Why Do We Bother? To Build A House!

I was immensely blessed to be sent a box full of old videos and audiotapes by Rob and Glenda Rufus last week - that contain some solid gold treasures! Rob had carefully collected some videos by Kathryn Kuhlman that are just amazingly provoking. But sneaked in there was an amazing tape from Brighton 1998 (the now finished "Together on a Mission" conference run by Newfrontiers). This was the same year that Simon Petit preached his movement-changing "Remember the Poor" message. But the tape Rob Rufus sent me was called;

"Revival Seasons require Oil-Filled Leaders" by Frank Damazio

I believe my dear friend Pete Day was at that conference and said it was powerfully visited by the Presence of God - maybe on the same level as when Rob himself was there in 2006 and 2007 - maybe moreso?! But I have been listening to that tape on the way to and from work and Frank Damazio made a quote that grabbed me;

"We will never reach a city - unless we build a house - and we will never build a house unless we build great people".

Newfrontiers used to talk about "restoring the house" but have been called on; "It's too small a thing". However we cannot forget that the house still needs to be built. This is one reason why Dave Devenish writes that apostles and prophets are so essential! Without Ephesians 4 Ministries, the foundations are shaky.

I was told recently that my post on Joshua Harris ("Pastor of Pastors") was linked by Christianity Today - which was a surprise! It just shows you never know who is visiting your blog and reading. But it made me re-evaluate my interest and concern in the things affecting SGM at the moment. The fact is - back in 2000 when we first heard C J Mahaney speak at Stoneleigh Bible Week as a guest speaker I sensed something special. Nothing else would have persuaded me to move to Bristol and join the church plant there - and moreso persuade my entire family to make the move too!

Yes, the concerns and problems I had eventually outweighed my love for SGM and events outpaced me so I had to move on. But I still do believe C J Mahaney is incredibly gifted in his singular prophetic ministry to remind Christians of the Cross. I firmly believe that ministry would be best tied to a true apostolic ministry like Larry Tomczak's (which is why we look forward to November with great interest!).

I was asked what would be the ideal resolution in all this? I can't really answer that - because only God knows but surely the most God-glorifying answer would be a stronger house with true Ephesians 4 Ministries (apostles and prophets - not a "Board of Directors"), true Holy-Spirit inspired ministry firing preaching of the Word of God absolutely devoted to mission through church-planting to all people groups of the world. May it be so!

Together on a Mission 2011 - Day 3!

Today was the final session Terry Virgo spoke at - so the thousands gathered knew it was going to be special. I just wasn't prepared for quite how special.

The lively Evan Rodgers from South Africa and then Dubai led worship which was the usual dancing and clappy songs and then Terry came to speak. He pointed out that a high chair had been set beside him and asked what it was for - he explained that he felt led to "sit and chat to us" for his last session. Here's what he said;

"I was working on the third part of Hebrews and there were some wonderful things there. "You have come to Zion!". But it was dying. So I prayed and God said that this is a historic event and I should chat about things that really matter. So therefore I want to highlight things that really matter to me.

1. God's Initiative.

"The mission of God" - this is God's mission not ours. He chose Jacob not Esau. He has known us before He formed us in the womb. God knew me before time began! God's free grace runs right through who we are. It gives us a sense of destiny. God has initiated some thing in His purpose for me. "Not dependent on who I am or what I have done or deserved - it is a gift of mercy from God". And the greatest thing we can do is align ourselves with Him!

2. God's Enabling.

The coming upon of the Holy Spirit is a matter of life and death! We were useless Christians! This isn't an academic issue. We knew "powerlessness". The Holy Spirit will come "upon" you. The next word in nearly every verse is "and". The Spirit comes upon us to do things. What was the secret of Samson? Not his muscles but the Spirit who came "upon" Him!

It is easy to be cessationist because when you believe in the Spirit's coming upon, you will always be wrestling.

The coming upon of the Spirit will always lead to things! "Already but not yet". God wants to empower us - it can leave us aching because we don't see as much as we want but we must press through because we need more of the Holy Spirit! We need the power of the Holy Spirit to see more of the Kingdom break out! Some would say we are dialling down on the Holy Spirit to become more missional - the Early Church would not see or allow that!

3. God's Commissioning.

We want to be a sent people. It is important to know what theological training does and does not do - it is not the same as being sent! That commissioning from heaven is a commissioning from God. The awareness is that we answer to Him! (1 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The sense of being called by God should make us almost invincible. "The church stands for divine truth and divine inspiration or it stands for nothing at all" - Matthew Parris - The Times. We do stand for so many truths. God has apprehended and commissioned us. We are answerable to Him alone.

4. Being a servant.

A servant doesn't require explanations. He wants His servants to do what they are told. They got used to doing what they are told and we only need to know that God has told us - not His explanation. God said about David; "A man who will do all My will". Let's have that characteristic - trust His providential overshadowing! Ken Gott prophesied millions of pounds and millions of people! Let that characterise who we are - we are to be the servants of God. Where is the sharp edge and the contrast?

5. Faith.

God loves faith! Sometimes we look at groups of churches and question some of their doctrine or practice but you cannot deny that they do great and bold things and God blesses that! He just seems to love faith! Mega churches are growing throughout China, India. We are in little league. The Chinese economy is coming alive and a secular writer commented that Chinese growth is being affected by the back bone of spiritual life. Launch out with faith - not just apportioning! Beware the danger of a passive Calvinism!

Charles Simpson once came and preached at the last Downs Bible Week. Our theme was "World Changer!" and he was initially somewhat cynical. He had been greatly hurt by the controversies affecting the Shepherding Movement in the USA. However in the weekend in between weeks, I had some precious fellowship and was able to share with him. The second week came and he changed his message to one inspired by our theme. 6,000 in a small field in Plumpton!

"Success-victory-winners!". Oh you English - God change us out of our cynicism. Launch us with faith!

6. Prayer.

"A move of God will last only as long as the spirit of prayer that brought it to birth" - (Arthur Wallis).

Jesus prayed a lot and with faith. Do you want to be like Jesus? He prayed a lot!

7. Gathering a Team.

That means to me, friends and companions. We gain friends! Not co-labourers but true friends. People who make up my areas of lack. Being interviewed helps you find out what you believe. What makes a team? Vulnerability. Have a team because we need a team. Draw from one another - prayer partners and men of the Spirit! Our team often find ourselves in "prophetic conversations" - you pray and then start talking and the whole conversation becomes prophetic! As elders - don't just sit around talking. Get before God! The team are by no means yes men. Go for it but with love!

Submission isn't saying "Yes" every time!

Terry then went on to cite the closest men in his team who have played such key parts in Newfrontiers.

Dave Holden

Dave Devenish

Colin Baron

David Stroud.

Jeremy Simpkin

Mike Betts

Guy Miller

Stephen van Rhyn

PJ Symthe

Steve Oliver

Edward Buria

John Kpipi

and Peter Brookes in the Pacific Rim!

This is a snapshot of "now" we are reminded! And there are young men such as Joel Virgo coming through. Terry then went on to give a lot of detail about changes from now in what is known as Newfrontiers.

Especially:

The Newfrontiers Magazine will stop - penultimate edition.

The Newfrontiers Brighton office is closing.

Terry will begin to become "less and less" while the team men become "more and more".

On this he mentioned specifically travelling and ministering to non-Newfrontiers groups such as the Pentecostals in France. He mentioned visiting a "group who are struggling very recently in Washington DC" (no prizes for guessing who - but I am SO glad that they have asked Terry to come and have some input, that it isn't just limited to cessationist, Reformed men such as Mark Dever).

He then ended by a very moving and personal tribute to Nigel Ring - the man who has made so many of these conferences and Bible Weeks and so much of Newfrontiers possible. You could tell that Nigel was very moved and touched and surprised. I must admit to leaving the session feeling quite emotional and bittersweet - just like when we left Stoneleigh Bible Week 2001. But boy - am I glad that we went for these key messages of "Together on a Mission 2011"!

History in the making indeed.

Together on a Mission 2011 - Day 2!

I don't think there could have been a clearer demonstration of the prophetic power of attending a charismatic conference like "Together on a Mission" than there was today.

I was sadly quite distressed to read a rather harsh statement from the SGM Board of Directors released just before the start of the 14:30 session that seemed to go against so much of the humility and gentleness that Josh Harris expressed in his message to Covenant Life Church last Sunday about the "Mahaney saga". Essentially they have almost dismissed Brent Detweiler's concerns because the documents have been leaked on the internet.

