Sue Tinworth – Partners in Prayer and Evangelism

Deep Darkness

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:2 NKJV

Darkness is covering the earth. The nations are being shaken by fear and loss from COVID-19, governmental regulations, income loss, changing global trade, and destructive fires, floods and winds. Government legislation has empowered God’s enemy to kill, steal and destroy.

Darkness weighs on our hearts. Many live smaller lives, isolated, mentally pressured and hesitant because of fear. Truth is confounded by distraction and deception. Contention, hate and offence divide us. Many don’t know God’s loving goodness and deny Him.¹

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV

Pray: Lord, You never abandon us. Your love commissions us as blessing and light to the nations, to open blind eyes and set prisoners free from darkness. (Isa 42:6-7)

Light in the Darkness

Light came into our world when God’s Son was born on earth, as a baby named Yeshua, during the dark era of the Roman occupation of Israel. God loved the world and gave His glory and likeness to His Son to fulfill a covenantal promise, so everyone who believes in Him can know God as their loving Father and spend eternity with Him. (1 Jn 1:5-7, Jn 1:4-5,9,14)

Jesus warned us not to be deceived, troubled or offended when people betray and hate one another, and the love of many grows cold, noting the distress of nations, perplexity and men’s hearts failing from fear are signs He is coming with great glory (Matt 24:3-14, Lk 21:25-28). As we come close to the time of the end, it is critical we walk as one with God.²

To live like this is all the more urgent, for time is running out and you know it is a strategic hour in human history. It is time for us to wake up… Romans 13:11-14, 14:1 TPT

Pray: Psalm 27

Light in Our Darkness

Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1 NKJV

The darkness in Victoria deepened in 2020 with COVID-19⁵ and Melbourne entering the longest lockdowns in the world.⁶ Victoria’s secret contracts with the Chinese Communist Party threatened the security of nations across the South Pacific. Extreme fires, floods and winds in 2020-21 cut access to clean water, power and heating and destroyed housing.

In the darkness of Victoria in 2020, a remnant dug deeply into the limitless love, hope and power available to us all in Christ. We formed ‘Pray4Victoria: Light in Darkness’ and humbly repented as Victorians, for our sins before God and other Australians in a letter from Victoria.³ Representatives of the 79 municipalities of Victoria now gather in prayer, repentance, to seek God’s face and turn from our ways to His will. Victoria means ‘conqueror;’ ‘having a triumphant spirit.’ We look to Christ as our Victor! (Phil 4:13) The day will dawn when God’s influence shines from Victoria as glorious light!

During 2020-21 the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit was protected from the pandemic, sovereign instability and foreign control. Australia and New Zealand listed among the nations least vulnerable to conflict or collapse.⁷

Pray: Victorious Defender, we put our trust in You as the world shakes around us and darkness deepens. Your grace is sufficient for any pressures we face. We gratefully rest in eternal security in You. We bless our governmental leaders but crown you our King of kings! We welcome you into the utmost parts of the earth.

The Glory of God: Light in the Deepening Darkness

God’s glory is His manifest presence visible on earth as life giving, compelling light and love.

Divine Glory describes the manifestation of God’s presence as perceived by humans. God is the most glorious being in existence. Human beings, created in the image of God, can share or participate, imperfectly, in divine glory as image-bearers. Kavod (Hebrew: כָּבוֹד‎) (K-V-D) means ‘glory’, ‘respect’, ‘honor’, ‘majesty’, ‘weight’, ‘deference’ or ‘heaviness’.⁸ 

God’s presence is warm and healing, but His weighty glory can transfix us in awe, intensify into purifying fire of holiness, and shake the earth with atmospheric, volcanic, tectonic power.

‘I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:7 NKJV

At 4am on Monday 14 June 2021, I was woken by a jubilant friend (our Lord) urging me, ‘Come and see!’ For many days I had a continuing vision of golden glory flowing from heaven and filling the earth.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! Isaiah 6:3 NKJV

Pray: Thank you Lord for your holy glory. You are creating a new heaven and earth that are one with You. Now, nothing less than Your glory will satisfy us!

What has God destined?

