Where we have come and the Way Ahead

Kansas City Shepherds Crusade

My Facebook Post 9/1/2019
We were new Christians who had come out of denominations after being converted and filled with the Spirit. At that time we had the American belief of Tim La Haye that we had to get everybody converted as quickly as possible because Jesus was coming back soon. We held little value in the world system and were concerned mostly with preparing for after death. Then Ern Baxter arrived in the UK under a peculiar, (as in strong) anointing.
He addressed our whole generation stating Biblically why our belief was incomplete.
This in itself is not new. There are two instances when apostles asked believers if they received the Spirit when they believed. And Paul instructed teachers further in the gospel.
In the Lakes messages 1975 Ern likened the new Spiritfilled generation to David and his relationship with the equally Spiritfilled Saul, yet made it clear anointing wasnt everything, and God took David as He did His own Son through testing.
In the Capel Bible Week Ern laid out the nature of Covenantal relationship with God and with one another, forming the apostolic basis right there of thousands of new UK and European churches.
In Dales Bible Week 1976 and Kansas City Shepherds Conference Thy Kingdom Come message
Ern stated unequivocally that God spoke in this way to His Son
Sit at my right hand and RULE until your enemies are made your footsool.
He also compared the Israelites in the wilderness to all charismatics and evangelicals, stating that God's objective was to bring us into the Land, and contrary to erroneous doctrine of the evangelical church, since the Cross the LAND now means the whole globe, which has been bought back through the Lamb's own work.
From 1976- 2000s at least some of our number have been repeating the error of the Catholics and the Jesuits by following a carnal manipulation of the fulfilment, which has resulted in evangelicals who are still rooted in the old after life objective, rightly calling their approach Triumphalist.
I saw from the psalms that God has never changed His approach ever, which unlike Abraham and Hagar, involved His original promise to Abraham and Sarah of a Child of Promise fulfilled by the arm of the Lord supernaturally.
I could see this clearly in Psalm 24,Psalm 110, Psalm 123,Psalms of Ascent especially 134 and Psalm 149.
But what the praying intercessors known as the Sisters of the Candlestick in the 50s saw, and what has been continued by brethren such as Ian Clayton,Mike Parsons, Praying Medic and now many others, is that this very fulfilment is wholly connected to us taking our heavenly role in the Courts of the Lord. Surely this was at least part of the meaning of what was formerly called the Rapture, in our invitation to be caught up, raptured into the clouds of Shekinah, God's own glory.
As I have indicated this week, as well as us rising into our place in the Son of Man , where the government is upon His shoulders, is our earthly walk which I challenged Justin Abraham about pictured in the Tabernacle as the Mercy Seat, the walk of Galatians 2.20. But simultaneous to this Psalm 133 and the last discourse of Jesus in John 17 before death, was that we ARE ONE, and we walk together as such, and are KNOWN as such.
The World Council of Churches is attempting an Ishmael coercive unity under the Pope, but according to the Commandments of the Lord and now the in working work of the Holy Spirit to fulfil it,
both the first commandment of loving the Lord with all we are and have, and loving our brethren with whom we have covenantal rights as ones who dwell and continue in the Light, as the fulfilment of the second commandment, are both relational and real experiences, rather than mere coerced outer formalities which have little reality at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God has been filling in the dots as we come into more Light to be able to understand those dots. With this greater clarity go back and read Maurice Smith's Prophecy in 1977 in one of the  London meetings

One of the places I reposted this was 19th May 2011
Maurice Smith – The Glorious Church - 1977
Friends

Have you noticed the way I have led you so far?First of all I have lifted your eyes and given you a vision. A vision that encompassed the whole church. A vision that speaks in ultimate terms and shows you the finished product from heaven's perspective. Your heart was touched by the thought of a great church 'without spot or wrinkle'. As Ispoke to you in those early days it all seemed so attainable,so within reach. The detail was not apparent to you, only the fact that I had spoken, and you saw clearly that now was the hour for the church to become one people. Now was the hour for barriers to go down, for people to come together,regardless of their upbringing and background.

John 17 -•that they might be one' - seemed to be re-echoing fromevery corner of the world and without any collaboration between the voices. You were convinced God was at work.This was his move and he would accomplish it. (So far so good, but now pause and think).



Have you noticed that the outworking is not as easy as it seemed when you received your revelation? Had I wanted to wave an arm in heaven and accomplish my purposes, I would have done so. But I have set my heart upon a personal relationship with everyone who forms a part of this glorious church. 'My ways are not your ways' still remains true, and whereas men would organise a one-church-movement, and set the wheels in motion to co-ordinate this group with that, I have spoken again into the hearts of men that I am growing the church. As ever I am starting small and consolidatingevery move I make. Every now and then there is an upsurge and an outbreak on a larger scale, which is an encouragement to everyone, but the master-builders know that at such times extravagant things are said and believed, and the idea spreads that we are farther on than we really are.


According to eternal principles I then prune that which has borne fruit that it may bring forth more fruit, andthe master-builders are not token by surprise when thishappens. They know that every step of the way I insist that the personal relationship of God and man is developed, and that this explains many apparent set-backs. I do not want people carried along on the crest of a wave, but people with some realisation of the cost, who nevertheless still desire above all else to be a part of this glorious church which gripped their imagination long ago. Indeed many only get their first glimpse of this holy and unified church in the midst of this upsurge stage of my purposes. (Pause again and think about what I am saying).



Now, because of all I have allowed to work upon your lives,you have a deepening relationship with me. Now you really begin to relate to one another. Not as a people who have in mind some grand successful church movement, but as a peopie captivated by my love and grace toward you; as a people thankful to be included at all in what I have set my heart upon. Now you are prepared to go at my pace, you do not despise the time it takes to form a relationship.You begin to understand that I really was unhurried as I made my friendship with sinners, that I was fully prepared for the disappointments and the rewards of friendship, and so it shall be with you more and more. As the barriers between one and one go down, as friendships are formed,and commitments made, you became more vulnerable to being hurt, and yet also on the verge of great discoveries. The riches that I have placed within every single one of you,becomes the available treasure of each other, and the poverty that has marked my people for so long shall be swallowed up in an abundance of supply.There I go again, re-envisioning you and lifting your eyes to the inevitable goal; but take it steady, be prepared for set-backs, be realistic - all in the true knowledgethat,although in one sense it has to be done stone upon stone, it is later than you think, and that finally everything shall be done suddenly.



For there shall be a great unveiling, a pulling aside of the curtain in a moment of time, a trumpet blast and the body of God forged through many trials and heartaches, joined together by many sinews and main arteries across the world, shall arise and dismay shall strike the hearts of many as they see that which they have scorned so long become the evident dwelling place of God.



In an hour when all is falling down, this church shall stand up like an army with abundant life and flexible structure. The bones shall have real flesh on them, andall the world shall see and marvel at this glorious church without spot or wrinkle, that first captivated the hearts of many of you so long ago.

this was a Prophecy through Maurice Smith 7 January 1977 at the Friends MeetingHouse, London

Larry Tomczak Finally Has His Say (via Dan Bowen)

 

Larry Tomczak Finally Has His Say      from  Life on Wings

My note on this copy post:

Why is this important? After all, this represents an organisation rooted and grounded in the second level of seeing. Originally at least, SGM preached the two layer gospel of   Repent,be baptised in water,    and then two, be filled with the Holy Spirit. 
What do you mean originally? Well, many of these type of churches...and without having been there , Dunstable apparently seems to be one of the worst examples (not part of SGM network), have now been bewitched by Reformed doctrine.

What do you mean bewitched? How it works is this. When the Spirit working in the life of a believer  produces effects that either 1. don't lead to what is judged to the eye as sanctification 2. or appear to lead to other disturbing results

- immature spiritual leaders  panic, and instead of looking properly to God to get His eye view.....(probably that all the dark hidden secret foundations that really run believer's lives are now being squarely challenged by the Spirit as He unearths them one by one)  they look back to the flesh as they did in Galations, and start to slap "external laws/conditions and behaviours" on new believer's lives.

Inserted biography as example: What do I mean? Emsworth Church was founded by revelation.Jean Darnall,Harry Greenwood and others gave "words" out of nowhere.The Church foundation word was "given by accident" as an apostle passed through a prayer meeting. The Foundation of the Church WAS to be Bible House...a prototype of how future church was to function in the Spirit. The whole pattern of it "came down the mountain". It was not dreamt up. Both Ed Miller and later Jorge got the patterns (2 rolled into one) in heaven waiting on God.I don't think I was too different ,because flesh is flesh, but I was probably the worst. The week I arrived, my first houseowners "saw in the Spirit" a "lurker" walking about my room.I wasnt there.I was also unaware of this in my life.Anyhow, I feel sure (without knowing properly) that immature leadership decided to abandon the project after what happened with all of us, and in particular me. 2ndlevellers have absolutely no clue of the intercession involved in bringing people forth in Christ. They read, but cannot perceive in the Spirit the words of St Paul" I came amongst you to find Christ crucified."

