Category: Church

God Appointments

I was encouraged to write this post by dear brother Alan Kearns’ recent post Evidence for prayer and his prompting to ask for God appointments in our day. I just wanted to cheer when I read it and say…..Yes, Amen. It really does work. I have found it opens the way for God to use me in all types of situations and even in my weaknesses and messes to bless others. God loves people. He really, really does and longs to show His care and compassion.

If you’re reading this thinking I can’t do that. It’s for those Super Spiritual, amazing Christians and that sounds way too scary for me, I won’t know what to say or do…then join the club. I was just like that too but then I realised that there aren’t many of those “super spiritual walking on water Christians” around and anyway this was not about me, it’s all about God wanting to show His love and care to His children and God’s just looking for someone to say “I’m here…little old me, nothing special but I’m available for an appointment God, so please use me and do your work through me”..that was it, my prayer and God brought those appointments along.

God showed me that we can be the answer to someone else’s need by sometimes doing something so simple…..like just holding someone’s hand. This is what happened to me in one of those God Appointments.

I was in our local cafe one afternoon with 2 friends. It was a regular meet up as once a month we would meet for a coffee, chat and prayer. The manager of the cafe was a Christian from another local church and knew us. I went up to order my coffee and he asked if he could introduce me to someone. It was an elderly lady who was a regular customer at the cafe. She had recently been widowed and was lonely. I asked her if she would like to join us at our table and she did.

We chatted for some time and had a lovely time with her. We listened as she talked about her husband and their times together. Towards the end of our chat, I explained that we were Christians and asked her if we could pray for her before we left, She agreed and as we prayed, I felt prompted to take her hand. I asked her if it was ok if I held her hand and she said yes and then started to cry. She explained that the one thing she missed more than anything was holding her husband’s hand. Every time they walked anywhere together they held hands. She told us that as she had walked to town that day, she really missed her husband and had wanted someone to just hold hands with again. That had been the desire of her heart. That just blew me away and we all started crying. God had known exactly what she needed to comfort her and so He set up that appointment for her.

That dear lady wasn’t a Christian when we met but from that first meeting and then subsequent chats around the coffee table, she started to go to her local church and got confirmed. Praise God. From little seeds that are planted it’s amazing what God can do.

Have a blessed day and I hope you feel encouraged to ask God for an appointment for Him today. I’m looking forward to hearing and sharing more testimonies of God at work through these divine appointments.

A simple touch of love

A warning-Avoid the spirit of rebellion

As I was praying recently, I wrote the following word which the Lord Jesus laid on my heart. Please pray, weigh and test this word.

A day of calamity is arising. It will come from the South. The Queen of the South has left a legacy that still has roots in the people. It will start to rise up now; first shoots and then the stalk and then the leaf. It will be like a cancerous weed that will slowly spread and choke the life out of all that is good, kind and righteous in the people. A rebellion will take hold that will spread like a roaring fire. It will be whipped up by the wind of the enemy, spreading its influence to adjoining nations and then overseas.

Then suddenly I will send My angels who will fight the evil enemy behind this uprising and I will quench it and extinguish and then uproot it.

My children must have no part in this rebellion. It will have a pretence of truth, righteousness and justice but it is all a pretence and a sham. A great lie rooted in corruption and evil. It will blow away like the chaff when I breathe the breath of God on it and roar in the face of evil and overcome it by My radiance. I will shine like the sun and dazzle the enemy. He will be blinded and futile and will turn on his own in his confusion. His pride will yet again be his downfall. Let all who have ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit is say to the bride. Do not align yourself with rebellion and wickedness.

Be at peace with those in authority who do no harm to you and leave you in peace. May the Godly have wisdom and discernment and follow the path of truth and justice and not be led astray by evil workers of iniquity.

Not all who call on My name belong to Me. Not all who profess to love Me are mine. Not all who claim to follow Me do so. They are lovers of self, deluded by their own wickedness and pride who long for the praises of man and to be recognised and praised and lauded for their good works, but I will smash them down to the ground and trample them underfoot for they are not of My Kingdom. They are not of Me and I will not have My name polluted and used for things that are not of Me.

Bear fruit worthy of your calling in Me, My children. Do not bear the fruit of iniquity or pride. Let those who have ears listen to what the Spirit is saying to the bride in these days. Be alert, sober and watchful for the days are evil but they will not last, for I am coming to breathe and blast the enemy from My nostrils, as I snort at him who would seek to exalt his throne above that of the Most High God whose throne is in Heaven and who reigns forever and ever. Amen

Feed My lambs, Feed My Sheep

These were the instructions which Jesus gave to his disciple Simon Peter, when he met him again in Galilee after His death and resurrection.

This was the same Simon Peter who had denied knowing Jesus in his time of trial. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him but Peter had protested that he was ready to go to prison and even death for Jesus. It wasn’t to be the case, but Jesus knew that.

It must have been really difficult for Simon Peter to face Jesus again after letting him down so badly, to believe that Jesus would still want him, Peter, to be involved in His ministry and to trust him to look after His flock. What a responsibility. What a calling.

Jesus did trust him though. Even when Jesus knew that Simon Peter would deny him, He comforted Peter by telling him that even after his denial Peter would return and be restored to relationship with Him.

‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’
Luke 22:31-32

Jesus had a task for Peter to do..to strengthen his brothers. The other disciples would need Peter’s support, faith, encouragement and example of humility. I can imagine it was a different Peter who met with his brothers again after his experiences.

I was reminded today of a picture which was shared by a dear brother in Christ at one of our Sunday morning services many years ago. He saw in his vision a long banqueting table. On the table were bowls of soup ready to eat.

