What is church?

There are many different interpretations and meanings for this word. For me, the closest definition is what happens on a Monday and a Tuesday evening.

This Tuesday evening I saw one of the young people we had prayed for last week; he and his friend were both appearing in court the following day. Unfortunately the other lad had been sent to prison for 12 months; he was the chap we had played snooker with and who had listened to the Gospel a few weeks later.

Initially I was dismayed thinking this young lad had been taken out of the picture. Phil however suggested we go and see his family and try and get permission to go and see him; love in action as well as word.

When we arrived at the house we could hear the family through the window saying, 'It’s the people from the church, invite them in.' After we’d knocked on the door they asked us in and were so warm, the kettle was put on and we talked through what had happened to their son, brother and father of a little boy - who was strutting around the house.

They asked us to pray for the family and the mother was open to coming along to a church service, she had been to a church a few years back and God had definitely been working in her life. Myself, Phil and Malcolm sitting in this house were quite a sight, it reminded me of when Jesus went to the tax collector's house, everyone else thought he was mad however Jesus knew that everyone was a sinner and everyone needs help.

For me the church is Christ’s body here on Earth, the church buildings are hospitals where we go to get patched up and receive instruction for battle and then out into the field with the weapons of the Spirit – truth, righteousness, salvation, faith, God’s word, the Gospel – this was church for me on Tuesday night….

Please pray for this situation, that all glory would go to Christ and we would see a transformation in the whole of this family, they would fall on their knees and cry out to Christ. We need prayers so much…

George

Joining you all on Tuesday evening in the Gloster Road area gave me time to reflect and pray, perhaps more as an observer!

I have been picking up news from Phil for quite some time and praying and I feel very much for youngsters facing a challenging upbringing.

Phil and George mentioned about an 18 year old lad who they had heard had just been put in prison. Some of the guys we meet on the streets up in London have done time, as they say, and it can be a struggle to put your life right. We dropped round to where he lived and were welcomed in by his Mum.

The family are from a gypsy background and we were very welcomed and definitely the Holy Spirit wanted us there. We were given a cup of tea and we learned that the lad had been given twelve months and should be out in six. Phil and George wanted to find out how they could visit Billy as they have prayed for him several times, got a good relationship and shared the gospel with him telling him he has a real future with Jesus in his life. We got his prison details and Billy's Mum was really keen that we somehow got alongside him while he was inside.

It was something of a surprise that the Judge gave a custodial sentence but there has been quite a lot leading up to this. The lad's Mum told us that she had given her life to Jesus at a Gypsy Christian gathering some five years ago but had backslidden - don't we all a bit at times! She was looking after the lad's little son of twelve months who had just begun walking - a sweet little chappie called. I felt so much for this litte fellow who greatly needs our prayers as does the lad and the whole family at this difficult time. I guess the lad will be quite shocked and we must pray that the experience of prison does not harden and harm him. Pray that he will open up his heart to Jesus, as his Mum has, and receive inner healing. I have to confess that I have shed a few tears for them.

Malcolm

Note from John: The family asked that the church pray for them using their real name. However I'm not sure that it's good to use their real names on a blog, so I've not done so. It's testament, though, to their seriousness about this that they would be happy to have it used. Maybe one day.