page 1 responding to god s love · page 2 responding to god’s love vicar revd. howard wright. the...
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Page 1 Responding to God’s love
Page 2 Responding to God’s love
Vicar Revd. Howard Wright. The Vicar-age, Four Marks, GU34 5AA (01420-563344)
howardwright.cogs @gmail.com
Youth and
Family Worker
Children's Worker : Lorna Littlewood
Jane Hughes (07711 407831)
Lorna.cogs @gmail.com Jane_COGS @btinternet.com
Admin- istrator
Matt Senior Cogsoffice @googlemail.com
Church- wardens
Lynn Vine (560672) Christopher King-Smith (564247)
c.kingsmith@
btinternet.com
Acting Treasurer
David Craigen Cogstreasurer @gmail.com
Synods Deanery: Janet Foster, Howard Short, Frank Maloney.
Diocesan: Kennett Westmacott, Janet Foster.
PCC David Craigen, Paul Dorey, Janet Foster, Alison Frater, Pip Hughes, Helena Hunt, Natalie Senior, Chris McGrath, Tim Littlewood (Sec).
Licensed Lay Ministers
David Bush, Janet Foster, Robert Hughes, Christopher King-Smith, Jonathan Rooke, Alan Thain.
Keyholder Val Lucas, The Flints, Lymington Bottom, Four Marks. (561139) [email protected]
Safeguarding Officer
Paul Dorey (for the parish) cogssafeguarding @gmail.com
Magazine Editor
Robert Parker (563433) Contributions no later than the 15th of the month please
parker305 @btinternet.com
www.goodshepherdfourmarks.org.uk
Other Ministries at The Good Shepherd
Rev. Howard Wright leads the Discipleship (with Val Lucas) and Pas-toral ministries; Alan Thain: Prayer ministry; Chris McGrath: Worship ministry; Nigel Pink: Mission ministry.
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The Vicar’s Letter We are still being the church. Though there are still physical restrictions on our congregating, we are still the church as we worship God, and love and serve one another and our community.
In our recent teaching series from Ephesians (the services, includ-ing sermons are still available on our website) we heard from chapter 4 how we are all invited to participate in God’s work of bring the whole of creation back to himself. We learnt how part of his plan is to use the church as his body, and that he gives different gifts to each of us to us all that we might equip one another.
We are so grateful to those who have served God and us, using their gifts and skills in the past and/or today to enable us to grow. Thank you to all those who have been and who are today, part of the story.
One key role we can all participate in is encouragement! Do contin-ue to contact others during this season of physical separation and en-courage them. King David’s story contains references to him having to encourage himself in God (1 Samuel 30:6) but, also of others encour-aging him in the Lord (see 1 Samuel 23:16). Encouraging others in the Lord and supporting each other is important during this time.
There are many other individuals and roles I could also mention but I want at this time to say thank you to those who are blessing us with leadership and governance during this time, our wardens and PCC. Lynn and Chris were due to step down this past April but have continued serving us in the absence of an annual meeting. In addi-tion, we were due to hold elections for five PCC vacancies and three deanery synod representatives. At some point we will need to hold elections and it would be good to be ready for these, but we can begin to include others in leadership roles now. I want to encourage us all to be praying and also to be encouraging others that we think may be able to serve us in the roles.
We need, and will need, a great team to help us as we move to-ward the new future and new type of church that God is calling us to be. That we might all the more Grow Deeper in God and even Larger in Mission. If you would like to know more, do speak to Lynn Vine, Chris King Smith, myself, or any others on PCC.
Yours
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Reflections on Youth, No. 2 Some of you may recall that a couple of years ago I (John Sills) wrote an article for this magazine with a similar title. Well, things have moved on in the past couple of years and circumstances have forced me to make the decision to stand down from my involvement with the youth. It has been a tough decision for many reasons as I shall miss the challenges and joys in serving them. I have many good memories which I will treasure.
I have been involved in volunteering with children and youth for over 35 years (not all at The Good Shepherd) and over that time I have built many friendships which I will keep. Ann and I are attending two weddings later this year to which former youth have invited us. We are also planning a trip to a church plant where one of my former Sun-day School children is a minister, travel restrictions permitting. These will be special times. I will also be keeping in touch with the older “university” group through these difficult times.
But, the real purpose of this note is to say a big thank you to all of you parents who have entrusted your children into my “care”. It has been a privilege to serve them, and you.
Thank you.
John.
Dear reader.
I hope that you enjoy this edition of the magazine, even though it brings back the sadness of Lisa’s passing and of many of us able to stand in tribute to her memory And now Maureen Lee’s funeral has been held also; particularly terrible as Jane and I were unable to at-tend the funeral and support Bob, our friend of 40 years.
Our treasurer, David Craigen, has an interesting page describing the fact that we can now give to The Good Shepherd via the web-site, as well as the existing ways.
Janet Foster gives news of the grave situation in Karamoja, our “Mission of the Month”, although there is some good news too.
And I’m sorry to read of John Sills’ decision to step down from youth ministry. He has a marvellous (God-given) ability to relate to young people. You will be missed, John.
… continued on the next page.
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Messy Church has moved
… into homes and online
Our next COGS Messy Church celebra-tion will be 12th July.
For up-to-date information and links to the next Messy Church, check out the Facebook page − https://www.facebook.com/Messychurchcogs
Or request to join the COGS Messy Church Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2324513037620944/?ref=bookmarks. Or look for the Messy Online button on the website.
Young Family Ministry continues
with Bumps and Babies meeting online Monday morning each week and Toddler lunch meeting weekly on Thurs-days. Please do get in touch if you would like to know more or take part in either of these groups.
For more information, contact Jane Hughes [email protected] or 07711407831
… Continued from page 4.
And litter picking is picking up again. It’s good exercise and quite good fun. Wherever you live, you do get some interesting conversa-tions going; so much so that removing litter can become secondary to engaging with people who often, but don’t always, say they appreci-ate you doing it. John Fowler-Wright is the lead on this and can be contacted on 01420-563380.
Finally, you are welcome to share anything through these pages that the Lord is doing in your life.
Robert Parker.
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Lisa Bonter’s Funeral Tribute by Howard Lisa was adopted as a baby, the youngest of three children and lived in Petswood, Kent. She and Neil met when she was 15. At 16 Lisa started working for the Midland Bank, at first in Chislehurst, (where incidentally she met Ann, whom she introduced to her brother, Chris, and who later became her sister-in-law!) and later moving to Chancery Lane, in cen-tral London.
Lisa and Neil married in 1980, moving to Alresford on their return from honeymoon. Lisa transferred to the Midland Bank in Winchester but once Dan was born, Lisa gave up full-time work. During Dan and Cathy’s childhood and Jade’s arrival in the family, Lisa worked at Alton Sports Centre as a trampoline coach, volunteered as a netball coach at school and later training as a racquetball coach and was a volunteer with Cathy’s basketball team – driving the minibus and keeping the stats.
