Church of the Holy Spirit - Crawcrook
St John’s Church - Greenside
Church Office, Main Steet, Crawcrook
Ryton, Tyne and Wear
NE40 4NB
Clive’s Blog
Last update: 25th May 08
What a fantastic three weeks it has been in this Parish: Pentecost, Adult Baptism and reaffirmation of vows and Ruth Fazal’s visit to Crawcrook.
Let’s start at Pentecost. That Saturday morning we met for prayer and meditation to prepare for Pentecost Sunday. There was such an intimacy with our Lord and His presence was very present. Many people had fasted in preparation for this weekend. What a difference it makes to fast – somehow the whole person is drawn into His beautiful presence.
Pentecost Sunday was just so wonderful. There was, for the first time in my three years in the Parish, a deep desire, an expectation within the Church that Jesus would fulfil His promise and send His Holy Spirit.
Many lives were touched that morning as the Holy Spirit ministered to His people – I do really believe that many of God’s people are really hungry and thirsty for more of Him. What really thrills me is the excitement that is in the Church – we are seeing more people commit themselves to our Lord and those people are coming in from all walks of life. Praise the Lord!
The following Sunday we had a full emersion Baptism Service. Altogether, one adult was baptised for the first time and eleven others, including one ten year old boy, reaffirmed their faith.
It was the most wonderful privilege to be part of this beautiful, spiritual occasion. The other exciting part of the service is that half of the baptismal group were men. Each person gave a brief testimony of why they made this step of faith. There were cheers and applause as each candidate was raised out of the water after baptism. As the candidates stepped out of the pool, members of the Leadership Team prayed for the impartation of the Holy Spirit.
God is building his Church in Greenside Parish and there is definitely a wonderful work of God happening in this Parish. I thank Him for His mercy and favour upon us.
Wednesday the 21st May was the third of the three key points in the last three weeks. Ruth Fazal and her team from
Her message was about letting God break our hearts so that He was able to replace it with His. She also spoke about going deeper into the “
I believe that what is happening in Greenside Parish is just the tip of the iceberg of what God is going to do. There is just a wonderful excitement in His church as He breaks down barriers which have obstructed His truth and presence for many years.
25th March 08The weekend at the beginning of March saw a team of eight ordainands (vicars in training) from
The team arrived at the
The following morning we met for prayer – what a lovely time of being with God. We then went into the shops in the two villages and gave them coffee/tea and a piece of cake. Shoppers and the people at the bus stops were also offered the famous orange coloured coffee cup fill with a hot drink. Many people accepted and were grateful. The cups had a very special bible verse printed on them: “You are precious in my sight and honoured, and I love you” Isaiah 43:4. What a wonderful gift to give to people. What a great pleasure it was for us to share with the team from
It was so great to see God’s Church in action outside of the four walls of the Church building.
What a wonderful weekend it was!
11 March 08
The following Sunday we celebrated Mothering Sunday. What a joyful occasion - an almost full church with lots of content for all ages. A member of the team preached and another shared testimony of the love of Jesus.
As the outreach went on in the villages there was a “Flower Arranging Demonstration” going on at St John’s Church
It’s all about You, Jesus!
Jesus is love personified upon this earth; He came to reveal the nature of the Father’s heart which is perfect love.
When Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary little did she know what was to happen to Him in the future and what selflessness He would demonstrate during His life upon this earth.
We will soon be celebrating Easter and this celebration points us to the heart and the central purpose of His mission upon earth: To save humanity from eternal death and open the way back to the Father’s heart. For us to understand why Jesus had to die we must look at the cost of sin and rebellion against God. It all started with Adam and Eve when they thought they knew better than God (yes, it was Satan that tempted them but they had the choice to either follow God’s ways, or submit to the temptation of Satan’s scheming ways. Sadly, they rebelled against God and it was through that that sin entered their lives. As you know there is no sin in heaven (Garden of Eden) and because Adam and Eve sinned they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and separated from God.
The results of sin is that they were now to live on what is called a fallen earth (corrupted by sin) where they were no longer shielded and protected by God, but they were now living , by choice, in a place where sin has destroyed and corrupted the original intention of God’s creation.
The result of this rebellion is that we have inherited a life where there is sickness, disease, disharmony and all the awful things that happen upon this earth, including death. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death”. Sin corrupts and destroys!
That’s why the title of this message is all about Jesus. That is why Easter is a time of celebration. If it wasn’t for the work of Jesus on the cross the power of death would not have been destroyed. What Jesus did for us on that Good Friday, was to take our place in death so that we could be set free from death. His death gave us life!!! What a wonderful gift.
What is crucial for us to understand is that sins can only be forgiven by coming to the cross of Jesus and asking His forgiveness; this mean to truly repent by turning away from that way of life and following His way of life. Jesus made this very clear when He said that He was: “the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father (God) except through me.” John 14:6
This clearly means that no philosophy, saint or statue, human works or other religion can cleanse us from our sin. It is only through a genuine commitment to Jesus that we can be cleansed of sin and therefore reconciled to the Father which opens the way back to eternity.
Here is some more good news: Jesus did not only say the above words, He proved that He had the power over sin and death by rising on the third day, the day we know as Easter Sunday when the sting and power of death was broken and destroyed.
I don’t know where you stand in your faith, but the reality is this: salvation only comes through Jesus and Jesus alone. So why not take this step and make your commitment (see prayer below) to Jesus and begin this most tremendous and fruitful journey with Him which guarantees you a place in eternity.
Dear Heavenly Father.
I come before You and confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour. I thank you for all the love and you have poured out upon me and for taking my place in death upon the cross. Please forgive me for all the things I have done wrong in your sight. Now please come into my life by your Holy Spirit and reveal more of your love and desire for my life. I pray this in the name of Jesus! Amen.
Last update:Mar 08
It’s all about You, Jesus!
Jesus is love personified upon this earth; He came to reveal the nature of the Father’s heart which is perfect love.
When Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary little did she know what was to happen to Him in the future and what selflessness He would demonstrate during His life upon this earth.
We will soon be celebrating Easter and this celebration points us to the heart and the central purpose of His mission upon earth: To save humanity from eternal death and open the way back to the Father’s heart. For us to understand why Jesus had to die we must look at the cost of sin and rebellion against God. It all started with Adam and Eve when they thought they knew better than God (yes, it was Satan that tempted them but they had the choice to either follow God’s ways, or submit to the temptation of Satan’s scheming ways. Sadly, they rebelled against God and it was through that that sin entered their lives. As you know there is no sin in heaven (Garden of Eden) and because Adam and Eve sinned they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and separated from God.
The results of sin is that they were now to live on what is called a fallen earth (corrupted by sin) where they were no longer shielded and protected by God, but they were now living , by choice, in a place where sin has destroyed and corrupted the original intention of God’s creation.
The result of this rebellion is that we have inherited a life where there is sickness, disease, disharmony and all the awful things that happen upon this earth, including death. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death”. Sin corrupts and destroys!
