July | 2010 | Barnabas Ministries UK

Word Studies

July 30, 2010 at 1:11 pm (Word Studies)

Rev. K. W. Munday

WORD STUDIES

Word Studies is presented by Rev. K. W. Munday, retired minister and former General Secretary of Assemblies of God for many years. He has served the body of Christ with grace and distinction, is an excellent, quality preacher and speaker, broadcaster, writer of books and still active in Christian service. His contributions here on Word Studies should prove a great means of blessing, inspiration and instruction

WATER BAPTISM

The Bible makes it clear that it is the duty of even Christian to be baptised in water as soon as possible after conversion. Some refuse the command and others ignore it. There are those who argue against it. The Apostle Peter says that ”it is the answer of a good conscience toward go – 1 Peter 3:21.

THE HISTORY OF WATER BAPTISM

The Lord Jesus instituted two ordinances; the breaking of bread ( or communion service) and water baptism. Both ordinances have in the Old Testament. The Passover was the celebration of Israel’s redemption from Egypt in the breaking of bread in the Christian Church is the celebration of the sinners’ redemption from sin effected by Jesus on the cross.

Baptism too has its history in the Old Testament. An early symbol was the Great flood of Noah’s day. In 1 Peter 3:20/21 states that “In the days of Noah eight souls were saved by water. . . . the like figure whereunto baptism does also now save us”. During the Flood the earth itself was submerged (or baptized). At that time all flesh had corrupted itself and God would begin afresh. The Flood, or baptismal waters separated the old creation from the new, and in the new convert is urged to ”walk in newness of life” – Romans 6:4.

There were also various Old Testament ablutions. In Exodus 29:4 Aaron and his sons had to be taken to the door of the tabernacle and washed with water. That was part of a priest’s preparation for service. A similar washing was required before they entered the tabernacle ”that they die not” was the reason. And in Leviticus 15 there is a whole list of ceremonial dfilements which required cleansing.

Naaman the leper also underwent a form of water baptism for his healing. In 2 Kings 5:10 he was instructed to dip (baptize) 7 times in the river Jordan.

In John 1:33 John the Baptist said that he was sent to baptize. His converts were therefore baptised to declare their faith in the coming Messiah Jesus, and to show repentance for their sins. In Acts 19 John’s disciples became Christians and received Christian baptism. John’s baptism was not invalid, but it was pre-christian.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

Our Lord Jesus Himself was baptised in water – Matthew 3:13-17 so when we talk of converts following the Lord through the waters, this is literally true. A question may be used however as to why Jesus needed to be baptised when it was a sign of repentance, because He had done nothing wrong. But there are other aspects of baptism. Jesus set an example, and the positive side of baptism is that of dedication to God. Jesus as a man had self-will and therefore had a choice, and He chose to do the will of His Father. In John 17:19 He declared ”For their sakes (the disciples) I sanctify (or dedicate) Myself ‘. His baptism fulfilled all righteousness.

It is to be noticed how many Old Testament Scriptures were fulfilled in Christ. Aaron, the first High priest for example, was washed, then anointed with oil before he served. So our Lord, the Great High Priest followed the pattern. He was baptised, then, coming out of the water He was anointed with the Holy Spirit.

He was also baptised to identify Himself with his people. He made no exemptions in His highly life; but identified with His people whenever He could. Brought up in Nazareth, which seemed not to be a very famous city; He undertook the work of a labourer in the carpenter’s shop and worked with His hands.

THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS

An officer of a large Church once said, “I would be baptized in water if the Lord told me to!” the Lord told me to!” Well, the Lord has told us to in His word. ”Make of all nations” He instructed His disciples ‘baptizing them’. In Acts 10 Peter commanded the Gentiles to be baptized, not because they were unwilling, but because they needed Apostolic authority for the new era. On another occasion there was immediate obedience from a new convert who, when he saw water asked ”What doth hinder me from being baptized?”

Some would argue that water baptism is only mentioned four or five times in the Epistles. That is true, but the communion service is only mentions once, so does this not indicate that both ordinances were well established and regularly practised?

We believe that the mode of water baptism is by complete immersion.

Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water – Acts 8:38 and John baptised at Aenon because there was much water there – John 3:23 and seeing that baptism is a type of burial, immersion is the most logical and meaningful mode to represent it.

THE RELATION BETWEEN SALVATION AND BAPTISM

It is a very close relationship. Much significance can be lost when they are separated by too a period. Often in these days we like to make sure that a work of grace has been done in the converts heart before we offer baptism, and there is something to be said for this; but from a scriptural viewpoint God’s desire is to fill His people with the Holy Spirit and repentance and water baptism are viewed as the initial step to that glorious experience – Acts 2:38.

We concede that the thief on the cross who repented was not baptized but went to paradise, but that was not because he would not, but because he could not. We could use the words of the marriage service regarding salvation and baptism: “What god has joined together, let no man put asunder”.

Baptism does not save. Salvation is through faith in the atoning blood of Jesus and no works of righteousness that we can perform (even religious ordinances) can save us. Neither can we subscribe to the prayer formula at infant baptism which states ‘Sanctify this water to the mystical washing away of sin’.

A MEANS OF GRACE

Ordinances have been abused, but that does not invalidate their right usage. Any Biblical ordinance is a means of grace when sincerely taken by faith. In Colossians 2: 12 it says that “We have been buried with Him in baptism, and raised with Him through the operation of God’. Baptism puts us into the place of obedience and it is there we can know the operation of God in our lives. It becomes the Christian’s first test of obedience.

It was not the waders of Jordan that cleansed Naaman’s leprosy but his obedient faith in the operation of God.

We therefore conclude that baptism in water is not optional but imperative completing our Christian obedience. blessing and usefulness. What hinders you from being baptised?

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Great Stories

July 30, 2010 at 1:04 pm (Great Stories)

Rev. E. Anderson

LOSING AND FINDING ONESELF

Here is the losing and finding of life in person. Marian Preminger was born in Hungary in 1915, raised in a castle with her aristocratic family, surrounded with maids, tutors, governesses, butlers, and chauffeurs. Her grandmother, who lived with them, insisted that whenever they traveled, they take their own linen, for she believed it was beneath their dignity to sleep between sheets used by common people.

While attending school in Vienna, Marian met a handsome young Viennese doctor. They fell in love, eloped, and married when she was only eighteen. The marriage listed only a year, and she returned to Vienna to begin her life as an actress.

While auditioning for a play, she met the brilliant young German director, Otto Preminger. They fell in love and soon married. They went to America soon thereafter, where he began his career as a movie director. Unfortunately and tragically, Hollywood is a place of dramatic illustrations of people waiting, devouring, and consuming” one another. Marian was caught up in the glamor, lights, and superficial excitement and soon began to live a sordid life. When Preminger discovered it, he divorced her.

Marian returned to Europe to live the life of a socialite in Paris. In 1948 she learned through the newspaper that Albert Schweitzer, the man she had read about as a little girl, was making one of his periodic visits to Europe and was staying at Gunsbach. She phoned his secretary and was given an appointment to see Dr. Schweitzer the next day. When Marian arrived in Gunsbach she discovered he was in the village church playing the organ. She listened and turned pages of music for him. After a visit he invited her to have dinner at his house. By the end of the day she knew she had discovered what she had been looking for all her life. She was with him every day thereafter during his visit, and when he returned to Africa he invited her to come to immanent and work in the hospital.

Marian did – and found herself. There in Lambarene, the girl who was born in a castle and raised like a princess, who was accustomed to being waited on with all the luxuries of a spoiled life, became a servant. She changed bandages, bathed babies, fed lepers . . . and became free. Marian wrote her autobiography and called it All I Ever Wanted Was Everything. She could not get the ‘everything’ that would satisfy and give meaning until she could give everything. When she died in 1979, the New York Times carried her obituary, which included this statement from her: “Albert Schweitzer said there are two classes of people in this world the helpers, and the nonhelpers. I’m a helper”.

