So, we’ve looked at the first three waves of the Holy Spirit shaping, reforming, and renewing His church in the twentieth century, the Pentecostals, the Charismatic Movement and the logically named, Third Wave. Unfortunately, Charismata IV, is not so easy to define.
A number of developments occurred in quick succession. It’s now 1989 and a few new things were about to take place. I’m going to deal with these in fairly quick succession, though some were far more influential than others, and because of their overlapping linkage, I’ve decided to place them all under the umbrella term of Charismata IV. I’ll leave it to you to decide which are truly worthy of a fourth wave category.
The Kansas City Prophets
To know more about this subject, I recommend Bishop David Pytches’s book, Some Said It Thundered - if it's still in print?
What's important, for context, is that though these prophets were specific people, and some had larger-than-life personalities, many of them had purposely removed themselves from the spotlight and the big tent crusades of the 1950s to become obscure. Waiting on God’s timing. They discerned that Wimber, Mike Bickle (Kansas City Fellowship) and the Vineyard network was a safe ‘celebrity-free’ environment in which to help encourage the church.
Therefore, the Kansas City Prophets was never really about the Prophets (capital P), but far more about growing in the prophetic (small p). As with all of Vineyard’s previous teaching, the application was on equipping the saints. In this season we learnt the phrase, administrating the prophetic, which I later renamed prophetic etiquette. These were simple, yet essential guidelines for creating a heathy environment for the prophetic to be practised. Guidelines I still use today, read the etiquette named chapter in my book, School of Prophecy.
My big regret? Way back then I had access to the information that would help mature believers in their gifting. Mike Bickle wrote the classic, Growing in the Prophetic. Alas, with so many congregations coming to this subject with little understanding and much suspicion, my teaching for decades seemed to be on creating confident faith-exercising environments where the gift could be activated. For all you frustrated, hurting, confused, misunderstood prophets – I apologise for not teaching on the maturing of the gift. Though I did seek to address this in my book, School of Prophecy.
In addition, and within this season, I was exposed to what was called, prophetic worship. David Ruis, Kevin Prosch, Henry Kent, and I’m sure plenty others were re-writing the worship songbook. Not just re-writing it, but thoroughly making it redundant. What’s the point of having a printed songbook, if the song you’re about to sing hasn't even been written yet? For me, I was in heaven! And sometimes, perhaps like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2, I may well have been.
The charismata attached to this prophetic emphasis, which of course, has always been biblical – 1 Corinthians 14:1… it’s there in black and white! Within this fresh prophetic breath of God, the pneumatikos of this new season contained an almost reckless abandonment for Jesus and the Scriptures. Remember, in order for you to have spontaneous worship songs flowing from your heart, you must first be feeding your soul on God’s words, His truths, His presence, purposes, and passions.
It was 1991, I was already in full-time church ministry, yet I was learning all over again how to engage with God, my Bible had become supercharged with revelation. Scriptures that had always been there, were being brought to my attention and changing my prayer language. This had to be a genuine wind of change – because I’m still living within its influence and truths.
The Word & Spirit Movement
Not a big fan. To be honest, I’m not convinced this is a genuine nominee for Charismata IV, but I still here the language around today. So here’s some background and personal thoughts.
By the end of the Eighties, a general acceptance of Charismatics was growing across the UK. The most popular annual Christian conference was Spring Harvest. This was basically Charismatic-lite, depending on the speaker or guest worship leader. Remember my earlier blog on this site, the 10-40-40-10 train. My friend Neil, who first explained this to me, did so back in 1990 while we were attending a Spring Harvest week. The conference was becoming frustrating to some. Its charismatic leanings were felt to be diluted. The conclusion was that the ‘second coach’ of 40% had arrived. It was good, that these more suspicious and anxious people from far less (if not non-charismatic) congregations, had turned up. But in doing so they had changed the spiritual temperature in the meetings, and perhaps (though I can’t prove it) the stage speakers were also influenced by their presence, and possibly a second wave of guest speakers had arrived who were not necessarily from the original 10% locomotive. If you don’t understand my terminology, don’t just sulk, and scratch your head – read my earlier blog!
WARNING Leadership that doesn't carry the front 10% locomotive drive will generally always bring unhelpful cultural change. Read the history books - it's why new movements can rarely carry into the second or third generation the same cutting-edge vision and zeal of the first pioneers.
Eventually a new week at Spring Harvest was created – Word Alive. A week with a more deliberate Bible focus, and in practise, less overtly Charismatic. Spiritually speaking, the traditional Evangelicals had gotten their own week – quite like the classic Keswick Bible weeks. What did that say? Was this the church becoming more inclusive? Or just more accommodating? Was the Holy Spirit being yet again eclipsed by the very Bible He had breathed into existence?
One of the Kansas City prophets had formed an unexpected friendship with one of London’s most respected and Reformed ministers, Dr R T Kendall of Westminster Chapel. The two of them birthed the term Word & Spirit.
Just to say, I’ve yet to meet a true Pentecostal or Charismatic who does not hold to the centrality and authority of Scripture. I’ve never returned from any charismatic conference without a greater desire to read the Bible more (see later in this blog). As a third waver the Bible was essential in unpacking healthy Kingdom of God theology. The arrival of the Kansas City Prophets had not been reduced to a freak show, but to another call to get seriously biblical! Perhaps the most famous New Testament verse about the Bible’s authority (2 Timothy 3:16-17) is explicit in linking the very existence of the words to the presence of God’s Spirit, His breath, His literal inspiration. For me, a charismatic since 1976, the word and the Spirit were always linked. Though I do know, as a fact, many conservative Evangelicals who have chosen to create Bible doctrines to limit and diminish the work of the Holy Spirit. To me, that’s not just bad teaching - that’s blasphemy!
