Andy Butcher, “When It’s Hard to Believe” Charisma (April 2002), pages 38-46.

What do your non-Christian neighbors really think about you and what you believe? Charisma asked a panel of unchurched people to explain how they see the church, offering an unflattering mirror of what we look like to the world we are trying to reach.

Tony Carnes, “‘New’ China: Same Old Tricks” Christianity Today (Mar 11, 2002, Vol 46 No 3), pages 38-42.

Chinese communist leaders are attempting to change their international image regarding their oppression of human rights. However, there are now available extensive documents demonstrating that top communists approve and promote the arrest and torture of Christians.

I. Howard Marshall, “Who is a Hypocrite?” Bibliotheca Sacra (Apr-Jun 2002, Vol 159 No 634), pages 131-150.

Professor Marshall compares the two English meanings of “hypocrite” with the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew words from which they are derived. One important conclusion he reaches is that the original Greek and Hebrew use of the “hypocrite” word groups were not always negative. Although usually linked with the concept of deceptive pretension, the word “hypocrite” can have a range of meaning. “Hypocrites” may not necessarily be people who are intentionally pretentious. From a Hebrew perspective, hypocrites may simply not realize they are not following God’s revealed ways. However, there are others who do “virtuous acts but with the motive of gaining human applause,” and were hypocrites because “they were people who sought to please God, and their desire for human applause was inconsistent with this” (p. 150).

Also in the Spring issue of BibSac can be found articles defending the book of Esther’s place in Scripture, and explanation of the imprecatory Psalms, an exploration of whether John the Baptist was an Essene, and an exposition of the judgment of the sheep and goats (Matt 25:31-46). Unlike many technical theological journals, BibSac may be trusted to uphold the inerrancy of Scripture and the fundamental beliefs of evangelical Christianity even if its writers differ strongly with Pentecostal/charismatics on the gifts of the Spirit for today. BibSac is published by the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary.

For more Significant Articles:

Please see in this issue “Recent Articles about ‘How Much Does God Control?’”

The early Pentecostals had an expectation of the soon return of Jesus. That expectation drove them to urgently share Jesus with the world. This urgency is what has fueled the worldwide growth of the Pentecostal/charismatic movement.

Let us talk about that for a moment. As Bible-believing Christians, we affirm that Jesus is the only way of salvation. We understand that there are many who do not know Jesus as Savior. If we believe—as I think we should—that Jesus is coming soon, then we should have no greater passion than telling those who have not yet heard.

I believe that the church needs to return to having a love for the Second Coming. Pentecostal/charismatics of today should return to the eschatology of the early Pentecostals. We certainly need a renewed urgency for sharing Jesus with a hurting world.

Let us ask the Father, in the Name of Jesus, to fill us fresh with God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers us to live like Jesus today.

Jim Dettmann at an editor meeting in 2005.

Come, Lord Jesus. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”

—James M. Dettmann

Pneuma Foundation President

This issue concludes our fifth year of publication. I trust that this effort has been an encouragement and blessing to you, and I look forward to many more should our Lord tarry His return.

Everyone following the “How Much Does God Control?” dialogue should be sure to read the responses from readers section and other features included in this issue.

May the Lord Jesus our Messiah reveal to your heart more of His grace, love, and power in the coming days.

— Raul Mock, Executive Editor

The EPTA meeting in 2014.

The conference theme, “Pentecostal Education in the 21st. century: Promises and Challenges”, was initiated by special guest speaker Dr. Allan H. Anderson from Birmingham University. His paper, on “Pentecostal-Charismatic Spirituality and Theological Education in Europe from a Global Perspective”, was, as he himself noted, “an extensively modified version of his keynote paper given at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 2001, and published as “The Fury and Wonder ? Pentecostal-Charismatic Spirituality in Theological Education”, Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 23:2, Fall 2001, 287-302. Two quotations from Dr. Anderson’s excellent paper follows:

A serious and extensive revision of Pentecostal history needs to be done, in which the enormous contributions of the as yet unnamed indigenous pioneers is properly recognized, so that US American classical Pentecostals in particular shed their often-heard assumption that Pentecostalism is a made-in-the-USA product that has been exported to the world.Western theological educators should themselves be given thorough exposure to the contexts in which they work, in which the agenda is set by local people. They should first and foremost be learners, where they can listen to local concerns before presuming to teach. This probably means that before educators or missionaries from North America and Europe in other continents begin their work, they should first be apprenticed to local ministers and be thoroughly exposed to the local context. Through serving people in humility over an extended period of time, intercultural workers will learn many vital lessons that several years in theological seminaries back home did not teach, and this will be much more effective.

