Well! A couple of weeks ago, I said in this blog that I had to give my testimony to some people at work. I gave my testimony today to the small fellowship group, and I am so glad that I had been documenting my testimony in this blog! It has made me re-live the work the Lord has done in my life.
I have told very few people of that Saturday on the prophetic discipleship week end away. Even less people about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Going back to that weekend away, I remember that I was a bit subdued instead of being elated after the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I was told by the visiting pastor that I looked different, but I was wondering 'what happened to me'. Again I should have told those people with me what happened to me, but once again I just kept quiet and worked things out in my own mind. The Lord by his grace helped me understand.
Later that night as I lay on my bed I began to thank the Lord for what he had done for me that day, and then the Lord revealed the meaning of the vision that Jenson had earlier that day. In that vision he said that he saw a vision of a black bell, except that it was not a bell. This bell was behind a pane of frosted glass, and that the glass shattered to reveal the bell.
My mind was immediately taken back to the time that my great grandmother prayed for me as a young child. I remembered her standing there dressed as she always did in a long black dress that went down to her ankles. The only other colour of clothing showing was a white collar of a blouse round her neck. She did look like a black bell in shape, but the real clincher was that the family always addressed her as Granny Bell. Bell was her married surname. The glass shattering was the revelation to me that this was the answer to her prayer, that she prayed over me 40+ years ago asking the Lord to save me, I now knew that prayer was answered.
I encourage all of you who are praying for loved ones, maybe you have children who are a bit wild, maybe your spouse is far from the Lord! Continue, continue and continue to pray for their salvation, for it is in the Lord’s timing, by his sovereign will that he answers such prayers. It will be wonderful to meet with my great grandmother some day in eternity. But all honour must go to the Lord to whom I give all my thanks and praise.
The next day (Sunday) at this weekend away, I had told Hazel my wife what had happened to me, and she said "I wonder if the Lord has a word for me"? He certainly had, but that is her testimony and not mine, but it did lead as a step to her salvation. Now all my family have come to know and acknowledge the Lord as our saviour.
You will have noticed in this testimony that I did not tell you when I was 'reborn' and the answer is I do not know the date nor the time. Some people can say I was born on such a date and reborn on this date. I cannot do that, but I know in my heart that the Lord has saved me.
Since then I have been up on the mountain top a few times in the walk with the Lord and have spent quite some time down in some valleys. I can testify that when the world drags me into it's clutches and the enemy attacks that the Lord is always faithful to 'put my feet back on solid rock'.
My journey to the narrow gate is not always smooth. I have a tendency to please my family and fellow men before pleasing the Lord. I also have a discipline problem where my mind and focus flits from thing to thing. This is a big barrier to establishing regular quiet time with the Lord.
But the desire of my heart more than anything else, is to draw close to him, to walk where he walks. But I find by my own power this is impossible. The Lord knows of this desire of mine and a few months ago I read this article about keeping a journal, at the same time I purchased some excellent journalling software.
Then I felt compelled to learn to touch type after years of using one finger on each hand to punch the keyboard. So I have reached an average speed of 40 WPM with a 96% level of accuracy (told you I like facts and data)! I will never get a job as a secretary but I can now type with my eyes closed!!!!!
Then I felt it was right to start a blog to share my walk, and even if nobody read it, I was talking to the Lord and spending quality time with him, writing what was on my heart. I have been blessed and encouraged by you the reader of my thoughts. Thank you for all your kind comments, but once again it is the Lord's hand at work in my life.
So here we are. Every breath is a gift from God, health, family, job all huge blessings. Wonderful wife and a great life. ALL due to him, the one who loved me so much that he paid my debt of sin. One who loves you so much that he paid your debt as well.
Following the Lord is about relationship not religion. It is about love not rules. It is about doing what we were designed to do. Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength and with all our minds.
Mighty Lord, might Saviour, I am a sinner saved by YOUR grace.
Finally ............. a thought for to-day
To give your life to Christ now is to keep it forever
Showing posts with label My Testimony. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Testimony. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 May 2009
My Testimony - Part 6 - The Curse Removed
At the end of the prophetic discipleship course was a weekend retreat. On the Friday night we were having a 'getting to know you meeting' followed by a service lead by a guest pastor who was from the south of England and his wife.
I remember talking to someone and ended up telling them the story of my great grandmother, her miraculous healing and how she prayed for me as a young boy. I also told this person that the family was scared to tell her anything that she would disapprove of such as going to the cinema, no matter what the film was it was off limits in her mind.
