The Gospel of the Kingdom by Dr Ern Baxter

Last week I published Ern Baxter's amazing words on "The Gospel of the Land". Truly God has saved us from our Egypts and is bringing us through the wilderness of immaturity. But the training of the desert is for a purpose! To bring us into the Land. One misconception is that it all ends when we cross the River Jordan and make it into the Land. The Word of God makes it clear that is not so. It was never God's intention to be limited to a small section of land! He has got the whole world in view. So I pray these faith-building, vision-enhancing words soak and thrill you at the beginning of this new week. By the way, these messages are available on MP3 if you email me.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Adam failed.

Israel failed.

It looked as if God's plan for a royal and righteous family would never succeed. But God not only speaks the first word but has the last word as well. And the story of His will on earth was not yet done! In the beginning God declared His purpose for mankind. It was His will that man would express and extend the beautiful and majestic life of His Son. When the first family sinned and failed to fulfill God's plan for man, God made a promise. In that promise was the sure word that one day His will would be done. Truly His Kingdom would come - right here on earth - as it had been planned in heaven.

1. Kingdom Purpose Restored in Christ.

A. Christ: A New and Royal Seed.

What man could not do for himself, God Himself would do for man. God's desire for a beloved family would begin in a new way. He would start over again with a "new family". The first member of that family would be a very special Person - a new Adam. He would be the Seed from which all the other family members would come. Where the first Adam failed to fulfill God's plan for his life, the last Adam would not. Yes, God's plan would succeed for this new Seed would be His only Son!

As you recall, this had been God's word to the serpant in the garden:

"I will put emnity (hatred, conflict)

between your seed (Satan's offspring)

and her seed (Eve's offspring)

And He (Christ, the divine Seed)

will bruise your head (a fatal, final wound)

And you (Satan, the evil enemy)

will bruise His heel (a temporary wound; Christ's death and resurrection)

The apostle Paul clearly explains the fulfillment of this prophetic truth in these words;

Galatians 3:16; "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. God did not say, "And to your seeds" meaning many seeds. Rather He said, "And to your seed" meaning One Seed - who is Christ".

Yes Christ is the divine Seed Who once and for all crushed the head of the serpant upon the Cross. But something else is involved. Paul tells us that Jesus is also the first-born among many brothers:

Romans 8:29; "God knew us and chose us before the world began to become like His Son - formed into His image. God did so that His Son might be the first among many brothers".

In other words Christ is our:

1. Redeemer Brother - the divine Saviour of mankind.

2. Elder Brother - the first member in God's new and beloved family.

3. Royal Brother - our source of power and authority.

4. Model Brother - the ideal and perfect Man.

5. Glorious Brother - the glorified Son of Man.

B. Christ: Our Redeemer and Elder Brother.

Jesus Christ was both wholly God and wholly Man. In His humanity He lived a sinless life. Therefore when He died upon the Cross, He could take upon Himself our sins and their penalty - physical death and broken fellowship with the Father. The resurrection power of God's Holy Spirit restored Jesus to life as the First-Born of God's "new family" (Romans 8:11, 14, 29). When we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts as our Lord and Saviour, we too are born into the family of God. God is our Father and Jesus becomes our Redeemer and Elder Brother. We receive His Spirit, His life and His nature.

The Holy Spirit provides the power for our "new birth". He also is the source of our strength by which we "grow" into Christ's likeness - are formed into His image. The Lord Jesus is our model, pattern and ideal for our life.

C. Christ: Our Royal Brother.

Christ is also our Royal Brother. In His death and resurrection, He overcame sin, hell and the grave. Satan's kingdom was destroyed. Jesus Christ not reigns in heaven at the right hand of the Father as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Moreover His Kingdom is established - fixed and known - on earth as well. As members of His royal family we have a role to play in His earthly rule. As we come under His authority, His authority comes upon us. As He reigns in our lives, we shall rule in the power of His Kingdom here on earth. "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).

Jesus put this truth into words to His disciples just before He returned to heaven;

Matthew 28:18-20; "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations. Baptise them into the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to trust and obey everything that I have told you. And I will be with you always - even to the end of the age".

We are members of Christ's Body. The Church. He is the heavenly Head of His earthly Body. It is through us that His will on earth shall be done. It is through us that His Kingdom shall come. Truly this is our mission in life: to rule with Christ!

Earlier in His ministry Jesus had set the eyes of His disciples in the same direction;

Matthew 16:18-19; "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church. And the power of death and hell will not be able to defeat My Church. I will give you the keys - the authority - of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever has already been bound or loosed in heaven, you will be able to bind or loose on earth".

Luke 10:17-19; "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold I give you authority to crush serpants and scorpions under foot. Yes I give you authority over the power of the enemy. Nothing will be able to hurt you".

These promises speak of great power with divine purpose. Their full meaning fills our hearts with holy wonder and awe. The disciples could not totally understand everything that Jesus was trying to say at first. After Pentecost that power and that purpose set them on the move - and they turned the world upside down! What they started in their day is to be completed in ours. There is to be an end-time witness of Christ's Kingdom in power throughout the earth. God's plan for a royal and righteous family will be fulfilled. This time it will not fail for it rests on - upon and rises from - Christ's victory on the Cross.

The Son of God became the Son of Man that the sons of men may become the Sons of God!

As the Son of God, Christ Jesus is the Way to the Father. Only as God could He forgive sins and give us right standing before the Almighty. As the Son of Man Jesus sets the way for us to follow in fulfilling God's will on earth. In this sense He is our model Brother - Someone Who is an example or pattern for our lives.

D. Christ: Our Model Brother.

In His humanity, Christ Jesus lived a perfect life of faith and obedience. He did so by relying upon the authority of God's Word and the power of God's Spirit. As the Son of Man He did not depend upon His deity but upon the same resources which God has given to us - His Word and His Spirit. The reality of Christ's humanity is an important truth which is worthy of further study. It is an important key to Kingdom authority here on earth. Without it we will fail. With it we are sure to succeed. Let us therefore consider this concept more in detail.

We shall begin by listening to these unusual words from the Lord's prayer before going to the Cross;

John 17:1, 4, 5; "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son that Your Son may also glorify You ... I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do".

"Now O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself. Glorify Me with the glory which I had with You before the world began".

When Jesus asked the Father to glorify Him with the glory He had before the world began, He was not talking as God but as man. As God He already had that glory. He was speaking therefore of His humanity - His manhood. (John 17:1-5). As said before Christ Jesus was not only wholly God but He was also wholly man. He took upon Himself our human nature. Yes it was His being as a man that Jesus wanted glorified.

The Man that was born of the virgin Mary and grew up in the carpenters shop.

The Man that walked upon the hot, dusty roads of Judea and Galilee with His disicples.

The Man who ate fish when He was hungry and slept under the stars when He was tired.

The Man who cried real tears when He was sad and shed real blood when He was crucified.

It was that Man - as a Man - that desired to glorify the Father and be glorified by the Father. And that is exactly what happened in Christ's victory on the Cross! It is this Man - the glorified Man - that stands before the disciples and says, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). Jesus didn't say that because of His divine nature. He said that as one of us. He said that as the perfect Man of faith and obedience, Who in His humanity had proven the truth and power of God's Holy Word!

That is the reason He can say to His disciples of every age;

John 20:21, Matthew 20:19; "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you ... Go therefore and make disciples of all nations".

If Jesus was only speaking as God this world-wide commission or command would not be fair. He would have an authority because of His deity which we do not have in our humanity. But, He is not only speaking as God but as a man. Therefore He is also one of us and we are one with Him. When Jesus returned to heaven after His resurrection, He didn't leave His humanity behind. The eternal God will forever share in our manhood. No, He did not seperate Himself from us when He returned to His Father's throne. His royal ministry in heaven now becomes our mission here on earth. Precious indeed is the tie that links our life with His!

