I am so looking forward to gathering together as a church on Sunday. On Wednesday night we met as a life group and we experienced the Spirit of God in a powerful way. He really spoke clearly to us and we were aware of his presence. I came away from the evening full of wonder at my God and daring to believe that times are changing, that we could see an outpouring of the Spirit like we have never seen before. This is something that both excites me but also sees me be tentative and trying to be slow to get too excited.
Last Sunday we met with God in a powerful way at both the evening and morning meetings. Wednesday we meet with God at a life group meeting. This Sunday I am going, and would love as many others who are going (morning or evening) to come with a sense of expectation that our God is real and alive and wants to meet with his people to encourage them and leave them feeling empowered to do all he has called them to.
Friday 20 August 2010
Thursday 12 August 2010
Books that have stirred me recently
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had been reading a book called the 'New York City Noon Prayer Meeting' by Talbot Chambers, and I said i would do a precise of it when finished. Well I finished it a while ago and have been also reading 'Revival Fire' by Wesley Duewel.
First published in 1858, Chambers' intent in writing the book was to chronicle the first year of the revival that all started because a man span up a noonday prayer meeting for business men. It journeys through the very beginning when only a few gathered to when hundreds gathered in different parts of New York at the same time to pray for one thin - salvation. For the outpouring of the Spirit in such a way that people fall to their knees and commit their lives to Jesus as they are confronted with the reality and are deeply convicted of their sin. Through out the book their are testimonies upon testimonies of how people raised up a person in prayer and within days if not minutes the person is giving their life to Jesus. Tales of people who are not Christians, going to the prayer meetings so that people at the meeting would pray for them! In our 'busy' world I loved what the book taught me. We can have all the programmes in the world to help people find Jesus, but unless the Spirit comes and convicts people of sin then all our hardest efforts are fruitless. We need to be a people who get on our knees and seek after Him who alone can grant the miraculous gift of salvation and then let him do the work as we live our lives like Christ and speak of his good news in our worlds.
The second book Revival Fire is a stirring account of times where the Spirit of prayer and intercession has gripped nations and has seen the Spirit poured out resulting in many being saved and added to the kingdom of God. This coupled with the first book has left me with a desire to see these things in our time like never before. That passion has always been there but now it is intensified and I long to see the day when many are bought to glory by the Spirit through the Son to bring glory to the Father.
First published in 1858, Chambers' intent in writing the book was to chronicle the first year of the revival that all started because a man span up a noonday prayer meeting for business men. It journeys through the very beginning when only a few gathered to when hundreds gathered in different parts of New York at the same time to pray for one thin - salvation. For the outpouring of the Spirit in such a way that people fall to their knees and commit their lives to Jesus as they are confronted with the reality and are deeply convicted of their sin. Through out the book their are testimonies upon testimonies of how people raised up a person in prayer and within days if not minutes the person is giving their life to Jesus. Tales of people who are not Christians, going to the prayer meetings so that people at the meeting would pray for them! In our 'busy' world I loved what the book taught me. We can have all the programmes in the world to help people find Jesus, but unless the Spirit comes and convicts people of sin then all our hardest efforts are fruitless. We need to be a people who get on our knees and seek after Him who alone can grant the miraculous gift of salvation and then let him do the work as we live our lives like Christ and speak of his good news in our worlds.
The second book Revival Fire is a stirring account of times where the Spirit of prayer and intercession has gripped nations and has seen the Spirit poured out resulting in many being saved and added to the kingdom of God. This coupled with the first book has left me with a desire to see these things in our time like never before. That passion has always been there but now it is intensified and I long to see the day when many are bought to glory by the Spirit through the Son to bring glory to the Father.
Wednesday 11 August 2010
More Than Conquerors Part One
I preached on Romans 8 v 31-32 on Sunday under the title above. It is part of a two week series as you may well have guessed from the title. I don't often do this, but the audio for the preach is here. I put it up because I know that it is these truths that have helped B and I personally over the past few weeks and they are truths that I know should be forming the very foundation of our understanding of the wonderful, magnificent God that we love and follow. I have also copied the quote below that I read on Sunday that is an excellent summary of the 'all things ' that Paul mentions in verses 32.
“He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). How is it imaginable that God should withhold, after this, spirituals or temporals, from his people? How shall he not call them effectually, justify them freely, sanctify them thoroughly, and glorify them eternally? How shall he not clothe them, feed them, protect and deliver them? Surely if he would not spare this own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever he should, after this, deny or withhold from his people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spiritual or temporal, which is good for them.”
“He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). How is it imaginable that God should withhold, after this, spirituals or temporals, from his people? How shall he not call them effectually, justify them freely, sanctify them thoroughly, and glorify them eternally? How shall he not clothe them, feed them, protect and deliver them? Surely if he would not spare this own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever he should, after this, deny or withhold from his people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spiritual or temporal, which is good for them.”
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