James Troup
James Troup a great friend has just been here in Baseco with us for 3 weeks, but we had to let him return to his lovely wife, Cathy and their children. He was a huge blessing to me personally and to the people that the Lord has sent us too, they all loved him.
Thanks James…
The workings of the Spirit…
As a result of the recent crusade we have just had, there has clearly been a new stirring of the Holy Ghost in our midst. We so easily and so often wander off into works or religion, just doing daily the things that need to be done, and things very quickly become forms of what they used to be, but void of spiritual powers and abilities. People attend, but don’t change, interest wains and people wander away…but as the Holy Spirit moves, there is life, there is change, freshness, things work, things are easier.
God has stirred us again, thank you Jesus…
The Holy Spirit is needed in the christian life for so many reasons, but I suppose we could summarize the works of the Spirit into “OUTWARD WORKS” and “INWARD WORKS”.
The outward works are clear and obvious, signs, wonders and miracles of all sorts, supernatural intervention by the hand of God. Due to the nature of these things it is very easy to begin seeking them, praying and believing for miracles (which is very biblical) and the miracles will clearly come with the presence of the Holy Ghost. The miracles are so needed for so many reasons…God let them rain on us, around us and through us in the name of Jesus, let them even happen inspite of us if need be. Let every sinner be converted, every sickness be healed, every demon to be cast out, list every difficulty and obstacle be overcome with supernatural and divine power and ability – let there be no limits.
But the INWARD WORKS cannot be overlooked and under valued. They might be harder to see, they are definitely harder (in one sense) to develope and cultivate, but the effect of them goes further than we realise. The inward working of the Spirit is what changes and transforms me into more like what Jesus wants me to be. The inward working of the Spirit is what developes me into a nicer person, a more mature christian. It’s the purifing work that allows the Holy Spirit to fill me up and then eventually flow out of me, producing the outward works of His presence that we have already spoken of. The fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galations, Romans and Ephesians, as they develope in me, they will, they must, eventually lead to a greater manifestation of the Spirit on the outside.
As we allow the Holy Ghost to work on us, in us – He must eventually flow through us. Miracles can be said to be a fruit/result of the Spirits indwelling presence. Remember that he is in us for the purpose of working on us. He has purpose for what He is doing in us.
I have spoken with our locals leaders and encouraged them as always to believe in and expect miracles, but to not look at them as any measure of their maturity, as God does miracles with or without us, encouraging them to allow the Holy Ghost to work on them in the inside, developing their character and Christlike nature – then miracles will be a natural result.
The gifts of God are just that, gifts. We often see God working through unusual vessells. We know ourselves that Gods gifts still operate when our attitudes are wrong, or when we are out of step with Him – how many great ministers have fallen in sin still seeing incredible miracles, simply because God does miracles, Gods word demands miracles and the people with gifts can still function in their gift – but scriptures like Matthew 7 give serious warnings on such things.
We can’t shy away from the miraculous, we must walk daily in the genuine power of the Holy Ghost, miracles are to be normal for the christian, but we must never deny the Holy Spirits working on the inside of us us, in favor of His outward works. THE INWARD WORK IS WHAT PRODUCES THE OUTWARD WORKS.
Once the work of the Spirit on the inside of my life begins to dry up, if I begin to ignore, dis-obey or not quickly respond to His promptings in my own heart, if fellowship with Him becomes dull, sporadic and distant, then it’s only a matter of time until everything goes “pear shaped” and things begin to fall apart. The gift will still function, but I will begin to drift, the lines of “do’s and don’ts” will begin to blur, the “grey areas” will increase, but the gift will still function, becoming the thing that tells me I am still right with God, but the distance from God will continue to increase. If anyone follows this track for long enough, the gift will surely still function, but the life will be destroyed…and then what a great loss to the kingdom that will be, what a great damage to others around them will occur, how many christians will stumble in their walk, how much victory would the gates of hell recieve…functioning gift with a dis-functional character that led to destruction of the person with the gift.
Don’t pursue miracles for the sake of miracles…let the miracles naturally happen as the Holy Spirit works and moves on the inside, let Him fill us up until the overflow just begins to pour forth in a uncontrollable torrent. Jesus said if anyone is thirsty come and drink and then out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living waters. Be consumed with Jesus, His word, His presence, let the fire of the Holy Ghost burn in you until it becomes an all consuming flame, until you know longer exist as you are, until fire flows from your very being in a continous stream of manifestations of His presence…
I am not trying to dull anyones desire for miracles and manifestations of the Holy Ghosts power, I am trying to sharpen that desire, put an edge on it the will never go blunt…
Be a changed and transformed person, continually walking in the power and presence of the Holy Ghost and then from that position you will become an AGENT OF CHANGE TO ALL WHO AROUND YOU. Let the miraculoous works of the Spirit work on the inside until you see them on the outside.
INWARDS WORKS FIRST – OUTWARD WORKS NEXT…
God bless you all – Mark
MINDANAO CRUSADES…
We took Eddie Coe, James Troup, Peter Rodgers, David Kenny and two of our local leaders down to Mindanao for three nights of Healing Crusades, God did incredible things in an 85% Muslim area. Only a few Muslims attended the meetings, but the power of the Lord was present to heal, just like the gospels and the book of Acts.
On the first night there were more than 350 people who attended the meetings. By the last night there might of been 450, it was hard to estimate in the dark, dim lit area.
