My first book available now!

http://www.lulu.com/content/5441807

The book is called Rivers and Wells and is about the fact that the anointing of God is available to every single Christian. You can buy the book from Lulu Marketplace for £3.49, or you can download it as a PDF document for £1.95.  Both these options are available from the link above.

This is the blurb from the back cover:

Many Christians are confused over the idea
of the anointing. If they think about the
concept at all, they think that the anointing
is for superstar preachers and not for every
Christian.

In this practical and Bible-based book,
Benjamin looks at the anointing and shows
that you can move in the power of the Holy
Spirit and that you can do the works Jesus
has done. Prepare to be inspired and
challenged – you will never be the same
again!

You can contact Ben through the Tree of
Life Church website:

http://www.treeoflifechurch.org.uk

The Reason For Your Unhappiness is Your Selfishness

I think that is one of the most radical, yet true, statements I have ever heard. I am still processing it in my life and will do for some considerable time.

Andrew Wommack has just taught on his TV show on Self-Centredness being the root cause of all grief. It has been some very powerful, yet very clear Biblical teaching, and I have enjoyed it and been challenged immensely.

I firmly recommend it to all of you: http://www.awmi.net/tv/2008/week53

Blessings,
Ben

The Sower Sows the Word (IV)

Firstly, thanks for your patience in waiting for part IV of our series on the Sower Sows the Word. I know I said I would be able to continue tomorrow and that was about ten days ago, however, we went to Wales for Christmas and New Year and did not really have access the internet.

But the issue of dealing with the thorns that choke the Word of God is vitally important at this time of the year. As people make New Year’s Resolutions, they normally make the mistake of trying to succeed in the flesh with willpower.

Realizing the truth of the Sower Sows the Word means that you are going to understand how to make choices that lead to permanent and effortless change.

Let’s use weight and diet as an example, as most New Year Resolutions are based on this. Not only that, I want to lose weight this year – and these are the principles I will be using myself.

In the world, what we do is make a pledge to lose a certain amount, or give up cakes, or stick to a diet. We then use all f our willpower to resist what we have decided to give up, and we inevitably fail. Just like the person told not to think of an elephant, the first thing that comes into our mind whenever we have a free moment is the very thing we want to give up. It is only the third of January, but I believe entirely that there will be people reading this who have already broken their resolutions.

However, Jesus does not leave us in condemnation or fighting the calories, or the smoking, or the pornography, or the anger in our flesh. He gives us the Word. When we sow the Word of God in our heart, there will be a harvest.

If we sow words of purity and love and freedom into our heart, and speak the Word over ourself, then we will have a harvest of purity, love and freedom. We will not be struggling in the flesh, in condemnation and feeling like death all the time – we can have the joy of victory.

Mark 11.24 says that you can have what you say. Rather than say “I am never going to make it, I am never going to win.” say “I am free from this, I am alive to God, I am more than a conqueror.” Say it again and again. We have in previous articles on the Sower Sows the Word spoke about meditating on the Word and how to put the Word in your heart. This is the key to change. Filling your mind with the Word will lead to victory.

But sometimes it doesn’t feel like that. We meditate on the Word and we feel great, but then it doesn’t seem to produce results. It doesn’t seem to change our lifestyle, or bring the peace, the prosperity or the healing we are expecting.

Well, one of the main reasons this is the case is due to the thorns. Mark 4.7 says:

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

I am sure that like me you have felt at times that even though you know the Word, are meditating on the Word and speaking the Word, you feel choked and unfruitful. You feel that it just isn’t going right for you, and you can’t seem to get it right. If that is you, rejoice! The solution is in the Bible:

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. – Mark 4.18,19

We are choked by three things:

1. The cares of this world
2. The deceitfulness of riches
3. The lusts of other things

If you can remove these three things from your heart then the Word will NEVER be choked again. Do you understand – you will never be unfruitful again. You will always bear fruit. You will ask and receive, you will walk in victory.

In the next two posts I want to look at 2 and 3. I might decide to spend several posts on the deceitfulness of riches, because this is one of the biggest issues in the church today.

However, for now I want to deal with the cares of this world. Most Christians have had the word of God choked due to the cares of this world.

The word used for cares in this verse is merimna which literally means different directions. The world tries to distract you by drawing you in different directions.

We go to church, hear a great sermon on the power of God to heal and we are focused and ready to receive. But the world distracts us by leading us in different directions: try medicine, try acupunture, try panicking, try anything. These distractions choke the Word and stop it working.

Or in the instance of New Year Resolutions. The Word says you change by changing your heart by what you hear. So you need to speak out and say “I am only going to eat what I need, I am in control of my appetites, my god is not my belly, my God is the Lord Jesus Christ.” But the world distracts you – you need to try Slimfast, this pill, this diet, this fad, that strategy, and the thorns will choke out the Word.

