The Bible in Hebrews 13:3 command Christians to pray for those suffering as if they themselves were suffering. In other words, the Bible calls us to not only remember those who suffer but to also be one with them in their suffering. In keeping with this scriptural command, the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) has united millions of Christians in prayer for the suffering Body of Christ around the world. After all, as the Bible says: If one suffers, we all suffer.

Over the years, the IDOP has served as a platform to highlight the stories of persecuted Christians and mobilise the global Church to respond to their plight. Moreover, in so doing, the IDOP has also been a source of solidarity and encouragement to persecuted Christians by reminding them that they are part of a larger, global family of believers.

We believe that God uses the prayers of his people to strengthen and deliver suffering saints. However, in order to pray for these suffering brothers and sisters, we must first listen to their stories. It is only in knowing their plight that we can truly identify with them in their suffering.

We invite you, therefore, to join us this year on 1st and 8th November as we unite globally to pray for the persecuted. Let’s pray that in spite of the pressure and persecution, our suffering brothers and sisters –where ever they may be in the world — would stand firm in their faith, hold fast to the promises of God, and live victoriously in Christ.

Blessings,

Godfrey Yogarajah
Executive Director
WEA Religious Liberty Commission

Watch the IDOP 2020 1:09 minute video (Vimeo) and share it with your church.

Let’s face facts, we are all going to face some type of pressure in our ministry. How are you reacting to pressure and how do you overcome it?

My nearly-sixteen-year-old daughter’s favorite movie is Braveheart. Naturally, if William Wallace can capture Mackenzie’s heart I want to be all that Wallace is and more. In my more delusional moments I envision myself with a huge sword, blue paint on my face and looking to “pick a fight.” When I return to my senses and look in the mirror, I hardly resemble the Scottish hero.

We all face pressure. What separates good and great leaders from average and failed leaders is how we handle that pressure.

I wonder if that’s who is needed today. As a matter of fact, if I arrived at church on Sunday morning clad in a kilt, swinging a sword, and yelling FREEDOM, it is highly likely that I will be given a very long vacation.

While most leaders long to be as brave as William Wallace, most will not be called upon to face an English sword. (Then again, William never faced an angry church secretary.) Seriously, what does a modern day warrior look like? Underneath all the trappings of a thirteenth-century Scot (1270-1305) or a twenty-first-century church leader … pressure is pressure.

When I say words like courage, risk, abandon, sweat, passion, and sacrifice, I can see myself, and hundreds if not thousands of other church leaders.

We all face pressure. What separates good and great leaders from average and failed leaders is how we handle that pressure.

How about you? What kind of pressure are you under? How are you coping with the debt load of your church? You’ve outgrown your building, so how do you keep growing when you are out of space and short on parking? How are you holding up under the pressure of being way behind in budget and losing some key givers? Then there is the matter of staff. Now there’s a piece of cake without any pressure whatsoever. Remember your youth pastor? What do you mean you aren’t getting along? Then there’s that small group that wants to break away and start their own church. Let’s not go there. One of your trustees is having an affair …OK, enough!

Are you taking care of yourself?
Image: Marcelo Leal

But wait, we haven’t even started on your personal life yet. How are you dealing with the pressure of your family acting more like animals than angels? Your spouse and kids are struggling and demanding more of your time. You want to give them time, but …Then of course you have your health to reckon with. Are you exercising regularly? Are you still eating double-cheese bacon-burgers, fries and topping it all off with ice cream? Your kids are getting close to college age and how are you going to pay for that? And last but not least, being the spiritual leader you are, how well are you doing in your passionate pursuit of God and hearing His clear voice of direction for you and your Church? I have one word for all that. PRESSURE! Like it or not, leaders are called to higher standards than non-leaders. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 gives a good picture of those standards. We are not called to be perfect, but we are called to live lives above reproach and be productive at the same time. Isn’t that the real pressure?

PneumaReview.com asked Jim Linzey to send reports of his ministry trip to the Philippines. Here is his account of the Memorial Day Ceremony he participated in.

