Some communing with John Stevens

Hi Chris,

Ah the human body! Sounds rather painful so I hope you're mending. What does that mean in terms of your business?

Very much enjoyed your latest blog. For me anyway seemed to be very clear.

Last year sometime I ran into furrowed brows when I tried to speak about the bread in communion, so it brought back memories.

I wouldn't claim to have really got hold of it entirely but 'This is my body' is such an evocative phrase. Memorable and familiar to those of us with a liturgical past or present, ingrained in the repeating music of priests week by week, like 'Our Father who art...'. It kind of washes over you and leaving an impression but not necessarily much revelation.

Some maybe, familiar with the Protestant/Catholic argument, transubstantiation and all, may feel that the argument describes the real fault lines whereas it may be that the fault line really exposes the weakness of the underpinning strata. If so we need to explore further back and not dwell on the argument itself i.e. that Jesus was speaking literally in some sense - leading to the Catholic view, or figuratively - leading to the protestant view.

But what if Jesus was speaking chemically?

Drink eat. The wine and the bread are ingested and become us. So what does it mean to allow the blood to become us? And the body? Is it that we have become walking talking christs embodying forgiveness and the life of Christ for others. So 'communion' isn't simply a celebration of what Christ has done for us but is also a celebration of what He has become in us. So it is representational but not limited to describing the terms of covenantal membership but describes the members themselves as real space-time manifestations of that covenant.

Do this in remembrance of me. We have been transformed, crucified and raised into a new creation 'a new species' a la CS Lewis. And who enabled that to happen? The 12 with Jesus for that meal were perhaps charged in a unique way and finally became the outworking fulfilment of Israel to be a light to te Gentiles. Remembering is a spiritual living thing not simply a memory. It is active - like 'put on Christ' we clear out of our systems anything that would rise up to contradict the truth that has been accomplished in us. We can forget, that is lose hold of these things and sometimes we need to be brought back to the startling truth that is finished it has been done and so on. Repentance in that sense not to do with specific moral failure but letting go or turning away from anything other than the truth of the gospel to influence our lives.  

Until I come. Well there's something. We go about the earth carrying the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body (blood and bread). And when that day comes. What a day it will be. However long that day is. The Son of God caught up with the sons of God. All revealed just what He accomplished through dying as a seed and being raised up many times over. True brothers. Like Him in every way. It is finished will be fully understood through and through.

Wondering whether a 2012 Portsmouth pilgrimage may be on. There'd have to be a decent curry at the end of the journey to bring it to fulfilment I suspect?

Hope the zip holds.

John

We can reposition ourselves

If you want to learn more about repositioning yourself or your church I would recommend downloading this year's series of messages from Rob Rufus in Hong Kong: Invading the Impossible series, and Attitudes that attract the empowering grace of God.Here is something I wrote down earlier.


In 1986 the Spirit showed a picture of some natives in a jungle gazing skyward in awe at a metal bird. To us it is just a plane. The Spirit was saying "What is the difference between the natives and those who perhaps build the plane in America? Answer: 100 years of know-how in flight. He was saying in the same way, up until now we have been involved in praying in revivals, which have passed by us in a similar way, but never understood how or quite why. This remained a mystery. But now the Spirit wanted to take us into his confidence and give us know-how about what is really going on. The rest of this material can be found in Dan's Archives here the copy of my Letter to the Charismatic Movement 1990 posted 15th May2008.

The substance of all these blog posts comes from listening to God while tuning and driving. In the last few days I feel prompted to give some specific examples. Now in the old scheme of things, any negatives were condemnatory, sounded permanent and thus engendered dissensions and fierce battles in the Body of Christ.

Here's the good news! As in the passage above, while there still remain mysteries in God...these mysteries are not to be too mysterious. We are learning how to do stuff!!! We won't for ever and a day be a group of natives staring upward....we are being made co-workers with Christ. Co-sharers in His operations. What I call life in the order of Melchizedek ( see the post series).

You want another confirmatory verse?
"The knowledge of the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea". That's the knowledge...the How to...the Spirit principles which allow us to open our hearts to God and make ourselves available to join in with His contemporary significant acts!!
Without getting too heavy about this point I do want to share a bit of 70s history. Then bring it up to date with some stuff a piano client was sharing. I knew she was a bit different when I saw Bill Johnson's book on her settee!

In 1970 Chorleywood had John Perry as minister. The AmershamOld Town Baptist Church had Eric Chambers. Goldhill Baptist nearby had David Pawson. These were all key figures in the early years of UK charismatic renewal in denominational churches. Now, unbeknown to most after all these years is this !!! All three met together regularly to pray and encourage each other. I believe some or all received input also from the nearby Slough Pentecostal pastor Billy Richards who later tragically died...in true stoic Pentecostal form...while believing God to heal his cancer.
All 3 leaders,Perry,Chambers, and Pawson moved on to other churches, but their works remain.

Here is the enigma. All 3 churches had access to the same stuff. All shared input from apostles/prophets/international ministries of the day. If anything...the Baptist churches were ahead on the born again front...as would be expected in those days.
So how is it that the only church anyone has heard of across Britain is Chorleywood?
Who brought in Graham Pulkingham and Body ministry, Juan Carlos Ortiz, then John Wimber in the 80s? Who founded Soul Survivor and New Wine...both conferences with national impact? Who helped HolyTrinityBrompton enable Alpha Courses, and encouraged the Toronto Blessing also with HTB?
Where were the other two churches in the national stakes? Who has even heard of them?

Well this is what my client shared. Apparently every single visiting ministry to Goldhill this year has said the same thing. God wants His church back! Now this is supernatural and should be an encouragement. He is about to move...so fasten your seatbelts guys!

My church was the Amersham Old Town Church,now Kings Church. And when I re-visited after 32 years I was disappointed. But the same will be true of them. God wants to move. He always wants to do more than we can ask or think. And the great news is we can position ourselves!!!