Lisa attended a Sunday School briefly as a child, but really discov-ered God and begun trusting Jesus through Alpha in the early 2000s and was confirmed in 2003. She flourished in the Church of The Good Shepherd, becoming Church Warden and then leader of pastoral minis-tries. Among many other activities she helped found Messy Church, initiated Holiday at Home, and loved organising bouncy castles for the village picnic and other events. She did a huge amount encouraging individuals − a work she carried on as she became involved at East-leigh Baptist Church, from participating in courses nine years ago to running courses and supporting individuals over the past eight years.
Lisa was fiercely loyal and devoted to Neil, the children and grand-children. She was adventurous, caring, funny and generous – we must mention the colour green, stripes, elephants and party games. She was always giving of herself to others, giving time and love, supporting, listening and offering wisdom to family and countless others.
She will be greatly missed by us all.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.
Psalm 122:6-7
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Take this Bread by Sara Miles This lockdown, I (Chris King-Smith) have found, does have one or two advantages. Because mine has been more enforced than, perhaps, with others, I used the time to re-discover some old habits. One has been lis-tening more to Radio 3, another has been browsing our bookcases to catch up on reading from times past. That is how I came upon this paperback.
Written by Sara Miles and published in 2012 (so you can see how much reading there is to catch up on) it tells the conse-quences of this left-wing journalist, ex-chef, revolutionary atheist, self-confessed lesbian, who for no earthly reason, walked into a church in downtown San Francisco one morning in 1999 and took communion. The book describes her early life leading up to this event and the transformation which followed, in a faith she had scorned and in work she could not have imagined.
In her own words: “I ate the bread. Conversion isn’t, after all, a mo-ment: it’s a process, and it keeps happening, with cycles of acceptance and resistance, epiphany and doubt ... It was tempting to proclaim yourself ‘saved’ and go back to sleep… Taste and see, the Bible said, and I did … Now that you’ve taken the bread, what are you going to do?”
Her answer to this question leads her to see the immediate need was for the poor people in that very run-down part of the city was for good, wholesome food. She set up, in the church of which she had be-come a member, a food pantry (food bank). The book tells the story of how she achieved this, the opposition from other church members, her own doubts; and of how her faith deepened through this very practical demonstration of God at work through her, and its effect on the lives of those who were fed and of other church members. Faith for her was about action, not abstract theological debates. In quick time she turned the bread that she ate at Communion into tons of groceries piled high on the church’s table, to be given away free to hundreds of poor, sick, elderly, deranged, marginalized people − all brought into her life by the relentless force of her new-found calling.
Beautifully and simply written by this ex-journalist, it is a very pow-erful example of the Holy Spirit at work. It left me, and no doubt other readers, longing for such practical signs and actions to emerge in and through our own personal stories.
Chris King-Smith
Take this Bread by Sara Miles, Canterbury Press, 2012.
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Worship at The Good Shepherd As I am writing this article, exciting things are happening within the worship team here at The Good Shepherd.
This week’s songs have just gone live as part of our weekly service and next week’s songs are being recorded in various homes, even as far away as Cumbria. Musicians are being contacted and briefed for the following week’s songs and the playlist for the week after that is al-ready being considered!
Who could have foreseen, just three or four months ago, the way our wonderful team of mu-sicians and singers have been able to adapt to the changing circumstances, and be so willing to have a go at something new?
From the early days of lockdown when one leader introduced a few songs by famous wor-ship bands, we have moved to a position where we can draw together many different instru-ments and singers, thanks to the enthusiastic creativity and dedication of Matt Senior and now Matt Wettone too. Ironing boards, tripods, bookcases, music stands, elastic bands and sellotape – all have been utilised to create impromptu recording studi-os, along with laptops, ipads, mobile phones and clever bits of comput-er software!
No-one knows exactly what the future holds with regard to worshipping together, but our experience so far is that God is empowering ordinary people for extraordinary tasks. We have discovered that we can worship in ones and twos – it may be harder, but when we remember we are still part of the whole Christian family, we can find the strength to persevere.
Worship, of course, is so much more than singing. We are called to worship with our whole lives, not just our
voices, but sung worship is a wonderful way to help us focus on all the
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good things God has given us, and to help us find Him when He seems so far away. Rain or shine, good times or bad, locked-down or free – we can, and should, worship the One who is unchanging, ever-present, and the rock on which we can stand firm.
As well as our bibles and the weekly services to help us in our wor-ship, I am delighted that we are now able to offer a COGS worship song playlist on the COGS website – a compilation of some of the songs we sing regularly, which we hope you will enjoy. Any comments or suggestions, along with any offers of help from musicians and singers, is always very welcome. Please email [email protected]
God Bless you all, Chris.
Quotes about the Bible
“Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” -Charles Spurgeon
“We are the Bibles the world is reading; we are the creeds the world is needing; we are the sermons the world is heeding.” -Billy Graham
“Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness.” -Helen Keller
“The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid.” -Martin Luther
“What I see in the Bible, especially in the book of Psalms, which is a book of gratitude for the created world, is a recognition that all good things on Earth are God's, every good gift is from above. They are good if we recognize where they came from and if we treat them the way the Designer intended them to be treated.” -Philip Yancey
“The Bible is the book of my life. It's the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.” -N. T. Wright.
[Source: https://www.crosswalk.com]
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Donations to COGS Now Also Possible Online!
We have consistently encouraged all those wishing to make a financial contri-bution to The Good Shepherd to set up a regular standing order to transfer direct from your bank account into our bank account, and ideally (and if your tax status allows it) to gift aid these donations as this increases your gifts by 25%. And, bless you, over 95% of our regular income comes in this way, which enables us to plan the church finances with greater confidence.
Now, with the increased “traffic” using the COGS website this year we have been investigating the idea of offering an opportunity to, in particular, newcomers to make a financial contribution should they be so inclined. To this end therefore I am delighted to report that, courte-sy of the skill and application of our Parish administrator, Matt, we have now set up a “Donate” button on the Good Shepherd online web-site. This facility will enable anyone wishing to support the activities of the church to donate online, either via their PayPal account if they have such a thing, or via a credit or debit card transaction.
In order to satisfy all the security and legal aspects of such an ar-rangement (provided by PayPal on special inexpensive terms for not-for-profit/charities such as COGS), we have undertaken careful check-ing of the terms and controls for this innovation. As we gain experience in the administrative operation, there may in the next few weeks be a degree of “fine-tuning” and customization of the way this payment op-tion is presented on the website – in particular as regards inviting gift-aid donations.
The most important point to be made to all current donors is that this facility is NOT to replace what is already in place for you (standing orders, gift-aid etc. – please DON’T change anything!), but rather an additional donation route for website visitors, and also in the future perhaps to offer a convenient method for first-time/one-off visitors to the church who visit for, say, a baptism, a funeral, a wedding or other social event, and wish to make a donation to COGS.
