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Jai Mashi from Nepal!

In my last two updates, we discussed a US lady being possibly deported from Nepal. That news has gone global and been reported in a recent edition of Decision Magazine. So, readers of this blog may be getting more up to date information from this “scholar on the ground” than mainstream sources. Bear in mind, however, that gleaning the truth from Asia’s version of “fake news” is no easy task. As I wrote in my last update, the lady has not yet been deported. Christians have rallied, and with prayer and support from around the world, the authorities chose not to pursue the case.

The same police official in charge of investigations in Eastern Nepal and the closing of a Christian school was the in charge of this case in Western Nepal. He had been transferred and is using his post to attack Christians. You can find all of this in my previous posts. God is good!

Spring Teaching Term Complete

I have completed my present teaching term and my students are now pursuing the secular requirements for their degrees. Upon completion of those exams, they will graduate in August. My students are concerned about how they will share what they’ve learned with their local village churches. Please keep this in mind in your prayers for them.

During the break, I’ll be continuing my Ph.D. Studies, which need lots of attention. I’ve also been taking courses to train myself up in many new tools to meet the growing need to get content out both here and abroad. These are truly is exciting times!

God’s Providence: An Ever-present Reality!

God’s providence continues to make itself known as an ever-present reality. For example, I’ll have a conversation with someone only to find out that another has been secretly working on a project to address the same need! Also, the Lord keeps putting people in my path at just the right time to assist in learning the things I need to move forward.

Fledgling Nepalian Christianity

Christianity is still a fledgling faith in Nepal.  Christian academics must be vigilant to properly serve the church in the wake of many cults from Korea and the US. Many believers here have a limited understanding of Christianity and are challenged by new ways of thinking, especially within Christian scholarship. It is essential to help guide them towards the best ways of thinking and those ways are not always well-received. Those of a simplistic mindset resist the vastness of the content in which they’re engaged.

The pastors in the villages are often merely those who can read Nepali and translate it into the local language. They have little to no formal training and my teaching on Christianity is inevitably more profound than what they were previously led to believe. This makes it especially urgent to make content available to fight heresy within and outside of the church. Also, the youth of my students is a cultural barrier to the acceptance by their elders. Previously held doctrines are held in high regard despite obvious inferiority to modern scholarship. Elders tend to think my doctrinal clarifications require them to deny some aspect of Christ. It’s hard for them to let go of wrongful or imprecise thinking to embrace the greater riches within our faith.

Churches Being Evicted or Destroyed

Land is extremely expensive in Nepal, most churches cannot afford it and it’s especially difficult for Christians to find a place to rent for worship. In the wake of the Easter 2019 attacks in Sri Lanka, a nearby church was evicted when pressured to do so by locals and police (who were afraid that what took place in Sri Lanka could happen in their neighborhood.) The church is now meeting in separate small groups spread among rental houses also subject to eviction should landlords find out they’re being used for worship. Many pagans here find Christian worship offensive and will use any means available oppress minority religions.

Another land-owning church is under consideration to be forcibly razed. With the new constitution,  and subsequent laws and amendments concerning preserving Nepalese culture, any property that was formerly, at any time, temple grounds can be “redeemed” (especially if any competing religious institution has been erected.) Therefore, a local church, one of the oldest in Nepal, had purchased land nearby a temple but that land had also initially belonged to a temple and had exchanged many hands subsequently. The church bought the property from private owners decades ago. Now people are deeming it worthy of “redemption.” The church in question will be forced to leave, receive no compensation and lose their entire investment.

This anti-Christian attack, ironic considering the mandate of the preservation law, is a blow to Christian morale. How does one preserve history by destroying one of the hallmarks of Nepalian Christianity? The message is clear: State forces in Nepal are as willing to destroy the historical roots of Christianity as their counterparts in the Middle East.

Nepal is doing the very thing they say they are opposed to: destroying Christian landmarks while claiming to have a policy of preservation. It is how the current party in power in India began when the same issue over a Hindu temple was raised concerning a Muslim mosque.

