The King's Church International Audio Podcast King's Church International

God has great plans for young people. Christianity has certainly accelerated when the Holy Spirit was poured out on many young people.  
 
Peter said in Acts 2:17, “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.” All through history young people have been key to spiritual revolutions in their generation (e.g. the story of Billy Graham; the ‘Jesus Revolution’ film).  
 
In China, they are experiencing perhaps the greatest growth in the Christian faith. According to a recent estimate, more than half of China's one billion population are under 20. China is a nation of young people, so it is not surprising that the house churches have a preponderance of people in their 20's and 30's. Some sources estimate over 72,000 people a day are being converted in China. 
  
Across the world there are indications of a significant move of the Holy Spirit in our generation. In the UK the time is ripe for many young people to discover the new life and hope that Jesus promised. A BBC news report suggested nearly three-quarters of young Brits identify as having no religion.  
  
So how can today’s generation of young people both inside and outside of the church receive a spiritual awakening? We can find some answers by considering a dramatic story recorded in Acts 20.  
  
After leaving the great city of Ephesus where the gospel made a big impact, the apostle Paul and his companions had travelled in Greece and modern-day Turkey, encouraging many people. Then they came to a place called Troas, a Greek port city, where one young man called Eutychus, probably aged between 8 and 14, was saved from what could have been a tragic and early end to his life (Acts 20:7-11). 

The great apostle Paul was preaching on a short visit where crowds came in to hear him. He had so much to share and, as Luke writes, he talked on and on! The young Eutychus became very sleepy and fell out of an upstairs window to his death. Panic arose, but the Apostle Paul did not worry, he knew that this was not the end for this young man. And the difficult situations that many young people find themselves in today are not terminal either. God has a great love and purpose for each young person and is ready to bring a great spiritual awakening to this generation of young people. Let’s look at some lessons here: 
 
1. Young people are often in great danger (Acts 20:8-9; 1 Peter 5:8 MSG; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6) 
2. Young people need to be brought back to life (Acts 20:9-10) 
3. Young people need to be looked after by the family of God (Acts 20:11-12) 
 
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1. Young people are often in great danger. Your surroundings can make you spiritually sleepy (Acts 20:8-9). Most likely the combination of heat from the candles and the people crowded into an upstairs room, created an atmosphere to make you feel drowsy. Today the constant bombardment of sexual images, bad language, rebelliousness, peer pressure, anti-Christian media bias can slowly cause you to go to sleep. You may be in a more dangerous position than you imagine (Acts 20:9) Eutychus was in the room with everyone else hearing great teaching. Eutychus was in the right place, right? He was present in this church meeting, but he wasn’t completely in the room, he was sat on the edge of a window. The edge is a dangerous place to be, in this instance practically and physically. But when we read the Word, we see that God doesn’t want us to be half in and half out. Unhealthy influences and relationships, a love for self, materialism, stubbornness: These are just a few areas where we can find ourselves not sitting where God wants us to be. We have to be aware there is a great spiritual battle for every life (1 Peter 5:8 MSG; 1 Corinthians 16:13). Are you spiritually on guard? Are you aware of where you are positioned right now? If you want to experience the move into

History has witnessed many amazing moments of change. Yet there have been no events, no discoveries and no inventions that have had more impact on the world than what happened on that first Easter in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. 
  
For the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ shifted forever the world’s moral and spiritual axis and opened a whole new age of freedom and hope. The darkness of Good Friday was replaced by the bright new dawn of Easter Sunday. Sadness was replaced by joy. Life had conquered death. 
 
The big truth of Christianity is that Jesus certainly was dead but that he didn’t stay dead (Matthew 28:5-6). In other words, the Easter story is fact not fiction (see: Lee Strobel, ‘The Case for Christ’). 
 
The most compelling reasons for belief, however, are so often not through intellectual arguments, but by seeing the power of Christ at work in real people which literally billions of people have experienced. Easter changes everything and can give us all new life. 
 
