December 2008 Pneuma Informer

1 God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8,9).

2 Something awesome and magnificent, like the Kingdom of God, can emanate from something small and insignificant, like a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31,32).

3 God chooses what is foolish, weak and despised in the world to shame that which is considered wise, strong and lofty, so that the one who boasts should boast only in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).

These are very important truths for anyone at any time. But to a humble believer facing overwhelming odds, they can be a lifeline to hope.

The decline of Islam from the late 17th Century until the 1970s, along with the rise of the 'Christian' West through the reformation, renaissance, industrial revolution and two world wars, followed by the failure of Communism in the 1980s, resulted in what many described as a 'new world order'. For a short stretch of time approximately from 1985 to 2005 global religious liberty and security generally improved despite escalating Islamic terrorism and the persistence of civil wars and dictatorships. Well those days have most certainly ended now, having amounted to little more than a small blip on the timeline of history. Reformed and revived, intolerant and imperialistic Islam is back and the West's (primarily America's) economic leverage, which has for a decade now been used to promote and even advance religious liberty around the world, has evaporated. Sweet dreams of worldwide harmonious interaction and co-operation are being replaced with nightmares of violent and repressive ethnic and religious nationalism, globalised terror, imperialistic jihad, insecurity, poverty, uncertainty and injustice with impunity.

But those with faith are not without hope. Salvation did not come by means of a muscle-bound, Greek-style, wresting warrior-god. Our deliverer did not arrive in a majestic Roman chariot with legions on fine horses behind him. Satan was not defeated by physical or military might. God, in all his perfection and wisdom, secured our salvation and revealed his glory to the heavens and the earth through Jesus Christ: a baby in a manger in a stable; a Jewish carpenter in Roman-occupied Judea; a homeless, wandering preacher; a naked, battered and bloodied crucified man. It is no wonder that the gospel has been described as a 'great mystery'. And in these dark days, we should know that more often than not, God's ongoing work of sanctification is equally mysterious.

This Christmas, as we remember and celebrate the Christ-child, let us pray that all Christians everywhere may be inspired and filled with hope. May we all - regardless of our circumstances - look to, trust in, and cling to God, whose ways are mysterious, hidden and higher than ours.

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Elizabeth Kendal is the Principal Researcher and Writer for the World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission. She lives in Melbourne, Australia and is the mother of four children. While she has degrees in Music and education, God gave her a painful passion for the persecuted Church and for religious liberty, and a calling to devote her life to helping keep the Church informed about what is going on in the world in terms of religious persecution and repression of religious freedom. She firmly believes that informed prayer has a strategic role to play in God's fulfilling his of promises, through the Church. All her work is posted under "Religious Liberty" on the website of the Australian Evangelical Alliance: http://www.ea.org.au

From the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Prayer List. "RLP 510 | Christmas 2008: Faith, Hope and the Christ-child." Used with permission.
The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

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Reports from Around the World

