My word and would have obeyed but he reasoned in his heart saying, 'I shall not do it this way. I shall not do it as the Lord my God commands'. And I the Lord God said unto him in that day that his ways were contrary to My ways. And I was a swift witness against Balaam.

Therefore I the Lord your God would say unto you that I desire that ye be children after the manner of Abraham. For when I said to Abraham 'Take thy son, thine only son ...' Abraham My faithful servant heard the word NOW. And he obeyed. For he arose the next morning and made preparation and did the word of the Lord God.

Therefore I say unto you, My people NOW is the appointed time. NOW is the acceptable day. And I desire that ye My people hear My word NOW for I desire that you hear that you shall be one. For this is My desire for you that you shall love one another ... that you shall not reason in your heart saying, I shall do it another way. You shall not be like the ox who seeing the yoke before him stiffens his neck but you shall say in your hearts, 'Yea and Amen Lord!'. This is the word which You have spoken to us and this we shall do'. The Lord your God would say unto you, 'This is my commandment and I desire that ye walk in it".

I hope that in writing this post I have gone a little way towards fulfilling Bruce Yocum's prophecy; "'Mark down this day and remember it. And write down this word and recall it ... Remember it. Call it to mind. Declare it publicly. Have no fear". It made me reflect somewhat that if we really earnestly desire the gift of prophecy we are desiring a somewhat dangerous thing. Why does the Bible - the living Word of God - sufficient and complete canon of Scripture - COMMAND us to earnestly desire spiritual gifts - ESPECIALLY the gift of prophecy?

By the way as an aside - that Scripture seems to suggest to me that if we DO NOT earnestly desire spiritual gifts ESPECIALLY prophecy then surely we are being disobedient to God and disobeying His commands?

I think the Bible urges this because the gift of prophecy is God speaking! So prophecy is indeed dangerous because if we sincerely seek this gift then we are saying, "God we are prepared for You to speak to us - whatever You want to say, we want to hear it!". I don't reproduce these 30 year old prophecies for historical purposes only. I notice in these prophecies there is the same life-throbbing vein that is present in many of the prophecies we are hearing in church life today. God is commanding His Church to mobilise themselves! God is declaring to His Church that He wants the world to sit up and take notice of His beautiful Bride! The question is - are we ready for Him to speak like this? Or does our eschatology not allow for such life-changing demanding words? Because surely that could be one reason why our prophecies are still about sunflowers and waterfalls and butterflies (and I am NOT mocking them. I love those kind of pictures!).

Maybe God will accelerate our maturity in the gift of prophecy when we are prepared to honestly speak what He wants saying!

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Prophetic

2007-08-11T16:46:00.000Z

I was tremendously stirred and excited to read my friend Jesse's notes from an awesome seminar covering the prophetic from the "Glory" Conference in Florida. A couple of key quotes really stood out to me;

"We need to understand the priority of the gifts. The scripture teaches that the gifts are a priority in the church. They are not a priority over glorifying God, but neither are they opposed to God's glorify. There is no dichotomy; they help us glorify God".

"We must crave the gifts as an incredible priority. God is giving each of you his gifts. The Spirit is saying, "I'm pouring out my gifts, so that each one of you should receive these gifts, to the end that God be glorified, and so that you may be built up in love (Eph. 4)."

"God pours out his Spirit on all flesh, and the evidence of that is that we become a prophetic people. We are a prophetic people because God has called us to be a prophetic people ... We're all called to prophesy because we're all called to be a prophetic people.This is not so much about us maintaining our charismatic distinctive, but our character as the people of God".

The prophetic is an issue of key importance - simply because the Word of God states that it is an issue of key importance! I discussed with Jesse when we spoke my stirring that we need to carry on defending the gifts of the Spirit against cessationists but at the same time move on into them in greater maturity. I was really encouraged to see that Jesse's dad seems to agree with that;

"A tendency for us as charismatics is to become defensive even though we don't have to [I addressed some related issues here]. In other words, we just do what the scripture encourages, regardless of those who disagree".

