Induction

It was such a fantastic time on the afternoon of the 12th December, at my induction, conducted by Geoff Feasey.

There were 65-80 people present a large proportion of which were ministers and leaders of the various places of worship in St Ives and the surrounding areas. In Geoff Feaseys own words in his 25 years of conducting induction services he has never seen such representation welcoming a new Elim minister into service in an area.

The service provided a wonderful opportunity to explain our vision to work cross denominationally in developing a youth mentoring scheme and regular events to see young ministers come into their full potential serving the community as well as the church. We are also continuing to develop a cross denominational unity in prayer and evangelism.

Generous people are such a blessing to a community

The wonderful people of The Vine church in St. Ives amazed me again. Many of them are living on limited means but bought together an incredible amount of food to be given away to the poor in our communities.

Prov 11:25 he generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.NKJV

We looked at the line in Isaiah 61:1 which says to preach good news to the poor, and how Jesus linked this with the miraculous works of giving sight, hearing, the ability to walk, and raising the dead in his response to John the Baptist's question in Matthew 11. Jesus as powerfully met the needs of the poor, as he did the needs of the blind, deaf, lame and dead, by preaching to the poor. He was clothed with an empowering work of the Holy Spirit to empower people to escape the poverty created by their physical state and their mindset. Are we convinced, that God wants to make us prosperous to be generous, or do we live with a poverty spirit?

Clothe us Lord with a mindset that empowers us and helps those to whom You send us to proclaim the good news to the poor and see their economical, emotional, physical and spiritual state radically changed.

Meditate - we need to accept this word

Having just preached in the Ukraine on Romans 12:2, I am saddened at how the enemy has taken hold of a Biblical word and conformed peoples minds to think that it means something bad because it is associated with yoga and new age and all sorts of demonic practices.

Just look up the word meditate in your Bible and take hold of the principle of chewing over the Word and works of God. How else can we be transformed by the renewing of our minds other than dwell on the realities of His word and works and taking our minds off the circumstances and experiences that we go through which our contrary to the will of God.

Reclaim the practice of meditating on the Almighty.

Licence to Minister

Dear Friends

Thank you for all the support I have recieved as I have completed the Elim Regional Training Programme over the last 18 months, and pastored the church through the transition. There has been growth and pruning in membership but I pray the next phase will be one of steady and sustained growth.

I went for my interview with Elims Ministerial Selection Board on the 2nd September and am now pleased to say they have issued me with a license to minister in our local fellowship.

Your continued prayers as we move forward would be most appreciated.

WHo is the reason for the season?

Yes Jesus is the reason for this season, and may we never take Christ out of Christmas despite all the efforts of the PC brigade to change things.

HOWEVER, I am so pleased that YOU are the reason for the season. Without YOU being in the Fathers plan He would never have sent Jesus to be constrained by a womb, born as a baby, lived, died and rose again. He gave up EVERYTHING for you what will you give up for Him.

Have a blessed celebration of what He has done just for YOU.

New Year Messages & Series

We are expectant of a year of restoration and acceleration during 2010, both personally and as a fellowship at the Vine. It seems God is saying similar things to other people around the globe, I have posted Ivan and Isobel Allums prophetic greetings on the church site accessible by clicking on the words in the picture of the home site at www.thevine-stives.org.uk

As I have waited on the Lord I sense He wants us to concentrate in first two months of this year on Building Healthy Relationships with Him, the family and the community, this will form the base of our Sunday messages from mid January. In tandem to this we will be running a Marriage Course, A Young Mens Cell focus on Lust, and our Homegroups will be following John Ortbergs study "God is Closer then you think"

We will see the development of a Youth Church in the early months after letting Ray and Becky settle in and build up relationships.

Exciting things are ahead of us.

Building Healthy Relationships

Whose relationships should we imitate to have the most healthy community?

Hanukkah 2009 All Age Service Video

Hanukkah - Feast of Dedication & Festival of Lights

Yes Hanukkah starts Friday evening 11th November and we will remember why the Lord Jesus celebrated this non prescribed festival on Sunday 13th.

The Light of the World came into our darkness and turned us all into lights to bring a revelation of Gods mercy wherever we go.

This feast is known both as the Festival of Lights as it celebrates the miracle of the oil for the menorah at the rededication of the temple under Judah Maccabees, but is special to us also as the Feast of Dedication.

When you think about how passionate Jesus was about keeping the earthly temple dedicated to its purpose of being a place that should bring revelation of the God to the world, and also the place of prayer to commune with Him, we need to be as passionate about purging our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Its a time to turn over the tables in our lives that have taken residence in His temple. The driving out of that which distracts us from shedding light and communing with the Father.

I love the fact that during this feast each Jewish home would place their menorahs in the windows to proclaim to the enemy that light has overcome the darkness which he tried to establish in the tabernacles.

Shine for Jesus and make the enemy nervous about the supernatural oil burning in your spirit.

Thankfulness ensures you remain in His will.

1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. NKJV

Give thanks to the Lord for HE IS GOOD

(add your sentence of thanks)

for His Mercy Endures Forever.

Practice doing this over and over again and write a new psalm as you go. Scribe down your psalm of thanks. He has done so much for you, you should be at this for a long time.

At the end of the exercise I believe any downheartedness will disappear.

Fork Handles Candlelight Carol Service

Do you remember that classic sketch of the two Ronnies "Fork Handles"? If not you can view it on Youtube and laugh again, or come to our Candlelight Carol Service and watch part of it at the start.

Yes, we are going to mount four candles on top of fork handles to light up the service venue. Just for fun, and just to confirm as discussed at the ministers together meeting, there is no theological significance at all.

Why not invite some neighbours, or get one of the posters and put it up in a local public place close to you. Or email a link to this page to someone. Please.

Sunday 20th December 6pm at St Ives Infant School.

His Mercy is Equal to His Holiness

Consider the detailed description that the Father gives to Moses for the construction of the Ark of Covenant and the Mercy Seat in Exodus 25:10-22

The representation of Jesus in the actual Ark, the containment of the symbols of Promise, Provision and Protection in the Testimony Tablets, the Jar of Manna, and Aarons Rod.

A reminder of the freedom given to all in obedience to His divine order for godly community life. His nature to provide for all His people. His anointed chosen leadership for our protection. Only Jesus could contain all of these within His human form, the completion of law, provision and protection.

We are like the poles of the ark, covered in His glory and anointed to carry His character and nature, the very symbol of His Presence whereever we go.

The contents of the ark not only remind us of His Holiness and His standards, they remind us of mans repeated rebellion and failure to attain Gods perfect design. Yet equal in size to the ark is the Mercy Seat the place where His Presence tangibly manifested to the Israelites. Not one inch smaller, or one inch larger, is Gods Mercy than His Holiness, and because of His incredible Mercy we can come to His Presence.