Do This Much

Last week here at Holy Trinity in Richmond we had the privilege of hosting my good friend Mark Stevens for 24 hours of worship training. Mark was previously on the worship team at Hillsong in Sydney Australia and, more recently, Creative Director at Life Church in Bradford until 2011. It was a joy for me to see Mark again after three years since I left Bradford myself in 2011 & to hear about all that God is doing in and through him. What a great guy! I encourage you check out his ministry and, especially his albums (the second of which will be released later this year) and his brand new book Strength For The Road. Please see: http://www.markstevensmusic.com/

On Wednesday evening we spent time together in an evening of worship where we took time out to press in to the presence of Jesus, to lift Him up in praise, tell Him how much we love Him and listen for His voice. It was a massive blessing to me to see Mark’s contagious passion for Christ begin to stir the team that I’ve had the privilege of leading this last year and bless the various different churches that were represented at the joint gathering.

Earlier in the day some of the staff team were praying for me in our weekly meeting and laying hands on me for strength and a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit. As they did, God gave me three words, very clearly, for the evening that I believe carry weight and meaning for all of us, especially in the work of the Spirit in His church, cross-denominationally and collaboratively in this time in history.

The three words: “Do This Much”

It is the regular gathering together as friends, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and leaders from different churches that I feel is so significant and catalysing for a greater move of the Holy Spirit in our churches and in our post-codes. I believe the Lord is saying, “Do this much…” – the ‘this’ being prioritising prayer and worship as family across barriers between different churches, and to get radical about how our lives (life-styles) orient around the work of the Kingdom in this way. We must do this much to know the outpouring of His presence and power and to see towns, cities, countries won for Jesus!

God has so much more for us all but I believe He needs us to “come up higher”.

Every blessing

Nick