Sometimes, if I ever drive past a cemetery, I don’t think about the people who are buried there but about the purpose buried there. How many songs went unsung? How many poems and stories went unwritten? The truth is, many people leave this world not knowing or realising their purpose. And today, many more are also living without knowing or realising their purpose. Many people simply do not know that God breathes purpose into every living thing, and He has also breathed purpose into you and me.
For me personally, I discovered my purpose when I rededicated my life to God. I did not yet know what God’s plans were for my life, but I knew I had a purpose. It took me many years to discover God’s plan, but because I knew He had a purpose for me, I was just as content back then being a janitor as I am today being a CEO.
So, how do you find your purpose?
Don’t confuse plans with purpose
The definition of purpose is, the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
The definition of plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. An intention or decision about what one is going to do.
We all have plans for our lives. Someday I will do this or someday I will do that. That is not your purpose; those are your plans. And all our plans are meaningless if we do not understand our purpose. God first puts a sense of purpose into our heart. We might not know what the plan is, but He will use our lives, our natural gifts, and our sense of purpose to help move us into His plan.
If we knew the plan in advance, we might run away
In the Bible, God gave Joseph a clear purpose. Joseph knew through dreams that he was to be a leader. He did not know that to get to that point, he would face rape allegations, prison and isolation. If God had revealed the plan up front, he might have run in the opposite direction. But through all of those trials, God was shaping Joseph, making him ready for the plan of leadership
It’s not about you
When God started to reveal His plan for my life, I began to realise His plan was not about me at all. It was about Him using me to reach others. God wanted to take my passion, my gift, my sense of purpose and use them all to bring about His plan in my life and also help to release that in others’ lives. So many Biblical characters were used by God to bring about change for others. Mary was handpicked to deliver a messiah who would save the world. Paul was given the task of leaving everything behind in order to carry the message of salvation all across the Middle East. They were not ‘special’ people. They simply knew they had a purpose, and they allowed God to use them (and their gifts) to bring about His plan.
Can I encourage you today that you have a purpose. Everything God creates has a purpose, and we each have a job to do. If you do not feel that you do, ask God to plant His sense of purpose into your life. He might not show you what is ahead, but when you know deep down that you have a heavenly purpose, everything in your life will change.
Last week, the world watched in shock as a gunman took hostages in a French supermarket. There was a tense siege, and then in a remarkable act of courage, policeman Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame offered to step in and trade places with one of the hostages. As we now know, sadly Arnaud Beltrame was later shot by the gunman and died from his injuries.
Arnaud was willing to walk to his death by offering to swap places with a hostage victim who was being held by a man we now know was a terrorist declaring his allegiance to Islamic State. What an extraordinary act of courage! I would like to express our thoughts and prayers to Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame’s family and all those who have lost a love one in this tragedy.
This very sad story (although amazing in itself) reminds me of another even more extraordinary story that we find in the scriptures. It’s the story of a man called Jesus who was willing to leave all glory behind and come down here to earth to trade his life for the life of mankind.
In other words, he willingly swopped his life for ours to give us the opportunity to be freed from the enemy who was holding us hostage to sin.
John 15:13 tells us: ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ We can say that Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame demonstrated an amazing sacrifice by being willing to give his life for hostages that were strangers to him. How amazing is that? And it is right that he is honoured.
But how much should we honour Jesus Christ? He not only became our ultimate sacrifice, but he actually chose and willingly gave himself up; yes even to the horrible death of the cross! Nothing that happened in his life was ever forced on him or came to him by surprise or even by accident, but it was all something Jesus consciously and willingly gave himself over to do. Jesus says very clearly in John 10: ‘No one takes My life from me… but I lay it down of myself.’ Isn’t it amazing that he would become our substitute so that you and I would live not just for the now, but for eternity?
Lt Col Arnaud’s incredible act of courage is almost hard for us to believe or understand, and although it can’t compare to the Gospel story, it paints a vivid picture to us and helps us to understand (in human terms) the extraordinary sacrifice Jesus made.
Jesus planned, pursued us, and in fact willingly gave himself in every detail, from his incarnation to his last breath on the cross. Jesus as the Good Shepherd came to give life and life abundantly, even as he voluntarily gave himself over to death so that sinners like me and you could be redeemed. I believe that is a good reason to trust him and to live also in humble gratitude, giving endless thanks to God the father who gave us His only son! Just the thought that God would spare His son to save someone like me makes me want to shout ‘Hallelujah! What a Saviour!’ I trust that you know that feeling too!
And so on Good Friday, as we mark the day that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice, let us never forget the message of Easter: that Jesus not only took our place in dying for us, but he rose up triumphantly that you and I may not only have life but life to the full.
In the 1980s, I attended some of Billy Graham’s meetings as part of Mission England.