State News

In the past week, we’ve had a series of bomb blasts in the capital; a sad reminder of the decade long civil war that plagued Nepal after its recent overthrow of the monarch. Maoists continue to be a problem: their leader is honored by the current administration for “maintaining peace” despite the thousands they’ve killed in the process.

Indian elections have concluded and, despite media predictions, the Hindu party in power has prevailed. Nepal wants to follow the same trend. The majority are Hindu; however, the communists won the majority and have formed the new government.

An Online Exorcism?

Lastly, a recent attempt to rape a 7-year-old girl (while asleep in our church) was thwarted and the girl was unharmed. The father is Hindu and has been known to be demon possessed. He had turned to Christ to be set free but returned to his Hindu roots shortly after that. After this incident with his daughter, he was repossessed. After many prayer meetings, we were able to coordinate several believers, both here and in the US, and engage in a “real time” exorcism.  Amy “Beth” of Hesed Place, a former guest on the NakedBible podcast, and the indigenous pastor here who translated Supernatural into Nepali worked together to help the victim in finding meaningful peace and deliverance. We also consulted with Doug Overmyer from Seers See Ministry for guidance as the event lasted over several days. Doug is part of Mike’s Peeranormal Podcast and also was featured on the Bible Over Brews Podcast on episodes 36 & 38.

The father has joined our church to be alongside his family and be discipled in the faith. They’ve moved closer to the church to get away from the place where the rape attempt occurred. I also conferred with Fern & Audrey of Discovering MErcy for some further advice and will coordinate with our own local pastor to see he gets further assistance in his journey. We hope to get Mike’s next book translated, as well, to assist us until I can devote time to producing much-needed content upon completion of my doctoral degree in Biblical Studies. We are also planning a conference here in conjunction with the release of the translation to get the book out to the people. Thanks to everyone who supported us behind the scenes.

Thanks to all who continue to support us in the work we do here. It is exciting to take the light of Jesus into the dark kingdoms of this world as a beacon of hope! As we get the time, we hope to be keeping you abreast of the new avenues of content production with which we presently have in the works. God continues to confirm our present trajectory.

Jai Mashi from Nepal!

Holy Week or Weak?

Here is a brief update of my previous week. This is round #2 compared to what we experienced early in 2019. God is in control. I am here to help the locals to encourage them. We sure appreciate all your prayers.

On Good Friday, I had a meeting nearby. After completing it, I noticed I had a flat tire on my bicycle. I found a shop to fix it where I thought I lost my phone. Instead, I merely misplaced it on my bag, fortunately. Conversely, on Easter Sunday, bombings ravaged the region in nearby Sri Lanka, an island nation south of India which is south of Nepal. ISIS apparently targeted Christians in answer for the recent massacre of Muslims in New Zealand. Some are estimating over 250 dead and many more hospitalized.

The Sincerity of New Believers

I have learned here that just like momentum in sports, politics, or even a battle as tides turn, it does affect people here even traumatically. Many see this as a time of the end. Those here in Asia seem to be much more deeply affected as members of the body and have a far more profound empathy for such incidents than I experienced in my life as a Westerner back home. Life here is much more communal in nature. Believers here sense a much stronger connection with each other and even of those abroad they see as family. They are among the youngest siblings globally with a church history in Nepal of mere decades and not centuries. They look to others in a particular way that is hard to describe in sincere kinship.

Persecution & Electricity Theft

The very next day (Easter Monday) four people were arrested in far western Nepal by police.  One was an American. They were supposedly guilty of violating the anti-conversion law that went into effect in August of last year. She was deported on Wednesday evening. Incidentally, my uncle’s funeral in the States was also on that day.

Meanwhile, the nearby transformer blew on Tuesday evening leaving us without power for over a day where I rent. My guess is someone each evening is stealing electricity and finally blew it. Hard to catch them at night. That night my oldest daughter was up most of the night sick and vomiting. Here is a strand of bird flu that is currently affecting local chickens. We haven’t eaten in a while and now won’t.

