Arthur Wallis on Apostles and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

I spent last night sorting through my collection of New Wine and Restoration Magazines and was incredibly stirred to read two articles by Arthur Wallis. It seemed to me from my understanding that Arthur Wallis was seen as the elder and respectable statesman of the Charismatic Movement. Leaders such as Bryn Jones or Terry Virgo often came under criticism for various theological or ecclesiastical stands that they took. Arthur Wallis never seemed to - that I could read.

I know in my home church - New Covenant Church in Dunstable - Wallis was held in high esteem by Stanley Jebb and the leadership and indeed he came to speak at several of our "All Saints Nights" - celebration evenings of worship and preaching. So to find these articles on issues that are so important to me was an exciting find.

1. "Apostles" - from Restoration Magazine - November/December 1981.

A few key quotes to encourage you to read the article;

"We need to see these men as primarily those who brought the word of revelation and direction into the living situations where God was building His church ... the view that apostles and prophets have passed away, and that spiritual gifts have ceased both rest on the faulty premise that the completion of Scripture rendered them obsolete".

Arthur Wallis answers this faulty premise;

"Though we have inspired writings, we still need inspired utterances and having the Word of revelation, we still need men (and women) of revelation".

He concludes this excellent article;

"The Ephesians 4 Ministries of today are concerned primarily with an experiential foundation, one that has to be freshly laid for every redeemed community that comes into being ... for many 'Apostles today?' is nothing more than a hypothetical question. If, as we believe, the end-time shakings are upon us then the ministry of the apostles will become increasingly crucial".

I was amazed that he wrote this article in 1981 - he is addressing a perspective on apostles that is only really being preached and taught maturely recently. Proof of his unique gifting as a teacher.

2. "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" - from Restoration Magazine - March/April 1979

Once again I found this article amazingly advanced in revelatory teaching for the time in which it was written. Arthur Wallis drew on the typological teaching from Exodus - baptism in the Red Sea and in the cloud - to apply it to New Covenant life today. We need to be baptised in water just as we need to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. He said;

"God's people under the New Covenant need to be initiated into Christ as His Old Covenant people were initiated into Moses, that is by a baptism in cloud and sea. Neither water baptism nor Spirit baptism is an optional extra for the committed Christian".

One of the key words that the Word of God applies to the receiving of the Spirit is the word "upon". It seems that a lot of the more conservative church get confused with this and believe that if one has not received the Holy Spirit then it is an issue of "holiness". Arthur Wallis writes;

"The word that is used consistently and repeatedly to describe what happens in the Baptism in the Spirit but is never used simply of conversion is "upon". Th Old Testament prepares us for this. Anointing oil was poured "upon" the head of prophet, priest and king, not to make them God's people (for they were already that) but to fit them for their special service. God put the Spirit that was "upon" Moses "upon" the elders of Israel to equip them for leadership.

The Spirit coming "upon" the Lord Jesus at the Jordan was not to make Him more holy than He was - an impossibility - but that the works and words of God ... might be manifested in Him ... Later in the Acts we read how the Spirit came "upon", fell "upon" and was poured "upon" different groups of disciples. Paul reminds Titus of the "Holy Spirit that was poured upon us richly".

And Wallis asks;

"Have you had an "upon" experience of the Holy Spirit?".

I do hope both articles are of considerable interest! We dare not forget either of these two vital subjects - Apostles and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Speaking of Arthur Wallis - if anyone is interested in reading more early Charismatic material by him - I do strongly recommend looking at the "Revival Library" website - they have preserved some of the early conference notes which he hosted! Even more exciting (to me anyway!) - the "Revival Library" have carefully made available a complete collection of the Restoration Magazine - from which I have made these links available here. Only £19.99!

Ern Baxter on the "Laying on of Hands"

I've been thinking so much about this New Year - the hopes and passions I have for it. So much of it involves being "touched". I am always staggered by the refusal of much of the evangelical church to talk about "laying on of hands". It is mentioned as one of the basic doctrines in the book of Hebrews and why? For a reason!

Ern Baxter summed up the laying on of hands as signifying;

"Transference, transmission, impartation and identification".

Each word carries such tremendous power! There can be no greater touch than that of God Himself by His Holy Spirit - closely followed by servants - men and women who care and love you enough to lay their hands on you and impart something. I published the transcript a while back of Rob Rufus's session at "Together on a Mission 2006" - Terry Virgo called that session of particular value and significance to him.

I want to start something new this year. This website was set up in loving memory of Dr Ern Baxter and I am still pursuing ways to keep his memory alive. Thanks to Microsoft Word giving me the ability to create PDF files and I want to start making available the massive eight box folders of Ern's sermon notes I have in my library.

Here's the first - "Ern Baxter - Laying on of Hands".

May this year be one marked by encounters with God!

Why Some Don't Get Healed ...

I am enjoying reading a biography of Kathryn Kuhlman's at the moment and I read this portion last night. The whole issue of signs and wonders and miracles - especially when God doesn't heal - has been on my mind a lot. I read this and it made so much sense. Why DO we always demand answers from God?!

"Most of us have our own personal interpretations of how God should run the universe - based on our own limited personal experiences. Kathryn on the other hand, defied all tradition. She defied the boxes men tried to fit her into. When asked why many who were sick left her service unhealed, she would just shake her head and say; "I don't know - I just don't know". In fact she once said that the very first question she wanted to ask Jesus when she got to heaven was, "Why were some not healed?".

The theologians had answers. Hundreds of them. But the theologians never saw miracles. Kathryn, who was one of the greatest instruments of the miracle power of the Holy Spirit had no answers. "I have no healing virtue", she said over and over again. "I cannot heal a single person. All I do is preach faith. God does the healing. Whom He heals and whom He chooses not to heal is His business. I am, but His handmaiden".

I think that simple faith in God is the key! Stop demanding that we understand God and His ways and just start walking and trusting Him!

Seeking the Manifestor not the Manifestations?

It's become quite cliche particularly in cautious charismatic circles to come out with a rather pious phrase. "I don't seek manifestations - I seek Jesus". Or one that was quite popular when I was in Dunstable was; "I seek the Giver NOT the gifts!" - there was even a song that went along with that phrase. It always bothered me and I never quite knew why. I think it conjoured up an image of Christmas when my gorgeous mum gave me a present that she had thought about and spent money on and I ignored it with the wrappings and said; "I don't seek your gift - I just seek you". That would hurt her! And I would never ever do it.

So I was really glad when Rob Rufus addressed this issue in his sermon from Sunday 29th March; "Increasing in the Anointing". And as usual his logic made wonderful and perfect sense;

"I will never understand why people doubt and want to be suspicious about manifestations of God. God dwells in the invisible realm and we live in the visible world. If God doesn't manifest into the visible world then you can't know God.

