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  • The letter of RT Kendall to the UK Church

    The letter of RT Kendall to the UK Church

    Best-selling author, speaker and the former leader of London’s Westminster Chapel, RT Kendall celebrates his 80th birthday this summer. Premier Christianity magazine asked him to pen an open letter to the UK Church.

    To my dear brothers and sisters in the UK Church, I must be one of the most fortunate Americans ever to live in Britain. You have given me my ministry, my identity and some of my all-time best friends. It is here I began to appreciate irony, subtlety and understatement. I cannot adequately express the sense of gratitude I feel toward you all. What is especially encouraging for me is meeting an ever-increasing number of church leaders, many of them young, who have a genuine thirst for God. This speaks well for tomorrow’s generation.

    It is to tomorrow’s generation I share some things on my heart.

    Don’t water down the message

    Firstly, the priority of the gospel. My greatest hope for British evangelicals is that the gospel will never be taken for granted. I have been thrilled to learn how many church leaders and many evangelists have the same concern. The gospel is always under siege, particularly at a theological level. The enemy will always seek to rob the gospel of both its stigma and power. I applaud those who affirm Paul’s teaching of the blood of Christ propitiating the justice of God. Our calling is not to make the gospel palatable but to tell it as it is, and this includes the unpalatable truth about God’s wrath and the judgement to come.

    We all want people to become Christians. But why? To make them nicer people to live with? To cause them to be materially better off? Or to live longer? Paul said that if ‘in this life only’ we have hope in Christ we are to be pitied (1 Cor 15:19). Why should we long for people to become Christians? It is because of the wrath of God. The earliest message of the New Testament was to ‘flee’ from the wrath to come. The Bible in a nutshell is this: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that we should ‘not perish’ but have eternal life (John 3:16).

    I’d rather be known in hell than admired in the world

    I love to visit the Holy Land to be where Jesus did miraculous things. I also love to visit places where the Holy Spirit did extraordinary things. At least four times I have stood and meditated on a vacant lot in Enfield, Connecticut where on 8th July 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached his historic sermon ‘Sinners in the hands of an angry God’. So great was God’s power that people literally held on to pews in the church and to tree trunks outside to keep from slipping into hell.

    Affirm the whole of scripture

    Secondly, I affirm the God of the Old Testament. I am always amazed and reassured that Jesus never apologised for the God of the Old Testament – his father! This includes being unashamed of the Genesis account of creation, especially: ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them’ [Genesis 1:27, NIV 1984, italics mine]. The modern redefinition of marriage reflects a disdain for God’s plan in making us male and female. I thank God for those who have resisted this trend, and hold to a biblical definition of traditional marriage.

    References to the inspiration of scripture in the New Testament include the 39 books of the Old Testament. If we affirm the New Testament it means we affirm the Old Testament too. I accept there are things in the Old Testament that are hard to swallow. Yes. But this is true with the New Testament too. Part of bearing the stigma for Christ is the willingness to look like fools in the eyes the world.

    Remarry the word and the spirit

    Thirdly, the word and the spirit will come together as it did in the book of Acts. There is a growing conviction that a remarriage between the word and the spirit is God’s way. I say this because those truly open to the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the operation of spiritual gifts are now in the majority among evangelicals in the UK. Sadly for me, this is not the case in the United States.

    We will not win people over by theological argument alone

    By word I mean the centrality of the gospel. By spirit I mean signs, wonders and miracles. I believe that it will mean a spontaneous combustion of power and authority for the Church and a wake-up call to the nation. Never forget that John Newton, famous for his hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, was the impetus behind William Wilberforce, who brought incalculable social change to the world. While we wait for this nation-changing awakening, we may thank God for encouraging signs now.

    We need the spirit of Christ in us

    Fourthly, our very lives must make the world want what we have. Arthur Blessitt was given an open door in Amman when an Arab sheikh noticed him across a restaurant. The sheikh said, ‘I want what you’ve got.’ There was something

    about Arthur’s countenance that gripped this Arab. Arthur led him to Christ. We will not win people over by theological argument alone but by a different spirit in us than is in the world.

    What will win the world will not come about by the keenest intellect humiliating an opponent but by the most transparently Christ-like person melting hearts. When Paul determined to know nothing among the Corinthians but Jesus Christ and him ‘crucified’ [1 Corinthians 2:2], it was his commitment both to the objective gospel of the cross but also subjectively to the manner of life he proposed to live before those who had never heard the gospel.

    Part of bearing the stigma for Christ is the willingness to look like fools in the eyes the world

    Who are you impacting?

    My old mentor Rolfe Barnard preached a sermon called ‘The man who was known in hell’. It was based upon the incident in Acts when a demon said, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ (19:15 [NIV]). Rolfe pointed out that it was Jesus and Paul – and not the man trying to cast out demons – who had a reputation in hell. That sermon influenced me deeply when I was young, helping me to aspire to be a threat to the devil. If I had to choose I’d rather be known in hell than admired in the world.

    Robert Murray M’Cheyne saw a true touch of revival in Scotland. Six months after he died in 1843 a young minister travelled to St Peter’s Church, Dundee to inquire what M’Cheyne’s secret had been. An old elder took the young

    preacher to M’Cheyne’s desk, saying to him: ‘Put your elbows on the desk and place your forehead in your hands, and let the tears flow.’ The elder then took the young man to M’Cheyne’s pulpit, telling him: ‘Now put your elbows on the pulpit and place your forehead in your hands, and let the tears flow.’ M’Cheyne had a passion for the lost. May God grant us a fresh passion for the unsaved who are in danger of the wrath to come.

    After M’Cheyne died, a letter addressed to him was found in his coat pocket. It was written by a man who had heard him preach the previous Sunday. In it he wrote that he came to the church unconverted, but the sight of M’Cheyne’s face – not the sermon itself – so gripped this man that he could not help himself – and was instantly saved.

    We need to make a greater impact on our generation and on generations to come.