At the time, I was struck by how much preparation, and particularly prayer, went into the planning and execution of these events. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association had a structure which was modelled around prayer and the Word of God. This was a structure that Billy had used with his own family. His son Franklin recalls that as a child, their days started and ended with family devotions, and Franklin credits the longevity of his parents’ marriage to the fact they read the Scriptures together every day.
As news broke recently that Billy had gone home to be with the Lord, news sites across the world told the story. For younger audiences who did not know who Billy was, his story was re-told. Even here in the UK, our major news and radio channels covered his passing, and for me, it was remarkable to see the amazing legacy that Billy Graham had left behind.
Billy was very much the ‘front man’ of his ministry, but it was not something he sought or chased after. His message was always faithful to the Gospel, and he used every opportunity to tell people about Jesus.
He started his ministry on radio, and by the end of his life, by preaching in auditoriums, stadiums and travelling globally, millions had been won to Christ, not just through his direct ministry but through the ministry of those who had come to faith because of attending a Billy Graham event. George Verwer, the founder of Operation Mobilisation, was one of them. He accepted Jesus Christ as his saviour at a Billy Graham crusade, and years later, his ministry has impacted the lives of many, many more around the world.
In many ways, this was a revival that we never really called a revival. We tend to see revival as being an experience of the manifest presence of God, which compels people en masse to turn their hearts to Jesus. This is what happened throughout Billy’s ministry.
During Mission England, I saw it with my own eyes as thousands streamed to the front to accept Jesus into their lives, filling the front and the aisles. How we long to see this again!
Last week, as we heard the news of Billy’s passing, I thought of Mark 4:8-9, where Jesus tells the parable of the sower: ‘Still another seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.’ If anyone’s life produced a ‘hundredfold’ crop, it was Billy’s!
There is much we can draw from the example of one man’s life. We might never reach millions with the good news of Jesus, but each of us has a circle of influence. We might never be a Billy Graham in terms of numbers, but we can each reach people we know. We all have a story to tell, and even the way we speak and live our lives can be a powerful testimony to a world looking for answers.
And we can pray! We can pray for the people we might never meet or reach, and a life soaked in prayer can reap so much.
Can I encourage you today? You might never speak in an auditorium of thousands or have a public ministry, but you can make a difference to one person by sharing with them the love of Jesus.
Let our legacy one day say that we were men and women of God who shared the Gospel with all who ‘had ears to hear’.
‘Make room for Jesus the anointed one and allow Him to furnish your life with the essentials for successful living.’
Recently I have been reading 2 Kings 4, which tells the story of a notable woman who was so blessed by the ministry of the prophet Elisha that she not only extended her hospitality to him, but she and her husband built a room in their house specifically for him to stay in when he visited.
There are so many lessons for us in this story! I believe that Jesus also wants to visit us, but He doesn’t want to briefly stop by. Instead He wants to abide in us, dwell in us. But, are we willing to make room for Him? In Timothy 3:17, we are reminded as God’s people to be ‘thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’
In 2 Kings 4, we are told that the noblewoman furnished Elisha’s room simply with a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick. Sometimes, God’s Word does not give us much detail, but in this story, these 4 items are mentioned quite clearly. I wonder if those items have a meaning? As I looked into the text, I felt the room was designed to be simple and uncluttered. It was to be the place where a great man of God slept and prayed, and it was important that the room did not have any distractions. Did the simple items of furniture have any symbolic meaning too? Here are my thoughts on what these items could represent.
Bed
Well, for most of us, our bed is a place of rest. On tiring days, it is the place we look forward to sinking into. Rest and peace are important ingredients in our spiritual lives to help keep us strong and replenished for what lies ahead. Sometimes if my grandchildren are staying over, I will get up in the middle of the night to check on them. There is something wonderful about watching how peacefully young children sleep, and I wonder if this is how God views us when He watches over us as we sleep too? Rest and proper recuperation from all that life brings our way is very important. It was important for Elisha in his simply furnished room, and it is important for us too to make sure we de-clutter of anything that would rob us of His peace.
Table
The table represents a place of communion and fellowship. Many of us often sit at a table to enjoy dinner with our family or with friends, and communion is another important ingredient of a healthy spiritual life. We need to make time not just for the physical act of taking communion but also to commune with God: to spend time in His presence, fellowshipping with Him and getting to know His heart.
Stool
It is not easy to sit comfortably on a stool! It usually means that we have to sit very still, and in this story, I think the stool could represent stillness. Sometimes, we need to learn how to shut out the noise and busyness of the world around us and sit in the quiet. Many of us will be familiar with the story of Mary and Martha when Jesus arrived at their home. Martha was busy, running about, preparing for the arrival of Jesus and didn’t know how to stop. Mary, on the other hand, was able to drop everything she was doing and just sit at the feet of Jesus and listen. I do not know about you, but I want to be like Mary, not Martha. I want to be still and give Him all the attention that He deserves.
