Oracles of Os

Becoming

undefined

The piece below – a conversation between God and someone like you – was recently sent to me. It really got my attention. Enjoy!

Me: Hey God.

God: Hello…..

Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together?

God: I would rather not.

Me: Why?

God: Because you aren’t a puzzle.

Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground?

God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back.

Me: You don’t understand! I’m breaking down!

God: No – you don’t understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren’t falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don’t need anymore to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don’t fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go.

Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me?

God: Only the very best pieces of you.

Me: I’m scared of changing.

God: I keep telling you – YOU AREN’T CHANGING! YOU ARE BECOMING!

Me: Becoming who?

God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don’t change! … Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I’m going to keep telling you this until you remember it.

Me: There goes another piece.

God: Yep. Let it be.

Me: So … I’m not broken?

God: Of course Not! – but you are breaking like the dawn. It’s a new day. Become!!!

~Author Unknown

Kingdom of God – Courage

undefined

What is Courage?

The dictionary tells us that courage means the quality of mind or spirit that enables you to face danger, fear or pain with confidence; to be fearless; to be brave; to be strong in the face of pain or grief; to be bold.

Courage is derived from the Latin word ‘cor’ (French ‘coeur’) meaning ‘heart’. Words for “heart” are also commonly metaphors for inner strength. King Richard of England was known as Richard Coeur de Lion (“Richard the lionheart”) because of his courage and bravery. When we are heartened or encouraged by the news, it literally puts courage into us, it strengthens us. Conversely, discouragement literally causes strength to drain away; it weakens us.

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour
Aristotle

Why do we need courage?

Because, as Christians:

We walk by faith and not by sight. That means that we are called to do or say things that transcend human reason. “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12.1). God called Abram – probably a well educated man – to leave a settled and prosperous life in the large, wealthy and civilized city of Ur in modern day Iraq. But God did not give Abram much to go on! Similarly, God often does not reveal all of His plan for you at once.
We are called to face and deal with stuff from our past that is hindering us in the present and will certainly prevent us from living full and fruitful lives in the future.
We are called to pursue things that are impossible. “Jesus looked at [the disciples] intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”” (Matthew 19.26). Jesus says the same to us about many challenges we face in our Christian lives (eg praying for the sick).
We are called to stand for truth and justice, often in the face of opposition and hostility.
We may be misunderstood by family members and friends who do not understand our commitment to Jesus above all else. We may also be misunderstood by people in the church who think we take it all too far, that we are ‘extreme’.
As a result, we may be unpopular. Let’s face it, we all want to be popular, we all want to be widely liked. Rejection can be very painful and a hard thing to bear.
We will face persecution from people outside the church and even from those within it. It might be in the form of ridicule, mockery, false accusation, lies, misrepresentation, deceit, social or economic prejudice, physical or emotional harm or even death.

Change in Peter

In the 72 hours around Jesus’ death, the Apostle Peter did not cover himself in glory. That forgettable time in his life was characterized by fear, desertion, denial, doubt and self-preservation. Along with the other disciples, he deserted Jesus as He was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane. Shortly afterwards, on three occasions Peter adamantly denied knowing Jesus. At Calvary as Jesus was crucified, Peter was nowhere to be seen. As Jesus was taken down from the cross and laid in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, there was still no sign of Peter. On resurrection morning, it was the women who went to the tomb to complete the preparation of Jesus’ body after the sabbath, not Peter or any of the other men. When the women returned telling of the resurrection, Peter and the disciples did not believe it! When Jesus turned up after His resurrection, He found Peter and the other disciples meeting behind locked doors, fearing they would be the next target of the Jews and/or Romans.

Yet, no more than seven weeks later, in a Jerusalem packed with Jews from far and wide there to celebrate Pentecost, “…Peter stepped forward…and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel… God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today… “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all” (Acts 2.14ff).

I can relate to the fears of Peter. I’m sure you can, too. But what gets my attention is the transformation in him over a few weeks from a cowardly fearful man to a courageous fearless man. What made the difference? The presence of the risen Lord Jesus.

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!
Psalm 31.24

Courage for Personal Change

All of us have stuff from our past lives that has caused us fear, anguish or pain – it might be a broken relationship, an addiction, a character flaw. Some might say ‘I don’t want to look at that stuff. It’s too painful. It’s in the past. I’ve moved on’.

However, the truth is that it often still casts a shadow over our present. Things happen, things are said that act like triggers. They are not usually intended to provoke or hurt us, but they have the effect of bringing back haunting memories of the past – and we can find ourselves reacting to these ‘hot buttons’ out of pain or fear…lashing out, or shrinking into our shells, or losing all confidence, or being overwhelmed by shame.

You need the healing power of Jesus. If you are ever to move on without the baggage from the past, you need Jesus to set you free. It takes courage to face your fears or look at your grief or to dismantle protective walls and be vulnerable. Whatever it is, it takes courage to face it and to change it. Summoning up the courage is the first step to change – pray for courage. God will give you courage because He wants to help you change.

Then you may need counselling, prayer ministry, mentoring, coaching or a combination of any of these. Get in touch with me if you need help finding appropriate experts near where you live.

Courage is not living without fear. Courage is being scared to death and doing the right thing anyway
Chae Richardson

Some encouraging verses to give you heart or courage!

“Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” (2 Chronicles 32.7-8).