    ‘T’was not the truth you taught, to you so clear, to me so dim;

    But when you came to me you brought a sense of Him.

    Yes, from your eyes He beckoned me, from your heart His love was shed;

    When I lost sight of you and saw the Christ instead.’

    (Anon)

    Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus loves the Church. He loves the UK. So stay strong in the work God has called you to and never be ashamed of the gospel. Proclaim it with power and truth. May the grace of our Lord Jesus

    Christ, through the sprinkling of his blood by the Holy Spirit, be with you all evermore.

    Amen.

  • Prophetic Responsibility

       Prophetic Responsibility

     

    Many of us claim to speak for God these days, but how many of us really do speak for God? There are a lot of people who claim to have a prophetic gift and give out words introduced by “the Lord told me…” There are countless others who would not appear to be prophetic but nonetheless claim they hear directly from the Lord. Perhaps they do.

    I do believe God speaks directly to people today. To uphold this premise is not to add to Scripture. When God spoke to Philip as He did (Acts 8:29) or to Agabus (Acts 11:28), this is not adding to Scripture. Paul posed the possibility of God making things clear to us in a direct manner (Phil.3:15).

    Speaking personally, I live to hear directly from God. I will take any word from Him I can get – however He might be pleased to send it – whether via Scripture, another person’s insights, a hymn or even an audible voice. Yes, an audible voice; not that you could hear it if you were in the same room, but clearly audible to me. I live for insight – thoughts and interpretations of God’s word that I’d never seen before. I am in my highest realm of ecstasy when this happens.

    The question is, how much are we to share with others when we hear from God? Are we to claim “the Lord told me” when we have an impression we feel is from the Holy Spirit? The question is: how many of these words or feelings are really from the Lord? Should it bother us that so many words do not come to pass which were prefaced by “the Lord told me”? What do you suppose God in Heaven thinks of all this?

    Why is this issue important?

    Why is this particular blog important? When a word does not come to pass which was introduced by “the Lord told me”, obviously something has gone wrong. It dishonors the Name of the Lord. It brings discredit upon the gift of prophecy.

    Should we not apologize? Surely if the Lord says something it is going to be exactly right. But why do people continue using the phrase “the Lord told me” when they keep getting it wrong? And yet God does sometimes truly speak to us? If so, should we not attribute such a word to Him? Or say it differently? Is there a right time for saying “the Lord told me” when one has a word they feel is truly from God?

    Is it not an encouragement when a prophetic person who has a solid reputation says “the Lord told me to tell you this”? Certainly. But what are we to believe if that word does not come to pass? Does it mean the person who made the claim is a false prophet? Not necessarily. Luke portrays Agabus as a true prophet in Acts 11:28 and yet an objective scrutiny of Agabus’s word in Acts 21:11 will lead you to ask, “Is that really what happened?” Not really. Does that mean Agabus was a false prophet? No. But Agabus said, “The Holy Spirit says”. Did He? The subsequent events were not exactly the way Agabus predicted. Luke simply states what Agabus says.

    Saying “the Lord told me” is a habit prophetic people find hard to break.

    Personal confession

    I will come clean. Although I do not claim to have a prophetic gift I have made this mistake a thousand times, e.g. saying, “The Lord told me”, or “the Lord gave me this sermon” etc. There have been times it may truly have been from the Lord, and yet to say “the Lord gave me this sermon” does not mean that every word in it is like Scripture!

    Six levels of prophecy

    Prophecy – if it is true prophecy – is a word directly from God unfiltered by human embellishment whether it pertains to the past, present or future. But there are levels of prophecy. Not all prophecy is of the same caliber. There are levels of prophecy – as in a pyramid, starting from the bottom:

    1. General exhortation (encouragement) as to a congregation. Dr. Michael Eaton calls this “low level prophecy”. The kind of prophecy Paul encouraged was of this sort; he was not motivating someone to become an another Elijah. Someone may have a “word” – whether from a hymn, dream or even a vision. But such a word needs to be tested. We are not to despise such prophesying (1 Thess.5:20). But all needs to be tested. In any case, as I will attempt to show below, one should not say “the Lord told me”. He or she may feel it is from the Lord, but there is no need to add “the Lord told me”. I urge: do not claim that all you feel is from the Lord. You can always say, “I think I am supposed to share this with you”. No harm done this way.
    1. Specific warnings. Certain disciples urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. Luke sides with them; he says they warned Paul “through the Spirit” (Acts 21:4). Agabus similarly warned Paul, saying “the Holy Spirit says” (Acts 21:11). And yet Paul refused to heed their warning. Who got it right? Was Paul wrong to ignore them? Agabus may have been wrong; Paul may have been wrong. But it did not seem to bother Paul in any case for he went to Jerusalem anyway.
    1. Prophetic preaching. Peter said one should speak as if his words were the “very words of God” (“oracles” – KJV – 1 Pet.4:11). This is what I wish would be the case in my own preaching. My basic style is expository and pastoral. But nothing thrills me more than when someone says to me, “How did you know I was there today? That is exactly what I needed”. Expository preaching can be prophetic without the preacher being conscious of this. Even if he is conscious of the Lord’s enabling, he should be humble about it and not say “thus says the Lord”. I will return to this below.
    1. When forced to testify during persecution. Jesus said, “When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will ve given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matt.10:19-20).
    1. Non-canonical prophecy. Nathan, Gad, Elijah and Elisha are examples of non-canonical prophets. Could there be prophets of this magnitude and stature today? I believe so. Then can they say “the Lord told me”? I reply: they should be the most wary of all in saying things like “the Lord says”. Why? It is because they will be watched and examined with the most painful scrutiny. If they will keep the Name of the Lord out – but simply say “I feel I must say this to you” (or something like that), they will maintain their integrity, credibility and anointing. Many a modern prophet could be saved incalculable embarrassment had they been more modest in their claims.
    1. Holy Scripture. This includes all of the Old Testament – with the canonical prophets – and all of the New Testament. Scripture is God’s final revelation. No one will ever have authority to speak like this. If any man or woman claims to speak on the same level as Holy Scripture they are utterly out of order and will be found out sooner or later.