I told this person that she would never ask a person she met "How are you", she would always ask "Are you saved"? We had a laugh about this during which I had this thought come to mind. It went like this "Actually Trevor she was not enquiring about the person's physical health but their spiritual health"! Oh! I remember how this brought me up short.
I proceeded to the back of the room before the service started and took the last chair on the back row, right next to the exit door. Then internally my mind started to scream "get out of here, leave now". "You do not fit in here, you are right beside the door, no-one will see you go". I wanted to leave, and was just about to get up when I heard the guest pastor's wife say to the assembled congregation "There is someone in this room who wants to leave, don't do it! Stay". I expected all eyes to turn to look at me the 'outsider' but none did and I did stay on for the service.
I had a decision to make go home or stay for the rest of the weekend. But after the word from the pastors wife, I decided to stay, God must have not finished with me. The next day the prophetic discipleship course members congregated in a small beautiful chapel. We all sat around the room with our backs to the wall and after prayer people began to give words of knowledge and explain visions they were seeing. One girl turned to me and said that see saw me in a deep sea divers suit. She said she felt the Lord was saying that I could go as deep with him as I wanted to.
Another young man called Jenson said that he saw a vision of a black bell, except that it was not a bell which was behind a pane of glass, and that the glass shattered to reveal the bell. That vision meant nothing to anyone in the room.
Then it came to Glynis the course leader, and she said she saw a vision of a multi-coloured cockrel with the word Masonic written above it. Bang! My memory sped back to the time when I was about twenty one. I was persuaded by a friend that to progress in work you needed connections, and he thought that the best way was by joining a Masonic lodge. So I was accepted into the local lodge and went through the first initiation rights.
I hated it, when the initiation was over I swore that I would never go back to that dark, evil place. But, I forgot that I had taken an oath during that initiation process, an oath that I had forgot about but the Lord had not.
When I told the people that I had joined the Masonic order many years ago, and the visiting pastor said that they needed to pray for me. That afternoon while the majority of the people on the course were doing other things I found myself in the middle of this small chapel surrounded by four or five people. The visiting pastor explained that the Masons were indeed influenced by demonic activity and that my oath was quite literally a death sentence.
They proceeded to lay hands on me and I remember quite vividly in my mind I took a scroll of paper, ripped it into small pieces while I renounced my oath. I asked the Lord for his forgiveness and mercy and then from the top of my head as the words left my lips this 'tingle' like I had never experienced before in my life proceeded to move down from the crown of my head to the middle of my body. I said nothing to anyone, but I knew it was the Holy Spirit that had come upon me and that my curse was broken. Praise and honour to his power and to his name.
Finally ............ a thought for to-day
The wonder of it all--just to think that God loves me
I remember talking to someone and ended up telling them the story of my great grandmother, her miraculous healing and how she prayed for me as a young boy. I also told this person that the family was scared to tell her anything that she would disapprove of such as going to the cinema, no matter what the film was it was off limits in her mind.
I told this person that she would never ask a person she met "How are you", she would always ask "Are you saved"? We had a laugh about this during which I had this thought come to mind. It went like this "Actually Trevor she was not enquiring about the person's physical health but their spiritual health"! Oh! I remember how this brought me up short.
I proceeded to the back of the room before the service started and took the last chair on the back row, right next to the exit door. Then internally my mind started to scream "get out of here, leave now". "You do not fit in here, you are right beside the door, no-one will see you go". I wanted to leave, and was just about to get up when I heard the guest pastor's wife say to the assembled congregation "There is someone in this room who wants to leave, don't do it! Stay". I expected all eyes to turn to look at me the 'outsider' but none did and I did stay on for the service.
I had a decision to make go home or stay for the rest of the weekend. But after the word from the pastors wife, I decided to stay, God must have not finished with me. The next day the prophetic discipleship course members congregated in a small beautiful chapel. We all sat around the room with our backs to the wall and after prayer people began to give words of knowledge and explain visions they were seeing. One girl turned to me and said that see saw me in a deep sea divers suit. She said she felt the Lord was saying that I could go as deep with him as I wanted to.
Another young man called Jenson said that he saw a vision of a black bell, except that it was not a bell which was behind a pane of glass, and that the glass shattered to reveal the bell. That vision meant nothing to anyone in the room.
Then it came to Glynis the course leader, and she said she saw a vision of a multi-coloured cockrel with the word Masonic written above it. Bang! My memory sped back to the time when I was about twenty one. I was persuaded by a friend that to progress in work you needed connections, and he thought that the best way was by joining a Masonic lodge. So I was accepted into the local lodge and went through the first initiation rights.
I hated it, when the initiation was over I swore that I would never go back to that dark, evil place. But, I forgot that I had taken an oath during that initiation process, an oath that I had forgot about but the Lord had not.
