David Hathaway

What we need now is a revelation and demonstration of who God is! When I was in prison for Bible smuggling so many people wrote to me, telling me God would look after me, that I would be released at the end of my sentence… No! I have SEEN THE POWER OF GOD! So, I challenged the Lord, “If You could work a powerful miracle 2000 years ago and break open the prison doors and get Paul and Silas out, I want to SEE YOUR POWER NOW! Not just in the past, but now that I’m in difficulty, in trouble! I WANT TO SEE YOUR POWER IN MY LIFE! God not only opened my prison doors, He sent the British Prime Minister, so I came out in a blaze of publicity!!! WOW! Only because I wouldn’t give in! Get into agreement with God’s Word. Don’t accept mediocrity and failure. Claim the victory in Jesus Name!

The challenge to all of us in this pandemic is, how are we going to respond? In Deuteronomy 4.27 Moses says to Israel, "The Lord will scatter you among the nations and you will be left few in number among the heathen." He foresaw God's people would be scattered, under persecution. People will tell you Christ is going to return in a blaze of Glory and before He comes, there's going to be revival and multitudes saved… But that's not actually what the Scripture says! Scripture actually says that in the last days, many will turn away from their faith. Jesus Himself said, when the Son of Man comes back, will He even find faith on the earth? The challenge is to go out into the 'highways and byways' and to compel the rejected to come into the Kingdom!

When is God’s Power revealed the most? – When everything is going wrong! David was not a young man when he wrote Psalm 63. He was facing enormous opposition, adversity, such a struggle, such a battle, and so often alone. So he’s saying, “O God, when I’m in the dry place, when I’m thirsty, when everything around me is barren, when the enemy is raging against me, when everything is difficult – I want to see Your Power in my extremity – as I once saw it in the Sanctuary!” When we’re threatened and suffering, THEN God reveal’s His Glory through our deliverance!

We are living in extremely difficult times. Covid-19 has touched every part of the world. We have economic problems resulting from it. We’re facing unusual storms and earthquakes. To be called as Christians is not to live in isolation or in luxury. But I do believe all these are signs of the Coming of the Lord.  Psalm 63.1-2 is one of my favourite Scriptures from my teenage years. David is saying, “O God, You are my God, early will I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water – to see Your Power and Your Glory as I have seen You in the Sanctuary!”  'I behold Your Glory' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com

We have to understand the Power, the impact, that is in the Gospel we preach. That’s why Paul said, “I’m not ashamed of this Gospel!” If I weren’t living in the Power of this Gospel, if I weren’t preaching it and demonstrating it, I would be ashamed! How can you preach about something unless you really believe in it? 

I’m testing and proving what I preach. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, ‘I’m going to come to you, but I’m not coming puffed up as a greater speaker. I’m coming to you as one who has seen and demonstrated the Power!’ No one can deny, those early apostles were seeing and demonstrating the Power. The whole of the Acts of the Apostles is based on the demonstration and fulfilment of the Power which came on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell. The whole testimony of the Book of Acts is of men going out and doing everything Jesus had promised! That’s been my life!

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4.19-20, “I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills – and I will know, not the speech of those who are puffed up, but the Power! For the Kingdom of God is not in words but in Power!” That’s an amazing statement! Paul is saying, the Kingdom of God is not ‘words’, but ACTION! It’s so easy to speak. It’s not so easy to act. I want you to become people of action, who put their faith into practice.  'My Everything' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:1, “Let a man so account of us as of ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is required of stewards that a man be found faithful!” So often in ministry we like to consider ourselves as evangelists, pastors and so on, but here, Paul is looking at it in a different way. He’s saying, all of us, as ministers of Christ, are stewards of the Gospel. And the requirement of a steward is that he should be found faithful!  Whether you are a member of the congregation, or in ministry as a pastor, prophet or apostle, what counts is faithfulness in whatever God has called you to do! 

I want to see the Church break out of its traditions and constraints! Out of this pandemic I desire to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit; to see miracles; for Holy Ghost Fire! God can do it! There is only one way to revival today: it is to stand firm on Biblical faith and through suffering and prayer, with repentance, God will honour us. That is why Jesus said, if you will come after Me, take up your cross and follow Me. 'I behold Your Glory' used by kind permission www.vinesong.com

We must be changed and transformed by the Power of the Holy Ghost! When I was re-reading the Easter story earlier in the year, I was intrigued by the response of Peter; even after seeing the empty tomb, what did he do? – Peter went home, back to his previous life before Jesus. I believe the Church, because of coronavirus, is in danger of doing the same thing today. So many are slipping away from being the dynamic public witness which Christ has called us to be. Church has become individual private worship at home. But we are called to live in Pentecost, in the Fire and Power of the Holy Spirit when 3000 were converted in just one day! The good news is: who was the one who preached to the thousands? – Peter, the same disciple who slipped quietly back home after the resurrection. It was the baptism of the Holy Spirit which turned the disciples from sitting in a locked-room to a public demonstration of the Power of God.  'How we love Your Name' by Vinesong.com