Earthquakes on Wednesday

We awoke Wednesday morning to earthquakes. The first I felt since January of 2016. Thursday was the fourth anniversary of the 2015 Earthquakes that rocked the nation for almost a year and for many recoveries still alludes them. That night my youngest daughter was up also with sickness. I awoke to diarrhea and had to administer exams. The school’s office let me know the gov’t was coming to visit to inspect the school. They are hoping to delay it until my current term ends at the end of May.

On my way home, we had more rain. In fact, it is raining now again. We have not even started the monsoon season. I am concerned for the farmers and those out in the villages whose homes are primarily made of mud. When the monsoons do come, I am not sure the infrastructure can handle it. Lots of mudslides and the loss of lands plus the concern of earthquakes.

We seem to be healthier this morning. Lots of sicknesses are perhaps due because the of the rains and cooler temperatures than usual for this time of year shifting the climate quickly week to week from cold and wet to hot. The weather changes make it challenging. Many are sick here. One child in the church needs surgery today due to infections.

Visa Due in May

Lastly, my visa is due in May. We pray it goes well. Everyone seems to think I should be fine. One never knows. This thread has a lot of news related to Nepal here to keep you updated. For those interested in “seeing” more of Nepal, I found this mini-documentary illuminating. Thank you all for your continued prayer support! Just click here to subscribe!

by Madeline Twooney

I have been a Christian for almost 10 years; however, my friends don’t know Jesus. This hasn’t affected our friendship negatively, though it is on my heart that my friends know the joy of being in a loving relationship with our Savior.

The Great Commission instructs us to spread the gospel and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16-20). Thus, in the past, l have given testimonies to my friends of God’s goodness or even just straight up talked to them about the Bible. However, this has only deterred them from wanting to know God. So, instead, l started to pray for my friends.

Do you too, have friends who don’t want to know God?

Here are 9 issues of faith your friends might struggle with and prayers you can pray over them:

1. “Does God even exist?”

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

One afternoon, one of my oldest friends asked me this question completely out of the blue.

Convincing a friend of God’s existence is not an easy task considering that science, society, and even their own intellect try to convince them otherwise.

Prayer

Sovereign Lord,

We thank You that at the beginning You spoke into the darkness and created heaven and earth.  If all creation responds to Your voice, if the winds move and the mountains shake at Your command, how can we doubt that You are the Creator, the ruler of all?

Thank you for the life of my friend. Please open his eyes, Lord, that he may see Your presence, just like You opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant and he saw the hills covered by horses and chariots of heavenly fire.

Help my friend to see what l see when l look upon Your face, precious Lord, for You are worthy to be honored.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2. “I don’t want to be accountable to God.”

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

I have a good friend who claims to be an atheist. In reality, she acknowledges that God exists—she just doesn’t like Him.

My friend believes that God wants to judge her lifestyle and take away the freedoms she enjoys, so she shuts down at any mention of Him.

Prayer

Precious Father,

l commit my friend into Your hands. I stand in the gap for her and ask for forgiveness on her behalf as she denies You and all that You have done for her in her life.

Lord, please help my friend to see that true freedom comes from the bond price that Your precious son Jesus Christ paid for our sins. Help her to see this truth, for the truth will set her free.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

3. “When l see proof that God exists, then l’ll believe in Him.”

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

A former colleague of mine has traveled to many countries. He believes in the beauty of experiencing new cultures and learning new traditions because he has seen the existence and value of these things on his travels.

However, he will only believe in God once he has seen proof that He exists.

Prayer

Almighty God,

Thank you that You are faithful and that we see Your faithfulness when we step out, believing in You, Your mercy, and wonders.

Lord, l bring my friend before you. Please give him the sight to see Your goodness in the land of the living—not with physical eyes, but with eyes of faith.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

4. “I was a Christian, but l’m not anymore.”

”So, he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

When l first came to Christ 10 years ago, a colleague of mine guided me in my initial days as a Christian. However, a few years later, my friend stopped going to church. Additionally, any attempts l made to talk with her about God were met with disinterest. To this day, I still don’t know why.

Prayer

Merciful Lord and Savior,

We thank You that You never loosen Your hold on us, no matter what we are going through, for You are always faithful, even when we are not.

