Marian L. Tupy, “Globalization and Poverty’s Unprecedented Decline: The last forty years have seen a massive and historically unprecedented decline in global poverty” HumanProgress.org (November 22, 2016).

Reminder of good news: This article was originally published in 2016, but this under-reported good news is worth repeating. “[T]he economic liberalization and globalization that started in the late 1970s and accelerated in the 1980s, has led to a massive and historically unprecedented decline in global poverty. Contrary to much of the public perception, liberalization and globalization have not led to an increase in U.S. poverty rates, which continue to fluctuate within a comparatively narrow and, by historical standards, low, band. … In 1981, the year Ronald Reagan became America’s 40th President, 44.3 percent of the world lived in extreme poverty (i.e., less than $1.90 per person per day). Last year [2015], it was 9.6 percent. That’s a decline of 78 percent.”

“While overall violence has declined in 2018, conflict is spreading” ACLED (December 21, 2018).

This Press Release from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project has both good and bad news. Thanks to our friends at Brigada for suggesting this article.

Ed Stetzer, “Three Markers for Discipleship” EdStetzer.com (April 23, 2018).

In case you missed it: A practical article on discipleship.

Peter Gräbe, “Do These And You’ll Always be Successful!” PeterGrabe.com (June 30, 2018).

Cletus Hull wrote, “My PhD adviser at Regent University asked me to share something for his blog and I believe it can pertain to healing and the Lord.”

Geir Lie, “The Origin of T.B. Barratt’s Concept of ‘Missionary Tongues” Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research #26 (November 2018).

Gordon Govier, “Biblical Archaeology’s Top 10 Discoveries of 2018: A glimpse at the important excavation work revealed this year” Christianity Today (December 27, 2018).

2019 Risk Map from ControlRisks.com

What areas of the world are projected to be the most dangerous in 2019?

Caleb Courtney, “Researching Canadian Pentecostalism” CalebSourtney.com (January 30, 2019).

Author of A History of Bethel Pentecostal Church in Sarnia, Ontario writes about the rewarding but often neglected work of recording and sharing history.

Richard R. Hammar, “Creating Sexual Harassment Policies for Church Workplaces: The growing numbers of allegations highlight the need for appropriate responses” Church Law & Tax Report (March/April 2018).

Jim Linzey, “5 Valuable Leadership Principles from Psalm 37” Ministry Today (May 30, 2018).

Brian Neil Peterson, “Does Genesis 2 Support Same-Sex Marriage? An Evangelical Response” JETS 60:4 (December 2017).

Abstract: “The rapid moral and cultural changes in Western society have not left the evangelical church unscathed. Instead, an increasing number of scholars, self-professed evangelicals included, are lining up to offer their affirming interpretations of the key biblical texts related to the same-sex discussion. One area in particular that has seen a seismic shift within evangelical circles in the push for the acceptance of ‘Christian’ same-sex marriage. The purpose of marriage to combat loneliness as found in Genesis 2 vis-à-vis the mandate of procreation in Gen 1:26-28 represents the heart of the debate. Does Genesis 2 support same-sex marriage on the basis of kinship ties as opposed to procreation as taught in Gen 1:26-28? This paper argues that affirming scholars have misinterpreted Gen 2:18-25 as promoting only kinship ties and not procreation as well. Moreover, Gen 2:18-25 must be read in light on Gen 1:26-28. Indeed, Gen 2:18, 20, and 24 serve as the basis for promoting procreation and physical fittedness within marriage. This paper will also show how a number of ancillary arguments used as biblical ‘support’ for same-sex marriage are either false dichotomies or are simply wrong when placed against the rubric of Scripture. Only one paradigm for marriage appears within the Bible, namely, heterosexual marriage established by God himself in Gen 2:24 and reaffirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.”

Beth Coetzee, “Tzaneen: One woman and her thirty year mission” Letaba Herald (September 29, 2018).

John Lathrop writes: “Here is an article from an African newspaper about Nancy Hudson, who is a missionary in my denomination, and CASA Ministries” (Christian Assemblies of South Africa).

Kate Shellnutt, “Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Christian Doctor Who Heals Rape Victims: Congolese gynecologist Denis Mukwege is on a crusade for women’s dignity” Christianity Today (October 2018).

Revisiting a classic: Richard M. Riss, “Singing in the Spirit in the Holiness, Pentecostal, Latter Rain, and Charismatic Movements” Pentecostal-Charismatic Theological Inquiry International (July 28, 1995)

Jonathan Merritt, “It’s Getting Harder to Talk About God: The decline in our spiritual vocabulary has many real-world consequences” New York Times (October 13, 2018).

Thanks to PneumaReview.com author William De Arteaga for pointing out this article.