It is clear in Jesus’ prayer for us,

I…pray…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me…that they may behold My glory… John 17:20-24 NKJV

Our unsuccessful efforts at unity missed what Jesus said.  Jesus did not ask us to unite. Jesus prayed for oneness. Jesus has given us the glory God gave Him, so we may be one in Him. We need to receive His glory, Christ in us, our Father in Him, to be one in Christ and one with those who are one in Him.

We are destined to be one in Christ, reflecting the love and glory of God, so the world knows our Father loves them and sent Jesus to give them His glory too!

Our world will believe when they see Christ in us, reflecting the love and glory of God.

We’ve been given what we need to fulfil what God has destined:

• The blood covenant of Jesus completes us.  Christ in us is our hope of glory. (Heb 13:20-21 TPT, Col 1:26-27)

Pray: Jesus, be the Lord of my life, my first love, filled with Your love and glory so the world around me will believe and know our Father loves them.

• The Holy Spirit seals and dwells in us. (2 Cor 1:21-22, Rom 8:16-17, 27 TPT)

Don’t you realize that together you have become God’s inner sanctuary and that the Spirit of God makes his permanent home in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 TPT

Pray: Holy Spirit, dwell in me so I can be Your child, reflecting our Father’s glory and bringing Him glory.

• The glory of God transforms us. (Rom 8:18-19 TPT,⁹ 2 Cor 3:7-18 TPT)

Pray: Jesus, You fulfil the yearning of creation by unveiling Your glory in us as God’s children and transfiguring us in a permanent impartation of Your glory so we speak the truth in freedom and boldness!

Don’t settle for anything less than God’s Glory

The enemy of God tries to steal His glory and distract us from honouring God and fulfilling His destiny. We dishonour God if we are idolatrous at the prayer altar – praying our religious opinions and judgements, being under demonic influence, relying on our ‘superior’ knowledge, false refuges and comforts. (2 Tim 3:1-9) Dishonouring God and others exposes us all to spiritual attack.¹⁰ As we repent and submit to Jesus, every confounding allegiance is brought down, in us and our world.

This will continue until the final stage of completion comes, when Christ will bring to an end every other rulership, authority, and power, and he will hand over his kingdom to Father God. Until then he is destined to reign as King until all hostility has been subdued and placed under his feet. 1 Corinthians 15:24-25 TPT

Pray: Lord of Hosts, we repent from focussing on the darkness, the demonic, the supernatural realm and the glory rather than You. We repent for giving glory to another and for wilful prayers that dishonour You. Keep our focus on You and lead us in how to pray Your will. We declare Your kindness in ending the rule of evil, control and fear in our lives, families and regions. Thank you for Your mercy, defence, angelic accompaniment and for establishing Your Kingdom’s righteousness, peace and joy. We bow before you in gratitude. May all the glory and dominion be Yours! (Deut 20:3-4, Ps 124:6-8, Matt 6:13)

How is God fulfilling His Destiny in Australia?

Pray: That Aussies will see Christ in us, shining more and more brightly.

God’s love and glory make us one and flow from heaven to earth through our oneness – expressed in our worship, love, reconciliation, honour, agreement, alignment and witnessing.

These keys offer a brief glimpse of our unfinished story:

1. Worship: Every day across Australia and the South Pacific region, networks of laid down lovers of Christ are drawn into the glory of His Presence to worship our Beloved. We humbly and expectantly wait in stillness, listening, focussed and watchful, thirsty, passionately observing our Lord’s face, Word and perspective, letting the Holy Spirit write His revelation on our hearts. (Ps 96:6-9 TPT, Ps 115 TPT)

As we worship God’s love draws us in progressive trust and submission until we are captivated in adoration and intimate encounter. It’s like falling in love, into rest and being carried in a gentle upward wave of warm, embracing, tender assurance; light, clarity and wondrous revelation in His glory; and oneness as His Bride.

When you yield to the life of the Spirit, you will no longer be living under the law…and dominated by the self-life. You will be soaring above it! Galatians 5:17-18 TPT

Pray: Lord, by grace purify us as holy, pure and bright, wholly surrendered to Your will and love.