Candlestick
Well, candles always represent light, and particularly light in darkness. In the middle of a power cut, a candle pierces through the darkness, but in a spiritual sense, we too are called to be candles in a dark world. We certainly live in turbulent times where many are looking for light to help direct their paths, and yet, too often, they are following the first light they see. What if we as God’s people, started walking as blazing candles, helping to point the world to the true source of eternal light?
The simple furnishings in Elisha’s room represent to me many of the ingredients for a healthy spiritual life. My prayer for myself (and for you!) is that we will each take the time to rest, be still, and learn how to truly commune with the heart of God.
When you look to the year ahead, what sort of year would you like to have? A good year? A better year? Or the best year?
That sounds like an unusual question. After all, we ALL want to have the best year we have ever had! However, over Christmas, I was reflecting on the past year (which was a very challenging year for UCB), and I was asking God for the new year to be the best year we have ever had. I felt God speak to my heart and challenge me on what ‘best’ actually means. Why should we have the best year? Do we have any right to ask for such a thing? How can we plug into God’s best for our lives?
What are you talking about?
As we look back over the year that was, many of us tend to share the good and the bad experiences of the last 12 months. I have learned over the years that what we talk about has the ability to change the atmosphere around us. If we are sharing good news and giving thanks to God for what He’s done, it fills others with faith and changes the atmosphere to one of expectancy. But if we are talking about the negative, those words too can change the atmosphere – and not for the better. I believe that to see God’s best in our lives, we need to focus less on the experiences and instead focus on our expectations. What do we want God to do in those situations? What do we ‘see’? What do we expect? Instead of talking about the physical circumstances, let’s instead set our eyes on the vision that God has given us.
We need to be changed
To see God’s best, we need to be ready and willing to be changed. That is an uncomfortable place for many people, but God is a God of transformation, and He is never finished with us! Last year at UCB, we invested significantly in our team, giving them opportunity to meet with God in fresh ways. We invited different speakers to address the staff and encouraged the team to seek out their own fresh experience with God. A visit last year from itinerant minister Fergus Mcintyre was a turning point for many of our team, some experiencing the manifest presence of God in their lives for the first time. But for God to move, each of us has to be willing to allow Him to move in our lives. 2 Timothy 3:17 (KJV) says ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’
We need to be equipped for all that God is going to do, and that means His process of transformation in our lives is never finished (not while we are on this earth anyway!).
What is your room furnished with?
2 Kings 4 tells the story of a noblewoman who was so impacted by the ministry of the prophet Elisha that she and her husband built a room in their house for him to stay in whenever he passed through their town. They furnished the room with a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick. In a future blog, I will share what I believe each of these items represents, but I think the simplicity of this furniture was designed to help Elisha find rest, peace and intimacy. These three areas are so important for us too as believers. What is our room, or our heart, actually furnished with? Is it cluttered and noisy and distracted? Or is our heart furnished with peace and rest and stillness with God?
If like me (and UCB), you are looking ahead to 2018, then can I encourage you to speak with expectancy, allow yourself to be changed and transformed and to find that place of rest and intimacy? Let’s believe together that God indeed will give us the BEST year yet!
For with God nothing will be impossible – Luke 2:37
I recently returned from France where I helped to lead a mission at my brother Daniel’s church in Angers.
It is over 3 years since we started these yearly events, and we have seen some incredible answers to prayer. Some have asked me why there is such a tangible sense of the presence of God in these meetings. Why are people getting healed and set free, yet in other parts of the world, this is not being seen?
I believe that in the beginning, God placed man and woman in the garden of Eden so that they could live in God’s presence, day in and day out. Satan’s plan then (as it is now) was to expel people from the powerful presence of God because he knows that if he can get us out of the presence of God, he can make us weak and ineffective. Thanks to God for His redemption plan, which has restored that relationship and leads us to a place of expectancy. When we are expectant and live in the manifested presence of God, we start to see incredible things happen. When I go to France, I sense a real hunger in the people, and that is a fertile ground for God to move. That is the place where breakthrough begins to happen.
Over the years, we have seen God move in remarkable ways, and I wanted to share some of those stories with you. This is taken from a report compiled by my brother Daniel, and where possible, the stories of healing have been verified by doctors.
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A woman from a church in another town was suffering with severe pain in her stomach and was in hospital undergoing tests. One day during the mission, she discharged herself from hospital for a few hours to come to the service. After the service, she went back to the hospital, and the doctors declared her completely healed. A week later, she came back to church to testify to what God had done in her life.