As You know Lord, my friend has decided that she doesn’t want to walk with You anymore. I pray that this change of heart is temporary and that like the prodigal son, she will make her way back home to You, where You will welcome her back with open arms.

We thank You that with You we will always find grace. And, that we will always belong to You, and You to us.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

5. “A Christian hurt me and now l don’t trust God.”

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

A few years ago, my friend received the information that a colleague of his, who is a Christian, had said negative things about his struggle with alcohol.

Understandably, my friend was very hurt by this news. He associated his colleague’s judgment with God’s view of him and it affected his ability to trust God.

Prayer

God of compassion,

Thank you that where we are imperfect, You are perfect. Forgive us when we don’t behave in the shadow of Your image; help us to forgive each other in such situations, as Christ forgave us.

Lord, thank you that You see my friend’s hurt and that You wipe away his tears. Help him to forgive those who have hurt him and learn to trust in You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

6. ”God doesn’t help me with my problems; why should l follow Him?”

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  1. Psalm 18:39
  2. Isaiah 40:31
  3. Isaiah 54:17
  4. Luke 10:19
  5. John 16:33
  6. 1 John 4:4
  7. Romans 8:31
  8. Romans 8:37
  9. Zechariah 4:6
  10. Joshua 1:9
  11. 1 Corinthians10:13
  12. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5
  13. 2 Chronicles 20:15
  14. Matthew 18:18–19
  15. 1 Pet. 5:8–9

by Cindi McMenamin

It’s true. You have an adversary who wants to attack your desires, your thoughts, even how you see and treat your body. So you and I need to be on guard against Satan’s schemes.

According to 1 Peter 5:8, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (NASB). But God’s Word also gives us a strategy against those attacks by telling us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…” (Ephesians 6:11-18). I find it interesting that every piece of “armor” described in that passage refers to the character of Christ. In other words, put on Christ-likeness – abide in Christ – and you will fend off the attacks of the enemy.

We abide in Christ through surrender and constant communion with Him. As you suit up with the armor of God, here are five prayers to pray against Satan’s attacks on your heart, mind, emotions, mouth, and body.

1. A Prayer to Guard Your Heart

Lord God, Captain of my heart, Satan knows if I follow Your Greatest Commandment – to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) – he is powerless over me. Guard my heart, Lord Jesus, so that it beats for You alone. Don’t let me grow complacent toward You or be lured to love anyone or anything more than You. Remove the idols from my heart so that You alone command my allegiance and utmost affections Help me to love and forgive others as You have forgiven me so the enemy can get no foothold through hate or bitterness on my part. Cultivate in my heart Your love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). Finally, Lord, set my heart on things above, not on earthly things. Help me to remember that You died for me and my life is now hidden which Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-2). Increase my longing for heaven so this world holds no power over me.

2. A Prayer to Defend Your Mind

Almighty God, cover my mind with the helmet of Your salvation, reminding me constantly that I am Your child and the enemy can’t mess with me. Fix my thoughts, Lord Jesus, on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Help me to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise so Your peace will guard my mind (Philippians 4:8-9). Don’t let me copy the behavior and customs of this world, but transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. Then I will learn to recognize Your will for me which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2).  Saturate my mind with Your truth so I am convinced that the answers are found in Your Word, not out in the world.

3. A Prayer to Calm Your Emotions

Lord, keep the enemy at bay by calming my emotions with the peace of Your presence. Help me to follow Your command and not worry about anything, but pray about everything, with a thankful heart offering up prayers and requests to you so that You can give me that peace that no one can completely understand – a peace that will control the way I think and feel (Phil. 4:6-7). Remind me, daily, that You are the Only One who can meet my emotional needs so I don’t look to any person for my identity, validation, or for my love tank to be filled. Thank You that You are the God of peace, the God of order, the God who heals my wounds and helps me sort through and make sense of life. You are not the God of chaos or confusion. Fill me with Your Spirit so I may express to others only love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

4. A Prayer to Cover Your Mouth

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Having spent the last decade in Asia, I have been up against more than just the normal conditions here as the Lord led me to partner with DivineCouncil.org. This post will briefly survey my last quarter or so. I am asking for prayers as it truly has been a grand struggle against some form of maleficence.