There could be no more perfect time to enter into worship led by my very favourite - the wonderful Kate Simmonds. She taught us a couple of new songs - all of which were focused on the truth "In Christ Alone". Our hope is in Him and Him alone! We then finished by singing; "Shout to the Lord!" - the glorious anthem that just truly lifted me into heaven. I reflected that yes - men come and go, men like Mahaney's live and die, governments come and go, SGM may rise or fall, but Jesus Christ and only Him is forever!

That time of worship truly geared my heart towards receptivity towards the preaching - Terry Virgo came forward to give his second address of the conference again in Hebrews 12:1-15;

His prayer; "Lift our hearts again and with fresh joy so we can run into what you have for us".

In the race it is possible for us to grow weary in well-doing and lose heart so the invitation comes again to look to Him. Christ genuinely is the answer to every statement and every problem! Jesus Himself presented Himself as the answer to every problem. Keep him in focus and as you do it can inspire robust faith! When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus he walked on water! "Consider Him" - whatever circumstances, never turn your gaze away from Him.

Nothing compares to the Cross! The writer to the Hebrews says; "You are in danger of forgetting". Fear is beginning to dominate you - you have forgotten Proverbs 3; "My Son" - (v11-12). Hebrews have an OT perspective full of revelation of who they were yet they were forgetting they were sons.

God is not just wanting to get a job done! He is trying to bring many sons to glory!

He sent His beloved Son into human form to show us what sonship is all about.

He wants "sons" not just "sinners who have found their way to heaven" and we must keep our eyes on this or we will become full of self-pity.

Pressure is proof that we belong. You mustn't interpret that as "perhaps I don't belong". It means God is on my case. Evidence of His love!

The eagle stirs up her nest alone because she wants her young to fly. She wants them to catch the breeze on their wings!

"Jacob have I loved" - His special focus was on Jacob. Yet Jacob's life does not look like one specially loved. "From vessel to vessel" - why? Because I love Him! Jacob was a prince with God even though he was limping. It is the mark of one being loved. Jesus answered Satan's taunts knowing He was assured in His Sonship. God wants fully grown sons! (Phil 1:6); "He who began a good work in you". God is at work in me! (Ephesians 2:10) - we are His workmanship! (Hebrews 13:21); "what is pleasing". You have forgotten that He chastens.

The Hebrews had been through hard times. Injustice so often makes us feel "It's not fair!" but God uses it to get under our skin. People may write or blog about you without permission and you may lose your reputation even. Something in us wants to know why. If it makes sense it is okay - but God doesn't always explain why! "We were burned excessively!". Sometimes we can question if we can even carry on. Why? Because of His Father's love - we can carry on. Earthly fathers discipline children - they do what they think is best. Yet God does that so that we may share in His holiness.

God is at work in us to disturb our smugness - we are Reformed, we are restorationist, we are charismatic. You can get so clear and so sorted that you don't realise you are still wearing sunglasses. God shakes us to save us from pride! God led the children of Israel through the wilderness to humble them. Paul spoke of a thorn in the flesh to save him from being exalted about measure. Joseph also saw a vision but then went to prison! David took out Goliath but then had to go to a cave! He has ways of handling us. Elijah told Ahab it would rain - and then it didn't! God and His loving ways of humbling us!

Terry has also had prophetic words; "I have need of you in Kingston". But it's just not happening yet. He is still in Brighton! When!?

"Contrite" means lamed. It describes a lame man - humble. Sometimes the best preaching comes from a personal softening by preachers (Psalm 119:17); "It was good for me that I was afflicted". It is how you respond to suffering that makes you holy - not suffering itself. You can go through things and actually miss the point! 1. Don't despise it. 2. Don't faint when you are reproved by Him. 3. Don't allow a root of bitterness to grow up. You can get angry - God uses people at times to humble us.

Instead it says "obtain grace"! Bitterness is a powerful thing and can get into your soul. We need grace to forgive! You will not learn and be trained if you carry the bitterness. Release again and again and again! You either let them pile up or you obtain grace!

You must not carry bitterness - it will wreck you!

"He learned obedience". How did the perfect One learn obedience? He learned to be a man yet He conquered again and again. God is calling us to flight! It isn't just knowing it - it's having churches free from bitterness. You can mess up God's plan to have glorious churches! We are not carrying bitterness - because we realise that He wants us to share His holiness. Refuse bitterness - let God purge it from your soul. "Exhortation that addresses you as sons". The greek is "dialogue or reason" with you.

When God chastens you, R T Kendall says; "He is not getting even - He got even at the Cross!".

"Hugging comes after wacking!" - Anna Virgo.

Respond appropriately! God wants to set us free. He wants you through the experience to find you healed. Is there anything in my life that I won't let people near? Don't be sensitive. Loosen it up! Face the pain - don't have no go areas. "Pursue peace with all men!". The word is active and it means "strive for". "Afterwards it will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness". Jesus said "afterwards you will understand".

Personal word from Terry - God is saying to us; "You don't understand what I am doing now - but afterwards you will".

Childbirth makes the pain worth it! Because of the motivation of His love - God disciplines. He wants you rid of bitterness. Walk in freedom! Don't carry bitterness another day. Leave it here! There may be people you may wish to speak to. Pursue peace!".

Terry then led us into a very powerful time of ministry and called people who had been weighed down with bitterness to come forth and lay it down. The power of the Holy Spirit was very evident and I could hear people weeping. My heart went out and I wished that so many of my dear friends at SGM Survivors and Refuge who have been so hurt by C J Mahaney and SGM could have been there - to make their peace with their pain and to let the loving Christ come and heal their pain.

Rob Rufus on Disappointment and Theology

I was listening to the DVD of Rob Rufus's main session at Brighton in 2006 and heard him make this statement. It's so sadly true;

"I want to say today that disappointment is a very dangerous and disastrous father of theology. If we develop our theology out of our disappointments, we will lower the Word of God down to the level of our current experience of the supernatural rather than allowing God to elevate our experience up to the levels in His Word".

Rob Rufus - "Main Session" - Together on a Mission 2006 - Newfrontiers Conference Brighton.

One to One with Rob Rufus and Nigel Ring

I found this interview between Nigel Ring and Rob Rufus taken just after the "Together on a Mission Conference" in Brighton in 2006. It's so stirring.

NR: Were you brought up in a Christian family?

RR: I had an incredibly happy childhood but my mother was an agnostic and my dad was an atheist but a very good father. From about three years of age I was conscious of God's Presence and about the age of seven or eight, I began to read the gospels. However in my high school years I really went out of my way to undermine Christian faith; but I was longing for them to win the argument. When I finished high school my dad had convinced me that Christianity was a modern form of sophisticate superstition but I had the privilege of leading my dad to Christ many, many years later, three weeks before he passed on!

On "call-up" in the military I began to ask questions about the meaning of life even more. Then at university I got very involved with the Hare Krishna movement. I even joined a Hindu Ashram full time.

NR: Had you met Glenda at this stage?

RR: We met at university and got married. We had our first son Jay (Hindu for victory) by the time we had joined the Hare Krishna movement. In the meantime Glenda had an amazing encounter with God and was "born again". I ridiculed that a martyr could save the world. It seemed foolish that Jesus died on a cross; He could have done better as a teacher. One day a man wanted to join our community. I asked him how long he wanted to stay and he said as long as was necessary! That night he suddenly sat straight up and pointed at a picture of Krishna, shook his head and just said; "Jesus Christ is the pure sacrifice of God and He is the only way" - a pretty courageous thing to say in a Hare Krishna temple!

I was suddenly aware that I was not right with God. When I got up at 2am he had gone and I never saw him again.

NR: Angelic?

RR: I don't know Nigel. For months I tried to increase my performance in Hindu rituals. Then in the Ashram on my own, Jesus came and said; "My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Come follow Me!". So I was "born again" in a Hindu temple! That was in 1977.

NR: Did you walk straight out?

RR: I did leave as I was called up again by the South African military. But I went back and witnessed to every single one there. I heard later that some I had spoken to had left the movement.

NR: I think your second child had been born by this stage?

RR: Yes, Ryan was conceived whilst we were in the Hare Krishna movement. He is now part of our leadership team. We also have a daughter Bonnie who leads worship in our church.

NR: When you left Hare Krishna, how did you engage with a church?

RR: We went back to the university on a post-graduate course. I met Christians who had fasted for forty days for us when they heard we were going to the Hare Krishna people. They burst into tears and were amazed! We joined them as a community of people.

NR: How did you plant a church?

RR: After I graduated God called me to plant in our home town but there was nothing supernatural there. I began to read Acts and God asked me; "Do you believe everything that is My will will automatically happen?". I said; "Yes Lord!". "Do you believe it is My will to save people every week and add them to you?". I said; "Yes Lord!". "Do you believe it is My will that people get healed miraculously?". I said; "Yes Lord!". "Then how come it isn't happening?".

