'Releasing the Prophetic'

Jarrod Cooper (left)
David Shearman (Right)

Although I’ve hosted numerous specialist conferences in the past, Saturday 10th October marked the first general 1-day conference. It was called ‘Releasing the Prophetic’. By all accounts, people seemed to really benefit from the event. Speakers were David Shearman and Jarrod Cooper. They were both outstanding. David is like a fine wine – he just keeps getting better with age! He’s a man of faith, integrity, wisdom and deep devotion to Christ. Then there’s Jarrod – well known song writer – but he’s so much more than that. His ministry was highly inspirational, marked with integrity and full of revelation which clearly stems from an intimate personal walk with God.

What I loved about the day was the emphasis on CHARACTER. The danger of an event like this is that we could focus merely on the gift more than the channel through which it flows. But both speakers emphasised the importance of good foundations, integrity, wisdom and personal intimacy with God. After all, effective prophecy comes through those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. This for me was really important – as it’s the long term we’re really aiming for and not just a short burst.

The day included an insightful Q&A session where questions were answered regarding the practicalities of the prophetic. Often in conference contexts, sessions like this can be clinical and lack inspiration. But I’ve got to say that this was the best Q&A I’ve EVER seen in a conference. It was relaxed, fun and full of inspiration – led by my friend Pastor Dave McKeown who leads a great church in Stocksbridge near Sheffield.
I brought in some friends from Birmingham to lead worship. These guys are not only brilliant musicians, but incredibly anointed – and led us right into the awesome presence of God. We ended the day off with worship, prayer and prophecy – where people had the opportunity to put into practice some of what they’d been taught. This was highly meaningful and there was a tangible sense of God being present. Afterwards, stories of healing emerged as well as others who were deeply impacted by the Holy Spirit.

Our next 1-day conference will be on Saturday 15th May 2010. We’ve already got a significant number of people booked in. For details, email info@roytodd.org . Below are just a small selection of emails I received from people who attended the event:

Hi Roy

I REALLY enjoyed Saturday and I'm so glad I came. It was all really well organised and all the speakers were brilliant. Thank you!!!!

Rebecca, Nottingham

Hi Roy,
What an absolutely amazing day. I've never been in a conference like it!! The presence of God was wonderful. I really enjoyed David - what a great teacher - I honestly didn’t think it could get any better & then Jarrod came on!!
The worship group were amazing – I loved them! ...thank-you for one of the best days of my life.
Sarah, Liverpool

Hey Roy
Saturday was by far the best day conference I have been to. I had personal breakthrough in the afternoon. The worship was amazing & powerful with no hype, AWESOME.

Sean, Retford
Hi! Thanks for an amazing day.The whole day was such an encouragement. I learned so much and it. Since Saturday i have been more relaxed in using the gifts that God has given me. I definitely would love to attend another one of these days.

Donna, Sheffield

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Toddy's ramblings

September 2009 felt like the quickest month of my life so far! It'd just arrived - and now it's all over!! Confined to history. No chance to repeat it. No opportunity to retake it. Nothing we can do to get it back. Finished. Done. Period.

The question we need to ask ourselves is...how did we invest our time? Did we make good use of it? Have we been good stewards of the time God gave us? Have we 'made the most of every opportunity'? How much have we learnt in the period up to now?

The thing about time is that once lost, it can NEVER be redeemed. Thats why NOW matters so much. Too many people have dreams that are far off into the future. But the truth is that how we live today is a prophecy of what we will be tommorrow. I've met so many people who have ambitions to change the world. Yet they can't even get out of bed in the mornings! It's complete rubbish, utter nonsense and meaningless rhetoric (I hope thats clear). Lazy people NEVER make it. And if by some chance a great opportuinity comes their way, their lazy habits will eventually be their downfall.