2. Love melts our hard, orphan hearts. As we rest as one in Him the tender love of Christ envelops us, the sound of heaven resonates through us, healing us with grace upon grace, reconciling, synchronising and knitting us as one and raising us from glory to glory. (1 Cor 1:10 TPT, Rom 15:5-6 AMP)

As the lovers of God linger in His glory, His tender love moves us to love each other. The Spirit patiently and graciously covers our differences, our irritation, leading us to humbly repent and gently minister to each other. We pray with faith that God’s love will heal our brokenness and weakness. (1 Cor 13:4-10)

Pray: Jesus, we want to be known as Your disciples because we love as You loved us. (Jn 13:34-35) Keep us faithful to guard the sweet harmony of the Holy Spirit among us in the bonds of peace, being one body and one spirit, with one Father who leads us all, works through us all, and lives in us all in the glorious fulfillment of our divine destiny. (Eph 4:3-6 TPT)

 3. Reconciliation to God and each other through forgiveness is accelerating in our region through a move of the Holy Spirit.

The Abdallah family chose to model forgiveness when four children from their family were killed. In 2021 our Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian supported the Abdallahs to institute an annual national ‘i4giveday’ on February 1, commemoring the anniversary of the children’s death.¹¹

Through forgiveness, God is healing division and building secure, mature nationhood. In 2021 God’s call to forgiveness is gathering momentum as leaders, across the church and government in Australia and South Pacific nations, inspire their people to be healed through National Forgiveness Week.¹²

Pray: Lord, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (Matt 6:12 NKJV)

4. Honour positions us to receive God’s glory. Blessing and inheritance flow from God, our leaders, parents and each other. (1 Pet 2:17) Godly honour between generations heals relationships, resolves rebellion, removes life-draining idolatry and breaks curses on the land. (Mal 4:5-6, Lk 1:17 TPT)

Pray: Father, we honour our fathers and mothers, so our days may be long on the land You are giving us. (Ex 20:12 NKJV)

This promise blesses us all as we honour our Indigenous fathers and mothers in the land. Australians gathered weekly online for months in 2020, culminating in a National Solemn Assembly led by Indigenous Leaders, Ps Peter Walker and Ps Tim Edwards. More 40 Stories were released.¹³ We honour the crucial contribution of all Indigenous and immigrant people across the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12, Jas 4:1-12)

5. Agreement: Glory flows when mature ‘ecclesia’ discern and agree with God’s purpose and plan, implementing His will on earth as in heaven. (Matt 18:18-20, Eph 2:6 TPT)¹⁴

6. Alignment: There are appointed times and places when God’s glory shines into our world through doors of heaven that Jesus has opened. (Gen 28:10-22, Rev 3:7-8, Heb 10:19-22, Rev 4:1-2) God is gathering us nationally and globally in consecration, prayer and worship at His synchronised times.

Pray: Lord align us, so Your love and glory flood the earth, opening up the people, the regional atmosphere and the land to Your redemption and restoration.

7. Witnessing: Great grace has been given to Australians who are initiating extraordinary global initiatives to equip followers of Jesus to witness simply and effectively in the imminent harvest.¹⁵

I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and  from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. Acts 26:17-18 NKJV (Matt 4:16-17, Matt 24:14)

Pray:  That God will open a door of opportunity for us to preach the revelation of the mystery of Christ… (Col 4:3)

All Glory to the Only One Worthy

God is preparing a bride for His Son! Soon we will, as one, declare His glory, proclaiming,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength! Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! Revelation 5:12-13 NKJV

Notes:

1. Europe Leaves Christianity for Paganism
   https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2020/march/europe-leaves-christianity-for-paganism-nbsp
2. We Have Entered the Triangle of the End – Charles Capps Prophetic Word
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spV2dbvcp78&ab_channel=EncounterToday

3. A Letter from Victoria in her Time of Crisis http://partnersinprayer.org.au/from-victoria-in-her-time-of-crisis/
4. Decrees & Declarations over Victoria
   http://partnersinprayer.org.au/decrees-for-victoria-and-melbourne/
   http://partnersinprayer.org.au/pray-for-victoria-declarations-during-coronavirus/
5. Covid-19 Pandemic in Australia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Australia

6. Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdowns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_lockdowns
7. Fragile States July 2021 https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/fragile-states-index Divine Glory defined by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(honor)
8. The Passion Translation Notes https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom+8%3A18-19&version=TPT
9. Needless Casualties of War by John Paul Jackson
   Dealing with Leviathan: Spirit of Retaliation (2020) and Dealing with Resheph: Spirit of Trouble (2020) by Anne Hamilton
   Prophecy, Prophets & The U.S. Elections | Part1
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibt_f2mUMdU&ab_channel=ReviveIsraelTV
10. i4giveday
    https://www.i4give.com/ https://www.sbs.com.au/news/anniversary-of-oatlands-crash-that-killed-four-children-marked-with-celebration-and-forgiveness
11. National Forgiveness Week: Floodgates of Glory: The Wonder of Heartfelt Forgiveness by Robert Warren. http://partnersinprayer.org.au/national-forgiveness-week/
12. 40 Stories Video Testimonies https://40stories.org.au/

14. Ekklesia: Rediscovering God’s Instrument for Global Transformation by Ed Silvoso
15. The Harvest Network https://theharvest.network/
    Hope Movement https://www.yfc.org.au/hope
    Together Network: Hope Groups https://www.togethernetwork.com.au/hope-groups/
    Australia for Jesus https://www.australiaforjesus.org.au/

Biography

God taught me about sacrifice, martyrdom, forgiveness, love and honour through the legacy of my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. My childhood family lived in four different countries and God shaped me to see and identify with multiple perspectives, denominations and cultures. Our father, Dr Lynn McMahon¹ was the first doctor at Atoifi Hospital among the Kwaio people of East Malaita, Solomon Islands. Our Australian colleagues were killed at Atoifi, Brian Dunn²  was martyred in 1965, Lens Larwood³ died in an accident in 1979 and Lance Gersbach⁴ was martyred in 2003. (Jn 15:12-13).

David Tinworth and I are blessed to have an incredibly loving family – two daughters and five grandchildren. I honour David’s love, and his life achievement in successfully establishing a global vaccine research and manufacturing entity which has assisted in reducing antibiotic usage and pandemics in intensively farmed food animals.

After a 15 year academic career, God released me in 1996 to help plant a Spirit-led church and community centre in Boronia, Victoria and then to help connect the body of Christ in prayer –in Melbourne through Transforming Melbourne, and Australia through PIPES: Partners in Prayer & Evangelism.⁵  We led 40 Days of Prayer from 2006-2019, in partnership with Australia’s National Day of Prayer & Fasting (NDOPF) from 2011-2019. Along the way, God built cherished relationships with Indigenous brothers and sisters that led us to film, from 2015 40 Stories⁶  with Rod Schneider, Warwick Vincent, Sara Cohen and team; and to journey from 2015 with National Solemn Assembly with Ps Peter Walker, Ps Tim Edwards and many teams.

In this season I am a national watchman. (Hab 2:1-3) In 2017 I joined a national Prayer Call⁷ of online watchmen who have held discerning prayer & worship 6 days a week since. In 2020 PIPES formed Pray4Victoria: Light in Darkness⁷ and we officially partnered with Rob Warren in raising National Forgiveness Week⁸ in Australia and the South Pacific nations and in collaboration with i4Give⁸.  In 2022 PIPES officially partnered with NDOPF in it new form, Australia Prays⁸. We watch with wonder what our Lord is doing in these appointed times.

1. Dr Lynn McMahon https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/search-results?term=lynn
2. Brian Dunn https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=C7VF&highlight=brian|dunn
3. Lens Larwood https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=A7YY&highlight=lens|larwood
4. Lance Gersbach https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=77WF
5. PIPES: Partners in Prayer and Evangelism partnersinprayer.org.ausue@partnersinprayer.org.au
6. 40 Stories 40stories.org.au
7. Ongoing Online Prayer & Worship http://partnersinprayer.org.au/online-prayer/
8. National Forgiveness Week & i4Give Can you say i4Give? Coming soon: forgivestories.com
9. Australia Prays https://www.australiaprays.com.au/

Published in Australia’s Destiny Jill Curry (ed.)
https://partnersinprayer.org.au/keys-to-australias-destiny-the-glory-of-god-light-in-our-darkness/