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The start of another year! No one can fail to understand how rapidly and how dramatically the culture is changing. Dark clouds are gathering on the horizon. The 'sexual revolution' is driving all before it, and the Judeo-Christian roots that were the bedrock of our stable nations are being aggressively cut away. The fruits of this new culture are all around us. Check the statistics for family breakdown, fatherless children, mental health, rape, violence, and fear on the streets. The fields are surely 'white on to harvest'
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Those who know me well know how much I love the outdoors and over the winter months - and with an experienced mountaineering friend - I camped overnight in the Mourne Mountains some 5 times, mostly in storm conditions (notably 'Storm Brian') and always going into the mountains at night to increase the sense of adventure! As you can see, even at the recently attained age of seventy, my God-given health is still robust. At my annual hospital check up in February, the consulting doctor stated that I was a 'bizarre' patient since a person of any age with Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Persistent Atrial Fibrillation, Congestive Heart Failure and a 20% heart function (having had no surgery or been fitted with implanted defibrillator) can do what I am able to do. He said he mentions me to other patients!
Anyone who knows what happened 13 years ago knows that my robust, unexplainable health and strength are entirely to the Glory of God.
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International teaching in 2018
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As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, I believe the Lord has asked me keep my teaching
schedule within the UK and Ireland until further notice.
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Ellel Pierrepont - Farnham, Surrey. February 5th -12th |
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This 1999 photo was taken during my first teaching at the renowned Ellel NETS discipleship school near Farnham in Surrey.
I have had the enormous privilege to teach on the 38 NETS courses since then spanning an unbroken period of 19 years.
Students come from all around the globe and this NETS number 41 was no exception. Germany, Netherlands, USA, Croatia, England, Ireland, Israel are the nations I can remember!
I travelled to Pierrepont on Monday February 5th and prepared to teach from Tuesday morning through to Friday morning. |
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| Tuesday February 6th (9.45am - 5.30) was teaching the NETS 37 students who were on the fourth and final term in their one year course. The subjects were 'Hearing the voice of God and discerning the voice of the enemy' 'The dark night of the soul' and 'God's testings' |
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Wednesday February 7th (9.45am - 5.30) was teaching the NETS 38 term two students day one of 'The Father-Heart of God'. In the evening (7.30pm - 10.00) I had the privilege of speaking to members of the Young Person's team - again from a range of nations. During this first day I take the students on a one and a quarter hour walking tour through the wooded grounds alongside the river Wey, teaching them to 'see the invisible attributes of the Godhead through the things that are made' Romans 1:20
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Thursday February 7th (9.45am - 5.30) was teaching the NETS 38 term two students day two of 'The Father-Heart of God'. In the evening (7.30pm - 10.00) prayer ministry |
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Friday morning is always the staff and students teaching and communion time, with a half hour 'sermon' which then gets posted on YouTube a few weeks later.
Many years ago I heard a man of God say that God's truth is always truth, but it might not be His message, whereas His message is His message and His truth, and so I pray much in the weeks leading up to this sermon, doing my best to discern what will be His message.
Sometimes I sense no particular guidance, but on some occasions I believe I do. This was one such sermon.
Titled "Why we do what we do", it will be available in due course and the link will be here as well on the NETS sermon site.
My previous sermons since videoing started can be viewed here. |
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| Jill Southern visit. |
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I have a handful of people who are an inspiration to me and Jill Southern is numbered amongst that handful. (Philippians 3:17) She had the vision for Ellel Pierrepont more than 25 years ago and was it's founding director. The journey called for a passionate leader who knew God, who had set their forehead like flint to persevere, to endure and to obey. She retired from that position in 2015, and while Pierrepont is still her base she is more involved in itinerant teaching around the world. She is the Executive regional director for Ellel Ministries in Southeast Asia and frequently teaches there. It was an honour, once again, to have her visit our home on her short stop over in Ireland. Her book tells of the many miracles God did on this journey.
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Tech-Talk
This web site was started nearly two decades ago and internet technology has changed dramatically over that time.
When I first put audio and video clips on the teaching page I used a technology called Flash created by Adobe. Unfortunately it could not be accessed on iphones or ipads and will be discontinued in 2020. I have now converted all audio teaching to HTML5 which functions brilliantly on iphones, ipads, and most browsers (not Firefox) and have moved all video content to a newly created CRi channel on YouTube. This was a lengthy process!!
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| Prayer ministry training workshops - March - June |
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Every year we hold autumn prayer ministry teaching evenings and usually follow these up on a later date with practical workshop training. On these Saturday mornings those who have previously attended a teaching course will receive a short refresher teaching on each subject followed by a team demonstration and group practice workshops overseen by team members. These workshops are run by CRi team members who have been with me for a minimum of ten years.
'I really enjoyed the prayer ministry course on Saturday and found it extremely helpful. Thanks again for your faithfulness in helping run these courses as they have
a lot more impact than you would think' |
'Will you please tell Simon that I am really loving these Workshops. He and Colin are doing a really great job and I'm really receiving food
for my spirit'
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Why we do what we do - The sermon given at the February visit to Ellel Pierrepont, near Farnham, Surrey
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| Second prayer ministry course begins at Green Pastures Church, Ballymena |
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The first prayer ministry course at Green Pastures ran from October through to December but was over subscribed so I happily agreed to do a second course for the overflow. This started Monday 12th March and will run through to mid-May. The positive feedback is very encouraging..