Still Haven’t Seen Mount Everest

I am not the typical tourist as I hardly do anything touristy. I haven’t even laid my eyes on Mt. Everest physically yet–only through photos!

I have read through some feedback on various websites warning travelers that Nepal is rough for anyone and long-term is exceptionally challenging. They were not kidding! As one can read below, life here is more than quite interesting. I have met my fair share of challenges lately. I have “joined” Nepal in that I’ve married a Nepalese citizen. Thus, I live like a native as much as one can with a very simple footprint and habits.

Does simple living mean a higher life?

One Nepalese villager told me a few years back, “Simple living means a higher life.” He was being sarcastic as he saw his future grim because of the lack of employment opportunities here and how he would support his family. He has since left the country for greener pastures sending funds home like most do because local conditions warrant it as almost a necessity.

In the past few months as the Lord began bringing me to DivineCouncil.org, I have had two accidents with my bicycle in the same week. One was where the road gave way as it was under construction. I was blessed with a sweet bicycle by a doctor who also does triathlons. Getting that bike was a huge blessing indeed! Having accidents is a new trend I wish to circumvent!

Another accident involved the terrible traffic conditions as I experience everything here. I was hit by a car and survived by doing some amazing acrobatics! God be the glory! Before this, I was hit by three children and a chicken! I have opted for my health and fewer costs, to use a bicycle instead of other forms of transport because when the conditions are adverse, I can easily carry my cycle or go off-road as needed. It provides me with the opportunity to exercise. Also, if I hit anything or anyone, I will cause a lot less damage to myself, the bicycle, or others. I travel through urban traffic as well as mountain trails as I traverse the valley here where most paths lead up or down depending. I don’t add to the pollution!

A Nation Overhauling Its Infrastructure

Recent winter rains have made it near impossible for me to trek amid a nation overhauling its infrastructure in light of the 2015 earthquakes. Various sponsoring entities pave roads only to have them dug up for sewers, water, or electric lines. Nepal remains in chaos for the most part. The roads are not very well done, and not long afterward potholes take over once more. The whole valley is being rebuilt with dust everywhere. The fog does not help one’s perspective either. At times, almost an eerie experience.

Digestive Issues

In the past few months, I have battled severe digestive issues. One round that lasted quite some time was due to an apparent food allergy to one of the spices used here. I’ve since learned to avoid it. Often when I eat outside of the home, I experience this problem as hygiene is not practiced very well here, so I try to eat in as much as possible. However, cultural norms require me to bend to their hospitality. Two other rounds could be associated with that.

On top of this, last weekend I was a speaker at a conference on Galatians along with another pastor from SC. The food was catered in. Everyone has been extremely sick from food poisoning wondering if the caterers did it intentionally targeting the churches as a form of persecution. I have had such issues before but never to this level. Many in the churches are still in recovery.

Malware in Every Device

Along with living in Nepal where everything is painstakingly challenging to manage and accomplish due to the cultural idea of procrastination galore, I have had some form of malware inflict every device I own. My one solace is often here that when everything outside prevents me from accomplishing anything, I can work from my PC and get things done. However, I have also, lost much time factory resetting all my devices numerous times including backing up to a cloud and thinking everything I own has been affected. The grounding is not proper here, and there’s a 200% chance if you plug anything in or Bluetooth or any type of connection, one will get some malware in the transaction. I try not to plug anything in I own to anything thing here. The internet is not very reliable nor is electricity.

In previous years, I have faced the winter weather and managed well. I also have “weathered” the inner storms of digestive issues and whatnot. I even have had PC woes that set me back for days. Never have I until this recent round have I had to do it all at once repeatedly. I have been set back for many weeks now. Also, I have learned that the bowels and the brain are closely related, and one affects the other. I have had to fight off depression because of the chemical imbalances related to my digestive woes.

My family here has never been this sick in such a short time. The winter here was more severe than usual.

