Paul H phones. He has found a wonderful quote from Shelley about 'trumpets' and also a book 'Prophecy in the Local Church' by David Pytches to give me on Thursday. Apparently, the book was a freebee 'out of the blue' from HTB as compensation for the late delivery of the NIV Commentary he ordered. Having seen the title, Paul feels I should get to read this first.
Speak to Mike. In middle of prayer time this morning God gave Mike Hebrews 12 v 12; as he read from there to the end of the chapter, he came across vv 18 & 19 which speak of 'a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet'!
Frances & I had planned to go and see Gail tonight, to pray with her. She has been really ill for last 10 days with symptoms of glandular fever. This is bad news as she is due to fly to Zambia with the team on 19 July. Circumstances prevent this, so I take the opportunity to get together with Rachel V for prayer time. When I get home, there is a short ansaphone message from Beryl to say Gail is much better. PTL!
3.7.96 Wednesday. Type up 2nd summary document and create disk for Christopher to transfer text to the Web. Drop disk off on way to Llangollen Unity prayer meeting. A different 'spiritual atmosphere' tonight - I find my self feeling very uneasy. I have sense of God's wrath at what we as a Church have not done, our need to repent, thank God/ask for mercy, to be changed to have a heart for the lost. I get a strong impression that God is saying we need to speak out, verbalize, proclaim what He's given us.
Dave has strange picture of a lobster pot, which seems to be speaking of need for Church (us) to be cleansed to be attractive to those outside the Kingdom; we need to be tuned in to God alone. Annie & Simon share a sense of our needing to repent, to seek to be holy. I share a little about blowing the trumpet in last week's meeting - to me it felt as though God was calling the watchmen to awake, to release the prophetic. Dave says he feels the trumpet might be sounding an alarm in sense of what God is doing in 'cleaning up' the Church - people need to be told what is going on otherwise they will think it's the enemy! Betty shares a word from God 'to watch, pray and learn; the land is a slumbering giant which will awake'.
We pray into these areas for a while, and before going home, pray protection over each other - almost universally people have been under attack in the area of family relationships since last week.
Get to bed at a reasonable hour but find myself praying instead of sleeping. At 1.15am make a drink; eventually get to sleep. Over the last few days have felt that it is in some way important for me to go to five events in the next few days - Llangollen prayer meeting tonight; Rhosymedre tomorrow evening (Simon's 3rd teaching om prayer); Regent Street Celebration this Saturday; ALPHA meeting sunday afternoon and Ectarc celebration on Sunday evening. This is more than I have attempted since I've been ill, and in the natural I wonder whether or not I can physically cope with this. O God, I hope this IS you telling me to do this, otherwise I could end up wrecked.
4.7.96 Thursday. Run off copies of 2nd summary document to give out at Rhosymedre tonight. By mid afternoon I feel really rough and wonder if I will make it through the day and to Rhosymedre tonight.
Mike phones; he's ill with cold/sore throat. He's been reading 1 Corinthians 10 in 'The Message' and doing some thinking. Out of this has come feeling that we must serve Christ, not try to manipulate him to serve us. Reading on in the letter, Mike feels we must stand and proclaim that Jesus is King, we must proclaim His truth, we must stand and proclaim God's greatness. 'Stand' is important; 'proclamation' is important - the symbolism is powerful.
Am determined to go to Rhosymedre despite feeling awful. Arrive to find Caron not there - she is feeling exhausted/shattered. Paul H gives me 'Prophecy in the local church' plus the quote from Shelley's 'Ode to the West Wind' -
Gail has managed to get to the meeting - PTL! Simon speaks on 'spiritual authority' and as he's talking about taking authority over the enemy, the Overton contingent crack up and are laughing hysterically. Gail shares that on Tuesday, Phyllis and Beryl tackled her on how she hadn't claimed her healing (loads of people had prayed for her). They pray, Gail prays, and they are stamping their feet, 'stomping on the devil'. The three of them end up in tears. Gail makes a remarkable recovery since then. PTL!!! God's timing is amazing - Gail is a living witness to Simon's teaching tonight - he only put his address together this afternoon!