One of the most common pragmatic arguments that cessationists profer (and is headed up by John Macarthur) is that they "have heard a false prophecy" somewhere that usually had something to do with directing people to go somewhere or natural phenomena that doesn't happen. The impression that is given that it is only air-headed freaks who prophesy. I was reading Dr Martyn Ll0yd-Jones's views on the prophetic - and they make for maybe quite surprising reading.

"A preacher is taken up; he is in this realm of the Spirit and God is giving a message through this man to the people. It is not an inspired utterance in the sense that the Scriptures are, but in another sense, it is an inspired utterance because the Spirit is giving it and using it. Thus a vital element in preaching is a reliance on the Holy Spirit". "Knowing the Times" - p276.

Dr Lloyd-Jones took some effort to distinguish between teaching/preaching and prophecy. He said;

"The difference can be put in one word and the word is immediacy. It is a word that is given to him, that comes to him. Preaching and teaching are not like that. The preacher and the teacher is the man who takes time to study. He takes time to think and prepare. He arranges his matter. He has got order. He has got system. That is the truth about teaaching and preaching. A preacher and teacher should never enter the pulpit and trust to the immediacy of the moment. That's not preaching and teaching - that is prophecy. Prophecy is something that is given to a man immediately and directly" - "Spiritual Gifts" 3 - Tape 3313.

The word "immediacy" is one that has been used in conversation by SLW - the author of "Sounds of Thunder" prophetic blog. These quotes need careful consideration because all will admit and know that Dr Ll0yd-Jones was no "air-head" charismatic! He took the Word of God seriously and he governed his theology from that. As must we. Let this be another step towards what Jesse wrote; "The rising of a prophetic people ...".

"A Fresh Touch" - July 1982

2007-08-10T17:26:00.000Z

Here is another gem from the past that I have dug up. It emphasises the urgent need that we do not rest on our pneumatological laurels simply because we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We must press on deeper into the glory and Presence of God.

“A Fresh Touch from God!” – July 1982

This is a constant need! We can go on in our old ways, relying upon the pattern of established habit rather than the spontaneity of resurrection life and power. Now there is nothing necessarily wrong with habit. There are good habits, even excellent habits. But sometimes a regular practice can degenerate into a formal repetition of a scheduled duty, rather than a joyful experience of a phase of our walk with Jesus.

Therein lies the clue. Much of the travelling along the dusty road of Galilee and Judea must have had the potential of being wearisome, tiring and quite literally dry! But the One the disciples travelled with made all the difference.

This truth about the need for a fresh touch from God appears in the Word in many ways. For example, the manna had to be gathered fresh daily except on the Sabbath or it “went off” (Exodus 16:20). The lamps in the tabernacle had to be “kept burning continually” (Leviticus 24:1, 2). The showbread had to be set out before the Lord regularly (Leviticus 24:8). The disciples filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) were filled again (Acts 4:31) and again (Acts 13:52 cf Acts 9:17 and 13:9 with Ephesians 5:18). To get a fresh touch from God we need a fresh meeting with God as Elijah discovered (1 Kings 18:46; 19:3, 5, 7 ff).

It may, indeed usually will involve revelation of our own need as Isaiah found (Isaiah 6). Paul expressed the necessity of “pressing on towards the mark” (Philippians 2:7-16).

One thing is clear; God is willing to touch us. Just as Jesus often asked sick people, “What is it that you would have me do for you?” so the Lord in effect asks us the same question daily. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22, 23). Let us accept a new delivery!

Apart from a daily renewal, however there are special seasons of seeking God and receiving a fresh touch. It is important from time to time to set aside a longer period when we can seek His face and receive a fresh touch. Remember what has often been said about the experience of the Holy Spirit; “One baptism, many fillings, constant anointing”.

League of Charismatic Bloggers!!