Special Report: Aldwin Ragoonath in India
India is a complex and diverse nation. People are trapped in tradition, superstition, and religions that do not promise any hope of eternal life. Hindus believe in re-incarnation: that one is re-born several times. While westerners go in search of truth through meditation, and follow Hindu spiritual leaders, their teachings have not helped the average person on the streets of India to forge a better life.
Generally, India is moving forward into a global power; its economy is growing at an unprecedented rate, and the church is also growing rapidly. The middle and upper classes are getting wealthier, but the majority of the population lives on less than $2.00 a day. The 60% of the population that lives in villages and towns live on subsistence living, and 40% of the population is illiterate. People who leave the villages and move to the large cities are often illiterate and become displaced as they try to make a better life; in some cases whole families end up living on the streets, because employment is difficult to find and housing is very expensive. It is heart breaking.
My colleague, Dr. Willie Boyseen from South Africa and I were focused on the vision the Lord gave me; we tried not to be sidetracked by the poverty, and the hopelessness that dominates the nation. We were often tempted to give money to help the poor and those feeding the poor, but when we remembered the words of Jesus who said, "the poor you always have with you," we became more resolute to the vision to help preachers to preach more effectively and be true to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Usually when people accept Jesus into their lives as Savior and Lord, they become excited and want to share their faith with others. Often before you know it, they are pastoring churches with several hundred people and in some cases a group of churches. These were the people we desired to help most: those already in ministry. We shared with them what we have learned about preaching. The presentation of the gospel should be preached simply and clearly without spiritualizing the text, steering them away from teaching wrong doctrine but praying for the sick and the needs of people in the church. On every occasion pastors left the seminars better preachers of the Word. They were always thankful and often remarked, "I now know how to prepare sermons." Many pastors have to preach every day.
During our time in India we taught approximately 350 pastors in three preaching seminars. The first seminar was for approximately 100 pastors at Love-N-care Ministries in Visakhapatnam. We were told that some of these pastors are tribal people and were former animists. At Love-N-Care Ministries they are taught to read and write and then to preach.
The second preaching seminar was at New Life Assembly in Chennai South India. This church has a congregation of 35,000 and is pastored by Rev. Dr. D. Mohan. At his invitation last year, he requested that we spend a week with some of his preaching pastors. We had the opportunity to work closely with 100 pastors who were required to submit one written sermon, and some had to preach in class. The response was excellent; they felt they understood how to preach more simply and clearly, and for some it was the first time they were taught how to prepare a sermon. (Some of the cell-group pastors have no theological training.) We were honored and humbled when Pastor Mohan attended one day of classes; the next day he reported that he used some of the concepts he learned at the seminar to prepare a sermon to preach the following night. The results were that he preached more clearly and the audience responded more positively.
The final preaching seminar was held at South Asia Leadership Training Development Center near Bhopal. This school is owned and operated by Indian Evangelical Team where over 7000 Indian missionaries work in non-Christian areas. The Development Center has a student body of 150 who are all training to go into full-time ministry. It was exciting to work with this group of students and to see how eager they were to learn and preach the gospel.
Aldwin Ragoonath, Ph.D., is a trained homiletician with over twenty years of pastoral experience in the Caribbean and Canada. His ministry is devoted to helping pastors develop their preaching gift, teaching Pentecostal preaching courses and facilitating seminars around the world.
Source: Agape Teaching Ministry, December 2008 Newsletter. www.atmc.ca

Philippines: One woman's faithfulness
Special Report from Dave and Debbie Johnson
Bad news and bailouts seem to be the order of the day. If the news media is reporting accurately, the economic future looks bleak, at least humanly speaking. As we all know, people have lost their jobs, and there is evidence that giving to missions may be down in some cases.
Want some good news?
Her name is Maricel Villar, a young lady now in her mid twenties, who lives in a town in our part of the Philippines. One day a few years ago, we came to her city for a Good News Rally, which was held outdoors at a location near her home. When Maricel's mother heard the meeting going on, she and her three children, including Maricel, decided to attend.
At the Rally, they heard about a Savior who changes people's lives, setting them free from the tyranny of sin, and giving them a peace, joy, and purpose in life that they had never known before. When they expressed an interest in following Jesus, they were given literature provided by Light-for-the-Lost, and the pastor of the local Assembly of God church, Reverend Palermo Molina, came to their home for follow up Bible Studies and invited them to church. Somewhere in the process, Jesus changed their lives.
About the same time Maricel became the chairperson of a local community youth organization. When people found out that she had become a born-again Christian and had left Roman Catholicism, they began to persecute her for not participating in the local Catholic traditions that were informally expected of someone in her position. But Maricel was determined to fulfill the non-religious obligations of her position and remain true to her new found faith. She cried out to the Lord for strength, and he heard her cry. Pastor Molina also gave her godly counsel and support.
By God's grace, Maricel stood firm in Christ and, in time, won the respect of the community. Today, she is married and has a fine son. She is an active member of Pastor Molina's church and is a faithful witness for Christ in the local government office where she is currently employed. Through your prayers and financial support, the seed of God's good news was sown in her heart through our evangelistic ministry. It was watered by a faithful, local Assemblies of God pastor, and God brought the increase. All glory to God!
Now that's good news!
Dave Johnson, M.Div., D.Miss. (Asia Graduate School of Theology, Philippines), is an Assemblies of God missionary to the Philippines. Dave and his wife Debbie are involved in evangelism, church planting, and Bible school and mission leadership.