Does that mean Reformed doctrine is wrong? No. For the most part, it ties in with scriptures. The bad thing about it when you look in the Spirit is that you are encouraging Christians to  

• try and be better Christians by doing this........ and that

•  not ever seeing in the Spirit that the Christian at his/her core centre has never been founded properly on their inner believing of who they now are in Christ

So, never breaking into the third level of seeing, why is it a surprise that this list of behaviour issues should manifest

extract from below: Five issues were highlighted at that time: 1) Pride, Sectarianism and Elitism 2) Self-righteousness and Judgmentalism 3) Blackmail and Intimidation 4) Lack of Integrity and Deceitfulness 5) Abuse of Spiritual Authority.

This is none other than a part of the list that Jesus reeled off in His ministry describing the Jews trying to live in "flesh righteousness". So again, why should this be a surprise among an organisation that has only 2 out of the three layers of foundational revelation of the life in Christ.

Well, I have included this post for this reason.

Larry Tomczak and CJ Mahaney  were "something else". In the 1980s, when even John Wimber was John Wimber, that is a ministry that although firmly promoted the Body of Christ as an every member ministry, was still mysteriously doing the promoting in the name of a single individual with a team.... Larry and CJ were breaking the mould. They truly were something quite new in the earth. A twin ministry of mightily anointed people, commencing the message of grace to the Spirit-filled community. What had been emerging in corners through Maurice Smith, was here being brandished openly and imparted by a lovely twin ministry.

But ofcourse, this grace message foundation is Romans 3 to 5 ministry, and hasn't even entered into the territory of Romans 6 to 8  which is explained at the side of this blog by Norman Grubb in the link.

Now the default in Spirit "works", Spirit -filled churches, across the Body worldwide is for these new churches to hit a wall about the time we would be beginning to share the "lead up" to the third level. The church I was in at Emsworth in the eighties hit the same wall.

 Leaders either break through personally to discovering the third level, or they redouble control and slowly the Lampstand of the church is withdrawn. Opposite where Emsworth Church (NLCC)now meet was a tin tabernacle hut first opened by Smith Wigglesworth as a visiting Pentecostal minister. 60 years on, a sad and tired old lady handed over the key to us to continue the work of the gospel. She was the last member. Same story.

Below is of interest though, because Larry at least, seems to have a heart to move on in God, and I have every reason to believe that the God who moved me on, will also move him on. But the bigger question is what will happen to SGM as a whole. It is being seduced by the same Reformed demon as Dunstable church at the moment....so a mighty mighty touch would be needed. And usually, history shows it is just simpler working with fresh wineskins, as Jesus would say.

 To recap on the header illustration: If you as a church are not prepared to press through in Christ until He Himself has shod you properly with the gospel of peace - "How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news...."

you will cut your losses and seek to manufacture the same results artificially by resorting to works, or in this case Reformed Doctrine.

 

 

Just when we thought there were no more twists and turns to the sorry Sovereign Grace Ministries story - Larry Tomczak has had his say on his website. Here's what he has to say.

THE TOMCZAK DEPARTURE FROM S.G.M. — WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

— Larry and Doris Tomczak (November 2011)

As you read of our time with Sovereign Grace Ministries, we are sharing some traumatic experiences, yet endeavoring to do so accurately and redemptively. I want to say at the outset that I am not blameless, but I at times yielded to a spirit of fear when told I “lacked discernment” and was at times cowardly when I should have addressed unrighteous behavior. Where we participated in any unredemptive treatment of God’s people, we ask for your forgiveness. Over the years Doris and I have met with numerous people to ask forgiveness and people have been most gracious to us. Feel free to contact us if you feel a need to revisit any past experiences. Thank you in advance for your mercy and love. Let us unite in prayer that what we communicate will help many, bring healing and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ.

“But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones. So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Gen. 50:19-21

“Encountering departures and desertions from our ministries—we must see them as tutors—revealing our real motives and deficiencies in our methodology. These are tests from God. They will reveal our hearts.” -Dave Harvey, SGM Leader

Note: This quote appeared on the cover page of a paper I submitted to SGM leaders one year after our 1997 departure, “An Appeal for Repentance, Reconciliation and Closure.”

Five issues were highlighted at that time: 1) Pride, Sectarianism and Elitism 2) Self-righteousness and Judgmentalism 3) Blackmail and Intimidation 4) Lack of Integrity and Deceitfulness 5) Abuse of Spiritual Authority.

The paper cited the names of 61 former leaders who experienced mistreatment (the list is currently over 100) and included an appeal for a forum where “individuals with outstanding offenses and unresolved issues could be addressed…these issues will not simply fade away but will continue lingering for years until dealt with redemptively and honestly.” I received no response from any team leaders to the paper or appeal for adjudication. Date of submission: December 1998.

“The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.” (I Tim.5:24)

Next year I will celebrate God’s faithfulness in my 40th year of full-time Christian ministry. At this juncture I sensed it would be helpful to tell the story of a painful turning point in my life and ministry.

Recently, I wrote a “Statement of Reconciliation” with CJ Mahaney, attempting to be as gracious and discrete as possible regarding specifics. But as more details surfaced on the Internet it became apparent that God wanted everything in the light. Our experience is not an isolated case. It is probably one of the most egregious and ignominious examples of deceit and abusive behavior surfacing in SGM at this time. But it did not create the crisis. Instead, it revealed how root issues have been ignored and left unaddressed for too long. May we all proceed in humility and mercy, mindful of Prov. 28:13, “He who conceals his sin will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes his sin will obtain mercy.”

After 24 years of service in the DC area with the “Take and Give Ministry” (TAG), cofounding Covenant Life Church in our home and then serving in leadership in Fairfax Covenant Church, I with my family departed disappointedly, yet hopefully, for better things in Atlanta in 1996. We knew for a number of years that I was being marginalized in Sovereign Grace Ministries (formerly People of Destiny International) and when differences with Reformed doctrine began surfacing, the tension only increased.

At a youth rally in Atlanta, one of our teen-age sons responded along with other youth to an appeal for living genuine Christian lives. That night at home he voluntarily shared with me areas of waywardness and his desire to change, but the door was now open to confront me for “failures at home” and “character deficiencies.” “Apostolic Team” leaders forbade me to be present for a later meeting with my son where he was told to “share all your sins” with the vow of their “confidentiality” (which was later broken).

Subsequently, the team said it “lost confidence in my leadership,” and agreed to a “leave of absence,” sending out a “letter of confession” written by me, then undergoing several revisions affirming SGM leadership and inserting material with which I was uncomfortable but required to include. At the church meeting announcing the shift, I was told to nod in agreement for the congregation to observe.

The agreed upon 6-12 month period was short-circuited when we experienced a pattern of spiritual abuse, deceit, harshness and hypocrisy (including premeditated blackmail, communicated and reaffirmed on numerous occasions and subsequently left to silence and hang over us for over a decade). The entire apostolic team and the new senior pastor and his staff participated in this. We also were told to consider uprooting to Virginia Beach or Phoenix, which we said we could not do because we did not sense this to be God’s will for our family. Criteria established for returning to my former role as senior pastor made that outcome an impossibility unless I embraced the Reformed doctrinal tenets (although people nationwide were deliberately misled with information to the contrary).

My wife and I finally left PDI when things finally reached the “untenable” point. It became for us a matter of conscience. Disingenuous public statements and letters sent nationwide misrepresented what actually happened and I was publically slandered at Covenant Life Church, called a “liar” (with guests and non-believers present) as the leader declared, “I’d rather be dead than do what Larry Tomczak is doing!” Local leaders were affirmed leading to an almost unanimous standing ovation. My reputation built upon 25 years in ministry, was debased nationally and abroad. My “Seven Reasons for Departing PDI” were not conveyed and for 13 years this perception remained in the public domain, separating our family from many relatives, friends and leaders in the Body of Christ. It also resulted in serious financial repercussions for us as a family of six.

For over a decade we tried to bring CJ and the apostolic team to account for the injustice, even enlisting nationally known leaders in the effort, but to no avail. Finally, in November of 2010 he consented. Years of confrontation by SGM leaders and CLC pastors along with the turmoil and defections of people in the network of churches brought CJ to the realization he needed to repent of longstanding sins, some of which were committed in our unfortunate departure. CJ later made a public confession of some of his transgressions at Covenant Life Church and announced a “leave of absence.” Many believe his confession was a start but was incomplete and minimized the severity of the issues. We were invited to the November SGM Pastors Conference and Covenant Life Church to speak on reconciliation, but the invitation was rescinded. At the conference CJ shared he regretted having taken the leave of absence.

CJ’s example, problems surfacing in churches affiliated with SGM, and Internet disclosures from a former apostolic team member were catalytic in some SGM leaders beginning to come forward to repent and rectify matters with our family. One former team member had already done so years previously, after experiencing abusive treatment leading to his departure. An independent advisory panel, Ambassadors of Reconciliation, has been retained to engage in a discovery process to help facilitate reconciliation with former members and leaders who believe they have been spiritually abused. The panel is also collecting information to assist with reforms needed in SGM as well as assist in determining CJ Mahaney’s future status.

