"Laying on of Hands" - Rob Rufus at TOAM 06

This conference was my first encounter with Rob Rufus - a life-changing encounter although I have yet to meet the man! But I had such an incredible touch from God and was so moved by his teaching that I wrote to Terry Virgo to thank him for inviting Rob and enthusing about what I had heard. Terry was gracious enough to write back and made particular mention as to how Rob's teaching on the "Laying on of Hands" was really useful and revelational to him. I listened again to that session while I was driving back from my parents last night and agreed - and felt it had to be transcribed. The laying on of hands is something that I've heard and experienced a diverse range of opinions on. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones taught strongly that the practice should be discontinued. John Stott taught that it was symbolic. Whereas at the other end of the spectrum I've let legalists lay hands on me for prayer and allowed it far too easily. Rob Rufus's seminar really raises the importance of something the Bible clearly teaches (dare I say it - Dr Lloyd-Jones was wrong!)

Here it is:

"Training Track - Session 2" - "Together on a Mission in Brighton" - 2006

I want talk about the laying on of hands today and raising the significance of this incredible truth to a higher level of expectation. The doctrine of laying on of hands needs to be raised up to a higher level. I believe currently it is operating in the church at a very low level. I don't believe we are seeing the level of apostolic understanding as to what it means to lay hands on people. It has become almost too cheap and done too quickly and carelessly and casually and we need to encourage and train and equip people. Never come up and ask people to lay hands on you lightly. Never ask hands to be laid on you without expecting to receive something. It is a foundation doctrine of Christ. Hebrews chapter 6. The laying on of hands is equal to baptism, baptism in the Spirit, judgements, resurrection from the dead, repentance and faith towards God. Alongside that is laying on of hands and you can't go on to maturity without a clear revelation of the importance of the doctrine of the laying on of hands.

We look here in Habbakkuk chapter 3 and let's read from verse 2. "Lord I have heard of Your fame - I stand in awe of Your deeds oh Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known. In wrath remember mercy ... His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth, His splendour was like the sunrise. Rays flashed from His hands where His power was hidden".

I am not trying to make out that God is reduced to human shape but it does say that "rays flashed from His hands" so there is this divine image that the power of God is flashing from the hands of God. I believe that when God's immortal hands come on our mortal hands then there is a divine flash - there is a discharge of heavenly voltage that needs to be restored back to the Church in dimension that was there in the Book of Acts and we have got to recapture today!

Go to Acts chapter 8 please. There are many passages on this. Dave Holden quoted it yesterday - Romans 1:11 and Paul says; "I have come to you so that I may impart a gift to you - a gift that makes you strong". Then in 2nd Timothy chapter 1:6-7 Paul says; "Stir up the gift that is within you through the laying on of my hands ... a spirit of power, love and a sound mind".

In other words Timothy was a timid man but he got something that made him amazingly strong when Paul laid his hands on him and got something amazingly powerful that Paul put into him through the apostolic laying on of hands so that Timothy was standing up and starting to lead well but people didn't like that so intimidation was coming back on him and Paul was saying; "Stir up what you received through the laying on of my hands".

Here Philip goes down to Samaria and has the most amazing signs and wonders and miracles - the whole city filled with joy. The cripples and the paralysed were walking - demons coming out - people getting saved! Then the apostles come down and they don't start off with line upon line teaching.

They add MORE to the supernatural by the laying on of hands for the impartation of the Holy Spirit!

Here is Simon the sorcerer who had just got saved through seeing some amazing supernatural phenomeon and he had moved in psychic counterfeit demonic power and in counterfeit miracles and had impressed the village. But when Philip came down he was amazed at the power of God at work and then he sees the apostles come down and apostles lay their hands on the new converts and here is what it says; (v18); "When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of hands, he offered them money and said 'Give me also this ability'". There are many witchdoctors in Africa and some of them are cons but I have met many that are really moving in dark demonic power. I have heard from pretty good witnesss of some who could reverse the flow of a river. Their curses on people would have power. I never knew of any of those witchdoctors that came to us Christians and offered us money so they could have the power that when I lay my hands on people something happens that is so powerful!

Peter said "Your money perish with you - you will die and even if you repent" and he gets heavy on him.

A witchdoctor or a sorcerer is not going to be impressed with hands being laid on people and nothing happening! He MUST have seen SOMETHING. He must have seen the miracles that Philip did but now he is willing to offer money to get the power to lay hands on people and something is given to them!

Today you see people lay their hands on people and pray for the sick and nothing. We must recover what it means to lay hands on people. John G Lake came to South Africa in 1905 and in five years, 500 churches were planted. It is the biggest denomination in South Africa today and sadly some of it has gone into terrible heresy because unfortunately John G Lake didn't build a proper biblical wineskin and that is the sad legacy of the power without a proper wineskin. But in terms of the power - phenomenal power! Signs and wonders and miracles! When he got back to America they hooked him upto machinery and put all kinds of gadgets on him and saw electrical powers on him. He said; "Gentlemen the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is quickening my mortal body with life!".

One day he laid hands on someone who had a massive festering sore and they had to scrape the maggots of it. So he came in and laid hands on that person in one of their healing schools and he prayed these kinds of prayers; "You foul devil of infirmity - I curse you by the authority of heaven - let the lightning flashes of heaven break through and manifest the power of healing in this body!".

The person went off and two days later they got a telegram back from this person from another city. The open wound was completely healed miraculously! But there is a clear imprint burn-mark about 1mm deep and the full imprint of that hand over where that open wound was!

We don't understand! That was someone who knew how to impart something! That may not be what God wants as the norm but we have to raise the level of the miraculous impartation with the laying on of hands. I know that if I can get people to lower their resistance to the anointing and get it right down low then I know that; "Such as I have - I can give". I know that! The great One lives inside of us and in the Kingdom of heaven;

Wealth is not measured so much by what you have but how much you give away.

So in a sense I believe that when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, we ALL have the Spirit without measure! But that doesn't measure our wealth. What measures our wealth is how much we can give away. I love what Peter says; "Such as we HAVE - we GIVE to you". So if we can help lower people's resistance then when we help lay our hands on them - there comes an impartation that is so powerful it can heal any disease. What about unforgiveness and bitterness in their lives? I think we have gone too hard on that and said "People with unforgivness can't get healed". I know of people that got miraclously healed and they still were bitter! It is like God healed them and delivered them of their sins. Some need to confess their sins of bitterness but there is no formula or checklist! "Any unforgivenss or any bitterness in your life?". Then you don't get healed!

The 1st thing I am going for is to lower their resistance on their faith fuse. Because when the power of God comes into people, He can heal them of bitterness as much as He can drive cancer out their body! Some people don't have the power to get free from their bitterness! But when the power of God comes on them it destroys that root of bitterness that is defiling them and heals their body. I know sometimes that bitterness can block the power of God sometimes and be a resistance but I am not wanting to make a type category here. If we can lower their resistance and lay hands on them then great healings can take place.

I learnt this at what we called in Durban a, "New Africa Celebration". We did a protest against apartheid, sang songs about a new South Africa but we also wanted to see a demonstration of God's power. So I preached a message in this big hall with a whole load of unsaved people there and I preached on God's will to heal and God's desire to heal and called people forward. There was such a corporate anointing that I literally ran down this row just slapping people on the head! About 98% of people got flung back like a baseball bat had hit them on the head and it knocked them and the catchers over! I didn't ask them what their sickness was because you see - I don't have faith to open blind eyes or deaf ears or miracles of healing cripples. I HAVE faith to GIVE the power of God! And it makes it so much simpler! That took 30 seconds to run down this row and then an elder came to me with a woman screaming "I can see! I can see" and a totally blind eye had been opened! How long have you been blind? She said "I was born blind in that eye". I said "I am so glad that you didn't tell me that before I prayed for you".

