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Iain’s Blog
2022 Week 1
The New Year of 2022 was celebrated with fireworks and parties, even in the midst
of pandemic restrictions – and on zoom we celebrated with prayer and prophecy.
But whether it is a new year, new month or new day – there is always a celebration
of new refreshing in God, new mercies, new start with every new dawn.
This year at 0635 we lost a precious brother in Christ who went home to the Lord –
although many were praying for his healing. It is at these times of sadness that,
even though we may not understand, yet we can give the greatest sacrifice of
praise to our God, who is always good. It is in the deep hope that comes from the
certainty of being in God’s hand that we can trust in His never failing love, and give
Him our worship and praise from a heart in pain.
Psalm 146:5-8 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD
his God,
6
Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,
7
Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives
freedom to the prisoners.
8
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who
are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous.
It is in times of oppression, of suffering, of loss that some of the greatest timeless
songs of praise and worship have been written:– When Peace like a River, Horatio
Gates Spafford; Blessed Assurance, Fanny Crosby; and in a different strain of
repentance and forgiveness Amazing Grace by John Newton.
On the second day of 2022 we welcomed two new subdeacons to the church,
instituted by Archbishop Andrew Shergold – an occasion of joy in the presence of
God, and new beginnings in God’s assignments.
Psalm 146:1-2 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2
While I live I will praise the
LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2022 Week 2
This week celebrated the first service for CLG to be together as much as health
allowed. Archbishop Andrew Shergold instituted Subdeacons Steve and Paul, and
celebrated Communion. We all shared in the joy of being together in the
manifested presence of God, and in the subsequent fellowship afterwards. It was a
reminder also of how much we miss through not being physically together, even
though meeting via zoom has been a blessing for the last two years of separation.
It is appropriate that we have been committing to memory these verses of the gift
of Jesus:
Ephesians 4:11-16 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
and some pastors and teachers,
12
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ,
13
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14
that we
should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15
but, speaking the truth in
love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ --
16
from whom the whole
body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by
which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Those who are given and called to the responsibility of serving the saints – that is all
who believe – are entrusted by God to equip encourage and develop them into the
perfection and fulness of Christ. And every individual has a part, that in sharing the
work of ministry, we all grow to edify the body of Christ, that is the Church. Not
just CLG, but the wider church.
As we fast and pray through the beginning of this year of 2022, may we all have a
revelation of all that God has for us individually and together – to grow the
kingdom, to bring all that we have to those that do not yet have – the sure
confidence of eternal life in Christ.
2022 Week 3
Repetition is often cited as boring, and sometimes misinterpreted for religion.
But in most aspects of life, it is the essential ingredient to success. Repeating
exercises, circuit training, builds muscles for purpose, from golf to hang-gliding,
Olympics to chess.
Fatimah played an old hymn on YouTube, and I knew all the words, despite not
having heard it for perhaps 50 years. It was sung often at school prayers and
Sunday Assemblies. It is why most people over the age of 50 know by heart the
Lord’s Prayer and the National Anthem. But the younger generation more and
more need to be shown the words, because they are no longer repeated at
schools, or in institutions. What a loss this is!
Liturgy (fixed format of prayer and service) was and still is the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, when it is repeated with the right heart and motive. Having
Communion every morning allows us both to know the liturgy by heart, but also to
expand on it and fill it out as the Spirit leads for the purposes and needs of the
day. The Daily Bread! Repetition without heart becomes the spirit of religion,
which hinders the vibrant powerful life in the Christian, and discourages
unbelievers from seeking God.
Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if
you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Understanding why we lost the ability to hear God, from the actions of the past
form Adam (sin) and Israelites at Mt Sinai (declared fear) even to the unbelief and
doubt expressed in words and actions today, can set us on a new path of being
wholly fulfilled in Jesus.
All things are possible if we are diligent in seeking God with all our being, not just
at our convenience or comfort. We are a Royal Priesthood, people with the
capability of the power and authority delegated by the king of kings – but to carry
that we need to be the overcomers we are formed by God to be. To grow means
taking risks – failures are the path to successes – repeating the effort over and over
strengthens the spiritual muscles until we are strong in the Lord.
Enjoy repetition.
2022 Week 4
Is God speaking to you?
Putting together the messages from three communal events, Sundays 16
th
and 23
rd
,
and the prayer gathering on 19
th
, there is a thread that is worth highlighting, if it is
not already ‘God speaking’ in neon lights!
Sunday 16
th
message demonstrated from scripture how from Adam through to the
children of Israel, by sin, and through fear and shame, they did not want to face
God, or listen to Him themselves. Out of love and compassion, and to help them
grow, God provided intermediaries, prophets, to hear and speak to them on His
behalf. A very heavy responsibility, which required utmost integrity on pain of
death. Jesus paid the penalty for sin, on the cross defeated satan and sin, and
opened the way for all God’s children to meet with Him face to face and to
communicate with Him. However, many still live in the Old Testament mentality, and
still rely on intermediaries instead of seeking that intimate conversation with God
for themselves.