Yes we abide in Him and He abides in us. We are joined as one spirit (1 Cor 6:17). Therefore as members of His Body we share in His divine life and authority. There is a Man in the heavens - the God-Man. Our glorified and divine Brother Jesus Christ!

E. Christ: Our Glorious Brother.

Truly He is our Brother. We say that with great respect, honour and reverance. But it is true. The mighty King of the universe is our royal Brother. Moreover His rule here on earth will be through you and me. We are to reign with Christ here on earth because we share in His divine nature. He was the First-Born of a new race to which we belong. In fact one day we shall share in His glory! Listen again in holy wonder to these amazing words from our Lord's high priestly prayer;

John 17:20-22; "Father I do not pray only for these My disciples but for all who believe in Me through their word. I pray that they all may be one as You are in Me and I in You. It is My desire that they may be One in Us that the world might believe that You sent Me".

"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are One".

The apostle Paul speaks of our glory in Christ Jesus in this way;

2 Corinthians 3:10; "We will all behold and clearly reflect like a mirror the glory of the Lord. For we are being changed into His image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord".

Now this doesn't mean we become equal with God. God will always be God. Christ has a very special place in the Godhead which cannot be shared. But we will share in the power and glory of His nature. In fact the apostle John declares;

1 John 3:1, 2; "Behold how wonderful is the love which the Father has given us. We are actually called the children of God ... Moreover dear brothers we are the children of God right now! We don't fully understand how wonderful this will be but we do know that when Jesus is revealed we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He really is".

What a glorious hope! What a high and heavenly calling! And wonder of wonders in His majest we find our earthly mission. Think of it. It is almost beyond the little circle of our understanding and the limited measure of our minds. We shall all share in the glory of our Royal Brother and His Kingdom! Yes, God's plan of the ages involves people - a perculiar people. (1 Peter 2:9). The word "perculiar" in New Testament Greek means, prized, purchased and possessed. God places a great value upon our lives because of what we can become in Christ. For that reason, He redeemed us with the precious blood of Jesus. We belong to Him and He belongs in us. By His Spirit, we have been born into His beloved family.

God's beloved family is also a royal family with royal rights and duties. Privilidges and responsibilities. We have been restored to a royal priesthood. As God's priestly people, we are responsible for bringing the nations under the righteous rule of the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. Evangelism: The Key to Kingdom Rule.

A large vision of God's purpose will produce a large faith - and faith is necessary if we are going to win the world for the Kingdom of God. We have faith for saving souls, healing bodies and meeting our physical needs. But do we have faith to reach a nation? The Holy Spirit has been given to fire our faith and move us forth in Kingdom power. Satan's authority was destroyed at Calvary.

A. Two Kinds of Evangelism.

Yes we have a divine right and duty to preach, teach, baptise and disciple all nations. But how are we to do this in a practical and effective way? As we shall see it involves two kinds of evangelism;

1. Primary planting of the local church.

2. Secondary outreach through the local church.

This double principle in evangelism is seen in Paul's letter to the Church which he planted in Thessalonica;

1 Thess 1:5-8; "Our gospel did not come to you only in words but also with power and in the Holy Spirit ... And you became followers of us and of the Lord ... so that you became examples to all ... From you the word of the Lord has gone forth in Macedonia, Achaia and every other place".

The founding of the Church at Thessalonica is told in Acts 17:1-10. Paul and Silas were there only long enough to preach the gospel and ground them in the faith. Later Timothy further helped the young church as it grew strong in the grace of the Lord. Paul must have told the new converts at Thessalonica that he would write - and even return to help them if he could. Basically however they wre on their own. The Holy Spirit would be with them to raise up new leaders and elders. They were to obey the word which they had received. They were also to share their faith with everyone who would listen - just as Paul had shared with them.

Some time went by before Paul learned how the young church was doing. The report he received from Timothy was most encouraging. They were growing in the faith and had taken the good news of the gospel to all the peoples of the surrounding area. The planted had become planters!

B. An example of Evanglism in Action.

This principle of "spiritual reproduction" is God's means of reaching the world with the gospel of the Kingdom. It begins - and is carried on - in the hearts of His people. When the Church in Communist China was forced to go "underground" it did not die. In fact like the Thessalonian Church, the Church actually became stronger in the face of opposition. They even developed their own special missionary program. Of course they could not hold large evangelistic meetings or crusades. And they were unable to use radio or television in their outreach methods. So they used a simple method - one that worked very well.

People were allowed to move to another town if they had a trade or skill that was needed. So perhaps two or three families would move to a place that had no Christian witness. They would establish a fellowship in their homes and it would grow in a quiet but powerful way.

Jesus said that the Kingdom was within and among His disciples. He also said that the Kingdom was like salt and leaven or yeast. They act in hidden ways at first but soon effect the whole lump. (Luke 17:21, 13:20, 21). And this was exactly what happened - over and over again. These Chinese Christians did just what the Church at Thessalonica did. As they had been reached, so they reached out to others. This two-fold princple of evangelism really works. Whole nations can be reached for God and His Kingdom even in places where Christianity is opposed. In fact I will be surprised if history does not reveal that the most active and effective work for God was done in just this way. One to one!

III. The King is Coming!

A. The Future Fulfillment of the Kingdom.

We can be sure of God's promises. He always keeps His Word. And Christ as promised to build His Church and forever fix and establish His Kingdom here on earth. (Matt 16:18-19). John looking into the future saw this day of Kingdom power and glory;

Revelation 11:15; "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. And there were loud voices in heaven which said; "The kingdom of this world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. And He will rule forever and forever".

But what can we expect between now and then? When will Jesus return to earth? Is He waiting for us to establish His Kingdom by the power of His gospel? Or are we waiting for His return that we will rule and reign with Him upon this earth? There is much mystery in end-time truth which should cause us to remain humble before God and each other. However I believe that God has revealed enough of His will and purpose for us to act in a responsible way.

I believe some things must wait for Christ's return for God's full and final purpose to be complete. This will be God's doing and not ours - although we will be involved. Two important things come under this heading;

1. The glorification of the believer. When we are raised up at the second coming of Christ we will have new glorified bodies like His. This is a part of our royal inheritance - to share in the full power of His resurrection. We experience the first fruits of Kingdom life now in the healing of our physical bodies. Even so our bodies age, weaken and in time we die. The full glory of Kingdom life waits for the return of our living Lord!

2. The renewal of the physical universe. Paul tells us that all of creation waits to be delivered from the law of disorder and decay. When Jesus rules and reigns over all the entire universe will be in order, peace and harmony (Romans 8:19-22).

The full glory of Christ's Kingdom will include a New Heaven and a New Earth. This amazing promise takes us far beyond our ability to understand. But it is a wonderful part of our blessed hope!

B. The Firstfruits of the Kingdom - Now.

It is true that some aspects of the Kingdom wait for Christ's return. However this does not mean that we don't experience some of the power, glory and majesty of the Kingdom now. As we have seen the first fruits of the Kingdom begin in our hearts and are expressed in our lives. Kingdom life then reaches out to our homes, communities, cities and the many nations of the world. Jesus said;

Matthew 24:14; "This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world. It will be a witness to all the nations - and then will come the end".

Paul reaching forth as far as divine revelation can take us wrote these majestic words;

1 Cor 15:20, 23, 24; "It is the truth. Christ has been raised from death as a sure promise that those who sleep in death will also be raised ... Christ first of all - then at the time of His coming, those who belong to Him. Then the end will come. Christ will overcome all rulers, authorities and powers and give the Kingdom to God the Father".

This is one story that truly has a happy ending. One might say that it is a happy story that never ends. As we have seen the final chapters of earths history are important ones for the Church. As the Kindom of God grows in power and outreach, all the nations of the earth will hear the gospel.

This does not mean that all evil will be destroyed but I believe it will be brought under control. Christ will yet reign through His Church throughout the earth. When the Lord returns, He will have a Kingdom to offer to the Father that is worthy of the Gospel. In His Second Coming Christ will return as a conquering King. Every last enemy will be destroyed. The physical universe will then be restored and we shall enter into the fullness of the new heavens and the new earth. Clearly the future is bright with the glory of Christ's majesty.

