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This week’s thought is written by Sharon Healy. In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people… (Acts 2:17) As a fifteen year old boy from Wales, George Jeffreys found Christ as Saviour during the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. Five years after his conversion, George saw people expressing the gifts of the Spirit, and in particular, speaking in tongues. At first he was opposed to this, but noticed a radical change in his nephew who had been Baptised in the Holy Spirit. This led to George receiving a mighty Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and being commissioned to preach the gospel. Over the following years George saw tens of thousands come to faith in Christ. Everywhere George went there was a mighty outpouring of Pentecostal power, with miraculous signs and wonders following the preaching of God’s Word. In 1940, thirty-five years after George’s conversion, a young German boy by the name of Reinhard Bonnke was born. As the son of a Pastor, he found Christ as Saviour at the age of nine. One year later, aged only ten, he sensed a call from God to serve as a missionary in Africa. In his late teens, Reinhard left Germany to attend Swansea Bible College in Wales. In one meeting, the president of the college spoke from his personal experience on how God answered prayer. Bonnke was so inspired by the president’s personal testimony that he later told how he had prayed, "Lord, I also want to be a man of faith. I want to see your way of providing for needs." Little did Reinhard know that God would answer his prayer in a phenomenal way! At the end of his studies, aged 21, Reinhard set off back to Germany. Arriving in London, he found himself with a number of hours free before his train departed. He decided to take a walk and found himself wandering around the streets of Clapham. At a certain street corner, behind a wooden fence, Reinhard suddenly noticed the name on a house door, 'George Jeffreys'. Reinhard had just read a book by George Jeffreys and couldn’t believe that he had stumbled on the very home of this mighty man of God. Reinhard himself recounted what happened next, “Eagerly I ventured through the gate and up the path, ringing the doorbell. A lady appeared and I asked, 'Is this the George Jeffreys whom God used so mightily? She affirmed it was so, to my great delight. I asked, hopefully, "Could I please see Mr Jeffreys? The reply was firm. “No, that is not possible”. But then that deep, musical Welsh voice, that is said to have held thousands spellbound with its authority, spoke from inside. “Let him come in.” Thrilled, I entered, and there he was. He was seventy-two, but looked to me like a man of ninety. “What do you want?” were his words to me. I introduced myself, and then we talked about the work of God. Suddenly, the great man fell on his knees, pulling me down with him, and started to bless me. The power of the Holy Spirit entered that room. The anointing began to flow, and, like Aaron's oil, seemed to run over my head and down to the skirts of my robes', so to speak. I left that house dazed. Four weeks later, like Elijah, George Jeffreys had been translated to glory. I had been led to see him just before he died. But I knew that I had picked up something from this former Holy Spirit, fire-brand evangelist. The Lord, I am sure, had arranged that meeting. How else would it have been possible for me to stumble upon this one house in a city of ten million people, when George Jeffreys was not even on my mind?“ After seven years of pastoring a church in Germany, Reinhard eventually landed in Africa in 1967. His work began with small evangelistic meetings, with sometimes only five people gathering. Over the years this grew to meetings being held across the whole continent of Africa. It is estimated that over 79 million people were converted to Christ as a result of Bonnke's ministry, with millions also receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirt. He has been called a "giant and a general in the Army of God”. It’s incredible to see the effect the Welsh Revival had on lives like George Jeffreys. A young boy saved and set alight by God, who went on to bring the Pentecostal message publicly to the people of Britain. Through this young man who had surrendered all to Jesus, cities were shaken, and tens of thousands witnessed the mighty power of God. And through Reinhard’s life, the river of fire continued to flow to countless others in a succeeding generation.
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This week’s Thought is written by Peter Hodson. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. (1 Timothy 1:15) Many of us are familiar with the name John Newton. A former slave trader, John Newton came to faith in Christ and, deeply encouraged early in his faith by the preaching of, and personal conversations with George Whitfield and John Wesley, he went into the Church of England ministry and became a curate at St Peter & St Paul's, Olney, Buckinghamshire. Later, John Newton took up a post in St Mary's, Woolnoth, London, where he became acquainted with the young M.P. William Wilberforce. It is said that if Newton had not encouraged Wilberforce to fulfil God’s call as an M.P., he would have gone into the church ministry and the Abolition Movement against slavery would not have taken place. While in Olney, John Newton had a practice of composing a poem for a special prayer meeting held on each New Year’s day. Late in 1772 he composed a poem he entitled “Faith’s Review and Expectation”, read out on New Year’s day 1773. It was a testimony of his journey from a recalcitrant, insubordinate blasphemer, to a compassionate preacher of God’s grace. The poem didn’t have any particular tune but was compiled as one of many poems and hymns into ‘Olney Hymns’. This poem of around 150 words only had 21 words of more than one syllable, so was much appreciated at the time by his mostly poor and illiterate congregation. However, in a short time, it fell into obscurity. John was known by many who had been slaves, and in the southern states of America, his poem was picked up, given a tune and became perhaps the most famous and well loved hymn in the world, sung frequently during America’s Great Awakening and was considered a pioneer of ‘evangelical hymnody’. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see. His epitaph in his own words, as inscribed on a memorial plaque in St Mary’s church reads: “JOHN NEWTON. Clerk. Once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy.” What wonderful grace God had shown to John Newton and what amazing grace He has shown to each of us and what a story we each have to tell of God’s rich grace! We can echo the words that John Newton wrote in the last verse of another of his hymns, “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds”: Till then I would your love proclaim With every fleeting breath; And may the music of your name Refresh my soul in death. Peter Hodson This week's thought is written by Peter Hodson. I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm I will make him strong. (Psalm 89:21) I once remember a young policeman giving an account of an occasion when he had to be a part of a police line, facing a ferocious crowd of rioters. He said that he had begun to tremble with fear until an older policeman by his side said in his rich calm voice, “steady lad”. In looking back to the incident, the young policeman told how that voice had brought a calm over him and galvanized him to face the crowd alongside his comrades with courage. It is uncertain who wrote the beautiful hymn ‘How Firm a Foundation’ but apparently it was published in 1787 in Dr John Rippon's ‘Selection of Hymns’. Rippon had a very fruitful ministry in London and was predecessor to C.H. Spurgeon. The hymn takes two of its verses from the book of Isaiah: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2) Whether it is facing the bombardment of ungodly world views, or other of life’s challenges, it is as though we are standing together in line facing the enemy of our souls BUT with our Commanding Officer by our side, in whom we see courage, strength and victory, and who’s voice we hear saying: Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed For I am your God, and will still give you aid I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. God, who created and sustains the universe, strengthens us. Christ said to Paul when troubled with his ‘thorn in the flesh’, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." If we are prone to ‘wobble’ when called to make a stand, or when faced with life’s challenges, it is at that very point we can look to the One who has promised: The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to His foes That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake I'll never, no never, no never forsake. Peter Hodson This week’s Thought is written by Sharon Healy. In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people… (Acts 2:17) In 1904 God poured out his Spirit in Wales. It was one of the most phenomenal outpourings since Pentecost. The effects spread across the churches throughout Wales. People who attended revival meetings were used powerfully in their homes and churches to bring the sense of God to others. The fire was burning so strong that sinners repented and believers were radically changed as the Holy Spirit touched them. Some lives affected became ‘sparks from the Welsh revival’ that subsequently spread to many parts of the world. Watkins Roberts who was born in Caernarfon, Wales, was one who caught the fire. He went as a missionary to North East India, aged 22. He was stationed in a particular mission, yet felt called to reach out to the Hmar tribe who were known as savage headhunters. Compelled by the Holy Spirit to go, in February 1910 he defied the orders of the mission he was assigned to, and sneaked into the hills without a permit. Armed with a copy of the New Testament, he explained the gospel to the Hmar people using the Gospel of John. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he found a way to share the gospel message. Watkins spent five days with the tribe. Five tribal men including a chief were born again. On returning to his mission, Watkins was expelled by them and never knew what had become of the seed he had planted. However, Chawnga, one of those saved carried the salvation message all across the tribe. Later, his son Rochunga was an instrument in God’s hand to bring the Bible to the Hmar tribe in his own language. He created a Romanised script for the Hmar tribe and translated the Bible into the language of the Hmar tribe. Tribes of North East India and further afield were effected and won for Christ through his ministry. Within 30 years every village of the tribe was evangelised. Decades later, Rochunga managed to track down Watkins Roberts who was, by this time, an elderly man, living in Wales. Watkins had always thought that his missionary efforts had ended in failure. He learned from