When I told the people that I had joined the Masonic order many years ago, and the visiting pastor said that they needed to pray for me. That afternoon while the majority of the people on the course were doing other things I found myself in the middle of this small chapel surrounded by four or five people. The visiting pastor explained that the Masons were indeed influenced by demonic activity and that my oath was quite literally a death sentence.
They proceeded to lay hands on me and I remember quite vividly in my mind I took a scroll of paper, ripped it into small pieces while I renounced my oath. I asked the Lord for his forgiveness and mercy and then from the top of my head as the words left my lips this 'tingle' like I had never experienced before in my life proceeded to move down from the crown of my head to the middle of my body. I said nothing to anyone, but I knew it was the Holy Spirit that had come upon me and that my curse was broken. Praise and honour to his power and to his name.
Finally ............ a thought for to-day
The wonder of it all--just to think that God loves me
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
My Testimony - Part 5 - The Prophetic Discipleship Course
About 6 years ago during our 'checking out' process at the Derby Community Church my wife spotted a leaflet about a Prophetic Discipleship Course about to start in the church. She said "That is something that would interest you"! She was right! after what happened during the Alpha course concerning the gifts of the spirit I wanted to know more about these gifts of the spirit.On a side note: It is interesting that as I was outlining this part of my testimony I began to think about my motivation for saying I wanted to know more about these gifts of the spirit. I began to question if the prime reason was for manifestations of gifts of the spirit or was it to build a relationship with the Lord? I have to admit that at that stage back then, it was probably the former statement I wanted to see more evidence.
I have been unhappy with myself about this for the past couple of days but as I was driving to work to-day I was listening to an audio tape of the book 'More than a Carpenter' and the speaker spoke the words that Jesus spoke concerning the greatest commandment. This hit home.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
It was as if the Lord said to me, loving is more than using your heart it is also loving me with your mind. The speaker on the CD then went on to say that ours is not meant to be a blind faith. God has given us plenty of evidence of his reality if we but use our minds.
However, I know that if I was around in the time of Jesus I would have been a Thomas. I would have needed to see the evidence of the nail pierced hands and the hole made by the spear in the side of our Lord before believing. The Lord knows everything about me, and by his grace and by his plan, not my plan, back then six years ago he was about to deal with my requirement for evidence.
Getting back to my testimony I still attend the Derby Community Church and go to one of their small groups (in fact the small group met tonight in my home here in Derby). But then as of this day I am not a member of Derby Community Church, as my home church is back in Ireland.
During this time I am talking about I had attended the church only two to three times. I copied the phone number from the Prophetic Discipleship course leaflet and the next day phoned 'Glynis' the lady who was the organiser / leader of the course. How I was accepted onto the course was a divine arrangement. A few phone calls by Glynis to the pastor of the church and I was allowed to join the course. I was told that this was unheard of and I was thrilled to be allowed to take part.
I was brought up as a Presbyterian and the prophetic gifts were not really discussed or their use promoted. So I went into this prophetic course 'blind' in more ways than one. The course was wonderful, people welcoming and friendly. They all had prophetic giftings ranging from speaking in tongues, seeing visions, bringing words of knowledge etc.while I sat learning but 'experiencing' nothing at all! All that is except I got a vision from God. I asked the Lord for a vision and I got one.
How did I know it was a vision? I had never experienced anything like this before, I knew it was not a normal dream. Dreams like this did not have such intensity and clarity.
A few days after asking the Lord for a vision I awoke one morning but I was not awake.(Now that is an Irish statement if ever there was one). I was just on the edge between being fully awake when right before my eyes I saw a picture of a filthy spray gun.
It was paint spray gun the metal hidden behind a layer of black grime. I knew right away that this stood for me, this spray gun was me, covered in sin and filth that I had picked up over the years.
This spray gun was of a type that I was familiar with for spray painting. The pot beneath the gun held the paint, but that is not what attracted my attention. My eyes were drawn to the handle of the gun and attached to that handle was the 'oil filter'. I cannot explain how intensely I examined that oil filter.
In spray painting compressed air is used to force out the paint from the paint pot into the spray gun nozzle. This compressed air contains traces of oil picked up from the air compressor. Left unchecked this oil can contaminate the paint and therefore affect the paint finish. So there is normally an oil filter located somewhere between the paint gun and the air compressor to filter out this oil.
This oil filter in my vision was made of glass and I could 'see' that it contained a mixture of brown coloured oil and water. My focus was fully on this small glass container when the oil and water mixture turned into a crystal clear liquid. The purest liquid I had ever seen. Then I woke up.