He spoke to me about going to sit under the ministry of Kenneth Hagin for three days. Initially I was quite critical and analytical but I watched the miraculous happening. Then God said; "Lift your hands - you can do this!". The Presence of God came on me overwhelmingly and powerfully for the first time in my life. The next Sunday our church was hit by the power of God. People with deaf ears began to hear, different people began to cry out. I felt God say; "Pray a blessing over the people". So I asked them to stand and said; "Father would you bless ..." and I didn't get any further.

I heard this amazing rushing sound through the building and saw people being picked up and carried two to three rows through the air. We had never seen anything like this. I called out and said; "You have seen that God is real. Come and get saved!". People literally ran to get saved that day. Even the local rugby team visited and broken bones were healed. The church grew by hundreds. Then God said; "I am going to lift this heavy anointing off you for a season and I want you to get to know me. I am going to link you with people that I want you to be accountable to. I want you to develop your doctrine and knowledge of Scripture. I am going to bring this power back on you at a later stage".

It was at that stage I met Dudley Daniel.

NR: Has God brought that power back to you?

RR: Every year I asked God; "Is this the year?". Every year He would say; "Be faithful - this is not the year". By 2001, 2002 I wondered if God would ever do this again but at the beginning of 2006 I heard God say; "This is the year not just for you but for much of the wider body of Christ". He promised He would restore this power at a higher level and I feel certain that as the year progresses we will see this more and more.

NR: Is this world-wide?

RR: There is fresh expectation in many parts of the world and reports of some unusual signs and wonders. I think 2006 is the year our Lord is taking His finger off the "pause" button.

NR: Such ministry comes out of an intimacy with God. How did you deepen your personal walk with God?

RR: I love to get out to solitary places; the mountains and the forests. When I first planted a church I would spend a day or two every week alone with God, not trying to prepare messages but wanting to get to know Him. I learned to fine-tune my spirit to hear His voice and talk to Him about who He is. He said; "Rob I want you to ask Me questions about Me. If you open your heart to me, I will open My heart totally to you - and reveal things to you". I found that if you develop a depth of relationship with God in the solitary places I could start hearing His voice in the noisy places. I can even stand in Mongkok - one of the densest population areas in Hong Kong and hear the voice of God.

NR: Many leaders would ask; "How did you carve out that time? Did you have a team with you?".

RR: Yes I did have a good team but there is also unnecessary guilt that comes. One day sitting on a mountain looking out over factories where members of my congregation were working, God said;

"Son those people want you here - they want you to come with dew of heaven on your shoulders and speak the living word of God".

NR: Moving in these dimensions, do you experience opposition?

RR: Yes! The enemy is against the anointing because it destroys the yokes, lifts the burdens off people's shoulders and breaks his strategies and attacks. There are anti-Christspirits trying to get the church to be more secular, to run programmes, entertainment with human wisdom. Reaction is mainly from religious people; the world longs to experience something that is supernaturally authentic. We need to redeem the supernatural back to sound theology, basing it on good doctrine, expressed by people who have healthy marriages, healthy families and so forth.

NR: Where do you find your own peer relationship that will keep you secure and where you weigh each other's ministry?

RR: A very good question! When God exploded into our church I had no understanding of proper Biblical government foundations or biblical wineskins. I had difficulty in hosting a big crowd! As I mentioned, it was then in 1984 that I was introduced to Dudley Daniel. I first met him on his day off. He came out of his study in a pair of shorts and hugged me. I got the shock of my life! I felt God say; "I have joined you to this man forever!". I began to realise that Dudley had an apostolic wisdom, understanding and grace on his life. He helped us lay proper New Testament patterns and Victory Faith Church is still very healthy today.

NR: How did New Covenant Ministries begin?

RR: When Dudley was baptised in the Holy Spirit, his denomination kicked him out. He was invited by a small group in Bryanstone, Johannesburg to pastor them. He also felt God say he should build relationships with pastors who are lonely, wanting friendship and looking for togetherness. Out of that came the phrase; "Friendship before function". This began to reflect what Jesus revealed so wonderfully with His friends who were disciples.

There were many BBQs with humour and laughter. Slowly the idea of a trans-local team began to develop; that is when I got involved. God began to open up the oath He made to Abraham to bless all nations. We began to see that we would have to plant New Testament local churches in every nation.

NR: Did you have a particular strategy?

RR: In Scripture proven ministries took the initiative to break new territory. For example Paul and Barnabas having established Antioch moved on. Dudley relocated to Australia. This sent a big signal to us all. We thought South Africa was going to fall apart but God actually blessed us. Then God called Glenda and me to join him.

NR: Were you creating South African churches?

RR: Not at all! As we planted we started working with indigenous people and they started coming on team. We wanted to reflect the culture of the kingdom not a religious sub-culture.

NR: Have you found that God has given you favour with particular sections of the community?

RR: In certain countries, doors open through situations of poverty. In others, it has come through Christian businessmen and women like Priscilla and Aquila.

NR: How did your next transition come about?

RR: When Dudley felt called to work into the USA, he handed the visionary leadership of Coastlands International Christian Centre over to me. In 2002 after seven years God called us to go full-time trans-local equipping churches in evangelism, signs and wonders and miracles so we handed the church over to Dudley's son Tyrone. Then our hearts began to turn to Asia and Glenda and I planted a church in Hong Kong.

NR: Did you know people on the ground?

RR: There were five people in Hong Kong and five young people from South Africa to help us for 6-12 months.

NR: How have you grown?

RR: Originally I thought we would build primarily with ex-pats using the medium of English. However Chinese people started coming because they heard about the Presence of God and were attracted to the message of grace. One young, very intelligent and hi-tech Buddhist man came. The Presence of God was so powerful in the meeting that he began to weep and said; "They are not singing about Buddha, they are singing about Jesus so He must be alive!". He gave his life to Christ and we baptised him very soon after that. We are, probably about 95 adults at this time plus children.

NR: Do you have any comments on multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-lingual church?

RR: When diverse ethnic groups come together that reflects the wonderful finished work of the Cross! The idea of the homogenous church for me is foreign to the Scripture. We are enjoying being a rainbow church.

NR: Has the signs and wonders ministry opened doors for you in Hong Kong?

RR: Yes! There is a lot of idol worship that opens people up to demonic influences so when God sets people free they go and tell their friends. The potential to have exponential growth in Hong Kong and into mainland China is enormous. The secular humanistic money culture has left a real emptiness in people's lives.

The Presence and power of God is a major means to impact that part of the world.

NR: Can you disciple others into this ministry or impart it to others?

RR: Both! The main way is through impartation. It is through association with people that are moving in the supernatural like Elijah to Elisha or Paul to Timothy or Moses to Joshua and so on. There also needs to be practical instruction; how to co-operate with God; how to co-labour with God; how to partner with God. I love to coach even in services on a Sunday morning - "This is why we are doing this".

NR: You referred earlier to what God was saying about 2006. Can you expand on that?

RR: I came to London in 2005 and I was praying in Richmond Park and suddenly I felt the clear voice of God saying He is going to come with a visitation of His glory to the British Isles. It may seem unlikely or like wishful thinking but I just felt it so strongly. He said He was going to call me back and have some involvement in facilitating, in a small way, some of those things. Something would rise up within these British Isles. It would be for everyone who is hungry for God. It would require people to look at wineskins to avoid another charismatic movement that will run for a while and then burst.

Those who have been faithfully establishing wineskins for years need to start looking with expectation that they have not laboured in vain. Others will need to be looking at Scripture and to people who have built according to a Biblical pattern. This is the time to prepare for this visitation by building proper Biblical government and pattern into the church.

A Biblical wineskin embraces three elements:

1. Biblical authority structures which is proper government based on what the Bible teaches not on democracy.

2. Biblical vision which involves going to the nations and involves reaching the lost.

3. Biblical values - how we do it, with integrity, humility, with team, accountability etc.

Prophetic ministries around the world are picking up an excited expectation of something significant. This time hopefully we won't have a Philistine cart with our Uzzah's and Ahios. We will receive this visitation with a lot more reverence and honour who this is for. This is for the honour and pleasure of our great God not to make certain movements more famous or our churches grow faster. This is to see the glory of God come into the nations that multitudes can be saved.

NR: Thank you so much Rob - An excellent place to conclude!

