A New Page is Turning .... !!

It's so amazing and fab to write a really "GOOD" post for once! I mentioned in my last post that I was meeting my parent's pastors yesterday to discuss the past - and confessed I wasn't going full of faith. Before Pete Day and I went to the meeting we spent some time in prayer together and a really strong prophetic reminder came; "Now unto Him who is able to do far more than you can think or imagine". Well God did indeed do FAR more than I could even imagine.

I'm not going to go into the detail of what was said and discussed - that's private between the four of us. But I am so grateful and excited to report that we completely put the past to rest. Confusion and misunderstanding was sorted out. I was able to apologise to them for writing angrily on the past on this and other blogs about my upsets with them - and they were gracious and godly enough to accept and forgive me and said I am welcome back at the church.

I was often accused of clinging on to a root of bitterness in regards to SGM - but for me the test case was how I would feel after the most wonderful end to a meeting like happened. Would I still want to hold on to being angry at them? I'm thrilled I didn't and I don't. I feel nothing but gratitude to God for the best possible end to an episode of my life - and am excited about what the future holds. And I'm excited to go back to the church and see how it's grown and enjoy encountering God there at times in the future.

I wouldn't say this means that I'm in 100% agreement with SGM and some of the views they hold! I still don't like various aspects - over-emphasis on the Cross to the neglect of resurrection, treatment of women, importance of Holy Spirit etc etc - but Peter Bowley (one of the Bristol pastors) put it really wisely - something like; "Disagree on substance - not on the person". I've often said to my friend Janelle that there's more I agree with than disagree with SGM and that must be a great thing.

Pete Day prophesied this song "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield - over me just after I left the church and I never really felt it came to pass - until now. Particularly the line; "The best is yet unwritten". Or as his blog calls it; "The Best is Yet to Come!".

Dr Peter Masters is Right!!

Well this is now the third part in an inpromtu series sparked off by Mark Driscoll and his rather colourful words on the Song of Solomon. The first was Dr John MacArthur's reaction to Driscoll here and the second was Rob Rufus's wonderful inspired words on the Song of Songs at "Glory and Grace" in 2007. I guess that part of the motivation behind why I feel so intensely about this could be explained in my post; "Speak Tenderly to My Bride". It's my conviction that something had gone drastically wrong when a preacher is laying down rules and regulations on what Christian wives "should do" in the privacy of their bedroom - with the end result of guilt and condemnation if they even feel they do not want to do what their husband is demanding.

So yesterday on the back of a recurrent dream I have been having I travelled down to London and went to the outstanding Evangelical Library. I was hoping to spend time in the periodicals and journals that they have but they are currently in storage. Instead I spent my time in the commentaries on the Song of Solomon. And I found a quote by Watchman Nee that made me think. Underneath the mocking of the allegorical interpretation of the Song of Solomon - I believe there is actually a problem with believing that God can feel so intimately about them. Why? Because they believe that they still have sin within them somewhere that the blood of Jesus Christ didn't quite cover and thus deserve something of the wrath and judgement of God.

In short this issue of how you understand the Song of Solomon is not just some secondary issue that can be ignored. Understanding that book rightly has implications on worship, on intimacy with God and the gospel itself. Because we will never be able to access the full glory, weight and wonder of God's love and passion for us conveyed through the Song of Solomon (among other Scriptures) until we understand the Gospel of grace properly.

Here's the quote from Watchman Nee;

"The book's (Song of Solomon) innermost heart speaks of spiritual communion. It is a book for the heart ... The book addresses itself to those who are already regenerated by the Spirit of God and who are awakened to longings for a fuller experience of Christ. There is not the slightest mention of things pertaining to salvation. The emphasis is not on matters relating to the sinner but rather on those concerning the advancement of the believer. It does not address itself to those outside of Christ but to the Lord's own people.

Consequently there are no instructions given as to how one may be saved but it tells of the longings of a believer for deeper experiences of the Lord. It does not speak of faith but of love. Love floats like a banner over the whole Song ... ".

