Pneuma Informer, November-December 2010

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The November-December 2010 PNEUMA INFORMER

 

          In this issue

 

What's New at PneumaFoundation.org

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65545

     New Online Articles

     New Links and Content Worth Noticing

 

Loren Sandford, "An Approaching Crisis: A Call for Charismatic Reform"

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65600

 

Reports from Around the World

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65616

     Eritrea: New crackdown against Christians

     Cape Town 2010: The Lausanne Global Conversation

     Chile: Rescued miner gives testimony at Luis Palau festival

     Police Attack Christians in Egypt

     Pentecostals at the National Council of Churches

     The Dead Sea Scrolls are being digitized by Google

     Network Posts Alabama Revival Services Online

     Prayer proves to be effective in countering terrorism

     News and Headlines

     Report the News

 

 Special Report from Woodrow Walton: ETS 2010

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65813

 

Resources You Can Use

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65829

     Stopping Human Trafficking in the USA

     Christian Resources International

 

John Lathrop, "Bringing Light and Life to Nepal"

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65868

 

Excerpts from THE PNEUMA REVIEW

 

     Charles H. Kraft, "Allegiance, Truth and Power"

          http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65899

 

     Grady's THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT FOR SALE, Reviewed by John Lathrop

           http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65915

 

Prayer Requests

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2010/pi_1112_2010.xml#N65932

Support the Pneuma Foundation

     http://www.pneumafoundation.org/supporting.jsp



What's New at www.PneumaFoundation.org

New Online Articles New Links and Content Worth Noticing

An Approaching Crisis: A Call for Charismatic Reform


By Loren Sandford


I find myself beyond appalled and deeply concerned about a trend I have seen developing in the body of Christ for several years now. I believe this trend is propelling us toward a crisis in the charismatic Christian world that may well derail and destroy revival before it can take firm root.

It seems that in the quest to become more and more supernatural many have increasingly wandered away from the plumbline of solid Christian doctrine and responsible accurate interpretation of the Scriptures. The resultant weirdness flowing from key leaders in various places is leading many followers into what can only be called heresy.

Some prominent teachers in the renewal movement now espouse "open theism" which posits that God does not know the future, the end from the beginning. It then builds on that premise to diminish the revelation of the omniscience and absolute power of our God that Scripture so clearly articulates. Another teaching gaining ground among us is the idea that once we have come to Jesus we need never repent again because we are no longer sinners. What about Paul's statement concerning sinners, for instance, among whom he identified himself in present tense as "foremost of all" (I Timothy 1:15)? I think some people need to do a thorough study of New Testament exhortations to repent.

The problem stretches from the heretical to the silly. I recently returned from a ministry trip to New Zealand where one prominent leader has been teaching that we can unleash our spirituality by taking monoatomic gold pills. Why? Because Adam was made of monoatomic gold! What!? Another teacher here in the U.S. teaches that God didn't part the Red Sea; Moses did! Where is our discernment? Recently I've heard it taught that it would be OK to pierce the ear in the lobe, but not at the top because the top is the ear gate and you might hinder your ability to hear God. Where is there any real foundation for this in God's Word?

I am aware of one Christian leader who has devised a method of Christian divination, claiming that in doing so he has redeemed something for Christian use that the enemy stole. What happened to the biblical injunction against engaging in that kind of activity and the penalties for doing it?

I'm just scratching the surface here with a few representative examples. Where is the justification for any of this when held up to the light of solid exegesis of God's Word? And if you don't know what exegesis is, take some time to look it up and learn to understand how to read the Bible accurately for what it actually says. It's time for us to stop interpreting the Bible through the filter of our personal revelations and personal experiences and learn to interpret our personal revelations and personal experiences by the Bible.

A year and a half ago my friend Fred Wright (founding coordinator of Partners in Harvest) and I were discussing the state of the prophetic movement and the plethora of bad prophecy being spoken by leading prophetic voices. He said, "If something isn't done soon, the prophetic movement is over in five years." He's right. We've been focused on being supernatural and getting the next "word" at the expense of intimacy with the One for whom we would speak.

Too often, we've failed to sift our own emotions from the true prophetic word flowing from the heart of God. As a result we end up prophesying words from our own imaginations and desires. Many have been doing what Jeremiah cried out against in 23:30, "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets...who steal My words from each other." Here's how it works: We hear prophecies from one another that excite our emotions in both positive and negative ways. Then in our flesh we build on what has excited us, failing to differentiate between personal feelings and the voice of God, until the words we speak go well beyond the truth of God's heart. Skewed and extreme statements result that either raise false expectations of great things or feed excessive fear and dread. Not the truth!

Please know that I am a dyed-in-the-wool "River" person. I cherish the move of the Spirit. I love it when God makes a sovereign "mess" of a meeting and people fall, laugh, cry and shake. I love good prophetic ministry. People receive miraculous healing in my church on a regular basis. We've heard audible angel song in some of our meetings. I am by no means a revival critic, but I have been given a prophetic voice and I must use it to sound the alarm when God calls me to do so.