Worship from "Together on a Mission 2010"

One of the main elements I desperately missed from being at Brighton this year was the worship - Kate Simmonds and Lou Fellingham are my favourite worship leaders alongside Darlene Zschech (and Isi de Gersigny). What do they all have in common? Yes - they are all beautiful blond ladies. Yes - they all have incredible voices. But more importantly than even that, they all have a God-given, Spirit-empowered ability to lead the people into the manifest Presence of God. And I guess that is faith-building in and of itself.

I will never, ever forget being at CCK in Brighton when Rob Rufus was speaking just before "Together on a Mission 2007" and hundreds of us had flocked up for prayer - and I saw Kate Simmonds just round the stage up front dramatically receiving from God. That stuck with me - a daughter of God who was thirsty for more of Him.

So I'm grateful and very interested in this blog for faithfully recording the songs sung - and even more excited and encouraged to see that the worship leaders at Brighton do not make it all about "new" songs. Some of my favourite "golden oldies" were sung there such as;

Holy Holy (All The Heavens) Reuben Morgan
Majesty, Worship His Majesty Jack Hayford
Here Is Love Vast As The Ocean William Rees (& Kate Simmonds)
Jesus Lover Of My Soul Paul Oakley
Strength Will Rise Brenton Brown
Father of creation David Ruis
In him I have believed Kate Simmonds

Here's the complete list;

TUESDAY 1130

The Greatest Day In History (Happy Day) Tim Hughes
Come Let Us Worship The King of Kings Nathan Fellingham
To God Be The Glory Fanny Crosby and Nathan Fellingham
Holy Holy (All The Heavens) Reuben Morgan
Who O Lord (You Alone Can Rescue) Matt Redman
Majesty, Worship His Majesty Jack Hayford

TUESDAY 1430

We Are Gathered Evan Rogers
This Is The Day Evan Rogers
You Give Me (New Song) Evan Rogers
Twimba Lelu Evan Rogers
You O Lord, Rich In Mercy Mark Veary & Paul Oakley
And Can It Be Charles Wesley
You Have Become For Us Wisdom Mark Altrogge
No One But You Lord Andy Park

TUESDAY 1900

My Saviour, Redeemer Reuben Morgan
Wake Up My Soul Kate Simmonds
Looking In The Sky (Amazing God) Nathan Fellingham
Here Is Love Vast As The Ocean William Rees (& Kate Simmonds)
How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place (Better Is One Day) Matt Redman

WEDNESDAY 0900

The Glory Of Our King Matt Redman
Looking In The Sky (Amazing God) Nathan Fellingham
To God Be The Glory Fanny Crosby and Nathan Fellingham
Oh To See The Dawn Stuart Townend
Lift Up His Name Nathan Fellingham
Jesus Lover Of My Soul Paul Oakley

WEDNESDAY 1430

Clap Your Hand Evan Rogers
What A Mighty God You Serve Evan Rogers
You Are Mighty Craig Musseau
Strength Will Rise Brenton Brown
When The Dark Prevails Evan Rogers
There Is A Day Nathan Fellingham

WEDNESDAY 1900

Praise awaits you Matt Redman
Even as the world began Matt Redman
Great is he who’s the king of kings
Grace is not earned Kate Simmonds
I stand amazed in the presence C H Gabriel
Father of creation David Ruis

THURSDAY 0900

You Are The Lord Chris Tomlin
In Jesus Nathan Fellingham
Promised Land Nathan Fellingham
A Father To The Fatherless Paul Oakley

THURSDAY 1115

We Stand And Lift Up (Holy Is The Lord) Chris Tomlin
Praise Is Rising Nathan Fellingham
Our God Is Greater Chris Tomlin
We Are Thirsty (Let It Rain) Simon Brading
Strength Will Rise Brenton Brown
In All I Do (This Is My Worship) Lou Fellingham

THURSDAY 1430

To God Be The Glory Fanny Crosby and Nathan Fellingham
From The Highest of Heights Laura Story
Christ In Me Lou Fellingham
Your Blood Matt Redman
Blessing and Honour Gary Sadler

THURSDAY 1900

When the dark prevails Evan Rogers
I believe in Jesus Marc Nelson
From the north to the south Evan Rogers
Celebrate in the lord Evan Rogers
Who is this emerging like the dawn Evan Rogers
Everybody in the Church Evan Rogers
Free free I’m free indeed Evan Rogers
Ecstatic Praise Evan Rogers
Happy Day You give me hope / New Song Evan Rogers
Bambelela

FRIDAY 0900

There is mercy from the throne Phatfish
Here is love William Rees
Saviour King

FRIDAY 1115

In Jesus Phatfish
Wake up my soul Kate Simmonds
Grace is not earned Kate Simmonds
Christ in me Phatfish
In him I have believed Kate Simmonds

I hope there's a live CD coming out!

An Investment ... or Sheer Irresponsibility?!

Well I have a confession to make - must be related to my "indwelling sin" and that wretched "old man" that just won't quit and die ... ;-)

I was very excited when I first heard about the magnificent series of DVD's that Wayne Grudem has produced. It is a series of 16 DVD's with over 16 hours of teaching on them. Grudem essentially teaches on key aspects of the Christian life in his Systematic Theology such as;

1. What is God like?
2. What are angels and demons?
3. What is the resurrection?
4. What are justification and adoption?

And so on. I've struggled with the price (£80) in my mind but finally yesterday decided to take the plunge and go for it. Men like Wayne Grudem are rare and gifted teachers. Grudem has the unique gift of teaching on systematic theology but for some reason when he teaches on what many may feel are "boring" topics and many other teachers lecture on with little result other than imparting information - Grudem always seems to bring a sense of the manifest Presence of God.

This most certainly happened when I've heard him speak twice at the "Together on a Mission" conference in 2003 and 2006. He spoke in 2003 on "Biblical Manhood and Womanhood" (a subject I tire of often) but there was an amazing sense of God's Presence there when Terry Virgo got us to sing "There is a Day!" afterwards. The same thing happened again when Grudem spoke on the Person of Christ at Brighton in 2006. Grudem certainly speaks with anointing.

I figured that the only other way to be able to get to hear Wayne Grudem speak in this length and depth would be to either follow him across the globe (costing thousands in airfares) or enroll at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona (also costing thousands). £80 seems rather a bargain in comparison! Effectively I get to go on a Systematic Theology course in my own apartment!

Others have already reached the same conclusion clearly - Tim Chester among others has brought the series and reviews it here. I will hopefully be reviewing aspects of interest as I listen to the sessions when I can!

Imperfect Faith Can STILL Bring You Face to Face with Jesus - Part 2

Just before Easter I posted the first half of this sermon of Rob Rufus's - he preached it in November last year in Hong Kong. The fact is that we are indeed facing a war. And I am increasingly convinced that the war is NOT to give into lust or anger or other "sins". I am increasingly convinced that the war is to give into bitterness and disappointment against God - and ultimately to lose our faith in a loving and gracious and passionate God. The devil simply uses those temptations - because he knows that if we as Christians do fall in those areas, we will most likely think that God is angry or disappointed with us. And then his job is accomplished.

But if we can hold on resolutely to the finished glorious work of the Cross - that when God promises; "He is no longer holding our sins against us" - that He means it, then I suspect that the devil has lost probably his only weapon. Why are we as Christians so determined to believe that God is constantly angry or unhappy with us?

Here is Part 2 of the sermon;

"Quickly go to Romans chapter 3:3-4. “Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true and every man a liar”. What is so important today is that we need to see there is a difference between facts and truth.

So many people in the church are believers in theory. But the reality is that the administration of their life is closer to a practical atheist. There is very little in these Christians lives that you have to say they are solving problems through faith. They are solving their problems by “what is” and are dealing with “what is” by “what is”. So they are multiplying their problems.

This creates so much controversy and pain and I wanted to deal with this so sensitively and I just don’t have the time. Let me say I am dealing with this from a sensitive heart.

The fact is that you may have sickness in your body. The truth is that by His stripes - you WERE healed. The fact is you may be in financial debt - the truth is that at the Cross He has ALREADY redeemed you from the curse of poverty that the prosperity of Abraham may come upon you. The fact is that you may have sinned and done something seriously wrong - you may have failed God - that is the fact. The truth is you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

There is coming a defining and dividing dispensation in our time of the people of God who chose to be wrapped up in the facts or be wrapped up in the truth. If you focus on the facts then you will chose the things that are to nullify the things that are. But if you focus on the truth then you will chose the things that are not to nullify the things that are. You will seek the covering presence of the cherubims and the glory to get into the Presence of the God who calls things that be not as though they were.

