Weekly Devotional

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ

I trust you have had a blessed week and that you and your family have enjoyed quality time together.

Avril has written this week’s devotional, many of us have a heart for evangelism, to see the lost repent and turn to Jesus. We are all also called to be priests

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2 v 9)

Today lets take just one phrase from that verse … ‘ But you are …. A royal priesthood….’. What does it mean and how can we live that out in our own lives today and every day?

First of all the dictionary says that a priest is a mediator between God and man, the one who makes peace between them. I think I have often elevated priests and too often put them on a pedestal, making them something which they cannot live up to. That is until one day, several years ago I went with a friend to a barn in Suffolk where a farmer had made a large model of the temple of Jesus day. There the farmer explained how actually the job of a priest was actually very unpleasant and extremely messy and smelly. They were the ones in the temple who had to make all the sacrifices on behalf of the people. They were spending their days almost like butchers, killing animals, cutting them up and burning their bodies. I don’t think any of us would really like to do that today. But in doing that they were mediating between God and the people. Of course the need to make peace between God and the people in that way finished when Jesus died on the cross, and then shortly after that the temple was destroyed and sacrifices had to stop.

Joel 2 v 17 says ‘Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar. Let them say ’Spare Thy people O Lord, and do not make Thy inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they, among the peoples say where is their God? Then the Lord will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people and the Lord will answer and say to His people ‘Behold I am going to send to you grain, new wine and oil and you will be satisfied in full with them…..’

Here we see the priests going before God on behalf of the people. That’s what intercession is. Priests spend time at the altar interceding for the people but they also spend time with the people showing them God’s love, compassion and forgiveness.

So we can all be priests because we go out to minister to people who don’t know Him – by evangelising, serving & showing Gods love. Then we need to bring all those people to the altar in prayer and intercession that God will have mercy upon them. When we do that, each of us will be fulfilling our calling as priests to the Lord. And we are royal priests because we serve a royal King, the King of Kings.

Have a priestly week

Encounter 2012

The spirit of God....

On the 7th July 2010 I was in Inverness for a meeting with a mentee (I oversee the mentoring programme for Avanti Ministries). I was looking for a retreat venue my mentee had lived in the Aviemore area for five years and knew all of the possible facilities that could cater for a large number of people. The last venue that she showed me was a resort called the Macdonald Resort. We both thought that it would be too expensive, but went in to look around.

Julie boldly walked to the reception, asked if it was possible to look at the conference rooms, within minutes we found ourselves in the auditorium, which doubled as a cinema, seating 600 people. I felt the Spirit of God ask me to walk to the back and look forward. God revealed the seats were full of women. In fact it would be correct to say that I dismissed the idea.

Prior to going to Inverness I had applied for Job Seekers allowance. On my return I went for the regular two weekly appointment, where I mentioned that I had not received confirmation of my eligibility. It appeared that the form that college had to send had been lost in the post. Due to this Job Seekers said that they would send another that related to my college course, what arrived was a questionnaire referring to my voluntary work for Avanti Ministries. Indignantly, I called the 0845 number that should have put me through to the Job Seekers department in Belfast. Instead I heard this "Welcome to the Macdonald Resort in Aviemore, you have five options". Now some sixteen months later...

In faith I have booked the venue for a woman's conference from 9th-11th November 2012.

Prayer request

God will reveal his will for the event Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

God will reveal his will for the women of the UK. Mark 9:21 For she said within herself, If only I shall touch His robe, I will be whole.

She Matters 21st December 2011

On the 21st December 2011, myself and Kalbi Massey were guests on She Matters with Birgit Whelan. We were chatting about how as women we can keep Christ at the heart of Christmas. It was so good to spend time with my friends, talking of God's first gift, his son Jesus, of the scriptural setting of the recounts of His birth and how today peace and joy are still found at the heart of christmas when we trust in him.

Evangelist Training Day

If you would like to join us for the evangelist training day please email me on tina@avantiministries.com

