Tag Archives: Holy Armour

Prophetic word: Time to wake up and don our armour!

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WORD FROM THE LORD TO THE CHURCH

‘Some weeks ago in church, I had a picture of a battle-ready army stood waiting in silence. It made me think of the silence of heaven in Revelation 8:1. The sky was red and a glorified Jesus was facing them.

‘This morning I woke to a picture of a red sky morning with the words ‘Thou shalt not delay’. I realised that the picture related to the old adage ‘red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning’. As I prayed about this, I received these words:

“I am coming soon; be ready. Put on your armour; gird your loins; take up your sword. Stand firm in the battle and you will reap your reward. The harvest is ripe and it is mine. I am giving it to you to bring into the storehouse. Take care, for I am here and I am roaring at the enemy.”

‘Interestingly, I had knocked my phone onto the floor in the night, dislodging the sim so it was showing the wrong time; consequently I got up later than usual. I believe that the natural reflects the spiritual – so be aware; stay connected, for it is later than we think!’

Gill Parkes, 11th December 2017

Thank you very much Gill. It reminds me of Nina’s vision of believers dressed in armour at Revival Alliance gathering last August (read Vision of Christian warriors, angel’s messages and a ‘wake up’ call).

Vision of Christian warriors, more on the angel’s message and a ‘wake up’ call

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Final day at 9.00am and keen to be with new friends in His presence

After having been away it’s intriguing to compare our spiritual impressions with others who’ve heard from the Lord. After the first evening at Revival Alliance UK 2017 at least thrice-daily ardent worship started cleansing the New Bingley Hall in Birmingham.

Upon entering the auditorium it felt exactly like on my recent visits to Capstone Church, Ilford (extra meetings continue this month). And the sense there was just like when we travelled to Folleys’ End Church in Croydon’s Surrey Street market some years ago. On the opening evening of a weekend-long gathering there a ‘rock’n’roll’ guitarist opened up worship with extraordinary musicianship – after that song he addressed an unvoiced question I’d had!  As worship proceeded, Holy Spirit’s presence could be sensed and so it was just like when we’d been in the sanctuary at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship.

We were where Jesus Christ attends church!

SO, this time with Revival Alliance we were back in Toronto and the outpouring of God’s blessings once again. Many received a good measure of healings, including ‘D’, who’d sat beside us that first evening. Later, she responded to a word of knowledge Carol Arnott had from the Lord about someone having too many platelets in their blood. On going forward, ‘D’ said the problem’s caused her a great deal of pain but God has given her a promise in her own year of jubilee – and she’s 50 years of age. She soon began feeling the warmth of God’s power to bring freedom from pain.

NINA’S VISION OF WARRIORS

The next day we were unable to find ‘D’ until we saw her coming towards the building as we left for the lunch break. She told us how well she’s now feeling. We grinned and then I noticed Nina had gone silent, beyond conversational listening, and gazing very intently – but not at our friend, at everyone!  Is she alright?

“Everyone’s changed,” she says a minute or so later. “We’re wearing armour and ready for combat!”

I ask her what’s happening and she explains her sight did a sort of shimmer, or rather our bodies did. So I ask, “Like watching people going through the Stargate (movie)?”

“Yes”, replies Nina, and so we realise her natural and spiritual senses of sight became active to show another – truer – reality of believers in Christ as spiritual warriors. It looks as if it would be heavy and cumbersome armour but it’s light and supple, being spiritual.

The images are akin to when Nina attended the funeral of an atheist friend’s husband only to be shocked to ‘see’ people walking around as skeletons!  They’re the walking dead because unbelievers are dead to God. But believers are not only clothed in Christ but also in holy armour for fighting satan’s servants.

With that vision in mind let’s read Chris Bennett’s Facebook entries about the army of the Lord after having the vision of an angel warning him the Lord’s drawn a Line In The Sand (3rd Sept), which I didn’t read until yesterday (emphases mine):

THERE IS ANOTHER LINE IN THE SAND (4th Sept)

Yesterday, I wrote about a line in the sand as the Lord applies it to us, but He also gave me an interpretation of it as applied to the forces of evil. I wrote that interpretation to a dear friend and the effect was such that I am prompted to share it wider.

I wrote : “I felt the Lord say over you, “So far but no further. I will only allow so much to attack you, then – no more! I am limiting the enemy’s ability to harass you. I am setting my army around you. You are mine and I will protect and preserve you. I have plans for you that are as yet unfulfilled. So I rebuke the enemy. Thus far – not one step further!”

Does this ring a bell for anyone?