By 9.15 pm when Simon stops, I am really struggling. Christopher prays for me, and during my time on the carpet, I have a picture, when I see the Lord handing me a new sword, and I sense I am being told that I must stand, I must stand. Apparently, Rachel V and I manifest very similar physical signs tonight during our carpet-time. Afterwards, I feel as if something oppressive has been broken, and Christopher says I actually look different. Thank you, Lord.
5.7.96 Friday. Phone Caron; Simon going to go to Ed Silvoso conference in Manchester tomorrow.
Annie phones after reading the 1st summary document. She has just returned from a 3 week Worship School with YWAM - which was awesome - and was really excited to read about my picture of a dam, of water being pent up and then released. She'd been feeling at Celebrations that we'd reached a plateau in worship and needed to break through - to break up hard ground and soften our hearts. There had been teaching on how worship lays a platform for the prophetic to be released. She had been given a word about digging a channel for the river to flow, to burst the dam, to expect greater things of God - and how worship was the vehicle for releasing the prophetic. WOW!
I do some preparation for tomorrow night - have been asked to share some of the events of the last few weeks - especially about trumpets.
Speak to Rachel V; she had a really strange series of pictures last night, which to me seemed to be similar to parts of Revelation, but which neither of us understood.
I feel generally ill during the day. Last night's picture has moved on, with me standing face to face with a dragon - just as if it is a 'stand off'. The beast is snorting occasionally, and twitching its tail - but that is all. Why do I get such weird pictures??
6.7.96 Saturday. I feel awful; this is the worst I've been physically since January. It is a real struggle to get up and continue to prepare for tonight. The dragon picture persists - unchanged - except I feel more uneasy about it. Am determined to get to Regent Street as well as to tomorrow's events. Truly feel in the middle of a spiritual battle.
At 4pm I am in bed, shaking, shivering and sweating intermittently; I can hardly see on times. Am now totally convinced that I am manifesting in the natural something which is being battled out in the spiritual. Tell the enemy I AM going tonight.
Make it to Regent Street; Rachel V drags me into the Chapel and we pray - after about 15 minutes practically all the symptoms have gone PTL! Worship has lots of references to trumpets. Mike speaks on faith, season of prayer, and the need to stand. I share my bit - which I feel was dreadful. Rachel V & Rachel M pray for me afterwards - I end up on the carpet.
Eventually get home and pray for about 40 mins for HS to give me the strength to carry on.
7.7.96 Sunday. The battle continues. A long lie in this morning during which I see the dragon again. By now I am really uneasy about this, and ask the Lord to take the dragon away. The Lord replies no, that I must fight the dragon but He will stand beside me in the fight. I realize that in the picture I am scratched, wounded and bleeding, but the reason that the dragon is not moving is because it is in a worse state (wounded) that me!! Realize now that I HAVE to complete what I have set out to - get the impression there is a lot riding on this.
Manage to get to Rhosymedre for 2pm, and the ALPHA Strategy meeting. Dave YWAM leads the meeting. We brainstorm the good things which have come out of ALPHA as well as the problems/difficulties (praying in 2s and 3s about the latter). Then Dave proposes and talks through a strategy for the future, a rolling program using ALPHA, Search for Significance and small (cell) group evangelism backed by prayer. After the meeting, I share the dragon pictures with Christopher, who prays for me. I have come to believe that whatever is taking place spiritually, this battle is not just for me.
Home and to bed. Manage to rouse myself to get to Ectarc in Llangollen and the 'New Life' Celebration to which we have been invited. Really feel I have now completed whatever was necessary. Am reduced to tears by one of the worship choruses 'There is power in the name of Jesus' - which speaks of 'at His name the demons flee'; 'like a sword in our hand' and 'we shall stand, we shall stand'. I really feel as Christopher prays for me later, that I can relax a bit now; whatever the task was, it is finished. Thank you Lord.
