The blues are a particular genre of music which I like and so it was a great privilege last night to visit Harrogate to listen to Bryn Haworth, another of my favourite Christian musicians. Bryn Haworth is originally from Lancashire, a musician who has worked with all kinds of famous names (eg Jimi Hendrix, Cliff Richard, Gerry Rafferty, Chris de Burgh) in London and the US, and who became a Christian in 1974. He’s probably best known to our congregation (without being known at all…) for his song ‘What Kind Of Love Is This?’, but it’s his guitar skills which captivated Garry a long time ago and his unassuming, fun approach to music coupled with lyrics which have told the gospel story effectively which have kept us listening through the decades.

We have been to Bryn Haworth concerts twice before, both in Nottingham. One was particularly memorable, as during the encore there was a real move of the Holy Spirit and the event stopped being ‘just’ music and became one of those occasions when the curtain is drawn back and there is a real foretaste of heaven… Bryn is now in his 60s and I was half-fearful that his style of music and whole demeanour would have changed. I need not have feared. He was as gentle, unassuming and radiant with God’s love as ever (‘isn’t it just wonderful that God loves us? Not just the world, but that He loves me, knows me and died for me?’) and the songs were a mixture of old and new, all rooted in personal experience and leading to a connection between our lives and the Word of God.

These are the songs he played, with his usual dexterity and nimble guitar skills (click on the highlighted titles to listen):

• I Serve A Risen Saviour
• Help Me
• Summertime Blues
• Keep the Faith
• Instrumental
• One Way Ticket
• Only Believe  (instrumental)
• It’s Alright Now
• Rebel Man
• Why Are People Like That?
• That’s All
• People Get Ready
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (instrumental)
• What Kind of Love Is This?
• Nobody Loves Me Like You
• New ID
• Keep Your Lamp Trimmed & Ready
• Just A Closer Walk With You

Bryn is now heavily involved with prison ministry (see here for further details) and one key message shines out (see the song ‘New ID‘) that when Jesus comes to live in us, we are transformed: ‘These prison bars can’t hold me… I no longer have to be just a victim of the past… And when I look at that man, I know just who I am, I’ve got a new ID.’  The blues, traditionally associated with melancholy topics and mournful sad stories, are transformed by this message!

Tonight’s Bible study (looking at 1 Cor 12:1-11) looked at the practical question ‘How do you receive spiritual gifts?’ In actual fact, this was not the problem the Corinthians had, for Paul wrote to them on how to use the spiritual gifts they had already received (see 1 Cor 14 in particular). But it’s helpful sometimes to look at the Biblical teaching of the baptism of the Holy Spirit since this is a pathway into receiving the spiritual gifts.

When a person becomes a Christian, they receive the Holy Spirit (see Rom 8:9-11, Eph 1:13-14, John 20:21-23). It is clear from Acts 1-2 that those present on the Day of Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers) already believed in Jesus; this experience was separate to their initial coming to faith. Acts 2:1-4 shows us all the believers gathered together and all receiving the Holy Spirit, evidenced throughspeaking in tongues. Acts 8:14-17 shows Peter and John with people in Samaria who had already accepted the Word but who experienced the power of the Holy Spirit when Peter and John prayed for them. Acts 10:44-46 gives us an example of someone becoming a Christian and being baptised in the Spirit at the same time (the latter astonished the Jews with Peter because they were stunned that God would pour out His Spirit on Gentiles!) Acts 19:1-7 also shows Christians in Ephesus coming into a fuller experience of the Holy Spirit as Paul taught them more.

There are many who believe these accounts, but who would argue that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the ways described in the book of Acts or 1 Cor 12 & 14 is no longer happening today. However, God has been working through His Spirit in these ways throughout history. Mark Tanner, in his excellent book ‘The Introvert Charismatic’, has a chapter called ‘Charismatics Throughout History’, which looks at evidence for these spiritual gifts continuing through the ministry of the ‘church fathers’, Montanism, Messalianism, and other movements right up to the early 1900s when the Holy Spirit worked in Azusa Street in the USA through the ministry of Charles Parham and William Seymour, who preached that these spiritual gifts were available today long before they actually were able to speak in tongues themselves! On many occasions, those who preached these truths have been condemned as heretics and asked to leave churches; fresh revelation of truth often seems to result in new denominations largely because the old denominations cannot cope with their theology being challenged. We need to understand that we must preach what the word of God teaches even if this conflicts with our own personal experience. In determining truth, we must rest on the authority of God’s word, then on the witness and leading of the Holy Spirit within us and only then allow our own experience to guide us. We must always be careful not to dismiss the unusual as wrong; God moves in mysterious ways and often disturbs the comfortable!

The 20th century saw a great revival of God’s ‘power signs’ (such as are described in 1 Cor 12.) Pentecostal pioneers such as Smith Wigglesworth, Stephen Jeffreys and Donald Gee were reviled by many but saw many signs and wonders, with thousands saved through their preaching and many healings and miracles taking place. In the 1960s, the Charismatic renewal saw many Christians in ‘traditional’ denominations also receiving the baptism of the Spirit and becoming open to spiritual gifts. The Vineyard movement (led by John Wimber) and the ‘Alpha’ course (with its emphasis on coming to know Jesus and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, pioneered by Nicky Gumbel at the Anglican church Holy Trinity Brompton) have all been extremely influential in spreading the experience of Pentecost to different branches of Christendom.

We need to be aware of our heritage but must also understand that God gives ‘power gifts’ in order to build up the church and to draw people into a living relationship with God. We need to seek God in order to receive the baptism in the Spirit and the spiritual gifts He gives to the church. These gifts are necessary as they provide the power, revelation and evidence we need to witness to a sceptical world.