These things I call attention to are just a representative sampling of the utter nonsense growing in renewal circles these days and being passed off as revelation by a number of key leaders. Those who have attempted to stand against this pollution of the stream have sometimes been vilified and accused of creating division or squelching the Spirit. They would be in good company where creating division is concerned. Jeremiah! Micaiah! Paul! Jesus Himself! For my part, I believe (prophetically) that the Great Apostasy prophesied in Scripture has begun, but that it has taken root in unexpected places where personal revelation is presented as fact and where leaders twist Scripture to make it appear to support propositions based on grains of truth driven to extremes that render them false. Heresies and spiritual silliness result.

A saying the Lord has given me of late is, If you focus on being supernatural you'll end up in shipwreck, but if you focus on being intimate with the Father you'll end up being supernatural. Doesn't that sound like Jesus? "In too many places the hunger has shifted from longing to be one with Jesus - and with our Father through Him - to a focus on seeking supernatural experiences. This is a form of idolatry, a longing for the effect rather than real relationship with the Cause. Or we long for the next great spiritual revelation and forget that the most foundational revelation of all is the Father's heart of love and the invitation given us to grow up to be like Him in every aspect of our character.

This calls for a renewed emphasis on the cross where we die with Christ, the blood that cleanses us from sin and the resurrection that gives us new life. Paul said - and with good reason - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). And did we forget that the word "canon" with reference to the Scriptures means the "fence" beyond which we cannot go, that we can neither add to nor detract from it? In too many places the focus has shifted and we're about to find ourselves impaled on hidden reefs of destruction.

__________

R. Loren Sandford, is the eldest son of John and Paula Sandford, widely recognized as pioneers in the charismatic renewal, prophetic ministry and inner healing. A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, Loren has been in ministry full time since 1976 and is the founding pastor of New Song Fellowship in Denver, Colorado, where he serves as the pastoral coordinator for the western region of Partners in Harvest, the church affiliation that has grown from the Toronto outpouring. He is the author of books including Purifying the Prophetic: Breaking Free from the Spirit of Self-fulfillment, Understanding Prophetic People: Blessings and Problems with the Prophetic Gift, and The Prophetic Church: Wielding the Power to Change the World. Loren is also a member of the Osage Nation, a Native American heritage he deeply treasures.
This guest article is used with permission. The author introduction was adapted.

Reports from Around the World

Eritrea: New crackdown against Christians
The governor of the Southern Zone of Eritrea has ordered a crackdown on Christians living in his province.
Eritrean security officials rounded up 11 Christians, and their whereabouts remain unknown. They joined the over 3,000 Christians who are also being held illegally. Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada confirms the report, but observes, "It is so targeted toward a specific group, that it is sad there has not been more of an international cry." Despite the harassment and oppression, the Gospel is still going forward. In fact, years before the crackdowns began, God directed the churches to go underground. There, "Discipleship became very key and center, which it should always be. But in that case, they were really discipling the next leaders." Those who are free to follow Christ need to come alongside those who have no voice. "We need to pray the Lord would comfort our brothers and sisters, to go to the Father and ask that He would strengthen them, and that they would sense our prayers." Follow the links on the Mission Network News website to become involved in being a voice for the powerless. Full story: mnnonline.org/article/14927
Source: Mission Network News, 4 November, 2010

Cape Town 2010: The Lausanne Global Conversation
"Cape Town 2010 brought together 4,000 leaders from 198 countries to confront the critical issues of our time as they relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization. Participate online by watching video of the Congress sessions and joining with Christians around the world in related discussion." BrigadaToday put it this way: "Lausanne probably looks more like Revelation 7:9 & 11 than anything else on the planet."
conversation.lausanne.org/en/
Do not miss these video sessions to be encouraged and hear about what God is doing all across the world.


Chile: Rescued miner gives testimony at Luis Palau festival
God has used potential tragedy for His glory. When 33 Chilean miners were trapped under the earth for 69 days, one of them, Jose Henriquez, requested Luis Palau audio Bible messages. Henriquez, who became known as "the pastor," eventually led 22 of the men to Christ. When Palau went to Chile for a week-long outreach campaign, he asked the recently-rescued Henriquez to speak. After hearing his story, thousands more came to Christ. Pray for these new believers.
Source: Mission Network News, 5 November, 2010. Full story: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/14932

