Dr R T Kendall on "Why I endorse the Toronto Blessing"

I am grateful that Dr R T Kendall chose this moment around "Strange Fire" controversies - to share this video via his ministry link.

A bit of context: as I was growing up into life of the Spirit and the charismatic movement, I always tended to see R T Kendall as the "negative/reverse" to our then senior pastor Dr Stanley Jebb.  Both were amazing and outstanding teachers of the Word of God.  And both had the potential to hold the wonderful tension between "Word and Spirit" or reformed doctrine and charismatic experience well.  Dr Jebb sadly was put off by excess he saw and was revolted by.  R T Kendall on the other hand was at the same time opening up to the Holy Spirit and the variety of His work.  It was wonderful to travel down quite regularly to Westminster Chapel to hear R T Kendall's ministry during the dark days of cessationism in Dunstable.

So I am glad to hear again a message I am familiar with (having read it in Dr Kendall's books);

R T Kendall Website New Look!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passing of a Prophet

I was saddened to find out today that Alex Buchanan was taken to glory at the end of last year. Alex Buchanan (for those who don't know him) was a fantastic man of God and a prophet who lived through the Charismatic Movement and had an incredible influence and encouragement on key men such as Terry Virgo and R T Kendall.

More personally Alex was an assistant pastor in Dunstable for a time while I was a child at New Covenant Church. He actually dedicated me and my parents told me that when he did - he prophesied over me. Alas they can't remember the detail of the prophecy but it's an inheritance that I hold dear - knowing that such a servant of God spoke words of life over me as a baby. Sadly for us as a church he left and moved on - but this was a good thing for the country as he became (as Terry called him); "A pastor of pastors".

Mum and Dad always remembered his preaching and ministry in Dunstable fondly - the sermon that they would talk about the most is one on the Song of Solomon. Alex saw this precious book biblically as key in representing the relationship between Christ and His Church. It's exciting to find out that ministry has been preserved on his website - "Musings on the Song of Solomon". One key truth about the book, he said;

"I suspect that many people avoid preaching from it because they do not have a sufficient grasp of the overwhelming and intimate love of God for His people, there¬fore they find that they cannot get to grips with it. Or some, especially men, are afraid of appearing sentimental or super spiritual if they speak too extravagantly about God".

I think this fear is behind the "sex manual" interpretation that Mark Driscoll and C J Mahaney hold on the Song of Solomon.

There will be a memorial service for him at Westminster Chapel on the 18th June at 2pm - with worship led by Graham Kendrick - which I shall be making every effort to attend. I think it will be a glorious time of remembering his ministry!

The Holy Spirit is NOT for Sale!!

I love it when I walk around a Christian bookshop and I experience a book title reaching out and grabbing me (not literally). This latest book by J Lee Grady (Editor of Charisma Magazine) is called; "The Holy Spirit is Not for Sale!". I have heard of Grady but am not familiar with him. It was the foreword by Dr R T Kendall that made me knew I had to buy it. R T Kendall is one of my heroes and those who have sat under his preaching as I have know that he is not fooled lightly (some may disagree with that - but that's my personal opinion). Dr Kendall wrote;

"I could not put this book down. It is compulsive reading. But it is more than that: it is essential reading for every person who professes to be a charismatic Christian ... this book could be a turning point for the charismatic movement".

What caught my attention the most in flicking through the book in the bookshop was how J Lee Grady is drawing on the experiences of the Third World for US here in the Westernised world to learn from. I am tired of the concept of the Western world sending "missionaries" to the Third World. Like the risen and glorified Christ said to the church in Revelation 3:17;

"You think you are rich - but you are poor".

We have wasted our glorious inheritance of various movements of the Holy Spirit and have allowed theological pride and snobbery to quench the power of the Spirit. The fact that Dr John Piper has to even answer the question; "Do you believe we should cast out demons today?" - suggests a complete blindness on the part of the Western church in ignoring the gospel.

Anyway one chapter that stood out to me straight away was dealing with the issues of spiritual authoritarianism. Grady writes; "How can we know when a particular church or church leader is crossing into the danger zone of authoritarianism? Here are seven warning signs I have detected in my own experience".

1. Lack of accountability.

Grady writes: "If a pastor or a church leader is not open to correction from his colleagues, he has set himself up for failure and displayed a blatant form of pride".

2. Lack of acceptance of other denominations, churches or ministries.

Grady writes: "We need to expect our leaders to display an attitude of humility towards the rest of the Body of Christ".

3. An atmosphere of control.

Grady says; "Authoritarian church leaders are masters at using Scripture to manipulate people. They often quote 1 Chronicles 16:22; "Do not touch My anointed ones". Another favourite is Hebrews 13:17; "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority" ... such passages can be used to intimidate people and keep them from challenging wrong. Some pastors don't recognise the difference between valid criticism and slander".

4. Dominating attitudes in leaders, usually manifested by haughtiness and anger.

"Tyrants are surprisingly similar. Because they want to control their surroundings, they often blow up when people do not conform to their demands or don't do so as quickly as they wish. We might expect bullying in the corporate world but we should not tolerate it among church leaders".

5. Emphasis on leaders hearing God for the people, rather than encouraging them to hear God for themselves.

I should add that one of my major concerns with Sovereign Grace Ministries recently came from Jeff Purswell's well publicized comment; "You" (speaking to SGM preachers) "are standing in the very stead of God". That scares me because surely it puts SGM church members in a difficult position. If your SGM leader preaches something that worries you - you are not just disagreeing with man. You are disagreeing with someone "standing in for God".

Grady writes; "In authoritarian church situations, members are not encouraged to seek God's guidance for themselves. Rather they are urged to conform to their leader's preferences ... thus the church members develop an unhealthy dependence on man in order to function spiritually and a diminished ability to trust God".

