Lloyd Denny’s blog number 391.

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. 21st September 2025.

The title of this blog is from a famous quote which I cite below.

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” was written by British historian Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Creighton in 1887. Acton believed that political and religious leaders should be held to the same moral standards as everyone else, a principle reinforced by his observation of the corrupting influence of power.

Call me naive but I am still amazed that despite millennia of years humans still think that they are impervious to the corrupting influence of power. 

Some are born into power, some have power thrust upon them, and some seize power.

Of the three, the seizure of power is the most frowned upon. It usually follows a coup where an individual with the backing of a few plots the overthrow of the leader and the government. 

The other two ways power is obtained are more accepted.  

Those born into power like monarchs or heads of corporations are accepted because of the history of the institution and the quality of individuals that have occupied such positions. 

Politicians have power thrust upon them. Imagine leading an opposition party one day and at the end of said day after a general election one is elected prime minister or president. 

The power that then is available to the elected person to choose a government, pass laws, raise and cut taxes, start wars, work for peace etc. Having the levers of power at one’s disposal to pull or have others pull on one’s behalf. 

The book of Genesis in the Bible describes a certain tyrant by the name of Nimrod. This man made himself king over others. He fortified his power grab by having sycophants around him to carry out his every wish and to tell him how good a job he was doing. His master project was the building of a great tower that would show off his prowess and immortalise him. 

Through brute force, intimidation and guile, Nimrod was very likely to succeed. God intervened by giving them diverse languages so they couldn’t understand each other.

In the book of Daniel King Nebuchadnezzar who thinks he has absolute power became deranged because of the deadly combination of pride and power. (Daniel 4).

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely because of pride. 

Wielding power is not intrinsically bad. Without power things cannot happen. God gives power to leaders and governments to keep an orderly society through laws and an effective justice system. The leader is also subject to the same laws and justice system.

Where it goes very bad is where the leader thinks he or she is above the law. Where he or she surrounds themselves with sycophants. 

We all have “a boss” to whom we are accountable. Sometimes the boss is the electorate who can vote the leader out of office. The once all-powerful leader returns to normalcy without the privileges and powers of office.

The ultimate boss is God. Every leader would do well to remember this. 

Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by God because of his pride. God would not permit him to exercise the powers of leadership with a heart full of pride. The combination would be deadly. 

After his humiliation Nebuchadnezzar would conclude: 

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down”.

“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall”. (Proverbs 16:18).

Finally, God is much more severe against leaders who misuse power. Their end is usually never a good one. Some seemingly get away from justice by suicide or having to find refuge in another country. 

Ultimately, all must face the Judge of all. 

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant.

Lloyd Denny

“Turbulence” – 12th September 2025
It’s been more than five years since I last wrote a blog. Sorry!

I have been asked over the years if I had stopped writing blogs. Without hestitation I would say no. Yet somehow I have not written any since April 2020.

Too busy? No. Ran out of things to write about? No. Laziness? In part, yes! The best explanation is momentum.

In the early days of writing blogs I would write sometimes more than one a day and almost every day. I just couldn’t stop yet I wasn’t forcing myself to write one. Neither was I under any pressure to write a blog. It simply flowed.

The opposite has happened since April 2020, namely inertia. There have been many occasions I said to myself I will return to writing blogs. I had the subject, had time yet never got round to it because of a lack of momentum or inertia.

Why now? I am away from home and in London with time on my hand. Yet being here in London I never had any plan to write a blog but I happended to be looking at the RRF Luton website and saw how dated it had become. I then decided that I must update it. Some links were no longer working and photos were out of date. I then looked at a few blogs and began to feel a need to pick up where I stopped more than five years earlier.

The April 2020 blog was titled “the last days”. How fitting and timely.

We are in a very turbulent world. Things are horrible: leaders, policies and laws. No wonder there is turbulence. Paradoxically, these are important times for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are at the end of the last days and near to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Our Lord gave us a preview into the future. It would be dark yet bright; depressing yet glorious; fearful yet expectant and knowledgeable yet faithless.