That’s why the title of this message is all about Jesus. That is why Easter is a time of celebration. If it wasn’t for the work of Jesus on the cross the power of death would not have been destroyed. What Jesus did for us on that Good Friday, was to take our place in death so that we could be set free from death. His death gave us life!!! What a wonderful gift.
What is crucial for us to understand is that sins can only be forgiven by coming to the cross of Jesus and asking His forgiveness; this mean to truly repent by turning away from that way of life and following His way of life. Jesus made this very clear when He said that He was: “the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father (God) except through me.” John 14:6
This clearly means that no philosophy, saint or statue, human works or other religion can cleanse us from our sin. It is only through a genuine commitment to Jesus that we can be cleansed of sin and therefore reconciled to the Father which opens the way back to eternity.
Here is some more good news: Jesus did not only say the above words, He proved that He had the power over sin and death by rising on the third day, the day we know as Easter Sunday when the sting and power of death was broken and destroyed.
I don’t know where you stand in your faith, but the reality is this: salvation only comes through Jesus and Jesus alone. So why not take this step and make your commitment (see prayer below) to Jesus and begin this most tremendous and fruitful journey with Him which guarantees you a place in eternity.
Dear Heavenly Father.
I come before You and confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour. I thank you for all the love and you have poured out upon me and for taking my place in death upon the cross. Please forgive me for all the things I have done wrong in your sight. Now please come into my life by your Holy Spirit and reveal more of your love and desire for my life. I pray this in the name of Jesus! Amen.
The congregation continues to explore being Church from a Kingdom perspective. Luke 16 tells us: 16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the
What Luke is saying here is that the time of the Law and the Prophets have now come to the position where the baton is passed on to the new runner, who will take it to the winning tape. This not only includes the Old Testament Prophets, but also John the Baptist, the fore runner of Jesus.
John’s ministry was there to make straight the paths and prepare the way for King Jesus to take up His reign on earth, 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’.
John did exactly that; he prepared the way for the coming King, the exalted King; the King whose sandals John was not fit to untie. John knew his purpose and calling and that was to prepare the way for Jesus and the inauguration of His Kingdom.
Luke tells us that since Jesus took over the baton from John a new era started, the era of the Good News of the Kingdom - a new Kingdom which was different to the old, a Kingdom where sin, death and sickness has been destroyed.
After Jesus was anointed at the river Jordan we began to see the fruit of the Good News of the Kingdom – His ministry was supernatural: He healed the sick, cast out demons, cleansed lepers, raised the dead and restored relationships with Father God through the forgiveness of sins (1Peter 2:24 “by his wounds you have been healed”). Jesus not only preached about the Kingdom, but He actually demonstrated it! He solidly backed up His teaching by example.
Jesus’ ministry was that of living from a Kingdom perspective. He only did what He saw the Father doing, the Father who reigns in the
For us, who are born-again into the
Saying that, I am very aware that the Kingdom of God itself has not been fully established upon this earth and that we are living in what some theologians call the ‘already-but-not–yet’ times. This means that although Jesus has brought in the Kingdom through His ministry, His death and resurrection, and finally His ascension and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it will not be fully established until He comes to complete the judgment of humanity and bring into completion the new heaven and earth.
Until that time comes we will see people healed and restored as the future Kingdom breaks into the present. This is what we saw Jesus do; this is what we saw the disciples do: this is what the Church has been authorized to.
So my friends keep on seeking God’s presence and what the Father is doing – just like Jesus did. He looked at this life on earth not from an earthly perspective, but from a Kingdom perspective.
This passage concludes “and everyone is forcing his way into it2. We can force our way into the supernatural ways of the Kingdom by developing that intimate relationship with God through spending more time in study and prayer and silence. Ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you.
The big question is: are you willing to be obedient to His will at any cost? If you are tell Him so and begin that journey which will take you into the realm of the supernatural and bring glorify His precious name.
The baton has been handed to you – which way will you go?
The Miracle of the Mobile Phone
A few nights ago some young people were hanging about outside the Church of the Holy Spirit, Crawcrook. John Spencer the Alpha course administrator was setting up for Alpha invited them into the hall and began to chat with them. They later left the church building. Sometime later that evening they began to make a disturbance outside. One or two people responded by going outside and talking with them. They were asked just to respect what was going on inside the building.
After a short while I began to chat with them, while the Alpha talk was going on in the church. We talked about various things and I eventually asked them what sort of world they would like to see and be part of - various responses came back. One young man said he would like to see a drug and violent free community; another mentioned that she wished that a gang of kids would not make so much noise outside her grandmother's house which scared her gran.
The same girl said that she had a physical problem which affected her temperament and also shared that earlier that evening she had also lost her mobile phone somewhere in the park. I suggested to the girl and the other young people that we can pray for both situations - the medical problem and the lost phone. They began to giggle. I shared with them that God was a God who wanted the best for them and that they were extremely precious in their sight. I asked them: "Has anybody ever told you how precious you are? They replied, “No!” They then began to share with me some of their broken family history. We eventually began to pray (they were still giggling at this stage). I said that the God I worship is a God of love and miracles and that He could heal the girl with the medical problem and will help to find the mobile phone.
After praying they all went off to do their thing.
Want to know what happened next? To find out, go to our Testimony Page just click here
Let Your Kingdom Come
I thank God for the opportunity he gave Cyndi and me, to visit a Church where some great signs of revival are happening.
Last year I received a letter from a Trust offering to sponsor me on an educational trip that would enhance the ministry God has called me to. After a great deal of time seeking the Lord’s will, I finally felt the Lord leading me to
So we signed up for the “Open Heavens Conference” and booked the air fare, hired car and accommodation. Our first test when we landed at San Francisco Airport was tackling the peak hour traffic in the dark – lack of sleep, new hired car and driving on the wrong side of the road in five lanes of traffic was quite a challenge. But thank the Lord that he protected our journey.
Our first experienced of
One of the main emphases of Bill’s preaching is based on Kingdom theology of Signs and Wonders. Jesus models Kingdom theology and did what He taught and taught what He did - in other words He walked His talk. He taught about the Kingdom of heaven and that the Kingdom was at hand and His followers should also model the work of Jesus. But he also taught that the most important part of being the disciples of Jesus was to have that intimate relationship with Him and out of that relationship will flow the signs and wonders of the Kingdom.
We heard testimony after testimony of how God is changing lives. Stories of physical healing and conversions were flowing freely from the platform.
A key part of the conference for us was the worship. The worship team led us into God’s presence. We just sung song after song of praise and declaration of the majesty and glory of God. These times of worship often went over the hour, the longest being two and a quarter hours. During these times of worship and waiting we encountered the wonderful presence of God. It brings to mind the meaning of some of the words of that wonderful hymn “Lost in wonder, love and praise.”