    Limits of prophecy

    There are several scriptures most relevant here. First, remember that each of us has but a “measure of faith” (Rom.12:3). This means there is a limit to our faith. Only Jesus had a perfect faith because He alone had the Holy Spirit without limit (John 4:34). Second, for those who prophesy it must be done in two ways: (a) in “proportion” to their faith (Rom.12:6) – not going beyond the anointing – and (b) according to the analogy of faith. The Greek word translated “proportion” is analogia. This means comparing scripture with scripture, making sure you are within the bounds of sound theology! Third, remember that prophecies will cease (1 Cor.13:8-9). This means there are seasons of the prophetic. The word of the Lord was “rare” at one time in ancient Israel (1 Sam.3:1). Amos spoke of a famine of hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11). This means that sometimes God chooses to say nothing. God may choose not to speak for a generation. If so, how foolish to pretend to speak for Him. Rare is that prophetic person who will refuse to be drawn out to give a “word” when there is not clearly such a word! A common mistake of many prophetic people is that they have some form of “spiritual experience” and get a true word from God but then embellish it with personal exhortation or theological teaching based on their own experience to justify the spin which may or may not be from God. Fourth, Paul said that we know in part and we prophecy in part. This means nobody knows everything and no prophet has unlimited knowledge.

     Protocol or Guidelines of Prophecy

    There are certain principles we must follow if maintain transparent integrity. First, don’t go beyond what is given. This is much the same thing as “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Cor.4:6). So too with a prophetic word; do not embellish it.

    Second, be very, very careful to honor the Name of the Lord. I come now to the most sober part of this blog. What I share now is already in print in two places: my exposition Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5:33-37) and my exposition of James, The Way of Wisdom (James 5:12).

    Honor the THIRD COMMANDMENT: “Do not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain” – ESV (“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God” – NIV)

    Jesus gave His interpretation of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount. First, regarding the 6th Command: murder – Matt.5:21ff. Second, the 7th Command: adultery – Matt.5:27ff. And then the 3rd Command: on the Name of the Lord – Matt.5:33-37. James quoted Jesus in James 5:12 “Above all, brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else,. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No”, no, or you will be condemned”. Here James addressed those workers in the field who had been mistreated by wealthy believers. The temptation for poor laborers in the fields was to say “God is on our side and against you”. James thunders a warning against taking sides and using God’s Name. It is the worst form of “name-dropping”, that is, using God’s Name to make yourself look good.

    Misusing God’s Name is when you bring Him into your conversation to elevate your own credibility. You are thinking of yourself, not Him. Perhaps you want people to think you are so spiritual? SO close to God?

    I have done this too often over the years – I am ashamed to say. I have sought to stop it. I believe I am to share this to everybody in these last days. Did the LORD tell me to share this? You tell me.

    The issue here is the oath. One of the greatest privileges a Christian can have is for God to swear an oath to them like He did to Abraham. The Oath is seen when God grants the highest level of faith; this is what lay behind the miraculous in the Bible. If granted the oath from God to us may pertain to (1) assurance of salvation (Heb.4:10; 10:22); (2) advanced notice of answered prayer (Mark 11:24; 1 John 5:15); (3) knowing you have got it right theologically (Col.2:2); (4) the prayer of faith for healing. (Jas.5:15 – ESV) and (5) a prophetic word.

    All prophecy must be done in proportion to our faith; it is only when the oath is given to us that we know infallibly we have been given a word from God. This is what lay behind Elijah’s authority. As I show in These are the Days of Elijah, Elijah had authority before Ahab because of God’s oath to him. It is only when God swears an oath to you can you have the kind of authority that Elijah had before Ahab. Elijah did not bite his nails for the next several years if he saw a cloud in the sky. He calmly said to the king, “It won’t rain unless I say so”. How could Elijah be so sure? “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). That is oath language.

    Any prophecy should make GOD look “good” not the prophet. If you say “thus saith the Lord” you must know what you are claiming: namely, God has sworn an oath to you. When Elijah said, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives”, it meant God swore an oath to him. If therefore you say “the Lord told me”, you had better get it right; otherwise you are abusing His Name.

    Let’s be honest. Why would I say to you, “The Lord told me”? Am I trying to make GOD look God? Sorry. I am trying to make myself look good – or, at least, I am hoping you will believe what I say since it is from “the Lord”.

    Question: what if the Lord really DID give you a word? Good. I am thrilled for you. But do you need to tell it to me? What would be your motive in saying the LORD gave you this word? To make Him look good? Or to make YOU look good?

    If you say “my motive is to encourage people”, I believe you. But what if that word does not come true? How often will you get away with this repeated claim “the Lord says”?

    Loving caution: keep God’s Name out unless you would go to the stake for what you are claiming.

    You can always say, “I feel I should share this word with you”. If the word is truly from God, it will be recognized in due course; no need to rush it!

    I am not saying you should never say “the Lord told me” or “Thus says the Lord”. I am urging you never to say it unless you have that oath level assurance that God has spoken. If you would not go to the stake for the truth of what you are saying, simply leave the Lord’s name out and say, “I am compelled to share this with you”. You are safe if the word is not from above. You will not be embarrassed and you will not have abused God’s Name.

    Remember, James said, “Above all” do not misuse the Lord’s Name or “you will be condemned”. Misusing His Name isn’t worth it.

    RT

  • John Paul Jackson (1950-2015)

    John Paul Jackson (1950-2015)

     

    As it happens, I write these lines on the eve of John Paul’s memorial service. The irony is, I thought it would be the other way around, that is, he would be speaking at my memorial service; I will be 80 in a few months; he was only 64.