I did not need any explanation about what I had seen. The transformation of the oil and water was the effect of the Holy Spirit cleaning me up on the inside. The garbage is still coming into my life through day to day living but the Holy Spirit, washes me continuously.
I believe that the spray gun was not working, and I have asked the Lord on numerous occasions if it will ever work. In my vision there was no hand directing the gun or pulling the trigger to operate the spray gun, it stood alone. I trust that at some time in my life, if I allow the Lord to use me, then the spray gun might work to proclaim God's message of salvation.
The outside of the spray gun may be filthy but if the inside is purified and in the hand of a master painter it can produce a wonderful finish. Good spray painting has little to do with the quality of the spray gun but everything to do with the skill of the painter adjusting the spray gun settings to produce different spray patterns. Holding the spray gun at the optimum distance away from the surface to be painted while moving the spray gun in at a speed and tempo in the right direction to produce a quality finish. Lord use me to deliver the word of your shed blood> the blood that covers the sin of the world.
At the end of the prophetic course there was a weekend away at a retreat. Malcomb one of the other leaders of the course gave me a prophetic word that something wonderful was about to transpire for me on that weekend. He was right, a curse was lifted from my life and I got filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, and I realised the full impact of my great grandmother's prayer for my salvation as a child.That weekend was the closest I will get to heaven in this life.
Finally ....................... a thought for to-day
The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment; the growth of a saint is the task of a lifetime.
Sunday, 3 May 2009
My Testimony - Part 4 - A Big Regret
I went on to complete the Alpha course. It was during this period of time I would ask the Lord a question, open my bible and there was the answer to my question. I cannot say that I was following what some people might think of as correct procedures in reaching out to God, But I can only suppose that back then the Lord was still 'getting my attention',
Back then, as it still is to this present day, I still find it difficult to concentrate during prayer time, and back then as happens now the enemy of my soul is always in full attack mode. During prayer my mind seems to flit all over the place.
One particular night as I tried to pray my mind was full of chatter’. That goes no way close to explaining what was going on in my head. It was not a normal level of random thoughts but a screaming mass of noise. I thought that my head would explode.
I cried out to the Lord for help and immediately my mind cleared. Now that word 'cleared' does not adequately explain the experience. No noise, nothing. Pure silence. Intense clarity.
I realised that my mind was sharper than it ever had been. I was amazed, and I knew that the Lord had done this for me. From chaos & confusion to peace and tranquillity. It was a ‘twinkling of an eye’ moment.
Then I did the most amazing thing, a thing I regret to this day, a thing that pains me every time I think about it. I said "Thank you Lord" and got up off my knees and returned to the 'old man' status. What might have happened next I will never know!
Why? Why did I do such a stupid thing? I cannot answer. What might have happened next, always comes to mind when I recall this event. I have said, sorry many times to the Lord, when I remembered this event, and writing this down makes me say ‘sorry Lord’ one more time.
During the summer holidays my girls (my daughters) came over to England and stayed with me and my wife travelled over each weekend. I knew that the difference between the church back home and the local churches (including the one in which I attended the Alpha course) was huge. The differences were in praise and worship the teaching, they wanted life in a service, and I must admit so did I.
Following a bit of 'surfing the net' I discovered that there was another church in Derby in England that ran 'Alpha' courses called the 'Community Church Derby'. My wife Hazel & I 'checked out' this church before the girls arrived for the summer. The praise and worship was wonderful and best of all the people were wonderful.
I had found my second spiritual home, A place & people that would have a huge impact on me as I started our on my walk with the Lord. How big an impact I will cover in the next couple of posts.
Finally .......... a thought for to-day
Salvation is given, not earned.
Back then, as it still is to this present day, I still find it difficult to concentrate during prayer time, and back then as happens now the enemy of my soul is always in full attack mode. During prayer my mind seems to flit all over the place.
One particular night as I tried to pray my mind was full of chatter’. That goes no way close to explaining what was going on in my head. It was not a normal level of random thoughts but a screaming mass of noise. I thought that my head would explode.
I cried out to the Lord for help and immediately my mind cleared. Now that word 'cleared' does not adequately explain the experience. No noise, nothing. Pure silence. Intense clarity.
I realised that my mind was sharper than it ever had been. I was amazed, and I knew that the Lord had done this for me. From chaos & confusion to peace and tranquillity. It was a ‘twinkling of an eye’ moment.
Then I did the most amazing thing, a thing I regret to this day, a thing that pains me every time I think about it. I said "Thank you Lord" and got up off my knees and returned to the 'old man' status. What might have happened next I will never know!