On May 27, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines occurred to honor the Allied heroes of the War on the Pacific Front of World War II. This historic cemetery is located at the former United States Military Reservation, Fort William McKinley, now known as Fort Bonifacio. It is comprised of 152 acres, containing the most graves of World War II heroes—over 17,000 deceased representing 48 States of the Union, Washington, D.C., Panama, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, China, England, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Finland, Jamaica, Burma, and Peru. The following order of events took place:

The Colors were presented by the Philippine Army and United States Marine Corps. The Philippine and American National Anthems were played by the Philippine Army Band. The invocation was delivered by Elder Shane Brown, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The welcoming remarks were given by Mr. Larry Adkison, Superintendent of the Pacific American Battle Monuments Commission. Floral offerings were presented by Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana who is the Secretary of National Defense, Republic of the Philippines, and by Mr. Michael S. Klecheski who is the Charge d’ Affaires, a.i., Embassy of the United States of America.

The opening remarks were made by Mr. Robert Lane, American Association of the Philippines, who declared (his own personal views) that the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery is a Christian event.[1] Memorial Day speeches were delivered by Brigadier General Christopher A. McPhillips who is the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, United States Marine Corps, located in Okinawa; Mr. Michael S. Klecheski who is the Charge d’ Affaires, a.i., Embassy of the United States of America; and by Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana who is the Secretary of Defense, Republic of the Philippines.

Memorial prayers were then delivered by Commander Don Biadog, Chaplain Corps, United States Navy, who is the Command Chaplain of Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar in San Diego, California, and by Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria who represents the Jewish Association of the Philippines. The National Moment of Remembrance Tribute was delivered by both Miss Isabella Sampilo and Mr. Joe Maristela. Then I, Chaplain (MAJOR) James F. Linzey, USA (Ret.), was honored to deliver the benediction.

The Memorial Day Ceremony came to a close with the Ceremonial Salute, given by the Philippine Army Honor Guard; Taps, played by the Philippine Army Band; and the Retirement of Colors, conducted by the Philippine Army and the United States Marine Corps.

Father’s Day is June 19th.

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The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is a time set apart to remember them.

Over the past year, thousands of Christians in the Middle East have been forced to flee as a result of the atrocities committed by the Islamic State. Elsewhere, in countries like Nigeria, scores of Christians have been killed for their faith.

“We urge the global Church to unite in prayer for the persecuted Church this November,” said Godfrey Yogarajah, the Executive Director of the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance.

The designated dates for this year’s IDOP is 1 and 8 November. In some countries, IDOP will also be observed on 15 November. We invite you to visit the IDOP website to download special resources to help you pray effectively for the persecuted.

We urge you to unite in prayer for the persecuted Church in the spirit that Christ commanded, “for, if one suffers, we all suffer.”

Remember their chains.

IDOP Video 2015 from IDOP on Vimeo.

Kevin Williams responds to questions about the language used in the Second Temple and the role of the Bishop outside of the New Testament. This is part of a conversation that started with Henry Harbuck’s article, “What Bible Did Jesus Use?” and continued with “What Yeshua Quoted” by Kevin Williams. More recently, Henry Harbuck requested clarification in his letter, “Bishops, Aramaic, and the LXX.”

Brother Harbuck writes, “I must be wrong to have assumed for many years that the high priests spoke Aramaic.”

It is certainly difficult to glean what may or may not have been going on in the temple when Jesus and the disciples walked the earth. Most of what we have recorded by the Israelites came well after the temple was destroyed, and what language was used was so common and widespread they did not consider it important enough to record.

What I am about to suggest may not be a popular approach and not very academic, but let’s make an assumption based on what we actually do know. If today’s synagogue service is intended to be a mirror of the temple service, and it is, then I can tell you that the rituals are indeed conducted in Hebrew while the conversation and instruction would likely be in a local language. As a basis for my conclusion, there are two preeminent approaches to modern synagogue life: Ashkenazi and Sephardic, the first being more central and eastern European (German) based while the latter found its roots in Spain and Portugal. Both are considered authoritative in modern Judaism and while distinctly Jewish/Rabbinic they also share commonalities to the nations in which they are rooted. Their services are conducted in Hebrew though their conversations are in the commonly accepted tongue.

