When Scott wrote his review of "Together on a Mission 2007" he bemoaned the lack of Dave Holden's contribution to the preaching ministry last year. He had a fair point. I love Dave Holden! He is very practical and down-to-earth in the way he imparts truth but that truth is life-changing. I spent a quiet Sunday afternoon re-visiting some of the past "Together on a Mission" DVD's that I have got in my library and was taken by this point.
It is far too easy to get caught up in the politics of arguing which speaker would be best to speak at a conference but we can forget why conferences are actually of benefit to us. Yes Mark Heath wrote recently that they can be "feasts of the Word" when Mark Driscoll comes to visit. But I prefer to see conferences as Rob Rufus instructed Mobilise in July. They are high points of encountering God - where the opportunity is available to "learn the address of the Holy Spirit". To be able to go back to our homes, towns, cities and nations and remember how we can encounter God in power. Why is that important?
Dave Holden had one answer:
Yes it is vital that we encounter God for our own personal walks with Him. We must get to know Him as "Abba!" - our intimate and loving heavenly Father who has so much to pour out and lavish on us. But we also must get to know Him because there is a lost and needy world out there who are just as desperate to encounter reality. And what greater reality than the Living and awesome God - Creator of the Universe!
Are you receiving the Holy Spirit in power? Are you "be being filled"? If so - are you giving out? Are you ministering the Holy Spirit in power? If not, why not? Am I being filled with the Spirit like a wind filling my sails so I am moving? Am I ministering the Holy Spirit in power? If not, why not?
Charismatic Gifts in Church History
3 weeks ago
2 comments:
"Rather than neglect or quench the Spirit - I need to wise up and become a minister OF the Spirit".
Oh such wisdom! Such awesome wisdom. Thanks for this great clip - I had forgotten it. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I think the guilty sin of the evangelical church at present is NOT quenching the Spirit (deliberately) but neglecting Him.
Agree? Or Disagree?
After all - I think Terry would be horrified if he was accused of quenching the Spirit by inviting Mark Driscoll to Brighton. Surely Brighton is one safe place where the Spirit will never be quenched! But it does seem from the seminar topics that the Holy Spirit isn't going to be actively discussed this year.
Good point James.
But I would say can we ever say that somewhere is a "Safe" place for the Spirit? In my limited experience it is when the Spirit is taken for granted that He tends to get ignored and therefore neglected. "Oh we are charismatics. We flew the flag since the 70's!!". So what? Are we STILL walking in the Spirit? Are we STILL bringing tongues and interpretations?! Are we STILL prophesying? Are we STILL hearing Him speak and guide and direct and manifest His Presence?
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