Though covenants are rarely used or understood in our modern western culture, there is enormous benefit to seeking understanding and insight into God’s creation of ‘covenants’. It is encouraging to consider that God created the idea and use of covenants and when we seek the Scriptures it is very clear that He considers them to be very important. If God, the Creator of all things, considers something to be important – then indeed, whether we understand it or not, it is important!

We have already highlighted that in modern western culture it is a phrase we would rarely use and so one of the first things we can do is look at covenants not through a Greek/gentilic mindset, but through a Hebrew mindset. It will be helpful to look at God’s relationship with Israel and Israel’s relationship with God to understand covenant more, as I believe the people group who understand covenants best is the Jews. They are the only ethnic group on the planet whose identity is based on a covenant with God. No other ethnic people group on earth can say that they are who they are because God has chosen them to be a covenant people with Him. The Jews are a covenant people, they are literally called, in Hebrew, b’nai b’rith which means ‘the sons of the covenant.’ Romans 9:4-5 speaks of the people of Israel, “Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.”

Their call and purpose were to learn to walk in covenant with their God so that the Messiah could be born on the earth to a people group who were the Lord’s covenant people. The Messiah had to be born amongst a people group who were in covenant relationship with the Lord. The Old Testament then is filled with stories of how this covenant relationship was working out; God showing His faithfulness, but Israel often not meeting the requirements of the covenant.

So, as we seek Hebraic understanding of covenant, we are sure to gain a better understanding of our New Covenant relationship with God, through Christ Jesus. Dr Robert Heidler defines covenant as “a solemn and binding commitment between two or more parties”. He goes on to write, “It is a pledge of total loyalty. In covenant, you are permanently identifying yourself with another person.”¹

God’s covenant with Israel is confirmed through the fact that God has forever identified Himself with the Jewish people:

• God has named Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob forever, Exodus 3:15 
• He is the God of Jacob, who became Israel, Genesis 32:28 & 35:10
• Jesus Himself, born of the Jewish tribe of Judah will forever be known as, “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” Revelation 5:5 
• God has even identified Himself with this people group so much that the eternal home of His people and dwelling place of Himself, the New Jerusalem, will have a great high wall with twelve gates. On the gates through which we enter the New Jerusalem are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, Revelation 21:12

These are signs of God’s covenant faithfulness!
God is a covenant-making God and He wants to be in covenant relationship with His chosen people. God has made covenant with Israel, but more importantly, God has made covenant with the Church of Jesus Christ – those who are redeemed and purchased by His Son. We are a covenant people, of the New Covenant – of which Christ is the mediator. God is now entirely faithful to us and identifies with us as His children and Him as our Father! We can learn from Old Testament scripture some helpful insights into the New Covenant with Christ.

Let’s look at a covenant in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.”

What is going on here? They were performing a covenant-making ceremony which involved exchanges.

Exchanging robes is symbolising an exchange of identity. Jonathan would have worn his prince’s robe, a royal robe, and David may have been wearing his shepherd’s robe. As Jonathan and David entered covenant, they exchanged their identities – literally saying, ‘I identify myself with you, I will share in who you are, and you will share in who I am.’

That’s what Jesus has done with us! Jesus put on Himself our robes of filth and sin, and in exchange has given us His robe of righteousness. He identified Himself with us by “being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man”, Philippians 2:7-8, whilst we become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His glory!

The belt is a symbol of strength, and so they exchanged strength for strength. David may have had a shepherd’s belt, whereas Jonathan would have had a prince’s warrior’s belt. Their exchange of belts would have meant, ‘My strength is now your strength’.

Again, that’s what Jesus has done for us! Jesus has given us His strength, His power – that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, whilst He took the form of man and humbled Himself and took on our weaknesses, Isaiah 53:4.

Jonathan gave David his sword and bow, whilst David may have given Jonathan his shepherd’s sling. This is significant! The exchange of weapons symbolises the exchange of enemies. Literally saying, ‘Your enemies are now my enemies. I will fight those who fight against you. When you are attacked, I will show my covenant loyalty to you and come to your aid.
I will fight against your enemies.’ This is at the heart of covenant.

This is true of our relationship with Jesus. As we are covenant partners with Him, our enemies are His enemies, and God has promised to be our defender. But also, God’s enemies are now our enemies. When we enter covenant with Jesus, we gain a new enemy: Satan! Covenant brings you into warfare!² 

Covenant then, is an incredibly important aspect of spiritual warfare. The spirit realm respects the authority and binding agreement of covenant, and we are encouraged that when we warfare for the Kingdom of God, we acknowledge and honour the covenant that we have with God through Christ Jesus.

However, being in covenant requires faithfulness and loyalty – we are to honour our covenant agreement. Our faithful covenant-making God hates broken covenants, and the Lord even warns us that there can be severe consequences to this. Isaiah 24:5-6 says, “The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.” Unfaithfulness in marriage and divorce are very common these days, but these are indeed broken covenants and as well as bringing much harm to the family, it can bring curse upon the land.

Godly covenants aren’t of course the only covenants that can be made and unfortunately the results of ungodly covenants can be disastrous. Sometimes when Flame has taught on the subject of ungodly covenants bringing curse upon the land and its people, the local church has identified ungodly covenants made on the land. Where ungodly covenants (often sealed with blood) have been made on the land, the only power that overthrows the terms of that covenant is the power of the blood covenant of Jesus Christ. The local church then, through confession, repentance and forgiveness, can pray for the land to be cleansed and ungodly covenants to be broken in the Name of Jesus, overcoming the evil powers from the ungodly covenant with the power of God.

One time a Flame team were in the Nuba Mountain Bible College, Sudan, where there were sicknesses and death on the land as the forefathers had covenanted the land to the powers of darkness. After a time of confession, repentance and forgiveness, Communion was taken on the land and the curses broken by the Bishop, Church leaders, and members. The Flame team learnt some months later from one of the Pastors at the Bible College when the cleansing was done, that there had been no more sickness and death!

Another time in Kenema, Sierra Leone, the Flame team met with the local Pentecostal Pastor who was a nephew of the Tribal Chief who was Muslim, and we had been asked to take extra, extra large t-shirts as gifts! We did that and gave them to the Chiefs who were very pleased with us because it was in their tribal colour of bottle green. They said they gave us authority to do all the Lord had sent us to do.

So, under that authority we were informed that their ancestors had covenanted the land to the powers of darkness. Terrible bloodshed was enacted on this land with soldiers gambling about the gender of children in women’s wombs and then found out who won in very violent ways!

The churches came together in unity and broke bread together, stood in the gap and repented of the sins of their ancestors. They forgave them, then took the wine representing the blood of Jesus and poured it on the ungodly covenanted land and broke the curses.

The next day one Pentecostal Pastor came and told us that he had a dream that a prophecy of 15 years ago had been fulfilled. He said, “I never believed it would be through a bunch of old white women!” We laughed, but we knew the Lord had completed a miracle!

May we be encouraged then, to consider and honour the covenant relationship we have with the Most High, through Jesus Christ. Lord, give us greater insight and understanding of the New Covenant and give us grace to be utterly faithful to it. Let us also consider if we have previously made ungodly covenants and renounce them in the Name of Jesus, and re-affirm the covenant of Christ, breaking the curses and commanding any ungodly spirits to go.

We are hopeful that in these days there will be an awakening to the power and blessing of healing the land. As some of you may go forward in this initiative, gathering others of like mind, seek the Lord as to if there are any ungodly covenants that have been made over the area of land. If you are operating in a Church Body, under godly authority, we can stand in the gap on behalf of ungodly covenants made, and through confession, repentance and forgiveness we can renounce and break ungodly covenants in the Name of Jesus. As we then re-affirm our covenant with Jesus Christ, we can pray for curses to be broken and for the Lord’s blessings to come. As we come before the Lord with holy fear, wanting to honour Him and His covenant, remember Psalm 85:9, “Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.”

The fear of the Lord is perhaps the greatest treasure the Church needs in these days. That is a big statement, but I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it was true! Many of us may be aware of the subtle withdrawing from the ways of the fear of God over the past several decades, but it is also at this present time that the message of the fear of the Lord is re-appearing; in books, sermons, prayers, dreams and in lives lived out.
 
God absolutely desires His people to have a holy fear of Him, Psalm 147:11. It is a gift from Him, not to be ignored. In past decades there has been a wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on much of the worldwide Church, and we know it very well in the West. For the post-World War Church, this outpouring has been a healing revelation of the Father heart of God and a deeper understanding of the enormous grace of God, even given to us through the increase of spiritual gifts. This is wonderful. But over time I believe the pendulum has swung so far towards the side of love, grace and the use of the gifts that we have largely forgotten the fear of God, the pursuit of holiness, the eternal and fiery judgement of God, the discipline of the Lord to His people and consequences for sin, and the absolute ‘non-negotiables’ of God’s nature and laws that are subtly being dismissed in much of the Ecclesia today, resulting in many believers in Christ to not just tolerate but rejoice in and support the growth of sins that God considers an abomination.

As we draw nearer to the return of Christ, it is prophesied in the book of Malachi that there will be a great distinction between the people of God and the people of this world, and the mark of this will be the fear of the Lord in His people, Malachi 3:16-18. The Holy Spirit is trumpeting a message in these days to be made ready and blameless for the Lord’s coming, and an undeniable aspect of perfecting holiness for the Church is to return to the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord comes with a greater revelation of the nature of God and I believe the highest revelation of the nature of God is that He is holy. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”, Revelation 4:8, is the revelation spoken out from the mighty Seraphim who are continually in His presence. This means that in Him is light, there is no darkness or sin; He is utterly perfect. As this is His nature, He calls His people to live in His same nature; “Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy”, Leviticus 19:2, and “without holiness, no one will see the Lord”, Hebrews 12:14.

Every believer and follower of Christ is called to holiness, but we must consider our pursuit of holy living. 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” The perfecting of holiness for the bride of Christ is done in the fear of God. This is both hopeful and insightful.

God’s holiness combines with His hatred towards sin and evil, “Six things the LORD hates, seven which are an abomination to Him….”, Proverbs 6:16-19. God’s hatred of sin and evil does not contradict His love as it is entirely connected. Consider it simply; If God loves justice, He must therefore hate injustice. Likewise, if God loves covenant faithfulness, He must therefore hate covenant unfaithfulness. “I hate divorce”, the Lord says in Malachi 2:16. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil”. This is a foundational understanding of the fear of the Lord and comes from identifying oneself with the Lord who is holy and who hates evil. When we can begin to comprehend that we might be doing something that God absolutely hates, we begin to be aware of the fear of the Lord.

Holiness and hatred of sin and evil are foundational aspects of fearing the Lord, but I would say a self-awareness of fearing Him comes when we fear His discipline and the possible consequences for sin. The entirety of Scripture from beginning in Genesis to ending in Revelation is full of the warnings of God and  when He gives His people a warning that they do not heed, there can be costly consequences. This is not just an Old Testament theme, but very much so a continuation for the Church today. We know such consequences of sin for the Israelites who tested the Lord in the wilderness included tens of thousands dying before the Lord, but as the early Church was founded after Pentecost two followers of Christ, Ananias and Sapphira, conspired to test the Spirit of the Lord which resulted in their immediate death, Acts 5:4-9. Of course, this holy fear of Christ’s judgement and discipline caused the fear of the Lord to come upon the whole Church community and even on unbelievers – resulting in many more people coming to salvation, Acts 5:11-14 and the Church being strengthened, Acts 9:31.

A sign of the lack of the fear of God, therefore, is hearing a warning from God and thinking, “Oh, He wouldn’t actually do that to me – it’ll be fine”.

In the book of Genesis, we understand that the reason sin came into humanity at the very beginning was because of a lack of the fear of God. God had warned Adam and Eve, “If you eat of this fruit, you will surely die”. That should have invoked a holy fear into their hearts! A fear of God’s judgement, a fear of just consequences for their sin. If Adam and Eve had a holy fear of God, that would have kept them from sinning, as “through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided”, Proverbs 16:6. In the book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus also gives warnings to His Church that if they do not repent, very costly and eternal consequences shall be given, Revelation 2 & 3. But here we come to the point we all need to grasp, if we sincerely repent, His mercy is granted and we are restored to Him. Jesus says, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent”, Revelation 3:19. The fear of the Lord, therefore, leads us to hope-filled repentance.

