For anyone interested, who doesn’t have the delight of my newsletter in their email ‘inbox’ (if you’d like that delight, let me know!), here’s my summer offering…. click the ‘PB..’ link!
Summer Newsletter 2013
Author Archives: Paul Bennison
“I feel that very frequently prayer is made a refuge to dodge the action of faith.”
I re-posted this quote on Facebook yesterday, from my long-time friend, missionary Wade Guidry, in Malaysia. It is an original quote from John G. Lake, one of the most incredible of the ‘healing’ pioneers in the late 19th and early 20th century. Lake was filled with the Holy Spirit as a result of the Azusa Street revival – if you don’t know of him, he’s worth knowing about! – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Lake – a man who saw astonishing miracles, and who, directly, is responsible for the flourishing ministry of the ‘Healing Rooms’ today.
PLEASE, please, please – understand that I LOVE prayer, I’m a man committed to praying for people – for salvation, healings, miracles, the raising of the dead. I’m a man committed to praying that God will meet all my needs, according to his riches in Christ Jesus. Thirty four+ years without a salary, and hardly looking anorexic as a result(!!), having been to 106 nations, some of them over 100 times… means that I BELIEVE in prayer. I can’t EVER retire – humanly (though I don’t WANT to retire!) purely and simply because I have no pension (no, lie: I have about £10 a week from the bank I worked for from ’71-’79. That should be enough, shouldn’t it…??!), no security, other than in God, but for the best part of 35 years he’s proved that he’s faithful! Why not the last 35 years of my life? I think 95 years old should do me nicely, then I’d love to ‘do an Enoch’ and walk into the presence of God and ‘he was not’: better still, to do ‘an Elijah’…..!
This quote really blessed me, as it’s something I’ve been speaking/preaching about for many years – the fact that we, as Christians, often ‘hide behind’ prayer as an excuse for inactivity. You might say I’m wrong, it’s heretical….but actually, it’s the truth. How many times do you hear people say ‘I’ll pray about it’, ‘I’ll put out a fleece in prayer’ (or similar) – and then….nothing.
Jesus didn’t say to the disciples, ‘Pray about this, then go and make disciples of all nations’, or ‘Lay your hands on the sick, and they’ll get well, but only do it after you’ve prayed about it, and if you feel it’s right’…. Hmm.
I know it’s the truth, because I’ve done it. And I know countless people who have done it, and are doing it – and have done, and are doing, nothing.
About 3 years ago, I heard a fantastic young man, Jamie Saint, speak. His name might not mean much to you, especially younger people. In these days when books are read at an alarmingly decreasing rate, the story of his family may well become less and less known: and that would be a tragedy. His granddad was an incredibly brave missionary.
When I was young, I grew up on a diet of ‘crazy’ missionary books: ‘Like a Mighty Wind’ by Mel Tari, ‘Tortured for his Faith’ by Haralan Popov, books about Hudson Taylor (especially as much of my life was spent living near Brighton, which was where Hudson Taylor famously walked along the beach, and shouted ‘GOD, GIVE ME CHINA OR I DIE!’), and, of course, the myriad books by the astonishing Richard Wurmbrand, the Romanian Pastor, whom I had the amazing privilege of meeting in the early 1990’s, Eric Liddell, and Gladys Aylward.
These weren’t people who said ‘I’ll pray about it’ when confronted not only with the challenge of spreading the Gospel all over the globe, but giving up everything to do it: not spending years getting another 50 prophetic words to confirm it, waiting until they ‘felt good’ about it. I used to tell the joke, purely non-sexist, you understand, about the truck driver, pulling up behind a young lady in her car at a traffic light. When it turned to green, she stalled, and by the time she started the engine again, it was red. This happened a few times, before the truck driver got out, walked to her car, tapped on her window, and said, ‘What shade of green ARE you waiting for, darlin’….