Why? Why did I do such a stupid thing? I cannot answer. What might have happened next, always comes to mind when I recall this event. I have said, sorry many times to the Lord, when I remembered this event, and writing this down makes me say ‘sorry Lord’ one more time.
During the summer holidays my girls (my daughters) came over to England and stayed with me and my wife travelled over each weekend. I knew that the difference between the church back home and the local churches (including the one in which I attended the Alpha course) was huge. The differences were in praise and worship the teaching, they wanted life in a service, and I must admit so did I.
Following a bit of 'surfing the net' I discovered that there was another church in Derby in England that ran 'Alpha' courses called the 'Community Church Derby'. My wife Hazel & I 'checked out' this church before the girls arrived for the summer. The praise and worship was wonderful and best of all the people were wonderful.
I had found my second spiritual home, A place & people that would have a huge impact on me as I started our on my walk with the Lord. How big an impact I will cover in the next couple of posts.
Finally .......... a thought for to-day
Salvation is given, not earned.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
My Testimony - Part 3 - Getting My Full Attention
Before I continue with my testimony I have to make a comment.
I can appreciate that some people who might read my testimony, could think that it is fanciful and that it is not true. You might even think that what I will talk about in this post is something that God would not do. But I believe that God is interested in the minutia elements in our life and will reach us in any way he can. As you will find out it took a very unusual event to make me wake up, to the reality of a living God.
I take the person of the Lord and his love seriously, and do not underestimate his power, and in my postings I seek to honour him.
I can only say, that what I write about, is what actually happened to me. You will either believe me, or you will not. My testimony is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. With God's help I will honour his saving grace in my life.
To put things in context I think I need to explain a bit more about me, and what makes me tick. The relevance of me telling you about this will become apparent as I tell you my story.
For over 20 years my work involves using data to make decisions. The desire and drive for clarity of evidence, the use of structured problem solving methods are what I do on a day to day basis as part of my job. Another part of my job involves teaching engineers the tools and techniques, that use data to solve complicated business / engineering problems.
So you could say that my mantra is 'show me the data'. I like to see the data and to prove statistically that something is real. It is even better if I am there to observe the process that produces that data. I am a firm believer in the phenomena of cause and effect, and that is how the Lord grabbed my attention, events that would 'prove' to me, that He was real.
As part of the Alpha course I talked about in the previous post, there is a session on the gifts of the spirit. Following on from the watching a video about that topic, I went into a small group to discuss what I had heard.
To open the conversation the small group leader, called Piers, started with a sentence that I will never forget. I could see that he was finding it difficult to start the small group in conversation.
He mumbled a bit and then said something that was so off the wall, so way out, that I will remember it for the rest of my life. He said "What if I were to say to you that you woke up this morning, and you were in such a hurry to get out you you ripped your new Marks & Spencer's shirt on the bedroom door handle, and you have a sore big toe".
I have to admit that I was amazed at this sentence, but for all the wrong reasons. If I could have said "Ugh", I would have. All the rest of the small group looked just as bemused as I did.
In our small group was the minister of the church, and he proceeded to ask in an incredulous tone of voice. "What did you just say"?
All eyes turned to see what the Piers would say, and he repeated what he had just said. "What if I were to say to you that you woke up this morning, and you were in such a hurry to get out you you ripped your new Marks & Spencer's shirt on the bedroom door handle, and you have a sore big toe".
As he finished speaking I could see that he was in full discomfort mode, and he seemed to be thinking what to say next, when the minister said. "That happened to me to-day".
Now all eyes turned to look at him. He explained that earlier on that day he got up and was in a hurry to get out of his house to go to an important meeting. He told us that he had indeed put on a new Marks and Spencer's shirt and had caught the sleeve of the shirt on the bedroom door handle and ripped the shirt.
Then he proceeded to remove his shoe while explaining that he hurt his big toe playing indoor soccer two nights before. He did not have to tell us that it was very painful as he showed us all a blackening toenail, on a toe that was much bigger than it should have been.
Everyone was stunned into silence. Piers had just spoken what I know now to be a 'word of knowledge'. You had to be there to see that this was something that was spontaneous and wonderful. No big theological revelation, but just knowledge of a couple of everyday events that only God and the minister knew about.
Could it have been a staged event? I hear you ask? No! You could 'feel' Piers discomfort, and the minister I had come to know as a faithful servant of the Lord. The look of embarrasment on Peirs face when the words left his lips left me in no doubt, that this was real and not staged.
I was shocked because I knew that the probability of this being put down to pure random chance events was out of the question.