Do please contact me if you have a query or concern about this. And if anyone has experience on setting up a contactless donation route, I’m listening!
David Craigen, Treasurer
Tel. 01420-564152, e-mail: [email protected]
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Resource Sharing Network (RSN) The Resource Sharing Network (RSN) will accept and circulate requests from the Church Family − for themselves or for family and friends − who need some help because they are in isolation. As always, money is not to be part of RSN requests.
If you are not on the RSN circulation, Email [email protected]
Small Groups For further information contact Val Lucas, the ministry leader for small groups (01420-561139).
Online Church Refer, please, to the website for what’s going on and for the necessary connections.
We have the 9.30am Service available from 6pm on the Fri-day before, the Coffee on Zoom at 11am, the 7pm Service, COGS Kids Online, Messy Church at Home, Alpha Online, and COGS on YouTube.
Prayer Chain If you have any urgent requests for prayer through the Prayer Chain, please email Matt Senior ([email protected]), or Howard Wright ([email protected], 01420-563344) or Alan Thain ([email protected], 01420– 85185).
Pastoral Care If you would like to hear from a member of the Team or you know of someone who would, please contact the team leaders, Debbie Norgate (84534) or Gilly Cobb (544404), or Howard Wright (01420-563344) or Matt Senior.
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Karamoja: Mission of the Month
Recent news report on the situation in Uganda and Karamoja.
Uganda and COVID-19: Lo-custs, livestock raids and foot & mouth disease add to communities' woes.
“If you think you’ve got it tough right now spare a thought for communities in Uganda battling locust swarms and foot and mouth disease as well as coronavirus, all threatening their precious food supply.”
Previous locust swarms already destroyed many crops in the Kara-moja region in the country’s North East, and their second coming will devastate crops that have already been planted in the next few months.
In parts of the region foot and mouth disease (FMD) quarantine was introduced last September. This prohibited the trade and consumption of animal products and the trade on live animals.
Dynamic Agro-Pastoralist Development Organisation (DADO) is a lo-cal NGO which supports agro-pastoralist communities in Kaabong dis-trict.
Loupa Pius, a project officer at DADO, said: “COVID-19, locusts, and FMD quarantine, coupled with livestock raids are leaving the region in suspension.”
While the government focuses on COVID-19, other areas are being overlooked.
“In rural areas, people are unable to access food and necessary in-come because they cannot trade. Even pastoralists are asking what the government is going to do if they cannot access water and limited health services.”
The Karamojong are pastoralists and rely on mobility for the survival of their herd and their lives.
The region has many farmers and pastoralists who rely on trade at markets for income. The lockdown imposed by the government to stop the spread of COVID-19 has further reduced the income and supply of food in the area.
While other parts of Uganda have enough food, the lockdown is hin-
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dering the distribution.
Loupa said: “The food stores in the Karamoja centres are getting lower and lower as trade and flow of food from other parts have re-duced.
“The government of Uganda should have understood that some households in Karamoja, especially those that live a pastoral livelihood, are more likely to be impacted with Covid-19 and FMD quarantines.”
Pastoralists also rely on wild food as part of their diet and if the lo-custs are not brought under control they will lose this precious source of food and income from selling what they have gathered.
Food glorious food − sweet potatoes in production
Some food prices have also gone up in the area: the price of salt increased by six times.
Loupa emphasised that the government should have followed the closure of livestock markets with an alterna-tive so people can survive during the lockdown.
Malnutrition weakens the immune system making people more sus-ceptible to Covid-19.
Job losses
In towns and cities across Uganda, business, restaurants and hotels shut down leaving many people out of work.
The government is providing food to 1.5m people it identified as the most vulnerable in the Kampala and Wakiso districts; but not in Kara-moja district and this hasn’t been without controversies.
Four government officials were arrested for inflating relief food pric-es that were to be given out to vulnerable people.
There is also no financial help for those out of work so food may be available, but many people don’t have the money to buy it.
The Alton Deanery Karamoja Committee responded by sending £5,000 to alleviate hunger during Covid-19 which the Bishops will dis-tribute.
Many workers from the hospitality and service industry have moved away from main towns and back to their villages with their families.
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Some people have gardens where they have planted food, such as matooke, cassava, and beans to live off. In Karamoja there is limited rainfall and so difficult to grow such foods.
Food Pandemic: a lady harvesting in Karamoja is most likely to be affected by a food shortage
People that have a garden are counting themselves lucky as many peo-ple are surviving off one a meal day.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that Covid-19 could cause a hunger pandemic, doubling the number of people in acute hunger. Afri-ca, and East Africa in particular, is likely to be affected the most.
The supply of goods has slowed down as lorry drivers are subject to mandatory test-ing at the border between Kenya and Ugan-da causing long tailbacks.
Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, but fac-tors such as a weakend immune system, living in close quarters, and a lack of health equipment could result in countries such as Uganda hav-ing a higher death rate than other countries.
However it’s not all bad news
Uganda is fighting Covid-19 in some very innovative ways.
In the capital Kampala, Makerere University – ranked as the fourth-best university in Africa by the Times Higher Education World Rankings in 2016 – is doing some great work in the fight against Covid-19.
The University is currently working on a prototype of a low-cost ven-tilator which will support people that suffer respiratory problems.
The prototype is currently undergoing the final stages of testing and if successful will be made in Uganda. Ventilators can cost up to US$50,000 and, as you can imagine, are in high demand. A low-cost unit manufactured in the country would be a great develop-ment.
A team of scientists in the pathology department, who manufac-ture Ebola test kits, are working on a rapid test kit for Covid-19, which is hoped to be ready soon.
The current test requires a complex machine, but the developing
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test is low cost and simpler to use, meaning it can be deployed in rural parts of the country.
Uganda is also manufacturing a range of PPE, including surgeons clothing and gloves, and the military has been put to work manu-facturing N95 face masks and surgical masks to address the short-age.
Latest news
In Karamoja, the people have below-average seasonal incomes so with typically high staple food prices and the absence of the school feeding program, the Karamojong are expected to constrain house-hold food access with an increasing number of households ex-pected to deteriorate to crisis status before the harvest in July/August.
Given the absence of school feeding at the peak of the lean sea-son, a seasonal increase in the prevalence of under-five acute mal-nutrition is expected through June/July.
Meanwhile, ongoing rainfall and shifting wind direction are ex-pected to decrease the risk of additional locust invasions from western Kenya. Locusts previously present in Uganda have now died or have migrated to South Sudan. Only localized crop damage in parts of Teso, Karamoja, and parts of Acholi and Lango sub-regions has so far been reported due to the presence of locusts in April.
Please Pray for the Karamojong and the many acute difficulties that they are currently dealing with just to stay alive.
Janet Foster. Karamoja representative for The Good Shepherd
The cross that we must bear is to take God's Word (which is His will) and exalt it above our own will in each situation every day.