Airline pilots have to deal with turbulence all the time. Pilots know passengers are afraid despite messages that aeroplanes are built to withstand high turbulence and its akin to driving a car over a pothole in the road; bumpy but not dangerous.

During turbulence pilots choose either to rise above the turbulence or adjust their speed. The church has the same two options in dealing with the turbulence in our world. The children are afraid. The ignorant is afraid. World leaders ought to be afraid for they are the cause of much of the turbulence.

The church in response to the turbulence must go up higher in the Spirit. The higher we climb is the farther we can see. Prophets are called away by God. In the case of Moses, to Mount Horeb. Other prophets are called to “come up higher”. At ground level we cannot see the “wood for the trees” but from the hill or mountain we can see far into the distance. It’s this ability to see what’s ahead that reduces turbulence.

The second thing the church can do to reduce turbulence is to change speed. We must return to evangelism and missions. The gospel must be preached into all the world for a witness and then shall the end come. Please notice the gospel is preached for a witness for not all will be saved for not all will believe.

Since Covid -19, the last time I wrote a blog, evangelism and missions have almost stopped. Some churches and ministers are doing good work. Sadly, most churches are not. Because of our indifference to evangelism and missions God is bringing judgement on the house of God. It’s not a pretty sight.

Returning to turbulence in the air. Good pilots announce when turbulence is happening and put on the fasten seatbelt sign. When the turbulence ends pilots cancel the fasten seatbelt sign for they know it gives relief to passengers. Our pilot is Jesus Christ, the word of God. It’s time to listen to his voice and take heed.

The palpable fear many are experiencing in the world can only be assuaged through faith in Jesus Christ. Two criminals died on either side of Jesus Christ. Both were afraid of the uncertainty of what happens after death. One criminal asked the Lord to remember him whilst the other became offensive. The one who confessed his sin and asked for mercy was told by our Lord that after death he will be with him in paradise. The other criminal was ignored by the Lord and died in his sins.

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant

Lloyd Denny

“THE LAST DAYS

The term or phrase last days is important to preachers and the church alike, in every generation. The term can be found in both the old and new Testaments.

The problem we get oursleves into when trying to explain the last days is one of putting a specific date to last days. Determing the last days is like saying “how long is a piece of string”

In Genesis 49, Jacob nearing the end of his pilgrimage, calls his sons to him to tell them the things that shall befall them in the last days. Their last days is different from the last days referred to by Prophet Joel or Prophet Micah (Isaiah 2 & Micah 4) when speaking of the House of God.

The last days of the 12 sons of Jacob referred to what would become of the tribes in years to come. To take Judah as an example, the tribe from which Messiah came.

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk”.

Judah, which means praise, yet he is first described as a warrior a military person. Then Jacob says because of Judah’s military prowess his brethren would bow down before him.

Then Jacob said, Judah is a lion’s whelp, (whelp – puppy, offspring) or a baby lion.

Then the sceptre would not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes and unto him shall the people be gathered. 

Jacob saw ahead of time the rise of Judah to become the dominant tribe, that would become the tribe of kings. That Shiloh (the Sent one) would gather the people unto himself and this would include the nations but only when Messiah came. Jacob also saw the bloody death of of the Sent one. The author of Hebrews ascribed to our Lord the office of Apostle, which mean, the Sent One. (Hebrews 3:1).

The 12 disciples were later called apostles, as were Paul, Barnabas and others. Paul wrote about the office of apostle in his letters in particular Ephesians 4. So, the office of apostle is legitimate and necessary in the church. However, there are different levels of apostles.

Jesus Christ is at a level all by himself. Then we have the apostles of the Lamb, the 12 called by our Lord. Then the foundational apostles comprising the 12 plus New Testament apostles like Paul, Barnabas, Silas et al. Finally, we have ministry apostles.

As long as the church have need for pastors, teachers etc it has need for apostles. With the falling away (2 Thess. 2), the office of apostle was hijacked by the Papacy and it became his own by decree.

