Thursday, 29 August 2013

The erosion of this world

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
(Matthew 24:3-14 ESV)

I was reading this passage this morning in regards to the news about Syria and feeling sad at how this world is headed downhill. Yesterday I was in work and a child was screaming in his trolley and a woman walked past and said to me 'Oh god shuttup! I would have had him aborted, even at this age' I was furious at her but held my tongue. An elderly lady- I imagined her to have more compassion on a mother struggling to quiet her children but she was full of bitterness as she said those unkind words. It disgusted me that someone basically just said 'I wish that child was dead' without a thought. We have retermed a 'foetus' of which the latin means 'offspring' or 'to bring forth' in order to mean 'not quite human enough to keep alive'. I usually stay out of abortion debates but this woman shocked me and I felt so angry. Especially that she said 'even at this age', which I assume may even shock some of you who don't have an opinion about abortion. The backhand view of 'terminating' a 'pregnancy' (not 'killing' a 'baby') is becoming so normal now and it's such a sadness to humanity; what are we doing?

We have become so blinded, we live in a land of catastrophe and darkness but, like the Matrix, all we see is light and life. Morality and faith are fading, we live as dying creautres oblivious to our fate.

I wasn't actually planning on writing all of that but it's something I feel is worth mentioning and fighting for! The mass opinion does not make it the right opinion. Why do you beleive what you beleive? Is it just because other people are telling you to? This is what I asked myself as a Christian and I realised that actually there are some things I disagree with within the 'christian' culture. However, I beleive that every word of the bible is true and right and I will not disagree with anything from the word of God. But you must ask yourself, why do I beleive this? Whether Atheist, Christian, Muslim or whatever.

Back to Syria, it is so sad to here the stories about the innocent being brutally destroyed and we are wondering how we can help. I do not know what the right thing to do is, but we must do something! I know many people are praying for this disaster and I know my God will listen. But wars and rumours of wars must happen. It is the birthpains in the delivery of the end of the world. As are famines and earthquakes, and we have seen many of these. The end may be quite far away and it may not be too far away but the next line intrigues me. Jesus lovers will be persecuted by the world and many nations will hate us. I can see this happening already as well. Some in bright daylight, such as some Arabic countries where it is illegal to preach the gospel and sometimes even to believe Jesus is God. But even in this country I see a hate spreading. It sneaks through our media and sometimes even through the government and education system. Sometimes I do not voice my opinion because I am laughed at and told that 'scientists' have 'proved' me wrong. However, I see a danger in staying silent. God calls his people to have a voice- His voice. We are to be great lovers of Jesus, we are called to love what He loves. God loves people. All people. That is what is so radical about being Christ followers- We love the unloved. Tribulation will increase and Christians need to be prepared to stand up and fight for justice even when it means suffering and even death.

God has given us everything we need for life and Godliness so let's go into the world and be lights for those around us. We should love everyone so much that it is impossible not to tell them about Jesus! I challenge you to love radically today; love the people you are struggling to love. Hate cannot stand in the face of love. God is love, let us follow in his example!

Friday, 10 May 2013

He is holy

So it's been almost a year! Wow! I've been pretty busy! Let's see if I can speedily catch you up!

After France, I had a great summer, it was bonkers really but just was intimate with God and secure and life was wonderful :) I went back to college in September which was good, started rehearsals for a play which I had the female lead part in and got really busy. I started to stop spending time with God so I could revise and rehearse.. big mistake. I let my guard down and started caring about people's opinions about me, I started to try and fit in and make people like me more so I told God that though I beleived in him I couldn't spend time with him because I was too busy for him.

The next couple of months was difficult, I just fell on my face over and over again trying to live life my way and chasing things which did not satisfy me. I kept waking up and feeling empty, I missed Jesus so much. So in November, I went to a conference where God revealed his tender, forgiving, unconditionally loving, father's heart for me. I felt him delight in me no matter what I had done and renew me. I went back and felt different but I still wasn't my old self.

