Just the opposite, today Christians of all different types of faiths and persuasions make up to 2.4 billion of the world’s population, and recent research indicates that up to 760 million may be of the Pentecostal or Charismatic persuasion. The clear majority of all Christians in Asia, in which up to two-thirds of the world’s population lives, are Pentecostal in belief.

Many churches in Asia are some of the largest in the world and the growth is far beyond that of population growth. For example, in 1995 Christians in Taiwan were only 2.9% of the population. But twenty years later in 2015, it had grown to 6.3%, a growth of 3.4%. However, during those 20 years the population of Taiwan only grew from 21 to 23 million, a growth of only 0.9%.

Yet it is significant to note that in many Western nations in Europe and North America, the church is in great decline. I personally believe the reason is the backsliding from preaching the Pentecostal message to motivational preaching and the prosperity Gospel. We see the warning of this backsliding in Hebrews 2:1-4.

Empowered 21 is a world-wide movement in which Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians gather together at various major capitals in different parts of the world to reaffirm the truths of the Pentecostal revival, and to pass the vision, message and mantle to the younger generation.

The official publication of Empowered 21 Asia Congress 2017 states, “Empowered 21 is a global movement, dedicated to the move of the Holy Spirit amongst new generations in the 21^st century. Birthed in 2008, Empowered 21 was quickly seen as a natural kingdom-wide follow-up to the 2006 Azusa Street Centennial.”

The Vision is: “That every person on Earth would have an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ through the Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit by Pentecost 2033.” The Mission is: “Empowered 21 will help shape the future of the global Spirit-empowered movement throughout the world by focusing on crucial issues facing the movement and connecting generations for inter-generational blessing and impartation.”

View of David’s Citadel from Hinnom Valley, Jerusalem.
Image: Gilabrand / Wikimedia Commons.

It was stated that this was probably the largest gathering of Spirit baptized Christians gathered in Jerusalem to honor the Holy Spirit since the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. Like that important day that we are all linked to, this conference had people from most nations in the world, the majority being what we term “Third-World Nations”. Probably over 1,000 were from Asian nations, with huge delegations from China and Indonesia.

The speakers included most of the present well-known leaders in the Pentecostal movement speaking in the main sessions, as well as both famous and not so famous speakers in dozen of workshops covering virtually every subject dealing with the church and ministry to the Lord and the world. Most Christian gatherings in Jerusalem focus mostly on praise, worship, prayer and reconciliation between different peoples groups. This had all that, but was also packed with solid Biblical teaching. If we have learned anything in the past 109 years of this movement, it is that Holy Spirit led and anointed ministry will only produce lasting fruit when it is based on solid Biblical teaching. The total audio library of both general sessions and workshop teachings (over 175 talks), can be ordered on-line at http://jerusalem2015audio.com

The Hall of Names at Yad Vashem. “Yad Vashem” comes from Isaiah 56:5, giving “a place and a name” to the millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust.
Image: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons.

Most of those who participated in the conference also visited many historical Biblical sites in Israel before or after the meetings. The fact of the return of the Jews to their land after being in dispersion for close to 2,000 years, and the restoration of the State of Israel itself is a proof of the Bible, and a miracle you can see with your own eyes. Those who visited Yad Vashem (The Holocaust History Museum) were deeply moved, many to tears. Throughout history the powers of darkness have used every conceivable method to destroy and exterminate God’s chosen people, the Jews, culminating in the Nazi holocaust with the murder of six million Jews living in Europe. We learned behind this was a devilish doctrine of ‘replacement theology’ that is sadly still believed by some misguided Christians.

The restoration of God’s chosen people to their ancient land, as miraculous and important as it is, reminded us of the Biblical promises of the restoration of the church and the world-wide preaching of the Kingdom of God (Acts 3:19-21, Matthew 24:14, Eph. 5:26-27, etc.) In Empowered 21 we were reminded how the Pentecostal Gospel has been preached with signs, wonders, miraculous healing and gifts of the Holy Spirit to the whole world during the past 100 years resulting in the salvation of hundreds of millions and the transformation of lives and whole societies.