On one occasion while we were having lunch in MacDonald’s a group of young people from Texas joined us for lunch and afterwards began to pray for us (Yes! in the middle of MacDonald’s). It was so moving and we returned the blessing to them. Later we saw them on the streets praying with people. It was wonderful to see God’s people in action with no fear of embarrassment.
We had a wonderful experience at
We are both excited to see how God will use the knowledge and excitement that He has imparted to us and I pray that we will see more of the Kingdom of signs and wonders manifesting in the life of the Church.
Lord, please let your Kingdom come and let you will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Which one are you onboard: the Cruise Ship or the War Ship?
Picture both of those vessels in your mind. Which one does your Church represent?
Maybe this analogy is too much a contrast and many may believe that standing with one foot on each deck is the right place to be. A neutral stance!
We are fighting the fight for justice and truth when our foot rest upon the deck of the war ship and enjoying the pleasures of the world when we rest the other foot on the cruise ship. As far as I understand God's desire for us, that analogy is pretty good - enjoying life and fighting the good fight. God has given us so much on earth that it is important that we appreciate and enjoy his gifts.
But, maybe I should have told you from the beginning that the cruise ship is on a mystery tour, and as far as the passengers are concerned, they have no idea where the ship is going - east, west, north -south, so what? Direction or destination does not matter; they are just there to enjoy the mystery of the journey.
And by the way, the second ship is heading to war - its mission is to bring democracy and freedom to a certain country which is under dictatorship.
Is it possible to use the analogy of these two ships to represent our attitude and understanding of the Church - well, I think I can (not forgetting all analogies have flaws).
The passengers on the Cruise Liner have a purpose - to enjoy themselves. And it’s great to enjoy life. But sadly, they have no idea where they are going, they have no idea how long it will be before they will be on dry land again, or even which direction they are heading. Yes, the passengers have a destination and they know that they will be returned to the place they embarked - the rest is a mystery. In fact it doesn't really matter because they have left all that responsibility to the ship's crew.
So often our churches are like that -we don't know where we are heading, we have no goals or vision we leave it all up to certain people (the crew) to decide take them where ever they want.
That is a very difficult situation to be in, because if you have no goal or destination you will eventually lose your way. This is a reality with many churches that have lost their way.
How different is the Battleship analogy? Well, quite different. You see a Battle
The Church was also built for a purpose, it was, and is, built for battle. Battle
We are told very clearly how to defend ourselves in battle - put on the armour of God Eph 6:13 the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness ... pray in the spirit at all times.
My friends, the Church that Jesus initiated upon this earth is like a battleship on this earth. It should have a purpose and a goal. It crew should be trained and equipped for the battle we are fighting against the powerful weapon of spiritual darkness and carry no passengers.
Of course, we know that the victory has already been won on the cross by Jesus, and that we who are Christians are living in that victory. But the reality is that we have been commissioned as a Church by Jesus, to bring that victory of God's Kingdom into the lives of those who are blinded from the truth by spiritual darkness, and lead them into truth revealed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.
4th Sept 2007 (Written for September's Church Magazine)
Be Encouraged!
My friends - Thank you for all you are doing in the Parish of Greenside. I write this article with a heart full of joy and encouragement, as I see some of the vision that God has given to His Church, here in the Parish, being fulfilled.
When God led me to Greenside, to lead this Parish, it was quite a daunting task. In reality, each Parish has its own culture and history. A great deal of foundations had been built up over the years – some good, some not so good.
It was quite obvious that the Parish Church
Help is a constant call to our Lord in prayer. Questions such as : What is Your will for this Parish? How do I fulfill Your will and calling upon my life? Do I need to change things? Why do I need to change and if change is needed, what is Your timing? Surely Lord, if I let things go on as they are, life would be much easier for me and many of the congregation would be happier to continue as they are.
The answer was quite clear to me, that it is not God’s will and vision for His Church to let it sit back, take it easy and gradually die. (Parable of the rich fool. Luke 12:19). This understanding of Church comes from the enemy (Satan) and he delights in all attitudes that will enhance the kingdom of darkness.
But be encouraged my friends, we are not about darkness, but LIGHT! The light which comes from our Lord Jesus penetrates and transforms the darkness, showing it up for what it really is.
Be encouraged at what is going on in the Church:
- We are beginning to see some growth – spiritually and numerically.
- We are beginning to work as a team.
- We are beginning to pray more together.
- We are beginning to learn more about God’s vision and desire for His Church
- We are beginning to be what God wants us to be.
- We are beginning to make a difference in the community in all age ranges.
- We are beginning to touch the hearts of the community.
- We are beginning to look outwards instead of selfishly looking inwards.
Here are some important questions: Do you have a dream for the Church? Do you have hopes for the Church? Do you have a vision for the Church?
If you are in Christ you will, because when you are born again into His Kingdom (and all Christians have to be born-again John 3:3), He will give you hopes, dreams and a vision for His Church.
Thank you once again for your willingness to sacrificially put aside your preferences and look towards the greater need of Growing God’s Kingdom. Rejoice at what God is doing in our hearts.
Thanks to the leadership team and the PCC for supporting and encouraging all the changes going on in this Parish and thank you to all who are involved in making the name and love of Jesus known in this Parish.
With love in His name
Clive
12th August 2007
Are you worried? Are you fearful? Are you anxious?
If you are, then join the majority of fallen humanity - I don't think there are many people who can say that they are completely free of the above.
Did you know that worry, anxiety, and fear is a faith issue? Read Luke 12: If God feeds the wild sparrow, if He dresses the flowers of the field, how much more will He feed and dress us. Did the Israelites go short of food or clothing in the forty years of crossing the desert? Were not the disciples fed and housed when they went out, without purse or food.
Life with God is a journey of faith - He promises to provide our needs; note that I said needs, not wants! Yet most of are not satisfied with needs, because we are sucked into the vortex of wants which tosses us about and takes us into situations where we have lost control.
Does anxiety ever add one day onto our lives? I really don't believe it does. It may prompt us to do things which will help us to be more healthy or secure (e.g. give up an addiction or invest money), but it will not add a day onto our lives. When our time is up, it is up and we can do nothing about it. Yes, we can freeze our bodies, or use the cheaper version and just freeze the head in hope that some day there will be a cure or that special pill to prolong life forever. What a wasted hope.
My friends, no scientific invention can equal what the Lord Jesus has already given and promised to humanity. His presence is with us always - throughout our struggles, pain, and despair. He also promises eternity for those who trust and believe in Him. What better hope is there, than to know we are all in God's hands.
That is why He tells us not to be anxious. It doesn't matter what side the coin falls on - we win. In times of struggles, pain or despair, we can be aware of His presence - carrying us, supporting us or just leading us through the difficult times. If our lives come to an end He is also there waiting to welcome us into our proper home in heaven, where all of His followers are destined to be.
My friends, trust in God - He sees the wider picture. He doesn't just see the thread of the present time, but the whole tapestry of our lives which we are not aware of.