Think about it, think of the accuracy of the word of knowledge:
The correct day
The correct part of the day
The fact that the minister was in a hurry
The correct type of garment
The correct make of garment
The correct door in the house
The correct object that damaged the shirt (door handle)
The correct explanation of the damage to the garment (ripped)
The same person having a sore big toe
The Lord knew that that event would grab my attention. This was a 'Divine' moment and I went home that night determined to seek this all knowing God, not fully appreciating that he was always there with me, and that had planned further revelations of his love and care for me over the following months.
I have over time told this event to a number of people and I can say that the reactions have been from full acceptance to the look of 'are you for real'. But again all I can say is this really happened. It also told me that God has a wonderful sense of humour, and used this 'funny' set of events to catch my attention in a profound way. I have found that some people think that God is only interested in the 'big stuff', but I have found and I believe that God is interested in the 'small stuff' that makes up our daily lives and well as the 'big stuff' that can impact our lives. Let us take everything to the Lord in prayer.
I thank you my Lord. for your love and continuing care.
1Co 12:8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit.
Finally ............. a thought for to-day
Mankind's limited potential highlights God's limitless power
I can appreciate that some people who might read my testimony, could think that it is fanciful and that it is not true. You might even think that what I will talk about in this post is something that God would not do. But I believe that God is interested in the minutia elements in our life and will reach us in any way he can. As you will find out it took a very unusual event to make me wake up, to the reality of a living God.
I take the person of the Lord and his love seriously, and do not underestimate his power, and in my postings I seek to honour him.
I can only say, that what I write about, is what actually happened to me. You will either believe me, or you will not. My testimony is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. With God's help I will honour his saving grace in my life.
To put things in context I think I need to explain a bit more about me, and what makes me tick. The relevance of me telling you about this will become apparent as I tell you my story.
For over 20 years my work involves using data to make decisions. The desire and drive for clarity of evidence, the use of structured problem solving methods are what I do on a day to day basis as part of my job. Another part of my job involves teaching engineers the tools and techniques, that use data to solve complicated business / engineering problems.
So you could say that my mantra is 'show me the data'. I like to see the data and to prove statistically that something is real. It is even better if I am there to observe the process that produces that data. I am a firm believer in the phenomena of cause and effect, and that is how the Lord grabbed my attention, events that would 'prove' to me, that He was real.
As part of the Alpha course I talked about in the previous post, there is a session on the gifts of the spirit. Following on from the watching a video about that topic, I went into a small group to discuss what I had heard.
To open the conversation the small group leader, called Piers, started with a sentence that I will never forget. I could see that he was finding it difficult to start the small group in conversation.
He mumbled a bit and then said something that was so off the wall, so way out, that I will remember it for the rest of my life. He said "What if I were to say to you that you woke up this morning, and you were in such a hurry to get out you you ripped your new Marks & Spencer's shirt on the bedroom door handle, and you have a sore big toe".
I have to admit that I was amazed at this sentence, but for all the wrong reasons. If I could have said "Ugh", I would have. All the rest of the small group looked just as bemused as I did.
In our small group was the minister of the church, and he proceeded to ask in an incredulous tone of voice. "What did you just say"?
All eyes turned to see what the Piers would say, and he repeated what he had just said. "What if I were to say to you that you woke up this morning, and you were in such a hurry to get out you you ripped your new Marks & Spencer's shirt on the bedroom door handle, and you have a sore big toe".
As he finished speaking I could see that he was in full discomfort mode, and he seemed to be thinking what to say next, when the minister said. "That happened to me to-day".
Now all eyes turned to look at him. He explained that earlier on that day he got up and was in a hurry to get out of his house to go to an important meeting. He told us that he had indeed put on a new Marks and Spencer's shirt and had caught the sleeve of the shirt on the bedroom door handle and ripped the shirt.
Then he proceeded to remove his shoe while explaining that he hurt his big toe playing indoor soccer two nights before. He did not have to tell us that it was very painful as he showed us all a blackening toenail, on a toe that was much bigger than it should have been.
Everyone was stunned into silence. Piers had just spoken what I know now to be a 'word of knowledge'. You had to be there to see that this was something that was spontaneous and wonderful. No big theological revelation, but just knowledge of a couple of everyday events that only God and the minister knew about.
Could it have been a staged event? I hear you ask? No! You could 'feel' Piers discomfort, and the minister I had come to know as a faithful servant of the Lord. The look of embarrasment on Peirs face when the words left his lips left me in no doubt, that this was real and not staged.
I was shocked because I knew that the probability of this being put down to pure random chance events was out of the question.