What I am saying is that I had faith to IMPART the power and she had faith to RECEIVE it. The power of God is like a heat seeking missile and it went and did the job.

Another guy came up and said "I can hear! I can hear!". How long have you been deaf? "I was born without an ear drum!". I am so thankful I didn't know that either! Because if I had known about this ear or eye then I would have gone back to my secular university days and literally tried to work out how God was going to put an ear drum in there and how that would happen.

But I developed my faith in "Such as I have" and I laid my hands upon people and I expect power to go into them! And I had prepared them to receive power.

I have found in the last 20 years that if we don't prepare people with faith to receive then we get about 5-10% healed but if we teach the Word of God clearly then they can be raised up to about 80% and higher. Let me give you several things here and then we can close. Here is some of the things that happen when we lay hands on people and we need to raise expectations. I have watched in services and no one is prepared to EXPECT something to happen when hands are laid on. So you see begging and pleading but I don't see Jesus ever (and I could be wrong) begging the Father to heal people or even asking the Father to heal people. What I do see is Him commanding sickness to go and demons of infirmity to go and healing to come. He just commands it! When I see hands laid on and there is begging and pleading I just don't think it looks like the New Testament! Jesus said to His disicples; "Go to a village and tell them that the Kingdom of heaven is touchable and it is reachable and it is at hand and you can change the way you think - then lay hands on the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons". THAT simple! He is training them to prepare people to receive.

I think once we raise this doctrine of the laying on of hands we are going to see manifestations of God! Now I think laying on of hands is one of the lowest levels of the impartation of the supernatural. But I think if we don't get the lowest foundational Hebrews 6 doctrine right then we can't go on to the greater manifestations. We look at Peter laying hands on the cripple at the Gate Beautiful and him walking to 2 chapters later and his shadows heal the sick. I have watched when we have laid hands on a few in a meeting and suddenly the glory of God covers a whole meeting and suddenly you go into a higher level and people are getting healed in their chairs and we can go onto spitting on people's eyes! Waving clothes around! We can just speak and heal them with our words wrapped in the anointing and people get healed 200 meters back in the hall. But if we don't get the laying on of hands then we are not going to get very far.

The more we lay hands on people to impart the power of God the more we will see the corporate manifestation getting stronger.

Kathryn Kuhlman would go and stay in a hotel prior to a meeting and the people on the floor above and below her would get healed spontaneously even though they didn't know that she was in the hotel! I know of one very well documented case of her speaking at a Full Gospel Businessmen's meeting in a great forum and at the end the anointing was so strong on her and they took her out through the kitchen area so she wouldn't have to work her way out through the crowds and so as they escorted her through the kitchen area and these chefs and unsaved people in the kitchen area were falling under the power! Unsaved people just falling under the power! I think we have got to grow in the laying on of hands and then we can grow to higher levels of the greater manifestations.

Nine or ten things that happen with the laying on of hands:

1. There is an impartation of Supernatural Life.

We become supercharged with the life and vitality of almighty God. For some people it is like the divine defibrillators at work bringing them back to life! That is a heartbeat! Why can't we use a 10v battery? No some people need 10 000 volts to bring a revival into another level of the glory of God!

2. There is an impartation of a gift that makes us strong (Romans 11).

3. Vision can come.

There are five levels of vision and the highest is open vision in front of your very eyes and you can see things happening! I have had a few of those and mostly to do with my children. They used to get so angry! Both my sons got saved properly in their late teens! They were upto all kinds of nonsense although they are all serving God now. My son is a leader with us in Hong Kong and my daughter is a worship leader and my oldest son is serving God in Australia. They would try and get upto all kinds of naughty things. I would be at home worshipping and I would see a vision of my son Ryan and he is meant to be at school. And I would see him standing under a post smoking a cigaratte. So I would come home and Ryan would be there and I would say; "Ryan where were you this morning?" and he said; "Oh Dad I was at school". "No you weren't - you were standing up that post with a cigarette!". He said; "That's not fair - why does God tell on us! Why can't we get away with it!?". I said "Because He loves you and so do I!".

When you lay hands on some people they have instant vision. Revelations of God's plans and purposes for your life! An inward quiet impression is just as powerful as an open vision. Some of the most dramatic breakthroughs I have had, have not been with open vision but with quiet vision! Vision comes through the laying on of hands! People get caught up into the heavenly realm. I don't understand that - that has never happened to me but I have laid hands on people and mainly teenagers have seen the throne room! This is an amazing thing that ten to fifteen years later their lives are still changed. They saw something! I loved what Dave Holden said yesterday - don't try to catch the youth up with a whole load of entertainment to get them related to the church! They are so ready for the supernatural, the young people! When I first went to Australia, all the young people sat at the back cutting up the benches and talking to the girls. These were the youth! Within several months of releasing the power of God they were all near the front and all on the front rows turned unto God. They got under the defibrillator and said "God is real".

Trances are not just New Age - trances are also biblical. The devil is not a creator but a counterfeiter. We have so overreacted to the counterfeit that we withdraw from the genuine. I think it is Acts chapter 10 verse 10 and Peter fell into a trance! He saw things and it opened up the gospel in a wonderful way into Cornelius's home. How many of you have heard of Maria Woodworth-Etter? Amazing ministry. She was standing preaching in the United States and made a point and fell into a trance and was like that for 3 days. It was like her bodily functions were suspended. She stepped over into the realm of the glory. For 3 days! And after that she carried on with the end of her sentance and wondered why the crowd had grown! They reckoned that tens of thousands had come in those 3 days to come and see this lady frozen - a sign and a wonder and they felt the Presence of God was so sacred that they fell to their knees and repented and they reckoned that for a 100 mile radius the glory of God radiated around that whole region.

Many religious traditions would say; "That's demonic". We are so quick to label everything as demonic. It is easy to pick up when it is demonic! When it is demonic it draws attention to the fact that it is the flesh, it is irritating. When it is the glory of God it edifies you and makes you wonder. When God comes in signs and wonders - it is a wonder! What is the point? People realise God is real and it is sacred!

4. Healing both physical and emotions.

5. Darkness is removed.

Demonic presence is driven out and great peace and clarity comes. Because there were extremes in the deliverance ministry many years ago we kind of backed off casting out demons. I don't believe that any individual has a deliverance ministry. I would never categorise myself as that - I believe that ALL believers are to cast out demons. Soon as you classify yourself as having a deliverance ministry the devil says "Great I will send thousands of demonised people that don't want to be delivered to your house and destroy you and burn you out!". Your identity is not in casting demons out but in God's grace. We just cast demons out as a normal way of life! It is just the Kingdom of heaven breaking in!

6. Visitations of Jesus - intimacy, closeness with Jesus.

He becomes so real and His love becomes so real and it carries over into daily living. Many people live for the rest of their life carried by the wonder of that encounter of how real Jesus was.

7. Callings and Commissionings.

God first calls you and then He prepares you over days and weeks and months or even years and then He suddenly commissions you and activates the calling and from that moment we walk in the authority and anointing of that calling through the laying on of hands.

