What's going on in Florida?!

About three weeks ago I attended a 25th wedding anniversary celebration. During the meal I sat next to a lady called Ann - one of the couple's relatives. She was a Christian and we had a good chat about church life in London and her part of the country.

About a week ago, this same lady and a friend visited the revival that is currently being televised from Lakeland, Florida. During the meeting at the packed baseball stadium, Todd Bentley invited the audience to pray for one another. Ann prayed for her friend Sheila, who had been deaf in one ear for 30 years. Her ear 'popped' and she was instantly healed! This is just one of countless healings which are taking place day after day. The Holy Spirit is moving in remarkable ways - deaf ears are opened, lame people getting out of wheelchairs, tumours are disappearing etc. It seems that this ministry of healing is also transferable - which is great news! We desperately need an authentic 'Acts church' experience today.

Watch Sheila give her testimony here...

Instantly I knew what was going to happen next...

A few years ago I attended a meeting at the offices of the Evangelical Alliance in Kennington Park Road. The meeting finished late afternoon. It was dark and raining quite heavily outside and unfortunately I didn’t have an umbrella. I set out towards The Oval tube station resigned to the fact that I would be a bit wet by the time I got there. As I walked along the pavement the traffic was moving in the opposite direction just a few yards from me. I looked up to see a lorry coming my way. At the same time I noticed the enormous puddle on the road next to me. Just as the lorry’s front tyres hit the puddle, instantly I knew what was going to happen next and I also knew I could do nothing about it! The wheels hit the puddle and a cascade of water hit me saturating me from head to foot – I was totally drenched. Any remaining concerns about getting to the tube station quickly to avoid getting too wet instantly disappeared.

We've just celebrated Pentecost Sunday and remembered the amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Those disciples knew without a shadow of doubt that they had been saturated with the Holy Spirit.

Whether you come from a church tradition that says baptism with the HS is a second blessing separate from conversion and evidenced by speaking in tongues; or whether you come from a tradition which says it is part of conversion; or whether you come from a Catholic background which says you receive the Spirit at the same time that water baptism is administered – one thing is abundantly clear – since the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit has been available to us.

Unfortunately debates about 'Baptism with the Holy Spirit' have centred on the gift of tongues – certainly this gift was the new addition to the armoury of gifts made available to believers but if we think Baptism with the Holy Spirit is simply about the gift of tongues we’ve missed the point.

The purpose of His coming is made perfectly clear in Acts 1:8 where Jesus said: 'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ Jesus concisely emphasised two aspects of this Spirit baptism: Power & Witnessing

If we simply think that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a means to pep up otherwise dull worship times - a few prophecies, tongues & interpretation etc. then we’ve completely missed the message of Acts. We must not be satisfied with an outpouring of the Spirit that produces 'edgier' church services. God didn't think ‘how can I cope with being in all those boring church services – oh I know – spiritual gifts – that will perk them up a bit!’

The outpouring of the Spirit is primarily to equip us to witness – i.e. to benefit those outside the church rather than just those within the church. The Spirit is poured out to help us to get the job done - i.e. fulfill the Great Commission. My concern is that we have become familiar with spiritual gifts within the church and ticked the 'Holy Spirit' box while local communities are dying on our doorstep for want of dynamic, Spirit-filled people who are ready to proclaim the gospel and heal the sick. We haven't finished the job yet so let's go on seeking the fulness of the Spirit.

What has Christianity ever done for society?!

Have you ever heard anyone ask that question? In our increasingly secularised society it would be easy to lose sight of some of the great social reforms that have been initiated by Christians over the centuries. But when you do the research you find that Christians have been involved in so many major changes.

Michael Green wrote: ‘Despite its appalling failures and sins, it is beyond question that down the ages the church has had an amazing record in medical care, social work, education, liberation of women and slaves, and the defence of prisoners, the aged, the helpless, and those whom society neglects.’

When the gospel first permeated the ancient world it had a big impact on women, the elderly, children and the weak and sick. The first institution for the blind was founded by Thalasius, a Christian monk. The first free dispensary was founded by Apollonius, a Christian merchant. The first hospital was founded by Fabiola, a Christian woman.

As the centuries have unfolded, this Kingdom power has transformed other areas of society where justice was lacking. These are some examples of Christians who have campaigned for social justice…

e.g. William Wilberforce (abolition of the slave trade), Elizabeth Fry (prison reforms), Florence Nightingale (revolutionised nursing practices), Dr. Martin Luther King (civil rights)

Here is a list of some of the best known charities in the UK...
Christian Aid, International Red Cross, Salvation Army, CAFOD, Tear Fund, YMCA, Samaritans, The Children’s Society, Oxfam, Shelter, Notting Hill Housing Trust, Barnados, Help the Aged, Wellcome Trust, Livability (formerly Shaftesbury Society and John Grooms which merged in 2007, Amnesty International, Save the Children,

All of the above were set up by Christians.

The commentator William Barclay wrote:

‘Anyone who asks the question: ‘What has Christianity done for the world?’ has delivered himself into a Christian debater’s hands. There is nothing in history so unanswerably demonstrable as the transforming power of Christianity and of Christ on the individual life and on the life of society.’