Police Attack Christians in Egypt
As Americans prepared to enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends, Christian Aid Africa Director Rae Burnett received an urgent plea for prayer from one of the Egyptian ministries helped by Christian Aid:
"Today we had evangelical outreach but it was cancelled because the police are destroying a church in the area where we live and serve. So Christians gathered in front of the government building to protest. To everyone's horror, the police opened fire on them. An unknown number of people have died so far and many others are injured. More than 100 were arrested.
"Muslims were even hitting the Christian children in schools and people who were going to church in the morning. Children and churchgoers fled and remain frightened in their homes. No one is able [to] leave home or to go any place. It is something like war between the police and the Christians.
"So please pray for us, our workers, and the people we serve who are in the middle of this battle. Please pray that the Lord will comfort the families of these martyrs and give speedy recovery for those who are injured and in dangerous situations. "Some public hospitals have refused treatment for wounded Christians. So the only choice is to either die or pay for the private hospitals which are very expensive. Very few can afford the fees. So pray for help for those people and that 100 person are still arrested we hope they be free soon. Pray that the Lord give supply for repair the damage to church buildings, and that the whole situation will calm down in peace."
To help Christians in this emergency in Egypt, visit this page from Christian Aid: christianaid.orgcart/response/20101129Egypt.aspx
Source: Missions Insider Report, November 29, 2010. http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs012/1011289464089/archive/1103996419676.html

Pentecostals at the National Council of Churches
"Pastor Presents to National Council of Churches," Faith News Network (November 23, 2010), http://www.faithnews.cc/2010/11/23/pastor-presents-to-national-council-of-churches/.
Tony Richie, a regular contributor to Pneuma Foundation publications, was invited to speak at the National Council of Churches of Christ General Assembly which convened in New Orleans on November 9-11, 2010. His presentation was part of a centennial celebration of the famous mission conference conducted in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1910.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are being digitized by Google
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371109,00.asp
Thanks to Web Evangelism Bulletin (October 2010) for suggesting this link.

Network Posts Alabama Revival Services Online
Since mid-August, former Brownsville Revival pastor John Kilpatrick has seen thousands of people flock to revival services being held four nights a week at the convention center in Mobile, Ala., where he now leads Church of His Presence. The blind are seeing, the lame are walking and the deaf are hearing, he says, at what he believes may become another long-running revival.
Three services, held Nov. 5-7, have been made available for viewing online at global network GOD TV's video-on-demand site, god.tv/video. The meetings are posted in their entirety and equal more than 10 hours of viewing time.
Source: CharismaNews, Nov. 11, 2011. Read the full article: charismamag.com/index.php/news/29532-network-posts-alabama-revival-services-online-

Prayer proves to be effective in countering terrorism
13 countries experienced suicide attacks in 2009. There are ways to counter the ideology that creates new suicide bombers, and prayer is part of the solution. In the Middle East, a disillusioned man named 'Harvey' was training to be suicide bomber, but something wasn't right. He cried out to God to show him the truth, and after seeing Jesus in a dream, Harvey began to follow Him. Harvey was eventually discipled by a PIONEERS missionary. Pray for Harvey's faith to grow.
Source: Mission Network News, 4 November, 2010. http://www.mnnonline.org/article/14926

News and Headlines
Visit links.jsp for Current News and Links

See other news to pray and praise God about in the Prayer Requests department below.

Report the News
We are looking for stories about what God is doing in the world, reports about the persecution of Christians, and information about significant trends and ministry opportunities. If you have a news item to report, please send an email to the PNEUMA INFORMER. http://www.pneumafoundation.org/contactus.jsp

Special Report from Woodrow Walton: ETS 2010


The 62nd Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society convened November 17-19, 2010, at the Atlanta Hilton in Atlanta, GA. The conference, attended by over 2600 persons from around the globe, had "Justification by Faith" as its major concern. N.T.. Wright, from the University of St. Andrews, and Bishop of Durham in the U.K. spoke on "Justification Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" at the plenary session on the morning of the 19th. From the morning of the 17th through the 19th, every hour from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. were filled with parallel sessions which included Study Group programs on Bioethics, Global Christianity, Christian Ethics, Spiritual Formation, and "Other Voices of Biblical Interpretation," to name a few. Affiliated Societies, as the Near Eastern Archaeological Society, the Adventist Theological Society, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society were also present and held their sessions. In one way or another, justification by faith was dealt with in one way of another: how it appears in the New Testament, in the preaching of St. Paul, in the preaching of the early Church Fathers, its contrast to the "theology" of other religions, justification's appearance in the Prophets, the Synoptic Gospels, 17th century preaching, and how it relates to the practice of pastoral care, just to name a few. Since I am part of the "Other Voices of Biblical Interpretation", my focus was on "The Nickels Mine Massacre (2006) and the Amish Understanding of the Atonement and Discipleship." I, naturally, touched on justification as it is part and parcel of the Cross of Christ, and how it effects the extension of forgiveness. Forgiveness was my principle theme as I drew from the forgiveness extended by the parents of the slain and injured children of the Nickels Mine Amish School to their killer's family. I spent a year reading in Menno Simons' works (16th century) and the works of Mennonite and Amish writers into the late 19th and 20th centuries to be thoroughly knowledgeable of Anabaptist theology touching upon the atonement, justification by faith, and forgiveness. It was interesting to me that the "forgiveness" motif appeared in other sessions of the ETS meeting in Atlanta. I attended a session on Spiritual Formation led by John Auxier from Talbot School of Theology in which forgiveness was the major concern. He raised the incident of the Nickels Mine Massacre in his talk and referred also to Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower in which the Jewish author related his experience at the bedside of a dying Nazi soldier. I, too, in my presentation, made reference to Wiesenthal.

