Displaying items by tag: holy spirit

Justin Welby has spoken of his daily discipline of praying in tongues and seeking words of knowledge and prophecy from others, in an interview with Premier at the launch of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, now in its fourth year. He said, ‘It’s not something to make a great song and dance about. Usually it’s extremely early in the morning and not an immensely ecstatic moment.’ Speaking in tongues, words of knowledge, and prophecy are common practices in Pentecostal and charismatic churches. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ has united over a million Christians from more than 65 different denominations and traditions, in 114 countries, to pray for evangelisation. During prayer times many noticed that God’s Spirit came.

The executive leader of the Church Mission Society, Canon Philip Mounstephen, after a recent visit to in Nepal, ponders what difference it would make to the Church in the West if it was as filled with the Holy Spirit. He said that Nepali churches have experienced sustained and significant growth over recent years, while the older UK Church is in decline, facing indifference and suspicion. The Nepali Church is a living demonstration of what happens when the holy and the human meet - a church full of the Holy Spirit and faith, resulting in a great many people being brought to the Lord. The name Barnabas means ‘son of encouragement’, and the Nepali church should encourage us to explore what happens when a Church is filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. We must begin with prayer. We must recognise our emptiness, and ask to be filled.

Pentecost Sunday is when many celebrate both the power of the Spirit and the birthday of the Church. The Spirit’s power and the life of the Church are always intertwined. On the day of the Spirit’s spectacular arrival among the disciples, 120 Jesus-followers became a church of over 3,000 (over 2,500% growth in one day)! It is because Pentecost is the Church’s birthday that many congregations include church-belonging rituals (confirmations, first communions, baptisms and dedications) in their celebrations. When a congregation commits to celebrating Pentecost, they are declaring that ‘the church is God’s plan A for the world - and there’s no plan B.’ Our individual journeys matter, but they are always part of the larger story God is telling through the people gathering in His name. Pentecost is the birthplace of global missions.

When we pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit’ we don't immediately think of Mary! Yet, when we reflect on Luke 1:35 it reminds us that praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’ will bring all sorts of changes and disruption into our lives! It is through Mary's welcoming of God's Spirit that transformation on a global, even cosmic scale was enacted.

(written by Lynn Green, general secretary, Baptist Union)

These are important days for God’s plans and purposes for our nation. Pentecost 2017 will be a special celebration. Its roots are from the time the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples on the Jewish feast of Pentecost. In the Jewish calendar, it celebrates the word of God and the Ten Commandments so Pentecost is a celebration of the Word and Spirit. Seventy years on from Smith Wigglesworth’s prophecy about a great outpouring of the Word and Spirit we should approach this time with high expectation. God’s sovereign timing ensures this Pentecost comes at the end of ten days of prayer for Thy Kingdom Come and four days before we have a General Election.

We have said in previous issues of The Pulse that things are changing in the spiritual climate of our nation but there would be contention. We have been savagely attacked with children targeted by terrorists in Manchester and with an unprecedented cyber-attack. We are seeing a rise in broken families, child abuse, addictions and poverty. We are in a time of growing uncertainty. Brexit will cause more uncertainty, around jobs, governance, immigration and the complex impact on our health service, businesses, farming etc. Behind all this we have an economic system that is built on a fragile mound of debt with growing costs for pensions and care.

Terrorists create fear, grief and uncertainty. We live in a society with a fear of man; we frighten ourselves with a continuous diet of violent or distressing films, TV shows and books. We are frightened by other people’s unpredictability– have we upset someone as we drive, by email, by a mistake – and how will they react?

In this uncertainty, as Moses proclaimed, we stand on a rock – and His works are perfect (Deuteronomy: 32.4), David goes further and says God is His rock and His fortress (Psalm 31:2 -3). Psalm 25 adds another dimension “Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.” Psalm 25 12 – 14. The fear of the Lord is mentioned in scripture 365 times – it is an important concept to grasp. It is a fear like that of a child who does not want to let go of Father’s hand, it is the fear of not being aligned with God’s will and purpose, of missing His blessing. It is a deep hunger for God. In these days of uncertainty we are not to have our eyes turned towards the mayhem in the world and the fear of men, we fear the Lord. He is all we need.

Pentecost reminds us of God’s abundance. It also celebrates Shavuot a day of rest when the Jewish people celebrated the bringing in of the grain harvest. Abundance comes from prayer. “God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8.

This an historical time for the United Kingdom. God has stirred up a deep desire for more. Across the country we see town after town and city after city where people are being stirred to pray and bring blessing. In May, we met a young Iranian man with the fire of Jesus in his life who has led five hundred people to Christ; we met a pastor who has covenanted with God that he will not have his lunch until he has led two people to Christ .....and he has not gone hungry! We came across the story of a group training in Reading taking Jesus onto the streets who offered to pray with a Nepalese man who cried and cried and eventually gave his life to Jesus. He then showed the suicide note he had in his pocket because he had come into town to throw himself off a building. This is the mercy of God, the love of God bursting out where anyone will be a channel for Him.

We have been taking Alastair and Marie Petrie around England in May on a Healing the Land tour. They travel globally looking at places where revival has come. They believe we have entered a time of shift, Alastair says all the precursors for a move of God are in place. We heal the land by praying for it to be cleansed of previous sin – idolatry, shed blood, immorality, and disunity. We clear the ground. Then we invite Jesus in, we ask him to touch our hearts deeply and fill us with His spirit. We build our own humility, and strengthen unity, we are transparent and open. Finally, we put all our good ideas and capabilities to one side and ask God to intervene. We depend on Jesus. Indeed this is underpinned and sustained by deep hunger for Him.

So this Pentecost is a special Pentecost to pray “Come Holy Spirit” – fill us to overflowing. Four days later we select a Government that will be overseeing a great move of God in our nation. So we pray for this new government to be open to God and for MPs who will speak up for His Kingdom at a time when so many Kingdom principles are under attack.

These next few days we must all be God chasers. Pray for a Government open to God, and for MPs hungry for Jesus. Pray for a Pentecost of abundance and the fire of the spirit to fall on our churches and towns. Lord stir us up; shift us from prayer apathy to prayer passion. Even so come Lord Jesus.

The Samoan government wants to change the constitution to define Samoa officially as a Christian nation. The constitution already references Christianity in the cover and preamble, but not in the main text. Prime minister Malielegaoi said, ‘Instead of "Samoa is founded on God", the constitution will state that “Samoa is a Christian nation founded on God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”’ The Samoan parliament has shown widespread support for these amendments. Many are wondering why this tiny nation suddenly wants to make such a bold statement. The prime minister says it is a way to fend off religious wars that have stormed other countries, primarily in the Middle East and Africa. He wants to clarify that this is a Christian country and that faith will be integral to the country’s law. Other faiths and religions will not be undermined, said a member of the governing party.