“I think Phillip Yancey is modern day prophet”. These were the words a Christian sister in the Lord expressed to me recently. My response? “Erm, I think Phillip Yancey is a modern day heretic”.

Perhaps, this was a bit too strong, I’m not sure. But I do know this, the one thing that I found so amazing about ‘Whats so amazing about grace, is that it seemed to lack a true biblical definition of grace!

I’m known for being blunt and outspoken at times, I ran the conversation past a friend of mine who responded with  a really profound point. He said, “It’s crazy how all the truth compromisers get called prophets these days, if there is one criteria for being a prophet surely it is the willingness not to compromise God’s truth!!”

I have to say I think he is right. During the time of the Todd Bentley meetings, a group came from Wales to Scotland to minister in a near by church. These guys were known as the new mystics, apparently in the same stream as Todd Bentley, John Crowder and Bob Jones. Anyway, these guys were reputed to be ‘cutting edge’ and radical. Real prophets with a huge prophetic mantle. However, after the chaos, which was supposed to be worship, one of the speakers opening words were ‘Jesus did not tell us to preach repentance”. He then went on to try and show that Jesus himself never came to preach repentance.

Someone forgot to tell him that it was pretty much the first words that both he and John the baptist are recorded to have preached!

Someone said to me recently, when I  was bemoaning the fact that a church of Scotland minister that I knew hardly seemed to be convicted about the gospel, “but john, your a radical”. Strange, I dont really see an option from a N.T perspective, if what I stand for is indeed ‘radical’. As far as I can see Jesus was radical. As far as I can see, what Christ has called us to is radical. As I read the N.T I see a very radical church, I do not see the sorry excuse for N.T Christianity that is often peddled today.

Back to the person who spoke about Yancey. The person felt that the church needs to move with the times. My response? There is a fine line between cultural relevance and compromise. There is no power in the church because the church has not been faithful to hold on to what God has clearly revealed in His word. Praise God for those fellowships who continue to proclaim an uncompromising gospel with uncomparable power!