Romans 1 says we can know Him by the invisible qualities seen in creation and Romans 1 is very clear. But it is talking about those who know God by seeing Him in the invisible realm - still don't worship Him but worship the creation.

You can know there is a God by what He has created and you can know something about His invisible nature by what He has created but if He doesn't manifest who He is in a tangible way that you can experience and encounter God then you will never know God and walk God and you will never see miracles like this.

People are leaving the Church by the millions across the Western world because they are tired of going to a building on a Sunday morning and God is not there. "Ah but He is present everywhere!". Yes that's true - but He is not manifest there.

I feel literally nauseous when I hear Christians say; "I don't seek manifestations - if they come then I celebrate them but I don't see them". Why would you not seek something that heals and replaces hips? Why would you not seek something that can move over a whole city and cause millions to be aware of the goodness of God and the glory of God and the Presence of God? Why wouldn't you seek that?

What have you got to eagerly desire? MANIFESTATIONS! The Greek word for desire is "with intense, strong yearnings and cravings and burning longings - DESIRE manifestations of Almighty God!".

I hear leaders get up and say; "Well I don't see manifestations". When they say it there is a level of aloofness and pride - "I am over that childish thing of people who experience manifestations. I am now into good theology". They are NOT into good theology! Good theology says "Eagerly DESIRE!". What they are into is a mixture of reformed theology that didn't just keep on reforming and has got a built-in "anti" the supernatural, a subtle, manipulative content to it. We need to seek manifestations because really it is a manifestation of God!",

That has sealed the deal for me! Any in-bred guilt I had left over from my two former churches about feeling guilty about loving and hungering for the manifestations of God is gone, gone, gone! It makes such utter sense! God is an invisible God and heaven is an invisible realm. When He and it touch earth - there is GOING to be results!

What is Religion?

Rob Rufus brought an important answer to this question (from his sermon; "The Blood - Substance or Shadow?";

"What is religion? The absence of power and Presence = religion.

I don't care if there are 10, 000 people on a Sunday morning - with incredible programmes and incredible music and incredible speaking and preaching with great eloquence and persuasive words - if there is no demonstration of power, if there is no cripples walking and blind eyes opening or deaf ears opening or people being set free from demons then you have just seen a very impressive modernist demonstration of religion. You can have an encounter with expert musicians but not an encounter with God. Music is not there to entertain us or impress us - music is merely a servant to facilitate the manifestation of the glory of God".

As next year fast approaches (too fast for my liking!) - it will inevitably come round to conference decisions. This year has been quite unusual for me in that I haven't been to a conference (aside from the weekend Eastbourne conference with Rob Rufus). I'm glad I have had a conference-free year. It's meant that I've got to consider my relationship with God for myself away from the bright lights and heady atmosphere. As Rob himself said - we won't make it unless we learn how to encounter God away from conferences.

But next year brings "Grace and Glory Conference in Hong Kong"!!

The question and the challenge for this conference - and any other conference is will there be a guarantee of His Presence and His power there? Because if the answer is "I'm not sure" or "I hope so" or "maybe" or "Well there'll be good teaching" - then maybe something of religion is sneaking into a church programme that should be devoted to pursuing His Presence and power without hesitation!

One Moment in Time!!

I mentioned previously that I had an amazing prophetic word from the gym last week and have been thinking about sharing it publicly. I felt quite challenged actually that I even dare keep it to myself! Even if people read it and feel it's not of God for them - it blessed me awesomely! So here it is. I was listening to Whitney Houston's powerful rendition of "One Moment in Time". For those who don't know the song - here it is:



What God said, seemed to take the form of a sort of commentary in between the lines. I think the best way to explain it was that my heart seemed to seize on the lyrics as MY prayer to God and His answer was in between each line. Here's how it went;

"Each day I live
I want to be a day to give the best of me
I'm only one, but not alone
My finest day is yet unknown

There in your prayer is the longing of every man and woman - I see everything, I hear every ache and every moan and it is destiny that is My gift to enable My finest creation to aim for it's highest and it's greatest. I didn't create you to be introspective and to crawl on your faces like the ants. I created you to receive downloads of My glory. I created you to receive the sure and certain knowledge that I accept you as righteous. I created you to walk with shoulders back and a head held high like Enoch of old who walked with me. Your finest day IS yet unknown - I have so much to show you, so much to share with you, so much love to pour on you!

I broke my heart for every gain
To taste the sweet, I faced the pain
I rise and fall,
Yet through it all this much remains

I want one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams
Are a heart beat away
And the answers are all up to me

You want one moment? Let me tell you that one moment in time has happen. Let me take you back and show you what that moment meant from heaven's perspective. The death of My Son was never an accident. It was always going to be the pinnacle moment in history. When My Son was first pierced and blood ran down His hands all of heaven winced. For the value of the blood corresponds to the value of the life it runs through - and there is none more precious in My eyes than Him. When He spread out His arms and cried out; "It is finished!" - the divide between heaven and earth was removed FOREVER!!

Never again will angelic warriors stand between mankind and My Presence and My glory. That one moment in time changed history forever. The veil in the Temple ripping in two was but a small sign. In reality the whole of the spiritual world was rent in two. Demons were sent howling in fear and terror and mankind was re-united with Me. The way has been made open - then, now and forever. Why? Because the blood was and is powerful enough to forgive every sin, past, present and future and I - God the Just - am satisfied!

Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel, I will feel eternity
I've lived to be the very best

I will and I have and I am yet to give you the full awesome blessing of that one moment - never let it's reality leave you. Never let it's power leave you - for that moment did not end with My Son's death on the Cross. Had He remained there - your hope would be in vain. Had He remained on earth then the world would never be covered with My glory for all nations would have to come to seek Him - the Man. He has returned to My side! The moment of joy, of rapture, of ecstasy when My Son entered My glory Presence and I saw Him! The wonder of relationships re-born! Yet I knew it would never be just Him! For He brought many sons to glory with Him.

That one moment? That one moment when the Holy Spirit came to us with joy, anticipation and passion and said to us; "Is it time? Can I go?". My glorified, resurrected and exalted Son replied; "Yes - it's time". And He went - to return at the climax of the consummation of the ages. He went like a tidal wave - each wave greater than before. He went to accomplish My ultimate aim - the fame of My Name from sea to sea from shore to shore. He went freely. He went of His own - yet our love motivated Him to go. He went so that God Almighty would live with each and everyone of My children. He went to bring HEAVEN to EARTH!

