Category Archives: Christianity

Poignant snippets from The Passion in London

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To readers and visitors who are completely unfamiliar with the account of Jesus Christ’s astounding completion of His mission, I’d suggest it will be well worthwhile watching the dramatic reconstruction of events, as available online for a few weeks (details here). In less than 2 hours discover the heart of Christianity. (See also, Do you know Him?)

Last Sunday I spoke at church to a couple of members of the Wintershall Players about Good Friday’s Passion in Trafalgar Square, as in my earlier post.  Having watched it live we felt the power of the holiness of the re-enactment.  Our minister was there and could testify to the strength of God’s presence in the square.  Nearby, one man wept openly and two men who’d been drinking and chuckling to themselves about the play suddenly stopped, became quiet and even reverential.

TCredit Wintershall - Trafalgar Sq 2he trials by Jewish priests and by Roman governor Pilate as well as the crucifixion were performed at the foot of Nelson’s column. Tourists on board open-topped buses must have been amazed on passing by, taking photos. An ambulance was present for the 3 ‘crucified’ to get warmed up after long exposure to near-freezing temperatures in a bitter wind.

Roger told me he’d asked James Burke-Dunsmore, the actor playing Jesus, “How do you manage to keep smiling through so many shivers?”

“I focus upon my role and a peace just comes upon me”,  was James’ reply.

His focus is most intense during the Way of The Cross, his near-naked walk from the judgement seat of Pilate carrying the heavy cross to Golgotha, the site of crucifixion. This was a done through the crowds on Trafalgar Square, just like in packed ancient Jerusalem. The audience was deeply affected and the soldiers have been instructed to steer anyone who’s moved to come to James’ assistance away from him so he can stay undistracted ‘in the zone’ of deep, contemplation through scriptural prayers well-known to Catholics.

My friend recalled his admiration, after the resurrection, when watching James speak so carefully and warmly to the crowd whilst he watched, measured and responded to individuals’ reactions.

The whole drama of jubilant entry into Israel’s ancient capital, confrontations with the high priest and his delegation in the Temple, betrayal by a close disciple, ‘Last Supper’ to celebrate Passover, night-time arrest and secret trial, judgement by Roman governor, severe scourging, ‘way of sorrows’, crucifixion, death and triumphant resurrection were all so profoundly instructive and moving. Click here to watch and be blessed.

For a gallery of photos see Mail Online, its accompanying text by a secular journalist.

Blogging break + the profoundly shocking yet life-changing message of Easter

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Ace post Gillan. Have a well-earned rest with our Risen Lord and Our Father, my friend. May He recharge you with the same power that He brought Jesus back from the dead.

Credit GodandPoliticsUK

Watch the Passion of Christ in London

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Yesterday’s remarkable performance in very chilly Trafalgar Square is now available for you to watch on demand on Wintershall Live . We are very grateful to Peter Hutley and his various teams, as well as all supporters and local authorities for enabling this to be staged in the centre of London. May the Lord continue to bless you all more mightily. To watch click on image below, and for more information with links click here.

All images courtesy Wintershall Players

The Mail Online photo gallery splendidly conveys the high drama of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, clash with the priesthood, Roman trial, crucifixion and joyous resurrection. Other online press reviews are at The Guardian, Independent and Daily Telegraph.

The Passion of Jesus in the heart of London

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TRAFALGAR SQUARE; from where distances to London in Britain are measured. It will be not only the navigational centre but also the spiritual centre of our nation today, 29th March, Good Friday 2013.  What a fitting juxta-position!  

Credit Wintershall - Trafalgar Sq 1

Good Friday commemorates the day Jesus Christ gave His life for you and me so that our sins can be forgiven. We are thus able to be reconciled to Almighty God and gain access to His holy presence. Only Jesus’ blood shed for our forgiveness enables anyone to come to Our Father. That’s why Jesus Christ is the only way to Him. He is The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Credit Wintershall - Trafalgar Sq 2

After last year’s successful Passion performed by the Wintershall Players to a packed audience of thousands in Trafalgar Square, they have again been given permission  to perform this inspirational play on Good Friday 29th March 2013 at 12 Noon and again at 3.15 p.m.

Read the full details on The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square and learn about the amazing story of the Wintershall Players.

This event has our highest personal recommendation. In June we’re once again going to ‘partake’ in The Life of Christ in open fields on the North Downs, south of Guildford.  Actors mingle amongst the audience and it seems as though we travel back in time to be alongside Jesus and the disciples, watching and listening to all they say and do.  Last time it was rather daunting when a Roman Centurion hastened us with,

“Move along – have you never seen a crucifixion before!”

The annual ‘mystery play’ takes place in the Wintershall estate of the Hutley family and the development of their father Peter’s extraordinary project was told in last year’s Daily Telegraph article, Jesus Christ, the Passion, the play and the public.  Its journalist Peter Stanford describes the organiser as follows:

…perhaps the most extraordinary thing about Hutley is his conviction about broadcasting his beliefs, at a time when many Christians (including church leaders) prefer to hide their lights under a bushel for fear of their faith being attacked in such secular and sceptical times. “But that’s precisely it,” he says, more animated than ever. “I want to illustrate that Christianity is not dying, as we so often hear, that it is alive and active (emphasis RB). And there couldn’t be a better place in the whole country to show that than in Trafalgar Square.”