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Wisdom’s Ways

July 30, 2010 at 12:50 pm (Wisdom's Ways)

Rev. A. Linford

Rev. A. Linford, before his decease, was recognized as a good, great and interesting Bible teacher in the Assemblies of God Fellowship for many years. He was a well-loved Bible College lecturer and writer that bequeathed a tremendous amount of Biblical material in his generation. What a legacy he has left to be researched and brought forth to refresh our day! We shall be using such on this site: His writings from the book of Proverbs and also his Editorials that he wrote for the Redemption Tidings when he was its editor. I trust you will enjoy and appreciate.

APPETITE FOR KNOWLEDGE

“The ear of the wise seeketh knowledge” Proverbs: 1, 2, 15

Our capacity for learning is infinite; the more we know, the more we may know. Add to this an insatiable curiosity and you have the making of a quest for learning. Excursions into the physical realm add much to our experience; adventures into the realm of thought add more; but explorations into the higher region of spiritual things add most; as Paul said, ”that l may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings” – Philippians 3:10. ”Heavenly places” – Ephesians 1:3 offers a vast area to exploit.

Too much – vs 1. But a passion for learning can drive us too far. The man in question makes three mistakes. First, his basic concept is distorted. His desire to know overmasters him; he becomes a slave to curiosity. Piling degree upon degree, he is ever learning: he makes knowledge an end rather than a tool for living. Secondly, he fails to concentrate. ”He inter meddles with all wisdoms. Width of knowledge can deteriorate into a shallow stream of- scattered facts; depth is more commendable, the depth of wisdom. Thirdly, he cuts himself off from normal living. His neighbours suffer from lack of his contribution: he suffers from dearth of human contact.

Too little – vs 2. In contrast is the man who lacks desire to learn. He is very anxious to talk, but his empty babblings merely disclose his vacant mind. He loves to air his personal opinions, but they are based on nothing else than his own stupidity. His egoism is inflated, he is but a bag of wind, a bubble easily deflated by a wise man.

Just right – vs 15. Two kinds of student are depicted in this verse. First, ”the prudent man of keen student. The former enjoy the ministry of the EYE, he has insight, discernment and discrimination: the latter exercises the ministry of the EAR, he has an absorbing mind, an appetite for truth, a gift for patient listening.

PRAYER:

Feed my soul on knowledge of Thee, nay gracious Lord!

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News and Views

July 30, 2010 at 12:37 pm (News and Views)

Janet Wheeler

PLUNGED INTO MISSIONS!

AoG missionary Janet Wheeler, has spent the last nine years as a missionary to Ghana. Here’s the story so far

Janet was in her late forties before going into overseas missions. The Lord had spoken to her over the years about being a missionary but she was happy to serve in the local church and not ready to give up the lifestyle she enjoyed.

She says, “although I admired missionaries I also thought they were a little odd to willingly go through all that giving up and suffering!” However, it was through the African students in her church at Riverside Christian Centre in Exeter that she was drawn to missions in Africa.

“I knew the Lord had called me and became a burning desire to go. I assumed short-term missions would be a suitable compromise between missions and the post I held at the university”.

In fact, one day a work colleague looked at Janet and said, “Why don’t you go and be a missionary in Africa?”. This remark came as a great surprise as she had told no one of what was brewing in her life. She began to pray for an opportunity which eventually came when the senior pastor, John Partington, announced he was going on a trip to Ghana and was looking for a team to accompany him.

Within no time Janet found herself in Ghana and during the ten day visit the Lord spoke to her again, “I remember we were in a huge prayer camp meeting and it was one o’clock in the morning. I began to dance like a local and the presence of God was very strong, when I had a vision of a duck standing by a pond which was hesitant to jump in the water. Eventually the duck leapt in and began to swim with ease. The Lord said if I would a plunge myself into missions I would also be like a duck to water.So one year later Janet had given up her full time employment and was back in Ghana to help the church they had visited as their administrator. The work was challenging with so much to learn and adapt to but she felt at home and knew she would be there for some years to come. When she went to register at the British High Commission in Accra she happened to see one of the World Ministries team there who encouraged her to apply to World Ministries and take up training. This she did while continuing to serve the Lord in Ghana.

In her position as administrator she took time to revamp the paperwork of the church, organised teaching programmes with overseas speakers, and after a few years took on organizing the annual Easter conventions.