You're a winner for a lifetime
If you seize that one moment in time
Make it shine

The answer to your prayers? You must seize that one moment - you must understand what happened in that one moment when eternity stoood still. Live in that moment. Let My Spirit teach you and tell you of the power of what happened in that one moment. Let it flood and lift you and compel you! My Son accomplished this - it's done - and for you! So that you and I can walk together and live together and love together in relationship forever! Never to be broken again by sin, by fear, by enemys! Hell has no voice in heaven anymore! I will never again hear the lies of the devil that your sin can seperate you from Me! For the price is paid. I'm waiting for you!

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams
Are a heart beat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time

I will be, I will be, I will be free
I will be, I will be free".

Oh here is true freedom. Here your burdens, your aches and your broken heart will roll away. Come and live in that "one moment". Come and read and re-live it with Me. For My Son's wounds are ever fresh. My Son's sacrifice will never go "out of date". Never will it expire! Your wounds may heal and the blood is not enough. My people Israel had to constantly sacrifice animals without spot so that they could approach Me. And they couldn't even come close. Yet just that one sacrifice - just that "one moment in time" has accomplished forever what the sacrifice of bulls and goats could not. The value - the eternal immense never-ending value of just one drop of My Son's blood is far greater than any negative thing you can imagine that may grieve Me.

One moment in time! You are free My children. You are free forever to come fellowship, rejoice, love and live in My grace and in My glory".

A Righteous Frustration!!

I go through pangs of guilt every now and then that I don't feel happier with my Christian life. The last couple of Sundays I have been at the gym when "Songs of Praise" has been on and I've felt guilty at the unnerving spectacle of the row upon row of Christians singing wonderful songs but with dead-pan faces. Why aren't we as Christians happier? Or more joyful? Of course I cannot judge those who appear on "Songs of Praise" on their expressions alone. To be sure some of them may have joy inexpressible in their hearts - but the Bible does seem to suggest that out of the mouth will flow the affairs of the heart. If we had that genuine joy inexpressible in response to the touch of a divine God then the world would know.

I earnestly believe that. The problem then with a miserable Church is not God - but us. We haven't encountered Him and the revelation of His grace as we should. John Piper talked about the way to get white-hot for God is to get near to His white-hot heart! I don't think the problem is getting orthodoxy right but getting zeal for His house right and allowing it to consume us. To be sure Todd Bentley had problems with matters of orthodoxy but no one can deny his zeal and the impact he had and I believe will continue to have.

All that said, I still feel guilty and think should I heed my parents counsel and "settle"? I was thrilled therefore to find the following in my new book that I am enjoying; "The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind".

Bill Johnson said;

"I have come to see that the normal Christian life means miracles, spiritual intervention and revelation. It means peace, joy, love, a sense of well-being and purpose - all these traits that ellude so many Christians. Written into the spiritual DNA of every believer is an appetite for the impossible that cannot be ignored or wished away. The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, making it impossible for us to be content with what we can only see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Our hearts know there is much more to life than what we perceive with our senses; we are spiritually agitated by the lack of connection with the realm of the supernatural".

What a sense of freedom! What a sense of joy and relief! Suddenly I see a diagnosis that the problem is not that I and many others are just miserable and frustrated - but that it is within our spiritual DNA! Bill Johnson mentioned again this theme that seems to keep coming up and up - that the SAME Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is WITHIN us! How can we then not expect signs and wonders and miracles and interventions in our lives?

Do Something Unexpected!!

I have a confession - I am a major "Heroes" fan. I love everything about it - the drama, the superpowers and the character development of the various people coming to terms with their powers - such as learning they can fly, learning they are invulnerable, learning they can paint the future, learning they can freeze time or time-travel - but most interestingly (and the character I am fascinated with the most - Peter Petrelli) learning that he can absorb the abilities of anyone else that he is around - or in other words an empath. In Series 1 of "Heroes" Peter Petrelli goes through some training with another character who can make himself invisible. He realises he has numerous abilities but does not know how to control them.

Watch this video clip to give you an idea of what the training involves;



I was gripped by that phrase; "Do something unexpected!". I have just been typing up Rob Rufus's sermon; "The Administration Of Healing Authority" and was again impacted by something that he said during the course of the sermon;

"I believe I am releasing the faith that you have already got. When you come to pray for the sick, don't have an Old Covenant mindset. Old Covenant mindsets always think; "I haven't got enough or I need more or I'm not ready or I'm not prepared". New Covenant mindsets - you are ready! You are in Christ! The Spirit of life is in you! He knows what to do - you have ENOUGH! You are ready! Don't let the devil say to you; "You have got to fast to get this demon out". You do NOT need to fast to get that demon out!".

I must admit, despite my years of being a Christian - this is a new concept for me. I've come from the more traditional revivalist belief that we should be constantly praying that He would "rend the heavens and come down" and earnestly be seeking to be "filled with the Spirit" like a leaky cup! While I still believe that has it's place and there most definately are climates where God falls on a community, a church or on people (such as at Lakeland) - this shouldn't become an excuse for us to not pray for the sick but to sit back waiting for some "power" to fall on us and boot us out to go and do the job that God called us to!

So where does "Heroes" and Rob's quote come together? That comment; "Do something unexpected!". The invisible man forced Peter Petrelli into a state where he HAD to do something - where he HAD to demonstrate a power or an ability to stop himself from being beaten by that stick. I think when I heard that quote of Rob's, I suddenly began to walk with a new awareness about myself. And it's my prayer that everyone who reads this blog will begin to do the same. It's this truth;

" ... what is the surprassing greatness of His power towards us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule amd authority and power and dominion , and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put ALL THINGS in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church".

When we are presented with that absolute power and authority then suddenly the truth of sickness or cancer or blindness or deafness or paralysis or even death itself doesn't seem to be much of an obstacle at all. Yet that "surpassing great power" is towards US! Who believe! And we have that very Holy Spirit within US who raised Jesus from the dead! It's there already. Within us. And every prayer we utter to God pleading for "more" surely is grieving to the wonderful precious Person of the Holy Spirit.

Like Peter Petrelli off "Heroes" - it seems to me all that is waiting for us to do is "something unexpected"! Who knows - the next blind person we pass, the next cripple we come across, the next cancer victim we encounter just could be the one that stands up healed and praising the power of God!

Which Gospel Are We Preaching (and Believing)?

I got back into transcribing with a vengance last night! The motivator was two-fold. While I was at the gym I was watching quite a prolonged interview with Sir Alex Ferguson - the manager of Manchester United Football Club. I remember being in a pub watching Ferguson's triumph in 1999 when Manchester United won the treble and yet has his vision and focused waned? Never. He is over 60 and still as focused as ever for triumph and glory. Secondly at the beginning of my night shift I watched a documentary about the famous "Belle de Jour" and the subsequent TV programme "Diary of a Call Girl". I didn't realise that the whole phenomenon of that series evolved from an anonymous woman blogging about her experiences with men. I was stunned by the popularity of the following of her blog.