    In January 1991 Louise and I flew to Anaheim, California, courtesy of John Wimber. I met Mike Bickel the next day and he was keen to have me meet someone. I sat in a room that looked like a doctor’s office. In no time my name was called. I was introduced to John Paul Jackson by Mike, although he did not tell John Paul my name or anything about me. For the next several minutes John Paul told me things about my life that seemed to me to be supernaturally revealed to him. He then prophesied a number of things; some have come to pass, some have not. Those which have come to pass include three books he said I would write and especially that I would have influence one day in South Africa. When it was all over, as I was leaving I turned to him and said, “Young man, if what you say is true the world will know about it; if what you say is false, the world will know about it”. I forgot I said that. John Paul has repeated this several times. He said it scared him nearly to death.

    Mike Bickel brought John Paul to see me in my vestry at Westminster Chapel in 1993. It was then John Paul gave more prophecies, especially one about our son T. R. – an almost incredible word that came true with amazing accuracy in 1995. The next time I saw John Paul was in September 2001, a couple weeks after 9/11. He then gave me the most astonishing and thrilling prophecy I have ever received. However, this one has not been fulfilled. A couple years later I preached with him for CLAN in Scotland – two years in a row. Subsequently I became a member of his Board. I introduced him to bonefishing in Bimini, Bahamas. I had hoped we would have a return trip to Bimini this year. Most of all, for some reason I thought that he and I would have some kind of ministry together. We had preached together a few times, were on TV together, did some videos, but most recently a planned trip to India had to be canceled and also one to Hong Kong. So the thought of further ministry with him is now over. I am having to come to terms with life without John Paul.

    I spent about thirty minutes making a video for use at his memorial service. Because of time it was edited down to seven or eight minutes. One of the things left out (they had to edit it because of time for other speakers) was John Paul’s emphasis on “character is more important than gifting”. One would have thought this goes without saying, but, sadly, there were a surprising number of Charismatic leaders who opposed this teaching. John Paul’s view regarding character over gifting was one of the main things that made me feel comfortable about him. Holiness is more important than seeing miracles.

    But now he is gone. The Lord snatched him away. Yes. It was the Lord. If you think it was a victory for Satan, shame on you! God is bigger than the devil. Why God was pleased to take John Paul is unprofitable speculation. But what is not speculation is God’s will to do this. We may never know why. It is none of our business. What is our business is to focus on God and trust in His faithfulness and sovereignty. My heart goes out to Diane his wife and their two sons – also those connected to Streams Ministries whose future may be in doubt. But God will look after each of them, be sure of that.

    I will miss him. I am pretty sure I will miss him more than almost anyone who reads these lines. I shall seek the face of God more earnestly than ever – not to find out why God took John Paul but what we are to do in days ahead. I have only a vague idea. It will be interesting for me to see if John Paul’s most daring words concerning my own future will come true. Don’t ask me what they are. I will only say that if they are true, (1) I will be around a while longer and (2) God has plenty for me to do.

    I must say that one of the most helpful prophetic words he gave me was some ten years ago when we lived in Key Largo, Florida. Out of the blue he said: “R. T., you will live to a ripe old age. But if you don’t get in shape physically you won’t be around to enjoy it” (or words to that effect). I took them seriously. These words changed my life. Steve Strang gave me exercises which I do regularly to this day. T. R. bought be a special book on dieting. I have no doubt that I would not have come through open heart surgery so brilliantly 7 years ago – or be able to travel the world as I do – had not John Paul have given me those unexpected words. And yet I still thought I would die first. I think he did too. I think he was counting on a miracle to raise him up right to his death.

    So John Paul was not right about everything. After all, Paul said, “We know in part and we prophesy in part” (1 Cor.13:9). Also, we prophesy “in proportion to our faith” (Rom.12:6). And since nobody has a perfect faith except Jesus (John 4:34), none of us of us should expect to be infallible in our understanding of God’s word or in our application of it. That is enough to humble us. None of us is perfect.

    Many of us have a lot of thinking to do. I know I do. I don’t think we should be hasty in trying to figure things out. I do suspect that there needs to be a sea change or paradigm shift in much of our thinking about the prophetic realm. For my part, I am a “word” man. I don’t claim to have a prophetic gift. I only want to know what God wants me to know – nothing more.

    One last thing (for now). I myself have made a big deal about prophetic people not saying “the Lord told me” when they utter their words. The habit of saying “the Lord told me” is the hardest to break for people like this. But John Paul not only agreed with me but asked me to share this perspective at his last Convergence Conference with seventy or eighty prophetic people present. I was very forthright with them – fully expecting them to be against me. If they were, they didn’t show it. In fact, all I talked with agreed with me. Whether they will be able to put into practice what I talked about – not saying “the Lord told me” – remains to be seen. It is my view that you and I should not say “the Lord told me this or that”; it is transgressing the Third Commandment not to take the Name of the Lord in vain or misuse His Name (Exod.20:7; Matt.5:33-37). To make the audacious claim “the Lord told me” means that God swore an oath to you which in turn means you can’t get it wrong. But thousands do get it wrong, which goes to show the Lord didn’t tell them after all. I fear that our desire to say “the Lord told me” is not out of the wish to give Him glory but to make ourselves more credible – which is not right to do.

    I thank God for John Paul. It was a privilege to know him. Let us honor him but without esteeming him too much – or God will be displeased with us.

     

    R.T. Kendall

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NEW YEAR’S LETTER 2015

    NEW YEAR’S LETTER 2015

     

    Dear Friends:

    “A wide door for effective work has opened to me”

    • 1 Corinthians 16:9a (ESV).

    As Billy Graham put it sometime ago, “The longer I live, the faster time flies”. So true. That is both scary and glorious. Scary, knowing we have so little time. But glorious, knowing the best is yet to come!

    Louise and I live on Hickory Lake, a beautiful view – the same lake Johnny Cash lived on and (I am told) so does Dolly Parton. The problem is, I am here so seldom that I don’t get to enjoy it. I did a little bit of fishing with grandson Toby. Louise and I recently asked ourselves, “Why can’t we retire like other people our age and have more down time together?” I have promised her we would do better in this area. One of my daily prayer requests is when to say Yes and when to say No. We would appreciate any reader of these lines to help us pray regarding this. Louise travels with me less and less, TR more and more.