Spirit of God

On the 7TH July 2010 I was in Inverness for a meeting with a mentee (I oversee the mentoring programme for Avanti Ministries). I was looking for a retreat venue my mentee had lived in the Aviemore area for five years and knew all of the possible facilities that could cater for a large number of people. The last venue that she showed me was a resort called the Macdonald Resort. We both thought that it would be too expensive, but went in to look around. Julie boldly walked to the reception, asked if it was possible to look at the conference rooms, within minutes we found ourselves in the auditorium, which doubled as a cinema, seating 600 people. I felt the Spirit of God ask me to walk to the back and look forward. God revealed the seats were full of women. In fact it would be correct to say that I dismissed the idea. Prior to going to Inverness I had applied for Job Seekers allowance. On my return I went for the regular two weekly appointment, where I mentioned that I had not received confirmation of my eligibility. It appeared that the form that college had to send had been lost in the post. Due to this Job Seekers said that they would send another that related to my college course, what arrived was a questionnaire referring to my voluntary work for Avanti Ministries. Indignantly, I called the 0845 number that should have put me through to the Job Seekers department in Belfast. Instead I heard this “Welcome to the Macdonald Resort in Aviemore, you have five options”. Now some sixteen months later…

In faith I have booked the venue for 9th-11th November 2012.

For more information contact me through Avanti Ministries

FLOURISH 2011

Avanti Women’s Conference  

Total Dependence on God  

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.  My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62: 5- 8

Date:- 22^nd  October 2011                                            

Time:- 9.30am – 3pm

Venue:- Crowstone St George's URC
               91 Crowstone Road
               Westcliff-On-Sea
               SS0 8LH

If you would like to attend please email me at tina@avantiministries.com

French Guiana

Women without Limits

CCI-MPE

Cayenne

French Guiana

When we arrive Friday evening we went along to the church and met the team who were also ministering during the ladies conference. Janeth Barrios from Bogotá with her husband Lois and Gisèle Saint-Hilaire. It was important to worship with the team. The worship was great and many of the young people were involved in dance and drama. The conference was for the women at the church with an outreach event on Friday and Saturday evening, hence the dance and drama elements of the meeting. Pastor Annic Roellinger was the host for the weekend. Julie Russell one of my mentees from the Avanti mentoring programme was able to raise the necessary funds to accompany me on the mission. Flora, Pastors Dominique and Annic's daughter translated for us.

Julie, Flora and myself

Saturday was a long day, we started early with Julie giving her testimony followed by myself speaking on Isaiah 62. On Saturday evening I gave my testimony of how Jesus had brought healing and restoration to my life. I was aware of the incest issues as well as sexual abuse that many women in French Guiana have experienced. Pastor Annic had asked that I reveal the extent of the consequences and the spiritual dimension to the abuse that I experienced. I have to say that when I left the stage there was silence... Gisele followed with her testimony of being healed from Aids but then gave an alter call recapping the things that I had said, many women came to the front. It is difficult to say whether or not they were giving their life to Jesus or asking for prayer. The church has an amazing discipleship programme each person will be contacted within 48 hours and be integrated into a cell within a week; someone will follow up with them on a regular basis. 

Worship Band

Amazing how God had put the programme together, there was such a hunger and openness to the gospel message. I had a chance meeting with a radio presenter on the plane on Friday. She has invited me to speak on the radio on Monday between 10 and 11.

Sunday morning gave an opportunity to encourage the church, both men and women to take the blessings that they had received over the weekend (The men met together on Saturday) into their nation. Julie gave testimony of how God had encouraged her with a picture of her garden. I encourage the women to be women without limits. God had lain on my heart to speak about Timothy and his mother and Grandmother, but also how Jesus went into the wilderness filled with the Spirit but came out of the wilderness in the power of the Spirit. Women and men who feel that they are in the wilderness can be assured that their faith will be increased and that they will come out in the power of Jesus.

On Monday morning I had the divine appointment... I was given an opportunity to speak on RMP gospel radio. With a bold vision RMP has been broadcasting for just over one year. Louisa was the presenter and it was she that I met on the aero plane. It was a God inspired meeting, Louisa spoke little English but she had seen me using my bible. There were a few technical problems to begin with, but the interview went really well. I felt the words come from God; the Spirit was certainly in the studio.

It is difficult to feed back to you exactly what God has done in French Guiana over the last weekend due to the difference in language. However, the pastor and his wife were thrilled with the feedback that they had been given. God had touched many people and they were assured that they would see lives changed over the coming months. Pastor Dominique and his wife Annic have employed the G12 discipleship process at their church. This has definitely supported their entire congregation in having an intimate relationship with Jesus, whilst also having a way of encouraging accountability.

Pastor Lois Barrios and his wife Janeth are members of the G12. G12 was first modeled in Bogota, Colombia by Pastor César Castellanos and his wife Claudia. It was good to talk with them and Pastor Lois prayed for me just before I left. Their teaching was amazing; God placed me in a place that would also help with my masters. Awesome! My dissertation is on a strategic proposal for a mentoring programme for Evangelists who work with Avanti...