from New Wine Magazine - July 1982
"When God wants to communicate the gospel to men, He rarely uses angels. He uses men. In the book of Acts we read that God sent an angel to Cornelius to tell him to ask Peter to preach the gospel to him. Why didn't the angel himself just preach the gospel to Cornelius? Because that is not the way the gospel is spread. The good news is preached by men and as we men have the burden to publish the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our motivation as publishers - whether of magazines, newsletters or tapes - is to communicate God's truth.
We believe that God has entrusted us with a truly significant ministry, and because of that we want to enlist your prayers and your support. Our vision of the work we have to do can be outlined briefly by ten observations concerning the significance of the printed word in ministry.1. The published word prepares the way for personal ministry.
As the members of the Educational Board have travelled in ministry over the years, we have discovered a greater degree of preparedness among audiences in areas where our literature has gone before us to pave the way for the spoken ministry.
2. The published word greatly extends personal ministry.
The written word can reach a much broader audience than the spoken word. I began to realize this truth 3 weeks after "Face Up with a Miracle" was published when I received a letter from a missionary in Thailand who said that the book was being used to help foster a tremendous spiritual revival there. Almost overnight, my ministry had extended halfway round the world.
3. The published word refines our personal ministry.
When we first present the word of God in a spoken setting, it is usually at the developing stage. But by the time the word is published, it has been refined, clarified, distilled and matured.
4. The published word perpetuates personal ministry.
In other words, the published word becomes permanent. We can be grateful for that because if all we had was the oral tradition of Bible times, much that God said to His people probably would have been lost. The vast volume of literature that is our heritage exists because the revelations given by God to inspired men through the years have been put in a permanent record and widely distributed.
5. The published word is extremely portable.
Books, tapes, newsletters and magazines will go into places that a person would never be able to go.
6. The published word seems non-threatening and disarming.
Often people in need of ministry may feel threatened by a church or other group setting. In such a situation, a publication can often get into a home or any other setting and bring about a revolution.
Although the published word is innocent in appearance it actually has the power to change lives.
7. The published word is comparably inexpensive.
We can distribute a great deal of significant truth over a vast area for a relatively small amount of money.
8. The published word can be distributed in tremendous quantities.
With the proper resources we can blanket an area, a nation or even the world with the truth of the gospel.
9. God anoints the published word just as He does the spoken word.
We continually recieve testimonies about how God used the things that have been written and recorded. People's lives have often been dramatically changed by what they have read - even healings have taken place when God anointed someone's use of the material. I once received a letter of testimony from a young housewife who had polio and been on crutches for six years. She had been sitting in her laundry room reading "Face Up With a Miracle". Without realizing that God had touched her as she read, she got up, walked over to the washing machine and was emptying out before she realized that she had left her crutches behind.
The Lord had healed her as she sat in the chair reading the book, God will anoint the published word just as He will anoint personal ministry.
10. Finally the published word preserves and provides a record of God's revelation to His people in our day.
Every generation has a responsibility to record it's own heritage of God's dealings with them. The published word preserves our heritage and leaves a legacy for generations to come.
We believe that by God's grace He has given us a unique ministry. The five of us - Charles Simpson, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Ern Baxter and myself - who by His design were joined together more than a decade ago, certainly don't have the only message God is speaking today. But we believe that He has given us a unique and distinct message, and we feel a deep responsibility as stewards of it. We have come to see that one way God can extend, bless and use our message is through the published word. So we ask your prayers and support to help us be faithful in the presentation of the ministry that God has entrusted to us.
