For the Record: Unqualified but prepared by grace alone
“And with great power the apostles continued to give witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Lord; and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33)
Introduction
When the Sovereign Lord wants to speak to me about a church matter, however obscure, he finds a way. Such confidences are the basis of this teaching for the Church of God in Perth. Finding it difficult to sleep recently I recognised that the Spirit was sharing something strangely obvious that the Lord always awakens/revives an unprepared Church. Where “unprepared” does NOT mean unqualified in Christ. The Scripture possesses, especially in Hebrews, a view of perfection different from that of ordinary humans. (Consider the statues of the Graeco-Roman world, or Japanese chefs today.) “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Heb 10:14) is a vastly different imaginary (cf. Eph 3:20) from these brilliant but sterile abstractions. We are speaking of the perfection of Christ crucified before the eyes of the Father; “He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him”. (Isa 53:2). In awakening/reviving his beautiful Body in Christ God always does something scandalous before ungraced eyes. “but we preach Christ crucified, a scandal/offense (σκάνδαλον; scandalon) to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23). Something which we will consider though the eyes of flesh (2 Cor 5:16) unworthy of ‘God”. This is the case with what some are “prophetically” calling the coming “Greater Glory Revival” (https://samdewald.org/blog/2020/08/14/awakening-greater-glory-revival). Stupidities will be covered “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14). I am writing that these very real limitations might not be ignored or mythologised by later Christian generations.
The Biblical Paradigm
Earnest believers have a habit of making legends of the apostles. We all recognise that before the cross Peter tried to rebuke Jesus in the likeness of the devil (Mark 8:33). But what of his post-resurrection behaviour? The serious sins of Peter exposed by Paul in Galatians 2 cannot be denied, “When Cephas/Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned….” Not even the famous “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) is spared; “The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.” (Gal 2:13). Why didn’t the Spirit warn Paul that taking Barnabas’ cousin John Mark as part of an apostolic team would end in a disastrous rift between the first apostolic duo (Acts 12:25; 13:13; 15:36-41). It seems that discerning/testing prayer (1 Thess 5:21) to “the Lord of the harvest” (Mark 9:38) was lacking amongst all parties! When Epaphroditus “almost died” (Phil 2:25-30) Paul does not highlight his lack of faith but the undeserved mercy of God. Irregularities like these continue in the history of the “heroes” of the faith. They were all ordinary men and women like you and me.
Historical Examples
Luther was a rabid antisemite, Zwingli was slain in battlefield combat, Calvin had the heretic Servetus burnt at the stake, Wesley and Whitefield publicly refused to compromise sin and predestination concerning, against spiritual counsel Wesley married a (later) violent woman, Evan Roberts, central to the great Welsh revival, had a nervous breakdown, William Simpson the flame of the Azusa St revival was entangled in numerous damaging disputes with fellow Christian leaders, Amie Semple McPherson had multiple marriages and was suspected of faking her own disappearance. The list could be extended. I will finish with two men who impacted me personally. Geoff Bingham was a brilliant teacher and revivalist whose fiery temper offended some of my friends, the deep-faith Paul Yonggi Cho ended a career as the pastor of the largest church in the world with a public conviction for criminality.
Perth 2025
Some are alarmed at the seeming failure of a large metropolitan eldership team to discern the ploys of the devil in undermining an esteemed local, and beyond, humble dignitary. I think they are just like the Hillsong elders who refused to deal with the addictions of Brian Houston over the years! Though outwardly the issues seem almost asymmetrical, in the s/Spirit the parallels of immaturity are near identical. If you really want to know what a person is like, listen to, or better, ask, their spouse! He or she will not deceive nor pretend. The sad fact is that for whatever reason I know too much about so many of the apostolic-prophetic leaders in our city that it embarrasses me. And haunts my sleeping! Yet Christ must have the last word.
Unqualified isn’t Unprepared
Ony a fool (compare Gal 3:1 with Matt 5:22) would say that all the notables listened above were unqualified to lead the work of God. We need however the Gospel to teach us that grace far exceeds any work of maturity for the glories of God’s outpoured love in Jesus “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And weboast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:1-5). Sinners saved by grace walk in the righteousness of God in Christ and mightily influence his purposes. The more we know about people the more glory must go to Jesus Christ.
Only Jesus
“in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. 3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees called Nicodemus…” (John 2:23-3:1) This introduction to the famous story of Nicodemus and being “born again” is usually omitted. Why? Because it might embarrass our “signs -faith”! The Lord spoke publicly, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)” (John 6:64). This is principally a reference to Judas (John 6:780-71) but includes Peter, plus the rest of the Twelve (minus Judas but plus Paul) as well, in a grace sufficient unto the end of their holy lives in himself (2 Cor 12:9).
Conclusion
I tend to wage occasionally wage prophetic vendettas, so the people of God might NEVER venerate saints, ancient or modern. I am asking the Lord to raise up a generation of transparent spiritual fathers/mothers of such humility that such veneration is unthinkable. So that a generation will arise upon whom the Spirit will fall “and remain” (John 1:33).