C. Occupy Until I Come.

We must realise that the lordship of Christ Jesus must first be realised in history. The gospel of the Kingdom is truly the power of God for salvation. Christ is to reign through His Church in time until His enemies are beneath His feet. Then He will return and we shall rise to be with Him forever. Our duty and responsibility for now is to be about the business of our Master. Jesus told His disciples a parable or story when they thought the Kingdom was going to come right away. It was about a nobleman who went away to receive a kingdom and then he would return. Before leaving his servants behind he gave them this very important command, "Occupy until I come" (Luke 19:13).

The word "occupy" meant to do business for their master until he returned. Clearly this applies to disciples of every age - and all the moreso as we come to the end of the age. But what is our business? It is to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to the four corners of the earth. There is to be a world-wide witness of God's power and authority in the affairs of men. Every area of society is to become a mission field. God wants to raise up Christian leaders - godly people who will act as light, salt and leaven in a world that is headed for spiritual darkness, decay and death. The Scripture tells us that in the end the devil will come in great wrath because he knows his time is short. (Revelation 12:12). However we are also told;

Isaiah 59:19, 20; "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him".

"At last they will honour and glorify the Lord from west to east ... and this is My promise to them says the Lord, "My Spirit is upon you. And My words which I have put in your mouth and the mouth of your offspring will never depart ... from this time on and forever".

The final question the disciples asked Jesus before He returned to Heaven related to their earthly view of the Kingdom; "Lord will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?". (Acts 1:6). The last recorded words which Jesus spoke were in reply to their question;

Acts 1:7, 6; "These things are not for you to know. Only the Father has the authority to decide dates and times. But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be My witnesses - in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth".

They listened, obeyed and reached their world with the gospel of the Kingdom. May we do the same!

Matthew 24:14; "And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then comes the end".

Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

Kingdom Business

Its come to that time when I post the odd blog with some links of various other blogs that I have noticed along with some updates for this site. I usually allow this kind of post to mount up till I have got enough of sufficient value to say rather than dredging the internet for anything to fill the space up.

Updates on "Life on Wings".

I have updated the "Archive" page - deleting some posts and adding others.

Ern Baxter transcripts: I have added "The Kadesh Crisis" and "The Land".

Other posts: It's now becoming something of a tradition for me to summarise the latest Newfrontiers magazine so I have indexed the Oct-Dec, Jan-March, April-June magazines.

Links: I've added Christchurch, London - as I wrote before it's a dangerous place to be and there's a lot happening in our capital!

The "Underlined Bits" Archive (fathered by Mark Heath) is growing considerably and is becoming a resource suitable for many pastors I would guess. I'm doing my best to keep up with those sound, orthodox guys!

Dr Sam Storms has been re-added. I've forgiven him now he has cleaned up his site a bit and has began a blog. He's going to be back at the Life in the Spirit Conference next year as well.

Blogspotting:

Peter Cockrell has begun a new blog - his last one managed two posts and stopped last year. I've mentioned him every now and then on this blog. Peter was assistant pastor to Dr Stanley Jebb at my old home church - New Covenant Church in Dunstable. He then moved to Lansdowne, West Norwood in London where he trained up my best friend Pete Day. He is now pastor of a church in Worthing. He's a big fan of SGM and John Piper.

I know this is cheating a bit but I've posted on the "Spirit of God!" blog. I was walking home a few days ago and I had quite a vivid picture about dandelions.

Much to the delight of all T4G fans, the book of the conference has been published and is available. It's called, "Preaching the Cross". The contributers are the speakers so Mohler, Dever, Duncan, Macarthur, Piper et al. It's a hardback book which will please us hardback lovers and Crossway price it at about $20. I am sure that Amazon will make it available soon but I heard that the delegates at the recent SGM Leaders Conference all got a copy free. I do think they should hand out books at Together on a Mission ... ;)

George Kouri, my new awesome friend from the USA has posted an outstanding transcript of his message entitled; "God's Agenda for the 21st Century". It is an absolutely key apostolic message that should be heard far and wide. He shows ably why Ern Baxter said of him, "George Kouri's teaching on the kingdom is the best I have ever seen". He ministered this word in Alberta in Canada. Here's a few quotes that caught my eye;

"God is pouring out His Spirit today! He is reviving, restoring and reforming His Church! Contrary to what many believe today the Church is not on the brink of destruction, nor on the threshold of the Second Coming of the Lord! Instead we are on the threshold of a new millennium of unprecedented opportunity and challenge!".

"There can be no true apostolic reformation of the Church in the 21st century without a restoration of the foundational revelation entrusted to those original apostles in the first century!"

"The greatest problem facing the 21st century is not the problem of evil! The greatest problem then is the problem of a divided church; our division keeps Christ’s Church from effectively combating and counter-acting evil and influencing and discipling the nations!"

"Emerging apostles must first: recognize, honor and submit to one another in the Lord; second, we must learn to seek the Lord together, so that together we might truly understand and recover the foundational revelation of Christ and His Kingdom entrusted to the original Apostles; and third, we must also work together as brothers to restore the fellowship or communion of the apostles, a fully functioning apostolate and global eldership, so that together, we might not only extend Christ’s Kingdom throughout the earth, but also reform His Church as One! "

Go read the whole thing - it won't take you long and it is well worth it!

Pete Day is building up a helpful compilation of reports from the sessions at the recent Life in the Spirit conference. Sam Storm's sessions: one, two and three. Dave Smith on Dreams - Part 1 and Part 2.

And my great friend Luke has presented a fascinating history of Winchester Family Church. Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3. I loved reading it! I find myself marvelling at the awesome grace of God, how He takes each of His churches in different ways but leads them as they are willing deeper into Him. It is the Church! The Hope of the World!

Willing in the Day of Thy Power?

My favourite post of the quarter arrived today – the Newfrontiers magazine! I must admit to being excited and surprised by the theme: “Healing – the L-plates are on”. I’m sure it will offend some, excite others and hopefully bring the majority to see the possibility of healing in a new light. Terry Virgo made it abundantly clear that the theme wasn’t chosen lightly; “I have wondered very seriously about the appropriateness of publishing an issue on the subject of healing. We are such novices. Our experience is so limited”. But Terry remains adamant; “It is no time for us to keep silent about such a theme”. Indeed it isn't! If the tidal wave is coming then God wants us exercising corporate healing in the Church. So the step of faith has been taken and it is absolutely key that this is one of the pre-Together on a Mission Conference 2007!

In writing about the great Healing Movement of the 1960s and in particular his friendship with William Branham, Dr Ern Baxter wrote;

“The existence together of spiritual gifts and sin can cause great disillusionment for the naïve in Christ. I had seen numerous supernatural manifestations but I had also seen gross irregularities in the midst of these impressive charismatic events … It is sad to see the ebb of a movement but I believe that until we learn the lessons that God is teaching us and has taught us, through past moves of the Spirit we will continue to grieve the Holy Spirit and see movements suffer the same fate. The gifts of the Spirit must not be divorced from the Word of the Spirit!”

I suspect that it has been God’s intention to withhold the dramatic demonstrations of His healing power until He has been confident that we will not make the same mistakes as the healers from the 1960s. Ern Baxter spoke of them as being; “Stars shining in their unilateral glory – until they came down like shooting stars”. Has it ever been God’s will to have anything but a community – the Church – exercising the supernatural gifts of miracles and healings? We know He uses men to pave the way – such as William Branham, Paul Cain, Rob Rufus, Lex Loizides or Terry Virgo. But surely these men are examples to us, to encourage us and spur us to step out in faith also?

So here is a summary of the April-June 2007 Newfrontiers magazine! This is becoming something of a tradition with me now. The summary of the Jan-March 07 Newfrontiers magazine is here (Theme: Authority) and the summary of the Oct-Dec 06 magazine is here (Theme: The Tide is Turning)!