Andrew Wommack.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve; Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
[Sources: various.]
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The Christian Gospel God reveals Himself in many ways; including in creation, in the proph-ets and apostles, and supremely in Jesus Christ.
God became a man in Jesus Christ.
He lived the perfect life that we couldn’t live.
He died on the cross the death for sin for which we should die.
Three days later he rose from the grave, so proving that he is the son of God.
He offers forgiveness of sins − past, present and future (Hebrews chapters 9, 10) − and eternal life to all those who repent and be-lieve.
Those who do:
Become children of God (John 1:12),
Have sins forgiven; but not forgetting to turn to God when you do sin (1 John 1:9),
Have prayers answered (Mark 11:24),
Have a new spirit and power to live a transformed life (2Cor 5:17).
And have no need to fear death (Hebrews 2:9). <
Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)
Joseph Smith lived 1805 to 1844. His “revelations” started at age 14; by 1838 he had come up with the Godhead, origin and destiny of the human race, eternal progression, baptism for the dead and polygamy. He died in gunfight and is a proven false prophet.
Brigham Young took followers to Salt Lake City 1847. They say God is an exalted man; Jesus not conceived by the Holy Spirit; and salvation is by obeying Latter Day Saints’ teaching.
Postmodernism No absolute truth anywhere. All truth constantly changing. All mould-ed by our culture; can’t judge the thoughts or ideas of another person or culture because their reality is different from yours. Each of us con-structs our personal reality, whatever is real for you is your reality. Nothing can be proved (by science, history or other facts).
[Sources: various.]
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Pete Greig of the 24/7 Prayer Movement is feeling hopeful: Something’s stirring in the UK.
There, I’ve said it. I’ve hesitated to write this post. It's probably prem-ature. We're still bang-slap in the middle of a vast crisis and no one really knows how it's all going to end. But here's the thing: over recent weeks, and particularly over this last week, prayers that some of us have been praying for decades, suddenly seem to be finding answers in the most unexpected ways.
#UKBlessing (YouTube lin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U) For starters there’s the national blessing song, pulled together by my friend Tim Hughes. Released a week ago, it’s now been watched 2.1 million times which is equivalent to 200 new people every single mi-nute of every hour since last Sunday. Yesterday I was talking to a BBC journalist who commented on the song’s extraordinary display of unity. Stories just keep coming in from those who don't consider themselves religious, saying that the track has moved them unexpectedly to tears.
Is a worship song going viral everything we’re praying for? Of course not! But is it something? You’d better believe it! Maybe some-thing is stirring?
#PrayerSurge Then there’s the research commissioned by Tearfund and released on the same day (quite coincidentally) as the UK Blessing song. This sur-vey indicates that some 3 million new people have turned to prayer in the UK since lockdown began. The online British bookstore Eden re-ports a 55% increase in sales of Bibles in April. And demand for re-sources from 24-7 Prayer has been going through the roof. At Emmaus Rd our twice-daily prayer meetings are suddenly wonderfully well at-tended. Now we know why!
Is a sudden surge of prayer everything we need? Of course not! But is it something? Could it be a start? You’d better believe it! Something seems to be stirring in the UK.
#SignsoftheTimes Jesus once rebuked the Pharisees for failing to read the signs of the times (Matthew 16:2-3). These great religious leaders could, he said, forecast the weather but they were oblivious to the presence and pow-er of God right under their noses.
#ChurchAttendance
The Tearfund survey also indicates that record numbers have begun attending church online since the lockdown began. Generally we'd ex-
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pect around 5-7% of the nation to attend a Sunday service at least once a month. But over the past couple of months, this figure has jumped − in fact it has skyrocketed − to 24% of the British popula-tion. Almost one in four. And 5% of these people wouldn’t normally be at church in, well ... a month of Sundays! “I've never known a time in my life,” says Nicky Gumbel, “when people are more open to [God’s word] than they are now.”
Is virtual church attendance everything we’re praying for? Of course not! But is it encouraging? You’d better believe it!
#Alpha It seems to me that people are far more likely to attend a normal church service if they’ve attended a digital one first. Here at Emmaus Rd we are by no means unusual in having more-than doubled our at-tendance since lockdown. And before anyone says that it’s all just sight-seers from other churches, we also have more people than ever signed up for our next #Alpha course (online).
None of this is what any of us expected on that dark day in March when the government first forbade all public gatherings. I didn’t hear anyone back then - least of all the cynics who are now questioning these signs of life - saying ‘Oh, cancelling services and closing church buildings? That is genius! It’s obviously, inevitably going to bring more 18-34 year-olds to church. Guaranteed to reverse decades of decline, increase the sea-level of prayer and extend the reach of Alpha!’
#AprettyGoodBlip And if, looking ahead, the cynics are proved right, and this turns out to be nothing more than a blip; a collective psychic spasm in response to an existential national crisis, well, it’s a pretty encouraging blip! It’s the kind of blip in which more people hear the gospel, more people pray, more churches start reaching more people by moving online (a trend unlikely to be reversed at the other end of this crisis).
I decided a long time ago that I’d much rather be proved wrong as an optimist, than proved right as a pessimist. And so I choose to hope. Is a mere blip everything we’re wanting? Of course not! Would it be bitterly disappointing to look back at Christmas and see the church de-clining and secularism advancing once again? Yes it would. But is this a moment of encouragement just when we needed it? Are there signs of renewed spiritual hunger and long-term systemic realignment at a time we’d least have expected it? You’d better believe this is a pretty good blip!
#PublicOpinion Slowly the national media is picking up the story. First, the Guardian
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newspaper last Sunday. Then Good Morning Britain TV on Wednesday. A piece by my friend Krish Kandiah in the Times on Friday. The BBC News at 10 last night.
What are we to make of this? Is a week of positive media attention everything we’re praying for? Of course not! Is it widespread or promi-nent? No, not yet. But is it a pleasant change from the usual cynical sniping? Could it be an early sign that public opinion is preparing to shift? You’d better believe it!
#YoungPeople I would never have believed a few months ago that I’d be seeing a headline in a major British paper saying this: “British Public Turn to Prayer as One in Four Tune into Religious Services Online.”
And then the stunning subtitle: “Young People Lead Resurgence in Faith.”
Yep, you read that right: the demographic leading the charge to church is the sophisticated, supposedly post-Christian 18-34 year olds.
#sparkingfires. We do not pray ex nihilo [out of nothing]. Faith needs fuel. Advances come a step at a time. It is by celebrating (not negating) the small things God’s doing right now, that we find faith for the bigger things he’s not done yet. If a shivering man spots sparks in the hearth on a cold, dark night, he’s unlikely to walk away. He’s a fool if he says “Oh those embers are nothing - too tiny to warm me, too fleeting to fight the cold of such a dark night!” Neither will he pour cold water on them. Instead he will draw close and kneel, reverently blowing on the embers, carefully adding fuel to build a fire. And so we see these signs and pray “More, Lord.” We sigh deeply and say wistfully, “Well, if you can do this, maybe you can do that.”
