Reflections of an Undeconstructed Pentecostal
We live in a rapidly changing society that has determined to reject the invitation to repent and inherit the kingdom of God. The issue before us is how do we continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in a hostile environment?
Continue reading “Calling Down Fire”
And a lawyer stood up and put [Jesus] to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live” (Luke 10:25-28).
The lawyer’s question is very straightforward – it’s about salvation.
Continue reading “The Priority of Love”
Throughout the Bible, sinful humanity is described as dead in sin, or asleep. The Spirit of God moves upon us to awaken us, to raise us from the dead. Those who have been awakened by the Spirit of God become intensely self-aware of our own sinfulness, and the oppression of sin throughout human society. In Pentecostalism, and its revivalistic forebears, we speak of awakenings – seasons of divine intervention in which a lukewarm church is revived. As we try to navigate through the present postmodern fog many of us are yearning for another awakening.
Continue reading “Awake, But Not Woke”
The word apostle (Greek – apostolos) speaks to the sending out of an envoy or messenger. In the Greco-Roman world, an apostle was “a person of merit engaged in administrative service” (BAGD). In the New Testament, an apostle was a person called as a messenger of the Gospel who established local churches and exercised administrative leadership in those churches.
Continue reading “Apostles – Messengers of Christ”
Text: Acts 2:1-4, 12 LSB
And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance… 12And they all continued in astonishment and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Continue reading “Celebrating Pentecost – A Sermon for Pentecost Sunday”