How to get men to love Church (part 1)

August 31, 2010

This post – originally a talk at the New Wine National Leader’s event, has recently been published in Sorted magazine.

I stopped going to church as soon as I had a choice. In my early teens my parents decided they’d only ever gone out of occasional religious duty and were going to stop. They said I had a choice as to whether I went. Starsky and Hutch were on, no-brainer.

Years of fun, sin and regret in pretty much equal measure prevailed until at twenty-one I came to know Jesus after an undeniable experience of meeting him; a story for another day.

Even though I now saw myself as a Christian I probably still wouldn’t have bothered with church if not for a couple of clergymen who bust the stereotype for me early on; Neil was the first. He accepted me where I was at- a copper who grew up on a council estate now working a rough Manchester central beat. When I came to the little Bible study group I’d been invited to he laughed at my (colourful to say the least) jokes and inappropriate remarks rather than making me feel terrible or expecting me to feel bad for just being me. I wanted to be like Neil.
Alan was amazing. What I liked about Alan was that he was a man – and a man of God. United fan. Generous, funny, too humble – and you knew he loved you. I wanted to be like Alan. It’s men like that who got me not just to go to church, but to stay there, stick at it, and not just moan or leave but do my best to make it better.

The church has a problem, Houston. Over the last twenty years 38% of believing men left the church. Believing men – deciding they still believe but don’t want to go to church anymore! So we are facing a crisis before we even think about connecting more effectively with men like many who read Sorted but are still not at all sure about this Jesus stuff. It’s like running the taps without the plug in.

The person most likely to regularly go to church in this country according to the Tear Fund research report is a black, professional middle class woman, over 60. We all love Moira Stewart so that’s great. But where are the blokes?

Gender Gap Widening
In the UK the ratio of women to men in church is 65% to 35%, but far too few churches have anything like 35% of men regularly attending. Worse news than the Coalition budget? The gender gap is widening – and the less men you get, especially young men, the less people generally you get. In the last 20 years 49% of men under 30 left the UK church!
Now does that mean British men are not that interested in spiritual things? Maybe we just point to the parable of the sower and decide that men are generally hard soil, while black, middle class, middle aged women are good soil? (It’s their fault, not the church’s fault in other words). We can’t get away with that, because there is no gender gap in Islam, Buddhism, Judaism or Hinduism. In fact in all those other religions there are MORE men than women! Men are interested in spiritual things, and I maintain that there’s no message to compete with gospel truth, so why is it not reaching the average British bloke?

Peter Williamson - Mr Average?

Mr Average
Peter Williamson’s wife put him forward for the title for a Channel 4 Documentary, and I know not all of this will apply to him (or you) as I’ve cobbled it together from various sources the average British man…

Had 8 sexual partners before he got married in his early thirties,
Has two children
Drives a Ford Fiesta
Is 5ft 9in
Owes £9k of unsecured debt
Has size 10 feet, a 40 inch chest and a 35 inch waist
Weighs 13 stone
Owns 16 pairs of underpants – this being the only item of clothing he buys with confidence.
Spends one month of his life looking for lost socks
Says ‘Sorry’ 1.9 million times in his lifetime
Considers himself working class
Reads the Sun
Has sex eight times a month, but thinks about it thirteen times a day…
(which explains a lot)
Can cook at least four meals, including spaghetti Bolognese
Has at least one Harry Potter novel in his house
Watches three hours of TV a day,
Uses the bathroom six times a day,
Is one inch taller than the average Frenchman
Will die of a heart attack at 76
His most popular conversational subject is sport, then work, after that politics and economics, or disputes about abstract ideas such as How The World Began.
He believes in God…

But most men completely by-pass church! Even in a crisis, few of them think Church might be the place to go anymore, they’ll go to the fridge and TV, or feel better at the pub or the match or sitting on their own fishing. They see Church as a place that according to a BBC Radio survey is for wimps, women and irrelevant. Church as we are generally doing it, is generally repulsive which means the opposite of attractive to men.