    Louise and I return to London the end of January 2015. We will be living in the Nottinghill Gate area until July 6, 2015 – guests of Colin Dye and Kensington Temple, then resume preaching here in the USA (and other places). But we would SO like to slow down. To spend more time with each other. And with our grandsons. And fish a bit.

    These things said, I am so thankful that at my age I am still wanted by people in many parts of the world. Apart from some arthritis, I have pretty good energy, my mind is clear, my voice the same and my preaching is received with more favor than at anytime in my life. God has been so good to us, the boundary lines have indeed fallen in pleasant places (Psa.16:6).

    My next open letter will come on my 80th birthday. My book It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over will come out then. Yogi Berra has given a blurb, “I hope this book will help many people”. It is not only about finishing well but not giving up when it comes to prayer and dreams.

    My heaviness as I write is that Revival has not come yet. But it will. The Midnight Cry is at hand.

    God bless you all. Thank you for your prayers. They are more precious than gold. From Louise and me, TR and Annette, Toby and Timothy, Rex and Melissa, warmest best wishes for 2015.

    R T (Romans 8:28).

  • The Perfect Prayer Partner

    I am almost afraid to ask people to pray for me. I need it more than anything. But sometimes the cost is too high. Those who offer to pray for you often say, “How can I pray for you?” You tell them. Then they want your address and phone number and before you know it they want to move in with you!
    I suspect Billy Graham could have had millions praying for him thirty  minutes a day if he promised that his intercessors could spend an afternoon with him at his Black Mountain home in North Carolina – and repeat it annually.
    Who is willing to pray for a leader and keep quiet about it?
    It is often said that D. L. Moody’s success came largely through one man who prayed for him regularly. When I was at Westminster Chapel I had one man who prayed for me an hour a day for the whole of my twenty-five years there. No one knew about it, neither did he phone several times a day to see if any of his prayers were answered or if there were more needs I might share with him.
    By the way, I do have one or two who pray for me regularly – and they do it unselfishly. I so thank God for people like this. They are more valuable than gold.
    I read an article nearly sixty years ago entitled “Where are the intercessors?” The title speaks volumes to me. Jesus’ chief role at the right hand of God is that of intercessor. And yet we are still asked to pray for one another. The Apostle Paul pleaded for people to pray for him. I suspect one of the most unselfish things you can do for another person is to pray for them – truly pray for them.
    Who is the perfect intercessor? I reply:
    1. They are faithful. Some promise to pray for you. You never know if they do. And yet you are afraid to ask them if they did; otherwise you are diverted and end up spending more time talking about praying than praying. The devil does not mind talk about prayer. He does not want praying.
    Satan trembles when he sees
    The weakest saint upon his knees.
    The perfect intercessor really will pray for you.
        2. They feel. They don’t merely utter perfunctory words to the Throne of Grace; they feel what they pray. Jesus is touched with the feeling of our weaknesses (Heb.4:15- -KJV).
    The perfect prayer partner not only takes your requests on board but will pray with a burden in your behalf. Wow. Think about that. Who do you know who will pray with feeling for you? They care. They care whether God steps in to answer them. They know that what you want them to pray about they do with compassion and earnestness. After all, that is the way Jesus prays.
    Who do you know who prays for you like this? Your mother (perhaps)? To find someone who will take on your request with a burden is like finding a diamond in a forest.
         3. They are faceless. They won’t be in-your-face asking, “How else can I pray?” Or “Have you had an answer yet?” Or “Could I spend time with you and pray with you about these things?” Or “How often can we meet?”
    When people want your time more than they want to pray they are not what you need.
    Where is that faceless person who will take on the burden of a leader and pray faithfully with feeling and be willing to be rewarded in Heaven – and not on earth?
    You may say: “The perfect prayer partner does not exist”. You may be right. But, that said, I would somehow like to think that the Holy Spirit will use this word to grip someone out there to be an intercessor – and keep quiet about it. They tell nobody that they pray for you. They tell God. They might tell you – once. Good.  Or twice. After all, it is sweet to know that someone promises to pray for you. And it would be nice to know if they were faithful. The truth is, one can convey this to the person without being manipulative. One way is to tell them afterwards – that is, that you have been praying for them.  Josif Tson was almost overwhelmed when Martyn Lloyd-Jones told him, “I have prayed for you everyday” during a time Josif was being persecuted in Romania.
    You may say, “You are being unfair. People need to know they are needed and appreciated”. Granted. I accept that. I still pray for that person out there who might hold me up with my needs who will seek God’s face and not be in my face – and who prefers the reward in Heaven to my approval.
    RT

  • China December 2014

    China December 2014

    Our son TR and I recently returned from a very gratifying trip to Shanghai. We give God all the praise and glory for the favor given us by all we met there.

    We went as guests of the International Church of Shanghai. The pastor is Daniel Ho. Coming from Singapore, Daniel is a good man, theologically sound and totally devoted to God and His Word. This is a church open to passport holders, such mainly being business people from all over the world, especially Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Shanghai. A few Brits and Americans also attend. I spoke four times on the Saturday December13th to about 300 who came to the seminars. I spoke on The Gospel, Total Forgiveness, Totally Forgiving Ourselves and Totally Forgiving God (not that He is culpable of anything but we must set Him free for what He allows which we do not understand). These seminars were simultaneously translated into Chinese. The CDs and videos will spread far and wide. I preached twice on the Sunday to 800 people, mostly on Total Forgiveness and the Gospel. The response was truly wonderful – both in the number of those who stood to profess faith in Christ and hundreds who came forward to demonstrate total forgiveness. The need to show total forgiveness is everywhere in the world!