And I reflected - do we not carry a far more glorious vision that Alex Ferguson ever could? This is not just about kicking a ball full of air around a pitch! Do we not have FAR more to talk about than a call girl in London? This is not just about reflecting on the emptiness of meaningless sex! We have experienced the revelation of the glory of the New Covenant! We are recipients of the grace and the glory of God! We have felt His touch upon our lives! We have heard the Holy Spirit within us testifying with our spirits (when we take the time to listen) that we ARE children of God! So I felt suitably chastisted that I have let problems at work and problems with my health silence me. Begone doubt! Begone fear!

Where am I in terms of blogging Rob Rufus? I've finished writing up his remarkable sermon: "The Administration Of Healing Authority" and have almost finished typing it up and have got into writing out; "The Blood - Substance or Shadow?". Rob said something before he had even got into the bulk of his message on the blood of Christ that gripped my attention. Here it is;

"Then He (Jesus Christ) said; "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils".

By the way - the statement about lepers caught my attention. If we are to take this statement as a command from Jesus Christ then where are the lepers requiring cleansing? Not many around these days. So I wondered whether the lepers of our day could be those people afflicted with AIDS and HIV. I've watched another friend of mine going through the agonising procedure of having to book into a clinic on Thursday to see whether he is positive or negative. It breaks my heart. I've said before that I am getting to know more and more people with AIDS. Would any of them dream of walking into churches to ask for healing? Never in a million years. That's wrong surely! That demonstrates that the church is disobeying this command of Jesus! I stand to be corrected - would someone with AIDS be welcome in your church? Tell me about it! (Actually having said that - I know of at least two churches I would go to if I ever suffered with AIDS - here and here).

I digress - back to Rob;

"Yet sadly and tragically for the last 100's of years much of the church has not been preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. It has been preaching the gospel of salvation. There is a big difference. The gospel of the Kingdom includes the gospel of salvation but it is much more. The gospel of salvation is primarily focused on going to heaven. The gospel of the Kingdom is primarily focused on bringing heaven into the earth realm.

So we must not confuse our assignment with our destiny. Our destiny is to go to heaven. Our assignment is to bring heaven to earth".

When I get swallowed up in despair and frustration at the experiences at work then surely I am forgetting my assignment? I went to see a staff support counsellor yesterday because it was recommended by human resources. The counsellor was busy telling me that my feelings of anger and frustration are all valid feelings and should be channelled. I just came out with the same sense of unease I've always had when I have gone to see counsellors before about self-harm and various other things. These feelings are not matching up (in my book) with bringing heaven to earth! The difference this time is that I am NOT going to get condemned about why I am not matching up to my assignment at the moment! The difference this time is that I want to learn and grow and become more like Christ changing from glory to glory until people in the said work place cannot help but speak about how their evil gossip and malicious slanders and lies don't see to have an effect anymore because like Jonathan Edwards - I long to have this description made of me;

"I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance the whole week but heappeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of the reach of hisenemies and whose treasure was not only a future but a present good… even to the astonishment of many who could not be at rest without his dismission."

Benny Hinn in Harrods!!

We've just come back from a fantastic weekend in London - went to see "Wicked" the musical - as part of my best friend's birthday treat! After experiencing the incredible Hillsongs church in the morning we went shopping around Knightsbridge and of course popped into Harrods. I've wanted to wander round the renowned Food Court for years (without having my mother trying to rush me along!).

Anyhow I was intrigued to see a group of very smart men in suits come walking through the Food Court surrounding a small grey haired man who I vaguely recognised but wasn't sure where from. Then I got it. It was Benny Hinn and his security detail! I have to admit being shamelessly awestruck. We followed them down to the Wines, Spirits and Cigars section below the Food Court ... I guess I wondered what brand of wine Benny liked. Then I got a hold of myself and we went back up to the Food Court but saw the entourage come back up again and begin browsing round.

So here it is (Benny is wearing dark glasses);



My immediate thought when they had passed by was why didn't I brave the bodyguards and run up and ask Benny to lay hands on me and transfer something of his anointing to me? British pride maybe. Fear of his bodyguards bundling me away? Maybe. But I did contemplate that my desperation and hunger for the anointing definately needs to increase so that I overcome these fears and seek "touching the hem of the robe" of any gifted anointed servant of God! Then I found myself wondering and dreaming about what would have happened had Benny laid hands on me in the middle of Harrods Food Court and what I may have manifested!!

But there we go! A Christian celebrity sighting in Harrods!

Manifestations Following an Encounter!!

The whole Lakeland Outpouring and Todd Bentley have been really on my heart these last few days and I am interested that one of the predominant emotions that I am feeling is anger. Not anger with Todd Bentley - Todd is just a man. But anger with the human race and that includes me. Anger that we still don't see through the devil's schemes even though he's not very obvious and not very subtle and not indeed very novel. As soon as there is some spiritual life somewhere in the worldwide Church, the powers of hell conspire to attack the man's marriage. That seems to be strategy number 1. If that fails and the marriage survives, then hell will try tempting with money. Strategy number 2. Have I missed anything? Most of the spiritual casualties of the past seem to fall at those hurdles. Who knows what the other strategies would be!

Rob's closing message at the "Grace and Glory Conference" in Hong Kong last October was dealing with all the spiritual manifestations that will follow an encounter with God - and it was masterful. One of the things that is guaranteed to make me see red is when the response to a spiritual casualty is to clamp down on all spiritual life.

It wasn't the spiritual life that CAUSED the casualty - the cause was in RESPONSE to the spiritual life! Clamp down on the life and the objective of hell is achieved!

So here's Rob and my notes from Hong Kong;

"While we walk in intimacy with Him we are not in love with the manifestations but with the Manifestor. If it doesn't point to the blood of Jesus then it is a counterfeit lying demonic sign and wonder but if it is true then you will fall more in love with Jesus.

I am astonished at the fear and paranoia at false signs and wonders - it is so easy to discern whether it is of God or not! False signs and wonders will lead you away from God and genuine signs and wonders will lead you closer to Him! Those who don't know their God will be decieved!

They have head knowledge full of God but don't know Him. These are not days to be wondering whether this is God or not. We should know within seconds whether it is God! The longer you are under the anointing of the glory - the more you will change! (Daniel 8:15-16) - Gabriel is a high level arch-angel of communication. Daniel started off standing here but ended up on his face in a deep sleep. (Daniel 10:4) - The angel of the Lord is not a created angel but the Creator First-Born.