Rachel M has been prayed for and is still on the floor at 11pm when we have to leave the building. Ian and Dave carry her outside to the car - she is well and truly gone, laughing and laughing. Ian has to drive her home. When we leave Tanyfron at about midnight, Rachel M has fallen off the settee laughing and landed in the toy basket! Whatever you're doing Lord, thank you!
8.7.96 Monday. Get up late; feel a lot better than expected - thank you Lord. Phone Rachel V - Rachel M is still laughing! Apparently Annie prayed for her on Friday night, and this seems to be a continuation. she is so happy!! It's wonderful!!
Frances comes around; we talk through yesterday, and do some praying. i get a very strange picture of Christopher, trying to run forward, but at every attempt being shackled by the enemy. As I hack one chain off with my sword(!) another appears in its place. Seems as though enemy is trying to prevent him getting on by a series of little things/distractions - pray for his protection and for God to remove obstacles.
By mid afternoon, about 5pm-ish, I feel so incredibly normal - physically - it's as though the last week hasn't happened. God, this just has to be you.
7.30pm phone Rachel M - who starts laughing again, and I have to ring off as I can't get any sensible conversation out of her!
Do some serious praying from 8.30 to 10.30pm and then crash out.
9.7.96 Tuesday. Get up late feeling really tired with sore throat. Mike phones; would I like to go with him to Telford on 20 July to Prophetic Vision in the Local Church conference? Does he have to ask??!!
Struggle physically today - read a little of David Pytches' book 'Prophecy in the Local Church'. Am struck by some of the introduction ; 'How long can we go on saying and hearing the right things without doing anything about it? Our congregations certainly need a dynamic communication from God today, for knowing and doing His will. The prophetic voice of the Lord is available to those God knows will listen and obey.' Amen!
10.7.96 Wednesday. Feeling rough; sore throat persists. As it's the International Eisteddfod we meet for Llangollen prayer meeting in George and Nancy's. After waiting on God, we speak out and pray scriptural promises and do battle for the town. It's a really powerful time. Annie shared about an Audio tape ( of which Daniel has a copy) which has a sound track too high for human voices, which blends in with the singers, and is believed to be an angelic chorus! I ask the group to pray for me - which is unusual for me but I feel in need of some support.
I have a series of pictures in the quiet time which I don't share with the meeting, as they seem so weird, but I record them anyway. I see a huge whirlwind arrive and become stationary in the river, in the middle of the bridge, on George & Nancy's side. I see Annie alone on the bridge, looking up at this towering 'thing', looking fearful - realize that the whirlwind is actually a horse and rider. Then see Dave standing in middle of empty main street; incredible breeze, debris flying everywhere - down the main street, from the A5 traffic lights comes a mighty flood of water. The last thing I see is the Town Hall floating like an Ark!
Eddie shares a picture of a stagecoach with 'unity' in it in lights. People are helping to put a wheel back on (folk from various churches) and wheel has gifts of the spirit around it.
Nancy loans me the programme from the Builth Wells Day of Prayer for Wales (29.6).
11.7.96 Thursday. Mike phones. Yesterday had picture of an upturned builder's hod and the word 'Cornerstone'. He's not sure what this is supposed to mean.
A friend of mine rings to say he was sat outside my house praying at 7am on Sunday morning; he had no intention of coming,but God sent him; have I had a rough week? Share all about the dragon pictures and my sense of being in a real spiritual battle; thank you Lord for arranging prayer cover for me!
Another friend phones; he was inexplicably ill from last Wednesday to about 5pm this Monday when he suddenly felt OK. Am amazed that this time scale is identical to events I've been through - suggest to him this is his first introduction to spiritual warfare.
To Bwlchgwyn for tea; Ian also has the sore throat. Eddie, Rachel & I discuss what to do after ALPHA and cell groups till 10pm. I come home and find myself still awake at 1.40am.
