Preach the Word!

I've just come back from a fantastic day spent in the historical city of Oxford. Scott and I both had the day off and decided to do something "different". Oxford is only an hour's drive away and somewhere I've visited once or twice (once in 2001 to hear John Piper speak at St Aldates and St Ebbes churches) but never to appreciate some of it's historical features.

One amazing place I was fascinated to visit was the famous Bodleian Library. It is the main research library in Oxford, one of the oldest libraries in Europe and second in size only to the British Library (some 11 million items!). I could have spent hours there. Why do libraries thrill me so? I think it is the historical marvel that words written down up to centuries ago can still be enjoyed, read and benefited from now.

Video tapes and audiotapes may erode and the spoken words of the sermon lost (one reason why I transcribe so much). But books manage to survive!

I've spent the last couple of days reading a novel I enjoy greatly - the series of books by Christopher Paolini about the character Eragon and his dragon Sapphira. At one point Eragon (the hero of the story) is severely hampered in his battle against evil because he doesn't have a sword. He tries out many inferior swords but ends up seeking the perfect sword made by elves which he calls "Fire". That always challenges me and reminds me of many Christians and Christian churches. Ephesians speaks of the "Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God". Spirit and Word are seen as an offensive weapon in our fight!

There is much to challenge our generation. I've just been absolutely thrilled to find hidden in the archives of the Martyn Lloyd-Jones Recording Trust - two sessions that Dr Lloyd-Jones held after he had finished speaking his famous "Preaching and Preachers" lectures in the USA. No one knew that after these lectures he held two Question and Answer sessions with the students -and the recordings were SAVED! (I will of course be transcribing them).

But Dr Lloyd-Jones is in glory. Terry Virgo and Stanley Jebb are in their sixties and seventies. Rob Rufus and Greg Haslam are in their fifties. Ern Baxter is in glory. Where are the young men and women of OUR generation ready to rise up and obey the Great Commission set by the risen Lord Jesus;

"Go into the world and preach the good news to all creation!".

Will our generation put down the words God speaks through preaching that can be set down in books for generations and centuries to come (if Jesus Christ doesn't return)? I have got a few things that I feel God is challenging me with that I may share in time - exciting days!

A Trip Round My (Much Smaller) Part of My Library.

I was stirred and enjoyed looking at the You-Tube videos posted by T4G having a tour round some of the celebrities such as MacArthur, Mark Dever and so on. I've always had a great love for books but these videos challenged me to sort my library out somewhat and make more use of the awesome resources that are available and should not be taken for granted!

So rather than posted a video (I thought that would be a bit pretentious) - here's a few pictures of what my library looks like.

So this is the "Ern Baxter" section to my library. Unsurprisingly I've devoted many years of my life to building up my collection of articles, sermons, New Wine Magazines (the pile in the bottom right of the photo) and audio tapes of this great hero of mine. The picture in the middle is of Ern sitting with some of the Dunstable elders when he came to visit in 1991 just before he went to glory.

This next picture is a couple of shelves down of the audio tapes with collections I've salvaged from my home church in Dunstable of old Restoration magazines and New Wine Magazines.

The next photo is of the collection of old Stoneleigh Bible Week videos and Brighton conference videos that I've collected as well as books on the Holy Spirit and the Charismatic Movement, gifts of the Holy Spirit and so on.

The next bookshelf is one of my favourite - all the Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, C H Spurgeon (although the majority of the Metropolitan Tabernacle volumes are housed in London).

It's been a busy few days tidying and sorting in - but made me so grateful to God for the servants He has given the Church over the centuries! The written word and the spoken word give us so many opportunities to learn more about the God that we love. But I say again - all the books and tapes in the world CANNOT replace a living encounter with God Himself. Rob Rufus said;

"I love the Bible and I preach the Bible and I believe the Word of God is of paramount importance but friends - we have got to love the Author of this Book. When Glenda was living away - she used to write to me and perfume her letters. But it is not the shadow - it was her I wanted to meet. I love reading the Scriptures but I want to know the Author! I want to encounter the Author!".

These books have got to act like clues - revealing little by little more of the One we love and adore!

A Way to Think about Christian Books

C J Mahaney has an excellent and accurate way of describing and thinking about Christian books - and one that I have held for some time. In his "study tour" video, he said;

"These are the individuals - dead and alive - who serve me. They are my friends, my teachers, my mentors and reading the volumes present here has made all the difference in my soul ... these are not just books, they are treasures".

I have had that thought for ages ever since I started buying Christian books back in university. I remember my first serious set of books was by C H Spurgeon and it grew from there. When I really enjoy a book and find the author is speaking to me about God, it is as though they are speaking and sitting in the same room with me. As Mahaney said; "They are my friends".

My best friends are writers like Ern Baxter who "though dead still speaks".

Works of Jonathan Edwards - Vol. 26 - Catalogues of Books

So the last volume in the Yale edition of the Works of Jonathan Edwards is slightly and very interestingly different - it's called a "Catalogue of Books" and really is just that - a catalogue. Yale describe it as;

"A notebook he kept of books of interest, especially titles he hoped to acquire, and entries from his “Account Book” a ledger in which he noted books loaned to family, parishioners, and fellow clergy".

Why on earth would a book like this be interesting to anyone but someone with a bibliophile bent?

1. It's interesting historically.

The editorial notes that the "Catalogue" affords us an expansive and insightful insight into eighteenth century America and the books available to Christians there. It notes that the colonials depended on developments across the Atlantic in Britain. Jonathan Edwards apparently was an avid newspaper reader. The editorial notes;

"Edwards abiding interest in "signs of the times" meant that he was an indefatigable source collector. Newspapers were one important source on the progress of God's Kingdom".

That last statement gripped me. Nowadays many Christians read newspapers to get glum about the state of the world. Jonathan Edwards read newspapers to "see if I could not find some news favorable to the interest of religion in the world". I love that!

2. It's interesting theologically.

Jonathan Edwards is recognised by most as a theological and spiritual hero. This volume is an incredible and exciting insight into what drove and what interested him.