And that's when I got my shock. Searching more through the shelves of the Evangelical Library I found a commentary on the Song of Solomon by Dr Peter Masters - the senior minister of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. I am ashamed to say that Dr Masters is another individual I classed along with John MacArthur in the "rabidly anti-charismatic, anti-everything" camp. And that's true - he is. But I sat myself down and read his commentary. It was excellent. Here's the basis of his argument which I hope will be helpful;

1. The Title Points to Christ.

Firstly the original Hebrew is "Song of Songs" meaning the best of all possible songs, or the supreme and most beautiful song ever composed, an extravagant title for the love of ordinary human beings. Such a title best refers to the love of the Son of God for His people and their responding love to Him.

2. Solomon is Not a Model for Marriage.

Secondly Solomon, the inspired author, would hardly be the ideal channel for lessons on love and marriage in view of his having acquired a thousand wives and concubines who turned away his heart from God.

The life of the teacher must surely commend his message. If Solomon wrote about his own first courtship and marriage, how could this be described as the best song and put forward a model when it quickly became a betrayed relationship? A repentent sinner however is an acceptable person to write about the mercy of Christ to His church and Solomon became such a person after His restoration to God (reflected in Ecclesiastes).

3. There is No Wedding.

A third reason why we must see the Song as an allegory of the love between Christ and His church rather than a manual on married life is that there is no wedding in it.

It is a fact that the bride and groom are viewed throughout the book as not yet fully married, this being one of the compelling dramatic features. Modern writers tend to marry the couple off at an early stage so they view them as husband and wife, complete with physical intimacy and marital tiffs but this is read into the song. The reality is that the bride and groom had engaged in the first stage of an ancient Jewish betrothal so that they were wholly committed to each other but they did not yet live together.

Throughout the Song the bride and groom are seen waiting for the day of the wedding ceremony with it's great marriage supper and they are still looking forward to it with great desire at the end. This is powerfully prophetic providing an exceptionally close union between believers and their Lord as they wait for His coming at the end of the age and the great bridal supper of the Lamb.

C H Spurgeon said; "As a believer draws near to Heaven, this is the book he takes with him".

If we miss this the Song has ... nothing to say to our spiritual lives.

4. Love Terms Cannot Be Real.

A fourth reason for the superiority of the grand old view is that many expressions of admiration used in the Song are simply not credible for human love, such as when the groom tells the bride she resembles Pharoh's horses or that she has a neck like the squat, rough Tower of David, plus other equally jarring descriptions.

If however the poem is an allegory of the love between Christ and the church, these sentiments come to life, describing the privilidges and characteristics of saved people. The love poem is only the "vehicle" for the message. The descriptions were never meant to be wholly realistic or to be taken literally. As the old saying goes - an allegory says one thing but means another. We must see the deeper meaning.

5. Great Prophecies are Here.

A fifth reason for taking the groom to be Christ and the bride to be the Church, is the amount of prophecy which becomes obvious through this interpretation. It is no coincidence that many passages picture well the incarnation of Christ, His saving work, His resurrection, the establishment of the church age, the calling of the Gentiles and the future heavenly kingdom.

One modern evangelical Bible dictionary says rather surprisingly that "there is little in the book that is explicitly religious". This is only true if one takes the fairly modern view that this is a literal love story. However if we take the older view that this book is a guide to spiritual love then we see Christ and His work prophesied throughout it's eight chapters.

6. Allegory is Solomon's Speciality.

A sixth reason for believing that Christ and His church is the subject of this poem is that the Bible tells us that a parable style was the principal feature of Solomon's writings. He issued 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32) many of the proverbs being in the book of Proverbs. A proverb is (in the Hebrew) a rule or a comparison, ranging from a short, pithy comparison to a full-size paralell or allegory. While we are told that Solomon specialized "comparisons" (teaching truth by means of a fictional story) and also in songs,

We are not told that a major part of his work was a marriage guidance manual.

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".

Pentecostal/Charismatic Post-it Notes Hits 1,000 Quotes!!

