Sunday, August 15, 2010

This is Not a Phase which is Passing!

I was out for a run today and was enjoying the newly converted Dales Bible Week worship to my iPod. One of my favourite "70's" songs is "I hear the sound of rustling". Here it is - the quality is poor and apologies for that. It comes from a 70's audio tape. But I love it;
The particular line that grabbed me was this;

"And this is not a phase which is passing - it's the sound of an age that is to come".

I love the passion with which the gathered thousands sung it and I found myself wondering where they are today and how they are today. I have no doubt whatsoever that the majority of them gathered at the Dales sung that song with all their hearts and believed it. But was the 70's a "phase that has passed?". Or have we been left with an incredible legacy? I felt there are two challenges;

1. To my parent's generation (those who were there at the Dales Bible Week).

Have you lost your "first love?". Have you lost the fire that so excited and motivated you during those incredible years in the 1970's? Yes - the Yorkshire showground is now empty - where thousands once sung their praises to God. Yes - the Stoneleigh showground is now empty - where even more worshipped and danced before the Lord. But the truths that were preached and the revelations that were shared during those days? Has heaven said they are no longer true? Parents - you need to remember and not forget what you experienced during those days.

Or this WILL become a "phase" - a happy memory that you think back to with nostalgia rather than a truth that will touch a world.

2. To our generation (those who grew up as "charismatic" babies).

Have we taken up the baton? Our parents passed on so much to us - many of the key teachers of that day are still faithfully teaching the Word of God - men such as Terry Virgo. True some such as Bryn Jones and Ern Baxter have been taken to glory already and are now cheering us on as heavenly witnesses. But have we watched and learned from much of the pioneering that took place during those days? What are we doing to take the spiritual inheritance to a waiting world? We can't just sit here and expect to continue to receive "daily manna" from our parents generation. It's time to get up and go out and get it ourselves!

It's time to see the nations burn with the fire of God - nothing short of that will see the "nations flow to Zion!".

4 comments:

Chris Welch - 07000INTUNE said...

we asked the same question
http://080808onnowto.blogspot.com/2009/02/its-here-we-planned-world-takeover.html

next thing God said seemed totally irrelevant : Learn Praise

What was that about? How was that in any way relevant to "out there nations"?

Well unbeknown to us God has to move the Ark into us. and maybe for a brief while around Dales we thought

We've arrived. The Ark has come. And as a taster maybe so.

but we never really realised that Praise is scarcely into the Tabernacle yet. "I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart"

there's all the rest to follow
the experience in our life of the brazen altar
the laver.....
and so on
until
the experience of having the Ark come to REST in us

both corporately and individually

and this REST experience the
Dales - Oldies are fighting toothe and nail against right now

preferring the relative safety
of charismatic networks and retreading old ground.

but the "nations" and the bigger stuff only happens a bit down the line once we are ESTABLISHED in the Spirit in Psalm 133 and Psalm 134. "Standing by night....and proclaiming a blessing...."

Sheila Atchley said...

Ah, this is my heart on a screen. Thank you for this challenge, Dan. It confirms what God is doing in my life and in our fellowship in this season!

Blessings!

Dan Bowen said...

You pair are two of my heroes who I thought about when I was writing this - two people who HAVEN'T forgotten and who HAVEN'T turned back on the glory of revelation that came out of those days! Thank you for accepting a cheeky challenge off this charismatic baby!

Andrew Kenny said...

The song brings back memories !Thanks!