In this issue:
-
Tim's ramblings
-
NEW "Make a donation" function on web-site
-
New Marriage Course
-
Good news from here in North Staffs
-
Could you help?? (accomodation)
-
Dudley Soup Kitchen??
-
Songs of Praise date change
-
CRITICAL DEVELOPMENTS RELATING TO THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGULATIONS (SORs)
-
Jobs
Dear Black Countryites,We trust that you are well. Just one week to go to Christmas eh! It has certainly rolled around quickly again hasn't it?We wish you all a very scrumptious Christmas and a glorious New Year.That's more than enough of my ramblings this time; let's hear a little of what God has been saying to us over recent months as THE BLACK COUNTRY CHURCH, if you have the right ears on!You may have seen this in our recent Prayer Net News, but here it is again, as we need to hear this time and time again, as it is written, "Without prophetic revelation, THE PEOPLE wander around without genuine direction".You don't need me to tell you that prophets did not die out in the first century, or that many of them are not recognized in their own town or time, but you may need me to remind you that they rarely ever brought (or bring) major revelation, direction or guidance to just one small part of The Body.They are giftings to the wider Church, and there are things that they bring that we have to hear TOGETHER, otherwise, like seed on bad soil, the words are just words, and they never grow to become what they were destined to be......words becoming flesh and coming to life all around us, and in our communities. When God speaks, it's because He wants us to hear.When God speaks to The Church in The Black Country, He does so as a region (as He did through Paul, John, James and Peter...and of course, through Jesus in Rev 2 & 3), it's because He wants us to hear......and to hear as a group of people in a region. Then, we must work out how we are to act on this.......and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work that one out either!Please open your ears and hearts, and read below.....;.............................................................................................Martin Scott was with us at the recent Prayer Leaders' evening, and he brought a very powerful word to us again which we felt we should share with a wider group of people. In it, he referred to "The Oxen" word, which has been alluded to on so many occasions now. For those of you who may not be aware, there has been a strong prophetic flow into our region over the last 7 years or so, with quite a few consistent themes coming through....one might even think that God was trying to speak to us!!
"I see teams of oxen ....."
"The oxen are here, the plough is ready in the ground" - Martin Scott November 2006
When Martin was with us in May of this year he spoke of us being "in the delivery room", in other words something was about to be birthed in the area.
In November he talked about prayer making such a difference and that we were to stick with what we had got now, we cannot go back, for the sake of the 1.2 Million in The Black Country.
He spoke of a word he gave in Brazil that clocks and watches that had not been working would start to work as a sign that God was getting the clock on the right time scale. I know of two instances where a clock and a watch in our area have restarted.
Martin said God is on the right time scale here. He went on to talk about Jesus being baptised in Mark Chapter 1, how the Holy Spirit came down, there being an open heaven and God saying to Jesus "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Then Jesus went out into the desert for forty days and was tempted by Satan. Martin felt God was saying to us "Well done, I am well pleased" and that His eyes are fixed on us. The sign of an open heaven is divine approval in your life. God wants to break things off us that have been weighing us down. God’s approval breaks junk off us.
Martin then referred to the prophecy about the oxen and that we are already harnessed. We would then find our hearts being turned to the community (our wilderness). He felt we were going to battle at a different level than before. God wants to release fresh strategies for prayer. We were also to wait and hear the clear sound from God (2 Samuel 5:17-25), God is the Lord of the Breakthrough.
He felt we were going to have incredible increase in favour within the community and a release of funds. As we ploughed we would be turning stuff over in the community which would result in exposure.
Reported by Jan Bilingsley (Prayer Net team)
..................................................................................
This may mean nothing to you right now....it may mean everything. Please be open to what Jesus wants to say to you as "The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus".
We need more now than ever to hear from Jesus as a wider church, as congregations and groups, and even more as individuals. We are ALL called into communion and relationship with Jesus as THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH, and as such, we are all on the same level with there being, in reality, no CLERGY/LAIETY divide in The Kingdom of God.
In essence then, every single one of us should hear from Jesus personally. It's as simple as that. If you think you are excused, then think again. If you don't like the sense of personal responsibility to this, then adjust!
The future is all about the release of the Body Of Christ on earth, executing The Father's WILL here, thus bringing about transformation from inside out and reflecting what things look like in Heaven. Maybe it's time that many of us should stop thinking about getting off this planet and escaping to glory, and think about staying put and bringing some of that glory down here.....some of our neighbours and work colleagues might just want to join in!
I pray that these ramblings will challenge and provoke you to seek Him more than ever over this Christmas period. The Black Country doesn't need any more good ideas, mission statements, programs or i-manuals or e-manuals....we need EMMANUEL!
We need Him......Jesus........God WITH us.
He came to be with us.....and our prayer at the end of this year is very simple;
"JESUS....we want to receive more and more of you Lord. Vast numbers of people in our communities have still never really heard your story, and we know that your will is that none should perish. Help us to receive you and your beautiful Spirit, and help us to position ourselves to be be ultra-receptive with no barriers". LET IT BE!