As Joshua took over leadership of the people of Israel from Moses, God said to him three times in a few verses ‘Be strong and [very] courageous‘. The third time He says: “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1.9). God said this to Joshua because He knew that Joshua had reasons to be fearful and discouraged! The people had constantly mumbled and grumbled and rebelled against Moses (and therefore God) and it was unlikely to change any time soon!

The key in the above verses is the presence of God, the giver of courage. God is with you by His Spirit. He is victorious and He wants you to triumph too. He is for you. He has good plans for you. You cannot be separated from His love. He will strengthen you and give you courage. You cannot fail!

__________________________________

In 2014, R met a neighbour one morning, who was clearly low. R asked her what the matter was. The neighbour replied that they had found a new property to rent, but that they could not move there as the landlord had discovered they had County Court judgments against their names. R offered to pray with her about this, but the neighbour was not receptive to this saying God answered the prayers of others, but not hers.

The next day, R took her courage into her hands and visited the neighbour. She persisted in offering to pray for her about the judgments, which they did. Later that day following school pick up, the neighbour came out to see R with a big smile on her face. She told her that within a short time of praying earlier that day, she had received a phone call saying that there had been a mistake and there were no County Court judgments against their names after all.

________________________________

Courage to Stand for Truth & Justice

Moral issues. As society reflects Christian values less and less, it is tempting to go with the flow and to condone everything and anything. Of course, people can do anything they want within the law, but it won’t necessarily have God’s approval and blessing. I believe God calls us to live single celibate lives or faithful married lives. Any other form of relationship settles for less than God’s best. Will you stand for this Biblical truth and, where appropriate, exhort others to embrace it?

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow
Mary Anne Radmacher

Abortion is a big issue in western culture. There have been over 9 million abortions in the UK since it was legalized in 1967. There have been over 50 million in the US since 1970 when it was legalized there. Only a small percentage of abortions are medically necessary. Of course, merciful God forgives and heals when there is repentance. It’s a very sensitive issue, often with opinion polarised on both sides. It takes courage to speak out for the unborn. However, it isn’t the main theme of this blog. If you are passionate about this issue, have a read of Canon J John’s blog on the matter at https://canonjjohn.com/2019/09/11/god-and-our-culture-of-abortion/ and also look at the work of Brephos at https://www.brephos.org/?mc_cid=ce5582059e&mc_eid=%5BUNIQID%5D

Social issues. I pick on one issue to illustrate this. William Wilberforce’s law went through the British parliament in 1807 abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire. The movie ‘Amazing Grace’ was all about this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxjfIyFK-X4. Yet, 200 years on there are more slaves now than there were in 1807, a truly appalling statistic.

Trafficking is the buying and selling of men, women and children for profit. It is exploitation plain and simple – sexual slavery, forced labour, forced marriage, war (child soldiers) or organ transplantation. It totally deprives the victims of all freedom. It’s believed that 2 to 4 million people are trafficked every year. 80% of victims are female, 50% are children. Victims are often scarred for life. They suffer threats of violence to themselves or family members, and often serious abuse.

Organisations like Justice & Care (https://www.justiceandcare.org) and the A21 campaign (https://www.a21.org/index.php?site=true) are fighting back. Justice & Care was founded by James and Julia Thomas (members of HTB church in London). A21 founded by Nick and Christine Caine (linked to Hillsong church, Australia). Staff working for these organisations need great courage because they often do this work at great risk to themselves.

In our very individualistic, selfish western society, the challenge to you and me is to support work like this. Pick one – any charity that God puts on your heart – and support it prayerfully, financially, publicly, practically. Don’t do nothing – do something!

‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’
Nelson Mandela

Courage to Advance the Kingdom

In Acts 3 & 4, Luke tells the story about the healing of the lame man and the repercussions of his healing. Peter and John could have given him some money, but they gave him a new life instead. Their courage runs through this story like a thread…

Courage to offer the lame man of more than 40 years (Acts 4:22) something that only God could give him – working legs!
Courage to command healing, knowing they would look foolish if God didn’t back them up!
Courage to speak to the assembled crowd.
Courage to challenge those in the crowd to repent.
Courage in the face of arrest and detention in jail.
Courage to confront the rulers and elders the next day after a night in jail. ‘The Council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John for they could see they were ordinary unschooled men’ (Acts 4.13).
Courage in the face of threats from the Council if they did not keep quiet about Jesus.

Here’s how they prayed when they were released from jail and reunited with the other believers…

“’…and now O Lord, hear their threats and give us your servants great boldness [courage] in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus’. After this prayer, the meeting place shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29).

Doesn’t it strike you as odd that they prayed for courage when it is clear they displayed great courage throughout this incident? Here’s the point – the courage you have today can evaporate like the morning mist. Look at Elijah and the prophets of baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah showed immense courage in taking them on. Yet, his courage evaporated in the face of the murderous threats from the wicked Queen Jezebel! (see 1 Kings 18.16-40).

Pray for courage tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Pray daily for courage.