1. Easter changes our past (1 Corinthians 15:14-22; Matthew 27:51; Romans 5:7-8; 1 John 4:10; Ephesians 1:7; Isaiah 53:4-5; Psalm 34:18) 
2. Easter changes our present (Matthew 28:20; John 20:25; John 20:29; Luke 24:13-16,32) 
3. Easter changes everything about our future (Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:18; Revelation 1:17-18; John 11:25-26; John 14:19) 
 
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1. Easter changes our past. The great writer CS Lewis, in his parable the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, said that when the lion Aslan, representing Christ died, death started ‘working backward.’ In other words, God can reverse our history and cause us to be justified with God ‘just as if I’d never sinned.’ Through the shedding of the pure blood of Jesus and His resurrection, our hearts can be cleansed from past sins and healed from past hurts. We can be forgiven for past sins (1 Corinthians 15:14-22). When Jesus died, He made possible access to God which had previously been impossible. The 90-foot-high thick curtain blocking access to the most Holy Place in Jerusalem’s temple was miraculously ripped in two from top to bottom symbolising the removal of the barrier between a Holy God and sinful humanity (Matthew 27:51). At the Cross Jesus Christ paid the full price of sin and made a way for repentant former sinners to come into fellowship with a holy God (Hebrews 10:19-22). Jesus took on Himself the punishment due for our sins (Romans 5:7-8; 1 John 4:10; Ephesians 1:7). Because of God’s grace and love for every person, Jesus made it possible for us to be totally forgiven. The good news of Easter is that whatever sins you have committed, whatever mistakes you have made, you can be forgiven by God for every sin and washed clean and made a new person from the inside out. Your past will no longer define you. You can be made new in Christ. You can also be healed from past griefs (Isaiah 53:4-5). On the cross Jesus bore our sorrows as well as our sins and He wants to carry yours and comfort you (Psalm 34:18). Today give your grief to God and open your heart to receive His healing. You do not have to live any longer with the pain of your past.  
 
2. Easter changes our present. The big shock for the first disciples was that Jesus was no longer dead. They were not alone as they had imagined. Jesus was with them, and He promises to be with us (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is with us despite our failures. Peter was full of guilt for how he had panicked and denied the Lord. But he found that the Lord was looking out for him. In Galilee Jesus had breakfast with Peter and recommissioned him to be one of the great leaders of the first century church. Jesus is with us when we doubt. Thomas wasn’t there where Jesus first appeared to his fellow disciples, and he was cynical about their report (John 20:25). But his doubts disappeared when Jesus appeared before him and invited Thomas to see for himself that He was real (John 20:29). Jesus is with us when we don’t reali

One of the most difficult and significant decisions that you will ever need to make in your life is the decision to fully surrender control of your life to God. For when you stop struggling to be in control of every detail of your life, your family and future, you will discover that God’s plans are far better than any of your plans and that His ways are higher than your ways.  
  
Many times in the Bible we see that great breakthroughs and blessings come when people decide to stop fighting on their own and let God take charge of every challenge and every crisis (e.g. Esther 4:16; Luke 22:42). 
 
As we conclude our series on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we see it was only when Jacob finally gave up what was most precious to him that he unlocked great and wonderful blessings for himself and for all his family. As we have already learned in our series on God of each generation, Jacob was a man who liked to be in control. And if he wasn’t in control, he would do whatever he could to be the boss of his own destiny, even if that meant deceiving his brother, his father-in-law and his ageing father.  
  
Important as it is for us to decide to take responsibility for our lives, ultimately we are not the masters of our fate. However much you may consider yourself a self-made man or woman, there are experiences and events that are beyond your control. 
  
Jacob experienced one such moment when his brother who had vowed to kill him for deceiving him, was heading his way with 400 men. This was why Jacob had his night of prayer and wrestling with God. But despite the blessing he received in that encounter, and the powerful promises that God had given him in a dream, there was still one area of his life that he wanted to keep control of. And it is to this part of Jacob’s life that we now turn to learn some important lessons about letting go to let God have full control of your life.  
 