2007-08-06T15:07:00.000Z

My friend Jesse Phillips (who runs the "Resurgence" blog) has put his considerable skills to work and has set up this aggregator site (I don't know what that word means really!). But it's here:

League of Charismatic Bloggers.

Jesse is hosting it and the vision is simple yet powerful;

"We believe for an ongoing charismatic resurgence (see a journal) and the part blogging can play in it".

It's an exciting step. As I have said before, we seem to be continually in uncharted waters with the art of blogging (whatever that is!). Yet it continually excites me that the Church is moving away from consumer mentality where we sit back and expect our leaders to feed us, but are stepping out and writing what we are seeing!

The Extended Royal Scepter

2007-08-05T14:59:00.000Z

I had an incredible experience at Oasis Church in Birmingham where I went for the first time this morning to "test it out" as our new home church. The worship began and was led by a passionate young woman playing her guitar and we sang the well-known Phatfish song, "Holy, Holy is the Lord". The Scripture flashed into my mind from Isaiah 6:5;

"Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

I really did feel a sense of utter hopelessness and unworthiness. But then unbidden, uninvited but marvellously welcome came this vision. I saw a throne room with an almighty hush resting over it. I couldn't even see the One sitting on the throne because it was simply too great, too high, too vast. All I knew was that all eyes were on me. And I saw a hand holding the most wonderful, beautiful scepter and it lifted slightly towards me. There was a rush of sound, an gasping in across the gathered heavenly masses and the Scripture from Esther 5:2 came to me;

"When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter".

I heard God speak to me and say;

"My son it really doesn't matter how you feel - either worthy or unworthy. It doesn't matter who passes judgement upon you in My Church telling you you are welcome - or that you are not. What matters is that My Son paid a dreadful price for your access. Because of that price My Sceptre will always be lifted when you come into My Holy of Holies. You are always welcome here! Never hold your breath that I might condemn you to death for daring to enter. One has gone before you! One who stands still to intercede for you and I am satisfied to look on Him and pardon you. So come in! Come fellowship! Come worship! I am delighted you are here!".

I need hardly say that my worship of God was transformed after that. How wonderful it was to go on and sing "My Jesus, My Saviour!". All because of Him! The scepter is lifted towards us! We can enter in! The price has been paid! The debt settled!

Ali McLachlan may not want to get started on prophets or prophecy but I am profoundly grateful for this gentle reminder of the objective truths of the Gospel. Was the Gospel and the Word of God complete before this morning's vision? Of course it was. Did my vision add to the completeness of the Scripture? Of course it didn't. But did the vision glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? Yes absolutely. Did it confirm Him as Lord? Yes most definately. Did it add to my longing to worship Him? Most surely. That for me is why I believe Paul commands us to earnestly desire the gift of prophecy.

Thank You Lord for speaking still!

The Experience of Pentecost is For Us!

2007-08-04T12:21:00.001Z

I was searching through some old magazines that I religiously kept when I was growing up and I found this most illuminating and encouraging article. It's as true today as it was then and it brings a simple, yet challenging insight on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The experience of Pentecost must be a very important matter, for it is promised in each of the 4 gospels (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33) and the Lord Jesus Christ repeated this promise before His Ascension (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8). In those words He not only promised power but He warned the disciples not to witness until they were “endued with power from on high”.

Now there are 5 basic questions that we must ask about the experience of Pentecost. They are “what?”, “whom?”, “how?”, “why?” and “when?”.

1. What?

What is the experience of Pentecost? The Holy Spirit is a Person and He is God. He does several things in us and to us and for us. Some of these things may be separated by many years, though they should occur close together. He convicts us of sin, He regenerates, He comes to us and He clothes us with power. This “clothing” is the experience of Pentecost. It is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some prefer other terms and I will not quarrel with them. I use this phrase because God does. Great Bible teachers all down the ages have used this Scriptural phrase. For example, early Puritans such as John Gill, who said of the disciples, “They were to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and receive such power and courage thereby as to bear a noble testimony for Christ”. Likewise Thomas Goodwin who wrote, “There can be no experience superior to or more wonderful than the baptism of the Spirit except to be in Heaven itself”. To these we could add such names as C H Spurgeon, R A Torrey, A B Simpson, Andrew Murray, LaMarechale, Dr D M Lloyd-Jones and many others.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a divine provision of spiritual power, promised in the Bible by God for the purpose of being His witnesses.

