yesterday at home and family we were encouraged to consider the importance of friendship and test our artistic skills through rhythm and rhyme.
my love is to use words to express, adress and ornate. so i gave myself homework.

Friendship, what can one say about friendship,
that is Honourable noble and true.
I consider myself a connoisseur
I have a friend or two.

Relations come like the bible
in chronological form and line
but friendship is drawn from the pages
grows, ferments like the sweetness of wine.

In life on many occasions
we suffer hardship, worry and fear
friends, they just pick us up
when the weight is to heavy to bear

Encouraged to continue
even just a smile will lighten the load.
A touch, a hug, a kiss of love
and my heart becomes their abode

Natural friendship is a constitution
something in us inborn.
man made it can be severed
just a word, a deed, friendship torn.

So long as i live, on this earth created for me
A friendship I know nere will be lost
a friendship that will stay with me forever enplanted
through the blood shed on that cross.

Friendship will deepen through nuturing
developing a closeness that endures,
through prayer i can pour out my hearts desires
to the friend who cares and who me knows.

prayer warrior

James 5 verse 10 brothers as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Our prayers are that the suffering of our beloved sister Annie Wheeler will be relieved, in lystra a man crippled all his life was healed why because he had the faith of God in him, a man who had never walked in his life jumped up , the people witnessing this shouted the Gods have come down but we know it was one God the God of love who heals, pray for annie in the way of the prophets not in the earthly sense but pray in and through the spirit of God right now. Also pray for comfort for the family of Ellie Durston in their sad loss of both grandparents in car accident, Pray for jennifer and Dave for speedy recovery for Jennifer that she may be restored whole to the jennifer we love and cherish in our church family.

We have so much to praise God for all the time, but i wonder sometimes are we so blinded by the secular world around us that we miss out on Gods glory. I am talking about what God is doing in our own area, sometimes we get so tied up in what should be happening we are not looking for the signs of what is happening, in the past week alone I have evidence of God working in south ashford in a mighty way that will not only influence the locality not just england but the world itself, lets get excited. Blade a great child of God even in his youth having such influence locally that word spread and he now has air time on kfm radio station promoting christian music in a way that will reach out to many younger people, Gods message is getting through because God has faith in Blade, God knows Blades heart, a young man devoted to his Father with a passion to share all that God has granted him. Shanna a wonderful child of God who is being used mightly in spreading Gods beauty that is within her has qualified to represent the country in the miss world competion, Shanna will not represent the beauty of Gods creation solely for her own Glory but God has faith in Shanna and she will be used the world over to promote the Glory of God because others will see the beauty of God in her, These are just two of our children from the same womb of woman who has devoted her life solely to God, through praise, worship, and persistant prayer, When we honour God with our lives, God has faith in us, God is not a taker he`s a giver, when he knows us and we know him in a personal way his giving overflows, as right now Abby heart is bursting in her own words how can I thank God in words my heart is bursting with praise of him, she finds her solace through psalm 117. These are our brothers and sisters the family of God, lets catch the fire thats burning over our own town over our homes over our lives, and praise God in a mighty way. Lets not be people pleasers when music to our ears is Oh your so good you do good and we become so puffed up that Gods glory becomes but a shadow behind us, lets be solely Gods pleasers and wow watch this space.

Where do you begin to say thanks for all blessings poured out on us this week. 26 people all different in attitudes, ages, needs, having a wonderful week together in perfect harmony.
Within families brought together through heritage such a sense of unity is very rarely achieved, Luke 12v 52 speaks of division rather than peace within families. Brother against father, daughter against mother, inlaw against inlaw and this is evident in the world around us. My experience this week of family life was the reverse such caring such love such sharing is something very few of us will forget. Although the amount of commitment Susan and Ian put into making our days into the most enjoyable week we could have and we thank God for them, the family as a whole also made the week a time to be remembered. I can clearly see where Paul was coming from in his letter to the Colossians chapter 3 v15 let the peace of christ rule your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. I am certain the angels are rejoicing in heaven right now because it can only be through our love of God as a family that the fruit of the spirit abounded within our group, psalm 133 puts such love into music, (how good and pleasent it is when brothers live in unity, it is like precious oil poured on the head,) how greater annointing do we need than that. I thank God for my church family and may the annointing remain in our midst for ever. Amen