1. Jacob found it so hard to let go (Genesis 42:33-38; Genesis 29:20)  
2. Jacob finally decided to let go (Genesis 43:14) 
3. Jacob was stunned by God’s blessings when he let go (Genesis 39-45; Genesis 45:25-28; Romans 8:28) 
 
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1. Jacob found it so hard to let go. Jacob’s family had been saved from starving when 10 of his 12 sons went to Egypt to buy grain. They had personally met with the powerful ruler who controlled all the food supplies, but he questioned them about their family and accused them of spying. When they returned to Jacob, they told their father how harsh he had been with them (Genesis 42:33-36). Jacob’s reaction to this news was immediately negative. No matter what this powerful figure in Egypt was saying, this was a total no go area for Jacob. Jacob was blaming his sons for Simeon being kept as a hostage in Egypt and for the loss of his favourite son Joseph who they had led him to believe had been killed by a wild animal. And now they wanted him to let go of his second favourite son, Joseph’s younger brother Benjamin. In all Jacob had 12 sons through four different mothers, but it was the two who were born to him and his wife Rachel that were closest to his heart (Genesis 29:20). Joseph and Benjamin were results of Jacob’s love for Rachel but tragically she died giving birth to Benjamin and Jacob was devastated. Benjamin was the last surviving link to his lovely Rachel and an enduring comfort after losing Joseph. He had loved and lost Rachel. He had loved and lost Joseph. He did not intend to lose his last surviving great love, Benjamin (Genesis 42:38). Jacob struggled so much to let go. And maybe you do too. So, what or who do you find it is so hard to let go of? Is it a child, a parent, a loved one you have lost? Is it the pain of grief? Is it anger at the way you have been treated? Is it a grudge, a resentment, an argument? Is it an image and reputation? Is it money, comfort, a hobby, a sport, a friendship? What are you holding on to deep in your heart? You must not hold on if you want to b

Do you ever feel lonely? Do you sometimes think that your problems and pressures are about to overwhelm you? Do you ever wonder where God is? There is good news for you: God is much closer than you know. 
 
As we continue our inspirational series on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we see it has much relevance for us today. Genesis is an action packed book full of stories about a God who is good, faithful and wants to bless you, your family and every generation. Maybe you especially need to hear today that God loves you, knows you and watches over you.  
 
In Genesis 28, after Jacob received the blessing from his father Isaac, he went from Beersheba to Harran (southeastern Turkey, near Syria today). As night fell, he rested using a stone for a pillow, and had an amazing dream of a stairway rooted on earth with its top touching heaven, with angels going up and down. Above it, the Lord appeared, reiterating the covenantal promises made to Abraham and Isaac, now extending them to Jacob and his descendants. God promised the land on which Jacob was lying, numerous descendants, blessings for all earth’s peoples through him, and divine presence and protection.  
 
When he awoke, Jacob called the place "the house of God" and "the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:16-17). He took the stone he slept on and set it up as an altar, anointing it with oil, and naming the place Bethel. Jacob then committed himself to God, promising that the Lord would be his God and he would give a tenth of everything he received back to Him. This story not only marks a pivotal moment in Jacob's personal spiritual journey but also in the unfolding narrative of God's covenant with His people.  
 