You will only hear the voice of God in the glory - you cannot hear it outside. This wasn't another sermon about God but a tangible experience of the Presence of God - we want and should want to experience Him!

Man will never understand women for we were asleep when she was created! Too many Christians want the church to be tidy and predictable but it is nothing but fear of looking ridiculous from indoctrination by Pharisees and Sadducees and Couldnt-Sees and Wouldn't-Sees.
You can take a theology certificate and put it on the chest of a demon possessed man and it won't come out. Demons will only come out when they encounter the glory! Formalism without power! Can we have a dignified miracle?! No! Show me your dead formalism in the Bible - all we will find are the Pharisees crucifying the Lord of Glory!

Let the petrified become fossilised in the Church of the Frozen Chosen!

When God comes into a room you will know it! What is the Church without power?! It is Anti-Christ! Church is meant to be preaching the finished work of the Cross, resurrection and a living God full of power! (1 Samuel 19:23, 24) - Saul sends soldiers to kill David and yet the soldiers couldn't do it because of the anointing. Saul went himself to do it and encounters the anointing and ends up prophesying for 24 hours SOLID! An evil king! The Church needs the oil of the Presence of God! (Genesis 15:12, Ezekiel 23:23) - "Glory of the Lord was standing there and I fell face down". (Acts 2:1-21, 9:3) - God hit Saul so hard that He knocked the "S" off and put a "P" on instead!

The man who wrote most of the New Testament got slain flat in the Spirit! Yet most academics reading the New Testament are asking if it is Biblical to fall under the power of God!

The Bible is the only foundation for true Christian doctrine, life and practice. How come then so few of these manifestations aren't happening today? Sadly if the subnormal appears for too long then the normal becomes the abnormal.

A simple reading of the Bible reveals that the absence of the power of God manifest is abnormal!

What manifestations can we then expect when the Presence and glory of God comes down?

1. An Impartation of God's Supernatural Life!

You don't need low voltage to defibrilliate someone who has died! You need high voltage and if they don't respond HIGHER voltage! That is revival!

When a Pharisee is comfortable in our churches - then we are in trouble.
We don't have a problem with wildfire in our churches but conservatism! Until we get to anywhere near the Book of Acts then we need to get wilder and wilder! Fire on our heads! Signs and wonders!

2. Impartation of a Gift that Makes You Strong!

(Romans 1:11).

3. Visions!

4. You Could Get Healed Emotionally or Physically!

5. Darkness Removed!

6. A Visitation of Jesus!

7. Comissionings!

A calling comes first and then prepares through much pain and rejection. Then in a day God can activate that calling and you will walk in the authority of that calling and never be the same again!

8. Blessing!

9. Ordaining Leaders!

It doesn't always have to be formal! God is sovereign and He is ordaining in these days who He wants! Elders are not the managers of churches! The church needs to be free from being deacon-possessed! Ordain something that is going somewhere and doing something! We need to say to some deacons; "Come out of this devil!". Let My people go so that they may worship Me!

10. Relief - The Impartation of Rest!

You could be delivered from the dictatorship of perfectionism!

11. Relief from Strivings!

12. The Personality of the Holy Spirit may rub off on you!

The fruits of the Spirit will come! Love! Joy! Peace! Patience! Kindness! Goodness! Gentleness! Self-control - and note that is the self-control of the Holy Spirit NOT what the Pharisees consider to be self-control!

These impartations will come to equip you through trials with great grace.

A Life-Changing Paragraph ... !!

A lot of people in the Christian world seem to testify to select paragraphs that they have read or heard that change their lives. John Piper testifies that Jonathan Edwards changed his life through a short paragraph. I think I've encountered mine - trudging home from a night shift listening to Rob Rufus's sermon; "Attitudes That Attract The Empowering Grace Of God - Part 2". Rob's teaching on grace and glory has already changed my life so much - but this concise paragraph has helped me immeasurably to seperate out again a bit more of legalism that creeps in where-ever possible and it helps me to understand the vast riches of "grace" just that bit more in the great adventure and process many of us have embarked on.

Here it is:

"Grace has two components - Acceptance grace and Empowering grace. Empowering grace enables us to raise the dead, heal the sick, see miracles and say no to worldliness and to work harder. The way into empowering grace MUST be through a revelation of acceptance grace. That even if I don't raise the dead, even if I don't heal the sick, even if I don't get victory over sin, even if I don't get holy or good enough - my Father accepts me in Christ Jesus because He has given me the gift of righteousness not based upon my obedience or disobedience - but the obedience I have is the unfluctuating, eternal, stable righteousness of Jesus Christ given to me".

I'm sure there is going to be much more to say on this short paragraph - and I will of course be publishing the whole sermon so that the paragraph can be seen in context. But I felt like the whole concept of "Grace and Glory" has pushed up another gear and I am seeing another step forward into the cloud of glory where miracles will be radiated effortlessly!

Rob Rufus's Newfrontiers Conference Sessions

Although the Newfrontiers Europe Conference may have been slightly overdwarfed by the main Brighton Conference - I found the sessions and the testimonies from it absolutely awesome. There were many testimonies of signs and wonders and healing that came from the people praying for each other - not coming to a ministry. For those who don't know, Rob Rufus was sharing the ministry with David Holden.

The transcripts of Rob's two messages are now available here.

Newfrontiers Europe Conference - Session 1

Newfrontiers Europe Conference - Session 2

The other MP3 sessions are available still on this website.

Session 1: An In Between People - Henk Kersten

Session 2: Mixing It With Faith - David Holden

Session 4: Moving Into More Faith - David Holden

Session 6: The Wrath Of God And The Grace Of God - Mike Betts

I should point out that all the sessions are interpreted so it does make the listening process slightly disjointed! However the theme of "faith" that came through both Dave Holden's and Rob's messages is well worth listening to. It's a message that must be heard.

Julie's Videos from the Glory Encounters Conference!!

Many of you may remember how excited I was to be able to support and see my dear friends Julie and Aaron go to Hong Kong earlier this year to the "Glory Encounters Conference". Joshua and Janet Mills and Kaye Beyer were the visiting speakers. Julie wrote a number of reports about their time there here and here.

Well quite by accident I was on You-Tube looking at some videos of Kenneth Hagin and I found that Julie had very secretively posted three videos of their time there! I don't think she has linked to them on her blog yet so I thought I would make mention of them - they need to be seen!