May the Lord guide us all as we redemptively deal with past transgressions and find His grace manifested in this time of reconciliation, reform and discipline for Sovereign Grace Ministries. The changes are not cosmetic but substantive to effectively eradicate systemic issues and transform a leadership culture that has drifted from Biblical norms. Two of the churches in Revelation faced the practice of the Nicolaitans (“suppress the people”). One hated it; the other held to it (Rev.2:6 & 15). May SGM leaders align with the former.

To be faithful to criteria for Biblical leadership; to steer clear of the sin of favoritism and partiality; and to be consistent with what was expected of former SGM leaders, I believe senior leaders should step down for a season to be retooled for ministry according to I Pet. 5 and I Tim. 3 standards. Public repentance and public statements should be made along with restitution where appropriate. Then and only then, can the favor of Almighty God return in its fullness to this ministry and unity be restored. The warning of God’s “lampstand” (His Presence) being removed (Rev. 2:5) is very real when a church or ministry is being evaluated by Jesus and fails to respond. Many onlookers are hoping and praying that will not happen.

Then we all can pray like Nehemiah did after he instituted reforms to restore the walls of the city of God: “Remember me with favor, O my God.” (Neh. 13:31)

ps: Because the issues and contents of this statement have already been made public at church meetings and on the Internet for months, I sensed it was appropriate to release my story at this time. CJ and I are almost 40-year friends and our reconciliation statement still stands. In my study I keep a plaque he gave me decades ago. On it are the words: “My Brother, I would not be the man I am without your care and example. I am eternally indebted to you. Your Yokefellow, CJ.” I would add: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” (Prov. 27:6)

Posted by Dan Bowen at 6:00 PM

Jesus Ministry "seemed"to totally fail - A Brief History of 3rd level Church

From Facebook - Mystery Revealed
• Colin Lagerwall
  Jesus said on the night before He died....All of you will desert Me........His ministry seemed to totally fail.....no suave looks..... no building or feeding schemes left......He even had no clothes left to preserve some form of image.........
  Yet in giving up every part of His image of natural birth and means, He successfully redeemed the Image and likeness of God in us .....
  Mission Impossible Complete !
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• You, Oghenakheranimoh Seann Enigimi-Julius and 4 others like this.

• • Colin Lagerwall The thing with image....when we know the image and likeness of God in us, any 'image' outside of this fades in comparison....so if I have much or little, fast cars or a bicycle, a suit or just shorts and sandals (shorts and sandals please :), my 'image' is not affected because His glory in me (who I am) is the real deal...II can enjoy the others, but they are not my image, just something I can enjoy if I want to..
    2 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1Loading...
  • 
    Chris Welch As He is so are we in the world. If Jesus' ministry fell apart like this (but Hey,the Holy Spirit put it together again) then we shouldn't be surprised if our "ministry" looks at times no different.Ed Miller said,"Beware the church that looks great.There is probably nothing happening."
    2 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1Annalize Mouton likes this.
  • 
    Chris Welch Folks,the "third level message" at first appearances to outsiders appears like DOOM. "Best stay clear". Think about it, the first ever appearance of the third level message on earth was in John 6. Everything had been trundling along quite happily in Jesus ministry, give or take Nazareth.He'd been functioning pretty Benny Hinn like, gathering crowds and closer disciples, on the shores of Galilee, with strong accompanying miracles. Then in John 6 He introduces the third level message for the first time..."Ummmm....you all know that you do have to eat my flesh, and drink my blood , right?" You couldn't see anything for clouds of dust. After a while the air cleared and there were just 12, just 12 left.Not even enough for a sattellite TV show!
    21 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
  • 
    Chris Welch The next big presentation, kind of shoe horned in before Jesus had to leave was in John's chapters 13 through 17 in the Upper Room. Within 12 hours His whole ministry had blown apart, and He was being carted off to a false trial and death. So how is the third level message looking so far? have we got tons of advertisers queuing up for placing ads in the intermission? Nope. Just clouds of dust. We move to England. 1980. Ed Miller. Conference of Two related UK churches: Emsworth and Brentwood. Ed starts to lay out the 3rd level (he didn't use that phrase,neither did Jesus.Jesus was far more insensitive.His term sounded like cannibalism.) In the middle of the conference a demon spirit gets one of our "members" to confess to something "on behalf of our pastor" who had made the innocent remark that Dr Michael Reid used to be a policeman, so he was perhaps a bit more Law based in his approach to things. Well in the mouth of the woman it didnt sound like this, it sounded like Jack The Ripper's fourth murder. The two churches blasted apart, and Ed nolonger visited either much after this.Are you getting the picture?
    13 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
  • 
    Chris Welch ‎1980 Part Two. Norman Grubb goes to Romford. he starts sharing the third level. Maurice Smith and a load of others pick it up. Maurice is led to do something a bit radical, which nobody else believes is God. Next thing, he is ostracised from what were then some of the most cutting edge churches in Britain. Is anyone catching this?
    11 minutes ago · LikeUnlike
  • 
    Chris Welch ‎1980 Part Three. Sam Fife and the multitude of brethren that ministered alongside him, that both Daniel Yordy and I know, held conferences in a "3rd level" community in Colden Common near Southampton. Great conference.I received so much in my spirit.Some of the London people I have told you about, namely John Noble, were there. But totally unimpressed. As if to confirm "their Holy Spirit discernment", within a very short while, days or weeks, the whole community "blew skyhigh" with incredibly bitter fall-out, since all had contributed much financially, but only a few received any money from the proceeds. This just confirmed everything to Tony Morton's Southampton "Apostolic pyramid", that the third level was in fact total baloney.And they bought the community house for their own network school. What I would say to everyone reading scripture, and everyone honestly pursuing Jesus....
  • "Look beneath the foliage." 
  • "Look after the dustcloud has cleared, for the 12 left." 
  • "Understand that the 3rd level message is both the message of the Cross at our core, and ACTUALLY the Cross as the message is then worked out. " In other words it sets in process spiritual definition that just won't look nice and happy clappy....but the end result is fresh spiritual cycles of reproduced Jesus Christs going around bringing in fresh harvests.

Life in the Melchizedek Order XI : Maurice Smith - I'm Dead

From Chapter 2 - 20th Century Pilgrim by Maurice Smith
We were lost. There was no doubt about it. We had left Canterbury pushed for time, and now Eileen and I were trying to arrive in time for 'Here comes the bride' at a wedding in Barnet, Hertfordshire. We found London all right, but emerging from under the River Thames via the Blackwall tunnel, had taken a wrong turning and were now exploring the awful delights of the Mile End Road. In frustration I turned down a side street.
At least we were now facing north and not heading straight for the heart of the great metropolis.
'We'll stop and ask those two fellas,' I said, as I swung the car across the road, pulling up by a grimy corner pub where they were fixed in discussion over a matter that was obviously of worldwide importance. Both looked up inquisitively from under the peaks of their caps.
'Yes mate?' one enquired.
'I want to get to Barnet please,' I said as politely as I could manage, struggling under the pressure of being late. He looked blank.
'Barnet? ... Barnet?' His bewildered gaze questioned my face as if I'd asked for Bangalore. I thought as quickly as I could; we were wasting precious time. Maybe if I suggested somewhere between our present location in the Mile End Road and Barnet, then one of these East End philosophers could at least get me en route.
'Highgate,' I offered. 'Do you know Highgate Archway?'
They shook their heads in unison. By now I was approaching my normal state of desperation and blurted out,
'Finsbury Park! The Arsenal! Surely you know where that is?'
I reasoned that if I could get just that far at least I'd be going in the right direction. Their faces lit up in joint recognition. Impatience caused me to lean out of the window to hurry them along. No such luck. They were making a meal of this enquiry. It was obviously not every day that someone sought them out for advice. Finally they ceased their deliberations and the spokesman approached me with as much authority as he could muster. I waited expectantly. Drawing himself up to his full height, he announced with absolute finality:
'Sorry mate, you can't get there from here!'
I was dumbfounded. I began to remonstrate with the man. 'Where else do you expect me to start from?' I demanded logically.
He looked puzzled.
'I should close the window dear; we'll have to ask somebody else.'
It was my wife, the source of all calmness and wisdom, from the passenger seat.
How impossible to start anywhere other than where we are now. Why even God can't meet us where we are not (if you can sort that out!). I realised that on my spiritual pilgrimage I'd got myself into a fair old muddle, but there seemed no way I could guarantee to sort myself out. My Christian life looked like a big tangled ball of wool, and all I could do was pull one of the ends to see what came out. That was where I was at. I had to start from there. I was weighed down with over-re?
sponsibility, declaring 'his yoke was easy' but finding everything pretty difficult really. Trying to make this Christian life have impact, trying to live a godlier life, trying to bring maturity to the bunch of people who had recognised me as an 'elder' and were submitting areas of their lives to me for guidance. It was all so trying, and was certainly the blind leading the blind; although as ever, I was willing to wave my stick about in front a bit more than most. I'd just have to have a weak pull of one of the wool ends again and see what happened. All this effort was beginning to wear me down.
Dorrie Brooking was a lady for whom I had much respect. I suspected she was in her sixties, and she had that tell-tale twinkle in the eye that always tantalised me. These twinklers had what I was after, so when she invited Eileen and me to her Canterbury home one evening about fourteen years ago, I went gladly.
'We've a man called John Anderson from Scotland speaking,' she said.
Well speak he did. I've never seen anyone so relaxed. He sat there explaining that he didn't live this Christian life, Christ lived it instead.' He used to kneel by his bed at night and feel sorrowful for his sins; instead he said he now walked in holiness. He took a cigarette from his pack and lit it up, turned to the assembled company and asked, 'Any questions?'
Any questions?!! If he had suggested an orgy he couldn't have caused more impact. There were several of my evangelical friends in the room and the backs of their necks were nigh purple with rage. One man began, 'Every night I kneel down and confess all my sins . . .'
'Must be a miserable existence,' John commented with some concern.
'You don't keep sinning?!' 'You smoke?!' The questions came thick and fast. In spite of all their biblical knowledge about God not looking on the outer appearance but on the heart, they seemed obsessed by John's three inch tube of tobacco. In Hungary, I recalled, some of the finest Christians I've met smoked quite freely, and gave their lives in martyrdom freely also. The Germans drank wine without condemnation, and the American ladies wore make-up (what a stir Billy Graham's wife caused when she arrived in this country back in the fifties!)
'What about you, Maurice? How are you coping?' It was that still small voice inside. I admitted I was confused, and stayed behind for question time, while Eileen went home to relieve the babysitter. I was asking God to show me the truth, for it seemed the speaker was on one end of a spiritual see-saw and most of his hearers on the other. I was rushing up and down the plank, unable to settle either end. I felt the Lord was asking me if I could accept new light, even if it meant losing some of the friends I'd had for years. Although the connection eluded me, I said 'yes', and the Holy Spirit spoke more clearly in response than I'd heard him speak for years.