That was not the only session where forgiveness and justification was more than hinted at as interrelated with each other. Needless to say I found this ETS meeting exhilarating, not only because of the program[s] but also because of the mix of the people present, old friends and new, and the variety of Christian experience. There were others with the Assemblies of God besides me. There were men from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO, and Southwestern Assemblies of God University at Waxahachie, TX. But to mingle with the Mennonites, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, Baptists of different affiliations, Adventists, Anglicans, Brethren in Christ, Lutherans, and whoever else has always been helpful to me. I am somewhat a "High Church Pentecostal." What is most interesting to me is the extent to which the Holy Spirit affects the entire spectrum of the Christian experience irrespective of denominational membership. For myself, I was with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for many years as a minister before crossing over to the Assemblies of God. My baccalaureate was gained from Texas Christian University. My Seminary training was at Duke Divinity School. My doctorate came from O.R.U. I have preached in predominantly African-American Churches, Baptist and AME, and a Church of the Brethren. On the Walton side are Adventists; on mother's side are Brethren and Mennonites. I serve "a Kingdom without Borders," to borrow a phrase from writer Miriam Adeney.

Many present at the Atlanta ETS meeting came from Japan, Korea, Argentina, Scotland, the U.K., Africa, the Philippines, Canada, Jerusalem, and elsewhere. People came from the University of Notre Dame, Marquette University, Wheaton, Biola, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, Gordon-Conwell, Sioux Falls Seminary, Tyndale Theological Seminary (Toronto), Regent (Vancouver), the University of Aberdeen, Toccoa Falls, Lock Haven University, Associated Mennonite Theological Seminary, Taylor University, Moody, University of Cambridge, Dallas Theological Seminary, Duquesne University, Grace Theological Seminary, Reformed Theological Seminary, University of Virginia, University of Calgary, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (Amman, Jordan), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Pepperdine University, Wesley Biblical Seminary, University of West Virginia, University of New Brunswick, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, et al. It was great to see such a gathering of Christians together.

__________

Woodrow E. Walton, D.Min. (Oral Roberts University School of Theology and Missions), B.A. (Texas Christian University), B.D. [M.Div.] (Duke Divinity School), M.A. (University of Oklahoma), is a retired Seminary Dean and Professor of biblical, theological and historical studies. An ordained Assemblies of God minister, he and his wife live in Shattuck, Oklahoma. Walton retains membership with the Evangelical Theological Society, American Association of Christian Counselors, American Society of Church History, American Academy of Political Science, and The International Society of Frontier Missiology.

Resources You Can Use

Stopping Human Trafficking in the USA
Mission Network News produced an excellent introduction to what the sex trade is in the United States and how your church can be involved in abolishing this horrible injustice.
Part 1: The U.S. sex trade flourishes: number of enslaved minors increasing. Anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 young girls are enslaved in the U.S. each year and raped for profit. mnnonline.org/article/14718
Part 2: The U.S. sex trade flourishes: how adolescent girls become slaves. Deceived and taken advantage of, why the young women caught in slavery cannot escape. mnnonline.org/article/14722
Part 3: The U.S. sex trade flourishes: who's in charge?. Traffickers are motivated by greed, have a capacity for violence, and they know how to hide from authorities. mnnonline.org/article/14726
Part 4: The U.S. sex trade flourishes: your role in the fight Why the church must to respond to this evil and how it should do so. mnnonline.org/article/14734
See also: Theresa Flores provides tips on trafficking prevention Her book, The Slave Across the Street, is an autobiographical account of Flores' own horrifying experience as a teenage sex slave living in the suburbs. mnnonline.org/article/14920
Trafficking outside the USA: India and West Bengal There are approximately 3 million trafficked victims in India, huge brothels with 50,000 slaves. mnnonline.org/article/14921 | Every Child Ministry offers trafficking prevention training in Uganda (June 20-21, 2011) and Ghana (November 7-9, 2011). mnnonline.org/article/14922 | Cambodia Sponsorship program defeats poverty, prevents trafficking, and offers hope of the Gospel. mnnonline.org/article/14825