3 comments:
Dan, In view of the speed with which everything is starting to move and the sort of retrospective summing up nature of these last 2 posts of yours, I would dearly love it if you would wade through this document I felt to write in 1989.Letter to the Charismatic Movement.It contains the blue print of where we are going. Where Rob and Ryan differ from myself is the distinct nature of the growth phases. Brought up on Watchman Nee in the 70s, I kind of believed like Ryan does and Tony Fitzgerald did in the 80s, that there was very little process...you just proceed by faith and that is it.In a very short time in 1974 -5 I was exposed to 2 seemingly opposite strands.The revelation of grace given to Maurice Smith, and then a spell in Germany with the Sisters of Mary at Darmstadt and more particularly Mother Basilea Schlink who preached on "going the Way of The Lamb, it is a way of great Power", and "Seeking the Face of God as did Jacob at Peniel". (I didn,t do too well as a nun,my knees were too knobbly, and my voice had broken)It is challenging to me that the Bible states quite clearly that the way through the wilderness in Moses day was an 11 day journey.Perhaps if everyone in the Body of Christ was like Ryan and Rob, none of us would have had any hardness of heart, and the 20 -40 year trek we have just done, could have been done in the 1970s. Morris Cerullo for instance, after a terrible terrible start in life as an orphan who almost committed suicide, was so blasted straight into the Glory level of operating(I say 3rd Level)...he has now been operating like that ever since for 60 years.I really believe Ryan is wrong when he dismisses Romans 7 as a mere chapter onto Romans 8. Romans 7 is as much an experience ,though seemingly negative,as baptism in the Spirit. For Peter, it was the totally shattering blitzing demolition of his pride in his standing, when he said to Jesus, ofcourse I will never deny you...what a ridiculous thought...how could you say such a thing...yet in 24 hours he had done exactly as Jesus said.Not once but 3 times to 3 different people. Smashed to pieces and feeling useless he went back to fishing, and couldn't even do that properly. Jesus had to say 3 times I forgive you. Remember He only had to say to Lazarus once "Come Out" and Lazarus was resurrected. So how low was Peter!!! So please don't give me this stuff about faith only. It's there in virtually every Bible character.
Even Jesus who was perfect, spent 40 days battling Satan in the Wilderness. Moses spent 40 years forgotten about in the wilderness.
Joseph was in a downward trajectory ending in prison...Paul spent his early years in the wilderness and Antioch with many people shying away from him because of his past,David not only was chased around the wilderness...but then even after all these dealings, went and committed adultery...then in his lowest state God raised him up to establish something closely resembling New Covenant worship in Old Covenant times. Paul Cain spent years serving his mum,even after having been part of the amazing 50s, for what I believe was his true calling...A Prophet who would call into being the New Breed...what I call a church grounded and moving in the 3rd Level...both its power, anointing, and its Bible revelations. When people pray for revival, they think of God bringing in more people...but also, every Move has its own new set of doctrines and revelations, which move the corporate Body of Christ further along in its Bridal status. In the 70s it was apostles, prophets and discipleship and things like that. What us 60s and 70s breed forget is that while we were coming in on the 70s wave, many saints who had come in on 1907 wave, and later waves, had already grown to 3rd level stature, and had formed the Apostolic Church movement, which went to all corners of the Earth. A huge number in Europe Africa New Zealand South America. Some of these in the 50s were Pioneering what us 2nd levellers described as heresy...The "Manchild" doctrines.
George Warnock saw the whole thing in blueprint form (which you have a link to) way back in the 50's ..but even Ern Baxter who had George as a secretary, couldn't quite twig what he was on about, so whereas Ern was the right man for us 2nd Levellers, George had to go back to cabinetmaking as a man before his time. Well the time has now come. And a bright light is now dawning in the Body of Christ, and people will see what George was on about....
I didn't mean to write all that so I'll leave off sending you the rest...actually it may be best as an email, but i've forgotten how to access it.
Hey Chris!
Many thanks for that prolonged comment, I found it absolutely fascinating to work through and think through - there's so much there to ponder on. Let me start by holding up my hands and admitting my complete lack of personal experience to a great degree! I'm only 30 years old (I have recently realised that not everyone knows that because of my profile picture being Ern Baxter himself when he was in his 80's!!).
While I was born in the 1970's and truly believe that I received a download of the Spirit while I was inside my mother as she worshipped at the Dales Bible Week 1977 and sat under Ern Baxter's ministry - I don't have any PERSONAL recollections and experience of those days. I vaguely remember my home church in Dunstable in it's glorious charismatic heights (memories of unending worship, every hand raised, soft singing in the Spirit ... sort of like heaven really!) - until hell arrived and the law clamped down and songs were replaced by hymns with no tune.