'You're dead, Maurice,'he said, and I instantly
knew I was.
Nothing ever happens to me by halves. It was as if I'd been groping about in the dark for years and suddenly all the house lights came full on. This was evidently to do with freedom from sin, because the contents of a verse from Romans seven planted themselves plainly in my mind: 'But if I do that I
would not ... it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me." No more I! (Mistakenly I thought I had seen I was dead to the law also, but that was to come years later and after what seemed like reservoirs full of tears and lorryloads of anguish.)
This unlikely scripture was used to ram home the 'no more I' emphasis. It came simply as a direct revelation to my spirit, sealing the fact that I was dead.
I knew I didn't have to wrestle with sin anymore. The more I sinned, the more grace abounded.' But who wanted to sin anyway? Should I just go and have a good old sin-up in order to experience more grace? After all, He who is forgiven most, loves most! No, I found myself with Paul saying, 'God forbid'; or, more accurately with his modern translator J. B. Phillips when he penned, 'What a ghastly thought!'
Oh, what an emancipation. I bounded home to my wife; it was by now very late and she was in bed. In my elation I woke her up and shared my discovery.
'I'm dead! I'm dead!' echoed round the bedroom. She obviously wondered what it was all about, for I had never looked so much alive! Eileen reminded ,me that I had been preaching this truth from Romans for ten years. What was so different now? I just had to reply,
'I know, dear, but it's true!'
For years I had been telling myself it was true because it was in the bible and The Normal Christian Life.
'I'd like to run down the streets of Canterbury and tell everyone,' I said on waking next morning. We realised together, lying there in bed, that these
were exactly the words Watchman Nee had used when he had received the same revelation. Only with him it had been Shanghai, and considerably earlier on in his pilgrimage. Now I was free, really free from all those desperate attempts to stop sinning. I didn't live anymore, it was Christ that lived in me. That old accusing nagging self was dead and buried. Not only had my sins been carried away two thousand years ago, but so had 1. Jesus had not only dealt with the fruit, but with the root of the trouble. I had sinned because I was a sinner, and not the other way round. Now the sinner was dead.
It was not long before I was in trouble with my friends.
'You are so heavenly-minded, you'll be no earthly use!'
'You have to do your part you know.' 'You have to be responsible .. .'
On and on it went until finally I was labelled an antinomian. Until then I had jokingly half-thought that described a particular aversion to garden gnomes, but now I knew better. It is a relief to know that such an eminent scholar as Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones has declared that anyone preaching the true good news of grace was sure to be called an antinomian, or one who uses the gospel as an excuse to sin. I'm sure glad the Apostle Paul didn't feel bound to add in a bit of self-help bad news to make sure his contemporaries didn't go off into licence. If they wanted to use their freedom as an occasion to fulfil their fleshly desires, then do so they must, with dire consequences; but he stressed primarily, 'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!''
These friends of mine were serious. They really felt I had to fight to resist sin, to grit my teeth and stick at this Christian grind. Their actual words didn't go this far, but their attitudes did. They had no alternative but to try to stop sinning; failing time and again, then keep getting forgiveness. I'd crept further along the other end of the see-saw than that. I tried to explain that 'by myself (in this area) I can do nothing'. All I was capable of doing was 'yielding' 11 to Christ within. These dear friends seemed to have the ability to make even the give-up type of words, like 'yield', take on a massive personal responsibility. Gradually many began to refer to me as 'off the rails' and to edge me out of their company. Moving from doctrine to experience had proved a costly step and I guess it often is. Anyway, I would not be put off. I was going to trust God to keep me from sin.
O.B.H. (Old Brother Holloway)had been right again when he had caught me worrying one day. As I trudged along the Deal seafront early one morning with those two ungodly perpendicular lines creasing my forehead, he crept up behind me and whispered,
'It's perfectly safe to trust the Lord, old boy' And so it is.
This was a major blow against all those demons of false doctrine who had been successfully harassing me into trying to do what Jesus had already done. As far as I was concerned, he had freed me from both the guilt and the power of sin: I am dead to sin and alive to Christ;" I was crucified with him; I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Thank goodness there are not two natures within me fighting for the upper hand. I am a container for the living God." I used to contain the spirit of my original father, the devil.'

I now contain the spirit of my new father, God. I'm glad I started where I was, in all my confusion, and went up to Dorrie Brooking's home with all the ensuing controversy.
From time to time, as a new creation, sin may penetrate my outer defences and get into my flesh and soul realm, but never deep into the depth of the spirit realm – that's where I am entirely new. Once gain a foothold and, of course, Satan makes a great fuss and starts to argue that 'The old man is alive again' or 'you never were crucified with Christ" or you would not be behaving like this'; but we know he is a liar 17 and can quickly send him packing. Sin 'dwelling in us' (taking up a dwelling or a temporary residence) is quite a different matter to having a sinful nature.
As usual, I thought I'd arrived and Jesus would be here by the weekend. Maurice has had revelation And will have no more problems! Well, it hasn't been quite like that you can be sure, but the impact of that wonderful revelation has never left me during the many following years. What I know now is that I was finally in the good of Romans six. I was dead to sin; no more effort in that direction; but I had a long way to go before I could say the same of Romans seven – before being dead to trying to serve God," and trying to be an effectual Christian was a reality.
Freed from worrying about sin, now I was to turn my full attention on 'growing up in Christ'. More effort! And that's what the last fourteen years have been about. It was subtle, and painful, and doubtless all part of the divine plan to get me across the wilderness and up into the promised land. Like the Israelites, I seemed to have turned a few days'
journey into years of misery, and he has been there in it all. I realise now that Jesus 'lured' me into the wilderness that I might come out 'leaning on my beloved', but there was no awareness of that during the troubled years.
Are you just a little perplexed by the ups and downs, the winding route? Join the club. I've been perplexed for years and according to his testimony to the Corinthians, so was Paul, for he openly stated, 'We are perplexed.' We're in good company. I've a large shelf in my life and on it I place all the things I don't understand. From time to time, I take some of them down and review them. Some go back up, some go out, and some of them I am able to receive into my life. I cannot believe everything now. There is a time for everything and group pressure from others, or trying to keep up with the spiritual Jones' from my side, will only mean an abortive birth of the truth in me, with all the attendant traumas that follow in its wake. I want to go on, I want to be changed into all the Lord has for me, but I'm all right where I am too. In fact I shall probably never go on to be all that I desire to be until I've fully accepted that where I am is all right. So let's stay perplexed, if need be, and live with things we don't understand. We're running full stretch; let's first maintain our form and not try to go faster than we're capable of, that's the way to get our best time, and if running isn't your sport I'm sure you can find another analogy.

Prophecy Templates describing the last 40 years and where we are now as the Body of Christ

First appeared as a Facebook note compiled by Chris Welch but now including 1947 Smith Wigglesworth Prophecy


Hopefully this won't take away from anything Rich Novek,Fred Pruitt,Francois Du Toit and Andre Rabe are bringing.

I think on the contrary the Key in the Lock is when we focus in on, and at last taking seriously every Word that God does speak about us. We don't have to "force" prophecy, or try to make it happen. It's similar to watching for that cloud that Elijah sent his servant to look for. All we do is say "Be it unto me according to your Word" . Daniel once noticed a 70 year prophecy through Jeremiah (Dan 9:3)was nearing completion and began praying into it. In a similar spirit I present all these prophetic words and Bible images.