I want now to consider a question that we will look through for the rest of this article. How can this holy fear be the key to release the blessings of heaven onto the earth, in our communities, cities and nations? Let us take encouragement that when God comes down into our midst in glory, the Spirit of the fear of the Lord utterly transforms lives. Duncan Campbell who experienced the 1949-1953 revival in the Hebrides writes, “Revival is a going of God among his people, and an awareness of God laying hold of the community. Here we see the difference between a successful campaign and revival; in the former we may see many brought to a saving knowledge of the truth, and the church or mission experience a time of quickening, but so far as the town or district is concerned no real change is visible; the world goes on its way and the dance and picture – shows are still crowded: but in revival the fear of God lays hold upon the community, moving men and women, who until then had no concern for spiritual things, to seek after God.”¹

In the March 2026 Burning Issues, we wrote an article on ‘Healing the Land’ – one of Flame’s most transformational teachings. We teach from Scripture how sin can bring defilement and curse upon the land. This sin and defilement can allow demonic strongholds over a given area, and this ungodly spiritual presence is like a shroud, blinding the eyes and hearts of the people in that area to the fullness and glory of Jesus Christ. God then gives this mandate to His people, the Church; “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”, 2 Chronicles 7:14.

In order for us in Christ Jesus to stand in the gap on behalf of the sin on the land, we need to understand God’s hatred of sin, His just consequences for sin, the importance of our personal holiness, and know the wisdom of God as He shares with us about the hidden darkness and sin that is polluting the land. Psalm 25:14 tells us that, “The Lord confides in those who fear Him”, and this is absolutely key in seeking the Lord for what sin has happened on the land. He will share it with those whom He can trust, and they will have the same attitude towards sin that He does! Rev. Dr. Alistair Petrie writes, “It is the Lord Himself who will instruct us as to why any particular area is closed or blinded to the knowledge of His call upon their lives….that is the moment when impediments and obstacles that have prevented earlier transforming revival from taking place can be addressed and removed.”² But God’s co-workers must  be walking in holiness themselves before interceding for the sins of others, for first we are to remove the plank from our own eye, before removing the speck out of theirs! Alistair continues to write, “When the fear of the Lord is prayed into and over a city, God reveals, informs, gives insight, and gives instruction on what needs to be done. We start with ourselves [emphasis mine]. We address any areas of sin that the Lord reveals, both past and present, and repent before Him for the sin, asking His forgiveness. Then we extend this into corporate prayer. Any footholds the enemy has accessed are then revealed and addressed since the sin that was the foundation for such footholds has now been identified, repented of, and removed. Then the actual healing of the land can be appropriated in a manner that releases the heart and purpose and destiny of the Lord in any given area.”³ The fear of the Lord then, is a ‘non-negotiable’ for effective intercession to heal the land and bring about revival. “We can only really pray for authentic revival to take place to the degree that we have the fear of the Lord in our own lives before we pray for it to be released into our communities”⁴ (Petrie).

Not only is the fear of the Lord a pre-requisite to these things, but it is also the ultimate result! What we truly hope for is for revival in our communities and in our nation, and the hallmark of a true revival is the release of the fear of the Lord. So then, for those who long to see revival shake their nation, for the healing of the land, we are to earnestly seek the fear of the Lord – for ourselves first, then others. Be encouraged with God’s desire to transform lives through the holy fear of God. As Petrie puts it, “Praying for a release of the fear of the Lord is perhaps one of the most powerful weapons that we can appropriate from God’s arsenal.”.

When the Armenia trip opened it seemed apparent that the Lord had opened a door for us. We had prayed for Armenia for many years, and Dave had visited Yerevan with an Aid organisation only three years before.

We had some experience of short-term mission, but it soon became clear that the level of preparation was going to be more thorough and rigorous with Flame. The Forge course has relevant teaching, but as well as weekly Team Prayer in the build-up we also had a special Zoom preparation as ‘first timers.’ This was all very reassuring, and we felt that we were ‘in good hands’, albeit with the comment from an old hand that ‘Mission with Flame is not for the faint hearted!’ Amongst other things we noted the strong emphasis on unity, trusting the Lord, keeping flexible and practicalities like keeping away from alcohol and politics!
So, we set off into the unknown and began our sharp learning curve... new culture, new team and new roles. Annette oversaw the props with Dave taking pictures and praying over the conference room alongside Steve. Everyone was to lead some of the morning and evening devotionals and many were participating in the teaching slots during the Conference. This seemed to us a time of ‘opportunity’, both to serve and to be stretched, coupled with ‘responsibility.’ And not for the ‘faint hearted!’

Possibly unlike mission to other places, the Armenia Mission didn’t present great practical challenges for us as first timers. The Hotel was quaint but comfortable, the food was plentiful and mostly familiar, and we were only a stone’s throw from shops and cafés in the nearby village. The challenges came from different sources.

Dave found the initial couple of days quite challenging, Annette less so. Despite all the theoretical preparation it’s only in the real-life outworking that issues emerge. He describes the working out as to what’s appropriate, what nurtures and what erodes spiritual unity as the real culture shock for him. On reflection, this underscores the wisdom of the initial couple of days where the team were busy from morning to night with devotions and breaking bread, rehearsing dramas, as well as reading words and scriptures sent by those interceding for us back home. All necessary activities… but also excellent for team bonding.
 
Particularly helpful, and unifying, was the teaching on prophetic intercession. This emphasised keeping our hearts right before God and each other. We declared three times over, ‘Jesus is Lord! Jesus is My lord! Jesus is Our Lord!’. Corporate humility leads to corporate unity which leads to corporate authority – this was our experience the entire time. Everything was bathed in prayer under the fear of the Lord. The use of declarations and the process of crafting a declaration for Armenia was also an eye opener. This is just one example of how, in going to serve, the Lord blessed with insights, teaching and equipping which came as an unexpected treasure to bring home.

We were also privileged to be involved with the trialling of a new prayer ministry model. We were to listen to the Lord in pairs for the delegates, both to encourage them in their callings and to identify any strongholds designed to oppose them. We received initial training on this from Graham and looked forward to applying this with the delegates.
 
On the first Sunday we divided into groups to visit three churches. Gail had spoken in our Devotions on Mary pouring costly perfume on the feet of Jesus so that they carried that perfume with them. We both felt that we carried this to the church at Charentsevan where Jan spoke about Generational Blessings and Curses. The drama was well received, and we prayed for 48 people before heading to the Pastor’s house for a wonderful lunch. Meeting the people was a great experience and gave us further insight into the Armenian culture. 

The Conference then began later that evening, and the team worked seamlessly together. We all knew our roles, encouraging and covering each other. For most of the talks two or three people were interceding outside as the worship, teaching and dramas proceeded. Then, each evening after the meal, we returned to minister in pairs to individual delegates. Although relatively inexperienced in personal ministry we both were encouraged at how our revelation was in harmony with our partners, at the enthusiastic response of the delegates and how the Lord was working. By Thursday there was such a sense of freedom and relief as God had clearly spoken and touched many lives. Testimonies were given of healing from long standing pain and sleeplessness and delegates shared how they had received new freedom and new vision for their future ministry. It was wonderful to break bread together and to present certificates in an atmosphere of fun and real affection.

On Friday we had a day off – and what a day! Beautiful weather, a visit to two monasteries – one on the border with Turkey in full view of mighty Ararat with eagles flying overhead. We finished with a tour of the beautiful countryside and a then meal gifted to the team in a lovely, secluded garden.
 
On Saturday we had the privilege of praying with Pastor Vardan and his wife Anush. Pastor Vardan is a significant figure in the unfolding story of the Lord’s work in Armenia and surrounding nations. He has worked to foster unity amongst diverse church leaders and has facilitated the Flame missions in recent years. He has suffered health problems recently and we were able to pray for this wonderful couple, for their health and their envisioning for Armenia’s strategic positioning on the Silk Road and the Isaiah 19 Highway. Afterwards, as a team, we prayed for Flame’s emerging role in Armenia. Our prayers for Vardan and for the future work continue here in the UK.

On Sunday we were again out to the churches. With Jan and Tom, our interpreter and driver, we went to Chambarak in the eastern mountains and just 1km from Azerbaijan. Only three years ago the two nations were at war! Again, we received wonderful hospitality, shared on Generational Influences and the Father’s Love and we either hugged or prayed with most of the congregation. As we drove back along the shore of beautiful Lake Sevan surrounded by snowcapped mountains, we felt deep gratitude both to the Lord and the Flame Leadership.
 
Monday was a day of individual debriefing then packing, rest and the long journey home. With Jan we were able to reflect on our experience and contribution. As we expected there was nothing of sentimentality in that final process, just realistic appraisal, lessons to be learned and lots of encouragement. Mission with Flame may not be for the ‘faint hearted’ but, for us, it far exceeded expectations and whatever price we paid in terms of cash, time and sleepless nights, we can only recommend the experience.

3-day trauma training with Pastors and Leaders
We ministered to 90 pastors from Central and North Nigeria for 3 days. Their lives are very hard and yet they come and worship the Lord and we saw their joy!

Testimonies from this conference:
Simon: I am one of the victims from an attack where 36 people were killed, and all our houses were burnt down including my house. Since that time whenever I remember all the losses, I feel like falling. But coming here yesterday and hearing your programme I give God the glory – all the feelings and anger I had before having been erased from my mind now. I have forgiven them forever.

Fidelis: His church is full of hurts, wounds and bitterness. He came on the course last year. He took the teaching back and ran a course like this in his church, including nailing forgiveness on the cross. The bitterness and divisions in the church were healed, and it is still in unity.

Emmanuel: He had much pain in his body. Yesterday during the prayer led from the front, he was told to touch the area where the pain was. The pain went.

Harris: Had recently been transferred to a new placement which really challenged his faith. He saw people massacred like animals and his student’s made orphans, they were deeply traumatised because they had seen their parents butchered. He felt angry with God. Right from the first session, God started to deal with him, he had to forgive himself and realise God is still God. He spoke to the bishop and said one of the best things that was ever done for him was to allow him to come here. “It’s as if the conference was made for me”.  

2-day War Survivors Conference
 On the first day we started to minister to 100 people, but this rose to 549 on the second day. They Lord just brought them and touched most of them with His healing. We taught on Anger as well as many other subjects. Below are some of the statements they made of things that made them angry. They give you a taste of what they are suffering:

• The Fulani burnt my house, took all my food and they killed my brother 
• The Fulani killed my father and took all I have; I am angry with Fulani - they burnt 8 of our villages and we cannot return
• The Fulani killed my son, my husband and my younger sister. I don’t have anywhere to sleep I want the Fulani to disappear
• Fulani killed my husband - they burnt the house and took all I have. I have nothing

Testimonies from this conference:
Lilret: After the teachings yesterday, I went back home and slept. I have not slept well for a long time. I read my Bible and then slept. I woke up at 5am and prayed.

Pastor: I went home and laid down and slept - thank you for this teaching.

Raudta: Her father was killed and since then she couldn’t sleep. Last night she was able to sleep.

Pastor Joshua: I felt as though I was going to die but with these prayers I feel I have peace of mind. 

Peter: He said he was happier than everyone because, ‘this teaching has impacted me and touched my heart. When the Fulani people chased us out - I vowed I must kill them. But when I heard the teaching and I have left everything in the hands of God.’

4-day conference at the Drug Rehab centre
We had the privilege of being with these precious young people and praying for them individually. On the second day 37 of them gave their lives to Jesus.

Testimonies from this conference:
Daniel: I want to appreciate God and all he had done for me. I was carrying things inside me and when I received prayer they all left me. I have been carrying this weight since 2014. I have been struggling to know how to get rid of this pain until yesterday. Being here has given us hope and freedom thanks be to God.

Mary: I thank you because I couldn’t forgive or forget - I was always angry, but I have forgiven my mother, and God has changed my life.

Chake: I want to thank God - to share from the blessing I have received. Before I got here, I was really grieving- the Fulani took all our food and destroyed our community. I hated the Fulani. But I have begun to see the light of God and have been liberated from the darkness. I have been able to forgive the Fulani. I also feel that I have received forgiveness as well. Please Pray for us - please do not forget to pray us.