I met a guy at work last April but only got to know him well over the summer and especially September onwards. I really liked him and he was such a good guy. There's not many of those aorund; genuinely good guys, but I wasn't aure what he beleived in. We were talking once and I asked him what he was doing for halloween and he said he didn't really do anything; he used to do light parties when he was a kid. I got excited and asked if he was a Christian and he said yes! He said he hadn't been to church for a few years because of working on a Sunday and then going to University but he did beleive in God. So I think I let myself become better friends with him after that, knowing that faith was no longer the big issue. If I had been in the place I was in July I probably wouldn't have encouraged the friendship because I wanted to pursue God first and not get involved with guys but I wasn't in that place, I definitely beleive that this is a good thing and that everything happens for a reason. After that, we've just became closer in our friendship and closer to God too I think, he now comes to my church and seems like he loves it there. I know he'll grow even further over this year and I'm excited to see it! I prayed about him and felt God say 'this is a man of God' and to keep praying for him because God has an awesome plan for his life. We've been together for 4 months now and he is such a gift. Like I said, he is good, a really good guy and he cares a lot for me and always puts me first. That is so important, it means I can really trust him.

Other news, I keep going up and down in the God department, I want to be how I was before but can't seem to get there! Then recently I had a bit of a revelation; God is making me new, not my old self but renewing me. That was cool, I feel safe around God. I've been looking at doing a sort of internship with my church next year but I have to wait for my pastor to give the green light.

On wednesday I went to prayer meeting, God was mind-blowing. We had spontaneous worship and I just worshipped God! I sensed his Holiness in a way I have never done before. He is too good for me. i started bubbling up inside and started singing out in tongues. A woman next to me translated in English and it was exactly my heart's cry... How could Jesus chuck away his crown and come to earth and die for me knowing what I would do, knowing I would turn away and run after things that would not satisfy, how could he still die knowing that I would run away. I am a prodigal child but God loves me and I will give up everything to follow him, whatever he asks!... It was so right and I just wept, God is so amazing! My testimony of the last 6 months is God's unconditional love, it is everlasting and he is good. So good! What a saviour!

After that, I feel so refreshed and full of God's spirit that I know now that nothing will EVER seperate me from the love of God, such a powerful love He has :) What a good God! Went to Alpha again last night, I've been going for the last 4 weeks bringing my friend and brother who haven't always been able to make it but I'm hoping they'll both be there next week. My boyfriend was there too and in our discussion groups everyone was a bit noisy but I noticed that whenever he spoke the table's attention was captured and people listened. He comes out with a lot of wisdom sometimes. I am so honoured to know him and be apart of his life. God has great plans for this man and I want to encourage him to pursue God relentlesly.

I'm currently having driving lessons, which are so much fun! I can't wait to have my own car and be able to drive anywhere  I want, hopefully!

I'm also going to Ukraine in August to help on a children's camp, God is just so in this, I sense his pleasure in me obeying his calling and I'm excited to see Ukraine for the first time! So many cool thing are happening but I think I'll leave that to a seperate post!

I have great friends around me, great family and a GREAT BIG GOD! Who loves me far more than I could ever realise! What a wonderful, beautiful lover to have!

Lots of exciting things are happening really, I'll try and write more often but I have exams coming up so may be revising. Have a good week!

Abbie

Thursday, 26 July 2012

France and Lovely people!


Wahey! Just returned from my adventure in France and can honestly say it was one of the best weeks of my life! God did some incredible things there and I know we've made an impact on the city and the Church growth.


This is a picture of the city centre, it is such a beautiful country! I got this picture of google because we didn't take loads of the city but I'll upload some more later!

Where to start?! At the beginning of the week we had an amzing weekend in Croydon training for going out to our different locations and met with God so powerfully there! Felt a release in the spirit of prophecy which was exciting as had many oppertunities to prophecy this week.



We had an amazing worship session Saturday evening and a brilliant talk about newday global by one of the leaders. It was so cool to look back through the notes in France and keep encouraging each other to be bold! We went to a church in Croydon on the Sunday and Jazz preached, was REALLY good! Made me so excited about going out to Montpellier. We created our own "Team Monty t-shirts" with the slogan "All things are possible." They truly are with God!

