Word for East End of Glasgow

Given by Emma Stark on 26 February 2009 in Bridgeton Life Church, Glasgow:

It’s a new season. It’s a NOW season. NOW is the time to claim the land, in order to start the process of  Revelation 11 verse 15:

“then the 7th angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever”

NOW is the time to begin this move, NOW is the season for you to take the ground for the Kingdom of God.

NOW is the time for sons to return to their fathers and fathers to their sons – just as we read in Malachi 4 verse 6:

“His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.”

God is in the business of reconciliation. And it is a NOW season for reconciliation!

I felt God say he has a specific strategy and plan for dealing with two things the East End of Glasgow specifically struggles with:

1. Drug addiction
2. Gang Warfare

The East End has these two problems because it lacks the peace of God; the absence of the peace of God is a root problem.

Form this place without the peace of God, fear and and depression have been allowed to rise. These have become the dominant emotions in the East End. Fear has propelled people to gangs. Depression and has propelled people to drugs.

God said that this peace has been stolen and NOW it’s up to the people of God to contend with the enemy in this NOW season to get it back.

God asks the East End, “Will you contend for My peace to return?”

Rise up people, and take it back God’s peace – for it has been stolen. This is a warfaring time for the church in this place, but God has given you the land.

God is moving ahead of you, East End.

In 2 Samuel chapter 5, David defeated the Philistines twice. And many of you feel like you have already battled for the East End and – just like the Philistines – the problems have risen again. But this is a NOW season. And God says He is on the move. He asks if you can hear him in the tops of the Balsam trees (2 Samuel 5 verse 24)?

When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar [Balsam] trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”

I saw a picture of Celtic Park, which denoted the East End of Glasgow. God threw from Heaven a massive sword as high as the stadium. He said, I have marked out the East End, in this season, as a place to do battle in the heavenlies and where, with the weapons I have placed in your midst, you can take the land. Arise army! Again! Yes, again, says God –  arise! Take the ground, use your weapon. The weapons of warfare are mighty in your hand.  2 Corinthians 10 v 4:

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

You are not to fear man any more, but only fear God. The enemy has tried to hide this church, he has tried to put a cloak around it and we tear it down now in the name of Jesus. God says well done to you because you are a contending church. God has promised to make this church a church that blesses the community financially, rather than being a church in poverty.