We arrived in leafy West Sussex with no job, very little money and three children all under 8 years of age. Even though we believed God had told us to come, there was no Angelic presence guiding us into the promised land; instead, all five of us shared one small room in a decrepit B&B that was more of a 1970s theme park!
Our daily walk with Jesus isn’t about ritual, sacrifice, or trying to bargain God into action. It begins when we’re done pretending we can be our own gods—tired of deciding our own fate.
I watched a pastor’s testimony after he travelled to Asbury University to see what was happening at their revival meetings. As he spoke, he kept wiping away tears—he said the presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable at the altar, and God spoke clearly to him about his arrogance and pride in the way he led his church.
I watched a pastor’s testimony after he travelled to Asbury University to see what was happening at their revival meetings. As he spoke, he kept wiping away tears—he said the presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable at the altar, and God spoke clearly to him about his arrogance and pride in the way he led his church.
Isn’t it astonishing how the old Egyptian gods were treated like temperamental shopkeepers? If a harvest failed or a child fell ill, people would stop showing up at the shrine, stop giving sacrifices, and simply blame the deity for their misfortune. They expected a one‑sided exchange: my prayers and my offerings = your perpetual blessing. When life didn’t deliver on that bargain, they walked away — no questions, no turning back, just abandonment.
Worship is not a warm, passing feeling—like spotting a celebrity in the supermarket—nor merely civic pride when a dignitary opens a new business. When Scripture describes God’s presence, it is awe‑filled and totally overwhelming.
A long time ago, I was lost – mentally, physically (and for sure spiritually)! I went for a long walk and somehow ended up in a Church. Apparently, I had arrived for the inauguration of a new priest, and this was his very first Sunday at the Church.
“How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”