Following the Reformation the office was restored to the church but church ministers were ignorant of the office or reluctant to use it lest it be said they were presumptious.

The truth of the matter is a 13 year old girl may have no idea about being a mother but if she gives birth to a child she is a mother.

The substantial difference between our Lord as apostle and the other levels of apostle is this. Other apostles are sent ones whereas our Lord is the Sent One. Furthermore, earthly apostles are chosen by God. Jesus on the other hand came from heaven.               

The first principle to follow when looking at “the last days” is the starting point; that’s when the clock starts ticking.

Looking through the history of Judah and Israel one can see the fulfilment of the inspired words of Jacob. 

The first major warrior in Israel was Joshua but he was of the tribe of Ephraim. Then we have warriors like Samson (Dan), Gideon (Manasseh) and Jephthah (also from Manasseh), none were from Judah. Furthermore, these warriors or judges never became King. 

King Saul was the first King of Israel and was a warrior but was not from the tribe of Judah, he was from Benjamin. Neither did his brethren praise him. He became jealous because David was more lauded than he.

David, was a warrior from Judah and was praised by the people. He also became King and was loved more as a king than even after he defeated Goliath.

David then is the start of the last days for Judah. The importance of Judah in Israel would continue apace, even when some of the Kings were not righteous. Judah kept on providing kings right to the birth of the one that was born King (Jesus). 

Jesus’ kingship would end with his garments washed in wine and his garments in the blood of grapes (red wine), a reference to his bloody crucifixion.

With the death of Jesus the role of Judah would cease in Israel. Christ who is King of kings and Lord of Lords would extend his reign to the church.

In Isaiah 2, the same prophecy given to the prophet Micah: “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it”.

This prophecy could not be fulfilled before Christ and within Judaism, because of the reference to the nations flowing into the house of God. This only became possible through the church. 

Let’s now return the last days Jesus spoke about.

The last days began with Jesus as made clear in Hebrews 1: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”.

The universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost happened as a further sign of the commencement of the last days. The last days clock started ticking at the death and resurrection of Messiah.  

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. (Acts 2: 17-18, 21). The last days is the day of grace and truth.

What God told prophet Joel, began to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost and will continue to the very end. Prophet Joel doesn’t use the words “the last days” but he was speaking of the future when there would be universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Joel 2: 27-28). Peter, on the other hand took the same prophecy and show the beginning of its fulfilment.

To know where we are in the last days we need to look at the prophecies of our Lord and the apostles and even the prophets.

Our Lord in Matthew 24 and its parallel scriptures in Mark 13 and Luke 21, give pointers to the last days. Paul and Peter also in their epistles give pointers to the last days.  

Paul for example is adamant about what the last days will look like.

The prophets of old preface their message with “thus saith the Lord”. The apostles didn’t do this but would make it very clear that God was speaking through them. For the Spirit of Christ was in them.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come”, wrote Apostle Paul. He then goes on to list some of the things to look out for. (2 Timothy 3:1-9).

(I know each generation from the start of the church make claim to the scriptures being fulfilled in their time. We then must observe the second principle when determining the last days. This is the principle of “probability”. The many and diverse happenings at the same time.

We know that Jesus was the Messiah or Christ because he fulfilled many prophecies ranging from Genesis right up to Malachi.

What Paul lists in his second letter to Timothy, together with what our Lord spoke about in the gospels I mentioned above, and what James and Peter wrote, can only be fulfilled in the modern world.  

Are we close to the ending of the last days? It began with Jesus Christ and will end when the gospel has been preached into all the world for a witness. The Lord will call time. Until then let us continue preaching the gospel even though the number of souls that will be saved may be small. Only eight souls were saved when the flood came. Only three souls ultimately made it to safety out of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleaded for the twin cities and God said yes but he stopped pleading at ten souls.

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant

Lloyd Denny

“LET THE CHURCH BE THE CHURCH”

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit”. (James 5:17-18).

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall”. (Malachi 4:2).