Romans 8 says, ‘When we know not what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us.’ Simply talk to God as you would a friend. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Miracles happen by the simple way in which we relate and communicate with Him. God is present, He’s the unseen guest, the silent listener to every conversation. I know God is there, He is listening. Before we ask, He’s already heard everything; He knows what is in our heart, what we think, what we want, what we need, but He wants us to put it into words.  'We come before Your Throne' used by kind permission www.vinesong.com

The return of Christ is sooner than we think! The Holy Spirit has been poured out; we are living in the days of the latter rain. Why do we see such incredible miracles? Why are so many coming to Christ around the world? In Joel 3:13 the prophet says, ‘Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.’ I believe with all my heart we’ve got to take advantage of every possibility, every opportunity; time is limited. Stop waiting for the future, today is the day of salvation! I’ve never waited for some future moment; I’ve always believed in doing the task now while we have the time and the opportunity. The Bible is very clear, multitudes are waiting in the valley of decision (Joel 3:14); I believe even this pandemic is being used by God to bring multitudes to salvation. Wake up Church! Let’s take advantage of what God is doing now!  'Holy Spirit Move Me Now' used by kind permission www.vinesong.com

I believe we are living in the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days; I know from my own life and ministry that I’ve seen some incredible miracles: and when I look at the wider church, the Gospel is reaching more people today than ever before! God IS pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. But the challenge facing the church is also greater than before. Secularism has eroded freedom to preach the Gospel in public spaces; the pandemic has restricted our freedom to gather and worship as a corporate body. The church is in valley of decision: how will it react to the eroding of its freedoms. And our nations are in a valley of decision: whom will they serve? The coming of the Lord is near. ‘”Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow - for their wickedness is great.” Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision’ (Joel 3: 14-15, KJV) 'Our God Reigns' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.c

God has promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh in the last days. Many individual believers, churches and even nations are waiting for revival, believing for the latter rain as spoken by the Prophet Joel. I believe we are living in that day! God wants to stir us into action; that is why He allows the crisis! Today we are facing the greatest challenge ever to the church and indeed to our faith.  'Peace like a river' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com

There is a solution! Whatever situation you are facing today, God will use it for His Glory. In John 9, as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 'And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.' Doubt is one of the enemy's biggest weapons against the believer: in the Old Testament he said to Eve, "Did God say...?" The devil destroys faith by replacing absolute trust with doubt; this is still the biggest problem in people's lives today. Faith only exists through trust in God and His Word. 

God promises from Scripture that He would give us health and healing. How wonderful it is to be healed, but the bigger miracle is to enjoy health. In 2002, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. God said to me, ‘David, you’ve got a mountain in your life that you’ve got to move, and that mountain is to get that cancer out from your lung. If you can believe that without an operation you can be completely healed, then nothing will be impossible from there on.’ 

In your adversity, when you are facing hardship, if you will seek the Lord with all your heart, you will find Him. My whole message to you is: wherever you are; whether you are lonely; a single parent; living in isolation; in despair; if you, in the midst of your adversity, will seek the Lord, you will find Him! People are always asking, ‘how do I find God; where is He?’ God is right where you are! God has promised to give you rest in your times of adversity; His mercy will hold you up; in the multitude of your anxieties, His comforts will delight your soul’ (Psalm 94.13; 8-19). 'Sheltered in the Rock' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com

So many think God is ‘nowhere’, but I want to tell you, God is ‘now here’. He is in the midst of your tribulations. ‘For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not forsake you, nor forget the covenant He made to your fathers’ (Deut 4:31). God is faithful to His promises! We have a covenant relationship with God! The New Testament is literally a new covenant between God and man, typified by the very name Jesus was given, ‘Emmanuel, God with us.’ The wonderful truth of this covenant is: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ Jesus lived and worked with us; the thing I love about Jesus is that He spent 33 years living like us. So many think that up until the age of 30, Jesus did nothing; but that is not true: for 30 years He was here; He went to school, He had a job, He paid taxes; He lived as we live today, in the routine and drudgery of life. The ministry of Jesus began after He had lived amongst us for 30

We are living through a very critical time but let me encourage you: the more difficult the situation, the greater the Power of God! In Deuteronomy 4, the Lord says to the Israelites that they will be scattered among the nations and be left few in number (v27) – isn’t that the situation we are in today? The church has been scattered; we are unable to fellowship like we did at the beginning of the year; we now worship alone at home; for the churches that have reopened, the attendance is few in number. But God says in v29, ‘If from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’  'Adoration' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com

We must come to God with a positive expectation of faith, believing that when we pray according to His Will, not only does He hear us, but He will answer! God rewards faith! Far too many people pray without any real belief that God will answer them. I want to remind you, even when we pray the sinner’s prayer, we must believe that God has heard and answered us. The writer to the Hebrews said, ‘He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him’ (11.6).   'How we love Your Name' used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com