Here's the first video - with the wonderful Bonnie Rufus leading worship. The camera scans past Rob and Glenda and Joshua Mills on the front row;



The second video is slightly dark but it again scans past Rob and Glenda enjoying watching the people of the conference encountering God in powerful ways;



The third video is from the back of the hall and you can see Kaye Beyer and Janet Mills ministering to the people while Joshua plays the keyboard at the front of the hall. I loved this video - it brought back such memories of "Glory and Grace" last year. I climbed on a pile of chairs when I had recovered from the fire tunnel and just sat watching what God was doing to His children so lovingly.



Thank you Julie for faithfully recording these! I am so excited that I will be coming to Hong Kong next March with a proper camcorder also so we can bring back clips of how God is moving and what the glory cloud is doing!

Don't Miss It!! At Any Cost, Don't Miss It!!

I was hugely stirred and motivated to read these comments in Bill Johnson's "When Heaven Invades Earth" last night (read Terry Virgo's review of the book here);

"History is filled with people who prayed for a visitation of God and missed it when it came ... As has been stated, quenching the Spirit is probably responsible for the end of more revivals than any other single cause. Even those who have embraced the move of God often come to a place where their comfort zone is stretched about as far as they are willing to go.

They then begin to look for a place to settle - a place of understanding and control. The second greatest reason for a revival's end is when the Church begins to look for the return of the Lord instead of pursuing a greater breakthrough in the Great Commission. That kind of hunger for heaven is not encouraged in Scripture. It turns the blessed hope into the blessed escape.

To want Jesus to come back now is to sentence billions of people to hell forever ... I believe the desire for the Church to be in heaven now is actually the counterfeit of seeking first the kingdom. There is a difference between crying for heaven now and heaven here! If revival has brought us to the end of our dreams, does that mean we have reached the end of His? A revival must go beyond all we can imagine - anything else falls short".

There's so much coming - but when it comes, let us (by God's lavish grace) do nothing to hinder it or cut it short!

Critics of Rob Rufus Rear Their Heads ...

Rob Rufus has always alluded to the incredible amount of criticism and virtual abuse he receives for unashamedly preaching the message of glory and grace and I have always wondered what these people look like. I was interested in that in the space of two quotes, two critics have arrived. The quotes they so objected to were these; "Rob Rufus on the Florida Outpouring Critics" and "Rob Rufus on the Gift of Tongues". On the one hand I am sure Rob Rufus does not need the likes of me to come to his defence but as these criticisms have been posted on one of my blogs I feel I should at least address them.

"Mark" addressed the "Florida Outpouring Critics" and said this;

"All we have is the bible. It is not about experience, emotion, or what gifts are being presented. It is about the written word of God. I find your words offensive ... Rob Rufus, the apologetic community is watching you and NCMI, and unfavorable reports are coming out from SA and Aust".

I think a comment like this scarcely requires an answer - these "heresy hunters" again and again fall into the same cliches. On the one hand they say; "All we have is the Bible - it is not about experience ..." and yet on the other hand do not carefully and sensibly respond to the Scriptures that Rob himself has quoted and cited in defence of the viewpoint he is preaching. "I find your words offensive". It's so easy to become very emotional about the positions we are defending and I did want to answer "Mark" - but on the other hand I suspect there is nothing I can say that would appease his offense. My only suggestion could be that he stops looking at blogs where he may find Rob Rufus's words. I suspect he won't as these people often feel it is their "Christian duty" to answer such worrying quotes to themselves.

His final comment; "The apologetic community"?! Who and what on earth is that and what on earth does "unfavourable reports" entail. Again I object to the "heresy hunters" carefully coded words of warning that are so frequent and so labourious. It was something I was very used to at my home church and it usually went something like this; "Good men are very concerned". "Anyone who is discerning should be worried". "Beware of "certain" so-called preachers". These self-appointed heresy hunters have taken it upon themselves to "warn the Church" of such dangerous men and yet can offer no objective warnings. "Unfavourable reports"? Where are they? Let me read them first-hand and maybe they can be taken seriously.

Then "Tim" found Rob's quote on the gift of tongues almost as upsetting as "Mark" - maybe more so as he cast doubt on Rob's very salvation - something that proves he is obviously bolder than many. I would not like to take the place of God deciding who is and is not elect. "Tim" too took a very cliched approach to answering the issue of the gift of tongues;

"Rob this shows your true colors, this is new age and is part of the occult. The spirits that you refer to are not from the God of the Bible but rather a twisted version that is based in the occult. The talking in tongues that charismatics often talk about is exactly the same as used by sharmas, witch doctors, hindus etc ... May God have pity on you, you need much prayer and obviously salvation".

I did in fact leave a response to "Tim". Once again the cliched response of cessationists (as I presume these people are) is to point to the counterfeit of the New Age as "proof" that there can be no genuine gift of tongues. This again was something I heard all-too frequently at my home church. "We must beware the counterfeit". "We must be careful of the spurious". "We must beware of abberations". My simple reply is this; I do accept and agree that the Bible instructs us to "test the spirits". But the Bible does not call us to "reject all spirits". There is a testing to be done! If all gifts of the Spirit, all experiences of God, all heavenly encounters, all visions and dreams had deliberately and objectively stopped when the canon of Scripture was closed then why are we asked to "test" and "prove all things" and "cling to what is good?".

If all that is around is the counterfeit then we simply need avoid everything experiential and simply as "Mark" calls - cling to the Bible and the Bible alone. But the ironic thing that these "Word people" claim is that it is the very Word of God that outlines these gifts of the Spirit, these heavenly encounters, these visions and dreams. It is the BIBLE that gives us our expectation! If I am to be persuaded that these things are "not so" then I want to see some Scriptural evidence rather than "dire warnings" of the New Age.

These comments have given me a taste of what Rob must receive weekly and even daily maybe - and he has my fullest sympathy and support and prayers! If I have been unjust in my portrayal of these critics then I am open to correction. In my opinion these two comments are simply "destructive criticism". As my friend Lydia challenged;

"If you find Rob's words offensive then you have a problem with God's word, because he is speaking straight from Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:5 ....talks about people with a form of godliness that deny the power, have nothing to do with them".

The lines are being drawn in the sand it seems, and the only secure foundation we have is the Word of God. Not tradition. Not the teachings of one's favourite evangelical celebrity. The Word of God.

No-One Else Dared Join Them!!

Well we're safely back in Birmingham - landed at half past one and noticing the temperature difference! It's been quite a week and there's lots to reflect on and tell. Thanks to all who took the time to leave comments - I know there's a bit of diversity of opinions on comments. I for one really appreciate them - even the angry anonymous ones ... who I note has been suspiciously quiet lately. Does that mean I am becoming an "acceptable blogger" or has he given up?! Anyway that aside it's been an interesting week in the UK so I see.