Are all these developments any more than embers in the hearth? Has this past week been without it’s share of heartbreak? Are any of these encouragements guaranteed to last? To all these questions we must clearly answer with an emphatic ‘no!’
But could these embers spark a wildfire? Does tragedy inevitably precede resurrection? Could this be the beginning of the spiritual awakening in our nation for which so many have been praying so faithfully and for so long?
My friends, this is a time to pray with greater faith, preach with greater confidence, and plan with great ambition. It’s not everything but it’s something. Let’s dare to believe!
[Source: via Susan FitzMaurice]
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The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. (Psalm 29:3, 4)
"The struggle to hear God is real, and it is most real in seasons of pain and uncertainty. The psalmist points us to the location of God’s voice if we wish to be in a better position to hear. Just as the Spirit hovered over the waters in darkness before there was light, the voice of God hovers over mighty waters in a thunder of glory. Water is a necessity for our physical survival.
We must retreat to the waters. We must retreat to the places that fill us with life because where there is life there is God. The wilderness can dehydrate and severe dehydration can hinder our ability to see. The good news for us is that the Spirit of God hovers over the water even when it’s dark, and the voice of God over the waters shakes up the wilderness.
If we lean in toward water, the dehydration of the wilderness may break enough for us to hear the voice of God speaking life into death. Ironically, even our bodies are mostly water, so we don’t have to lean in far. The voice of God always hovers very close by. "
[Source: https://redletterchristians.org.uk via John Sills]
In his book, The Pursuit of God, AW Tozer shares this prayer:
O God, I have tasted Your goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want You; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Your glory, I pray, so I may know You indeed.
If you want to know the peace of God, you have to know the God of peace.
Rev Brian Pritchard.
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Letters in Red
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Matthew 24:35
J. Oswald Sanders pointed out that the teachings of Jesus were simple, vital, ethical, practical, original, psychologically correct, and, of course, theologically true — in every way. The teachings of Jesus were true because He is the truth, so we can know Him. He fulfills the truth, so we can trust Him. He tells the truth, so we obey Him. He models the truth, so we can emulate Him. He predicts the truth, so we can expect Him. And He comforts us with the truth, so we can love Him.
Reading through all the Gospels in one sitting would take some time, but if you have a Bible with the words of Jesus printed in red, try sitting down to read those words. Go from passage to passage, simply reading the red-letter words of Jesus. It’s a wonderful exercise. As an alternative, spend extra time this week reading the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5–7. It’s the greatest speech, sermon, or dis-course ever given.
When the red letters of Jesus become the read letters of Jesus, our soul is enriched. The world will one day end but His words will never pass away.
[Dr David Jeremiah]
Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.
Jerome.
Worshipping Jesus and Baptisms at the Saints & Sinners Bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans,
USA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mtl_jWIAg0
https://www.facebook.com/BourbonStRevival/
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George Jeffreys, 1889-1962 It is no wonder that George Jeffreys became the found-er and leader of the Britain’s Elim Pentecostal Alliance. He was arguably the most influential and most gifted preacher that the British Pentecostal Movement has ev-er produced. Donald Gee’s record of him is revealing: “He had a voice like music, with sufficient Welsh intona-tion to add an inimitable charm. His platform personality at times was magnetic. His face was appealing. Although lacking aca-demic training he possessed a natural refinement that made him ac-ceptable in all circles. He presented his message with a logical appeal and a note of authority that was compelling. With all that he was bap-tized in the Holy Spirit.”
He was converted in the Welsh Revival on Nov. 20th 1904, with his brother Stephen, under the evangelistic ministry of Glassnant Jones. It was the provocation of Stephen’s son, Edward, who first received the Spirit and spoke in tongues that caused him to seek God for a deeper experience. Soon afterwards he received a personal healing from ex-treme physical frailty, a speech impediment and a developing facial paralysis. He was also baptised in the Holy Spirit and was soon preach-ing the Gospel publicly.
At Cecil Polhill’s instigation he resigned from his job at the Co-operative Stores in Maesteg, and began a period of training at the Pen-tecostal missionary college in Preston under Thomas Myerscough’s leadership and was set apart for the ministry by the Independent Ap-ostolic Church known as Emmanuel Christ Church, Maesteg, on the 13th Nov. 1912.
Attending the Sunderland convention in 1913 he was given oppor-tunity to preach for Alexander Boddy and an Irish visitor immediately invited him to Ireland, offering to pay the fare. Unfortunately, when the owners of the hall in Monaghan that was secured for the series of meetings, learned that he was a Pentecostal, they cancelled the book-ing! During a further invitation in 1915 to minister in Monaghan, North-ern Ireland, George met a group of zealous young men and they joined together forming the Elim Evangelistic Band, registering it as the Elim Pentecostal Alliance. The members were Margaret Streight, R. E. (Ernest ) Darragh, William Henderson, and Frederick Farlow.
Initially they worked exclusively in Ireland, establishing his first church in Belfast in 1916. After this he accepted many invitations in
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England planting churches there from 1921. With Stephen he conduct-ed highly successful crusades in London and Hull before entering Lon-don in 1922. In this year the headquarters of Elim were moved to Clapham in S.W. London. Elim Woodlands was purchased and it also housed the Elim Bible College, with other local properties added for administration of the growing movement.
George spent the next ten years in sustained evangelistic activity with remarkable success. During this time his ministry enjoyed a fresh anointing causing a meteoric rise to fame across the land. His evange-listic and divine healing campaigns soon filled the largest public halls in the country. There were thousands of converts, scores of healings and dozens of churches planted. In Birmingham 10,000 converts were rec-orded. British Pentecostalism enjoyed a quantum leap forwards during this time.
In mainland Europe he was also a great success, seeing an aston-ishing 14,000 converts in Switzerland in the years 1934-36. He visited Sweden several times and was the main preacher at the European Pentecostal Conference in Stockholm in June 1939.
He set up an Elim ministerial conference in 1933 but throughout the late 1930’s George was struggling with various methods of church gov-ernment, making one change after another, until he found himself at variance with the governing conference in 1939. He finally resigned and left the Elim movement he founded in November 1940 and began the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship based in Nottingham.
George’s health began to fail, and his public ministry began to de-cline, never achieving the success of the former years. He became in-creasingly isolated and eventually died in January 1962 at the age of 72. His funeral drew a large congregation to the Kensington Temple, and it was a disappointment to his many friends in all sections of the Movement that the ceremony was kept exclusively within his own cir-cle. In spite of the clouds that dimmed the evening glory of his years, George Jeffreys remains a stirring memory as the greatest British evan-gelist since George Whitefield and John Wesley. For a time his brilliant gifts helped the whole Pentecostal testimony in the British Isles, and we salute him as one of our great pioneers and a notable gift of Christ to His Church.