I don't believe someone can actually function properly as an elder unless apostles lay hands upon them - there is a missing ingredient.

8. Conferring Blessings.

"The rod of instruction drives out foolishness from the child". We never want to smack our children with our hands. I know that is a bit controversial issue today biut it says spare the rod and spoil the child. So we would never use our hands to smack our children but a rod.

Hands are not to punish - hands are to bless with. Hands are for conferring blessing, success, favour, promotion, prosperity and peace - all transferred by the laying on of hands.

9. Ordaining Leaders.

10. You bring relief and an impartation of rest.

It brings a relief from striving that can build up internally over days and even years. Often this pressure does not come out until the anointing accesses those areas like a safety valve being opened.

11. The Personality of the Holy Spirit rubs off on you.

(Galatians 5:22).

The laying on of hands is not an immunisation. It doesn't guarantee you against challenges. But it sure is a powerful doctrine of the Bible that God wants to elevate to a whole new level of faith.

Jerry Bridges Compares Grace and Law!

I'm home alone at my parents while they are at church and dinner is all on the go. With everything under control I prowled around a bit bored and saw a book by Jerry Bridges called; "Transforming Grace - Living Confidently in God's Unfailing Love". I must admit rather shamefully I have steered clear of Jerry Bridges in past years being rather suspicious of his close proximity to S.G.M. But having nothing else to read I skimmed through it and found an interesting comparison that he did between; "The Old Way of the Law" and the "New Way of the Spirit".

I think it's very helpful for clarity. Here's what he said;

Old Way of Law - External Code:

The moral precepts of God are only an external code of conduct. The law commands obedience but provides no inclination or desire to obey.

New Way of Spirit - Internal Desire:

The moral precepts of God are written on our hearts as well as being an external code. The Spirit inclines our hearts and gives us a desire to obey.

Old Way of Law - Commanding:

The law commands but gives no enabling power for obedience.

New Way of Spirit - Enabling:

The Spirit enables us to obey the law's commands.

Old Way of Law - Hostility:

Because of our hostility to God's law before our conversion, the commands of the law actually provoked and incited us to sin.

New Way of Spirit - Delight:

The Spirit by removing our hostility and writing the law on our hearts, actually causes us to delight in God's law.

Old Way of Law - Fear:

The law produces a legalistic response to God. We try to obey because of a fear of punishment for disobedience or in order to win favour with God.

New Way of Spirit - Gratitude:

The Spirit, by showing us God's grace, produces a response of love and gratitude. We obey not out of fear or to earn favour but out of gratitude for favour ALREADY given!

Old Way of Law - Working:

Under the Law we perform in order to be accepted by God. Since our performance is always imperfect, we never feel completely accepted by Him. Thus in our Christian life, we always work from a position of weakness. We work to be accepted, but feel we never quite make it.

New Way of Spirit - Relying:

The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are accepted by God through the merit of Christ. By relying solely on His perfect righteousness we feel accepted by Him. Thus in our Christian life, we work from a position of strength because we have been accepted through Jesus and through Him, we have "made it".

In reading this I see absolutely no place where there would be much conflict between what Bridges is saying and what Rob Rufus is teaching. It's all there! But again and again over the past week I've read blogs by Christians, I've heard teaching by Christians that persistantly mixes law with grace. What particularly bothers me is the "sin conciousness" that is so present and so dangerous. Christians are testifying as to what a failure they feel before God and it is often applauded as "humility" when in reality it is pride and indeed somewhat blasphemous to the Cross. We need to stop talking and focusing on "us" and start talking and focusing on "Him" and what He has done for us and what that qualifies us to do for Him!

To Chop off or Not to Chop Off?

Sorry everyone - but I want to get something off my chest. It's been slowly accumulating for a while now and the problem is that I've heard what I am persuaded is an utterly convincing answer set in New Covenant context. And I've also heard two heroes of mine in the faith use this text wrongly I fear. So I wanted to sound off - throw my unhappiness out there and see if any revelation comes back that can balance the two points of view. Does that sound rather confusing? Well I've just driven about 350 miles in two days so I am a bit tired and grumpy! Let me clarify.

1. The 'Problem' Text.

Of course there are no "problem" texts - I know that! The problem is us! But here it is (Matthew 18:8-9);

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell".

Obviously this is Jesus talking.

2. What 'They' Say about it.

So the first hero that I heard use this text was Terry Virgo when Scott and I visited CCK earlier in the month. Now I fully admit that he didn't say; "Go out and do likewise". But he also didn't explicitly say that Jesus was not advocating this practice in the New Covenant. He said;

"Jesus is looking for ruthlessness. He calls for a radical commitment! Loving but truly revolutionary! We are saying "Jesus whatever you say".

And then went onto use Matthew 18 as an example of that radicalness.

John Piper also used this text. He was speaking in the panel discussion at the "Sex and Supremacy of Christ" conference back in 2004. And he said this;

"Jesus used things like 'Cut off your hand and gouge out your eye' ... but because if you have a good heart you will have the guts to gouge out your eye. We are in war here and tactics to manage your television tonight will either be fruitful or not fruitful".

Now hear me out. I think I can understand what both Piper and Virgo were saying and were trying to do. They were urging and encouraging a radicalness and an approach towards holy living that is no compromise. But why are they using that verse as a mark of that radicalness?

The other use of this verse was when I was in the SGM church. It was in my final meeting with the church pastor and elder and they were doggedly insisting that they "suspected" I was living in sin. I kept on insisting that I had never confessed to such sin and they had no proof of such sin. At that point the church pastor used another saying of Jesus which again I believe is totally out of context. He said; "Oh yere but Jesus said if you even look at another man with lust in your heart then you have committed adultery". I didn't like to point out that actually it said "another WOMAN". But he went on to say "the Bible says if your hand causes you to sin then you must cut it off or if your eye causes you to sin then you must gouge it out".

Let me be candid - I don't see either John Piper or Terry Virgo or SGM pastors missing arms or legs or eyes. So therefore logically we are left with three conclusions. Either their arms, legs and eyes do not cause them to sin. Or the parts of their bodies that they removed are covered by clothes and we cannot see the abscence of said parts. Or thirdly they are being disobedient to what Jesus said and they are not practicing what they preached.

Let me also say that I am not by any means trying to be disobedient to Scripture and distort it as some Lesbian/Gay Christians do. I fully accept and agree that these verses are clear in the Bible. But I was distressed and upset to listen to Al Mohler's lecture - "Homosexual Marriage - A Tragic Oxymoron" - recently at the "Sex and Supremacy of Christ conference" hosted by John Piper. I wanted to listen to it to see if he had anything useful to say to the gay community - for which I have such a heart for. Some of what he said was good. He urged Christians to;

"Love homosexuals more than homosexuals love homsexuality".

Would that happened! In the three churches I have been in so far in my life if you confess you struggled with homosexuality they usually tended to turn pale and run away. But Mohler disappointed me. I hear C J Mahaney and SGM-ers wax lyrical about what an amazing scholar of the Word he is. Yet he did a very cliche Christian thing and quoted all the texts against homosexuality without making it clear that it comes set in a list of all other sins. One such text he used was 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Yes indeed it does say that homsexuals will not inherit the "kingdom of God" (although I'm not sure that means they won't go to heaven if they are truly born again).