_________________________________

This good news story is from 2016… “I came to your church on Sunday night with a friend from work. Towards the end of the service, people were invited up for prayer ministry and a few examples were given of people who had been prayed for, and how they had been healed. I have always been sceptical over how many people are actually healed. I know this isn’t a good stance to take, especially being a recovered alcoholic myself. The prayer team came forward and we started to worship. I had been suffering from a badly swollen ankle having fallen over awkwardly a week ago on it. A few hours earlier, I had shown my friend. He thought I needed to go to the hospital to get it looked at. I told him I’d go on Tuesday as I had time off work then. I have never been up for prayer before, partly down to my sceptical thoughts but also down to fear. As we got half way through the song, I knew my friend would be thinking I should go up for prayer. This made me take a leap of faith (more of a hobble actually)! You invited me to sit down; then you laid hands on my ankle and prayed for healing. I felt no warm feeling, no tingling or anything else so didn’t think anything had happened. But when I stood up, there was no pain! This really surprised me. I walked up and down the church and, although still swollen, there was no pain. I thanked you for praying for me and walked off (not limping) with my friend. A few days later, my ankle was still pain free and the swelling had reduced by about 90%.”

__________________________________

Courage needs a partner – wisdom, to discern what God is doing (more on this under W for ‘wisdom’). Don’t try to make things happen. Try and discern what God is doing and/or saying and join in. Don’t force the issue. Note what happened in Acts 3. Peter and John were simply going to the temple to take part in the 3pm prayer service. They were not on a mission to find a target for prayer! The lame man approached them, not the other way round. “When he saw Peter & John about to enter, he asked them for some money” (Acts 3:3). When the lame man got their attention, I think Peter and John knew quickly that God wanted to do more for the man than he bargained for!

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts
Winston Churchill

We need to remember what God has done in the past as it encourages us in the moment. More on this under T for ‘testimonies’. “The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle. They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions. They forgot what he had done – the great wonders he had shown them” (Psalm 78:9-11).

The courage of the army of Israel melted away because they forgot about the nature and activity of the God who was with them. When we forget the stories of His activity, our courage fades, our faith shrinks and the possibilities diminish.

Here’s a suggested plan:

Bring to memory times when God has come through for you. If you don’t already, start writing down those occasions. Keeping a record will be a useful aide memoir, helping you to remember His faithfulness.
In which area of your Christian life are you governed more by fear than by courage? Something from your past that still haunts you? Your finances? Your future life partner? Sharing your faith? Ask God for courage in that area, and for wisdom to know what steps to take in order to move forward with it.
Why not tell God you are willing to partner with Him. Pray that God will let you see and/or hear the openings He creates, the opportunities He puts across your path. Then pray for courage to step out, take risks – to speak about faith in Jesus, to offer prayer for healing, etc.

Here’s a song that speaks of courage…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49V9QcYheQ

_______________________________

A regular attender of my church’s midweek celebration reports, “My son A was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was two years old. He has been taking medication since then, with an increase in dosage nearly every year. Five years ago, he was given additional medication to try and control/reduce his fits. But even with all that medication, A would still have at least one fit per week, and sometimes every day. The intensity of his fits had also increased from a quick head drop lasting 10 seconds to his upper body jerking for up to two minutes.

I started attending your church in September 2014 and, after hearing all the Good News stories, I asked God for the courage to go up for prayer for A. I did, and I prayed with a member of the prayer ministry team. There wasn’t an immediate change until the start of 2015. I then noticed that, rather than every day, his fits would be every other day and they wouldn’t last as long. In February 2015, A had tonsillitis and barely ate for a week. He takes his meds with food, so for a few days he had little or no meds at all. But during this time, he didn’t have any fits. I slowly gave him his meds as he started eating again and found that he was having less fits than before and he was therefore able to take less meds. It wasn’t until the end of March that I realised that his fits had gone down to one a week and less intense, lasting for less than a minute. In April 2015 he had one fit only, in May none at all and in June just two. I am so thrilled with what God has done.”

______________________________

Prayer (in the words of Acts 4)

Heavenly Father, give us (your servants) great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Amen

Kingdom of God – Born Again

undefined

I am so glad that this topic crops up early on in this series because new birth is about how we gain access into God’s Kingdom.

Spiritually Dead

To make sense of being born again, we need to understand our spiritual condition before we welcome God into our lives. The Apostle Paul says, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins” (Ephesians 2.1, NLT). The Message paraphrase puts it this way: “you…were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins...”

The Apostle Paul said to the church in Colossae: “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away” (Colossians 2.13).

In his letter to the Romans Paul makes our plight abundantly clear: “The wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6.23). Who has sinned and is therefore dead? “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3.23).

Before we welcome God into our lives, we are physically alive but spiritually dead. The practical effect of being spiritually dead is that we are separated from God. We either live in ignorance of Him, or we ignore Him.

You were once like corpses, dead in your sins and offenses
Ephesians 2.1, The Passion Paraphrase

Born Again

The story of Nicodemus the pharisee visiting Jesus at night is recorded in the gospel of John, chapter 3 (NLT).

Now there was a prominent religious leader among the Jews named Nicodemus, who was part of the sect called the Pharisees and a member of the Jewish ruling council. ²One night he discreetly came to Jesus and said, “Master, we know that you are a teacher from God, for no one performs the miracle signs that you do, unless God’s power is with him.”

³Jesus answered, “Nicodemus, listen to this eternal truth: Before a person can perceive God’s kingdom realm, they must first experience a rebirth.”

⁴Nicodemus said, “Rebirth? How can a gray-headed man be reborn? It’s impossible for a man to go back into the womb a second time and be reborn!”

⁵Jesus answered, “I speak an eternal truth: Unless you are born of water and Spirit-wind, you will never enter God’s kingdom realm. ⁶For the natural realm can only give birth to things that are natural, but the spiritual realm gives birth to supernatural life!