This day take your anxieties to the Cross - send them there and leave them there. Then ask God to build up your faith and trust in Him. Ask Him to minister into those places where the anxieties were and to fill them with the gift of His Holy Spirit of trust and faith.
25th August 2007
It is amazing to know that we have a God who cares for each one of us and who pours upon His creation an abundance of mercy and grace.
In Luke 12 Jesus's response to the "man" question about inheritance was that of telling him the parable of the "Rich Fool". Interestingly, the rich man inherits an abundance of crops and seeks to enlarge his own personal wealth rather than sharing it with others. "I shall build more barns", said the rich fool, "to accommodate all that I have gained for myself". Little did he realise that all that he has comes out of the generosity of God. It was He that grew the crops, it was He who was solely responsible for the abundance that the man had.
Does that ring bells with us? Sometimes we just like to take the credit for our success. Of course, we do have skills and giftings that we use to improve our businesses and lifestyle, and it is important that use the gifts and talents given to us and not to bury them, but it is important to acknowledge that all we have comes from our Almighty God.
The parable points clearly at the bad attitude of the "Rich Fool". It seems to draw a picture of selfishness and narrow-mindedness. Selfishness, in the sense that he wanted to build up his own personal wealth so that he could "take it easy, be merry and basically have a good time later on in life." (Italics mine).
That seems to be the attitude of many people today (the church included), to try and build up their wealth for their retirement- so they can take it easy, be merry and have a good time. I am sure the Lord's wants us to enjoy our life, enjoy our retirement from paid work and to have the necessary finance to do that. But the problem begins when we become selfish and greedy. When we begin to build bigger barns for ourselves out of the abundance that God has given to us and not use the abundance as it was intended, that is, to share it with those who are less well off and are in need.
This Rich Fool was so busy preparing and looking at the future that he forgot the present - he missed the most important time! Little did he know that his life was to be taken that night and that all his accumulated wealth in the storehouse would never be used for his delight. It happens so often, people work their butts, and step on and over people as they climb the ladder of success - all to build up their treasures and status on earth, all this so that they could have security in retirement. Sadly, many people never see the so called rewards of their toil. During this process God never comes into the equation - maybe the odd thought or "I will have more time to find out about him when I can find the time".
The Rich Fool never saw his wealth and neither did he see the future kingdom of God. W
Maybe we need to take a good look at ourselves and the abundance that God has given to us. Are we building bigger barns for ourselves, or are we using the abundance for God's glory?
22nd July 2007
A team took the 10.00am service. Anthony spoke on the importance of keeping the Sabbath Holy - The Sabbath, a special day set aside for worship and rest. Kathryn led the service and the music. Gloria, the team leader, led the intercessions.
The 6.30pm service was an informal Holy Communion service, but sadly, Kathryn, our worship leader was ill. Neil took over and led the worship beautifully. I think the anointing from the Clan Gathering was still upon him and we had a wonderful time of entering into God's Holy presence.
No sermon was preached that evening - I was not too well and there were lots of powerful testimonies to share that evening.
The service culminated with the breaking of bread.
The week of 14-20th July
Took 18 Church Members to the CLAN Gathering at St Andrew's in Scotland. For many this was the first time to a big Christian Celebration where thousands of worshippers gather together to celebrate God's love.
What an interesting week. The weather was pretty awful - lots and lots of rain. The ground was saturated and even inside the big tent there was up to six inches of surface water lying on the low level of the field. Tons of straw was used to try and soak up some of the excess water and give some sort of insulation from the mud. This worked well in places. Yes, the tent was drier, but the smell of manure was powerful. Did that stop us from enjoying ourselves? Not in the slightest.
Yes, mud was everywhere, it was damp, and the smell was interesting - but so was the Holy Spirit of God.
The main worship and teaching sessions began at 9.30am. The sessions started with praise and then the main speaker spoke on various themes. RT Kendall, John-Paul Jackson, Kenny Borthwick and Mark Stibbe were just a few of the speakers expounding God's Holy Word. The teaching and praise was of high quality and everyone has come away with a deeper desire to learn more of the will of our precious Saviour.
For many this was the first time they have experienced singing in tongues during spirit filled praise.
Coffee breaks were also great - the caramel filled doughnuts were quite 'moreish'.
I personally was not too well during the week (some sort of bug/virus) which prevented me receiving as much as I would have liked to. After visiting the hospital, Cyndi and I returned home a couple of days early, as I had a wedding to take on Saturday and needed to find some rest to try and shake the symptoms off.
8-15th July
The theme for these two-weeks was based on Psalm 100 and Psalm 96. And I expounded these two Psalms on praise and worship.
In the first week I focussed on Psalm 100 and the importance of preparation as we come to worship as a body on a Sunday morning. The psalm tells us to enter his courts with praise. Preparation to come into the courts, prepared to worship with hearts full of thanksgiving for all the Lord has done for us. It is so easy to be hooked up in all the troubles of life and come into His courts with great despair and sadness. But as Christians, we must also realize that the Lord is faithful and His love endures forever.
We sometimes, through difficult times, can forget the positives of life and what God has done for us. When we focus on the negatives we can sometimes dig ourselves into a deeper hole of negativity. Maybe in those difficult times it would be important to look and focus on what God has done for us in Jesus and to remember whatever problems we have, they are only temporary and one day they will disappear.
So the Psalmist encourages us to come to the courts of the Lord "with joy and thanksgiving in your heart", because there is a lot to be thankful for.
Psalm 96 begins with focusing on "Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth". A great emphasis is put on all the earth singing a new song to the Lord, and not just humanity.
What we believe is crucial to our understanding of worship. If we believe that we here because of a cosmic accident, then our whole attitude to God and his creation will be different to those who believe in a creator-designer God.
If we stand on the platform that we are here by a cosmic accident, then we make our own purpose, destiny and meaning. This means that each person you know is a result of an accident, therefore, it doesn't matter how you treat them because they are just an accident and have no value, purpose or destiny.
Richard Sennet, a socialist, in his book titled "Corrosion of Character" says “A regime which provides human beings with no deep reason to care about each other cannot long preserve its legitimacy”.
But if you believe that God created and designed the world then - It already has a purpose and value and what we have to do is discover our purpose and find out our destiny.
Yes, we, part of God's creation, we have value – but it is important to remember He encourages all of creation to sing a new song, which means not only you and I, but the whole creation.
A new song of praise can be sung by being what God created the earth to be - when you see the the tree growing healthy and bearing fruit -it sings a silent song of praise to God or when you see the solid mountains and wild flowers and the dog barking they are being what God intended them to be.
Acid rain, polluted rivers , litter strewn streets have a drastic effect on God's creation and dead trees and pollution cannot be what God intended - therefore cannot praise Him.
We are stewards of the earth and have been given that great privilege. We must care for God's creation so that the silent song of praise continues forever and ever.
