The Legend of El Cid

El Cid Statue – Burgos, Spain

Leadership Thought of the Day:

I heard a fascintating story about this man (El Cid) in the statue whilst visiting one of our Harvest Alliance Global church in Spain. As the legend goes ‘El Cid’ died in battle, but in order to rally the troops, his second in commands put his corpse in his armour and fastened him on his horse to give the appearance that their ‘hero’ was still leading the charge. They then paraded him around in order to get the troops to follow *them* into battle. It was as though they lacked confidence in their own leadership or perhaps they overemphasised ‘the man’ above the movement?

It seems that there is a fine balance between honouring previous generations for their accomplishments and finding the courage to lead and serve the purposes of God in our own generation. Elisha the prophet cried out in his uncertainty:”“Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14) yet the Lord said to Joshua: ““Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready…” (Joshua 1:2).

Jesus Christ, clearly was VERY intentional about teaching, equipping and releasing new generations of leaders. He took what many today would call BIG risks on (in worldly terms) unknowns and outsiders. And yet, 2000 years later here we are with 1 in 3 people on the planet following Jesus…

A great divine reset has come upon the Western church in the last 3 years. The cult of celebrity and the idols of success are being toppled. We are coming back to a sustainable authentic expression of Christianity. Part of that shift is a move away from priests in a temple (or conference centre) to missionaries in the highways and byways. ‘Attractional church’ that feeds consumerism is giving way to growth by evangelism on the margins. Jesus is on the move in our communities – we should go and meet him there.

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Harvest Alliance Global

I am excited to tell you that since January 1st 2020, many of our Churches and ministry friends have come together as a new expression of our revival movement called Harvest Alliance Global.

This will continue to be a global family of churches, leaders and ministries birthed in the revival that begin in Toronto in 1994 and carrying the DNA of our ‘FIRE‘ values. As the page turns to a new exciting chapter for our evolving global family, we are inviting all our friends to come and journey with us :- info@harvestaliance.org.

Our Vision is simple:

Proclaim Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders and miracles. 

Demonstrate the Father’s love in word and deed. 

Strengthen Leaders to grow healthy churches and ministries. 

Facilitate church multiplying networks across the nations.

Our Core Values:

F – Father’s Love revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ.

I – Intimacy, Presence, & Hearing God’s Voice.

R – Restoration of the Heart/Soul.

E – Extending the Kingdom through the equipping, anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit.

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Revival of Community – 2020

As we come to the end of 2020 it would be true to say that nobody would have believed the change and transition that we have all had to adjust to. However, despite all the tragedy and disruption, one good thing to come from 2020 has been what some are describing as a “Revival of Community”.

This has run deeper than warm feelings and standing on our doorstep to clap the NHS (although those things have also brought us together). Neighbours are finding each other in ways that we have not done for decades. Knocking on each other’s doors to see that people are managing and OK. Offering to do shopping and practical helps for those who need it. Volunteering as drivers to take people to appointments. The list goes on and on.

As a local church that has served our community for over 100 years, The Well Church (www.iwell.org.uk) have experienced new ways and opportunities to connect to the people we serve. Many of the things we would have traditionally done such as Mums and Toddlers, children and youth clubs, meals and events for seniors and even our Well Community Cafe have all been impacted this year. Whereas these were once events that people would ‘come to’, a reversal has taken place and these are now ‘go out’ initiatives. The church that used to gather to a building for worship services has become the scattered church serving people in their daily lives in the community. Our Well Community Cafes which have helped on the margins of society went mobile in 2020 as we adapted our minibus to become a mobile ‘pop-up’ café in a number of housing areas around the Fylde Borough. Hundreds of freshly prepared meals were served each week and this continues all the way through to the end of the year.

“The church that used to gather to a building for worship services has become the scattered church serving people in their daily lives in the community”

Like so many other churches, many of the things that we did to connect physically became online gatherings as we embraced the complexities and technology to hold meetings simultaneously in our buildings and virtually online. We now find that people join us from all over the world to worship together. We have also delivered hundreds of care packages to families and to the children of our clubs. It has been a rewarding experience to see children excitedly standing at their windows waving as we delivered activity packs full of goodies. Again, this will happen this Christmas to around 200 families. We took out a care box to the elderly with a ‘do it yourself Cream Tea’ and have assisted many of our seniors to overcome their apprehension about technology and join the online world of video gatherings and social media.

Although COVID-19 has been harmful in so many ways, it has been an absolute pleasure to see people come together, adapt, improvise and overcome adversity. It has also been our pleasure to work in new ways with other church communities serving our borough. I am sure that many of the things we have learnt and discovered together will continue on in the next decade. Christmas will be different this year partly online partly outdoors and partly gathering but the love of Christ remains constant for us all.

The 20th Year of Revival

Just back in the UK from the Partners in Harvest & Catch the Fire 20 year celebration.

What started out as an incredible Grace/Holy Spirit outpouring at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (Now known as Catch the Fire Church Toronto) has become a global movement of thousands of churches and tens of thousands of revivalists in many many nations. I remain completely amazed how this fire of God is spreading unabated in so many different places. We heard revival reports from Russia, China, Southeast Asia, India, Europe, North America, and many nations too sensitive to mention by name. In one church alone in Russia there have been 30,000 documented and reported healings.

I believe one of the main reasons for this continual outpouring is the honour with which we host the presence of the Holy Spirit and the centrality of the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly a word and spirit fusion which is causing spontaneous growth around the world. When this is combined with a humble dependence on the Holy Spirit and the healing of the emotions, soul and spirit in the Father’s love it becomes a sweet smelling fragrance of adoration and love going up to The Lord.

It is very true that this is only one small expression in the wider Body of Christ with its 2 billion Christian members, but I believe it is a sweet smelling and precious thing in the sight of Jesus and a healing balm in the body of Christ for the sake of the nations.

Jesus Christ: the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

“He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion” (The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe p197)

Rev. 5:3-5 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

In apocalyptic language, John the beloved apostle of Jesus shares in but a few words the whole story of humanities fall from relationship with God in the motif of our weeping, our utter unworthiness to effect our own righteousness or salvation in the sight of God’s holy majesty. A search is done of ‘the Great and Good’ but nobody was found who is sinless and perfect. Hence, nobody can open the scroll of life for the names of the saints to be added.

With perfect literary tension an ‘elder’ comes into the scene: but wait… who is this? Look! the One who fulfils the hope and longing of all peoples and ages , the One who defeated death and rose victorious – Jesus Christ has come. Once and for all time he has dealt with the just penalty of sin by removing the sting of death for all who believe.

Heaven erupts with the joyous chorus!

Rev. 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”

The Book of Revelation pulls back the curtain of time and space and peers into the more vividly intense drama of heavens great song and human kinds redemption. What hope and joy awaits us and fills us even now as we trust in Jesus.

“All their life in this world and all their adventures had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
– C S Lewis – The Last Battle

The Door

I took this photograph of this door at a youth project in Mozambique. I love this picture. It is an old dusty door with a singular word ‘Jesus’ as you can see.

It reminds me that many people will pass the door by and not notice that this is the ‘Jesus door’. How true in life. Jesus said: “I am the door”. I wonder how many of us really notice him in the business of life where we frantically look around for meaning and purpose – the very things that he has to offer.

Make sure you try the Jesus door – you may to be surprised what you find hidden on the inside!

Spreading the Fire

Welcome to my spreadthefire.net site!

This is a low-key site to just say a little about myself and what I do.

Updates will follow in due course.