I want you to look in John chapter 8 very quickly. Any fact that does not line up with the truth of God’s Word is a fact waiting to be nullified by the things that are not. I want you to look quickly at John chapter 8. I want to show you that Jesus constantly spoke about the two worlds - the superior world of heaven and the world that is from below that is temporarily corrupted by satanic deception. Satan has a system of politics, economics and education of doing things and God has a heavenly system of doing things and He says - let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. When we begin to get into the world’s system, we begin to try to deal with problems of what is - by dealing with what is.

Jesus says here - in John chapter 8 and verse 23; “I am from above, I am not of this world”. If you go to verse 28, Jesus said; “I am the One I claim to be … but speak what the Father has taught Me … He has not left Me alone”. That is the key theme of what I want to talk about in the coming weeks. He has not left me alone. “The truth will set you free”. What will the truth set you free from? It will set you free from the facts. Are you wrapped up in the truth of God’s Word or are you wrapped up in the facts? Now we are not to deny the facts - we have to face the facts and recognise that they are there. But we are then to look on the things that are unseen and get wrapped up in the truth.

It is not a waste of time to be lying on the floor soaking under the manifest glory of God - it is not a waste of time to go into the secret place and let God love you and manifest His glory over you and saturate you so every cell in your body is vibrating with eternal life, divine virtue and divine quickening of your mortal body so that God can then do the things that are impossible to do.

I wonder has God really called us to have faith for miracles? Or has He called us to have faith to surrender our whole life to come under His hovering Presence? Because when you want to have faith for miracles, it puts all the pressure on you to have faith. If all you are saying is; “God I know I can have faith for Your manifest Presence” - then the God who does miracles does the miracle.

I can’t do the miracle and neither can you. What do we need to have faith for? His hovering Presence. God has to come out of the invisible and manifest tangibly. No miracle can happen unless the Presence of God manifests tangibly in reality so that your very physical body can feel His Presence. Go to Jeremiah 32. Jeremiah 32 is God’s announcement of the superiority of the New Covenant. Most of you have heard me read this and quote it but I want to read it again. Verse 40. We no longer earn or deserve the blessing, Jesus Christ earned the blessings on our behalf and redeemed us from the curse of the law that the blessings may come on our lives through faith and faith alone. So Jeremiah 32:40 says; “I will never stop doing good to them”. How long is never? Does never ever run out? “I will rejoice …”. The Hebrew word means; “To turn and twist with deep emotions of ecstasy and joy in doing us good”. V41 again.

Let me put these two verses together - then the will of God is to NEVER stop doing you good! 24/7 every second He wants to do you good! How does He do us good? With rejoicing! So if He never wants to stop doing you good then it means that He never wants to stop dancing with deep emotions and twists and turns and ecstasy in doing you good. The greatest fun God gets - is doing you good!

Why do so few Christians feel a consciousness that the Creator is not remote and a distant deity but He is a very engaged Being that is literally dancing over me and you with ecstasy and deep feelings of wanting to do us good and never will stop doing us good? How come that is not reflected in the life of the church?

I think it was when Jesus said - your traditions have nullified the Word of God. I don’t think people believe this. I don’t think people have the faith to surrender to the covering Presence of the God that calls the things that be not as though they were. I think people have got caught up in rituals and religion and ceremonies. Religious principles and protocol - but have we got caught up in revelation and eternal intuition and insight into this God dancing over you all the time? We have been told that when God manifests over us it is a sovereign initiative and there is nothing you can do about it and He will just come. Now the gifts of the Spirit operate as the Spirit wills but I am not talking about the gifts here today. Jeremiah 32 is not God talking about the gifts - it is God talking about Himself dancing over you all the time!

Some of you have heard my account of when I went to Brighton two years ago and I was invited to be the main speaker at a conference for about 5000 leaders. The weekend before the conference Terry Virgo invited me to come to the church he is based at that he has planted - it is quite a large church - and minister Sunday morning and Sunday night. So I preached Sunday morning and came back Sunday night and it was packed out. People had come from all over and they had brought lots of sick people and I preached again in the evening but realised I had to pace myself because I had to preach seven times in the week to thousands of people. At the end of the evening service I thought I had to get out of the door and then saw this long queue lining up and the first one had crippled hips and I just knew that it was not going to happen. I couldn’t do it. Someone said “Will you come over?” and as I am walking over I suddenly felt over my physical body, my head and everywhere the dancing God. He was wanting to rejoice over doing me good and anyone that got into my radius.

Any time you watch a DVD of an evangelist or a preacher and see someone bringing them out of the wheelchair with boldness and no lack of confidence - anytime you see that, don’t think that is their natural temperament. They are under something. I am tired of ministering to broken lives if I am not under something. It is just flesh and religion. “Come out in Jesus Name!”. “I am not coming out”.

As I got closer I could just feel the intensifying dancing of a God who just wanted to do me good and anyone around me - this God of perfect love. I walked up to the first lady and I said; “Lady what do you need?”. That’s all I did. I didn’t put my hands on her or pray and I felt this all around me. She started to describe her symptoms and about 30 seconds into her describing the symptoms (I had said nothing - just fixed my eyes on her) she started shaking. I hadn’t prayed for her, hadn’t said “In the Name of Jesus” or put my hands on her and she started shaking and vibrating and then she falls over! I just was standing there listening to the symptoms. A minute or two later she got up and her hips were totally straight. I said “Next!”. 20 people - about 8 out of 10 - the exact same thing happened. I never prayed for them - it was effortless! I didn’t have to speak! While giving me their symptoms they were healed!

I think that is closer to the Jesus ministry than what I see. Mark chapter 1 He walked into the temple and a demonised man started screaming. “Aaagh why have You come before our time?”. He hadn’t preached yet! Shut up - and come out. They marvelled at His authority.

In Eastbourne in southern England quite recently I went to speak at a conference there with Glenda and Millie was there. On the last night I was tired. The pastor came and in the large hall there was a bunch of people there who had the worst crippling conditions I had seen. I know if you are trying to get cripples healed and that thing is not over you - it is shocking. You are trying to pretend you know what you are doing but you don’t have a hope of getting them healed! You can go through the religious formulas and pretend something has happened but everyone with the know-how knows that nothing is happening. It is almost disgusting and discrediting the real ministry of Jesus!

So I walk over there and as I get closer the dancing God comes over me. Suddenly I am not Clarke Kent - I am now Superman. But it is not me! As I am walking it is getting stronger and stronger and I see this woman who is crippled and as I get closer and closer the demons start screaming; “Aaagh leave us! Leave us!”. Literally! And they are out. They are gone. She topples over and gets up healed. Everyone I step towards are healed. Many of you saw the DVD I brought back of dozens of people. One lady was so crippled she couldn’t pick up her child - and her husband had to leave his career to look after her children full time. She went down under the power and the next morning she came dancing into church.

How many of you think this is the love of God - how many of you think it is shocking and disgusting that we do not see more of these things?

Because of the traditions of men! Let me tell you honestly and vulnerably - I have been doing this for 30 years. I want to tell you what I have just described today has only happened to me maybe about 100 times. I have daily anointing! I am not talking about anointing here or the gifts of the Spirit but God coming. Actually He is not coming - He is always there. But why isn’t He always manifested? He said I will never stop doing you good - I will rejoice and dwell to do you good! If I can come under the dancing God all the time then maybe you and me can start approximating the promise of John 14:12; “Anyone who believes in Me .. And even greater works”. Acts 10:38 said that God anointed Jesus with power and He went about doing good and healing ALL. If Jesus could go about any time of day, any second if anyone touched Him in the crowd, anyone that asked for healing, He could give healing on the spot!

I suspect that Jesus walked under the glory Presence of the Father all the time! The religious world has told me that any time He comes and does that it is just a sovereign mood of God. I think you and I have got something to do. I am now convinced that the will of the Father by the witness of the Spirit in my heart - the inheritance of every person that says Jesus is my Lord are meant to walk for most of our time under the manifest Presence.

I have said before that you wouldn’t be able to get to sleep it is so powerful. If you have never experienced this I wish I could put it on you today because you can never describe it - you don’t know what it is like to walk up to crippled people without that and know the fear that comes over you. The terror of knowing you are going to disappoint them. You have no idea what that is like if you havent done it. Neither do you have any idea what it is like when you are moving towards them and He comes over you - there is NO fear just utter, reckless boldness! You just know that nothing can get in the way, just an invincible sense of God over you.

People have watched people with that power over them and when they don’t have that power have tried to copy as a formula and have tried to pull people out of wheelchairs and then they just fall on the ground. When you are under that power you do things that you would never do. You are not copying. You are not mimicking someone else under the power - just because God is on you! Maybe it will lift slightly in intensity every now and again so you can relax a bit but I believe it should be there on call so quick! Imagine how your mortal body would be renewed in your youth with resurrection life. The grey hair turned dark again! Cellular regeneration! Rob how do you live in that all the time? You want to know? There are people who lecture in Harvard on how to run a business who have never run a business. You have theology professors teaching on the gifts of the Spirit in seminaries who have never moved in the gifts of the Spirit.

