R.T. Kendall - Word Spirit Power: What Happens When You Seek All God Has to Offer

by R. T. Kendall

by R. T. Kendall

by Jack Taylor

by Charles Carrin

O n the day I finished writing my part of this book, a friend happened to ask me, What do you think is missing most in the Church today? I replied: Power.

I believe that, generally speaking, for too long the Church has existed with a form of godliness but without power (2 Timothy 3:5). What was promised by Jesus to the earliest Churchnamely, power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)is precisely what we do not have at the present time. It has been stated by more than one observer that if the Holy Spirit were completely withdrawn from the Church today, 90 percent of the work of the Church would carry on as if nothing had happened. Not long ago, a Chinese pastor was given a tour of American evangelical churches. At the end of the tour he was asked, What is your opinion of American churches? He replied: I am amazed at what you accomplish without God.

It is our view as coauthors that, in general, a silent divorce exists in the Church today between the Word and the Spirit. When there is a divorce in a family sometimes the children stay with the father, sometimes with the mother. In this divorce we have what might be labeled Word churches and those that could be called Spirit churches. Although Jack, Charles and I are not necessarily calling for such churches to come together, we are calling for a remarriage between the Word and the Spirit in the Church.

I first met Jack Taylor in July 1985 at the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when Dr. O. S. Hawkins was the senior pastor. Meeting Jack was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Dr. Hawkins announced that Jack and I would have a book signing on the following Saturday morning. As soon as people got in line to get their book, I noticed that dozens were queuing up for Jacks book. Not a single soul came to get mine, although one or two (feeling sorry for me) finally walked over and purchased my book.

I met Charles Carrin at the Central Baptist Church in Hixon, Tennessee, in the spring of 2000. I was deeply impressed with his preaching and ministry. I felt he should come to Westminster Chapel in London, where I was pastor. He came the following Novemberand he moved us out of our comfort zone. During that time I remember announcing, Westminster Chapel is now a Spirit church as well as a Word church. It was pivotal for us and I felt grateful to God that He used Charles as He did.

The next time Jack and I met was at the First Baptist Church in Ada, Oklahoma, in July 2000. Jack and I were invited there to do a Word and Spirit conference one weekend. Both of us stayed in the home of our friends Pete and Melissa Cantrell. On the last morning, just before breakfast, Jack walked into the living room where I was talking with Pete and said, R. T., Im going to make you rich and famous. This made me laugh. But Jack had reckoned we could work together doing Word and Spirit conferences once I retired and moved back from London to the United States.

I liked the idea but wondered: Could we bring Charles along with us? Yes, Jack was all for that. Indeed, the three of us held a memorable Word Spirit Power conference in Westminster Chapel during my final year there. I spent exactly 25 years at Westminster Chapel, retiring in 2002.

Although Jack has made me neither rich nor famous, the three of us have held over fifty Word Spirit Power conferences all over America, from Florida to Alaska and from New England to the Southwest. Not all churches apparently want us. We seem to appeal mostly to those who equally want both the preaching of the Word and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I wish there was not the polarization that exists between the Word and Spirit in churches today. Some may doubt or deny that this polarization exists. You decide as you read our book.

Heres the deal: I am the Word man, Jack is the Spirit man and Charles is the Power man, although the three of us equally believe in these three essentials; we are merely drawing upon our individual gifts. We work beautifully with each other and I thank God for our friendship and our ministry together. Never in my life have I known men for whom respect and appreciation has deepened and grown so much as with them. Each of us will begin our sections in this book with our personal testimonies, then we will speak through these printed pages much as we do when we hold conferences. The only thing missing in this book will be the laying on of hands of conference participants, which is a vital part of our ministry.

We were recently approached by Chosen Books to do a book together. The truth is, we had thought of itbut the invitation has galvanized us. The three of us are over 235 years old, and we have been in the ministry for approximately 170 years! Charles is the oldest, Jack is the best looking and I am the most unworthy and possibly the most grateful. Could it be that our legacy will be this very book rather than in the individual areas where we have sought to leave a deposit?

This book you hold in your hands explains the rationale for our ministry, butmore than thatit is intended to make a contribution to the Church at the present time. We believe in this formula: Word + Spirit = Power. Jesus promised that we would receive power (Acts 1:8), but this power is manifested today where the Word is faithfully preached and the Holy Spirit is warmly welcomed. Agree or disagree with our premise, I pray that this book will stir you and be a blessing to you but, most of all, that it will bring honor and glory to God.