Return of the King...

2011-02-04T00:34:00.001Z

I have to admit that I feel a little worried about doing this. It's been over 4 years since I put anything on this blog. In fact, the 'I' that wrote the previous posts is so different from the 'me' today that I felt compelled to delete those old posts before starting this clean page.

I feel slightly worried that I'm writing this out of vanity, hoping that people will stumble on my musings and somehow think I'm some sort of prodigy. Of course, I'd be entirely lying if I pretended that wasn't somewhere in my motivation. We are all prideful beings, but I hope I can be honest enough in what I write that you'll see that I'm not trying to wow you with anything I write about myself. If I'm self-deprecating in these posts, please hear a true humility in my written voice and not false hubris. And, as my mother likes to put it, I sound like I've 'swallowed a dictionary' and am making up words, again, please don't read a sense of me trying to be clever. I went to university for five years. Reading academic books for that long does something to the way you write, and try as I may if I don't use the 'big words' and slightly archaic turns of phrase, it doesn't sound like the personal narrative voice in my head that is dictating what I write here.

Oh, and if I should throw in the odd comment that seems completely off piste, I apologise. If you know me, you'll know that I speak in asides and that seems to come out when I write too... For example, my hand is now starting to cramp as I think this is the longest thing I've ever typed on an iPhone. For another example, this post which was originally written on my iPhone I'm now editing on my laptop, and I'm stunned by how many miscorrections the iPhone had made to it...

Now I've done the authors introduction (which I know for myself is the bit of a book I often least enjoy), so apologies, I come to the heart of the matter. Why am I writing this here and now? God is moving. Plain and simple. He is, of course, always moving, but there is a particular writing here and now in the limited sphere of His kingdom I see around me in Epping Forest. The dreams of His people are getting bigger. The belief that Nothing is Impossible with Him is spreading. The word 'revival' is tentatively being spoken with an expectation of 'here, today' rather than that's all well for Toronto or Africa but not here, not now. So this is part of my response to that. And my call for every believer to get on their knees and beg that it truly would be here and today. This is a outpouring that will start, proceed and continue with the cries of the people of God to their maker that He would send the cleansing rain and then burn us with tongues of fire.

He's clearing the seabed before the tidal wave hits. He's using a Cross the smash down the walls of the churches. He's telling is it's time to sell all we possess that we might rush and buy the field where the treasure lies. Pictures His people have had here today and from their Saviour uttered millennia ago. It's coming and it's coming in our lifetime. We need to be ready, and we need to grab it with both hands. This time, Ge's going to pass by and be not only the still small voice but the thunder, the lightning, the fire and the earthquake.

He's sorting me out so I'll be ready for it when it hits. He's growing my dreams to be a bit more the scale of His dreams. He's lifting my gaze to the day when people are turning up at churches at 2am desperate to pray. He's breaking my heart ofor every child who has had their childhood stolen by the filth and lies that our culture feeds them and the brokenness of their families that the Enemy has somehow convinced us is 'OK' and 'normal'.

Let the drums be sounded, let the whistle be blown, it's soon and very soon that Gods people are going to be called to rise and charge over the top. I pray with all my heart He will see fit to let me be one of the ones leading the charge. We've got a war to fight, and we already know we have the victory in Christ. If your Spirit sings as you read this, shout that you're with me, that you're with Him, and we'll live or die for the Name together. I've said to God before that in my ministry I want to settle for no less than every child in my town to be saved. I'll give my life for it.

We need Acts - and I use that word very deliberately - of radical discipleship to be happening across our nation. What does radical discipleship look like? Well, actually, it doesn't look radical at all, it just looks like this big fat book that lots of us so called 'Holy people' carry around but don't actually sit down around read often enough. We need to seek revival around every single corner because if we don't expect it then we'll miss it. Again.

In the last week, I've seen it. The birthing of something beautiful. As the song says, "It's rising up, all around, the anthem of the Lord's renown." I can hear it playing in my head as I write this. This is where I've heard it stirring in the last week...

In a meeting with a church leader discussing how we don't care where the children and young people end up going on a Sunday morning as long as they are being brought into the Kingdom. A meeting that's been echoed again and again to me over the fortnight by churches from many denominations.

In a group of twelve young people who wanted to dip their hands in the blood of Christ that they might be set free from their sins and receive the Spirit, many of whom then went on to pray in tongues for the first time, one of whom recomitted her life and I know God has set the potential inside to be a great pastor in the future.

In a conversation with a teenager who said that she would own up to her mum about lies she had been telling even though she was terrified of the consequences because she knew it was what God wanted her to do. And then went and actually did it.

In a group of children, most of whom are not from church backgrounds, who were so excited to hear what the Bible was that they all wanted to take one home with them (so of course we gave them all one) and next week would like to learn about tongues. And we'll ask the Spirit to give them that too.

In a meeting with a Christian teacher who heard that a family was in such dire straits that their son didn't even have a bed for them to sleep in, so they arranged for their church to buy them one.

In the steadfast friendship of my Christian brothers and sisters who are so incredibly supportive of me.

In the eyes of my wife when I came home an hour earlier than she was expecting me tonight.

In the sure and certain knowledge that when Jesus said 'surely you shall do even greater things than these' that he really did mean it, and there is no restriction on the amazing things that He will do by His Spirit for His Good Pleasure and furtherance of His Kingdom. Manna from heaven, gold teeth, tongues, healing, prophecy, shaking, jumping, singing, crying, gold dust... It's all there, and there's so much more besides.

It's all happening! So, the outpouring that all this foreshadows, why not here and why not now? Because we aren't ready for it yet. The groundwork that has been going on for years isn't quite ready yet. We're standing on the shoulders of giants but we're not quite tall enough to touch the stars. But we are so close that I can taste it. So close that the first signs are starting to appear. So close that the wonders are starting to occur. So close that His people are starting to expect that 'business as usual' will never be a phrase they can use again. So close that His people are starting to long for the revival that wasn't a month long or a year long but shaped nations and brought down strongholds. The world is shaking. The ground is moving under our feet. Do you want to feel it?

Because God is a gentleman, He won't force it on us. If you want to ignore it, He will let you. The angels will weep for your unbelief, but He will let you. The Enemy will celebrate that you stood back and let it pass by, but He will let you do it. I know sometimes I want to ignore it, because it scares me to death. I know sometimes I want it to pass by, because it's turning my world upside down.

But always, without fail, God is gracious, and by His Spirit He reminds me of one thing. Of hands nailed to a cross. Of screams of agony. Of the perversion of the crown of the King of the Universe into an instrument of torture. Of the fact that I was bought at a terrible price, a price far beyond what I deserve. Of the fact that as Christ flung stars into the sky, His hands were already pierced for me, and they will be for all time and when time is finished.

So what response can I have to the Jesus who died for me, who rose for me, than to say use me in any way you can, in any way you will, however weird or scary or awesome, because a single drop of that precious blood is worth more than every second of my life.

Jesus Christ, let it be here, let it be now. Here I am. Send me.

The Light Shines in the Darkness...

Return of the King...