Yesterday, I went out to buy a few things for the home. It was chilly, despite it being a bright day. The streets were quiet, most shops were closed and traffic greatly reduced.

I walked and prayed and heard myself pray that “the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings”. I soon became aware that the Holy Spirit had prayed those words through me so I repeated them in connection with Luton and then the UK.

• It’s the job of government to plan;
• It’s the job of scientists to advise;
• It’s the job of doctors to treat patients;
• It’s the job of the church to pray;
• It’s the job of the preacher to find acceptable words for the people:

Pharaoh had two dreams – about a worldwide famine that would occur after 7 years of fantastic economic growth.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that frightened him but on waking he forgot the dream. The wise men, sorcerers, magicians, Chaldeans were tasked with recalling the dream and giving the meaning of the dream. None could, their conclusion was it’s impossible and what the King was asking was unreasonable. Nebuchadnezzar wouldn’t have it so he commanded that all the so called wise men of the land be destroyed, which meant Daniel and his three Jewish compatriots would be destroyed. 

Daniel asked for a short time for him and his three friends to pray. During the night the Lord came to Daniel and showed him the Kings forgotten dream and gave him the meaning.

Saul was on a ship to Rome, before setting out, Paul told the captain of the ship that he “perceived” that danger was ahead and advised him not to set sale. The captain ignored Paul’s advice and set sale.

A little while into the journey a tremendous storm arose; despite great efforts including lightening the ship by throwing overboard much of the cargo the ship was still in danger. After trying everything they knew, the Captain concluded that all hope was lost. During the night an angel visits Paul and told him to tell all on board “all souls will be saved but the ship will be destroyed”. Paul told a humbled Captain what the angel told him during the night, this time he was listened to and as predicted everybody on board survived but the ship and most of the rest of the cargo perished.

Elijah prayed after 3 1/2 years for rain and rain came.

Joshua prayed that the sun and moon would not go down and they stood still for a whole day until the battle was won.

That was an impossible prayer for what Joshua prayed for could have had lasting effect on our world.

What’s the point?

The Coronavirus pandemic should teach us that we are not as great as we think. That we are one world. That God if God is indeed God, then let us serve him, and if not, then don’t. 

What must the church do?

Elijah was a man of like passion as we are: he prayed for no rain over Israel and after 3 1/2 years without rain, he prayed again that it rained and it rained abundantly.

I want us to pray that God turn up the temperature over the UK and certain parts of the world. We need the heat of the sun to dissipate the virus.

Science is seeking a vaccine but the church must pray for divine intervention. A vaccine will eventually be found but in the meantime we need divine intervention. Our land needs healing.

Early this morning, as I prepared for the Daily Bread live broadcast, which goes out on Good News TV Radio APP at 9am and repeated at 5.30pm Monday to Saturday I read about the Sun.

Nothing is more important to us on Earth than the Sun. Without the Sun’s heat and light, the Earth would be a lifeless ball of ice-coated rock. The Sun warms our seas, stirs our atmosphere, generates our weather patterns, and gives energy to the growing green plants that provide the food and oxygen for life on Earth. 

The outer part or outer skin of the sun is called the corona and it’s hotter than the surface of the sun.

The Sun’s corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere. The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun’s surface. That makes it difficult to see without using special instruments. However, the corona can be viewed during a total solar eclipse.

Believe me when I say I did not know about the Sun’s corona. Maybe in the crevice of my brain I was told about the Sun’s corona at school nearly fifty years ago and the Holy Spirit brought it to my attention I cannot say.

I then went on air that morning with the topic: “let the church be the church”. We have a significant part to play in the healing of our land and this is through prayer and the spoken word.  

Finally, Coronavirus – Covid -19, this new strain of virus has killed many thousands and infected many millions of people. Pray that the Lord turn up the temperature over the sun over the UK and where it is needed.

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant

Lloyd Denny

“FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT”

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses”. (1 Timothy 6: 11-12).

The Coronavirus has seen people fight for food and other provisions. Some people fight religious battles. Some fight racial wars, some fight for their social group.