Well said, sir!

The Lord be with you, with all your players and each member of the audience…

All images courtesy Wintershall Players

All images courtesy Wintershall Players

Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury – God’s outsiders pointing to a new era for the church

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Gillan ScotA superb reflection upon the unusual juxtapositioning of both enthronements from Gillan Scott. He adroitly observes and comments upon the work of the Holy Spirit, “If there was evidence needed for this, the election of two men who were off many people’s radar is surely it.”  I also entirely agree with his emphasis; “…When this sort of thing happens it usually heralds change.”  Readers of this blog will note how this may be related to several prophetic words along those lines and as reported in recent months. March may be more momentous in God’s plans than my friend surmises – at about the same time a newly elected government in Israel is hosting the visit of a recently re-inaugurated President of the USA. Truly, these are most interesting times!

Abiding in God’s Word: continued

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“ALL ABOARD!” 

DSC_4592ed

DSC_4612Let’s return to our seats in the third carriage of our ‘time-travel’ train. New passengers wanting to board should first get their ticket by clicking here. All new passengers will need to go back in time and walk through the carriages, as explained in the ‘ticket’ so they may fully appreciate what’s next on our journey together. (A brief summary appears below.)

DSC_4603Doubtless this seems an unusual, even novel, way of time travelling? Each ‘carriage’ represents one day within a week when I discovered some new things about the Word of God (ie. the Holy Bible). Here, in the 3rd carriage I dig out my notes and we consider what’s being taught and how we can abide in God’s Word.

First , let’s recap with Jesus Christ’s rebuke to the Jewish teachers. They’d recognised the authority of his cousin John the Baptist but were slow, if not blind, to comprehend who Jesus is. And so he told them God’s own testimony about himself was being shown though the work he was doing for them! His closest disciple recorded this as follows.:

“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life…” [John 5 NKJV emphases added]

The meaning of verse 38 can be otherwise summarised:

“The abiding word that is written has to become real so that it becomes the manifest Word – and then you believe and see miracles!

Sometimes we pray for revival or change and when it comes we don’t recognise it. Or, we even reject it because it doesn’t fit into our (Biblical) box…

“The abiding word is what positions us for the next thing that God is going to do!”

NOTES

That was where we’d got to in this 3rd carriage on the journey. Now we’re back onboard lets continue with my notes as our train ‘rocks on’…!

In Jesus’ day the Jews were praying for and expecting their Messiah or Anointed One who would lead them out of subjugation to ungodly Roman rule. The parties of scribes and pharisees were experts in interpreting and understanding their ancient scriptures. These included words inspired by God and received by their prophets about His plans for this special people and their forthcoming ‘Son of David’. But Jesus was forthright in denouncing those ‘authorities’ for not recognising who he is and that God had indeed sent him, as in the above quotation.

The very same applies to us, does it not?  That is, we cannot recognise who Jesus truly is unless God’s Word abides within; which means, it lives deep inside our whole being.

What is The Abiding Word? The private instruction Jesus gave to his close circle of disciples on the eve of his trial and crucifixion included this explanation:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. [John 15 NKJV emphases added]

Herein, Jesus is making a connection between access to the unlimited AND what is abiding IN our heart.

Meditation is key

  • Not worldly/Eastern meditation, however, because that is ’emptying’ the mind.
  • Biblical meditation is filling the mind and does not make one vulnerable to outside influences.
  • This meditation is taking what God has said and pondering it in our heart, or ‘chewing’ and contemplating (also known as Lectio Divina – not the theological analysis of scripture but regarding Christ as key to its meaning).
  • Abiding puts us in a position for I N C R E A S E.
  • Access to unlimited increase is directly related to how we abide in what He’s already said.
  • Revelation from scripture must lead to a God encounter.
  • The Canon of scripture is designed to lead us into an encounter with The Holy One.

Continuing the first above quotation from John 5:

41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” [John 5 NKJV emphases added]

Faith and fear of man cannot co-exist. So, do I want God’s approval or man’s?

God waits to pour honour on His people.  Therefore, the life of extraordinary faith usually has a lot of favour following within it.

[All railway photos were taken on the Mid-Hants Watercress Line’s World War II day in 2012, a fun day and opportunity for re-enactment groups to dress appropriately.]

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Thank you Gillan for drawing attention to this Christian action of walking in the huge footsteps of our past pioneering evengelicals.

Nathan Morris returns to Hull – June

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Nathan 2A great, not-to-be-missed event!  Our appreciation goes to  Jarrod and team for convening and organising it. To get an idea what it will be like, click here to see Jarrod’s video-clip of last year’s conference, and to link into accounts of our blessed time there.

I’d draw leaders’ attention to the afternoon Leadership Stream sessions.

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A great, not-to-be-missed event!  Our appreciation goes to  Jarrod and team for convening and organising it. To get an idea what it will be like, click here to see Jarrod’s video-clip of last year’s conference, and to link into accounts of our blessed … Continue reading →

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Europe Ablaze…

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Europe Ablaze wpadf99011_05_06There is a Trumpet sound across the nations, a sound to gather every tribe and tongue.

