My mother, Assemblies of God Evangelist Verna M. Linzey, enjoyed taking time out of her busy schedule to fellowship with fellow Navy Officers’ Wives as part of her “Ministry of Presence” on the base. My father, first-ever Assemblies of God Active Duty Navy Chaplain Stanford E. Linzey, Jr., was stationed on the USS Holland, which was homeported at Charleston. Mother was on the Navy Wives Bowling League and had won a trophy for being an outstanding bowler.

I was looking forward to my donut on that mild, sunny day in October 1963. Then a short while after crossing the Wappoo Creek Bridge, we came to the railroad tracks before an intersection, and the light turned red. The cars ahead of us did not cross the intersection and we had to come to an abrupt stop on the railroad tracks.

It seemed like an eternity that we waited for the green signal so that we could get off the tracks, but finally the light turned green. Then, just as the car in front of us accelerated, the railroad lights started blinking and the bells began ringing. Mother pressed on the gas pedal, but the front tires were stuck on the railroad tracks. The car would not accelerate. The train was quite a distance away, but it was coming quickly. Mother kept pressing the accelerator pedal while praying, but the car would not budge. We were stranded on the tracks.

I was in the far back of the station wagon, which was off the tracks, and Mother knew there was no time to get me out of the back of the car. She figured that I would survive if the train hit the car. So, praying all the while, she threw open the door and jumped out of the car so that she, too, could survive.

Suddenly, a man appeared and told her to get back in the car and floor the gas pedal, and “don’t let off.” She risked her life for me, rushed back inside the car, and floored the gas pedal, with her heart pounding and the palms of her hands and forehead perspiring. Then the tires screeched and the car abruptly “jumped” off the railroad tracks to safety just before the train crossed the street. After the train cleared the street, the stranger was nowhere to be found. We had never seen him before, nor did we ever see him again. But I’ll never forget the day when my life was saved by an angel.

Image: Jad Limcaco

Not only did the angel come to us in our time of need, but also my mother’s unhesitating obedience to what the angel told her to do saved both of our lives.

Looking back, I think about what would have happened had I been killed. How deeply would this have impacted the lives of people to whom I would not have ministered as a military chaplain and as a civilian minister? And what about the lives of those who would never have been spiritually impacted by the Modern English Version Bible, which I edited?

God had plans for my life. He gave me a mother who risked her life for me and He sent an angel to intervene that day so that His purpose for me would be fulfilled.

Graham A. Cole is professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He is an ordained Anglican minister, and has written several other books regarding Evangelical theology. This book is an addition to Crossway’s Foundations of Evangelical Theology series, and discusses the role of the Holy Spirit within Evangelical doctrine. Cole is an ardent Trinitarian theologian and offers here one of the most definitive treatments of pneumatology available today. Cole approaches this from a solidly Reformed theology, but he is notably ecumenical in his treatments of contentious issues regarding pneumatology. Authors from both the Eastern and Western traditions are covered, and at the end of each chapter many questions for our generation are raised and various implications to pneumatology are highlighted. So then, the book is practical and well-written. Taking this ecumenical approach allows the reader to gain a better understanding of the differences for him/herself, and thus enables them to become better theologians. The book is thoroughly biblically-based (Cole admits to a high view of Scripture in the introduction, calling it the “norming norm,” whereas tradition, experience and reason are “ruled norms”), and is illuminated by theological reflections on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In engaging theology, Cole brings Basil of Caesarea, Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Barth and Moltmann to bear on issues of pneumatology.

Cole demonstrates an evidence-based approach to theology within this book in that he engages information bearing on the truth of falsity of a proposition. Cole invokes Bonhoeffer in stating that we must learn to know the Scriptures once again, for they are the basis of our evidence for forming a doctrine of the Spirit. Cole acknowledges four distinct periods of Pneumatological discussion, to which I would a fifth. First, Cole recognizes the Patristic era, which was concerned with the ontology (derivation of, i.e.) the Spirit. Second, Cole recognizes the Medieval period, which saw the schism between the Eastern and Western branches of the church in due part to the doctrine of the Spirit’s ontology. Third, Cole recognizes the Reformation period, in which more emphasis was given to the works of the Spirit over the ontology of the Spirit. Fourth, Cole notes that the Modern period, characterized by Whitefield and Wesley, highlighted the Spirit’s role in regeneration and sanctification. The fifth period, which Cole does not directly indicate but does peripherally allude to, is what I refer to as the Post-modern period, in which pneumatology is beginning to be seen as the avenue to engage a theology of religions (reference Amos Yong’s groundbreaking work in Beyond The Impasse).