For those of you unaware, a group of us run a blog of quotes called; "Pentecostal/Charismatic Post-it Notes" and it's aim was to draw together quotes about all theological issues but mainly those concerning Pentecostal/Charismatic issues. I wanted it to be a forum so that anyone with an interest in these sorts of theological topics could use the labels and search to their hearts content. One of the key quotes I read and was given by Dr Stanley Jebb that prompted me to try and gather these altogether was by C H Spurgeon and he said;

"The man who never reads will never be read. He who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own ... You need to read".

I know that traditionally Pentecostal/Charismatics are not renowned for being theological with a passion to "search the Scriptures daily and see if these things are so" - in this blog I wanted to change that perception.

I noticed the other day that it has just had it's 1, 000 quote added! Ironically the 1, 000th quote was by John MacArthur.

There are many other issues and authors that are worth reading about all added by my group of friends. Jesse's quotes are here. Scott's quotes are here. Julie's quotes are here and Pete's quotes are here (oh and my quotes are here!). What else may interest?

Rob Rufus's quotes are here.

Ern Baxter's quotes are here.

"Together on a Mission 2007" are here.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit quotes are here.

Ephesians 4 Ministries quotes are here.

Hope to carry on adding quotes as they arise through reading!! And trust it proves of interest!!

A Day of Impartation in Lakeland Florida!!

Pete and I have had an incredible time watching the live streaming on God TV - God is so powerfully still healing people and this thing shows no signs of waning! I am actually reluctant to call it a "Revival" because of a prophecy given by a man from City Church International in Hong Kong that fits very much what Rob himself prophesied - this is a new atmosphere! A new climate! History is truly in the making.

The streaming we were watching was from the night when Paul Cain visited the revival. Do you remember I posted Paul Cain's prophecy from years ago - which (in my view) was a step towards fulfilment when the Lakeland Outpouring moved into the stadium? Well Todd Bentley had the exact prophecy played over the audio speakers just prior to Paul Cain coming up to speak to the thousands. Here's a clip of it - the video ends focusing on Paul who was sitting on the platform:

Here's a brief summary of what Paul Cain brought to the gathered thousands (thanks to Pete for being my faithful scribe!). He said;

"Whenever I look into Todd's eyes - I have never seen such a clean soul ...
The manifestations our part of my anointing. They will offend the heart of man who will not take the revival ... Hospital morgues will be emptied out ... All the stadiums will be filled with people on their faces worshipping God ... Will see people pressing forward. Evangelism will never be easier. Wholesale household salvation. Whole cities saved in a night. Even a whole nation in a day ... This is the end time revival prophesied by the prophets of old ... Todd is only heralding that message and revealing that it is to be the nameless and faceless ... If you don't defend yourself, I will raise someone up to defend you. Who would have thought it would be Todd Bentley".

Paul then prophesied over Jim Goll: "Dream - in front of unusual computer screen. I was going to give u a gift that came out of the screen... I number of years ago in 80s ur hearts were broken, scar tissue in ur hearts, cancers came, people scarred u 4 life. God showed me where ur scars were. And said 'only My Son can heal scar tissue.' If it were not 4 this night one of you would not be here ... in one year. "

He then turned to the camera and also speaks to Goll's wife. "Inappropriate prophecy is anhiliated now. This thing will be smitten and God will add some years to your life. Pray for James and Anne. Now praying for them. Removing the scars. Breaking the spirit of betrayal".

Paul then asked Todd if he could minister; "if God is still with him". Todd says "God is still with you". Paul Cain says 7 have diabetes. And that all 7 will be healed tonight!

Todd says the atmosphere changed in the arena when Paul Cain walked onto the platform.
Paul received the vision in central florida, and now it is happening. Paul asked to pray a father's blessing over the meeting - the seeds of healing in his heart from the 40s. Paul thanks God he has seen the beginnings of what he saw prophetically. Says he has met the new breed.

The angel of the Lord said to him "You have found what you were looking for." He has found Nathaniel in whom is no guile - in Todd Bentley. He wants to bless this. And to transfer and give to his brother everything that God ever deposited into Paul's life - everything Paul couldn't give away - he gives to Todd. A transfer of anointing.

Says that about 300 people having different heart problems being healed. Mass healings of every kind of heart trouble there is.