12.7.96 Friday. A very disturbed night. To Doctors - one of my regular trips - and have 'chance' meeting with a gentleman from Church, which turns out to be a very sad, but interesting, conversation. find my self challenged as to which Church I should belong to - and why.
Simon phones; Caron really poorly with 'the sore throat'. It's getting a bit too much of a coincidence that anybody who seems to be trying to go with God is being attacked health wise at present.
Spend some time reading through the programme from Builth Wells. Wonderful lines such as 'today the trumpets sound across our land to call God's people to stand in the gap and intercede for Wales.... We lay down our denominational and other differences as we bow and seek the face of the Lord together. May His glory come upon us'. Amen!
13.7.96 Saturday. Sore throat persists and as the day moves on I feel more and more oppressed. Yesterday I felt really restless for no apparent reason. Have a really hard time mid afternoon - the battle is on again.
Arrive early at Town Hall in Llangollen for tonight's Celebration, to be told Christopher (who should be leading the meeting) will not be there as he has too much to prepare for tomorrow. This is the first time I can ever remember Christopher opting out of a pre-arranged engagement; this is serious. 4 of us get together and do some warfare praying for the meeting and for Christopher.
Celebration begins at 7.30pm with worship - a really wonderful time. Zambia team are called out and prayed for. Tony Howson of New Life Church is the guest speaker. I feel more and more uneasy as his talk goes on, but cannot discern the reason. Ministry time begins about 10pm. I can't settle very well by now, though I ask for prayer. Leaving the Town Hall at 11pm was like leaving heaven for hell. Street outside packed with young people - the worse for drink/drugs - sound of breaking glass, police everywhere (apparently later someone threw themselves off the bridge). Lord, how do we reach these people?? It was a very vivid picture of the enemy's kingdom.
Came home but bed and sleep out of the question. Stomped on George my draft-excluder snake as a symbol of the enemy (made me feel a lot better) and marched up and down praying in tongues. Eventually sheer fatigue drove me to bed.
14.7.96 Sunday. Not in a much better state this morning - feel rough. 2.30pm to Copperas for membership service - brilliant trad methodist service, Christopher challenging us on how we are not to leave everything to the dog collar, but we each have our own ministry. Gail and Phyllis share testimony of Gail's miraculous healing, and Kevin and Angharad share how they anointed Angharad with oil and prayed for her at Circuit Youth all night prayer meeting, and her ear infection was healed! PTL!!
Mike God-smacked that Christopher used 2 Peter - the cornerstone again, plus Ephesians 6 (the armour of God) which Mike used in Ruabon this morning. We also sing 'Mine eyes have seen the Glory' which is fast becoming a Methodist National Anthem. After the Service, it's back to Ruabon Manse for the traditional BBQ. I don't want to go - am feeling really depressed/oppressed. Christopher shares that his oppression lifted as he drove to Llangollen this morning - the second worst experience of its kind in his time here. I share my concern over last night - but I am still unable to make any sense of why I felt like I did; this really bugs me.
Yet another night when I am still praying at 1.30am!
15.7.96 Monday. Am no less confused today! Several phone calls during the day suggest some others are struggling with events of Saturday night too. I am becoming concerned that this doesn't escalate and begin to wreck all the work that's been done towards unity in Llangollen.
Sylvia rings up and suggests a group of us might pray for Christopher - she's really concerned about him.
Frances arrives; we have a share and prayer time. We pray particularly for Caron who is really laid low by this throat virus.
16.7.96 Tuesday. Speak with Christopher; he's all in favour of Sylvia's suggestion of a group praying for him - he'll ring her to arrange when - it will probably be Thursday after Simon's last teaching session.
I get more 'phone calls over Saturday evening; find I am trying to be both honest in how I feel yet stop the situation from escalating.
Read some more of 'Prophecy in the Local church' - an interesting section on the historical background to prophetic moves through the ages which I've not seen before in any other book.