The Repulsive Church
You might not like the word repulsive? The Dictionary states the word means – “Causing aversion, having the ability to repel.’ I was disturbed but not surprised by the recent survey conducted by Sorted and CVM that found men would feel more at home in a ladies lingerie dept than to go to church.

So how did a faith founded by a Man and His twelve male (mostly working class) disciples, who were told to be ‘Fishers of men’ become fairly popular with older women, but repulsive to the average man? If you go to church, or especially if you lead one – are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Are you a fisher of men or is your church repulsive to men?

Nineteenth century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “There has got abroad a notion, somehow, that if you become a Christian you must sink your manliness and turn milksop.” When I was at theological college I saw a strange thing happen, as those who came to train as church leaders started out fairly normal, but learned how to do the concerned face and by the end of training have a particular voice –you know what that sounds like unless you do it – you learn a particular tonality that nobody else but clergy talk like. The good news? You can UNLEARN that too, if you want to connect to the average man you’d better! While we’re at it, unlearn using words and having arguments about things nobody in the real world gives a toss about.

I’m not going to go into detail about what some writers have listed as being what puts men off church, the feminisation argument – because they are often very sweeping and generalising, and I know there are exceptions. No doubt someone will tell me that your church is led by an all woman team, and that in the pastel coloured room a flower arranging, hymn singing crèche group at your church is packed full of hairy legged blokes in their twenties.
But listen if you will to David Murrow who gives one big reason why men hate going to church – it’s not ‘because of all the women,’ but because the men there aren’t really men. That’s the perception at least.

He says most men have a religion: MASCULINITY – they are serious students of what it is to be a man, disciples of other men on TV or sports or whatever, wanting to work out what it is to be a man, whatever that is, and they don’t see the church has having any answers to that.

“Tough, earthy, working guys rarely come to church. High achievers, alpha males, risk takers, and visionaries are in short supply. Fun-lovers and adventurers are also underrepresented in church. These rough-and-tumble men don’t fit in with the quiet, introspective gentlemen who populate the church today. The truth is, most men in the pews grew up in church. They enjoy participating in comforting rituals that have changed little since their childhood. There are also millions of men who attend services under duress, dragged by a mother, wife, or girlfriend. Today’s churchgoing man is humble, tidy, dutiful, and above all, nice.”

That’s what Murrow says the unconscious message the church is giving to church, come and be nice. Oh and if you really want to be really nice it would be awfully nice if you could help cut the grass in the graveyard. The nice message is repulsive.

Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him take up his cross and die.” That’s not nice. It’s the verse that brought me to faith.

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Lynn Swart’s talk at Ivy Mcr on Acts 20

August 9, 2010

These notes I took during the talk form discussion  for Ivy Grow Groups if you’re still meeting through summer….

What happened in Acts is not just about what happened, but what can happen today!

When we read Acts it is all about journeys – remember that we are on a journey too. Every day – sometimes we get stuck!

Discuss: Where are you on your journey right now? anyone stuck? Pray for one another.

Our journey at Ivy as a community is marked by Knowing, Growing & Going in God. That’s our missionary journey as a community.

We are all full time! Full time workers for the church & kingdom, some of us get paid for that. Some don’t.

Discuss: Do you agree? Should ANYONE get paid for Christian ministry?

The resource we cannot do without? The Holy Spirit! Lynn says it’s great to open the day by saying, ‘Good morning, Holy Spirit,’ every day. Invite his leading. Don’t just ask him to be with me, let him lead!

There is still a voyage of discovery – however long we’ve been following.

Keep steady in God – by knowing him, Christ in me.

Acts 20:1&2 (Read)

Uproars still happen. Idols don’t like being cast down.

Nb. this word – Encouraging! Parakaleo = come alongside and call out…

Do you love to encourage others? Come alongside & Call the greatness out of those around you?
We need people around us who will instil confidence in each other- because it is tough- but God is for us! We either believe that fully or not at all. ‘If God is for us who can be against us?’

Encouraging means ‘strengthen in purpose.’ believing that this person can make a difference.

Are we looking out for one another, lifting each other up? Not competing or even comparing. – without expectation of reward or recognition.