But it ALSO says that fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will either inherit the kingdom of God. So am I expected to believe that ALL Christians have been sexually pure? That ALL Christians have NEVER looked at someone other than their wife with lust in their hearts? That ALL Christians men have ALWAYS been butch and macho - loving sports?! That ALL Christian men have never stolen a bit of extra tax where possible or the odd hour on a timesheet? That ALL Christians have never looked at someone else's possession with desire? That ALL Christians have NEVER got drunk? That ALL Christians have never used a swear word?

I know some may say I am being petty. But these are the neighbors of homosexuality. And if we are going down for having a same sex attraction then so are those pointing the finger. That is the beauty of the Law! It is a "composite whole". And frankly - if any Christians trying to live under law have done any of the above then you have as good as committed homosexual sin as well. What I am trying to say is that it is time that homosexuality stopped being exalted to a position that it does not deserve.

It isn't a "superior" or "worst" sin than any of the others because if it was then Jesus would have had to have done something more than simply dying on the Cross. But He didn't! He stretched out His arms and said; "It is finished!". God didn't add any extra repenting that homosexuals have to do post-conversion. He simply said "Repent and believe!". There's an interesting discussion going on at "Grace Revolution" where someone asked "Will practicing homosexuals go to heaven?". I felt God saying the issue is not "will practicing homosexuals go to heaven?" but rather "will practicing SINNERS go to heaven?". Because if you die on your deathbed a consistently proud and arrogant man who really believes deep down you are better than everyone else even though you constantly admit it and tell everyone you are doing "better than you deserve" then are you any better than the practicing homosexual who can't "mortify the flesh"?

I am digressing ...

3. What I tried to Do.

Why do I care so much about this? Because to me it isn't just a cerebral matter. I shared my testimony a while back and I actually tried to do what Jesus said in this passage. My apologies to the squeamish here! A part of my body was causing me to sin and I couldn't seem to control myself and I tried all sorts of ways to "mortify the flesh". I tried prayer, fasting, exorcism, I tried going to a Christian celibate group (which ended disasterously) and running out of options I couldn't see any other option than what Jesus said here.

I wussed out but I still bear the scars and got referred to psychiatric services from my G.P for my troubles!

My point is this. Does that make me a better Christian for at least trying? Or am I more of a failure for not having the guts (as Piper and Virgo both said) to actually do it? What really worries me is that some Christians may just get desperate enough to begin cutting and plucking. And then when they are done, they will find that their mind causes them to sin quite easily enough without arms or eyes. And then being panicked by the Scripture that says; "I say to you if you look at another woman with lust then you have committed adultery in your heart". The only option then is suicide.

4. Maybe There is Another Answer?

Rob Rufus showed me for the first time in 30 years of sitting under so-called "Word ministry" another way to view how Jesus was preaching and teaching. When he was speaking at the Newfrontiers conference in Europe with Dave Holden, he said this;

"Now I believe in living a holy life. But as soon as you focus God's people on trying to live upto something higher, you are no longer preaching the New Covenant - you are preaching the Old Covenant. When Jesus Christ said; "It was said you shall not commit adultery but I say if you even look at something with desire you have committed adultery". People say; "See He was preaching the highest standard of the New Covenant". He was preaching the New Covenant! He was preaching the true spirituality of the law of Moses. If you believe that is the highest standard. He was preaching the New Covenant - to be honest and consisten with that belief - you must pluck your eye out, cut your hand off next time you sin with it!

He taught that too! He was preaching to the bigoted, arrogant Pharisees. You think you can be ready for the New Covenant by your law keeping? The standard of the law is so high that you have no hope but to turn to grace! You need the New Covenant! You had no miracles for 300 years between covenants. The God of miracles doesn't work through your law-keeping anymore. You have got to wait for an angel to come and stir the waters to get healed. There is a reason why this message sounds so radical to some people.

It is because we have had centuries of mixing Old Covenant and New Covenant. It is a confusing cocktail that cripples the Church with condemnation and throws a sack of hopelessness over God's people and suffocates faith".

Jesus was trying to show the Pharisees that even their attempts to keep the Old Covenant law wasn't enough. There is only one option! There is only one answer! And it is the best answer of all. That we begin believing a total message of grace. That we begin believing that God isn't mad with us anymore and that the war is over! That we begin believing "It is finished!" really means just that - it is finished! And that we begin believing that the more sin conciousness we have, the more we are going to struggle living upto a standard we simply cannot. But once we begin to relax and enjoy the benefits of our inheritance then we will see holiness begin to come so easily.

PS: I suspect that others are out there who are also crippled by condemnation and have resorted to mutiliating your body through self-harm to try and "be holy". I just wanted to share that I know what you are going through and what you have tried to do. If I can be of any help at all, please do email me. I would be glad to chat.

Taking Away the Veil!

I don't normally publish Rob Rufus's transcripts both here and on the "Rob Rufus blog" unless I can't resist. This was one of those I couldn't resist. All week I have been struggling with the fact that I can't go to Hong Kong and have been in a tension between passively accepting "it is God's will" and furiously rejecting it. Which I am and I do. Scott was coming with me this year to Hong Kong and he had faith to believe that he would be healed of a life-long skin problem he has had. Last "Glory and Grace" I saw in the heavens a new suit of skin that I know that I know heaven has got for him. So I refuse to accept it was God's will that "this wasn't the time". We WERE meant to be there. I know God will cause all things to come together for good - no doubt! But I want to learn from my unbelief in this - still wearily refusing to accept that God's passion is to bless me. And I want sanctified revenge on the devil for his part in this by publishing more of the gospel and message of grace than EVER before!

So this sermon wasn't actually the main sermon preached on Sunday 28th September! But it was probably the most helpful and shocking insight I have had (yet) into the problem with my life as a Christian and the church in general. I've been meaning to get to it for ages because I noticed that Chris Welch recommended it on his blog. Now I see why!

Here it is;

"Open your Bible to Isaiah 25. I want to share two Scriptures and then we are going to praise and worship. I feel like God has got something so special for us today and I am very excited about what He is going to do with us today. Isaiah 25.

Isaiah was one of the greatest prophets who could see the New Covenant coming. He announced in advance that the New Covenant was coming.

About five years ago while living in Australia I went for a few days away on my own to pray. While I was praying I had a open vision and I saw a terrible veil - a cloud of oppressive darkness over much of the church world. I said; "Lord what is that?". And He said; "That is the cloud of unbelief that is oppressing My people. My people do not understand the clear difference between the covenant of law and the covenant of grace so they have a veil of condemnation and curse over them and it is a spirit of witchcraft that robs Christians of happiness and joy and the miraculous". I began to say; "Lord - how do we get that veil off?". He said; "I will show you". I didn't understand then.

But when I got to Hong Kong it showed me it was by teaching the message of grace - because that is the only thing that can get the veil off as we turn to the Holy Spirit. This morning He began to speak to me suddenly and He said; "I am going to lift the veil off people's minds in this service this morning. Last week I lifted the veil off this church and then the enemy tried to come and superimpose it back again. He thinks if he keeps going then we will get confused and think we cannot get free and just have to accept living at this level of faith and freedom and joy". So He said; "This morning I am going to lift the veil off and I want you to read Isaiah 25 and 2 Corinthians 3 - briefly explain to the people and then everyone prophetically turn to the Holy Spirit and trust Him and you will see this veil be completely lifted off us as a people today! We will come into such freedom!".

