The Way of Blessing: Stepping into the Mission and Presence of God

What people are saying about …

The Way of Blessing

‘Roy Godwin’s story has impacted many thousands of lives and, in The Way of Blessing, he invites us all to carry the blessing of God out into the world to transform communities’.

Pete Greig, author of Red Moon Rising and God on Mute

‘I read Roy’s first book, The Grace Outpouring, in 2011 and that book literally sparked a chain reaction of events that led to my church purchasing the iconic Bible College of Wales in Swansea and Pisgah Chapel in Loughor. So I am cautious about reading books by Roy because they will spark something prophetic in you and bring you down a path less trodden, but full of adventure. Roy’s book, The Way of Blessing, will surely encourage you to action. Be warned’.

Rev. Yang Tuck Yoong, senior pastor at Cornerstone Community Church, Singapore

‘We live in a truly tumultuous and dangerous time in the history of our world. Nations are warring against nations. Our natural reaction as Christians is that we want and need to pray. The big question is how? How should we pray for the Middle East and Africa? How do we pray into closed nations and for those who are enduring acute persecution? How do we pray for a world that is increasingly interconnected and therefore vulnerable to terrorism and environmental catastrophes? This book has been hugely instrumental in refocusing and reshaping my own prayer life, as has my personal friendship with the author. If you need help and encouragement in developing your prayer life, then look no further than The Way of Blessing’.

Eddie Lyle, president of Open Doors UK & Ireland

‘The Way of Blessing continues as a significant contribution in the exploration of what God can and does do when our focus is upon blessing: God’s blessing of us and our blessing of those with whom we come into contact. We are drawn into the lives of those who come seeking and receive blessing through their stories; we are encouraged to explore what God is doing and how we can cooperate with God’s desire to bless as part of God’s Mission purpose. This book challenges God’s Church to be places of blessing founded upon how God has blessed his Church. With its focus on praying blessing, it gives us a way in which we can enter into the Mission of God which is available to us all—young and old. This is material that I want everyone in the Diocese of Willochra to have access to’.

The Rt. Rev. John Stead, bishop of Willochra, Australia

‘Roy Godwin continues the story of God’s beautiful work in and through the community of Ffald y Brenin, as the Grace Outpouring turns to a flood of Blessing, which is impacting God’s world. In the midst of it are Roy Godwin and Daphne, ordinary self-effacing Christians who simply desire to honour and worship the living God and to throw away anything that hinders the full flow of His love, mercy, blessing, and healing. Writing rooted in the deep reality of ordinary Christian lives, and at times painfully honest, but much more significantly rooted in the reality of the Father’s profound love, to read this book is to step into the Way of Blessing. The way of God’s redemptive salvation in all its aspects, as that Blessing pours from every page. Read, be blessed, worship the Lord, and join many, many others in being a minister of God’s blessing in and through the great name of Jesus’.

Eric Kyte, vicar of St. John the Evangelist, Roslyn, New Zealand

THE WAY OF BLESSING

Published by David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance View

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,

no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form

without written permission from the publisher.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked ASV are taken from the American Standard Version. (Public Domain);

ESV

are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved;

THE MESSAGE

are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved; and

NLT

are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The author has added italics to Scripture quotations for emphasis.

LCCN 2016933803

ISBN 978-0-7814-1442-5

eISBN 978-0-7814-1433-3

© 2016 Roy Godwin

The Team: Kyle Duncan, Ian Matthews, Amy Konyndyk, Nick Lee, Susan Murdock

Cover Design: Jon Middel

Cover Photo: iStock

First Edition 2016

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

⁰⁵²⁶¹⁶

In memory of—and with thanks to—the anonymous, illiterate rural preacher who led me to the Lord.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. Here Is Love Vast as the Ocean

2. The Revelation of the Father’s Love

3. A Kingdom of Blessing

4. The Instructed Heart

5. Blessing and the Presence of God

6. In the Name of Jesus

7. Pronouncing the Blessings of God

8. How Great a Salvation

9. A Community of Blessing

10. Surprised by the Holy Spirit: An Unexpected Movement of Blessing

Share the Adventure with Us

Acknowledgements

Without the blessing of many others into my life this book could never have been written. To the growing team at Ffald y Brenin who thrill me by their passion for the Lord, their servant hearts and their amazing commitment to serving the purposes of God through Ffald y Brenin. Thank you!

To Bishop Saunders Davies who lives so richly in what he preaches and has enriched me. Thank you!

To that procession of godly men who have befriended, mentored, helped, and inspired me over the years. Thank you!

I need to thank Dave Roberts, not only for his craftsmanship in helping to shape and put my words into printable form, but also for our many discussions which have so often helped me to clarify my own thinking. Iron sharpens iron. Thank you!

And last but by no means least, to Daphne, who has once again had to put up with my absence while I have been writing, even when I have been present! Daphne, you know what I mean. Thank you!

The Way of Blessing

We seek rhythms of life that will nurture truth within us.

We are nurtured by the compassion of the Father

We believe that He has crowned us with love and compassion.