Patriotism causes some to enlist in the military to fight for their country.

The Coronavirus pandemic is so called because it’s global. No one country, region, city or person has the answer.

Nationalism and xenophobia caused leaders to put up barriers to keep people out. This pandemic is making us realise we are one world. Not world order, that’s satanic. 

Nimrod the mighty hunter of other men wanted to introduce a new world order with him as King. God put a stop to it. 

Apostle Paul writes to Timothy and addresses him as “a man of God” and to flee bad things as described in the earlier verses and to follow after certain things.

That he must fight the good fight of faith, and in so doing lay hold on eternal life. 

Boxers go into the ring knowing they could be badly injured and even killed.

1) For money

2) Fame

3) Belt saying they are champion

We are in a fight, the good fight of faith. 

• We are saved by grace through faith
• We are kept by faith
• We walk by faith
• We live by faith
• We overcome by faith
• We pleased God by faith
• The redemption of our bodies is by faith.

(Job, riddled with sores, his nearest and dearest all gone. He is sitting waiting to die).

Then he has a vision of the Redeemer, (Job 19: 25-27), that gave him much encouragement, he fought on until his change came.

Our Platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant

Lloyd Denny

“LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF GOD”

The world has been forced into silence; we must listen for the voice of God that will lead us through the world crisis.

This being the first day of another working week for most, but for emergency services workers, who are working seven days a week; would be more if there were more days in the week. God bless them all!

The economies of the world are being badly affected so I want to help the world- wide body of Christ get through the crisis by reminding it to listen and follow the voice of God.

The three best known patriarchs in the bible are: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Each in their own lifetime survived a famine because they listened to the voice of God.

Abraham was told to go to Egypt and in doing so, survived the famine. In fact he prospered.

Isaac, Abraham’s son, was told by God not to go to Egypt but to remain in the country where he was living. He also prospered to the point that others became jealous and sabotaged his success.

Jacob, son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham sent his sons to Egypt, the breadbasket of the world to buy food, not knowing that his son, Joseph who he thought was long dead was the second most important person in Egypt.

All three men survived by listening to the voice of God.

A fourth notable famine occurred in Judah which caused a small family to leave their home in Bethel, Judah for Moab. (Ruth chapter 1).

Only Naomi survived the adventure, Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion died in obscurity in Moab. Naomi, who wanted to change her name because of the bitter experience swallowed her pride and returned to Bethlehem, accompanied by Ruth her daughter in law. They didn’t listen for the voice of God.

A fifth notable famine occurred at the time of the prophet Elijah.

Elijah was kept alive because he listened to the voice of God. The widow was kept alive because she too listened to the voice of God.

Amos, the prophet spoke of another famine not for food and drink but for the hearing of the word of God. This famine for the hearing of the word of God was sent by God.

Why would God send a famine for the hearing of the word of God? The answer lies in the economic, social and spiritual condition at the time. Under King Jeroboam 2, Judah had prospered well. Society had degenerated and the spiritual condition of the land was at its best, lukewarm.   

There was peace and prosperity, the places of worship was no longer significant but tolerated. There were establishment prophets but no prophet with “thus saith the Lord”.

It was in this climate that God called Amos, who was no prophet nor was he from a line of prophets; he was a simple farm worker.

It was while working in the fields that the word of God began coming to him. At first he didn’t know what to do but obeyed and opened his mouth.

Amos would cause a stir which brought him to the attention of many in high places who became irritated by him. Seeing they were unwilling to change despite the changing fortunes of the nation, Amos spoke of a famine for the hearing of the word. The temples would remain intact and so would be the priests and so called prophets but not many with thus saith the Lord. This silence by God is what is meant as a famine for the hearing of the word. The very worst sate of affairs for the child of God, preacher, church and nation is when God go silent.

Today, the bible is available for free online and can be borrowed from libraries and even obtained from churches that are willing to give them away to the public.

The world, including the West, is awash with preachers: appointed, self appointed and fake. For almost every bible text there are varying opinions and points of views.