Dr Billy Graham said, “We need to learn once again what it means to be baptised in the Holy Spirit”.

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “There is nothing, I am convinced that so quenches the Spirit as the teaching which identifies the baptism of the Holy Spirit with regeneration”.

But if the experience of Pentecost is the clothing with power we must next ask …

2. Whom?

For whom is this experience intended? The prophecy makes it plain (Joel 2:28, 29). It is for all flesh. Peter stresses this in Acts 2:39 where he says, “The promise is for you, and for your children, and for all who are afar off; as many as the Lord our God shall call”. This is precisely the note struck in such passages as Isaiah 44:3 and John 7:37-39. It is not for special people but for all God’s people. We are ALL to be witnesses. We ALL need power. This being so, the next question is …

3. How?

How do we receive the experience of Pentecost? God has made the promise but we have to be in the right place. The reluctance is not on God’s side (see Luke 11:13). The necessary stages are:

a. Be converted which includes repentance, faith and baptism in water (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 41).
b. Cleanse your heart (Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:7, 9). If you are seeking the baptism in the Holy Spirit at or near conversion as in the New Testament, this stage is taken care of. But if some time has elapsed you need to make sure that your heart is right before God.
c. Consecrate your life (Acts 5:32, Romans 12:1, 2).
Claim the promise by seeking God in earnest, persistent prayer. (Acts 2:39, Luke 11:13).
d. Continue to walk in obedience to the Lord (Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:16).
e. Be sure to join a Bible-believing church.

It is important not to give up. Luke 11:9-10 literally says, “Go on asking, go on seeking, go on knocking”. Some say “But I have done that and still have not received” so we need to ask …

4. Why?

Why do some find it hard to receive? There may be various hindrances. Our hearts are very deceitful and we may be deceiving ourselves into thinking that we are all right. Some of the more obvious hindrances are;

a. Sin (Psalm 66:18, Isaiah 59:1, 2).
b. Lack of consecration and obedience (Acts 5:32).
c. Wrong teaching which prevents us from a whole hearted trust in God (Gal 3:1-3).
d. Fear, of getting the wrong thing etc (Luke 11:11-13).
e. Pride, which makes us pretend we do not need anything more in spite of God’s promise. Or pride which prevents us asking for prayer (1 Peter 5:5-6).
f. Impatience. Perhaps we have been spoiled as children we expect our parents to wait on us. We think God should give us anything we ask at once, and we have a grudge against God if He does not. That is sin (Romans 9:19, 20; Job 42:6).
g. Wrong motives. Seeking self-satisfaction or self-glory. (James 4:3).
h. Looking for the wrong thing – feelings, emotions, sinlessness, etc.
i. Looking in the wrong direction – at man. Seeking for some “big name” or “perfect man” to pray with us. (Isaiah 2:22).
j. No real thirst, no earnestness in seeking (John 7:37; Jeremiah 29:13).
k. No desire to witness (Acts 1:8).
l. No faith, or trust in God that He will do it. (Isaiah 7:9b; Hebrews 11:16, James 1:6, 7).

But if, as far as we can possibly see, we have put things right and sought God, the next question is,

5. When?

When may we receive?

a. At conversion possibly, but this is very rare. It did not happen with the disciples. In fact the only real case is that of Cornelius in Acts 10, and there were special reasons for that Peter’s prejudice had to be overcome and Cornelius was a God-fearer and was already earnestly seeking the Lord.

b. The normal pattern is repent and believe, be baptised in water, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (another expression for the same experience) and commit yourself to the local church.