Brighton

I was very interested to read what happened at the Brighton conference last week - most of the talk of course centred around new Christian celeb Driscoll (like Luke, I too switch from calling it "Together on a Mission" to mainly just "Brighton conference"!). There are of course the obvious very well-documented reports which I am sure most are aware of. I, myself took particular interest in Mark Heath's comments - an opinion I always trust. Also worth reading is a question I have pondered quite often ... what other guest speakers would be a helpful input to the conference. As I guessed they would - my parent's pastors made the trip down to Brighton to hear Driscoll and brought an SGM opinion to what they thought of the conference.

Terry himself shared a more personal view about Driscoll and what he enjoyed about the contribution that he brought to the conference. Joel Gill wrote two posts so far - here and here. Finally Ant Hilder summarised the conference in just one blog - useful for those of you who don't have the time to read post after post on session after session (plus I was instantly attracted to the fact that here is someone who shares my obsession with McDonald's McMuffins ...).

Lakeland, Florida.

It was quite hard having no access to God TV and not knowing what was going on in Florida! I made-do reading Todd Bentley's latest book; "The Reality of the Supernatural World". More of that to come in a later post! Julian Adams wrote an excellent blog post on Florida. He said;

"I sit writing after having watched some of the Lakeland Outpouring with evangelist Todd Bentley. Man alive, God is moving and using him powerfully. So many healings and God encounters. I have felt the spill over effect of impartation connected to the revival. My friend Richard Maybury prayed for me after returning from Trevor and Sharon Baker’s ministry at the Dudley Outpouring in Birmingham. Since then I have begun to see some exciting miracles and healings".

On the other slightly more cynical hand, I am a subscriber to Evangelicals Now and the latest edition was waiting on the doorstep when I got back. Lakeland, Florida has become enough of an issue for them to address - always a sign that something is here to stay! The review of Todd Bentley's ministry was written by someone called Steve Ridgeway and I was disappointed that once again it was written by a cynic who clearly hasn't taken the time to really investigate what is going on in Florida and has seemingly written his review based on the scare-mongering websites and You-Tube videos rampant against Todd and Florida.

He slates Todd for not preaching the Bible. "While Bentley does occasionally appeal to the Bible when teaching publicly, the appeal is always superficial". But in rather a pot-kettle-black scenario the reviewer also does not use Scripture convincingly to stake his claim as to why Todd Bentley is not within the boundaries of Scripture in his opinion. (Other than quoting Galatians 1). Coming from "Evangelicals Now", I suppose we should not be surprised that he does not like the references to angel Emma and also the manifestations accompanying the healings and signs and wonders.

Interesting point though ... the obvious question to me goes unanswered in this review called "The Gospel of Todd". Is this of God? Is it of the flesh? Or is it of the devil? The reviewer doesn't comment on the authenticity of the healings happening in Florida but merely concludes we should be "gravely concerned" with Todd Bentley ... if we are "discerning" that is ... how I am growing to hate that word when it is used in a context such as this.

It's All About the Church!

The theme throughout these links is the Church! Even disagreements, I notice, are about how best the Church should be. I was thrilled therefore to be taking notes from Rob Rufus's Sunday evening Miracle Healing Weekend - probably one of Rob's best sermons yet - and to hear him deal with something rather obvious from the book of Acts.

"None of the others dared join them".

How is it at your church? Or your conference? Or your family of churches? Or your denomination? Do you make it easy for people to join your church? Rob commented on this verse;

"I am talking about the power of God coming to you to absolutely flood you and equip you and anoint you to walk in His Presence to release you into a new dimension of walking in His Presence from tonight. People in our midst who are sick tonight can get healed while that is happening.

But the focus is to see the power of God released on people. (Acts 5:13) - Because God was so awesome in their midst that people were frightened to casually join that early Church. There was such a density of the concentrated power of God that carnal religious enquirers couldn't handle it! They would freak out! It was too awesome and they didn't join a Church that had such an awesome Presence but God added to their number every single day those who are believing and being saved".

The sermon transcript will be available soon. But it raises a really important question that I've been thinking about all this week. What kind of Church are we building? What are the priorities? Is it the Presence of God? Or is it something else? Are we building a Church that is built around the idea of God - but a Church that doesn't actually KNOW God and His Presence?

Rob Rufus on Past Moves of God

One of the sections of the "Life on Wings" interviews with Dr Ern Baxter that I found the most fascinating was when he spoke about past movements of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because we can learn so so much from past moves. We can learn what to expect when God does move but more importantly we can learn from the past mistakes of those who rode the waves of the Spirit and fell at various hurdles. Although Rob Rufus may not have lived through quite as many past moves of the Spirit as Ern Baxter did, I was still very interested to find an extensive comment that he made during one of his sermons in Hong Kong in 2004.

Here it is - Rob Rufus on waves of the Spirit of God:

"I believe that there is a "paddling" Anointing on us the Church to catch a wave of God.

About six months ago, God said to me, “I am going to establish a move of My Spirit in your Church that will touch the world.” The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized or reaped within the lifetime of that opportunity. The prophetic people see the window, they see the door opening.

Jesus warned that in the last days, as the world is coming to the climax and the consummation of the ages, as history is about to be summed up in the return of Jesus Christ, He says in Matthew 24 verse 38 that there will be people just running around, giving and taking in marriage, and they will be distracted by this thing and that trivial thing and that silly thing over there and He said suddenly the end will come and they would have missed out on their destiny and the purpose for which they were raised up. The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of that opportunity.

In 1905, the Azusa Street Revival broke out in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, a city that was a wild, cowboy town. It was a racially prejudiced city. God broke out in the most amazing ways. The Presence of God came upon a black man by the name of William Seymour – he was a one-eyed black man. God chose a black man with one eye to start a revival in a city that was racially prejudiced. They say that William Seymour could see more with one eye than people could see with two eyes. William Seymour had been kicked out of a white Church, and as he sat outside he said: “Lord, I love you and I wanted to be with my brothers and sisters and Worshipping in that Church, in Your House and they have kicked me out.” He said: “Son, don’t you worry, they have kicked me out a long time ago.”

William Seymour went down to Azusa Street and they had a little house meeting that went to a Horse Barn that could seat four hundred people but it fitted in eight hundred people. They had eight hundred people sitting on boxes and planks, no air-conditioning in the hot heat of Los Angeles. Eight hundred people, some journalists who went there said you had to stick your head under a chair to find a little air left. He described the air and the smell and the stench of horse manure and no deodorants on eight hundred people packed into a four-hundred seater place. William Seymour spent most of the service hiding his face because he was so humble, he did not want to take any glory at all and God came and they had three years of revival where they had twenty-four hour meetings, seven days a week – continual praising and worshipping of God and for the first time in one thousand years people got baptised in the Spirit and a Congregation began to speak in tongues and pray in tongues and people came from all around world. They came in there and they saw little children speaking the Word of God like Oracles and announcing the secret things of people’s hearts and the worship went on for hours and hours and people were slain in the Spirit, lay under the Glory of God and the Power of God came.