To this day, the phrase, Word & Spirit, is meant to communicate some sense of balance being brought to the charismatic arena, it’s a piece of branding to bring some reassurances to those… erm? To whom? To those who haven’t read their Bibles properly? Or to reassure Evangelical Pharisees, that they're still able to control God with their bad teaching?
Have you guessed yet – I’m not a fan?
The Toronto Blessing
Historically, I want to chuckle. God always finds away, even if He needs to make a donkey talk! Just as the more conservatives had attempted a coup to bring restraint, God filled our meetings with ‘holy laughter’ and the sound of farmyard animals! You couldn’t make this stuff up.
This truly was Charismata 4.2, building on the prophetic input from the Kansas City church, the reality of extempore and prophetic worship, the Spirit was loosed, and local church leaders were left having to explain the bizarre, just like in the days of the Welsh Revival or those original Azusa Street meetings. Or even, Acts 2 – “these people aren’t drunk as you suppose!”
At first, I was annoyed. Indignant. And soon needing to repent. Outnumbered and ridiculed when embracing the third wave, here I was ten years later, and everyone is rolling on the floor and laughing uncontrollably. I wanted to say, been there, did that, got the teaching tapes. Then I was reminded that Jesus wept over Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, when most of the city had not recognised His visitation. Then graciously, some fifty days later, thousands would be acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Messiah - Amen! So, I stood in the meetings, closed my eyes, opened my hands willingly and expectantly, and ended up on the floor more times than I can remember. Hence a new buzz phrase, carpet time. I’m always partial to some Holy Spirit initiated carpet time.
When Ellie Mumford (co-founder of the South West London Vineyard Church) retuned from Toronto and spoke about her experience at Holy Trinity Brompton, she made a few casual comments about some of the more bizarre manifestations, but her talk was far more about, Jesus and the Scriptures. This was no artificially created word and Spirit event; this was a supernatural God initiated event that made people fall in love with Jesus all over again and receive an insatiable appetite for the Bible. It was true. The worship songs became increasingly intimate in capturing our adoration for Jesus. In the following year, the focus moved to the Father’s heart.
What did they say during the Apollo moon trips, "In going to the moon, we actually discovered the Earth." In pursuing the Holy Spirit, the church had rediscovered the Holy Trinity, though not as a doctrinal concept, which is almost impossible to express in words, but as a living reality touching, healing, and enhancing our walk with our Father, Saviour and Enabler.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of [Father] God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always. 2 Corinthians 13:14
I love these words. It starts with grace! Always. Then, because of Jesus and His sacrifice and victory, we can truly encounter our Father’s love (John 3:16, the motivation for redemption, and the gift of eternal life), which allows us fellowship/friendship with the Holy Spirit. It’s amazing, exquisite and a delight beyond language – hence the need for celestial tongues for our own edification as we seek His face and hang out in His presence. Enjoy!
Regarding the Toronto meetings, thousands (tens of thousands) of visiting Christians were refreshed, renewed and envisioned. There were also salvations, though often as wonderful consequences of shared testimonies outside of the meetings rather than classic alter calls within the building. And of course, the healings came, remarkable physical miracles, including diagnosed HIV positive patients coming to the meetings with their latest blood tests confirming that they were now negative. I witnessed many of these testimonies for myself when I visited Toronto in 2000. Yes, I arrived late to the gig that had started early in 1994. Nevertheless, I went, I saw, I received. Never do I want to be merely a spectator. The Kingdom of God is only designed for His participators.
Brownsville, Pensacola, Florida
Again, I’m hesitant to give this revival season its own Charismata numbering, but it wonderfully brought the century to a close with the major streams of Pentecostalism and the Charismatics growing closer together. Nevertheless, it was mainly about salvation, as all true revivals should be. Lives touched, forgiven and blessed with the assurance of eternal life. Amen and amen!
As I listened to testimonies and live recordings of the worship times, something struck me. Here was a classic Pentecostal musician playing increasingly new Vineyard songs. One track from their various recordings grabbed the attention of my then Senior Pastor, Gerald Coates. At the end of a Sunday morning (for weeks and weeks on end) he’d ask the tech guys, “Play track 12.”
I just remember, standing to my feet week after week, with tears streaming down my face. Often, I’d be slain in the Spirit. But so too, would scores of other congregants. With hindsight and reflection, two things come to mind, apart from the obvious – that the Holy Spirit was all over this particular recording and the rooms it was played in. Lindell Cooley, a classic Deep South Pentecostal born and bred musician was playing one of Andy Park’s (Californian born, West Coast musician) Vineyard songs. But more! He wasn’t simply regurgitating the original recording, he was ‘making it his own’ – he was bringing ‘ownership’ to the song. A concept I teach in my book, School of Praise, a concept I long for Sunday church worship leaders to grasp, adopt and apply. I’m through with this copycat worship regurgitating! Regarding worship, the Father wants it in spirit and in truth, dare I say… if you can’t deliver on such a clear biblical request, move aside, none of us have the time to watch the grieving of God’s Spirit so deliberately and offensively.
In 1990, Prosch and others showed us prophetic worship, Lindell Cooley (a product of the first wave) was now modelling for us all how effective worship leading can be by crossing over, remastering and blending praise from all that century’s streams. And at the end of every night – hundreds were giving their lives to Jesus! Now that’s what I call – Kingdom.
Somewhere amid these extraordinary years of the 1990s was Charismata IV – take your pick.
To Be Continued.
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