So I said; "Lord I don't doing stupid things because sometimes you have to do the ridiculous in order to see the miraculous. But I would like some confirmation that you want me to do this because I want to do this with faith and not as a ritual". I am jealous for the 2 hours we have got and I hate wasting one minute on anything that is dead ground and doesn't produce supernatural momentum in the service. So I asked; "Lord would you confirm this by someone praying or prophesying in the prayer meeting". This morning Ryan began praying about a veil coming off and "I don't know why but the Lord is saying a veil is coming off" and he went into that in some detail!

So great - here we are! So Isaiah is a prophet who speaks a lot about the wrath and the anger and judgement of God coming on the nations. But then he looks through the corridors of time and begins to see a suffering Messiah on the Cross and he said God was looking for an intercessor - someone to stand in the gap so that God would not have to judge the nations. Then he goes on and says that God has found an intercessor - someone to stand in the gap and in Isaiah 53 he said that the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed. He took our iniquities and He carried away our transgressions on our behalf! Then Isaiah begins to prophesy that God will bring a covenant of peace and He will not judge the nations but will bring salvation to the nations of the earth. So now he is talking about a veil over the whole world and a mountain called Mount Zion which is a little hill in Jerusalem where David set up his tent so that they could come into the Presence of God and they didn't go down to the Tabernacle of Moses with all the sacrifices and blood of bulls and goats. Only Jewish people could go into Moses's Tabernacle and it was racialistic and exclusive and it was ALL by earning and deserving.

David came back with the glory Presence in the Ark and God said "Don't put it behind the veil in the Tent of Moses but put it on the Mountain called Mt Zion and everyone can come in - Gentiles and Jews will pour in with no hierarchy and everyone can come into the Presence of God! Just by worshipping and praising and through grace alone!". In Acts 15 when the Gospel has come out and it is the New Covenant and Gentiles are getting saved and it begins a big controversy in Jerusalem - Paul and Barnabus have to go down and speak to the apostles in Jerusalem. They say; "People are trying to put the Gentile converts under the law and some in the Jerusalem church are agreeing that we should put them under the law!". Peter gets up and says that is hypocrisy and our hearts are purified by grace and we cannot live under that bondage of the law. Our forefathers couldn't carry that yoke so don't you put that hypocrisy on the Gentiles! God set us free from the law! Paul and Barnabus get up and say; "We preached the message of grace to the Gentiles and the glory of God came on them!". Peter went to Cornelius's home and preached grace not law and the fire of God fell on the Gentiles and they all got saved and all got included into salvation freely and pouring into the Kingdom!

So James says that the end of the argument was a quote from Amos 9; "In the last days God says I will restore David's fallen tent and the Gentiles will pour in!". It is a tent not of ritual and law and qualifying yourself but it is easy, quick and immediate access into the Presence of God! That was in a tent on Mount Zion but now God wants the church to become the new temple of David restored where there is no law and grace is our access into the Presence of God!

He is talking about a mountain and this is Mount Zion! Hebrews 13 - the church of the first born! Isaiah 25:6;

"On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples". It is no longer exclusive to Israel. "A banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain ..." - that is Mount Zion. "... He will destroy the shroud ..." - that is a veil of death from being under the law. "... that enfolds all people's". That is that vision I saw in Australia five years ago. "The sheet that covers all nations - He will swallow up death forever". The law is a ministry of death - 2 Corinthians 7 says. "He will swallow up death forever. The sovereign Lord will wipe away tears from all face and He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken - surely they will say; 'This is our God, we trusted in Him and He saved us! Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation!".

Now go to 2 Corinthians 3 and I will show you how this shroud comes off. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Paul makes it very clear from verse 7 that the Old Covenant - the covenant of law had a fading glory; "... will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness" - that is the free gift of righteousness we spoke about last week - "for what was glorious is of no glory, now in comparison with the surpassing glory and what was fading away came with glory how much greater is the glory that lasts?". How many of you want a goodness of the glory of God on your life that lasts and doesn't fade? You have to get rid of the veil! Because if you live under the veil then you have temporary experiences of the goodness of God and then it fades because you have a law-thinking mentality trying to earn it and deserve it!=

How many want to get rid of the veil off your mind? This is how it's done! (v12);

"Therefore since we have such a hope we are very bold - we are not like Moses who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away but their minds were made dull for to this day - the same veil remains when the Old Covenant is read. It is not been removed for only in Christ is it taken away - even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts but wherever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away!".

When he says "Lord", he is speaking about the Holy Spirit because the next verse will say; "The Spirit of freedom" or the "Spirit of liberty".

So whenever anyone turns to the Holy Spirit the veil is taken away by the power of the Holy Spirit!

(v17); "The Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is ... there is FREEDOM! We all with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit". There is no fading glory in the New Covenant! It is meant to be ever-increasing and unfading glory! We have boldness to believe that we are the righteousness of God and that we are not under the law or condemnation! But much of the church is under that veil because you can see unfading glory and joy and victory and triumph and confidence before God is NOT there in most of the Church! People take 2 hours to get warmed up to feel half happy and then by next week they are dead again and unhappy again because they are living under a veil! So they wake up and think they will pray for 2 hours every morning or every afternoon - and praise God for praying 2 hours every morning if you can! I bless you for that! But friends, they pray for 2 hours and that is not what makes you happy! If you pray for 2 hours under a veil then you feel you should have prayed for 3 hours! And you will still feel you didn't do enough! If you are under a veil then this is the glory of the Old Covenant and the law! The law is God's view and opinion of you through the scrutiny and the judgment of the Law! So whenever He sees you through the law He sees all your faults and He has got to judge you and withdraw His goodness from you. His glory is His goodness!

But the New Covenant - when you are no longer under the veil and your mind is turned to the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of truth has led you into truth - because Jesus said in John 16 that there were many things He would like to tell them but they couldn't bear them now but when the Spirit comes He will "guide you into all truth" - in other words these Jewish boys had centuries of legalism and if He told them how good the New Covenant was, they would argue and wouldn't believe it! But when the Spirit of truth comes and fills you, you will be able to bear the most radical and extreme good news and you will embrace it and it won't freak you out - you will embrace it and say "That's for me!" because the veil is gone!

See we have been brainwashed - look at a guy like Peter! He is on a rooftop and we don't go the Gentiles! It is a Mosaic covenant and it is inclusive! Not David! He sees a veil come down and animals in it that Jews are not allowed to eat under the law. The living God who wrote the Law speaks to Peter and says "Eat" and Peter lectures the LORD on how irresponsible and how unrighteous He is! Three times Peter says to the Lord; "No Lord! It is unclean food!".

Something has gone seriously wrong with a person's head when they are holier than God and refusing God's liberation from law and all kinds of ceremonies!

Then God says to Peter; "Do not call unclean that which I have called clean".

Do not call YOURSELF unclean when the blood of Jesus and the righteousness of God has made you CLEAN FOREVER!

Then the door knocks and there is Cornelius - a Gentile! And he goes under the roof of a Gentile which no God-fearing Jew should do! A non-covenant man! He says; "I am not even meant to be here but revelation came to him! The Holy Spirit enabled him to bear the awesome change of the New Covenant!". The disciples couldn't bear what Jesus had to say but when they turned to the Spirit the veil is removed! There is freedom and David's fallen tent has been restored in the earth!