Patience: I don’t know where to start - I used to be a very angry person -
I used to snap. I have been carrying so many people in my heart - so heavy.

I just felt a weight drop from me. I felt to call people and tell them how I feel. To bless them and to love them. We don’t want the Flame team to go. I have taken a lot of alcohol, but after the prayers I have stopped now.

Eric: I came here a very grieving and heavy person - a very heavy load for me. I have had the most amazing 4 days of my life. For so many years I have carried such a load and now I have managed to get rid of this load.

We may, or may not, be aware of the Jezebel spirit but I suspect that at some point we will all have been exposed to it. In this article we’ll explore what it is, what it does, the effect it has and finally what we can do about it, there is good news! One thing that makes this difficult is that we are more adept at seeing this in others than we are in ourselves, so there will be the need for us to look honestly as we consider this.

How do we feel about authority?
It seems that the prevailing mood in our day is to treat all authority with suspicion and something to actively resist. I believe this is a mistake as it also encompasses Godly authority. Yes, of course, we need to call out the abuse of power, but at the same time we need to recognise that we ourselves are under authority, most obviously under the authority of Jesus. Our starting point is the Lordship of Jesus and our surrender and submission to Him. He has authority over us. He equips His disciples to exercise godly authority. When we are fully under godly authority, we will exercise godly authority.

Jezebel is one of the major ways Satan uses to war against and subvert godly authority, to try and replace it with ungodly control. Ungodly control is fed by the lie that unless we control things they will go wrong or not work out as we want. Satan wants us to exercise ungodly control. When we do that, we exert pressure on someone to over-ride their free will choice to get our own way.

Godly authority always values free will and the ability to make a choice without pressure or coercion. God always makes sure, that in our relationship with Him, we understand what the choices are and what the consequences of those choices are. “I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.” Deuteronomy 30:19.

Jesus is invitational, He invites us to follow Him. This choice is sacrificial, costly, where we lay aside our own agenda with its self-serving, self-seeking desires to live His way. We are to pick up our cross, daily, and follow him, Luke 9:23. However, we live in a fallen world. We are in a spiritual battle between the desires of the flesh (body and soul) and the spirit, Romans 7. As a result of our fallenness, at some point in our lives, we will have either been controlled or controlling. For some of us this is a current, rather than a past, experience.

We’ll look briefly at domination, manipulation and intimidation, which are closely associated with Jezebel and then go on to look at the spirit of Jezebel. Domination is the use of force to get someone to submit or do what the other wants. Manipulation is coercive control, sometimes subtle in its approach, which can also be use of emotions to bend another to their will, or giving the silent treatment.  

Intimidation can be through the threat of violence, but also through mood swings. You don’t know how someone will react. They fly off the handle.

The problem is that these behaviours are effective. They get others to do what the controlling person wants. So, for that person, there is little incentive to change, regardless of the damage it causes to themselves and to the people they control. It masks brokenness.

So, what about Jezebel? We encounter the person Jezebel in 1 and 2 Kings. Elijah defeats the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings:18. Ahab tells Jezebel, 1 Kings 19:1. She sends a message, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 1 Kings 19:2. Elijah runs for his life, 1 Kings 19:3.

Have you ever wondered why Elijah fled so easily from one woman having just defeated the 450 prophets of Baal? The reason is this is spiritual, demonic ungodly control, the heart of the Jezebel spirit! Elijah was reacting because a spirit of fear had landed on him. It was not the threat from Jezebel, in and of itself, but rather the demonic spirit operating in her that impacted him and caused Elijah to flee.

What does scripture reveal to us about the Jezebellic spirit? In Revelation 2 we find the spirit of Jezebel at work. “I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet.” Revelation 2:20. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but … against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” What are we to do when we are confronted by the Jezebel spirit? We are to contend with the spirit behind the person that’s in front of us. This enables us to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you”, Matthew 5:44. We extend grace to the person but do not tolerate the spirit in operation.
It needs to be noted that the Jezebel spirit is not gender specific, men can equally exhibit this as well as women.

For Jezebel to operate it needs an Ahab, someone who is not willing to challenge, who is passive, anything for a quiet life, best not rock to boat, it’s not worth the hassle. They don’t want to confront because of what is likely to come back.

How does Jezebel become established and what causes people to behave this way? It could be abuse, trauma, generational influences, unforgiveness, bitterness, broken and wounded spirits. Rejection is a huge doorway for Jezebel. As a result of this they project their wounding away from themselves and go on the offensive to mask their own brokenness. They use guilt as a weapon. Have you ever challenged someone about something, and you are the one that ends up apologising? That’s likely to be a Jezebel spirit at work. They play the victim; they might use emotional blackmail, ‘You are rejecting me like everyone else.’ Remember, we are gracious to the person, but not to the spirit behind it.

The Jezebel spirit craves influence and will do anything to get it. They are good at blame shifting. You will rarely hear someone with the Jezebel spirit apologise. They often twist the truth, telling half-truths that have the sound of authenticity but leave out vital details that give the whole picture and completely change the narrative. Has someone ever said something, and it has got you to question something that you knew to be true? You start to doubt yourself? That’s likely to be a Jezebel spirit.

Jezebel tries to make themself indispensable. They are self-appointed “calls herself a prophet”, Revelation 2:20. They use spiritual language to manipulate situations, ‘God has told me’. However, they quench the Spirit, engineering things in their favour. Now, we absolutely believe that God speaks today, but this is not what is going on here. Has anyone ever said to you, ‘Everyone is saying’, ‘I’m sure you’ll agree….’ It may be an attempt to manipulate; it is a Jezebel spirit.

Let’s consider what happened to Elijah and see some of the effects of the Jezebel spirit. Elijah flees from Jezebel due to the demonic spirit at work in her, he has allowed a spirit of fear to land on him; notice he did not pray on receiving the message from Jezebel. Do we get fearful when we consider addressing a particular person? Does the prospect of confronting that person fill you with dread? It is not the person but rather the spirit behind that causes the fear. “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. If we are afraid, it can be a spirit. It has power because we submit to it, tolerate it. This is a constant battle. Jezebel must control circumstances and situations and those around them. Sometimes it is subtle. It wants to get close to those with authority. Wants to influence. Wants the power but not the responsibility. ‘I’ve got your back’, ‘I’m called to serve you’. On other occasions it is anything but subtle and makes people back off due to the aggression.

Have you ever wanted to get away from everything and everybody? “Elijah went a day’s journey into the wilderness.” There is a huge difference between solitude and isolation. In a church setting this person brings division. They aim to divide and conquer setting one person against another. They use gossip dressed up as spiritual concern. ‘Would you pray for …’. This spirit can cause leaders to back off, to withdraw and not to confront. It feels as if it’s just not worth the aggravation. This toleration is the Ahab spirit at work.

Elijah was exhausted. We can be too when we try to appease the person in front of us rather than contending with the spirit behind the behaviour. It impacts our thoughts, decisions and feelings. There is a lack of peace, and we may have difficulty sleeping. We may think we’ll get a quiet life by giving in to the person but then there’s always the next thing. It’s never enough because there is a spirit at the root. This spirit wants to dominate and keep others in bondage. As long as it is tolerated it will impact us.

Elijah felt he wanted to die. People impacted by Jezebel may even have thoughts of suicide, or at least they may have thoughts of quitting, getting away, doing something different. All of this is down to the demonic spirit of Jezebel. At one point while in church leadership I thought, ‘If I was just incapacitated for a while, nothing serious, just sufficient to keep me in bed for a while, I would get some peace.’ It was a Jezebel spirit at work.

What can we do? We should not start by saying, ‘You’ve got a Jezebel spirit!’ That would not be helpful. We are dealing with a spirit, and it needs a spiritual solution. Let the Lord deal with you before you try to deal with Jezebel in someone else. Is there an area of our lives that is not fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus? God desires you to be transformed and clean before Him. To dispel darkness, we must turn on the light. As a friend of mine said, “God will deliver you from your enemies, not your friends!” We must be prepared to surrender control to Jesus, repent of, and be delivered of, any Jezebel in us. Ask the question, have I controlled people? Is there a root of rejection, abuse, trauma or a generational influence in me? If so, confess, repent, forgive, cut ungodly influences, cast out the spirit of Jezebel, cover with the blood of Jesus and fill with the Spirit. Have I, or am I being, controlled? Have I been an Ahab? In which case confess, repent, forgive.

This may be an active situation. In which case when we meet with the person, we can bind the spirit of Jezebel in them, Matthew 18:18, forbid it to operate and pray the blood of Jesus over ourselves. This will not release the person from the Jezebel spirit, but it is effective in curtailing its influence. We must not respond according to the flesh as this is not the answer. Do not retaliate in kind; that only manipulates the evil you are trying to overcome. The truth is for someone to be set free from a Jezebel spirit they need to recognise that it is in operation in themselves, it’s difficult but not impossible! The thing that we cannot do is think that it will just go away. We must not tolerate the spirit of Jezebel, Revelation 2:20, but by the blood of Jesus it can be overcome.“ He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world!”, 1 John 4:4.

Read more Burning Issues articles here.

When people discuss giving, money tends to come up first. Other forms exist too, and giving is often framed as time, talent, and treasure.
 
This article focuses on giving to missions, mostly from the treasure angle. To do so, I draw on what the Bible says about money and on well-known examples of believers supporting mission, to consider what healthy giving looks like when done in partnership with God and for the furtherance of His Kingdom

Challenge
Giving to churches in general, and to missions in particular, faces a rapidly changing world, a global decline in giving, and congregations becoming more inward focused. These signs point to a difficult environment for missions giving.

• With challenge comes opportunity. The foundation of mission rests on the presence of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, with money as a means and not an end.
• The sensitivity and misperception around giving money sit within a theme seen throughout the Bible. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus warns of the danger of divided loyalty in trying to serve both God and money.
• The tension is clear. We need money for daily life, yet we are called to steward it in ways honouring to God.
• Giving is best done from a willing heart of surrender, a spirit of thankfulness, and an overflow of joy at the realisation of God’s mercy and grace upon our lives.

The Acts and Macedonian models as frameworks for giving to missions.
We can explore the right way of giving from two models seen in the early church - Acts model in Acts 4 and the Macedonian model in 2 Corinthians 8. In both frameworks we observe common characteristics: surrendered hearts, thankfulness, willingness and joyful giving. Crucially, I believe it must start with surrendered hearts.

Acts Model
In the Acts model, Acts 4:32-36, you see a group of people who were surrendered to God and to each other – in verse 34 it says,

³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

‘Laying it at the apostles’ feet’ speaks of a posture of surrender. We also see that they did this willingly, and not under compulsion as verse 32 describes how they were of one heart and soul, with no one claiming that what belonged to them was theirs. They saw possessions as under common ownership.

Reading through the text one can sense that they were joyful in their giving. In responding to the grace that was undeniable, it was evident that it was a form of thankfulness that led to the response and giving to that depth.

³³ And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 

Macedonian Model
Compare this with the Macedonian model, and that theme is also prevalent, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Working back from verse five, there was again a response from a position of surrender.

⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

Similarly, a sense of joy and willingness in giving is on display in verses two and three:

² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,  

There is no question of their willing giving, it goes as far as saying they urgently pleaded for the privilege of sharing.

Overall, the heart posture from these two groups is the same but there were some contrasts:

• The Acts church seemed well-to-do with people able to sell land and property to pool resources and the Macedonian churches pooled resources from a place of deep poverty.
• The Acts church was catering for local mission whereas the Macedonian church seemed geared for an international/regional outreach.

Overall, this demonstrates that all believers – rich and poor - can give to mission work and do so generously, if they do it in the right manner.

In summarising, a helpful resource is an extract of R. Kent Hughes book, Disciplines of a Godly Man. He notes (summarised): Paul holds the Macedonians up to shame the Corinthians, who excelled in faith, speech, knowledge and love but lagged in giving. Hughes states the principle bluntly. God can have your money without having your heart, but he is not able to have your heart without having all your money. Jesus said where your treasure is, your heart will follow. Hughes notes Jesus spoke about money often and consistently warned about trusting in wealth over God. Grace giving, Hughes writes, goes beyond a tithe and reaches the point of personal cost. He quotes C S Lewis, who argued you are giving too little if your spending on comforts and luxuries matches others on your income. Real charity should pinch and force you to forego things you would like to have.