Smith Wigglesworth


David Minor 2 winds Prophecy

Maurice Smith The Glorious Church

Chris Welch Airplane Lift Off Procedures

Bible images

Prophecies given in Rome - Easter Monday 1975

The Word and the Spirit
A prophecy attributed to Smith Wigglesworth in 1947
"During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it, and will be characterised by a restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

"The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches.


"In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say, 'This is a great revival.' But the Lord says, 'No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it.'

"When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit. When the word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth."


Peter Stott re reading the 2 winds prophecy here: http://080808onnowto.blogspot.com/2009/02/lift-up-your-heads-o-ye-gates.html

So I want to re-read a prophetic word that a number of you will have heard because I believe it has a context now that we will understand differently than when we first heard it. This word was given in 1987…it was not given to Derek Prince but it was brought into the country by him believing it to be a word of God to our nation and it was first published in Renewal magazine. When we are talking about prophecies over nations we have to understand that they can be decadal and we really don’t often understand the time context of prophecy. And that’s why we get frustrated and disillusioned often. We need to understand that when God speaks His word is creative and sets something into motion, but it’s time of fulfilment will wait until the context is ready. In other words there is a fullness of time and then God will move.

The years of the unravelling and outworking of prophecy may be decades in the case of nations – but then when the fullness of time is come then we move into a different timeframe….and we come into the “suddenlies of God” and I want to suggest we are getting very close to a suddenly of God.

And so for those of us who have hung in there for revival…and for me God first spoke to me about revival in a Brethren church when I was 9 years old.I’ve hung around for 54 years waiting for this. And I know…this is the season of the “suddenlies”.

But listen to this again and see if you identify any of this in your world.



Prophecy by David Minor presented by Derek Prince and first given in America

early in 1987



To the Church in America: (and worldwide?).

"The Spirit of God will say to you that the wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing through the land. The Church, however, is incapable of fully recognising this wind. Just as your nation has given names to its hurricanes, so I have put my Name on this wind. This wind shall be named 'Holiness under the Lord*.

Because of a lack of understanding, some of my people will try to find shelter from the wind, but in so doing they shall miss my work. For this wind has been sent to blow through every institution that has been raised in my name. In those institutions that have substituted their name for Mine, they shall fall by the impact, of my wind. Those institutions shall fall like cardboard shacks in a gale. Ministries which have not walked in uprightness before me shall be

broken and fall. For this reason man will be tempted to brand this as a work of Satan, but do not be misled, this is my wind. I cannot tolerate My Church in its present form, nor will I tolerate it. Ministries and organisations will shake and fall in the face of this wind, and even though some will seek to hide from this wind, they shall not escape. It will blow against your lives and all

around you will appear crumbling, and so it shall, but never forget that this

is My wind, saith the Lord.

With tornado force it will come and appear to leave devastation,……………

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Beloved think over your own llife. What has it been like over the last decades. Like Clive was testifying -1991 for him everything in his world fell apart. and I’m looking at people and a lot of the dreams in your world have fallen apart at some point…..

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but the Word of the Lord comes and says "turn your face into the wind and let it blow, for only that which is not of me shall be devastated. You must see this as necessary. Be not dismayed, for after this My wind shall blow again. Have you not read how My breath blew on the valley of dry bones? So it shall breathe on you. This wind will come in equal force as the first wind. This wind too will have a name. It will be called 'The Kingdom of God', it shall bring My government and order, along with that it will bring: My power. The supernatural will come in that wind.

The world will laugh at you because of the devastation of first wind, but they will laugh no more for this wind will come with force and power that will produce the miraculous among my people and the fear of God shall fall on the nation. My people will be willing the Day of My power. In My first wind that ( is now upon you I will blow out pride, lust, greed, opposition and jealousy and '

you will feel devastated but havn't you read "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"? so out of your poverty of spirit, I will establish My Kingdom. Have you not read "The Kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost" so by My Spirit my Kingdom will be established and made manifest. Know this also, there will be those who will seek to hide from this present wind and they will try to flow with the second wind, but again they will be blown away by it. Only those who turn their faces into,the present wind shall be allowed to be propelled by the second wind.

You have longed for revival and a return of the miraculous and the supernatural. You and your generation shall see it, but it shall only cone by My process. The Church of this nation cannot contain My power in its present form but, as it turns to the wind of the holiness of God, it shall be purged and changed to contain My glory. This is judgement that has begun at the house of God but it is not the end. When the second wind has come and brought in My harvest, then shall the end come.

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Maurice Smith – The Glorious Church - 1977
Friends

Have you noticed the way I have led you so far?First of all I have lifted your eyes and given you a vision. A vision that encompassed the whole church. A vision that speaks in ultimate terms and shows you the finished product from heaven's perspective. Your heart was touched by the thought of a great church 'without spot or wrinkle'. As Ispoke to you in those early days it all seemed so attainable,so within reach. The detail was not apparent to you, only the fact that I had spoken, and you saw clearly that now was the hour for the church to become one people. Now was the hour for barriers to go down, for people to come together,regardless of their upbringing and background.

John 17 -•that they might be one' - seemed to be re-echoing fromevery corner of the world and without any collaboration between the voices. You were convinced God was at work.This was his move and he would accomplish it. (So far so good, but now pause and think).



Have you noticed that the outworking is not as easy as it seemed when you received your revelation? Had I wanted to wave an arm in heaven and accomplish my purposes, I would have done so. But I have set my heart upon a personal relationship with everyone who forms a part of this glorious church. 'My ways are not your ways' still remains true, and whereas men would organise a one-church-movement, and set the wheels in motion to co-ordinate this group with that, I have spoken again into the hearts of men that I am growing the church. As ever I am starting small and consolidatingevery move I make. Every now and then there is an upsurge and an outbreak on a larger scale, which is an encouragement to everyone, but the master-builders know that at such times extravagant things are said and believed, and the idea spreads that we are farther on than we really are.


According to eternal principles I then prune that which has borne fruit that it may bring forth more fruit, andthe master-builders are not token by surprise when thishappens. They know that every step of the way I insist that the personal relationship of God and man is developed, and that this explains many apparent set-backs. I do not want people carried along on the crest of a wave, but people with some realisation of the cost, who nevertheless still desire above all else to be a part of this glorious church which gripped their imagination long ago. Indeed many only get their first glimpse of this holy and unified church in the midst of this upsurge stage of my purposes. (Pause again and think about what I am saying).



Now, because of all I have allowed to work upon your lives,you have a deepening relationship with me. Now you really begin to relate to one another. Not as a people who have in mind some grand successful church movement, but as a peopie captivated by my love and grace toward you; as a people thankful to be included at all in what I have set my heart upon. Now you are prepared to go at my pace, you do not despise the time it takes to form a relationship.You begin to understand that I really was unhurried as I made my friendship with sinners, that I was fully prepared for the disappointments and the rewards of friendship, and so it shall be with you more and more. As the barriers between one and one go down, as friendships are formed,and commitments made, you became more vulnerable to being hurt, and yet also on the verge of great discoveries. The riches that I have placed within every single one of you,becomes the available treasure of each other, and the poverty that has marked my people for so long shall be swallowed up in an abundance of supply.There I go again, re-envisioning you and lifting your eyes to the inevitable goal; but take it steady, be prepared for set-backs, be realistic - all in the true knowledgethat,although in one sense it has to be done stone upon stone, it is later than you think, and that finally everything shall be done suddenly.



For there shall be a great unveiling, a pulling aside of the curtain in a moment of time, a trumpet blast and the body of God forged through many trials and heartaches, joined together by many sinews and main arteries across the world, shall arise and dismay shall strike the hearts of many as they see that which they have scorned so long become the evident dwelling place of God.



In an hour when all is falling down, this church shall stand up like an army with abundant life and flexible structure. The bones shall have real flesh on them, andall the world shall see and marvel at this glorious church without spot or wrinkle, that first captivated the hearts of many of you so long ago.

this was a Prophecy through Maurice Smith 7 January 1977 at the Friends MeetingHouse, London

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Airplane Lift-off Procedures Vision Chris Welch

In 1978 I had a very strong Word come to me as I was in a 12 seater aeroplane waiting to lift off. The pilot went through 3 prophetic phases before lift off.

The first 2 seemed to take an age.

Phase 1. He spent ages fastening himself in, checking and re-checking all the dials, switches and levers in the cockpit. You can see it all on a 12 seater.

Phase 2. The engines are revved faster and faster and faster, but still nothing actually happens. Only more checking procedures! Then, when you think nothing will ever happen,

Phase 3. is when he effortlessly removes the brake!!! And the plane feels like it is catapulted into the air. At which point the Body of Christ will fly like it has never flown...full of the very glory of God.

more here http://080808onnowto.blogspot.com/2009/12/jesus-wants-his-church-back.html 3rd section of Video 2

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Bible Images
■The Greek Word Apocalypse speaks of “unveiling”, “taking the cover off”. A similar image to Gideon’s 300 men smashing the pots, revealing what was already inside. Judges 7:19
■Similar reality to the Transfiguration of Jesus upon the mountain. A revealing of the glory
inside Jesus.

■Psalm 45 :13 13The King's daughter is all glorious within;

Her clothing is (Y)interwoven with gold.
“Glory within” NASV backed up by Young’s Literal Version.