6. Leaders assuming ownership of their people and churches.

Grady says; "In authoritarian churches ... the church is governed once again like a dictatorship ... pastor's salaries remain undisclosed and the pastor maintains control of the church board if there is one ... such a system is a far cry from the biblical view of the church as a living organism, kept vibrant as each member plays a part. All church members should share a sense of ownership in the local church".

7. Women viewed as inferior.

This is one that I am particularly fierce about. I've got one mother and seven sisters and have grown up in two churches that do have the tendency to treat women as inferior. I'll never forget one experience sitting in a home group and seeing the pastor turn to his heavily pregnant wife and say; "Dear - will you go and make the coffee?". What?!?!?! Why can't you get up off your backside and go and make it!?

Grady writes; "In most (authoritarian churches) women are viewed as important only in their function as wives and mothers and they are not encouraged to step beyond these confines to pursue ministry opportunities ... women eager to be used by God or to share their spiritual insights with church leaders are branded rebels or "Jezebels"".

God Spoken About at the United Nations!!

Like Lydia, I'm not really a politics sort of person. I guess if tied down I would say I'm mildly conservative but drift towards Labour - mainly due to my nursing career. (Labour = socialism for my non-UK friends!). However I was setting myself a hour hour run on the treadmill at the gym last night and I was intrigued to see that the President of Iran - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - was speaking at the United Nations and the newscasters premised the speech by saying it would be controversial. And that it was according to what I read on the translators. However that's not the purpose of my post.

What impressed me, challenged me and irritated me was that the President was less than unashamed to state boldly his belief in God. The Name of God was mentioned in probably the most famous world political forum and it was being broadcast around the world! Except it was the Islamic version of their belief in Who God is and was and what His purposes were for the world. Here's an example from his speech in 2007;

"I will also speak to you about the need for remedying the present situation, prospects for a brighter and a more hopeful future, and about the appearance of the sublime and beauty, compassion and generosity, justice and blossoming of all the God-given human talents and the prominence of faith in God and realization of the promise of God".

Here's the thoughts that bothered me. When will the Name of God - the God we believe in - be shouted from the rooftops? We sing; "You are the Lord - the Famous One!" - but is He? And more importantly when will He become famous? Correction - when will He become more famous than He is already? When will He become so famous that the Scripture becomes true - the glory of God has covered the earth as the waters cover the sea?

I realise that many more have perhaps thrown the Florida Outpouring out the window since Todd Bentley's news spread. For example I was disappointed to read R T Kendall's dismissal of Lakeland - mind you, he similarly dismissed Toronto didn't he? But I still persist in maintaining that something HAPPENED in Lakeland. We saw something - we got a taste of something that God means to continue. Here's a video clip of when the Outpouring was meeting in the stadium - and I still get a thrill to see an 11 year old boy climb out of his wheelchair for the first time - AND give God the glory for it.

And I know what some Anonymous commentators may say - where's the proof, where's the doctors reports, where's the evidence blah, blah, blah. Yere - but what's better to be in danger of deception or to be so discerning that you risk never receiving something from God? I know the answer - we shouldn't have to choose. We should be so balanced that we recognise a genuine move of God. The problem that I'm considering is that the best way to become acquainted with the genuine supernatural of God is to actually experience it. And how can we ever experience it if we are so discerning that we never allow it into our lives or our churches?

I've grappled every now and then with the concern that Rob Rufus and the guys in Hong Kong go on too much about the supernatural. I think that song I heard Covenant Life Church perform while I was in SGM was to blame for that - the one that went something like; "Holy God in love became perfect something to bear my pain on the Cross He took my shame by His something I live again" (sorry my memory has faded although we sung it endlessly in Bristol). There's nothing wrong with the song. What I objected to was the sketch in which they seemed to mock other perspectives on the Kingdom of God such as His dominion or His healing power ("I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it"). The impression was given that if you didn't build your entire theology around this salvific motif then you were to be mocked.

That being said I actually DO believe that the Gospel is the central focus of Christianity - of course it has to be! But I don't believe it should be limited to what that song made it. Rob Rufus highlighted that error - making it all about the gospel of salvation rather than the gospel of the kingdom which INCLUDES salvation. That distinction was vitally important for me! And once I grasped it in Hong Kong - I could see that it is through demonstrations of His power verifying the Gospel that His fame really will sweep across this planet.

When will the Name of God be spoken of at the United Nations? Hasten the day Lord!

A Week's Retreat in Kington St Michael!

I haven't forgotten the blog or the "Together on a Mission" seminar notes and summaries - but I am currently spending a delightful week with one of my dearest friends in the charming village of Kington St Michael - and combining it with my community nursing job in Bristol! I was walking back into the village this morning and contemplating the wonders of creation. I do agree fervently with Dave Stroud's message to Mobilise - that cities are high on God's agenda. But there's nothing like a real country village to make one appreciate what God has made! I've never lived in a village before - always being a city boy - and the pace of life is quite wonderful!

Being here has meant that I can read lots and also by default gather some quotes for the "Pentecostal/Charismatic Post-it Notes" blog as my fellow writers seem to have deserted me ;)

Here's one I liked;

"We honour the Spirit by releasing Him" - Dr R T Kendall.

Here's one I didn't;

"Here then is my own definition of worship - it is the response to and/or preparation for the preached Word" - Dr R T Kendall.

And here's one that I'm seriously thinking through and not quite sure about;

"Submission to authority is not based on the personal character of the man in authority nor is it based on how justly or unjustly the authority is applied. Our submission is to God who gives the authority" - Don Basham.

Normal blogging to resume on Wednesday! I'm off to walk my friend's dog in the wonderful countryside and enjoy the rare sun!