The editorial notes;

"Edwards was firmly grounded in the Reformed scholasticism of his forebears. Like his father and grandfather he read what Cotton Mather called; "Good old Puritan Divinity".

I found this an interesting insight into Edwards working day;

"Despite his position as sole pastor to perhaps thirteen hundred people, Edwards tried to spend around thirteen hours a day alone in his study".

I wonder how many modern pastors manage that. How we may ask? The editorial says;

"He attempted to do this by minimizing pastoral visits except in emergencies - he judged himself better suited to the contemplative life - and even by skipping dinner with his family on many occasions. Bible study and sermon preparation occupied most of his time but he also added steadily to his "Miscellanies" and other notebooks".

I particularly identified with this comment in the editorial;

"Over the next three decades Edwards notebooks would increasingly reflect his omnivorous reading as he searched for intellectual allies and antagonists, sometimes copying long extracts from his latest book acquisition".

3. It is Stirring Spiritually.

I have frequently found myself personally struggling with my love for books and my desire for more of the Presence of God and more spiritual encounters. I love reading, I love studying, I love building a theological library - but then I see men and women of God like Rob Rufus who speak of having an encounter with the manifest Presence of God every day and I hunger for that so much! I feel such a spiritual pgymy in comparison! And a volume like this shows me that it does not have to be an opposing war - books in fact should testify of the amazing spiritual encounters and journeys that are available in the Christian life. And any books that do not are not worth reading.

Gone are the days when we had to choose between "Word and Spirit" - as Terry Virgo says in this wonderful video, we can have both!

Terry Virgo: Being Reformed and Charismatic from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

A Reference Request .... !

Hey up people! I'm sure I should be doing something festive because this is the weekend before Christmas. But without wanting to sound grinch-like - I'm not actually feeling very festive! Plus my take is that while of course we can celebrate the Incarnation and think of the Lord Jesus coming into the world to take on humanity, I don't like the retail drive that demands we virtually bankrupt ourselves to show "love" to our nearest and dearest.

Maybe the Christmas spirit will sneak up on me sometime this week .... but anyhow this post is a very short request to the C J Mahaney/SGM fans out there. I read this quote by himself this week and can't track down where/when he said it.

Could anyone help? Many thanks!

"Even on our best day - we are shot full of sin".

I found it on the "Spiritual Tyranny" blog - that takes a somewhat satirical look at authority in general.

A Vital Principle To Live By

I was thrilled to get a seven volume present from my parents for my birthday - "Tracts and Letters of John Calvin - 7 Volume Set". In the introduction there is a fascinating comment about Calvin himself;

"The leading principle of Protestantism - the paramount authority and perfect sufficiency of Scripture - he (Calvin) undoubtedly did hold and strenuously inculcate, but he also venerated the early Fathers of the Church and scarcely ever omitted an opportunity of strengthening his views by showing how well they accorded with theirs".

Many people often ask why I quote so much from heroes. It's for this simple reason. I love and appreciate the Word of God. It is indeed perfectly sufficient. But we who are at the climax of the consummation of the ages have an awesome gift in church history - the "cloud of witnesses" - who have gone before us and who have written down their words and still speak even though dead.

We ignore them surely at our peril.

On Reading C H Spurgeon and Sermons ...

I'm not a very patient Christian bookshopper. Many go into a Wesley Owen or a CLC and browse happily and slowly. I rush in like a whirlwind and sweep the shelves and usually leave without buying anything. I don't have much patience for the majority of Christian books - to me they tend to be either rubbishy Christian novels or dry, dead theology (a misnomer surely). I lament spending lunch hour after lunch hour scanning the shelves and leaving empty-handed.

I think that partly explains why I invest so much time in transcribing sermons. My thought is that there is no point in moaning about a lack of quality Christian books if you don't write your own.

But that's an aside. I was thrilled last week to find a treasure in CLC which I duly brought. Day One Publications have brought out a volume; "C H Spurgeon's Sermons Beyond Volume 63". I'm an avid collector of the "Metropolitan Tabernacle" volumes and have about 20 or so to go. This volume has produced 45 "forgotten" sermons that have been transcribed and edited. Phil Johnson wrote the foreword and made a valuable point;

"Years ago a student just entering seminary visited my office and noticed that two large shelves behind my desk are filled with the New Park Street Pulpit and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit collections, which he had never seen in their entirety. He was fascinated by the set. Thumbing through a random volume, he observed out loud what almost everyone nowadays would notice first of all; by today's standards the books are very thick, the type quite small and the paragraphs surprisingly long.

The student looked up from the book he was holding and asked whether I had read every sermon in all sixty three volumes. I told him I had not (and still haven't) and that reading Spurgeon is a pleasure I expect to savour with care and patience, sermon by sermon for the rest of my life ... I explained that I don't read Spurgeon chronologically. I select sermons to read based on whatever passage of Scripture I am studying at any given time. I wouldn't think of preaching on a passage until I have seen what Spurgeon had to say about it ... He almost never fails to shine a bright light into some dark corner of the text showing me things I would not have seen otherwise".

I know that not everyone is a Spurgeon fan but a few thoughts occured to me;

1. In the Christian book saturated market - have we abandoned the use of "books of sermons"?

2. If you are a pastor/teacher/preacher - have you considered how your ministry will outlive you? It's unlikely that CD's or sermon tapes will do. Do not hide behind the facade of "humility". God gave you a gift for a purpose - do you really believe that only your generation is meant to be exposed to your gift? If you are not then you are robbing future generations. Are you writing? Are you commissioning some to transcribe your sermons?

3. We all know the "classic" books of sermons. C H Spurgeon of course being one of them. John Calvin is another. James Montgomery Boice is a more modern classic. But what about the gifted and modern preachers of today that God is using? Greg Haslam listed his favourite preachers in a recent interview;

"But I regularly try to hear sermons by A W Tozer (a true prophet for today, who died in 1963), Tim Keller (a church-planter in New York, and evangelistic pastor-teacher par excellence), Mark Driscoll (a modern-day Spurgeon!), Terry Virgo, David Pawson (prophetic teachers), past greats like Lloyd-Jones, Eric Alexander and John Stott (great expositors), as well as some people you may not have heard of like Rick Godwin and Ern Baxter".