A young 14-year-old girl suffered terrible pain in her knees due to a bone problem. She was getting worse. Her knees were swollen, and she could walk less and less. Her rheumatologist told her that no surgery could heal her, and she would suffer more, and one day she might not be able to walk at all. They said her only treatment was to wear braces which would keep her legs straight. In May 2014, she went for prayer (her dad who was deaf had just been healed), but she wasn’t healed instantly. And in the following weeks and months she, had more pain, no sign of healing, but she kept asking God in faith with her parents. In the summer of 2015 (over a year after the first prayer), she was completely healed. That summer, she went on holiday in the Alps and went hiking almost every day in the mountains with no pain. She has since committed her life to the Lord and was baptised last May.
In June, a lady who is a radiologist was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, stage 4. Her ex-husband is an oncologist and confirmed that the cancer was too developed to try any treatment or surgery, and she had only 2 or 3 months to live. A Christian lady from the church has an IT business, and the radiologist is one of her customers. Just before the mission in June, she was called to her office to fix some computers. The radiologist spoke to her about her cancer, and Aurélie told her about the church and the many miracles God has done these past few months. On Sunday morning, we felt that the church should pray for people not present in the meeting and asked the believers who knew someone sick to stand up for them. Aurélie stood up for this radiologist. Four weeks later, she went back to her office, and as soon as they met, the radiologist threw herself in her arms jumping with joy, telling her that she was in the process of healing. Since the prayer, the cancer had so decreased, they could do surgery. In August, she went to Paris for surgery, and we are waiting for her to testify of her miracle.
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These are just a few of the amazing miracles we are seeing, and we know that Angers is not an example on its own. All over the world, where God’s people are hungry and expectant, God is doing something new. We know this is just the beginning of what God wants to do through His church all across the world.
(Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever – Heb. 13:8)
This week on UCB 1 and UCB 2, it has been our national appeal. We have been talking on air about 1 Kings 18 and the ‘sound of a mighty rainstorm’. All around us are small clouds and green shoots of the beginnings of revival, and we are expectant and excited to see what God is going to do.
What you won’t have heard on air is the move of God which has been happening in our own buildings here at UCB.
Last week, we invited Fergus Mcintyre, an itinerant pastor who has a prophetic ministry, to spend time with our staff, praying with each of them and speaking into their lives.
There is nothing like experiencing that refreshing ‘rain’ when the spirit of God touches and refreshes our lives!
As a result of these meetings, I have heard from so many of our team, who have been blessed by what God said to them. I truly believe this is where revival begins.
There is a famous saying: ‘Lord, send revival and let it start with me.’
When we each develop and grow our intimacy with God, He begins to pour His spirit out. In Joel, it says ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’
I believe these ‘last days’ are now, and can I encourage you to seek God for your own personal revival? When we have received it, we are then able to pass it on to others.
Here are a few stories from our team of what has happened to them in the past week.
Amy’s story (UCB Digital Designer)
In my life, I have struggled and felt a lot of pain, but I can always sense when others need help. When Fergus prayed for me, he told me I am a good listener and God trusts me. I can walk past someone and squeeze their hand and say, ‘I’m with you’ and they will feel God’s presence. This became really apparent during the appeal when I was able to listen and engage with our supporters on the phone. I was able to help a listener with a severe stammer through the donation process, and I was able to listen and let him know I was there to help. This confirmed many of the things Fergus said to me about listening and being trusted to help others through difficult situations.
Carl’s story (Prayerline Liaison Officer)
Over the past few years, I have been able to pray for many of the staff at UCB and have felt I could often feel other people’s pain. At first, I thought I was just imagining it, but when Fergus spoke to me, he said God wanted me to step up and tell people what I felt and then pray for them. Fergus told me that I was a ‘Barnabas’ and encouraged me to step out in faith, but at the same time, use discernment and speak wisely. A man I did not know at all was used to speak encouragement and blessing into my life.
Anonymous
Fergus spoke to me about how I’m very particular about all the jobs I do. I dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s as he put it. Whilst this is true, the thing is that however hard I try and whatever I do, I always feel like I’m not good enough – so I decided that I’d stay behind and ask Fergus if he’d pray with me about it.
We chatted, and very quickly Fergus uncovered the root of the problem. I grew up with a violent and overbearing, perfectionist father; everything had to be ‘just right’ all the time. Me and my siblings grew up constantly walking on eggshells, afraid to upset him, and whatever I achieved, it was never enough. The effect that growing up in this kind of environment has on you as a person is huge. And whilst I do feel that I have forgiven my dad for all this already, somehow I’ve just never been able to break free of the hold that it has over me. So, Fergus then prayed with me and asked me to speak out all the things, all the un-truths, that have ever been spoken over me and that I’ve believed. Then the presence of God came over me in the most powerful way. The chains that have kept me bound since my childhood were broken, and I felt the most amazing sense of peace like I have never felt before. What I have to do now is to walk in the freedom and peace that God has graciously given me.