Travel Restrictions Keep Family Separated

My family in the States also have issues. I made a recent trip and may have to make another one as both my parents’ health is degrading. My wife cannot get a visa to travel; thus they have yet to meet her or the grandchildren.

Pray for Resolve

I sincerely hope considering the above plus the recent report on persecution one can see the real struggle here to allow me to study and produce content and share it here as we never know what will happen next. Other countries may have similar issues. I only hope and pray our resolve can be further tempered for the times ahead. I will continue to stay the course and hope and pray for better days ahead to allow me to do what God desires. Thank you all for your prayers!

by Joshua Olson

Pastor Alan Scott says the key to seeing revival break out in a city is for ordinary believers to partner with God in both the supernatural and the supernarrative—to operate in the gifts of the Spirit and to understand how their everyday life fits into God’s grand story. He saw both these things happen at his former church—Causeway Coast Vineyard in Coleraine, Northern Ireland—and as a result witnessed a move of God break out in a historically divided and secular city. When that happens, even a Starbucks can become a site for the supernatural.

During that move of God, one of Scott’s friends was at a coffee shop when he met a young man whose partner had just come to faith. He told the young man, “Hey, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to pray in a moment. A wind is going to come into this coffee shop. It’s going to swirl around you. Then you’re going to know that God is real, and you’re going to give your life to him.”

The young man, skeptical, shrugged and said, “OK.”

The two bowed their heads to pray together, and the moment Scott’s friend began to pray, a mighty wind came into the coffee shop and swirled around the young skeptic. Immediately, he gave his life to Christ.

“It’s kind of easy bringing people to Jesus when that kind of stuff is breaking out,” Scott says. “But that kind of stuff is a product not of a sudden movement of God but of a gradual movement of His people going after the city, changing the atmosphere of the city. When that kind of climate takes root, it makes everything a little bit easier.”

Scott knows from personal experience. He first came to Christ through an awakening in his community, helped usher in a move of God at his first church and is now eagerly contending for the Spirit to work through his new church in Anaheim, California.

It’s not going unnoticed. Pete Greig, the founder of the 24-7 Prayer Movement, says: “When Alan Scott speaks, I try to listen. Where he leads, I try to follow.”

For Scott, community-shifting transformation won’t be accomplished by scheduled revivals or frenzied church meetings but rather by years of diligently sowing seed into a city.

“Every church thinks their city is hard to reach, and every city is hard to reach—when we stay in the building,” Scott says. “But it’s amazing how open people are when we actually move beyond the services into our communities. People are desperately open. They’re desperately looking for life change. [Christians] can start there. They can start with the people around them whom God is moving in.”

Scott spoke to Charisma about his experience with moves of God, his journey from Northern Ireland to Southern California and how believers can be the catalysts for spiritual renewal in their cities.

Moves of God

Scott wasn’t raised a Christian. In fact, he says, he was a teenager before he ever met a Christian. But that all changed after his brother became a follower of Jesus. And his brother wasn’t the only one coming to Christ in his city.

“Suddenly, there was—a ‘move of God’ would be too strong, but definitely something stirring in our community—where some skinheads and some punks became believers,” Scott says. “One of them happened to be my brother, so I watched the transformation of his life, slightly intrigued and slightly afraid.”

At the same time, one of Scott’s friends began attending a Christian youth organization and invited him to join. Scott began attending, until one night he got saved during a screening of the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. He says he was “absolutely arrested” by what he saw on screen and—despite not knowing any of the sinner’s prayer etiquette—decided to follow God because “what I saw on the screen is real and I need that in my life.”

By the time he was 27, Scott and his wife, Kathryn, were co-founding and pastoring the Causeway Coast Vineyard in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. They learned a lot during those early years of ministry.

“I think it’s the same for any pastor,” Scott says. “We always think it’s about building the church, and then you realize, Actually, Jesus was forming me. I am the project, and all these things that are happening around me are designed to create something within me.

Coleraine, a coastal town of approximately 25,000, enjoys influence belying its small size thanks to 3 million tourists who annually visit the famous Causeway Coast. When the church was founded, Scott says the town’s Protestant and Catholic communities were sharply divided, a situation which was only growing more tense with time. Though Scott’s initial focus was on growing and developing his small church community, his entire paradigm shifted during a church leadership retreat.

