Pneuma Review interviewed John Paul Jackson for the Fall 2007 issue: Prophetic Ministry: an interview with John Paul Jackson

Do you think that the Christian church as a whole is becoming more receptive to prophetic ministry?

Yes, I do believe that is happening. I say that for several reasons, four of which I’d like to address here. The first is obvious to me personally—I am speaking in many more denominational settings. Ten years ago, theological boundaries would have precluded most from speaking on the topic of prophetic ministry, but this year alone, I will be speaking in Baptist, Nazarene, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Episcopal and Church of Christ churches or conferences, in addition to Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.

Second, the interest level on this topic is no longer superficial. Pastors are admitting that they themselves have had a variety of supernatural spiritual experiences. As a consequence, they are asking some tough and probing theological questions. With these questions comes a heightening demand for intellectual integrity and consistency between recognizing that the Holy Spirit’s gifts are available today and applying that belief to current church life. In other words, if it is for today, how is it meant to function in order to aid the church?

Finally, there is the newfound recognition that three separate issues have to be addressed in any gift, especially the prophetic gift. I call these the Three Pillars of Prophetic Ministry: the prophet and the man, the prophet and the gift and the prophet and the church.

The prophet and the gift espouses that gifting is not instantaneous. People do not stand before world leaders the day after their gifts are bestowed. Moses waited 40 years; Samuel waited 25 years; and even Jeremiah, who the Lord said was not too young, waited 17 years before his first prophetic utterance. During the interval between the gifting and the releasing, the gift must be studied. Biblical, spiritual knowledge must be gained to help lay the foundation for any future task the Lord might give. The novice must learn the difference between the gift of prophecy and the gift of being a prophet, as well as the differences between a trance and a visitation, a dream and a vision, a translation and a transportation. All these things are described in Scripture and happened in Scripture—what if they happened again?

Bill Jackson, The Quest for the Radical Middle: A History of the Vineyard (Cape Town, South Africa: Vineyard International Publishing, 1999), 419 pages.

New movements need their stories told and Bill Jackson, pastor of Black Mountain Vineyard Church in San Diego, has told the story of the Association of Vineyard Churches. This is an “insider” perspective because Jackson has been a part of the Vineyard movement since early in its history. Jackson’s book serves as an official history in that it is published by and sanctioned by the Vineyard leadership.

The title is the main theme in Jackson’s portrayal of John Wimber and the Vineyard movement. The middle ground is the attempt to retain the biblical foundation of Evangelicalism and the openness to the Spirit of Pentecostalism. Bill Jackson’s Vineyard history documents the ebb and flow of this challenge to balance the “Word and the Spirit” (p. 39). This “quest” is a difficult one as the history of any revivalistic and renewal movement will attest.

Jackson drew upon personal contacts, letters, interviews, audio and video-tapes, specialized web-sites, religious magazine articles and a few published works. The result is a sympathetic but sufficiently objective look into Wimber’s rich and complex life and ministry and the church renewal movement that he helped to launch.

Bill “Jax” Jackson

How this book struck me as a classical Pentecostal reviewer was to see a series of parallels between Vineyard history and Pentecostal history (and in particular the Assemblies of God of which I am a member). Let me enumerate a few similarities. First, revivalistic/renewal movements fear organizational loss of fervor. Jackson cites Max Weber’s theory of the routinization of charisma of religious movements (pp. 18, 349). As Vineyard moves into a new generation of leadership “who knew not Joseph [John Wimber]” will it sustain its growth and vitality? Second, both Vineyard and Pentecostals are “Jesus” people. For Vineyard it was Wimber’s reliance upon George E. Ladd’s theology of the kingdom as a springboard for doing the works of Jesus today. For Pentecostals it was the adoption of A. B. Simpson’s four-fold gospel of Jesus as Savior, Baptizer, Healer, and Coming King. Third, the educational thrust of both Vineyard and early Pentecostals was upon the training of pastors and church leaders. Vineyard, to this reviewer’s knowledge, has not founded a liberal arts college or seminary but has developed regional training programs for its leadership. Early Pentecostals founded Bible institutes to train its gospel workers. Fourth, God uses flawed people for His glory. For the Vineyard movement it was people like Lonnie Frisbee and Paul Cain. For Pentecostals it was Charles Parham and Aimee Semple McPherson. Fifth, crises that occur early in a movement’s story help to define its subsequent history and mission. For Vineyard it was the prophetic restoration ministries in Kansas City and the unusual spiritual phenomena in Toronto that shaped their middle-ground position of spirituality. For Pentecostals it was the role of glossolalia and the nature of the Godhead.

Harry R. Jackson, Jr., The Warrior’s Heart (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2004), 224 pages.

Despite its militaristic title, and soldiering themes, The Warrior’s Heart is a very spiritual work. Bishop Harry Jackson’s work is rather thoughtful, yet focused on the realities of living a purposeful Christian life in today’s world. This work is obviously the result of much prayer, Christian experience and careful consideration of today’s Christian walk.

The writing in The Warrior’s Heart is accessible and direct. Jackson quotes a wide variety of writers and personalities in his work, making good use of anecdotes and stories to deliver his message. This writing style allows The Warrior’s Heart to serve a great variety of potential readers. Pastors and church leaders can read the book and gain valuable insights. Laymen will find the book a valuable and easily understood learning tool.

The twelve chapters of The Warrior’s Heart are divided into three major parts: The Warrior’s Inner Life, The Warrior’s Relationships and The Warrior’s Corporate Connections. Each part addresses a different aspect of Christian soldiering, starting from the inside and working out.

Inner Life: Just as a natural army would, the church must teach and strengthen the individual soldier. Chapter 2, Honor Code and Conscience: Hearing the Voice of God provides strong teaching on the role and purpose of conscience in a believer’s life. Not content with the common interpretation of conscience, Jackson demonstrates how our inner voice must become a direct line to God’s Will and Purpose.

Team Life: After building up the individual warrior, an army turns its attention to the relationships among the troops. Chapter 7, “Friendly Fire: The Difficult “Significant Others’” teaches us how to uphold and strengthen each other. Using the dubious help of Job’s friends and comforters as a backdrop, Jackson points how we must help each other live the Christian life.

Far from condemning, this chapter points out how all armies hurt or kill their own during the chaos of the battlefield. Jackson’s point is to show Christians how to avoid giving or getting “friendly fire.” Despite the turmoil and rush of our modern lives, we can become a blessing to our fellow believers, no matter the circumstances.

Corporate Life: Strong individual soldiers, and superior small units, do not automatically create an excellent army. If the leadership and structure of the controlling organization are poor, the war will be lost. Chapter 10: “Corporate Destiny: Esprit de Corps,” emphasizes this point.

Jackson explains how individual local Churches have unique callings, much like individual Christians. He shows how the corporate church and the individual believers must interact to advance God’s Kingdom in harmony and order. The only agenda that should be advanced is the one that comes from God.