17.7.96 Wednesday. Mike phones; he is still struggling to make sense of Saturday night and is praying about it. He feels John 10:10 is really important. He and Frances are working through a set of videos on Spiritual Warfare by Dean Sherman which they say are excellent.
7.30pm to Llangollen for prayer meeting. Betty shared through various scriptures that God seemed to be pointing in the direction of praising Him. So, we pray 'praisefull' scriptures - a lot of the psalms. The last half an hour turns out to be a discussion on the purpose and nature of the group and we re-emphasise its prayer function.
18.7.96 Thursday. Caron is still not feeling very well and is unable to come to Rhosymedre at night. A few gather early and pray for Christopher. Simon arrives having had no time to prepare any notes; it;s going to be a pray and trust God night! During the worship (which he led) Christopher had a picture of a large person (God) on a throne, in front of which were seemingly 1" high people (us); as we worship and touch the throne we become as big as the person on it. God was saying that though we do not believe it, our worship pleases Him very much.
At the same time, I had a picture of us protected by God's hand from a raging torrent. We were standing looking at the roaring water, bedraggled, exhausted, but safe, while the water was carrying away the lost. Felt both secure/relieved but dreadfully 'sad' for the lost simultaneously. Couldn't sing for a while afterwards - felt really subdued. Thought of Isaiah and 'the waters will not overwhelm you'.
Simon shares about the Ed Silvoso Conference and how the Argentineans are praying for Britain 'cause they are convinced, along with others that Revival is going to happen in UK!! YES, LORD, YES!!!!! Simon stresses the need to put teaching into action; teaching on strongholds and fear of man.
19.7.96 Friday. As I am preparing food for tomorrow's trip to Telford, feel the Lord telling me to pack extra as there could be someone we need to share it with. Think back to last time this happened - when God told me to take extra fruit juice to Walk Thru the OT at Llangollen and I ended up giving this to Tony Bird who led the day.
20.7.96 Saturday. To Hill Farm to pick up Mike at 8.15am and off to Telford. We are amazed that the roads are deserted - at least in our direction - and we make good time. On the journey, I share with Mike what I felt God had said last night about the food. He shares that God seems to be speaking to him about angels; I say there are 2 things I have asked the Almighty if I can see before I quit this mortal coil: ie. an angel and the Shekinah glory fall.
We arrive, register and grab two seats. Looking two rows in front, I see a guy sitting on the end chair, and say to Mike 'That's Tony Bird!' Mike goes to investigate and it is!! I invite Tony to share lunch with us; he readily accepts - he had forgotten about today until about 8.30am when over breakfast he saw the flyer, decided to come, grabbed some orange juice but brought no lunch!! I am stunned.
In the next 10 minutes Tony blows my mind in what he says. His wife has just come back from Toronto, and during one of the intercession meetings, the Shekinah glory fell! Also, Tony shares that they have had words about watchmen, and pictures of tornados - just wonderful confirmation of all that we've heard God say here.
Opening worship has lots of references to angels!! Lady shares a prophecy from last night when she had a picture of God putting people into position, of troops assembling in a valley; God will lead them out. Again an amazing parallel to 'He has sounded forth the trumpet'. Main teaching given by Roger and Sue Mitchell from Icthus in London. Need to have a big vision of what God is doing; we are part of the overcoming generation which if we push through will see a great harvest. We need to see what is happening and test what we believe God is saying against the backdrop of scripture.
The most powerful part of the evening for me was the end, when we enacted a symbolic reconciliation between Welsh and English. Mike and I were standing out front, me facing the meeting, him kneeling down in front of me praying for forgiveness and repentance (along with others who had a heart for Wales). I was crying in the introduction, long before we left our seats to go forward. By the time we were at the front, I was crying, shaking uncontrollably - I have never before experienced God crying through me in that way, it just blew my mind. I had heard how powerful acts of reconciliation are - but now I KNOW they are.
Drive home in a pretty amazed state - events of the last Celebration seem insignificant now, and I am content to leave God to sort them out.