We would do well to have an ordered way of giving based on offering ourselves to God first, to each other, and then give our treasure. In this way we will give in a surrendered, willing, thankful and joyful way. A way that is honouring to God. As a litmus test, I ask – do you consider giving a privilege as the Macedonian church did or do you do it out of duty?

If the former, you can truly know what Jesus meant when He said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

The Flame 1000 Club is seeking 1000 people who will commit to giving £10 or more a month to support the ongoing work of the charity. 

The Club raises money that is primarily used to fund new initiatives such as the early ‘recces’ into countries we haven’t visited before. It also provides essential funding for the less glamorous side of the work and enables us to get the very best office support team
in place.

We’ll send you a stylish Flame fleece when you sign up and keep you up to date with how your giving is making a difference throughout the year.

Read more Burning Issues articles here.

Veronica - Forge 1 (N)
I have noticed a big difference in my mother’s attitude towards me since a brief time of prayer ministry at the Forge in Crewe, where the teaching covered generational influences from our family.
 
After a brief explanation of what I felt God was pointing out to me, I received prayer to sever all curses to the third and fourth generation on my mother’s line. The reference to this is Exodus 34:6-7. This included witchcraft and domination and control, which I know have affected me.

The next week when I saw my mother (as I’m a part-time carer for her), she had changed! She was no longer critical or saying negative comments, and she is now giving me compliments!!

This is very different from before the prayers, and it is so lovely not to be criticised so much, which has sadly been part of her nature all my life.

So, I praise God that these harmful curses have been broken in the name of Jesus, because of His precious blood!

I would like to add that I’ve also inherited many gifts from my mother, such as a good singing voice, dance and a love for music, plus a chattiness with people.

And she was always someone that ‘looked on the bright side’, bless her - so helped me be positive, I believe, including seeing the best in people.

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What is Jesus doing in the Middle East and how can we relate? We’ve all heard stories about Muslims having visions of ‘the man in white’, but is there really an awakening and does it affect us?

Flame knows first-hand from their ministry to people from these nations that the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’, and this book packs a punch to take you into the heart of lives that
have been utterly transformed by Jesus Christ.

Women Who Risk by Tom and Joann Doyle is the remarkable collection of personal accounts of former Muslim women in the Middle East who have abandoned Islam and turned to follow Jesus. The Doyles’ dedication to bring the Gospel in hard-to-reach places has enabled them to write several books full of stories of new believers who were ready to die for their faith in Jesus. ‘Women Who Risk’ is a continuation of these gripping testimonies, but with the unveiling of Jesus’ strategic pursuit of the unsuspecting homemakers in this region. They describe women as the ‘spiritual gatekeepers of Islam’; when they turn to faith in Jesus, entire families follow more easily. These courageous women are an unstoppable force for the Kingdom of God because they demonstrate that what is changed cannot be contained. Since they risked everything to follow Jesus, they live with boldness and joy.

The authors take us through seven captivating stories of women who find themselves at the feet of Jesus in the most astounding ways and conclude with practical takeaways and offer steps to get involved with their ministries. It is an exhilarating read, revealing the horrors and darkness of Islam and the breathtaking journey into living hope with Jesus.

This book will challenge your faith and what it means to ‘take up your cross’. There is nothing lukewarm about the lives of these women and families. They know life and death. They know truth and lies. They know light and darkness because they have lived it. They know the power of Jesus and of the word of God because they have hungered so desperately as if their lives depended on it.

But these are more than stories from a distant land; this is a journey to go deeper into the heart of God. The chasm between me, a homeschooling mum of four, and these brave middle Eastern women, is too much for words, yet Jesus connects us in spirit. While I will never suffer the cruelty and misery these women have endured and most likely never encounter Jesus to the extent of supernatural visitation that they have, what struck me was the closeness I felt with my sisters and the tangibleness of Our Saviour. Throughout the book, Jesus’ kindness penetrated my heart and stirred
hope as barriers of Satan’s kingdom broke down.

One woman ends her story with these words, “I had an empty heart and wish someone had told me about Jesus years ago. That’s why I tell everyone about Him now. My life is in danger, but I don’t care. I only want to follow my Saviour and be faithful. That is my goal in life… Be sure of this: Islam is imploding. Muslims have never been more open to Jesus.” (p96)

Jesus is moving in the Muslim world in supernatural and miraculous ways as the hearts of these people are ripe to receive the Gospel of life. This book is not only for people who have (or want to have) their finger on the pulse about how Jesus is invading the Middle East, but for anybody who needs an injection of faith and a sobering wake-up to expand their experience of God and His growing Kingdom. The gripping stories will leave you on the edge of your seat and invigorate your faith as the women’s lives convey the Gospel so clearly and pull us firmly into the unshakable arms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

New Forge in (N) Crewe completed but it is not the end!
Starting a new Forge is exciting and a bit scary, particularly when it is in your home church! Twenty-five delegates came from far and wide all seeking a deeper relationship with God, and we quickly journeyed with collective expectation, praise and thanksgiving. A big thanks to six of the Forge Leeds team, to David and three from Cheshire for making Forge Crewe possible.

Forge1 (N) Crewe completed on 26 June with thanksgiving to God, but it is not the end. Forge 2 (N) Crewe is planned for September and will run through until March 2027.

At such a time as this with wars and rumours of wars in the Middle East, Flame are continually fervent in serving our Farsi-speaking brothers and sisters. Tristan and Rob had a successful recce mission to Turkey in March, building relationships with key gatekeepers and had the opportunity to minister to folk there. On a recent mission to Armenia, doors have been opened for further ministry to Farsi-speakers there. And the Intercession Hubs (amongst many other individuals are strategically interceding for the situation in Iran and the Middle East. This is an area of focus that we want to faithfully continue to serve.

Pete and Pip Gardner
Their ministry background is international, missional and pioneering. For 12 years they pioneered, with others, the formation of a Welsh mission movement (where they met and married) with the focus on reaching the unreached and training people for mission.
They then pioneered an international ministry called Global Focus to impart understanding to Christian leaders of the impacts and realities of global decision-making forums on nations and how to engage through intercession and advocacy. After 10 years, God led them into an unexpected 20-year season of waiting upon Him for direction, during which time they continued to watch and pray over geo-political events. This waiting season formed the basis of their recently published book, Praying for a World in Crisis – Awakening Faith and Hope (2025). The book is a wake-up call for the church to the times we are living in and how we can be part of the emerging strategy the Lord has for his people in these end times.

The Gardners live in south Wales and have two married sons and great daughters-in-law and two super-active grandsons to keep them on their toes!

In May, Suzanne joined us as our new Operations Support Manager and brings with her 30 years of experience across business and charity operations and development. This has included mission trips to Kenya as part of her work. She is married with 2 daughters and is a committed member of the Vineyard Church. She feels God has called her to Flame International and the work we do, and she is very excited to have joined us.

Helen has been our Operations Support Manager for five and half years and has done an outstanding job. She was at the centre of our administrative, legal, financial, marketing, fund raising, Human Resources, and overseer of all our administrative processes. She has streamlined our organisation, and we are grateful for all that she did for us. She has moved on to pastures new and we pray for her in her new job and thank her for the outstanding service she gave to Flame International.

Read more Burning Issues articles here.

The team who just returned from Ukraine: Jan, Ian, Mark, Lucinda, Zillah, Morna, Tanya, Robin, Edgar, Gail and Robert want to thank you for your prayers. May I reiterate that unity commands a blessing and this team walked in unity. We saw the Lord touch the lives of many of the 51 Volunteer Chaplains and spouses who attended the conference last week. They arrived tired, worn out and broken in many cases. They mostly left with their countenance changed with the joy of the Lord. They had received love from the Lord, affirmation, teaching and most received a one-hour prayer ministry appointment with two team members. In the past we ministered in groups, but it was not working well as they found it difficult to be open about their circumstances but this time in most cases, they were more open than previous trips, we were able to pray for their specific issues. This was a different mission, and we seem to have really gained the confidence of the leaders we work with, and we were thrilled to be able to go deeper with the teaching and the prayer ministry. This scripture on this email of waiting quietly for the Lord seemed to bring Gods victory into the conference. We also had the opportunity to wash their feet and this was a powerful act of ministry with many tears being shed by the delegates and the team.

We spent one and half days overall in intercession for the nation of Ukraine, and the delegates. We had an amazing trip to the Carpathian Mountains and were with two wonderful Volunteer Chaplains who we were able to pray for. They gave us insight into their volunteer ministry. They are truly servants of the Lord.

About 50% of the delegates were attending for the first time who had not been before and their hunger for the Lord was evident as they sat eagerly listening through all the teaching sessions. It was so good to watch God's word feed the hungry. Many testifying to how they will be taking the teaching both to the military and their communities. The other 50% who had been once before were also keen and one Serving Military Chaplain who had not agreed with all our teaching last time but then read our notes two weeks later found them to have a profound effect upon him. He is now teaching it to his soldiers! I hope he gives them hugs like the ones we give them!

I can only say they all left on Friday changed men and women which was helped by your prayers for this mission. They were excited and energised and I know most of them will be using our materials. We have some testimonies which do not speak about specific healings but inner healing was taking place some of them are below:

1. Igor - I used to pray and ask God what my mission in this life is? A few weeks before this conference I had a dream that I was standing together with warriors, I did not understand this dream because I am a single father and therefore can't participate in this war, however I now understand that those warriors in my dream are the members of the team and the other people at this conference! Now I know my mission, to be shoulder to shoulder with my Christian brothers.

2. Nicoli - For me, this teaching is very relevant because when the enemy comes in and spoils and damages everything in your life it is important to know what to do.

3. Jahana - This is my second time at a Flame conference, last time we had group ministry, this time it was for individuals which helped when sharing.

4. Michael - When I was listening to this teaching I remembered aspects of my ministry, the good and the bad parts, I remembered meeting a large man in a military hospital who I met and hugged and thanked for his service, he replied with thanks for my prayers that had help. I want to thank the team for their help for my war-stricken country.

5. Viktor - This conference has been very important because I have received teaching, but I have also received some time of rest with my family. It is a great combination to have spiritual conversations while also having time to relax. I noticed that during teachings there were team members always praying and even singing and praying early in the morning. This is very valuable in our eyes.
As a team we are all encouraged with all the Lord has done, I remind you that apart from Jesus we can do nothing. We are so thankful for your prayers, and we know that we were walking on a carpet of prayers from the saints around the world. Do continue to pray for peace for the nation of Ukraine.


Thank you, thank  you, thank you for praying.

"Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:4

The Armenia team Jan, Ian, Di, Graham and Sadie, Gail, Judith, Steve, David and Annette are so grateful to the Lord for all the prayers offered, scriptures and words sent in support of the Armenia Mission. It was a good mission with us trialing a new prayer ministry model listening to the Lord for the delegates for words and pictures to encourage them in their walk of faith. We also tentatively listened for strongholds and areas for their freedom. It was successful and it was clear that the delegates are really encouraged and helped by the Lord particularly with affirmations of their gifting. We had two supernatural healings within the team from a serious stomach problem to a very painful hand both of which started before the mission. The healing was a great relief for both ladies.  

We started with prophetic intercession and teaching about the proposed model of prayer ministry.  It was a great start for us, and we were confident the presence of the Lord was there for us. Three teams went to 3 churches on our first Sunday and as a team we prayed for over 100 people in the churches. We spoke on forgiveness, trauma and Generational Influences.  It was a precious time and gave the 4 new team members insight into the culture in which we minister in Armenia.

The Forge started which was the third one we have held. Sadly, 13 delegates dropped out before we started, and our lovely host Pastor Vardan was very disappointed. However, with the new prayer ministry model, we were grateful for less numbers as we are not convinced it would have worked with larger numbers, with requirement for translation, listening to the Lord which all takes time. I want to emphasise those who did receive ministry were transformed and hugely blessed. Half of the delegates were new to Flame ministry, and they emphasised how helpful the dramas were and how relevant the discipleship training was through the Forge.  