J N Darby wrote, “That a person may be born again and not have received the Holy Ghost is perfectly certain according to the Scriptures”. C H Macintosh and William Kell (Brethren writers) expressed similar views. If you are a believer and have been baptised in water then you are candidate for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In a number of cases in the Scriptures after prayer and laying on of hands (see Acts 8:15-17; 9:17; 19:6). This is often a help to many people.
Your pastor and/or elders are available to render this service. But remember the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who baptises in the Holy Spirit. Beware of allowing just anyone to do this. Only those sent by God should normally render this ministry “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit”.

Terry Virgo and Dave Holden on Being Truly Charismatic!

2007-07-24T00:39:00.000Z

I have just added these two quotes to the Pentecostal Post-It Notes Blog. They are fruits of my labours spending some very happy hours going through my Archives of old Newfrontiers Magazines prior to them being made available online! However both quotes were of such gravity and challenge that I really felt that I should reproduce them here for our consideration. Is the Holy Spirit truly free to move among us?

Terry Virgo said;

"Our churches must be centres of Holy Spirit activity. God is with us! His Presence is to be enjoyed. Beware the danger of thoughtlessly grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit and getting used to meetings where His Presence is hardly known ... When did you last feel the powerful sense of the Lord's Presence in your meetings? When were you last genuinely built up by a prophetic utterance? We must 'covet to prophesy'. Beware creeping passivity and simply waiting to see what the lead guitarist will do next.

God is present! He is willing to scatter spiritual gifts among you and the manifestation of the Spirit is for the good of us all".

And Dave Holden urged;

"Being a charismatic church means that you have a deluge of spiritual gifts in your worship. Is that true for you? How can you be truly charismatic if it is only by reputation and not in reality? When was the last time you had a tongue and an interpretation in your meeting or a time when many individuals brough "songs in the Spirit"? Gifts are not an option; they are essential for biblical worship and for the churches to come to maturity. Gifts are not the pinnacle of worship; they are aids to help us to worship more effectively".

A "deluge" of spiritual gifts! He used the same phrase in our seminar at Together on a Mission. Can any of us claim that we have a "deluge" of spiritual gifts? If the Holy Spirit is eager to pour out those gifts and Paul commands us to "eagerly desire ... especially" then there is nothing wrong with God. The problem may be us!

Tidal Wave Prophecy from Brighton 1996!

2007-07-23T21:42:00.000Z

I was sorting through my old Archives of Newfrontiers Magazines looking for quotes that should be going on the Post-it Notes blog and I was stirred to read this quote in a report of various conferences by John Wilthew in the Newfrontiers Magazine - Winter 2000.

This was the prophecy:

"The tidal wave is not coming, it has come. But it isn't moving forward, it is growing in height. And as it does this there comes a point at which it can no longer go higher, it has to break in total fullness on the shore".

This was John Wilthew's comment on it:

"This powerful prophetic word set the tone for Brighton 96 International Leaders Conference. The picture of the wave kept reappearing through the week ... You couldn't get away from the idea that God was about to break out in a mighty way on the shores of the nations".

I find that incredibly stirring and enormously encouraging! That prophecy was given even before I was baptised in the Holy Spirit and had even heard that there was a Holy Spirit to be encountered and experienced in power - never mind even dreaming that God would give me a powerful dream of the tidal wave heading towards the shores of Brighton! Isn't it amazing how He works in themes and gives the same message again and again. The meaning is clear - God is going to break out! And may it come soon!

Prophecies from Together on a Mission 2007!

2007-07-20T11:08:00.000Z

Here are the links of the God-honouring awesome prophecies that were given from the main platform at TOAM 07. I must admit I was surprised not to have seen more considering how many there were last year. The Scriptures say there should be 2 or 3 per meeting but at some sessions there was one or none. I did wonder whether it was because the anointing of God was so heavy on the meeting and He had come simply to bless His people and make His Presence known - surely sometimes He can do that and not bring direction every meeting! He is Lord however - and what was brought was fantastic;

Prophecies from 1st Session TOAM 07! - Dave Stroud and Julian Adams.