1. A Foundation of Faith - Terry Virgo's Frontline.

As always Terry’s Frontline carries weighty truth to impart and it is always the first thing I read and read again. I have already quoted from him as to the dilemma between feeling inadequate in this great area of the miraculous but also knowing without a doubt that our fathers in the movement must speak out. He goes on to speak quite rightly about faith – and I was so challenged by the Lord’s anger not with weakness but with unbelief. Terry wrote;

“God delights in faith. Jesus seems staggered at the disciples unbelief when He asks, “How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) … Jesus was weary of His unbelieving followers. He could not be indifferent or complacent. He could not passively accommodate their failure … When Jesus rebuked their unbelief it was a revelation of His heart … He expected better from them! He wanted better from them! He found their unbelief unacceptable! His anger was pure, holy and appropriate! If their unbelief was not worthy of His reproach, Jesus would not have given it”.

I wonder how often today what I do or more importantly do not do for the Kingdom of God is linked to the statement, “It can’t be done”. Having written quite a bit on “Going into the Land” recently, I keep thinking of the account of the spies bringing back a bad report. It was not that the Israelites were incapable of going into the Land that stopped them. It was the fact that they said, “It can’t be done” and they contradicted God Himself who said, “You can”. Terry wrote;

“Jesus served His Father with red hot zeal and holy passion. He looked for the same in His disciples. When in Mark 9:28 the disciples asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”, Jesus replied “This kind can come out only by prayer”. Notice that He didn’t say, “This kind only come out if it is God’s will”. He said that they only come out if you pray. IF you pray it will happen. If you don’t – it won’t!”.

I would rather be accused by fellow Christians of being a fundamentalist and a maverick, than have to face the holy wrath and disappointment of God Himself on Judgement Day when He asks, “How is it that you have no faith?”.

2. “A Journey into Healing” by Terry Virgo.

I was extremely challenged and stirred some years ago at a Brighton Conference when the apostolic team began to speak of Terry moving out in faith into praying for the sick. With his usual characteristic true humility, Terry has said virtually nothing publicly about praying for the sick – he has just got on and done it! And the fantastic, faith-stirring, vision-enhancing testimonies speak for themselves. Here’s how Terry accounts for beginning to step out in faith;

“I felt that God had freshly commissioned me to pray for the sick, and instead of being confused by the rather strange and narrow area of confidence, I should simply press through it. I immediately began to offer to pray for people with back problems at the end of nearly every meeting and witnessed scores of people being healed.

One day I was laying hands on a number of people at the end of the meeting. Many testified to immediate relief. Then a young man asked for prayer for his knees both of which were damaged. This was a new frontier for me but I laid hands on his knees and he was immediately healed. He started jumping on and off chairs to celebrate his new-found freedom. The next guy said, “My shoulder blade is broken in three places”, adding that he had a metal plate in his shoulder and experienced severe pain. I laid my hands on him and the pain immediately disappeared”.

Some seem not only to get healed but at the same time have beautiful encounters with the Holy Spirit. I know that when I was healed from my back pain I was also very emotionally moved by the sense of God’s amazing kindness and love in healing me. One girl testified that she was baptised in the Holy Spirit at the same time and subsequently found that she was speaking in tongues”.

Terry doesn’t skirt around the difficult issue of the fact that not all seem to get healed. He writes with compassion;

“Do all get healed? That is not my experience … I prayed with another woman who began to sob because nothing had happened. What do you do? I told her that I was so sorry. I hate it but I still feel that I must press on”.

He ends the article with some points that he has learned through his ministering;

“I have noticed how faith seems to grow among a group of people where healings are happening … As I approached one lady and asked what the problem was, she said, “I have back pain but I won’t have it in a moment”. She was right – she was immediately healed.

I have noticed a greater intensity of Holy Spirit power on some occasions where it just seems to be “easier”. One lady testified, “It’s okay I have just been healed while you were praying for others”.

I am convinced that faith comes from hearing the Word … I know that for many years I have spoken with faith to inspire people to receive the Holy Spirit and also to be free and released to give large sums of money in faith. I want to learn to do that effectively with regard to healing also".

Note this one. We stand convicted!

“I have noticed that the English are more cynical than most and that in my experience healings seem to happen more readily, for instance in the USA”.

And finally;

“I love to enjoy the Presence of the Lord Jesus who promised us that He would not leave us as orphans but would Himself come to us. All the time that I am laying hands on the sick, I am aiming to enjoy His Presence and make room for the Holy Spirit’s activity”.

3. “Expecting the Miraculous!” by Lex Loizides.

I loved what Lex wrote; “I’m convinced that I am a charismatic, not because of my nature but because of the nature of God! I believe in miracles because I believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity!”. His whole article is deeply theological yet deeply faith-stirring (as the whole magazine is).

He wrote;

“Note three things:

1. The incredible patience of God in the way He deals with Moses reluctance. Stunning! Similarly God doesn’t accept our reluctance to step out in faith either! Fears, vulnerability, nerves – none of these seem to deter Him from leading us into more of the supernatural. There is a world to be reached and suffering to be relieved.

2. Moses reluctance should encourage everyone who feels he is an unlikely candidate to minister in the miraculous. But if God is speaking to you, turn aside to Him and hear His voice”.

3. When God desired to “authorise” His purpose, He decided (not Moses) to use supernatural means. Who thought of a stick becoming a snake? Why the leprous hand? Or water becoming blood? Why a demonstration of the Spirit’s power rather than wise and persuasive words? God’s desire is that our faith rests not on men’s wisdom but on His power”.

4. “A Healing King and a Healing Kingdom” by John Groves.

This article was probably the most powerful theologically-based resource in the magazine. Terry himself wrote; “I have been impressed by the Biblical arguments of John Groves’ excellent study which I asked him to include as our Leader’s article in this magazine”. What thrilled me is how he bases it within our foundational belief in restoration. He writes;

“God is restoring New Testament principles of church life that have been lost over the years. This process of “restoration” which has been going on for centuries has accelerated over the last 100 years or so. We are building on the basis of what others have restored and in some areas the church has become very strong, but in other areas are still in process, and one of these is the restoration of healings, signs and wonders”.

Thanks to a tip-off by Luke Wood, I sent John Groves a copy of my most recent transcript – Ern Baxter’s series “The King and His Army”. He was incredibly gracious and kind enough to reply and made mention of; “The Heavenly Game Plan – Renewal, Restoration, Revival”. God renewed His church through the Charismatic Movement among other outpourings of His Spirit. He is restoring His Church as John wrote and we are longing for and expecting and praying for a tidal wave of revival to come set the Church ablaze and bring millions of non-Christians in. I love it!

John Groves goes on;

“We have benefited from previous phases of restoration in church life. Often big battles were fought that cost men of God dearly at the time. Yet the things that were restored would have been happening in New Testament times when the church was first born. They had simply been lost through human frailty or demonic attack. We can take for granted some “restored” things that the church generally accepts today”.

He then goes on to ask some significant questions that deserve an answer;

“Are our senses the final arbiters in all that goes on around us? How much do we trust in science and medicine as opposed to prayer and the Holy Spirit? … What do we make of the Faith Theology that would encourage us to name it and claim it? How does this fit in with a Kingdom Theology which teaches us that the kingdom of God has a “Now” and “Not Yet” expectation? What about the sovereignty of God and human responsibility?”.

I was raised on a diet on John Macarthur’s “Charismatic Chaos” and Hank Hanegraff’s “Christianity in Crisis” and “Counterfeit Revival” and Alan Morrison generally – so I am well aware of the dangers and errors inherent in the Faith Movement. Yet I cannot escape a genuine admiration for their ardent faith in the fact that God has promised in His Word that healing should be expected. When Rob Rufus was preaching at Together on a Mission last year, he mentioned receiving from God during a Kenneth Hagin meeting. There were some people behind me who made distinctly loud and derisive comments. Clearly the mention of Hagin upset them. But is our faith so closed that we cannot believe or accept that God can work through men such as Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland? Rather than deriding them, judging them and writing books “exposing” them, why don’t we make it our mission to pursue the same levels of faith and expectation – and pray to exercise the same level of supernatural ministry that they have – yet with the Reformed doctrines that we love and cherish?