Prodigal Drama

We taught throughout the day and did prayer ministry from the front in several of the topics. In the evenings, we split into 5 groups and ministered for two hours for three evenings during the Forge. It was very successful and we know the Lord was present with us throughout this time.

We had a day off on our 10th day and visited 2 monasteries and saw some stunning scenery as we travelled, our final stop was at a restaurant in a garden which was paid for by an anonymous gift given to a team member, which was really appreciated.

Khor Virap Monastery

Final anointing of our host Pastor Vardan

On the penultimate day we sent three teams out to speak at 4 churches (Ian, Di, Steve, and Judith) spoke in Yerevan to IDP Church from Artsakh and another small church to Farsi Speakers. Jan, David and Annette spoke at a church in Chambarak and Graham, Sadie and Gail spoke in another church on the outskirts of Yerevan. Again topics, of Fathers Love, Generational Influences, Freedom from Fear and Forgiveness was offered and over 147 heard our teaching and over 90 people received prayer ministry.

We left believing the Lord had touched and changed people's lives and while this may be the last Forge we have great hopes for the future of ministry to the nations in and around Armenia!

Thank you for your prayers, we cannot work overseas without our prayer supporters.

Team at 7am waiting for their final flight home to London. Not looking bad on minimum sleep!

Some testimonies below:

HASMIK - About 10 years ago when we first met you, we heard about the healing of the land teaching and putting scripture in the ground. We went back to church. JWs visited our area - they would always come when we weren't at home. We told our boys to notice where they visited so that we could then go and visit. They kept coming. One day my husband came and buried the scripture 1 Corinthians 16:22 in the soil and they never visited again!'

JACOB - believes that the Flame title is very appropriate and significant. He believes this Ministry can spread blessing like a virus through Armenia and into many lands. Flame is a very correct.

HAMNET - from Artsakh came seeking a word. He was weighed with family and Church pressures. He received evening prayer and was encouraged by a vision of patient planting in a field, even though the harvest is slow in coming. He also was challenged over idolatry. He realised that instead of time being captured by searching for a replacement car. His current one being old and frail, he should use the time in prayer. He has also received personal encouragement from team members and feels new hope to forget the former things etc.

ARMEN - 11 years of shoulder ache. Prayed then slept with no pain! Pain is just a little bit now'.

MARINE - We came from Switzerland. I didn't imagine I could be part of this. God has done many miracles in my life, but he knows our need. We serve Ukrainians in Switzerland. We wanted something new. I am grateful to the team- thank sisters who prayed for me. During these days God went deep into my heart- even childhood. He was sanctified. New declaration, anointing. We will go with new excitement and anointing. We wrote to our team and told them how blessed we have been!

We give all the glory to the Lord for the freedom and healing that many people received during our mission to Uganda. The UK team arrived safely back to the UK on Saturday morning, and our South Sudanese brothers, Rev Joel and Rev Simaya, returned to spend some time with their families in refugee camps in Uganda, before returning to their Diocesan work in South Sudan. Simaya had the joy of seeing his new son, who was born during the mission.
Following a day of preparation and intercession in Entebbe, we arrived at the YWAM base and began a 5-day workshop with 17 YWAM DTS students and 6 staff. They came from Sudan, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, many of whom have been living in refugee camps. They had 3 days of teaching and almost 2 days of small group ministry. A few were reluctant to open up about their individual struggles, but by the second day, almost everyone received ministry for some deep personal issues.

YWAM Testimonies (3 men then 2 women)

• Ma - I forgave my parents for abandoning me. Now I feel free. I have peace and joy in my heart.
• Mo - I thought I had already forgiven people. I went for the Father's hug and something happened in my mind. I realised I didn't receive a hug from my own father and I had to forgive him. My friends don't know my issues but I was able to open up when the team prayed for me and I slept well and have total peace today.
• A - I didn't realise that I had to forgive myself. Forgiveness is very important. Especially for us from another religion where we don't have forgiveness, only revenge.
• R - I am so happy and very grateful. There was something in my life I was looking healing, but I didn't know how. God showed me it was the very beginning of my life. Now I feel very free.
• H - My heart was like a stone, I couldn't sleep. When we nailed forgiveness to the cross, I started to feel something again, but there was heat and pain. Again, I couldn't sleep. In small groups I repented and forgave and that thing left. My body is clean; I can now sleep normally.

Several of these young people had suffered from poor or absent parenting and were particularly touched by the Father's heart teaching and hugs. One had lived much of his life as a street child. The Forgiveness teaching was also really significant for many. These students headed off for the second half of their course on 2nd May – they will be running outreach programmes in different locations within Uganda and DRC. Many have long term plans to use what they've learned within their own communities in their country of origin and/or in refugee camps for their people. One Sudanese man was going to try and translate our notes into Arabic, but we were able to provide him with these, having previously had them translated.  

Group photo of YWAM

On the Sunday, we split into pairs, going to 3 South Sudanese churches in the town. In total we preached Forgiveness or Accident and Trauma to 210 adults plus some children, and about 100 came forward for prayer. The wife of one church leader was healed of long term pain in her shoulders and back, related to trauma. We were very well received by the congregation, and all 3 church leaders were very keen to hear more of our teaching, inviting us to visit again in the future.

During the second week, we travelled into a large, longstanding refugee camp for 4 days.
We had invited 44 people from 36 different churches within the refugee camp, however, 53 turned up on the first day, and many of them went back home telling others how good the teaching was, so we had a total of 77 people who attended at least 1 day. It was a joy to see male and female church leaders and youth leaders from so many denominations, including Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Catholic and several different independent churches.

It was especially exciting that we had 8 people from the Nuer tribe join the conference. Joel has been trying to include this tribe in training for some time, but previous contacts hadn't been prepared to join training alongside other tribes with whom relationships are strained. The Nuer church leader was very impressed with the teaching and has invited us to go to his church on a return visit. All the delegates were very attentive and responded at every invitation to come forward.

Poverty, hopelessness, and family and community relationships seemed to be the key issues for people living in the camp. There have been severe cuts to aid, and the people are struggling to grow sufficient food to feed their families on the rocky ground they've been given by the Ugandan government. We saw many children working in the fields, carrying large loads of food or water, and some very young ones crouching along the roadside collecting ants for food.

Unity Drama Photo

Refugee Camp Testimonies (2 men and 5 women)

• Rev Moses - Tomorrow Omugo will not be the same as old Omugo. We must not pick up the things in the past.
• R - Had physical problems in his stomach, chest and back. For the last 2 days he had good sleep. He dreamt of a person in white saying "you are healed".
• H - had been limping since October last year but she was healed, proving it by dancing and jumping around vigorously. She became so joyful and looked totally different than the beginning of the week.
• G - Arguments with husband stopped after teaching about forgiveness.
• A - I saw the invitation to this conference and I wanted to come. The topics we are teaching are exactly what is happening in families. She has released her burdens on the stone (at the cross) I have a pure heart, now on heavenly things
• J - I am filled with joy. I had deep sleep last night.
• A - For over a month I had a problem, my heart was broken. As I put the stone (representing her emotions) at the foot of the cross, the burden was lifted. Normally I cannot sleep but yesterday I slept peacefully.

We believe many lives were touched, at least 25 were able to sleep much better, and many were very enthusiastic about using what they have learned to bring freedom to others. Please pray that the fruit of this mission will continue to grow.

Thank you for all your prayers and words shared, including one scripture (Is 55:11) that was shared 3 times on the same day – the Lord was clearly bringing us encouragement.

….. so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Is 55:11

Tristan and Rob are incredibly grateful for all of your prayers, and the words and Scriptures many of you sent. For a mission that was only planned two weeks in advance, we were very much going in faith, believing the Lord was calling us to attend a conference for Farsi-speaking believers that we had been invited to join by potential ministry partners who were hosting it. Due to the current war, there were tensions as to whether or not it would go ahead, but by God's grace it did and 19 delegates were able to come.

This was a fantastic opportunity to spend time with our hosts who have Farsi-speaking ministries that reach deep into the hearts of surrounding closed nations, and also to show love to and minister to believers who are traumatised by war and persecution. We are in awe that God opens doors at such a time as this! 

Monday 9 March
We arrived at the hotel in Istanbul on Monday evening after a good day of travelling.

Tuesday 10 March
On Tuesday the conference speaker was a lady who was imprisoned for her faith and she spoke into trauma counselling. Even though we were guests at this conference, we were warmly encouraged by our hosts to share from the front about Flame and we prayed for several people.

Wednesday 11 March
Asian ministers from the Far-East came to lead the sessions over the next few days. There was a kindred spirit between us and they have an encouraging ministry. In the afternoon we were asked to pray for a lady who had a severely bruised arm in a bandage. When we started speaking with her it became apparent that there was much pain and anger behind it. She eventually managed to forgive and through prayer her countenance transformed and she received a measure of healing. She also shared that the pain in her arm started to shift and ease as we prayed.

We discerned that there seemed to be something of a veil of darkness, particularly over some of the younger ladies at this conference. We know many of you prayed into this and we believe that we began to see the veil being torn over the delegates over the next couple of days and we saw them grow in holy boldness. Two of these younger ladies testified to how the Lord Jesus had saved them. Both declared the power and kindness of God and the salvation of Jesus. One of them gave witness to how Jesus brought her back to life after being dead for one and a half hours! We give God glory that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!

Thursday 12 March
We spent the morning visiting some sites in Istanbul and had a wonderful time. It was Rob's first time and he had wanted to visit Istanbul for many years. It reminded us of the strategic location of Istanbul (East meets West), and its central role in the ancient Silk Roads. Later in the day we spent much time with our two hosts, building relationship and understanding each others ministries more. That evening Tristan met with one of the hosts to discuss potential future partnership. Though nothing is set in stone at this stage, I believe we have built good relationship and one thing for certain is that the future of this people group will need trauma healing ministry, and I believe Flame's experience of ministering in post-war torn countries could be very impactful.

Friday 13 March
Tristan was invited to give the morning devotion on this last day of the conference. He spoke about shining the light of Christ in a dark world through the act of forgiveness. Many were able to forgive, and the message seemed to go deep into the hearts of the people. We pray the Lord will keep that word in them so that they may continue in forgiveness. Much love and thankfulness was shared as the conference ended, and as the last delegate left the Lord opened up a door and presented what I believe was a pre-determined divine appointment.

The night before, we received a prophetic word from a prayer supporter. He wrote that he saw both Tristan and Rob sitting down at the hotel where there were white-tiled floors. A man then came to sit down with us as he had been waiting to speak to us because he had a question he needed to ask. Well, on a white-tiled floor in our hotel after our second host said goodbye to the final few delegates, he walked over to sit down with Rob and I because he had a question he had been wanting to ask us about forgiveness, in response to Tristan's devotion that morning! The conversation that followed was indeed "divine" and our host came into deeper revelation of forgiveness, particularly in the context of the current war. We encouraged him with awareness and strategy of spiritual warfare and he seemed so convicted that he wants to share this amongst his organisation. This, I believe, was God's gracious hand on us, confirming deepening relationship with our host. I believe this was a very good recce mission - not because of anything we have done, but because of the Lord's gracious hand on us and these people.

The purpose of this recce mission was largely to build relationship with our hosts for potential future partnership. I believe the roots of our relationships went much deeper, and I am in hope for the season of more fruitfulness to come. We praise God for all He has done and is going to do, and I thank you so much for joining alongside us in prayer and encouragement. We consider much was done in this recce in response to faithful prayer!

The team who have just returned from Nigeria: Jan, Sharon, Rachel, Steve, Gwen and Rob, Debbie and Barbara want to thank you for your prayer support having been in a nation which has significant lawlessness and is definitely not safe, yet because of your prayers we felt very safe. We ministered to 1008 people and saw many of them receive inner healing. This side of heaven we will not see the benefit of the ministry, but we saw enough that the organisers were amazed at the Lord's goodness to all the people to whom we ministered. We just reflect all the glory to Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith.

There were 4 areas of ministry: Widows, Pastors and Leaders, War Survivors and Addicts in a Rehabilitation Centre.

Firstly, we ministered to 329 widows on our first Sunday afternoon and we hugged and prayed laying hands on all of them. They left after worshipping and dancing in very high spirits, and we saw their countenance change.