Jamie Saint’s grandfather was Nate Saint, the pilot of an aircraft carrying four other missionaries – Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot) to the Hourani/Waodani (Auca) Indian peoples, in the Andes. The story is amazingly documented in Jim Elliot’s widow, Elisabeth Elliot’s books, ‘Shadow of the Almighty’ and ‘Through Gates of Splendour’: read them, if you haven’t, please?? All five men were massacred by the tribe. The legendary story is that all five widows went BACK to the tribe, to forgive them for killing their husbands. History reports that the tribe got saved.
Some time later, Nate Saint’s son, Steve, went with his family to visit the tribe, including a young (I think about 10 years old) Jamie. He met his father’s killers, including the man who had actually put the spear through Nate’s head. He was challenged by one of them: ‘Come back here, and live with us, finish what your father began’. When Jamie recounted the story, he said, ‘My dad said “I’ll pray about it!”‘ – to which the tribal said, ‘That’s just a Christian excuse not to do anything’…. What a word of wisdom from a relatively new, untaught Christian, to all of us, with our years of experience and teaching…. They moved there, lived there as a family, and that’s where Steve Saint was baptised, by his dad’s killers…..
I grew up in a Christian culture that in many respects I’m utterly grateful for, but in other respects, have had to repent of, because of what I wasn’t taught, and for ‘learning’ excuses like ‘I’ll pray about it’ (when OFTEN we KNOW that it’s God speaking)…. and – ESPECIALLY – ‘If it’s your will, God’. This stuff needs to be eradicated not only from our vocabulary, but our thought processes…..
God, save us, please, from using prayer as an excuse….instead, let’s USE prayer to break out of our comfort zones, fears, security, possessions, financial security, pension plans….
I have a quotation on the wall right in front of where I sit, using my computer: THE MOST DANGEROUS RISK OF ALL – THE RISK OF SPENDING YOUR LIFE NOT DOING WHAT YOU WANT ON THE BET YOU CAN CAN BUY YOURSELF THE FREEDOM TO DO IT LATER. Ooooohhhhh……..
Friends – even non-friends! – don’t use prayer as a refuge to dodge the action of faith. Please? What shade of green ARE you waiting for?
Ana Beiba Lasso, The Home for the Abandoned Old People of Cali – NEW VIDEO!
Ana Beiba has featured quite regularly in blogs, stories, fund-raising, over the last couple of years. When I was there in April, with Lee & Katie Collier, Chris Spark, and Benjamin Osorio, Lee was equipped to shoot some good video, and an interview with Ana, unlike the last one I posted, which was really Ana Beiba shrieking with delight and amazement, and me going more and more purple as she hugged me, suffocated me, and then broke my neck…. 🙂
You’ll never be WITHOUT background noise in Cali, least of all in Alfonso Aragon Bonilla, the barrio where Ana lives, so bear with the video, it IS easy to listen to. My long-time and very dear friend, Benny Osorio, from Mexico City, translated.
With your help, in the last year, she has been able to buy a second house, though you’ll hear in the video that soon after the purchase, an earthquake (very common in Cali – well, it IS in the Andes and on a fault line…) brought down the roof: also you can see the transformation of the kitchen, with refrigerators, also (not seen) a washing machine, and a newly fitted out kitchen (Lee shows the comparison with last year).
It was amazing to be there a day after one of her ‘babies’ (she won’t call them old people) died: the first thing she did when I arrived was show me his death certificate – on a day when, impromptu as usual, an ambulance arrived, honked loudly, and ‘offloaded’ a replacement ‘new’ baby, much to Ana’s utter delight and joy. The police and hospitals just deliver people to her, unannounced, and the second house is now almost full…. You’ll hear that she has no help from the state, her only help is a handful of poor churches, and yours truly….it is SUCH a privilege to be able to serve her.
There are still countless needs, a few of which I hope to be able to meet when I go back to Cali – and her barrio in Agua Blanca (‘White Water’ – I don’t think there IS any white water in Agua Blanca!! – plenty of highly polluted, probably toxic brown water though (that would be ‘Agua Marron’, which doesn’t sound QUITE so appealing: very little about the barrio IS appealing: and it IS very dangerous). I am hoping to buy for the house a much larger stove (she does have one now, but it is small), and more refrigeration, as well as a much larger washing machine. Waiting on the Lord for some of that, though….