You cannot give away what you don’t have.

I don’t want people giving me information on the Kingdom - I am sick and tired of Bible information. I know the Bible pretty much well from back to front - but my biggest need right now is to learn from someone who has got the goods. It is a sign of hunger that you say you want to know - but to tell you the truth, I don’t really know. I have never met a person who does know. Except One. This is what I suspect He is whispering to me (and I am just giving you my suspicion). Two words; “Total surrender to the Holy Spirit”. Not less of me and more of you. NONE of me and ALL of you! Every part of my life, everything that I am - whatever you want me to do and give up - everything I surrender. I want to be branded by your jealous love and possessed by your jealous love. Rob how do you surrender?

How do you come to that place of surrender? I don’t know but this is what I suspect - you have to become so disillusioned with your failures to get the sick healed and so horrified at the lack of knowledge of the revelation of God chosing the things that be not to nullify the things that are and so horrified with your failure. You have to come to the end of your reputation in the eyes of men and so utterly embarrassed. I think you have to go through pain and try to get the sick healed and misunderstood and accused by those who didn’t get healed that it was your fault and you are a failure. And live with the rejection and misunderstanding. You have to live with the agony and lay on your face at night and say I am a failure in so many areas of supernatural ministry.

Dear Jesus all I have left is my love for You and if you can take that and take something that is not and nullify the things that are then I offer my body and soul and spirit as a living sacrifice that something I have only seen 100 times will become something that happens all the time. That the millions in Hong Kong do not need to be deprived of a church that has fully surrendered. I know not everyone wants to surrender like that. The vast majority of Christians are more caught up in the things that are and more caught up in their careers.

I can't describe to people the pain and rejection I have walked through in the last few months - the rejection involving thousands of people, people we have known for 25 years, the lies and cold shoulders. That could make you paranoid and reactionary and bitter or it can backfire on the devil and precipitate in you a face on the ground, a laid down lover that surrenders all. I live with eternity with nothing and surrender. We have to be emptied of every fleshly delusional arrogance and pride and all controversy against God and come to trust Him. When you sin and make mistakes and lose your temper, you look to God who chooses the things that are not to nullify the things that are. His grace to me is abounding - He will never reject me or disapprove of me - He is for me! What can be against me? He so sees you as precious that He doesn’t want you to have any idols or distractions - He wants you because you are such a jewel and precious. He wants you completely! And we don’t!

We think we have surrendered all but we have had hostility and defences and complaints and pride and self-promotion against Him! But pain takes that away. It either makes you bitter or makes you better. Every time Satan comes, he comes to make you bitter. If you chose to use the things that are to make the things that are then you are going to get bitter. But if you get revelation to use the things that are not and get into the Presence of the Living God who uses the things that be not as though they are then this good God will manifest His dancing over you. And when you walk through a place that place will be benefited because you were there. People in your radius will feel the unseen world touching you.

Close your eyes - He is here now.

Kathryn Kuhlman used to say “God isn’t looking for golden vessels or silver vessels - but yielded vessels”.

Farewell 2009 .... Hey 2010!!

Another end of year is upon us! I really do wish each and every one the very best for 2010! Some bloggers find it customary to review 2009 and mention blogs - I don't want to do that. 2009 hasn't been the greatest year for me - and subsequently my blog has suffered. For this I do apologise!

The thing I have struggled with the most is holding onto hope. 2006/07/08 had so many promises! Rob Rufus came to "Together on a Mission" in 2006 and 2007 and the Presence of God at those conferences was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Add into that Rob's revolutionary teaching on grace - I truly learnt what "grace" meant for the very first time in my 20 years of Christian life! Then of course 2008 saw the Lakeland Outpouring. I make no apology for re-stating how much this excited and moved me. It probably was the closest I got to seeing refreshing and corporate outpourings of healing and miracles and signs and wonders. And yet that too sadly faded away.

Will I adjust my theology to match my experience - as so many have done? NEVER! This New Year's Eve sees me as full of hope as ever - if not more desperate, more hungry, more passionate to see God manifest His glory. So rather than review what was hard and difficult about 2009 - I want to look ahead to 2010 and mention some of my hoped-for plans.

1. "Together on a Mission" 2010 in Brighton!

Scott and I will be going to Brighton this year (after two years away) to the Brighton Conference on 6th to the 9th July. I can't wait - I've missed it so much and it will be so great to catch up with friends like Luke Wood. As well as longing for heaven on earth during the worship with Kate Simmonds and Lou Fellingham - it is in my favourite city in the UK!

2. "Grace and Glory Conference" in Hong Kong.

Rob and Glenda Rufus will be hosting the "Grace and Glory Conference" at City Church International in Hong Kong from Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th October 2010! I can't say definately we will be going because of cash flow problems - but for the first time we have some prior warning of this awesome time so we both certainly have every intention of going. I can't wait to show Scott around Hong Kong - I remember sending him daily emails when I was there last!

3. A Visit to the USA.

This is another "hope" based on cash flow issues. But a visit to the USA is LONG overdue for me! There are so many places that I really want to visit while there;

a. The Ern Baxter Memorial Library in Mobile, Alabama.

b. Florida and the sun-soaked beaches (and hopefully get to see my friend Janelle Phillips!)

c. New York (and my wonderful friends Lydia and Julie ... well it's kind of the same area!).

Now I don't know if these hopes will come to pass (particularly the more expensive ones!). But I know from experience that people who suffer with depression that lead to suicide are those people who have lost hope. I have experienced temptations to commit suicide myself personally - so I know what "no hope" feels like. Hope is a vital thing! Hope in the goodness of God cannot be more vital. Why else did God attribute Abraham's belief and hope in His goodness as righteousness?

It is my prayer that each and everyone of us knows the abundant, lavish and outstanding goodness of God in manifest touch this coming year.

A very happy 2010!

Terry Virgo - Session 1 - Together on a Mission 2009

One of the hardships about this year has been my complete on-going struggle to fit transcribing into my new regime. I loved working nights because it meant I could work through almost a sermon a night. 8am-6:30pm Monday to Friday doesn't really lend itself to transcribing! And I miss it. I miss receiving from God through the preached word of grace and glory. I so want 2010 to see a resurgence of that.

So to get started now (I don't believe in New Years resolutions anymore) - I transcribed Terry Virgo's 1st session at the Together on a Mission 2009 conference. It was an outstanding message and wonderfully encapsulates Word and Spirit - a theme we forget at our peril. Terry makes the most balanced case I have heard for some time for not abandoning charismatic life (as so many have done in the name of respectability) for Reformed doctrine and vice versa.

There are so many awesome themes throughout the message that lifted my spirit awesomely. The absolute commitment to the Presence of God. The honouring of the Word of God. The relentless focus on world mission. The refusal to conform!

Here it is (the audio version is here);

"I am just going to read a short section from Ephesians chapter 2:1-10.

“ 1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together [a]with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them”.

My approach this year is going to be a little different to previous years in that I want to be response to some of the things that were said here last year and particularly by Mark Driscoll in connection with our considering our future. I really do thank God for his contribution particularly in that theme – much that he said was hugely helpful but that was especially helpful. Last year as I was pondering the conference this year I actually wondered as he was talking about future and founder – I wondered if I should just host the event and let some of these incredible young guys that are surging through our ranks, carry the conference. I felt that while I was away in Australia I heard God speak to me clearly and say;

“I want you to speak three times and I want you to speak about Newfrontiers – its past, its present and its future”.

That is the approach I am bringing and I am not going to expound a particular passage of Scripture though I want to look briefly at the passage I’ve just read to you. I want us to look at who we are and what God has done with us and help us to look forward as a result of that.
Churchill said the further you look back the clearer you can look forward. That is helpful for us to remember how God has led us and what God has made valuable to us. It is not my intention to tell a story of Newfrontiers as I once did at Stoneleigh Bible Week which some of you may remember. I don’t intend taking that course. I want to highlight what I believe are foundational values tonight and then tomorrow night we will press on with some more and then project into the future on Thursday.

1. First of all I want to remind us that we are fundamentally a Word and Spirit Movement.

I believe that and want to treasure that and regard that as hugely important. We don’t want to drift either way but we do want to value both. We want to treasure the Word of God – it is our compass, it is our map, it is our guide, it is our food! And also to have the Presence of the Spirit Who excites and ignites and motivates and shows us that God is literally amongst us!