The sooner we realize that the Word of God plus something leads to nothing, but the Word of God only leads to something the more successful we will be.

Do not let the world distract you and lead you in many directions this year – choose one direction: the direction of the Word of God. If you do not know the direction of the Word then go and read it until you see its direction to you and then obey it. The Word will keep you right and bring a harvest of peace and freedom. The world will lead you back into the same world of hurt and confusion you have been in before.

Often one of the distractions of the world is impatience. The Word will grow, but sometimes it does not happen instantly. Do not let the world pressure you into a get-rich-quick or a get-slim-quick scheme, you will be conned. Let the Word have its perfect work in you…

It is your choice – choose life!

Blessings,
Ben

Not For Today

There is not a single Scripture to show that the early church was to be endued with miraculous spiritual gifts but that later these gifts were to be withdrawn. You cannot find such a Scripture. . .

We one day came by accident upon some stamped addressed envelopes scattered on the ground in a remote part of the Congo forest. We gathered them carefully and enquiry proved that a native postal runner, finding his mail-bags heavy, had deliberately extracted some of the letters and thrown them away, lightening his load. Of course he received severe punishment. Do you think that we can go unscathed if we set aside the plain statements of God’s Word – if we lighten our load by discarding portions of revealed truth?

Our only picture of the Church in its everyday life is in the Acts of the Apostles. That is the normal church life and the epistles of messages of the Spirit to the seven churches in Asia only confirm it. Had there been some other sort of church life, short of miracles, we should have been told about it. Right up to Paul’s letters to Timothy just before his death, we read “Stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1.6). The Acts of the Apostles should still be continuing. Thank God there are churches where they are still continuing.

How pathetic it was that the Pharisees before whom a withered arm had just been restored (Matt. 12.13), and a blind and dumb demon expelled (Matt. 12.22), should still follow the Lord Jesus asking for a sign (Matt. 12.38). The fact is unbelief was blinding their minds to the signs wrought in profusion befre them. Is it not the same in these days? “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt. 13.58).

I can only account for opposition to healings and tongues in a similar way, for thousands of humanly incurable people are being healed in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and even the highest authorities in the medical profession admit it.

– W.F.P. Burton, 1949.

Last post before Christmas…

I am going to be fairly busy the next couple of days, as I know you all will be. I just want to wish you a merry Christmas and a blessed and prosperous New Year.

I will continue the Sower Sows the Word series as soon as the holiday season is over.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have by putting them in the comments section.

Blessings,
Ben

The Sower Sows the Word (Video)

You can see Ben preach on the Sower Sows the Word at Worshipville Church in London here.

The first couple of minutes of the video have not been edited properly. I have the facilities to do this, but I need to wait until next week due to the terms and conditions of Vimeo. I hope this doesn’t spoil the video too much.

Blessings,
Ben

My new book available now!

http://www.lulu.com/content/5441807

The book is called Rivers and Wells and is about the fact that the anointing of God is available to every single Christian. You can buy the book from Lulu Marketplace for £3.49, or you can download it as a PDF document for £1.95.  Both these options are available from the link above.

This is the blurb from the back cover:

Many Christians are confused over the idea
of the anointing. If they think about the
concept at all, they think that the anointing
is for superstar preachers and not for every
Christian.

In this practical and Bible-based book,
Benjamin looks at the anointing and shows
that you can move in the power of the Holy
Spirit and that you can do the works Jesus
has done. Prepare to be inspired and
challenged – you will never be the same
again!

You can contact Ben through the Tree of
Life Church website:

http://www.treeoflifechurch.org.uk

The Sower Sows the Word (III)

Previously in part I, we examined the fact that some people are like the path – they never grasp the Word, never fight for the Word, and so it leaves their life and it is as if they never heard it.

In part II, we saw that some people are rocky ground.  They receive the Word of God into their emotions and not their re-born spirit.  Because of this, the moment their life becomes difficult or the instant someone criticises them because of the Word of God, they instantly get offended and leave the Word alone.

The question we must now answer to help you and help other people is this: how can we ensure that when we hear the preached Word that we receive it into our spirit and not simply into our emotions.

The answer is found in this Scripture in James:

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1.21)

The way for you to receive the Word into your spirit is to:

1. Rid yourself of all filthiness

2. Rid yourself of all naughtiness

3. Receive the Word with meekness

Filthiness is essentially anything that is wicked.  One of the easiest ways to ensure the Word of God has no effect on your life is to do things and watch things you know are wrong.  I am not going to lay a heavy on anyone – but you must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and you must get rid of filthiness.

