I was so blessed to hear this story, quite by chance—or more accurately, by providence—a few months after I retired from the United States Army as a chaplain. I was in Branson, Missouri, where I had been invited to sing at the Branson Gospel Music Convention during the week of July 14-17, 2009.

I arrived on Sunday, July 12, at the airport in Springfield, Missouri, rented a car, and began driving south to Branson. All along the way, I kept seeing pictures of Bill Medley on billboards. He was performing for the entire summer at the Moon River Theater in Branson, filling in for Andy Williams who was on vacation. Andy owned the theater, but Bill was the only entertainer whom Andy let fill in for him.

Hours later I arrived in Branson and checked into my hotel room at the Hilton at the convention center. I found out that day that soundtracks had to be on CD, not tape. I immediately phoned recording studios and made reservations to have mine transferred to a CD the next morning. So, Monday morning about 9:00 I drove through downtown Branson on the main street to the other side of town and into the countryside to the recording studio, had both songs transferred from tape to CD, and then headed back to the convention center.

Left to right: Bill Medley, McKenna Medley (daughter), Jim Linzey, Darren Medley (lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders), and Paul Revere at the Moon River Theatre (July 16, 2009).

When I got to the corner of the main street to begin my trek through all the traffic, I noticed an IHOP on the corner and thought, “This is my opportunity to easily get to the restroom.” So, I pulled into the parking lot, opened the door to IHOP, and walked in, and there, first booth on the right sat Bill Medley. His back was toward me, but I could see the side of his face. I thought, “This can’t be happening.” I walked down the aisle and went right by him and kept going. I thought, “When I leave, I’ll walk back the same way, then I can see his face to make sure that it’s Bill,” even though I knew it was him.

When I came out of the restroom, I was determined to greet him. I walked down the same aisle, and about eight feet from his booth our eyes met. There was no escaping! So, I boldly walked to the side of his table, crouched down at eye level, and asked, “Are you Bill Medley?”

“Yes,” he said.

“You and I have someone in common,” I said.

“Who?” he asked.

“Jack Colman.” Bill’s heart melted as an expression of love came over his face. “I know he was your vocal coach. He was mine, too,” I said, “and Jack used to tell me all about you.”

Bill was visibly stirred by memories, and then he shared wonderful stories about the spirituality of Jack and Jack’s wife, Sarah Jepson Coleman, who had co-written Portraits of Vision with Tommy Barnett. I was well acquainted with Sarah as well. When I was a student at Fuller Theological Seminary, where Sarah’s brother, Dr. Al Jepson, taught, I house sat for Jack and Sarah, and I sure enjoyed the tray of peanut butter cookies with Hershey’s chocolate kisses that she left for me.

Then I said to Bill, “You and I have someone else in common.”

“Who?” he asked.

“John Wimber,” I replied.

Again, Bill’s face melted with love as he spoke of John and Carol Wimber with great compassion, and shared how John was his and Bobby Hatfield’s producer and performed with them in concert on the keyboard.

After I told Bill that I studied Signs and Wonders under John at Fuller Theological Seminary and was on John’s large ministry team at the Anaheim Vineyard, Bill said, “Do you know how John came to know God?”

“No,” I answered.

“One day, John asked me, ‘What can you tell me about God?’ and I humorously replied, ‘You mean, Ray Charles?’

“Then John pointed to the sky and said, ‘No, the Great One!’”

Bill then witnessed to John about the Lord. While John did not receive Christ immediately, this prompted him to continue thinking about God until he received Him.

We can lead someone to the water, as Bill in this sense led John to God, but it does not mean that person will receive and drink of the water at that time.

I was in utter amazement that after hearing about Bill from Jack and Sarah decades earlier, and studying and ministering under John, here I was, crouched beside Bill at his table at IHOP learning how my former pastor and mentor came to Christ.

I told Bill that I was in town to perform at the Branson Gospel Music Convention that week, and he asked me if I would like to come to his concert at the Moon River Theater. I replied that I would, and he said, “The tickets are $50.” I replied that I would be happy to come, and he gave me the phone number to his road manager, whom I phoned as soon as I returned to the Hilton. The road manager was also a born again Christian, and we fellowshipped for about an hour on the phone. Then he said, “Your ticket will be waiting for you at the box office window, free of charge.” I profusely thanked him for the blessing.

