Bible Study with David Hathaway - (David Hathaway’s weekly TV programmes)

'While He was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put Your hand on her, and she will live.’ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did His disciples. 'Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.’ 'Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ He said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment. 'When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and the people playing pipes, He said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at Him. After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.' (Matthew 9.18-24, NIV) For those of us who know the Bible this story seems so simple but yet I feel that it touches all of our lives. I want you to understand why these stories were written. Firstly, these were actual incidents that happen in the life of Jesus, they were not parables or illustrations: they were things that actually happened. What occurred here was totally unexpected because Jesus was on his way to do something else – the ruler of the synagogue in that town had come to Jesus to ask him to heal his daughter. Yet somehow in the middle of the journey, this desperate woman intrudes into the scene. You can understand her position, lonely, desperate for a miracle. It is not so different today, people tired of the formality of religion, of the moral uncertainty created by the state, of the inexorable slide into moral chaos, of their own hopelessness, need Jesus.

We’re facing a world which is turning upside down. Everything we thought was right is wrong, and what we thought was wrong is right. Incredible, disturbing changes are taking place. BUT ‘let not your heart be troubled!’ What a challenge! These were the words of Jesus – to us – at the end of His ministry. It was the feast of Passover. And Jesus– John 13.1 – knowing that His Hour was come that He would depart from this world to the Father begins to speak to His disciples powerfully. He says, “NOW is the judgment of this world!” John 12.31. He said clearly: two thousand years ago, the judgment of the world began! And, He adds, “The prince of this world WILL be cast out!” When Jesus is talking about ‘the prince of this world’ He’s talking about Satan. Jesus says, in John 14.30, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes – and has nothing in Me.” The devil has no hold over Him! This is such a strong statement! No hold over Jesus – and for those of us ‘in’ Jesus, the devil has no power over us!

I want to look at the importance of prayer – what effect prayer will have in your life, how we can enact it, live it out, see the results. I want to show you the pitfalls, the difficulties, the fight to fulfil it – and the phenomenal result of the power of faith through prayer in action. Mark 11 is so revolutionary, so powerful, it has changed my life! We must learn how to talk to God, until our praying will move every mountain, every obstruction, everything that stands between us and the fulfilment of God’s promises.

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralysed man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. (Matthew 9.1-8, NIV)

'Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 'At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 'Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralysed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.' (Matthew 9.1-8, NIV) This miracle in Matthew 9 started with the fact that Jesus ‘saw their faith’. We see this so many times in the four Gospels, and particularly in this chapter. We see a dead girl raised from the dead after a woman, who had been bleeding for 12 years, touched His garment and was healed. Her faith was so strong, she didn’t need Him to respond, just reaching out and secretly touching His coat would bring the miracle! She believed her touch, not His, would heal her. This was an incredible demonstration of faith. Both times with my cancers, I prayed for 3 months before I got my miracle, but I didn’t give up. I had simple faith, reaching out to Jesus, KNOWING THE MIRACLE WILL HAPPEN. It’s a question of what is your faith? Some Christians who come to me for healing have been prayed for so many times before without result. But you see, I’m not a ‘healer’. In every meeting when I pray for the sick, I always emphasise, I am NOT A HEALER! Jesus is! I can’t heal anybody, but I have the faith to know that HE, Jesus, can! Your faith HAS to be that God will work the miracle. What am I saying? Jesus Himself linked salvation and healing when He asked, “Which is easier, to say your sin is forgiven, or to say, get up and walk?!” ONLY God can forgive sin, only God can heal. But salvation is a miracle MORE IMPORTANT than the healing. When Jesus told the sick man, “Get up and walk” He did not simply demonstrate His Power to heal, but through the healing He was demonstrating His Power to forgive sin, and that ONLY through Him can forgiveness of sin and salvation come! The Bible is clear, there is no other name under Heaven by which we may be saved, except through the Name of Jesus.

Paul instructs Titus, his fellow worker, to appoint qualified elders in Crete who are known for their integrity and strong grasp of sound doctrine. He warns against false teachers who lead others astray with corrupt and selfish motives. In chapter 2, Paul emphasises the importance of teaching sound doctrine to all age groups, encouraging believers to live self-controlled, godly lives that reflect the grace of God. Christian behavior should make the Gospel attractive, as believers wait for the return of Christ. 'An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it... 'For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 'These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.' (Titus 1.6-9; 2.11-15, NIV)

'Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 'But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 'But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. (2 Peter 3.3-10, NIV)

The world is in its greatest crisis ever. Politicians have failed to find the answers and actually make matters worse. Recent history often discredits past politicians and shows how their decisions, with hindsight, were disastrously wrong. Too often they lied to us, not willing to trust us with the truth. However the conclusion that I have come to after 90 plus years, is that this world is a battle ground. On one side is a God of love, who not only created us for a purpose, but was willing to sacrifice His own Son to rescue us from our own follies; on the other side is a very evil spirit, determined to control the world by subversion and encourage men to create their own destruction. 2 Peter 2 delivers a strong warning against those who do wrong and encourage others to follow them in doing evil. Peter says false teachers will arise among believers. He compares them to false prophets from Israel’s past, explaining that they will introduce destructive heresies, deny Jesus, and exploit people with deceptive words. Their actions lead others into sin, and they bring disrepute to the truth. Peter assures that God will judge these evildoers, just as He judged the ancient world during Noah’s time and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. However, God also knows how to rescue the godly, as seen with Lot.

'So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 'For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 'We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.' (2 Peter 1.12-21, NIV)

All my life I have believed in the Authority, Truth and Accuracy of the Bible. As a boy I learnt from my father, who was the General Superintendent of the Elim Churches, that 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,' (2 Timothy 3.16-17, KJV).