At the beginning of the week I was slightly disheartened because I had trouble with the language barrier, I've been studying French at AS level the past year but although I could understand a lot I couldn't respond in French. So we prayed over that and BOOM the next day went out and preached the gospel in French! Had some awesome conversations which were really encouraging and had the opportunity to pray for one woman's father who was in hospital. Also, went treasure hunting and found one guy which matched nearly every single one of my clues! Very encouraging! God is so funny, at one point I was praying what to put under the "unusual" bracket and heard Him say "Tree" but I said "God, trees aren't really unusual?!" and he replied "This is an unusual tree." Haha! I found that so funny, God has a sense of humour! We found the unusual tree too! Another time I was sat in my room after hearing an incredible talk on prophecyand was praying that I would distinguish God's voice more clearly. So I prayed God would show me who the next person to walk into my room would be and at that the door creaked open and Jesus said "It's me!" and I felt his presence in the room and just started laughing at his little joke! He's awesome! We did the lifehouse skit as well which had a really great impact because it was a large scale evangelism without any language barrier and we had some great conversations with people because of it.

This is a picture of some of the team, they were all amazing and I love them all loads! Made some great friends, got along with everyone, they're amazing! So passionate about Jesus- they're going to change the world!


I feel like God has and is changing that city and He used us! It was awesome to be apart of that. Though there were challenges, God grew us in them and I know I've made some lifelong friendships with some truly inspirational people and can't wait to see what God has in store for everyone for the rest of this year! Will probably post more as I think of more that happened. :)

Enjoy the photos! Much love! xx

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

To France and to being 17!

I'm SO excited! Just been to a prayer meeting where people prayed over me to go to France on Saturday and had some AWESOME promises made over me! God had said to me a couple of weeks ago, I will make and fulfill promises over you, I will speak over your future in France, but then tonight he used people to say some awesome things about being helped with the language and being given bible verses at the right moment and about having a strong angel guarding over me, also having something birthed in me which I will know at France but will be birthed here, there was some others about growing stronger in God and coming back stronger with branches and leaves on my little tree. It's all so exciting, I can't wait! I bought a rucksack today too, one you take camping/ mountain hiking,etc. and just felt it was a prophetic symbol over my life, of packing my life into a bag and living like that.

More Lord,continue to speak I pray, give me ears to listen and an understanding mind, let me know when you are speaking and when you are fulfilling, use me to be a blessing in that nation I pray! Thank you for this incredible oppertunity father, I know there are no conincedences in you so use me I pray! Thank you!

I will blog more upon returning.. be prepared for INCREDIBLE testimonies of what God has done, I go in faith!

Saturday, 7 July 2012

Changes again

So I haven't blogged in a really long time, apologies for that, it's been quite hectic! I feel refreshed. Had some awesome promises over next year, it's funny how everything has worked out really. I was told that I have to take up another AS subject next year as I only did 3 this year so I was a bit miffed really. Anyway, after praying about it I decided on sociology because I'm sure it will help me learning about family values and justice, etc. Also, God just completely changed my heart for 6th form, instead of moping around complaining about everything my perspective was changed, God reminded me that now I'll have to be there more often so I'll have more time to evangelize. Plus, seeing as it's my last year I feel like God has some AWESOME things planned! A friend from small group prayed and prophesied over me that this will be a remarkable year both academically and spiritually.. good news!

Also, I have been single for almost 2 weeks and it looks like it is finished completely now, we're still friends but I'm peaceful about where we've left it and feel like God has other plans so there won't be a getting back together this time. So right now I'm just going to focus on God and see where he wants me. I want to forget about guys for a while, God is so much more important to me and I know he has plans for me that I can only do whilst single right now. I am praying he gives me a godly husband in the future but right now I'm just trusting him.

God is good! I'm really excited about the prospect of doing TEFL next year or the year after, I'm just finishing the course now and love it! Also, I want to save some money and get a rosetta stone cd to learn Russian better, I can read the cryllic alphabet but I'm not sure how to pronounce everything. It's all exciting stuff, I was challenged through a book the otehr day that even when doors in the natural open up still seek God first and ask whether it's right to walk through. Sometimes we make doors for ourselves when God has something  better, I want to trust him more because I know he has my best interest at heart. How I love him!

I'm off to France next week for the mission trip thing.. so excited! I know God will use me and bless me there. I know he'll speak to me about my future too which is awesome! Mainly, I just want to glorify God and hear him clearly. Amen!

That's about all today, I'll tryand blog more before France but if not expect some awesome testimonies when I return!

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Spending time with important people

I've just been far away visiting a couple of my friends who are at a music college! It was soooo good to see them again! I realised how important it is having friends in your life; friends you can absolutely trust and be yourself with. Just been thinking about how important honesty is as well. Yeah, this is a sort of random post about randomness because I'm just in a thinking mood.