Rochunga how far from that was from the truth. In Greenock, Scotland, a lady called Elizabeth Taylor, one of the founders of the Struthers Memorial group of churches, as a young girl was deeply effected by the ministry and preaching of the Jeffery brothers who came to preach in the Greenock Town Hall. These meetings were also filled with fire from the great outpouring in Wales 1904. As the Holy Spirit moved upon her, she was convicted of her sin and met Christ very deeply that night in her bedroom. She became born again and was subsequently a mighty instrument in the hand of God. Hundreds, possibly thousands of lives have been won for Christ, set free and baptised in the Holy Spirit directly and indirectly as a result of her life. We see in the Jeffreys’ brothers, Watkin Roberts, Chawnga, Rochunga, and Elizabeth Taylor the effects of the Welsh revival and how these ‘sparks' have ignited many other fires. Watkins Roberts had no idea what would become of the seed he had planted. The Bible tells us to go and tell. The increase is not ours but His. Sharon Healy This week’s thought is written by Pauline Anderson. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105) I was reminiscing recently about some of the rules that were forced upon me as a young child. For example, there was the one that barred me from putting my tiny fingers into electric sockets!! As a three year old, I found these fascinating and wondered what would happen if I slipped my fingers inside. Thankfully, because of a watchful mother and strict rules, I never found out. Then there was the rule about how and where to cross a road!! For goodness sake, why did my mother have to keep banging on about this one? Although I didn’t fully understand then, it kept me alive long enough until I did understand. I didn’t like the rules, but, then again, I don’t think that I was too different from most children who probably shared my antipathy to rules. I found them restrictive. I recently came across a man who loved rules. He consistently spoke in glowing, even passionate terms, about them. I don’t know his name, but he was the writer of the longest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 119. Here are some examples of what he wrote: Psalm 119:5 Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Psalm 119:15 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. Psalm 119:20 I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations. Psalm 119:30 I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. Why was the Psalmist so passionate about obeying the rules? Well, let’s look at some of the benefits he discovered from obeying God’s commands. JOY Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. (Psalm119:1,2) FREEDOM I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. (Psalm 119:45) COMFORT I meditate on your age-old regulations; O Lord, they comfort me. (Psalm 119:52) BLESSING Lord, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! With all my heart I want your blessings. (Psalm 119:57,58) WISDOM Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. (Psalm119:98) Friend, the next time you are tempted to side-step something God is asking of you, just remember what you could be forfeiting as a result of that. The Psalmist understood that God’s rules were a sign of His great love and concern for him, just as my parents’ rules were for me. Meditate on them as the Psalmist did and let them be a lamp to guide your feet and a light for your path that will lead you into a deeper revelation of the great love of our great God. Pauline Anderson This week’s Thought is written by Peter Hodson. From the ends of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2 Do you find that difficult circumstances can often seem quite overwhelming? They can loom up before us as great rocks of difficulty. I can only try to imagine what it must be like to spend any length of time in an arid desert having run out of supplies of water and rocks looming up as though to mock our quest for something to drink. The Israelites were in such a position – but tragically, they complained against Moses and against God, who had already performed such wonders and miracles before them! He was not about to let them perish with thirst! At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. Yet God showed his compassion and he said to Moses: ... I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink. (Exodus 17:1, 2 & 6) Archaeological research has revealed a rock some 15 metres high, located very likely in the vicinity of the biblical account. This rock is split through the middle and displays the pattern of water erosion and evidence that numerous streams came forth in several directions. There is also evidence of the presence of what would have been a great lake in the area. When Moses struck the rock, it was not just a trickle of water, it was great ‘gushings’ to form a lake that could well quench the thirst of some 2 million people plus their livestock! Out of the very rock of difficulty, came a fountain of waters, rivers of blessing! He turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. (Psalm 114:8) It is not just that God will rescue us out of difficulties – and He often will – but that through our toughest difficulties He will bring the greatest blessings! And so often the blessing will be a changed heart through which Christ can pour his richest blessings to those around us. So if we’re tempted to bemoan our circumstances, let's lift our eyes on the Rock that is higher than us, the Rock who was struck and from whom gushed rivers of blessing to us all. If we feel we’re being ‘struck’ by life’s circumstances, let's look for His blessing to flow out to needy folk around. No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8:37) Peter Hodson This week’s thought is written by Sharon Healey. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye be in single focus, pure, sound, your whole body will be well lighted. (Luke 11:34) During a dark and difficult period in my early years, I went for ministry for deliverance expecting to be set free immediately upon receiving prayer. I was told by those praying with me that I was not ready and was instructed to come back a month later. Although I trusted those praying with me, I felt disappointed and tortured; I did not want to be carrying any darkness in me for an hour let alone a month. I got home and cried out in pain to God. He answered with these words from Matthew 6:22: Let thine eye be single and your whole body will be full of light. A hope came into the midst of my turmoil. I believed God would fulfil his word to me and I was going to be totally set free, but there was a part for me to do.I was to keep my eye single, to simply look at Christ, keep my eyes on the only one who could set me free and not remove my gaze from Him. It was Jesus who would deliver me. As I walked in obedience a sweet presence began to surround me and I felt Christ walking close beside me for that month. He was carrying me. I did not look to the left or the right and I read the word and thought about him. A month later, His light came and the darkness had to flee. My life changed drastically, I felt as if I was born again again. Where once there was a wall that separated me from Christ, it had been levelled to the ground and when I closed my eyes Jesus was there; I could feel Him so close. In the Song of Solomon 1:15 the Lord sees within his bride a quality He intensely desires to cultivate: Behold, you are fair my love… you have dove’s eyes. “When a dove fixes his gaze upon its mate, it is not distracted by any activities around it and is referred to as being a ‘love bird’ as it has a ‘single eye’ toward another dove. In complimenting us for having this ‘dove’s eye’, it indicates we have cultivated a spiritual sensitivity that lifts us above the earthly distractions.” (wadetaylor.org/the-eye-of-a-dove) Let us be like the dove today, fixing our eyes upon our beloved and not being distracted by the world. This is where true freedom lies. Sharon Healey "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) There are many weapons in the Devil’s arsenal that he uses daily against Christians. Fear, discouragement and jealousy are just a few. However, there is one weapon, extremely powerful, that is little spoken of. It’s the weapon of disappointment. It comes in many different packages and can be a doorway that leads to depression and a feeling of hopelessness if it is not handled carefully. Disappointment is part of life, however, we need to be careful that we don’t allow it to rule our lives and rob us of the joy and peace that God wants us to have.The devil uses disappointment as a weapon, God uses it as an opportunity for us to find Him more deeply. So, how do we deal with the disappointments in life that comes knocking at our door? One thing we must realise is that disappointment is not the end of the line for us. In Jeremiah 17:2-8 we read: But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. What an opportunity disappointment brings!! If you will turn to God and bring your hurt and disappointment to Him, your roots will go down deeper in Him. As this happens, you find that you are able to stand strong in the midst of more challenging trials. Disappointment will not destroy you, it will strengthen you. You can also take hope and courage as you remember what Philippians 1:6 says: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. This assures you that God is still working in your life. Your disappointment does not put God’s plans on hold. He does not abandon you when disappointment comes crashing down. Actually, for His plans to be fulfilled, this disappointment is not only helpful, but necessary. Disappointment also reveals to you just how deeply you want, or perhaps don’t want, God in your life. I once read a quote that said; “ I think that when disappointment comes, it sometimes feels like God is saying,”I thought you said I was all you needed.”” No comment!! Finally, we must always remember that one person who understands disappointment is Jesus. Having spent His time and energy and emotion on giving out to people, he was deserted by many of his followers, betrayed by a close friend and was forsaken at his darkest hour. Yet, it was in His darkest hour that the work of salvation was wrought for mankind. Jesus faced the culmination of His life’s work in the face of disappointment, yet we read, "For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2 As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we can shoulder our cross of disappointment and discover the joy that he has laid up in store for us beyond the suffering.