'And now, a word to you elders of the church. I, too, am an elder; with my own eyes I saw Christ dying on the cross; and I, too, will share his glory and his honour when he returns. Fellow elders, this is my plea to you: Feed the flock of God; care for it willingly, not grudgingly; not for what you will get out of it but because you are eager to serve the Lord. Don’t be tyrants, but lead them by your good example, and when the Head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honour. 'You younger men, follow the leadership of those who are older. And all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud. If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up. 'Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.' (1 Peter 5.1-7, TLB)

You must have the same attitude Christ did... The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest, thoughtful men of prayer. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults. Dear friends, don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you. Instead, be really glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory in that coming day when it will be displayed. (1 Peter 4, TLB)

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2.9-10)

'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.' (1 Peter 1.3-5, NIV) Introduction (1.1-2) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, addresses his letter to believers scattered across various regions. He emphasises that they are chosen by God, sanctified by the Spirit, and saved through Jesus Christ. A Living Hope (1.3-12) Peter praises God for giving believers a "living hope" through Jesus’ resurrection. He reminds them that their inheritance in heaven is imperishable. Though they may face trials, their faith is being refined like gold. He highlights that salvation is something even prophets and angels longed to understand. Call to Holiness (1.13-21) Peter urges believers to prepare their minds for action, be sober-minded, and set their hope fully on God's grace. Since God is holy, they must also live holy lives. He reminds them that they were redeemed not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ. Love and Obedience (1.22-25) Believers are called to sincere love for one another, as they have been born again through the living and enduring Word of God. He quotes Isaiah, emphasising that while human life is fleeting, God's Word lasts forever.

When I was in prison for smuggling Bibles into Russia I was sentenced to what could have been ten years. I was not allowed a Bible, but I reminded the Lord that in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were imprisoned, they began to praise the Lord, He sent an earthquake and freed them. By faith I asked the Lord to do the same for me – He answered – and 12 months later, God opened the prison doors by a miracle! Suppose God answered my first prayers and released me from the prison within one or two days, what would have happened? Imagine if God had organised things ‘extremely well’ and got me out of prison really quickly – I would not be evangelising in Russia the way I do now, I would not have the ministry I have today. The longer I stayed in the prison, the bigger the miracle became – in the end it was the British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who came to Czechoslovakia, just to get me out! I was not thrown out of the ‘back door’! I was released in a blaze of publicity! That’s God! But the whole miracle took one year to prepare. I didn’t let go of God even in the darkest days of despair – I knew, I believed – but it hurt and it was hard. If only you could know how bad those days I spent in prison were! When I had cancer in my throat and asked God for healing, the devil said it was impossible. I fought unbelief and doubt so that when the answer came, it was an even greater miracle than I had asked for! When I was in prison for Bible smuggling, I fought against the demons of despair, fear, unbelief – and when the final answer came, it was many times greater than I had imagined in my wildest dream! It’s the same with you. Hold on. Don’t let go of God! God WILL do it! If it takes three months, three years, God WILL do it.

'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power... For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes,' (1 Corinthians 4.20; Romans 1.16, NIV). I have seen the power of God in an incredible way. From childhood, I wanted every day and every part of my life to be under the direction and control of the Holy Spirit. Now when I look back over 75 years of ministry I know with absolute certainty that there has been both purpose and direction in my life. God has been in control of all my days and all my experiences. Everything that has happened in my life was foreknown in His plan. I shall never forget the dramatic and exciting evangelism we held in Yambol, Bulgaria, before communism finally fell there. It was August. The music group Vinesong and I arrived the day before the opening. What could we do? Nothing? No!!! So without permission, we decided to hold an open-air service in the big square in front of the Communist Party Headquarters in Yambol! This city of 100,000 had never witnessed such scenes before! As darkness fell the beautiful worship music drew the crowds. But when Vinesong sang in Bulgarian, ‘I bow the knee to Jesus’ – the whole crowd, 10,000 strong, knelt in prayer with their hands raised in worship and acceptance of Christ! Even the communist police on duty took off their hats, and the Communist Party Flag, which until then had been fluttering bravely in the breeze, hung down limp as if it too was bowing before the Name of Jesus! What a tremendous start it was to the conference and evangelism! The morning and afternoon teaching sessions in the sports stadium were filled with people hungry for the Word of God – and packed for the evening evangelism with 7,000 crowded in, people standing, 2,000 repenting… For four days, we witnessed the mighty Power of God, not only in conversions, but also in mighty miracles of healing. Night after night crutches were thrown onto the platform as people were delivered and walked out free. The blind, the deaf, the sick – all were healed. Revival swept from there – we travelled by road in broken down communist cars from church to church to church – the Power of God was falling – no time seemingly to eat, sleep or even drink a cup of tea! For two years the Holy Spirit moved across the whole of Bulgaria! Eighty new churches were opened as a direct result of that evangelism!”

The revolution when you are baptised in the Holy Spirit, has to be LIFE-TRANSFORMING! In the Acts of the Apostles the disciples received the baptism of the Holy Spirit – instantly they were no longer frightened and ineffective, but filled with boldness and fire! That’s what we need today in the church – a new boldness, a new authority, a new power – which is the result of a baptism in the Holy Spirit! When the Holy Spirit filled that early church, a boldness came on them, they lost their fear, they preached the Word – like Philip in Acts 8.5-8,14. Every time they were filled with the Holy Spirit, miracles happened! When the apostles prayed for the new converts, power came on them! If you are not seeing miracles, get a fresh baptism! Read the Acts of the Apostles! It is the story of a transformed church, a church motivated, with a purpose, on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit! The Word of God says, Jesus will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire! Church, where is the fire, the boldness, the miracles today? This question of a ‘baptism of fire’ is not a matter just for the church collectively, but rather it is an individual experience that each one of us needs to experience. Jesus, speaking to His closest disciples in the aftermath of the drama of the crucifixion and the miracle of His resurrection realises the situation facing them. They realise that despite these miraculous events He is leaving them again, until His final return as Messiah! They now face a leadership crisis – they need inspiration, direction, but most of all someone who will perform the miracles and empower them! His answer was for them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift promised by the Father – “John baptised with water but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” Later, as they questioned the meaning, His answer was simple, “When the Holy Spirit comes, you will receive power and become witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth!” Wow! Then He was gone! (Acts 1.4-9.)