■Ezekiel 37 speaks of 2 Prophesyings
No 1. So I prophesied (J)as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.

8And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

No.2 9Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and (K)breathe on these slain, that they (L)come to life."'"

10So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the (M)breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an (N)exceedingly great army.

Note verse 6 contained the complete instruction as if the one introductory prophecy was going to be enough..... in the same way we thought in the 60s and 70s those prophetic instructions were going to be it, they contained everything ....but we are forced to look around now at today’s church and say “but there is no inner breath in her”. This is the function of the Christ as me Word. This gives us our OWN BREATH, not just an external robing, or an external fix-up. This is the Word that fulfils Psalm 45 : the King’s daughter is ALL GLORIOUS WITHIN. She is transformed from the inside out.

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Prophecies given in Rome Easter Monday 1975

(I don’t think, in case you are worrying, that these came through official sources, they have all the hallmarks of the Melchizedek Order bowing to no man, label, or Christian creed)

During the Pope’s Message: Ezekiel 38: 7-9 (Think Paul Cain Joel 2 prophecy 15 years later)

Be prepared, and prepare yourself,

you and all your companies

that are assembled about you,

and be a guard for them.

8"After many days you will be summoned;

in the latter years you will come into the land

that is restored from the sword,

whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.

9"You will go up,

you will come like a storm;

you will be like a cloud covering the land,

you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."

This is translated from German because I was later with Spirit-filled Catholics after revival had hit the Paderborn Catholic seminary. Troops = Hilfstruppen,idea of support or help, many peoples = zahlreiche Kriegsleute or warriors. Not quite as neutral as “people”



Please notice 1. preparation 2. After a long time you will be summoned 3.you will come like a storm. Over and over again this image has been prophesied. The 2nd Wind is very different from the first. This whole spirit of preparation and being ready is caught in the Red Arrow post , which includes the Joel 2 music track.

http://080808onnowto.blogspot.com/2010/08/this-is-not-rehearsal-this-is-third.html



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Prophecy During the Celebration of Eucharist (hold your hats!) in the Basilica of St Peter 1975 translated from German.


Because I love you, I would like to show you what I am doing in the world today. I would like to prepare you for what is coming. Days of darkness are coming over the world ,days of sorrow...........structures, which now stand, will not stand any more.

Supports that are there for my people, will no longer be there. I would like that you are prepared my people, that you get to really know me and rely on Me, and that you possess Me in a deeper way than ever before.



I will lead you into the wilderness....

I will strip away from you everything upon which you now rely, in order that you only rely on Me.



A time of Darkness is coming over the world, but over My Church a time of GREAT GLORY, a time of great glory for my people. I desire to pour over you all, all the gifts of my Spirit. I want to prepare you for spiritual warfare; I want to prepare you for a time of evangelisation that the world has never ever seen before.



And when you have nothing else but Me, you will have EVERYTHING:

Lands

Fields

Houses

Brothers

Sisters

Love,Joy and Peace more than you have ever had!



So , BE READY, my people, I want to prepare you.

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passed on by Barbara Hughes Changing of the Guards Robin Kirby-Gatto 2/8/11
Holy Spirit says that there is a changing of the guards in this season and God is bringing many who have been in a time of preparation and in a place of being faithful with a little to the front. God says that you have walked with me when many others would have left their post and given up on my coming. God says that the very same way Jesus asked that the disciples would tarry and wait to be filled with the Holy Spirit, with Power, that God has asked us to wait in a place as He has been preparing us. God said that many jumped out of the process but God is still working on many things within His body, within His people. He says that even when you wanted to jump out, your love and devotion for Jesus would not allow you to jump out of the fire.. God is well pleased with His people that have waited and tarried for His coming and continued to stay in a hard place, a narrow place. He said it was in the narrow place, the place of great pressure against your soul, that I was able to squeeze things that were not of Me out of you, says the Spirit of the Living God. He says you thought I was trying to crush you, but I Am a Good Father and I would not crush my child. Instead you chose to throw yourself upon the ROCK and be broken for My plans and purposes. You have chosen well, and many did not see your choice as wise, but My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. I have seen your obedience in the midst of the testing, trials and tribulations, in order to bring your faith into a place of being purified and stretched. You believed it was only to have faith for what I was doing within your sphere of influence, but I have tested you in the hard place for your faith to increase to a measure that you would have faith for an entire nation! I tell you truly I have worked a work in you that you have come forth in this hour with an increased measure of faith that now I will bring Nations to you and they will see the brightness of your rising. I know that I can trust you with My plans to bring many into the Kingdom in this hour and I tell you it is the finest hour for My Bride, the Church, who has been set apart for Me, for My plans. Many who have been in the church have been that of luke warmness and I tell you they chose their own plan instead of Mine. I know those who love Me for they obey Me, they keep My commandments and do the will of the Father.
God says that you have been found faithful over a few things and now He is bringing you to a place of ruler over much. He has seen all of your steadfastness, commitment and devotion to His will and says to you My servant I have found you faithful, I have found you available, and I have found you humble. I now bring you into the season of GREATER REWARD, GREATER ACCELERATION, GREATER INCREASE and I tell you surely as My Servant David entered that season after he had served My plans and purposes, I then brought him into a place of being ruler over Israel. In this hour I will do the same for you as I did for David, Esther, Joseph and Daniel. I will bring you up with My right hand and lift you up and bring you into the position of Greatness that I destined you for before the foundations of the earth. I Am the God of greatness and it is in My power to cause you to be great, and I tell you in this hour I Am bringing My greatness forth in you. I will NOW bring you to the front, I will pull you from the wall, where you have maintained your position for the past season of testing and I bring you forth now to completely deliver My plans and purposes in the earth. I have drawn you to Myself with love and I send you out as a carrier of My love to the Nations, to the streets, to the dark places to be My treasure hunters and bring many into My Kingdom. I will also dispatch angels of assignment in this hour to bring forth the scrolls, plans and purposes I would have you carry out. I the Lord will also take care of your needs, for I am a God that pays His laborers well, and I take care of My own.

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Psalm 45 verse 16 as brought by Chris Welch to apostolic leader of Los Rios de Vida Argentina - Jorge Pradas 1986
Instead of thy fathers are thy sons, Thou dost appoint them for princes in all the earth. Youngs LiteralIn place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.NASV Another translation reads "You shall be known by the name of your sons". This is unheard of....for example the Brethren are known by Darby. Methodism is known as Wesleyanism. In other words a prophet WILL BE MOST RECOGNISED in his locality, instead of the opposite. Surely this is the natural outworking of a people living from the Tree of Life. When we lived from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we lived from historic left-brain benchmarks and tags,while missing the I AM in our hearts. ________________________________

1989 Singers and Musicians Prophecy - I have opened a new door in heaven. Chris Welch Click here
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Experiencing Love - Bonnie Morris and the Wave of Pure Light - Annie Miller Click here

Maurice Smith: Will the true apostle please stand up?

Chris Welch on Facebook...........Gracebook....I'dlike to share about a ministry to give you an example of how Word works. He was big in the 70s. Maurice Smith.

8 hours ago via BlackBerry · Friends only ·LikeUnlike · Comment · View feedback (19)Hide feedback (19).