Pauline Anderson Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13) Recently as I was reading a devotional, I came across a part that drew my interest. It reported that "Martyn Lloyd-Jones, once said, ‘There is no grosser or greater misrepresentation of the Christian message than that which depicts it as offering a life of ease with no battle and struggle at all... sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground.’” How true this is today! The decisive part of the battle has been won by the precious blood of Jesus being shed for our salvation. Today we march under the banner of Christ's complete victory. This is depicted in the hymn, Onward Christian soldiers! Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before. Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See, His banners go! It was written as a processional hymn for children walking from Horbury Bridge to Horbury St Peter's Church near Wakefield, Yorkshire, at Whitsuntide in 1865 by the curate, Baring-Gould. He reportedly wrote it in about 15 minutes! Another much loved hymn written in the same vein is ‘Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus’. It was inspired by the dying message of Dudley Tyng, a young preacher in Philadelphia who was forced to resign from his Episcopal church pastorate for speaking out against slavery in the mid 1800s. In addition to starting a new church, Tyng and other ministers preached in revival meetings at the local YMCA and soon began to attract thousands. In March of 1858 Tyng preached a rousing sermon to 5,000 young men and over 1,000 made a profession of faith. A few days later he met with a horrific accident and died. However, before he died, he was asked if he had a message for the ministers at the revival and he replied, “Tell them, ‘Let us all stand up for Jesus.'” His fellow preacher, Dr George Duffield, was touched by his dying friend’s words and wrote the hymn “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” as a tribute to his friend. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high his royal banner, It must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall he lead, Till every foe is vanquished, What a responsibility lay on the shoulders of men like Baring- Gould and Dudley Tyng. And what a responsibility lies with us, today, to stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ, in the face of an increasingly godless culture! Peter Hodson This week’s Thought is written by Sharon Healy. I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them. (Zechariah 10:8) Before I was a Christian, I worked as a waitress. One evening as I was running from table to table, I heard a whistle. Two men were waving and whistling for me to come and take their order. They were from America, so I told them we didn’t whistle like that here but had to wait our turn like everyone else. They just laughed at me!! Also, we had a neighbour who used a whistle to call her children. No matter where they were or what they were doing, when they heard the whistle, they dropped everything to run home to their mother. I don’t know to this day if that was a good or a bad thing, they didn’t seem bothered, but I felt sorry for the girls. Whistling can be used in a derogatory or disrespectful way. However, years later there was a whistle I heard, a new tune on a new flute, it was the most attractive call I had ever heard. It was the voice of the Lord Jesus saying, ‘Come follow Me’. There was no harshness in this call to serve and I’m glad I answered the call to serve the kindest, most wonderful One I have ever known. Isaiah 5:26 says: He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far and will whistle to them (hiss unto them) from the end of the earth; surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. Barnes’ notes on the Bible from biblehub.com explains, “The term ‘will hiss unto them’ - means he would "collect" them together to accomplish his purposes. The expression is probably taken from the manner in which bees were hived. In Syria and Palestine, they who kept bees were able to draw them out of their hives, and conduct them into fields, and bring them back again, by whistling with the sound of a flute or the noise of hissing…the ancients also had this idea respecting bees.” I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them… (Zechariah 10:8) See the kindness and love of God in sending his only son Jesus to call us away form the world and sin, to be redeemed and be part of His family. We should be ready and open ourselves to the voice and call of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit and do what He asks, go where He says, and be available to move at a moment’s notice. Corrie ten Boom was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp for helping the Jewish people. She had become accustomed to the harsh whistle calls in the camp. The Nazi’s blew a whistle to summon prisoners into the camp. Prisoners were awakened by whistles at 4am for roll call to stand in the cold for hours; some did not survive this daily ordeal. But there is no such harshness in God’s whistle. It’s not a one-off call and, as we become attuned to His whistle, His voice, He will lead us forward. When she walked free from the concentration camp, Corrie heard God saying to her: I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which you should go, I will guide thee with mine eye.’ (Psalm 32:8) She had only a suitcase of old clothes and a Bible to her name. But Corrie had heard the ‘whistle’ of God many years before and had already a deep relationship with Jesus. The Lord’s whistle was gentle and stronger than any enemy whistle. God remained faithful to His word and led Corrie all the days of her life. God has no favourites. Listen for his voice, become attuned to his whistle and when we hear Jesus say ‘Come, follow me’, be ready to go. No one has ever regretted it. Sharon Healy |
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