Actually love Lady Antebellum right now, particularly 'Need you now', they are so beautiful! I really do love country! Anyhoo, can't really be bothered with blogging right now, umm so yeah had an amazing time and just seeking God for the present and future. Really want to find a new level of intimacy with him because he is incredible and I want to be consumed by him!

Saturday, 9 June 2012

My Saviour, My God

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands One who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me, this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange so once did I
Before I met my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be

Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be


My Savior lives, my Savior loves
My Savior lives, my Savior loves
My Savior lives

By Aaron Shust

Thursday, 7 June 2012

He remains always

Good morning! What a lovely morning, it's pouring down with rain outside! Typical!

Had a really great couple of weeks of God tlaking to me massively! Had a word for a lady I had never met before, had some words for guys at church and small group and had a few dreams which I think were prophetic! Really awesome that God is speaking and I can hear Him!

Last night went to small group and I was just praying (in my head) Oh God I want to see your face, I want to meet with you, Lord please speak to me, etc. And my small group leader said she had a word for me that God wanted to give me hinds feet to enable me to walk upon high mountains of places in the spirit with Him.(Habakkuk 3:19 says "The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.") She said God wanted to pour out his spirit and make me naturally supernatural, to have times with God which are wow, where we would spend time together in his spirit. She said I have a pure heart and God wants to not make me superspiritual but to be full of the spirit and keep having a balance of word and spirit; too much word you dry up, too much spirit you blow up. She prayed for the miraculous and signs and wonders to be used through me and I was so encouraged! I am so excited that God wants to meet with me and use me! I can't wait for all he is going to do, I really want to go to massively high places in his Spirit and go to places no one has gone before and meet with Jesus on another level! God please do this with me, let this word be fulfilled soon!

Also, a few weeks ago, I was looking through some old primary school things and I found a letter that I had written to myself to open when I was 16, so I reread it and it said that I wanted to be a nurse and give people the freedom of speech! Then I looked on a charity website which helps women in the Ukraine who have been part of the sex traffiking and realised how useful it would be to have midwifery when so many women give birth in unsanitary conditions or don't know how to look after themselves or their babies. So I looked through some university websites and found out that pretty much all unis wanted biology or sociology at A level which I don't have. So I prayed and left it there. But last night I had a dream which I remember vividly; I was at school and was taken to one of science classrooms where there was a biology AS exam going on. I tried to explain that I had never sat in a Biology classroom at AS level and that I hadn't learnt anything or even looked at one of the exam papers but they wouldn't listen, they said my name was on the sheet of paper so I had to take the exam. So I went in scared as anything and took my piece of paper with the rest of the class, I started filling in this exam which was about an experiment and I prayed God please help me! I was suddenly filled with the holy spirit and God just spoke to me saying if he could give me an AS in Biology why could he not enable me to train further. And I was suddenly made aware that if I had Biology I could trian in midwifery! It was so random but cool! So I'm going to pray into this and see if God means anything through that! If he does awesome, if not thats cool too! It's up to you Lord, I will follow your will!

God is awesome! He is holding us by our right hand! He sustains us and loves us to life! What an amazing father we have! Thank you my beautiful Jesus, thank you so much! There is no one like you Lord!

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Saturday 12th May 2012


Had such a great day today! Went to a training day for the mission trip I’m going on in July; it was so good! I’ve been reading Simon Guillebaud’s book ‘Dangerously Alive’ which is really challenging me to live radically for Jesus. I know I get caught up in this western way of thinking constantly and I really want to change that. I need to spend more time with God, to learn to depend on him better; I can’t go anywhere until I’ve learnt to trust him. That’s what this is all about, faith and trust! I just want to bring glory to God, and I can do that well when I am satisfied and fulfilled in Him. I need him to ruin my normal worldly life and bring me to a place of utter dependence in Him. I want to be a servant hearted follower of Christ who makes a real, lasting difference in the world. Today. Help me Lord.

I had to catch so many trains today but it was funny, even in that God spoke to me! One of the train signs said “This is where great journeys start” and the next sign in the next station said “The life of Christ”. I thought, yeah it really does start with Him! It was quite a revelation that God is the only lasting adventure, the only great journey. Also, I met a lovely Christian girl today who lives a few hours away from me so we caught the same train back together. We talked and shared testimonies and built each other up, it was really cool, and she shed light onto certain things in my life and was really wise. Definitely feel it was a God appointment! I remember her asking me what gifts I had and what I liked doing and one thing I replied was ‘reading, although it’s not really a gift!’ and she said actually it is a gift, so many people in the world can’t read and laughed and said maybe you’ll teach orphans how to read! (I had told her about my heart for orphans) It was like a confirmation from God, I hadn’t told her that I wanted to do that and she said it!

