Charismatic Resurgence

INTERVIEW – Sam Storms on His Books About 2 Corinthians

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:00 GMT

One highlight of my time in Minneapolis was finally meeting Sam Storms. I really enjoyed filming a series of interview clips which will be shared on the blog over the next three days. This first section of our time is about his set of two new books on the much neglected epistle of 2 Corinthians. This is probably the most important book of the New Testament for understanding how a minister can relate to his people through great difficulties in a christo-centric way. It is also one of the most neglected books in the Bible.

Here's what I said about these volumes: In this set of two books, Storms in his usual clear, engaging, heartwarming style unlocks perhaps Paul's most personal and Christ-centered letter. You will be reminded afresh that everything really is all about Jesus. Release the life-changing power of this much neglected letter as Storms demonstrates that its message can change you in every way. BUY NOW

Jubilee Church St. Louis – A Home Away From Home

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:01 GMT

One of the joys of being a Christian is that we have brothers and sisters all over the world. One of the delights in being in a family of churches like Newfrontiers which has a strong set of core values and a shared story is that such ties are even stronger. Call it shared DNA, call it living in the shadow of Terry Virgo who's example permeates the movement, or call it whatever you want, it is certainly very tangible. From the moment I arrived in town and was met by a regular member who had given up his time to drive me from the airport I knew I was among my family here at Jubilee Church St. Louis.

I have had a great few days. All the informal times spent over food, and around the Superbowl have been very enjoyable. It was also really good to worship in an environment where I totally felt like I belong. Just the name of the church helped, since I attend a church called Jubilee back in London. It also meets in a dark room with drums, keyboard and guitars blasting out worship, so that seemed familiar too! Seth urged us to be vigorous in our praise. He said that it is like watching a football game when someone has made a good play. The crowd roars with delight and celebrates the success. As he put it, “Jesus made a good play!”

It seemed like the congregation, mixed both in age and race as it was at each of the Sunday morning services did not really need that encouragement. There was a clear sense of being caught up together to truly celebrate our champion. The worship was punctuated in both services by some contributions, in the form of words of encouragement or prophecy. This tended to include some explanation of what the person felt God was laying on their heart linked to a Bible passage. In each service at least one of these was shared by a young woman. Again it was obvious, as at the other USA Newfrontiers churches i visited, just how involved in the mission these women are. Later in the week some of the women who work for the church took time out of their day together with some of the guys to watch me record video on the resurrection for their Bible training course.

The church was on the second week of their series on sex titled XXXposed. The pastor here, a considerate, intentional man called Bryan Mowrey spoke on building blocks to intimacy. It was a message from the heart and one much needed. I never tire of listening to sermons about how to be a better husband. I surely need to hear them. Of course, it made me long even more than I already do for my re-union with my ever-lovely Andrée. Bryan's talk would also be helpful for an unmarried person. I especially liked his argument that the word “single” is very unhelpful. You do not have to be alone. You have Christ. You have Christ's bride. He wants you to be fulfilled whatever your marriage status. A Christian man or woman can be secure and happy without a spouse. Paul even seems to hint that such unattached people are more free to serve God's purposes.

Bryan went on to point out that there is something far worse than being unmarried and lonely: being married and lonely. Marrying someone who makes your life harder and more miserable is a big mistake that it is almost impossible to recover from. Worse still of course is realizing that you are the one making your partner's life harder. I pray that listening to this talk might help you to consider new ways of blessing your husband or wife if you have one, and may encourage you greatly even if you don't. You can download the audio.

It looks like I may well have to stay in St Louis for an extra day due to snow in Chicago. It is a measure of how at home I feel here, that I am almost pleased at that (despite the inconvenience to my plans that may cause!)

Tributes to Arthur Wallis!

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:37 GMT

I am still really enjoying my new "Restoration Magazine" collection - and was interested and moved to read tributes that were written in light of Arthur Wallis's death. I have always known of the impact Arthur had on the charismatic scene in the United Kingdom but it was interesting to read the personal tributes from many charismatic leaders.

For example Terry Virgo wrote;

"I would probably have never written a book if it were not for Arthur".

Ern Baxter wrote;

"We weren't destined to meet in some formally pre-prepared setting. We met in the men's toilet's and looking at each other blurted out, "You must be ..."!

And Stanley Jebb wrote;

"Arthur impressed me by his biblical outlook. In the early 1960's when a number of us were working out and studying the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Arthur was a great encouragement. His clear teaching and insistence on going back to the Word of God for answers was a challenge and an inspiration to all".

The other tributes are below. Thank God for fathers in the faith! This is one of the reasons why I could never attend a youth church or a student church (despite the fact that I'm too old!). Of course there are abuses and excesses and leadership manipulation - but the fact is that we need fathers and mothers in the faith. Arthur Wallis was clearly one such to many - and many of my generation I am sure have benefited from his indirect influence on men that we see as fathers in the faith today - such as Terry Virgo or Ern Baxter.

Back to Transcribing - Rob Rufus and Stanley Jebb!!

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:04 GMT

As many of you know my transcribing has been through a quiet patch - it is so incredibly difficult finding the time to sit down with a glorious sermon and type it out. Working 07:30 to 18:30 many days followed by an intense gym session (I'm training for a half marathon at the end of the month in Brighton!) - it is so hard to find the time! I hate that excuse. I've never had any patience with pastors who have told me that they can't do this or do that because they are "too busy" - but am slowly beginning to understand how busy life can often be.

However I've started two transcribing projects - one is a sermon by the wonderful Rob Rufus. I neglect this servant of God at my peril. It sounds over the top - but hell does not want anyone listening to Rob. He has such an insight into the doctrines of grace that the devil will do anything (including sowing suspicion, lies about him and City Church International) to just stop hearing what he preaches! But everytime I do listen to Rob - my soul is immeasurably blessed. I am typing his message: "“Wisdom for 2010” - the first sermon of 2010 on the 3rd of January 2010 at City Church International.