 A trumpet sound of  Freedom, Jesus came to set the captives free,

and who the Son sets free is free indeed !

 Come be in one accord with the Love of The Father.

Further to the last post about Tim Grant’s In the Gateway To Europe, full details of this festival are now available at Europe Ablaze.  This special event is being organised by Oasis Christian Fellowship, Lagos in The Algarve with the help of Ablaze Ministries, Spearhead, Christian International Europe, 24-7 Prayer and other ministries.

Western Europe

In the gateway of Europe

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I’m grateful to Kim Grant for drawing my attention to The Spearhead Update. Inside, I found a report by her husband Tim on his autumn visit to Portugal. This reminded me of Julie Meyers’ prophetic song over Europe, The Bridegroom cometh.

Tim’s report opens as follows.:

Europe Gateway_Credit Tim GrantLate October found me at ‘The Gateway to Europe’ Lagos in the Algarve (Algarve meaning ‘gateway’) in Portugal meeting with ministries from around Europe and some from even further afield. We came together to pray and discuss “Europe Ablaze” Fusion Festival of Faith which is planned for June 2013.

In response to a prophetic word we had all been invited to come and pray for the nations of Europe and to seek God as to how together we might host an event that would help equip believers and encourage them to live their lives on fire for God and so ignite the people of Europe to once again live with a passion for Christ.

Europe Gateway-3_Credit Tim Grant

The festival is to be a mixture of worship, praise, teaching, the prophetic and evangelism with all the Ephesians 4 ministries working together to equip the saints to move in the dynamic of the Holy Spirit and any of the gifts they might need for the work God has for them. All this is to take place in the gateway to Europe as a prophetic act in itself. The amphitheatre which is within the old walled town of Lagos which seats two thousand people has already been booked and the local authority has given its use for free.

What a privilege it was to be invited to be a part of this. Individually none of us felt able to fulfil the vision, yet together with God we know nothing was impossible.

My visit coincided with the start of forty days of twenty-four hour prayer for the nation of Portugal and the other nations of Europe and there was a real sense of God’s presence as we interceded.

(continue reading about the presence of God and healing).

Europe Gateway-4_Credit Tim Grant

Let’s listen again to Julie’s remarkable song and turn our eyes upon the Bridegroom .:

5 reasons why Christians should not accept Jesus as their saviour

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What an outrageously provocative title!

T E HannaIt’s not mine but belongs to one of your fellow readers, T.E. Hanna, a theology graduate whose blog Of Dust And Kings publishes interesting discussions about God, His Kingdom and what it means to be human.

I like the way his theology ticks.

So I’d like to introduce T.E. to you through the following ‘guest post’, which was one of the first I read. His first two points and the last one match my own perceptions 100%.:

5 Reasons Why Christians Should Not Accept Jesus As Their Saviour

Touch_Opt - Credit Espejo

In 1989, Depeche Mode released their 23rd single in the UK, a hit song that quickly climbed the charts and would eventually be covered by such notable musicians as Johnny Cash, Jerry Williams, Nina Hagen, and Marilyn Manson. The song was entitled “Personal Jesus” and the steady rhythm of the chorus drummed out the following lines:

Your own personal Jesus, Someone to hear your prayers,  Someone who cares. Your own personal Jesus,  Someone to hear your prayers, Someone who’s there …reach out and touch Faith.

While Depeche Mode used the “personal Jesus” idea as a metaphor for codependent human relationships, the concept has nevertheless permeated western Christian culture. Testimonies typically hail back to the moment when one has “finally accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and savior” and the standard evangelism question points to the same idea: “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?”

Yet Scripture knows nothing of a personalized faith.

Bear with me here, and let me clarify what I am NOT saying. I am NOT saying that we should not be impacted on a personal level by the Christian faith – we absolutely should. I am NOT saying that we do not come to Christ on a personal basis – we absolutely must.

However, the idea of a personal savior has taken on a life of its own, replacing the locus of the Christian life with our personal agendas and pushing Jesus to the margins. We customize, privatize, and minimize the Christian story, relegating Jesus to little more than “someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares.” This corrodes the very heart of the Christian faith, eating away at its life transforming power, and ripping Jesus away from His divinity in order to wedge Him into an idol fashioned after a hyper-individualistic culture. This simply won’t do.

Christians need to reject the idea of the personal Jesus, and we need to do it for 5 reasons:

1. Christians Are Called To Follow, Not Accept

The central cry of Jesus was never “accept me.” In fact, it was quite the opposite. Jesus walked a path which called Him to be despised and rejected, betrayed and belittled, criticized and crucified. The call of Jesus to His disciples and to us is to follow. Following requires leaving things behind and forging forward, laying down your life that you might find it, dying to yourself that your might discover the life abundant in the purposes of God. Acceptance is passive. Following is inherently active.

2. Christians Conform To Christ, Not Christ To Christians

At the heart of spiritual formation is the move to become “Christ-like”. Often, this challenges our preconceptions and wars against our desires. Good. It is supposed to. The Jesus Way is a way of transformation, of exposing our darker side to the Light of the World that the shadows may be cast away and we may become luminaries of incandescent glory, reflecting the blinding rays of the Son. We must never customize Jesus, reducing Him to an eternal moral teacher that can give us a hand when things get rough. We must allow ourselves to be confronted by Him, restored through Him, and conformed to Him.