We need encouragement from God.

“The enemy wants to take you out at the ankles. God wants to take you out at the knees.” Do you let that happen first?

We need to speak encouragement to ourselves. Build altars of remembrance. Where I say, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped me…’

Tell stories of encouragement to one another. Prophesy over one another, naturally. Pray for one another. Take the opportunity to speak goodness and purpose into one another, rather than being quick to voice problems. I already know what my weaknesses & problems are! I need someone to say, ‘I see this in you..God’s doing this..’

? Take some time in the group doing this? Tell stories of encouragement!

Then there’s the Eutychus incident. He fell out of the window & dies. Vs 7-11. Paul speaks life – to the community! ‘don’t be alarmed’ by what you see with the natural eye.

Jesus is still the resurrection!

Community is so important. We cant do this journey alone. We need community. Ages mixed together.

Prophetic word via Dennis Wakefield was read out out by Lynn. This is on the church website.

I can’t watch my back, I need someone at my back!

Communion. Remember who is our life.

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Matt Wilson. Half a gospel?

August 2, 2010

Notes from Matts introductory remarks in Impact venue today.

We live in a polarised, us & them world. Pride & prejudice. The fabric of community spirit is thinner.

But through the cross, God has enabled a way of reconnection in a new kingdom.

Jesus reconciled ‘us’ to God.
That’s only half the gospel.
What about ‘ them.’

Are we reconciled to others? Or are our other relationships to others still fractured?

How does the full gospel work itself out in our communities?

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Soil test

May 14, 2010

I’m no gardener. No interest in it. Left to myself, I’d leave it to itself. Weeds everywhere. Some weeds look good.

That’s why I always feel unqualified to comment on Jesus’ farming metaphors, even though I’ve lived in rural areas, none of that green thumbedness ever rubbed off. In fact I like to keep my thumbs clean. But I don’t think Jesus was trying to teach us to be good gardeners or organic farmers. He wanted us to check our hearts, not our sheds. You know this story I’m sure:

“What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening?

The question is, What kind of soil are you? The seed’s always good, it’ll do its work, but what really matters is where it lands.

Let’s look at some soils…soil tests measure fertility

1)      HARD – unreceptive. The seed is wasted, but the farmer is generous enough to be thought wasteful. Some people are hard soil. It seems  they give no attention to the gospel at all.  They don’t even hear what they’re told about God. resistant, they want nothing to do with God and his kingdom. I’ve met some people who seem like hard soil, but percentage wise it’s very few actually. Sometimes people who seem like hard soil are just trying to pretend. Like Saul did, he even persecuted Christians – no Christians were going to get near enough to put any seeds his way – but when Jesus sovereignly revealed himself in a vision he said, “It’s hard FOR YOU to kick against the goads.” Something was going on inside this toughest of hard cases all along, and God knew that… he can work with hard soil.

2)      SHALLOW – there are people who seem to get the message at first, it makes them happy. But they just added ‘God loves me’ on top of their lives rather than letting the reality of a relationship with the Supreme One change anything deeper inside. Because there is no real depth (no real repentance?), there’s no true commitment – the soil is shallow. Maybe they were not told to count the cost, and when the heat of persecution comes, or even when the troubles of an ordinary life in a fallen world continue, they respond by shrinking back.  Blaming God even. they though the gospel was just a comfort blanket they needed – something to make life feel better for a while). They give up on the choice they seemed to have made – like someone joining the gym at new year, and go looking for a different kind of hope to make life easier for a while.

3)      THORNY. Agriculturalists measure the soil for ‘contaminants.’ I’ve been excited to meet people who quickly receives good news when it’s preached, maybe at a hard time of their lives when drowning in despair they reach out to grab salvation’s passing lifeline – but they’re more interested in getting on a luxury liner than manning a lifeboat to help others out. Jesus talks about the riches of this world, and the worries that accompany such things. You can’t have one without the other. Weeds of worry  and desire for finer things in this life choke out what the seed was trying to produce. Striving for more of what will end up as somebody else’s antiques or junk ensures that no lasting fruit is borne.  The commitment is to a life of comfort more than a life of service – saying and singing all the right things about Jesus, but in the end it’s their own desires that rule their lives.