Christian Resources International
Old books can be sent to Christians in need
Who knew getting rid of old books could be so rewarding? Connie McCallum says the Christian Resources International Bare Your Bookshelf program has helped believers around the globe. "We receive daily letters from people in other countries saying 'thank you' for sending a Bible to them because they would never have an opportunity to read it for themselves." Many of the letters express the way a Bible has changed lives, as was the case for one man in a country north of Ethiopia. "He sent us a 'thank you' yesterday, tell us how much it impacted his life and how it has changed his family because he received that." So don't sell those garage sale books just yet. Participate in Bare Your Bookshelf by sending in old Bibles, theology books or devotionals. Check our Web site for details. "If you really want to be blessed and you are looking to get rid of an extra Bible that you have laying around your house, Bare Your Bookshelf is a great way to do that."
When Pneuma Foundation Executive Director, Raul Mock, wrote to CRI with concerns about their acceptance and distribution of books that are favorable to the charismata, their Operations Manager, Matt Way, responded by saying:

I appreciate your concerns over the book acceptance policy. This subject has been a real concern in the past, so we always approach the subject with some sensitivity. Since this has and is such a sensitive subject, the Board of Directors has implemented the Book Acceptance Policy which I'm sure you have found online.
CRI does hold a rather open policy on book acceptance. We are not in the habit of trying to censor Christian literature that is sent around the world and we do trust that the Lord will guide the readers of the material into all truth as found in the Bible. CRI is a non-denominational ministry which means we are not formally aligned with any denomination. Therefore, CRI does have on its' shelves and in packed boxes books that are Charismatic, Hyper-Calvinistic Theology, Arminian Theology, etc. The idea behind the book acceptance policy is to have a policy in place that allows volunteers and staff to filter out books that may have a direct negative impact on new believers or would have little to no spiritual benefit.
If you are interested in either seeking to donate or requesting materials, contact Christian Resources International through their website: www.cribooks.org
Source: Expanded and adapted from Mission Network News, 15 July, 2010. http://www.mnnonline.org/article/14475

John Lathrop, "Bringing Light and Life to Nepal"


Pastor Mina KC is a short, quiet, and polite woman from Nepal. Her slight stature and quiet demeanor hide from immediate view the great ways that the Lord has used her. Her story is both inspiring and encouraging to women who desire to be in ministry, especially those who desire to be in pastoral ministry.

Pastor Mina did not come from a Christian home; she was raised in a Hindu family. She was a devout Hindu and every day she worshipped the gods of Nepal in search of peace. During this time she was also plagued with many sicknesses. The turning point in her life came about as a result of reading a gospel tract. Though she had been married for years, she did not have any children. The tract that she read spoke about Abram and Sarah. At the end of the tract there was a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and she prayed that prayer and gave her life to Christ. Subsequently the Lord blessed her with a child.

At the time that she came to the Lord Nepal did not have religious freedom. The country was largely Hindu and Christianity was not viewed in a positive light, it was seen as a Western religion. It was dangerous to carry a Bible in public and if the police saw a person with a Bible, that person would be in trouble with the authorities. Pastor Mina and a few other Christians used to worship the Lord in a dark underground room. The Lord gave her great strength at this time.

After coming to faith in Jesus she felt deep in her heart that that Lord was calling her to ministry. It was very difficult for her to do ministry in Nepal because she was a woman and also because the community that she lived in was for the most part Hindu. The members of her household were the only Christians in the community. She began her ministry by sharing her testimony and the gospel message. Her sharing resulted in the planting of a church, actually in the planting of several churches.

In Chitwan district, which is located in central Nepal, she started four churches. One of these churches now has more than 100 people who attend. After staring churches in the Chitwan district she felt that the Lord called her to start a church in a remote area of Nepal called the Makawanpur district. Working in this area at that time was challenging because Nepal was going through a civil war and the area was a central place for terrorist activities. Male pastors were not able to go to this area at that time, but the Lord spoke to Pastor Mina and told her to go there. The men pastors were surprised at all she was doing and were very supportive of her ministry.

While the Lord blessed Pastor Mina's ministry it was not without its difficulties; she suffered persecution in a number of ways. False reports were spread about her and she had to go before the local authorities. Many times people threw stones and broke the windows of the church because they did not want her or the church in the community. People also chased her from the village because they were Hindus and did not appreciate what she was doing in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. One time a man came to her at night, a large crowd with him. He took a knife and put it to her throat and said that he was going to kill her. She told him that she was not afraid to die; the man then pushed her away. Pastor Mina gives the Lord the glory that she was saved from such attacks. In the midst of everything the Lord gave victory and the church was established in the community.

Pastor Mina's ministry has been challenged by persecution but it has also been marked by power. In her ministry she has witnessed some of the same things that the early church in the book of Acts did, namely supernatural healing and deliverance. In fact, these supernatural works have contributed to the growth of her ministry. The following are examples of these supernatural works.

First there is the case of a twenty year old woman by the name of Janita who was paralyzed from birth. Her parents had taken her to most of the doctors in Nepal and had also offered sacrifices to the Hindu gods for her healing, all to no avail. Pastor Mina visited this young woman in her home, shared the gospel with her and prayed for her. The next week this young woman walked to church. This surprised all who knew her because she had been in bed for the past twenty years.