Secondly, we ministered to 90 pastors for 3 days from around the area of persecution many of whom have been attacked by Fulani Herdsmen, Boko Haram and other bandits.  Their lives are very hard and yet they come and worship the Lord and we saw their joy!

A small selection of testimonies from this conference:

A young man: Came to the conference last year. He had conflict with his sister and had not spoken to her for 8 years. When he nailed his forgiveness to the cross last year, he knew something changed. In December she called him and they reconciled. His spirit was lifted, he said "I can now minister to people who struggle with what I struggled with. I am now free."

A young man: His church is full of hurts, wounds and bitterness. He came on the course last year. He took the teaching back and ran a course like this in his church, including nailing forgiveness on the cross. The bitterness and divisions in the church were healed, and it is still in unity.

A young man: He has long had a problem/pain in his body. Yesterday during the prayer led from the front, he was told to touch the area where the pain was. The pain went.

A young man: has recently been transferred to a new position/placement which has really challenged his faith. He saw people massacred like animals and his student's made orphans, deeply traumatised because they had seen their parents butchered. He felt angry with God. Right from the first session, God started to deal with him, he had to forgive himself and realise God is still God. He spoke to the bishop on the phone and said one of the best things ever done for him was to allow him to come here. "It's as if the conference was made for me".  Many more testimonies were given.

Thirdly, we ministered to what started with 100 people on the first day, but this rose to 549 on the second day. They Lord just brought them and touched most of them with His healing.

We taught on anger and these were the areas they stated that made them angry which gives you a taste of what they are suffering:

The Fulani - burnt my house and took all my food, The Fulani killed my brother and burnt my brother, The Fulani Burnt my house, The Fulani killed my father and took all I have, I am angry with Fulani. - they burnt 8 of our villages we can't not return, They chased me from my house, My husband went to check our house and they killed him, They killed my son, my husband and my younger sister I don't have anywhere to sleep I want the Fulani to disappear, Fulani killed my husband - they burnt the house and took all I have. I have nothing, Fulani killed my husband, Fulani killed my younger brother, I am angry with the government and the soldiers who did nothing to protect me, they killed my son, my younger brother. I went to harvest bananas and they killed them, I don't want to see them (the Fulani) and I am angry with them, Destroyed my farm produce - last Friday they killed my uncle - they cut off his head and burnt his body, I am angry with the government - they are not helping!

Testimonies from this conference: 

• A young lady: This morning when I woke up I am feeling better

• A young lady: Could not sleep but after the meeting she went home and slept well

• A young man: I was transferred to a church that was burnt to the ground. It has been very hard to sleep but after teaching I have slept soundly.

• A young lady:  After the teachings yesterday, I went back home and slept. I have not slept well for a long time. I read my bible and then slept. I woke up at 5am and prayed.

 

• A young lady:  I lost everything, but I am feeling better now

• A Pastor:  I went home and lay down and slept - thank you for this teaching

 

• A young lady:  Her father was killed and since then she couldn't sleep. Last night she was able to sleep

• A Pastor:  I felt as though I was going to die but with these prayers I feel I have peace of mind

 

• A young man - said he was happier than everyone because 'this teaching has impacted me and touched my heart' When the Fulani people chased us out - I vowed I must kill them. But when I heard the teaching and I have left everything in the hands of God.

Finally, we ministered to 40 addicts who were also mostly war survivors in a Rehabilitation Centre for 4 days and 37 of them gave their lives to Jesus on the second day. The Lord was working miracles in their lives and some testimonies are below:

• About 20 sleeping better after first day

• A young man - I want to appreciate God and all he had done for me. I was carrying things inside me and when I received prayer they all left me. I have been carrying this weight since 2014. I have been struggling to know how to get rid of this pain until yesterday. Being here has given us hope and freedom thanks be to God.

 

• A young lady - I thank you because I couldn't forgive or forget - I was always angry, but I have forgiven my mother, and God has changed my life

• A young man - I want to thank God - to share from the blessing I have received. Before I got here, I was really grieving- the Fulani took all our food and destroyed our community. I hated the Fulani. But I have begun to see the light of God and have been liberated from the darkness . I have been able to forgive the Fulani. I also feel that I have received forgiveness as well. I also appreciate the Flame ministry. Please Pray for us - please do not forget to pray us

• A young lady - I want to appreciate God almighty.  We know that we are all humans and always fall short but through this programme our eyes have been opened to so many things. We don't know what to say to Flame and we pray that God will continue to guide you

• A young lady - I don't know where to start - I used to be a very angry person - I used to snap. I have been carrying so many people in my heart - so heavy.  I just felt a weight drop from me. I felt to call people and tell them how I feel. To bless them and to love them. We don't want the Flame team to go. I have taken a lot of alcohol but after the prayers I have stopped now. I want to encourage my brothers to stop too.

 

• A young man - before I came here, I was doubting - why I am going there. I said to God if it's your will let it be done. I wanted to live like a new man. If I perish, I perish, if I live if I live. If it's your will let it be done. Last night when I slept, I could feel changes in me. They exposed some secrets - some good teachings. I feel like I am not the Kingsley I used to know. Something came out of me - it's as if I can fly now. We know that Jesus is the only solution.

• A young man- I came here a very grieving and heavy person - a very heavy load for me. I have had the most amazing 4 days of my life. For so many years I have carried such a load and now I have managed to get rid of this load.

37 Giving their lives to Jesus

The team are so grateful to you for your prayers, because without Him we could do nothing! We were carried by your prayers, we received many words and scriptures, and we are aware the Lord did so much. It is like having a field team (us) and you the home team; we work together and stay in unity, and the Lord receives the glory. We know unity commands a blessing! We witnessed it in Nigeria!

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation tribe, people and language, standing in before the throne and in front of the Lamb."  Revelation 7:9

Thank you to all who prayed for us whilst we were in the nation in Central Asia. Jan, Tristan, Robert and Elene are so thankful for the prayers you offered. This nation is high on the Open Doors Watch List, and we were working with a partner who has a very sensitive ministry which we cannot disclose but lives were being transformed. From this ministry we now have a contact to go and minister to at least 50 people who we are told desperately need Flame ministry, so we are asking the Lord if we should return in 2026.  

One pastor also wants us to go to the Presbyterian Church and minister to 100 pastors who need to hear our teaching as our host is keen that the churches hear what we offer. Of course, going to the leaders is what we have always done and is a very attractive opportunity.

The second group of people we worked with who have never had contact with us, are a ministry which develops Discipleship training courses to deliver across the nation to some very needy folk. We ministered to the course developers and facilitators. They were nervous that we were going to be over the top Pentecostal with loud music and lots of shouting! Of course, we are not like that, and they were very happy as they met with Jesus and many of them received healing. One of the Pastors attending wants us to go further north to minister to another 50 people who he says are key people in quite a difficult area where there is much trauma.

 Some testimonies from this ministry:

• One lady was released from the trapped trauma, shame and rejection, from some 3 years earlier, where she was 'dumped' at her engagement party. The Lord broke through, and she accepted that this was the Lord's plan, because that man was not His choice.

• Another lady had debt issues due to an unwise investment where she had not asked the Lord for His guidance. She repented and forgave.

• Another chose to forgive and repent for bitterness and hatred in a difficult situation, where she and her mother were living in her brother's and sister-in-law's house and were being treated like slaves. God brought the healing once the lady confessed and chose to bless.

•  Another lady admitted that because she had some training in Mission school, she felt she didn't need any more 'healing'. However, she heard the Holy Spirit tell her that there were still more healing and revelations that He had for her.  She also submitted her marriage to Jesus; having decided to remain single and serve the Lord, Jesus had brought her a husband. 

• Another lady was delivered of an addiction to food/peanuts, which had put her into fear of getting married. Please pray her ovaries will be completely healed. 

We would suggest that these four sins are the main sins that the Bible speaks of that can bring curse and defilement onto the land. There are others too though, as the Prophet Malachi expresses that even family breakdown can result in a curse upon the land. “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6.

Flame delivers this teaching to many of the nations we go to; nations in Central and West Africa, war-torn nations in Eastern Europe and persecuted nations in Asia. One thing we have seen again and again as we deliver this teaching is the Holy Spirit descending upon the people and giving them a deep conviction of their country’s sins, in the fear of the Lord. Even here in the UK, our land is filled with the idolatrous and wicked sins that bring defilement and curse onto the land, but we, the people of God, can work with the Holy Spirit to see the Kingdom of Heaven come and transform things.  

The scriptures identify several consequences of defilement on the land. Ezekiel 14 expresses that ecological disaster, war or conflict, disease, and famine (even famine of the word of God) can come upon the land because of sin. One African Pastor, on hearing this teaching went to pray over his small holding where he grew crops. He repented of the sins on his land, asked the Lord to break the curses and bring about blessings on the land. The next harvest his crops were twice the height of his neighbours! “How are your crops so big?” His neighbours asked him. “What fertiliser did you use?” He told them that he didn’t use fertiliser, but the power of the Holy Spirit!  

As we resist God’s commands it is possible to even give way for demonic forces to attain positions of authority and rule over the land instead. One example we have of this was in Armenia. In one of the villages there was a particular street which was an accident ‘blackspot’. There had been several fatal accidents on this bend of the road, and it was well known. Two ladies who heard Flame’s teaching then went along the road and stood in the gap in intercessory prayer. They repented of sin on the land, forgave people who had done it and in Jesus’ name rebuked any spirit of accidents that was operating along that road.
A year later when the Flame team went back, they reported that there had been no fatal accidents since that time! Hallelujah!

Is this something that we can all do? Are believers mandated to go around cleansing the land? A part of the discernment to that question is, “What area of land do you have authority over?” Perhaps you own land, your own house, or you have an area of work. If you have any form of legal authority over a plot of land, you have authority and stewardship to cleanse it. You may even rent accommodation or rent an office room. Even if you rent, we would say that you legally have some right over that area. What other areas/building do you have some responsibility or representation over? Your Church, your town, and even your nation? This is an important consideration, as in intercessory prayer for healing the land, you come before God on behalf of a place and people group that you identify with. If I were to pray for my Church, my town, or my nation, I could say to God, “We, the people, have sinned”, and I can personally identify with them. I can’t speak on behalf of people from another country and represent them, they must do it.

God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” This is incredible! We, the people of God, priests with Christ, have the role and honour to be able to come before God and stand in the gap on behalf of the sins on the land, and He will do what? He will “hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14.

Read more Burning Issues articles here.

Shalom
As we seek the Lord in the many challenges of our lives, we can speak God’s shalom peace into the most difficult of situations. We can remember and pray the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, Matthew 6:10 and that Jesus came “that we may have life and life in all its fullness”, John 10:10.  

Our response becomes a life of worship, praise and thanksgiving, amid difficulty, a life of prayer and of living out the Great Commission in whatever ways, large or small, that the Holy Spirit prompts us.

What is God saying to the Church today? Go for it, live it and be blessed as you do so. Being led by the Spirit can look untidy, ridiculous, exciting and amazing. There may be sticking points for each of us. My own experience is that every time I think I understand what the Spirit is doing, He “ups the ante”. A challenging journey which can lead to amazing outcomes if we stick with it.

My understanding is that we stand at the beginning of a massive harvest, as people - particularly the younger generation - tire of the world and turn to Christ. In addition, there will be an exponential increase in healing and miracles.

Obedience
So often, we hear His call to us to respond but are slow to obey. I have recently been reminded of something the Lord told me to do some years ago. Although I had prepared myself to do this, I had not “got round” to it. When I repented and did it, I quickly received increased revelation, for myself, in ministry to others and in an opening to speak into church matters. To act “when I have time” hardly honours Jesus as Lord of my life.  

As we prepare for the return of Jesus Christ, let us hold closely to Him, whatever goes on around us, obey His word and trust Him for the outworking of the manifold problems of the church and the world. “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen”, Ephesians 3:21.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” Revelation 3:22.

Read more Burning Issues articles here.

Many new age treatments were birthed out of eastern religions, therefore, engaging in their practice puts people under submission to the spiritual authority connected to them, i.e. Satan. To be clear, not every engagement with these practices will result in demonic intrusion, but it certainly makes the person vulnerable to it. Remember the question, “does this honour or dishonour God?” God’s intent is not to deny us but rather save us from the spiritual realities behind these things.

