Three Streams

Hi there. Most of my blogging will now take place at the following site.

http://adfontesback2thesources.blogspot.com/

Ad Fontes will have a broader focus than Three Streams; which mainly drew from Reformed, Evangelical and  Charismatic perspectives. Ad Fontes was a phrase used by the reformers, it simply meant: back to the sources or literally back to the fountain. The reformers attempted to do this by linking their teaching both to scripture and to the writings of the Early Church Fathers. Following in this tradition Ad Fontes will also engage with the writings of the Early Church Fathers as well as other leaders and teachers from various eras including modern times; whose teachings, this blogger thinks, reflects a faithful representation of Apostolic Christianity.

Another key difference that you may notice about Ad Fontes is that it will represent a more Arminian perspective than Three Streams. This is reflective of my own journey. As I began to engage with some of the earliest Christian writings, I became increasingly aware of the lack of “Reformed” doctrines among the Fathers. In fact, many of the Early Fathers directly oppose some Reformed or Calvinistic notions; such as the idea that a true believer can never commit apostasy and eventually perish. This accompanied by my reading of Scripture has forced me to think differently on certain aspects of Reformation Theology.

Having said that, Ad Fontes will continually be unashamedly evangelical and will continue to appreciate the good that is to be found within Reformed Theology.

Thanks to all who contributed to the discussion at Three Streams. A big thanks to Gordon Rouse for setting up the website and providing technical support.

Blessings

John

I stumbled upon a small book in a second hand book shop on the Isle of Skye just over a year ago which was a collection of the Letters of William Still. I sensed there was something to be found in this book and upon both reading it and finding out more about the man behind the letters, my instincts were proven right.

Rev William Still was minister of Gilcomston South Church of Scotland in Aberdeen from 1945-1997. Still was a tremendous evangelist, preacher and expounder of the Word of God. One of my own convictions is the need within the church for both the Spirit of God and the true preaching of the Word of God. Here are some nuggets from one of William Still’s letters on the subject of Word and Spirit.

“ The one without the other, the Word without the Spirit, or the Spirit without the Word, is useless. But bring the two together: no mere sound orthodoxy, sound asleep or stone dead, and no mere pentecostal ecstasy flying kites high in the wind of but a few scattered, hag-ridden texts, but the ‘Word of God which liveth and abideth forever’ in its fulness, having become in God’s man crucified, pouring itself forth from anointed lips in burning consecrated power, and we may yet see in our beloved land a movement which will make the ‘fifty nine revival’ look pale, and which may bring in a day of sober revival and intoxicated persecution to make the angels in heaven marvel, and the Father-heart of God rejoice for the sufferings of His Son, and the glory of His name. “

William Still

Taken from the letter Rebuild the Church! November 1960

Thomas a Kempis was a catholic mystic who lived 1380 - 1471. His writings deeply affected John Wesley. These quotes are simple yet challenging and get to the core of true religion. Click the link if you wish to read the whole book.

“The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna.”

“Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ.”

“Whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.”

“What good does it do to speak learnedly about  the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity?”

“Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.”

“Every man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God?”

“Indeed a humble countryman who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars.”

“If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?”

“Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.”

“Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you will remain in state of grace. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.”

The Church: the Body of Christ
By A.W. Tozer

      The universal Church is the body of Christ, the bride of the Lamb, the habitation of God through the Spirit, the pillar and ground of the truth. The local church is a community of ransomed men, a minority group, a colony of heavenly souls dwelling apart on the earth, a division of soldiers on a foreign soil, a band of reapers, working under the direction of the Lord of the harvest, a flock of sheep following the Good Shepherd, a brotherhood of like-minded men, a visible representative of the Invisible God. It is most undesirable to conceive of our churches as Works, or Projects. If such words must be used, then let them be understood as referring to the earthly and legal aspect of things only. A true church is something supernatural and divine, and is in direct lineal descent from that first church at Jerusalem. Insofar as it is a church it is spiritual; its social aspect is secondary and may be imitated by any group regardless of its religious qualities or lack of them. The spiritual essence of a true church cannot be reproduced anywhere but in a company of renewed and inwardly united believers.

As I have been reading my bible recently, I have been spending time in the O.T prophetic scriptures. Time and time again I find that the O.T prophetic scriptures speak right into the contemporary church world.

In spite of en masse spiritual, moral and doctrinal indiferance within the churches of God, scripture looks forward to a time when the Lord will raise up his house in far greater glory.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Isaiah 2:2

As I read this scripture a few weeks ago, I immediatly asked myself- when will this take place?

I was deeply encouraged, and surprised, when I later found within the pages of Jonathan Edward’s Religious Affections the same way of thinking. It seems that Edwards believed that scripture foresaw an increasingly purified and glorified church in the last days.

“Though there never will, in this world, be an entire purity, either in particular saints, by a perfect freedom from mixture of corruption; or in the church of God, without any mixture of hypocrites with saints-or counterfeit religion and false appearances of grace with true religion and real holiness-yet, it is evident, there will come a time of much greater purity in the church, than has been in ages past. ⁴¹⁵⁴¹⁵    This appears plain by these texts of Scripture, Isa. lii. 1 Ezek. xliv. 6,7,9 Joel iii. 17 Zech. xiv. 21 Psal. lxix. 32,35,36 Isa. xxxv. 8,10 iv. 3,4 Ezek. xx. 38 Psal. xxxvii. 9,10,11,29 And one great reason of it will be, that at that time, God will give much greater light to his people, to distinguish between true religion and counterfeits; Mal. iii. 3. “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” With Mal. iii. 18.which is a continuation of the prophecy of the same happy times, “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.”

What amazing insight, and what amazing scriptural references!

It is interesting that one of the marks of this process of purification is discernment.

I wonder if we are on the threshold of God’s plans and purposes in relation to his end time church? I wonder if the present shaking- and extreme mixtures of discernment and blindness within the body of Christ today are the signs that this may be the season that we are about to head in to?