After my performance at the Branson Gospel Music Convention, I went to Bill’s performance a few nights later. During Bill’s performance, he pointed at me several times and told the audience how he and I both knew some of the same people. He also promoted his Gospel CD that night and sold it at the table after his performance.

I was so blessed to have this encounter with Bill Medley and learn how he was instrumental in leading John Wimber to Jesus.

James F. Linzey studied Signs and Wonders under John Wimber at Fuller Theological Seminary and ministered under John on the Anaheim Vineyard’s Large Ministry Team. He studied voice and performance under Jack Coleman and is the chief editor of the Modern English Version Bible.

From the email promotion:

Whether you are familiar with Dr. Craig Keener or this is your first introduction to his work, we are delighted to announce an upcoming Bible webinar with the professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Well-known for his research on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the New Testament, Dr. Keener will join us for a two-day online seminar to teach us more about the Jewish context of key books and passages of the Bible. It will be a wonderful teaching series that you will not want to miss!

Here is the third session, entitled “The Jewish Context For The Gospel Of John.”

Image: Patrick Fore

 
Session 4: The Jewish Context for the Book of Revelation

John Piper did not attempt to add another biography of William Wilberforce’s life. He has instead probed to find the source of what motivated Wilberforce to spend his life for the abolition of slavery in Britain. Piper documented his source material effectively, demonstrating that he has read both primary and secondary literature and is able to point readers to where they also may find the treasured quotations of Wilberforce. Piper has made a unique contribution to the study of Wilberforce because he has directed the reader how to apply the lesson of this great man’s life and how to incorporate faith with practice. Wilberforce proves the success of faith infused politics.

It is essential to read biographical stories for more than inspiration; we must read with an ear to hear what they are attempting to teach us. Piper focuses the reader’s attention on the powerful motivating force that under-girded the legendary tenacity of Wilberforce, who spent his political career to secure the emancipation of the slaves of Great Britain. Piper leads the reader through repetitive probing to consider how the Christian faith of Wilberforce compelled him to endure failure and yet remain steadfast until he successfully transformed both parliament and the opinion of a nation.

The brevity of the book condenses the life story of William Wilberforce into an easy read of a couple hours. It contains sufficient information of his life and contribution, to enable one to be conversant of this man, without taxing the time of one who is too busy to read extensively. The essential highlights of his Christian witness emphasize the influence of his faith, in the realm of political legislation; this synthesis is central to Piper’s message. To read this book is to grasp quickly the basic story and moral influence that the faith of William Wilberforce had on the social injustice of slavery.

Reviewed by John R. Miller

Author’s page, where you may download eBook versions without cost (as of July 21, 2017): http://www.desiringgod.org/books/amazing-grace-in-the-life-of-william-wilberforce

 

This review was originally published on the Pneuma Foundation website on August 24, 2007. The Pneuma Foundation is the parent organization of PneumaReview.com.

The film, The Insanity of God, is based on the book with the same title; it tells the story of Nik and Ruth Ripken’s involvement in missions. Ripken, by the way, is not their real name, it is a pseudonym. The film is narrated by the Ripkens and contains reenactments of some of the accounts from the book.

In the beginning of the film the Ripkens tell the story of how they got involved in missions. Ruth knew at a very early age that she was called to missions, Nik, her husband, came to this realization later in life. He was convinced by the words of Jesus in the Great Commission passage in Matthew 28 that he too should be involved in missions. The Ripkens began their ministry in pastoral work. After a missionary ministered in one of the churches that they pastored they felt that they needed to make their move and get onto the mission field. They initially went to Malawi and loved it, but due to recurring bouts with malaria they had to leave the country. They then moved to South Africa. After this they were told that there were a couple of other African countries that they could consider: the Sudan or Somalia. Their leadership felt that they were to go to Somalia.

Nik said that when he went to Somalia he felt like he had flown into hell. The needs there were overwhelming. By his third night in the country he wanted to leave, however, he did not. He stayed and tried to help in whatever ways he could, mostly through relief work. The seeming lack of progress, the execution of four Somali Christians whom he had shared communion with, and a family tragedy eventually resulted in the Ripkens returning to the United States. They were broken by their experience. In the film Nik asks the question “What do you do when everything seem to be crucifixion and no resurrection?”