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

North Korea: Return to Isolation (WEA RLC). http://www.worldevangelicals.org/commissions/rlc/reports/articles.htm?id=2251
Nigeria: Religious Violence Explodes December 3: "A Muslim pogrom against Christians erupted in Jos, central Nigeria, last weekend after reports that the Christian-dominated People's Democratic Party had won the council elections, defeating the Muslim, pro-Sharia All Nigeria Peoples Party. The Christian death toll is likely to be over 100. At least 16 churches have been burnt and four pastors are confirmed dead. Up to 400 Muslims died in clashes with police and security forces. Of the 500 Muslims arrested, most are outsiders who arrived days in advance, some wearing fake military uniforms" (WEA RLC). http://www.worldevangelicals.org/commissions/rlc/reports/articles.htm?id=2253 |
- "Violence Smothers Jos in Smoke" Eyewitness in Jos, Nigeria describes the crisis and the need for peace (ChristianityTodayOnline). http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/149-32.0.html
Swedish Pastor's Call for Unity Criticized Some observers say charismatic minister Ulf Ekman is opening the door too wide to Catholicism (CharismaNews). http://www.charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/112408.php
Oral Roberts U. to Cut 100 Jobs Spokesman says the cuts are mainly to offset the school's $17 million deficit (ChristianityTodayOnline). http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/11/oral_roberts_u.html
India: Worst flooding in 50 years devastates the poor (Christian Aid). http://www.christianaid.org/needs/IndiaFloods2008.aspx
Biblical Archaeology: Unearthing a Biblical Past (Ministry Today News). http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/ministry_report/2008-11-25/story1.htm
USA: "Conservative Anglicans Launch 'Reformation'" The Common Cause Partnership, led by Bishop Robert Duncan, unveiled a provisional constitution on December 3 to form a conservative branch of the Anglican Church in North America.(CharismaNews). http://charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/120508.php |
- Conservative Anglicans Create Rival Church Top leader Duncan expects to see Episcopal Church 'displaced' (ChristianityTodayOnline). http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/149-43.0.html
J. Lee Grady gives us Charisma's Top Newsmakers of 2008 http://fireinmybones.com/index.php?col=121008%7ECharisma%E2%80%99s%20Top%20Newsmakers%20of%202008
- Christianity Today's Top News Stories of 2008 The events, people, and debates of the past year that Christianity Today's editors and writers believe have shaped, or will significantly shape, evangelical life, thought, or mission. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/special/toptennews2008.html
Obituary: Dr. Gary B. McGee, longtime Assemblies of God educator, slipped from this life into the arms of his loving Savior shortly before noon on December 10, 2008. http://agts.edu/faculty/mcgee.html
Richard Cizik Resigns from the National Association of Evangelicals Longtime lobbyist and media spokesman recently said 'I'm shifting' on gay unions (ChristianityTodayOnline). http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/150-42.0.html
Farmer Sees 'Revival' In South Africa Farmer-turned-evangelist Angus Buchan says he is seeing revival in South Africa, which has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world (CharismaNews). http://www.charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/121008.php
Russia: Still no accountability Eight months after violent assault on a Pentecostal church in April 2008, no attackers have been convicted (Forum 18). http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1227
California Shuts Down Abortion Clinics A network of abortion clinics in a Hispanic community have closed down and its owner could face nearly 20 years in prison (CharismaNews). http://charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/1208081.php
Indonesia: "Cases of religious violence up" by Adianto P. Simamora (The Jakarta Post, 11 Dec 2008). On the eve of enactment of a repressive censorship law that threatens human rights, this report points out that many acts of religious violence are already being carried out by the state. Recommended by E.K. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/11/cases-religious-violence-report.html
Russia: Chill begins to bite for Moscow Pentecostals State pressure increases to keep Protestants from public worship (Forum18). http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1232
"Searching for the Star of Bethlehem" A new theory makes the news. But are 21st-century astronomers looking in the wrong place? (ChristianityTodayOnline). http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberweb-only/151-51.0.html