⁷“You shouldn’t be amazed by my statement, ‘You must be born from above!’ ⁸For the Spirit-wind blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going. So it is within the hearts of those who are Spirit-born!”

⁹Then Nicodemus replied, “But I don’t understand, what do you mean? How does this happen?”

¹⁰Jesus answered, “Nicodemus, aren’t you the respected teacher in Israel, and yet you don’t understand this revelation? ¹¹I speak eternal truths about things I know, things I’ve seen and experienced—and still you don’t accept what I reveal. ¹²If you’re unable to understand and believe what I’ve told you about the natural realm, what will you do when I begin to unveil the heavenly realm?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and religious leader who knew his religion! He was also a big hitter – he was a member of the Jewish ruling Council, so he had a great reputation. Entertaining thoughts that this itinerant rabbi (Jesus) might be the long awaited Messiah, but not yet ready to ‘break cover’, Nicodemus visited Jesus at night. While he was a man of standing and influence, he was probably empty and dissatisfied. He did not have a personal relationship with God.

Nicodemus says to Jesus: ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him’ (John 3:2). Note in Nicodemus’s mind there is an inseparable link between what Jesus taught and what He did. Nicodemus observed that Jesus proclaimed the Good news and then He demonstrated it. The Hebrew model of learning makes an inextricable link between learning and experience.

Much of Western learning is derived from a Greek model. It’s abstract – learning divorced from experience. The church in the West have embraced this too, teaching much but demonstrating little. More of this in a later blog.

Jesus ignores Nicodemus’ compliment and starts off on another track all together. Nicodemus could be forgiven for thinking, ‘Are we in the same conversation here?!’ He could be forgiven for thinking this except that, unnervingly, Jesus had the knack of knowing what you were thinking rather than merely what you were saying. Jesus knows that Nicodemus is really thinking, ‘Are you the Messiah? If so, have you brought God’s Kingdom with you and how do we get in?’, or something along those lines. Jesus still knows what people are thinking, so be careful what you think!

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Nicodemus is a bright man, but he’s not getting it! He’s thinking about another physical birth; he knows that’s impossible as his mother has probably long since died!

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

Jesus says to Nicodemus that in order to see the Kingdom of God, you MUST be born again. To enter the Kingdom of God, you MUST be born again. To become a citizen of God’s Kingdom which lasts forever and where He rules and reigns, you have to be born again. Not a physical birth, but a spiritual birth brought about by the Spirit of God and confirmed by going through the waters of baptism (‘…being born of water and the Spirit’).

Jesus says to Nicodemus that in order to see the Kingdom of God, you MUST be born again. To enter the Kingdom of God, you MUST be born again.

A reminder of why rebirth is necessary: “you were once like corpses, dead in your sins and offenses.” (Ephesians 2.1, TPT).

Jesus said, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life”. We need the Holy Spirit to bring us alive spiritually; until He does, the reality is that we are half dead! We need to be reborn spiritually, so that we are fully alive – physically AND spiritually. When you welcome God, He comes into you by His Spirit and brings your spirit alive!

Until you are born again, you can neither ‘see’ God’s Kingdom (His domain), nor enter it. When you are born again, you begin to ‘see’ with more than your physical eyes. You begin to ‘see’ the activity of God around you, bringing healing, restored relationships, freedom from addictions, financial provision – the list is endless.

___________________________________

M told a bit of his story in 2012… I’m ashamed, when I look back, of where I was in my life. I had left my wife and small lad. It was a thoroughly “Godless” thing to do, but I knew no better. I was hedonistic and a thrill seeker. But, I wasn’t happy. Well, I was superficially happy; I earned well and bought “stuff” to cheer me up.

I was at a family Christening with my little boy. He’s been a constant for me in the past year. I wasn’t particularly interested in going to the Christening – churches are boring right? My Mum is a committed Christian and her faith seemed to be helpful to her, but it was absolutely the furthest thing from my mind. However, as I entered the church and sat down, the sense of calm and acceptance seemed palpable. I could almost taste the calm. It was a “high Anglican” church, incense and candle aplenty! I enjoyed the service. I felt calm and I spoke with the priest afterwards. Despite my many failings, I really felt welcome. As I drove home, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps I was wrong, perhaps God was there after all. I reasoned (and I am a completely logical person…) that there was nothing that I could invent today that would be remembered (let alone practised) in 2000 years time. Was I wrong all along?

I decided to go to a local church where I had gone five years earlier for a Christening; all I recall was that it was charismatic. I just sat and wept through the first service; it was as though the speaker was talking to me. That sense continued at the services – as though the speaker each time was talking just to me when I went.

I started an Alpha course after two weeks (again, amazing timing, perhaps God was lining this all up!) and I can honestly say my life was transformed. The most obvious sign I got was the healing I received on the Alpha weekend. I had arthritis in my left knee. The pain was daily and debilitating. I was seriously giving thought to getting a stick for the days where the pain was too bad. A church member on the Alpha weekend noticed me hobbling and asked if I wanted healing. Naturally I did but I was slightly dubious, as we had just done the Saturday afternoon part of Alpha where we invite the Holy Spirit to come and I had experienced no noticeable change. But I figured it couldn’t hurt. My knee was prayed for and the healing was almost instant. I can now walk and bend the knee; I have had almost no pain since then. I am not given to over egging things, I’m not prone to hyperbole but to me, this was God saying “You want a sign from me? Try this!” I’m hearing you God, loud and clear!