At the Last Supper Jesus taught: ‘It is better for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He has come, will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin and judgement, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you see Me no more.” – John 16:8. This was a serious lesson which changed my whole life – and it remains with me: “Without the Holy Spirit I can do nothing!” I realised I needed the Fire and Power of the Holy Spirit in order to see lives transformed. If lives are not changed, what is the point of preaching? How much Holy Spirit do you want? 100 percent? How much self?!! Aged 13, God told me to empty myself of everything, of all my ideas and hopes. I was crying out, “I need this Holy Spirit, I need fire, I need power, I need God, I need Jesus, I need the Holy Spirit! God, fill me, fill me, fill me!” A few days before my 14th birthday, I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, it was a powerful experience, a revolution in my life. It did not come lightly. When it came, it came ‘direct from source’. From that moment on, I began to see people repent and lives changed under the Power of the Holy Spirit. And every day, to this very day, I ask for a new infilling of the Holy Spirit, a new gift of faith.

'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service,' (Romans 12.1, NKJV). God is talking about ‘normal’ service, nothing exceptional – for every believer – the ‘norm’! Today the churches talk about being ‘normal’, take care of yourself, don’t work too hard... But the challenge given by Paul is that ‘reasonable’ service – means giving your WHOLE life as a ‘living sacrifice’! EVERYTHING! Give God EVERYTHING! God did not call me to be an ‘evangelist’ or ‘preacher’ – He said He wanted ALL of me!” When I was just 15 years old, with a group of young Christians walking along the beach in Brighton, when the Lord spoke to me, drew me aside and challenged me. A spiritual battle started in my life. I knew that the Lord was calling me, challenging me, ‘David – I want YOU!’ But the devil was saying, ‘Don’t you realise you’re saved, you got baptised in water, filled with the Holy Spirit – that’s enough!’ But God was saying, ‘David, I want YOU, all of you, EVERYTHING! – Your life, your family, your time, your house, every single thing – I want the lot!’ I had no peace until that night I gave Him everything. Give Jesus everything! The more I give Him, the more I receive in return! Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. That is why God says, the only ‘reasonable’ thing is to present your body as a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God! – And this is only the beginning, the ‘norm’, the ‘reasonable’ bit! I want the un-reasonable, extra-normal! I don’t just want to receive the Holy Spirit like everybody else, I want a double portion, a treble portion, ten times, a hundred times more! I’m hungry for God! I need that anointing, that power! Jesus told of the servant who did what was ‘reasonable’ – everything that was expected of him, but the master did not thank him – it was expected of him! But I want to receive! I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. The more you give, the more God gives back! I remember that tremendous challenge, when God said to me, ‘David, I want YOU!’ That night, I had to say, ‘Lord, I give You everything!’

I want to challenge everyone from the youngest to the oldest, get to know Jesus. So many people have heard about Him, but few really know who He is. Believer, do you REALLY know Him? Prayer is essential to our Christian lives. I learnt to pray as a boy. I learnt to be specific in my praying. You must target a goal and achieve it. I saw the absolute necessity to back everything we do in prayer, but having prayed, you must do something! Prayer and action go together!” From my boyhood, soon after I became a Christian, I have had the same vision in my heart that David in the Bible had. The testimony recorded of David in the Bible is that he was a ‘man after God’s own heart’ – he had the same heart God has! (1 Samuel 16.7; Acts 13.22.) David is the ONLY man in the Bible of whom God says, ‘He is a man after My own heart.’ And this was David’s vision, his heart, these are his words in Psalm 63.1-2, ‘O God, You are my God, early will I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water – TO SEE YOUR POWER AND YOUR GLORY – as I have seen You in the sanctuary!’ (KJV.) David in the Old Testament had seen the Power of God in the sanctuary – but he wanted to see it openly, here, on earth! “All through my early days, before I became a pastor, an evangelist, all the time I was growing up, when I was in school, when I was in church, this was the most important verse in my whole life! I said what David in the Bible said, ‘O God, You are my God, I will seek for You from the early part of my life, I will search You out, O God, wherever You are, in Heaven, on earth, I will search for You, O God! I want to know who You are, I want to find You!’ – I spent my youth searching for God, not because I was not a Christian, since I became a Christian when I was 8 years old. But when I became a Christian, I didn’t want to be a ‘normal’ Christian – I was searching for the truth, the reality, the Power and Glory of God! I wanted to find the God of the Bible, the God of Heaven, I wanted to KNOW Him! All my life I have searched for God’s Power and His Glory! It was the dream of David the shepherd boy to see the Glory of God here, on earth! It’s my dream too!” (Recorded at Sozo Youth Conference, Central Asia)

If we obey the Word of God, what we have will not run dry until God fulfills every promise. There is a great responsibility on us to obey God; our obedience will affect unbelievers. If we as individuals, and collectively as the Church, are disobedient as King Ahab was in 1 Kings 16.33, then God's anger is roused. We are called to be 'salt and light'. Salt is a purifer and preserver; if the salt loses it's saltiness, it is of no use anymore. There is a danger today that the Church is abandoning the commands of the Lord to adjust to society; I cannot overemphasise this need to obey God's Word. Let’s look at the story of Elijah when he called down Fire from Heaven. Although I would normally major on the Fire that fell, I want to first look at 1 Kings 17.1. Because of the wickedness and idolatry of King Ahab, Elijah says to him, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, the rain and the dew will be stopped and there will be no more – until I give the word!”