However, we were also reminded that many are backsliding from the Pentecostal message that focuses on the Cross of Christ, the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit to a compromising man-pleasing Gospel (Jude 3). I for one heard a clear call from many of the speakers to return to this Pentecostal faith that impacted the whole world. I heard many warn of the dangerous trend in Charismatic circles to accept and preach the hyper-grace message which has admittedly been the reason for the success of many mega churches claiming to be part of this Pentecostal movement. There was a strong call to repentance, fasting and prayer, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire resulting in holiness in the lives of believers and the preaching of the Full Gospel to the whole world.

The worship leading was done mainly by young people, many from Oral Roberts University and Australia. On the last day, the leaders of this generation of youth shared the Word and ministered to everyone. The Pentecostal vision truly has been maintained and spread throughout the whole world during the past century, and now the baton has been given to this generation of young people. They very possibly will be alive to usher in the return of Christ.

Dennis Balcombe
Hong Kong

Sunday, I preached three services at the First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk. We had an amazing time!

The sermon was entitled: “Empowered to do Extraordinary Things.” Our focus passage was Acts 3:1-10 about Peter and John’s encounter with the lame man at the Gate called Beautiful.

The lame man was asking for money. Peter and John stopped and told him that they did not have any “hand-outs”; but they had a “hand-up” in the name of Jesus Christ. They extended their hands to the lame man and lifted him up to his own feet.

The man was finally able to do what he had never done but always wished that he could do! Could it be that we are busy giving hand-outs when people need and deeply yearn for hand-ups?

I shared the story of Mary Slessor, a young 28 year old lady from the slums of Dundee, Scotland, who in 1876 traveled to Calabar, Nigeria. One woman lifted a people from the dungeons of superstition. The Efik tribe believed that twins bring evil spirits to the village. So, the Efik people’s culture was to kill twins. Thousands of babies died under such ruthless ignorance.

But, God called Mary Slessor to go to Calabar to make a difference. More than a hundred years later, the entire society in Calabar is grateful for her legacy. One young woman, empowered by the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary things traveled on the Ethiopia from Liverpool on a ship full of cargo rum to do God’s work!

When Mary got to Calabar, she was overwhelmed with the situation of hideous spirituality, the cult and superstition that oppressed women, killed babies, and sold slaves to the Americas. Mary prayed. Until 1915, Mary Slessor ministered the gospel, cared for abandoned children.

Like Peter and John, Mary Slessor extended her hands and lifted up a people who were lame by the status quo of paganism. She did it by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ.

As you go about your ordinary week, may the Holy Spirit empower you with keen perception that your purpose is to live in the power of the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary things in the name of Jesus!

Charles Stanley once said, “Earthly wisdom is doing what comes naturally. Godly wisdom is doing what the Holy Spirit compels us to do.”

In the name of Jesus, we have the victory!

Remember this: You are ordinary but you serve an extraordinary God!

Grace and peace,

Dr. Antipas

Christians need God’s power in order to live the way he intended.

The Power of the Cross: The Biblical Place of Healing and Gift-Based Ministry in Proclaiming the Gospel

It is clear from the New Testament that the power of God is meant to accompany the gospel, and to find expression through its messengers and in the lives of those to whom the message comes.

Each December, Time magazine produces a set of light-hearted comments on the previous year. At the end of 1987, the editors were isolating the most overworked word of the year, the one most ready for retirement. The word they chose was “power,” as in “power lunch,” or “power tie.” I confess my mind ran to various uses of the word “power” in Christian circles that seemed similarly overwrought, and I agreed there was a strong case for retiring the word.

But then I thought again.

The Spirit In Action

J. I. Packer

During the past century, Christians have been very concerned about power. Have they been wrong to be concerned about it? Not altogether. In the middle and late 1800s, there was great concern to find “the path of power.” The path of power meant one’s ability to perform set tasks and overcome temptations. Was it wrong to seek the power of God for greater self-control and a richer practice of righteousness? Of course not. At the same time concern focused on being able, through the power of God, to impact others for God through preaching and witness. Was it right to be anxious lest one’s witness should be powerless? Of course it was right.