I have now surrendered my life to Jesus and I am trusting God to help me forge a new life. I’m happy for Him to lead and I will follow. He knows what is best for me. I would NEVER have thought that I would become a Christian; it’s just not something that the old me would have done.

______________________________

Being born again is not an abstract idea or theological notion – it’s a spiritual imperative. It’s not an option – it’s a necessity! If you want to enter the Kingdom of God – be a citizen of God’s Kingdom under His governance – you MUST be born again. And you’re either in or you’re out of God’s Kingdom. There is no sitting on the fence.

Jesus did not say, ‘To see and enter God’s Kingdom, you must go to church all your life (you may have done that and not be born again). Jesus did not say, ‘to see and enter God’s Kingdom, you must try your hardest’. Jesus did not even say, ‘To see and enter God’s Kingdom, you must not break the 10 commandments’! He said, ‘To see and enter God’s Kingdom, you MUST be born again’! Until you are born again, God’s Spirit does not live in you, you are not fully alive and you are not a citizen of His Kingdom.

Benefits of Being Born Again

Future inheritance. Later on in His encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus says: “…whoever believes in me will not die but will have eternal life” (John3.16). When they lay you in the ground, it is not the end! The Apostle Paul echoes this: “...the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6.23). That spiritual life is eternal in nature. It continues forever.

Jesus said, “I am…Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all”’ (John 11:24). There is life beyond the grave. Jesus died but rose from the grave, never to die again. He shares that resurrection life with all who believe in Him. “…if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8.11).

The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance [eternal life] he promised.
Ephesians 1.14

Full life. It is a mistake, however, to view eternal life as simply an unending progression of years. A common New Testament word for “eternal” is aiónios, which carries the idea of quality as well as quantity. In fact, eternal life is not really associated with “years” at all, as it is independent of time. Eternal life can function outside of and beyond time, as well as within time.

For this reason, eternal life is something that Christians experience now. We don’t have to “wait” for eternal life, because it’s not something that starts when we die. Rather, eternal life begins the moment a person welcomes Jesus into their life and He comes by His Spirit. Jesus said: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3.36). Note that the believer “has” (present tense) this life (the verb is present tense in the Greek, too).

So, life which begins when you become a Christian and is as much to do with quality as it is with quantity. Jesus promised us ‘life [zoe] in all its fullness‘ (John 10.10) or ‘life in abundance’ or ‘rich and satisfying life’. He brings you fully alive, giving you life with meaning, purpose and satisfaction.

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
1 Peter 1.23, NLT

As well as abundant life now and forever, there are more benefits of being born again:

Forgiveness. So many people live with guilt and shame. Someone on an Alpha course I ran in 2017 said: ‘If I could ask God one thing, it would be: can I be forgiven?’ The answer for him and for you is ‘Yes’! “God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Saviour and rescue it” (John 3.17, TPT). Jesus came to rescue and save you, not judge and condemn you. He forgives all your wrongdoing when you believe (put your faith and trust) in Him: “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. THEN God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins” (Colossians 2.13).

Freedom. You need no longer be a slave to fear or addiction or other bad habits. God wants to set you free! “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Family membership. As I said in my blog ‘Abba’, you are a son or daughter of your Heavenly Father, and a citizen of His Kingdom! “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1.12). “…He has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment that guarantees everything He has promised us” (2 Corinthians 1:22).

When you are born again, Jesus gives you a future inheritance, full life, forgiveness, freedom and family membership – all of which is fantastic! All you need to do is receive it.

For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life – we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
1 Peter 1.3, TPT

Nicodemus was at some point born again, given new life. We know that because, in a public display of allegiance which contrasted with his earlier meeting with Jesus under cover of darkness, he helped Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus’ body (see John 19.38-42).

I would encourage you to watch the story of Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night as part of the brilliant serialisation of the gospels called ‘The Chosen’ (30 mins into the episode)…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K09a7l48VD0

When they lay you in the ground, they won’t be burying you. They will simply be burying your old, tired body that you no longer need. You will have a new one and you will be enjoying heaven! Those of us who are born again by the Spirit of God and are therefore citizens of God’s Kingdom will see all those who have gone before us when we go home.

Have you been born again? If you know you’re not born again or you’re not sure, make sure today. Express your belief in and reliance on Jesus using the words of the prayer at the end. Say it today; you are not guaranteed tomorrow. If you mean what you pray, God will change you today.
“You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God” (John 3.8). Who will you pray for the Spirit of God to blow on, to bring them to new birth? Family members? Friends? Colleagues?
Will you commit to pray for three people at 3.08pm (after John 3.8) every day? Perhaps set a daily alarm.
Who could you invite on an Alpha course? This could be at a church near you that runs Alpha, or online. During this season of the Corona virus lockdown, many Alpha courses are being run online. As I write this, I am helping with one starting tonight! If you contact me, I can help connect you to a course. Find out more about Alpha – https://www.alpha.org/

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you died on the cross for me and rose again from the grave to everlasting life, conquering sin and death for once and for all. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness of all wrongdoing. I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life (take a few moments to ask his forgiveness for anything particular that is on your conscience). I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. Please forgive me and help me to know in my heart that you have truly forgiven me.

Thank you that you offer me the gift of your Spirit. I now receive that gift as a deposit, guaranteeing eternal life. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen.

Kingdom of God – Authority

I have broken my own rule already – doubling up on ‘A’ in this Kingdom of God series! But I didn’t feel it could wait for another 26 blogs before addressing today’s topic.