The missionary model has failed! We went over there and taught them to eat with knives and forks and taught them about our legalism and exported our legalistic religious systems! The Muslims don't need a new religious system! They have got one already! The Holy Spirit is moving into the Muslim world, into the gay world and He is falling on the Gentiles because David's tent is being restored in the nations again and the veil is being taken away and religion is OVER!

The veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies has split from top to bottom when Jesus said on the Cross; "It is finished!". The glory of the Old Covenant is God's view and opinion of you - looking at you through the scrutiny of the law. Fading glory! Judgment! Wrath! Curse and judgment on you! The glory of the New Covenant is God's opinion of you only through grace - that you are the righteousness of God! Therefore His glory never fades! His goodness never needs to fade! If you get up for the next 3 weeks with just enough time to go to work and you don't pray and you don't read the Bible and witness and don't do anything and just get up and say "Father I thank You that it is David's restored tent and no rituals - I am as welcome as the man that prayed 10 hours that day!". You are as welcome as Jesus is welcome because you have a co-equal righteousness with Christ for you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!

People have made the most joyful thing a law! "You have to pray!". As soon as that comes on you it is law and it is bondage! There is no life! "You had better read your Bible, better give, better witness!". No no no! You don't have to do one single thing! Jesus has done it all! He measured up for you! When you turn to the Holy Spirit the veil is taken away and the power of God comes on you and now you LOVE praying and reading the Bible and being in church but it's not because you have to! There is a whole different dynamic! How many of you want that veil taken away?! Just ripped to shreds today?! Isaiah 25 says there is coming a day on this mountain - Mount Zion - David's fallen tent being restored and the Gentiles pouring in!

THOUSANDS wanted to be around Jesus - except the Pharisees! The Pharisees wanted to be there to catch Jesus out and prove His doctrine was wrong! Thousands of the worst sinners under the sun - tax collectors, prostitutes by the thousands gathered to Him! Not to the Pharisees but to Jesus! Have you noticed in Hong Kong that thousands of sinners and prostitutes and tax collectors are NOT flocking to the church? They flocked to Jesus!

There is so much legalism in the church that we have got an inner measuring rod in our conscience that judges ourselves with condemnation and when a sinner sits with us, they feel (even if we don't judge them with our mouths) the effect of that measuring rod on the inside of us disapproving of them and looking down on them when we have got nothing to do with being made righteous, nothing to do with what qualifies us to be holy - it has ALL been by grace and we have no basis to judge and our access into the Presence of God is NOT by the Tabernacle of Moses but by the restored fallen tent of David!

How will you and I know that David's fallen tent has been restored in Hong Kong? Or anywhere on the earth? According to Acts 15 and Amos 9 - we will know that the fallen tent of David has been restored when the Gentiles and all nations come pouring in!

For when David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant back - the Presence of God - he was going to take it to Moses Tabernacle but in Chronicles God told him to take it to Mt Zion in an open tent so that everyone had access to the Presence of God! They got it wrong so the Presence stayed in Obed-Edom's home for 3 months. Who was Obed-Edom? Was he a covenant Jew? No he was a Philistine! He was a pagan and a heathen but when he got round the Presence of God then the love of God touched a Gentile and manifested blessing over his home for 3 months! David said what's going on? David wasn't a pure Jew! His great grandmother was a prostitute Gentile! And David began to understand that this racial exclusivness under law is going to cause the nations to go to hell! So God said don't put it back in Moses Tabernacle but in a tent where everyone can come! And Gentiles flocked in! And Obed-Edom brought 60 of his family to be doorkeepers to be in David's tent! Which means that these Philistines realised that the Presence of God is not something to run from or feel condemned by but the Presence of God is something to run after and run into so they all volunteered to be doorkeepers! They would have been killed if they had tried the same thing in the tent of Moses!

How will I know that the prophecy of Amos 9 is being fulfilled in the earth? When all over the earth tens of thousands of homosexuals and lesbians and Muslims and fundamentalist Hinduis and atheists and all the so-called worst of the worse - will FLOCK to where the Presence of God is! THAT is when we will know that David's fallen tent has been established in the earth and has been fully recovered again because veil has been taken away!

Peter saw a veil come down and when God spoke to them with the Spirit of truth they went to the Gentiles and when they went to the Gentiles home, the fire of God broke out and they were saved WHILE Peter was still speaking! God said "THIS is David's tent being fully restored!".

How do I know when David's fallen tent has been fully restored in City Church International? When I saw Philippino's and Chinese and Asians and Indians and Europeans pouring in here and those who don't know who God is are coming in because WE have turned to the Holy Spirit and are DONE with silly self-centred me religion and for me to have a nice service - no we want the veil off this whole church so thousands will pour in!

1970's and 80's Charismatic Resources

I remember one of the first times that Pete Day and I visited my favourite bookshop in London -Geneva Books - I was fascinated to talk to the gentleman who owns it. He is elderly but has a wealth of experience and I usually end up talking to him as much as I do sorting through the treasure trove of books for treasures! For those who haven't heard me mention this bookshop before, it is the largest collection of Reformed and evangelical books in the UK I believe and the cheapest!

But in one comment the owner mentioned that he had a past in the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement and had built up a considerable private collection of books that (regretfully) weren't for sale and he kept in a private bedroom somewhere in the large house. You can imagine I wished for a moment I was invisible and could go and have a peek!

Well ... recently I have thrillingly re-acquainted myself with my childhood friend J-D Laurence who is training for the ministry in Bristol. We exchanged a number of emails and most of them centrered around our interest in our charismatic heritage. J-D and myself are in a rather unique position in terms of being able to remember when our home church was charismatic and moving in things of the Spirit but also to be able to remember the transition from that. Many younger than us don't remember anything. And many older than us are uncomfortable discussing it.

So I to put together all my books, tapes and magazines that I have on the Charismatic Movement and make a page of resources that I primarily can take down to Bristol when I meet J-D but also keep for interest sake.

Books;

"Pre-Dales Bible Week 1977 Conference - Question and Answer Session" - Ern Baxter, Arthur Wallis and Bryn Jones - personally transcribed.

"Dales Bible Week 1977 Ministry - Binding the Strongman" - Dr Ern Baxter - personally transcribed

"God's World Purpose" - Dr Ern Baxter

"Secular Humanism - Man Striving to Be God" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"Thy Kingdom Come" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"Life on Wings" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The Measure of Faith" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"I Almost Died!" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The Beginnings of Church Life" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The Beginnings of Christian Life" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"The King, the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"God's Agenda" - Dr Ern Baxter.

"Vintage Years - New Wine Articles (1969-1979)" - Dr Ern Baxter, Charles Simpson, Don Basham, Derek Prince and Bob Mumford.

"No Well Worn Paths" - Terry Virgo

"From Refreshing to Revival" - Terry Virgo, David Holden and John Hosier

"Receiving the Holy Spirit and His Gifts" - Terry Virgo

"Does the Future Have a Church?" - Terry Virgo

"Restoration in the Church" - Terry Virgo

"The Tide is Turning" - Terry Virgo

"Divided We Stand?" - Gerald Coates

"What on Earth is This Kingdom?"- Gerald Coates

"An Intelligent Fire" - Gerald Coates

"Worship - a Heart for God?" - Bryn Jones

"The Radical Church - Restoring the Apostolic Edge" - Bryn Jones

"Revive Us Again!" - Bryn Jones, Terry Virgo, Arthur Wallis, David Mansell et al

"Restoring the Kingdom" - Dr Andrew Walker

"Apostolic Networks in Britain - New Ways of Being Church" - William K Kay

"House Churches - Will They Survive?" - John Noble

"These are Not Drunken as Ye Suppose" - Howard Ervin

"The Pentecostal Reality" - J Rodman Williams

"Renewal Theology - 3 Volumes" - J Rodman Williams

"Prophecy" - Bruce Yocum

"To the Praise of His Glory" - David Fellingham

"Christ's Radiant Church" - John Hosier

Magazines:

1. New Wine Magazine

New Wine Magazine - June 1969 - "New Wine in New Wineskins".

