Paul Washer's 10 Indictments

I am about half way through listening to the recent message of Paul Washer given at the Sermonindex Revival Conference in the USA. I have listened to 5 of the indictments and wanted to get draw your attention to this ministry. I know nothing about Paul Washer but I have disturbed my dog several times with loud "amens" on our morning walks!

If you are English in temperament don't be put off by the delivery. This is a man with a passion and a message that needs to be heard. His main thesis is that we ought not to be asking God for revival until we have done what He has already told us. That is a rather abrupt summary and he is not against praying for revival but his burden is that the 'church' and particularly evangelical preachers have been grossly unfaithful to the revelation of the scripture.

One thing that has really impressed me is his return to the theology of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. Finney is conspicuously absent from his quotations. So much that I have heard recently has come from the Finney position on Atonement that it is like a breath of fresh air to hear Penal Substitutionary Atonement preached with such conviction. You find that in indictment 3.

His 10 indictments are: (with timings - approximate)


1. a practical denial of the sufficiency of scripture (0:12:25)

2. an ignorance of God (0:19:10)

3. a failure to address man's malady (0:25:00)

4. an ignorance of the doctrine of regeneration (0:43:07)

5. an unbiblical gospel invitation (0:51:55)

6. ignorance regarding the nature of the church (1:07:07)

7. a lack of loving and compassionate church discipline (1:22:00)

8. a silence on separation (1:28:32)

9. psychology and sociology have replaced the scriptures with regard to the family (1:35:55)

10.untitled(1:45:45)

You can download or listen to the message HERE

PS. I have listened to the whole message now. If you will excuse the manner of expressing this... you have to listen to this message.

Revival or reform?

One of the Old Testament 'revivals' which is often preached on is that of Josiah, but there are indications in Jeremiah that Jeremiah himself was not very impressed with that 'revival'. It seems that Jeremiah regarded it as superficial. The relationship between revival and reform is often a topic of enquiry. The usual question is one of 'chicken and egg'; does the reform produce the conditions for the revival, or does the revival create the conditions for the reform?

I heard the theme of the revival in Elijah's day being preached recently and was blessed and challenged and perplexed. The altar that Elijah rebuilt is called quite specifically 'the alter of Jehovah'. The question is usually 'why was it broken down?' but there is another question 'why was it ever there in the first place?' In the earliest part of Israel's occupation of their promised land there was a near massacre and civil war caused by the building of an altar by those who had settled in transjordan. The disaster was only averted when it was made plain that this was only to be a memorial altar and not a functioning one. Israel was only allowed to have one 'altar of Jehovah' and that was associated with the tabernacle later the temple. It was specifically against the commandment of God to have alternative altars and yet apparently there was one in the northern kingdom of Israel which had fallen into repair, was rebuilt by Elijah and which God honoured in consuming flame.

It is easily forgotten that for much of Israel's tenancy of the promised land the priesthood and hence the covenant was in a state of disfunction. The ark was separated from its cultic activity when it was lost in the battle with the Philistine. It was probably a full hundred years, if not more, before the full functions of the Levitical priesthood were restored. The day of Atonement required that blood be taken from the altar and sprinkled before the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies. For a full century or more the ark was separated from the altar and so 'atonement' was never accomplished. Where does this leave the Israel who have breached their tenancy agreement and forfeited the presence of God because they are not conducting the annual Day of Atonement?

David was associated with a priest who wore the right clothes but apparently never functioned at the tabernacle. According to the Lord in Matthew's gospel, David penetrated the Holy Place and took the bread of the Presence, but the 'Presence' as symbolized by the ark was missing! David's sons are said to function as priests in 2 Sam 8:14 (Hebrew). How could this be when the priesthood was restricted to the tribe of Levi? Is revival God's way of breaking into the 'dysfunctional church' of today in a similar what to the way he broke into the dysfunctional Israel of old?

Revival Conference Georgia, Oct 21-23 2008

This time last year I was over in Canton, Ohio at the Revival Conference inaugurated by Greg Gordon. It was a wonderful experience, not least because of the opportunity of meeting up with folks with whom I had only fellowshipped in Cyberland. The Revival Conference grew out of Greg Gordon's prayer for a heavenly visitation of God's holy love. Some folks I have known and chatted with for over 4 years but only saw them 'face to face' at Canton. It was a wonderful time and I was the receiver of some wonder American Christian hospitality. Several churches opened the pulpits and their hearts to me and I hold very sweet memories of the time.

I couldn't help but notice that we had almost as many definitions of revival as we had speakers and this continues to exercise my own heart. If there is a link between faith and expectation, as I am sure their is, just what kind of 'revival' are we expecting. The charismatic/pentecostal expectation of revival may well be very different from the second blessing holiness or classical Calvinist. Understanding our expectations is important as the difference between expectation and realization is usually what we might call 'disappointment' or at best 'perplexity'.

I sometimes say that I believe in 'revival' and pray for 'revival' but I have no theology of revival. What I mean by this is that there is nothing in the record of the New Testament which matches the great revivals of 1859 or the Welsh Revival of the early 1900's. Those were sovereign movements of God among Christians of different backgrounds but probably of a similar expectation. These 'classical' revivals have always been marked by a deep sense of God's presence and holiness and an accompanying sense of unworthiness and desperate need on the part of those who prayed. That said, the details of those times were sometimes marked by earnest prayer, or singing or convicting preaching; there is no one pattern. The one thing they do have in common is that there is no equivalent in the records of the New Testament.

Consequently most preaching 'for revival' finds its foundation in the Old Testament and particularly during the period of the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah. This was a period of some about 500 years and it marked by the presence of the 'prophets' Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the like. They brought strong denunciations against the kings and priests of the day and called the people back to the heart conditions demanded at Sinai. The people for their part tended to depend upon the settled institutions of kings and priests and had to be made to see that 'blessing' and the conscious presence of God was not an automatic right of the covenant people. How do we understand the place of the New Covenant people in the light of these things and what do we expect God to do in answer to our prayers.

This year's Revival Conference in being held in Georgia in the USA and is live to anyone who is willing to tune in to the live 'stream' that are available. You will find that live 'feed' at Revival Conference, Georgia USA 21-23 October 2008. If you are able take some time to tune in and perhaps we can talk about it on the Discussion Forum? Can we take promises given to a Covenant Nation State and apply them to modern Nation States or to Christendom as we find it in the 21st century?