Eph 6:10-20 talks of the armour of God, items every Christian needs to put on and take hold of if we are to make progress in our spiritual journey through a hostile world.

Armour is cumbersone, however, and so often we fail to prepare adequately for the battles we face. Since these battles are spiritual, they are often not visible to our natural senses and so we become complacent, underestimating the opposition and failing to tkae God’s Word seriously.

Life is like a journey through different terrains, and God gives us all the equipment we need to journey through each one. Sometimes it’s like a jungle with undergrowth taller than we are that has to be cleared if a straight path is to be followed:

A machete is a large cleaver-like knife which hacks through rain forest undergrwoth and is also used to cut down tall plants (such as sugar cane.) It’s a powerful weapon when used against people, as various South American uprisings have demonstrated.

Eph 6:16 talks of the shielf of faith which defends us against the flaming arrows of the evil one: the lies, doubts, temptations and snares which the devil uses to seek to de-rail us from our wholehearted pursuit of God. Eph 6:17 talks of the helmet of salvation which guards our minds and thoughts and urges us to take the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

Sometimes, perhaps, that sword has to be like a machete, hacking through years of lies, years of doubts, years of false beliefs which have grown to formidable heights. The journey of faith must involve forward progress, movement, a refusal to stand still and settle for the familiar. As Kutless sing,

‘This is a day for new dreams,
A time for my faith to be strong,
My heart’s finding peace in the chaos,
I’m ready at last to move on.’ (Kutless, ‘I Will Go’)

A machete is a key part of any survivalist’s gear; it allows all the undergrowth to be chopped down and progress to be made. We have to be ruthless in cutting down anything which will stand in our way. Following God is not for the faint-hearted; faith is not a security crutch for the weak. Sin, doubt and unbelief will choke spiritual life. But God has given us all the armour and all the weapons we need to progress. Our task is not easy (as any gardener battling weeds will testify!), but is not impossible, for God is with us and helps us to advance.

Just a reminder about things happening locally.

The job club at the Salvation Army on Mondays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. offers free access to job searches and gives help with applying for jobs. There are laptops available to help in looking for jobs and in applying.

Dearne hOurbank is holding a ‘Get Together’ at the Salvation Army on Tuesday 12th April from 6-8 p.m. with free supper provided. Find out how this volunteering timebank works and what’s happening in the area.

If you want to have your say about GPs in the local area, there is a drop-in at Thurnscoe Library on Thursday 14th April between 9.30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

We were reminded tonight about the ongoing need to help those in need, which can be done in part through our support of the Salvation Army food bank. Is 58:5-12 reminds us that faith in God is seen in very practical terms, such as sharing food with the hungry and clothing the naked. It’s exactly four years since we started supporting the food bank and in that time, we have seen God’s faithfulness (and people’s faithfulness) every month. 1 John 3:16-18 reminds us that Jesus gave His life for us; we need now to love with actions and in truth.

Sometimes, people hesitate to give because they are not really sure of the impact that food banks can have on people’s lives. Mark testified that as a young boy in Northern Ireland, the generosity of Christian neighbours in providing his family with food parcels really opened his eyes to Christian love in action. We are called to serve others (Phil 2:3-4) and whilst we will always have the poor with us (Deut 15:11, Mk 14:7), we are called to be open-handed to them and thus reflect God’s own nature. We can’t help everyone, but we can make a difference to our local area.

Tinned food, UHT milk, nappies, toilet rolls and toiletries are all needed on a regular basis. Please help us to help those in need by bringing such items to church.

Gillian reminded us at the end of the service that just because something is not visible, audible, tangible, touchable or able to be smelled does not mean it doesn’t exist. Air can’t be seen, smelled, heard, tasted or touched, but it still exists! The Bible tells us that the fool says in his heart ‘there is no God’ (Ps 14:1, Ps 53:1) and so often, people demand ‘proof’ before they believe in God. Faith is revealed to us by God supernaturally; it requires spiritual insight, as Jesus made clear when talking about Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God (Matt 16:17).

Thomas was one of the disciples who wanted proof of the resurrection, which Jesus graciously gave, but we are reminded that we are blessed if we do not see and still believe. (John 20:24-31)

Peter‘s discipleship is revealed to us in many different places in the Gospels. Matt 14:22-33 shows his impulsive but very genuine faith as he steps out of the boat and walks to Jesus on the water, only sinking as he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the enormity of his situation! In Matt 16:13-16, he confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and Jesus reveals something of the amazing things He will do through Peter, including using him to build His church. Nonetheless, Peter’s vision of Jesus’ identity could not cope with the revelation of death; he wanted to protect Jesus from God’s will. So often we find we want to do things our way rather than God’s.

Peter’s experience with Jesus was amazing; on the Mount of Transfiguration, he heard the voice of God proclaiming ‘this is my Son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ (Matt 17:5) Yet in the Garden of Gethsemane, he fell asleep instead of keeping watch in prayer (Matt 26:36-46) and despite his fervour in declaring he would never fosake or deny Jesus actually did both. The disappointment and bitterness he must have felt were great, so much so that even after the resurrection, he returned to his comfort zone (fishing.) Often, when God calls us, we are taken out of our depth; faith involves that sense of inadequacy because we know we can’t do what He asks without His help!

Jesus not only helped the disciples catch 153 fish (John 21:1-20), He gave Peter the opportunity to be forgiven and restored, reminding him that there was still a job for him to do: to feed His sheep and lambs. When we fall, the arms of Jesus pick us up; God’s forgiveness is great.

Faith may look foolish to people and may not be ‘explained’ easily. But as Peter was told it was Jesus who was giving advice about fishing, he became more interested in Jesus than he was in fishing! We’re not fools who demand proof of God’s existence. Instead, we’re fools for Christ: our relationship with Him matters more than anything else in the world to us.