Authority is not a commonly addressed theme in churches, certainly not in the UK anyway. We might speak of it in relation to God or Jesus, but not so much in relation to us as His followers. Yet, authority is a vital part of what Jesus has delegated to us, to enable us to play our part in ushering in His Kingdom ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’

What is the difference between authority and power?

Power can be exerted by the use of force or violence (abuse of power). By contrast, authority requires permission. It depends on the acceptance by some of the right of another to tell them what to do. Jesus had no political power, no army at his command, no great social status and no wealth, yet He exuded authority. He did not make other people do what He commanded. Some went away sad (the rich man); others accepted His invitation and followed Him, fully surrendered, eager to pursue the life He offered.

The crowds were amazed at [Jesus’] teaching, for he taught with real authority – quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Matthew 7.28-29

While teaching on the sabbath in the synagogue, Jesus cast out a demon from a violently shaking man. His power was clearly on display and the gathered worshippers were astonished by his authority: “What is this new teaching that comes with such authority? With merely a word He commands demons to come out and they obey Him!” (Mark 1:27, TPT). His authority was backed up by God-given power (through the Holy Spirit).

“Then [Jesus] called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases” (Luke 9.1). When Jesus sent out the twelve, He equipped them with the power and authority to get the job done. He gave them authority (permission) to cast out demons and heal the sick; but it was Holy Spirit power that gave them the ability to do it. In Luke 10.1 Jesus then sent out a group of 72 in pairs with a similar mission.

Then, after His resurrection and before His ascension back to heaven about six weeks later: “…Jesus came close to [His disciples] and said, “All the authority of the universe has been given to me. Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations… And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age” (Matthew 28.18-20, TPT). Many have written books on these few verses, generally known as the Great Commission, but for now please note:

Jesus has all the authority.
He commissions (sends) His followers into the world.
He delegates His authority to them to get the job done, which is…
…to make disciples (students or followers of Jesus) in every nation. It’s a global task with universal appeal.
It includes teaching these new disciples to follow ‘all [no exceptions] that I [Jesus] have commanded you’, including healing the sick, etc.
He’ll always be with us. It is, after all, a co-mission (a partnership) and not merely a mission.

At the moment of new birth (see next blog, ‘Born again’), God gave you authority through the name of Jesus. “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!” (John 14:12-14, TPT).

The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these
John 14.12

If we are going to do the works of Jesus, we will need two essential ingredients: authority and power. We must have a foundation of intimacy with God (more of that in a later blog), and we should always be motivated by compassion for others; but without His authority and power, we won’t have what it takes to fulfil His commission. Authority comes from the fact that God has commissioned us to cast out demons and heal the sick. The problem is that many of us don’t realize our God-given authority. But even when we do realize it, we won’t succeed if we do not ask for the power to perform these actions.

The power we need is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” It is the same Holy Spirit who will come upon us and release His supernatural gifts in us, empowering us to do the works of Jesus.

Understanding our God-given authority will affect how we pray. Jesus and His disciples did not pray petitioning prayers. They commanded healing. What’s the difference between petitioning and commanding prayer? A petitioning prayer might be: “Father, I ask you to heal Fred’s ankle and remove the swelling and pain, if it be your will”. A commanding prayer might be: “Ankle, be healed. All swelling and pain leave, in the name of Jesus”. The prayers of Jesus and His disciples were not directed at God but at people’s conditions. Here are some examples…

“…Jesus bent over [Simon’s mother in law] and rebuked the fever and it left her” (Luke 4.39).
“[Jesus] said to the paralytic ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home’” (Mark 2.10).
“[Jesus] took her by the hand and said to her ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’” (Mark 5.41).
“Silver or gold I [Peter] do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts 3.6). And he did!
“Aeneas, Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and tidy up your mat!’ Immediately, Aeneas got up” (Acts 9.34).
“Turning towards the dead woman, Peter said to Tabitha, ‘Get up!’ She opened her eyes and sat up” (Acts 9.40).

The power is in the word. How did God create? He spoke things into being; He didn’t fashion them with His hands from mud! Words that have their origin in the Father’s heart are powerful – they release life. So, use your God-given authority and command healing – always in the name of Jesus. He is the only victor over satan, sin and sickness after all! It is only through Him that healing comes.

Use your God given authority and command healing – always in the name of Jesus. It is only through Him that healing comes

It’s not how most of us have been taught to pray and it might therefore take time to adjust. It might seem strange at first, but there is no better time to start than the present! I prayed like this for several months before seeing any answers. Pray therefore for boldness (the subject of another blog soon under ‘B’), because you’ll need it! And remember, you are called to be obedient, not successful (a later blog under ‘O’). The outcomes rest with God, not you. But generally, people will be glad you cared enough to pray, even if there is no immediate improvement. I will write separately about disappointment (not so long to wait for ‘D’)! We can’t hope to be as successful as Jesus, but the more often you pray like this the more you will see God do. And remember, faith is spelt RISK! When we truly live by faith (reliant on Him), there aren’t many easy wins.