3. Christians Are Called To Community, Not Isolation

John Wesley once wrote that “Scripture knows nothing of solitary religion.” From Genesis to Revelation, we see the story of a God who is creating a people, not just persons. In the instances where we see individuals emphasized, they are emphasized for the purpose of the people. Abraham was called individually to carry the covenant for what would become the people of God. Moses was called individually to free the Israelite people. David was called individually to lead a nation of God’s people. The prophets were called individually to be the mouthpiece of God to His people. The disciples were called individually only to then be sent forth to gather a global people. The popular notion that Christianity is a personal affair, making the community of faith unnecessary, finds no basis in the pages of Scripture. It is only in community that we find accountability, corporate prayer, unified worship, and the edification of the saints. It is only in community that we become the Body of Christ.

4. Christians Are Called To Serve, Not Be Served

So much of Christian rhetoric emphasizes the blessing of God and de-emphasizes the way of the cross. Much of popular Christianity is about seeking these blessings, about conforming God to our will, about how God somehow is charged with serving us. I am not diminishing the reality of the blessedness of God, but blessing is hardly the entire picture. Jesus completely inverts the concept of privilege, calling His followers away from notions of entitlement and into a life of servanthood. The reality of this is that, as we serve one another, we will be served in the process; but the notion that service is somehow owed to us is completely overturned. We, who claim ourselves as children of the greatest King who ever existed, express this most dutifully as servants.

5. Christians Are Saved For More Than Just Themselves

The Christian concept of salvation does more than just look over its shoulder at a sinful past now washed clean. It does more than look at the present as we are engaged in a process of spiritual renewal. It looks to the future, at the outworking of our salvation expressed as a transformed people transforming the world. In other words, Christians are not just saved from sin, they are saved to God. We become active participants in the breaking forth of God’s Kingdom as the redemptive order confronts and exposes the manifestation of sin in society. To limit the concept of salvation to a personal experience (or worse, a personal event) truncates the fullness of what it means to be Christian. We are not just saved from a life of sin; we are saved for a world where sin still manifests.

The popular evangelistic rhetoric calling for people to “accept Jesus as your personal savior” needs to be overturned. It is only in the call to “come and follow” and to “take up your cross” that we begin to regain the deeper things which have historically defined God’s people. It is here, in the deep water, where Christianity comes alive.

So… reach out and touch faith.

What do you think?

How does the personalization of Jesus impact the Christian faith?

Read, and contribute to, several commendable comments from readers and T.E. by scrolling to the foot of this link to ‘Personal Jesus’. I trust you’ll be as blessed as me.

I read it after attending our church home group where we’d worked through Romans 6 in some depth. Thank you T.E for your five points which, together with that scripture, confirmed my objections posted in a discussion elsewhere, as mentioned in my post  covering Steve Chalke’s apostasy (here).

Keep in time with the Lord

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Personally, yesterday’s Lion Bite is particularly apposite in view of my remarks now and then about an acceleration in what God’s doing around the world.:

“Get in step with Me at this time, as I move at a greater pace across the nations,” says God. “Move, accelerate, catch up and get in step with Me!”

The Spirit of the Lord is calling, “Catch up! Catch up!” – because many are ‘missing the bus’ (so to speak)… as if many are dawdling or ambling along instead of moving in time with God.

So how do we ‘catch up’?

Day to day this looks particularly like a call to specific intentionality as we seek the Lord for the daily detail, and the ‘fine print’ of the long term vision/goal for our lives. We are to be ones who become more specific and deliberate with our prayers and decrees.

Sometimes the generic prayers of ‘More Lord!’ are pertinent but the Lord is highlighting the need to also get specific and ‘catch up’ in our prayers with His Spirit as He moves across the nations. Intercessors: you are being called to greater level of detail in prayer language; The prophetically-gifted and the seers are being called to a new height of specificity in what you decree, see, speak and describe. All of us are called to keep ‘apace’ with the Lord and not get left behind in this.

There is a great level of ‘infilling of detail’ the Lord is doing – even to words He has released in the past season – to allow a greater revelation and maximise the response to His Word in this time. This is pertinent to your own life and to the nations. Let us seek Him in this increase of detail and keep in time with the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Lion-Bites-logo-2012Footnote: If you too would like to read other words, click on Glasgow Prophetic Centre.

Some encouraging daily words

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Lion-Bites-logo-2012Several uplifting Lion Bites of scriptural prophetic words  have come from Glasgow Prophetic Centre this week, of which I want to share a few of the finest – choice morsels to remind us of our holy calling. Be highly blessed as you chew upon these and deeply savour the Kingdom.:

The pursuit of Holiness

I heard the Spirit of the Lord say,

‘I am the first and the last. I am the Ancient of Days – I am the one who reigns and sits upon the throne. I am a jealous God and I desire your full attention – no-one and nothing should come before or above Me. You must lay all other gods and idols down if you are keen to pursue Me further.’