The availability of these practices, and the acceptance of them by some mainstream health bodies (e.g. acupuncture available on NHS and Yoga through social prescribing) is not a validation of the practice. The effectiveness of these techniques in providing some relief from the symptoms is not a validation of the technique. In addition, adding the word “Christian” in the title does not legitimise the regime any more than you can have “Christian Buddhism.” The question is what is going on spiritually?

A casual glance at what is being held in your locality will throw up a multitude of advertisements offering alternative ways to deal with whatever issues you may have, be it stress, pain or ways of improving your wellbeing. Here’s an example, “Dive into guided mindfulness exercises to quiet the mind and cultivate a sense of inner calm. Experience the gentle, healing energy of Reiki, promoting relaxation and balance within the body and mind. Explore guided hypnotic journeys designed to alleviate stress, enhance self-awareness, and foster a deep sense of relaxation.”  

Notice that there is no mention of the deep eastern spiritual roots of all of this and the spiritual consequences of engaging with them. The roots of the practices and the beliefs of the practitioners is important to understand. Not all practitioners are fully aware of the roots of what they are engaged in, but nevertheless they still have a spiritual impact.  

There is a focus on self-actualisation. You’ll hear terms like unblocking, balancing, harmonising; so what is happening here? The premise is that there is an energy in our bodies. This flows along energy pathways and if they get disrupted this leads to the physical problems that a person is suffering from. This energy has names like chakra, chi, ki, meridians. These practices advocate that by meditation, needles, pressure, massage, stones, crystals, magnets, postures, these pathways can be cleared and the person healed.

We are created in God’s image with a spirit, soul, and body, not with energy pathways. The only way to spiritual cleansing and restoration is through confession, repentance and forgiveness. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The alternate view of our created being comes from the enemy as he attempts to subvert God’s created order for his own purposes. Denying God’s created order and turning to other spiritual realities opens people up to the spiritual influences that rule over them. These things are not spiritually neutral. Practitioners of one of these alternative therapies/regimes are often involved in others. So, when someone puts themselves under submission to these practitioners, they open themselves up to these other influences as well. This alternative “energy” does have spiritual power, but its root is demonic. Submission to it leads to greater entanglement and bondage. One Facebook post in response to the advert quoted earlier said, “Seeing my late Dad appear from the mirror during the guided meditation and hand me a ball of light was extremely moving and powerful.” This is the insidious nature of these practices and why they are so dangerous.

Not everyone is impacted to the same extent, some are more susceptible than others, however, there is a spiritual cost, and it opens a door.  

Let’s consider some specifics. 

Yoga.
The aim of Yoga is to make the body more spiritually receptive. Yoga means “yoking” “to unite”. Yoga is a spiritual act of submission looking to connect to a deity, the universal consciousness. It looks to release the kundalini spirit, which is depicted as a snake, at the base of the spine. Each yoga pose is an act of veneration to the universal consciousness and therefore worship of a false god. Exodus 20:4-5 states, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” This warns us against elevating the created above the creator and that what we do with our bodies is consequential. That includes the postures that we adopt. That to which we bow, we submit to.

Acupuncture.
A little research reveals that “in Buddhism, the ‘Acupuncture needle’ symbolizes the Buddha’s touch, specifically his revitalization of Ananda’s crown (crown chakra). This metaphor represents the infusion of energy and wisdom, illustrating the transformative power of the Buddha’s teachings.” This demonstrates that the heart of acupuncture is to connect with a spiritual reality outside of God. This is the root foundation of all therapies/treatments that seek to unblock/realign/cleanse the energy flow in the body, such as reflexology, kinesiology and the like. One delegate at the Forge recalled that he had been directed to have kinesiology by his GP. During a ministry time he testified, “I was set free from kinesiology and released from a spirit during the teaching.”

Reki.
Spiritual healing using the palms of the practitioner as a channel of the supposed universal healing energy. Practitioners seek to make practitioners of those they practice on. Again, this has the same demonic root as acupuncture, seeking to rebalance energy pathways. Where it differs is that there is a more overt impartation of spiritual influence from the practitioner into the person being treated. This creates a strong ungodly link between the two, and whatever is influencing the practitioner can take hold of the other.

Pilates.
Joseph Pilates, after which the exercise regime derives its name, studied yoga, martial arts and zen Buddhism. The postures in Pilates are grounded in those in yoga and therefore have the same aim. A question that is often asked is, “what happens if I adopt the pose but I’m just doing it for exercise?” If I were to prostrate myself in church before God that would be an act of worship. If I were to adopt the same position in a mosque, who would I be submitting to? Again, asking the right question here is vitally important. The enemy’s deception is to say, “this is only exercise, it’s only a pose”, the spiritual reality says differently. The question is, “does this honour or dishonour God?” If I want my life to surrender to God’s Lordship it means that I want to do that which honours Him. It’s not that He wants us to miss out, it’s that He knows full well the damage that is done to our spirits, souls and bodies and therefore we should steer well clear. There are plenty of exercises we can do with no connection to anything founded on eastern religion.  

Homeopathy.
This is where a substance that causes a particular symptom is heavily diluted, in a process called potentization. It is supposed to release healing of those symptoms in those who take the medication. In many cases there is not a molecule of the original substance in the remedy, but there is said to be the essence of the substance.  

It is important to state that this is not an attack on tried and tested medication that have some element of natural ingredients in them. However, this is not what is going on here, rather it is attributing a power to something created that goes beyond its natural properties. The same is true of aromatherapy and crystals. In the case of aromatherapy, it goes beyond being a pleasant smell to being relaxing, de-stressing, calming. These are all inner, spiritual influences. In the case of crystals, it is the resonance that impacts on the inner person. When we engage in these things we are serving that which has been created rather than the Creator and this puts us into bondage.

This is not an exhaustive exposition but rather to highlight how easy it is to be drawn in to the enemy’s deception in saying these things are harmless. A recommended book for a more detailed study is, The dangers of alternative ways of healing by David Cross and John Berry.

We need to be discerning about what we are involved in. Questions we should ask are: What are the underlying principals in the treatment? Who founded the therapy, what were their beliefs? What words or phrases are being used? What is the belief of the practitioner? What else are they involved in? 

So, what can we do if we have been involved in any of these practices? I said at the start this was not to bring anyone into condemnation. This is not the unforgivable sin. Jesus stated, from the outset of His ministry, His desire to see people set free and healed, Luke 4:18-19. This was bought at great cost, “By his stripes we are healed”, Isaiah 53:5. “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”, 1 John 1:7. The posture of our hearts is the heart of the matter. To confess, repent and forgive. There also may be the need for deliverance.

Let’s seek to honour God in all we do.

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Before Jesus
Although I ticked the ‘Christian box’ on a form, I never knew Jesus as my Lord and Saviour until I truly encountered Him on 23 February 2023 when I cried out for help one night; and the God who hears, Psalm 18:6, met me there and lit a fire in my heart to love and serve Him. The next Sunday I was in church and the start of a rollercoaster spiritual journey began. Two and a half years later, with the guidance of Flame, the Lord has brought emotional, spiritual and physical healing. It has opened my eyes to the dangers of giving the devil a foothold; whether intentionally or not. What is more, by the Lord’s grace I experienced the love, provision and sovereignty of God and ‘that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him’ with repercussions that are reaching others across continents.

Since committing my life to Jesus, it hasn’t been an easy ride. We have completed three international military moves with a young family. The initial jubilation I experienced after encountering the Lord wavered as I started suffering floods of anxiety and panic attacks whenever it came to anything to do with church. Yet the Lord kept leading me to step out in faith. A number of months later, I had a fall which led to a severe flare up of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), causing excruciating neuropathic pain limiting my movement and setting me back using crutches, unable to walk more than a few metres, with severe light sensitivity and tinnitus. I say ‘setting me back’ as this all started in my early twenties after a sporting injury, which confined me to a wheelchair and took seven agonising years to learn to walk again. During this time, I resorted to all sorts of treatment, such as acupuncture, Reiki and intensive Yoga; anything to manage the pain, oblivious to the doors it may be opening.

In August 2023, having had adequate improvement in my condition we moved out to Germany for my husband’s posting, though within a couple of months of our arrival things went from bad to worse after a mix up with my medication led to severe psychosis and a hospital stay. The CRPS escalated and I found myself bedbound for three months, unable to cope with light or noise at all, spending long hours in the dark. I gradually emerged over the months that followed; my faith in the LORD more profoundly affirmed.  

The clean-up begins
After a ‘chance’ meeting with Liesel & Rhett Parkinson from the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU) in Germany in June 2025, Liesel kindly offered to organise some prayer ministry with Val Hall, another AFCU member who also ministers with Flame. I willingly agreed but had no idea what to expect. In July I returned to the UK for my best friend’s wedding, with the help of a wheelchair because of the pain. During my short stay my health deteriorated so much I was unable to travel back to Germany. Stranded in the UK, away from my family, I completed three initial online sessions with Val and Liesel between 9 and 22 July and a further two in August with Val and Sharon Borland, also an AFCU member and on the Flame staff team. The Holy Spirit set the agenda, leading to unexpected areas long buried that needed the Lord’s healing.  

Val said later, “I duly dug out my Ellel notes on deliverance from the ramifications of doing Yoga ready for the first session and was all prepared for what seemed to be a fairly cut-and-dried case. I really should have learnt by now that the Holy Spirit has His own agenda and we must not try to second guess Him!” Each session brought out something new and different, often with a lot of repentance and tears but the Lord is so good and as His light shone into darkness, the healing and freedom came. In the second session, a spirit of divination left my right leg; it was revealed that it came from an encounter with an acupuncturist just before I developed CRPS in 2011. Concurrently, I worked through the Fireside online teachings, finding them so informative, relevant and enlightening; I recommend to all.

A new season
Leading into session five of prayer ministry I was still taking the pain medication, using crutches to walk and was bound by the fear of pain. My husband had brought the girls to join me for the summer holidays but had to return to Germany for a further couple of weeks for work. Whilst things had improved a little, they were still very challenging even the smallest daily tasks caused pain, and light was still a huge problem. By the Lord’s strength alone and provision through the help of people around me and local church club for the girls, I seemed to manage. I had felt prompted to share my testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness during my trials with my local church in Burgh, and for anyone who knows me, standing up and speaking to a crowd is and  was incredibly daunting, but again with my eyes fixed on my Saviour I endeavoured to step out in obedience and faith.  

The day before the last prayer session the Lord gave me the verse Luke 1:74, “That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear”, although this seemed so far off. Finally, during the time of prayer ministry Val brought up the Yoga and my time in India when I travelled around visiting temples, oblivious to the spiritual world about me. In Goa, I spent a month doing an intensive Yoga course, 6-8 hours a day, meditating and unknowingly devoting myself to other gods through the Yoga poses, with the aim to open what yogis call the chakras and inner eye.

I now see this as the deception it is and opening of doors for the devil. Sharon and Val so gently led me through repentance, forgiveness, breaking ungodly ties and inviting the Lord in to shut what was open and bring restoration and healing.  

I can thank and praise the Lord that I have had no need for the pain medication since that session. With Luke 1:74 reverberating in my mind and the Spirit empowering me, I walked pain free for the first time in over a year and a half! Within a week I had walked 5km and within two weeks ran a 5km with my girls on a family fun run! Memories of the girl’s excitement when they told daddy on the phone, “Mummy lifted us and has been dancing round the kitchen” still bring tears to my eyes. My husband actually said, “You even sound different”. What is more, the bombardment of anxiety and negative emotional assault died to a trickle. I can only raise my hands in awe and thank and praise the Lord! 

And on to Kenya
So…how does this get us to Kenya, I hear you ask…

Back in 2022, during a military posting to Nairobi, Kenya, my husband and I were driving down to the Masai Mara for a weekend game drive. Three hours into the drive on a long open stretch of road, unexpectedly the back wheel of our Toyota came flying off, overtaking us and landing feet away from a man on the back of a motorbike. ‘Miraculously’ we pulled over safely to a bellowing, ‘Praise the Lord’ from the man, who I now know is Justus’s father.