Their experience was a difficult one, but it led them on a search. They wanted to find out how Christians could grow and thrive in difficult places, in lands where believers are persecuted. Nik journeyed to a number of nations where Christians suffered persecution to try to find out how they were able to bear up under it and thrive. He went to learn and conducted many hours of interviews with believers in these nations. This is the resurrection part of the story.

The film features stories from three different nations: Russia, China, and an unidentified country in Central Asia. It is virtually impossible not to be moved by these stories. The account from Russia focuses on a Christian man who was arrested and imprisoned for seventeen years for his faith. How he kept his faith during this time and the impact that he had on his fellow prisoners is truly an amazing story. The segment about China gives attention to the response of the Chinese Christians when they heard about the persecution of the believers in Somalia. And, the portion about Central Asia focuses on one man that Nik Ripen called “the toughest man I ever met.” I am purposely not providing a lot of details because I do not want to spoil the film should you decide to see it (which I hope you do). I believe that you will be impressed by the faith, dedication, obedience, and perseverance of these believers who have lived under persecution.

The Insanity of God does not gloss over the harsh realities that believers face in lands where Christianity is not welcomed. It asks the tough questions. The film is both challenging and inspiring. I have also read the book The Insanity of God and would recommend that as well, it contains more information than is included in the film. The book and the film are very important resources. I hope that they receive wide spread exposure. All Christians, particularly those interested in missions, should see this film. I highly recommend it. The Ripkens have done a great service to the Body of Christ in sharing their story and the stories of those they have interviewed.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Companion website: http://www.insanityofgodmovie.com/

A film documentary about a Korean pastor saving abandoned babies.

The Drop Box is a documentary about the ministry of Pastor Lee Jong-rak in Seoul, South Korea. A significant problem in that city is the abandoning of babies. Some of these children are abandoned because they were born out of wedlock; others are abandoned because they have disabilities. Many have been left out on the streets. If they are not found in time they will die.

Pastor Jong-rak became aware of this problem and in 2009 set up a “drop box.” A person who is going to give up their baby can, from outside of the building, put their baby into this box. The box is in the wall of a house and so the baby is safe and kept out of the weather. Once the child is in the box the person dropping the child off can then ring a doorbell and the pastor will come to get the baby out of the box. The pastor has saved hundreds of children using the drop box.

This is a film about life, physical life and spiritual life. In the film some of the children who have been saved are shown. Many of these children have disabilities; they have been saved physically. The man who made the film was saved spiritually while making this film. He became a Christian as a result of what he saw while making this film.

One cannot help but be struck by the love, patience, self-sacrifice, compassion, and commitment of Pastor Jong-rak and his wife. They have a twenty-six year old son that they care for who has disabilities and in addition to that responsibility they carry on this ministry. In one scene in the film the pastor takes a child out of the drop box and immediately offers prayer thanking God for sparing the child’s life.

Pastor Jong-rak has his own health issues and yet he makes himself available even in the middle of the night to help these children. He believes that every human life has meaning and that children who have disabilities are our teachers. He and his wife have adopted other children with disabilities. He said that he adopted them because God adopted him.

This film shows a man moved with compassion and moved to action. My wife made the observation that this film shows the harsh realities of doing this ministry, they are not glossed over. If you are able to see this film be prepared to be moved by it. You can learn more about the film by going to the drop box website.

http://www.thedropboxfilm.com/

Reviewed by John Lathrop

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

Robert W. Graves, ed., Strangers To Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scripture (The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, 2014).

Strangers to Fire represents a phalanx of biblical responses by a variety of authors to the cessationism first developed by the serpent in the Garden: “Did God really say?” That was a challenge to the idea of revelation from God, a notion more fully developed by the cessationist scribes who opposed Jesus. Jesus said to them, “you have not heard His voice, you have not seen His form, the word of God is not in your heart, for you do not believe the one whom He has sent [to baptize in the Spirit of prophecy]. You search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life [but you don’t really believe or act on what the scriptures teach]” (Jn 5:36-47).

Cover for the November 2016 re-release by Empowered Life.