Think about it, think of the accuracy of the word of knowledge:
The correct day
The correct part of the day
The fact that the minister was in a hurry
The correct type of garment
The correct make of garment
The correct door in the house
The correct object that damaged the shirt (door handle)
The correct explanation of the damage to the garment (ripped)
The same person having a sore big toe
The Lord knew that that event would grab my attention. This was a 'Divine' moment and I went home that night determined to seek this all knowing God, not fully appreciating that he was always there with me, and that had planned further revelations of his love and care for me over the following months.
I have over time told this event to a number of people and I can say that the reactions have been from full acceptance to the look of 'are you for real'. But again all I can say is this really happened. It also told me that God has a wonderful sense of humour, and used this 'funny' set of events to catch my attention in a profound way. I have found that some people think that God is only interested in the 'big stuff', but I have found and I believe that God is interested in the 'small stuff' that makes up our daily lives and well as the 'big stuff' that can impact our lives. Let us take everything to the Lord in prayer.
I thank you my Lord. for your love and continuing care.
1Co 12:8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit.
Finally ............. a thought for to-day
Mankind's limited potential highlights God's limitless power
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
My Testimony - Part 2 - The Journey Begins
Fast forward 40 years and you find me happily married with three fantastic children. My wife Hazel and I had Jennifer and then 13 months later we had our twins Amanda and Gillian. It was when they were about 12 or 13 years old that I got offered a job at Rolls-Royce in England. (Before you ask the answer is "No I do not own one"! I work for the aero engine part of Rolls-Royce). This meant that since then I worked in England during the week and returned home to Northern Ireland at the weekend.
Amanda our 'middle' child started attending a church in our home town during the week, to learn the guitar. Then she started to attend the church services on a Sunday. Then she 'got saved'.
I periodically attended another church with my wife and it was out of curiosity that we both went along to see what was so special in this church. What was special was that we both started to cry during the praise and worship. Why cry? We had never cried at any service before so why now? Why did the worship service have this effect? I know now that it was the work of the Holy Spirit, drawing us closer to the Lord.
Over time I felt at home in this Pentecostal Church in my home town. As the family started to attend the church my other girls soon gave their lives to the Lord.
At the same time when I was working during the weeks that I was in England, I started to attend an 'Alpha' course, run by my local 'Church of England' church. This Alpha course was for people searching for the meaning of life and I met that entrance qualification.
The focus of the teaching and the subsequent discussions was on the reality of the Lord and the work of the Holy Spirit. Little did I know that in this course God did something that would stop me in my tracks and confirm in my mind and then in my heart that God is real and active right now. This event that I will cover in my next post was the prime event that started my walk to the Narrow Gate.
Finally ............. a thought for to-day
Venture into the unknown with faith in God
Amanda our 'middle' child started attending a church in our home town during the week, to learn the guitar. Then she started to attend the church services on a Sunday. Then she 'got saved'.
I periodically attended another church with my wife and it was out of curiosity that we both went along to see what was so special in this church. What was special was that we both started to cry during the praise and worship. Why cry? We had never cried at any service before so why now? Why did the worship service have this effect? I know now that it was the work of the Holy Spirit, drawing us closer to the Lord.
Over time I felt at home in this Pentecostal Church in my home town. As the family started to attend the church my other girls soon gave their lives to the Lord.
At the same time when I was working during the weeks that I was in England, I started to attend an 'Alpha' course, run by my local 'Church of England' church. This Alpha course was for people searching for the meaning of life and I met that entrance qualification.
The focus of the teaching and the subsequent discussions was on the reality of the Lord and the work of the Holy Spirit. Little did I know that in this course God did something that would stop me in my tracks and confirm in my mind and then in my heart that God is real and active right now. This event that I will cover in my next post was the prime event that started my walk to the Narrow Gate.
Finally ............. a thought for to-day
Venture into the unknown with faith in God
Monday, 27 April 2009
My Testimony - Part 1 - The Early Years
I was brought up in a small town called Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. My family went to First Dromore Presbyterian church. Christianity has been part and parcel of life in Dromore dating back to the time of Saint Patrick. The picture is of a Celtic cross that still stands beside the cathedral in Dromore to this day. It dates back to the 9th century. Pointing all that time to the cross of Jesus Christ.
On childhood related memories I have one memory that has been etched in my mind by the Lord. I went on a few occasions to stay with my paternal grandmother during my summer holidays. She and my grandfather, lived in a big rambling house. In my memory it contained big rooms, lots of rooms.
In one of these rooms lived a very old lady. My great grandmother 'Granny Bell' who was well into there 90's was being looked after by my grandmother, and as I passed her room one day, spied me passing and looking intently at me, called out "Are you saved?"