As we set in for a long wait whilst mechanics were sought, I was given the wonderful experience to meet and play with the children at the teeny one-classroom mud school on the hill directly outside where we had stopped. This ‘chance’ encounter started a blossoming relationship between Mama Florence (now Pastor Kishoyin) and Justus her son, a young man with a passion for teaching and empowering those with physical and learning disabilities to receive an education. The school and accompanying church provide a
hub serving the rural community outside Narok town.

Years later, just before I became engrossed in the Fireside teachings, Justus messaged asking if I would pray for them; the rains had failed again, and things were really bad. ‘Coincidently’, Val sent me a link to Flame’s Healing the Land teaching and, watching this, I felt prompted to share the 2 Chronicles 7:14 verse and checked with Val if I could share the teachings as well. She felt sure that Jan would agree, so I sent the link. Pastor Kishoyin and Justus started sharing the teachings throughout their community. On the 20 August 2025, we received a celebratory video of the community dancing and praising in worship that the first rains had come. Encouraged, Justus started translating the Flame teachings into Kiswahili and Masai to share with local church elders and his bible study group. By 8 October, 3 Bishops, 8 reverends and 17 pastors were coming together to pray!  

On the 29 October Justus gave us a resumé of how the teaching had been received. On Generational Influences he said, “One of the most powerful teachings; many shared positive feedback as they discovered how to break negative cycles and embrace God’s blessings for their families. We can thank and praise the Lord that the rains have now come, and the crops are beginning to grow!”

Justus has since returned from a trip to Nairobi with the Kabirus Missionaries to share the teaching more widely. He says, “I am especially glad that the Kabirus missionaries have accepted the teachings and now they are spreading across two counties. This marks a great step in expanding the message of healing, restoration, and hope through Flame International teachings.”

I thank and praise the Lord for all those who work with Flame International and for their teachings, love and care in ministry. Through a ‘chance’ conversation and offer of prayer from Liesel, the Flame teachings are beginning to multiply around Kenya and, God willing, will come to be shared with some churches out here in Germany bringing God’s blessing to others - surely (the LORD) has done great things’, Joel 2:20, and ‘it is marvellous in our eyes’, Psalm 118:23. Please thank and praise the Lord with us for all that He has done and is doing and pray that the teachings can reach more people around the world, bringing freedom and blessing.

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Blessing
We bless the United Kingdom with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We bless the atmosphere to have the presence of the Living God permeate our society with His love and peace, and we bless the United Kingdom to have the Spirit of God flow unhindered to redeem this nation for His plans and purposes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

Prayer for restoration
We thank you, Almighty Father, that your heart is to restore and you long to restore all things to yourself. Thank you, Lord, for continuing to work in all our lives even when we turn from you. We pray for a great restoration of destiny and calling in our land, for people to recognise you and be delivered from the tide of secularism and false religions that spreads across the United Kingdom. We pray that a real sense of righteousness and justice will be restored in our nation and that godly laws will be re-instated. We prophesy that all that the enemy has stolen will be restored to the people and that our laws and judicial systems will once again be held in high regard as honest, true and trustworthy.

Proclamation
We declare that your ways are not our ways; they are so much higher and greater. We declare a turning in the land towards the living God. We declare that our Christian heritage will be restored and our Christian roots will once again be the very foundation of who we are as a nation.

Warfare
We resist and reject every spirit that has motivated secularism and false teachings that rise against our God. In the name of Jesus, we pray for a turning of the tide toward the truth and the knowledge of Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

A final Blessing
In the mighty and most powerful name of Jesus we bless the nations of the United Kingdom to be restored to their great inheritance in God and to be pioneers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We bless the Gospel to go forth in power again from the United Kingdom to the nations of the world. We bless this nation to be a forerunner in walking in the ways of the Lord, and for revival to flow out from this land, Amen.

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On Wednesday afternoon God answered our prayers. Four special guests arrived at the Catholic Conference Centre: 

• Stephen the Vice President of the Police Christian Union. 
• Dr Michel Nsabiyumva a medical doctor and born-again believer who devised and has been running a secular Trauma Healing programme for 8 years. He has recently been charged by the President to roll out the course across the Police Force. 
• A Major in the Police and a member of the Police Christian Union, and 
• Nibitanga Cecile also a member of the Police Christian Union. Cecile remembered me from 15 years ago and testified that she and her pastor husband are using the Flame notes in their pastoral work.

Two other key attendees were Remy, a man of influence closely connected with the Police, and Bruno, a retired Lt Col and a key contact with the military. We had been praying for this meeting but very unsure of it happening. Only God could orchestrate such an event and He amazed us all. For two hours I shared who Flame is and why we had returned to Burundi. Emmanuel opened the discussion when the issue of trauma in the government and the nation was sensitively discussed. This then culminated in total agreement that Flame and the Police Christian Union (as lead) would work together, and a strategy and action plan implemented, underpinned by prayer and intercession. An air of praise and thanksgiving to God filled the room but we all understood that there is much work to be done.

Our final day and day of departure opened with a breakfast meeting between Emmanuel, Alison, Sharon and me. We reflected on what was shared the previous afternoon, what this meant, and might look like. Emmanuel is a strategist and had already come up with an outline for the next visit in June 2026 and probably a follow-up mission in the Autumn. The detail is to be prayed in but in outline our small Flame team will train and minister to the Burundi team drawn from the priesthood (the priests). Selected prayer ministers from this group will join with Flame to teach and minister to senior officials (the prophets) who will testify to God’s healing to their senior managers (the kings). The priests not selected as prayer ministers will form the intercession group to intercede for the prophets and kings.

What seemed impossible to achieve in 4 days was proved possible for God and we rejoice in the plans and purposes revealed to us by God. The hard work continues across Burundi where the light of Christ is already shining into the darkness, and the valley of poverty, death and destruction looks full of hope for this nation. We stand with those who are already preparing the ground. We cannot and do not underestimate what God can do and so we remain obedient to His plans and prayerfully seek to understand His wisdom. I am reminded of an African proverb so apt for Burundi. “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

My name is Nduwayo Bernard, and I am a pastor at Shammah Temple Fellowship. I am married and blessed with three children.

In 2013, I attended a trauma healing seminar organized by Flame International in partnership with Harvest Initiatives in an Anglican church. The five days I spent at this seminar had a profound impact on my life.

The Biblical approach introduced by Flame International focuses on restoring relationships that have been broken due to sin. It encourages repentance and emphasizes prayer as a significant tool in breaking the bonds of negative spirits and attitudes.

In our country, we endured a period of war, and during that time my brother was taken by the police and killed. We were never allowed to see him again, and we could not even bury him. This deeply affected me emotionally. However, during the seminar, I made the choice to forgive the police officers, and when I brought my pain and concerns to the cross, I was set free from the emotional bondage I had been carrying.

In my pastoral ministry, the teachings I received from Flame International have equipped me to help others identify the root causes of their problems and guide them toward reconciliation with God.

I learned how to pray for believers who are affected by trauma and how to support their emotional, physical, and spiritual healing. I now recognize how to help people heal in every area of their lives —spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The Biblical teachings I received from Flame International are practical and can be used effectively in the church. I also learned the importance of truly listening to others, allowing them to express their pain and find healing through God’s love and grace.

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I had always asked why I couldn’t sense God’s love for me, despite having an undeniable conversion, being baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit back in 1980.

Now, by laying hold of the teaching and ministry, I was gradually being cleansed and delivered from many things that had crushed, bound, and imprisoned my human spirit. As childhood trauma was lifted off, and I chose to forgive my parents, I was able to connect with God spirit to spirit and receive the healing flow of His life and love.

God was indeed strengthening my innermost being with His divine might. Through faith, the life of Christ was being released deep inside me and now I find that the resting place of His love has become the very source and root of my life. I am increasingly discovering the astonishing magnitude and intimacy of Christ’s love being poured into my spirit. I am being filled to overflowing with the fullness of God. (Reference, Ephesians 3:16-19 TPT).

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The Forge teaching in Leeds had a significant impact on all of us. We sensed the Lord gently changing us, little by little, and when Forge 2 came to an end, we didn’t want the journey to stop. The teaching was impactful, and for some of us the prayer ministry groups had a profound effect on our lives. We began to wonder: was there more that the Lord wanted to do?

Along the way, we formed meaningful friendships with others on the same journey—people who understood us and shared a common vision. We knew we would miss the monthly gatherings where we experienced the Lord’s presence through worship, teaching, and ministry. At the same time, a growing desire stirred within us to offer this life-giving ministry to our friends, families, and wider community.

At the final Forge session, a sign-up sheet was shared for anyone interested in keeping in touch and around 15 people added their names. Val, who led the course, also indicated that if we wanted to continue — perhaps by holding a healing day in Leeds — she would be willing to support us by travelling over, setting the programme, and providing spiritual cover, which we felt was very important. So, we prayed and sensed we should move forward.
A Zoom meeting was arranged to pray together and explore the possibility of a healing day, followed by a second meeting to allow time for further prayer and discernment. At that second meeting, it was agreed that we would proceed with a Spring Healing Day in April in Leeds. A committed team of 12 people came together to serve.

The same church used for Forge 2 was booked, with one team member taking responsibility for arrangements in consultation with Val. She also hosted the day, prepared the room, and organised the worship. Flyers were printed and shared by the team and Flame, and we made a conscious effort to personally invite friends, family, neighbours and those the Lord placed on our hearts.

Following the Healing Day in Leeds in April 2025, we witnessed the Lord moving powerfully in people’s lives. The team served with unity and joy —welcoming guests, praying around the room, practising dramas, gathering contact details, and offering prayer ministry in pairs. Many shared how they felt the strong presence of the Lord and how blessed they were by the teaching and ministry, with some travelling long distances having set off very early to attend.

Encouraged by the momentum, we continued to pray and plan. Team members were invited to stay connected through monthly Flame Intercession Hubs, both in person and online. Following further prayer and Zoom meetings, two more Flame Healing Days were planned — one in June and another in October. We praise God for what He is continuing to do in the Leeds area and look forward with gratitude and expectation.

If you would be interested in hosting a Healing Day at your church, please visit
www.flameinternational.org/healingdays to get in touch.

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The fear of the Lord has been a burning passion in Tristan’s life, consuming and driving him close to the Lord since he was a young boy, so this is a book birthed in revelation and business done with the Lord on his knees and face.

Tristan reminds us that we should earnestly desire to know the fullness of who Jesus is. God, the Father, loves us and has called us to know His Son so that we may be saved but now that we have received the grace of God and been adopted into His family, we are called to walk in His holiness, becoming more like Christ. And this is where the book challenges us as the Body of Christ to return to the fear of the Lord because ‘through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord, evil is avoided.’ Proverbs 16:6.

In Proverbs 8:13 we also read that ‘the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil’ and here Tristan hits the nail on the head by stating that the key to Christian living is obedience and faithful living, and when we hate evil and are motivated to stay away from sin, the path of obedience is set before us.

As an ex-soldier I was struck by the term ‘made ready’ in the title, which reinforces the sense of urgency and is a direct call to action as the Church once again takes hold of the fear of the Lord in preparing for the return of Christ. Tristan highlights that as Noah was warned of the coming wrath of God on the earth, in faith he believed it to be true, and was gripped by a holy fear. So too must we be attentive to the approaching Day and make ourselves ready.

In Jesus’ prayer for His disciples and all believers in John 17, his request is, “Holy Father, protect them, by the power of your name”, because the Good Shepherd knows we need protection from the evil one, which will keep us holy and committed to God and His holy ways. And here Tristan once again brings the same point home – that the fear of the Lord is essential in our lives for ‘the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’ Exodus 20:20. It is a deeply challenging book that can help us keep alive to the Holy Spirit, being constantly aware that we are carriers of the presence of God, and you cannot fail to hear the prophetic clarion call running through the pages urging us to make ready in the fear of the Lord for the return of the Messiah. But it is also an easily navigated book, grounded in scripture and giving us practical examples of its outworking in life as a Christian seeking to follow the Lord.

Let me end with the words of Oswald Chambers, a missionary and YMCA padre who died in 1917 whilst on active service, and a man who lived in the holy fear of the Lord: “The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”