FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
have come to a point where I’m just about able to pray for my accusers! Personal criticism has drawn me closer to God, helped me get rid of prides and caused me to need the brethren. All of us in prophetic leadership must expect strong criticism. Some of it will be worth listening to. Some of it will spring out of jealousy. Much of it will come from those carrying particular doctrinal standpoints. In my case, much of it has been originated by Christians. I find that sad. All in all, of course, one must see it as belonging to the realm of spiritual warfare. Roger: You’ve put a lot of effort into bridge-building in recent years, Noel. Has it achieved all you hoped it would? Noel: Generally yes, though it appears some still find us difficult! Like many others we responded to God’s call to affirm our brethren and to stand together. It hasn’t been a matter of sacrificing God-given distinctives, but of dismantling the barriers of mistrust and suspicion. Roger: How do you see your links with other evangelicals and charismatics developing? Noel: We realise that if we are going to make maximum impact with the gospel then we all have to learn to recognise other churches and networks and not to compete; to give them space, refuse to duplicate and so on. The world has to see that we do love and trust each other. I’m happy about bringing into being more leadership links in those ways. But distinctives need to be safeguarded. For example, there’s a tendency for people to support a gospel that’s far from full, with no proclamation of water baptism, let alone of Holy Spirit baptism, discipleship or the use of spiritual gifts. 417