4)      GOOD SOIL – is productive! You can’t tell by looking at ‘soil’ what it will end up like. thats’ why teh seed goes everywhere. But eventually you can tell because good soil will produce fruit. And Jesus is optimistic about that soil – he says it’ll produce thirty, sixty or onehundrefold! All that potential placed in the seed, just waiting for the right soil.

So, perhaps a quarter of people have no interest. Half of those who seem to accept the message fizzle out and bear no fruit. Pretty depressing statistics!

Churches often try to appeal to the bad soil and keep them happy, trying to tell them that following Jesus really requires little effort or sacrifice – just come once a week if you’re not too busy and have fun. Be passive not active, we don’t expect fruit, just sit there like good soil…

How often do we hear the common complaint that twenty percent of the people do eighty per cent of the work, give eighty per cent of money the money and so on. Re-read this parable and you know why! It wouldn’t surprise Jesus.  There’s a lot of bad soil around.  Consumer Christians, educated beyond the level of obedience.

How much of a Christian does your church require you to be?

We’ve not done well with this. Don’t a lot of our programmes and so on say, ‘You can be totally uncommitted to the cause of Jesus and his kingdom, distracted by focusing on the accumulation of stuff, and we’d still love you to be a member here?”

Who’s responsible for bearing fruit? YOU ARE.

You’re accountable. Are you good soil or bad soil? I don’t know, but time will tell – and eternity will keep on telling. Life is like a coin; you can spend it any way you like, but you only spend it once.

Most of us would be very pleased with a 10% Return on Investment. 20% is great! Jesus says if you’re good soil you will bear fruit at either 3000%, 6000% or 10,000%. That’s a lot of fruit! He says, “Abide in me and produce much fruit.”  This is an enterprise worth investing in! I want to invest myself in people who want to bear fruit!

Jesus never forced himself on the disinterested. He never altered his call or message to suit the hearer.  Read the account of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:  This guy would fit the bill for the ideal church member! And Jesus loved him, but didn’t chase him.

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

J John on the future

March 3, 2010

My friend J. John was asked by Charisma Magazine in the USA to respond to the question:What will life be like for the church in 2020? He sent me a peek at his reply and it makes for fascinating and insightful reading.


Heading towards financial, moral and social bankruptcy it is hard to be optimistic about the future of Britain. Yet amid the gloom, I see rays of encouragement and hope. My predictions?

· The continuing decline in ‘Churchianity’ will lead to a void in which a genuine Christian faith will stand out clearly.
· The current affection for hedonism, consumerism and secularism will be maintained, but there will be a growing realisation that they do not satisfy.
· While the decline of the formal, traditional, institutional churches will continue there will be significant mega-churches in all the major cities that will be the new ‘cathedrals’ and a rapid rise in small, fluid fellowships.
· As society becomes colder, more detached and increasingly virtual, the attraction of authentic, caring, Spirit-filled fellowships will be compelling.
· As ‘book culture’ wanes there will a loss of biblical knowledge that will leave the church vulnerable to fads and heresies. This will be balanced by a growth in Christians who will hold to God’s word with a new seriousness.
· The failure of ‘multicultural’ philosophy and political correctness will produce some urban areas as no-go zones for evangelism. Nevertheless, there will a growing number of Christians, churches and martyrs.

It’s not going to be boring! And God is still on His throne.

J.John
www.philotrust.com

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Lindz West of Lz7 on the skills of Evangelism

February 28, 2010

Lindz from Lz7 teaching on being an effective evangelist.

Manchester is his adopted city, he is a missionary to Manchester! Sept 27th his ‘this little light’ song will be released.

The government are right behind it: ‘Shine’ campaign = film young people doing something good. Put it on the website.
Momentum is building!

He has been doing evangelism full time for ten years. Employed by Luis Palau festival to preach to their youth, some massive crowds.

But the tough stuff is When you go onto a classroom etc with his work through the Message – there are walls to be broken down

Mk 1;17

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.