"..really enjoyed tonight..the vision of the table really spoke to me..the demons were chained to the darkness..I knew that demons operated in the darkness but that one line that they were chained to the darkness was dropped right into my spirit..as long as I stay in the light in the word walking on the path of holiness..the devil has no power at all and the closer I am to the centre of the light the whisper of God is louder than the shout of the devil..it is so simple and thought God surely I knew this and the Holy Spirit said knowledge only becomes truth when it is received in the heart..i got it and more importantly my heart got it! Have a wee swagger in the spiritual now lol..cause God is showing me who I really am..God is so good ..my first revelation was My Father and I think He is saying ok you know who I am as a Father now see me as a King/Ruler and learn how my Kingdom works then we are going to partner and do some damage to the kingdom of darkness..that is amazing.. just need childlike faith to believe and receive simple truths..that blew my mind tonight. The devil ain't getting that seed..it's mine lol nite nite God bless and thanks for organising that training ..its awesome."
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| Funeral - Saturday March 17th - Cookstown |
Joe Gallagher
1949 - 2018 |
Long standing friends Gary and Darren Gallagher - both in full time ministry for more than a decade - asked if I would conduct the funeral service for their father. I had never conducted a funeral service before, but knowing what I knew about the man, I said I would be honoured to do so. It went well, and many said they were touched by the sermon I gave, but to my surprise I was also deeply impacted. Here was a man who had a roadside conversion in Southern Ireland in 1980 and lived in a village in rural Ireland where he and his
family were effectively ostracised because what he, and in due time his family, had entered into
was in direct conflict with the status quo.
Despite relentless persecution he was like a tent peg God had hammered into the ground. He was immovable and I was aware that the way the culture is beginning to ostracise and persecute those holding firm to their Christian faith he is an important role model for many of us.
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| My first book is being made into an audio book! |
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| Eleventh year visiting God's Garage in County Tipperary! |
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| Anne-Marie Mulrooney built God's Garage eleven years ago with the primary view that it would be a place for people in her area, and beyond, to be able to receive teaching and ministry from Christian Restoration in Ireland. (Her story here) This was our 28th visit. Anne-Marie keeps careful records of each visit, including what was taught and who was ministered to, and by whom. Looking back over the years shows God's faithfulness to her, to us and to the many people who have come from so many parts of Ireland. Teaching sessions are on Friday evening and Saturday morning with prayer ministry on Saturday afternoon. Our eight strong team ministered to 28 people over the weekend for an average of an hour per person. |
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| This was the CRi team on this trip pictured with Anne-Marie (3rd from left) and a dear sister in the Lord Peig O'Loughlin (4th from left) who, on October 24th 1997 during an Ellel ministry, visit literally pleaded with Linda and I to come down to Southern Ireland to teach. Her words were "will someone just tell us the truth even if we don't like it!" How could we have turned down such a plea? Now 72 in she is one of our most loved people. The Cri team from left to right are Simon and Julie Rowland (then Anne-Marie and Peig O'Loughlin) Linda and Ken Symington, Shireen Symington, Linda and John Doherty and Heather and Colin McQueen. |
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The teachers apartment on the ground floor |
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| On Friday evening I taught on the subject 'How big is your God - small, medium, large, or super size?' On the two sessions on the Saturday morning I taught on 'Understanding the human spirit, how we get wounded in our spirit, and the healing of the wounded spirit' This involved nearly 200 slides! The afternoon was then taken up with the many individual ministry sessions, many as a natural follow up to the morning's teaching. Most of the team said that the worship - led by Ken Mulcaghy - on the Friday evening was the best part of the weekend. He later texted Anne-Marie to say that "the visits by Ken and the Cri team are the spiritual highlight of my year' On the Saturday evening we walked round the shores of Lough Derg to watch the sunset. Being a keen photographer this was too good an opportunity to miss! Finally we left for home on Sunday morning. A good and a fruitful weekend. Our next visit is due early October. God is good. |
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Audiobook nearing completion!
Many, many hours of recording and editing are nearing completion. The finished product will be available on the internet's biggest audiobook provider Audible.com and audible.co.uk. It will also be available as a CD set. |
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Sample from chapter one
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Sample from chapter nine
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Holiday in Switzerland - June 5th - 12th |
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Thanks to a very kind offer from a Christian hotel owner in Switzerland Linda and I got a weeks holiday in the beautiful Swiss Alps.
We arrived feeling very tired - and after a week walking many many miles, mostly uphill, we left refreshed!
When you love God's creation as much as we do this is a place that truly does your heart good! |
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| Ellel Glyndley Manor - June 14th - 16th |
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Glyndley Manor is near Eastbourne on England's sunshine coast and this was only my second time teaching at this centre - the last time being around 15 years ago. The course was 'The Father Heart of God' and it was appropriate that the third day of the course was 'Father's Day'. One lady travelled from the Netherlands to attend the course!
The grounds have a delightful lake stocked with around 100 carp, and in my free time - as an enthusiastic angler - I enjoyed throwing lumps of bread into the pond and seeing many sizeable carp coming to my feet to frantically feast on the bread!
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(dating back to 2006) |
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