21.7.96 Sunday. Still on a 'high' from yesterday, following a fitful night's sleep. Listen to tape from Friday evening at Telford, which helps put yesterday into fuller context.
Phone Simon. Caron still not very well. Zambia team got off from Heathrow OK yesterday.
To Llangollen for evening HC on the rocks. Christopher preaches his 'Wesley in Weardale' service. I share briefly about yesterday; an older gentleman called George shares a very powerful word of his testimony. It is really good to be out where the people are - we spend too much time behind closed doors.
Listen to beginning of Ian Ross tape (Toronto intercession pastor) which I got from Telford. This was end of April 96 - he speaks of God telling them in the Airport to appoint watchmen - they need watchmen - to cover the leaders in prayer, the church ministry in prayer and their families in prayer. God is doing exciting stuff - but it's going to get tougher. Watchmen again!!
Fell really burdened for Zambia contingent tonight and spend some time praying for them before hitting the sack.
22.7.96 Monday. Frances comes round and I share with her my perspective of Telford. We have our prayer time.
At 10.10pm God gives me Jeremiah 10 v10, plus a picture of the Llangollen valley filled with water and the words 'bowl of wrath'. Don't understand this at all but it fills me with unease - not so much fear as concern.
23.7.96 Tuesday. Phone Simon. Christopher had e-mail from Zambia - very brief message to say they are OK. PTL!
Listen to intercession tape from Telford - of their meeting with Ian Ross at end April. Someone had a picture of a tunnel 'like a whirlwind', somebody else got Ezekiel 3, where the prophet is called to be a watchman! It's awesome!
6pm to Hill Farm. Late evening spent discussing why we are not seeing more signs and wonders and why we haven't got revival yet. I say I'd like to go to Argentina where they have got revival. Mike and I share about the reconciliation act in Telford and the power of it. It's early morning before I get home.
24.7.96 Wednesday. Llangollen prayer meeting 7.30pm. Simon opens up by asking 'where are we going?' with this group. He suggests we pray for the needs of the town eg Churches, police,schools etc. Betty is trying to get the meeting into the Town Events sheet. We feel we need to pray about unity, reconciliation, praise and promises (in the morning God had given me a picture of two hands holding firmly a piece of wood and a feeling He was saying that we need to hold on to His promises).
We wait on God. Jeremiah 10 v 10 and picture of flooded valley comes back. I share this - the others think it's a bit weird. I ask God is there a Biblical reference and am given Revelation - ch 16 is all about the bowls of God's anger. I feel really subdued, sad - with the sense of impending judgement - on the lost? Shared the picture of the raging torrent from worship time in Rhosymedre. Can't make much sense of this.
Home. Read Jeremiah 10 v 10 as I can't get this out of my mind. Glance at my watch - it is 10:10:10. Lord what are you trying to say? Only thing which comes to mind is the line form Graham Kendrick chorus 'restore O Lord' which runs 'and in your anger, Lord, remember mercy'.
25.7.96 Thursday. Am still bugged by Jeremiah 10:10 - and a desire to go to Argentina!
Spend some time before going to Simon & Caron's mooching around Llangollen. Find some literature on Dinas Bran, etc, and begin to think about doing some spiritual mapping on the town - in which I have no experience at all. Get a couple of street maps from Tourist Information, which we might be able to use in prayer walking.
Look through literature Simon has on Ed Silvoso Conference in Argentina - discover Cindy Jacobs is going to be there, as well as Roger & Sue Mitchell who did the teaching in Telford. Drive home, still bugged by Jeremiah 10v10.
26.7.96 Friday. Share Jeremiah 10:10 and Revelation 16 with Mike; he can't make any sense of it either. He has received e-mail from Zambia; team are OK but prayer for a good night's sleep requested.
Christopher phones - he doesn't understand Jeremiah 10v10 and Revelation 16 either!
