Date: 25-Apr-1995 01:13pm EST
Subject: Your Message
Jim, thanks for your message of April 22. From my perspective, you need not fear that there is any lack of concern for righteousness and holiness in the Toronto movement, for I have seen quite a bit of emphasis on these things within its context. There has been plenty of conviction of sin before a Holy God in what I've seen of the revival, and an emphasis upon God's mercy fond in Christ Crucified, and upon the resulting chaged life, growing in love and humility. That's what this revival has been about throughout the time that I have been familiar with it, which is why I have been following it so closely.
I am not aware that Kenneth Copeland has anything to do with the Toronto Blessing. I know that he is a personal friend of Rodney Howard-Browne's, but Rodney doesn't have much to do with the Toronto Blessing, except that Randy Clark seems to have taken his anointing and brought it from Rodney's meetings to the Vineyard churches. There is a considerable difference in emphasis between Rodney and the Toronto people.
Nevertheless, I have found from my study of outpourings of God's Spririt, that He does not withhold His mercy and grace from people just because they do not have the correct theological doctrines, or the proper emphases. That is why He's pouring out His Spirit on many different parts of the church that have different doctrines, different ways of doing things, and different ways of understanding How He works.
You asked whether the focus of the Toronto revival is something that centers on the Spirit to the extent that, seeing God's great majestic holiness and our own sinfulness, people are convicted of sin, brought to repentance, and melted down, so to speak. That is exactly what I have found in Toronto, and that is exactly why people are being drawn there from the far corners of the earth.
In my opinion, the College Revivals are further evidence that what has been happening in Toronto and elsewhere until now has been of God. Both in the mid-twentieth century, and in the early 1970s, there were college campus revivals taking place in the midst of a larger outpouring of God's Spirit. I see the same thing happening now.
Anway, that's how I see it. If you see it differently, that's okay--I don't pretend to see everything perfectly, or infallibly. Thanks for writing, and God bless you!
Sincerely,
Richard
RRISS@DREW.EDU