We want to treasure both themes – we are happy to be called “Word and Spirit”. Sometimes we are called “Reformed and charismatic” – I am happy having those two things together.

In this first passage we read together I want to see where we started. You could say we didn’t get off because Paul began the reading and said; “We were dead”. That is not a very exciting place to start but God said; “You started as dead men and women”. We didn’t come together as massive entrepreneurial wiz-kids that said; “Let’s start something that will go around the world” – the Bible’s assessment of us was that we were dead in trespasses and sin. That is really why I am a Reformed believer, why I believe the Gospel tells me it is because of God that I am saved. We were dead. Dead people don’t really have a lot of choice. Dead people don’t have a lot of ideas – they are not thirsty for God – they don’t have longings for God. Dead people don’t contribute a great deal. Dead people need God to take action! And in this passage we saw “BUT God”. God spoke, God interrupted, God acted.

So this death we were living in – it describes in some detail and goes through three perspectives. It says that we were living “according to the course of this world” – the prevailing culture dictated the way we evaluated things. We took our guide from those around us and let the world shape our thinking. That was where we came from. As Eugene Peterson said in the Message; “You let the world which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live”. The world dictated the shape of our thinking and this passing age – there is a sense that the Bible speaks about this age being a passing thing. Paul said “That used to captivate you – you were bound by the prince of the power of the air” – yes the devil, dark principalities and powers. We were under the influence of satanic power. Sometimes we were aware of another power or force that overtakes the children of disobedience. God created in Christ however a new creation! We are part of that! If anyone is in Christ then they are a new creation. It is breathtaking! We are new people – radically changed by the gospel of God! We are a new creation and we are His workmanship!

We have quickly rushed through those verses picking up a few phrases – we are “His workmanship”. The Greek word speaks of “poem”. The Jerusalem Bible translates it; “We are His work of art”. Again you can take it as the individual – God is changing and working on you and shaping you. From the beginning He makes you sanctified once and for all but He also goes on changing your character and putting you through setbacks, delays, heartaches and heartbreaks. I was worshipping God a few weeks ago and thanking Him for breaking my heart when I was 20. Really thanking Him that He did a devastating work on my heart. It needed a heartbreak to get through this arrogant selfish person and start something new. He takes us through all sorts of things because He has ambition for you. You are His work of art! He wants to be able to trust you and build things on you and know that you won’t build off at an angle because He has dealt with you. He makes you holy as a gift and then works on you and makes you into His work of art.

One of our pastors in the States – Ian Ashby – his wife is an artist and she was doing it privately for her own entertainment really. She built up a studio and a while ago she began to put her work on display and to her amazement, people really loved it. Her work is beginning to attract serious attention. When we were together in the States at our Leaders event earlier this year, Ian was leading a prayer time and he gave an extraordinary prophecy. And I wrote to him last week and I said; “Can I have that prophecy? It stirred me at the time very strongly and I thought I would like it in word”. Let me read to you what he wrote;

“My wife Emma is an artist and she has her own studio and has just started exhibiting and displaying her work in galleries. The response to her work has been quite amazing – it is different to anything else, very textual, intense colours, and layers. People are drawn to it. One woman said it created an atmosphere that attracted her”. Then he prophesied and all of us who were together there felt so gripped by the prophecy he brought;

“I felt God wants to say to us as a family of churches – this is how it will be with you. You are My workmanship, My work of art, you are surprisingly different from what people are used to seeing for I have worked into you intense colours of grace, different textures of diversity and layers of relationship. I want you to know that I have put My heart into this work – there is an atmosphere to you that is tangible to others that will draw people in. Don’t try and copy other works, don’t look at what you perceive to be successful and what you think other people may like, the techniques produced by others – for they just produce uniformity that people will grow tired of.

What I am creating with you is Spirit-breathed. My workmanship, My delight and the result is infectious! It will attract so learn from techniques, experiment, apply helpful principles – but don’t copy another work. Be who you are for I have uniquely created you to be. It is different from other works and you are going to be surprised by the response for although you have been hidden away as I have worked on you layer by layer – now it is time to be brought out and made public. I am going to put you on display – you will become very visible and many will be drawn by your atmosphere and captivated by your beauty”.

The word is – “You are My workmanship” and as I say that could be taken on board by a local church/an Ephesian church. It could be taken on board by the individual or the church at large – but I don’t see any reason why a people who have been providentially woven into God’s purpose and plan in the way that God has with us, why we couldn’t take such a verse for ourselves. I feel very happy with this prophetic utterance – I really believe it with all my heart – I believe it! We are God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus – what a wonderful place to be! In Him – who keeps providing grace and the gift of righteousness and guidance and shepherding! We are part of the workmanship of God – something He has brought to birth. “Layers of relationship” – that phrase really stirred me. “Colours of grace”. God is creating something for His delight! We have benefited massively over the years from people coming amongst us with tremendous contribution – we learn and keep on being developed and helped and God has done this.

But here it says “We are created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared beforehand that you should walk in them”. So we who were walking in death and blindness and sin, now we walk in these works that He prepared beforehand! That certainty of a sovereign God gives you such courage – it is one of the reasons I am so glad we have a training track on Calvin’s phenomenal contribution to the development of church planting across Europe. Hundreds and hundreds of churches were planted with that sense; “We are God’s workmanship – God has called us and God has taken us – we have a sovereign God behind us!”. It swept up into Scotland and John Knox.

Works for-ordained that we should walk in them. As I was thinking on that and pondering that from a Newfrontiers perspective, I thought; “What are the works that God prepared for us to walk in?”. It is not difficult to remember some of the words given over the years that say quite explicitly what God has raised us up for. If you are a guest here – forgive me for being a bit “in-house” this year. You are most welcome and I hope there is enough common stuff for us to enjoy, but I want to speak to the family this year. Right from the beginning when God spoke to us through we had a prophetic word through John Groves and he said; “I see a herd of elephants and they are charging and there is jungle terrain ahead and no road but they run through it and make a road where there is no road.

Others will follow and together you can accomplish more together than you could alone”. Now that was so formative to us decades ago when a handful of pastors were beginning to get filled with the Spirit and enjoy a bit of fellowship. I think maybe we had started Downs Bible Week which gathered a couple of thousand people. But God spoke to us prophetically. Well in that prophecy you have got works prepared beforehand – what are they? Well first of all there is no road – you will make a road where there is no road. It is quite hard now looking back and when you see the videos and gather in from all over the world thousands of people who love one another. But when we started there was no road. No one was doing this stuff. No one was making the steps we are making. No one was saying; “We are on a church planting mission” – no one hardly used that language! You stayed at home or sent someone to be a missionary.

You didn’t plant churches and go together and say; “Let’s do this thing together”. You didn’t say; “Let’s have a Bible Week that gets bigger and bigger” and have something like Stoneleigh and have clout in this nation. You said; “Well okay charismatic may be okay but it is private and if you want your little prayer language that is fine but don’t mess with church”. We said; “No! We are coming through and coming through because God is about a great thing!”. We are not going to have a private aspect to our Christianity! God said; “Together you can make a road where there is no road!”. Praise God we are and have been doing it – making road where there was no road!

It is almost impossible for me to think back to what church life was like when I first got filled with the Spirit and thought; “Wow! The demands of this are phenomenal”. We have got to change church completely! The response was; “How dare you – you arrogant! What are you doing?”. It was tough! We can’t just go home and speak in tongues! We have got to see church life radically changed and we can do it together. Let’s pool our resources and do this! Together we had great steps and could train leaders together! We could send teams overseas and plant churches and run Stoneleigh and run Newday together with thousands of your children and a generation behind us that wants to go to the nations! That get fired up – 6000 in a few weeks time! There was nothing like that! Together we can accomplish what we couldn’t before.

“Works foreordained of God that you should walk in them”. We have been walking in them doing more together than we could alone. We have raised finance together to resource this and send to Zimbabwe – as a group from 14 different nations we could raise half a million to send to Zim. There have been all sorts of ways – now we can send people out and God told us we would do these things. God said as we planted churches back through the UK, we would send people out and now we are out! Doesn’t it make your heart thrill when you hear big cities? Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbourne – we are there! We are there! We are going to be there! We are nobodies but God bound us together in His work of art and He promised that if we would plant into the UK and get more resources and plant more churches and release more finance – then they would go and they are still going! Workmen – we are His work of art and these things are happening! He promised us that we would join old bricks into a new wall – as someone saw in a prophetic vision a wall crumbling and sad, and an exciting new wall going up. They saw that the new wall needed the occasional old brick with wisdom and ability to gather those young bricks around them.