New Wine Magazine - October 1969 - "Empty Tomb - Jerusalem".

New Wine Magazine - November 1969 - "A Body Thou Hast Prepared".

New Wine Magazine - December 1969 - "Baptism".

New Wine Magazine - January 1970 - "Christian Television".

New Wine Magazine - January 1971 - "A Highway for the Lord".

New Wine Magazine - January 1974 - "Morals and Ethics".

New Wine Magazine - February 1974 - "Unity".

New Wine Magazine - November 1974 - "The Holy Spirit".

New Wine Magazine - January 1975 - "And He Shall Reign".

New Wine Magazine - February 1975 - "Deception".

New Wine Magazine - March 1975 - "Holiness".

New Wine Magazine - April 1975 - "Prayer".

New Wine Magazine - September 1975 - "Becoming a Servant".

New Wine Magazine - October 1975 - "The Restoration of Manhood".

New Wine Magazine - January 1976 - "Grace".

New Wine Magazine - February 1976 - "The Body of Christ".

New Wine Magazine - June 1976 - "Yielding to Change".

New Wine Magazine - July/August 1976 - "Evangelism; Personal and Global".

New Wine Magazine - October 1976 - "Unforgiveness".

New Wine Magazine - December 1976 - "Christmas".

New Wine Magazine - January 1977 - "Prophecy".

New Wine Magazine - March 1977 - "Binding the Strongman".

New Wine Magazine - July/August 1977 - "Kansas City Conference".

New Wine Magazine - September 1977 - "Overcoming Rejection".

New Wine Magazine - October 1977 - "Jesus Exalted" - Conference Transcripts.

New Wine Magazine - January 1978 - "Balancing the Goodness and the Severity of God".

New Wine Magazine - February 1978 - "Embracing Suffering".

New Wine Magazine - March 1978 - "Overcoming Fear".

New Wine Magazine - December 1978 - "Fruit".

New Wine Magazine - February 1979 - "Secular Humanism - Part 1".

New Wine Magazine - March 1979 - "Secular Humanism - Part 2".

New Wine Magazine - January 1980 - "Preparing for the 80's".

"New Wine Magazines - Ern Baxter Articles" - Collated Articles by Ern Baxter from New Wine Magazines - 1975+ - Personally Collated.

2. Restoration Magazines.

DVD's and Videos

"Rumours of Revival" - Interviews with Stanley Jebb, R T Kendall, Terry Virgo and Bryn Jones

"Derek Prince - the Man Behind the Ministry" - DPM

"In Depth with Terry Virgo" - God TV

"The Story So Far" - Terry Virgo Ministry Video at Stoneleigh Bible Week 1998

Audio Tapes

Although I have a large number of particularly ministry tapes by Ern Baxter and by Terry Virgo and by Stanley Jebb I have selected the tapes which give particular insight or teaching into the Charismatic Movement and the era of the 1970s and 80s.

Dr Ern Baxter

1. “The King and His Army” Series from the Lakes Bible Week 1975.

Note: This was the series of sermons referred to by Terry Virgo at Brighton 2004.

- The Head and Shoulders Man.

- The Decline and Death of the Head and Shoulders Man.

- Transition from One King to Another.

- The Army.- From Hebron to Zion!

2. “Where Are We Going?” Series from the Dales Bible Week 1976.

- Session 1 – “A Crisis Beginning”.

- Session 2.

- Session 3 – “Miraculous Living”.

- Session 4.

- Session 5.

- Session 6.

- Session 7 – “The Land, Located and Described”.

- Session 8.- Session 9 – “The Kadesh Crisis”.

3. “The Priestly Clothing” Series from the Anglia Bible Week 1983.

- Session 1 – “A Kingdom of Priests”.

- Session 2 – “The Linen Breeches”.

- Session 3 – “The Coat of Fine Linen”.

- Session 4 – “The Robe of the Ephod”.

- Session 5 – “The Ephod”.

- Session 6 – “Strange Fire”.

Terry Virgo

"The Story so Far" - Stoneleigh Bible Week 1998

"David and Saul - Part 1" - Brighton Leaders Conference 2004

"David and Saul - Part 2" - Brighton Leaders Conference 2004

Dr Stanley Jebb

I should note Dr Jebb has publicly changed his opinions on the majority of the content in the tapes below. However there are still remarkable insights into the Word of God and stellar Bible teaching which is why I have them.

"Reformed Doctrine and Charismatic Experience" - Life in the Spirit Conference 1987

"Charismatic Experience in a Reformed Church" - Life in the Spirit Conference 1985

"Ephesians 4 Ministries" - Life in the Spirit Conference 1986

So there they all are. Maybe not as big a collection as this mysterious one housed in London at Geneva Books but certainly some of my favourite and well-read. They keep reminding me that my childhood memories of my parents standing with arms raised worshipping God in Spirit and truth was not a dream. They remind me that hearing other church members bringing strange sounding prophecies and tongues was not heresy but was actually sowing seeds of a desire and a hunger for authentic New Testament church. They remind me that was indeed a season of refreshing from God - not to go back to and stagnate but to pass by and exceed seeking to do the works Jesus did and greater works also!

Law or Spirit?

I read this on the CCK blog written by the wonderful Joel Virgo (who I note is joining the speaking team at "Together on a Mission" in Brighton in July!);

. The law condemns the old heart
· The Spirit gives a new heart
· The law gives instructions
· The Spirit gives companionship
· The law puts nails in the coffin
· The Spirit sows seeds of life
· The law veils our eyes
· The Spirit opens our eyes
· The law makes you a slave
· The Spirit makes you a son
· The law promotes to compliance or hardness
· The Spirit promotes love and joyful obedience

And yet again - I just wonder why on earth we drift so easily and "comfortably" back to adding "just a bit" of law into our new life in the Spirit? We are DEAD to the law! Jesus Christ cancelled it at the Cross and by doing so He DISARMED the principalities and powers! For heaven's sake - let's stop making the devil's job easy for him by rearming him with the law.

Double Jeopordy

I've been thinking and thinking through this whole concept of the imputed righteousness that we receive from Jesus Christ freely and totally by grace. It's incredible that despite the amount of sermons of Rob's that I've transcribed and the hours I've spent listening to the message of grace there is still some twisted part of me that baulks at the glory of this message! I guess it's due to the 30 years of religious tradition and the 2 legalistic churches I went to preaching a mixed gospel of grace and works. So I've been trying to think and re-think through how to get this understanding into my thick head - that the wonder and glory of this is TRUE!

Here's a few thoughts that occured to me. Some quotes and some Scriptures!

1. A Legal Precident.

There is a legal term called; "Double Jeopardy". It means this;

"Double jeopardy (ne bis in idem) is a procedural defense (and, in many countries such as the United States, Canada, Mexico and India, a constitutional right) that forbids a defendant from being tried twice for the same crime on the same set of facts".