Today, God is much closer than you know. He is near, even when you are not aware of it (Matthew 4:17). We see: 
  
1. God wants to speak to you while you rest (Genesis 28:10-11; Exodus 3:4; Psalm 30:5; Psalm 34:18; Matthew 11:29; Psalms 46:10) 
2. God wants to give you a dream (Genesis 28:12-15; Matthew 6:10; Romans 8:31)  
3. God wants you to experience amazing grace (Genesis 28:16-22; Psalm 18:2; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Mark 12:30-31) 
 
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1. God wants to speak to you while you rest (Genesis 28:10-11). Many times we are looking ahead to the future, busy with the daily reality of our lives. Jacob certainly had a lot of drama going on. He’d just received the blessing and promise from his father in questionable circumstances, he’d seriously fallen out with his brother, he’s leaving his home and is on a mission to find a wife. But it is on this journey in the wilderness, at night, when he’s trying to rest in a hard place that God chooses to speak to him. God speaks to us when we simply rest. He speaks to us when we are quiet in ourselves. He speaks in the wilderness seasons (Genesis 28:10). God speaks to Jacob when he is out on his own in the middle of nowhere! It was when he was on his own that he came to know how close God was. This is so often the time we discover that God is with us in a powerful way. This was also Moses’ experience, 40 years in the desert when God appeared to him through the burning bush (Exodus 3:4). The wilderness is the place of preparation. It is the place of character formation. It’s the place where we grow in humility and come to truly recognise our need of God, learning to rely on Him. Maybe you’re not seeing everything you want to see in your life right now. Maybe you haven’t achieved the goals you want to achieve. Maybe you’re not where you thought you’d be. Well good news, you’re in the right place for God to speak to you in a powerful way! He speaks in the dark times (Genesis 28:11). When did God speak to him? It was night. God was close to him in the darkness. We can all go through dark times in life. There can be times in life that are intimidating, where you can’t see the way forward. You can experience fear, heaviness and maybe even depression. But

In our series on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we see how God had a great plan for every generation. He made promises of limitless multiplication and of the land of Israel to the Jewish people.
But each generation had to learn how to take hold of their blessing. The third generation, Jacob, also had to press through to receive his blessing. 
 
God warns against praying with vain repetition, saying the words but they’re not from the heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Jacob was a man who got God’s attention with a breakthrough prayer and in doing so got his life, family and future back on track (Genesis 32:24-28). 
 
This is a message of hope for you and for your family. You might be ‘on the run’ from God, ducking and diving, putting on a brave face to cover your desperation or wondering if there’s a future for you. Well God has not forgotten you. God loves you, He still has a plan for your life, and He wants to introduce you to the new life He has for you, just like He did for Jacob. Jacob didn’t assume God’s blessing on his life was automatic. To receive his blessing, we see some key points from Jacob’s life: 
  
1. Jacob had to be brought to a place of desperation (Genesis 25:22-23; Genesis 5:24; Genesis 25:29-33; Genesis 27; Genesis 31; Genesis 32:7-8; Ephesians 2:8) 
2. Jacob had to cry out in his desperation (Psalm 34:17; Genesis 32:24; Psalm 145:19) 
3. Jacob had to push through (Genesis 32:25-28) 
4. Jacob was changed forever (Genesis 32:27-32) 
 
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1. Jacob had to be brought to a place of desperation. Jacob had a past that had caught up with him. He had been a deceiver and he had been deceived. After a long time of barrenness, his mother Rebekah became pregnant with twins (Genesis 25:22-23).
Being born first meant that Esau was entitled to the birthright - the inheritance, wealth and blessings from his father. The name Jacob means deceiver/supplanted/heel grabber (be careful how you name your children!) - and Jacob went on to live up to this name (Genesis 5:24). To get ahead of his older brother, Jacob tricked Esau into selling him his birthright (Genesis 25:29-33). Then, when his father Isaac was at his life’s end, he wanted to bless his firstborn son, but Jacob and his mother plotted to steal the blessing from Esau. Jacob successfully conned his father into giving him Esau’s blessing, which enraged Esau (Genesis 27). Jacob had become a deceiver and got what he wanted. But sure enough, when he was forced to leave the family home, he began to reap what he had sown. Whilst working for his uncle Laban, Jacob was deceived into marrying the wrong woman after a 7 year wait, and then had to work another 7 years to get the wife he had been promised (Genesis 29). Additionally, his uncle Laban changed his wages 10 times (Genesis 31). It was at this time he decided to return to his father’s household and face up to his past that was catching up with him. So Jacob sent a message to his brother along with some gifts to pacify him.

