On 3rd January 1973, I first encountered Charismatic Renewal when I attended a prayer meeting in Soho Square, a place surrounded by every species of immoral practice imaginable. Before I arrived it had become the established practice for the group to pray for the needs of the unfortunate people caught up in the vice trap associated with the district.

Lord dismantle the edifice of corruption in Soho!

On my third or fourth visit to the prayer centre, while the people were interceding for the area, I suddenly heard, very distinctly, an inner voice telling me quite clearly – “pray these words; Lord, dismantle the edifice of corruption in Soho.”

It happened that at that moment a court was sitting in judgement on a man who had been charged with offences arising out of the Obscene Publications Act. Although it was late at night the court remained seated awaiting the jury’s decision. About the time that I spoke the words I had been instructed to pray the jury came out and returned a verdict of “Guilty.” The accused man received a sentence of eight years imprisonment.

The next morning the court case was reported by the most widely distributed tabloid newspaper under a large front-page banner headline, which read “VICE EMPIRE CRUMBLES”, closely resembling the words I had been instructed to pray. Immediately every strip club, porn shop and all similar establishments pulled down their shutters and fled, leaving Soho like a ghost town that night.

Further investigations were initiated revealing that the police force responsible for implementing the law in that area, were heavily involved in taking bribes from club owners and that the corruption had spread through all police ranks up to the level of Commander.Eventually those who controlled the sex scene in Soho began to open their doors again cautiously but their operations were considerably subdued. All this happened through receiving a direct word from the Lord and acting upon it. Throughout the following two years I received similar words from the Lord at various times directing me what to do in particular situations.

Receiving a direct word from the Lord and acting upon it

At the end of 1975 I received a word of a more general nature telling me “The coming year will be a very exciting time, a year of deep confrontation, but I will be with you all the way.” 1976 proved to be, for me, the most confrontational year of my life, in which I had to endure many conflicts, but in each situation the Lord stood by me so that I was fully protected, as indicated in the word I had been given. Since then I have received, at the end of each year, a direct word indicating what to expect in the world and in my own life throughout the following year.

In August 2001 I was given a word which I shared with the Prayer Group in Ormskirk on 10th September, as follows:- “Very soon an event will take place which will have world-wide ramifications. It will cause consternation among the Nations, but will lead eventually to a time of glory for the Church.” I then went on to say, “Do not ask me when all this will happen. I simply do not know. All I can say is that it will happen soon. Do not ask me the nature of the event: I do not know. It does not have to be a cataclysmic catastrophe such as a nuclear bomb. It could be in the nature of an economic breakdown leading to a deep depression such as happened in 1929. After all, the financial system is so brittle that the whole structure could collapse like a pack of cards” I went on to say that I believed that only the first part of what I related was from the Lord, while the rest was from me, as St. Paul once said, distinguishing between the word of prophecy and his own speculation. Events proved that what I had thought was only from me was really a prophetic word from the Lord.

The attack on the twin towers

The next morning the bombing of the twin towers in New York took place. The structure of the buildings “collapsed like a house of cards.” Universal consternation followed and the knock-on effect is now being felt in every country in the world. While the attack on the Trade Centre was being shown live on television, the then Foreign Secretary, viewing the event as it happened, paused for a moment and then said “The world will never be the same again.”

The word I received for 2008 was “A time of upheaval”, with these words added “My light will shine, penetrating the dark and exposing things long hidden.” Reflecting on all that has happened during the year just ended, and all the financial scandals that have been brought to light it is plain to see how exact the word was.

PROPHETIC WORDS RECEIVED FOR 2009

For 2009 the word I received was in three parts:-

1. A year of many trials. There will be a further breakdown of structures universally, but those who trust in the Lord need have no fear. Regarding trials, St. James says, “My brothers, you will always have your trials but when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully developed, complete , with nothing missing.” St. Paul tells us – “Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked….. These are the trials through which we triumph by the power of him who loved us.”
St. John quotes the words of Jesus “In the world you will have trouble, but be brave; I have conquered the world.”

2. A time of restoration and return. There will be a yearning for truth in many hearts and a search for stability, coupled with a growing realisation of the failure of materialism. Several people who have lost faith will commence a return journey to the Church. The hearts of many are already being prepared for conversion. (In 1973 I received a word telling me “You will see the day when I will bring people tumbling into my Church.”)

3. A time of new beginnings. A year of rediscovery in which there will be a massive outpouring of the Spirit.

What is needed now is for everyone who reads Goodnews to pray earnestly for the Lord to act swiftly. Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!