Todd himself then began to speak;

"Drink - drink - drink!! It's no fun to just watch and not participate! You've got to stay in the glory! ... I prophesied over 10 pastors from Ireland that a healing revival would break out. Something is happening! Pastor Brian called me from Belfast and they are in revival now! They are seeing miracles every night!

There was a child who died in a hospital and was dead for 15 minutes. The father called Pastor Brian who prayed and the child came back to LIFE and had NO BRAIN DAMAGE!! That is the second resurrection from the dead we have had! Dudley in Birmingham (UK) is going into it's second week of extended meetings! It is happening in Morningstar with Rick Joyner! This is contageous and it has only JUST BEGUN! GOD IS RELEASING HOT FIERY COALS OF REVIVAL! Resurrection from the dead will become a daily occurence!".

Janelle and Jesse - this one is for you! Todd asked;

"Orlando Florida - where are you!? You have to come! The fire is going to break out in Orlando!!".

Let's go on eagerly watching and hungering! God is coming! And if you can get to Lakeland, Florida - then for the love of God please go! At least go and see! Let's be excited! Prayer is being fulfilled! God is hearing the prayers of many decades! And as Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones said; "The Christian church would have been dead and finished centuries ago and many times over were it not for Revivals" - it looks like God is turning up to save His Church and make His Bride beautiful again!

Overturning the tables of legalism

A good number of posts (and comments) on this blog have discussed the dangers of legalism, and have powerfully proclaimed the glorious grace of God. For a while now, I have been thinking about how we should respond to legalism. Then, a few weeks ago, Dan sent me a text message in which he made reference to the following quote from Rob Rufus:

"If you don't get angry with legalists then you haven't seen grace".

And also:

"DON'T LET THE PHARISEES RAPE YOUR PEOPLE. Don't be nice to the Pharisees! Jesus wasn't!".

I was then reminded of one of the times we see Jesus getting angry: in the temple just before the Passover, where he drives out the money changers and those who are buying and selling animals for sacrifice (who, incidently, were occupying the "Court of the Gentiles", the only place where the Gentiles were permitted to worship the God of all the earth and had turned it into a market). Jesus showed these traders no mercy. He lamented the failure to fulfill God's vision for the place to be a house of prayer for all nations, and told them they had turned it into a den of thieves.

Here we see people (Jew and Gentile) being robbed of the grace of God.

What legalism does

It says: "He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business." (John 2v14)

Oxen, sheep and doves were the animals that people came to sacrifice in order to be accepted before God. There were many kinds of sacrifice, but the essential purpose of them was so that people could be right with God. In particular, at the Passover (the time when these events occurred), the lamb was sacrificed as a memorial that in Egypt the wrath of God was turned aside and the people were set free.

So here in the temple of God, they were selling the means by which people could get right with God. They were forced to pay in the temple currency (hence the money changers) - in other words they were forced to step into a particular mould of behaviour in order to be accepted by God, and to pay for the means of acceptance with the work of their hands.

The only way a person could be sure that the animal was acceptable to the priest was to buy from the sellers there in the temple. And the only way he/she could buy the correct animal was to have the right currency. If they brought their own animal, or tried to pay in any other way, they were rejected. So drawing near to God had been transformed totally into an operation where the people had to fit the mould, work the works, and pay the price to draw near to God.

If someone couldn't pay, they were left out and so could not draw near (or so they were taught). What an abomination!! How disgusting! And yet, this is a clear picture of what legalism does.

So many believers end up having to "tow the line" and approach God in the format demanded by their churches; they have to pay their way into coming near to God (only accepted if their tithes are fully paid up); they have to obey all the rules of church life in order to be an upstanding member of the church; they are taught that their behaviour (not the grace of God through Christ) determines their standing in the presence of God.

And so many, many believers are bound up by rules and regulations, and under a cloud of condemnation (because they don't meet the grade of human regulation) and are missing out on the joy and liberty of living in the amazing grace of God.

What should be our response?

It says: "When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables." (John 2v15).

Jesus overturned the tables. He drove them out. This might not be a popular thing to say, but I believe God has given to those who have discovered the truth of the free grace of God - to drive out the lies about the cost of God's grace and, if necessary, confront the people who stand in the way of grace.