Also, got prayed for at the training day and a lovely woman prophesied over me, she said that God has named me for a reason, he chose my name for me because it means delight of the father and he delights in me. He sings over me, he gets so excited and shouts “that’s my girl, that’s MY girl!” She said God isn’t disappointed in me, and when I feel that it’s a lie because God delights in me constantly, I’m precious to him. So that was amazing! Felt freed from having to live a “perfect” life because Jesus won it for me. I don’t need to strive for it. It was incredible to hear that how much God is pleased with me, I’m his beloved daughter! How great is our God?

Plus, on the train back, I switched to a faster train which went straight back to my home town but my return ticket was only for several stations before as I was planning on buying another ticket. We pulled into the last stop for my ticket and I felt God ask me to get off and buy another ticket as planned just to honour the train guys really as I could have got away with it. So I stopped at that station and bought another ticket and whilst I was there I just prayed “God if you want to use me, I’m willing, so use me”. So when the train arrived I got on and God highlighted a seat to me so I sat down (!). An older woman was sat on the next seat across the aisle and a couple of people were in front and behind us. Well I sat down and felt God say “serious illness”, so I thought, I think God wants me to talk to this woman! I carried on reading my book and tried to ignore it but this feeling wouldn’t go away. I was too nervous to talk to her in front of loads of other people though so I said that to God and he was like “it’s okay, I’ll take care of it” and they got off at the next stop! So I was sat near this lady and started talking about her crochet to start up a conversation. Well it turns out she lives in Northern Ireland and she was meeting her son at the train station where I live to stay with her mother. So we just talked and she mentioned that she had had breast cancer (serious illness!) but that she had gone through the treatment and was well again. She asked me what book I had been reading and I said it was about a Christian missionary and I told her where I went to church and that I was a Christian. So I didn’t share a huge testimony or anything but simply mentioned that I was a Christian.  Anyway, she said she used to go to a church near mine when she lived here. Then we parted ways at the last stop and said it had been lovely speaking. She walked off and I watched her meet her son… You’ll never guess who it was?!! It was the same man from the smoking shelter that my friend and I had told about Jesus!!!! I know!!!! God is sooooo awesome! I mean, God gave me a dream which made me want to meet up with my friend, then we met and it started raining so we had to find a shelter on that day. Then today, I went on a train to London (of all the places!) and God told me to honour the train guys and buy another ticket which meant getting on another train. And on that train a seat was highlighted and he confirmed that he wanted me to speak to her through the words “serious illness” and she lived in Northern Ireland and had decided to visit on that day, on that train and she was the same guys mother!! Coincidence? I think not!!!

Hahahahahaa!!! Oh it is just flipping fantastic! Thank you Lord for using me to show your glory, I just know God has plans for that family!!! It’s AWESOME! :D

Got so many quotes I’ll be sharing from “African Adventure” because there are some truly inspirational things in there! So excited about what God has planned! I love you Jesus! I’ll post again soon but for now goodnight!

*These posts were typed up separately because my internet stopped working for a few days. Therefore, they are all posted around the same time as I have transferred them and I have correctly dated them in the post title.

Wednesday 9th May 2012

Firstly, let me apologize for the lateness of this post. My internet has not been working for a while so I must add the posts in now with the date as the title to show when it all happened! Looking back, it's been pretty exciting! So Wednesday...

Last week I had a dream about a friend of mine and I know it was important but I just couldn’t remember what it was about so I said ‘I feel like we should meet up and just have a conversation some time. So today we decided to meet up. Well, we went for a coffee which was lovely then went for a walk to the church offices. On the way back it started raining, like pouring down! So we saw a smoking shelter and decided to stop there. My friend started talking to one of the guys in there and asked if he believed in God, he said no and then debated why with us. He had a lot of knowledge of the bible though. He said his sister was a Christian and that his dad had been too. So nothing really came of it, except that we had an opportunity to share the gospel which was great! So yeah, it’s been a really good day!