A message from Mozambique

Dear friends, I write this from Beira Mozambique where the major disaster stuck only a couple of months and as we walk around and see the effects of the damage but also the resiliency in people, we realise just how blessed we are in so many ways that we take for granted on a daily basis.

A word that the Lord has given while here is one from Genesis 21:14-20. It is the story of Hagar and her son Ishmael being sent away into the desert from Abraham and Sarah. It must have seemed for Hagar that everything that she had believed in, hoped for in the promise of her son, had just fallen apart as Abraham sends her away. In verse 15 the water she had was gone and she sat down away from her son so she wouldn't see him die. Because to her there was no hope left.

But in v17 God hears the boy crying and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, " What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Life the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink."

So often in our grief and pain of loss we cannot see what is right in front of us. Like Mozambique going through such loss, it's easy to focus on what was lost without looking forward to what could be. Hagar was in grief she could not see the provision or the hope of what might be ahead. She had her eyes closed, unable to see what could be, but then an angel of the Lord comes, not because of her cry, but because of the boys cry. What at one moment would seem hopeless, despairing even of life, was in the next moment given the promise of becoming a great nation and provision.

For so many of us, it's easy to focus on what in the natural can seem like nothing good will come out of it, but in the next moment God comes and changes everything. So if you feel like this today be encouraged that God hears the cries of his people and he rends the heavens and comes down because he delights in you. (Ps 18)

Prior to coming to Africa I saw a picture of new plants in the garden, I saw asparagus shooting up out of the ground and I didn't even know it was in the ground but it had been planted there years before. I believe we are coming into a season of abundance even though it might seem that there is nothing left at times, there is a promise that is about to spring forth and we need to be a people who keep looking forward, not dwelling on the loss and the grief and what could have been, but looking to what could still be ahead. Keeping our eyes open to what the Lord would show us that is right in front of us. Bless you all in what the Lord has for you.

Obedience and Commitment are big things in Gods Kingdom

Reading in Acts 7 this morning the story through Stephen of Abraham being told by God to " Leave your country and your people and go the the land I will show you" So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child." As I reflected on this and the journey of Abraham stepping out in faith into a land that he received no inheritance in but a promise of what was to come for his descendants of which we live in the fruit of that, I thought of todays generations in which often is only doing things that we want to do or that will benefit us personally as we live for 'today' not worrying about tomorrow. A sense of if it feels good then do it, if it doesn't then we will move on - perhap...

Don't worry, you wont miss the bus.

Last night I had this dream and there were a bunch of people at my house and we all decided to go somewhere by bus. Because we had to lock up the house, Jim and I missed the bus, while the others managed to make it. I found myself getting a little frustrated with Jim as he seemed to be so slow in locking everything up. Jim & I got there just in time to see their bus drive away. We were left standing in the rain. But then the thinking came, its alright, we will just catch the next bus. Some of us may feel at times like we have missed our opportunity. That we have missed what The Lord would have us do, and in that we can get a little frustrated by people around us and even perhaps blame people for where things are at, at least I know I do at times. :) But I believe The Lord wants to encourage people today, including myself, that you don't need to worry, just rest and be at peace and you will soon get another opportunity. Like wa...

A Powerful Testimony of Gods Healing Power

A testimony has just come in that is so exciting that we have been given permission to share and tell. Dawn Tilbury a lady crippled by pain of Fibromylagia & Osteoarthristis in the spine and for the past seven years has been in agony, bedridden for four months this year and the possibility of not being able to walk is testifying after prayer and the power of God being released, to complete healing since then. That was a nearly a month ago that prayer was given and she has been pain free since. She is now cleaning her shower, mopping her floors, doing things she couldn't do. Has complete new perspective on life. So exciting!!! THANKYOU JESUS - ALL GLORY TO YOU!

The baby's been handed over

Several weeks ago the Lord shifted us out of the 'home office' into the 'market place' and in the process a spiritual shift happened - one of letting the 'baby' go, a releasing and handing over the batten, so to speak to others. In this process the nests that WE ALL have been in have been stirred up, shaken about, and pushed out, to fly in ways that perhaps we were too afraid to do previously. The amazing thing with God is that He knows the timing of all of this and where each one of us is at and what we can handle. Yes there has been a fluttering of wings in panic. Yes, we have had a few weeks of challenge as authority and structures get changed and challenged, frustrations coming to the fore, but love helps us overcome, love helps us to forgive, love helps us to see the good and not the dirt, love helps us remember our own failings and yet forgiveness and grace that the Lord has for me, that I can give to others, remembering it's the glory of G...

Regret.....Pass on what you have.

This morning I had a dream of a woman who was a warrior, who was well used to going into battles and one day someone gave her a jewel case with some ancient jewels in it, a huge ruby that was set in an intricate gold setting, and other jewels that were beautiful that were being passed down to her and that had originally come from someone before her. She put them away in a safe place and went out into battle again for it only to be her last battle. In looking back her regret was that she never told anyone where the jewels were before she went out to battle that she was given and so they were going to be lost and no longer being passed on, hidden forever in history, the beauty of what she had been given lost and of no value. I believe there is a word in this dream that I saw this morning. Many of us have fought many battles in the spiritual and natural realm and in that we have received jewels from the Lord through the things we have learnt in those battles and the training ...

Our latest update, next steps and prayer needs

Dear friends, supporters and prayer partners of Glory Release Ministries, & of Jim, Kate & I. Its hard to believe its over a month since our return from Africa. Time flies when you are having fun. Some things are developing that we would appreciate your prayer on. Earlier in the year we had the conference "Step Up & Step In" as we believed the Lord was saying to step out by faith into those things that you believe for so we did, not only for ourselves and what we believe but also hopefully to encourage the body to do the same in their/your own worlds. And then the Lord challenged us again with Africa and stepping up to a whole another level and the things we saw and all that God did, blew us away. It's been a time of growing this past year, from one level into another level. And that leads us to now and what we believe him for now. Some more detail to share within that bigger vision of : Evangelistic Gathering...

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