27th June Wednesday service seems to have grown - we are now averaging over 20 people. Wednesday morning is a wonderful time of to worship God. I always feel a special anointing when I preach. It is probably because of the early morning prayer meeting just before the service starts - it just seems to overflow from that meeting into the HC service. Once again I addressed the issue of bearing good healthy fruit and the necessity of being deeply grafted into the vine. I am never too sure how much God's Word is getting through to many of the congregation - there never seems to be any change in the attitudes of many and very little fruit.
Audrey read the Gospel reading beautifully this morning straight from her heart.
Prayed again this morning for Brian to recover quickly from his major operation that he had on Monday and only to find later that he was back home later that afternoon. Praise the Lord!
D also returned to church this morning after the doctors relived her trapped nerves. She was also out within a day of her operation.
25th June 10.00am was the baptism of Conner. St John's church was full and right from the beginning you could feel the anointing of the service. So often with baptisms, there are so many non-christians there that it is difficult to get going. But right from the beginning the musicians led us into God's presence. They were different this morning - a special anointing was upon them - possibly overflowing from the worship seminar the day before. There was such a freedom to worship God and they led us really well. We sang some favourite choruses during the service, which was new to the baptism party - but they seemed to engage in the whole service.
I spoke about the importance of bringing up children to know Jesus and the importance of being a role model and the preciousness of life even from the embryo stage.
The evening service was a HC service and the subject I addressed was John 15 "The Vine and the Branches". There was lots of space for reflection during the service.
24th June. The Leadership team went on a day away to Beggars Roost in Stocksfield. It was a really good day for the team, getting together to pray and seek God's will for His church.
We began the morning with coffee and went into prayer. The pattern of prayer used was following the format of the Lord's prayer. It was wonderful to worship our Lord in prayer and praise.
I then felt it important that the team get to know one another - so we began to share. This was a very positive time and helped the team to bond much more as a team.
In the afternoon we discussed a book that I had asked people to read - by Simon Ponsonby called "MORE". Simon addresses the importance of seeking more of the Holy Spirit in all areas of life. In his book he tries to address issues from both the charismatic side of the Church as well as the evangelical side. Simon has a convincing argument in his book and argues from a very sound Biblical and experiential knowledge.
Absent from the leadership day was Kathryn F. who took a team of musicians away to a worship seminar.
17th June Angus Brown was the speaker for this morning - Angus brought a powerful word for us from the Lord. Using Romans 8 and Genesis 1 and 3, he addressed the subject of creation and pointed out that creation was described b God as good, and mankind as very good - but went onto say that there was a lack of superlatives in the creation language. In reality the term excellent will be realised when the full restoration of God's Kingdom is fully realised and then He will use the superlative "excellent" to descibe mankind.
I spoke in the afternoon at the Christian Unity Fellowship in Newcastle. I address the subject of unity and forgiveness and challenged the congregation to set free from prison those they are unable to forgive. I felt I had a word for someone called Mary to release John and forgive him - two common names I know, but that's what I felt came to me in a word of knowledge. Only time will tell if it was from God.
9th -10th June
Rev Dr Russ Parker was our guest speaker for that weekend. Russ addressed the subject of "Healing Past wounds". During the Saturday evening session, Russ addressed dealing with past wounds in two areas:
a) Wounds in communities (especially Church communities) and
b) Wounds which affect us individually.
Over the decades there has been a history of disunity within the Church Communities including Methodist, RC and Anglican - this disunity has created division and separation. My experience is that of a "superficial unity" but nothing in depth. It was interesting to see so many people from the RC church at this meeting. God has touched their hearts and many of them experienced a deeper understanding of worship and a wider understanding of unity. It was interesting to see some members from a church in this area present at the meeting - historically there has been a big disaggreements and condemnation towards the Anglican Church. Pray that God will heal the past and lead us into truth and unity
The Lord, through the ministry time, spoke into the hurts of many people that evening - I met up with a couple a few days later and spent some time praying into their hurts and placing them at the cross of Christ and leaving them there.
3rd June 07 - Second Pentecost Sunday
Because I was away on holiday for the official Pentecost Sunday Service we repeated the celebration the following week. The holiday in Greece was tremendously refreshing. The two weeks away was filled with relaxation, sight seeing and lots of Greeks Cuisine. But what I find most refreshing on holiday is the ability to draw closer to God – time to seek His presence, time to read more of His desire for my life and so I came back with my heart on fire to pursue more of His presence in the my personal relationship and to lead those under my spiritual care to do the same.
We had a great celebration of the second Pentecost Sunday and I spoke about being born of water as only part of what God desires of us. He also desires us to be born of the Holy Spirit.
Someone said to me – "Clive I don’t like what is going on here – we are becoming more like a Pentecostal Church rather than the old Anglican ways?" My heart leapt with joy – I said to that person (named Fred for convenience) “You mean we are beginning to reflect the Church that Jesus began on Pentecost Sunday”. I wanted to shout alleluia! But I had to be sensitive to the situation. I said “Fred, the Anglican Church is founded on the principles of Pentecost Sunday, and therefore we are a Pentecostal Church in the sense that we are a Church which is seeking to be open and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Fred, you know something, Anglicanism in its truest form should be the same as the first Church formed on the day of Pentecost and we have to careful not to invent the type of Church that we want it to be.”
So often, the perception of the Anglican Church is one of stiffness and repetition, where only the well adjusted in society go to be bored out of their mind. So often, services where God is left out and human power and ways are exalted and take a preference - a hymn sandwich where you know exactly what will happen and exactly when you will finish (don’t you dare go over that finishing time because the roast may burn). Sadly that perception is true in many cases and many people, I believe, have lost the plot.
Back to the second Pentecost Service – it was a wonderful time and I challenged people to come forward to be imparted with the Holy Spirit – over twenty people came forward to receive the Holy Spirit and I believe that many, in their seats, prayed for more of the Holy Spirit.
20th - 27th May
Cyndi and I were away on holiday in Greece
Thank you to the teams that led and preached during my two weeks away. I understand that they were both excellent services.
6th -13th May 07
Continued to teach about the importance of evangelism - The Good News of Christianity and friendship evangelism were the main themes for these two weeks.
For decades the congregation has relied on their leaders and specially gifted people to "do evangelism". To try and break that deeply rooted misunderstanding of discipleship, we need the mighty power of the Holy Spirit to convict the Christian Disciple, that they, being disciples of Jesus, are fully signed up to this aspect of discipleship, in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The process of undoing this wrong (or maybe convenient) understanding of discipleship will take time and patience to undo, and as God, through the anointing of His teachers and preachers, will begin to reveal the importance of all of His disciples in sharing the Good News.
The first important teaching is knowing what the Good News is! So many people find it hard to articulate their understanding of the Good News.
I encouraged the congregation to have ready their own stories of what God has done for them in their lives and to share them with people when the opportunity arises. In fact, I suggested they write it down and memorised it so that they would not stumble too much. (Stories that last about three minutes).