I feel a move in the Spirit. I feel the enemy is being dragged back from the worst excesses he was planning. The Lord is rebuilding His church just as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. He is restoring hope where the world has been openly mocking us. He is restoring faith where faith has been shredded and all but destroyed. He is sounding a rallying cry to every Christian who will respond.

“TO ARMS! EVERYONE TO HIS OR HER POST. LET THE TRUMPETS HERALD A GATHERING OF THE SAINTS IN A WAR-ROOM TO PROCLAIM AND DECREE THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD AND TO DECLARE FRESH HOPE FOR ALL MANKIND! IT IS TIME TO CALL A COUNCIL OF WAR IN EVERY CHURCH, EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE. IT IS TIME FOR THE WATCHMEN TO WATCH AND STAND GUARD, FOR THE INTERCESSORS TO INTERCEDE DECLARE AND DECREE THE LORD’S WILL BE DONE, AND THE PROPHETS TO LEAD AS THEY HEAR AND SPEAK AND ACTIVATE THE WORDS OF THE LORD!”

“DO NOT SAY ITS NOT MY JOB! IT IS EVERYONE’S JOB. LET THE WORSHIPPERS LEAD YOU INTO BATTLE FOR THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S AND THE ENEMY’S WALLS WILL COME TUMBLING DOWN!”

I looked to the hills around us. The horsemen and chariots of Israel are in position. The Army of the Lord is ready. The trumpeters are standing, trumpets raised, ready for the command. The Lord stands to His feet and His voice rings out over us, “NOW IS THE TIME. LET BATTLE COMMENCE!” The enemy forces rise in unison with the Soldiers of the Cross. I see the Ark of the Covenant, carried by the priests, take up position ready to lead the worshippers into battle. Then . . . the battle cry is sounded.

Are you ready? Is the Army of the Lord, on earth as it is in heaven, ready? Then let us wage war on Satan and all his demon army. We cannot be defeated, the battle is already won! AMEN.

WAKE UP! (2nd Sept)

“Before you set about trying to get the Church right with Me – get yourself right with Me.” says the Lord. These words hit me like a brick as I was browsing Facebook today.

“Mote and plank! Cast the plank out of your own eye before you try to point out the mote in another’s eye!”, He continued. “My Word speaks about a spotless Bride, and so she shall be, but to be part of a spotless Bride, you must be personally ‘spotless’ or how can I use you to clean up the Bride?

“This is one of the last calls to personal holiness!”, says the Lord, “For in the coming months I will be ‘cleaning house’ in My Church. I will be ‘cleaning house’ among those I have appointed and anointed and many will lose their influence and some their platform because they have abused the anointing and have turned aside from the path upon which I set them!

“Why ‘one of the last calls’? Because I am raising a new Holy Army among My people, and these shall be anointed to carry the Church through the End-time. If My people will align themselves with Me and with the path upon which I have set them, then I shall add to their anointing, confirmed with signs and wonders following, and the world will recognise them as Mine.

“However”, says the Lord, “There will be two countermeasures the enemy, Satan, has set up ready to combat My people. First, he will counterfeit everything My people do, and you must discern the difference. Second, he will attack, harass, persecute, and try to bring down My anointed in any way he can, and you must stand in the face of this. Only by keeping themselves pure and unto Me shall My people stand and remain standing” says the Lord of Hosts.

A ‘wake up’ warning to a still complacent church.

“Having an enemy is a fundamental requirement” – Dr Sharon Stone

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Lionheart – Richard Coeur de Lion!  The above image spoke about my boyhood hero as soon as I espied it.  Alone, it lay amidst paintings by James Nesbit at Dr Sharon Stone’s Mentoring Day last weekend.  Whilst sipping a quick coffee after arrival, I saw the vendor getting her goods ready. “It’s mine!” I exclaimed and explained why.  The meeting was just about to start and so the lady kindly put it aside for me.

This painting complemented several personal impressions and words over the last few years, as well as more recent words brought by prophetical folk (eg. my remarks about HMS Warrior here). But little did I know how it would plug straight into what Sharon was going to say, and into a few things recently happening as well as some destined for the following week!  (See previous two postings and comments.)

Below are my notes, hastily scribbled in keeping up with Sharon as she delivered her message entitled.:

Having an enemy is a fundamental requirement!

Rev Dr Sharon Stone, Senior Minister Christian International Europe; courtesy CIEThis season suits God’s prophetic people better than any I’ve known, because we were made for seasons of conflict when people need to hear us and what God is saying. That is, it’s not so much a time for the ministries of apostle, pastor, teacher, evangelist as it is for the prophet.

