David Hathaway

“Rejoice in the Lord always, rejoice! Let your moderation be known to all men – the Lord is coming! Be careful, anxious, for nothing! But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” There is something very deep here; in the Spirit I sense is that we, as labourers in the Gospel should not be overly concerned about material issues. Instead, in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we should let our requests be made known to God. After all, it is God who supplies, and we should not look to men first, but trust God. When we do, v7 is fulfilled in our lives, “The peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” You know, when we trust God, it’s an implicit trust in Him and it brings peace! 

As I was preparing my Christmas TV broadcast, I saw something different! We are all so familiar with the Christmas prophecy, Isaiah 9:6, ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...’ But Solomon in 2 Chron. 6:18, at the dedication of the new temple asks, ‘But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…!’ Yet Jesus did come, Emmanuel, ‘God with us’ and now today even more so because Christ dwells not just with us but in us after we are ‘born again’. Our bodies should be the Temple of the Holy Spirit today!

“Therefore,” the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:1, “my brethren whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, STAND FAST in the Lord!” This question of ‘standing fast’ is a reminder that despite our weaknesses, we must remain true to our faith. I’ve been working in the former Soviet Union for more than 60 years, 30 under communism and 30 since the freedom. I found that, in those days under communism, under persecution, the Underground Church remained ‘purer’ than the Church in the West, because they ‘HELD FAST’ to what they had – just as Christ said to the overcoming Church in Revelation 2:25, “HOLD FAST to what you have till I come.” 

Our hope is built on the Resurrection. We need to forget the past, our new life is in Christ. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. The Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians said, "I want to know Christ. Yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that, for which, Christ Jesus took hold of me."  

We are baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. We are saved by faith that God has accepted the sacrificial death of His Son, on the cross. He died in our place, for our sin. This makes everything else not just valueless, but totally invalid. The desire of Paul’s heart now is that he might KNOW CHRIST! Remember, when Jesus was alive on earth, Paul didn’t know Him in any personal sense. His only knowledge or consciousness of Him was his own religious hostility to Him. Now his whole desire is to sweep away all this religiousness – whether Jewish Law, or today our traditions and customs, our religious churchianity, whatever denomination we are – all of that is worthless – so that we might KNOW HIM! Paul’s desire is to KNOW CHRIST and the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION. To know Him and the Power of His Resurrection means that we ourselves, by faith in Christ, have passed from death to life! That’s why Scripture says we must be born again, from above. The old life – DEAD! That’s the symbolism of water baptis

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord!” This is what Paul says in Philippians 3:1. But we’re living in an age in which nations are torn apart! Only this summer, British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss had to resign, the German Chancellor, the French and the American Presidents are unpopular – worldwide unrest – there is a turmoil, a disturbing uncertainty in every aspect of national and international life, much, but not all, as a result first of Covid, then the war in Ukraine. But it’s deeper than that. There’s a lack of leadership and morality in the so-called free world – we have uncertainty in politics, in economics, in all our social systems. We need to look for answers in Scripture.  I found it is so interesting when I read, ‘rejoice in the Lord’! He is the only one, the only thing in whom and in which we can rejoice. Paul adds, “To write the same things to you – rejoice – is not grievous for me, but safe for you.” In his epistles, Paul’s laying down strong principles for the life of the

'For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.' Paul is saying, we have to keep ourselves blameless and harmless in the midst of the perversity and sin of the world. “Shine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of Life, so that I may rejoice in the Day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain – though I be offered on the sacrifice of service for your faith.” Paul gave his life to preach the Gospel. Come on! The message we preach is the Word of Life! Life in Christ!

In our praying to God the Father, we pray through Jesus – He is the Intercessor. He lives to make intercession for us. None of us is perfect. I’m not perfect. We all fail. It’s because of our imperfection that Jesus is the Intercessor – He paid the price for our sin! He bought our forgiveness. Therefore our Salvation is through Jesus. God the Father forgives us, helps us and blesses us – through His Son Jesus! Jesus is pleading, “I died for these people. I love these people. I lived with them. Forgive them and give them Eternal Life!” He is our Mediator. If we want access to God, we come through the Mediator, Jesus. So often, if you need to approach people – and I have to approach government and heads of denominations – you usually first come through another person who acts as an intermediary, a mediator who makes it possible. Our access to God is ONLY through Christ, there is no other way. You can’t go through ‘saints’, you can’t go through Mary – read the Scripture, it’s absolutely clear – our approach can

The whole world is in crisis. Only prayer-based evangelism can save Britain and the world. Time is short – we need real urgent prayer. As I prepare this newsletter, I’m about to leave for ministry in Georgia where I will be from November 14th to 21st for three days’ evangelism in the National Indoor Basketball Stadium, TV interviews and ministry in a supporting church.

God has given Jesus a Name above every other name, so high, that at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, of things in Heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, yes, in hell. The Name of Jesus is so central to our faith, to our ministry. ALL Power and Authority is in His Name. We don’t pray to saints, they’re asleep in Christ, awaiting the bodily resurrection. We don’t pray to Mary, she’s also waiting for the resurrection like the rest of us, including my parents and my wife – all are still waiting for the resurrection!