We embrace a salvation that touches every part of our lives

We believe that He is present to us now, with the power to heal, wisdom for our circumstance and with outrageous grace for our forgiveness.

We desire instructed hearts and minds

We seek rhythms of life that will nurture truth within us.

We want to be carriers of His presence

We long for the manifest presence of God to go with us.

We are forerunners of the blessing of God

We want to be those whose words nourish many.

We seek to imitate Jesus

We believe greater things are yet to come.

We believe that blessing for others us, and others, is nurtured by community

We want to be known as a people that have God with us.

Introduction

We would like to tell you a story. It’s a story of the love of God at work to forgive, heal and empower. As we have walked through this story, awestruck by the mercy of God, the work of Jesus and the miraculous work of the Spirit today, we know that God has instructed our hearts and our tongues that we might say the words that sustain, instruct, heal and bring deliverance to those we encounter. We want to share what He has taught us.

We have woven the story of the Way of Blessing using the threads of grace that we have seen at work in our lives. The picture is not really complete without all the threads. We note that the scripture often reminds us that the work of God in our lives often finds expression in diverse ways and in that diversity we find strength. God instructs our hearts, shapes our character and spurs us into action in many ways.

Those who are described as blessed in the Sermon on the Mount are hungry, pure in spirit, merciful, humble, peace-making and sympathetic. Those who know the Spirit at work in their lives will see character change that will include love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those who listen for the voice of God will receive messages of wisdom, messages of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.

You might say that where these attributes or gifts cluster together then there is fruitfulness in our lives and in the work of God in the world. The word cluster evokes another biblical image—that of a bunch of grapes. Here at Ffald y Brenin the biblical character Caleb fascinates us. He and Joshua went against the pessimistic view of their fellow spies and believed by faith that God could give them the land. They recognised the fruitfulness that could be found there and would not be swayed.

When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. (Num. 13:23)

Such was the fruitfulness that it took two men to carry it. The cluster of grapes represented the abundance that was there. We believe that where aspects of truth cluster together there is an abundance of life. Jesus came to bring abundant life (John 10:10

NKJV

). How do we take hold of that promise?

Here are some truths that have shaped us and give shape to the book you are about to read.

We Are Nurtured by the Compassion of the Father

We live in the world with the compassion of the Father as our foundation. We view the world through His eyes because of His promise:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. (Ps. 103:8,13)

We believe that He has crowned us with love and compassion.

We Embrace a Salvation That Touches Every Part of Our Lives

The salvation that Christ bought and brought is not merely for our souls; it is for every aspect of our existence. It heals the body, renews the mind and binds up the brokenhearted. We believe the promise that Jesus spoke:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4:18-19)

We believe that He is present to us now, with the power to heal, wisdom for our circumstance and with outrageous grace for our forgiveness.

We Desire Instructed Hearts and Minds

Being a person of blessing requires more from us than words spoken. God calls us to lives of blessing. Values-based discipleship nurtures every part of our being so that being a blessing can become who we are. The prophet and the psalmist hold out a promise to us.

Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight. (Ps. 119:35)

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. (Isa. 50:4)

We seek rhythms of life that will nurture truth within us.

We Want to Be Carriers of His Presence

When we stand in His presence, reminding ourselves of His character and His intent, He releases the Spirit to work afresh and anew in our lives, through our actions and in the places we inhabit it, so that we might be carriers of the Presence of God. We then proclaim the blessings of His presence. We stand on these promises:

Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8)

Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’. (John 20:21)

Heal those there who are ill and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’. (Luke 10:9)

We long for the manifest presence of God.

We Are Forerunners of the Blessing of God

We are empowered to declare the will of God for people, places and land. We are His envoys. We deliver the message on His behalf. We take hold of these commissions from God and the promises they contain:

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, "This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

‘The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace’.

So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ (Num. 6:22-27)

When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house’. (Luke 10:5)

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude 1:2)

We want to be those whose words nourish many.

We Seek to Imitate Jesus

All of us who have given our lives to Christ are mandated to imitate Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). As we reflect on His life we are provoked to believe His promise:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

We believe greater things are yet to come.

We Believe That Blessing for Others, and Us, Is Nurtured by Community

Love is more than a word. Love is an action. Love is nurtured in us in our ‘impossible communities’, our imperfect churches. These healed and healing people can bring healing to all aspects of the life of the wider community around them.

We ask God to send His promised Holy Spirit that we might:

Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Rom. 14:19)

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jer. 29:7)

We want to be known as a people that have God with us.

The Way of Blessing awaits …

Chapter 1

Here Is Love Vast as the Ocean

He glanced nervously in his mirror, worried that his friend might die at any moment. He had agreed to take her to a prayer meeting. This type of meeting was not something he was familiar with and he was concerned, and had been told by her doctors, that she might die on the way. But his quick glances in the strategically angled mirror suggested that she was coping well with the journey.

In fact she was coping much better than anybody could have imagined. He found the car park beside the church in the valley below the Ffald y Brenin Retreat Centre. When he parked the car he went round to lift her out but she informed him that she was going to walk in.