More than at any other period, we now need to be on time with prophetic words.

Critics say spiritual warfare is no longer required as we can function from a position of  ‘rest’.  That’s deceptive because our use of weapons needs to be updated from ‘hand-to-hand’ to our enforcing Jesus’ victory by means of decrees from the ‘heavenly courts’. Our enemy – ‘that worm’ – is to be kept underfoot!

We’re at a new level of time. One where we become warriors and overcomers.  So having an enemy is a fundamental requirement to achieving that goal !!

  • We can’t find and move into our destiny without having and overcoming an enemy. King David’s enemy Goliath defined him.
  • God changed his life as a result of killing that giant. Shepherd boy David moved from obscurity into notoriety as a national hero.
  • God’s ‘suddenlies’ do occur but we need to deal with our personal giant and not live under its shadow.
  • God promotes us when we deal with giants.
  • We never go back to the same defeated giant!

The spiritual enemy signals the part of our life (eg family/generational issues) in which he’s afraid of us because, were we single-minded in it, he would be overcome. That is,  issues are not our weakness but our unrecognised strength – we just need to keep up  the  m o m e n t u m!

The present season is going to show who are heroes and who are cowards!

THIS SEASON IS WHEN THE WORLD AND CHURCH WILL SEE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN AS OUR FAITH GOES ON TRIAL – AND GOD IS WATCHING HOW WE RESPOND AND STAND.

  • He wants us to be vulnerable to Him and to being inspected by Him.
  • It’s our faith that refines us by fire and aligns us to our destiny.
  • All we have to do in this season is to be strong and courageous and to learn as we progress –

“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.” [Josh 1:9]

[I’d already referred to the early verses in Joshua, which are highlighted in my Bible because they led into the personal prophetic words received in 1996 – as here]

THIS IS THE SEASON FOR THE CHURCH TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN THE WORLD LIKE IT’S NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!

In what we’re not, in all aspects of being a warrior, then we are to be fearless because Jesus Christ is in us and fulfills all that we need; as in 1John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Also, ‘for a great effective door has been opened but there are many adversaries’ (1Cor 16:9).

Whenever an enemy pops up this signals that we’re moving from one season to another through a ‘new door’.  [Note: the ‘open door’ again!]

Footnotes:

Waiting upon the Lord a few weeks ago I had a vision of the huge dark green side of a mountain bursting up through the ground in front of me and close to my feet. I believe this may indicate the time has arrived for the manifestation of an open vision I had for the UK.  That first vision meant that, as society fell apart, the solid rock that is Jesus Christ would appear (see Comments upon collapse of society). Hence, the imperative need for believers to take a stand upon The Rock.

Readers may wish to read > In case anyone’s puzzled or got questions…

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Detail from Eagle-eyed, John Mark Long: propheticartists.comAndy, I’m absolutely stunned by your including this particular illustration of armour with the word from Bobby. I printed a copy from Bobby’s site last week but several events prevented my reblogging it. BUT at the start of the weekend I bought the only copy of this picture at a meeting! After that I heard Dr Sharon Stone deliver a message on dealing with our enemy!  My wife has now come into the room and her jaw dropped in amazement!  Clearly, the LORD has a most important encouragement and instruction for 2013 – and there’s this inspirational video!!

A visionary word for 2013: “I am tempering you…”

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Credit_ JesusIsComing_th-1Thank you to Tembisa at Jesus is Coming for this vision received by Susan O’Marra, and for this graphic. Swords and associated imagery of our Ephesians 6 armour (see below) have been coming to my attention of late. This account therefore gels with my spirit, so thank you Susan. Thus, I submit her ‘vision 1’ and the Lord’s word for careful weighing by fellow believers, and for waiting upon Him.:

On 01-01-2013, I awoke to a vision of a sword hovering in the air. It was being dipped into different things. The first thing it was dipped into was a vat of sand. The next was a container of wool. The third was a vessel of a silvery liquid. Over and over, the sword was dipped into each thing, one at a time, and repeated many times in it’s circuit of sand, wool, and oil. Then the final thing was the sword was then placed within the folds of a beautiful garment that hung in the air nearby.

Then, the Lord spoke:

“I am tempering you.

“I am rendering you impervious to cracks, to fractures, to schisms, and to divisions.

“I am hardening you to temptations and to demonic assaults.

“I am making you inflexible to compromise and to mixture of any kind.

“I am making you rigidly righteous, and strong in your faith in Me, so that I can wield you fully.

“I am polishing the last of the smudges in your personality that mar My image from being fully seen.