In the first part of Cole’s book, he addresses the mystery of the Spirit. Also within this first part of the book, Cole examines the personhood of the Spirit, the deity of the Spirit, and the relation of the Spirit to the Godhead. In the second part of this book, Cole turns from the person of the Spirit to the works of the Spirit, for, as Cole indicates, operation follows being. So then, Cole agrees with the notion that what can be said of the work of the Spirit is predicated on what can be said of the person of the Spirit. In this second part, Cole explicitly interacts with the Old Testament, and derives from it what can be predicated to the Spirit (though he acknowledges that the writers of the OT were not “Trinitarian” per se). In the third part of this book, Cole turns his attention to the New Testament, and continues to explore the work(s) of the Spirit. In this third part, Cole highlights the Spirit’s empowering Jesus as Messiah, the role of the Spirit in the life of God’s people, and the role of the Spirit in fostering community amongst God’s people.

A devotional about what is most important.

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately.
I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life!
To put to rest all that was not life,
And not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
— Henry David Thoreau.

What does it really mean to live? I assume that each of you who are reading this is currently “alive,” but are you really “living”? When I look around me, both inside the church and out, I see so many people who are drifting through their earthly existence with no real “life” in them. As Tony Campolo so perceptively states, “They play it safe and tiptoe through life with no aspiration other than to arrive at death safely.”

Please don’t think that this is turning out to be a negative, depressing article. The desire of my heart is to somehow share with you that which God has been showing me, which can be summed up in the Latin phrase “carpe diem”–“seize the day.”

Image: Rula Sibai

Did you know that the person you were when you read this “word” has ceased to exist? As each second of your life passes, every molecule and atom and subatomic particle in your body changes position. Your blood moves around your body, while some of your cells die and some new ones come to life. In a physical sense, the person you were one second ago no longer exists and can never be brought back.

It is the same way with “life.” During our time here on earth, God presents us with only so many opportunities to “live,” and once that opportunity passes, it is gone forever. We cannot go back and retrieve it–God is the only one who can control the timeline.

The biggest-grossing movie of all time is “Titanic,” a three-hour extravaganza about the sinking of the (then) largest and most luxurious ship in the world, on April 14, 1912. Deemed “unsinkable,” the R.M.S. Titanic now sits in two pieces on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, having claimed the lives of over 1500 of the 2200 souls aboard her 90 years ago.

Besides the obvious tragedy of 1500 people losing their lives, one of the saddest parts of the story (to me) is the wasted opportunities. Think of all of the family and friends who never had the chance to say good-bye … all of the important things that were left unsaid or undone … all of the loved ones who never got to say “I love you” that one last time before their mother/father/husband/wife/brother/sister was swept away for all eternity … simply because those 1500 people didn’t know that the early morning hours of April 15, 1912 would bring an end to their earthly lives.

God has given to each of us a wonderful gift—life. In this life, we are presented with a multitude of opportunities, blessings, and challenges, which make each day and hour that we exist very special. God blesses us with friends and family, a mind with which to learn and a heart with which to care.

The truth is, we don’t know what the future has in store for us. It is now the year 2008, and I am now 38 years old, I may live another 60 years or another 60 minutes. The point is that we should live each day like it is our last. Make the most out of every moment, and do not waste the opportunities that God gives us: “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).

I’ve come to believe that this is the “abundant life” that Jesus talked about (John 10:10). God has blessed us all with talents and abilities; let’s use them to worship him and to bless others. Let’s not waste the life that we’ve been given here on this earth. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Let’s not wait until we get to heaven before “living it up”; let’s start right now with the eternal life we already possess.