Ern Baxter for example does not have much in print of his sermons - that is exactly the reason why I try to transcribe the sermons of his that I have. Just the same for Rob and Ryan Rufus.

Let's not forget sermons! They can accomplish much in opening to us the gospel of glory and grace!

New Nature Publications - UK!!

I am thrilled to announce;

Ryan Rufus has very kindly allowed me to become the U.K distributor for "New Nature Publications" - the publishing arm of City Church International in Hong Kong. They have only just begun so at present there are 2 books by Ryan Rufus available and Rob Rufus's latest book - "Invading the Impossible". But this is expected to grow!

Of course people in the UK are still more than welcome to order through the website from Hong Kong but if you would like to save the time and travel of international postage then please do contact me on: CharismaticDan@yahoo.com.

I've got supplies of Ryan Rufus's two books; "Sanctification by Grace" and "Do Christians Still Have a Sinful Nature?". Ryan has also just posted supplies of Rob's book; "Invading the Impossible". Please do contact me if you would like orders for yourself or for your church. Over the next few weeks Ryan's allowed me to send complimentary copies to church leaders to see the message of grace spread. I'm hugely excited! The United Kingdom so needs this message of grace! Don't miss out on this opportunity!

New Nature Publications!!

I am so tremendously excited to report that Ryan Rufus's new publishing company - "New Nature Publications" - has just gone live on the internet offering an awesome vision along with products and resources from City Church International and others to "rain grace upon the nations"!

Ryan's two incredible books; "Sanctification by Grace" (that I've just finished reading for the tenth time!) and "Do Christians Still Have a Sinful Nature?" are available there along with ...

A new book by Rob Rufus called "Invading the Impossible!"

The vision is this;

"The vision of New Nature Publications is to provide an ever increasing amount of grace resources to churches and people across the planet and to see those churches and people come into the fullness of His glorious grace. Our desire is that the lost will find these resources irresistible as well, as they encounter gracious grace filled people who are getting these resources out!"

I do urge you all to go have a browse! This is an awesome answer to prayer for all those who hunger and long for a people of reality and grace to arise in the earth and start showing the lost that not all religion is hypocrisy and legalism!

Dr Stanley Jebb Hits the Blogging World!!

I've just come back from a blessed day of fellowship with two childhood friends - Mark Heath and J-D Laurence - in Bristol and their respective families. We spent many happy hours discussing theology and the past and our church experiences. One of the most exciting pieces of news that Mark told me was that my prayers have been answered and my former senior pastor has given in to popular demand and has begun a website/blog!

It's here;

"Alethinos Reflections"

One of his first posts is absolute vintage Stanley Jebb - "Books and Reading". He writes;

"A minister must read. A leader must be a reader. The Apostle Paul sent for the books and the parchments (2 Timothy 4:13). But there are three obstacles to overcome if a minister is to read much: the money to buy them, the time to read them, and the choice of what to read from the vast choice available".

This emphasis from Dr Jebb was one of the things that convinced me to join Mark Heath and set up a "Quotes Blog" and read with the purpose of absorbing other men and women's wisdom and using it and not allowing said ministries to fade into history.

It will most certainly be a blog I am following and recommend it highly for readers who want a high quality, Reformed, teaching blog full of years of experience and wisdom. My parents are having them to lunch tomorrow and I can't wait to hear what was discussed!

The Call is To Publish!!

This post has been brewing for quite some time and it was prompted by a rather aggressive person who emailed me. They obviously don't like me or what I do or something and asked why I "waste so much time typing other people's stuff ... is it because I've got nothing to say myself?". Ha ha! Well ... anyone who knows me well will know that I never shut up. But underneath the aggression I felt there was a fair point there. Why DO I spend so much time "typing other people's 'stuff'?". It's for a good reason and it all began with a prophecy that Pete Day had many years ago soon after we had met.

The context was when I was living in my parents in Bristol and Pete came to visit me. As is our custom we spent time in my bedroom together praying and waiting on God and suddenly out of the blue, Pete prophesied that "the call was to publish". We didn't really know what it meant. At the time we were thinking about the vast amount of Ern Baxter tapes I had in my possession and felt that God was asking that I begin typing it up. I did so and have published several series of Ern Baxter's sermons including some interviews called "Life on Wings". Also a series of sermons that he preached at our church's Anglia Bible Week called "The Priestly Clothing".

That call has broadened slightly into typing up Rob Rufus's incredible ministry which is here on the "Rob Rufus - Grace and Glory!" blog. So why do it?

To explain that I want to use an analogy from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I know - I love shocking people! I've used analogies from computer games (apologies to Chris!) and from pop songs. Now Harry Potter. I make no apology for the fact that I love these series of books. I don't believe at all that they are a tool of the devil to try and tempt young people into witchcraft but rather a useful circumstance that demonstrates the thirst for the supernatural. I'm guessing most who read this blog won't know what I am talking about so I will try and explain. Please bear with me and I think you will understand why the analogy is so appropriate.

Most know I am sure that Harry is a wizard and spends most of the books at a place called "Hogwarts School". What some may not know is that an unusual feature of the school is that virtually every wall in the school is lined with portraits of those long-gone. But those portraits have the ability to talk and move about in their frames. They can speak with each other and the one viewing the portrait. They can also move from frame to frame through the school. However the portraits in the Headmaster's office - Professor Albus Dumbledore - are even more useful. Here's a short video clip to demonstrate what I mean:

The portraits can move to other locations (a house called Grimmauld Place and a hospital called St Mungos) but more specifically they; "are honour-bound to give service to the present headmaster". There is one point in the stories when Harry is coming up to Professor Dumbledore's office and he hears a lively conversation going on. However when he enters the office he founds only Dumbledore there and realises that Dumbledore has been conversing with the portraits. I could never figure out why this part of the story fascinated me and my proposition is this;

There is a wonderful similarity between the portrait concept and Christian books.

How so?

Hebrews 11:4; "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks".