prayer warrior

pray for the coming penticost weekend pray that the holy spirit will manifest in a mighty way to all members of the church family in either S Willesbourgh or Bournemouth. We see in the book of acts the disciples joined together and prayed constantly, they prayed because they believed Jesus when he said you will RECEIVE power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, other wise why didnt they just disperse and go to their homes, they had seen Jesus die he appeared to them for forty days eating walking speaking to them then he was taken from them before their own eyes yet he had commanded them to stay there and wait for the gift of the Holy spirit because of their obedience and constant prayer they were all filled with the holy spirit. There is a song we sing which ends if you want it its yours. It can be all of ours if we truly want it, through constant prayer, asking God to fill us in a way never experienced before in our lives. The time of penticost wasnt yesteryear its today now and its for us lets believe in true faith that if we want it its ours. I truly believe God will manifest himself to us maybe not like a violent wind but if we ready ourselves you will know without a doubt God is in our mist, I have had such experience of God lately in my own church and other places, The south Ashford welcome-in has such a atmosphere of Gods presence its a drop in morning yet god has other uses for that time many people come and join us for just coffee light snacks ect nobody leaves there without an uplift because the whole topic of conversation is Gods love each expressing their faith sometimes to strangers without embarrassment or fear of rejection, testimony experience and the joy of God in their lives is the only conversation from their lips, we have Cathy a seeker not sure yet but willing to listen and help coming to know Christ in a mighty way by being in the mist of Spirit filled company. jUST GET EXCITED ABOUT PENTICOST AND TONGUES OF FIRE WILL POUR DOWN

prayer warrior

what a privelidge it is to meet together before each meeting and ask Gods blessing on every person who is attending. to cover the holy ground to prepare ourselves and each other for what God has in store for us, I have been made more and more aware of the blessings received when we commit ourselves to prayer. What more honour could there be than when God exposes himself in a glorious way as i can witness too. So often its easier to just sit in a chair on the outside unaware of the intercession surrounding you in the inner circle but what are you receiving?, to just walk into Gods presence and chatter about things that dont matter. how can we ask God to pour his blessings down on us when our mouths speak and not our hearts. 1 john 3-3 says every one who has hope in him purifies himself. We cannot live in the world and not at times get dirty its not only the robes we wear but thoughts we have, the words we speak the actions performed, if anyone can say I am spotless when approaching Gods presence then church has no place for them as they are as pure as the almighty himself. How can we stand in his holy presence lift holy hands sing joyously before we have cleansed ourselves of all our sins in repentance there is no better opportunity than to meet as a family to prepare the way for God to pour out his blessings on us. Last sunday morning and disciple college in the evening was just a taste of how God responses when the ground we walk on and hearts are ready by firstly by repentance how much more will God bless us if we are as one family come before him with a clean heart, try it join us sunday mornings in and around our church note the our because it is for all of us. I can witness to the glorious miricles God has granted when tears of repentance flow when the only words on the lips when coming before our God are to glorify him.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER

Holy Week and Easter is always a special time for us here in Ashford. Please pray for the following:-

• our focus throughout Holy Week is going deeper - we want to encourage people to step out of their comfort zones and experience new things about God
• please pray people would attend the evening sessions and that the Spirit of God would be allowed to touch peoples lives
• please pray for a united service we are holding at south ashford baptist church on maundy thursday, instead of at our centre. during this time some of our members will be baptised - which is not practised within the army but is something people have asked to respond to God in, to help them be obedient and go deeper with Him
• please pray for the united witness of churches together as we meet together in the morning of Good Friday and hold a witness in the centre of the town - this will be different to other years and we pray will be effective
• please pray for our own Good Friday reflection - last year it lasted a long time, because God did some amazing things. Please pray that we would see God's Hand on this meeting and for those who come, will be ready to meet with Him
• please pray for the cadets from the william booth college who will be travelling down to ashford on saturday and sundayu - pray that their ministry and outreach on the saturday would be well received and that they would be encouraged by the contacts that they make
• please pray for the sunday meetings led by the cadets, for our easter feast and for the new soldiers of Jesus Christ in The Salvation Army that will be enrolled
• please pray for our easter mondy event, this year being held at the school, that this will be effective, that it will draw people in, and that we will be able to build positive and lasting relationships
• please pray for salvation, healing, miracles and more - because this is all about Jesus and Kingdom ministry and authority

MARILYN BAKER

Please pray for the visit of Marilyn Baker to Ashford this weekend, and that we will see the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Please also pray we are able to bless Marilyn financially from this weekend, as it comes as a cost to her and her own ministry team.

THE FOUND FAMILY

Please remember the Found Family tomorrow, who will share in the funeral service for Ted following his death last week. In this we remember our own Norman and his family, and Buddy and Marion and their families too. The funeral will be conducted by Major Douglas Back.

LONDON SOUTH EAST OFFICERS

Please remember in your prayers officers from throughout London South East Division who for the next three days will retreat from their ministry roles and spend time together with God and each other. They will be led by our divisional and territorial leaders and meet at Ashburnham Place.