She says, “It was something else to arrange not only the programmes but all the facilities needed for the church members who would arrive from far and wide for a stay of four days. Electricity and water would have to be set taking into account all the potential mishaps not to mention the funding!

However, these were always great occasions when the presence of God was so awesome and wonderful things happened!

From administration Janet also had opportunity to preach at conventions and the local churches. The worship in the churches was really free as the people praised God with no inhibitions’ but they loved the word of God too, and would shout ‘hallelujah’ and ‘powerful’ as they enjoyed the preaching. The church meetings were not for spectators but everyone joined in!

Soon after she arrived in Ghana she was asked by a friend to assist with the orphanage work they were taking up there. It began with dispersing the funds with her Ghanaian colleague and as the years rolled by the work grew and a national NGO was registered in Ghana to facilitate the work which was funded by overseas partners. In time she saw the building of two primary schools and three orphanages set up, and although the work was exhausting, it was her joy see the impact of these projects in children’s lives

Janet describes one such experience, “Her name was Gifty and she was brought to the Home from the north, because she was not able to keep down food and had not responded to medication. As I took her in my arms and talked to her she began to move around and smiled at me baring two front teeth. I was amazed to learn she was already seven months old and realised an impartation of healing was happening. She took a full bottle of milk and later another. When I saw her again one month later she was barely recognizable with a full tummy, puffy cheeks, and in good health. What a privilege to be God’s hands and feet”.

School Assembly

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Pastor’s Weekly Thought

July 30, 2010 at 12:31 pm (Pastor's Weekly Thought)

Rev. Ian Williams

On Sunday Rachel spoke in church about Samson. In Judges 13 v.5 Samson’s mother was told by an angel that she had conceived and that her son would ‘begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines’.

Rachel said something that resonated with me. Samson was a ‘nearly’ man. He could have fulfilled so much as he had God’s blessing and spirit continually moving on him. However because of a number of bad choices he ended up chasing the Philistines for vengeance, which ultimately resulted in him becoming their prisoner and losing his life. Samson did start the process of Israel’s deliverance from their enemy but do you not think he just could have done so much more had he made better choices?

Do you ever feel like you’re a ‘nearly’ man or woman? Do you ever feel that you could do so much more if only…

You’re not alone. Don’t be alarmed, many Christians feel that way.

Keith Green sang a song called ‘Open Your Eyes’. Maybe you could look it up on You Tube. Instead of nearly achieving, feeling worthless or condemned why not start looking around you, at your world, at your community and consider what you can do to help. It may just start with little things but they will soon grow.

As you look outwards and start to practically help others God will bless you and your actions. Look outwards and instead of living a ‘nearly’ life, live your life to the full, making right choices and following Jesus’ commission for your life.

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Prayer Dynamics

July 30, 2010 at 11:37 am (Prayer Dynamics)

Rev. I. Christiansen

MAKE HOME A HOUSE OF PRAYER

As committed believers, we must make room for God in our homes every day, as Ian Christiansen explains

In previous articles on prayer I have highlighted the fact that there is a distinct connection between prayer and the miraculous. I quoted a man of God who was known to move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When asked his secret, he replied, ‘Much prayer, much power – little prayer, little power – no prayer…’, and he smiled

I also mentioned the call to the ‘secret place’, that secluded, scheduled place where we can encounter God daily. Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Give us this day our daily bread. There are things God wants to infuse us with daily. Without this grace and strength and revelation, which we can receive from him daily, we function way below par. Many function on the mini-mum rather than the maximum. Consider Hebrews 4:16 again, ‘Let us come boldly to the throne of grace. That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’.

I don’t know about you, but l need to connect with my Lord daily. Bob Sorge says, ‘The greatest warfare always surrounds your prayer life’. I have experienced the truth of the above comment, haven’t you? There is very little opposition to watching the news or The X Factor or our other favourite programmes, but the moment we decide to make prayer a daily discipline, all of hell seems to come against us.

As I mentioned in the first article, l believe that there are three areas that need to become a ‘house of prayer’.