The four Biblical truths, taught by Jeffreys: Jesus Christ as the Sav-iour, Healer, Baptiser in the Holy Spirit, and Coming King.
[Source: www.revival-library.org]
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Will I Bring Myself Up to This Level?
By Oswald Chambers
Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
“Therefore, having these promises….” I claim God’s promises for my life and look to their fulfilment, and rightly so, but that shows only the human perspective on them. God’s perspective is that through His promises I will come to recognize His claim of ownership on me. For example, do I realize that my “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,” or am I condoning some habit in my body which clearly could not with-stand the light of God on it? (1 Corinthians 6:19).
God formed His Son in me through sanctification, setting me apart from sin and making me holy in His sight (see Galatians 4:19). But I must begin to transform my natural life into spiritual life by obedience to Him. God instructs us even in the smallest details of life. And when He brings you conviction of sin, do not “confer with flesh and blood,” but cleanse yourself from it at once (Galatians 1:16). Keep yourself cleansed in your daily walk.
I must cleanse myself from all filthiness in my flesh and my spirit until both are in harmony with the nature of God. Is the mind of my spirit in perfect agreement with the life of the Son of God in me, or am I mentally rebellious and defiant? Am I allowing the mind of Christ to be formed in me? (see Philippians 2:5).
Christ never spoke of His right to Himself, but always maintained an inner vigilance to submit His spirit continually to His Father. I also have the responsibility to keep my spirit in agreement with His Spirit. And when I do, Jesus gradually lifts me up to the level where He lived— a level of perfect submission to His Father’s will— where I pay no atten-tion to anything else. Am I perfecting this kind of holiness in the fear of God? Is God having His way with me, and are people beginning to see God in my life more and more?
Be serious in your commitment to God and gladly leave everything else alone. Literally put God first in your life.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
The attitude of a Christian towards the providential order
in which he is placed is to recognize that God is behind
it for purposes of His own.
[Source: Utmost.org]
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tofindgod.com
The truth behind everything’s meaning. Why you are here? What is the purpose of this life? The reason behind it all is LOVE…God’s love.
God Created Man and Woman.
In the beginning, God wanted a family… so he created Man and Woman. His desire was for a true relationship, not a forced one. God wanted someone to choose to love Him so He gave Man and Woman a choice. They chose themselves.
The Sin of Man.
With this choice, sin was introduced on earth. Sin is anytime we miss the mark of perfection and love ourselves more than God or oth-ers. Have you sinned? Well, the Bible — “God’s words to us” — tells us that everybody has sinned.
So what’s the problem? Well, sin created a separation between man and God. It prevents us from having a true relationship with him. Something had to be done to bridge the gap. Some people think if you work hard enough you can make a bridge over the gap to God…but it just doesn’t work.
Jesus Christ
The only way to reach God is for God to build a bridge. He did this by sending his son in the form of man as Jesus and dying for our sins. Why did He have to die? Because the punishment for sin is death. God’s one and only son Jesus stepped in for us and took our sin on himself, and by doing this, He set us free and bridged the gap to a full relationship with Him. That is what the love of God is. It’s not judg-ment. It’s not condemnation.
God Wants A Relationship With You
You may have never given your life to Jesus Christ; or maybe you prayed as a child years ago and drifted away from having a relation-ship with God. No matter how far away from God you may feel right now, the amazing news is that God has never stopped wanting to have a relationship with you.
He loves you with absolutely no conditions. Nothing you could do could ever win or lose the love of God. All you have to do to be saved is accept it. Ask for it. God says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. You can have the real, loving relationship with God that He always wanted. Just call on His name…Jesus.
Don’t wait any longer to join Him in this lasting relationship.
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Jesus the Healer and John G Lake John Graham Lake was born on March 18, 1870 in On-tario, Canada. When he was small his family moved to Michigan, in the United States. While he was still young, Lake attended a Salvation Army meeting and became convicted of his need for a saviour, and he invited Jesus to become Lord of life. Lake was incredibly impacted by illness. He was one of sixteen children, and over the course of his young life eight of them died. He grew to hate the sickness, grief, and death that was so much a part of his fami-ly life.
Lake felt a call to the ministry, and studied to become a Methodist minister. He took to heart the Methodist teaching on sanctification and sought it passionately. When his studies were done, however, he made a decision to go into business and start a newspaper in Illinois. Then he moved back to Michigan and began a career in real estate. He met Jennie Stevens and married her.
Sickness still continued to hound Lake. His brother was an invalid, one sister had extensive cancer, another sister had bleeding problems, and his wife had tuberculosis and heart disease. In 1899 the family had heard about John Alexander Dowie, in Chicago, because he was receiv-ing substantial media attention. They took Lake's brother to the healing rooms in Chicago, and he was instantly healed. Both sisters then went, as well, and were also healed. Finally, Lake had contacted people to pray for his wife in June of 1899, and she was also healed. He opened the scriptures to see Acts 10:38 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. (NASB) He saw outlined clearly for himself that Jesus is the healer and Satan is the oppressor of men. Lake be-came a member of Dowie's Christian Catholic Church and a branch was opened in Sault Ste Marie, where he was living at the time. Lake be-came a deacon in the new church. In August 1900 Lake's wife Jennie was accidently shot by her 4 year old son. Following Dowie's teachings the Lakes refused medical help and depended on prayer. The event was so startling an article was written up in the Chicago Daily Tribune, which regularly reported on Dowie's activities.
In 1904 Lake moved to Chicago to work with Dowie. Seeing the power of God, Lake began to cry out for more of the Holy Spirit. He
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spent nine months seeking a fuller level of the presence of God. Lake went, with another man to pray for a sick woman. God's presence fell on and over him like he'd never known before. The next six months were marked by conviction, repentance, and heart cleansing. The gifts of the Spirit became magnified, and the discernment and healing gift-ings increased dramatically. Lake was receiving training under John Alexander Dowie, but did not always agree with his way of doing things. At one point, Dowie listed his accomplishments and told him "If you ever develop constructive qualities, equal to your critical capacity, you will be a greater man than I am." John Lake knew that he would have to start his own work. He felt called to Africa and went there in 1908, after a short-term pastoring stint in Indianapolis. Over a five year period in South Africa Lake saw 1,000,000 converts, planted hun-dreds of churches, and raised up over 1000 local ministers. The work was strenuous, however, and his wife died in December 1908. He com-mitted to keep his family together. In 1913 Lake returned to the United States, with his seven children.
Once he returned to the United States, he remarried, and began a travelling ministry. One of the places he was asked to speak was Spo-kane, Washington. He was asked to start a healings room, and he agreed. Over an approximately five year period, over 100,000 healings were reported. Spokane was declared "the healthiest city in the United States". Although Lake's church was never large, thousands came from all over the country and the world to receive prayer. In 1920, he felt called to move to Portland, Oregon and start a healing room ministry there. Similar healings were reported during these years as well.
