R T Kendall Website New Look!

I am ashamed to say I don't get round the websites of some of my heroes as much as I wish I could - so I was delighted today to drop by Dr R T Kendall's website (I was checking out his view on a verse) and found it has been totally revamped with a great new look.

I have been a massive fan of R T Kendall's since around

1998 when I became aware that the minister of Westminster Chapel had made almost the reverse trip in theology and experience to my pastor Stanley Jebb. Initially closed to the Spirit, Kendall became a great champion of the Holy Spirit and he set Westminster Chapel on it's great current course in holding the tension between the Word and the Spirit. (I am aware many die-hard Reformed fans of Drs Lloyd-Jones and Campbell-Morgan would dispute and say he has 'wrecked' the Chapel ... but we agree to differ).

I was amused and embarrassed to find some letters I wrote Dr Kendall back in my student days pestering him with questions I had particularly on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Charismatic Movement - what was happening at home was worrying me and in my student radicalness I wanted answers. He was kind enough to answer many questions and send me tapes from his School of Theology.

There are some news of forthcoming books from R T Kendall including;

"God continues to enable me to write books. Two volumes of Sermon on the Mount (which I have dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones) will be available in 2011 by Baker Book House (2012 in UK by Hodder and Stoughton). Hodder will publish The Scandal of Being a Christian in 2011. Monarch Books (UK) will publish my exposition of Isaiah 53 called Why Jesus Died.

Jack Taylor, Charles Carrin and I have written a book called Word, Spirit, Power (stating our view that the Word and Spirit need to be reunited if there is to be a demonstration of authentic power in the church) which Baker Book House will publish in 2011. Charisma House will publish my book that was supposed to be entitled ‘Pride – the Sin No One Admits To’ but which they decided to call The Power of Humility – which I find rather embarrassing. I have a lot of books left in me, not to mention a good number of potential books from unpublished preaching at Westminster Chapel for 25 years".

I wouldn't agree on all points humbly with Kendall - for example his teaching on the Sermon on the Mount - but I'm so grateful to God for him and his ministry in London. You will not find a man more longing to see God move in power in London when he ministered there - so it's great to re-visit this website.

You ALL Can Prophesy!!

The prophetic has always been incredibly important to me since God first started speaking to me. I recalled the other day that my first prophecy after asking God for the gift was a word of exhortation to my old church that they would "remember their first love" and not continue to walk down the road of cessationism! I told my dad that my first reaction was; "Thanks a bunch God!". However I gave the word and it was duly rejected!

But I am so grateful to God for like-minded friends who have stirred me up in the prophetic - namely Pete Day, Nick and more recently my wonderful Ursula! These guys are all fellow prophets and prophetesses as well as having a passion and a hunger for God. I must urge everyone to go to Ursula's new prophetic project and read her post; "Prophecy and Intimacy with God". It is a very mature and outstanding insight into this precious gift that must be read. When we abandon intimacy with God then Old Covenant law begins to creep into the prophetic and the Bride of Christ begins getting condemned.

The other fascinating and stirring resource I wanted to mention was something I found on Westminster Chapel's website (pastored by my hero Greg Haslam). It is called a "Prayer Shield" and contains a number of key prophetic words given about God's heart for the Chapel. Several were given to R T Kendall and the majority to Greg himself from various recognised Newfrontiers prophets including Ginny Burgin and my fab friend Jon Cressey. Ginny prophesied;

"There will be breakthroughs and healings at the Chapel, similar to the time of William Branham. There's coming a weakening then a strengthening to you. You cannot be threatened anymore after a time of strategic change from God. This is a strategic placing for the opening of a whole new era".

Why is it interesting for me what is prophesied to other people and other churches? I remember feeling a bit down at "Glory and Grace" in Hong Kong when Isi de Gersigny was prophesying very specifically to many people by name. Part of me was terrified she would but part of me was devastated when she didn't! Rob must have sensed this prophetically because he got up and encouraged us to seize the overflow of the prophetic promise that is made. Prophecies aren't just to be recorded in a dusty hall and forgotten!

Rob Rufus said;

"The prophetic is really important isn't it? Someone said "Would it happen if someone didn't prophesy?". Well - I don't think so! I think the prophetic releases that creative word that brings it into reality. So we need to prophesy over one another! The Bible says that we can all prophesy. There is not some with the gift of prophecy and others don't have the gift. The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 14 that we can all prophesy! We are not all prophets! But we are all priests of God and all priests of God can prophesy. The gift of prophecy is different to the office of the prophet. Prophecy encourages and exhorts and comforts and builds up so prophecy is really powerful".