So this morning I got up and left the house at 7.45 on a Saturday. What was I thinking of?

The answer is that I was heading up Slieve Croob with a few folks, to the source of the River Lagan. Other groups were heading up Craigantlet and the Cave Hill, and a base group of intercessors were at Covenant Love Church on the Albertbridge Road.

Having synchronised watches and been prayed for, we headed down the road to Hillsborough and Dromara. It was a hazy day, so we couldn’t actually see Belfast, but it was interesting to see the start of the Lagan, and the four masts on top of Slieve Croob.

Arriving after a 40 minute walk up from the car park at 11.45, we rested for fifteen minutes before starting into the Order of Service. It was carefully coordinated: we started by reading half of Psalm 24, then declaring to God what we had come to do: to honour him, to ask for his forgiveness and receive cleansing for the land, and to give him the glory that is rightly his. We asked him to hear from heaven and answer the prayers of his servants.

After reciting the first verses of Psalm 8, we had a short time of a cappella worship. Carefully timed at 12.15, we spent time repenting of our own sins, and those of our land, in idolatry (of every sort, including every time we put something as more important as God), occultic practices, sexual immorality, pride and divisions.

This was followed by a prayer for forgiveness and cleansing and the recitation of more scripture verses before sharing Communion. The extra bread and Ribena were scattered.

We completed Psalm 24, inviting God to come and inhabit the high places, removing all evil power, authority and influence, and to rule and reign over Belfast. After this, we “sowed the seed” of the Word by burying a carefully sealed Bible (greaseproof paper and two plastic bags), placed a stake to mark God’s ownership (the top of the stake had “Elohim” in Hebrew, and further down it had some of the key verses for the whole adventure.

We finished by reciting Isaiah 55:6-13 and making a declaration that I will write about another time. I don’t think it’s yet time to do so, although if I’m wrong I’ll quickly post it later – but it was praying into action a vision several people have shared in (including myself to an extent) regarding Revival in Belfast.

After a little more worship, which we later learnt finished the same time as at least one of the other sites, we took the half hour walk back down (much easier and faster!) to the cars before breaking open the chocolate (much needed!) and driving back to Belfast.

Critical parts of the vision included Exodus 16 where Israel was facing the Amalekites at Rephidim, with God as Jehovah Nissi – the Lord is my banner. Other links included Jehovah Sabaoth – the Lord of hosts (Psalm 24:10), and the blood of Jesus.

There is plenty more to tell. But not right now. Not yet.

I loved this.

http://gaffneyjournal.blogspot.com/2006/08/footprints-washed-away-in-sand.html

This was written by my ex-girlfriend Becky on her blog, and is posted with her permission. I can’t read it without being severely challenged.

The setting is in the 24/7 prayer room at her church in Woking where she spent three hours on Sunday morning, and it’s a conversation between her and God. Be ready to be challenged…

Me: Lord, what would I be doing with my life if sin had never come into the world. What would your puropse for me be?

God: To worship me all the days of your life and trust me completely.

Me: In this world of sin, what is your design for my life?

God: To worship me all the days of your life and trust me completely.

Me: Lord, in practice, what does that really mean? How can I do that.

God: Never take me away from the front of your mind. Stay in constant communion with me. Consult me on your life, discuss the minutiae of your life with me. I care, I want to know. Don’t wait until your life has tun out of fuel to call on me.

Me: But is that practical? I mean, won’t that get in the way of my life and what I
need to do?

God: Yes of course it will. That is the point.

HOW OFTEN DO I LET GOD GET IN THE WAY OF MY LIFE?

How often indeed. Far too little in my case. Look at how often I burn out. I would handle life a lot better if I observed that very simple thing… absolute numptiness.

Scary.

I’m a full-blown Bible-believing Charismatic Evangelical Christian.

The problem for people like me is justifying ourselves to non-Charismatic Evangelicals.

Why is this? What I hear from people is about how we’re turning to experience instead of the Word, and we’re losing depth.

Are we?

The answer is… yes.

Charismatic leaders as a rule are well versed in the Bible, but we run the danger that members of charismatic congregations may be more interested in what happens at the meeting and getting our next charismatic buzz than in what God says in the Bible.

Think about it. The Bible has to be uppermost. How can we tell if what we are experiencing is of God if we don’t know our Bibles? No experience that contradicts the Bible can be of God, so it’s kinda essential.

Similarly, if we hear someone speak about God, how can we know if they’re being authentic and truthful if we don’t know God’s word? This applies whether they speak from the Bible or not… you can speak properly about God without citing the Bible once if others can in turn check what you say against the Bible, or you can use the Bible to tell lies about God by taking bits out of context.

I also know from the books I’ve read that even Christian books can miss things out, and you need to know the rest of God’s truth. I’m reading one book at the moment where the guy is talking about Jesus’ message about God’s kingdom. What he’s saying (about the meaning for life in this world) is absolutely brilliant, and I believe it’s true, but it’s only 2/3 of the story (the other 1/3 being about being with God forever). Watch out for the review when I finish the book, it’ll be posted somewhere on the site.

Being with God, having experiences is utterly brilliant. I wouldn’t swap it for the world.

But I also know how much he wants me to have the experience of knowing his word, so I can read Psalm 119 with my whole heart. I think it will also increase how God can speak to me, as I get to know him better through his word.