The recent move of the Spirit began on Wednesday night 10th April 2013 at approximately 7.35pm. At that specific time, Pastor Richard was praying for an older man in the congregation called Paul who ten years before had been involved in a serious car accident which left him crippled and in a wheelchair, unable to walk. Richard had just finished speaking from the book of Esther, and invited the people to bring their own Haman to the king's feast, in other words, their own particular problem or need. For Paul, that was his disability. As Richard prayed for him, Paul found he was able to move his legs. He then tried to stand and found he could. The next thing that happened, as the truth of what God was doing dawned on him, was that he lifted the heavy weelchair triumphantly above his head to demonstrate he was healed. The church erupted as he then set off to run around the building without any sign of limitation. Faith was ignited in the people, and in the praise that followed several other people found themselves spontaneously receiving wholeness without anyone laying hands on them.
One woman who had suffered from a frozen shoulder and was unable to lift her arm above the horizontal found she could lift it right up into the air. When the people saw and heard about what had happened, they erupted again. Suddenly, as Richard's PA Cerian explained to me, everyone who was there realised that everything was possible with God. Others with drug and alcohol addictions were powerfully touched by God and many were set completely free; and the leaders of the church were fired with fresh passion and desire to see God do more.
In a brief review meeting of leaders afterwards, it was suggested that it would be good to continue to meet with God rather than wait until the Sunday gathering or the next scheduled Encounter meeting the following week. Recognising that God was powerully breaking in in a way beyond what they had experienced before, Pastor Richard decided that they should meet again the next day. He subsequently felt that if more people came on the Thursday than on the Wednesday, they should see it as a sign that they should continue to hold meetings each evening.
The next day, Thursday 11th, as staff arrived at the church building, there was still a thick and tangible sense of God's presence in the place. Many were deeply affected by it, some being completely overwhelmed and falling to the floor even as they entered the building. Others were unable to get on with their work. People coming to the building with problems were prayed for, and several experienced healing, while others shared testimonies of how they had been powerfully impacted and filled with joy as a result of being in the meeting the previous evening.
There were more at the meeting than the previous night, and as soon as it began, the presence of God descended on the people. Many were shaking and weeping, the presence was so strong. Richard shared on the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. Afterwards many were powerfully touched during the ministry time, and the worship went on late into the evening as the people met with God.
Shifting the stage at Victory on Tuesday afternoon
The following day also, Friday, God's presence was heavy in the church building, and many came to be prayed for by the pastors, powerfully encountering God as a result. One teenage boy fell under the anointing and spoke in tongues for the first time. In the evening meeting the worship time was very powerful, even 'heavenly', and many were overwhelmed by the Spirit as they came forward during the ministry time after Richard preached. There were many healings. One was of a woman who suffered badly from MS was reported on the church website:
One notable miracle was that of a woman who has suffered with MS and hasn’t walked since being affected. The Holy Spirit spoke to one of our pastors and he prayed with her and said, ‘when you feel you can get up, get up’ she sprang up and walked (supported) for twenty steps, her legs continued to strengthen… She was filled with amazement and believed that she was being healed… Pastors continued to pray for her for over an hour, she continually received more and more strength. One pastor reported that the ladies leg was cracking as she prayed, at the same time the lady said hot oil was running through the joints! By the end of the evening, the woman walked out of the auditorium, leaving her walking frame behind. She then sat in the foyer. God is healing her and restoring her strength. We are waiting for more update on this. In her words ‘I couldn’t stand up before, now I’m standing, and I just walked! I believe!’
Many have been giving their lives to the Lord, including an entire family of four people who were not part of the church. It seems they were led to the Lord by another family member who was a part of the church. Immediately after this had happened, even though it was after midnight, they asked if the church was still open so they could go there to meet with God.
By Saturday night 13th April, people were beginning to come from other places in the immediate area to experience what was going on. A group of Korean pastors came, and they were invited by Richard to share with the meeting. One of them explained that God had called them to come to Wales to pray for revival and to keep praying until it arrived. Another of these dear men had tried the week before to go back to Korea, but had been unable to make the trip because of visa issues. Then, on Wednesday morning 10th April, just hours before the outpouring started, he had a dream in the early hours of the morning of a brilliant shaft of light piercing the darkness of a cave. He felt at the time it was a sign to him of what God was about to do, and knew later that the outpouring that began in Cwmbran that evening was its fulfilment. He explained that he realised now that God had prevented him from going back to Korea so he could witness the outpouring for which he and his friends had been praying. He wept as he shared this. It must have been a deeply moving moment for the people of the church in Cwmbran as they heard this.