I love the opening sermons of the year at City Church International - it often lays down the gauntlet for what to expect from the year and this sermon is no different. Rob starts by making a statement about what he expects from 2010. A small part of me cringes when preachers make prophetic statements about what God may do. That's no fault on the part of the preachers. That is a fault on my small faith. I am scared of daring to believe. But Rob said;

"But I am deeply impressed after five weeks of waiting on God – I am deeply impressed that 2010 is a year of blessings that will surpass ANY previous year for the people of grace! You could say that is one of those optimistic, New Year hopes again! No – no. I am believing that for 2010 the will of God is to bring unprecedented blessings for the people of grace that is beyond any previous year we have EVER experienced! That will always be with difficulties and hardships. The blessings will cause many more hardships to come at you but you will be so blessed you will handle it well!"

Rob then moved on to state what he feels will be the devil's main strategy in 2010;

"I am also deeply impressed by the Spirit of God when the enemy’s main strategy and main plot will be to con us through false wisdom out of the blessing. I pray that everyone who listens to this message hears this – the enemy’s main strategy will be to con us through false wisdom or fake wisdom or worldly wisdom or “human” (1st Corinthians) wisdom or the “wisdom of this age” – to give us convincing cons as to what we should do and he will try to get us out of place and position for the unprecedented jubilee of God".

Again I think there is a balance here that is truly biblical. C S Lewis saw it and portrayed it accurately in his "Screwtape Letters". Some Christians completely ignore the devil's presence and blame all hardships, failures and down times on our "flesh" or I guess SGM may call it "indwelling sin". Essentially if something is going wrong in your life then it's your fault and your sin to blame. The other extreme is the more triumphalistic charismatic stream that blame every hardship on a demon of something or other (Derek Prince perhaps typified this teaching best) - and the way to handle this is to exorcise "everything".

I think Rob strikes a mature and sensible balance. There IS a devil and he DOES have an army of demons who ARE actively present in trying to bring down Christians. Rob makes the case that the devil doesn't really care what the issue is he assaults us with. He isn't bothered if Christians live an immoral life or a deceitful life. What he is bothered about is that we lose faith in God. And Rob defines faith as;

"Faith is a good opinion about God. If you have any suspicion towards God then you are listening to a demonic voice; “Did God really say?”.

A good opinion about God. Some Christians may be shocked at that - how can we not have a good opinion about God? But the question is - who do we normally blame when things are tough? Some Christians even dare to say things like; "I'll trust God IF He does this for me". No - true faith is having a good enduring opinion about God and never asking; "Did God really say ... ?".

And being a true gospel preacher Rob then expounded the wonders of the Cross of Christ like I've never heard before. Read this:

"Faith is easy when we have a clear picture of Christ crucified.

1. He wore a crown of thorns so that you and I can wear a crown of glory!

2. On the Cross He was rejected so that you and I can forever and ever be sons of the Father.

3. On the Cross HE looked up and His Father wasn’t there, so that forever we can look up forever the smiling face of our Father is there – after our worst sin, the smiling face of the Father will ALWAYS be there, because that sin was put on Jesus and the face of the Father was withdrawn from Jesus. The great exchange means that forever we can look up and our Father’s face will NEVER not be there and will always be smiling!

It is impossible for Father to withdraw His face! If He ever does then He must implode into oblivion and to nothingness and non-existence because He has violated the law of double jeopardy and has lost all credibility. He cannot punish the same sin twice! Father is permanently there with love and favour and position to desperately want to bless you if you will repent and change your thinking and return to grace!

4. He was made your sin so you may be made His righteousness.

5. He died young so that you can live long.

6. He created the heavens and earth and on the Cross lost everything so we can gain everything! We gain the universe the New Testament says!

7. One of the last things Jesus saw was His garments being gambled over by soldiers while He hung naked so we can be clothed in favour.

8. He took our curse so that we can receive His blessings. In all these things, persecutions, disappointments, betrayals we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us! We rest in the finished work of the Cross!".

True Cross-centered preaching will inevitably build faith. How can we not look at the Cross of Christ in it's true glory and not have a good opinion about God? The trouble is I have sat through too many allegedly "Cross-centred" sermons that are nothing to do with the true Gospel because those sermons raised condemnation and produce legalism and "lists of things" to do. I love the way that Rob Rufus broke down why the Cross was the master plan of God - to bring about the salvation of many!

I've taken up too much time - other than to say that the other sermon I am working on is a recent sermon of Stanley Jebb's that he preached at a church near Southampton on worship. It's interesting to hear. I hope to publish Rob's sermon soon!

My Time at The Journey

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:04 GMT

St Louis is home to two churches I was keen to visit. The Journey is lead by Darrin Patrick and I was so glad to be able to get there yesterday evening. I'll talk about Jubilee probably tomorrow. First up, I think I like the idea of the time. 5 PM on a Saturday is “dead time” for many people. To be done by 7 PM and have an evening left would be very attractive to many, I am sure. I suppose that if you have grown up in a religious family it may take some getting used to. But if your preference is for a Sunday morning, that would be fine also. The meeting certainly felt like an “event” and there was a lot of younger people almost filling the venue. There was a pretty slick staging of the event, complete with a limited (and hence not too intrusive) use of video clips. The band was very good technically, and we sung some songs I recognized from Newfrontiers UK circles.

It was very clear that for The Journey, the main event was the preaching of God's word. With a boxing ring having been built on stage to fit in with the theme of their series which was about basic training in the Christian life, right from the beginning of the service you were anticipating what was to come. Darrin Patrick did not disappoint. This man is clearly intentional about everything he does, and a very gifted communicator. I could definitely listen to him again.