I close these ramblings with a statement I heard on a CD by Bill Johnson this week (as recommended by our friends at Revival Fires in Dudley) that shook me to the core. I pray that you too will have reason to repent (to change your thinking/persepctive on reality), as you consider how utterly awesome Jesus really is, and how passionate He is about reaching you, your family, your friends and your enemies. He said,
"Jesus is living inside so many of us, yet He is imprisoned by our THINKING".
Guys, let's let Him loose on The Black Country. Let us repent, for The Kingdom is truly at hand, OR WITHIN REACH.
Much love,
Tim
On behalf of The Net Core Vision Team.
January 20075th--Special Leaders' Net with Winkie Pratney--0900-1200hrs--Junction 10, Walsallxth--Prayer Net10th--Business Net at The Quality Hotel Dudley---0700-0900hrs22nd--Prayer Leaders of The Black Country--2000-2130hrs23/4th--24hr retreat for Black Country leaders31st----gathering od Social Entrepreneurs at Day One Radio Ettingshall (1100-1400hrs)February5/12/19/26th--Prayer Net (details on request);7th--Business Net at The Quality Hotel Dudley---0700-0900hrs13th--Leaders' Net at All Nations (Wolves)--0930-1300hrs (then lunch)25th--Together 4 The Black Country--xxxxxxxx
MAKE A DONATION
Many have asked us over the years how The Net is funded. Essentially, we have been financed by ordinary people and a few handfulls of church congregations. But we sense that things have been changing again recently, and we want to give you opportunity to SOW into what God is doing with us TOGETHER in our region................
You can do this in various ways;
1)you can now make one-off donations on-line with credit/debit cards;
2)you can download standing order and GIFT AID forms there too.
If you do not see God at work in what we're about, or in our vision, then please ignore this, but if you recognize His hand on our vision, strategy and activity, you can now be part of what is happening by sowing into US....yes, "US".
This is your opportunity to respond, both now, and in future as this will regularly feature on our web-site as we are not a government-funded organization, but a Kingdom Body depending on The Body to produce the necessary funding and resources to keep the synergy in motion..........as and when and how you sense such leading........
special leaders' net newsDear Black Country Leaders,We are delighted to announce a very special Leaders Net session with international speaker Winkie Pratney.Winkie is an amazing communicator and thinker; he is visiting the United Kingdom to be the key-note speaker at the National Conference for Youth For Christ.As Black Country leaders, we have the opportunity to host and question him for the morning.He has deep insights into current thinking and trends within modern culture.The session is planned for Friday 5th January at The Church @ Junction 10, Walsall, from 9:30-12.00 noon......Coffee will be served on arrival, but no lunch this time.Please could you book yourselves in as soon as possible......an offering wil be taken as a gift to Winkie.Blessings,TimOn behalf of The Net
NEXT BUSINESS NET---------WEDNESDAY 10TH JANUARY (as in listings above)NEW MARRIAGE COURSE
For more details see click
Good news from here in North Staffs... (our "oxen partners")For more details see click
Could you help?? (accomodation)
The ‘gathering’ is a major youth event coming to Bethel West Bromwich Feb. 9-11th 2007. Churches to provide overnight accommodation are urgently needed…Basic accommodation (floor space and toilets – they bring their own airbeds etc) for teenagers attending the Gathering event in West Bromwich. They arrive around 11pm on Friday 9th Feb, leave around 9.30 next morning (although they will need to leave their stuff for the next night). They then come back late Saturday night and vacate on Sunday morning at a time to suit the church giving the accommodation. They will need a basic breakfast – cereal & toast and drink making facilities – this can either be provided or it’s easier if the church can arrange this and the organisers will reimburse them.
If you can help please contact: info@serious4god.co.uk
Thanks,
Leon Evans (Zion CC--Halesowen)
Dudley Soup Kitchen??
Does The Net know of any Dudley-based organisations who will be operating a soup kitchen on Christmas day? I've been asked to find out on behalf of a colleague who's interested in spending Christmas lunchtime assisting homeless/disadvantaged members of our community.
Can you help please? Don't worry if the answer's no.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks
Deb (Dudley Christian Fellowship)
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU DO AND WE'LL PASS ON (ED)..... anna@thenet.org.uk
IMPORTANT DATE CHANGESONGS OF PRAISE AT HIMLEY HALL-----10TH ANNIVERSARY----DATE CHANGE FROM 01-07-07 TO 01-06-07-----7PM ONWARDS---DETAILS ON 01902 673958----CRITICAL DEVELOPMENTS RELATING TO THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGULATIONS (SORs)
Important update
Critical developments in the situation regarding the SORs have taken place over the past few days. Having taken many people by surprise in publishing the Northern Ireland (NI) Regulations early, and before even responding to the consultation process that had taken place, the Government have now accelerated the process still further by rushing to lay the NI SORs before Parliament late last Friday (24th November).
For more information click
1 - Church Administrator - click link above
2 - Community Engagement & Development Officer - click link above
3 - Project Worker for Inclusive Children’s Arts Festival , Wolverhampton - click link above
