Some years ago, I was part of the music ministry of New Wine Charismatic Pentecostal Church, in Woolwich, London. I am familiar with the idea of speaking in tongues. Many folks from other denominations consider this very odd! But, New Wine Church had members from more than 50 countries, and those people spoke even more than 50 languages. So the idea behind speaking in tongues is that God understand what is in your HEART, and it doesnt matter what language you pray in, or indeed what words that you vocalize.... But to many people, a group of Christians all praying aloud in different languages might seem very strange. The power of prayer is awesome, and Id like to bring to your attention the prayer Jesus Christ taught us, the Lords prayer. I pray the Anglican version, from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662. My late mother taught me the Lords Prayer as soon as I could talk, and I learned this old version, and I continue to pray that translation, but please pray whichever version you like, in whatever language that you prefer. God will hear your prayer. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. I have been told that singing for the glory of God is like praying twice! So I like to sing and play harmonica. Here is a little song, in the blues genre. It is called: Theres a Church over yonder...... Theres a Church over yonder...... Where people go to pray Theres a Church over yonder...... Where people go to pray And I can tell you people God hears every word that they say If you feel sad and lonely Get down on your knees and pray If you feel sad and lonely Get down on your knees and pray Jesus will listen And things will get better day by day With Jesus in your heart You will never be alone With Jesus in your heart You will never be alone Just talk to Jesus You dont need to use a telephone Jesus loves you Loves you oh so much Jesus loves you Loves you oh so much He is always with us With His loving touch. © VJ Walden 2014 Please take a few minutes to pray for the things that matter to us all.... Please remember people being persecuted for their Christian faith... This is happening more and more, in Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the Philippines, and in so many other places. Please God, give those folks the strength to carry on, and bring the persecutors to thy son, Jesus Christ. I pray for healing. Those who are suffering with health problems, we pray for help from Jesus Christ. We must truly believe, and will be made well again. Now if you are being treated by the doctors and are under medication, perhaps that is the way that God is choosing to heal you so keep on with the medical treatment... But JESUS HEALS! I pray for the healing of the afflicted. YES! Over the past 15 months, I have been traveling abroad on Christian mission. I have contacted several missionary societies to be told “You are not an APROVED missionary”... So I said “How do I become approved? I am an ordained Christian minister... Perhaps I could take a course of training?” After telling my age and the fact that I have had health problems, the reply has so far always been “Not possible”. So I prayed over it, and God told me “ Do it yourself “ So I did. I had inherited an amount of money, so I decided to fund my Christian Missions abroad by myself. On Facebook, I had been chatting to a Kenyan Christian woman, who I told that God had called me to travel overseas to spread the teaching of Jesus, and she said “I will introduce you to MY pastor here in Africa, the Rev Fred Indangasi Isoyi”... Within a few weeks, I had received an invitation letter, I got my plane ticket and visa and in the spring of last year, I was flying off, a lone missionary, to coastal Kenya. It was a life changing experience. I had been invited to preach at Kings Highway Baptist Church, Mtwapa, near the city of Nairobi, in coastal Kenya. I stayed at the home of Pastor Fred and his family. The City of Mombasa is actually a small Island situated at the edge of the Indian Ocean, and has the second largest natural harbour in Africa. Almost all the goods for east and central Africa are imported through Mombasa. It is a friendly and cosmopolitan place. The people there speak Swahili. The word Swahili means “Language of the coast”. About half of the Kenyan people are Christian, but the Muslim faith is growing fast! Christians there need all the help and encouragement that we can give them. Anyway, although this was my first visit to Kenya, it was not my first visit to Africa. I lived in South Africa for about three months after I left the Republic of the Philippines... Where I was based between 2009 and 2011. In fact coastal Kenya is quite a lot like the Philippines. With bananas, and palm trees. But Kenya is a big country.... So what did I do during my first visit to Kenya? I preached the teachings of Jesus