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

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Thoughts to Ponder: Solitude and Quiet

"We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today."
— A. W. Tozer

"Loneliness is inner emptiness, solitude is inner fulfillment."
— unknown

"Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life."
— Henri Nouwen

"There is no sweeter manner of living in the world than continuous communion with God."
— Brother Lawrence

"Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with him."
— Oswald Chambers

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Conversations with Readers

The mission of the Pneuma Foundation is: "To lead Pentecostal/charismatic believers to a greater understanding of God's Word and assisting church leaders in equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. We also long for greater dialogue between Evangelicals about doctrine, and by way of an open forum, to promote Biblically-centered theological discussion on the gifts of the Spirit."
Thank you for your commitment to the Pneuma Foundation vision and purpose. Through your faithfulness you provide excellent, significant and needed resources for both the academy and the church.
— MC

Responding to the September 2008 Pneuma Informer:
Thanks for keeping me posted. God bless.
— Pastor Jose in the Philippines

I liked Raul Mock's review of Brian McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy.
— TR
The review appeared originally in the Fall 2008 issue of THE PNEUMA REVIEW and was featured in the October-Novemeber 2008 issue of the PNEUMA INFORMER. Read the review: http://www.pneumafoundation.org/pi.jsp?pi=/2008/pi_1011_2008.xml#N65788

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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

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Book Review: Dangerous Surrender

From the Fall 2008 issue

Kay Warren, Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes To God (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 255 pages, ISBN 0310258901.

Kay Warren is the wife of pastor and author Rick Warren. This book may never sell as many copies as her husband's book, The Purpose Driven Life, but it is most certainly a very significant book. I confess that I am not a person who reads for pleasure, that is, I do not read to relax or because I enjoy the practice of reading, but I could not put this book down. The author's brutal honesty about her fears, sense of inadequacy, questions and struggles makes this book quite compelling. Warren writes things that many of us think, but would probably never say out loud.

On the inside flap of the front cover of the book it says, "You have a plan for the rest of your life. God has a plan for the rest of your life. Are they the same?" That is a thought-provoking question and it sets the stage for the rest of the book. Kay Warren is the wife of a very successful pastor. She thought that she and her husband would probably spend their later years traveling around the world encouraging ministry couples, but God had other plans.

In 2002, through a magazine article, she became aware of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. God gripped her heart with the statistics and the photos. After reading that article she began to notice information about AIDS everywhere. She felt that God wanted her to do something about it, but she did not know what. She said to God, "Why are you bothering me with this? There is nothing I can do about it. I'm just an ordinary person." She agonized over this for a month. She then came to the place of decision; could she go back into her comfortable life and pretend that the AIDS epidemic was not happening? She could not; she said "yes" to the call of God. When she did this she said that her heart was broken and that she was shattered. This set her on the course of becoming an activist raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Reaching the place of surrender was only the beginning of her struggles. Once she began working in this area she was diagnosed with cancer. This raised questions in her mind as to why this was happening since she was obeying the Lord in what He had asked her to do. She had surgery, as well as radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She pressed through that experience. Later she found that she once again had cancer. She persevered through this also. One of the great things about this book is the author's ability to look at circumstances redemptively. She is able to see how some of the difficult situations in her life were used by the Lord to make her a more compassionate, effective minister for Him.

The book chronicles her journey as she got involved in the HIV/AIDS issue. It tells of her travels, her observations and her thoughts. A word of caution: if you do not want to be challenged or do not want to be moved, do not read this book.