I have come to believe, however, that cessationism is only a reflection of the fact that Protestant theology is off center even in its soteriology, compared to the explicit mission and message of Jesus. The Reformation only slightly tweaked the Roman Catholic mass as the center of Christianity when it limited itself essentially to answering the question, “How much does it cost to go to heaven.” That isn’t the question upon which Jesus focuses. Rather, Jesus came to introduce the Kingdom of God—a synonym for the Spirit—that is, the New Covenant of Jer 31:31-34 (developed in 2 Cor 3 and Heb 8-12) and Isa 59:21 (the “punch line” of the most important speech in Christianity, cited in Acts 2:39). This new understanding of the goal of the Bible, that is, the mission of Jesus, revolutionized my understanding of Christian theology. Cessationism explicitly denies the core mission of the Bible that Jesus repeatedly commissioned his disciples to do: bring the people of God into the New Covenant of the Spirit of prophetic revelation and power. The very first paragraph of the “gold standard” of Christian theology, The Westminster Confession of Faith, explicitly denies the very core goal that the Bible itself affirms—the “prophethood of all believers”—the ideal state of the New Covenant. I spell out most of this in my new book, What’s Wrong with Protestant Theology: Tradition vs Biblical Emphasis (Word & Spirit, 2013).

Michael L. Brown, Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire (Excel Publishers, 2013).

I would also recommend Michael Brown’s excellent response to MacArthur, Authentic Fire. The argument is clear, trenchant, and irenic by a skilled debater.

“This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Jeremiah 31:33-34 NKJV

Are Pentecostals offering Strange Fire? (Panel Discussion)

Further Reading:

Interview with the editor: PneumaReview.com speaks with The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship President, Robert Graves, about their first published book, Strangers to Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scripture.

Read the reviews of Strangers to Fire from Tony Richie and John Lathrop.

“Are Pentecostals offering Strange Fire?” The panel discussion at PneumaReview.com about John MacArthur’s Strange Fire.

Robert W. Graves, ed., Strangers To Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scripture (Woodstock, GA: The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, 2014), 604 pages, ISBN 9780996044509

If you are a person who stays current with regard to books related to the work of the Holy Spirit, the first part of the title of this book may sound familiar to you. If you find this to be true, it is probably because there was a book published in 2013 that had a somewhat similar title. I am, of course, referring to John MacArthur’s book, Strange Fire. MacArthur’s book was very provocative, indeed antagonistic, toward Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians. The book attracted a lot of attention and drew responses from key Christian leaders from both inside and outside of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movements. The preface of Strangers To Fire tells us that Strange Fire was the impetus that caused this current volume to be published (xxvii). Strangers To Fire was published to address and correct some of the issues that were raised in MacArthur’s book. In fact, some of the chapters were written in direct response to Strange Fire.

Cover for the November 2016 re-release by Empowered Life.

The introduction states that this volume consists of thirty-five chapters of which the first seven were written in direct response to MacArthur’s book (xxxi). These chapters make up Part One of the book. The majority of direct responses to Strange Fire were previously published online by Charisma News and PneumaReview.com. Part Two of the book, “Classic Replies to Cessationism and the Misuses of the Charismata,” consists of chapters drawn from other books and publications written between 1968 and 2013 (xxxi). While these additional chapters were not written in direct response to MacArthur’s book, they do touch on issues pertinent to his book, indeed to the cessationists’ view in general. The afterword of Strangers To Fire states the purpose of the book. “It is our fervent prayer that this anthology may aid in the release of cessationists so they might be able to pray the biblical prayer, ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief’ (Mark 9:24 KJV)” (523).

The contributors to this work are: Stanley M. Burgess, Randy Clark, Ronald Cottle, William De Arteaga, Jack Deere, Paul Elbert, Andrew T. Floris, Robert W. Graves, Gary S. Greig, Wayne Grudem, James Hernando, Melvin L. Hodges, Eddie Hyatt, William K. Kay, Craig S. Keener, Robert Menzies, J. P. Moreland, Douglas A. Oss, Cecil M. Robeck Jr., Jon M. Ruthven, Mark Rutland, Omer Jaye Sharp, Gary Shogren, Sam Storms, Horace S. Ward, and David A. Womack. A quick look at their biographical information will demonstrate that they are highly educated people, many with earned doctoral degrees.

Editor Note: This corporate review is a first for PneumaReview.com. David Seal, professor at Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan), approached us about having his entire New Testament Survey class write a review together. They selected a book on prayer to draw out the most practical application of biblical theology.