“I want you to gleam with Me in a new sensitivity and reveal a brighter countenance of Me.

“I am enfolding you into each other, My Robe, My Church, and I am adding into your layers a new corporate strength.

“I have tempered you each individually, now I will form you corporately into a formidable weapon for Me.

“This is the Year 2013, when I will form, I will assemble anew, and bring My End Time Army into full battle view.”

Scriptures:

Exodus 30:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: 35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

1 Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

1 Peter 5:8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset–rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.

Ephesians 6:16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. 18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

Susan O’Marra 01-01-2013

http://www.intheimageofhisglory.com/

Could a dream confirm God’s action plan?

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I’m amazed by a vivid dream experienced by someone whose blog I follow. So I must submit why I regard his dream as a valid message from the Lord.:

September was a remarkable month and I’d intended covering the unusual events of its first and last day under the ‘Back to School’ series of posts, but events proved too busy. NOW, in Preparing for battle Tony Puccio recounts a dream that seems to relate directly to my posting on Insights into God’s action plan.  Insight 2 therein refers to an excellent sermon during the 30th Sept Sunday morning service in Church Of His Presence, USA.

As an anointed prophet, Jan Painter admonished and exhorted the congregation to pick up the spiritual weapon they’ve allowed to fall into disuse. I didn’t state what the weapon was but left it for any interested reader to watch the video – it is the sword of the Spirit. This is the Word of God, the holy scriptures, because when wielded it deals decisively with the ungodly, whether of human origin or not.  Its effectiveness is proven in practice, and it can be not only the logos, or written word, but also the rhema, or prophetic ‘now’ word, as well as the language of spiritual tongues. (It was this last to which Jan referred as the weapon that had fallen into disuse.)

My first extraordinary encounter with the sword of the Spirit had been during training in prayer ministry. Inwardly, I heard “1Sam 5” during a ministry session where a lady was prowling around on all fours like a panther. Not knowing what that was about I found the chapter’s first five verses tell how The Ark of the Covenant trashed the idol of a pagan temple. As soon as I read the verses out aloud the lady stopped dead in her tracks and gaped at a vision right in front of her – she was actually seeing the same happening to a Satanic temple’s altar where child sacrifices had been performed!  She was soon freed from bondage in Jesus’ name – praise Him!

Now, what I was saving for another post but didn’t get chance to write about (maybe so as not to influence Tony?) is the following.:

Earlier on that same Sunday morning, 30th Sept, here in the UK we’d attended church and received a new diary sheet for the next month, October.  It bore the illustration you see heading today’s post!

Therefore, dear reader, you may now understand why we were excited later that after-noon to hear Jan specifically stress the importance of the sword as a spiritual weapon – and now by Tony’s dream!  And there’s much more, lots more, to learn in all this…

It is written:

 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13 NKJV)

Amen.

Some insights into God’s action plan

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Soon after my birthday trip to Trafalgar Square with Healing On The Streets, as here, I was blessed with a greater under-standing of God’s action plan: getting the full Gospel message in all its power into the public space. So I want to encourage fellow believers as well as stir those who are not yet Christians to discover more about our faith.

Insight 1

Knowing about God’s action plan gives impetus to our realisation of the spiritual contest going on within society to manipulate people’s thoughts and beliefs away from God.

This has been observed not only in the HOTS v ASA saga but also other spheres of UK government action. Thinking they’d curtail prayers in public for physical healing, the ASA banned HOTS leaflets but this blew up in their faces when the public’s attention and that of Parliament turned towards the issue (as here and here). Also, a substantial flaw was found in the ASA ruling.  So, we can perceive the Lord’s hand in these events.  However, the issue with the Equalities & Human Rights Commission about keeping religious beliefs well behind church doors, as summed up here by Gillan Scott, still bubbles away.

That struggle is also why Christians are in the European Court, Strasbourg, standing  against governmental rulings (see here, here and here). We can understand that the spiritual enemy does not want anything Jesus did in public to be done in public today. Thus, he will attempt in every possible way to thwart God’s plans for returning Christian beliefs and activity to the public sphere.

On this issue political blogger Cranmer has rounded upon confused comments coming from Baroness Warsi, minister of State for Faith and Communities and Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, that the British Government is proud to do ‘God’.  His Grace writes:

It is ironic that this ‘Senior’ Minister of State…should boast that the UK Government ‘does God’ while their lawyers at the European Court of Human Rights have made it clear that the position of HM Government is that Christians should ‘leave their beliefs at home or get another job’.

David Cameron – like Tony Blair before him – appears to mistake freedom of worship for freedom of religion. The Baroness apparently grasps the difference, and yet she is part of that government which is arguing in Strasbourg that there is a ‘difference between the professional and private sphere’.