So I've had to collect, beg, borrow and steal documents about these past great times of revival. That's why I am always extremely excited to meet men such as yourself who DO remember these days - the good and the bad times - and why I love learning how the jigsaw puzzle fits together.
Why? Am I just a sad historian?
NO! Because I want to learn from our mistakes so that this time as we approach the Land, we won't make the same mistakes as our fore-fathers did and grieve the Holy Spirit and refuse to enter in, and so face going back into the wilderness (albeit with miracles to keep us going) but ultimately to die.
I got a few emails asking what on earth I was on about, writing a post like I did on; "Rob Rufus and the Withdrawing of the Glory". Lakeland, Florida has only just broken out so why on EARTH am I trying to figure out what will make the Spirit withdraw?!?! Well I hoped it would be obvious!! I want to work out what makes the Holy Spirit withdraw from a revival so that we DON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN!!
I know the prophecies from Lakeland Florida from men such as Bob Jones are saying that this time He is here in manifest glory for God and this thing is going world-wide, but I want to be ready for when it hits the United Kingdom in full force so that I personally do NOTHING to grieve Him!!!
Now after all that ... onto your post;
"I really believe Ryan is wrong when he dismisses Romans 7 as a mere chapter onto Romans 8. Romans 7 is as much an experience ,though seemingly negative,as baptism in the Spirit".
That's fair enough and you are very entitled to your view. I am grateful you addressed Romans 7 more from the "faith" point of view than the "gift of righteousness" point of view because I didn't address that. As you say - Romans 7 does address a definate experience - you argue as valid as the BHS. The question I guess I am thinking through is, is it VALID? Does God actually want us going through this turmoil of soul about SIN?
I am not in anyway suggesting we should all live triumphant, victorious lives free from sin and trouble, and upset. That's heaven isnt it?! But I am not sure whether Romans 7 where Paul is saying; "Oh wretched man that I am ... who will deliver me?!" - is an experience that we should be going through POST-conversion.
It sounds an awful lot like fear and doubt to me - why then would Jesus Christ Himself say so often; "Don't fear"?
But that small issue aside - I was very interested in your addressing how George Warnock may have been a man before his time. It's interesting how God often does that, isn't it - He gives men and women of God to the Church and the Church just simply isn't ready for them! But then decades, centuries later, we sit up and say "Ahh! That is what they are on about!!".
George Warnock was always spoken of very highly by Ern Baxter. In the "Life on Wings" interviews that are available online as a manuscript, Ern mentions him in relation to the "Latter Rain" outpouring. Which I think was connected to the "Man-child" teaching you were referring to.
Maybe it's time to re-visit George Warnock's teaching and start seeing it again in light of what is happening in FLorida!! I must admit - I printed out his book (that is again available online at his website) called "The Feast of Tabernacles". It's very thrilling!
Anyway - thanks again for all you shared and feel free to email me anytime. Great chatting!
I've forgotten how to email you...last time it was something to do with another site...maybe Rob Rufus.
Anyhow forget the bigger item Ill just try to say a bit more...
I reached screaming pitch in the mid 80s. I had an anointing to bring people into God's Presence on my flute, classical guitar or keyboard....yet in my personal life it was like a breakdown.Various personal issues. In the end I fasted 23 days. I was desperate. Finally, a little church incident when I was leading a drama group, made me determined to get to the bottom of things for both myself, and then to join up the dots in our (very good by the way) church in Emsworth. God is so frustrating sometimes. I found myself (like Rob) signing my second blank cheque with God. And as regards my questions about THE OTHERS...all God said was...the others are none of your business...Do YOU want to follow Me? So timidly I found myself saying yes....and from then on I was determined to follow the Holy Spirit no matter what. The first task He gave me was to pray every day for a paralysed girl in another town and another church...and it went on and on in different ways...culminating in being chucked out of church and the Song of Songs type 2nd Watchman treatment. Apparently Maurice Smith
had gone through something similar...so I tried phoning him. He was in the USA,but someone said I might be interested in going to a particular meeting. It turns out there were quite a few at the meeting who had been through similar searches, including the wife of another London worship leader, who I had just visited to learn more about the new Yamaha DX7,to do the Ern Baxter musical thing I told you about.As your blogs show, there are thousands out there who have been going through all this. Yes,one answer is more of the Presence of God, who breaks all strongholds in our life. But sometimes we need to "see more" in terms of biblical revelation. This is what I needed. Before I continue,
I'll give you more instances of the scale of the problem. And it is all summed up in the U2 song "I have talked with the tongue of angels but I still haven't found what I am looking for" (Incidentally I once proposed to the girl who led Bono to the Lord in his schooldays). Another instance was the son of the apostle used to establish Emsworth, Jordi Pradas son of the Argentine Catalunyan Jorge Pradas.