Friendship evangelism was also important to sharing the Good News. A well known saying about evangelism goes like this "Christianity in not taught, but it is caught". Like the common cold your presence, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and living and demonstrating the fruit of the Holy Spirit, will spread the Good the Good News.
Evangelism is a natural part of our walk with Jesus and sharing what He has done for us should certainly not a secret to be withheld from family, friends and colleagues.
29th April 07
10.00am The Revd Ed Hird from Canada was our special guest speaker from Canada. Ed and Janice are the parents of Andrew Hird, our Pais youth and children's worker from Canada.
Ed, the author of "Battle for the Souls of Canada", was our speaker for the morning service. He explored the meaning of John 21:1-19, using a powerpoint presentation and lots of photographic illustrations. One of the key points he made was that although Jesus was there, the disciples did not recognise Him. The same goes for us - Jesus is always there; the problem is that we don't always recognise Him. At the end of the address Ed prayed for the congregation. During the prayer he asked people if they wanted to commit or recommit their lives to Jesus - five people put their hands up to commit their lives to Jesus and many others recommitted their lives to Jesus. Later in the service about twenty people came forward to receive prayer. Praise the Lord for what He is doing in Greenside Parish.
6.00pm The Chaplain of the Africa Mercy Ship was our guest speaker for the evening. Phil and Lois Attwood came and shared with us the work that is going on in the Africa Mercy ship. Africa Mercy will be sailing out to Liberia on Friday 4th May after eight years in dock, being refurbished. Cyndi and I had the privilege of looking around the ship in its new reordered state - it was fascinating. There are six hospital theatres with all the latest equipment and many hospital wards to care for the various patients. The ship runs on volunteer staff: engineers, cleaners, medical staff, catering staff and a host of other Christians who share the Good News of Jesus through the various skills God has given to them.
They showed us a DVD of some of the work done in various parts of Africa. The injuries, diseases and some of the biggest facial tumours that I have ever seen were attended to by extremely skilled staff.
Thank God for His people who volunteer to work on that ship - the interesting part is that they have to pay to be volunteers aboard Africa Mercy.
22nd April 2007
Today we launched a new series on Evangelism based on the course written by J.John titled "Breaking News". I am hoping that this series will help the church to actively take part in the commission given to us by our Lord Jesus (Matt 28).
J.John describes most Christians as being like Arctic Rivers - "frozen at the mouth", especially when it comes to sharing the Good News of Jesus.
Over this series we are going to explore the fears of sharing our faith; the reason we have to share our faith; the ways of sharing our faith; living out our faith in word and action; the rewards of sharing our faith.
I believe that the first week's teaching on "Why do we share our faith" was extremely challenging. The home groups will explore this subject more in depth and I pray that they will grow in confidence as they learn the importance of sharing the Good News.
21st April 07
Alpha Day Away. Only seven out of the twelve people made it to the day away. What a day to miss! Those who came were hungry and thirsty for God - they wanted to receive the water of life.
The day went really well. The day away is a wonderful way of bonding people together. The first subject we covered was "What does the Holy Spirit do?" The questions that followed were really searching - one of the key areas of teaching, was that of being in the family of God, that they were children of our heavenly Father - heirs to the Kingdom. We also looked at the spiritual gifts and the importance of seeking and using these gifts - various illustrations were used to depict the work of the Holy Spirit.
Not only did the Holy Spirit unite us together as one family, but He also renews our minds and attitudes to life - especially our attitude and relationship to Jesus and also a deeper understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
After lunch the subject of "How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit" was addressed. The key area of receiving the Holy Spirit was about going through the cross. There was no other way than that of commitment to Jesus - through repentance and confession - that He is Lord of their lives. Altogether six people either committed or recommitted their lives to Jesus. Sadly one person had to leave before the afternoon was completed, but you can see the work the Lord is doing in His life.
Praise the Lord!
15th April 2007
A special day for Charlie Reed, for today was his baptism. Charlie is the son of Tricia and Darren Reed (members of our Church), and grandson to my predecessor Rev Peter Saddington. It was a lovely family occasion and Peter had the privilege of baptising his second grandchild during the service. We met afterwards for a shared lunch in the hall. The weather was glorious!
The evening was a time of prayer and we continued to meet in a circle in the Holy Spirit Church. Denise, one of our Church Wardens, shared with me her thoughts about focusing over the next few weeks until Pentecost on praying for certain people or situations and writing those things down on paper and then pinning them to the wooden cross. This facility of pinning our prayers to the wooden cross will be there for the foreseeable future.
8th April 2007
Easter Sunday - what a great morning of celebration! The service was started with the acclamation that Jesus Christ has indeed RISEN!
We also had some fun with one of the songs "Low in the Grave He Lay" (this song is becoming a bit of a tradition) where we sat through the the hymn verses and sprang to our feet during the chorus (Up from the grave He arose). It was good to see the Church quite full despite six of our regular families being away. I spoke about the hope for all of God's creation in the resurrection of Jesus and how death has lost its sting and its power destroyed through the victory of Jesus being raised from the dead.
The miracle of the stone being rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but for us to see that the tomb was empty. I touched upon the fact that His resurrected body was now different - superior to the previous body and maybe that new superior body made the walls of the tomb (and the walls of the upper room) inferior in solidness, hence His ability to appear and disappear at will.
The service culminated with the Holy Communion.
The evening service was was a time of reflection and testimony.
1st -6th April 2007
What a tremendous week!
Holy Week is so special. Each evening we had an evening meditation, led by various people, at Holy Spirit Church. The evenings were very powerful in the sense of being one with God, spending time in His presence in the stillness of the evening. Mediatation included music, stories, Bible readings and silence. Attendance was really positive and numbers grew as the week went on. The Thursday evening was joined by the Alpha group - the subject for Alpha that evening being Prayer, so it was a good opportunity to involve them in one aspect of prayer.
Good Friday started in the morning with an ecumenical March of Witness. We stopped at all the churches in the Parish where hymns, readings and prayers were said. The afternoon service from 2-3.30pm was held at St John's. This service was a most moving and emotional service as the congregation reflected upon the cost of the Cross. God's presence was certainly there as He revealed His precious love to His children.
Extracts from various Max Lucado books, songs from Simeon and John and Nonny James were used during the week to lead us into God's presence. Thank You God for all your love!
1st April 2007
My second rest in two weeks from preaching during the morning service. One of our teams organised and led the whole service on this special day, Palm Sunday. The children were involved and processed with palm crosses and distributed them to the congregation.
25th March
The PAIS Team led the worship this morning. PAIS (Greek for 'Child of God') is made up of a team of young people who reach out to schools in different areas. Since Sept 2006 Andrew Hird, a member of the PAIS Team, has been staying in Greenside Parish with members of the Church. Pais are involved in all the junior schools in the Parish and take assemblies and after school clubs.
The theme for the morning service was "Using our talents". Gordon, the leader of the team, addressed the congregation and challenged them to use their gifts. This was done through drama, an address, and music.