John presents ten important facts from the Word of God regarding healing;

“1. There is a lot of healing in the Gospels. 90% of Jesus miracles are healings or exorcisms for wholeness.
2. In the gospels Jesus appears to treat sickness as an enemy. It seems pretty clear that God is for healing and against sickness.
3. Jesus appears very willing to heal people. The fact is that we know sickness is bad and we want it to go. We want to be healed. This is not unreasonable and it is also not out of harmony with the heart of God.
4. Jesus relates healing to the message of the Kingdom.
5. Compassion was a strong motivation in Jesus healing ministry. Out of His infinite compassion He brought answers to the agonies of human life. Surely this is still the heavenly view of sin-sick humanity?
6. Jesus cares for individual needs.
7. Jesus never condemns people for being sick.
8. Rejoicing in suffering generally refers to persecution.
9. Healings are glorifying to God.
10. Jesus has already won our deliverance from sickness. The truth is we can taste the powers of the age to come now and we are encouraged to do so in the New Testament. The truth is the risen Lord passed on His authority to His disciples including the authority to heal in His Name”.

I cannot do better than close with the encouragement from John Groves;

“As disciples we are to go into all the world with the good news of the Kingdom of God. We are to assault the dominion of darkness in all its manifestations including demonic oppression and sickness of body. Let us determine to keep laying hands on the sick with an increasing faith and expectation that they will get well”.

The title of this post is; "Willing in the Day of Thy Power?". I'd like to present that as a statement but having been an evangelical most of my life - I'm not sure it is. I think we have become so obsessed with discernment that we quite frankly are not willing. This is the question that has been on my heart all today since I got the magazine through the post. "Are you willing?". Are you willing to step out? Are you willing to take a leap of faith? Are you willing to lay hands on that person and risk "nothing happening"? Are you willing to look foolish for My Name? Are you willing to just trust Me? Are you willing to give the money you saved for that holiday? Are you willing?

The Gospel of the Land: A Centre for World Evangelism by Dr Ern Baxter

Another awesome transcript on the theme of "The Land". It just won't go away!

Ezekiel 5:5 NIV – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says; This is Jerusalem which I have set in the centre of the nations, with countries all around her”.

The land of Israel was set right in the middle of the world. God’s chosen people were surrounded by the mighty nations of that time – Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, the Medes and the Persians. Nearby was Tyre and Sidon whose ships sailed to every port in the world. More than that, all of the great inland roads for trade either crossed Israel’s borders or were nearby. Truly Israel was the centre of everything and everyone!

1. God’s Purpose for His People Israel.

God had a large purpose in planting His people where He did:

Exodus 19:5-6: “If you will truly obey My voice and keep My command then you will be a special treasure to Me above all people – for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation”.

Exodus 34:10: “Then the Lord said, I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will be awed by the work that I will do for you”.

Yes God had a large purpose for His chosen people. They were to be a kingdom of priests – kings and priests under God. They were to declare God’s word and will with divine power and authority. They were to reach out to the nations around them with the good news of God’s holy purpose for their lives. As prophets, they were to bring God to the nations and the nations to God. As kings they were to bring all the peoples under the righteous rule of God’s law of love. Sin and rebellion against the holy love of God was to be opposed and destroyed.

God’s purpose for His people – in every age – has been world-wide in His scope. This great theme can be traced throughout both the Old and the New Testaments. The whole world has always been in God’s heart and under His watchful eye. It is interesting to note the many times in Israel’s history that God tried to lift their vision beyond themselves. Their history is recorded for our instruction so it will be worth our while to review this special missionary theme from Scripture.

2. The report of the twelve spies at Kadesh.

Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan which God had promised them. Upon their return, ten of the men gave a report which was filled with fear and doubt. As a result, the people refused to enter Canaan and possess the land. The land however was the key to God’s plan for a world-wide witness. Canaan was the centre from which God – through Israel – was going to reach all the nations of the earth. To avoid the Promised Land was to oppose the will of God for His beloved world. Israel rebelled in fear: Moses prayed in faith. He prayed that God would forgive His people and give them another chance. Listen as Moses pleads with God on behalf of Israel:

Numbers 14:19-21: “Pardon the sin of this people, I pray because of your great mercy … Then the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked. For truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord”.

God did forgive but only those of the next generation were allowed into the land. Those who doubted God’s promise and disobeyed His Word missed their inheritance. Only their children would enter the land and fulfil the will of God – to be a glorious light in a dark world. Yes, a whole generation had failed in their test of faith and obedience at Kadesh. They were so near, yet so far. God stayed true to His purpose, however. The whole world would one day be filled with the glory of His Presence.

Moreover as we shall see in our next chapter, that glory will be revealed through another family. But it will be a faithful family of royal sons and daughters – people who have a great vision and a large faith. There is no place in God’s great plan for people with small minds and weak hearts. The Promised Land is filled with giants. They will only fall before those who are willing to fight with faith – a faith which is backed by the power of God’s Word!

3. The Crossing of the Jordan River.

Before Israel could possess the Promised Land they had to cross the Jordan River. Plainly for all the people and their supplies to cross the river at flood stage would require a miracle. And that is just what God provided! The priests were carrying the Ark. The people were told to follow them for they had not been that way before. The possession of God’s promises often requires travelling on unknown roads and crossing deep rivers. As the priests reached the waters edge all the people of Israel were backed up behind them. It must have been a very dramatic moment. It must have been a very dramatic moment. As the feet of the priests at the front touched the surface of the water, every eye was fixed upon them. Only the Jordan itself was between the people and their land.

As they watched, the river was cut off up stream – and they all marched over on dry land. An entire nation walked forward in faith and obedience. God had dammed up an entire river so carefully that not even their shoes got wet! What was the purpose of such a mighty miracle? Was it a sign that God was with them? Yes but it was more than that;

Joshua 4:23-24 – “For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over … that all the peoples of the earth might know the mighty hand of the Lord. And that you might fear the Lord your God forever”.

Again we see that the overall purpose of God went beyond the nation of Israel. It reached out to “all the peoples of the earth”. No one is left out of God’s plan of the ages.

4. David’s defeat of the giant Goliath.

We all like stories where the good, little guy beats up on the big, bad guy. And none is better than the story of David and Goliath. David’s small slingshot wins over the great sword of Goliath. Yes it is a story which is loved by children of all ages! But what does it mean? Was it because God wanted to save and deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines? Yes but there is a much larger purpose in this mighty, military miracle;

1 Samuel 17:45-46: “Then David spoke to Goliath, the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, spear and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty. He is the God of the armies of Israel … This day the Lord will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head … and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel”.

Plainly God’s larger purpose was to reveal His power and Presence to the whole world. Israel’s salvation was to be a witness throughout the entire earth. This missionary theme was carried on by David’s son Solomon.

5. Solomon’s world-wide vision.

Solomon’s understanding of God’s world-wide purpose is found in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple;

1 Kings 8:22, 23, 41, 43; “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the people. He spread out his hands towards heaven and said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or earth like You. You have kept Your covenant of love with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart … Remember also the foreigners who do not belong to Your people Israel. They will come from far-away lands to this temple because of Your Name. They will hear of Your Great Name and mighty power and come to pray towards this temple. When they do, then hear from heaven and answer their prayers that all the peoples of the earth may know Your Name. May they fear and honour Your as do Your people Israel”.

Solomon welcomed the foreigner with open arms because he saw something of God’s love for all the peoples of the earth. His attitude was very different than most of the Jews of his day. They believed God belonged to them. He was their God, the God of the Jews. They belonged to Him and He belonged to them – and to nobody else!