More recently, Christians touched by that movement known variously as Pentecostalism, charismatic renewal, and the third wave, are finding, if they can, the ability to channel supernatural demonstrations of God’s power in healings of all sorts: healings of the body, inner healing of the heart, exorcisms where there appears to be something demonic in a person’s life. Is it wrong that Christians are concerned about these things? Though I see various pitfalls, I cannot find it in my heart to say this is wrong. In my New Testament I read a great deal about such manifestations of the power of God—understood simply as “powers of the coming age” (Heb. 6:5) or, in other words, the Holy Spirit in action.

Arturo G. Azurdia III, Spirit Empowered Preaching: Involving the Holy Spirit in your Ministry (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1998), 192 pages.

Arturo Azurdia III graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary, California, in 1998 with a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching degree. Azurdia’s book was a requirement for his graduation. (Westminster does not usually allow students to study and write outside of the theological tradition of Reformed Theology).

As a student of preaching, I found greater personal academic freedom in a university setting under a Reformed evangelical homiletician than I did at denominational theological schools in North America. At a denominational seminary a student is usually confined to the tradition of that seminary lest they offend their constituency and the needed support diminishes.

I am therefore pleased and pleasantly surprised that Westminster Theological Seminary allowed Azurdia to study “unction” (Azurdia is from an evangelical Presbyterian tradition). His book presents fresh and welcome instruction to the church. That fact is reflected in the many book reviews written about Spirit Empowered Preaching. The book reviews suggest that there is great hunger for the “unction” in evangelical pulpits. My prayer is that this book will create a strong desire in the hearts of evangelicals who are dissatisfied with purely intellectual Christianity and prompt their study of “unction” more thoroughly.

Azurdia desires to influence ministers to approach their preaching not only intellectually, with a heavy dependence upon biblical languages, exegetical skills and historical research, but to include “unction.” The thesis of his book is “…contending: the efficacious empowerment of the Spirit of God is indispensable to the ministry of proclamation” (13). He seeks a balance between the Holy Spirit and the Word. He proceeds to show the need for the unction and describes the work of the Holy Spirit in preaching, and impresses upon his readers the benefits of being Spirit-filled ministers. His main points are supported by the New Testament and by those people considered to be great evangelical preachers of the past. He shows that the empowering of the Holy Spirit is a sovereign work of God, and that the minister of the Word should be a person of constant prayer. His last chapter, “Pray me full” (164-177) affirms this and is helpful to all ministers.

However, there are three problems with Azurdia’s book: (1) his interpretation of John 14:12; (2) his interpretation of Luke 4:18-19 and 1 Corinthians 2:4, 5 (68, 69); (3) a lack of emphasis on fasting with prayer.

(1) Azurdia’s interpretation of John 14:12 (KJV),

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do… .”

Azurdia claims that “greater works shall ye do” refers to the disciples winning more souls than Jesus won (23). There is nothing in this passage to suggest that “greater works” is limited to the preaching of the disciples. “Greater works” is better interpreted to refer to the universal church, meaning that Christians have done greater works than Jesus did, which includes the conversion of non-Christians, and signs, wonders and miracles following the preaching.

Pneuma Review: How do you feel the Pentecostal/charismatic church today is doing at understanding and effectively communicating the teachings of the Bible? What can leaders do to improve?

French Arrington: Generally speaking Pentecostal/charismatic preaching and teaching is not substantive in biblical content. In making this observation I must ask, however, what sector is being evaluated—North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, etc.? The different parts of the world are not on the same page when it comes to Christian education. For the most part, there is a dearth of knowledge of the Bible in evangelical churches. It may be that Pentecostal/charismatic churches are farther behind the curve of evangelical churches for these reasons: (1) Extreme emphasis is placed on praise and celebration at the expense of teaching the Word of God. (2) Some churches no longer have Sunday School or use the Sunday School hour to study subjects other than the Bible or Christian doctrine. (3) Many pastors do not preach expository and doctrinal sermons nor sermons that are solidly rooted in the Scriptures. (4) Some make a practice of selecting a few popular issues in which to focus in a year’s preaching rather than providing some balance in their preaching.