There is a sense in which those who have taken the time to capture their God-given ministry in book form can still speak to us down through the ages of church history even though they are in glory. It truly bothers me when I see gifted men and women alive today who have absolutely no interest in writing or in taking steps to preserve their ministry. I know that Dr Lloyd-Jones was resistant to writing out of a sense of true humility and I am sure that is probably the main reason why many do not.

For example it is my opinion that Dr Stanley Jebb is one of the most gifted preachers of God's Word in the United Kingdom today and I (along with others I am sure) have pleaded with him to write. He hasn't yet done so and it is my genuine fear that his ministry will be lost to history when he goes to glory. I pleaded with another former hero of mine to consider writing and he told me that he preferred "chatting over coffee". Again another ministry that may be lost and forgotten. I have always lamented the fact that Ern Baxter didn't write more books than he did or that his spiritual sons did not take steps to ensure that his ministry was written down.

What about audio and video ministry you may say? Well that's true - we have much to thank the Charismatic Movement for the appearance of audio ministry. It's incredible that Rob Rufus can preach a sermon in Hong Kong and a few hours later I can hear it here in the United Kingdom! But I considered the pros and cons of audio ministry a few years back and noted;

Benefits of the Spoken Word.

1. It is Accessible.

Many busy church members who have careers or jobs do not simply have the time to sit down with a book and read it and absorb it. The cassette tape enabled the message to be heard in commuters cars, while a housewife was cleaning and cooking or even when one was gardening.

2. It is Affordable.

Many quality hardback books are becoming more and more expensive with the average Banner of Truth book ranging from £15 upwards. More scholarly commentaries cost even more - sometimes upto £75. The cassette tape has traditionally always costed at most £3. This means that anyone - practically anyone - can afford it and ensure the material spoken is preserved and heard again and again. Furthermore most ministries make their MP3's free online nowadays.

3. It is Ascendible.

The cassette tape often preserves the "live atmosphere" of a meeting that is not always possible in a book format. Particularly in the heady days of the 1970's when the Charismatic Renewal was at its height, thousands of tapes of the Dales Bible Week and other conferences would go flying around the world. When listening to a tape, you can almost picture yourself present and there, and something of the spirit of the meeting is preserved.

Cons To the Spoken Word.

1. It is Easily Forgotten.

While the audiotape is easily accessible, it is often possible to hear a particuarly moving quote or outstanding point and if one is involved in other activities, it is sometimes almost impossible to re-wind the tape and hear the quote again. Or when re-accounting the message to friends or family, it is sometimes very hard to remember the exact quote made.

2. It is Easily Lost.

Despite the advent of the CD, it is still extremely hard to identify and find material on the tape that one wishes, whereas in a book - the pages can be flipped and the quote traced and found.

3. It is Easily Destroyed.

Audiotapes unfortunately do deteriorate with time and re-playing. While we are very grateful for the CD and the added bonus it brings, it is unquestionable that it is a massive project to transfer much of the material from the Charismatic Renewal of the 1970's onto CD or MP3's. Therefore there is a significant risk that much material may be lost from that particular moving of God.

So my feeling is that we need both to fully benefit from ministries past and present in the church! Why am I such a bibliophile? Because at times while sitting in my study or in Pete Day's office and sitting surrounded by books from wall to wall and from floor to ceiling - I feel like I am indeed surrounded by "so great a cloud of witnesses". And when I have a problem with Christian life or with church life - there are plenty of great men and women to go to and seek advice from! Rob Rufus's teaching has pointed me to verse after verse in the Bible that I taken a new look at. But there are so many great men sitting "on my bedroom wall" waiting to advise on their thoughts about the Word of God! I've checked out what Rob has said with the Puritans of the 17th and 18th centuries, with Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, with John Stott, with C H Spurgeon.

Stanley Jebb pointed me to one of the best C H Spurgeon quotes on books. Commenting on 2 Timothy 4:13;

"How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a man to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, "GIVE THYSELF UNTO READING."

The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. We are quite persuaded that the best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying".

So I hope that gives a little insight into why I spend so much of my time transcribing mainly Ern Baxter and Rob Rufus's ministry. It was a response to the prophetic call from Pete Day and (as yet) I haven't heard the word "stop". I really enjoy doing it and find tremendous satisfaction from it. And I am utterly convinced and determined that Ern Baxter and Rob Rufus should not be forgotten to history. The revelation and anointing on their lives is just too important. Though Ern is dead - he must still speak. And most thrillingly of all - Rob Rufus is not bound by faux humility and has spoken of "books inside him that need to be written". Do you have Christian books? Make use of them! They are a true gift from God!

1970's and 80's Charismatic Resources

I remember one of the first times that Pete Day and I visited my favourite bookshop in London -Geneva Books - I was fascinated to talk to the gentleman who owns it. He is elderly but has a wealth of experience and I usually end up talking to him as much as I do sorting through the treasure trove of books for treasures! For those who haven't heard me mention this bookshop before, it is the largest collection of Reformed and evangelical books in the UK I believe and the cheapest!

But in one comment the owner mentioned that he had a past in the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement and had built up a considerable private collection of books that (regretfully) weren't for sale and he kept in a private bedroom somewhere in the large house. You can imagine I wished for a moment I was invisible and could go and have a peek!

Well ... recently I have thrillingly re-acquainted myself with my childhood friend J-D Laurence who is training for the ministry in Bristol. We exchanged a number of emails and most of them centrered around our interest in our charismatic heritage. J-D and myself are in a rather unique position in terms of being able to remember when our home church was charismatic and moving in things of the Spirit but also to be able to remember the transition from that. Many younger than us don't remember anything. And many older than us are uncomfortable discussing it.

So I to put together all my books, tapes and magazines that I have on the Charismatic Movement and make a page of resources that I primarily can take down to Bristol when I meet J-D but also keep for interest sake.

Books;

"Pre-Dales Bible Week 1977 Conference - Question and Answer Session" - Ern Baxter, Arthur Wallis and Bryn Jones - personally transcribed.