The message came back to him that Esau was on his way to meet him with 400 men, and Jacob was terrified. Desperation brings us to a place where we acknowledge our deep need for the Lord. For Jacob that was after his brother had vowed to kill him, forcing him to run for his life. Trouble drives us to our knees (Genesis 32:7-8). Jacob prepared for the worst and tried to put things right by sending gifts ahead of himself. Spiritual death comes when we think we have everything under control. When you are brought to a place of desperation, you realise your breakthrough isn’t going to come from your own efforts. You realise that something bigger than you is needed. God is not looking for our performance, He’s looking for our surrender, our admission that we’re undone without Him. Jacob had to come to a new humility. God is not out to humiliate us, but to bring us to reality so that He can give us a brand new life (Ephesians 2:8). What matters in your crisis i

Times of purification and prayer amongst the people of God are how every Christian movement of revival and restoration has begun. This is also an essential process if we seriously want to see great change in our lives, our families and in our nations, and indeed if we are focussed on seeing a Great Harvest of people turning to Christ. 
  
As we have already discovered in our current series on the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God wants to bless every generation. 
  
He greatly blessed Abraham, with a long-promised son, with great wealth and promises of limitless descendants. He also blessed Isaac in so many ways and He would later greatly bless Jacob and his descendants. But to keep the blessing flowing, there were obstacles to overcome, as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all discovered. 
  
Genesis 26:18 talks of how Isaac unblocked his blessings, saying: ‘Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.’ 
  
Isaac was in big trouble. In a time of famine, he had gone to the land of the Philistines and God has blessed him greatly - so much so that locals became envious, and he had to move on. He did so - to Gerar, approximately 11 miles southeast of Gaza. 
  
But he and his family had a very urgent need - not of land but of water. Wells that you could access water from were essential to their survival and prosperity. This is something our brothers and sisters in Burkina Faso also know which is why we have supported different projects over the years to sink wells in the world’s third poorest country. 
 
A well represents life, blocking up a well represents death. Now just as access to natural water is of the highest importance, so too the spiritual water of the Holy Spirit is vital to the health and growth of the Christian church. 
  
As Christians we constantly need the streams of living water (the Holy Spirit, the life giver) that Jesus promised (John 7:38). Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we will remain thirsty and fruitless. As individuals and churches, we need to always remove anything that would block us from finding water from God. 
  
This passage is very relevant to where we are today in the Christian church in the U.K and other nations as well as to many of us are personally. We see some key points: 
  
1. Generations that have gone before us have dug life giving wells (Hebrews 12:1-3) 
2. Enemies have blocked up the wells of a previous generation (Matthew 13:24-43)  
3. Each generation needs to unblock old wells (Jeremiah 29:13; Hebrews 11:6; Isaiah 12:3) 
 
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1. Generations that have gone before us have dug life giving wells. Father Abraham had dug wells. Isaac had no need to re-invent the wheel, to dig fresh wells. Excellent wells had already been dug. In one sense much of the hard work had been done. Others had been this way before him. His father had learnt how to sink wells. Today we need to realise much ground has already been won. Battles for biblical truth, for political freedom of worship, for recognition of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. A century ago Pentecostal Christians were ridiculed for their emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Now today Spirit filled Christians and churches are at the forefront of global Christianity. For sure many great men and women of God gone before us: 
- John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, William Wilberforce, William and Catherine Booth, Corrie Ten Boom, Billy Graham…The list is endless: 
- Gladys Alyward, the pioneer missionary to China, Smith Wiggleworth, the Bradford plumber, Teddy Hodgson, who was martyred in Congo and our own pioneer founder, W.T.H. ‘Billy’ Richards. 
  
They have shown the way forward by faith, vision and action. In one sense they knew how to sink wells, they knew what worked, they knew how to tap into the blessing of God. We are part of