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
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Woa Mike,
ReplyDeleteSo what i'm getting is a lot of technics to evangelise which is helpfull but very little how Eschatology today should propel missions. so can we conclude missions today lack or rather have no influence from their eschatological view?
The eschatological urgency is very much lacking in today's missions unlike the past when the spirit filled Pentecostals were deeply touched to be witnesses of the Gospel going out in faith
ReplyDeleteHi Lionel,
ReplyDeleteWow brother, again many technical terms! Thanks for your informative article. I agree that the eschatology urgency has tune-downed over the years but in ypur opinion, what do you think leadership can do to rekindle the sense of urgency?
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteSorry that I mistaken you for Lionel!
hi
ReplyDeleteas you mentioned, "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."
Yes they are all happening in our day!!!! But the churches of TODAY are not even increasing in speaking, preaching or teaching of the eschatology subject!!!
The day of Christ is near, the signs of time is clear and indicating. Shouldn the church be more active in this eschatological subject. But sadly that is not what is happening.
Pastors maybe only preach of it once or twice a year.
How would you address this issue?
On the gradual worldwide tuning down of eschatological urgency, I believe that it will be crucial for global Pentecostal leadership to be Christ centric and to co-operate in an interdependent partnership with fellow evangelists and missionaries entrenched in the urgent eschatological expectation of Christ's return.
ReplyDeleteThe leadership can focus in the Word (exegesis) and to emphasize strongly on personalized experience in the Spirit for all their members. Those who are spirit filled will be convicted of the eschatological urgency to evangelize and be voluntarily involved in missions for Christ.
Do you think every pentecostal would possess a missionary spirit as a spiritual gift or is it dependent upon God's calling on their lives?
ReplyDeleteHi Charity
ReplyDeleteApparently the churches of today lack the eschatological urgency.
In my opinion, they are to be firm and strong in their conviction in entrenching in the Word and emphasizing on personalized spiritual experience which will produce the eschatological urgency, evangelistic and missionary fervor, ministry and empowerment.
Hey Mike, Thanks for clarifying, one more question yah, in your opinion, do you think the current mission mind set may have stopped stressing the eschatological view outwardly in fears to offend people because they have ben preaching the same message again and again and again for the past almost 100 years? it gets boring and offensive and honestly quite unbelievable right? maybe thats why they chose not to highlight and stress taht too much?
ReplyDeleteHi Lionel,
ReplyDeleteThe indifference in the mission mindset may be attributed to the failing and laxity of restorationist spirituality in today Pentecostal movement. Many Pentecostal churches may not have provision in their services for the congregation to encounter personalized experience and manifestation of the Spirit with the speaking in tongues or exercising the gifts of the spirit in healing and prophesy .Normally the spirit touched congregation will be convicted of the eschatological urgency to be witnesses of the Gospel through missions. There is a rising trend of churches to compromise in being less Spirit focus to stay popular with the congregation thus robbing the people to be spirit filled and in changing their mindset to hunger for missions . Perhaps it is relevant for ecumenical revival movement among the Pentecostals to address the issue thus stirring the fire of evangelism.
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the possibility as suggested by you. But what do you think about the mentality of the younger generation in our local church? They are the ones much influenced by the post-modern culture of relevancy. The passions of early years Pentecostals may not excite them in what they expereinced in the contemporary culture. This generation has not really expereinced those days of 'crisis' events which was the driving force of early believers in eschatology. What do you think?
Hey Freddie
ReplyDeleteFully agree with you regarding the present generation mentality in our local churches. Yes, they are the ones who are in the midst of the post modern culture. They may not relive the same experience as of the early generation but the spirit of mission and evangelism will touch them upon the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as of the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit felled on the early church apostles. The fire of mission and evangelism will be kindled with eschatological urgency stirred up by the Spirit.
I am of the opinion that Pentecostal churches are to strongly encourage the congregations in praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the impartation of the power and spiritual gifts which are crucial for all of us to obey as witnesses of the Gospel to all nations of the world which is the great commission!
emphasizing on personalized spiritual experience.....??? what do you exactly mean.. need explanation...LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Charity
ReplyDeletePersonalized spiritual experience would be the baptism of the Holy Spirit and how He touches and convicts – perhaps with the impartation of gifts like prophecy or healing.
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteHow does God's individual calling and purpose on one's life tie in with the eschatological doctrine?
Hei Jase
ReplyDeleteGod's individual calling and purpose on one's life do not directly tie with the eschatolgical doctrine. It is the filling of the Spirit and conviction that tie with the doctrine of eschatology prompting its urgency impacting on missiology and to fulfill the Great Commission as witnesses for Christ.
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to ask you about how often you hear people preaching and talking about eschatology? I mean... I come from a church called maranatha and I've often heard eschatological messages coming from the pulpit but I wonder if this is the case in your church etc.?
Thanks