It is as if we are being presented with one of these moments of ‘no-turning-back’ – like a ‘point-of-no-return’ – as we hear the call to come further on the way of holiness. This narrow road is the place where all things must be let go of that are not of God.As so you will find that the Holy Spirit is alerting you to areas of your life where you have focused on other things above Him; where even ‘truths’ that you have held onto have become distorted over time.
But yet there is grace and encouragement from the Lord to seek Him in this and to follow the way of Holiness with your eyes fixed on Him. This is an invitation – a reminder – to pursue greater levels of purity and holiness in allowing the Spirit of the Lord to highlight those places which need to be laid down before Him.
The invitation is this: ‘Come and pursue Me – come and pursue a greater level of Holiness, my Bride.’

Isaiah 35:8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.

Displaying His glory

Glorify God! That’s today’s mission statement from heaven for all of us! We, the sons and daughters of God, are called to shine, as we allow the glory of our beautiful Redeemer, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to shine out from within us.
Church! Rise up together like the sun on a bright morning and shine – shine as one. Display His glory for all the world to see.

John 17:20-25 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through [the disciples] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

Kingdom carrier

Beloved, I have not only chosen you to be loved but to love. Not only do I want you to know My power and manifest presence for yourself, but I have made you to demonstrate My power and carry My manifest presence to those who don’t know Me.
The world is yearning for My Kingdom to be demonstrated and I have made you to be a Kingdom carrier. You have often felt disqualified in this and you have asked Me to send someone else into situations that face you. There are times when you have asked Me to send someone else to speak a word to those who need to hear My voice.

I say to you today: I have sent you to carry, demonstrate and advance My Kingdom to those around you. Are you ready and willing? As you say ‘yes’ to my call to you to be a Kingdom carrier, watch as I give you opportunities, daily, to preach the gospel, heal for the sick and to love the unloved.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Amen, amen, and again I say amen.

Thank you so much David and Emma.

A question about the Obama prayer/ prophecy and Netanyahu

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An intercessor friend emailed me about President Obama’s proposed appointments for chief of CIA and Defense Secretary, neither of whom are well-disposed to Israel. (Eg. Director of Centre for Security Policy Frank Gaffney’s article in Jewish World Review.)

So, I replied with links to the postings about Wendy Alec’s prayer request for Obama and the promise that the rift between him and Israel’s PM Netanyahu would be healed. (Original post here, with subsequent developments here, here and here.)

UN Sep12 NET-OBAMA1_13jpgThat information caused some consternation, especially in view of notions about Obama’s desire to divide Jerusalem.  The antagonism in his first term towards Israel’s PM and favour for the Palestinian leader Abbas were renowned.  (Abbas was one of the first Obama phoned after his first  inauguration in 2009.)  Would the US President continue in his old ways during the forthcoming state visit to Israel?

Similar reservations may have entered readers’ minds too and you may, therefore, like to note my second reply.:

“Yes, I too was puzzled when I first read it as I’ve deep reservations about POTUS, as you may have read under the Obama tag on my blog. But Wendy’s was also an urgent request for intercession on his behalf and we have seen changes which astonished the intelligence experts. What is truly in his heart the Lord only knows!

“Incidentally, she was also accurate about Todd Bentley’s mess at Lakeland, whom she and Rory had televised and sponsored. Our minister saw him recently on God TV repenting of his sinful reaction in saying she’s a false prophet and confessed she was correct!”

There’s precious little in the public domain about Obama’s visit, as may be expected of  a predominantly anti-Israel mainstream media. I cannot find any details yet on the White House website other than the President’s The State Of The Union Address during which he said.:

In defense of freedom, we’ll remain the anchor of strong alliances from the Americas to Africa; from Europe to Asia. In the Middle East, we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights, and support stable transitions to democracy. We know the process will be messy, and we cannot presume to dictate the course of change in countries like Egypt, but we can — and will — insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people. We’ll keep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people, and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian. And we will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace.

Those are the messages I’ll deliver when I travel to the Middle East next month…(emphasis RB)

[NOTE: The White House welcomes comments and sharing of the Address directly from the link provided above.]

williamkoenig-web[1]Nevertheless, President Obama’s itinerary for his visit to Israel has been published. In the introductory ‘Inside The White House’ by Bill Koenig to last Fridays’ Eye View From The White House, Bill bullet points more details than those of his Ynet source. He  remarks, “Interestingly, most of Obama’s time in Israel will be with the Israelis, with only one meeting scheduled with the Palestinians” (in Ramallah to meet Abbas, and then returning to Jerusalem by noon).

Regular readers know I cannot recommend William Koenig’s World Watch Daily highly enough for any Christian wanting to keep an eye on Israeli and Middle Eastern news.

PS. see next post about an official logo for the trip

MAIN UPDATES:

Aug 2014 – Israeli retaliation against Hamas perpetual bombardment brings change in US-Israel rapprochement.

Oct 2014 – Netanyahu meets Obama at The White House after UN General Assembly (also see PM Netanyahu at UN and Joel Rosenberg Tale of 2 Speeches at UN).

Abiding in God’s Word

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Jesus told the Jews who believed Him, , “IF you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 emphasis added)

COME, take a train ride with me and consider the relevance of Jesus’ claim for today.