_______________________________________

In Spring 2018, Sheila visited the church building and we got into conversation. She asked for prayer against the effects of a stroke a year earlier. We prayed, commanding healing. Her right hand and foot – usually cold – became warm. She then mentioned out of the blue that her chiropodist said her left leg was shorter than the right. We put her legs up on a chair with her back square against a pew. Sure enough, the left leg was about 2cm shorter than the right. We asked her friend Pat to verify this. We prayed, commanding the left leg to grow. The left leg lengthened to the same length as the right! Again, Pat verified this. Sheila said she felt movement in her leg as we prayed. She tried it out without her walking aid, and said it felt different; she felt more stable as she walked. Seeing all this, Pat then asked for prayer. She had had sciatica down her left side for two years. We commanded the sciatica to leave in Jesus’ name; she tried it out and said there was a reduction in pain. After praying again, she said she felt heat in the affected area and, after trying it out again, said there was an 80% reduction in pain and improvement in movement.

______________________________

Can you do more to represent (lit. re-present) Jesus? What’s holding you back?
Do you simply doubt that he could use ‘little ole me’?
Are you uncertain as His child about your God-given authority?
Is it the fear of looking foolish if nothing happens?
Who’s reputation is at stake, and who’s ultimately responsible for it?

Why don’t you ask the Lord for a greater revelation of the authority you have in His name, and ask Him for a greater empowerment of the Holy Spirit in your life. As you walk in both authority and power, you will see the Kingdom of God advancing and the kingdom of darkness defeated!

I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm! Ephesians 1.19-20, TPT

Kingdom of God – Abba

undefined

“…you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8.15-16, NLT)

It seems very fitting to begin this series on the Kingdom of God with ‘Abba, Father’.

Our Queen’s full title is: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Yet to Prince Charles, she is simply ‘mummy’!

Jesus said that when we pray, we should begin: “Our Father in heaven…” Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of the Universe – the King of kings and Lord of lords – invites us to call Him ‘abba, father’, daddy! It’s not a formal way of addressing Him; it’s a familiar and intimate term. As His children, you are invited to call Almighty God ‘abba’ or ‘daddy.’ What an incredible privilege! This is a million times more extraordinary than Prince Charles being able to call the Queen ‘mummy’! And consider who that makes you!

Becoming His son or daughter is not a reward for hard work; it is simply His gift to you when you put your faith and trust in His Son Jesus. The Apostle John said, “…to all who believed [Jesus] and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1.12, NLT).

“Our Father in heaven…” Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of the Universe – the King of kings and Lord of lords – invites us to call Him ‘abba, father’, daddy!

Look at what the Father said at Jesus’ baptism: “You are my Son, my cherished one, and my greatest delight is in you!” (Mark 1.11, TPT). How much had Jesus done at this point? Nothing. His ministry hadn’t begun. He didn’t earn Father’s love and approval. He had His Father’s love and pleasure before He had done anything. The same is true for you. Remember, you are a human being, not a human doing. Father loves you for who you are, not for what you achieve or can do for Him. Ask Him now to let you feel His love and pleasure today.

For many of us, relating to God as Father can be difficult when our earthly experience of a father has not been good. Perhaps your father was absent or abandoning or addicted or apathetic or achievement-driven or authoritarian or abusive, rather than attentive, affectionate and affirming. My own father had gone by the time I was born. Even when I met him for the first time aged 21 years, he wasn’t interested as he had other family by then. I don’t think it was a coincidence that I found it very difficult to relate to God as Father.

When you know whose you are, you can know who you are. You are not defined by your looks, your academic qualifications, your job, your bank account, the size of your house, the number of friends on Facebook or anything else the world can offer. You are defined fundamentally by the status of your relationship with God – after all, it’s the only thing you can take with you when this life ends!

My own father had gone by the time I was born. Even when I met him for the first time aged 21 years, he wasn’t interested… I don’t think it was a coincidence that I found it very difficult to relate to God as Father.

In one of my favourite stories in the Bible, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15.11-32), when the prodigal (wasteful, extravagant) son returns home after coming to his senses, he does not get what he deserves. The parable is better entitled ‘the prodigal Father’ as he is extravagant and wasteful in lavishing love on his profligate son! Note in particular:

Father runs to his son while he’s still a long way off – undignified and unheard of for the father and head of the family in that culture to behave like this!
He shows compassion and mercy, not anger and judgment.
He kisses his son, and the verb tense used here suggests he keeps on kissing him!
The son doesn’t get through his entire apology! The father quickly moves on to the healing, restorative bit!
Father puts on him a robe signifying sonship and honour. He belongs; he’s secure.
He puts on his son a ring signifying authority, that he could act in His Father’s name.
He puts sandals on him signifying freedom – he’s a son, not a servant.

Abba Father does the same for you. You are no longer a stranger; you are not a slave (you once were, to sin); you are not even primarily a servant (see John 15.15). You are a son or daughter, and a friend of God’s.

Can you relate to God as Father?
Are you continually filled with an awareness of how much Father (‘abba’, lit daddy!) loves you?
Are you aware that Father takes delight in you and He thinks good thoughts about you all the time?
Do you know that Father rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)?
Why not ask God for His help to dismantle any protective walls around your wounded heart so that His love can flow in.
The longest journey in the Christian life is from the head to the heart. Pray for an experience of Father’s love for you, so you can echo what the apostle John said, ‘And we have come to know (lit. ‘experience’) and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love’ (I John 4:16).

In a difficult season of my life about 15 years ago, as I read today’s recommended book (see end), God powerfully revealed Himself to me as a Father who simply loved me for me; I did not need to strive for His approval or affection. It was such a relief and release. It completely changed my approach to the Christian life.

If you have time, take a look at Ephesians 3.14-19 in the Amplified version of the Bible, which contrasts knowing God’s love in theory with experiencing it in practice. You can find the Amplified version (along with many others) on the YouVersion app, which you can download for free! Consider the extent of Father God’s love for you. Ask Father God to flood your whole being afresh with His love.