The church website account of what happened next gives something of the flavour of what is going on:
The place erupted with praise and the atmosphere was what can only be described as supercharged… God began breaking into people’s lives. Pastor Richard received a Word and called all people with mental illness forward. Many responded. Many have got in touch to say that they feel completely healed!
People flocked forward for prayer and were powerfully touched by the fire of God. Bodies were everywhere, many reported that they couldn’t walk in a straight line! But much greater than this, is that lives are being transformed.
One young man who has suffered extensively with addiction and is currently on methadone, but also has depression has stated that he is no longer depressed, God has released him from a prison in his mind.
A woman with severe knee problem for many years has received complete healing.
People continue to be filled with the fire of God. Passion for the Saviour is at a new level, people are hungering and thirsting for the presence.
After 5 hours in church, many were still on the floor, soaking in the presence of God. The worship is electric and people are constantly praising God.
Richard Taylor with the worship team
On the Sunday, the meetings took place according to the usual format, but the outpouring continued to take people deeper and deeper into God. One of the leaders, Pastor Andrew Parsons, preached on the life of Samson, emphasising the need for people to break free from religiosity. There was a deep time of repentance, and Andrew anointed each person with oil as they met with God.
The church website account recorded afterwards:
We thank Him and praise Him for His precious, precious presence. We never want to go back to church with less of Him!
That afternoon Richard and Andrew drove all the way to London with a team from the church to speak at Kensington Temple, where they reported what was going on in Cwmbran. It was a powerful time of impartation to the people of that church also. Meanwhile, in the evening meetings held on Victory church's various campuses in South East Wales, people were sharing testimonies of the impact of the outpouring on them, many being healed from physical illness, depression, and being set free from addictions and dependencies on drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The children too have been powerfully impacted:
Perhaps one of the most moving things, is hearing how God is at work in little lives. Children are being reported as going to sleep singing and praising God. One girl fell asleep singing ‘Just one touch from the King, changes everything!’ the song that has become the anthem of this revival. Many are improving in behaviour and are desperate to be in church with their mums and dads. The presence of Jesus is exciting to them.Godfey Birtill singing 'Just One Touch from the King':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46uMMT70440
Godfrey Birtill's song has already become
the outpouring's theme song
I was not able to get to the meetings at Cwmbran until yesterday, Tuesday 16th April, six days after the outpouring began. Initially, I went during the afternoon to try to speak to someone about the outpouring, and was able to hear an account of what had been going on from Cerian, Richard Taylor's PA. As she was talking with me, a group of carpenters was in the process of putting in a new stage in the middle of the long side wall of the long box-like auditorium, to replace the original one which had been at the far end ripped out that morning. Cerian explained that they were doing it because Pastor Richard wanted to get closer to the people to be able more effectively to lead the ministry times that were happening. Interestingly, this one radical shift of orientation meant that the lighting, projection and sound system were all in the wrong place at one end of the building. This sudden radical alteration meant that the meetings now depended on the presence of God utterly and completely rather than on equipment and technical expertise!
Cerian also answered some of my questions about what had been going on before the outpouring began. She explained that Pastor Richard had just returned from a visit to meet Tommy Tenney in the States. A friendship had been developing between the two leaders for some time. Pastor Richard had been encouraged to pursue the presence of God in their meetings and to experience a greater measure of the breaking in of the kingdom of God through healing. Some nine months ago, Pastor Richard had felt to pray for each member of the church, from the youngest to the oldest, laying on hands and asking for more of God in their lives. This had been followed by the starting of Encounter meetings each Wednesday night. These were specifically intended as times to draw near to God and to seek him for a greater measure of his presence and for breakthough in healing.
That evening, the foyer was packed with people waiting to be allowed into the main auditorium. I was delighted to people from Nations in Llanelli who remembered me visiting them to give a talk about Welsh revival history some weeks before, and others from Eritirea who knew good friends of mine from that nation. There were also several I knew from other churches in Cardiff. Many had travelled long distances from places in England as well.