The subject for the evening was prayer. Patrick took the Lords prayer and showed us the importance of prayer and having a structure and plan for that prayer. I cannot listen to enough sermons on prayer, for like Darrin confessed, I think few if any of us feel we pray enough. It was clear that this church was a well-lead, growing body of Christ. It was a pleasure to worship with them, and I commend Darrin to you as someone you will benefit from listening to. I understand he is also working on at least two books at the moment, and I hope to be able to tell you more about that at some point here on the blog.

A Group Of Early Pioneers

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:23 GMT

As I continue my time with the Newfrontiers Midwest churches , I am reminded of the old-time pioneers. They would load up their family in a wagon and head out to where no-one they knew had gone before. Eager to put down a stake as a marker and claim the ground, some of the old towns were barely built when the relentless march eastwards would continue. There is something of the same spirit here.

I spent the twenty four hours with Tommy Stanley, his family, and church in the Kansas City area. Some of my UK readers will remember Tommy from his days leading worship at the last few Stoneliegh Bible Weeks that Newfrontiers used to run. When I met him, despite being told of this history, I did not recognize him. We enjoyed much laughter and a Kansas BBQ before heading out to a special meeting they had put on for me to speak at. When Tommy went to the front during the worship time and led us by bringing a contribution, I had a sudden sense of deja vu. In a flash I was back at that event which was such an important influence on me. Perhaps not surprisingly the worship time here was powerful and refreshing to my soul.

I really felt like I was welcomed into the family of Grace Church, Lee Summit. They were a great congregation to speak to, and I also enjoyed a Q and A they put on for some of their men on Saturday morning over breakfast.

The visit felt too short, despite my growing desire to be home with my gorgeous wife and children. Being able to connect with them over iChat has made this trip so much easier. I was especially pleased to hear that they had worked out how to make donuts (that could save me a fortune at Krispy Kremes in the coming years!), that my son Joel has been getting certificates for good behavior at school, and that my son Henry was so pleased to have got a 5a for his literacy at school. This is apparently the highest grade his teacher had given for a few years for a year six child. He now wants to be an author like his dad. Such little things make you still feel connected to home.

I am now in St Louis, staying with Mike and Teresa Lawson. Having so many brothers and sisters all over the world willing to open their home to you is one of the many wonderful things about being a believer. I look forward to visiting The Journey later today and Jubilee tomorrow.

Sam Storms at Desiring God Conference for Pastors!

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:16 GMT

If I had an unlimited budget then there is no doubt that one of my greatest pleasures would be to "conference-hop" over the earth and manage to hear the great names that I admire and respect. I was extremely excited to hear that Sam Storms was the keynote speaker at John Piper's conference for pastors at Desiring God this year. The conference has just ended and blog updates can be found at the Desiring God blog. Adrian Warnock has taken a slightly different approach but still reflects on the conference extremely well.

Sam's topic (unsurprisingly) was Christian hedonism. It is a doctrine I am familiar with but Adrian Warnock said quite rightly that it is something we need to be reminded of. In fact he said;

"The message of Christian hedonism is intoxicating!".

I like that. Sam Storms third message dealt extremely practically with the issue of combating sin and this is something I am increasingly becoming passionate about. I have made no secret of the fact that the SGM/Mahaney approach of speaking about "indwelling sin" and the processes of accountability trouble me. Frankly I don't think they work and actually give sin a platform that it does not deserve and take away from the power and finality of the Cross.

Sam Storms summarises the various approaches to dealing with sin well:

"I think Christians have typically employed three tactics in their efforts to help others fight sin:

1. Labor to portray sin in the ugliest possible terms, hoping and praying to frighten people into righteous living.
2. Revert to legalism by producing long lists to corral our impulses.
3. Argue that the problem is the presence of desire for pleasure in the human soul".

He summarises;

"The only way you can conquer one pleasure is with another greater and more pleasing pleasure. The only way to break the bondages in which our people find themselves is by cultivating a passion for joy and delight in beholding the beauty of Jesus".

And concluded;

"People are in bondage to sin today because they are bored stiff with God, and that's our fault. If your people don't hear you speak the same truths that Paul did and if they don't sense the enthusiasm in you that was in him, they will just go home and turn on whatever anesthetizes their pain".

I realise that to some who view grace seriously - this may not be enough. To others like those who still see indwelling sin - this may be too much. But I found this message encouraging and challenging. And above all if it makes us re-think the wonder of what Christ did at the Cross then it's going to be worth-while!

I Grudgingly Admit...

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:51 GMT

I can officially be a Tim Tebow fan now that he doesn't play for the Gators. Since I'm an Auburn Tigers fan (War Eagle!) I naturally hate all things Gators, which included Tim Tebow...at least when he was on the field. Off the field is another matter entirely.

Unless you live in a hole, you've heard about Tim and his mom Pam Tebow's ad that's going to be run during the Super Bowl. It tells of his mom getting pregnant and getting sick, and the doctor suggesting an abortion. Pam Tebow decided to keep her son, and here is Tim, twenty-two years later. Focus on the Family paid for the air time on CBS.

Also, unless you've been visiting outer space recently, you know that the feminist groups are enraged. It's ironic. Though they are purported pro-choice advocates, they are angry that CBS is airing the 30 second ad which ends with "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." A point can be made that those who are so adamant against the ad are more pro-abortion than they are pro-choice. I mean, what's the point of being pro-choice if you get angry that someone chooses life? Isn't that the point? I don't get it.

Since this issue is so close to my heart personally, I have to admire Tim's stance and his mom's courage. Even though he played on the Florida Gators. People are going to hate them for this.

"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:11-12

St Joseph, Jeff Gates and Micah Fries

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:17 GMT

I have had a great time here in St Joseph, MO. I traveled down with two men who I now call dear friends, Jeff Gates, the pastor at Living Hope Church, St Joseph and Ben Roed, who with his lovely wife Peggy are being prepared for possible church planting. It was wonderful to see how clearly Peggy and Ben complement each other. They are newly married, but it was obvious to see how much of a support to him Peggy is, and how her strengths will continue to compliment and at times hide his weaknesses! A wife who will make you look better than you are is a gift from God.