Now I know that this is an earthly legal principle but doesn't it demonstrate what's happened in the High Court of heaven? If Jesus Christ has been tried for the sins of the whole world (which includes every sin that you and I have committed past, present and future) then WE cannot be tried again! We cannot be found guilty again! We cannot be held to account again because Calvary satisfied the wrath and justice of God! God cannot and will not bring our sins out and hold them to our account because His Son paid the penalty already!

2. A Quote to Ponder.

This quote is certainly going to make some blood pressures rise! I think Rob Rufus knew it would! He promised that this Sunday he would preach and explain it further. Here's the quote;

"SIN IS DEFINED DIFFERENTLY ACCORDING TO THE CONTEXT OF THE COVENANT. UNDER LAW SIN IS DEFINED AS FALLING SHORT OF THE LAW.
Missing the target. Not keeping the law.

UNDER THE NEW COVENANT SIN IS NOT DEFINED THAT WAY AT ALL. UNDER THE NEW COVENANT SIN IS DEFINED AS UNBELIEF IN THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

Now before fuses get blown - let's go to Scripture;

3. The Word of God!

What is the devil's main source of attack against Christians? He is called the "Accuser of the brethren". So what does the main content of his accusations tend to centre around? That we have fallen short of the glory of God and His law. We really wouldn't be very bothered (I hope) if the devil came to us and told us how disappointed that he was with us. No the devil tells us frequently how angry God is with us and how disappointed with us. And uses what? The LAW!

Colossians 2:14 and 15 specifically mentions the two aspects to Christ's triumph at the Cross and the Law and the demonic are mentioned in the same breath;

" ... having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him".

That is breath-taking! How did He disarm the rulers and authorities? By cancelling the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us (the Law) which was HOSTILE to us! I'm beginning to see why Rob Rufus gets so angry against legalists! The law is HOSTILE to us! Why on earth would we spend so much time trying to mix it in with grace?!

Furthermore the book of Romans has a great deal to say about the law! Romans 5:13;

" ... but sin is not imputed when there is no law".

Weymouth translates that verse;

"For prior to the Law sin was already in the world; only it is not entered in the account against us when no Law exists".

Now I already can prophesy the responses to what I am reflecting on. Am I saying or implying that the law is bad? How can I when the Word of God says it is not?

"What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law".

But there is the clue. We would not have come to know sin except through the Law. So the object of the Law is to make us aware of sin and even more of our need of a Saviour. So back to the title of this blog post and my initial musings. DOUBLE JEPORDY. Once judgement has been passed on a particular crime then it cannot be judged again! So while our legalistic backgrounds may wince and gasp at Rob's quote that sin under the Old Covenant is falling short of law but under the New Covenant it isn't - suddenly it starts to make sense! The law isn't a factor anymore in our dealings with God!

Now THAT'S a reason to smile on a cold Monday morning! :)

A Book Review by Dr Stanley Jebb!

When Stanley Jebb recommends a book everyone would do well to take notice particularly if he thinks well of it, for Dr Jebb taught us from when we were children that the "unexamined opinion is hardly worth holding". One of the main reasons I enjoy taking "Evangelicals Now" newspaper is to see if Dr Jebb has reviewed any book (as he does every now and then). I was not disappointed this month. He reviewed "Atonement Matters" by Tom Barnes.

Here it is:

Intimacy with God!!

Can there be a more vital message than this? In the midst of life with confusion, trial, suffering, tribulation - I am increasingly coming to realise that the only thing that can meet that longing is God's passion for His people. So I was thrilled and greatly encouraged to read Terry Virgo's latest blog;

"God isn’t interested merely in how you can serve him. He wants you to hear the clear, gentle whisper, ‘I love you. I’m for you. I know your sighing, your longings, and your heartbreak. I know what you’ve been doing for me and how little you’ve been appreciated for it. I hear you when you cry out in desperation.’ It’s this gentle whisper that melts your heart".

One of the insidious lies of legalism is that all God cares about is what we DO. But rather the grace message preaches the truth - it's DONE - it's DONE - it's DONE! There's been so much argument about "indwelling sin" and John Owen the Puritan didn't help matters by producing a thick volume on how to "mortify" sin and basically concluding - you can't until you die! But when you read a paragraph like Terry's next - sin couldn't be further from your mind!

"I once looked up ‘delight’ in the dictionary. It said ‘great pleasure and satisfaction’. But I wasn’t satisfied with that, so I searched for it in a thesaurus. This is what I found: ‘laugh, smile, get a kick out of, hug oneself, rave, bask in, enjoy, wallow, have fun, exhilarate, relish, elate, thrill, ravish, intoxicate, entrance, enrapture, purr.’ Isn’t that wonderful? When God looks at you he purrs with delight!".

And again more specifically Terry writes to those overcome by exhaustion in life and tired of fighting (like I am today after finding out I can't go to Hong Kong unless I leave my job and having just endured a 1 and a half hour grievance hearing at my old work!);

"How do I find healing from exhaustion? It lies in the gentle whisper from God, ‘I love you. I’m delighted with you. You make my heart sing whenever I see you.’ That’s what overwhelmed great Christians throughout history and that’s what restores your soul – a fresh experience of intimacy with God and a new revelation of his grace".

And again;

"God has a wonderful way of working healing into weary people. If you drift away from him, he doesn’t abandon you. No matter what you do, you’re always his delightful child. His thoughts about you have never changed and never will. Surely this is what grace is all about".

How awesome and lavish is His grace?! This beautiful verse from the Song of Solomon sums up perfectly how I am feeling about God right now. But what's even MORE mind-blowing is that the Bible is clear that this is actually how HE is feeling about me! (See how much people are missing who incredibly think that the Song of Solomon is a sex manual for husbands and wives?!)

"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes" (Song of Songs 4:9).

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".

Rob Rufus Prophesies of the Glory ... !!

I was listening to last Sunday's worship at City Church International in Hong Kong and during the singing Rob came and prophesied this;

"For there are coming days in the earth when My people will not know momentary mantles of My power, brief periods of manifestation of My glory. But it will become a normal thing to spend most of your conciousness walking under an awareness of My Presence and My power on you. I am the God who manifests! But the degree and how often I manifest is determined by the hearts of My people and their desire to see heaven in the earth.

I have raised up a people in this place who's burning longing is to see heaven come! Not in momentary moments, not in visitation but to bring habitation to ALL of Hong Kong! To see the city with My glory paraded down the main streets! Through the back streets and the back villages and even onto the islands and the fishing villages! My glory will reside! My glory will remain! My Presence will stay! Even in this hour it is coming to the people of God that want heavenly experience on the earth!".

How awesome is that?! That echoes our deepest hearts desires! I heard Iain Murray say rather categorically at the Jonathan Edwards conference that John Piper hosted; "Well revivals always end". And I found myself quite cross and thinking - well yes historically they always have ended. But why do they HAVE to?! Why can't they continue?! Why can't they last and spread from sea to sea and shore to shore?! Why can't they last until the nations and far off shores see the light of the glory of God?!

Rob Rufus on the Church

"The Church should be the safest place on earth".

Rob Rufus - "Attitudes that Attract the Empowering Grace of God - Part 5" - City Church International, Hong Kong - Sunday 31st August 2008.

Well ... is it? Or is it more appropriate to use Rob's warning that I have heard him use. That if you are swimming with the sharks, don't tell them you are bleeding.