"Dales Bible Week 1977 Ministry - Binding the Strongman" - Dr Ern Baxter - personally transcribed

"God's World Purpose" - Dr Ern Baxter

"Secular Humanism - Man Striving to Be God" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"Thy Kingdom Come" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"Life on Wings" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The Measure of Faith" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"I Almost Died!" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The Beginnings of Church Life" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The Beginnings of Christian Life" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The King, the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"God's Agenda" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"Vintage Years - New Wine Articles (1969-1979)" - Dr Ern Baxter, Charles Simpson, Don Basham, Derek Prince and Bob Mumford.

"No Well Worn Paths" - Terry Virgo

"From Refreshing to Revival" - Terry Virgo, David Holden and John Hosier

"Receiving the Holy Spirit and His Gifts" - Terry Virgo

"Does the Future Have a Church?" - Terry Virgo

"Restoration in the Church" - Terry Virgo

"The Tide is Turning" - Terry Virgo

"Divided We Stand?" - Gerald Coates

"What on Earth is This Kingdom?"- Gerald Coates

"An Intelligent Fire" - Gerald Coates

"Worship - a Heart for God?" - Bryn Jones

"The Radical Church - Restoring the Apostolic Edge" - Bryn Jones

"Revive Us Again!" - Bryn Jones, Terry Virgo, Arthur Wallis, David Mansell et al

"Restoring the Kingdom" - Dr Andrew Walker

"Apostolic Networks in Britain - New Ways of Being Church" - William K Kay

"House Churches - Will They Survive?" - John Noble

"These are Not Drunken as Ye Suppose" - Howard Ervin

"The Pentecostal Reality" - J Rodman Williams

"Renewal Theology - 3 Volumes" - J Rodman Williams

"Prophecy" - Bruce Yocum

"To the Praise of His Glory" - David Fellingham

"Christ's Radiant Church" - John Hosier

Magazines:

1. New Wine Magazine

New Wine Magazine - June 1969 - "New Wine in New Wineskins".

New Wine Magazine - October 1969 - "Empty Tomb - Jerusalem".

New Wine Magazine - November 1969 - "A Body Thou Hast Prepared".

New Wine Magazine - December 1969 - "Baptism".

New Wine Magazine - January 1970 - "Christian Television".

New Wine Magazine - January 1971 - "A Highway for the Lord".

New Wine Magazine - January 1974 - "Morals and Ethics".

New Wine Magazine - February 1974 - "Unity".

New Wine Magazine - November 1974 - "The Holy Spirit".

New Wine Magazine - January 1975 - "And He Shall Reign".

New Wine Magazine - February 1975 - "Deception".

New Wine Magazine - March 1975 - "Holiness".

New Wine Magazine - April 1975 - "Prayer".

New Wine Magazine - September 1975 - "Becoming a Servant".

New Wine Magazine - October 1975 - "The Restoration of Manhood".

New Wine Magazine - January 1976 - "Grace".

New Wine Magazine - February 1976 - "The Body of Christ".

New Wine Magazine - June 1976 - "Yielding to Change".

New Wine Magazine - July/August 1976 - "Evangelism; Personal and Global".

New Wine Magazine - October 1976 - "Unforgiveness".

New Wine Magazine - December 1976 - "Christmas".

New Wine Magazine - January 1977 - "Prophecy".

New Wine Magazine - March 1977 - "Binding the Strongman".

New Wine Magazine - July/August 1977 - "Kansas City Conference".

New Wine Magazine - September 1977 - "Overcoming Rejection".

New Wine Magazine - October 1977 - "Jesus Exalted" - Conference Transcripts.

New Wine Magazine - January 1978 - "Balancing the Goodness and the Severity of God".

New Wine Magazine - February 1978 - "Embracing Suffering".

New Wine Magazine - March 1978 - "Overcoming Fear".

New Wine Magazine - December 1978 - "Fruit".

New Wine Magazine - February 1979 - "Secular Humanism - Part 1".

New Wine Magazine - March 1979 - "Secular Humanism - Part 2".

New Wine Magazine - January 1980 - "Preparing for the 80's".

"New Wine Magazines - Ern Baxter Articles" - Collated Articles by Ern Baxter from New Wine Magazines - 1975+ - Personally Collated.

2. Restoration Magazines.

DVD's and Videos

"Rumours of Revival" - Interviews with Stanley Jebb, R T Kendall, Terry Virgo and Bryn Jones

"Derek Prince - the Man Behind the Ministry" - DPM

"In Depth with Terry Virgo" - God TV

"The Story So Far" - Terry Virgo Ministry Video at Stoneleigh Bible Week 1998

Audio Tapes

Although I have a large number of particularly ministry tapes by Ern Baxter and by Terry Virgo and by Stanley Jebb I have selected the tapes which give particular insight or teaching into the Charismatic Movement and the era of the 1970s and 80s.

Dr Ern Baxter

1. “The King and His Army” Series from the Lakes Bible Week 1975.

Note: This was the series of sermons referred to by Terry Virgo at Brighton 2004.

- The Head and Shoulders Man.

- The Decline and Death of the Head and Shoulders Man.

- Transition from One King to Another.

- The Army.- From Hebron to Zion!

2. “Where Are We Going?” Series from the Dales Bible Week 1976.

- Session 1 – “A Crisis Beginning”.

- Session 2.

- Session 3 – “Miraculous Living”.

- Session 4.

- Session 5.

- Session 6.

- Session 7 – “The Land, Located and Described”.

- Session 8.- Session 9 – “The Kadesh Crisis”.

3. “The Priestly Clothing” Series from the Anglia Bible Week 1983.

- Session 1 – “A Kingdom of Priests”.

- Session 2 – “The Linen Breeches”.

- Session 3 – “The Coat of Fine Linen”.

- Session 4 – “The Robe of the Ephod”.

- Session 5 – “The Ephod”.

- Session 6 – “Strange Fire”.