Single men if you think you may have God's hand on you make sure you marry such a godly woman who will help you achieve everything God has for you. Quite frankly, such a wife will be more important than anyone else in helping to shape you, all the time doing so in a submissive and honoring way. Beware, however, that as much as a good woman can make you, the wrong kind of woman can completely ruin you for any significant work for God. The women I have met here, including of course Jeff's wife, have all impressed me with their commitment to the cause, their warmth, and their loving support for their husbands. Anyone who claims that the women in our churches are somehow not valued and not given room to serve their Lord has not spoken to some of the incredible women we have in our family of churches, fully caught up in God's mission and playing very significant roles.

All this of course makes me miss my own better half even more. If ever a woman has had to put up with a busy husband who has needed a lot of help, a lot of “releasing” to do things like go on a 2 week trip of the USA, and a whole bunch of raw edges in him for her to lovingly confront, it is Mrs Andrée Warnock. Thank you darling for being such a good wife to me, far better than I deserve. I pray that I may be an ever better husband to you, and I long for our reunion!

Another woman I have met here was Gail Robins, who with her husband Chris have served me wonderfully by opening their lovely home to me. Her passion to open a consignment store made me think of Proverbs 31:

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life . . .
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

I was also impressed by the many Christians I got to meet here both socially and during the meeting that was organized for me to speak at on the resurrection. Nobody anywhere has yet disagreed with my claim that we have all been neglecting the resurrection. Yet we saw in the resurrection yesterday a wonderful tool to bring unity. As one of the leaders of the three campus organizations that cancelled their own meetings to attend the meeting co-sponored by Living Hope and Frederick Boulevard Church, St Joseph's said, “How could we refuse to listen to a talk on the resurrection of Jesus?”

Speaking of Frederick Boulevard, meeting their pastor Micah Fries was an absolute delight. One of many things that has impressed me about Jeff Gates this week is his eagerness to reach out and partner with other churches and Christian groups. Micah certainly seems to have needed no encouragement to make such a connection. He is sharp, bright, self-depreciating, willing to speak of what he sees as his own denomination's strengths and weaknesses, and eager to learn from others. Being placed on a list of ten influential young Baptist pastors has not turned his head. I saw in this man a servant of the Lord it was a delight to spend some time connecting with. I feel that God has given us this opportunity to meet for a purpose. I hope we can serve the Lord together in some capacity even if it's just engaging with each other's online material.

It has been a great time, and as I prepare to leave for Kansas (known to me mainly in my youth for the Wizzard of Ozz!), I have many great memories from my time in St Joseph's. I am very keen on God's work being done in big cities. Though this place is not a big city, however, God is also very interested in towns like this. Even it's residents would admit that there is not much that marks out this place as very different from many other American cities. They were the home of the Pony Express, and a place where trade happened in early times with local native Americans, but there are few other major claims to fame. God is very committed to a place like this. He takes the weak things to shame the strong, and the things that are not to shame those who think they are something special.

I met many people who God has made to be very special indeed. This place will always have room in my heart. This is not least because it was the very first town outside my own country that God has taken me to so I could proclaim his word. Seeing a mix of students and older adults getting excited about the resurrection we have all so failed to celebrate the significance of was obviously the highlight of my trip so far. Please pray with me that those who heard me last night will continue to study the wondrous implications of Christ's resurrection, and that they and I may be better equipped by our Lord to share the full gospel with those we meet.

Pastors’ Conference Day Three

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:24 GMT

The conference is now over. It's reverberations now begin. And at the beginning of this post I want to say a massive thank you to all the staff and volunteers from DGM who ran this event. Scott Anderson led the team and hosted the event incredibly well and the warmth and helpfulness from everyone involved was very much appreciated. To partner in the gospel with so many brothers from another nation was an incredible privilege.

Once again I found myself feeling very much at home in the worship time. Hands raised, great gusto in the voices, and a clear sense of the sweet presence of the risen Jesus. I'd take such a sense of Jesus presence over music that is stylistically identical to what we sing, but without that conscious awareness of his presence, any day.

The talk was on missions by the USA head of Frontiers, Bob Blincoe. He laid before us the challenge of world mission, interweaving stories from his own life of being a missionary to Kurds in Northern Iraq with an explanation of how Christian hedonism helps the missionary not loose heart or give way to fear. He said a line which stuck like a dagger to me. “I am naturally selfish and careless.” It hit me like a ton of bricks that the same is of course true of me. I pray that my wife in particular will notice me being less selfish and less careless on my return from this trip.

Another great line from Bob was something like this “If you cant see very far go as far you can see and then see where God will lead you next”

I found myself trying to really notice my surroundings today in response to Piper's talk from yesterday, and experience afresh the wonder of the creation we get to enjoy. God help me to change as a response to being among these people.

In the panel discussion the depth of insight and sharpness of thought of these men struck me if anything more than during the talks themselves. It is worth watching the Q and A just to witness the discomfort on Sam Storms face as he was asked about the filling of the Holy Spirit. As he considered what to say, Piper urged him on. It will make a classic piece of video that I plan to watch again soon!

I can't remember leaving a conscience with as much to think about and process as this one for a long time.

Pastor’s Conference Day Two

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:27 GMT

A full day of further incredibly helpful and much needed pummeling about joy would be a good way to sum today up. Worship continued to be meaningful and full of the presence of the Spirit. The talks continue to be posted on the Desiring God site so you can read full notes, watch and listen to them there.

Eric Mason is a very gifted preacher. He spoke about having written a PhD thesis on how suffering helps our sanctification. He shared how then great suffering had required him to live it. Half way through the talk I realized with a jolt that lately I had been just beginning to delude myself that life would always remain as sweet as it currently is. I have preached many times that Jesus promised us that in this world we WILL have troubles. To have such a strong reminder of the certainty of suffering and it's role was good for my soul. I trust it will leave me stronger when I next face a significant trial. I trust it will also help me to keep the more minor hassles of daily life in better perspective.