During that time, Scott felt God impress upon his heart, “If you’ll go after the lost, I will look after the church.”

“As church planters, we’d been trying to build the church, and it really isn’t our job to do that,” Scott says. “Jesus said, ‘I will build my church.’ … That was the seminal moment for our church, because we began cultivating an outward focus: to go out and engage the lost, to get churchgoers to think beyond the building and develop ministries—[from] healings on the street to compassion ministries. To desire to pursue the Father as He was pursuing the lost.”

Causeway Coast’s first step was to bring peace to its polarized community. Scott says parades were an area of significant tension in Northern Ireland, stoking division and escalating violence within a region. That year, before a key parade, police asked Scott if his church would come attend the event. When Scott asked why, the police officers told him, “We can see that when you show up, there happens to be a change in the atmosphere.”

From there, the church began serving wherever God gave them favor—eventually ministering everywhere from hospitals to public schools to branches of government.

One key initiative that paved the way for revival was the church’s healing ministry.

“We really invented a simple model in the community,” Scott says. “We erected a banner that says, ‘Healing.’ We got out four or six chairs, and we literally waited for people to take a seat, [even] in the rain or in the freezing cold. As we did that, God had this beautiful way of showing up and transforming lives.”

People began getting healed. In a small town like Coleraine, news travels quickly—and thanks to its tourist traffic, news travels far. Healed people brought their friends to be healed too. Scott recalls that once a busload of soccer players pulled up to the healing banner, ready to see the team injuries healed.

“I had people from all over Ireland and even beyond Ireland come,” Scott says. “I saw every conceivable cancer healed—sometimes really dramatically, most of the time really slowly over a period of time. But it never gets old. It’s just an amazing thing to watch God do what no one else can do.”

The supernatural started but didn’t stop with healing. In October 2013, a prophetic voice told Causeway Coast, “This month you have seen on average three people a day come to faith. It has astounded you, but I tell you that from this day you are going to see between five and 10 people a day coming to faith.” The following week, 35 people came to faith. By 2014, Scott says “a significant move of God” took hold in Coleraine, and thousands of people came to faith. Scott says for a time, 56 to 70 people started a relationship with Christ each day. During that time, Scott says the Holy Spirit gave ordinary people prophetic words, words of knowledge and dream interpretation. He believes this move of God is at least somewhat duplicable and the result of reaping a long-sown harvest.

“When you sow a seed in the community over a period of time—the long haul, spending every week on the streets … it actually begins to alter the calling of the city,” Scott says. “It begins to change and blooms this beautiful receptivity to the community, where it’s just easier for people to come to faith.”

Called to California

Alan and Kathryn Scott never imagined they’d leave the Causeway Coast Vineyard. After all, their years of work were finally shifting the atmosphere of the entire community, and they loved their brothers and sisters in the church there. But the Lord had other plans for the Scott family.

“For a long time, Kathryn had sensed God speaking about us living in the U.S. at some point,” Scott says. “I thought it’d be maybe after our kids had gone to college and all that. But then we were in the gathering, and very clearly the Holy Spirit began to speak and say, ‘I want you to build an altar again. It’s time to pioneer again.’ Honestly, you tend to tuck those kinds of things away, but from then on, it was like prophecy central. Everywhere I went, people prophesied over us. Initially, I didn’t want to hear it—we were loving the community there and loving what God was doing. Who would want to leave something like that? It’s what we dreamed of and desired for years. But the Lord kept speaking into it.”

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by Dallas Willard

(photo: Angel Isaiah McCann)

Don’t you know that you
yourselves are God’s temple and
that God’s Spirit lives in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

In the movie Gandhi, the young Indian lawyer and a white clergyman are walking together on a boardwalk in South Africa, contrary to its laws at the time. Some brutish-looking young white men threaten to harm them, but the ringleader’s mother calls from a window and commands him to go about his business.