Dangerous Surrender is a story of surrender, courage and perseverance. It is a book that challenges us. Will we do what God wants or will we do what is easy? Kay Warren urges us not to "turn the page," that is, not go on with life ignoring the sufferings of our world and the things that the Lord is calling us to. She encourages us to be "dangerously disturbed" and "gloriously ruined." Whether you feel as though God is calling you to an AIDS related ministry or not, this book is a must read. I recommend it without reservation.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

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John 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).Â John currently serves as a pastor at the Christian Pentecostal Church of Newton, Massachusetts.

Read more reviews and articles from the Fall 2008 issue of THE PNEUMA REVIEW www.pneumafoundation.org/intro_pr.jsp

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Article Excerpt: Transforming: The Church as Agent of Change in the Story of Zacchaeus

From the Fall 2008 issue

Transforming: The Church as Agent of Change in the Story of Zacchaeus
Luke 19:1-10

The story of Zacchaeus is one of the most intriguing in Luke's gospel - a literary masterpiece filled with vivid imagery, drama, and biting irony. It is the story of the conversion of an arch villain in Jewish society who has a transforming encounter with the Lord. But it also offers marvelous insight into how the church transforms society one converted sinner at a time.

Enter the Villain

Luke quickly opens his story by introducing the main character in the briefest fashion. However, English readers seldom catch the innuendo of the Greek syntax. "There was a man called by name Zacchaeus." Luke is undoubtedly calling attention to the man's name, which is derived from the Hebrew root[1] meaning "pure" or "acquitted one." The irony leaps out from Luke's pen with the ensuing words, "and he was a chief tax collector." Tax collectors (Gk. telonai) were locals hired by cities and towns to collect taxes for the Romans. Zacchaeus was a "chief" tax collector (Gk. architelones), which meant he probably had supervision over a region and number of tax collectors. Luke's words "and he was rich" would certainly not go unnoticed by Jews in Jesus' day. The privilege of collecting taxes was offered at a steep price and those who held that job set tax rates that often exceeded by far any quotas demanded by Rome. While tax-collectors had no authority to confiscate funds or property, they held great leverage over the people as they could exact severe penalties by reporting tax delinquency to the Romans. This they often did whether the charge were true or not.[2] And so here Luke presents an arch villain who is ironically named. He was anything but someone of pure or blameless character; he was, in fact, the exact opposite of his name. Keep in mind also that "tax-collectors" were notorious for their corruption and the mere mention of their profession aligned them with "sinners." (See Matt. 9:11; Mark 2:15f; Luke 5:30).

The Action of Zacchaeus

But this notorious sinner is soon found to be in a seeking mode. How and when he heard about Jesus we do not know. What kind of report sparked his desire to see Jesus is also unknown. However, what we read paints an ironic and even comical picture. Zacchaeus was obviously well-known in the area (v.7) at least by reputation. His position and wealth would have placed him at the highest echelon of societal status. But this "big" man in society was lacking in physical stature. He who often looked down at people from his pinnacle of societal power could not see Jesus over the crowd. Although left unstated, I cannot help but conclude that only an unseen and desperate spiritual need could have forced a man of his status to take up the humiliating posture of an adolescent "tree-climber."

The Call and Invitation of Jesus

The irony continues when Jesus stops under this "sycamore" tree and calls him to come down. If as some scholars suggest the tree was a variety of "fig" tree (mulberry),[3] the irony soars. The great "shake down" artist who could extort excessive taxes by falsely accusing people of tax delinquency is now "shook down" down out of the fig tree!4 But Jesus does not berate him or add to his obvious humiliating posture. Instead he honors him by calling him by name and declaring his intent to be a guest at his house.

. . .