The power of God's presence was thick and tangible from the word go in the simple, now badly lit shoe-box of an auditorium in the converted warehouse. The worship was powerful and strong, with raw Valleys energy. Many in the congregation were former drug addicts and ex-convicts, and there were loads of young people completely on fire with love for Jesus. Pastor Richard himself led some of the singing, and his praying from the start encouraged people to press in to more of God. Some of the testimonies of what God had already been doing in people's lives in the week to date were remarkable.
Pastor Richard told the story of a young guy called Matthew who suffered so badly from dyslexia that he was unable to read at all. he had been touched by God and was able to read fluently from the Bible from the platform the previous evening.
A former prison inmate who had an alcohol dependency and who had up to that point not been able to attend the church meetings without having a couple of cans first to calm himself, explained that he was now able to come to the meetings without a drink at all.
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Another who had been dependent on methodone had given up taking the drug, and was not even suffering from withdrawl symptoms.
The most remarkable story was of a young local girl who came to one of the meetings drawn by what she had heard is going on. She encountered the love of God and was completely healed and set free from the results of sexual abuse. As far as I recall the story, the next day she met a friend who she had not seen for several years who was troubled and depressed. She too had been a victim of abuse. The friend who had met with God suggested they go to a bridge by the river to talk. After sharing for a while, the friend then prayed for God to touch the depressed girl. In the next few minutes, she was healed and delivered, and gave her life to the Lord. After this, the girl who had been healed the day before felt God prompting her to sing 'Amazing Grace' over the newly saved girl. She obeyed the prompting. The girl broke down as the song was being sung over her. Afterwards she explained that the song had meant a lot to her. She then explained that that very bridge that her friend had brought her to and where she sang the song was where she had some time before tried to take her own life. The place where the enemy tried finally to extinguish her became a place of transformation and liberation for her. Her Valley of Achor became the doorway of hope. This happened this week in Cwmbran.
After hearing stories like that, you just want to praise God for what he is doing. 'If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us!' took on a new level of significance, and was sung full of faith and the belief God was going to do more of the same that evening. The sense of God's presence on the house intensified even more.
There followed a time of prayer for people with mental health issues, with about 40 people being prayed for individually by members of the leadership team, as the band led out with 'Be high and lifted up!' and Pastor Richard declared 'Sickness, take your hands of people now!'
Pastor Andrew Parsons preaching
Pastor Andrew Parsons spoke from the passage in Ezekiel 47 about the river of God flowing from the temple. There was a powerful anointing on the word, and the ministry time afterwards saw many being completely overcome by the power of God. I must admit to not really following much of what was going on after I hit the deck, apart from the band singing 'Just one touch from the King changed everything!' which somehow seemed approriate at that moment.
Towards the end it was party time with a wonderful, uninhibited and completely free outpouring of praise to God for his goodness and love, during which it was clear that a number of people were being set free from sickness and addictions.
It's now the following day, and I can't get Godfrey Birtill's song out of my head, and all I want is more of Him! So I think we will both be there tonight, to hear more stories of what God did in people's lives yesterday!
Something is definitely going on in Wales, and several other churches have reported a distinct upturn in the spiritual temperature in the recent days. We hope this will be the start of something which will spread and become still deeper in its impact in the coming weeks; but this will only happen is there is sufficient hunger and thirst for more among God's people in Wales rather than a complacent clinging to the belief that we have enough of God already.
Just in response to some stuff I already posted on Facebook about the outpouring in Cwmbran, my friend Joe James, originally from Merthyr Tydfil and now a pastor in St Louis, Missouri posted this:
'My friend was in Waitrose in England somewhere and she saw this woman putting groceries into her cart with tears running down her face and laughing. My friend asked her what was the matter and the woman said: 'My son has just been healed of leukemia. We were at a church in Cwmbran in South Wales and they prayed for him and he felt all fatigue leave him immediately. We took him to the doctors and they ran bloods, and all the cancer has gone!'
The e-mail to my friend Joe continued:
'I don't know the lady whose son was healed of Leukemia. I only met her in Waitrose yesterday. She was only up this way as she is visiting her friend for 3 or 4 days. She is from Worcester. Her son is 30 years old. He travelled from Cheltenham to the meeting in Cwmbran, after hearing from a friend about the outpouring and healings taking place.'
Awesome!!
I think there will be more to come on what is going on right now in South Wales!
Posted 18th April by David Edward Pike