Now we look back on that and we say, whoa, it would have been so easy to have been a part of that. No, it was not easy because the statistics say that the revival only lasted three years and in those three years they only saw five hundred people born again. Now, you may think five hundred people is a lot in three years in a revival. That is not a lot.

Just two years ago I was in my home town in South Africa doing a big tent meeting and we saw in one meeting four hundred people come to Christ. I said “I do not want backsliders now, I am not asking for the Prodigals that is the next Altar call. This is for those who have never been saved.” Four hundred people saved in one night. Yet that did not produce a revival in our city, it was a great meeting but that was not revival. There is no revival in Pinetown today, there are some great Churches there but there is no revival, there is no Power sweeping through the City as great as the Churches there are. There are great Churches, but that is not revival. You can have great sophisticated Churches with dignified people but that is not revival.

Five hundred people in three years - that is only about three people a week being saved - that is not a lot. Only fifteen thousand people came from the nations of the earth to see what was happening there and catch it and take it back. Only fifteen thousand, that is not a lot over three years. That is about a hundred people a week.

But one hundred years later in 2005 from 1905, Five hundred million people can trace their Spiritual roots back to Azusa Street. There have been more people saved and more Churches started from that little revival than any other thing that has happened in the last century. Far more people have come out of that and are worshipping God than all the Catholics and all the Anglicans put together - out of that little one-eyed black man’s meetings because God came and there was a group of people that let Him come and it poured out of them onto the lost.

God sends waves of His Glory to the planet. Some of you know this and some of you have no clue what I am saying because you were part of those denominations that did not let those waves touch your congregation in the past. Over the last hundred years we have had about eight major waves that have come to this planet that hit the Church first.

Surfers know how to ride waves. They paddle out, they position themselves and they catch waves on purpose. If they do not position themselves and deliberately go to catch the wave, they have to start paddling before the wave comes into their geographical proximity. They cannot wait for a wave to be on them and then suddenly start paddling because many beautiful big waves by paddling too late. Now, if they are really good, they can give a little thrust from behind and it takes two or three strong paddles and they can get into a wave. But most have to start scratching long before it gets to them.

You have to be prophetic to catch a wave of the Glory of God. What are these waves? These waves are seasons in the History of Man where the Power of God comes with heightened awareness – much more than the normal times between the waves – and in every wave there is a restoration of a lost Truth that has been lost by the traditions of men. In every wave there is a restoration of what was lost during the Dark Ages. Waves that recover healing, waves that recover the Gifts. Waves that have recovered Elder-governed Churches. There are waves that recover Apostles and dismiss superintendents and executives. Waves that bring the Church closer to what the Book of Acts, the fountain of pure origin is about. Waves that come and they break across the wineskins of Churches and burst the wineskins open because the new wine cannot be contained within the religious wineskins of religiosity.

I have been a Christian for twenty-seven years and I have only lived through three major waves. In the tail-end of the Charismatic Movement, we got broken out of the Pentecostals and broke into Catholics and Anglicans and they all – millions of them – became tongue-speakers. It was an opportunity for those who had got behind to catch up with the restoration. Sadly millions of them rejected that wave, and many of them that caught it are no longer riding the wave that came after that which was the faith movement the Word of Faith movement and I rode that wave and I know that it ended in about 1983.

And then one was called the Toronto, the wave of joy and restoration and refreshing. That came. Actually it came to us in the mid-eighties we were under the rejoicing in God and it came in 1989. In 1993 it came to us in July 1993 in Adelaide for six weeks. And then in 1994 Toronto became famous but that wave began to fade as well. I am telling you, that I know, that I know that I know that there is another wave very close now.

It is not on the horizon. We are beginning to feel the first little, little effects of its’ coming. And in this wave it will not be this emphasis, or that emphasis, or tongues or joy or laughter or healing. This wave is the Mother of all Waves up to this present time. It will have in it everything that has been restored in previous waves – everything will be in this wave. Every surfer knows that every seventh wave is the big one – they call it the “creeper set.” They do not want to be caught on the inside when a creeper set is coming through. They can sit closer to the shore and enjoy the smaller waves and catch them but they are always keeping their eyes to the horizon because if the “creeper set” comes and they are not in the position, they are going to miss it. And that is the one they are waiting for because that is the biggest thrill.

If you have ever caught a big wave, you know what I am talking about. I mean, when that thing flows over you and it begins to get closer and closer in the “green room” – it is like transparent glass around you – pure moving water and energy and as that thing closes in on you, you can feel the eardrums compressing as the pressure in there begins to get compressed and then it literally shoots you out with a spit and a spume – and you have just got to do that again, and again, and again. And I just want to tell you something, you have got to start paddling before the wave arrives. You had better start paddling before this wave arrives; otherwise you are going to miss it. But I promise you this, when you catch the wave, no-one will have to tell you, you have now caught it, you will know you have not caught that wave, that wave has caught you.

Because you go from a “paddling Anointing” to a “thrill Anointing.” No more
just a paddling Anointing to get into a wave. Right now we are in a paddling Anointing. Right now, we are paddling to catch the wave. When we catch this wave we will experience a new energy, a new power, a new Glory, a new Awesomeness of God thundering around us - shaking and manifesting that is phenomenal! We will not have to paddle, once we have caught the wave we will not have to paddle anymore. It will be glorious, it will be magnificent.

Now, I have no doubt that this wave is coming. It is so close, I can feel it, it is beginning to lift, we are paddling for it. My only concern is how much of the Church is going to catch it, how much of the Church world will catch it because tradition shows when waves come, most of the Church has rejected the wave. When the Messiah came, most of the religious orthodoxy rejected Him and said He was not the wave, He is not the Messiah.

But all I know is when this wave hits, every Church and all groups and leaders that catch this wave – they are going to ride a wave of such Power and even if it is only a remnant or small part of the Church that catches this, this wave is going to have such Power it is going to carry us with such Anointing and freedom and joy and authority and peace and visions and dreams and reality that it is going to splash out onto the world and multitudes of the lost are going to come into this wave. I prophesy that the most who will participate in this wave are going to be the lost people that come into the Churches that are riding this coming wave".

The sermon was; "Why is Faith So Important? (9)" - 30th October 2005.

Let him who hath an ear to hear - hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.

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.