    As I understand it, there are basically three categories of Christians in China. First, the Three-Self Church (self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating). We were not involved with this movement on this particular visit. Second, the Home Church or House Church Movement. Third, the international churches, like the one we visited in Shanghai. This is the group that opened the door for me to speak in China.

    The trilogy of Total Forgiveness (as described in the sermons above) has been translated into Chinese by the Green Olive press in Beijing and is available all over China. More books are coming down the road. It is amazing that God has opened this door. The books have sold widely and quickly. Please pray that the publisher and translator will have wisdom on which books to do next and that the numbers who read these will be in hundreds of thousands not merely tens of thousands!

    I do not profess to being highly cognizant of the situation in China. I can only give my impressions. Having visited the Soviet Union years ago – preaching to registered churches there, what we saw in China indicates a greater opportunity and openness than we saw in Russia. Never once did we feel “followed” or “watched”. I was totally surprised by hearing Christmas carols (O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night and virtually all Christian carols) in our hotel and in shopping centers – what you might not hear in American stores!

    We have been invited back for December 2015, and we could come much sooner if only my diary would allow it. I think too of the first part of 1 Corinthians 16:9, for a great door has been opened to us.

    I would not be surprised to see true Revival – greater than they have seen so far – break out in China at any moment. Christianity is growing there in any case at an amazing rate. One must walk in the door that is opened, and I am humbled that God has opened a door to me.

    Please pray for China – and all Christians there, including those in the Three-Self churches.

    RT

  • MY FOURTH VISIT TO ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT

    MY FOURTH VISIT TO ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT

    Some people love to go to the Holy Land to see where Jesus lived, walked and performed miracles. I myself do this every year. But there is something else I love to do when I can: to visit places where the Holy Spirit came down in power. I am thinking of two places in particular. First, the area called Cane Ridge in Bourbon County, Kentucky – the site of America’s second Great Awakening. Second, Enfield, Connecticut, where Jonathan Edwards preached his notable sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, the title the printer gave it.

    Louise and I recently made our fourth trip to Enfield. There is a vacant field on a corner, across the street from the Montessori school. I am told that the residents of Enfield are rather embarrassed by it. On this vacant lot there is a small monument with this inscription:

    This boulder marks the place where stood the Second Meeting House of the First Church of Christ in Enfield. Built A.D.1704 and used for worship until 1775. In this Meeting House on July 8, 1741 during the revival known as “THE GREAT AWAKENING” Jonathan Edwards preached his celebrated sermon “SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD.

    Why would we make trips to this spot? I am not entirely sure of my motive, to be candid. But if pushed I would probably admit that I go there to pray – and to ask the Lord, “Do it again”. Why there? Could I not pray at home? Yes. I tell people this when I take them to Israel. It is far more important to discover Jesus by the Holy Spirit than to come to the Sea of Galilee if you expect Jesus will be more real there. You can even become superstitious about going to the Holy Land. This could be said about my trips to Enfield – three of these took over four hours each time.

    So why ever do this? I will come clean. I am in awe of that sermon and its alleged effects. Taking his text from Deuteronomy 32:35, “Their feet shall slide in due time” (KJV), Edwards preached a sermon on Hell and eternal punishment that was so powerful that people talk about it to the present day. You can Google it and read it in its entirety. The bottom line of the sermon can be summed up: it is by the very mercy of God you are not in Hell right now.

    If you read the sermon, chances are it will have little or no effect on you. You might therefore be surprised to learn of the effect it had when it was first preached. As Edwards spoke – reading from a manuscript, the people began to moan and audibly sigh. He paused and asked the people to get quiet so he could finish. But the groans became greater. When he finished people were seen holding on to church pews to keep from sliding into Hell, men were seen outside the meeting house holding on to tree trunks to keep from sliding into Hell.

    It only happened once. This is important. Because Edwards preached the same sermon elsewhere two weeks later – with no effect at all. God only did it one time. Once was enough – just to show His power and what He can do at His sovereign will.

    But there is more. Had Edwards not spoken the truth the Holy Spirit would not have put His seal on that word as He did. To me the sermon is one of the best indications of the reality of the New Testament teaching of eternal punishment. God would not have owned that sermon were it not grounded in the truth of His Word. I will tell you one more thing: the way that sermon was used by the Holy Spirit is one of the things that has kept me convinced of the New Testament teaching on Hell. It has also helped keep me from imbibing the teaching of annihilation. Annihilationism – a fast growing teaching among Evangelicals in recent years – can be very convincing. Some of the most respected Christian ministers have embraced it. I cannot.

    Word of the sermon spread all over New England in days, into England in weeks. It was arguably the high water mark of the Great Awakening, a period that lasted from around 1735 to 1750. When I get to Heaven I want to see a DVD of the whole episode.

    Isaac Watts the hymn writer, hearing of it in England weeks later, affirmed the truth of the sermon but thought there should have been the preaching of the Gospel in it. Fair point. But it is also likely that Edwards knew these people had been taught the Gospel over and over again. However, I agree with Watts. I try to bring in the Gospel in all my sermons, never taking anyone’s knowledge of it for granted.

    When I was in Geneva I sat in John Calvin’s chair. I prayed that God might be pleased to use me in our day as He used Calvin in his day. So when I bowed my head on the site of Edwards’ immortal sermon a few weeks ago I will admit that I asked God to use me as He did Edwards in his day. I don’t pretend to have Edwards’ intellect. He is without doubt the greatest theologian America ever produced. I have never preached a sermon on Hell like Edwards did, although I have one or two sermons on eternal punishment. I only want to be a vessel that God could use anyway He chose to.

     

    RT Kendall

     

  • The Faith of Christ

    The Faith of Christ

    I can remember the first time I saw the phrase “faith of Christ” outside the Bible. It was when the Scottish theologian T. F. Torrance, arguably the most famous Barthian in the world, wrote that we are not saved by our faith but “by the faith of Christ”. It shook me, to be honest. It showed an entirely new way of how salvation is out of our hands; it is what God does. It almost made me a Barthian. But thank God I was saved from this fatal error. Please read on.