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James D. Hernando, earned a B. A. in Bible at Northeast Bible College, a M. Div. at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, a M. Phil. and Ph. D. in New Testament from Drew University. He also holds a BA and MS in Education from the SUNY at New Paltz. He is currently a Professor of New Testament and Chairman of the Bible and Theology Department at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Professor Hernando has written a commentary on 2 Corinthians (Zondervan, 1997) and most recently and a Dictionary of Hermeneutics (Gospel Publishing House, 2005). http://www.agts.edu/faculty/hernando.html

Footnotes appear with the full article in the Fall 2008 issue of THE PNEUMA REVIEW www.pneumafoundation.org/intro_pr.jsp

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Book Review Excerpt: New Faces of Christianity and God's Continent

From the Fall 2008 issue

Philip Jenkins, The New Faces of Christianity: Reading the Bible in the Global South (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006). x + 252 pages, ISBN 0195300653.
Philip Jenkins, God's Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's Religious Crisis (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007). ix + 340 pages, ISBN 0195313956.

The two books under review are part of what Jenkins calls "The Future of Christianity Trilogy," which was begun with his The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2002, with second expanded edition published in 2007). (For more on Jenkins' overall project, see also the periodical review of his "Companions of Life: A Supple Faith" by Tony Richie in The Pneuma Review 10:3 [Summer 2007].) Between them, Jenkins extends the analysis of his initial volume, first by focusing on Bible-reading trends in especially Asia and Africa (although Latin America is not entirely absent), and then by exploring emerging trajectories of Christian-Muslim relations in the European continent. Together, these latter two books provide a kind of template for anticipating future global developments, although our author is much too nuanced and sophisticated in his prognostications for alarmists on any side, even as he is too riveting in his narration for those who might be otherwise complacent about the present and future of Christianity in its global contexts.

For example, Pneuma Review readers might almost be able to read New Faces of Christianity as an updated response to the questions posed in 1994 by Harvey Cox in his book Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-first Century (Addison-Wesley). There, Cox wondered if world pentecostalism would continue wedded to fundamentalism or if it might expand in other (especially more socially progressive) directions. Jenkins' New Faces also begins with the question (the title of chapter 1), "Shall the fundamentalists win?" The rest of the volume provides a spectrum of responses to this query by discussing how southern Christians read and use the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, amidst existentially experienced realities like poverty, sickness, persecution and martyrdom, witchcraft practices, gender roles developments, economic crises, political turbulence, and other issues. And the verdict remains out: southern Christians are both more fundamentalist and less fundamentalist than anticipated, although in different (and perhaps surprising) respects.

From a pentecostal perspective, however, one way to read Jenkins on this matter is that the category of "fundamentalism" - as well as those of "liberal" or "conservative" - just doesn't fit well when talking about Christianity in the global south. Rather, southern Christianity, replete with pentecostal and charismatic variations and trajectories, exhibits new Bible-reading and Bible-enacting tendencies which are perhaps best understood as "post-fundamentalist" (as well as "post-liberal" and "post-conservative"). Yet at the same time, if we follow Jenkins we also may not be able to claim that the mushrooming Christianity of the global south is either "pentecostal" or "charismatic," at least not in simplistic terms defined according to the North American versions of these phenomena. Instead, North American Pentecostals will learn a great deal about the diversity of global Christianity in general and about the many tongues and practices of southern pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in particular. Those of us classical Pentecostals who have been enamored by the over 500 million number bantered around by demographers and statisticians of global pentecostalism will need to realize that embracing these numbers brings with them many whose beliefs and practices are rather different than our own. In some ways, such realization may lead to a reinvigoration of biblical Christianity in our own North American Pentecostal context; in other ways, New Faces of Christianity may result is our being more circumspect about claiming too much regarding "renewal Christianity" in global context.

. . .

. . . Pentecostal nay-sayers and yea-sayers would be well advised to read these volumes so that the criticisms of the former can become more informed and the triumphalism of the latter can be checked by reality.