We need to become houses of prayer (as temples of the Holy Spirit) .
Our homes need to become houses of prayer.
Our churches are meant to become houses of prayer.

We presently live in a society where shops and restaurants and the homes of many openly display idols or other gods. This of course attracts and promotes the working of other spirits that are in opposition to the kingdom of God. Our homes need to be ‘houses of prayer’ where individual and family prayer raises an altar to the living God. I hate to give the enemy any credit – but he is good at what he does and he has had thousands of years of experience. Satan hates prayer – whether individual, family or church or inter-church prayer- he knows what can happen when people begin to pray and trust God. He also knows what will not happen when people are not praying.

We have all heard the saying, ‘a family that prays together stays together’. However I would like to highlight how we create room for prayer in our homes. The above saying is very general and I have never met a Christian who disagrees with this quote. However I have met hundreds, possibly thousands of Christians who continually struggle to develop strong individual and corporate prayer lives. Remember, prayer is dependence on God (Luke 18:1).

Firstly, let our homes be places where we individually dwell in the ‘secret place’. My first priority after I awake is to spend time with the Lord, praying in English, praying in tongues and reading his Word.

Dennise and I have three grown children, four grandchildren and two foster children. We have been fostering for nearly ten years and have had more than 50 children in our home.

I awake in the morning, do the things I have to do and then go into the ‘secret place with Him. My wife Dennise also spends time alone with the Lord before she goes into the day.

I have taught all of our children to spend time alone with the Lord each day and I remember the days in the late 80s where most of our rooms had family members praying, alone with Him, before entering into the day.

It is good to pray together as a family. Diverse circumstances often mitigate against us, such as an unsaved member or a tricky teenager. Yes, it is not easy but it is essential. If nobody wants to pray in your home, let it start with you. That’s how I started. Sometimes, especially when the children were young, we would pray in the car, together on the way to school. Even simply holding hands and saying the Lord’s prayer is a great place to start.

Let’s fill our lives, our homes and our churches with much prayer. Why settle for little when we can have much? Let’s not settle for the minimum, let’s pray together, pray individually and fill our homes with worship and prayer. May God bless you richly as you determine to create room in your home for prayer. Let me end with a quote:

‘Satan dreads nothing but prayer. The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, powerless work, prayerIess religion. He laughs at our toils, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray”- Samuel Chadwick

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Just a Thought

July 30, 2010 at 11:09 am (Just a Thought)

Rev. A. Linford

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN CHARITY?

“Follow after charity” – 1 Corinthians 14:1

Christian charity is all that is implied in the term ”love”, the essence of benevolence and care. Let us put it into verse:

CHRISTIAN CHARITY:-

It is silence – when your words would hurt;

It is patience – when your neighbours curt;

It is deafness when a scandal bows;

It is thoughtfulness for another’s woes;

It is promptness when duty calls;

It is courage when misfortune falls;

It in support when means run dry;

It is comfort when sufferers cry;

It is action when deeds avail;

It is diction when words prevail;

It is giving when poverty mounts;

It is living when experience counts;

It is praying when burdens press;

It is moving to meet another’s distress;

It is loving the unloved and unlovable;

It is girding the distraught and the gullible;

It’s setting exemplary behaviour;

It is following the steps of the Saviour.

HOW CAN l TREAD SUCH A NOBLE WAY?

I CAN TRUST. I CAN TRY, I CAN PRAY.

But our Christian charity must not be merely poetic, it must be truly pragmatic. Deeds must never be lost in words, or action smothered by sentiment. The charity never fails to respond to the needful care of and attention to others.

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Dave’s Snippets

July 30, 2010 at 11:01 am (Dave's Snippets)

Dr. David Allen

TRUTHS FROM THE GARDEN

I am not by any means a gardener; but my excuse is that the world’s troubles began in a garden, the Garden of Eden, to be precise. It is also, of course, hard work to keep on top of a garden; and I can never forget some neighbours, Oliver and Joyce, who kept their front garden absolutely immaculate. No weed had a chance and their sharp eyes missed nothing; and this meant we had to keep our own modest garden in reasonable state so not to be shamed by their horticultural perfectionism!