27.7.96 Saturday. Read commentaries on Revelation 16 in an attempt to understand a bit further the 'bowls' and Jeremiah 10v10. Can't say I progressed very far.
28.7.96 Sunday. Go to Ruabon for 11am and Christopher's last service there. A long service - we begin at 11am and end about 12.45pm. We jointly read from Revelation 1 v9 through all of chapters 2 & 3, and Christopher challenges the Church to think what Jesus might say to us today - what would He commend us for, and what would He be less pleased with. We wait on God, and I have this picture of glowing embers, and sense God is saying that He is wanting to fan the embers by the wind of His Spirit into the flames of revival, but the church MUST be wholehearted in following Him. I do not share this. Christopher preaches a cracking sermon on welcoming Peter Shepherd, the new Minister. We carry out an act of reconciliation prior to the Communion, which again is really powerful. Service ends with 'Mine eyes have seen the glory' - inevitably!
Home. Played Jim Paul tape 'Making the church a house of prayer'. Really powerful - talks of how we will 'see' angels in these days, revival in Scotland, healing being given.
To Regent Street 6pm for joint farewell service for John Wiggall and Christopher. One of the lessons has 'cornerstone' in it!! John preaches on Spirit filled Church being a preaching church. After service usual Methodist bun fight and official speeches and presentations. To me it seemed so very shallow a recognition of 8 years' and 5 years' ministry respectively. Feel really disappointed, especially for Christopher, driving home.
29.7.96 Monday. Replied to letter from Mike yesterday with some advance thoughts before the ALPHA strategy meeting scheduled for Rhosymedre on Thursday. Posted this off. In the evening, a solid prayer time particularly for Zambia team.
30.7.96 Tuesday. An irritating morning of minor domestic mishaps. Phone Simon - he's got temperature of 102F and is feeling dreadful. Another e-mail from Zambia. Prayer requested for broken cement mixer, Bible studies the team are to give, and for their journey home.
This morning get Isaiah 28 - which Roger Mitchell preached from in Telford - which has the cornerstone reference in it - this is stone that joins the parts together. Feel God is saying need to establish perimeter of spiritual cover (blanket) over Llangollen. Need to blow trumpet at points of access on the 4 roads ie at Woodlands, Pavilion, A5 and (?) Chainbridge. To establish 'jurisdiction'.
31.7.96 Wednesday. Prayer meeting in Llangollen. Simon not well enough to come. We find it difficult to 'get going'. I feel really oppressed. I had walked around town a bit before going to Catholic Church, and had noticed posters on Glanrafon railings (in many languages) of scripture texts, and the Bible Club poster outside the Methodist Memorial hall, inviting kids to 'Follow Jesus' with colourful poster. God reminds me of this in our time of waiting on Him - how we need to look for the light in the darkness - for it IS there- and how the H shape of the roads and the bridge signifies 'hope' and 'healing' with the river flowing through as the river of life. Frances gets 'obedience'. Betty gets Isaiah 48 & 58 and feels praise is important. We pray, and I find myself having to pray aggressively to break through the oppression. (Prayed for God to fix Zambian concrete mixer as I wait in building site behind church to get in).
1.8.96 Thursday. Pray for tonight's ALPHA strategy meeting. Go early. Not a large turn out - many of previous leaders are in Zambia- but an interested hard core. Paul Hopkins, Frances & Mike lead the proceedings for YWAM. Paul does a swift overview of the last meeting, and we discuss issues as we go along. Quite a lot of enthusiasm engendered for taking ALPHA into the realms of outreach, but many still wonder how to get from where we are to that stage. Paul stresses this is not an overnight process. YWAM keen to offer whatever support they can to the local churches, individuals or groups. I feel quite encouraged by tonight. Frances has brought me their copy of 'Where do we go from here?' by Ralph Neighbour, about cell group church, so I can do some background reading on cells. Have a quick skim through this before lights out tonight.
My set Bible reading today was Luke 20 v 9 - 17 which ends with 'this very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner'.