    I was a student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky when it was liberal. During that time I flirted a little with Barthianism. What saved me was when the Holy Spirit amazingly directed me at my most critical moment to Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (KJV). I never looked back. What struck me about Romans 10:9 is the little word “if”. IF is truly the biggest word in the dictionary!

    According to T. F. Torrance (whom I knew fairly well – and admired), all people are already saved for this reason: Jesus believed for all and we are saved by Jesus’ faith. But Paul said we are saved “if” we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. For Torrance people are saved whether they believe it or not. For Paul people are saved only if they believe.

    That said, there was something about the phrase “faith of Christ” that still rang true. For one thing, the old King James Version – how I thank God for it or I may never have come to see the truth of this blog – carefully and literally translates pistis christou as “faith of Christ” (as in Galatians 2:16, 20). Or pisteos Ieesou Christou as “faith of Jesus Christ” (Rom.3:22). The grammatical issue is whether it is the subjective genitive – Jesus’ own faith – or the objective genitive – faith in Christ. All modern versions sadly translate pistis christou as faith in Christ. As a consequence, virtually a whole generation has missed what I believe is a most fundamental issue when it comes to justification by faith alone.

    I begin with Romans 1:17, that the righteousness of God is revealed “from faith to faith”: ek pisteos eis pistin. The NIV completely glosses over this, but at least the ESV translates it “faith for faith”. But even the ESV’s footnote suggests as an alternative translation: “beginning and ending in faith”. This is a dead giveaway that the translators of the ESV do not know what “faith to faith” or “faith for faith” means.

    So what does it mean? See Romans 3:22 (KJV) where the phrase “righteousness of God” appears again: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe”. Think about it for a moment. If Paul merely meant “faith in Jesus Christ” (ESV) why did he need to add “unto all and upon all them that believe”? It makes Paul redundant to say merely faith in Jesus Christ. The translators of the ESV do not translate every word but give their interpretation since they for some reason do not want to admit that Paul means subjective genitive by pistis christou.

    Look at Galatians 2:16: a man is not justified by the law “but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even as we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ” (KJV). There it is. Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:22 cohere perfectly: we believe IN Jesus Christ in order to be saved by the faith OF Jesus Christ. What is Paul’s point? The meritorious cause of salvation is Christ’s own faith. The reason, then, that Paul said that the righteousness of God is “from faith to faith” (Rom.1:17) is because our faith must be ratified by His faith – or we will not be saved.

    John Calvin talked about the meritorious cause of salvation (the atonement), the instrumental cause of salvation (our faith) and the efficient cause of salvation (the Holy Spirit). Calvin also stated that all which Christ did for the salvation of the human race is of “no value” until we believe. When Calvin says “no value” it destroys Barthianism. Torrance and Barth would claim that since Christ lived, believed and died for all, then all are saved. Wrong. This is why Paul says “faith to faith” and why he adds that we believe IN Jesus Christ to be saved BY FAITH OF Jesus Christ. That is the meaning of “faith to faith”. It also proves that the subjective genitive is the meaning of pistis christou.

    When I had my viva at Oxford one of my examiners was T. H. L. Parker, a translator of Calvin’s commentaries – England’s best-known Barthian. He immediately commented – virtually at the beginning of my viva – that my thesis exposed the difference between Calvin and Karl Barth. He was so right. My thesis argues that Calvin did not believe in classic limited atonement teaching but that Jesus died for all men “indiscriminately” (Calvin’s words). This made some think that Calvin was a universalist. No. Far from it. He was no Barthian, if I may put it that way. The funny thing was, I got the distinct impression from Dr. Parker that he was himself surprised – if not sobered – by my thesis. For Barthians love to call themselves Calvinists – which they are not!

    What then is so important about the faith “of” Christ, meaning His own faith? I answer: Jesus did everything for us – he was baptized for us, kept the Law for us, believed for us, died for us. But until we believe all He did is of “no value”. This teaching simultaneously shows the glory of the life and death of Jesus but the need of evangelism to get the Gospel to the world – the greatest failure of Barthianism. Karl Barth produced no evangelists, only those who would spread his teaching. Once Barth’s views are embraced the need for evangelism dies.

     

    RT Kendall

  • God’s Servant or His Friend?

    God’s Servant or His Friend?

    Would you prefer to be known by God as His servant or His friend? I put this question on my twitter and I think most who have responded have said they would prefer “friend”.

    Abraham was called God’s friend (2 Chron.20:7; Isa.41:8; James 2:23). Moses was also referred to as His friend. For “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exod.33:11). Near the end of the book of Deuteronomy, it is written that “no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut.34:10).

    Moses and Abraham – the two most acclaimed servants of the Lord in the Old Testament – were called God’s friends. God imputed righteousness to Abraham when Abraham believed the promise that his seed would be as the stars of the heavens (Gen.15:6). Later on God swore an oath to Abraham when he became willing to sacrifice Isaac (Gen.22:16). Such faithfulness led to Abraham being called God’s friend, although there is no indication that Abraham knew this. There is nothing in the book of Genesis that shows God called Abraham His friend. This was said of Abraham later – long after he died.

    Jesus said to the Eleven disciples (after Judas Iscariot left them, as in John 13:30), “You are my friends, if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14-15).

    The implication is, that being called “friend” is an upgrade from being “servant”. This is obvious or Jesus would not have said that they are “no longer” called servants. And yet Jesus stipulated that they were friends if they do what He commands. That is what servants do – obey. This means that friendship has obligations. I would add that “the Lord confides in those who fear him” (Psa.25:14). The King James translation: “the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him”. The English Standard Version: “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him”. This means that friendship with God is on offer – upon a condition: that we fear Him.

    Why do I raise the question? One reason is because we all would prefer to be regarded by God as His “friends”.