Whatever the Baroness may spout at the UN, the UK has seen a gradual shift from ‘freedom of religion’ to ‘freedom of worship’. The whole narrative surrounding religious faith has gone from being ‘in the world’ to the physical confines of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque.

Insight 2

Sunday morning’s service at Church of His Presence had a late change in its schedule.  Pastor John had to be away and Jan Painter spoke on what the Lord’s saying about His plans for revival and taking His presence outside church walls. (Jan prophesied a fresh but return of the glory of God after that of the Brownsville revival.)

For well over an hour Jan conveyed her grasp of the Lord’s words and amongst several gems was this one:

“In God’s presence we become aware of Him, but He wants you to be aware that He is aware of you“.

Wow, how this adds another deeper dimension for our ministering healing!  It seems, in my opinion, a lot of what she says about God’s work through The Bay Revival may well apply to HOTS because that team is also part of God’s worldwide action plan to get the full Gospel outside church walls.

Indeed, the Lord’s rebuke that Jan conveyed about believers letting a spiritual weapon  fall into disuse also applies to all on-fire churches. (Ephesians 6:10-18 refers.) This is extremely relevant teaching and as the service closed most of the large congregation, no doubt plus online members, started practising this holy gifting.

Join this exceptional service by playing the above video. There are testimonies from deaf and blind folk being healed before Jan starts speaking at 1hr30min. [Takes few seconds to start but play can be advanced along the loading gray buffer bar.]

Insight 3

How can I convey what followed the previous two within days?  At the first home group we attended of our new church the preacher brought a powerful text for discussion – the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

I received a ‘download’!  It was almost visible!  My New King James Study Bible heads this chapter as The Mystery Revealed, with sub-headings Purpose of the Mystery and Appreciation of the Mystery.  I n t r i g u i n g ! 

As the chapter was read aloud and certain Greek words in verses 16 to 20 discussed, I grasped its direct relevance to all I’ve written above and in the preceding posts about HOTS.

All I can suggest for the earnest Christian is to meditate upon and ‘chew well’ the extra-ordinary depths of this whole chapter and ask for revelation.  This Bible Gateway link to  Ephesians 3 gives the Amplified Bible’s translation, thereby offering a good glimpse into the meaning of Paul’s apostolic teaching.

Just savour these verses then, along with the rest, chew and swallow the whole chapter and then the rest of this short letter:

10 [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

11 This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear). – – – – –

16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

AMEN!

1,000s of Americans applaud UK Christian ‘fight-back’

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“What’s happening in England right now is blowing my mind (I hear of more miracles)…I was there a few weeks ago…in the city of Hull, where miracles were happening – one week later our Prime Minister stands up in the Houses of Parliament and he says this..: Continue reading →

Are we clutching at straws?

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The personal blessing of Resurrection Sunday, listening to inspirational preaching and ministry on the breaking point of Gethsemane, watching believers come ‘out of their tombs’ during anointed preaching, reading a couple of excellent blogs on Easter have made it an intellectually and spiritually active fortnight. On top of which I’ve been involved with some interesting discussions on-line:

Thank you to Archbishop Cranmer and Peter Kirk for your several Easter articles, especially when a non-believer sought to divert the latter. A supporter of the ASA had caught up with an old posting that I’d commented upon and he claimed, “Richard and HOTS are grasping at anecdotal straws”. He then proceeded to distract the blogger from his inspirational jottings with lengthy arguments on scientific procedure for testing healing. So I waded in with the irrefutable factual testimony of a redundant carer! Enjoy the long thread here.

There have also been several well-written critiques, comparisons and discussion of PM Cameron’s and President Obama’s Easter messages (see Cranmer, Peter Kirk, Gillan Scott), which I would recommend to those who may have time to read. I’ve found them to be most instructive and enabled me to reconsider my views.

Yet more – I was encouraged that Jarrod Cooper in Hull had also noticed what I’d reported about Cameron’s support for ‘a Christian fight-back’!

Should you want to read more on that, see Charles Moore’s A society that persecutes Christ is heading for trouble, wherein he writes:

“If you start extirpating Christianity, it will start fighting back.  And even if – highly unlikely – you beat it down, behind it will come the more implacable, much more shamelessly political adherents of Islam.”

Also, reporting today about a new advertising campaign on London buses, Cranmer writes,

”…these plucky Christians are merely doing what the Prime Minister exhorted them to do: ‘ fight back‘.”

Having taken up our whole armour, let’s stand in the Lord…