Find joy in the cry of a newborn … discover the creativity of our Creator in nature and in the world around us … give at least three sincere and edifying compliments a day … develop those gifts that you can see peeking through, and use them to God’s glory … live life as an exclamation, not an explanation.

When I come to the end of my earthly life, I don’t want to find that I never really lived. Let’s have a passion for everything we do. Let’s personally turn into reality the words of poet Walt Whitman, who, after despairing over all of the world’s problems and evils, and wondering what was the point in living, then came to the conclusion that the answer is simply “that you are here—that life exists and identity, that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” What does your verse say?

This guest article was originally published on the Pneuma Foundation (parent organization of PneumaReview.com) website in May 2008. Later included in the Spring 2024 issue.

Are you comfortable or are you ready to give up everything to make Jesus more real to people that desperately need him? Pioneer missionary Griffith John wrote A Voice in the Darkness over 100 years ago, but the challenge he wrote about laying down our lives for the kingdom of God is both timely and powerful.

“He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” Matthew 27:42

What did these men mean to express by this taunt? Did they mean to express a disbelief in the reality of our Lord’s miracles? “He professed to save others; but we have found Him out at last.”

“We know now that it was all sham, all pretension. He cannot save Himself! How could He save others?” Or is there here an admission of the fact that our Lord did save others, and a faint hope expressed that He might come down from the cross and prove Himself to be the very Christ? Did they imagine that, by taunting Him in this way, He might be induced to give this proof of His Messiahship? “He has certainly saved others. Why does He not save Himself? Let Him do so now, and all our doubts will be removed. We will crown Him king, and follow Him wheresoever He may lead.” Whatever their thoughts may have been, we know that our Lord did not gratify their vain curiosity.

In this taunt there is a great truth expressed. It is true that He saved others; it is true also that He could not save Himself. But there is another truth, and this other truth was hidden from their eyes. Why could He not save Himself? The reason was not obvious to them but it is perfectly clear to us. He could not save Himself because He would save others. To deliver others He must surrender Himself; to save others He must sacrifice Himself.

It must be one or the other. He could not do both—save others and save Himself also. And what is true of the Master is true of the disciple. We, the disciples of Jesus Christ, can be saviours to men only in so far as we are willing and ready to sacrifice ourselves on their behalf. Let us then spend a little time in devout meditation on this great truth.

“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” That is God’s voice to us, and it rests with ourselves as to whether we will respond to the Divine voice or not. But the moment we do respond and say, “Here am I, send me,” that very moment our life must become a life of service and self-sacrifice. Let me give you two or three examples as illustrations of this great truth.

There is Moses in the Old Testament. When the time had come to deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt, God’s voice came to Moses, saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”

It was optional with Moses to go or stay. But the moment he resolved to obey the Divine voice, that very moment his life became a life of service and sacrifice. Having said yes, it was not optional with him as to whether his life should be a life of self-indulgence or self-abnegation. His magnificent position in Egypt had to be renounced; his brilliant prospects of future aggrandisement had to be abandoned; his dire conflict with Pharaoh, and his forty years of suffering with and for his people in that terrible wilderness, followed as a matter of course. He lived for his people, sacrificed everything for his people, and was prepared to die for them at any moment. We know the result. Israel was saved, and God’s purposes were fulfilled. Moses saved others, himself he could not save.

There is Paul in the New Testament. When the time had come to make known to the Gentiles God’s redemptive purposes, a fit agent was needed, and God’s voice came to Paul, saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” It rested with Paul to decide as to whether he would or would not respond to the Divine voice; but having responded, it did not rest with him as to whether his life should or should not be a life of service and sacrifice. The moment he said, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” that moment his life became a life of self-renunciation and suffering. The hunger, the thirst, the fastings, the toil, the stripes, the imprisonments, the anxieties for the churches, and finally his martyrdom followed as a matter of course.

We know the result. The Gospel was preached to the Gentiles, many churches were established in the Roman Empire, and multitudes of men were saved. Paul saved others, himself he could not save.

