The UK

The Lord is not finished

In June I started a new job

It's a job where I get to hear everyday about the amazing things that God is doing around the world, the amazing things that He is doing in and through His church, even in the darkest places we could ever dare imagine

But what has also amazed me is what I have observed God doing within the church in the UK

It is a genuine blessing

I got this job after a year of feeling somewhat disillusioned with the church. Growing up within the church as a pastors kid I have seen first hand how the people closest to you and closest to your family will be the ones to cause you and your family the most hurt and damage.

For the last year and a half I have been going through a phase of seeing a lot of well meaning churchy people and assuming that their apparent niceness, kindness, warmth and care was fake, just for show. I hated hearing the twee Christianese cliches that came from the mouths of the middle class British church and I felt that no-one could really be trusted.

The short version is, I was disappointed with the church and couldn't stand to be around the nice churchy facade that so many people seemed to hide behind.

And then I got this job

This job where most of what I was doing was talking to people about what God was doing around the world and then offering to pray for them.

And God started to show me that He was still doing what He always does, it was something he had been challenging me with for a while as he took me to some pretty crazy places and showed me some of the things He was doing in these areas... and I was encouraged, I was encouraged to hear of what He was doing over seas in warzones, refugee camps and prisons. I was convinced that He was still at work in those dark places, utterly convinced.

But if I'm honest I was not as convinced that God's power extended to the country I was born in. Honestly, I had not seen even half the miraculous mind blowing powerful works in the UK that I had seen in other countries.

I had sort of given up on the UK church, maybe it sounds a bit dramatic and yes it probably was pretty dramatic but I sort of did

I couldn't wait to leave the UK and go to a place where God was really at work and if I'm honest I still kind of feel that way a little

But the more I spoke to people all over the UK on the phone, prayed for them and with them, the more I was amazed and encouraged that the Lord is doing far more than we could ask or imagine even in this nation.

I loved hearing from people who God had used to plant churches completely made up of refugees, hearing from people who had set up youth groups and seen families and communities being brought into the Kingdom, hearing from those who God had burdened to pray for years for specific places and things and hearing of how the Lord had powerfully answered their prayers even if it had taken years, hearing of people who has given up everything to move into drug dens and red light areas to love these people and point them to Jesus, I loved praying for little old ladies who had smuggled Bibles and spent most of their lives working in faraway places telling people about Jesus and seeing revival

There is nowhere where God is not at work. Though it seems like everywhere is writhing in pain from all the evil that ravages the earth and it seems like the whole world is so far from God, He is at work. He is not far from us.

The first few chapters of Habbakuk have spoken deeply into my soul recently. It begins with Habbakkuk crying out to God saying

'All I see is violence and bloodshed and godlessness. There is nothing good happening anywhere, only evil. God what are you doing? What could you possibly be doing in this situation? Why will you not intervene?'

And God's reply is basically 'I am doing more than you could ever imagine in these days. If I told you all the plans I have, all the ways I'm working this situation for good you would not believe me.'

There is no situation that He cannot work for the good of His people, the building of His kingdom and the glory of His name.

And we live to experience that Kingdom, so it means ofcourse we will experience that glory in all its fullness one day... but we will also experience the suffering that comes before that glorious day.

But do not be discouraged

I have been hugely encouraged

For the Lord is not finished yet

The Lord is not finished with His church, He is doing far more than we could have ever asked or hoped regardless of what meets the eye

Though to some it feels like this nation is getting further and further away from God, I will not despair for there is an army of faithful warriors who are acting as instruments in God's Kingdom and who the Lord is accomplishing the most glorious things through

I will not lose heart, the church is still being made ready for the day when Jesus returns. There are faithful witnesses all over the world who are awaiting that day and who are seeing God's kingdom come as a present reality, in the UK, in Iraq, in Syria, in Iran, in Somalia, in Nigeria, in Kenya, in China, in North Korea and in every other nation.

From every tribe and tongue they will be gathered before the throne

And the folly of church politics and selfishness and the general nature of what happens when broken people try and convince other broken people that they are well held together good Christian folk... all that brokenness and rubbish and hurt that has been bruising the church will be no more because the Bible says that the bride of Christ will be spotless and without blemish

The lamb wins, He is not done with His church

أمين تعال أيها الرب يسوع
Amen come Lord Jesus

God is good all the time
God is good and that is his nature