Sam Storms served us so well, outlining in his first talk of today the theological principles that under-gird Christian hedonism. As I listened, once again a hunger rose within me to experience more of this joy that he was speaking about. I know I have been exposed to most of the ideas I heard today for at least a decade. But, like I suspect everyone in the room, I surely needed to be reminded of them, and there as much that seemed fresh and certainly impactful to me. I learnt new nuances and an increased depth of understanding of these precious truths. True theology is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound we will be able to plumb it's depths for eternity. As a result of this talk I felt a new confidence in the firmness of the foundation for Christian hedonism.

Piper's very strong enthusiasm for the writings C.S. Lewis, a dead man who he disagrees with on many points was striking and informative. He claims to have discovered an almost immeasurable treasure by plumbing the depths of Lewis' writings. I found myself even more strongly convinced of the need for us to sometimes read people who we profoundly disagree with on even important matters in order to learn vital truths from them. On thing that stood out was the sense of recapturing the wonder of ordinary things. Again, I pray that will help me to have a very different perspective on the daily minor frustrations of life. In this talk Piper is talking about one of his top two favorite dead people outside of the Bible. This is a classic talk which quite simply has to be watched, not listened to, by anyone who wants to understand John Piper properly. This, and his biographical talk on Jonathan Edwards will surely form a pair. I sometimes think that Piper is even more skilled at this kind of talk than he is at expositional preaching. Perhaps because so few people speak in this way that is an unfair comparison, but certainly I can think of no better way to be introduced to some of the great heroes of church history, and understand their significance, than to work carefully through these talks, in many cases watching the talks more than once because of their profundity.

We might have thought that such treasure was sufficient for one day. But Sam Storms switched gear in the evening session. Having taught us well the theological underpinnings of Christian hedonism in his previous posts, he now became less of a scholar and more of a pastor for his final talk of the conference. He showed us how this teaching has its application in killing sin. This was one of the best explanations I have heard of why legalism or dwelling on the negative consequences of sin are totally insufficient to restrain it. The temporary pleasures of sin can only be expelled by the infinitely greater pleasure of treasuring Christ. Having demolished the “prosperity gospel” he then argued that everyone in the room has been affected by it at least in part. Have we accepted at least some of the lie of prosperity gospel? Do we basically feel that God is obligated to minimize our suffering. Are we surprised and indignant when he doesn't? The truth is that there is something that God values more than our comfort! The treasure of us becoming more like Christ is infinitely of more worth.

Not only did this second day feed my mind, mold my heart, and enrich my Spirit, also got to share some fantastic fellowship with a number of different people. This included eating with some delightful pastors, and greeting many brothers around the conference center and specifically at the “greet the author” session. Thanks for everyone who reads my blog who came and said hello. It was wonderful to put some faces to some names, and to meet new friends.

Pastor’s Conference Day One

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:37 GMT

Yesterday was an amazing day. The relational warmth of the people here and their passion for Jesus is infectious. It was exceptional to meet Sam Storms, who I interviewed via email back in 2006, and who's ministry I have watched from afar. Look out for a video interview with him in the not too distant future here.

I went to a “pre-conference” with Paul Tripp. He relentlessly pursued us all to make sure our private lives matched the public, urging pastors to make themselves vulnerable to others. He was so persistent, I thought he was almost like a dog with a bone. Not for the first time I found myself being glad that though I get to serve in leadership, I am not at the helm of a church as the lead pastor. It can be a very lonely and at times discouraging task. We need to learn to do everything we can to support our pastors and be a blessing to them not a curse.

I then had the opportunity to finally meet two of the many incredible people that have been working so hard behind the scenes at Crossway Books. I spent a few minutes drinking coke (to help with my jet lag) with Angie Cheatham and Ben. To partner for the gospel with a group of people like Crossway is one of the many great privileges of my life for which I am so grateful. Before I got involved in this whole process I naively thought that book writing was a solitary activity. It really isn't.

Nothing I had heard about the conference prepared me for the exhilaration of joining my voice to what seemed like around 2000 other men as we worshiped King Jesus. It was great to see the way they enthusiastically welcomed the wives who had made the effort to come, and we all applauded them. As we sung arms were raised, and the presence of God's Spirit was strong.

Sam Storms preached about the central place of joy in God. The message of Christian hedonism is intoxicating. It is well worth watching this message even if you think you know Desiring God inside out. We must be reminded often. I must be reminded often. Though I preached myself on “Rejoice in The Lord” not long ago, I so needed God's reminder via this sermon from Storms of the need to really pursue joy in God. I especially loved a segment of this talk when he spoke about “joy inexpressible.” He explained that you know you have this joy when human words are no longer enough to express it. The joy rises to the point that mere words cannot express it. Spurgeon this well as follows:

“But there is yet another sense in which the Holy Ghost advocates, and that is, he advocates our cause with Jesus Christ, with groanings that cannot be uttered. O my soul, thou art ready to burst within me! O my heart, thou art swelled with grief; the hot tide of my emotion would well-nigh overflow the channels of my veins. I long to speak, but the very desire chains my tongue. I wish to pray, but the fervency of my feeling curbs my language. There is a groaning within that cannot be uttered. Do you know who can utter that groaning, who can understand it, and who can put it into heavenly language and utter it in O celestial tongue, so that Christ can hear it? Oh! yes; is God the Holy Spirit; he advocates our cause with Christ and then Christ advocates it with his Father. He is the advocate, who maketh intercession for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered.” Spurgeon “The Comforter”

My Travel Journal – Bethlehem Baptist Church

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:03 GMT

Usually when I attend a conference, I sit through the sessions typing furiously trying to capture as much of what God is saying to us through his word as I can possibly do. This is not an easy task, but it is one I do enjoy. It is something I am sure I will do many times over the next few years, I have no intention of stopping.