This excerpt is a chapter from Griffith John, A Voice in the Darkness: Lessons from 60 Years in Ancient China (Underground Publishing, 2023).

David Livingstone saved others; himself he could not save.

And there is Jesus Himself. The time had come for the full manifestation of God’s redemptive purpose. The time had come “to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.” The voice of God is heard, saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” It rested entirely with the Eternal Son of God as to whether He would respond to that voice. There was no power in the universe to compel Him to leave heaven and come down to this earth to suffer and die. But the moment He did respond, the life of sorrow and suffering, Gethsemane, and the
cross, became inevitable. The life of the world depended upon that great sacrifice. Of Jesus it may be said emphatically, He saved others; Himself He could not save.

Let us now look at this great truth as an all-pervading, all-embracing law.

As a law it pervades the whole of Nature. In Nature, receiving there always means giving here; life there means death here. The animal kingdom lives on the vegetable, and the vegetable lives on the mineral. The mineral must die to itself in order to build up the vegetable, and the vegetable must die to itself in order to build up the animal. The development of vegetable life depends upon the concurrence of certain agents, such as heat, air, moisture, light, and soil. All these must die to themselves if the tree or the plant is to live and grow.

In Nature there must be giving wherever there is receiving; this must be sacrificed if that is to be realised. It is the law of natural instinct. No sooner is the child born than natural instinct steps in, and imposes this law of self-sacrifice on the mother. From this moment, her life becomes a life of holy ministration, wherein, for the sake of the child, she cannot save herself. It is the law of family, social, and political life.

Would you be a father or a son worthy of the name? Would you be a mother or a daughter worthy of the name? Would you be a husband or a wife worthy of the name? Would you be a brother or a sister worthy of the name? Would you be a neighbour worthy of the name? Would you be a statesman worthy of the name? If you would, you must come under this law as the law of your life. It is the law of philanthropy.

A true philanthropist, a lover of mankind, is a man who cannot save himself, because he will save others. Such was Paul, such was Howard, such was Livingstone, and such have been many more whose names I might mention. It is the law of the Divine life.

Let us not fall into the delusion of supposing that, because God is omnipotent, the forth-putting of His power costs Him nothing. This is a very common supposition, but nothing can be more erroneous. Even of God Almighty it is absolutely true that He cannot save Himself. He is ever saving others; Himself He cannot save.

It is the law of the Christian life. Service, rising up to self-sacrifice for the good of men, is the ideal Christian life. Every true Christian is a priest, not merely because he stands before God alone, without the intervention of a human mediator to intercede for him, not merely because he offers to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise in daily adoration, but because his life is a life of priestly ministration for others, and that in sacrifices wherein, for the sake of others, he cannot save himself. He presents himself daily to God, on behalf of humanity, in sacrifices which save men from sin and misery. Such is the priesthood of the New Testament and such is the ideal Christian life.

Can you imagine a higher life than this? Can you imagine anything more God-like? It is the Christ-life. It is the noblest life possible to man.

It is emphatically the missionary’s true life. It was the life of Henry Martyn. “Now,” said Henry Martyn, as he set out for India, “let my life burn out for God.” And it did burn out for God. There you have the true missionary.

It was the life of William Johnson, of West Africa. “Had I ten thousand lives,” said William Johnson, “I would willingly offer them up for the sake of one poor African.” There you have the true missionary.

It was the life of Dober. “I determined,” said Dober, the Moravian, “if only one brother would go with me to the West Indies, I would give myself to be a slave, and would tell the slaves as much of the Saviour as I know myself.” There you have the true missionary.

It was the life of Francis Xavier. “Care not for me,” said Xavier; “think of me as dead to bodily comforts. My food, my rest, and my life are to rescue from the granary of Satan the souls for whom God has sent me hither from the ends of the earth. They will destroy me by poison, you say. It is an honour to which a sinner such as I am may not aspire. But this I dare to say, that whatsoever form of torture or death awaits me, I am ready to suffer it ten thousand times for a single soul.” There you have the true missionary.

