Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
What and how did the doctrine of eschatology impacted or impassioned the Pentecostal movement in the past and the present?
Many of the early Pentecostals were Holy Spirit baptized and speaking in tongues.
Their personalized experience of the power of the Holy Spirit had produced an eschatological urgency and passion for souls, missionary fervor, ministry and empowerment.
Missionary spirit is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and inseparable.
Thus mission fervor and evangelism for lost souls greatly impacted and impassioned the early Pentecostal movement.
The Pentecostal movement was neither a system of doctrine nor church governance
but a powerful individual spiritual experience producing a new, deep fundamental unity in spirit.
The foundational Pentecostal missiology of the early past and formative years are centered in dynamic relationship around five essential elements which are eschatology, evangelism, ecumenism, exegesis & experience(Sripture-Spirit). They must be linked by the leaders in an evolving missiological trialogue (Eschatology, Evangelism & Ecumenism)
The central elements of the authority of the Scripture(exegetical) and personal experience(experiential) in the power of the Holy Spirit are indispensable for missionaries in the Pentecostal movement.
Actualizing by early Pentecostals for realization is part of the eschatological process moving outward to mission the world (Evangelism) and inward to other members for the Body of Christ (Ecumenism)
However for the 21st century, the foundational Pentecostal missiology needs an additional element of Ecology, evolving missiological quadralogue instead of trialogue.
Such addition is imperative in the light of the uncontrollable global changes- like technological revolution, social decline & natural disasters – famines, earthquake, tsunamis, floods, epidemics and others.
These are signs that would lead to the second coming as the universe is encountering social, economical and natural disorders.
Since the last decade of the 20th century onwards, foreign missionaries face restrictions and difficulties in making inroads into the third world countries in particular those that are Islam and Communist dominated.
Thus in facing these challenges, a missiolgical quadralogue paradigm with integrated balanced globalization would fuel the present Pentecostal movement to greater heights.
Eventually the center is Christ in holding all things together.
The great commission should be that of divinely ordained globalization because the gospel is a universally valid, globally relevant message of hope and salvation.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit this word is not only preached but it is being confirmed by signs and wonders and by millions of changed lives who have found the true, internal liberation in Christ and are the new creation.
The next century global Pentecostalism will be an interdependent partnership with all great commission Christians
Many of the early Pentecostals were Holy Spirit baptized and speaking in tongues.
Their personalized experience of the power of the Holy Spirit had produced an eschatological urgency and passion for souls, missionary fervor, ministry and empowerment.
Missionary spirit is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and inseparable.
Thus mission fervor and evangelism for lost souls greatly impacted and impassioned the early Pentecostal movement.
The Pentecostal movement was neither a system of doctrine nor church governance
but a powerful individual spiritual experience producing a new, deep fundamental unity in spirit.
The foundational Pentecostal missiology of the early past and formative years are centered in dynamic relationship around five essential elements which are eschatology, evangelism, ecumenism, exegesis & experience(Sripture-Spirit). They must be linked by the leaders in an evolving missiological trialogue (Eschatology, Evangelism & Ecumenism)
The central elements of the authority of the Scripture(exegetical) and personal experience(experiential) in the power of the Holy Spirit are indispensable for missionaries in the Pentecostal movement.
Actualizing by early Pentecostals for realization is part of the eschatological process moving outward to mission the world (Evangelism) and inward to other members for the Body of Christ (Ecumenism)
However for the 21st century, the foundational Pentecostal missiology needs an additional element of Ecology, evolving missiological quadralogue instead of trialogue.
Such addition is imperative in the light of the uncontrollable global changes- like technological revolution, social decline & natural disasters – famines, earthquake, tsunamis, floods, epidemics and others.
These are signs that would lead to the second coming as the universe is encountering social, economical and natural disorders.
Since the last decade of the 20th century onwards, foreign missionaries face restrictions and difficulties in making inroads into the third world countries in particular those that are Islam and Communist dominated.
Thus in facing these challenges, a missiolgical quadralogue paradigm with integrated balanced globalization would fuel the present Pentecostal movement to greater heights.
Eventually the center is Christ in holding all things together.
The great commission should be that of divinely ordained globalization because the gospel is a universally valid, globally relevant message of hope and salvation.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit this word is not only preached but it is being confirmed by signs and wonders and by millions of changed lives who have found the true, internal liberation in Christ and are the new creation.
The next century global Pentecostalism will be an interdependent partnership with all great commission Christians
Friday, February 13, 2009
Is Pentecostal Spirituality Healthy, Vibrant and on the Cutting Edge Today or Is It Dissipating? Evaluate, Analyze and Explain Your Conclusion.