John DeVries, Why Pray? 40 Days—From Words to Relationship (Grand Rapids: Mission India, 2012), 243 pages, ISBN 9780978855154.

John DeVries, author of Why Pray? 40 Days—From Words to Relationship, has written a daily devotional book on why prayer is so vital in our lives. The author is a pastor, has served as a missionary in India for thirty years and is the founder of an organization called Mission India. He has also written many other books, including Pictures of Perfect Peace, A Christ Appointed Ministry, and Why Give?

This book is organized into five weeks of reading. Each week has a short chapter to be read daily. The chapters are short yet filled with content. The chapters conclude with a Reflect/Discuss thought and a Meditate thought, making this a good book choice for reading not only as an individual but as a group. The book concludes with a short epilogue, which further expands the author’s thoughts and challenges the reader to deepen their prayer life. Each week of daily readings focuses on different aspects of prayer, such as the simple ideas of why prayer is essential to a Christian’s daily life, the importance and urgency of praying first, why it is essential to be aware of our neighbor’s needs, how prayer should be done, how to build a home on the foundation of prayer, and how to be consistent in daily prayer.

DeVries begins his book by inviting readers to H.O.P.E., which stands for Homes of Prayer Everyday. He encourages families to pray together daily, seeing prayer as not something on their to-do list, but rather the necessary maintenance of relationships. The author’s intent is that his book is indeed used for daily reading—not to be read in one sitting—so there is time to reflect, apply and meditate on the truths learned with that day’s lesson.

Why Pray? maintains a reader’s interest quite easily. Not only is the subject matter timeless, but each day’s reading offers a different glimpse into living a life of prayer. Each chapter contains a short anecdote, a real life story or scriptural references that relate to an aspect of prayer. DeVries uses these stories and references to convey his thoughts on prayer and to make his book easily applicable and informative. These illustrations are captivating and thought provoking. He shares not only personal family stories, which are easily related to, but stories about his time in India. One striking example was how prayer by out-castes for upper castes was answered, resulting in the conversion of a family from the upper caste (119‒122). His time in India has certainly given him a unique perspective on prayer.

DeVries causes the reader to reflect in fresh ways on prayer, encouraging not only the new believer but the scholar as well. For example, he uses the illustration of a young boy riding a tractor with his grandfather as “they” do the work on the grandfather’s fields. As he furthers his analogy he writes, “This image strikes me as a picture of myself in prayer. Prayer is the dependent relationship in which I sit on the lap of my heavenly Father and put my hand on His as He steers the tractor. After all, He not only owns and drives the tractor, but He owns the farm!” (30‒31). As DeVries continues his analogy he comments that sometimes we fall asleep in prayer, as a child may fall asleep in their father’s lap. Perhaps that is because we feel safe “sitting on God’s lap.” While that is a comforting picture, it seems important for the author to have acknowledged that falling asleep while praying should not become habitual.

As Pentecostals and Charismatics, we are people who have been confronted by an intense experience of the Holy Spirit. This has led us to reappraise the importance we attach to the Holy Spirit within our Systematic Theologies, as well as reviewing our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. But this can lead us into territories of exciting and worrying discoveries. Does the Holy Spirit really do that? Can that person really have the Holy Spirit too, as they claim?

Fundamental to Levison’s thesis is his discovery that the Spirit is not only the bearer of charismatic endowment, but the very spirit of life that brings our life into being and on which we, as living beings, are contingent. From the Genesis narratives onwards, Levison traces life itself as contingent on the presence and empowering of the Spirit: the breath of God or wind of God are synonymous with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is there in Creation and giving birth to all life of all kind.

The challenge arises in that, in this reviewer’s perspective, Levison does not appear to engage with the challenge of discussing where the real experience and engagement with the Spirit of God ends and that of counterfeit and demonic spirits begins.

This insight is found by Levison in the writing of Luke. The Pentecostal experience is seen to combine both comprehension and incomprehension, not either or: “To opt for either ecstatic tongues or comprehensible foreign languages in the interpretation of the Pentecost experience, not to mention subsequent moments of inspiration in Acts, is to diminish the fulness of the spirit and to deplete the levels of resonance that Luke, like Philo and the author of 4 Ezra, preserves. Pentecost encapsulates not merely the ecstatic or the intellectual but a rare, inspired blend of both” (p 345).