Charisma is NEVER meant to carry a person. Character is the carrier. To permit charisma (gifting) to be our vehicle is like setting the scene for a high speed crash. Time and again, people have deluded themselves into thinking that their gifting is enough. But history teaches us that it's not. And the Bible warns us it isn't. Any forward steps that Charisma on it's own makes in the short term will be massively undermined by long term damage. You see...charisma can't handle the pressure, the temptations, the challenges, the insecurities, the dissapointments, the discipline etc etc. Thats why Paul sandwiches his comments on Spiritual gifts (Charismata) between 1 Cor 12 & 14 with a whole section on love in 1 Cor 13. Character is THE carrier. It's the very thing that will help us make the most of our time and gifting.

One of the most effective things that we can all do with our time is to develop greater character. It's about understanding that what happens when no-one else sees us is even more crucial than what occurs in public. The time we invest in our private space is even more important than what we do in front of others. Are we living for the adulation of people? Or are we truly living to please God? If the latter is truly the case, then God really can make a long-term difference through our lives. Remember, the secret of service is secret service. Not a popular truth - but a critical truth nonetheless.

Ultimate success in this life really isn't about material prosperity (though there isn't anything wrong with that). It's not even about the size a church or ministry - honestly it isn't. One sentence is what we really ought to be aiming for. It's the words of Jesus on that final day 'Well done good and faithful servant'. Those are the words I'm longing to hear one day.

A brief thought about prayer

'Seven days without prayer makes one weak.' Thats a quote I heard when I was a kid growing up in Belfast - and the truth of it has never left me since.

When you think about, Jesus went from prayer to prayer with miracles in between. If it was important enough for Jesus to pray, then it's crucial for us too.

Interestingly, even in the midst of busy periods of ministry, Jesus was intentional about prioritising prayer, often rising early in the morning 'while it was still dark' so he could commune with the Father.

And that's what prayer is. It's about us spending time with the Father. As we speak with Him, the Godhead is intrinsically involved in that conversation: i.e. we come to the Father in the name of Jesus and as we seek him, the Holy Spirit helps us to intercede.

Prayer is more than just a shopping list of requests (though we do ask God for things as we pray). It's to do with us submitting to Him - seeking His will - acknowledging Him - Recognising His kingship over our lives. That's why Jesus taught us to pray 'Our Father...Your Kingdom come, your will be done'.

As life grows in busyness, I'm conscious of how easy it can be to let prayer slip in my own list of prioities. But prayer is VITAL. A Christian who doesn't pray is like a spouse who doesn't speak to their partner. It really doesn't bode well for the future. Prayer requires time and discipline.

God is relational. It is for this reason more than any other that he values our prayers.

I believe in prophecy

I believe in prophecy. No not the wacky stuff - like when people 'predict' the exact date of the second coming of Christ. And not the shallow stuff either - I already know that God loves me. No...I mean the real thing. The kind of prophecy that's genuinely faith building. Paul actually encouages us not to treat such prophecies with contempt.

Interestingly, this year, five separate individuals had spoken the same prophetic word to me. None of them have known anything of my circumstances - and each prophetic word has conveyed an encouragement that this is 'a new season.' Some of those who have prophesied have been ministers. But the most outstanding for me was a woman (whose name I can't even remember) who asked to see me at a church where I was speaking in April. She was humble and gracious which immediately impressed me. As she spoke, it was as if she was reading me like a book. It was profound and I was deeply impacted by what she said.

The purpose of the gift of prophecy is 'edification, exhortation and comfort'. It's not about pointing out everybody's wrongs. When people prophesy like that, they're actually missing the point. I usually find that a prophetic word that's genuinely from God is actually confirming what I've already heard God say to me in the privacy of my own devotional life.

Things only get dodgy when Christians are too lazy to seek God for themselves, instead solely depending on a word from God from someone else. However, as we maintain a strong and intentional life of devotion to God (i.e. reading the bible, praying etc), prophecy can be a huge encouragement to us (and others) on our journey.