Judy Povey bring it on :o)
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch There was Bryn Jones,Gerald Coates,,Arthur Wallis ,Dave Mansell,John Noble,George Tarleton,Terry Virgo, John McLaughlin and many many more taking the renewal out of tonguetalkin denominational sectarianism into a "word hearing cloud followin'" People.
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Nearly all of them would have used the word apostle to describe themselves, and some like Terry still would.....but I want to tell you a Cinderella Kingdom fact.PROBABLY Only ONE WAS....and he to this day probably doesn't know....because most saw him as a prophet. Maurice Smith.
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Judy Povey That's interesting. I don't remember the name Maurice Smith although of course I remember most of the other names. I was part of a harvesttime fellowship (Bryn Jones) in Ipswich for a few years. The "shepherding" style of leadership eventually drove most of us out and we re-grouped independently. Now that same fellowship is in the New Frontiers family.
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch It may be all the others were "apostles" of what Ern Baxter referred to (speaking of David in Thy Kingdom Come) as a ZIKLAG job.....God's initial purpose of positioning people. But who remembers a solitary word of what Gerald and John Noble and George Tarleton were saying 40 years on? Yet first in a book called 5.5.55 ,then in "Amazing Grace" some 40 years before Steve McVey, Paul Anderson Walsh, and Darin Hufford are all the TRULY important apostolic foundations of a REAL Christian life.
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Maurice is virtually unknown now too.....but his foundation is the only living vibrant one of all of them here on the net. The others knew how to get you saved and filled with the Spirit.So did Christine and I when we were 13, but we never ...called ourselves apostles....or anything else really. No....I think we've all lived under a 40 year illusion that because you're a Type A personality with an organisational ability to hire a school hall and a worship group,and preach a reformed "Baptist" type "You are not measuring up to this New Testament Law" Word, this is truly an apostle. Baloney!See more
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch The Word of the grace of Christ layered into a believer's insides,imparting to them faith and hope is what an apostle is. In 1981 Maurice twigged finally what Norman Grubb was going on about, and saw the fulness of "Christ in Maurice as Maurice".Others saw a weak man crippled by paralysing fears and gutwrenching nerves....Maurice now understood himself as "God's grace made perfect in weakness" "a vessel container of God's glory."
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Hasn't it been an interesting road here in the UK and the States Judy? Both the Fort Lauderdale crew who were a big feature for us in Amersham....Don Basham lit the fuse in 67 or 8, and the Pioneer,New Frontiers,Harvesttime crews were ident...ical in bringing Word,bringing the start of Church order.....but not being properly 3rd level,in the longterm built nothing more than "human franchises" from which devastations Spirit people are crawling from Terminator film-style all over our 2 countries. May God bless the net,so long as we have freedom to share.See more
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Reading thru this did you understand "the only living vibrant" foundation was the one Maurice brought as opposed to the other 70s names.....I didn't mean as opposed to Steve McVey or others now on the net. Wanted to avoid confusion and pain here.
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Judy Povey It has been an interesting road Chris. How I loved listening to Ern Baxter - he came to the Anglia Bible Week in 1983. And first of all we called our groups house churches which they soon weren't because we moved into community halls and ...we soon got stuck in legalism again. But we're all groping for the truth and I've struggled with the paradoxical (?)/conflicting Biblical themes and narratives and finally come home to trusting in JESUS. Is that what Maurice meant by "the only living vibrant" foundation? Is there anything on the web about Maurice Smith?See more
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Paul Noble Interesting Chris. True apostles never draw attention to themselves but to Christ. They are the pioneers of the faith because they lead the way, they plant new things overturn the status quo. Those guys probably did have apostolic anointing... but were also responsible for error in the church (the heavy shepherding movement) because they saw themselves as apostles overseeing what God had not given them any authority for. Unfortunately the charismatics have still not got over the control that introduced. In the Brethren movement the same thing happened, anointed men of God rose up and paved the way for the people of God but then became institutionalised and people looked to them rather than God.See more
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Not that I've seen....in fact if you google you might end up in the excerpts I've been putting up,I think firstly on Dan Bowens Baxter blog and mine too.
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Paul Noble http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_New_Church_Movement
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Exactly how long do you think itis Paul that we get away from believing the work of God is something like believing on His spoken Word something like Mary in Nazareth....to the point where we chase round building "things'....as if we can bu...ild the Kingdom in Lego or something.We can't even put together a human in a womb....in flesh and blood terms....how do we end up with the notion that we can "put Christ together on earth ". Is this an advanced Lego kit that only the Brethren and charismatics know about? Have I been reading my Bible wrong all this time ?
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Paul Noble I was thinking - the metaphor the Bible uses is living stones - Lego is definately not in my Bible LoL. Those stones are all different sizes and colours and shapes & also change when your not looking! It is only when they come to Christ they fit into this glorious temple that God is building!
5 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Abundant Grace Church Always great to hear such people
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch I'm really young in understanding how "builder-types" work. It is alien to me as a musician/philosopher type. I noticed the ease with which the St Matthew-types, or St Peter types , or Rory and Wendy types, or Stan Warren of Emsworth..or Andy Elmes guys have built a framework before breakfast.They are made that way in God.cont..
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Chris Welch Outside of God though,they seem to build things and call them God. As I was saying,I naively went along with everyone's notions that they were apostolic.....but now I see them as builder types,but it isn't the same thing at all as Fred Prui.tt or others who are actually laying the Word of "Christ as you" in folk. This level has NOTHING to do with buildings...or even meetings,directly....this is to do with impacting people's life for the WHOLE of the rest of their lives....DIVINE encounters. Like when Jessie Penn Lewis was a few hours with Norman Grubb....and he was still reeling with what hit him at his "seeing level" at age 97. It makes the toytown stuff in our locality pretty cheap!!!See more
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike.Paul Noble Interesting again Chris - I think you will find that the musician/artist/philosopher types are often prophetically gifted (I am partly of that bent). HOWEVER I believe both giftings (Apostolic & prophetic) need more than their natural equiv...alent Eg in the secular you get these sort of giftings in the art & business world. I do wonder sometimes whether people are operating more in a natural gifting rather than a spiritual one and that is why we end up with yet another structure or music that is just a copy of what the world is doing with christian words.

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first appeared here in Chris's Preblog on Dan Bowen's ErnBaxter blog Comments section

Yesterday when I got up my eyes caught a book I have not noticed for over 20years...by Maurice Smith
called 20th Century Pilgrim ISBN 0 947599 03 7 publishers VINE. here is Chapter 1. If you like it I could do chapter 2 which is on Maurice discovering he is dead (in a Romans kind of way).
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Go on, go on, go on, go on,
Go on, go on, go on;
Go on, go on, go on, go on,
Go on. go on, go onl
I first heard those words 'go on. go on' from Henry Holloway some twenty-five years ago. The de-nomination without a name that we were in, had no set rules and regulations, or fixed doctrines and dogmas; but we had a great deal of unwritten liturgy. For instance, we used no Christian names,well hardly any. Everyone was Brother this and Brother that. Brother Holloway was around eighty years old I guess, so of course he naturally became','Old Brother Holloway'. I don't think anyone has influenced me more. He was a university graduate, in his youth - a rarity in those days - and spoke 'with a highly cultured diction, which disguised an
almost constant chuckle. He was diminutive of stature, neatly dressed with a watch-chain resplendant across his striped waistcoat. There was a permanent twinkle in his eyes. Time and again he would sidle up to me and whisper a word of wisdom in my ear. This particular 'go on' word has been with me ever since the day he looked me straight in the eye and delivered it with all the seriousness of a Shakespearian actor.

Now two and a half decades later, on a sweltering hot Sunday afternoon, the first of August. 1982 I am pursuing those same words 'Go on, go on as they’re emblazoned on-.the back of a young man's T-shirt in the Dartford half-marathon. I'm now a veteran runner and strenuously trying to maintain form to keep up with the wearer, but I do so enjoy seeing young men, and women on full stretch for the tape. Little does the T-shirt wearer know that his disappearing vest is speaking volumes to me in another dimension; the dimension that O.B.H. had opened up to me time and time again. He finished his course, we're still running on.I seem destined to be influenced by old men. At about the same time as I was listening to the thoughts of Brother Holloway, I used to sit at conferences and watch the face of an old gentleman who I would estimate was well into his seventies. This an's name was Oliphant - Brother Oliphant of course. Watchman Nee once called this old warrior The Womb of theWest, and  across the lines of his face were he signs of suffering and I knew just a few of the details and the cost involved. Looking at him across the conference hall I grew to respect that lined face and silently asked God to give me some of the peace    tranquility I could see written there. Somehow,those dissimilar twins of gaiety and suffering, so admirably portrayed in two of the Lord's old gentlemen, have set a course for me through the middle part of my life. They hadn't stopped going on. They
were satisfied but not satiated. My mind was made up; I'm in the race of joy and suffering for a lifetime. I didn't know it then, but I was beginning to accept the need for darkness as well as light, to make room for pain and sorrow; to receive the negative side of God and his creation as well as-the positive. Perhaps then I saw all the unpleasantness as mere back-drop to  the good God wanted to do in the world, whereas the years have begun to teach me how essential suffering is to produce character and to enable us to finally reign with him ...but I begin to run away with myself. Much of the time, this was a light-hearted period of life. Jesus
and me, in good fellowship, and my acceptability as a preacher falsely giving me the impression that
I was making really good headway in this Christian business. Looking back I can see there was a lot of self-
effort in my believing, but no doubt it's all been necessary. So often we have to labour to enter into our rest. Then I felt I knew so much of God's eternal plan end purpose. Although I vehemently declared there was no set pattern for church structure and order in the New Testament, I had secretly come to believe that we were nearer the ideal than most. I'd swallowed volumes of Watchman Nee and T. Austin-Sparks and spent hours under the expert tuition of Robert Warke from Ireland. I felt ready to set in order much that was awry in the church scene. Oh my, what the intervening years have contributed towards the maturity I saw in those aged saints. It’s been painful and it’s been fun; like everything else I’ve encountered with God, ther’s a paradox to grasp and live with.