Then, God’s prophets listened and spoke FOR the people. Today, ALL can listen and
speak for themselves, and those in the office of Prophet are appointed to equip
everyone for that. They also have an ear to God for the bigger picture, the grand
scheme of things where God is moving. But EVERYONE can be a part of that, when
we get together and hear little bits, that put together form a bigger picture.
Sunday 23
rd
was a message of stepping into trusting God, and recognising He
answers prayers after His own heart. Trust in the finished work of Jesus, and that
when we seek God, what we receive is more probably God than it is ourselves. It
means taking the risk to trust and believe and obey.
For those who came to the prayer gathering, each had a different word or picture in
the time of seeking God. One prayed that we as a church would hear God. So rather
than stopping at the prayer, it was put to practise – and God spoke. Although there
is still more to come, there was a clear view that as a church we are on the
threshold of connecting with heaven in a new way, bringing more of God’s presence
and power in all that we set out to do, in obedience to His direction and purpose.
We all can hear God if we are intentional about it, if we take action, and take the
risk – we might get it wrong, but will probably get it right – but if we do nothing it is
definitely going to be wrong. Let’s begin this week – pray a specific prayer, seek God
for what He has to say about it, write it down and send it in.
It is time to move with God!
2022 Week 5
God Answering Prayers
Being observant, have you noticed that big prayers are being answered more in
these days – as witnessed by the testimonies, particularly with regard to healing. If
you haven’t, then now is the time to take heed.
There is the Healing Room starting this Saturday, when we know there will be need
for prayer for healing, and preparatory prayers in advance are already in hand. The
Alpha Courses, one in progress and the other due to start, are places where growth
in the Kingdom, and growth for CLG, can be nurtured. Evangelism requires prayer
in advance of action.
Personal healing, provision and protection are daily prayers – who else are on your
prayer list. Who is sick, ailing, lost, that are local to you so that there is a constant
reminder to persevere in prayer until an answer comes?
With zoom, skype or facetime there are no barriers of geography to speak face to
face. Who needs power prayers of Kingdom authority?
God is love, and through His love for us, we are empowered to love others. Who is
God putting on your heart for persevering prayer?
This is the challenge for every Christian – to cry out to God for those that you have
compassion and want to see restored, healed, delivered saved – whatever their
Kingdom need.
Carry a prayer notebook, diary or journal, so that you can record when prayers
began, and when they were finally answered, and encouragement to others and
thanksgiving to God can be our reward for the sacrifice of time and emotion.
The cry for this week, and for all the time to come, is to pray, and never give up.
Focus prayer on what CLG is aspiring to achieve with healing and salvation; and
also on those two or three people within your sphere of influence, until the
opportunity comes to bring them into the presence and knowledge of God.
God is answering bold prayers. Be bold and very courageous, rise up CLG Joshuas!
2022 Week 6
Appreciate Others
These are extraordinary times – and the mainstream news, whether in print or
internet, seems intent on portraying crises, disasters, dishonour – sometimes even
feeding the situation to make it worse.
Yet there is so much to celebrate of individual and community effort in support of
so many aspects of life. We have the opportunity to really appreciate the amazing
woman who is our Monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has rarely put a
foot wrong in 70 years of reign and has been a bulwark for this Nation against the
evils of the world more than we can possibly know.
There are two familiar sayings – ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ and from
scripture ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone’. From tearing down statues
because part of their lives were offensive to some sensibilities, to pulling down
anyone in authority or leadership because mistakes were made, or inappropriate
words spoken – there is too much eagerness to accuse rather than looking at our
own behaviours or ancestral activities. No-one can stand scrutiny if the truth be
told.
How much better and refreshing it is to appreciate the good that people have done,
and indeed are doing. And how much better to encourage the younger generation to
appreciate life’s opportunities – rather than hindering those from expressing views
that don’t appeal. Remember that even in the Middle Ages saying the earth was
round was viewed as a crime! We surely can avoid a return to such intolerance of
others. Instead, look for the things in people that are worth knowing. Joy, kindness,
generosity of heart, family values, care for others in need or distress – so much
goodness is in every-one if it can but be drawn out.
The love of God for every person is within them to be found – that the door is open
to know Father God through Jesus Christ, in the communion and companionship of
the Holy Spirit – one only has to ask with a contrite heart. There is so much in our
communities to celebrate – let us be peacemakers and not allow expressions of
anger, bitterness, or offence to take hold in relationships within our ability to
influence. Instead encourage real appreciation of one another and let us all seek out
the treasure in every heart.