We Mustn't Forget the Past!!

I have been so stirred over these past 8 night shifts that I have been working to read the New Wine Magazines and to constantly praise God for the fact that the awesome material within them will not be lost to history because of the faithfulness of the Charles Simpson Ministry. While Dave Holden was quite right to warn us at Stoneleigh Bible Week 2000 of the danger of living sentimentally in the past and being stuck in it - there is still wonderful treasures to be gained from drawing on the anointing that God poured out in generations past. This is why resources like the New Wine Magazine or indeed the Evangelical Library are so vital!

While Mark and I were growing up in Dunstable, Don Basham was the one of the Fort Lauderdale Five who we knew least about I think. Ern Baxter of course came to visit us regularly and speak at our Anglia Bible Weeks, as did Bob Mumford and Charles Simpson also came and visited once. However we never heard Don Basham (I think that's correct). So I have been enjoying reading more of his books and magazine articles and coming to understand why Ern Baxter appreciated and liked his writing so much.

I found these this quote of Don Basham's incredible.

"Normal Christianity has always been miracle working Christianity. God never established any other kind. The way the Church started, it will end - with the miraculous power of God's Holy Spirit released in gifts and ministries and supernatural manifestations which are part of the Christian's heritage".

Then also thinking about the past, I was hugely encouraged to see that Terry Virgo went to the Newday conference and spoke to the young people gathered there about the history of Newfrontiers. I remember hearing first about this message that he gave first to Stoneleigh Bible Week 1998 and the response it received. I made it a point of tracking down the videotape and hearing it for myself. The testimony of the saints is truly a wonderful weapon in the hands of the Church! The devil cannot argue with testimony. He can try and mock it but he cannot counter the awesome power of the promises of God.

Terry wrote;

"...those planning the week thought it would be good for the upcoming generation to be aware of our roots and history and be gripped by the promises that God has made us, so that they might fully embrace their destiny with faith and understanding".

The audio session of Terry's message to Newday can be found here! I do urge all to listen to it - even those who were there at Stoneleigh 1998. The story has gone on since 1998 and Terry has added to it with awesome encouragement and blesing.

Let's not forget the past! Let's inherit the promises and own them and go for them - as Terry Virgo urged the Newday thousands in his opening moments! Let's give thanks to God for the past and allow it to encourage us and spur us on to walk into the future with our heads held high with faith in God!