I Have Inspiring Friends

I love hearing stories about when my friends step out in courage and see God's Kingdom break in.  I find it so inspirational.  One of my amazing interns this year, a guy called Jake, heads up our Healing on the Streets team at TSM.  That's the team that sets up chairs in the town centre with a huge banner that says 'HEALING' and offers to pray for members of the public as they walk by.  The Healing on the Streets team has seen some phenomenal breakthrough, especially in the last week, but more of that in another post!

So, about a year ago Jake got to pray for a guy who had really bad pain in both of his knees.  After praying the pain disappeared and the guy walked away really grateful that God had intervened.  Out of nowhere about a month ago the guy came back!  He approached Jake and explained that the pain in his knees had come back.  This time Jake found out that the guys knees were actually metal which is why he had the pain.  Jake and the team prayed again and after prayer all the pain had gone.  Thank you Jesus!

As well as interning with me, Jake also works part time at a local retail store.  He's been speaking to one particular colleague who is a Muslim about all the stories that come out of our TSM Thursday afternoon outreach teams.  The colleague has listened politely but not wanted any prayer for themselves.  That is up until a few weeks ago!

Jake was sitting with his colleague recounting the stories from the previous week when in walked the guy who'd been healed a few weeks before with the bad knees.  He did a double take when he saw Jake and then realised where he recognised him from.  'I didn't know you worked here as well!  Do you get paid for the healing stuff?'  Jake explained that he didn't.  Then the man went on to demonstrate to Jake (by bending and stretching his knees) that he was still very much pain free since his prayer.  Before he continued with his shopping he turned to Jake's colleague who was slightly wide eyed from all that was happening and exclaimed 'God healed my knees!'  Needless to say that when Jake offered his colleague prayer this time round they were only too willing to accept.  I absolutely love how Jesus is building His church!!

(I had a guy in church come up to me yesterday and tell me about praying for a guy he met with in his bank last week.  It was his and his wife's first time of offering to pray for someone for healing 'on the streets'.  I was so excited for him!  I remember starting this blog to document the risks we take as a church and our journey of seeing God's Kingdom break out on the streets.  I love that God is continuing to mobilise our church family on this adventure - people like this couple who in the husband's own words are 'definitely not natural evangelists')

Supernatural Lifestyle - It's Catching!

I had the privilege of speaking at Mobilise (New Frontiers students and 20's event) just over a week ago.  I was asked to do a seminar on 'Finding God in the Supernatural in everyday life' something that I believe is the normal Christian life for every believer.  At the end of the session I set a challenge for those in the room...to think about someone they knew they were going to see in the next couple of weeks who's not yet a Christian and ask God what He wanted to say to them.  Julia took the challenge on and recently e-mailed me this story.  Be encouraged and inspired!

I was in your seminar last Friday morning, and took your challenge to prophesy over a non-christian that I know. God highlighted my supervisor at work to me during the session, so when I got home I prayed for her. It went a little like this.


Me: "God, I believe you would like to speak to me about my supervisor. What would you have me say to her?" {Very definite picture of some oranges comes into my head.}
"Seriously?! You want me to go up to her and go "Hey, the Lord says unto you: Oranges!"
God: "Vitamin C deficiency"
Me: "Oh, you know, I'm not sure that's the sort of thing she'll know she has"
God: "Find out the symptoms, ask her if she has them."
Me: "God, you're so smart." 

Fast forward to today at work...
Me: "Hey X, how are you?"
Supervisor: "Really tired; I've had no energy recently"
Me: "Oh no. I don't suppose you've felt moody and lost weight too have you?"
Supervisor: "Yeah... How on earth do you know that?!"
Me: "Well, you know I'm a Christian, well, I've been praying for you, and God showed me a picture of some oranges, and when I asked him what it meant, he said you're suffering from vitamin C deficiency. I think God would like to heal you. Can I pray for you?" 

She was a little bit freaked out that I knew what was wrong with her, but she let me pray :) before the end of the shift she remarked-
Supervisor: "I was feeling so tired and rough earlier, but now I feel great!"
Me: "Well, do you think that might be because I prayed for God to heal you earlier?"
Supervisor: "Maybe..."