Lake considered starting a healing rooms ministry in towns up and down the west coast. His strength was beginning to wane, however, because he lived life at an incredible pace. He went to Houston, Texas to start a church, but was called away by a family crisis and never re-turned. He ministered in churches in California, then returned to pastor in Portland for a season, and finally settled back in Spokane for the remainder of his life. He died on September 15, 1935.
[Source: www.healingandrevival.com]
If Christianity was meant to have been convenient, it wouldn’t have been built on crosses and martyrs.
Damon Thompson.
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Ravi Zacharias Ravi Zacharias, who spent his life defending Christianity through books and lectures, has died at his home in Atlanta. He was 74 and had been battling sarcoma
He was a leading figure among Christian Apologists -- a branch of Christian theology that defends Christian doctrines against objections.
Zacharias founded Ravi Zacharias International Min-istries in 1984, and “launched a global team of nearly 100 Christian scholars and authors who continue to speak, resource, train and ad-dress the questions of millions around the world,” a news release said.
“Ravi saw the objections and questions of others not as something to be rebuffed, but as a cry of the heart that had to be answered,” said Michael Ramsden, president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
“People weren't logical problems waiting to be solved; they were people who needed the person of Christ. Those who knew Ravi well will remember him first for his kindness, gentleness, and generosity of spirit. The love and kindness he had come to know in and through Je-sus Christ was the same love he wanted to share with all he met.”
Zacharias was the author of more than 30 books revolving around Christianity, including the Can Man Live Without God?, and Christian bestsellers Light in the Shadow of Jihad and The Grand Weaver.
[Source: https://edition.cnn.com and Wikipedia.]
Faith is the conduit through which answers to prayer comes.
John Kirptarick, pastor at the Brownsville revival.
What exactly is a living connection with God? It simply means keeping the lines of communication open between the two of you. It means going about your daily activities in such a way that you're always avail-able to hear from Heaven.
G. Copeland
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with him.
John Piper.
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Ravi Zacharias, continued
How has the power of story been pervasive in many world religions, and what makes the story of Jesus unique?
Ravi Zacharias: Almost the entire sacred text of Hinduism is a story. Much of Islam’s hadith are story after story. Buddha’s entire authority comes from his story. But stories need a basis for truth-testing before we draw truths from them. That is key. And it’s a tough demand. The amazing thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that, though it’s a story, it’s a story that invites tests for truth.
One of the elements that attracted me to Jesus was that everything he said and taught was open to historical investigation and was incred-ibly supported by prophecies and by his works. When I first started to read the Bible, I was surprised by how Jesus regaled his audiences with stories and startled them with unexpected endings. The ultimate surprise was the manner of his death and the power of his resurrec-tion. His stories are so Eastern, and the endings often offer an astounding twist, even for the Easterner. Yet his arguments are also sound for the Westerner.
What is the defining difference between the claims of the biblical text and the texts of other faiths?
Ravi Zacharias: Right from the beginning, the writers of the Gos-pels and the Hebrew Scriptures affirm the Bible’s stories to be fact, true in detail, a compilation of historic events. That’s why Paul il-lustrates from Abraham. In fact, Paul refers back to Adam, as does Luke. Luke further states, “Since I myself have carefully investigat-ed everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account” (Luke 1:3).
Matthew, writing to the Jews, similarly traces Jesus’ story back to Abraham. John connects Jesus’ story to the Greeks by using the Greek concept of the logos. John states his reason clearly: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Belief in the truth and starting “from the be-ginning” — both of these ideas are writ large in the gospel story.
[For more: https://www.biblegateway.com]
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Heavy Rain by Kris Vallaton,
Baker Publishing Group
Three insights from this demanding and inspiring book
When God reveals his Kingdom secrets to us, they become part of our ancestral dynasty which is to be passed down from generation to generation, much like a family business or a plot of land. We see this in the life of Joshua, who received wisdom from fatherly im-partation when Moses laid his hands on him.
We Christians have a hard time understanding that we only have as much influence in people's lives as they place value on us. Any-time our influence in people's lives transcends the level of value they place on us, they will reject our ideas, and then our ability to bring true change is Lost. Actually, people feel manipulated when we try to persuade them beyond the boundaries of the significance we have in their eyes.
I, Kris, will allow the Holy Spirit to lead me, guide me and correct me. I will submit to true leadership and remain mouldable, teacha-ble and humble. I will love passionately, live zealously, work whole-heartedly, laugh joyfully and be completely spent at the end of my life. I will walk powerfully, pray incessantly, give extravagantly and serve God with my whole being.
An idol is something you have to check with before you say “Yes” to God.
Jack Taylor
If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve got to get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
John Wesley wrote that Christians have just three rules to follow regarding material possessions: make all you can − save all you can − give all you can. A friend of mine wrote that apparently American evangelicals have decided the two out of three isn't bad!
Here is a powerful question I first heard many years ago to help me know whether I am getting out of the boat in any area of my life: What am I doing that I could not do apart from the power of god?
Never try to have more Faith − just get to know God better. And
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because God is faithful, the better you know him, the more you will trust him.
C.S. Lewis wrote in the Screwtape Letters that although we would think that people are most vulnerable to temptation in seasons when their energy level and appetites are highest, in fact it is when we are in the valley, when we are struck by sadness or desolation, that we are in the most dangerous place.
[Some quotes from an enjoyable and sometimes demanding read - Robert Parker]
Rule of One
Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. (Psalm 24:7)
Monarchy is based on a Greek word that means “rule of one.” That’s what a monarchy is — a nation or state ruled by a king, a queen, a sul-tan, or some other singular ruler. There are different kinds of monar-chies in which the ruler is merely a figurehead (United Kingdom) or is the head of state (Saudi Arabia). Today there are 28 monarchies in the world which rule or reign over 44 countries.
Uniquely, the Kingdom of God is ruled by the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:15). In his Pentecost sermon, Peter noted that Christ has been “exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33) from where He awaits the time when He will return and establish His kingdom and rule over all the earth (Revelation 19). At that time, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him as King of kings (Philippians 2:10).
Is Jesus the true and only monarch in your life? Better to confess Him now in anticipation of His return and rule.
[Dr David Jeremiah]
Such as will not have Christ to be their king to rule over them, shall never have his blood to save them.
Thomas Watson
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God Sent A Cloud of Protection Psalm 91 Testimony
During the years of World War II, the pastor of a church in Dallas, Tex-as, called each deploying soldier forward and prayed Psalm 91 and oth-er protection verses over them at the altar. That protection was power-fully impacting to Spencer January, who served in the Army’s 35th In-fantry.
In 1945 his division had just been ordered to take the town of Os-senburg, Germany, where a war factory supplied Hitler’s troops. Forc-ing his way through the dense German forest, Spencer was plagued with the thought that they might never make it back home alive. His group had been fighting for hours to get through the thick jungle-like terrain when suddenly they came to an open space with a large stone house. They did not know that the large stone house in the opening was concealing the bodies of soldiers who had tried earlier to cross the clearing, but soon three nests of German machine guns suddenly be-gan blasting away, but it was impossible to take them out since they were too far out of range.