'By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit,' (1 John 4.13, NKJV). The Spirit of Jesus, or the Spirit of Christ, sometimes referred to as the Spirit of God, is the Spirit we receive at conversion. Receiving the Holy Spirit is a totally seperate baptism. You can only receive the Holy Spirit after you have received Christ. The first Scripture I want to refer you to is from Romans 8, 'Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death,' (v1-2). In this passage it is clear that through Christ we receive the Spirit of Life, this is your conversion.

'Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.' (1 John 4.)

'See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 'Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 'Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.' (1 John 3, NIVUK.)

'My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.' (1 John 2.1-2, NKJV.) Chapter Two of John’s letter begins with a sense of danger, John is troubled: “My little children, I WRITE TO YOU THAT YOU SIN NOT.” He’s possibly writing even as much as 100 years after the birth of Christ, so he’s an old man – which entitles him to address his readers as ‘little children’… But maybe here he’s also addressing some who are still ‘spiritually children’. What he says relates to anyone of us today, but in this case I am sensing John is writing particularly to Jewish people who had become followers of Christ; Jews, who when they believed, had accepted something that had been ‘hidden’ from them in their Jewish Law/Scriptures, something so completely new to them, they are now finding it hard to fully accept, and that is: JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, HIS SACRIFICIAL DEATH HAS PAID THE FULL PRICE OF SIN!

We’re going through very difficult times worldwide; it needs much prayer. It’s even hard for us to look at the news. Why is there so much senseless violence and war? Satan is still in control, he’s still prince of this world – and that’s why God had to send His Son to die for us, to break the curse that’s on us. Thankfully, those of us who have come to Christ know that Peace which the world so desperately needs. Our world needs Jesus! John’s First Letter starts: “That which was from the Beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have touched, the Word of Life – this Life has appeared, and we have seen it and testify to it…” He’s talking about Jesus! John’s description of his time with Jesus is so very clear and emotional. It’s real. The message of Jesus is reality. John is saying, I’ve seen it, heard it, touched it! In my life – and this year I’m celebrating 75 years in ministry – it’s my testimony too. No, I’ve never seen Jesus, never spent time with Him like the disciples did. Yet in my ministry, I’ve ‘seen’ it, ‘touched’ it – it’s been so real to me. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh! John writes, “The Word of Life – what we have seen and heard, we declare to you!” John says, “The LIFE appeared, we’ve seen Him, we testify to it, we proclaim to you the ETERNAL LIFE which was with the Father.” Yes, what John is saying, is that Jesus IS ETERNAL LIFE!

'If from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him... 'Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 'You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. 'Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.' (Deuteronomy 4.29-40, NIV.) If you only knew what's about to happen, you would so excited! God is exciting me because I see in the Word what He's about to do now. The greatest Glory, the greatest Power, the greatest ministry, the greatest miracle ... we're going to see miracles of healing we have never seen in our lives. I'm excited - we're going to be saying exactly what Deuteronomy 4 says, "Ask of the days that are past, go back, ask history, go back to the Welsh Revival, to the days of Smith Wigglesworth, George Jeffries - I was brought up with that - go back to the beginning of time since the day God created man on the earth, ask every saint and say, "Has God ever done anything such as He's going to do today in the Church?" That's the excitement!

With God, nothing is impossible! Daniel 11.32 says, ‘Those who know their God will be strong and do exploits’ – the most amazing incredible things ever seen on the earth – ‘exploits’! Bigger than anything you can imagine! You should be doing more than anybody else! Church, we’ve got to get on FIRE! If you’ve got no fire, get the Holy Ghost! The world has to see God’s power! He’s a God of power and authority, a God who enables me to do exploits! Jesus said to His disciples, “You see the miracles I do, but when I go to Heaven, you’re going to do bigger!” (John 14.12.) Are you seeing bigger miracles than Jesus? But that’s what we need! We need a baptism of fire and power! The fire of God, the power of God – that’s the challenge. God has called us to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and do exploits! There is a song, ‘God raised me up to stand on mountains, He raised me up to walk on stormy seas’ – God raised YOU up to stand on mountains, He raised YOU up to walk on stormy seas! God raised YOU up to heal the sick, raise the dead, work miracles and preach the Gospel – and He sent the Holy Spirit to do this through YOU! When you’ve got the Holy Ghost, God does everything! – Because it’s the Holy Spirit who gives you the gift of faith to do it!

One of the most wonderful verses in the whole of the Old Testament is Deuteronomy 4.29: ‘If from where you are you shall seek the Lord your God you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.’ You will find God if you search for Him from just where you are! When you are in tribulation, when all the problems of life have come on you! When everything’s going well, when you’re not sick, when you have no financial problems – you don’t call upon God as much. But when you are in difficulty, when you’re sick – that’s when you begin to call on God more intensely. I have had long years of experience with God and I know personally that I learned more about prayer when I had cancer, when I was in prison, when I had financial problems, than at any other time! Prayer becomes more urgent when there is no other way – no alternative. When I had both experiences of cancer there were two ways – an operation or a miracle! I chose to go the hard way of asking and believing for a miracle – but this meant a total commitment – not accepting ‘no’. When I was in the prison, there were two alternatives: either accept the inevitability of five-to-ten years incarceration or ‘barnstorm’ Heaven until I got out! That’s not holiness, it’s just following the prayer principles Jesus laid down for desperate widows and people like me! – Luke 18.1-8.