We are to overturn the tables of those who sell God's love, who make the saints feel that have to earn acceptance. We must upturn the ables of law and regulation and invite every precious saint freely to come beyond the Court of the Gentiles right in through the torn veil right into the very throne room.

This might appear quite a rough response. What about love? I do believe there needs to be a difference in approach, depending on who we speak to.

Those enslaved and broken by legalism need a tender and gentle touch as the grace of God is taught and fed.

Then there are many victims of legalism who are, because legalism has become so ingrained, are very zealous for legalism and earning favour with God. These are like all the people who bought in the temple - they were caught up within the system, but they were none the less victims - shut out from intimacy with God and made to pay their way. With such there does need to a firmer hand, but still a tender hand. Be bold, but be gentle and patient, keep loving and keep persevering and demonstrating the grace of God.

Then, there are the moneychangers and the sellers themselves. It is clear from the scripture that Jesus showed them no tenderness, but drove them out. Frankly, these were the people (supported by the pharisees), who should have known better. And today, while I am sure many leaders are very sincere - they should know better. Scripture is very clear about the abundant grace of God.

We need to be bold - very, very bold. It is interesting that those who defend legalism do so claiming the authority of Gal 2v11 - "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed." This verse is used to excuse all manner of authoritarian action and speech against people who do not agree. Yet the context is in fact an apostle standing firm to challenge another apostle who had fallen into legalism.

This was the line in the sand for Paul. Legalism had come into the church, and was being embraced by a leader - and it had to be opposed.

The likely response

It says: "And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him." (Mark 11v18)

The pharisees sought to kill Jesus. That doesn't bode well! But history has repeated itself since. The religious leadership sought to kill Tyndale for freely giving away the word of God. They sought to kill Luther for revealing the free gift of justification. It is the response of religion.

I'm not saying we will be killed, but it is an almighty battle. Instead of drawing the line in the sand over secondary issues such as the "role" of women in the church - our line in the sand is far more serious.

It is the GOSPEL itself. It is the glorious truth that we are justified freely by His grace, clothed in His righteousness, having the same standing before God as His own dear Son, with the right by His blood to stand in God's presence and bask in His glory as sons and daughters of the Lord, to hear His voice, and to cry Abba Father. And to know that we are free from any form of payment, free from any requirement to meet human regulations, free from the accusations and reminders of how we fall short, free from being reminded about indwelling sin.

I fully expect that we shall be accused of antinomianism (that is, being against the old covenant law - as if that were a bad thing :)!), of promoting licence, of undermining God Himself. But it is simply not true. God's grace is free, access into His presence is free, for every single child of God. It is essential that we encourage God's people to stand firm in the grace of God and enjoy their full inheritance.

Rob Rufus said in his first message on the grace-hating spirit: "When you realise that I can come to God, I can receive grace, then you can see the marriages getting blessed, the wife's a blessing she is a priest, the husbands a priest, they're priests over their children, they're priests in their marriage, they're priests, they are living with God, they have access to God. If we could liberate 1.2bn christians into the priesthood of all believers the power of heaven will come down on the church and what happened 2000 years ago at the cross when the veil was split and the glory of God came out and was accessible to all who were born again, we would see revival break out across the planet."

And there is simply the joy of being in love with Him, in His presence, being drenched in His glory. We must not compromise and allow these false teachings to hold people back from the glory cloud.

I found these wonderful songs from the Parachute Band (from New Zealand):

I see you Lord, in the most holy place
Where angels tremble and lay down in worship.
I stand in wonder, longing to draw near
You catch my eye and call me in.

I fall down, in awe of you
I fall down, in awe of you.

(Shonelle Barnes, (C) Parachute Productions 1998)

And

In so many ways you love me
just as I am not as I should be
and as your child you take hold of me
I see just why I fall in love with you.
The purest love I've ever known
was that you chose to give and die.
The blood that poured from your open hands
all so I could fall in love with you

I've got to worship you my God
I can't contain the way I feel
I dance free before you Lord
it's you that I adore.

(Shonelle Barnes, (C) Parachute Productions 1998)

Let's start dancing free...