This, then, is the missionary’s true life. A self-seeking, self-centred, self-indulgent missionary is a pitiable object to behold. He may call himself a missionary, the directors of his society may put him down as one of their missionaries, and speak of him as our able missionary, our highly valued missionary, our well-known missionary, and so on and so on, but in God’s sight he is a contemptible hireling.

Every missionary ought to be a self-sacrificing man, and every missionary worthy of the name is a self-sacrificing man. Still, the true missionary will not look upon himself as a self-sacrificing man, neither will he speak of his work, and the trials in connection with it, as if he looked upon God as his debtor. His sense of indebtedness to his God and Saviour will make it impossible for him to do that. “Can that be called a sacrifice,” asked Dr. Livingstone, “ which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to God which we can never repay? Say, rather it is a privilege.”

Then the missionary finds that his best work is very poor and imperfect, and that, try as he will, he can never come up to his own ideal. “My doings! my doings!” said John Elliot, the apostle of the Indians, “they have been poor and lean doings. Oh, child of the dust, lie low; it is Christ that hath triumphed.”

Such is the Christian’s true life. Such emphatically is the missionary’s true life. But how far is this life from being fully realised by Christians generally? How far from being fully realised by ministers at home and missionaries abroad? How far from being fully realised by any one of us? Some of us may have lofty ideals as to what we should be in this respect; but is there one among us who has realised his ideal?

Some will sacrifice much in one direction, but not in another. They will sacrifice in the line of their liking. But can that be called a sacrifice which a man does in the line of his liking? Ask them to step out of that line, and you will find that the idea of the Cross has never entered into their conception of the Christian life. For instance, some will talk much and talk eloquently, but are slow to do. They are born preachers, and their Christian life begins and ends in telling others what to do.

We must be prepared to sacrifice in all directions. The element of self-pleasing must be cast out, and the will of God must become to us the one law of our being. What some seek in the Christian life is the salvation of their own souls. This is a worthy aim.

PR

This excerpt is a chapter from Griffith John, A Voice in the Darkness: Lessons from 60 Years in Ancient China (Underground Publishing, 2023). Used with permission.

For more about Underground Publishing, read the PneumaReview.com interview with Bethany Hope about rediscovering the writings of missionaries and Christian pioneers.

Despite the fact that we, as mere fading mortals, go out of our way to not think about death, great works of art and literature tend to inexplicably draw us into the obscure world of mortality. The End of the Christian Life is one of the latest books to wrestle with this topic—a topic that is increasingly inconsistent with mainstream cultural mores. J. Todd Billings provides a freshness and unobscured clarity to a difficult conversation that can be attributed both to his erudite scholarship and present experience with terminal cancer. Billings increases the veracity of his book by engaging with numerous authoritative voices—from early Church Fathers to contemporary scholars. Based strictly on the title, this book concerns a critical phase in the life of a Christian, but believers and non-believers alike, who want to know how to “truly live,” will benefit greatly from the gems found at the surface and buried beneath.

Following the informative introduction, chapter one presents the reader to the pit of Sheol where those who are imprisoned within it feel abandoned, helpless, and cut off from God. Contrary to the belief of some, “no mortal lives for long without visiting Sheol for a time,” Billings muses (p. 30). Often Sheol is experienced in the death of someone close to us, frustrating our attempt for complete control over life. Our consistent denial of the recurring experience of Sheol engenders a false sense of control. Maybe we should stop fighting, “open our eyes and breathe deeply in the Pit itself,” Billings suggests (p. 45).

Billings ponders the views of his friend Walter and that of Irenaeus, a second-century bishop, both of whom approached death as part of a divine pedagogy, in the second chapter, “Two Views of Mortality.” Contrasting views, as seen through the theology of St. Augustine and the author’s experience of the memorial service for his friend Melissa, are then presented as a counterbalance. Although death may testify to God’s love for us, it is both irrational and a consequence of sin (p. 66). The reality of these opposing views is that both death and dying are, simultaneously, gifts of the “arc of human life,” and “an enigma and a wound” that point us to the redemptive death of Christ (pp. 57, 68).