Paula’s story
The last few months have been really difficult for me, and I’ve been fighting lots of battles. I knew that I needed to spend more time with God and rest, but I’ll admit, instead, I just made myself really busy. I was exhausted. I didn’t know what Fergus was going to say, but he started laughing and said I was the ’90-mile-an-hour lady,’ always on the go… and that God wanted me to slow down. He also said I’d been dealing with the weight of other people’s expectations, and God wanted to set me free from that. I honestly felt like a huge weight was lifted almost instantly as soon as he prayed, and this week has been truly incredible. There’s a tangible sense of God’s presence in the building, spontaneous prayer groups are breaking out, and I’ve been diving out of bed in the morning, excited to read my Bible and see what God has to say today. It’s amazing to see what God is doing. It’s not what God has done but what He isdoing… this is just the beginning.
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Can I encourage you to spend time seeking God in your own life? When His spirit touches our lives, everything changes. We are able to see with clarity, and we are able to pass this incredible presence of God on to others too. This is where revival starts. As I said at the beginning ‘Lord, send revival and let it start with me’.
Next week on UCB 1 and UCB 2, it is our national appeal. Earlier this week, Paul Hammond asked if I would share my thoughts on why Christian media is so important and how it all began for my wife Jackie and I.
Here is the video of that interview and below is a transcript.
I hope you are blessed and encouraged to hear about all that God is doing through Christian broadcasting in this country.
Interview Paul Hammond: We thought that today, ahead of next week’s special programmes, we would take the opportunity to let our CEO share his heart about UCB, about Christian radio, and about the Christian message that we have for a world which is very broken. He is David L’Herroux. His voice is very familiar to us, and it’s always a pleasure to have him in the studio. David, welcome today.
David: Morning. Glad to see you.
Paul: Can we start with you? Because people will be aware of UCB, the journey, the history of UCB. But what about you? You have a heartfelt passion that in a broken world, Christian broadcasting has a message and a hope to bring. Where does that come from?
David: Well Paul, it comes back to brokenness itself. At the end of the day, we live in a world where we have many experiences individually. And many years ago, back in 1988 when my world was going well and everything was going very positively, one morning in my office, I received the news that I needed to go back home straight away.
And as I arrived home, I discovered that my little boy Jamie, who was the youngest of our children, was actually laid on the floor, dead. And that shook my core. And I heard the scream of my wife and saw the devastation in our family. And in the middle of that brokenness, I had to test my faith and go to God and make sure that God had the pre-eminence in that situation.
Paul: How old was Jamie at the time?
David: Jamie was about 13 or 14 months old. He’d had a check-up a few months before. And on that night, there were no issues physically, but he sadly passed away, which we later were told was cot death.
Paul: That must have been a devastating shock for you, and in that moment it would have been understandable if you had just thrown your hands up and said ‘This has to be the focus for us at the moment’. And yet as you say, you turned to God in that moment, and found what?
David: I found an answer to my questions. I was asking ‘Why, why, why God? Why do I feel so broken? Why us?’ And I felt God respond to me and say ‘Stop asking why. Swop the question to “What can I (God) do in this situation?”‘
And then as I started to think about what God could do, suddenly something was being worked in my heart, a compassion was rising up that I had never felt before. Now that did not take away the pain; it didn’t take away the hurt, but it took my focus from the pain and put into my heart a feeling, a passion, for the younger generation, for the people around me, that I have never experienced before.
And I think it was a bit of what we call the compassion of Christ that was starting to wrap me up in a way that I have never felt before.
Paul: That in wrapping you in compassion, it was also then giving you compassion to see the world around you as broken as it is and the heartache that so many people are having to deal with?
David: Absolutely. And I started to see and feel for the people around me like I have never done before. I had tried to counsel people before this experience in their time of grief. But I had no clue, and therefore things started to change in my own being. I started to identify what was happening in me, that I wasn’t alone and there were many people around me who actually experienced similar things, and even more tragic things. And suddenly you start to feel for people.
Compassion to me is a compelling desire not to just feel you want to do something for people, but you actually want to move your feelings into action. And that led me to speak with people and try to help them in their hurt. And then to help them realise that even in ministry, we too were being tested, and we too were being hurt at that time.
Paul: It’s really interesting hearing you talk like that because I remember hearing you say some years ago now that one of your passions, one of your convictions that God woke you up in the middle of the night with, was that the church needed to be available to people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And tragedy comes and questions come at any time of the day, don’t they? And that led you into this conviction about Christian radio?
David: Absolutely. In fact it’s a funny story the way that God actually spoke to me. It was around Christmas, and Jackie got up…
Paul: Jackie is your wife.