Furthermore, the countless conspiracy theories, ideas and opinions which are peddled by weirdoes and scammers are ever increasing.   

In the words of Amos, there is a famine for the hearing of the word of God. (Amos 8: 11).     

How do we listen to the voice of God?

Firstly, circumcise your hearing by cutting away from the noise, the clamour.

Secondly, be quiet. Stop talking and listen.

Thirdly, read your bible, not randomly but with a purpose. God often speaks to us through His word in us more than when we are reading it.

Fourthly, pray: without ceasing; keep the communication line with heaven open.

Fifthly, whatsoever, the Lord say to do, do it: repent, go, don’t go, and ask for help.

How God speaks to us:

Through His word (read the bible).

Audibly: directly through a celestial angel and terrestrial angel.

And the most common way in the New Testament era, the inner voice, dreams and visions.

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant

Lloyd Denny

“SEEING IS BELIEVING”?

It’s Sunday 22nd March, 2020 and I am on my way home from broadcasting our morning church service from our place of worship.

It’s the first day of our voluntary closure of the church building for public worship. Voluntary in that it’s advice from the government to introduce social distancing, a new phrase for the moment.

I am always amazed how certain terms and phrases quickly catches on and become part of everyday communication.

As a church we agreed to close the building for public worship because for me the church is people not a building. Furthermore, we run both an Internet tv and radio station with the radio station having an app which can be downloaded for free so we agreed to stream two services on Sundays at 11am and 7pm.

Had we been told to stop praying, stop preaching or even stop calling on the name of Jesus, that would have been entirely different.

The early church was told not to use the name Jesus in public, they defied the words of men. Daniel was told he couldn’t pray to his God, he defied the Kings command.

John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrims Progress was imprisoned in Bedford, England for refusing to give up preaching as dictated by officialdom. Please note, England was officially a Christian country at the time yet still John Bunyan would spend 12 years in prison for refusing not to give up preaching.

We also introduced a daily Drop in Centre from 2pm to 5pm for anyone in the community wanting to pop in for prayer, counselling and friendship.

Daily pastoral sessions have also been introduced to engage and support new members and visitors. Conference call prayer meetings have also been introduced so we can pray collectively.

Lastly, our members are mature and know God for themselves. Apostle John, banished to the Isle of Patmos grew in his faith and spirituality. Apostle Paul, wrote most of his epistles from prison and by the time his end had come he was as close to heaven as anyone could be other than those in heaven itself.

Christian history is replete with many whose faith and spirituality and sometimes ministry grew in adversity.

Taken together, I have more to do now we are “closed” than before. I wrote to church members and others to let them know and assure them it’s an opportunity for us to minister to others who will need us at such a fearful time.

So, I’m on my way home, the sun is shining, all forms of traffic is significantly reduced.

Fewer cars on the roads, not so many people on foot walking despite it being Mothering Sunday. No child to be seen or heard anywhere because the government has asked parents to keep them home.

The local airport, train stations, bus stations are also quiet, even though it’s a beautiful spring day.

Why is everything so quiet? Coronavirus. This invisible to the natural eye disease, that is mild at one end of the spectrum yet has killed many thousands and made ill hundreds of thousands of people worldwide is in our homes, streets and country.

Seeing therefore is not believing. We cannot see the virus but it’s effect is there for all to see. At night we humans cannot see without artificial light but this does not mean everything disappears.

A very simplistic reason some give for not believing in God is they cannot see Him. This often is the response of the young atheist brought up on a diet of atheism: at home, in school, in university and in the media.

The more educated atheist may respond with “I believe in science”. Others may say, “I only believe in what can be proved, no one has proved that God exist”.

For years now I have presented this scenario in conversation with both believers and non believers alike in attempting to explain the importance of faith as rational and the only way humans make progress and grow as a specie.

There are 214,000 people living in my home town of Luton. If God were to speak audibly from the skies over Luton a very large portion of the population of Luton would hear what was said. Those sleeping, indisposed in some way and distracted would not hear what was said.