17th March Mothering Sunday. What a great opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the congregation. A new commandment I give to you, to love one another as I have loved you...........by this all men will know that you are My disciples....(Jn 13)
We will be judged by other by the way we love. Love is crucial to being a disciple of Jesus. John 13 tells us that we have no choice and we are commanded to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
So often we see disciples seeking power and authority in the Church. We see a hierarchicial structure in the Church that so often lures Jesus's disciples into its dangerous web of career and promotion. Sadly, this often nullifies the passion and love for Jesus and once again, sadly, the career and church structures take priority. You see it so often with ordained ministers - especially in the Anglican Church -they were once on fire for Jesus, but now, because they have to protect their career advancement, they prefer to follow man-made ways of Church rather that the ways of God.
This also happens in a lesser way in the structures of the local Church, where people are wanting position in the Church for various reasons - this is not always for the sake of growing the Kingdom, but for their own fulfillment.
When our love and passion for Jesus changes to a passion for self advancement, then the focus of our love no longer reaches out to God and neighbour, but to self and its own needs. We are taught by God to put others first and self last - this is a sign of love which is integral to the the new commandment to love one another. To be obedient to this command is to be selfless just like Jesus was and is. This may mean having to take second place and to encourage others to take first place. To love is to encourage others and and try and find the best in people. To love is to be like Jesus fighting against the man made structures and religion which destroyed the the Church that He left for us upon this earth.
14th March Alpha is going well. All together we have about fourteen people regularly attending the evenings. The majority are people with very little Christian background who are searching for the meaning of life. Last week we addressed the subject of "Who is Jesus?" It was an encouraging evening - the bare facts about who Jesus is and who He claimed to be was discussed bringing a new understanding of this wonderful God-Man who came to this earth to reveal the heart of the Father.
This week we looked at the "Why did Jesus Die?". Reverend Clifford Headley addressed this subject and brought the bare fact that Jesus had to die to take our place in death, that we might live. He also spoke about what our sin has cost God. The sheer pain and agony of His trial and crucifixion and how His love reached out to humanity at a tremendous cost.
Over the past weeks you can certainly see a wonderful change in attitude of the enquirers to Jesus - there is certainly a desire to get to know Him and find that passion for Him that He desires of us. Questions and comments such as: "How do we get this passion for Jesus?" or "I never knew that Jesus was a man of joy and laughter" or " I am really grateful that you have brought me a new fresh understanding of the Jesus and His Church".
10th March The theme for the service was "The awakened heart". The heart is the central part of our physical life - it works tremendously hard each day to pump blood around our bodies to keep us alive. Is is important that the heart is working properly and cared for.
But it is no good having a fit physical heart when the the spiritual heart is diseased or calloused. The Lord clearly tell us to make sure that our hearts are right with Him.
So often through our life experiences, our hearts get hardened. It may be through broken relationships, upbringing, negative Church experiences or a number of other reasons. The results being that our attitude to God and others have become cold and hard. The Lord says that He wants to put a new heart into His people, He wants to remove that heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh which will be recipient to His Word and love, a heart which will pour out His love to others, and a heart which will worship Him in all truth.
Ask the Lord to do this wonderful heart surgery in us today - ask Him to awaken our hearts to His love and Word.
3rd March 07. One of our Teams organized and led the morning worship service which meant that I was able to sit in the congregation and receive. John Spencer led the service and Val Gardner was the preacher. John Clayson opened the service with a reading and Jan Dumbell read the other reading - Hazel Spencer led us in prayer. As we are following the Lent Series by Deliah Smith, the subject was cleansing. Val addressed the subject of cleansing extremely well and the water theme of cleansing and the empowering of the Holy Spirit were prominent. We were all challenged. A wonderful anointed Service. The Youth Band led the praise and took us into God's presence.
We met in the evening for Holy Communion and prayer in the upper room in the vicarage. Wonderful peaceful and reflective
28th Feb 07. Prayer meeting followed by the morning Holy Communion. Interesting prayer meeting where some new faces joined us. We continued to lift our youth before the Lord.
The Holy Communion Service was exciting, as I felt the power of the Holy Spirit as I was preaching. I spoke about relationship with God, submitting to Him as Lord and Saviour. During intercessions, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to fall upon the congregation and gave them the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit. This is all within a more traditional congregation.
25th Feb 07 Interviewed by Radio Newcastle in the morning - difficult to know how it went - hope it was glorifying to God.
10.00am Baptism Service - wonderful occasion to speak to non-Christians about the love of God. Spoke about the importance of a strong foundation built on Jesus. Also spoke about the what happens when you take away the foundation of life laid by God. Megan and Matthew were baptised and welcomed into the Church.
6.00pm Wonderful service -the Holy Spirit was very present - lots of time spent on waiting and meditation. Listened to some beautiful music by Terry McAlmon which led us into the presence of our Holy God. Sermon was based on the healing power of God through His disciples. Before the service, as we were praying, some words of knowledge and pictures were given. They were shared during the ministry time and I believe that many people were healed emotionally. One person give their life to the Lord. The service ended with the Lord's Supper. During that time many people were ministered to by the Holy Spirit. Service finished about 8.00pm. Thank you Lord for your wonderful presence and for anointing and preparing Your people for whatever ministry you have called them to.
22nd Feb 07 Spoke to a couple who were at the evening with Stan Smith. They shared with me how they both experienced partial healing that evening - one person's painful knee was no longer painful, and the other person's painful shoulder was no longer painful. Praise the Lord.
I feel that we should look concentrate on the area of healing during this coming Sunday's meeting.
21st Feb 07 Prayer meeting at Holy Spirit- good to see people who were on half-term break attending - once again there was a focus on young people. Wonderful presence of the Lord.
At the following service, the subject preached focused on Ash Wednesday and Lent. The Holy Spirit was certainly present and the congregation were challenged to use this Lent time to prepare themselves for the coming revival.
Age is certainly not a barrier and each person is responsible for their own maturity in faith. Fasting from food and other pleasures was encouraged, as well as putting time away for serious prayer and meditation during Lent. Those who wanted to were signed with ash and oil for healing - over 50% of the congregation received the anointing.
18th Feb o7 Angus Brown preached on the on the subject of slavery and its effects - he also spoke about the environment and the possible effects on the poorer parts of the world.
In the evening we had a Celebration of Marriage Service where many married couples came for a renewal of vows. Some of the couples geting married during 2007 also came along. The evening ended with bubbly and snacks.
14 Feb 07 8.15am Prayer Meeting Few of us gathered together at Holy Spirit Church to seek God's Face. After a time of worship and seeking God's Face, we were led to pray for our young people, our children. We interceded for them. Later that day the National News revealed that the UK was at the bottom of the list regarding the "happiness of children" and all the connotations of that statement.
We need to continue to intercede for our young people and their upbringing. We also need to pray for family life and the responsibilities of being parents, especially fathers.