Interior of the Esnoga (Spanish and Portuguese synagogue) in Amsterdam. In the foreground is the bema, the reader’s platform (also known as the tebáh). In the background is the Torah ark (hekhál). Image: Joaotg by way of Wikimedia Commons.

A quick story: years ago in a Messianic Synagogue in Toledo, Ohio, we were holding regular Friday night services. The liturgy was in Hebrew based on the Ashkenazi tradition and many of the praise songs we sang were in both Hebrew and/or English. The discussions, as you might guess, were about Yeshua and were in English. On one particular evening we had a small group of visitors, Russian Jewish immigrants. They spoke no English. We spoke no Russian. It was interesting to say the least! But we could share the Hebrew liturgy, which they understood, and we discovered that we had one other shared tongue with one individual—Italian. So we went from Hebrew to English to Italian to Russian and back again. Without intending to, we upheld a long-standing synagogue tradition.

So we have established what we know about today. Looking ahead, I refer you to the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. They routinely practice and prepare for the next temple doing all that they can to reestablish the observances just as they were carried out 2,000 years ago. For them, biblical Hebrew is a sacred tongue and the role of the priesthood is to make clear distinctions between the sacred and the secular. I can guarantee you that they will not be speaking Greek. More than likely they will speak modern Hebrew rather than biblical Hebrew when not conducting liturgy.

In celebration of the Great Reformation and revival movements throughout Christian history, take a moment today to remind yourself of what God has done in and through his people. Be encouraged and challenged that he is ready and willing to revive his people again by his Spirit.

The Impact of Martin Luther and the Reformation on Modern Revivalism by Eddie L. Hyatt

The emphasis by Martin Luther and other Reformers on the ultimate authority of Scripture and the priesthood of all believers opened the way for all the great revivals of the modern era. Luther’s work broke the paralyzing hold of a religious hierarchy that claimed final authority over the people, quenched the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst, and confined Biblical knowledge to the priesthood. His emphasis on the priesthood of all believers unleashed the masses to pray and expect answers from God. If there had been no Luther, there would have been no Methodist revival, no Great Awakenings, no Cane Ridge, and no Pentecostal-Charismatic revival. [Read more]

Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses

When the “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” was nailed to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg, Germany on the 31st of October 1517, it sparked the Great Reformation.

Pentecostal journalist-scholar Roscoe Barnes reviews The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World by Reformation Bible College president Stephen J. Nichols.

In showing why the Reformation matters today, Nichols reminds readers of the Bible five important doctrines that became the foundation of the Reformation.

Patricia Riley reviews The Reformation for Armchair Theologians by Glenn Sunshine.

Presenting the events and leaders of the Reformation in a straightforward and easy to understand fashion that is enjoyable and with a good amount of humor.

Pietists as Pentecostal Forerunners

Excerpts from the paper “The Petersens and the Silesian Kinderbeten Revival” by Eric Jonas Swensson. Trace the connections from Hus to Luther, the Pietists to the Moravians, and the Wesleys to the Pentecostals.

The Holy Spirit Never Left the Church

More about Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians from veteran pastor Charles Carrin.

Wednesday, August 27, 1727, at the initiation of the children, Herrnhut began a prayer meeting that lasted night and day, without stopping, one hundred years. That century-long prayer meeting of laboring, travailing, intercession, 1727-1827, birthed the modern mission movement. [Read more]

The Fire of Revival with Eddie Hyatt

John Lathrop interviews Eddie Hyatt about revival and his book Revival Fire.