Which opened the door for a really great conversation about the existence of God and how he heals people today

Come on Jesus!

Adventures in Auckland

View from top of Mount Eden

It's been over a month now since we were ministering in Auckland.  Phil, Pete, Laura and I have such fond memories of our time with Grace Church; A group of outstanding men and women hungry for God's presence and passionate about impacting their city.  We can't wait to go back!  I wanted to write down some highlights of the trip before they became too hazy in my mind

(N.B Remembering is a key Biblical principle.  The Israelites didn't enter the Promised Land because they forgot what God had done for them! How are you doing at recording what God is doing in and through you?)


Highlights from our time in Auckland:
- Staying with one of the most generous and loving couples you're ever likely to meet, Andy and Kath.  The Pacific Ocean 20 metres from the front door, freshly caught snapper for dinner, lots and lots of laughing
- Laura and my first meeting with a group of 5 ladies from the church.  Accurate prophetic words that prepared the way for further breakthrough and freedom in their lives.  A very quick sense of heart connection and love for each other
- Freedom appointments - One hour slots that people from the church signed up for where Laura and I (and Pete and Phil for some) prayed through whatever the Holy Spirit brought up.  Such a privilege!  I've not seen the kind of freedom we saw in such a short space of time for a long time.  God was so good!
- Church ladies evening - 30 plus ladies crammed into Andy and Kath's front room.  A real sense of God's presence in worship, provocation from the Holy Spirit as I spoke, corporate repentance, a strong sense of God's commissioning and then a very fun prophetic action to end ('Goooooooo Team!')
- Church camp - Our week with the church culminated in their church camp near Hamilton.  An amazing sense of family; lots of God; accurate prophetic words; healing; freedom; lots of joy; beautiful weather; an outdoor pool; good food; masses of heart connection (felt like home!)
- Stories of courage and breakthrough we've received since leaving the country.  Be inspired by the following exerts:

'Well...... you've only been gone for a couple of hours and I find myself praying for a woman to be healed of Diabetes outside the supermarket - I am a new creation. You guys are awesome in helping me discover that!'


'Spurred on by your courageous stories, Kath and I are now 'courage buddies'. We did go out a couple of days ago, armed with a few clues...God was so kind to us and we found our treasure..a young girl, just arrived in the city, hugely unhappy, who just happened to be sitting asking God for help moments before we approached her.  We had a great chat and got to pray for her and give her our details. When we left she was so sure that God was looking out for her and said she hadn't been so happy in weeks'

Pete, Laura, Kath and I enjoying smoothies by the Pacific!

Encounter at Dee Why Beach (Sydney)

I had the privilege of spending a week in Sydney after our two week ministry adventure in New Zealand.  The plan was to have a bit of a break before heading back to the UK and back to work.  Pete, Laura and I had a great time catching up with the amazing Amanda Bezer (pictured below).  We were also hugely blessed to meet some outstanding people who are part of Grace City Church, the New Frontiers Church in Sydney.

As part of our week I was asked if I would lead a treasure hunting morning on the Saturday.  An opportunity to train some people from the church in treasure hunting; to encourage them with stories of some of the stuff we've seen in Bedford and then to have some time to go out and do the stuff.  I was blown away by the number of God encounters the teams had in just one hour on a very busy bit of beach called Dee Why!

I teamed up with an amazing lady called Johanna and we had an outstanding encounter when we approached a lady wandering away from the beach.  I had the clue white hat; the lady's hat was cream, but after a bit of deliberation we decided to approach her anyway.  I'm so glad we did!

We explained what we were doing and showed the lady our treasure maps.  She could relate to some of the ailment clues, to do with bad knees and a painful wrist so we offered to pray for her.  I asked if there was anything else we could pray for as God obviously wanted to pick her out.  At that moment she started to cry and then she explained why.

It turns out that she was a Christian but hadn't been going to church for a while.  She'd been having some difficulties with her marriage and had that morning been reading a book on the beach by Rick Warren about how to stand firm in life's crisis'.  Basically she was in need of some intervention and encouragement from God and then we stopped her!  How kind is God!  We got to encourage her and then pray.  As we prayed I felt God speak to me about music being important to this woman and that it gave her life.  That this was a gift from God and she was to feel free to listen to music more.  She started to cry again as she told us she'd written in her journal that morning that music was important to her and gave her life.  She was so encouraged.

