"God-Besotted Heroes".
John Piper said that it was absolutely biblical to have "God-besotted heroes" and that indeed we are to "reside with them". One of the most amazing blessings of my life is that God has seen fit to give me a whole heap of them!! Dr Ern Baxter must stand at the top. I will write more about him again at some point. My friend Mark Heath has written some things about him as well as publishing one of my books on his blog ... find it at: http://www.wordandspirit.co.uk. Ern was closely involved with my home church in Dunstable and my pastor Dr Stanley Jebb. I fell in love with his teaching and ministry shortly after I was baptised in the Holy Spirit and truly his sermons became the foundation to the fuel!!
Other heroes are Terry Virgo, Stanley Jebb and John Piper.
Yet after yesterdays rant, I want to reflect on something more glorious and more positive. A new hero has come this year!! I've always heard bits and pieces about Sam Storms prior to this year - he contributed the Third Wave perspective to Wayne Grudem's book "Miraculous Gifts" for example. However I was fortunate enough to go to the Life in the Spirit Conference at High Leigh for the first time. Sam Storms was the keynote speaker and spoke four times. Three were on the Divine Election - a most outstanding theological presentation that was breathtaking! The fourth was on the Gift of Prophecy.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I haven't seen a more closer personification of "Word and Spirit" since Ern Baxter himself. Storms is an outstanding theologian who can cover any issue with ease and clarity - yet he also ministers the Holy Spirit and moves in great anointing and power. God truly came down when he prayed for us.
His website: http://www.samstorms.com - "Enjoying God Ministries" is an absolute treasure trove of writings and comments and reflections. He has a biblical studies section where there are almost full commentaries on quite a few hard books of the Bible. (I recently used my work computer to print off the whole commentary on Ephesians - Glory!!). He has a huge theological studies section where he will go where angels fear to tread. Here's a taster of the list:
Controversial Issues Revised
Session 01 (A Brief Response to John Hick)
Session 02 (Are Apostles for Today?)
Session 03 (Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? - Part I)
Session 04 (Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? - Part II)
Session 05 (Are Prophets Foundational to the Church?)
Session 06 (Are There Territorial Spirits?)
Session 07 (Are There Two Wills in God?)
Session 08 (Are Those Who Die in Infancy Saved?)
Session 09 (Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part I)
Session 10 (Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part II)
Session 11 (Can a Christian be Demonized?)
Session 12 (Could Jesus Have Sinned?)
Session 13 (Divine Election - Part I)
Session 14 (Divine Election - Part II)
Session 15 (Divorce and Remarriage - Part I)
Session 16 (Divorce and Remarriage - Part II)
Session 17 (Eternal Security of the Believer)
Session 18 (Gifts iin Church History)
Session 19 (Hell and Annihilationism)
Session 20 (Imprecations in the Psalms)
Session 21 (Is Apostleship a Spiritual Gift?)
Session 22 (Is God Guilty of Genocide?)
Session 23 (Is There Healing in the Atonement?)
Session 24 (Open Theism - Part I)
Session 25 (Open Theism - Part II)
Session 26 (Open Theism - Part III)
Session 27 (Pauls Thorn in the Flesh)
Session 28 (Pseudonymity)
Session 29 (Romans 11 and the Future of Israel - Part I)
Session 30 (Romans 11 and the Future of Israel - Part II)
Session 31 (Signs of an Apostle)
Session 32 (Suicide)
Session 33 (The Lordship Salvation Debate)
Session 34 (Tithing)
Session 35 (Was Jesus a Calvinist?)
Session 36 (What is the Sin unto Death?)
Session 37 (Manipulation or Ministry? - Part I)
Session 38 (Manipulation or Ministry? - Part II)
Session 39 (Legalism vs. Liberty)
Session 40 (The Carnal Christian: A Study of 1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
I think the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of the few doctrines where I would disagree with him.
But above all his passion for God just shines through. He is not interested in dead doctrine or dry theology (aka Boettner) but wants to see God known and be known through all that we read or study. His website is awesome, his writings are heavenly and my box file of printed works is growing all the time!!
I think the next time he is due in the UK is at the Life in the Spirit Conference 2007 - but I pray he gets tempted over here sooner!! I completely and utterly recommend him, his website and his ministry!!
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