It was early Sunday morning, and we were driving down the highway just outside the city to an “Apostolic” church that is a part of the largest Oneness denomination in the world—the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). This was about to be my first experience in a Oneness worship service. As we turned into the church driveway, I thought that this could be [. . .]
I recently did an interview with Faith Today magazine about the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement and Spirit-filled living. The interview was published earlier this month in the March-April edition of the magazine.You can listen to the podcast of the interview or read the interview online here […]
Throughout the week many people expressed what I felt: they look forward to SPS all year. They find it an energizing place where they are encouraged as they learn from and worship with friends, old and new—professors, students, and others with a general interest in Pentecostal-Charismatic studies […]
I kid you not, I received my first “2019 prophecy” in my inbox on November 26, 2018. And when I clicked on that link, I saw two other links that were published as early as November 3. My real prophecy for 2019 is that there are […]
People around here love Christmas. Well maybe not the grumpy local atheist who argues that the city should take “Merry Christmas” off of the city buses. But I suspect that even he likes the “Happy Holidays.” Regardless of how we refer to the season, I think people love the holidays because Christmas gets to the meaning of life and, for at least a short time, it gives […]
This is a video of a presentation Dr. Andrew K. Gabriel delivered at the Evangelical Theological Society. This presentation and others from the same session will eventually appear in a book with the title “Karl Barth and Pentecostal Theology: A Convergence of the Word and the Spirit,” co-edited by Frank D. Macchia, Terry L. Cross, and […]
Some pray, “I apply the blood of Jesus over my family,” or “I apply the blood of Jesus over my marriage,” or “I apply the blood of Jesus over my car.” Such prayers (are they really prayers?) can sound very pious. But, you will not find such prayers in the Bible. Why? Because you […]
I recognize that Joel Osteen is a great communicator (even Forbes does), and there are numerous things I appreciate about him and his ministry. Nevertheless, there is a repetitive theme in his ministry that I find troubling. And it is particularly troubling given the millions of people who listen to his sermons and assume that […]
I cringed as I sat there listening to the preacher. The preacher declared, “The Spirit is a ‘him’, and ‘he’ lives in you.” And on account of this he boldly proclaimed to the congregation, “The Holy Spirit is a ‘he,’ not an ‘it.’ Therefore the Holy Spirit is personal.” The preacher was both right and wrong […]
At times I have heard Pentecostal Christians triumphantly declare that Pentecostalism now consists of over 600 million people in the world. I assume they have the good intention of encouraging those Pentecostals who are listening. I sometimes worry, though, that they are implying that the large and growing number of Pentecostals in the world implies […]