However, preaching is not about making the process of transferring information from the speaker's notes to the hearers notes as efficient as possible. We are meant to be impacted by the word in the very core of our being, and allow our hearts and minds to be shaped by it. This is a holy moment. It is an activity of the Holy Spirit. It is something that does not happen to the same extent every time someone opens their mouth to preach. It seems to require the appropriate preparation of both the preacher and the hearers, not just the best preparation of his sermon notes. Over the years I have listened to many sermons that had clearly taken multiple hours to prepare yet had little effect on my heart. No doubt most of the time that was my fault rather than the preachers. But there have been times when I have not been well prepared to sit under God's word and yet a particularly anointed preacher arrested me and lovingly pummeled me with God's word, leaving me forever transformed. I can point to messages I have heard more than a decade ago that are still having fruit in my life today.

So, in preparing for the Desiring God Pastor's conference that commences later today, I have felt led to on this occasion lay aside my laptop. This is to make it easier for me to open my heart more fully to my lord Jesus. I long for him to lovingly confront me at a deep emotional level by his Spirit operating through speakers who are surely among some of the most anointed alive today.

Desiring God are very generous with where possible sharing notes of the sessions and both video and audio online. This made my decision to approach this event differently from a blogging perspective easier. As a result, here is my plan. I will not write notes during the sessions. But, that does not mean I will not be blogging this event. Each evening I will write what will effectively be a public journal. I will document the effects the day as a whole has had on me, and the way I want to live differently as a result. I will actually share some things that stand out for me from the talks, but even more than usual these will be very much described through the lens of my own encounter with God through his word. Thus, for me a single throw away comment in the middle of a talk might be THE thing that spoke to me most. Don't therefore look to me this week for an accurate summary of the main points of all the talks. Instead, feel free to join me as I chronicle the work of God on an individual's heart. Please pray for me that God will indeed shape me well through his word this week. It would be very embarrassing indeed to have to report at the end of a day of messages that if I am honest my mind had been wandering and I had learned nothing!

To give you a taste of what is to come, I will begin this conference journal by reflecting on this weekend. I have had an incredible time. Memorable highlights for me begin with my delight in sharing prolonged times with my pastor, Tope Koleoso. His wisdom, kindness, and constant desire for me to be the best that I can for Jesus is the chief means that God uses to keep me on track with him. His faith is a constant provocation to me. Flight time, restaurant time, and sharing a room in the hotel, has been precious. I want to follow this man as he follows Jesus for a very long time to come. His devotion to and dependence on Jesus, as well as his commitment to prayer, is a constant provocation to me. May God make me to be more of a man of prayer.

Yesterday we attended several meetings at Bethlehem Baptist Church. From the moment I walked into their building, and throughout every meeting we were at, I was struck by the clear sweet sense of the presence of the same Holy Spirit we enjoy back at home. We encountered God in every meeting. How appropriate it was then that God chose today to be the day they described a church plant called Jubilee Community Church to their congregation. Coming as we do from a church called Jubilee, we felt right at home!

John Piper's sermon, and the talk by their new church plant's leader also resonated with me. Their passion to serve the poor, but to do that by sharing the gospel with them is something that has been very much on our hearts. As the planter pointed out so helpfully, the Spirit is on us in order that we can bring liberation to those who are poor. Piper in particular made the point that Jesus who is glorified and all powerful has promised that it is HIM that will build his church. A theme which seemed to underlie the day for me was the way they clearly felt needing to be good stewards of the remarkable outpouring of grace that their church has experienced. Not every church is as blessed as Bethlehem.

It was a delight also to renew our friendship with some dear friends – David Livingstone and his wife Karin (as well as meeting one of their daughters.) They had previously visited us in London, but we turned up unannounced on Sunday morning at the Bethlehem campus that David is the pastor of. We spent some precious time with them, and found in them such real kindred spirits. To visit a church for just a day and yet feel you are among dear brothers and sisters is something very special. It is a rare thing, but one in which I delight.

We also walked through the Mall of America, apparently we passed some 90% of the shops there, which is no small feat! I ended the weekend, full of thankfulness to God for his abundant grace towards us. I was glad to hear that as my wife put it, church back at home was “great” and iChatting for just a few moments with the family back home, it was good to see that they all seemed to be happy and enjoying themselves without me!

New Spurgeon Sermons

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:48 GMT

Phil Johnson describes the release of a volume of previously unpublished sermons from the undisputed prince of preachers. Pray that God will raise up men like this to declare boldly his word, going after lost souls and complacent saints in the same message. His was a voice you simply couldn't ignore. Out of love for Jesus, and his passion for the lost, his bold preaching gathered a truly large church. Many preachers today would not dream of preaching about a passage before seeing what Spurgeon had to say about it. Here are some words from Phil's forward to this exciting new volume:

Charles Spurgeon's published sermons undoubtedly constitute the largest body of significant literature from the mind of a single author in the history of publishing. It is a legacy that will almost surely never be surpassed. Comprising an estimated 25 million words, the 3,563 sermons of the New Park Street Pulpit and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit volumes contain more content than the Encyclopedia Britannica . . .
The fact that so many of Spurgeon's messages have remained unpublished long after any paper shortage hindered the work is a decades-long travesty, and I'm thrilled Terence Crosby and DayOne are beginning to remedy it. The volume you hold in your hands is the first full-length supplement to The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit since my great grandfather's era, and I am delighted to have it finally for my shelves.
via Pyromaniacs: New Spurgeon Sermons.