Prophecy from 2nd Session - TOAM '07! - Dave Holden.

Prophecies from 3rd Session - TOAM 07! - Guy Miller and Julian Adams.
Two Prophecies from Session 6 at TOAM 07! - John Lanferman.

I will add more as I get to them and when Newfrontiers make the audio recordings available I will try and transcribe the appropriate ones! God was truly among us!

Prophecy of a Rainbow from Hong Kong!

2007-07-19T23:42:00.000Z

I'm just listening to an awesome message that Rob Rufus made reference to at "TOAM 07" and at CCK the Sunday before when angels came down and manifested themselves in their church. That in and of itself was absolutely awesome enough but Rob made reference to a prophecy that came during the worship.

"A Rainbow means that judgement is over!".

I have always "known" that because I grew up in a Word church. But I don't think I ever really "knew" it. Rob said that the prophecy made reference to the rainbow circling the throne and that truth just sank into me. Judgement is over! Peace is made! I must be honest - Terry Virgo's last session at TOAM 07 didn't really bless me very much. I found it quite odd being in the overflow session with the corresponding sound issues and was struggling that the conference was coming to an end so my overwhelming impression from that message was Terry pointing at the screen (and what seemed like me) saying "You stupid man".

Please don't misunderstand me. I know Terry and I know why he preached what he did. I'm just being honest - that's how I reacted to the sermon then. I'm going to listen to it again sometime and I am sure that in the context of grace that Terry preaches, I will benefit from the message but the enemy did a hatchet job on me and plunged me into doom and condemnation.

This prophecy is like a Patriot missile to totally wreck that.

"A Rainbow means Judgement is over! And a Rainbow circles the throne! Bold I approach the eternal throne and claim the crown! Hallelujah! God doesn't look at me and say "You stupid man" - He looks at me and says "My beloved son!".

Two Prophecies from Session 6 at TOAM 07!

2007-07-18T22:09:00.001Z

There were two significant prophecies during the worship just prior to David Devenish coming to speak. The first one was from a man who I didn't know but he prophesied;

"This is a prophecy for fathers. It is a crossing over time. The elders must first go into the water of the river Jordan. The tendency is to let the crowd move in and across but it is time to demonstrate supernatural life - that has lived on the anointing of others. You fathers must demonstrate to them the power of the Holy Spirit! If you would cross into a new land, will you step into the water? As you do this there will be a tremendous crossing over behind you!".

John Lanferman - the father of Newfrontiers churches in the USA - then came up and prophesied along a similar theme. Once again God brings the same thought from different prophets;

"God will allow us to touch a new generation! He has prepared the earth for a massive great ingathering. The Lord will release a spirit of compassion and mercy upon us as we prepare to receive this great ingathering - the Lord loves the lost! We must too".

William Branham Videos!

2007-07-16T21:18:00.000Z

During his sessions at "Together on a Mission" Rob Rufus made reference to the somewhat controversial William Branham. I know something about Branham through Ern Baxter's friendship with him. I have found two key videos on You Tube about Branham. The first is one that demonstrates Branham's incredible manifestation of the Word of Knowledge. Nearer the end of the video Branham accurately diagnoses the woman's disorder then her name and her address and then goes on to pray for her healing. It is quite breath-taking! Note ... it is Jesus Christ who is declared as Lord and therefore glorified. According to the Bible doesn't that make Branham genuine at that time?

The second is a more personal one where some pastors get to sit down with Branham and interview him personally. I am not denying (as neither did Rob Rufus) that Branham ended his life falling into error. Ern Baxter said it was because he did not stay within the gifting that God had given him. I didn't know that Kenneth Hagin had prophesied his death as Rob Rufus told us though. But the reason I post these videos is to try and continue to keep our faith raised. It is the desire and will of God that these giftings are restored to the church!