2.8.96 Friday. Read beginning of the cell church book - find I am really gripped and stirred by what this guy is saying.
Can't sleep - find myself praying still at 1.45am. Eventually just pray in tongues and fall asleep!
3.8.96 Saturday. Feel absolutely wrecked. Phone Simon. Fortunately he has recovered enough to be able to drive to Heathrow to pick up Zambian team on their return tomorrow.
Finish reading 'Prophecy in the Local Church'; progress in reading cell church book. Am really severely challenged by what I read here. Am becoming convinced that correct use of ALPHA in outreach is the way forward.
4.8.96 Sunday. To Rhosymedre 11am to hear Ian V; then Copperas 2.30 and Overton 6.30 - latter Christopher's last 2 services. His farewell sermon bears hearing several times. In Copperas one of young boys who goes to Circuit Youth testified to how much HS is working in his life - wonderful to hear. This has happened after Circuit Youth decided to 'Get serious with God'. Challenged three times today to think where my Church membership should be - which confirmed the thinking I was doing- that maybe it is time to make a move if God wants it, and put down new roots. On way to Overton, Rachel V shared that in worship this morning God seemed to be saying that they had been breaking up the ground over the last 18 months or so in Regent Street, as He wanted.
This morning, as I looked at 'Where do we go from here?', sticking out of it was the flyer for the N Wales ALPHA conference in Colwyn Bay in Sept, and the instructions to get to the venue. This page is headed 'How to get there'. It really felt as though God was saying ALPHA IS the way forward in introducing small groups and growing the church.
5.8.96 Monday. Listen to tape of Rauna May speaking at Faith '96 - an amazing story of her being healed (when dying) during a trip to Argentina. (It's that place again!). Feel really rough - as if I've been doing too much again.
7pm to Rhosymedre for Christopher's section farewell - his 5 Churches together. A light hearted evening, full of warmth and a much more fitting celebration than the formality of the Circuit bash. A rewritten version of 'Mine eyes have seen the glory' and a sketch from Ruabon bearing a passing resemblance to certain aspects of Christopher's lifestyle were very well received. A good number of the returned Zambia team present too - so the opportunity to hear of their adventures and what God had been up to with them. A really good 'do', including a very powerful testimony from Maureen J of how HS has turned her life around in the last few months.
God gives me Joshua 16 v 2 later that night - about boundaries - which reminds me of the need to blow the trumpet in Llangollen, to establish the spiritual perimeter. Also, Joshua 6v 16 'God has given us the city'. Conscious of how big a part trumpets play in the fall of Jericho story.
6.8.96 Tuesday. To Bwlchgwyn in the evening for Regent Street's ALPHA strategy meeting. Ian V chairs this, sharing some of the feedback from the Rhosymedre meeting of 1.8.96. A really open, constructive meeting with folk keen to move on, and get to the stage were ALPHA can be used as an evangelistic small-group model - for reaching the lost. 18 months ago this type of meeting would not have been possible. Thank you Lord for all that you've done - and are doing. We close by praying through the issues we have discussed. Felt really at home with these people; Lord, is Regent Street where you want me to be?
7.8.96 Wednesday. Have reached the point of no return physically, and for the first time give my apologies for the Llangollen prayer meeting. Crash out for most of the day, listening to Rauna May tapes and reading cell church book. Despite being really whacked, am still awake at 1am mulling over where my 'home' church should be. Spoke to Frances in Scotland this evening; after I shared how I was beginning to feel about Regent Street, she really challenged me by asking 'Do you feel you have a part in their vision?' This was still on my mind.
8.8.96 Thursday. Still feeling good for nothing physically. Long talk with Beryl this morning about Zambia experience. Phone Simon - prayer meeting did not take place last night - no-one could get there! Read more of cell church book; really am gripped by concepts in this. Listened to 2nd Rauna May tape; that lady has words of knowledge like you would not believe - I wish I could hear God as well as she does. Lord, right now I'd settle for knowing which Church you want me in!