SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

GOING TO HAITI WITH THIRD DAY.

As the Outpouring meetings continue at City Temple I will be travelling to Haiti with Tai, Mark, Mac and David from Third Day. I'll use Tai's blog to Third Day fans to explain:

Next week, all of Third Day, our manager, and Nigel, our tour pastor, will head to Haiti for a several day scouting trip with World Vision.

 Like you, we were incredibly impacted by the complete devastation and tragic loss of life from the earthquakes a little over a year ago. We felt immediately compelled to make a donation from our Come Together Fund to World Vision's immediate response efforts, and issued a challenge to our fan community to do the same.

Within a matter of weeks, your donations far exceeded ours and our community of fans were able to be a part of life-saving emergency response for Haiti.

Over the last year, Haiti has gone in and out of the news with reports of cholera outbreaks and a lack of substantial progress. We see our trip as a bit of a scouting mission to see the situation for ourselves. We want to be able to give an account of how World Vision has stewarded the money that we already donated, and see the best ways that our community can be a part of real progress for the future of Haiti.

Here is our request to you: Firstly, will you pray for our trip? We have learned through the years that there is a difference in going and being sent. Will you send us? Will you pray for our safety and health? Will you pray for our families while we are gone? Secondly, will you find some time, even now, in the coming week to pray for the people of Haiti? If you're stumped at where to start, try looking up a news article and pray for that particular situation or person in the story. Lastly, will you join us in humbly asking God if he has a part for you to play in what He is doing and going to do in Haiti in the coming months and years?

I posted a blog to fans giving them some prayer hints:

Would you pray for us in the same way Paul and his companions prayed for the church in Thessalonica?:

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1.11-12

Would you pray these words of protection over us?

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 

 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5.11-12

Would you  pray this Psalm over the country of Haiti and all who work there to rebuild the country in the name of Jesus?:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 

 

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. 

Psalm 58.6-12

 

 

 

OUTPOURING.

4 nights of meetings at City Temple with Roy Fields have turned into at least 12 nights of worship, encounter with the Holy Spirit, refreshing, refining, and renewing. Roy was the worship leader at the Lakeland revival in Florida a couple of years back, and travels all over the world with his wife Melanie. Their passion is to ignite the fire of revival, and they have been overwhelmed by the hunger for the Lord and the desire for revival that they have seen here in Wales. Most meeting haven't finished until gone 1am from a 7.30pm start, and we've seen conversions, healings, repentance, going on well after midnight!

I've spent a fair bit of time with Roy and his musicians ( once a band pastor, always a band pastor!) and have got to know him as a genuine man of God and a very funny one at that! If you want to watch the live streaming or see some video highlights then go to the Run with Fire website.

RESOLUTION.

Like many churches, we spent some time in our new year services focusing on new starts/new things/new year's resolutions. Leading two communion services I was reminded that we worship a God who vows to make all things new, to do a new thing, to create in us a new heart, and to make us new creations. January is a month devoted to prayer at City Temple, and Pastor Steve suggested we all write one prayer on a post-it note and add it to a board at the front of the church- I was holding that board and felt a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit as people flowed forward with their prayers.

I'm going to let you know the 3 point prayer what I wrote (little grammatical tribute there to Eric and Ernie, which will be totally meaningless to people who aren't fans). My three-fold prayer focus was as follows:

HOLINESS- I sense a desperate need to re-consecrate my life and be set apart for the call of God on my life. That will mean being willing to submit to the purifying fire of the Holy Sprit in some areas of my character.

HARMONY- to know what it means to truly live in tune with the prompting of the Spirit, and in true community and fellowship with others-especially an increased sense of partnership, appreciation and dedication towards my wife!

HEALTH-I've been battling diverticular disease, acid reflux, and now possibly a stomach ulcer for some time, so I desperately need to receive healing from all these irritations. I recognise that this may go hand in hand with lifestyle change but I want to be fit for the purpose God has planted in me!

Paul, writing to the Corinthian church talked about his own resolution-simply put... it was JESUS.