The next paper, on “Would Jesus have sent his disciples to Bible College today?” was presented by JEPTA (the Journal of the Evangelical Pentecostal Theological Association) editor Dr. Keith Warrington of Regents Theological College, UK. Additional papers included:

• “Decentralised, practical training vs. centralised, traditional Bible College” by Dr. Neil Hudson
• “Do we need a distinct Pentecostal approach to education in Europe” by Dr. Matthias Wenk
• “The early Church and the axis of history in Pentecostalism facing the 21st. century: Some Reflections” by Marc Turnage
• “Training for Missions – Anthropological Insights” by Dr. Jan-‘ke Alvarsson
• “Training national Leaders with English Text books” by Tanja Petrova

The European Pentecostal Theological Association is an inter-denominational academic and theological society. For more information about the EPTA, visit the EPTA website at: www.eptaonline.com/.

Half of the Churches in America

• are growing
• have fewer than 100 participating adults (25% have less than 50)
• are located in a rural or small town setting
• Less than 10% of all churches in America have more than 1000 in attendance.

Keys to Growth

Growing churches report that they:

• welcome change
• have cultural affinity—finding “our kind of people”
• are organized to put their vision in action
• offer inspirational worship
• provide care for their members and are involved in their communities
• teach moral standards
• strengthen congregational vitality by using promotional programs

Source: http://fact.hartsem.edu/executive_summary.htm

Searching for Meaning

One-half of all Americans admit they are searching for the meaning and purpose in life, and the figure is no different among those that claim to be born-again.

Source: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=68

Something to think about:

People who visit your church are searching for meaning and purpose. Will they find the answer? Are people already in your congregation searching for meaning?

“Only God is Free” Geoffrey Bromiley. Christianity Today (Feb 4, 2002), pp. 72-75

Want to read more of what others are saying about God’s control and man’s freedom? This professor emeritus at Fuller Theological Seminary specifically addresses openness theology and says that it has an incorrect view of God and man’s freedom.

www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/february4/9.72.html

“The Mysterious World of Islam” Charisma (Feb 2002), pp. 40-48

Charisma offers a diverse panel of seven experts to discuss what Muslims believe and offering suggestions how to proclaim Jesus to them. For other periodicals discussing the relation of Islam and Christianity, see also:

“Is the God of Muhammad the Father of Jesus?” Timothy George. Christianity Today (Feb 4, 2002), pp. 28 –35. www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/february4/1.28.html

Mission Frontiers (Vol 23, No 4, Dec 2001). “Many Faces of Islam” issue.

“Building Your Personal Library” Phil Cooke. Ministries Today (Jan/Feb 2002), pp. 40-44, 48.

Phil Cooke offers great reasons for building an effective library for the Christian leader while subtly diffusing the error of shallowness prevalent today. Includes excellent practical advice on how to build your library and what to include.

Your Church Nov/Dec 2001 (Vol 47, No 6)

Is your congregation out of classroom space? Thinking of updating your pews? Every issue of Your Church offers numerous practical articles about the facilities and operation of a congregation, from legal concerns to lighting. For example, the December/November issue is dedicated to church furnishings. The March/April edition concentrates on constructing a new church building. Your Church is a publication of Christianity Today, Inc., and you can find their on-line Church buyer’s Guide at www.yourchurch.net [site no longer active, as of June 2014].

“Zimbabwe opens floodgates for whole African Continent” Ted Olsen. DAWN Report (Issue 46, Mar 2002), pp. 1-2.

What can the united efforts of praying believers accomplish in one nation? Ted Olsen, in this special “The Deep and Wide African Church” issue, reports that by the grace of God, 10,000 new churches were planted in Zimbabwe in the last 12 years.