If we want revival, we’re going to have to fight for it tooth and nail, we’re going to have to fight for it with spiritual sword, with everything we’ve got. I get nothing for free, I didn’t get entry into the communist countries, into Israel for free – I’ve had to fight, fight, fight. I have to spend so much time in prayer and so much time in the Word of God – because I can only do it if God is with me. But my God has never ever been defeated. In 2016 I faced a tremendous challenge. I went to bring Jesus as Messiah to 4,000 people – but if you evangelise openly in Israel, you are arrested and they tear up your visa. The challenge was to take the big Roman Amphitheatre in Caesarea on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea and to fill it with 4,000 Jews. It was testing even my faith!

The evidence of God is in the power of the Gospel we preach. When the alcoholic and the murderer come to Christ, and when that miracle happens and his sin is forgiven – he is freed from the curse and the power of the devil and you see the power of God in his life. I’m an evangelist and I call people to repent. But for someone simply to come and repent and say, ‘Oh God, I’m a miserable sinner!’ is NOT a miracle. The miracle is when the curse and the power of the devil is broken – when the alcoholic, the criminal, the drug addict comes forward to repent, his body full of alcohol or drugs, but is REALLY changed and goes out as an evangelist, a witness and a testimony – that change is the evidence of God, like the burning bush!

Opening my Bible one morning this summer I was struck how God explains – in the Old Testament – the days that we are living in now! It was in Habakkuk. I was quite shocked when I read Ch 1 – it’s a description of how things are today! ‘This is the burden which Habakkuk the prophet received’ – and this is his complaint – “How long O Lord must I call for help and You do not listen? Or cry out to You of violence, but You do not save? Why do You make me look at injustice, why do You tolerate wrong?! Destruction and violence are before me, strife and conflict abound…”’ This describes much of the world right now! So many nations simultaneously are facing violence, stress, civil unrest, war…Even in Britain this August, violence on the streets… The same in Europe. As I write in Summer 2024, the Russian terror war against Ukraine continues. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, a woman, had to flee by helicopter to escape the violence in her country. There’s war between Israel and the Palestinians. Changes of government everywhere… In v5, God answers the prophet, ‘“Look at the nations, watch – and be utterly amazed! For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told!”’

The Apostle Paul said: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” (Romans 1.16). Why are we not ashamed of the Gospel? Because it is the greatest demonstration of the power of God on earth! – It is the power to deliver everyone who has faith to believe! What changes nations is not some new teaching or doctrine. No, it is the simplicity of God’s Word, the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Today we are in danger of underestimating the power of God, and that’s why Paul said, “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is the power of God!” I see the power of the Gospel in action – and I want you to understand the effectiveness of true conversion! Our faith is in God through Jesus Christ, and in the authority of His Word. Our Gospel has unlimited power to completely deliver and change men! Until you have such an absolute, powerful experience in your own life – that there is no uncertainty, no hesitation that there is one way only, one price, one salvation, complete and life-changing – you cannot demonstrate Christ to the unbelievers! When you yourself have this absolute experience of total salvation in your own life – then this is the demonstration of the Power of the Gospel! ‘The Gospel of Christ is the Power of God’ (Romans 1.16). Evangelism should be part of our spiritual walk with God. If I ask you what are the essentials for every Christian, especially new converts, to do, you would quickly tell me – pray every day – read the Word every day – join a real live church. Water baptism and so on would quickly follow, along with serving God, fellowship with the saints and of course to be filled with the Spirit. I would add to this, evangelise – but not the way so many think of evangelism or evangelists. The Gospel is simply the good news. Your first responsibility after conversion is to spread the wonderful news of what God has done for you! Acts 2.22-36 describes how Jesus was approved of God through the miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through Him. The Power in the Gospel is indelibly linked with the miraculous. Throughout Jesus' ministry in the Gospels, and then with the disciples in the book of Acts, we read that it was the miracles which was the evidence of the message they preached. In 1994 I was preaching in Khabarovsk, Siberia. The Crusade on the Saturday night saw us under a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit, and many hundreds crowded into the open-air of the football stadium as the praise and worship team ministered. Then when I made the appeal almost every person came forward, so many, that surely everyone who had come into that stadium, lonely, lost, without faith or hope, and without Christ, found Him that night. Their hopelessness and despair had changed into the glory of the reality of knowing Him who loved us with a dying and undying love.

There’s a need for great power in prayer! Power, when we pray! I’m very specific when I pray, I bring very specific questions – and I get very strong answers. James 5.16 says the ‘effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails.’ This is the forceful, powerful prayer of an ‘ordinary’ righteous man! It works! The original Greek New Testament has two words for power: energeo and dunamis. Our praying HAS to be strong! It must generate effective energy like a dynamo and like dynamite – an explosive that, when placed against a wall, does not waste its energy on the air, but pushes the hard obstacle down! In coal mining they use it to blast tunnels through solid rock! James is giving us a powerful description of what prayer should be like! It should have an objective, either to generate energy like a dynamo, or like dynamite, to break and remove the obstacle! This is how I see and use prayer in my ministry, and why I see so many unusual miracles. This does not mean that my ordinary, everyday prayer for my family and daily circumstances changes, no. But this is my fighting, overcoming, face-to-face-with-God call for Power! That’s when the miracles happen! 'Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 'Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.' (James 5.13-18, NIV.)

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ (John 14.1-4, NIV) The whole world is shaking, whether that is political division in UK, USA, Europe and elsewhere, or the wars in Ukraine and now Israel; we are living in turmoil. I believe we are closer to the return of Christ than many imagine. Jesus opens chapter 14 saying, "Let not your heart be troubled - believe in Me - I'm going to prepare a place for you." Peter, only in the previous chapter had said, "Lord, why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You." We all must lay down our lives for the call of Christ; to follow Him is to take up the cross. Taking up our cross is identification with Christ in His suffering and resurrection. It's not half-hearted commitment; it is full surrender in discipleship. It's the decision to live our lifes as 'crucified with Christ'.

