For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power,' (1 Corinthians 4.20). This is the essence of the Bible - people doing the 'job'. The Bible is a practical Book, a book of action, an adventure story: Creation, Israel, the prophets, the stories, the Kings, the nation - the fights - the prophecies relating to Israel and Christ. I believe in action. God has called us into the Kingdom, and if you are a born-again, baptised, Spirit-filled believer, God has done that for a reason. God doesn’t save you and call you so that you can sit at ease – we are saved to serve! 

There is no limit to God's Power, but to see miracles we have to link prayer and faith. In Hebrews it says of the Israelites that 'the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.' I want you to link your prayer with your faith. 'The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.' (James 5.16-18, NLT.)

There are three levels of faith; (i), when all the evidence says it will happen; (ii), faith when there is no evidence; (iii), faith when it is totally impossible. I'm not just celebrating 75 years in ministry; I'm demonstrating that faith works. - It was this challenge that I took up when God said to me, "Shut up, go out and do everything you're talking about". Living by faith is so misunderstood. It isn't sitting in a monastery waiting for the Lord's return; I live by faith by what I do: I went to Jerusalem by faith in 1961 - it was impossible with difficulties all along the route, but by faith I overcame every obstacle; twice God has healed me of cancer. I want you to live in this faith - faith which does the impossible!

We talk about faith, we have to have faith! I laugh, because my wife used to complain that I jumped into bed. But that was an ‘act of faith’ that the bed wouldn’t collapse! We all have to use an element of faith. If you get in a car and somebody else is driving it, you need faith! Faith in its simplistic sense is part of everyday life! It’s the trust you have. You trust people, you have to trust your doctor, the police, your government – though often they fail us – they are only human. But if faith is trust, faith in God is faith in the unfailing God! In James 2:15‐17, we’re looking at different aspect of faith: If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you will say, “Go away, be in peace, be warm and filled” – in other words, “Be blessed, but I’m not giving you anything” – if you see someone who is in need and you only speak words of comfort, but don’t give them what they need – that’s useless! In the same way, faith without the works to go with it – is dead! Such ‘faith’ is just theory, empty words. So someone may challenge you, verse 18, “You have faith, and I have works. I do the job! Show me your faith that has no works and doesn’t do the job, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” This is a tremendous challenge. Because James says again in verse 20, “Faith without works is dead!” In other words, if your faith is not something that is operational and practical, if it’s not something by which you are living, if it’s not something you are going to DO SOMETHING ABOUT, that faith is NOT faith! Faith is only evidenced by what you DO, by how you live! I cannot myself find stronger words than James uses here, faith without the work to accomplish it – is dead! Dead! There are so many whose faith is dead. Simply because it only exists in theory, but never in practice.

The whole of my life has been based on the fact that nothing is impossible – if you go by faith! Joshua and Caleb were so upset with the Israelites, and said in Numbers 14:8ff, “Look, it’s an exceeding good land. If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give us the victory! Don’t rebel against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the enemy! They’re like bread for us, their defence is gone, and the Lord is with us!” At this, the whole congregation made to stone Joshua and Caleb, but the Glory of the Lord appeared before all the Children of Israel, and God said to Moses, “How long will these people provoke Me? How long will it be before they believe Me because of all the things I have already shown them? How long will they resist Me and provoke Me when they have already seen the miracles I did to bring them out of Egypt?” God is upset with the Church when the Church doesn’t see, doesn’t know the unlimited Power He has! My whole life has been to search out the unexplored Power of God to do the impossible. Read my autobiography! Listen to me – my whole life is based on the fact that our God is a God of miracles, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. We HAVE to go by faith!

Numbers 13:21ff tells exactly where the spies went. It was harvest time. In Eshcol they cut down a bunch of grapes so great, they had to carry it between 2 poles. After 40 days – it was a detailed search, and remember, they were on foot, or perhaps with donkeys – they returned. This was their report to the whole congregation of Israel, v27ff: “The land is exactly as promised, it flows with milk and honey – they showed the fruits of the land – it’s good! But the people living there are very powerful, their cities are walled and very great, and the children of Anak, who are giants, live there!!!” At this point, v30, Caleb speaks very strongly – to Moses and all the people: “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it!” But in v31, ten of the spies brought an evil report of the land they had searched: “It devours its inhabitants, and it’s got giants! We’re not able to go up against these people, for they are stronger than we are. We were as grasshoppers in our own sight, and in theirs.”  Caleb, supported by Joshua, insists, “We can go up and take the land!” But the other ten men say, “No, it’s impossible, the task is too big, we can’t do it.” And the whole congregation wailed – all night! And they turned against Moses saying, “It have been better for us to have died in Egypt or the wilderness! Why have we been brought here to this land only to fall by the sword? It’s better to go back to Egypt!”  We all know the outcome – and it’s so sad – the children of Israel did not enter the land, but had to wait a full 40 years from this point until they could finally enter, after all the doubters had died! It is so significant that none of the doubters entered the Promised Land!

I want to share something with you from the Book of Numbers – it’s very heavily marked in my Bible, and I believe it’s extremely important. This was a very great period of miracles, in fact the Children of Israel saw more miracles under Moses than later under Elijah and Elisha. It was Moses who led Israel out of captivity in Egypt. He spent 40 years of his life doing this one job! I wouldn’t have liked to be in Moses’ shoes!!! Numbers 13.21ff tells exactly where the spies went. It was harvest time. In Eshcol they cut down a bunch of grapes so great, they had to carry it between 2 poles. After 40 days – it was a detailed search, and remember, they were on foot, or perhaps with donkeys – they returned. This was their report to the whole congregation of Israel, v27ff: “The land is exactly as promised, it flows with milk and honey – they showed the fruits of the land – it’s good! But the people living there are very powerful, their cities are walled and very great, and the children of Anak, who are giants, live there!!!”