It was sure death to cross the opening, but it was the 35th Infan-try’s only avenue since every other passage into town was secured by the Germans. The team was in a quandary. They knew there was no way to live to tell the tale if they tried to push on through the clearing. It was impossible for Spencer not to think of his wife and five-month-old son he had left back home. The odds were a thousand to one that he had seen them for the last time. Pain surged through his entire be-ing with that thought. His only hope was a miracle from God.
It is amazing what thoughts bombard one’s mind in moments like this. Spencer began remembering elderly Mrs. Tanersly—a faithful prayer warrior from his church back home. He had never before even thought of his need for a prayer warrior, but now she was all he could think about. “What if she was for real?” “What if those prayers she prayed were for a divine purpose?” Time was running out, and at any moment his group would be running right though a barrage of open fire. Before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself on his knees, praying passionately, 'God, you’ve got to help me! Please, do something!’ Spencer barely had time to finish his desperate prayer when the group was ordered to advance. Memories of home and family crashed down on him as he gripped his rifle and made his way across the clearing to the other edge of the forest covering. The painful
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thought that he would probably never see his family again stayed with him every step of the way.
Suddenly a huge white cloud materialized in what had been, only moments before, a totally clear sky. The cloud dropped down and shrouded the clearing, almost like an eclipse. There was no way for the Germans to see where to fire. Instantly Spencer and his fellow soldiers took off like runners in a race — this time competing, not for a medal, but for their very lives. Almost beyond belief, Spencer found himself across the clearing and into the thicket. Many more of his group were making it across. The ones in the very back were having to pull some of the wounded to safety, but even those were making it. No one had to tell him that what he had just experienced was God. As quickly as the miracle cloud had appeared, just as the last soldier made it across the cloud vanished miraculously. Then suddenly, the earth literally shook in convulsions as the Germans launched a bomb that blew the stone house into tiny pieces. It became obvious that they did not real-ize Spencer and his group had already crossed the clearing in obscuri-ty.
All the way to Ossenburg, Spencer kept thinking about that cloud. He was used to the smoke screens that were used to hide the troops, but this was entirely different. This was not a man-made covering. He and the other men knew it was a supernatural intervention. And to continue His miracle, God helped them overtake the war factory in Os-senburg.
A short time later, Spencer received a letter from his mother that had finally caught up with him. In it she told him that Mrs. Tankersly, the very woman who had been so heavily on his mind the day when they were under attack in that open field, had called to tell her about a spiritual visitation from God. It had come in the night when God told her, “Spencer January is in trouble! Get up right now and pray for him!” Mrs. Tankersly said that she had prayed until time to go to work, and the last thing she remembered praying was: “Lord, whatever dan-ger Spencer is in, just cover him with a cloud!” She told Spencer’s mother that she had finished praying at 6 a.m. By the time he finished reading, Spencer was shaking so hard that he could barely see to read the letter. He realized there was a seven-hour difference in time, so Mrs. Tankersly had been praying just as his group came upon the Ger-man ambush. Her prayer for God to send a cloud covering would have been prayed at one o’clock in the afternoon in Germany—just when they were ready to dash across the danger zone.
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God’s supernatural protection made such an impression on Spencer that he dedicated the early morning hours every day for the next sixty years to pray for friends and relatives. After the miracle intervention in Germany, no one could have taken away his faith in the difference that prayer can make. He was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the prayer of that one faithful woman back in 1945 had not only saved his life, but also the lives of the other soldiers with him as they ran un-seen through the cloud covering.
After his time of serving in WWII, he continued on as a soldier, but, this time, as a faithful soldier in the Lord’s army. There is no way to know all the miracles that followed the wake of those fervent prayers that Spencer January prayed. Although some people might call hap-penings like these a coincidence, the negative situations that we en-counter can become God-incidences when we trust His Word.
I would like to give testimony of a miracle God performed for my son Lcpl Mikhail Quijada and Gunnery Sergeant Todd Bryd Ocober 5th, 2005, in Iraq. They were in convoy when the LAV they were in ran over a IED (land mine). The mine didn't go off when the first set of tyres went over it. If it had, it could have killed or seriously injured my son and his sergeant. It exploded when the second set rolled over it destroying the vehicle but without harming Mikhail or Todd.
Mikhail's loving wife has been reading Psalm 91 over him morning and night. She has a copy of your book that I had sent her. We are so grateful to God for His Word first of all, but for you also for making Psalm 91 more than just writing on a page!!
God Bless, Jane Ouijada,
Proud mom of a US Marine.
[Source: https://www.peggyjoyceruth.org
The book is Psalm 91, published by Charisma House.]
Almighty God, source of the whole world’s life;
by your life-giving Spirit, draw us into your truth,
give us courage, insight and love,
that we may worship you in our daily living.
Through him who has led us to your heart of love, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
[The Dean of Winchester]
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The Bible teaches that one day God will evaluate and reward each of us according to how we treat those around us who are hurting and needy. And that’s why you need to get serious about helping them.
Thomas Barnardo believed that, and he became one of the great Christian heroes of the 1800s. During his work among the poor and homeless in London’s East End, he built a home for destitute children that housed four hundred boys and girls. He turned the Edinburgh Castle Gin Palace and Music Hall into the Coffee Palace, a centre for evangelistic and Christian activities.
He built a village for girls that served more than nine thousand of them during his lifetime. In all, more than sixty thousand children benefited from the vocational training centres and homes he built. In extreme cases where he found children in the hands of cruel people, he would “abduct” them – a policy which, where parents were in-volved, was against the law. But he felt bound by a higher law – God’s law. This made him vulnerable to criminal charges and bitter custody battles, but eventually the law of the land was changed, not Barnardo.
His successful “graduates” included lawyers, doctors, musicians, naval commanders, businessmen, and colonial ministers of state, all of whom had once been destitute and were rescued. How do you change the world?
Starting today, you can do it one life at a time.
Through the Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 16-18, Acts 17:1-15
A sample from UCB’s Word for Today
Faith
Get Serious About Helping Needy People
“Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.”
Matthew 25:45
Copies of The Word for Today are available from www.ucb.co.uk
Page 36 Responding to God’s love
Try a Website
www.christianity.org.uk
www.rejesus.co.uk
www.thegoodbook.co.uk
www.sgmlifewords.com
www.hopetogether.org.uk
www.findingmyhope.org.uk
www.nowachristian.org
www.wordlive.org.uk
www.biblesociety.org.uk
www.pray-as-you-go.org
A Blessing of St Columba
See that you be at peace among yourselves, my children,
and love one another.
Follow the example of good men of old,
and God will comfort you and help you,
both in this world
and in the world which is to come. Amen.
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