Chapter five addresses two extant views of flourishing—the so-called prosperity gospel, and God’s counterview. With cancer patients as his focus, Billings talks about the religious hope that keeps them enheartened and living. He finds that deeply religious patients choose extreme measures of treatment, their risky choices revealing their view of flourishing. How Christians are formed theologically leads to important questions such as, where does our hope lie, how does God act in this world, and does God want us to prosper? Billings looks at the theology of healing as espoused by Joseph Prince and then turns to the teachings of St. Paul to examine the difference between how humans and God define prosperity. He completes this chapter by redirecting the discussion towards the Pauline emphasis of a life hidden with Christ.

Timing is everything, so it goes without saying that this book could not have been released at a better time. The global COVID-19 pandemic and its hourly coverage by an impassioned media has served to remind us of our frailty by resurrecting a once-dormant fear of mortality. Dying and death is the obvious theme of the book, but this is ameliorated by many other themes such as the human desire for control over death, and the idolatrous trust in modern medicine. I was encouraged by how the author treats these universal human perceptions with informed grace. All Christians and non-Christians will recognize themselves—their thoughts and attitudes—within the pages of this book and not feel condemned. Also, I found the discussion questions placed at the end of each chapter helpful for assimilating what was read. My only frustration was found in a minor misstep that fails to include Christians from outside of the Reformed faith tradition. Some readers may be uncomfortable with Billings’ implicit theology of God’s sovereignty, water baptism, and irresistible grace; however, any noticeable doctrinal differences do not detract from the book’s overall message. Altogether, J. Todd Billings offers to his audience a gripping message of resurrection hope in Christ, thereby lifting everyone with faith in God, up and out of the deep, dark, and ensnaring pit of Sheol.

Reviewed by Joseph R. Fiorentino

This book review previously appeared in Didaskalia: The Journal of Providence Theological Seminary, Volume 30 2021-2022, CS ISSN #0847-1266. Used with permission.

Publisher’s page: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-end-of-the-christian-life/392000

Pastor Winfield Bevins introduces us to God the Holy Spirit and shows from the Bible how He helps us.

The reason many churches are empty, dry, and void of spiritual life is because they have lost touch with the dynamic presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit played an important role in the life and ministry of the early church. It is impossible to understand the explosive growth of the New Testament church without understanding the important role of the Holy Spirit in the church. Sadly, for most of church history the Holy Spirit has been virtually overlooked. However, today many people are hungry to experience the Holy Spirit in their personal life.

By Rupert Hennen. Used with permission.

God has given the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to everyone who would believe. After 2000 years, the Spirit continues to play an important role in the Christian life. Without Him, it is impossible for individuals or the church to experience personal renewal. The Holy Spirit has a distinct contribution to make in the postmodern world and the contemporary church. The following chapter is designed to reintroduce you to the Holy Spirit by looking at what the bible says about person and work of the Spirit.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

“Who is the Holy Spirit?” Christians have asked this question throughout the ages. There have been many different opinions as to the personal nature of the Holy Spirit. Some have wondered if the Spirit was a created being, while others believed that the Spirit was an energy force.

Most religions and cults deny the deity and existence of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, even some Christians believe that the Spirit is not fully divine. The writers of the Bible clearly emphasized the deity of the Holy Spirit. The Bible also shows that there is a unique relationship between the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. This interrelationship is often called the Trinity, which refers to three distinct divine Personalities, each wholly God, yet they are one essence. The doctrine of the Trinity has been defended by the Christian church for nearly two thousand years. It cannot be overestimated that the Holy Spirit is divine.

Many Christians also find it hard to understand the personal aspect of the Holy Spirit. Too often we think of the Him in a symbolic and impersonal manner. What we will find, however, is that the Holy Spirit is also a person. The personhood of the Spirit is not merely an abstract idea; rather it carries importance for our personal faith because the Spirit is the One who unites us with Christ.¹ Jesus has many times referred to the personal nature of the Holy Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Paraclete,” which means one called alongside. It is one who is an advocate, comforter, or counselor. The word Paraclete implies a distinct personality.