Eddie Hyatt: As a new believer many years ago, I had the privilege of participating in a genuine move of the Holy Spirit that impacted many lives and an entire community. In contrast, especially recently, I have observed so-called revivals where there was so much hype, exaggeration and manipulation. This has grieved me deeply. I have a passion to see genuine Spiritual awakening but I know it must be based in Scriptural truth. [Read more]

Paul King reviews Larry Martin, The Life and Ministry of William J. Seymour: and a history of the Azusa Street Revival (Christian Life Books, 1999).

A valuable and accessible record of Seymour’s life and ministry and the events surrounding the Azusa Street revival. [Read more]

The late Murray Hohns reviews The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever: From Pentecost to the Present and shares why reading and learning about revival is so important.

Revivals are wonderful periods in the life of believers. They also are demanding and exhausting periods and—as with any move of God—bring all sorts of controversy and scorn. [Read more]

Supernatural Physical Manifestations in the Evangelical and Holiness Revival Movements, by Paul King

Paul King investigates the historical precedents for the phenomena associated with the “Toronto Blessing” and the Brownsville revival such as falling under the power of the Spirit, trembling and holy laughter.

Join me in thanking our Heavenly Father for his work among us, and a plea that he fill us fresh with his Spirit and revive us again. — Raul Mock

One of his patterns of behavior was to wear a different freshly cleaned and pressed expensive suit everyday court was in session. I remember that he could go six weeks without wearing the same suit twice. Mort never wore the same necktie twice no matter how long the trial lasted. He showed up every morning with a crisply starched fresh white shirt and a smartly tied, understated necktie. And his shoes, of course, were shined and always looked perfect.

Now if that isn’t enough to impress you, Mort was so obsessed with his appearance that he changed his clothes at lunch everyday. Just before he returned for the afternoon trail session, Mort changed into newly shined shoes that were identical to the ones he had worn that morning, another identical crisply starched fresh white shirt, an identical smartly tied understated necktie and an identical freshly cleaned and pressed expensive suit. However, no one outside of his closed circle knew that he had changed his clothes because he looked exactly the same.

Somehow our conversation that evening got around to Mort’s wardrobe and his changing his clothes each day at lunchtime. Mort’s wife explained that Mort was so concerned about the job he did for his client that he believed he should always be fully prepared and look his best. The fresh clothing he put on for each half day of a trial was part of his desire to excel for the one he represented. Changing into fresh clothes halfway through each day of a trial were simply good taste and good sense, nothing more. Were it not for the trial, Mort would wear jeans and a polo shirt. His insistence that he be the best representative of his client was evident. Once you got to know him, you realized that he gave his all to those he represented.

The second part of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Author Robert Graves continues to examine the claim that tongues are not needed today. He argues convincingly that tongues are needed and will continue until the return of Jesus Christ.

Robert W. Graves wrote Praying in the Spirit (Chosen Books) in 1987, when it received great reviews from a number of Pentecostal/charismatic scholars and leaders including John Sherrill, Dr. Vinson Synan, Dr. Gordon Fee, Dr. William Menzies, Dr. Howard Ervin, Dr. Walter Martin, and Dr. Stanley Horton. It is the great privilege of the Pneuma Review to republish it here.

Completed Scriptures

For those dating the cessation of the charismata at AD 90-98 and into the second century, the inscribed revelation of the New Testament plays a momentous role—it is indeed the cessation factor. But even among these there is no agreement upon why and when. We go from the New Testament being written, to its being “circulated,” to its being made “available,” to its being “accepted by the Church.”

For some choosing the completed New Testament as the cessation factor, it is only a matter of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 being fulfilled: “Whether there be tongues, they shall cease … when that which is perfect is come …” (KJV). For these the “perfect” to come is the New Testament, which culminated when the last letter of Holy Writ was penned. But the great majority of commentaries and many cessationists (see Figure 1) reject this interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When J was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

Issue #1: “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away” (verse 8). There are three notable verbs in this verse: (I) prophecy will cease; (2) tongues will be stilled; (3) knowledge will pass away. In the original Greek the two verbs used with prophecy and knowledge are the same word, katarg‘th‘sontai, though translated into English differently. The verb used with tongues is a different, related word, pausontai. Based partially upon this variation in word choices, it is argued that tongues will cease before the other two gifts (Baxter, p.64; C. R. Smith, pp. 82-83; Thomas, JETS, p. 81; Toussaint, p.314).