On Saturday 10th October 2009, I'm hosting a conference called 'Releasing the prophetic'. The day will look at how we can most effectively communicate and receive prophecy. Two world class speakers will be with us - David Shearman and Jarrod Cooper. There's a £10 registration fee per person (which includes lunch) to be paid in advance and the venue is in South Yorkshire, UK - 10am to 4:30pm. If you'd like to book into this conference, please email info@roytodd.org ASAP with subject title 'Releasing the Prophetic'. It's going to be a great day! Hope to see you there.

Grapevine 2009

Lydia and I spent the August bank holiday weekend at the Grapevine celebration. It was my pleasure to speak over three days, leading a series on 'miracles, signs and wonders'. The venue was jam packed to the doors with people, hungry to journey deeper into the miraculous. There were dozens of fantastic healings - including a woman who was deaf in her right ear - totally healed.

The thing I really loved about Grapevine is that it was so unhyped. It really is about people engaging with God, being equipped to see their world changed. Surely that's what the work of teh Spirit is all about...

In pursuit of the miraculous

I'm looking forward to the release of my new book 'In pursuit of the miraculous' this week. I wrote it because I really want to stir and challenge people to believe like never before for miracles to happen today. Miracles are not optional extra's to the Gospel. They are an intrinsic part of it. If the amount of space an author takes to focus on a particular theme is an indication of it's importance, then the writers of the Gospels must have considered miracles as highly significant. For example, 44% of Matthew's Gospel focues on Jesus' miracles. 27% of Acts focuses on miraculous activity in the early church too.

I really am convinced that it's time for us to pursue the miraculous like never before. Even in the 21st century with all our technological advances, people still need miracles. The book isn't a theoretical idea of what COULD happen. It's intentionally practical showing what WILL happen when we step out in faith, helping us see miracles released in our own lives and for others too.
As well as looking at a number of key bible references, I also relay some of my own experiences of having travelled as an evangelist over the past 13 years and praying for thousands of people. But more than that, I actually dare to believe that in the next few years, we are going to see a manifestation of God's glory the like of which has never been seen before. We'll see it as we grow in confidence in the good news of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, I actually believe that the best miracles will happen outside a church building through ordinary people who have extra-ordinary faith.

'In pursuit of the miraculous' can be purchased from http://www.authenticmedia.co.uk/ and in all good Christian book shops. It will be widely available from September. For more information, see www.roytodd.org/news.html

al-Megrahi should NOT have been released

I don’t often veer into the world of politics. But the decision of the Scottish justice minister to free Lockerbie plane bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds due to ill health is yet another sign of a lamentable failure of political leadership in the UK. Politicians are now crying foul at the celebrations which greeted the convicted mass murderer on his arrival in Tripoli. But how silly of them not to have expected this to happen in the first place. These were clearly orchestrated and not spontaneous– after all, how many Libyans happen to keep Scottish flags in their homes so they can wave them when the occasion requires it? The waving of Scottish flags in Tripoli was actually an insult to Scotland.

Although the justice minister was right to say that al-Megrahi will one day face ultimate judgment from God – his decision to grant early freedom was unfair to those families who lost loved ones as a result of al-Mehrahi’s actions. Remember, he was convicted in the courts and has since shown no remorse for what happened. It is this fact alone which should have determined any decision. For the sake of justice, he should not have been released.

What a year so far!

This year so far has been a very fruitful and productive six months of ministry. I've criss-crossed the UK (north, south, east and west) - prayed for thousands of people at events - and seen 1074 people commit their lives to Jesus Christ at events up to now.

The healing outreach event Healing4Life has been a revelation to me in terms of the number of unchurched people who have attended - sometimes making up to 80% of the audience. By and large, it's the middle classes who seem to come - interesting. Some come out of need. Others out of curiousity. But those who have responded to the Gospel know exactly what they're doing. And then there's the stories of healing too - hundreds of them.