David: That’s my wife, that’s right. She got up about 1am, 1.30. She was all dressed, about to leave the room. And I said, ‘Hey honey, you woke me up, where are you going?’
And she said, ‘Dave, Christmas is around the corner. We’ve been so busy. You’ve been so busy, that we’ve got nothing for the kids, nothing for our guests. And you know what, there is 24/7 shopping. I’m going to go for it.’
So I’m left now awake, and in that time, God started to speak to me and said ‘Dave if Jackie was actually bursting to go to a church right now, to find someone to speak into her life because of brokenness, where would she go?’
I started to scan all the churches that I knew, not just in this country but in Europe and abroad, and I could not think of a church which would be open at that time. And suddenly God said to me ‘I have entrusted you with Christian media. Don’t mess it up’.
Paul: And the response that you get from people, of them availing themselves of that opportunity, is phenomenal isn’t it? And our world has changed a lot over the last few years with concerns about terrorism and finance and so many issues that are impacting people and raising questions for people. What sort of stories confirm for you that what you’re doing is part of God’s plan for the UK?
David: To me, we have the privilege to live in the 21st century with technology which can reach hearts at any time of the day, wherever they are and whoever they are. And to me, there are people who will never go to a church, they might never even go to a person they know is a Christian, but that doesn’t mean they’re not seeking for something.
They’re trying to find answers, and suddenly they can find that they switch the radio on and they can hear a word of hope, a word of challenge, a word that is edifying or inspiring, and that could be at 3am just as much as it could be 3pm.
And that to me is the most exciting part, that at any time of the day wherever they are, they can actually connect with positive content which can affect their life forever. And that has to be good news to be involved in Christian media.
Paul: Could you unpack for us why 1 Kings 18 is burning for you at the moment?
David: God, over the last couple of years, has been sharpening my spiritual senses, starting to sharpen my vision and my hearing. And I started to hear in my own spirit through that chapter 1 Kings 18. And God is a God of His word.
In that story He came to Elijah with a word, and He said, after the dryness of three and a half years, the rain is about to come. That leader, that prophet, took God’s word very passionately, and he actually said: ‘If God said it, it will happen.’
Therefore through that story, every action from the prophet is him believing the word of God. He goes into action so positively that at end of the chapter, his faith has risen to such a level, they experienced not just rain, but abundant rain. And God has really stirred me up and said ‘Dave, when I speak a word to you, it’s up to you to either believe it or reject it.’
And of late, I am hearing, from the vision that God has entrusted to us, that through the power of media, through the power of radio, God had a purpose in birthing UCB over 30 years ago. That He loves the UK and that he has a desire to bring an unprecedented revival in this country and beyond.
And God has blessed us with much, the fact that we have not just 1 channel but 2 channels. God is actually saying ‘I am preparing you. And are you going to allow me to prepare you for the time where my word will be fulfilled and this nation will be hit with something which is unprecedented?’
Paul: So is that how you see 1 Kings 18 speaking to us at the moment? There have been 3 and a half years of drought, and of course there’s Mount Carmel in that chapter as well and fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice, all of that. But when the rain finally came, it ended the drought and the spiritual dryness that people felt in their lives also. Do you feel that we are on the brink of a spiritual rain like that?
David: I do and I’ll tell you why, because I have never seen dryness like it in this country. And I have been here 40+ years, and I have seen the hardness of the ground in the heart of people getting harder, drier, broken, and I am saying ‘If I follow God’s word in that story, they were in the middle of that brokenness, not just in terms of the ground, there was no growth, no water, the lives of people were in disarray. They were wavering from one side to another because they were looking for an answer.’ And if you apply that to our country, that’s exactly what’s happening in our country. One minute they are trying to follow a certain way, and the next minute they feel that’s not working so they are looking for another answer and they’re turning to the other side.
And I believe, if I talk about the church for a minute, we need to rise up and be counted in this broken world in which we live. And I strongly believe we are seeing some green shoots where people are starting to realise the world has nothing to offer. There is no hope, there is no living water, except in God and in Christ Jesus. And therefore we have that opportunity to proclaim that living hope. And in the middle of the dryness and this country’s brokenness, there is a dam about to be broken where God wants to lavish this land with blessing and life so that people will turn to Him in a way we have never seen before.
Paul: And of course it is the case that in a natural sense, when you have places of incredible dryness and drought, when the rain finally comes, it springs to life very quickly and the green shoots grow up very quickly to take the water they have been thirsting for.
David: When you are thirsty, you want to have that thirst quenched. And when I find myself in churches or in the community, I am finding there is an increase of thirst for the real thing, for the real hope, for the real answers.