As we left we exchanged details and invited her to church the following morning.  It was so exciting to see her there the next day and to watch her fill out a 'stay in touch' card.  God had not only picked out this lady for an encounter on the streets, He'd brought her into a new family.  Johanna has been in touch with this lady since and been out for coffee with her with another friend.  God is building His church (and to think we nearly didn't stop to say hi!)

Johanna, Me, Amanda and Laura

Other Side of the World - Same God!

I recently had the privilege of being part of a team sent by King's Arms Church to minister in New Zealand.  After a gruelling 25 hour journey (and that was only the time spent on 3 separate planes not waiting times in airports!) we got to the furthest place you can go from the UK before coming back on yourself again.  What we found during our time there; the same God who is about a great work here is about a great work there!

I love how God works.  Had you told me a few years ago that I would be involved in going to the Nations to see God's Kingdom break out I probably would have laughed in your face!  I didn't like flying (so going as far as New Zealand was totally out of the question) And I felt really content to stay in the UK for the rest of my life.  That is until God spoke to me clearly through a prophetic word about travel and going to the nations.  That word woke something up in me that was laying dormant and I haven't looked back since.

Our first weekend in New Zealand was spent in Wellington, the Capital City.  It was a short flight from Auckland (where we spent most of our time) and once there we ran a series of meetings talking about God as our Father, removing blockages to the Kingdom and our identity.  The freedom that individuals received through our short time there was quite staggering.  Men and women sobbed as God put His finger on hurts and pain from their past that were hindering them in their walks with Him.  I was reminded again about the importance of openness and authenticity.  The more authentic and open you are, the quicker you will enjoy freedom (note to self!)

On the Sunday I spoke about how to create a supernatural culture.  There was more freedom as individuals expressed disappointment they'd been carrying that was impacting their expectations.  Then we got to pray for the sick in faith that God wanted to break in.  I did some quick training on how to get words of knowledge and then 12 people who'd never got one before come to the front to have a go.  One after another the words of knowledge shared were accurate.  I never tire of seeing the look of disbelief on people's faces when the word of knowledge they bring is responded to.  This stuff is for everyone!  Then God did what He does best and people got healed:

Thumb pain
Wisdom tooth and jaw pain
Shoulder pain
Tinnitus
50% deafness
3 day headache
Back pain went without prayer!

Perhaps most exciting for me was an e-mail I received after the following Sundays meeting about how God had broken in in a new way.  Here's a small excerpt:

'The coolest thing happened at our church on sunday! We were worshipping and everything was going wrong with the sound gear and it was super distracting.  I felt the holy spirit prompt me to get up to the mic and talk about grace and our inheritance as children of the kingdom. I shared that it felt like some people really needed God's Joy, Peace and Comfort. 

We went into a time of free worship for a bit then Pete Henare said to me "you have to go back up to the mic" to which i replied, "what do you want me to do or say?!! to which he said, "i dont know just sing in tounges or something!" (Really???!!!)

So i did! and the Holy Spirit turned up in such power!!...as the spirit was moving people came up and shared words of knowlege for healing and 3 people got healed!! I think it was 2 shoulders and wrist pain, gone!  All over the congregation people were crying and responding to God, so coool!!!! His presence was so tangible it was amazing!

There is such a new hunger and expectancy among us as a church, you guys imparted such faith to us! Be encouraged!'


(Sunday afternoon on the beach was pretty cool too!)

Power of the Prophetic

I was invited recently to go along to a youth group in a poorer area of our town that's made up of mostly unchurched kids to bring words of knowledge and pray for the sick.  The guy leading the group had been talking to the kids quite a bit about our up and coming visit.  The kids kept asking him, 'when are the healers coming?'  A month ago myself and a team of 3 others turned up!

For the first hour or so of the evening the kids did what kids to best, they 'played'.  Inflatable jousting; Poole; Table Tennis; Xbox.  When they were gathered together for our bit I started by telling them some stories of healings we've seen as a church.  Although one or two were interested, for the vast majority this was totally outside their experience and the stories I shared were met with mockery and unbelief.