When the clergyman exclaims over their good luck, Gandhi comments, “I thought you were a man of God.” The clergyman replies, “I am, but I don’t believe he plans his day around me!”
A cute point, but beneath it lie beliefs that make it difficult to take seriously the possibility of divine guidance. One of those beliefs is that we are not important to God. But we were important enough for God to give his Son’s life for us and to choose to inhabit us as living temples. Obviously, then, we are important enough for God to guide us and speak to us whenever it’s appropriate.

Pray: Consider what sort of God would create you, sacrifice enormously for you, choose to inhabit you, but refuse to speak to you? Pray, thanking God for being such a relational God, who chooses to sacrifice for you, inhabit you and have an interactive life with you.
1


  1. Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson, Hearing God through the Year: A 365-Day Devotional (Westmont, IL: IVP Books, 2015). 

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by Ronnie Floyd

Dear Friends in Christ Who Will Pray for America,

Now is the time to pray for America. The year of 2019 before us yearns for God’s people from all over the world to pray for America. We are living in serious and critical times.

Call upon your church, friends, colleagues, and any leader in this nation: We need to pray for America.

Below are three prayer priorities I am asking you to agree upon with us at the National Day of Prayer. Please do all you can to forward and assist in this manner. Now is the time to pray for America.

Prayer Priority #1: Oh God, may You begin to raise up a Love One Another movement across America that forwards and advances Jesus’ words to us: Love One Another. 

“Love one another. Just as I have loved you.” John 13:34

  • Jesus tells us to love one another just like He loves us. This includes every person in America as well as every person in the world.
  • Jesus wants us to love every person sacrificially, willfully, and unconditionally because this is the same way He loves us.
  • Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to do the things that only God can do through us. Therefore, call upon God to move in our nation miraculously, replacing hate with love, division with unity, and criticism of one another with love for one another.
  • Jesus, raise up a Love One Another movement across America.

Prayer Priority #2: Our Heavenly Father, we pray we will be used of God to build up America by blessing and adding value to each town and city in our nation.

“A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.” Proverbs 11:11

  • Heavenly Father, we are Christians, the ones made right by You; therefore, as the upright, may we fulfill Proverbs 11:11 in every town and city in the United States. May we bless each town and city by adding value to it in any way we can.
  • Heavenly Father, Proverbs 11:11 says the wicked tear down with their words the towns and cities of our nation; but as the upright, may we choose to add value and bless them.
  • Heavenly Father, we ask You to raise up godly Christian men and women in their towns and cities who will run for local office and use their influence to add value by forwarding and blessing the future generations in these towns and cities.
  • Heavenly Father, we ask You to bless each town and city with the message and encouragement of Jesus Christ when He said, “Love one another” in John 13:34.

Prayer Priority #3: Lord, we ask You to be with the leaders in our local, state, and national governments as they work and make decisions together for the good of our nation. 

Call out their specific names to God if you have them:

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Today’s devotional from Dallas Willard’s “Hearing God Throughout the Year” struck me as worth sharing. As the title reveals, the devotional is 365 Biblical insights into fostering a personal relationship with God. Here’s Dallas on, “Led by God”:

There is massive testimony to and widespread faith in God’s personal, guiding communication with us—far more than in blindly controlled guidance. This is not only recorded in Scripture and emblazoned upon the history of the church; it also lies at the heart of our worship services and our individualized relationships with God, and it actually serves as the basis of authority for our leaders and teachers. Only very rarely will someone profess to lead or teach the people of God on the basis of his or her education, natural talents and denominational connections alone. Credibility in any sort of spiritual leadership derives from a life in the Spirit, from the person’s personal encounter and ongoing relationship with God.1

Meditate: Read Proverbs 3:5-6 and consider the ways you are a leader in a friendship, family, church, neighborhood or workplace. (Being a leader means that people listen to you and value your opinion regardless of whether you fill a role or hold a title.) Read the verses again and ask God to show you in what ways you need to listen for God to speak in those relationships and circumstances.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. —Proverbs 3:5-6


  1. Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson, Hearing God through the Year: A 365-Day Devotional (Westmont, IL: IVP Books, 2015).