DSC_4616Why on a train? Another intriguing ‘train’ of thoughts and insights is about to pass by, like one of those old-time steam locomotives. They amble along, which allows time for passengers to chat as well as to explore carriages. I can rummage around looking for any interesting ‘cargo’ and such ‘trunks’ often hold hidden gems.  Also, conversation with passengers may bring a confirmation, an affirmation or even a revelatory word from the Lord. So won’t you go back three weeks and share my latest ‘trip’ with me?

It’s a free ride, so no need to buy a ticket as we dash through to the platform where its entrance acts as a ‘portal’ and we jump back three weeks in time. On board this short, now moving train we’re welcomed by a kaleidoscopic collection of inter-linked thoughts and insights. Let’s check what’s in this first carriage before we move further along the train…

1st ‘carriage’

Here I sit to dig out of my briefcase some prophetic words I’d been given in 1996 (see Why I’m writing). This sheet of paper opens by stating how the day started with a call from someone who’d heard the Lord instruct them to call me with verses 3, 5 and 9 in the Book of Joshua. Re-reading that first chapter now, however, my gaze fixes upon verses 6 to 8 leading into verse 9 and some words seem to have an added emphasis, as below.:

[1After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2“Moses my servant is dead. Now then…]7…Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

JoshuaMy study Bible says this account of the Israelite tribes’ journey into the land that the God of Abraham had promised him and his descendants was written about 3,400 years ago!   I note the fact that Moses’ closest assistant was told to keep entirely  focused upon what Moses wrote and upon nothing else. Only by so doing would Joshua and all his people prosper, and God would be with them where they were about to go!

[What Moses wrote is known as the Pentateuch, a Greek term meaning ‘five-volumed book’ and derived from its Jewish designation, ‘five-fifths of the law’. The Israelites knew it as ‘Torah’, meaning ‘instruction’.  It is the first five books of the Old Testament: namely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.[

Then came an insight: the Torah was the only Standing Instruction this national leader had for his guidance. Furthermore, it was and is the word of God – Holy Scripture. That five-fold book was all they had to believe and follow as holy writ – unlike today with 61 more books comprising later history, poetry and prophetical writings inspired by God’s Holy Spirit. The first 5 books were all Joshua had to go on!  Even so, God promised to be with him.

So, about 3,400 years ago Joshua had his instructions but must have gained so much more under the oversight of the Living God. Over the next 1,400 years the descendants of those ancient Hebrews received many more writings inspired by God. And then about 2,000 years ago, God once again drew alongside them as ‘Immanuel’. [A Hebrew word meaning ‘With us is God’ and a title for Jesus Christ, as used by the OT prophet Isaiah when he prophesied Jesus’ virgin birth 700 years earlier – Isaiah 7:14 refers.]

By the time this later Joshua (which means ‘saviour’) lived amongst the Jews as Jesus of Nazareth, their scripture had grown from 5 to 39 authoritative books, and which are  known to Christians as the Old Testament. [Some traditional Christian denominations recognise a few more books: see How many books are in the Bible?]

Jesus taught the people with an authority greater than that of their priests because His words came direct from God. [See John 8: 25-39 for His declaration on this issue and which leads into the opening verse of this blog. The last part of v 32 is often quoted but ignores the specific condition for achieving freedom – ie. abiding in God’s word.]

Within a few decades of Jesus’ life another 27 books written by apostles and disciples were recognised as being inspired by God and collated into the New Testament as a complete Bible. So we Christians have a huge Standing Instruction.

Another insight comes: As in Joshua’s time, Jesus’ first followers had God’s promise to go with them, only this time they wouldn’t be going into just the small area of land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. This time Jesus, the Son of God, commissioned His followers to ‘go to the ends of the world’ after the Holy Spirit would visit and stay upon them.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. [Matthew 28:18-20]

Like Joshua, those Apostles’ and disciples’ Standing Instructions were based upon an existing body of authoritative scripture that was augmented not only by Jesus’ teachings but also by continuing personal direction from Jesus and the Father. That is, this time God’s promise to always be with them was not just for one person only but for many, and His Holy Spirit would be present within them as an endowment of power! Thus, they then lived and moved with God’s Spirit upon them.

2nd ‘carriage’

The week I’m re-visiting personal prophecies I also come across Bobby Conner’s word for 2013, Calling All Warriors. It stirs me deeply and seems so appropriate for today. (It also connects into the ‘warrior’ word from the UK Prophetic Council, as published here.)

Awaken Your Might - credit; James Nesbit www.jamesnart.com

Awaken Your Might by James Nesbit – purchase from http://www.jamesnart.net

On the Saturday, a mentoring day, I see an inspirational picture matching Bobby’s word.  Also that morning, Dr Stone states that the 1st chapter of Joshua is important for these days. So I open my old NIV at that very place and grin. What do you know!  As I do so Sharon emphasises her message by quoting the verses I’d just seen and which I’d highlighted many years ago (as in above image).:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” [Joshua 1:9]

I’m astounded, as you may have realised from my published account of that day (here). Sharon prophesies that the Church will be moving into what it was always meant to be like, but it will not be easy – as when Joshua led the Israelites into their Promised Land.

