OUTCOMES

WORSHIP & REST

He [the Lord Almighty] says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Come to me and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant Luke 1:46-47

The soul magnifying and the spirit exalting / rejoicing, and lowly state is the heart of this prayer. Jesus gives you rest.

BEING STILL

Be still, and know that I am God; Psalm 46:10

So, He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Luke 5:16

Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. Mark 6:31

In stillness you know God, you experience God. You swap the world and its distractions, particularly intrusive noise for quiet. How important in the hustle and bustle of today it is for us to find the space to be still.

JOEL’S PROPHECY FULFILLED

HOLY SPIRIT IS POURED OUT

Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:34

What we are seeing now is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on groups large and small all over a landscape.

The fruit of this we see in REVIVAL.

And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:16-17

These things are happening now, in our midst. Let no one tell you otherwise.

WE ARE ONE

…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me … that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:21-23

… endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:3-5

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1

So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple … Acts 2:46

We gather together in unity.  We have the same care for one another.

There is no division in the HOUSE OF THE LORD. Jesus prayed we may be ‘one’, ‘one in Us’ [the Trinity], and ‘perfect in ONE’. In Ephesians Paul reminds us we are ONE BODY in the unity of the Holy Spirit. In Acts they were all with one accord when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened. As to the importance of being ONE we need look no further than Jesus’s ‘Prayer for all Believers’ in John 17. We are ONE that the world may believe and know Jesus. We are ONE that REVIVAL will happen.

VINE PRUNED

 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ... As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:1-4

The vine is the Church and the branches are local churches. Local churches that do not bear fruit He takes away. Local churches that bear fruit He prunes that they may bear fruit.

In the UK, if you take church attendance to be a yard stick, this snapshot shows that the new churches and the Pentecostal churches are growing.

UNITY IN WORSHIP

…  gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord. Joel 1:14

But God composed the body … there are many members, yet one body ...  there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:24-25

Three ways are,

·  Join the Sacred Assembly

·  Set up and use designated ‘Quiet Places’ where people alone or in groups can go to prayer the silent prayer of scripture.

·  Physical Assemblies, festivals, worship gatherings in public spaces.

GROWTH OF GROUPS

But God composed the body, having given greater honour to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:24-25

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:37-49

In these groups the diversities of gifts, ministries and activities of 1 Corinthians 12 are expressed. The heterogeneity is as diverse as Paul’s description of the parts of the body. No one group has everything, but together the Body has everything.

Group size varies – in increasing order of size – families, house groups, fellowships, communities and churches, mega-churches.

Groups can be thematic, addressing a particular need, drawn from across the whole Body.

Here is are some examples of groups, many in the north of England.

AsOne NE – a relational network bringing groups together

Borderlands Revival Conference – organise revival conferences

Cedarwood Festival, North Yorkshire - Christian gathering for people, communities & Churches of all expressions

Crutch, Northeast - helping the needy: Those who are disadvantaged and marginalised in society.

Cumbria Prayer Net - connects people in prayer for our region, our family of nations, and the whole world.

Dunamis Fellowship in Britain & Ireland - equip believers to advance the Kingdom of God through Holy Spirit empowered ministry

Maranatha Community, Manchester - a scattered community of Christians from all church traditions who come together in worship and are committed to Unity, Renewal, Healing and Prayer.

Welcome Network, Hexham – gathers groups together for events.

World Prayer Centre - inspiring Christians to stand in the gap anytime, anywhere.

Worship 24/7 Network - the passionate pursuit of the presence of God. We gather to worship regardless of denominational affiliation, crying out to God night and day for an awakening in the church

Worship on the Streets - share God’s love and power with people on the streets and raise up and army of street worshippers throughout the UK.

The heterogeneity is as diverse as Paul’s description of the parts of the body. No one group has everything, but together the Body has everything.