Solomon did not agree with them. True, God was their God but for a reason. He was their God that they might share Him with others. Sometimes we fall into the same false idea about God. We feel He is for us – and against them. But God is not against anybody. God was in Christ bringing the “whole world” into a right relationship with Himself (1 Cor 5:18, 19).

God blessed Solomon because of his open heart and many came from far places just as he had prayed. One of his foreign visitors was the queen of Sheba.

6. A Jewish King blesses a Gentile Queen.

The story of Solomon and the queen of Sheba is most interesting. It is a prophetic picture of God’s end-time purpose for the world. Let us read the record from Scripture itself:

1 Kings 10:1-4, 9, 23-24: “The queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation with the Name of the Lord. Therefore she came to test him with hard questions … Solomon answered all of her questions for there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. When the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon’s wisdom, the beauty of his buildings and the wealth of his possessions, she was overcome … “You are much richer and wiser than all the reports which I had received … Blessed be the Lord your God who set you on the throne of Israel to do justice and righteousness”. So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear the wisdom which God had put in his heart”.

At the height of Solomon’s rule the kingdom was at its best. Because of God’s blessing upon Solomon, his empire was known all over the world. With this thought in mind we can see how Solomon is a type of the Lord Jesus. One day He will rule the entire earth with righteousness and justice. Jesus referred to this prophetic truth in His warning to the wicked people of His day:
Matthew 12:42: “The queen of Sheba will rise up to condemn this generation at the judgement day. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But now Someone greater than Solomon is here”.

As we have seen before the little phrase, “ends of the earth” is of great importance. It speaks of God’s overall purpose for mankind. It is not a surprise therefore to hear these very words from the lips of Jesus just before He returned to heaven;

Acts 1:8; “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth”.

The promise of the Father – the coming of the Holy Spirit – was to provide the power needed to fulfil God’s end-time purpose. These last words of Jesus here on earth were directed to His disciples. Their mission after He was gone was to take the gospel to all the peoples of the world. Yes there is a world to be won for Christ. Only then can the “knowledge of the glory of the Lord cover the whole earth as the waters cover the sea”. This was their task and it is ours too.

To All the Ends of the Earth.

In review, we have seen that both the gospel of the Garden and the gospel of the Land had the whole world in view. God wanted each place to be the centre from which His life and His love could reach out to the ends of the earth. Sadly both Adam and Israel failed in their calling. God however has not changed His mind. He will not fail in His plan for a world-wide family – a royal, righteous and beloved family. Christ Jesus is the first born of that family and by the power of the Spirit, His Church will succeed where others failed. Before we close this study however I would like for us to briefly consider one of David’s psalms which has a powerful, prophetic message;

Psalm 76; “God be gracious to us and bless us. May He cause His face to shine upon us, that You may be known on the earth and Your salvation among all the nations. Let the peoples praise You O God, let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You will rightly judge the peoples and rule the nations on the earth. Let the people’s praise You O God. Let all the peoples praise You. The earth has been fruitful. God, our God blesses us that all the ends of the earth may hear Him”.

I would put a circle around the little word “us” in the above verse. There is no doubt who “us” is in this New Testament age of grace. WE are spiritual Israel – God’s redeemed people. God bless us. God be gracious to us. God cause His face to shine upon us. For many this is where the psalm stops – with us. We seek God’s grace, favour and blessing but only for us. There is little thought for others in the world.

This is not where the Psalm ends however. True God does want to bless His people. But we will soon discover that His blessing involves a much larger purpose, “That Your way may be known on all the earth”. God’s business of blessing is not for us to keep and store up for ourselves. God wants His salvation known among “all the nations”. Let “all the peoples praise Him”. And “all the ends of the earth” fear Him. Plainly God’s purpose reveals God’s person – He is a “World Person”! In other words it is not enough to enjoy God and personally receive His blessings. That is not wrong but God expects more. He wants us to enjoy His goodness and pass it on. To share it with the nations. If we truly want to see things as God does, we will need to become “World Christians”.

God so “loved the world” that He gave all that He had to give when He gave us His only Son. To be touched by that kind of love will open our hearts to all the peoples of the world. The gospel of the Garden and the gospel of the Land shared the same message. They clearly told the “good news” of God’s purpose and provision for a beloved family that would fill the whole earth. As we have seen both Adam and Israel failed in their mission and their message to the world. Their time has passed; but our time has come!

God now reveals His plan for our age – a plan that will not fail. It will not fail because it is based upon the Cross and Kingdom of His Son. God’s purpose for His beloved world will be fulfilled through the Church of Jesus Christ. As members of that Church, God’s end-time purpose becomes our privilege and responsibility – our personal right and duty.

Two of Ern Baxter's Friends Found!

I wanted to take this Easter Day to draw attention to some exciting discoveries I have made. I have found two of Ern Baxter's old friends on the web and some material about them! Before I post the details of my discoveries, I wanted to highlight that I have posted some links to some AWESOME sermons of Rob Rufus on my "Spirit of God!" blog. It is appropriate that they are there - and they are ESSENTIAL listening! Rob was speaking in Los Angeles, USA on "How to Sustain a Move of the Spirit". In light of the longed for coming of the tidal wave of the Spirit of God - they must be heard.

George Warnock was Ern Baxter's secretary for some years and was particularly influential in the move of the Spirit around the Latter Rain outpouring. I have one of his books, "The Feast of Tabernacles" and it makes for extremely stirring reading. Ern spoke very highly of George Warnock in his interviews with Dewey Friedel that I transcribed here. There is some biography on this official website as well as some of his writings. Furthermore I found some actual audio messages of his on a "Revival" site thanks to a link through Julie. They are here. Here's a quote from George Warnock that finds an echo in many of our hearts:

"Oh how great and majestic and powerful the Church appears to be in our day. But in actuality…how weak, how poor, how miserable, how blind, how wretched she really is. And our Lord stands at the door, and begs for admittance, that He might come to us with the "white raiment" of His righteousness, with the "anointing oil" for our eyes…with the "gold, tried in the fire"…that we might be rich".

The other brother that I found was Peter Parris. We had more contact with Peter Parris as he came to our church in Dunstable and spoke a number of times - once actually accompanying Ern Baxter. Peter was actually counted as one of Ern's spiritual sons along with my former pastor Dr Stanley Jebb and of course George Kouri. He is now based in Georgia at Life Gate Church. I have got one audio tape of his when he spoke at the Dales Bible Week 1977. My parents remember him fondly as well preaching a sermon called, "It's Friday ... but Sunday is coming!". There are some excellent audio messages on his site.

I am so stirred and excited to find these two great men of God! Go visit and enjoy!

He Has Risen ... to Reign!

A Happy Easter to everyone!! Christ has risen!!

Well I am on my own at my parent's house as they have gone off to their church so I have been left cooking the lunch. But I had a quick thought. I have said before that I will re-publish teaching of Dr Ern Baxter if it seems appropriate and to me Easter Sunday is THE occasion to re-publish this extremely key teaching on Resurrection. The sermon was called, "The Neglect of Resurrection". Here it is in four parts and some summary quotes:

Part 1 - "The Introduction".

"God has not given up on the world, God will not give up on the world and God ultimately intends to have a new heaven and a new earth where indwelleth righteousness and I am with Him!".

Part 2 - "The Scholars Neglect Resurrection".

"Those Christians who consider only Christ’s death are death-orientated. They never get past the Cross. These dear people have been dying daily for 50 years and they look like it – you wish they’d get it over with ... Cross-orientated people are sad people".

A quote from I. Howard Marshall:

"According to the theology expressed in the Acts of the Apostles the fundamental place in salvation history is to be assigned to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ”

Part 3 - "The Serious Neglect".

A quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

"Only the Risen One makes possible the Presence of the Living Person".

A quote from Richard Gaffin:

"Christianity, at least the Christianity of the New Testament, is a religion of Resurrection".

A quote from George Elton Ladd:

"It is clear that not the life of Jesus, not His teaching, not even His sacrificial death was the central emphasis in the earliest Christian proclamation. It was the Resurrection of Christ".