'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.' (Acts 1.8, NIV) The Book of Acts of the Apostles is a New Testament book that chronicles the early history of the Christian church after Jesus' resurrection and ascension. Written by Luke, it serves as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke and focuses on the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome. It begins with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which empowers the apostles, particularly Peter and Paul, to preach the Gospel. The book details their missionary journeys, the growth of the church, and the challenges faced, including persecution and internal disputes. Acts highlights the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian community, showcasing the church's expansion beyond its Jewish roots.

'I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!' For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance! (Acts 28.28-30, NIV.) These chapters describe Paul's harrowing sea journey, his miraculous survival, and his final arrival in Rome, where he continues his ministry while awaiting trial before Caesar. Acts 27: Paul’s Journey and Shipwreck Paul is sent to Rome under the guard of a centurion named Julius, along with other prisoners. They board a ship heading toward Italy, but the journey is difficult due to bad weather. They stop at several ports, eventually reaching Fair Havens on the island of Crete. Paul warns the crew that further sailing would be dangerous, but the captain and crew decide to continue the journey. A violent storm (called a "northeaster") hits, driving the ship off course for two weeks. Everyone aboard begins to lose hope of survival. Paul reassures the crew, telling them that an angel appeared to him, promising that everyone will survive, but the ship will be lost. After several days of drifting, the ship approaches an unknown land. They attempt to reach the shore, but the ship runs aground and begins to break apart. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners to prevent escape, but Julius, wanting to spare Paul, stops them. All 276 people on board survive the shipwreck and swim to the shore. Acts 28: Paul in Malta and Rome The survivors land on the island of Malta. The locals show them great hospitality. While gathering wood for a fire, Paul is bitten by a viper, but he shakes it off and suffers no harm, astonishing the onlookers, who first thought he would die, but then consider him a god. Paul heals the father of Publius, the island's chief official, and other sick people on the island. The people of Malta honor them and provide supplies for their journey. After three months on Malta, Paul and the others board another ship and eventually reach Rome. In Rome, Paul is allowed to live under house arrest, guarded by a soldier but free to receive visitors. He calls together the local Jewish leaders and explains his situation, affirming that he is not against the Jewish people or their customs but is imprisoned because of the hope of Israel—the resurrection. Some of the Jews are convinced by Paul’s message, while others reject it. Paul spends two years in Rome, continuing to preach the kingdom of God and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ without hindrance.

'I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.' (Acts 27.22-25, NIV.) These chapters cover Paul’s trials, his defence of his faith, and the hardships he faces as he heads to Rome to appeal his case before Caesar. Acts 24: Paul's Trial before Felix Paul is brought to trial before Governor Felix in Caesarea. The Jewish leaders accuse him of stirring up unrest among the Jews and defiling the temple. Paul defends himself, explaining that he came to Jerusalem to worship, not cause trouble. He also asserts that he believes in the resurrection of the dead, which aligns with the Pharisees’ beliefs. Felix postpones the trial, often summoning Paul to hear him speak, hoping for a bribe. Paul remains imprisoned for two years under Felix's authority. Acts 25: Paul's Appeal to Caesar Festus succeeds Felix as governor and reopens Paul's case. The Jewish leaders again bring charges against Paul, asking Festus to transfer him to Jerusalem, intending to ambush and kill him on the way. Festus suggests another trial in Caesarea, but Paul, knowing he won’t get a fair trial, appeals to Caesar (as a Roman citizen, he has the right to do so). Festus consults with King Agrippa II, who expresses interest in hearing Paul’s defence. Acts 26: Paul's Defence before Agrippa Paul presents his case before King Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus. Paul recounts his life before his conversion, his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his mission to spread the Gospel. He emphasizes that his preaching aligns with the Jewish scriptures and prophecies about the Messiah’s suffering and resurrection. Agrippa is moved but not persuaded to convert. He declares that Paul could have been released if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar. Acts 27: Paul's Journey to Rome Paul, under guard, is sent by ship to Rome, along with other prisoners. The voyage is difficult due to bad weather. Paul warns the crew that further travel will be dangerous, but they ignore him. A violent storm hits, and they are driven off course for days. Paul reassures everyone that God has promised his safe arrival in Rome, though the ship will be wrecked. The crew finally shipwrecks on the island of Malta, but all 276 people on board survive, as Paul had foretold.

In Acts 22.25 through Acts 25.20, the Apostle Paul defends himself before various Roman and Jewish authorities after being arrested in Jerusalem. Throughout these chapters, Paul is portrayed as steadfast in his faith and confident in God's plan, using his legal rights wisely to ensure his mission continues. Summary of the events in this passage: Acts 22.25–30, Paul's Roman Citizenship: As Paul is about to be flogged, he reveals his Roman citizenship, which grants him certain legal protections. The Roman authorities are alarmed, realizing that they have unlawfully bound a Roman citizen without a trial. Consequently, they refrain from flogging him and decide to bring him before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Acts 23.1–10, Before the Sanhedrin: Paul addresses the Sanhedrin and creates division between the Pharisees and Sadducees by declaring his belief in the resurrection of the dead—a belief held by the Pharisees but rejected by the Sadducees. The resulting dispute becomes so intense that the Roman commander intervenes to protect Paul. Acts 23.11–22, Plot to Kill Paul: The following night, the Lord encourages Paul, telling him that he must testify in Rome. Meanwhile, more than 40 Jews plot to kill Paul, vowing not to eat or drink until they succeed. Paul's nephew overhears the plot and informs Paul and the Roman commander, who arranges for Paul's transfer to the governor Felix in Caesarea for his safety. Acts 23.23–35, Transfer to Caesarea: Paul is escorted by a large contingent of Roman soldiers to Caesarea to be presented before Governor Felix. The letter from the Roman commander explains the circumstances of Paul's arrest and the unsubstantiated accusations against him. Acts 24.1–27, Trial before Felix: In Caesarea, Paul is accused by the Jewish leaders and their lawyer, Tertullus, of causing unrest and desecrating the temple. Paul defends himself, denying the charges and affirming his faith in the resurrection. Felix, familiar with the Way (early Christianity), postpones the decision, keeping Paul in custody for two years while frequently conversing with him, hoping for a bribe. Acts 25.1–20, Transfer to Festus: After Felix is succeeded by Festus, the Jewish leaders renew their charges against Paul and request his transfer to Jerusalem, intending to ambush him en route. Festus, however, insists on a trial in Caesarea. Paul, realising he won’t get a fair trial, exercises his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar. Festus consults with King Agrippa II and explains the case, expressing uncertainty about the charges against Paul.