Ever been fishing!? Hard work! Chucking out the net is dirty work, and you need some skills, but ordinary people can do it.

When he did a sports science degree – he learned a definition of SKILL.

Skill is a learned ability to bring about a predetermined result with maximum certainty often with minimal outlay of time, energy or both.

So: do your work:,be prepared in advance! To be relevant to who you’re reaching.

Know your audience, be all things to all people to save some. What’s going to work best for this person?

Know your testimony. Be ready!

Break down a barrier!
Eg., body language. We communicate a massive amount non verbally.
Hand gestures: do you tend to point (aggressive) or use open hands?
If people are closed arms & legs, you need to change them from being closed.
Eye contact – use a visual sweep.

Don’t shuffle about in an uncertain way: the gospel is something you can stand on.
Stand confident in your faith.
In schools you learn at the sharp end. Any questions time!? That’s tough apologetics.
God has said to him, if you fail 7 times, get up 8 times!

When Lindz was in new York, ended up he ‘just happened’ to meet Chris Moyles. It took till 2am till the conversation turned to God. If Chris Moyles comes to Manchester, he will visit Ivy!

And it happened because the conversation turned to the opportunity.

Are you willing to be interrupted? Like Jesus was with Zaccheaus.

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Not a matter of prayer- a matter of faith! Arnold Muwonge

February 22, 2010

Our dear friend Arnold Muwonge spoke yesterday at Ivy Manchester.

His main text was Ruth 1.21 I went out full, I came back empty. The title was RHYTHMS OF CHANGE.
Here are my notes on what he shared ; great stuff – and see the end for an important prophetic word from Arnold.

A man he knew came from Africa, when he was at home he could smell gas, but he got used to it. It took another guy coming in to be able to alert him. When you are cooking, you may not smell how good it is: needs a stranger to come from outside to smell it.
Arnold brings an outsider’s perspective!

There are three main actors in Ruth. It’s a great story.

BOAZ - A type of Christ. His character was integral. Dependable. He is faithful, rich (psalm 24), able to help, our provider. We must learn to trust him. He gives us everything. He will always turn up. We can be confident in him. He operates according to covenant. Our salvation is based on covenant.

NAOMI - a type of Israel. Goes away from God for what she wants. But God brings her back! She goes away from God because of her insecurities. To get her needs met. Ends up where she is not to be. Goes through the wrong doors. The wrong door can take 5 mins to open, & 10 years to close. Naomi is a type of israel. She left a place where she was actually full. We forget how blessed we are. Vs 21. Thank God for life, for salvation. The grace of God which keeps you.

RUTH is a type of the church. A Moabitess. A nation founded from & conceived from terrible immorality, considered cursed to the 10th generation. A rejected bloodline! Now we find ourselves on a place where we were never meant to be. There is grace. There is nobody God cannot save!

Ruth is a book of encouragement, of survival, through all the pain; they bounce back, by the grace of God. The devil takes hold of us in times of trouble. The devil tells you, ‘you are not loved by God, but if you follow my way, I will help you.’

But pain is not always negative : it can keep people together. We think pain separates; These three women, all they had in common was their pain & struggle, it was their only story-  at the beginning. Loss. Bereavement. Whatever you go through – God still loves you! Through their pain, they stuck together. Not all pain leads to death; it can lead to redemption! We can learn through our need, to seek until we find.

God may not say what we want, instead he says, ‘Be strong! Circumstances have no anointing to change the call on your life.’

One day, Naomi woke up and said, ‘I am going back to Israel – leave me alone.’ She realised there was something shifting, she was going! In Gods timing. We have created an intellectual God. But our God is a miracle worker!

People who are moving Gods way are not necessarily bothered whether everyone else comes with them. Its not about getting a vote. They say, ‘It’s my time now to step into what the Lord is leading me into.’ We may be misunderstood when we do that, even by the ones closest to us. Cf Hannah & the priest. Rom 8:25

Orpah kissed her and decided to go her way. That’s okay. She doesnt get condemned for that. She gets a blessing. We have to be big enough to do that; If someone chooses to go, that’s okay. They are out of your story, their contribution to it has ended – but God is still writing it! He is writing it in colour. We can become bitter that someone walked out, or we can look who’s coming in!

