First Live Online SOC Europe
Keith Malcomson - SOC Director
Because of continued lockdowns and restrictions on flights, we were unable to hold our normal annual School in Limerick City in Ireland. Sadly, this meant that several people were unable to attend. However, we held our first Online School from July 4th to July 23rd, 2021. Students gathered online from ten countries, and from time zones ranging from the Eastern European time zone to the USA Western time. Students in the USA set their alarms for the very early hours of the morning to join the morning classes, and others stayed up very late depending on what time zone they were in. It was very encouraging to see the high numbers from the UK (England and Wales) this year.
This School was marked by both oppositions and triumphs in the forms of sicknesses (even death) but also tremendous healings. One sister who joined us with her husband, who fellowship in a church that does not believe that healing is for today, after hearing clear teaching at the school asked for prayer for healing for a chronic condition for which she was on daily medication. The lessons had stirred their faith. The whole class came into agreement and prayed for her healing. By faith, she stopped her medication and to the date of writing this testimony, she has not had one symptom! They are still stunned at this.
One brother, who says he is never sick, was sick for two of the three weeks, but he took this as a sign that he should press through, and press through he did. His testimony was tremendous. One sister had to tear herself away from classes to bury her daughter-in-law but was deeply impacted by the teaching, and her widowed son then attended some of the classes.
Another sister fainted and hurt herself very severely, causing concussion, but the class prayed, and she was able to join the classes despite her injuries. One brother had a debilitating spasm in his back and was instantly healed during a lesson. God is still in the healing business! Praise the Lord!
Testimonies:
(WD) in Spain
I must say this course hit me to the core, opened my eyes to my reality and how God has always had a plan for me. I was not paying enough attention or spending the time I should in prayer. I couldn’t even understand why, and it bothered me. I knew it had to change. I was so enlightened by the three weeks we had prayer time together. Hearing others pray and praying in an open forum was something I was not used to doing. There were key things I learned about prayer that will stay with me: Never give up on prayer. Prevailing prayer wins, keep praying, it was faith that gave me the ability to keep asking. I learned that it only must be from the heart as God knows my heart, my fears, and everything. By praying through, answers will come, I have been rewarded. My prayer life is so much better because I now feel so much closer to the Lord. A regular time has been established to praise Him early and ask for His protection during the day ahead. I’m looking at every area of my life differently now. Jesus Christ is in the middle of everything for me, He will lead. My growth has really begun at last. I love and thank Him so much. I will not, I cannot walk away.
(JJ) from the UK
I have learned things that are totally new to me in the SOC. The first one is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I can’t believe it doesn’t get spoken about, it is fundamental, and I am so grateful to have learned about it. Another revelation was the power of prayer and learning that the ‘wrestle’ in prayer can be with unbelief rising. Knowing that is part of the struggle has encouraged me to pray through it, and it will be essential in the times to come. I lost my faith as a teenager because I didn’t ‘feel’ it, so I fell away. Now I know this is a lie from the pit of Hell, and I am very grateful for this corrective teaching. Pastor Clendennen used imagery that was instantly applicable and helpful, such as Satan standing in the court in Heaven, accusing me, which amazingly helped me to find lots of things to confess to very quickly. A personal revelation was learning our true purpose as creatures to contain the Creator. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome about 10 years ago. It was weird because it explained things about me, but instead of making things better it made them worse, and I confess I used it as an excuse to isolate myself and be intolerant of people.
On day 18 of the SOC God suddenly told me I was new, I didn’t need to use that label anymore, as it was binding me. I realized Satan was using it to isolate and weaken me and I didn’t want Satan to have any ground or any stronghold in my mind. Through the lessons on the Holy Spirit, and through praying together during SOC, God showed me that I am part of the fellowship, and He gave me love and compassion in my heart for people. He made me feel secure in myself as I am, by showing me it isn’t about me at all! I’m now using God’s diagnosis instead of the world’s: I’m the creature, He is my Creator, and I’m going to get on with His work. I have no excuse to be afraid of the challenges ahead because God is with me, and I’ve had my basic training. So, I will just say, I will trust in Him and follow the pillar of fire wherever it goes.