And people are thinking about what affects them. And they are saying ‘in my desperation, in my hopelessness, who do I turn to?’ And I believe through the power of Christian media, we are able to proclaim hope like we have never been able to before, for God to stir up the hearts of people to actually believe that the dryness we have around us is going to change, because God has spoken. And when God speaks, He always answers.
Paul: So what about the responsibility of the ordinary people to make this happen? To see this happen? There’s a thought around the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel that it was through the support of the people that as they started to turn their attention back to God, that He was able to call down the fire to stir the faith that eventually saw the rains come. Do you believe that we all have a responsibility? That it’s not just for you to proclaim, but we all have a responsibility to proclaim and support this?
David: Absolutely. We are just one piece in the jigsaw, and I really believe it is the coming together of the people who really believe that God is the answer to say ‘What is my responsibility in making sure that we are well prepared for that abundance of rain to come upon our country?’
And here is one of the things that I strongly believe. Yes the Gospel is free, but the distribution of the Gospel, like it was in Jesus’ day, like it is today, is also costly. And by coming together, us doing what God has called us to do… the people joining with a desire in their heart, wanting the members of their family to experience that freshness, that living water, for their workmates, for their own commun… experiencing a turnaround in their own life and experiencing that God is able to change lives for good.
Then by us coming together and people saying ‘Yes I believe that God will change this country, and yes UCB we are behind you, and we realise there is no grant given to you. You don’t depend on advertising. We realise that you depend on our effort and on our contribution. So not only do we want to pray for you, not only do we want to promote that UCB brings a message of hope to man, but we also want to financially support you.’
And it is because of the goodness of our listeners, the goodness of our readers, that we can stand today after 30 years, continuing to proclaim the Gospel not just on one channel but on 2 channels so that people can connect at any time of the day with a message of hope.
Paul: Day after day, we get testimonies that come in that tell us of how this has already been worked out in many people lives. I wonder if we might finish off with one that has spoken to you really specifically and which really sums up this passion that you have, that a broken world, a dry world, might be healed and refreshed by God’s grace and by Christian media.
David: I read a story of a man called Russell, and his life had become totally broken and he decided to end his life. And he went on top of a bridge and he took only 2 things with him. He took a small Bible and a DAB radio. And his desire was to end the painful period that was going through his life: his own brokenness. He couldn’t take any more. But suddenly he heard the voice of God and God said to him ‘I have a plan for you. Don’t do it’.
And he turned to the radio and switched to UCB and started to hear some inspiring words. He then decided to not take his life on that day. And he went and slept on the streets. One day, he was led by the spirit of God to go into a church. He didn’t even dare to go among the people, so he stayed at the back. And he heard the message, and his life was put back together. And in the very café that was providing food for him when he was homeless, he was offered a job. His life was turned around because he heard a message of hope in his brokenness. He wanted to end his life, but he heard a message of hope stirred up, and he felt that suddenly there was a plan for him. And instead of wanting to end his life, he started to ask God to help him find that plan.
Those stories Paul, that land on our desks and desktops on a daily basis, are what I live for, because our vision is to change lives for good with no other word but the Word of God. Not your word, not my word. Because everything we want to put on the platforms has to come from the original Word of God, which is a hope message for those who feel totally hopeless like Russell.
Paul: And it’s because of people like Russell and the fact that UCB (and there are a whole host of ministries who are there for people like Russell) but the fact that God was able to take UCB and to help and support Russell in that moment was because you (our listeners) have supported UCB over the years.
Next week, we’re going to be carrying forward this thought of a cloud bringing the rain that our land might be refreshed, and share with you loads of stories like that of Russell’s, of people’s lives that have been impacted by God’s Word of hope through what we do here at UCB.
It’s incredibly humbling what we do: an incredible opportunity that God gives us. And it’s an incredible thing that so many of you are willing to stand with us in support of it.
We’d like to invite you to think and to pray next week about how you might support UCB and catch some of the vision and passion that God has put into David L’Herroux’s heart that our dry and broken world may be healed and refreshed with the hope, the compassion, and the Word of God. David thank you for joining us today.
At different points in our lives, we all face pressure. Like everyone else, I experience times of strain, and in fact, recently, I have been going through some very ‘stretching’ experiences.
In times of pressure, it can be easy to be overwhelmed and to ‘react’ from that negative place, but is there a better way to handle the stresses and burdens of life?
Through my own experiences, I’ve learnt that it is not what happens to us that will make or break us, but the way we choose to react or respond to the situations.
I am learning that although we cannot always control the things which come against us, with God’s help, we can control how we respond.
Watch what you say
Words are important and can have a big impact on how we view and respond to a situation. In times of pressure, I think it is very important to watch our words and what we say. Are you speaking negatively into the situation? Going over and over it with friends and family? Always speaking ‘death’ by your words? Our own words can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, so if we are going to speak words, let’s speak the Word of God. We know the enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy, so let’s be sure that when we speak, we do not do the devil’s work for him.