The second example concerns three girls named, Pramila, Rita and Sunita, who were in bondage to evil spirits and were unable to talk for three years. Pastor Mina heard about them and went to visit them in their village. She prayed for them and they were delivered. This resulted in the whole village coming to know Christ. This miracle has been a great testimony among all of the Hindus. These girls are now sharing their testimony and leading others to Christ.

Pastor Mina's story affirms a number of biblical truths. First, the Lord still blesses obedient servants who respond do the will of God regardless of their gender. Second, the Lord still knows the best person to send to a specific field of ministry; Pastor Mina went to an area that men could not safely go to. Third, the Lord still confirms the gospel with signs following (Mark 16:20; Heb 2:3–4). Pastor Mina's story is one example of what God can do with a life that is yielded to the Lord.

Currently Pastor Mina pastors Grace Church in Makawanpur, Hetunda, Nepal; she also oversees three other churches. She and her staff have a burden to help the street children and orphans of Nepal. They desire to build orphanages in order to house, feed, and care for the children who live on the streets, many of whom get involved in drugs. Their mission is to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Nepal, men, women, and children. The work that they are doing is but one example of what truly biblical ministry looks like, caring for the whole person. May the example of Pastor Mina and her family inspire and encourage women and men to fulfill the destiny and call God has placed on their lives.

For more information on Pastor Mina and her work write: missio...@gmail.com. This article was written with the help of Pastor Mina's son, Nick, who translated her responses to the questions that I asked.

__________

John P. Lathrop, M.A. (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), is an ordained minister with the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies (formerly the Christian Church of North America). He is the author of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers Then and Now (Xulon Press, 2008).


Excerpts from THE PNEUMA REVIEW

THE PNEUMA REVIEW is a quarterly printed journal of ministry resources and theology for Pentecostal and charismatic ministries and leaders. For more information about THE PNEUMA REVIEW, and to learn how to subscribe, please visit: Introducing THE PNEUMA REVIEW. www.pneumafoundation.org/intro_pr.jsp

For a full index of the contents of all Pneuma Review issues, visit: http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pr_archive.jsp.



From the Fall 2010 issue

Allegiance, Truth and Power: Three crucial dimensions for Christian living
By Charles H. Kraft


Where are treatments of the more experiential side of Christian life and practice—theology as it is lived, not just as it is thought about?

Given the fact that the Bible's primary concern is our relationship to God, a relationship that starts with commitment or allegiance to Him, where are the contextualization studies dealing with relationship? What are the culturally appropriate varieties of commitment and relationship to God through Jesus Christ? And, since spiritual power is high on the list of concerns for both biblical peoples as well as for most of the peoples of the present world, where are the contextualization studies dealing with spiritual power? Doesn't the Bible have a lot to say about this subject? And might there not be culturally appropriate differences in the ways God's authority and power are to be exercised from society to society?

. . .

Allegiance Commitment Leading to Relationship

The first and most important of the three dimensions is what I call the relationship dimension. This is the dimension the other two dimensions are intended to support. We may picture this fact as follows:

This dimension begins with an initial allegiance/commitment to Christ that we often refer to as conversion and is expected to issue in a continual growth in commitment and intimacy with Christ. The dynamic of this dimension is growth, a process that involves change in the direction of Christlikeness on the part of the convert and movement into closer and closer relationships with Christ, His people and one's self. As we grow, we are to become more and more conformed to the image of Christ, becoming more and more like Him to whom we have committed ourselves.

Our allegiance to Christ and the ensuing relationship is to replace any other allegiance/relationship that is primary in one's life. All other allegiances are to be secondary to this one. In His own family-oriented society, Jesus spoke in no uncertain terms of the need to put Him first saying, "Whoever comes to me cannot be my disciple unless he loves me more than he loves his father and his mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and his sisters, and himself as well" (Lk 14:26). In this way, Jesus commanded those for whom allegiance to family was supreme to put family second and Himself first.

The allegiance-relationship dimension is quite distinct from the other two dimensions. For example, no one becomes a Christian simply through knowledge or power. As James says, even demons have enough understanding to cause them to tremble in fear (Jas 2:19). They have all the knowledge they need but none of the relationship required for salvation. Yet we are often taught to witness primarily by increasing the person's knowledge, as if that knowledge is going to bring him/her into the Kingdom. This is a radically different dimension from the knowledge dimension, though related to it. And, we can't simply click into a relationship on the basis of what we know.

The problem we face, though, is how to cultivate and pass on this relationship. As Christians, we need to be constantly attentive to growing "in the grace and [experiential] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet 3:18). For me, since I have learned well to read the Bible mainly for information, this has involved changing certain habits in order to learn to read the Scriptures relationally. I have been teaching myself to experience the events of Scripture as I read them.

