Just because you are struggling does NOT mean you are failing. Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there. Nicky Gumbel More Quotes by Nicky Gumbel More Quotes From Nicky Gumbel There are many things that were harder to discuss back in the 80's and early 90's than they are now, and this also works the opposite way for other things. Nicky Gumbel I think God is back, I think there is a huge amount of spiritual interest in the country. And I think the bishops are supportive of it because they see people's lives being changed. They see the difference. I see people who've been in prison, whose lives have been messed up, who've been alcoholics, who've been drug addicts, set free and contributing to society. Nicky Gumbel spiritual country thinking I had a battle going on in my head: shall I just enjoy my life and then convert on my deathbed? But I felt I couldn't do that - it was now or never - so I took a step of faith and became a Christian. Nicky Gumbel enjoy battle christian I think that the gifts of the spirit are always subject to the control of the person who's exercising them. You're not forced in to doing it. Love never forces. And therefore 'the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet' is another way it is put. You don't suddenly find yourself taken over by a spirit and find yourself speaking tongues. You're in control, but it's a gift. You can stop and start as you please, but it's a way of communicating with God. Nicky Gumbel taken exercise thinking Even if you are at the peak of your career, and almost everyone is on some type of ladder to success and waiting to get to the top of their profession, but even if you get there is it enough? So think of this now rather than when you get there and not have thought about it before. Nicky Gumbel enough waiting thinking In your relationship with God there are also times when you want to say things and you're trying to find the words to express them. In a human relationship sometimes you struggle for words and you've got to do it, but in a relationship with God he can actually give you a language which enables you to communicate. In a relationship with God you feel things and you want to express them and you're not limited by human language. You can express what you really feel in your heart, through a language that he gives you, and that helps you to communicate with God. Nicky Gumbel struggle heart giving I was an atheist and I came to experience a relationship with God which had a radically transforming effect on my life, on my relationships, on every aspect of my life, for the better. So, obviously I hope other people will experience that. Nicky Gumbel aspect atheist people I think a lot of people do have questions about life, 'What's the purpose of my life?', 'What's the meaning of my life?', 'Why am I here?' ... It's hard to find a place where you can discuss those issues. You can't go down to the pub and say, 'What do you think the meaning of life is?' But actually, most people have those questions, somewhere in the back of their minds. And if you can find a place where you can discuss it with a group of people who, like you, are outside of the Church, and it's a non-threatening, relaxed environment, quite a lot of people want to do that. Nicky Gumbel issues people thinking I think 75% of the population of Great Britain are probably still de-churched. It's the younger end, the 25%, the merging generation, who have no church background at all. Nicky Gumbel generations church thinking I think that when people experience something that seems to be supernatural, in some ways it cuts through the secular mindset. Nicky Gumbel cutting people thinking The only label I would choose for myself is Christian, but if you pushed me and you say, 'What sort of Christian are you?' I'm an Anglican. Nicky Gumbel labels ifs christian Probably one of the strongest movements of the Holy Spirit is in the Roman Catholic Church, so there's not a huge theological difference between the official teaching of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. Nicky Gumbel catholic differences teaching This may sound pernickety but I wouldn't describe myself as an evangelical. These are labels, which I don't think are helpful. If I was going to use any label it would be Christian, and if you push me any further I'd say I'm an Anglican - that's the family of the Church that I belong to. There's nothing wrong with any of the other labels, but if you have any of them I want them all. If you're going to say, 'I'm Catholic, liberal, evangelical...' let's have them all. Nicky Gumbel catholic christian thinking What unites the church is infinitely more important than what divides us. Nicky Gumbel divides church important You reveal your own character most clearly when you describe someone else's. Nicky Gumbel character When things aren't working out as you wish, be patient. Stop trying to move ahead of God. His timing is perfect. Trust Him. Nicky Gumbel work-out perfect moving Physical heat sometimes accompanies the filling of the Spirit and people experience it in their hands or some other part of their bodies. One person described a feeling of 'glowing all over'. Another said she experienced 'liquid heat'. Still another described 'burning in my arms when I was not hot'. Nicky Gumbel glowing hands people Sometimes God teaches us how to solve our problems. Sometimes God teaches us how to face our problems Nicky Gumbel problem faces sometimes