Check your attitude
In times of pressure, your real attitude comes out in your response to the situation. I am learning (almost every day) about the importance of reactions. I have to remind myself that I cannot do anything by myself, and even though I am being challenged, I want my attitude to be aligned with what God has spoken to me. When we align our attitude with what God says in his Word, our reactions will be measured and will demonstrate the heart of God.
Resist temptation
Temptation comes to us in lots of different ways, but let’s also not be tempted to give up in tough times. Let’s resist the temptation to become bitter, and let’s guard our hearts against temptation in all its forms. God’s desire is for us to be fruitful, to go to higher places, and to be successful. But giving way to temptation can destroy all that God has done (and plans to do) in our lives.
Demonstrate character
When you squeeze a lemon, what do you get? You get lemon juice! But if you were to be squeezed by pressures today, what would come out? Would it be Christ? Or would it be self? It is often only in times of pressure that we see who we really are because difficulties tend to bring our true character to the surface. In times of being squeezed, I want my character and my response to reflect all that God has done in my life.
Watch out for your loved ones
In times of stress, it’s easy to take it home and to vent it all on our families. But we also need to remember that we have to protect our households. We shouldn’t allow the pressures we face to cause us to react and change the atmosphere of our homes. We all need support, and we all need to talk through our issues and problems with the people we love; but we should always be mindful of protecting them too.
If you’re facing your own difficulties at the moment, can I encourage you to spend time in God’s Word and God’s presence? In His presence, our problems and trials will melt away like wax (Psalm 97:5), and it is in that place that we can hear God speak to us most clearly.
I have been thinking this week about the subject of bitterness and how much it can impact lives (yes, even the lives of Christians).
In Exodus 15, the Israelites (led by Moses) had seen a tremendous victory, and they were celebrating and thanking God for their deliverance. They were singing ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted…the Lord reigns for ever and ever.’
But just three days later, they were in the desert, and their water supplies had run out. They came to the waters of Marah, but they couldn’t drink from it because the water was so bitter. The same people who had been praising God just a short time ago were now grumbling and complaining. Moses cried out to God, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood which he was able to throw into the water. Verse 23 says ‘The water became fit to drink.’ Later, God led the people to Elim, which had ‘12 springs and 70 palm trees,’ and they camped there near the water.
In our lives, many of us face difficulties which could leave us feeling bitter. When faced with tragedy or hard times, we have a choice to walk through the situation (with God’s help) and get better, or we can stay in that situation and camp out in our bitterness. The story in Exodus paints a clear picture of how I believe God wants us to respond when faced with life’s hardships.
Don’t camp at Marah
The word ‘Marah’ (the place of the bitter springs) actually means ‘bitter,’ and it is interesting that in the Exodus story, although Moses led the people there, God did not command them to camp and stay there. It was just a passing through on their journey.
Later when they arrived at Elim (which means ‘roots’ and also means ‘a place of refreshing’) they were able to stop and set up camp. We all go through times of feeling bitter, but I believe it is important to not camp in that place and instead view it as an experience, a place we have to walk through, with God’s help.
We already have the answer
When Moses cried out to God for an answer, the Lord provided him with a tree branch which would make the water drinkable. Trees take decades to grow, and long before Moses and the people encountered this problem, God had already provided a way out, a growing tree which would be used to solve the problem.
We see this again later in the story of Zaccheus in Luke 19. Zaccheus was the chief tax collector and was not well-liked. Luke says he was a man of small stature, and because of the great crowds (and his height), he was not able to get through the crowds to see Jesus. Zaccheus climbed a nearby sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, and later, he met with Jesus personally. We do not know how long it took, but it is likely that the tree had been growing there for a long time. I like to imagine that maybe God even sent an angel to protect that tree, knowing that one day it would be used as an important tool in allowing a man to hear the life-changing words of Jesus. It reminds us that whatever we are going through, God has already provided the answer.
Believe the promise
In our world today (maybe you are going through this yourself), many people have become stuck in a place of bitterness. Bitterness can be like a spiritual cancer, and if we allow it to, it can overtake our thinking and lives.
If you are experiencing that today and wondering how you can break free, can I encourage you to go back to the promises of God. Whatever you are going through, I believe that God has already provided the answer (even if you cannot see it) and that if you walk diligently, God will eventually lead you to ‘Elim’: a place of rest and security.
The tree in the stories of Moses and Zacheus are also a symbol of the cross. If you look to the cross and look to the promises of God, He will lead you through.
It may not be easy, but living a life free of bitterness is living life to the full. And this is how I believe God wants us to live.
David L'Herroux 