Here’s a good news story from 2014:

K says, “I was brought up in a military family; we attended church on a weekly basis. When I was about 10 years old, I lost my younger brother. This time was so hard; I didn’t understand why he died and why he was taken away. When I reached the age of 14, I had to make a choice of attending church on my own, due to my parents giving up and leaving the church. It was a difficult time for me. I chose to stay and continued to attend the youth group. My relationship with my father deteriorated. I felt rejected and unloved by him, and he stopped having regular contact with me.

During the evening celebration on Sunday, I had an incredible breakthrough. During the worship I received a picture of a hand; written in the middle of it was my name and the words that came with the picture was ‘Your name will never be wiped away; your true identity is within me alone.’’ This was the first time I truly was able to know that I have a Father who designed me and created me and loves me for who I am. It has been such a difficult thing for me to be able to call God ‘Father’, because my earthly father hasn’t been a positive role model to me. But during this evening celebration, I felt that this wall totally break down and I actually felt that, no matter what my earthly father has done to me, I have a father God who never lets me down and will always accept me”.

Heavenly Father. Thank you for welcoming me into your family as a son/daughter. Help me to feel your love and pleasure, not just to know it in my head. Take any walls down from around my heart that prevent me from experiencing your love. Amen.

The day it all changed

In about 2005, I was still recovering from a difficult season in my life and cruising along as a Christian of some years’ standing – I say ‘cruising’, probably in third gear and with nothing especially remarkable to show for my years as a Christian up to that point. Dare I say it, my life was probably fairly typical of a Western evangelical Christian. The idols of comfort and ease can be the enemies of a radical Christian life.

In 2005, I was given a book which I have since concluded I had been waiting to read all my Christian life. It completely changed the way I viewed life as a Christian and what was expected of me. I felt excited and daunted in equal measure.

The book was about the King (God) and His Kingdom, the fact that He intended His Kingdom to impact the earth today (‘on earth as it is in heaven’) and that I (as His son and ambassador) bore significant responsibility for helping make that happen.

Jesus proclaimed the Good News of salvation (freedom would be another way of putting it), but He also demonstrated what that freedom looked like – forgiveness of sin, physical healing in the body, freedom from demonic oppression. But He was the Son of God, so of course He could do those things! Right? Wrong!

The book showed that, while Jesus came to give us access to God’s Kingdom through His death and resurrection, He also came to show us what life looked like in the Kingdom – and it wasn’t much like the life I was living.

In Philippians 2.6,7 we read that Jesus ‘did not think of equality with God as something to cling to’, but ‘gave up His divine privileges’ or ’emptied Himself’ and was ‘born as a human being.’ Jesus did not perform the miracles He did with His divine power because He had ’emptied Himself.’ Instead, He did them as a human being in an intimate relationship with His Father and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Though he was God, [Jesus] did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
Philippians 2.6-7 (NLT)

He sent His disciples to do the same: ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy and cast out demons’ (see Matthew 10.7). And He has called each generation of His followers to do likewise. The great commission in Matthew 28.18-20 includes the words: ‘Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you’ (including Matthew 10.7)! Jesus also said, ‘…anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works’ (John 14.12).

I felt rocked to my core. This was not the sanitized version of discipleship I had encountered all too often in church. This was pretty daunting, but I felt inspired to take up the challenge to live as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, as described in the New Testament. It was time to face head on those uncomfortable verses I had all too often been guilty of skirting round.

And so began the journey.

I am under no illusion that I still have masses to learn. But my future blogs will reflect what I have learnt so far – from A-Z! You may have heard the phrase ‘the now and not yet of the Kingdom’ – what is available now of God’s Kingdom following Jesus’s reinauguration of it and what we have to wait for until He comes again in all His glory.

I felt rocked to my core… It was time to face head on those uncomfortable verses I had all too often been guilty of skirting round. And so began the journey

As you journey with me, I want you to keep an open mind on the possibility that there might be more of His Kingdom available to you now than you have up to this point been taught or seen for yourself or dared to believe.

What was the book that I had been waiting to read all my Christian life? I’ll tell you soon 😉.

I end today with a good news story from 2008…

A lady approached the church asking for someone to pray around her home nearby. She said there was an evil presence there. She said it often followed people upstairs and her 8 year old daughter said that she wanted to kill it! This was unusual for this normally very passive girl. The daughter would not sleep in her bedroom because the evil spirit had pulled her bed clothes off. Even though the radiator in that room was working and was very hot, the room would remain cold. She slept in her mother’s room. Friends had passed the house and later commented on her older son being at home, having seen him at the bedroom window. The mother knew these were times when her son was not at home and she was there alone (or so she thought). Objects had started moving about in her kitchen.

We went to pray around the house. We prayed in every room and up the stairs, inviting the presence of Jesus to come by His Spirit. We sprinkled water liberally. We encouraged the family to pray the Lord’s prayer as they went up the stairs. We advised them to get rid of a few items that we thought might provide a ‘landing place’ for the enemy (satan). The mother was very willing to do as we suggested. We followed the lady up after our visit. She said there had been no further manifestations and the objects had stopped moving around in the kitchen. The stairs were clear, the bedroom was hot and they had had to turn down the radiator! Her daughter was back sleeping in her room. As a result of this, the mother started coming to church regularly with her daughter.