Ern Baxter himself: "I don't sing "Jesus keep me near the Cross!". I sing, "I see Jesus crowned with glory and honour!"

Part 4 - "Conclusions".

"I love His life. I love Him more every time I read the Gospels. He challenges my own humanity - but I don't live there. I come to his vicarious death and I mourn at His agony and I am influenced by His passion but I don't live there".

"But the baptism of the Holy Ghost is your enablement to reign".

"I receive the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit enables me to see Him and what He is doing now".

So there we have it.

Why did I say, "He has risen to reign?". Once again there is amazing symmetry between what Pete is writing on his blog and what I am writing. That isn't by design. I only checked his blog half-way through mine. But Ern Baxter's vision is so important to us both! Pete wrote:

"We might sing "Jesus keep me near the cross" (which is interesting since Jesus is nowhere near the cross now - He is on the throne, highly exalted), but still live under a cloud of condemnation. This should not be ... Therefore let us not stay at the cross but enter in to all that the cross has ... Nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to stay gazing at the empty cross trying to stir up emotions in worship. Yes, the cross should break our hearts, and we should be filled with love and awe. However, we should not stay gazing. Rather we should enjoy all that He has done for us".

I originally went to Pete's blog to get the words of the famous Issac Watts hymn, "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun". It expresses the reign of Christ more ably than I ever could ... and it was a pre-1970's Dales hymn! Imagine that! Note the extra verses that you won't find in many modern abberational hymn books. They are in italics. This is the cry of my heart on this glorious Easter morning:

1. Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Doth his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2. Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

3. There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barb’rous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

4. For Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

5. People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

6. Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

7. Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

8. Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honours to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

Jesus Christ is risen today! Hallelujah!

Looking to the Horizon

There are many things that I would like to delve into on this blog - especially now that the Ern Baxter website has been brought and is being made ready for all the material to go there. It frees up this blog to document more accurately my thoughts, ponderings and ramblings! But I just can't get away from my dream that the tidal wave is coming to Brighton. Terry Virgo wrote; "Let's pray fervently that God visits us in power at Brighton". Are we ready for God to visit us in power if He so chooses?

I have booked to go on the "Holy Spirit and Church" Training Track hosted by David Holden. The speakers are Terry himself, Dave and a guy called Julian Adams who I must confess I didn't know much about. But as he is to be one of the speakers I have been on a research trip. His story is incredible. He writes a blog here. This is his story in brief:

"Julian is originally from Bay Community Church, Cape Town, South Africa, where he was an elder. He moved to the UK last August in response to God’s leading for him to be with Terry Virgo for a season and become part of Church of Christ the King, Brighton. Julian has an amazing prophetic gift and has travelled widely over the past few months serving the Newfrontiers churches in the UK".

And I LOVED this post that he wrote in November last year. It is entitled "Outpouring" and it is like water to a thirsty soul to read the words of a prophet of God who is seeing the same hopeful, optimistic future that I have been longing for and praying for. Here is some of it:

"I can honestly say that we are living in days of incredible prophetic moments. I am yet to be in another meeting where the eminence of God’s kingdom breaking in was felt so powerfully. The sense of God’s presence and power was electric ... I felt God show me a picture over the Thames. I was hovering over it and saw water levels rising in the Thames. I felt God say that revival was already happening and we were standing in it and the river is about to get deeper. I felt strongly that this would be a physical sign and we would see the water levels rise in the river Thames physically. Just after our time together, a friend reported that his basement was flooding and the water levels were rising, the incredible thing is that his house is situated right on the River Thames! God confirmed His word physically in just a couple of minutes after the word was given!

I then spoke at a youth event called E37. E37 is a prophetic picture the young guys have had about a valley of dry bones becoming a mighty army after the wind of the Spirit has blown on them! The wind was blowing on them that night. It was encouraging to see young people begin to prophesy after I did some activation in the prophetic. So many of them were bringing extremely accurate words over each other! God touched so many and one of the young ladies who were there began to get gold dust covering her hand! It seems as if God is pouring Gold out on many and we are starting to hear about it breaking out all over the place. I love how God treats us as royalty and is pouring out Gold as an incredible reflection of His Glory on His children! I do so love Him!

I want to end this by saying we are in a season of Outpouring! God is on the move and touching so many. Just this week at my local church, Church of Christ the King, people have been saved and have been baptised in the Spirit through Alpha courses that are being run. Terry Virgo at one of our meetings bringing so many stories of God’s healing power breaking into his meetings! People in different parts of the UK are experiencing growth and some even seeing gold dust being poured out! The promise is simply that if we ask He will pour out blessing on us! Blessing that propels us forward into radical mission and demonstrations of His kingdom!"

Together on a Mission 2007 Seminars!

Has anyone noticed that the titles, speakers and subjects of the seminars are now out on the Newfrontiers website and you can book?! Every year there are an outstanding selection of topics covered but this year I am absolutely staggered at the quality and content of the seminars and training tracks available. It is becoming progressively more and more difficult to decide and I found myself wishing for multiple personalities so I could be in many places at the same time! Scott and I have already agreed to divide and conquer - attend different seminars and compare notes! That and accepting the fact that my CD bill is going to be HUGE from the bookshop this year.

Here are some of the titles that caught my eye. I'll leave it to Luke to let us know what is in store for Mobilise this year!

Training Track 02 Host: David Holden

Title: The Holy Spirit and Your Church

Synopsis: This track will combine doctrine with practical ‘how tos’ as we consider the vital energy-giving place of the Holy Spirit in the local church.

Wednesday

Speaker: Terry Virgo Leading people into the baptism of the Holy Spirit

Terry will briefly explain the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and its importance in the believer’s life. Out of his many years of experience he will teach us how to lead people into this experience.

Thursday

Speaker: David Holden The role of the Holy Spirit in our meetings

Large or small meetings should experience an invasion of the Holy Spirit, whether in our worship or preaching, or our ministry to one another. How do we encourage more gifts of the Spirit and how do we handle those spontaneous moments?

Friday

Speaker: Julian Adams “Especially that you may prophesy”

The function of the Holy Spirit especially related to prophecy and words of knowledge. How do we encourage people to grow in these gifts and how do we make room for them in our meetings?

Training Track 04

Host: Guy Miller

Title: Prophesying With Power

Synopsis: Every battle the Christian has to face in life is ultimately over the Word of God and whether or not we build our lives on it. These three dynamic sessions will look at different ‘battle grounds’ surrounding the gift of prophecy. They will be theological and practical with plenty of time for ministry.

Wednesday

Speakers: Guy Miller and Julian Adams

The battle for ‘all’A clear trumpet summons to the whole church to engage with this most edifying gift in its many contexts and appearances.

Thursday

Speakers: Guy Miller and Julian Adams

The battle for ‘truth’In the same way that prize fighters are weighed before a contest, prophecy itself must be properly weighed in order to deliver God’s knock-out punch.

Friday

Speakers: Guy Miller and Sam Poe

The battle for ‘team’Any notion of the go-it-alone ‘Lone Ranger’ prophet who fires from the hip will be challenged as we look at teaming of prophets with other gifts and the key issue of authority.

Training Track 07

Host: Stuart Townend

Title: Worship in the Local Church

Synopsis: Is there a Biblical model for corporate worship? If so, are we following it? Is our worship led by the Spirit or the latest Matt Redman CD? How can worship groups and church leadership work together? What are spiritual gifts supposed to look like in the meeting?

Wednesday

Speakers: Stuart Townend and Peter Brooks

Biblical foundations and practice

Content, leadership skills and facilitating spiritual gifts

Thursday

Speakers: Stuart Townend, Kate Simmonds and Peter Brooks

Team players - How to get musicians, worship leaders and pastors to sing (metaphorically) from the same hymn sheet.

Friday

Speaker: Stuart Townend and Peter Brooks

Broadening our horizons - Worship with sight and sound, all-age worship, worship beyond Sunday, worship and unbelievers, and other contentious issues!