Naomi says; “Your God will be my God.” The commitment is what God uses, to use us. Ruth makes a commitment. There are people you meet, a community, who are different, but your prophetic destiny is mapped with the people next to you in church. You are not just here because its a good church. My breakthrough is in how I connect. Plug in!

Ask God, ‘How am I to play my part in the story?’

What made Naomi want to go? She recognised Gods timing; recognising what God is doing in my life, church, family. Ask God today, ‘What are you doing?’ and join him in that.

Is there a shift, a shaking inside you? God is going to give you a kick in your pants. You have been dormant long enough! God can use you!

Ruth, who was supposed to be rejected, ends up in Jesus lineage/ story. At the end of their life, they look back and see His hand was at work. But we must take a step!

Arnold closed his talk in the second service with a prophetic word for Ivy Manchester which he said he has had for two years for us:

“You have been talking for a long time about getting a large building and praying about getting a larger building – this is no longer a matter of prayer, but a matter of FAITH! Believe God for this!”

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Pastors R Us! Debra Green evening talk

February 14, 2010

Debra Green : Equipped. Pastors r us?

What is the pastor gift? Shepherding? Can mean someone with divine enabling of others, taking responsibility to model & establish trust, lead, protect those within our span of care.

We can’t abdicate caring to pastors who are paid. We all should take responsibility to respond to need.
Pastoral care; 4 things to remember- CARE

C. Compassion. It starts here! Jesus looked at the crowd and had compassion. He saw they were hungry. Went to meet the need. Went to rescue the lost sheep. Moved to reach out. In your gut, you are moved toward a need. Splancnizomai. Not just a sense of duty, it’s more powerful. Break my heart for what breaks yours. We don’t all have the same concern about the same things & that’s OK.  Sometimes we just have to get involved, being spontaneously compassionate. You don’t need permission or a word from God to do that. But bigger issues, like ‘should I go to Haiti?’ we need to check that and run through a bigger filter.
A. Aid (or Action). It’s not just a fluffy feeling – go to work! Cf Good Samaritan. Lk 10. Compassion got him to cross the road. He was a neighbour because he showed mercy. He came to his Aid, a stranger! There were all kinds of reasons why we has the last to be expected to help but he was there, doing what was needed: for a stranger: Mt 25:35-40. We are doing it as unto Jesus! He receives it himself. As a church we are to extend our pastoral care beyond the walls of the church! When someone dies, what can you do? Best thing is just be there with them & be kind. Send notes. Help practically. Offer to pray, sensitively! Give them space too.
R. Relationships. Jn 19:26 Jesus is in agony on the cross, he has nothing more he can give it seems, but then he sees his mother & best friend. Says, ‘Mother- here is your son.’ thinks of them above himself. Putting people together. We have to love & care for people. The bigger the church, it’s easier for people to fall through the net. Ring the person who’s missing, tell them you missed them! Nobody will be attracted to a church where there’s no love. People long for extnded family.
E. Empathy. So much more than sympathy. It’s a rich thing. Hebrews 4:15 , says Jesus knows how we feel, fully. So, he can fully empathise with us when we struggle. You can say, ‘I know someone who is able to know how you feel.’ in fact, when you have been through something – God can use you to help others with the same or similar pain or experience. You may have wondered why God allowed it? It’s valid to ask that. But one day you see it.

How to deal well with conflict in church.
10 steps
1. Come to me privately if you have a problem with me.
2. I’ll come to you privately
3. If someone comes to you with a problem about me, send them to me
4. If someone consistently will not come to me, say, ‘let’s go together.’
5. Be careful how you interpret me, i would rather do that myself! You might not fully understand my intentions.
6. I will be careful how I interpret you
7. If its confidential, don’t tell even one petson unless it will lead to harm to someone or danger.
8. I do not read unsigned notes, don’t bother sending them.
9. I do not manipulate, I will not manipulate, don’t let anyone manipulate you to try to manipulate me.
10. If in doubt, just say it. If I can answer without misrepresenting something or breaking a confidence, I will.