. . .

Truth/Knowledge Leading to Understanding

This is the dimension most familiar to us. Jesus spent a high proportion of His time and energy in the teaching of truth. He wanted people to understand as much as possible about His Father, Himself and all that the relationships between God and humans and between humans and other humans should involve. He punctuated His teaching with regular power encounters and appeals for allegiance. He regularly demonstrated, not just talked about, both the allegiance-relational and the power-freedom dimensions as a part of His teaching of truth.

One of the crucial aspects of Jesus' method was to enfold His teaching of truth in a relational context—discipleship. He chose twelve people to teach by example in the context of the day-in, day-out activities of living together and ministering to people in love and power. He used His freedom-giving power to minister relational love to others within a discipling relationship with His closest followers (including more disciples than the twelve plus several women). But He wrapped all of this in a truth teaching context. His was a balanced approach to doing and thinking about the doing. He never allowed His ministry to become a merely thinking about ministry.

. . .

Power Leading to Freedom

Jesus said He came to set captives free (Lk 4:18). In making such a statement, He implied both that there is one who has captured many people and that people need the freedom God offers. People need freedom so badly that He, Jesus, came to earth to offer this freedom. He then demonstrated throughout His ministry what He meant by this statement.

. . .

When Jesus left, He gave us power in His name. We, then, are to operate in His authority to bring about the same ends He came to bring. We are to focus on bringing people into a relationship with God as Jesus did. But we are to recognize, as He did, that many are in captivity and, therefore, in need of freedom from the hold of the enemy. Only when they are freed will they be able to understand the Gospel and, building on that understanding, to commit themselves to Christ.

. . .

Many Christian leaders ignore the fact that their followers remain captives, even after conversion. Then they consciously or unconsciously heap blame on their constituents by teaching that all past hurts will be gone when we convert. Others attempt to rectify this situation by throwing knowledge about spiritual warfare at converts. But the power of Satan cannot be countered merely by knowledge and truth. Knowledge and truth are very important in their place, but power can only be fought with power. So those Christians still under the power of Satan wielded through wounds of the past and demonization will get little or no help from sound teaching on spiritual warfare if they do not experience the application of God's healing and delivering power to their specific problems.

. . .

Ways in Which The Dimensions Function Together

All three dimensions are present in every activity of God in the human sphere. If a given relational interaction with humans is from God, it will involve the power and love of the true God in operation. Any teaching of God's truth, furthermore, will involve the power of God with the aim of bringing about growth in relationship with God. In contrast, whenever the enemy's power is active, it is a counterfeit power rather than a godly power, and is designed to lead people into a wrong allegiance.

I have spoken above of the frequent need for God's power to be in operation before people can understand enough to pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ. It is the power of God engaged through prayer, then, that enables us to grow stronger in our commitment to Christ and in our knowledge of His truth. Likewise, it is prayer-power that enables us to minister to others the truth that leads to Christian commitment.

As indicated above, I suggest a threefold approach to bringing people into church membership. What is usually done is simply to increase the potential member's knowledge and to make sure that they have experienced a conversion to Christ. These ought to happen, but much more needs to be done for most people if they are to experience freedom through the healing and delivering power of Christ and to grow in their relationship with Christ.

I have no statistics to prove it, but if my experience in ministering to hundreds of hurting Christians is any indication, I suspect that a high percentage of church members (and church leaders) are in great need of healing from deep emotional hurts and from demons. Such a condition is crippling our churches. An approach to these problems that focuses as much on spiritual freedom and relationship as it usually does on truth and knowledge could revolutionize Christian experience and expression.

__________

Charles H. Kraft, Ph.D. (Hartford Seminary Foundation), is Senior Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Communication, Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, California). He has served as a missionary in Nigeria, and professor of African languages at Michigan State University and UCLA. He has published widely both in missiology and in African linguistics, and his books include Christianity in Culture (1979 and revised 2005) and Worldview for Christian Witness (2008). www.fuller.edu/faculty.aspx?id=3546

Footnotes appear in the printed version of this article excerpt.

Read the rest of this article and many other articles in the Fall 2010 issue of THE PNEUMA REVIEW www.pneumafoundation.org/intro_pr.jsp



Grady's THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT FOR SALE, Reviewed by John Lathrop

From the Fall 2010 issue

J. Lee Grady, The Holy Spirit is Not For Sale (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2010), 235 pages, ISBN 9780800794873.

The name J. Lee Grady should be familiar to those who have been part of the Pentecostal or charismatic Movements for any length of time. For a number of years now he has served as editor of Charisma, which is perhaps the most well-known magazine given to the subject of Spirit-filled life and ministry. Grady is also the author of a number of books. His most recent offering, The Holy Spirit is Not For Sale, should be of particular interest to those who are part of churches that emphasize the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this volume the author calls for radical change; he calls for the church to deal with the sins in her midst. He demonstrates that there have been some serious moves away from scriptural standards among those who believe in the present-day gifts of the Holy Spirit, areas of particular concern are morality, finances, and ministry practice. This book is a clear call for reformation, a return to biblical foundations.