Terry Virgo

"The Story so Far" - Stoneleigh Bible Week 1998

"David and Saul - Part 1" - Brighton Leaders Conference 2004

"David and Saul - Part 2" - Brighton Leaders Conference 2004

Dr Stanley Jebb

I should note Dr Jebb has publicly changed his opinions on the majority of the content in the tapes below. However there are still remarkable insights into the Word of God and stellar Bible teaching which is why I have them.

"Reformed Doctrine and Charismatic Experience" - Life in the Spirit Conference 1987

"Charismatic Experience in a Reformed Church" - Life in the Spirit Conference 1985

"Ephesians 4 Ministries" - Life in the Spirit Conference 1986

So there they all are. Maybe not as big a collection as this mysterious one housed in London at Geneva Books but certainly some of my favourite and well-read. They keep reminding me that my childhood memories of my parents standing with arms raised worshipping God in Spirit and truth was not a dream. They remind me that hearing other church members bringing strange sounding prophecies and tongues was not heresy but was actually sowing seeds of a desire and a hunger for authentic New Testament church. They remind me that was indeed a season of refreshing from God - not to go back to and stagnate but to pass by and exceed seeking to do the works Jesus did and greater works also!

A Book Review by Dr Stanley Jebb!

When Stanley Jebb recommends a book everyone would do well to take notice particularly if he thinks well of it, for Dr Jebb taught us from when we were children that the "unexamined opinion is hardly worth holding". One of the main reasons I enjoy taking "Evangelicals Now" newspaper is to see if Dr Jebb has reviewed any book (as he does every now and then). I was not disappointed this month. He reviewed "Atonement Matters" by Tom Barnes.

Here it is:

Deception and Discernment or Misery and Morality?

I came home today to visit my family for a belated birthday celebration and had an absolutely lovely time with them. I was thrilled to receive two Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones books that I can't wait to get reading. His final book in his Romans series: "Life in Two Kingdoms" and also his fifth volume in his series on the Book of Acts entitled: "Authentic Christianity - Acts 7". My family know me so well!

However while I've been socialising with my parents we have had some very interesting chats mainly centered around the gospel of grace and legalism. One such conversation was provoked by a Christmas newsletter I was rather distressed to find, pick up and read from someone. The individual wrote:

"The recent debacle of the so-called "Lakeland Revival" under Todd Bentley and his subsequent fall from grace should have jolted some Christians into thinking seriously".

The writer then went on to recommend two books - one of which was edited by C J Mahaney entitled; "Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World". So the question that I put and we discussed at some length was this phrase: "Fallen from grace". What does it mean? Christianity traditionally uses it against Christians who have sinned morally in some way. But as Rob Rufus among others shows quite clearly - to use the phrase in such a way is totally unbiblical and misleading.

"Fallen from grace" is found when Paul writes his letter to Galatians in Galatians 5:4 and he writes:

"You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace".

Paul is writing - as is well known - to the Galatian church who began in the true gospel of grace and ended up in a gospel of works. He did not have any commendation for them and was extremely angry. So the apostle Paul does not apply the term; "Fallen from grace" to Christians (such as the Corinthians as one might think) who have fallen morally. Rather he sees legalistic Christians who are seeking to be justified by law - THEY are the ones who have fallen from grace.

In writing to the Corinthian church (who had fallen morally as is well known) Paul at the start of both letters (1 Corinthians 1:3 and 2 Corinthians 1:2) actually uses the phrase: "Grace ... to you"! A well-known old hymn speaks of the wonder of what happened at the Cross of Christ to our sin:

"My sin, 0 the bliss of this glorious thought - My sin, not in part but in whole - Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more - Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 0 my soul!"

So has Todd Bentley "fallen from grace"? By no means - rather I hope and pray that at this moment he has found that underneath are the "everlasting arms of grace" and that his beloved Father will not let him rest until he is back in God's will for his already remarkable life. May Todd Bentley know this Christmas that "grace and peace" is coming to him and the question from heaven is: "Don't you know that you are light?".

The question is rather - are such legalists aware that by attempting to gain approval with God through the keeping of the law that THEY are the ones who have fallen from grace? May they too re-find the wonder of their first love when they realised that it: "Is BY GRACE you are saved - THROUGH FAITH and that NOT OF YOURSELVES - it is the GIFT of God".

I can't resist ending this post without quoting from my new Dr Lloyd-Jones book: "Authentic Christianity - Acts 7". A lot of the discussion that I've so enjoyed and benefited from was about how we work through sanctification now we are justified. We discussed the pros and cons of "accountability groups". We talked about the Puritan view of "Mortifying sin" and generally the whole question - how do we grow more like Jesus Christ? Should I be going out and buying these books on "Worldliness" that teach me about modesty and what clothes I should wear? About music and what singles I should listen to and buy? Dr Lloyd-Jones presents a powerful and refreshing alternative:

"What does Christianity offer? Is it an exhortation to you to live a better life? Is it the business of preaching to tell you; "Stop drinking. Stop committing adultery. Don't do this and that. Try to pull yourself together. Read good books. Get a little moral uplift. Gradually make yourself a better person"? A thousand times - no! That is no message: we cannot do it!".

The thing I love about Dr Lloyd-Jones - like any expert clinician - is that he does not tell you what not to do and leave you floundering. He presents the correct view.

"What is it then? Well, as you saw, our Lord puts it so plainly to Nicodemus: "You must be born again". That is the message and it is about a miracle. We cannot be improved. We need the miracle of a rebirth, a regeneration, a new nature, a new creation. The God who created us all at the beginning is going to create us anew, make new people of us and here is the hope and the only hope.

The gospel is not the proclamation of a moral reformation".

Or as Rob Rufus puts it - "The Gospel is not about right living but right believing".

"But of regeneration and life in the Spirit. It offers us a new start, a new beginning; it offers us a new power, which is the 'power of God unto salvation'. It offers us power to live the remainder of our lives in this world and at the end it promises us a like conquest over death, a glorious resurrection and an eternity in the Presence of God. It is not ... a moral, ethical scheme; it is not a political scheme; it is nothing less than the re-creating work of the almighty God. It is a miracle. It is supernatural. It is divine action from beginning to end.

THIS is the message of the Christian gospel of salvation!".