“Franklin Hall Collection Deposited at Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center” iFPHC.org (October 18, 2018).

Interview with Roger Olson about 14th Edition of The Handbook of Denominations in the United States Bible Gateway (October 30, 2018).

Roger E. Olson, “Remembering the Difference between Patriotism and Nationalism” Patheos (July 1, 2018).

Mandy Smith, “When Your Calling Feels Like Death: Doing God’s will, even in ministry, isn’t always fun and flourishing” CT Pastors (June 2018).

Cletus Hull, “My Church is a Mental Hospital” Fuller 11 (2018).

An article from PneumaReview.com author Cletus L. Hull III about chaplaincy and ministering forgiveness and child-like faith to those receiving mental health care.

Brandon J. O’Brien, “Isaac Backus: An 18th-Century Evangelical with 21st-Century Wisdom” Christianity Today (July/August 2018).

Is the byline over-reaching a bit, or is this an American hero of religious freedom that you have never heard of–but should have? “On questions of race, religious liberty, and political power, the Baptist preacher should be our guiding light.”

John Lathrop, “Finish Well Ministry Amidst Challenges: There will always be numerous roadblocks but complete what God has called you to do” Christian Trends (July 28, 2018).

Bob Smietana, “Prosperity Gospel Taught to 4 in 10 Evangelical Churchgoers” Christianity Today (July 31, 2018).

“Survey finds most Protestants believe God wants them to prosper financially. But views diverge on whether they must tithe to receive it.”

“Saudi Arabia may relax its ban on Christian churches: New evidence suggests the Prophet tolerated churches in Arabia” The Economist (August 2, 2018).

Thanks to Brigada for recommending this article.

“Signs and Wonders as Churches Emerge in India” Christian Aid Mission (August 2018).

“‘People didn’t want Christianity there,’ the missionary said. ‘But God told me to build again.’”

Shane Bennett, “New Flavors on Your Local College Campus” Missions Catalyst (September 12, 2018).

Practical ways to reach out to international students that promote authentic and life-changing friendships (and not just the students).

Bobby Ross Jr., “When Clothing and Household Items Are Donated: Churches may want to tell taxpayers that generosity is its own reward” Church Law & Tax (September 4, 2018).

Be aware of how the new US tax law will affect non-cash donations. “Under the new tax law, over 94 percent of taxpayers will not itemize, giving more reason for donors to avoid the compliance issues.”

Roger E. Olson, “A Call for Protestants Everywhere to Take ‘Marriage’ Back from the State” Patheos (September 19, 2018).

Historian of religion, Roger Olson, asks if the general acceptance of divorce and remarriage in our churches, without any qualification, has positioned conservative, non-fundamentalist churches to soon embrace gay marriage and even polygamy.

Jessilyn Justice, “Hillsong Splits From Assemblies of God in Australia to Become Its Own Denomination” CharismaNews.com (September 20, 2018).

Image: Tom Eversley

Alexander Chow, “The Remarkable Story of China’s ‘Bible Women’: The history of Christianity in the world’s largest country can’t be told without acknowledging the female evangelists and pastors who built its church” Christianity Today (March 2018).

Christian History: Roger E. Olson, “An Almost Forgotten 20th Century Christian Theologian: Christoph Blumhardt” Patheos (March 25, 2018).

The full text now available online: Josh McDowell, More Than a Carpenter.

John P. Lathrop, “Prayers For a Christian Worker” Berita Mujizat (April 15, 2018).

Jessilyn Justice, “From Shawn Bolz to Bill Hamon and Beyond, Authors Honor Destiny Image’s Don Nori” CharismaNews (April 17, 2018).

“Destiny Image Publishers Founder Don Nori Sr., 66, died Tuesday [April 17, 2018], saddening many Spirit-filled authors who labored with him in the kingdom.”

Steve Rathje, “Metaphors can change our opinions in ways we don’t even realize” Quartz (March 31, 2018).

“Emerging psychological research tells us that something as simple as a single metaphor can have consequences for how we think. They can also be powerful tools in the hands of those looking to shape our opinions.” Thanks to Brigada for pointing out this article.

Chad Ashby, “God Hates Abuse: There’s more to the scriptural picture behind ‘I hate divorce’” ChristianityToday.com (May 11, 2018).

Thomas Kidd, “Boston’s ‘Quiet Revival’ Since the 1960s” TheGospelCoalition.org (May 22, 2018).

A steady flourishing of immigrant churches has been changing the spiritual landscape in one of America’s most historic cities. Thanks to Pastor John Lathrop for pointing out this article.

Craig S. Keener, “Should prophecies always be positive?—1 Corinthians 14:3,” Part 1 (May 21, 2018); Part 2 (May 28, 2018), CraigKeener.com.