Jesus, who lived in an area and country where agriculture and husbandry were never far away, often used the imagery of fields, animals, seeds, sowing and ploughing. His memorable stories, of course, apply even in the twenty-first century.

Even in our suburban lives of small gardens and semi-detached houses, you cannot fail to have noticed that weeds often seem to fare better than the “proper” plants! Shortage of water means that your hanging-baskets soon begin to droop but the weeds don’t seem to worry and hang on regardless!

Looking and hoping for some rain in a recent week or two of drought, a thought came to mind: unless our thoughts are regularly “watered” by the Word then our spiritual ‘gardens’ will shrivel and equally the weeds will begin to flourish because Scripture both feeds the mind but at the same time militates against those noxious “tares” sown by the Enemy.

We need to remember the words of Jesus – Matthew 5:27, 28 which can have a personal horticultural application: an apparently silent thought can be the seed from which a sinful action springs – and that apparently innocuous thought, in Jesus’s opinion is as bad as the resultant action. So keep watering and also deal severely with the weeds! You may not be a Percy Thrower, an Alan Titchmarsh, a medal-winner at the Chelsea Flower Show or Tatton Park, but you are responsible for the care and upkeep of your own personal “garden”. Voltaire, in another context, made the comment, “ Il faut cultiver son jardin” – take care of your own garden.

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Illustrious Men and Ministries

July 30, 2010 at 10:44 am (Illustrious Men/Ministries)

Rev. A. Murray

MAKE SURE YOU ARE SPIRIT-FILLED

Church leaders must practise what they preach, says South African teacher and writer Andrew Murray (1828-1917).

Some time ago I read this expression by an old author: “the first duty of a clergyman is humbly to ask of God that all He wants done in his hearers should first be truly and fully done in himself”.

These words have stuck to me ever since. What a solemn application this is to the subject that occupies our attention at the present time – the living and working under the fullness of the Holy Spirit! If we understand our calling aright, every one of us will have to say that this is the one thing on which everything depends.

What profit is it to tell men that they may be filled with the Spirit of God, if, when they ask us, ‘Has God done it for you’?’ we have to answer, ‘No, he has not done it’?’ what profit is it for me to tell men that Jesus Christ can dwell within us every moment, and keep us from sin and actual transgression, and that the abiding presence of God can be our portion all the day, if l wait not upon God first to do it in me, truly and fully day by day?

Look at the Lord Jesus Christ; it was of the Christ Himself, when he had received the Holy Ghost from heaven, that John the Baptist said that ‘He would baptize with the Holy Ghost’. I can only communicate to others what God has imparted to me.

If my life as a minister be a life in which the flesh still greatly prevails – if my life be a life in which I grieve the Spirit of God, l cannot expect but that my people will receive through me a very mingled kind of life. But if the life of God dwells in me, and I am filled with his power, then l can hope that the life that goes out from me may be infused into my hearers too.

We have referred to the need of every believer being filled with the Spirit; and what is there of deeper interest to us now, or that can better occupy our attention, than prayerfully to consider how we can bring our congregations to believe that this is possible? But, brethren, the message must come from us as a witness of our personal experience.

For three years, Jesus was with his disciples, teaching and instructing them; but when he was about to go away, in his farewell discourse on the last night, what was his great promise to the disciples? ‘1 will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth’.

He had previously promised to those who believed on him, that ‘rivers of living water’ should flow from them; which the evangelist explains as meaning the Holy Ghost: ‘Thus spake he of the Spirit’. But this promise was only to be fulfilled after Christ ‘was glorified’. Christ points to the Holy Spirit as the one fruit of being glorified. The glorified Christ leads to the Holy Ghost. So, in the farewell discourse, Christ leads the disciples to expect the Spirit as the Father’s great blessing.

Then again, when Christ came and stood at the footstool of his heavenly throne, on the Mount of Olives, ready to ascend, what were his words? ‘Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me’.

Christ’s constant work was to teach his disciples to expect the Holy Spirit. Look through to: book of Acts; you see the same thing.