Let's never forget that. We all aim I am sure - legalists and non alike - to become more like Jesus Christ. But the fact is that the Bible is very clear in how that can most effectually be accomplished. So people of the Word (if that's what we claim to be) let's be truthful to the Word of God and realise that there is nothing more abhorent to God Himself that attempting to gain a standing with Him by our own works of the flesh.

Aspects of Knowing the Manifest Presence of God!!

I've just come back from almost a week down in Cornwall visiting Myriddin - a dear friend of mine that I haven't seen for a while. We had an incredible time chatting about all sorts of things mainly about knowing God. I haven't seen him since I came into contact with Rob Rufus and his ministry from Hong Kong. I took him on the internet and showed him all sorts of quotes and also Rob's prophetic song that he brought during the "Miracle Healing Weekend". Myth was really impacted with what he heard and hopefully will be able to come with us to "Grace and Glory Conference" in Hong Kong next year!

Facing 4 or 5 hours on the train was made slightly less hideous by taking two new books again mainly centred around knowing God. They were from different theological positions but I found myself hugely encouraged along the same path after reading them both. The first was a large hardback book called; "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" by Thomas R Schreiner. There is an amazing section on the "Holy Spirit" which is almost equal to Gordon Fee's outstanding; "God's Empowering Presence". I will be posting quotes here throughout this evening.

The second book was called "The Seer - The Prophetic Power of Visions, Dreams and Open Heavens" by Jim W Goll. It was particularly looking at ways of experiencing God personally and corporately and very similar to Todd Bentley's book; "The Reality of the Supernatural World: Exploring Heavenly Realms and Prophetic Experiences". Again there were some quotes most worthy of remembering. But what impressed me the most was that the foreword to Jim Goll's book said this;

"We live in a day when all too many "scholars" and even believers have reduced the Word of God to a purely rational and logical explanation. Granted the Word of God appears as reasonable and logical in it's unfolding to the human mind; provided that the mind is surrendered, yielded and in the process of being transformed by the Spirit!".

That I think is a fair enough comment that few would have a problem with. I approached Schreiner's book with a degree of suspicion that this would be a more objective approach to knowing God as written by the said scholar - rational and logical. However I was thrilled to read that on the one hand Schreiner rightly states;

"The Holy Spirit's role in the writing of Scripture is one example of the alliance between the Spirit and the Word. The Spirit speaks through the written word of Scripture and the human authors of Scripture spoke their words under the aegis of the Holy Spirit".

A typical reformed statement some might say. However he also goes on to speak about;

"We should also observe that Jesus described the whole of His ministry here, so that every dimension of His work depended on the anointing power of the Spirit. Every good work detailed in Luke stems from the Spirit Himself. Jesus truly was the bearer of the Spirit, the Man marked out by the Spirit, the man uniquely strengthened by the Spirit".

Theology does not have to be guilty of "dry and dead orthodoxy"! Oh for more scholars that are not afraid or intimidated to recognise that the Holy Spirit is a Person and is more than free to act as He will and when He will and how He will! Perhaps if we could see more of this mind-set grafted into the evangelical church then our mission would advance more rapidly walking not in word only but in power and in signs and wonders!

I Went Shopping in Wesley Owen ...

I am and have been trying to limit my Christian book shopping since our large spacious 2-bedded apartment in Birmingham is bursting to the seems with Christian books such as Lloyd-Jones, Owen, Goodwin and Spurgeon. But when I popped into Birmingham's Wesley Owen - I saw two books and a DVD I couldn't resist buying!

1. "Journey into the Miraculous" by Todd Bentley.

2. "The Reality of the Supernatural World" by Todd Bentley.

3. Morningstar "Baptisms of Fire" DVD by Todd Bentley.

I'm flying off on holiday on Monday for a weeks much needed holiday somewhere hot in the Med - so this shall be my holiday reading! Book reviews to come! It will be great to actually read something of a man I have been watching with such interest.

"The Power of the Printed Word" by Don Basham

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.

"A Sleeping Giant" by Bob Mumford

from New Wine Magazine - July 1982

"Recently the Lord clearly reminded me of something the apostle James said; "Although ships are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder" (James 3:4). Then He added,

"Just as surely as the ship can be turned by the rudder, so the Church can be turned by the prophetic word".

And with that word from God came a tremendous gift of faith into my spirit. Much of the Church seems to have surrendered our nation and our future to the devil, giving in to the despairing attitude, "It's bad and it's getting worse". But the prophetic burden I feel these days is that God wants to help us awaken the sleeping giant that is the Church, stirring that sleeping giant by His prophetic word, so that just as a rudden turns a huge ship, we can change the direction we are going. If God will help us to publish the prophetic word as He was saying it, I have no doubt in my own heart that even the nations of the world can be turned towards God and His Kingdom.

The task is ours. And to help us understand some of the unique opportunities we have for fulfilling this task, I want to make a few brief observations about what is happening in our society today;

1. An increasing collapse of confidence in the academic community.

Little by little a college degree is meaning less. The academic world has promised much and delivered little and gradually the tremendous hope once placed in the academic world is being eroded. The problems facing us are not primarily educational, but moral and spiritual.

2. A continuing rise of the occult and the demonic.

Interestingly enough, this increase is apparantly forcing the Church to find answers. Many churches that previously avoided the supernatural realm of ministry are now beginning to ask questions because of the extent of demonic activity.

3. The failure of the "isms".

Communism is failing. It is no longer the irresistable monster that we have feared would gobble up the world. The Communists have made promises but they have failed to deliver and little by little all over the world the whole Communist empire is beginning to shake. Secular humanism is also failing as people are beginning to understand that our hope cannot be based on the human race.

4. The "sixties generation" is like a sleeping tiger.

I feel very deeply in my spirit that there is an entire generation of young people who have refused empty religion and are hungr for something real and alive. The rebellious, restless youth of the sixties may wear three-piece suit now but they are still searching. I believe that God will enable us to speak to the "sixties generation" a message that is real and powerful and they will respond.

If the Church is to respond effectively to these opportunities we must recognize three basic hungers in present society:

a. Our generation is hungry for the supernatural.