Pastoral care is just caring for everyone who God brings into your world. It’s not just for the church!

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Posted by Anthony Delaney

Barry Kissell – God’s answer to the culture.

January 12, 2010

Barry Kissell at the Evangelists Conference.

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire [a]
and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.  3 “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD : He said to me, “You are my Son [d] ; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me,and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will rule them with an iron scepter [f] ;you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;be warned, you rulers of the earth.11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.Blessed are all who take refuge in him 23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
” ‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[c]‘[d] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[e] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

In 1972 first went to India, to minister with Michael Harper. He met with a missionary couple and learned from their insights before going, that helped.

Each decade we need to take a cultural check. We spend much of our time commenting on pur religious culture instead of what’s happening in the city?

Since the 60s, British culture has changed completely. Forces of secularism and Islam. We are froazen in the headlights of PC. But the time has come for us to speak.

Secularism is dominating every area of the nations life; family disintegrating, civil partnerships given same legal status as marriage. It is illegal to teach one man & woman for life in schools. Destruction of life in womb is just another choice. We experiment on embryos. It is illegal to teach that Christianity is true. Aggressively anti Christian media.

Change language and you change the world. Political correctness gags the truth. Homophobic? Racist?

Secularism has created a dysfunctional generation who cannot cope. They have had little if any exposure to the Christian faith, but fashioned by secularism. Many seek comfort in alcohol, drugs, celebrity worship etc.

What are the characterists of these kids?

Individualistic, independent, unmarried, with many unsuccessful sexual rels, unable to commit (especially men) experimenting with drugs, working for long hours. Looking for parental figures. Open to spirituial experience. Their poets are the rock stars. They are cynical about politics.

There has been a powerful invasion. Insidious. A cancer.

Militant Islam has relased demonic forces ti rise up and destroy our civilisation. Recent poll – half the nation is really worried about it. Future attacks may involve nuclear weapons.

This is the reality of the 2010 into which we are called to bring the good news.

HOW? As it has always been – this is the answer – THROUGH THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

At Antioch (Acts 11) they were seen to be anointed, and so they were called Christians = Sharers of Christ’s anointing’

How did God bring the good news? He anointed Jesus. He was filled –Luke 3:21

At his baptism, heaven was opened. The Father affirms his Son. Then he’s ANOINTED, the Holy Spirit, without measure.

And from his overflow, a limitless supply is available to us. Cf. Geysers, where the forces underneath push the waters out over a huge area – and you can get as drenched as you like. The closer you get to the centre, the wetter you get.

God poured out at Pentecost – on us! Without limit! God HAS DONE the outpouring. It’s the anointing which communicates the good news. God’s answer to the cultures need = the anointing of you and me! There’s no other plan! That we would be anointed. Not some special people, we are ALL special people!  If you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit. That’s what identifies us as believers.

At his baptism, Jesus accepts his calling and identifies with sinners – like us. For the anointing to work there must be IDENTIFICATION and COMPASSION.  We have the answer because we have the anointing! To what? Whatever! We need to be humble about it, but we have the answer! The more anointing we have, we can speak the answer. That’s the source of the change in the other.

What did the Holy Spirit do? Three things –

Mark says then the Holy Spirit drives Jesus into the desert

Then he anoints him to be good news for the poor

Then he urges Jesus onwards and upwards.

1) In the desert the Father showed Jesus the nature of the opposition, and how the battle will be fought & won.  OUR battle is NOT against flesh and blood. There is a power behind secularism/ Islam etc. In Matthews gospel (4:3ff) we see that this was a battle for man’s free will. With Adam & Eve’s disobedience, their free will was infiltrated. But Jesus broke the power of disobedience by perfect obedience. ‘It is Written!’