Reviewed by Amos Yong

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Amos Yong, is Research Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Doctor of Philosophy Program at Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His graduate education includes degrees in theology, history, and religious studies from Western Evangelical Seminary and Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, and Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Yong has served as a pastor, educator, conference speaker, and is the author of numerous papers and books including The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh: Pentecostalism and the Possibility of Global Theology (Baker Academic, 2005), Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity (Baylor University Press, 2007), and Hospitality and the Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices, and the Neighbor (Orbis Books, 2008). He and his wife, Alma, currently reside with their three children in Chesapeake, Virginia. http://www.regent.edu/acad/schdiv/faculty_staff/yong.shtml

Read the rest of this review and many other articles in the Fall 2008 issue of THE PNEUMA REVIEW www.pneumafoundation.org/intro_pr.jsp

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Resources You Can Use

Ministering to the Unemployed
Christian businessman Chuck Fridsma, an "outplacement" specialist, talks about his experience counseling those losing their jobs and about when he himself was fired.
http://www.mlive.com/grandrapids/stories/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1225001731313890.xml&coll=6

Short Message Service: Free mass-SMS software program for non-profits
From the FrontlineSMS website: "A lack of communication can be a major barrier for grassroots non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in developing countries. FrontlineSMS is the first text messaging system created exclusively with this problem in mind.
"By leveraging basic tools already available to most NGOs - computers and mobile phones - FrontlineSMS enables instantaneous two-way communication on a large scale. It's easy to implement, simple to operate, and best of all, the software is free."
http://www.frontlinesms.com/
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS for an introduction to this mobile phone text messaging communication technology.
Source: Web Evangelism Newsletter Oct-Nov 08

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Prayer Requests

Pakistan on a precipice, with the Church at risk. The security situation in Pakistan is deteriorating. Al-Qaeda-Taliban jihadists, having already captured most of the north-western tribal regions, are escalating their terror right in the heart of Peshawar, the capital city of North West Frontier Province. They are also ramping up their terror attacks in Pakistan's major cities, including Islamabad. Pakistan's Christians have seen their rights and security decline over nearly three decades of advancing Islamisation and escalating radicalisation. Pakistan's blasphemy law is one of the most insidious tools of religious persecution in the world today. An al-Qaeda-Taliban victory in Pakistan would be disastrous for global security and totally devastating for Pakistan's three million Christians (two percent of the population), some of whom are already suffering under Taliban rule in the north-west. Please pray for the Church in Pakistan.
Source: WEA Religious Liberty Commission - RLP 505 | Pakistan: On a precipice - Church at risk

Please join with the volunteer staff of the Pneuma Foundation, praying that God will enable us to continue to carry out the mission He has entrusted us with. We currently are in need of financial resources, volunteers for website projects, appropriate articles for The Pneuma Review, and most of all your prayers that God will allow us to help equip others for effective ministry.

Sudan: Hope Lingers but War Threatens. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ended the Sudan war between the Arab, Muslim North and the African, mainly Christian South. The CPA provides for elections in 2009 and a referendum on Southern separation in 2011. Southern leader Dr John Garang believed that if all opposition forces united, then the racist, Islamist, Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum could be toppled in the 2009 elections and ALL of Sudan would be liberated. When Dr Garang died mysteriously in 2005 his vision lost its momentum. Tensions have since escalated as Khartoum has flouted the CPA. However, Southern leaders are now working at building opposition unity ahead of the 2009 elections. The regime in Khartoum knows it cannot win against a united opposition and will doubtless seek to scuttle the elections, possibly through fomenting conflict. Please pray for Sudan's liberation.
Source: WEA Religious Liberty Commission - RLP 508 | Sudan: Hope Lingers but War Threatens

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Praise Reports

Mike Knowles writes: "After more than a year and a half of waiting, Kelly and I have finally welcomed our 27-month-old foster son Kyle into our family - he has been officially adopted as of 3:30 pm on November 14, 2008 ... the answer to our prayers." Congratulations to Mike and Kelly. Mike has contributed numerous articles and reviews that have appeared in Pneuma Foundation publications.

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December 2008 Pneuma Informer

Pneuma Foundation

"Faith, Hope and the Christ-child" by Elizabeth Kendal

Reports from Around the World

_____________________________________________________________________________ Thoughts to Ponder: Solitude and Quiet

Conversations with Readers

Excerpts from THE PNEUMA REVIEW

Resources You Can Use

Prayer Requests

_____________________________________________________________________________ Praise Reports

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Thoughts to Ponder: Solitude and Quiet

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Praise Reports