Wednesday 6 November 2024

Tom Stewart's Methodist Experience

 


COME ALIVE
We all come from different backgrounds and different experiences. Some were raised in the church, some came from abusive families and relationships, some came out of addictions, some were liberal and some were conservative, and some had no roots in religion, and the list goes on. I was raised in a small farming community church named “Maple Grove Methodist Church” which is still located about 8 miles west of Des Moines, Iowa. We were regular attendees and my brothers and I earned recognition pins for not missing Sunday School year after year, yet our parents weren’t real Christians. As I said, it was a farming community church and most of the local farmers attended that church where they talked farming and personal things every Sunday, which often was the only day they saw each other. It was a social church. All during those years I don’t recall ever being told about Jesus as my Saviour or anything about the plan of salvation. I was taught about Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, King David and the rest of the exciting Bible stories, but not about salvation.
When I was 10 we moved to Woodland, California and I continued in the scouting program called Boy Scouts of America. I wanted to earn my “God and Country” award for which I was required to do service for the church so I became a candle lighter (altar boy) for the Methodist Church in Woodland, and I was also involved in MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship). My parents no longer attended church since they didn’t know the people and they were no longer farmers.
After completing my scouting I left the church at about age 15. During my later High School years and college years I took up smoking, some alcohol, and began using recreational drugs. In college I studied world religions and played around with different philosophies and beliefs, then in November of 1972 I encountered Jesus Christ personally. Not a religion, not a doctrine, not a philosophy, but a person. I was filled with the Holy Spirit that day, and that day I determined that I was forever done with religion, traditions, programs, liturgy, and the paths men have crafted to get to God. I know I was idealistic and very simple, but I meant it! I meant it then and I still mean it now.
I clearly remember asking my Christian friends in those early days if the church leaders I began to encounter EVER had a fire, a passion, an ache in their heart for the things of God? When these leaders began, did they have the fire, and did it just go out and the ministry just became a job, a routine, like a business manager just managing the organization? Year after year, cycle after cycle, doing the same thing……is that the kind of God we see in the Bible? The only time we see that is when the people rebelled against God and spent 40 years walking in a circle doing the same thing over and over, eating the same thing over and over, seeing the same thing over and over, all the while their God was the God of a new song, a new thing….which He wanted to give to them.
There has never been ANY time in my life when I have been so surrounded by religion, by tradition, by programs and by an empty, Spiritless, form of Christianity or so-called Christianity. A “form” (or formula) of godliness but denying the power (dunamis), which is the leading of the Holy Spirit. Christianity devoid of God’s Spirit. I even see this in many so-called Spirit-filled churches which have made their program a routine!
I have seen and heard the presence of the Holy Spirit and what He does in the midst of a people. I don’t want more or less, just a church lead by the power of God. Many, many leaders I know love the knowledge of Jesus, and love the church, and love the Bible, but have NEVER “possessed” the true power of Jesus Christ because He has never truly possessed them. They also have never known the true infilling of the Holy Spirit, and His daily influence and direction.
So what can a person do? What if a person has never experienced a revival like the great awakening, 1859 Ulster, Azusa Street, Welsh, Hebrides, Asbury, Jesus People or some other move of God? The early church told of what they had seen and heard, yet today so many Christians have little or nothing to speak about because they haven’t seen or heard much. It is an individual thing. God wants a people with broken hearts and broken and contrite spirits. A people who passionately SEEK Him and won’t let up until they find Him in a way they have never known. A personal revival. Being filled with the Spirit, overflowing with the Spirit of God. Unable to contain the things of God, spilling over into a dry and thirsty world. A river of life flowing out of them, being the light of the world, on fire, passionate, gifted, warriors, overcomers, and ambassadors for Christ.
I have been part of prayer meetings with 50-100 people walking around, some kneeling down by chairs or at an altar, shouting loud, or speaking in a whisper, crying and laughing, dancing and mourning, but real before God. All in God’s order, not man’s order. Powerful, earth shaking, healing, faithful, prayer, rather than going around a circle and praying some lifeless, visionless words without faith. Is a new Christian community that has a countenance the world can see, oneled by the Holy Spirit who makes the world stand in wonder, with lives that challenge the enemies of Christ still possible? Must we wait for another revival, or can we make this the “normal” life in Christ? If this happens the world will want to meet the author and finisher of our lives!