Naughtiness is such a mis-used word in our society, it provokes images of someone being a little off, or a little crude.  However, in this verse it means a desire to hurt people.   You must rid yourself of every desire you have to hurt or use other people.  Every time you have thoughts of hurting people, you need to reject those thoughts.

Finally, and most importantly, you need to receive the Word of God with meekness.  Meekness is the ability to take second place to something else – to allow someone else to go first.  It is one of the lost virtues of society, often today seen as a sign of weakness.  Even today on the bus, a man told me to grab my seat quick or people would skip ahead of me on the queue.  He said he would skip ahead of me.  I said I didn’t mind if he did.

When it comes to the Word of God, meekness means that if your opinions and ideas disagree with the Word, you ditch your opinions and your ideas, and you don’t ditch the Word.  If we take healing as an example again, if you read “He bore my sicknesses”, don’t try and rationalise it with your opinions – ditch your opinions and put the Word first in your life.

Every great revival, every great revelation contradicts your thoughts and your opinions.  The Reformation of Christianity began when Martin Luther put aside his thoughts and his opinions and realized that “The just shall live by faith” means that “The just shall live by faith.”  Pentecostal Christianity started when people realized that “They spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” meant exactly that.

There are still Christians today who don’t believe that we are justified by faith alone, still Christians who reject and mock the gift of tongues.  Don’t be like that – receive the Word meekly.  If the Bible says you are healed (it does by the way, many times over!), receive it.

Let’s not be stony ground Christians any more, and let’s receive the Word deep in our hearts so that we are Christians not just in the excitement of a church on Sunday, but in the midst of affliction and persecution.

Tomorrow, we will look at how to deal with a thorny issue…

Blessings,

Ben

Our Spiritual Initiative in Prayer

(In this quote, Kenyon refers to our spiritual initiative.  What he means is our passion for the Lord.  This is a powerful revelation about our passion for the Lord and our faith…)

The hindrance to our spiritual initiative in prayer comes form the neglect of reading and feeding on the Word.  It is evidence of a low type of spiritual fellowship.

When we lose our spiritual initiative, we lose something that would drive us through to victory in hard places.  It is time then that we should give ourselves to the study of the Word.  It is the personal study of the Word that counts.

Whenever your faith loses it aggressiveness, the senses have gained the ascendancy.

Whenever spiritual things take second place, it is evidence that the realities of the divine things are losing out; that sense knowledge is sl0wly but surely gaining the mastery.  It dominates at the crossroads where it is necessary that we have keen spiritual discernment.  We cannot take a negative attitude toward the Word.

We assent to the Word instead of acting upon it.  That holy fearlessness is lost.

The heart will not be saying, “I can do all things in Him today.”

When the spiritual initiative is low, you will never hear one say, “Greater is He that is in me than the forces that surround me.”

It is when the great things of Scripture are held as doctrines rather than as a reality, when the opinions of men are put above the Word of God.  Out of this will grow an inferiority complex in the spiritual realm.

Whenever your heart loses its boldness towards the Lord, its fearlessness in acting on the Word, you are in danger.  The prayer life has lost its reality and things of the senses have taken its place.

You see that is a real spiritual disease.  Now the body becomes helpless.  The mind where disease and fear grow and mature is under the dominion of an outside power and you are in a dangerous condition.

The cure is going to the Word again; giving yourself over to it, resolutely taking your place.  Refuse to give up your confession.

E. W. Kenyon

The Three Real Gifts of Christmas

Our family today decided to visit a church we had never been to before.  There was a poster advertising their services in the local Christian bookshop and it seemed quite interesting.

It was a beautiful carol service, mainly Africans with a couple of Asians as well.  But it was something said during the preaching that has made me think.

The pastor said that the gifts that the Magi offered Christ of gold, frankincense and myrrh were not the real gifts they offered Christ.  He said that if we think that this is the true offering that Christ wants then we will be discouraged because we don’t own gold, we don’t have any frankincense and we would not have a clue how to source any myrrh.

He said the three real gifts that the Magi offered to Christ were time, worship and faith.  They took the time to change their schedule and their plans to go and meet with Christ.  They worshipped him.  They put their trust and their hope in Him.

And that is something each of us can do.  We can all change our schedules and re-prioritise our life so that we can meet with Christ.  We can all worship Christ, and we can all take Him at His Word this Christmas.

Although as a family we tried to sneak in to the back of the church and just enjoy the service, at the end the pastor said that the Lord had showed him that I was an anointed, kingdom man and that I should share a couple of words about Christmas.  I did share about the joy of knowing Christ and the reason for the season, but to be honest the real message about the real gifts of Christmas will have me thinking about my schedule, my worship and my faith over the festive season.

Blessings,

Ben