If you are in a position to help, then please let me know, and I’ll tell you how!
Here’s the video….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP-zaWbZUxI
Drainers and Users
This was a post on Facebook today by the very prophetic and motivational Lance Wallnau.
If the devil can’t stop you – he’ll join you.
It happens like this. After a long season of resistance you finally break out. You start growing…there’s a demand for you, your ideas, your product, you’re speaking and now for the first time the problem is created by success. Where do you go when you have multiple invitations? Simply put, success breeds opportunities. And opportunities are of two types – good and bad. Saying “no” to an opportunity that does not relate to your mission is not easy- but it is necessary. By hiring the wrong employee or getting involved with the wrong alliance or committing yourself to the wrong project you waste time and money and progress. Be careful who you add to your team, beware what crazy idea comes at you. Keep your mission clear and if the initiative does not fit or expand your mission…move on. If the person is not absolutely needed and a good fit…don’t hire.
The devil will join you with the wrong advice, wrong people, wrong projects…all costly and time consuming. Be aware that favor is a “shininess” factor that attracts all kinds of people who have plans for your life. Keep you head clear. Not all opportunities come from heaven. Stick to your mission.And when in doubt. pray with your spouse about any commitment you have doubts about.
Last night, and over the course of recent weeks, I’ve talked to a lot of people who are ‘movers and shakers’ in the Kingdom of God. ALL are under very heavy, direct, personal attack, whether it is to do with ministry, money, friendships, health – well, you name it. I re-posted a Joel Osteen comment yesterday:
I know from my own experience of recent years that it is such a beneficial thing to have such people as he talked about around you, especially when your life is often spent with needy people. As I thought about this quote, someone commented that they thought this was contrary to Jesus’ lifestyle: truth is, Jesus DID, of course, bless the poor, needy, unfortunates. But he didn’t spend his time with ‘time-wasters’ and ‘drainers’, people the enemy puts into your sphere of existence to ‘pull’ the life out of you, the use you to extend their own ministry… Jesus didn’t hang around the Pharisees too much, except to tell them they smelt bad, were hypocrites, blind guides, rotting corpses (I know a church whose ‘motto’ is ‘God is always in a good mood’ – seems there’s one – along with countless others! – that might prove otherwise!): he didn’t go chasing after the rich young ruler, who couldn’t – wouldn’t – sacrifice what was most precious to him. I don’t know who Joseph Campbell is, but I saw this on Facebook the other day, and it’s spot on:
- ‘We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.
Where your treasure is, there your heart is too…. I know plenty of people obsessed by pensions, money, possessions (maybe I’m just a bit of an oddity here, having ‘lost’ the only home I owned to go to Bible School, and lost my possessions 4 times!).
I’ve found out, the hard way, more often than not – that seems to be the way I learn! – that those people are there with you all the time your life is ‘going well’. When trouble comes – as it always will (‘In this world you WILL have trouble…’) – they disappear out of your life quicker than you would ever dream possible, because you cease to be useful to them: or, once you’ve ‘sussed’ them out, you discover that they weren’t ever really friends at all.
Lance says that the devil will ‘join’ you with such people, invitations, advice, projects…God, give us WISDOM (wonderful word in Spanish! – ‘sabidurea’) to know who to spend time with, who to be accountable to – every one needs accountability – who to take with us on our adventure into the Kingdom as it unfolds ahead of us.
Many, many years ago, I heard the excellent Gerald Coates say this: ‘When there is one other person who knows everything there is to know about you, you’re free!’
I’m so, so grateful to God for people like my amazing Rhino mates – Eric, Russ, Mike, John, Steve, Nick, and Phil, who know me inside out – and STILL love me! – and Alan, Ian, Drew, Jules and others, who know me the same way, and protect me from people who are users and drainers… through THEIR wisdom, I’ve shed a few people in recent years, some of whom I’d have once called ‘close’ friends – but close friends who, once my life hit the buffers, which it does from time to time, disappeared quicker than a five pound note in Tescos!
