If you suffer from depression, you're one of God's friends. Discipleship is often accompanied by depression. Sainthood can mean sadness. Visions emerge in valleys. Elijah was so low, he sat under a tree and said: 'I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.' Jonah, the Elijah wannabee, also flaked out under the fauna. He even recited the same script. 'Now, Lord, take away my life,' he [...]
Jesus offended almost everyone he met. Teachers, pharisees, religious leaders, disciples, ordinary working Jews ... they all got the same treatment. He went out of his say to say and do things that provoked them. Why? To reveal what was in their hearts. It didn't make him too popular. The Jewish leaders were so offended, they had him killed. So it was pretty clear what was [...]
First we had fast food (although the service is usually slow). Now's it's Food on the Go. This means rushing through a shopping mall carrying a disintegrating panini and a Revelation 14:16 coffee - lukewarm, and only fit for spitting out. Everybody from Jamie Oliver to Greggs serves Food on the Go. But God doesn't, unless he has to. In Psalm 23:2, he makes his hungry [...]
Jesus showed us how to train people to function in the supernatural. In Mark 6, he sent his disciples out to teach, heal and deliver people. Up to then, they'd just watched him do it. When they returned, they: '... reported to him all they had done and taught' Mark 6:30. Jesus' approach was: Get a mentor. Learn on the job. Report back. Learn some more. In the [...]
Some prophecies are plain wrong. I once told a lady that the baby in her womb would be one of God's pioneers. But she wasn't pregnant. She was just, er, large. I'm glad false prophets don't get stoned these days. Other words are plain daft ... pictures of hippos on bikes and angels standing in blocked drains. And then there are the 'green meadows' prophecies ... [...]
The word 'accountable' is a secular buzzword that has crept into our churches. But the bible only uses it when God's people account to him. Not each other. You only find person-to-person 'accountability' in Daniel 6:2, in the godless Babylonian regime, with its tyrannical hierarchies and systems. The Hebrew word for 'accountable' is 'taam'. It refers to a command structure, something that has no place in church. Instead, [...]
Some people collapse when they encounter the Holy Spirit. This isn't surprising, as he is the most powerful force in the universe. But sometimes, we give him a hand - literally - by pushing people over when we pray for them. I've done it myself. One man was so fat, even my best efforts left him unmoved. In contrast, one woman was so frail, I nearly [...]
Grave sucking is re-packaged necromancy. And God says necromancy is detestable (Deuteronomy 18: 10-14). It is a dangerous occult practice that can open you up to demonic influences. For the uninformed, grave sucking involves laying on the grave of someone who had a powerful Christian ministry, in order to receive their anointing or their power. It is based on a flawed understanding of this story in 2 Kings [...]
Laying hands on someone comes with a health warning that's there for a reason. People sometimes allow complete strangers to lay hands on them. But Paul advises Timothy (1 Tim 5:22) not to lay hands hastily. That was when Timothy was appointing leaders. But Paul adds a warning that applies to all situations: 'Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.' He's saying [...]
This is the first in a series of blogs about prophetic activation. The articles make no comment on any individuals or organisations. But I would encourage you to test anyone's beliefs and practices, and mine, against scripture. What is prophetic activation? Prophetic activation is where people learn how to prophesy by playing games like these. I wrote an introductory article about it last month. Since then, [...]