Generally, Pentecostal spirituality of today is healthy, but not so vibrant, expressive and with less real personalized live experience and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as encountered in the first outburst of Pentecostalism of the early 1900s!
In fact many of the established Pentecostals had institutionalized their organizations in the manner of worships, prayers, spiritual discernments and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in tongues.
The fire of evangelism was not as fervent as in the 1st wave for the early Pentecostals were strongly convicted of the eschatology of the last days of the second coming of Christ.
Congregations of today are less passionate in committing their all to evangelism and sacrificing their haves for God’s kingdom.
Phenomenal outburst and great revivals are less heard of in the present days especially in the interpretation of tongues.
The present socio status and the upbringing of the young generation with no knowledge and experience of hardship, is in no way prepared to make great personal sacrifices for the kingdom of God.
In conclusion there is no significant cutting edge of Pentecostal spirituality of today but with the recent tsunamis politically, economically and the natural calamities which may be construed as God’s hand in shaking the world globally are awakening the people of the second coming of the Lord.
In fact many of the established Pentecostals had institutionalized their organizations in the manner of worships, prayers, spiritual discernments and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in tongues.
The fire of evangelism was not as fervent as in the 1st wave for the early Pentecostals were strongly convicted of the eschatology of the last days of the second coming of Christ.
Congregations of today are less passionate in committing their all to evangelism and sacrificing their haves for God’s kingdom.
Phenomenal outburst and great revivals are less heard of in the present days especially in the interpretation of tongues.
The present socio status and the upbringing of the young generation with no knowledge and experience of hardship, is in no way prepared to make great personal sacrifices for the kingdom of God.
In conclusion there is no significant cutting edge of Pentecostal spirituality of today but with the recent tsunamis politically, economically and the natural calamities which may be construed as God’s hand in shaking the world globally are awakening the people of the second coming of the Lord.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What is it to be a Pentecostal?
To be Pentecostal is to fundamentally believe in the direct personalized experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit , as what the apostles of the early church encountered on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 with them being filled with the Holy Spirit speaking of what was not of their language which they do not know but understood by others with the enablement of the Spirit.
Evangelization is of great importance to be Pentecost stressing the great need to be abide by the Bible and transforming one’s life with undivided faith in Jesus Christ.
For salvation, it is fundamental for Pentecostal to be born again or regenerated in accordance to scripture as in John 3:3 & 5. Jesus said that unless one is to be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. For the Pentecostal, the gift of salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and no way can it be earned through good works or deeds, Ephesians 2:8-9.
Receiving of the Holy Spirit after salvation with repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus is greatly emphasized for the Pentecostal.
Pentecostal believes that the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit prevail in the church at the present time particularly in the speaking in tongues: - words of wisdom to provide supernatural guidance in decisions; words of knowledge in the impartation of factual information; healing miracles, prophecies of God’s messages, distinguishing of spirits from that of the evil, tongues and interpretation of tongues as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11.
To the Pentecostal, doctrinal beliefs of speaking in tongues are that firstly it is that of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with believer doing it for the first time which is the personal prayer to God or glossolalia of unintelligible utterances. Secondly it is the gift of the tongues for interpretation to the congregation to understand or xenoglossy which is the experience of the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit speaking a natural language unknown to the speaker proclaiming the Gospel.
Evangelization is of great importance to be Pentecost stressing the great need to be abide by the Bible and transforming one’s life with undivided faith in Jesus Christ.
For salvation, it is fundamental for Pentecostal to be born again or regenerated in accordance to scripture as in John 3:3 & 5. Jesus said that unless one is to be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. For the Pentecostal, the gift of salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and no way can it be earned through good works or deeds, Ephesians 2:8-9.
Receiving of the Holy Spirit after salvation with repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus is greatly emphasized for the Pentecostal.
Pentecostal believes that the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit prevail in the church at the present time particularly in the speaking in tongues: - words of wisdom to provide supernatural guidance in decisions; words of knowledge in the impartation of factual information; healing miracles, prophecies of God’s messages, distinguishing of spirits from that of the evil, tongues and interpretation of tongues as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11.
To the Pentecostal, doctrinal beliefs of speaking in tongues are that firstly it is that of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with believer doing it for the first time which is the personal prayer to God or glossolalia of unintelligible utterances. Secondly it is the gift of the tongues for interpretation to the congregation to understand or xenoglossy which is the experience of the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit speaking a natural language unknown to the speaker proclaiming the Gospel.
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