Jonathan Graf, “3 Starting Points to Grow Prayer in Your Church” Church Prayer Leaders Network.

Jon Graf wrote, “The most effective way to get the most people in your church praying is by holding a prayer initiative.” Thanks to our friends at Brigada for suggesting this resource.

Craig S. Keener, “Families Separated at the Border—Genesis 12 and Romans 13” CraigKeener.com (June 19, 2018).

Image: Andrea Tummons

In this March 2016 paper, Kyle Smith notes important issues about how Christians, particularly Pentecostals, are influenced by social media and how churches are using it to increase their reach. Where has the center moved?

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of social media on the Pentecostal church. The history and creation of social media will be examined with special attention given to the rapid adoption by both the Pentecostal church and culture at large. Next, the use of social media by several larger Pentecostal institutions will be examined. The use of social media by these institutions will then be compared and contrasted. The paper will conclude by examining the larger effect social media has had on Pentecostal culture.

In 2003, Mike Zuckerberg created a game called FaceMash that would eventually morph into Facebook as we know it today.[1] Unlike Facebook, which has many proponents who argue for its beneficial effect on society, few would argue that FaceMash should be viewed positively. FaceSmash was essentially a simple computer program that would present users with two pictures of fellow Harvard students. The user would then vote as to which student was better looking. Harvard University, the university Zuckerberg attended, reacted quickly by shutting the website down and threatening to expel Zuckerberg.

The second[9] most used social media website is YouTube with over one billion users in 2015.[10] YouTube allows users to both upload and share videos via the internet. The idea was first conceived by three previous employees of PayPal who were unable to find videos of the Super Bowls Janet Jackson[11] scandal, or the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The three founders gathered around the concept of creating a video sharing platform. YouTube was initially launched at the end of 2005. Roughly ten months later Google purchased YouTube for 1.65[12][13] billion dollars. At the time YouTube accounted for 46%[14] of all video views. However, Google received a significant amount of criticism from the business community[15]^,[16],[17] for purchasing the young company for such a significant amount of money.

The exclusively digital edition of The Pneuma Review, Fall 2015 (18:4).

Some of what you will find in this issue:

Logic on Fire: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, reviewed by R. T. Kendall

That the life of Jesus may be manifested: An interview with Dan Izzett

Veteran Youth Pastor, Jeff Grenell, introduces five keys for mentoring young leaders in “My Ceiling, Their Floor”

Rediscovering Jesus, reviewed by Martin Mittelstadt

William De Arteaga: Agnes Sanford and Her Companions, reviewed by Jon Ruthven

Missionary-scholar Jim Harries discusses the difference between the biblical categories of clean and unclean, holy and common in “Holiness in African Perspective”

Find all of these articles individually in an easy-to-read format on the archive page: http://pneumareview.com/fall-2015/

Full issue coming soon.

The exclusively digital edition of The Pneuma Review, Summer 2015 (18:3).

Some of what you will find in this issue:

An interview with Harvey Cox

Ancient Jewish Cessationists

Scholar Jon Ruthven shares some “hasty, preliminary notes” as he works through “What is Salvation?”

The Bible’s Undertaker: Cessationism in Contrast to a Living, Miraculous Christianity

The theology and influence of Karl Barth: an interview with Terry Cross

Find all of these articles individually in an easy-to-read format on the archive page: http://pneumareview.com/summer-2015/

Full issue coming soon.

The exclusively digital edition of The Pneuma Review, Spring 2015 (18:2).

Some of what you will find in this issue:

Pastor-scholar Tony Richie presents, “An Affirmative Pentecostal Theology of the Miraculous”

An Introduction to Dreams and Visions in the Bible and Today

The Sinfulness and Destructiveness of Conspiracy Theories

Church Refugees: Rob Wilkerson’s interview of sociologist Josh Packard about the people who say they are done with church.

Find all of these articles individually in an easy-to-read format on the archive page: http://pneumareview.com/spring-2015/

Full issue coming soon.

The exclusively digital edition of The Pneuma Review, Winter 2015 (18:1).

Some of what you will find in this issue:

The Holy Spirit, The Missing Finger: Comparing the Pneumatology of Alexander Campbell and Don Basham

A conversation that started with “What Bible Did Jesus Use?” and continued with “What Yeshua Quoted” and “Bishops, Aramaic, and the LXX.”

Find all of these articles individually in an easy-to-read format on the archive page: http://pneumareview.com/winter-2015/

Full issue coming soon.

How long did God expect prophecy to function in the church?

The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church?  (Part 1) from the Spring 2001 issue.

The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church?  (Part 2) from the Summer 2001 issue.

The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church?  (Part 3) from the Fall 2001 issue.

“The Duration of Prophecy” is Chapter 12 from the 2000 revised edition of The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne A. Grudem.