When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, ‘Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.’ (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.) The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Get rid of him!’ As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ ‘Do you speak Greek?’ he replied. ‘Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?’ Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.’ After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic. (Acts 21.27-40, NIV)

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.”’ When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’ (Acts 21.10-14, NIV)

(Recorded in Kazakhstan) Desperately seeking God’s answer from Scripture, I was reading from Jeremiah 33.6, ‘I will bring health and healing’; and Jeremiah 33.20-21, ‘I will not break my covenant with David’; and Psalm 89:35, ‘I will not lie to David’; and ‘Is anything impossible with God?’ (Jeremiah 32:17&27). On the Monday I was in the hospital, tubes down my lung looking for cancer – but God had already given me the answer, I knew it was gone. The doctors looked at me in amazement and said, ‘You have no cancer!’ I didn’t go to a healing evangelist, I went to the Word of God and God completely healed me – no operation, no treatment – I only had God and the Bible, and that’s all I needed to confound the doctors. They were shocked, they didn’t believe God. But I do, I believe in a God of power, of miracles. This was in 2003, and 21 years later, aged 92, God has kept His promise: I have health! Later in the same chapter, the prophet Jeremiah writes, 'I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against Me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me, (33.8, NIV). This verse shows how closely linked healing and forgiveness are. God has the power to heal you, but first He wants to forgive your sin.

(Recorded in Kazakhstan) ‘Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!' (Jeremiah 32.17, NIV) In 1994 God told me, ‘Go and evangelise the whole of Siberia!’ Siberia is fifty-two times the size of Great Britain, four times North America! Four hundred team members; one hundred tonnes of equipment; seventeen crusades, each crusade seventeen days; I had to preach in every crusade; we were there for three months. We had no money, people laughed at me, ‘It’s impossible!’ But God told me to go! We went – God gave us the money and He worked the miracles! But too often we fail to go in and possess the land! Faith is only faith when it’s tested. When God says, ‘Do it!’, you must obey Him. Without the miracle-working Power of the Holy Spirit, the whole project would have failed! Not just the numbers of souls saved, not just the miracles of healing – but miracles of provision of every sort – from the provision of hundreds of thousands of Bibles to give to every new convert at a cost to the ministry of only 6.5 pence per copy – to miracles of transport – planes where there were no planes – every kind of miracle. Every day in Siberia was a miracle from beginning to end. In one city, because of the Orthodox priest, we could not use the auditorium that night, we had to preach in the street – so we put our loudspeakers in the best place in town – around Lenin’s statue! The priest sent a male witch, a shaman, who called evil spirits to destroy the meeting. He summoned an electric storm – these men have power – and as he came towards me, a great wind followed him and big drops of rain started to fall. I took authority, bound the power of the devil in him – saying ‘My Jesus is Lord and has more Power than you do!’ Suddenly a flash of lightning struck the man, he fell to the ground stunned, then staggered to his feet and ran back down the street – and the rain storm followed him against the wind! I have never seen such a thing in my life before! Jesus has Power over the wind and the rain today, not just in Galilee 2,000 years ago! In that town there’s a good pastor, a strong church, they’re on fire, and they’re training evangelists to win Russia for Christ! If we want to possess God’s promises in our lives, we must be practical. It takes faith to put the vision into action – prayer to move the mountains – and obedience to receive the Holy Spirit’s power that will enable us to do the job. Leave the questions to Him to solve – do what He says! The Bible says, ‘To obey is better than sacrifice’ (1 Samuel 15:22). I challenge you to begin to act in the power and authority of your faith. So many times I have had to face the impossible and seen God move in power, and I challenge you to begin to do it yourself! If we really knew our God and had a vision of Him, we would attempt the impossible and take the land! It is only this kind of vision which obeys in faith that will win the unbelieving nations and people, today. I know from the Bible, nothing is impossible, but in order to receive, there must be a building process, a growing in faith, not giving up – this is when you must fast and pray and believe that God WILL do it! To receive that kind of faith which will work a miracle in your own life, you must be totally convinced: a) that nothing is impossible with your God; b) that He wants to work that miracle in you; c) that you know when! I was healed from lung cancer twenty years ago, but I was sick for months before I came to the spiritual place with God where the miracle happened – months of spiritual growth, followed by a sudden revelation – an explosion – and in that moment the healing was instantaneous!

What does it mean to be a Christian? It is not a matter of believing in a religion or attending a church. When the ruler came to Jesus, he asked a simple question, “How can I have eternal life?” The answer of Jesus was equally very simple, you have to follow Him; this means becoming His disciple, believing and trusting in Jesus and walking the same path of life that He walks, (Matthew 19.21, Amplified). In John 3 Jesus was asked a very similar question and responded, 'you have to be born again into the Kingdom of God'. For us to become a Christian, to know the power of God, we have to be born into the Kingdom of God. Of course the ruler asked, "How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!" Jesus responded, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3.) We receive this new life through repentance: 'Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptised, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' (Acts 2.38, Amplified).