Every act of disobedience was broken as Jesus became obedient- even to death on a cross. He frees himself from satan in order to free everyone! Your ministry is to set people free who have been locked in the power of secularist thinking. There’s a spiritual power holding them. Only the anointing will break that! Nothing we have by nature can set them free. As Jesus advances, the demons are now in retreat. ‘If I by the power of God cast out devils, then the kingdom of God has come.’ When we come with the word, the demons are being challenged – by the anointing. Attitude to demonic?  If I am seeking to walk in the light, I will see the darkness. If it appears, deal with it NOW with authority, but don’t go looking for it.

In the desert, the anointing he’d received meant he could do miracles etc., but he used it to push back the anointing. It’s as if God were saying, “How will you use it?”

We believe the anointing is going to be coming more and more powerfully on more and more people. The question is – HOW WILL YOU USE IT?

It’s great that the Holy Spirit has moved over the recent decades. But I haven’t seen whole 7 vital churches growing and going out of that. Had thought, ‘well the Holy Spirit is moving, so loads of people will come.’ But we are going to see it – the Holy Spirit will be visible on us. People will want it, today or tomorrow – a harvest time. Everything else has been leading to this – and now it has got to go to the lost and bring them in. We must have confidence in the power of the anointing. David said, “I am weak, the anointed King.”

2)      The Holy Spirit anoints Jesus to be good news to the poor. You have to be able to humbly say that. ‘The Spirit is on me!’ If not, what’s the point? Before you preach – you say and know that! And ask for more!  The transforming power comes, the guilty are forgiven and reinstated, the blind see – it’s jubilee time! Freedom! The slaves debts are cancelled. We minister in that year.

3)      The Holy Spirit urges Jesus onwards to fulfil his calling. When the 72 returned with rejoicing that the demons submit, Jesus said to rejoice that their names were written in heaven – but  Jesus is encouraged!  Encouraged and joyful by the Holy Spirit. He wanst to do that for us.SHIFT from self reliance to reliance on the Holy Spirit, from what I can plan to what he can plan. Drawing the Holy Spirit into ALL ministry situations, asking ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ Listening to the person – but In your inner heart – conversing. That’s when the key that frees the person comes. Refer everything we’re responsible for to the Holy Spirit. We are good at talking – spend more time listening to the Spirit. Just sitting and listening! You are not wasting an hour – you’re opening your whole being to him. He may not say anything, but if you are still you’ll know he’s God- (what does that mean?) you will know God better!

Keep coming back, and being dependent – again and again. Starting all over again, as if you had nothing in the first place.

Continually be asking people around us to pray for us!

God’s answer to this culture – is your anointing!

2 Comments | Bible, Christianity, Holy Spirit, Jesus, REVIVAL, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Delaney

Capacity for multiplication

January 9, 2010

Is 54:1-4 (Message) Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. Don’t be afraid–you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back–you’re not going to come up short.

God said from the very beginning that we’re to be fruitful and multiply, but it can only happen if you keep on making room to grow, to be enlarged – whether as an organisation or an individual. Nobody can fill what it’s already filled.

I love that this scripture says we should not be afraid! Don’t hold back! Don’t let all our YESTERDAYS or our TODAYS keep us from all his TOMORROWS! Our growth is not determined by God’s willingness, it cannot be restrained because of God’s ability; it is ONLY constrained by our capacity for the opportunity.

A man was fishing but he kept throwing the big ones back. Someone watching from the shore asked why. “Because I only have a tiny frying pan!”

In recent years since I first heard it from Dr Tayo Adeyemi, I have made this prayer my own: God give me capacity for my opportunity! When God wants to do something great – he always expands the capacity, both to receive and to give.

In Luke 5: Jesus said, “let down your netS” – plural.

Peter said, “Because you say so, I will let down a NET” – singular. Sounds like he was being humble, actually he was being partially obedient. He didn’t do what he was commissioned to. We don’t honour God by shrinking back from faith. There was a miracle, and the net broke. The question has to be … how many fish would you have had Peter? If you had put out for more capacity.

In 2010 – the year of multiplication, Lord, Give me capacity for my opportunity!

1 Comment | 2010, Bible, Christianity, Community, Jesus, Prayer, REVIVAL, leadership | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Delaney

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