We are living through what are the most troubled times for a generation. To those old enough to remember, like me, it is a repeat of the 1930s and a serious threat of a third world war! ...But Joel 2 reveals that there is a final harvest – that’s why I am so busy, and we desperately need a massive increase in every level of support and finance. Jesus said, “Go out and compel them to come in!” The Spirit and the Bride say come, Rev 22:17, yes, but we must go out and tell them! My next evangelism in October is a stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. This needs massive prayer and financial support – the more difficult the region, the more prayer and finance it requires. This year a large part of our finance and my evangelistic effort has been to reach the Central Asia countries!

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’  Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and illness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.  (Matthew 9.35-38, 10.1-4, NIV)

Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralysed man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’ (Matthew 9.5-14, NIV)

In August I preached at the most powerful meetings of my life, firstly at SOZO – All-Central Asia Youth Conference, held for 3 days in Almaty, Kazakhstan August 20-22, then evangelism on Sunday 24th. Thank you for supporting in prayer and finance. Costs were enormous but the result – money could never buy. Coming out of extreme persecution, revival is breaking through and the Holy Spirit came down!

A synagogue leader came and knelt before Jesus and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment. When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and the people playing pipes, he said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region. As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied. (Matthew 9.18-28, NIV)

There is NO LIMIT to the Power of God. My new autobiography is called ‘THE UNEXPLORED POWER OF GOD’. I want to challenge you to explore the Power of God – I want you to see how much Power God has – to see the EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER to us who believe! And God demonstrated the greatness of His Mighty Power – in Christ – when He raised Him from the dead! Ephesians 1:20. It’s an incredible miracle! We can experience this Resurrection Power in our OWN lives. We NEED this salvation – salvation from the power of the prince of this world, who was bold enough even to tempt Jesus, in the same way that he came to Adam and Eve and tempted them to doubt God and His Word: “Has God said you must not eat of the fruit of this tree?” Satan was encouraging Adam and Eve to doubt. One of the biggest problems with Christians today is doubting God’s Word, doubting the Power and the Ability of God. Don’t doubt the Power of God. There is no limit to His Power. I resist the power of the prince of this world and also those who have responded to him and have sold their souls to the devil for a promise of kingdoms in this world, of conquest and victory. Father, break that curse, break that power, deliver men and women, set them free NOW. I’m thinking of Ukraine, O God, set that nation free, drive out the enemy. I believe You have promised, and O God You will fulfil that promise. Let not your heart be troubled! Today in this troubled world, if you believe in Him, don’t let your heart be troubled. He will give the Victory. God bless you!

Jesus, knowing His Hour has come, loved His own, and knowing that He was about to be betrayed, knowing He had come from God and was going back to God, He stood up and, as a servant, prepared to wash the disciples’ feet. And we come to Chapter 14, where Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God – believe in Me!” And then talking about Heaven, He goes on to say, “In My Father’s House are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for YOU!” Jesus is forever talking about the Kingdom. When He was tempted by the devil, the devil took Him up a high mountain saying, “You see all the kingdoms of this world and all their glory? If You will bow down and worship me, I’ll give it all to You!” Jesus did not rebuke the devil and say, “You don’t have those to give” – because He recognised, the devil IS the prince of this world. But Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?

We’re facing a world which is turning upside down. Everything we thought was right is wrong, and what we thought was wrong is right. Incredible, disturbing changes are taking place. BUT ‘let not your heart be troubled!’ What a challenge! It’ so important to get back to what Jesus said. Those words, “Let not your hearts be troubled” – these were the words of Jesus – to us – at the end of His ministry. It was the feast of Passover. And Jesus– John 13:1 – knowing that His Hour was come that He would depart from this world to the Father begins to speak to His disciples powerfully. He says, “NOW is the judgment of this world!” John 12:31. He said clearly: two thousand years ago, the judgment of the world began! And, He adds, “The prince of this world WILL be cast out!” When Jesus is talking about ‘the prince of this world’ He’s talking about Satan.  Jesus says, in John 14:30, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes – and has nothing in Me.” The devil has no hold over Him! This is such a strong statement! No hold over Jesus – and for those of us ‘in’ Jesus, the devil has no power over us!

'The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit,' (James 5.16-18, NKJV). '“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them,' (Mark 11.22-24, NKJV).

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. (James 5.13-15, NIV)

Strengthened and renewed after my time of prayer this summer, next week I shall be speaking to more than 1500 young people at their annual All-Central Asia Youth Conference, where I have been the main guest speaker for several years. This move of God in Central Asia is so feared by the authorities that the founder and organiser is not allowed to speak or even show his face at his own event – or he will be arrested! But he is my good friend, and we will spend time together! Supporting and facilitating such a significant event takes money and needs much prayer. 

All my life I’ve been seeking to understand the power of prayer, prayer that gets an answer. In Luke 11, when Jesus had finished praying, one of His disciples came to Him and asked, “Lord, please teach us how to pray!” In answer Jesus replied, “When you pray, say, Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

I want Christians in the Church to come back to recognising the Power that God has. I want the Church to come back to the simplicity of faith that those men had when they brought the paralysed man to Jesus, and Jesus saw their faith!  For me, the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is a supernatural faith IN JESUS, IN THE POWER OF GOD – TO FORGIVE SIN and to give us authority over ALL THE POWER OF THE DEVIL – here ON EARTH. I haven’t got time to die. I want to continue on in my ministry because I want to demonstrate WHO JESUS IS. I want to demonstrate the Power of God in our world TODAY. I want to show – THIS IS GOD! And I want YOU to see answers to your prayers. God bless you.