The Name of Jesus is higher, greater, than any person. He has all power, all authority. People can choose now to commit their lives to Jesus as Lord or be forced to acknowledge Him at the judgment seat of Christ. The power we as believers have in the Gospel, is the power in the Name of Jesus.  When we pray for the sick and they are healed, it is because of the power and authority in the Name of Jesus. No ritual, no religious ceremony, can equal the authority of Jesus Name. We all need to be reminded of the power and authority in the Name of Jesus. 

There is no life without hardship, pain, and conflict. But we do not need to be frightened or terrified. One person with God is always in a majority. Our lives are in God’s Hands. We’re not weak, we’re not defeated. If God is with us, we are always on the victory side. Paul commands in Philippians 1:28, “In nothing be terrified by your adversaries!” I have had to learn this over the years. However extreme the circumstances, I have such a sense of comfort, consolation, joy and peace in Christ. My confidence, my trust is in Him. I believe every hardship was allowed in order to fulfil a greater purpose. 

Christ should be magnified in our lives; He must be glorified in our speech, and also, in the very circumstances in which we find ourselves. When you are in hardship, sickness and distress, our prayer should be that Christ be magnified. I echo that very strongly. When I was in prison in 1972-3, I was praying, seeking that God would work a miracle through my release so great, He would be glorified by the very evidence. Prime Minister Harold Wilson came to rescue me; it was headline news and brought tremendous Glory to God because it opened doors to the Gospel all over the world – people wanting to know my phenomenal testimony. 'For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain' (Philippians 1:19-21). 

All things work together for our good. I want to pick up on Philippians 1:12, because here Paul says, “I want you to understand that the things which have happened to me – Paul is in prison – have happened in order to further the Gospel of Christ, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in the palace and in all other places.” What a statement! Paul is declaring here that all the things that have happened in his life – even the bad – have happened in order to demonstrate and further the Gospel. I haven’t had an easy life. I haven’t suffered unto death, but I’ve had cancer twice. Putting God’s Word to the test on both occasions, I was determined to prove the Authority and Power of His Word. I stood firm by faith and refused any medication. And God totally healed me. The fact that I am still full of life and energy is the evidence!

The Holy Spirit lives in us enabling us to be more like Christ. In Philippians 1:6, the Apostle Paul writes, 'And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.' God's work for us began when Christ died on the cross. His work within us began when we first believed in Him. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ. In Philippians 2:13, Paul says, 'For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.' 

If you want power with God, it begins with your faith, your confidence, your trust, in God's ability to do what He says. Hebrews 11 describes the phenomenal power of faith which made these people in the Old Testament so strong, that they were able to overcome EVERYTHING! They saw something more than this life. Like Moses, who chose to suffer for God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.  They could do this because their faith, was a faith in the impossible. And because it was faith in a future Kingdom. With Abraham, it was the promise that he would be the father of a great nation, and out of Abraham, would come the whole Hebrew nation. But he himself, never saw the fulfilment of the vision. But he lived, and died, in faith, believing that God would fulfil His Promise. I am already living in the anticipation of what is to come, of what will come IN THE KINGDOM. No sacrifice is too great. If we just enjoyed the pleasures of this world, that’s nothing compared to what God will give us in the future.

‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’. Faith is confidence and trust. It is the assurance that what we believe will actually happen. One Bible translation states, 'Faith comprehends as fact, what cannot be experienced by the physical senses.' In Hebrews 11:3 we read, ‘Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things that are seen were not made of things which do appear.’ We believe in the Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth. Throughout Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments, He is always known as the Creator. Many scientists try to justify evolution by seeking to find that ‘something’, which sparked life. They ‘believe’ that if they can find oxygen, or water, on distant planets, they will find the origin of life. But the Bible is clear, the origin of life starts with the Word of God. God created, by speaking life into existence. 

I truly believe God’s timing is perfect. For some years I have been saying that the next mission field is Central Asia – now God is confirming it. Our work in Ukraine continues despite – and because of – the war.

Faith is confidence, and confidence is trust. The Apostle Paul taught in Hebrews 10 v35, 'Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.' You have faith in someone, when you have confidence in them. You trust a person, because you have faith in them. The challenge to all of us is, don't throw away your confidence. Or to put it another way, do not throw away your faith. Faith is a gift. It comes from God. Because our faith is in Him. But our responsibility is to not loose that faith, that confidence. Faith brings a reward. By verse 28, of chapter 10, the Apostle Paul concludes, 'the Just shall live by faith'.

‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’ (James 5:16.) Powerful prayer works! The original Greek of the Bible often uses a special word for power: dunamis – it signifies miraculous, wonder-working power. From it we get the words dynamo (which generates power), and dynamite (the explosive). If you want prayer to work, to change your circumstances, then it must generate power. And it has to be like dynamite. If you put an ordinary explosive against a wall, its energy disperses into space. But dynamite does not dissipate its energy – it pushes the wall down! That’s what our prayer must be like. It’s got to move mountains! We must learn how to talk to God, until our praying will move every mountain, every obstruction, everything that stands between us and the fulfilment of God’s promises.