Grady is a firm believer in the anointing and gifts of the Holy Spirit and thus he urges the church not to settle for "strange fire," for cheap imitations of the real anointing of the Holy Spirit, or for ministers who are seriously errant in life, ministry practice, or teaching. In short, the author calls for the church to "stop the funny business." He urges the church to have real fire: the fire of supernatural anointing, the fire of boldness, the fire of purity, the fire of integrity, the fire of humility, the fire of truth, the fire of justice, the fire of spiritual liberty, the fire of prayer, and the fire of genuine love. In the course of his writing Grady draws from the Bible, church history, and the experience of the church overseas.

What may be disturbing to some readers is that in certain cases Grady names names as he addresses various types of abuse. While this may make some people uneasy what is truly disturbing are some of the things that are actually taking place in the church. For example, in chapter 6 he refers to a minister who had a list of requirements in order to be booked for a conference. The list included: a five-figure honorarium, a $10,000 gas deposit for a private plane, a hairstylist for the speaker, a suite in a five star hotel, a luxury car to drive him from the airport to the hotel (make and model of the car were specified), and room temperature Perrier water (pages 115-116). Another example concerns a large charismatic church in Georgia in which pastors participated in sexual immorality and were encouraged by the senior pastor to participate in wife-swapping (pages 83-84). While cases like these are not typical of the majority of charismatic churches or ministers they involve prominent people. Their prominence can cause some people, who lack discernment, to believe that because these ministers "have the anointing" that what they do must be okay. The examples that Grady cites are known cases: is the abuse and corruption more prevalent than we want to admit? As the author writes about various forms of failure and abuse he takes no pleasure in them, it is clear that he is pained by them.

The reason that a lot of these abuses and cultic tendencies exist and go unchecked is, in part, due to a lack of biblical literacy. Many people in Spirit-filled churches do not have the biblical knowledge and thus the spiritual discernment to identify what is proper and what is not. They are swayed by the personality or the alleged anointing of an individual. This is a sad commentary on the condition of some churches and individuals.

Grady does not just point out problems; he offers advice as to how the church can get back on track. His counsel includes: not deifying human beings and not elevating anointing over character, he also encourages us to dismiss the sensational, to teach and practice discernment, and to enforcing accountability (pages 63-67). He also says that we should beware of leaders who do not feed their sheep, whose message seems money-centered, and those who use the Lord's name lightly, that is, use God's name to raise money for themselves (pages 160-165). He says that we should follow leaders who fear God, who tell the truth, and who hate dishonest gain (104-106).

The Holy Spirit is Not For Sale is not light reading; it is thought-provoking and in some ways disturbing. This book may be especially helpful to a new believer who is trying to be open to the Spirit but who also wants to be discerning. It is certainly an appeal for the church, in particular the Spirit-filled church, to return to scriptural principles. This book is a timely word, a challenge, a wake up call for the church to embrace the purity and power that God intends.

Reviewed by John P. Lathrop

__________

John P. Lathrop, M.A. (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), is an ordained minister with the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies (formerly the Christian Church of North America). He is the author of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers Then and Now (Xulon Press, 2008).

Read more reviews and other articles in the Fall 2010 issue of THE PNEUMA REVIEW www.pneumafoundation.org/intro_pr.jsp



Prayer Requests

  • "I read your articles on the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Please pray that I be filled. I desire this gift more than my own life. I am at the end of myself and can't go further without God's movement. Thank You!"
    Michael - Reference Number: 90043337

  • Missionary beaten in Nepal. Indra Rai Waglan, a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary, was brutally beaten on 17th October 2010 in Nepal by six men, who accused him of blasphemy, reports VOM Canada. Indra has a broken rib and bruises all over his body. The incident happened when the missionary and an elderly believer were traveling to a neighboring village to conduct a prayer meeting. The six men, who attacked the missionary were identified by the police and their case is before the court.
    Prayer points: Pray for the healing and restoration of Indra Rai Waglan. Pray for protection over local Christians and missionaries in Nepal. Pray for police and governmental officials, in charge of keeping security and religious tolerance in the country.
    Source: WEA Religious Liberty Prayer News, November 15, 2010
  • A missionary in the Middle East writes, "I'm a pastor in the Philippines and my brother invited me to help him in his ministry in Dubai. I am here now with my wife and we will stay here for two months more.
    "Please pray for revival here in Dubai. That many will be saved and experience the power of God in their lives - complete freedom, fire and focus in their lives.
    Thanks for your prayers. God bless you all.
    "In Christ,"
    - RV. Reference Number: 90044096


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