Thank you, Joel Osteen, thank you Lance Wallnau, thank you Rhinos and other dear friends….
“Gee but it’s great to be back home….”
…”home is where I wanna be yeah….”
Guess that dates me somewhat, an age-old Simon & Garfunkel song, ‘Keep the customer satisfied’ (from one of the greatest albums of all time, too, ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ – my story of the last 12 years!). Tells me something else, too, as an avid music listener/music fanatic, that new songs I hear now on Radio 1 & 2 I really don’t recall, but I can sing (in my head, you might be please to know!) every word of THAT song, along with countless others from that era…’fings ain’t what they used to be’ (duuhh…here I go in my head again…!)
Got home late last night, it really was a great – but incredibly hectic – four days, with loads of driving, and loads of praying for people, as well as that great meeting Sunday morning at City Church, Plymouth. By the time Alan picked me up at the airport, I was all but exhausted, but when it’s been a great time, it’s a NICE exhaustion, except for the objects halfway down my legs. I’m grateful to God, though, that this morning, they’re a good deal less objectionable, an answer to ‘horizontal’ prayer I started to pray as I dropped off to sleep last night!
Just wanted to make this post to say again what an amazing privilege it is to have people ‘allow’ me into their lives, especially when there is a real long term sickness, and emotionally they are very vulnerable. To me, it’s humbling, and I’m so, so grateful to God for the ‘job’ he’s called me to, despite it’s ‘side-effects'(!)…
One quick update re: my possessions from the USA…. still no sign of them, the boss of the moving company has now received a lawyer’s letter, advising him of his sole and total liability for my stuff: his ‘bill’ as of today for unwarranted storage costs is a mere US$11,008 (£7,338!!). Ho hum…. still trying to negotiate getting access to that bit of my life that is becoming an increasing burden!
ONE day, this current ‘saga’ with that country will be over – I hope and pray it’s soon!
Non stop whistle-stop trip round the west country!
Sitting here tonight, in the guest flat of a lovely warden assisted housing complex, the home of a couple who have become good friends in recent months – Hugh & Sandra Southon, in Paignton, South Devon… though today was the first day I have actually met them! The joys of mobile phones, and good old Facebook….! More in a minute…
Landed an hour late in Heathrow on Thursday night… question: how can you possibly land (over an hour actually) so late on flight that takes only 55 minutes? Guess I’ll never know! What’s more, the computer guidance system to bring the plane into the gate wasn’t there, nor any of the personnel who wave tennis bats and torches, so we sat waiting for quite a few additional minutes…. and the then the luggage took forever! Joy of travelling number 1!
Long drive to Cornwall, not far short of as far as you can go west and south, but it was lovely to see my sister and brother in law. It was my first visit to them since their son, Stewart’s funeral in January. It was so lovely to be with them, and catch up with the last few months other than over the phone. I can’t even begin to think what they’re going through after the years and years of intensive caring for Stew, one of the most blessed young men on the planet to have them as mum and dad.
Down to Plymouth Saturday afternoon, straight off to hospital to pray for long-time friend Sue Mason: Sue has been hospitalised for 5 months, having initially had heart surgery, but some of the effects of the surgery, and the medications, have created other massive issues in her. I’ve known Kitt, Sue, and their daughter Joy for 25 years or more, so it was a joy to go and pray for her. I’ve a feeling that tomorrow morning will see more of the answer to today’s praying…
An evening wit the leaders of City Church, Plymouth, was a joy – social, chatty, full of good food, wine, God, people, God, wine…. lovely! Fantastic meeting yesterday at their church yesterday: I’ve been going there for about 25 years now, and love the people there dearly: what was fantastic yesterday, apart from the fact that one or two people immediately testified to freedom from pain, was that from the normal sized congregation, it’s doubled in the last year, and God is very clearly repositioning people from across the country to move to Plymouth, as God really does seem on the move there.