Christ! I encouraged! African Christian worship consists of lots of singing, lots of dancing, and passionate preaching. The KHBC is not a pretty building, it is a big shed, built out of “Galvanize”, what my parents down in England called “Corrugated Iron”. But the Church isnt the building it is the people. And the people of Kenya are passionate people... I preached a lot during my first visit to Mtwapa. After I had been there a few weeks, Head Pastor Fred said... “John, we would like you to become a Pastor in our Church”... I have been an ordained Christian Minister since 2001, and I worked in the music ministry of New Wine Charismatic Pentecostal Church, in Woolwich London. When people ask me “What denomination are you?” I simply reply “Christian”. I believe that all Bible believing Christians must work together to spread the teaching of Jesus Christ. I was baptised as an Anglo Catholic when a baby, that is “High Church Anglican”. I was confirmed in the Church of England, I was “Born Again” and ordained a Christian minister in the pentecostal Church... And yes I was baptised by complete immersion (in the Indian Ocean) and anointed as a Pastor, by Head Pastor Fred, in Kings Highway Baptist Church. We had a big open air Christian Festival, for four days... It was wonderful. Talking with Pastor Fred, I mentioned the possibility of planting a branch of Kings Highway Baptist Church in the Republic of the Philippines, so a couple of months after returning to Scotland, I flew back to the Philippine Islands, hoping to marry my fiancée there, and to research the possibility of planting a Church there. I came up against a brick wall on both counts. I am a British Citizen. I am no longer wealthy! I simply could not raise the money needed ….. I couldnt marry my fiancée, because the certificate from the Register Office here in Scotland did not arrive in time... In fact it arrived by air mail some six weeks after I returned to Scotland. Philippines Mail is probably the worst post office in the world. I thought no problem, I would invite my lady to come to Scotland as my “spouse or fiancée”... No, not possible. By law, I would need an income in excess of 18,500 GB Pounds. My income is about half that. The British Government has prevented me from having a family life. So.. A couple of months after returning to the UK, I flew back to Kenya, and traveled by road to Nairobi, and on to Tanzania and also through the Great Rift Valley to the western province of Kenya. It was awesome. Another big Healing Crusade in Mwanza, Tanzania, which is on the shore of Lake Victoria. It was organized by 12 separate African Churches, all working together in harmony. Absolutely marvelous! Well, I returned to Scotland and to a few months of ill health, ending up in the Victoria Hospital with suspected malaria. While in a fever, I had a dream, that Jesus Christ came to me... I said to Him “Have you come to take me home, Lord?” In my dream he replied “No John, I have work for you to do... You must travel to Pakistan on Christan mission, and preach there, and by the way, your malaria is cured!” It was an epiphany... Amazing, because I had never thought of visiting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and certainly had not considered going there as a Christian Pastor... Even more amazing, a few days after returning to my flat in Rutherglen from hospital, I received a message from the Rise Up Church of God, Gujranwala, Pakistan “would I come and visit them and preach in there Church, and take part in an open air Christian Healing Crusade?” So, that was when I asked for some financial help from the Church, but was turned down, because I am not an approved missionary. So, I borrowed the money and traveled alone to Lahore, where I was met by Pastor Liaqat and his family, and was driven by car the two hours across the Punjab to Gujranwala. I was only there for two weeks, but it was absolutely wonderful. The Healing Crusade was fantastic, and although the week before had been very rainy, (the monsoon)... There wasnt a drop of rain during the three days of the Crusade. Every day I visited a different Church to spread the teaching of Jesus Christ. Some days, two different Churches, one in the afternoon, another in the evening. So in April I returned to Scotland, to be invited to return to Kenya, as a missionary... Next month. I have been fund raising... But so far I simply have not raised enough cash to even pay for my visa, and the plane fair is way out of reach. And I have been the subject of considerable abuse from some people who seem determined to stop my missionary work. If I am meant to go, the money will come, if not... It wont. Either way it shall be the will of God. Victor John Walden.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 08:50:38 +0000
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