11 Feb o7. The service began with Annie Brocklebank sharing how the Lord has partially healed her right arm and shoulder. Previously she could not lift her arm above waist high, then after receiving prayer last Thursday night she is now able to life her arm above her head - Praise the LORD!
During a time of praise in the morning service of HC, we were singing the song Purify my heart and I felt the Lord was saying to me to address the attitude of criticism. I brought the subject up during the time of praise and asked the Lord to remove that attitude of criticism and give us attitudes of encouragement. We then continued to sing Purify my heart. I felt a strong anointing during my word this morning on prayer. We continue to look at the areas, which break down the barriers that prevent the land being healed in 2 Chronicles 7.
Evening prayer time was great - a great intimacy with the Lord. Hazel Spencer led that evening. Laying our crowns before our Lord and wearing His Crown was a large part of the evening. We prayed into bad fitting crowns and prayed for the Lord's righteous and pure crown to be fitted to the heads of His people.
Upper room was full. Need to grow more and not tail off! Keep the fire burning!
8 Feb 2007 During this week, at a prayer meeting with the leaders in ‘Tyneside for Jesus’ group, I met up with Stan Smith. He is a man with a prophetic and healing ministry. Stan and his wife JoAnn were touring the UK
About thirty five people came to listen to Stan and His wife JoAnn.
We started in praise (Stan was leading on the keyboard), seeking God's presence. God's presence was certainly there! In the middle of praise and worship to our Lord, Stan would break out into prophetic song. Together with JoAnn, Stan then shared testimonies of their experience about healing and the miracles they had encountered through the power and love of God.
They then went on to pray for healing for people just where they stood, and later invited people to come forward if they needed prayer.
Many came forward, with both Stan and JoAnn ministering to them individually, in the power of the Holy Spirit -praying for healing and prophesying over them. Many of those who were recipients of the prophecies were moved by God's insight into their situation through Stan and JoAnn, especially as Stan and JoAnn had no idea of any backgrounds or needs, but God certainly did. Whether there was physical healing or spiritual healing - time will tell. One thing I know is that God was present and His people were encouraged.
I thank God for the ministry of Stan and JoAnn and hope to see them again. I certainly felt safe in their hands. (Stan’s website is www.gospelsmith.com)
4 Feb 2007 Sunday evening in the Upper room Vicarage. A good turn out to pray, after the challenge in the morning service. God’s presence was wonderful with spontaneous song, reading and prayers. This precious time ended with the Lord's Supper.
Jan - Feb 2007 Over the past few weeks the church has been looking at the Bible passage in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.
What a wonderful, powerful, and challenging passage this is for God's people to explore.
The term "IF" is key to this whole passage. If My people who are called by My name…
These people are followers of God – either the people of Israel Kingdom of God
It is only through God's people that the land will be healed - it is only through God's people responding to the conditions and challenges that He has set before us that we will see revival and healing to the land. We can try all the good ideas and clever strategies to bring revival, but unless we follow the conditions set out in this passage we will be hitting our heads against a brick wall.
Humble. The first condition we have is that IF we humble ourselves before God. Much of the Church seems to have lost that understanding of the omnipotence of God - the all-powerful God! Sometimes there is a tendency to bring Him down to a human level.
Watching the rugby match on TV the other Saturday, where England was playing France
To humble ourselves is to acknowledge His Lordship in our lives, and to admit our weakness and reach out for His power. In other words: I CAN'T BUT YOU CAN!
Prayer. The second condition is that IF we pray. That is exactly what it means, pray! Praying is the essence of humility in action! In praying we see our own inability and therefore recognise God's ability. Prayer is the only way that we will see revival in the land.
So often we hear the Church saying that prayer is important and is a priority, but in reality there is very little of it. We need to begin to walk our talk. If prayer is so important we need to prioritise it in our diary. I am not talking about repetition and prayers which are written by other people, but prayers which come from the hearts of His people, prayers which are instigated and inspired by His Holy Spirit. The Church is desperate for intercessors; the Church is desperate for Spirit-led prayers. Prayer must connect with the heart of God - it must connect with the heart of Jesus, who is interceding for us.
An important part of prayer is seeking God's presence; it is seeking His Holy presence and is not just an act of petitions or supplications. It means spending time with Him in both silence and words. It incorporates both the human language and the language of God (speaking in tongues). It means listening as well as talking. It includes Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplications. (A.C.T.S).
All the great revivals were based on God's people praying! Unless we, God's people, especially Church leaders, really take prayer seriously, then we can forget revival. If there are any Church leaders reading this - please remember that it is Satan's desire that you are kept so busy with church politics and maintenance, that it takes you away from one of the most important works of the Kingdom, PRAYER!
God tells us clearly that a condition of Him healing the land is that we pray!
Seek His Face. How often we organise God out of His service. Yes, His service! When God's people gather together that is what we do - worship Him! We are there to seek His Face, which basically means to seek His presence. God clearly tells us that ‘If we seek His Face’, He will heal our land......... Moses would not go anywhere unless the presence of God was leading Him.
When we seek God's presence, He will communicate with us, guide us, strengthen us, and equip us for our journey as disciples.
To seek His Face we must give time - use worship tapes, read scripture, invite God’s Holy Spirit to lead us.
This also applies to our weekly services. So many services are so heavily structured, that we actually give God little space to communicate with us. It could be the typical hymn sandwich or the service where you have to cram all the liturgy into a short hour. I can remember going to many a service where there has been no space to allow God to be God – where people are scared of silence, spontaneous worship, or anything that goes on outside the set liturgy.
If God is not allowed to do His work and show His presence then you can understand why Churches are dying!
Confession. The third condition in this passage is to confess our sins. If turn from our wicked ways.......... Sin is such a barrier to God's presence in our lives and Church. Logically, how can we expect God to be present in our lives and Church if we are in sin. How can we expect Him to listen to our prayers if we want to live a life outside His will for us? That is what sin is all about - doing things outside God's will.
As Christians, we are no longer living the old way of life in darkness, but we are living under the new rule of light in Christ. Therefore all of the old person should have died. But sadly, our fallen humanity draws us away from the life we should live into the old ways of darkness. Jesus tells us that we live in this world, but we are not of this world. In other words, the world’s ways are not ours and we should live as if we are in the Kingdom that we have been born again into. The new Kingdom we are living in has different rules to the world and old order of things.
If we are aware of the Kingdom life, then we must live the Kingdom life and when we have failed to do so confess our sins to God. And God promised that if we do truly confess our sins and turn our backs on that sin we will be forgiven. Thank God for His Grace!
So often sin acts like an ear shield - it prevents us from hearing from God.
Heal the land. If we, as God's people, who are called by His name will truly respond to the conditions set out in this passage, then He promises to be attentive to our prayers offered and heal the land!
How seriously do we take these conditions? How seriously do we want to see the land healed? How seriously do we want to see revival! Well, it is up to us - we either walk our talk when we say prayer is most important, or we just shut-up and carry on as we are doing and live in a land that is sick and unhealed.
Clive Devonish 2007
