In Whom There is Guile?

In the first chapter of John we have the interesting story of Nathanael.

After being told by Andrew that they had found the Messiah, Nathanael flippently remarked 'can any good come out of Nazareth?' Nazareth was not an upmarket part of town by any means, and to a Jewish mind moulded by circumstance rather than the word of God, it did not seem like the place to produce the warrior-king Christ that would set the Jews free from the oppression of the ruling Romans.

We know of the moment when Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and called  him 'an Israelite in whom there is no guile' and Nathanael's reponse in asking how Jesus knew him.

Imagine with me if Nathanael had guile within him. Imagine if he had not been praying under the fig tree as some suppose, but plotting how to fiddle his work expenses or dodge his temple tax? If Christ had called out to him and said 'here comes a deceiver' would he have asked how he knew him or would he be angry that he was being accused? Would he have missed out on salvation and a chance to see 'greater things'?

We find it easy to identify ourselves with praise, but owning up to failings and flaws is a lot harder. When God speaks to us will we gladly respond to His commendation and ignore His reproof, or will we enter into all He has for us with an open and transparent heart, whether the word comes directly from Him or through headship, leadership or friendship?

Whether I am an Israelite with guile or without, I always want to run to Him as He speaks to me, that I may see those greater things and if the guile is there, that it can be removed.

Healing During Door-Knocking

Though we all get slighlty edgy at the thought of door-knocking, not wanting to join the ranks of salesmen, Avon ladies and Jehovah's Witnesses, it can be a powerful time.

This was evidenced by last Friday, when we were door-knocking around the area of our tent crusade to be held at the end of the month. One of the other church leaders knocked a door and an older lady answered. Asking if there was any sickness or pain in her body, she responded that her leg was hurting her (she had limped to the door). He called me over and after a little while I challenged her again to let us pray for her.

She called her friend out to witness it, and as we laid on hands a simple prayer of faith set her completely free from that leg pain. When we asked her friend if she had any pain she responded that she had arthritic pain in her wrist. We prayed for her and afterwards she was able to move that wrist up and down like a young lady, with no sign of pain. Hallelujah!

Healing on the Streets

We are currently outreaching for our Dare to Believe tent crusade.

Last week we were out in Stratford, handing out flyers, witnessing and street preaching. We stopped an older lady and asked if there was any pain in her body; she emphatically replied 'yes!' She told us of lower back pain she has had for years, having received pain killing injections but now facing having to attend a pain clinic and receive large doses of medication.

We sat her down to find a slightly shorter left leg. I told her that Jesus was going to heal her. She said that she was Jewish and believed in God but not Jesus. I told her that it was Jesus who was going to heal her so I was going to pray in His name - she reluctantly agreed. Sometimes we have to press in with praying for people as God can heal them to shake up there beliefs.

I led her in prayer, and even though she said 'in the name of God' not Jesus, when I layed hands on her I certainly called on the Name above all other names! She stood up and said that her back felt better and thanked us for praying with her. She didn't jump around, but it was never the less profound that this lady had received healing in the name of the Messiah she had previously denied. She had actually said 'well He is the Son of God isn't He?' as she got up.

The Son of God touched her body and I believe her heart that day, and we are believing for many more Holy Ghost encounters leading up to Dare to Believe at the end of this month. Glory to God!

Two Men from Ramathaim

There were two men from Ramathaim of Ephraim.

One anointed the first king of Israel, requested by the people, to be as the heathen. The other anointed the last king, rejected and despised by the people, desiring once more to be like the heathen.

The first king died having lost the kingdom, the last king died having established the kingdom. The first was anointed by the one man and ended up in sin, the last was anointed by the other man after he had become sin. One anointed in life, the other anointed in death.

The two kings? King Saul and King Jesus. The two men from Ramathaim? The prophet Samuel and Joseph of Arimathaea.