    However, there is something that moves me – sometimes almost to tears – when I read these words that open the book of Joshua: “Moses my servant is dead” (Josh.1:1). Why does this grip me so? Why is it that I would almost prefer to have God call me “servant” than “friend”? Is it because these words authenticate Joshua in a very special manner? Or does it not show what lay behind their friendship? “My servant” is the way the Lord chose to refer to Moses when announcing his death to Joshua. Why not “my friend” is dead? Could it be because we should aspire to be God’s servant before we could presume to be His friend?

    Martin Luther said you must know God as an enemy before you can know Him as a friend. It seems to me we must be known by God as servants before He would call us friends. The Eleven had been servants of Jesus. But toward the end of their time together He calls them friends.

    I would be thrilled no end if I knew that God called me his friend. And yet if I knew that, when I am gone, He called me His servant, I would feel so unworthy but so thankful. It would mean that God accomplished in me what He envisioned for me. That is the way I read God’s affirmation of Moses after he died. Surely it couldn’t be better than that.

     

    RT Kendall

  • The Sovereignty of God

    Does man have a free will? Answer: yes and no. Martin Luther (1483-1546) said “No” in his book The Bondage of the Will. Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) said “Yes” in his book Freedom of the Will. But Edwards’s thesis is that, whereas man is free to do what he wants to do, what is it he invariably wants to do? Answer: by nature he always has a proneness to evil. We love darkness rather than light because our deeds are evil (John 3:18). So Luther and Edwards came to the same conclusion: man is not free after all.

    We must bring St Augustine (354-430) into the mix. His famous “four stages” of man are very relevant:

    Stage One: man was born posse pecarre  – able to sin.

    Stage Two: after the fall man is non posse non pecarre – not able not to sin.

    Stage Three: after conversion man is posse non pecarre – able not to sin.

    Stage Four: after glorification – non posse pecarre – not able to sin.

    It is Augustine’s second stage that we should be mainly concerned with: the state of humankind after the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is granted that Adam and Eve had free will when they were first created but that was before their Fall. Everything changed after the Fall. So what of their seed – as in Able, Cain, Seth – and all of us? The answer: we are all born unable not to sin.

    So is man free? Before the Fall, yes. After the Fall, no.

    Does this teaching upset you?

    Paul says were born “dead” in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1). A dead man can do nothing unless infused with life from the Sovereign Redeemer. Try speaking to a dead man! He cannot answer because he cannot hear.

    Paul also says we were born “blind” (2 Cor.4:4). A blind man cannot see unless given sight by the Sovereign Redeemer. Try trying to get a blind man to see! He cannot see because he is blind.

    The issue regarding the free will of man is: are people born as Adam was before the Fall? No. We are all born in sin. I was shaped in iniquity, in sin did my mother conceive me (Psa.51:5). We were born speaking lies from our mother’s womb (Psa.58:3). This is why you don’t need to teach a child to do wrong. You do have to teach him or her to do what is right.

    The only way we come to faith is for God Himself to impart faith.

    Question: does one believe before he is regenerated? If regeneration means being “born again”, it means one must be given life before he or she can believe. It is not believing that precipitates the new birth; it is the new birth that enables one to believe and repent.

    After Adam and Eve sinned they were ejected from the Garden of Eden. The cherubim were placed their to keep them out (Gen.3:24). We have been kept out ever since. Only God can bring one to faith.

    But does God bring everybody to faith? Apparently not. Not all people believe, not all have faith. Who has it and who doesn’t have it? Those who have faith are given it by the gracious hand of a Sovereign God. A man can receive nothing unless it is given him from Heaven (John 3:27). “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth” (Jas.1:18 – ESV).

    Does this surprise you? Does this offend you? And yet it is clearly what Jesus taught. No one can come to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). The Son lives life to whom He will (John 5:21). No one knows the Son except those to whom the Son “chooses” to reveal Him (Matt.11:27). According to Luke, those who were “ordained” (KJV) or “appointed” (NIV) to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48).  Some think that Luke meant that those who believe were ordained to eternal life. Had Luke said that it would have been true. But that is not what he said. He said that those who were appointed to eternal life believed.

    I pointed Acts 13:48 out to a Greek professor at my Seminary many years ago. He insisted that all who believe are appointed to eternal life. But I pointed out that Luke said only those who were “appointed” believed. He replied: “I know, but I don’t agree with Luke”.

    The question is: will you believe the plain reading of Holy Scripture? Or do we read in what we want to believe into Holy Scripture?

    You will ask: If God makes the choice, why does He not choose everybody? You tell me. The nearest you get to the answer to that question is Jesus’ own response to this: it was the Father’s will – it seemed “good” in His sight (Matt.11:26-27).

    Don’t try to figure this out! Do you understand the Trinity? No. But do you not believe that God is in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit? I hope you do.

    Dr. J. I. Packer (one of my mentors at Oxford University) called all this an “antinomy” in his classic little book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. An antinomy is parallel principles that seem irreconcilable but both being true. For example, is Jesus 50% God and 50% man or 100% God and 100% man? The answer is: Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. So too with the sovereignty of God and man’s moral responsibility: God is 100% the Author of salvation, and yet man is 100% responsible for his or her condition.

    Whosoever will may come. Whoever is thirsty comes. But who makes a person thirsty? God. Who disdains the way of salvation? Those who refuse to believe.

    As for the popular idea that man is a “free moral agent”, I would point out: (1) man is not free; he is in dominion to sin. (2) He is not moral; the heart is deceitful above all things and incurably wicked (Jer.l7:9). And (3) man is not the agent; the Holy Spirit is the agent (John 6:63).

    If we get to Heaven, it will be by the sheer grace of God. If we refuse the Gospel we are to blame – not God. It is an antinomy.

    I have written this blog partly because it has come to me of late that many of those who read my tweets and blogs have not been aware of my views of the sovereignty of God. Perhaps this should not have surprised me, but it did.

    Now you know. After delivering His “hard sayings”, Jesus asked, “Do you take offense at this?” (John 6:61). Many of His followers did.  “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66).

     

    RT Kendall