The publisher has put a sample online, and here is an extract of the treasures contained within this new book:

Well, now, for the noble rivalry, which of us shall love him most? Brethren, I hope you will every one of you excel me in this, but I will try my best to surpass you all. I should not like to sit down complaisantly, and say, ‘There, then, you may all love Jesus Christ more than I do.’ No; but I hope you will. And yet it shall be my aim by thought, by word and by deed, to offer the highest conceivable expression of my love to my blessed Saviour. I would, and I will, by the help of the Holy Spirit, give myself unreservedly to him. And then, if you take precedence of me, I shall have one consolation, like him of old in the Roman State, who, when others were elected to be consuls before him, said he was thankful that his country had better men than himself.
Let this searching question be seriously entertained by us all, ‘Which of us shall love him most?’ Let it not be which of us shall talk most pretentiously about him, nor which shall make the loudest profession. . .we do pray that our love to Jesus may increase in depth and volume, like the water of a full river fed by many springs; and that our love to Jesus may burn vehemently, and shine more and more brightly, like a fire which many waters cannot quench, neither can the floods drown it. May we be wholly given up unto him who loved us and gave himself for us! Which of us shall love him most? Let this question stimulate us during the week and throughout our lives, and may God help us to press forward in the sacred race, and win the coveted prize of his approbation, as disciples whom he specially favours and servants he delights to honour! READ MORE

Past, Present, Future ... !!

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:45 GMT

I read an interesting quote by Marcel Pagnol:

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”

I was very interested to watch Songs of Praises tonight (the only remnant really of Christianity on UK terrestrial TV). Normally I find that programme cringe-worthy but tonight they were showing the large charismatic church in Peterbrough - Kingsgate Community Church - led by Dave Smith (who incidentally I heard at Life in the Spirit Conference). The church is large enough that it attracts famous national speakers such as Terry Virgo, Greg Haslam and Stuart Bell. And I noticed that the Songs of Praise event was led by Noel Richards. The congregation were dressed in brightly coloured clothing (some were indeed wearing ties which Stanley Jebb would note).

Did I enjoy it? I did mainly. I can't help but find some aspects to the church's attempts to show a "contemporary but real" image to the watching world. Sometimes it seems that the church tries so hard to be contemporary that it just looks cheesy. So on the one hand you have dry and dull and dusty tie-wearing Christians (advocated by Stanley Jebb) and on the other a church full of people who frankly look like they have swept the entire collection of the United Colours of Benetton off the shelf. Which is worse? Or which is better?!

But that aside - my heart rejoiced greatly that there is a BIG church not far from me which is unafraid to proclaim the gospel set on fire by the life of the Spirit. I am one of those who believe passionately that BIG attracts attention. After all - Chris Moyles took interest in this church and I have yet to hear him go to some small chapel of tie-wearing conservative evangelicals. This evening's "Songs of Praise" got me thinking about words that I love;

"Hope! - Vision! - Anticipation! - Excitement!".

Is anyone else fed up of the depression and formalism that much of life brings? Everyone finds their own excitement and anticipation in their own favourite things. Such as booking a summer holiday (which I've done!). But - call me odd - I find holy convocations of tremendous excitement. Something about seeing a massive group of God's people together worshipping in one - reminds me of what we have to look forward to in heaven. So I've put together a string of Restoration Magazine posters advertising the rapidly approaching Dales Bible Weeks with my very own Ern Baxter as keynote speaker. Here they are:

So that quote again:

"The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”.

The past wasn't perfect (but we thank God for it). The present isn't so bad (because Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us). And the future is resolved actually (because He promised that as surely as He lives ALL the earth WILL be filled with the glory of the Lord!).

INTERVIEW – Jeremy Simpkins

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:12 GMT

On my recent visit to northern England, I was able to interview the leader of the Newfrontiers North team. I was deeply impressed with what I saw and heard during the day as his team of around 100 people gathered. God is doing a great work in the North of England and many healthy growing churches have been planted. There was also an amazing sense of community and true friendship in the room. It was wonderful to see a group of leaders with very different gifts and personalities fused together into a team. The team laughed, but clearly also had a serious edge as they work hard together to continue the wonderful mission of seeing people meet with Jesus and be transformed by joining Christ's church. It was at the end of a day which excited me about what God is doing that I was delighted to film the following interview:

My Trip To The USA

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:35 GMT

This weekend I embark on a two-week trip on the other side of what we affectionately call “The Pond.” I would value your prayers and look forward to meeting some of you. In some ways I wish I could stay longer and make it to more places, but this is the longest I would want to be away from my family. I thank God for iChat which will help me stay in touch with them.

I do plan to blog about some of my experiences. Then, once I am home, Raised With Christ information will, as much as possible, be confined to the book's own website, though headlines will continue to appear in the sidebar. I am eager to get back to “normal” blogging, if there is such a thing!

Here is my schedule:

Saturday, January 30
Travel to Minneapolis

Sunday, January 31
Attending Bethlehem Baptist Church

Monday, February 1 – Wednesday, February 3
Attending the Desiring God Conference.
12 PM ET on February 1 Live Radio and Web Interview with Janet Mefferd
8:45 PM on February 2 Taking part in a “Meet The Author” and book signing.

Wednesday, February 3
Traveling to St Joseph, Missouri

Thursday, February 4
4 PM – 6 PM book signing and “Meet the Author” at local Borders Bookstore.
7 PM Speaking at joint meeting at Popplewell Room, Missouri Western State University co-sponsored by Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church and Living Hope Church

Friday, February 5
7 PM Speaking at Grace Church, Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Saturday, February 6
Traveling to St. Louis

Sunday, February 7
Attending both Jubilee Church, St. Louis and The Journey.
Hoping to attend a Super Bowl party to enhance my American cultural knowledge!

Monday, February 8
Informal meeting with local church leaders and free time.

Tuesday, February 9
Traveling to Chicago area.

Wednesday, February 10
Free day, except:
1 PM CT Recording Interview for Bob Boyd.

Thursday, February 11
Speaking at Crossway Books staff chapel service and having various meetings with people from my favorite publisher.

Friday, February 12
7 AM Live from the studio of the Moody Morning Show
Then recording an interview for Moody Primetime.
Flying home!