The Bible ascribes Him personal characteristics such as a will (Acts 13:1, 1 Cor. 12:11), mind (1 Cor. 2:10-11, Romans 8:27), and emotions (Eph. 4:30). The Bible also uses many different names, titles, and symbols to paint a portrait of the Holy Spirit, each representing what He does and who He is. For example, The Bible uses symbols such as Fire, Wind, Water, Wine, and a Dove.

The Holy Spirit Today

As we have seen, the Spirit has been moving in the lives of individuals since the world began. Great men and women of the faith have done extraordinary things when they where anointed by the power of the Holy Ghost. This leads us to the question, is the Holy Spirit still active today? Does He still anoint people who seek Him? The answer is yes! He wants to bring you into a deeper more intimate relationship with Him. He wants to use you more than you’ll ever know. You can experience His fullness in your everyday life. Surrender your heart and your life to Him today. We will examine several ways that you can receive the Spirit to your everyday life.

Rutkowski subtitled his book “The Journey to Identity, Passion and Purpose.” It has eight chapters that are largely filled with pleasant anecdotal materials. We learn that Todd, a Canadian, was quite a hockey player in his younger days and had to choose service to the King of Kings over a possibly very rewarding career in professional hockey.

We learn, too, of Todd’s father’s struggles, and how Todd dealt with what he wished was different. Todd reviews many things he has learned and experienced in his years with YWAM and with the Vineyard Association of Churches. I found it well written and encouraging.

Reviewed by H. Murray Hohns

Editor’s note: This brief review was originally published in 2006 on the Pneuma Foundation website, the parent organization of PneumaReview.com. Later included in the Fall 2021 issue.

A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman is the sixth book in A Week in the Life Series from InterVarsity Press. Previously published are: A Week in the Life of Corinth, A Roman Centurion, Fall of Jerusalem, Rome, and A Slave. These books attempt to combine historical fiction with historical and archaeological data. Dr. Holly Beers, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Westmont College, is eminently qualified because of her doctorate in New Testament and past studies in the gospels (The Followers of Jesus as the Servant). She is also a member of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Institute for Biblical Research, Society of Biblical Literature, and Evangelical Theological Society. Her portrayal of the Greco-Roman life is commensurate with the historical and archaeological data that we have.

The concept for the series is a creative one, aimed to reach a larger audience with the story of the early church. Greco-Roman Woman is the story of Anthia, wife of Philetus, a fisherman in Ephesus, during the early first century period when Paul, Priscilla, Aquila, and Timothy are ministering in Ephesus (Acts 19; c. AD 53-55). Unlike many historical studies of the past, Beers mainly highlights the lives of the poor and of women, those who lived day by day for their “daily bread.” She begins with a delivery of a stillborn baby that results in the death of the mother, Dorema, Anthia’s friend (Prologue). Then a regular day is catalogued in a fisher family’s life (day 1); the pregnant Anthia’s onset of her own bleeding (day 2), a neighbor’s (Lampo) son Euxinus’s suffering from fever, while not being healed by idols Asclepius or Artemis, but by Jesus (day 3); Anthia shopping for food in the agora (while she still bleeds) (day 4); Anthia discovering her husband Philetus visiting a prostitute while she herself attends a Christian service led by Paul and Priscilla, where Anthia is healed (day 5); a Christian (Epaenetus) leading the other Christians in publicly burning his expensive magic books (day 6); ending on a rainy day with Anthia’s summary thoughts about the generosity of the Christians, the healed fetus, but the anger of her husband (day 7). The book ends with Anthia asking herself if she should “transfer” her loyalty to “Jesus and the Way? What about Philetus—his honor and his anger—if he discovers me? What might this cost me?” (166). It was a very full week.