Jordi had a gift for doing what Joshua Mills does. Such anointing was upon him, that in the 80s Argentine stadium revivals his group was used more or less continually. But he told me afterwards, that even after doing all this , he was left profoundly empty, his heart aching for something more.
So what is the something more!!! Why do so many Christians hate themselves? What is going on!!!
Well...it's the Jacob syndrome. Jacob in the Bible knew how to move in the supernatural.He could faith in speckled sheep and striped sheep. He could "use faith" for his own gain...but there was something missing. There was something wrong with "him" or his idea of "him". In the Encounter at Peniel, God broke through the lie of the Independent self....and Jacob had a Name change.
It was the false delusion of an "independant Self", self-operating,and proudly declaring that no way was it ever going to let Jesus down...that got Peter into trouble . That's the point of Romans 7.It's an experience that exposes us to ourselves.I mean Jesus already knows about it. He already knows that since Genesis chapter 3 verse 5, we have sold our birthright of naturally living from God's own Life. We were sold a complete pup, of an independent "god in our own right kind of life", which is a complete delusion and is actually empowered by the devil himself. It is wrong on 2 counts. One,the devil has no life of his own anyhow. Anything he claims he has, he nicked from God anyway and turned it in on itself for selfish ends. Secondly as Bob Dylan "saw" instantly as a converted Jew in 1979 and wrote in his song"You've gotta serve somebody!!!" There is NO INDEPENDANT position.We are either plugged into God in our spirits and living from His Life...or we are plugged into the lie of a false separate position, which actually does not exist, and is actually the devil's falsehood operating through us. So this helps you to understand why Bob Dylan soon got cheesed off with Christianity as lived in charismatic circles...He as a Shakespeare type artist with lasar vision saw through the Christian world of people trying to live their Christian lives , still in the false delusion that they are "independant selves" trying desperately to measure up to God's standards. Obviously the grace message that Rob and Terry Virgo are preaching also shows up the futility of this, but it still doesn't go deep enough. Because the problem isn't the Law...but as God squeezes us into Romans 7 type situations...and it is Him...allbeit sometimes using his servant the Devil(as Ern used to say), we at last in utter desperation see the futility of us clinging onto the delusion of us living an independant Life...trying to fulfil the Law which we desperately want to do in our minds. So the end result is the same...that of Christ living His Life out through us and being the Law keeper for us, what Rob calls grace....but it has a little more to it than Rob teaches.On the way into the glory...or the 3rd level...or the holy of holies or
the "Man Child" birthed within us...or "The Land" or the Feast of Tabernacles or whatever whatever... on our way in is a little matter of the Altar of Incense, or "the Day of Atonement" depending which picture you are following....and everything that we held to be our life goes up in smoke. Ministries, that were so cocksure, about how they used to do things, are in these days having to reassess everything we thought we knew about coming into the Presence of God. People who have no credible names at all are being thrust into the limelight in these days.Like Todd. Last year God showed me a picture of the basketball players the Harlem Globetrotters. When they had the ball, they would move into manic routines, passing the ball like lightning between them, which so confused the other side, that it was easy for them to stretch up and score baskets. God said we are coming into a time like that as a Body. Different members of the Body would have their limelight moment and then the spotlight would move to someone else, and the devil would get so confused. There was nolonger a one man ministry.
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