JUNE 2017
ISSUE 23
K I NGFI S H E R FAMILY Great trials, great triumphs “Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” So said Smith Wigglesworth, the early 20th century Pentecostal preacher. And how true this is! While to the outside, casual observer the answers to prayer and the moves forward we have experienced this year might seem to be one ‘easy’ blessing after another, those of us who have been involved in the events of the past few months know the truth - the breakthroughs, blessings, testimonies and triumphs have come as the result of great fights, great tests and great trials. As we look around the world, we can rejoice in the launch of the Dumagat Education Project, a scheme to support the education of children from the Dumagat tribe in the Philippines; we can rejoice at Treasure Seekers winning the Small Business of the Year (voluntary sector) award in the South West; we can rejoice that 38 people were baptised and a further 38 were dedicated in a single service in the Philippines; we can rejoice at the new ceiling and air conditioning that is now in place in our building in the UK. God is truly blessing us as a Family as we take faith steps forward. However, as many people have pointed out in the past, faith should really be spelled R-I-S-K. Every step we take as a Family is risky. Every step causes us to ask the question, ‘Do I truly trust Jesus Christ as I find myself out of my depth and feeling fearful about what now lies before me?’
The new ceiling in the church in the UK came only after the struggle of finding asbestos after the old ceiling began to be demolished. Suddenly we were confronted with the question: ‘Where do we now put the more than one thousand people who come to this building each week?’ How can Jesus possibly find a solution for that - and yet, He did!
His promises are backed by all the honour of His name!
step out and take the risk, believing that He can bring about the seemingly-impossible. Great tests produce great testimonies! As we look ahead to the second half of this year, we need to be prepared for greater fights, greater tests, greater trials. Why? Because they precede greater faith, greater testimonies, greater triumphs! As I say in my book, ‘The God of Promise’, which is published this month,
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place The cost of the Regeneration shall never be with those cold and project has so far come in at timid souls who neither know victory around £60,000. How could He nor defeat. (Theodore Roosevelt, taken possibly cause that amount of from his speech, ’Citizenship in a money to be found to fund a project of that size - and yet He did! Republic’) So take heart! In this edition of the The new worship album, Begin Kingfisher Family newsletter you Again, launched on Easter Sunday will see abundant evidence of great has touched the hearts of so many already. How could such a beautiful faith, great testimonies and great triumphs. All of them have come by and powerful album be produced, the grace of God because His not by a high-profile, well-funded people have chosen to trust Him, to church, but by us? And yet, it was! not shrink back but to step All of these victories and many forward, believing that He is the more this year have come about God of Promise and that His because God’s hand of blessing has promises are backed by ALL THE connected with our willingness to HONOUR OF HIS NAME!