I was only about 8 or 9 at the time and did not know what she meant, so I said "I don't know"! I still remember this as if it were yesterday, as she ushered me into her room, made me kneel down at the side of her bed, and as she knelt beside me she prayed and she prayed. It was a fervent prayer!
I know in my heart that this was a prayer for my salvation, and it was many years later that it was answered. God's timing is not always our timing, and in his sovereign will God answered the prayer of this righteous woman, many years after she had gone to be with him.
Just a 'wee' bit more on my great grandmother. She was a direct descendant of 'Jenny Geddes' (worth a search on Google for that story). She would pray for hours on end, and so fervent were her prayers that my grandfather often had to ask her to be quiet, as she prayed on into the middle of the night, so that he could get to sleep.
How she became a prayer warrior is a remarkable story, but true testimony to God's mercy. As a young woman she was partially disabled in one of her legs, unable to walk up a flight of stairs, having to pull herself up stairs on her hands and knees. She had seven children and when her husband suddenly died, she was left with a young family and a small farm to run.
Her disability meant that she could not run the farm successfully and at the point of desperation she prayed with a sacred promise, for her affliction to be taken from her. Her sacred promise was that she would serve the Lord for the rest of her life.
Shortly after that prayer she fell into a coma for two weeks, and was thought to be near deaths door. It was my grandmother who found her cooking breakfast early one morning, standing on two perfect legs. Her disabled leg had been fully restored. That woman kept her promise, and served the Lord faithfully until the day she died. I will talk about Granny Bell again later in my testimony, and how I know that her prayer was answered.
Jas 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Please Note: The fervent prayer of a righteous woman also avails much!
Finally ........... a thought for to-day
Faith and love are vital to effective prayer
Thursday, 23 April 2009
My Testimony - Introduction
I got a pleasant surprise to-day, I thought that I was due to give a talk to the Christian fellowship group that meets each Thursday at dinner time in work. I once again relied on my memory only to find that it is my turn next week and not to-day.
Why was I pleasantly surprised? Well, coming back from holiday I was not fully prepared to talk about 'numbers in the bible' and my opening line the the assembled people before me would have been an apology for this lack of preparedness. SO I get an extra week to refine my work for this talk.
But then I remembered that the following week I am giving my testimony. Now that is something that I have never talked about for more than 5 minutes and I have a 30 minute time slot to fill.
To be honest, I think I really need the Lord to remind me, of the memorials, the Ebenezer memorial stones, marking the many instances of mercy and help that I have received from the Lord, on my journey to faith.
1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."
So what better way but to Journal my story. In reality it is the Lord's story on how he saved me. So over the following days, with the Lord's help, I will chart my walk, so that I miss nothing of significance for my testimony in two weeks time.
As I typed in the title to this post, I saw that it read. 'My Yestimony'. That is what it was, that is what it is, my 'YES' to my Saviour's call.
Lord bring to my mind your blessings, the times I was very aware of your hand on my life.
How from a small child you have blessed me. How I owe it all, everything I am, everything I possess and hold dear in my life from my wonderful wife, my beautiful Godly children, my friends, my family, all can be traced back to your love and blessing. I am so blessed. Thank you my Lord.
Finally ............ a thought for to-day
Faith in Christ is not just a single step but a life of walking with Him
Why was I pleasantly surprised? Well, coming back from holiday I was not fully prepared to talk about 'numbers in the bible' and my opening line the the assembled people before me would have been an apology for this lack of preparedness. SO I get an extra week to refine my work for this talk.
But then I remembered that the following week I am giving my testimony. Now that is something that I have never talked about for more than 5 minutes and I have a 30 minute time slot to fill.
To be honest, I think I really need the Lord to remind me, of the memorials, the Ebenezer memorial stones, marking the many instances of mercy and help that I have received from the Lord, on my journey to faith.
1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."
So what better way but to Journal my story. In reality it is the Lord's story on how he saved me. So over the following days, with the Lord's help, I will chart my walk, so that I miss nothing of significance for my testimony in two weeks time.
As I typed in the title to this post, I saw that it read. 'My Yestimony'. That is what it was, that is what it is, my 'YES' to my Saviour's call.
Lord bring to my mind your blessings, the times I was very aware of your hand on my life.
How from a small child you have blessed me. How I owe it all, everything I am, everything I possess and hold dear in my life from my wonderful wife, my beautiful Godly children, my friends, my family, all can be traced back to your love and blessing. I am so blessed. Thank you my Lord.
Finally ............ a thought for to-day
Faith in Christ is not just a single step but a life of walking with Him
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