Authenticity

So, I've been thinking long and hard about what to write. I've had one of the most monumental weeks of my life, and really to put it into words is to do injustice to it. First let me start off with a few highlights:

• Healing - That it happens, first off saw a few brothers and sisters, Deli of a foot thing, which now means she can walk properly, which is awesome. Jon of a tooth thing, his teeth actually changed angle in his mouth while being prayed for, awesome. The biggest lessons I learnt though were to celebrate the little successes, like we prayed for our deaf friend Jack to be healed, and he was, he heard for an evening, that's a success, but we all seemed rather glum the next day the healing had not been permanent. Also, to be as creative as Jesus was, try weird stuff, for me it was pouring water in Jack's ears and making Zach eat sugar, they didn't necessarily work, but it was putting my reputation on the line to show I cared for them and to show God I had faith in him, plus it makes healing a hell of a lot more fun.

• Father - That I have an awesome heavenly father, who loves me very much, has overseen every moment in my life (got a guy give me a moment from my past, one of the saddest, when my dad left, saying God was watching over me), and wanted nothing more for me than to forgive my earthly father (reminded by covering my face with my scarf while Zach was praying with me, and then finding it covered in blood, not forgetting that day in a hurry), and understand that he is a normal person who makes mistakes, and I should forgive him for that. I know you read these dad, I can check the stats and have 16 views from Mexico ;). So dad, consider yourself forgiven and loved, I harbour no resentment towards you and would love a phone call soon to catch up.

• Freedom - I stood when they asked if we wanted freedom from demonic forces. I was sceptical, always have been of demonic forces. As Simon Holley prayed, with my eyes closed I heard noises, wails, screams, coughs, and quickly got distracted. I wanted these things to happen to me to prove I was free, but they didn't. Then I realised I was focusing on the manifestations and not on God, so my attention turned, and I began repeating the phrase 'I accept your forgiveness' to myself. I have a problem with pornography and masturbation, born out of events in my childhood, and I need to drill into my head God forgives me for anything that has, will and is happening. As a friend cam and prayed for me (cheers Joel), I feel to my knees, and then as that happened, completing not desiring manifestations, my hands began to tingle. It got stronger and stronger, and my hands fizzed, like they were filled with pins and needles. I finished praying yet the sensation continued, and i walked around with my hands in praying position, talking to friends, having to ask Zach to get me a drink as I couldn't use my hands. Mad, but I didn't desire the manifestation, it was just a cool side effect. For me it symbolised that while I may use my hands to sin again, in God's eyes they are cleansed, and he was just re cleaning them to remind me.
  

One of the big things I learnt though is that God, and The Holy Spirit love an environment of authenticity. One where people are allowed to make mistakes, where people are bold, where people can share anything, where people step out, where the quiet are as confident as the loud, where people don't fake The Spirit to impress others. This environment, so well catered for by the gifted Simon Holley and his team from Bedford allowed the Holy Spirit to flourish in us.

Testimony was one of the key ways in which this environment was created, by allowing people to come up and share the deepest and often darkest in front of a room of 100+ people and rather than be judged, be cheered, many receiving standing ovations. People who made me especially proud being Jo Nathan, Rhoda Areington and Abigail Smith, while special mention for me goes to Phillip Drew Smith and Victoria Myers. This was addictive, and before you knew it people were going up twice to share (guilty as charged). These honest testimonies broke right into the hearts of those sitting watching. Rather than the audience looking on judging and trying to distance themselves from those sharing to make themselves feel better, quite the opposite happened, instead they identified with those sharing and had many of their own flaws highlighted.

Another great thing about this environment was the amount of failure (including me asking a girl out, and falling flat on my ass, ha!). With many bring prophesies, words of knowledge about healing and praying for healing and freedom, there were bound to be some unsuccessfull stories, and indeed there were, but what was phenomenal was that rather than wallow in our own self pity, we could look around the room and excite in the joy of our brothers and sisters.

This lead to trust. Many I talked to expressed their reservations about obvious expressions of The Spirit, often saying they were dubious and though people might be 'faking it.' In this environment of joy and trust though, there was just joy that our brothers and sisters were experiencing the power of The Spirit, and no resentment that they were feeling it more than us, instead just joy watching them enjoy The Spirit.

Many of us were sad to leave centre parcs, and wished it lasted longer, but I was excited. The mission starts now for many of us, and it is our job for those of us that were there to bring back this environment into our home churches. This in no easy mission, and we will face resistance and challenges, but if we have seen The Spirit move so powerfully yet have no desire to see everyone one of our brothers and sisters in Christ impacted in the same way what are we? This our mission, there are so many Christians that have never experienced this kind of freedom, so many who feel alone, just like we have, and it is our job to bring that home.

Please feel free to contact me about anything you've read in this :)

Thank you for reading, god bless,

Davey

Superheroes

I recently watched Kick Ass, it really made me think a lot. That question asked:

"Why does everyone want to be Paris Hilton but nobody wants to be Spider-Man?"

It's an interesting idea, and thinking about it today, everyone likes the idea of superheroes, but in actuality it doesn't happen. Everyone with special physical activities gets pushed into sports, and those with special mental abilities into high paid positions. But again, these are special gifts, but aren't super. These are feasible, the human body pushed to its limits and at its best. The thing super heroes need are super powers, supernatural powers, unexplainable abilities.

Now, this is when it really does become interesting, because superheroes have therefore existed. Jesus was a superhero, as were his disciples. They regularly conducted acts that go beyond our own bodies abilities, and these acts got them a lot of attention, they were the superheroes of their time. They healed people without surgery, cured mental illness without counselling or drugs, walked on water, rose from the dead. These are all powers that have been copied by comic book heroes. But what for now, where are the superheroes now. I've realised we as Christians have the power to be superheroes. We can call on the powers of God when we like, and sometimes these powers won't work, but we can call on them, and in turn conduct acts that are unexplainable.

But there is another stumbling block, and that is evident in Kick Ass, fear. Fear stops superheroes, it makes them weaker, nervous and then they usually lose. The best superheroes didn't fear. Superman didn't fear because he couldn't die, Batman because his enemies feared him more. We fall in both categories, but we need not fear. Sure we can die, but why would we fear that, heaven's much better, so when we die that's Gods' time for us, which is good stuff. It took the main character in Kick Ass to overcome fear to fight criminals, and he nearly died in the process, but he did it anyways, without the assurances we have. We could easily be the people that implement social justice, fight crime when we see it, because at the worst, we go to heaven. A lot of us end up feeling like Batman, not invincible, but that's because our faith has failed us. People listened to Jesus and Paul, they had to take notice, these guys were superheroes, their opponents were on the back foot, because they witnessed what Jesus and Paul did. Nowadays we are on the back foot, because people aren't witnessing our superpowers, often just listening to our empty promises.

These superpowers, the things that can make all Christians superheroes are all thanks to the Holy Spirit. Like Peter Parker being bit by a spider, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then we have powers. The Christian superhero can heal hearts, bodies and minds, the Christian superhero has no fear and the Christian superhero is listened to.

Thank you for reading,

Davey