Those who heard the message could not convince the others about what they had heard. Some would even deny what they had heard.

Those of us in Luton who heard the message and believed could not convince the people of the adjoining town of Bedford nor the capital city of London, 30 miles away.

This is because people don’t actually practice living by what they see or hear. Early explorers travelled vey long distances in inadequate vessels for weeks and even months to a far and distant land based solely on “faith”. Inventors introduced new inventions often based solely on “faith” that their idea will work. Imagine being the sole person in the first aeroplane.

Humans have advanced because we really don’t live by the seeing is believing principle.

So, if you are an atheist or agnostic, please don’t fall for the lie that only seeing is believing. One of the best bible definitions of faith is: “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. (Hebrews 11:1).

Some early explorers and inventors died on the journey or in trying to prove their invention worked but others did  prove the land existed and the invention worked.

Apostle Thomas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. He witnessed the bloody and very painful death of Jesus on the cross. Three days later he is told by a number of trusted sources that Jesus had risen from the dead. I suppose if he had only been told that Jesus was alive, he might have thought that Jesus hadn’t died so it might have been easier to believe. But he was told he had risen from the dead.

This was too much for Thomas. “Unless I see him and touch him and put my finger into the holes in his body, I will not believe he is alive”, said Thomas. (John 20:25).

Eight days later Thomas saw and touched the risen Christ for himself and in the company of others lest later on his own mind told him it never happened.

Jesus whilst accepting that Thomas needed to see and touch him before he would believe said: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”. (John 20:29).

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant

Lloyd Denny

“A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE”

Unprecedented, pandemic, worldwide crisis are a few of the headlines and phrases that have become common currency in news rooms, the media and homes throughout the world.

The coronavirus pandemic is not the first global pandemic or plague to have visited the earth and it will not be the last.

People change, society change, philosophies change but our God change not. The writer of the Hebrews wrote: “Jesus Christ: the same yesterday, today and forever”.  (Hebrews 13:8)

Please take comfort in this biblical text for the days were not far off when Jerusalem the ancient Jewish city would be destroyed along with the temple and many prominent buildings. Many would be killed and many more forcibly removed from the city.   This occurred in AD70.

The Jewish diaspora would go on to prosper in the many places they lived throughout the world. In 1948 after the attempted genocidal holocaust the Jewish people became a nation once again in keeping with promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was their very present help in trouble.

With coronavirus come fear, panic, sickness and death. But fear not, God is the one constant.

Hide yourself in Him, the virus will pass and you will make it through but hide thou in Him.

God was with the children of Israel in their most difficult moments:-

The night death passed through every home in Egypt and killed every first born child; it was the blood applied to their homes that gave them protection.

At the crossing of the Red sea and the crossing of the river Jordan, God was a very present help.

The wilderness journey which lasted 40 years during which the children of Israel were fed, watered and cared for. God was again a very present help.

The time fiery serpents entered the camp of the children of Israel and killed and rendered many sick. They cried out for help and God provided the answer and many recovered from the poison and lived.

Famine struck in the days of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph. Also, in the days of the prophet Elijah, they got through because God was their very present help.

Not many things have the potency to affect the whole world, yet this is exactly what coronavirus has done. We still have localised famines, wars and upheavals. Every year there are natural disasters that sometimes destroy more lives and property than what coronavirus will eventually accomplish but none affect the entire world.

For those who say they cannot believe in a God that they cannot see, I hope they think again for coronavirus is invisible to the naked eye. It doesn’t respect any border, ethnicity, age, gender and any form of barrier.

David in Psalms 46 wrote: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

² Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

³ Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

⁴ There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early”.

Today, many are praying and some have picked up their bibles and others are taking stock of life. It’s a Selah moment for the world.  

Because God is a very present help in trouble, we will come through this pandemic and return to normalcy. Let us not return to the prideful, sinful and carefree ways. May we listen to the planet, to our children and most of all to God, for if we don’t the next time will be worst.

Our platform is the world and congregation the people.

The Lord’s servant.

Lloyd Denny