The UK have enjoyed a decade of prosperity, which has in some way disguised its brokeness. With the recent economic downturn, we seem to see this brokeness surfacing, due, may be, to more media attention. One of the issues is the stabbing of young people, with 21 youth killed in London alone in the first 6 month in 2008.
Another indirectly linked issue is the church split problem the Anglican Church is facing on the appointment of gay bishop (Gene Robinson of New Hampshire) and women bishops.
I shared in my last e-mail on recent statistics that UK weekly church attendance is about 6%, but declining at 2.3% a year. Church leaders are desperately looking for answers to reverse the trend. Reported revival in Florida has attracted many UK church leaders to visit. Many are now holding revival meetings after their return.
I attended one such meeting recently out of curiosity. Sadly, despite of the efforts put on, I would not call it revival yet. The worship was great and the speaker shared some very encouraging testimonies of signs & wonders, esp. in Africa, but the meeting itself was more of the same of "Slaying in the Spirit". Some call it carpet time. Some call it soaking time.
I believe in the miraculous power of God in healing & deliverance. I strongly encourage praying for those who are in sickness and in bondage. But I also believe that God will build His Church on the firm foundation of the Word of God. Jesus commanded us to make disciples who would obey His teachings, which are also confirmed with signs & wonders. We need both in building the church of Jesus Christ!
The Church needs to be patient in building it God's way and should not look for shortcuts. "He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O City of God: Selah "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me - Philistia to, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion,'" Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." [Ps 87:1-7 NIV] God loves the Church of Zion and He will establish her in all the nations in His time.
God is Sprit and we worship Him in spirit and in truth."You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars-- all the heavenly array-- do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are." [Deut 4:15-20 NIV] We need to be careful in how we present God to people. "Slaying in the Spirit" can be a step too far. God may even consider it as idol worshipping!
Holding revival meetings alone is a "tempting" way to draw the people. But Apostle Paul reminded Timothy (and us) that there are no shortcuts in building God's Church. It demands faithfulness and perseverence. "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.......devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching ........ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them ........Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." [1 Tim 4:9-16 NIV]
Let the wisdom of God encourages us in how we should live our lives. "A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.......The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful........Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm......An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble......No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble..... A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. [Prov 12:3,5,7,10,12,13,21,26 NIV]
Amen!
Another indirectly linked issue is the church split problem the Anglican Church is facing on the appointment of gay bishop (Gene Robinson of New Hampshire) and women bishops.
I shared in my last e-mail on recent statistics that UK weekly church attendance is about 6%, but declining at 2.3% a year. Church leaders are desperately looking for answers to reverse the trend. Reported revival in Florida has attracted many UK church leaders to visit. Many are now holding revival meetings after their return.
I attended one such meeting recently out of curiosity. Sadly, despite of the efforts put on, I would not call it revival yet. The worship was great and the speaker shared some very encouraging testimonies of signs & wonders, esp. in Africa, but the meeting itself was more of the same of "Slaying in the Spirit". Some call it carpet time. Some call it soaking time.
I believe in the miraculous power of God in healing & deliverance. I strongly encourage praying for those who are in sickness and in bondage. But I also believe that God will build His Church on the firm foundation of the Word of God. Jesus commanded us to make disciples who would obey His teachings, which are also confirmed with signs & wonders. We need both in building the church of Jesus Christ!
The Church needs to be patient in building it God's way and should not look for shortcuts. "He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O City of God: Selah "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me - Philistia to, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion,'" Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her." [Ps 87:1-7 NIV] God loves the Church of Zion and He will establish her in all the nations in His time.
God is Sprit and we worship Him in spirit and in truth."You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars-- all the heavenly array-- do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are." [Deut 4:15-20 NIV] We need to be careful in how we present God to people. "Slaying in the Spirit" can be a step too far. God may even consider it as idol worshipping!
Holding revival meetings alone is a "tempting" way to draw the people. But Apostle Paul reminded Timothy (and us) that there are no shortcuts in building God's Church. It demands faithfulness and perseverence. "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.......devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching ........ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them ........Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." [1 Tim 4:9-16 NIV]
Let the wisdom of God encourages us in how we should live our lives. "A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.......The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful........Wicked men are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm......An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble......No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble..... A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. [Prov 12:3,5,7,10,12,13,21,26 NIV]
Amen!