I don't know if you've ever tried to share words of knowledge and then pray for the sick in an environment like that.  This was a first for me and it wasn't straightforward.  We got to pray for a guy who needed one of his legs to grow with all the 'unbelieving' kids gathered round.  To say I was desperate for God to break in is an understatement!  Nothing obvious happened and so we continued to share more words of knowledge.

We got to pray for another guy who responded to a word about a bad knee due to a football injury (when I say responded I mean all his mates pointed at him when the word was brought - I think he would have been happy to let it go!) but he didn't want to check it out so we couldn't tell immediately if anything had happened.

As the kids began to go back to their games, a few lads decided to stick around to watch us pray for one of their friends.  They seemed awkward and laughed a lot and they continued to mock what we were doing.  That is until God decided to catch them off guard with some incredibly spot on words of knowledge about their personal situations.

First of all one of my team spoke to a guy about someone significant in his family passing away not so long ago.  At the very same moment God told me it was his gran.  It was and he was clearly still cut up about it as his head dropped and his previously joking demeanour turned serious.  I then felt God speak to me about this guy wanting to start up his own business when he was older, something to do with cars.  Wide eyed he told me that he had a dream of running his own business as a mechanic.  I told him God thought he'd be great at that and encouraged him to go for it.  He spent the rest of the evening sitting in a slightly stunned state.  He had softened up masively and it felt like we had the privilege of seeing a glimpse of who he really was behind the bravado.

Throughout the course of the evening more life changing words were brought.  A friend of mine felt God speak to her about one of the lads to do with his mum.  It turned out his mum had died when he was 3 from alcohol and drug abuse.  We got to encourage him and let him know that God can meet his need for a mum as well as being his perfect Father.  I got to encourage another guy after God told me what he wanted to be when he left school - a fireman.  I think he was slightly blown away that God knew that about him!

For many at the youth group, their evening was turned upside-down as God spoke and revealed stuff to them that only He could have known.  Needless to say, the atmosphere at the end of the evening was tangibly different to the beginning.  How powerful is the prophetic!

(A quick 'big up' to the team running the youth group - they are doing an outstanding job with some really broken youngsters.  Woodside church rocks - keep going for it guys!)

Interrupted by a Healing!

Back in November a group of about 20 of us from King's Arms and TSM made our way to Lowestoft for the Heaven Touches East conference.  Simon Holley and Angela Kemm were speaking (quite a combination!) and I had the privilege of doing the Saturday afternoon slot.

A few weeks previous, I'd attended a conference at North Kent Community Church where Joaquin Evans (from Bethel) and friends were teaching about healing.  Something that struck me over the course of the day was how little they prayed for people for healing. Rather, they were sensitive to God's presence turning up and because they expected that when God turned up He would heal people, they simply encouraged people to start checking the part of their body that was injured to see what God was doing.  A whole host of people got healed just because God came!

I thought it would be fun to give this a go, so before I spoke on the Saturday afternoon I brought a word of knowledge about someone with pain in the calf of their left leg.  A guy at the back of the room responded and I encouraged him to simply start to check what God was doing - to move his ankle up and down to check for healing.  Quite quickly his calf got hot and the pain reduced (how exciting!) I encouraged him to keep an eye on what God was doing while I spoke and that he and others had permission to interrupt me when they were healed.

About halfway through my talk I'd forgotten all about what had happened earlier until the guy who'd responded to the word of knowledge got up out of his chair and proceeded to run around the hall; first round the back and then right past me up the front on the stage.  God had totally healed him as I'd been speaking and now he was doing just as I'd asked and interrupting me to give God glory!  Come on!

At the end of the talk a lady came up to me and said that she had been very skeptical about God wanting to heal as I'd started my talk but that pain she'd had in her knee for quite a few months had disappeared while I'd been speaking.  She hadn't called out to interrupt me because what had happened to her had totally blown her mind!  Here's what I'm learning - God is healer so when He turns up people get healed.  He just can't help himself.  I guess a key question to ask ourselves is how are we doing at letting Him turn up?