Looking forward to what God yet has in store

5 things I've learnt

Here are 5 things I've learnt over the past 12 years of journeying as an evangelist.

1) Stay on your God appointed course
2) Don't permit the elements to cause any deviation from your main purpose in life
3) Remain true to the distinctivness of your anointing - popular or not
4) Determine to be fresh and positive
5) Listen most to those who believe in you enough to journey with you

Scotland tour

Saturday, Sunday and Monday have been three brilliant days here in Scotland. On Saturday, I spent the evening in Fraserburgh. My friend Neil Cameron and I answered questions on all kinds of issues at an event for 20's and 30's. Great evening - including Starbucks coffee.

Then on Sunday, I spoke at all the services at New Hope Church, Peterhead. What a brilliant church led by Neil Cameron - a really fantastic guy. I was delighted that lots of people responded to my message in the evening event - including 11 kids! Reminded me of something Spurgeon once said. He told a friend that 2 and a half people got saved after his previous preach. The friend asked if he meant two adults and a child. But Spurgeon replied 'No. Two children and an adult!'

Monday night, I was in Bellshill, Glasgow. Great to see the auditorium filled - and 13 people standing to give their lives to God. Some good stories of healing too. Exciting times!

Dundee, Scotland

Friday 8th May was the first date of my ten venue tour of Scotland. First stop - Dundee. The event was supported by 7 local churches and we were delighted to see the auditorium packed with hundreds of people. Lots of first-time responses and stories publicly told of healing too. At the end of the meeting, there was an incredible release of God's presence. I'm excited at what God is doing in this great city. Impressed with the church leaders too who are doing such an amazing work.

Dozens respond over the weekend

There are lots of unsung hero's out there. They're the kind of people who just get on with what they need to do without making any kind of fuss about it. Peter and Janice Bird are one such couple. They pastor Revival Church in Derbyshire - a small town numbering 6000 inhabitants. Yet they lead a growing contemporary of around 200 members - which includes loads of young people.

I was delighted to work with them and their daughter church near Ashton under Lyne. There were dozens of first time responses over the weekend - and many stories (told publicly) of healing too. All in all, an awesome few days.

We desperately need the Holy Spirit

Someone once said that if the Holy Spirit were taken out of the Church, 98% of what it does would remain the same. Certainly thought provoking. Truth is, without the Holy Spirit, Church just turns into a social club and evangelism becomes a mere marketing exercise. Or as I heard Reinhard Bonnke once say ‘The less Holy Spirit a church has, the more coffee and cake it needs to keep going.’

This is my twelfth year as an evangelist. The further along I go, the more desperate I’m becoming to know the Spirit’s power in my life. I’m simply not prepared to have anything else. It’s not about slick programmes. Nor is it about clever marketing. It’s not even to do with understanding what leadership is all about. It’s really about submission and surrender – being more interested in how to be led above how to lead.

Only when there is recognition of this will the Church really become what it’s supposed to be.

Great Sunday!

Amazing day yesterday in ‘Life Spring’, New Ollerton. The auditorium was packed to the doors both morning and night – and lots of fantastic things happened. Mike and Liz Philips are the leaders of this church – such great people to be around! I also love the enthusiasm and openness of the folks in this church – I always find that inspirational.

River Church, Tampa, Florida

I’ve just arrived back in the UK from America – jetlagged but spiritually refreshed. During the trip, I was honoured to preach at the River Church, Tampa, Florida. This church is led by Dr Rodney Howard Browne and his amazing wife Adonica.

As well as ministering at the River Church, Lydia and I spent time with Rodney and Adonica. When you spend time with someone, that’s when you find out what they’re really like. There are a few people I’ve met on my travels who are disappointingly different off stage to what they are when they’re on it. But this was definitely not the case with Rodney and Adonica. They really are a genuine case of ‘what you see is what you get’. They clearly love Jesus, are in pursuit of revival – and they have an infectious passion to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ. Their ‘Great Awakening tour’ has seen nearly 1 million Americans come to personal faith in Christ.