Monday 4 November 2024

Louis Tucker and Richard Krupa Christ In You

 Working Man's Gospel Episode 4

 I'm sure they'd  love you to subscribe to  Louis's Channel

Saturday 2 November 2024

Evangelism Popups , other Kingdom Popups,John Stevens, Pete Goddard, Chris Welch

John Stevens on Roffey , (see the film Clip below)
It’s a longish time ago now but does make one reminisce about Roffey days on mission in teams. In one church we got so fed up with people falling over before they heard the word we replaced ‘catchers’ with ‘standeruppers’ - once they’d heard whatever word we had we’d let them fall. The important thing to reminisce is that we were working sort of apostolically, part of an apostolic band…or the closest I’ve seen to that. It was more than evangelistic, or prophetic, or teachery. But there was a redefining of what is ‘normal’. What became normal was hearing from God & a heightened sense of faith…along with eating whatever food was provided, sharing bedrooms in a range of households, long days out on the streets then evening meetings…but greater sense of reaping what we were sowing.

I didn’t have a great deal to do with Pete but ‘twas good to read that he designed the interiors to the coaches. Nothing naff. High quality furnishings, the art work was provocative and arresting, good conversation starters. Upstairs for a cup of coffee & a chat. I got used to a ratio of faith. 100 conversations would yield 10 that would lead to some form of receiving from God and 1 would be salvation. So in a typical week long mission I’d see a few come to Christ. Had greatest ‘success’ with nominal Anglicans/ Catholics but not exclusively. 

We didn’t carry tracts but believed that God would open up those He wanted to us. Sometimes through good quality sketches/mimes/songs performed on the street. 

My faith went from half a mustard seed to not quite African standards. More that could be said but that faith is latent in all of us…I’m realising more and more now that it’s not as simple as differentiating between MY faith and Christ’s but His faith is my faith. 



Pete Goddard's Blogpage on the Kings Coach Dr Bob Gordon
Excerpt. Many more pics and details on Pete's page , plus his life story


Dr. Bob Gordon was a Scottish internationally evangelist, Bible teacher and ordained minister in the United Reformed Church. Kerygma Trust, the charity under which he operated, was dedicated to spreading the Word of God in the Holy Spirit power. He was a graduate of Bible Study School in Manchester University, and had a Postgraduate degree in Theology and Religious Education. Before becoming director of Old Testament studies in London Bible College, he was chaplain in Durham University for nine years. He wrote a number of books, including an extensive study on discipleship. A great man of faith, he was at heart a Revivalist Preacher, whose encounter with the Holy Spirit and the Charismatic Revival dramatically changed the course of his ministry. Believing that God could provide every need, he had a particular gift of faith for finance, frequently seeing miraculous and often large financial provision as a result of prayer, (but often at the last minute!) Those who joined him on his ‘team’ were expected to exercise the same faith for their own provision. In 1986 he was the Director of Roffey Place Christian Training Centre, and was extremely charismatic, both in his faith and his personality. The college had been bought for £600,000, the finance for which had been provided without fundraising or advertising, but through answer to prayer by both Bob and his ministerial colleague, Colin Urquhart. His passion and enthusiasm for the Kingdom of God, along with a superb ability to communicate Bible teaching was very infectious. His vision of ‘taking the Gospel to the heart of the nation’ would involve the conversion of five double decker buses, each with a team of evangelists that would tour the country with the aim of not just explaining the gospel, but praying for people in the streets and seeing miraculous results. Here is Bob speaking in 1988 (unscripted!) about his vision for the buses. I made this video on a VHS tape with extremely limited editing facilities. Sadly it was never really used, due to lack of funds. (No surprise!)









Tuesday 29 October 2024

Another Tuning Moment - Noelia Rodiles

Noelia is a Spanish Pianist who did a preliminary  domestic concert in a house kindly offered by friends in Sutton Near Petworth West SussexUK.  This was all in preparation for a Wigmore Hall Recital.

Noelia's mobile number  for bookings is 0034606559611
Noelia is trying out the tuning.

 

Monday 28 October 2024

The Steps of Transition

 I was around for the step change transition of the Church from first to secondlevel .
But you know, there are a lot of similarities in these type of transitions, even as we move from second to thirdlevel church like Acts