Though most would not admit it, they are seeking a genuine encounter with the living Christ - not just some intellectual assent to truth, but a real vital spiritual experience with a living Person.

b. Our generation is becoming increasingly hungry for something to live and die for outside of themselves.

The more selfish you become, the more miserable you are, until finally you say; "There must be something else to live for".

c. Our generation is hungry for a clear, non-religious proclamation of the gospel.

The message of the Kingdom of God must be proclaimed without the artificial religious trappings which have so often been an unnecessary stumbling block to our generation. I see things trembling and shaking everywhere.

If ever there were a time when the sleeping giant of the Church needs to wake up, it is now. We need to stand strong in a positive attitude and say; "I believe this nation can be turned". And if this nation can be turned, what about the others? The hour is now.

Where I Am Right Now ...

I got the idea for this blog post from the Pyromaniacs. Phil Johnson runs this neat little box by the side of the blog which details what he is reading, what is on his Ipod and links that he has liked lately. I do the occasional blogspotting post every now and then but I thought for a change I would follow the Pyromaniac idea. I'm not doing it for any other reason that I thought it would be interesting to organise my hideously random reading, listening and browsing! Who knows - by the time I finish this post I might be so horrified that I never do it again! We will see.

1. What I am Reading Right Now ...

I am re-reading Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones masterful series on the Book of Romans and have just got to Chapter 9. It has been an incredible read as many evangelicals tend to focus on Romans 1-8 and the later chapters are more of an unknown territory. I posted a number of key quotes from the book on our Quotes blog. Here are two key ones that floored me;

"God forbid that any of the spirit of prejudice that was in the Jew should ever possess us and lead us to this pathetic position ... We must be orthodox but we must not be proud of it, we must not rely on it - even that. Let us realise this great lesson of the sovereignity of God, His great and glorious purpose; that it is He who calls and He calls whom He wills; He raises and He puts down".

And the second one;

"God forbid that in our desire to safeguard against certain errors, we should become guilty of quenching the Spirit. We can become so assured of ourselves and so much in control of the position that we are not giving the Spirit of God an opportunity".

Secondly I am re-reading Arthur Wallis's classic "In the Day of Thy Power". The prophetic word and the vision that I got a few nights ago has really emphasised the importance of knowing how the people of God should behave in a time of revival.

Thirdly I am reading Nigella Lawson's latest cookbook release; "Nigella Express". No I joke not. I really enjoy cooking and I have been fascinated to learn a "Nigella" tip to cook chips in a new way. You get 250g of new potatoes and put them into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin and then deep fry them! How cool is that?!

Finally I have just got to the New Wine Magazine - June 1977 in my reading of those wonderful resources that are available online. I absolutely loved the front cover because they have illustrated Peter walking on the water to Jesus. Most evangelical paintings or illustrations show Peter sinking and the Lord reaching out to save him. But the New Wine team were making the point that while he did need help from the Lord, he still stepped out and walked on the water!

2. What I Am Listening To Right Now ...

I love listening to sermons - I could listen to them all day if I could. I have two main sources at the moment for my sermonic input.

Rob Rufus and City Church International, Hong Kong - I just absolutely love the blend of preaching and teaching on the grace of God - the true grace of God not just a name - and the glory and Presence of God by His Holy Spirit. I am listening to a sermon that Rob preached on the 10th June 2007 called; "Aligning Our Allegiances For The Annointing To Flow At Full Volume". It's particularly interesting because he had a Chinese translator so the sermon was 2 hours and 6 minutes! I urge any and everyone to listen to at least one sermon of Rob Rufus's. It will change your life potentially.

Church of Christ the King, Brighton - anyone who has followed this blog for a short period of time know the profound affection and love I have for this church. Like Rob Rufus, they seek to preach the "whole counsel of God" but it is infused and set alight by a passionate desire for the Holy Spirit to come down and touch their meetings, their lives. Joel Virgo is really establishing himself as the lead elder and his sermons are outstandingly prophetic.

3. What I Am Browsing Now ...

Jesse Phillips has started posing "Questions of the Week" which are excellent for posing serious issues to the church. The charismatic renewal is over 30 years old and it isn't enough to ride on the laurels of our fore-fathers. I know of at least 3 churches that call themselves "open to the Holy Spirit" but haven't had a spiritual gift or a manifestation of His Presence for over a year. It isn't enough for us to hear our fathers talk about the battles they fought and won. The devil doesn't rest or give up just because some aspects of the Holy Spirit's work has been restored to the church. He will be RELENTLESS in attempting to get that work quenched and stopped and has been extremely successful. Jesse's blog is vital. "Earnestly desire" is a command of Scripture not a secondary option.

My fellow Newfrontiers friend Luke Wood is blogging more regularly this month and it isn't to be missed! He is settling into his new church in Southampton - Life Church - which is on my list of churches I really want to visit. Waiting for an invite first though Luke ... hint, hint. ;) Like me he has learnt from the dangers of legalism creeping in on our blogging and said this. I love it! I LOVE it!

"To be living in the grace of God, diving into the Bible and lingering in His presence is pretty much what it's all about".

That is it. End of.

Finally I must draw attention again to my best friend Pete's blog. The title says it all; "The Best is Yet to Come". Pete isn't and can't be a regular blogger due to his pressurised work commitments in his church in South London but when he does blog, boy is it worth it! I plead with you to make it a point to try and check as often as you can. I will also do my best to point out when he has blogged if that will help people also. His posts are prophetic - because he prays earnestly through everything he writes and posts. His latest post is; "Who Will Speak For Us?". He ends by saying this;

"Who will speak up, who will help? Will it be us? We are to be the joy of the whole earth (Ps 48v2). Our Master set the example as He went about "doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil". We have the power and authority, and the call, to follow in His footsteps".

So there we have it - that's what I am upto in my life at the moment! I am so incredibly grateful to God for giving me a time in my life when I have regular access to the internet, to books that I can read, for eyes and a brain that can digest what I read. I pray that what's going in will be of service somehow to the extension of His glorious Kingdom.