Peter on the day of Pentecost preached that Christ was exalted, and had received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost; arid so he told the people; ‘Repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’ So, when I believe in Jesus risen, ascended, and glorified, I shall receive the Holy Ghost.

Let me return now that with which I began: ‘the first duty of every clergyman is humbly to ask of God that all that he wants done in those who hear his preaching may be first truly and fully done in himself’.

Brethren, I ask you, is it not the longing of your hearts to have a congregation of believers filled with the Holy Ghost? Is it not your unceasing prayer for the Church of Christ, in which you minister, that the Spirit of holiness, the very Spirit of God’s Son, the spirit of unworldliness and of heavenly-mindedness, may possess it; and that the Spirit of victory and of power over sin may fill its children?

If you are willing for that to come, your first duty is to have it yourself.

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News and Views

July 27, 2010 at 1:41 pm (News and Views)

Boris Johnson

MAYOR CONGRATULATES PRAYER CROWD

LONDON mayor Boris Johnson joined 10,000 Christians who took part in a London event as part of the Global Day of Prayer.

Mr. Johnson made a short speech acknowledging the work of Christian organisations around the city to the gathered intercessors before being prayed for himself.

The crowd at West Ham’s Upton Park asked God to give wisdom to politicians and leaders of all parties to know how best to lead in difficult circumstances.

Addressing the gathered crowds, Mr. Johnson said, ‘i congratulate all of you who have come here today because you could be watching the World Cup!

I believe passionately that the message of the Christian faith is that you can come back if you don’t get the best possible start in life, because there are people to help you. That’s what Christianity means to me and that’s what Christian groups do all over Londoner.

The day kicked off as Bishop of Barking, the Rt Rev David Hawkins welcomed people to pray at the stadium.

‘We stand on turf consecrated to the beautiful game at the beginning of the World Cup and today as Christians we are celebrating the beautiful life through the power of the Holy Spirit’, he said.

to me and that’s what Christian groups do all over Londoner The day kicked off as Bishop of Barking, the Rt Rev David Hawkins welcomed people to pray at the stadium.

‘We stand on turf consecrated to the beautiful game at the beginning of the World Cup and today as Christians we are celebrating the beautiful life through the power of the Holy Spirit’, he said. ‘We want to thank you for coming together to pray in unity for the transformation of the city and our national Christian MP Stephen Timms was also present. Mr. Timms was the victim of an unprovoked stabbing and chose to make his first public appearance since the attack at the GDOP event.

He said, ‘I’m well on the road to recovery. I’ve been greatly helped by a very large number of people praying for mean Still recovering from surgery, the MP hosted a leaders’ reception in Upton Park’s Legends Suite.

For Mr. Timms, unity was one of the exciting hallmarks of the day. He said, ‘I’m a big fan of Global Day of Prayer. It’s a wonderful celebration and reflects the fact that the Church is growing in London and is a remarkably diverse group of congregations, but one in their faith in Christ’.

Worship was led by Noel Robinson,Graham Kendrick, Lara Martin and Beverley Trotman, as the crowd prayed for various aspects of the life of the nation and the world, including the Government, youth, the persecuted Church, and the transformation of the nation.

Energetic dancers and flag wavers accompanied the musicians, leading in times of celebration during the event in July.

Before the day was over, GDOP London convener Jonathan Oloyede was already looking forward to the target of the next event in London, to be held at Wembley Stadium next year.

He said, ‘This is a time to unite across denominations and cultures and different ages.

‘Wembley Stadium next year will be a watershed to tip the nation into her destiny. This nation belongs to Christ and can only be transformed by prayer, unity and evangelism.

‘Today the Church drove a stake into the ground and we drew a line and said in the spirit that this nation belongs to Jesus.

‘I believe the unity of the Church is powerful and significant as we march towards a national day of prayer at Wembley stadium in 2011.’

Organizers are now preparing for next year’s landmark event although they are continuing to press forward as a daily prayer movement.

They are urging one million Christians to pray the Lord’s prayer at 12 noon daily and encouraging churches and prayer networks everywhere to join them in 500 days of prayer from Sunday, 1 August 2010 to the 31 December 2011.

For details, visit http://www.qdoplondon.com