I think there are a number of things church leaders can do to help their congregations to be more biblically literate: (1) cultivate a climate of serious Bible study packaged in a way that appeals to contemporary churchgoers. Such a climate begins with the pastor and other leaders who take seriously the Word of God in their preaching and teaching. (2) use visual aids (chalkboard, bulletin inserts, projector, computer, etc.) in preaching and teaching: (3) employ language that is understandable and meaningful to the congregation. I know that language can be a problem, especially in communicating the teachings of Scriptures to a younger generation. (4) encourage the reading of the Bible by distributing a weekly guide for family Bible reading and devotion. (5) teach the people how to study the Bible and how to lead a small group Bible study.

Let me make a few more observations. There is a real need for pastors to be biblically and theologically informed. Such pastors will recognize the importance of following the church calendar or some other guide to ensure that in preaching and teaching the congregation gets a “balanced diet” of the Scriptures. They will be equipped to focus their preaching not only on personal needs in the congregation but also on the great truths of the faith. Furthermore, they will be able to discern heretical teachings masquerading as authentic Christianity and the authority of Scripture being sacrificed on the altar of pragmatism or political correctness.

A triple review of books by Robert Menzies and his father William, essay by Grant Hochman.

Robert P. Menzies, The Development Of Early Christian Pneumatology: with special reference to Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991).

Robert P. Menzies, Empowered for Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts. Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series #6 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994), 290 pages.

William W. and Robert P. Menzies, Spirit and Power: Foundations of Pentecostal Experience (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 233 pages.

A quiet revolution has been taking place around the world. There are now over 530 million Pentecostal/charismatic Christians (David Barrett, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan/01). It was the church growth movement which first brought this explosive growth to the attention of Christian leaders. The focus on what they termed the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit,” based on Luke and Acts, was the driving force behind it, and secondarily, the emphasis on spiritual gifts as found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (Chs. 12-14). From a mere trickle of scholarly research, the last thirty years has seen a river of literature on this topic (see Charles E. Jones, where one finds over 11,000 entries in The Charismatic Movement, Scarecrow Press, 1994). This change has been underscored by the founding of the Journal of Pentecostal Theology in 1992 and published by the prestigious Sheffield Academic Press, in England.

The 2005 cover from Bloomsbury T&T Clark.

Even though they are relative newcomers, classical Pentecostal scholars have been major contributors to the scholarly dialogue. One individual stands out above the others both in quantity and quality: Dr. Robert Menzies. After publishing a series of articles and book reviews, his first book to be published was his doctoral dissertation: The Development Of Early Christian Pneumatology: with special reference to Luke-Acts, from Sheffield Academic Press, 1991. This work caught the attention of two of the most prominent world-class evangelical scholars on Luke-Acts, James Dunn and Max Turner. Dunn writes “Pentecostal biblical scholarship has become increasingly a factor to be reckoned with, as its contributions have grown in confidence and weight…So far none commands more respect than the Aberdeen thesis of Robert Menzies.” Dunn closes by saying, “this is a work of significant and substantial scholarship whose strengths cannot be done full justice to in a brief review,” (Evangelical Quarterly, 66:2, 1994, pp. 174-6). Max Turner pays tribute to Menzies in his book, Power From On High: The Spirit in Israel’s Restoration and Witness in Luke-Acts. Sheffield Academic Press, 2000. In the preface Turner writes about Menzies, “His rigorous and perceptive case caused me to reconsider the evidence,” (p.11). This in turn, resulted in Turner publishing a series of articles and then his book (listed above). While both Dunn and Turner take issue with certain areas of Menzies work, they pay tribute to his efforts.