Prophecies from 3rd Session - TOAM 07!

2007-07-16T19:15:00.000Z

There were two prophecies in the evening session - one from Guy Miller who is the lead elder in Bournmouth and also fathers the Wessex region in Newfrontiers. The other was from Julian Adams - who by then I was increasingly beginning to love and look forward to what he had to say. He has such a vivid pictorial view of what God is saying and was saying through him and his passion runs through everything he says.

Guy prophesied;

"Can you smell it? A holy fire! A furnace has been stoked. It is 10 times higher than before - but it is a purifying fire. Swords that have been broken will be mended. Mighty swords - men refined in the refiners fire. We are to step in deeper to the Holy Spirit's fire. This is a time of blacksmith's forges. I saw 4th July fireworks over China, over Africa. I asked God whether these were the signs of celebration but He said no. As those fireworks over the Titanic were mistaken for celebration, so are these. These are distress fireworks. These are the signs of distress. People are burning! Our call is to go. What began as a purr ends in a roar. What began as a whisper ended in a shout and the nations wait; "Jesus Christ is Lord!".

I must be honest - I didn't manage to scribble down much of Julian's prophecy because I was tremendously affected by it and was busy awestruck by the wonder that God speaks today and to us for our situation! My only hope and prayer is that it is recorded and can be transcribed later when it is made available.

But he saw a picture of a beautiful book - it was the story of Newfrontiers. The history has been captured in snapshots and there is much to celebrate. However the pages began to turn and he saw that there were many blank pages still to fill. In fact more blank pages than full! God was saying through that it is our job to get up and make sure we act worthy of being recorded in this book. Let us not become consumed with the past that we forget the future and the mission ready and waiting for us!

Prophecy from 2nd Session - TOAM '07!

2007-07-16T19:07:00.000Z

There was just one prophecy in the second session from Dave Holden but it was powerful and life-changing. He said;

"The glory of God is coming to us and will lift our heads and change our perspectives. As the Spirit of God moves us now, we will feel increasinly our heads being lifted up from our troubles and our trials and will lift our heads so we see things from heaven's perspective".

Even as he was prophesying I could feel the atmosphere becoming electrically charged in the room as the Spirit again began to brood over the gathered thousands and I could actually see heads lifting up and smiles appearing on people's faces. Yes we are not trouble-free. Yes we haven't wafted to Brighton on clouds of glory - most of us have trudged, crawled, struggled through the mires of the Slough of Despond - but now God was coming down and was showing us that this all had worth and value from on high!

Awesome God!

Prophecies from 1st Session TOAM 07!

2007-07-16T10:43:00.000Z

The context of the first prophecy and it's impact on me was that on Saturday Scott and I were walking along the pier in Brighton and I was feeling quite low and worried about the future of the conference and whether it would be worth it. I had to pay for both Scott and myself and in my present financial climate £200 is quite a bit of money. I said it a couple of times; "Will it be worth it".

So David Stroud then got up and prophesied this (I kid you not):

"You asked "Will it be worth it?". I want you to know My children that it will be very worth it. I have new things to speak to you. Be assured - I WILL pour out My Spirit this week. My burden for the nations is such that I cannot miss out on this week! My Spirit is here and He will come upon you!".

Julian Adams then followed by prophesying;

"I see a picture of a vehicle being pushed up a hill - there are different vehicles, different license plates. But this week is going to be a week of the tipping point. We are nearing the crest of the hill. At present we are trying to push it to make it happen but the Lord is saying; "This week the surface will change and you will slide faster than ever before. You will gain a momentum this week. A holy acceleration! Get ready! This isn't about man control. This is a momentum of the Spirit".

I LOVE the prophetic! I am not saying that the Word of God would be not enough without it but by obeying the Word of God - I am amazed at the depth and fullness that the prophetic gift brings to the body of Christ! These two words meant for me that the conference took off with a holy awe declaring "God is among us!".