Prophecy-Inspired Facebook?!

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:29 GMT

Or Facebook-inspiring prophecy?!

Whichever - I decided to walk home from work tonight to clear the cobwebs after one of "those" days. However unfortunately I didn't have my IPOD with me and I get bored easily during an hour walk so decided to read my Facebook status updates on my mobile phone and my attention was grabbed by a wonderful C H Spurgeon quote that my firebrand friend Janelle Phillips posted;

"So, when you feel any inclination to put the crown of glory on your head, just fancy that you hear God saying to you 'Wait til I am dead before you put on my crown.' As that will never be, you had better leave the crown alone and let Him to whom it rightfully belongs wear it." - Charles Spurgeon, "The Soul Winner"

Anyone who knows me well know that I love C H Spurgeon and so was reading the quote with interest when I felt the Holy Spirit speaking and saying something to the effect of;

"And you will find that when you cast that crown before Me in worshipful surrender then I will give you a crown and a royal robe as an expression of My abundant love for you and the crown I give far exceeds the one you would keep".

Crowns! That thought/prophecy/whatever came from the wonderful verse in 1 Peter 2:9; "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation". We are royalty! Crowns are part of our inheritance that God and God alone will bestow (not for any other reason that His lavish grace) like He crowned His beloved Son in Hebrews 2:7.

I remembered a childhood awesome hymn that we used to thunder out in my home church in Dunstable - "Love Divine, all love's excelling". As a child I was always amazed that when the hymn reached the climax - "Changed from glory into glory ...", all the elders on the platform and most of the adults would lift their hands in worship. That never left me seeing that. It was a tragedy that progressively the worship in our church became more and more formal and outwardly more and more miserable.

Here's the lyrics for those who don't know them;

"Love Divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy grace receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!"

I remember being in Hong Kong at the "Glory and Grace Conference" and actually having a vision of something as to what it would be like to cast our crowns before Him. Crowns of tears shed in loneliness but resolute faith. Crowns of simple belief in the New Covenant that God is good and His love for us is real!

Evangelism

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:37 GMT

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." C. T. Studd

This last year I've been learning that my mindset regarding evangelism has been all wrong. You know when you are in that situation, where you know are supposed to say something about the Gospel, and you don't? Either its fear of man, fear of saying something wrong..fear of getting the Gospel wrong. It's like you don't think the Spirit is abiding in you, that He will let you down and abandon you right when you open your mouth to tell someone about Jesus.

Yep. That was me. I actually don't really know the exact moment my mindset changed. It might have been when I went downtown to Orlando on a Friday night with a group of Christians to street evangelize. It wasn't just people from Metro, either, but an eclectic group of maybe a dozen or so. I ended up talking with a lesbian about the Gospel. And you know something? She seemed totally shocked that I wasn't making her sexuality the focal point of what we talked about when she found out I was a Christian. In fact, she was the one that brought it up in the first place after we got talking about God.

She didn't laugh at me, or yell at me, or turn around and walk away. I think I was probably as shocked as she was. But during that entire conversation, the Spirit never left. He was right there.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the purpose of the empowering of the Holy Spirit. What was it that made the early church so bold? Was it the fact that their Rabbi had just died and then risen? Probably. But what were they doing in the upper room days later? Waiting for the promised Spirit. After Pentacost, after tongues of fire rested on them, what did they do?

Well, you remember. Peter boldly proclaimed the Gospel, telling the crowds they weren't drunk but filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowered them for evangelism.

They didn't stay safe inside the upper room. We shouldn't stay safe in our churches. They were filled with the Spirit to boldly proclaim the Gospel to the lost. So should we.

I went downtown a year ago. Since then, I've gone out a few times to just talk with people about the Gospel. Why? Because I've been empowered by the Spirit, and because I've been commanded to by Jesus Himself to preach to the perishing. Not once have I ever been left alone by God to fend for myself.

The Bible Week Phenomenon

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:25 GMT

Is reminiscing a sign of age?!

Ah well - I was excited to find this small advert in one of the many Restoration Magazines I am reading tonight (that is scanned and at the bottom of this post). The Bible Weeks were a key part of the 1970's to 90s and some indeed have carried on (such as Grapevine) whereas others such as Stoneleigh Bible Week have closed down. Why were they such a part of the Charismatic Movement? William K Kay comments in his academic thesis; "Apostolic Networks in Britain - New Ways of Doing Church" - that;

"The big public events of the Dales and Downs Bible Weeks brought restorationism to public notice in the 1970's. Before then it's following had been small and invisible. The big Bible weeks made a resounding declaration and established a trend".

In terms of statistics William Kay stated;

"By 1987 it was estimated that restorationist numbers in the UK as a whole had grown from 20,000 to 75,000; indeed by 1987 there were some 20 Bible Weeks a year in the UK catering for 100,000 people ... the cry that God had finished with denominations seemed all too obviously confirmed".

Those who are familiar with UK charismatic history will know that as the Dales Bible Week reached it's heights in the early 1980's and Bryn Jones encouraged other Bible Weeks to begin in different locations of the UK. This generous and pioneering spirit demonstrates that Bryn was far from trying to build his own empire - but his spirit was for God to be famous throughout the nations.

The Downs Bible Week began under Terry Virgo and Coastlands down on the south coast of England which then became the famous Stoneleigh Bible Week near Coventry.

The South and West Bible Week began near Bristol in south-west England under Tony Morton - which has now become New Wine and Soul Survivor .

And my home church - New Covenant Church in Dunstable - began the Anglia Bible Week first held at Chadacre and then the Royal Norfolk Showground. Ern Baxter was our main visiting speaker in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985 saw Bob Mumford visiting - with Peter Parris and Peter Lewis also contributing to ministry alongside Stanley himself.

So here is the advert for the first Anglia Bible Week below. The logo of the tree was famous among us as kids. Each year we were given badges with the logo on and each year the colour would change.