The guests at the banquet (members of the church) took their seats facing each other ready to eat. However, when they picked up the spoons they were far too long. It was impossible to get the spoon into the bowl and into their mouths.

Somebody then realised that their spoon could reach the bowl of the person seated opposite them. They started to feed the person opposite them. The others watched their example and started to do the same. Everyone worked together to feed each other.

Jesus has appointed different ministry roles within His church and has equipped His body of believers with every good gift so that His followers can be discipled and fed. Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists. We have the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit has also come to us. We have the gifts and fruit of the Spirit to help us and to help others.

It’s love for Jesus that is to be the motivation and reason for our service to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Loving obedience to Him our Lord and Master. Jesus asked Peter 3 times if he loved him when He gave him these instructions. Peter replied that Jesus knew that he did love him. Jesus then replied “Feed My Lambs and Feed My Sheep”.

It was Peter’s love for Jesus that was to be the motivation for service. Jesus restored Peter in love and forgiveness so that Peter did not have a wrong understanding and reason to do what Jesus asked. Jesus wasn’t asking Peter to serve him out of duty or penance in mistakenly thinking he had to make it up to Jesus for denying him. A pure love for Jesus will lead to a pure love for the brethren and pure motives for service.

I believe that there are those within the body of Christ who have not taken up their ministry roles or have laid down their roles and gifts for many different reasons. There will be so many different reasons but Jesus knows them all. Jesus wants to restore us just as He restored Peter. There is a way back to Jesus and there is a way forward to serve Jesus in love as He has called us to do.

As Satan wanted to hinder Peter and to sift him like wheat, so satan does not want any of us to take up our God given callings within the body of Christ. Don’t let Satan deceive us or rob us and the body of Christ of our service to each other.

A day of Removal and Replacement

I had this word a few weeks ago from the Lord but felt that the Lord wanted me to keep it and release it today.

I believe this is what I heard the Lord say to me: “I have been watching from My throne. I have been testing and weighing to see who is putting their faith in Me. To see those who are acting justly and choosing to do what is right.

I seek for those who will carry My light. I am now going to carry out a removal. Those who are in positions of authority, starting at the very top in nations and governments will now start to be removed. You will see kingdoms and nations being shaken and leaders will start to be toppled like dominoes.

There will be others now who will be ready to take their place who I have been preparing for such a time as this. In Esther’s day I removed Queen Vashti and Esther was ready to take her place. I had prepared her to be chosen. So it will be with My people who I have prepared. Some in the hidden places, the secret places to be revealed at the right time.

The people I have prepared are for all levels of government and influence within the nations-in places of business, innovation and media. People who will rise up and speak My words and act righteously and with mercy.

They will be full of Godly wisdom as my son Solomon, they will be bold and courageous as my son, David and they will be gentle and humble like My Son Jesus.

I am at work in the darkness. I am at work in the secret place and even now I start to draw back the curtain so that My plan for removal and replacement will start to take place. Look and see and watch what will now start to be revealed.

Pray for those who have been called for such a time as this. That they will boldly seize the opportunity which opens to them. That they will walk through the open door and take their place. That fear and anxiety will not stop them. That doubt will not be a snare to them but that they will go forward boldly and occupy the positions that I have for them.

The time is coming for the doors of opportunity to be opened. Be bold and seize the day and move into the inheritance that the Lord has for His Saints.

“I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position. In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Isaiah 22:19-22

God will lift you up at the proper time

The trap of deceit

“Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful.” Jeremiah 5:26-27

Among My people – That is a sobering thought. I believe God is warning His people again now to beware of the wicked one’s trap of deceit. If we fall into that trap, we will be in great trouble. If our minds are deceived then our eyes become blind to the truth and our ears do not hear correctly. The communications we receive are tainted. We see through a distorted lens of deceit and hear through a filter which corrupts us.

The messages we receive become mixed and we are in danger that wrong things are heard and not discerned. The trap of deceit sucks us further and further into it. The door of the gilded cage is shut and we cannot fly and soar in truth as free as we should be. We are ensnared and our wings are clipped by deceit. Yet we do not see it or hear it.

Let us avoid these traps by keeping to His word revealed in Scripture as our plumb line of truth, stay close to Jesus, follow His paths. We encourage each other to weigh, test and discern the truth. It is Jesus, who is The Truth, who sets us free from deceit. The bible teaches us that –Who the son sets free is free indeed. Lies and deceit are a snare to God’s people and the father of lies, satan loves it so. Let us rather submit to God and resist Satan’s lies. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and Jesus teaches us that He, the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth.

Peter in his second letter to the early churches reminds them that there were false prophets throughout history and that there would also be false prophets amongst them and the same is true for us as believers today. There are false teachers and false prophets at work still.

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them —bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
2 Peter 2:1-3

Peter warns us that such people will deny truthful aspects of Jesus, are greedy, exploitive and goes on to say that such people despise authority, are bold and arrogant, boastful, appeal to the flesh, entice people with promises of freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity. If we follow them the consequences are dire, and as people who once knew truth we are worse off than before we knew Christ. What a terrible thing.
2 Peter 2:10,17-20

I pray that we will pay attention to these warnings and not be like the people who Jeremiah spoke of “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land. The prophets prophecy falsely and the priests rule by their own power and My people love to have it so.”

I pray that we as followers of Jesus are not be deceived by flattery or words that “tickle our ears” and appeal to our flesh. The Word of God is like a fire 🔥 which refines and purifies us to be more like Christ.

“Behold I will make your words like fire and this people like wood and it will devour them” Jeremiah 5 v14

Please Lord keep us from the trap of deceit and reveal to us if we have been entrapped in any way.

Blessings to you in Jesus name.