3rd ‘carriage’

The next day at church our minister teaches about ‘Abiding in His Word’ – and for me this directly connects into Joshua again!  As we considered in the 1st carriage, ‘Abiding’ was God’s Standing Instruction to Joshua, and repeated by Jesus to His followers!  The minister then opens this topic by stating:

“The Bible is not a fence that contains God, that is used to restrict Him and His works – it reveals Him!  It is guide-lines to indicate who He is and what He can/will do. The Bible is a platform from which He operates!”

Next, she quotes Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, California. (It so happens I’m reading  Healing Unplugged, which is a deep discussion between him and Randy Clark about their personal healing ministries. We’ve listened enthralled to Bill several times for he greatly loves teaching from the Word, thereby giving listeners fresh insights.) Now, our minister quotes him as follows:

“It’s hard to have the same fruit as the early Church when you value a book they didn’t have more than the Holy Spirit, whom they did have.”

That reflects in part my earlier thoughts. Next, she goes on to refer to what Jesus told the Jews about God’s own testimony about Jesus being shown though the work He was doing for them:

“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life…” [John 5 NKJV]

Our South African minister Lindi summarises the meaning of verse 38:

“The abiding word that is written has to become real so that it becomes the manifest Word – and then you believe and see miracles!

Sometimes we pray for revival or change and when it comes we don’t recognise it. Or, we even reject it because it doesn’t fit into our (Biblical) box…

“The abiding word is what positions us for the next thing that God is going to do!”

Wow, all this is amplifying and enhancing my meditations during the week.

4th ‘carriage’

The very next day I’m prompted – and I don’t know why I should do so – to check that a link on an old posting is working. This is the source’s homepage for The Bridegroom Cometh, but I find it’s dead!  So I check again a few hours later, but this time I’m so utterly astounded to see there the picture I’d bought only two days ago and hangs in the study!  (As above under ‘2nd carriage’.) Moments later Nina enters the study, sees the picture on-screen and her jaw drops!

IS IT ANY WONDER I was absolutely stunned? (As first reported here)

What is our Lord and God saying and indicating? 

Can you hear Him?

May I summarise?…

God gives plenty of instructions for us to meditate upon, to follow and live by so that we will always remain, or abide, in them. In addition to that He gives us Himself – so what more could we possibly ask or want?

Here’s one of my favorites on abiding from that very special, private teaching time in the upper room on the eve of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.:

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me…” 

Then, when talking about His being the True Vine, Jesus again stresses the great importance of abiding in God’s holy word.:

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love…”

These are from John 14 and John 15 respectively in NKJV, but it’s much better to read the whole event and thereby gain its full context. So why not invite the Lord to be with you as you read and meditate upon chapters 13-17 of the Gospel according to John?

May He be with you in Spirit…

Our train halts in a station for a quite a while and we take a break to walk around the station. Here we find a number of civilians and military personnel dressed as though they’re in the 1940s!  We recognise one distinguished figure boarding as we’re called back on board and enter the 3rd carriage to continue on our journey (click to proceed).

In case anyone’s puzzled or got questions…

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Readers and visitors to this blog who aren’t Christians probably have questions about the previous post’s references to a spiritual enemy. Some explanation, therefore, would be helpful for those unfamiliar with the Holy Bible, or Christian doctrine. And, in fact, the good Lord already had that in hand for you!  Some timely basic doctrine behind the last post has ‘co-incidentally’ turned up.

So without further delay, I repost an email received today – Part 6 of Rick Joyner’s series on The Great Commission (Jesus’ parting instruction to His disciples, Matt 28).:

RJoyners WftW_eNL_T_1

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

As we have been covering, “all authority in heaven and earth” has been given to Jesus, but He has not taken that authority over the earth yet. His kingdom is going to come, and His will is going to be done on earth as it is in heaven. All of heaven lives under the domain of the King. Only Satan and the angels who followed him have rebelled from the heavenly realm and were cast down to the earth when mankind rebelled against God. Now the only rebellion against God in all of creation, the physical or spiritual realms, is found on planet earth.

John wrote that the whole earth lies in the power of the evil one. It does presently lie in his power, but as we are told in Psalms, the earth and all it contains belongs to the Lord. The authority over everything in heaven and earth is under the Lord’s domain, but He has not yet taken His authority over the earth. He could have taken dominion over the earth immediately after His resurrection, but He did not for our sakes. He left it under the domain of evil for a time for one reason—to find those who loved Him and His truth even more than they loved their own lives. They will prove this by living for Him and obeying Him against the opposition of virtually all who are on the earth and hell’s minions as well.

The Lord is all-powerful. He could dispatch of the devil and all of his demonic hordes with the flick of His finger. The Lord could have cast Satan and his hosts into the lake of fire immediately after His resurrection. He had redeemed mankind, and the earth, and it was His to take. He left it as it was for another purpose—He is seeking a bride to rule and reign with Him.

Jesus is called “the last Adam” in I Corinthians 15:45. There was a legal reason for this. The first Adam had been given dominion over the earth. When Adam succumbed to the temptation and chose to obey the evil one instead of God, Satan was able to exert his power over the earth, and we become the slaves of the one we obey. We are told in Romans 6:16:

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

When man fell, all that was under his dominion fell with him, and the earth became the domain of the devil. It was a usurped domain, but this gave the evil one power over the whole earth. The reason why Jesus had to come as a man to redeem the earth was because authority over the earth was given to mankind. This is why Jesus always referred to Himself as “the Son of Man.” Only a man who walked in perfect obedience to the Lord could redeem the earth from the consequences of man’s disobedience. Jesus perfectly fulfilled this and took back the authority over the earth that had been lost by the first Adam.