The few cessationists I have heard use this argument offer no proof from other biblical or non-biblical sources that justifies it: The variation of the words does not make a distinction in time. The research of Paul Elbert confirms this. Arguing for charismatic continuity, he has shown from other New Testament passages and from classical Greek that a variation of related verbs does not signal distinctive changes in the meanings of the verb (see Elbert, pp. 30-32). Even cessationist Judisch agrees: “It would be speculative to see any reason for this change [of verbs] beyond literary elegance” (p. 82).

Issue #2: Not only is there variation in the verbs in verse 8, there is variation in the voice of the verbs. The word that controls prophecy and knowledge is in the passive voice—“They are being stopped”—whereas the word that controls tongues is in the middle voice, which may mean that the subject acts upon itself—“They shall make themselves cease or automatically cease of themselves” (Robertson, Word, p. 179). This distinction is claimed as proof that tongues were to cease before the other two gifts (Baxter, p. 64; Dillow, p. 113; C. R. Smith, p. 83-84; Thomas, p. 105; Toussaint, pp. 314-3l5).

Actually, it may just as well prove that tongues last longer than prophecy and knowledge, assuming the variation of voice means anything at all. No one who is knowledgeable of the Greek language would say that when passive and middle voice synonyms are grouped together, the action of the middle verb takes place before the action of the passive verb. Furthermore, there is evidence that Paul could not have used the verbs he did in all passives or all middles. The verbs in question (katargēthēsontai, future passive; pausontai, future middle) did not regularly occur in both forms (Ervin, These, p. 218). In addition to this, the research of Elbert, which included the examination of 2,000 examples of the middle voice of “will be stilled,” confirmed the conclusions of other Greek scholars: The middle voice of this verb is used with the passive sense (pp. 26-27).

In part 1 of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series, author Robert Graves examines the claim that tongues are not needed today. He argues convincingly that tongues are needed and will continue until the return of Jesus Christ.

Robert W. Graves wrote Praying in the Spirit (Chosen Books) in 1987, when it received great reviews from a number of Pentecostal/charismatic scholars and leaders including John Sherrill, Dr. Vinson Synan, Dr. Gordon Fee, Dr. William Menzies, Dr. Howard Ervin, Dr. Walter Martin, and Dr. Stanley Horton. It is the great privilege of the Pneuma Review to republish it here.

“Tongues shall cease.” More than 1,900 years have passed since the apostle Paul penned this prediction in a letter to the Corinthians (c. AD 54), and not a few cessationists have argued that the future tense of the verb (cease) is no longer warranted—the use of the past tense is now justifiable, or so the argument goes. Anti-charismatic Robert G. Gromacki concludes his book, “‘Tongues … shall cease’ (1 Corinthians 13:8). They have” (p. 143). And according to cessationist George Zeller, Paul’s injunction not to forbid tongues “no longer applies today” (p.104).

The Pentecostals and charismatics agree with cessationists that the charismata (spiritual gifts) as described by Paul and Luke are temporary. The disagreement arises when one attempts to determine the factor (and thus arrive at an approximate date) responsible for the cessation of these manifestations of the Spirit. For the charismatic, Scripture, Church history, and personal experience indicate that all of the gifts are to continue through the Church Age. But for the cessationist, the prophetic, miraculous “sign” gifts ceased with the early Church. Some say the cessation was immediate; others claim it occurred over several decades, tapering off gradually.

Cessationists’ Arguments

The anti-charismata cessationists use, for the most part, four arguments to prove the cessation of tongues: (1) Tongues were a sign; (2) Tongues were revelatory in nature therefore the completion of Scripture ended all revelation; (3) After Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth (AD 54), the New Testament is completely silent on tongues, therefore, they had ceased; (4) Historical writings of church leaders after AD 100 do not indicate a continuance of the charismata.