For more reports of what God is doing in Africa, see:

“Miracles in Mozambique” C. Hope Flinchbaugh. Ministries Today (Mar/Apr 2002), pp. 46-51.

“One African Nation Under God” Ted Olsen. Christianity Today (Feb 4, 2002) , pp. 36-43. www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/february4/3.36.html

“Nigeria’s Miracle” J. Lee Grady. Charisma (May 2002), pp. 38-50, 83.

“Nuptial Agreements” Agnieszka Tennant. Christianity Today (Mar 11, 2002) Pp. 58-65

Explains the two major models of marriage taught and believed by evangelicals: complementarian and egalitarian. Also shows that when couples practice biblical principles, both models look rather similar.
www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/march11/4.58.html

“Progress in holiness can best be measured not by the length of time we spend in prayer, not by the number of times we go to church, not by the amount of money we contribute to God’s work, not by the range and depth of our knowledge of the Bible, but rather by the quality of our personal relationships.”

—Stephen F. Winward

“When we major in minors and blow insignificant trifles out of proportion, we imitate the Pharisees. When we make dancing and movies the test of spirituality, we are guilty of substituting a cheap morality for a genuine one. We do these things to obscure the deeper issues of righteousness. Anyone can avoid dancing or going to movies. These require no great effort or moral courage. What is difficult is to control the tongue, to act with integrity, to show forth the fruit of the Spirit.”

—R. C. Sproul

“Our moral compass is not broken. The needle continues to point in the same direction. But ‘south’ has been mislabeled as ‘north.’ And for a generation, these reversed compasses have been handed to kids by parents, teachers, government officials, various advocacy groups and —yes —even some clergy. ‘Broken moral compass’ is a convenient but inaccurate description of the problem. Our moral compass has been altered, inverted and in fact sabotaged by those who are unwilling or unable to follow a legitimate compass, but who conceal their accountability by inducing the rest of us to go along with them. There is still time to repair our moral compass. All that’s needed is to compare our compass with a genuine one and re-label the directions. The real difficulty comes in following the corrected compass. The genuine path isn’t always easy. Often it leads uphill and over difficult terrain. But it is always straight, and eventually it will get us home again.”

—David C. Stolinsky

“Hypocrisy is the respect that vice pays to virtue.”

—La Rochefoucauld

“We felt frustrated toward the end of our journey because there are several villages that we were not allowed to enter because they are controlled by the rebels. However, we do not want to give up the area. We will continue to ask God to open the doors of these villages for us so that we can freely bring in the gospel of salvation to the people there and even to the rebels.”

—A Filipino missionary [from Christian Aid Mission]

The 1924 annual report for Angelus Temple in Los Angeles listed 12,000 saved, 3,000 baptized in water, 3,000 new members, 3,600 healings and thousands filled with the Holy Spirit. The Temple’s early years were filled with revival, and people were touched over and over as miracles took place day after day. This revival led to the incorporation of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1927. The movement has grown to worldwide dimensions and is now commonly called the Foursquare church. I have been part of this family of believers since 1979 when I came to California from New Jersey.

The Angelus Temple, Church of the Four Square Gospel, built by Aimee Semple McPherson and dedicated January 1, 1923. The temple is opposite Echo Park, near downtown Los Angeles, California.
Image: 2005 photograph / Wikimedia Commons.

The Foursquare denomination held its 2002 annual convention and 75th Anniversary in Denver. Some 2000 pastors and their mates gathered for four days of fellowship, business and inspiration. With a few exceptions, my wife and I have attended these Foursquare conventions for 20 years.

This year, there was some pre-convention tension in some conversations and in several letters to our President that had been circulated to many attendees. The concern was the recent appointment of 27-year-old Matthew Barnett as the senior pastor of Angelus Temple.

Angelus Temple is close to the heart of Los Angeles. It is across the street from Echo Park, which features a lovely lake just off the Hollywood Freeway. The first service at the Temple was held on January 1, 1923, and included unveiling a plaque that dedicated the Temple to the cause of Interdenominational Worldwide Evangelism.

Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare, built this now venerable old sanctuary. Church lore describes 5300 seats that were filled over and over all week long for the first ten years of the Temple’s life. The Temple reached out to help the community while daughter churches sprung up throughout southern California and beyond. During the Great Depression, 1,500,000 people were fed each year through the ministries of the Temple. The Temple impacted ten percent of the population of LA in its early years. Next door a Bible College was built and thrived, peaking in 1929 at 1,000 students. Men and women were there prepared to take the Foursquare Gospel to all corners of the globe.

As the years rolled by, Angelus Temple’s congregation changed from one born out of a miracle revival to an older, well-entrenched group of people who had grown up under Sister’s leadership. Aimee died in 1944, and her son Rolf assumed the leadership of the denomination and the pastorate at the Temple. Rolf McPherson, or “Doc” as he is known in Foursquare circles, later appointed others to pastor the Temple while he concentrated on establishing and building the denomination.

Enrichment: A Journal for Pentecostal Ministry (Winter 2002, Vol 7 No 1)

Editor Gary Allen says that those over age 55 are the fastest growing segment of American society. This issue is packed with practical and biblical insights into ministering to the “Boomers, Builders, and Beyond” and how older Christians’ contributions to the local church can be extremely valuable. This publication of the Assemblies of God also has in this issue an excellent article introducing Jonathan Edwards, whom writer William Farley calls “the Pentecostal’s theologian.”

The Winter 2002 issue is available here: enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200201/index.cfm

An index of all Enrichment journal articles is available at: www.enrichmentjournal.ag.org

The Journal of the European Theological Association (Vol. XXI, 2001)

This volume of the JEPTA features mainly articles about the history of Pentecostalism in Europe.

Cutting Edge (Fall 2001, Vol. 5, No. 3)

Cutting Edge is the church planting newsletter of the U.S. Association of Vineyard churches. The Fall 2001 edition features a look at the radical approaches to mission, covenant, and community as seen in two unique churches. The founding pastor of Vineyard Central, in Norwood, Ohio, says this about why understanding commitment is so important:

Because you don’t really love until you do. I think that’s the bottom line. Love stays. Love endures. If you don’t have something that pins your feet to the floor, you are like Don Juan, going from lover to lover thinking that you will eventually find the very best, but that’s imply not true. If you don’t stay, you are never going to address your demons, and you’re not going to be formed relationally until you do that. If you commit to one person over a lifetime, there is a richness of experience and a history of experience that is unparalleled. There is no other relationship that can touch marriage, on this earth. I think we should see some parallel things in the church. Yes, people are to be sent, and some people are with us for a season, certainly. But much of what we see in all the coming and going is the romantic search for what church life is “supposed” to be like, and the reality is too real for us. We love it in concept, but we don’t like it when it hits us in the face.

This issue also takes a look at the vision of Gordon Cosby, a Word War II chaplain, and the church he planted over 50 years ago in Washington, D. C. He has much to say about the dangers of large congregations and culture ingestion. If you are thinking of planting a church or have been contemplating a biblical doctrine of the church, you will not want to miss this cutting edge publication.

Messianic teacher Kevin Williams continues his Messianic Foundations series with the sixth chapter in a series on the Gospel of Matthew. Kevin will be looking at the Hebraisms and Jewish background often missed to reveal beautiful prophetic pictures fulfilled at the coming of Messiah. Be sure to read every installment of this unique commentary on the Gospel to the Hebrews.

Chapters from J. Rodman William’s book The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today (Logos, 1980) continue with “Chapter Two: Dimensions.” You will be deepened and encouraged by this exposition of the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit.

In the article, “Workmen or Captives? Avoiding the Snare of Subjectivity” Pastor Dave Harvey exposes some of the lies of the current popular feel-good approach to interpreting Scriptures, encouraging us to learn to handle the Word properly. In doing so, we will become skilled workmen in the rich, timeless, and objective truth of God’s Word, rather than remaining captives in our own cramped, subjective little universe of personal impressions.

How Much Does God Control? The dialogue about free will continues in the next issue when we hear from an opposing view to openness theism. Join us for this friendly dialogue and be deepened in your appreciation for brothers and sisters who have reached different conclusions on this important topic.