Wednesday 11th July - Seminar 01

Speaker: Charlie Cleverly

Title: Martyrs – The passion that shapes nations

Synopsis: There is a passion that shapes nations. We see it on the tear-stained faces of the forcefully advancing Chinese church. We find it in the army of love living in Islamic strongholds of the 10/40 window. But where in the West is the passion of the church, where is its radical and downwardly mobile witness?

Charlie Cleverly draws inspiration from the lives of suffering witnesses, martyrs, down through the ages. Out of these amazing stories he pulls together the thread of a common call to new, sacrificial levels of love for God and love for the world.

Seminar 08

Speaker: John Groves

Title: Spiritual Authority Today

Synopsis: There is a widespread crisis of authority in contemporary society where the only authority acceptable to many is one consciously self-imposed. Sadly, the church is not immune from this crisis.In this seminar we’ll be looking at the principles of Spiritual Authority and how they should operate in the church. This subject will be relevant to all who exercise any sort of authority in God’s Kingdom.

Seminar 10

Speaker: Rob Rufus

Title: ‘Competent ministers of the Spirit!’ (2 Cor. 3:4-6)

Synopsis: Our Father has called us to minister the Spirit with competence! Someone who is called to be a bricklayer needs to become skilled in his trade. So even more urgently we are to become competent, skilled, even experts at ministering the supernatural power, presence and life of the Spirit. This is our New Covenant inheritance. This seminar is for those seeking to grow in a closer partnership with the Holy Spirit and His ways.

Friday 13th July - Seminar 12

Speaker: John Groves

Title: Leadership in the Age of the Spirit

Synopsis: How does leadership operate under the New Covenant? In this exciting and thought-provoking seminar we will explore the issues of local church leadership and deacons!‘It is my hope that this seminar will lead to ongoing and fruitful discussion which will result in practical moves forward in church life.’

There are prizes for guessing which one I'm booked into ... ;)

The Launch of Ern Baxter dot com!

I am thrilled to be able to report that Pete and I have recently brought the domain names: ernbaxter.com, ernbaxter.org and lifeonwings.org. The purpose of this is to launch a professionally designed and run website where we can host MP3 recordings of Dr Ern Baxter's outstanding ministry as well as post manuscripts of his ministry notes and writings. The launch of this website is the fulfillment of years of my dreams that are finally coming to pass. I have never been happy with the linking of my writing on this blog with that of Ern Baxter. I don't know what Ern Baxter would have thought about much of the contemporary events that I write about - and therefore it is right and appropriate that this website comes about.

It will be a couple of months before the website is finally finished as Pete and I have to work with the website designer quite a bit and ensure that everything is to satisfaction. I want a spirit of excellence to rest upon this website that will be a tribute to my hero in and of itself. So do please put Ern Baxter dot com in your favourites and we pledge to let you know as soon as it is launched. The website designers are going to add a page where you can register your interest in the next couple of days so keep an eye open!

The launch of our website really keeps me thinking about "Going into the land". The sense of crisis that is dawning upon God's people and the fact that we - the people of God - were never destined to remain in the wilderness. Ern Baxter was not the only hero of mine to hold this Biblical concept of what the land meant for us today. Terry Virgo has also referred to "The Land" many times. Here are two quotes that shout aloud the fact the future is full of hope and triumph for the glorious Bride of Christ!

“I’m giving you a possession – a land flowing with milk and honey – My beloved Bride, I’m bringing you in!”.

Terry Virgo – Together on A Mission 2006.

“God has a global programme to bless all the nations. An inward looking, legalistic church devoid of the Holy Spirit enslaved by law and sin with an eschatology of despair is hardly likely to get the job done. God wants militant Christians determined to bring Christ’s liberty not only to entrenched and lifeless churches, He also wants His light to shine throughout the world. He wants restored churches to recover missionary passion and see world evangelisation as a God-given command.

The Lord of the nations is calling us to come with Him to the end of the earth and to bring the good news of His salvation and deliverance to vast numbers still remaining in darkness and oppression”.

Terry Virgo – Newfrontiers Magazine – May-July 2002.

Why Every Self-Respecting Christian Should Be An Optimist Like God Himself

Well a response to John MacArthur's opening address to the Shepherds Conference had to come at some point. The reports I read of the address were irksome to me to say the least but I wanted to wait until I had heard the actual MP3 of the session before saying anything. Now I have had that opportunity. I've read most of the arguments supporting and shouting at him. As I said previously I actually appreciate a man such as him who is unafraid of offending but believes enough in his beliefs to speak out. The Church has been far too passive - it is time to speak out!

For those who haven't heard the message and probably don't want to or won't - here is the thrust of it:

"The thrust of the message was simple: Of all people to be pre-millennialist it should be the Calvinist--those who believe in sovereign election. A-millennialism is ideal for Arminians because according to their theology God elects nobody and preserves nobody. A-millennialism is consistent with Arminianism. Yet it is inconsistent with Reformed theology and its emphasis on God's electing grace".

Sam Storms has begun to respond I think in an effort to make a statement for Amillenialism. And by the way he has begun a blog here. Hurrah! So the question is - if I am not happy with John MacArthur's Premillenialism (and I'm not) and I am not 100% satisfied with Sam Storms Amillenialism (and I'm not) then what am I? Well I am not going to take the cop-out cliche of calling myself a "Pan-millenialist" (it will all pan out in the end). I would classify myself thus far as "An optimistic Amillenialist and a cautious Post-millenialist". I'm not at all experienced enough in theology and handling Biblical texts to be able to say with assurance that I know what millenial position to hold.

What I DO know is that I am confident that the Bride of Christ is going to wind up glorious. What I DO know is that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. What I DO know is that the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the former. What I DO know is that all nations shall flow UP to Mount Zion and that isn't something that will happen in heaven. What I DO know is that Jesus SHALL reign where'er the sun doth it's successive journeys run. And what I DO know is that there are a lot of Scriptures that suggest an optimism in the sovereignity of God's right to exert His authority over His universe is biblical! Here are a few:

(1) In the OT - Num. 14:21; Psalms 2:6-9; 22:27-28; 47; 72:8-11; 110:1-2; 138:4-5 (cf. 102:15); Isa. 2:2-4; 9:6-7; 11:6-10; 45:22-25; 65; 66; Jer. 31:31-34; Daniel 2:31-35; Zech. 9:9f.; 13:1; 14:9.

(2) In the NT - Matt. 13:31-33; 28:18-20; John 12:31-32; 16:33; I John 2:13-14; 3:8; 4:4,14; 5:4-5; Acts 2:32-36,41; Rom. 11:25-32; I Cor. 15:20-26, 57-58; Hebrews 1:8-9,13; 2:5-9; Rev. 2:25-27; 3:7-9; 7:9-10; 11:15; 19:11-21.

My response to John MacArthur then?

It is simply the presentation of a transcript of Ern Baxter from the Dales Bible Week 1976. His series was "Where Are We Going?". I posted the dramatic conclusion to this series - "The Kadesh Crisis" - a week or so ago. I would say with some authority I think that this message entitled simply - "The Land" - was the climax of the entire week. In the message Dr Ern Baxter deals with the subject of the type of "Going into the Land" and suggests with support from historical greats such as C H Spurgeon that the land in type DOESN'T mean heaven. There are after all, no giants in heaven we hope!

So here it is:

"The Land".

A final thought. David Holden said something very telling at the Brighton Leadership Conference in 2000. He said, "Your eschatology will shape your ecclesiology". What then is more likely to make us as Christians go out with confidence in the supremacy of our God and spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth - ready to die if necessary? An eschatology that suggests the Church is going to end up a remnant, desperately "hanging on" till the end waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord to save us? Or an eschatology that suggests that indeed evil will grow greater and greater - but the mountain of the Lord shall be established and all nations will flow to it. And Zion's glory will shine forth like the brightness of the noon day sun?