Happy New Year - 2011!!

A massive Happy New Year to everyone reading this!

It seems like a lot of people I have the honour of emailing and keeping in touch with found 2010 to be an incredibly difficult year. So I do love the fresh start of a New Year - the blank slate. Untread territory - no well worn paths ahead.

Blogging so last decade?

I read somewhere that someone has started blogging and referred to themselves as being "out of date". Frankly I didn't realise that blogs are now out of date! If I ran this blog purely to be trendy then I guess this New Year would be the right time to close it down - but I've always tried to make it clear that this blog isn't about building a following or seeking to become a "voice" but this is for my own spiritual tracking and gain - and secondarily to chart, map and log great heroes of the Christian faith who's voices must not and cannot be forgotten.

So I am freshly excited about another New Year and I am so hopeful (still) that the unfulfilled promises of God will see some coming to pass this year. They are long overdue and above all I am eager to see God move and do something. Let's keep hoping! I am still so challenged by Rob Rufus and his warning about the danger of cynicism. It's very timely that my good friend and fellow blogger Julie Morris posted this reminder on her Facebook;

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" - Jesus

Farewell 2009 .... Hey 2010!!

Another end of year is upon us! I really do wish each and every one the very best for 2010! Some bloggers find it customary to review 2009 and mention blogs - I don't want to do that. 2009 hasn't been the greatest year for me - and subsequently my blog has suffered. For this I do apologise!

The thing I have struggled with the most is holding onto hope. 2006/07/08 had so many promises! Rob Rufus came to "Together on a Mission" in 2006 and 2007 and the Presence of God at those conferences was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Add into that Rob's revolutionary teaching on grace - I truly learnt what "grace" meant for the very first time in my 20 years of Christian life! Then of course 2008 saw the Lakeland Outpouring. I make no apology for re-stating how much this excited and moved me. It probably was the closest I got to seeing refreshing and corporate outpourings of healing and miracles and signs and wonders. And yet that too sadly faded away.

Will I adjust my theology to match my experience - as so many have done? NEVER! This New Year's Eve sees me as full of hope as ever - if not more desperate, more hungry, more passionate to see God manifest His glory. So rather than review what was hard and difficult about 2009 - I want to look ahead to 2010 and mention some of my hoped-for plans.

1. "Together on a Mission" 2010 in Brighton!

Scott and I will be going to Brighton this year (after two years away) to the Brighton Conference on 6th to the 9th July. I can't wait - I've missed it so much and it will be so great to catch up with friends like Luke Wood. As well as longing for heaven on earth during the worship with Kate Simmonds and Lou Fellingham - it is in my favourite city in the UK!

2. "Grace and Glory Conference" in Hong Kong.

Rob and Glenda Rufus will be hosting the "Grace and Glory Conference" at City Church International in Hong Kong from Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th October 2010! I can't say definately we will be going because of cash flow problems - but for the first time we have some prior warning of this awesome time so we both certainly have every intention of going. I can't wait to show Scott around Hong Kong - I remember sending him daily emails when I was there last!

3. A Visit to the USA.

This is another "hope" based on cash flow issues. But a visit to the USA is LONG overdue for me! There are so many places that I really want to visit while there;

a. The Ern Baxter Memorial Library in Mobile, Alabama.

b. Florida and the sun-soaked beaches (and hopefully get to see my friend Janelle Phillips!)

c. New York (and my wonderful friends Lydia and Julie ... well it's kind of the same area!).

Now I don't know if these hopes will come to pass (particularly the more expensive ones!). But I know from experience that people who suffer with depression that lead to suicide are those people who have lost hope. I have experienced temptations to commit suicide myself personally - so I know what "no hope" feels like. Hope is a vital thing! Hope in the goodness of God cannot be more vital. Why else did God attribute Abraham's belief and hope in His goodness as righteousness?

It is my prayer that each and everyone of us knows the abundant, lavish and outstanding goodness of God in manifest touch this coming year.

A very happy 2010!

A Prophetic Declaration for 2009 (I hope!)

I've had a mixed start to 2009 - some impending awful meetings, the prospect of weaning of anti-depressants, just general unpleasantness over the last few days really. I am battling that by repeating and re-telling myself the glorious wonder of my salvation and standing in the righteousness of Jesus Christ! Wow - never fails!

However I was interested to learn some theological tit(d)-bits from Terry Virgo's blog. Always exciting for a bibliophile like myself.

"It is particularly extraordinary to notice that three commentaries on the book of Galatians will be published this year – one by D A Carson, one by Thomas Schreiner and one by Douglas Moo. One can hardly wait!".

But the best statement that I have read came next. Terry Virgo is a recognised prophet and I pray - pray - pray that this statement is PROPHETIC for 2009! Here it is;

"This should be a hard year for legalists!".

Let it be so! Every bone in my body aches so!

Looking forward to 2007!!

Many use the New Year as a chance to look back and reflect on what kind of year they had. I'm not one of them because looking back doesn't seem to be always looked on favourably in the Bible. Lot's wife looked back and she didn't fare too well. If we accept that the Christian life is a journey, then surely the majority of our time should be spent looking forward to see where our steps are taking us - with the occasional look back to encourage us with our progress.

For me the key question for 2006 concerns the fact that Rob Rufus said at "Together on a Mission" that the Lord had told him that this was the year that He would move in the United Kingdom. I could have missed it. Maybe Rob got it wrong. Maybe the Lord started the work but as yet it is invisible and we are yet to see the results. Dave Holden's message is absolutely key here - "What we do when the Lord is not moving in power". We carry on working! We carry on ministering in the Spirit! We carry on praying and fasting and hoping and looking for revival!

So I want to devote this blog to my friend Jon's website - "Prophetic Reformation". He was key in me starting up the "Spirit of God!" blog and his site is one of the few sites I read regularly. He has updated his site recently and it is well worth a visit. There is much on the prophetic here that is devoted to developing in maturity in this essential gift and he writes from experience. This particularly excited me - he said;

"Credibility is returning to the prophetic".

This particularly caught my attention and has been true in my experience;

"Something so valuable and encouraging has been spoiled by those who have not really applied integrity to what they say and do".

Amen! Rather than getting scared off life in the Spirit (as I bemoaned a few days ago) let us heed Jon's call;

"Return to a biblical model for the prophetic gift and ministry".

He writes a useful piece on Paul Cain and is sound and balanced in dealing with "fallen leaders". This has been on my mind concerning William Branham. Why is it that we who have been forgiven so much are so good at shooting those we should call brothers? If the prodigal's father silenced his plea for forgiveness, threw his arms around him and held a party - should we show any less passionate welcome of returning prodigals? I remember Rob Parsons said once; "When the Father's house is filled with the Father's love then the prodigals will come home". What worries me is that there are some prodigals out there who don't actually want to come home because of the lack of love in the Father's house.

With this in mind there are two exiting posts I want to point out before I go. My friend Pete has reflected on the interview I posted on Christmas Day with Ern Baxter regarding William Branham. He brings some awesome reflections which really back up what I have been trying to argue. Also see "Spirit of God!" blog for a new prophecy website I have found.

Let 2007 be a year characterised by passionate welcome of the Spirit of God's moving among us, and let it be characterised by love for the unlovely! And maybe, just maybe this will be the year that we see the tidal wave come crashing in.