We can have authority over something and not possess it yet. We could be given a car, the title could be put in our name, and it is at the dealer waiting for us to pick it up. However, until we pick it up, it is not in our possession even though it belongs to us. The title to the earth was put in Jesus’ name immediately after the cross. He just has not come to claim His possession yet in order to allow the conditions on the earth to help prepare His bride, the church, to rule with Him.

The bride of the first Adam lived in the most perfect conditions yet chose to disobey. The bride of the last Adam, Christ, will have lived in the most difficult conditions, and against the onslaught of all the powers of darkness, she will chose to obey. No other creation of God will have endured what she will have endured, and yet she will be faithful. This will be a witness to even the principalities and powers that their time is up over the earth. Even the angels will marvel at her and consider her worthy to be their judges. She will be a worthy bride and joint heir for the Son of God.

God does not tempt us with evil, but as stated in Jeremiah 20:12 and other places, He does allow us to be tested. A test is different from a temptation, though a temptation can be a test just as it was for Adam and Eve. We are tested by the Lord to help us grow and to qualify us for advancement, just as we took tests in school to see if we could be promoted to the next grade. Advancement in the Lord includes more authority. (RB’s emphasis)

As Francis Frangipane likes to say, “You never fail one of God’s tests; you just keep taking them until you pass.” That is basically true. Israel kept going in circles for forty years in the wilderness because they could not pass certain tests that were required before they could enter their Promised Land. Many Christians do the same thing and keep going in circles in their spiritual life because they keep failing the same tests. It is now time to pass the tests and go on to possess our Promised Land.

Links:

Blog Alert – for Christians in Southern England and elsewhere

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Thank you Jonathan for organising this most promising day for believers in Jesus Christ to take the next step in the freedom He bought for everyone.:

Image1Image2To read the details click on the images; for more information and to book click on Spirit, Body, Soul.

Divine climate change

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Thank you Jarrod for such a superb reminder.

Jarrod Cooper's avatarTRIBE

 

let-us-perceive-the-lord-let-us-press-on-to-experience-him-as-surely-as-the-sun-rises-he-will-appear-he-will-come-to-us-like-the-winter-rain-hosea-6-3“Let us perceive The Lord. Let us press on to experience him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rain” Hosea 6:3

Hosea 6:3 teaches us how to change the climate in our lives. Here’s how to cause it to rain heaven:

Firstly, perceive the Lord. Take a moment to think about the fact that He is right by you, right now. His presence, His wisdom, His power is in the room where you are. His angels are around you. His help is at hand. He is closer to you than your skin!

Secondly, in the words of Hosea 6:3, “press in to experience Him”. Worship Him a little, make some requests, read and think about a few scriptures. Cast all your cares on Him and pause a few moments to listen for Him. Invite the “King of Glory…

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Prophecy of an ‘epic generation’

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Detail from Eagle-eyed, John Mark Long: propheticartists.comOn Sunday afternoon 13th January 2013 (interesting in US style: 01.13.2013 ) I grabbed the nearly new jotter I’d found only the previous week to once again make notes whilst watching a live webcast. During worship at Church of His Presence I recollected an old prophetic word given about an ‘epic year’ and made a mental tab to dig out any notes.

This ‘almost new’ pad wouldn’t have those notes, or so I believed. Anyway, I flipped over its scribbled pages >> last week’s notes >> (next) Easter 2011 >> (next) John Kilpatrick Mar ’11 >> (last, the oldest) is headed “I’m a big God!”.

What I wanted was there on the very first pages!!  Had my thought been ‘engineered’?

Click here to read what I found (skipping the Introduction, as above). In my opinion what was brought by Nathan Morris harmonises well with recently published prophetic words for 2013 – maybe he prophesied these prophecies?  If you spend a little time reflecting upon them with the Lord you may be ready for some observations I wish to make.

(In writing up my notes I’ve taken the opportunity to revamp this blog’s prophecy ‘hub’.)

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I enjoy vintage Dilbert; but much better is this story which our dear friend Juliet related as it goes around NE Hampshire. If anyone knows its original source please inform Kenny so he/we can give the credit that’s due.

morningstoryanddilbert's avatarMorning Story and Dilbert

The surgeon sat beside the boy’s bed; the boy’s parents sat across from him. “Tomorrow morning,” the surgeon began, “I’ll open up your heart…”

“You’ll find Jesus there,” the boy interrupted.

The surgeon looked up, annoyed. “I’ll cut your heart open,” he continued, “to see how much damage has been done…”

“But when you open up my heart, you’ll find Jesus in there.” The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly.

“When I see how much damage has been done, I’ll sew your heart and chest back up and I’ll plan what to do next.”

“But you’ll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You’ll find Him in my heart.”

The surgeon had had enough. “I’ll tell you what I’ll find in your heart.  I’ll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I’ll find out if I can make you well.”

“You’ll…

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