(Recorded in Kazakhstan) If you put your trust in God, every kind of miracle is possible, not just healing, but whatever you need. Our God answers prayer – and He works miracles. I have seen every kind of miracle you can imagine: people born blind – God opens their eyes; broken backs – mended; cancers – healed; cripples – get out of wheelchairs. I’ve seen miracles that are not healing: financial provision; my own miraculous release from prison, and many others besides. I know these miracles will happen when I pray; I don’t have any question about it. It’s no different from knowing that every morning the sun will get out of bed and show itself at my window. God works miracles every day – but it’s for us to believe that He can, and will in our lives. This is where faith becomes so important. I would describe the word ‘faith’ in simple terms as ‘trust’, or ‘belief’. I know God and have learned to trust the God I know! That is all faith is! 'Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralysed man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.' (Matthew 9.1-8, NIV) Only Jesus can forgive sin. The crowds knew that Jesus could heal the sick; they had seen Him do this many times before. But Jesus came to seek and save the lost. This is why this miracle in Matthew 9 is so important. Jesus wanted to demonstrate that not only did He have the power to heal the sick, but He has power to forgive our sins. Forgiveness is the greatest miracle we can ever receive. Without this forgivess, there is no salvation and hope of heaven. I accepted Christ as my Saviour at the age of 7 years and 11 months because I knew that if I did not accept Him in my life I could not enter Heaven. I took this decision alone in my bed, because the conviction of the Holy Spirit was so strong I could not sleep. I knew that if Jesus were to come back that night, my parents and my twin brother would go to be with the Lord, but I would be left. I knew Jesus was coming back, but only for those who have found personal salvation through faith in Him. That night I had to obey Him. Without Him, life at the age of 7 years and 11 months was meaningless! If you want to see miracles, if you want to spend eternity in heaven, first you need to know who Jesus is. The reality of our relationship with Christ is not in repeating prayers and phrases, it’s in knowing Him. I talk to Him, He talks to me! The Bible is very clear: through Jesus Christ, you and I have direct access to God! We don’t come through anybody else, He is our only mediator! Because of Jesus, we can know God in a way that the Old Testament believers never could – we have direct access to Him as our Father only through Jesus! This is the miracle of salvation: whoever you are – the widow, the single parent, the sick; however poor, however weak; the drug addict, the alcoholic, the criminal – we all have direct access to God through Christ; we have been adopted into His family. God is only a prayer away – He loves you – He wants to talk to you.

(Recorded in Kazakhstan) When people read about the miracles in the Bible and hear what God is doing around the world, they often ask, “Are these miracle healings real? – And if so, can God heal me?” Before you read further, let me remind you that I have experienced two outstanding personal miracles of healing from cancer, both confirmed medically. In 1964 I was healed of cancer on my vocal chord and in 2003, healed of cancer in my right lung! Physical healing is an integral part of the atonement of Christ. It has been bought for us together with our salvation, through Christ’s suffering and death. Isaiah 53 states clearly: “He was wounded for our transgressions…And with His stripes we are healed.” We believe that our sin was taken away and the penalty was paid by Christ’s suffering and death. We do not question our salvation, which is by faith in the finished work of Christ’s atonement. However the Bible clearly states that not only our sin but also our sickness was borne by Him. We need to apply the same level of faith to our healing from sickness as we do to our salvation from sin. One of the first people that I saw healed was when I was a very young pastor and evangelist in England. Shortly after finishing college, I left the church I had pastored as a student, in Dorking, Surrey, and I was called to take over a church in Harrogate, North England, and prepare for an evangelistic crusade. I was only twenty years old. Soon after arriving, Mr Corker, one of the men in the church, 73 years old, became ill. He refused to go to the doctor until it was too late – they had to rush him into hospital where they diagnosed terminal cancer. He was so sick, they took away most of his stomach, gave him a catheter to pass the water, and a colostomy – and sent him home to die. The doctors expected him to live for just three weeks. As his pastor, I went many times to his home to pray with him and I discovered that although he had a difficult very blunt ‘Yorkshire’ character, this man loved God from the bottom of his heart. I saw him in a new way, not just as a dying man, not just as a difficult deacon in my church, but I saw how much he loved the Lord. God completely healed that man! God restored all his body functions! He came out of bed; he came back in the church, completely healed at 73 years old. Why? God saw that man as an individual, saw that man's heart and his need. I marveled at the power of such a God! The miracle was so great; as a direct result, his own son became an evangelist and missionary! 'Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralysed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.' (Matthew 9.1-8, NIV.)

When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He travelled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted... Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20.1-12, 32, NIV)

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied. Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. (Acts 19.1-7, NIV)

'One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.' (Acts 18.9-11, NIV.) Acts 18 recounts the apostle Paul's ministry in Corinth and Ephesus, detailing his interactions with Jews and Gentiles, his companions, and his trials. This chapter highlights the spread of the Gospel despite opposition, the importance of discipleship and mentorship, and the collaborative nature of early Christian ministry. The Church began in Fire and Power on the Day of Pentecost, but as we have seen throughout the book of Acts, this outpouring was not just a one time experience, instead, the apostles and the early church were continually being filled with the Spirit. I believe we should be living as the early Church did - in the Fire and Power of God. 'After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.' (Acts 18.1-4, NIV.) Persecution of the Jews has been a problem for thousands of years; yet God has always used persecution as a means of furthering the Gospel; as the Scripture teaches, what was meant for our harm, God will use for our good.

The Apostle Paul's Second Missionary Journey to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens. 'Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”' (Acts 17.23-31, NKJV)