Letter from America

It is a great privilege to be travelling in America with my dear British friend Ant. I realize all the more what it means to "friend deliberately and minister accidently" - a sentence God dropped into my heart some 2 years ago. Ant and his lovely wife Helen planted the church we are now based in, some 9 years ago in north London. 

GOSPEL COALITION CONFERENCE

We attended a conference this week in Chicago, hosted by the Gospel Coalition, a loose evangelical grouping committed to seeing truth restored to the church and effort given to preparing a new generation for faithfulness to the gospel, amongst other things. The pastors who preached were superb. Tim Keller on idols and CJ Mahaney on the pastor's charge were my personal highlights. They also spoke with immense love and contrition. They shone with something gloriously dead. Go figure. But, in the words of Bono, I still haven't found what I'm looking for. I guess, like for many of us, that is end-time Word and Spirit revival where we are addicted to God and each other. Where striving ceases and real power flows. But all these surely are encouraging signs across the world.

A LIFE WELL LIVED

Speaking of shining in glorious deadness, we have now had the privilege of meeting with Dr RT and Louise Kendall while in the States. A life well lived, a race well run. Not that theirs are over! I see again in full Kingdom technicolor how mercy triumphs over judgment, how 7/8ths of kingdom living and ministry is sheer hard work, as unto Jesus. And just how intoxicating resurrection love is. We cannot become godly without God, yet that God is with us. 

We watched Joyce Meyer's interview with RT, and I was hit again by his discourse on the stark differences between doves and pigeons. The Dove of God can descend AND remain. But He is hyper-sensitive; hyper-holy. That's a real pity, because there is something quite satisfying about seeing the faults in others and merely acknowledging your own! 

AN UNCONSCIOUS GLORY

I could not help but think of the words in Exodus 34, "Moses was not aware that his face shone because he had been talking with God". An unconscious glory. Many I fear are seeking the "glory" consciously. I personally love to experience God, yet I know He does not want me to walking by feelings firstly, or fall into "justification by goosebumps". The doxa of God, where it is displayed in personal or corporate manifestation, was never meant to be the "prize" of Survivor Kingdom, with various personalities and churches vying to outwit, outlast and outplay. I commend myself and my friends to "the pursuit of His glory", but firstly privately, lovingly, sacrificially. 

Here is one of the finest Biblical definitions of true revival, to me.... "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phillippians 2:1-4 ESV).

A BRAND NEW HERMENEUTIC

I end with one more thought that has been rolling around in my tank for a little while now - I believe this is a time where the Holy Spirit is cutting off every "old covenant root". Chopping it out of the willing; unearthing it out of His churches that genuinely want to see the priesthood arise. A brutal hermenetical change. A radical return to radical grace living.

It is actually difficult to write this. But the old nature is a passionate bedfellow to the law. And the law's tentacles have a habit of trying to stretch around the Cross, if we are willing (I can be unwilling sometimes when legalistic Christianity (oxymoron) is somehow benefitting me through position and profile). The Cross is the Great Slayer, the Great Equalizer! When resurrection power hits us, we are all empowered and authorized (even though its legitimacy is demonstrated through love and happy diversity).  The Cross is powerful to destroy death in us, and remove us from that which stimulates death. The law is good, but bad for me. My eyes need to see Jesus, not the mirror of my own performance. Oh yes!! 

We are sometimes quick to add, "yes, but we also need to be holy" - but, my soul, from whence does holiness spring forth? From what Headstream? Only from Christ! The law has no River; the law does not bring forth a drop of water from the Rock.  The law can change nothing, and only leads me to smoke and mirror religion - an appearance of things without the power thereof. Christ slays me, and raises me up in Him into heaven. From that position, I do not just know what it is to be a new creation, but also what it is to know a new power over sin and into the heart of holiness. 

Michael Eaton said it best, when from years ago he cried out, "walk in the Spirit deliberately, and you will fulfil the law accidently". That cry changed my life as a new believer. "Aim at Jesus, and you become holy. Aim at holiness, and you become wierd" - and eventually exhausted. unchanged, except maybe for the worse.

So let us rise to the empowered charge of Paul, not to "submit to the world's rules", but to "set your mind on things above". 

Chop, Lord, chop!

Love from America

Nick