But, in contrast, Beers presents a beautiful picture of the Christians and Christianity. She portrays an attractive picture of Christian equality between male and female, rich and poor, slave and free (e.g., 124). Worship at Ephesus is described from 1 Corinthians 14:26 where “everyone contributes” (123). The Christians by prayer (and by handkerchief!) (see Acts 19:12) heal all who ask. The poor are assisted by the wealthy Christians with a generosity of food and employment opportunities (e.g., 164). Paul asks Priscilla to help with communion (120).

The intention to combine historical fiction with archaeological and historical data is not always successful, in my opinion. Some of the previous authors in the Week in the Life Series used footnotes and others used inserts of explanatory text. In Greco-Roman Woman, the data is inserted periodically throughout the chapter. I found the nonfictional data intrusive in the narrative. In addition, the narrative does not provide a clear portrayal of the characters. The plot does not sweep the reader along. Eventually, I read the inserts at the end of each chapter so as not to break up the narrative flow. The value of Greco-Roman Woman is it provides the reader with a feeling for everyday ancient first century life so that we learn in narrative form about the life of a poor woman in Ephesus who is beginning to learn about Christianity. What were her costly challenges in becoming a Christian? Beers has done much research to present to the twenty-first century reader the challenges and differences of living in the first century. For all Beer’s research, we should be most thankful.

Reviewed by Aída Besançon Spencer

Publisher’s Page: https://www.ivpress.com/a-week-in-the-life-of-a-greco-roman-woman

Valentyn Svit shares three of the ways we can be assured we are following the voice of the Holy Spirit.

You’re driving on the way to work and you hear a voice speak to you in your mind:

“Move to California.” You look around. The radio is off and everything is quiet.

Now you’re wondering… where in the world did this thought come from?

Was this because I watched that documentary last night on Yosemite or is this God trying to say something to me?

In these crucial moments, it’s important to be able to know the real from the fake.

In this article, I’m going to show you 3 practical ways to discern the voice of God in your life so that you can know when He’s speaking to you with confidence.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. The Bible

If God truly is speaking to you, He will never contradict Himself. One of the best ways to confirm what you’ve heard is really from the Lord is to compare it to what the Bible says.

For Example: The Lord will never ask you to lie, steal, or sin in any way, no matter what the circumstances look like.

If you know that what you’re hearing goes against the Bible you can be sure that it’s either your voice or the voice of the enemy.

I know what you might be thinking…

What about an answer to a question that is more neutral? Something like:

“Yes, you should take that job offer.” How can you confirm that?

That brings us to number 2.

Tolkien: A Life of Love, Courage, and Fellowship

I was skeptical. I fully expected the film to about the inspiration behind The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and these were represented, but not the focus. If you are familiar with his works, then you will easily find glimpses here and there, but if you have never picked up a Tolkien title, the experience is still powerful.

I am no longer skeptical. The film is about the man, which includes his imagination, but centers on who J. R. R. Tolkien was, the friends that influenced his early years before WWI, his abiding love for Edith Bratt, and his passion for words: wonderful, meaningful, inspiring words. The sound of them, the depth of them, their story.

And there’s the rub. If you are fond of the English language, of literature, Tolkien the film will move you. And I am pleased to say, there are no verbal vulgarities (though some brief nude art appears).

Some that love his writings have written concerns about how Tolkien’s Catholic faith is not on display in the film. Colm Meaney plays Father Frances in the film, he was a man of considerable influence on Tolkien’s life and was his legal guardian after the death of his parents. There is no question that Tolkien’s faith was well established and vocalized in his latter years, he was even instrumental in helping C. S. Lewis come to faith. However, it may not have been as important when he was of college age and younger—the predominant period covered in the film.

If the film had any fault, the soundtrack was highly synthesized and ignorable.

The characters are believable with some fine teen actors as well as established thespians like Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, the previously mentioned Colm Meaney, and Sir Derek Jacobi. This is Disney’s first release of a Fox film since the merger, which is a tad ironic, as Tolkien allegedly despised Walt Disney’s butchery of classic literature.

To what degree the film is historically accurate, I do not know nor care. If you have considered going—go soon. It has limited cinematic release and won’t be in theaters for long.

Reviewed by Kevin Williams

Editor’s update: The DVD was released on August 6, 2019.