One of the repositioned people, who, with her husband, God has taken right out beyond the edge of their comfort zones (sell their house where they live, move to Plymouth, rent, with no knowledge of what job or provision comes next – my story from years back, so I love it!!) – had terrible carpal tunnel pain, both wrists and arms – virtually gone by the time I left. Another guy with pain head to toe – massive reduced pain: no ‘out of this world’ miracles but loads blessed with freedom from niggling debilitating things… and believing even more for a massive miracle for Jules, the Pastor, and his amazing wife Olwyn….
Prayed for people in their homes after that, including a neighbour of the friend I had lunch with, who has a sign on their front door -‘ no cold callers: no religious callers’!. Then on to Paignton, realised the last time I came here was with my dad and mu,, and sister, and I’d probably have been about 5… :), it’s changed in 55 years! Prayed with lovely Sandra Southon, 5 year-long stroke victim, and her hubby Hugh… she’s home from hospital today after a mini-stroke last week: what she needs back, and what I really believe God will give her back this week, is her voice. The ‘big’ stroke 5 years back took that out when the stroke caused damage to the vocal receptors….I’m sure Hugh’ll tell me….! Better still, Sandra….!!!
An opportunity to see God blow people away this weekend…!
In a couple of hours, I head for the airport yet again! It comes to something when, on British Airways, every time I sit down now on one of their planes, the Purser comes to thank me for flying with them again! It’s very nice, but it doesn’t get much – no upgrades, no champagne – just an extra bag of crisps (they’re only half bags to begin with!) and a second drink…
Tomorrow, I drive 28o miles west to go and see my lovely sister and brother in law: those of you who have read my blog for some time will know that their wonderful son, Stewart, went to be with Jesus just before Christmas, and the grieving process is right at their side. Stew was pretty severely handicapped, mentally and physically, and for all of his 34¼ years, was a 24/7 ministry of love, dedication, unprecedented it seems to me, compared to anyone I know. It’ll be good to be with them.
On to Plymouth, to pray for a couple of ‘long-time’ friends – Sue, suffering from major heart issues in recent months, still hospitalised, and Vic, under a terminal cancer prognosis. Church on Sunday morning, and then on to Paignton to pray for Sandra, a 5 year-long stroke victim, amongst the many things that strokes do, it took away her voice. So, it’ll be good to see what God has up his sleeve for the weekend!
Back to Ireland Tuesday….
Gob-smacked!!!
It was three months ago Friday, I think, when my great mate Lee Prior Collier put this new website online. My insecurity had been, those of you who know me will know! – that no -one really looked at the old one…
Well, a tad under three months, and it’s now had 7,088 views…. I feel really humbled that people actually want to read my ramblings – maybe the stories too 😉 – but thank you, it’s so thrilling, and so very rewarding, after all my wondering, and to know that it’s worthwhile spending the time on it.
Lee’s just told me how to put up photo galleries, so in the next week or so, I hope to get some of those up in place, and some video testimony posts, too….Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Cali comes to Bangor :)
Spent a wonderful three hours today talking to my great friend, Hendrik Hoere: Hendrik was my first ever translator in Cali, Colombia, 17 years ago, he and Teija, his amazing wife, have lived there for about 30 years now. They planted a church about 20 years ago, and have mentored and equipped some fantastic young men and women, who are taking that church on into the future, as they themselves have moved into a much more ‘apostolic’ role planting elsewhere, notably in Bolivia, where they have a real call.
Once a year, when they visit Holland (Hendrik is Dutch, Teija is Finnish), they do the little ‘hop’ over to Northern Ireland to preach in a few places. I’m away from tomorrow, so all the time Hendrik is here: so it was great today to be able to grab what I thought was just going to be coffee with him, but to my delight turned into lunch as well. Hendrik’s church – well, it is technically Wilmar & Marlene’s church now! – is really my ‘home’ church in Cali, and Hendrik, Wilmar, and another pastor, William Castaño Baron, are great supporters and advocates for me. I’m thrilled that, because of my taking five people from Bangor to Colombia I guess – 6/7 years ago – that Hendrik is able to come here, preach, see people saved, healed, and also raise some much neeed finance for the ministry in Colombia.