I suppose we all start with a vision. For me, overriding everything else in my life were the the words of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 “that they may all be one…that the world may believe that you have sent me”.
There seemed so few in those early days that were concerned for a togetherness. Plenty were ready to go for an old style evangelism, but the results were unimpressive, except in the case of a few very talented individuals. It was the corporate nature of our life gripped me. Somehow it wasn't just that I had etemal life now that I had believed in Christ, but more importantly that we shared it together. We really were members of one another and were meant to be together, get on together,and be such a visible provocation to the world that they'd want to know what we had got. This all seemed a million miles away from the experience
going on around me, where all I could see-was .break-up and division, back-biting and hurts, and people so full of insecurity that they didn't seem any better off than folk who had not experienced the great transaction of salvation through knowing Jesus Christ. In fact, to be honest, very often they seemed worse off. I remember doing a very simplistic survey once, when I observed over a period, and recorded, that the Christians in my street looked, on average, more miserable than their non-Christian counter-parts. There just had to be an
answer to such a sorry condition, "where the recipients seemed to have an initial experience of joy ; and first love, and then gradually sink back into a knowledge of their position, without the attendant radiance that was there at the beginning. Actually as l say, I didn't fully identify with this morbid Christian scene for several years because I was able to hide behind my preaching and natural charisma,but the crunch came when I finally felt dry. wearied of marking time. and began to search for more light and truth . The vision of the Church continually gripped me; "That they might be one' pounded in my ears day and night. Here was I with the Normal Christian Life and Concerning Our Missions To be called the Normal Christian Church Life
off pat; but I couldn't make it work. I was learning that revelation was not enough, and that the Father's way is to allow suffering to come across our path. In order to guide us into the realising of what we have seen.' He wanted what we had taken hold of to take hold of us, so that there was no strain in our living.How could I get all these Christians to be a happy band of pilgrims? How could we live the joyous overcoming life I saw portrayed as normal in so many New Testament Christians and others since them down the centuries? How could we in our generation produce men and women of the calibre of those I so admired? The visible church to my century was a laughing stock, the ready prepared material for the comedians and cartoonists. I could
no longer hide my grief and despair that. for all the ardent preaching of the vociferous minority, we were having next to no impact.

The arrival of the world-wlde charismatic movement and the consequent opening up to the Holy Spirit made a difference. But in my own experience, after the initial course of joy and the use of several spiritual gifts, I still found that life was far short of all I knew it could be. I thought the baptism in the Holy Spirit, as so many called the . experience, was going to settle everything, but far from it In fact. it seems that for me, that  experience marked the commencement of a long period of severe dealings. Maybe as John the Baptist warned we were to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire .Everyone I listened to conveniently forgot
the fire. They never promised me that . I usually tell folk that ever since the days of my deeper knowing
of the Hdy Spirit, life has been quite dreadfel. Sorry if that doesn't/fit the recognised charismatic theology. but it's the truth. Like Jacob, I've experienced 'the gate of heaven' and 'a dreadful place' both at the same time. There has been a new sense of the presence of the Lord; a new joy, plus depths of darkness and despair that I never dreamed existed.

Certainly had I known the path ahead I would never have joined, but for me the Christian life seems best summed up in the title of Norman Grubb's book, 'Once Caught. No Escape!' Most of us are in for keeps.
The original slide-away from the joyous consciousness of his life within me and into the subtle dependence upon laws and methods and arbitrary standards of performance, had been instigated almost from the moment of my conversion. On that magic day in 1955, I had given my life to Christ; lock. stock and barrel, as best I knew how. I awoke the next day with the assurance of my reconciliation to God and a feeling of peace."

Everything seemed okay. There was now no desire for the thirty cigarettes a day which were my previous assurance of some semblance of calm amidst the storms of earning a living and bringing up a young family. As soon as work on the first day was over I shot down to the rectory to tell my good news to the rector. Dr. G. C. B. Davies, who had been instrumental in my final capitulation to God and I wanted him to share the enjoyment. He was, I was informed, at the village hall to officiate at a function, so I ran all the way there and burst in with my proclamation. Collis was delighted and confided that the Lord had told him that one person
would be converted under his ministry in the Cotswold village of Kingham where we all lived at the time. He moved on to pursue a more academic calling and was soon a lecturer at a University and eventually became Canon of Worcester Cathedral.

But I digress. I asked where a close friend was, for I wanted her to join the party. I had a river of living water
gushing up inside of me and I wanted everyone to drink. Soon I found her, and with the strains of the amateur musicians in the background I shared with her my testimony. She was absolutely overjoyed and we laughed together in quite a natural manner. I followed on the conversation by saying. as the river of life continued to rise in me:
'Can I have this dance please?'

It was a kind of celebration act to me. I can't  remember now whether she accepted or not, because I was so stunned by her reply. She leaned forward and whispered to me, 'Christians don't dance, Maurice!'
0h dear,' was my word in response. It was a strangely disappointing interchange and I was temporarily confused. However, I soon recovered and sallied forth into my new found Christian experience with great enthusiasm, but almost imperceptibly the first chain of bondage had gone round my leg. A law had been applied. It was not the inward working of God writing in my heart, but the external application of a mode of behaviour that was to gradually stifle the thrilling experience , of walkjng with the presence of God's spirit within me. I had taken a step away from grace, which meant God doing something for me  and I had moved into an area of law, which meant me doing something for God. And this had happened within
twenty-four hours of my conversion!

I can now see that like many Israelites of old, I was born a free true child of God, but born in a land of captivity.  There were folk on every hand to tell me what I I had to do to become a good Christian. Soon I had  more and more rules to observe. One well-meaning ; soul upon hearing of my conversion, asked me if I
was having a Q.T.
'What's that?' I enquired, by now perplexed; I' ve  ' never heard of it.'Then followed the serious explanation of a regular Quiet Time. A period of study and meditation held early in the morning without which no serious
Christian could possibly exist. A necessary discipline I was told. No one told me to treasure the spirit within, but how to polish up the externals.

Before long I heard,'You realise Billy Graham reads five Psalms and three Proverbs every day -should you do less?' Oh dearl A sense of heaviness is coming over me,the honeymoon is passing, It's time to get down to
the nitty-gritty chores of married life with God. I think I'm losing my first love. I've failed to keep the 'ten commandments of the Old Testament and they had led me to Christ as the only hope. Now I've got to get down to the business of keeping the one hundred and ten commandments of the New Testament. Then I couldn't commit adultery, now I mustn't even have an appreciative glance according to some. Murder was out under Moses but now I mustn't hate anyone. Of course it wasn’t long before I was disliking people intensely
but loving them in the Lord', whatever that sickly phrase means, This 'love' didn't seem to be having
much effect on them that's for sure. Well, here's a fine dilemma; in thesame breath, senior Christians
telling me to trust, and not try, and here's what you must do. One classic contradiction of advice came when I was seeking guidances over a particular matter. Within hours of each other two well- meaning advisors stated...
'When in doubt, do "nowt"' and 'When in doubt, strike out!'

I realised that I was going to have to find some easier way than this; but I didn't. I opted for getting down to it. Searching the scriptures daily, for I felt in them I had eternal life.12 Praying long and hard,trying to keep my mind from wandering. Taking communion as often as possible and getting into condemnation every time my mind wandered on to the Arsenal Football Club instead of the Lord's great sacrifice for me. I so wanted to be a good Christian I so wanted to please God, that I gradually took from OB this new life-style; this do-it-yourself Christianity, this self-improvement plan! And, compared with many others, I became good at it. In public I was a most impressive pray-er and was often asked to lead in prayer at public gatherings. I could pray in spiritual jargon for the best part of twenty minutes,telling God things he knew before the foundation el
the world, but I couldn't call him Dad- (Abba)" and get an answer.

Something was wrong somewhere. This fight against sin, this strained endeavour to be a successful Christian. The great burden that dropped off me at conversion seemed to have crept back on again; but I had to keep up the front I was telling people that I was the one with the real joy and they, the non-christians, were the ones who were unhappy. I did wish some of them wouldn't be so nice though.That first-love excitement had soon worn off; mind you I still had the inner assurance of salvation and that wasn't to be sneezed at. I
knew where I was going, even if the present was not too enjoyable. That eternal life seemed to have slid into the future tense somehow, and I wanted to share some of its thrill and excitement along with all the others in my new-found family. That corporate quality of life was supposed to make such an impact upon secular society; they were supposed to be asking what was the secret behind this great spontaneous expression of carefree living. 'Pie in the sky when we die' Christianity was not such a Crowd-puller. We seemed to be answering questions that nobody was asking, and that's rude. I suppose for me the prime example of this was one day set forth in the delightful Cornish seaside resort of Port Isaac. I was the guest speaker at Stan and Marjorie  Bates' Christian guest house, and after dinner one Tuesday evening I strolled down to the harbour for a breath of sea air  and to take in the local atmosphere. T

The town band was playing on the harbour front and,. After I had listened for a while they struck up the Floral Dance and headed up the steep hill towards the guest house. Hundreds of holidaymakers formed up behind and began the traditional one-two-three hop. Well. you can't keep me out of that sort of thing (but I do hasten to add (that incident occurred after my baptism in the Holy Spirit because before then I would have felt such enjoyment to be rather worldly. Probably the effect of the no- dance routine I had got into). As we passed the guest house I peeled off and danced up the pathway and into the lounge where I was due to give my spiritual talk for the evening. One ultra-respectable lady looked across the room and commented in a frosty manner,
'Here comes our carnal brother' I looked around for support.'That's nothing,' said Stan, coming to my aid, ;
'we had someone so irate in here one night, because the band was holding up our Bible study, that she rushed out to witness to them. After a few moments she returned triumphant,' "Did you manage to speak to them about the Lord?" I enquired,' said Stan. "There was too much noise," she replied, "but I did manage to poke a tract down someone's trombone"'

What are we coming to? Was this the life that sprang from a relationship with God? Were these sincere but unhappy people to be my companions on this long pilgrimage? I did hope not; it seemed to be getting more and more restricted along the way. and many of these fellow travelers had evidently settled for restriction; but something' inside me just wouldn't settle; as O.B.H. had said, I had to 'go on'.