We’re already making plans to return to America next year for a significant period of time. America is such an amazing country – and I’m convinced God has not finished with this great nation. God Bless America.

The passing of a Hero

I'm in America at present having an awesome time. I'll blog on this later. Meanwhile, I've just received news of the passing of a true hero of the faith. John Wildrianne was a tireless promoter of missions as well as a prolific trainer of missionaries - particularly through the IBTI (International Bible Training Institute). My involvment with IBTI goes back around 5 years when John came to see me and asked me to lecture on contemporary evangelism at the college. I'd really enjoyed getting to know him over these last few years - always looking forward to spending time with John and his wonderful wife Doreen during my teaching stints. John was 77 years old and died peacefully in his sleep. Thank God for a man who made a difference.

Weekend in Ireland

I spent the weekend speaking at a fantastic church in Newbridge, just outside Dublin. PJ and Liz Booth planted Open Arms Community Church around 10 years ago with just 4 people - and today, the congregation is in the hundreds. Over the past two nights, over 70 people made commitments. Last night at the healing outreach event, over 80% of people in attendence were TOTALLY UNCHURCHED - many of them responding . This is fantastic. I really am delighted to see this happening in Ireland - and as John Wesley once said, 'the best is yet to be'.

It's so refreshing being back in Ireland - the people really are full of personality, wit and charm. Whats really encouraging about the church is the amount of young people involved. Their sincerity and passion are inspirational and I'm looking forward to hearing stories of how God will use their lives to make a difference both in Ireland and beyond.

Over the weekend, there were some outstanding healing stories too!

It's America next. Looking forward to travelling over tonight.

Aston, Birmingham

Spoke last at Mount Zion Community Church, Aston, Birmingham. I’ve been ministering there once a month for the past three months. The church is led by my friend Ps Calvin Young. He’s currently the deputy chairman of the British council of black led churches and a significant community voice in Aston and the Birmingham area. When Charlene Ellis and Letitia Shakespeare were tragically gunned down as innocent victims of the cross fire during a gang war on New Years day 2003, Calvin was massively involved in rallying the community and providing powerful leadership.

In 2007, the church moved into their new building – a fantastic complex including an 800 seat auditorium that is often filled to capacity for their services. I feel excited at what is doing in this great church. There is an atmosphere of expectancy for miracles – exactly the kind of place I like to be in!

Revival in the Welsh Valleys

Over 100 years ago, Wales experienced revival. The problem is, there has been a tendency among many Christians to merely live off it's legacy ever since. However, on my visits to Wales over the past few years, I've noticed something very significant. A new generation is rising up. They are hungry to see God do something TODAY. They're unimpressed with religion and hate pretense. They're not sentimental either. They actually believe the best miracles are yet to be seen. And I really like them.

I was honoured to speak at the Tab Life Church in Pontlanfraith (a town in the South Wales Valleys) - and what a weekend of signs and wonders we had! Sarah and Graham Trinder (leaders) are an amazing couple, passionately in love with Jesus and truly full of the Holy Spirit. Sarah has an incredible anointing on her life to release the miraculous, which I'm convinced God is raising up to have a huge impact in the valleys and beyond. Carl Hickling is the youth pastor in the church - but he's more than that. This guy is a revivalist who is inspiring many to dream of a fresh revival today. With people like this around - Wales had better watch out!!

I really love Wales - and I genuinely believe that revival is coming, specifically in the valleys. I'm delighted to be returning there soon for a significant outreach. More details later...

Meeting with church leaders from Rotherham

Spent some time with church leaders from Rotherham this morning in prep. for our healing outreach event coming up in June (5-7). There's a real good sense of unity among these guys who represent churches from a wide spectrum of denominations. I was honoured to minister and pray for each of them - and there was a rich flow of prophecy. I'm believing for a spark to ignite that town with revival.