We never run out of conversation, which is a sign of a good friendship! Sadly, he’ll still be in Holland when Alan, Barbara, & I, go to Cali in 3 weeks’ time, but we’ll hook up again later in the year in his home city! Talking with hi about being in Bolivia together, too: I’ll need God to heal these knees fully, and make me super-fit (!) as Bolivia is one of the highest above sea-level countries in the world (I think LaPaz is about 14,000 feet, so a liitle less than twice the height of Mexico City, where I’ll be in August….
Starting to pack now to head over to England tomorrow, looking forward to seeing family, being with City Church, Plymouth Saturday and Sunday, and in Paignton Sunday night, praying for Sandra, the lovely wife of my mate Hugh, who’s been a stroke victim and wheelchair-bound for 5 years or more. It’s also a chance to catch up with Chris Spark, who, of course, has been with me in Cali the last two Easters.
A lot of driving ahead, but it should all be good, and back home on Tuesday night! Then the recovery time for these objects halfway down my legs before the next much-longe for trip to Cali, on 18 July….
It’s not your fault – the story of GRACE, Love, and Truth
Those of you who know me well, or who might have read my blog post of 21st May, will know that, despite how I appear to people in public, life hasn’t always – often? – been easy. I don’t want to go ‘navel-gazing’ here, but I watched an old-ish film today (1997), one of my favourites: ‘Good Will Hunting’, with the amazing Robin Williams and Matt Damon.
Will (Damon) had lived a tough, troubled life coming from the wrong side of Boston, Sean (Williams) the psychologist who took him under his wing, and loved him. Will carried with him all the grief and guilt from his past, his criminal record, his problems. Sean saw in him something ‘saveable’, despite Will letting him down many times. The culmination of the film, in Sean’s office, is one of the most powerful scenes – I’d say, from my point of view – EVER, in a film.
Sean stands in front of Will, his police record file in his hands, with Will expecting him to give a negative report to the police, which would more than likely see him jailed. Will asks him ‘What are you going to say to them, Sean?’
Sean closes the file: well, watch it (no apologies for any bad language, it’s the way a lot of people outside our holy huddles talk!) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtkST5-ZFHw
You know, from my history, and certainly from my failures, and, worse still, the judgement of other people, there was so much crap that I carried, albeit with a smile on my face in public, knowing how much of what was being said was untrue, and, sadly, losing a few ‘friends’ who chose to believe lies. About a year ago, at one of the get-togethers of our little ‘Rhino’ group – a place where I can wear my heart on my sleeve, and say what I’m REALLY feeling – I caved in, the weight of years of of trying to carry stuff I didn’t need to carry…..
Five of the other six guys were gathered round me, praying, prophesying, encouraging me, as I sat and wept. Then, I felt someone take my hands: as I opened my eyes and looked through the tears, my dear friend Eric Delve was on his knees in front of me, holding my hands…. and he just said over and over and over again, the words of Sean to Will, in the film: ‘Look at me, son, it’s not your fault: it’s not your fault….’. The weight of years went that afternoon, in the beautiful surroundings of the House of the Open Door, where we meet, and God’s grace, after many times of Eric saying it, poured over me.
That’s GRACE: people are concerned right now that there seems to be a ‘hyper-Grace’ movement. How can you have too much grace? Wasn’t God, sending Jesus, to take all of your crap and mine, all of your sickness, all of your pain, and mine: our failures, the lies, the betrayals, abandonment – hyper-grace? I reckon so. And I’m so eternally grateful to God, to Jesus, and to dear, faithful friends, for grace and love that goes way beyond anything we can ever do for ourselves. Thank you, Dad…. it’s not my fault….. Friends – it’s not your fault…. Grace is amazing, and covers everything….
