Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Looking Forward by Looking Back!!

Well Scott and I have just booked our transport to get to Brighton on Saturday 7th July in time to hear Rob Rufus speak at CCK on the Sunday ... and then ... "Together on a Mission 2007" begins!! I know I'm not the only one getting excited. Joel Gill is too and he gave me a good idea as to how best prepare for what God will do this year. He provided his excellent summary reviews of the sessions last year and just reading them through reminded me of how much I have forgotten about the moving of the Spirit of God throughout that amazing week!

So here's a few of my highlights from "Together on a Mission" - last year!


"There are 3 essential components to a good wineskin 1. Authority Structures. 2. Biblical Vision - "To the Nations". 3. Biblical Values. We must not throw these values away if God comes in power!"

Rob Rufus - Seminar 2.

"We are not to look back and live in some triumphalistic euphoria about the past. For example, we are not to 1. Desire to go back to the days of Kathryn Kuhlman or Smith Wigglesworth but we are to desire to go forward to greater works! And 2. We are not to look back with disgust at the mistakes they made but to bless and honour the past".


"We were born for glory! There are possibilities of knowing Jesus of Nazareth at the right hand of the Father more intimately and in experiential closeness almost more intimately than the 12 disciples".


"An Encounter with God Delivers Us from Limiting Theology. Extreme Calvinism moves us towards passivism then fatalism. "Some use the doctrines of Calvin as a bed for laziness. But I use it as a couch for my refreshment" (C H Spurgeon)"


"The reason Newfrontiers exists is because of an experience of the Holy Spirit" (John Hosier). This is surprising! Not our commitment to Ephesians 4 ministries, or even our commitment to church initially but an experience of the Spirit. If we have begun in the Spirit, and are trying to continue in the Spirit - then guess where we are going? In the Spirit! Our own experience of the Holy Spirit should make us want to get everyone to experience Him".

Then of course there were the amazing prophecies that were brought to the conference.

Terry Virgo called us to;


And also to;


John Groves brought an amazing prophecy exploring the wonders of God's creation while Ginny Burgin caused shockwaves to go around the auditorium as she prophecied that the call of God was to wake up!

And finally the worship was wonderfully and sensatively led by Kate Simmonds and Stuart Townend along with Evan Rodgers. My highlight there was to enter into the throne room of heaven singing "Draw Me Close to You" ... yes it does seem possible to be able to draw near to God singing a song so widely disliked by evangelicals. But also the anthem of the week - "Yours is the Kingdom!". As Luke said - you cannot help but be stirred as Kate Simmonds opened the song with her shout; "Let's give glory to God this morning; all the glory is His!"

So there we have it. What a week.

Am I hoping for the "same again?". No - I will be disappointed if it is simply "the same again". Another year - another conference - another CD. God has promised and suggested so much. Hope is rampant across the nation. Prayers have been rising for months. God has to come in power! We gather to worship Him and nothing less than His Presence and glory will do!
PS: I have updated the "Charismatic Resurgence" post - which was long overdue. Go read it! There are some awesome articles and links to follow!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I cant believe a year has flown by already. Although some of us "overseas" wont be able to come to the conference in Brighton we will look forward to the high quality reports that will no doubt be flooding out from within the Newfrontiers ranks. Can I make a request? I have no doubt that many of the "official" and high-profile bloggers will be reporting word by word on the sessions and the theology therein. Please continue to bring out reports of the prophecies, the tongues, the healings, and the worship songs that are sung. Maybe even pictures if you can? That difference, that variety brings the conference to life in a way that the transcripts of the sessions can't always.

Thank you!

Dr Stanley J Burgess

Anonymous said...

You fallen out with Terry V? Why no quotes of his sermons?