God said to us that we would gather old bricks and that has happened and I believe it will happen a lot more. We have had the joy and privilege of meeting some wonderful godly men over these last few years. So often in sad lonely independent works – if only they could be in a galvanised world mission movement with their pastoral, godly skills and biblical knowledge! I believe we have got to keep praying for that to happen more and more!

He told us that we would walk in them! Finally and most excitingly He said we would change the expression of Christianity around the world. Someone once heard us say that and said; “Why? Does it need to be changed?”. What does it mean to change the expression? Here are a few;

a. Change from legalistic to grace-shaped.

It is so sad – only God knows the percentage of nations and churches who are riddled with legalism. How the apostle Paul would have fought to liberate them to the gospel of grace. Much that is called Christianity is high-bound in condemnation and there is no joy. Just driven. I had the privilege of speaking at quite a big conference recently and preached grace in four sessions. There was a real buzz and one lady came to me and said; “I’ve been on the staff here for seven years and I didn’t realise I am a legalist!”. It is going to be my privilidge to go to Japan and they are translating “God’s Lavish Grace” into Japanese to go right across a national pastor’s conference. To “change the expression” of Christianity from legalism to the wonderful freedom that grace provides. From rules and regulations religion to freedom. From interdependence to independence. Churches that say they are autonomous but are actually just living for themselves. No – we must change the expression of Christianity!

It was never the biblical purpose or apostolic concept for a church to be planted and then have nothing to do with world mission. Churches are planted to get caught up!

We have got to see they are part of a world mission. From being self-centred to being sacrificial, from individualistic to being corporate, from being democratic to honouring the anointing and gifted leadership! How many good churches are totally ensnared by democracy? That has got to change! We are to keep on planting new churches or help churches make the radical change so the life of God can flow through those churches.

b. Change from cessationist to charismatic.

From old wineskin to new wineskin! Changing the expression of Christianity! See God do a new thing! It is so great when a church alive in the Spirit gets visibility – it is great our friends from Peterborough were visible recently and I know many of you will have looked at the site and seen the DJ saying “That is amazing” – just at a church that is full of life with baptisms and so on – just like this! They don’t know it is there. The world hardly knows! So we must keep planting more and more churches and help churches that are a bit frightened to say; “No this is okay”. Let’s change! God has made us an instrument for change globally and not just in the UK!

From cessationist to charismatic. This brings me to my 2nd main point – I didn’t read the verse I want to read now. Ephesians 1 where he says in verse 13; “In Him you also after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of salvation, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise”.

2. Life in the Spirit.

We want to be theologically truly biblical but we want to know the explosive power of the Presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul says; “Having believed, you were SEALED”. What does that mean; “Sealed?”. It is interesting to study that – a seal is something stamped in wax. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones says it is;

“A stamp of authenticity, authority, ownership, security”.

It is something you know about, something visible that adds authority and authenticity. Interestingly the English Standard study Bible says this;

“The Holy Spirit certifies the authenticity of their acceptance by God as being genuine. They bear the royal seal”.

Sealed with the Spirit – they bear the royal seal! That is the way the ESV comments on it and cross-references Acts 10:44,47 when Peter goes to Cornelius’s house and preaches to these Gentiles having to overcome his Jewishness and reluctance and as he preaches, you remember that Peter has a vision and sees a sheet coming down from heaven and is told; “What I call clean – don’t call unclean”. Cornelius’s messenger asks him to a Gentile home and Peter feels uncomfortable but begins to talk about Jesus because Cornelius told him an angel appeared to us! And as he begins to speak; “The Spirit falls upon them”. Peter says; “Oh my word! God has given the same gift to them as He did to us! You better get baptised now”.

The whole reason Peter knows these Gentiles are now authentic people of God is the Spirit coming UPON them as a seal, proof, demonstration!

You need to know Peter that this is authentic!

The coming of the Spirit is an authentic seal! We must get hold of that because in our day so many will teach that the baptism (which is the same thing as a seal) of the Spirit is non-experiential. You just become a Christian and don’t necessarily feel anything. That is being baptised in the Spirit you will be told. But the Bible says that when the Spirit came upon them – for Peter, that was PROOF that God is working on the Gentiles! A seal can be SEEN! It is EVIDENCE – it AUTHENTICATES! The coming of the Spirit authenticates and gives another dimension!

When you get to the counsel in Jerusalem in Acts 15 again they were discussing what people should become Christians and whether they should circumstances and Peter gave his account of what happened when he went to Cornelius’s house and he said in Acts 15; “He cleansed their heart by faith” – that is “I am saved”. Then he said; “And God who knows the heart bore witness to them gave them the Holy Spirit”.

The new birth cleanses the heart by faith but the seal of the Spirit demonstrates that God is here! They are authentic and are the real thing! The coming upon of the Spirit is huge! It is vital! It is not something we should dismiss or miss the point! It was the argument point that made the Gentiles acceptable.

The seal – it says of Jesus that “on Him, God the Father has set His seal”. God set His seal on Him – what is that referring to? Dr Lloyd-Jones and C K Barrett say; “John the Baptist was told on Him you see the Spirit coming upon – He is the one”. When John saw the Spirit coming upon Him, he knew. It was evident! Whom I “seal”. The coming of the Spirit is huge! Sometimes people say it happens gradually – you become a Christian gradually and get filled with the Spirit gradually. Paul says “Did you receive the Spirit?” and they said; “No”. Paul said; “What were you baptised into?”. “John’s”. “Oh I see – you are disciples of John, I thought you were disciples of Jesus – oh okay!”. Then he baptised them and then with the water still dripping off them, the Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied! It is plain Biblical truth!

It is so important.

The Gospels promise the Spirit is coming. The Epistles write as though the Spirit has come. The Book of Acts tell us HOW it happened.

It is no good saying; “We don’t take teaching from the book of Acts – it is narrative”. You get doctrine from Scripture – the Bible says so. ALL Scripture is God-breathed and given by inspiration and profitable for teaching. 1 Corinthians 10 – “All these things happened to them as examples and written down for our instruction”. What is our instruction? Narrative. Stories. How it happened. Narrative guides us! You cannot say that the book of Acts is just stories. It is how it happened! So for us, we must re-discover the Spirit’s coming.

We will never understand how the New Testament church grew without the dynamic of the Spirit.

It is vital – absolutely vital!

Paul says in Galatians 3; “Did you receive the Spirit by works of law or by hearing with faith?”. Some may say; “Well we don’t know – we didn’t feel anything anyway”. It makes Paul’s question utter folly! He expected them to know what he was speaking about!

He asked them; “Have you received?” and after he had prayed for them, he said; “Have you received now?” – I don’t think they said; “Well we’re moving into that”! They said; “Yes! We have received!”. Maybe you have not received. It is so thrilling to mingle leadership and Mobilise. You could receive tonight! We had the word; “Jesus said if anyone is thirsty come to Me and drink!”.

Are you thirsty? It doesn’t say “Anyone who is holy”. Or “anyone who is special”. “Anyone who is mature now”. It says; “Anyone who is thirsty”.

The coming upon of the Spirit, the seal or baptism of the Spirit – we CANNOT say it is non-experiential. It is utter foolishness!

Douglas Moo says in his commentary on Romans 8; “The Spirit in our hearts crying “Abba Father!” – it is a truth deeply felt and intensely experienced”. Intensely felt! It is not non-experiential! It is intense! It says “Shouting out or crying out!”. Lloyd-Jones makes the same point of this word; “Crying out” – he says; “It is a very extravagant kind of word”. It is not just a reflection on a few thoughts – it is something impulsive! It cries out!

Remember this – Paul says “Did you receive by works of the law?” or in other words did you work up some kind of merit? Or by hearing with faith? I want to invite you in a moment if you have never experienced the baptism with the Spirit – I want to invite you come and drink! Come and receive! Did you receive by the works of the law – or in other words gaining merit by being a “good person” or by hearing with faith? You have to hear with faith! That is the whole point! It is not something you get from merit – it is a gift! That is why it happens to people so early in their Christian lives! The promise is for everyone that the Lord our God shall call! It is not for special people!

“It is not whether you are worthy – it is whether I am glorified”.

On the Day of Pentecost Peter virtually preached that sermon and said; “He being exalted – glorified – has shed forth this which you can SEE and HEAR”. It is NOW available! After that day no one was ever told to wait! When Ananias came to Paul who was saved 3 days, Ananias (a nobody) laid hands on Paul and he was filled with the Spirit. No one was ever told to wait! The Holy Spirit believes in justification by faith – He owns and seals people justified by faith! He puts His seal on them! The promise is for everyone that the Lord our God shall call.